! ) 1
BROTHERS.
ftpfrittr,
At wy window Hp) tin Inn,
Weaving cirltw wider, wider,
from tliw tluft boKiuumg.
Running
WlieolH and pokwt until yon
Build your hIIIchu deatlitrai) ounnlnfc
Blmll 1 uulob you, kill youV
Hprawllnu. ,
Nimble, shrewd An Olroe,
rtnnth'n your only aim untt nailing
Why should you have meruy?
Htrlku tliesr
Not for rapluo willful.
Man lilniHitlf In too utuuli like thee,
Ouly uotsoekillfu..
Rife In
Thee liven our Oreatnr,
Thou'rl aftlmpe to hold a life 1m
1 am uotuliiK r ter.
-yeorao HortoD Id Harper's.
iMY GHOSTLY COMPANION
An
rAprimnt Tlmt Mak- tJs A.u,
"What In Coming?"
Mr. W. H. Pram chief engineer anil
electrician to the pontoffk. han ptit tips
wire a mile Ioiik on the count near Lav-
h i hni ernock and a shorter one on Flatholm, a
He said noi . word, bat, ..... ....... ., ., . - . .. D .
ulMe immiu miiito uuiuB uu in mu xjuniui
channel.' Ho fitted the latter wire with
& "sounder" to receive messages, and
sent a message through the former from
"Come at once. Mr. Thomas Warring
loo is dangerously 111 and wishes to see
proo."
I This was a tolegrnphio message which
1 neeived one cold January morning
labont six years ago. Surprise was my
chief feeling at the moment, for Mr,
Thomas Warrington had never been
more than a name to me, although be
was my uncle. 1 had never seen him,
and had never felt any particular desire
to do so, not from any dislike or grudge
II bore the old nian, but simply because 1
had forgotten all about him.
Certainly be was my uncle, my fa
jther'B elder brother, but for years before
twy father's death there had been a feud
between them relating to a small estate
which my father claimed, and which
my uncle, though a rich man with much
property, also claimed. Acourt of law
settled the matter after much delay and
anger on either side. My undo waB able
to pay for exjiert counsel, my father was
sot, for, except this small estate which
caused the quarrel, he bad nothing but
Ithe precarious Income of an author. My
ancle fought hard, grasping old man
that he'was. and won his case. Hut this
had all happened so long ago, in the days
at my extreme youth, tlait I bad never
given a second thought, certainly never
serious one to the story. Hard words
had passed between the brothers, I be
lieve, very hard words, and my uncle
had worn loudly and deeply that he de
mited the sight of my father, and hoped
paver to set eyes on biui or his again as
long as he lived.
Perhaps you think it was unusual for
young man of no means never to give
a second thought to an uncle who was
(the possessor of money and lands, but it
really is a fuct. and although my uncle
Eras rich and childless, 1 knew that he
eteeted me and my connections, and
trig estate win unentailed. 1 myself was
very young barrister, with enough to
think about, and, up to the present, as
xnucb as 1 could do to get through my
examinations.
Lbouie friends of mine were talking the
her day about strange things which
had happened to them, and it set me
thinking abont the only really strange
(thing that ever happened to me. and I
iword the cirouinstaiices, hoping that
some reader may be able to afford me an
explanation.
Well, to go back to the telegrum. I
was certainly very mnch surprised, and
Ifur a minute or fm stood staring at the
up of pink papr in an absent uiinued
sort of way. Then it occurred to me
hat 1 was wasting time. The telegram
demanded my presence, and I had no
time to waste. 1 looked at my Brad
ahaw, found that 1 bad an hour before
rthe next train started, so ate my break
last calmly, and packed a portmanteau,
Ming glad for the first time since 1 had
become a full blown barrister that no
measure of work detained me in town.
