THE BROOKLET.
"Oh, silver brooklet, flowing clear,
Foreverspeeding pnst me here.
1 stand, and ponder on thy flow;
"Whence eomest thou? Where dost thou
go V"
"From out the rock's deep heart 1 elide,
O'er flowers and moss my course I guide;
There floats upon my mirror true,
The picture of the heaven's blue.
"So, like a child without a care,
1 bound along, I know not where;
He will, I trust, my Lender be,
AVho from earth's bosom summoned me."
Goethe.
f
I Mrs. Luther Wilkins. I
T7$ HE postmaster smiled a little
11 when he passed out the mall, but
Luther Wilkins did not notice.
He was trying to remember whether It
was a yeast cake or a pound of cheese
he had meant to get at the store.
He went out of the postofliee still
)onderlcg and ended by forgetting both
articles, his attention being diverted by
the sight of two boys playing marbles
on the sidewalks. This was the first
sign of spring Luther had seen, so It
was no wonder that his memory played
Li in false.
After he had got home and had eaten
Ills supper he thought of the mail In his
overcoat pocket. He brought it to the
tnbld iiiid snt ilmvfl to exn!!!!H !f. Th'VC
was the weekly county paper, a poul
try journal, an agricultural monthly,
.iud last of all a letter.
"Well, now." said Luther, picking it
up, "I wonder who's been writing to
me. I don't know when I've had a let
ter." He looked at It eagerly, held It nearer
his eyes, then farther off. He removed
his glasses and polished them In nerv
ous haste. After replacing them on his
nose he picked up the letter again and
scanned It narrowly, then he looked
over his glasses as If at some person
and said:
"I snum!"
He sank Into a reverie, out of which
HE STUDIED THE KNVKI.0PK WITH Rh.
i NK WED INTKREsT.
he roused himself with a start to study
the envelope with reuewed Interest.
"Mrs. Luther Wilklus," he said, "Mrs.
Luther Wilkins. And I an old bach
elor who never so much as hardly
thought of getting married! Mrs. Lu
ther Wilkins, why, where Is she? Aud
who Is she?"
"Well, I guess I'll see what's In It."
He inserted the point of his kulfe under
the comer of the envelope flap, then he
hesitated.
"What business have I opening of
lier letters?" he asked himself. "I never
did open other folks' letters, and I
gue.s I won't begin now." He rose to
his feet and carrying It to the mantel
piece leaned It up against the clock.
He settled himself to his papers, but
thoughts of Mrs. Luther AVilklns kept
intruding on what he was reading
about patent nest-boxes, and, under
draining and the news of the village.
Thereafter during all his waking
"hours, Mrs. Luther Wilkins was often
In his thoughts. She even haunted his
dreams at times. He wondered what
xhe was like, and he thought of the
Tdnd of woman he would wish her to
lie, aud enjoyed himself very much In
Imagining how It would seem to have
her meet him at the door when he caino
lu from the fields, and how nice It
would be not to have to get his own
meals.
At first he was a little cynical and
told himself that the Imagining was
much more satisfactory than the real
ity would be, but after awhile he
changed his mind, and would sigh
"heavily when he came Into his lone
some house.
The letter by the clock, too, began to
trouble him. He had a devouring curi
osity to see what was In It, and be
sides It did not seem Just right to keep
It so long before delivering it.
One evening In June Luther put on
his best clothes and walked three miles
to see an old schoolmate who had an
unmarried cousin living with him. It
seemed to him that Eliza Elliott fitted
in exactly with his Idea of Mrs. Luther
AVilklns.
He came home quite early very much
disappointed, Eliza wouldn't do at all.
He worked doggedly for a month,
Irvine linrd not to think of the dls-
;atlng subject. It was no use, and
toward the end of July It was observed
that Luther was becoming very neigh
borly, lie spent his evenings at dlffer-
A SArtPLE OF BOER
INTERIOR OF THE JOHANNESBURG FORT.
Mr. James Hay, formerly president of the Johannesburg Chamber of Mines,
who recently visited London, stated to an interviewer In Cape Town, Borne time
previously, that when the Boers have had their first big defeat they will go to
Johannesburg and level it with the ground. To do this Oom Paul's faithful
burghers will, of course, have to make use of the fort which for so long a time
has presented a threatening front to the unarmed and helpless inhabitants of
the town. The fort, by the by, was finished in the middle of the year 1S'J7, and
its origin is said to have been due to the ever-to-be-lamented Jameson raid.
