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I. VAH tLYKE. CtfNtr antf IhiWIslwr. ;»T, - - - ILLINOIS •'I' '• w-K '•• r- . *'V ••vfe: THE ADMISSION OP han.uook they wars titt-lnf, • , <*» »be hills the nun'* last glow; Bnt tboy did not count the (Or bps ; he ctitviight go. ^JCfccy dfii ji t note ttic shadow*. - Or watch ^ he nun go down; • Sl»y only saw each other-- •, 4 fto* blue eyes and the brown. ,, flPho' each heart was filled with MMMtaliA On their lips were common lUpp^ .>•„$ Aad they did not see, unbidden, ' v IjOvb restitw on '>'<• ' S; While talking in low murmurs **- ., f bey saw not Love fly down; 3 »1 r- iflney ami y taw earti otber-- • afeA/k Vie blue eyes and the brown. *"5 " ^ And above the stars were shining • " As soft eyes in Night's sweet face, 'jgWrv? While the moon peeped out from under :t" ^ 5; ? A woven cloud of lace. Wfa#n 1 x>ve knook<?d at the doorway •> .. - ™ • f J And laid his burden down, t? V C Aetartled look passed over •" v- The blue eyes and the brown. ^ II* % ki> >i: And they heard a sad voice asking 4 i£.' If they could but give him rest, ^ . Wbile with eager, plaintiff neoenit Love nenrrr to them pressed. Two heart*' doors were thrown ^ Love shyly nestled down,, f 'i: \ I Star joy alone was tilling r,;V~ blue ayes aud Um» brown. ' 1 M TALE OF A CUPBOARD- " "The day has come-TAt- last, my poor wife," be said with inexpressible sadness. hhe turned her large eves to his face, and there was sorrow in them, and tears as well. "Then Loupeton Will not have any pity on us?" "I coula come to no terms with liim. There is only failure for us in view, and I know not how I shall have the courage to bear the dis­ grace!" With the iuisery of despair she •came toward him and put her arm / round his neck. "My poor fellow, not to have fore- eeen all this," „ she said. "Promise me, at least, that you will do yourself no injury!" He made no reply, bat sat silently swinging his legs on the edge of the sofa. "You know that I have written to my aunt," she went on, "and that I expect an answer to-day. Perhaps Mfce may help us. V • He only nodded his head sadly. •'It is best for you to go," she said. **If I fail in my efforts to get us out <*f this trouble I will oome and join j ame, for the annoyance I have caused *ou wherever you may be. Is not ] you. The duties of a public man are ' your love for me strong enough to ] often of a very cruel nature, but they so Men the misery and almost make it are necessary. Are you ready, Poli* tft Iff*** FTSt&che. It is the .fame wltiijaie as with Lounetou," "I thought you liked mo tvcU enough to---" "To want to like you better still, *' Interrupted Cassemiche, "audi what Wmore-*--" r i. ;t Steps were heart! outside, and Mme. Pistache arew pale. They were com­ ing closer to the house Then a voice said: "In the name of the law open." : Her husband and the Sheriff! Could it be possible that he knew? Was he coming to kill her? A flood of thoughts rushed through her bewil­ dered brain. Cassemiche himsel f was in a terrible stew. He was a strongly built, muscular man, but he was a coward. "Hide yourself; quick!" she cried, and pushing him Into a cupboard sne closed the door on him. Then, more dead than alive, she went to open the door. "Good morning, Mme. Pistache," cried a merry voice, which wall not that of the Sheriff, but of the Justice of the Peace. Petaride, a big man of jovial disposition, always ready for a joke and a laugh. With them came the Justice's cleric. "We are extremely sorry, Madame, to cause vou any annoyance, but it is the cause of the law. Why, you're as pretty as ever! eh? It's your poor husband, vou know. He has lust as­ signed aud been declared a bankrupt, my dear woman, and it is my duty now "place the official seals on all articles in the house. But I shall not detain you long. Here! Polifesse (the clerk,) come and take the keys of these cupboards, and mind you lock them securely first. Then affix the seals. I must remind you, my dear Mme. Pistache, that in virtue of Article 250 of our valuable code any tampering with these seals is punish­ able by a term of hard labor in prison." "I cannot stay ,-here a minute longer," sobbed the poor woman, half choked with tears. "The devil," said .the Justice, "I must have some one to watch the acolti" "I will stay if you wish it, M. Beta- ride," said Loupeton, with a horrible look of satisfied revenge. *"What!you will stay?" ••Certainly," returned the wine merchant! "I shall feel easier by so doimr." „ "As you like, then, seeing that Mme. Pistache is going. Let me ex­ press my regret again, my dear raad- you prefer to tfilln^lSti" board? It is a matter of taste, ail will not try to prejudice you. know, Father Mouillevent goes to bed early, and after"-*"* "Oh! go and fetch hiifc ttseh,; foi| miserable Loupeton." When Loupeton inquired of the of• flcials whether the donation of a man shut up in a cupboard was valid 'they told him that the law knew no reasoc why it should not be. Loupeton con­ ducted the lawyer to the room, and in due legal form acquired the prop­ erty of Cassemiche's farm. "Now," quoth the blacksmith in dying tones, "break the s^dlfeand re­ lease me." • That is a formality that requires eight days to accomplish," said the notary, in oily tones. A sigh escaped from the cupboard. It was the last sigh the blacksmith ever emitted. He dieu of suffocation and emotion combined. Eight days later the seals were removed. Loupeton, who was superstitious, had not dared to break his word. Cassemiche was buried, and Pis­ tache received word at Castelnandary that he was no longer a bankrupt His Wife's aunt had after all. ad­ vanced some money to the deserving couple. * ~ • They began business againand made a little fortune. ' '•1' "Nousvoyez bien que Dieu protege quei-vuefois les bonnes geus. "-.