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A Feudal
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Copyright. 1904, by
Usury F. Keenan
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HENRY
,N
st
CHA ITER
OBODY out of the most sacred
ly intimate circles of the Van
Gueldres ever knew exactly
whether Kitty Van Queldree
was or was not engaged to the Count
Malstern. It was known as such
tilings are generally known, that Kitty
met the count at a social function In
the American embassy in Berlin; that
the count thereafter found the quarters
of the Van Guoldres agreeable and that
be never found them inhospitable. It
’ was known further that when the Van
Gneldres set forth on a tour In south-
•rn ltussiij and the Dgnube the count
parted with bls trusted valet, Berthold,
to act as guide for the family; that
• Leu Pups Van Guelylrea cabled bis
wife to return to New York the count
put his “navy" at the disposal of his
American friends and that they, with
a large party made up in Faris, r«-
evoaaed the Atlantic In the count's
yacht. When a few weeks afterward
the count himself appeared in New
York there was no sort of doubt among
the knowing ones that Kitty Van Guel
dres had accepted the Prussian hussar.
Thereujion, as the wont is In New
York, legends of absorbing Interest In
vested the count's personality. It was
made known that bis birth and race
were of the historic picturesque. By
Uneuise an Italian, of the prluceliest
house of the peninsula, leagued by
blood with reigning princes in Prussia
and on the Danube, Count von Mai
stern took rank second only to royal
atal Imperial personage« In Italy, Aus-
trla and Prussia. There was no doubt
In any one's mind that such a suitor
m list be accepted by any girl, and ao
defy looked forward to the great event
with lively curiosity. But at the mo
went tile marriage was regarded as
among the certainties the knowing
group were startled by an official an
nouncement of the engagement of Miss
Van Gueldres to Theodore Acton, a
comrade of her childhood, a young
lawyer of promise, well known, but by
no means preeminent in the social
groups of the town.
If all the world loves a lover, the
gisls themselves must lie enamored of a
maid in love. Men, at least in the
circles that impinged on the Van
Gueldres set, seemed to take It for
granted that Kitty Van Gueldres’ en
gagement to Theodore Acton gave
them the imprescriptible right implied
In the adage. Miss Van Gueldres was
st a certain juncture quite the most
notable young ¡leroon In the regnant
social segment of the metropolis.
Neither a provincial bonanza nor a
railway parvenu, the head of the house
had grown up with New York and
reached opulence by what the econo
mists call the "unearned increment”
His millions were quoted at such fabu
lous numbers that speculation tired of
formulating figures of tire Van Guel
dres fortune. Kitty, sole heiress of
these stores, was never described twice
in the same way by the many adorers
of her beauty. It would therefore be
words wasted to attempt to set forth
the grace of her person, the clearness
of her skin, the violet azure of her
eyes, the profusion of blond tresses
that might make a garment had she
been calk'd on to play the part of
Godiva. \ ery young men thought her
a trifle too stately, ami In the Junior
clubs she was discussed with the sort
of awe amateurs fall Into when rap
turizing Wagner’s or Mozart’s music.
Men. however, who had attained mus-
taehlos that required cosmetics and the
curling Irons to give them form found
Kitty Van Gueldres sprightly, -viva
cious, fairly "bon eomarude.” Perhaps
the best proof that the mustachlos
Judged her best was given in her
choice of Teddy Acton from the army
of eligibles at her commnnd.
There were divers opinions in the
matter of Kitty's conduct with the
count. His partisans declared that she
had treated the nobleman heartlessly,
while her friends-vehemently nsserted
that she could not do otherwise than
dismiss him when Ills disparity in
years and “eccentricities" became
known. It was furthermore held to
Kitty's credit thnt she had the moral
force to relinqnisb the match, which
would have given her the rank of an
Italian princess, a Prussian countess,
to say nothing of lineal precedence In
the Danublnn principalities. What. It
was asked, could all these add to tlie
distinction of a young person like
Kitty, who by birth, beauty and nfflu
ence ruled the high court of New York
society? The women who discussed
the question, however, sided almost
nnnn^nitmslr with the count, He was
declared the most fascinating lover |
ever seen out of n play, the model
whose like had never been known
among the tit led wooers in search of a
1>l':iti(y di* side the ocean, itis pit" i
tures adorned many of the exclusive
albums of tine court circles, nnd bls
worship became a cult where the Van
Gueldres were not loved. His yacht In
the harbor and his retinue of servants
In the hotel were known only to tlie
lnlt hi ted. In the clubs he was quite
the English nobleman, divested en
tirely of the antipathetic Insolence nnd
Intolerance of the Prussian "well
born " Hence when It was announced
■ uh < mere was no engagement Between I
the count and Kitty society was dis-I
erectly divided.
