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'laintleak: SLYKE, Editor and PnMiifc*. NteHXSNmT. WASTE NOT THY ILLINOIS. , • 1 _!.•» \ " - tJT FRANCIS 8. SMITH. . ,ys:',4 ; v>: • ^iRTsste not thy life oo doubts and teui ' \ l vp '" " Bttt <M the work b for# you. ( fZ, " #• f-btwtsjfc there Mere uo i inure tk •• IV) shadow o'er yoa. ' "• ••. z»br imst in goiw. and lot it go, » Non is th«' linn' to l*bor ; * W' Wftmk iutrd, and it thou canst, bnto* . ,.y; HWj. on thy awdy neighbor. yM- 1©'"" ill which may thy path hoeet, „ WIk>d thou hut lost thy power. mhou hiist no time to fmne and fret Wiiii'- youth is still thy dower. t win will shine and clouds will cm|% Att-i :;M ur<> alt* r nevtsr, "*«ng as this earth remains thy home, • thy best endeavor. • 3Psmr nni thy tn to--fear not to die-- • For how eai<-,t thou arrange It? "TCJw end <h as fn-hioncH't from on high, : :^_Ko i»ow«r on eart h can change it ^t'tvck « hilr 'tis day. cast fear a\ray, Till cviiues Jifo's peaceful evea; ivut-otonty snide ih<ne acts alway, < and It'ave xite rest to Hwvoa, * 1 ark > • JL TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE W-: : Ih Oessia? * Texan Prairie. BT X£U TON H. 1V1KS. *$?• &of*rt ••'• * Yea, brother Frank and I were poor jpare enough, when we first t ame to ^Slexas. But we were determined to get teas*, a:td we presently *«stm»d oar jonrney. We afterwards ascertained that the remarkably soar fruit we had discov- iered was called the mustang grape. The following day wo passed Weath- erford, and came on out through this section, where we had been informed that we would find plenty of slate land open for entry, but which was being taken quite rapidiy. We were really lnckv in finding the two pieces of land "toe now occupy, for neighbor Simmons, who had taken the piece adjoining vmine, was trying to induce some ot his friends to come and settle upon the two claims that Frank and I took. Having procured the proper papers lor the entry of our land, we fotindthat our money li ad (been reduced to the sum of one dollar and a half between us. We immediately took the "back track" to Dallas, where we had left our fam­ ilies. As we were allowed six months in which to get onto our land with our families, we had decided to try aud get work in Dallas, if possible, and thereby get a little ahead to start with on our new claims. It was about ten o'clock in the fore­ noon when we arrived at the spring sit­ uated on the edge of the twelve-mile prairie. It was the last place we could get water until we had crossed it, and we at once decided to stop and refresh ourselves with the last of our luncheon. Having finished our meal, we gath­ ered a few of "the mustang grapes (be­ fore mentioned), which we deposited in our hand-bag, and then set out of a slight knoll in ct&viu&e of us, a scene was presented to my eyes .that re-awakened all the energies of my being. ̂ A mile in advance of us a settler's cabin loomed in view, a thin, spiral column of smoke issuing from tho huge stone chimney which adorned one end of the house* I forgot all about my sufferings and hastened forward with - accelerated home here if possible, and, al- ] long and never-to-be-forgotten tramp "though we saw some tough times for the t across the prairie. We had not proceeded three miles when we began to feel a de­ sire for a drink of water. The prairie, which was slightly undu­ lating, was entirely devoid of trees 3(fcrsl; few years, we fir.&liy succeeded, now--well, you see that field of ^ODtton just at>out ready to pick ? There 25 acres in that field, and I reckon «Ts ah >ut as good cotton as any in JParker County. I have harvested 40 j of any kind as far as the eye could *eres of wheat, besides other crops such j reach, and as there had been a drouth 4SS corn, oats and potatoes; and you see of nearly two months the grass, which lam now ab e to raise a comfortable j in many, places stood as high as our Jfirtnu. besides having a little surplus in j shoulders, was dead and dry. The Hood years. And my orchard of apples, ! road we were following was dry and as peache.% pears, plums, grapes and figs j hard as baked clay, except for a coating be^un to produce an abundance of I of fine, impalpable dust, which in some limit, more than my family can consume \ places was nearly an inch deep; and the *md I usually have a little revenue from j fiery rays of the noonday sun caused J the atmosphere to fluctuate with that Brother Frank's farm is in about the ! peculiar, trembling glimmer which »ne condition as mine; but, sir, we i bfirns over the sandy Sahara. The 3kave worked, and worked hard to get I high temperature which the dust had in such fine condition.. { attained in the deepest places in the i How long have I lived here? It's road scorched our shoes and caused jttst seventeen years ago last August that! our feet to feel very uncomfortable, brother Frank and I located our land j We plodded on, however, consoling *het«, and I shall never forget the tough { ourselves with the hope that we would *Bjtperience we underwent in crossing j reach the northern extremity of the that long, dry. burnt, prairie, on onr re- j prairie before we should suffer frCm lorn to Dallas after having secured our i thirst, to any great extent. A little land. Although started on our farms, breeze came occasionally from the north- never