(Dakota County Herald
DAKOTA CITY, NEB,
John H. Ream, - Publisher
Thff Russian government Is willing to
lot the people have elections, providing
they vote for the government.
The price of gasoline has gone op
gain, and owners arc almost beginning
to wish that tlielr automobiles nte liny.
i A famous physician Is experimenting
with the effects of music on rain. Pay
ing them back In their own coin, so to
peak.
The man who In paying "0 cents n
gallon for gasoline. Isn't able to figure
rut wherein flo-ccnt denatured olcohol
Will help much.
Tho Governor of Cuba will receive n
salary of f2.,000 a year. It should l
remembered, however, that lie will have
to Hva In Cuba.
The man who seeks divorce because
his wife doesn't talk enough will he
considered a fit subject fir an Inqulr
ndo de lunatlco.
A man always finds It hard to con-
real his satisfaction when he picks tip
another man's hat and finds that It Is
too email for him.
It Is surprising to read that a new
revolt Is threatened lu Russia. Many
had supposed that a continuous revolt
was good enough fur the Russians.
In Pennsylvania there is a man who
declares that his wife hasn't Hpoken to
him for seven years. Koine people will
be unable to understand why lie Is tiiuk
Ing a fuss about It
If James J. IIIll were younger lie
might have hope of some day being lu
a position to buy tho caiih and soil it
again at a profit of 40 or DO per ceut
wbeu the population doubles.
Kir Oliver Lodge tells us that the
sun will be cold In 10,000,000 years,
and what Is turning our hair grny
with worry Is the fact that the coal
upply will last only half that time.
Honor Is being paid to the memory
of Mndoc, the Welsh prince, who Is
aid to have discovered America lu
1270. Christopher Columbus, however,
does not recall hearing anything about
S at the time.
Smokers who have been fearing that
the disturbances lu Cuba might cur
tail the output of genuine Havana ci
gars will he Interested to hear that the
Connecticut tobacco crop Is unusually
large.
Italians have erected lu New York
City a monument to Verdi, tho grand
old man of Italian music. This Is the
third memorial which the Italians have
presented to New York. The others
are tho monuments to Columbus and
Garibaldi.
A hoodlum Is a boy whose mother
and father "have tluie to fuss"
about him. They "guess he Is big
nouglt and smart enough to take care
of himself." If a neighbor complains
of his mean nets tho parents think that
neighbor too low down to live. The
hoodlum begins his course by runulnt;
wild In the street; he ends It on the
(allows. But, as a general thing, his
parents deserve hanging better than he
does.
Marquis I to and Fluid Marshals
Yamngata and Oynma have been cre
ated princes by the Japanese Emperor
In recognition of their services In the
war with Russia, and Vice Admiral
Togo has been mnde a marquis for the
same reason. All that we can do lu
America to reward our military heroes
Is to advance them In rank, and even
then the promotion of successful offi
cers over the heads of men who have
been longer In the service Is fiercely
criticised.
In recent years, as all readers of the
papers know, It has become too com
mon among a certain class of people
to have the marriage ceremony per
formed under strange and unusual con
ditions, as on platforms at county
fairs, on the top of a smokestack, etc.
The cheap notoriety that attaches to
this sort of marriage destroys the sanc
tity that should pertain to the cere
mony and gives the unthinking occa
sion to regard it as a Joke rutber than
a serious transaction. There Is alto
gether too much trifling with the mar
riage tie already without turning the
ceremony Into a monkey show.
There Isn't niuch question that most
of us would get along better If a little
more attention were given to mastica
tion, if we ate less meat Indeed, less
of everything; but there are so many
other offences against good physiology
more serious lu tlielr results and al
most equally prevalent that the layman
may be excused for skepticism as to
the necessity for political economists
deserting tlielr own field to push tne
cause of the chewers. A man who cou
Intently chews each mouthful of cus
tard forty-seven times through life may
have a chance of living to bo a 100 a
fraction of a point better than tho man
who bolts batter cakes whole, but the
latter during his shorter earthly so
journ, having his attention Jes closely
fixed oil his stomach, im actually do
more good In the world than tho hu
twin hashing machine.
