WniTU AS SNOW.
Gcorgo WiKitherly, ia the Quiver.
From morning until evening
Ho nought for pence nnd rest
Rest for 11 wcury Mt tit It..
IVnco for iv troubled breimt;
Hut vnln u'tin nil bin pocking
From dawn till net of huh;
IIi'h pIuh lay liruvy on lilm,
And comfort there wns none.
Then, in tlm gathering twilight,
Ho knelt lilm down in prnyer.
And tlio Rturfl hhonc In upon lilm,
And mulled upon hint there;
And while hu told liin Father
OI'hIii'iibTiIucI; iih night,
Tho pure unite snow fell oottly
And hid the eurth from sight.
And when, in hitter sorrow,
Jle lo kud into the night,
lichoid, tho eiutli hIioiio brightly,
Wrapped in itn roho of while!
And the proniino culiie lo cheer him,
And bring him pun re: "Although
Your hi'iih tuny ho us Miirlot
They ahull ho ivliito iih mow."
THE HUNTERS' HOLIDAY.
rho Trl.-iln mill Trlhlilittionx of 11 Cblrngn
IVost Slclo Woman Who DftnriiiiuiMl to
lliivo iiltoino of Jlt-r Own, unci How Slio
Mud HorOwn Wiiy.
Sonic years ago Henry Hunter wns
bookkeeper for a Lake street firm.
And so ho is still. Years ago his salary
was twenty dollars a week. It id just
the same now. In faet for twelve years
Henry Hunter lias sat at tlio same
desk, kept tlio saino set of books, and
drawn tlio same compensation for his
services. Ten years ago he was mar
ried, and tlio few hundred dollars ho
had saved was spent for household
goods. Ho and his wifu rented .a $25
house on tho West Side, and, of eourso
lived up to their income. Tho wile
dressed fairly well and so did he.
They of course, went to ho theatre,
and Henry smoked cigars, and oc
casionally took a drink. Two years
spedby and they wcrohappy and had
0110 child and plenty of hope for tho
future, but no money. At times, in
fact, thoy were a littlo in debt to tho
grocer and tho butcher.
Then Mrs. Hunter began to talk
about getting a homo of her own. She
seemed to sot her heart on it, and Hen
ry talked about it, just to humor her.
Hut ho had no more hope of getting a
homo of his own than ho had of (lying
01T to tho moon to look for gold
That is, not for many years to come.
Ho was willing enough, oven anxious,
but his familiarity with figures and
linauces was sufficient to show him
tho great gulf there is between a mod
erate salary and a homestead. Hut
Mrs. Hunter continued to talk of tho
homo sho honed to occupy. Woman
like, she had yearned, and, woman
like sho refused to bo comforted by
talk ol what would happen in tho far
away future.
Ono evening Henry camo homo from
his work, and, after tea, settled down
with his slippers, his paper and his
pipe. Mrs. Ilunterluid been unusually
reticent during tho meal, as a. woman
always is when she has something of
unusual importance on her mind and
the inevitable accompaning desire to
talk about it. So Mrs. Hunter bided
her time until the tea was finished nnd
tho dishes, cleared away and then sho
began;
"Now, Henry, 1 want to talk to
you seriously."
Ho reluctantly removed the paper
from his oyos, and took tho big pipe
from his mouth.
"I was over to Mrs. Smith's to-dnv,"
Mrs. Huutor went on, animatedly,
'and what do you think? They aro
buying a homo of their own. Mr.
Smith's salary is only $18, but they
cay ho can easily pay for it."
"So?" replied Henry, with a grunt,
and resuming his paper.
"Yes," his wife kopt on, "and I
don't seo why we can't do the samo
thing. Your salary is $2 a vo k more,
and I know I 1 nin quite as economi
calor, at least, lean be as Mrs.
Smith."
"We'll seo about it next vear," said
Henry wearily; "maybe I'll got a raise
in my salary."
And then ho resumed his paper, and
pulled vigorously at his cooling pipe.
"Hut 1 don't want to wait," persist
ed Mrs. Hunter, I'm tired hearing
about tho increase in salary which
nover conies, and I'm tired of paying
rent and lighting with tho landlord
about repairs, too. If the Smiths can
get a homo of their own I don't seo
why wo can't."
