GROWING CKJ. The following beautiful poem by nn un known writer Ih sent ly 8. I'. A. of Au burn, N. Y to a Now York paper: Softly, O softly, the yeurs have swept by thbe, Touching tlivv lightly with tendcrest tare, Borrow and ileath they lnivo efUMi brought nigh thee, ' Yet they have left thee but bounty to wur. (i rowing old gracefully, Gracefully fulr. Far from the storms thut are lushing the occu n, JS'curer eucli duy to the pleiisunt home light! Far from the wuves thut arc big with commotion. Under full sail and the hnrhor in sight Growing old gracefully, Cheerful und bright. fust nil the winds thut were adverse and chilling, I'uHt all the IkIiiikIh that lured thee to rest, fust all the currents thut lured thee un willing ur from any course to the land of th blest. G rowing old gracefully. Peaceful and blest. i Never a feeling of envy or sorrow When the bright faces of children are ie.'n ; Never a year from the young wotitdst thou boriow Jhoii doNt remember what lieth be tween: (ironing old willingly, Thankful, serene. Rich in experience thut angels might covet, . Kit- ch in a faith thu t hath grown with the years, Well in u love that grew from and above it. Soothing thy sorrows and hushing thy f en rs. (rowing old wealthily, Loving und dear. Hearts nt the sound of thy coming nre lightened, Kead.v ji ml willing ihy hand to relieve Many a fnee at thy kind word has bright eiit-d, 'It is inure blessed to give than re ceive. Crowing old happily, Ceasing to grieve. Eye th.it grow dim to enrth anil its glory Havo u tweot reeouipeiiMo youth cannot i.iuny: Ears Hint grow dull to the world and Its utoiy. - Drink in the songs that from Paradise (low. (rowing old graciously, Purer than snow. TOO BAGS AND A BLUNDER. "Yes, sir; No. 2;!!7.- Brown lint-box! There you ure, sir! I think you'll Bud that all light:' Sum Merry hud good grounds for lay- lug emphasis on the second word In the lust sentence, us Col. Sowerby took the liat-box from his hands with a surly Kin lit and waddled off dowii the plat form. Sum hud made so ninny mistakes of late that IiIn unites In the Left Lug gage oflico hud dubbed liliu "Hlumler Ing Sum." However, Sam win of 11 hopeful disposition, 11 ml It would take a very long run of Ill-luck to shake bis faith in the future. He hud a wonderful wny In getting Into hot vt liter, but u fur more wonder ful one of blundering out iiguln. "You do well to speak enutlously, Sam," leiniirked one of Mix fellow clerks. "Are you sure you didn't give the old buffer 11 mangle or n feather bed?" "LniUli n wny, you fellows," retorted Sum I'herl'iilly. "I siiull blunder Into a fortune one of these days." "Of course, you know," remarked an other, "there's every excuse for Sam! When a fellow's head over ears In love, lie can't be expected to" The speaker suddenly dropped the n object as the purple face of old Col. Kowerby appeared at the window. "Here, you!" he roared, stamping his foot the gouty one. as luck would have It und glaring at his audience with a ludicrous attempt at dignity. "Where Is the confounded Jackass who dared to play this (rick on me? You, you idiot!" he continued, singling out the unlucky Sum; "what do you mean by It, lr? What Is you name'" "What Is tlio matter?" faltered Sum. "Isn't that your property?" "My property, sir!" roared the Indlg nuut old wnrrior, diving his hand Into the hat-box, and producing therefrom a wig of the most fiery hue Msshly the property of a traveling comedian. "My property, sir? Hoes It look like It?" And as the Infuriated colonel removed Ills hut to wipe his perspiring forehead, Sum was obliged to admit thut It did not look like It. No wig In the world would have stood against the aggress ive bristles on the head of the Anglo Indian. In a few minutes Sam had discovered the colonel's) hat box. and handed It over with an apology. "Don't apologize to me, sir!" stormed the colonel us he stumped away. "I'll report j on. sir! l!y the Great' Mogul, I'll report you!" I.Ike 11 dutiful lover. Sam moutloned this little nlTalr to his sweetheart In the evening. Sally took a very gloomy View of the situation. "It's another blunder, of course. Sal ly," admitted Sam: "but It's useless meeting trouble half way." "Are you mire these mistake are all the result of accidents?" asked Sally. Wouldn't It lie possible for somebody to change the checks on the articles Without your knowledge?" "Of course It would," responded Sam; "but I don't believe there'a fellow In the office would serve me such a trick. No, Sally, I'm