The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

‘ ‘ CURRENT NOTES. Mr. Richard Burton has written an able article to show that there is a re- vival in the use of the terse. simple, vernacular English of the time Shakespeare. He is undoubtedly right in this. “ Fine. writing" is no longer as much admired as it was a generation ago, when Macaulay was a literary dic- tator not so much because of what he had to say as of his manner of saying it. The English of the fifteenth cen- tury is not equal to the demands of modern science. But except in discus- sing technicalities and the novelties of modern life it is fully equal to the ex- pression of every clearly defined idea that the mind can entertain. To be clearly expressed. however, the idea must be well defined. The English verâ€"l nacular abhors vagueness. Before any one can talk plain English he must have a plain idea of what he wishes to my. Oberwise he will stop in the mid- dle of his sentence and expose the emptiness of his mind. It is otherwise. of course. with the Latin and Greek derivatives of the language, which are often used to produce the impression of wisdom where the only thing that is being really expressed is a lack of ideas. The increasing use of simple. every- day English is a great gain. It means greater accuracy, greater clearness and less huinbug. Even if inconsistent with the "style" of the Latin languages, in which terseness and force are sacrificed to smoothness, plain English is the best possible language for those who read English at all. For in no other langu- age is it harder to lie successfully or easier to tell the plain truth plainly. According to statistics given by the fidelity insurance companies .of the United States, known defalcations of men employed in positions amounted during the year 1894 to twenty-five millions of dollars. Even these large figures cannot be accepted as the aggregate of the defalcations for a single year. The amount shows an increase of six millions when com- pared with the total of 1893, a fact that would seem to suggest a tidal wave of dishonesty. The stealings show wide distribution. Great cities reveal many such breaches of trust, but do not monopolize them. smaller communities rascalities of this nature have been perpetrated. All this- is a sad reflection upon the weakness of human nature. The love of money. abounds and money does so notably an- swer all things in our day that we do not wonder that men lie awake nights thinking how they may increase their store. The man who worries himself and wearies himself thinking how he may double his revenue. and emulate a wealthier neighbor, is likely sooner or later to determine to makemoney, honestly if possible, but at any rate to make money. Speculation is soon thought of as the easiest way to wealth, and as some one has wiitly said, speculation often leads to peculation. It seems so simple to borrow (f) a few hundred or thousand dollars, and thus insure the necessary capital for the financial operation that is to return not only the investment, but forty, sixty, and even a hundred fold besides. The ability to purchase stocks on a margin of anywhere from two to five per cent... is a tempting bait - that has caught many a poor fool and the gambler’s table follows hard after. There can be little doubt that such breaches of trust are multiplied by reason of the leniency shown to the wrongdoer. If a business corporation can get its stolen money back either from the transgressor or his friends it' is generally not over-anxious to prose- cute. It well knows that public dis- cussion may lead to public reflection on the business methods of a concern that suddenly finds itself robbed of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The situation calls for stricter dealing with offenders, but a more potent restrictive measure would be a more thorough and univer- sal system of checks aud'safeguards against. dishonest-y. No honest man can seriously object- to any system, while his weaker brother may be. saved by it. The man who has reason to be- lieve that the detection of fraud is like- ly to be prompt and its punishment ser- .ous will think often before he risks his position. his name and his liberty. tier Fight With a Rat in the Dark ness. Alice Moore. a colored woman of Louis- Iille, hiya, was attacked by a rat the other morning. and bears the marks of the attack. She was awakened about 4 o'clock by a creeping sensation. She raised herself in bed and heard the squeal of.a rat. She struck out in the dark and felt. the animal jump at her and fasten its teeth in one of her arms. She struck a vicious blow at. the rat and succeeded in knocking it off. The rat went at. her again and caught her by the throat. She succeeded in knock~ ing it off a second time. At the third jump the rat