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IPs • 'h m i » * $4* AN ANGEL IN PETTICOAT& |*W- "" tfy" SUE had -whispered, "Yes, Jack, I love you!" in response to his question, his kisses were still warm on her lips, their hearts were beating in unison, though not so tu­ multously as before, and now that the first rapture and thrill were over, they •were asking questions and making their little confessions, after the man­ ner of lovers on the threshold of an en­ gagement. "How many times have I been in love before? Now, Jack, do you think that is a fair question?" she asked, meeting his look with a roguish glance. "Why, certainly it is, Dora," he re­ plied earnestly. "You say you love me, so it. really doesn't make any dif­ ference about the others; they're done for now; but I think I ought to know. Still, if there are so many of them-- "Please stop, Jack. I won't have you saying such dreadful things, and, with that look on your face!" she interrupt­ ed, playfully placing her hand over his mouth, but quickly withdrawing it when he attempted to kiss it. "How dare you!" she exclaimed, "after the way you've been talking!" "Well, if you don't want me to say things, -why don't you answer my questions?" "Must I, Jack?" A|I am afraid you must, my dear." "And you won't hate me after I tell, will you?" "Well " "That depends, you are going to say. You needn't hesitate so long. I can, read your thoughts." "Can you? That's convenient for you, I'm sure. I wish I could read yours, then I'd know the answer to my question." "Would yon really like to know?" "Why, yes, or ^shouldn't have asked. 4t." "Well, Jack, if it will relieve your mind any to know it, you have no pred­ ecessors." "Are you sure?" "Yes, Jack. You are the first and only." "Thanks, awfully, Dora! I'm glad to hear it; and now that question is set­ tled, we will " "Oh, no, my boy; yo.u don't get off quite so easy as that! I want your confession now. About how many dozen times have you been in love, pray tell?" Jack Vernon winced. He hadn't counted on this, exactly. "Come, young man, you are now on the witness stand, sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!" she continued banter'ingly "Must I?" said Jack, helplessly re- = peating her question of a few moments before. "I am afraid you must, my dear," mimicked she. "But I am afraid you will hate me after I confess." "Ifi the record, then, so long?" "No; It is a very short one. I have never loved but once--before." "And she--she refused you?" "No; I never asked her." "Why not? You see, I want the whole story now." "Because .of pride. She was a wealthy heiress; I a penniless lawyer, with my fame and fortune yet to make. I loved her; am not ashamed to say it; she was a woman that one could not help loving; she was all to me then that you are now, and " "And more. Go on and say it. Jack; I want the whole truth." . "No, I won't say that; but she was the first, and love was a new sensa­ tion to me then, and if I had been he^ equal in wealth and station I mipA-- but, pshaw! What is the use of te»iing you all this? It is all over now. Her j«»ve was not for me. I have put it aside--and, besides, I have you. But why are you Looking so sober, Dora? Have I confessed too much? YQU wanted the whole truth, you know." "Yes, and I am glad you were brave enough to tell it. How long ago was it that--that this happened?"' she faltered. "Three years." "And her name?" she asked in low tones. "Need I tell that?" "Yes, please," said Dora, faintly. "Edith Burton." Dora's face grew suddenly pale. "I thought perhaps she was the one," she said, in a voice that Jack scarcely recognized. "Why, do you know her?" he ex- claimed, in surprise. : "I used to room witbljer at bpauding • school," answered Dora. She had rer gained control of her voice now. "She - is a good, noble womaa, far better than I am, and I don't wonder that you love her." 'You mean loved," corrected. Jack "Thanks, dear! Now, please forget that there ever was any other girl, and don't look quite so sober the next time I call. I'll be over again Wednesday evening, if nothing happens. Good night, Dora!" "Good night, Jack!" II. When Jack Vernon reached his office in Temple cotfrt the next morning he found Dora Stevens' note awaiting him. Tearing it open he read: "Brooklyn, 9:30 p. m„ Match 15. Dear Jack--The love I expressed for you an hour ago I find has turned to pity, and 1 am going to make you happy by sending you to the only woman you have a right to marry. After hearing your confession, and knowing what I do, 1 could never be happy with you. I know you think you are in love with me, but the tendrils of your heart are still entwined around that early love, and--and she needs you more than I do. I told you she was my school­ mate years ago; I still regard her as one of my dearest friends, and though we have never met since we graduated, we have always kept up a correspondence. I inclose my latest letter from her, received two months ago. I did not know , until to-night who the1 man was that she loves. 