VISIONS-
; Visions eomo and ito attain,
i Lmvino In t hoir ufry tmlo
Just a rliytlun, soft auu tow,
Of tlielr muvumuut to and fro
(tomotblaif Ilk w old refrain.
Tli the way with summer mint
Tie the way with Joy and paloi
i "l'ls tlie way wltb all wekau
Of U Uvaser mortal men,
- Just to coma, thon go attain.
-W. N. Houudy In Uorpor's Weekly.
THE ROBBER.
The author of this Kory, Guy do Maaw-
BUU, hu rauumljr buom. Uihuim. ,
"When 1 toll you, yon will not b
Uevems." '
"Never mind; tell us, all the tune
"WUUngly, but 1 feel the neoenalty of
first declaring that my story ii true in
very particular, improbable as it stems.
Artiste alone will not be surprised, par
ticularly those who lived In that period
when the spirit of fun and frolio per
vaded artist life, even in the most uert
etn circumstances."
This conversation took place in the
talle-a-manger of the Hotel do Barbison
among a lot of studonts.
The old artist who had just spoken
placed himself astride his chair and con
tinued: Well, we had dined that evening with
Borieul. Poor fellow, he is now dead!
There were only three of us Sorieul,
LePoittevin and myself. Sorieul was
fiie wildest of as all, unci to say wo had
lined at his house siguilles we were all
drunk. Le Poittevin alone rotained his
ensue a little cloudy, it is true still he
knew what he was doing. Aul we were
young In those days.
Lying iu the carpet in a little room ad
joining the atelier, we disoussed in the
most extravagant manner all kinds of
Improbable things.
Borioul, Hat on his bock, his ftt
perched on tho back of a chair, talked
about battles and the uniforms worn dur
ing the empire. Suddenly getting up,
he went to a large wardrobe and took
down a complete suit of hussar uniform,
dressed himself iu it, then tried to per
suade Le Poittevin to costume himself
as a grenadier, When he resisted we
seized him, undressed him, and forced
him into an tniuieuse uniform which
ompletuly swallowed hiui up.
I disguised myself as a cuirassier, and
Borioul made us execute some very com
plicated meneuvers.
Thon he exclaimed, "As we are now
soldiers, we must drink like soldiers!"
A punch was lighted, swallowed;
again and agaiu the names rose up from
(lis bowl of rum. Wesangtheoldsungs
which the troopers of the Urand Army
sang in ancient times.
Buddenly Le Poitteviu, who In spite
f all this was still master of himself,
made us a sign to be silent; after listen
tug a moment, he said, in a low voice
"1 am sure 1 hear some one walking in
the atelierl"
Borieul gut up as well us he could, and
ried out, "A robberl what luck I" and
began to troll the "Marseillaise," "To
annul To arms, ye bravel"
We dashed to a panoply of arms and
(Quipped ourselves according to our uni
forms. 1 hod a kind of musket, with a
saber; Le Poittevin a gigantic gun with
a hayonot; Borieul, not finding what he
wanted, seized a horse pistol, which he
stuck in his belt, and a boarding ax,
which he wildly brandished. Then
autioualy opening the door of the ate
lier, the army .entered the suspected ter
ritory. When we were in the midst of this
vast room, oncumbored with easels, pic
tures and strange, unexpected objects
f furniture, Sorieul called a halt and
said: "1 constitute myself goneral. Let
us hold a council of war. You cuiras
siers, go and cut off the retreat of the
auemy, that is, 'Lock the door.' You
grenadiers will be my escort."
1 executed the commanded movement,
then joined the troop that formed the
Nconnoitering party,
I was searching behind a great screen,
lighted cundle in my hand, when a
furious noise burst forth. 1 darted out
to find Le Poittevin had stuck his bayo
net into the breast of a lay figure, and
Sorieul was trying to cut off the heud
with his ax.
' The mistake being recognized the gen
erul commauded, "He more prudent!'
and again we commenced operations.
For twenty minutes nt least we ran
sacked every comer and crevice of the
atelier without success. At lost Le Poit
tevin thought of opening a large closet
It was dark and deep. 1 thrust in uvy
arm, holding the light, but quickly re
coiled; n man n living, breathing man
was there looking at mo!
1 immediately shut the door and se
cured it. by two turns of the key; thon
we held n new couucil of war.