"And how on earth?" queried tho
man with the pipe, "do you supposo
tho Smiths aro going to livo and pay
for a house on $18 a week?"
"Why, they aro in a building asso
ciation, and they pay so much a week,
and that pays for the homo hi eight
years."
"And what is a building associa
tion?" "1 I don't know, but I'll run over
in tho morning and ask Mrs. Smith,"
replied Mrs. Hunter, a littlo abashed.
"I'll tell you what it is," saiil tho
lord of tlio rented houso with that
air of superiority which tho best of
husbands put on at times, "it's a
scheme by which llnanciering fanatics
think thoy can uet soniothingfornoth
ing, by which they can pull themselves
up by their boot straps, as it were,
"ion don't catch mo in any of those
schemes."
And Mrs. Huntor's meekness return
ed to her with a realization of her ig
norance, and sho said nothing. Tho
paper and pipe were resumed, silence
roignod, and tho wife got out her stock
ing bag and inendea nose, saying not
n word, but keeping up a lively tnink
iuu. Tho noxt evening, having in the
meantime seen Mrs. Smith, sho tried
to toll hor husband what a building
association was, but that impatient
man listened none too sj inpothmiigly,
and quLstioiiod the correctness of his
wlWirgilrW and Mrs. Smith's state
jnents and ruthlessly exposed tho
falsa financiering of tho building asso
ciation plan as ho undei-tood it, and
finally mixed Mrs. Hunter up so that
she had to go oil in the bedroom and
cry from vexation. Most good hus-
bands can tell when their wives aro,
crying, even if there area doen walls!
intervening, and Mr. Hunter was that'
kind of a man. It may be perception,!
instinct, the superiority ot man, or!
conscience that tells him. Hut what-'
over it is, on this occasion tho bus-,
band threw down his paper and went,
in to seo nbont it. Of course ho wiped'
away her tears and took his pipe out
of his mouth long enough to kiss her
and call her by her first name, and tell
her not to cry any more.
"I do do so want to uet a homo of
our own," sho gasped, between sobs,
"and I think we might try and bo
careful, Henry, or you'll spill hot
ashes on the baby and send it into
convulsions."
The little rain-cloud passed away,
but nothing more was said about
homes or building associations that
night. The very next evening, how
ever, .Mrs. Hunter sat down in hor
husband's lap, pub her arms about
ins neck, looked linn in tho eves in her
old way, and said:
".Now, dear.Ihavo a littlo renucst to
make of you. Will you grant it like a
good husband?"
And of course hegranted. Few men
refuse their wives' ronuests under such
conditions. Then Mrs. Hunter made
known her desires. She wanted to run
tho finances of the household.
Give mo vour salarv overv week."
she said, "and 1 will take caro of ev
erything. You work hard, hubby,
and you don't want to bo worried by
these iittlo things. Husiness men like
you have enough to bother them
without paying butchers nnd trrocora
and landlords. We'll make a barcain
you keep out $!5 a. week for your
personal expenses, and I'll have tli3
rest. That gives yop fifty cents a day
for lunch and street carfare. When
you want anything clsu come to me."
Tho baruayi was niado and Mr.
Hunter lived up to it. Ho gave
Ins wife seventeen dollars every week,
carefully retaining and always spend
ing his and was glad of thoarrango
ment. Ho had no trouble about any
thing, and smoked his pipe in peace,
unworried by the coalman, ihe butch
er, tho grocer or the landlord. The
$!5 a week kept him going nicely, nnd
altogether it was a satisfactory ar
rangement for him.
Mrs. Hunter liked it, too. Sho was
pleased witli the responsibility and
with tho care and theschoiiiingtoninko
both ends meet. She seemed to have
some object in life besides tlio moro
routine ol household care. The first
thing she did, of course, was to take
out her pencil (sharpened with tho
cai ving knife) and figure up her pros
pects. "Now, lot's see, said she to herself.
"Income $1 .0-10 a year; out of that wo
must pay rent, $:!()(); groceries and
meat. $250; coal, $50; Henry $150;
clothing, newspapers, miscellaneous,
$100. I think we can get along on
that if we are not sick, and that" will
leave mo $100 a year. Lot nio seo;
Mrs. Smith said their thirty shares in
tho building association cost them
$15. .'55 a week that is $105 a year.
