MISCELLANEOUS.
i Tho difference between liorso race?
nud walking n -.itches seems to bo that
in tho formqr tho contestants score be
foro they start, while In tho lattor thoy
nuist start boforo they can score. Idea.
A Now York woman recently itp
poared at the theater wearing a blue
waistcoat, with gold dollars for buttons.
It is said that sho did not appear to
mind tho sensation sho created.
Tho Oakland Tribune rocommonds
keeping a gooso in tho chicken-most
as a guard against the depredations of
professional chicken-thieves. Tho gooso
will "squawk" oti tho Intruder every
time.
Tho Swcctwator dam just com
pleted at San Diego, Cal., at a cost of
$800,000, is said to bo twenty feet higher
than any dam in tho United States. It
is ninety feet from its base to its crest.
"Ya'as," said young Mr. Sissy,
sucking the head of his cane, "I'm an
Anglomauiac; but only in a mild form,
y' knaw." "Yes," she responded, by
way of keeping up tho conversation,
"sort of an Anglolunatic, as it were,
Mr. Sissy."
A farmer in Gratiot County, Michi
gan, plowed up a fifty-pound cannon
ball tho othor day. There is no record
of any battle having beon fought in
that vicinity, and tho people aro
wondering where tho big cannon ball
came from.
Brunswick, Ga., lias investod in a
new tlfty cent Hi bio for swearing wit
nesses on. Tho reason for this is that
tho old Bible has had the til. -it four
chapters of Genesis kissed away, and
tho lawyers aro in doubt whether an
oath made on a Bible minus it 4 first
four chapters is binding.
Tho woman who welcomes bright
woatlier on Monday on account of
"hanging out clothes to dry," is greater
than the woman who takes advantage
of the same bright weather to go shop
ping. This is rather clumsily expressed,
but we've got tho wisdom in as usual.
Drake's Magazine.
"Tho laughter of girls," says Do
Quinoy, "is, and over was, among tho
most delightful sounds on earth."
Judgment on that. It depends whether
tho girls aro laughing at your best joke,
or because you have just taken a header
from your bieyele, and are trying to
think which end of yourself to pick up
first.
A Dallas County (Texas) preacher
has issued circulars declaring himself '
to be tho watchman spoken of in the
twenty-third chapter of Ezokiol. Among
othor assertions, ho allogos his ability
to prove that the Bible shuts out all un
married persons over tweuty-ono years
of ago from the kingdom of heaven un
loss a good excuse can bo shown.
Sea' tor ashes along tho rows of tho j
young strawberry plants as soon as
thoy shall bo largo enough to work.
Stir the earth, take out all grass and
then apply tho ashes on tho surface,
and tho rains will carry them down to
the roots. Fertilizers for strawberries
give tho best results when applied near
tho surfaco and not worked into the
soil, as tint roots food near tho surfaco
instead of penetrating deeply.
"Have you seen papa's now dog,
Carlo," she asked, as thoy sat in tho
parlor. "Yes," ho replied uneasily;
"I have had tho pleasure of mooting
tho dog." "Isn't lie splendid? Ho is
so aiVectionate." "I noticed ho was
very demonstrative," returned lie. as
ho moved uneasily in Ills chair. "Hois
very playful, too. I never saw a more
playful animal in all my life." "I am
glad to hear you say that," "Why?"
"Because I was a littlo hit afraid that
whon lie bit that pleee out of mo tho
other evening, ho was in earnest. But
if ho was only in play of course it's all
right. I can lako fun as well as any
body." Singapore licview.
A fisherman, while on Plymouth
bnach one day, captured a largo gray
fiea gull in a rather peculiar predica
ment. Firmly pinched upon tho bird's
bill was a sou clam about tho size of
the palm of a man's hand. Tho clam
weighed enough to keep tho head of
tho gull hanging downward, and thus
olloetively prevented any long flight,
while it was ovidoutly nearly exhausted
in trying to escape from its strange cap
tor. It is thought that tho gull, seeing
tho clam's snout protruding, en
deavored to seize tho dainty morsel,
nud was in turn gripped by tho hard
shell of its intended victim.
