Dakota County Herald
BAKOTA
JOKK
Fay as you go, but try U nonj'h
lo get back on.
Somehow, the majority of our food
habits never get found ont
111
Oan. you name the seven candidates
tor Vice President without going to the
tiewspaper flies?
Nine thousand tailors go on strike
n New York, thereby adding 1,000 men
lo the army of the unemployed.
When a girl Is not sure whether she
trM a fellow or not It means that
there Is another one hoveringJnear.
Nothing has been heard lately con
cerning Mrs, Hetty Green. Tho proba
blllty la that she has gone to saving
her money aguln.
Few sea serpents have been seen this
rear. This may be due to the prohibi
tion movement which has been spread
Ing across the land.
Caruso says he Is glad his wifo has
loped, as she was not "up to expecta
tic." He Is evidently n convert to
the trial marriage Idea.
Add highly" technical decisions to
technical statutes, and the woy of the
transgressor becomes a path or pleas
antness and comfort.
It Is Idle talk of coming trouble be
twecn England and Oermnny. Don'
King Edward and the kaiser kiss each
ether whenever they meet?
f!ntro res-rets that there are not
tnore nations to quarrel with. Tba
flay ta dull which does not bring hlin u
hew complication with the powers.
The rule forbidding tourists In tho
Yellowstone Park the right to carry
Weapons ought to be broudened and ex
tended a that It shall apply to baud
Its.
Mrs. Jack Gardner surely la old
anough to know that the makers of
rare old tapestries In this country
ahould bo protected from tho ruinous
competition of old world artisans.
Richard Harding Davis bus started
Campaign to keep waste paper from
Uttering UD the streets. Which show
that some authors, at least, have
proper sense of their responsibility to
the public.
"A London shop girl crossed the Atlan
tic, remained in New York thirty nilu-
fctes and then hurried back to London.
Probably alio did not like to keep the
Customer waiting any longer for the
Chang.
A New York waiter has refused a
liberal tip on the ground that he did
not need the money. Ills fellow wait
ers threaten to expel him from his local
tor unethical conduct He might have
given the money to charity or started a
fund for an old waiters' home.
"Vodka" bottles in Russia carry tho
Imperial eagle on, the labels the "vod
ka" trade is a government monopoly
hut a commission of the Duma, ap
pointed to consider the drink evil, has
lately recommended that the eagle be
removed from the label, and a skull
and crossbones bo put In its place, with
appropriate warnings against the use
Gt the poison.
Israel Zangwlll, the British novelist,
has added a novel problem to the wom
an suffrage question. Mrs. Humphrey
Ward opposes votes for women. Mr.
Zangwlll finds that the reason for this
Is that as a novelist she has discovered
and analyzed tho weakness of her sex,
and be replies that as a male novelist
be has learned the "boundless vanity,
aclAshness, and hysterical emotional
ism'' of men. Ho concludes that his sex
is utterly unfitted to be trusted with
power. A question Is raised here which
readers of novels may answer for them
selves. Do male writers Idenli.o wom
an, and do women Octlonlsts Idealize
tuen? Did not Thackeray exismnd the
vanity of woman us well as worship his
saints in musllu? And did not George
Eliot make Maggie Tulllvcr .more of a
hero than Tom?
From tho days of Herodotus and
Marco Polo, travel has been recognized
as an educative and civilizing expert
ence. A year on the Coutlneut of Eu
rope is considered the 'beBt possible
"finishing" course for English and
American youth whose parents can af
ford it; but It Is not so commonly per
ceived that a great and valuable ad
vance is steadily going on in this coun
try by virtue of the Interchange of vis
Itors between North, ami South and
Cast and West. It Is a commonplace
that the United states presents greut
diversity of climate, and that It has
been peopled from many different uu
tJons, of widely varying habits of life
and thought. Such a diversity of ele
ments united in one national entity
would be a great source of weukness
were It uot for the Constant travel for
which Americans are noted. Much of
this is due to the annual conventions
of national organizations. The Chris
tian Endeavor Society, the National
Educational Association, the Grand
Army, and many other bodies meet once
a year, eucu time in a new place; and
special railroad rates Induce large uuiu
hers to visit cities which they might
otherwise never see. The local pride of
those who act as hosts Insures a full
appreciation of whatever Is of Interest
In the surroundings ; and the Inter
change of hospitality draws pecvle from
vue ainereut sections more closely to
gether, and gives them an opjiortuntry
to broadeu their outlook and get new
points of view. In a siuaKer was, bun
dreds of I rude associations and frater
nal orders are do'ug the sane thing for
their members. Tin iiifiuet.ee of It la
probably greater t'lan sny one can see.
