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"THE ISOLATION OF ENGLAND." ,The wind.;lfl hushefkthc darkness grows; The fainting moon is lo*t in flight; 'Death lifts a somber hand, and throws His clouds acraKsthc face of night. With parted Hps and haggard jstare', That strives and strains to pierce the gloom. Each nation" (Touches in its lair, And. hrcatlHess, waits the" coming doom". . } Dim shapeless shadows pass like, ghosts; Along the trembling earth they feel The dist!> ut .tramp of marching"hostS And hear the smothered clash of st56l; Till, reaching out for friendly hands ; JTo guide them through the gloom, they press . To where one silent figure stands i; Serene in lofty loneliness. They luirl their taunts, their oaths, their i prayers, The snaH of greed, the growl of hate; They spit upon the cloak she wears Or grasp its hem ttv supplicate. But still, ys though she heard them not, Her anxious eyes are fixed afar Among the clouds, on one pale spot Where faintly .gleams a single star. By that same star she chose her path For every night in vanished years; Though screened by mists of doubt' and wCMli ' . - She feces it still, as if,through tears. Then, glancing at the fretful horde ; Who cat! tier now to bend the knee, She lays iiCr hand -upon her sword- - 'And turns bet eyes toward the sea. --St. James Gazette.. TO ONE. "Six great strapping boys pud never a girl among 'em V' says old "Martha Gray, wrt.li a look full of exclamation points and a ha If-smothered sigli of "what tried to be resignation. For my own part I have no objection to bovs. On the contrary. I rather like them. Kut I must say I like tliem di­ luted. A family of unmitigated boys is. I think, with Martha Gray, rather form­ idable. "Must make a sight of work. Patty,*' says Martha's -crony. "Sight! Laws me. f rom morning till J night it's tops and kites and marbles j a-roilin' around on the floor and a-trip- i pin' of me up, and strings a-snarlin' aud I looking glasses a-breakin', with balls i •and boxiu' gloves and--laws me. I'd j rather have the care of twenty girls than them six boys." "What on airtli. then, makes you stay | here? Why don't you go somewhere j else? There's places enough would be glad to get you. and we all know Mar- j tha Gray aiu't beboldiu' to nobody, i neither." "Leave? Leave Miss London with j them ar six boys to lie^uwn destruc- j tion--ain't no more tit to take care on | 'em than your Georgie." "No reason why you should slave | yourself out for 'cm. Why didn't she i bring 'em up better?" j "Lud a massy!" tired up old Martha, j "what be you a-talkin' about. Nancy j Smith? There ain't no better behaved j family in the world. I don't care where j they be. Miss London ain't never had no health, and can't do for 'em. but she manages 'em like waxwork. Th' aiu't one of 'em but what minds her just as quick as she speaks--same as they do their, father. And they're just the most, affectionest creatures you ever see. And Mr. Fred has took the first salutry at college and Dave expects to get the medal, and th' ain't none but what's bright as a button. Sure, thcy's noisy and they's boisterous and sights of trouble, but I should like to kuo^v what boys ain't that's wuth the name of boys. I wouldn't have such white-liv­ ered things as Miss Jameses boys, and I don't leave Miss London's till I'm turned out door neck and heels." That is the way good old Martha Gray stood up for her darlings. Now, it so happened that very nearly at the same moment a pleasant room In Mr., London's house was chattering full of these very boys that Martha was 'talking about. I was going to call in the parlor, but it was not the parlor- It was "ma's room." "Ma," beihg an Invalid, sat the greater part of the time In her room, and, in consequence, every­ body else sat in her room when any sit­ ting was going on. "Do you think girls are gooder than boys, papa?" asked Basil, seriously. "Softer and. lighter than boys and easier tofha 11 die," answered papa, quite as seriously. "Thereiou$by.o be one girl in a fam­ ily." inteipdsea^Pred. who, having just taken a "salutery," wax supposed to be capable of pronouncing a final de­ cision on any ̂ subject whatever. "All •boys andjno giJ|s is a bore." "1 guess we've got a girl now." spoke up young Roderic. "I guess mamma is as good as a girl." Now, ma, say, said Dave, "don t you "wish one of us was a girl*/" ! "Which one could I spare. I wonder?" 