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PRISON PHILOSOPHY. " ' -t ̂ Thc following is one of a number of poems written by a convict In an English §T>-' I cannot take my walks abroad, . I'm under lock and key; And much the public I applaud „ For their kind care of me. The honest pauper in the street Half naked I behold; _ Whilst I am clad from head to feet, And-covered from the cold. -Thousands there are who scarce can tell Where they may lav their head; But I've a warm and well-aired cell, A hath, good books, good bed. While they are fed on.workhouse fare And grudged their scanty food, Three times a day my meals I get, -- Sufficient, wholesome, good. Then to the British public health, Wha^ftll our carc relieves, And while they treat us as they do, They'll never want for thieves! LITTLE LENA. LONG the banks of the great Mis­ sissippi K i v e r, from the head of navigation to the Gulf, the traveler •ulay see a great number of white posts with a dia­ m o n d s h a p e d board fastened at the top. to w hich ^•iiis Securely locked a square lantern; a step ladder resting against the post renders the lantern accessible. These are the Government post lights, used by the pilots of the steamers that ply up and down the river, as beacons to mark the steamboat channel. There are some 1.600 of these lights on the rivers of the United States. Keepers for them are selected from among the people living along'the river, many of them being women, who, as a general rule, make better keepers than the men. The pay averages about §10 a month, and often this is the only cash money that some of them receive. As a class they are honest and faithful to their trust, and realize the importance of their charge. Many queer and interesting charac­ ters ar£ met with among them, and many a strange history is locked up in their liyes. Innumerable are the acts of heroism, bravery and unselfish devo­ tion that often leak out. and which speak louder than words of the honest, hearts of these plain people who serve Uncle Sam in this humble way. One ease in particular stands out now in my mind, that of a little Dutch girl named Lena. Her life was a short but sad one. and we all took great in­ terest in her for she grew up almost under our eyes. I first met her when she was about 0 years of age. We had landed one day to put up a light on the Mississippi River, and while the men were at work I wandered out into the woods to gather some nuts, wlie,n I came upon a little fiaxen-liaired • girl singing away, happy as a lark. Jsear her lay a little dog--part "rat-and-tan" and tlie other part "just plain dog." He was a faithful friend to her, and no stranger was allowed to come near his little mistress unless she first spoke to him. The dog barked at me, which caused the child to turn quickly, and on seeing me she smiled and asked me if I would like some of the pecans she had 1892, we came to the light aiid whistled, and after landing no little w hite head came down to meet us. Everything was so. still and strange. What could it mean? The faces of tlie mate and the colored deckhands lengthened, as they saw me run down the stage plank, tip through the dead weeds towards the. cabin, for they knew something had gone wrong. I knocked at the cabiu door, entered and found the old man alone. "Where is Lena?" I asked. "Oh, sir, she is gone; lost In the high water." „ The old man broke down and wept albud; and I am afraid tyf&t I used my handkerchief a good deal. ; "I did not want her to go to the light. It was so stormy, and the rwer so rough," the-old man saicl.-"^ must,' the child answered. 'I promised the boss of the light-house boat that LWould put the light up every night; and so I must keep my word.' 'f It seemed that the mother had run away again, some months before, never to return, and the child had attended to the light, which had been moved to an island about half a utile from shore. She had gone in a skiff to light the lamp: The water in the slough which tlie child had to cross had become swol- en to a raging torrent, the wind blow­ ing a gale, whipping the white caps in­ to a froth, causing the driftwood to cir­ cle round in a mighty whirlpool, drag­ ging the frail boat with the brave little girl into its awful mouth, to be swal­ lowed hi the yellow, angry waters. They found her little, bruised body caught in a wire fence at the foot of Haddon's field some miles below, her bright little face torn by the cruel barbs on the wire fence. Thus did little Lena die, doing what she deemed her duty. The light still stands in,the old man's name, and he receives the pay. but an­ other keeper, who lives some two miles away, does the work, pulling four miles each day in all kinds of weather, so that the old, blind man may not starve. They laid her to rest at the foot of the bluff back of Doogan's slough, arid there on the green hillside, within a stone's throw of the old cabin, the only home she knew, where she had spent her sad little life, lies all that is mortal of poor little Lena. Sad. indeed, are the thoughts that come up in my mind when I visit the little green mound, with only a stake to mark it, and a few fence rails thrown around to keep the cattle out. Sleep on. sleep on, my brave little friend: 'tis better thus by far, for now you are away above the overflow, the trials and the evils of this wicked, wicked world.