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

Editor and Pub. ILLINOI KISMET i\ ' touch are job life comfortable •If you have no tton than that our i well come to an end O love! Must I Walt (thoagh the wild years are fleeting) To woo thee and win thee with riches . alone? When we met in the springtime, ah! V • blithe was our greeting,, For my heart rose to claim thee and call V':'- thee my own. *,v Ifet I spoke not, tor Bow dare a poor suitor j*"" venture? . While the throb of a heart is not Silver nor gold, k,' *, And Cupid's new weapons are stock and i •*„ . debenture^ And a government st&trip warrant* love • } is not cold. .;.-:.yy... >. • y - )$ %et it 'Seemed, when we met while the woodlands were sleeping. yy t • As though there were more in the world £, -> than its ways; f,,'w And all else might go had I ever the keep- IlL < >nS ' *• \|v' t>f you--only 4iou--till the last of oil ; d a y s . • y - - ; *\ * m#' Ah, well! I must hope, kindly eyes, wan- d'ring tresses! « • But the chord you have touched still // • -J. must tremble in pain. ^ -jlliile the lips that were silent my mem- .. ory blesses, iriii I meet you, And greet yon, and clasp s ! • > * I ^ you again --Temple Bar. is® • I;"' •' HEHE FINGER OP FIRE. Imagine a mob of men as wild as a pack of hungry wolves, whose frenzy has been fired by the scent of blood, Add in its midst a fellow being bound band and foot, with the noose of the lynch 111 en around his neck. I came suddenly upon such a scene in one of the- settlements of the Rio Grande, whither I had journeyed from England to find a brother whom I had not seen Cor many^years. As I reined up my horse near the «*owd and glanced over the excited Spectacle an involuntary cry left my Hps as I recognized in the victim him Whom I had come so far to see. He saw and knew me instantly, and though no word came from him, his pale, mute lips appealed to my heart for help. My appearance caused a hesitation y en the part of the lynch leaders, v : " J quickly learned that a stranger in i-. those parts had been killed that morn- 'k--' tag near a small body of water a short •distance from the settlement, and that 1"... my brother had been caught in the very act of striking the deathblow. Not one of the spectators seemed to bave any doubt of his guilt, but who is - ao hardened as to condemn his own ";k Iwrother?" t ; I shuddered as I realized Almont's peril, and in my own heart judged him Innocent of any crime. "He is my brother," I cried. "Hark!" shouted one of the onlook- , ; \frs, "the brother of the murdered man r Is here for justice. Up with him, boys." ' "HoldJ" I commanded, rising in my Stirrups as I spoke; "blood calls for Wood. Let me have hold of that rope." : ' . • The mistake in my identity had sug- y/: nested a way in which I might enable «ny brother to escape, and I resolved to Attempt it at whatever risk. Fortu­ nately, there was little family resem­ blance between us. Urging my horse forward, the crowd parted, allowing me to reach his side, when I dismounted, ostensibly to ex­ amine the slipping noose. "It will do," I said, lond enough to be beard by alL "Now help me to lift him on the back of my horse. We want to •fle this job in some shape." Williug ones sprang to my assistance, * but in the brief interval I cut the pris­ oner's bonds and arranged the noose so tit could be thrown oil as soon as rms were free. knew few horses could match mine d, and once he had cleared the n|? my brother would be compara­ tively safe. Of course there was loud wailing over ibis escape, but I appeared so anxious •for his recapture that no blame was at­ tached to me. To carry out the decep­ tion I had the body of the stranger care­ fully buried and remained in the place «rntil I deemed it safe to depart. It was nearly three months before I tfiet my brother in London, whither he had fled, and then he thanked me with tears in his eyes for my daring assist­ ance in his escape from the lynchers. To my surprise, however, he evaded the subject of the murder, saying sim­ ply that no crime had been committed. t did not feel like pressing the matter, *(p the affair was not mentioned again,. &ough It has haunted my mind ever •ince. .^Last week my brother died with no yltindred near him and to-day's post has |>rouglit me a manuscript containing a startling revelation. In justice to my brother's name, as my satisfaction, I am saw it se- s till irted ^veii as for prompted to give to the public one of % the strangest confessions ever made, -p-j^be following is his account as he wrote J ,^|t for me: i "When this is read I shall have ^ (passed beyond the tribunal of man, so A-3- wish to impress upon you that I am '.