Among the cherished memories of u
certain charming old lady Is that of a
xcatuier or ner childhood, whose theory
of life wu reduced to a simple princi
ple: -liouru to read well, young la
diesto enunciate distinctly, to modu
late the voice pleasingly, to Interpret
the words of the author with Kjuipii
thy and understanding; learn to read
well, aud-uil other virtues will follow.
It Is possible that the acquirement of j
all tbe virtues seems a slightly moro i
complicated matter than It did to the I
old gentleman of se.cn.y years ago !
Nevertheless. the advlc I. not to "
laughed away. If only because It recalls i
the days w hen reading aloud was count- j
d one of tbe most desirable of the Das
arts of life. This Id no reflection upot
the art of reading as taught In these
latter days; the qucutlon Is not of the
actual process, hut of the place that
rending aloud used to hold in family
life. Many a gray h ilrcd man or wom
an who never heard of "r.iund tables,"
and never discovered that authors had
cHrly or late styles, yet knows his Sisrtf
or Thackeray or Shakespeare ns few
young people of to-day ever know them.
In part, this Is due to the fact that the
field of rending now covered by young
(HMiple in much larger than It wns half
a century ngo. A deeper cause lies in
the decline of the linlilt of reading
aloud. We have no time now ,tn read
aloud, we say. IVrbaps not; yet be
fore we decide, might It not he well to
consider whether any other recreation
otters more permanent pleasure or
greater enrichment to the life. Hooks
read aloud winter evenings nlxnit the
lire, with the whole family sharing the
Interest and the discussions, will hold
a warmth of color which time will not
dim. Between their pages will lie
countless happy memories a treasure
whose value will deepen through all the
years to come.
While certain elderly gentlemen of
athletic proclivities were dixpertinr? in
the links of a New York golf club In
competitive endeavor to reduce records,
a Chicago doctor of theology was l-i-velghlng
vigorously against the humor
ous Ir. Osier, whose merry Jest nt the
expense of CO bobs up occasionally to
plague the supersensitive. The theolo
gian pointed out that Moses did not be
gin to preach until ho was 80 years J
age, und from this undisputed assertion
ho drew the conclusion that there Is no
age limit until n man's vigor has gone.
If any argument were permissible It
might he contended that much of the
great work of Moses was performed
while he was yet yuung young not
merely from the ancient but the pres
ent way of looking at years. Hut no
Isjdy now takes seriously the limita
tions prescribed by Dr. Osier excot
possibly a few over wrought gentlemen
who are, unhappily, devoid o. the sav
ing grnce of humor. To calm the feel
ings of these sensitive few we inav
speak not only of the preaching Moses
lint of the elderly golfers who went
forth to battle amid "wintry blasts and
flurries of snow." It Is recorded th.it
of this goodly array of competitive an- I
dents and honorables not me was tin- I
der S5, while most of thein had passed
the Osier age of usefulness, and several
of them were over 80. A merry young
fellow of (8 carried off one of the
prizes, and n stripling of two and sev
enty figured proudly In the running.
And In order to accomplish the task
presented It was required of these hus
ky sthletes to cover ground to the ex
tent of seven miles, a mere bit of at
tendant exercise which they considered
hardly worth mentioning. In nil likeli
hood Moses thought nothing of walk
ing seven miles a day, even after he Iss-
gan preaching, for he was n pedestrian
of large experience and was In excel
lent training. Hut the conjunction of
the patriarch and the eonteniKray
golfers, for Illustrative purposes. Is fe
licitous chiefly ns showing that In si)
ages of tho world's history decrepitude,
physical and mental, Is usually not so
much u matter of years as of tempera
ment and mode of life. The octogenar
ian on the golf links and In the pulpit
la constantly with us to remind us f
the humor of Dr. Osier's quips and fan
cies. PERILOUS RESCUE OF DOQ.
Enirllah Colliery Minmtrr Lowered
Into Pit to Save Starving Collie.
An Interesting story of the rescue of
a dog from a deep and disused pit shaft
comes from Mealsgate, Cumberland, in
spector Hliike Jones, the Cumberland
representative of tho Roynl Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
was Informed that a dog had been
thrown down a disused pit shaft neur
Mealsgate. On arrival he found that
the shaft of tho pit, which had not
been worked for thirty years, was 540
feet deep, and up to within ninety-one
feet of the surface was full of water.
