THE OLD HOU6&
It stands in a desolate, weed-grown gar-
den,
Where once the rose and the lilac grew.
And the lily lifted a waxen chalice
To catch the wine of the summer's dew.
The grans creeps in o'er the mossy thres
hold, The dust lies deep on the rotting Hoar,
And the wind, at it will, is coming, go
ing, -Through
broken window and open door.
Ob, poor old house, do yon grieve as men
do.
For the vanished things that were
yours of yore?"
Like a heart in which love was one time
tenant.
But has gone away to come back no
more.
Do you dream of the dead as the days
pass over.
Of the pang of parting and joy of birth
In hearts turned dust? Ah, that dust is
scattered .
By winds of a lifetime to ends of
earth!
See! Here by the path Is a little blos
som. It lifts to the sunshine a fragile face.
It springs from a root that some dead
hand planted -
A century back in the dear home place.
Little thought they whom the old house
sheltered
That life would fade as the leaves that
fall;
They had their day and are all forgot
ten The little flower has outlived them all!
Milwaukee Sentinel.
rjrrQ II E young man stood with his
wpback to the Are and his . hands
thrust into his trouser pockets.
Mrs. Langley sat on the lounge sob
bing hysterically. Her husband. Col
onel Langley, strode up and down the
room, angrily displacing various chairs
and tables, while the boy's cousin, for
lie was uot much more than a boy in
years, tried to pacify the trio.
"All right, sir; go your own way, go
your own way and be ." The last
word was lost as the door slammed be
hind the irate Colonel. ,
", Ted! How can you be so fool
ish?" said Mrs. Langley, brokenly.
"How can you dream of marrying a
vulgar, uneducated dancer?"
"Mother." replied the boy, sternly.
"I love Madge Baptiste, and whether
she be a dancer or a duchess, a million
airess or a retired shopkeeper's daugh
ter, it can matter to no one but my
self if I really love her."
The mother recommenced her bys
t erical cries. The cousin, a fair, pretty
girl about his own age, went to hlin
and rested her band on his shoulder.
"Teddy, say no more now, but come
with me. Let us think the matter over
calmly."
The next evening Gwendoline stole
quietly from the house and drove to
the theater where Madge Baptiste
danced nightly.
It was dusk when she arrived. She
sent up her card, telling the commis
sionaire that her business was urgent.
He returned with the Information that
Miss Baptiste would see Miss Harper
for a few minutes. Then she, found
herself in a small and dainty dressing
room. Clouds of soft, silken petticoats
lay here and" there. A large jar of
flowers stood on the mantelpiece, and
I lie dressing table was covered with
silver powder boxes, scent bottles, and
"make-up" utensils. Photographs of
actors, painters, and poets stood In
every available corner; old programs
lu wooden frames and one or two etch
ings hung ou the walls.
Before a large mirror stood Miss
Madge Baptiste arranging her hair.
"Ah, come In, Miss Harper. Excuse
(lie untidy state of the room. I think
you'll find a chair. Let me see, I don't
think I have met you before perhaps
you are a journalist, or "
"No, I haven't ever met you before,"
stammered Gwendoline. "I came I
think you know my cousin, Mr. Lang
lej." She felt her face growing red.
She did not know why she blushel,
but this vivacious, beautiful girl fright
ened her. She had expected to find
such n different woman a vulgar, ill
bred woman.
".Mr. Langley? Teddy! O. yes, 1
know him well. So you are his cousin?
Pleased to meet you he is not HI, I
hope?''
"No. he is not 111."
"(), that's all right. Ted and I are
fond of each other, you know; In fact,
we think of getting married soon at
least, lie thinks of it. I didn't know
he had a cousin, such a pretty cousin,
too'." with a laugh; "he kept that a
secret."
"I really came to speak about It
about this marriage," said Gwendoline,
nervously. "You know his people "
"O!" Madge Baptiste turned sharply
from regarding herself in the mirror.
"O. I understand! They have heard
perhaps he told them; he said he
Miould. They object ah? And you?"
She drew a chair opposite the girl, and
sat down, and rested her arms on her
I-nee with her face between her hands.