We can do it;"
So-this is what Mrs. Hunter was
driving at. She had not given up tlio
building association idea. Hut tho
meek, sly, littlo woman kept her own
counsel, and in about a week (after
consulting and pledging to secrecy
Mrs. Smith) went around to tho office
of tho building association and took
out thirty shares of stock. This cost
her $7.50 cash, and she had to make'
payments of $ 15.75 a week. Sho was
confident that sho could do it, but
sho did not find it so easy. There wero
very few cents left after all tho bills
wero paid. Then she began to look
about for cutting down tho expenses.
Sho bought a cook book and studied
kitchen economy. Shegot a sifter nnd
sifted tlio coal. Sho induced Henry to
give up the t hirty cents a week paper
ho had always read and take ono
for fifteen cents a change which
ho did not liko at first but
with which ho was soon de
lighted. Tho new paper pleased liirn
immensely, "Of course," ho said,
"the dillorenco in price is only a trifle,
but I prefer tho cheap paper at any
price -it is so clean bright and handy.
Ho didn't stop to think that his wi'fo
hod saved $8 a year by slyly inducing
him to change his paper. In many
other ways Mrs. Hunter cut down tho
family expenses, without at all inter-
tenng with tho comfort which her hego
lord loved so well. Hut her most suc
cessful strike was at tho landlord.
Tho Hunters had always paid their
rent promptly and taken good caro of
tho house, and when .Mrs. Hunter pub
on her boldest air and blunt Iv told
tho landlord that tho rent was too
high and that there would bo a mov
ing out unless ho came down in his
price, tho landlord camo down liko a
littlo man to $20 a month. Well, this
thing went on for several months and
Mr. Huutor know nothing of tho build
ing association investment. Ho fre
quently qu'tzzod his wife as to tho re
sults ol her linnnciiruig.nnd praised her
wnon ono snowed mm a little roll ot mils
which sho had saved and tucked away
in the middle bureau drawer. Ho
didn't scq how on earth sho could do
it, nnd then, of course, Mrs. Hunter
had to give up her secret. Sho had
not intended saying a word for two
whole years, but two years is an eter
nity to a woman with a secret. Ho
was surprised, and also pleased. J Us
pride was at first a bit touched at tho
thought that his wife would go ahead
in such a venture without his counsel
and consent; but ho soon thawed suf
ficiently to say that as long as tho in
vestment had been made it had bettor
bo kept up. Hut such is masculine
nature ho failed to display any curi
osity as to tho nature of the scheme.
What Mrs. lhnter told him ho lis
tened to patiently, but what sho
didn't know or forgot to tfll him was
not inquired about. Soon three years
sped by, and one day Mr. Hunter
camo homo with something on his
mind. He was not long in working it
oil. An acquaintance of his who had
suddenly to leave tho city wanted to
sell a nice lot at iiiuch'lcss than its
value for cash, and Mr. Hunter knew
it was a bargain, and did so wish ho
had tho money.
"Tho lot is worth $000 if it is worth
cent," he declared, "and I could buy
a cent
it for $000 cash. In two years it will
be worth twice the money."
'Lot s buy it, said tlio wife.
iWI.Mt ...ft 1.9"
"What with?
"With my building
association
money, of course."
And then Mrs. Hunter surnried Mr.
Hunter by showing him tho last quor-.
terly statement. She had paid on her'
snares $ibh.uu, ana sue could now
withdraw $720..'5O. Nor was that all
she had saved in cash and tucked
away in tho middle bureau drawer
more than $150, and she didli't bee
why they should not buy the lot.
The next dny she went to tho office
of tho association and told the secre
tary sho wanted to withdraw her
shares and get tho money on them.
'Hut why withdraw?" asked tlio sec
retary; "if it is money you need, de
posit your certificates as collat
eral security, and wo will loan
you the money. You can keep
your bharc'3 up just tho same. It
is for your interest to do so!" Sho
took his advice, left her cer
tificates, and carried away with
her $150, tho cash on a loan of $(500
.with tho 25 per cent premium deduct
ed. With this$150and theSl 50 saved
tho lot was purchased bo'ore dark.and
Mr. Hunter felt ptoud of his wife. Hut
still he would not interest himself in
details of tliobuildingassociation. "It
is your s-clienie, wife," he would say,
"and you havo done so well thus far,
just you keep it up. I shan't meddle
for fear of spoiling everything."
