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. ‘ "perv-c. , near ilevel. Tailâ€"BOWSEBS’ TBUUBLES. "We'll, by Georgel" exclaimed Mr. as he mt reading hispaper the other evening, "but they served. that man just right 1" ' “\tht is it, Bowser. “Man and wife in Indiana sat down tosgame of poker at their own fire- side, and because she won a. dollar of. him. he broke her neck. The people gathered and puEled him up to a limb, and the coroner wouldn't even hold an inquest on the body. Isn’t it queer how some linebands act 2" "Y-es," replied Mrs. Bowser. look- ing anxiously around for an excuse to leave the room. “The idea that he should break her neck because she hel‘d the best hand! Hanging was too good for him. I was wishing only this afternoon that you knew how to play poker.“ "Iâ€"I do," replied hits. Bmvser, though she hit her tongue the next in-4 stunt for her tomishness. - "You do! Why. I didn't suppose you ever saw a poker chip. Been! learning to gamble without dropping me a hint, eh? Just laying low to give me a surprise party 3" Mrs. Bowser shou'lid never have ads mitted that she had even heard of the game of polcer. There had been a. family row because she beat Mr. Bow- ser at fox and geeseâ€"another because she got the best of him at chechersâ€"a regular riot because she laid him out) at euchre. She shoullkl have gone upâ€" stairs or downstairs for ten minutes and let the matter pass out of his mind. \Vhile she was lamenting her bad diplomacy, Mr. Bowser got up, withabeandng smile on his face, and exclaimedzâ€" ' “Well, what luck! I've got a pack of cards and a box of poker chips on! the hall tree. I thought I might drop! over and beat Taylor out of $15 or $20, but as I came in he said. he wouldn't be home this evening. \Ve'l-l just have a. little game all by ourselves." "Iâ€"don't feel well this 'evening!” stamniered Mrs. Bowser. "0-ho! I see! Afraid to play against me, eh! That little excuse won't go down. however. You said you knew how. to play poker. and so we will have a. game. Clear off the table and. get ready." , . "Remlly, _Mr. Bowser, but my head "Your head is all rig-'h'tZI‘and’ pretty I don't expect “yourican pllay for shucks, but we'll have 'a’littlé fun out of it." ' ‘ -‘ 33 It was now too late for Mira. Boweer'. to get out of it. unflem the house caught fire, and they drew up to the latte. each took a. dollar's worth of chips, and, as Mr. Bowser deadt the cards, he asked:â€" "Shru'i! we have any limit on this game i" ‘ "I don’t care." she r "ied. "Very )veill. \Ve can t the extent of our pile. iAnte upablue chip, and. we'll-l make ’em all jackâ€"pots. You. must have jacks or lntter to open on. Can you open 1" “I can." . "You can, eh? That’s rather curi- ous. \Vnnt three cards, eh? And ['51 take one. \tht do you bet 3" "Two UIIue chips." "You do. eh? Didn't you see that l. drew only one card. Aren't you. payer enough to know thatIheld up .L‘ four {bush or straight or two pairs?! [his is no. baby game, Mrs. Bowser l” - “I'll! raise it four blue chips!" she re ‘ied. ' ‘\\’o‘.ll,” he said, after glancing at her for half amin'ute. "You can take the pot. but_llook out for me! I could have raked in the coin, but I'll] wait and ’drop you with a cold thud. I dear?" uked Mrs. "I can open it again," she said. “You can? Weill, it takes a fool for luck theyl say. I want two cards this time. A â€"hn.! Mrs. Bonner, I bet five llllue chi s!" | "And raise you my pile." "What! You raise me i” he shout- ed. "Couldn't ou tell by my draw thntIheOd up t recs, and isn't it like- ly that I caught one more of the same kind! You don't seem to know the game i" ' “Neverthelem, I raise you." she said. v ‘fBut how can you do it? You don't think you are plluying jackstraws, do you! As you are a. woman. I'll! give you a chance to back downâ€"just this one chimes." "I don't want it." “Then take the consequences! There’s my handâ€"three aces! I rake m__.. "Hold on. Mr. Bowserâ€"I have a full houseâ€"see!" "\Vomnn l". he exdlnimed in a whis- per, as he laid down the cards. "do you. realize what you are doing? Even though this is a family game. with no money up you ought to be ashamed to cheat." . "Whyâ€"how did I cheat?" she asked. “Never_you mind. but