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Tilt TWOOLO WOMEN. •iro gathering crones, antique and gray, Sqgcther talked at close of day. One said, with brow of wrinkled care, ^life's cap at first was sw«et and fair; <mr young lips, with laughter gay. Ills cream of brimming nectar lay; ,, * ' , si *Bot rapid then it grew, and stal^ And tiresome as a twice-told *Ju»d here in weary age and pain Hi bitter dregs alone remain." « The other, with contented eye. Laid down her work and made reply: , Tes, life was bright as morninf tide, Tfet when the foam and spatkle died, "More rich, methought and purer, too, Us well-concocted essence grew; Ten now, tho' tow its spirit drains, 'Aad little in the cop remains, there's sugar at the bottom still-* 'Jotd we may take it if we wi'lLf* •-New York Ledger. Tom's Revolver. Sfof'.",}1,1 >*»***•*********•** i HE parlor of the farm-house among the Maine mountains had enough touches of quiet good taste about it to make us wonder at tight of a common four-ounce glass bottle which, occupied a conspicuous place on the corner what-not, further honored by a worsted mat under it and a small bouquet of dried grasses stuck Into its mouth. "Yes, that's mother's whim--she will have it there," said the eldest daugh­ ter, who was a teacher, now home for the long summer vacation, during which time two or three of us--city tesidents--were fortunate enough to ftnd accommodation as boarders. "She calls it Tom's revolver," re- narked another member of the family; Whereupon I sot it down with a sudden- Itess which made Tom laugh. "Oh, there isn't anything about it now!" he said. "I've told mother lots of times I'd spend eve,ry cent I've got, and buy her the handsomest vase down to Pineville if she'd let me smash that old bottle against the stone wall, but she won't" _**Tell me what there has been about p," I urged. "There's a story, isn't "Herfe?" / Tom was a big boy--just as the "gawky age," his sister had confiden­ tially informed me--but was neither un­ couth nor ill-mannared. So, without more than a reasonable amount of coaxing and encouraging from others, and the modest disclaimers proper from a boy who figures as his own hero in his own story, Tom began: "It was in early spring, and the doc­ tor had been here and left prescriptions for something father had got to have just as quick as we could get 'em. And he thought--the doctor--that if we got them over to Pineville it would be bet­ ter, for they didn't have very fresh drugs down here at the Corners. "So I made up my mind I'd go over the hills--it saves nearly half the way, only four miles going and four back. Fd have to walk, but I didn't mind that, for I knew It would be about as hard to go round on horseback, for there'd been a thaw, and the lower roads were so slumpy folks could hard­ ly get through at all. **I hadn't got more than half-way , Ofer when I met Squire Plummer, tan ting all round, and says he to me: * Tom, I've lost Old Blacky, sure's flu live? llf'And says I: , [ 1 want to know, squire!* * iJt*And says he: ^ * 'Yes, indeed, Tom. She's been gone ree days. She's the best cow I had--' led stock--cost me a sight of mon­ ey, and I'm offering three dollars to anyone '11 find her.' . "'I told him I couldn't go out of my |(ay on account of father, but I'd keep •'sharp lookout wherever I'd go; and jmi'd better believe I did, for I'd a' lieen glad enough jto get that much jgioney for so little work. But I got into Ipwn without seeing anything of her. Ijsat down by the drug man's counter tf> rest a bit while he was putting up ffce stuff, thinking how I'd change my *onte going back, and perhaps I'd Strike her yet. > "The man brought two bottles, and set one down while he was wrapping up the other. I took it up and took out the cork. " Take care, there,' he says; 'don't you smell that" " 'Why not?' 6ays I. u 'You'd be sorry if you did,' says he. It would knock you down quicker'n if yon was shot.' "He went on to tell me it was a most awful strong kind of ammonia that was used for drawing blisters. Would do it in less time than you'd take to tell about it most. "Then I asked him if it was any kin to smelling salts, and told him how I'd got hold of mother's smelling salts in church, unbeknown to her, long ago, when I was a little shaver, and had taken the biggest kind of a sniff, be rocks and»bushes, down in a kind of little hollow. There ^fere no leaves on the bushes, you know; so I could see something through them that looked like black hair. "I went a little nearer and looked a little harder, and then I off with my cap and swung It around, and sang out: " 'Hurrah for that three dollars of yoiifs, Squire Plummerl' Then I called: 'Co' boss, co' boss, co' boss! Come, ^Blacky, come!' \ "But the old thing wouldn't stir. I picked up somf