I i soon found a corner seat in a smok
ing carriage, and resigned myself to a
sairly long journey on this cold January
Uay. 1 had taken my place in very good
itiiue, so amused myself by watching the
people hurrying to and fro, and was a
good deal attracted by a white Paired
told gentleman who slowly passed back
ward and forward at short intervale be
fore the carriage in which I sat, and
who, every time he passed, seemed to
look at me with a Car away expression in
bis eyes. 1 wub beginning to feel inter
ested in the old fellow, when the train
tartod, and 1 soon forgot all abont him.
I By bad luck the train which I had
managed to catch was a terribly slow
one, which stopped at almost every sta
tion big and small, and I was surprised
always to see the same White haired old
gentleman passing to and fro on the
platform every time we stopped, He
never passed without looking at me with
the same faraway expression in his eyes,
it the first few stations 1 scarcely no
ticed him, bin after a bit I began to
wonder who be was and why he paraded
snout in that manner, and took a sort of
lasy interest in him, pitying the poor old
fellow for having to travel on such a
bleak day.
The Jonrney was certainly a tedious
one, bnt I found a good deal to occupy
my thoughtsmy uncle, whom I bud
never seem the old quarrel; the chances
of his relenting in the matter of my
father's estate, fur surely be would not
luinuion me from London for no other
purpose than that I might make personal
inquiries as to bis health.
The day wore on, and the short winter
ifteruoou began to close In. We bad
passed most of the larger and busier
towns, and were coming to villages and
small stations All my fellow travelers
suul left the carriage, being mostly busi
ness men they had reached thoir several
destinations in the larger towns, and I
sat alone in my corner, when the old
White haired gentleman, whom I was be
ginning to look upon as rather eccentric,
turned the bundle of the i-itrriage door.
came m, and sat down in tn corner op
posite tome.
gazed out at the landscape in a dreamy
manner, while I took the opportunity to
lexamine his appearance more closely,
llle was tall, thin and looked emaciated,
with dearly cut features of a waxen
kiolor, and wonderfully blue eyes. He
jwors an old fashioned, low crowned silk
hut, and a long, thick coat with a fur
collar. The expression of his face re
minded me of some one, but I could not
remember of whom J did not notice all
this at once, for 1 did not like to stare
too long at the old gentleman, but 1
need not have troubled myself, for be
never turned hiB eyes from the window.
The evening drew on, the daylight
faded and the lamps were lighted, and
(till he kept his eyes fixed and gassed ont '
of the window into the darkness, while
the dim light of the oil lamp shone down
on his pale features, and 1 smoked hard
Hid said nothing. I
I think I must have dozed for a little '
wiuie, then I heard the guard calling
"Ashbndge roadt Ashbridge road!" and
1 started up, grabbed at my portman- ,
teau and prepared to get out of the car- 1
riage, for 1 had reached my destination;
but my companion also rose, turned and
looked me full in the face with a look
which seemed to make my biood grow
chilly, stepped out before me and 1 fol
lowed.
The station was certainly very badly
lighted and the night was pitch dark,
but 1 was rather surprised when 1 got
outside neither to see uor hour any sign
or sound of my fellow passenger. How
ever, 1 thought it did not mutter to me
where he had gone, so finding a carnage
awaiting me 1 got in and in the rush of
other thoughts 1 soon forgot him.
How is Mr. Warrington by this
time?" 1 asked the coachman.
He died this morning, sir," was the
reply And then followed the details of
his illness and death, which lasted until
we reuched Ashford Hall, my uncle's
house.
1 rang the bell, and was soon admitted
by a Btout. comfortable looking woman.
who showed me to my room, where I be
gan to wonder what 1 hud better do. It
was rather an awkward position to come.
a perfect stranger, at the bidding ol an
other Btranger. and find him dead on arrival
At length 1 went down stairs, and the
same kindly looking woman met me in
the ball and gave me more details of my
uncle's illnesH and his great desire to see
me. Then she supposed that 1 should
like to see the curpse, und so evidentlv
ON THE VERGE OF THE UNKNOWN.
