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.• ?r~i 1-1 -t- |Hf|iinir|glainarijfr 4 VA* f'.YICE. Editor wnj f«fcSis»W. Jv, • few,wt\,vi rsa MoHKNBY. T*JU"^V; - WHICH 18 VHE BEST? Wbea all the battles are lost and won, 91m last words spoken, the argument done, "svhfeh is The best land under the Its} flThe question is pondered by you and by nipt:,"-' A* oar barks are sailing life's mystical sea. But as to the answer we disagree. . •"Oh, the very best land," says the German, *la mine!" .And his heart beats quick and Ma moist eyea x shine As be loudly sings "Die Wacht an Rheiu." Bflt the Frenchman jeers at the German's praise. While a tribute to France you hear him raise Is the fervent strains of the "Marseillaise.* At the Frenchman's boasting the Scotchman cries: i "What land so bonny beneath the skies As the land where the great Sir Walter liesi* Then a Muscovite voice is beard to drclara: . "Weie my fellow-creatures but wise and fair, They'd dote to a man on the Kneslan bear," The Irishman answers, with a scornful smile: "Go over the universe, mile by utile, And you'll find no land like the Kiuerald Isle." Tbe> Englishman comments In accents bland: "I'm thinking there's only one civilized land. And Britain's Its name, you must understand." The Yankee, rising, with deep emotion 5 >, SSsoiaims, "I'm flruilv set in the notion My eagle's the gem of the land or ihe oceatt*" Bo alter the battles are lost and won, <Riel&st words spoken, tii* arg..imont doni\ Which, which '.a the best land under the son? The question IB pondered by you andby mat •?** As our barks are sailing life's mystical sea,-. And, on second thinking, we all agree. We are not divided, saving in name; In essence each choice is really tije same, It springs from a common, ineffable flame: Whatever our race, wherever we roam. The spot that is dearest to each is home, The toast drank deepest is "Home, Home I" --Brandon Banner. Sweet WANTED: A GOVERNESS. HE WHITE HE psp MEANT ^OVEKNESS--(English), required at once by a "l Russian family resident at Odessa; French, U *'» $A:': ; n •-> !0jig: M-h • f.r:" •drawing, music; three girls, eldest 14; salary $5U0; reteiences exchanged. Apply personally feetween 2 pud 6 to-day to KAN*k«OJFF, Leag- Jbam Hotel. He was an elderly Russian, slightly gray, the "Kanseroff" of the news­ paper advertisement. He spuke En­ glish, like the majority of his well- educated compatriots, with a scarcely perceptible accent. Wh«n Cecil P#ntreath, with out­ ward composure and inward tribula­ tion, was shown into his private sit­ ting-room at theLangham Hotel that afternoon, he laid down the Times and regarded her pretty face with evident approbation. At the end of live minutes he said he believed she would suit his friends, and that ne would pay her passage out to Odessa, providitf)?--and he did Dot doubt th^it it would be the case --each founa the other's references satisfactory. ."I will give you till this time to­ morrow to consider the matter and make such inquiries as you think proper," he said, in conclusion. "Anyhow, 1 suppose I need not start for a week or two?" she asked. "I should like a little while ia which to take leave of my friends." "Naturally you would," he answered kindly. "There is no immediate burry. A fortnight hence would suit the Petrowitchs very well, I've no doubt." The next afternoon, having per­ fectly satisfied herself in the interim anent the respectability of her future employers, she went to keep her ap­ pointment with Mr. Kanseroff. He was not alone to-day. Another man was in the room, a younger man, who was seated at a wiiting-table strewn with papers, and who merely glanced up and bowed as she entered, ana then pafd no more attention to ber. Kanseroff rose courteously, shook bands, and asked her to sit down. "Well, Miss Pentreath," he said, ••and have you decided to go to Rus­ sia?" "Yes," she answered simply. As she .spoke she was conscious that the stranger--his interest sud­ denly awakened--had turned his head, and was looking at her earn­ estly; the keen scrutiny rendered her! now?" somewhat uncomfortable. j He said something rapidly to his friend in Russian. From the note of inquiry in his voice, and the men­ tion of her own name and that of; Petrowitch in the reply, she guessed j correctly that he had asked who she ; was. In the ensuing few minutes, while ! ,«he discussed business matters and j settled the date of her departure, she was sensible of the fact that every [ me into trouble were they discovered! by the police?" n j ••Yes," "Then I must&bltntfp&^Mb* wrong." MOnJthecontrary," he said quickly, •'it would bcr right: You Might even be the means of saving a life." His tone and manner were earnest. Whether he were speaking the truth or whether this earnestness was-' merely assumed to convince her, it was difficult to say, but the girl was satisfied. "May I ask why you have chosen me for this work'-" "First, because you are going to the country anyhow; secondly, and chiefly, because you are a foreigner and a mere girl. You will pass un­ heeded, unsuspected, where others