a
i From Rags to 3
j Silk Attire 1
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i By .1
Augustus Goodrich Sherwin
(Copyritht, 1915, by W. G. Chapman.)
Rags a room full of them, a ware
house given to shreds, patches, frag
ments, to trlps of rotted woolen
lengths, thin and faded cotton tat
ters. Rags once white, now spotted
and soiled. Discarded silks from my
lady's dressing room, homespun
weaves that bore the mark of rain and
grime, and wear and tear.
And amid the biggest heap of the
fragments to be sorted plodded and
sang as pure and bright a spirit as
cloister or palace might contain. They
called her Florlbel. Where she came
from, who her father and mother,
no one seemed to know except old
Jacobs, the owner of the rag shop.
Once his wife bad given It out that
they had reared her from a child, had
taken her from an orphan asylum.
They were coarse, common people at
the rag shop, but even In that atmos
phere of dregs Florlbel grew like a
beautiful Illy.
She would Blng when alone like a
lark, but never when Madame Jacobs
was about. Florlbel was In deep
dread of the lynxlike, tigerish-eyed
old woman. Not that the madam ever
mistreated her, except to keep her at
work twelve hours a day, but because
she shrank from the Inharmonious
nature of the woman. Madame
gripped at the heaps of rags in a way
that seemed to tell that so forcefully
would she tear at human hearts. If
she could And gold among them!
Once Florlbel had found a diamond
ring In an old glove. When she gave
It to the madam, the selfish, avari
cious glee of her task mistress fairly
appalled her. She gloated over It,
she kissed It, she hastened to convert,
it Into money.
After that, the probing eager eyes
of the old woman terrified Florlbel.
Ever on the lookout for treasure, for
money or trinkets, the rag woman re
sembled some famished ferret on the
scent of blood.
Then one day "The Hero" came into
the lonely life of the beautiful Iso
lated girl. A young man entered the
place and asked for Its proprietor.
Old Jacobs was absent on a rag buy
ing trip. The madame was also ab
sent, but would return soon. In awe
of the rich tasteful attire of the un
familiar caller, fascinated with his
handsome face, the courtesy of the
true gentleman that he bestowed
She Gloated Over It.
upon her, as in a dream Florlbel dust
ed off the one rickety chair in the
place and resumed her work.
He sat looking at her with more
than common interest. Her pure, in
nocent face deeply attracted him. He
influenced the shy eyes to seek his
own, he led her to talk with him.
Soon he hud her simple story.
"It is no place for you, thla," he
aid, and he took a card from his
pocket and wrote upon it. "I ara giv
ing you the address of my sister," he
explained. "She is a widow, young,
lonely. I am sure she would find you
a brighter home than this wretched
place."
Then Madam Jacobs came in. The
young man stated his business. He
was Arlo Willis, his sister was Mrs.
Ivan Neal. The latter had removed
from a former home. A great part of
Us old furniture, the varied contents
of a lumber room, had been sold.
Among some papers, old papers that
had been thrown out from the old
furalture, was a certain document the
caller wished to recover.
The secondhand dealer ;ho had
brought the stuff had Informed him
that all the old carpets, rags and pa
per had been sold to Jacobs, Could
madame recall the transaction, Mr.
Willis Inquired quite anxiously.
"Scarcely," she told him, but the
watchful Florlbel noted a quick eager
gleam la her basilisk eyes "I will
search, though she promised, "and
let you know. The document, sir "
"Is number of folded blue sheets,
tied with a faded white ribbon. It
is marked "W!"'
"1 will report to you," pledged
madame, and took his card, and be
left tne gruesome place, but not until
he bad bestowed a kindly parting
glance at Florlbel. '
Then she dreamed. All life seemed
radiant. It was as It some royal
prince had entered a squalid Cin
derella hut, leaving behind him a
rare memory of bewildering sensa
tions. Poor child! love budded In her
tender heart, In her very humility she
worshiped at its shrine.
Florlbel treasured the card. She
memorized the names upon It. Could
the vision Indicated by her courteous
visitor ever come true? To have such
friends, to be cared for amid cleanli
ness and comfort she thought not of
opulence or luxury just to be near
such sweet natures, to toil for them,
to love them this, simply, was the
aspiration of her childlike, loyal na
ture! All that afternoon the madame
poked and ferreted about the place.
When her husband came home she
held a spirited low-toned conversation
with him. Then both of them pro
ceeded to ransack pile after pile of
hitherto unassorted wreckage.
A quick token of interest came into
the mind of Florlbel, as she saw them
hastening to the wretched room digni
fied as the office of the old toppling
warehouse. The names "Willis"
"Neal" floated to her hearing, cau
tiously spoken. She gained a court
where she could overhear what was
said.
"It's the paper," she heard the
madame say, "and It Is worth a for
tune." "How do you know?" spoke the
rasping tones of old Jacobs.