fastened its teeth in her ear and held on persistently. The woman. who had been fighting the rat in silence all this time. began to scream. She jum \ed out of bed with the rat still hol ing to her car. As she ran frantically about the room she struck time and again at the vicious little rod- ent. but was afraid to take hold and all it off. for fear of slitting her car. he screams aroused her dnu bier. who umped out of bed and lightm the lamp. be seized a pillow and struck at the animal. knocking it off. fi of trust | In numerous . ABOUT THE HOUSE. Take a Holiday. Many mothers are so engrossed in the ! care of their children and in their house- hold duties that a “day off" would sim- ply seem out of the question. They be- come cross and peevish and every hard line in the world seems to have fallen to their lot; at least, that is the way they look at it. It. is not because they cannot afford to go. 0, no, only they have an idea that if they were away from home a day nothing would ever lrun straight again. If they could only know how pleasant the old duties would seem after a vacation, and how the chil- gdren would appreciate them after their x labsence, more holidays would be taken than ever dreamed of now. 5 In order to fully enjoy a vacation, if lonly for a day, leave all the old scenes iand asssociations and see something en- 'tirely new. Seek the society of some icheerful neighbor. Do not do work which employs you every other day, but procure something new, or talk, gosSip â€"anything which will take the mind ihundreds of miles from household cares :and children’s ailments. Mothers al- zways will turn their conversation onto ; the same timeâ€"worn topicsâ€"baby's teeth- ling, or Mary’s measles, or the cost of lliving or some such always-wrth-you ‘subject. Leave the children at home in care of some reliable person if they ‘are small. Do not worry because the :basket of mending will be left until the next day. You will be so refreshed by 'your holiday and feel so cheerful, that fhad you twice the work you could do i l . , It is too late now to have a picnic all ;by yourself, with a. fascinating romance :for company (this seems selfish), but 'surely you are able to think of some recreation which will benefit you. Do not shake your head and say, “No, I lcould not think of such a. thing," but just make up your mind to try it. A holiday you must have and that very soon. too. Let me whisper, after you have taken ,one you will want more. The Fragrant Onion. Pickled Onionsâ€"Wipe some small “onions but do not peel. Make austrong brine of salt and water into which put .the onions, and change this night and imorning, for five days and save the last brine they were put in. Peel off now 5 the outside skin, and put them in a ’saucepan capable of holding them all, as! tthey are always better done together. gTake equal quantities of milk and the last brine the onions were in and pour it over them ; place over the fire and watch attentively. Keep constantly stirring,. turning the onions about with 8. skimâ€" mer, those at the bottom to the top, and vice versa, The onions must not boil, but the liquid must become very hot, and the onions will then becomé transparent. When the onions look 'clear, turn into a colander to drain, cov- ering them with a. cloth to keep in the steam. Place on the table an old clean cloth, doubled several times; on this! place the onions when still hot and cover closely with an old clean cloth or blan- ‘ket to keep in the steam. Let them re- main until the following day, when they will be cold and look yellow and shriv- elcd. Take off the outer skin, when they should be firm and white as snow. To every gallon of vinegar allow 2 oz bruised ginger, 2 oz allspice, ‘2. oz whole- black pepper, 1~2 oz each of mace and, nutmeg, 14 cloves and 1â€"3 tablespoon, cayenne. Boil those together and pour! boiling hot over the onions. Cover veryI closely and allow to stand until the next day, when place in small jars or bottles,| ,well covered with the spiced Vinegar, over the top of each bottle pour aspoon-' ‘ ful of olive oil, cork and seal. They Willi be fit for use in a. month, and will be] beautifully white and eat crisp, Without] the least softness. They Will _keep for: several years. This method is rather! 