--St. Louis Post Dis­ patch. AXMEN OF THE PACIFIC COAST. LENA, THE LIGirr-TEXDER. gathered. She seemed not a bit afraid, and chatted with me in her queer little way until we became quite good friends. I asked her who she was, her age, and where she lived. She told me that she did not have any father, that he had gone away ever so long ago, even before she was born; that she lived with her mother and grandfather in the little log house near by. Her grandfather was blipd, and the only support they had was what the mother could earn by working for the neighbors and by the little patch of corn and garden truck they raised in a small clearing ba^k of the cabin. walked with the child down to the house and there found the grandfather, an old man, wrinkled with age and ex­ posure and blind. I asked him about himself and the child. He told me that he came from Holland and had been i% this country, some time, and had suf­ fered great misfortune. His wife had been dead a number of years, and his family had become scattered. His daughter, a fair woman of 22, the mother of tlie child, had given him a | great deal of trouble. She had been very wild, and some years before she ran away with agood-lookingyoungfel­ low; on;e of a party that were making a survey of a new railroad near the place where they lived. She was soon deserted by the man. who became tired of her. She returned, sick and forlorn, to the old home in the woods, bringing a little babe with her. We appointed the old man keeper of the light with the understanding that his daughter would do the work. Three years rolled round, and all dur- Ing our visits to tlfe light we were al­ ways sure of a welcome from little Lena, who, as soon as she heard our boat whistle would run down the bank, ready for the gang plank to be thrown out, when she would run on board and bound up stairs, always with a present for. her friend. Sometimes it was a wild flower, nuts or pop-corn, a pair of flying squirrels, or a coon, and once a little white kitten that we nam<'d - "Lena." - One day, however, in the spring of m - . TwoExperts toJJe Sent to Australia to Show What They Cuii Do. There are probably no more skilled axmen in the world than the wood- choppers of the Pacifi* Northwest. Some of them can saw or chop a tree so that it will fall in any desired direc­ tion, and it is even said, by the New York Evening Post, that they can drive a stake in the ground and fell a tree so that in striking the ground it will bury the stake out of sight. Two of the picked lumbermen of the North­ west are to be sent over to Australia next autumn to compete with their fel­ low craftsmen in that part of the world. The following letter to the Pu- get Sound Lumberman from Latrobe, Tasmania, explains the manner of the competition in which they will be en­ tered: "In your isstle of September, 1893, you mention the United Austra­ lasian Axmen's Association, and also the fact that you have splendid axmen in the Pacific Northwest. Now these latter are just what we want to reach, because we want to induce the best men among them to come and see if they can compete with the Tasuian- ians and Australasians in wood-chop­ ping contests. We hold our next an­ nual exhibition at Ulverstone, Tas­ mania, Nov. 28 and 29 next, for which I enclose a program. We are offering liberal prizes, and if two competitors come from the Pacific Northwest--and come proving by reference from you that they represent your country in these contests--we will guarantee them £25 ($125) each for traveling expenses, or £50 (250) for the tw:o; . besides we will give free entry to all contests. They will have to meet our champions on level terms in the championship contests, but if they enter in the handi­ caps they would get starts from our best men. Private matches could also be arranged." • >. 