It has demoi s.raieil the fact thut hos-
jplUltty is uot the exclusive possession
of any one section ; that cominuume
which differ widely In their vlewa on
many matters may each have good r.-
sons for the faith that Is In thinyt and
In the end It will greatly help to form
arid foster a feeling of uatlc& volldar
!tf. Kven the gnlu In tnfA gsA.eraphl-
el knowledge-Is sometfxtefc. "I have
seen wonderful crops -A corn atirft wheat
In my country," A a recent Western
v'sltorto the New England roast, "hut
this Is the nrst time I have ever seen
rocks growing out of the watwr."
According to a New York literary
Journal, a leading American publisher
who has always had a fulr numlier of
first-rate and successful novels on his
lists of new books has thin year decided
to exclude Action altogether from his
plans for the coming season. He holds
that as an art fiction ts nearlng ex
huustioti and death, and that not only
the discriminating public but the no-r
ellsts themselves are conscious of tlil
remarkable " fact. The uubllsuer Is
quoted as saying that the trouble Is not,
as some have thought, with the mate
rial available. Life Is rich and full of
possible plots, and, as a matter of fait,
novelists never had ns much to say at
they hnvo Just now. Only, "they &a
never said It so dully" and Irmrtlsflcal
ly, .and, therefore, readers will weary
of sociological treatises In the form of
novels, of psychological analysis, of
clinical realism and minute description,
and give up tho modern novel entirely,
In other words, fiction as an "art form"
Is In a decadent state and doomed to
extinction. This agrees with an equally
gloomy and srml-phllosophlcal, "orolu
tional" view -jihlch a French critic put
forward soiee time ago. No art form,
he said, was permanent. The essay Is
practically dead, although futile at
tempts are occasionally made to revive
It ; the BomiHt Is dead ; the poetic drama
Is dead. What reason Is there, then,
for nrsumlng tliut Action Is eternal?
Tor his own part, ho did not hesitate
to predict Its early disapicarance. He
contends that method, restraint, form,
lieanty, respect for tradition have ten
discarded by the novelists, and that
their work, with few exceptions, la cha
otic and nondescript, containing a little
of everything but hardly anything that
can be called art In such pessimistic
and sweeping talk much depends on the
definition of "art" or "form." We have
heard that modem music Is not art,
and It Is not strange to hear that polit
ical, social, psychological, analytical
novels are not "art." Hut Is not the
conception of Action, of art In Action,
undergoing a change? Was not Shake
speare -culled a barbarian by the strict
artists of his day? Was not Ibsen told
that his poetry was not rcnlly poetry?
If novelists claim grenter freedom, are
they not Justified by tho world's Inter
est In their treatment of the questions
that earlier novelists considered alien
t6 art? As to the alleged dullness of
modern Action, what will tho admirers
of Mrs, Ward, of Mrs. Wharton, of
James, of Howclls, of Conrad, of Hew
lett, of Miss filnclulr, of a score of oth
ers, say of the change? Tho general
reader finds plenty of charm, of inter
est, of stimulation In tho higher brunch
cs of contemporary, flctlou, and is not
he tho cmirt of Inst resort? It Is
safe guess that a generation hence lie
tlon will be as vital and popular as it
uow is which Is saying a good deal.
SounA Theory,
"In choosing a boarding house," re
marked the drug store philosopher, "al
ways go where there are a. couple of
Mg dogs."
"Because baying flops are eonduelv
to sleep, I suppose?" asked the argu
mentative man, squaring around.
"No," replied the philosopher, "W
ten: Dogs must bo fed and they are
always willing. Scraps and left-over
bits are their long suit. Hut where
there are no dogs left-over bits accumu
late. Is the thrifty landlady goliu
throw them away or Is there going to
be hash?"