experienced anything that a circumstance compared to the gpffariags we endnred that day. Will I relate the incident? O'u, yes. 3Kfc down and heip yourself to those fcpples, while I think a momehL Yes, ivest, but it was hot air. seeming to wither rather than refresh. ... As mile after mile was passed our thirst increased. We now commenced eating our grapes, which greatly lessened our thirst for a time, and we «fc- -was the fall of 1S71 -that my brother proceeded on with renewed hope. I, with our families, left Indiana to fry oar fortunes in the great State of "Vexas. At that time there wa3 no rail- VQad by which we could come directly -iato Texas from the North, and in eon- •Tt*qtjeuee we were obliged to take pas- «age oa a steamboat from St. Loui3 the Mississippi to the month of i directly toward us. Thus we had passed about six miles of our weary tramp across the prairie, when, upon gaining the crest of a slight eminence, we descried, about a mile in advance of us,ail immense cloud of black smoke and flame rolling up mountain high, and advancing at a rapid pace JBed River, thence up the latter to 3Shreveporf, from which point we took the cars on the Texas Pacific Railroad "to Marshall, which was at that time the •jtarminus of the road. I "You may judge that it was a slow ." Journey when 1 tell you that we were j ' " * be-j*sfc twenty-one days on ;the river 4iWeen St Louis and Shreveporc. v 'fre account of our long journev on *be livers our expenses became almost •double what we hod anticipated, and "•*» we were not overburdened with The spectacle was indescrib­ ably < grand. The intense rays of the sun, shining upon the huge clouds of smoke as they rolled forward like the billows of the ocean, gave them a peculiar tint of glorious crimson. For a moment we stood breathless-- speechless. Then, realizing oar im- inent peril, Frank exclaimed: "Let's fire the grass here, or we are lost!" and producing some matches he immediately set lire to the tall prairie , grass on the side of the road nearest •peney when we began the journey, we : him, while I followe'd his example by ifmml nnr vallafj /ratfinn nnifa wUanw » i 4. 1 a . a i 1 .« Jbnnd our wallets getting quite "lean 4y the time we had reached Marshal], »nd we decided to stop there and try Sarmiut? "on shares." We were not • Javorably impressed with that portion '•Xlf Texas, but circumstances forced us to remain there two years, during which t|me we made but little above a living. • 'OH** glowing accounts of the fertile "prairies of Western Texas which we iKt)uei)tly received from teamsters, hauling great loads of cotton from that section, where they claimed that "they jJeft more cotton in their fields when through picking than the fanners of fiasfeera Texas gathered from their "'•hole crop," resulted in arousing us to tike fact that there was the place for us 4D go and secure a home. Accordingly, having disposed of our «arop and secured a little money, on the -3b£ of August, 1873, we took the train tnd caime west to Dallas, the railroad Jhaving been extended to that point. We had been reliably iuformed that : there was plenty of land in Parker "iCounty that could be taken up in the "•planner ot a government homestead, the State, however, giving the title, • being State land. The homesteader 'Was only required to occupy his claim 4for three years to acquire his deed. ^ As our amount of money was quite • limited, we decided to take a trip out into this region afoot; so, leaving our |!aiiuiies in comfortable quarters in 'J)allas, we started out with light hearts -«nd high anticipations. We had notli- On approaching the house we discov­ ered a man sitting upon the shady porch enjoying a corn-o b pipe. He greeted us cordially, at the same time inviting us to be 6eated. We sank down in the proffered seats, gasping the single word: "Water!" The man observed our exhausted,and choked condition, and seizing a pail, which at the time was empty, he pro­ ceeded to a well some distance from the house, returning presently with the pail full of the life-giving liquid, and placing it before us he remarked: "Help yourselves, gentlemen, but be careful and don't drink too much on*t to onc't, it mout hev a bad effect on ye." Seizing I he dipper, my biother first poured a little of the water upon each wrist, after which he took a littlo in his mouth, carefully rinsing it about, and finally spiting it out. Then, taking a moimiful, he swallowed it, and extend­ ing the dipper to me he advised me to do the same. I followed his example, and as the cooling liquid was allowed to pass down my throat, a deliciour sensation permeated my entire being; the swelling of rcfy parched tongue and mouth at once dis­ appeared. Little by little we drank of the water, until our overheated and feverish bod­ ies had become restored to their nor­ mal condition. For nearly two hours we sat sipping the delicious liquid, in which time we had actually drank more than two-thirds of the water that the pail contained. We then felt much re­ freshed and able to proceed on our jourfiev, and were preparing to do so when our kind host objected, and would not consent to our departure till after supper. We were not loth to accept of his kind offer; and after liaviug re­ freshed ourselves with a substantial meal of corn bread, bacon, and sweet potatoes, we