little .stones and shied 'em at her to hurry her lip. I didn't want to lose time, but I did want to drive her home with me for fear some one else might"get ahead of me If I left her there and then-came back. I called to her and kept on throwing, but still she wouldn't budge an inch. "Then I thought I'd slide down the side of the hollow she was In, and get ahead of her and drive her out. I tried rolling down a lot of stones and gravel first, almost over her head, to see if that wouldn't start her; but it didn't So I began sliding myself down. "But just then I heard a growl--such a growl as no mortal cow ever made yet, I know. And there began such a scratching^ gravel and such a scrab­ bling up that bank, mixed up with growls all the time, that I scrabbled myself up pretty lively, and started to run, I tell you. ^ "When I'd got a little piece off I looked back, and just getting to the top of the bank was Old Blacky; but It wasn't a black cow. It was a black bear, sure's you live!" «. Tom paused a moment to enjoy the little ripple of astonishment and dis­ may which came in just here. ' i "You'd better believe I ran. But it was hard work--up hill, and rough, too. I tumbled over logs and I jumped through bushes, and he trotting after me all the time, mad, I suppose, with the stirring up I'd given him, growling like a young thunderstorm all the while. "Soon I began to feel how tired my walk had made me, and to wonder how it would be with me if I got clear tired out before the bear did, as seemed very likely. "When I knew I couldn't hold out much longer I made for a tree, and climbed up it quicker than I ever climbed a tree before or since. "Then I tried to catch my breath and think a bit I was glad to be out of reach of the bear; but I wondered how long he might keep me up that tree be­ fore any one came to look for me, and I thought of father wanting the medi­ cine, and, if you'll believe me, I thought, too, about that blamed old cow and the three dollars I wasn't go­ ing to get for finding her.- "But it doesn't take long to think, you know, for I thought all that before the bear got to the foot of the tree, and it was a mighty short while, too; and when he did get there he walked the dose I'd given him. That's alt"* "Wasn't It a. good revolver now?" asked Tom's mother, regarding the bottle with affectionate interest. "And you didn't find the cow after* all?" I asked, after expressions of ap­ proval of his coolness had beea ex­ hausted. . "No; but"--Tom's eyes twinkled--"I told Sam Plummer, Squire Plummets son, what I'd seen, and where I'd seen It and he went after It with his gun, and finished what the ammonia bad le{t; qnd Sqiy said it was no more than falr^ I should have a share of It, so he gave me the skin, and I sold it fop twelve dollars. So it paid better than If It had been Old Blacky, you see." LOW PRICES. & Thaatrlpal Managers Have Still Some Ground for Congratnlatioa. " The present tendency in all branches of trade is toward lower prices. Per­ haps no business has felt this more than the theatrical. In which the drops have been so remarkable asjto excite general comment. Yet the fact remains that longer entertainments by, some say, better performers, were at one time given for a lower price than that now charged for admission to a gallery. London led the world for low prices. At the famous Globe Theater, built on Bankside for Richard Burbage, and for which James I. granted a license to Shakspeare and others, the charge for the best boxes was at one time only 15 cents, of the lower , places 4 cents, while in some places only 2 cents was charged. The twopenny gallery was frequently referred to by the drama­ tists of the Elizabethan era. For many years the general price of the boxes was 25 cents, and It was not until ltM5 that we hear of $1.50 boxes. At that period the pit and galleries were 10 cents. It appears to have been the cus­ tom on the first night of a new play to raise the prices, and the same practice was adopted on the authors' nights, or oh the representation of expensve plays. The hours of performance were then between 1 ifnd 5 o'clock in the af­ ternoon, commencing at the former and terminating at the later hour. As years rolled on the hour for the raising of the curtain became later; and when, at last, the evening became recognized as the proper time for theatrical amusements prices began to be in­ creased until, in London, Paris and New York, $5 Is not an unusual charge. ' TOO MUCH FOR THE CUB& "HE POKED HIS UGLY MUZZLE CP BE­ TWEEN THE LOWER BRANCHES." around it and smelled a little, and the first thing I knew he was clawing away at the bark, and climbing up after me. "Then I began to think harder than ever. I'd read of a boy who was up a tree, with a bear after him, and he climbed out on