The Independence west side., March 01, 1901, Image 4

! AN AMBIGUOUS ANSWER i
,
r ADY LESTER was t ber wits'
Ja eud. That was the way she put
' U u her colloquial dtalect. Also,
he dUl not know which way to turn,
but tht ii owing to the lack of
routes rather than any lndecbtUu lu se
lection.
The fact was that tht had adopted
the popular proverbial method of risk
tug all on a single throw of the dice,
and It had turned up aces. Reduced
to prose, tola mean that aht had
ttralued land Indeed overstrained) ev
ery nerve tu order to present a thor
oughly smart apiaranca and give her
daughter a complete London seasou, lu
hope that that damsel would make a
good catch, settle heraelf comfortably
In life, and lie off her mother's bauds
for the future. Alice lister had In
listed on this till her mother, with
much misgiving, cousented. In conse
quence I-adv lister had spent the
greater part of her yearly Income lu
two months, and run Into debt as well.
The end of the sesson was approach
ing, and the catch had not been secur
ed. It seemed that the effort had been
fruitless, and the couequeuece would
have to lie faced.
Lady Lester knew as well as possible
that the only way to pay her debts
wa to sell capital This would reduce
her already slender Income. Besides,
how she am! Alice were going to live
and preserve a decent appearance on
the small amount of Income left for the
remaining live months or so of the year
was a question which made her Inclin
ed to scream whenever she thought
of It.
She was a handsome woman, tall,
stately, fortunate In the possession of
a figure that did not age, clever and
discreet In repairing the ravages of
time. he usually wore black, partly
because It was Intensely becoming to
her, partly for economy's sake. She
presented a marked contrast to her
daughter, who was petite, piquant,
dainty, with retrousse features. Tak
ing the pair together, they were as at
tractive a mother and daughter as one
could hope to see. If It had not been for
the eternal discontent written on their
features.
Her troubles had not improved Lady
Lester's temper.
"If you had only," she satd peevish
ly to her daughter, "given half the en
couragement to Lord Wlmberley that
you have to that "retched Anderson,
you might be Lady Wlmberley. off my
hands, and able to help me a little out
of this scrape."
"It's no fault of mine," said Alice,
sullenly. "I did all I could to euoour
sge the stick, wasted no end of dances
on him, wore myself out with endeav
oring to talk to him and make him
talk, next to asked hltn for his box scat
at the meet of the Coaching Club "
"Well, you got It," Interposed her
mother.
"Yes, and everybody, of course,
thought that It meant something, but
I knew better. I am quite sure that be
never Intended to offer It to me, and
that my offering myself waa not agree
able "
"Then why didn't he say that be had!
given it away laready?" ' j
wri...ft - ... .. . , n.. t i
"That's a mystery to me. But I know
perfectly well that be did not give It
to me for love of me, and also that he
obviously thought before taking my
very plain hint "
"I am sure that be was most nice "
"Nice!" cried the girl shrilly. "He
always Is nice In a kind, aggravating,
brotherly way. 'Hope you are enjoy
ing yourself like a good little girl.'
'Can I help? "Don't mind me If you
don't want me.' That's what be al
ways seems to be saying. Could any
one make anything out of that?"
"But be comes here a good deal "
"Yes, and Is Just as pleased to talk
to any of your old frumps as to me.
Why, I believe he Is Just as pleased to
talk to you as to me."
"Then why does he come?" said
Lady Lester, who was too much accus
tomed to ber daughter's rudeness to
notice it
"Oh, I don't know. Wby does anyone
do anything? One must do something.
He Is not a man of deep reasons. He
finds us pleasant; he meets pleasant
people here; we are kinder to blm than
many. But there Is one thing that Is
quite certain that I have tried to give
blm every kind of opportunity, and he
has never taken advantage of one of
them. On the contrary, his one desire
bas always seemed to get away."
"Your foolish encouragement of An
derson" "It's no good going on like that, mam
ma," said the girl, blushing suddenly
red. "I stuck to Wlmberley as long
as there was a ghost of a chance, and
when I saw there was none, and no
other mnn came forward well, I sup
pose I love George Anderson as much
as a girl like me can-I know we can't ,
marry but what's the good of irolnsr to
dances and dancing with useless stick
after useless stick all the time?"
"Lord Wlmberley Is not a useless
stick," said Lady Lester, with sudden the former, vaguely. "He cannot know
warmth, which brought a tinge of color ! his mlud."
to her cheeks and made ber look much "He Is not such a young man," re
younger and unusually handsome. "It plied Alice gravely, "He Is a good deal
Is you who are such a foolish and frlv- older than many men of more age. Be
olous girl that you are Incapable of sides, be Is serious, devoted to politics,
appreciating his talents. His speeches ' much admired as a speaker as you
in the House of Lords have been much ' yourself said. And he certainly knows
admired" ' I his own mind. He practically and
"Oh, why don't you have a go-In for very tactfully offered me a place for
blm yourself, If you admire him so George, with seven hundred a year, so
much? I will make you a present of that we may be able to marry and be
my chance, for It Isn't worth a straw,"! out of the way If I could help him,
"Alice, how dare you speak to me and a man doesn't do that unless he
like that? Bemember that 1 ant your' means business."
mother." "He told me that he thought you
Alice bad not seen her mother angry would marry," nmrmured the widow,
for years. She was amazed and a trifle ( "and spoke very generously about
alarmed at the unexpected ebullition you." .
