Ji
!
Pattsmouth journal
C W. UEltilU. Iubll.ner.
rLAiTsaioyriE "nfcrsita.
Jfe' jjf"S(t Copyright. IBM. by
JE i4T tbe Author.
HEW-W.byJove
what a stiff gale
it ia to pull
again 8 1 ! And
such a dark
night, except for
the flashes of
sheet lightning. But I guess I'll find
my way across the Broad to Barton
Staith right enough. And here I am I
do believe at the end of this blessed,
long, dark river at last! Yes, that
white thing ashore must be the ice
house. Alf, my dear fellow, this is
hard work, and no mistake."
You might certainly have thought
the self-addressed words came from
mustached Hps, the more if you noted
the long, powerful stroke of the sculls
and perfect form of the rower, but it
was a "she" follow not a "he" at all,
and a very pretty one, too, dressed in
white and red boating "togs" as she
would have said. A tall, slight girl of
nineteen or twenty; muscular, lissome,
bubbling over with healthy vigor and
high spirits.
The wind shrieked and poured over
the great drearily dark expanse in al
most a hurricane, so "ivild were its
gusts, as the rower got fairly out into
the Broad by slow degrees, the water
quite roughened into "white ponies,"
If not "white horses," as she mentally
put it, when the sea-built boat shot
and danced over the foam-capped wave
lets.
"Boat a-hoy!"
Suddenly on the roar of the gale
came that call--a man's voice, full and
mellow, from somewhere away on her
port bow.
"A-hoy, there!" she called back at
once, and altered her course immedi
ately for the direction of the voice
some one in distress, of course, she
thought. She knew that she was not
far from one of the great beds of rushes
that abound, and the next moment a
shimmer of sheet lightning that illum
ined the whole scene vividly for a sec
ond showed her that she was right. She
taught a glimpse, too, of what seemed
to be a boat with something white in
It by the rushes.
"Some fellow's lost his oar, perhaps,
and got stranded in the reeds helpless,"
muttered Alf, pulling away with the
wind now on the starboard quarter.
"Easy to reach him; but to get on? the
lee-shore again won't be a joke there
he is."
For she could just discern a tall flg
tire in a white dress standing up of
course, in a boat, for land there was
none. Alf headed straight for that
white-flanneled figure, and in three
minutfa had shipped her sculls and
let the wind send her boat alongside
the stranger's; and now at close quar
ters she could distinguish that he was a
young man, perhaps some seven years
her senior handsome, and a gentle
man. "If I had dreamed it was a girl whose
oar's plash I heard," he said, baring
his curly head as he bowed, evidently
utterly vexed with himself, "I would
not have called for the world. I am so
sorry so vexed."
"On my account, you mean," said Alf,
laughing, as frank and fearless as a
boy, not an atom of feminine self-consciousness;
"don't bother yourself at
all, then; we're all brethren in sports.
You'd help me out of a fix, and I you,
so what's the matter?"
He began to laugh; he couldn't help
it, and did not try to, either. She was
such a delicious "cure," and so pretty;
he saw at once the sort of girl she was,
and took her on her own free and easy,
boy -like ground.
"It's too good of you to come to the
rescue, and such a gale, too; but the
truth is that I am hors de combat. My
left wrist has had an ugly wrench this
evening that has strained, if not
sprained it."
"Poor fellow so that you can't row.
How did you do it?"
"Well, I was pulling about here (I
only arrived at Barton to-day) when
somel.ow I disturbed a big, fierce, black
swan."
"That brute?" exclaimed Alf, "it
ought to be shot; it's so savage and
has attacked several people."
"Has it? It's an old enemy, then?"
said the young man in surprise.
"To be sure. Step over into my boat
and sit down in the stern. That's it,"
as he obeyed, nothing loth what man
would have been?
'So that creature went for you?"
"Rather!" said he. "I beat him off
with an oar, but as a farewell he
caught my wrist in his beak and gave it
a wrench that made it desperate pain
to get along as far as opposite this
two hours ago that was then the wind
veered and stiffened suddenly and I
had to givv up and let the gale drive
ma into these reeds and wait the slen
der chance of help from some passing
boat, else spend the night out her."
"Cold, starved and in pain; poor fel
low!" said Alf, with true womu's pity.
