9.
A CONFESSION.
T)n ton renomfjor, llttlo wife,
How ja-s ago we two tagHh-ir
Saw naught but loro Illumine life
In sunny daya or winter weathor?
Po roil rrcatl In younger years
To part a day wn bitter palnf
Ijovo light wan hid In clouds of toars
Till meeting cleared the sky analtu
Doyou remember how wo two
Would staro Into each other's oyos,
I Till all the earth grew heavenly blue
And speech was lost in happy sighs?
Do you another thing recall,
That used to happen often then:
How, simply passing In the hall,
We'd stop to smile and kiss again?
Do you romnmber how I sat
And. reaaing. held your hand in mlno,
Caressing It with gentle pat
One pat for every blcssnd line ?
Do you recall whlto at the play
Through hours of agony we tarried?
ThelovoH' grlrfs brought us dismays
O, we rejoiced when thoy wero married.
And then walked homoward arm In arm,
Dencath the crescent moonlct now,
That smiled on us with silent charm;
So glad that wo were married too.
Ah me.'twas years nnd yean ago
, When nil this happened that I sing,
And many a tlmo the winter snow
lias slipped from olive slopes of spring.
And now oh, nonsense! lot ui toll;
A fig for laugh of maids or inonl
You'll flldo your blushes? 1 11 not. . Well
We're ton times worso than we wero then.
if. J. JItnUron,in Ctnlury.
SOME LARGE THINGS.
An Intoroitlnjr ('ntnpend'iim of Facts
(Jntlierrd Frnin Uvorywhcre.
Tho largost desort ia thut of SaMara,
a vast region of Northorn Africa, ox
tonding from tho Atlantic Ocean on t&e
west to tho viilloy of tho Kilo on the
cast. Tho lc igth fro ti casft to wesit la
nbout !1,000 miles, its average bMtituth
about DOO miles, 113 n'ron 2.0!X),00P
Bqunro miles. Rain fails in fcfcrroo'.u In
(ho Sahara at Intervals uf five, ton read
twenty years. In suimnor tho heat
during tl.o day Is excessive, but tku
nights aro ofton cold. In winter tin
tomporaturo la sometimes holow freez
ing point.
Tho most rotnarkablo natural brid
Is probably tho Jlsrol Hajar, which
Bpana a gorge not far from tho ruins o
tho Toinplo of Adonis, in tho provlnoo
of tho Lebanon In Syria. It is a Hat
pioco of lhnoatono roclt, from ton to
fifteen foot thick, porfoctly arched on
thoundorBldo. Ihogorgo isabout l."0
foet across, and tho brldgo is about 100
feet from tho bod of tho torront bolow
Tho brldgo la so broad and lovol that ti
good carrlago road might bo made over
it. This brldgo ia aurpaaaod In hoighi
by tlio natural oriugo in uocxoriu '
County, Vu.. about 125 mlloa west o
Richmond and about two mlloa from th
Jamos river. It oxtenda ovor Codtu
crook. Tho holght of tho arch la 20
foot, and tho uppor auraco of the
bridge ia 240 foot abovo tho atroam.
Tho largest auaponalon bridgo in th
world ia tho Now York and Brooklyn
brldgo. It was commenced under tho tl .
roctlon of J. Rotibling in 1870, and com
plotod in about thlrtoon years. Tho oo
of building was $10,000,000. Construe
tlon commoncod .lanuary 3, 1870; ai.
of Now York caisson, 172 by 10
foot; a'.o of Hrooklyn caisson, ICS
102 feet; timber and Iron In caissons
6,25!) cubic yards; oanoroto In we.)
holes, chambers, etc., 5,009 cubic feet
weight of Now York o ilsson, 7,003 t'Jii i
weight of concrete tilling, 8.0J0 ton-.
Now York towor contilns -1G.9I5 cub
yards masonry; Br nklyn towor eon
tains 38,211 oublu yards masonry
length of rlvor span, 1,5'J.WootC Inehoi;
longth of each lan.l span, (J!10 foot an i
nnd 1.8UJ foet; longth of Hrooklyn ap
proach, 971 foot; lo .gth of Now YotV
approach, 1,502 foot and 0 incho.i; tota,
longth of brldgo, 5.9SD toot; width o
bridge, 85 foot; numbor of cables, -I.
dlnmotor of each, 15 Inches; hoight o.
tower abovo roadway, 159 feet; weight
of oaoh iinolior-plnto, 23 tons; height ol
brldgo abovo high-water. 135 f.oot.
Tho highest to wer in Ucc world will
be tho Kiffol Towor when cotaploto!.