of the wrath of the dove. I "He Is very rich," pursued Alice. "It
"Of course I was only Joking," she; WOuld be a mere flcablte to him. Wlm
said, sulkily. "You gave It to me, and beriey is a lovely place, and there Is
I thought I might have a little one the coach, and no doubt there would
back. Of course he Is not likely to be a house In town, and carriages, and
think of you. He Is a great deal too eTCry luxury, and no more worry and
wise, to make such a-er-uin well, trouble, and you know, darling, that
you know what I mean." when you really take trouble you don't
"You are an exceedingly Insolent look more than half quite young, in
girl," was the mother's reply to this fant, especially to people who are a
polite apology, "and I terribly regret nuie shortsighted, as be Is "
crippling myself in this way in order "And I should be free from your
to give you a chance that you have tongue," Interposed the widow, sharp
wasted." , ly, by no means grateful for these cc-ra-
"I never asked you to." pllments. "Yes, you are right. Lord
"Yes, you did. You were always say Wlmberley proposed to me this after
PS
to
A A. A A. A A. . A AAA A. A AAAA A A tx A
Ing that you never bad a proper chauce
like other girls, and what you would
do If you had, Well, now you have
bad K, and what good baa It been?"
In this dialogue of "I never did" and
"I wish I hadn't" thert was no doubt
a great deal of truth on both sides,
Ijidy Lester had been foolish; Alice
had been unsuccessful. Both bad eon
curred In this folly with their eyea
open, and success, after all, does not
depend solely on the desire and need
of the seeker. It would have been bet
ter If the ladles had accepted the In
evllable without recrimination, but
they had both been ground to such a
sharp edge by the continual stress of
poverty that the slightest coutact was
liable to wound. Doomed as they were
by nature to fill the greater part of
their t'e.ie with talk, whether It were
well or 111, tt was Inevitable that their
conversation should recur again and
again with Increasing sharpnesa to the
topic which they had most at heart
equally whether It were well or 111,
There waa a ball that night, and the
Lestera weut. Lady Lester was queer,
distrait, sharp, but distinctly looking
her best. Alice was thorough! "down"
and conscious that she was by no
means In her most attractive form. Nor
did any special success attend her en
trance to raise her spirits, Pretty,
penniless gtrls with sharp tongues are
a mere drug In the Loudon ballrooms.
George Anderson was, of course, faith
ful, and she danced several dances with
him, "It Is better than sitting out all
the evening." she said deflautly when
Lady Lester remonstrated.
lAird Wlmberley took her from
George for bis usual one dauce.
"That seems a nice youug man," be
said In bis kind, friendly, unlover-llke
way. "Not well off, la he? It Is a
pity he hasn't some clever woman to
push bl m along."
"Why, what could a woman dot' de
manded Alice, surprised and Interested-
"Ob, lots of things. Women can
push and ask when men can't They
are sure to be treated politely even
when they are refused, and very often
they get what they want simply be
cause it Is dlttlcult to refuse a woman.
Itesldea, they can stick to tbs subject.
Don't you remember that the unjust
Judge gave way to the luiportuuate
widow solely to get rid of ber, where
as be would have ordered a man to
be thrown out. Well, now, aliat Mr.
Anderson wants Is that a woman
should And out some comfortable brti
vacant and never rest until she tut
pushed blm Into It."
"But how does a woman begin?"
said Alice, with deepening Interest, for
there was something fascinating In the
picture which Wlmberley drew so
lightly. ,
"Ob, she talks to people and finds
out. Now It happens, oddly enough,
that I know of a post worth seven
hundred a jrear, which Is practically In
my gift, and which any gentleman who
was also a man of the world and dis
posed to stick to his work could nil"
Wby don't you give It to Mr. An
d,.n,0nr
"y-dl
' 1
you see, I don't-know him, and
I am not a gvneral philanthropist. It
a friend of mine, whom I wished to
oblige, were to ask me but none has.
Apropos, I want you to do me a favor."
Alice's heart beat at this abrupt an
nouncement. Was It possible that he
could mean to propose after this extra
ordinary beginning? If so, would she
lie glad? Would she be
He made bis request In plain,
straightforward language, and she gag
ed at him at first mystllled, then a prey
to mixed emotion, anon aware of a
rose-colored future before her. Her
fact wreathed In smiles as she gave ber
consent.
. "Well, now, Is there anything that
you want from me, little girl?"
Whereupon Alice, smiling and blush
ing, told html what she wanted most.
In the following afternoon Lord
Wlmberley called on the Lesters and
found them at home. Boon after bis
arrival Alice left the room on some ex
cuse. Then she put on her bat and
went out for the afternoon, telling the
servant to say "Not at home" to any
callers.
When she returned she found ber
mother sitting In the drawing room,
musing profoundly. As Lady Lester's
hour for dressing was past and her
toilet was a long and Important func
tionAlice felt that something bad
happened. She was a trifle anxious,
but she did not dare question her moth
er The latter opened the ball.
"Don't you think, Alice, It was rath
er rude of you to go away when Lord
Wlmberley was here?"
"No." replied Alice, boldly, "He ask-
ed me to. It was arranged last night
that I should."