"That would have been too horrid, and
I'm awfully glad I did stop so long up
the Ant There hasn't been a boat
but mine out for hours too galey; so
you'll have to be my passenger,
codding brightly, "in spite of your
masculine pride and chivalry."
"No, no; it's too shamefully madden
ing!" exclaimed the young man, ve
hemently. "I can't do it. I sit at
sase a-nd let a girl pull witn the extra
weight, or try to, against such a hurri
cane? Impossible! I'll fctop here
tili " I
'No. you won't, sires," interrupted '
It'
v . .- v--
f- W!L 1 """"" "- '--.JI.--. W".
the young lady, coolly, her bare elbows
on her knees, her chin In one shapely,
brown hand; she was brown as a berry
altogether. "You'll hear reason and
obey orders, as man always should from
woman see? I'll wait perforce till
there is a short lull in the hurricane,
because to get the boat off in it is im
possible."
"But," he began eagerly, "Barton
may not be "
"Oh, all right, Mr. Inconnu, Barton
Staith is also my port. I am lodging
with my married sister and her hus
band; they do nothing but stupid fish
ing at a farm close by 'Rose Tree
Farm. "
"Why, that is where I came to lodge
to-day!" exclaimed the other, in joyful
surprise. "Some friends of mine recom
mended it, and I came on the chance of
fiDding a vacancy. My name is Dare,
if I may introduce myself."
"Thanks, and mine is Alf Hesseldine.
I was baptized Alfreda, but I've always
been called Alf."
"No wonder," said Dare, laughing.
"It Is peculiar, but the very name for
you, 1 should say."
"Ha! ha! that's what they all say.
Now I'll try to get off, but I'm afraid
jour boat must be left to its fate till
to-morrow. Towing it "
'"Left! of course. Miss Hesseldine!
its loss or not is a mere question of
paying its value," said Dare, aghast at
the very idea of her having to tow it.
"It makes me wild enough to tax a girl
at all for me."
"Mr. Dare, are we to be friends or
foes, please?" demanded Alf, severely
at which he laughed and humbly
begged forgiveness. Well, he would
steer.
"You'll pain your wrist, which I'll
doctor for you at home."
"You are too kind. Kb, I'll use my
right hand. Stay I can give a shove
against my boat in lieu of shore so
that your scull can get a dip."
Between them, with much difficulty,
they got the boat clear of the lee shore
of rushes on which the wind strov to
drive her back. Alf got her nose round
and then in good earnest began the
hard-fought and even perilous voyage
across the Broad, in the very teeth of
the strong gale that simply poured over
the expanse of flat land and water.
"A long pull, a strong pulh and a
pull all together," said Alf, bending to
her oars with all her strength; but the
man, forced to sit inactive, set his
teeth hard, as he saw that the boat
"inched along," simply moving whilst
the oars were dragged through the
water; dead still while they were
carried back for the next pull. The
work would have taxed his man's
powers he had done such work
often much more, therefore, a girl's,
however strong and skilled. Alf had,
too, to increase the actual distance in
reaching the channel up to Barton
Staith, so as to avoid the submerged
reeds which abound, and also to avoid
getting full broadside to the gale.
"You are getting fagged," Dare said
at last.
"No, it's all right; we're in the chan
nel now.".
She pulled on doggedly. All the way
across she had scarcely spoken, for
such bard rowing needs one's breath
husbanded all the time a solid forty
minutes from start to finish. The rolls
of distant thunder and gleams of sheet
lightning had increased, but the latter
served them well in the dark night, es
pecially in reaching the staith.
"Thank goodness! here we are,"
Alf said, as with one last long pull that
ran the boat up alongside the ruda
landing place, she shipped her sculls
and sat still, whilst Dare sprang ashore
and lashed the painter to an iron ring
in the ground, then held out his right
hand to her.
"You are dead fagged, I'm afraid,"
he said, anxiously, as she stepped out,
boat-hook in hand.
"Only a bit tired," said she, pluckily,
"though it was tough. I'll allow, and
I've been a good way to-day. Don't
you worry about me. I'm all right,
thanks." For, of course, he took her
boat-hook and offered his arm, which
she took in tactful courtesy, and so
feeling quite like old comrades already
DEFTLY BOCJ.D IT WITH LIXEN.
they walked on to the farm, where her
relatives and the landlady received
both with acclamation. They had
been so anxious, alike for Alf and the
new lodger who had arrived and gone
out in their absence. How odd that
Alf should have come to the rescue
how fortunate! Of course, he must be
their guest to supper. And Alf. after
examining his wrist, said it was only a
strain, and deftly bound it with linen
soaked in arnica, and promised that in
two or three days he should "pull to
kingdom come if he liked."