4 COFFEE. jgBf pwf LENA'S HOME AT DOOGAX S SLOUGH Some Valuable Points About Roast* i s ing the Berry. When the wind is in just the right direction, says the Chkcago Ttecord, the atmosphere of State street for some distance on both sides of, the river is heavy with the breakfast-time odor of coffee. The odor conies from the top row of windows--always wide agape-- of a huge brick building close to the river, and on busy days the blue emoke from the coffee-roasters pours out in great clouds, mingling with the Ecot from the tugs in tJtje.watQr below. Here yiuch of tlie coffee used in Chi­ cago is prepared for the housewife. It comes in great coarse gunny-sacks, cov­ ered with all sorts of cabalistic signs in red and black paint, and as soon as it is unloaded workmen trundle it away to the elevator. It goes upstairs to a great, dusty, smoky room, redolent of tropical odors, where it is dumped into bins--a bin for each different variety or grade. Along one side of the room stands a row of great iron roasters, which give out a pleasant humming souiid not unlike that of a Swiftly run­ ning dynauio: They are simple but highly ingenious machines. The inte­ rior portion is made of a hollow cylin­ der holding several hundred pounds, and filled with innumerable little holes. Underneath it a furnace fire is kept burning, its. flariie being controlled by means of an air blast. When the raw coffee has been placed in the cylinder and tho door closed a shaft begins to revolve at a low rate of speed, turning the cylinder with it and thoroughly mixing up the coffee. Easy as it may seem, roasting is in reality a very diffi­ cult process. Only a man who has had vast experience can be trusted to do it. It' the berries are roasted either too lit­ tle or too much, some of the aroma of the coffee is lost, and it is neither so agreeable to the taste nor so exhilar­ ating iu its effect Each variety re­ quires a different time for roasting, and unless the master workman, who knows fill about such things, is very careful, the purchaser will say that his coffee has been adulterated. Indeed, improp­ er roasting is the prime cause for the abuse to which the boarding-house landlady is subjected. When the coffee berries have swelled up and become brown enough the tire is suddenly shut off. Then, in a cloud of heavy blue smoke, the cylinders are raked empty and recharged. When the coffee is cool enough it goes to the pack­ ing or grinding room. In the packing- room it is,shoveled into barrels, pails, sacks and pound paper packages, ready for shipment to the retailers. In the grinding-room the coffee is fed into the funnel-sliaped mouth of the machine, the wheels whir and the granulated coffee pours out of the nozzle below. It is then packed, usually in one-pound paper parcels. Iu this form it goes to the country trade. The city consumer prefers to see his coffee before it is ground, and he therefore buys it at the grocery, and it. is put through the mill before his eyes. Or he can take it home and grind it himself. Fifteen years ago most coffee went to the consumer IV the green state and it was roasted i/6 open pans, half the time being buried and made bitter and biting and lyklf the time it was not browned enough, resulting in a "weak" drink. Now iully 99 per cent, is roasted by the coffee jliouses, of which Chicago lias the largest in the world. This fact has tended to\make coffee better in taste, thereby \largely increasing its consumption. Europe still continues to use the old-fashioned methods of roasting, and the coffee is therefore poor and tea is the more popular drink. Ran That Court Right. A country justice of the peace called upon a retired attorney some time ago, and after presenting a statement of facts, asked, as a matter of friendship, for a legal opinion upon them. This the attorney gave. When the attorney had finished, the "Squire" rose and said: ^ /'Well, those are just the facts in a case I am a-going to try next Saturday in my court, and I knowed you would give me the right kind of an opinion, so I come to you. The costs in that case will be just §7.50, and I am willing to divide with you. When I was a candi­ date, some of the folks in my county 'lowed I didn't know enough to run this ollico, and I intend to show them that I do. The next case I lvive I will come to you again, and we w 1 run that court right, or bust a liamst ng a-trying." With that, the justice of the peace dropped $3.75 on his astonished friend's desk and took his departure, satisfied that his first case would get the right kind of a decision when it came up for trial on the following Saturday. stock ormuslc Isn't: very large, BLnd fI suppose he thought If there was going to be a delay he'd better save It up, an' so he began playing hymn tunes; and hewfl^just startlng^out lnto 'Come, ye disconsolate,' when Hattle and her young Jinancamein the door. ...."I guess they were so flustered they didn't know what was being played, and as for Samuel lie never looked round till lie got to the end of the verse, an' so the weddln' procession marched up the aisle to 'Come, ye Disconso­ late."' • ;• -'-- • • Sensitive Because of Her Age. Many persons show so strange A sen­ sitiveness to the question of age, tha^> their friends may well avoid the en­ tire subject. When Mrs. S. C. Hall was at least 70 years old, she met at-a re­ ception a young clergyman, wrlio win apparently delighted to see her. "Mrs. Hall," said he, "I remember reading your books when I ,was a child, and that I was especially charmed by the Irish stories." "Then, sir," flashed Mrs. Hall, "If you read my books--when you were a child, you ought to know better than to say so!" -The mother of Julia Ivavanagh