Opinions were very much divided, So
rieul wanted to smoke out the robber, Le
Poittevin to take him by famine; 1 pro
posed to blow him up with powder.
The advice of Le Poittevin prevailed.
While bo mounted guard with his
(iguntic gun we ran off for the remain
der of the punch and our pipes; when
we installed ourselves before the locked
door and druuk to the health of the pris
oner. At the end of half an hour Sorieul said:
"All the same, 1 would like to see him
nearer! Suppose we take him by force!'1
1 cried "lirnvo!" Each one dashed to
his arms, the closet door was opened,
Borieul cocking his pistol which was
iot loadedwas the first to rush in, we
followed, bowling and yelling. It was
an awful scrimmage in the dark, and
ifiorJ.WJjtinutesof frigbtfulltruKgUnK
we brought out nn old, dirty, rugged
looking beggar with long white hair.
We bound him band and foot and pro
ceeded to question him. Be would not
answer a word.
Then Sorted, full of dignilied drunken
ness, said, "We must try tin man, and
pass sentence upon him,' i was so
drunk the proposition seemed perfectly
natural to me. LePoittevin was charged
with the defense, and 1 to sustain the
accusation. Hewascondemnedtodeath;
only one dissenting voice, that of his de
fender. We wen going to execute the
sentence, when a serious scruple came to
Borieul. Be said: "This man ought not
to die without the consolation of religion.
Some one must go for a priest.
1 objected said It was to late. Then
Borieul proposed that I should fill that
office, and 1 exhorted the criminal to
unburden his sins into my bosom.
Tin poor old wretch had been rolling
his frightened eyes for about five min
utes, no doubt wondering what kind of
madmen he had fullen into the hands of.
Yon will laugh when 1 tell you Sorieul
forced him down upon his knees, saying.
"Confess to this gentleman, for thy last
hour has come!"
Horribly frightened, the old scoundrel
began to cry "Help! help!" with snch
strength and rigor we were forced to
gag him for fear he would aruua the
neighbors. Then he rolled over the
floor, turning, twisting, upsetting the
easels, pictures, canvases, until Sorienl
got out of patience and angrily ex
claimed, "Come, let us finish him!"
with that he put his pistol to the head
of the miserable wretch and pulled the
trigger.
Carried away by his example, I fired
in my turn. My musket was an old
flintlock, and sent forth a tiny spark.
to my great surprise.
Then Le Poittevin said in grave tones,
Have we the right to kill this man?"
Sorieul in great astonishment cried
out, "Certainly, when we have con
deinned him to death!
"But." continued Le Poittevin. "they
don't shoot civilians. They are always
hanged. We umst take this one to the
police etution."
This argument appeared conclusive.
We picked up the old fellow he
would not walk a step bound him se
curely to a plank taken from the model
table, and carried him, Le Poittevin at
the head, 1 at the foot, while Sorieul,
armed to the teeth, closed the fins of
march.
When we reached the station house,
the sentinel arrested us. The chief of
police was sent for. He knew us well,
nearly every duy witnessing same of onr
jokes, pranks and unheard of capers
He refused to receive our prisoner,
Sorieul insisted: then the officer severe
ly invited us tu return home and make
no mure noise.
The troop again took up the line of
march and returned to the atelier.
"What are we going to do with this
old robber?" 1 asked.
Le Poittevin, touched with tender
pity, declared he looked terribly ex
hausted. Truly the old fellow had an
agonizing appearance, gagged, tied hand
and foot and securely bound to his
plank.
1 was taken in my turn with violent
pity. 1 took off his gag and said, "Well,
my poor old man, how do you feel now?"
He groaned, "In the nam of Uod, I've
had enonghl"
Then Sorieul became affectionately pa
ternal. He untied him, placed him in
an armchair, fondled him. called hira
"thee" and "thou." And to comfort
him we all three run off to make him a
fresh punch. The old scamp, tranquilly
seated in his armchair, coolly regard
ed ns.
When the punch was ready we touched
glasses with him, "wishing him long life
and prosperity.
Our prisoner drank as much as a regi
ment, and when daylight appeared he
got up and said, "i uni sorry to leave
you, gentlemen, but i must go.
We were desolate, heartbroken,
begged him to etuy. bnt he would re
main no longer. Then we followed him
to the door, shook hands with him.