^^Hbout to record faithfully an experi- < V^nce which I sincerely hope will fgll to ; ;'4 j'$he lot of no other person. •y f : ""I was alone in my room late one v •dark, stormy night, when I heard a rap the door which I fancied at first was 4^,>ut the wind shaking it on its hinges, j*?V'vlBut it was repeated louder than before, bade the applicant, whoever it might to come in, without looking up from < -"p the book which held my attention. "A moment Liter the door was opened, , v and with the gust of wind, which sent $£. 'fWery light object in the room flying topsy turvy, a man entered the apart- f ,? ment with quick, cat-like steps. " 'Pardon me for the unreasonable hour at which I call,' he said, in a clear, crisP tone, *but I suppose doctors get ||>, ,. used to all sorts of calls.' t " 'Certainly,' I replied, I fear some- J whjrtf impatiently, as he had interrupt- ed* me at the time when I did not like to be disturbed. 'What can I do for you?* " 'Qh,I do not come foe professional g|^ assistance/ he hastened to say, evident­ ly ly reading my thoughts. 'Mine is strict­ ly a big&tpes call. Are you at liberty ". for «fl^riiinute^P ' ** '%es, but the hour is late, 00 I trust voa will beas brief as 'Mte " 'Dr. worth " 'Kn for my more ir interview mi at. once.' ' -r'4'niir " 'Pardon me, I will come to business. As I told you, I am a professor of science and have made a discovery which is worth millions. I need not tell you of the anxious days and sleep­ less nights it has cost me. No matter. I have succeeded at last. And you are the first man I have ever approached with my secret. I did not do that until I was satisfied that you were the safest one I could find.' "As he spoke he opened a small bag that he carried and took out three or four vials to place upon the table. " 'Education,based upon scientific re­ search,' he remarked, 'has made a staitling advance within the last few years. But no man has gone further into the unfathomable depths t)ian myself. You have a basin of witer there; pardon me if I appropriate ijt to my own use.' ; 1 "I bowed acquiescence; too htach sur­ prised to sjxMik. [ "He quickly unsealed one of (the Vials and poured its contents inta the basin of water. Then from another lie sifted a bluish-colored powder apon the surface of the liquid, which no sooner had it touched the other than it began to hiss, foam, and sparkle, intil there-came a report like a pistol shot, and a column of lurid flame leapen up to the ceiling. j "I started back with a cry oil ter­ ror. . " 'Don't be alarmed,' he assured me, with a smile the water will soon purn out"' 'fs r "The fire soon began to growl pale and to diminish in height, wh£n it finally died out altogether, and that the basin was empty. " 'How much do you think tl cret is worth?' asked my visitoi showing white teeth between lips. " 'What do you mean?" I crtafd, " 'Sit down and be composed knd I will quickly explain.' Then, as t sank into the nearest seat, at a loss what to do or say, he continued: 1 > "" 'Seeing Is believing, so I j have shown to you what I can do to Impress upon you more deeply the power I possess. You have seen that basin of water burn like so much oil, and now you will believe me when I tfll you that I have unlocked one of nature's great secrets and that the key j lies in that small vial!' j "His demoniacal smile as hi spoke made me shudder." " 'I do not understand you,' I> falter­ ed. 'If you mean that you caaji burn water--* ! " 'Haven't I done it?' he cried! *Why, man alive, don't you realize the impor­ tance of that secret? In those vials are held the component agents able to separate the constituent parts of water and, freeing the same set them at war with each other, which must result in combustion and total annihilation. " 'Think of that, and realize that I hold In my hand the destiny of the world. Let me throw ever so little of those wonderful properties on the At­ lantic, and dare you contemplate the result? In one instant a nucleus of fire would be formed to grow swiftly in size, separating the gases of water and feeding upon them until the shores of Europe and America would be wrapped in a sheet of flame.' '"No deluge that ever drowned the world could extinguish the conflagra­ tion, but would rather transport the fiery legions to the very pillars of the heavens. And it would spread from shore to shore and from ocean to ocean until it had enfolded the globe in its seething embrace. Every creat­ ure of the sea, the air, and the land would perish--aye, the earth Itself would melt into fervent heat.' "During this startling speech he had worked himself into a fearful frenzy, to fix his intense gaze