felt like new men. Although it was near night, we de­ cided to proceed on our journey, there being nearly a full moon to favor us, and at 10 o'clock we arrived at Dallas, to find our families overjoyed at our safe return. We got employment at Dallas, and at the time it became necessary for us to move upon our homesteads, we had made enough to buy in partnership a team and wagoc, along «with a few tools, provisions, and other necessaries with which to start li^ng upon our new claims. With these we moved upon our land, and commenced the struggle of carving a home from the raw prairie with onr almost naked- hands. You see before you the result of seventeen year* of hard tabor. But all our labors, sufferings, and trials *ink into insignificance in com­ parison to the terrible experience we underwent in those few hours in which we were crossing that burnt prairie. Ddtxn. applying a match to the grass on the opposite sid6 ̂ We wer6 not a minute too soon. The rapidity with which the huge volumes of smoke and flame was carried along W FoTaTrter^iod I!wrsTeLuy alarmed; *o answer this, I feared we £>utd suffocate. But oui ! 1°T then ^ decisive method of firing the grass im- % them, with no result. mediately around us had saved us. The Good Sport. An English sportsman, who was loo much of a braggart to be good at any­ thing else, was having a few days'shoot­ ing on the estate of a friend, and while out on the heather after the birds found time to talk about his own prowess to the'gamekeeper who was with him. "I've a keen eye, a steady aim, and when I fire, Sandy, there's death some* where ahead," said the sure shot. "In that case I'll mak' a p'int aye to keep ahint ye," remarked the game­ keeper, falling back a few paces. "You needn't be alarmed, Sandy; I only meant that I never miss any­ thing." "Weel, I hope yell try an' miss the dugs while ye're wi' me, for the maister wad tak' my heid aff if anything went wi ang wi' them.1* sheet of ilame passed around us upon either side, but at the same instant Wb were enveloped in the cloud of smoke, and for the space of half a minute we were in utter darkness. We could not discern a single object; the sun was as completely obscured a* though totally eclipsed; we were unable to see each other's form, or the ground we were standing upon. In the midst of the dense smoke we felt a terrible heat, which, combined with the oppressiveness of the smcke, came near stifling us, but presently the clear sky greeted our vision and we again breathed the pure atmosphere. As the immense mass of smoke and flame rtftled on beyond us with tha velocity of the wind, it presented the most sublime picture I ever beheld, and for the moment we forgot our terri­ ble thirst in the contemplation of the awful sight. But we were soon brought to realize the fact that our thirsty and choking condition was doubly aggrivated by the re-mlts of the fire. • The sun was now past its zenith, but arose, and he let • m , . , I •+• "v cuts woo UU W UW9I J V9 £l9IJlVU| UUV -ug to impede our progress, except a it shone with unabated intensity, and 'IBiuail hand-bag, in which we had stored ;Jfjl few provisions to eat upon our ijourrvey, and consequently we made seemed to create a fever in our brains, We hastened on with growing de­ spondency. Our thirst soon became so • -a . -- " < » • VUl lUU owu uctntut} Bl/ m°°a time, passing over a distance of terrible that we began to have fears of torly forty miles by night-fall becoming exhausted before we could : j Ab.juf ten mi eswest of Dallas we complete the journey across the prairie. jj£Brue ajjra,r* * wa» twelve miles The interior of our mouths now be- ,f apeross, and in the whole distance there | gan to swell and our tongues became £ • W rn^t a human habitation to be seen. |,,arched. We were unable to articulate •a? y ,V4*f 'lm e j a"dl ky the | distinctly, and we talked but little, fear- ,we crossed this long stretch of j ine to aggrivate our thirst thereby, -me, we were both beginning to suf-1 "* * - - That's what your confounded Sootch mist always does,*' said the sportsman sulkily. "I never miss at home." Sandy chuckled. "Mebbe no," he replied; "but ye've jist turned it into a grand English mist for the present, at a' events." "That's a specimen oi Scotch wit, I suppose. You said that because I missed." "Jist that." "Well, re-load.** "Here ye are." Another opportunity offered at this moment for the sportsman to distinguish himself, but again the fates and his own bad shooting were against him. "Missed again! he exclaimed in un­ feigned amazement. "Well, I could swear I killed something then." "Sweerin' wad be a relief, Idaursay," said Sandy, soothingly; "but keep your heart, for afther a' ye're daein' no sae bad." "How do you make that out?"asked the Englishman. "Jist this way," was Sandy's disgusted answer; "ye're killin' heaps o'time, if ye're killin' naething else." Uurlng an Elephant. Calcutta is a fine, large city <1^ the northeast coast of India, ana one who lived there tells in Our Dumb Animals a strange but true story of how a doctor cured the biggest patient he ever had. The patient was huge elephant, who for a long time had suffered from a disease in his eyes, which at last got so bad that he could not see. His owner, an English officer, went Dr. Webb and begged him to come r with thirst; but