'BUT WHY A lilt YOU LOOKING SO SOBJCB, DORA?" 1 know now, and I wish you both all the joy that life in each other's societjh'can bring you. Go to her, Jack, and make her happy--and my blessing and prayers will go with you. Not good night this time, but good-by! Ever your friend. DORA." The inclosure ran as follows: "Rochester, N. Y., Jan. 14. My Dear Dora--No, I am not engaged yet, and nev­ er expect to be. I have had plenty of chances to confer my hand and fortune- especially the latter--upon aspiring appli­ cants, but I have declined them all. I have never met a man I really cared for, except one, and I believe he cared for me for a time. Perhaps he does yet; but, alas! he discovered that I was an heiress, and then pride (he was a young lawyer, with plenty of brains and ambition, but no money), held him back. He loved me; my heart told me that; but fortune hunters were fluttering around me, like moths around a candle, and I suppose he was afraid if he spoke he would be classed with the rest--just as though the alchemy of a woman's love could not detect the gold among the dross! 'Ah, well! he is gone, and there's no use mourning for the past. I cannot help sighing, though, to think that the very money which has attracted so many so­ ciety moths should drive away the only man I ever loved! "There, Dora, you have my secret, and know why I 'shall evermore a maiden be' but please don't tell. Wishing you a lover true, 6ome time, dear Dora (not be­ ing burdened with wealth, yon won't have so many unworthy ones as I), and hoping to hear from you soon, I remain, with oceans of love, yours sincerely, "EDITH BURTON." Late that afternoon Dora Stevens re­ ceived the following brief message from Jack Vernon: "My Dear Dora--Many thanks for your kind note and the endosuce> There are at least two angels left on earth. You are one of them. May heaven ever guard and bless you! Yours gratefully, JACK." "P. S.--I start for Rochester at once, and will mail this on my way to the train." And as Dora read these words, she smiled one little, wee ghost of a smile, and whispered: "Better my keart than hers!"--St. Paul Pioneer. Robin Roosts. For many years naturalists like Au­ dubon apd Wilson studied and wrote of this bird before it was known that there were "robin roosts" as well as pigeon roosts. Only within the last few years was the fact brought out that a bird more familiarly known than the passerifer pigeon followed this mode of spending the night, although it adopted spring instead of fall for massing by hundreds in a high-shelter­ ed wood for a night's protection from cold, or because it is the period before My love for her is in the past tense, Palrin£ time- for some other reason K-;. Ws> V->- " V not the present." " True love can never die,' " quoted Dora, gravely. "Wasn't it the divine William who said that? But there, Jack, we have talked enough of love tor one evening. Don't you think so?" "But you haven't promised to marry me yet" "•Ton didn't ask me' that question. Ypo simply asked me if I loved you, and you got your answer, I believe." "And I am to take the rest for grant­ ed. eh?" "Well, no; nothing should be taken for granted in this world. I'll give you your answer, but not now. I think I'd better send it to in writing."" "My! My!.,How formal we are getting all at once! But, after all, I think I prefer it that way; then I can carry your note next to my heart for a mas­ cot until you are mine for good and all. gha'n't I run over here for it to-morrow morning? I'm anxious to get it soon as possible." "No; I'll mail it to your office in New ¥»rk." *A11 right, Dora, and now, just one goP' He bent down and plant­ ed a kiss on her unresisting lips. at present beyond man's ken. With what stealth must this well-known and much-observed bird have found its way in such numbers to the same patch of timber night after nigbt in the early months of the year, according to lo­ cality, coming from all directions so swiftly that a secreted observer could not count, keeping up a chatter that could be heard for a long distance, un­ til the last bird, somewhat belated, per­ haps, found shelter in the darkening grove, when all became as silent as thousands of wings were folded to rest. A DIVER'S DRESS. Weighs Nearly Two Hundred Poind) and Is Very Complicated. "Under the Sea" is an article about divers In St. Nicholas. It is written by James Cassidy, who says: The dress of a folly equipped diver weighs in round numbers, one hundred and seventy pounds. Taking off his every-day garb, the diver pulls on his thick