Another year passed, during which
Mrs. Hunter had need of all her econ
omy. Besides the $0.75 a week duo
sho had now to pay $1 a mouth inter
est, but Mr. Hunter proved himself a
worthy helpmeet to so good a wife by
walking to and from town and carry
ing his lunch.
"I'm tired of riding in Jones' old
Eitrect cars, anyway," ho said,
"and I'm also tired of the res
taurants. I believe it is healthier to
walk and to cat a snug little lunch
t han to ride in the stuffy old cars and
swallow tho poorly cooked stuff wo
get down-town."
This was a great help to Mrs. Hun
ter, for it enabled her to cut Henry's
allowance down ono half, and that
mote than paid the interest. And so
the little roll in tho middle bureau
drawer began t o grow again. At the
end of tho year Mrs. Hunter surprised
her husband by proposing to build a
house of their own on tlio lot they
una purchased. Ul course lie consent
ed, and such a delightful time thevdid
have looking up plans and liguri.ig on
specifications. At last they agreed
upon a snug cottage costing only
$1500, and both expressed their sur
prise upon discovering what a nice lit
tlo house could be built for that sum
when ono pays cash lor everything.
"Hut can w"o raise $1500?" queried
Mr. Jiunter, a littlo incredulous, not
withstanding his increased respect for
his wife's financiering and the myste
rious building association.
"I think we can," sho replied, and
next morning sho put on her wraps
and called on the secretary, whose
smiling face she knew so well on ac
count of her regular weekly visits with
tlio dues.
"Of course you can havo $1500,"
said tho secretary, promptly. "You
have thirty shares, on only seven of
which you borrowed. There are
twenty-three remaining, and on each
of these you can borrow $100, less
25 per cent, premium. That will givo
you$L725, which is more than you
want."
'And besides," said Mrs. Hunter,
her pride mastering her modesty,"
"I've got $75 in the buieau drawer at
home, and tl at may conio in handy."
So arrangements wero made for
building tho cottage. Tho contract
with tho builder was signed, the mort
gage to the association executed, and
the littlo house grew quickly, being all
tho time closely watched by Mr and
Mrs. Hunter. At length it was finish
ed, the contractor went to tho build
ing association for his money, insur
ance was taken out, and the Hunters
moved in. At last they had a homo
of their own it was at least partially
theirs and how nice and clean and
bright and sunny everything was, and
with what pride tliey "fitted tlio car
pets and tlio curtains and arranged
their humble stock of furniture in tho
cozy rooms.
Mrs. Hunter still kept tho family
finances in her own hands. She paid
everything and bought everything.
There was now to pay $t. 75 a week
dues on tho shares, i? l a month inter
est on the $150 borrowed for tho lot,
and $Lt5. 1515 a month interest on tho
$1500 borrowed to build tho houso
with. This made total payments of
$.'5;s.;S a mouth, but as there was no
longer any rent to pay the doninmis
were easily met and occasionally some
money was spent for new furnituroand
for improvements about tho place.
"Just think," said Mrs. Hunter, "wo
will havo our homo paid for in n few
years and we aro now paying out on
it only a littlo moro than we used vo
pay in rent."
"When did you say wo would get
through paying?" inquired Mr. Hun
ter displaying a little curiosity.
"At the end of eight years lrom tho
time I first took out tho shares," re
plied his wile, and then adding, "sc
the recretary says."
Week after wiok and month after
mouth Mrs. Hunter continued her reg
ular visit to the ollice ot the associa
tion, and at last the flowers bloomed
for tho spring of 1SS5, and tho end of
tho period ot probation and trial for
tho homesteaders was but a few
months away. Hut during the sum
mer Henry fill sick and had to leave
his desk lor t-ovoral weary months.
There was a doctor's hill to pay, and
lots of expeiiees, and only half of an
income to meet them with, for the Lake
street linn generously continued him
on the pay roll at half pay. Hy the
oid of this $10 a week, and tho'littlo
roll in tho bureau drawer, Mrs. Hun
ter managed to pay most of the bills
and keep up tho interest and the dues.
