As bo trudged up to the old (arm bouse,
bis face, was brightened by the thought^
There came a menage to the vine,
A whisper to the tre% ‘v
The bluebird saw the seqyet'slgn
And merrily sang b e !"
And like a «liver string the brook
Trembjed with music sweet—
Enchanting notes in every nook
For echo to repeat.
«
A magic touch transformed the fields,
Greener each hour they grew,
Uatil thay shone like burnished shields
All jeweled o’er with dew,
Scattered upon the forest floor
A million bits of bloom
Breatued fragrance forth tbro' morning’s
door /
Into the day’* bright room.
m ent: “ I ’m going to get a poaHtun in
the <rlty, and leave thfc farm fo r good.
I ’ve Just bad a talk with Ed Spencer,
and be says be can get me a position
when I want It.”
Then bud by bud the vine confessed
“ Ed Spencer? Is he home again?”
The secret It had heard,
asked Bess.
Aad in the leaves the azure-breast
“Only fe r a few days. He can’ t stand
Sang the delightful word;
Glad flowers upspvang amid the grass
it here much longer than a fe w days
And flung their banners gay,
at a time, It’s so alpw. I don’t blame
And suddenly It came to pass—
him, either, fop It la alow— terribly alow
God’s miracle of M ay!
and dull.”
— Ladies’ Home Journal.
The boy removed hla bat and wiped
hla forehead.
' “ But^Pbil, I f you go to the city, what
w ill become a t me?” queried bis slater
lu a weak voice.
“ You? Why, cpn’t you stay here with
Aunt M atty and Uncle ked?*’ There
was genuine surprise In the bey’s voice,
and this waa Increased when be saw
Hello, Phi 1 . digging away at tbe that Bess had turned a abode paler
than usual.
oid farm yet?”
“ Oh. yes, I suppose I could stay,”
The
speaker,
leaning
languidly
was
the quiet answer, "but did It ever
against tbe top rail o f the fence, held
a cigarette In the most approved style occur to you thet I might be lonely—
,
between bis two forefingers, and occa­ nud— and----- ” ,
There was a auspicious weakness In
sionally puffed slowly at it.
Phil Dryden looked up from his the voice, and when It grew buaky, the
planting and responded: “ Why, Ed, is girl stopped and turned her face away.
"W h y, Beaa, I don’t see— why, In
that you? When did you come down?”
“ Ran down last night on the early time I'd take you to the city, too. I ’d
train. Taking a few days’ vacation and get a good position, and Work In I t
thought I ’d like to see tbe old p la ce” and then we'd live there together.”
“ Yea, but bow many years would I
Phil glanced rather enviously at tbe
well dressed smoker, and then dropped have to w ait?” resentfully replied the
Ms eypu a little shamefacedly to hla g i r l “ Do you think Ed Spencer could
own coarse, Ill-fitting nad faded clothes. support bis sister? And I f he could,
“ Why do you stay down here, Phil, why doesn’t be? I ’m sure abe has a
and use yourself up on this old farm ?” bard enough time to pinch along.”
“ But— ” began Phil In self-extenua­
Ed Spencer continued. “ I should think
tion—
“ I'm not like Ed In some respects,
you’d go to the city and get a better
Job. I f you hate fanning as I always and----- ”
"N o, and I ’m thankful you’re n o t”
did. you would." I
Interrupted
Bess.
1’ bU’a ffice flushed a trifle. Tbe con­
A glow o f pride made Pbll quiet and
trast between bis appearance and that
o f tils old school friend made him un­ more thoughtful. H e remembered now
easy.
” 1 have thought o f It several times,”
be replied slowly, “ but there’s s-o much
to do here, and tbeu----- ”
“Ob, shucks! You bate to make the
plunge. So did I. But after the first
break It’s all ao much better. Clean
aaitlng then. I just picked up my things
and made tbe start. And now— well.
I ’m going to get a raise next month,
and then I ’ll take It easier than now.”
“ I suppose tbe work Is pleasanter.”
Phil stammered, “ and tbe pay la bet
ter.” 0
“ Better?” answered Ed. a little con­
temptuously. “ Why. you get 'cash there
tor your work, hut on the farm you
d o n I ' l l bet you haven't seen as
much money as this In a year.”
Producing a m il o f bills, tbe speaker that Ed's sister worked hard at dress­
fllp|ied them carelessly through his Un­ making, besides her duties on the farm,
gers, exposing to view several o f high to make both ends m eet In a dim way
he seemed to remember several o f Ed’s
denominations.