In for a run of bad luck, that'i all." "The colonel la aure to report you and whntever will you do If you lose your place?" Sum was exceedingly thoughtful for minute. "Why," ho said nt length, "there'i lots of things I've never tried yet. I could turn milkman, messenger, porter, private detective by Jove; that's Just the thing! Listen to this:" Taking a copy of nn evening pnpc from his pocket. Sum rend aloud: "$.VJO Heward. The nbo've reward will bo paid to any person not being the actual thief giving such liiforinu lion ns Khali lead to the recovery of Lady Munlim-gli's Jewels, 'stolen from her rooms at the Mount Hotel on the ulght of Friday lust. Chief Inspector Tukem, I'ollce Station, Mldhainpton. "There you nre," went on Sain. Klm- pie enough Isn't It? Good pay, too!" "If you get It," laughed Sally. "You would f:ut a fine llgure as u detective, Just fancy yourself with fulso whis kers and a wig!" "I wish you wouldn't mention wigs, said Sam grimly; "I'm beginning to hate the sight of 'em. The colonel's af fair whs bad enough, but goodness known what the other will be!" "What? Another blunder?" gasped Sully. "Yes! Another one, and a wig In It, too! I didn't nienil troubling you about It. but the murder's out now. There was a sudden rush of business this af ternoon, and I happened to be the only one ut the window. "Everybody appeared to be In a hur ry, and to save time I pushed the things, with the checks on top, to one side till the rush was over. In taking in the last package I knocked over a couple of brown leather bugs, checks us well, of course. "Now those confounded bags are ns much alike as two pens, and the ques tion Is, Which Is which? The one was handed In by a dapper little fellow gentleman, every Inch of him, I should say; the otner was n very suspicious looking customer, who wore a straw colored wig. "I wouldn't trust that fellow any fur ther than I could throw him, and, ns likely as not, he'll get hold of the other chap's bug, as there's nothing for it but first come, Urst served. Now, what is a fellow to do?" Sally didn't know. Sam was standing nt the window of the Left Luggage Office ou the follow lug morning when a gentleman In a light overcoat hurried past. "Hullo!'1 he muttered, "that's my dap per little gent or yesterday, lines n t appear to be coming for his bag. By Jove! I've an Idea, und I'll work It If I get the sack. Hi! Mister!" The gentleman turned, and slowly retraced his steps. Sum, on the spur of the moment, hud decided ou a desper ate expedient. Seizing one of the blown leather bugs at his side, he hur riedly whispered: "Quick, mister! Open It and satisfy yourself." The gentleman merely stared, and made no effort to take the bag. For goodness sake, don't hesitate, sir," Implored Sum. "I couldn't trust the other fellow for the world. If you don't take Just one peep, sir, ypu may never have another chances Lean over the window so that nobody will see yon!" But, my dear fellow," gasped the other; "do you know " 1 know It's not business," Interrupt ed Sum; "but I'm desperate, and It's the only way. Everything depends on ,ou." Well." laughed the gentleman. "I'll try. If you will stand all risks " I'll stand hanging," said Sam llerce- ly, "only open It." Thus urged, the stranger produced a bunch of keys; mid nt the third at tempt tlie bug was opened. The result was hardly what Sum had anticipated. Thu gentleman stared Into the open bug as If he could scarcely believe his eyes. Thou he closed it with the re mark: "You've done a good dny'a work, youug man! Ami before Sam could get in a word, man mid bag had vanished. Sam skipped round the counter with the agility of a monkey, but the platform was deserted. "Hood gracious!' he gasped. "The fellow's hooked It! It nln't his bag, I'll bet my life. What on earth did I trust him for? Done a good duy's work, have' I? I shall lie lucky If I don't do six months for this Job." For the next few minutes Sam, slt- tlug In the Left Luggage Office. save himself to despair. A horrible certain ty hud suddenly dawned upon him. The man who had carried off the bag was not the "dapper little gent" of the day before! "Their voices ain't a bit nllke," groan ed the unlucky Snni, "and like a fool, I never noticed It till too late. It strikes me I'm the biggest ass unburled." What's the nintter, Sam?" asked a clerk who entered at that moment. What's always the matter?" de manded Snm fiercely. "I'm In hot wa ter agnln, that's all!" "Oh! Then you've beard?" "Heard what?" "The station-master