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* V j. •ft ..,flj:jj!lM,a *j*jj^j vpfr|||ifejs ^itTrnwi m& rabtlMM THh. DAYS OF «<l^ tome past, wfcat 1« Ca elum tuasjour Botxow into ley, yourSUTST W ^tv'v '•'" ' n *4 V' ' ' J/' $ |||d w •' o. 'i-t. WteHfonrikTvu owcut. dm atoniu ,',' _ swept o'er your way. V ,**>•> , ®«* witib a pang of keen regret we think of you to-day. 1 "' !»;* '., Ah me I if was the promise of young life's mora ing hours. F;>V IThs giamour of Hopets inagio (pell which paved U,; , the wav with flowers : At ' Che showed us all the bliss of earth--it m KW ,1 within our grasp- Alas : it tamed to worthless 4ross wheo held f -S* %v with eager clasp. m §H, «'f- life's path has wider, smoother grawa, the . v_ winds are soft and sweet ^fPtiich gently touch the fading cheek, as day r and twilight meet, * ' t*nt oh, to know one hoar again when all that , - 33fa can Rive (teamed waiting for our hand to take, and it •;^v wa« Joy to live/ *-WaTeriey Magazine. fc V • % ! / ' • > t" * '* • t THE FUGITIVES. "v JSot more than two miles from tbd •resent business portion of Pitts­ burgh, there stood, in the year 1754, i small log cabin, the property and heme of Amos Gordon. A trapper fy occupation, he sought to add to $is table those luxuries which the jjjoetic ruralist now terms "garden Jfess." For the carrying out of this jginbition he had c1 eared off about firee acres of land and planted it ith the limited variety and amount •if seed procurable po»e<l waatoprocetddown tne river s»mt,theBtartom,ko At 9 o'clock the silver rim of the moon appeared above the horizon, flooding forest and streaW" tfltb her soft radiance. "We must go at once," Gordon de- **Xhe*Wn eoi^^d tfflb rooms. Allowing the canawijOurn in one, as a blind to any lurking foe with­ out, they entered the other. Here ttMf^#nl|pmNly Opened the outer door and quietly passed out. Keep­ ing well in the shadows they crossed the clearing in the direction of a clump ol Had er brush in which their canoe lay concealed. Scarcely had they gained cover young plotter. Wltft iM strength of his being he bof-e down on the bark gunwale. The tense fibres parted befort the keen blade, and in a moment, cut nearly to the keel, theJfraU^glift collapsed, ntiyfcWpe«atik beneath,the stnflek out, not in the di- •jB»*horep but, as near as judge, toward the middle of ni; His knife was broken and he had no desire to en­ ter Into a hand-to-hand conflict with such overfrheltoiug numt.ers; which would undoubtedly occur if he reached the bank. Rising to the*surface at a consid­ erable distance from the capsized bbat, but he took another breath and sank again, repeating the cba when Wade pointed out a nurriber of j nueuvre until well out of the danger- shadowy figures stealing from a thicket to the left in the direction of the house. "We must make haste," Gordon whispered. "The red hounds will soon <be aftet us." The fame, was quickly -drawn from its concealment* and launched. It was composed of bark, and constructed in the manner of those in common use among the Indians. Everything be­ ing in readfAess, they prepared to push off when an appalling chorus of yells, such as could only emanate from the throats of ffurons, caused them to pause a moment. At the same ii- stent a bright flatoe lighted up the scene, telling them the house hdd been fired. i Amos set his teeth firmly: it was | hard to know that the home in which he had spent so many happy days was being destroyed; but there was no time for vain regrets or thoughts of revenge, and in another moment the * :*V.' of this species of water 'V*', His daughter and only child, named jLeota in honor of a noted Indian ! boat was gliding down stream,closely ipiieftainess, proved an admirable housekeeper, and, all things consid­ ered, Amos would have been tolerably well contented had it not been for Sie hostilities which were being car­ed on with increasing warmth be­ tween the French andjthefr red allies z^pd the English colonists. ^ Up to the time of which I write Jqje had been unmolested, being on bribes of Indians; but how long this <*4|bate of things would continue was fpierely a matter of conjecture. i Of course Leota had a lover; and Jne evening, as she and Wade Vo­ lance strolled under a row of syca- ifaores, the young man thought that life was almost precious enough to Inakea coward of him. -Is it not beautiful here?" Leota isked, as they paused on the brink of tfcbe river and gazed across to where the glassy surface reflected the bril. liant-hued trees upon the island. V>; "It is indeed," he declared fer­ vently, stuc|ying the dreamy look in toer eyes as if he could better com- *' prehend beauty when mirrored there. Suddenly she started and a thrill of alarm drove tb9 color from her face. Quickly following her glance, ihe saw a canoe containing half dozen jndians glide out from under the j Arees on the opposite bank and drop -quietly down the stream. i is •»! don't like that," he said gravely. *»Tbere is no telling what deviltry- - Jthent they may be up to." Leota looked anxious. s "Of late the very forest whispers .