“ Th at’s what you get in the city.” hp selfish ways when they were school
continued. “ It ’s cash— every week or companions, and be admitted that be
did not treat bis sister liberally. The
month.”
Phil said nothing, biit hla mind waa flash o f tbe roll o f bills appeared before
feverishly active. Suddenly he asked hlB mind, and he wondered If Ed would
anxiously; “ I suppose It’s hard to get present bis- hard-working alster with
some o f the money p r o b a b ly they were
S good position at first, isn't It?”
“ Yes, and no. I f you have Influence all fo r her— a birthday present, per­
haps. fo r Mandy waa 10 that month.
it's dead easy; If you don’t you have to
“Oh, Kd has his bad points,” be re­
hunt around a bit.”
plied. “ and so has every fellow . But
Ed Spencer flung away his cigarette,
he's doing well In the city, and I don’t
aud added confidentially:
see why I shouldn’t do as well. I waa
“ I f you're thinking o f making the'
alw ays smarter in my studies than
ebnnge. let me know. I may help yon.
I know the ropes a little. Just send me
“ Yes. and In everything else,” loyally
w ord when you’ve made up your mind.”
responded Bess
Pbll kicked a lump o f earth With tbe
T h e n why shouldn’t I go to the city
toe o f bla shoe. Ed seemed to compre­
and
make something o f myself? I can
hend the state o f hta mind, and asked,
never do it here.”
sm ilingly: “ How are crops, anyway—
“ Phil, I don’t think yon would do
alow as ever?”
much better," protested B e « .
“ In a
A flash o f resentment appeared In
few years now you— we— w ill have the
Ph il’s eyes, tor be knew tbe question
farm to ourselves. Uncle Ned and Aunt
was asked In well-bred derlaion. >
Matty must turn It over to ua then—
“Oh, they're pretty good,” Phil replied
they only hold It In trust until you be­
with some dignity. “ H I harvest a good
come o f age, you know— and they’ll be
cron thla season If----- ”
glad to get rid o f tbe responsibility.
“ I f potato bugs don’t eat up every­
Then w e ca n -— ”
thing, and cabbage worms don't finish
Phil kicked viciously at a stone. Tbis
what’s left,” laughed Ed, aa he turned
sort
o f argument did not p l e a « him.
to leave. “ W ell, I must be going. I,
“ But, Bees, there's no money In farm ­
want to see tbe old place, and get back
to tbe city aoon’s I can. It ’s pretty ing.” he Interrupted. “ Uncle Ned says
that, and everybody else. W hat’s the
alow here.”
He consulted a handsome gold watch use o f killing yourself on the farm for
which hung at the end o f a gold chain. nothing?”
“ But what would you do with it?”
‘•Remember me to Beaa," be called
gasped
Bess In surprise.
aver hla shoulder.
“ I suppose she’s
“ Oh, sell It, or— or let Uucle Ned
w ell."
When the two separated, Phil Dryden run, it until I become o f age. Then— ”
picked up bla hoe and stood for several a new light shone In his eyes— “ then
minutes staring at the retreating form. the money w ill start me In business.
Contending emotions possessed him. I ’ll have the experience, and— and----- ”
“Oh, Phil,” exclaimed Bees In a pain­
The old rebellious spirit rose up to
make Jtts thought bitter and dlsqutet- ed voice, “ how could you tell It?”
“ W hy not?” stubbornly asked P h il
Bess did not reply. I f he could dot
understand the sacredness o f tne asso­
ciations that clustered about the old
homestead, she could not make him.
She turned abruptly and walked away,
but not until Phil a w a tear glistening
In her eyes.
“ G irls are so funny had—and— un­
reasoning,” the discontented boy re­
marked aloud.
Pbll waa strongly ml »fled and deter­
mined In bla way. Once hla mind was
made up, It ^ a s difficult tor him to
change hla point o f view. F o r three
years now he had been steadily d rift­
ing toward this Important decision. H e
longed fo r tbe city, sod wished to make
hla m ailt in' a w ider Held than fen s-
jjjg
“ Beaa w ill fen terribly disappointed at
■rms around bis neck and otam*
d:
“ But o f course I know
•» - ' --------------- m
f
r e r t S f ^ . W koteed rgtber n e f
ro*sly for a few minutes, uadi PttU
• Tfofntog fnrfflkr was wnld hr Ills i ■"Win tom ptefi-m aay>
<*•
>
change o f plana fo r a few .lays, but
“ I don't know, B m , ^ — I might bars
Ph il could not fall to nolle-) the chat-ge fallen , too. Who knows?”