He didn't do that exactly, but it is
needless to say that the fraternization
begun iu such a gale went on in glor
ious sunshine metaphorically, at any
rate and the happiest thre weeks
went by, the married couple Alf 8 sis
ter and brother-in-law fishing, the un
wedded couple in their boat, "all over
the Broads like regular water-birds,"
declared the landlady of the farm.
One evening when after dark they'
landed at the staith, after a long stiff
puff, both rowing, Alf, as she stepped
ashore to his side, said, laughingly:
"Well, Rex, this time it was really 'a
long pull, a strong pull and a pull all
together.'"
"For life, Alf?" finished Dare, and,
stole his arm round her waist, bending
down.
"Oh, Rex! yes, for life, then," whh
pered Alf.
SNOWBALLING A MOOSE.
An Odd Hoar's Sport In the Snow-clad For
ests of New Ilranfwkk.
A party of government surveyors in
the province of New Brunswick had a
curious hour's fun not long ago at the
expense of a bull moose. They were
on their way Into the northeastern
ftrest for their winter's work upon the
crown lands. A deep snow had fallen
and the men were plodding along on
snow-shoes in single file. The line of
surveyors, chainmen, axmen and car
riers stretched out over a distance of
an eighth of a mile in the treeless gully
through which their course lay.. Sud
denly those in the lead discovered
the fresh tracks of a moose head
ing jn the same direction as the party.
They showed that the animal was hav
ing a hard time of it, floundering belly
deep in the soft snow, and was evi
dently fleeing in alarm at the noise of
the advancing column. Several times
the tracks deviated from the path of
the party, disappearing in the thick
underbrush of the wooded hills at
either side. But thev always returned
to the less obstructed ground in the
gully.
Word was passed back along the
line that there wa a moose ahead, and
the pace was quickened. There was
no particular object in overtaking the
moose, as every man in the party had
as heavy a load strapped to his back as
he cared to carry, and fresh meat was
plenty. Besides, the chief engineer
was noted throughout the province as
a stickler for the game laws. But the
moose was going their way, and there
was a dash of the excitement of the
chase in the effort to get a glimpse of
him.
They kept up the rapid pace for over
an hour, every minute showing that
the moose was struggling on with in
creasing difficulty. At intervals the
trail indicated that he had fallen from
exhaustion, and had lain for a moment
to rest in the snow. These snow casts
of his big body became more frequent,
and it became evident at last that their
quarry was almost spent, and that un
less he sought shelter in the hills they
must soon overtake him. A moment
later a shout from the head of the col
umn told that the moose was in sight.
The stragglers came up quickly, and
there, about five rods to one side" of the
snowshoe trail, was the moose, a splen
did bull, three or four years old. He
was imbedded in the snow almost up
to the back, and was puffing like a
steam engine, completely exhausted.
Now that they had overtaken the
mose, the men, under the watchful
e3-e of the chief, looked rather sheep
ish until one of them, idly picking up
a piece of snow, tossed it at the ani
mal. Then everyone seemed taken
with the novelty of snowballing a
moose. and a perfect fusillade of missiles
was directed at the terrified beast. He
was too tired to make further attempt
to escape, but rolling his great e3'es.
he stretched out his head on the snow,
the steaming breath from his nostrils
blowing the flakes aside in small
clouds. The white balls flew in show
ers about hUbroad-branehed hornsand
whistled past his ears, but the only
sign of the terror he felt at the un
usual attack was the rapid, spasmodic
twitching of his short tail, a movement
that was strangely discordant with the
dignity of the monarch of the Acadian
forests.
After a five minutes' fusillade the
men tired of the fun and resumed their
weary tramp, leaving the moose to re
cover from his exhaustion and fright,
and to wonder what manner of crea
tures they were who, after chasing him
for miles, had contented themselves
with pelting him with harmless balls
of snow. N. Y. Sun.
Good for Silence and Secret?.
