ATLANTIS.
Pmud lle of llio long distant nge,
Nlerd Innil of philosopher's dreams,
Tliv name, In nil history's pages,
With mistical radiance gleams:
Enchantment her glamour of glory
Has cast like n mantel o'it thee,
As Time 1ms repeated thy story,
Ixtgcmor the sea, Atlantis,
Atlantis I lost gem of the sea.
r.rlcht funshlnc no more rIMs thy mountains;
Thy sloths nrc cnshromlud In night;
I'lid K-crned are thv dear mulling fountains,
Once crowned tilth seven-lined light;
AH hinhed are thy hlrd-notcs. once gladly
ltesotind ng o'er valley nnd lea;
Elow tides through thy forests sweep sadly,
Lost gem of the sea, Atlantis,
Atlantis I lost gem of the sea.
Sunk In ruins, thy palaces nestle
Where, fhnit t Ihes fearlessly roam;
Far above thv rich llelds the staunch vessel
Sails swift 'through the hlsh tosMng foanu
Thv monuments, fallen nnd shnttered,
Can give to tradition no key;
The threads of thy hauliers are scattered,
Lost gem of the sea, Atlantis,
Atlantlsl lost gent of the sea.
Thy sons He at rest 'ncath the waters.
'lhelr tombs 'mid the coral groves placed;
And with thi'in repose the fair daughters
Who-e presence thv inaiis.on-lmlls graced.
All at peace are thy foes and defenders:
Side br side, sleep the s'.ivc and the free;
A hat noiv are thy kingdoms or splendors,
, l.tvl gem ot the Seal Atlantis,
Atlantlsl lost gem of the sea.
What scenes of earth's newness clystan
Were rimmed by the curve of thy shore,
Lre came inlchtv Nature's dccl-lou,
"Stand thou before heaven no morel"
Wl nt tales of hciolo endeavor,
What tv sdom of iiond'rom degree,
Are senlfd In thy bosom forever,
I.otgemof the seal Atlantis,
Atlantlsl lost gem of the sea.
Oreat mother of nntions unnumbered,
Once teeming tilth manifold life;
For lent nilcs past thou hast slumbered,
Unmoved by the surges' hoarse strife.
Man's curious questioning scorning,
Close-hidden thy secret shall be,
Till thou greetcst eternity's morning,
, Lost l'ciii of tliu sea, Atlantis,
Atlantlsl hut gem of the sea.
Char c3 JJorcitu Jaryer, fi Tht Current.
AN AWAKENING.
"Will yon como down to our place
next Monday, Charlie, for u couple of
day's .shooting?"
'Monday? Yes. Delighted, old
cll.'ip."
Then tlio friends proceeded to settle
details. 'J'iiuy would meet at tliu sta
tion nnd go liy the f):.'!0 train, which
would laud them In comfortable lima
for dinner.
Now, if Charles West had a weak
ness, it was that ho was prone to bo a
little obi vious about time, and was in
Iho habit of running his engagements
rather line. The Monday afternoon, to
beguile tiie time betweun luncheon and
the train, ho called on a pretty woman
of his ncqaintnnoo, and who was so
amusing that lie slopped until tliu last
moment and then jumped into a hau
Kotn, telling Ids johu to drive like (lie
devil. Unfortunately, his own wateli
had stopped (ho lorgot to wind it up
the previous night), and how could he
know that his hostess' clock was a
quarter of an hour slow?
When liu arrived on the platform he
was met by his servant, who. with a
rouutonaneu inexpressive of emotion,
pleasurable or otherwise, informed
ill 1 1 that the train had departed, bear
ing Captain Leslie wtli it. Tim Cap
tain had left word that he hoped Mr.
West would go by tliu next train, which
was not nntilSN'IO, and reached D
at 10:15, lie would drive the dogcart
over to meet hnn it wassix miles from
the station.
Charlie swore exhaustively. He was
not ill-tempered, hut surely, if a man
might be justified (which 1 by no
means admit) in indulging in bad lan
guage, hero was a ease in point. To
lind toursolf in the east end of London,
with two h. iirs and lifty minutes on
hand; to have foregone a pleasant din
ner and evening; to have put your host
to great Inconvenience and probably to
have given a bad impression to his fam
ily before your arrival all those tilings
nre extremely vex ng.
Hut, having a tolerably happy dispo
sit ion, Charlie, after his" lirst outburst
of wrath anil disgust, took it very well.