'troublesomc, but will repay the labor. - ‘ The following is a quick.method__'of ’pickling, and the onions Will be crisp] and white, but they will not keep over; six or eight months: Peel the 01110113,: ‘and have ready some clean, dry jars org 1 bottles, and as fast as peeled, drop them: iin. Pour over them some cold vinegar,f ’spiccd as follows: To each quart of vine-3 ‘gar allow 2 teaspoonfuls each of whole‘ ibluck pepper, auspice, and_sa1t. Close} the jars tightly and place in a cool, dry place. In two weeks they are fit for use. Skeletons at Home. The troubles which cannot be told are those which have the most disastrous' laud wasting effect on the mind. Every 'family it is said, although it may not be true, has its "skeleton in the‘closet,” {and some member of that family is con- tinually airing it, to the intense morti- l fication and disgust of the other inmates of the family. Children are the inno- ccnt promulgators of many little domes-g tic annoyances which would better be left. forgotten; it is a parent’s duty to teach a child, however young, to refrain from gossip, or else be very careful what is said in his presence. Many people, of course. pay no attention to other peo- ple's business. but there are many who will offer you sympathy that they may have a peep at your secret, ‘and when you have allowed it to be seen they hurry away to explain to mutual friends. There is an old negro proverb which reads thus: "There are people \0 will help you to set your basket on your bad because they want to see what is in it.” Another class of geople are continu~ ally groaning over t eir troubles, which are not of mobile interest; acquaint- ances soon come bored to death by it, and even friends admire reticence if kept more or less to one's self. What- ever the trouble in a family it is better locked up within their own doors. At Our House. As the head of the house does not come home for dinner, opportunity is taken to exercise rigid economy at that time. Still. something palatable is usually prepared. The "left-overs" are always Utilized on that occasion. helped ‘ out. perhaps. with a johnnycake made as follows :â€"Rich but termilk, or half cream and half sour milk will do; half tea- spoon of soda; pinch of salt, and a good tablespoon of sugar. Mix to a light but- ter with two-thirds meal and oneâ€"third flour. Bake in buttered tin in moder- ate oven. An apple pudding is often prepared as follows:â€"Three goodâ€"sized apples. peeled and quartered and put into a pint basin; half cup of sugar; 21 little water and spice to taste. Pour over it a bat- ter made of two-thirds cup of sweet milk, and butter size of a bickorvnut; half cream would be better. Mix in flour.until batter is middling stiff. Steam one hour. Serve with cream and sugar or butter and sugar. It is de- licious. Cold potatoes are nice, chopped fine and warmed up in milk. slightly season- ed with pepper and salt. A palatable soup can be made of bits of roast beef or steak, the “leftâ€"overs" from former meals. Put in a little of each of a variety of vegetablesâ€"pota- toes. tomatoes, noions, celery, etc. Sea- toes, tomatoes, onions, celery, etc. Sea- son to taste. Cold corn is nice prepared as follows: Shave the corn from three or four good ears; add one egg; cup of sweet milk; pinch of salt, and flour enough to make a good batter. Bake same as pancakes, in a well-buttered spider; serve with a. little butter while hot. A BIG BIRD CAUGHT AT SEA. Able Seaman Peters Call; It an Eagle. Though Scientists Pronounce It 3 Freak. \Vhen the Danish steamship Horse. cleared from Philadelphia for Port An- tonio, Jamaica, a few days ago, she carried with her a deadhead passenger with a. very bad temper. The surly fellow occupied a small cabin of rough boards especially built for him on the forecastle, in which he was secured with a short chain fastened around one leg. 0n the roof a sailor had rudely carved out with his caseknife this inscription: Sea Eagle. Came Abord off Wat- ling Island, Sept. 25, 1895. Caut esy by Jo Peters, A. S. Jo Peters, able seamen, has two long scars on his left arm and a small one in his neck to show easy was the cap- ture of the bird. Another sailor reâ€" ceived a damaged thumb through a. breach of etiquette. \Vhile giving the captive fresh water one day, he uncon- sciously allowed his thumb to stick over the edge of the dish and into the water. The bird swiftly resented this slovenly service with his beak. There are others among the crew who will have reason to remember the bird and the date of his coming among them. ' On Sept. 25 the Horse. was off \Vat- tling’s Island, Bahamas, on her way to Philadelphia with a cargo of fruit from Baracoa. Early in the afternoon, in the midst of a. sudden stiff breeze off shore, a flying thing, "with wings of ENORMOUS SPREAD, blew up against the masthead and clung there. The sailors on deck looked aloft and held a brief council. Capt. \Viborg came out of his cabin and called for volunteers to capture the bird. Jo Peters stepped forward promptly, and as romptly went aloft. The others stoo below and watched. \Vhen- the adventurous sailor reachâ€" ed a ,point a few feet below the bird, the latter turned his head and looked at Peters curiously, but. made no at- tempt to fly. This encouraged Peters. and, climbing a little nearer, he reached out his left arm