wants to see you In his office. He's got a visitor Col. Sowerby, I expect! Hope you'll come through all right!" "Dou't care whether I do or not," re marked Sum recklessly, as he turned towards the statlou master's otllce. "What's the colonel's affair now? A mere tleablte compared to this!" The station master's visitor was not Col. Sowerby, after, all. To the un bounded astonishment of Sam Merry, It was the mysterious stranger who had walked off with the bag. "This Is the man," remarked that in dividual as Sam entered the private office of his superior. "If you don't mind, Mr. er Merry, I want to ask you a question or two," Sam offered no objection; the cool Im pudence of this bug'-Muatclier bad taken tils breath away, "By some meuns or another," went on the stranger, "you have discovered who I am." Sum, of course, had discovered noth ing of tho kind. By a strange stroke of luck, however, he did not feel culled Upon to speak. "Now," went on Pain's questioner, "when was this bag left lu your charge?" "Throe-forty-flve yesterday after noon." "Can j ou describe the man who left It?" Sam hesitated. He had good reasons to doubt his ability ty no so. Matters were getting complicated, und for the moment he hardly knew whether he stood on his head or on his heels. For tunately, the station muster came to his rescue. "Don't be afraid. Merry," he said en couragingly. "You have full permis sion to speak In a case like this. De tective I -enhain will betruy no business secrets." Detective Denliam! Rum hnd beard his mime mentioned more than once In connection with the Munhurg Jewel robbery. Where on earth was this blunder going to end. he wondered. "I don't know whether I can describe the man exactly." Sam remarked at length, "but I think 1 should know him again If I saw him. He was a tall, thin fellow, clean shuved, and wore a straw colored wig!" "A wig!" ejaculated Detective Den liam. "That's so." replied Sam. "though not one lu twenty would have noticed It." Just us he handed In his ling nn old farmer lurched heavily against him nnd knocked his hut off. As he stooped to tdck up his hat, I caught a glimpse of the dark bull- under the edge of his wig." "Hum!" mused the detective. "Dark hair that s all right. Yon say you would kuow the man again of you saw him?" "Yes." "Very well! We'll take a cab to the police statlou. If you find the fellow there, nil the better. Anyhow, you're entitled to the reward. The Jewels, In all probability, would never have lieeu discovered but for your clever, though somewhat risky expedient." As one In a dream, Sam Merry beard and accepted the hearty congratulu tlous of the detective nnd station mus ter. "Hanged If I can understand It!" he muttered to himself on the wny to the police statlou. "Luck appears to be rolllngvm me Just ut preseut, I've done something clever that's certain; but what, how, when, where, and why, ev erybody seems to kuow but me. I'd better sny nothing." At the police station Sum had no dif ficulty In picking out his mail from a dozen others, to the delight of Detect ive Deiihnui and the chagrin of the prisoner: "Don't give way', Peters." said the detective to the prlsouer. "You'll have company as soon ns your mate turns up nt the Left Luggage Office with the check for that brown bag." Little by little Sam came to realize the clever thing he had doue. At the office he was "Blundering Sam" no longer. At one stroke he had secured a small fortune for the liuu-di-ed pounds reward was duly iuiiu over ami a much needed reputation for smartness. Only Sain and Sally, his wife, know the true facts. Saturday Evening Post. Three Good Uarn. The- men who utilize the corner grocery for n club room In the evening and on stormy days hud Just been dls- uss'ug n fox hunt, iilHiut which one of their nnnilw'i- hnd read aloud, wheu the eotiversutloi: naturally took a ivm Uilsccnt turn. "Nothing cuter or more cunning In the world than a fox," said (Joggs, by way of Introduction. "I remember one night when I was a bey that we heard a grout fuss among the dogs that were chained up. It took ns about half an hour to get dressed and armed to stilly forth for the purpose of Investigating. Not discovering anything, we loosened the dogs, and they durted off on a trail, yelping ns they went. We didn't know whether It was man or varmint, but f.fter :1 long run the dogs brought up a, the hen house nnd tried to tear down. Well sir. an old fox had deliberately showed himself to the dogs, so as to excite them, made that run while