some weak limbs, where the bear had sense enough to know he couldn't go, and he kept the poor little chap there, growling at him, till some one ca^ne and shot the bear. But this wasn't that kind of a tree. The limbs were stubby, and I knew the bear could go almost as far as I could. "I looked down to see what chance I'd have if I swung myself down, and got a new start of him; but the tree was a tall one, and it was all stony under the branch where I was. If I should get a sprain or a hurt, it would be all up with me. So my only chance was to keep out of his way the best I could. I put my band into my pocket to get out my knife, for I wasn't going to let him ge.t the better of me without a tussle. ' * "Then what do you guess-I felt? And what do you guess I thought? / Why, I felt that bottle of ammonIar\nd I thought of that time in church. And, cracky! if I could help laughing right out, as I thought if I could only get it A Bis Stork Whips Three Young Lions in Succession. The stork is usually associated with everything that is innocent and he has been regarded as rather cowardly, but it has devolved upon one of the birds to prove the falsity of this impression. The stork in question signally whipped five young lions, and thus upheld the honor of all storkdom. Baron Stein, of Popplesdorf, near Bonn, Germany, is an animal fancier, and has a small menagerie, the stars of which are five 3'oung lion cubs. The Baron wished to spring a novelty on his friends, and to this end secured a big stork named Fritz, that for years has made his home on the highest tower of the castle, which was captured and put in the lions' cage. The animals were allowed to enter the cage one at a time. The first to enter the place was Zampa. The cub looked at the curious, thing in the corner and wondered at the strange j noise made by It. She tried to back out, and, finding she couldn't, roared defiantly. The animal tried then to creep upon the bird, but received a peck on the nose that made her turn a hand­ spring. She was cowed, and the stork grew cheaty. Zampa's 3-year-old broth­ er was introduced, and he made a bee line for the angry stork, which threw seven inches of bill into his nose. The lion looked sad and left the cage back­ ward. The other three lions received the same punishment, and there was not one grain of fight left In the lot The animals were put back Into the cage the next day, and they let the con­ quering Fritz alone. It is now a happy family, and the old stork is the Sharkey of the bunch. WAY TO WOMAN'S rd 1t Is to make & man HEART. OW han understand that a woman appre­ ciates little polite attentions from him more than all the costly glftSj he can possibly buy her. The heart qf a real woman Is'easily touched, and a sharp, cross, sarcastic or downright rude speech from the man she loves cuts like a knife and leaves an Impres­ sion that all his later sophistries fail to eradicate. » The masculine argument Is that th$£ej Is no occasion for a woman to droop and pine when she has everything that the world can give her, but how little he is able to gauge the untold trifling Items that the world cannot give her, that he alone can bestow, and whldh tn the giving costs him nothing, lftit makes her rich, Indeed, so rich that she can smilingly look misfortune in the face, rejoice in sacrifice, soar superior to every trial aud regard her lot the happiest among mortals. " •) In the rush and hurry of his business life a man forgets the curt reply, the brusque criticism or the absolute indif­ ference indulged in by him before leav­ ing for the day's work. Not so with the woman. Busy though she may be In her domestic affairs, she carries a heavf heart with her from one task to another, and the ready tears well to her eyes at the thought of what the man has forgotten all about by that time. Had he given her a word of praise, a lover-like look, a kiss not per­ functory, she would have blossomed forth as a rose in the sunshine, and the song in her heart would have been giv­ en utterance by her lips and nothing would seem hard or trying either to hands or brain. If men could only understand that the women they love are like flowers, susceptible to every chill, but respond­ ing gratefully to every mark of atten­ tion, company manners would be worn more in the intimate relations of life, and there would be many happier wom­ en than at the present time exist.