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5
MEWELL
0! TWELVE" comes
throbbing on tho
midnight air,
A requiem yes, tho
dying year Is
dead:
Its records written,
be they foul or
fair;
Its mysteries solved
and nil Its riddles read,
the New Year camo with swift yetatealthy
tread;
No footfall reached the anxious, listen-
Inp ear
As through tho portals-ho so swiftly fcped;
But now his firm, majestic tread wo hear.
And so the years go, ever speeding by,
And changes come, more Btrange than
Lapse of years.
Tho past Is gone: Why comes the deep
drawn sigh 7
Why Is the eye bcdlmmed with unshed
tcar?
It once was ours; we drank, aye, drained
the cup,
Quufllng with eager lips Its happiness,
Nor eVen dreamed so soon wo must glvo
up
Those Joys that camo our dally life to
bless. '
Shall all tho tics bo severed that havo
bound
Friend unto friend, and very soul to
soul?
Shall some Lethean waters there be found
That over torn nnd wounded hearts shall
roll,
In dcen forgetfulness assuaging pain,
Healing all wounds, and leaving not a
scar?
Or shall the ties, the wounds, tho scars- re
main? Shall pain be there our future bliss to
mar?
"The Oracles are dumb;" with bated
breath
We silent stand, awaiting some reply;
It comes not, nor can come until kind death
Shall touch our hearts and bid tho
clouds roll by.
Enough for when life's fateful strife is
o'er,
When earthly Joys and pains aro laid
nslde,
When we look back from yonder distant
shore
And undcrstnnd, wo shall bo satisfied.
Charles II. Allen, in Frank Leslie's Pop
ular Monthly.
&
ACHELOffJ
EWYEAR.
IVEN a semi-blizzard
and a some
what preten
tious sod house
on. a western
"" prairie pre
tentious because it contained two
rooms instead of one, nnd each room
had two windows of glnss nnd you
have the setting of a rather interest
ing New Year celebration. Nor was
the inside view of this sod house at
all disappointing to expectations
fired by the sight of those real win
dows of glass, for there was furni
ture more than the actual needs of
the occupant demanded. To be sure,
it was nearly all of home manufac
ture, but it was evidently the work
of one who might have earned a liv
ing ns a cabinet maker, and some of
it was upholstered.
The owner of this house, .Tack Wal
worth by name, sat poring over a
cook-book, lie was a merry-eyed
young fellow of 25, tall, athletic, and
in every way good to look nt. Al
though many miles from tiny human
being, so far as he knew, his hands
were clean and his hair carefully
brushed two characteristics not
very pronounced in the make-up of
individuals in that part of the world,
for they were nearly all men, nnd
they needed the spur of a woman's
approval to give them a proper re
gard for their personal appearance.
"These are mighty good recipes,"
murmured Jack, as he slowly turned
the leaves of his book, "but they do
require "such an ocean of stuff!
Why don't they write some especially
for bachelors on prairie farms lone
ly old bachelors who have a hanker
ing for a holiday dinner like mother
used to make?"
This was said half whimsically and
half sndly, for to-morrow a new year
was to begin, nnd Jack was home
sick. There hnd been a time when
he wns quite sure that the opening
day of this new year would see the
beginning of a new life for him a
life in which Nellie Rogers would be
the central figure. Jack turned to
the fly leaf of his cook-book and re
read the words he hnd written there.
"My first New Year resolution," he
proclaimed, in n tone that ought to
have frightened away tho most per
sistent attnek of the blues, "and J'm
bound to live 'lip to it. 'T, Jnck Wal
worth, being of sound ' mind, etc.,
have resolved that my life shall not
be spoiled by' Pshaw!" He threw
the book on the table almost vicious
ly. There wns no fun in noting with
out nn audience, nnd he must try in
some other way to convince himself
that he was not bo very unhappy
after all. 1W
"I moped nil dny on both Thanks
ffiving and Christinas," he said, reso-
7 V M
is -m
jz.JLtv IN'
iJSSSSSk
w'ivM fin)
lutely drawing the. cook-book to
ward him again, "and I'm going to
begin the New Year in a mnnly fash
ion! I'll stick to my resolution."
Early that morning Jack had de
cided to cook a grand New Year din
ner for himself, and the fine wild
goose, shot for that purpose, now
hung in the outer room all ready for
the oven. But roast goose nnd baked
potatoes, while good in their way, did
not seem sufficiently festive to the
fastidious. Jack, whoso New England
mother had made a reputation for
herself on her holiday dinners. His
soul longed for something in the way
of "goodies," and that is why he hap
pened, to be poring over n cook-book
at an hour when he was usually
sound asleep in his comfortable bed.