Mother and daughter looked fixedly
at one another,
"He Is such a young man." observed
noon, t told blm It was sudden and t
would give blm an answer to-morrow
I havt thought It over, aud t shall say
'Yet.' lit swears that b loves we
and hat never loved anyone eLe -"
"And you mutt love hltn, too, moth
er. dear," observed Alice, with catlike
softness, "or you wouldu't marry blm."
"Of course I lovt blm devotedly
hsvs from the first. There It no other
reason why I should marry blut, Is
there?"
Hut, reviewing the circumstances of
the case, Alice felt that this auswer
might nieau anything,-l.omlou World
NEW THING IN HYPNOTISM,
Countettniiettliia OtTji-el Pre
vtntlvt o Certain Iriiattrs.
To check the spread of crime through
hypnotic suggestion a meaus has beeu
discovered by Jules Llegeols, a French
psychologist of the well kuovtu "Nnuey
school," who declares that lu "couuter
suggestion" the most perfect protection
It fouud, I.legcol hat curried ou ex
perltueutt for many years lu compauy
with other tcleutltsis at the clinic,
where are treated all forms of nervous
disease. He discovered lu the course
of hit Investigations that even the best
tort of hypnotic subject could be pre
vented from taking criminal augget
tlont by forbidding It while the pet sun
wat lu a hypnotic state, lu spite of
every effort, persoui ordinarily hypno
Used with the greatest ease could not
be hypnotised at all while under the
first Influence, aud nothing could be
dune with them mil II they bad beeu
released from the first hypnotic stale
by the tame person who put them Into
It
Thlt discovery Is of great Importance.
Many crimes and offenses have been
traced to hypnotic Influences, It has
lieeu known for years that weak aud
uervotia persona who are easily affected
by the magnetic iowsr of others will
do whatever they have lieen told to do
while In a hypnotic sleep, even though
It was to commit a crime, Llegeols re
fers to several cases of which be kuow
personally. One subject, a woman, was
compelled to poison her husband and
then commit suicide. Four other per
sons killed-themselves aud a woman
was driven Into an unhappy marriage
by the hypnotic command of wicked
persona. Llegeols says that all jiersou
should know exactly to what extent
they are subject to hypnotism, and
that If they are easily .Influenced by
thlt dangerous power they should with
out hesitation be put lu safety by a
counter suggestion so that notatdy can
bynotlxe them or conqwl tliein to obey
any hynotlc suggestions. This treat
ment should tie getie through with at
least once or twice a year In order
that the effect may not wear off.
Of course there Is danger here that
the nervous system of the person living
In this state of hypnotism might be
seriously sffected by the restraiut n
dcr which they would be held. The
magnetic nerve force of hypnotism Is
too tremendous to be lightly used,
even to prevent the evil power of the
will over weak persons.
Diseases of the will, greatly weaken
Ing the power of resistance In the af-,
Dieted, make tnem easy victims of all
sorts of scoundrels, and If these suffer
ers can tie strengthened, as Llegeols
says Is possible, by hypnotic sugges
tlon, a discovery of Incalculable) bene
fit bas been made. Crime, disease.
suffering aud death are so largely the
result of defective nerve force and will
power that any light on the treatment
of nerve weakness Is a great blessing
Prevention through hypnotic sugges
tlon might lead to art mil lengthening
of life and renewal of youth.
Anmralla the l'or, Man't I'aratllne,
The cheapness of living In Australia
Is proverbial; It Is a veritable poor
man a paradise, in the tiutcncrs' snops
you see twopenny and fonrpenny tick'
ets on the meat, and provision of lo
cal production are equally Inexpensive.
In the eating houses or coffee houses
-a great feature of town life there
rou can get a square meal, consisting
of a steak or chop, bread and butter
and tea. for sixpence, lliere are no
tins for wallers In the Antipodes. The.
Colonials are enormous tea drinkers,
aud on an average partake "of tht
heerlna" herb seven times a day,
Boarding houses -another prominent
feature are rendered almost essential
In a land where the domestic servants
command a wage of a pound a week,
with every evening out and leave to
practice the piano and keep a bicycle.
Instructing Mrt. Custer.
"I was dining out one eveulug among
a notable company of people, most of
whom I knew only by reputation," aays
George In nous, Jr., In the Home Jour
ual. "I was assigned a seat next to a
very charming and Intellectual woman.
aud did my lieat to entertnlu ber. Said
I: 'What can I talk aliout that will In
terest you? I have had some little ex
perience as a cavalryman; possibly you
may care to bear something about
horses In the field.'
" 'Why, yes; certainly, answered my
fair companion; 'I know a little con
cerning army life, and I once wrote a
book called "Boots and Saddles." ' And
then It dawned on my poor, dull brain
that I was talking to the widow of the
great cavalry leader, Gen. Custer; so I
said no more about horses or army
life."
Hand Magnets tn Machine Nliopn.
One of the chief troubles lu machine
shops Is the frequency with which
workmen are wounded more or less
painfully, and even dungeroualy. by
flying splinters striking the eye. A
band magnet Is always kept conveul
ent for the purpose of drawing these
splinters out of the eye, and one of the
latest productions Is an electro-magnet
designed expressly for this work.
Oiisornhlp In China. '
The censorship Is a very real thing lu
China. There any one who writes an
Immoral book Is punlsl.ed with 100
blows of the heavy band oo and banish
ment for life. Any one reads It la also
punished.
- imu - ii i w
Old Massachusetts Family.