was a woman of great intellectual power and unusual force of character/ but even when she was 80 years old she was ashamed of her age. One day she went with her French maid to the cemetery at Nice, to visit the tomb she had erected to her daugh­ ter. The two were standing before tlie stone, when the maid innocently read the inscription. Julia Kavauagh had then been dead seven years, and her ago, 54, was of course recorded. "Madame must be very old!" re­ marked the maid. "Old!" exclaimed Mrs. Ivavanagh. "Why should 1 be old? What do you know about my age?" "Mademoiselle was 54 when she died," continued the girl, "and she lias been dead some time. Therefore inad- anie must be Very old." Mrs. Kavanagh said nothing, but tlie next day she sent a mason to the ceme­ tery and had the telltale figures re­ moved. A BIRD KITE. Sparrows Took It for an Enemy and Riddled It. Tommie.Caxuthets, the son of a well- AVell Met. An amusing story is told of Robert Franz, the famous German song-writer, and another equally celebrated compos­ er. The incident occurred soon after the publication of Franz's famous "Open Letter to Edward Hanslick," in which he made severe criticism upon some musical work of the composer, Johannes Brahms. Franz had occasion at that time to take a five or six hours' trip by rail. In the compartment with him was a lit­ tle man with whom he fell into conver­ sation. The fellow-travelers found each other delightful, and whiled the hours away in agreeable talk, wThich did not turn upon music. When tiie train reached Franz's des­ tination, he took out his card-case, say­ ing to his companion: "You have made me pass a most de­ lightful afternoon; allow me to give you my card." The stranger seemed highly grat­ ified, and offered Franz his card iu re­ turn. Each looked at tlie bit of paste­ board he had received iu amazement The stranger's eyes opened wide at read­ ing the name of his merciless critic, "Dr. Robert Franz," while Franz him­ self was equally astounded at reading on tlie card »in his hand, "Johannes Brahms." There was no time for mutual ex­ planations, but each of the musicians had discovered that however their ideas might differ from a musical standpoint, they were at least admira­ ble traveling companions, and had found much to enjoy in each other. What a Coin JMd. A coin is in itself a history. There was once a lost city which owes its place to a coin. For over a thousand years no one knew where Pandosia was. History told us that at Pandosia King Pyrrlius collected' those forces with which he overran Italy, and that he established a mint there; but no one could put their finger on Pandosia, • Eight years agp sj. cqin came under the sharp eyes of ;a ̂ utuTSftfenst There Were the letters Pandosia inscribed on it but, what was better, there was an emblem, indieatiyw of a well-known river, the Cratliig. Tberi everything was revealed with the same, certainty as if the piece of money had been an atlas, and Pandosia, the mythical city, was at once given its proper position in Bruttium. Now, a coin may be val­ uable for artistic merit, but when it elucidates a doubtful point in history or geography its worth is much en­ hanced. This silver' colli, which^lid not weigh more than a shilling, be­ cause it cleared up the mystery of Pandosia, was. worth to the British Museum $1,000, the price they paid for it. Old men are so neglected that the^ usually look like a comb with half the teeth out The Bride Was Late. Mrs. I'eevy had just returned from a wedding, iu the little country church, and was describing the scene to her husband, who had been too lazy to "fix up" and go to see it for himself. Of course she must tell him who was there, and how the bride was dressed. Then she began to laugh, as if at tlie recol- lection of something most uncommonly amusing. "Of course I knew Hattie Francis wouldn't be on time, even if it was her own wedding." Mrs. Peevy remarked, as slie carefully removed her best black kid gloves and laid them away in soft, white paper, as was her custom; "but I must say that her being fifteen minutes behindhand was rather unfortunate." "Did Sam's Gregg get tired out at the organ 'fore they come in?" inquired Mr. Peevy. "He told me that Hattie's city beau had charged him to begin prompt at 7 o'clock, and play till 'twas all over. I understand he was to have $5 for the job." "Well, he earned it," said Mrs. Peevy, with a grim smile. "He began to play -at 7 sharp, and they were to be there at quarter past. He played the music just as he'd been ordered, and at quar­ ter past 7 he struck into the wedding, march." "Was the couple there?" interrupted Mr. Peevy; "No!" responded his wife; "but there wasn't anybody quick enough to climb up the winding stairs to the organ and stop Samuel from going on, and he's deaf, anyway. But when he got to that middle part where it goes tee:tum-- tee-tum--tee-turn--I can't sing it," broke off Mrs. Peevy, after three shrill at­ tempts each higher