-- Montreal Herald. -cause it was the first chance I'd 'ever ! that lwar a8 rd got it on myself fe­ te- v ;v "X had at it, and I thought it something good they'd been keeping from me. And how I'd kicked and screeched, and how mother 'd had to haul me out of church and use up no. end of lemon drops and ginger cookies to bring me to. "So the drug man laughed, and says the «tuff in the bottle was something of the sa.me sort, only they weren't to .be mentioned in the same day for strongness--or, if you made any com­ parison at all, it would be to compare the smelling salts to the smallest mite of a baby, and that ammonia to its big Goliath of a great-great-grandfatlier. $, "I didn't smell it but started for *"home with Old Blacky and father on ** say mind--Old Blacky, to see if I • couldn't find her and get that three dol- " lars, and father, because I wanted to P?get back as quick as I could. "Jt seemed rougher going back over | the hills than it had coming--I suppose because I was a little tired. Some­ times the way was through pasture lots, but mostly it was over fallow ground, bushy and stumpy, and plenty of rocks, but not many trees. There wasn't any roadway. "I hadn't got near to the summit trifen I saw something that made me stop short--something dark behind long ago. If all that man said was true, perhaps it would send him kiting down as good as if he'd been shot. "1 poured a lot of it on my handker­ chief, 'most all there was, looking out to keep a little back for father, till more could be sent for. I tried to keep from getting the smell of it myself, but the wind whiffed some of it into my face, and do the best I could it stran­ gled me so I came mighty near drop­ ping. "I held the handkerchief tight in my hand, and reached it down just as the bear poked his ugly muzzle up between the lower branches. He gave a big sniff as ,hp saw it coming, thinking, I suppose, he'd got me sure; and the next instant I was rubbing It like fury against his nose and into his eyes. "lie gave a most awful snort, and let go, and went crashing down on the stones and bushes. I thought for a moment he was dead, but he wasn't. He scrabbled himself up, and went snarling and tumbling over and over, down-hill Uke all possessed. "I didn't wait to see how far he went, though, for I dropped out of that tree, and put out of that neighborhood al­ most as lively as the bear had. After a while I took it easier, for I reasoned he wouldn't be likely to track me, after Snake Charmers. It is generally supposed that the ser­ pents exhibited by snake charmers have been deprived of their fangs, and thie is doubtless often the case, while one Instance at least is recorded in which the mouth of the snake had been sewn together to prevent it from biting. The writer noticed at the Ceylon Exhi­ bition, given some years ago in Lon­ don, that one of the snake charmers, finding the cobra he was exhibiting becoming too lively and aggressive, seized the reptile by the neck and thrust it hastily into the small round basket in which it was carried, at the same time pushing it with a voluminous white cloth, at which it bit savagely. Having almost closed the lid of the basket the man drew away^tho cloth violently, thus doubtless dragging out the fangs which were fastened in it. He then secured the basket and carried it away. This, of" course, required a large amount of cool courage as Well as great quickness of hand and eye, all of which qualities must be doubly nec­ essary in capturing and taming these deadly reptiles. But if we are aston­ ished at the skill and dexterity display­ ed by Indian snake charmers, still more mnst we marvel at the hardihood of the American Indians, who, in their snake dances, not only handle the dead­ ly rattlesnake with impunity, but abso­ lutely carry it about in their mouths.-- Westminster Review. The "Gibson Girl." There is scarcely a model in New York who has not claimed to have been the model of Charles Dana Gibson, but all future dispute will now end with the announcement that Mrs. C. D. Gibson will be the "Gibson Girl" for all time to come. The Gibsons were married in Balti­ more four years ago, and Richard MRS. GIBSON. Harding Davis, who had previously traveled in Eu­ rope with Mrs. Gibson, was one of the ushers. The wedding was attended by representative people from everywhere, and the young couple started out in life showered with rice and good wishes. It was at the horse show. New York, that Miss Langhorne and Mr. Gibson met for the first time, she indifEerently, and he fell in love at first sight. The courtship was a devoted one on his part, and finally at Mllrador, the hand­ some country seat of the Langhorne family in Virginia, the engagement was anounced. Those who followed Mr. Gibson's work at this time, when his style was being molded, declare that Miss Langhorne's face and Miss Langhorne's figure can be seen in all. the Gibson pictures. Certainly the most unprejudiced can follow the splen­ did lines which are her chief charnj; and can see the same magnlifljp$Qt posie of chin and head. .; nities afforded girls.for study were confined to the few weeks of summer vacation allotted to the male students, but this year, as In others to come, one may assumet they are to enjoy full privileges' with the me^It Is supposed, if the gx^efljnent proves successful, -follow tlie oxAmple set py Minnesota, gnd that jic nee forth farm life sent such unwonted attractions to farmer lads as to Induce them ^txi ^tay at ̂ bome.