Hut it was a weary struggle, and tho
dooto.r'6 bill and at Inst tho drug bill
nndHhur bills began to mount up at
nn alarming rate.
Along in Novimber Henry resumed
Ilia work, und $20 a week came in
very handy once more. Butitscemed
only a drop in tho bucket. Tho bills
came in faster than tho dollars, and
at, tunes mis. iiuntcr was so discour
aged that sho felt liko giving up the
payments on tho home and takinctho
consequences, whatever thev might be.
I But sho didn't. Always on Mondays
sho scraped together tho nnnnios and
II..! 1 t1 1 it
dimes and mndo another journey to
the little office. Weeks and weeks ago
ueignuors uegnn talking ot Christmas,
and the children (for the Hunters now
had a pair of littlo ones) began to get
crazy about it. Hut there did not
seem to be any Christmas in tho Hun
ter household.
"Wo will will not run in debt for
Christmas if wo never haveanythiiig,".
said Mr. Hunter, doggedly. '
"No, wo won't" added Mrs. Hunter,'
positively, "but we'll have a Christ
mas, anyhow. Tho secretary told
mo to-day that just beforo Christ
inas our period of eight years
in tho association will expire,
and our inortgngo will bo released,
and we'll have a littlo Christmas after
all. It isn't every family can have a
house and lot for a Christmas present,
is it?"
This was more encouraging, but two
orinreo tunes a (lav tlio Dills were
coming in, and tho butcher and grocer
wero giving credit grumpily, and tho
coal man was threatening suit before
the justice, and there was no turkey,
and no tree, and no toys for tho chil
dren except a few penny trifles, nnd
nothing for papa and nothing for
mamma, and the neighbors were con
tinually running in to tell of tho nico
tlurgs they had purchased for so and
so this is a littlo habit neighbors
have, especially if they suspect tho
wolf is at some near door and tholifo
of poor Mrs. Hunter was made well
nigh unbearable.
Wednesday evening Mr. Hunter
camo homo from the store with a
week's salary in advance. Without
a word ho placed it in his wife's hands,
and turned away. She went into tho
bedroom and cried.
"I've a mind to let th dues and tho
interest and the horrid bills go." she
paid to herself, "and buy something
for the children and Henry. It is hard
not to havo any Chris"- and hero
sho broke down. During the wakeful
hours of tho night both she nnd Mr.
Hunter thought of the cheerless holi
day so near at hand, of tho nico tilings
their few dollars would buy, and of
the mortgage which could be lifted on
the morrow. But Mr. Hunter threw
all responsibility of decision between
the two courses upon his wife, as men
so like to do. Mrs. Hunter hesitated
nnd cried a little, but next morning
she told her husband that they would
havo loast beef for Christmas dinner
if tho butcher would trust them
and the mortgage would be lifted that
very day.
Mr. Hunter sighed and buried his
face in his newspaper, and soon after
ward wentsullenly to his work.
Mrs. Hunter bit hor lips, tried to be
brave, and, with tho precious money
in her purse, went once more and for
the last time to the ollice of tlio build
ing association. The secretary handed
her the cancelled mortgage and the
deed, wished her a merry Christmas,
and congratulated her upon her perse
verance and her ownership ot her own
home.
"You'll have a merry Christinas, in
deed," ho said lightly, "with your tree
and your presents, "all beneath your
own vine and fig tree."
"Yc-yes," faltered Mrs. Hunter,
you are very kind," and then sho
turned to go.
"Hold on," said tlio secretary, "you
havo forgotten something. This be
longs to you."
And he held out a small piece cf
paper. Mrs. Hunter looked at itwon
doringly. Her heart's beating seemed
to cease as sho held tho little paper up
and riveted her eyes ilpon it.
"I do-don't understand it," sho
faintly whispered in her excitement.
"What queer hands at business you
women are," replied tho secretary.
"You seem to kirtw everything, and
then you go and overlook something
big. Don't you know that you bor
rowed ol us $000 for your lot and
$2,000 lor your house? And you
have carried thirty shares, which ma
.lire to-day, bringing von $15,000?
That leaves you $100 surplus, after
paying your dents, and there is your
check tor it. (lo down to the bank
and get the money. Hope you'll havo
nice i iirwiims, inadaine.