if you do it again, this game will cut short off. Tron never wuixl have got that hand in this living world without skull dug- gery._ I‘ll take another dollar's worth of chips and go on. but I want honest Singing. It's my deal. What do you 0 "I ms." "But I don't. Drawing to fill a flush. are you? \V'ell, I'll take three him make afuivl house of it. Ahâ€"um! ow look out for me. I bet four chips." "I see 'em. and raise you four more." "What, on raise me when you ought to ‘ ow that I've ot a full house! lieu can't do it, rs. Bow- oerâ€"you can’t do it." , "How do I know that you've got 9, ftfii house!" "How do you know tint this world b round instead of flat! You raise me. do you? “Hall, I see the raise. and bet the rest of my pile. If you dnn't know the game you must take the consequences.“ "! villi you. Mr. Bowser." "in: do! How can you call me!" . of» course. Let's see your hand." ' ' "Never. Mrs. Botherâ€"never! You have no right to 03va a full house t" “But I've got four aces!" “Four aces! Four. aces! Mrs. Bowser, you hooked at {east three of 'em out of the pack when I turned my head to look at the cat!" “How foolish. Mr. Bou‘serlfi I sim- ply had luck. Perhaps luck Will come to you this time. What’s the mat- ter " . "There is nothing the matter. Mrs. Bowser," he said as he pushed back and rose up. "nothing at all! I simply sit down in my own house to "It's the play poker with my own wife. She’ resorts to gambiing tactics to beat me.- It Jemains for me to put on my hat an â€".ll "Don't be foolish. Mr. Bowser!"_ "And go down to the club and fin- iah the game. I may not return home until! near morning, andâ€"" "How like a. boy !" ' "And Iwish you good evening. Mrs. Bowser, and you can call the cook up« stairs and cheat and :lie and deceive and beat her out of a. month's wages!" iNOBLE BILLY’S XMAS. DREAM. (A. Recitation.) Please, doctor, please to come and see. This merry Xmas day, I " Why granny Stares so still at me, And haint a word to say! We lives down yender where the waves Comes howlin' up the shore. And rants and roars and ripe and raves, And won't tell what it's for. We haint so stylish as folks thinks. No matter what they says, For heaps of snow sleets through the chinks _ i. These windy Winter days, And then we don't get "stac " to eat. Although there’s lots to drink, But too much water and no meat Keeps granny thin, I think. Still Granny’s game and never cries For little things like that; .. She only hangs her head and sighs, Till I feel mighty flat. For I love her wrinkly' for’ud, And 'what’s left of her hair: And when I sees her bother'd, It's more on I can here. Last night the man came for the rent, It war'nt very much; ‘ He left with granny’s last red cent, And poor dead grandpa's watch! Then granny seem’d to kind of faint, Lands, how she hung .her head, - Then. 'lookin’ up just like a saint, She smil'd at me and said. "Oh, Billy, boy, I’m goin’ far, Yes, very far away,_ Beyond the highest twmkle star. To spend my .Xmas day.” She said a heap of real good‘things, , 'Bout flow’rs, and figs, and dates, ,And love, and peace, and angel‘s wings. ' 1" And, shinin' golden gates. And- she call’d me "noble Billy," But like a great big "sap," ‘I bawl‘d out soft and silly ' And 'blubber'd in her lap. She strok'd me till I fell asleep And last of all I mind, Her kissin' me slap on the check; For she was orfuil kind. And in the night I dream'd a dream. It warn't nothin’ bad, . , Ter frighten yer or make yer scream. It rather made me glad. ' I dreamt that me and Granny Griegs \Vas sailin' in a. boat, . ’_ ' When all at onct two big, Wild pigs And a-buntin' Billy-goat, Came skitin'- down the river bank, And in the water flopp'd; _, Lands. how that goat _d.ld buck and ' yank, And how that river chopp’d! Then each wild porker pok'd his snout In under that boat's keel; And tumbl'd me and grann out Just like as it was rea . ' Then just as we were goin’ to sink, Them very same wild hogs, As quick as you could say twink," Turn'd into two black dogs. "twink, And one straight up to granny swam. The other steer'd for me, And gentle as a little lamb, Them dogs appear'd to be. We cuddl'd ’em about the neck. And hang'd with all our might; But. still. they