-From the French of Armand Silvestre. is?: «;4-f ,-#v1 «eem sweet?" "Indeed it is* my love," pressing a fond kiss on her forehead. f>he drew him toward her and coax- fnely folded her arms round him as lie lay against the folds ot her dress. There was a silence broken otily by s&hs. He was the first to speak. In a voice broken with emotion, he Nftld: "Never, never! It would be mad­ ness to commit suicide when we love one another as we do." This little conversation took p'ace between Mr. and Mrs. Pistache. They were in a cozy little room, and through the open window this April morning (hey could hear the birds singing in Che almond trees. Mr. and Mrs. Pistache kept a mod- «st wine store, which, in spite of their hard-working, painstaking hab­ its, had not proved a success. Per­ haps they were too kind-hearte<, too credulous, willing to allow too much coed it to their customers. Among their creditors was one par­ ticularly vindictive fellow, named Loupeton, a wine dealer. It was his •continual pressing for money that had finally brought about the discomfiture •of the unhappy couple. iPtetache put on his coat without a word; pressed his wife fondly to his Heart and left secretly for Castelnan- dry, where, as agreed, they were to vejoin each other if noVray of escape should offer. Hardly had the door closed behind Mm when she sat down and wrote a ' note to the blacksmith, Cassemiche, saying that she wanted to speaic with him at-once. fesse? Forgotten nothing? Eh?" '•You will take me as far as the car, won't you?" pleaded Mme. Pis­ tache, in her most winning manner. The Justice gallantly offeree* her his arm, and the poor woman went out after looking at Loupeton in a way that would have softened a tiger. But when it is a question of one's rights, a man is often harder than | even a tiger. Polifesse, the clerk, went out. last, havi ng thoroughly and conscientiously performed his duty. He had been esDecially careful to lock securely the cupboard where the unfortunate Cassemiche was lying in the greatest anxiety of mind and dis­ comfort of body. He had double- locked it and affixed the seals. Night drew on. Loupeton had brought a frugal dinner of bread and cheese with him and he now com­ menced to spread it on his lap and eat it with the appetite of a man who is well satisfied.* Then he lit his pipe of fragrant tobacco and threw himself lazily into an old sofa whose creakings and groanings sounded to him like the voices of the furies of remorse. ••Loupeton," murmured a voice that seemed to come from nowhere and which nearly made him tumble off the sofa in terror. Up he jumped like a maniac and rushed to the door. The voice sounded again, still more quietly, this time, "Loupeton?" in. His feet were glued to the floor! ••I am Cassemiche; your friend Cassemiche," said the voice. And, !- An Interesting Eaguw^-*.. One of the most interesting en­ gines in the United States is running in the rice milis of McAlpine and Mclnnes at Savannah, Geor­ gia, interesting not only on ac­ count of its long term of service, severity-seven years, but also for the fact' that it was made by James Wail nimseif in his works at Lan­ caster, England. It has a cylinder thirty-dne inches in diameter, a stroke of seventy-two inches, and makes eighteen revo-lutions per minute, with d steam pressure of only eight poundfe an inch. The recent ••dis­ covery*' of vhis engine, which has the walking-beam, parallel motions and other features associated with the name of the great engineer, was made by the editor of the American Machinist, when it was undergoing a few repairs by J. Rolirke & Sons, of Savannah. An inspection of its de­ tails can not fail to impress a person interested in such matters with the immense strides in mechanical devel­ opment since this pioneer motor was built Machinists smile when they read bow Watt congratulated himself at one time when he succeeded in having tne cylinder of one of these engines bored within three-eighos of an inch of the true circular form, for many contracts are let every day now which require measurements to be accurate for within a hundreth of an inch. Possibly the three-eights of an inch may have had much to do with the ODposition of the sturdy old engineer to boiler pressures over nine or nine pounds, although allowance must also be made for his conserva­ tive disposition. Indeed, this conser­ vatism is in striking contrast with the brilliancy of his fhventive facul­ ties, and It is noticeably