And in all Chicago there was nohap-
pier Christmas than the ono thoy had
at tho Hunters.
Tom Scott's Fate.
Washington Cor. Clovrlund Lender.
A friend of Tom Scott, tho noted
President of tho Pennsylvania Hail
road, told mo recently how Scott's
choosing ot railroading as a profes
sion hung on the flipping of a penny.
Said ho: "Tom Scott told mo the
story himself. Ho was the toll col
lector on the Pennsylvania Canal at
Columbia, when the railroad authori
ties, healing that ho was a bright
young man, offered him the position
of Ltation agent at Altoona. Scott
was popular, and when ho told his
friends of his offer thoy urged him to
refuse it anil stay on 'the canal. Ho
resisted their importunities, but
finally taking a big red copper in his
lingers, said: 'Hoys, I will lot the
fates decide. Heads is Altoona nnd
tails Columbia. ' Ho then threw the
copper into Mie air with a twist which
sent it into a dozen somersaults, but
it fell and the head was uppermost.
The boys then said that one trial was
not enough. It must bo the best two
out of three. Scott consented to this,
and threw onconioro. His next throw
was heads, and so tho railrond won.
Had tho copper fallen on theothor
side, who can tell what the future
would have lenn?"
m - mi -
A Chineso merchant in New York
has received a letter stating that not
long ago tho little villages of Ko ond
.hi, fifty-five milos from Hong Kong,
quarreled about tho sito for a templo.
Tho difficulty culminated in tho burn
ing of both viilacw and the killing of
nearly 1,000 people.
JOUItNALISTIC CHANGES.
A Liberal Ailvprtlarr nnd n Ilemnrhably
Slirowil i'ubllslier.
From the Turf, Field nnd Farm
Ho was an old New Yorker, and he
talked with tho precision of theprinted
page: "Would you believe it? When
tho Tribune was started it refused to
publish theatrical advertisements or
to chroIclo the movements of players
Now it F,tves much space to the stage
When Mr. Bonner was pushing the
Ledger, ho bought a page in tho daily,
Bemi-wcekly nnd weekly Tribune, agree
ing to pay $3,000 for it. After tho
advertisement had appeared in tho
daily Mr. Greeley raised tho objection
that it would hurt tho weekly, which
hod a largo circulation, to allow such
Hr man to occupy so much space in it,
.Mr. Bonner insisted that the contract
should be carried out in good faith,
but Mr. Greeley was obstinate, and
the matter was compromised by no
charge being made for the page
occupied in
Mr. Bennett,
the daily. When
tho founder of tho
Herald, heard
ot the transaction,
ho said to
his trusted heuten
ant, Joo Elliott, thatthoTribulio peo
ple wero foolish; that no advertiser
could ask for too much space at tho
regular rates in the Herald. Mr. Klli
ott repeated this conversation to Mr,
Bonner, and tho proprietor of the
Ledger quickly remarked, 'Tell Mr,
Bennett that I will take eight pages
of his paper.' As tho Herald was an
eight-page journal, the advertiser put
in a bid for its entire space. Mr. Ben
nett was equal to the emergency. He
put on sixteen pages, three pages of
tho Ledger advertisement going into
one-half section and five into the oth
er half. This was tho first time the
Herald over issued a sixteen-page pa
per, and tlio leat was regarded as
something wonderful. How different
at the present, when moro than thir-
r,wo pages aro sometimes caught and
folded from the press. Sam Sinclair,
tlio publisher of tho Tribune, lived at
that time in Twenty-eighth street,
near JMghth avenue. J ho morning
that the sixtcen-pago Herald came
out ho took his seat in tho street car
and bought a copy of Mr. Bennett's
paper. When he opened tho first half
and saw three ot tho pages monopo
lized by the Ledger a scowl
camo over his faco and ho
tossed tho sheet over his shoulder
through the open window. Mr. Bon
ner, who had got into tho samo car
one block higher up, was amused by
Sinclair's act, and ho called out: 'You
havethrown away tho lesser part; you
will find tho greater in what you have
kept.' Mr. Sinclair colored to tlio
roots of his hair, and opened thesheet
and was greatly surprised to see that
livo of the pages wero given up to the
Ledger. Tlio fact then dawned on him
that ho and Cireeley had niado a mis
take in refusing to carry out tho con
tract with Mr. Homier for ono page in
the Tribune. The first Sunday Herald
was issued to get rid of tho left-over
matter which encumbered the galleys.
