UDifc OF HUNOtJ
TWENTY.1 ClHTUftlt-J
LOOK, DOWN OH 0
On to victom
-Chicago Journal
SIGNS OF AGE.
So, I am growing old, you say ;
I walk in a decrepit way;
My hair is absolutely gray.
And growing thinner;
My books are all the stupid Kind
That entertain a senile mind ;
And somehow I am disinclined
To dress for dinner.
I smoke a pipe most of the time;
1 hate to walk too far or climb;
In foot, summed tip completely, I'm
A true back number.
I read my morning paper twice
I'm always offering advice;
Amusement serves but to entice
My wits to slumber.
I hate to h'ave my home at night;
I rise almost before 'tis light;
I must confess I am not quite
So young nnd sporty;
I cut my coupons twice a year
Of course you do not call that queer
Of course not! Come to think, my dem
You, too. are forty !
Junian Iiurand, iu New York Sun.
Her Independence
"If I wus a woman an' I bad a man
like thnt I'd quit him cold," remarked
Jim Ilolllday, ns the farmer who had
Just assisted Ills wife In her choice of
a calico dress left the store. "I b'lleve
iu treatln' a woman right."
"Most fellers do nfore they're mar
ried," observed Sol Haker. "I'd like
to get your wife's opinion o' you 'bout
ten years after you've swore to love
an' cherish her. I dou't mean the opin
ion she gives out. to the neighbors, but
the prlvit an' slrlckly conferdenttal
kine that she keeps to herse'f."
"I never knowed a woman keep her
opinion of her husband to herself not
If she got mad eruuff will) him," said
the storekeeper.
"A woman ought to have some
uplink," resumed Jim llolliduy. "I tell
ye, I'd quit him."
"There's a many that 'vid quit If they
knowed where they'd go with the young
ones after they quit," said Haker.
"What do you reckon a woman's golu'
to do if she hain't got no moneyV"
."That's the p'int," said Washington
Hancock. "Now you're n-gitliu' nt It,
Sol. Same time a man's got to be keor
ful how he trusts 'em with too much.
Wlinmen are jes' naclmlly reckless
when they think they can be. Once
you turn 'em loose or let 'em git loose,
there ain't no doubt but they'll come
ulgh to ruinin' a man.
"I kliowcd a case happened like that
wunst," went on Hancock. "It was a
warnin' to me. The feller's name wus
Strode, Cninbyscs Strode. He wus a
rfudcr hnrd-workln', savin' an' thrifty
anaii, Cambyses wus. but wunst iu a
While a teller will git into financial
troubles even If lie ain't no spcif thrift."
That's m , sure emulT, ' said .Milt So
wash, feelingly.
"You be: ! A"' .von hain't the only
one. Milt." said Hancock.
"I was: i taikin' about uiyse'"." said
Sowash. ii.!;-:iainl!..
C.iih'iyms worked early an' hit","
Hancock resinned. "Ho JeV nuchally
laid I"- U wasn't only the mill an' tv.
farm that kip' I'ini busy; he had to
put in a coin-id'aWe time annuid the
house, too. If he hadn't Ills wife would
Inuc .-lit ha'f the talers away peelin'
of 'ten. nil' she'd have used twlcot the
woap an' s'arch that wus nes'ry for tin'
w.isiii:'. She wus about the most
wasteful. extra vcrgant woman you ever
seen. Alius wantiu' Camli to buy her
mitliin' or einulllcr- this yer wniie
rubier clotli for tables or grunitow are
dishes or new brooms or things IIm
that she eniild have got along Jest a
well without. If her diets got u little
farted or tore she'd want Cainh to buy
her a new i,i;e out of I lit butler money.
One t'me the got the kid bougbton mit
GIVE US LIBERTY OR GIVE US LEATHT
i $
tens. An' then if he'd have let her
she'd have had fresh butcher meat
twitet or three times n W"ek. Oood
sowbelly an' titers un' corn bread an'
inerlasses wusu't good ernuff for her,
seemed like. She cort'nly did need
watchln'.
