DELIGHTS
'HE "Caw! Caw! Caw!" of a bunch of ever-hungry
crowd, lazily flapping their way across the meadows
and over the frozen honey-combed wheat fields; the
bright plumaged bluejays, scolding among the bare
treetops on the edge of the wood lot; the red-breasted
robins, hopping around on the short, dull green grass, in
the sheep pasture; the bluebirds, chirping In the dead
branches of an old beech tree, looking over a last year's
nest; a red-headed woodpecker, rapping on the dead bark
of a tall hickory tree on the edge of the clearing, where the
swollen creek washes its muddy waters against the lower
branches of the pussy willow, just beginning to show a
faint tinge of green, and the skunk cabbage forcing its
way through the thin ice in the marshland. Those are all
signs of spring, but the surest signs, from a practical stand
point, Is when the farmer and his boy and hired man first
approach the sunny hillside of the old sugar bush, where
the snow still stubbornly hangs in curious-looking wet
patches among the dead leaves and branches. With auger
and bit, spout and pail, they proceed to snare the crystal
drops of sweet sap that spring from the roots of the maple
at the first breath of spring.
When all the maples in the "bush" are tapped and the
pails hung, "old Nell," the oldest horse In the stable. Is
hitched to the stoneboat or bobsled, with barrels staked on
It, and the rounds of the camp are made, gathering the first
run of sap. ,
The sap Is dumped Into a huge wooden trough, and from
an Iron pipe it runs into the evaporating pans .over a brick
furnace In the sugar house. When it freezes up hard at
night, followed by a heavy thaw the next day, it produces
a "big run" of sap. Then the farmer, his boys and hired
man will have to stay up all night to boil down the sap be
fore It gets sour.
Usually several neighbors will drop in during the even
ing, and while the boys tend the fire and skim the sap the
WORLD'S A-GOIN" RIGHT.
Some people are a-growlin' an' a-howlin
day an' night,
An' a-rantin' and a-railin' 'cause the
world ain't goin' right f
They are weepin'. o'er its sorrows an'
they keep its woes in view,
An' they never note the sweetness o' the
roses drippin' dew.
Some people in -their frettin' are for-
gettin' blessings rare,
They fail to breathe the fragrance that
is floatin' on the air.
They keep the thorn an' thistle an' the
nettles aye in view.
They pass the blushin' roses in their
haste to pluck the rue.
This world may have its failin's, but
there's good enough for all,
An' we may choose the sweetness or bit
terness an' gall.
An' if we seek. the shadows, an' if we
shun the light,
'Tis we, an' not the world, friends, that
ain't a-goin' right.
Los Angeles Herald.
Won by Loyalty.
HP fhnt time T w.q ne'fl?pd fnnd
vorv nleased to bel to a most
' x '
'enigmatical young person. She
spoke rarely and in a way always a
little mysteriously, making voluntary
secrets of a hundred little actions of
life, and loving solitude in an alarm
ing manner.
All this was off-set by eyes so beau
tiful, by a coloring so marvelous, by
an expression so divine, that I had not
the courage to reflect on the singular
ity of her character. I loved her," and
I often passed hours of the night sit
ting before her doorstep, simply dream
ing "that she lived here," and medi
tating on her presence as does the be
liever on the transsubstantlatlon.
I did not know. In the first place,
whether she loved me or not; she al
ways refused to answer that question,
referring to the wishes of her parents
and her confidence in their .wisdom. If
I Insisted, she generally ended by say
ing "that she knew nothing about It,
but that she felt no antipathy toward
me, and that, according to her ideas,
was enough; Jto decide a young girl on
marriage!"- In vain I- supplicated, in
vain. I tried to animate this enigmatical
being; she remained as distant as the
manner in which she loved, as un
known as she was dominating.
One evening as I was dreaming a
little sadly of these things a commo
tion was heard In the house. I re
turned to the salon, where everything
was in disorder, my hosts were dis
tressed, their friends embarrassed and
troubled, and old Mme. Laroche hor
ribly pale and trembling.
"What In tne world has happened?"