AN AFRICAN THRMOPYLE.
A Natural and Impregnable Fortress In
MaHhonalaml.
South Africa is now the land of romance
and Anglo-Saxon enterprise. . All east Af
, rica Indeed is the land on which England's
'eyes are fixed, for though tbe Germans
hold part of the coast, and consequently
havea "sphere of influence" back of it. Eng
lishmen complaisantly assume that Ger
many will not lone be in their way. Hgypt
is now England's, and thenoe far to the
a powerful telephonic generator. That southward, while from cape uoiony sue ai-
jnessage on the j lening section Is not so wide as the al-
beard on tbe island, though nothing con
nected the two, or, in other words, the
possibility of a telephone between places
unconnected by wire was conclusively
established,
There is a possibility here of Inter
planetary communication, a good deal
more worthy attention than any scheme
for making gigantic electric flashes. We
do not know if we can communicate by
telephone through the ether to New
York or Melbourne with or without
cableB, bnt we do know that, if we can
not, the fault is in our generators and
sounders, and not in any prohibitory nat
ural law.
Will our habitual readers bear with us
for a moment as we wander into another,
and, as many of them will think, a supra
sensual region? The thought in a roan's
brain which causes him to advance his
foot must move something in doing it.
or how could it be transmitted down
that five or six feet of distance? If it
moves a physical something, internal to
the body, why should it not move also
something external, a wave, as we all
agree to call it, which on another mind
prepared to receive it fitted with a
sounder in fact will make an impact
having all the effect in the conveyance
of suggestion, or even of facts, of the
audibility of words? Why, in fact, if
one wire can talk to another without con
nection, save through ether, should not
mind talk to mind without any "wire"
at all.
None of us understands accurately, or
even as "yet approximately, what the con
ditions are, but many of us know for
certain that they have occasionally, and
by what we call accident, been present
to particular individuals, and that, when
present, the communication is completed
without cables, and mind speaks to mind
Independently of any machinery not ex
isting within itself.
Why, in the name of science, is that
leged desert between our Iowa ?nd Califor
nia was when the overland telegraph was
setup. 6
A telegraph from Cairo to Cape Townl It
is a proposition that almost takes one's
breath, but Englishmen say they will soon
have it The first difficulty in their north
ward march is Mashonaland, not so much
on account of the present hostility of the
black savages as on account of the awful
possibilities in case of future troubles.
There is one natural fortress at Zimbubwe
which is approachable only by a narrow
cleft, a great fissure in the rock, and it is
Thermonylie indeedl A handful of men
could hold it against the armies of -the
world till starved out no easy task, as the
savages would have an open country be
hind them till an immense army could sur
round them. Captain Jack and the lava
beds were not in it for comparison.
Feminine Tact,
Hostess (at dinner) You own a veTy fine
telescope, I understand, Mr. Do Science.
Guest Yes, madam, I waB fortunate
enough to secure a most excellent Instru
ment.
Hostess Are you interested in micro
scopes r
Guest No, madam; I never had One,
Hostess Marie, pass Mr. De Science the
cheese. New York Weekly.
Christmas Kve An Alarm.
Choms What win datf Didn't yon
hear sunfin? Life.
more of a "miracle" that is, an occur
rence prohibited by immutable law
than the transmission of Mr. Preece's
message from Lavernock to Flatholm?
London Spectator.
Unsatisfactory
"We had depended on you for a Christ
mas story," said the publisher, "but listen
to this from the manuscript you gave us: .
'It was a moist drizzling day, the clouds
had obscured the sun all morning, and
there hadn't been a snowflake within sev
enteen miles of the place for a week. The
sleighs had last year's rust on their run
ners, and tbe inhabitants wouldn't have
known the sound of sleigh bells from the
explosion of a Gatling gun. It was just a
common every day Christmas, on which
Santa Claus had to take off his skates
and drag out bis overshoes.' It won't do;
I don't think the reading public will have
It."
