MOONLIT MEADOWS.
On those white nights, when over hill and
wood
The brooding mystery of midnight Ilea,
Beneath the glnd enchantment of die skies
The moonlit meadows spread their
quietude.
Drenched In the deluge ot effulgent light
Their dew-swept reaches, sweet with new
mown hay,
Into the hazy distance stretch away,
And lose their brightness in the folds of
night.
The far-off hills recede beyond the plain,
And this expanse of moonlight meadow
seems '
The land we may have visited In dreams.
Hut may not find when day returns again.
Earth's weary " train of days remoter
grows,
The voice of care sounds faint, and dies
away -
And all ditres that waii upon the day
Fades from the memory like forgotten
woes.
Fesce on flie troubled earth when day is
flown!
Silence that falls across the clash of
strife
And fleeting glimpses of that higher life
- That sieaks in other language than our
own.
Fair moonlit meadows 1
Nature's open
vision vainly
page
Which we with
clouded
trace,
Yet fail to read the menning of Its grace
Whose message is withheld from age to
age.
Youth's Companion.
I accepted juy Aunt Maltrevor's In
vitation to her river p'.tukv for the
simple reason that I dared not refuse,
A broken leg or a doctor's certificate
that you hare something Infectious are
the only excuses Mrs. Maltrevor recog
nizes, nud I could produce neither. Be
sides, Dulcinea was sure to be there
and public opinion would expect mo to
be In attendance.
I may, perhaps, say a few straight
forward words about Mrs. Maltrevor
later. Dulcinea you will toke for grant
ed. I cannot describe her sue is
neither the most beautiful., the most
accomplished nor the cleverest of the
girls I know; but there Is that about
her which is beyond the power of ad
jectlves to describe. Most men will
understand 'me they all know at least
one girl of that sort.
I perhaps might mention ihat I have
always known Dulcinea ; we grew in
beauty, so to speak, on opposite sides
- of the same road ; and when she put up
her hair, I started smoking. When
she left school, I proposed and she re
fused me. Unfortunately our friends
(and for the moment the definition
must include Aunt Maltrevor) don't
know this, and they smile on us both
in the fatuous way that the world al
ways does reserve for matrimonal fol
ly. And when Dulcinea gets up a prom
ising flirtation (as she did with Jack
Guthrie In the spring) people only
murmur '"Lovers' quarrel," while If
pay ardent if somewhat spasmodic at
tention to some other girl (Dulcinea
declares - I flirted outrageously with
Daisy Gordon at the Hockey Dance)
only hear a whisper, "Oh, those foolish
young people." So you see my posltlou,
Now about the picnic.
Mrs. Maltrevor's picnics are pretty
important things. The country people
are always represented, and as many as
three motor cars hove been garaged on
her tennis lawn nt the same time ; while
the reporter of the local paper always
spreads himself on a florid report of
- the function, which I (acting under my
aunt's orders), rigorously sub-edit
On the present occasion I rather
wanted to see Dulcinea ; she had Just
had her twenty-first birthday, and
had sent her some red roses and a short
poem which began :
A poet, miss, would write a sonnet
! Felicitating you upon it.
so naturally I wanted to see how she
would take it.
Arriving punctually nt 1:30, at the
lock which Mrs. Maltrevor had ap
pointed as rendezvous, 1 found the lady
surrounded by the youth and beauty of
Maston (this phrase I deleted regularly
from the local reporter's outburst) and
simply overflowing with good humor
This, as I discovered later, was parti
because my Undo Maltrevor had got
toothache, partly because sre had roped
In a broken-down baronet for the picnic,
Dulcinea I could not see for the mo
ment (she had gone off, I found, to look
for forget-me-nots with Jack Guthrie)
so, having been presented to Sir Hugo
Jones, I retired. Into private life and
made myself agreeable to Daisy
Cordon. r
. A small flotl'la of boats lay in th
stream ready for us, and as soon as my
sunt naa introduced tne mronct to
everyone except Mrs. Neville Fonsonby
and the Hon. F.thel Ponsouby (whom
she had asked specially to snub), w
began to embark.