At a competitive trial of skill, be
tween telegraph operators, absurdly
called a tournanent, which took place
last month, one of the most-interesting
features was a test of the capacity of a
receiving machine known as the "audi
son" a small instrument fitted to the
head of the operator, giving a sound
which, although perfectly distinct to
him. is wholly inaudible to anyone
else. It is high time that the use of a
receiving instrument of this charac
ter became general in the telegraphic
service. Under the present condition
of affairs it is almost literally true that
he who runs may read. Hundreds of
telegraphic stations in hotels, railroad
depots and other equally public places
are equipped with noisy sounders, en
abling every message that goes over
the wire, to or from that or any other
station, to be read by any person with
in hearing who is able to do so. It is a
state of affairs which calls loudly for
immediate reform. Engineering Mag
azine. Jlahojjnny Streets In 1'arl.
The layiug down of mahogany road
ways sounds almost like a dream of
oriental magnificence, but it is what
the Paris municipal council are engaged
in at the present moment. A portion
"of that almost interminable thorough
fare, the Rue Lafayette that portion
nearest to the eastern of Franca rail
way terminus has been pulled up,
and workmen are laj'ing down blocks
of real Brazilian mahogany of a pecul
iarly fine texture and color. It is con
fessedly an experiment, as the ma
hogany is 'dearer than the woods ordi
narily used for the same purpose. Ma
hogany, however, is not as dear as it
used to be. The actual cost of the new
roadway will be fifty francs a square
meter, which is considerably less than
two pounds a square j-ard. It is hoped
that the extra outlay incurred will be
more than compensated for by greater
durability. London News
Somewhat Similar.
Mr. Sinnickle had just been reading
of the marriage of a young woman
with money to man with a foreign
ancestry.
"Modern matrimony," he remarked,
"makes me think of the modern novel."
"In what respect?"'
"Its a combination of striking title,
pi It-edged binding and mighty poo
pieco of work after alL" Washington
(star.
. ?k s. M ore I can nci " ;
x'tld prices. I For purtlf..
' I 1
1
PERSONAL AND LITERARY.
Louise Chandler Moulton said to a
late interviewer: "now many books
have I written altogether? I hardly
know." The work nearest to my heart,
however, is my verse. It is the inevita
ble part that which expresses the
real me."
Mr. Ruskin does not. like bicycles.
"I not only object," he says, "but I am
prepared to .spend all my best bad lan
guage in reprobation of bi, tri, and
four, five, six or seven cycles, and every
other contrivance and invention for
superseding human feet on God's
ground."
It was Henry W. Paine, the emi
nent Boston lawyer who died the other
day, that made to a chief .justice who
interrupted his argument with the re
mark, "Mr. Paine you know that this
Is not law," the quiet repty, "it was
law until j-our honor spoke," and pro
ceeded complacently with his argu
ment. Gen. Lew Wallace is at work on a
fourth novel, the material for which he
has been quietly collecting for several
years. He has been taking life easy
since he completed "The Prince of In
dia" last summer. Gen. Wallace re
fuses to say with what age or people
he will deal in his new work, nor will
he even say when he expects to have it
finished.
Queen Victoria has reigned longer
than any other rulci in the world, hav
ing ascended the throne in 1S37. Next
to her in point of time are Emperor
Francis Joseph of Austria and Fred-ericP-,
the grand duke of Baden. Tho
youngest crowned heads are the little
queen of the Netherlands, who is thir
teen, and the king of Spain, who ia
seven and a half j'ears old.
Dr. Ludwig Behrendt, for many
years editor-in-chief of the "Berliner
Tageblatt," died in the German capital
recently. He was born in Magdeburg,
and after graduation from the univer
sity began his life-work as one of the
editors of the "Magdeburger Zeitung."
He was a writer of force and a poet
whose verse is full of feeling. His
translation of Horace is considered one
of the best in the German language.
Matthew Henry's commentary on
the Bible was written for the common
people, and in the slang of the day. In
commenting on Judges ix., he says: "We
are here told by what acts Abimeleck
got into the saddle. He hired for hi
service all the scum and scoundrels of
the country. Jotham was really a fine
gentleman. The Sechemites were the
first to kick him off. They said all the
ill they could of him in their table
talk. They drank health to his con
fusion." In 1731 Thomas Gray published, at
the modest price of sixpence per copy,
"An Elegy Wrote in a Country Church
Yard." One of these original sixpenny
pamphlets, uncut, was recently sold
for seventy-four pounds. A first edi
tion of "The Vicar of Wakefield"
fetched fifty-four pounds, and Grimm's
German Stories thirty-three pounds ten
shillings. A copy of Tennyson's poems,
issued as the joint production of the
laureate and Hallam, which it seems
probable belonged to the latter, real
ized sixteen pounds ten shillings; Cov
erdale's Bible, thirty-one pounds, and
another more imperfect ccpy twenty
pounds ten shillings; Report of the
Challenger Expedition, forty-eight
pounds; first edition of Wordsworth's
Descriptive Sketches in Verse, twenty
six pounds; two proof sheets of "St.