^framings of danger," she said tremu­ lously. * •' ' ,T' "Still there maybe no occasion for 5 .̂.' -alarm," Wade hastened to reassure lier. "The French will not cause |£ #ny trouble unless interfered with." te* "Be not deceived, mr brother." •f? \> * The words, spoken in the low, thick ' Utterance peculiar to the red man, ^Startled them both; but their alarm l.„ quickly vanished as an old Indian mdvanced from behind one of the ' *1 ^treea i'i' 4 • 'Daonta! .What do you mean?" % 'Wade asked. v :,' ! "I have lived long," he replied, his > 1~ eyes resting upon the slow moving %ater. "1 have seen many winters |whea the brooks stood still in their course and the deer sought in vain |ft© drink. I have seen the trees turn #o blood until I can no more number %he times. I have learned much.M I Turning, he fixed his piercing gaze » *lfl< ' 1' ' upon Leota. "The daughter of Keen §&' Sr4'* ^^Eye is fair," he said. "More f|*e| |rv'; '^than Daonta'shave seen this." I The young pioneer started. U % • ' "What do you mean?" *" 'The little chief of the French, I", I - where yon smoke go3s heavenward, | "** has seen it, my brother," he replied, r - - gravely pointing to where a column % , ol vapor was asccndiag. itoia the fort , d . "JaqftWs I* Stehert#' Lei»ta started as her lover uttered 4 - -tjje name> This Frenchman had, in 5 ^ his halt arrogant, half persuasive r' f ' •*i" wav, been paying attentions to her r % . which be well knew were disagree- " ¥ viable, ending at last in a proposal hugging the wooded shore. Wade Volance occupied the rear seat, Leota the center, and her father the bow. Each was provided with a paddle, Leota handling hers in a manner that spoke of long acquaintance with the management craft The cries of the savages had ceased, and Silence profound rested upon the iendly terms with the neighboring | river; only the roaring and crackling . ^ . , ... ^ the flames, subdued by the rapidly increasing distance, broke the still­ ness. At each dip of the paddies the light canoe shot forward, skimming over the water like a bird in air, with only a ripple now and then to tell of its passage. Suddenly a loud, vibrating cry, com­ ing directly from the direction of the burning cabin, then all was silent as before. The wily Frenchman had placed a sentinel to guard the river, and cut off all chance of escape! Each heart beat louder, and each pair of arms drove the paddies into the water with a fiercer energy as the fugitives realized that only after a long, stern chase could they hope to escape. Ten, twenty minute? passed, and Leota was beginning to feel more at ease. There was no sign of pur­ suit; quiet brooded over the scene. Keeping well in the shadows cast by the trees, they listened to catch some sound indicating that they were fol­ lowed, but in vain; the almost, unen­ durable stillness remained unbroken. "We shall soon know whether or not we aie followed, Leota," Volance ; whispered in the girl's ear. She nodded comprehendingly. Just at that point the river made a bend and ran almost directly westward; in a short time they were out from the shadows, and plainly visible in the moonlight. f any of those devils are about they'll sfee us plainly enough' now," said Amos, grimly. Leota laid her hand on his arm. "Father, you will not let me fall Into their hands alive?" she whis­ pered. A groan broke from the old man's lips. "May God keep me from shedding the blood of my own child," he said, and Leota was answered. Wade bad not spoken, bat his bronzed face had lost its color, and the eyes which met Leota's were dim. One, two minutes passed. Then boundary line of ch they had just Object swept out It lift' least six dusky ' |t forward in swift pursuit A thrill of despair ran through the tyiearts of the fugitives; the cruel te­ nacity with which the Hurons would follow a trail or pursue an enemy was known to them. Nerved with the energy born of'despair, they plied the paddlfes with renewed vigor. But how could the strength of three, and one a woman, contend with that of six? This was the question Wade Vo­ lance asked himself, and his quick brain began to plan a way out of the difficulty. At each dip of their pad­ dles the project became clearer, and by the time they had gone a quarter of a mile he had worked out the problem. It was hazandous in the extreme, but their was' nothing the young pioneer would not l^ave dared to save Leota's life. The river made another bend, and ous vicinity. Th n he struck ont boldly for the opposite shore. He swam bravely for a time but ab length, completely exhausted, was about to "give up the struggle when bis hand struck something solid; it proved to be the limb of a floating tree. Drawing himself upon this welcome support, he* lay and waited. -The moon ro&e higher and higher, shortening the dense shadows. The same absolute silence held sw;ay. There was no sign of friend or enemy. An hour passed; then a sound at no great distance caught his attention. As he listed it grew nearer. Jriend orj6e? Suddenly a canoe came out patch of moonlight, and he nlzcd Leota and her father "Amoi." he softly called. The sound of their paddlfes almost instantly. . "Who spoke?" came back in ft cau­ tious voice. "Volance--I am here." There was a suppressed excita­ tion, and then the canoe was headed toward him. A few moments later the three were once mere together. Without any other notable adven­ ture they were enabled to carry out their first project Upon reaching the settlement the young couple were united, but not before an Indian runner had brought the iqtelligence that Jacques Le Siebert had met his death by di'owuiiiK fa the v.'atcrs. oi the Ohio.