Nothing could be more perfect than
bls conduct when the incipient engage
ment was canceled. He touched the
motherly heart of Momma Van Guel
dres by his solicitude for his vnlet,
Berthold. whom he proposed leaving
in New York while on a grand tour In
the west.
"The youth can't return to Germany,"
the count confided to Mrs. Van G«el-
dres, “because he Is liable to military
duty. He has a sweetheart ready to
join him here within the year, and ns
N
I shall
to Berlin by w •ay of (hi-
na and Japan I cannot take him with
me.”
The Van Gueldres were so much
struck with the amiable nobleman’s
solicitude for his domestic that they
nt once made place for the young man
to assist the butler. Th? subsequent
conduct of the count was considered
perfect. He was pensively distraught
whenever events brought him near
Kitty. In the clubs he was cheerful,
and though he never permitted any
allusion to his matrimonial discomfi
ture his air was that of resignation
and magnanimous forbearance. He
could never be brought to meet Teddy
Acton and was only beard to allude to
him as an "unfortunate young mad
man.” Presently, when lie left New
York for a season In the Rockies, lie
bore the plaintive regrets of a large
part of feminine New York.
The count said nothing when be dis
appeared from the city; there were
few to continue the controversy, ex
cept those who spitefully maintained
that Kitty was waiting for a duke or
prince. When, however, In the au
tuinn of 187— It was announced that
Teddy Acton was the lucky man, sur
prise nnd pleasure greeted the news.
Theodore Aeton—Teddy, as he was
always called—was what the world
agreed upon as an ideal husband for
any girl rich enough to Indulge Is the
luxury of a mere man! Beside* his
legal emoluments, which were defklve
for a marrying man, Teddy hud pith
ing to count upon but the possible! ler-
ltage of two Immensely rich nnplen
aunts whose minds were taken up vlth
foreign missions and the Chun b of
the Heavenly Pilgrim.
By the discriminating, Kitty »as
pronounced the queen of girls for let
g<ssl sense in rewarding Teddy's an-
orous insistence and for making a n»r
rlage according to the old fasbiosd
rubric of love. The surprise was vry
great.
To give one's world something t
talk about—that la. a subject that ow
cun talk about at home and liefer
one's mother and sisters—It must ti
admitted, by those observant of th
dearth of topics open to the diseussku
of the elect, marked Kitty as a vet'
observing young person. For six we<is
this match, which would have been r
guided as eccentric In a less doiniiM
"It can only be worn In one wav."
ing girl, enlivened the clubs and
solaced the dullness of the Four Hun
dred dinner tables.
The interest had not palled nor the
piquancy lost its point when, lnte in
February, the cards fell among the
Four Hundred announcing the day
nnd date of Miss Katherine Montcalm
Van Gueldres' union with Theodore
Fredric Acton. It was Miss Van
Gueldres herself who selected Friday,
March 11. instead of Thursday, the
day set down In the calendar of the
conventional« for marrying and giving
In marriage.
“I think Friday much the best day."
Kitty said Imperiously, “tiecause one
can't very well take wash day, as Mon
day is vulgarly held, nor Wednesday,
because of some equally stupid preju
dice. Friday is a day of possibilities.
Anything may happen on Friday. It's
neither the first day of the week, the
middle nor the last. It Is a day by
Itself.”
“Well. ! •hall always hold Frida,
the king of days." Teddy murmured
fondly, "though I think well of Sun
day, because it was Sunday—I—that Is
you”—
''You- are -cv.-ttikily- tdushie.g. Ted.
What could It have liceii that brings
such signs of guilt? Have you a se
en'!. sir? Are you about to avow some
misconduct that will force me—to say
—to—speak to papa?"
“Ah, Kitty, how can you? I mean to
say that it was on Sunday—that you
said ‘yes.’ ”
"Oh, 1 often say *yes' on weekdays.*
"But you never said that ‘yes’ lie-
fore?”