"Well, ns I wus sayin'. Camb got
Into financial troubles an' llu'ly he had
to put everythln' In her name. " lie
didn't say nothiit' to her about it. He
wus kinder close-mouthed, nnyway. He
Jest had the transfers made au' then
went on about the same as he alius
did, 'ceptin' that when he wanted to
8U a critter or suthin' he'd have to
have her sign the bill o' sale. She
didn't know not h In' about bills o' sale.
Camb would call her an' hand her a
pen an' tell her to sign an' she'd sign.
"Fincrly 'there come u time when
she took a notion that she wanted a
new cook stove, she had a right good
one that C'nmb's mother had given her
for ii weddln' present. The oven wus
a trifle burned out an' one or two o'
the lids had got broke an' there wus a
crack or two ncrost the top that Inter
fered with the dratT, but it wus a
right good stove, all the same, an'
Cuinh put his foot right down.
" 'You mix you up some salt an"
ashes an' plaster up tluuu cracks if
you don't like them,' he says. 'As
fur's the lids bein' broke Is concerned,
I don't see why you can't keep a kittle
on one hole all the time an' make the
other lid do. Nex' time I go to town
I'll bring a pieej; o' she.-'t iron to put
In the oven an' I reckon you'll make
out to rise It a few years longer.'
"Well, she took on about It eon
sld'rable. The more she thought about
It the more she wanted a new stove
"I l!M I o. Vol 'i.l. MAKK Oi l' in ;..si:
II' A I'KW VKAliS U,.Nfii:it." ,
ti ml hated the Idee o' makin' out with
the old tine. Flnorly, oim day a nelgh
lor woman came In ai.' Mrs. Strode
toltl her all about it.
"'Why don't you plock uj) sjierrit
an' git H anyway'.'' says the neighbor
woman.
'What's thd use o' pluckin' up sjier
rit if you can't pluck up no money?'
says Mrs. Strode. 'Strode won't give
me none."
"l heel't'd that all the property wm
In your name," says the neighbor. '(V
course if it hain't you ealn'l do noth
in", but If it is I don't see nothin' to
bender you from sellln' a cow or suth
ln' an' buyiu" all the stoves or any
thin' el-;e you need.'
" 'M' sell the stork?" says Mrs.
Strode. 'Could I ?'
"'Ilon't you sell il jniy uy when
(here Is any soli)?' asked the woman.
You signed the bill o' sale for the
sholcs we bought o' you.'
"Mrs. Strode studied awhile an' then
sh" says, 'I b'licve you're right, an'
In re I've lie'n a-knurkllu' dow n to
Camb all these years an' st'iitiu' in' -se'f
ihicklu' I coiihlit'l help it. I'll
rr'-t'nly show fundi a thing or two now.
He'll see I've got sperrit all right, I
ict you.'
"All sure enough when fanibyses
went out to the ile(; the next morniu'
she went out to the Inn lis mi' hitched
up an' went to town 'thout saying a
word to him an' look the kid with her.
She stayed in all that day an' I don't
know but what she'd have stayed
longer If Ciinibyscs hadn't flu'ly got
track of her. Hut by the time he got
to her h'd done a jent .
f. Tt I 'i "5rv TT V srvUr
"Sold sonic stock, did she?" chuckled
Jim llolliduy.
"Well. vshe hail figgered on sellln'
some." said Hancock. "She allowed
she'd sell crnuff to buy n $.") stovu
an' a new bunnit an" a washlu' machine
an' a sewin' machine an' a silk dres;t
an' a sunshade an' a dozen cans o'
t'lilifornia (teaches an' a rubber plan!
for the ettln' room winder an' luco
curtains for the same an' a pair o
kid shoes. I nt when she got to think
in' It over she sort o' compromised air
bought four yards o' crash towelin'.
a lo-eent egg beater, a Mother Hub
bard wrapper for 7." cents an' a pal?
o' stockln's and 5 cents' worth o' slick
candy for the kid."