would not--that is to say, is you can keep your self-possession when it is needed, and 1 think you can, for though you are so young, you have nerve, character--you are to be trusted." , She did not speak for a moment, but thought deeply and rafidly, with her gaze upon the floor. Woman-like, sh° shrank at the idea of danger and was about to refuse; then she thrust all thought of self aside, aud only remembered her mother, her sister, the man she loved, and what such a sum of money could do for them, and held her tongue. "Give me $10,000 and I will do it" "You know how to ask, Miss Pent­ reath." "1 won't jeopardize my safety lor less," she said firmly. "If 1 were alone in the world I should refuse al­ together; but I want the money for the sake of those who are very dear to me." "Very well," he answered, after a pause, "you shall have your $10,000 directly I receive advice that you have fulfilled your part ot the con­ tract. 1 will give you the papers the morning you sail. "When you arrhre you must wear a white rose, an imitation one will do Very well. Your responsibility will cease, and your reward will be won, when you have delivered the packet safely into the hands of a man with a similar Eower pinned in his coat, who will contrive to ask you--how, when, or where, I cannot tell you-- for the present from bis friend in London." . Two days later Cecil found herself on the deck of an outward-bound steamer, the parting over, the voy­ age begun. On the ship the time seemed end­ less to her, and she could settle to nothing. Every day seemed a week; She was in a fever of inpatience to reach her destination, and get the critical period over. Yet such is hu­ man nature, when she was told by a fellow-passenger that they would ar­ rive the next morning she would have given as much to retard their progress as previously she would have given to accelerate it. She was awakened about 8 o'clock in tne morning by the sudden cessa­ tion of the accustomed motion as the Korniloff came to a standstill beside the quay at Odessa. Already the deck was strewn with luggage, crowded with passengers, and in a wild state of commotion. Officials in uniform were affixing large seals to all trunks and packages, large and small, prior to despatching them to the custom house to.be opened and searched. Other officials were scanning every hole and corner of the steamer itself, j and one stood in the gangway ap- irr& %rlBf Tie a present tjeom my friend in London," he said softly ind rapidly, in excellent English. For answer she slipped the packet Into his hand. He gave a sort of sigh of intense relief, i«ud/j®aJoeaifid it at once with­ out the least sign of confusion on his face. When she raised her head to look after him he was gone. About 5 o'clock in the afternoon a month later a curious little scene was enacted outside the entrance of a cer­ tain large block of offices in the city. A young lady drove up in a four- wheeler and seat a boy into the build ing with a menage. A moment later a man came out* whose perplexed face suddenly crim­ soned with astonishment and delight as he saw her who wished to speak to him. He shouted to the cabman to drive on--anywhere, sprang into the vehicle and clasped the girl in his arms. „ "Cecil, my darling!" "Frank!** i ,.i "Why didn't you write to Mf %ie you were coming home?" he panted. "Why are you back again so soon? What does it mean?" "I wanted to surprise you. Oh, Frank, I've good news for you--such good news! What should you say if I told you that what we've always longed so for is ours at last--?* little capital that will enable you to start in business for yourself?'.' Then, incoherent with happiness and excitement, she told him all. He heard her story, and when she had finished touched her cheek with a gentle hand. "But my dear, I can't accept so much from you.rt "Then you value money more highly than you value me!" "Cecil, what an idea! How dare you say such a wicked thing? You don't telieve it?" "I shall believe it if you still re­ fuse. It must be so since you are not willing to take the $10,000, and"-- she hid her blushing, happy face on his shoulder--' 'and you are willing to take me!"--Boston Globe. * AKTMENT MADE UP FOR RURAL FRIENDS* fie Union or Beauty and (JUUty In Poul­ try Rrlng* I*iotit -- There'* Money In Farm ins--About Dehorning . IV tatofea an iqjnred by Heat. The Window Box. Nothing so adds to the appearance of a room, winter or summer, as some (if only a few), of nature's fa­ vorites--flowers. By "flowers" we mean blossoming or growing plants. A window box in spring and summer answers a double purposes; it adorns the rooms and it glorifies the exter­ nal part of the house. These boxes are always possible and inexpensive, even if one has no little railing or verandah juttiug out. An ordinary box the length of the window and about ten inches broad by eight deep, is all that is required. Filled With the proper kind of earth and planted in hanging vines and gay-colored plaDts, or those that have gay blos­ soms, they form a spot of beauty that nothing can eqaal. They should