shown in the provision he once inserted in a lease of his house, that no steam carriage should b<2 allowed to approach it on any pretext, although in a patent taken out in 1784 he describes a steam locomotive. For only three days be-' ag he still stood there, trembling, "I >t, her mint's lAttPpanv. n i_i . '90 fore she £ad got her aunt's letter say­ ing she would not lend them a sou. iCassemiche was her last resource, TOid she had not dared to mention it to her husband. And in this she had •shown her wisdom. Cassemiche ad­ mired her. And as for her, she only Hhoped to soften his hard heart, but •could she tell how far the sacrifice Would lend Her? She dreaded to think of it ali, but she was determined to Ufet as much out of him as possible With the least coaxing of coquetry. • For she really did love her husband. . ^ With a demure, playful air she tied fter beautiful hair in a knot above fier neck, and moistened her fine • hrown eyes with water till they sparkled again, and the eyelids looked like the petals of a rose. She put 4>n her best dress--one she had not irorn for a long, long, time, and thus 'prepared she sat and waited for the Itfacksmith's arrival. Presently a step sounded outside «nd Cassemiche entered. He looked elumsy and awkward in an ill-fitting Overcoat, and his face wore a satisfied :>fittle smile of self-congratulation. ? IL ••You know what your friend Loupe­ ton has done for us,"she began sadly. -4Can you not intercede for. us and jfave my poor Pistache from this dis­ grace?" The blacksmith wore a thoughtful am Cassemiche: they have locked me up in this cupboard, and sealed it. Let me out, 1 beg of you." ••Then, in a flash, the wine mer­ chant regained his presence of mind. "May I first serve twenty years at the galleys," he cried, between his teeth. "Let you out? Never! You j need not have'put yourself in there | All the worse for you, that's all!" { "My dear old Loupeton! 1 am suf* i focating; I am dying of hunger! I en­ treat cf you, have pity on me." ••Come, now, Cassemiche, you are unreasonable! Remember Article 250. Didn't you hear it and the penalty!" * / "Give me fresh airl Water! Bread!" "I think your conduct is very re­ prehensible. 1 tell you plainly, now, that I shall have your dead body searched. You have no right to take anything away with you." "My dearest, my most estimable Lonpeton, in the name of all that's holy, in the name of heaven' 'The law. Cassemiche I recognize nothing but the law." To Play Musical Wklat .i; v . In these days when It is the faStlton to understand and study whist, it is interesting to know that as a novelty for a bazar the same has been intro­ duced as ".Musical Whist with Living Cards." Four players are seated upon raised seats; a large, square cloth, on the door or on a platform or stage, forms the card table. The cards are represented by persons in appropriate costumes, and the gowns for the court cards may be very original. The clubs usually wear gray and white, the emblems being in black velvet, and have crowns of silver-gray and jet. Hearts wear a pretty shade of green, with white, and the em­ blems are in red. Spades are in pink' with black velvet emblems; diamonds in yellow with deep red. The pa^rts of the smaller cards may be taken by children in gowns of cream-white and mob caps, the cards being indi­ cated in large characters on the. front of their dresses, or they may carry an immense card, two feet in length, and hung over the shoulders, hang­ ing in shield fashion in front* on which are the spots of the card, and a card should hang at the back also and display the ordinary kind of a card back. The cards enter to the music of a march and are preceded by two little pages clad in slashed satin suits, capes with ostrich tips, and carrying wands of silver. Shuf­ fling, cuttinp, and dealing are shown by a dance, and the cards then ar­ range themselves in front of their re­ spective players. Each player indi­ cates in turn the card to advance to the center, with musical accompani­ ment The winning card of each trick leads the others to one corner of the square where they form in files and so on closing up when Six' tricks are made on either side. At the con­ clusion of the game the tricks of the winding side lead off in triumph „b"A 'Al I those of the losing .We.-The L«l& j allows you to break the seals i your friend's life." I "Oh, yes, exactly. I am to pre- ' tend tha£ I have not been paid the i amount I am owed, when I have not been paid at all. You must take me to save | Home journal. •itook on his face, such as actors largely j for a blooming sucker." guake use ot on the stage. He took his time about answering. ! 'Loupeton is a very good fellow," •Ihe said, "and I am, indeed, his friend. But he would sooner offend me than Jose a red cent for being nice to me" ; "What are we to do, then?" -"Why, pay the debt, of course, my •dear Mme. Pistache; pay it." >P "You know we have no money." L;! "A smile spread over the black- ; " .Smith's features, as he murmured: "'JPerhaps it is your own fault" Feeling that the current of his if ^thoughts was neither to be changed mor turned aside, she made bold to go ' ||y• ^straight GO the point. y "Don't you think you could lend f" tine the money, M. Cassemiche?" If The blacksmith reflected a mo- *v* iroent. > "Now's my .ehance," he thought; # v;. but he made no gesture of surprise. 