THE BRIDGE. •"What is his bridge to heaven?" they cried. And the warriors held their breuth, As the grizzled king of a hundred tights Went dowu to the river of deuth. "What is his bridge to heaven?” they I cried. “Is it bastiuned with buckles and spears. And girdled strong with the Iron blades Of the battles of bygone years? "And what are the voices he hears in bis dreams? Are they the clamors of fight. Or the echoes of splendid victories that come As he stands by the river at uigbt?” •‘Nay, nay,” and they stand by in wonder and awe, For all that he builds on there Are withered blossoms, a baby’s shoe And the lock of a woman's hair. And the only voire he hears in his dreams, As the world dies out in bis ears, Are an old love-ballad, a baby's laugh, And the sob of a dead wife’s tears. —Pearson’s Magazine. Iss Jeau Ne,Mou had ** very jKy^l queenly bearing. Not that she really thought herself made of any better clay than the other mem bers of the human family, but she was sometimes given that credit. Often had she been ceusured oil that account by those who did not understand her. oh! the agonies of being misunder stood! But to thoae who knew her, she was cordiality itself, mid every girl in the dormitory worshiped at her shrine, .lean was exceedingly pretty. In fact, she whs very beautiful. Her nose was as straight as Venus’ own. A Cu pid's bow for a mouth, about whose corners a smile so often played. Her ehtn wore a mischievous dimple in It, and her eyes words fail! The won drous wealth of hair that crowned her high forehead might have rivaled that of Apollo. She was hardly fair enough to lie called fair, uor yet dark enough to be called dark After all, the eharm “Wilt ATTKMPT TO Til.I. SAID '.’ ’ WI1AI 1IK of that face lay not so much in Its sim ple beauty ns In the sympathy for man kind that shone out of its eyes. «««*••* "Here at last." .lean gasped, as she fairly rati up the walk leading to the glrl'H dormitory at Harper's Univer sity. Inside the door she dropped grip ami wraps, and started up the stairs with a bound. “Everything looks Just ns natural. Why, they have a new stair carpet! I wonder If any of the other girls are here yet?' Suddenly her attention was attracted by tlie sight of a carriage nt the en trance. Scarcely had It stopped before a head appeiinsl. which proved to lie that of a very flighty young woman. Catching sight of the group at the win dow, she ran up the walk, waving her umbrella about her head In windmill motions (very uncouth In a young Indy), leaving her purse and box of candy behind her in the carriage, which neees- ■Hated her going back after them. Jean ran down to meet her. grasping the chubby form In her widespread arms, oh! the thousands of kisses tliat are wasted In that second week of Sep ti tidier, not to mention the extrava gance of affection displayed at the leave-takings in June. "You dear old girl! I was so afraid you would not come until to morrow. When is Anna coming? This after noon? We ll Just go over to the train ■ nd surprise her. There are two poor little girls up In room 43. who are frightfully homesick. We must do all we can to keep them amused until they get used to things here. Julia, stand off. Let me look at you. Why. you're just the same deal girl you always were," which was flatly contradicted. "No. I'm not. I’ve lost three pounds. 1 only weigh 162 now. Here, have ■on e of my candy. It’s the good kind." just as If to her every kind were not good. Slowly up the stairs the two girl* went, chatting like magpies They were so different. yet wlm can account tor friendship? • ••••• tine day In January, the girls were assembled In one of tlie rooms greatly excited over two Important reports namely, the rumor of small|M>x In the town, and the certainty of a German lest which was to come off next day. The president had that morning In rhapel Insisted that all students be vac- rinated Immediately. and the German professor had said. "Ve will baf von l»wl ober die endlre ¡took, and cnypody who can not make forty perzent will huf to tudor. Did you understood?” They were Indulging in a very heated discussion, u good deal being said ou both sides, when some one said, “Girls, wouldn't it be Just perfectly awful if smallpox should break out in this dor mitory? When my auut was in col- lege----- ” she was Interrupted by a girl tossing her book In the air, contemptu ously crying, "Smallpox, nonsense 1 say, have you forgotten all about that German? The very idea of giving a test over the whole book! 1 positively never heard of such presumption. No, not in Israel. Haben, Latte, gebat, komuien. katii, ge-ge-geflddle-stlcks!! who cares, anyhow? Say, do any of you happen to have any candy about your person?" Either they bad be come so unused to hearing this question from her, or they did not wish to com mit