upon me as he concluded with a light that burned into my inmost being. I felt I Was in the presence of a mad man. " 'Oh, well,' I said, with what calm­ ness I could command, 'We wpn't an­ ticipate so dreadful a catastrophe as you so vividly describe, but it is evi­ dent you have made a remarkable dis­ covery. I am anxious to know just how you accomplished it' " 'Which is my secret?' he said, with another smile, and I saw that my dis­ passionate speech had a soothing ef­ fect upon him. The man was evident­ ly sane except on the one subject. " 'You are the most sensible man I have ever met,' he soon resumed, 'and I am going to impart enough of my se­ cret to you so you will act in good faith in assisting me in a direction where I am powerless. " 'It needs not my words to tell you that water is composed of two gases, hydrogen and oxygen, in parts as one to eight. United in that proportion, these elements are impervious to fire. Every schoolboy knows that But mix them in any other proportion and heat, Saine, combustion is the *imsnculate consequence. " Now, I have discovered the key which unlocks the affinity holding to­ gether the constituent parts of water. A few grains of this powder are suf­ ficient to dismember its warlike ele- ' ments, when the funeral pyre of the human race is kindled, so far as this planet is concerned.' " 'Impossible!' I could not help ex­ claiming. 'God, in His infinite wisdom, never created a world so beautiful as this, and then placed in the hands of His subjects the means of its destruc­ tion.' " 'Poor fool!' he efaid compassionate­ ly. 'You forget thai the moon is but a fire extinguished #orld; that planets without number are the charred re­ mains of what wete once scenes of life and beauty; that the sun is a molten mass of heat; that He has said in His own word, hi th|e end "the heavens shall be folded together like a scroll, the elements tq melt with fervid heat" j " 'You see thifl vial; It contains po­ tassium. It need's not me to tell a man of your Information the result when this is brought into contact with oxy­ gen. It Ignites Instantly. This powder here, the secret of whose compound is known only to me, contains properties which Instantly decompose the water elements. Th4 moment the oxygen is free the potassium ignites it and the Work of fiery destruction is begun. " 'You betray a look of doubt Per- ftaps you think that this action will ' J v4»' pxnpurfVBV vuft quickly In o<wsequence, the Are die for want Of sustenance If so, you err. The property of this pow­ der are self-generating and an ion# as the water lasts mn*t «f nec^sltjr con­ tinue their work of decomposition, the 1 oxygen continually feeding the flame*. " 'Get me another basin of wator; I want to demonstrate It mow dearly to you.' "As he had done before, he turned the potassium into the lutein and then sift­ ed in a certain amount of the powder. The hissing and fuminj; began, follow­ ed by a sharp report when a column of fire again sprang up. which lasted until the water was tonsnmed. ' " 'You see. my first trial was no illu­ sion,' he said, turning to me. 'What I have done once I can do every time.' " 'It is a terrible thing,' I exclaimed, with a shudder. 'But why have you come to me?* " 'Because the secret is worth much to me. But when I approach men they call me mad and will not listen. They will believe you, and when you have proved what I can do they will gladly lMiy my price. Then I will divide with yon and we shall both be rich--you to live at your ease'and I to continue my investigations. Will you help me? And he caught me by the arm with a clutch I seem to feel now. "'Help you?' I asked, in a husky voice. "Would you jeopardize the lives of the whole human race for a few paltry thousands? A man of your great Intellect and research should be above ' '• 'You still doubt my ability to do what I claim?' he interrupted. 'Per­ haps in the open air you think I would faii? I saw to-day a grand sheet of taater for a trial. Come with me and I will astonish even you. See, the storm has cleared away and the day is breaking.' "I" was puzzled what to do. There was no one in the house whom I could call for assistahece, but outdoors I might escape from the man whom, I must confess, I feared. So I consented to accompany him. "The morning light was fast dispell­ ing the shadows of the night and storm, and we8 had no difficulty in making our way to to, little body of water hemmed in by the mountains and the forest My companion, as if fearing I would at­ tempt to escape, had not taken his gaze from me since we had left the house. " 'There is a good place to test our work,' he ^declared, pointing to a small pool of w4ter, formed in a depression of the ear^h by the late storm. "Without waiting for my reply he threw some of the potassium and pow­ der into the wateri The result was startling to\me, though I had antici­ pated the consequences. "The report was deafening, and the flames seemed to leap to the sky, illu­ minating the night scene with a ghast­ ly light; but startling as was the light of the burning water the appearance of my companion, who seemed to be suddenly transformed into a demon, was more horrible. " 'See! See!' he cried, dancing to and fro with fiendish glee. 