"I am only his cousin we have been
chums always. I said I would see you,
and tell you that his father and mother
were angry; that he was merely a boy
and "
"Yes. yes I know don't go on." She
looked Gwendoline up and down. She
saw her youth; she guessed the real
reason of her visit. "Ted is a boy In
years, I know, but he is a man for all
that. He Is 22 and I am 23. Besides,
1 am only a dancer, and he is Colonel
Itngley's son. Please understand I
have no wish to marry him if hU
parents object. I will tell hfm he must
go away and not see me again. I shall
miss him at first. I expect. A dancer's
life is a lonely one, you know. She
has so few friends, and unless she
Ah. there Is the call boy. Well, good
by and if I don't see Teddy again
say good -by to him for me."
But Miss Harper had risen, and was
holding Madge Baptiste's bauds in
hers, while two tears ran down her
cheeks. "O. don't, please! How crnel
you must think me! I didn't mean to
I really didn't. But his mother was so
unhappy, and I thought you were a
I mean. I didn't dream you really cared
for Ulm. He shall marry you! I know
THREE NEW
The new shirt waists show great variety of style. Many are cut with yoke,
but almost as many are without.' Some have the yoke both in front and back.
The fashionable shirt waist is unquestionably the white one, both thick and thin
ones, made-in great variety. The plain shirt waist of madras or heavy linen has
little fullness in front; some are made with pointed, some with plain yokes at the
back, bnt the majority have no yoke at all. The waists are all made to give the
long-waisted effect in front. The sleeves are a little larger than those of last
year, and the fullness is arranged at the top to-give the broad-shouJdered effect.
The more elaborate waists are attractive. . and most of them button in the
back. They have lace collars, while the cuffs are finished with a little edge of
lace and are really nothing but a band around the wrist. All kinds of stitching,
tucking and fancy buttons are used.
he loves you " and then she burst
out crying.
"Miss Baptiste! Curtain's waiting!
Hurry up!" yelled a small youth at
the door.
."Let It wait; can't come!" replied the
dancer, curtly. Then In a soft gentle
voice to Gwendoline: "Don't cry, dear;
you have been ever so kind. I know
you meant well in coming. But I don't
think I had better see him again; you'll
make a much better wife than I "
There was a suspicious break in her
voice.
"No. no," said Gwendoline, between
her sobs, blushing violently; "I never
thought of that I only care for him
as -a sister," but as she said it, she
realized that she lied.
"Come, dry your eyes why, I'm be
ginning now! What a pretty pair we
are! Poor Ted! Why here are two
girls each trying to make the other
marry him "
"You you will marry him. Prom
ise! I shall never forgive myself if
you don't. I did not know you were
so good and so beautiful "
"Why, how do you know It now?
Perhaps I am only humbugging you."
"You are not I see it In your eyes.
You will marry him won't you?"
"What will 'father and mother' say t"
"O, I'll Interview them," laughed
Gwen, drying her eyes.
"Even as you Interviewed me? Yes.
I will marry Teddy if you really wish
it, but not else. I couldn't hurt such
a good little thing as you."
And then both women began to cry
again, holding each other's hands.
The manager had to announce that
Miss Madge Baptiste was unable to
perform that night.
And Miss Gwendoline Harper also
announced. In Colonel Langley's drawing-room,
that Madge Baptiste and her
cousin Ted were quite right to marry
each other, and that she would help
them through the ceremony.
And Ted kissed her and said she was
a brick, and the Colonel hoisted the
white flag.
And after it was" all over, Gwendoline
sat in her bedroom holding a photo of
her cousin in herhand. And her tears
splashed dismally on the faded por
trait "I hope she will love him as
much as I love blm," she said softly.
Madame.
EPICUREAN CHINAMEN.
.Their Tables Have the Best the Ameri
can Slarkets Afford.
The food bought by. the Chinese liv
ing in America is ofteu quite as ex
pensive as that of the whites. Instead
of living almost altogether on rice and
chop suey, as is the general Inipres
slou, Chinamen, being quite as fond of
meat as Americans, buy pork, beef,
and chickens. Chop suey is made to
sell to curious white persons who visit
Chinatown. In the vicinity of every
large city where there is any consid
erable Chinese colony, there are truck
gardens devoted to raising vegetables
exclusively for Chinamen from seed
brought from their native land. These
vegetables are unknown to Americans.
But the Chinese also consume large
quantities of the finer kinds of Ameri
can vegetables.
The Chinaman has a sweet tooth,
also; and In the best Chinese restaur
ants In San Francisco, New York, Chi
cago, and other large cities, the best of
OSTRICH DRIVEN TO SULKY.