Tho Iron towor which tho onglnwor
Eiffel proposes tu oroct oh t!.w lini'atks f
tho Seine, ojjp'osRo tho TroitWu
Palace, aa a 'Ionli.o f to Parte hix
position of lS'J'J, wlH if oowpAetlod
dwarf aM ot'iur B'l'.Jiiotv.s'os yu'. t;o'.irod
by human ban A.t. Ma ueJtrtt U U
iiomlnully 1,000 foot autnally aUmt
1)50 foot. Tno coiMtnl-jsi'.ow oontrslllii.g
the llnnnoos of tho Expojlttefc; 'stive
voted the sub vc . -tlon .',tf 1.125.0J0 francs
asked by tho Inventor. Tho titwctf has
boon auluully commoncod.
Tho largest church in tho tvorld Is
tho basilica of St- Peter's In Home. Its
dimensions are aa follows: Longth ot
interior, 013 foot: breadth of tho navo
and aisles, 197 foot; height of the
navo, 152 foot; length of tho transepts,
44u feet; diameter of tho dome, in
cluding tho walla, 195 foet, or nearly
two footmorothan f hut of tho Pantheon;
diameter uf the Interior, 139 foot; holght
from the pavement to the base of tho
lantern, A )5 foot; to tho summit of tho
cross outside, 418 foot. Tho whole ol
St. Paul's Cathedral in Loudon might
etnnd within tho shell ot St, Potor'n
with room to spare, Tho towers of the
Cologne Cathedral when completed will
bo tho highest church towers In the
wold 511 feet which la tho length of
tho Cathedral. Tho breadth of this
odlllce la 231 foot. San Francisco
Chronicle.
' Thomas A. Kdisou says that hU
phonograph la now ubsolutoly porfect.
"Thoio is no sound that can bo made
that It tlooa not reproduce perfectly.
Tho crash of a hammer, tho laugh or
cry of a child, or tho most delicate
strain of innslo Is reproduced porfoctly.
'Any onu can loarn to work It In twe
hours. It will take tho place of Htonojf
raphors, All thut will bo nueoasnrj
will bo tfl dlotato to tho phonograph,
uiul tho typo'wrltor copies ll off di
luctlv.
EDUCATIONAL.
Education polishes good
nnd corrects bad ones.
nature
Teach tho young that a merry
hoart ia not incompatible with a pro
fession of tho Christian religion, thai
its very spirit is pralso, and moro will
ccok its delights.
Wo can not begin too early to
tench our children tho little courtesies
of life, and, nlthough It may bo trying
to ourselves and them at times, there
will purely como a time when thoy will
bo very grateful for our care.
Afflictions sent by Providenco melt
tho constancy of tho noble-minded, but
confirm tho obdurncy of the vile. The
same furnace that hardens clay, llque-
llcs gold; and in tho strong manifesta
tions of Dlvino power Pharaoh found
his punishment, bvit David his pardon
Show mo that ho who has tho worse
principles can cct tho advantage over
him who has tho better. You will nov
cr show It, nor any thing like It; for the
law of nnturo and of (Jod Is this: Let
tho better always prevail over the
worse. ICpktclm.
All education begins in work
What wo think, what wo know, or what
wo bcllevo is, in tho end, of llttlo con
sequence. J he only thing of conse
quonco is what wo do and for mnn,
woman or child tho first point of educa
tion is to make them do their best.
Uuskin.
Cornell University has examined
tho records of it; athletes, tijnd finds
that uthlotos, kopt wiihln rcasonnble
bourds, tiro notinconllictwith thoedu
crillcal purposes of tho university
Oiv'mnep average 70 per cSnt, ball
players '?3 per cent., nnd track sithleWs
70 por ccRt in Kclrtjhuhip for tho ye?r.
A tendor-lfcayrted and eompssics,t
dtapiHitic. which inclines n.'cn to pity
rout! tool tho mihSfcrtuaes of others, vtatl
vhVh is eve fc- its owa sgfts Mzkr&-
bV al lfolvlNfi' ay a-iMt 1: ruin til
misery, is all tempers of anir.d the
moct aunlabh; mm, thowKifc it kcIAo.
racelves muvli Ictr, la wee.-thy oT V.tst
highest.
Ho not porsuncled for fear mitil, of
from a weak deslro lo ple.;so to forego
your good resolutions, nnd to do what
you know to bo sinful and wrong. You
will lxivo to bo very bravo, very iwanly,
very strong tvnd very earnest in seeking
God's help, to do all of these things;
but in tho very struggle you will daily
grow stronger until you will despiao tho
coward heart which would unmim you
to tho ofTort. St. Andrew 's Cross.
Tho word character is dorivod fro:
a Greek vorb which means to cut Into
furrows, to engrave. Letters, figures,
or signs wore called characters, because
of tholr bolng engraved. Whatever Is
written upon tho heart makes tho man
what ho in, and is manifest in outward
repression. Consider, then, how inef
faceable It nil is, how wireless boys are
as to what is written upon their inner
being, and how often Satan is allowed
to hold tho engraving tool. The Iiausc-
hold.