Borieul lighted him through the vesti
bule and culled out: "Take care, my
old mend, theres a bad step there.
Don't fall!"
A hearty laugh followod this ridicu
lous story of the old artist, who got np,
lighted his pipe and standing in front
of us added:
"The drollest part of my story, gen
tlemen, ib this: Every word of it is
true!" Translated from the French of
Uuy de Maupassant by M, E. B. for Ro
mance.
The Fall of tho llupoe,
The following story is sent to mo in Illus
tration of the Uuctuations of the rupee. A
, geutlumun want to a presidency agent and
The rate quoted was Is. 8d. He drovo a
few minutes later to another agent on
similar business, and here the rate giveu
him by the clerk was Is. i'Ad. He men
tioned that he had just got Is. 8d. at on
other office, Upon this the clerk went into
an Inner room and on returning stated that
he had made a mistake; that a telgra.n
announcing the alteration of the rate had
come without his knowledge. The odd
farthing modo a difference in the custom
er's favor of illS OS. London Truth,
An Imperfect Creation.
Adelaide), aged 4, sat on the floor play
ing with her tioll and asking her mother
various questions About God and what be
had made, After several fruitless efforts
to make her doll stand, she was hoard to
exclaim, "Well, while he was about it ha
might as well have made the doll so she
eoukl stand tp." New York Advertiser,
THE GAMINS OF ROME
.THEY ARE A SOURCE OF DELIGHT
AND TORMENT TO TRAVELERS.
Clever Little Urchins Who Grow Up From
Early Childhood Homeless and Without
Rostralnt They Have Many Way of
Earning a Living,
"Street cumin in Rome," the reader mat
think, "are probably not very different
from street gamins elsewhere curious, im
pudent and a nuisance generally,"
f Th nort-alnlrr ttna Mtrrntarnfl with f-tw
qualities most generously, nor are they all
as handsome and interesting as the familiar
Roman Boy," with large, dreamy eyes.
long, black locks, and the stereotyped high
pointed hat, which may be seen In oil, aqua
relle or copper In the windows of almost
very art dealer.
Early in the morning these little fellows
begin their day's work.- The first thing to
ibe done Is usually to secure breakfast In
some way from one of the numerous herds
men who daily bring their goats to the city
and milk them In the street, one by one, as
they find customers on their route. When
the herdsman for a few moments leaves his
Hook to deliver milk and solicit new orders,
the watchful, half naked boys will dart
ont from a corner or alley, squat down and
suck the fresh, warm milk from the full
udders. When the indignant rustic appears
with his long staff to punish the juvenile
marauders, they are off and vanish as quick
ly at they appeared.
strengthened by their primitive meal.
they now begin the more legitimate part of
their day's work. The newspapers are
brought out and sold under deafening yell
ing. Other youthful street hawkers ap
pear with a variety of wares, such as pins,
toothpicks, pictures of saints, bust of Vic
tor Emmanuel and Umberto, lottery tick
eta, etc. Some of the most enterprising
make rhymes on the list of their wares
and sing the same lustily to some popular
opera melody.
With an experienced eye they spot every
foreigner who comes within Bight, and
Know to perfection how to take advantage
of his peculiarities. When I one day dur
ing my stay in Rome got Into a dispute
with a cabmn because he, in addition to
the regular fore, demanded buona mansia
a tip a little fellow six or seven years
old came up and said in a paternal, assur
ing tone:
"Sixty centime is enough, sir. The rascal
is very impudent; don't you give him any
more."
In the same breath he asked me for a
soldo for the service rendered. I handed
him a coin, laughing at his grand airs, and
he received it with a condescending gesture
as he patronizingly said:
Grazie, signorl a revider." (I will see
you later, as we would say.) Then he has
tily marie h's departure, for the driver
reached for his whip and was going to pay
him for his untimely meddling. I hod
walked only a ahort distance when another
boy was at my side.
"Si, aignor, you are quite right; this is
the road to St. Pietroand the Vatican give
me a soldo r
What a logical argument! 1 drove him
off of course. But a few minutes later a
third one bo--tided forward.
"Your boots, sirl your bootsl"
I am not so extravagant as some of the
native Romans, who have their boots pol
ished several times in a day, and I tried to
ignore him. Then he appealed to my self
respect.