I watched the process with nduilrn
thm. My Aunt Maltrevor being ni,
uncle s mistake and uot my own. 1 d'
not pretend to understand her, but
there is little doubt that, excluding her
toupee, and her complexion, she is com
THisi'd mair.ly of tact. If such a thin
had lieen conceivable, I should liav
said she winked at me as she despatch
ed Jack Guthrie oft' with Daisy Gordon
on one of the first biuts to start, and,
ooiu elvablo or not, I believe she did
wink ns she waved her hand to me In
parting, having left Dulcinea und im to
bring up the rear In a single sculler.
"Vou cannot light against 1'ute when
it has Mrs. M. on Its side," I observed
as I ha mled Dulcinea luto the Saucy
Jane. "Vou know it's really rather
funny the way people throw us at
each other Tt ought to amuse you."
, "It doesn't to any extent," said Dul
cinea, moodily steering Into the bonk.
"If you don't want to take the over
land route, perhaps I'd better row."
- "Perhaps I'd better steer, you mean,"
I retorted. "You've got the ropes cross
ed. Pull your left quick." Too lute
crash ! I bad seen, but not soon enough
to avert a collision, that we are bead
ing straight for a barge moored by the
towpath. We did not capsize, but we
lost a lot of paint and woke up the
bargee. At Dulcinea' request I rowed
as fast as I could to get out of earshot
Indeed, we should soon have over
hauled the rest of the party bad not
Dulcinea suddenly burst out with a
light exclamation : '
"We have sprung a leak," she sold
tremulously.
I stopped rowing. 1 knew Dulcinea
well enough to be sure that the tremor
was on behalf, not of herself, but of
her elegant river gown, for she swims
little better than a mermaid; but the
leak was a leak for nil that, and from
behind the steering-seat came a little
gushing stream of water, bubbling quite
Iclously around Dulcinea 's shoes. I
rowed quickly to the nearest shore
that of a little wooded Island, twenty
ards across, In the middle of the river.
Here we debarked In good order, but
even as we did so Fu to, stepped In again.
The boat In fonio Inexplicable way
wrenched Itself out of my hand and be
gan to drift down the stream.
"I believe yon did that on purpose,"
Id Dulelma, as 1 leaned over in a
vain effort to reach our craft.
Just like your beostly vanity," 1
satd In a brotherly way (Dulcinea had
f!en offered to be n sister to me).
'Why, do you suppose I want to -Is?
ooped up on a desert Island with you
In your present temper? Fortunately
I hare plenty of cigarettes."
Oh, very well, then," said Dulcinea,
with withering scorn. "So long as you
are happy, 1 don't mind starving for a
few hours."
(She had, I know, lunched at 1; It
was now 3.)
Shortly afterwards she turned her
back uiwii me and began pensively nib
bling at dandelion leaves. I commend
ed this step highly, and told her they
were most nourishing, though rather
bitter.
I suppose we must have sat In silence
for quite hnlf-an-hour after that. 1
smoked and Dulcinea sulked. At the
end of that time she asked me In her
brightest way Hie date of the Tenuis
Tournament. (This Is a desperately
Important affair and as many as five
motor cars have been garaged In the
town at one and the same time during
Its progress.)
I told Dulcinea the date, and slanged
the style of all the local ladles in a
way that went straight. to her heart
We conversed quite amicably.
'Guthrie is almost sure to win the
Singles, of course," I remarked care
lessly.
"Is he?" said Dulcinea, apparently
neither surprised nor Interested. "But
where do you come in? You used to
play some sort of a game?" r
"O, I shall enter, no doubt," I ad
mitted. "But Guthrle'll win. I hear
he's come on a lot." 1
"Perhaps you will have a chance In
the Mixed Doubles," suggested Dul
cinea, lnocently. "Who are you play
Ing with?"
"I may hot enter at ail if I see any
really good couples," I countered "You
for Instance, if you have a strong part
ner. Let's see, it's Guthrie, isn't it?"
"Possibly," ngreed Dulcinea.
"I mean, has he asked you to play?