The fort occupies a commanding position on top of a hill. It is rectangular
in shape, with two bastions at opposing corners. On each bastion is mounted a
23-eentinieter quick-tiring gun, with two flanking Maxims for enfilade fire. On
the side looking toward Barnato Park are four small quick-firing guns. On the
opposite side towards Johannesburg Is the entrance which traverses the rampart
at an angle of 45 degrees. Right' and left of this, within the court, are stables.
Under the bastion on the right are barracks and a magazine, the corresponding
position beneath the other bastion being occupied by officers' rooms and an
other magazine. Whether these elaborate preparations for the destruction of
Johannesburg have W-u made iu vain U at present n uleo speculative puiut. It
may be that when the British forces appear before the Gold Reef City Johan
nesburg of the nineties will be no more. Illustrated London News.
ent neighbors' houses, he accepted in
tations to tea, he went to church regu
larly and to all Sunday school picnics.
And still he could not find a suitable
owner for the letter.
"I must me terribly fussy," he. sighed.
"I've got acquainted with about all the
women In town; they're nice women,
every one of them, but somehow they
don't suit me. I guess I'll have to give
up beat."
It was one cold, raw day in early No
vember that Luther sat at a window
making clumsy attempts at mending a
pair of very ragged socks. Happening
to glance across the road he saw a
woman out In Hammond's yard. She
was busy raking up the fallen autumn
leaves.
"Letitla Hammond," Luther com
meuted, "Bill Hammond's sister. We
don't see much of her lately. She don't
even go to church, there's so many of
Bill's children to look after, and Bill's
wife Is so took up with her clubs and
things. It's hard on Letitla, but she
never finds a word of fault."
The sock he was mending fell to the
floor, and the wooden egg inside It
struck with such a loud bang that the
cat started In bis sleep. Luther did not
notice. He was standing at the window
staring out.
" 'That Is best which lleth nearest,' "
he said, solemnly, "What a fool I've
been."
He found his hat and left the house,
almost running across the road. He
took the Iron rake away from Letitla
gently. "That's too hard work for a lit
tle thing like you," he said.
Letltia's blue eyes were full of won
der, but she yielded up the rake
weakly.
"You'd better go Into the house, too,"
said Luther. "It's cold out here."
No one had been thoughtful of her
before for a long time, and Letitla
couldn't understand it. When Luther
returned the rake she asked him to let
her do something for him.
He carried her his best pair of socks.
She was horrified at their condition, and
mended them In a very artistic man
ner. Luther looked at them In wonder and
reverence. "I'll never wear 'em," he
"that's too bard work for a little
thino like you," he said.
said, when he was at home again. "I
wouldn't have let her do it, only I knew
It would make her feel better, and It
gave me a chance to see her, too."
He found that It was an easy matter
to invent excuses for seeing her, and
finally, some time In the winter, he
asked her, In fear and trembling, If she
would be Mrs. Luther Wilklus.
At first she was afraid It would not
be right to abandon her brother's chil
dren, but her scruples melted away be
fore the warmth of his eloquence. Then
she confessed that she was tired.
"It is so long that I have had to take
FORTIFICATIONS.
t
care of other folks, and it will seem like
heaven to have some oue to take care of
me."
So It happened that In a little less
than a year the letter to Mrs. Luther
Wilkins wtis given to its rightful own
er. "Circumstances over which I had
no control hare-prevented you from
getting It before," Luther said.
"Why, It's nothing but nu advertise
ment of some preparation of cereals,"
she said, when she had opened It.
Luther looked blai;k.
"I see how It Is," sha said, after n
moment's thought. "They sent to the
different grocers for lists of their cus
tomers, and then sent these circulars
to their wives."
"Let's keep It," said Luther, softly.
"If it hadn't been for that "
"Yes, we'll keep it," said Letltia,
blushing.
HOW TO CARE FOP UMBRELLAS.
Hints from a Manufacturer Which May
Prolong 3 heir Usefulness.
Manufacturers and jobbers of um
brellas say that there were more um
brellas sold during the past year than
for the past five jears. Especially is
this true lu Baltimore of the finer
grades of goods, for which the demuud
has been unusually great. Retailers d.d
a remarkably large holiday trade, and,
of course, the manufacturers and Job
bers profited by it.