Roman's Well," with corrections and
additions by the author, twenty-one
pounds, and thrt original autograph ot
Burns' "Queen Mary's Lament," thirty-five
pounds ten shillings.
HUMOROUS.
Don't let the grass grow under
your feet. The cows can't get at it
there. Atlanta Constitution.
Buddy-Boy "Mamma, Bridget
called me 'the broth of a boy.' Does
she mean I've been in the soup?" Har
per's Young People.
Edith "Have you noticed how
mannish Nell is growing?" "No.
What does she do?" "Never chews up
her pencils." Inter-Ocean.
"Why did your novel fail, Pen
man?"' "Can't say, exactly; publisher
thinks it was owing to iis having a
plot and satisfactory ending." Vogue.
Collingwood "Say. Tillinghas,
didn't you tell me that Miss Elderkin
was an artist?"' Tillinghast "No; I
said she was a work of art." Detroit
Free Press.
Artist "Your portrait will be fin
ished in a few days." "Throw it away
and begin a new one. I have just been
raised to the rank of 9 baron." Flie
gende Blatter.
"The poet has left his wife and
flown with the grass widow." "So I
hear." "How do 3-011 account for that."
"There is no accounting for the flights
of genius. N. Y. Press.
Retail and Wholesale. Young
Lady "Haw much does it cost to have
a tooth t&.!ten out?" Dentist "One
florin, miss; but by the dozen, it co"es
cheaper." Da Amsterdammer.
"Oh," she cried, "if I could only see
m3-self as others see me !" "It wouldn't
do," said he. "It would make you tor
conceited." And then she smiled upon
him all the rest of the evening.
Female Friendship. Maud "The
photographer has not done -ou justi,
dear." Marie "How nice of 3ou to say
so, dearest!" Maud "No; he lias shown
more mercy than justice." Puck.
"Oh, I say, Smithers, why are gas
meters like the Arabs?" "Don't know,
Jonesy. Because every man's hand ia
against them?" "No. Because they
evidently silently steal away." N Y.
Recorder.
Dayton "I thought you gave up
swearing at New Year's." Peterson
"So I did." Dayton "What caused
yon to start again." Peterson "Writ"
ing '93 instead of '94 on my letters."--N.
Y. Herald.
Footman "Say, Jeems, what would
we do if we found a pocketbook with
120,000 that the boss had left in the car
riage?" Coachman "Do? We wouldn't
do nothing at .ll. We'd live on our
aomo.' Texat if titles
THE RECEPTION ROOM.
Effective and InexDenslva Draperies f OF
the 'Windows.
"No, I am not going to get any uew
window curtains,'' said a lady who was
noted for the daintiness of her house
decorations. "I have been looking over
my treasures, and madeamost delight
ful discovery. I found a very large
counterpane of darned net that I am
going to cut up to drape the bow-windows
in my reception room. It is a
beautiful piece of work, and by divid
ing it in half and adding a small piece
to it, I shall have an abundance of ma
terial. It is long enough to drape over
the pole and make a sort of top finish.
The drapery is edged with lace of the
same round mesh as the material, and
the curtains will require no further
trimming. Inside of these I shall put
sash curtains of fine plain net run on
brass rods. These, with the exception "j
of the Holland shades, will be all of the
decoration I want. I intend, during
my leisure moments, to make an excep
tionally pretty and elaborate set of
sash-curtains of fine net darned in
pattern to match the draperies, but as
this will be a work of time I shall put
up the plain net for the present. Cus
tom may decree what it pleases, but I,
for one, very much prefer a simple,
conservative style that I can always
keep and that is not affected by the
changes or caprices of fashion. There
are few things that more plainly indi
cate the character of the inmates of the
dwelling than the arragement and care
of the windows, and few portions of the
house are susceptible of more tasteful
handling.