Ostriches can tiavel at great speech. This has long been known, and the day
may not be far distant when ostriches will be seen in all large cities drawing
sulkies and other light vehicles. The ostrich shown in this picture was trained
in Florida and proved from the start very docile and intelligent. When he was
backed between the shafts of a carriage he did not "buck" or kick, as many a
young horse is apt to do.'but stood stolidly, as though his ancestors for genera
tions had been obedient to the bit and bridle. After he was harnessed it took st
good while to impress on his mind the fact that he would not be allowed to speed
as fast over country rsr.ds and streets as he would naturally do in a desert, but
even this he learned in time, and bow it is said this wonderful bird is fully trained
and can draw a sulky for many miles at an extraordinary speed.
The achievement of this ostrich is of unusual interest to owners of ostrich
farms, and some of them are preparing to train several of their young birds as
this ostrich was trained. They argue tbat a race between ostriches, harnessed to
sulkies, would be a most novel sight, and in view of the great speed of the birds,
that such a sport would certainly become popular.
SHIRT WAISTS.
wines are served to Chinese as well as
American customers, together with the
finest und most expensive foods. In
the average Chinese restaurant In
those cities good board can be had by
the Chinese for from $15 to $20 a
month, and these restaurants are large
ly patronized. As a rule, the China
men are compelled to lodge in mean
quarters; but in New York and San
Francisco there are a number of well
appointed homes occupied by the fami
lies of well-to-do Chinese merchants,
which the American seldom or never
sees. In New York there Is an apartment-house,
up-to-date In every re
spect, occupied by Chinese families.
The Chinaman sticks as closely as he
can to the traditions and customs of
his country, which are strange to the
Occidental, and, therefore, a subject
for comment and often for derision.
Forum.
HE HAD NO CASE.
The Jndge Gives Reasons for Ruling
Against the Farm Hands.
Justice does not always frown, for
now and then a judge will unbend and
illuminate his decisions with the light
of humor. Sterling B. Torrey, judge of
the Circuit Court of Jefferson County,
Kentucky, is such a magistrate. Here
is the decision which he rendered iq a
suit brought by a farm-hand against
his employer to recover damages for
having poisoned himself with Paris
green, which he was ordered to put on
potato-bugs. It was a hot day, and
the man bad turned back his shirt at
the throat, exposing his chest to the
poison. The judge said:
The plaintiff exceeded the scope of
his employment in sprinkling Paris
green elsewhere than, ou the potato
vines, as his special and exclusive
agency was to kill the bugs basking in
the shade of said potato-vines; the
plaintiff's act in allowing the defend
ant's Paris green to come in contact
with his flesh, instead of with the flesh
of the bugs, was unauthorized and ultra
vires; the mental and physical suffer
ing of which the plaintiff complains
was the result of his own wrong in
misapplying the defendant's Paris
green to purposes other than those for
which he was employed to apply it. and
besides, is damnum absque injuria; the
plaintiff, in opening his clothes and ex
posing himself to the Paris green, was
guilty of contributory negligence; the
plaintiff knew as well as the defendant
that Paris green was poisonous. If he
did not know that Paris green was a
poison, this suit should not have been
brought in his name, but by a guard
ian. Milk. Kept In Frozen Chunks
There are but few cows In Labra
dor:" No wonder. The natives procure
their milk for the winter and then kill
their cows. The milk is kept In bar
rels, where it freezes and never threat
ens to soar throughout the entire sea
sou. When one wishes any milk he
has simply to go to the barrel and cut
ant a slice.
Jefferson memorial Road.
Citizens ,of Albemarle County, Vir
ginia, have organized the Jefferson
Memorial Road association for the pur
pose of building a public boulevard
between Charlottesville and Monticel
lo, where President Jefferson lies
buried. The road will be two miles
long, and is expected to cost $20,000.
vf MISQUOTED BY MANY. -
Interesting Compariasha of the Per
i " versions and the Originals
Even the least scholarly of us nowa
days are prone to quotations, though
we might not indulge ourselves quite
so often f we believed a little more
thoroughly that a little learning usuaF
ly misquoted "knowledge" is a dan
gerous thing, and that it is not safe to
quote a phrase unless you are familiar
with the work in which it occurs.
