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

5‘. i i its initial? n. It “as the old grocery store at "the Corners" Winter had been in the land for some necks and the day was one of Docember's most unseemly children.haif thaw. . 'lhe store had been fairly crowded all the afternoon. Some had come to buy something they wanted. and then stay- ed awhile to visit. Some had come to stay awhile to visit, and then bought because they happened to see something they wanted. and many had come with no special purpose and gone with no special purchase. The weather quesâ€" tion had been fairly settled, only to be revived again with every new comer. Politics and religion had hoen laid on the table. The matrimonial happenings probabilities, and possibilities of the neighbourhood had been dwelt on at length. and the personal and mortg- aged indebtedness of nearly every in- habitant of the township had been con- jectured. It. was getting late in the afternoon, and conversation had begun to lag a little when the door opened and Down Hunt came in. "Afternoon. Deacon." said the store- keeper. “ How are ye, Ditusf (Abridged from Epophroditus.) I fetched ye in afew eggs. \Vant to trade 'em for ’lasses an' nutmeg an' a little asserfiddity an' a few other notions." " All right, Deacon, all right. Ye're lucky to hev aigs jest now. The price is raisin' big. Hamv doye manage to keep yer hens a-layin'?" The Deacon stepped up to the cheese box. carefully carved a slice, helped himself to a pocket full of milk crack- ers, and then. after filling his mouth with aportion of each, replied:â€" “Oh, jest keep ’em warm an' per- suade ’em with a bit 0' this and that an' keep in a sort of a generous hum- or." “Deacon's got a way with‘ him the hens likes." volunteered one of the sit- ters. “Reckon he passes the plate reaound an' makes each hen contribute a aig same’s he makes us fellers drop in to church Sundays.“ “ Wal. I don't see h‘eao h ‘ l w 8 works i the Bonanza, bereft of her crew, would banner, look-mg back now and then. to it." remarks a seedy looking individual tmm his perch on the brown SUgar bar- John's Islands, and the crew would have were not. he would run back and start rel. ” Years ago my hens used ter lay big, but in these times they don’t do nuthin' but eat corn an' scratchup the garding." There was a short pause in the con- versation while the storekeeper asked Uncle Ligey Comfort to take his feet off the box of sugar cookies so that he might make a sale. Uncle Ligey was the oracle of the town; tall. lank, pon- derously extremitied, with a patriarch- al beard whitened by time and yellowed by tobacco, and an eye denoting solemn thought and philosophical conjecture. He lifted his feet carefully from the cocky. box, and deposited them on either side of the stove,where tney actedthe part of fair-sized screens. while "the crowd waited silently, for they knew by experience that something was com- ing. , “Spekin' o’ hens,” said Uncle Ligey, "ye orter seen a hen my father bed. A leetlc rcd_ hen. \Va'nt none 0' yer fancy Brahmms er Coachin Chinies. but gas a plain, common, red hen, an' a rather ornery lookin' one, too. I was a little feller then, an' it were‘ my job to _go spyin' about for aigs. an' I was I. ti -topper at it, I tell ye. They wa’nt no ‘ ole raound the mnows er stalls er on top 0' anythin' or in under nuthin’ but what I knowed. ." Dad's hens got so they didn't try to hide their nests awa 'cause they know- e-d twnnt no use. 11 but. this cussed little red hen. I see one day that she kind a hung mound by herself, ’s tho' she were_d_om‘ a. lot 0' thinkin', but I didn't 'spicion what was up till nex' day I couldn't find her nest. Hunted high an' low an' all over but not a aig. \Vent on for along while, till finally mother she 'lowed ef I didn’t soon hev better luck thar’d be war in Israel. an’ I'd hev ter lay in fur repairs. She lve me fest three more days, an' ye in bet poked mound. The third day I come to a. conclusion thet. I'd watch that hen the hull day. She kin- der 'spected me, an' tried ter throw me off. but finally come 1a in’ time an' she had ter ski . I t . close an' went in. Duml of she