Ho got inlo another hansom, returned
to his club at the West End, read the
papers, dined lightly and took excellent
care to be in time for the tf:!H).
It was a slow train it stopped at
nearly every station, and arrived at
last, thirty-five minutes late. His
fr end, who hud time to recover Ids
lirst feeling of resentment at Charlie's
confounded menus. dorntcuo.ss, met him
cordially. The dog-cart was capacious,
nnd they managed to cram in the ser
vant ami luggage and went oil' at
n spanking pace to tliu court. The
moon shono brightly, the roads were
tixccll Mil.
".love!" uttered Charlie, drawing a
long breath. "How good everything
btuells, and what a blussing it is to get
out of London."
They drove through a long avenue of
trees ami (tame to a big, old-fashioned
red house with a groat mure shining
1 l.e a mirror in front of it.
"1 expect," suidd'oorgo Leslie, "that
wo shall lind everybody gone to b.'d ;
ull my people are "tronionduousry
early."
And so It proved. Tho friends re
freshed themselves In the dining-room
toto-a-toto, then returned to the smoking-room,
and tho hour of 1 had given
tongue from the stable-clot k before
they thought of turning in. Leslie
showed Charlie his room, spacious and
tapestry-hung, and the young gentle
man, having drawn back tliu curtains
which the housemaid, after the manner
of Iter kind, had hermetically closed,
and thrown ono w ndotv wide open, re
tired to bud, to sleep the sleep of tint
list, lie awoke en sursaut by hearing
ils name, "Charlie! Charley! do wake
up" t was a pretty font nine voice,
nnd Charlie was not in the habit of be
ing called in tills fashion.
Tie started and looked up. What lie
saw was a slim young huly, with a very
pretty figure, in a Uluo cotton gown
and the hack of a charming head with
golden plaits. Tho fair one was look
ing out of the window and apostrophiz
ing hnn sit the same time.
It iKsneh a glorious morning; nrou't
you indmniod of yourolf. you groat
Idle creature, to bu lying thero missing
11 th a lovely sunshine? Do get up uud
come out with mo before breakfast."
Chnrlc. is not shy. but a very decided
feeling of ombarrasmont creeps over
him. Of course it is a mistake. Ho
lias known somo rapid young ladies in
Ids time, but never one who would Itavo
come into his room to call him beforo
she had ever been introduced to him.
lint how on earth was In; to intimato
to her that she was in error about his
idenly? Sha had called him Charlie,
too! "Leslie's name wasficorgc, and ho
had no brothers. In any case it was
rather a strong order for a girl to como
into any man's room who was not her
brother.
Charlie buried his head under the
c!othe, and awaited tho denouement.
t was not long in coming.
"Charlie," said the fair ono again,
and this time her voice indicated that
lier face was turned in his direction,
"if you don't wake up tills instant I will
throw a wet sponge at you. You are a
lazy pig!"
Then ho heard hnr proceed to tho
washing-stand and dip a sponge in tiio
water, and partly wring it. Next mo
ment, witli unusually good a. m for a
girl, it bounced on his head, which was
protected by the bedclothes.
Charle smothered a laugh, it was be
coming too ridiculous.
"Very well, then." said tho voice, ap
proaching; "I shall come and drag the
coll lies oil you."
Now ho" must act with promptness.
Ho raised himself a little and put the
clothes just far enough back for his as
sailant to see his laughing bluo eyes.
Tho damsel Mopped midway in her ca
reer; an express on of stonv horror
llashed inlo her face; her cheeks died
with crimson, and uttering an agon. zed
littlo groan she turned and lied.
Charlie laughed all tho time ho was
gottmg ii)). He could not help wonder
ing how she would meet him at break
fast. Hy Jove, what a pretty croaluro
she was! Would she toll any ono or
would sho ignore tho incident? Ho
would take his cue from her. The fam
ily were all assembled in the breakfast--room
when he came down, and ho was
presented to his host and hostess; to
tliroo nice, fresh-looking girls. Leslie's
sisters, and a fair 3 oung fellow about
his own height and coloring as "my
cousin Kane." Hut where was tliu
fourth, his charming visitant? Thero
was no other place laid at tho table,
and breakfast came and wont and sho
did not appear. He heard tho other
girls address tho cousin as Charlio, and
comprehended that tiiat was tho young
gentlemnn for whom ho had mistaken.