VfHT AND WISD.OMJ
Fortunes nroiy.ittlo by taking oppor
tunities ; charaoter is i!ao by making
the;).
N) ia.la cra tinmvar tar h!? owa
valor or courage till ho hti's bca in
dangor. llochcfoucaulvl.
Great men begin enterprises because
thoy think thAfi great, and fools bo-
caiiiSd thoy think thorn on3y.
Tho tlmo lias been iHlsapiiliet!, do
voted to uiero Kilf-lndulgence. to tlhe
gratification of uuwfjrthy ajaiitas,
lost, and tliT.o lot'.! is mat llvfl. Jtim
1). (ioiiffji.
--What uwthatiikfulwossti 5i3 to loai
or consolatl.ons aii! to'loot uwo itat-
tora rt! ffrlovaacja; to thlaito i mnacli.
u;jom twm or tl'.reo erot,ls tfs J .':rYt a
hundreij lHesslngB.
Ait oxtnivagt ma?j, w!o lf.3
tctf.kl!i7,' else to recoinmsnd hhfi lauto
falno giwioofity, '.a ck'tca, mefs balo?ad
tlwiM. a p:rsc. V uiiKih moro ft :i. its last!
cWVMrl.', who !i etivo i 'Ale m
- I'wti,'' abo5i itll thigs oltll, gfc-
fccMies tlu vigor of iJiQu'a actions, sup-
l)hut ('ixdslvV, by aclllatiou, ffmi
opin llJ ronil lo error. lien one
seeks counsel of onc's fears judgment
ceases to obtrude advice.
Duty la tho power which rises with
us In tho morning, and goes to rest with
us at night. It Is co-oxlonslvo with the
act'on of our Intelligence. It Is the
hhadow which cleaves to us, go where
wo will, and which only leaves us when
wo leave tho light J Hlo.
--The willow which bends to the
tompcht often escapes better than tho
oak which resists It; and so In groat
calamities It sometimes happens that
light and frivolous spirits recover their
elasticity and presence of mind sooner
than those of a loftier character. Sir
Walter Scott.
- True follclty does not consist In
possessing tho frail favors of fortune,
but In knowledge nnd practice of wis
dom, Tho cultivation of various man
ners is necessarily attended with pleas
ure us well as profit; tho honest man
alone Is happy, and It Is very absurd to
suparatu things which aro lit their un
title M) closely united as virtue and in-
teroht. Socrates.
- To bo at work, to do things for tho
world, to turn tho currents of the
thDgs about us at our will, to make
our existence a positive element, oven
though It bo no bigger than a grain of
Hind, in this great system whom wo
vo- - that Is u now Joy of which tho
Kill' man knows no moro than tho molu
iiows of tho sunshine, or the horinuit
f tho ongle's triumphant (light Into tho
upper air. Tho man who knows Indeed
v, hat it Is to nut, to work, orlua outj
Phis, thU nlcmo, U to llvolM i'Afffi'iu
ItrwU,
rlEL'GIOUS AND
. EAGLE AND RATTLESNAKE.
A Forty-Five Minutes' Fight to the Finish
On the Wild Fralrle.
On n beautiful September morning 1
vtis cantering along on my pony, cross
mg a mountain divide, drinking in the
fresh air, admiring tho snow-capped
mountains, tho lofty pines, tho waters ol
tho creek alivo with trout, and, far In
tho distance, tho head-waters of the
Missouri winding their serpentine way
through tho valley. On every side the
beauty of tho sceno was augumcnted by
herds of deer and antelope, which dot
ted tho land In tho distance, but the
stillness was suddenly broken by the
shrill scream of an eagle. High up in
tho heavens I saw him prepare to de
scend, nnd down, down ho camo, with
tho swiftness of a shooting star, until
ho had nearly reached the earth, when
ho spread his powerful pinions and
cased himself down until he had nearly
reached terra firma, when, with a sud
den swoop, ho lighted upon a great
prairie rattler, about five feet long, and
a battle commenced such as I had never
boforo witnessed. I rodo slowly up to
the combatants, as near as I could with
out disturbing them, and eagerly
watched tho progress of the fight The
bird was ono of tho lnrgcst bald eagles,
and tho snako wns a monster ot its
kind, being three Inches in diameter.
Tho eagle, with ita creat thrown buck,
ran up to tho snake and gavo it a blow
over tho head with its wings that com
pletely stunnc'JI It, just t!a it was in the
act. of striking at him with all itS1 force.