I went on.
He had nol. for Dulcinea was almost
disconcerted, and swished her gloves at
a harmless butterfly. -"Never
mind," I said, "he will."
"I didn't say he hadn't," said Dul
cinea, sharply.
I lit a cigarette.
"And If he does," she declared, in
sudden burst of gradousuess, "I I
play with you, If you like."
Dulcinea Is never so dangerous ns In
her gracious mood.
"Dulcinea," I said, kneeling on
wnsn by her side (how hard it is to
kneel gracefully on a wasp), "Dul
cinea oh, hang It all l"
The plash of oars fell on my ears,
and I started to my feet. What had
happened was only too clear. Our ab
sence had been noticed, and a relief ex
peditinii was on its way, conducted by
Mrs. Maltrevor, whose stentorian tone
I could already hear.
Bather sheepishly we advanced to
the edge of the wnter, and as we did so
I noticed that the Saucy June had men
ly drifted across the river, and was
resting serenely against tne opposite
rushes. The leak was evidently not
serious one, for I could not dodect tint
she was lower In the water.
Mrs. Maltrevor seemed to hav
brought about twenty eople to witness
our ridiculous plight.
"We're awfully sorry," I began, a
the party bore down upon us.
"Awfully sorry," echoed Dulcinea.
"But we sprang a leak "
"The water simply rushed In,.' Dul
cinea corroborated.
"And Just as I was going to see
whether I could stop up the hole. It
drifted away," I concluded! with a
complete and desrate disregard for
the rules of syntax.
Mrs. Maltrevor's smile simply fascin
ated me. I think sha said she quite
understood. At any rate, she was In
an excellent temper this, I afterwards
learned, was because Matilda, her eld
est and most hopeless, had that very
afternoon brought to book the senior
curate of All Saints'; while the broken
down baronet, fortified with clmni
pague, was at that very moment flirt
ing openly and outrageously with
Evelyn, another of Mrs. Maltrevor's for
lorn hopes, to the complete discomfiture
of Mrs. Neville ponsouby aud the lion.
Ethel Pousonby.
"it's really bather funny." .
It in sgatust Dulcinea s principles to
1st a little thing like Mrs. Maltrevor
disconcert her, and it Is due to her to
say that she never lost grip of the sit
uation. She conversed amicably with
the Junior curate of All Saints', then
with Mrs. Maltrevor herself, ami
kindly. Inquired after . Mr. Mal
trevor's toothache. She was rapidly
disarming suspicion when young
Perkins, who had been landed on
the other bonk with a view to the
salvage of the Saucy Jane, suddenly
called the attention of the patty to him
self by a loud exclamation.
"What Is the matter, Mr rerklns?"
said Mrs. Maltrevor sweetly. ' "Is the
leak a bad one?"
Young Perkins laughed. (I detest
him.) "Very serious Indeed," he re
plied, holding up In each hand the half
of a lemonade bottle, which 1io had ex
tracted from a hnnier behind the steer
Ing tent. "As you see, the bottle not
inly leaked, but burst. It's quite done
for."
'But what about the boat?" Inquired
Mrs. Maltrevor, still more sweetly.
The boat? Oh, the boat's all right,"
remarked young Porkjns, as he boarded
her, and with a vigorous shove brought
her "over to the Island.
For a moment there was a silence.
Then a roar of laughter In which Dul-
Inea joined and I tried to. I think;
Mrs. Maltrevor repeated that she quite.
understood; at any rate, In her most
ostentntlously tactful way she gathered
her party on board and announced her
Intention of departing forthwith if
Bearch of tea.
"You can follow at your leisure,
dear," she remarked to Dulcinea, with
a menning look at me. I knew the look.
It said, "If you haven't proposed, do It
now."
Dulcinea had gone back to her old
seat. As I Joined her I noticed that mv
old frlevd the wasp was still there, hue
I carefully avoided kneeling on him.
'Duleluen," I said, "Dulcinea, It's no
good my trying to tell you all the nice
things I think about you, because you
know them nl ready. And you know
that I shall be waiting for you to marry
me ten yeors hence If you won't do It
before, Dulcinea."
