THE OLD-FASHIONED FIRE, To steam bent the citiee aspire As they shiver and shake in tha cold; But give me the old-faHhioned fire The round,- rosy backlog of old! The warmth and the light Of its fl;-nie, leaping bright The drowHT-hends huddled around It at night! Id the darkness the winter wind sighing Made the flame take a ruddier glow; The sparks up the broad chimney fly ing Like witch-eyes that gleamed in the snow! Oh, the warmt. and the light Of those red flames so bright. And the comfort and joy of the wild winter niht! Far better that friendly old fire Than buiMitiKS of simmering steam, With never a flame to admire, And never a beautiful dream! Oh, the love and the light ' Where 1 those flames danced so bright, And the old-fashioned joy of the Id- fashioned night. 'i Atlanta Constitution. . HIS RARE SKILL. tHit W-H 1"t i-1 ! I 1 I1 1' II I t 4 rACK Jla I.o pacit ACK GREEN was a reporter ou London paper, and In that ca pacity he solved the riddle of the celebrated Sykes robbery case. The story was printed from one end of the country to the other,' and It uiailo a hero of Greon, especially as he received a slight wound from a stray bullet In the fracas that took place when Sykes und his confederates were arrested. His injury won him a mouth's vaca tion, which he resolved to spend at his home in Kent. Ashford was not a very lively place iu the winter, but Green was not looking for recreation. He wanted to see Ethel Watson, who in his opinion, was the sweetest and smartest girl in the world. On the afternoon of his seventh day In Ashford Green drove up to the Wat son house to take Ethel for a drive. There had been a fine fall of snow the night before. Ethel was standing by the gate talking to Joe Sawyer, who also was in love with her, but dldu't dare to say so openly. Joe was a law yer, and the only one in Ashford who had any practice. "Hello, Sherlock Holmes!" said the lawyer. "Have you heard the news?" "Ho," answered Green, sourly. "I'm really surprised," said Sawyer. "You should have deducted It from the state of the atmosphere and the price of potatoes." "I haven't," responded Green. "Justice Hawkins' house has been robbed," said Ethel, "and I think it's positively providential that you're here." Green looked at Ethel and ho saw that she expected htm to perform great miracles. He looked at Sawyer and saw something quite different. "Get In here, both of you," 'said Green, "and we'll see what we can do." They drove to the Justice's house, The robbery had been discovered by old Mrs. Gubbins, a lifelong dependent of the Judge's family, who went through the house three or four times a week to see that all was well, but did not live there. She had reported the case to the local police a day and a night watchman and these function arles were present, with a dozen of the neighbors, when Green and his coin panlons arrived. - ' Green consulted his watch, and then ho slowly walked into the hall, where the old-fashioned safe built into the wall gaped emptily. He glanced around with listless eye, while everybody watched him. Then he walked Into the parlor and stood for half a minute by the mantelpiece. From this room he passed through all the others In the house, a slow pro cession following him. Finally he led them to the starting point the broad hall, and there he sat down upon the stairs and looked at his watch, which he had consulted occasionally In the course of his stroll. "Nineteen minutes and a half," said Green. "Mr. Jones, I believe you are a deputy sheriff of this county as well us a constable of the village. I will make ray report to you, sir. This robbery was committed by two men who do not llva in Ashford, and who are not here at present. Where they are we will consider later. "One of them is about six feet tall and rather slender. He has red hair, but is bald on the front part of his cranium. He wore a long black over coat and heavy rubber overshoes. The little finger of his right hand has been broken and ts bent almost double. "It may Interest you to know how discovered this. The thief la tall be cause he bumped his head en the swinging lamp In the parlor, and that is about six feet from the floor. He left upon it a small portion of his scalp and one red hair. If he had not been bald In front he would have left more hair and less scalp. "The prints of bis overshoes show In the dust on the floor of the kitchen closet. The print of his little finger Is In the dust on top of that table, or was before Joe Sawyer sat down on It." "There wasn't any dust here not speck!" exclaimed Sawyer, Jumping off the table. "It depends on the eye," responded Green, calmly. "To continue: The other robber was short, thick-set and dark. He wore pea Jacket and a fur cap. He had heavy black beard, which may, how ever, be false. I cannot tell from the single hair which I found upon a piece of bread In the kitchen until I have examined It with a microscope. He was aa Irishman." . ITALIAN ALPHABET V, This quaint and Interesting alphabet was selected and adapted from Italian Mas. of the sixteenth ceutury. on table-linen, using this size for napkins and enlarging any one of the letters for table cloths. Embroider In In satin stitch, and the light lines In monograms are suitable for