"I have read it. A family secret,
man an old scandal that these rich
people would surely give a fortune to
suppress. Ah, we are rich, rich, rich
at last!"
Guileless as to the ways of the
world as Florlbel was, she realized
from what followed that her avari
cious guardians were bent on a vast
blackmailing scheme. Her mind woke
up to the immensity of the occasion.
To celebrate their discovering a
fortune, the old man and woman sent
out for liquor. It was long after dark
when they sank into a sodden sleep.
Florlbel approached the recumbent
madame.
She had noticed where she-had se
creted the blue colored document
with a white ribbon encircling it, Just
as Mr. Willis had described. . Hei
eyes grew brilliant as two stars as
she secured the precious paper. She
thrust it into her bosom.
Over and over again she repeated
the name and address that Arlo 'Willis
had written on the card.
Florlbel rarely went out of the
wretched building where she had
tolled so hard. It was a bitter cold
night, and her ragged shoes and thin
covering poorly kept at bay the fierce
biting frost. Twice as she hurried
along she felt as If she would sink to
the ground, benumbed and overcome.
Bravely, however, she fought her way
against the wintry blast. She located
the address given on the card, a great
ornate mansion on a fashionable thor
oughfare. Florlbel had just sufficient
strength to totter up the steps and
ring the doorbell, when her senses
reeled and she Bank to the cold
marble step, unconscious.
There she had been found by Mrs.
Neal. Florlbel awoke to find hersell
In a luxurious bed, a beautiful lady
hovering over her. What loving
grateful arms inclosed her, as she told
her story so simple in its naive re
cital, but meaning so much to the
proud Willis family!
And It was In silken attire, a trans
formed Florlbel, that Arlo Willis saw
the lovely ward of his sister the next
day.
Like one transported to a perfect
paradise, the sweet little waif entered
upon her new life.
Her bright ways, her gratitude, her
beauty and then her fervent love ap
pealed to the great nature of Arlo
Willis.
The Jacobs people never saw her
again, but society did. In all her bril
liant loveliness, loyal, unspoiled, radi
antly happy, the humble child of the
lonely rag warehouse became the
reigning bride of the season.
What to Eat.
Overeating is the primary sin of civ
ilized man. I fed one thousand men a
day (the unemployed) in New York
recently, on one meal a day, and they
all stated they were never better nour
ished than on three meals of boup,
white bread and coffee. These meals
cost one cent each.
The following articles contain every
thing the human body needs: Eggs,
milk, cereals, fats, fruits, fresh vege
tables. From these articles a person could
live Indefinitely In any climate and
while undergoing any kind of physical
or mental work. All that Is neces
sary Is to select, combine and propor
tion foods from these several classes,
according to age, occupation and the
time of the year. "How to Eat and
Enjoy Life," Eugene Christian, F. S.
D., in National Magazine.
Joy In Productive Labor.
There 1b pleasure in mere struggle,
bo it be not hopeless, and in overcom
ing resistance, obstacles and hardship.
When to the pleasure of exertion is
added the satisfaction of producing
a new value., and the further satisfac
tion of earning a livelihood through
that new value, we have the common
pleasurable conditions of productive
labor. Every workingman who Is
worth his salt, I care not whether he
works with his hands and brains or
with his brains alone, takes satisfac
tion, first. In the working; second, In
the product of his work, and, third
In what that product yields to him.
Charles' W. Eliot
An All-Season 'Street Suit
mmm .. .... ,, , , mm , ,
Admirers of the shepherd's check
In cloths for tailored buUb and these
are many were given a very great
variety in models this spring to choose
from. Those suits for which small
checks were chosen, cut on simple,
but carefully thought out lines, proved
to be the most successful. A great
many of them were made with short
watsted box coats. A less number had
short jackets, and Bome of the smart
est were designB in which semlflttlng
coats figured. Skirts were nearly al
ways plain, moderately wide and
somewhat flaring. The advance of the
season proved that the suits of shep
herd's check received a merited ap
preciation. The pretty spring suit be
comes the crisp midsummer suit by a
variation of the shoes and hats worn
with it, and Is a paying investment
as it will serve for street wear in both
seasons.
One of them is illustrated here. The
perfectly tailored Bklrt Is plain with
moderate flare and cut Instep length.
transparent Hats and
Early In the season hats having
transparent brims made their appear
ance. These brims were flat and
mounted on braid crowns. They were
made of mallnes, net, chiffon or thin
crepe. Nearly always, embedded be
tween layers of such airy materials,
flowers, with petals spread flat, added
touches of lovely color. The effect
is very pretty and gave the hats
their distinguishing name that of
"halo" hats the embedded wreaths
encircling the head like a halo.