OF THE MAPLE SUGAR
I asked. They explained 4ncoherently
that Mme. Laroche's diamonds were
stolen old family diamonds of great
value. All the servants had been
summoned Into an adjoining room In
short, a formal search was to be Insti
tuted. An old gentleman, M. Coppe,
had been unanimously selected to di
rect this investigation just as I was
entering, and his first proposition was
that everyone should submit, or, rath
er, offer himself to be searched. Al
though the thing was rather offensive,
no one protested, and it was decided
that, after the servants, each person
present should be examined.
To tell the truth, all this seemed of
small importance beside my personal
cares; and, with several others, I
awaited the entl of the adventure,
while M. Coppe, his two witnesses and
our host, began the Inspection of the
domestics. '
Very soon I fell again into my medl:
tatlon, my eyes fixed on the fireplace
as though there were a Are, when sud
denly a felt a light touch on my elbow.
I raised my head with a start, to see
my fiance looking at me most beeseech
ingly. We were alone near the fireside
and could talk in low tones without
being overheard. She murmured very
low: - '
"If you love me, arrange that they
search you first; then try to be near
miS and, without being seen, try to con
ceal the object that I shall pass you
from behind."
My blood ran cold. This annoying
Incident became terrible, filling me
with the most passionate trouble. I
looked at the girl In agony, but forced
myself to smile, and whispered:
"It shall be as you wish!"
My knees trembled, my mouth was
hot and dry. The feeling that over
whelmed me was inexpressible. It
was a strange mingling of bitterness
and pleasure, that my lovetLone should
be weak to such a degree. I forced
myself to have a sort of disdainful
pity, and in. reality love beat ardent,
strong, stern In my breast. I under
stood. In a flash, how beauty could
become divine above baseness of soul,
and how one could respect it even in
dishonor and a hundred other things
in which were confused fervent love,
devotion without limit, a desire noble
and perverse.
- Jeanne had thanked me wlh hardly
perceptible movement of the lips; she
stood by the wall with an air of indif
ference and pride!
"They are very long about it," she
said sternly. 'M. Coppe is a man of
method," someone replied. And a si
lence followed which told more and
more on one's nerves, for even the wait
ing in a peaceful frame of mind fin
ished by disturbing and emptying the
brain, like a pump. However, the mo
ment arrived when the searching of
the servants ended, the door opened,
SEASON.
older men will smoke and tell stories that make the boys
hug closer to the bright firelight and start at strange noises,
or again the woods and sillsides will echo back the joyous
laughter at a funny story and then comes a midnight sup
per on ham and eggs, boiled in sweet sap, and potatoes
baked in the ashes. Games and stories follow as the night
wears on, till the sap is boiled down and the fires banked,
and the sleepy but happy crowd trudge homeward oyer the
frozen stubble in the early dawn.
The last sugaring-off at the end of the season is the day
of festivities and hard work combined. The neighbors'
children are there, gathered around the steaming kettle of
sirup with their dishes and little paddles whittled out of
basswood, eagerly waiting for the word when the sirup is
thick enough to stir Into sugar.
A patch of snow Is found In a sheltered spot in the woods
near by and a dipperful of thick liquid is thrown over it. It
quickly cools Into the form of taffy. It Is fine.
That night the sticky sugar Is washed from hands and
faces of little children, the taffy Is combed out of their hair,
and they-are put to bed full of sweet stuff and thoughts of
an enjoyable day In the old "sugar bush."
The frost is all out of the ground on the hillside. The
warm winds have dried up the sap. The soft maples are
already In bud, and the pussy willows are In full bloom
along the creek. The sap pails are all gathered in and
stacked away. The fire in the furnace is flooded and the
"sugar house" is locked up and the camp deserted.
The red squirrels chase each other over the roof and a
restless bluejay scolds in the branches of the old birch tree.
A flock of ducks splash noisily around In a shadowed pool
of the creek trying to settle down for .the night.
The full moon is rising above the swamp, while a two
horse wagon rumbles up the lane ladened with the sweet
spoils of the "sugar season." B. A. Bushnell, In Cincinnati
Post.
disclosing our host, the two witnesses,
and the old gentleman.
My heart beat furiously. I felt my
self become terribly pale, but, conceal
ing my agitation and steadying my
voice, I asked to be searched first.