- Take, for instance, "the even tenor
of their way. "Gray never penned
such a phrase in his "ElegyWhat he
wrote was tlie noiseless tenor of their
way." Nathaniel Lee also suffers in
"when Greek meets Greek, then comes
the tug of war." What he wrote was
"When Greeks joined Greeks, then was
the tug of war." - ;
Again, how often is "but the tongue
lean no man tame; it is an unruly evil"
(James 3:8) rendered "the tongue is an
unruly member!" -"Charity
shall cover the multitude
iof sins" (I. Peter 4:S) is usually dis
torted Into "charity eoveretha multi
tude of sins." " ;
We were wont to talk about "speed
ing the parting guest," too, whereas.
Pope, in "Satire II.," wrote "speed the
going guest." , -
The champion case of- nonsense put
forward as sense, however, is probably
the crime-which is continually being
committed a.gainst Butler's "Fludi
bras." "A man convinced against his
will will hold the same opinion still."
i Of course, what Butler wrote was "He
: that complies against his will is ef his
own opinion still" a slight difference
in sense as well as words, surely,
j A passage on mercy from Shake
, gpeare's "Merchant of Venice" is usual
ily given as "falleth the gentle dew,"
I whereas the words writ by the bard
are "dropped as the gentle rain."
" Again, the "Romeo and Juliet," "that
jI shall say good-night, till it be mor
j row," is in 99 cases of lOOmisq noted
as "that I eould say good-night until
to-morrow.
We are also fond of saying the man
that hath no music in his soul;" but
the correct phrase is "the man that
hath no music in himself."
Even Milton does not escape. sys
the Baltimore Sun. His "fresh, woods
and pastures new" ("Lycidas") is
usually misquoted "fresh Delds nd
pastures new." In "Henry and Em
ma" Matthew Prior wrote ".fine by de
grees and beautifully less;" though we
are wont to render the phrase, "Small
by degrees and beautifully less."
HABIT CF SAVING.
The Old Reliable Road to Financial
Independence.
In July of last year the bdivid.ual de
posits in the national banks in this
country amounted to $3,228,000,000. The
deposits iu the savings banks in the
country at the same time amounted to
$2,597,000,000. The savings banks of
the world had $8,008,340,000. represent
ing (53,070.000 depositors. The average
individual account for the world was
$141.24. The average iudivdnal account
for the United States was $-180.30.
It should be said in a time of prosper
ity that no habit is more valuable to
cultivate than theihabit of saving. Pros
perity avails a- man nothing.uuless with
it he has strength of character to save
in proportion. Dickens has a character
in one of his books that every Mine he
prospers he treats himself, so to say-;
Indulges himself with some extra ex
penditure as a reward. That is likely to
be a tendency with too many. It is the
old truism about prosperity being more
difficult to stand than adversity. No
man can prosper that dees not spend
less than he makes. He cannot greatly
prosper unless increasingly he spends
less proportionately than he makes.
While money-making is a positive
achievement as much as the creation of
anything is. frugality is something that
need wait on no gift, but may be prac
ticed by all.
"Whether a man be rich or poor,
whether he be gifted mentally or emo
tionally or be dull, there is for every
one in this life the lesson of self-denial
to learn, and as this life is an exceed
ingly practical thing, the basis of self
denial might almost be said to lie in
material savings. Where a man has
not the ability to increase his income
he should decrease his outgo. He that
does this will soou begin to get a mar
gin. The process of saving is, slow, but
it is sure. It can literally work won
ders, and once started it grows like the
rolling snowball. The smallness at the
beginning should be no discouragement.
There is an opportunity for the man
that can save 10 cents a week as well
as for the man that can save $10 a
week. The way is long, and to begin
with may be difficult, but persistence in
it makes it easy. Life is more a matter
of habit than of intention, and the habit
of thrift can as easly be cultivated as
the habit of prodigality. Indianapolis
News.
Pugs in Boots.
Over in Paris fashion has decreed
that when the pet doggies go out for
an airing during damp weather they
must wear rubber boots. Of course,
the boots are made for dog use and
they cost $4.75 for two pairs, for a dog
with the proper number of legs must
buy his boots four at a time, you
know. They have 'em high for grey
hounds and low for dachehuuds, and
thin soled or thick soled, according to
the owner's taste. And they say it's
really a touching sight to see the
dogs prancing around the puddles in
their shining boots, and their little
rainy-day blankets, but, alas, the hu
manity of the thing has to count
against one very unpleasant drawback.