undercloth ing--a white knitted sweater and trou sers and a pair of ribbed stockings, also white. Should he intend to work in unusually deep water, he puts oh two, sometimes three, sets of under clothing, to relieve the pressure of the water. The woolen clothing donned, the next garment is the diving-dress, measur­ ing, for a man of average height, five feet five inches from the collar to the sole of the foot. This dress is made of solid sheet india-rubber, covered on both sides with tanned twill. It has a double collar, the Inner one to pull up round the neck, and the outer one, of red india-rubber, to go over the breast­ plate and form a water-tight joint. The cuffs also are of red india-rubber, and fit tightly round the wrists, making, when secured by the vulcanized india- rubber rings water-tight joints, at the same time leaving the diver's hands free. In the outer collar twelve holes are bored for securing the breastplate, This is made of tinned copper. The outer edge is of brass, and has twelve screws firmly fitted to it at intervals, and projecting upward. These projec­ tions pass through the corresponding holes in the outer collar of the dress. The band of the breastplate is in four sections, and the holes in the sections pass over the projecting screws, and are secured in place by wing-iiuts or thumb-screws. A little careful consid­ eration will make it clear that the dress is held in position by its rubber collar, with the aid of the breastplate- flange and wing-nuts. The upper edge of the breastplate is fitted with a neck- ring and a segemental screw. The use of this we shall presently explain. The boots are of stout leather, with leaden soles, and are secured over the Instep hy buckles and straps. The pair weighs thirty-two pounds--four pounds over the quarter of a hundredweight. The lead soles are firmly attached by copper rivets. The tongues of the boots are very wide. Boots intended for rough work are fitted with metal toe- caps. Thus far--underclothing, dress, breastplate, and boots--is our diver ar­ rayed. He has now to be weighted. Lead weights of forty pounds each, shield or heart shaped, are suspended back and front by means of gun-metal clips, and studs or tabs, and lashings. He has now only to put on his helmet and to affix the air-pipe. The helmet, like the breastplate, Is of tinned copper, and is fitted with a segment bayonet-screw at the neck, corresponding to that mentioned as be­ longing to the breastplate. The eighth of a turn, and the helmet is firmly se­ cured, being both air and water tight. It has three strong plate-glasses in brass ^ras^s, protected by guards, two oval at the sides, and a round one in front. The front can be unscrewed to enable the diver to give orders with­ out removing any other portion of the dress. An outlet-valve is provided at the side or back of the helmet, which the diver can close should he wish to rise to the surface. This valve allows the breathed air to escape, yet pre­ vents the entrance of water. At the side of the front glass Is a me­ chanical arrangement for getting rid of the excess of air, and it also assists, when the back outlet-valve Is closed, in regulating the expansion of the dress in rising to the surface. There is also an inlet-valve, ahd this is constructed so as to allow the air to enter, but not to escape in case of a break In the air- pipe. The air-pipe is made !s IcnglLo of from forty-five to sixty feet, fitted together by means of gun-metal joints. Securely Connected with the helmet by means of the Inlet-valve and an elbow- tube, the other end of the air-pipe is fitted on to the nozzle of the air-deliver- ing diving-pump. His leather belt is buckled on; his knife, well sharpened, and of good, strong steel, covered with a metal case to keep it dry and intact, is slung upon It; and after taking a drink, or a little light refreshment, the word is given, All right," the face-glass screwed on, and receiving a tap on the helmet as a signal to descend, down he goes by rope or ladder, either of which must be weighted at the bottom. tlmate friends and companions, but one d*y, "being merry in company;" Tom Porter said he should like to see the man in England who would dare give him a blow. With that Sir Henry Bella- sls struck him a box on the ear. The inevitable duel followed, wherein each was wounded. Sir Henry proved to be seriously hurt, so he called Porter, kissed him, and bade him fly. "For," said he, "Tom, thou hast hurt me. But I will make shift to stand upop my legs till thou mayst with draw, for I would not have thee trou­ bled for what thou hast done." Porter profited by his friend's gener­ osity, and escaped to France. Sir Hen­ ry died a few days later,' and Pepys concludes: "It Is pretty to see how the world do talk of them as a couple of