--Waverly Magazine. . V Was it into a ifccog- 'clased ADULTERATING SPICES. " '% - ; > j I J| „ - V which met a prompt refusal. She knew instinctively that he was a bad Vftnan, caring little for the means used as long as his ends were attained. ^ Daonta drew nearer, and lowering Ibis voice said impressively,-- i "Listen, my children! The tomar I hawk of the red man is in bis band; • it is bloody with the life of the pale » | flee. Go! Fly from a land that will ^ ̂K>n be red as the leaves of yon trees. Already, the young nlen lie hid like snakes in the forest" "They will not attack us. Am» Gordon has only friends here." It 9M Grown to s Science In Spite of All Laws Against It. :ttth ese days of fierce competition arid fraudulent dealing, says the Con­ fectioners' Union of London, adultera­ tion has become an art in which a knowledge Of science and the ingenuity of trade are freely exercised for de­ ceptive purposes. Perhaps no ingredi­ ents lend themselves so readily to the manipulations of the "sophisticator" as spices. People in general know so little about spice-that it can be adulterated in the most wholesale and barefaced manner. It requires the trained skill of an expert to fully expose the many frauds that are perpetrated in the trade. It is not at all an uncommon thing to see ground spices sold at less than half the price of the unground article, a fact wbicn sufficiently indicates that grinding is not the only process which the spice undergoes. Jit means,of course, that the ground spice has been more than doubled in its bulk by the addition of some cheap substance. Some firms go so far as to advertise adulterated goods,and evade the law by calling them compounds. Ground ginger is adulterated with meal, rice, flour, starch, cayenne pepper, and manila rope. The true ginger-root has a very fine hair-like fiber running through it and this is found in the ground article. Many people will not buy ginger un­ less they see the fiber, and bits of ground rope are made to take their place in the adulterated article. Cayenne pepper gives the necessary pungency. Sometimes chrome yellow, a poisonous article, is used for color­ ing. ' Cloves are adulterated with an ad­ mixture of the dried and ground twigs of the trees from which the cloves are gathered; also with ground cocoanut shells and pepper dust Allspice is also treated in the same way. Considerable cleverness is shown in the adulteration of cinnamon and nutmeg. Stale and broken buiscuits or damaged and common flour are baked in the oveu, and afterwards ground up to a fine powder, and this is freely mixed with the ground cin­ namon and nutmeg. In adulterating mace, Venetian red is mixed up with this baked, 4h-st Cayenne pepper is adulterated with meal, farina, cocoanut shells,'"Vene­ tian red and salt, the whole being then ground up together. In some cases the essential oils are even extracted from pure spices prior to the grinding. tbey were about to plunge once more, The almond ha8 ^ thln shell around a Story In Which Figure Qneen Victoria's Seeretwry and a Theater Manager. r lOiOOO Of Drury J.u# ant ui UI« uvuamine Lane Theater, having cesolved during l,ice.breakihg at Hango amounted to Mfl management tto inaugurate an *4boufc X6fc~London Engineering. Origin ot the Peach. Nothing is now more universally accepted than the fact that the peach is an improved variety of tbealmona into the shadows. Softly laying aside the paddle, Wade drew forth his hunting knife and ran his thumb over the edge; it was keen as a razor. Then he prepared tc act They had gone some distance when a strange commotion in the pursuing The eyes of the aged Indian glinted boat caused Leota and her father to I iii as he replied,-- !4Tue little chief of the French and -five red warriors will burn the cabin of Keen Eye over his head. When darkness hides the earth they will come." Turning quickly, he disappeared (before the young man could ask more. Amos Gordon had once saved the life •of Daonta, and the savage had now risked it to warn him of danger, r Returning to the cabin, the young jpeopke related their story to the trapper. He listened calmly, and re­ mained a time in deep thought be- lore he spoke "There's no help for, it, they are too many. We must leavi our home to the tender mercies of these cut­ throats and seek a place of safety." Taking his rifle he went out to