M. Coppe smiled at what he consid
ered the whim of a young man, and
proceeded methodically to my exam
ination. I blushed, I became pale,
without anyone finding that peculiar
under the circumstances. When It
was over I made two or three steps
backward and found myself near
Jeanne. She lowered her fan and
handed me something with a coolness
that was only equaled by my calmness
In seizing the object and placing It In
a pocket of my coat. After which I
leant against the fireplace, .being now
j merely a witness and above all suspi
cion.
M. Coppe's search was unproductive
of results. There remained nothing
to do but to visit all the rooms and
then inform the police.
, Still my trouble of mind increased as
I remained standing by the fireplace.
My brain was in'a whirl, and I felt the
crime weigh on me as though I were
Indeed the thief.
Jeanne at last came toward me, with
that undulating step of hers, and gave
me a look of such passionate gratitude
that It almost seemed to scorch me.
Then in an imperative, tone she said:
"Do you still love me?"
I did not hesitate. I replied firmly:
"Yes." -.-..
"In'spite of all that I have done?"
",In spite of everything."
"Will you marry me?"
."I will marry you." "
She enveloped me with the same
look, still warmer and more lingering.
I fully comprehended the power of
woman, above all law, human or nat
ural, drawn from the fountain head
and against which nothing ought to
prevail.
I felt strpngely happy In this equiv
ocal adventure, and I could not throw
off this happiness for which I re
proached myself and of which I was
terribly ashamed.
As I was struggling with these con
tending emotions, exclamations were
heard and I saw M. Coppe reappear
holding a little box. v
"We have the jewels and the guilty
one!" he said very calmly.
I had only time to hear this much
and to see the livid face of the valet
the guilty one when I found that
Jeanne was gently urging me out on
the terrace where the shadows lay
thickly. There I felt my head seized
with two hands, while two pure lips
were pressed to mine, as Jeanne mur
mured: '
"The thief adores "you! She has
tricked you! To test your love she
gave you her owta jewel box!" New
York News.
CRABBING IN MARYLAND.
An Ingenious Method by Which Man
Are Caught for the Market.
Those who crab for market on the
ChoDtank river. Maryland, have an ln-
conlnna mathrwl ft fAt(hinr rrnha In
O o
quantity. A rope about the thickness
of a clothesline, several hundred feet
long, is kept colled In a keg. The closer
the cover the more pleasant the sail
with the fisherman to the crabbing
grounds, for at Intervals of two feet
along the entire length of the rope he
has untwisted It and Inserted between
the strands short pieces of salted eels.
The torsion of the strands holds them
tightly In place. Each end of the rope
has a keg buoy attached, together with
a heavy stone.
Arriving at the favored place, usu
ally on oyster beds, he throws a keg
overboard and pays out his highly
scented rope as he sails. When the
other end Is reached he anchors it with
another stone and throws out another
buoy.
After lowering his sail, he waits a
few minutes, then takes his stand on
the bow of his boat. Alongside of him
is his landing net, with a handle six
feet long. He raises the buoy and
stone and, hand over hand, pulls his
boat along the line. When a crab,
clinging to Its refreshment, comes in
' sight, he' seizes his net,' dashes It tin
1 der the crab and flings It Into the boat.
The wary crab may loosen his hold and
dive for the bottom, but such is the
fisherman's dexterity that his net is
swifter than the crab. One seldom
1 gets away.
Several hundreds of crabs are often
taken at each overhauling of the rope.
When he has caught all he wants, says
the writer in Country Life in America,
he packs them in barrels and sells them
to a local dealer, who ships them to mar
ket '
HOW WOMEN STEP OFF CARS.
Few Understand the Art and Many
Are Injured, in Consequence.
All over the country the traction com
panies are being mulcted In heavy
damages for personal Injuries sustained
by passengers who are thrown to the
ground on alighting before the cars
have fully stopped. The verdicts are
exemplary in many instances, especial
ly If the plaintiffs are women. The jur
ors rarely seem to concern themselves
over the question whether the Injured
passengers of the precious sex get off
with their faces or their back-hair
turned toward the front of the compass
which claims the attention of the mas
culine creature at the wheel. It is the
proud privilege of the -better half of
humanity to descend from a car of any
sort In just the way she prefers, with
eyes to the front or retroactive vision
and footfieps, and our transportation
companies must revise their rules in
' accordance with feminine caprices and
' fancies.