and grabbed the bird by .one -leg. Then there was a. wild screech, a flurry of feathers, a few startled baths, and several drops of blood s attered down on the upturned faces 0 those on deck. Peters made a swift pass with his right hand for the bird’s throat, but the bird forestalled him, jabbing his beak into the man's neck. Peters went mad with pain, and be shut his teeth and tried a. ain. This time he got there. He would ave fallen from his perch, however, but for the arrival of another member of the crew, who, with a coil of stout rope in his teeth, had climbed up to the rescue. The captive was securely bound, and was then lowered to the deck. A box was made for the prisoner. and Peters went below to have his wounded arm and neck dressed. He assured the Captain that the bird was a genuine sea eagle, and there was no one aboard ship to contradict him. As amatter of fact. it isn't asea eagle at all. It is more like the albatross that figured so promâ€" inently in Coleridge's tale of a marinâ€" er more ancient than Mr. Peters. Yet it isn’t any more an albatross than it' is a sea eagle. The bird is probably a cross between the two. It has the al- batrOSS's head and beak, and its broad expanse of wing, measuring SIX FEET FROM TIP TO TIP, but. its legs, which are rough and scaly, terminate with the talons of the eagle. As to coloring, it is white, with a sprinkling of irregular black spotslike ink blots. Several ornithologists went and looked at the bird while the Horse lay at her dock, but, though they con- sulted their books, they could not class- ify the thing except generically as a freak. These scientific men made Jo Peters very mad. " What do they know about it i" said he. " The bird's a sea eagle. I tell you, and I’ve saw more sea birds than they is pages in all them feliers' banks. The ' dont' know nothin' on'y what they rea . But I've saw things, I have. And I seen something fur years that I bet, ain't in their books. It. was when I was down with the \Vest Coast Navi- ation line. Down in the South Paci- ic they was a great stampin' ground fur sea birds, because fish was always plentiful there. The birds would set on the waves and fill up with fish till they was so full they couldn't move. and would have to float around till it were off. New this feedin' place was right in the way of the steamers. and thous- ands of the birds was run down throu h 'not bein' able to get away._ But t‘izie old birds got cute, and when they was gettin' their full of fish and seen a ves- sel comin', they'd just swally some salt water. It acted on their stomachs,u would come the fish. and then they’i fly out o‘ the way. Pacts. fur I've seen 'ein do it. Thats on’y one o' the things to be seen at sea that ain't wrote down in books. A CASE OF UNUSUAL INTEREST IN SAN FRANCISCO. Theodore Durrant on Trial for the uni-dex- or Blanche Lamontâ€"Purely Circum- stantial Evidence. so farâ€"Bitter feeling Against the Prisoner. The remarkable trial of Theodore Durrant in San Francisco for the mur- der of Blanche Lamont has been sus- pended for a time owing to the illness of a principal participant in the af- fair. The case of the prosecution rests wholly on circumstantial evidence, and may be briefly stated to be that the girl left her home to go to school on April 3rd, and was not seen again by her friends until her dead body was found in a small room in the belfry of Emmanuel Baptist Church in that city. She hadevidently been murdered. Two days before, the body of Minnie \Vil- liams. a friend of Miss Lamont. had been found in the pastor’s room in the church. It will easily be believed that these two discoveries created an ex- traordinary sensation. At first the pas- tor, Rev. George Gibson, was suspect- ed and was actually put under arrest. During the period between Miss La- mont’s disappearance and the finding of her body her relatives and friends were, of course, greatly exercised as to what had caused her absence from her home. The favorite supposition was that she had eloped with somebody, or 1at least there was A MAN IN THE CASE. The inquiries instituted established the fact that so far as could be learned she had last been seen alive in the company of a young medical student named Theodore Durrant. Durrant was formerly a resident of Toronto, but left with his family for San Francisco some fifteen years ago. This young man (he is now 24 years of age) had been seen with Miss Lamont not far from Emmanuel Church on the day on which she disappeared. He was ques- tioned about the matter, and related that he had met her on her way to school and that be accompanied her there. On the supposition that it was a mere escapade of which the girl had been uilty it became ‘a habit among urrant's companions to quiz him about , Miss Lamont’s disappearâ€" ance. The ghastly