“A girl doesn't like to say ’no* though
If I remember rigidly I didn't say any
thing. I.lke most men. nil men. you
took something for granted.”
Kitty's reply was lost by the sudder
entrance of Mamina Van Gueldre« I d
a state of as much perturbation ns t
personage of such equability could per
mit herself to manifest.
“Kitty, dear, what do you think'.
Count Malstern baa lieen summoned
back to court. He sails tomorrow arx?
has cnlled to take leave ot you. Wil
you see h«n?”
Kitty looked at Teddy Inquiringly
”Bv all means. Why not specs! th«
parting guest? Poor fellow, 1 can tee. NEW SHORT STORIES
for him." 'lethlv cried heartily
T1.» count gave no sigfeof the rav
The Barber nu<i His Klval.
'ages assoei
l with luckless love, ■<
ChkllJey 14*1* the first
iyor of
recounted hl« experiences in the fai Atlantic City, reTnt.si ut Atlauilc City's
wet-' and lameuted his royal master*« Itf! eth unniveraap some interesting
untimely command, which did not leav« reminiqrem es of tlie town’s early life,
him free to assist at Miss Kitty’s uup says the New York Tribune.
tlals.
"1 call to mind.” he said, “two rival
“But," he added, "it gives me an op bailors. They have been dead a long
portunity to ask what I couldn’t well time now. They had shops opposite
write.
Under other circumstance» vne another in Atlantic avenue, and
Miss Van Gueldres, you accepted till« the competition between them wa«
ring. It was my mother's; it lias beer brisk and bitter1
.
In our family since the Malstenis were
"Smith, the younger barber, always
ennobled. I ask that In memory of UM had his hair cut and dressed in ths
you wear it. There Is a legend that it
brings luck to the owiatr. You see,’
addressing Teddy, “it can only be wort
in one way—with the pointed star up
ward.”
The ring was a very uncommon Jew
el, a massive, oblong opal, flashing In a
blaze of light. In a setting of ancient
Incrusted gold. He had persuaded Kit
ty to accept it shortly after their first
acquaintance In Berlin, but she had re
turned It when his suit was denied.
Kitty was very much embarrassed,
but, as Teddy remarked afterward, on«
cannot refuse a wedding gift, especially
when given by hand.
Mamma relieved the embarrassment
by asking the count to visit the “treas
ure chamber,” as the depository for th«
wedding gifts was called.
“It’s perfectly amazing,” mamma
prattled. "I never saw such a collec-
tlon. A gold or silver smith's estab
llshmeut must have been depleted."
It was certainly a sumptuous exhlb
it To him who hath, to him shall b«
given. Miss Kitty, already possessed
of an incomparable trousseau of jew
els, was showered with every conceiv
able caprice In the art of the lapidary
and g'ddsmith. The count’s eyes open
cd wide as case after case was di»
played.
“Is It quite safe to have such im
mense values in a private house? In
Europe we should have a squad of po
lice or detectives In and about the
"I OET MY BIVAL TO DO IT.”
premises."
uiost
graceful
and correct manner, and
“Ob. we’ve no fear. There are able
bodied servants In the bouse, and with lie was always sliaved beautifully.
the doors locked no one could possibly Brown, on the other hand, would be
carry anything off,” Mrs. Van Guel shaved badly, with a cut on his chin
dres replied tranquilly, enjoying th« and a patch of overlooked beard on his
cheek, and his hair would be cut In
spectacle.
“My man, Berthold, drilled soin« steps, ns though a child had done It.
“Smith couldn’t understand why his
time in the cavalry. Give him a sword
or a pistol and he will protect yout rival displayed on his own person such
treasures,” the count cried gayly as poor examples of barbering, and he
they left the chamber and descended sent a friend to Brown's one day as a
detective.
to the drawing room.
“The detective got shaved. During
“You'll make Kitty nervous if you
talk so seriously of danger,” Mrs Van the process he said:
" 'How is It, Mr. Brown, when you
Gueldres answered, just a shade an
sire yourself a barber, that your hair
noyed by the nobleman's pretense.
He dropped the subject, and when he is always badly cut and your face
took his leave presently hoped the hacked up from the razor?'