"An" the stove?" asked Ilolllday.
"No, she didn't dust to go as far an
the stove," replied Hancock. "Tim
croeU ' butter an' the alps she took
wouldn't have been criiult anyway."
Chicago Ihilly News.
A BRAVE DEED HONORED.
Klre Hern 1 1 the lleeil of n llprulnt
A Iiiihc Slemory Warn Itcvored.
The exciting scene enacted at (lm
burning of an hotel at Aboravon. Kng
la nil. the other day, when a domestic
servant risked her own life and mel
with severe Injuries In saving a bubo
from a terrible death, recalls a slinllai
but far more tragic case which stirred
all England to pity and admiration
some twenty-three years ago, says a
reunion newspaper.
The heroine of this latter eplsodo
was one Alice Ayres. She - was em
ployed ns servant to a Mr. Chandler,
who kept an oil and color shop In the
borough.
Fire broke out at dead of night, nnt
in a few minutes the lower part of the
li'iuse was a mass of flames. Mr. nnd
Mps. Chandler and one of their chll
diei: were suffocated and burned to
death In their bedroom, although Alice
ran down to try nnd rouse them. Her
room was almve theirs, on the third
Moor. In it. beside herself, were the
three other Chandler children, the old
est little more than a baby. The brave
girl first threw out a bed. then dropK'd
the little tines on it one at a time, al
though she herself was burning nil the
while. Then she Jumped herself.
Next day she lay dying Iu liuy's hos
pital mid a nation mourned. Queen
Vi-ierla sent one of her ladles In
waiting especially to Inquire after her.
I'.iillclins were Issued hourly, as from
the death t ha iniwr of n monarch.
Alter death the hospital authorities
refused to allow her body to be placed
In the otdlnary mortuary, but set aside
a special room for it. which was soon
nearly filled with floral emblems from
all parts of the kingdom, estimated to
lie worth fully .."..( ml I. Twelve Bre
men bore her to her grave anil more
than lO.tn'o people attended the funer
al In Islcworth cemetery, where Is a
luagiiiliecrt obelisk erected by public
subscription in memory of "the bravest
deed that was ever dune."
Hrc'w On III Sltrt t,l m-iI I'limnm.
A young Chit ago drummer was tak
ing a vacation with bis uncle in the
country, and wus railed upon to nsk
the liles.-lng, a: io not being a ecus
to:i:cd to it, be promptly Inckled
the (li!lciity l-i the following words
"We acknowledge the receipt of your
favor of this dale. Allow us to xteud
our gratitude for this expression of
good will. Trusting that our house may
merit your rontideiice ami have many
onl -i's from you this full, e m-c yours
truly, amen." The old man will sny
grace hereafter.
A I'rt-tly Krllle uf l-'iab.
When the patient tailed on his doc
tor lie found the good man In a state
of great apprehension.
"I've got nil the symptoms ()f the
disease you have," said the doctor.
"I'm sure I have caught it from you."
"What are you bo seared about?"
asked the patient.
"Why, man,'' replied the dH-tor, l
d n't thluk I cuu curt IU" Harper
W'aekly.
t Old Favorites I
t3 ft :ft ft t 4
I. Hi I nine I'l
Sleep, little pigeon, and fold your
tin(t
Little blue plireon with elvet eyed.
Sleep to the sinning of mother-bird awing
lug Swinging the nest where her little on
lies.
Away out yonder I see a star
Silvery star with a (winkling song;
To the soft dew falling I bear It calling,
Colling and tinkling the night along.
In through the window a moonbeam
comes
Little gold moonbeam with misty
ings ;
All ailently creeping it asks: "Is he sleep
ing Sleeping and dreaming while mother
sings?"
