I Ht WORLD.
A playground -oft with clouded skies
That o'er tlia nwaburi weep,
Where little trouble lake the weight
Of sorrow far more deep:
When IovmI toy brwak In tkir bands
Hail aymbole of tlm time
Wlwn iow shall cheat and Joys depart
In life's swift pamtitrg prima.
A lin'tlcflnld where ruroMi meat,
A, .J uiiHntn Iiokim contend,
With irucM all ao short, Umy team
WltJi tha wild Htrlfe to blend;
fUrlfti that leavea noun of ua unaoat'" .
Where'er tha mastery be;
Out who, till the Oruut Day, oan toll
With whom la victory f
A graveyard, where on every ajda
J'ale monument artoa,
To ahow how brief la human Ufa,
tlow vain la all we prize.
A rraveyard filled by memory,
Where ihantonia lightly tread.
But each 0110 point with nngor raised
To bint) "kiln overhead.
Camilla CroaUuid In Chamber' Journal
MICKEY FINN'S RATTLER.
The afr surroundmg Cooney Island pal
pitated with forrfxit boat. Parched and
dry, the blades of grass lu Stumpy Field
fave up their luices to tbe thirsty air.
'be lea vpn In Lindsley's wood wore stirred
by no refreshing breeze, aud dust lay six
inches deep on the Old Point road. Even
the sweot briar bush which stood on tbe
shady side of the Finn shauty bung its
blooming mips and louged for tbe refresh
ing dow. In all the. wide expause of
landscape which could ba seen from the
back stoop of the shanty, there was no
sign of life save the drowsy hnni of ores,
ud hero and there a butterfly spreading
its golden sails in the sutillght.
Mrs. Finn formed a charming picture as
she sat In hor husband's arm chair, just
Inside tho kitchen door. It was universally
acknowledged that sho was tbe handsom
est woman on the island, tier complexion
wus clear, and hor checks Just tinged with
red like the cheek of au ox heart cherry.
Now her Ion? black lushes hid the gray
blue ryes, arid her Ktroug, well knit bauds
lay in "her hip. which was covered with an
apron trust li from the Ironing board. Mrs.
Finn was tirod. tthe had scrubbed tlie
floor, blackened the stove, washed tbe
dishes.' ironed hor husband's two flannel
skirts, and, lulled by the somnolence in
the air, she hud dropped asleep. Tbe
muscles of her face contracted as an in
quisitive fl v tit upon bur check, but the
buzzing of the bumble bee, which blun
dered in at the door, did not disturb her
slumbers There was no kindly spirit to
warn tbe sleeping woman of coming
danger. Vet death in a hideous and re
volting form was lurking lu the grass
within 100 feet of the shauty.
Just across the dusty road from tbe
chanty, in the Interstices of a stone wall
And hidden by the long grass which grow
upon either side, there was a rattlesnake a
ne. Tho old he rattlesnake was five foot
long, and its body was covered with beau
tiful aralwsque markings. Many and
narrow hud been the escapes of this rep
tile from its pursuers. Mike Fiun's mw
bad bitten off two of the snake's rattles
when the sow had encountered the snake
one morning before breakfast, and now
the reptile's sinister rattle was not as
loud as It had been. On this particular
morning tho suuke bad made its way out
into tbe road and lay in the sand enjoying
the heat.
Mike Clunky drove lazily along behind
bis canal mule. Under the canvas la the
body of the wngon lay 800 herring, which
Mike was peddling out to the housewives
of Cuoney Island. When the horse reached
the vicinity of the snake tho reptile raised
Its ophidian head aud btosod. Tho mule
stopped aud refused to proceed. Mike did
not see the snake, aud so ho whipped tbe
mule lu a cruel manner, but It only raised
up on Its hind legs aud threatened to fall
bock upon the wagon.
"God save ye, Molly; no wondher ye
wouldn't go wan whiu ve had a dhirty
rattler foniinst ye. But I'll fix him!" said
Mike, jumping from thewagouand throw
ing a huge stone at the snake. The mule
turned quickly around and ran down the
road at a canter, spilling the herring along
the highway. Mike forgot all about the
suako, and started In pursuit, bewailing
his luck.