towels, etc., bordered towels and red embroidery cotton on red ones. Great Scott!" exclaimed the con stable. "How do you know that?" "From his method of knocking out the ashes from his pipe," replied Green. "Irishmen have a peculiar way of doing it I have not time to explain iu detail." "The tall man walked on this side," said Green. "Mark the longer stride nd the prints of the overshoes. With out doubt they walked across the mea dows to Cbartham and took the 7:10 train for London." "Why not the 6:60 for Dover?" ask ed Sawyer. "Thieves with plunder always strike for the big cities," said Green. "Mr. Jones, if you telegraph to London, giv ing a description of the men and their plunder, I think the police can catch them for you before to-morrow morn ing. Now, Ethel, If you're ready, we'll go for a drive." At 0 o'clock the next morning Jones received this message from Scotland Yard: ' "Have your men. Description per fect. Most of goods recovered. Will send men in charge of Detective Cuff, 10 o'clock train." "I'll give it up," said Joe Sawyer. And he gnawed his knuckles till they bled. Green walked away from the station with Ethel, and a cheering mob followed. He got her Into her own house as soon as he could, and there in the par lor he faced her, red with shame. "Ethel,", said he, "I love you, and" "And I love you," she answered, but I'm only a silly girl, and I'll never be anything else. I haven t the mind your wife should hove 'Don't! Don't!" he groaned. "Ethel, I can't act this lie before you. I have only been a lucky idiot In this affair, as in that other In London." "Luck!" she cried. "Could luck tell you that the robber carried a black bag Instead of a brown one Child! Child! , I saw It!" moaned Green. "I was sitting on a rock Just at the back of the Judge's house when those two thieves came out through the yard. I heard oue of them say that they had time to walk to Chart- hara and catch the 7:10 train to Lon don." .. "Jack," she cried, "you're a bigger man than I thought you were. You're a wonder: ana sne nung ner arms around his neck. Indianapolis' Sun. MOUNTAINS ON VENUS. German Astronomer Claims Have Discovered Them. to We seem to be getting on familiar terms with neighboring worlds. With Mars and Its Intricate system of ca nals. If not its actual Inhabitants, thanks to the delicate Investigations of late years, everybody Is- pretty well ac quainted. Now Herr Arendt, who is a German, and, therefore, not a trifler, announces the discovery of mountains on Venus. To observers hitherto the planet has seemed wrapped In an lni penetrable envelope of cloud, which, when near the earth. Is the cause of Its astonishing brilliancy; but Herr Arendt who has had the instruments of the Urania observatory at Berlin to work with, considers that he has detected markings on Venus which In dicate the presence of great eleva tions, seen from time to time through the clouds surrounding It Novel as tha snggostlon is, It Is but a revival of an old idea. Long ago Schroter fancied he saw evidence of mountains on Venus in the raggedness of the terminator that Is, the line where light and shade meet such as the Inner line of the crescent moon. He went so far as to measure them, and announced that they were t wen- AND MONOGRAM. O.T The letters re well adapted for use white cotton, making the. solid parts cording stitch or outline them. The using blue embroidery cotton on blue ty-flve miles high. But then no one had believed him. Markings have been noticed on the bright planet from very early times, from which It was con cluded that it rotated In about twen ty-four hours, Its day being the same length as our own. Herr Arendt's ob servations point to the same results. In direct contradiction to Schlapar elll's famous theory that Venus, held by tidal Influence, always turns the same face to the sun, as the moon does to the earth. London Globe. WAY8 OF WOMEN. No Limit to Tyranny Borne Will Stand from Milliners. There does not seem to be a limit to the tyranny which some women will stand from milliners, modistes, beautlfiers, and other autocrats mat uk. it is related of a very grande dame who had just returned from abroad to her New York home that she visited her milliner In a day or two wearing a creation in headgea for which she had paid a fabulous sum In Paris. The milliner saw the situation in a moment, and, being quick-witted person, resolved on In stant action. "Take off that hat and never put it on again," she said lni periousiy to ner visitor, a woman whose social power Is almost without limit "Why do you say that?" she asked, with a weak-kneed attempt to assert her dignity. "I met Mrs. Blank this morning and she told me this hat was very becoming." - Quick to seize a point the milliner answered calm ly: i "Just so. Mrs. Blank Is no friend of yours, and would gladly see you wear that hat" This, was an Idea that had not occurred to madam, but It took root at once, just as the milliner was sure It would. The upshot was that the hat was left to be made over, madam taking a new one home, and the milliner had still more firmly riv eted the chain which bound her patron.' The professional beautlfler Is about equally autocratic. For Instance, a noted complexion specialist who Is said