4,I «ln not lend it to you, but per- Mps l ean jcLve it to you. Only one "I will pay what Pistache owes you." Loupeton reflected for a moment. "Will you pay all the expenfss,,$• have been involved in?" "I will pay ail your expenses." "And my personal inconveotejMe, too?" ^ "I will pav for that, too." "That's all very well as far as it goes. But how do I know that, once you are free, you won't laugh at me and refuse to pay a cent?";-;.';/ "My word." /• "Stuff and nonesense. vf would prefer to have your farm." "Wouldn't you like it! Why, it is worth ten times the amount Pista6h£ owes you." "if you decide jo do it in black and white I will go and fetch a lawyer. Pere Mouillevent will come." "But, Louoeton, I shall end my days without * Mme or s final rest­ ing place." Albino Bird* and Beast* Sacred With reference to the albino bear, which, as we mentioned recently, states the London Globe, was taken in the western part of the Island of Yezo, it is noteworthy that albino animals are regarded by the Japanese in a superstitious light The api)ear- ance of one is considered a good omen for the reigning Mikado, and oc­ casionally signalizes a reign. For example, one reign is called "hakuchi nenkan," or period of the white pheasant; another, the "naku boo nenkan." or period of the white phoenix. A white fox is often men tioned in their fables, and a white serpent appears in their pictures of Benton, the goddess of fortune. Among the Japanese, as among the ancient Greek and Scythians, white horses were dedicated to the gods and are still attached to the larger temples of the country. The milk and butter ot white cows were formerly prized as a medicine. /i'l Z i. . i *r •WVi' \ ' THK day a man returns from a trip, you can see the good clothes he wore while away. v * u; * , ; "flSrang: T<n«tito" nt an Ag® Ctrandmotliers Were Chlldtvn. • Seldom, indeed, is .It that we see a young girl of 16 years--she is almost invariably a "young lady" by the time she arrives at that interesting age; her dresses are quite long and elaborate, her figure set to a firm, French corset, and her hair broken and harsh from constant use of hair pins and curling tongs; she .wears her boots too small because her feet are pretty, her gloves too loose because it is fashionable, and it requires the An­ gers of both hands to check off her aduiii«rs. I know hundreds of young ladies 16 years old, and I know three or four young girls, and I am going to describe one of them so briefly, yet I hope so truely, that "he who runs" may not only read, but may likewise remember. She is tall as a reed and straight as an arrow, and she never wore a cor­ set in her life She has magnificent hair that is amber in the shade and gold in the sun, which is always care­ fully brushed and falls in a long, thick braid far below her waist--which, by the way, is not waspy, but round and J>eautiful; she has a fresh, wild-rose complexion that never saw powder, mil So white teeth and lips red with health. Each day after her bath she exercises with Indian clubs, trapeze and turning bar, and her gyrations make one dizzy and her daring and 'Tearlessness make ono pale; tiut the result is that she is, a strong, well- developed girl,' with round, lovely limbs, full, sound< chest, and, as I have saidj the color of a wild rose. She is a good walker, and goes along with a froe, elastic stride that has nothing of the "mince" about it, and she is really unconscious of the "at­ tention she attracts; for though IS she is but a child, with gowns reach­ ing only to her ankles, with clear, pure eyes, a clean mind and a glad, sweet song in her heart always. O, my dear girls, that song in her heart is the loveliest thing about her. Her parents are poor and she has few lux­ uries and no companions; though ever alone she is never alone, for she takes infinite delight in the blue sky, the green woods, the wild birds, the vio­ lets hiding under the new ferns, and even the little squirrel that lives un- under the sidewalk. She Is well edu­ cated and reading js her delight She is great friends with all the old poets, and many a long evening do she and Shakspeare, Dickens, Burns or Scott pass in a quiet corner, caring for nothing but their own happy or ten­ der thoughts, with here a smile and there a tear; and hour upon hour does she spend bending over her guitar and drawing from its hidden heart such passionate, throbbing melody as none can find lest he have God's own music in his soul--such melody as the night wind plays . upon the moonlitreeds of a stream, or as love plays upon the tremulous chords Of a maiden's heart. Yet she is not dreamer. She a&sifcts with the housework, and--let me tell you something -- she works cheerfully, faithfully, well. When I was a young girl 1 worked, but always. I am sorry to say, always under protest, often impatiently, once in a while right down crosslj. I have known so many girls