."i,,. OJS.il pismHtmeL Mir WE NEED INTELLECTUAL ATHLETES. By Prot. Woodrow Wilson. I rejoice to sec tnnnunl training recognized as pnrt of the liberal education. No one can doubt that It has played n large part In placing this country In Its present position. And America camtvit afford to overemphasize liny one feature of its education. It cannot attain Its industrial supremacy unless Its lads are taught srIII In handicraft as well as In letters. Americans must not have the narrowness, the provincialism, of being able to do only one tiling. They must be uble to turn their hands to anything; that comes into their natural workshops. There Is a lot of nonsensical talk about education. People too often ask of pome branch of education: "Is It practical? Can It bo used in business?" All educa tion Is practical. You want your boys to go Into the gymnasium to build up their muscles, but you don't ask them If they Intend to do the double trapeze with their business partners In their otllces. What we need are schools where there Is a complete system and no muscle of bdy or mind is laid Idle at the expense of another. ' THE ARISTOCRACY OF THE FUTURE. By Andrew Carnegie. These questions are always before tis: "Is man retrograding or ad vancing? Is he becoming purer, tmhler Ts lip devotlnsr more unci fraSj "tfJ i..' more of his time neneui JL ins it'iiuwa iiim uiuihiii less and less of himself? Is the i i . l. . t . 1, i I ..!.,. n. . jjT C''Vs knowledge that we with somewhat different toys?" What a man was by birth used to be the ruling consideration and is so in some countries yet, but Is constantly growing less Important ANDREW CARNEGIE. Wherever our tongue Is spoken it Is rapidly vanishing. It was displaced for another test what u man owned, and the millionaire was ennobled, for the rule of those that stood upon birth, the first test, has always been that enormous wealth should be drawn into their ranks. This alliance of birth and wealth is being displaced in HAIL TO OUR COUNTRY. Across the land from strand to strand Loud ring the bugle notes. And freedom's Binile, from isle to isle, Like freedom's banner floats. One song the nations hail the notes From sounding sea fo sea. And answer from their thrilling throats The song of liberty i They answer and an echo comes From chained and troubled Isles, And roars like ocean's thunder drums Where glad Columbia smiles. Hail to our country ! Strong she stands, Nor fears the war drum's beat; The sword of freedom in her hands. The tyrant at her feet. Frank L. Stanton. WHEN HE GOT HOME The lately acquired suit case actual ity belonging to l'urkln Jones was lying ion Its glossy, bright, yellow side, just as it had been dropped, with the niore familiar scuffed family vi.lise, between the dining table and the wall, In defi ance of all rules o f order. Turkiu ijoues' new derby hat reposed on tlu table-cloth. Parkin Jones himself was pinned In the faded morris chair wltli the comfortably broken springs by young Parkin and Lauretta, who were crumpling all shape out of his smart new suit. Baby Jones was gnaw ing at the extended tip of his patent-leather shoe, unregarded by his fond mother, who, flushed with tha glow of the recklessly flaring gas log, nt at Jones' feet with one plump hand on kfl unoccupied part of his knee. "You looked so grand coming along we hardly knew you," said Mrs. Jones, with a loving little pat on the burden ed knee. Jones smiled complacently. "Pretty swell guy, ain't 1?" he said. "Ouch! JIow many new teeth has that Infant accumulated since I've been gone? Quit It, you skeezieks! What makes him so fond of shoes, I wonder." "It's the blacking," explained young Jones. "It's got sweet in It. I tasted It." "I knowded you. papa," snld Lau retta, burrowing Into his shoulder with her curly head. "I knowded you dens ye moment I saw you." "Did yon. sweetness?" asked Jones, hugging her. "Well, tell me what's been hapo'.iing, mother." "There's three new puppies over at " began the boy. "Hush!" said his mother, raising a warning finger. "Let your father talk. My! nobody can get a word In edge ways. You've got to tell first, father. Tell us all r.bout everything." "Tell us!" begged the chorus. "f'nn't vou wait?" asked Jones. "Aren't you going to give me time to get my breath?" "No!" as the shouted reply. "Very well, theii." said Jones. "I