fbe Doetor'$ pemma
By Hc3ba Strctton
OHAPTKlt XXVH.-fContlnued.)
"Host thou brought a doctor with theo,
my brother?" the uBkcd.
"I have brought no doctor except thy
brother, my sinter," answered Monsieur
Laurcntlo. "also a treasure which
found at the foot of tho Calvary down
yonder "
Ho had alighted whilst saying this, and
the rest of the conversation was carried
on In whispers. There was some one ill
In the house, and our nrrivul was 111
timed, that was quite clear. Whoever
the woman was that had come' to tho
door, she did not advance to speak to
me. but retreated as soon as the conver
sation was over.
"Pardon, madame," he said, approach
Ins us, "but my sister is too much occu
pied with n sick person to do herself tuo
honor of attending upon you.
lie did not conduct us through the open
door, but led us round the angle of the
presbytery to n small out-house opening
ou to the court, and with no other on
trance. It was a building lying between
the porch and belfry of the church and
his own dwelling place. Hut It looked
comfortable and inviting. A fire had been
hastily kindled on an open hearth, and a
heap of wood lay beside It. Two beds
were In this room; one with hangings over
the head and a large tall cross at the
foot board; the other n low, narrow pal
let, lying along the foot of It. A cruci
fix hung upon the wall, and the wood
work of the high window also formed a
cross. It seemed a strange goal to reach
after our day's wanderings.
Monsieur Laurentie put the lamp down
on the table, and drew the logs of wood
together on the hearth. He was an old
man, as I then thought, over sixty. He
looked round upon us with a benevolent
emtio.
"Madame," he said, "our hospitality
Is rade and simple, but you are very wel
come guests. My sister is desolated that
she must leave you to my cares. But If
there be anything you have need of, tell
me, I pray you."
"There is nothing, monsieur," I an
swered; "you are too good to us too
good."
"No, no, madame," he said, "be eon
tent To-morrow I will send you to Oran
ville under the charge of my good Jean.
Sleep well, my children, and fear noth
ing. The good God Will protect you."
Minima had thrown herself upon the
low pallet bed. I took otf her damp
clothes, and laid her down comfortably
to rest. It was not long before I also
was sleeping soundly. Once or twice a
rague impression forced itself upon me
that Minima was talking a great deal in
her dreams. It was the clang of the
bell for matins which fully roused me at
last, but It was a minute or two before
I could make out where I was. Then
Minima began to talk.
"How funny that is!" she said, "there
the boys run, and I can't catch one of
them. Father, Temple Secundum Is pull
ing faces at me, and all the boys are
laughing. Well! it doesn't matter, does
it? Only we are bo poor. Aunt Nelly
and all. We're so poor so poor to
poor!"
Her voice fell into a murmur too low
for me to bear what she was saying,
though she went on talking rapidly, and
laughing and sobbing at times. I called
to her, but she did not answer.
What could ail the child? I went to
her, and took her hands in mine burning
little hands. I said, "Minima!" and thu
turned to me with n caressing gesture,
raising her hot fingers to stroke my face.
"Yes, Aunt Nelly. How poor wo are,
you and I! I am so tired, and the piiu.e
never comes!"
There was hardly room for me in the
narrow bed, but I managed to lie down
beside her, and took her Into my arms to
soothe her. She rested there quietly
enough; but her mind was wandering,
and all her whispered chatter was about
the boys, and the dominie, her father, ana
the happy days at home in the school m
Epping Forest. As soon as It was light 1
dressed myself In haste, and opened my
door to see if I could find any one to send
to Monsieur Laurentie.
The first person I saw was himself,
eomlng In my direction. I had not fairly
looked at him before, for I had seen him
only by twilight and firelight. Ills ens
sock was old and threadbare, and his hat
brown. His hair fell In rather long lov-ks
below his hat, and was beautifully white.
Ills face was healthy looking, like that
of a man who lived much out of doors,
and his clear, quick eyes Bhone -with a
kindly light. I ran Impulsively to meet
him, with outstretched hands, which he
took Into his own with a pleasant smile.