who perform their daily tasks in the same way, that I tell vou this one, who works cheerfully, who sings like a nightingale always, and who will gladly and happily do anything and everything tor anyone--from but­ toning a boot to walking a mile to the post office --this young girl lsli-ce a ray of sunlight in a dungeon cell, like a fluting bird note in a silent forest, like the smile that comes from some stranger heart when one is in a lonely land; she is like one of heav­ en's beating stars in a lonely mid­ night. If any of you ever chance to meet her you will know her instantly by the free, easy way she walks, by the lovely, unconfined figure, by the gold of her hair, the light of her eye, the unchecked laughter of her lip; by the confidence of mother and daugh­ ter, the intelligence of mind, the quick courtesy to old and young, rich and poor, the glad satisfaction in all that is hers, the purity of brow, the modesty of manner; by all these things will you know her. And you will know her, too, by the song of heart and Hd, which tells you that she is glad beyond all measure only to live and have her being in God's beautiful world.--Ella Higginson, in West Shore. skin or, i hallows. on of n 4 AY6nng>BI»H'sCb»ncea. -. A mother who now sends out a son into the business world launches him at a time When the chances are all in favor of a young man, writes Edward W. Bok in "At Home with the Edi­ tor," in the Ladies' Home Journal. Business men were nevermore willing to place large trusts upon the shoul­ ders of young men than fchey are to. day. "Young blood," as it is called, is the life of the modern business world, and is everywhere boukuI. In New York the demand for the right kind of young men in all capacities is far greater than the supply, and what is true of New York is true cf all the large cities. Bear in mind, however, I say the right kind of young men, and by that classification I mean young men who are willing to work, and work hard. The day of the young man who works by the clock, eagerly watching fdr the hour when the office shall close, has gone by, even if it ever existed. Hundreds of young men are energetic in a new po­ sition until its novelty wears off and then become mere machines whose places c:in !>s filled at s. day's notice. No mother need have undue anxi­ ety for the success of a son who this autumn or winter steps out into the business world, so long as he bears in mind a few essential points. He must be honest above all things, and allow nothing to convince him that there is,a compromise between honesty and dishonesty. He must be an o'ut and out believer in the homely vet forcible saying that a man cannot drink whisky and be in business. He must, too, decide between be­ ing a society man or a business man; he cannot be both. He must make his life outside the office the same as in it, and not be possessed with the prevalent idea that his employer has no business to question his movements outside of office hours. An employer has every right to expect his employes to be re­ spectable at all times, in the office or outofit Stafford House. It is said that when the Shah of Persia visited England some years ago he Was entertained at the Staf­ ford House, the town residence of the Duke of Sutherland. So impressed was the Oriental visitor with the magnificence of his host's surround­ ings that he afterward privately ad­ vised the Prince of Wales to have the Duke quietly strangled and confiscate the estate. Stafford House has been thus described: "It is built on a portion of ground diverted from the Royal Park of St. James, and was purchased by the father of its present owner in 1841 for $360,000, and since that time over a million and a quar­ ter dollars have been spent on im­ provements. It was erected for the late Duke of York/ but the Prince died very much in debt when the mansion was only half finished, and his executors were only too pleased to sell the skeleton palace to the chief of the house of Leveson-Gower. The internal appointments are on a style worthy of a fairy castle or an abode of Bagdad's mighty Caliph in the "Arabian Nights." One marvel­ ous feature of the house is the grand staircase, which fills the entire center of the mass of building and in lofti­ ness occupies the total height From base to ceiiing every portion is re­ splendent with gilding ancl carving, and a gallery which runs around three sides, is supported by magnifi­ cent marble pillars, and in compart­ ments, covering the entire walls, are copies by Lorenzi of several of Paul Veronese's colossal pictures. This corridor leads into a series of sump* tuous apartments, one of which, the ball-room, is unequaled for gorgeous- uess of decoration by any of the pal­ aces or museums of Englahd." ^ How Iron Is Made In Central Africa. The Balubans, as the patives of the MuanSanyomma district of Cen­ tral Africa are styled, enjoy the excel­ lent local reputation as iron-workers. They tlnd their crude material in the form of bOg iron ore on the surface of the land< It rarely happens that digging to an appreciable depth is necessary, Their smelting furnaces, which are