“ 'Why,' said Brown, ‘the explana
bride and groom would make their
wedding journey as far as Berlin that tlon is simple enough. I can’t cut my
he might show them the wonders ot own hair, and so I get my rival across
tlie street to do it, and he shaves me
the new Weltstadt.
Now, Kitty, like the simplest Clorin too. You see the result.’ ”
das, had of late fallen into the sweet
Seaatar Hoar’s Wit.
heart Way of keeping her lover late
Senator Hour, whose humor was
and letting him out with her own fair
hands. It was a daintly little comedy keen as a rapier, not long ago said to
each night, Kitty Insisting that Teddy a newspaper correspondent:
“When I am asked for my opinion
should talk to her through the door
as she retreated into the vestibule and on any subject I refer the Interlocutor
fastened the Inner portals. It was to my messenger, lbMierty. He talks
after 11 when the lovers parted this more freely than I do.”
This same Doherty guarded the door
night, but one before the wedding, and
the farewells In the dim vestibule were to Mr. Hoar’s committee room for al
repeated a score of times before the most a generation nnd was the sena
heavier outer door was finally safely tor’s factotum. Some one. In describ
ing him not long ago. referred to him
closed.
“Can you hear me?” Teddy's voice as Senator Hoar’s "Fldus Achates.”
“Do you see what these newspaper
came through the big keyhole.
“No; you must open the door; I want men have been calling you?” said Sen
to tell you something I’ve forgotten. ator Hoar, directing Doherty's atten
tion to the paragraph.
Teddy.” But there was no answer.
“What does that mean, senator?”
To surprise him she seized the large
bronze handle and turned the knob, anxiously Inquired Doherty as he read
but with all her force she could not —to him—the strange expression.
“I would not like to tell you, Doher
pull the heavy frame toward her.
“You’re bolding It; I shouldn’t let ty.” solemnly replied the senator.
Doherty Immediately started out to
you In now even If you beg!”
But Teddy was evidently gone. She discover the offending newspaper man,
waited a moment; listening, slie heard but In telling bls troubles to a fellow
the scraping of steps and scraps of employee he was enlightened as to the
meaning of the Latin words.—New
voices.
“Ah,” she thought, “some of 111 b Y’ork Mail.
friends have surprised him; that’s the
The Staff of Life.
reason he didn’t answer.” She hasten-
Rlr Reukema, a Milwaukee lawyer
ed to tlie drawing room and just as
•he flung the curtain aside a carriage and member of the Wisconsin legis
started from the curb in front of the lature, Is superintendent of one of the
largest Sunday schools in the city, says
steps.
the New York Times.
[ to be continued .]
Mr. Reukema was making a chil
dren’s day nddress nnd, wishing to
OUR FINGER NAILS.
get an explanation of "manna,” asked.
"What is the staff of life?”
Method by Which They Are Formed
An agitated hand waved the air, and
nnd How They Grow.
on lining encouraged to make reply a
The nail is a special modification ot lad answered, “Whisky.”
the cuticle, the superficial Cells being
The assemblage was astonished, but
harder, more horny and more firmly roared when the boy. encouraged to
adherent to ench other than In the make himself clear, continued:
proper skin. The deep layerof the skin
"Moses threw down his staff, and
Is peculiarly modified to form the bed then the people saw a snake.”
of the nail. Is highly vascular, and Is
studded with almost pnrallel ridges,
Wanted an Epidemic.
the true skin overlapping the sides
Complaint
was made to the late Hen
and root of the nail, which fits Into
the groove, as a watch glass Into Its ry Niles Pierce, bishop of Arkansas,'
rim. The surfaces of all these ridges thnt a certain clergyman of his diocese
are covered with growing cells which, had preached a heretical sermon and
as they flatten and change into horn, that the man must undoubtedly be
mad.
form one solid curved plate, the nail.
The bishop sent for the offending di
Nalls grow both In thickness and
length, The Increase tn thickness Is vine, had him read the sermon, which
caused by the formation bf nerve cells he found to be a brilliant, thoughtful,
on the bed of the n»Il; the Increase In broad minded discourse. Later he met
length, through the formation of new some of the critics and astonished !
folds at the binder part of the bed. them by bis comment:
"Well, if that man is mnd I wish ■
T’. < null, thus constantly receiving ad
he
’d bite all the ministers In my see!”
ditions from below nnd from behind.