re- woDoitre, and in about an hour re­ turned with the intelligence that a watch had been placed upon the house. /'We will wait till night and then Embark in the canoe," he said. made for an im- &ediat« departure, and when tho ihadows began to creep over the land _%U was ill readjijegs Thtt plan , \% x'1 I glance backward. To their dismay they discovered that the seat occu­ pied by Wade Volance was empty. At the same time cries of surprise and consternation reached them through the partial gloom; then all was still again. When the young pioneer dropped quietly over the stern of the canoe into the river he had one settled ob­ ject in vie^r--to cripple or destroy the pursuing boat at any cost. Be­ ing perfectly at home in the water he did not doubt his ability to accom­ plish his purpose. The one thing he teared was that the Indians might: change their course and thus frus-' trate his design. Fortunately this catastrophe did not occur; the Hurons, urged on by the villainous Frenchman, bore down directly upon him. Completely occu­ pied in watching the canoe ahead, they saw nothing of the face that noiselessly rose afid sank directly in their path, and rode straight over it. The first intimation they had qf Volance's presence was a hand raised above one side of the canoe clutching a large knife. TRiis his operatic season, desired to obtain the patronage of Queen Victoria. He had several friends among the nobility, who were fond of the thea­ ter, and enjoyed coming behind the scenes to have a chat with the man­ ager and taste his "champagne. Amongst these was a certain Duke, with whom Smith was on a footing. "Duke," said the irrepressible man. ager to him one evening, "I want you to do m'e a favor. 1 want you to lend me your carriage for a couple of hours to-morrow morning." "Certainly, Smith. oblige you," replied 4 'What's the loke?" "That's a secret, but you shall know later. 'J Punctually at 11a. m.. His Grace's mote of tSi ... _ _ for lf ttkis is allowed to rentte&Mmii la the channel it will stiU hnerfcre with the progress of steamer!. The cost of the dynamite In the Costa Rlcan Swamp. Go and live there, inhabit that picturesque adobe dwelling for twenty-four hours, either with or without iungle fever, and your en­ thusiasm will possibly be considera­ bly modified. The breeze, tepid and friendly j languorous, brings little refreshment to the heavy steaming atmosphere, charged by blazing sunshine in brief alternation with torrents of rain, deadly miasms from the rot-laden lagoon steal like ghost* through the moonlit night, and every type of winged and creeping abomination that earth produces there teems and swelters in luxuriant virulence. Great hairy tarantula spiders, centipedes a foot long, and scorpions like miniature lobsters, had their being in the banana-leaf thatch above Anything to the nobleman. carriage, in charge of his liveried serv­ ants, stood at the stage door. Into i me; land crabs burrowed up through It entered the adventurous manager | the fungus grown floor to visit my and his satellite. Fox Cooper. j couch; huge toads and venomous rep- "Whereto, sir?" said Jeamestouch-; tiles came frankly in at the door, lng his hat j Alligators and enormous serpents in- . "Buckingham Palace," was the re- ] Tested the lagoon hard by and might ply, and away Tolled the equippage. j be expected at any moment I did "Dos't you think, Smith," said Fox, "this is rather a bold venture? I don't half like it--I see trouble ahead, and smell the Tower." 'Pooh!" replied the manager. "You'll see I shall carry my point; nothing like dash in matters of this sort" Buckingham Palace The carriage passed not see an anaconda while I was there, but a blow from the tail of an alligator struggling with some creat­ ure it had captured, actually broke away some of the wall of my hut one night Beastly bats sailed in oc­ casionally, a&d were found by day- j light pendant and pugnacious over- was reached. ; head, while more than once a yell, a through the j scutllc and a rush proclaimed the dis- gates, the sentries presented arms re- j turbed intrusion of some unidentified spectfully to the armorial bearings ; delegate of the cat tribe. and liveries. Smith expanded Cooper shrank still smaller. and Respiratory air seemed to have ac­ quired a third constituent in addition Arrived at the entrance, an attend- to its normal oxygen and nitrogen in ant opened the. door of the carriage j the stifling clouds ot mosquitoes and the buoyant)|raanager was met In which filled the darkness--and aCen- the ston^ which splits open and shows the stone when mature. This outer skin has simply become fleshy in the peach, so that is all that gives it its specific character, it seems now clear from investigation in the history of ancient Babylon, tjiat in their gardens, now nearly 4,000 years ago, the peach was cultivated then as it is now. It must have been many years before this that the peach was improved from the almond, *and this fact goes to show the great an­ tiquity of the fruit Possibly garden­ ing in some respects, at least so far as it relates to many of our cultivated fruits, was as far advanced six, eight, or perhaps ten thousand years back, as it is to-day. Phoenicians, many thousands of years ago, as is proved by the records, bad in their gardens almonds, apri cots, bananas, citrons, figs grapes, olives, peaches, pomegranates, and even sugar-cane was in extensive cul* tivation. Certainly this shows how very fur advanced these nations were in garden culture these many years ago.