'It burns! Will burn till the pool iVdryl What do you think of my secret pow? Do I not hold wm & BOUT one of the greatest troubles to women who are factors in the social world Is that they have to struggle against the senseless cus­ tom of Introduc­ ing half-educated and undeveloped girls Into the world of dinners and dances be­ fore the btids have more than unfolded. »No gfirl of 18 is calculated either physically or mentally to cope with the strain that a round of social duties entails, and it is much more det­ rimental to her to appear as a full- fledged woman before she really Is one than If she were kept in the school a few years longer and taught, both from books and her own developing experi­ ence, a manner and habit more in keep­ ing with those with which she will nec­ essarily be brought in contact ^ No mind, no matter how cultivated, can receive and digest a^first-class edu­ cation before twenty or twenty-one. Men keep on at college until they are twenty-six or twenty-seven; the wom­ an, but little more than a school girl, is introduced at a large tea and the crudities will but naturally militate largely against her-success. No girl can be supposed to be finished In men­ tal detail simply because she has arriv­ ed at an age when custom declares that dissolve in b*t water (just water enough to dissolve nicely), then boil un­ til It will grain; have corn in a nice pan and turn the mixture over it stirring all the time so the sugar will reach ev­ ery kernel; if boiled enough the mix­ ture will sugar as soon as cooled a little; the chocolate may be omitted and any flavoring substituted after the mixture Is boiled ftad ready to tarn, over the corn. * Man's Flaws. Talk of the inconsistency of woman! It doesn't even approach that quality as possessed by man, though the latter prides himself g;reatly on his mental equipoise, his Just judgment and his thoroughly well-balanced opinions. A man before he falls in love will declare that the woman he will marry must be gifted intellectually, and of a sensible turn. Yet six months after he has made this statement he will march down the aisle of a swell church joined for life to a girl who is as frivolous as a butterfly. He will declare that a woman to be ft good wife must be a good cook, and yet what kind of a wife does he bring home nino times out of ten? a pretty, stylish creature who doesn't know bread dough from a chicken croquette. You can never tell what a man really does expect of the opposite sex. He is always in favor of a woman dressing) well and will prate glibly of the gentle Influence that a daintily attired wife exerts and what a pleasure to the eye it Is to be greeted in the evening by a )h, I feel like a god, \worms crawling at lames leap higher the key to all life and all men are bu my feet! See the and higher. " 'Now, let me drort the same agents which set that pool on fire into the lake, and the result will ba the same; aye, the same, only a million times more grand, for the fire will follow the river to the gulf, and thence k> the ocean, to envelop the entire world In Its blazing sheets. What a sight far the gods to witness!' \ "He gesticulated fiercely! reached one arm out over the water as Df to drop the infernal powder upon its placid bosom, his wild looking vision lit hy the tran­ splendent glow of the burning pool. I gazed with awe upon him, realizing only too well the terrible earnestbess of his tone. \ " 'Wait!* I cried hoarsely; 'yo\i forget the money. Your secret is worth ' " 'Bah! Who prates of money with a cringing world at his feet?' he shrieked. 'They laughed at me; now let their tears put out the flames my hand has kindled. See! The potassium--it fumes, hisses, dances upon the winter! tfow the pow--V "Imagine, who can, the horror of my situation. The blood seemed to freeze in my veins. My limbs seemed para­ lyzed. But I quickly overcame the lethargy. The life of every being in the world was in my hands. Nerving myself for the blow, I felled the mad scientist dead at my feet At that mo­ ment the fire behind me expired. The world was saved. "You know the rest I was discov­ ered In the act of dealing the fatal blow by men who could not understand the Immeasurable deed I had done. You saved my life. In the sight of God I feel that I have committed no harm, but I shall die easier knowing that when I am gone the truth will be k"cwi£ to the w orld. My cGnscicaCG is .clear, and yet the secret has pointed at my every action like a finger of fire."