be placed outside the window upon supports that are se­ curely fastened. They should be so arranged that only the plants and none of the box, come above the sill. If one desire, the whole box may be covered with rough bark from un­ hewn logs. The treatment gives them a picturesque effect, and affords little niches for the drooping vines to cling to, thus preventing their be­ ing destroyed by rough winds. Fancier and the Practical PouHrrtnan. Are the aims of the fancier and the practical poultryman necessarily an­ tagonistic? The leading object of the llrst is the production of the greatest beauty; of the second the greatest utility. In the attempt to realize the?e objects, tnero is a temp­ tation on the part of the one to mate fowls very closely rclat d, and some­ times those lacking In constitution, and on the part of the other to use fowls, however ugly they may appear, provided their utility has been dem­ onstrated. But to the former temp­ tation there is the check that he who sacrifices constitution very quickly defeats his own purposes, and to the latter that in shape, at least, the more elegant specimens of most varieties are the ones that prove to be the most useful. There certainly is no necessary antagonism between the aims of the two, for the utility of fowls need not be less because they are beautiful in appea ance- A handsome hen will lay as many eggs as a homely one, and a beautiful cock will make as much and as good poultry as an ugly one. Indeed, the fancier who strives to unite as much utility as possible with the beauty of his fowls will be the jne who will make the most money out of them; for he will raise more of the chickens he hatches, he will get more eggs to sell, he will have more and better poultry to kill, he will have a larger sale for his cheap birds, and his ex­ hibition specimens will bring just as much money. And the practical poultryman, who seeks to unite as much beauty as posible with the utility of his fowls will lose nothing, for his fowls will continue to lay as many eggs as before, his dressed poultry will be as heavy and good quality, and he may be able to • make an occasional sale of a particu­ lar fine specimen at a price double or treble what he otherwise could j obtain. The union of "beauty arid I utility is the union that brings the ' greatest profit alike to the fancier and the practical poultryman, and self interest ought to compel each to seek for such an union, without,how­ ever, forgetting the main object in j view. Keep, as the first thing to be achieved, the beauty, if you are a- fancier, or the utility if you are a ! practical poultryman, of yoijr- vfowls; j and then, as a secondary but ^e*y ira- j portant object, seek the other quality, kthe obtaining of which will secure the greatest profit and the most satisfac­ tion.--H. S. Babcock, in Amercan 'Agriculturist. adOTttipaiM in the fall. 'armer doesthis one or two yea*sh« will probity try hard for a grtten. house, and thus get more pleasure, though of course with some additional work. It is not easy to gain honest pleasure in this world without work, ing for it, and it is always the work that precedes that makes the pleas­ ure more welcome and enJoyabl^^A, Save the Liquid Manure. . ^ On too many farms tho liquid ma> nure is allowed to go to waste. No provision is made for its saving, and yet the liquid manure is one of tho most valuable part* of the fertilizers made on the farm. By having proper absorbents, dry muck, leaves, saw­ dust, or dry loam placed so that it will catch the urine of all the cows and horses, the fertility of the farm can be greatlv increased in a few jears. A little forethought and a small amount of labor will add very materially to the value of the manure pile, and return to the fields the needed elements. . Potatoes Injured by Heat. Cut potatoes should not be dropped in a hot, sunshiny day long before tbey are covered, and especially on dry or sandy soil. Whether fresh cut or partially dried, the heat is liable to Injure the vitality of the bud, and make it fail or produce only a weak, spindling plant that cannot pay for growing. Cut potatoes piled in heaps or left in barrels will heat enough to injure vitality. The potato loves cool and moist soils and climates,and thrives best near bodies of water; ; > ' p.- : Plant Food. A successful farmer should discover" what materials a plant feeds on and what plant food is in the soil. Such knowledge as this comes not to us by nature, but bv most careful study, and that the farmer must be a stu­ dent as well as the "horny-handed son of toil" Miscellaneous Keel pes. ' CANNED PEACHES -- Pour boiling water over large, freestone peaches, remove the skins, divide in half, re­ move the stone; to every pound fruit of as add one-quarter pound of 6ugar; al­ low them to boil twenty minutes and seal. STEAMED PEAR?. --These are very palatable. Wash the pears and place tbem in a kettle with a little water. Strew sugar over and some pounded cinnamon bark. Cover closely and cook slowly from one and one-half to two hours. These are delicious eaten cold with cream and sugar. STUFFED STEAK.