1 felt I was doing it very badly; I
was convinced of it by Dulclnea's next
remark. ,
"I've never been so badly proposed to.
before," she said serenely. "Why, you
did It better when you were eighteen.
However, this is the last time."
The last time," I queried. "Why,
Dulcinea, you're not angry with me, are
you?"
A smile spread from the corners of
her mouth, dimpled In her cheeks, and
knew my answer even before she
spoke.
"This Is the last time," she said slow
ly, "because the answer thls-tlmo la
Yes.' "Philadelphia Telegraph.
HATCHING SNAKES' EGOS.
Tip on Heptlle'a Snoot ilh Which
It Breaks Its War Oat.
Because of the popular aversion to
the serpent family there Is a surpris
ing amount of Ignorance about even the
simplest of snake habits, says the Sci
entific American. It Is doubtful If
many correct answers could be given
to the question whether snakes lay
eggs or bear their young alive. As a
matter of fact, some species are vivip
arous . and other oviparous. Most of
the poisonous snakes, as well as many
of our harmless varieties, belong to the
former class.
The European ring snake is closely
allied to our common water snake and
goes by the scientific name tropldonotus
nntrlx. Curiously enough, all other
members of the genus tropldonotus are
viviparous and this species alone lays
eggs. Furthermore, according to Ga-
dow's "Amphibia and Reptiles," the
new-laid' eggs usually show not the
slightest visible sigu of an embryo, un
less ovl position is delayed, when the
embryos are more or less developed.
The eggs are laid in July or August
iu a soft bed of lonm or decaying vege-'
tatlon or in a heap of manure. The
older snakes sometimes lay as many
as a dozen eggs or more and they usu
ally stick together, so that the entire
cluster can he picked up at once. Some
times, however, if the process of laying
Is slow, they will be separated. The
eggs are about nn inch long and of
whitish-yellow color. The shell Is thin
and flexible like parchment.
The young hatch iu late summer or
autumn. Before hatching they develop
a sharp calcareous growth on tho tip
of the snout known ns the egg tooth
with which the shell is silt open. Un
like hatching chicks, which are sudden
ly dispossessed by the breaking of their
brittle shells, the young snakes may
make many Incisions on the parchment
envelopes and take niany.jteeps at the
ouimue worm ueiore venturing lorm
Into the new environment. Shortly af
ter hatching the egg tooth Is lost.
At first the young live on Insects and
worms, but within a few weeks they
are strong enough to attack and devour
young frogs. Strangely enough, al
though the adults are strong swimmers
unit" sjiend much time In ponds and
streams hunting the tlxu aud frogs ou
which they subsist, the young are un
able to swim and they will soon drown
If they fall Into the water. Tho Euro-
Kan ring snake, as well as the Ameri
can water snake, makes nn excellent
pet; It Is perfectly harmless, becomes
tame and learns to know the difference
between friends and strangers. Gadow
tells -of a pet ring snake that would
eat from his hand, crawl up his coat
sleeve Hlid coll Itself contentedly on his
unn.
Mur;irlel Several Times.
l'uticnce DKin t ne surprise you
when lie kissed you?
Patrice Yes; you know he said he
was only going to kiss me once ! You
kers Stntesnuin.
.Not Ksitectrd of lllin.
Employer So yon want a Job, eh
Well, what did you do at your last
place?
Boy I didn't do nothing. I was the
office boy. St. Louis Times.
The nearer a young person can luil
tate the steadiness of an older person,
tho better It will bo for hlui.
The Transvaal produces 400,000
ounces of gold every mouth.
FACTS IN TABLOID FORM.
New York city has an average of
one anil one-half million visitors each
week.
Taxloabs have become so popular In
Lnndon"lhat the demand for them ex
ceeds the supply. A capital of $10,000,-
0(H) Is already Invested In them.
What are declared by experts to be
practically Inexhaustible layers of as
phalt have been discovered In Syria,
twenty-five miles from tho port of Ln-
akl;i, on the road leading toward Alep
po.