"Mince pie is what I want," he
JACK TURNED THE
said, "but my cupboard is against it.
I've got the meat and vinegar and
sugar, but there are no spices, nnd
I'd have to use dried apple, and I'm
not sure I know how the crust is
made. I wonder if I could use cran
berries and dried blackberries in
stead of raisins and currants? I
have half a mind to try it, anyhow."
Suiting the action to the word,
Jnck donned his oil cloth apron, and
wns soon at work. There was plen
ty of meat and dried apples which he
had cooked that day, and he was
quite sure that he remembered to
what degree of minuteness he used
to chop such things for his mother.
"If Nellie were here now," he
thought, regretfully, "she would
have had everything rendy for our
first holiday dinner together, and
New Year is such a suitable day
upon which to begin mnrried life."
With this tiiought, the cheerful
tune Jack was whistling came to an
abrupt close, and an expression of
sadness crept into his fnee; then
the chopping bowl wns pushed nside,
and he buried his fnce in his hands.
"It is useless," he gronned, "I
can never get over it; I cannot be
brave. Oh, Nellie, Nellie, I cannot
live my life without you, nnd I
won't!" S
Jnck hnd decided to be a farmer
without consulting the girl he loved,
principally because he hod never told
her he loved her, nnd so had no
claim upon her. lie hnd believed
that a man hnd no right to propose
marriage to a girl until he had a
home to offer her, and so he had
gone alone into the prairie wilder
ness and taken up his battle ngninst
poverty single-handed. He hnd been
unusually successful, and in three
yenrs he had secured the little home
in which we find him, and he owed
no man a penny. Then he had gone
back to the old home, to find Nellie
Rogers nnd nsk her to be his wife.
He hod thought of her so long ns
mistress of that little sod house on
the prnirie that he could not believe
her answer would be disappointing,
and when it enmc it almost crushed
him.
"I do care for you, Jack, but not
enough to live on a form, and in
such a wilderness. I want to live in
the city. If you loved me, why did
you not ask me where I want to
live? Should n womnn nothave a
choice in the matter? If you stjll
love me, Jack, why not sell the farm
now?"
"It is my home, Nellie. I have
worked three years to get it. VI
could not sell it now for what it Is
worth to me, nnd I have nothing
else. Do you understand, dear? It
is nil the home I have to offer you."
It seemed to Jack that such an ex
planation ought to satisfy any girl,
and when Nellie .persistently refused
to live on n farm, he could only con
clude that she did not love him well
enough to be his wife. He bode her
a formal farewell and went bnck to
his farm, angrily telling himself that
the girl wns not worth a second
thought, and that any self-respect-Ing
man could moke himself happy
without her. That wns In November,
and Jack had kept himself very busy
ever since, in order to forget what
he called his folly, and this was the
first time lie had broken down. But
he had built so many air castles
about this first day of the new year
the first holiday which he and Nel
lie would spend in their new homo
that it was rather difficult to cele
brate the day alone, nnd as cheer
fully as if nothing had happened to
disturb his plans.
"If there were any hope that it
might be different next year," ho
moaned; but Nellie's answer hnd
been finnl. Next yenr, and all the
years to come must be spent with
out her if he remained on the form.
"And it may be years before I can
sell, and even then I must begin nt
the beginning and make another
home. A girl would have to love a
man very dearly to wait so long, oud
LEAVES OF HIS COOK-BOOK.
if she loved him like that she would
go to the home he hnd provided."
The clock on the pretty little mnn
tel chimed the midnight hour, nnd
Jack raised his head wearily.
"I won't be a coward," he said. "1
don't feel, just now, ns if I cared
much about a swell dinner, but I
may have more courage a few hours
later, nnd then I can make that pie."
Then he fixed the fire, nnd before
preparing for bed went to the door
and looked out into the night. It is
a hnbit shared by all who live in
lonely plnces, for there is always
the feeling that some one may be
abroad who needs help.
The snow had ceased falling, nnd
the stars twinkled overhead, but the
wind still blew in gusts that kept
blinding eddies in the frosty air.
"It is an ugly night," said Jnck.
"and I pity nnyone who is not safely
housed. I wonder if good Lord!"
"Hellon, there! Helloa!" enmc n
man's voice through the whirling
snow. "Help! help! help!" The Inst
word ended in a quaver that told of
helplessness nnd exhaustion.
"Whoop-e-e-q-e!" returned Jnck, in
a voice that rang like a clarion call
across the proirie. "Where ore you?
Sing out again! I'm coining!"