There is a turning point in the lore
of a wife for a husband which should
bo carefully watched. In some it occurs
very early, long before thirty, especially
if the match were one of impulse or
family convenience; but in tho majority
of instances its appearance manifests
Itself about tho approach to tho middle
ago of women, from thlrty-tlvo to forty
two. There is a revulsion In the whole
moral and mental being a kind of
chilling, cold inditTeronco, which tho
slightest tinklnduofs on the part of tho
husband at unco kindles into a 11 a me.
It is dlllicult to uccouut for this transi
tory condition; but thcro is much proof
that a woman loves twice. N. 1',
Ledger.
Among unrepealed acts of Parlia
ment in England stand tho following
gems: Persons tending to use witch
craft, by a law enacted under Gcorgo
II., aro punishable by Imprisonment.
Thoso practicing palmistry tiro to bo
treated as vagabonds niul punished ac
cordingly. Uy ii law enacted iu tho
time of Charles I. meetings of people
oulaldo their own parishes on Sundays,
for any sports or pastimes whatever,
nro prohibited, under penalty of a lino
of three shillings and throe hours In
tho public stocks. Any person dlsbo
Jlevliig tho dootrlnos of tho Established
Church and refusing to have his chil
dren baptized or to partake af tlio com
munion may, by a law of Qucon Eliza
beth, bo committed to prison.
STRANGE WAR DUEL.
An Intel-ruling Inclilnnt flccnnled by nn
Ex-ConfiMlernte Surgeon.
On tlio 12th of June. 18G3, 1 witnessed
a duel between Captain Jones, coin
manding a Federal scout, and Captain
Fry, commanding a Confederate scout,
in Groono County, East Tennessee.
These two men had been fighting each
other for six months, with the fortunes
of battlo in favor of one and 'then tho
oilier. Their command was encamped
on either sido of Lick Crek, a large
and sluggish stream, too deep to fori I
and too shallow for a ferry-boat, but
there a bridge spanned the stream foi
the convenience of tlio traveling public.
Each of them guarded this bridge, that
communication should go neither nortli
nor south, as the railroad train track
had been broken tip months before.
After fighting eacli othor several
months and contesting tho point as to
which should hold tho bridge, they
agreed to fight a duel, tho conqueror to
hold tho bridge undisputed for tho
time being. Jones gavo tho challenge
and Fry accepted. Tho terms were
that thoy should fight witli navy pistols
at twenty yards apart, deliberately
walking toward oach other and firing
until tlio last chamber of their pistois
was discharged, unless one or tho other
fell boforo all tho discharges worn
made. Thoy clioso their seconds and
agreed upon a rebel surgeon (as ho wa
the only one in olther command) to nt
tend tlicm in case of danger.
Jones was certainly a finc-looki.ig
fellow, with light hair and bluo eyes,
live feet ten incite in height, looking
every inch tho military chieftain. He
was a mini soldiers would admlro and
ladies regard with admiration. 1 never
saw a man more coo), determined and
heroic under such cf'cunistancos. 1
have read of the deeds of chivalry and
knight-errantry In tho Middle Ages and
brave man embalmed iu modern poesy,
but when I saw Jones como to the
duelists' scratch, lighting, not for real
or supposed wrongs to himself, but, as
ho honestly thought, for his country
and tlio glory of tho flag, I could not
help admiring the man, notwithstand
ing lie fought for the freedom of the
negro, which I was opposed to.
Fry was a man full six feet high,
slender, with long, wavy, curling hair,
jet-black eyes, wearing a slouch hat
anil gray suit, and looked rather tho
demon titan the man.
There was nothing forocious about
him, but ho had that self-suillcient non
chalanco that said: "I will kill you."
Without a doubt ho was brave, cool
and colloctod. and although suffering
from a torriblo flesh wound in his left
arm, rocoivod a wcok before, lie mani
fested no symptoms of distress, but
seemed roady for tho light.