started last Monday week, went away, away off to Pittsburg, and got safely back home five minutes ago. Now tell me about the puppies son." "There's three of them " "pes iv cute?" added Lauretta. "Children!" said Mrs. Jones. "Wult now. We'll hear all about the pup pies biter on. I want to hear what your inagnllieant father has boon doing with himself. I have my suspicious." Joiws pinched her cheek. "Tell me, dear, did everything go all right?" "Smooth as velvet," replied Jones. "There wasn't any work to It hardly. It was Just as a pleasure Jaunt regu lar Junket the whole time. Private car folng down." "What!" ejaculated Mrs. Jones. That's what I'm telling you. Why wfeat did you think? Do you suppose tnat tint reat aud only Bunnerly was our day by what a man knows, a fit successor In the march of progress, and an Infinitely higher and juster standard then birth, rank or wealth. It Is not, however, that a man knows 1 lint Is to be the final step; In the future the question Is neither to bo how a man was born, how great his wealth nor even what he knows, but. how he serves his fellow men. Hero Is the flue, the final, aristocracy' which never can be displaced not what he does for himself, but what he does for others. JIISGUIIED 1I0THER-L0VE. By Domtliy Di. I wr '"r hall like thing and everybody give way to their children women are not consciously trespassing on other people's rights. They are simply so besotted with affection that they ran not Imagine any one not enjoying being trampled upon by their dear little Dickey. Uncomfortable as this misguided mother-love makes the world for those of us who are forced to become tu willing and struggling victims to our friends' children, the chief curse descends upon the child himself, lie has been taught to be greedy, overbearing, selfish, and that he occupies the center of the stage, Hiid It takes many a hard knock from experience to teach him what a very insignificant pebble he Is on the beach. More than that, it is n hard saying, but worthy of all acceptance, that misguided mother-love ( Is nt the bottom of most of the failures. A woman's idea of love is softness and ease. Her conception of the law to prepare her children for the stern battle of life Is to protect them from any hardships as long as she can, which is as sensible as it would be to train a prize fighter by bating him loll around on silk cushions and eat chocolate creams. A mother washes and scrubs and cooks that her daughters may keep their hands soft and white, and she takes In boarders that her sons may play on football tenuis In colleges Instead of doing some sort of honest work, Hiid the net results are the trifling, use less women nad the dissipated young men that cover the earth. nnd means for the are all members goiug to travel like ordinary mortals in Just a common ordinnry Pullman? Well, I guess not. I hardly think he would hnve requested Parkin Jonos, esquire, to give him the pleasure of his company if ho hadn't teen pre pared to do the thing in the style to which the Honorable Parkin Jones bus been accustomed." Jones chuckled at this Joke, and Mrs. Jones Joined In heartily. The children went into shouts of laughter, whereat Jones and Mrs. Jones laughed the more. "Private car," resumed Jones; "pri vate cook, private porter and Burmer ly's own private vallay." "Was he nice to you?" asked Mrs. Jones, rather anxiously. "The vallay? Well, yes, considering his position. He unbended quite a lit tle." "Goose! I mean Mr. Burmerly." "Treated me like a prince. I hadn't any Idea he could be so nice. He's all right, for all that hang-you-don't-you- dare-to presuuie way he's got. Once or twice he was almost Jolly. Yes, It was 'anything you want, touch the button, and th meals we got on that trip! Whew! Game, fish, steaks three Inch es thick and say! I never knew there were such steaks. And I ate right with his imperial nibs." "I Blif.uld think you did!" said Mrs. Jones, with a flash In her pretty dark eyes. "The Idea!" "I dlfln't know but he'd give me n handout on the rear platform," said Jones, Jocularly. "Aud I met all man ner of magnates." "I'm Co glad you got that suit," mur mured Mrs. Jones. "It did happen pretty well, didn't H? Made nie feel good, too. Two bonis t'j get teady wasn't much notice, eh?" "I should think not. Then you think he liked " "I know he did. As I say, there wasn't much work to do, tnke It all round; but once or twice I had to bus tle. The old gentleman's a fiend for setting a pace, but when we got through he gave quite a successful imitat'on of a smile. . 