I'p from the sen there floats .he sob
Of the waves that are breaking upon
the shore,
A though they were groaning In anguish
antl moaning
Itemoaning the ship that shall come no
more.
Hut sleep, little pigeon, and fold your
wings
Little blue pigeon with mournful eyes;
Am I not singing? See, I nm swinging
Swinging t lie nest where ray darling
lies.
Kugeue Field.
The (.ranttrmhrr.
The farmer sat In his easy chair
Smoking his pipe of clay,
While his halo old wife with busy care
Was clearing he dinner away;
A sweet little girl with fine blue eyes
On her grandfather's knee, was catching
flies.
The oltl man laid his hand on her head.
With a tear on his wrinkled face,
lie thought how often her mother, dead.
Had sat in the self-same place;
As tin tear stole down from his half-shut
eye,
"Ilon't smoke!" said Ihe child, "how it
makes you cry !"
The bouse dog lay stretched out on the
floor,
Where the shade, afternoons, used to
steal :
The busy old wife by the open door
Was turning the sDinninz wheel.
And the old brass clock on the mantel
tree
Had plodded along to almost three.
Still the farmer sat In his easy chair.
While close to 'his heaving breast,
The moistened brow and the cheek so
fair
Of bis sweet grandchild were pressed.
His head bent down, on her soft hair lay;
Fast asleep were thy both on that sum
mer day.
Charles (!. Kastman.
THE POOR LONDONER.
Whfrrfvrr lie Moves lie Adda tt the
Value of Ills Landlord's Property.
According to the London correspond
ent for an American publication New
Yorkers who live In flats. or even ordi
nary houses are enjoying a condition
of paradise, compared with the lot of
(he Loudon tenant.
The I'.ritish landlord, he complains,
Is n tyrant; and the long lease syntem
Is (he basis of his tyranny. The pys
teni of twelve months leases that ob
tains Iu New York Is the Magna Chnrta
of the tenant. It has done Infinitely
more for American happiness than
either the Declaration of Independence
or the divorce laws. It makes land
lords compliant and confers upon the
tenant a status of something very like
equality.
To be able to take a house or a flat
for a year, with the option of renewal
at the saint- rent a rent that In houses
Includes all decorations nnd repairs,
and In flats Includes steam heat, elec
tric light and a perpetual supply of hot
water Is to be a free man.
What London landlords are appar
ently tin the lookout for Is a slave, and
a slave who, besides being a million
aire, will outlive Methuselah. Virtual
ly It U nothing more than the skeleton
framework of a home that he bunds
ver to you for twenty-otie years. The
tenant does the rest.
If he wishes to add a new window,
OT to put In the electric light. It must
be done at his own expense. Ymi arc
to Imagine a procession of tenants pass
ing through every Loudon house, each
one of them laying out money on some
pet Improvement of bis own this one
adding a billiard room, that one con
centrating on a gas cooking range, a
third lavishing parquet flooring upon
the drawing room, a fourth bringing
the bathroom up to tlate, a fifth install
ing a heating system, and so on. Ami
every one of these additions becomes In
be end the landlord's prois-rly.
Heady lit Kill Ihe Flies.
W. W. Jacobs, the F.ugllsh humor
ist, relates the following story: "1
was looking at a butcher shop display
when the butcli'T came out and said to
an old man: 'Henry, I want you.'
What do you want?' the oh man
asked. 'Why.' said the butcher, Til
give you a shilling and a Joint of incut
If you'll kill all the tlh s In my shop.'
AI right,' saiil the old man. '(Jive
me the shilling first and the meat aft
erward.' The butcher handed out the
shilling. ' J ' 1 1 1 1 1 the old man nskttl for
a si iel; about a yard long. This was
broiifbt him. lie grasped It lirnily,
went to the doorway ami said: 'Now
turn 'cm out. one at a time.'"
Two t.f ii K I till.