themselves, for she received no an swer. Nothing daunted, she proceed ed ‘ “When I get rich, I’m going to live In a college town and run a candy store, and give candy to the students, especially the girls. People who live In college towns don't half appreciate what a comfort they might be to stu dents In Just such little ways as that." They were all laughing heartily, when Alice Thompson came into the room with a dejected look on her face, and a German book In her hand (the two usually go in pairs), inquiring for Jean, saying: "I’ve got a German story here about a cow, and 1 can't get head or tull Io It. Is Jean here?” One of the girls spoke up, saying: “No, she's not. She's up on the third floor helping Julia Mitchell make up the work she missed when she sprained her ankle. I'm sorry 1 can’t help you. Alas! Ich spreche uicht Deutsch mesilf already gehaben sein, but you better guess Jean can. She took the gold medal in Dutch last year, you know. 1 don't blame George Lock wood for adoring her. My, but that pearl she wears is a beauty! And she’s got clothes to match it. 1 don’t see what would become of Kate Lennox if It were not for Jean. Jean can treat her nicely without be ing afraid of losing caste, and that is more than some of the rest of us can do. By the way, Kate is out of school to-day." The next day the excitement ran still higher when it was rumored that Kate had a fever. The girls were sure that it was smallpox, aud all kept their dis tance, leaving poor, unpopular Kate to He hours alone In her little bare room. '1 hey ull protested aud threw up their hands in horror when Jean declared her intention of going right up to Kate’s room with a glass of lemonade. As Jean entered the room. Kate rose up and gratefully said, "I just knew you would come, I am so thirsty." Later a physician was called. Aud sure enough It was Hiuallpox. The physician ndvlsed that Kate be moved from the dormitory as quickly and with as little confusion as possible. She was taken to a forlorn little cabin a mile down the river, aud Jean, poor girl, went with her. This was the only thing she could do, now that she had been exposed to the dread disease. Two months, and Jean was In school again. Changed, oh, so changed. Her once beautiful face was pitted aud scarred, but she still had the same queenly bearing. As she was sitting in her artistic room after her first day at school, her elbow resting on tlie table and her head leaning against her hand on which the pearl still shone like a crystallized tear, a feeling of utter dejection and sadness came over her ns she realized that she would never be beautiful again and perhaps George Lockwood might not care for her now. although he had been as at tentive ns he possibly could be during her Illness. The unbidden tears were creeping slowly down her face, when n tap was heard U|s>n the door. Sam, the colored boy. handed her a card, which bore the name, “George Lock wood.” She went down to the reception room with a feeling of dread, mingled with gloomy forebodings. As she entered the room and George came forward to meet her, she instinctively drew back. In a way entirely unlike her former frank self. And she said, slowly, hesi tatingly, with downcast eyes: "George I have changed since you gave me this ring. Now I think it only Just and right that I return it.” George Iavek- wood was n born orator, but there never was more eloquence or more ear nestness In his voice than when—but why attempt to tell what he said? Suttlce to say that the ring was re placed anil Jean never again had occa sion to remove it. shirt Waists in Africa. Helen Caddlck, one of the few white women who have ventured into the heart of Africa, has recently written about her trip from Zambesi to the great lakes—a trip for pleasure. The cotton blouses or waists which she wore were washed and “Ironed" by her native "boy," and the process was extraordinary. The laundryman flrst spread a mat on the ground. Next the clothes to be “Ironed" were placed on Hand smooth- ed out as well as possible. Then, plac ing a towel or some large cloth over the garment, he rubbed his feet back an<1 forth over It until he thought It n as smooth enough. Cromwell's Pocket Bible There Is a good collection of Bibles tn the National Museum at Washington, and among others one of Cromwell's pocket Bibles, which he gave to every soldier In his army, with Instructions to carry It In a pocket made es|>eeially for that purpose In the waistcoat over the heart.