In Bess' appearance. * H er face was
* “ No, no,” protested Bess loyally.
pale and. deuiure, and the eyes looked
“ Where are yon going;** abe asked.
as If she had spent sleepless nights M*T m going over to see Mundy,” was
w orrying over the matter.
“ I wish she wouldn’t take it so tor
heart,” Phil reflected more than once.
Then a little Irritably, “ G irls expect so,
much o f brothers. They want to tl©^
them down to their apron strings.”
* <4
t Th lF sort e f argument did not tend to
convluce Ph il o f his mistaken line oft
thought
A week later he bad fu lly made up
hla ivlnd to carry out his long-cherished
plana One afternoon be walked over
“ Vandy,” he repeated, “ I ’m going to
to the old Spencer borne to get Ed's the city.“
city address. H e would w rite to hla
“ Ob, P h il!” she cried.
“ I'm going,” he continued, “ to see
what T can do fo r Ed. Then I ’m xon y
Th e Spencer home was a tumble- lug borne to stay.”
down, neglected farm o f some half
“ I f Ed had only stayed,” she moaned.
dozen acres. Th e only one o f the fam­
“H* win come back— In time,” Phil
ily, In P h il’s estimation In th e , p a st replied.
was M an dy; but the odds w ere against
The girl raised her bead and laughed
ber iu the up-hill struggle, and to-dav hysterically. “ Y e a ; now he w ill come
Ph il’s heart beat sympathetically for home.” she said wildly, “ and nobody
her.
w ill bare anything to do w ith him. He
She was pale and thin, and a worried won’ t be able to get work again, and
expression marked her face. A t the w e shall have to move away.”
sight o f Phil phe flushed, and tried to
Phil twisted hla hat nervously, but
straighten out these stray locks o f hair >bla voice w a » clear and firm when he
on h ej head and to arrange her faded spoke. “ H e w ill always be the same to
me, Mandy, and If— i f he’ll work on
dress.
“ I ’ve been so busy," abe apologised, the old farm w ith me, he’ll never lack
“that I ’ve had bard time to fix up de­ em ploym ent I ’m going to stay on it,
and keep Ed, too. Maybe In the end It
cently.”
Ph il laughed and tried to« make ber w ill be a good thing fo r both o f ua
W e’ll make better farm ers fo r the—
feel at ease.
“ I ’ ve come over to get Ed’s address the experience.”
MORSE Dl FINANCIAL STRAITS.
In the city,” he said pleasantly, after
Something like a hopeful expression
a few momenta o f conversation. “ I entered the stricken g irl’s eyea
Charles W. Morse, organiser o f the
“ Ph il— IX— I f you could bring him
want to w rite to him.”
ice combine and o f tbe Consolidated
“ I ’ m not sure I .have It,” Mandy re­ home now, I — you know they’re not
Steamship Company, and a few months
plied, blushing deeper than before. “ Ed going to prosecute him. Mr. Barrows
a*“ • regarded aa one o f the greatest
has changed It several times lately. baa discharged him, but he w ill not
H e doesn’t seem to stay In one place have him Imprisoned fo r the— the----- ”
“ I understand,” P h i replied. “ I aha 11
long.”
“ I ’ve always heard that they move bring him home right away, and w e ll
often In the city,” Phil answered. . “ I run the farm together.”
suppose he’s rising so rapidly- that he
Th e door suddenly opened and Bern
has to change every little w hile to bet­ appeared on the threshold.
“Beaa!”
ter quarters.”
“ M an dy!”
Mandy tried to laugh at this sugges­
tion, but It was a poor attem pt
And the tw o girls were sobbing In
“ Ed Is very restless,” she ventured each other’s an n a Phil looked on with
finally. “ H e lost his old position, you w et eyes, and then whistled softly.
tnow, sod I don’t know whether be w ill
“ I guess,” be said finally, “ w ith tw o
like his new one.”
such sisters, Ed and I ought to keep
“ N o ; I didn’t know be had lost the stra igh t I f w e don’t, w e deserve some­
old one,” returned Phil slowly.
thing worse than a thrashing, and I ’ll
“ Yes, there was something that— that be .the one to do the licking.”
— well, Ed* la very ‘restless. I wish he
“ Why, Phil, what are you saying?”
waa nearer home, ao I could look after demanded Beaa, wiping her eyea.
him a little.”