Tlio ground was stepped oft' by the
seconds, pistols loaded and exchanged,
and tho principals brought faco to face.
They turned around and walked back
to the poiittdesignated. Jonos' second
had the word "Fire," and as ho slowly
said "Ono two threo firo!" they
simultaneously turned at tlio word
"One" and instantly fired. Noithor
was hurt. Thoy cocked thoir pistols
and deliberately walked toward each
other, firing as thoy wont. At tho fifth
shot Jones threw up his right hand
and, tiring his pistol iu tlio air, sank
down. Fry was In tho act of firing ids
last shot, but, seeing Jones fall, silently
lowered his pistol, droppod it on tho
ground and sprang to Jonos' side,
taking his head In his lap as he sat
down and asking him If ho was hurt.
I discovered that Jones was shot
through the region of the stomach, the
bullet glancing around that organ and
coming out to tho left of the spinal
column; besides ho had received three
other frightful flesh wounds in other
portions of tho boil'. I dressed his
wounds and gavo him such stimulants
as I had. Ho afterwards got well.
I'ry rocoivod three wounds ono
breaking his right arm, ono tho loft and
tho other in tho right side. After
mouths of sutVeriug he got well, and
fought tho war out to tho blttor end,
ami to-day the two aro partners In a
wholesale grocery business, and certi
fying the sentiment of Byron, that "A
soldier braves death," etc. Georgia
Union.
m m ' '
Longevity Aided by Salt.
Iu a recent work by Prof. Burg
graove, of Ghent, tho prominent theory
maintained is that salt is the great reg
ulating agent of life, anil on tlio proper
use of which human longevity largely
depends, It being at any rate a great
preventative of certain maladies if tho
blood is too rich, salt will render it loss
charged; or if it is poor, salt will recon
stitute it,, and restore to it tlio necessary
elements. Among the Interesting facts
cited by Prof. Burggraovo in elabora
ting his subject is that about tho end of
tho last century a terrible epidemic,
bearing somo analogy to scurvy, broke
out in Saxony, making such rapid prog
ress among the poorer classes that tho
Government ordered an inquiry into its
nature and course. Tho result was tho
establishment of a singular fact viz.,
that miners, although reduced to tho
same misery as other workmen, re
mained, with their families, completely
exempt from tho malady; the diet ,f
tho miners differed from tho others only
iu one point viz., that being employed
by tho State thoy wore supplied with
salt gratuitously, tho deduction being
that the absence of salt In tho diet of
the other workmen was thooatisoof tho
malady. Salt was thou prescribed as a
curative measure, and tlio epidemic
disappeared as If by enchantment.
Science
Thcro tiro actual landscapes on
somo of the French brocades imported
for evening dress, and a girl condemned
to play wallflower may pass away the
time by looking at tho pictures on her
frock.
MEASURING THOUGHT.
An Ingenious Mnchlne Which Ilegllten
tho Time It Take to Think.
"And now." said a tifed-looking as
sistant librarian in tlio Astor Library,
"as if thcro wcro not enough subjocts
open for study and for tho multiplica
tion of books, Dr. J. McK. Cattoll
comes out with an elaborate paper do
scribing a macliino which ho has con
trived for measuring the length of timo
it takes to think. It is true enough
that 'of making many books thcro is no
end.' Thcro will be books written
about this now, and all sorts of theories
will be founded on it and expounded at
enormous length.
"Tho macliino is ingenious enough.
A pen is attached to tho prong of a
tuning fork, which is kopt vibrating at
a constant rate by means of electricity.
This pen draws a line, and small
chunks of this line, so to speak, can be
cut out, thus measuring time down to
tho one ten-thousandth part of a second.
By an application oven moro ingenious
than the machine, tho loarned gentle
man is ablo to toll how long it takes
to think.