'We cleaned that up In pretty good fcliape,' he says. 'Jones, how long hnve you been with us?' And wuon ( told him ho says, 'Hah!' and looked thoughtful. Another time he said : 'I don't seem to miss Uldgeiy nt all.' " 'Really ?" "Honest. And when we met Gib buns at Hookerburg, he introduced me as if I had been an old friend of his and begun to talk business right away. Gibbuns raised his eyebrows and sort of looked at me and iliinuerly id, 'You can talk before Mr. Jones.' You see I'm Ituriiic rly's confidential man." "You ought to have said, 'Yes, I'm paid well to be trusted S'J."i a week.' " "I know that's what I should have s;ad,' said Jones, smiling. "Hut I have a foolish streak once In a while. I just kept my head closed. But I have what Is known as a hunch." "Papa," said Jones, Junior, "thos? puppies " parkin!" said his mother. "We stopped at the Gibbuns mansion palace lu Clydale uutonioblled out there, and if you had seeu my room! Such a magnificence ! Bugs so thick and soft it was like walkiug on I don't know what Furniture! Gorgraus bathroom with silver faucets and pier glasses. Servants aud flunkies and ta ble cloths with laee edges and china "DID EVEBYTIIIXO CO AIX HIOIIT?" that soared me to death. Man came up We tall; about the unselfishness of mother love. In reality- It is the must selfish thing on earth. No mother ever slops to consider other people's rights where her children are concerned. There is probably no mother alive who doesn't think that It is an actual rtit ...... . 1 ...... II ...til. ! 1!.. l'tf'e Johnny shriek up and down the a young Comanche. In making every to know If he could help me dress. Oh, maybe I wasn't treated well! I saw Kidgely's wife. Style!" "What did she wear?" asked Mrs. Jones, looking down at her own bargain silk waist. "Don't ask me," replied Jones. "Suppose some day we had all those things," mused Mrs. Jones. "If Mr. Burmerly has taken such a fancy to you he'll give you something better now. and then What a beautiful time you must have hud!" "The darndest, most uncomfortable time I ever had in my life," said Jones. "Here, I want my old coat nnd r'ip'pers my old slippers. Get off me, you scaramouches. Mother, what have you got the cloth laid for? You don't mean to say you are going to feed me! What's for supper?" "I suppose after all tho lovely things you've been " "What's for supper?' reiterated Jones, embracing her. "It's it's Irish stew," faltered Mrs. Jones. Jonea took his hat from the table, threw It In the air and dexterously caught It. "Hooray!" he cried, "I thought of It, but I hardly dared hope for It. Now I'll have a square meal at last. Children, leave my legs a'one. Let's all go out to the kitchen nnd help mother. There's no place like home. Irish stew!" Chicago Daily News. IllKtorlc Mii Hume Sold. The historic Ship house nnd a part of the Johnson homestead on German- town avenue north of Washington lane have been sold to James J. Allen, a builder. Workmen will start to raze the once famous hostelry, which has stood for more than a century. Mr. Allen will preserve the old stone car-' lug of a ship which was built In the gable end of the house and gave the place its name. This will be presented to one of the historical societies. These properties bear marks of bul lets fired during the revolutionary war, the battle of Gerniantown having been fought there. The Johnson homestead has been In the family imsscssion since the time of William IVmi, from whom they hold the original grant. The Ship house has seen many changes of own ership, fine of the earliest owners was Captain Darien. an old skipper, who placed the carving of the ship In posl tlon. When Captain Dnrleu died the heirs sold tho place to Jacob Peters, who conducted u line of stage coaches and made this a stopping place. When Peters died the place was sold to Jas, Ford, who opened n private school there. He died and the heirs contem plated selling it for use as an insane asylum. .Vl'lie Bock I us family owned the adjoining property aud objected, so were compelled to buy the place. It was again turned Into a hotel and re mained so until the elder Bockius wus killed by a horse about sixty years ago, Mr. Allen will build sixty-eight houses on tho site. Philadelphia Led gor. l-'rovt of KroNlrd I'ualaU, '!'