The dog could Just bo discerned on a
rotten wood ledge ninety feet dowu.
and about a foot from tho water.
The All Hallows colliery manager.
Mr. John Walker Steele, had two beams
placed across the pit mouth and a pul
ley fixed, and seatlug himself In a
looped rope he was swung over the
shaft and lowered through overgrow
ing brambles down Into the darkness.
He reached the unlucky dog, which was
by this time starved and weak, and,
placing It across his knees, was with
out mishap hauled back to daylight and
safety. Mr. 8tecle was given a rous
ing cheer on emerging. Tho dog, a
collie. Is now In Inspector Hlako Jones'
IKisscsslon nnd Is doing well. Westmin
ster Gazette.
Ilame Na tarn's I'uor Taatr.
An Englishman who has been visit
ing In the suburbs recently is hyper
critical, to say the least. Ever since
he has been visiting this gentleman lit;
has becu finding fault with everything.'
The other evening they were on the
host's iMMiutlful lawn. "This would be
charming, Mr. Hlaiik. If It were not
for the color of the grass." "Why,
what Is the matter with the grass?"
Inquired the surprised host. "Ton
green, too green." sighed the English
limn; "it 8hjI1s the color effect.' Hon-"
ton Itecord.
I'rouer After .ill.
. "Will you take me?"
The girl eagerly awaited an answer
from the young man, yet she had the
seeming of modesty.
".Sure." he rcs'smded. "In a flash."
, As an ambitious amateur ho had
been making a specialty of this style
of picturePhiladelphia Ledger.
At the lalellluriK'e Oll'.re.
The I.ady Now. rememlsT, pleae, 1
want a very good maid and one 'that Is
absolutely discreet.
The Proprietor You can be Nrfcct!y
i sure of the maid I nut going lo send
ro,, "as Ikvii five y.'srs at a tele-
l'houe itchlKard. Ia Sourlie.
. TTi 1 T, 11 1
UH " '""' W-
? 1,0 erowg u b
There never w as u wife ko old that
she didn't look better ai u widow.
AJiijrty-lhree Years War
A -
J. ' ,- z
'.' V-'
-! .' W a. 1 . f a
t Li' 1
The recent capture by a Dutch force
Of n native stronghold In the Island
of Celebes recalls tho fact, vcrlKkcd
In quick succession of more momentous
occurrences, that (lie Netherlands are
still engaged lu a war In the Far Fast
which was begun thirty-throe years
ugo. This perpetual war Is not con
Heeled with the Celebes Incident. It Is
another story and here it Is:
At the upper end of the Island of Su
mi'.cra. called the outpost of the Dutcli
Fast Indies, Is un ancient and powerful
warlike ioople called Achlneso, who
bear some resemblance to the Malay
race, hut are said to have emigrated
about the seventh century from India.
They are now, and have been since the
thirteenth century, Mohammedans,
Marco Polo, the Irrespressible, visited
the Island toward the end of the thir
teenth century, but the first foreigners
to attempt the settlement and conquest
of Sumatra were the Portuguese, about
'Wi years later. Acbln Is about the
si.e of Ireland, and has u population of
7oO,(N)0.
For MO years the Portuguese strug
gled to overthrow tlie Sultan of Arlrin.
hut those" were the days of splendor
and power of the Hultanate. , Tho Sul
tan carried tho war Into Malacca and
although he accompanied an urmhda of
TAX) ships, carrying 10,000 warriors, to
the iclghloring state, the Dons were
able to defeat the Moslem chieftain In
Malacca. In his own strongholds In
Achln, they were not so suewssful, and
retired after an intermittent warfare
lasting close to a century.
The last of the Portuguese hud de
parted 100 years before the advance
lH)st of the Dutcli made Its upKar-
a nee. For more than fifty years the
Dutch were contented to occupy more
or less peacefully the lower part of
the Island, leaving the Sultan of Achln
to the enjoyment of his own. In the
meantime it happened that the Hindoo
dynasty In Achlu was followed by an
Arab race of rulers, and tho Achlnese
degenerated In tlielr civilization. Its
commerce declined, Its government be
came Irresponsible, and gave way to
a disordered state bordering on au-
archy.