--Cut a thick slice of beef from the round, about two pounds; take one pint of bread crumbs, well seasoned with pepersalt and sage, moisten With butter. Spread this dressing on the beef, roll it close; tie up carefully; wrap in a buttered cloth; steam for two hours. It is very nice cold, sliced. BAKED FEARS,--Take ripe, medium sized pears, wash and place a layer, oney in Farming, sten} upward, in a deep earthenware A Lapeer, Mich., correspondent of i or a^a^e stewpan. Sprinkle over , the Detroit Free Press tells this j suKap. then set in another layer of j story: "Talk about farming being an 1 Pear9« a®d so on until the dish is fulL AU Oitt'of a Cocoanut. "It's wonderful how much the in- ... . " - . -- .> habitants of the South Sea Islands parently to prevent any one from go- get Gut of the ordinary cocoanut," oinrovc ,, said Humphrey Kyter, who is at the lito^hicw a I h r search the ships LindelL "They make that tree fur­like this.*"' asked Cecil of one of the unprofitable business, look he;e: Theodore L. Pierce, a common sense farmer of Attica, is poor, but has ijood judgment. He lives on Joshua Manwaring's farm in that township ind last year paid for the rent or the farm of 160 acres from the products [>f a piece of ground one rod less than an acre. A year ago last winter he gathered all the ashes in the neigh­ borhood, paying for it in soap. When Add two or more cupfuls of water, cover closely, and cook ih the oven three hours. Serve cold with mixed crcam. GREEN GRAPE JELLY.--The flavor of the wild grape is preferred by many for this jelly. Just as the grapes be­ gin to turn, gather, stem and cook tender, adding very little water. Strain throdgh a jelly bag and add a pound (some use one and a quarter spring came he fertilized this piece of j pounds) of hot sugar to each pint of grown officers, with whom she had friendly during the voyage. "No, it isn't usual. You see they're on the alert just now to stop certain papers getting, into the country. The passengers--sume of them, at least-- will very likely be searched, too. IfotySly has been allowed to land yet." She felt herself turn red, and then white, and she nervously fingered the imitation rose which she had that morning pinned, for the first time, at her throat. , "Mrs. Petrowitch will be waiting forme. Surely they'll let me land "I dare say they will. for you," said the sailor, kindly. He went up to one of the custom house men and spoke to him in Rus­ sian. "This young English lady wishes to go ashore at once. There is noth­ ing to detain her. 1 suppose?" j The official called another, and the j two eyed Cecil and consulted to­ gether. Of course she could not un­ derstand a word of what was passing, nish most everything they want on earth. I was just enumerating the many things they do with its various parts. Its wood furnishes them with beams, rafters, and planks out of which tbey build their nousea Its leaves, the cocoanut palm, are used for umbrellas, clothing, etc., and they thatch their huts with them plso, so that they take the place of shingles. Its fruit is used as food and from it j they get oil, an Intoxicating drink and a kind of sugar. Cocoanut shells j are used by the Islanders as domestic j utensila They make bowls, cups,' I pans and most everything else that | can come under the lisv of domestic T'III fl a J utensils. From its fibers they, make 0 w>pes, sails, and matting, and in addi­ tion a cocoanut grove makes, a de­ lightful garden with plenty of shade and a constant, delightful odor. In fact, the cocoanut tree is the most valuable plant in the world to-day. It seems to be all utility."--Globe- Democrat. (round with the ashes, and when it was ready for planting he drilled it with onion seed, which grew so thickly they nearly crowded each 2>ther out of the ground; they grew fairly one on top of the other in in­ stances, and when harvest time came he had six hundred bushels of fine as­ sorted onions, which he sold to Mr. Randall of Oxford, at TO odd cents per bushel, realizing over $420 in cash from the acre, less one rod of ground. Pierce himself was not able to work much, so he took pride in looking after his onion patch, keep­ ing it properly weeded, etc. His strained juic^. Boil until it stiffens. Then take up in tumblers or jars. POTATOES.