--Youth's Companion! Will Wed a Prince. The^tpagement of Miss Julia Dent Grdnt, granddaughter of Geri. Grant, to Pdfi.ce Oantacurzene, of Russia, has been confirmed by Brig. Gen. Frederick D. Grant, her fath­ er. Gen. Grant has given his consent to the m a t c h . M i s s y Grant Is 18 and the prince is 25. The couple met in Itome, five m o n t h s a g o . The prince Is an ofllcer in the Czar's imperial guard, and is now attached to the Russian embassy at Rome. Tho wedding will take place next winter. The young woman Is now abroad with her aunt, Mrs. Potter Palmer. The young prince possesses vast estates to the east of Moscow, where he main­ tains a magnificent chateau. A mem­ ber of the house of the prince was the Russian minister to the United States not many years ago. MISS GRANT. Wrinkles Phow Character. \$frlnkles are the bane of their pos­ sessors, who will even resort to sur­ gical operations to have them removed; yet others love them on faces that are dear. They are the marks of events and of character, and, much as we might like our own wrinkles removed, we could not spare one from the faces in the home circle. These character wrinkles are needed to give expression as youth passes; but there are complexion wrinkles, and these are sometimes helped by care. Bathing, exercise, proper food--these are all helps, and the nightly applica­ tion of an unguent keeps the skin pli­ able. But the best preventive of all Is, "Don't worry." The perpendicular wrinkles between the eyes come from two immediate causes: A need for glasses, which causes a strain on the eyes when reading^r working; and a habit of puckering the brow from un­ conscious imitation of others. It is a noticeable fact that the blind are with­ out these wrinkles.--Pittsburg Dis­ patch. 1 Heroine of a Romance. Mrs. Marie Conde Rogers recently died at her father's hame In Oswego, N. Y. As Marie Conde she was famous for her love romance with Ensign Stone, of the monitor Purl- tan, and tho heroic efforts her lovtfr made to marry her, despite the opposition of her father. Confle insist­ ed that Stone be court martia led, but he was honorably ac­ quitted. Last May, Miss Conde was married to young Rogers. The wedding was highly fash­ ionable In detail, the bride appeared like any other bride, and there was no suggestion of the romance that had gone before. But all remembered young Stone, who at that very moment was lying off the Cuban coast waiting for a sight of Cervera's fleet A Physician's Experience. A curious experience is related by a physician of Meudon. France. To examine the throat of one of his chil dreh, he held a lighted candle before its open mouth and placed the handle of a spoon on the base of the tongue, when there was a sudden flash of blue flame from the throat, and the doctor's mustache and the child's lips were were slightly burned. It is explained that the spoon probably produced a slight retching, which brought a little inflammable gas from the stomach. Lock of Exercise and Lack of Beauty. In some cases a poor complexion arises mainly from lack of exercise. Exercise gives rapidity to the move­ ment of the blood, stimulates digestion and calms the nerves, and is frequently more beneficial than any sort of ttfedi- clne, although It should not be indulged In immediately after meals. Physicians are beginning to recognize the fact that drugs are not the most potent restora­ tives, and that exercise, peace of mind, congenial society and recreation are not merely luxuries, but necessities, If good health is to be perserved. Toilet soap of inferior quality is extremely in­ jurious to the complexion. Only the best soap should be employed, and that does not necessarily mean the soap most expensive. Pure glycerine or olive oil soap, unseented, is very good and not specially costly. Shopgirl's Hard Lot. Persons complain that shopgirls do not Jump actively to "xvait upon them when they enter a store. Why not? Tfie other day I saw a girl approach a respectably dressed woman of middle age (that's 35) and heard her ask, over the counter, "What would you like, ma'am?" To this polite attention was shocked to hear the woman reply: "You shut up; don't you talk to me! can ask for what I want, and I don't want any impudence from clerks!" A few rebuffs from such creatures are quite enough to cool the ardor of any shopgirl.