Having been swallowed up In the
French Empire by Napoleon, the 1st
amis of Sumatra and Java, after the
conqueror's fall, passed to the iiosses-
slou of Pitiglmid. When Holland once
moro beean-fi a State, Hugland traded
the Islau'l of Sumatra for Malacca,
an exchange which was welcomed by
both governments.
During the ltrltisli occupation of Su
matra the English had established a
sort of friendship with the Sultan of
Achln. The Hrltlsli winked at the
buccaneering and piracy carried on by
the subjects of bis Highness, so long
as they did not make a mistake and
capture u Riitlsh ship, und In return
for this moral blindness, their good
friend the Sultan permitted the English
to reside lu Achln and develop trade.
In passing title to Holland In treaties
of 1819 and IS'JI, the English specially
stipulated that the Dutch must not
conquer the Sultanate of Achln. And
the Dutch, however, unwillingly, have
kept, their word.
Achln. while It was for fifty years
on El Dorado for the English, was a
source of much discomfort to the
Dutch. There was no responsible gov
ernment at Achln. The Sultan was a
figurehead, and the sopio were becom
ing yearly more proficient lu piracy
and buccaneering. Having worked at
those trades until the prosHct of gain
lKeamo Insignificant, they turned their
attention to the Dutch end of the
Island.
The Achlnese crossed the frontier
In largo bands and swarmed over the
country. They captured the Dutch na
tives and sold thorn for slaves. Their
pirates ravaged the strain and the
China Sea, attacking and plundering
Europeans. The Dutch Indian (Jov
eminent, therefore, lu spite of Hid trea
ties, had to send armed forces against
the marauders. In order to protect
their owu end of tbe islands tin? Dutch
had to maintain men under arms at
all times.
The northern part of Sumatra Is
probably the worst in the world for a
foreign urmy to invade. It Is full of
pitfalls and there are trc.tehcrous riv
er Issls. Only the native knows the
country, and It Is small wonder the
Dutch have been unsucivssf ul, and
have made little .headway In their
campaign. Nearly every general sent
out to take command returns to Euros
defeated and humiliated. Holland Is
compelled to keep In her East Indian
possessions au army of ulKnit -10,(HHI
men. Most of these are mertviiarles,
nnd but for the trouble in Achln half
t the force would be ample for keep
ing order.
i ne AchlncM' are good fighters and,
Nelng Moslems, are fctirlcsx lu battle.
Ocai.i nnder these circumstances they
are told Is but, a transl.tt Ion front this
world to Paradise. Naturally they are
fanatics and carry on a guerrilla war
fare. Their favorite mode of attack Is
by ambuscade; they usually devote
their attention to culling out convoys,
blowing up trains, nnd by these crude,
uncxiHH-ted tactics are a hi a to keep the
Dutch forces coustautly worn out,
fJtntfglc of ft. XKitcK Md the
people oF AcMi vKo resist
VViijug&tioi wift ANaJey Ferocity
Aside from those secret attacks t lie
Achlnese fight fairly, and when they
capture Dutch soldiers treat them hu
manely and usually send them hack
to their own camp under escort.
Still the war continues. The Achln
ese are no nearer subjugation than
they were thirty years ngo. In addi
tion to tln army constantly kept in the
Dutch East Indies, the Netherlands
(lovernment maintains n special fleet of
warships to patrol the Achln coast.
Piracy has. Indeed, been relegated by
the Achlnese to the limbo of lost arts,
but independence Is still theirs. The
war In Achln Is no longer a war of
conquest; It Is a war of extermination,
KEEP A GAMBLER'S SCHOOL.
Monte t'nrlii Mtmnvern Train Their
t'rntilt-r Mrntt Methodically.
The Monte Carlo casino trains all Its
own croupiers, and very rigorous that
training Is. When an applicant Is fa
vorably considered for training ho has
to come up for a medical examination.
Alter this examination the recruit to.
tne croupiers chair comes up for six
hours' training every day in the school
which is situated at the back of tho ca
sino, provided that he can prove he has
been n resident lu the principality of
Monaco for at least a year.
Throwing money is one of the most
important items of the curriculum, for
It Is Imperative that a croupier shall be
able to throw a handful of money so
that It will pitch with unfailing precis
ion on any spot on the table. To throw
money quickly and so that it does not
pitch on end and roll Is not so easy as
it seems nnd It Is generally three weeks
before the young croupier satisfies his
trainer that he is proficient in tills part.