we were finally over-! tance sufficient to carry us across the ' - - d ® d°ne- H® dld' ^oyed to see, a short distance in advance prairie, when we made the startling «f us a stragghog growth of timber discovery that we were on.tlie wrong -which fringed the banks of a "wet road. We had taken a track that di- UK Yankee forefathers bad Wisdom right smart. For, knowing man's nature to grumble, The only one day (a the year fet apart ' For him to feel, thankful and humble. [To make that one very short day a success They feasted and stuffed him with turkey, So h®, feeling good, might his blessings confess And see his Surroundings less murky. ^ For one little day in the whofe of the year They asked him to leave off complaining, And give a few thanks to theOno we revere, For blessings He ever is raining. But iiian wouldn't do it--not even if he On turkey forever was dining; The dark sido of clouds he will eagerly see And hide from their silvery lining. Unless he finds fault, he's not happy at all. And e'en on this day he should treasure. His turkey's too big--or his turkey's too small-- - i To suit his unsuitable measure. But some time, we hope--when millennium's •here-- A man may be found who Is lining Who'll do all his growling one day in the year, And spend all the rest in Thanksgiving. SHE HATED POOR MEN. NI>A t. CROCKER, come EBNIC here.". "Yes, mother." A sweet-faced girl- woman left her place in the deep bay window where she had been ar­ ranging the flow­ ers and came re­ luctantly over to the sirfo of the eld­ erly lady by the table. "Is Will Tliursby got»g back to De­ troit and his book­ keeping?" a sar- m- "leather" creek, but whose bed was now "dry, save where the overflowing water •Sfroni a beautiful spring on its bank, %ad wet it for a short distance below the tflroad. We soon quenched our thirst from the sparkling water of the little spring. verged to the right some two miles back. We immediately stopped and con­ sulted the propriety of retracing our steps to the point where we had taken the wrong track; but we finally con- , ? , I* eluded not to do so, as we appeared to rafter which we ptoceeded to eat our ; be n „ i . •. ., » | - g°inK in the right direction, and we amdday luncheon, as it was then after thought we would make the point we taoou" were seeking quicker to go on than to So we plodded on again A little below where the road crossed £ . *he creek, and on tbe opposite bank, V «. <^i8cover'ed some grapes which it Rooked quite tempting, and '^f^;liProceeded to gather some iu an fticipation of a feast, but we .had turn back. The sun slowly sank towards the west­ ern horizon; mile after mile was passed and, alter looking carefully at tbe giant creature, the doctor said: 'T.Tie best cure that I know of is nitrate of silver; but it will give a good deal of pain." Terhaps some of my readers whose friends have bad eyes have heard the name of this remedy. Well, the owner said he had better try, and if the animal would not allow it he must give it up. But--would you believe it---the ele­ phant who like most of his race,1 was as wise as he was big, found so much re­ lief from his first day's doctoring that when Dr. Webb visited him the next day he lay down of his own accord, placed his great heavy head on one r 8igDs ^^^on ̂ d \ssr tp . £ao sooner began to eat of them than we our way out | ?. j«pit themfroin our mouths, for we | terminable sea of blackened turf our vision. At length, despairing of ever making from the seemingly in- sur- tongues and the ! sinking down in utter hopelessness and i. f - } ' T ll Via | , uupeie-sness ana , short pain was gone, he gave a great nter of tho «rrai.« ' f •, when 1 rank cried out, in a nigh,' as much as to say, "That's a good nver oi tue graue : stranirelv hoarsp unnatural fltnf .* • . r « i n m- tffound them so sour that they nearly rounding us, I was upon the point of Jtook the skin off our tongues and tbe! 5 • - • - ered, j strangely hoarse, unnatural voice, that he saw a column of smoke ahead which, be believed, came from the chimney of some one's habitation. Instantly the flood of despair under which I was laboring disappeared, ru£ flagging energies revived, aud I again •irugglod on. Upon gaining the rise k-*' ; .'inside of OVT mouths, A >- Jaowever. that the center oi tue grape ;«ootained a small portion that was1 s«weet and palatable, and by mashing >;tbem between the thumb and finger, g, ithis sweet part would come out ia a *®ittle round ball, and could then be W® ««eked between the eeth. But this g < a alow proceje of snaking a •l._ I -1 v just like you or I might if we were go­ ing to bear some dreadful pain, he drew'in his breath and lay perfectly still. The healing mixture was dropped into each eye, and when the sharp, thing got over, I feel all the better for it." When he got up, he tried, in his poor dumb fashion, to thank hia friend for giving him back his hight. HE--I have never yet met the woman I thought I could marry. She--No, they are very hard to ^|ease, : ' : fcf i Itti* . M&M a castic curl of the lip accompanied the Question. . , "He expects to return to the city on next Wednesday, I believe," answered the daughter, a peculiar expression com­ ing into word and manner. "Well! I am glad of itl* exclaimed the mother, triumphantly, "for I don't want him poking around hereon Thanks­ giving Day when our city friend, Howard Atherling is with us: he comes to spend the week with his uncle's family, you know, and I've sent an invitation to all to eat Thanksgiving dinner with us." "Yes; so you told me yesterday." And Bernice went back to her flowers, with a strange littlo smile hovering about the determined mouth. Mrs. Hunter leaned back among tho cushions and took up her crocheting once more. Bernice's affections should be transferred from that poor, penniless book-keeper to the handsome, rising young laywer, who, already; had a snug fortune, if she, Mrs. Isabelle Hunter, had any tact for match-making. Yes, decidedly, it must bo. Week after next would be Thanksgiving, and tho Atherlings were expecting Howard. And by family and education the young law­ yer and Bernice were suited to one an­ other. But then this contrary freak of her daughter's threatened now to upset all her calculations and bring trouble in an­ other direction. Bernice seemed to wtteriy ignore the young disciple of Black stone, preferring the company of merely a book-keeper here of late. It was really too provoking for any use; yet she was thinking, as she thrust tho shining needle through the meshes, that after all the girl only meant to tease and amuse herself with Will Thursby for a time. It could not be that a daughter of hers would so far forget her social position as to be in earnest in so doing. Elise had married wealthy, and Olivia had become the proud wife of a Chicago banker, and Bernice must follow their example, or she, Mrs. Isabelle Hunter, would know why not. Yes. Well, then, next week that penni­ less but dangerously winning Thursby would go ba;;k to his employor, and the coast would be clear for the working of her much-desired plan. How lucky! . "Will," said a sweet voice over the back gato that evening, "did you say that you knew when Howard Ather- ling's wedding takes place?" "The cards are out for tho day before Thanksgiving," answered he, "but why do you aslc, Bernice?" She leaned toward him and whispered something in a low, laughihg way; and Will Thursby drew the dear head down to his breast and said: "Then your mother doesn't know that I have fallen heir to the cool thousands, and that I only go back to Detroit to arrange the office affairs for my succossor?" "No; I shall keep it from her until Atherling is married, Ju3t for fun. Mother does hate poor men so very much, especially book-keepers; but then I can just imagine how quickly sho will fall in love with Mr. Will Thursby when it comes out that he is lifted above the necessity of earning his own bread and butter." And we leave them enjoying their hap­ py secret by the wicket in the November twilight. Thanksgiving morning dawns crisp and bright. Everything is in keeping with an air of thankfulness for a pros­ perous year in Mrs. Hunter's lovely home, and she, like tho strict Puritan that she assumes to be, makes it her religious duty to attend church services, \nd seo that every one bclongir^ to her household is punctually In her pew. Tho Atherlings aro there also, and Howard is there also, looking more stylish and handsomer than ever. But a lady at his side seems to claim all his attention, and is dressed, too, like a bride. It certainly wasn't Grace Atherling, his proud sister, whom she met once at their uncle's, a year ago. No; she didn't resemble her one bit. That provoklngiy beautiful veil, too, looked like the crowning point of a bridal trousseau. Mrs. Hunter looked again, This time she saw a look on tho handsome young lawyer's face as ho gazed down on the woman's beside him that made her feel awfully uncomfortable, somehow. Well, Mrs. Isabelle Hunter sat the services out without feeling the least bit thankful, for reasons best known to her­ self. Bernice, however, seemed wonder­ fully attentive to the sermon. ^ «Thtitoibyw!fa,II«. Hunter," bo I Howard Atherling at the close of wor­ ship, as lie led the veiled lady up for an introduction. "Lena, dear, this Is my old friend, Mrs. Hunter, of whom I have often spoken, and this," turning to Bernice, who stood by with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, "is another friend of mine. Miss Hunter." "I am sure we shall be tho best of friends," exclaimed Bernice, delightedly, as she acknowledged the introduction by a cordial clasp of the hand and a dainty little kiss on the fair cheek of Mrs. How­ ard Atherling. Mamma llunter said but littlo on the way home; but her daughter ceased not ' to dwell on tho exquisite taste of the bride's attire, fairly bubbling over that her dear friend Howard Atherling had feuch a ladylike wife. There are more martyrs in this world than those burned at the stake; and Mrs. Hunter felt in her inmost soul that 6ho suffered all the keenness of chagrin and wounded pride in that short service hour. But it could not be helped. Howard Atherling had a right to. marry whoso­ ever he pleased, for all her; and, now that he had exercised that right, Ber­ nice would most likely have her bent in preferring that poverty-stricken Thurs­ by. It would come to more than that, too, her motherly intuition told her.