--Meehans' Monthly the vestibule and was asked what he wanted. "1 wish to see CoL Phipps" (her majesty's secretary) "on matters of great importance," was his reply in an imperious tone, at which an­ nouncement Cooper fell back into the uttermost corner of ttecarriage, and said he would rather «&«y where he was. ^ Marshaled by the 0(111 attendants, the unabashed manager was, after some* necessary formalities, ushered into the presence of the private sec­ retary. The apartment was large; the secretary stood with his back to the fire opposite the door that admit­ ted the visitor^ twirling a card be­ twixt his finger and thumb. As the door closed behind the vis­ itor, he commenced: "Well, Mr. Smith, and to what do we owe the honor \>f this extraordi­ nary intrusion?" "Sir, «aid the undaunted manager, "1 am about to give a series of grand operas at the National Theater, and I have come in person humbly to solicit the patronage of her most gracious majesty." "Sir," said the secretary in his most freezingly polite manner, "the wav to approach her Majesty the Queen of England in a matter of this kind is by memorial. Good morn­ ing." Bell. Time elapsed. was playing at the theater in "The Chain of Events," and the Queen commanded a performance at Wind­ sor, and desired to have Mathews in the cast The secretary accordingly wrote to the management an official mandate, with the usual formality, to the effect that the Queen had commanded a play to be performed at Windsor and required the services of Mathews in the cast Signed "Phipps" This was E. T.'s opportunity. He seized it and wrote: SIR:---In reply to your letter I havo only to say that, in a matter of this kind, the only way to approach the manager of the National Theater is by memorial. Yours obediently. E. T. SMXTO. Coin In Cucumber*. A rich soil is requisite, says the American Cider-Maker. The average ] yield, when the soil is all it should be, is about one hundred bushels to the acre; and strange to say, the' smaller the cucumbers, the more bushels can be raised per acre, a par­ adox already alluded to in these col­ umns. Where the cucumbers average 600 to the bushel, about 200 bushels might be produced to every acre, while with cucumbers so small as to require 800 to constitute a bushel, a yield even so great as 300 bushel* to tho acre might be obtained. The reason of this lies in the fact that where they are allowed to grow, thoy not only become too large for pickling purposes, Dut they sap the nourish­ ment of the vines, thus retarding the prolificacy which is the rule when they are clipped off at a smaller stage of their growth. The vines should be cleared entirely ot all cucumbers down to those of 1$ inches; all under that size should be left to attain that slae or over, and a like rule should be followed in second or sub­ sequent gatherings. Beside the in­ crease In quantity and quality, there is *an added value in the pickles themselves according to their dimin- utivensss. The market demands that they should never exceed four inches in length--three inches Is better, but two inches is best. Small cucumbers gathered and put up in good condition, never fail to command a ready sale at profitable figures. In gathering the crop, the cucumbers should be cut from the vines with scissors. The use of a knife disturbs the vines to a more or less extent^ and uny disturb­ ance of this sort retards further hear­ ing. -Merely pulling the fruit off will not do at all. and in every instance about half an inch of stem "should be left to each cucumler. was HEKK is a hint from Confucius for the bank presidents: "Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but io rising again every time we fail. SOHB claim that the pulley is the oldest mechanical invention, but probably the crowbar has a pryer tral American mosquito is as merci­ less an organism as any of its accursed kind found outside the Arctic cirole, which is saying a good deal. Strange things whizzed and boomed through the obscurity, dropping with a sharp thud as though shot, or alighting with sticky feet, reluctant of dis- lodgment, on one's face; all night long there was a rustling and a crack­ ling and a creeping, suggestive of un­ seen horrors all around; walls, fioor, and roof crawled and were horrent with hideous animation. I am a naturalist by instinct and can love and cherish the meanest reptile, but I would not voluntarily of fore­ thought and design, choose a hut in a Costo Rican swamp as a shelter for my sick bed during the delUUIB* of intermittent