"Oh, come, monsieur," I cried; "make
haste! She Is ill, my poor Minima!"
The smile faded away from his face in
an instant, and he did not utter a word.
He followed me quickly to tho side of
the little bed, laid his hand softly on
the child's forehead, and felt her pulse.
Ho lifted up her head gently, and opening
her mouth, looked nt her tongue and
throat. Ho shook his head as ho turned
to me with a grave and perplexed expres
sion, and ho spoke with a low, solemn ac
cent .
"Madame," he said, "It Is the fever!"
lie left me, and I sank down on a
chair, half stupefied by this new disaster.
It would be necessary to stay where wo
were until Minima recovered; yet I had
no means to pay these people for the
trouble we should give them, and the ex
pense we should be to them. I bad not
time to decide upon any course, however,
before he returned and brought with him
his sister.
Mademoiselle Thcrcse was a tall, plain,
elderly woman, but with the samo pleas
ant expression of open friendliness as
that of her brother. She went through
precisely the samo examination of Min
ima as he had done.
"Tho fever!" aho ejaculated, In much
the samo tone as his. They looked sig
nificantly at each other, and then held a
hurried consultation together outside the
door, after which tho cure returned nlono.
"Madame," he said, "this child Is not
your own, as I supposed last night. My
sister says you are too young to bo her
mother. Is she your sister?"
"No, monsieur," I answered.
"I called you madame because you
were traveller alone," he continued, smll
Ing; "French domoltulles never travel
alone. You aro mademoiselle, no doubt?'
"No, monsieur." I said frankly, "I am
marrlod."
"Where, then, Is your husband?" ho In
Quired.
"He It lu London." I aiuwerod. "Mon
sleur. It Is difficult for me to explain it
I cannot sneak your language well
enough. I think in Knglish, and I can
not fiud the right French words. I id
very unhappy, but I am not wicked."
"Good," he said, smiling agnlu, "very
good, my child: I believe you. lou will
learn my language quickly; then you shall
tell me nil, if you remain with us. Hut
you said the miguonuo Is not your sis
ter."
"No. she Is not my relative at all,'
replied; "we were both In a school at
Noireau, the school of Monsieur Kmlle
Terrier. Perhaps you know It, mon
lour?"
"Certainly, madame," he said.
"Ho has failed, and run away," I con
tinued; "all the pupils are dispersed
Minima and I were returning through
Granville.
"I understand, madame," he respond
ed, "but It is villainous, this affair
Listen, my child. I havo much to say to
you. Do I speak gently and slowly
enough for you?"
"Yes," I answered, "I understand you
perfectly."
"We have had the fever in Ville-en
bols for some weeks," he went on; "It is
now bad, very bad. Yesterday I went to
Noireau to seek a doctor, but I could only
hear of one, who Is In Fans at present,
and cannot come immediately. At pres
ent we have made my house into a hos
pital for the sick. My people bring their
sick to me, and we do our best, and put
our trust in God. Hut this little houso
has been kept free from all infection
and you would be safe here for one night,
so I hoped. The mignonne must have
caught tho fever some days ago. Now
must carry her Into my little hospital.
But you, madame, what am I to do with
you? Do you wish to go on to Gran
ville, and leave the mignonne with me.'
We will take care of. her as a little angel
of God. What shall I do with you, my
child?"
Monsieur." I exclaimed, eagerly, "take
me into your hospital, too. Let me take
care of Minima and your other sick peo
ple. I am very strong, and In good
health; I am never 111 never, never. I
will do all you say to me. Let me stay,
dear monsieur."
"But your husband, your friends "
he said.
"I have no friends," I interrupted, "and
my husband does not love me. If I have
the fever and die good! very good! 1 am
not wicked; I am a Christian, I hope.
Only let me stay with Minima, and do all
I can in the hospital."