didn't go straight to a hogsliead as stood in a dark cor- ner, iiiinp up on top. set thar a few minutes, anfithen jumps down runs hard as she kin go ter a clump a bushes a hundred foot from the barn, an' thar begins for cackle fit for split. I was a leetle puzzled yet. but 1 went in ter look at the hogshead. “'un't no aig on top. en I says 'Fooled agin." but 13 I was turnin' away I happened r think. an 'went an' ink a peep inter the bunghole. It was kinder dark. so I dmwcd up an’ poked mv finger in an' felt a aig there. Then I tried to lift the hogshead. but she wouldn’t budge. "May I be geewizzled of that thzir hull big four-ber'l hogshead warn't full. an' all laid by the cussed red hen. I o' mics. Plumb. pilin'. brimmin' full. an all laid by that cussed red lien. I run to the haouse pell mell an' tol‘ mother. She came daown and see it. an' says she'd just leave 'em from cur'osty fer see what the lien 'iid do. an' so we let her be. Nex' day I went ter look. an' she was settin 'an' as she sot an' not an' sot right onto that bunghole for our weeks. Bcin' so many aigs tuk her twict as long for batch :iout. One day, arter we'd giver her up. I went inter the burn an' fust I knowcd I bond :1 tnrrible pcepin', an' thar the little hen were a runnin' moun' as if she ind her head out off. a peckin' at the. hogshmd im‘ a cluckin' worser'n :1 cuckoo rloirl: cont 0' order. I thought l'd help her much's Ic'ud, so [goes an' tips the houslh'ad over, en soon's the bimgholn p-ts near the crannnd :ioiit run a leetlc red rooster. .Xn' he‘d no sooner cleared the hole than :imit run another :in‘ 3!? other. an' anoihor, :in' may I never or in \s hon. if mins. of that hull hogshm-li won't full 0' them leelle red roosters. l l l l l l l l l .en had boarded the vessel, and how be up the horses. seven or eight in mum three hundred and seventeen of 'em an' one addled aig.“ . For a moment tkedstore \Eashsilent. while the sleet tic' agains t e \vin- lows. then the Deacon. with an eye to MS CARERS iusmutxs. spoke: Perhaps the children who read this “53v. ['n“e Li ey, I'd like ter git ,. . . some 'hens iii thug breed. \Vhat ever paper “1” be 13mm“ "1. the [ll-DP? become of her, an' what was ye think- were of our four-footed friend. which in' of ye didn't raise her chickens an' I will describe below. After he had her a hull flock o' pullets that ud lay grown to be 8 large dog he was very 135% gigg‘ielr’géé #5:...mmr mower fond of riding in a wagon, or anything "Yes, that's all right,” answered Un- in fact that he could ride in. or on, 018_ Ligev. " but. Deacon, a man er 115- no matter what it was, so it was a “£1011 “he. 5,0“ be Out-713w" i knP‘VlfheY. way to ride and be with the men. 8”” nulhm perfed‘ m [his “or ' an If it was the big wagon, he would this hen wasn't no exception. Trouble . _ was she was a crowin' hen. an‘ never spring up on the seat. and wag his tail imitfhed nliiitfhin’ but goofsters, an‘ we and grinâ€"yes, grinâ€"just as much as so ( 'em 3 ur s rin ri ers. so we see. . - mvin. no dflner‘; “lien she (1-1933, the anyone ever did over the pleasure he race kinder run out. Et ye don'_t b’lieve efpecmd ‘9 have- I the story I've got the addled aig blow- One day the boys were hauling hay, ed an' the hell's tail feathers on .the with the hayrack on the wagon, and Wham“ ter home- An. Speakm Of there was no good place for him to . t ' un . . . home’ I guess I better run a0“ an r Sit, but he was determined to ride any- home er the old woman won't give me . I nuLh-in- bug, tongue for supper, on that how and perched himself on the very a pretty sharp one, as I've larned by back of the rack on a narrow board, experience.” And. turning. up his 008" and looked back at. the house with the d Iglslmvly 9°13 to his feet and most self-complacent look on his big "It-s a mt pityy said the Deacon face as they drove away. But alas. solemnlv. to the silent crowd, " that that look did not last long. for. as they Uncle Ligey never went inter polytics started the horses into a trot before . ' t d - . . g: e 1%; SE6 21p: gmgifl gifffflfifid he had time to turn around. he turned the o'them 'nodéed a back somersau-lt. and landed