^. Oh, it was dreadful! She had always heard of the "black sheep," but she didn't think such a dreadful thing' would crop out in the Hunter family. Now, something told her that Bernice, with her wit and beauty, her acc9m- plishments and queenly bearing, would metamorphose herself shortly into that undesirable creature, and likely as not elope with that bookkeeper--maybe be­ fore Christmas; she had noticed thaj^they were wonderfully intimate lately. Oh, dear! But the Atherlings had accepted her invitation, and must bo entertained. Her enviable tftle as the finest hostess in all Merriweatlier must not suffer; so, laying aside her terrible heartache, Mrs. Hunter put through tho day in tho red- hot crucible of substituting smiles for tears. She felt more like weeping bitterly, of course, than smiling down on the inno­ cent, girlish figure usurping the place she had so long coveted for Bernice; but there was no opportunity, and she must live it down. Finally the day dragged through, and what a Thanksgiving it had been, to be sure. None but Mamma Hunter ever knew how every moment of that awful day lengthened out on purpose to stab her wounded, caiculative pride through and through. Strange that Bernice did not by word or look taunt her with the failure of her plans; she was doubtless too well satis­ fied with the prospect of being loft with Thursby only to entertain. Nevermind, that book-keeper should.never enter the house at Mcrriweather Place again; she would have her revenge. The Atherlings were g©n©==»ow,^the china and silver had been restored to their respective closets, and liornice had gone sedately up-stairs to write a letter, and a neighbor, Mrs. Amsdcn, dropped in. "Of course you've heard the news," she exclaimed, almost before Mrs. Hun­ ter wheeled an easy chair into place for her comfort "That Howard Atherling is married? Yes; he and his wife were here to-day," replied Mrs. Hunter, coldly. "No! oh, no; that's nothing out of the common," exclaimed Mrs. Amsden, im­ patiently, "all young folks marry, or ex­ pect to, at least; but what I meant to tell you is wonderfully good luck for your daughter, Bernice." ' ' "I don't understand,".sa'd Mrs. Hun­ ter, mystified, peering out, figuratively, for the silver lining to the November cloud. ,"Why, don't yoa know?" exclaimed the other, excitedly, "that Bernice is tho only girl in all the wide world that Will Thursby cares for, and now he's worth his thousands and thousands." Mrs. Hunter leaned toward her friend with a strange commingling of hope, doubt and fear on her aristocratic face. Putting her hand on the arm of Mrs. Amsdcn, she whispered: "Is that true?" "Why, yes, of course it is. I guess I ?ught to know, when Mr. Amsden is en- •Iways remember it, and W w-ould be humiliating to say the least No, I'll send the letter and end it." Mrs. Hunter began to cry. She was satisfied that Thursby was no longer poor, and she knew that in every other respect he was a man to bo admired. "Oh, Bernice!" she moaned hysterically as she sank into a seat, "how awfully contrary you can bo." The door-bell rang at this juncture and put an end to further protest, servant soon ushered in Mr. Will Thursby. Mrs. Hunter came forward With a %lad welcome on her lips, but Bernice only said, "You've missed your Thanksgiving dinner, Mr. Thursby." "I do so desire to congratulate you on your good fortune," cried Mrs. Hunter, holding out both hands in an exceedingly cordial manner. Will Thursby took oqe proffered palm with a curiousamiie, but said nothing, "Why don't you congratulate him Bernice?" asked the imother in a half- angry tone. ",0 I don't care to overdo the matter, I congratulated him three weeks ago," replied the daughter. "So he told you, did he?" Mrs* Hunter UI'VE BEEN WRITING to THAT HORRID BOOK­ KEEPER, MAMMA." was all smiles now; the disappointment was all gone from tone and face. "Yes, my dear Mrs Hunter," putin Thursby; "how could I keep the joyous fact from my promised wife longer? could not, indeed!" Mrs. Hunter gave her daughter auch a look of provoked amazement that both tho young persons laughed heartily. Presently sho joined in the merriment against herself, wjthout knowing why. And when the shadows of Thanks­ giving night crept around Merriweather Place, and Will and Bernico had gone for a ride in the moonlight weather, Mrs. Hunter stole softly to her room murmuring: "My, what an eventful day , this has been, to be sure. I certainly had no thought of all this. "But I am thankful! O, so thankful!" And the twenty-third psalm trembled oh her lips. "WBUbt SATO A SWBET VOICE OVER THE FENCE." •t: As.' 'l& gaged as agent already to look after some real estate here falling to the for­ tunate Thursby soon." "O--o--o'" cried Mrs.'Hunter, clasp­ ing her hands in an ecstasy of delight, "and he is a most desirable companion, too." "Your daughters have all dono well, Mrs. Hunter," pursued her friend, "and it is so very lucky for them, and you, too." "My daughters know better than to do any other way," replied tho blue-blooded mother, proudly. "Bernice, too, is a very sensible girl, and I've always felt •easy about her choice of company." After an hour Mrs. Amsden took her leave, and Mrs. Hunter, tiptoeing to the stairway, called softly: "llernice, Ber­ nice!" "Yos'm." And shortly the dutiful daughter came down, writing materials in hand, and with one dainty *tinger blackened with Ink. "I've been writing to that horrid book­ keeper, tnamma," she said, in answer to her mothor's look of inquiry. "I'vo con­ cluded to drop Will