The Itev. James de Normnndle told
the other day Unit he had Just outdat
ed at the wedding lu the eighth genera
tion from the first white settler In
Uoxbury, and that the family still lives
on the land of the old homestead.
Klastlo Hubstanoes.
"Rubber, spun-glass, sled, and Ivory
are the most elastic substances." Tho
writer of this acema to have forgotten
the human cousclenco.-Boston Tran
script. '
Every time a woman wipes her face
on a new towel, she Is reminded of the
discomforts of ber early married days,
when everything around the house was
new. 1 -
When a man tlrst begins to feel the
need of a cane, he carries an umbrella
with him which he never opens, aud
thinks he Is fooling people.
BASE-BURNER THE THING.
. r i
The Old Man Says It Beats Other Heaters and that Steam
and Hot Air Won't Do for the Family Hie
' "Well you can talk about your steam
heat aud your hot water pipes and your
furnaces aud your natural gna all you
want to, but as for me give me the good
old fashioned base burner," aald the old
man as he stretched out his bands to
ward a glowing pattern of his favorlta
heater of the style of about 1,
"There's something kind of artificial
about these other things, even natural
gas," he continued, "Home way or
another they don't go to the spot-not
with me. They make me feel Just like
1 had on a uew pair of boots, and
mighty bad fitting ones at that. They
go against the grain and don't make
me feel at home. And, besides, they
dott't always deliver the goods. Now,
Just look at this one. You bet It de
livers the goods all the time."
The old gentleman was right, at the
moment, at least, for In the lamplight
you could fairly see the heat shooting
away frofu the base-burner. The ther
mometer registered 87 degrees and the
furniture nearby wat beginning to smell
"scorchy" and little warts In the paint
bad raised Up on the side next the stove,
"Yes, sir," weut on the base burner
advocate, "you can't Dud anything
that'll touch the base burner." (Cor
taluly his proposition would not have
beeu disputed Just then.l "There's a
lot of poetry to be found looking Into
a base burner that Ik In good working
order. Now, where art you going tu
find any poetry In looking down Into a
register that Is spouting up nothing but
a big stream of hot air, aud how are
mm
ABOUND THE OLD
you going to find It putting your feet
up against a steam radiator? Hhucks!
There's nothing In the world like a
base-burner for the family to gather
around. I tell you the base burner Is
the heart of the home. Here the chil
dren aud the old folks can get together
In the right kind of style. Imagine a
family gathering awuud a steam coll
or snuggling up to the hot air shooting
up from the furnace. That would pro
mute a family feeling lu line style,
wouldn't Itr
"You see, the old base burner, with
Its ruddy glow and radiating heat, Just
sends out good feeling that can't be
resisted. When the winter blasts are
bowling outside, fairly shaking the
chimney, and shrieking around the
corners and banking up the snow
(gainst the side of the bouse, tlu-u's
the time you resllre what home would
be without a base burner. That's the
time that all of us hustle up to tbe
stove lu a kind of seml-clrcle. Nobody
gets clear behind the stove, where the
chimney Is, but that's the only place
they leave clear. Then we Just have a
SIGHT TRAP8
good old family talk. Me and (he boys
yank off our boots so's to get real com
fortable and the women folks peel the
apples an' w crack nuts, ent popcorn
an' drink cider an' have the all tlredcst
good time you ever did see.
"Then If auy of the boys has got
bruises on tbelr ankles where their
boots rubbed while they were tryln' to
skate, this Is the time that mother gets
out her home-made salve and fixes 'em
up. You can't do tricks like that In
front of a hot water cadlator. I s'pose
If the boys broke through the Ice aud
come In with their feet wet they could,
maybe, dry with furnace er steam heat,
but they couldn't do It quick aud do It
good and right, like they could with
the old base-burner.
"An' you say all you please about
these new-fangled bents, but you can't
make me believe that you er me could
look at 'em bard enough er long enough
to see things In 'em. They wouldu't
help you none to solve yer problems er
lighten yer burdens. But you can git
all that kind of help out of the base
burner. Ye can see figures and things
in the red-hot coals you couhlu't find In
no radiators er registers. I've looked
Into them coals ninny ami many a time
and found out how to do Just the right
thing. All I had to do was to keep look-
In' there long enough and the way was
made clear, Why, I want to tell you
a good base burner Just bents a crack
fortune teller all to pieces every dny In
the week. And all this Is the reason
why I maintain that a base-burner Is
the only thing to have In the house for
heatln' purposes and fcr gcttln' the
family togother and mnklu' 'em feel
right."
VEILS AND THE EYESIGHT.
Women Often Hulii Their VUlon lo
WeurliiK tuvli Uauze.
One would naturally suppose tho eye
sight Is of such Inestlmnblti value that
rational human beluga would scrupu
lously shun all risk of Impairing It, and
that above all things fashion should
not be permitted to decree modes whose
effect Is to weaken that most seuwltlve
of the organs, the eye. Yet It Is a de
plorable fact that many of the fash
ions are blindly followed by the fair
sex at the behest of some "leader" In
the gay world of society.
The veil Is one of the fushlons of the
present, as It has been of past times.