discovery in the belfry of the church was made about ten days after her disappearance. Na- turally enough the more serious base that the matter had now assume was still connected with the fact that Durâ€" rant. was the last person seen with her so far as could be ascertained. He was arrested and has ever since been lying in 'ail, while his trial bids fair to be the ongest on record on the Pacific coast. The prosecution has shown not only that he was seen in the company of the girl, but that he was actually in the church that day; that he was in the upper part of the strucâ€" ture, and that HE \VAS PALE and confessed to feeling ill, so ill that be sent a companion to a drug store for a drug. Putting these facts forward the prosecution virtually call upon Durrant to account for his time on that day. For this purpose be was put. on the stand to tell his own story. He stated that he was ac uainted with Blanche Lamont, having een introduced to her by her aunt. He induced her to be- come a member of Emmanuel Church Sunday School, and had sometimes seen her home. He met her on the morning of April 8 on her way to school. He accompanied her there at her request, and left her at the door, never seeing her alive thereafter. Having left her at the school, he himself repaired to Cooper’s College, where he was a stu- dent. He relates minutely his attend- ance on lectures, his walks, etc. He also admits that he was in Emmanuel Church that day. He explains his pre- lsence there.by saying that bewas ac- customed to look after the sunâ€"burners in the church, which were operated by electricity. He was told a week before that they were out of order and went there to fix them. He had to get up on the rafters over the burners. and while there, he says, he inhaled so much gas that he was nauseated by it. \Vhen he got down stairs he found George King playing a piano in the Sunday School. King noticed that he was pale, and Durrant told him the cause of it and got him to go for bromo-seltzer to stay his stomach. Being asked if that was not rather for the nerves than for the stomach, he said that although a medical student HE DID NOT KNOiV. It was the first time he had ever par- taken of it. He helped King to carry an organ into the basement, went home to tea, and in the evening took his mother to the Sunday School, return- ing with her and going to bed. He thus endeavored to account for the whole day. The defence promised in the opening to adduce evidence cor- roborative .of this story, and to upset several important- pieces of testimony given on behalf of the prosecution. such as that Durrant pawncd a ring that was supposed to belong to Blanche Lamont. But most. of this corrobora- tive or rebut ting testimony did not help the prisoner much. He has not been able to prove conclusively that he was present at the lectures which be de- clares he was at, and witnesses for the prosecution have testified that he ask- ed them to try and remember that he was at the lectures " as a favor to him." Of course the theory is that the. hand that slow Miss Lamont was also concealed in the murder of Min- nie Williams, but no very clear motive has been disclosed for either of the crimes. It is this apparent lack of mo- tive that makes the case against Dur- rant weak. The feeling against him in .Sanl‘rancisco is bitter, but. he has maintained the most extraordinary composure throughout. His crossâ€" cxnminaiion by the defence was merci- less, but he took it very coolly, alâ€" though at times somewhat defiant. Al- together the case is unusual in all its features,_and the result will be awaitâ€" ed with interest. ' l DELEBRATED TRIAL. 1 Heâ€"” I have never loved but once ll! all my life." Sheâ€"" What i” Heâ€"â€"- "Fact. I assure you. It has somehow always happened that I never was quill free from the one girl by the time 1hr next one came along." CHRISTIAN SdISNCi. Another 1.1- s I :- Iii-ed in Toronto to This Fad. A child has died in Toronto under the treatment known as Christian science. At her evidence at. the inqumt the mother said the only treatment. Mrs. Beer used was the mental treatment. She held out to the people that God sent no sickness; that people merely believed that they were sick. Her treatment wasa silent one, and she gave no medicines. The Truth, according to her, did everything. Her method was to talk kindly to the deceased. Shewould say: “Percy Beck, Lvou have no meaâ€" sles; you are a child of God and.can- not be sick." She would then, in sil~ once and with closed eyes. give him treatment. The child always seemed better after a treatment. Her charges were a dollar per treatment. Some- times. to those in poor circumstances, she char ed less. If Witness sent word to rs. Beer telling her. how the child was she would treat him when she was absent from him, and witness