A scientist has found microbes of va
rious kinds hi seventy-seven samples of
Ink red. blue and' black simnlled to
i biMils, and some of the microbe were
deadly cr.oug'.i to kill mice Inoculated
with them.
Hie Forestry Department has bi-en
conducting experiments with the hoim
f huding seine chimin n lal manner of
rinklng use of 1!k while lir which Is
mind on the Pacific const In great
quantities. Very Utile of It has been
nt.
Paris tf Oklahoma nre being pros-
IKi-tod and mineral deposits iu various
districts show that gold, silver and
ppcr are likely to be found In largo
tpiantitlcs. Asphalt Is also being found
ami this latter mining is likely to he
Started Immediately.
The total production of metals of the
world for 1007 showed that 713.000 tons
of oopcr was produced, 002.800 tons
of lead, 08,700 tons of tin. 738,400 tons
of sine, 11,100 tons of nickel and 19,800
tons of aluminum. Of the precious
metals, gold, silver and quicksilver,
there were no official reports. v
It Is comparatively estimated that
the area of first class timber In Mexico
comprises from 20,000,000 to 25,000,000
seres. The heaviest stum-page of pine
and oak Is found in the states of Chi
huahua, Durango, Jalisco, MIehoacan
nd Guerrero. The best timber Is still
more or less remote from transporta
tion. The new patent laws of Great Brltalri
have caused the Investment In Eng
land of fully 25,000,000 of foreign cap
ital. Germany has contributed th
largest portion of the money for chem
ical manufactures. Naturally the meas
ure Is considered one of the most pop
ular ever enacted by the BrHlsh gov
ernment.
rkansas claims to hare the largest
peaoh orchard In the world and 1,000
men and 300 teams are annually em
ployed harrestlng- the crop. The or
chard Is In Sevier County and has 200,
000 trees. It covers 2,800 acres and
trees on 2.00Q acres are bearing. Five
hundred freight cars will be used to
haul the crop to market.
A Kansas woman, whose husband ba
been In the habit of sleeping late on
Sunday mornings, adopted the plan of
preparing something particularly pleas
ing to eat for the Sunday morning
breakfast. - The plan worked all right
for a time, but now tho husband has
contracted the habit of eating Sunday
breakfast In his pajamas, and then go
ing back to bed.
The combined Imports and exports
for the twelve months ending June 30,
1908, were $3,055,000,000. It compares
favorably with the total of the preced
ing year, in which our foreign trade,
was $3,315,000,000, and $2,571,000,000
two years ago. This contrast shows
Ihat Iu the latest year our volume ot
foreign trade has fallen off somewhat
less than 10 per cent, due wholly to a
decrease lu imports of about 12 per
cent from the preceding year. Wall
Street Journal.
It Is said to be owed to the frogs of
western Australia that that part of
the empire Is English and not-French.
About 1800 a party . of prospective
French colonists landed on the wesl
coast of Australia, but on the first
morning they were alarmed by the loud
croaking of the frogs, which they took
for demons, and retired with all speed
to their ships. Western Australia might
have preferred the frog to the swan as
her emblem, Just as Rome might havs
preferred, Instead of the eagle, tha
goose that saved the capital.
Experiments In the domestication and
training of elephants In the Congo
Free State indicate that they can ba
used to advantage for porterage work
In regions whero tho opeulng up of
the country Ih most difficult because of
lack of transportation facilities. Con
trary to the general belief that Cen
tral African elephants could not be
tamed and made to perform the same
service as their Asiatic fellows In
India, a bulletin Issued by the Congo
government announces the complete
success of experiments conducted at an
"elephant farm" nt Apl. Consular He
ports. Tomatoes .'in- Imported in Increasing
quantities into England from Italy.
The quality of iliese tomatoes is stated
to be good and tho prices low. Iirgo
quantities of canned Jomatoes are also
shipped now each season from Italy to
the eastern pnrt of tho I'nlted States,
and the American shipments to. Italy
are much smul'ci' Hum formerly. It Is
suggested by one of the lending Import
ers lu I.lvcrp o that tho American
tomatoes nre frequently packed Is'foia
they arc fully ripe, and that this prac
tico renders lliem undesirable for use.