So good an item ot art in millinery
was destined to outlast the early sea
son and to Introduce many transpar
ent hats for midsummer. The latter
are made, crown and all, of the thin
fabrics, and brims have grown wider.
Flower and feather trimmings but
mostly flowers are mounted on the
outside or underbrim Instead of being
embedded In the material.
A beautiful hat of this character Is
Bhown In the picture. It is of black
mallnes made over a frame of fine
silk wire. The edge wire and one
other are outlined on the underbrim
by flitter jet. There Is an immense
pompon ot mallnes at the front with
two long jet ornaments thrust in It
Nothing could be prettier tor midsum
mer wear than this exquisite piece ot
millinery.
Hemp and leghorn hats, with fac
ings of crape on the upper or under
brims are among the loveliest offer
ings in dress hats. Light pink crepe
is the favorite color and hats ot thla
character are among the best de
signed for bridesmaids at June wed
dings. One ot them is shown in the
Illustration. It has a crown of hemp
and Its upper brim covered with crepe
stretched smoothly over It, leaving
the hemp as a facing. It Is trimmed
The jacket is among the modest num
ber made with normal waist line,
which rises a little at the back, where
plaits are depended from the belt. It
is cut In pointB at the front, is longer
than at the back and Is shaped by
small plaits laid In at each side. The
belt terminates at these plaits.
The shoulders are somewhat long
and so are the plain coat sleeves. The
flaring turnover collar is cut in three
pieces and unusually well adjusted.
Ball buttons in three sizes are used
for fastening and trimming.
The suit is worn with low Bhoes and
black cloth gaiters, to be changed to
white for midsummer wear. The sailor
hat, of black taffeta, with collar and
border In black and white stripe, is
trimmed with small pompons of black
feathers with long curving ribs ex
tending from them. White neck ruffs
of mallnes or combinations of white
and black look well with these check
suits.
JULIA BOTTOMLEY.
Others for Midsummer
with a wreath of rose foliage against
a background of ribbon with a narrow
border in black. Little June roses are
set In the wreath. The ribbon band
is extended into sash ends at the back.
Near the brim a little cluster of roses
is tied Into the sash with a bow. The
coloring is pale pink with the narrow
black border of the ribbon and dark,
natural green of the foliage adding
depth and character. The roses are
shaded and deeper in tone than the
body of the hat.
JULIA BOTTOMLEY.
Smart Costume.
One of the smartest costumes for
young women, exhibited on a living
model at a recent opening, was of very
pale tan worsted and mohair mixture,
made with short flare Bklrt revealing
the new slim black leather pump, guilt
less of buckle or bow, and stockings
ot natural silk. A little coat button
ing high to the throat was sur
mounted by a very tall choker collar
of white organdie with points reaching
up over the cheeks and a broad stock
ot black satin holding It in place. The
coat had a belt and a plaited coattall
at the back. This knowing spring cos
tume was completed by a tiny black
satin hat with slashed sailor brim and
a floating veil ot black mesh with an
allover vlnet pattern. . , .
Dotted Chiffon Gown.
Chiffon figured In large polka dots
of contrasting color Is used for some
very smart looking frocks, but mod
els of such pronounced material must
be very graceful and conservative ol
line, and utterly without elaboration.
A good example ot such treatment ii
a (rock of sand color chiffon polk
dotted largely la dark blue.
SELECT HIGH VITALITY SEED
Possess Power of Germinating Rapidly
and Producing Healthy and
Vigorous Plants.
(By W. W. ROBBINS. Colorado Agri
cultural ColIeRe.)
Seeds with "high vitality" possess
the power of germinating quickly and
ot producing healthy, vigorous plants.
Seeds with "low vitality" sprout slow
ly and produce weak and spindling
plants. The chief influences affecting
seed vitality are as follows:
1. Age Vitality of seeds decrease
with age.
2. Maturity Although seeds will
germinate when not fully mature, the
plants produced - are weaker than
those from fully matured seeds.
3. Size Large and heavy seeds
have a greater germinating power and
produce plants with more vigor than
small seeds
4. Percentage Seed should come
from plants whose pedigree Is known
to be good. Strains that are "run out"
produce seeds of weak vitality.
5. Methods of Curing and Preser
vation Seeds cured and stored in a
very moist atmosphere lose their vi
tality quite rapidly. Seeds should be
stored in a dry, cool place.
6. Variety Similar storage condi
tions do not affect all sorts of seeds
the same. Vitality is a variety char
acter. INSECTS KILL MANY TREES
Borer Found to Be Cause ot Death of
Fine Oaks In Sections of Some
Eastern States.
Last year in sections ot the eastern
states many oak trees some white
oak, some chestnut oak, and a few
black oak died and from apparently
no cause, except perhaps a season of
drought. Examination ot the bark
disclosed the fact that borers had
been at work in the trees, and these
Insects were doubtless the direct cause
of the death of these fine trees.