squarely ' on the back of his neck, which gave him such a. shock that he came back to the house, looking as if he had lost SHIPLDAD 0F HUSBANDS “smarts me... o... o. .1... window and saw one of the boys dIiVi- CHANCE FOR YOUNG MEN TO MAKE fiffiwftihfit“tifh§.i‘fit‘t3ht Edit AN EASY LIVING. which was none too large for one, sat , ,_ Frank and that monstrous do . Frank- , . . had to put his arms aroun Ne’b “here Men are Wanted An Odd Scheme to drive, which made him so “faction- Proposed In San Franciscoâ€"Win Settle utely disp 1 that he would turn his “I “10 somber“ "Mme' head and lick Frank in the mouth un‘- LA compan yaf enterprising young less he was constantly on the watch. - u He loved to go after the cows of man has been formed m sap Frwmw evenings, which he would do when to charter a. schooner and sail to the Frank gave a peculiar Whistle and St. J ohm’s group0fi91and5 inflhe SOUth- pointed to the pasture. He would give - - i . , “led a yel and start for them, no matter e‘m Pwmc’ where 2'00” “men I whet or he could see 'them or not, and by a queen 0? own Senecfion' always brought only the ones we milk- anxiously waiting for husbands. l'l‘he ed. Sometimes he would miss one. and ship Bonanza recentin put into San he never seemed to notice it until he . . . . . u would = t them into the lot, then he Frucm “her “mung the St' Jams would ook at the cows, then whine wand Her commander» capmm Berg‘ and look toward the pasture, and then man, told how. the handsome southern start in a. run and would never fail - . - - .- d- to bring up the missing cow. beauties wholive in this Adamless E It was funny to watch him bring ““~\~\\“~Mw left. and the one securing the chair “gets to Jerusalem." The .umpire has power to decide all questions as to who has secured chairs. . Stage-Coach.â€"\Ve never get tired of graying the game called "Stage-Conph.” this game all the players sit in a circle around the room. with the e;- ception of one person who stands in the center of the circle. Each person sitting takes as his name. some part of the stage-coach or the little dog or some article of dress worn by t 936 riding inside. Then the one standing in the center tells a story about a certain journey of the stage coach from one city to another. \Vhen the name of any. player is mentioned that per- son must rise and turn round or pay forfeit. When the word "stage-coach" is mentioned all rise_and turn. and when the story is finished the spealker cries "and the stage-coach turned over!" at which all must change seats. and in the cqnfusion the speaker tries to secure a seat. and the one left out tells astory. If the speaker fails to get. a seat he tells a second story. THOMPSON STREET GLUB‘ How Bluestone Jackson's Cross Eyes Afflicted the Town in Which He Lived. \Vhen the Thompson Street Coloured Bicycle Club had been called to order. President. Toots asked for the report of the committee appointed to examine the case of Colonel Sunset Jones. a charter member against whom many complaints had been made by citizens at large. Professor Bluestone Jack- son, chairman of- the committee report- ed a. singular state of affairs. They had examined the Colonel’s wheel and found it all right. They had taken notice of his manner of mounting and pedal- ling, and no fault could be found. It was only after he had started off for a spin that anything unusual could be discovered. Then it was noticed that his progress was erratic. He would seem about to run down a street car, when he would suddenly swerve and head for a baby carriage on the oth- er side of the street. He would/be pointed dead for a lame man on the cross walk, but just as the man opened his mouth to yell, the Colonel would cir- cle to the left and knock down a letter carrier who had a large family to sup- port. He would ring his bell for a mon- ument to get out of the way, and dis- mount in front of a. car and beg its pardon. It; took the committee a full week to get on to the. Colonel, but it was finally discovered that something was wrong with his eyes. \Vhen they came (to be tested a queer state of af- fairs was broug’hlt to light. Everybody could see that. he was