“ You’ve been talking to yourself while
“ I think all jilsters want their broth­ we—w e w ere----- "
ers under their wings,” replied Phil,
“ Acting like tw o silly school g ir ls ’*
w ith a laugli. “ Beaa now doesn’ t want prompted Phil. “ But I ’m off now 1 I ’m
me to go to the city to work.”
going to the city, Beaa— going at la s t ”
“ A re you thinking o f going?” quickly
“ T o a tayf* demurely asked Beaa
asked Mandy Spencer.
“ Until I can bring Ed home,” re­
“ Yes— that Is, Ed said ba could get sponded Phil, as be pulled the door
me a position If----- * .
softly shut behind him.— Country Gen­
Mandy dropped ber sewing, and with tleman.
flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, said
vehem ently: “ Please don’t go, then,
Phil— fo r Bess’ sake and mine.”
“ W hy— what-----"
“ W ell, because— w e’ll mWb you, and
then you'll be happier here. Ed la not
doing as well as you think, and------”
“ I ’m not sure o f th a t H e seemed to
have plenty o f money with him last
week. But 1 suppose be gave It to you
shrew d; otherwise one overreaches
fo r a birthday present.”
oneself, like Captain H arrow o f Isles-
"B irth day present? Oh, did you re­
borough.
member that my birthday was
last
“ Captain H arrow o f
Islesborough
week? I ’m ao glad. I thought------”
was trading at K ey W est in a small
“ Didn’t KB remember It?”
vessel. Business took him up tbe coast
Mandy bent over M r work and made
to Tampa Bay, and he bought twenty
no reply. She waa too loyal to make
dozen chickens from a farm er at $4 a
any confession that would reflect upon
dozen.
her brother.
“T h e chickens were all sizes— some a
When they parted a few minutes
few days old and no bigger than ca­
later, she took Ph il’s hand, and said
nary birds; some fa t and large, like treatment for mild cases o f inaanity
earn estly; “ Please do not leave Besa—
among the woman patients, it being noth­
and me. W e should mlas you so much, turkey gobblers. T b e Captain expect­ ing more or less than a Christmas shop­
ed
to
make
w
lot
o
f
money
out
o
f
them.
Phil.”
ping expedition.
It la hla theory that
Phil walked home In an uncertain H e was very shrewd at a trade.
anything which occupies the mind pleas­
" W e ll at K ey W est a hotel man antly without causing too much excite­
state o f mind. Somehow hla desire to
came
aboard and looked the chickens ment must be beneficial Ha therefore
go to the city cooled down, and tbe
sent about twenty of his patisnts under
sight o f tw o anxkras faces made him over.
“ T h e y are line birds,’ he said. *How tbs charge of trained nurses, and each
hesitate.
supplied with a moderate amount e f
much?* v
“ Ed la about aa selfish as ever,” be
“ ‘ I f you pick them out yourself,’
acknowledged. “ A fellow w ith a ll o f
said Captain H arrow shrewdly, ‘I ’ll
hla money who doesn't remember hla
have to charge you $ 6 a dozen. I f I
own sister’s birthday la a good deal o f
pick them out, I can let you have them
fo r IS.’
H e didn’ t finish the sentence, but he
“ ‘A ll right. You pick them out,’ said
knew pretty w ell In hla own mind what
the hotel man.
he m eant Suddenly he stopped In bla
“ Captain H arrow picked out a dozen
walk. A strangely tfipleasant thought
chickens o f tbe canary bird size.
occurred to him. W as be also selfish
“ ‘ Here you are, tw elve prime bi-oil­
and thoughtless because he Ignored
ers,’ he said, w ith a leer.
B e « ’ wishes and desires? N o ; a boy
“ *Go ahead,’ said tbe hotel man calm­
had to make hla way In the world—
ly ; ‘another dozen.’
even If be did sacrifice the old home­
“ Th e next dozen was o f necessity
stead.
larger..
Ph il deferred w ritin g hla letter to
“ ‘Go on,' said the hotel map. ‘Keep
Ed fo r a fu ll week. Then something
on picking them o u t’
happened that made It unnecessary. In
“ And the third dozen w as larger s till
T h e captain looked at his patron ana
lously.
1
log In Greenville. I t was no ! e « than
an account o f the arrest o f Ed Spencer
fo r robbing hla employer.