"For instance, lie says it takes 1-13
of a second to distinguish between blue
and roil. It takes 1-9 of a second to re
call the ntnio of a printed word, 1-G of
a second to rciitiMnber the name of a
printed letter, and 1-1 of a second to
name a familiar picture in your mind."
"But" urged tho reporter, "that must
lie wrong. Some people have to pick
out a word by recalling each letter and
spelling it ouL"
"True," said the librarian. "And
rapidity of thought varies with tho In
dividual. Tho only value I can see to
tlio whole tiling, excepting to build
theories on, is to measure tlio rapidity
of perception of an individual, and
even that can not, it seems to mo, be
established. Some days it will take
longer to think than it will on other
days. It depends on your health and
on circumstances. It takes me con
siderably longer to rocognizo a man if
1 owe him any money than it doos if I
expect him to pay mo something. And
I havo known my wifo to tako half an
hour to dj'oido betweon two colors when
it was a matter of a now gown.
"It is all very ingoniotts, though, and
the result Dr. Cattoll has obtained aro
somo of them very interesting. Ho
says, for example, that it takes twieo
as long to think of tlio name of tho
lust month as to think of tlio namo oi
the iioxt, and it takes 1-20 of u second
longer to translate a word from a for
eign languago to one's nativo tongue
than to reverse tho operation. Then
he claims that sensation travels
through tiio ncrvc3 to tho brain at
about sixty miles an hour. Of course
tho distance is so short that wo can
not perceive tlio lapse of any time, but
time does elapso while the .sensation is
traveling. 1 should say, however, that
tho rate of travel would difl'er widely
in dill'erout people." N. Y. Mail and
Express.
ADVERTISE OR FAIL,
A Short Hut Very Able Address by Iter.
AVhiincdooillu Haxter.
My Hearers: At ono time your pop
perlar pasture was a nioinbruin ob do
press. 1 was do jerkor ob do Arkerdojimt
lober for nioah don foah muinfs ditrin'
do absence ob do rog'lar tnoldor ob
public 'pinion on a drunk, so when I
talks tcr yer about advortisin' I knows
what I'm talking erbout.
Do merchant wltat says ho haint got
no ttso for tie pross ain't got sense ernutl
tor bo an hljot. Hits pull's in do papers
what helps lots of merchants tor raise
do wind.
When I was kornocted will journalism.
I notised a remark in do paper ob an
old German journalist by do namo ob
Karl Pretzel, what struck mo as being
mightily tor do pint.
Ho wroto: "Dot pishnoss man dot
don't shduck his atfertisementhis town
paper into, vas ho more use as a girl
niitout somo pustles."
Lull' mo lolo yo somollus. An fuolt
ad In a nowspaper does moro good
den two on a tree or a fence. You
shud liollor loud whon you hollers. Do
world am too busy tor hoali whispers.
If yer wants tor add tor yer business,
advertise. Dat am do shortest way tor
add. Do right kind ob oyes for biznoss
men am advert-ize. Hoahl ltealt! Does
yer hoah nto?
Do poick hah said: "O, solertood,
whar am do charms dat sages hab seen
In dy faco?" Huh! Why didn't he
ask at do shop ob do man who don't
advertise? Dar's ontifl' solertood dar,
do Lawil knows.
1 oucet heerod a man say: "Hit's all
humbug tor talk tor mo 'bout adver
tisin'. I spent more den forty dollars
las' yeah iu advortisin', and iu Jane
wary I was done sold out by do shorltl'.
Dat money was wasted, obery cent ob
It."
"What paper did yer put yer advor
tisin' in?" I axed.
"1 didn't put hit in no papor. I joss
had my advertisement painted on tite
fence boards."
Dat's jess what I thunk. Do kind ob
advortisin' what counts mus' be iu
nowspapors. Whon you has got yer
advertisement in a good paper, keep it
tlar for dell', ami takin' yer ail outer do
papor am counted as positive evidence
ob goin' outer biznoss.
l)o tnun who ilooi nut uilvertlio
lln shows as much Rood ncnse,
As do uiau who put on his Suuday punt
Tcr clluib iter barbed wire fence.