It seemed to be a clincher, but the
argumentative man had a say coining.
"Whoever heard of a boarding house
where there were a couple of big dog?
he demanded. "And, anyway, hash Is
good stuff." Kausns City Times.
Tha Rum and the Stole,
Little Dick, the village "bad boy,
was wading through a shallow swamp
catching frogs with a small landing net.
Itwus slowwork.for the frogs were nim
ble and exceedingly shy, but whenever
he succeeded lu capturing one he made
sure that It did not got away by put
ting it In a tin bucket that had u per
forated lid. He had Just caught a lino
specimen and transferred it to Ills buck
et, when a young lady, who was out for
u walk, happened along.
"Little boy," she said, "don't you
know it's cruel to catch those poor 111 tie
f rogg!e's ?"
Dick straightened tip and looked at
her. She wore a gorgeous "creatlou" on
her head, and, something In Its trim
mings attracted his attention.
"I wunt Vm to wear on my lmt," ho
said.
Jam I. lb th Mich Folks.
"Marshall Field, Juy Gould and Pot
ter Puluicr habitually curried onlv
smalt amounts in their jackets," said
the man who has n taste for the odd.
"Well," responded his friend, "when
I am gone you can truthfully say the
same about me." Washington Herald.
Tua Leaner Kvll.
"Of course," the tragedian was say.
lug. "In the theatrical business a short
run is bad "
"But," Interrupted the critic, "a good
long wulk is worse, Isu't It?" Ex
change. The Helort Courteous.
Miss Homely ills conversation was
so ridiculous I could hurdiy keep my
countenance.
Miss Flip Why did you want to?
Baltimore American.
One Uood Tara Deserves Another,
"He Is a most persistent wooer; be
turns up at her house every evening."
"Yes. and as often as he turns up she
turns him down." Houston Post.
You may think you hi re a great
many friends; how many aould stick
to you, and euro for fy, If you bad
smallpox? One? . " .
Old Favorites &
4
Casablanca.
The boy stood on the burning deck,
Whence all but him bad fled ;
The flame that lit the battle's wreck
Shone round him o'er the dead.
Yet beautiful and bright he stood,
As born to rule the storm;
A creature of heroic blood
A proud though childlike form.
The Omnn rolled on; he would not go
Without his father's word;
That father, faint, in death below,
His voice no longer heard.
He called aloud, "Pay, father, say,
"If I may yet be gone'."
He knew not that the chieftain lay
Unconscious of bis son.
"Speak, father !" once agnln he cried,
"If I may yet be gone!"
And but the booming shots replied,
And fast the flames rolled on.
t'pon his brow he felt their breath,
And in his waving hair,
And looked from that lone post of death
In still, yet brave despair;
And shouted but once more aloud,
"My father! must I stay?"
While o'er him fnst through sail an
shroud
The wreathing fires made way.
They wrapt the ship In splendor wild,
They caught the flag on high ;
And streamed above the gallant child
Like banners in the sky.
There came a burst of thunder sound; '
The boy. Oh, where was he?
Aak of the winds that far around
With fragments strewed the sea.
With shroud and mast and pennon fail)
That well had borne their part
But the noblest thing that perished theri
Was that young, faithful heart.
Felicia Ilcmani.
Seven Time Four.
Helgh-ho 1 daisies and buttercups.
Fair yellow daffodils, stately and tall !
When the wind wakes how they rock In
the grasses,
And dance with the cuckoo-bird slender
and small I
ners's tWo bonny boys, and here's moth
er's own lasses,
Eager to gather them all.
Ilelgh-hol daisies and buttercups!
Mother shall thread them a daisy chain ;
Sing them a song of the pretty hedge-
sparrow,
That loved her brown little ones, loved
them full fain ;
Sing, "Heart, thou art wide, though tho
house be but narrow"
Sing oifce, and sing it again.
Heigh-ho! daisies and buttercups,
Sweet wagging cowslips, they bend and
they bow ;
A ship sails afar over warm ocean waters,
And haply one musing doth stand at
her prow.