"He content, my child." he said, "you
shall stay with us." ,
I felt a sudden sense of contentment,
for here was work for me to do. as well
as a refuge. .Neither should I be com
pelled to leave Minima. I wrapped her
up warmly in the blankets, and Monsieur
Laurentie lifted her carefully and ten
derly from the low bed. He told me to
accompany him. and we crossed the court
and entered the house by the door I hud
seen the night before. A staircase led
up to a long, low room, which had been
turned into a hastily fitted-up fever ward
for women and children. I hero were
already nine beds In It. of different sizes,
brought with the patients who now occu
pied them. But one of these was empty.
In this home-like ward I took up my
work as nurse,
"Madame," said Monsieur Laurentie,
one monilng, the eighth that I had been
In the fever-smitten village, "you did
not take a promenade yesterday."
"Not yesterday, monsieur."
"Nor the day before yesterday?" he
continued.
"No, monsieur," I answered; ."I dare
not leave Minima. I fear she Is going
to die."
Monsieur Laurentie raised me gently
from my low chair, and seated himself
upon It, with a smile as hu looked up ut
me.
"Madame," he said, "I promise not to
quit the chamber till you return. My sis
ter has a littlo commission for you to do.
Confide the mignonne to me, ami make
your promenade In peace. It is neces
sary, madame; you must obey mo."
The commission for mademoiselle was
to carry some food and medicine to a
cottage lower dowii tho valley; and
Jean's eldest son, Pierre, was appointed
to be my guide. Both the cure and his
sister gave me a strict chargo as to what
we were to do; neither of us was upon
any account to go near or enter the
dwelling; but after the basket was depos
ited upon a flat stone, which Pierre was
to point out to me, he was to ring a
small hand-bell which ho carried with
him for that purpose. Then we were to
turn our backs and begin our retreat,
before any person camo out of the in
fected house.
I set out with Pierre, a solemn looking
boy of about twelve years of age. Wo
passed down the village street, with its
closely packed houses forming a very
nest for fever, until we reached the road
by which I had first entered Vllle-en-boU.
Above the tops of the trees appeared a
tall chimney, and a sudden turn In the
by-road we had taken brought us full In
sight of a small cotton mill, built on the
banks of the noisy stream. A more
mournfully dilapidated placo I had never
seen.
In the yard adjoining this deserted fac
tory stood a miserable cottago with a
mildewed thatched roof. The place bore
the aspect of a pest house. Pierre led
mo to a large flat stone, and I laid down
my basket upon it. Then he rang his
hand-bell noisily, and the next Instant
was scampering back along the road.
But I could not run away. The deso
late plague-stricken place had a dismal
fascination for me. I wondered what
manner of persons could dwell in it; and
as I lingered I saw tho low door opened,
and a thin, spectral figure standing In trie
gloom within, but delaying to cron the
moldrrlng doorslll as long as I remained
In sight. In another minute Pierre had
rushed hack for me, and dragged me
away with all his boyish strength and
energy.
"Madame," he said. In angry remon
strance, "you are disobeying Monsieur l
Cure."
"Hut who lives there?" 1 asked.
"They are very wicked people," he an
swered emphatically; "no one gora near
them, except Monsieur le Cure. They
became wicked before my time, and
Monsieur to Curo has forbidden ui to
peak of them with rancour, so w do
not speak of them ut all."
Who wore these pariahs, whoic nam
cveu was banished from every tongue?
A few days after this, the whole com
munity was thrown Into a tumult by the
news that their curs was about to un- I
dcrtake the perils of a voyage to Eng- j
land, and would bo absent a whole fort
night. He slid It was to obtain somo )
Information as to the KtigUili system of
drainage In agricultural districts, which
might make their own valley more
healthy and less liable to fever. Hut It
struck me that ho was about to mako
somo Inquiries concerning my husband,
and perhaps about Minima, whose deso
late position had touched him deeply. I
ventured to tell him what danger might
arise to me If any clue to my hiding placo
fell Into Richard Foster s hands.