fools that killed one another out of lore." The Sardine Industry. The demand for sardines has run so far short of the supply that the French factories are closing their doors, and the government lias been asked to cotne to the relief of this important national industry by "making a ration of five or ten sardines daily part of the regular fare- of the French soldier. Permanent Magnets. Another opportunity for inventive genius to display itself is presented by the Society for the Encouragement of National Industry, Paris, in its offer of various prizes to be awarded during th^ coming year. Among these is a prize of 3,000 francs in connection with the manufacture of permanent mag­ nets; research in this case may be di­ rected'to the composition of the steel for the, magnets and such materials other than '• »n which may enter into It, or to the degrees of temperature for the liquids used In'tempering; also the processes of annealing and other neces­ sary accessory operations which are likely to obtain this result. Another prize likely to call forth ^considerable effort Ss for an Incandescent electric light, one not to exceed a maximum of two candle power--decimal system. Two thousand francs are also offered for any set of electrical appliances or tools suited to domestic life * and to small trade.--New York Sun. It is a strange fact that injuries to the tongue, whether of man or animal, heal more quickly than those of any other part of the system. The population of the earth at the time of the Emperor Augustus Is esti­ mated at 54,000,000. It Is now esti­ mated to be about 1,400,000,000. The greatest depth in the Atlantic Ocean has been found some 100 miles to the northward of the island of St. Thomas, soundings of 3,875 fathoms having been obtained. The Limited Express service between New York and Chicago is said to be seriously affected by the telephone. Business men who would otherwise go to Chicago for personal consultation can afford to utilize the long-distJiiee telephone Instead, and thus avoid the expenditure of time and in many cases can save largely on the expense, in spite of the apparently high rates for long-distance service. Visitors to Niagara remember the small cascades of water falling over the edge of the cliffs just below the Clifton bridge. The waste of power thus represented has been stopped. The water is now received In a great pipe, or "penstock," and is used to drive water wheels under Its 210 feet head. Formerly It drove only wheels at the top ot the cliff. An interesting feature of the installation is the use of large size aluminum conductors for the elec» trie power distribution. It Is a reflec­ tion on modern engineering that this source of power was for so many years neglected. A Dutch investigator, Beyerinck, has lately made a special study of the little organisms called photo-bacteria, to which, in a large degree, the phosphor­ escence of the ocean is due. He has been unable to discover that the lumin­ osity of these singular creatures plays any Important part in their vitality. It appears to depend chiefly upon the food that they are able to obtain. When they have plenty of carbon they shine brilliantly, and the ocean surface glows with their mysterious light. When fed with sugar or glycerine, their phosphor­ escent power" is increased. A rainfall of 31.76 Inches in 24 hours is reported to have occurred last December at Nedunkeni, In the northern province of Ceylon, where the total fall for 1897 was 121.85 inches, although the average yearly rain is but 64.70. Other great rainfalls on record are 31.17 inches in 22 hours at Joyense, France; 30 inches in 26 hours at Genoa; 33 inches in 26 hours at Gibraltar; 24 inches in one night near Bombay; and 30 inches on eaeh of fiv^ days on the Khasia Hills, India. The greatest annual fall is 600 Inches, the record for the Khasia Hills. In a recent number of Power, a sin­ gular calculation is presented by J*. A. Renle. It would require, according to Mr. Renie's figures, the power of a ten tho'usand-horse power engine about 70,- 000,000,000 years to lift the earth one foot in height, and to do this work, al­ lowing thirteen pounds of water per horse power per hour, would require some 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 gallons of water, or more than would be dis­ charged at the mouth of the Mississippi in 60,000 years. This would be enough, the writer estimates, to cover the entire surface of the earth to a depth of about 300 feet, to convert which into steam, using good boilers, would require some 4,000,000,000,000,000 tons of coal. Long String Beans. Some of the'string beans which grow In Peru are as long ap a man's arm. A newspaper Js not interesting to some people unless they can find fault with,, its use of English. Needless