Now comes the. most difficult part of
the training, learning to reckon money
mechanically. The croupier must never
count; If he did the slow progress of
the game would try the patience of all
tho players. He must become a verita
ble ready reckoner and this, of course,
only coims by practice. Hut to prove
to what a high state tills reckoning can
be brought It may be said thnt liefore a
croupier passes to the caslnao trained
staff he Is aide to tell the value or
the wins In his hand simply by the feel
of them that Is to say, he could pick
up a number of coins and without paus
ing tell you their value.
.Every day each pupil Is made to sit
as croupier at a table around which are
gathered his fellow pupils, who start
playing with metal disks of sizes and
values equivalent to the coins used nt
Hie tables. This test Is a trying, one
for the budding croupier. Everyone
does his best to fluster him, tho disks
spin across the cloth and If his mind
does not take in the proper values and
he loses his head he knows that his
prosjiccts are in Jeopardy.
' : Once u croupier becomes proficient he
can, when drafted into ploying saloons,
hold his post for a great many years,
but as he only receives $.'100 per annum
as a roulette croupier he Is not able to
save much. Nevertheless, he Is .well
looked after, for If he becomes 111 he
has his medical attendance free. De
troit Tribune.
tiulf of Mexico In Ueep.'
An elaborate report has been received
nt the Navy Department from Lieut.
Holey. U. S. N tin the gulf stream.
Lieut. Soiey has charge of the hydro
graphic olllco nt New Orleans and he
shows conclusively In his report that
the gulf stream has an existence in the 1
Ou.f of Mexico, a fact which hns hith
erto been lu dispute.
According to Lieut. Soley the stream
flows In the Gulf of Yucutan channel,
where tho water Is deep, 1,200 fathoms
In the center, und flows out through
the Straits of Florida, where the depth
Is less. The center of the gulf is n
deep hole of largo area, moro than 2,000
fathoms deep, and tho water here Is
very cold. The main current of the
gulf Is a distinct part or the gulf
stream.
It comes from tbe equatorial current,
flowing westward through tho Carib
bean sen, which Is warm, with a tem
perature of 80 .degrees, until It flows
Into tho cooler waters of the gulf by
the Yucatan channel. The stream fel
lows tho general line of the coast until
It passes out by Florida. There are
some counter currents In the gulf. A
notable fact Is that the currents' of all
the rivers emptying Into the (hilf of
Mexico turn to the right to the west
at Motdle and the delta of tho Missis
sippi, und to the south along the Mex
ican coast
In Ilefen of Tobacco.
Spurgeou, the preacher, Is said to
have said that It was his habit to smoke
cigars "to the glory of Hod." hut now
we Hud serious people writing to say
that the use of tobiu-co In any form Is
Improper for clergymen of any denom
ination. One wonders why, seeing thnt
the iiKHlerate use of the herb is asso
ciated neither with evil passions nor
with heretical doctrines.
The North American Indians, who
were the earliest smokers known to
history, always brought out the pipe
of peace as a symlsil of their intention.
if not to beat the tomahawk into tbe
plowshare at least to dwell together In
unity until further notice.
And it Is au Indisputable fact that
great teachers have often been great
smokers. It was amid "clouds of to
baceo smoke" that Tennyson set to
work, "In Memorial!!." to reconcile re
ligion with science; it was in a similar
If not quite so dense an atmosphere
that Carlyle ussgned the Deity and Iho
devil their resptsiivo roles in the his
tory of the French revolution. These
prcccdciita should sulllce, and If they
do not, there Is the example of Kinrs-
ley to lo quoted. He was a parish
priest and his standards and ideals
were high, but he also enjoyed hi a plpo
when his day's work was done and did
not hesitate to say so. Loudon Mall.
lleriaudana Follr llrpreaeated.
The Bermudas have a parliament of
thirty-six members, while the number
of voters U ouly 1,'JOO. '
GET DOWN TO THE SIMPLE LIFE.
By Juliet V. Strauss.
Women have run to seed In finding
the easy way. The easy way never
yet developed character or fosterrd
the real religion that made our pio
neer mothers so beautiful. .There are
certain phases of modern home life
which are positively Irreligious.