Quick as thcUht tlS eigle then caught
It in its talons, cojred about tan'fc?jt in
ths nlr, yji It o furlon ahjtijp, d
let it foil to tfc 3StS, l:ffl.-p it 1
coillO io o w!frU'.bi OitUtflS. r.Tiilijg
Sijtd hfdlSt?,' Is Crfii wi',r.'li. TJp iicwls
HWBjfc' a scol .TdisVj io t&") 1 lie
nor Ivstare, L"it tte e:.ki 'rtaV(i i'S
almw tM;s ar1. wlza:. tk oei.'1'J
w.v-s closi KiMi't, thiveab i' Itwd IsSi
tweiUi his ts: tawl wir,, n&el, v?itJu a
dES5Gfa-is oiJ(rX wo.SUjl itself 4Tro:.iw
t! eagle's toy, atl it loofc&3 foe a
unot.ot a? thor:Ii. ilea rowarftsl la.il
mu&t die. I&it, with a vtolent' ai
his win;gs, ho bk-ako thro 'itescdly q..sr:s&i,
craght ties ftankc, avo it a nuwibor a!
jerks, nrzd throw it doww apitiw. 'J'ke
blood was oozhsg fronr. several plsscos ir.i
tho rattlur s body, wljisM soeaw&a to
ma'kfs ilh2 cict'Jie maro excited than
over.
l wo nkvR!nje:tii3 liow roufcatwoii soince
foot apart, nnd fc,tem.ed to bo restitag,
wltilo tho rjcitlotr kopt up a Hjxm buz
zing, perhaps to intimidate, the bird.
Tho eat'lio next tried ar,iotlror plan,
wheeling,' around hid itrcmy in a circle ;
hut tho serpent wtr.s ticqtrainted with
this dodgo, and kopt full in his m-co.
Tints foiled, tho eaglo bctin to whip
tho rattler with tho tips of his wings
his head woll thrown back, but tho
snake dodged the blows. Tho eaglo
then made a feint, jumped to ono side
rfnd struck it a fearful blow, caught it
by tho mlddlo and shook It until the
make was about to entwine itself around
his body, when ho again threw it to tho
ground. Jioth showed signs of great
fatigue, but noither seemed incliuri'd to
glvo way. 'llio eaglo ram aroumil yad
around his vitstlm, in ovry coKceJvublo
way, but so far tho tsmko managed to
hold l.'ilm o!7, until ho throw bxck his
hoad and nucAo a despera'o drive. The
snake struck with all Ita fo'reo tho
eaglo camo in contact with its hard.
and. while trying to coil aroutirl his
body, was caught ami carried up Into
ho idr, where It wtis alm.oai jsrlvod Ir,
tw.viM, a:l wlnen It rca'clssd th:o yroiand
.ifc'alu Its f,itrai!i3 were luvutfltv? aut, riftid
it writked aitcl twibted In u'roai tnin.
I'ho jwoud blnll titood loo.kir,' oij wltfu
th.0 vbtorioMij air o.I a pui'iliiii wliio hex
vuui a wutrlftl nuiwitad Icitfc, L!o luciai
dt(j.v jtiit'l hto wiiics rrCU.?, ira the
'oitinftl. Ior Una lh't'i th rj vml his
lorA'o owes iynw iS4. shio'."V i&l'iwr
snirprko iMfr tmjfr at t7i? pTiStJitco ; he
eon:d to- undoritAVid that I .?ould not
(r.ol'K& him, for ho turnad to thS inli'e
tuvl gav3 It anotho gautf. shsifclng to
Mt.wo turo of if.K diClBh. 1 M 'tfiupted
to W him iJiotr.io tit t trophy of the
Lftttle, b.it his uiifllnikjR conlldeucit in
tno unnerved my nrm. Vrhon tho agon
Id) of defth eo o Jor end his enemy
hf.l co$Jd writhing ho stretched hi?
tfingx, seized his prey whore tho skin
wtis not broken, and with a steady lllght
horctlt to a mountain crag, tho highest
one in tho neighboring mountain. As
he slowly winged his way tho huge ser
pent could bo soon hanging from his
powerful claws. Tho fight lasted three-
quarters of tm hour, and had the eaglo
been less careful of his oyos and head
ho could havo torn tho sunko to atoms
In a moment ; but.io seemed to realize
tho danger of tho poisonous nature of
tho snake, and gained his victory by
tho oxerclso of his strategic instinct.
American Field.
Red Tap In Russia.
How easy It Is in Kuwaiti to got a
high otlicial's signature to any sort of a
document may be Illustrated by an an
ecdote that I have every reason to be
lieve Is absolutely true. A "stola-
iiachulnlk," or head of a bureau, in the
provincial administration of ToRilsk,
while boasting ono day about his power
to shape and direct governmental
action, made a wager with another
chluovuik that ho could got tho Gov
ernor or tno province tho Into l,ov
ernor Ltssogorskl to sign n manuscript
copy of tho Lord's Prayer. Ho wrote
tho prayer out in tho form of an olllcial
document on a sheet of stamped paper,
.numbered it, attached tho proper seal
to It, and handed it to tho Governor
with a pllo of other papers which ro-
,ulml signature. Ho won his wager.