cross eyed, but, in addition to this, he was colour blind, undone eye was out of true by over bulf an inch. A fat woman wearing a green shawl appeared to him to be a street car with a. fiery red dash-board, and a towheaded boy on roller skates pre- sented the picture of a tall man with a red nose and consumptive coughi. In one instance a small coloured boy start- ed to cross the street; ahead of the Colonel. carrying a parcel under his arm. The boy and the parcel seemed to the Colonel to be two Chinamen, seven feet high, and in attempting to pass between them he knocked the boy end over end across this street. The committee advised that Colonel Jones cease from riding a bike as a member of the. club, and recommended a strict examination of the eyes of all future applicants for membership. THEY MUST NOT CAVOlt'l‘.‘ The Hon. Application Green had some interesting and. pertinent statistics to submit to the club regarding the question, “Shall Preachers Ride the Bike 3" He had corresponded with per- sons in various sections of the country, and had interviewed it number of pren- cli‘ers himself, but had confined birmelf strictly to the colour line. What. while preachers did or did not, do was nulli- ing to the coloured race. The number of coloured preachers in America now riding the bike was about four hundred. The number who had fallen from grace during the last twelve months on ac- count of the wheel was eighteen. \Vhile the question was still an open one be- fore tlie club, the general opinion of the club to this, that; preachers could ride the bike in a slow and dignified manner, but that the sight. of a minisâ€" ter of the gospel skating along with a jockey cap perched on one ear, and his left leg over the handle bar mode bu- had difficulty in Ina-king them leave and her. He would walk around them in keeping his men aboard the ship. slowly and start them home; then he .- - -. . would run around and go in front of other“me' stud captain Bergman’ them, waving his tail like a victorious have rotted in the waters of the St. see if they were all following. If they . - the stra ler up again, then once more been d’spersed an Show" each With 8’ take hisgxfiace in front and march along dozen or more wives willing to work with an the aim of a 8&1qu for him and support him in idlleness. The dinner bell was an. instrument. - , .. . a of torture to him, and he would howl Captain Bergman also told how bhemen Dummy as long as any one would had beannearly exterminated bywars rmg it He loved musm if any one {between the islanders and how the re- Would play a tune, but a discord would . . . ‘ . . . . .1 d would ,8 mammg few, tired of a multiplicity of set him Wild. The chi ren teas ~ - him With a harp, but he would howl wwes’ had smiled away on 8' Fre‘nOh until the people who lived across the une that Put in were one dad'- never river threatened to shoot him, and he to return. would look at the children in the most sorrowful re roachful manner. enough WHO ‘VOULD BE KING? to break a earl: of stone. He grew No sooner [had this tale gone the t0 a- very large dog indeed, and rounds of the sailors’ lodging houses of pothmg pleased mm 3‘).me 9'3 to get into the house and putting his four feet San Francisco than a Ilively curiosity on the marble top of the bureau, 190k was excl-ted as to just what inducc- at himself in the glass. and turning an be] , th 1111' his head first on one side and then on m ts were ‘ d out by :7 St' JO 6 the other, seeming as much pleased as Islanders for husbands. t even apâ€" a young gifl trymg on a new hat. wag peered that the queen. Pilla Wafil‘ by ging his tail, and smiling at. his own name, needed one or more husbands, image in the most ludicrous manner. and that a. "llikely" man stood a good chance of becoming a king at little exâ€" RUNNING 1-N’1‘0 DANGER. Jack was a venturesome little chap. pense. . . . . .A result of this, L. J. Remhart, a csrpaenter, living at No. 547 Mission One day he heard at school that Tom Street, Sim Frandscoi haSPI‘B'amzed. 