"Fail," said he, "I dunno Is snakes or
mettles th' worst I'
In the meantime the rattler had slid
across the mud and up the green bank
iuto the yard of the Finn shanty. Here
au old heu saw the crawling snake. Cluck
lug an alarm to her brood, the hen ruffed
the feat hers on her neck and called away
ber brood from the danger.
The tame crow now made Its appear
ance, hopping around , the corner of the
shanty. Its quick eye espied tho rattler.
The crow uttered a hoarse, discordant
croak, and Uew up on the fence. While
the ssuke moved across the yard in pur
suit of tho young chickens the crow fol
lowed along tho top board of the fence.
Several times during tbe transit the snake
raised Its head with a warning hlhs at the
crow, but tho bird ouly cocked its head
m one sido and croaked its disapproval of
the whole proceedings. '
Whothor It was the smell of the steam
rising from tho cabbage lu the pot upon
the stove, or whether it was fear of the
crow which caused the snake to crawl
over tho doorstep and into the shanty,
will probably never be known. Uowovor,
with a sinuous gliding motion and with
flittering eyes the snake entered the
itchon. Just as it arrived in trout of
Mrs. Finn, who was still sound asleep In
her chair, a flv lit upon Mrs. Finn's nose.
With an luvoluutary movomeut she lifted
hor baud to brush off tho insect. The
snake, evidently regarding the movement
as a hostile one, gently shook its rattles,
and, flattening its head, colled its body In
an attitude preparatory to striking.
Its head was raised two feet from the
floor, aud Its eyes, shining like black jew
els, were fastened upon the sloeping
woman. But sho was all unconscious of
the reptile's nearness. Her baud foil
agaiu to its original position In her lap,
hor face assumed tho quiet of repose, and
she was again off iuto dreamland. The
nake swayed back and forth, slowly un
coiled Itself, and resumed Its way toward
tho stove.
Just at this time the crow made Its ap
pearance In the doorway. It croaked a
Ltrsu craloat against the snako'a iava-
MUfti. kuu, jt...ii f.J bUO ...... w ., M,
peered around until it discovered toe
snake under tho stove. Tbe snake lay
perfectly quiet upon the oilcloth, the
bees hummed In the meadow ontsido, and
the butterflies flashed in tbe sunlight
Iust as they had done before Mrs. Flun
lad dropped asleep In her chair. ;! '
It will be necessary to tell, In order that
the reader may thoroughly appreciate the
situation, that Mickey Finn had pone out
In tho vicinity or the Uevii s luke mat
morning with his father's dinner pail and
hia mother's two quart molasses nail in
search of ra.plrrios. Hs was returning
op the Old Point rood witn tne pa is ootn
filled with fruit when he met bis friend
Jack Doolan Doolan . with him a
ftve cent llrecracker. which had somehow
scaped being exploded on tbe Fourth of
Little Mike offered Doolan a small Bind
turtle about the size of a silver dollar,
which he carried in his tronsera pocket,
in exchange for tbe cracker, but Doolan
refused the offer -
"I don't want noneo' yer onld mnd tnr-
kles." said ,ioolan. "but If ye'll gi' me
wan o tulm pails full o berries I II gi ys
tb' cracker ". ,
Mickey demurred to this proposal, but
Doolan dilated on tbe wonderful proper
ties of the cracker and how It would
"blow a tomato can up agin th' sky," and
at last the bargain was consummated The
berries were nourwri nut Iuto Doolan hat.
and while be ate them by' tbe liandfuls,
little Mike examined one end of the
cracker with an old jack knife to see how
much powder there was in It. 1 ben he
resumed bis homeward way, wondering
bow high the cracker would blow the tur
tie if the animal were placed on top of
the tomato cau when tbe explosion took
place.
Mnanwulle the snn bad risen higher to
ward the zenith. Tho breeze still delayed
its coming, and the heated air bad drank
up tbe water in tbe brook nntu there was
scarcely enough left to wet the stones.