O, bonny brown sons, and O, sweet little
. daughters,
Maybe he thinks on you now 1
Heigh-ho I daisies and buttercups,
Fair yellow daffodils, stately and tall
A sunshiny world full of laughter and
leisure,
And fresh hearts unconscious of sorrow
and thrall !
Send down on their pleasure smiles pass
ing its measure,
God that la over us all I
Jean Ingclow.
STAGE MASCOTS AUD JONAHS.
Actress Chat o( the Superstitions
and Fancies of lies Guild,
"There are ieople who will tell you
that superstition is dead and that in
jheso innter-of-fact days there is neither
froom nor time to pay heed to the
ktrange fancies and beliefs so commonly
held many years ago," says Grace
peorge.
"To a certnln extent, perhaps, this Is
true, though I am Inclined to think,
the same, that na far as actresses
nd actors are concerned superstition
(s still very much alive und is thriv
ing uncommonly well, too. Indeed, 'first
bight' superstitions on tho stage :ire
plentiful. The strangest one came uu-
Ber my notice last year In a certain
Play In which I was starring. A few
jnlnutea before the Vail' I happened to
be standing in the wings, wbeu 1 ta
bled tho leading man engaged in tear
bug small pieces off a corner of the
iceuerjv wearing uie wnne an air .is
If to say, 'I am doing a good day's
h-ork.'
" Thnt Is Miner an expensive sort of
linusextent to the management, Isn't
t?' I said, as I saw scenery which had
f luken weeks to paint being mutilated.
"'Expensive to the management? No,
I'm doing them n real good turn, re
plied the nctor, 'for there Is no more In
fallible .way In the world of making a
Piece an out-and-out success than by
touching up the scenery. In this way-
believe uie, I know.' Whether this mu
Minting process had anything to d
with It, I would not like to nay, but
the piece was a big success." Denver
Republican.
MniniiaLtim.
The earliest maps of which we havi
any knowledge were made In Egpt,
Jliey were wooden tablets. 011 which
were traced land and sea. roads, rivers,
pignways, etc. .Murintis or Tyre, ivi
A- D., was the A ixl to attempt u limp
nn scientific principles. The maps in
Use by the Greeks and Romans were
fulrly accurate, so far as they went, but
iii'sv 111 uw uuring me middle ages
were alarmingly Inaccurate, it Is onlv
within recent years, say since the mid
die of tho last ceutury, that It wus tx.s-
slble to make a complete and reliable
map of the world, and even yet the best
map la subject to slight changes.
New York American.
I.ooblaa; for Work.
"Why don't you go to work, Instead
of begging and boozing?"
"I will, boss, as soon as there's an
opeulnMu my trade. An' I ain't got
long to wait now, nuttier."
"What is your trade?"
"I'm a trackwalker for aeroplane
lines."
If you wait until you are called you
may be too late for breakfast.
The grocer stopped half way lu tying
up a package to wle bis streaming
brow. "If there was only a breath of
air stirring I could make out to stand
it," he Mid. "This Is fierce."
"You ought to have been around here
11 the early days," remarked the old-
st . resident. "This ain't nothln
nothlu' to speak of. I ain't what you
might call felt the heat this summer."
That must be a pleasant thought to
rou as yon are appronchln' your end,"
observed the grocer. "If you don't feel
this you won't feel anything. You re
mind me of a piece that I read In tht
aper about a feller that died out in
Arlzony. He", got used to the climate
there an' "
"I remember my father readlu' thnt
piece when I was a little tad, knee high
to a goHlIn'," said the oldest resident.
"I don't call this hot, anyway. I've
lowed where Buckmeier's store is when
It was a sight hotter than this."
"1 s'pose you built you a fire out o
brush to thaw out the ends of your
lingers," said the grocer, sarcastically.
I nln't fool In'," said the oldest resi
lient, with offended dignity. "You may
think that nln't so, but It is. A day
Ike this we wouldn't have thought
lothln' of. Not at. this time o' the
year.
"If It had come to 02 In the shado
along Christmas or New Year's you'd
rob ly have noticed It," said the
groecr.