--Cut very thin slices right across the largesjb potatoes: lay the slices in fiat layers on a small plate th&t will bear the heat of the oven. Spread fresh butter freely over the potatoes, then add another layer and so on until the potatoes are about four inches high. Season with pepper and salt. Bake until the po­ tatoes are tender, about half an hour, in a quick oven. CHIPPED P^ARS. --Eight pounds of pears, not^overripe; eight pounds of sugar, one pnt of water, four lemons > » * w OU^UI f Vllv Ul U U VI TV owl 9 iV/Uft iVUlVUg ithree, boys, in the meantime, were [ sliced, anfouncj of green ginger root. f* ifc' ' 'h U"' &•*. !4|u' 6^/ ; awful suspense with assumed indif-! fereuce. It was evident to her at last, bow-! ever, that they had not the least1 word she uttered was being absorbed t and in consequence had to endure and criticised by the man at the! other end of the room, and that all j the time he was watching her closely j --that his eyes never left her face, j When at length she rose to go be called Kanseroff aside, and the latter left the girl w th a brief apology and a request that she would remain a moment The two men talked eagerly, ex­ citedly; but it was the stranger who was having most of the say. She could not understand them, of course. It appeared to ber, however, that he was making some proposal of which Kanseroff did not approve. At last the elder gave in, but half convinced, fchd shrugged his shoulders, remark­ ing in English: "Well, have your own way. But you must make your own arrange inents; I shan't interfere." The younger man turned abruptly to Cecil, who had been watching the , llf,tie scene with natural curiosity. "MissPentreath, would you like to i<rn ftK nnnvi guow in tbe Slcwra Neradaa, I have seen it snow so hard in Ne­ vada that a plow with four monster engines behind it would be completely stalled before it had gone a mile from a snowshed. The down-tumb­ ling flakes could cover the cleared track so fast that once the plow got suspicion of her, for one shrugged his i stuck it couldn't back out, and would Mfcrn $5,000? U A rush of color flushed Cecil's 4Bheeks. "Ah-ryes!" she said, with gasp in her voice. "But why do you «sk me? How could I make so shoulders and walked away and the other asked her in French, as a.mere matter of form: "Have you anything about you-- any papers?" It was only for an imperceptible in­ stant she hesitated and then she told the first deliberate lie she hau ever j told, with a calm face and the blood l tingling to her very finger tins. I "No." | "Very good, mademoiselle. You' need not remain." I Mrs. Petrowiteh and one of her ] girls met her and took her home. She was an amiable woman, and no doubt the governess would have been very comfortable beneath her roof; but all the same, if she could secure her $10,000, Cecil did not intend to remain long in Russia. The following morning, at abouC 9 o'clock, the front door was thrown open in common with every other a^ little | door in Odessa, and a stream fit peo- 1 pie began to pass i,n and out / Every man who entered, whether hive to be dug out by snow'shovellers when the storm had ceased. I have seen two-story houses completely covered by the snow, and telegraph poles buried out of sight. Often in the canons houses are reached through*long tunnels in the snow. One night a guide led me thiough one ot these tunnels, and I was amazed to find myself suddenly transferred from a waste of wearying whiteness into a brilliantly lighted bar-room filled with men, which was the ante-room to a big dining estab­ lishment and part of the lower floor ot a large two-and one-half-story boarding-bouse. No sign of it had been visible f-om the outside, not even a curl of smoke. "Snow is snow in the Sierra Nevadas. There are canons in the mountains that have it eighty and 100 feet deep, some­ times. : Bemad to Kan Away and MMfey* Several daysagd the engineer of an express train on the Pennsylvania j he were gentleman or, peasant, took j Railroad saw two red Hags waiving ' f.tir/t Ar»r»n ^ ati-i m 4Ua FA J J. V. I ^ i M AA 11 •» ! M ^ A# 1% C 1% A1# M 11A much?" ^ ^ "Very simoly. By leaving England ; two eggs"froin the'plle On" the"table" In two days instead of two wee;ks, and broke one and ate a -piece Uf it, taking a little packet of papers with - ^ .. s v • you--a little packet that is of such great importance to my family that I do not care to transmit it in the or­ dinary way, through the post." 1 The girl's clear eyes met the mans, l>ewildering, questioning. Th<en a sudden light dawned upon4 her; •motive became clear. "Oh," she cried, and her breath came and went rapidly, "in plain words, sir, you want me to smuggle gptpers into Russia vhich would get presented the other to the hosted or any other female member of' the household with the formula, "Cfcrist is risen." To which the lady replied, "He is truly risen " frantically in front of him half a mile down the track. He applied the brakes' with a suddenness which threw the passengers from their seats and tremblingly climbed down ex­ pect inir to find a rail torn up, abridge swept ^way or some other trouble suf Cecil was watching thes^ene from j ficient to have wrecked the train. In- a corner with considerable interest, his when a dark man dressed like a peas­ ant, advanced and extended an egg to her. He wore a white rose, and he placed himself before her so that his flgye shii room l'}&& 'k, stead he found a runaway couple anxious to" reach some place where they coultl be married. They were afraid of being pvertaken and the thundering express train offered them a means of escape. Two .silk handkerchiefs did the rest. % working the other 159 acres andmak- jiing agood thing from it. and his i laughter wal teaching school in the village at a good salary. About Dehorning. A commission appointed by the On­ tario