constructed of clay, are from six to ten feet high, from forty to sixty inches in diameter at the base, and conical in shape. The ore is tipped into the furnace from above; the charcoal, on the other hand, is ntroduced into the basin-like side openings, which also receive a contin uouj air-blast; while the iron and slag are removed from the bottom of the furnace about every eight or twelve hours, according to the degree of heat obtained. The forge is a cir? cular buiiding some sixteen feet in diameter with a pointed roof and open sides. At a distance it might be taken tor a park band stand. In Ihe center of this hut is the Are, which is maintained in constant ac­ tivity by means of a unique pair of bellows, which merit a special de­ scription. They consist of a block of wood, generally twenty inches long, hollowed out and fitted with a funnel- head made of clay. At the lower end are two orifices, over which skins are stretched. Motion is imparted t° the instrument by the action ot two small rods. The hammer is of solid iron; the tongs are marvels of sim­ plicity, to wit, a bent palm branch. An iron wedge driven into a timber bole serves as an anvil. The recollec­ tions of the Balubans carry them back to the time when they wrought metals with stone tools. Some of the natives are comparatively artistic- workers, Very fine axes, tastefully inlaid with copper, are produced. Strikes among these swarthy artific­ ers, it should be noted, are of com­ paratively rare occurrence, probably ] owning to the fact that malcontents 1 invariably have their heads lopped Matches. Matches represent the difference between barbarism and civilization and how much we owe to the intelli­ gent genius which has made them so cheap that there is no one so poor that he cannot buy a box of matches! Years ago the making of matches furnished employment to thousands of girls and boys. Little bits of wood cut the length of the match were laid on strips of wood in which notches had been cut to hold them, The girls spread the matches alonsr so that each slip of wood fell in the right place, laid another strip of wood on top of it, and so on until a pile of a dozen was arranged. These were clamped together and then were ready for the sulphur bath. After they had been dipped on both sides they were laid in frames until dry, and then packed i n boxes. Now all this is changed. The slips of wood are handled entirely by ma­ chinery. This has reduced the cost of production very much, and, of course, reduced the cost to the indi­ vidual buyer. It was considered formerly that the making of matches was very un- healthful labor, but it has been dis­ covered that with cleanliness and care it is no more unhealthful than any other forms of labor in which chemicals are employed. All tlie Name. A knowledge of geography is evi­ dently unnecessary in fitting Italian city officials for their duties. At least even if it to important, it is not always to be found. The author of "European Reminiscences" says that he once mailed a letter for America in the postoffice at Naples, and found great difficulty in having it registered. Finally when that operation was completed, the official suddenly ex­ claimed; "Where are the five seals?" "What do you mean?"' asked the traveller. "Registered letters must have five seals, in order to secure their safe transportation," was the reply. Then the Italian added, with a sudden thought, "Scusate, Signor! I see this goes to America. Letters to South America and Africa are allowed with­ out sealing wax, since the melting of the wax spoils other postal matter." I thanked him, but said that this letter was not for South America, but for the United States. ••It's all the same thing," bet, re­ sponded. . "It has to pais the equator, anywatl" Suhi a. iip^od' reo#,.„ ___, Shield at Peterb«a&«f&r apparently simplifies tlfe the bottom is of irregular, rocky, formation. Careful longitudinal seo>- tions are taken along the lines of the inner and outer faces of the founda­ tions, and planks are,then cut and nailea to timbers in such a manner that one edge of the finished fram& conforms exactly with the rocky bot­ tom. These frames are then weighted and sunk into place, where they are fa«tened by loa* bolls, wedged into the rock by divers in such a manner that a mold for about twenty feet of the bottom of the wail is thus formed. The tops of the frame* are brought to a true horizontal position by means of a spirit level or otherwise, and the space between is then fllUjd with con­ crete of proportions varyitig according to circumstances. Where a large mass of concrete is used it is com­ posed of four or tour and one-half sand and gravel to one $art of Port­ land cement, the top being finished off with six inches of a richer con­ crete composed of one and one-half parts of gravel and sand to one of the cement Where the thickness of the foundation is not great, only the richer concrete is used. The material is lowered in a canvas bag holding about two and one-fourth cubic feet and so arranged that the bottom can be opened when it touches the placc where the concrete is to be laid. The divers commence