The Italian tomatoes are can-fully se
lected. iiIkI are only pin kol when of a
rijie and rich color.
A curious court story went tho
nmnds same little tbro n-i;t iiliout
lovely foreigner, one f winM icivnl
slips gave Kin;: Edward occasion for a
hearty laugh. A very lively is-rsiyiage,
with a delightful accent, she made suh
a favorable impression upon Hie King
that he as-Ued her to he his partner at
bridge. "Bui, sir," she said, "1 really
don't know how to play." The King
would take no denial, however, and sho
becuine rather embarrassed. "I assure
you, sir," she said, "1 could not think
of playing. I don't know the (llfTcrcm-
between a king and a knave." There
was an awkward silence, and then she
realised what "he had said and was
covered with confusion. Tho King
laughed it on, and now tells the story
with gusto. Dundee Advertiser.
Opinions of
RAILROAD ACCIDENTS IN
O PEltSO.V should "Ct
Nl statement - of the Interstate Commerce
I Commission that the number ot deaths from
IHlilt'nu III luv-llin 111 ui uipi iiiitd iiiwiiiiiv
of the present year wa smaller than for
any similar period since 1001, that rail
road are exercising greater care of their
patrons. Such is not the case, In the opinion of the com
mission, which attributes the decrease to the smaller
number of trains operated and to the shorter hours of
employes, due to business depression.
During those three inonlhs 72S persons were killed and
15,441 Injured in railroad accidents. Of the killed, 07
were passengers, 104 were trainmen engaged In the opera
tion of trains aud 05 were trainmen who were killed In
railroad yards.
There have been 1,100 collisions, all of which might
have been avoided by use of the block signal system. In
these collisions 0'i person wero killed and 1,837 Injured.
There were also 1,442 derailments directly traceable to
defects of roadbed or equipment. The neglect of op
erators, signalmen aud trainmen caused 13 accidents, In
which 3 person were killed and 3 Injured.
This Is a grewsome record, considering the ability that
ha been shown by Americans In other line of business.
Railroads appear to be an exception to the rule that
greater efficiency marks the conduct of corporations every
year. Chicago Journal.
C01TGRESS' GREAT SPENDING.
HE aggregate of all the
X
by Congress thl year reaches the abnormal
sum of $1,088,804,804, or more than $S3,
000,000 In excess of the budget of the
previous year, notwithstanding the fact
that tho river and harbor bill, which last
year carried nn appropriation of $37,000,000.
was omitted. About one-half of the Increase Is charge
able to the army and navy, $23,000,000 for the latter and
$16,000,000 for the former. Tho army and navy, by the
way, are becoming expensive necessities, and annually
cost nearly $100,000,000 each. In fact, so enormous were
the appropriations that Representative Tawney, the chair
man of the House Committee on Appropriations, . felt
called upon to apologize for their excessive size, while
the Democrats, through Representative Fitzgerald, of
New York, presented comparative figures that are almost
as startling. Mr. Fitzgerald asserted, for Instance, that
the expenditure during the four Roosevelt years, 1000
1900, amounted to $3,428,000,000, while during the civil
war years, 1SG2-I8ti5, they reached only $3,394,000,000.
According to Mr. Fitzgerald, never but once In our his
tory did tho expenditures of our government reach the
thousand million dollar mark. During the fiscal year
1865, when the country was In the throes of the bloody
and expensive civil war, th expenditures aggregated
$1,304,055,000, of which $1,030,000,400 were for the main
tenance of tho army. To-day, in a time of profound
NINE CHEESES.
VVAAAAiliAAAiiJiAAAAAili4iiiliiliilid A
TTTTTTttTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTI
Anecdotes in which the mean and
grasping man is outwitted or held up
to ridicule are popular everywhere and
always. Few ancient towns are with
out their historic or traditional In-
tances of stinginess punished or sharp
practise defeated. In one village of
New England there 1 still current such
a tale concerning an unpopular parson
of more than a century ago.