Otherwise Juries will deal unkindly
with the owners of the trolley lines,
j whether their power is overhead or un
derground. The matron or maid who
is Interfered with in her choice of grace
I fully alighting from a car platform
backward or frontward or In any other
j way evidently has a sufficient basis
: for litigation if she suffers injury and
the car Is put in motion before she has
j taken her way in unruffled security. So
the Juries seem to think. The harassed
and unfortunate male nonentities on
me rront or rear piatrorms or tne cars
who are distraught already over the
uncertainty whether lovely women will
make her exit without harm have even
worse troubles ahead than any which
have hitherto" afflicted them.
GILDING REFINED FOLD.
Jefferson and Florence Criticising
Their Own Performance.
One night, some years ago, as I en
tered Dorlon's oyster house on West
Twenty-third street, writes E. H. Soth
ern In Leslie's 'Monthly, I saw Joseph
Jefferson and W. J. Florence sitting at
a table near the door. Jefferson was
talking earnestly to Florence, who was
tooklng very much ashamed of himself,
with eyes cast down and fiddling with
his oyster fork. Glancing up he saw
me, and, as If glad to escape from a
scolding, he cried, "Come over here and
Bit down with us."
"How do ! you do," said Jefferson.
"Pardon me a moment. I am telling
Billy about a point he spoiled this even
ing." They were playing "The Rivals"
at the Garden Theater.
"Well, I was thinking of something
else," said Florence.
"Ah, that's It,'.' said Jefferson, "but
you missed the point, and let me tell
you that ymi would have got a round
of applause there" naming some other
portion of the scene "if you had "made
the pause in the right place."
"Look here," said Florence, suddenly,
losing his remorseful expression, "you
killed your own effect by speaking too
quickly on that line," and he Instanced
one of Bob Acres' best moments.
Jefferson's face felL "That's so, Billy,
that's so; I spoiled that line. I was
thinking how well I was playing, too,
and I forgot my look before I spoke."
Florence became quite cheerful again.
"He's been giving me fits," said hev
"for the last ten minutes. He wasn't
so devilish good himself to-night."
To sea those two veterans polishing
their work, to find them In their hour
of recreation gilding refined gold was
an object lesson of some value. ' -
' Snob a Simple Way !
The Pilgrim' tells the story of a
woman property holder In New York
-whose agent brought her an Insurance
policy on her house. "You'd better
give me a check for the premium
now," he said. ;
"How much is' It?" she asked.
"A little more than oie hundred
dollars. Walt a minute and I will get
the exact amount." "
"Oh, how tiresome!" said 'the lady.
"And I am In such a hurry! Tell the
company to let It stand, and deduct
It from what they will owe me when
the house burns down."
Hearing of the Thrash.
The hearing of the common thrush
Is marvelously acute. It can hear a
worm moving underground, locate the
prey by the noise, and haul It out.
It Is said that the Lord tempers the
wind to the shorn lamb, but this does
not cut any Ice. -
' Misfortunes usually come In pairs,
but the first one came in an apple.
OPINIONS OF GREAT PAPERS ON IMPORTANT SUBJECTS
ndian Servant Girls.
ANEW solution of the servant girl problem Is being
discussed in the large cities of the West. Indian
girls, from special training schools, are being em
ployed as servant girls. It Is said that the Indian
girls who have been properly trained are found to
be perfect embodiments of satisfactory domestic service?
Five thousand or more Indian girls have been engaged
from the various Indian schools of the Southwest to act as
domestics In the homes of wealthy people In Kansas. City,
Chicago, St. Louis and Denver. Most of these girls are
from the Chilacco and Haskell Indian schools. The Indian
girls are physically strong. They are, as a rule, faithful.
! polite and vnobtrusive. The idea of
domestjes is now being seriously considered by some of the
rich families of Eastern cities. Buffalo Enquirer.
The Necessity:")' Courage.