government to investigate the dehorning of cattle, come to these jonclusions: "It seems to be estab­ lished beyond reasonable doubt that dehorning by affecting a change in the disposition of the animal, greatly increases its marketable value, be­ sides enabling the owner to handle his stock with greater ease, economy, and safety. In the case of steers raised for the export trade, the owner is enabled to feed loose in large stables and to adopt improved meth­ ods of saving manure, and, as the un­ ruly disposition has been, largely sub- iued, less food is required in bring­ ing the animal to a prime condition. The stock can also be cared for by fewer men. On the English market the buyers gave about $5 per head more for dehorned cattle, owing to the belief that tbey put on flesh bet­ ter. AH the evidence, in fact, goes to show that the possession of horns by cattle, in addition to causing a ifreat and prolonged suffering, means i loss in the aggregate,1 of hundreds 3f thousands of dollars to the farmers of this country." They advise ex­ periments in destroying the horns of calves by chemicals to see if it is not better than cutting them off from mature animals Making Flower* Profitable. We don't mean that the farmer who grows flowers should vie with the florist in selling what he pro- Suces to the public. It Is possible that the flowers produced by the farmer would come mostly at times when such floors were abundant, and brought low prices. But they are worth just as much to beautify his home and give pleasure to the farmer's wife and lamily as it they sold at winter hot house prices. It is because farmers do not realize the pleasures and comforts they get from the farm that they think farming don't pay. Few rich men can dec* their tables with flowers half the year at least as can tbe farmer it he tries. He can with some hardy per- rennlals begin about as soon as snow 4s off in spring, and decorate his rooms with , these and their successors Peel the pears and quarter them, Scrape the ginger root,slice verv thin. Put all the ingredients together in a preserving kettle, and cook slowly six hours. Avoid stirring the fruit or breaking it while cooking. Any of the cojoamon pears may be used ioi^is way. ' ' ' . .' T'.?* '• fte XMes Ones a Week. An Italian, who cannot be other than a most remarkable Impostor, has been playing wonderful tricks upon tbe good people of Tiflls, in the Cau­ casus, Russia. His name is Tagarelli, s^d while he cannot be determined an Italian in the strict sense of the word, having been born in Russia of parents born in the same country,it is known that he is of that extraction. He is known all over the land of the C/ar as "The Dying Prophet," his ability to delude the public de­ pending on a queer faculty he has for dying and returning to life once every week. A person who has viewed the situa­ tion on tbe ground says: '•The audiqity of his pretensions, the skill with which they are main­ tained, and, above all, the profound effect producefl.upon all who come in contact with him. have no parallel in history. *-He is a most extraordinary being, and if he be an imposter then he is the most marvelous imposter of the age. "He dies, to all appearances, and the ordina;y death tests declare that life is extinct While in this condi­ tion he declares that his spirit visits 'the other world,' but which of the two he will not tell. "All that he will divulge in regard to his doings \vhile on these 'trips' is that he examines the boos of life,and that he can tell the spiritual stand­ ing of every person who cares enough about it to make inquires."--St. Louis Republic. PEOPLE are inclined to abuse a boy for doing nothing but eating and making a noise, but that is all people do at picnicsf and they are considered very reflnetL ANOTHER horrible sight is,to see a man smoking a pipe while riding a bicycle. • NOTHING becomes a pretty girl less than the notion that she is pretty. ' MEXICAN BEAUTY. Spanlak and Mexican Typea - Tbey o»«iriy ii«*inlf„i -- . Theque^ oi lleilean beauty Is one that from tithe to time comes tap for discussion, and wl^t is true of the Spanish type is true of the Mexi­ can, namely: that the women age quickly and soon loose their youthful charms. It may be considered ade­ quate by some that their youthful charms should be so greas, but the majority will not be satisfied with such short terms. It seems to be true that the women of Southern climes do not wear well; this is due to that law ot nature which insists that early development is followed by early decline of personal charms. Of course, the Mexican type in its great­ est purity is almost Spanisn, a'num­ ber of the old Mexican families trac­ ing their ancestry back to the Span- ish grande's, and claiming direct de- scent from the conquistadores. The languising and entrancing eyes of Mexican and Spanish senoritas, whose effect i9 much heightened by the picturesquely gra eful mantilla, have formed the theme of many a post. The Mexican senoritas take but little outdoor exercis?, are constantly chaperon d and lead somewhat use­ less and inane Uvea It is in many cases an existence of laisses faire and laissez' aller. Going to rburcfi is, perhaps, th3ir only excitement, and saying prayers their principal dissipation. It is said that there is vary little pure Spanish blood even in the best Mexican families, though such a statement would be fiercely disputed. The Mexican senorita, both by training and instinct, is indifferent to much that interests tromen in other climates,, is fond of luxury and is said to have a fair shar3 of temper and jealousy. The Mexican himself is jealous also. It is a country whi h has hitherto been known as a country of to-mor­ row, owing to the national habit of procrastination. Yet it is picturesque and histor­ ically interesting. The first book printed in America was printed in Mexico, and tbrls achievement app?ars to have satisfied the national ambi­ tion in a literary direction. Its mines are wonderfully rich, and, under more progressive direction, the country would be a prosperous na­ tion. A certain amount of enterprise has been shown of late years, but there is still a vast field of work yet to be doneV Mexico is typified in her daughters. <She has been under chaperon age so long that shcl^slow to learii tb take < are of herself and loftkvout for self- imprQ^ement. , Changed His Mind. f'I tell you, Jessop," said the Fourth street lawyer to the Elm street real estate man as they passed the banana stand on the corner, ' "there's a fruit that is not properly appreciated." "What fruit?" >. "The banana," said he positively. '•Why not?" asked the other du­ biously. "Why? Why? Man alive, don't you know that the banana is one of the greatest blessings a divine Cre­ ator ever showered down on human­ ity?" "Cannot say that I did." ; "Why, man, there is as much nu­ triment in one banana as there is in three 5-cent loaves of bread--it has been proved by analysis. The fruit can be eaten as it is, raw or sliced with cream or made into delicious ices or fried or baked. There is a fine flour for breadstuffs made from it when dried; sausage and beer can be made from the pulp properly pre­ pared, the juice of the peel contains a substance that makes a really in­ delible ink and another acid that makes better vinegar than the best apple cider. "And that isn't all--out of the tenacious fibers of the peel a textile fabric is now being made which pos­ sesses remarkable strength and flexi­ bility and is of unusual beauty. And that isn't all, either--when I was in New York 1 found 6,000 men em­ ployed in making"--s- Just then his feet struck something long, slim, slick, and slippery lying upon the side walk. His umbrella flew out of his hand, and he kicked an ash barrel over into the gutter as he fell And when ho leaped fur1-A ously to his feet the only thing the bystanders heard him say was: "Dod gast a banana ahyway!"-- Cincinnati Commercial Gazette. The Willow-Pattern Plate. Comparatively few people know that this design embodies an old Chinese tradition. The story is said to be as follow pictured on,the plate dwelt, a m daughter Li-c ion. rne mjs the mansion hand side of the with his only latter fell in love with Chang, her father's former secretary, dprho lived in the island home shown at tbe top of the pattern (left-hand side). One day the man­ darin heard ,tliem exchanging vows und^oi^rllSftfitftln^ the. back ground), and forbade the union. The lovenrtiflWBiiver. eloped, and hid for a timeSHtH%ardener's cottage (at the end of the bridge opposite the willow home. The mandarin pursued them with a whip, and would have killed them but for the intervention of the gods, who changed the pair into turtle doves (the birds shown in the picture)-^-^?jie^ design is called the Willow-Pattlrrf, not only because it represent s a story of unfortunate love, but also be^U0f»4fye. lover'sjrflght oc­ curred "when the willow begins to shed its leaves." ---- Outer Jap*. 1 The Japan<?:$S are a curious people. The Japanese carpenter planes to­ ward him instead of from him. Tfeya Japanese horseman mounts his horse from the right side. The address of a Japanese letter is arranged in strict accord with the progress from the general to the particular. Thus, a Jap writing to a countryman in New York would place on the envelope: "United States of America, New York State. New York, West Tenth street, 115, Hoe, Yank." A Japan­ ese always gives a gratuity upon bfc arrival at a hotel or restaurant in­ stead ot on his departure In* draw­ ing a cork tbe Japanese waiter never turns^ the fiorftscrew, but whirls the V - J HE PUT GEESK TO *he Fa'e or a Prophet (Tho Presumed •« Hla Knowledge o|j jNtftptng. ••Don't talk of agriculture t%> » farmer," was Daniel Webster's ad­ vice to* friend. This, advice was recalled by a gen­ tleman of this city recently, says the New York Herald, upon hearing of the experience of an amateur farmer, a .friend of his, who> after a Ipng and active career, in which he had achieved fame and fortune, relin­ quished an extensive practice of law for bucolic superintendance over an estate not a hundred miles fr6m New