The snow wns drifted into fnntas-tically-shnped
hills of varying height,
but between them the ground lay
bare and brown, ns it usually did in
that locality, when the first heavy
snowstorm of the season was oc
companled by a strong wind. It was
possible to walk around the high
drifts with comparative ease, but, on
a stormy night, even one acquainted
with the country wns in dnnger of
losing his wny and perishing of ex
posure. Jack hung n lighted lnntern under
the roof of his porch, then sallied
forth on his errnnd of mercy, cnlling
lustily nnd cheerfully at every step,
nnd soon he wns stnndlng beside nn
old man who wns bending over the
form of a girl lying limply against n
huge snow drift.
"I don't think she Is dend," fal
tered the man, whose teeth were
chattering almost too much for
speech.
"We'll soon know," replied Jack,
lifting the slight form into his nrms
and leading the wny to the cabin.
"Let me know if I walk too fast for
you."
Jack placed his burden on the bed
and pulled the frozen veil from her
lace, nnd then fell on his knees be
side her.
"Nellie!" lie exclaimed. "My Clod,
my God, it is Nellie!"
"And nre you Jack Walworth?"
asked the man; but Jnck did not
hear. He had recovered his self
possession and was using all his
knowledge to restore Nellie to con
sciousness, nnd ns he worked lie
called her all the pretty loverlikc
names thnt she had ever heard from
his lips and they were many, for his
wns an exceedingly offectionnte na
ture. His method of treatment
proved most effective, for in a re
markably short period of time Nel
lie was able to drink the coffee he
made for her, and to explain her
presence In his home.
"We started out to find you; Jack,"
she said, "for I had mndc up wiy
mind to spend New Year with you.
This is my Uncle Hen, nnd he is
minister, and when ho saw I was
determined to come, of course, he de
cided to come, tool"
"What cIbo could I do?" murmured
tho old man, deprccntorily; "Ncllio
is so headstrong, and so no very un
conventional I"
"And as soon as I can Rtand, Jack,"
continued Nellie, paying no attention
to tho interruption, "ho will marry
us thnt is, if you have no other
Bwcctheart."
"I told her," interrupted Undo
Ben, "that it looked exactly as if she
were throwing herself at you."
"And I told him," answered Nellie,
with a happy little laugh, "that that
was exactly what I meant to do. I
said you hnd once thrown youre!f
nt me, and thnt this was the only
way I could get oven."
What Jnck said in reply would look
very silly on paper, but Nellie liked
It, and Uncle Ren pretended not to
hear. Tho good old man was re
lieved, however, when tho lovemak
lug wns interrupted by a shout from
outside, accompanied by a vigorous
demand for assistance, that sent
Jnck hurrying out once again into
tho whirling snow.
A neighbor had found a runaway
team that he wished to leave in
Jack's burn, for it wns too much
trouble to lend it through the storm.
"It is our team," exclaimed Uncle
Ren. "We got out to walk, for Nel
lie feared her feet wero freezing,
and the team got away from us. Wo
tried to find it, but tho storm in
crensed so furiously we couldn't
Bee."
Tho neighbor nnd his companion
wero easily induced to como in nnd
remain until dnyl'.ght, which was
now close nt har.J. They wero need
ed as witnesses to tho marriage cere
mony, nnd even had the weather
made driving a pleasure they could
not have resisted so interesting an
experience.
Four men nnd ono woman sat
down to tho wedding breakfast,
which consisted of baked bonus, corn
bread and coffee, nnd it is snfo to
soy that never a wedding breakfast
was eaten by a jollier company.
"And thus," said Jack, melodra
statically, "cth a happy bachel
or's New Year celebration."
Uncle Ren went back to his work
in the city that day, for tho hired
team must be returned to its own
ers, nnd his poor people could not bf
neglected. Rut there were tears in
his eyes as he thought of tho little
world of happiness ho was leaving
behind him tears Bhed in self-pity
for Unclo Ren had never had n home.
Ho smiled, however, when he recalled
Jack's account of his search for
recipes suited to a bachelor's holi
day dinner, nnd NcIHc'b reassuring
reply that there wns sufficient ma
terial in the house for a plum pud
ding and n mince pie, too.
"I nm happy enough," Jnck had re
plied, "to dine like u king on com
ment pancakes; perhaps NcIHc'h
swell dinner would bo more thnn
this feeble heart of mine could
bear."
"Don't take it to your henrt, then,"
was Nellie's saucy response; "I want
that plnco myself."
"Verily," said Uncle Ren, nB he
urged the horses into a trot, "verily,
n dinner of herbs where love 1b
bless my soul, nagB! can't you un
dcrstnnd that I have a New Year ser
mon to preach to-day?" Sidney
Sieycs, in Minneapolis Housekeeper.
IN IIAIID LUCK.