"To secure the best results, it is by
no means necessary to have expensive
or elaborate window-dressing. For
many j-ears, such a thing as home-made
window-curtains were scarcely thought
of, but since the decorative spirit has
become general, and women are learn
ing how to make all sorts of really
useful and elegant draperies, much
more individuality can be assured than
when one must rely entirel3' upon tho
professional furnisher or take what
ever the stores happen to offer. Raw
materials are not expensive these days,
and there are alwa3-s odd hours and mo
ments where one can put a few stitches
into a handsome piece of work, and by
and by have something very creditable
to show for it.
"Among the most interesting under
takings in this line is that of a lady
who is making aportellein embroidery
on a foundation of silk home-spun.
Among the heirlooms in her cedar
chest were some old-time crewel em
broideries in grape leaf and vine pat
tern. The material on which these
were wrought had become almost worn
out and were put away because it was
not safe to handle them in their dilap
idated state. The home-spun was put
on a stretcher and the embroideries
were carefully basted on, appliqued
down and the old material cut away.
i New veining and an occasional stitch
through the leaves and stalks made the
attachment sufficiently close, and then
the entire pattern was satin stitched j
upon the new backing.
"As draperies for a reception-room,
they are among the most artistic of
amateur productions, and my lady has
more than once been importuned to
tell where she got such lovely curtains.
There is great pleasure in making
something with a distinctive char
acter, and only those who have
wrought with patience and skill some
of those art-embroideries out of an
cestral possessions, who know the de
light there is in having them." N. Y.
Ledger.
FORMER DRAGONS.
Resemblance of Modern Reptiles to Kx
tinct Creatures.
It must be admitted that the ptero
dactyls were somewhat dragon-like, es
pecially the larger species; for, though
most were of moderate size, not exceed
ing tha of a crow or flying fox, and
some even no larger than sparrows, yet
the largest attained a spread of wing
of more than four fathoms. These
wings, though like those of the bats in
being expansions of the skin extending
to the limbs, differed from them some
what in detail.
In the bat we have a free thumb and
four iminensel3"-lengthened fingers; in
the pterodactyl the 'fingers were free
from the wing membrane, except that
corresponding toour little finger. This
in the volant reptile was the largest
of all a long, tapering, jointed rod
of bone and the main support of the
wing, which was a long and narrow
one, something like that of a swallow
in outline. As the pterodact3-l's hind
limbs, like those of the bat, are weak
and more or less involved in the wing
membrane, it is extremely unlikel3T
that it could sit up and perch or walk
like a bird, as some have suggested; its
terrestrial or arboreal promenades,
therefore, more probably took the form
of a batlike crawl on all fours. Its
head, however, was more like a bird's
than a hat's, having a long snut,
armed with teeth, or a beak, or both,
and large eyes.
Feeding on insects, and probably
also on fish, the pterodactyls must
have borne some resemblance, when on
the wing,, to the terns, or sea swal
lows, of our own day, with their largo
heads and long, narrow wings. Wheth
er, as they wheeled and swooped over
a shoal of fish driven to the surface of
the sea by the rush of the great rep
tilian whales of the period, th?3 in
dulged in the vocal performances of
the modern sea bird, is, ot course, only
a matter for speculation. Probably
they were more gifted with voice than
our modern reptiles. Chambers' Jour
nal The uninformed would often mis
take the cheapest amber when made
up into commercial forms for the most
expensive. Many long and beautifully
clear pipe stems are made from, amber
chips, the waste product of amber carv
ing. These are melted and molded into
shapes that are seldom or never seen in
the costly-carved amber. These mold- i
ed amber articles are extremely dura- I
ble, and it is difficult to see why they .
should not be esteemed by practical J
persons as valuable as carved uuber.
SCHOOL AND CHURCH.
The Chicago Christian Endeavor so
ciety supports a day school in India.
About 00,000 crowns were realized
by the Salvation Army in Sweden aa
the result of denial week.
Japan has 11,190 Presbyterians, 10,
760 Congregationalists, 7,089 Meth
odists, 4.366 Episcopalians, 1,765 Bap
tists and 36S in other churchesr a total
of 80.000 adult Christians.
The four most prominent non-conformist
churches in all London are Mr.
Spurgeon's among the Baptists, West
minster chapel and Dr. Parker's among
the Congregationalists, and Regent
Square among the Presbyterians.