The sex Is divided In opinion as to the
5 tLl'M1 'A'!krm
ill t B 'i I
KiUn it. i;;ni
MS
JAOJXXVW W--S? VCr88 4
Iffiffi tlliii iljfci &&&&
effects of the veil upon the vision, but
where you will find one to maintain
that such an adurutneut fades the
complexion you wilt fiud ten to aver
tluit no penalties would prevent them
from wearing It
Go aud ask an oculist his opinion, and
what be lias to say on the topic Is to
plump comlemuatlou upon every veil
that la worn. Yet be will admit that,
while some nets are extremely danger
ons and deleterious to the eyes, others
are almost unlnjurlmis. There are
fashions lu nets aud gnoses, and many
are the variations with wblcb the veil
Is worn, but lit England It always cov
ert the eyes, aud It Is hera that the dan
ger arises. 1
Of all (he veils svsr tried, the Ideal
one Is yet to be discovered. Home wom
en can trace step by step Its evolution
throughout the century, lhey have
hen id their grandmothers talk about
tba white hire "fall" that used to be
liked, and themselves can recollect the
thick green, blue, gray, white aud green
ganxe horrors worn to protect the com
plex Ion from tan, Those veils were fol
lowed by thinner silk ones, which In
their turn were deposed In favor of
those of thread lace, after wblcb came
the many abominations till' exploited,
to wit, mesh nets doited and patterned
In various ways.
Just now they are wearing most cur
tailed ones again, aud a feeling hat
also come lu there for the utter ban
ishment of the veil. A more uncomfort
able and Imbecile affair for afternoon
Y
lUSEBt'BNER,
tens than the mask aud the chin veil
Is cannot be Imagined.
It Is a sign of grace, iH-rhaps, that the
question which Is Mug mtn-b debated
now among smart people Is whether the
veil docs not accomplish so much barm
to the visual organ as to outweigh all
other coiialderatlone In Its favor, They
wonder whether a veil could not lie con
trived that would leave the eyea uncov
ered, while It beautified and protected
t be rest of the face. Asa put tern, not h
lilg could be better than tho Turkish
woman's yashmak, which Is Justly held
to be the most modest face covering In
existence.
The very best la a veil as fine as gos
samer, which can also be most becom
ing, too, It bas no spots at all upon It,
and so does not worry the poor torture!
eyes that have to dodge sKiis or vainly
and unconsciously try to focus them,
one of the worst possible exercises to
which weak or Imiwrfeet sight can lie
put. Tbe retrograde step Is taken by
HusHlau net veiling, which need not,
however, be very trying If the mesh be
flue, for It Is unspotted.
- FIVB SPECIMENS OF THIS INJURIOUS VKIL.
Then come the quite condemned veils,
which have chenille spots all over them;
they are bad In proportion, as their
dots are close and large or scanty and
small, but they are less alght-wearlng
than a veil that la patterned as well as
spotted, a veritable agony to sensitive
sight. White veils are often much more
evil In their effects than black, for the
mntcrlal, be It tulle or net, possesses a
faculty for daacllng tho vision and
making everything seen through It
wavering and lll-deflned. Finally, has
not the en so been proven that those
who are conscious of strain, a lack of
clarity of sight or weariness after wear
ing n veil, should give up the task of
looking smart at the expense of vision.
Even tho strong argument In favor of
veils of a sensible and clear mesh,
which the oculists do not attempt to
deny, namely, that such nets do keep
the eyes from tho assaults of grit, es
pecially during a drive or while cy
cling and motoring, should not appeal
to the weuk-slghted.
COLOR OF GOLD COINS.
Keeanns for Difference In, Tint of
Coin of I retich Militate.
Some time ago a Frenchman placed
together a numbers of gold coins of
French mlntngo of the beginning,
middle and end of the last century. He
was much surprised to see that
they differed In color. He sot
about finding out the reasons for
this difference, and the results of his
Investigations have been published In
La Nature. - ,
There Is a paleness about the yellow
of the ten and twenty-franc pieces
which bear the efllglcs of Napoleon
I. and Louis XVIII. that Is not
observed In tho gold of later mintage.
One admirer of these coins
spoil ks of their color as a
"beautiful paleness" and ex
presses regret that It Is lacking In later
coins. The explanation of It Is very
simple. The alloy that entered Into
the French gold coins of those days
contained as much stiver as copper,
and It was the silver that gave tho
coins their Interesting paleness.
The coins of the era of Napoleon III.
were more golden In hue. The silver
had been taken out of the alloy.
The gold coins of to-day have a still
warmer and deeper tinge of yellow.
This la because tbe Paris mint, as well
as that In London, melts the gold and
tba copper alloy la hermetically senled
boxes, wblcb prevents tbe copper from
being somewhat bleached, as It alwsys
Is when It It attacked by but air; to the
present col lit bar tbe full warmnett
of tint that a copper alloy can give.
If the coins of to day are not so band
some In tba opinion of amateur collec
tors as thus Issued by tbs first N'spo
teoii, they are superior to those of
either of tbe Napoleons lu the fa-t
that It costs tesa io makt them. Tba
double operation of the oxidation of
the copper and cleaning It off the sur
face of tbe coin with ac ids Is no, longer
employed; and tba large elimination of
copper from the surface of the coins,
formerly practiced, mads tbetu less re
sistant under wear and tear than are
tbe coins now In circulation,
PARIS 13 BEST FORTIFIED.
Twentr-en Miles of I'efcnsee Now
Guard tbe french ('ailtl.