! rage for picture Mistal cards Is now so universal that an item from Germany concerning the prohibition of cards ornamented by the addition of mineral dust is of general interest. It is said that th scintillating materials gci into the lungs of mall handlers nnfl also cuts their lingers. In view' of the regulations adopted by tho Postal L'niou convention the circulation of po tal cards bearing scintillating material must therefore be considered us prohib- ltod. livening Wisconsin. Having broken the women of tho habit of keeping their huts on iu the theater, the reformers should go after tho young girls wliu wear such big bows of. such wldo ribbons on their heads that the man behind feels as If he Is peering over the ribbon counter at a dry goods store. Occasionally a man puts his best foot forward for the purpose of regis tering a kick. THE MAN WHO DOES THE WORK. This life is a strain and a struggle; We are born to n world of care. And of all. flic scurries and woes r.nd worries I've find a bit more than my share. It's Idle to say that it's oven. And there's no such thing as chance. Though one has trouble, another has double ; One scrapes for the other to dance. And some they whine and they whim per That's the kind Hint will never be missed. For honest labor there's always a neigh bor To lend him a helping fist. This much I have learned for lay com fort ; It's never worth while to shirk: Slow east, blow west, the world w.irs best For the man who does his work. Century. rrrp IIKKK was an assortment of widows nt Mrs. Lancy's genteel boarding house. There were widows by the dispensation of Provi dence, and widows by the dispensation of the courts. The melancholy style was represented by Mrs. Floron. tall. willowy, dieaway, always in deepest black. There was Mrs. Ford, plump and comely; Mrs. Terry, black-eyed nnd handsome; a Dakota divorce Mrs. Small dried up, elderly, cross as her own pug; Mrs. - Von Glurniu. a mountain of too solid flesh, addicted to beer, and Mrs. Mayne, stately and white-haired, with patrician features. "Broken-down Virginia aristocracy, my dear," whispered Mrs. Twitty, the gossiping widow, who was acquainted with the skeleton In everybody's closet. "Her estate has all melted away, and i mm. MARRIED QUIETLY TWO WEEKS IATIIR. she is living on the proceeds or, the last mortgage, until the little ch:t or a daughter gets a place as a teacher. Pity she Isn't handsome like her moth er; she might marry a lot of money if she was." There were plenty of people who thought Uuth Mayne more attractive than her mother. A "dainty ariel" kind of girl was Uuth, with a wondertuily sweet voice, a wild rose complexion, and a gracious manner, touched, how ever, with reserve. "A china saucer of ice cream sweet but chilly," was what Harry Todd styled her after he had tried Ills fasci nating powers upon her In vain. One day Mrs. Small fell sick. leing a disagreeable old woman, with a wheezing cough, and fearfully stingy, nobody bothered about her attack, which was sahrto be pneumonia. No body mounted to the little hall room which sha occupied because it was cheap nobody but Uuth's mamma and Ruth. Mrs. Mayne was benevolent on prin ciple. It was the duty of n lady to lm Ind, she said. She went up cO the hall room, which she seemed to fill with lier stately presence, and asked Mrs. Small if she could be of any ser Tlco to her. The sick woman answer ed sharply that she didn't want any service. She wished people wouiU let her alone. Whereupon Mrs. Mayne bowed her fine gray head and went out. Uuth was going, too; she looked back and saw the poor old civntui'o make an effort to bring a g.'ars of water to her lips anil spill half Its eon tents through the shaking of hop fever ed hafld. The girl went to the bedside, wiped tho coverlet dry with a towel and gave the old lady crushed lee with a spoon. She got no thanks, but she exiH'cted none. She moved about iu a quiet way and straightened tilings In the disordered little room. She drew down the blinds, laid a cool cloth on the patient's head and sat by the bed. Mrs. Small fell asleep something she had not done for twenty-four hours. After a while Uuth rose softly to go