"And yet," sighed the author as he
rolled up bis copy and put it into his
pocket, "you said you wanted something a
little different. "Washington Post.
A Rainmaker to Be Depended Upon.
Frederick W. Boot is a good deal of a
hoodoo. He gracefully acknowledges
the charce himself. It is a sinirular fact
expected me to auswor in the affirmative that whenever he appears to deliver a
that 1 did so. and she led the way up the lecture the rain begins to fall. He is so
Dioaa staircase unu aowu a long pussuge. g00n producer that he has serioUB-
At the eud of this passage she opened v considered the idea of utilizincr his
the door of a dimly lighted room and we talents for that nurnose in the arid re
entered, she carrying a candle. We went gjon8 f the west.
togetner to me obubhib, ana sue, naming WhileutBilverljakeAssembly.inNew
tbe candle high with one hand, gently york tate, he delivered a lectured on
lifted the sheet with the other and dis- musical tastes or a kindred subject. He
closed the white, oleur cut features of hoJ delivered the same lecture a half
my traveling companion.
dozen times in the west, and tbe refresh-
ThiB was the first and last thing of the big shower came alonir each time before
kind that ever happened to me, and is j,e hod half finished it.
still unexplained.
I But when he reached the Silver Lake
1 stayed on at Ashford Hall for the 1 Assembly erounds the skv was brieht.
funeral, and found myself, on the read- Mr. Root congratulated himself
ing of my uncle's will, Bole heir to all his npon having shaken off his evil spirit.
possessions. True Flag,
He mounted the rostrum, cleared his
throat, and when he had got aa f or as
"FriendB and follow citizens" the rum
ble of distant thunder grated harshly
upon hie ears. Yet he gathered up his
courage and went on, and before he had
A Typical ISoubellever.
"Do I believe in slms and luck, and
superstitions and all that blooming non
senso? Of course not," said fat and jolly
Henry Thornbnrgh at Hurst's hotel to a delivered a quarter of his lecture the
group or pniuwupners. -i nave some rain came down in torrents,
sort of respect for the people whoso su-1 "Indeed," said Mr. Root, "I never saw
perstition is a religion. The Egyptians, it rain bo hard before." After the ad-
who worshiped the dog and cat and even (Imss a witty young Chicago woman who
the crocodile; the Romans, who put thoir fcnew of the hoodoo business suggested,
faith in divination and oracles and ma- for the convenience of the public, that
gical powers of amulets; the Greeks, who next year Mr. Root should write a lec-
ucineu Dees ami ants; even ine mysteries ture upon a dry subject. Chicago Post.
ana aosuruitiesoi astrology anuieicnemy
Keeping Him a Lover.
Mrs. Sharptongue r- D'ye mean t' say
you've been married ten years, an' never
had a quarrel with y'r husband?
Fair Stranger That is true, madam.
"And ye always let him have the last
word?"
"Yes, madam; I wouldn't for the world
do anything to lessen my husband's love
for me. He might get careless."
"Careless?"
Appkoach TO the fortress. "yes. We are jugglers by profession,
Mr. .7. T. Bent F. S. A., and a scientist ' and at two performances every day I stand
of abilitv. has lust DUblished an account against a board while he throws the
of the "Ruined Cities of Mashonaland," I knives." New York Weekly.
which he lately visited, and it fascinat
ing as any novel. Long, long ago the gold
mines were worked by a people who built
fortified towns. They were evidently con
structed by a people who came from a great
distance for a special purpose and took
the most elaborate precautions to secure
themselves against attack. There seems
tobanoreaHontoquestionthe conclusions
of ethnologists that these ancient sojourn
ers in Mashonaland burrowed for gold,
which they carried buck to Arabia. Their
monuments are extremely primitive, and
they were so thoughtless as to leave no
inscriptions for the benefit of the specula
tive theorist. The most iuteresting dis
covery is the trace of Semitic blood in the
population today, utruck of inquiry which
may carry the Musbona pedigree back to
Ham.