The afternoon of that day was unusu
ally sultry and opprossUo. The blue of
the sky was almost livid. 1 was weary
with n long walk In the morning, and
after our mid-day meal I stole away
from mademoiselle and Minium and be
took myself to tho cool shelter of tho
church.
I sat down upon avbench just within
the door. There was a faint scent yet
of the incense which had been burned at
tho mass celebrated before tho cure's
departure. I leaned my head against tho
wall and closed my eyes, with n pleasant
sense of sleep coming softly towards me,
when suddenly a hand was laid upon my
arm, with a firm, silent grip.
(To bo continued.)
Jy' ' "T-V'',' ''l'.-.1 iee'
.'fL.h. 'JIi-.ii .i.M,.i.."
Nice Turkish Customs.
It Is said by u correspondent of tho
London Telegraph that the habits of
tho Turkish ladles In Constantinople
are wonderfully fastidious. When they
wash their Uumls ut a tup from which
wnter runs Into a marble basin, they
let the water run till a servant shuts It
off, as to do this themselves would
make them unclean. They cannot open
or shut a door, as the handle would bo
unclean.
One of these fastidious ladles was
talking to u small uleoo tho other day,
who had Just received a present of a
doll from Paris. By and by tho child
Inld the doll on tho.lndy's lap. Sho
was horrlllcd, und ordered tho child to
take It away.
As the littlo girl would not move It,
and no servant was near, and tho lady
would be detlled by touching a doll that
had been brought from abroad, the only
thing sho could think of was to Jump
up and let the doll fall. It broke In
pieces.
The same lady will not open n letter
coming by post, but a servant opens
nnd holds It near for her to read, if
her handkerchief falls to the ground It
Immediately destroyed or given
nwav. so that she may not again use u,
Vniotig tho men this curious state of
things docs not exist.
I'opo on Wonian'M Clothes.
The Pope has recently manifested a
preference In regard to Indies' apparel
over and above the strict regulation in
regard to ladles who are received by
the holy father at the Vatican. A nleco
of the Pope was about to be married,
and her distinguished relative, took so
great an interest In her trousseau us to
stipulate that the young lady should
only have white, blue or black gowns,
adding that these were the three col
ors most becoming to young girls.
"Gray and brown," remarked his
Holiness, 'are only suitable for old
women, ami I do not like any other col
ors." Possibly the Popo prescribed white
because It Is the symbol of purity, blue
because It Is the color dedicated to tho
Virgin Mary, and black because It U
the time-honored hue of dress for out
door wear for Spain and Ituly. Lon
don Pall Mall Gazette.
Improved JlctliixU In Surgery.
It was In Boston that the first ad
ministration of ether for anaesthetizing
the patient under the surgeon'H knife,
mid a Boston physlclun. Dr. W. B. Hid
den, has perfected an appliance with
which the surgeon operating secures
tho full effects of ether and chloroform
without any waste, while the Insensible
subject breathes In the samo amount of
pure air with each Inspiration na
though not using the anaesthetic. The
blood Is thus kept oxidized, ami the pa
tient Is left In the best possible condi
tion for reaction and recovery.
Tho Speed of the Blood.
It has been calculated that, assuming
the human heart to beat sixty-nine
times a minute at ordinary heart pres
sure, the blood goes at the rate of 207
yards In a minute, or seven miles a
day, and 01,320 miles a year . If a man
84 years of age could have one single
corpuscle floating in his blood all his
life It would have traveled In that time
over 5,150,000 miles.
Tito World's Population.
.!. t ...
i i mi hi i I i nero linn oecu
U .K s.VJ an enormous in
erenso In the popu
lation of lhiropeau
countries and of
peoples of Hiiro-
penu origin during
tho last century.
The growth nil
round was from
I 7 0 . 000 ,000 to
about M0.000.000.
000. while the
growth of the Hull
ed Stntea was from
fi.isAM.tW to MJ.Uuu.uOd, and of the Kng
lish population of the British Umpire,
from 15.000.000 to M.OOO.IHH). Germany
and ltussla also showed remarkable
growth from 20.000.tHH) to nri.00O.000,
and from 40.0OO.0O0 to l.tfi.OOO.OOO. re
spectively, while France had only grown
from 2.-..000.(XK) to -10,000,000. The first
effect necessarily Is to assure the pre
ponderance of white peoples among the
races of the world.