out. "You're In a powerful hurry to get away," said a voice from the bed. Ruth understood that Mrs. Small will ed her to stay, aud stay she did. Mrs. Small had for her doctor a-, old pract'tloner, solemn and gruff, who funl been her family physician in the days when she had u family. But th day after Uuth was self-installed as nur.ie, Dr. Crosby sent Ills yniin; pavtwr to ' look after the case iu tic De Laneey ! pension. Dr. Wilniot found Until' Mayno on her knees dre-vdng a busier . with Mrs. Small scolding ami il.tcla-lng that the girl was Just trying to hurt her. Uuth, half crying, looked as the doctor entered, ami ccught the conipruhoiidlng. sympathetic twinkle lu his eye. She smiled and they under- stood each other at once. The young doctor got into the good paces of the patient. Ho ha. I the sympathetic yet commanding manner, the strong face, the magnetic touch and the wholesome physique of the born physician. "Tell Crosby to stay and send you," aid taa blunt old woman altur his first Tlalt J I L i i Mrs. Small's Doctor l ill 3W -Y2 i j Iff w Wilniot must have delivered the mes sage, for the case was turned over to hlni thereafter. He gave It a groat deal of attention. Ho came twice a day, and he was not particular f cut his visits short. He continued to call after the old lady wns sitting up nnd had an nppettle thnt appalled the land lady. Then he found ids way to Mrs. Mayne's little parlor, and soon alt the house knew that Dr. Wilniot was Buth Mayne's leau. "So this was the secret of Mis le mure's kind nursing," said Mrs. Twit ty spitefully. "I wondered how It was she was devoting herself to a cross old woman as ioor as a churcU mouse. She was laying for the doctor." One day Mrs. Small sent for Dr. Wilniot and paid her bill. As lie was going away she asked, abruptly: "When are you nnd Huth Mayne going to lie married?" Tho young doctor blushed and said : "Not Just yet, Mrs. Small In fact, not for a long time." "Why a long time, pray? Iong en gagements are no good." "Some! lines they are a necessity," he replied. "I have Just started out in my profession. 1 must earn and save money before I marry. I would like to take my wife to n home of our own." "Humph! You are sensible there," said the old lady. "But I'll tell you how It will end. You'll get on; you've got It In yon, and you'll please the women. You'll come Into a fashion able practice; then you'll marry a rich widow or a wealthy brewer's daughter, and Uuth Mayne will bo left In the lurch." "linth Mayne will never be left by me," answered the doctor, flushing In dignantly. "We will keep faith with each other until the time when 1 can make her my wife." 'Hum! We'll see!" sniffed the old lady. "Come back to-morrow, Dr. Wll inot. and bring your stethoscope. I want you to examine my heart," she called out after him when he had step ped out and wns closing the door be hind him. "As If she had a heart!" commented Mrs. Twitty, who accidentally (?) hap IK'iied to be In the hall near Mrs. Small's door. When Dr. Wilniot came the following day, Mrs. Small had Uuth Mayne with her. She had him sit down by his Hancce ; then she took a legal looking paper from the table and addressed them. "Since you two have been Idiots enough to engage yourselves to niorry, I don't want you to be still greater foo'.s and go and stretch the engage ment out until it's In danger of break ing. Ills excuse Is he must earn a' home to tako his wife to. Well, I've got a house or two more than I need; so here's a deed to one of them a snug little house In a good neighbor hood. It's made out in your Joint names. Take It and get married at once nnd so to housekeeping. No, don't thank me; I despise thanks; and don't fix your mouths to refuse. People of sense take all that comes. Take It, and good luck go with you ! All I ask is that you'll keep your mouths shut about it. I don't want theso women i,ore to know I'm not a pauper. They'd be toadying to me Twitty and the rest and I'd have to leave." One evening, two weeks later, Uuth Mayne was married quietly In her mother's little sitting room, Mrs. Small giving away the bride. They went at onco to housekeeping In the little house, which they found neatly furnished nnd ready for occu pancy. Philadelphia Bulletin. ioll Iludona Win the liny. The flaxen-haired baby girl knelt bo side its mother on the seat of