to have "made over" Mrs. Fred erick Vanderbilt accompanied that wealthy woman to Florida last winter and kept her "under repair", there for six weeks. It is understood that Mrs. Vanderbilt saw no necessity for such close . attention, but the beautlfler thought otherwise and charged $10, 000 for her services. Another special ist by way of a vacation last summer, sauntered through a few watering places and picked up $0,000 before re turning to her "studio" tn New York. Chicago Chronicle. .. Pi e;m 7 Camels of Persia. The western part of Persia Is Inhab ited by a species of camel which Is the pigmy of its kind. These camels are snow white, and are on that account almost worshipped by the people. The Shah presented the municipality of Berlin with two of these little won ders. The larger Is twenty-seven Inches high and weighs - sixty-one pounds. The other Is four Inches less, but tie weight Is not given. . Examinations of the Air. Regular examinations of the air In New York City are to be made to de termine the presence of bacteria, and when dangerous germs are found to be prevalent the public will be warned and steps will be taken to head off the disease. German Postal Stations. The multiplication of railways has not diminished the number of postal stages In Germany.' On the contrary, the number of stage drivers rose from 5,173 to ISM to 0,814 In 1000. remi UIET and the Jnnitor reigned supreme in the big room on the Board of Trnue where pandemonium had existed a little while before. Gra ham swung bark and forth before his desk In a side otlice In the hall below, talking to a friend. "I.ook here!" as I know It you wouldn't have been sold. "Do I know grain? Well, 1 ought to what was expected, either. Oh, the Sometimes it Is high when tilings should You can't tell. Hut you can't fool me "When I was a boy, you see, there hung around there till the proprietor bad to give me a job from sheer desper ation. The first thing I knew there was a course In the agricultural college to be given to some one and I thought I would aspire to it. Well, I got it . from the Congressman of the district earnings In my pocket. "You see, I was making my way and what I expected to do. , There was to be a reunion of soldiers at another town and I thought I would hurry up a bit before school and- get to the encampment, where some one could do an odd job or two for the command ers. The thing worked all right and I counted out $150 to put tn the bank In the agricultural college town. But one night every cent was stolen. When I got up in the morning I slipped my fingers under the pillow, where the purse should have been, and nothing was there. No matter how I looked the wallet could not be found, and at last him. Of course he was sorry and said would notify me. . "I was In a quandary. I suppose I man and told him my troubles. I had every reason to think he would have believed me, but I had a strong aversion to going back at all. My ticket had been bought to the college town and It, too, had disappeared with my pocket book. But the walking was good and I could make it in a day. So the hotel man put up a lunch for me and with that I went my way. "In the course of time I came to the college. I faced the president with my story. " 'We can set you to work in the barns,' said the president 'Can you sort grain?' Could I? It was my trade, as it were. I sorted grain, leaving the small kernels and picking out the big, at the rate of 12 cents an hour. I worked hard, too. The Congressman came once and stood watching me. Finally he filled his pockets with the packages of wheat and I'll bet every one of the samples made him a vote. . . "Wheat gave out after a time and I was given other grain to sort until vacation came, and then I was like the boy who wanted to go to the circus and couldn't I wanted to go back to the town with the elevator, but didn't have money enough. So I went to the college president with my troubles and as a result I worked while others had a good time. Most all the stu dents went home, but I well, I sorted beans and did other things through out the Christmas holidays. "That is the way I got through school. The next move I made was to get an interest in the elevator and finally I came to Chicago as a grain ex pert After that I started an office here In the Board of Trade." "But all self-made men will tell you much the same story." The self-made man turned to his desk with his letter-opener, for the mall carrier had come in and thrown down a bundle of orders. Chicago Dally News. I I II I I II I 1 III I I I I I IP I I I III UNPOPULARITY OF HOUSEWORK . ...... 