__________________ Every bride Imagines that her photo graph on her husband's office desk In spires him to keep onward and upward, like the boy In “Excelsior." THE ASHANTEES AND THEIR KING- Against These Superstitious Africans England Has Been Waging War for Twenty*six Years. HILE interest has been cen | tered In England's war in , South Africa and page after I page of war history lias been made and I published only occasional scraps have come to us of the trouble England Is engaged in with Ashantee land, where j for twenty-six years Great Britain has [ been engaged in war. The King of Ashantee, who Is Great Britain’s implacable foe, Is the most ex | traordinary monarch In the world. He | is picturesque, powerful and a merci less despot. Twenty-six years ago Eng land sent out an expedition at a cost of $4,000,000 to bring the King of Ashantee to terms, and since then It has cost $34,000,000 more. W few hundred of his subjects beheaded. It was to put a stop to this that Eng land made war on the King of Ashan- tee in the seventies. There was fight ing again in 1895, and again in 1896. Now there are Indications of more troll- ble. Still the King of Ashantee goes on with bis barbarous practices, killing whenever he pleases and ruling with absolute power. His subjects love him because he is of tlielr royal blood, and fear him because of his cruelty. But they will allow no other country to In terfere with their affairs, if they can help it. When, in 1874. Eiighind sent an exjie- ditlon against King Koffee, tlie prede cessor of King I’renqieh. Sir Garnet the rear of the woodshed—and ha would never return. Should any of his warriors refuse to tight well, there is no telling where the gore-shedding pro clivities of the monarch with the plug bat would stop! Whenever a King of Ashantee dies a guard of 2,000 of his subjects are slaughtered to conduct him to the oili er world. It is said that as many as 10,000 |»eople have been slaiu on such occasions. Every time there Is a national fes tival there are human sacrifices. In fact, blood lettiug seems to be one of the principal occupations of royalty iu Ashantee. Baek of the town of Coomasle there Is a place called by travelers the Grove of .Skulls, where the lames of victims are thrown. Here is what Henry Stan ley said of it when, in 1874. as a war correspondent, lie accompanied tlie ex pedition of Sir Garnet Wolseley: “As we drew near the foul smells * * * became suffocating. It was almost Im possible to stop longer than to take a general view of this great Golgotha. We saw thirty or forty decapitated laxlies and countless skulls, which lay piled in heaps and scattered over a wide extent. The stoutest heart and most stoical mind might have been ap palled.” Several officers of the exedition, al though It remained In Coomasle only two days, visited tills Grove of Skulls, and subsequently described it as sur passing in horror anything to be seen In the world. The King of Ashantee is opposed to progress. He does not want any roads in hls domain. When the English cut their way inland from the gold const they left a fine road behind them. With several pistols pointed at his head, the King agreed to keep this road iu repair and not allow it to lie overgrown, but he knew that the rainy season was at hand and that the English would have to hurry back to the coast. The road was never touched. The system of human sacrifices prac ticed in Ashantee is founded on a wild idea of filial duty, for it is believed that the rank of dead relatives In tlie next world will be measured by tlie number of descendants sent after them from this. There are two periods, call- ed "The Great Adal" and "Tlie Little Adal,” succeeding each other at inter- vals of eighteen and twenty-four days after the death of some member of the royal bouse, at which human victims are immolated to a monstrous extent. On the Great Adal the King visits the graves of the royal dead at Ban- tama, where their skeletons, held to- gether by links of gold, sit in grim mockery of state. Secured Her Hired Man. THE ItOYAL COURT OF THE KING OF ASHANTEE. This King lives in the interior of Af rica, several hundred miles from the Gold Coast, on the western shore. He wears a girdle of dried grass around his loins, and a "plug” hat. Where he got this hat nobody knows, but It is his only crown, lie lias no throne, but in stead he lias a stool of solid gold, which four slaves carry around for him wherever he goes. Upon tills he sits and gives his orders. They are all ver bal. but often they mean either life or death. Tile King's name Is I’renqieh. and he Is tlie absolute monarch of more than 8,000,000 savages. His emblem of au thority is a giant umbrella. The spokes are of embossed gold, and on the end of each spoke Is a human skull. This Wolseley was at the head of it. He burned the King's capital, Coomasle, and forced him to agree to certain con ditions. among others that he would abolish the practice of human sacri fices, but these arguments neither Koffee nor I’rempeh lias carried out. Tlie consequence has been frequent trouble ever since Great Britain has undertaken the task of civilizing these