n Sixth avenue elevated car and while tho mother read an evening poK'r tho youngster flattened its noso against the window and ga.ed In silent wonder nt the houses flying by. A fireman hi uniform entered the car at 5!lth street and sut n few feet from the baby. Flaxcuhair straightway de serted the joys of tho passing show to climb on hands and knees over to the. great wonders of tho fireman's un form. As the 11 renin n put his arm around the child and began to talk baby talk to It. the grin of pleasure on his face outshone the gleam of his nockel buttons. The mother saw that the baby was iu good hands and with a smile turned again to her paper. At -ld street a fat police sergeant entered and sat between Flaxenhalr and Its mother. The child with a crow of delight Instantly deserted the fire man for the more splendid white and gold cap snd gold buttons of the -sergeant and climbed nlxiard his knee. The humble fireman sat glumly with lowered head and scowled at the floor, New York Sun. I'.uny Anauer, A Liverpool paper tells the pathetic st cry of one A., who Is comicllcd to grow n beard to ward off pneumonia nnd other Ills. The woman with whom he has fallen in love, however, declines to marry him unless he will shave. "What," asks our contemporary, "should A. iloV" Tho answer seems easy ; Keep the beard and cut the woman. rritlinolr He Mid. This was the way u native physl i Ian lu India tilled out a death cert in cite: "1 am or a mind that be died (or lost his life) for want or foodlngs or on account of starvation. Maybe also for other things for comfortables, j mid most probably lie died by drown, ! lug." Maklnic Amend. Mamma -Hero ionics your father. See how cross you ve made hlni. Now, gcj and tell liliu you're sorry. . Tommy -Say. p-.p, I'm sorry you're hi blamed cross. Philadelphia ledger, ' Wliy Slit- Took Hint : Mother Why did you accept Charlie , from among all the young ncu who ) have paid you attention? Daughter pecauso lie was the only one that had the good taste to propose. A fool can talk without knowing what he ought to say, but a wise man's si lence Is due to his knowing what he ought not to say. A prstty girl usually baa plain tall-tug. an o o Sbort Q. torles t 4 j,, . J. X it, .1, .t, rl- .t. .1. .1, .fc. ... Jul. J. fc .1. A .1, A L .ii Mi A.Tm r f I 1 l"l'T I 'I I I I 'I1 'I I I I I I TT r I T I T A Wall ttreet man onco suddenly evinced a great Interest In nautical matters, and despite his Inexperience was made the commodore of a yacht club in Maine, One day the newly fledged yachtsman shouted to an ofllcer of a certain craft: "Have you weighed anchor?" "Yes, sir." "Then," thun dered tho new commodore, "why tho deuce don't you announce the weight?" Richard Mansfield contributes an an ecdote to the old question of the san ity of Hamlet, says tho Chicago Chron icle. "One morning in the West," he said, "I met a young friend and askeil hlni where he had been the night be fore. " 'I went,' my young friend re plied, 'to see So-nndSo's Hamlet.' "'Aha. did you?' said I. 'Now, telL ine do you think Hamlet was mad?' ' " 'I certaluly do, replied he. 'There, wasn't $100 In the house.' " At a literary club In Boston one night, there wns nn encounter between a Bostonlan, professing a love of art for art's sake, and F. Marlon Crawford the novelist. In a slightly patronizing manner the Boston man asked. "Have you over aspired to write anything, Mr. Crawford, that will live after you arc gone?" "My dear, sir," replied Craw ford, with n broad smile, "my prin cipal effort Just now Is to write some thing that will enable me to live while I n in here." There was once a funeral-lu Nebras ka nnd the preacher who had been asked to deliver the eulogy was a stranger In town aud did not know the departed sister. So, after he had said all that he could, he suggested that If anybody else could sny a few words about the poor dead lady It would be well. Three or four made appropriate remarks. Then there wus a pause. t lust the old brother arose and said; "Well, If we're nil through speaking about the departed sister, I will now make a few brief remarks on the tariff." A thief broke into a millionaire's mansion early the other morning and found himself lu tho music room. Hear ing footsteps approaching, ho took refuge behlud a screen. From 8 to 0 o'clock tho eldest daughter had a sing