'Along about Christmas or New
Year's it wns cold," said the oldest
resident. "When I first come to thU
country It wns hot in the summer an'
cold In the winter. We had snow thut
'ud cover the' tops of the fences tin'
pack down hard so's you could sleigh
ride over it. Tliere'd lie a crust six
Inches thick on the drifts. There wns
lots of times that, we'd wake up lu the
morulu' an have to tunnel out to the
bam to feed the stock gopher right
through. You don't get no such snows
as that now."
"I wish we could get one now'," said
the grocer.
"I've et my breakfast with my mit
tens on the many a time," said the old
est resident, defiantly. "I've set up to
the table with my cap pulled down over
my cars. No, It nln't ns hot In the sum
mer nor as cold lu the winter ns it used
to be."
"How about the rain?" asked the gro
cer. "Is the rain as wet as what It
was?"
"We hud more rain, too," declared the
oldest resident. "It rained harder an'
oftener. I've rowed a skiff all around
where these streets are in the spring.
I had a skiff I built out vt some planks
that was sawed by hand. What have
you got to say about that?"
"Nothln'," replied tho grocer. "You're
an old man an' a customer o' mine."
"You don't believe that It got any
hotter than this," said tho oldest resi
dent. "I know what's the matter with
you. If you'd been here In the summer
o '03 or '04 you'd have said it was hot
There wouldn't hnve been no mlstnke
about it."
"I may bo Imagining this, o' course,'
admitted the grocer. "What makes It
seem more real, though, Is the way that
there thermometer Is reglsterln' an' the
way I'm a drlppln' with sweat.
s'pose you're right, though. All these
bulldln's around here shuts off the hot
air that you used to get. You didn't
hnve nothln' to protect you In tho early
flay."
"I haven't got it flggcred out why, but
It's so," persisted the oldest resident.
"It's funny," said the grocer. '"I
guess It will keep a-goin' on this way
gettln' colder In the summer an'-warmer
In the winter until we won't get 110
kind o' weather at nil the year 'round,
not to speak of It gettln' colder In the
winter au' warmer lir the summer back
In '03 or '04 all the time."
"You Jest don't believe me," said the
oldest resident. "That's all there Is tJ
It." Chicago Dally News.
Ills Only Il-iiuree.
It used to be the rule lu tho navj
that officers wore required to defray
traveling expenses out of their own
funds, and iuon reporting at the new
station they were reimbursed from tho
United States treasury after the usual
delay Incident to "red tape." Unless
ofllcers had money put by It proved ex
tremely embarrassing to have to meet
the exiK'iises of a long Journey. Naval
ofllcers tell of an Incident that occurred
some years ago, when n notably Im
pecunious ofiiccr on duty In New York
received orders to proceed to Sitka to
Join 41110 of tho ships of the Hering sen
patrol squadron. The oflleer, who had
no ready money and could not persuade
any of his friend to make him a loan,
wrote a long letter to the Secretary ot
the Navy, asking to be relieved of his
orders ov to be furnished with money
to defray his traveling expenses. The
Secretary saw lu the letter an attempt
to get out of unpleasant duty, and a
peremptory telegram ordced the officer
to proceed nt onee. Ho obeyed, first tel
egraphing as follows:
"Have proceeded In jJicdlcuce to or
ders on foot. Next address, Harris
burg." Needliss to s:y. upon Ills arrival in
Iliirrlsliurg he found a telegram au
tlmrllrg bini to draw travel money Is
advance. I. Ipplneotf Magazine.
The Allotment ot Ileneais,
"You believe in the greatest good fol
the greatest iiuiuIkt, do you not?" said
the altruist.
"Yefi," answered Mr. Dust In Stax.
"But this Is a mercenary age. The
greatest number doesn't count unless
It has a dollar mark in front of It."
Washington Star.
Jilted.
She Jilted him but tie could not
Forget her ; 110 poor man ;
The gifts he'd made her ho bad bought
Oa the iufctullmcui plan.
Itostou Transcript.
People make fun of parades, but we
not lee everyone drops bis work aud
runs to the door when one goes past
A girl seldom maps out a career until
iter she has been disappointed in lov
MORITCTa
There are passion flowers for plucking, with the nails and thorny cross.