The best fort'fled city lu the world
Is farts. It Is defended by seven great
forta about the city, eight miles away
from Its walls; nineteen smaller forts
four miles out, each containing three
acres and mounting two ninety Ave
ton guns. Great stacks of ltxipoumt
melinite shells are ready for these
guns to hurl. There are twenty-one
miles of continuous fortifications about
the town-earth work walls I5t ft
thick at the buse and fronted by forty-ttvu-foot
moats. Ho cleverly are the
forts masked by long slon-s of green
turf aud the walls by trees aud bushes
that one can pasa lu and out of Paris
a done n times and see scarcely a trace
of Ita fortifications.
Tba range of tbe ninety five-ton guns
Is fourteen miles. To work these guns
Paris baa 50,000 trained artillerymen
among ber reservists. Hbe could tuna
every guu twice over, garrison all ber
forts with Infantry reservists and put
a dosen cavalry regiments Into the
field for scouting piirpows, Hiuh a
performance no other city on earth
could rival.
At every- l.ntxi yards along the Inner
slope of the fortifications Is a three
story guardhouse. Koine IHl.tMKI troops
could thus be sheltered within call of
all attackable points. F.very horse over
4 years old Is rcglatt-red. Tbe general
staff could choose from some 120,000
horses. There are In Paris l.flno cabs,
with three burses to a cab !H,(K)
mounts fairly suitable for cavalry. Ad!
'.ii.ishi tram and bus horses and 00,'as)
draught horses the balance may tie
taken as In private bauds. The mili
tary stores of Paris are boundless. In
a day she could arm and clothe 45O.0tK)
lighting men with 70.UN).ix rounds of
melinite cartridges, and at the army
bakeries she reserve large stores of
grain.
Only One June.
He had never sH-n a telephone, and
his friend was showing him bow It
worked. It was In his ofllce, He called
up bis bonne, and the wife came to tbe
telephone.
"My dear, Mr. Jones Is here, and 1
have asked blm to come up to dinner."
Then he turned to Mr. Jones and
said:
"Put your ear to that and you'll hear
ber answer."
He did, aud thla was the answer:
"Now, John, I told you 1 would never
have that disagreeable wretch In my
house again."
"What was that," spoke out Mr.
Jones, Women are quick. A man
would have simply backed away from
the telephone and said no more. She
took In the situation lu a second when
she beard the strange voice, and quick
as a flash came back tbe sweetest kind
of a voice:
"Wby, Mr. Jones, how do you do? I
(bought my husband meant another
Mr. Jones. Do come up lo dinner. I
shall be so glad (o see you."-New York
World. "
The Wising Piet.
An amusing story is told concerning
a connection of the famous (met, Al
gernon Charles Swinburne. Thlsyoung
man owns the same Initials as his
Illustrious relative, and some time ago
be weut out to Melbourne, giving his
name, of course. In the passengers'
list of the vessel by which he traveled
as A. C. Swinburne. When the Mel
bourne and Sydney newspapers re
reived this Hat, they Immediately Jump-
ed to the conclusion that the great man
himself waa about to visit Australia.
They thereuRin printed columns of
eulogy and delighted anticipation, and
weut the length of declaring that the
pulse of all Australians would throb
faster, and their hearts would be glad
dened at the very thought of a ', visit
from such a famous bard. When the
vessel arrived It was promptly boarded
by eager Interviewers and paragraph
Ists. Then the young man came for
ward, politely explained himself, and
waa allowed to leave the ship In the
utter privacy and oblivion that he de
sired. What the KolUin Spends..
The yearly expeuses of the Sultan of
Turkey have been estimated at no less
a sum than $30,000,000. Of this JT.500.
000 atone Is spent on the clothing of tho
woman and J-100,000 on the Sultau's
own wnrdrolie. Nearly $7,500,000 Is
swallowed up by presents. $5,000,000
goes for pocket money,-and still another
$5,000,000 for the table. It seems iucred
Ible that so much moucy can possibly lie
spetit In a year by one mnn, but when It
Is remembered that sou fifteen hun
dred people live within the palnce walls,
live luxuriously aud dresa expensively
at the cost of the civil list, It appears a
little more comprehensible.
Talleat Men tn British Commons.
The tallest man lu the Inst British
House of Commons was Kugcue Wason,
who has been re-elected member for
Clackmauuau and Kinross. His brother,
Cathcnrt Wasou. the winner of Orkney
and Shetland In the Unionist Interest, Is
half an Inch taller.
Harrier to Kducatton. '
"I'm afraid our son Is too delicate to
take a collegiate course."
"Can't you regulate his studies so
he won't overwork?"
"Oh, what wc think he wouldn't live
through is the bn.Ing." Indianapolis
Journal.
Shipbuilding In Maine.
More than 50,000 tons of merchant
shipping were built In tbe State of
Maine last year.
An old bachelor says the man who
marries gives to nothing a habitation
and a name.
Fools are apt to discern the faults of
others and overlook their own.
kpScience
A metallurgist has calculated the
various valm-s that a bar of Iron may
acquire In being put to different ues.
Mad lulu borsesboet tt becomes worth
f 12. Into tsbls knives ftOO, Info needles
$353, Into bisdes for penknlvet $3.IW,
into button buckles $4,500, Into watch
springs $:'5,ms).
To tht average observer of the Bight
of birds everything Is deceptive. To
compare the flight of a Urge bird with
a smaller one la especlslly so. The cor
morant of the sea coast seems to b a
slow flyer, yet he does a mils lo out
minute aud ten seconds. Tbe honey
be seems to trsvel like a bullet, yet It
takes hi in two minutes to fly ons mile.