Still ho diil not approve of a girl, such a
pretty girl, too, making so free witli a
cousin. "A brother is all very well,"
etc. It was evident that no ono knew
.1 syllable about the ovont of tho morn
ing. Every time tho door opened Char
lio looked toward it; his eyes wandered
over the lawn into tho garden. Ho was
almost distrait.
"Have you any nioro sistersP" ho
asked of Leslie, as they walked to
gether to tho shooting, a littlo apart
from tlio father and cousin.
"No, only those three," replied Les
lie. "And (piito enough, too."
Charlie was completely mystified.
He did not shoot as straight as usual;
his thoughts were distracted by tliu
pretty, golden-haired creature who had
aroused him from Ids slumbers. Ho
could not have dreamed it no, there
was the wet sponge on his bed when
he got up.
The shooting was over; ho and Les
lie were strolling homeward along tlio
road, when a smart little village cart
with a trotting pony, and freighted
with two lad.i's came toward them.
"This is our parson's wife," said
Leslie. "Such a good sort I must in
troduce you to her." And, as ho made
a sign to tlio charioteer, sho pulled up,
and Charlie saw her companion was
li s fa r friend of the morning.
"How are you, Mrs. Grey?" cried
Leslie, ehoerly. "Let me introduce my
friend West "to von. Mrs. Grey, Mr.
West; Lil. Mr. West."
Lil made the slightest motion of her
head, without meeting Charlie's eyes.
L'slio indulged in some gay bandinago
with Mrs. Grey and Charlie, though lie
felt slightly embarrassed, tried tomako
conversation with Miss Lil. She an
swered "yes." or "no," at occasion re
quired, niid never once raised her eyes
to his lace.
"Do como up and dino to-night. Mrs.
Grey," entreated Leslie; ' my mother
would bo so awfully pleased. I'll go
homo and get a mite from her if you
think it necessary."
Mrs. Grev appeared to waver; thon
Charlie distinctly saw Miss Lil pinch
her friend In a meaning manner.
"Many thanks; I am sorry, but I can
not possibly manage it to-night," Mrs.
Grey answered. We have so much to
do still for the bazaar."
"Lil, yon young puss!" cried Leslie,
what ilo you moan by deserting us in
this way?" It is a very puor compli
ment to West, here."
"Wo, are so busy settling about tho
bazaar," replied thooung huly.
"Well, 1 suppose on nrocomng
homo sometime to "night .Shall 1
walk down and fetch you?"
"Do!" said Mrs, Grey; but again
West saw the surreptit ous pinch, and
Miss Lil replied hastily:
"No, please don't. Mr. Grey will
see mo home. 1 do not know w hen I
shall bo ready."
The pony was getting impatient.
"We must bo oil'." said Mrs. Groy.
Tommy is in a hurry." And away they
tlow.
"What do you think of our parson's
wife?" asked" Leslie.
"Not much the out of a parson's
wife," replied Charlie. "H .love!
what a figure, and what a lit her jacket
was!"
"She's tlio right sort," said Leslie
"It would bo'n deuced good job if there
were more like her. Hring a lot more
sinners to repentance!" and ho laughed
monilv.
"Who is tho young lady with hor?"
askod Charlie, trying to speak indiffer
ently. "i. that is Lilian Pano, my cousin,
Charlie's slstei."
"A foighl seemed taken from ills
friend's breast.
"01" hu said with a gasp of reltof.
"Tiresome, capricious money," ex
ulnimed Leslie. "Shu mustoUko it
into hur head ail of a sudden th s
morning to fly up beforo breakfast
down to Mrs. Grey. It is all rubb sli
ubou: Uiu bazar; it is not to bu fur
another month. Just becamo I
wanted you to meet her. She is capi
tal company and sings divinely. Just
like a woman. Last night asked a
dozen questions and was quite inter
ested about yon, and this morning
Hies oil' without stopping to sot eyes
on ton."
A smile curled Charlie's upper lip.
"She is lovely," he said. "It is very
unk nd of her."
"Njisty littlo vixen," retorted Leslie.
In his heart Charlie was secretly
provoked. Leslie's s.sters were nice,
cherry, fresh-looking- girls, but they
could not hold a candle to Lilian. Ho
was dying to see her again. He had
never felt such an interest in a girl be
fore. She did not make her appear
ance that evening, and tlio following
morning at breakfast she was still ab
sent, lie was piqued. It was simply
ridiculous for her to go on shunning
him on account ot a stupid little con
tretemps that might have happened to
any one.