"But, my lord, such bootsl" he exclaimed
reprovingly, as he trotted along by my
side. Uq, Uio mio! wnat nasty boots! Oh.
Bonto Mad re di Diol what boots! I really
pity you, sir. Indeed! such bootsl In futol
I am sorry for you!"
All this was uttered in a tone of the most
profound mond conviction, the most disin
terested fellow feeling of regret and sym
pathy, as if I were a friend whom he had
met on a tor'iidden way. But when also
this appeal f oiled he dropped behind a few
steps and changed his tactics to a very noisy
persecution:
"Just look at that American! One can
always tell an American by his dirty boots."
That was too much for me. I concluded
to let the little imp shine my boots rather
tnan see the entire American people ex
pel led from the family of well polished na
tions.
These children, bold and full of vulgar
bombast as they are, must not be judged
too harshly. It must be remembered that
most of them are orphans. They have to
make their own living, and therefore often
spend their childhood in the streets, where
they moke t'icir way as best they may.
Then, too, ft little friendly encouragement
changes them into the most amiable and
obliging little beings. A couple of soldi or
a cigarette makes them the most pains
taking guides and trusty messengers.
Where do alt these homeless boys sleep?
There are plenty of quarters for the night
in Rome. Among the pillars surrounding
the ancient buildings, the church portal,
the recesses about the chapels, the niches
of the numberless saints all those aro ex
cellent lodging places. Only the Coliseum
with its eighty portals mokes au exception,
for one of them is tho guardhouse of tha
police, and iu Home, as elsewhere, a n;v
tural instinct .forbids the street arabsto
mingle too freely with even the humblest
of city officials. After the day's battlo
some of thene homeless boys will Ho down
aud sleep in the doorway of tho nearest
house, and It is not an uncommon thing;,
when one comes homo late, to stuniblo over
a pair of small brown legs, whoso owner
mechanically roaches out with his littlo
hand and in usleopy voice says, "Ua soldo,
aignor!"
. Tbus passes day after day for the street
boys in the Kternal City. They grow up
lu a constant light for existence. The street
is their home and their school. They go
through life with nu imperturbable sang
froid that Is simply enviable. They know
of no other harden than the care for the
necessities of the moment, and among
jtheni a cigar or a cigarette is the most tic
ious. Thon they become young men well
equipped with practical knowledge of the
world and wiUi health. They ore qualified
with almost everything except to Bit sUll
and ha idle, Excellent servants, good sol
diers and hard working men generally grow
eut of these street boys. As a matter cf
course, also dead beats and cruniuals.-
iJsw York Tnhuue, J
DISCOVERER OF THE STEAM ENGINE.
Solomon Cans Was fchat U?In a Madhouse
Because of a Ureat Idea.
There lived in Normandy, where he was
born in 1570, a man named Solomon Caus.
He was an engineer and architect, and had
held several important positions. He wrote
a great many scientific works and papers,
nt which, however, no ont took much no
tice during his life, and finally was seized
with an idea which made his friends and
relatives fear that he was mad. After pes
tering the king and the cardinal at Paris,
he was ordered to be taken to Bicetre the
madhouse and there shut up. This waa
cone. They had just one way with mad
people in those days. They shut them in
iron cages and fed them through the bars
like wild beasts. They did this to Solomon
Claus.
For a long time he stood behind those
bars all day and called to those who would
listen, and to them repeated the story he
had told the cardinal. He became the jest
of the place, Some of them even gave him
writing materials, and then amid tha mis
ery of bis surroundings he wrote down his
ideas and amused his jailers so much the
more. However, it could not be long be
fore such a life, such surroundings, would
shatter any brain. In time Solomon Caus
was as mad as every one believed him.
It was In 1624 that an English nobleman,
Lord Worcester, went to Paris and visited
Bicetre. As he was passing through the
great court accompanied by the keeper a
hideous face with matted beard and hair ap
peared at the grating, and a voice shrieked
wildly: "Stop! stop! I am not mad, I am
stmt up here most unjustly. I have made
an invention which would enrich a country
that adopted it." "What does be speak
off" the marquis asked his guide. "Oh,
that is his madness," said the guide, laugh
ing. "That is a man called Solomon Caus;
he is from Normandy. He believes that by
the use of the Bteamof boiling water he can
make ships go over the ocean and carriages
travel by laud in fact, do all sorts of won
derful things. He has even written a book
about it, which I can show you." Lord
Worcester asked for the book, glanced over
it, and desired to be conducted to the ceil
of the writer. When he returned he had
been weeping. "The poor man is certainly
mad now," he said, "but when you impris
oned him he was the greatest genius of the
age. He has certainly made a very great
diBcovery."