--New York Press. Mews to Moat Americana. Few people are aware that the first American captain general of Cuba was Andrew Jackson. It doesn't matter how often some peo­ ple change their minds they never suc­ ceed in getting a good one. Women have few friendship*; love Is mora to their liking. Woes of American Housewives. The English papers have discovered in some occult way that the servant girl problem has reached a crisis In the United States. They announce the formation of a Universal Domestic Ser­ vants' Union. Among the demands of this formidable organization--still, ac cording to the English press--are mini mum wages of $10 a month, two weeks holiday on full pay each year, one en tire day a week "off," a special parlor where they may receive their friends, and relief from cleaning stairs and windows. Girls Study Panning. Fifty girl students have this year en­ tered upon a full scientific course of farming at the agricultural college In Minneapolis. Heretofore the opportu MBS. ROGERS. Blander Which Stnrted as a Joke. 4^1. item is now going the lounds of the papers that there are 5,000,000 women;.iuuthe United States who use tobacco. 'It first saw the light as an alleged joke, the point being Ibat there are about that many womcti in the Philippines who are devotees of the goddess nicotine. BABY! Those who have to nurse sick chih dren should be very careful to wear a drees which does not rustle and shoes which do not creak. The bed should not be shaken, neither should I he nurse fidget near It, so as to disturb and needlessly fatigue the Invalid. A child should never be discussed within his own hearing. Unfortunate is that family where the little ones learn that they may appeal successful­ ly from one parent to another, or where upon one falls the onu:j of every necessary dailal or reproof, wtiile the other stands sponsor for ev%ry pleas­ ure and indulgence! A child should never be taught to walk. Let it roll and crawl about un­ til it gets old and strong enough to pull itself up into a standing position by holding on to a chair. Dreadful injuries are risked by teaching children to walk before their legs are strong enough to support the body. When old enough to exercise out of doors a chilcT should be allowed to play freely In the open air and sing and shout and tun as he pleases, thus developing the lungs and the muscles and strengthening the bones. Don'ts for Bachelors. Don't marry a smart girl--she'll h« lonesome. Don't marry an ignorant glrl--sht might never learn--her mistake. Don't marry a charitable girl--sh* might give you away. Don't marry a fast girl--you can'l keep up with her. Don't marry a clairvoyant--you'll have tfe»ay fqf the wraps. Don't aiarry a duchess--some one wll call yoi a Dutchman. IN THE OQULP HUWSERY. fay Gould's Grandchildren Are Vary C&arwiuKl4t*l*J>lka. > They are delightfully Interesting fhildren, these little ones of George J. 3ould. An afternoon spent in their playrooms In Georgia court Lake- wood, the winter home of the family, las left the happiest aort of Impres- ilons on my mind. *To be sure, there was rather a for­ midable array of governesses and white aproned nurses in evidence, and the exquisite dftlgUujss^of thg Jittle £lrls' frqeka and bootl^maae^childish frolic quit© an impossibility. Yet they ire graclgus, affectionate little bQdles th<I must sufely cfevelop Into women of ;harn} and beauty. £hey fraye the •ame dark, glorious eyes ami hair thal their mother has. and a grace of move- men! oa£"rarely seesjn children. ^ . Such playrttoutaTaTtheynaveT Th# »ntlre floor of one wing is given over to them, and there is no end to the pretty, childish things that go to make it a perfect fairyland. Little Marjory and Vivian have dolls quite the size of real babies. They were born on Christmas eve, they told me, and have Just re­ cently been put Into short clothes. Then there Is Lady Washington, with a most elaborate white coiffure and long trailing robes, besides a dozen or more interesting specimens of doll na- trfe, both boys and girls. There are the daintiest of canopied cradles for them to lie in and exquisite carriages to take the air in. Marjory is Just 8 years old and Vivian 3. They find giving home matinees about as much fun as anything. This is how they arrange them: The govern­ ess plays the piano while they dance In and out between chairs and draper­ ies. Sometimes there Is an audience, sometimes there is not--though the en­ tire family of dolls invariably occupies the orchestra chairs or smiles down from the tier of boxes arranged atop the piano and over the window ledge. Young George, Jr., whose third birth­ day has just gone by, has a playroom full of imported animals and choo-^choo cars; a real engine pulls a half a dozen coaches, and a trolley car fitted with gong and conductor's bell, bowls gayly along when his chubby finger touches the button. Kingdon and Jay are 11 and 10. They are out of