could at once notice the difference in his condition. The attitude which leads to the adop- tion of these methods is sup used to be one of faith. But. it is iffioult to understand why a lack of faith should be inferred from the use of medicmes and other human aids any more than from the use of seeds. ploughs and reziipers in farming, or com ass. rudder an chart in naVIgatin t e sea. A Lister or a Pasteur ex ibits faith in. its highest form as he patiently makes his experiment, in confidence that the physical laws under -\vhich he works are unvarying and exact and therefore trustworthy. It is this.faith that has made ossible the marvellous .progres of metical science in the alienation o suffering and the prevent-ion and cure of diseases, and we might as well show our faith by shutting out the light of day as by. shutt' out the light that has been shed on t e causes and treat- ment of disease by patient investiga- tion. It is deplorable that human life should be sacrificed to a notion which is no more Christian than it is scien- tific. Faith in an overruling Prow- dence is not weakened but strengthened by the knowledge that _Providence works by fixed and intelligible laws. not by fits and- starts. THE TI-IIEVES’ TEXTIBOOK. Remarkable Book by a French Criminal, in Which lle Describes the Fine Art of llurglnrs, There has come into the hands of the Parisian polices. copy bfa book bear- ing the title, “Manuel du parfait voleur dans les environsde Paris” (literally, “Manual of the perfect thief in the en- virons of Paris). This interesting work was written by the chief of a gang of burglars, and is intensely practical. It treats of the most successful and ap- proved ways of "cracking" country houses. The introduction contains this state- ment: “The environs of Paris are di- vided into four sections, each of which is controlled bya band of burglars hav- ing its own center of operations and never passing beyond the boundaries allotted to it, as in that case it would seriously interfere with the work of the band operatin in’ the neighboring section." The " h anual" explains how each band procures detailed information regarding the villas which it has mark- ed for pillage. Some local real estate agent is visited by one of the burglars in the guise of a man seeking a desir- able house for his family. Severgl chapters describe the best methods of disposing of stolen goods and how to prepare them so as to prevent their identification. The author of the book, though long suspected, had been able to elude the police for many years, but soon aftera copy of his work came into their posses- sion he himself was taken red-handed. He gave the police much useful in- formation, howcvei'. which resulted in the incarceration of many of his com- rades, and so escaped with a light sentence, though on his release it. is likely that unless he emigratcs his career Will be cut short by a knife or revolver in the hands of some of his former associates. He is a man of ex- cellent family, received a fine education and once served in the French army. BICYCLE AS FAST AS A TRAIN. ii Last We llnve An Electric “SnI'erWWIth Its Own Motor. Driving It Over 30 “lies an Hour. The electric bicycle is among the pro- babilities. A inventor has fashioned one and claims for it a speed of thirty miles an hour. A wheelman is very skilful who can cover seventeen miles an hour over an ordinary road. The petroleum bicycle had a trial in the road races for motor vehicles in France, but it was never in the race. The electrical bicycle weighs about sixty-four pounds. The motor is direct- ly under the seat. The battery-box is the cumbersome feature. It rests on a small arm, which stands out from the frame. directly over the rear wheel. The box is about thirty-six inches long and seven in depth. From the battery run two wires to the motor. A narrow leather belt connects the motor with the rear axle. Win-s from the motor run along the upper bar of the frame to :i graduating switch, near the handle- bar. A lamp, throwing a reflection twenty feet, is umnected with the onotor, the electricity serving the two- fold purpose of light and power. The inventor is not sure but that over thirty miles an hour can be made over a good road. This speed would be no- conipanicd by great danger. of course, should the rider fall off. The inventor says that be borrowed a friend's safety, fitted the invention [0 it, and asked the owner to give it a trial. The wheel was tried on the boulevard one morning at daybreak. The result was astonishing. The in- ventor says the s .f'li did not exceed twenty; miles an our. The man who rode t 0 wheel is willing to swear lint It was nearer two hundred miles. lie lidn‘t want to try it again The )Li- :entur purchased the machine from him and has since improved. it. 1! ; L‘A’AA x A