"I'm afraid." ho remarked with a
touch of iiiquo, as they wero standing
in tho hail waiting to start on their
shooting expedition; "I'm afraid it is
I who am driving Miss l'annio out of
the house."
"Humbug!" returned Captain Les
lie. "Win should you?" Then, as a
sudden thought struck him, ho turned
on his heel and went into tho morning
room.
"Mother," ho said, ask Mrs. Gray
to dino to-night, and make Lillian come
back, whether or no."
As Mr. West was a gentleman of in
dependent fortune, and she had three
daughters, Mrs. Leslie was not alto
gether displeased at tho pretty cousin
having absented herself.
"Of course I will ask llicm, my
dear," sho replied; "but thoy are so
busy with their bazar that I am not at
all suro 1 shall persuade them to
come."
"If you don't," observed Leslie
pointedly, "West will fancy yon are
keeping L'd out of tho way on pur
pose. I am pretty suro ho thinks so
now."
"George!" exclaimed his mother in
dignantly, "how can ton say anything
so absurd?"
"Well, take my advice, and have
her hack to-night;" and Captain Leslio
departed without giving ids mother
any time to make a rejoiner.
He had, however, said quito enough.
Mrs. Leslie forthwith put on her bon
net and went down to tho rectory. Sho
found Mrs. Grey and Lilian silt ng un
der a tree together making a languid
preteiifo of needlework. Mrs. Leslie
greeted both affectionately. "Wo par
ticularly wanted you to come up and
dii.o with us to night," she said to the
rectoress; "and this haughty truant
must not remain away longer," smil
ing sweetly on Lilian.
"Oil, aunty, wo are so busv!" cried
tho young lady, plying her needle vig
orouslv. "Von must not quite forget, un
love, that ton are my guest,,' said her
aunt, with a certain amount of digu ty
and a tone that .mplied reproof.
Lilian understood it and colored
deeply.
1 shall bo delighted to dine." inter
posed Mrs Grey, hastily; "and you
must not blame me for monopolizing
so much of Lil an's time."
I do not blame any one," returned
Mrs. Leslie, naively; "but I hope to
see you botli at. dinner to-night."
So, as Miss Lilian had no desire to
oll'end her aunt, she overcame her re
pugnance to meeting Mr. West, and,
to I hat gentleman's great delight, lie
had the plea.siire of taking her to din
ner that .same evening. Two or three
neighbors had been in v ted. Hut, al
though Charlio had an immense fund
of .small talk and was reputed excel
lent company, he failed altogether in
inspiring any interest in h s fair neigh
bor. She appeared, as she was per
fectly uncoinl'01 table, and onlv respond
ed to his sallies by monosyllables.
It was a glorious moonlight night,
and after dinner some of the touiig
people went out into the gardens.
Charlio watched his opportunity and
pounced on Lilian, keep.ng herongago
eil 111 conversation until thev were
separated .some littlo d stance from tlio
others. Then ho said suddenly, and
without a slight llutterat Ins heart:
"W.iv will you not speak to me?
Suivl,- it is not my fault that such a
stupid little accident should have oo
euned. Why need ton b.-ar malice
becau.se I was put in the room that
your brother had been occupying?"
In tho moonlight he could see tho
swift crimson rao ng through her fair
skin.
"1 I shall never, never get over it!"
she said, putting up her hands to cover
the flames that wore burn ng hor face.
'What can you have thought of mo?
if if an 0110 were to know it I should
never hold up my head again."
"1 hope ton think 1 am a gentle
man," cr.od Chad 0, indignantly. "I
Mipnosu ton don't think one word
would ever pass nit lips on tho sub
ject?'' "Will you swear it?" said tlio dis
comtited'mnidon. And he swore bv all his goods. Af
ter that she becamo more friendly.
He had up to this time entertained a
rooted avers 011 to matrimony even
now ho could not quite make up his
mind to propose to Ld.au, but thought
ho would wait and see how ho felt. Ho
was delighted to lind that she 1 veil in
London, and struck up a tremendous
friendship with her brother, whom ho
bade to dinner a ul many other enter
tainments. Kvorv day after ho was
parted from Lltan ho felt worse and
worse; lie began even to think that it
was the bust thing in tho world for ft
voung man to settle down, and that the
constant presence of a domestic nugol
must make Heaven of earth.