WHEN a man is depressed he may be sure that
the indulgence in physical actions characteris
tic of depression, such as moping and sighing,
still more increase his depression, while his
first attempt at more sensible conduct will
prove that the deliberate and at first artificial assumption
of cheerfulness and activity will, after a while, actually
bring about a more cheerful frame of mind. Slow move
ments, slow speech, physical action of every kind deliber
ately rendered slow, is an antidote to the Irritation of a
man harassed and pressed with affairs, which good sense
will suggest to him, although he may know nothing about
the psychological theory of attaining a desired condition of
mental quiet by, at first, Imitating the bodily gesture of a
calm mind. On the other hand, the giving way to quick,
irritated bodily movements is sure to cause an accession of
irritability. New York Daily News.
The Meat-Eater's Defence.
THERE are certain esthetic persons who quail before
a luscious blood red steak. These persons are hard
ly abreast of scientific thought or else they would
also quail before the corpse of the gentle asparagus.
The asparagus is undoubtedly a form of life and the
distinction between the higher vegetables and the lower
Lanimals is hard to make. Bacteria,
usually supposed to fall in the field of zoology, are said to
belong of rights to botany. The fact is' that the vegetarian
agitation served its purpose in emplias!zing the good there
Is in eating a fair proportion of vegetables and the evil
there is in eating an unfair proportion of meat. This pur
pose being accomplished, exclusive devotion to. a vegetable
diet is perhaps no longer necessary except during sickness.
No one, of course, can object to "an affection a la Plato
for a bashful young potato or a. not too French French
bean" in a comic opera, but an affection of the propagan
dist kind for fruits, cereals and vegetables as the antago
nists of meats is happily no longer a desirable feature of
modern life. .We are now allowed by the highest authori
ties to enjoy the taste and stimulus of meat without com
punction. Chicago Tribune. .
The Value of Spelling.
5'
OMEBODY with views of spelling
orthodox has written to a Chicago paper to protest
against the prominence given to this study in college
examination papers. He contends that no professor
or set of professors can justly condemn a freshman
for being a poor speller, so long as no stress was laid on
Ithis branch of education before the days of Samuel John
' son. In other words, if so great a man as Shakspeare had
a right to spell his own name in six different ways, and
George Washington was shaky on orthography, a mere
' college student should be forgiven for not being able to
master the intricacies of twentieth century spelling.
This sound plausible, and, Judging from the kind of
work the pupils in American public schools turn out, there
are many parents in this land who hold similar views. But
the fallacy of the argument lies in the fact that the average
high school graduate is not expected to be a Shakspeare or
a George Washington, and that he is expected in most
cases" to be the clerk or bookkeeper of an ordinary business
man.
His employer will not ask him it he can write Immortal
plays or lead an army. He will ask him to write a note to
Mr. Smith at such and such a number, Broadway; and that
note will look ridiculous If the name of the street Is spelled
phonetically. Of course there Is no reason, logically, why
the clerk should not Introduce phonetic spelling in his office;
AMUSEMENTS OF YALE MEN.
Members of the Senior Class Take to
Feeding Squirrels.
The establishment of a squirrel com
mons In the center of the Yale campus
is the innovation that the present
senior class has to its credit. Each
class during its stay of four years on
the campus plans to Introduce some
novel form of amusement- which shall
thrive after It leaves ' the university
and which Is always associated with
its numerals."
In this way top-spinning, hoop-rolling,
crap shooting and the several oth
er amusements that have become part
of the university undergraduate pro
gram have been introduced. The mem
bers of the class of 1903, however,
have the honor of introducing the first
amusement which has a tendency in
the line of feeding the hungry and
housing the homeless.
The Yale campus, with Its beautiful
elms, has always been an ideal home
for the squirrels and the chipmunks
and many years ago they, with their
respective families, sought the peace
supposed to be within the classic walls
of Yale. But the introduction of the
Boston terrier as a roomer there, as
well as a frequent visitor, frightened
away many of -these lively little ani
mals, until a couple of years ago the'
sight of a squirrel was most uncom
mon. '
-Then a reaction set in, the terrier
was ostracized or at least was curtail
ed in his liberty, and the bright, busy
little animals were encouraged to re
turn to their abandoned farms by the
Yale boys. Then plans were made to
keep frisky chaps on the campus, with
the result that what may very prop
erly be termed a squirrel commons
now exists. ,
All during the early fall the Yale
men congregate in numbers on their
respective fences, and with bags full
of peanuts and walnuts, entice the
squirrels and chipmunks to come down
to supper.