1 "Oh. well, Moore is 1G. Ile'd be just the right age for one." exclaimed Fred. "Catch me!" cried Moore. "Basil now might be a girl. He likes to sit in peo­ ple's laps and be babied. That's what girls like. We will make him up iuto a girl." . . i "No. I won't be a girl," shouted Bn* sil. "HenTDumley's a girl." Basil had very limited views of wom­ anhood. Hen Dumley stood for the sex. He knew that he hated Hen Dumley. and he did not mean to bo put into aiiv class to which she belonged. "Yes. you. will be a girl." said Fred, who loved to tease him. "You wear dresses now. and it will come all right." "Well, I ain't going to be a girl, and I m going to wear a jacket next spring, ain't I. ma?" "If it doesn't rain." "But don't you want 10 lie a girl and S have a <1611 to play with and a beau to j come and see you?" , "i'd rather go a-courtin'," said Basil, dubiously. A gay laugh followed this ' rejoinder, and • •«.» About six weeks afterward'" there came to Mrs. London's ears a tale of sorrow--of ' shipwreck and suffer!ug and death. Beauty ami hope and life went down into the angry waters. Father and mother, brother and sister, friend and acquaintance- 1 he sea spar­ ed them not--the wrathful, ravenous sea. But one little human blossom, one tiny, frail life, one 2-ye'ar-old girl baby, found her ark in the arpis of a brf|d-shouldered negro sailor, was borne "through the jawsj of death" and smiled from her. blue eyes straight out Into the sunshine, just as happily a's If father a^Tfeiotber were not torn from her forever. If was known thai Mrs. London was . : " ' ' ' ' V ; .fond of little girls and had none„of her own. Would she.mother this poor waif? The child's family was .not yet discov­ ered, but great efforts were making. It was evident that she-was gentle boun, but months might elapse before she could b^ restored to friends: Mean­ while she ought to be tenderly cared for, and iu'ease her family should not be folind it was desirable that she should be with those who would cherish her as their own. She could not be given up to public charity. The pity which her sad fate excited was too great for that. So the little stranger was laid in" Mrs. London's lap, aud the father and .tlU six boys came and look­ ed upon her. What did they see that stirred their "hearts so, hushed their ringing -voices into -silence .and brought a dampness to their eyes? Only a shy, sturdy face, half afraid, half repellent --only little fat and dimpled amis--only a ba.b.v girl, swept away from father's arms and mother's boso,m--swept up by a pitiless sea upon the bleak shores of a strange world, an orphan and alone. But when Mrs. London sakl in a low voice, "Well, papa, what do you say?" Roderic answered quickly: "I say, let's have her." "Is it a vote?" asked papa. "She's too young to be of any use to me," said Fred, appearing indifferent to gloss over the fact that he had been very near crying;, "but it's too bad to send her tossing around the ' world again. She'll be a good plaything. I'd keep hep." " - -- "What says Basil? Will you. have your nose put out .of joint.?" v • . " "She can't hurt iiiy nose," said Basil. And by a unanimous verdict '"she" was admitted to the family circle. "She5 ' ' turned everything topsy-tur- vier than it had ever been before. Very timid and tired at first, the tenderness that waited on her footsteps soon sooth­ ed away her shyness, and she unfolded like a June rosebud, No queen was ever more loyally served, and it must be confessed that she repaid every ser­ vice with baby gratitude. She walked into Fred's writing desk, threw his pa­ pers all about the room and adored him. She set down her foot in the mid­ dle of Arthur s best kite aud crowed loudly to make him look up. She took I a crayon and flashed streaks of black j lightuiug in Roderie's just completed i prize drawing and cooed lovingly in his I ear. She pulled both wheels off Basil's tin wheelbarrow, and threw his soft | hall into the coffee pot, and was so sweet and cunning that they laughed at her mischief as if it was the uiccst tiling in the world to be done, and i loved her with all their hearts. To j these boys who had never known a sis- j ter. this tiny girl's nature was a reve- | latum. They never thought of standing I up for their rights against her en- i crof'ichment. They battled with each i other famously aud exacted the very I utmost farthing, but she walked over j all their necks and was not afraid, i Old Martha softened to her marvel- j ously. and those meddlesome fingers j worked restlessly in among Martha's | caps and collars as.London fingers^ had j never dared to do. Meanwhile the lit- j tie one had no name. "What do you suppose her name is?" Basil asked a dozen times a day. "How soon will we name her if we don't find j out her other, name?" "And. mamma, if you don't find out | anybody who owns her she'll be chris­ tened just as we were, won't she?" "Yes. dear, we mean to have her." "And her name will be London some­ thing--no, something London?" "Just so." "And she'll be our very own sister - just the same as if she was borued so?" "Not exactly the same, but just as dear, won't she? She will not be our own blood, but she will be our own heart." But one day when the little girl had been with them about eight mouths there came a letter announcing that the search had. been successful; that the child's grandfather had been fouud; that he was an English clergyman and had already started to visit America and bring the baby home. The news fell upon the ears of the London family like a thunderbolt. They had gradual­ ly grown into