-- London Tit-Bits. % 7 MODISH COIFFURES. she take up her position in society. At that time usually she is more fully equipped to study to better ad<ail&ge than to fence with the worldlj^knowl- edge of those many years her su^rior. To the woman who has gone through many seasons, and Is, In fact & battle- scarred veteran of society, these raw recruits entering the ranks of society year after year are the most unpleas­ ant item of social existence. They ex­ pect recognition and consideration, yet they are not companionable, they are not on a mental equality with those whomHhey meet day in and day out, and after a while the wise mother rec­ ognizes the great mistake she has made In introducing a daughter at an age when she cannot help appearing to dis­ advantage. It Is useless to press upon society these unfledged specimens, for despite the fact that sentiment pro­ claims in favor of youth* the real feel­ ing is for the maturer mind and more subtle intellect. Keep the girls in the school until they prove conclusively that they are able to appear well In the higher college of social ambition. If they need recrea­ tion let them, with others of their own age, enjoy little dances and their own reunions, but for their sakes and the sake of those who entertain the most keep them out of the swim, the mael­ strom and the whirlpool until they are able to strike out boldly for themselves With no fear of being overpowered by others of larger and more certain ex­ perience.--Philadelphia Times. Transformation Skirt. The new costume for ladies) as seen in the accompanying picture, is de­ signed by Miss Halle Pearson, and claims to be a charming combination for ease, elegance and economy. It Is specially adapted for all outdoor exer­ cise. The first picture shows the cos­ tume as an ordinary morning gown. The skirt is buttoned on each side, and > • * 1 Scarcity of Pencil Wood. "The <Jay is not far distant" re­ marked a Florida gentleman not long since, when talking with a reporter, "when the term 'cedar pencil' will be­ come quite a misnomer. At the pres­ ent time the average annual consump­ tion of lead pencils is at the rate of about four for every man, woman and child in the country. During the last ten years the quantity of cedar which has been cut in our State to supply the demand of the American and Cerman pencil makers has been enormous, the product of more than 2,000 acres of ground being consumed every year. The cedar of the State will not hold out many years longer against demands of this kind, and already experiments are being tried with other wood. Very cheap pencils are generally made of poplar, which answers fairly well, but which will never be so valuable for the purpose as the old-fashioned and long tried cedar. Of course, Flori- d» has not a monopoly on the supply of cedar wood, but In adjoining States, where some Is to be found, the work of destruction has been going on quite as fast as in our little commonwealth, and I doubt very much whether any of our children will use pencils made oat of the mout durable and most easily polished and trimmed wood j|e top of at the present tim®." * ^ ' ^ f# y . Mm AS A SKIttT. VOIl OUTDOOR LtFX. pretty woman becomingly gowned, yet if he fails In business his first cry will be that It was his wife's extravagant fondness for dress that ruined him. In fact, despite his unswerving faith in his own powers, he is a very unrelia­ ble person, Indeed, and may just as well keep quiet when the subject of consistency is brought up. Man is a noble animal in many respects and proves his superior qualities in many ways, but there are flaws in the armor of his own completeness and ope of these has been pointed out < Corset for Stont Women* Don't Dress Children Ali]ce« There is a regular ebb and flow in fashion. Oliver Wendell Holmes says: "Keep any line of thought ten years and some other will intersect it" The same rule applies to manners and customs, although a score of years marks the change oftener than a dec­ ade. Twenty years ago children of the same family were dressed precise­ ly alike, to the color of a hair ribbon )n girls and the turn of a Byron collar In boys. The English have always kept up this style, but it had complete­ ly died out with us. Now one is be­ ginning