In the United States, which has Im
meiisely greater virgin resources with
which to supply its population. It has
been noticed that the tuwn population Is
Increasing disproportionately. In the
I'uited States, In spite of the magnitude
of Increase of population, recent growth
has not been so fast as earlier In the nine.
teenth century. Until 1800 the growth lu
each census period runged between ICI
and III) per cent. Since then It has been
JO per cent to 1SS0, and Is now about 21
per cent. Tho obvious suggestion, that
possibly Immigration has fallen off, as
compared with what It used to be, would
not account for the diminished rate of
increase of the population generally.
Turning to Australasia, the decline in
the rate of increase Is great and palpa
ble, but there the perturbations due to
immigration have been greater than In
the case of the United States, because
the country settled mainly between lSTK)
and 1870. In Kuglnnd there Is n similar
though not ho marked a decrease.
The rate of growth of population of the
communities might still bo considerable,
even If no higher than In the last few
years. An addition of even 10 per cent
only us the average every ten years would
far more thnn double the fiOO.OOO.OOO lu
a century, and leave the white popula
tion at this century's end at 2.000,000,
000. Secondly, some of the rates of In
crease mentioned, such as that Jn Austra
lasia and the United States nt certain
periods, are quite abnormal, and duo
lurgely to exceptional Immigration.
Finally, there is tho question which
many people have rushed In to discuss-
namely, whether the reproductive power
of the populations in question is ns great
now as fifty or sixty years ago. It Is a
question which cannot be rushed, nnd I
nm unnble to commit myself to the belief,
heard from some quarters, that the rale
of Increase In these populations is. as In
1' ranee, coming nearly to an end. Tho
gravity of the statlonarlness of popula
tion in Franco lay In the fact that the
death rate thero remained high, while the
birth rate fell.
Silt KOBHIIT GWFFIN. .
Lx-I 'resident of the British Stntistiea
Society.
of the higher criticism) haw hud tho of
feet or repelling men from tho ministry
of at least some Christian churches. On
the contrary, however, It would bo nut
urn I for voting and vigorous men, us In
the ntiHt, to bo nttriictod by trials urn!
discussions as ulTorilliig u field for a ceo m
pllshmeut.
Other authorities tell us that tho reeon
fluiiuclal crisis nnd the revival of busl
nous which bus followed it are the chief
causes of the trouble. It Is true, no
doubt, thai when the imlile of IKIKI cniiio
many young men Just entering on their
studies preparatory to n theological odtl
cation found It Impossible to continue.
These probably would have been entering
tho M'liilunricH within the Inst two or
threo years. It is true also that with
the return of prosperity these nnd others.
who would have looked toward the minis
try under normal conditions, have been
attracted Into business by the opportiiul
thss offered In that Nphere. These expla
nations are but partial ones.
Over against these conjectural and un
aatlsfuotory quests for the reason of do
creased numbers lu the seminaries may
be advances! the theory that tho supply
for several years pnnt him been larger
than the ilomniid. If we take the Presby
terlnn Church ns typical we shall Hud
t lint for twenty-live, yenr. ending with
ISPs, the number of churches grew more
rapidly than the number of ministers. Hut
during the six years since 18!l.i the mini
tier of ministers has Increased so much
faster than tho churches that at the
present day there are more ministers on
the rolls in proportion to the number of
churches thnn nt any time In history. The
curious feature of the ense is that this
extraordinary Increase In the number of
ministers came precisely during the years
which show the steadily diminishing hum
her of students in the seminaries. The
conclusion cannot bo nvolded, therefore.
that tho condition In the theological semi
narioH Is due to the conviction that there
aro too many ministers already.
If this bo tho rorrect diagnosis of the
ease. It follows that there Is no serious
ground for alarm to the Christian Church.