thinking her their owu and shrank from giving her up. The letter had been delayed on its way, and the day after its reception the grand­ father Arrived. There was a long con­ ference in the parlor, to which the chil­ dren were not adrrtTt+ed. They gather­ ed in the library, however, and com­ pensated themselves by abusing their guest. But when they were called iuto the parlof and presented severally to Mr. Talbot their anger was turned away. Even their young eyes could see the Irnes which grief had traced on that thin face, and uot only in the thin, worn, aged face, but in the bent and feeble frame, they saw the marks of sorrow--the signs of a broken heart-- which touched them to the tenderest pity and sympathy. They felt:, but did not know how deeply they felt. The little girl, contrary to their expecta­ tions, was not afraid, but sat quiet and trustful in her grandfather's arms. Some blind mother instinct controlled her wayward little heart. "So, these are my Barbara's broth­ ers?" he said, with a pleasant smile. "We hope you will, let her be," an­ swered Moore. "I am sure she can find no better," he responded, his smile dviug like a sigh. "You don't mean to take her away, please, sir?" asked Arthur, eagerly. \)"Not to-night, my boy." said his father. "Mr. Talbot is ill and exhaust­ ed from his Journey, so we will let that rest and talk about it to-morrow." "But just tell mc, papa." said Basil, ! softly, "is that her name?" "Yes. Baybara Post lei liwaite Tal­ bot: is her name." "There's lots of.it," whispered Dave, j "And to-morrow we shall know who's going to have her." es. iiiy child. Probably to-morrow Mr. Talbot will decide." But to-morrow brought the decision from a higher power than Mr. Talbot His health had been feeble for years. The anxiety of suspense which he had endured regarding tlie fate of his only child, Barbara's father, had beeu too much for him. The news of Barbara's rescue bad aroused and renewed .him once more, but it whs only, for a mo­ ment, and in the night God sent his angel. Delaying yet a little while to i he prayer of love, the angel stood by him, clasping close in his hand the hand of the weary wanderer, and little Barbara's happy face shone in his longing eyes. In those last hours he made a. final disposition of his affairs, and the cliild was consigned'to tftd^ciVre of the new friends who loved her. so well. 1 . ? "I have outlived my family," he said. "There is no other to whom, I wish to commit her: You will cherish her ten­ derly." But be needed no assurance. He had seen himself how dear she had grown to them. It had been her father's wish that^the seal of baptism should be set upon fier brow by his father's hands. It was decided that she should wear her own name, but that the name of -London should be inserted. The children had gathered in the room where the old man lay bolstered up in bed. Mr. Lon­ don h^ld the little girl in his arms, and NEWS OF C0NOEESS. VISIT TO THE PRESS GALLERIES IN BOTH HOUSES. ili a re\v words "iisked for her the bless­ ing of God. Then the dying ipan touch­ ed her forehead with the water of bap­ tism and pronounced with a clear voice: * • •• =• -- V "Barbara Fostletliwaite London, I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son aud the Holy Ghost. Anieu." - Then the angel gently pressed his hand and; the two went away together through the gates of pearl into the beautiful city. ' , But Barbara stayed 'behind. Her pat­ tering feet made music still in the home that would be lonely without her. "No spring violet is more lovely than she. No June rose exhales a sweeter fragrance than she. All the summer birds sing in her joyous voice, and tvhen the summer is gone and the win­ ter seals up the melody and-covers away the beauty she brings the per­ fume of flowers, the1 ripple of brooks and the hum of bees around the bouse*, hold hearth.--London. QuCen, CAUGHT HIS TRAIN HORSEBACK. A Runaway Locomotive Had Many Sleeping Passengers in Tow. Early on a recent morning the engineer and fireman of the Santa Fe overland train, bound east, when near Cajon pass, imagined they saw something on i lie track right ahead. Thinking tlie train was about to be wrecked they both jumped. The engineer was rather badly hurt, but when the fireman jack­ ed.himself up out of the dust he found that the engine had made kindling wood of a wagon to which two horses had been attached. Their driver had seen the headlight of the engine and had jumped in time to save himself, and the animals themselves were crop­ ping the dried grass along the roadside, which showed that they had not been greatly disturbed by the accident But the train, with nobody at the en­ gine's throttle, was plunging away through the darkness, the passengers asleep in their berths, utterly uncon­ scious that they were being drawn by a wild locomotive. The fireman, who had been left be­ hind, thought he would try to overtake tiie tiyiug train on foot. Then ho changed his mind and, jumping astride • me of the horses, he