The humming bird does not fly as fast
as many slow flapping birds of ungain
ly bulk. Tbe quail appears, to get awsy
more rapidly than does tbe mallard, but
be docs not do It.
Profesaor Campbell, of the Lick Ob
servatory, reports that tht star called
XI Uemluorutn, which bas long been
known as a variable, Is lu reality dou
ble, but lis two components art so close
that no telescope .Is able to separata
them, and their existence Is proved by
tbe shining lines In the spectrum. Tht
variations lu brightness, he thinks, can
only be due to the attraction between
the two stars raising Immense tides In
tbelr molten or vaporous globes, which,
through the effects of compression or
otherwise, displace the spectral lines.
The dew Is condensed ont of tht air
In coutact with surfaces below a cer
tain temperature. At ulght the surface
of the earth aud all iblugs ou It, and
especially the smooth surfaces of veg
etable productions, are constantly be
ing cooled by radiation. If the sky Is
covered with clouds, the radiation sent
back from tbs clouds nestly supplies an
equivsleut for the best thus parted
with, but If the sky be clear, no equiv
alent la supplied, and tbe surface of
the earth ami things growing on It be
come cooler than the atmosphere. If
the night also be calm, the smsll por
tion of air contiguous to any of these
surfaces will become cooled below the
so-called dew point, and Its moisture
deposited on tbe surface In tba form of
dew.
At the Yale observatory an Interest
ing use bas been found for tht bicycle
wheel. By fitting such a wheel with a
series of opaque screens placed at reg
ular Intervals and then rotating It, with
the aid of a small motor, at the rate or
from thirty to fifty turns In a minute
In front of the cameras used to photo
graph meteors, Dr. Elkln hss succeed
ed In measuring the velocity of the me
teors' flight The principle depends
upon the Interruptions produced by tbe
screens In tbe trails of light made upon
the photographic plates by the flying
meteors. The velocity of the wheel Is
known at every Instant by means of a
chrouographlc record, and the length of
the Interruptions Indicates the speed
of the meteors.
Among the sclentlfls toys at the Paris
exposition was an Instrument named
the "aerosoope." It consisted of a
wooden paddle about six and a half
feet long and three Inches broad,
whitened with chalk, and turning about
Its middle at tbe rate of 1,500 turns In
a minute. When in motion the paddle
resembled a tbln, circular screen
through which objects could be seen.
At a distance of nearly four feet lie
bind tbe whirling paddle aud parallel
to Its plane of rotation was fixed a
black screen. The apparatus being
placed In a dark chamber, a brilliant
photographic Image of some object was
projected upon the moving paddle, and
Immediately the Image seemed to stand
forth with all the solidity of a real ob
ject. Tbe perspective was supplied by
the reflection of the Image from the
black screen behlud as well as from
the semi-transparent screen formed by
tbe rotating paddle.
THE LADY AND HER PASTOR.
Hhe Like I Him, bat She Oot Very Tired
of Hearing One Bernon.
She Is a woman much Interested In
her church and she enjoys hearing aud
Judging for herself tbe different
ministers of her denomination. Tbe
first Sunday after her arrival in early
June at one of several New England
towna she proposed to visit beforesettl
Ing down at the seashore for the sum
mer she went to church, of course.
Who should occupy tbe pulpit but her
own clergyman, whom she hadn't sup
posed wss within a hundred miles of
her. ami what should he do but preach
the Identical sermon that she bad
heard blm give the Sunday previous In
NewYork, his subject being, "What
Shall the Harvest Be?" Both the
clergyman and the woman as they
laughed politely over It after the ser
vice agreed that tbe coincidence was
curious.
The next Sunday found the woman
In another New England town. She
went to church, of course, when Sun
day came, aud who should arise tn the
pulpit but her New York clergyman.
"What Shall the Harvest Be?" he an
nounced as his subject, and, sure
enough, It was the same sermon. It
was with a rather sickly smile when he
greeted the woman after service thnt
the clergyman remarked that the co
incidental plot seemed to bethlckenlng.
Tbe woman stayed a fortnight In this
place, but two Sundays later she went
to church In another town. She almost
rose from ber seat when Into the pulpit
marched hef New York clergyman.
It was tbe same old "What Shall the
Harvest Be?" sermon, too, and, ap
propriate for the summer as It was,
the woman felt a certain famlllarty
with It. She spared the minister's feel
ings this time aud slunk away after
service without speaking to blm. So
she did the next Sunday at the sea
shore town, where she was to stop for
several weeks, when with mingled emo
tions she saw her minister In the pulpit
aud heard blm deliver his "What Shall
the Harvest Be?" sermon.
For the rest of the summer the
woman refused to go to church. She
well knew that the minister, with his
one sermon, that bo evidently was all
he had with him, couldn't remain more
than one Sunday In one place, but
after those previous experiences dis
cretion seemed the better part of valor.
On her way home to New York last
week tbe woman stayed over Sunday
In Boston. When tbe cousins she was
Visiting suggested church she accepted
with alacrity. It had been so long,
she said, since she. had darkened a
church door and the Joke was too
good to keep she told them why. In
the pulpit of the Boston church was a
familiar form; to paraphrase, the
ministerial villain still pursued her. It
was the last straw when he announced
his subject aa "What Shall tht Harv
est Be?"