we were getting ready for trouble and, circling round, was rob bing the roost while the dogs were off the premises." "I walked up one moonlight night," volunteered the man on the wood lxx, 'and seen a fox under an apple tree where a fat pullet was roosting. I knew the thief couldn't climb so I Just stood at the window laughing. The fox barked to wake the chicken, and then begau circling around the tree, slow at first, but going faster and faster. Of course the terrltied pullet followed him with her eyes and got so dizzy that she fell out of the tree." "I see somethiu' like that once." said he lank Individual on a paint keg. only that the chicken I was watch In' wrung it own neck, 'cause the fox was golu' to dnrued fast." Th-.m, by common consent, the crowd took up the subject of fluids. Detroit Free Press. A Small Painting. Terhaps the smallest piece of paint ing In the world Is that executed by a Flemish artist. It is painted on the smooth side of a grain of common white corn, and pictures a mill and a miller with a sack of grain on his back. The miller U represented as standing on a terrace, and near It Is a horse and cart, while a group of several peasant to shown la the road near by. THE MAKING OF A PLAYER. Training- a Lad for th state la th ! of fchakapaara. John Bennett's serial story, "Master Skylark." running In St. Nicholas, has many p'cturet of life and scenes In Shiikpcnrc' time,' The following ac count of the training of the hero for the stage by the nmsu-rpliiyer Is from the Juih' number: He had Nick learn no end of stage parti off by heart, with tlielr cues und "huilueM," entrances and exits; and worked fully as html as his pupil, read ing over every sentence .twenty times until Nick had the accent iHirfectly. He would have him stamp, too, and turn ubiiiit, and gesture In necorduuee with the speech, until the boy's arms ached, going with liLm through the motions one by one, over and over ugal'i. unsHtlHlled, but patient to the lust, until Nick wondered. "Nick, my hul," he would often ray, with u tired but determined smile, "one little thing done wrong may spoil the lliuwt play, as one bad apple rots the barrelful. We'll hive It right, or not at all, If it takes a month o' Sundays." So often he kept Nick before a mirror for an hour at a time, making face while he sjuike his lines, smiling, frowning, or grimacing, us best seemed to tit tlie part, until the boy grew fairly weary of his own looks. Then sometimes, more often us the time slipped by, Carew would chip his hands with n boyish laugh, and have a pie j brought and u cup of Simolsh cordial ( for t'lem both, declaring that he loved the lad with all his heurt, upon the , rem nam of his honor; from which Nick knew that he was coming on. Cicely Curew's governess was a Mistress Agues Anstey. By birth she had Ihm'u a Hureourt. of Ankerwyke, and therefore she was everywhere es teemed Ut by birth and breeding to tench the young nijnd when to bow and when to beckon. She came each morning to the house, and Curew paid tier double shillings to see to It that Nick learned such little tricks of cap and cloak as a lady's page need have, the cnrrlage best fitted for his place, and how to come Into u room where great folks were. Moreover, how to back out again, Ixiwlug, and not fall over the stools which was no little art, until Nick caught the knack of iceplng slyly between his legs when he bowed. Ills hair, too, was allowed to grow long, ami was combed carefully every day by the tlrlng-womiin; and soon, ns It was naturally curly. It fell lu rolling waves nbout his neck. On the heels of the governess came M'sleu De Flenry, who. It was said, had been dancing-master to Hutton, the late Lord Chancellor of England, and hud taught him those tricks with hta nimble heels which hud capered him Into the Queen's good graces, and so got him the chancellorship. M'sleu ssike dreadful English, but danced like the essence of agility, and taught both Nick and Cicely the latest Italian corunto, playing the tune upon his queer little Uddle. Cicely already danced like a plxle, and laughed merrily ut her comrade's first awkward antics, until he flushed with euibarrnssineut. At that she In stantly became grave, and, when M'sleu' had gone, came across tlie room, and putting her'ann about Nick, said reHinta.ntly, "don't thou mind me, Nick. Father smith the French all laugh too soon at nothing; nnd I have' caught It from my mother's blood. A lioy Is not good friends with his feet os a girl Is; but thou wilt