Little Miko was afraid that be would be
ceusured for tbe loss of his berries, and
so he sueaked quietly In the gate and
looked in at the kitchen door before en
tering. lie was delighted to see that'his
mother was asleep. Stepping into the
kitchen, his bare feet made no sonnd upon
the floor. Putting his pails upon the
table, be was about to go oat into tbe
yard and explode his cracker when the
croak of the crow attracted his attention.
Looking In the direction of the stove, be
saw tbe head of the snake projecting be
neath the hearth.
The sic-lit frightened him and he backed
slowly out mto the yard. The snake was
now slowly gliding toward bis mother.
He was afraid to awaken her for fear that
she might be bitten. Tben an inspiration
came to him. Said he to himself:
"Musha, but I'll blow you into smither
eens, me beauty I"
Takinir a match from his pocket he
scratched It upon tbe fence and applied
the flume to the end of tbe firecrackers
stem. While the powder In the end w8
spitting out sparks he went to the door
and rolled the big firecracker in the direc
tion of the snake. The snake saw It com
ing, and coiling itself quickly struck its
deadly fangs lilto the red jacket of the
cracker. There was a moment of intense
suspense on the part of the boy, bnt be
fore the reptile could withdraw Its head
an explosion ensued which blew the bead
less, lifeless body of the snake across the
stove, shook the shanty to its founds
tions and startled Mrs. Finn so that she
fell over backwards in her chair upon the
floor. As she regaiued her feet, pale and
breathless, she caught a glimpse of her
grinning son In the yard. Grabbing the
broom iu her hand she started after him,
excloitniug as she did so:
"Aha, aha! me laddy buck, so ye're
blowln' up the shanty wid yerdivilisb
powdther, are yer Falx, yell think th'
Ould b"y hinisel' bad ye whin I lay hoult
o' ve, so ye will!"
The bees hummed, the old hen clucked
to her brood, the sun lay hot upon the
meadow, and down the Old Point road
ran little Mike pursued by bis irate
mother. Evening Sun.
Queer tlablts la the East.
A man who has traveled a good deal
said to a reporter the other day:
"On ordering cigars at the club last
evening a card was handed me for my
signature. My explanation that to pay
cash would be preferrable was accepted.
My friond, after lighting his cigar, said:
'You would never got on in the cast if
you ohjoct to signing chit.' Inquiry led
me to know that the word chit was the
eommon possibly the pigeon English
word for chock' I. 0. U. or promise to
pay generally. My friend added that no
oue thing lu the eastern civilization was
so much remarked by the griffin than this
same chit system. Seeing from my dazed
expression that the word griffin conveyed
uo Idea, my friend Introduced his remarks
on chits by saying that a griffin in the
east was the 'tenderfoot' our western cow
boy so much delights In chaffing.
"The 'chit,' I was given to understand,
was the natural protest la countries
where no money save silver dollars ex
isted. One uaturally could not carry
many of them with comfort, and hence
the habit of signing one's name with
amount of bill whenever a purchase was
made. By custom this habit became so
exteuslvoly so generally usea mat, io
dav you sign the chit for anything and
everything for a glass of beer, turnout
for the day or an extensive purchase of
curios. By' this time our cigars were fin
ished and we hod to separate, not, how.
ever, before I was assured that my friend,
who had spent some time In tbe east, had
plenty, of odd experiences to toll of aud
plenty of queer customs to describe."
New York Telegram.
Tha Goats of Paris.
That which most strikes an American
on visiting a foreign city Is the pictur
esque, which is somewhat lacking with
us. I was much attracted by the sight
ef a herd of goats being driven through
the most crowded streets of the city.
They will go along leisurely, step upon
the sidewalk and choose the shady side
without any one disputing their right to
do so. They are accompanied by a lad
who, from time to time, blows a wu,iBtle,
at whose sound a number of little child
ren come toddling along with a can or
Vtowl At a cull tlie goats approach and
are juuuim .ui mere on lite s . ixa. i m
bowls and cans once tilled, their dlmluu
tive owners depart lth a satisfied glanc
at their contents, while the goats take up
their leisurely tread until the next stop
ping point. It is my intention to pur
chase a number of these goats for our
Zoological Garden. 1 shall have them
shipped as soon as possible, so let the lit
tie ones smack their lips, for tbe goatf
are coming. A. E. Burkhardt In Cincin
nati Commercial-Gazette.