So when Ldiau returned to London,
Charlie, aided and ahettodby his name
sake, contrived t so a groat deal of
tier. Ho was invited tod no at hor moth
er's house, and one evening, when ho
had inveigled her into the ohurmng
conservatory that led out of the drawing-room,
lie. 111 tho mi lst of pretend
ing to admire a (lower, turned suddenly
to hor, and in a voieo that was a little
uustoadv, exclaimed:
"O, Lilian, can't ton see how awfully
in love I 11 in with yon?"
Lilian looked down. Sho made no
response to his words or to tho pressure
of tho hand which seized licr's.
"Don't vou care n 1. tile for mo, dar
ling?" he asked.
Lilian turned nwny her head.
"You have quito forgiven mo for
what happened at tlio court, haven't
you?" ho pleaded, maladroit ly,
She dragged her hanil from his and
turned a pair of Hashing eyes upon
him. "If you daro remind 1110 sho
began.
"No, I won't, I won't." lie interrupt
ed her. "Hut, don't you see, darling"
and just tho least twinkle of mis-
chiovousnos canio into his blue eyes
"if vou feel so dreadfully bad about it,
it would bo all put quito straight by
vour marrting me. J hen you may
throw any number of wot sponges at
1110 without any qualms of conscience
afterward."
This was too much. Lilian toro her
self from him and rushed into tho
drawing room. lie followed hor.
Mercifully for him, 110 ono else was
there.
"Forgive mo, darling, and say that
you do euro a littlo forme,'' ho pleaded,
taking nor hand for the third time.
"ll will think about it, she mur
mured.
"Think now," ho said kissing her
whether she woulo or no.
And ultimately sho decided to make
him happy.
Hiickhoiic of tho Continent.
Tho pass through tho "Garden ol
the Gods" is a particularly novel and
interesting spot. Tho rocks here have
been gradully worn away by tho attri
tion of ages, and have assumed the
most odd and grotesque figures. A
littlo stretch of tho imagination and
ono is immed atcly among tho gods
and heroes of Grecian and Scandina
vian mt thology.
Wo reached our destination a littlo
nast noon, a till after refresh ng our
selves with a most abundant and in
viting lunch by tho side of a clear, rip
pling brook, we proceeded to tako a
view of the "Seven Falls." This is a
magnificent cataract, with a perpen
dicular fall almost equal to that of Ni
agara. Thero arc seven lliglits of
steps by which you ascend the moun
tain, where you gain a Hotter view 01
them than from below. Standing hero
wo aro impressed not only by tho
beauty and sublimity of the falls, but
we feel the inspiration 01 the spot.
Here wo aro poised upon the main
axis of this continent, tho groat divid
ing range which separates the streams
of "tho Pacific slope from thoso of tho
broad central plains.
Last week 1 took an excursion to tlio
valley of tho Arkansas and tho Royal
Gorge, ono of the most wonderful
sights in this region of wonders. This
day's experience in my life will ovor
form a page in my memory with the
leaf turned down. Never shall I forget
tho awakening dawn of that glorious
morning tho sun kissing tho moun
tain heights, and adown tlio hillsides,
and deep into the dark vallev, pouring
a flood of radience tlio earth arousing
from her mght of sleep, and through
all her arteries bounding tho pulse of
life. Tho low veiling mists reflecting
rainbow hues. Diamonds flashing back
the sunbeams from every leaf and spray
and tiowor. sparkling emeralds carpet
ing tho earth, anil tho whole universo
clothed in its thousand varied lines, all
combine to make a scene lilting a king,
and that king the king of Heaven.
Munituu Cor.'cw Orleans Tones' Dem
ocrat.
Why the Hnby Cries.
Tho young bachelor who volunteered
an opinion as to the reason for a baby's
smile, and the summary justice which
ho received at tho hands of tho baby's
nurso, aro well known, but why the
baby cries is a matter as to which few
men have any curiosity, provided it is
not too lato to have an engagement
down town when tho concert liegms.