All railrouds in South' Africa are owned
and run by the government, and it iB now
pushing a line northward into Mashona
land at considerable expense, as some of
the mountains have to be tunneled, and the
occasional swamps are very unhealthy for
white men. The natives are described by
Mr. Bent as remarkably moral and honest,
and "the great chief, Kliama, is a sincerely
religious man, who prohibits the brewing
of beer, holds sen-ices twice every Sunday,
rigorously enforces the observance of that
day, regulates the price of every commod
ity, and when he sells a horse which subse
quently falls ill always returns the, money
to the purchaser." The explorer humor
ously suggest tU-t Khama send mission
aries to England. The greatest lack in all
that region is a permanent supply of wuter.
all have my Bymputiiies and at least re
spectful consideration.
Bnrlal Customs In Kentucky.
In the mountains of Kentucky when i
done West. ' '
"My friend George has gone to Seattle," .
said the obituary editor to the funny man
quite seriously.
"Ah," twittered the funny man. "What
has he gone to see attle for?" .
"I should say," responded the obitnary
editor with great solemnity, "that he has
gone to Seattle, Wash." -
And the funny man felt the gray matter
In his brain slowly congealing. Washing
ton Star. "
A Transparent Lie,
Friend If you are so bad off why don't
you apply to your rich brother in Boston
for assistance?
Poor Man I did write to him to assist
me, and what answer do you suppose I got?
"I have no idea."
"He wrote me that my letter asking for
assistance had never reached him." Texas
Sittings. . ,
An Artful Girl.
She You men hare canes and gloves to
carry, but tell me, Mr. Cassimeer,(wbat
can we girls do with our hands?
He Really, I don't know. (With a sud
den inspiration) Why, give 'em away, of
course! Evelyn, darling, I love you; slip
this ring on yours, and I'll run up and
strike the old manl American Grocer.
But the horrors of the dreadful figure husband dies his funeral sermon is not
18 and tho fears some people have of preached until after the death of the
making ono of that number; the refusal wife, nor that of a wife until the hus
to start a journey or undertaking on band also is dead. Thon a preacher is
Friday; all sortB of ghosts and spectral sent for, friends and neighbors are
warnings, with second sight, etc., have called in, and the respect is paid to both
my supreme contempt. I have known together.
men to shudder upon seeing two mag- - More peculiar is the custom cf having
pios at the same time; a friend of mine the services for one person repeated, so
left my table not long ago because one that the dead get their "funerals'1
of my children spilled some salt while preached several times months and years
moving his plato; ono of tho firm in our after their burial. I heard the pitiful
bonse would rather suitor fine and im- story f two sisters who had their moth
prUonnient than to put on his left shoe er's "funeral" preached once every sum
first when he goto up in the morning, mer as long as they lived.
And in most respects these people are all In strange contrast with this regard
sensible people. for ceremonial observances is their nog-
"Stopl Don't walk in front of me; lect of the graves of their beloved, which
there's a pin on the Uoor right there with they do not seem at all to visit when once
its head toward me. You say what of closed or to decorate with those symbols
it? Why, don't you know it is a sign of affection which are the common indi-
tbat What s that? superstition? Oh, cations of bereavement. "Blue Gross
well, you know there are some things
Well, all right. Shut up! Whafllyou
have?" St. Louis Globe-Democrat
: It.
Some argue that light, the astron
omer's only basis of search in the un
fathomable regions of space, expands
and decomposes in its progress, and that
at best it gives lis only very imperfect
data upon which to base calculations.
Placer county, Nov., lays claim to a
valuable specimen of petrified vegeta
tion. It consists of two pieces of rook
which are believed to have been water
melons, as they have the exact shape
and appearance of that fruit,
Region of Keptucky."
Dull Eyed Scientists.
Mrs. Haynian Who are those gentle
men ruunin into our bam to get out o'
th'rain? '
Daughter They are a party of scien
tists who are staying at the hotel.