Little Johnnie, who I-. coeddereil 1 1 1 1
Iniag.' of bis father, was one day In
his mother's way. when she !o!d hlui,
"Viiii are always in the way."
lie replied, "I in. i JuM like papa."
I iclineator.
"See here," said the tailor, as he
headed the young mill off. "do you
cross the street every time you see me
to keep from paying the bill you owe
lue?" "I should sny not," replied f )u
young man. "Then why do you do It?"
asked the knight of Ihe tape. "To keep
you from asking for It," answered the
other. Chicago Hally News.
Some people would rather attend a
trial at the court house (ban a droit.
A COUNTRY STORIZ:
A Mtlnu chill Is In the air, n Monn alia brooding In Oie sky,
The pigeons perched upon the barn, huddled In groups, cast anilrnia pyt
Fpon the chill, dark cloud that lower. The whistle of a distant train
Sounds a new note, weird, plaintive, shrill potent of coming snow or rain.
The kettle IkI1r away so fast the housewife scarce can keep It full J '
She lifts It from "ie fire nt last and seta It back where It will mol,
And through the soot run, serpentine, trails of red siarka that glow anj
vanish.
The named leap np with cheerful blaze, the cold gloom to dispel antl banlah
Out In the barnyard now the kins low each to each, crowd close together,
Throw tip their heads and less lhdr horns, uneasy at the threatening
weather.
The sky Is dull, without a hint of hrlghlncsw from the hidden ami.
The first large flakes come limiting down from cloud to earth the atorm'i
begun.
(Vira M. W. Oreenleaf.
The Story of
"I can't see what we're going to do
Lion," said Mrs. lVttlgrew.
She sald It aloud, though she was
talking to a dog. and Ihe dog looked
Into her eyes, and wagged his tall.
nnd whined a little, with a tremble
going nil through his body. One would
have thought that he was making a
desperate effort lo talk, so earnest wns
he; and Indeed, Mrs. I'ettlgrew smiled
at him a little sadly and murmured:
"I'oor Lion, ran't you say It? Hut
yon know all about It don't you, old
fellow?"
Yes, he knew all aliout It. He knew
how the little old woman's struggle
had been growing harder from month
to month. He must have known It,
because he sat down In front of her
every day .and looked at her with
such Intelligent eyes thnt she always
felt as though she were talking It over
with some confidential friend wheu
she mentioned It to Lion.
The troublo had been going on a
long time. Mrs. Pottlgrew had lived
with some of her family ears ago, peo
ple said, but the family were all dead
or scattered and she had come to this
town, where she had supported her
self for years by doing the fine sew
ing that she did so well. There was
little profit In it at lis best, because
she took too much pains with It; and
after a while her eyes failed and she
fell to trimming hats and doing "plain
sewing," and so managed to keep
something on her table and a tire on
her hearth, nut at last even this had
failed, for her hands were too crip
pled with rheumatism to hold the nee
dle any longer.
Several weeks hud passed, now, since
she had made anything; and she had
been living on tbo little hoard that she
laid nway for a "rainy day." Eco
nomical as alio tried to be, her small
savings melted away; nhd now a
whole day had passed, during which
Mrs. I'ettlgrew had not eaten.
All around her were people that
would have lieeu glad lo help her, but
she could "ot beg. She had outlived
her usefulness, she told herself and
Lion ; and there wus nothing for her
to do but to die. '
Hut It apiKMired that Llon 'was not
willing to lake so despondent a view
of the situation. When his mistress
hail spoken he ran down towartls the
gate, and looketl back. Inviting her to
come on. He hail always gone with
her on her rounds to make her simple
purchases, ami he was greatly aston
ished when she only smiled sadly antl
refused to follow, .ml when he saw
her sink Into 5 . :.lr anil drop her
wrinkled fae- :i.o(m, 'er bunds, he hur
ried away : j-i-ii Hi path and leaped
over the fen
"The dog .irsakcii me," said
the Utile old o an to herself. "And
yet. It Is natii il, for he Is hungry."