doors from early till late, playing marbles, shinny and baseball. They are quite clever at polo and have some very handsome mounts. All the children are fond of books and music, their evenings being spent in listening to French and Germau sto­ ries read by their governess. JOHN HAY'S APRON. He Washed Dishe9 as His Mother Had Taught Him, John Hay's early and later careers were bound together by one common motive--to do his duty in that state of life into which it pleased God to calf him. He is now Secretary of State, he once was a "chorp-boy;" but he was al­ ways a bondman to duty. The follow­ ing anecdote, associated with the home­ ly life of his boyhood, contains this valuable lesson: "Act well your part, there all the honor lies." When John Hay was a boy he was a regular attendant of the Presbyterian Sunday school'at Warsaw, 111. The lessons consisted partly of committing to memory Bible verses, and to attain supremacy in this task created a strong rivalry among the scholars. John Hay was sure to come out ahead by several answers, causing those of his com­ rades who were always behind him to regard hijn with envy. Consequently, when some of the boys heard that' John had to wash dishes and do the churning for his mother, and, more than all, that he wore an apron while at these duties, they-fairly crowed. One morning it^was agreed by his comrades to get him out-of-doors while he had his apron on, and humiliate him by haVing two or three girls whom he rather liked ask him questions in re­ gard to his housework. Young Hay came out where the boys were, and answered the questions by saying that he washed dishes as his mother taught him; and then, with twinkling eyes, he gave the dlslipan which he had w^tJLi him a tremendous fling, contents and all, drenching who­ ever happened to be near enough, and laughing loudly ran into the kitchen. Hay and his big apron were never molested after that.--Youth's Compan­ ion. ' ' Sharp Retort. Lord Ersklne while at the bar was more noted for his eloquence as an ad­ vocate than for his ability as a lawyer. He was so fond of talking of himself, even in his speeches to juries, that he was nicknamed "Counsellor Ego." On a certain occasion, his indulgence In the habit provoked a humorous retort. At the trial of a patent for a shoe- buckle Ersklne exclaimed, "How would my ancestors have looked at this speci­ men of modern dexterity!" and went on to laud his ancestors, Scotch Highland­ ers, who went about without brteches, stockings or shoes. "If my brother's breecliless ances­ tor^" retorted the lawyer on the other side, "would have wondered at his shoe-buckle, their astonishment would have been greater at his shoes and stockings." Catching Flamingoes. The flamingoes which fish in a lake near Mount Ascotan, in the Andes, are easily caught by the Indians. The lake is fed by a hot spring, but most of the surface Is frozen every uight. Accord­ ingly the Indians, knowing that if the birds fish in the colder places they will be frozen fast by their legs, visit it every morning to seize them before the hot sun thaws the ice. The Brain's Weight. The average weight of the brain of an adult male is three pounds four ounces. The nerves are all connected with it directly or by the spinal mar­ row.* These nerves, with their branch­ es and minute ramifications, probably exceed 10,000,000 in number. A Reasonable Doubt. Judge--Prisoner, you are accused of stealing this watch. Are you guilty or not guilty? Prisoner--I's guilty, yo' honah, but I's 'splclous dat ain't de same watch what I stole.--Jewelers' Weekly. Men who live by their wits have no visible means of support. / A STUDY OF HEARTS. Wky She Was Sure He Could Kovei' , Drown HiatselC, .. She was a woman, therefore to hp ^ wooed. She, was but twenty, and that kind are not easy. He .was a jrounj man of fashion, full of promises an the smell of cigarette smoke, and hj !oved her with the entire purpose his life, perhaps that wasn't a great 3eal, because lie had too much tnonef to have a great deal of purpose, bt?£ ; what there was of It was all for her? And she didn't care a continental fofc/". him. He was neither of brilliant li£f' telllgence nor of masterful_ mind, anft^J..- his Inane vapidities bored her so tha£ at last, In self-defense, she firmly but "I shall put an end to my rnlserabli existence," he said, in terrible earn^sfr ness. She did not apply for a stay of cutlon, and he went forth Into the col& gray afternoon. - Half an hour later hei1 dearest friend came In. "Oh, Alice," she exclaimed, btiiTfetik ly, "what have you ever done to Ha#? ry? He looked the very picture oil desolation when I met him, and he toMf me he was going to drown himself." I . 'H- "I think not," replied the authoress;, •; v of all his woes. "•* "!