Mew and Valuable AntUaptkw
. Dr. Neudorfer. of Vienna, has fonnd In
a substance called "creolina" a valuable
antiseptic It is a sort of tar obtained
from bituminous coal by dry distillation
It is closely related to creosote, ubolic
add, resorclne and hydrchhTajr This
substance has been found -htglily advan
tegeous in preventing the spread of cry
alpelas. the pains of which it also reduces.
and it effects an early cure. By its use
tbe subcutaneous injections of carbolic
acid are not required, llo bas also used
creoline for the treatment of ordinary
flesh wounds and for the removal it
tumors A gauze Is prepared, which U
dipped In a solution of creoline. The
doctor considers it the most trustworthy,
convenient and harmless, as well as tht
cheapest, of autiaeptlc preparatutiw.
Scientific American.
RCLIGIOUS GLEANINGS.
Tbe Methodist Episcopal general confer
nee of 1892 will be held In Omaha, '
There are said to be several churches in Il
linois without a single male member.
Tbe Reformed Episcopal church numben
W ehurches, 120 ministers and 12,000 com
municauts. ,
The New Jerusalem church of the TJnitec
States at a meeting recently held in Bostoi
voted to form a national organization.
Tbe Irish Catholic archbishops and bishopt
have issued an address declaring that th
pope's decree affects morals only and doet
not interfere with politics.
The Presbyterian church gave f SOO.000 for
home missions lust year, yet deducting the
amount from this which represents legacies
and it only represents a gift of S'i cents per
member.
President C. H. Payne, of Ohio Wesleyan
nniversity, having been elected secretary of
tbe newly created board of education of the
Methodist church, will be compelled to re
sign his office.
The first American Sabbath school of which
we have any definite knowledge was started
hi Ephrata, Lancaster county, Pa., about
1738, by Ludwig Hacker, a teacher in the
eommon schools. It was carried on by him
tor about forty years and was attended with
some remarkable results. This antedates
Robert Raikes (17S1) and David Blair (176U).
A new church is organized every two days
by the Presbyterian church. Every three
days a Presbyterian minister dies. Tbe de
nomination imports from other Christian
bodies sixty ministers per year to fill vacan
cies. The secretaries of tbe Home Mission
board are not burdened to find places for
ministers applying for service; tbey are
burdened rather to find ministers to fill
parishes now vacant and enter missionary
Balds already open.
Bishop Andre wt, of the Methodist Episco
pal church, whose episcopal residence hitherto
bas been in Washington, D. C, now goe to
New York. Bishop Foss leaves Minneapolis
(or Philadelphia; Bishop Hurst, Buffalo for
Washington, while of the newly elected
bishops. Bishop Vincent goes to Buffalo,
where he will be near Chautauqua; Bishop
Fitzgerald to Minneapolis, Bishop Joyce to
Chattanooga, Bishop Kewman to Omaha, and
Bishop Goodkeil to Texas.
SCIENTIFIC SQUIBS.
The Sheffield free library has adopted the
plan of fumigating the books. They are ex
posed for fifteen minutes to the fumes of car
bolic acid at a temperature of from 150 degs.
to 200 degs.
One of the mort remarkable mechanical
ihangea of the day is the setting aside of
iteel and the adoption of iron for some of the
most important parte of locomotives on manv
railroads. It is only comjwratively a few
years since the chaige was made, on most
roads, from iron to sUeL
Dr. Grundman, of HVschberg, has patented
tnew process of mating magnesia into a
r Donate by exposing $ to carbonic acid as
produced by burning kke in close apart
ments. It thus forms a aibstence as bard as
siagnesita, and capable of taking a fine
polish. Mixed with marUe dust it forms an
trtiflcial dolomite; with ioluble silicates an
utifleial stucca.