Is slowly pushed forward over Its bed —New Y’ork Times.
till It projects beyond the end of the
A Engene Field Story.
finger and la cut off at intervals or
During-h!« sojiurs is San Fr«r.ctoee
worn away.
Eugene Field often visited at the pub
lie library, says the Philadelphia Press
Sifted Pcnrln.
Some yenrs ago the sultan of Sulu At such times the inquisitive female
learned that the pearl fishermen were employees would manufacture excuses 1
reaping big profits. lie supplied his for entering to gaze at the celebrated
revenue collectors with sieves and or author. Sizing up the situation. Field
dered that all pearls found uear Sulu announced In an authoritative voice, to
must be tested In these sieves. Those the consternation of the young women.
that dropperl through were to lie re “Y’es, sir. In view of the financial con
tains. 1 by the fishermen; those that re tiltion of the library, salaries must be
mained In the sieves were to belong to reduced!” Thereafter he was trouble. 1
the sultan for taxes. It nearly ruined by no more unsought admiration.
the pearl fisheries.
His Idea of 1«.
Missed n Few.
"Yes,” said the clerk at the Sklnnem
bouse, "we have 1.800 servants.”
"Well.” said the departing guest, “J
oust have overlooked four or five. I'm
quite sure I haven’t tipped that many.”
—Pittsburg Tost.
Caller—Why, I'm Irish. Bobby. I was
really born in Ireland. Bobby — Ob,
you’re In disguise, then. Caller—In dis
guise? Bobby—Sure! You ain’t got
any rcl chin whiskers nor a pipe stick
in' In your hat!—Philadelphia Press
Personal.
"Is there anything you don’t need
She—Suppose, dear. I find you that I might take?” askefl the slovenly
haven't given me thoney enough?' lie eld Junk man. watching Hubbubs p»k
—Then telegraph for more, Sballa vs .ng his g»ods on the moving van.
•“Yes," snapped Subbtbe; "a bath.”
you a telegraph blank?
Would Be Prepared.
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ADMIKAL ÜYNQ.
A Brave SnIl*r W bo Paid ike Penal«
«> of Otker Urn's Folly.
Two years after Voltaire left Prussia
George Keith came to visit him In Swit-
' Zetland to plead the cause of an Eng
lish friend, Byng. Tlie story of Byng
' Is familiar to all las countrymen. Th«
| French had beaten the English on the
sea. and, mad with disappointed rage,
the biiuidering mttilstry of England
turned on their luckless Instrument,
Byng Voltair« was the lifelong friend
of Richelieu, the conqueror. But be
wa«, too. the man of whom it was
said that “for twenty years the redress
of Judicial wrong" hung entirely on his
pen. On Dee. 20, 1750, he wrote to
Richelieu telling Byng’s story, and that
vainglorious person replied generously
enough in an open letter, wherein he
stated that had Byng continued the
fight the English fleet must have been
totally destroyed and that the admiral's
misfortune came not from cowardice or
Inefficiency, but from the hand of God
and the valor of the French.
Voltaire wrote to Byng, sending Rich
elieu’s letter, but he could not save the
victim. Byng paid the penalty of other
men's folly. To Voltaire he left a
grateful message and a copy of his de
fense, and In “Candlde,” with that ban
tering malice which Is his alone, Vol
taire sharply satirizes the scene of the
admiral's execution.
"And why should this admiral be put
to death?"
"Because he baa not killed enough
people. He fought with a French ad
miral and is not considered to have
been sufficiently near to him.”
"But,” said Candide, "the French ad
miral was just as far away from the
English."
"That is certainly true," was the an
swer. "But In this country It is salu
tary to put an admiral to death now
and then pour encourager les autres.*’—
Cornhill Magazine.
ZUNI FAMILY LIFE.
4 Village Look« Like a Huge Hive of
Clay on a Sandy Knoll.
WOMAN AND FASHION I
The Newest Sleeves.
The style of the sleeve is all Im
portant to the success of the garment
and determines its date more surely
than any other detail, These excellent
models cun be utilized alike with tlM-
new couts and for those that are to
The three styles In
l>e remodeled.