After this Lord Worcester made many
eflorts to procure the liberation of the man,
who doubtless would have been restored to
reason by freedom and ordinary surround
ings, but in vain; the cardinal waa against
him, and bis English friends began to fancy
that he himself hod lost his senses, for one
wrote to another: "My lord is remarkable
for never being satisfied with any explana
tions which are given him, bat always
wanting to know for himself, although he
seems to pierce to the very center of a
speaker's thoughts with his big blue eyes
that never leave theirs. At a visit to Bi
cetre he thought he hod discovered a genius
tn a madman who declares he would travel
the world over with a kettle of boiling
water. He desired to carry him away to
London that he might listen to his extrav
agances from morning till night, and
would, I think, if the maniac had not been
actually raving and chained to the wall,
Thus in Bicetre died the man to whom.
after his works were published, many peo
ple gave the credit of being the discoverer
of steam power, aud it is said that from the
manuscript written m his prison Lord
Worcester gathered the idea of a machine
epokeu of as a water commanding engine,
which he afterward invented. Historians
have denied that Caus died in prison, but
there exists a letter written by Marion ue
Lorme, who was with Lord Worcester at
the time of his interview with Caus, which
establishes the fact beyond doubt. London
invention.
Animal Expression,
If animals are able to express every idea
they have, why not allow them a language?
lo be sure, a very undeveloped language,
yet relatively no farther from civilization
than that of Pesherah, which in European
ears soundB like animal screams and yells.
Bechstein has noted that the chaffinch ex
presses a joyous emotion by a single sharp
"Fink," and anger by "Fink fluk fink!"
sorrow and sympathy by "Trif trif."
Houzeau has found that the common hen
has at least 10 distinct sounds, well under
stood by the chickens. Kengger observed
that the longtailed cebus of South America
expressed astonishment by a sound between
whistling and acreeching, impatience by
repeating "Hu! hu!" and that he had a
peculiar scream for pain or fear.
Darwin thought he observed 10 distinct
sounds in the same ape, all of which called
forth corresponding states of mind in other
apes. Breiim says the same. However,
why quote the learned? We have all in
everyday life observed something similar,
Dr, Garner's experiments in the simian
language are also known, Copenhagen
Family Journal.
Protective Color.
Wo have a green snake (Dryophls fulgida)
which, when hunting for green frogs and
lizards, winds in wid nut, nmnna "Mm Apt.
I uous stems of creeping plants, and so
closely resembles them in color as to al-
; most defy detection even by the keenest
eyes." Close at hand among the bushes
may bo a huge grasshopper, whose broad
fore wings when closed are of the exact
color of tho leaf on which ho rests, so that
hia disguise in perfect and ho chirps on in
safety. Yet, if the Iteard, instead of haunt
ing tho green, leafy thicket, be of that
species found crawling over the walls of
buildings in the city, ho puts on a totally
different appearance from that of his own
kindred in the forest, or even in the inte
rior of houses, being of the exact hue of
the ruined stone and mud walls on which
ho Is found, while the house lizard is
speckled and of an ashy cray tint like the
ceiling on which ho rests, and for clinging
to which his feet are specially adapted.
Nineteenth Century,
Tho Itauk Is Solvent,
j Owing to fluauciul uncertainty, a St
Louis family drew $1,735 from a bank, nil
the money it possessed, and placed it in the
back iwirt or a cooking stove, where tlnev
would not be likely to search. A young
girl, forgetting about the mouey, lighted a
lire lu the stove, and now the family has
nothing. The hank ts still paying dollar
lor dollar. uuoa Uenud.
A Oisaffreenient
Outside a one man band was awakening
the echoes by a strenuous and sustained
effort. v
Inside there was scarcely lens harmony.
Hie bosom was heaving tumultuous!?
whiie the wife of his bosom had thrown
herself upon the sofa in an attitude of deeo
dejection. '
"Why"
She was tearfully reproachful in tone,
"do you always disagree with met"
He looked pained.