The power of various eplosives has been
mlculated to be equivalent to the following
a-eesure, the figures givint tons per square
nch: Emmensite, a new exjlosive, for which
mportant advantages are (aimed in addi
ion to great power, 283; nitro-glyeeriue,
J04; explosive gelatine, 2-13; orcite, 2!)0; oxo
uito, 240; panclastite, 203; Jin cotton, 198;
lynaraite, 144: atlas, 133; aekarock, 117;
oburite, 24, and blasting guuowder, 23.
"Railway brain" is a term applied by Dr.
Thompson to a neurosis or geerul derange
nent of the nerves produced ly a shock re
vived by the head on a railwff car. In the
(articular case described no lound was re
vived, and consciousness wa1 preserved at
if be time of the injury. Ater wards tbe
uitieut became melancholic art complained
t insomnia, headache, spina pain, weari
less and failure of appetite, hygienic and
mlliutive treatment was givec
W. A. Lyman, of Milford, tmn., is mak
ig tbe smallest possible spHmen of an
ugine. It will be made with a silver half
ollar. The boiler is to hold abqt eight drops
if water, but with four drops le engine can
worked several ininutys. tben finished
is to be placed under a glug case three
uarters of an inch in djamet and an inch
:id one-eighth in beightj Bom of the parts
ill be so flue and delicate that tbey cannot
made without the ue of magnifying
lass.
Lorgnettes in solid Roman jnddull gold
frames aud holders mat expeitirs adjuncts
to the jewel cose of th lady of !aliion.
A tuft of grasses in variwlored gold,
springing from an iregular du gold coil, set
with rubies, is a cost design u scarf plus.
MORNING IN 1 HE MOUNTAINS.
Tb cherub day behind the skirts of night
Peeps laughing o'er tbe bills, and glancsf
through
Th darkness and tha shrouding mists of blue;
And soon the mountains are aglow with light.
Here Is a rocky steep, whose sun brown height
Is clothed in grenn of many a varied hue; ,
There, Id the deep ravine, burst on the view
A sea of fog, with billows foaming white.
The soft leaves rustle faintly; everywhere
Tbe joyous waking from the darkness brings
A subtle stir of morning In the air;
With noisy fluttering of little wings.
From out the chaparral a songster springs,
And greets with rapturous note the daylight fair.
Vlrn Woods lo pverland Monthly.
SHE KNEW IT
When an Amerlran girl knows anything,
she knows It with all ber might. She has
that singular gift. Intuition, in a highly
developed state. The world being all her
oyster, she proceeds to open it with dyna
mite. Because the story of Baptiste
chances, by an accident, to be true, Is no
good reason for It being less interesting.
Miss Virginia Mascom was so very pretty
aud graceful than even In New York she
passed for a beauty. She had heard this
so often, and from so many people, that
she would have been forced to believe It
even if she bad originally been freighted
with doubts. She had a highly well bred
carriage and a haughty manner on occa
sion, but was withal a pleasant. Intelli
gent, well behaved girl, whose wealth
gave ber pleasure rather than airs. She
was pretty enough and stylish enough to
make something of a sensation even in
Paris.
It was In the time of Louis Napoleon
that Miss Mascom arrived in Paris under
the feeble wings of her mother, Mascom
himself being only a memory. They
wanted to see the city before they became
involved by the claims of either society or
dressmakers. . They had rooms In an ex
pensive hotel not far from the Place Ven
dome, and made daily excursions, for
sight seeing purposes, from its hospitable
portals. Acting upon the advice of a
friend, they hired a carriage by the month,
thus doing away entirely with the nuis
ance of cochers.
Among the cabmen who were on duty
in front of the hotel was a tall, handsome
young Breton named Baptiste. lie was a
tidy, steady fellow, and lived with his
married brother, Jacques, in the Mont
martre quart it r. Ilis was a passionate
nature, aud the first day he saw the
pretty American he fell deeply in love and
almost off the seat of his carriage.
lie longed for some opportunity to
Tpeak to her, to do some wonderful thing
to attract her attention and arouse her
good will. The opportunity to speak came
at last. One afternoon the ladies came
out at the usual time, only to find that
their carriage was not ready. It was a
golden moment for Baptiste. He whip
ped up his horses and dashed to the front
of the house. So did a cocber who
chanced to be passing. There was much
confusion, almost a collision, and a great
deal of curious swearing. Baptiste was
vehement in expostulations and oilers of
his services. The ladies were frightened
by the wrangle, and called tbe concierge,
who ordered both disputants to take
themselves off, and capped the climax of
Baptiste 's despair by calling up a third
cabman.