Tragedy, Some of the Royalists who were forced to endure the English common­ wealth seemed to console themselves for the dullness of life under a Puritan government by fighting as many duels as they could compass *-o that ignoble squabbles and fool is J /)lots make up the history of their days. "Tom" Porter was of a family which had zealously served the king; under the new government his occupation was gone, and he descended to a trivi ality of life which finally involved him in a most pathetic event. This was a duel which he fought 'jSth his friend Sir Henry Bellasis, ana which, says Pepys in his "Diary," is worth remem bering for "the silliness of the quarrel • * • a kind of emblem of the gen­ eral complexion of the whole king dom." But silly as the quarrel undoubtedly was, it carried in It an element of heart-break. . The two young men involved were ln- How Snake Poison Kills. The action of poisons upon the sys­ tem is and always has been one of the most interesting of subjects. Just how and why it kills has Just been de­ termined through a series of experi­ ments made by scientists. The follow­ ing description is unquestionably the best and most lucid of any that has been given to the public: "The venom may be roughly separated into two parts--one acting upon the blood and the other upon the nerves. When in­ jected it immediately begins to create terrible destruction in the blood ves­ sels, the walls of the veins are eaten away and,, an internal hemorrhage takes place. While this is JjSiing on a portion of the venom is attacking the nerves. Particularly susceptible to its ravages is the 'vasomotor' system, a nerve center which controls the mus­ cles of respiration. Paralysis takes place in these organs, and the victim generally dies from an inability to breathe." Insulted. Mr. Lawbead--Why do you treat me so coldly? Why didn't you answer the note I wrote you last Thursday? Miss Brushley--Sir, I don't wish to have anything more to say to you; You began your note by saying you "thought you would drop me a line." I want you to understand that I'm- not a fish! Rise and Fall. Miss Sheafe--Oh! Just look at that wheat rising and falling in the breeze. How beautiful it is. Mr. Cityman--Ah! but you ought to see it rising and falljug la the Corn exchange.--London Tfr-Blts. Honest with Him. Young man--Do you think your daughter would make me a good wife, sir? Old gentleman--A first-rate one, young man, but yon couldn't staad me. THE DOTING MOTHER. YOUTH Is toot naturally self-denying. Human nature is strongly selfish, and when girls are young they have had little chance to oppose the strength of this Inherent quality, says Mrs. Humphrey, Some girls, however, are much less selfish than others, while some are utterly spoiled. A doting mother is nothing more nor less than a selfish mother, who, to please herself, allows her daughter's faults to grow up uncheck­ ed. She fears to be firm, lest she should lose some of the affection she prizes. Could she only know that the child at a very early age is distinctly aware of this weakness and despises it, she would plainly see the awful mis­ take she is making. Children love best the mothers who are both firm and gentle. By a Sort of instinct the young ones Seem to be aware of the true selfishness that actu ates the parent who battles with their early faults. It is not the foolishly In­ dulgent mothers who win the warmest love from .their girls. It is those who can' temper Justice with love. Girls soon know whether the mother is sway­ ed by selfishness or actuated by prin­ ciples, and, with very few exceptions, they follow In her steps. Could some of the happy lovers and happy husbands look back through the yeiSrs at the long and patient training, the Jovlng cafe, that has resulted In the complete realization of their brightest dreams they would find in them a guar­ antee, fpr the future. <5iris who have not been spoiled -by over-indulgence, and who have been taught to take a sane, calm, rational view of all life's circumstances, are the best helpmeets that man can have. Such a one is a delightful companion, with her cultivated mind and her ready sympathies. She can enter into his outside troubles in the battle of life, and there Is a fiber of strength In her on which he miay safely lean inthb day of disaster, should it come. -- their ears for the sake of vanity, plead­ ing and arguing that they might as well wear rings in their noses as well as their ears. But Dame Fashion holds a very powerful sway over young wom­ en of all ages, and she says:. "Girls, you must have your ears pierced, and you must wear long, drooping edr-rings as your grandmothers did, who now cry me dOAvn and say nay." So the girls are obeying, and It does look fun­ ny to see them with their ears tied up with bits of string, like little girls of long ago. The latest fad in ear-rings Is a succession of precious stones, five or six generally, hung from tiny loops of gold, and graduated from a very small stone, which fits close against the ear, to larger ones.