Hut It seemed that Lion wns not g.-
lng to remain hungry, for he went
guyty down the street, Jogging along
In a business-like way that made It
evident ho had made up his nilntl ls-
fore he started, lie turned the corner
at Pine street, antl presented himself
before the counter of the I it t Iu bakery,
bland ami smiling.
"Here's Lion," said Haker Fritz,
wiping his hands on his apron. "Mrs.
I'ettlgrew isn't far behind. I reckon."
At the mention of Mrs. Petllgrcw,
Lion frolicked all around the room,
with the absurd gambols that he af
fected when he was particularly
pleased. Another customer came i
Just then, and Fritz waited on her,
nnd she took away the long brown
loaf, wrapped In a sheet of pajier.
Lion was growing impatient. lie
stood up. with bis fore feet on the
edge of the count :r antl sniffed hun
grily at (he loaves that were nearest.
Watching Fritz with Interest as the
baker moved about the little space
back of the counter, Lion opened bis
expressive mouth In a most astonish
ing yawn, and when this failed to pro
duct' any Immediate result be barked
nt the baker, his mouth hanging open.
ami a good humored smile showing all
his teeth; as though he felt sure that
this would be understood.
"Why, I do Is'lieve the dog wants
his loaf," said Ihe linker to bis wife,
whii looked In to see what all the
noise was about, "lie hasn't brought
any money, but never mind. My! I
wish my driver had as much sense as
that tlog has!"
So Frit, lied up a loaf In brown pn-
I'r. and held It toward the dog. Uon
liereptetl It gravely, and Instead of
w: gging his tall bo wagged his whole
body as be went out of the door ami
blurted up the street. Straight home
be went, with his head up and with a
wary eve on liie alert for any other
dog that might happen along.
Mrs. Pettigrcw's head was still
down on her hands, for she did not
have courage enough to l.iok up and
the bright summer sunshine, when
nil her world was so dark. Then
something touched her hand, and there
was Lion, looking straight Into her
eyi-s and trying to show her the loaf.
So, Mrs. I'ettlgrew left off crying ami
began laughing, ami she anil Lion sat
down ami (Until sumptuously on bread
anil water.
Tbo next day Lion made hla appear
a Clever Dog
ance at the baker's shop again, and
barked at the baker; upon which
Fritz replied as though (he dog had
soken :
"Aha, you rascal, you think I al
ways sell my bread without money
Jo home after the nickel, sir."
Hut Fritz's wife looked In again and
said :
"Fritz, he took the loaf straight
home yesterday, for I watched him;
and his mistress hasn't been here for
I don't know how many days. Give
him the loaf. Fritz. We shan't miss
It."
So Lion got his loaf again and took
It home; but he did not stay to eat it
He ran down the street again, and
turned down another way, and before
the butcher knew what he was doing,
there was I'on looking into bis eyes,
and barking at him with all bis might
And he would not leave off barking,
elUier. until the butcher sad: ,
"Why. Lion, have you come alono
this morning? You want some meat
for your breakfast? Maybe tho old
lady hasn't Ihtii feeding you very well
lately."
And he picked out some odds and
cutis of meat and rolled them up In pa
!cr. for Lion to take home. The dog
took the jiackage and rushed out with
It nt such a rate that he almost upset
rritz, the baker, who was coming In
at the door.
"What, has Lion been buying meat,
too? he asked In astonishment "Well
thnt dog Is smart. Why, he comes to
my place after his bread, and my wife
says he takes it straight home; and I
guess hell take that meat borne, too."
They were so interested in the mat
ter that they left the shop and follow-
'"T1IKV IlKNEO BUMrTirOl'HI.Y O.t Bltf.AD
AND WATtCB."
ed Lion to tho corner, where they could
watch him all the way home. Sure
enough, he went on up the street, and
leaped over the gate, nnd they saw him
walk iu at the door vlth is head up
and the bundle In his mouth.