Thursby and not waste my time any longer on a money­ less man; don't you think I am growing sensible?" A flush of shame, that her objections to the young man would soon be laid bare, came over Mrs. Hunter's face; but she said bravely enough: "Don't you love him a bit, dear?" "What's love--insipid thing--what's love to money?" retorted Bernice iron­ ically. "But--but Will Thursby is wealthy now," ventured the mother; "hasn't he told you anything, as yet? I should have thought ho would; Mrs. AnAden told me." "Impossible!" replied Bernice, warmly. "If he had money he would have told me, would he not? Mrs. Amsden, fudge. "But I would't send the letter, dear," advised the mother, "for it certainly is true that he is wealthy. Mr. Atnsden is his agent here to look after his real es­ tate in this vicinity." Bernice paused. She seemed to be thinking deeply as she twirled the letter around on her linger. "Oh, well," she said lightly, "suppose he is now a man of money; suppose ho is; it will always hang over him that ho once kept books for a wholesale grocery store in Detroit I -V'1?'-. , Women Who Feel Young. There's a sister I often meet in my travels. She is the good sister who "feels just as young as ever she was. She's a kittenish thing, yet she'd be a little more kittenish if she was less elephantine. Frisky old girl, how she does love to climb into the swing at the picnic! Weighs two hundred and fif­ teen and makes the swing creak like a hoisting tackle. "Higher, Mr. Thin- shanks^ Higher! Oh, higher! You can't frighten me! I'm not one of the scary sort of girls." You bet she isn't. Has six children, and if you'll mistake her for her eldest daughter--a sweet, slender girl;' with an oval face, spir- ituelle expression, and figure as grace­ ful as a swaying lily--she'll ask you to dinner for a week. Plafs "Pussy wants a corner" and "Hunt the slipper." Loves to "teeter." With an eighteen- foot board you have to pull all but about thirty inches over to your side of the trestle to make it balance. When the board is balanced right in the mid­ dle, she can fire the whole young men's Bible class up into the air as though they had been fired from a catapult. When her end of the board bangs down on the ground it jars all the buds off the trees. Fond of mountain climbing. Usually fastens on to a young man to drag her up. Older brethren too wary. They dragged her up hills when she was younger. Besides, the old young­ sters retain their old-time prejudice iu favor of younger girls. They help her daughters up. Man never mistakes mother for daughter going up moun­ tain. Apt to make that mistake about luncheon-time only. Oh, wo know the old-elderly--that is, middle-aged wo­ man who is the youngest of the lot!" And, knowing her, we fly from her, that is, as well as a man--who has long since shed his wings and raised a few acherd of corns--can fly.--Ladies' Home Journal. A Fighting l'reaoher. Rev. Mr. Bartley, chaplain of Mon­ treal's crack military corps and pastor of a swell West End congregation, gave a scientific thrashing to one of Montreal's best known and richest young sports a few days ago. The story that led to the result is told as follows in the New York Star: Some few weeks ago the youth in question was engaged to wed one of the. fairest daughters of Montreal. The lady in question happened to be a member of Parson Bartley's church, and also a particular friend of the min­ ister. In consequence, he was called upon to perform the marriage cere­ mony, and on the day appointed was on hand at the residence of the intend­ ed bride, as was also a large party of friends to assist at the wedding. To the consternation of the friends the groom failed to put in an appearance. The wedding was declared off. The clergyman, it is said, expressed him­ self in no indistinct way about what he called the rascally conduct of the gilded youth in question. JL. few eveniDgs ago the clergyman was invited to visit tha young- man, and, thinking he was (o get an explana­ tion qf his strange conduct, he made the visit. He just entered the door when his first salute was a stinging left hander in the face. It was then that lie divested himself of his gar­ ments, and tho youth _ was taught a richly deserved lesson in the manlv art. So badlv was he done up by the reverend pugilist that he spent a week in a private hospital to recuperate from the effects of the thrashing. As the brother and father of his affianced had promised a similar proceeding, he, to escape further beating, married the girl,' and Mr. Hartley performed the long postponed ceremony to the satis­ faction of all. The affoir has only just leaked cut, and has created a sensa­ tion, of which the pugilistio parson is the hero. THE old name of "bridegroom" was originally given to the newly married man because, formerly, it was custom­ ary for him to wait at table on his bride and friends on the weddirg day. ABOUT PROMINENT PEOPLE,: JOHN RUSKIN'S health has much im­ proved. P OPE LEO speaks French fluently, but' knows no English. . A REV. DR. STIFLES, of Detroit, nas read "Paradise Lost" tweuty-one times. THE Empress of Austria is simpij Mrs. Nicholson when she is traveling, i THE ex-Emperor of Brazil thinks fit settling in the neighborhood of Vienna. GEN. JOSEPH E. JOHHSTON at 83 is a I sprightly, soldierly-looking old gentle­ man. . JOAQUIN MILLEB, it is declared, writes the worst hand in the United : States. Miss LOUISE BAKER is the pastor in charge of the old North Chnroh of Nantucket. CLEMENT G. MORGAN, the colored I graduate ot Harvard, is lecturing in5 Connecticut. ̂ KINO WILLIAM of Holland, who is now tottering on thb brink of the graven is 73 years old. RUBINSTEIN says that but a little more than 2 per cent, of Americans nn- * der.