to see It again among the smart set particularly. "The custom is not a pleasing one, and for several reasons. A garment or a color, may look pretty in moderation and prove ! the proverbial too much of a good thing if repeated. A still more important reflection is that what is becoming to one individual may be most trying to another. A pert, saucy face may seem bewitching in a coquettish headgear that will only call forth unfavorable criticism on a demure little saint. More than all, it makes one's children look like an orphan asylum. Don't do it may be most easily converted into cos­ tume No. 2 by throwing the skirt over the arm and buttoning on the shoulder, thus forming a cape, and leaving the legs and feet perfectly free. For golf­ ing, cycling, mountaineering, and gen­ eral outdoor life this costume should prove Invaluable. Doubtless it will be a very welcome addition to any lady's wardrobe, being calculated to meet the most fastidious of ^ ,„|»at^-^-Mpdon Sketch. '•C.. V - "r's" " arcd Pop Corn. n over, taking out all the e one cup of sugar, one- chocolate, a little salt; IffT. Twin DauKhtfXNPSH^i Who Pongfcf At thte ITtttifldN ftjf IpfliMnlnjjfioytB- V Up in PetdHphro, N. H., a picturesque village in a sfour of the White Moun­ tains, live two sisters, who are per­ haps the most remarkable of any twins now living, says the New York World. They are Elmira and Elvira, the daughters of Abner Fife, who was one of General Stark's Green Mountain Boys and who fought in, the battle of Bennington when only 16 years old. The twins were born In 1811, making them now 83 years of age. They have never been separated. Each has be­ come necessary to the existence of the other. v. Their tastes are alike and their habits identical. Even in early child­ hood their traits were manifest The marked similarity in taste extended even to the matter of food, each car­ ing for the same dishes. When fac­ tories made their apearance In the neighborhood the twin sisters went to work in one of them, and for sixty years toiled side by side at a minimum daily wage of 11 cents and a maximum of 90. A lifetime of hard work had not been so remunerated as to enable them to live without outside assistance, so the sisters deeded their little plot of ground to the county in consideration of being taken care of for tne remain­ der of their days. Physicians are of opinion that should one of the sisters die the other, because of the extraor­ dinary bond of sympathy existing be­ tween them, would be likely to follow soon. r Wooden Water Pipes. / POT .conveying water short distances, less than fifteen rods, or 247% feet, and when the amount desired is greater than can be supplied by a half-inch pipe, wooden tubing will be found cheaper than iron and far safer than lead. Wooden tubing of from one and a quarter to two inch diameter may be obtained at most of the hardware deal­ ers. In buying get such as have the ends Iron-banded, to prevent splitting when driven together, and to prevent the tubes bursting under a heavy pres­ sure of water. These pipes, and, in fact, all pipes, should be placed at least twenty-four inches under ground, and, if possible, thirty inches, to avoid frost Before laying such pipes coat with crude petroleum and let them dry out first In pipes where there Is a con­ stant flow of water there is but little danger of decay. Wooden log pipes on a Baltimore County farm have been down some thirty years, and they are still in good condition. These pipes may be laid by any careful person. The great point is to get the grade right. Lay them down the entire length, let in the water and note the defects be­ fore covering up. Before covering heat some coal tar and apply It hot to the outside of the pipe all its length, being especially careful to give a good coat­ ing at each joint They will last much longerfor it Such pipes will be found of great use in conveying water from the spring to an adjoining field, or from the house well to the barn, if the fall Is sufficient For bringing water from the well into the house, or into the feed room of barn, a small hand suction pump with a half- inch iron pipe will answer admirably. Such a pump and fixtures will cost V about $50 and will be found of great value, either in the dwelling or barn. One that was put in at the barn some four years ago has not cost a cent for repairs, and is as good as when first put put down. When a large stock of cows are to be watered in the stables such a pump will be found a great saving of time and labor.--Baltimore American. CHARITY THAT CI Almsgiving Is Not Charity*! Giving Of One'. 8.