There are paiistes golden-hearted, there are asphodels and gorse,
And the roses droop and lieckon, sweet ns sur.slilne after rain,
Lut the early inoriilng-glnrio. can they bloom for 11s again?
Wc have sought for wealth ond honor, we have piled our trophies blgb,
Dust and ashes, gems and laurels, but we pass unheeding by.
All along the weary highway, aud upon tho wind-swept shore,
We are seeking morning-glories; will they bloom for us no more?
Oh, above tho gracious hilltops and lieyond the noon's red glare,
Where the river smiles Its welcome- In the yulet evening sir,
On the brows of loved and saluted, In the music of their strain,
O ye purple morning glories ; ye shall bloom for us again.
' '
After the Battle
yg-gz::
The hent and passion and strife of
the day had passed and now the cool,
gray twilight was creeping down the
Maryland hills and across the meadows,
n tallied and scarred with bnttle. Along
the river the night-birds were already
beginning to call lu soft, plaintive notes
to one another; the wind sighed wear
ily among the reeds and tall sedge
grasses. .
Yet, mdder to hear than wind or bird,
were- the moans of the wounded who.n
thnt last wild charge had left behind ;
sadder even to see than the still white
frees of the dead, were their pain-darkened
eyes lifted in mute appeal to Ihe
sky while they waited with keen ;mg
ulh 0 mind and body for tho sunrise
of this world or the dawning of the
next
The young pprlng moon hung low In
the west, where the Inst faint crimson
glow was paling nnd one who watched
her thought wistfully that even so she
must hang above the pi tie-clad mount
ains of his beloved Vermont.
He was only a boy. Something of
the trusting innocence of his childish
years still lingered in his eyes . and
about his pale young mouth. But the
look of Joyous freedom that should have
been there too was lacking. Instead
were great , weariness and pain and
longing.
Only a boy, aud this his first battle.
Thnt morning as they lny waiting In
the trenches; every faculty alert, life
had 6cemed so good, so desirable a
"HIS SISTER'S GAY LAUGH RINGS IN HIS EARS."
thing for those who were young and
brave and strong. He bad watched
their colonel ride up nnd down and
thought that some day he, too, might
sit a horse nnd wear a gleaming gold
eagle upon his shoulder and
now it wns twilight and the battle wns
fought and won and he was lying here
on the damp, cool sod with n ragged
hole in his breast, from which the
Warm blood trickling down had stained
his blue cont darkly with crimson.
The gray-haired colonel hud fallen with
a word of command on his Hps. Many
a cheek had 1 tiled as he went down
and for an instant the whole icliiicot
faltered visibly. Then on o.i 113 one
mnn, straight against the solid wall of
gray. How they fought! Like gods
rather than men. The boy felt a slight
stir along his feeble pulses at the re
membrance. At first the enemy had
stood Immovable, sternly resisting.'
Then little by little they fell back,
every; Inch of ground yielded a forced
accession, until, wavering, uncertain,
they broke Into confusion nnd victory
was agnlu la the hands of the north.
But, ah, the hiss of the bullets, the
sullen growl of the cannon belching
forth fire and smoke and destruction,
the loud shouts of conimund, the shrill,
frightened neigh of the horses, the
groans of the smitten, aud above all the
thin, clear notes of the bugle lifting
themselves out of the confusion of
sounds one moment to be keenly alive
to all this, the next to fall in the midst
of sudden, rushing, overwhelming
darkness with a bullet in one's breast!
as
A single star came out beside the
moon a tiny point of light that
trembled timidly against the opalescent
west So still was it that one could
hear the waters of the river lapping
lastly agalnBt the stones. The boy
moistened his parched Hps with his
feverish tongue. Then he felt about
for bis canteen, found it aud lifted It
feebly. It was empty and yet It had
never before been so heavy to his band.
He let It fall despairingly and closed
his ayes to keep the quick hot tears
from escaping down bis cheeks.
-G LORIES.
"Watah, massa watah?"
He looked up. Standing beside him
was the wretchedly-clad figure of an
old negro bending under the weight of
a back-load of canteens. Ills Jaws
were toothless, his gray wool protrud
ed In tufts through the ragged crown
of bis hat, he mumbled when he spoke
and his eyes rolled frightfully, but to
the wounded boy he looked a very angel
of mercy.