I'lio Governor duly signed the Lord's
I'ltiyur, and It was probably as harmlttss
tn oillolni iioauiiient as ovor etiina out
of ortlccWforoo Koiimn, in
tniuiy,f
A WAKE IN HONDURAS.
SIlMlile-.MIlldeit 1'eople Who Jluvo Not tlio
I. nut Fe.tr or Dentil.
It was in British Honduras that I
first attended a vclorio, or the ceremony
of watching with a corpse. Tho family
home consisted of a single long or nar
row apartment, rounded at each end,
with earthen floor, and roof thatchoJ
wiui guatio leaves, rrotu tho cro.-
polcs hung a few hammocks, and In tho
middle of the room, upon a rude bier
made of two boards upheld by casks,
lay the dead woman, with a woe infant
clasped in her arms. Tho faco of tho
mothor, who could not havo been moro
than fourteen years old. was calm and
peaceful, but that of tho baby was
strangely distorted, as if terrified with
its brief look on life. Fresh llowors
wero scattered upon tho scarlet blanket
that partially covered the still figures;
lighted candles stood at tho head and
foot, and nar by sat the slaters and
parents of the dead woman, silent and
sad.' Inquiring why tho husband and
father was not among tho mourners, I
waa carelessly informed, aa though it
were nothing to cause remark, that la
probracrta (the poor, dear girl) had
never been wedded; and as for tho
father quicn sabe?
A groat crowd occupied tho house of
mourning, laughing and jesting an
though tho occasion wore ono of re
j''clng, rather than sorrow. Many
wero playing cards, outside under u
pomegranate tree refreshments were
spread, and music and uproar re
sounded in stf.rtlinsr incongruity with
tho dr:id myster y of dej.th.
The ceremony of el vclorto is ?.lSys
oUwrWd t'het'e thtrt if f, dosth in the
ffffil and is intdsd 'o beep up the
aplal'B of tl: rlT.ti-r- Hind prevent
'iitlu 'SHoujfctt fao35.- dpUtn o5i the
S'&aa'.o of cccsciijit,. Ws is told
tl:& co:20Wijurblj di&mo it rjf.dft
l&??i3Stt 'six-- ttt&s&i c' o jryo'Tfi prjatt
aOTl tl:A si cMW, iwsrswfc th .vv tx
lti$ wlthwnt' siM suy to jyo rfisht
W) (SiniKics. tmws:-, tswl t!B-for hs
diiiiS is i.vropply a aalijwi of rj-oic-It.,.
With r&'ilts it ie usa. 30 oviin
wlin .ie CT.'id nwy !&k'?o litn ysnt to
&o positive fo.v tho (hxed of ihs bodi.
tKii'l so at thi? t'car.:' thr is leas mor
riii.'vit atl iiiioro oKfl-playing, th.o ob-
ril boing merely to amuoti tho
UCT-urucrs, sirsco tl.n? dal aro indiHor
oirit to smiles or tears.
With those simple-minded folk death
3 looked upon without fear or terror,
ottoof the common accidonts of life.
With a laugh upon his lips tho Indian
lies down to die, remarking cheerfully
voy a descansas, "I am going lo rest."
Their superstitions aro singularly
materialistic. Thoy believe that their
sinful soul reaches hell (MictlUn) after
a long and painful journey. A deep. ,
dark river intervenes, and to cross it
tho aid of a yellow dog Is necessary,
with a string tied around his neck.
which is hold by tho corpse. Any dog
but a yollow dog would not do at all; a
bhysk ono would say, "I havo boon
stained," a white ono, "I have been
washed," and neither could find the
only fordable placo In tho river. There
fore, yollow dogs aro reared for that
iSspooiuJ purposo which may account
for tho hoE.t o.f curs in aiid around Sii;ito
Toiribiro.
In croxdiigr this Sfeya thr, p'otc? co:rpsa
loyes all his clothe?, after which tho
dog lends him, naliod, btitwefla two
lofty mountains tUti aro constantly
clfi:?hlt'j' to'otl.fijr; thou ovi':r nno-thor,
which i? covotaVl ttitii eio-s shrjsvp w
r,tocidlS2; tb't.i ovop night hillo, upon
vyhiAjh s'.Oi-t cuts t'.A lli?h HRi ksniVe..