We must get back to our old Ideals
If we wish our children to experience
any of the crude human emotions we
ourselves so hopelessly long for. If
you rre Interested In saving the souls
s.
rit,' if y
r
JfMET v. sTHACss. f coming generations and saving a
foul merely means quickening a human !ody to some
sense of the divine you must try to get everybody you
love down to n simple and natural basis of living. The
children must play heartily and healthfully, and all tbe
family must be hungry and tired and sleepy at the right
time.
The young folk must believe In love nnd the old folk
mustn't sneer at them for It. and nil of the f.Vaiily must
understand that science, smart modern philosophies, hu
man achievement and discovery, modern disregard of old
standards of truth and decency nil these things crumble
Into nothingness and are hopelessly cheap and futile leslde
the plain old Christian Ideal of home with Cod in It.
Not the sentimental Cod of the chain-letter writer or
the narrow-minded God of the religious bigot, but the Cod
which means nil that warms the human heart to hojte,
to love, to confldenit! In life Hud morality; to Joy and
beauty nnd laughter and tears. The God that responds
In us to every form of life and thrills lu us to every
sense of rapture and every pang of pain.
We have wandered far away from the true Ideal of
religion nnd of home, but there are some hopeful Indica
tions of a return to quieter ways of living, changed public
sentiment and less nuditc-lous thought and Impious ex peri
mont. We are coming back to a willingness to believe
that "God Is the breath of life" and that marriage and
home are his divine institutions.
HOW TO HOLD HUSBAND'S LOVE.
By Carmen Sylva, Queen of Ioumania.
Men look for goddesses In women, not weak
creatures who will cling to them for support.
And It happens most unfortunately that
women, who ns long as they remain unmarried
seem perfectly well able to take care of them
selves, directly they have taken a husband
seem to think it Incumbent on them to assume
a helpless dependent air. And they forget
that the being from whom they expect guid
ance and sup)ort is but a weak, erring mortal like them
selves, whom of their own choice they make into an Idol.
They have but themselves to blame when the awakening
comes, nud they step out of their dream into the reality
of life, to find that the being they worshiped and idealized
Is hut a mere human creature after all.
In that hour of disenchantment such poor deluded wom
en may well usk themselves how they could have been
so foolish as to give up their cherished Independence and
trust to another to direct and supKrt their steps, Instead
of confiding in their own Judgment. Most of all will these
reflections force themselves on the mind of the wife who
cannot help lielng aware that she possesses a more hw
erful Intellect and a stronger will than her once adored
husband. Is it not hers to remain steadfast lu the fiercest
throes of moral and physical pain, to set her teeth firmly
THE FLAG GOES BY.
Hats off!
Along the street there cornea
A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drum,
A flash of color beneath the sky ;
Hats off!
The flag is passing by !
Blue and crim.-ion and white It shines,
Over the steel-tipped, ordered lines,
lints off!
The colors before us fly ;
But more than the flag is passing by.
Sea fights and laud fights, grim and great,
fought to make and to save the State;
Weary marches, and sinking ships;
Cheers of victory on dying lips ;
Days of plenty and days of peace ;
March of s strong land's swift increase ;
Equal Justice, right, and law.
Stately honor and reverend awe ;
Sign of a Nation, great and strcug
To ward her people from foreign wrong;
Pride and glory and honor, oil
Live in the colors to stand o- fall.
Hats off! i
Along the street there comes
A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums ;
And loyal hearts are beating blah:
HaU off!
Tho flag Is passing by !
Youth's Companion.
H--r-es4'-M--H"-' ! .. ;. .j..n.n
PURELY there were horrors
S) enough In largo mill In the mid
""illo of winter with all the forelira
labor rioting lu a desperate strike
Madeline Reynolds had tluuight of them
ull, too. Tbe greatest was possible
harm to her husband, which took many
awful forms.
lu this great fear, her petty womanly
fears hnd sunk out of sight. That was
probably why she had' neglected pull
ing tbe curtain low enough to. shut out
all sight of the room In which she sat.
Red shades are cosy thlugs, so are open
fires, nnd the rocking cliulr that Rob
ert had given her on Christmas was
cosiest of all.
Bending forward she pulled a basket
towards her, picking out a multitude of
small garments. She folded them blow
Iy In piles, until she came to some
thing partially finished. Slipping on
her thimble, hhe threaded a needle witn
deft fingers, nnd rocking placidly to nnd
fro proiveded to put the finishing
stitches to a baby's dainty dress.