"That was my Waterloo!" cried the poor
Breton. "My golden moon is an unripe
apple. I shall uever speak to her now.
That Imbecile has ruined me."
"I thought that young cabman was
rather good looking at first," said Miss
Mascom to her mother. "It shows us
how mistaken we are about foreigners. I
wouldn't be a bit surprised if he were
one of those communists we have heard
of," and she shuddered at ber own sug
gestion. Miss Mascom's French was limited. She
bad not understood tbe cause of the ex
citement of Baptiste.
The ladies found hotel life a bore, and
took an apartment near the Park Mon
ceaux. They were there when the storm
of war came with the cry of "a Berlinl"
Their rooms were on the ground floor,
and the low stone balcony in front of
their windows was covered with lovely
red climbing roses.
One evening two drunken gardes mo
bile were passing the house, when one
exclaimed: "Let 's pick some of that pretty
girl's roses for our wives."
Miss Mascom sat at the window. Being
somewhat nearsighted, she did not notice
that the soldiers were drunk and vicious,
"Two very picturesque follows," she
thought, and having caught the word
roses, she said: "You may gather some if
you like.".
The men did not hear the permission,
but were about to proceed without, it,
when a man who had been standing in
the shadow of the next house sprang
upon them and ordered them to go away.
There was of course a brawL The attack
ing party was vehement, both In action
and speech.
"What!" he cried, "you dogs of the
street! would you Insult that lovely one
from the west that rose of roses! Ah!
you shall pay for it, I swear!"
There were gendarmes at hand In a few
moments, and all of the combatants were
hurried off. Virginia had watched the
affray in terror, fehe caught a glimpse of
the stranger's face and screamed. Turn
ing td her frightened mother she cried:
"Oh, it Is that dreadful cabman who
was so impudent one day at the hotel. I
feel sure he is a Communist. Did you see
how lie attacked those poor, unoffondinir
soldiers who wanted some roses? Suchj
men ought to be kept in prison." And
for the second time she shuddered because
of poor Baptiste. .
The second reign of terror had its awful
grip upon the throat of Paris. Mrs. Mas
corn was very ill, and her daughter ten
derly watched at her bedside. No one
knew when they were safe, and each night
was made up of hours of dreadful sus
pense. Oue very dark night there were
shots In the street, and presently a mob,
headed by a niau in a ragged, dirty Garde
Mobile uniform, came to a stand In front
of the house.
"An aristocrat lives here," shouted the
man in uniform, attracted by a light from
the windows on the first floor. "She is a
womau whose servants attact peaceable
men on the street. Let ua teach her a
lesson, my friends.''
''icv'VM'Jr fSsponslve yell, a rush for
the entrance, and then a sudden halt,
A man stood at the head of tha stops
waving his hand and shouting:
"No! no!" he said. "It Is a lie what ha
says! The young lady in an American.
She Is a friend of liberty and of the people,
lie Is not telling you the truth. Ah,
comrades, yon would not harm hor. Sho
Is a- young thing, and so beautiful so
beautiful and his voice was piteous la
Its entreaty.
The answer was a coarse laugh.
"So it Is you again?" shouted the Garde
Mobile. "Here Is something for you!"
and there was a pistol shot. i
Like some agile beast of prey, the man
on the steps sprang down, snatched A
musket from one of the mob, and brought
Its butt down on the head of the leader.
Then he sprang back up the steps and
into the balcony The light from the
torches of tbe mob flickered across tho
front of the house. One of the shutters
was partly opened, and the pale face of a
woman was thrust out.
"Go backl Hide yourselfl It Is I!" ex
claimed the man on the balcony. "They
shall not touch you while I am here!"
She did not recognize him, nor under
stand all he said, and he pushed her some
what roughly back into the room. There
was a scattering volley from the mob, a
fall upon the balcony floor, and then offl
'at on horseback dashed up and ordered
the mob to disperse. They had some
Communist troops to back up their orders,
and in a short time the street was quiet
and deserted.