"Yes," he said faintly.
The old man stooped with difficulty,
lifted the canteen and swung it upon
his shoulders.
"Wait," the. boy whispered, "I will
pay you."
He drew forth n little worn morocco
purse and tried to open it, but it slip
ped from his fingers. The old man un
fastened the simple clasp. Within were
a folded paper or two, scraps of home
letters maybe, a lock of .silken brown
hair lightly sprinkled with gray and a
single gold dollar.- The boy put the
money into the negro's reluctant hnnd.
"Take it," he said, "and bring the
water soon oh, very soon."
The old man shambled awkwardly
away and the boy dropped his hend to
one side and closed his eyes.
Deep purple shadows began to drift
across the battlefield. The line of woods
beyond the river became little more
than a dark blur upon the landscape.
Another star came out, another and an
other still until the sky was all a-trem-
ble with them. The boy stirred In his
slumber, moaned and awoke.
In the distance a shadow seemed to
detach itself from tho other shadows,
to move forward, to become a distinct
shape. - And presently one could discern
the rude outline of a human figure
bowed beneath a heavy burden. Near
er and nearer it came, and now there
could bo no mistake. It was the old
negro with his bnckload of canteens.
-' The boy waved his hand and tried to
shout. It seemed an eternity before the
old man saw him nnd hurried forward.
"Dat you, Massa?" he mumbled. "I'sa
been a-lookln' fo' yo '. Tears lak 1
couldn' des' recomeinber which uns wuz
yo', eunyhow. Ileah's yo' watah." He
fumbled among the canteens and Dually
lowered one. The boy drank eagerly,
and while he was yet drinking the ne
gro moved on.
And now the star shine was the only
light on the battle field. The sweet
spring night had settled noiselessly
down and the wind blowing lightly
across the water brought faint, cool, de
licious odors from the fresh meadows
beyond. The boy lay with face up
turned to the sky, across which the
milky way trailed its filmy length. He
had been trying to count the stars one
by one, but the effort hud made him
drowsy, aud he now lay In a gentle lan
guor thnt wh neither sleeping uor
waking.
The day, with its exciting scenes,
had faded from his mind. He saw
only the rugged mountains of Vermont,
and the pretty white village nestling in
the valley through which the wild little
river hurried ou Its way to the sea.
Always splashing, foaming, bubbling,
and yet Mia boys knew of many a good
swimming hole along Its banks In the
shadow of the overhanging willows.
And the long quiet street where the old
men and children gathered in the cool
of the day, and tht brown school house
with Its rosy-cbeeked mistress and
flock af unruly lads and lasses. The
long woods? desks were covsred with
names rudely carved by penknives U
1
restless hands. Ills name was there
And the church with Its dim, cool In-,
terlor, and the leaf shadows which tba.
maples cast through the blinds upon Uie
floor ; aud his mother's house, with the
orchard and well sweep, nnd his mother
herself with her pure, pale face and
silken brown hair lightly sprinkled with!
gray. Toor mother, how lonely sha,
must he to-night without her boy I Ha
could see her as of old sitting in her
little low 'hair, with the shaded lamp
upon t hle beside her nnd the Blbla
open k ur lap. And Edith, his bright,
tall sister, whom he had always thought
more beautiful than anyone he bad evef
seen, she would be kneeling at tbe wln,
dow with her folded arms upon tht
low, broad sill and her head upon her
arms, gazing out into the night and
thinking of him. Now the years swing
suddenly backward, and he was a llttia
child again at home. The late north
eru springtime filled all the river val
ley and the orchards were lad?n with
fragrant bloom. Under the great appla
tree by tbe old well sweep he was be
ing swung by Edith. How delicious it
all was the sweet, liquid sunshine, tba
perfume of the apple blossoms, tha.
weightless white petals drifting dowai
upon his head, the free, swift tpotlokv
of the swing, aud his tall, strong sisters
with her laughing brown eyes anA
bright, rebellious hair. How green thai
grass was no, is and the skies, how
blue. Just look, Edith, there Is never
the filmiest rag of a cloud to mar thelS
perfectness ! Now higher hlgher-H
higher still, straight up among th
boughs, where the brown bees are hun
uilng. Ah, be can go no higher. He ta
sinking earthward slowly slowly
slowly. He shirrs bis eyes. His slEtert
gay laugh rings in his ears.