York. - Shortly after he assumed the man* agement of his farm the lawyer re­ ceived a visit from one of his neigh­ bors, a shrewd old farmer who had never been a hundred miles away from his home. Naturally the am&teur betrayed his gross ignorance to his more practical and experienced companion. The latter was somewhat of a wit, and.at last, in visiting the poultry yard, ven­ tured a suggestion. "This is all very fine," he said, as he glanced about, "but where, do your ducks and geese roost at night?" "I never thought of that," replied the amateur. "I've seen them 'squat- tics' around at night, and thought they liked that, I'll have it attended to at once Low roosts, 1 suppose, would be the best?" The farmer thought they woqieL "Place them about .two feet from the ground," he remarked, and then, smiling in his sleeve, unhitched his old mare and drove away home. Not a moment was lost by the former New Yorker. He erected his duck roosts* and at nightfall 'visited his poultry yard to observe bow the fowls enjoyed the innovation. To his chagrin tbey appeared to ignore the roosting place, and were squatting as before on the ground. "Poor things, I've neglected them too long," thought the humane ama­ teur. "They don't realize the change.n With that he began to grab at ducks and^drakes and geese and ganders and deposit them one by one on the iro^st. There was a terrible Qpmmotioo among the fowls, which attracted all the farm hands with shotguns to the poultry yard.. It was not long before the truth dawned upon him that ducks And £eese were intended by nature to "squat," not roost, He returned to his house deeply ashamed of his ignorance and sjleedUy became the laughing stock of the country round. The illustration of Webster's ad­ vice came in the form of entire- disregard thereafter of any opinions expressed by the mafn. In New York ,lj,is utterances had been regarded as worefs of-wiscftKiv upon no matter what subject expressed, but in the country they were greeted with: "Oh," pshaw, he don't know bothin'. Be puts geese to roost" A Buffalo Domestic Tragedy. It was late when Mr. Blobbs got up yesterday morning, says the Buffalo Express, and he' hustled arouod his bed-room like a wild man. When it came time to put on his trousers, he plunged into a wardrobe and pulled down all the garments that were on the hooka Then he fell on his knees and pawed the pile over nervously. He handled every garment twice and • did not find what he wanted. He swore three seperate and {distinct times, and then shouted: "Mary!" There was no reply. Blobbs poked his head out of the door and yelled again: "Mary!" "What is it, dear?" asked someone < at the rear end of the flat / V "Come here, and get a move oil* too." f' Mrs. Blobbs came into tbe ro&m. Her face was flushed from breakfast preparations, and thece was some soot on her nose. "What do you wane?" she asked. "Where's them gray pajiti mine?" "What gray pants?"j ' ? "Them gray ones thst's b^en ing in that closet for two months.*! ••Aren't they in there?" "No, they ain't in there. NiWr. what have you done with them?" > "Were they gray, with a little red stripe in them?" "You know well enough that thej were. Don't stand there chewing about them any longer. Where are th^y?" * v i*Gray ones with red stripes," m Mrs. Blobbs. "I'm sure 1 dooft know--oh. yes, I do, too; I traced thqrn to a man for a lovely kettle." "You what?" gasped Mr. Blobbs. ••Traded them for a kettle. You didn't want them, did you?" v Mr. Blobbs was so mad thattie frothed at. the mouth. He raved and shouted around the room. He kept this up foe ten minutes. Then he saw that Mrs. Blobbs didn't care, and be tried otber tactics. "I'm sorry you sold them," he said; "not because I needed them especially, but because you did yourself an in* jury." "How so?" asked Mrs. Blobbs, in­ terestedly. "Why, I had $10 in one of the Tickets of those pants that I was go­ ing to use to get you a birthday present next week I kept it here so I would have no opportunity to spend it NoW, aren't you sorry you sold the pants?" "Oh, 1 don't know," replied Mrs. Blobbs, sweetly, for she saw through the scheme immediately. "You see, I went through the pockets and found the money. 1 went shopping with It yesterday." - , Do you wonder that Blobbs would not eat his breakfast? " FDUthed Shoes (illsten with Diamonds "Do you know that when your shoes glisten with a polish they ar6 really covered with diamonds?" asked a shoemaker the other day of one of his patrons. "This is true," he con­ tinued, "and I will show you why. Bone dust which is tbe principal In­ gredient of shoe blacking, is almost pure carbon. The diamond, ypa know, is the purest form of carbon. When this paste has oeen smeared over your shoes the friction of the polishing brush crystallizes the black­ ing and conyerts it into millions of intlnitesimally small diamonds, and every man with a shine on bis shoes may revel in the knowledge that he wears a cluster of diamonds on <|iii feet"--Philadelphia Record. WHEN whisky gets a grip on a something breaks when it lets go. , ; i ui'Mfyk • ' ' v.