Whenever In the providence of God a
larger number of ministers shall bo need
ed, the church mny lw trusted to furnish
them. AXDIU3W C. .HNOH, I). IK
Profoasor in McCorinlck Theological Scin
Inary.
Why There Arc fewer Ministers.
10 tnose interested in thool. g
ieal education the stuiistirs of
the seminaries for the last six
yours have given ground for se
rious thought. These statistics
indicate u steady decline in at
tendance, amounting, in some
cases, to from 40 to 45 per cent. The
anxiety thus awakened is not allayed
when one turns from the seminary stage
of education to the collegiate und academ
ic situations as regards preparations for
tlio ministry. In all colleges and schools
a decreased number of students is report
ed similar to the falling off at the toml
narles. It appears, therefore, that the
lowest point lit the ebb bus not yet been
reached.
It has been alleged that tho church has
lost its hold upon the community; that
It has been Invaded by the spirit of
worldliuess, commercialism and material
ism, demoralizing the religious lifi. of
young men and rendering them unwilling
to tune up tlio trials of ministerial life.
It bus even been questioned whether iho
church could survive Christian civiliza
tion. Hut why this commercialism, char
acteristic of tho past half century, should
have made Itself felt in the theological
seminaries only during thu last live or six
years is hard to see.
If is further alleged that heresv frlnls.
agitations for the revision or nhnllilnn
of creeds, discussions regarding the origin
ami uierary lorm or tne hooks of tho
Blhlo (commonly known under the head
The North American Indians.
If a people In
vades n strnngo
country In which
a ii o i h o r people,
with its peculiar
civilization, has liv
ed for n long 'line,
one of two things
nsutlll happens;
' it tier Iho invaders
uii .rb nr exterinl
'ale the invaded
d'u-r n certain
etlgtll nf lime, or
Iter are absorbed
by the "iigiii.ii .nun tui an t.H. Thus the
Koinaiis in ancient times absorbed tlio
numerous peoples which inhabited the
Italian peninsula and brought them into
the fold of Latin civilization. On the
other hand, tho Indians of Mexico and
South America to a grout extent absorbed
the conquering' Spaniards and Portu
guese and lowered their level of civiliza
tion. In the case of the Indians of North
America, however, neither of the two
things happened. It bus ul ways been u
wise rule with the Knglish people In Its
colonial invasions nil over the world nev
er to mix with the Inferior races of the
luvadeil countries. That Is probably ono
of the reasons of tlio Invariable success
of Ihigluiid'H colonial policy. The inva
sion of North America offers one of the
best exninples of" that policy, If strictly
adhered to. Tho white Invaders have
fought bloody wars with the Indians, who
desperately resisted the forward' march
of civilization. Periods of bitter strife
hnve nlterniited with periods of peace nnd
friendly eoniiiiercful relations. In spite
of all that the Invaders hnve not absorb
ed nny considerable number of thu In
dians. Thero was no danger at any tluio
that the blood of the millions of white
Invnders would become debased by the In-
fiiul.iii ..r ,1... i.i . ....
...- , mi- mimii m nilllloul
minims. However, tho Indian. !,,,...
iivonip nsslmllatoil.
I-Iko the other four rnccn, tho India
live within the territory of the Anm
enn republic, but their life In apart fit
nun oi i ne otner races. They stand i
pioieiy isolated und live, no to nay, more
neeiiuse hid ivlille Invnders hnve not
tlrely exterminated thuui. A forelg
traveling through tho United Stiles
find It rutlinr dlrlleiilt to tiiuvlncn hlins
or the exlstencu of Indians on thu Ai
ioiiii comment. Tito Indians am tlier
nevertheless. The United Huti gover
inent spends nearly $10,000,000 a y
"t uieir support and education.