PLAIN AND FANcgr COAT SLEEVES.
chide a full sleeve with flaring cuff, a
sleeve in regulation style with roll
over cuff and one that is known as
the club sleeve, which is distinctly
larger at the elbow and Is made In
three sections, the upper portion be
lug cut In two, with the seam concealed
by a strap. The full sleeve is In one
piece, gathered into a band which is
concealed by the cuff; the sleeve in the
center Is cut with upper and under, the
roll over cuff finishing the lower edge,
and the club sleeve Is cut with the
upper portion made as already de
scrilted. the regulation under portion
ami cuff, the curved edges of which
meet at the center of the upper part
The Fall Blouse.
Already some separate blouses show
the higher, fuller shoulder effect that Is
becoming noticeable. The high, close
cuff is also a prominent feature. Some
blouses of checked taffeta have u close
cuff inset with linen figures to tlie el
bow, with the rest of the sleeve a large
puff shirred in the armhole am) again
at the cuff. About the shoulders is a
collar cut to make tabs over the tops ot
the sleeves and cut out in front In the
form of a rabat. It is trimmed prettily
with narrow bands of white taffeta and
small pearl buttons. This Is of course
a simple waist, as waists go now, but
the new sleeve makes It valuable as a
model.
The little half civilized children of
Zuni so aroused our curiosity that we
drove through forty miles of sand and
sagebrush, from the railroad at Fort
Wingate, to pay them a visit. As the
Indians do not provide for travelers we
took our hotel with us—tents, beds and
food and camped Just outside their
village. The village looks like a huge
beehive made of clay and stuck fast
to the top of a sandy knoll. The hive
is filled with a mass of cells—300 single
rooms, placed side by side and piled in
rows one on top of another.
In each of these rooms lives a Zuni
family. There are no Inside stairways
leading from story to story, but if the
boys and girls living In one row wish
to pay a visit to a house above them
they must go outdoors and climb a lad
der. On the slope between the village
and the Zutil river are a number of
small vegetable gardens, each one In
closed by a mud wall. Zuni has no
inns, no shops, no saloons, not even
proper streets, but only narrow alleys
that thread their way through the
strange town. As we walked through
the village all the world came out to
see us. Girls and boys clustered on
the roofs or sat on the ovens—queer
little cones of mud which seem to grow
up out of the house tops—while fa
thers. mothers and babies peered out
from dark doorways to stare at the
visitors. When we had finished our
tour of the roofs and alleys we were
hospitably Invited Indoors. Even there
the children followed us, and as we
glanced up at a hole In the celling
which served as a window a girl’s
laughing face filled the opening. We
must have looked etrnnge enough in
our hats and gloves and long skirts.—
Marla Brace Kimball in St. Nicholas.
The glace taffetas now appearing in
Paris will be generally offered here for
autumn wear. Glace peau.x are also to
be used for wraps. These lustrous
goods are expected to lead the duller
materials. Silks and the ribbon novel
ties of the autumn are also glace.
A CURIOUSTREE.
Fall Coat For Girls.
Mitts To Be Worn.
Mitts will be worn in the house the
coming winter with the elbow sleeves
that are used on almost all gowns de
signed exclusively for the house. Many
women do not like to have the lower
part of the arm bare, and mitts cover
them without hiding the skin or de
tracting from the dressy effect. With
black lace gowns black mitts will be
Used, but with all light gowns white
are preferred. Many girls have moth
ers or grandmothers who have bad
mitts put away for years, and they
would do well to get their relatives to
hand over this finery of day.» gone by.
Wardrobe Secret«.
The clever girl has three petticoats
nowadays for the price of one. She
has the foundation In black moreen,
reaching below the knees. This foun
dation is nicely finished off with a deep
hem, on which are sewed buttons a
few inches apart. By means of this
device the clever girl has three or four
different ruffles, which can be but
toned on to the foundation according
to the costume to be worn.
Glace Taffeta« the V oruc .
This Norfolk coat is of lightweight
cheviot, but other suitings nnd mate
rials are appropriate. The cont is made
The Welwltschia mirabllis is a won
with fronts and bneks that are laid In
der of the vegetable kingdom. It
box plaits which extend for full length
grows on the barren land of the west
and are joined to a shallow foundation
ern side of Africa, where rain la al
most unknown and the only moisture
is that from d?ws which fall at night.
This plant was discovered In 1800 by
I >r. Welwitsch, an eminent scientific
traveler. The welwltschia is a tree
Which lives for many years, many
specimens being estimated as more
than 100 years old.