afiri on throitii'h cfcsht Cte-Vs, whoro
tho ';r.ds aro b.wnii$i caTil
Aitor all this b is ll e.icor.yli a &?a
w!'.w5" imb'aai arotv;? tr.vo CDiillmirilly
Oyioy or-i'l, yaziL o.f fdl, licrco ti,ioro
aoifii :jr,id CiS wt' 1 do bcyi'. crl ho fullc
hVio & foa:;dr kyaon iW.czl 'Pitii lit:
tide, hi o7,' h (jo'c out of It io i. at) '
plilnBl; but' lit luuth h Cipiu&US t
foa tho IKing of siTloilaM, -?hen his
journey Is ondenl end hiC iiSawiimy lost
fojover
Another fiuilLM'Ctition i thW of ths
hofvonly mil); treo, for dofd Inftirfc,
Which grows in a mansion called Chi
butfuah io. irom its twigs mTllc iscon-
stantlv oozing and it is believed that
babies thus nourished wfil return to
earth after thousands of years, to popu
late tho world anew when tho prosont
races shall have passod away. I'iilu
dcljihfa llccord.
VENOMOUS SNAKES.
TIioho Moit rriMiiintly ICiicountiiroit l)j
TniioltirN In Imllit.
'King cobra," tho largest poisonous
snake known, sometimes measures ovor
fifteen feet. Tho cobra is a poisonous
snako and can bo found 8,000 feet high
In tho mountains. They aro of many
colors and attributes. Tho females of
tho cobras aro "hooded" and tho males,
tho "rat snake," aro said to bo harm
less. A male cobra once bitten by a
"hooded" cobra died from tho effects
of tho poison Infused Into its system.
Once a year, during tho rainy season,
the cobra lays It oggs and when born
the suakils about seven and one-half
Inches long. Of all serpents tho cobra
Is tho most easily charmed. If its
attention Is attracted It will not turn
to strike 0110 seizing It,
The Klait, often found in India, is
venomous and subsists on smaller
snakes.
In tho "chain viper," tho fangs are
very long and bolng very ilerco it is
tho most dreaded snake in India. Tho
etiain viper has been known to live n
whole year without food and gota to bo
seven feet long.
Tho groon tree vipor Is a cousin of
tho Aimi-luMn rtUilutmaku aud uouslsbs
of ttitfltt spuoitK, though but one spyolui
U well known. -CMmyo tVww.
It U ivMutrkallu to think how
cltwoly th.' full of imiii faUnwtfd ujmhi
tho nu vf womttti. Merchant Traveler.
STICKLER'S CLOSE CALL.
He Joked About Finding Bear and Found
One In Earnest.
A Philadolphlan named Stickler
epends soveral weeks each year in tho
ratsklll mountains. Ho had an exciting
ndventuro tho other day. Stickler left
his retreat, which nestles among tall
pines in a picturosquo valloy.early in tho
morning. Ho took with him a double
barreled gun, and a small Scotch ter
rier dog followed at his heels. Fol
lowing mountain paths ho soon camo In
sight of tho Hotel Kaatersklll, where
he stopped a short tlmo and chatted
with friends, who bantered him nbout
shooting a bear. Stickler took tho jest
srood nnturedly, and remarked that ho
would return with a bear. Bidding his
friends good-by, ho sallied forth on
what ho anticipated would bo an en
joyable day's sport Stickler soon
camo to tho brow of '.''10 hill which
overlooks a deep valley south of tho
hotel.
The hunter dcsct!hdod tho mountain
sido into tho valloy, which he crossed,
and then ho tramped on for a mile or
two. Stickler kept a sharp lookout for
gamo. His little dog kept beveral
yards ahead of him. Suddenly ho heard
it bark, and it ran back to him. It
acted as if it wore badly frightened.
Advancing cautiously, Stickler saw
something that filled him with pleasure
and his pulso quickened with excite
ment. Between four tall trees, which
formed a spaco of about twenty feet,
Tvero two cub I curs at piny- Their an
tics amused him and it was some timo
before ho awakened to his senses that
whf.t htf had started out for was right
boforo him. Raising his gun, ho took
aim f.t tho largest of the cubs and fired.
The little animal was badly wounded,
Snd it set up a crving that could bo
hord long distance. Tho plaintivo
bounds were heard by the old mother
tear, sfhich had been feeding on bcr-
rifl. Jt front tearing through tho
bufhes to its young, licked tho wounds
of its offspring, and looked around for
I ho hunter. Tho old bear caught sight
of Stickler, and frith growls that sent
Oold shivers running up and down his
spint.l column, it made for him.
Botfreen tho placo whore Stickler
r.s standing and the spot whore tho
cubs wero there was stretched a hugo
trunk of a treo which had been denuded
of its branches. Tho log rested in such
a position that a small animal could
crawl under. This proved a fortunate
circumstanco for Stickler, for his life
wtis saved by it.' Bruin was rapidly
ippronching, and tho hunter raised tho
gun to his shoulder and took careful
aim, as it wtis tho only charge ho had.