ing lesson. From 0 to 10 o'clock the second daughter took a piano lesson. From 10 to 11 o'clock the eldest bou hud a violin lesson. From 11 to 12 o'clock the other sou had a lesson on the flute. At 12 :15 all the brothers nnd sisters assembled aud studied an ear- spllttlng piece for voice, piano, violin, and flute. The thief staggered out from behind the screen at 12:43 and falling at their feet, cried: "For heaven's Bake, have me arrested I" FREAK POTATO. Frlnhtena Farmer Who Thought It Waa a Itattleanake. "Snakes!" shouted II. E. King, of Harbor Beach, as he dropped his spade and I oat a hasty hotfoot out of bis gar deu yesterday morning. "Kuttier, sure enough!" exclaimed Harvey Bassett, 12 years old, as he hastily mounted to the roof of the woodshed. But the squirming twisting object that dropped from the older man's spade lay quietly In tho grass where It hud rolled aud showed no signs of life. About that time several neighbors, attracted by the noise, arrived on the scene, and occupying various places of vantage on the fence and side lot, be gan to pass Judgment on the queer thing that poked Its nose so thrent eningly from the edge of the lettuce patch. A scientific apiicarlng gentleman from the east, from a safe distance, predict ed it was a snail he had seeu many of them before of such size but he modestly retired when asked to inves tigate. A westerner was sure It was a rat tler. "See." said he, "It is all curled up ready to strike I know 'em." "Will you kill It for us, please?" usked a fair maid with plaintive voice, "Er r, sure, with pleasure urn but you see, I must go to town at once," and ho decamped lu a hurry to tho fence and paused a moment. After an hour n youth, braver than the rest, volunteered to kill tho "bcost." Approaching cautiously with a rake he struck the intruder a violent blow and then with a stilled laugh turned It over with a stick. "What is It?" whispered tho maid. "Potato!" chirped the youngster. "rotator ecuoeu an in cnoriis as they gathered uround. And it was a potato, sure enough one of the most ieeullar potatoes ever seen nnd a very freakish one but still a potato. The twisting object circling around It Is a heavy wire spring about un eighth of an Inch thick. Evidently the seed sprouted between one of the spirals of the spring which lay upright In the ground, and as the lHitato grew it followed the wire around. A remarkable feature of the freal , Is the pressure wlilcli It exerted on the spring on I he second turn strong man cannot pull the spring out of shape, but the potato forced tills part an Inch out of place. Tho entire hislory of Its growth I recorded ou file spring, which nIiow by tho force exerted on tt wuich way the potato grew and where It started. The foliage reached the surface of the ground through the ti p part of the spring. Detroit I-'ree Press. Gray Kurorlartl by "t'.Wigy," A small pamphlet, sojd originally at 12 cents, brought $.'0 recently lu Lon don. It wus a first edition of the "Elegy Written lu a Country Church yard." Gray was utterly bewildered by tho suceasa which attended the publication of lils "Elegy." It ran through four editions In two months, and six ot'ie" editions siteodily followed. Kre the poem was ten years old It had been reprinted in' several evic tions of verse. In numerous magazines' and twice translated Into Latin. All tills amazed the author beyond measure, and when the Scottish poet Benttle sought his permission to pre pare an edition for Lie northern king dom he, In giving his consent, warned his admirer of the risk the publisher would take, for a Lo.ndon bookseller had "glutted the town" with two edi tions of 1,500 nnd 750 copies. Beattle ond the Scottish publisher went their way, however, and the edi tion sold so quickly that Gray was em barrassed by an offer of a present of books In recompense for his cejiscnt. "I cannot figure to myself," he wrote, "' ow It can be worth his while to offer me such a present." lie never accepted nny cash paynier. for his poems. He held It was be neath his dignity as a gentleman to bar ter his writings for money, nud, o" course, the publishers were glad t' oblige li tin by respecting such a con venient scruple. To one of those pub lishers Dodsley this mennt a cm:-. fortable profit of ?.",ni)0 from the Elegy" alone. Tho Bookman. A TABLE OF KHASTTEES. She