In a day or two Lion's fanie had
gone out through all the town;and
people followed him into the bilker's
and the butcher's to see him bark nt
the iH-oprletor until he was waited on.
One day the baker tried to see what
the dog would do if no attention were
paid to him. Llou barked a while In
vain; then he stood off and looked at
Fritz in astonishment; then he barked
again; and at last he quietly lea tied
upon the counter, seized a loaf daintily
ami carerully ami walked off with It
It was Fritz's wife that called on
Mrs. i'ettlgrew, and with the gentle
ness ami courtesy natural to some
women in even the common walks of
life, said nothing of the poverty that
was pressing so hard. Hut when she
went home she saiil to her husband:
"Oh, Fritz, the poor woman Is in bit
ter need. I do believe the dog is keep
ing her alive."
It was a new aspect of the case.
There was no more Inclination to laugh
over the dog that went to the butcher's
and the baker's every morning. Some
how, every one In the place felt that
the dog had something almost human
Iu liim ; and there was something close
ly resembling a cheer as he came dowu
t he next morning.
"I wonder If I couldn't help along
with this'.'" said one of the grocers, as
he watched Lion going Infmeward with
his meat a little later. The result of
which was thai be found a basket,
somewhere about the store, and lie
busied himself, making up little bun
tiles of tea and sugar and cheese and
what i: i ; for be was a klinl-liearteil
plan, i ' is grocer, ami somehow Ihe tlog
bail se; nil the springs of bis kindness
moving.
The next time Lion came down the
street, the grocer was in the door ready
lor him.
"Hello. I. ion. good morning, sir!" he
called cheerily. "Suppose you take this
basket homo with you."
For there was a deibiile courtesy
about tin- gro'-cr, and lie would not
hurt the feelings of even- a tlog by say
lug anything about a gift.
Ami I. Ion sniffed at the basket, and
Uniting that there were eatables lit it,
lie took the handle in his mouth and
trotted away, with a parting mile over
his shoulder.
It happened (bat the baker's wife
looketl In iiimii Mrs. I'ettlgrew a few
moment afterward. She found the old
woman looking at the contents of the
bask't, which were spread out on the
tablit before her, and there was sucU a
Mif ml
look In her eye. And there wns IJo.'
rolling all over tho floor, In tha most
absurd manner, showing that he waj
bsppler than a dog ever wns before.
It seemed that the whole town watit
to help Mon take care of Mrs. TcttV
grew. Erery day his circle of Influ
ence widened, and one day it was Mrtt
Martin that called him In and gnva
him a bundle t take home.
"It's only a little shawl, for th
mornings are cool," she explained to'
Lion, who gamboled gayly In reply a
he ahirted out, for the dog seemed so!
human that he felt he must know all'
about It
And a little later there was old Mr.
Drew, whom all the town had thought
a miser, calling the dog in and petting;
him when he thought no one was look
iug, and when Lion went away be had
a big bundle, and he walked with hla
head very high, and looketl more Im
portant than ever. Some of them found
out afterwards that the bundle con
tained several yards of flannel enough,
to keep off the rheumatism all the rest
of the old womnn's life.
One could not begin to tell of tha
kindly deeds that blossomed out la tho
little town, all because of the dog that
loved his mistress so faithfully. Why,
there was one man sending around a
load of wood, ami sending a man to
split It up, too, ami to carry it Into th
house; and there was another that sent
up shingles, and hired a man to put a
new roof on the shed. It seemed that
the town had made up its mind that,
the little old woman was to be taken,!
care of, and that everything she could
possibly need was to be done for her;
and If you had merely mentioned such
a thing as pay for anything, the man
to whom you mentioned it would never
have forgiven you.
"It couldn't be done," said the man
that had sent up the load of wood. "I
am sure that any man who took money
for anything he did for thnt old lady
would never be able to look Lion in
the face again."