•>£' "But he will, I am sure," insisted the visitor. "I could see it In his eyes. Fifei - positive he will go right down anil'1" jump into the river." ; "Perhaps," admitted the other, guitili Y- freely. "Then you think as I do--tliat he will drown himself? Oh, you " "I beg your pardon," interrupted the other. "I'm sure that he Won't He can't; he is too light to sink." Thus does a woman play rag-time on the strings by which she holds man's' heart in thrall.--Washington Star. DON'T LOSE YOUR WITS. Advice of a Man Who Has Had Plenty of Experience at Fire. "I have been an actor for twenty years," said Thaddeus Shine. "I have crossed the continent nine times. Nat­ urally I have slept in a good many hotels here and there. I have been caught in three hotel fires. The first time I came near Ming cremated. It happened because I was bounced out of bed at the first alarm, felt satisfied that I was as good as dead, bounded out of the room and rushed down the hallway. I didn't know where I was going. Like Kipling's stampeded sol­ dier, I didn't stop to see. The conse­ quence was- that I ran into the part of the building which was burning, turned to go back, found my escape cut off by smoke, fell insensible in a little while, and was dragged out by a fire­ man who stumbled over me. "There is but one thing to do when you are sleeping in a strange place and the fire call Is sounded. Get out of bed swiftly but quietly, put on your shoes, trousers and coat and pick up your val­ uables, If you have any. You can do all this in five minutes or less by work­ ing steadily and coolly. By the time you get it done you will know in whait direction you want to go and how to get there. Hotels don't burn down in ten minutes these days, and with the present efficiency of the fire depart­ ments in the large cities not one in 100 of them that catch on fire burns down at ail. When a thing of this kind comes up 'make haste slowly' is a motto that every man and woman ought to re­ member. It is the crazed ones who die."--Chicago Chronicle. The Trekking Wagon. The South African wagon Is a long, heavy cart mounted on four high wheels, as a rule, with a sort of can­ vas tent over the back half, leaving the front clear to carry the miscellaneous furniture of Its owner, drawn by six­ teen or twenty oxen, curiously fierce- looking with their Immense spread of horn, sometimes as much as eight feet from tip to tip and rarely less than six, but in reality as patient and hard­ working beasts as one could wish to find. Their mode of progression is cer­ tainly slow, but there is a strangeness and a fascination about it which may draw men to it almost as the Alps draw their devotees. In front there marches the "voor-looper," generally a small boy, leading the two foremost oxen by a rein or rope passed through their nostrils. The driver walks along­ side with the long and terrible whip he uses so unsparingly, or else sits on the front of the wagon and gets off occa­ sionally to lash up the whole team with unfailing impartiality. The traveling is all done at night, starting a little be­ fore sunset and marching till perhaps 11 or 12 o'clock; then there is a halt till a little before the first signs of dawn, when they go on again till the sun begins to get hot overhead, and then they lie by for the day.--Gentle­ man's Magazine. Profit-Sharing. Profit-sharing of a unique character has been established In connection with the operation of a laundry trust in Pittsburg. Broadly sketched, the company will put aside $100,000 of Its capital to be used for the benefit of its employes. Upon entering the employ­ ment of the company there will be placed to the credit of each driver $1,000 of this stock, and at the end of each year of service $100 will become absolutely his. In ten years he becomes the possessor of $1,000 worth of stock. The earnings of this stock thus set aside, wljile undistributed, will be placed in a relief fund to be disbursed by the employes to such of their num­ ber as from sickness or accident re­ quire aid, and subject to rules to be es­ tablished by the employes themselves. Upon the death of a beneficiary the value of his earned stock will be paid to his dependent relatives. More con­ sideration is shown for the drivers than for the other employes, because the dVivers have to face all kinds of weather, but the other employes, near­ ly all of whom are girls, are not over­ looked. These will be cared for when they are ill, buried If they die, and be given a dowry when they marry, the amount of the marriage portion to de­ pend upon the profits of the trust- New York Evening Post Coming Anniversary in Ireland. In 1900 Iceland will celebrate the nine hundredth anniversary of the in* troduction of Christianity Into the island. The man who la always late has his ahortcomlngs. /