9- Webb's boat had struck the rocks 1m- wmmny of young unmarried men dike der the bridge and was breaking to himself to 0 out to the St. John’s‘ Is- _ lands. and glead a life of ease instead \PCOCS of one of drudgery which the exacting _ Jack wanted to see it, so on his Way cundi'ti‘ms Of CivlllzaPPn now make home he turned off to the railway bridge neffrm‘bhgfimgfi geisidgesiggg, of the which crossed the little bridge just captain of the Bonanza, it promptly 00- Where it was full of rocks. It was curred to him that. there would be an a rough and dangerous place. Creep- ideal spot to found a. 00-0 erative col- 192' olong. the little boy bent over un- ony, where young men un amperedlby fill 1113188,; gfiinlglzhzg.‘::u<fi(iffaovgflgfilt I . . _ » ,o t y u q 0 . . r _ families could start “1th. 11 Is on at). en. And something else mlght have of capital and live happily forever a _ . 'f: r hap ned too, if he had stayed there tcrward. He calculates that. It y o twupemimltes longer; for he had no sixty sturdy young men like himself, . . " v 0 each - t sooner ct off the bridge than a rail- “ nth only 8.5 'may fly from wan way trgin came rushing along that v x -‘ t ce that _ _ $32: fili‘irglft iii: Xiiiirigm cities would haéve crushed him to death in ' .‘ d m. a momen . fill: drop mm a m Of me' an' cov But Jilinok thofight hehhad done1 a " ' ' ‘ ' " ‘ ' ' t, smart. t ing. e ran ome, an a e It Is Jug mus way' sadd Remhm dinner table boasted that he had been "I am a carpenter, but. I cannot get . _ .. . - ' 0t down on the railway bridge and seen Stud) “ ark here“ because there is 11‘ Tom \Vebb's boat among the rocks, enough tc do for all the carpenters in _ _ _ ' ~.‘ v... ' -'-, t at- and bad Just time to get. off when this tit) or in America, for tha m the express 8 along. tor. Alla carpenter can get is $2 a ‘ ' ~ x v ‘ ' ' -‘ ‘ d hather and mother looked at each dab “ min he 18 “mung, (bad If he‘ ha other, but not. a word was said. Jack steady work it would require the ut- _ D _ mosfeconomy for him to marry and thoughtâ€" they Would- PI‘MSG mm. but su i ort a farm] '. 'I‘ my positbion 1 cannot think of marrying. I cannot afford it, and all the young men who have subscribed to share in the fortunes of the company they did not. _ . ,. . . Afler dinner father took the little man nature more wicked. llie minister boy into his study. He looked so very of his church rode a bike. but had not sober Jack began to feel that someâ€" suffered in reputation. His gait: was thing dreadful was coming. ‘Fathr never above five miles an hour. his sat. down in his chair, drew the boy gaze always fixed upon the hUI‘lZUl), in are like myself in that respect. \Ve . . . _ ‘ v a V ’ ‘ . ., . . . u to his Side, and ut his arm around serious mood. and nobody “as ever .it 8‘“ ha“ to “b”; hard a“ d“) [or a hfin. p bond to hear his ri-imrks when the bare living, and none of us can enjoyi "J ,, . .. . . . . . - - - . . ‘ tick, said he, on thou ht ou finnt ii heel strutk d. stone or full min the lux‘ineb, and ‘°m£°’ts 0t me' were very brave to-ilay, ditilgf. ygu? a hole. A preacher might scorch fora “ HAI THEY IROPOS‘E‘ But going into danger when there is mile or so. in case a thunderstorm was "Now “'0 )I‘OPOSG 10 purChllSO 85111811 no need of it so no mark of courage. coming up or :i 'l’i‘xasfllvei' got after schooner. '1‘ ere are pienty to be had It is rash and wicked." Then papa him,‘ but he should .511“ preserve his that will answer WI Purpose {01‘ 1085 stopped and Jack began to cry; but dignity even after his but fell off and than 31.000. Provisioning the "95581 he never forgot the words of advxce his feet lost. the pedals. The thanks will be a small matter, and with the that, followed;' of the club were tendered to Brother surplus we can purchase implements "My dear boy. never try how far you Green. and be was requested to keup to develop the sod of the islands for can go into a. dangerous place; always his eye on the preachers and see what our living. The islands are productive, - another year would bring forth. and we can get plenty toegt :ililidt plenty A FALSE IMPRESSIOX ife ggtwheci’g :iifiihlith: lial‘i‘iiest‘skffldd NE“. AND OLD GAMES- Profes.~:_or_ Conicalong )Thompson ask- of labour. There we can marry; here Going to Jerusalem.