than the preceding one--"I can't slug it but when he got to that place he iwisted round on the Stool, arid saw that the procession wasn't.there. v "Well, it confused him some, and his Burros Find Water. Tho Mexican burros have good horse- sense; they know in a "dry and .thirsty land" where to dig for water. A corre­ spondent of the Pittsburg Dispatch de­ scribes their close observation of the surface of the ground and subsequent discovery: We had found in an arroyo a suffi­ cient quantity of water to make coffee, when we observed three burros search­ ing for water. They passed several damp places, examined the ground closely, when the leader halted near us and commenced to paw a hole iu the dry, hot sand with his right forefoot. After a while he used his left forefoot. Having dug a hole something over a foot in depth, he backed out and watch­ ed it intently. To our surprise it soou commenced to fill with water. Then he. advanced and took a drink, and stepping aside, in­ vited, I think, the others to take a drink; at all events they promptly did so, and then went away, when we...gpt down and took a drink from their well. This water was cool and refreshing; much better, in fact, than we had found for many a day. He Couldn't Remember. An old gentleman, who was very ab­ sent minded, often had to ring for his servant and say: "Thomas, I am looking for some­ thing, aud now I can't remember what it is." And then Thomas would suggest: "Your purse, sir, or spectacles,, or check-book?" and so on, until the old gentlemau would say at last: "Of course, that's it. ,Thank you, Thomas." One uiglit the old gentleman had gone to his room, all were In bed, when Thomas was startled by hearing his master's bedroom bell. He rushed up­ stairs and threw open the door. - "Thomas," said the old gentle-nan. "I came,, up herer for something and now I can't remember what it was." "Wasn't it to go to bed, sir?" "Of^ourse," said tho old gentleman; "so it was. Thank you, Thomas. known resident of tlie West End, Was until yesterday the proud possessor of a kite which had be^n the envy of his playmates' the whole, flying season. Tommle's grandfather brought'him the kite from Japan nearly a year ago, and the little fellow has been keeping it carefully housed since then, waiting'for fin opportunity tp mount it. ji attract­ ed considerable attention on its first appearanee, and has been the delight of the neighborhood ever since. In point of fact, the kite was really a thing of beauty, representing a big brown bird with spread wings of gorgeous hue. Yesterday While Tommie was flying is kite it struck a plane of air not ore than 50 feet up, and went skim- mk-iug along on it like a real live bird, nomand then darting a little to right or left, but bearing straight on till it rested squarely over a neighboring barnyard. Then the fun began. The yard was full of fowls, clucking and scratching and nesting, and when one of the more alert cocks spied the big bird outspread overhead he sent the news of danger circulating round the inclosure to the tune of double-quick. In a moment the whole'lot was in commotion. Roosters crowded, hens cackled and sqtiawked and gathered their broods around them, running hither and thither for safety. The poor things expected every minute to be their last, perhaps, and were riot a little astonished when the hovering bird failed to swoop down upon them and scatter death and destruction in their camp. At this stage of the game, while the chickens were still uncertain as to their ultimate fate, re-enforcements arrived iu the shape of a bevy of English spar­ rows. The spry little fellows were game from tip to tail, and stood not upon the order of their going either, but lit into the gorgeous Japanese kite like animated hailstones pelting a spread sail. It was fun to see the evi­ dent enjoyment those sparrows took in putting that kite to rout. They pecked and dabbed and. tore and clawed the poor paper wings, literally riddling the kite before Tommie knew what was happening and could draw it in. No doubt it was the easiest victory those spunky little sparrows ever won. --Nashville Correspondent Philadel­ phia Times. Bores. In a recent lecture on "bores" the Rev. Dean Hole, an English clergy­ man, declared that the industrious ag­ riculturist was as often the victim of bores as any one else, though these troublesome'persons are commonly sup­ posed to appertain to a more artificial grade of society. But the agriculturist has at least the recourse, which is sel­ dom resorted to in the grade of society which is pleased to call itself "polite," of telling the bore what he thinks of him. Dean Hole relates that an industri­ ous farmer was visited one day by an idle and braggart neighbor who talked and talked, and wasted a. whole after- uoon- When at last the idle -THi-mer was about to depart, the industrious farmer said to him: "Goin' through the town?" "Yaas." "Know the cooper's shop?" "Yes--fellow that makes