They've been ont on some expedition or
Other.
Mre. Hayman 1 don't see wheretheir
eyes was las' night. Anyone might a
known from th' uew moon it was goin
to rain. It was tipped up so it couldn't
bold water if it tried. New York
Wsokly.
Obettity, LeitmieM and Beauty
Some persons are boro with ft normal
tendency to become (at, others wkb a
tendency to leauuess. It is tbe same among
the lower animals. Tbe bog is a sort of
machine for transforming the odds and
ends of food into fat; but the farmer knows
beforehaud that a little pig with long legs
and snout will work off tbe fat as fast as it
can be made. So a long legged person sel
dom inclines to obesity.
Temperament has much to do with tbe
bodily condition in this respect. In lym
phatic people the life processes are slow,
and the fat is largely deposited rather than
burned. This temperament furnishes some
of tbe best types of surface beauty. The
person of nervous temperament, on the
other hand, by excessive activity of body
abd mind, and by predisposition to haste,
worry, fret and impatience, naturally re
mains lean; but while the features of such
a person will probably lack softness and
roundness of outline, they may exhibit in
a marked degree the higher beauties of
mindandaoul.
People who incline to obesity may hold
the tendency in check by appropriate food
and stirring exercise in the open air, thus
both lessening the amount of fat forming
food taken .into the system and causing a
more rapid consumption Of such fat as is
produced, and those who incline to undue
leanness, by pursuing the opposite course,
may largely increase the amount of fat de
posited. Youth's Companion.
Silent Evidences of a Tragedy.
H. Johnson and J. Bishop, who have been
prospecting for minerals in the wild moun-
Knew Him at Once.
"You are from New York, sir," remarked
the barber to the man who had just left
the chair.
"How did you knowf"
"For the reason that you didn't kick be
cause you were the seventeenth man I used
the same towel on." Philadelphia Times.
They Are a Necessity, .
The Boston Transcript recommends the
arrest of any store boy who sweeps oil the
sidewalk of a crowded street between 8 and ,
9 o'clock in the morning. 'The Transcript
is perfectly right. Tbe boys must leave
the sidewalks where they are. Lowell
Citizen.
A Faglty Proverb.
Gryce That old Indian rascal; Dough-face-full-of-prunes-up-to-the-ueck,
is on the
rampage again, I see. I guess it's true
that the only gooi Indian is a dead Indian.
Bryce But did you ever know a real
mean Indian to die? Spirit.
Absent Mliided. '
Professor (a little distracted) I'm very
glad to see you. How's your wifer
"I regret it. professor, but I'm not mar
ried."
"Ah, yes, then, of course, your wife's
still single?" Fliegende Blatter.
A Season for Everything.
Walker Weeks has got fearfully round
shoulders, hasn't hat He never does any
work, does kef
Wentman No, but you ought to see the
load of debts he has to carryK-American
Grocer.
,
The search for the golden fleece had
not for ita sole object the conquest of a!
Paine, or a precious fleece, or to rob the !
tainous region south and east of Mount treasure soarefully heaped by the ava-
Rainier, Wash., found in a wild and almost ticious Aetea.
inaccessible place the remains of a camp,
with cooking utensils and some tinned pro
visions scattered about, and Bhortly after,
about a mile away, they discovered the
bones and antlers of an elk and the remains
of a human being mixed together and scat
tered about on the bottom alongside of a
mail creek. They judged that the man
was a hunter, as the barrel and half decayed
stock of a gun were found near the bones,
Champagne owes its quality to thftj
toil, a mixture of chalk, sihea, light,
clay and oxide of iron, and to the great
care and delicate manipulation in mauu-'
factum
A book of a thousand pages could be
written on "Wonders and Curiotuttat
and It is supposed that he had wounded the 1 Respecting the Crab Family' and each
elk and it had killed him. 1 chapter made apropos to the title too.