Yes, bredderon, do biznoss man wid
no advertisement in do paper reminds
mo mightily ob do bumble beo widout
any stinger. Ho am only half fixed tor
trausao biznoss.
While do quire sings, "Sound do
Loud Trumpet," Undo Moso or somo
udder reliable nlggah will pleaso pass
do hat and rako in a fow subscrlpshtitu
for ills suffering ex-journalist. Texas
THE MODERN GIRL.
Sim ni Learned the Umiutr of Health and
Ugliness of Dint-Hue.
If wo havo any subject for congratu
lation, it is tho mental and physical
superiority of tho girls of tlio present
over tho past. Tho sickly, sentimental
maiden' who was too "good for human
nature's daily food," has no modern
counterpart. The opening of institu
tions of learning all over tho land for
tho higher education of women, of
gymnasium, and tlio popularity of
athlotics witlt women in America and
England havo all tended toward ono
end. Educating our girls lias not only
mndo them mentally but physically
stronger, by making Uiem sensible of
the absurdity of tight-lacing and othor
old-fashioned follies and the need of
evory healthy individual for vigorous
outdoor exercise. The modern woman
lias learned tho beauty of health and
the ugliness of disease. Tiie adoption
of English ideas in living and dress
has tended to make our girls moro at
tentive to the gymnasium and tho daily
walk, and to depend more for tho
beauty of their complexion on the cold
water bath, like tho English girl, than
on the rouge pot of tiie French woman.
It is tiio fashion to ridicule the tailor
mado girl in sensible gowns of cloth,
neatlv fitted and well made, ami heavy
well-fitted boots of strong leather, but
she is a great advance in most ways
on tite sentimental, languid type of
womanhood witlt waspislt waist and
thin shoe, artificial in iter manner,
and pron to headache brought on by
working in close rooms on pictures ol
yew trees, monuments of marble and
other "mourning pieces" for house
hold decorations. Tite modern girl
does not start into hysteria at tiio
sight of a mouse. It is the experience
of tiie nurses at tho head of one of tho
largest training schools that educated
women invariably show their culture
by the control they exercise iu cases of
emergency, and, although no special
educational credentials arc required,
tho few comparatively uneducated who
apply to bo trained do not often get
beyond their mouths of probation,
being found usually destitute of the
nerve of the edttcatotl woman.
A healthy educated woman i3 far
better prepared to be a housekeeper anil
mother, and will meet tho various
emergencies which will ariso iu sick
ness and health, when servants leave
unawares and the entire burden of tite
housekeeping is thrust upon her. In
every emergency in life, iter calm
trained judgment will prevent catas
trophes and steer tho household atl'airs
into calm and quiet waters. Her health
and strength will forever savo her
from tlio whims and freaks of ignorant,
hysterical women. Like tlio virtuous
woman of Scripture "Site oponeth Iter
mouth with wisdom: and in her tongue
is tho law of kindness." iV. Y.
Tribune.
VULGAR CREATURES.
Inults or Ill-lirml IVoplo Who Think Well
of Themselves.
It is vulgar for a lady to go to the
theater or opera wearing a hat that
obstructs the view of people who sit
behind iter. It is valgar beoauso it is
a needless infliction of serious ineou
vonienco upon others that a really gon
tool woman would not bo guilty of.
In England, ladies who appear at the
door of the theater or opera wearing
hats, aro compelled to tako them oil
beforo they aro permitted to enter.
Hero tlio valgarisin is tolerated bv
managers, but no woman wears the
oll'ensivo hat without impressing all
around her that sho lacks in the
most refined qualities of a woll bred
lad'. Ono of tite unerring attributes
of a gentleman or a lady i3 considerate
respect for tlio comfort of others.
It is vulgar to interrupt hearers at a
theater or opora by conversation.