Dcndbroke Lend me a dollar, will
you?
No joke I can't do It; you know I
haven't even paid for my wife's New
Yeor's present to me yet.
Olve on New Yi-nr'n Dny.
In the Greek church New Year's
takes the place of Christmas, so far
as interchange of giffs is concerned.
The father of a family gives to his
wife and children presents of money,
which are carefully put a wny.
The Modern Spirit.
Mistress Whut makes you nsk for
more wages? Aren't you satisfied
with what you get?
Cook YIb, mum; but 01 thought
there wud be no harum -in nskin' for
a little more! Rrooklyn Life.
PROPAGATING GRAPES.
TTe flacceaa of TIiIb Method of llnnd
IIbk Ctttlnicn Kenny for the Id-
trj Lbur Involved.
With grape cuttings some varieties
are more easily propagated thnn oth
ers, nnd this partly explains tho dif
ference in the price of plants. In s
favorable season, by procuring the cut
tings of certain varieties In the spring,,
sticking them into well-prepared soil
nnd giving them good care a fnlrmcns
urc of succumb may be obtained. Thcro
aro some objections to this method,,
however. The vines may have been
materially injured by the previous win
ter's cold; or nftcr the cuttings aro
planted the upper buds may be warmed
into life first and attempt to mako
vines before there nro roots to sus
tain them, nnd often make a growth of
an inch or two from the food stored up
in themselves, nnd then die for want
or proper connection with the earth.
With ma the following method has
been quite successful: I use wood of
tho present season's growth, prepar
ing the cuttings for the fall any titno
after the sup censes to flow and beforo
hard freezing weather. I make them,
six or eight Inches long, with not less
than two buds on each, nnd in cutting
from the vino cut just below the lower
bud, thus lenvlng the long end of tho
cutting to mnrk its position when
planted. For convenience 1 tie them
in bundles of 60 or 100, being careful
to keep the butt ends even, and plnco
the bundles, with butt ends up, close
together in n well-drained pit, dug
three or four inches deeper thnn tho
length of the cuttings. Cover thlswlth
earth until tho ground Is n little more
thnn level, nnd ns the severe weather
approaches throw on straw or other
litter to keep them intact from henvy
frosts. Early in tho spring I remove
this litter and give the sun a clfnnco
to start the upper buds, tho deeper
buds rcmnining dormant awhile longer
in the cold earth. As spring advances
examine the cuttings occasionally, but
do not transplant till the buds nro
swollen so as to warrant extrn han
dling. Then set out the cuttings in a.
row four or five inches apart, butt end;
down, with tho upper bud on a lcvell
with the surface of the ground, anil'
pack tho dirt around each to exclude
the air. Ry this time the ground hart
warmed up enough to enable the lower,
buds to continue their growth, and by
the time the leaves appear tho roots,
will be ready to enrry them nourish
ment. I have found this method hnsi
more thnn repaid the extra labor in
volved. l'rnlrlo Former.
DRAINAGE FOR BARNS.
A Simple Method That "Will IiiNiire
Ilulldlnir Free from Odor nuil
Clean Auliiinln.
The plans herewith show how n bnrnr
mny be drained easily by the use of
sewer pipe or tile. Stanchions nro
shown nt a a n, the stable door at b b,.
which enn be mnde of any kind of heavy
boards, and slopes slightly townrd the
UPPISH END OV TILE.
rear. The drop behind the cows I
clearly shown at c c c, anil four-Inch
sewer pipes or tile nt d d d ddlreutlyf
behind each cow. Hardwood circular
blocks fitted into the top of the si wcr
pipe nre shown nt c e e e. Then nro
holes (f f f) in these blocks through
which the liquid manure passe A.
DnAlNINO A COW I1AIIN.
drainage pipe at the bottom of the
6"ewer pipes (d) Is shown at g g, omt
connects with n cistern or sink, if this
is not available It con oct os a drain..
The small cut portrays the-uppcr end
of the tile. This method of draining a
cow barn will insure clean animals and
a building free from odors. If the soil
is very sandy, the drain pipe (g) Is not
absolutely essential. J. H. Hollis, In
Farm and Home.
Winter Iliitloim for Cown,
Cows that freshen in the spring must-,
be put on dry food during the winter,,
and the change ubually produces a,
marked decrease in the milk flow, or
even onuses the animal to go dry en--tire'.y.
The cow must be fed n reason
able allowance during the winter to
keep her in reasonable condition, and
jhe o'ten gives absolutely nonreturns,
for this food. The young"cu')(in early
winter is ulso compelled to begin dry
feeds immediately after weaninp
nggjcUi ('7:'2 msgzm lies
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