«tand music. SPEAKER REED'S wife was the daugh- ; ter of a Congregational minister, and was a school teacher. Miss ALICE LONGFELLOW, a daughter of the poet, has become an expert amateur photographer. IN Greenville, Tenn., still stands tbe i old building in which Andrew Johnson once plied the tailor's needle. • S^iss SANGER, the President's stenog­ rapher, is the first woman to act in that • capacity aft the White House. % ' BRET HARRTE has forsworn social, pleasures for the present, while finish- 4 ing his literary engagements. THE largest family among members of Congress is that of Mr. Bullock, of Florida, who has thirteen children. GEN. DANIEL BUTTERFIELD always • gives his wife in conversation tbe old- fashioned, old country title of "lady." THE Boston Transcript tells of an old scissors-grinder who is said to be worth iu the neighborhood of $100,000. THE autograph of Christopher Co­ lumbus is quoted at about $800 in Eu­ rope ; Titian's brings $600 aud Raphael's $300. MRS. STANLEY has refused to live in Africa, and has persuaded her husband to decline the Governorship of the ; Congo. HENRY GEORGE says that after all he and Depew stand on a common level- each has been wofully beaten for mayor of New York. AN Indian girl named Susan La Flesh has graduated from a New York medical school to practice among her tribe, the Omalias. M. EIFFEL, of tower fame, nas la vented a military bridge, composed wholly of pieces of steel, which can be easily taken apart and put together. THERE are now four widows of Su­ preme Court justices living in Wash­ ington--Mrs. Waite, Mrs. Wood, Mrs. Stanley Matthews, and Mrs. Miller. Miss HELEN GLADSTONE, the daugh­ ter of the Statesman, is described by one who ha9 met her as an exceedingly original person who resembles her father and has his vitality. DOM PEDRO has arrived at Cologne. He is a pathetic figure, feeble, un­ happy, continually accompanied by an attendant, and muttering at intervals in conversation; "Brazil! Oh, dear Bra­ zil!" MRS. OSCAR WILDE is described as a plainly dressed little woman, with no distinguishing graces, and her only ap­ proach to testheticism is her enormous Gainsborough hats, heavy with droop­ ing feathers. DSIHORA KAIROFF, a Russian prince, was hanged recently as Viadivostock. He was a Captain in a Tscherkask regi­ ment, aud murdered six persons in their sleep in revenge for an injustice which he imagined had been done him. THE Boston Record reports a mar­ riage by phonograph. A man waited npon the minister with a phonograph. The minister spoke unto the apparatus the question and the bridegroom the responses of the marriage ceremony. The impression was then posted to the bride, Bome hundreds of miles away, and she and the minister of her village went through the same process, the last minister pronouncing the couple man and wife*. Bow th» F«g Homo MMIW* Affected tlons.. ^ A new story is told about the sharp­ ness and briskness of the captains of the Transatlantic steamships. On a recent voyage of one of the well-known vessels plying between here and Europe one of the passengers, a woman, pes­ tered the Captain to death with un­ necessary questions. Some heavy weather set in, and, owing to the fog and rain, the ship's officers were unable to make their usual observations. When the Captaiu came down to dinner on that afternoon his persecutor was wait­ ing for him. Bough weather, Captain," she said. ' Somewhat." .. ' A good deal of rain." A good deal." Pretty heavy fog." j Yes, it is." So heavy, i understand, that you could not make your observation." Yes, (gruffly,) but not heavy enough to prevent you from making youra.*#- New York Tribune. . A Kemarkable Cripple. Isaac Hoiirnan, of Carverton, Pa., whose only means of locomotion is upon his hands and knees, is one of the famous hunters of that region. He has never been able to walk. He can operate a mower, reaper, or horse-rake equal to any one. As a loader of hay and grain he is hard to excel. He has often driven one or two horses, and has no fears of their getting away. He as­ sists in most of the work about his father's farm, and as a chopper of wood none but those who have witnessed his wielding of the ax would believe the amount he can cut in a short time. During the last dozen years of his life his chief enjoyment is to travel over tbe hills with his gun and dog, and as a marksman he is pretty hard to excel. In coming down a flight of stairs he al­ ways descends head foremost--Chicago Herald. forewarned. It îs now said to be "the correct thing" for Englishmen to wear wedding rings as well as the brides, a practice which is already common in some parts of the Contiuent. Some such badge is wanted, according to certain cynics, to prevent ladies in search of husbands from waisting their time on a married man in the belief that he is still unat­ tached. SOKE men bay umbrellas, some men arhieve them, and some get wet and fwr*,»