Many do it; and, strango as it maj
seom, thoso who nsstuno tho highest
claims to social distinction, most fre
quently aro tho otlenders. Wo have
seen theater and opera box parties ol
our apparently most cultivated people
hissed by the audience at opera and
theatrical performances for persistent
babbling and interruption of hearers
near to them; and wo have seen others
who well deserved to be hissed for
tlio vulgarism of disturbing scores
of hearers around thorn iu the most im
pressive parts of tho phi'. Conversa
tion at tlio theater or opera is an Ameri
can vulgarism that deforms our so-called
best society, that brings it into con
tempt with every intelligent man and
woman.
It is vulgar for a theater or opera
party to outer tho house after tho en
tertainment has commonced and dis
turb tho audionco generally, ami per
sonally disturb all who happen to be
seated near them, by the confusion and
delay of a party getting sottled in their
seats. It is especially vulgar because
especially ostentatious; it commands
no admiration, no matter how comely
the ladies or how fascinating tho
gentlemen; it provokos tlio criticism
that common senso over gives to tho
social pretender, and it is an ostenta
tious display of vulgarity.
Simplicity is ono of tho insoporable
qualities oftruo gentility, and tho well
bred woman and tho well-bred man arc
never forgotfttl of it. Simplicity in
dress is most becoming, as a rule, on
public occasions, but simplicity and
gentleness of manner and a considerate
respect for othors, can not bu cast
aside without assuming tho rolo of the
vulgarian. Philadelphia 'Times.
A California widow had plans for
a $50,000 monument for her late de
parted, but when tho lawyer got
through lighting over tho estate
tho widow was doing housework
at $2 per week for tite uiau who
draughted tho uiouumouL
WELL-PAYING WORK.
Two Occupations fop Women Which Ar
Not Tet Overcrowded.
Thoro aro two occupations for women,
If ono may.judgo by tlio pricos paid,
that aro not yet overcrowded. Ono of
them is hair-dresshtg and the general
caro of female tresses. Expert hair
dressers easily earn as much as eighteen
dollars a week, and hair-workers aro
paid from eight to ton dollars. Thai
hatr-dresser who arranges tlio lasltion
ablo heads seen at tho opera anil at
balls usually is so much in demand that
she has time for nothing but the art of
curling, crimping, braiding, plaiting
and folding tho feminine locks iu that
artful fashion that the unskilled ama
teur fingers'can not compass. But the
hair-dresser who has not yot arrived
at the privilege of ministering solely to
fashionable coiffures adds tlio general
caro of the hair to her duties, and she
takes the onttro responsibility of tlio
health and beauty of her patrons'
locks. Onco a month sho conies anil
clips the end of every hair, which al
ways has a tendency to split. She
combs tho wholo fleece out smoothly
and with a small, sharp pair of scissors
outs tlio ends about an eighth of an
inch nnd thou goes over all the uneven
hair, milling it up witlt tho comb, and
clips every one that shows a sign ol
fraying. This keeps tite hair from fall
ing and promotes its growth. Then
every two weeks she washes tho hair,
laving it iu tepid water with a littlo
Castile soap and a dash of bay rum,
and brushing it briskly thereafter for
half an hour. It is this beautiful groom
ing that makes tho locks of the New
York society girl shine like tVo satin
skin of a thoroughbred. Tho other
well-paid and uncrowdod occupation is
that of the manicure. There aro a
number of manicure parlors where ono
may go and have his or her nails
groomed, but most profor that tho
linger manipulator should como to
them. She is usually a pleasant
mannered, fresh-faced, and well-dressed
young woman, whoso only sign of
servitude is a neat littlo black satchel
in which tlio tools of her trade aro car
ried. Tito usual hour for her arrival
is just beforo her customers rise. She
begins with the early birds and gradu
ates down to thoso who never appear
beforo noon, and in this way manages
to suit thorn all. Sho appears in the
bedroom front the dressing-room bear
ing a bowl of milk-warm water, which
is sweetened with a drop or two ol
rose-water. The luxurious customer
lazily slips ono hand into tho bowl that
is sot on tho littlo tablo besido tho bed,
and can pick up her nap again where
she dropped it while the manicure files,
polishes, pinks and perfumes her nails;
sho needn't wake until tho other hand
needs attention, and then the same
process is repeated. This occupies
altogether about half an hour of the
manicure's time, and sho is paid seven-ty-fivo
cents for it. Sho attends to
fourteen pairs of hands a day, which
would nteau something liko ton dollars
and a half for the day's work, but fow
of thoin have so largo a practice, as
that would require a hundred or more
customers, seeing that most women
only havo their hands manicured once
or twice a week, the maid attending ta
them other days. Still, witlt tlio sale
of tho chamois polishers, unguonts,
powders, liles and scissors, most of the
manicures manage to keep their weoklj
income up to a good average and a
fow havo grown rich. N. Y. World.