While Baltimore docs not rank high
as a manufacturing center for um
brellas lu point of numbers, Its reputa
tion depends on the fine quality of
goods made up In this city. It Is esti
nuted that over 500 hands are steadily
eugaged In the manufacture of umbrel
las lu Baltimore, aud that an average
of 5,000 complete umbrellas are turned
out every week. During some seasons
the figures are greater or less, but thut
Is the average production.
Like many other articles of manu
facture, the mnklng of umbrellas has
been reduced to the assembling of the
parts and turning out the complete
shelter from the rain. One firm makes
the stel tubing which nowadays forms
the "stick" of the umbrellas, another
turns out the ribs, another the various
fancy handles and so on through the
list. Silks aud other materials for the
covers are cut and sewed In the fac
tory, where the other parts are brought
by the thousand and put together. To
such a degree of perfection has the
machinery been brought for making the
various parts of an umbrella that It Is
said that It Is actually cheaper to make
a new umbrella than to repair an old
one. That Is to say, that In the time
taken by a workman to repnlr an um
brella he can turn out probably half a
dozen new ones complete.
Recent sales show that while Baltl
moreans prefer the better qualities of
silk covering for umbrellas, they favor
natural wood handles or those tipped
with pearl for ladles umbrellas. For
men the demand Is for the combina
tions In Ivory handles, next to the natu
ral wood sticks and the silver-mounted
wood handles.
A manufacturer gives three points
about the care of. umbrellas which will
tend to their lasting longer while In ser
vice. In the first place an umbrella
should not be tightly rolled and then
put In a close cover unless It Is desired
to have the silk cut to pieces in every
fold. Even when lying In stock It Is
said that tightly rolled silk umbrellas
will cut out In a few weeks. The other
precaution Is to open an umbrella when
It has been wet and let dry wb'le spn ad
open. This will prevent the water
gathering In the folds and rotting the
fabric which forms the covering. Bal
timore Sua.
JAPANESE WRESTLERS.
Their Physical Development Is Some
thing Truly Remarkable.
Although the American is willing to
concede to the Japanese the possession
of a mental capacity almost. If not
quite, equaling that of the majority of
white races, he Is apt to form a some
what slighting opinion of him as view
ed from a physical standpoint. The
specimens met with In this country do
not tend to convey n favorable impres
sion of their athletic powers. After,
however, reading an account of the
physical measurements of some of the
most prominent Japanese wrestlers, a
more respectful attitude regardlug the
muscular development of these little
men will probably be taken. The Jljl
Shimpo has recently published a table
giving the measurements of six of the
foremost Japanese fighters. From this
table it is gathered that the most bulky
of these modern gladiators weighs at
the age of 22 years alwut 800 pounds
height, live and a half feet; girth of
chest, fifty-eight Inches; lung capacity,
4.4"0 cubic centimeters; upper arm,
eighteen Inches.
Another one weighs over 2S0 pounds;
height, six feet five Inches; girth of
chest, forty-eight Inches; lung capacity,
15,000 cubic centimeters; upper arm, six
teen Inches. The smallest of these fight
ing men weighs more than 200 pounds,
measures in height five feet seven
indies, while In lung capacity he ex
ceeds them all. There are few wrest
lers or pugilists In thl9 or any country
who attain to these dimensions, and
those who have seen some of the best
t-Ajioiifuis uf Japn inv-e VVlValoug file
willing to back them wheu pitted
against the. pick of the European or
American experts, ns It Is said that
they are as skillful as they are power
ful. Medical Record.
INDIAN JaCK.
Last of the Royal Pllchucks Lives Near
Snohomish, Wash.
Near Snohomish, Wash., lives "In
dian Jack" In calm content. When he
dies the Pilchuck Tribe will be extinct,
but he watches the passing of day af
ter day without a sigh of regret for
the past glories of his race or the firm
LAST OF TUB ROYAL PII.CHUCK8.
leadership he once held over his people.
He bears no hatred for the white men,
but, on the contrary, has taken n.deep
Interest In their affairs, and his keen
speeches have often helped to turu the
tide of public events. In his old age
he has found the philosopher's stone of
true happiness. "I am the most con
tented of men." he said recently, "be
cause I long ago made up my mind It
was 'no use crying for split milk,' as
you white men say." That Is the phil
osophy which has allowed him to b
come old. He never worries.