It was an experiment; but it brought
such good results as to lead to the es
tablishment of a regular Sunday edi
tion of the paper. Mr. Bennett was
quick to sie.e a point and profit by it.
Now all tho morning journals, includ
ing tlio Tribune, print a Sunday issue,
and it is really theelaborateniid most
costly paper of t ho week. The changes in
the newspaper world aro marvelous to
an old-timer like my&olt." A far-away
look camo into the eyes of tho speaker
as ho uttered tho last words, as if tho
faces of tho older Bennett, Horace
Greeley, Henry J.Bayinond and other
journalistic stars rose before him from
the mists of tho past. Then he mut
tered boniethiiigabout time moving on
with remorseless tread, indifferent to
change, and thrust his hands into his
pocket and walked away.
An Alabama Romance.
in tho spring of 1805 soveral ladies
of Cahaba, Ala., collected their silver
and jewelry together and buried it
near tho town. Among tho ladies
were Mrs.
Sail 10 A.
Hoberts.
General E. W. Pettus, Mrs
Thorn and Mrs. M. M
Tho ladies took tho valua
ble package late ono afternoon in Feb
ruary and with their own hands dug a
holo and buried their possessions to
hide them from tho Union soldiers,
who were at that time passing through
tho state. When tho ladies wero bury
ing tho box thoy littlo suspected they
wero being watched by a party of ne
groes, who waited awhile until they
wero out of sight and resurrected the
box. The valuables wero scattered
on tho ground and a division mndo.
After tho excitement ot tho war had
passed tho ladies decided to unearth
their longed-for treasures. When tho
6pot was reached tho box was found
empty. Alleffortsto recover tho prop
erty were in vain, and tho owners bo
caino reconciled to their losses. Time,
with its changes, rolled on, nnd tho
families became scattered through the
states of Louisiana and Texas. A few
days since some members of the Pettus
family wero dining with Mrs. General
Pettus at hor homo in Selmo. Tho
party included Mrs. General Pettus,
Mrs. Anthony Jonos and Mrs. Frank
Pettus. During the conversation tho
ladies -began to discuss tho war, and
how hnrd it was to savo tho silver
ware. Mrs. Anthony Jones said:
"That reminds mo of some silver
spoons an l forks left by a Union of
ficer with the Ferguson family that I
think must have had a history. Tho
silver had tho initials J. A. T. on
them. 1 havo "card thnt the officer
mode every offort to find the owner of
tho silverware, ond when ho could not
ho left it with tho Fergusons, stating
that it was not his and would leave it
for tho owners. He left for tho north
and the Fergusons went to Brazil. On
thoir return the silverware also re
turned to Solma. Tholadiesgrewjvery
interested nnd identified tho silver
from tho doscripticn given as that
buried by thorn t wonty years ago. The
silver was identified "and returned to
tun owner. Solma (Ala.) Times. !
The Brnff Farmer.
The self-satisfied man is nn inflic
tion that all desire to ovoid. He i
would not change his farm for the
whole Hussian Empire.
He can do more work in a shorter
period of timo than any man living,
lie con lift more, walk further, andVs
getting rich faster than anybody Ho
is aquainted with; while there aro very
few things that ho will admit of being
ignorant of. lie belongs to tho
world's jncorrigibles, whom there is
no convincing.
He walked into tho country post
office, where ho was always sure of an
appreciative and attentivo audience,
threw his dirty mittens underneath
J-ho red hot stove, turned his back to
it, and began:
"Mighty told weather we're ahavin'
nowi .My thermometer was down to
twenty-four, last night."
As no ono could come within six de
grees of such extremecold, not asound,
was heard except ono disbelieving Y
cough that was half strangled.
"Butter's coming up," ho said at
length. "Got twenty-two cents for
what I sold yesterday. But niinowas
extra, you know. I've got tho name
of making tho best butter in this ere v
county, and it alwavs brines tho high
est figure. Made threo hundred and
twenty pound to thocowthisyear.and
I'm bound to do better than that.
next. And I've some of the best cows
there is in this section, everybody
says, uncro am t ono larmer m a
dozen that knows a good cow, unv
way; and then they don't know how
to feed, for profit.