Another amusement, which Is said to
have originated up near the Sheffield
scientific school, pitching pennies.
Pitching pennies has been one of the
frolics of the. Yale campus since the
Introduction of the first monkey into
New Haven. But the occupants of the
freshman dormitories have originated
a feature which Intensifies the fun to
the Yale mind. -
It took the Italian with the hurdy
gurdy less than twenty-four hours
after his arrival in town to learn that
the fertile field for his labors was in
the region of the Yale campus. And
employing Indian girl
for instance, though
more original than
he soon came to realize that the fresh
men were his best customers. As a
result, directly after dinner, during the
fall evenings, there are lined up a doz
en of these musical artists with their
several instruments dispensing "Boolo
Yale," "We Won't Go Home Until
Morning," "We Must Love Some One,"
and other Yale favorites in a distract
ing chorus. ... '
At first, when there were compara
tively few instruments in the city,
there was fun enough in simply danc
ing to the music or in tossing pennies
from the wjndows, but as competition
grew keen and more Italians appeared
the fun grew more furious.
One night says the Boston Herald,
an old favorite held up his hand for
the accustomed coin, and when it land
ed it was hot. Instinctively he tossed
it up to be caugbt by the next fellow,
who in turn let it fly. The boys heat
ed the pennies In the fireplaces of their
rooms, and then dropped them down
to the unsuspecting Neapolitans. Now
there Is more caution on the part of
the players, but every night the boys
rain the red-hot coins down, and the
grasping musicians pitch each of them
up in the air to cool, as. they hesitate
whether to risk a scorched hand or
allow, their neighbors to become richer
on account of their timidity.
THE TRADELESS MAN.
Boys Should Not Grow Up Without
Special Training.
When the first severe weather of
the present winter struck London the
dispatcfee from that city chronicled
much suffering among the poor and
an unusually large number of men
out of work. Many of the unem
ployed were stated to be men dis
charged from the rmy because of
the return of peace In South Africa.
The facts were stated In such a way
as to lead to the inference that Brit
ish employers were somewhat heed
less of the special claims of men who
risked their lives In their country's
cause. According to the statements
of a society formed to secure em
ployment for discharged soldiers such
inference against the' patriotism . of
British employers ' was not well
founded.
This society states that employers
show a preference for men who have
served in the army. If only they
know something about some trade.
It states that ' its books prove that
there is no lack of work for men who
have even rudimentary ' training In
some occupation calling for more
but there Is a very good practical reason why he should not;
he will lose his Job.
It follows, therefore, that a branch of education so Im
portant that a man is Judged by all the world as illiterate
if he neglects It, should not be neglected In the schools.
Our public schools and colleges are not Shakspeare facto
ries. They are for the education of average people. Wash
ington Times. ,
.The Use of Both Hands.
MUCH of the mechanical work that Is now done
with the right hand could be done as well with
the left hand, if that member were sufficiently
trained, and the division of labor thus made pos
sible would not only result in more efficient work,
but in an increased quantity of it. It is, of course,"" very
evident that when both hand3 are equalfy dexterous, they
may be used alternately, and the worker never need stop
for rest; for as soon as one hand gets tired he can use the
other.
Just why one employs the right arm In so many things
In preference to the left is a question which has not yet
received a conclusive answer. The more commonly ac
cepted idea is that the habit is directly due to the fact that
a mother invariably carries a child on her left arm, so that
she, the carrier, may have the free use of her right arm.
Then, again, there are those who say the physiological
construction of the nerves and veins that enter the right
arm is different to that of those which enter the left one,
the nerves and veins of the right arm being more promi
nent. But, despite the fact that an examination of the left
aim of a left-handed person reveals the fact that his left'
arm contains more prominent veins and nerves than his
tight, it is, nevertheless, impossible to say whether the
phenomenon noticed is the effect of the habit or the habit
the effect of the phenomenon.