^** Dr. Jane Elizabeth Rot vigorous paper in the Forui ity That Helps and Other ci which she says: , "There is many a rich man seated to­ day with easy conscience at a table 1 shining with cut glass and silver, who*" would be ready to stretch out a helpintf * * * « hand to those who need it if they were not "all so far away." He is living tac another world. What he does is t# •>.'•".?}:/ make his annual contributions to our | , \ charitable societies, and that Is all* .' Some day we will begin to calculate th# /. V evil resulting from such contributions*. , :r Again and again is it true of the charK , . ty of to-day that 'it curseth him who ' ; ^ gives and him who takes.' On the one 1 hand the poor man, sinking down into . ^ the mire of pauperism, realizes dimly - / the bitterness of his degradation, and . ,4J• takes the alms offered him with curse#) . i n h i s h e a r t ; w h i l e o n t h e o t h e r h a n d . . " the rich merchant or manufacturer, who is daily disregarding the health of little children and delicate girls, quiets his conscience with a large check in thf^r7, name of charity. And society applauds" the generosity of such a man, and hi® , ! eyes are blinded. 'It is so tempting to v »* the rich to think that by giving 4', check for the support of a social schem#, \ i. poverty may be abolished, and they b^- ! left free to enjoy their wealth. They;, s- always hope that something, not thenfcK \ 1 selves, might meet all needs.' "One is often asked the questions _ 'What can the rich man do for the re*» v lief of suffering?' I believe there is bu^\ 1 y one answer: Let him give not alms but . f himself, and the wisdom comes with th|t giving. I knew a young apprentice Mt , •. a great machine shop who was strickea •; down with consumption. His parental w were old and feeble, and it was onljt' r " through the gifts of his employer thai § i his last days were made comfortable^ I but more to them all than the gifts wai the fact that the employer came him- ! se l f t o t he l i t t l e home in t he Eas t S id iV ; ' tenement and spoke friendly wordflt { " From every such natural friendship } there grows more and more chances fo| •' ' ' helpfulness, and for that truest charity , of all charities--the treating of other! as if they were of our own kind.4' Napoleon at the Table. No man ever looked dignified while bolting a meal--not even the great Na­ poleon. Constant, his valet says that often the Emperor w^s at the table not more than twelve mffitrtes. "He lacked a good deal of being neat in his table manners," adds the warm admirer of the Emperor. He used his fingers freely instead of his fork, and even instead of a spoon, drenched his bread in the sauce or gravy--turning the plate round and round in the opera­ tion, as ill-bred children sometimes do--and all in all, conducted himself in such a way that it was almost an act of courage to sit at table with him. It is not surprising to be told that those who dined with the Emperor were wont to remain and finish their dinner after he had retired. Prince Eugene--son of the Empress Jose­ phine--once rose from the table im­ mediately after the Emperor. "But you have not had time to eat your dinner," said Napoleon. "Pardon me," answered the Prince, "I dined in advance." Some such precaution seems to be necessary if a man is to dine with cere­ mony in the space of ten mlnutes.-r \"The grandeur of the sc You th ' s Compan ion . ' x ~ --oAmoHi in i» «n r Girls' Visiting Cards. A young girl's visiting card should have her name on it in full, always pre­ ceded by Miss from the time she Is al­ lowed a card of her own. The first year a girl Is In society her name is gener­ ally put on jthe same card with her mother's. When two or three girls in a family are In society at once the eldest simply uses "Miss" prefixed, while the others appear as Miss Dorothy, Miss Margaret, or Miss Gladys Anne. Mrs. Humphry Ward is said to be title best-paid novelist now living. Out of her three books that have been pub­ lished In the last six years she has real­ ised no less than $200,011% , Complication. Frederisk Hill, in his "Autobiogra­ phy," notes some of those childish thoughts which are so, real, so serious, and yet so incomprehensible to older people. One of them is especially amusing. He says: ' A favorite of my childhood was Mrs. Barhauld's "Hymns in Prose." I rec­ ollect, however, that In one of the hymns a difficulty occurred to me. The author speaks.of a united family where "if one is sick they mourn together; if one Is happy, they rejoice together." What would they do, I thought, If one were sick and another happy at the same time? How to Keep Sweet Potatoes. There are half a dozen ways of keep­ ing sweet potatoes through