the foundation at one end and works backwards so as not to disturb the newly deposited concrete. The material as it leaves the bags is merely pressed down by the flat hand to the required level and then gently struck off by a straight edge resting at each end on the frames. In this way a perfect sur­ face was formed at a depth of five or six feet below low water, which became hard enough in three days to receiye the blocks of the wail. from all were all on this but next Railroads Taught a Lesson. The World's Fair dedicatory cere­ monies in Chicago have demonstrated the fact that the railroads, in order to do a big businessduring the World's Fair period next summer, must make rates as low as possible. Under the impression that but few people would come from distances beyond 350 miles of Chicago, the railroads fixed the rates for the distance within 350 miles of Chicago atone and one-third fare for the round trip, while from points beyond 350 miles the rate was fixed at one fare for the round trip. It is now found that more people availed themselves of the one-fare rate for the round trip from points beyond 350 miles of Chicago than of the one and one-third fare from points within the 350 miles limit It is calculated that at least 200,000 more people would have come here to fitness the dedicatory ceremouies had a uniform rate of one fare for the round trip been made points. As the railroads taxed to their full capacity occasion no harm was done, year when the travel will spread over six months and with the additional facilities the railroads will theu be provfded with they will easily be able to handle any crowds no matter how large. But the events of the last thtee or four days have shown that unless the rates are made low enough the people will not come in such crowds as the railroads would like to have and which with their increased facilities they will be easily able to handle. The mistake of making the rates lower proportionately from long distances than from short ones ought not to be repeated. The people liv­ ing within a radius of ,200 to 300 miles of this city will come here sev­ eral times during the World's Fair period for a tew days if fares are low, and thus avoid paying exorbitant ftQtQl rates for an extended / A Precious Stone. •- Al&iir, walking along a iwW in India, chanced to pick up a fine large diamond that had been washed out of the ground by a heavy shower and lay glistening and blazing in the sun. He tied it up in a rag and put it in his empty tobacco pouch, and con­ tinued on his way to town. Fakirs in India have little money as a rule, and this particular fakir had none at all, but he did have a strong craving for a quiet smoke Sq he be­ took himself to a Parsee* tobacconist and asked him how much tobacco he would let him have for a^pretty stone that showed green and red and blue lights. The dealer asked to see the stone, and immediately recognized it as a diamond of the first water. ••Uncle," he remarked to the fakir, "since you are a poor man, I'll give you a whole handful of tobateco." And he grasped a handful and thrust it into the fakir's pouch. "My son." replied the fakir, "I have travelled a long distance, and am very tired, This is a beautiful stone, and you ought to give me at least three handfuls of tobacco." After some further haggling, the Parsee agreed to keep the stone, after exacting from the fakir a promise to keep quiet about the matter. The Parsee then sent the stone to an asso­ ciate in Bombay, where it was sold for two thousand dollars. , +F-m , Kdtble Birds' Neaf* . In the Andaman Islands the impor­ tant work of edible birds' nest collect­ ing is reported to be over for the season. The swifts arrive in the islands toward the end of November, but they take their time in building the nests, which are formed from a gelatine secretion from the salivary glands of those beautiful members of the swallow tribe. If there has been a wet December the first crop of nests is generally a poor one, being soiled by the damp and drippings from the roofs of the caves. Collectors, how­ ever, begin in January to go around the islands to the different caves in an open boat. The best quality re­ sembles pure isinglass, and are worth their weight in silver. Afterward there are two other collections. The caves in which the nests are found are scattered about the Islands; some are far inland, others in rocks con­ cealed in mangrove swamps. WK should imagine a boy would be more desirous of going to heaven; he can blow a horn all day there with­ out being told to quit it hou» largest French and the* less and their is less Qur hattifpiiips the Massachusetts are 4,000 tons lMSjH speed is three kOtiijii five ships afiogt ijfl is nearly as large as Sovereign and #hOiB'::Speed posed to be the same. ciai Gazette says this ex naval development is the of the itnppverM»»ent (if the crujpir^thtof that kingdom. Neither Germany ndjr ^ustraiM^|^Sj any ships that will cOhffi^lL effectivepess wtyh *th6 e l g n . T h e l a t t e i ' _ with other waistftpfe mercantile steamers of the maritfatt;^ nations. The crack ship of the navy, the Inflexible is nearly 3,060 tons less in displacement than the | Royal Sovereign. She is 320 feet in length and 75 feet beam, as against 380 teet in length and 75 feet t%eam y in the Royal Sovereign. The ghkv Italian ships are 400 feet long by 74 :^| feet beam. But when we turn to the H crack merchant steamers of the day we find that the City of New York and the City of Paris, which havep* lust passed under the American flag, are 560 feet, long by 453 feet beam.; S They are 200 or 250 feet longer tnan ili the types of English and French bat- | tie ships before the Royal Sovereign*;? and 12 feet narrower. In them the ' proportion of beam to length is 8. 