"Edith!" he cried. Mother 1
And the star shine falls tenderly
upon his young dead face.
REDUCING WEIGHT.
It Mar Do Done, bat Means Eer
rise and Dieting-.
Warm weather is the Ideal time for
reducing weight, if a woman can maka
up her mind to go through the neces
sary Inconvenience and discomfort
says the New York Evenlug Telegram,
It takes character, however, to put 00
extra heavy clothing when the mercury
Is hovering In the eighties, and ga
forth for a hard, brisk walk, and yet
this Is one of the quickest ways of
getting rid of superfluous avolrdupola
for the excessive perspiration thnt is
thus induced causes weight literally t
drop away, and several pounds may ba
lost n week by this method.
While taking this strenuous exercise
the diet must be closely watched, and
no fattening foods eaten.
In taking this treatment begin early
In the morning by drinking a cup of
very hot water or a cup of tea with
out sugar or milk. Then dress in warm
clothing, pulling on n sweater over tha
outside waist and start ou a long, brisk
wnlk. To a person who Is unaccustom
ed to such vigorous exercises half a
mile Is far enough to walk when start
lug this reduction regimen, but after
several days the dlstanco should ba
Increased until one mile and later, even
two are covered. Remember that tha
movement must be 'rapid to Induca
quick circulation and perspiration, or
tbe walk will be practically valueless.
On returning home sponge with alco
hol, or take a shower bath or plunge
In the ocean to refresh tho body. If
alcohol Is used a tablespoonful to a
qunrt of water Is sufficient. Fresh
clothing suited to the condition of the
weather should be put on nnd a frugal
breakfast eaten. This may consist of
a cup of tea or coffee, without cream or
sugar, n soft-boiled egg-and brend thor
oughly toasted. .
WISE CALIFORNIA CROW.
Gets Ills Breakfast ETery Mornlna
on a Fast Passenger Train.
Tales of the big gulls which accoin
pnny the army transports all the way
in the long Journey from San Fran
cisco are not infrequent, but it has re
mained for a California crow to wear
the laurel, says the San Francisco Call.
If you pass Hornbrook any fine morn
ing at 7:30 o'clock sharp and crane.
your neck out of the Pullninn window
up toward the sky you will observe a
fine black devil of a crow sitting com
placently in the topmost branches of
an old pine, preening his feathers anil
apparently half asleep.
But he is far from being asleep. Oa
the contrary, he Is very much awako,
for he Is keeping a bright lookout for
train No. II, whose smoke Is vlslbla
every morning at this hour us it comes
tearing along the road. As the cars
approach the tree there Is a subdued,
stately flutter of two black wings'
Master Crow rises slowly Into the air
and picks up No. 14 with the abandon
and ease of a crow hobo as It passes.
He drops to the roof of tho car as If
It were his rightful home, and though
the engineer bus tried every day to play
a Joke on him by tooting the whistle,
ringing the bell madly and making a
general racket, the crow solemnly re
fused to be dislodged. He Is an old
friend now and the passengers on the
7:30 have learned to look for him ns
regularly as they do for their morning
papers.
Appetizers are thrown at him all the
way to Siskiyou, which is reached at
8 :45 o'clock, where his ebony majesty
enjoys a royal meal, to which bis am
nien and perseverance have fairly en
titled him. '
An Far Won!.
This is what happened to a Glasgow
worklngniun when he tried to make
his wife's home life happy by reading
the police news to her as contained In
his evening pajter. In due course he
reached out on Interesting trial for as
sault, the report of which concluded
as follows:
"This case was held over until to
morrow, as the presiding magistrate
said he found considerable difficulty
In pronouncing sentence."
"Dear me," commented the reader's
wife, "he csuna bae been a man
muckle edlcatlou, surely, or ba warns
bae found any difficulty in pronoundn'
an easy word ilka that." Dundee
Advertiser.
Don't Imagine you are a good con
versationalist Just because you talk a
good deal.