never splash’d a speck And didn’t bark or bite. Then all at onct. you'll hardly think As how it could be so, They turn'd again as quick as wink To swans as white as snow. 60 me and granny clum’ right on The middle of their backs, And. lands. you bet we soon got warm; The feathers was in "stacks." You've seen white clouds asailin' past The full moon in the night; That float so feathery_and so fast And ‘get so full of light. Well. slicker far than even that Them swans they sail'd along, Their feet a kegpm' time as pat As if they smg’d a song. You've seen them crimson colors when The sun goes down to bed, And all the sea a glitterin’ With shaky streaks of red. Well. somethin' sort of like to that, The river kind 0' loox'd: ~ As if it was a pearl-y mat Laid winding ways and crook'd. \Ve sail'd along for hours and hours. Till bye and bye the night Hid ev'rythin' except the _flow’rs, Which kep on gettin' bright. Then all at onct. as quick as scat, The flow’rs got 9. face; Then. stead of fluw’rs. angels set In ev'ry flmver's place. And. oh, we see’d such fancy things, It seem'd a fairy land. “here at! {he harps had golden strings, And sounded like a hand. IV And soon an angel: holler'd out, "Come forward, \Villiam Grieg,” But though I pu‘Jl’d and yank't about, I couldn't move a peg. That made the angel rippin' mad, .nd in this book he wrote, That, bein' as I was so bad, I'd have to ride the goat. Then all at cool: the dear old swam; Stopp'd toastin’ at my toes; And like a bullet from a gun Up in the air I goes. And down I comes soon afterWurds A straddle of a goat; It was the same old piece of goods, That dhas'd us in the best. He jolted suthin' Ihorrible, And, though it was a dream. It got so hang'd unbearable ‘ I waken’d With a scream. But, even then, I didn’t feel: As if I was right Wise; _ 1 For - anny set so cold and 513111, All star’d with. both her eyes. And I hates to see her bothur'd. Its more’n I can bear; For I loves her wrmkly for’ud :And what's left of her hair. Now, doctor, do please come and see, This merry Xmas day, _ \Vhy granny stares so still at me, And haint a word to say! LONG 0R SHORT LIFE. Physicians Sometimes Able to Decide Ono's Fntc at a Glance. Dr. W'. F. \Varner says that every person carries withhim the physical indications of his probable term of life. A long-lived person may be, dis- tinguished from a short-lived person at sight. ' can look at the hand of -a patient and tell! whether he will live or die. There are always two main points to be con- sidered, the inherited potentiality and the reactionary influence of environ- ment. Under favorable conditions and environment. the individuml should live out the potentiall longevity. \Vith un- favorable conditions this longevity may be greatly decreased. with a favorable environment the longevity of the person.‘the family or the race may be increased. The primary conditions of longevityare that heart. lungs and di- gestive organs, use wail as the brain. shoutd be large. If these organs are Zing): the trunk will be long and the 11m comparatively short. The perâ€" son Willi! appear tall in Sitting and short in standing. The hand will have a long and somewhat heavy palm and short fingers. The brain will be deeply seated, as shown by the orifice of the ear bemg low. The blue hazel or brown lmze'l eye. as showing intermis- sion of temperament, is a. favorable in- dicatrcn: The Carge. open and free nostril indicates large lungs. a inched and half-closed nostril bei in icative of small or weak lungs. n the case of persons who have short-lived paren- tage on one sole-and long-lived on the 0 er. the question becomes more in- volved. Ordinary care does much in such cases, inasmuch as nature always seems to make a supreme effort to pass the period of the shorter longevity and i-ttend the 1ife to the longer period. â€"â€"-â€".â€"â€"-â€"â€"â€"- SELF-RESPECT. Mistress. from the potionâ€"Bridget. the front door boil has rung three times. \Vhy don't you answer it? Bridget. from the kitchen,-â€"Sure mum. if ()i opened it the furst ring. :mpie wud my 0i did nothing but tint! .3... 4,29,. my Di \rudn’t have any wan ii'nl: mu rhat lazy. In many instances a physician HANGING UP. THE STOCKINGS.