"MAKING A MASH."
How Vrotty nnd Mischievous Senorltni
Do It In .Mexico.
Tlio stranger in Mexico, especially il
ho bo young and good-looking, is liable
to bo considerably surprised at his first
ball bore, when some pretty senorita,
whom ho lias never seen before, trips
up to him with an engaging sntilo ou
her face and something that looks like
au egg in her hand, and suddenly
smashes tlio latter over his cranium.
To one not acquainted with tlio cascar
ono custom it is startling, to say the
least. Luckily, however, tho egg haf
been robbed of its usual interior, tlu
original contents having been emptied
through a small hole at one end. The
shell is then refilled witlt finely chopped
tinsel and colored paper, perhaps with
tlio addition of perfumed sachet pow
der or somo dainty trinkets, after which
tlio opening is neatly closed by a bit of
paper pasted over it.
In tlio good old days of the Spanish
aristocracy tlio egg sholls to bo used by
proud grandees at swell fandangos
wore filled with gold and diamond dust.
Similar extravagances aro sometime
indulged in nowadays, but raroly. Oc
casionally small gold coins, charms,
pearls, opals or spiced candies are
stuffed in with tlio chopped tinsel,
making tlio divcrtisemont rather ox
pensive. Ono can buy vory pretty cas
earones, however, for about ono dol
lar per dozen, and it is quito tlio cor
rect thing for a hollo or beau to go to a
ball armed witlt several dozen of thorn.
Often tlio shells aro hand-painted ot
otherwise beautifully decorated, mticb
liko Eastor eggs in tho North. Socictj
matrons who propose giving balls dur
ing the cascarono season havo tho shells
of all the eggs used in the household
carefully saved for the purposo, and
many an hour is spent by hersolf and
friends iu filling and decorating them.
Tho net of breaking a cascarono on an
other's head is considered a compli
ment to tlio recipiont, who fools in duty
bound to return tho honor at the first
opportunity. Previous acquaintance ii
not essential, it being of itself a sort
of informal introduction. Thus any
Mexican lady may lltorally "mnko a
mash" on every strango gentleman who
pleases her and without offending her
countrymen's extremely sonsitivo no
tions of propriety. Mexico LcUtr.
QUEENS AND SUCH.
Royal rernonagea and Their Habits, Oddi
ties and Weaknesses.
Queen Victoria has now reigned over
England longer than any monarch but
two Henry III., and George III. Sho
overtook Queen Elizabeth six years ago
nnd has outdone Edward III., who only
reigned 148 days over half a century.
If she lives a few years longer Victoria
will havo relgued longer than any
royal personage of history.
Queen Elizabetlt of Roumania is in
tensely musical, fond of dancing and
lias written a ballet.
Queen Olga. of Grocce. is practical,
dresses plainly, and goes iu for domes
tic economy. " etc., even making her
own bonnets, It is said.
Dagnar. of Russia, tlio Princess of
Wales' sister, is said to bo politically
smart, though not intellectual other
wise. Like all her sisters she is clover
with her needle, as they had to make
their own clothes beforo their father
got to be King.