fever. K? ^ In the Andes. A traveler in the heart of the Andes tetls, in "Tropical America," how he relieved his feelings when, having ascended the Paramlllos, he found himself at the summit nine thousand feet above the sea level. The scenery had increased in gratideur every hour since daybreak, and now two magnificent spectacles were to be enjoyed. The first was a bfoad view of the Cuyo Valley, south­ ward and eastward, with Mendoza, its shaded streets, its plazas, and suburban farms and vineyards directly Charles Mathews beiow us and so near that with a glass, streets and houses could be identi­ fied. The second was an inspiring glimpse of the main Andean chain, now suddenly towering thousands of feet abdVe us in the west. Tupun- gato, in solemn majesty, looked down upon us frOm the clouds. Then with a sharp turn In the bridle-path a hundred snow-clads were revealed at once. It was^a spectacle to fir« the blood. I had *no com­ panion in sympathy with my enthu­ siasm, but the Chilean guide at least had eafs to hear compliments show­ ered upon his native mountains. Leaping from the mule, I shouted: "Magnifico! magniflco!" Then feeling the inadequacy of the unfamiliar Spanish tongue for ex­ pressing genuine Yankee feeling, I added: "Hail Columbia! Glory He 11 el u- jah!" , A fldsh of patriotic pride illumin­ ated the Chilean's face, and he re­ peated, "Magniflcoi" There we stood in rapture, gating at the Andean kings, with their snowy ermine falling from their stately shoulders. Row They Do It in Boston. ••Coffee beans made of flour" are alleged to cut quite a figure on the retail grocer's coffee scales in the goodly East The poston 41Traveler" says: "The wily grocer does not attempt to palm off these imitation beans for coffee. He is not a foolish mat), your grocer; no, he only drops in what he considers a fair proportion, a propor­ tion which, well mixed with the gen­ uine article, gives about all the flavor it is safe for a person to inhale. The cunning housewife grinds, and laugbs at the foolish women who do not buy whole coffee beans. The thrifty grocer laughs, too, and goes on pay­ ing his pew rent and building tene­ ment rows; the son of the Yankee in­ ventor laughs; everyone is pleased, and best of all the coffee hurts no one, even the baby can take a sip with no possible bad effects." Ice-Breaking with Dynamite. There have been divided opinions abo.it the expediency of using dyna­ mite for ice-breaking, and it has never been used for this purpose to any extent Practical experiments last winter at the Hango Harbor, in Finland, seem, however, to have given very satisfactory results. The powerful ice-breaker of the port was helpless in the face of a belt of some 1,200 feet of very thick ice, the thick­ ness of which was measured to be as much as 18 feet It would seem es­ sential for successful ice-breaking with dynamite that there should ".'.r ' '• A-': MS ' v,t • He Was Absent-Minded There was once an absent-minded preacher in Maine, of whom a gos­ siping lady tells the Lewiston Jour­ nal. One Sunday he said excitedly at the close of a solemn discourse: 4 •The choir will now pronounce the benediction and I will sing the Dog- ology." The choir failed to respond beyi nd a faint soprano giggle and the minister hdstily exclaimed: "No, no! I should have said, I will now sing the benediction and the choir will will please pronounce the Dox- ology." Before he could hazzard an- ' other attempt the quartet came to (the rescue with "Old Hundred," and j the parson sat down to recover his wits behind the friendly shelter of the old-fashioned pulpit IN the bright lexicon of youth there is no such word as fall, but later on when he goes out West and starts into business for himself, then the word shows up in great shape. THE best way to keep cool is not to get hot over something you can't Brtniaat Idea ot a ftttlMham Kalgfct al the forceps to TiWrsiMti Business. At the Albany dental rooms in Wilkesbarre, Pa., thev have a parrot which generally assists in the work of extracting teeth. The parrot's name is Caesar. He Is a fine specimen ot his species, his intelligence being something marvelous. Dr. Weller, who has charge of the rooms, says he would not part with the bird for any money. And no wonder; the parrot brings grist to his mill. The bird does its worlc this way: A man comes to have his tooth pulled. He gets into the chair and then bis courage fails him. He tells the dentist that the pain has gone away and that be will postpone the operation until the next day. In Bine cases out of ten the dentist is unable to persuade the patient that it will be to his bodily comfort to have the molar extracted. Then, when the man gets up out of his chair, the par­ rot who has been watching him all the time, takes him in charge ,4Oh, coward," yells the parrot "you haven't the nerve of a chicken." The man looks around in consterna­ tion. The parrot is partly hidden In his big cage behind the screen. The m^n with the toothache turns around to the knight of the forceps and