- From out a‘great big candy cup, 'With sutlnn’ on for me. STRANGE FRIENDEHIPS EXHIBITED BETWEEN ANIMALS. '-â€"â€"3 They nccnme Close Allies, Though the Lioness Would [love Nothing to no With the Other Puppies. Among the tales of strange friendship emsting between different animals there is none more strange than a. re- cent one which seems to indicate that before Dong the animals which are sup- posed to have no affinity for each other will be on the best of terms. As a. case in point, an instance is cited where the lioness adopted a bull terâ€" rier. This is said to have occurred in Somaliland, where the lioness is kept in mptivity. There were a number of bulll terrier puppies kept near where the lioness was confined. This. puppies got into the (hhbit of going up to the cage The lioness vmtclhled them nar- rmvlty while they were about. 'NVhen fheycame cllwe tolhercage she snarled in a. way that frightened the little fel- lows off. LIKED T-H'E PUPPY. It was noticed, however, that to one . of the puppies She showed no displeas- ure whatever, but on the contrary, seemed to fancy having him about. The puppy approached the cage one day, and. after blinking at the lioness for awhile. a.st trying todetermine if it would be safe for him to venture further, walked boEdly in. The bi‘g'fl'ioness, instead of growling. manifested her pleasure at the visit of the youngster. She put out her huge paw and gently drew the puppy in to her. The puppy was sodelllightcd witli the warmth of his reception that he has remained with her ever since. The lioness treats the bull terrier puppy just as if he were a cub of her own. but she will have nothing to do With 'hlS brothers and sisters. They. wander about the cage occasionally to how he is getting along. She invariâ€" abe growls at them in such a sugges- tive manner that they keep at ia're- spectfull» distance from the mge. A COMIC-AL’ CAT. Another instance of the same ene character is told of. allialtese cit conceived a giant fondnem for a. brood of chicks. " chicks were not over a couple of days old when the mother hen was killed. In some way the Mal- tese ascertained that fact and adopted the chickens forthwith. She estabfiished 1n the nest, and the little chicks mugged into her “arm fur with the utmost ctofiifidem-rn ‘ ien 0. chicks ventured out durin r the day the Maltese foster-mother ME ghnmpanied them. It is told of her that. ifachick strayed offshe wounld "mew" for it. and that it returned as quickIIy as for the (flank of a lion. .Stlll another instance is related of a strange. friendship among animals, as shown in the case of a terrier and a. cat. The ' were kept in the mine sic.qu and bot became the mothers of fam- ilies about the same time. The terrier evmced a fondness for kittens, and the cat displayed a ilkln for puppies. \Vith- in a. few days they ' d exchanged fum- ilies. the dog taking care of the kittens, and the cat adopting the puppies. JUST \VH‘A'I‘ HE NEEDED. Miss Mnnyseasonâ€"No. Mr. Il‘oom. i cannot be your wife. but Iwil! be a sister to you. - Mr. bloom. youthful Marenâ€"You are very kind, and I know my mother will iike that arrangement. She has often said Iwould have been a better man if Ilian had an elder Bifitcf' to lcul: after me FOUND IN OLD SHIPS. Beuth the Planks or nulls. The utilization of apparent waste is well exemplified in the breaking up of ships of various-kinds, for every nail and every chip are put aside for sale; but in the case of vesselsof con- siderable tonnage. and especially of very old craft, finds borh curiousand valu~ able are by no means rare. An old Wooden vessel that was bmken up near Greenwich only a few months back m- veaJed a very curious sight when some old planking in the forecastle had been torn down. Ilene. nailed up, were the hvo mummified hands of a negro, and in the palm of web hand. and transfixâ€" ed by the same nails that held the hands. were two counterfeit silver dol- lars. The hands had been hacked oil! roughly. ' A year or two ago the breaking up of an old schooner near Sheernem brought to light beneath the inner "skin" of the hull quite an elaborate armament. of a very old-fashioned kind. including a splendidly. made bell- mouthed flint-lock