Tho Mother's Manuel of Ch ldreu's
Diseases" explains tlio matter thus:
'Cries aro the only language which
a young baby lias to express its distress,
as" smiles and laughter and merry antics
tell without u word its gladness. Tho
baby must bo ill, is all that its cries toll
one" person; another, who has soon
much of sick children, will gather from
them more, and w 11 bo able to judge
whether its sull'ering is in tlio head,
chest or stomach. Too cries of a baby
w.th a stomach ache are long an I loud
and passionate; it sheds a profusion of
te.rv, now stops a moment, and thou
begins again, drawing up its logs to its
stomach; and as tlio pain passes oil',
stretches tltoni out again, and ttith
many littlo sobs passes oil" into a quiet
sleep. If it has inllatnation of the chest
it does not ciy loud, it sheds no tears,
but every few minutes, ospeciallv after
drawing a deeper breath than before, or
after each short, hacking cough, it gives
a 1 ttlo crv, which it cheeks, apparently,
beforo it has half finished, and this, bo
cause it has no breath to waste 111 cries,
or because the cll'ort makes its breathing
more painful. If disease is go.ng 011
in the head, tho child utters sharp,
piercing shrieks, and then between
whiles a low moan or wal, or perhaps
no .sound at all, but lies quiet, apparent
ly dozing, till pain wakes it up again."
ihicttijo .Sews.
Throwing Passengers Overboard.
The barbarous custom ot throwing
passengers overboard as soon as tho
breath has left their bodies when thoy
dio at sea on a transatlantic steamer
lias nearly ran its course. Since our
statement that an ocean passenger
steamer is legally bound to deliver per
sons who pay their passage in advanco
nt thoir port of dest. nation, whether
they dio or not, wo have received assur
ances that convince us that wo aro cor
rect. As caskets can bo obtained in
which a body can bo kept 11 a fair
state of preservation two weeks with
out the use of ice, all European nasson
ger steamers should bo compelled to
carry them. Tho relatives or friends
of those who die at sea would gladly
pay the extra expense entailed in pro
serv.ng the r bodies and returning
them to laud for decent and Christian
burial. .Ve' York Marine Jouriiat.o
As ininy its ;W,000 kbit tilt are made unu-
ally In the Vale of Cashmere, which are north
ou au average, 1,0 apiece.
ENGLISH BILLIARDS.
A. Silly nnd Stupid Onmo Thnt Is Ob
solete In America.
The rail Mall Gazette inquiros, in
ronncction witli tho bankruptcy of
Cook, the famous billiardplayer, wheth
er the English taste for "billiards and
show games" is dying out. The facts
in this case are certainly curious. Cook
is ono of the best English players, and
occupies a position like that of Schaefcr
or Slosson in this country. Yet he
sworn that while the rent of his saloon
was $1,250 and his marker and his
waiter cost him $25 a week tho gross
receipts of his place sinco April had
not exceeded the latter amount week
ly. Ho attributes his misfortune to a
decline in the popularity of tho game.
Everybody knows that in this country
tho popularity of billiards is steadily
increasing. There is not a billiard sa
loon in Now York of which tho weekly
receipts arc so small as that of the sa
loon kept by one of tho most famous
platers in London, while a player of
Cook's rank could here earn a salary
greater than Cook's total receipts by
simply plat ing every daj in one place
and thus attracting customers to it. In
a general way Englishmen are quite as
fond of games, either of skill or chance,
as Americans are, and it seems odd
that while billiards aro more and nioro
played in tho United Stales thoy should
bu loss anil less played in England.
The iLH'erence must be looked for
in the diUereneo between English and
American b.lliards. Tlio Hritish con
servatism which Emerson described as
"prehensility of tail" is shown in
nothing more strikingly than in tho
manner in which tlio English cling to
the most crude and antiquated forms of
pastime. Cricket is a game which no
body who is duly impressed with tlio
shortness and uncertainty of human
life lias any business witli. either as a
player or spectator. It commonly takes
three days to play out a first-class
match, because of the enormous
amount of time wasted in observing the
conventionalities and traditions of tho
game, besides tho amount wasted in
absolute dawdling, if indeed this bo not
ono of tho cherished traditions. Tho
American people, to almost all of
whom time is of some value, show their
sense of its value by abstaining from at
tendance, in any great numbers, upon
tho solemn exercises of an interna
tional match. If cricket wero to be
come popular in this country it would
have to bo so transformed that an En
glish cricketer would scarcely recog
nize it, and this transformation might
bo eil'eeted without sacrificing any of
the really admirable features of tho
game. Tho old English gamo of
"rounders" is the original of base-ball.