All tbe time between the curtain and,
the window sill there lurked a horror
In human fejm. A beard that has grown
uutieodcd for week, especially If It tK
bluck at midnight, will add an almost
Inhuman ferocity to a man's face.
' He wntchtsl because be had nothing
else to do while he waited. Two other
half-starved human beings would Join
lu about flfteeu minutes. The volley
that broke foj-th In the eust valley
seemed to him to be right on top of
Hector's biggest factory. This only
raised him to shift hU position to ease
bis stiffening kuees and to take a look
1 End of the Strike.
X
s r:-:.
Strip
SACREDNESS
towards the east to see If it meant a
fire.
When he looked back the woman
stood somewhere In the middle of the
room, the tiny white thing nt her feet
unheeded. Suddenly she dropped on
her knees by the side of a well-worn
arm chair, pulled the smoking Jacket
that had been foldexl on Its top down
ward towards her with a wild, fierce
gesture, burled her face In It, and
shook. '
It came to the man who watched be
tween the curtain nnd the window jlll.
that after nil these people could feel.
But Reynolds was u lucky man. noth
ing ever hurt him. The two or three
attempts that had been made directly
against him had been turned as If by
direct Intercession of an unseen jiower.
Didn't she know that? He shrugged
his shoulders wearily. What did he
care? Pretty soon he would see two
dark forms stealing through the bushes
and cuie would carry a bag from which
u strong oily smell would strike on the
nostrils.
"Ah, that's the smell for them!
She'll feel then what It means to be
homeless, thrown out Into the cold."
The thought thnt had given birth to
many a plan seemed stuuehow dulled of
its significance in the light from the
cosy room.
Tbe woman hurried away suddenly,
closing the door behind her. Where
hnd she gone? It couldn't matter liny
how, with another weary shrug of the
shoulders.
When the duor opened she was not
alone. A young glrly with n shawl r.f
the vivid stripes loved by bis com pa -
TIIEHK ll'HKKI) A MORIiOII I. A lll'Ml.N
rosxi.
triots followed her Into the room wi'h
u certain familiarity in her surround
ings that roused something (tf wonder
in the man's brain.
Madeline pulled a chair toward tie
girl. "I had to run," she said, when
she had caught her breath. "They are
wild to-night, and they lurk every
where." But neither glanced toward
the raised curtain.
"I feared you would not come to
night, Marie," tho woman said, as she
leaned against tbe mantel heavily. Ev
ery word reached tbe man who watch
n
in tbe grim, silent struggle, without allowing a groan to
escas her to betray her sufferings? But we must not
pretend that all women are endowed with equal strength
of soul, or that all come out of the fiery ordeal ns con
querors. The first fatal and Irreparable mistake lu tuur
lied life Is that of confiding one's sorrows to the nearest,
dearest friend, of allowing any one u peep Into the diffi
culties of the situation. And it must be owned that In
this nultter men on the whole display greater reticence
and discretion than the majority of women.
IDLE QUESTIONS COSTLY.
By John A. Howland.
the world of nil its Idle, Irritating fric
tions and a day might become as a thousand
years In achievement. Volumes would not be
gin to catalogue nil these possibilities of this
endless procession of handicapping Influences.
The effect of the Idle interrogator on social
and business life Is something tremendous In
Its aggregate of evils. Two minutes or two
hours after he Is gone the person suffering
ironi his questions may reflect tbe feelings upon the
wisest, most unselfish of all tils callers. Doing so, too,
he makes a lasting critic ol a house's business methods.
He may earn his discharge because of the Invasion of
Idleness. Or, with shaken, shattered nerves, he may go
home to his family In a mood that makes his coming a
visitation of evil, rather than the pleasure that It might
have been.
Everywhere the Idle questioner, with his Insistence,
is challenging his own intellect and the time and teiiqsjr
of those with whom he distributes his Interrogations. In
ordinary swinl Intercourse the person asking it fool ques
tion of friend or acquaintance is embarrassed whun he
finds there Is no sane answer to the query. But the
selfish questioner who runs amuck in the world, asking
right nnd left, and Indicriininatcly of bis fellows, liecomes
a Sisial renegade against which no statutes huve been
framed. You, reader are you one of them?