In this time of breaking records a
prominent place should be given to the
rectorship of Berlin university. The
present rector has at last been com
peted to order a new official mantle,
the one he has worn until now having
lasted one hundred and ninety-two
years.. The cost will be six hundred
dollars, but in view of the long service
of its predecessor there will scarcely
be opposition.
The city council at Atlanta, Ga.,
has elected ex-Gov- Joseph E. Brown a
member of the city board of education,
with the idea that his name shall ap
pear on the roll as long as he lives. He
is in ill-health and unable to take
active part in the management of the
schools, but it was due to his efforts
mainly that the public school system
was established in the cit3 and his
election is in greateful acknowledgment
of that fact.
Col. Albert A. Tope will soon issue
a volume containing a list of all tho
errors in school books. They number
thousands, and it is said that some of
the publishers whose books are hard
est ' hit are fighting hard to prevent
any further publication of the facts,'
fearing that their business will be in
jured. The list of errors which ha
been transmitted to one school-book
publishing house aggregates over
eleven hundred.
It is reported that the general
couneil of the university of Edinburgh
has under consideration the question
of abolishing theological faculties in
Scottish universities and confining
their function to examinations and
the granting of degrees to such out
side colleges as ma3 by special act of
parliament, be affiliated with the uni
versities. This plan has already been
approved by the sub-committee of the
general council, and if adopted it wilt
place the dissenting colleges on the
same basis of those of the established
church.
Probably the only copy extant of
the act of parliament of 1649, daring
Cromwell's reign, incorporating and
characterizing the Society for Institut
ing the Propagation of the Gospel
Among the Indians of New England,
is in the possession of the Presbyterian
board of missions, and is on exhibition
in New York. None of the persons
named in the act are known in history,
but the society did much good work in
New England, not only among the In
dians, but also among the whites. It'
is reported to have been the first mis
sionar3 society to send agents to Amer
ica. PERSIAN CLIFF DWELLERS.
The Primitive Abodes of a Race of Bar
barians. The approach to Shiraz is a succes
sion of surprises. The town, a com
pact and yellow mass of crowded
dwellings, appears to rise abruptly and
close at hand above the level plain
which we are crossing. All at once a
profound ravine opens in front of us,
and perched high up on the summit of
the 3-ellow cliffs on the other side are
the houses which we saw from the
plain. Descending steeply to the peb
bly floor of this ravine, which is an an
cient river-bed, we turn to the left and
ride along under the perpendicular
ledge. There are filthy pools
along the bottom of it, and black
slimy stains descend the rocky wait
from the rickety wooden balconies
ana projecting windows of the town
above us. If the people overhead are
dying of cholera they are surely very
quiet about it, and there is no sign of
life at any of the window's. We come
to the chapar khaneh (inn) on the
other side of the ravine. It is locked
up, and a little further on the ravine
opens on to a broad river, which we
cross by a bridge, and enter an impos
ing caravansary of the time of Shah
Abbas.
In this way we avoid entering the
town. The river is bordered on both
sides by vertical cliffs, and from the
gate of the caravansary, looking back
across the bridge, we get the most
striking view of Yezdikhast. The long
ledge on which it stands is pierced
by many caves and openings along
the top, and from a distance it is
difficult to make out just where
the town begins, where the caves be
come windows and doors. They are
accentuated in many places, by jutting
windows and crazy-looking balconies
propped by sticks, at a great height
above the stream below. This long
rock ends in a thin wedge where the
ravine on the other side enters the
river-bed. Separated at the other end
from the main range of cliffs by a spe
cies of drawbridge, it can easily be
made as inaccessible as a vulture's
nest perched on a crag, and the dark
streaks which stain the cliffs below
heighten the resemblance to a roost-ing-place
of those scavengers of the
desert. Edwin Lord Weeks, in Har
per's Magazine.
Avarice Rebuked.
It is not safe to tipan3of the waiters
in one of the most frequented restau
rants with anything less than a
quarter, as a well-dressed guest found
out one day last week.
"Here is a "dime for you." he said,
holding out a coin.
Waiter (examining tl coin ''critic
ally) Thank you, 6ir, but I hope yo
will excuse nse. t
Guest Excuse you for what?
"Excuse ine for mistaking .you for C
gentleman up to the very moment, sir,
thatj'ou gave me the beggarl.7 ten.
cents." Texas Siftings.
?UcaU odor inpeTfitcae-"Iilae tand
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