Yes, It was Mon, Lion, everywhere.
The dog suddenly found himself the
most popular dog that ever was known,
and every one that met him had some- ,
thing pleasant to say to blm.
The result ot It all was that in a
little while the hnppy spirit la Mrs.
Pottlgrew's body warmed Zatfi. Petti
grcw's poor little belug until, all at
once, the' rheumatism begau to take its
departure, and she grew stronger every
day. Iu a little while she could hobble
about without her stick, and then she
could use her hands, and very soon she
came down with Lion ono morning and
walked into one place after another.
"I'd like to tell you If I could," she
said to them all. "Lion nnd I know all
about It, but we could never say and
now I am strong again, and yesterday
I did a little work ; and I have money
for my marketing to-dny. But oh, it's
a beautiful thing to be brought helpless
once iu a while to see how even a dog
can be a friend to you, and how a
whole town can forget itself and re
member you."
And there was not much said, but as
she went away, one after another of
those that had helped her came out
and watched the little old woman and
the dog, going up the street, side by
side; Lion carrying some of the bun
dles, for he would not give up his work,
all at once. And as they watched there
was a mist in their eyes, and the two
figures grow indistinct Chicago News.
An I nromforlable Christmas.
In the mind of the average individ
ual Christmas. Is associated with
cheerful visions of crisp air, fleecy
snow, sparkling frost and Jingling
sleigh bells. Xot so, however, with tha .
resident of New South Wales. Mor
ley Iloherta spent tho holiday season
once on an Australian ranch, and his
experience is told in his "Land-Travel
and Sea-Faring."
Hy Christinas time the summer sun
had reduced everything to a universal
brown. Paths nnd roads were aile-
deep In dust, nnd the sand hills were
line ary quicksand.
Tho air was unusually calm and
still, but when the wind did blow, tho
clouds of dust and sand choked man
and boast On windless days fantastic
whirlwinds, vast and funnel-shaned.
stalked across the plain, revolving with
terrific rapidity and loud hissing.
'Ihe air was hot and heavy, burning
the throat and lungs nnd drying up tho
skin. The rays of tho sun came back
redoubled from the fiery ground; the
heat could he felt through the sole of ,
a man's boot.
It seemed impossible that the heat
could increase, yet ns Christmas drew
near It was hotter and hotter still.
Kvery day we declared, almost In ter
ror, thnt the thermometer could not
get any higher, yet every day It went
up several degrees higher yet On
Christmas day it stood ono hundred
and fifteen degrees in tho shade,' four
days after It registered one hundred
nnd twenty degrees, and on New
Year's day It stood at one hundred and
twenty-five degrees, nnd did not alter
for three days. This was In the shade
under the veranda. Whnt it was in
the sun 1 did not have ihe courage
to Inquire.
The wind was like a blast of heat
that conies from a tupped furnace.
The sheep anil horses stood all dav in
the shade, their drooping heads toward
the tree trunks; the fowls, also, kept
shallcr, and all went with open mouths
ami lolling tongues. The ground in
the sun was as hot as tire, and could
hardly be touched with the hand: nor
at midnight was there any perceptiblo
alteration nor remission, for eveu their
metal was almost too hot to be taken
hoM of.
Hirtls wen found dead, struck by
the In their flight. There was a som
ber melancholy about everything; it
looked as If nature was about to die,
for hope seemed lost and strength ex
hausted. Near the end of January the ther
mometer dropiH'tl to out tin ml red de
grees, and that seemed pleasantly cool
to us.
SIx-Years-old Harry Pa. if I get
married will have a wife like mat
Pn Very likely. Six-Years-Old Harry
Ami If 1 don't get married, will
have to be an old bachelor like Fncla
'loin'? Pa Very likely. Six-Year Old
I'.ariy Well, pa. It's a uiljhty tough
wo. Id for us meu, ain't It? Succeaa,