"I shall sea you In town at our own
charcf: next Sunday, Mra. Blank V ob
serred tbe clergyman after smlce ss
the two louinientfd ratber guardedly.
It must be confessed, upon tht strings
fate that bad led them to follow each
other around ail summer. "Yes." ssld
tbt woman; tben-tbc temptation wat
too grett "upon on condition that
you promise not to preacb yonr 'What
Shall the Harvest Bet sermon." New
York Evening Bun.
STEAMSHIPS OUT OF DATE.
California Will ltlt HrJraelle
Power for HwmgAmg Vetml.
A Csllforulsn some time ago conceiv
ed tbt Idea of supplanting stesin pow
er on oesn crsft aud for several years
bit been experimenting with a view
to substituting hydraulic pressure for
tba steam engine. At a shed at Oak
laud he hat built a small vessel, which
be claims wll revolutionize tbt carry
ing trade of tbe world.
This vessel, now almost completed,
and already named the John 8. Morton,
after the owner and Inventor, Is ex
pectstl to demonstrate the superiority
of hydraulic pressure as a motive force.
If a trial develops the necessary speed
and seagoing qualities the United
110 AT rnOPEI.LKO HV HTIIBACI.IC SOHCr.
States government will look Into the
Invention with a view of dispensing
with ordinary screw propellers on all
its torpedo boats and' gunboats and
substituting tbe machinery for water
propulsion.
Morton bas sprat many thousands ct
dollars In experiments and patents.
He began work on bis hydraulic pres
sure idea thirty-one years ago. Af
ter witnessing the sjieed with which
a rocket Is shot Into the air be con
ceived the Idea of propelling a boai by
means of a powerful stresm of wster.
The vessel which he bas Invented will
be propelled by forcing sea water, tak
en In amidships, out through a Jet In
the steru. The principle is much the
same as that by which tbe cuttlefish
crawls through the water.
Captain Niles of Kan Francisco Is
associated with Morton In the new en
terprise. The steamer is thirty -five
feet In length, six feet beam, has a
four-horse power engine and a rotary
pump and Is expected to attain a speed
of from twenty five to twenty-eight
knots sn hour with ease.
VORACIOUS CANNIBAL TREE
A Very Remarkable Special of tbe
flora of Australia.
In certain parts of Australia canni
bal trees flourish trees which can hold
a man's body In tbe center, and de
vour It as readily aa our Insectivorous
wild flowers trap tbe Insects on which
they partly subsist
In appearance they are like gigantic
pineapples, many of them being eleven
feet tn height What foliage there Is
consists of broad, boardlike leaves. .
which grow on a fringe at Its spex.
These leaves do not stand erect how-
aver but droop over and bang to the
ground. They are very big, for In
aom4 of the largest sjieclmens they
measure from fifteen to twenty feet
each leaf being quite strong enough to
bear the weight of a mnn.
There Is more In these leaves than
meets the eye, for bidden under tbetu
Is a peculiar growth of spearlike for
mation, arranged In a circle. This per
forms the same function for the plants
as pistils do for flowers. Moreover,
they are most sensitive to the touch of
a stick or other hard substance.
Tbe natives formerly worshiped this
"devil's, tree," for they dreaded Ita
wrath. When Its green leaves rose
restlessly up and down Its worshipers
luinglued that It was necessary to
make a sacrifice to appease Its anger.
One of tbelr number was Immediate
ly chose and driven by bis howling
tribesmen up one of Its leaves to the
apex.
Tbe Instant the unhappy victim
stepped Into the middle of the plant
the boardlike leaves would fly together.
clutching and literally squeexlng the
life out of blm.
Early travelers In . Australia have
told us that the cannibal tree would
thus hold Its prey until every particle
of his flesh bad fallen from his bones,
after which the leaves would slowly
relax their grim hold, leavlngthe gaunt
skeleton to fall heedlessly to the
ground. London Express.
Surface Indications.
From "A Book oo Dartmoor."
written by tbe Rev. S. Baring-Gould,
comes a story which might have come
from a less trustworthy source:
The wild and romantic country of
Dartmoor consists of a table-land with
rugged peaks or tdrs, aud all but Im
passable marshes. After a dry sum
mer It Is easy to pick oue's way across
parta of which at other times are full
of pitfalls. At one of the latter periods
a man was cautiously threading his
way across one of these treacherous
marshes when he saw a hat lying brim
downward on the sedge. He gave It
a gentle, good-hhmored kick In passing,
and almost Jumped out of bis skin
when a choked voice called out from
beneath:
"What be you a-dolng' to my 'at?"
"Be there now a cbnp under'n?" ex
claimed the traveler.
"Eea. 1 reckon, and a boss under ma
likewise."
His Motive.
"I will ask you now," the attorney
for the prosecution said to the witness,
"If the defendant lu this case confess
ed to you his motive In shooting the de
ceased?" "Hold on!" Interposed the attorney
for the defense. ."I object."
"I only want to find out whether "
"I object!" (Legal wrangle of half
an hour.) .
"The witness may answer," ruled the
Judge.
"Now, then sir, I will ask you again.
Did or did not the prisoner confess to
you bis motive In shotiug tbe deceas
ed?" "He did."
"What was it?"
"He wanted to kill blm."-London
King. '
Good servant girls are as scarce as It
servant girls bad enlisted in the late
war, and hadn't been mustered out yet
People are all struggling for health,
and struggling In the wrong way,
i