barrels." "Well, just stop there and have a couple of hoops put around your waist, or you'll burst with self importance." The "professional humorist" is also privileged to retort upon bores. Such a man, the elder Mr. Grossmith, in­ quired of a certain very tedious per­ son as to the state of his health. "Between three and four o'clock this morning," sighed the bore, "I was at death's door!" "At death's door!" exclaimed Gros­ smith. "Oh, why didn't you go in!" Doctors in Sweden. Sweden has doctors, but no doctors' bills. If you have occasion to call a physician, says Mr. Thomas, iu his "Sweden and the Swedes," you will find him not only skillful in his profes­ sion, but a highly educated and most honorable gentleman. You will also have another proof of the honesty of the Swedes, and their friendly confi­ dence in each other. Swedish doctors send no bills to their patients. What you shall pay your physician is left entirely to your own choice. The rich pay him liberal­ ly. whether they have need of his ser­ vices or not, if he lias been once re­ tained by them. The poor pay him a small sum, and the very poor pay him nothing. Yet he visits the poor as faith­ fully as the rich. On tlie last day of the year you put into an envelope, addressed to your physician, a sum of money which you think not only sufficient to compensate him, but iri accordance with your own positiop in life, and enclosing your card with the money, send the envelope by a servant to your doctor. The servant returns with the card of the doctor in a sealed envelope directed to you. This shows that he has received your money, and no word about the matter ever passes between you. Should you send him nothing, he will come and prescribe for you all the next year, and as long as you live; and he is too dignified ever to say a word about it. Had Famous Friends. The late Samuel Staples, of Concord, Mass., was famous for his friends, among $$iom were Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott and Bull, the inventor of the Concord grape. Mr. Staples was at one time the town jailer, and he once had Alcott and Thoreau for prisoners, the former for a few hours, the latter for a night Alcott's offense was the non­ payment of a small tax debt, which he refused on principle. "I never lieerd a man talk honester," said Mr. Sta­ ples. Emetson and Alcott were imme­ diate neighbors of Mr. Staples, and on his first marriage Emerson was the of­ ficiating clergyman, while Alcott was present as a witness. It was his pride that he had taken care of the property of more shiftless persons In Goucord than any other man. . ' ' y; •• •: Temperature of the Feet. Few persons realize how much the condition of the feet affects our general health. The Journal of Hygiene gives some excellent suggestions on how to' keep the feet warm: Congestion of the head, throat, or any of the organs of the chest and abdomen is relieved by a goo<.\ circulation in the feet and legs. Being far, from the vital,apparatus, and thus liable to be- come cold, they are, in addition, kept in the coldest part j>f the room. Dur­ ing the cold season Jthe air at the floor is several degrees colder than that at the celling. The anxious mother shows her familiarity with this fact when she says: "Children, you must not lie on the'floor; you will catch cold." Notwithstanding the marked differ­ ence; the feet have less clothing than the body. Our chests would suffer on a cold day if they had but a single thickness of cotton and one of mprocco. Warmth of the lower extremities is in­ dispensable to health of the head and chest. Cold bathing, friction, stamping and other exercise, will generally se­ cure the needed temperature in these parts." But in many, ^hose vitality is low, and wbose occupation compels Wong sitting, the feet, oven with the riieasures suggested, will become cold. To uucb I advise the use of artificial means. A jug filled with warm vvater, and placed under a stool which Is stuffed and carpeted, will diffuse a gen­ tle heat-about the feet, and secure a temperature equal to that about the head. KLEPTOMANIACS IN SOCIETY. Stories of Thieving in High Life that Are interesting If True. "I don't suppose you have any klep­ tomaniacs in society in Washington," said a New York dowager the other night at dinner, "but Ave have them in, New York. The last great ball I went to Avlth my daughter we wore very hand-t, some sealskin wraps. Arriving at the dressing-room, the checks for-them were handed out and my daughter put them between her teeth for a moment while she was adjusting a portion of her dress. She had occasion to speak to me and so dropped the checks on the floor, and we "were about to hurry off to the ball-room'. '• "I was determined, however, not to lose our wraps, and so sent fbr^a friend who was one of the reception commit­ tee, and we went into the cloak-room, Where I identified the sealskin wraps and got fresh checks for them. At the close of the ball, when \ve