in­ quires: ' 'What remarks were those you just made?" "I said nothing," replied the dent­ ist; "It was the parrot who was speak­ ing. " The gentleman is then introduced to the parrot A pleasant conversa­ tion ensuea "Nice morning," says the parrot; "tooth pulled? No. You better; you catcb cold when you go out; better have it out and be done with it; lots of people had teeth pulled this morn­ ing." The man with the toothache is so dumbfounded over the parrot's talk that he hardly knows what way to turn for the time being. Then the parrot urges him on again, saying: "Go on, it will only take a minute; the doctor is waiting for you." This is too much for the man. He goes back to the chair and has the tooth removed. Then the parrot jumps all around his cage and says : 4,Oh, ain't 1 happy; I feel so happy with my big tooth out" "The parrot," says the dentist* 4'can talk anybody into getting a tooth pulled. We had a faimer In the other day. He wanted all his teeth taken out and a new set made. We wanted him to take gas. The old man said: 4' 4Weli now, by gosh! I don't know about that I often heard cf people blowing out gas and then dying; i don't think I will risk it,' "'Good boy,' shouted the parrot, Sensible man; don't you take gas; just sit down there and pulling your teeth will be jast as easy as husking corn.' " "When the farmer looked around and saw the parrot he said: 44 "Well, I declare; why, that bird talked like a man. I guess I'll take his ^dvice and let you crack away at my chewers.' "There was no trouble in pulling the old man's first two teeth, but when the third one came he jumped two feet in the chair. " 'That was a nerve clincher.' said the parrot 4It won't happen again; just keep nice and quiet now and soon your teeth will be out' "This soothing advice had a calm­ ing effect on the farmer, and he sank back into the chair perfectly satisfied with what had taken place aud what was to come; When the job was through the parrot said: 14 'Well done; there isn't one man In a thousand who could go through such an ordeal; you must have a won­ derful constitution.' "The farmer smiled and said "he guessed he had.'" PlBto'sSafletj Valve. INfff and a half miles south time little Mexican village of Las Hum- mettas, in Western ArizOnai in a low, sandy valley, flanked by tall moun­ tains, there Is a hole about three feet in TiIOmeter and ot unknown depth. From this cavity, which is as.round as if fashioned by - an experienced well-digger, a dense cloud of smone and steam is constantly arising. For 100 feet on each side- of this appar­ ently fathomless pit the ground is moist and damp Water collected from small holes dug in the damp soli has a curious effect upon the person rash enough to drink it--dispelling sleep for as much as fifty hours in succession. If the hands and feet be washed in it, it gives' them a brazen hue and a paralytic numbness. * Of an evening, about 7 o'clock (seldom varying as much as five min­ utes either way,) large volumes of sand are shot from the hole several yards into the air. Sometimes this latter exhibition is preceded by increased activity and loud subterranean noises; at,otfrfer times the emission of smoke and steam almost entirely ceases for about ten minutes before the sand- spurting show takes place. The peo- 'pie of Las Hummettas know the hole by the name of 4'Pluto's Safety Valve." • His Retort. In Mr. P. T. Barnum'8 "Struggles and Triumphs; or Forty Years' Re­ collections," he mentions having been in Washington in 1862, with Com­ modore Nutt President Lincoln sent Mr. Barnum an invitation to visit the White House, and bring his short friend. The Cab net happened to be there, and the President Introduced the little mariner to them. After a little joking Mr. Lincoln bent down his long, lank body, and taking Nutt by the hand, said: ••Commodore, permit me to give you a parting word of advice When you are in command of your fleet if you find yourself in danger of being taken prisoner, I advise you to wade ashore!" The Commodore let his gaze travel up the whole length of Mr. Lincoln's extremely long legs, and replied, quietly: "I guess, Mr. President, you could do that better than I could!'- TALK about fine women in Boston! There are morphine women in New York than Boston ever dared to have. hi#|s^»ii%|i^::;ijrf he, receive scant satisfaction, w. -- tefMMAifcris not allowed to**U, evi should he be inclined to oblige. "Do you know Jotro Blank?" asked a stranger out in Tacony one day last week, as be met one of Ur.ele Sam's custodians of ttie mail. The letter-carrier reipiied that be dkL "Where does he live?" iMKKt in­ quired the stranger. . "I cannot tell you." said the let­ ter-carrier, as he moved on. "I^s against orders." \ The stranger looked incredulous, i swore a little at what he considered a lack of courtesy, and, after consid­ erable trouble and inquiry^ reached his destination. But the letter-carrier was only fol­ lowing out his instructions. Iniuiry at the postotfice yesterday disclosed the fact that such an