OF LIFE.
By Rev. A. Arnold Ross.
The reading public Is quite familiar with
the brutal theory credited to Professor Osier.
It Is to the effect thnt the average man passes
tbe period of usefulness nt about 40 years ol
age, becomes thereafter a burden upon socle
ty and ought to be dissised of In a manner
similar to that by which a worthless dog is
gotten rid of. While this theory has been al
most universally condemned. It 1ms, neverthe
less, emboldened certain men and women who look. tit life
from n iculiur point of view to advocate n like dlsiwsal
of the Incurably sick in body or mind. And now comes
Bernard Shaw, of unenviable notoriety as a playwright,
to advocate similar measures for the morally unfit.
Each and nil of these advocates of the lethal chamber
might not find themselves In uncongenial company so
long as the tables were not turned upon themselves
with that African king whose most delectable pastime Is
in ending the careers of certain of his subjects, being the
first to put into effect the conviction of the average lover
in the edible character of his sweetliearr, he being report-s
ed ns having his favorite wife served up for his dinner. f
The progress of civilization has been marked by the
growing saeredness In which life Is held. Our growth
away from savagery shows au ever-increasing conviction
that the issues of life und death should be left in the
hands of him who alone cun give life, and who nloue has
the moral right to take It away.
ed, far the window frames of old
bouses shrink with age and cold even
as do human frames. Ho knew the
girl, too. He had scowieu with the sur
prise of it when she turned her face to
ward the window. "Marie here!"
Hut they were talking again. "I
have the basket ready, Marie, It is the
biggest one. I put in everything except
something for Robert's supper and our
breakfast. It cught to last for a day
or two."
"I will see that It does, never fear.
I discover It to them by bits. The chil
dren never think, and father " she
shrugged her shoulders sadly. So this
was where "little mother" got the food
thnt had roused only u vague wonder
in his brain.
"Marie, when do. you think It wii!
end?" the woman's voice sounded for
lord nnd o weary. "I try not to wor
ry, but I cnu do so little to help. Rob
ert had used all his ready money to. re
lieve the suffering. It's all we can do."
Her voice sunk into a piteous whlsier.
Here was a woman with imagination,
with pity! She could see, nnd, yes
she could feel. No other forms came
stealing through the bushes, the oil
soaked bag must have proven heavy, it
could be stopped to morrow, the whole
damnable busiuess. If he and n few oth
er men would say tbe word.
Two of them were comlntr. In nnoth.
er five mluutes three faces, fierce-eyed,
mack-boarded, white and shrunken,
ranged along the uurre.w slit between
the curtain and the window sill.
"Listen," said he who had watched no
long.
"I exis'ct a box from home lu u dav
or two, Marie." Reynolds' wife was sav-
ing. "I'll let you know w lieu it come '
by hanging the red shawl from the
east window. I think there'll lie clothes
for the children, oh I do hope so! Kow
is the baby? Is bis cou-h anv belter?"
The eager eyes fastened on the girl's
race told how near her heart were the
troubles of her little friend.
"I gave him the syrun as veil to'l
me. and wrapped him In the blanket.
He was asleep when I came awn v." The
girl rose and clasned the woman 3
hands, pressed them again and again lo
tier lips. -I must go now. God will
bless you. Do not be afraid any more."
'I shouldn't worry If you do nor.
dear: but you know he Is my husband,
and I love him so." Again the door
opened and closed, nnd a few minutes
later a figure stole I'lhoriousiy along
the street in front. Swifter than she.
the men followed.
"Let me carry the basket.
lit
e
mother." said a well known voice,
soft-
er than t-he hail heard it for weeks.'
"Your friend is a giid woman, to -morrow
the strike shall end. There are
others like her. no doubt, who are sd
I e i -a use of it. Is It not so, Luii:i? Iiom-
luic?" The others nodded.
Later. In company with two fx threw
others, they ate of the substantial food
Madeline Reynolds had provided. They
talked far Into the night, and at dawn
each went n certain way. In a few
hours all disturbances ceased. In an-,
other day the companies had Issued or-'
der to butchers, growers and clothiers.
The big strike became only something
to mm uuoui in tue 0ng wluter
legs. Boston Post.
i
4