-â€"This is a game ed DCI‘WSSEOH 0f the II‘Mldcnl 10 Say ., - . . . . - -w ' i ' "-t' f 'i :i mu.“- rhe mm “mm are men mus w W children. sincerest is: clanmurnng for husbands. and why p . , _, W I - be the 01111 OI‘ 014- TWO rows 0‘ rardin the tandem. It hrid been ur â€" ig‘iliavgotomt afiemi‘iguflfii‘: chairs yan: plfced back to back and Ed by gwomen and by publications ingl- 133215: filled with the persons who desire to “1103' Elbe P‘k‘i “mi: “"3 t‘i‘n‘tlfif‘: “g” “There we {om-d supp“? a Fire: berg mai- some one Strikes up a mare}; on The ‘frorii‘niizeiltuii-aznii[most $3,213?hoqfiguifiifo'guféi’gé"£21, the pianoforte and all rise and march to fall in love with the chap on the ntlwr in gaudy feathers, like the woâ€" round the chairs. on the way to Jeru- hind one. and vice versa. He was the , I ‘- ' v ' fertile. - only member of the club who owned iii-lg: $333“ .Efiifugouféfi’ “q: shouxd salm' As may march to the music and rode a tandem and took a different we not accept such a paradise when (or we be“ 0,! a {"1 pan) the “min” Kiri out every night. Ntfltfim‘e had be it is offered. and nece t. a comfortable lakes 0110 01131? from 1h? end of the fallen In love or come within forty rods .‘Jld casv life instead otpone of drudgery I‘OW- Suddenly the mus“: 098585 and of it. and he was. sure that all the md false ho es and ambitions? all secure the seat_nearest them. One girls could truthfully make the same “'9 will op: some form of govern- Dfiyel‘ 15 19“ standing 39d 1‘3 dECIamd report. \\ but he saw in front of‘ him Jinn! test sunmi to our mods, and i: am of the game; he missed the beet 35 “my rode 0”}. gm,» g. “m... 1,3“ ,1", viii he :1 happy little rl‘plllilif‘ free frmn and can} 83R ‘0 Jerusalem- A8311) humle up, as if she hn-l I'l'k;~ lfl'il'T xirife and Min and tire :i'il with a?! the [Ill-151° 11981118. Elba" march and all- fH-t. how and tint-n ll“ l-nii':.;t sent an. mmfmm (mg mm my: up. 7 '- r-Lher is left out. wnu takes a seat in of iwr ears or the i.’l.,â€"; 1.; 1,» L13, 1 keep .on the safe side." the room and watches the progress of but never her face. Did any man ever the remainder. This is repeated until [all in love with a girl from seeing thoi there ambut two persons and one chair back of her neckf Could a girl here‘- i time to fall in love with: a man while‘; she was acting as lookout for vehiclesd pedestrians. dogs. loose cobblestones,de open ditches? The idea was absurd: .Even when they dismounted and sat: side by Side. each one bad to get lirmthl and wipe the. perspiration away from back of the ears and look for punctur- ed tires. and if they had any disposition: to bill and coo a. policeman was always at hand to order them to move on and get off. the earth. '.l\vo people up a tree with a hungry bear below. two people in the rapids of Niagara float- mp; to their doom, a brace of human hearts being kicked right and left by the same mule might discover the ro- mance of it and fall in love, but two people on a tandemâ€"never! It was an erroneous. a false. and wicked impres- mon. and be trusted that the club would combat it at mery opportunity. THE CO\V AND THE BIKE. Judge Wholesale Hooper, who has made more long distance runs than any other man in the club. said he had a few words to say regarding the country cow. Up to six month's ago the cow was the chief olstaole to be met with on the highways. She was no friend of the bike. On the contrary, she nev- er missed an opportunity to show her ill Will and make all the trouble she could. One of her favorite pastimes was to walk deliberately across the road when a rider drew near. and she showed many evidences of gratification when the smash came and she heard the brok- en Spokes rattle and a string of cuss words issue fortlil. She would lie down in the middle of the road as night fell. for no other purpose than to be run over and hear u human being vell out in terror, and if sb‘e got up after the shock, she generally managed to carry the wheel off on her horns. Things were different now, however. The cow had come to recognise the fact, that the bike has come to stay and that it had no relation to the horse fly. IIer ribs had been thumped