Even a slight accident to the right hand incapacitates,
one nowadays from all manner of work, whereas. If the
use of the left hand were cultivated as it should be, such
misfortunes would lose much of their terror. St James'
Budget.
Vast Increase of Wealth.
THE increase of wealth within the past wenty-flve
years, in this country, has been enormous. By this
. statement we mean that the country is richer in
everything that makes a country rich, but also and
chiefly that there are now multitudes of very rich
men where a quarter of a century ago there were only a
few. Fifty years ago it was easy to name the individuals
who had an income of firty thousand dollars a year. Such
an Income Implied productive property of more than a
million. The American style is the most extravagant In
the world. It demands the best everywhere, and usually
gets it, and pays the highest prices for It. Are we
then a nation of spendthrifts, the rich people setting the
pace and the rest following as fast and as far as they can?
We do not think so. We are called money worshipers by
some; and reckless prodigals by others. Neither charge is
correct. There is a new scale of wealth, and there are
many more people who have large possessions than ever
before in our history. But there is as large a proportion
of sensible and thrifty persons in the country as ever.
There are fewer reckless spendthrifts, and more rich men
who are bestowing vast sums of money in philanthropic and
charitable works. The wealth which is gathered . is not
hoarded. Much of it is distributed throughout the com
munity, and a larger proportion than in former times Is
given away in charity and philanthropy. There Is also less
self-denial and less saving, the severer virtues have been
sent to the background, and charity and friendliness and
hospitality are displayed and advertised. The good things
which.multl-millionaires are doing with their gold are pub
lished far and wide, and "the woman with two mites" has
little chance of commendation in comparison with them.
What the end will be it is impossible to predict It is evi
dent now that the rich are getting richer, that the cost of
everything which rich people use and demand is growing
greater every day, and that competition has stretched be
yond business, and entered social, and even church life. In
ways that are offensive to good breeding and menacing to
pure religion. Unless along with the new scale of living
and personal expenditure comes a new standard of benevo
lence and self-sacrifice, we shall only repeat In this repub
lic the experience of other ages, and reap an evil and pain
ful harvest Great wealth without mercy, charity and self
devotion Is not a blessing but a curse. New York Observer.
than mere muscle. Of unskilled la
borers there are ten for every place,,
but for men even slightly skilled,
work is going begging. In these
facts there is a lesson for boys and
their parents in America as well as
in Great Britain. As civilization ad
vances, as the waste pieces of earth
are made to blossom, as population
increases, there is less and less pro
portionate demand for the man who
has merely his hands and no special
knowledge and how to use them.
There is less and less demand for the
tradeless man.
The time was in this country when
there was a great deal of work to be
done for which little more than mus
cular strength and a willingness to
use it was required. But those times
are rapidly passing away. Muscular
strength is still a good and necessary
thing. . Without it there cannot be
good health. But more is now increas
ingly demanded, and that is the knowl
edge of how to do some particular
thing at least reasonably well. The
parents who permit their sons to grow
up the boys who permit themselves
to start out in the world without that
knowledge are laying up sorrow for
the future. Beaten in life's race from
the start is the tradeless man. --Chicago
Inter Ocean.
The Emperor and the Little Boy.
The "Emperor Francis Joseph was
leaving the Church of St. Antonius the
other day after attending the ceremony
of consecration, when a lad dressed as
a baker's apprentice pushed his way
through the crowd, evaded the swarms
of detectives and ran right up to the
emperor's carriage, which was already
in motion. He held up a letter which,
he wanted to hand to the emperor, and
Francis Joseph had the carriage stop
ped to take the missive. It ran as fol
lows: "Dear Mr. Emperor: My mother
has been very ill for many years and
no hospital will admit her because she
is an Incurable. I can earn enough for
myself, but I cannot earn enough to
give my sick mother the. things she
needs. I beg you, dear Mr. Emperor,
to order that she shall be admitted to
some hospital." Two hours later (says
the Vienna correspondent of the Morn
ing Leader) an ambulance arrived be
fore the lad's house and conveyed his
mother to a charitable institution,
where she can end her days in peace.
Leslie's Weekly. ; ,
Don't have such a good time on your
skates that 4 you fail to watch for
cracks in the Ice.