went for them, the man in charge told me that Mrs. Blank, one of the ultra-fashiona­ ble women of the Four Hundred, had presented the lost checks arid insisted upon my sealskin wraps being deliv­ ered to hei\ When she was informed of what had occurred in the matter of issuing new checks and the visit of the member of the reception committee to the cloak-room, she worked herself into a fine frenzy and walked off indig­ nantly. "Upon another occasion, at one of the great weddings, quite a dramatic scene occurred. The bridal presents were all ostentatiously displayed to excite the envy and, gratify the curiosity of the guests. A detective in plain clothes was in the room. He saw a well- known, beautifully dressed woman go up to the table and begin admiring and commenting on the beauty of every­ thing with great enthusiasm. She picked up a diamond bracelet and adroitly concealed it. The detective kept his eye on her. and as she was leaving the house to get into her car­ riage he stepped up to her and said: " 'Excuse me, madam, but haven't you forgotten to leave your wedding pres­ ent?', She was equal to the emergency and pulled herself together with that consummate alacrity which amounts to genius in her sex, and Said: 'Oh, yes, so I have. Thank you very much. Very good of you, indeed.' Then she calmly swept back to the table where the presents were displayed and de­ posited the bracelet with the box which contained it, tlie detective's eye taking it all in with an amused and quizzical expression."--Washington Post. He Remembered His Lung. As knowledge increases, it becomes more and more impossible for any one man to study everything. Those who would master one branch of science, must be' Contented to remain ignorant of much that it would be pleasant to know. A singular example of absorp­ tion in a chosen specialty is furnished by "an eminent Scotch surgeon and professor," of whom an exchange re­ lates an anecdote: The poet Tennyson once consulted liini about some affection of the lungs, and some years afterward went to him again on the same errand. On being announced, the poet was nettled to observe that the surgeon not only did not remember his face, but did not even recognize his name. He mentioned his former visit. Still the surgeon failed to recall him. Then the surgeon put his ear to his patient's chest. "Ah," lie said. "I remember you now. I know you by your lung." He knew nothing about the author of "In Memoriam," but he knew his business, and remembered perfectly the peculiar sound of that ailing lung. Rise of the Rothschilds. The Rothschild millions were started on a solid foundation--that of integrity. Mayer Rothschild was a broker in a small way. He lived in humble stylo and was content witli^small earnings. The revolution raged audjJie French wrere at the gates of the oilj. One dark and stormy night the Lffndgrave knock­ ed at the door of the banker's house and said: "Here are my treasures, my jewels, with three million thalers. I must fly! • You are honest and are too poor to be suspected. Keep this for­ tune till better times." The city was sacked and the house of the Rothschild's was not spared. Long after the Landgrave knocked at the banker's door and said: "Peace has come at last, but I'm penniless. Will you lend me a small sum?" "I will loan you," said the banker, "three million of thalers. I lost my own money but kept yours. 1 used it as capi­ tal. Out Of it I have made a fortune. And now 1 return your money with 5 per cent, interest for its use." Honesty and Work. John Stephenson was the greatest car builder in the world. When a young man he was a wagon maker and lo­ cated his shop near the omnibus stables when this method of locomotion was new. Stephenson thought he could make an omnibus as well as a wagon. When street cars were introduced the Harlem road gave the young mechanic the contract to build the cars. He worked till he got tlie monopoly of the business, by building a better car at a lower price than any other maker. London and Liverpool can get better and cheaper cars in New York than at home. Stephenson's cars are to-day running in St. Petersburg and Berlin; in Austria and Australia; in London and Bombay; in Canada and South America. Typhoid in the Paris Garrison. • Through the supply of pure spring water to the Paris garrison the num­ ber of typhoid cases, which in 1S89 reached the alarming figures of nearly 1,200, has since dwindle down to less than 300. The troops have not been exempt however, from the ravages of the influenza epidemic, though last year only 314 cases and forty-five deaths were recorded^ Still, there is a great Improvement, foy the death rate, which between 1880 and 1SSG was 8 per 1,000, has since diminished to G per 1,000. ̂ Treat spring just as you would a friend you have not learned to trust. Richard Hardfng Davis has a new story, "Miss Delamar's Understudy," waiting to apear in one of the mdga. zines. Guy Boothoy, the author of "The/Mar­ riage of Esther," first became known to •|padersp4hrough his booHKof Austra­ lian travel entitled "On the Wqllaby." The story on which Du Maurier is reported to be engaged is a very long story of life in England and France, and it Is said already to have Received a name--"The Martians." The author will himself illustrate it , | Miss Vida D. ScUdder, associate pro­ fessor of English literature in Welles ley College, is the author of "The Life of the Spirit in the Modern Eriglish Poets." It is a keen analysis of the poetry of Wordsworth, Shelley, Tenny­ son, Arnold, Clough, and Browning. W. T, Stead's first novel will appear in the course of the year, and will be called "A Modern Maid in Modern Babylon." It, is the story of the ex­ periences of a young girl who came to London some years ago, and whose adventures are faithfully set down in Mr. Stead's pages. ' , The wife of Thomas Hardy acts as his amanuensis, what time she is not sketching, painting in water-colors, and playing hostess to her many guests. During the winter the pair live at Dorchester, in a house of which the novelist himself was the architect. They stay in London during the sea­ son, and the rest of the year spend in travel. Bill Nye is a man of very sober de­ meanor, and rarely cracks jokes out­ side of newspaper columns. lie has been known, however, to play a practi­ cal joke on a friend. When Lieuten­ ant XJreeley started on his expedition to the North Pole, Nye gave him a sealed box that was not to be opened until he had reached his farthest point north. It contained axle-grease for the pole. UNCLE SAM'S ARMY. The Number of Available Men, Unor ganized, Is Over t>,500,000. Secretary Lamont has sent to the House an abstract of the military force of the United States for the year 1894, compiled from the latest returns re­ ceived by the adjutant general of the army, says Public Opinion. The state­ ment shows the organized militia strength by States, gives the number of commissioned officers, noncommis­ sioned officers, musicians and privates and the number of men available for military duty unorganized. The grand aggregate is 9,505 commissioned of­ ficers, 20,410 noncommissioned officers, 4,047 musicians, 107,394 privates, xjfjd tlie number of men available for mili­ tary duty unorganized . is 9,5S2,S0G. Given by States, the aggregate organ­ ized strength (commissioned and non­ commissioned) and organized men available is as follows: Organ Avail­ States. ized. able. Alabama 2,982 105,000 Arkansas 1,079 205,000 California 4,94S 188.072 Colorado . . . . . 1 , 0 2 1 85,000 Connecticut ...... 2,842 98.779 Delaware 421 28,008 Florida 1,011 00,714 Georgia 4,194 264,021 13,932 Illinois 5.3i:; 700,000 Indiana 2,581 481,192 Iowa 2,478 209,51(1 Kansas 1,724 100,000 Kentucky 1.471 405,000 Louisiana 1,249 138,439 Maine 1,241 98.978 Maryland 1,907 160,000 Massachusetts ... 0,000 389,529 Michigan 2.878 260.000 Minnesota 1.900 160,000 Mississippi 1.700 233.480 Missouri 2,090 380,000 Montana 517 25.000 Nebraska 1,248 132.000 Nevada 549 0,24,S Now Hampshire... 1.M37 55,000 New Jersey 3,970 284,887 New York 12,840 750,000 North Carolina... 1,059 240.000 North Dakota.... 545 50,000 Ohio G,057 645,000 Oregon . . . . . . 1 , 5 0 5 46,365 Pennsylvania .... 8,932 806,230 Rhode Island..... 1,372 73,945 South Carolina... ..J. . 4.G74 181.000 South Dakota.... . . . . . 7 9 9 - .35.000 Tennessee 3,309 169,000 3,000 300.00U Vermont 787 44,164 Virginia . .T7. 3,107 220,000 Washington ...... 1,530 85,00(1 West Virginia.... ...... 838 122,475 Wisconsin 2,571 308,717 Wyoming 460 8,0(X) Arizona > . . . . . 5 0 3 * 7,600 New Mexico, 470 25,000 Oklahoma 130 10,000 Utah 80 25.000 One Dollar Out. An old man who kept a provision store in a factory town was oiore or less odd in his ways, and by some per­ sons was thought to be "not over and above bright' The regular young fel­ lows of the neighborhood called him "Old Pro," and in other respects treat­ ed him rudely. One day three of tliem, to use their own expression, "put up a job on him.' ' They filed Into tj" r;shop with an air of importance, anyone of them de­ manded: "How much do you ask for a yard of pork?' "One dollar," answered the old man. "I'll take a 3rard," said the spokes­ man. "Where.is your money?" Tlie dollar was produced, the dealer pocketed It, and handed the customer three pigs feet. "How is, that?" said the fellow. "Why," answered Old Pro, "three feet make a yard, don't they? April Fool's Day. '\0- According to one antiquarian, the-lst of April is tho vernal equinox;The day on which Noah sent thef dove out of the ark the first time on its vain er­ rand. The Jews held a festival on the day, and sent people,' in jest, on sim­ ilar errands. The usual explanation of the custom of April fool is that the first of the month Is the octave of the feast of the "Annunciation of the Vir­ gin* the last day of the festivities of the season when the license of the same was at Its greatest height / *