Every year of its life increase« its
•fze, yet it never grows higher. Ris
ing Just above the ground this strange
plant, looking like a rough round table,
regularly enlarges by adding concern
trie layers to Its circumference. The
flat upper surface of the trunk Is very
hard and dark, resembling In color and
texture the crust of an overbaked loaf.
The trunk attains the size of from
fourteen to eighteen feet In circum
ference. but is never more than a few
Inches above the ground.
Tlie welwltschia is remarkable In
the fact that It never loses Its first
two leaves and never gets any more.
These leaves Increase In size year aft
er year until they attain the length of
six or eight feet or more. They are
flat and leathery and frequently spilt
Into numerous straps.
Onr of Nature*. queer Products That
Are Found In Africa.
NORFOLK COAT.
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jafanese lacquch .
So Ute of H |. So Elprii.lt« 1 hut l>
Seldom Kt-srltr. Is.
In the Lilly country two Industrie«
-iiii.c t > he p agriculture namely, silk
raising ami lacquer. To Bum« only one
I 'irlct. the vilhigM along the Naka-
eiulo b-ive galiM'tl much by modern
Improvements in silk raising. The
lacquer tree may possibly have been
Imported from China, as so many
other trees and plants were, but It cer
tainly was known and used In Japan
at a very eerly period. We are used
to thinking of It as ornament only. It
Is that and much more besides, for
plain hiet|iier latwls and trays are al
most necessities of dally life. They
raise most of what la used In certain
P'ovinees, but Tokyo Imports a gm>d
deal of Juice to lie manufactured
there.
The tree Is a species of rhus, closely
allied to our poison ivy and having the
same power to produce an Irritating
rash on the skin. The workers get over
this, however, and do not have u
igaln. but they say that people some
times get It from handling bowls or
trays which have not been dried long
enough.
To get the sap the farmer cuts a
notch In the side of each tree, and aft
er a time a thick Juice oozes out; then
the farmer goes around with a wooden
spatula gathering the drops Into a pall.
It will keep for a long while, but must
not be allowed to dry up nor to be
heated above a certain point, for It
contains n peculiar acid which causes
the Juice to ferment and harden. The
pieces that have been varnished must
therefore be dried In mild and moist
air. Tokyo In August is usually Just
right, ubout 87 degrees.
A good piece of lacquer has to be
most carefully made. In the first place,
and then varnished with layer after
layer, each being dried and polished
before the next goes on. Certain pig
ments mixed with it give red. black or
green. To apply gold a wash of var
nish Is laid where the design la to be
nnd the gold powder sprinkled on from
a hollow bamboo stick with a fine
sieve over the end. YY’hen it Is dry It
must be revnrnlshed and repollsbed
over all. With all these repeated proc
esses a fine piece may be on band for
months, even yenrs. Naturally this Is
not the kind that Is prepared for for
eign export, for people abroad will not
pay for it.—Anna C. Hartshorne In
Cbautauquan.
WAR CORRESPONDENTS.
Some of Their «'unions Feat« of Phys
ical Emlnrnnce.
One of the finest achievements of a
wnr correspondent was that of Holt
White, a representative of the New
York Tribune, in the Franco-Prussian
war. He witnessisl the battle of Sedan
from the Prussian headquarters on
Thursday, Sept. 1, 1870. At Its conclu
sion he rode to Brussels, but there the
postofflee authorities refused to trans
mit his dispatch to London and even
threatened to arrest him for saying
that the French had been defeated. He
then went on to Calais, crossed to Do
ver by special steamer and took a spe
cial train to London, where he arrived
at 5 o’clock on Saturday morning. Next
day there was a description of tlie but
tle six colunms long In tlie Tribune. It
was not till Tuesday that the London
newspapers had accounts of the con
flict from their correspondents.
But the most famous deed of physic
al endurance In tlie race for news be
tween war correspondents was told of
Archibald Forbes. In the Servian war
of 1876 Semlin, the nearest telegraph
station, was 120 miles distant from the
scene of the battle. So soon as Forbes
knew the result be rode off. and all
night long he kept at a gallop, chang
ing horses every fifteen miles. At Sem
Illi he had one long drink of beer and
then at once sat down to the task of
writing, hour after hour, against time,
the tidings of which he was tlie bearer.