Tlio gamo has been improved beyond
recognition, and not tlte least improve
ment is tho shortening of it, so that a
first-class match can now bo witnessed
after business hours. The result is that
probably twenty times as many people
have attended base-ball matches in this
country during tho past summer as
over in ono season attended cricket
matches in England.
English billiards su-Tor under equal
disadvantages with cricket, though tho
disadvantages aro not tho same. Tho
gamo is played upon a vast pla n of
seventy-two square feet, broken by six
apertures at tho sides. This structure
requ.res a space of at least twentt-two
by sixteen feet. Tho breaks in tlio
cushion caused by the pockets preclude
the continuous use of tiio rail and great
ly hamper the play for position which
in fully civilized countries is regarded
us the highest attainment and severest
test of skill.
It was on such a table that billiards
wero played in this country twenty-iivo
years ago, and all tho changes that
"have since been made in it have tended
to make tho game more scientific and
more intorostingand consequently moro
popular. It is curious to reflect that at
that remote period American billnrd
pla ers not only played a gamo in winch
pockets and earroms wero mixed, but
that the color of the ball pocketed or of
the balls carromcd upon mado a d llbr
enco 111 tho score. These absurdities
wero long ago removed from the Amer
ican game. They survive in tho Eng
lish game. The standard American ta
ble is two feet shorter and a foot nar
rower than tlio Engl sh table, while a
smaller size still is used vorv commonly
in clubs and saloons and almost univer
sally in private houses, whore such a
table requires about two-thirds the room
needed for an English table. Tlio only
advantage that can be claimed for tiio
English table over the American table
is that pool can bo played on it. Hut
this is really a drawback, since billiards
is an interest ng and seient.lic gamo
and pool is merely a form of riot. If
wo had been as stubborn as tho English
in refusing to rat onalizo b.lliards our
best b lliard players might bo going
into bankruptcy. If the English had
followed our "example billiards might
bo as popular in England as they aro
here, and the English players 111 gltt bo
contending with practitioners of civil
ized b lliards in Par s or Now York in
stead ot making dismal series of "spot
strokes against each other. .Veto York
Times.
The Press.
Tlio press sways the world. It is the
great lover by which human minds are
moved; tho moulder of public opinion;
tlio elovating and enobling power that
lifts us, work-worn and weary though
wo may be, out of the time deepened
ruts of conservatism, and places us
fairly ami squarely upon the even and
upward track of advanced thought and
feeling.
Every elomont that has contributed
to tho growth nnd prosperity of a beau
tiful city, and helped to placo her in
tlio envied position she occupies among
the chief cities of a nation, becomes a
subject of prido to hor citizens, and of
interest not onlv to them, but also to
the groat multitude who aro connected
with hur by social ties or bus uoss re
lations. And among the agencies that
have brought about this result, none
has been more oowerful than hor press.
This is the golden age of tho iiross
Long live tho uowspapor; verily, it
bwuS tho world. St. Louis Magazine.
THE OLD CHAPEL.
From f unlit clm. that pentlv cant.
The I011R anil sleepy sliadoirs lall
Across the wild-crown sod, aslant
The slotvly niold'rlnir chapel tvalL
The chapel long In mosses ilrescd.
The snail upon the crumbling sill,
Beneath the eves the ttvalloiv's nest,
But prove that God's Is nature's tilth
Waihcd has the rain Its clapboards hare; -
The window-panes have dropped nwny;
Now, late the wild grapes cluster there.
And there the thistles bloom hi May.
The pigeon's coo from out the coop,
The tqulrrcl heard but still unseen,
The paoslng of a schoolboy croup,
Can scarce att akc the slutnb'riiig scena.
Within those walls it hat shouts have rua
In davs when virtue virtue tied;
How often there the choir has sung;
There echoed up the funeral tread.
But now its shattered walls unite
No more the village sires in prayer;
And yet, It s ems. by day and ulght
A s'acred spirit lingers there.
Oh. mindlnc of Its happr prime.
With ttrlnklcRdeep'nimr ou thy brotr,
Sav, is It not akin to crime
To see It thus forsaken nowl
Neath slxtv summers' sun and shower;
They say it? time Is aluunt tlironsra;
But bill!, O chapel, thou hast ixnter
To wurti the false and guard the true I
Sidney Wadnuuu
WAYLAYINC A GROCER.
Why Wnshbonrds mid tlio 1'rlco of
Mrawfocrrlcs 'l ook u Sudden Itlsc.