Th e details o f the case were not giv­
en, but one could read on tbe surface
the old story o f temptation, w ea k n e«
and final failure. Phil's heart nearly
stopped beating. R e could not show
the paragraph to B e « , and In hla heart
he hoped that no o n e In Greenville
would see I t
B at this w as a foolish wish, for wlth-
tn t*cn ty-fo u r hours the news had
spread a l} o ver tbe village and tbe
farm ing section. PM I thought o f Man­
dy. H ow would B e « take It If he were
the prisoner?
“ Oh, Phil, suppose It had been you 1”
exclaimed Been, when she beard tha
flows. Than, blushing deeply, the throw
“ 'Keep right on.’
T h e next dosen was line and plump,
and tbe next comprised tbe biggest
and fattest o f tbe chicken©
“ ‘ Keep right on picking them out
captain.’
T h e n at last Captain H arrow saw
TH E SOD O l SCHOOL.
C orporal Pu n ishm en t Soon to
R estored In B o w Y o rk .
Ba
As s result o f investigation and d l*
cusslon that have been going on toi
several moo the, principals and teach­
ers In tbe New York public school*
expect a new rule w in soon be adopted
by the Board o f Education returning t<
corporal punishment under certain re­
strictions. Thla decision w ill have been
largely Influenced by an Investigation
recently made by a. special committee
appointed tor that purpose. T b e ch a ir
man o f that committee is Nathan &
Jonas and be has sent out circulars tc
teachers In all tbe large cities o f tha
United States asking fo r their experi­
ence and judgment in the m atter ol
the use o f tbe rod.
Answers received a re overw h elm in g
ly In fa vo r o f reasonable punishment
in certain casen, and a report is soos
expected from. Mr. Jonas' committea
recommending a revision o f the school
law o f New Y o rk to that end.
la
twenty-six cities ont o f thirty-nine ol
the largest In the U nited Staten corpo­
ral punishment la allowed under ca r
tain restrictions.
The matter haa been considerad ex­
tensively in tbe latest report o f tha
United States Commissioner o f Educa­
tion, Dr. Elm er E. Brown, o f W ash­
ington, who, a fter extensive study and
investigation, bolds to the view thal
corporal punishment, ju dicially admin­
istered, has been shown to be produc­
tive o f the best results In most o f tha
larger cities. When the report o f Mr.
Jonas' committee is submitted to tha
board it w ill be made public and tha
matter w ill be generally discussed bo
fo re definite action« is taken.
That there la so possibility o f a wa*
with Japan aad that the sailing o f the
fleet to the Pacific is not a threat to any
nation were the opinions expressed by
Secretary T a ft at the banquet o f th
Ohio Society at Philadelphia.
Bat ba
added that it waa sometimes helpful ta
have It understood that yon can back ay
what yon say. Tbe Influence o f the navy
hi the Orient could not but be o f great
benefit.
The next day after the formal an­
nouncement o f Gov. Hughes that he
would not object to a unanimous expres­
sion o f the Republican party in New
York favorable to his nomination for tht
presidency Secretary o f W ar T a ft mad*
public his letter to Chairman Parsons a!
tbe New York county committee, in which
he said that friends o f his should not
attempt to divide la hie interest the dele­
gation from any State which has a can­
didate o f Its own.
Secretary Dover o f the Republican Na­
tional Committee, who submitted to a
committee of three lawyers the question
of the legality o f the proposed primaries
in Ohio for the choice o f delegates to the
national convention from congressional
districts, as advocated by the T a ft follow­
er». now reports their decision aa being
unfavorable to that plan.
While the
opinion is not binding on either the com­
mittee or tbs convention, it is taken by
the Forakerites to be a victory for them.
In reply to the opposition o f m m
Democratic leaders through tbe East and
South to the candidacy of W. J. Bryan
for the presidential nomination, Mr. Bry­
an is reported as having seat word to
prominent Democrats at Washington that
if they can show him that any '‘-onaid-
erable number o f earnest, rent and reliable
Democrats believe that bis candidacy will
prove detrimental to the best Interests e f
tbs party be will refuse to accept tbs
nomination. He has further said that he
will give his support to any one o f these
three Democrats, Gov. Johnson o f Min­
nesota, Gov. Hoke Smith o f Georgia os
Senator Culberson of Texas, but be baa
declared with emphasis that be cannot
be expected to stand for another cam­
paign such an was mads foe Alton B.
Parker. He will not relinquish his ew a
ambitions In order to torn the Denso-
erotic party over the the conservative elm