set out after the runaway train. He knew it must stop shortly, as it had to climb a very steep grade, and if the fire under the boilers was "not kept up the supply of steam would not, furnish sufficient pressure to keep the? wheels going around. The vagrant train did stop a mile and a half from where the accident occurred. There did not seem to be any reason for an interruption of the journey just at that point, and so.the conductor and brakeniau hurried ahead with their lanterns to ask'the engineer what had given out. When they found the cab empty, of course the train hands were very much mystified. They asked each other a good many questions, and'were engaged in looking up theories to account for the strange disappearance of the en­ gine crew, when the fireman come lop­ ing along on the horse he had borrowed. After explanation had been made, he turned his horse toward this city and brought the first tidings the railroad people had of the missing train. A hack was sent out to the scene with an­ other engineer, and as soon as steam was raised the overland went on over the hill through Cajon pass. The same carriage brought the injured engineer to the city.--San Francisco Examiner. Inventing a Shadow. Thousands of persons have read the shadow advertisement of a Chicago theater which iji thrown an the white­ washed wall of the LaSalle street tmn- nel. It is produced by an ingenious device of wire himg close to one of the electric lights. Hjyre is the story re- la t'-d in regard to it: A voung man invented the little wire frame that throws the shadow and had it patented. Then he asked permission to try it in the tunnel and permission was readily granted. He hung the the­ ater advertisement with which every north side resident is familiar, and af­ ter allowing it to remain for a few weeks he called on Charles T. Yerkes, the street car magnate. He explained his device at length, and estimates of cost and profits at­ tendant upon its use were produced. "It's a good thing," said Mr. Yerkes; "how much do you want for it7" The young man thought a moment. "One thousand dollars would be cheap for the patent," he said.N "Well, call on me again in a week," replied Mr. Yerkes, "and I'll talk with you about it." The young man went away jubilant. At the end of the specified time he re­ turned. ! "I've thought the matter over," said Mr. l'erkes. "It's a good thing," interrupted the young man. "Yes, it's a good tiling; I'll give you for it." "Five dollars!" gasped 'the young man. "Why, it's worth a thousand." "Possibly." "And I own the patent." "And I own the tunnel," said Mr, Yerkes. And that-is the reason the use of the shadow advertisement was not extends od.--Chicago Record. Full How tlie Doings or' the National Leg­ islature Is Obtained for lS.ewepaper Publication--Regulations Governing Admissions to the Galleries. Quarters for- Newspaper Men. HEN Congress is in session two of the bus­ iest spots u n- i der the -great white dome are the House aild Senate press g a 1 1 e. r i e s . These galleries and adjoining rooms .are the places provid­ ed i'oV the use and c o ii v e n- i e n c e of the members .. o f the corps of u iiirir -hi. j. ti Wa s li ington .. f ™ " correspond­ ents in transacting their daily business at the Capitol. The .only portions of. the galleries* visible to the public" are the benches dud desks set aside .for the occu­ pancy of tho.ji^wspapcr men, and in the House and Senate are located directly over the chair .of the presiding officer. Back of these reservations care rooms to which the public dole's not have access. In the House whig the newspaper men's quarters eon's ist.of three large rooms on. the gallery floor,,-ex'tending two-thirds, of the length of,the chamber of the House. The room nearest the elevator is occupied by telegraph operators, and the merry click of the instruments makes a lively din all day. The largest room of the suite is the general workshop of the men. A long table runs dow,n the center, equip­ ped with writing materials and flanking another telegraph office in the corner. The walls of this apartment are lined with paintings and crayons of distinguished newspaper men of tlie United States, the floor is comfortably carpeted, leather chairs and sofas invite the weary, and, with a crackling, wood fire burning in the open fireplace, the room has a cheery and hospitable air. Little is heard in this place except the clatter of the telegraph instruments or the industrious scratch of pens on paper. Adjoining this chamber and separated by swinging doors, is the coat. room. or. as it is sometimes called, "the gossip shop." There are racks and hooks for the topcoats and hats of the men and a number of chairs before an open fire. When there is a temporary lull the Speaker, and pending his action there­ on the offending correspondent is sus­ pended. Clerks in'the executive depart­ ments of the Government, and persons en­ gaged in -.other occupations whose cliisf attentioii is not: give'n to newspaper corre­ spondence, tire not <Sititled to admission. The press list in the Congressional Direc­ tory is- confined to telegraphic correspond­ ents. Members of the families of cor­ respondents are hot entitled to admission. The gallery, subject to the approval of tlie Speaker of the House of'Representatives, is under the control of the standing com­ mittee 6f correspondents. At the beginning of the present session a now rule was added to the list. By its terms the clerks of Representatives and Senators are not entitled to admission to the galleries. This regulation was made necessary by the fact that within the past "year a great""many men have conie to Washington, drawing a salary of $100 a month as' clerks of members of the House, and at the sanfe time attempt­ ing to do newspaper work, fit was imme­ diately apparent that there Was grave, danger of the next few years showing the presence of 350 clerks to members doinj; alleged newspaper work and holding rank with the legitimate corps of Washington correspondents. The danger to the pub­ lic in such a condition would arise from A F I E L D P A Y . the control of the Washington corre­ spondence of the great newspapers of tlio country by men in the employ of Con­ gressmen and subject to their fear and favor. As matters stand now, no man who draws a salary from the Government, cither as the clerk of a Congressman, clerk of a committee or otherwise, can have his name borne on the roll of corre­ spondents and entitled to admission to the press galleries. It is expected that ono result of this reform will be tb stimulate a spirit of independence and fearlessness h THE HOUSE PRESS GALLERY'. in the proceedings, such as a roll call on an important question, this is a convenient retreat; but as a rule the correspondents are too busy to linger long, the legislative day for the gathering of news being short enough at best. The press rooms in the Senate wing arc- similarly arranged and furnished except, that one side of the outer chamber is occu­ pied by the two associations that gather and disseminate the news of Congress. The busiest hours in the two galleries are usually from 11:30 in the morning until 2:30 in the afternoon. Within this period the representatives <*f the after­ noon newspapers do the bulk of their work, writing and sending nif&t of their news from the galleries after having obtained the same from interviews with members or out of the proceedings of the respective legislative bodies. The major­ ity of the correspondents of morning newspapers merely make the galleries a base of operations from which they inaug­ urate expeditions into the various news fields anrswid the Capital, gathering their information and storing it a\T*ay in mind or notebook to be spread upon the wires at night in the ptivacy of their own offices. Admission to the press galleries of Con­ gress is regulated by strict rules formed partly by the correspondents themselves, partly by the requirements of tlie Con­ gressmen, and receiving the indorsement of the Speaker of the House aud the com­ mittee on rules of the Senate. The rules require that persons desiring admission to the press gallery shall make application to the Speaker, as required by rule of the House of Representatives, and shall also state, in writing, for what paper or pa­ pers they are employed, and shall further state that they are not engaged in the prosecution of claims pending before Con­ gress or the departments, and will not become so engaged while allowed admis­ sion to the gallery, and that they are not in any sense the agents or representatives I rajTSESATE LOIUtY. The Farmer's Little Joke. "Hello," said Farmer , Duddington, "eggs are goin' to be higher!" "What makes you think so?" "I just saw the hen flyin' up to mako her nest in the hay mow."--Washington Star. Wouldn't Soil His Hands. Man--No, sir; I won't give you a sin­ gle penny. I work for my money. Tramp--Excuse me; I haven't any use for money that is secured by such means.--Detroit Free Press. nf persotis or corporations having legis­ lation before Congress, and will not be­ come either while retaining thelr places in the gallery. Yisiting journalists, who may be allowed temporary admission to the gallery, must conform to the restric­ tions of this rule. The applications re­ quired by this rule must be authenticated in a manner that shall be satisfactory to the standing committee of correspond­ ents, one of the duties of which is to see that the occupation of the gallery is con­ fined to bona fide telegraphic correspond­ ents of reputable standing in their busi­ ness, who represent daily newspapers. Not exceeding one seat is assigned to each paper; and it is the duty*of the standing committee, at its discretion, to report vio- [ lations of the privileges of the galler/to j pany. among newspaper correspondents, and tha public is sure to benefit by it in the end. The corps of Washington correspond­ ents is a representtive body of writers, and includes men who reflect credit and