The larger galleries found under
neath the bark of the trees were made
Work ot Borer In Oak Bark.
by the common flat-headed borer, and
the smaller ones by the two-lined
chestnut borer. Both kinds of larvae
were present in the burrows.
SILO IS QUITE ECONOMICAL
Preserve Palatablllty and Succulence
of Green Corn Plant for Winter
Cattle Feeding.
The Indiana experiment station
gives the following practical reasons
why farmers who keep live stock
should build a silo. Here they are:
The silo preserves the palatablllty
and succulence of the green corn
plant.
The silo Increases the live stock ca
pacity of the farm.
Silage is a good summer eed when
pastures are short.
Because ot the small amount ot
ground space required by the silo It
is an economical means of storing
forage.
The silo located near the feed man
ger is an assurance ot having feed
near at band in stormy as well as
fair weather.
The silo assists In reducing the cost
of grains in fattening cattle and sheep.
Silage greatly increases the milk
flow during the winter season and
decreases the cost of production.
There are no stalks to bother in
the manure when corn is put into silo.
All should understand that silage
is not a complete or balanced ration.
It is a succulent food and should be
supplemented with some balancing
dry feed.
GOOD GROUNDS FOR POULTRY
Low, Heavy Soils Make Industry Pre
carious Much of Success Depends
on Warm, Dry, Sandy Loam.
There are people who will tell you
that any kind of ground will make
good poultry ground. It will not
Chickens can live on tolerably barren
ground, but poultry success is not met
on ground too poor to bear vegetation.
Low, heavy soils make poultry rais
ing precarious. The loss by disease
of many kinds in certain flocks can be
traced directly to the low ground upon
which they feed and run. Such soil
Is damp and cold the greater part ot
the year.
The success of many a poultryman
is not always so much due to his feed
and care as the warm, dry sandy loam
the fowls live on.
In buying, ground upon which to
raise poultry look well to the ground
you buy. If It is not Ideal poultry
ground in soil, drainage and location,
you can scarcely make it that except
at a cost that eats up the profit fast
Remedy for Feather-Eating.
Where feather-eating Is practiced
try giving the fowls some sulphur, one
teaspoonful In the soft feed of every
three fowl, two time a week.
TWO EXCELLENT CROPS
Benefit of Use of Leguminous
Crops Just Appreciated.
Aggressive Campaign Waged for Past
Few Years in Interest of Better
Farming Has Not Been With
out Its Reward.
(By T. PARKER.)
The soy bean, also known as Ja
pan pea and soja bean, is one of the
many good things that have come to
us from Asia. The writer first grew
It in 1872, but Its real worth and value
have not been appreciated by us until
within the last few years.
As a forage crop, especially for
hogs, it is exceptionally fine. For best
Root of Soy Bean, Showing Nodules.
results the hogs Bhould be turned on
them about the time the bean in the
pod has. reached its full size, and be
fore It begins to harden while the
leaves are still green. The hogs will
first eat the leaves, then the remain
der of the plant until there is only the
bard stalk left.
Soy beans require good preparation
of the soil. Slipshod methods usually
result in a failure of the crop. They
may either be sown broadcast at the
rate of a bushel per acre or planted
in rows and cultivated. The latter
plan gives best results. In purchasing
seed, buy only bright, plump seed, the
vitality of which is guaranteed.
Soy bean hay is of the finest and
most nutritious quality. When cut at
the proper stage of growth and well
cured, It is relished by all kinds of
stock.
The velvet bean is an important
crop for the purpose of soil Improve
ment especially in cotton-growing ter
ritory. This plant has been grown in
Florida and other southern states for
a number of years. It is a rank-growing
grass, the vines often growing
fifteen or more feet In length under
favorable conditions. The seed can
Root of Velvet Bean, Showing Nod
ule. be broadcasted or planted in rows, but
best results will be obtained when
planted In rows and cultivated. The
rows should be four or five feet apart
and the hills two to three feet apart
in the rows. Plant about three beans
to the hill.
ERRORS IN FEEDING PROTEIN
Plenty of Right Kind of Feed It Re
quired to Run Milk Machine to
It Fullest Limit
It , is a great mistake to give the
cow Indifferent care until her milk
flow has greatly diminished, then try,
by feeding her heavy, to get her back
to her full flow.
The dairyman who withholds pro
tein foods until the cows have cleaned
up all, roughage will soon learn the
folly of his ways When he adds the
figures of his milk checks.
A worse mistake than high protein
feeding is made by many farmers.
That mistake Is not feeding enough of
anything.
The man who goes Into the dairy
business thinking that selecting good
cows and compounding balanced ra
tion Is all he needs to understand
Is ure to wake up a sadder and wiser
man.
It requires plenty of feed to run the
cow machine to its full limits. This
limit varies more than most people
leem to think.