1 suppose I get moro off from ray
seventy acre farm than most farmers
do from a hundred and twenty acres;
and it's just 'cause I know how to
manage.
"Now, when T bought that farm I
hadn't but lectio to pay down. But
I'vo vni'l.-ii1 r'ln;i r n' ilnlit. rnh mm o'
the best houses and biggest barn iii thisV
town, and am getting along jest boss.
But I tell ye, 1 vo got ono o tho
smartest women for a wife. Sho can
cook a splendid meal o' vittles, and do
a big washin', and don't get any
outlandish notions in her head, like
some women.
"Children all take after me, though.
They jist push right ahead and
think they are as good as anybody.
I calculate to do well by cm too.
Whoever marries my girls will get
something basides plated spoons and
photograph albums. And tho uoys
ain't going to bo left by anybody.
Tom's colt can leave anything on the
road, now, and he's only a four-year
old; while Jake can saw and put up
his four cords of wood alone, any day
He s got the best saw 1 could find
hero a-bouts. Tell ye what it is, boys,
it don't pay to buy cheap tools to
work with."
A boy camo in for his father's mail.
Ho had a basket of eggs that had cost
two cents and a-half apiece.
"What littlo eggs," said the brag
farmer. "My hens lay eggs twice as
largo as theni. Got the finest lot of
fowls von over see. They're halt Ply
mouth Hock. Wo just havo loads of y
eggs, and tho woman sold lorty dol
lars worth last year tell ye there's a
bic profit on poultry. Yo want to
raise early chickens and sell em as
soon as they're largo enough for br'il
ers. Then, through warm weather,
pack down your eggs and keep 'em
till Christians and yo can sell littlo
eggs for a w hopping big price."
Killed your hogs? some onoasked
in order to havo a change of subject.
"Why, yes! Hadn't you hoard how
much thev weighed? Biggest pigs over
fatted in this community, springpigs
and thev averaged 1500 pounds."
"s.iv.did vouever hearot Ananias
asked a meek looking man with many
patches on his clothes and an equal
number of blotches on his faco.
Yes, of course! Name is familiar.
Seems to mo he used to keep our school
when I was a boy." d
"hhouldn t be surprised," was the
reply. "Guess you always passed ex-
animation, didn't ye?"
"01 course! I always stood head of
the class," was the confident reply.
Smiles threatened to become ex
plosive, when tho boy with tho eggs
piped out:
"Didn't yo know that Ananias was
a liar that lived moro'n eighteen hun
dred years ago?"
"N o?" exclaimed tho farmer, hesi
tatingly. . "Well, bygoll, he could have
descendants, couldn't he?" as ho
picked up his scorched mittens and
made a rush for the door, to get a ride
homo.
"Tell you what it is, boys, there's
such a tiling as being too wed satisfied
with one's self and one's possessions,
isn't there?"
"Should say bo," was the reply.
"But ho didn't tell it all. Ho might
havo said lie was tho biggest fool in
town"
"Ilo'd a lied if ho had," said the
small boy. "There's two or three
bigger'n he, and"
"That will do, sonny. You had
better go home with your littlo eggs,"V
said another.
"All right! And that makes mo
think of what Mrs. Ware said when I
camo along past your houso. Sho
wants you to coinostraight homo and
dig soino wood out of the snow nnd
split it, for the tiro was 'most out,"
said the boy, as ho pulled his o5d cap
down over his ears and disappeared
through tho door. Tho opening
strain of "Over tho garden wall" was
cut short by a gust of w ind laden with
snow that froze his tuneless whistle,
instanter.
llis remark reminded others thnt
there was a shortago in their family
supplies. There was a general uj4ts
ing, mid, to tho great delight of the
clerk, Uncle Sam's postal museum was
vacant for the next sot of loungers.
Vocaville (Cal.) Jndician: Sid
Walker cut a watermelon on. Wednes
day tho 13tli of January. Thero hns
been so littlo frost in that part of Yo
caville that tho melon vines up to
that date wero untouched by frost,
ond tho melons have beon growing
right along ns if it were mid'summcr.
The flavor was little inftrior to ifs
uormal character.