1 1 1 ii Miss Mary E. Trueblood, an Instruc tor In Mount Holyoke College, has re cently made an investigation for the Massachusetts bureau of labor in re gard to the employment of women In that State, and her report, an abstract of which appears In the New York Independent contains much that Is of Interest bearing upon the unpopu larity of housework among American working girls. The principal indus tries which attract girls away from housework are the shoe factories, tex tile mills, department stores, and res taurants. Of these the department stores contain the highest per cent of American born girls, while the houseworkers who figure in her sta tistics not one was born in this coun try. In Massachusetts less than a century ago numerous native Ameri can girls not only lived In families as jervauts, but were regarded as belong ing to the family a relation not pos sible now. The overcrowding of all departments of work except house work Is all the more curious when it Is considered that the housework does not wear upon the health, whereas all the other departments of labor do, especially the mills and factories. The average cash Income weekly In the shops is $7.52; in the shoe factories, $10.45; in the restaurants, $5.38; in the textile mills, $8.35; In household work, $3.09. The houseworker, how ever, earns more than the shop and restaurant girl because she does not have to pay for food and lodging, and when lost time In mills and factories Is taken into account the household wages compare favorably with those in shop and store. The housework- er's labor Is more healthy. The de mand for that labor is constant, and girls engaged In It can save more. And yet the supply of Intelligent ser vant girls is constantly diminishing. Miss Trueblood talked with large numbers of girls engaged in the shops, mills, and factories, and heard the same story everywhere. They ob jected to the long hours of housework, to Sunday work, to unspeclalized work, to the loss of social position, to the loss of Independence and free time, and to the Irritating relations which nearly always exist between mistress and servant. It was the general opin ion that "a girl must necessarily have lost her self-esteem who would sell all her time but half of one afternoon in each week, who would submit to be called a 'servant' and who, Instead of learning her trade and being left to exercise It must constantly be sub jected to the whim of each new em ployer." The Information secured by Miss Trueblood sets forth In a strong light the difficulties which stand In the way of the solution of the servant girl prob lem. It will never again be possible to return to the old conditions when servants were treated as a part of the family because domestic relations are no longer the same. It must be ac knowledged that there Is nothing In household Work to attract Intelligent I he was saying, "if you knew grain . . . know it And this year's crop is not market? That's a curious element be low, and again it Is the reverse. about wheat. ... ,; '. was an elevator in my town and I and went away with my summer's ! . ... paying as I went At least that Is I went to the hotelkeeper and told If he ever heard of the money he n . - ; could have gone back to the elevator American girls. The most dlscourair. lng feature Is that even the untrained foreign born servants are growing more and more lnslstant In their de mands and begin to make them some times as soon a they have acquired sufficient knowledge of the language to uo so. Chicago Tribune. Cows Showed the Charm. At a recent concert of the hospital music fund, given in Cambridge City Hospital, one of the musicians did a thing which recalls the ancient his tory of Orpheus and his enchanting lyre. At the further end of a field opposite the institution two cows were quiet ly grazing with their backs toward the street. The first violinist asserted that he could speak with those cows by means of his violin at that distance. Being doubted, he played one chord on the two lower strings of his In strument. The animals Immediately quit feeding, raised their heads-, turn ed In the direction of the sound, and looked Interested. The violinist drew his bow on the strings a second time and the animals came directly across the field and put their heads over the rails of the fence, with ears thrown forv ard, nostrils dilated and eyes In quiring. The third time the chord was played the animals simultaneously an swered with a sharp, short lowing and uneasy stamplug'of forefeet w ord In cow language was plainly said by the violin and was answered by the cows. The Incident was seen by Dr. Dlxwell and six or seven oth ers Interested In the hospital music charity. Some of the more Incredulous members of the party thought that perhnpt the animals which answer ed the sound were looking for another cow bidden from view, but there was no near hiding place and the sunlight was clear. Boston Transcript Baked Apple Dumplings. reel and core as many apples As your appetite may wish. Six or eight perhaps a doren That would be a generous dish. Make a dough like cracker biscuit, Hull It thin with skill and care. Place an apple lightly on It . Take your knife and cut it square- Large enough to fold your fiUlt in. Then within the vacant place Of the core a bit of butter. Cinnamon and sugar place. Draw your square up well together, ' Pinch it gently on the top, So your dough will be protected, Lest the cooking Juices pop. When your apples are all covered, Take a fork and prick them through, 'Twill prove better in the baking Half a dozen times will do. Bake them slowly, and, while cooking, Take of sugar just one cup, And a modest lump of butter And with light hand cream them up. Adding extract, and your bard sauce Set on ice to harden more; Lift your apples from the oven, And your labors will be o'er. Serve them hot the juice adds flavor, And each dumpling, firm and brown, la a practical achievement Adda a Jewel to your crown. Columbus Journal. A Teat of Troth. "Is he truthful f 'Indeed be 1st About everything but the prowess of bis football team." PRESCRIPTIONS FOR TROUBLE. Bcnsibl Advice Given by Believe in Work. Never since the first sick man grum bled have there been so many cure for the body known In the world as now. That niun is the exception who has not been cut to pieces and mended up again. . There are a dozen schools of healing for every disease. One phy sician attacks the liver, another tha bone, a third the skin. They assail you with drugs, with heat cold, mudr magnetism and - prayer. They lock; you up In a box and bake you, or turn a swarm of bees In on you, or bathe you In purple light. 