order really does exist '"No letter-carrier," said an official of the department "is permitted to give information whatever about any person upon his route, either as to the p'ace of residence, business, or any other matter. The rule is very strictly enforced, and probably has some connection with the law pr©£ hibiting the dunning of a creditor by »iail. The letter-carriers are not permitted to disclose the residence of a man any more than the clerks in the office are allowed to" tell who rents-'the various boxes. ; i. The Color of the Sun. 4 Some years ago Prof. Langlev gave expression to the idea that the sun Is n6t white, but blue, its apparent whitenes* being due principally to the absorpti ve action of its own at­ mosphere, but in quite an appreciable degree to that of our air. After several years of further re­ search, the grofessor was able to show that the sun, although we rega"d it as white, is blue, or at least bluish. He reasoned in this way: It appears to us when setting--that is, when we look at ic through a long range of our atmosphere--to be rod, or orange, or yellow, according to the state of the air. When the sun is high above the horizon the action of the air ia similar, but less intense, thus making the sun's disc yellower than it actually is. Moreover, the extreme edge of the disc is less bright than the center, al­ though it is a fact that just as much light is emitted from the former por­ tion as from the latter; this can only be due to the absorptive action of the* solar atmosphere upon the light A further proof is given in photo­ graphs of the sun. It will be ob­ served In these that the darkening toward the edge is distinctly notice­ able This shows that the rays which produce the photographic image (principally blue, indigo, and violet) are affected to a far greater degree by the sun's atmosphere than those which form the ordinary visual image of the sun.--Boston Globe Four White Feet on a Horse. In France, and I believe in Euro­ pean countries, it is a most ominous sign for a rider, and especially a sol­ dier, to want a horse with four white feet The famous general, Lasalle, who was very superstitious upon this point, never knowingly mounted such a horse. The day of his death, after several ominous events which had happened to him that day, such as a broken mirror, a broken pipe, the picture of his wife broken at the moment when he went to look at it for the last time, he mounted a horse not his own, and without looking at the feet The horse had the unlucky signs. Mounted upon this ho se he was struck by a shot fired, at a mo­ ment when fighting had ceased, by a Croat among the prisoners just taken at the battle of YYagram. On the other hand, these four white feet are a mark and token of consideration with Orientals, who do. not fail to mention the fact in the pedigree of their hoises. I no­ tice a proof in the certified list made by the elders of the countries which accompanies the present which Abd'ei Kader has just (July, 1854) made to t'he Emperor, of a certain number of valuable horses. Thousands of such proofs might be cited.--L'Ariste. "Well-Trained Monkeys and Rata. An Italian with two remarkably well-trained monkeys and a family of trained white rats is coining money. So well-trained are the monkeys and rats that at the word of command one of the monkeys takes a rat in his arms in the same manner a mothsr would hold a baby. The other mon­ key plays the doctor, and not only does he look at the rat's tongue, butl he pours water from a bottle into aj tiny spoon and gives his patient a| dose of medicine * Both monkeys dress themselvesI without any assistance from theirl master in complete suits of clothes, [ even to the stockings and shoes, lac-| ing up the latter and tying the! strings neatly and securely. To prove! the thoroughness of their trainings the reporter was told to pick up thel coat belonging to one of the monkeys, [ and unobserved by the animal, turnl one of the sleeves ins de out Thill was done and the coat placed backl again. The monkey, after several at-J tempts to put the coat on, took it] entirely off, discovered and righted! the turned sleeve, and then angrily! chattering at being interfered with,! slipped on the garment and went on| with his part of the show. Electric Stump-Puller. Space fdr a fort on a hill near Lon­ don is being tie ired of tree stumps| by an electric root-grubber or stump- puller. The dynamo for supplying! the current is about two miles fro ml the hill. The current is taken byl overhead wires on telegraph po!es tol the motor on the grubber carriage.[ By means of belting and suitable! gearing the motor drives a capstan! upon which is coiled a few turns of I wire rope. A heavy chain is attached! to the tree roots, and as the rope ex-1 erts its force the roots cone up| one after the other. RrssEix SAGE does not appreciate! the witticisms that are still going] the round about the dynamite bomh f Some people, like the schoolmaster j when he sits down on a pin, never| ./">• y. .;t ^"i4 3s