In tho excitement that followed tho
shooting of tho cub ho had forgotten to
reload tho other barrel. Tho charge
hit tho bear near tho shoulder and in
flicted a torriblo but not fatal Wound.
This only served to enrngo tho shaggy
brute still more, and it reached tho log
and had its fore paws on top of it when
tho little torrlor, which had stood trem
bling with fear behind its master, dart
ed under the log and' caught tho beast
by one of its hind legs. The bear turned
its attention to tho dog, which slipped
bacj: under tho log.
Tho now turn of aifairS encouraged
Stickler, vho did not lot tho chancoslip
by. Grnping hi WoApon by tho bar
rel ho tlvnced smd stnic't: the bruto
on the hod. I5i-uii'i did not Seem to
inind tit 0 blo-.p, And it ftgil.in mounted
tlr.o lor sr.ul thtlltModGgiriLln repented
its p.eifoirnt;mc. Stio'jcl-Jr begifci to nf
lo3. oijS biirol of hi; gun, but 3 ueiv
ou" ni:d useitcd OT1 L-v thaA ho apilloxl
half hlj pTOdisy otm tlx." ground. I&e
uiauC7Tl hocwiTw, to chh2 i:-i
ju C5 tJ.; brv ccc on top of tlna lag
fp tL-Si Mind tires, lllo fircstl ssid tho
tewisr ct, Mm crn ineVvit ant for the
l-:v.''s hiiitil qic'nic- Thit time Bruin
did no'i tui-ii I'j.ek, and Stickler, r:diz
irr it, rc lifo or dof.th ith him,
aualtori fof.rd to club tho ani:5?l. liW
hd tho oftjiott olovjited lion tho
rtiisal it foiv .T.nW 'ft.-uct him a
torriblo hlo in tn b?e4, tnd h Toll
unconv'ious to tho gjound. Whan ho
npenctl hinyolhe 9i9 tho l:c lyiny
by his sido. it was dead. It had
struck tho hunter in its h?t death
struggle.
Stickfer found thnt tho last shot had
entered the boar1fmouth, which, ho re
membered, as it came across tho lo
was wide open. The lfftito's
tongue
was cut off at tho roots and was
with shot. Kingston (2?. Y.)
man.
'filled
hrce-
Somobody has published tho state
ment in Philadelphia thnt if ono wished
to havo good luck in tho daily transac
tions of lifo all that was necessary was
to watch tho first humpback man or
woman who chanced to puss down tho
street and touch him or her upon tho
hump. At first this idoa was confined
to tho theatrical profession, tho mem
bers of which aro notoriously supersti
tious. Lately, however, tho craze has
spread. Women, as woll as mon, havo
'tikon up tho idoa, and tho lifo of a con
servative humpback in Philadelphia is
far from desirable.
A couple wore married In 1H8 tTalo, N.
Y., In 1SS2. Tholr wcddlngcards read:
Mr. and .Mrs. Slgournoy. At homo,
Thursday, In Sacramento, Cal., begin
ning May 10, 1888." Thoy arrived in
Sacramento on tho dato specified, hav-
ng spont six years on tholr wedding
our. Jiioro is scarcely a spot on tho
lolx thnt tbnv linvo tint vlnlt.ul. Phil.
.rim wuiu oorn 10 mom on run 10 twin
'oyjs In St. Petersburg, n girl In China,
ml another boy In Urazll. Tho jour-
ey eot thorn $75,000, and now thoy
ire rowdy to sottlo down and sou tholr
rioMOs "at homo."
. . 1 1. 11. . . . . .
- We judff onrsaivaa by whwt wo fool
inutile uf doing, whllu other judtre us
!mt we havo already dotiy. V.wi--141,
INSPIRED THE JUDGE.
Hon- a Kentucky Dispenser of Justice Set
tled III Liquor Dill.
Colonel Porter McPeal, of Louisville,
Ky., went into a saloon tho other day
a "most natural performance and after
tak'ing a drink of whisky, turned to tho
proprietor of tho place, a portly Gor
man, nnd said:
"Yo1 licker ain't very old, sah."
"No,"' replied tho German, as ho bo
pan to rub tho bar with a rag, "it aind
as oldt as dot bill you owe me, but it aind
youn yust do sames."
Tho Colonel, almost mortally offend
ed, struck tho German. A fight ensued,
the police rushed in and both men wero
taken to the police station. Shortly
afterward they wore arraigned boforo
the judge. Tho German tniulo his state
ment, and tho judge, without giving tho
Colonel an opportunity of saying any
thing, exclaimed:
"Colonel. 1 lino you ton dollars, sah."
After court had adjourned, tho
Colonel went up to tho juduo and wild:
"Look here, Bill, what thodoueo
made you fine lno? Why, I thought
you would laugh over tho matter and
dbjniss tho case."