Scarcely a century ago the Indians
iiipieu practically the entim territory
of North America excepting the AHiiuUC
const nnd mrt of the const
mo i.ulf f MpxIp,,, Nearly thr
millions of niir lni-a nt mint
il.HOO.OOO were occupied by tho Indlac
n un never Hum M-rod n, ilmn MM) (HI
Now (hero are hut 2:itl,00) Indians lef
tlio mnjorlly of wlom v ,, rosor
tlons. A century ul-o flier were tlio
tunl owners of t,r,.0 millions of suutm!
nines ot territory, whl In now t hov fro
eotillnuil to un urea of 220.000 sguafjg
nines. h
The number of Indians In the t'nlleal
States Is steadily iloereiHlnif. Tlio lTH
census shows that It lias diminished Uyl
10,000 bIiico 1870. Tin,, i. .conn thirl
the Indians are dtsitlueil to share tho
fate of the buffalo. lieiirUod of thai
hunting Ilgruuuds and eoutinisl to a unlFfl
agricultural life within the narrow llmlm
of their reservations, the Indians live 3
miserable, life like a wild bird In a mmfl
The lack of priqirr food and lurdcnlnJJI
exorcise innkes them easy virtlnii to tM
iktcuiosis aim outer inseoses, nnn wins kti
causes tliiilr rapid degeneration. There
Is but olio logical filiate to the struggle b9
tween the whites and tho Indians the
complete extermination of the Inner
FI-3LICI3 FnilllBllO,
Italian Anthropologist.
Woman's liisliioiuiblo Clothes.
I believe the dress of women!
this eur to bo the ugliest Uml
world has ever seen. How sn-iftH
ly upon the heels of another!
doth each calamity tread!
First In ugliness come thoj
drugging. 111 conditioned sk.rtsJ
Who fashioned und formed this ungodly
garments? There they are, thousnndtl
and thousands of them, dally paraded up
ami down the sidewalk, Inp-sldod, llrag-
glod, iticfllciciitly held up by clutching
bauds, stumbled over and stepped upou !
by scores of awkward feet. I hose skirts I
why was I Ixiru to see and wonder at
them? Next to the iilximlliablo trilling
stni't skirt. In ugliness nt least, comes
a certain cruelly common atrocity In the
form of a long cloth snek. A loos, bag
gy, shapeless, bulging monstrosity which
makes the woman who wears it look like
an iinmuiiiigeable, half-exhausted balloon.
There must have been an over-produc
tion of some kinds of cloth last year, nud
the shrewd mnniifartiirers hnve proba
bly Induced the mysterious beings who
llctnte the fashions to "work off'' the
superlliious material upon an unhappy
world. Would that the mollis might get
at these baggy horrors.
All women do Hot wear the lop sided.
Iruggly skirts, or tho bulging sin ks, lint
here are doiens of these things In sigh.
Phi' lints aren't so bud ns thej might be.
but the hair is worn in such u wny ns to
banish all thought of hats from the head
wearer und beholder alike. It is i
trnnge fact that this handful of hair.
ragged down over one side of the face.
always counterbalanced by tho lop-
Ided skirt. Hvery feminine creature
seems to instinctively nam down nor
front hair on one side, nnd clutch nt her
ress skirt on the labor. The effect Is
Ightmnrlsh. ADA 0. SWIJKT.
i'octry Out of Date.
There Is no great thought, no
worthy emotion, which tuny not
he better expressed lu prose than
III verse to-day. Verse wus tin'
primitive expression of man's
thought. Itliythm wus the char
acteristic of its first crude lit
erary efforts. Homer, liuiite und Shnks
peare oust their thoughts und emotions
in verso heentlHH tho metrical form wus
the only uileqiinte method of expression
invented In their day.
Knglish prose has been developed lo
the point, however, where it is a finer,
more subtle Instrument of wider scope
than Ihigllsh verse, ami poetry's chief
excuse for being hits been destroyed. Lit
erary truth Is truth to nature. Poetry
Is iirtlllcinl uml bears the deudly brand
of Insincerity In Its form.
OSOAIt L. TltlGGS,
Professor lu Chicago University.
car-
Kqual to tlio Occasion.
Liveried Menial "Mo lud, tho
rlage waits without."
His Lordship Without what?