Although a learned inf of Impres
sive manners, this clergyman was noted
for undue reluctance to expend and
readiness to acquire. lie had a habit
of pleading poverty and hinting for
gifts.
The parish, although with some mur
muring, had responded with fuel for
bis kitchen, hay for his horse, Thanks
giving turkeys for his table, und a
subscription clonk of black satin for
bis wife when her wedding manteau
became shabby. The murmurs increased'
when It wns found that tho parson
turned an honest but overshrewd penny
y selling, Instead of using, many of
these donations. But they were not
loud enough to disturb his statoly cnlm,
and ho went his way without conde
scending to notice them. At last, how
ever, fortune played bini trick for trick.
Ouo pleasant winter day he made a
round of calls, and at each house, when
Just about to leave, he casually asked
Ills hostess 'If she could let him have a
little pleoo of cheese, as his wife hap
pened to have none In tho house, and
unexpected company had arrived. In
each case, the good housewife, Instead
of a little piece, generously presented
hlni with a whole cheese, which he gra
ciously accepted. As he turned from the
floor-stone, at the close of the last
Visit, whilo the mother of the family
nd her brood of nine children stood
politely gathered to watch him drive
sway,' ho carelessly pulled the wrong
rein the Blelgh tipped sharply on b
drift, and out from under the mini
terlal laprohe rolled nine large cheeses,
which spun friskily away in all direc
tion over the ley crust.
HI hostess understood the situation
at a glance.
"Don't disturb yourself, pray, slrr'
she urged, jMilItely, as he made a mo
tion to descend. "It Is quite unneces
sary. The children will gather them
up ana none be overburdened, nor will
thero Im any quarreling for the priv
ilege. See, it Is Just a cheese to 1
child."
So tt was; and the embarrassed par
ion. unable to-escape, was obliged to
receive back his cheeses, with due
thanks to each' giggling volunteer, as
they came up In gleeful procession, one
by one.
'loo well he knew that by tho next
flny tho whole parish won 11 be laugh
Ing at his misadventure, although he
could scarcely have guessed that the
Joke would bo recalled a buudred year
after. .,
ELEVATOR, SERVICE IN ROME.
Tcaaata ot Aparlnnaat Hansa Mar
RM. If- Umt Mali WallC DtWI.
Why central heating, running water,
ilectrlc lights and elevator- service is
ki.t I f a., rvnaalKla In ftnlw Inr,
trhcre else In the civilised world Is a
problem. Now, for Instance, a new
apartment bouse here on Mont Plnclo
Great Papers on Important Subjects.
AMERICA.
peace, the nation Is apendlng more money than It did la
the time of civil war. Very few people appreciate the('
fact that while Great Britain's navy In 1007 cost $149,.
tha Ides from the
000,000, the United States navy In 1003 will cost $122,
000,000, a sum as great a the expense of the French and
German navy combined Tho maintenance of the army 1s
also reaching n figure which places thl country on a par
with tho Inllltary nations of Europe. Henry L. West, la
the Forum.
m
. ' 41
green trees, the shaded ponds and streams, the peace
and restful ness of the countryside. Those suffering front
the monotony and ennui of rural life It brings to the
city, to the kaleidoscopic changes and excitements of tho
streets, to the mart, the theater, the church and the lec
ture room. Tbus It gives the recreation which Is found
in change to the urban as well as to th rural dweller
and Increase the enjoyment of life for both.
There nre to-day nearly 40,000 mile of electric rail
way In the United States, and the network of connect
ing lines is extending with wonderful rapidity. Mil
lions aro Invested In the business, which has become In
many quarter a sharp competitor with the steam cars
in passenger transportation. A considerable express and
freight business Is springing np on many lines, and soon
the trolley will have problems for solution Just the samo
as the steam railroads. In rural sections the trolley Is
working a revolution In values. It 1 developing hamlets
and town and villages and building up recreation place
for both the urban and rural dweller. By bringing the
former from the heated, crowded streets Into the pure
and Invigorating atmosphere of the country It Is perform
ing the part of a physician, which 1 not the least among
Its blessing. Utlea Globe.
appropriations made
Tremendous as is the display of itower in the number of ,
ships in the North Sea, her demonstration of readiness
to use them all efficiently is eveu more Impressive. To
have sent out this mighty fleet Tilth scratch crews might '
have been better than nothing. To send' it out with
ample and amply trained complement 1 an achievement
fit to commond the admiration of the world. New York
Tribune. "
BUDDHIST PRAYING WHEEL.