After he bad written the story of tlie
battle and put ft on the wires he lay
down In his clothes and slept twenty
hours without waking. He had wit
nessed the battle, which lasted six
hours; ridden 120 miles and written
nnd dispatched a telegraphic message
four columns In length to the Dally
News, all In the space of thirty hours.—
Macmillan's Magazine.
WESTMINSTER HALL.
!«■
IlnrKMlii Counter«, State Trial«
and Coronation Bnnquct«.
Westminster hall, whose old gray
walls have seen coronation banquets
and state trials, list'd to echo with tlie
bargains driven at shops or stalls which
at one time fringed Its walls like a
modern bazaar. These were kept by
booksellers, toy dealers, sempstresses
and milliners. The rents and profits
went by right to the warden of the
Fl<“et. An engraving of the busy scene
was made by Mosely nnd prints taken
therefrom by Gravelot before 1773
showing bow.
Tn hall of Westminster,
Sleek sempstress vends amidst ths courts
her ware.
In “Tom Brown's Amusements”
(1770) we read: “We enter into a great
hall where we were surprised to see in
the same place men on one side with
baubles nnd toys and on the other tak
en up with fear of Judgment. In this
shop are to be sold ribbons and gloves,
towers, headdresses, etc. On the loft
hnnd we hear a nimble tongued paint
ed KcmpstTeSA wiili uUC ctiUTTuingXiebis
invite you to buy some of her knick-
knacks.”—London Mall.
yoke. Tlie shaped yoke Is arranged
KEEPING WELL
over the whole, and the belt passes
It I. Better nnd More Economical over the plaits at the back under those
Than Getting WelL
at the front. The sleeves are large and
I have often been horrified by find ample, laid In box plaits above tlie el
Ing people-i! CarJubad cr Msr'/mbs«’- hows and ftsreilrr f’Ul puffs below
or some other of these severe water and are gathered in cuffs shaped In bar
cures wlio bad come there simply on mony with the yoke. The material for
their own Initiative anil without any medium size Is four and three quarter
medical advice. This Is really tam yards twenty-seven Inches wide, two
The Gentlnnl Plant.
and three-quarter yards forty-four
pering with one's constitution.
Gentlus, king of lllyricuni, the eAst-
I am coming to the conclusion in Inches wide or two nnd three eighths ern boundary of the Adriatic, wa« tak
recent years that It Is better to trust yards fifty two Inches wide.
en prisoner by the Rornnns about a
to air and to exercise than to waters
century and a half before the Chris
Plaited
Pendant«.
for the renewal of the physical sys
tian era for encouraging pirates and
Plaited or Jabot pendant pieces ar« died In custody. He discovered that a
tern. Since I have taken to golf I find
so much improvement In my health newer for neckwear than just flic plain certain plant was a very good tonic,
thnt I no longer pine, as I used to do. tab.________________ _
and that plant has ever since been
for the water cure. But there again
calk’d gentlanl, after him. This plant
Hl. Cost of Arms,
every man must Judge for himself. If
"Now that you are wealthy, Mr. C„” Is generally supposed to hqve been th«
a man has too profound a love for the said tlie man who denis In pedigrees tall, coarse nlpiue, common In moun
pleasures °of the table It Is almost a and tlie like, "you really should liegln tainous districts In central Europe,
necessity for him to go to one of those to adopt a coat of arms."
and known to botanists as G. lutea, a
places where the system seem» to gel
"I’ll do just as I please,” retorted preparation of which is still In high
a thoroughly complete washout.
Mr. C. hotly. “If I like to go nbout tn repute as a medicine.
But If a man be of moderate appe my shirt sleeves, that ain't none o’ your
tlte and be able to keep himself well business!”
Tellfnfr on the Tall.
under control even when temptation
Mamma—Johnny, how mnny times
Desperate.
Is great, then be has no renson for
have I told you about pulling that cat's
“Can you make both ends meet. toil? Johnn*- I don't know, mom, but
going to Homburg or Carlsbad ot
Marienbad. He had better seek good Pat?”
from de way de tall la worn It must
“Fhure and I can't make one end be a tot.—Philadelphia Tok graph.
mountain aii piny golf and keep out
meet!"—Town Topics
of doors.—London M A P.
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