black-skinned and untutored savages. The fact that the country of Ashan tee Is exceedingly rich in gold, and that France controls the neighboring country of Dahomey, may have some thing to do with England’s solicitude for tlie people of Ashantee and their comic opera King. There is probably no other savage “We ministers have many strange experiences in performing the mar riage ceremony,” said tlie Rev. W. F. Sheridan, of Pontiac, Mich., in the Pittsburg Dispatch. “One of the most curious iu my experience. occurred not long ago. A large aud heavy woman, accompanied by a comparatively small and meek-looking man, had come iu and asked to be married. Everything was regular and the ceremony was per formed. After it was over the bride explained her position. “ 'You see, Mr. Sheridan,’ she said, •farm hands are mighty hard to get iu this part of the country aud they are even harder to keep. You get a good hired man and get him well broke in to work around the farm and the first thing you know he quits the job aud goes off to town or somewhere else. Last spring 1 bad a first-class hand, about as good as 1 ever expect to get, but Just when the season got right busy lie up and quit me. “ T Just made up my mind that I wasn't going to be left in the- same fix this sumuier, so here we are.’ "The bridegroom in the case simply stood and smiled meekly. He had noth ing at all to say.” His Beginning. BRITISH FORT IN THE CITY OF COOMASSIE. Years ago there was a cold night in the latter part of December at Brattle boro, Vt. There had been many freez ing nights there before, but ou this one something happened. A young man, Larkin G. Mead, at tracted by the beauty of the great white stillness, went out-of-doors, and slow ly, yet with much delight, modeled a figure which, in his mind, stood for the Recordlug Angel writing down tlie events of the year just dead. All night the statue grew, and the sculptor threw on water at Intervals, to freeze it Into hardness. He was alone and happy. The next morning the neighbors awoke to find the snow angel, pen in hand, recording their history upon a snowy scroll. Local history says that this bit of work decided the future of the young man who did It. He resolved to be- come a sculptor, and went abroad to study. Well known as his work after ward became, perhaps he took no such pleasure In it as In that little bit of modeling under the eold Vermont sky. SCENE OF MANY DARK CRIMES. South Dakota Island Where Several I raged lea Have Been Enacted. ; j ¡ j i , 1 ! A large wooded island In the Ml» sourl River, near the Lyman County line. South Dakota, that has been tb« scene of many bloody deeds during the last three-quarters of a century. Is about to be converted to the use of civilized man by having a large saw mill erected upon it. Iu early days II was known to the whites as "Dark Island." The history of this name is not definitely known, but it is thought by old settlers that it may have ac quired the name from the fact either that it is heavily wooded, and, there fore. dark and gloomy as compared witli the open plains on either side of the river, or, more probably, that It was the scene of many a dark deed. For nearly twenty years preceding 1890 its only occupant was a man by the name of Frank Phelps, a man around whose history there clustered many doubtful acts. Since the beginning of hls occu pancy It has been known as I’helps' Isl and. It was on this island that two Jesuit missionaries lost their lives in 1845. They had come out to work among ths Indians, and crossed over to the island to consult White Eagle, a powerful Sioux chief who lived there. This was the last seen of them. Some years afterward tlie Indians of this tribe used to display two white men's scalps with long black hair, and it is thought they were taken from the two Frenchmen. A few years afterwifrd a party of emi grants found this a convenient place to cross the Missouri, but nothing was ever heard of them after they reached the Island. In 1893. nt the time when the federal government was converting the Rose bud Indian reservation into organized counties, I’helps occupied the island. At this time Mot Matson, a Swede, who lived on the west bank of the river, directly opposite I’helps' shanty, was murdered in front of his own door. Henry Shroeder, who was at that time employed by I’helps in cutting wood for the steamboats, was accused of the crime. He was arrested and confessed his part In tlie murder, but implicated I’helps as the instigator of the crime. Shroeder is now serving the seventh year of a life sentence In the State penitentiary at Sioux Falls. Phelps was arrested, and iu the long trial that followed spent all that he was worth, including the island, in trying to secure hls freedom. He was found guilty, however, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He