honor upon the profession. They aru gathered from every section of the coun­ try, sriul in most cases held high rank on the papers they represented before being sent to Washington to perform the im­ portant and responsible duties attaching to the work of a correspondent at the national capital. Some tif them are vet­ eran newspaper men, but the majority are men who have received the best part of their newspaper training within the last fifteen years. The moral standing of the Washington correspondents is high. Hon­ esty is a prerequisite of their profession, courage and independence essentials, and a love of fair play and devotion to truth a marked characteristic. False state­ ments about public matters of public men are never knowingly made without involv­ ing loss of reputation to the writer, al­ though mistakes sometimes occur, when efforts ara made to conceal legitimate news from them. IH tho nature df tlHngs, a newspaper would rather be right than wrong, and conserwitism in the dissem­ ination of news from Washington is a dominant factor. There are unwritten rul«s of procedure among the correspondents which arc re­ ligiously observed. It is not considered good form for a correspondent to write about the personal failings or infirmities of public men, and those who violate this code find themselves suddenly isolated and alone. It occasionally happens that a black sheep gets into the fold, and at­ tempts by means that are more thrifty than honest to advance his material wel­ fare, but he is soon discovered and cut off. News of Minor Note. Charles Dunn, at Youngstown, Ohio, has confessed to robbing • and burning four schoolhouses. Near London, Ivy., Mat Dezarn was killed and Luther Davidson wounded dur­ ing a family quarrel. Judge O. F. Woodruff, a prominent Illi­ nois jurist, owner of the Waukelatarauch, near Alpena, S. D., is dead. Col. Kline G. Shryock, aged So years, ied at Rochester, Ind. He was one of the pioneer residents of that placc. The Missouri-Iowa boundary dispute has been narrowed down to the question of ownership of a strip of land four miles long and 107 feet wide. Four men held up a Baltimore and Ohio freight train, near Chillicothe, Ohio, Conductor John McGraw was shot and dangerously wounded. Edward Hadley was fatally shot at ! Brazil, Ind., by Huldy Butler while at­ tempting to force his way into the Butler house to see a daughter. Robert McFarlane, station oaggage- master of the Rock Island Railroad at Seneca, 111., for many years, was run down by a freight train and instantly killed. Forty-nine valuable Jersey cattle on, the stock farm of Alvin Devereaux, near Deposit, N. Y., which were infected with tuberculosis, were killed by order of the New Y'ork State Board of Health, On and after Feb. 1 the St. Louis horse and mule mai-ket, said to be the largest in the world, will cease to be a St. Louia institution. Practically the entire trade will move to East St ̂ Louis to occupy quarters expressly fitted up for the pur­ pose by the National Stock Yards Conv SWINDLE JErtSEY'MAIDS. < tlie Old FHse-Pnckagc Scheme Again Successful in Sural Regions. The mistress' luncheou was delayed- and the maid's mouey was lost, says the New York Times. V This unfortuiwte combination was due to the desire of two too-confiding Jerseyites to come into wealth by other than the slow process of daily toil. In a small town-in the northern part of New Jersey, about 10 o'clock one morning, the servants in the family of a New Y'ork business man were inter­ ested by the arrival at the front gate of their master's hoitse of two smartly dressed men in a carriage. -- While dne of tlie strangers looked after the horse the other quickly inter­ ested the two maids with his stock of paper, envelopes, pens, etc. v The special inducement offered pur­ chasers was that in certain envelopes were bills varying in size from SI to $10, and tho whole outfit--paper, en­ velopes and possibly $10--could be ob­ tained for $5. To convince -the maids of the truth of his'statements the man drew out of his packages a couple of envelopes and from them took the money, as described, y'- The bills were, to all appearances, re­ placed in the envelope, and the two maids decided to try their luck. That they could raise ouly $0 between then} was a matter of small moment to the courteous salesman. They should have tlie two packages and he would pay the balance himself, lie declared gal­ lantly. There was only one condition' to be made: He-must*give himself the pleasure of being, present to see that the money was in the envelopes as agreed, and would not the young wom­ en wait until -1 o'clock! before opening them Pressing business made his im­ mediate departure necessary, but he would return at the time named. Who could refuse the request of such a pleasant-spoken young man? Two Jersey maids certainly could not, and they were so much pleased with them­ selves and their purchases that they quite lorgot when the luncheon hour arrived. The mistress of the establishment