89, | | while in the battle ships it is less than 6, or about the proportion which was . usual in the ships built in the for- .. < ;'W wca. „ . If the Royal £fovereigt>i with her ri depth, had been as narrow as theCity t|| of Paris, there are few ports wntcn v. she could have entered. Her arma-) { ment reflects the progress of naval gunnery. The Italian Italia, Duilio * and Dandolo, which .were built, be- '4j tween 1876 and 1884, carry 100-ton *; guns; the British Inflexible carries* ' 80-ton guns; the' French Admiral^ Baudin and the Formidable.carry \ 75-ton guns; but the Royal Sovereign?^ only carries 87-ton guns, and our three battle ships carry 45-ton guns. The | reason of the reduction in the size of' -A,; the guns is, first, the difficulty of ' handling enormous masses of metal; 1 with efficient rapidity, and secondly, • | the apprehension that no vessel can v|| be built so as to endure the concus- '4} slon of the fire of very heavy guns f§ without her plates splitting and part-^ | ing. The best opinion now is that,ig guns not exceeding forty-live tons in weight would be more effective in ac- '/}§ tion than guns exceeding that weight ^ There is very little doubt that the^ Italia and Duilio would ,wrdach' 4 themselves apart in action long be- fore they had destroyed thei* enemy. The pirojectlle thrown by the Royal ||| Sovereign will weigh ,1,200; .pounds "jjl and that thrown from our Massa- j! chusetts is 1,000 pounds Such inis- 3 siles will-do qqite as much d&mage if 0} they strike ah object as a nklffstie :|| weighing a ton or nearly a tdiau A Ul(sutl« Sewing The Giant .of 'Oiaq^lj|fl Tthe-. • ^l|an of titans, as far as sewing machines are concerned, has rjecently |>een -m finished at Leeds; England.. It '7" weighs exactly five duel a quarter 4 j tons, and is specially adapted for gen- 1 |l eral manufacturing purposes of the heavier sort This particular machine will be used for attaching ration belting, an article which has all 1 but ^ superseded the old Style leather belt- ^ ing material for machinery gearing. ,, The material used in the manufac­ ture of cotten belting js of great strength and toughness, and, besides, is often sewed in piles or layers hav­ ing a maximum thic<cne£S of nearly thre.e . inches. To db this f the belting is passed through heavy feed rollers nine inches in diameter and eight feet In length, the result being that the material is stretched,pressed and sewed at one and the same time. In this monster machine the needles ^ are thirteen inches long and the shuttles are as large almost as a k small rowboat. The machine has a double set of works (so as to sew on both sides of the belt at one "feed- ing"); two needles and two shuttles being in constant use Whenever the machine is at work. An attachment similar to that on the ordinary sew­ ing machine makes it possible for the operator to instantly lengthen the stitch from one-eighth of an inch to full three inches. It is unnecsssary to add that this giant can ottlar he ran br steam power. ^ 1 ft 41 I # Power Uaed In Iron Mining. •*" ' " c The power used In iron ore mining ;i| in the United States is enormous. I The last official returns from the i 'M various mines report a total of more than 1,100 steam boilers, with an ag- gregate of some 58,000 horse-power; / : and these boilers furnished steam to about 1,100 steam engines, including ^ air compressors, hoisting machinery, engines for driving washers, crushers, etc., soi^ie of large size. These en­ gines, however, do not in most in­ stances include the motive power for pumps, in a majority of cases the latter being rated independent of steam engines, as a locomotive would be. In the returns made, however, there were about eighty pumps men?. tioned independent of steam engines, twenty locomotives used in and about the mines, four steam shovels em­ ployed in digging or handling ore, eight turbine wheels driving machin­ ery, and ten air compressors worked by water power. Of course, the ap­ plication of steam and compressed air in the iron mines has very largely reduced the tfumber of ;.ani|gJtlji ploye* in and about the mines; ana ; it is to be remarked that Mftitigitn on ^ account of Its numerous <1 ermines, : and as the largest producdPjg|* iron , ; ore, stands at the head of bMse data of machinery and power. --New York Sun. ' A WOMAN when packing up furni­ ture, doesn't know of anything that can't be made perfectly e^ i^heitiff packed in bed quilts. T fefiCks Mm V* X > lj' V £1^ ? 3 h\ A „r-bi