appealed his case to the Supreme Court, and on the very day on which the opinion of that court was handed down affirming the decision of the lower court he suddenly, died in hls cell in the Jail at Alexandria. Many other dark deeds have been connected with the island, but it has recently passed Into the possession of a company that has commenced the erec tion of a sawmill for the purpose of cutting the timber and clearing the land and putting it under cultivation. Much interest is manifested in this work as it goes on, for it is thought that, in cut ting down the giant trees and in clear ing off the land, where so many dark deeds have been committed, evidence will appear tliat will throw light upon many mysteries which surround the spot.—Minneapolis Journal. MISTAKES IN FLAG-RAISING. ”O1<1 Glory" Must Go to the Top Every Time and All Else Below, It isn't everybody who knows how to throw the American colors to the breezes, says a writer in the Philadel phia Record. Flag raising are every day occurrences, but there are few peo ple among those in charge, be they ever so patriotic, who are cognizant of the fact that Old Glory tops everything in the American possessions, and must never go below under any circum stances. At many of the flag raisings there are pennants unfolded on the same poles, and generally the mistake of placing the pennant at the top, over the flag. Is made. This Is very Irrlta- taing to the regular navy men, who re gard such an act In their ranks as de serving of dismissal. A number of the officers stationed at League Island navy yard have time and again had the flag given its proper place on poles in various jiarts of the city, especially over schoolhouses downtown. On Dec oration day there was a flag raising over the Matthew W. Baldwin School, 16th and Porter streets, and the pen nant, which contained the school name, was placed at the top of the pole. Word came from League Island that the country's colors should lie pnt at the top, and the error was immedi ately corrected. Recently the same mistake wns made at National Park, on the Delaware River. The irritating sight was seen from League Island, and a messenger was dispatched In a boat to have the positions of the flag and pennant reversed. | race who are capable of putting up such a stiff tight as are the people of : Ashantee, for they are born warriors ami love their country with a savage ' kind of patriotism. Besides, they would not dare refuse to fight. Refusal would mean not only disgrace, but ln- staut dearti. The power of this pictur esque monarch is unquestioned. Should the Czar of all the Russia* even think of doing what King I’rempeh does and thinks nothing of doing, there would I lie a vacancy at the Winter Palace. The Sultan of Turkey Is a novice In tyranny : as compared with the black King of It Was Cain's J '» Ashantee. If his breakfast does not “Do you—do you remember who happen to agree with him, the cook is killed Abel?" asked the old man In the The Japs' Hot Bath liable to lose her head, literally. If Among Japanese a daily hot bath Is street car of the man on hls right one of his subjects should even hap “Why, Caln, of course.” was the re pen to look at one of hls wives, the the rule. When people are too poor to said subject would be conducted by a have a bath in their own houses they ply. "Who did you think It was?” "Waal, durn my hide. If I haln't I subordinate to some shady grove or to patronize the public baths. made a fool of myself. It wasn't ten mlnits ago that I bet a man $2 to $1 EVOLUTION OP JOHN CHINAMAN. that it was Goliah. and now I’ll her to go barefut all summer to make ft np. Yes, sir. It was Caln, and Goliah wasn't In IL and Samson wasn't born and Q. V. Jones, which is me, ought to be hit with the same club that Abel was!"- Wash I ngton Post emblem has descended to him through a long line of ancestry. King I’rempeh has exactly 3,333 wives. Why this number should have been decided upon he does not know. Like several other things they came to him by Inheritance. He takes them for granted. The kingdom of Ashantee Is rich In gold, and I’rempeh Is many times a millionaire. He wears earrings of solid gold. All of hls |H-rsonal adornments ■ re of gold. He owns the only house In his kingdom. It Is a rude structure of stone. His Royal Highness sleeps on the floor. King I’rempeh Is a bloodthirsty ruler, and Is In the habit of making human sacrifices. This is one of the practices which England desires him to stop, for whenever his gods are displeased he seeks to propitiate them by having a After the Old I-ady Again. "I hear your mother-in-law has facial paralysis. What caused it?" “She went to a photographer's and tried to look pleasant”—Philadelphia Bulletin. An architect says the largest room In ths world is the room for improvement.