Begs love to gnaw rubber, and the
consequence is they chew up their
boots just as quick as they get a
chance. No sooner is his owner's gaze
turned away than even the best-bred
dog in Paris will sit down in the very
first puddle and worry his boots. lt';
a great pity, of course, but after all
dogs will be dogs. Cleveland Plain
Dealer. - .-
A real old-fashioned motherly wom
an has so much sympathy for children
who live In a boarding house that she
never thinks of the heathen in India.
When you do a foolish thing you say
to yourself, "The people won't uotice
it" But they will notice it; they al
ways do.
FRIENDS THOUGH FOES.
I 1 e.ns 4axv
s- sm far ; - ss .
- -LORD METHUEN AND GEN. DEL A KEY.
During Lord Methuen's stay iu the Boer camp Gen. Delarey was unremitting
in his courtesy, and personally expressed his great sympathy with his distin
guished prisoner.
BRAKE ON "THE STEAMER.
Many a serious-accident on the water
might be avoided if vessels were fitted
with a device for bringing them to a
stop as quickly 'as possible when the
danger appears. Louis Lacoste of Mon
treal, Que.,- has designed an. apparatus
for this special purpose; which Is Illus
trated herewith, the picture showing
the central part of a steamer with the
brake mechanism attached In operatins
position.
The brake proper consists of a hinged
gate of considerable width, attached
to the side of the ship to extend verti-
RETARDS PASSAGE THROUGH WATER.
cally downward from the water line.
Normally this gate lies close against
the side of the vessel and offers no
resistance to the progress through the
water, but when the proper signal is
given from the pilot house the engineer
starts the mechanism which released
the clamp securing the forward edge of
the gate, the latter Immediately flying
open, until it is at right angles to the
course of the ship, wMiere it is sustain
ed by the braces at the rear.
The brakes are arranged in pairs and
two or more sets may be applied to one
ship. They offer no hindrance to the
movement of the ship through the wat
er as long as they remain closed, but
afford a valuable additidon to the re
versed propeller in bringing the ship
to a quick stop In times of danger.
A SLOW PROCESS.
Cooling of the Earth as Relating to the
Length of the Day.
Professjr Woodward, in the Popu
lar Science Monthly, has lately given
an account of his researches on the
progressive cooling of the earth and its
relation to the length of the day. Does
the length of the day vary? Was it
formerly shorter than now? Will it, in
the future, be lengthened? The an
swer depends upon the mass of the
earth, which varies, since meteoric
dust perpetually falls upon the surface
and thus increases the quantity of
matter; and on its volume, which be
comes smaller as the mass Is progres
sively cooled. Laplace concluded from
the data at his disposition that there
had been no sensible change in the
length of the day for 2,000 years.
Woodward has repeated his calcula
tion with new data, and concludes that
the duration of the day has not chang
ed as much as half a second during
the first 10,000.000 years after the be
ginning of solidification of the earth's
material. When the cooling of tiie
earth finally reaches its term the
change will be marked. Trofessor
Woodward's result Is that the ratio of
the change of the day to Its initial
length is two-thirds of.the product of
the loss of temperature multiplied by
its cubical contraction. For example,
if the primitive temperature of the
earth was 3,000 deg. C, and if its cubi
cal contraction was that of Iron, the day
will be finally reduced about 6 per
cent that is to say. by-about an hour
and a half. The lapse of time neces
sary to bring this about Is enormous.
Three hundred thousand millions of
years are required, according to Wood
ward, for 95 per cent of the total con
traction to take place. The length of
the day will not be sensibly affected,
on the other hand, after the expiration
of 1,000,000 of millions of years. -The
fall of meteoric drcst tends to increase
the mass of the earth, and thus to
change the length of the day, but the
effect due to this cause is not above
one-two-hundred-thousandth of the ef
fect of secular cooling. Twenty mil
lions of small meteors, weighing on
t i
-
4
the average one gramme each, fall on
the earth daily, but In 1,000,000 of mil
lions" of years the length of day will
not be increased a quarter of a second
on this account Taking everything
together the day will shorten, not
lengthen, but the process will go on
with extreme slowness.
SALMON P. CHASE'S CARRIAGE.
Still Preserved in the Shop of a Wash
ington Dealer.
The carriage which was in 1SG2 the
handsomest equipage in Washington,
and which transported through its
streets the reigning society queen of
that day the daughter of Salmon P.
Chase, or, as she is now remembered,
Mrs. Kate Chase Sprague has for the
last eighteen years occupied an in
conspicuous place In the salesroom of
Thomas E. Young's carriage house in
that city.