"I would havo dono -o, Porter, but
it was too t-erious a matter."
"How so?"
"Why, hang It, I owo tho old rascal
a bnr-bill myt-elf. Have to keep on the
good side of him yry know."
"Yes, but wh- didn't you fine him
enough to offset tho bill?"
"That's a fact." tho judge roplled,
thoughtfully scratehhiK his head.
"Say, Bob (calling nil officer), run
down and bring that saloon-keeper
back here. Tell him that court was
not adjourned, that I have only given a
recess. My dear Porter, you inspire
me, nnd I fain would believe thnt if I
had you near mo, to whisper tho gentlo
words of encouragement in my ear,
that I would bo much moro of a suc
cess than 1 am. Ah, hero ho comes.
Court will pleaso coirio to order. Mr.
Von Midler, I am not dono with you.
In consideration of tho fact that you in
vited tho assault with persistent beck
oning which, in truth, is much worse
than committing tho assault itself I fine
you line you (aside, How much doyl
owe him?) fine you fifteen dollars."
"Veil, den," replied tho German,
"you yust owo mo twenty-fife dollar, so
yust gifo me ten dollar, und we gall it
square."
"Fifteen, did I say?" replied tho
judge "I meant twenty-five. Pay tho
money nnd go your way with tho moral
determination that you will encourage
no moro broils." Arkansaw Traveler.
BEATING HIS RECORD.
Hon- a Detroit .liimpur Surprised Illnin-lt
11111I Ills Admirer.
At an early hour yesterday morning
it was given out on Michigan avenue
that tho champion jumper of tho world
would try to beat his record at cloven
o'clock. Ho was to jump in rear of a
saloon, of course, nnd of course all who
passed through tho placo wero expected
'o buy a glass of beer. About fifty
sports wore on hand when the cham
pion arrived. Ho was a young man of
feline expression and he had a serious
voice.
"Understand, gentlemen," ho ex
plained, as ho put away his fifth or
sixth glass of beer, "that I claim to bo
!ho champion jumpw of tho 'florid. I
shall try to-dfcy ',0 out-do fill my previ
ous elfortt. r&nd I ain plcaaed to inform
you f,h.h! 1H0 crolleufiioA will bit (hen
up."
Tl oyos-yu ;stijtoarrd ivt tii btck
yftl, zotffl o;i.tv ofWArl Mitu lv:li4
to V.. oll'Vy, ,'EM'"t t'.tv jmnicvt.- ijm h
hcwlcto tfcy mv':i. Ky ouA by, aftoa
iinoMto'J' ghac of bicw hiril bmen Lusoutflu
out, ho jumrwl. 16 jumtppl ftCitly
tnalc inchc.
"Pvo dons it!" 1: pauillly SMclJirjjsf,
ho hi! kdto tto t0'3d.
"That's no jumn !" V-ioiwM IW 9
dozen voices.
"GifntlemcA, I htfto iMtonVRip mc
ord," said tho chmpion. "Thtit't fur
ther by four inches than I ovar jumpid
lfcfore. I set out to beat my record nd
the result is before you."
"Do you call that ti jump P" demanded
tho crowd.
"I do. I cortainly do. I'd bo only
too glad to jump twenty foot, but I
can't do it, you know really can't.
Twenty-two inches has heretofore boon &
my limit, and Pvo surprised mysol.
As I told you a fow minutes ago, no col
lection will bo taken up. Thanking you
for your extremo kindness, and hoping
to over retain your esteem, I will now
bid you good-bye and withdraw."
And ho left tho alloy gtito opon so thnt
forty-nine of that crowd could pass out
after him and sneak away. Detroit Frn
I'rcss.
A Convenient Husband.
Husband Wife, you aro everlasting
ly reading books.
Wi?o Yes, 1 find them very Interest
ing. "It's a pity I ain't a book; then you
mfeht take como interest in me."
"J wouldn't object If you wero Una
right kind of a book."
"What tort of a book do you think n
husband ought to bo?"
"An almanac, so I got a new ono
every year." Texas Siftin&i.
"llrothron." t-aid a Tennesson
preacher, "don't put Pontius Pllata
down as a bad mnn. Ho wasn't a bad
man ; ho was only a weak ono. 1 In
himself would intioh rnthor hnvo 10.
lo&od our Sflrionr, but ho couldn't re
sist tho pressure of tho Scribes and
Phnrieae and Uia howling of tho rab-
uiw. He iltnn t have any backbone- Ho
wasn't bad, hut he ww n jxwr eioaturo
111 liu't, tUi-i-o wiw nothliur to him.
BiVthri'ii. If (ioiHM-nl Andrew .lankKnn
hud Ikh'h In Pontius Pilwia'g dno9 that
trial .ould luuo had udiffoioutoud!m.M
1
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I
o
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