--Harped Bazar. Girls as Men's |£nemies. Girls are by far too apt to thought­ lessly punch holes in the business pros­ pects of the young men of their ac­ quaintance," writes Edward Bok In the Ladles' Home Journal. "They work this mischief in various ways. They consider it 'great fun' to step to a tele­ phone, for example, and 'ring up' some young man when he is at his office, only to send him some unnecessary mes­ sage or indulge in some flippant talk. They are forgetful of the fact that what may be rare sport at their end of the line may cause serious embarrassment or worse to the young man at the other end. Even if the young man enjoys it, his erf£ployer does not. Sending unnec­ essary or even fancied necessary notes to young men at their offices during bus­ iness hours is another favorite 'pastime' of girls. Sometimes the 'fun' Is carried further by meeting a young man at his luncheon hour, or by even calling at his office. Again, eyen a more dangerous element is introduced by girls urging young men to leave their offices before closing hours to escort them to some place of amusement, some game, or to a train. The danger in these acts 1$ not in themselves, but in the injurious distrac­ tions which they mean. Business hours, though doubtless they seem inexplica­ bly long to girls, are, In reality, all too short for the accomplishment of things necessary to a young man's success. TT ~ bUttiUeee sliouiu oe preciot^ mm, aua It is mightily precious to the right sort of a young man. His mind should be focused on the problems before him, which mean either his success or his failure." The School Luncheon. The packing of the school luncheon- box now engages the attention of the home caretaker. In many households this duty devolves upon the waitress, but supervision by the mistress and mother will be obligatory if the appetiz­ ing niceties of the box are to be pre­ served. Thick bread, lumpy butter and fat or gristly dkeait are still too often the maid's Idea of sandwiches. Sweet sandwiches are both relished and need­ ed by children, though they need not be the only sort served. Bananas and cu­ cumbers, each with mayonnaise, are appetiz'ing at the moment; nuts chop­ ped and held in a bit of whipped cream; dates chopped and freed from stones; raisins or fruits in a paste of icing, Cream cheese, sardines, olives, hard- boiled eggs--the list of fillings is al­ most as long as that of foods. Little cup-custards and tiny individual pans of baked beans are liked as the weath­ er grows, colder, with sweet or plain wafers occasionally, or a piece of cake, with Invariably some seasonable fruit. Girls, Don't Flirt, Flirting is degrading, and the follow­ ing good advice from an exchange Is timely: "The first question a man asks when he sees a girl flirting is whether she Is respectable or not; It raises a doubt at once. This being the case, no girl can afford to indulge in the pastime. When the down is brush­ ed from a peach Its beauty is so marred that it can never be restored, and when a young girl throws lightly aside that sweet and modest reserve so becoming to maidens, one which so elevates her and enables her to command the re­ spect of all, she loses her great charm and becomes rather cheap and com­ mon, to use no rash terms. Flirting may seem to the giddy, thoughtless girl wonderfully amusing and she may get the Idea that It Is fascinating, but it Is a most degrading thing and should be frowned upon by every young lady who has an ambition to be­ come a worthy and charming young woman." Simple Evening Bodice* l\f Ouida's Opinion. Oulda has been giving her view* on ladies' dress in the New York Cosmo­ politan. Of evening dress she says: "The decollete gown is unbecoming to every woman, however perfect of form and face. The nudity of the shoulders and bust is out of keeping with the extreme tightness of the rest of the bodice. No grace is possible to it, and its general acceptance is a forci­ ble proof of how usage and example warp the'taste and deaden the suscep­ tibilities. Corsets are unhappily near­ ly universal, but not absolutely so. The terrible mistake which women have made is in imagining that for the female form to be nipped into nothing in the middle, like an hourglass, ha* any beauty in it. It can have none, be cause, as artists have said until they are tired, It is defonnlty, and can only form a prototype in the imbecility ' - J. W --W* 1 tails," m The Debutante. The girl who is to make her debut this season, and who realizes that she must economize and who knows that her invitations