$W-U&ZA ,, "
v(.i-ii; d-; K. v- J Kit! "
vtee. :.-;. v. . " -'v ot-v-'
Fraying wheels are in common uso among tho Buddhists of the Orient.
The arrangement consist usually of a little box of prayers printed on paper,
which is whirled around by tho baud, the pious ono believing that with
every revolution he Is laying up ns great a store of merit as though he had
recited all the prayers with which the box Is filled. Sometimes the praying
wheel consists of a cylinder, set upright and revolving on an axis. In this)
cylinder are arranged, one on top of the other, heet of paper upon which,
the prayer are written. The sheet must be wound on the axis from left b
right and the wheel when et In motion must revolve In the opposite direc
tion, so that the writing passes In front of the person turning the wheel ba"
the way In which It Is read, from left to right. If made to revolve from
right to left It Is held sacrilegious.
Tho picture of the Japanese Buddhist priest and praying wheel repro
duced herewith wns taken at the great temple of Zenkojl, at Nakano, Japan,
where thero nre two of them. They are comparatively rare In Japan, only
the Teudal and Phingon sects of Buddhists using them.
. : ! . ,
proudly proelnlins Its "lift" Largely
tho apartment houses aro devoid of
this convenience, and one mounts to the
six or seven stories on bis two feet,
ns best ho may.
But the workings of this "lift" of
which the domicile Is so proud nre like
tho ways of Providence, past finding
out. It does not stop nt all on the first
floor. Of course, anyone, from the
Roman point of view, would wulk up
one flight I But It actually does stop at
the second, third, fourtli and fifth
floors; thou It skips the sixth floor,
but stops ou the roof. On that emi
nence you emerge from your "lift"
walk across It to the other side of the
bouse, walk down a flight of cold stone
stairs In a dark passag and, presto 1
you have "arrived" at last I You are
at the entrance to the apartment on
the sixth floor.
When you again descend to the
street you go out In the dark, cold cor
ridor and walk down the entire six
I flights of stone stairs. Tbt wildest Ro
Vs-eWV"WV,yVtvV
V
THE TROLLEY.
NE of the greatest adjuncts to modern civili
zation la th trolley. It brings the city
to the country, the country to the city, and
bind each together with a closer communl-
, ty of Interest than ever was possible be
fore. The tired workers ot the city It
brings to th enjoyment of the cool sir,
ENGLAND'S NAVY EVER READY.
REAT BRITAIN I not olily building enough
Gshlp to keep herself In numbers and ton
nage equal to any two rival power; she Is
tmmmmmt also keeping the personnel of her navy up
to the mark, and Is providing ns nt
.VjlT Rosyth dockyard and naval bases ample
In equipment and convenient In location;
i
man dream would not conceive the idea
of one's being so extravagant and ex
acting as to think of going dowu In
the elevator!
This Is by no means an extreme ex
ample of the curious uieT-hanlcal clum
siness of Italy. They have absolutely
uo mechanical genius nud they will not
allow foreigners to come Iu and exer
cise theirs. I am told that If an Amer
ican or an English capitalist wished to
erect apartment bouses or any other
buildings In Rome he would find thit
be would uot be allowed to buy mate
rials or lure workmen, ana tnat h!a
way would be blocked by every sort of
obstacle. The Italian Is extremely Jeal
ous of hi own country. New Orleans t
Times-Democrat. ;.
Italhcs foalradlalarr.
"Can you actually foretell the fu
ture?" "Madam, In foretelling tha future ,!;
an) a past master." Eftdtlmor Aroert
can. i.