musket. the stock being marked with a representation of arm and leg fetiers. and the name "Philip Steyne, Boston. Lincolshim." The most curious part of this find! was a set of booksâ€"a privateer's books evi- dentlyâ€"showing the capture ofvarious French vessels. ' Tied up in a. canvas bag 190 guineas in gold were found a. year or two back during the breaking up of an old ves- sel lying between Birkenhead and New Brighton. With the money were found too. a most curious and unique set. 0! foreign playing cards, some loaded dice, and three magnificent pieces of amber. All! these were found in the false bot- tom of a wooden bunk. MURDER AND ROBBERY. But even during the breaking up of quite modern vessels which have be- come wrecks. remarkable finds, particu- larly relating to smuggling contriv- ances. are by no means rare. In a por- tion of a considerable wreck on the south-east coast only the winter before last the ship breakers found. hidden in a part of the engine room, a. quantity of valuable jewellery and a. number of newspaper clippings and published por- traits relating to a murder and rob- bery at St. Louis. in the United States. The jewellery found was that described in the reports as missing. Two of the men employed in the me room were drowned in the wreck, but there was no clue to attach either the drowned men or the other engine _room hands with the published descriptions and por- traits of the murderer. The mystery was never cleared up. TREASURES EVERYWHERE. The manager of a shi breaker, .a man who has been for 'orty years in the business, could cite hundreds of cases where hiding places for small articles smuggled by officersnnd men have been found, these being in connec- tion with nearly every part of the bulls. broken up, and he produced several articles that has been found by himself or his men. _ Many of these were false or duplicate bills of hiding, and there were counter- feit foreign coins, a pair of heavy gold earri with a turquoxse in eachâ€" robably stolen by one foreign seamen. 'rom anotherâ€"a. hand grenade with a cap to it, an old wilg with! three small gold nuggets wrapped m it, and many other small trifles. “At Rothcrhithe. some years ago,” said he, "in the foropeak of a very old wooden merchantmun. we found the skeleton of a. lad jammed behind the skin of the vessel. The lad had been a. stdwaway in all probability." ___._._aâ€"â€"â€"â€"â€" BRITISH COLUMBIA. From the Trail (:rcc-k lilslricls. Mr. R. F. Mendcnhmll, the represen- tative of the Rand Drill Company at Bossland, is authority for the following statistics, showing the extent of the mining machinery, which has been ship- ped into the Trail Creek camp, durimg the past year; Le Roi 40drilll' plant; “for Eagle, 20 drills; \Vhite Bear. 4; Cliff, 4; 0.K., lO-stamp mill, 4 drills; City of Spokane, 4 drills; Red Mountain, 7; Crown Point, 7; Commander, 4; Columbia and Kent- enny. 30. In addition to these are many hoisting works and mine machinery. If the Simon country be included,or the entire district of \Vest Kootcnay be considered in lb: estimate, these fig- ures will be about doubled. as there are in the Slocan country fully 45 ship- ping mines, 3 smellers and 6 concen- trators. _ ' The value of the machinery placed in the Trail Creek division. Mr. Mcndcn- hill estimates at $1,259,000. The men at work in theorist shaft of 1111'? California struck the first regular ore win on October 24th. It Is pyritm iron with indications of copper. The vein is not. large. This has been obâ€" tnined at n. disimice of 40ft. The shaft where this strike was made I? about 1,000 ft., Mist of the shaft, which has been sunk on the iron but, near .lhe west lineâ€"The Engineering and 1 )1]- ing Journal. Some Statistics FAS'I‘S IN THE RUSSIAN ARMY. In the Russian army two days aweck are observed as fastsâ€"Wednesdaysaod Fridaysâ€"on which days all the soldier gets in the way of food is Itzfllli- snug' and black bread, and a drink ccnmstixu of water in which rye bread has been: absorbed. ' ' IN THE SAME CLASS. I‘m a plain, blunt man. Margaret and can frame no honeyed. speeches. Will you marry mnf I'm :1 Mule (in-the plain. blunt order myself. No! I? Valuable and Ghuuy Belles Discovered ‘