had not, ho\fever, and explanations were in order. The prize envelopes were speedily opened, and--now there are two sadder, wiser maids in Jersey. A small messenger sent post haste to tlie constable overtook other messen­ gers going iu the same direction and for a similar purpose. '1 he suave strangers had not returned at last accounts. There are warm hearts and simple miiuls in Jersey, but it will be some time before writing paper salesmen will be cordially receiv­ ed in the northern part of the State." A Canine Tramp. There was some talk of sending Owney to the World's Fair at Chicago, with all his medals, and I am sure that, on his merits, he would have taken first prize. At a San Francisco kennel exhibi­ tion. Owney received a very handsome silver medal as the "Greatest Dog Trav­ eler in the World." But the little dog is more than a mere curiosity. He is a faithful friend and companion. It is said that several times a sleepy and wornbut postal clerk, who had fallen asleep, forgetful of the sta­ tions. has been wakened by Owuev's barking, and has thus been reminded to throw off the mail bag. Owney has never been "held up" by train robbers, but he has been in more than one wreck. Except >>r the loss of the sight of one eye, however, the dog is still in good trim. You have heard of his wanderings- now you shall hear of his home coining. When he reaches the Albany post- office he walks in with wagging tail, and beaming with joy to be at home again. Going up to the good friend who looks after him, Owney rubs against him and licks his hands. Thus he bids all the clerks good morning, wags his tail for a "how-d'ye-do?" and, returning to the spot he left months ago, Owney lies down and sleeps for hours. But after this first greeting there is no fa­ miliarity. While in Albany Owney goes to a certain restaurant near the postoflice aud then carefully selects, from the food offered, just the bones he prefers. He arrives there every day at the same hour. If the restaurant fails to sup­ ply the food that Owney is seeking, be goes to a hotel across the street, where he is sure to find a meal.--St. Nicholas. A Ptague of Coyotes. A novel scheme for saving his cattle from the droves of coyotes that infest the region has bee^ hit upon by a rancher of Glen Rock, Wash. He has placed befis on the necks of a great number of cattle in his herds, and the result has been to scare the coyotes away. In the two months since be belled his herds he has not lost a single animal, while previously his loss aver­ aged at least one steer a day. Coyotes are becoming more of a pest every season in many parts of Washington and Oregon, despite all the efforts of the cattlemen and farmers to extermin­ ate them. Thousands of dollars lire spent every year in waging war on the beasts, but with little results. Poison availed for a time, but now the coyotes refuse to touch the poisoned Carcasses of steers strewn about for their con­ sumption. The only way of killing them is by shooting them, and this is a feeble and wholly inadequate means. Occasionally the residents combine and have a grand round-up hunt, driving tlie coyotes towards the center of a circle, and slaughter them there, and this is the only means of appreciably thinning them out occasionally. In some regionsothe packs of gray wolves are as numerous and troublesome as the coyotes. The coyotes are particu­ larly adept chicken thieves, and, in- deed, are a general pest'around the farmyards. Kmbarrassed, . Miss Sevenfigures--Oh, Mr. Giltliunt, this sudden proposal surprises me. 1 am embarrassed. Mr. Giltliunt--Embarrassed?- Then I take it all back. I thought your for­ tune was as secure as the Bank of Eng land.--Texas Sittings. Satisfaction Either Way. A famous advocate confessed him­ self: "I am never so happy as when 1 am defending a prisoner 1 know to be guilty; for if he is convicted lie will get his deserts, and if I get him off it wil? be a tribute to my skill." It is the toper that would like to pui a gurgle round the world. The latest story by tW great Polish novelist, Henryk Siefikiewicz, that Jere­ miah Curtin has translated into Eng­ lish, is "Children of the Soil,4 ' a tale df contemporary life in Poland. T. B. Aldrieb's forthcoming volume, "Later Lyrics." is to be uniform in its guise with its little volume of "NNNYI Lyrics and XII Sonnets,aud kv to con­ tain his Own selection of songs from his recent larger works. "The Manhattailors" is the cacophon­ ous but fitting title Edward S. Van Zile has given his latest, novel. The story is light, modern.superficial,, irreverent, as the construction of such a word as Man- liattaner would indicate, aud it is .also amusing and quite clever. The new work ou Charlotte Bronte, upon which Clement Shorter and Dr. Roberston Nicull have been at work for some time past, will contain a great many hitherto unpublished letters of Charlotte's, and a great variety of new material -"secured from her husband, who is st ill living in Ireland. Mr. Shorter has in his