do beautifully, I know: and M'sleu' shall teach us the gullia.nl together." Burial Place. The ancients looked on Death as "the daughter of Night, the sister of Sleep and the friend of tlie unhappy." Their artists pictured the grim messenger who knocks with equal foot at the cats of the poor and the palaces of the rich, as a drowsy, poppy-crowned youth, not as a flesiiiess monster, sucii as horri fies us moderns. The Greeks called their burying ground Cometriou, "the sleeping place," from which comes our word cemetery. The old Jews, who had no horror of the grave, called It Bethnlm, "the house of the living." The Derma iia, with poetical simplicity, call the graveyard "God's Acre," or "field." The Arapahoe Indians cull the grave "Tlie Spirit's birthplace." In Morocco they never say a man Is dead, but that "his destiny has closed," and the grave is "where he ponders." The burial grounds of to-day ore the most beautiful parks near the cities of civ ilized lands, but there are those who believe that burying must soon give place to cremation; Indeed, societies are formed for that purpose, and we are told that cinerary urns will take the place of tombstones. But the fash ions of burial seem to be as unchange. able as death himself. Cigarettes. It Is not true that cigarettes are com monly charged with opium and other Injurious drugs. But they are flavor ed with essences of various plants, such as vanilla, stramonium, coffee, valerian, and tea. Occasionally a few tea leaves are mixed with the to bacco. These flavors are matters of fancy, and women imrtlcularly select their cigarettes with reference to them. Scarcely a plant that will yield an agreeable flavoring escapes employ ment by the manufacturers of tobac co. Among those most used are the lemon, the orange, geranium, sassa fras, thyme, anise, mint, and cinna mon. Honey and maple-sugar are util ized for sweetening. A decoction of bay Is sometimes applied to smoking tobacco, Window Polishing Paste. Castile soap, two ounces; boiling water, three ounces. Dissolve and add the following In fine powder: Pre cipitated chalk,, four ounces; French chalk, three ounces; trlpoll, two ounces. Mix and reduce with water to tho cons latency desired. WHAT A WOMAN CAN DO. B! Ou BURDETTE, who was once upon a time noted as a humor ist, has taken to saying and writing good common sense. "A wom an cannot sharpen a pencil." be says, "and outside of commercial circles she cauuot tie a package to make It look like anything save a crooked cross sec tion of chaos; but, land of miracles; see what she can do with a pin! I be lieve there nre some women who can pin a glass knob to a door. She cannot walk so many miles around a billiard table with nothing to eat and nothing (to speak of) to drink, but she can walk the floor ull night with a fretful baby without goliig sound asleep the first half hour. "She can ride 500 miles without go ing Into the smoking car to rest (and get away from the children). She can go to town und do a wearisome day's shopping and have n good time with three or four friends without drinking a keg of beer. She can enjoy nn even ing visit without smoking a half dozen cigars. She can endure the torturing distraction of a houseful of children all day, He her husband cuffs them all howling to bed before he bus been home an hour. "Every duy she endures a dress that would make nn athlete swoon. She will not. nnd possibly cannot, walk 500 miles around a tanbnrk track In six days for $5,000, but she can walk 200 miles In ten hours up and down the crowded aisles of a dry goods store when there Is a reduction sale on. She Is afraid of a mouse nnd runs from a cow, but a book agent can't scare her. She Is the salt of the church, the pep per of the choir, and the life of the sew ing society, and about all there Is of a young ladles' school or a nunnery." Chicago Woman Lawrer. Miss Corn B. Hertzel Is a member of the Chicago Corporation Counsel's reg ularly appointed staff of assistants. She Is the only woman who lins secur ed such recognition from a city. She has her office In the city hall, hos her legal duties to attend to, consults with Counsel Thornton and, what Is more, draws a man's salary. Other women have spent time talking about the ad vancement of the sex Miss Hertzel studied law and worked for It She was admitted to the bar In Wisconsin and Illinois and practiced Independent ly In Chicago, conducting many cases and preparing numerous legal docu ments for other lawyers. Her recent appointment was