The huge vehicle is now quaint and
out of date in many ways, though
traces of Its departed elegance are not
lacking. Awell-worn footboard In the
rear gives evidence of the military ap
pearance of two liveried footmen who
gripped with teuacity at the black
strap bandies In order to maintain
their equilibrium. In front is a box
seat for the driver, draped somewhat
in the fashion of a bearse of the pres
ent day.
The iuterior of the carriage, with Its
ample seating capacity for six persons,
is lined with heavy lilac satin, while
the handles and door latches are of
silver and Ivory. The carriage is jet
black and its heavy running gear, to
gether with Its ponderous body and
substantial trappings, gives the im
pression that It is looking with
haughty disdain on the glossy traps
which surround it in the salesroom,
never admitting for a moment that its
former glory has been lessened a whit
by the vagaries of fashion.
Mrs. Kate Chase Sprague gave the
carriage in trade for a more modern
vehicle about eighteen years ago. Its
value now is simply that of a relic,
but in the estimation of Mr. Young
this value is increasing each year.
Mr. Young also has stored away in
his lofts the Seward carriage, which
is an exact counterpart of the carriage
shown at Buffalo as the equipage of
Abraham Lincoln. This, with the car
riage of Gen. Tecumseb Sherman,
says the Washington Star, he pur
chased about twenty years ago.
- His Explanation.
A group of men were sitting In the
smoking room when the talk turned
upon the war in South Africa. Several
of the men had seen service, and, al
though some of them were strangers,
conversation was brisk and entertain
ing. "Well," began a soldierly looking
fellow, "I've been in South Africa my
self, and had a very interesting time."
"Ever get very close to the Boers?"
some one asked. "Rather! I once took
two of their officers." "Unaided?"
"Certainly. And the very next day I
took eight men with their horses." "All
wounded, I espeet?" remarked a listen
er, with a suspicion of a sneer. "You
didn't get hurt, of course?" "Just a
scratch, that's all! And the day after
I took a lot of transport wagons, and
followea that up by taking a Boer kraal
and a big gun." "Mister," said the dis
agreeable man of the audience, "I have
seen some of the finest specimens of
anything you can call to mind, but
frankly you are the only legitimate suc
cessor of Baron Munchausen that I've
ever met!" "Oh, no, I'm not that." said
the story-teller modestly with a good
natured smile "I'm only a photo
grapher!" .:
Aged Dog Commits" Suicide.
"There's old Tige;- he's 15 years old.
really blind, and a nuisance," said the
proprietor of the hotel at Alford, Pa.,
the other day. "I- haven't the heart to
kill him. but if some fellow will shoot
him and bury him up on the hill, I will
give bim a dollar."
A barroom lounger immediately ac
cepted the offer, and left for his home
to get a gun. Old Tige arose from the
floor near the stove, gave a pitiful
whine, and went out of doors. In half
an hour the man returned with a gun,
but the dog was nowhere to be found.
A persistent search all the afternoon
failed to reveal his presence, and the
barroom crowd gave up the chase at
nightfall.
Next morning the milkman discover
ed the mangled body of old Tige on the
railroad tracks. He bad committed sui
cide to escape being shot to death.
Chicago Inter Ocean. -
Some men think twice before marry
ingthen regret that they didn't get a
third think.
WHY HIS STOVE WOULDN'T HEAT
Uncle Billy Had a Novel Plan to Keep
' Down Ilia Coal Bills.
That Ignorance is bliss and that the
loftiest men should be the humblest
are two somewhat irrelevant axioms
which often are most interesting when
traced to their remote point of conjunction.-
.- . C-v. -.
"Out In the cemetery the other day,"
a matter-of-fact elderly man remarked:
"I noticed that Uncle Billy's tombstone
needed straightening up. A touch would
do it, and as I pulled it into position I
couldn't help smiling. Now I was not
smiling at the crooked tombstone, but
at an early recollection an episode in
connection with this same Uncle Billy.
"He was a fine man and a power in
his community, but he had been frugal
ly reared all our first settlers had to
make economy a science, you know;
and even after Uncle Billy had grown
wealthy in the wholesale dry-goods
business, he still practiced the most
rigid methods of saving," by which he
had accumulated money. I was a clerk
in a stove store, as we used to call
them, when he was quite an elderly
man. A bachelor he was and had a
spinster sister. Aunt Sarah, for his
housekeeper. .