1 So much do we care for the body- But who cures the hurt soul? What patent' medicine will dry tears? You have worked hard and honestly ' In life, perhaps, and suddenly you are struck down on the rond and thrown aside a failure. Or the being dearest to you, your wife or the boy who was? : flesh of your flesh, your one care and' ' hope in life, Is dead was put out of your sight yesterday. In that cut In -the muddy ground yonder. ' Never to come 'back home never to speak' to " yon or touch you again. What are you? ' to do? The hours and days ur.d years must creep on and on before you can go to him. Or perhaps the hurt Is not a vital stab like that, but some mean, belittling shame, some vulgar disgrace that has fallen on you by no faults of yours. You think that. you never shall lift your head or look your friends In ' the eyes again. . . " What can you do? You are young and strong: Is life over now and dead? No doctor prescribes for these hurts; no drug touches them. Yet there ar homely prescriptions which do give re-';' lief. , First don't disguise the wound to . yourself. It Is there, real; it nmy never heal. When Tope was an oldt '. man he wept bitterly at his mother' grave. Not all of the long years, her said, had healed the hurt of her going away. Don't touch your wound. But your physical nerves are weakened, your vi tality Is lessened. Go to work there-- . Is there any occupation or amuse- - ment which you especially relish?-; Take It up. Be it the theater, or novel- . reading, or photography, or cookery -" go to It Don't mind what the neighv bors say. You will be surprised anil)' perhaps a little ashamed to find how soon your pulses will grow regular andK your thoughts sane. Next, stiffen yourself to carry your grief alone. Don't drip the black flood hourly on to your neighbors. Be sure each of them has his own load to ' carry. Look for It Give him a help ing hand with It And after a year or two of this com mon-sense nourishment of yourself yon will suddenly see that going through, the vale of misery you have made it' a straight road to the heights. Satur day Evening Post POST BOXE8 IN 8TREET CARS Every Car in Washington la to Be as Moving Letter liox. A plan for converting every street car in Washington into a moving let ter box has been submitted to the first assistant postmaster general from . v the office of the superintendent of free) : delivery. The project was advanced to ' the department by George B. McAllis ter of Baltimore, who Is the Inventor, and was referred by Postmaster Gen eral Payne to a special commission of his subordinates about October 1st. -That commission' has now completed -Its report and transmitted it to Mr. Wynne, who, as first assistant post master general, supervises all the fea tures of mall delivery and collection.. By a vote of the commission it 1st proposed that the plan shall first b tried In Washington, where the ofnV ' cluls of the department can observe It In practical operation, reports to Washington Star. It Is thought this course may be followed within the. ' ensuing six months. " Mr. McAllister's device, as manifest' ' ' ed in models submitted to the depart ment consists of waterproof drop let ter contrivances which are to be so built in the sides of the street cars) that letters may be readily dropped ' into them while thej car are passing: crossings. The mouths of the recep tacles will be perfectly open to admit of the free dropping of a letter Into them and adequate provision will bw made for preventing rain or snow-' from finding Its way Into the letter compartments. The plan Includes tha ' transferring of the mall from car line ' not directly connecting with the post office to one or more lines making tola ' connection, and a variety of Ingenious mechanical arrangements Is provided for doing this In periods of time rang- ; lng from three and four to five and ser- ! ' en seconds. - What's In a Name7 "She Is a Russian countess," said 1 one of two speakers whose con versa- tlon Is reported In the Yonkers State--- man. "Indeed !" said the other. "Has sbw " much In her own name?" 'Has she? She's got the entire al phabet!" Confeaslon. Singleton How long have you been married? Wederly Six months. Singleton And of course you think your wife quite an angel. Wederly No, not quite but then I have hopes. : . Of course brains count but the j ftteV quently get mixed np In their calca latlons. ' As a physical exerciser, the old fashioned woodpile never bad ao-quei.