secured because she was capable of filling the position, ac cording to Counsel Thornton, and not because of a "political pull." The Matchmaking- Mamma, Judging by modern fiction, the moth er, as such, does not exist In English society, sny Munsey's Magazine. The female parent Is not extinct, but her attitude to her daughter seems to be that of business manager or advance agent rather than guardian angel. The ambition which In the American moth er might be labeled "My daughter's happiness," becomes, In the practical code of the British matron, "My daugh ter's establishment." One seldom picks tip a novel of English society that one does not meet the scheming, lynx-eyed mamma, working diligently at .the matrimonial grab-bag with one hand, while with the other she pushes for ward her gentle little ladylike daugh ter, who Is some day to be metamor phosed Into a British mamma herself. She shoos off the detrimental and gath ers In the heir with unabashed frank ness, asking Intentions and bustling around very much like a steam tug at a launching. And when a parti suita ble in the matter of lands and family has finally been secured, she heaves a sigh of relief and prepares to do her duty by the next. This picture Is not merely the caric ature of a few cynical novelIst8.,Near ly all fiction that deals with social life in England shows the same figure. To be sure, all the worldly and ambitions parents are not on that side of the water. We have plenty of our own, but society gives them only a passive part to play and the national dread of tb ridiculous keeps them from open MISS COIi A. B. HERTZEL. maneuvering. The daughter betas quite competent to look out for her self, the mother is more disinterested and frequently weeps renl tears at her daughter's marriage, even though It be the best match of the season. Roue t'nwtlinrre Liithrop. Nathaniel Hawthorne left three chil dren, Una, Julian nnd Hose. Uose, who married George Parsons Lathrop, recently surprised all her frieuds by devotlug herself to victims of cancer Pi:. ROSE HAWTHORNE I.ATHROP. In the New York slums. In this work of mercy, which she took up to gain relief from the loss of an only child, she has shown the courage and single minded fidelity to her convictions which one would expect from a daugh ter of Hawthorne. Bighttraa Woman Farmer. There lives In Oak Hill, Texas, a blind girl who has from a few acres of land, cultivated by herself, cleared about $200 each season for several years by the growing and sale of vege tables. She began with no capital and an unfeuced piece of uncultivated land. There Is now a neat fence about her domain, a well and a pump In the cen ter, and she bus, In nddition to purchas ing these, paid for a piano and a hack to take her vegetables to the market, which Is twenty miles from her home. Every evening during the dry season she waters a certain number of plants until she has gone over the entire piece, when she begins and goes over It again In the same way. Insect life she detects from her acute sense of hearing, nnd grass and weeds are eas ily distinguished from plants by the sensitive fingers of the blind gardener. Rich Hint of Re1. At n recent wedding, hangings of red gauze, veiling mirrors, nnd at doors and windows, draped over mantels, and, lu fact, wherever opportunity pre sented, were accessories that were not us theatrical as It sounds to tell of ' them. The flowers were splendid red tulips nnd magnificent Jack roses, and, as the drawing-rooms and hulls to be gin with were done in pale empire cVl. ors, this riot of red really gave a very rich and Imposing effect. Bolero and Cape. This elegant combination of bolero and cape Is the Invention of Paris modistes to have the filing gathered nnd beruffled sleeves of the season. The bolero Is confined at the waist In this model by a wide-draped waist band, but can be cut short and left free If preferred. The material Is satin or moire below, also the exquisite trans parent canvas goods showing the bright silk lining. The sleeves are kilt ed frills over a plain silk foundation. To Keep tbe Mslrt Down. The wheelwomen find It necessary to resort to various devices to keep tho skirt down in front Four dress weight sewed across the hem in front is good; a strap on either side with a button hole to button to the top button of th leggln is another way, and still an other, when high boots are worn, la to have a loop of narrow rubber on th principle of a garter fastened on eacfc aide and slip It under tech kneo, :lL.i