Have to Take Her Word.
vhnt's your age?"
"Thirty years, sir."
"Thirty years? Well, well! Can you
produce documents to show that you
are no older?"
"No. sir. You see the church where
I was baptized was burned, with all
the church records, In 1848!" Der
Floh.
Indians lake to Mineral Water.
Mineral waters have come to take a
very promlneut place In national bever
ages, especially In the case of those who
are suffering more or less from physi
cal derangements. In this country the
Indians practiced bathing In the heated
waters and drinking them long before
they taught to the whites the benefits
of many springs now famous. It Is
within the memory of many Inhabitants
of this country how the red man came
annually to encamp at Manltou aud
other healing springs In the. Rockies,
A bachelor says that marriage and
the colic both double people up, but,
fortunately, the colic J only temporary.
v-
PRESENTED TO THE QUEEN, i
Americnn Woman "Who Originated th
Maine Hospital Ship Idea.
Mrs. Blow, a former Chicago and
Colorado woman, originated the Mains
hospital ship Idea for the British, and
not long since was formally presented
to Queen Victoria at the expressed wlsti
of her majesty. Lady Rundolph
Churchill and Mrs. Ronalds of New
York were received at the same time.
Mrs. Blow Is the (laughter of Col. R. E.
Uoodell, the Colorado mining man. She
Aas born In .Toilet, ill., and spent part
of her girlhood In Springfield and Chi
cago. Most of her education Avas re
ceived abroad In the convents of Paris
aud Dresden. She took a flulshlng
Mils. 11L0W.
course at the Convent of the Visitation
In Georgetown, D. C. one of the fash
ionable schools In that aristocratic
suburb of Washington., After this Mrs.
Blow was again taken abroad, and on
her return the family went to Lead
vllle. where Col. (loodell had gone the
previous year and became Interested In
mining. It was In Leadvllle that Miss
Jennie Ooodell met and married Mr.
A. A. Blow, a civil engineer, then mnn
ager of the Silver Cord Mining Co.
Three years ago Mr. Blow was offered
the position of manager of the Interests
of one of the richest Kngllsh syndi
cates In South Africa. Mr. and Mrs.
Blow were given a beautiful home In
the midst of beautiful gardens by the
company, where Mrs. Blow won a rep
utation for herself ns a charming host
ess. She created quite a sensation with
a unique luncheon she gave to Presi
dent Steyn of the Orange Free State,
and his staff. In a large chamber of
the mine, 1,200 feet below the surface,
she served an elaborate lunch to forty
guests. The room, the roof of which
was seventy-five feet high, was lighted
brilliantly with electricity and hand
somely decorated for the occasion.-.
Chicago Tribune.
JOHN BUNYAN'S TOMB.
Last Resting Place of the Famous An
tuor of the Pilgrim's Progress.
Few books, except the Bible, have
gone through so many editions as the
Pilgrim's Progress, written by John
Buuyau. It was written while the au
thor was lu Bedford Jail, Englund, suf
fering for lllerty of conscience. Bun
yan In his early life was a tinker, then
a soldier, later becoming a Baptist and
TO Mil OF JOHN IHTSVAV.
a preacher. While lu Jail, where he
spent twelve years, he supported hh
wife and children by making tnggi-d
laces. After his release he resumed
preaching and continued It until his
death In London In ltiHS.
He wos buried In Bunhlll Fields
burying ground, which was opened as
a suburban cemetery lu KiliS. Here are
burled some famous personoges in
their day, Including the novelist, Dan
iel Defoe; George Fox, founder of the
Quakers, and the mother of John Wes
ley. Our Illustration shows Bunyun's
tomb at the present time.
London's Ancient Uncord.
The county council of London, as the
successor of the Metropolitan board of
works, Is custodian of a number of val
uable documents bearing upon the local
history of the metropolis. Included In
the collection are ninny volumes of
minutes of the commissioners of sewers
dating buck to the reign of Henry VIII.,
together with papers and deeds relat
ing to important buildings such an
Northumberland House, which former
ly stood at Charing Cross. These Inter
esting documents have hltheito been
Inaccessible to the public, but the coun
cil bus now decided to publish a selec
tion of them in volume.
Writer's cramp Is more likely to lie
found In tlio stomach than In the
wrist.
Some men nre so busy trying to
avoid work that they have no time t
earn breud for their families. y