until she was cheerfully willing to give half the road, and if she had that tired feeling come upon her she crossed the. roadside ditch to lie down in a fence corner. It didn't take the farmer's dog over a year to learn that. there was something red hot about the bike, but the cow had been slower and more pig-headed about giv- ing in. Time 'had brought her around, however. and on his last century run, the judge had seen only two cows at close range. and then nothing more than their waving tails as they gave him the earth for his own. CONVICTS CAN DOFF STRIPES. Those Who Behave Allowed to “on a ltuslness Gnl‘l). The most original experiment in pri- son reform which has yet been tried has within the last week been put into" effect at Ohio's penitentiary, at; Col- umbus. A striking. almost startling. change in the conventionall prison stripes of the convict has been made. This, the first announcement of this important depanture, will doubtless ex- cite wide attention and comment. It is in brief, regulating the clothing of the convict by his conduct. Under the system now in vogue in all prisons, every convict. wears the same uniform. The prisoner whose instincts are vile, whose ideas are thoroughly steeped in crime, is the same in the appearance that clothing gives, as the. man whose instincts are of high grade. but who through weakness, has violated the laws. Penclogisls have long held tliaittlie intelligent convict could be more thor- oughly reformed by mental processes or methods akin thereto, than by the )hysical penalties that prison rules have caused all offenders to suffer. This is exactly the idea from which \Vardenl E. G. Coffin, of the Ohio penitentiary, conceived his-plan of helping the pri- soners to re.orm by grading their clothing. There are to be ‘ THREE GRADES. _ one hardly different. from the ordinary suit of the civilian, while the other two bear in a greater degree the mark of the prison. The first grade of clothing is of plain grey cloth, with nothing to indicate than; it is anything else than a citizen’s suit. The second grade will consist. of grey and white checkered goods, and the third grade will be that of. the present regular stripes, as now worn by all. A prisoner upon entering the prison “'llll be placed in the second gr:ule,and after the expiration of six months, wit b- out being reported for any infraction of the rules, will be entitled to be placed in the first grade. Every priâ€" soner in the Ohio )cnitcntiary who is not reported for tile vioiation of a. prison rule until January 131. will be permitted to wear the first grade uni form as soon as it possibic to pro- cure it. The prisoner who during the time mentioned is reported for (“win- fraction of the rules will be eligible to the first grade in ten days there- after. 'l‘lio prisoner who has two re- ports against him January lst. “Iii not be eligible to the first. grade fortwenty days. if a prisoner has three urinorc reports against him bl- will .not be placed in the first. grade until THREE CONTINUOUS. months have passed without an un- favourable report ii-izarding liiiii.‘ Warden Coffin, in talking to the writer, said: "1 am fully satisfied that all good citizens will heartily approve the step l have taken. I do not "above that it is right and just, that a man who has so conducted lliInMSlf'fll-l to maintain an unblemished X'Pplllilflotl for years should be classed, climbed and marched with one who is riiiily com- mitting infractions ngninstt'llr- rules of the “7501]. it. holds out no inducement to tile worthy prisoner to continue his efforts in wall doing. There should be some mark of instinction to separate the good from the bad. It swine to me the graded uniform is the best method of m-eomplishing this purpow." The Ohio aniu'ntiary has long been known by the fact that the Lliulaiw thereof are t rented with more human. ity than in almost. any other stati- pn- son. The policy that has actuated the authoritim has been that nu-n are mug-b more inclined to renounce an (:V'ililfu and to lormne good ciiizmm if the at- tittith of tho" offii'iafis loungil thvm l' :llzit WhJ'ii human beings might mum ady ext-«ct.