Old Eugenie', ex-Empress, is said to
have developed strango idiosyncracies,
besides being a recluse. One is a tend
ency to Spiritualism and a belief that
she can communicato with her dead
Prince Imperial. It is well understood
that sho intends to make Princess Boat
rice of England her heiress.
The Queen of Spain recently, after
tho performance, called Sarah Bern
hardt into the box and gavo her a
bouquet tied in libbon'and secured by a
splendid sapphire mounted witlt dia
monds. Marie, tlio daughter ef the Empress
of Austria, is about to marry Prince
Huprecltt, of Bavaria, who is, accord
ing to loyal Jacobites, tho ltoir appa
rent to tho English throne.
Victoria of Germany, it is said, tastes
portions of every article of food in
tended for the Emperor, and superin
tends tlio preparation of most of it her
self. Queen Margucrito of Italy shows
moro and more fondness for American
literature, and. it is said, gets all tho
leading magazines published in tlio
United States.
The Queen of Sweden, sinco sho
learned and began cooking by the ad
vice of iter physician, for iter health,
takes long walks, and ofton goes into
tite peasants' houses and shows them
how to make good dishes.
Olga of Greeeo is the most beautiful
Queen of Europe, and is sister-in-law
of tho Empress of Russia anil Princess
ofWalos.
The Queen of Denmark is intensely
deaf, but fond of music, and has a big
and powerful organ that site can hear.
Elizabeth of Austria has developed
an unfortunate skin diseaso and wears
a veil continually.
Isabella, ex-Queen of tho Spaniards,
when she appears abroad, wears a cos
tume much tho same as that of a nun.
Tho Queen of England's grandson,
George "Collars and Cuffs," is irrever
ent. He was dancing at a ball recently
with a pretty but plebian partner when
his brother called him to account.
"You can go and hum, God savo grand
mother," was his retort, "I'll dance
with whom I please."
The Queen Regent of Spain chooses
tho word daily for the countersign,
without which no ono is admitted to
the palace by the many guards. This
is communicated to the highest military
ollicial, who happens to be Marshal
Campo, who proclaintod Alfonso King-
Vh iladelphia Times.
MOST EXTRAORDINARY.
AtiEncilahmnn'g Peculiar Discovery In Till j
I'll I r I. imil nf Ours.
In Texas. A railway train stopped
in a swamp, and while a blended ex
pression of weariness and disgust wa3
sitting on the passengers' faces, tho
conductor came into a car where a re
cently arrived Englishman sat.
"Guard," said the Englishman, "may
I speak to you a moment?"
"What did you call mo?"
"I called you guard, for aren't you
the guard?"
"Guard tho douce! Do you tako this
for a convict train, that wo havo to koop
guards?"
O, no, no, I didn't moan that, but
'owever, we will not argue that point,
but will you pleaso answer mo ono
question?"
"Spit it out."
"Well, w'at aro wo stopping hero
for?"
"There's a frog iu tho switch," tho
conductor replied.
"A frog in the switch!"
"Yes."
"1 really do not understand you."
"1 reckon not."
"But will you pleaso explain a frog
in a switch? I know what a frog is,
but w'y you should stop on account of
a frog buing in a switcli or anywhere
else is something I cau not fathom, you
know."
"I can't explain it," tho conductor
replied.
"But you can tell mo why you stop
on the account of a frog?"
"No, it's against our orders to givo
away such Information. "
"Well, that is viry, viry queer, you
know. W'y, iu England wo would not
think for a moment of stopping a train
on account of a frog. I must say that
you Americans havo somo viry ridicu
lous customs."
"Needn't say it unless you want to,"
replied tlio conductor, as ho slyly
winked at a porter.
"O, yes, 1 am compollcd to say it.
On account of a frog. Well, well, I
never heard of Mich a thing. 1 know
that tho Frenchman liked tho frog but
I nover know boforo that the Ameri
cans hold up the frog in superstitious
veneration. By George, I must mako
a note of this. I am writing a book
ou Amrrioa, and this is the must pe
culiar thing I've found iu this crudo
but wonderful countrs. Arkansas
I Traveler.