"Without horses, me lud; 'tis an au-tomoblle."-Tlt-Blts.
Historic, British Regiments.
The names of no fewer than 105 bat
tles are emblazoned on tho banners of
the various regiments which form tho
British army.
Fish of tho Nile.
Tho Nile Is noted for tho variety of Its
Huh. An expedition sent by the British
Museum brought home 2,200 specimens.
SWIFTEST OF QUADRUPEDS.
Greyhound Hold the Kec.nl Tmr Oct.
una; er the (J round I'aatest.
Three men In a carriage, followed by
four dogs, alighted at one of the road-1
houses just beyond Klngsbiidge while
was resting there last Friday, and
proved to be so Interesting In their con
versation that I Ilngnred ninny minutes
beyond my time to llsien to them and to
learn something that I ilid not know
before. When tho dogs took mo Into
their confidence their owners did tho
same.
It appears that they had been out In
Westchester County, running tho dogs
ami making a record for their perform
ances. "There Is the fastest! animal that runs
on four legs," said one of tho men, as
ho pointed at a long, lank, sinewy Kn
glish greyhound that turned toward us
a countenance fairly beaming with In
telligence. "I dou't mean that partic
ular dog," ho continued, "but I do mean
his variety, and ho Is not tho slowest
member of It by nny means. Wo havo
Just been trying him under careful tim
ing, and found that ho went, when, on
full gallop, twenty yards a second.
That means a mile In a minute nnd
twonty-clght second a speed that
comes very near that of a carrier pig
eon and would leave far behind any
qii.'Klnipiyl that we know of.
"This Is a matter that I have studied
nnd know something ubout, There are
few thoroughbred horses that can ex
ceed nineteen yards a second, und 1
have known greyhounds to better that
by four yards. Foxhounds have a rec
ord of four tulles In six and a half min
utes, or nearly eighteen yards a second.
That Is fast going, nnd us good as the
most rapid of the hare family can do.
"This Kiosl Is to some extent an In
herited gift from away back, for I have
been luforimsj that wolves can run all
night at the rate of a mllu In three
minutes. Nausea says that Siberian
dogs can travel forty-llvo miles on the
Ice In live hours.
"This Is fast going, but these grey
hounds hold tho record."
UNCLE SAM'S POISONER
Not Generally Known thnt This Gov
erument Mnlntalnfi One.
In a little house In South Washington
is. located a Federal institution without
which tho Smithsonian Institution nnd
National Museum could not exist. It
Is tho department of tho chief poisoner,
Joseph Farmer. Tho odlco of chief
poisoner was not unusual In countries
ruled by despots, but It may bo a sur
prise to many to learn that such on
olllee Is maintained by out own repub
lican form of administration.
However, Mr. Farmer, unlike his con
temporaries lu Turkey, Spain, Arabia,
etc,, Is not engaged In putting obnox
ious and extibt-rnnt statc-smen out of
Iho wny, but lu placing the objects on
exhibit In the Institution and museum
beyond the reach of thieves, rust, and
cot it roaches.
Kverytlilng that Is received by those
Institutions, whether It Is a raro booli,
a Filipino 1m1o, or a stulTisl nnd mount
ed animal, Is sent to Mr. Farmer to be
poisoned. Ho Is an expert In tho prep
aration and uso of preservative com
pounds. For stuffed animals and hlnls.
be finds that arsenical compounds bring'
the best results. lOvcry object of metal
receives a coating of something that
prevents rust, whllo fabrics, baskotry,
silks, furs, etc., ore poisoned lu much
the same manner ns stuffed animals.
ICven the shelves nnd canes of tho mu
seum, In which tho objects aro placed,
havo passed through Mr. Farmer's
hands and been treated to a fluid thnt
causes a hug, moth, or cockronch to
think that he Is walking over n red hot
Iron tho mlnuto ho strikes their surface.
By these means tho museum Is forever
freed from vermin. Washington Post.
It Is not only bad luck to kill a spider
but thoy aro terribly squashy.
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