One afternoon not long ago a very
innocent-looking niiddle-agcd man en
tered a grocery on Michigan avctiuc.
bought a nickel's worth of tobacco, and
suddenly began laughing,
"What's happened?'' queried the as
tonished grocer.
"Say, I've got a friend who roosts on
the top limb of American his'ory. What
. he doesn t know about tho Kovolulion
' arv War isn't worth knowing, and ho's
mighty glad to air his opinions on ev
ery pass ble occasion. Say, l'vo got
him dead to rights."
"How?"
"Wo got to tailing about Lord Corn
wallis the other day, and ho said tho
surrender was on the 17th of tho month.
1 said tho 27tli. Wo disputed and got
hot, and I've been ovor to tho Public
Library to settle the matter, l'vo got
tho date in this book, and now I'm go
ing to got. a but of ton dollars out of
Jim. Hello there!"
At that moment Irs frichd entered
the store, and the lirst comor at ouco
said:
"Sav, Jim. do you stick to tlio 17lh?"
"Of" course."
"How much?"
"Any sum you like."
"We'll." said the first as he winked
at the grocer, "1 don't mind going live
dollars even up."
"And I'll take tho same," said tho
grocer.
The twonty dollars was handed to tho
shoemaker next door, and thugrinn ng
grocer rubbed h s hands and remarked:
"Awl r ght. Open your book and
paralyze him."
Tlio Look was opened. Tho man ran
his linger along the lines to a stop,
rubbed his eyes, held tho book up a
little, ami finally said:
"Here, grocer, what does it say?"
"It sat s: 'Thero was no eseape, and
on the 17th Lord Cornwallis surrender
ed.' Hang it! ou said it was tho
27th."
"Yes, I know, but I must have got it
mixed!''
"I'll take the twenty dollars," said
the student of history as ho reached out
his hand.
He got it and tiic two skinned out.
The grocer sat down in a tub of on ons
to think it over, and when he became
satisfied that it was agiim-gaino to beat
him. and that the two men were con
federates, he rose up and kicked a
dozen washboards sky-high and marked
the price of strawberries up four cents
per quart. Detroit Ficc Dress.
Church Cigglors.
Some churches, remarks The Christ
ian Life, London, aro troubled with
groaners and sonic witii gigglors. Wo
cannot tell which is tlio greater nuisance.
An eminent minister recently -aid of tlio
latter: "Giggling is do.scriued in tlio
dictionary as the act of 'laughing idly,
tittering, grinning.' It is silly and
childish enough anywhere, but in church
it is abom nable, and vol thoro is no
placo whore giggling is more common,
it is natural in school g rls, but when
met in young women of 1!) or 20 it is
unpardonable. It is frequently a char
acteristic of young men with incipient
mustaches, who think thoy qualify them
selves for manhood by atlecting con
tempt for which their ciders revore.
Thoy gigglo at sun, thing. If thoy catch
tho eye of au acquaintance, thoy gigglo;
if a woman rises too soon for a hunn,
they gigglo; if a baby cries, they gigglo;
if somo ono drops a book, thoy giggle;
if tho clergyman coughs, thoy g ggle;
if tlio plate is handed to some one who
puts nothing in it, diey gigglo; if some
ono near them sings out or repeats tho
responses louder, thoy g ggle; if tho
choir makes a mistake, they giggle. In
fact, nothing is too small or its giiifieant
to arrest their not'.co and produce a
giggle-
Newspaper Circulation.
There is no public faith in tho accur
acy of tho daily reports of newspaper
circulation which have been published
in many journals. Even when sworu
to the' aro not believed, for the reason
that thoy maj bo honestly sworn to and
yet be largely false. Any number of
papers may bo printed and d stnbuted
and sworn to as circulation; but how
many aro returned? how many aro not
sent to bona-fido readers? If tho cash
payments for circulation wero honestly
sworn to, the honest circulation would
bo readied; but no newspaper lias overt
attempted that only honest test of bona
lido readers. Purchases by jKiiitical
committees; spec al sales to advertisers,
which are often mado at nominal prices
to give tho appearance of circulation;
specimen papors sent freo through can
vassers or by mall to introduce tho
paper bear no relation to buna-lulu
newspaper circulation, and joumau
which specially force and boost one illa
tion always withhold from their public
liguras tlio largu porouutago of iiapers
uSt read or paid for.-iViitaiWi.ii
Timei.