"Well, he bought -a new stove from
us, a fine library stove no furnaces at
that time in the ordinary homes In this
city. In a day or two he dropped in to
complain that the stove wouldn't work
didn't throw out enough heat to warm
a cat. He was droll Uncle Billy was
but he had a fine, courtly bearing, too.
The firm sent me out to his. house to
see what was the matter with that
stove. At the door Aunt Sarah met me
and said in a low tone: 'William, if
you will make your Uncle William take
a peck of brickbats out of that stove I
think it will hold coal enough to warm
the room.'
"Sure enough, the stove was half-full
of brickbats. It was Uncle Billy's fru
gal idea that all stoves held too much
coal for their own good.'and that he
could cut down his coal bills by a deep
layer of brickbats In the bed of the
stove. I took them all out. of course;
he blinked painfully as I did so. Then
I made a rousing fire and Aunt Sarah
soon had to open a window to cool the
room.
"Another nephew Inherited the bulk
of Uncle Billy's wealth," said the matter-of-fact
man, according to the De
troit Free Press. "I see his name now
and then in Boston's most fashionable
social register and hear of his elegant
seaside cottage life and 1 wonder yes,
I do wonder how he would feel If he
knew of Uncle Billy's scheme to save
money for him by burning brickbats."
PRAISE FOR TEAMSTERS.
Theirs Is a Hard and Disagreeable
Work.
"Talk about hard work and patience,"
said a bookkeeper who ought to have
been a preacher, "you ought to sit
where I do all day long and notice
what goes on outside of warm, com
fortable offices. Every time I look up
from my books a teamster is going by
on the street; and let me tell you, gen
tlemen, there is no class of men in the
business world who are more exposed
to the weather and bear their bard
ships with more patience.
"Day in and day out I've watched
them all " kinds, from the boy who
drives a grocery wagon to the coach
man on the box. Yes, he's a teamster,
too. and I repeat what was just said
they an teach patience to the rest of
us. With heavy loads, weary or ob
streperous horses, rough or slippery
roads or street pavements, nine out of
ten are the men for the occasion, and
pull through their day's work with
fidelity to duty and credit to them
selves. "All winter I've watched a steady
stream of teamsters hauling cross-ties
over to some railroad yards. The loads
have been heavy, and the men have
had to go slow slow enough to freeze
on their wagon seats, one might think.
In most cases the sturdy horses have
not been driven out of a walk, anil
I've marveled at the endurance and
patience of the drivers.
"No out-of-door job is an easy one in
our Northern -winters," concluded the
bookkeeper, according to the Detroit
Free Press, "and- riding for hours on
a heavy, springless wagon, going for
ward at almost a snail's pace, must
test the mettle thoroughly."
Afloat.
Taking the factory to the raw ma
terial instead of bringing the material
to the factory, is an innovation just
put in operation on the Mississippi
River by a button factory, and it is a
plan that has many practical advan
tages. TLis factory is a boat forty
two feet loug and twelve feet wide,
with all o the necessary machinery
for the manufacture of buttons, and
provided with a three-horse power en
gine for its work. The principal ma
terial used by this factory is mussel
shells, which are found at nearly all
points along the river, and one of the
great expenses in conducting the busi
ness heretofore has been the cost of
transporting the shells. Now the fac
tory has reversed the operation and
will go to the mussels. When a bed
of the shells is found the boat will drop
anchor and go to work. When the bed
is exhausted it will go on to a new lo
cation. In this fashion it will go from
State to State, from Minnesota to
Louisiana, passing along with the sea
sons. On the boat the workmen have
their home with all its comforts, with
freedom from land rent and the visits
of tax collectors. ' -
Knitting Legislator Frowned Down.
Mr. Cathcart Wason, the member for
Orkney and Shetland, who employed
his spare time in knitting stockings in
the smoking-room at the House ef
Commons, has recently abandoned his
practice. Mr. Wason used to explain
to inquirers that his eyesight was very
bad, and that, as he could not be al
ways reading, he took up knitting as a
pastime. The innovation, though quite
an innocent one, annoyed a number of
old Parliamentary hands, and of lata
Mr. Wasou's knitting needles have not
been in evidence at Westminster. Lon
don Mail.
Young man, if in doubt as to the pro
priety of kissing a pretty girl, give her
the benefit of the doubt.
Mind your own business unless you
are able to employ a private secretary.