will be many, will dis­ play wisdom If she uses the money she has for gowns In buying a well-fitting, well-made tailor gown of cloth, choos­ ing a color that is always in fashion rather than one which is merely the fasthkm^of the moment. This she will use for visiting and going out in the afternoon. Morning dresses may be re­ modeled from dresses already pos­ sessed and freshed up, so that a well- bred girl could wear them who would not wish to be untidy In the morning at her own home. For even­ ing get two dresses--a black net and a white silk.. On each of these many changes In the way of sashes, arti­ ficial fiowers and feathers may be used. To Hans' Portiere^ Portieres should be on rings and move easily and quickly over the pole, the arrangement of the cords tha^ draw them aside Instantaneously being pre­ ferred. Their design should be simple, solid colors of a neutral tint being the most acceptable. They should not hang in a doorway where the doors are open and set back. They sometimes cover acceptably a door that must be closed, but otherwise they replad? a door thait is removed. Their texture, while thick, should be soft and piiab^p, hanging in easy folds. Line Upon Line. To the conscientious young mother, torn between the hecessity of "adding line upon line and precept upon precept" to her offspring with no apparent re­ sults, and the fear that constant irrita­ tion will deteriorate into nagging, comes the soothing assurance from an author­ ity on children that "line upon line" is all rlgAt and must be followed up. The structure of the young brain, be de­ clares, precludes the possibility of its keeping in mind our warnings, and in­ junctions, and repetition is therefore a necessity. t Is It Coming to This? It has not been the fashion for girls to wear err-rlngs for a great many years past, and most of them have nev­ er had thefcr ears pierced. The grand­ mothers and aunts, mothers and older sisters, bare even forced promises from them not to have boles made in Teach Children Patriotism. Teaching patriotism should be the mother's duty. When a woman allocs her child to drag the flag through the dirt, or to; treat It as If it were of no importance, she is not teaching that proper veneration for it which shall make the child honor it a^ the symbol of liberty, and of all that liberty means. Mothers do not seem to realize how sensitive a child's mind Is to im­ pressions, and how strongly lessons of good may be stampel on it almost un­ consciously. No duty of a mother I* greater than to make those lessons work toward that true manhood which serves country and fellowmen. PETS OF THE NAVY. Many Mascots on Board Ships ofwe American Natjr. There are enough pets of rariotui kinds serving as "mascots" in Ameri­ can war-ships to stock a good-sized menagerie. According to the sailors' superstition, the crew of a man-of-war would not be complete without such a mascot, and since pets are allowed «n board only with the formal consent of the Captain they may be said to be regularly in commission. _ Even at the time of t^ 4)salbr §>f the Maine, says the New Yopk Woi|d, her pets were not forgotten. The Maine carried a dog and three cats, one of them the senior cat in the United States navy. Two of the cats, which h^d bcyen bought in Cuba, perished with the ship, but old Tom utilized his nine lives and survived, as did the Captain's dog* Tom was born thirteen years ago ln the Brooklyn navy yard, and has b^en In active service ever since. At the time of the disaster he was sleeping peacefully three decks down, or a dis­ tance of nearly thirty feet, below the upper deck. The force of the explosion was so great that Tom was literally fired through these three decks, ̂ tiid came down unharmed. In the confusion of that awful nliht Tom was lost sigttt of, fctrt k*be *fext morning he was discovered crying piti­ fully, crouched on the part, qf the wreck which remained above wftter. He was first discovered by Commander Waln- wrlght, who hastehed to t&ke him off In a boat and remove him to the Fern, where the sailors i/eceiveii Jim as an old friend. The other survivor of the Maine was Captain Slgsbe%*s little pug dog, Peg­ gy. Peggy was asleep in the Captain's stateroom when the explosion oocVirtfed, and was forgotten by her owner in the confusion which followed. The ship was in complete darkness, but Peggy managed to find her way to the deck, and when the Captain's boat was finally lowered in the midst of the shrieks of the dying, the roaring of the fire and all the confusion, Peggy was found standing at the place she had been taught to take when that particu­ lar boat was to be lowered. In some ways the most remarkable of all these mascots is the goat, Billy, now on the cruise* New York., Billy has served for more than fifteen years, and