The wounded Garde' Mobile hod been
carried off by his comrades. There was
no sign of the recent attack, except on the
balcony where the roses used to bloom.
Something red was dabbled about on tho
stones next day when the sunlight came,
red as the flowers had been. '
Once more the shutters opened, and tho
pallid faceof Miss Mascom appeared. Cau
tiously she stepped forth. Her foot struck
something soft and she screamed.
"What is it. Virginia?" asked a weak,
terrified voice. "Have they come back?"
"No!" answered Virginia ba horror.
"It's that awful cabman again. I knew
he was a Communist. I told you so the
first day I saw him; 'and, oh! mamma!
they've shot him out on the balcony, he's
dead, and yet be seemed to look op at me
and smile. It is all so horrible. Perhaps
it's best that he's killed. Oh, I wish we
were home again and out of this awful
place."
And for the third time she shuddered
because of Baptiste, and yet he was dead,
out there where he had guarded Virginia's
roses. .
' fl
it was from Jacques, the brother, that
I beard the story. Parker L. Walter in
Philadelphia Bulletin.
Superstition of South African.
Tho Bantu have no definite idea of tho
mode of existence of their deities, but tho
southern tribes suppose them to inhabit
dim, underground caverns. They regard
the unseen world in which they believe
with unmingled dread, and drivo reflec
tion concerning it from their thoughts
whenever it Is possible to do so. Before
their intercourse with white men it had
never struck them that the acts of this
life could have any effect upon tho spirit
after death. Tbey are In no sense an im
aginative or speculative people, but direct
iheir entire attention to such material
objects as Immediately affect their wel
fare. In such a condition, progress
toward a higher kind of life, unless di
rected by some external agency, is nearly
impossible.' In other words, self develop
ment must be a very slow process, if it
can be accomplished at alL For, first,
their greatest dread is that of offending
the spirits of their ancestors, and they
hold that any departure from established,
customs will assuredly do this, and there
fore bring evil upon them.
Next, their belief in witchcraft is op
posed to progress of any kind- For a
man who is not a chief, .and who differs
from his follows by being mentally in ad-,
vance of them, Inevitably draws sus
picion on himself of being a wizard, and,
where there is no foreign controlling
power, surely falls a victim to their fury.
The belief In witchcraft is to this day tho
cause of a terrible amount of suffering
among the tribes that are independent.
All events that cannot be readily com
prehended sickness In man, murrain in
cattle, blight in crops, even casual acci
dentsare by them attributed to tho
Qgeucy of wizards and witches, and not
the slightest compassion Is felt for any
unfortunate wretch whom the recognized
witch finder of the community points out
as guilty. Confiscation of property, tor
ture, death are the penalties of being
charged with this ideal offense. It is be
lieved that one man can bewitch another
by means of any such thing as a few balm
from his head, a clipping of a finger nail,
apiece of clothing, or indeed anything
whatever that belougs to him or can be
brought into contact with him, or can be
concealed to or about his hut. "History
of the Boers in South Africa."
THE LATEST IN JEWELS.
A handsome key ring recently seen was
Btrand of silver wire loosely tied in a loop.
A pine cone in variegated gold is a pleas
ing pattern for single aud double prong hair
phis.
Enameled flower brooches are still in good
demand, and many of tbe older designs are
selling well.
Small moonstone owl heads, with tiny ruby
eyes, still meet with fsor among lovers of
odd scarf pins.
A handsome bar pin has four well cut Capo
rubies mounted in high settings, divided by
small diamonds, ,
An accurate copy of an ancient Roman tear
vial, io mottled oxidiised silver, is a peculiar
pendant for a queen chuiu.
Small pungents made entirely of petrified
wood or "tiger eye" are a pleasant relief from
the conventional cut glass.
Double ended crystal smelling bottles, with
gold and silver caps, are now being madav
nearly eight inches in length.
Au Egyptian head of moonstone, set la.
gold, the sides of the head dress being ricbly
jeweled, makes an attractive brooch,