possession all Mrs. GaskelFs correspondence covering the period be­ fore she wrote her famous'life of Char­ lotte Bronte. - Zangwiil outwardly sjeetos'an ungaih^ ly man, homely, awkward, and careless, in dress, , but a more genial companien is rarely to he found. Although'Mr; Zangwill's uaiix* has been familiar to the literary world for several years?, lie is only thirty-two. An anecdote now going the rounds of the press, and based on. his manner of signing his name--as "1 Zangwiil"--relates the discomfiture of a lady who asked liini what his Christian name was and re­ ceived ilie response: "1 have none." The latest author to complain of pi­ ratical publishers digging up and re­ printing his early, and immature work is Hall faiiie. An American house has just unearthed and put-on the market a story Mr. Caine wrote huriedly to fill a gap between serials by Zola and "Ouida" while lie was on a Liverpool paper, several years ago, arid Mr. Caine feels much aggrieved. He never had the story republished in England, and, in­ deed. used parts of it iu writing his now famous novel. "The Deemster." I en years ago James Tissot was noted in Paris as a painter of fleshly nymphs, of a series of pictures depict­ ing the pleasures of life in the capital, and of portraits of nieii and women iu the fashionable world. Suddenly he closed his studio, and announced that he was going to Palestine to illustrate a "Life of ('hrist." Ivor years he studio*! iho gospels and scriptural history, and thoroughly familiarized himself with lite in the Holy Land. He has painted nearly four hundred pictures,'and a book i>t soon to be published containing them all, reproduced in color, and sell- ing at $.'{00 for the cheapest copy. FIGHT WITH TWO LIONS. Hairbreadth Kscape from the Clutches ot a Hiinnry Beast. He saw. above the ledge and a little beyond, the ears and head of a lion, as it sat watching the deer, .lake rose in his saddle to place a bullet, as he said, midway between those ears, when a powerful lion leaped from behind a tree on the ledge of rock above, and, strik­ ing him in the chest, carried him off his horse, headlong toward the mountain, and his.horse ran wildly away. A mo­ ment later Jake was lying on his back in the snow, his head up hill, arid the beast, standing over him with one paw planted firmly on his chest, the other slightly lifted, and wagging its tail in delight, while its hot breath was ex­ haled into Jack's face. His first impulse was to hold down his chin tightly, to prevent his throat being torn open, while he cautiously felt for his knife. He found the knife, and as he drew it a slight grating sound caused the lion to rebound at his feet, and as lie did so it uttered a scream which Jake knew ouiy gave.him the chance of a moment. It. was a call for the other lion. Fearing to make a mo­ tion of escape or resistance, he moved his hand back in the snow, in search o? his rifle, which had been lost in the fall. His finger touched the stock. lie cau­ tiously pulled it down by bus side, and still looking his captor straight in the eyes slowly turned the rifle tfll its muzzle faced the lion. The bullet passed through its heart and it: sank on .rake's feet. Before he could move from his helpless position, the other Hon bound­ ed over the precipice, and somewhat overleaping its mark lit ,in the snow, and instantly received a bullet in its brain. The two lions lay dead, not ten. feet apart.--Outing. A Natural Refrigerator. About fifteen miles north of Ste. Gen­ evieve. Mo., on the bauks of the Missis­ sippi River, is a natural curiosity, being no less than a refrigerator formed by some unexplainable cause of nature. A short time ago Farmer Wallace, on wl|ose laud this was seen, dug a cellar or grotto in the shady hillside where the rocks are thin and brittle, in order to get a storage place for milk and otlier edibles. After digging back a few feet he was surprised to find layers of ice between the layers of rocks, and it was cooler inside and it promised to be more than lie expected in the way of a refrig­ erator, he finished it up by putting in a door. He liuds^by trail that every­ thing placed inside, such as meats, milk, fruits or other perishable articles keep perfectly for any length of time. During the hottest weathi / last sum­ mer milk stored in this cellar would make the teeth ache to drink it. Au Heiress to the flnssian Throne. A difbghter has been born to the Czar of Russia. The baby, who has been named Olga, may one day rule over Russia, the .yi am moth empire which covers over one-sixth portion of the solid land of the earth. Womeii filers are not unusual in Russia, and some of the greatest sovereigns of their time on the Russian throne were, women. Ijar«»> Crop of Sweets. The pear crop in Georgia this year was the largest on record. It is estimat­ ed by those in a position to know and to Judge correctly that it exceeded 800,000 barrels. We admire a mean man who gets out of town, and does not try "to live it down." .' ' • -