takes an active part in the life of the ship. The custom of decorating the uniforms of old sailors with enlistment stripes has been extended to Billy, and he now wears five stripes, each stripe representing three years of honorable service. He wears these' when on dress parade attached to a belt of navy blue cloth, which buttons over his back. In sum­ mer, when on dress parade, he wears a white duck belt decorated with gold stripes. Billy always marches In parade with the same company, and is always at his post throughout the most complicated naval manuevers. He never makes a mistake in finding his own boat, and no one on board is more prompt in re­ sponding to the various orders. Another celebrated goat is "Billy the Terror," which makes his home on the monitor Terror. This goat seems to be happy on the limited deck space of the monitor, where he frequently lives for weeks at a time without going ashore. These little mascots have curious ways of making themselves at home. One of the cats which sails with the Minnesota often crawls Into the yawn? Ing mouth of one of the cannon. She has found from experience that this is a very quiet place for an uninterrupted nap, and when the gun is not wearing its canvas cover she is psually to be found there. ' Taught Her-a Lesson, A correspondent of the New York Sun, whose wife has long persisted in wearing her watch dangling from a ponilant on her bosom, contrary to his repeated Injunctions, has written to that paper to announce that the time­ piece has been stolen. "I desire to ex­ tend my sincere thanks to the gentle­ manly and urbane pickpocket for pinch­ ing the bauble," he says. "He has taught her in one or two seconds what I have been years trying to teach her, and I am so grateful that I am almost tempted to offer him $5 as a token of my esteem." , Umbrellas. The cause of umbrellas wearing out in little holes at the top is they a*e rot­ ted by the water that is held In the fdlds. They should be opened to dry or If there is a superstition about open­ ing an umbrella in the house they may be stood on their heads. When not 1J4 use, an umbrella should not be rolled. A woman gravedigger has been dis­ covered by the Southern press. She la Mrs. Elizabeth Donnell Mabel and bfts charge of a cemetery near New Orleans. | W. F. Bailey contributes to the Cen­ tury an article on "The Pony Express," between St. Joseph, Mo., and San Fran­ cisco. Mr. Bailey says: At first th« schedule was fixed at ten days, an aver­ age of eight miles an hour from star! to finish. This was cut down to eighl days, requiring an average speed oi ten miles. The quickest trip made wai in carrying President Lincoln's inau­ gural address, which was done In seveo days and seventeen hours, an average speed of 10.7 miles per hour, the fastesl time of any one rider being 120 miles, from Smith's Creek to Fort ChurchilL by "Pony Bob," in eight hours and ten minutes, or 14.7 miles per hour. Con­ sidering the distance and difficulties encountered, such as hostile Indians; road-agents, floods, and snow-storms, and accidents to horses and riders, thfl schedule was maintained to an aston­ ishing degree. The service created jth« greatest enthusiasm not only among the employes, but also in the ranks ol stage employes, freighters, and resi­ dents along the route. To aid a "pony" in difficulty was a privilege, arid woe be to the man who wTould so much aa throw a stone in the way. ? * Decrease of Marble Importation. The importation of marble to the United States has almost ceased. It is only now and then that a cargo ar­ rives at this port, >vhile a few years ago a fleet of sailing vessels brought many cargoes annually from the famous Carrara quarries in Italy to Philadel­ phia. Marble buildings seem to be be­ coming things of the past, and the tombstone-makers find little . demand for marble tombs, slabs, or monuments. Granite has taken the place of marble everywhere, even in the cemeteries where marble shafts and slabs were formerly the only proper tilings. Gran­ ite, unlike marble, does not require very frequent cleaning, and looks well without being jtouched up for years.. It also admits of a high polish, and does not show the marks of rust by contact with metal, as marble does. Russell Sage. ^ Russell Sage, the New York million­ aire, is connected with twenty-seven corporations, in which there are forty- three railroads. He Is the only living original director qf the New York Cen­ tral Railroad and the only living found­ er of the Fifth Avenue Bank. He has stood a cash run on himself in hard times of $9,000,000 in one day.--Phila­ delphia Inquirer. If there Is no other way In which a woman can be complimented, tell her that she Is a great, problem. No storekeeper feels Just right on Sunday nniett he has had a "good Saturday."