had visited for the first timo thy home of the merry-eyed Irishman who did odd Jobs at her place. As she was leaving sho tripped over a baby, nnd recovered her balance by clutching a boy's shoulder, while two little girls bumped heads over tho privilege of re storing a fallen glove. "How many children have you, Den nis?" sho asked, laughing. ' "Not so many as ye'dl think, ma'am." answered Dennis, niohgetically. " 'Tis tho scrambling and tumbling of thini desayes the eye. There's no more nv thlm than oncet nromul the table and little felly or so left over atlng on the durestep." "But how ninny Is that?" she persist ed. Dennis smiled a wide, cheerful smile. "Slvln, Is It? No. I'm thinking It's Ilivln. No, It can't lie Illvin, becauso It's short we are ylt of the Wlddy Ma- honey's number, nnd that's Illvin, ac cording to the brag of her. Well, may- bo 'tis nine, but nnnyways 'tis onctt around the table and two on the dnre stcp." "That's a hew way to reckon," said tho visitor. By no manes, ma'aui," asserted Den nis. '"Twns me grandmother's befure me. Me grandmother . hud twliity-one children befure she died, aud knpe the count av thlm all ns they came along, and which was dead nnd which living and which wuz Immigrated she niyer cud do it, small blame to her, .nor me grandfather, ayther. So they tuk to counting by tnblefuls. 'Twaa but a rltnnant of the family and rale lone-sonie-llke they felt thhuselves with on'y oncet around ; oncet wld a stool or two exthra and the small chlldher In laps was betther; twleet around was fuir; and wld three full settings and clear ings, me grandmother wild . sum He acrost the taypot, and then sigh and say considering-like: "If on'y thlm that's In Anieriky was wld us the day. It's a foine family I'd be having to satisfy mo ould eyes. Ah. well, sorra an empty seat may there bo In hlvln !' "Sho wns n foine woman, mo grand. mother ; but I can't consnte niesllf she'd think me little family here niiiiythlng to brag of till we can reckon oursllve beyant oncet around." Youth's Com panion. WHAT'S IN A NAME? Man)' Xauici Preserved to I'onterlly by Trivial Clrcumatancea. Many names, Illustrious and other wise, liovo lieen rescued from oblivion by comparatively trivial circumstances. Tho story goes that Brougham, o; being rallied by tho Iron Duke as 'u man whoso name would go down to posterity ns a great lawyer, states man, etc., but who would nevertheless be best known by tho name of tho carriage that had been christened af ter hi m, retorted that the duke's name would no doubt lie handed down to pos terity ns that of-a great general and tho hero of a hundred battles, but tla.it he would be best remembered by a par ticular kind of boot named after hlni. The cobbler who, after the Welling ton boot appeared, seized upon the idea of placing ii Blucher boot upon the market, made a large fortune I here from. Sailors will never let die Admiral Vernon's nickname of "(lid Grog", (so called by reason of tho breeches, he wore, made of grogham, a mixture of silk and mohair), the name given by them to the rum that he ordered to be diluted witli water. The name of au- other drink negus has survived from the time of Queen Anne, when It was the favorite of one Col. Negus. More common thun either, however, is the name "sandwich," in memory of Lord Sandwich, who invented it as a means of taking a hasty lunch while engaged lu his duties at tlio admiralty oil Ice. Certain towns and districts, too, such as Xeres, Oporto, Champagne and Burgundy, are probably best known through .the productions named after them ; In fact, the two latter pro vinces ceased to exist after the sub stitutions of departments for the old provinces before the days f the French, revolution. Cayenne is undoubtedly known better outside Franco for tho pepper It produces than for being a locality to which French convicts are transported ; while the town of Cognac, In France, owes its celebrity solely to the brandy disillled from its grapes. I'rmliilur AlucaKles. "Yes, dear. I was married last mouth. I'd like you to cull on me aud see the pretty little flat 1 have." "I've seen hliu, my dear!" Life.. Look ou tho bright side : If a woman. Is a poor cook, they are not bothered much at her bouse with people who come to stay to meals. When you do Just exactly what you want, (lout deuiaud credit for doing It'