the winter In Virginia, one being to lift a stone of the old-fashioned hearth, and put the potatoes underneath. Warmth and dryness, the essential conditions, are thus obtained. The white potato, on the other hand, is placed In a barrel sunk deep in the garden and well cov­ ered up. Either is delicious baked in the ashes of the hearth. Beware of the Oyster. A New Jersey boy, who experienced great difficulty in swallowing, had an operation performed on his throat Which brought to light a large pearl. It Is thought fie swallowed It in an oyster. Fish Hooks. . The fish-hook of thirty centuries back was precisely similar In every re­ spect to the fish-hooks of to-day, save only in the metal employed, which then yraa bronze, and frro is steeL ' ' ' A Waste of Good Material, *•-<&: A well-known Congressman, who wai. igm a farmer before he went Into politics^ was doing his district not long ago, and y in his rambles he saw a man in & y: stumpy patch of ground trying to get £" plow through it. He went over to him* " and after a brief salutation he asked the privilege of making a turn or tw# | with the plow. The native shook hit' head doubtfully as he looked at his f visitor's store clothes and general alf. y .y of gentleman of elegant leisure, but • , he let him take the plow, "the Con- ' gressman sailed away with It in fine ' . style and plowed four or five furrows, ' before the owner of the field could re?1' cover from his surprise. Then he pulled; up and handed the handles to the orlg«Ty inal holder. v . ry "By gravy, mister," said the farmef 1 admiringly, "air you in the aggercul*)^f y| tural business?" "No," laughed the statesman.'» - v ',*v! "Y'alnt sellin'plows?" "No." • "Then what In thunder air you?" "I'm the member of Cons this district" - , "Air you the man I voted' for am|p« that I've been readln' about In thi?)] papers doin' leglslatln' and sltch UfT.y Washin'ton?" ^ "Yes." y "Well, by hokey, mister," said farmer, as he looked with admlrationjy ! over the recently plowed furrows, "ef , I'd a had any idea that I was voting' fer a waste of sitch good farmin' ma* 4 terial, I'd voted for the other candldat#|: ̂ as shore as phootin'." \S Eeene Inspired. "I am not a religious m^tn, and mjf prayers have been few and far be* < ^ tween," remarked Thomas W. Keene|,gy| the tragedian, recently. "The last time x 'the spirit moved me' was fcvhen I wa< . in Colorado over ten years ago. I had;5 played 'Louis XI.' in Georj etown, theij . J the biggest silver camp 1 l the State, _ 1 The editor of the local pa er, a cousin- ; j of Edward Bellamy, who vrote 'Look*., ' lng Backward,' took me foi a drive ove^y' , Argentine Pass, which li 14,000 fee#.'." above the sea level, and 4, 00 feet froui ! the valley below. Snow s nearly al*^ ^ ways lying in the pass, <ven in July^ "-y_ and flowers appear ingots between^ 1 the snow banks. The eaks of thd.. , •/. Rocky Mountains were f sen In every j direction for eighty mile, and cloudy lay below them, while n occasional^ zig-zag of lightning phred around, lighting Cross. up the Mount jf the Holy to recite something, anc finished Editor Bellamy s t r eaming down h i s f ac , his knees in the snow. doing likewise.-, of a iifetiuie." -- ne moved me when I had ; with tearargT dropped ont Ijcouldn't help*; It was t e inspiration . Incorrect Us«. We lately took occasiqi to criticise'? the writing of anyone o| someone as one word. It is suggostd to us thafe -fy " there are one or two othcj similar andp§i% worse instances of the saie sort Thus we occasionally see onesif instead of one's self, and this is aamrently tha common method of writiig the words In England, and is, of cojse, liable to creep into our o\ca Jfl^gl^h. Another instance is V^Wftever / terrogatiyes' This is a very recent lv ' "n. novation, but frequently appears ox, late.' For example, "Whatever did you V do It for?" There is certainly no au­ thority for thus making an lnterroga^ tlve out of tBe relative pronoun, and;; the use ought to be frowned on.--The Independent \ v .-? -gh, i. Can a Person Be President Thrtoefc ̂ No person has ever been chosea / President three times; no one has eve^ been dominated for a * third ter Tliere 'is nothing in the law of thL country to prevent a person from beina^y elected for a third term, but sinewy Washington declined to take a third: term no person has ever ventured te".; try to get one. So there is a very strong ! custom, as old as any in this country, against a third term for a President 4 Still, if a person were elected for third term he could serve, undoubt? y * . y y .... v .. , i-; ' A girl thinks it a sign of had when a girl is married in black- '•. s « •/ %>« A i