"My love," he protested In evident die
tress, "when have I disagreed with youf"
"Why, this very minute I asked you if
you didn't think the lady in the next house
waa really a better cook than I am, and
you said yes."
She wept so softly that the one man band
made the evidences of her grief inaudible,
Detroit Tribune,
A Compliment,
First Girl What" are yon sketching
Second Girl A man.
First Girl Yon must have a good mean
ory. Truth.
All Abont m Telegram.
Bingo Has a teldgram come for mef
Mrs. Bingo Have you been expecting
one?
Bingo Ob, no, of course not (Sarcastic
ally.) You don't suppose I would oskyoa
that question if I expected one, do youf
Mrs, Bingo (sweetly) You might, dear.
What would you say, now, if I should say
that a telegram has come for ynuf
Bingo Aha! X knew it I've been ex
pecting that telegram all the afternoon.
(Impatiently.) Where is it?
Mrs.. Bingo I'll get it But, 'dear, I
thought it best to open it Yoa didn't
mind, did you, dearest?
Bingo Certainly not It's only a matter
of business. From Jock Enslow, aint iP
Mrs. Bingo Yes, dear.
Bingo Important meeting tonight Say
I must be there, doesn't he?
Mrs. Bingo Yes, dear.
Bingo (rubbing his hands) I knew it
Well, Til have to rush right off after din-
ner. Sorry for you, my dear, bnt you kno'
business must be attended to. . .
Mrs. Bingo Oh, that's all right, darling.
But don't you want to see the message? '
Bingo Why should I? You opened tfc,
read it like the good wife that you are, aud
I guess that I can trust yon. Jack wants me
(delightedly), that's all, and I most go.
Mrs. Bingo But there was one thine
more he said, my pet
Bingo (suspiciously) Oh, there won? .
Well, what was it?
Mrs. Bingo (all smiles) He says he's got
front row seats. Tom Masson in Harper's
Bazar.
Following Vp the Fads.
Sharp Dry Goods Merchant What yea
at now?
Bookkeeper Making, out Mr. Bullion's
bili
"Atlright Charge him an extra 100 for
sundries."
"Hadn't I better put In the items?"
"There are no items. They weren
bought."
"My goodness! He'll say we're swha
dlers." "No, he won't. He won't say a word.
"Why not?"
"Well, you see, kleptomania is very fash
ionable now, and he'll -think his wife hoe
got it." New York Weekly.
Lovely.
Oscar Wilde was introduced at a recent
garden party in London to Mrs. Osgood of
Enebworth House, In the course of a few
minutes' talk it was divulged that the lady
was on the eve of departing for America.
"Going to America?" said Oscar. "Dean
me! What for, now?" "To see my hus
band," was the reply. Oscar stared sleep
ily at her in astonishment. Dropping lan
guidly into a chair, he said, "Going all the
way to America to see your own" (with
the accent on the own) "husband? Dealt
met What a lovely ideah!" Recorder,
How Gardening Pays,
Quester I hear you've been raising your
own vegetables this summer. Now, teU
me, old fellow, does gardening pay?
Jester Certainly it does.
Quester-Don't say! Well, you're the
first man that I know of whose experimental
in that direction have resulted as you suy. .
Jester Well, I know whereof I speak,
for my checkbook abundantly proves that
it paid my gardener. Boston Courier.
An Eye For an Eye.
First Oculist I had the most interesting
case yesterday that I ever had the pleasure
of attending to.
Second Oculist What was that?
First Oculist A young lady called who.
Instead of a common pupil, has a college
student in hereye, Truth.
All Heroes.
"You made a mistake in calling that
drama of yours a play without a hero.'
"Why? It hasn't any heroes."
"It's chock full of them. Every man
who braves an audience in a play like that
is a hero. "Harper's Bazar.
Explained.
Dnke de Veragua Zafc is very estrange.
Ze bar in ze river and ze bar on shore have
ze same name.
Mr. Hoffman Howes That's becarwa
water is scarce in both places, Texas Sift
lug. A Long Headed I-over
Friend 1 can't help wondering why a
man on your small salary should give
his affianced a cluster diamond engage
ment ring.
Mr. Smarttchapp That's so she woul
1id it off and loave it un atnira whn tha
) other fellows calL Uood News. v
f
4