A CONFESSION.
Ttc been down to the city, an' I've neon the Mectri" lights,
Tho twenty-story bulldln's nn' tlio other Htunnltf sights;
1 I've seen tlie trolley ears n-rushln' madly down the Mtrcet,
! An' nil the place u-lookln like a fairyland cornpluto.
llut I'd rather see tho big trees that's n-growln' up to home,
v An' watch the stars a-twlnklln' In the bine an' lofty dome;
An' I'd rather hear the wind that goes n-slngln' pnHt tho door
xl 'J'han tho tratlle of the city, with I1h bustle an its roar.
I reckon I'm peculiar, an' my tastes Ih kind o' low,
Hut what's the use denyln' things that certainly Ih ho?
I wont np to a concert, an' I heard the nniHlc there,
It Hounded like angelic harpH u-lloatin' through the air.
Yet, Hplte of all its glory, an the gladness an' acclaim,
If I stopped to think a minute, I waH homesick Jos' the same;
An' I couldn't help confesHln, though it seems a curious thins,
That I'd rather hear a robin sweetly plpln' In the spring.
Washington Star.
i
Q
to
n
m
ONLY A
F all i)oor men the most to be
pitied Is the floor rich man. The
man In absolute poverty can be
helped; but for the man who Is poor
fvlt.li his coffers full of gold then? Is no
earthly help none, unless something
Van get away down Into his heart and
tipen the way for the Incoming of sun
light and warmth. Such a transfor
mation L once knew, and I will tell
rou how It was wrought. It was done
by only a little child.
Hufus . OJrote was really and truly
i minor, though he had probably never
leknowlodged the fact to himself. At
the age of sixty he lived In a close,
tmall, shabby house, In a narrow
ttreet down town, though up town
where the streotx were broad, and
Vhero green trees grew, he owned a
whole brick block, the rental of which
yielded what might have been a mag
nificent income for any man. In early
life Hufus Crete had been disappoint
ed; so while yet a man he had shut
nlmsclf up within his shell and
through all the years of his manhood
tie had neither asked nor given any
ovo nor friendship. He took his us
I nee even to the pound of llesh, If it
ivas due him by (he bond, and he was
is ready to discharge all bonded obli
gations. One evening, Just at dusk, a coach
Mopped at ItufiiH Crete's door, and a
lady, dressed In black, and accompa
nied by a child, alighted therefrom,
and plied the rusty Iron knocker. The
miser answered the summons, and de
manded the applicant's business.
"Uncle Hufus," said the woman, "I
mu .Mary Sanford, and this is my
child. Will you give me shelter until
1 can llnd work?"
Mary Sanford was the only (laugh
ler of Kufus Grote's dead sister, lie
find heard of her husband's death, and
. he had shudderlugly as Iced himself
more than (Mice If It might: not be pos
sible that his widowed niece would
call upon 111 lit for assistance. And
now tho dreaded blow had fallen.
What was he to do? Had he followed
the llrst Impulse, he would have
turned the woman and her child away
with u word; but that would have
oon inhuman. He was caught in a
trap. He had to open his door wider,
tnd let them in. And when they were
In he was forced, In common decency,
to go out and buy a loaf of bread and
some cheese.
Mary Sanford was thirty-live; a
light, pale-faced, pretty woman; and
what of lR'auty she possessed was due
aioro to the rellcx action upon her face
and manner of her native goodness
than to any outward grace of feature.
II or child, a girl of nine years, was
jailed Flora. She was a plump, dim
pled, sunny-haired and sunny-faced
jblld, with the light of a tender, loving
'leart sparkling in every feature. She
was really and truly a thing of beauty
;nd perfect Joy.
After eating the bread and cheese,
and drinking cold water with It, Mary
Sanford told to Hufus 05 rote the story
of her husband's death how he had
MilTered long, and how ho had left her
hi utter destitution.
"Hut," she concluded, as she saw a
cloud upon her uncle's face, "I am not
:ome to lie a burden upon you, Mrs.
May nurd will bo In the city In a few
flays, and will give me work."
"Ugh! What kind of work?" grunt
ed Hufus.
"1 ahull keep house for her."
Later In the evening, by the dim
light of a slnglo tallow candle, Flora
crept to tho old man's sldo and climb
ed into his lap. For the moment he
had a thought of putting her away, as
he would have put away an insinuat
ing cat, but ho did not do it. So sho
kept on until she had got both hands
upon his shoulders.
"You aro my Unclo Itufus?" sho
wild, with a quivering, eager smile.
"I supposo so," answered tho man.
forcing out tho reluctant words.
"I haven't got a papa any more.
Mayn't I kiss you before I go to. bed?"
The llttlo warm arms wero around
his neck, and the kiss was upon his
CHILD.
cheek. The child walled a moment as
though for a kiss In return, but she
did not get It, and she slipped down
and went with her mother to the little
dark room where Hufus Grote had
given ii to their use his own hard,
poor bed.
For himself tho host had plnnned to
spread a blanket uimmi the floor In the
living room. He had slept there be
fore, and he could sleep there again.
The soil of Hufus Grote's heart wa
like the soil of other hearts. A seed
once forced through the crust would
Hud root there either good or evil.
In all his manhood's life so warm a
thing as that childish kiss had not
touched his cheek. Ho did not think
of It so much until he was alone in
the dense darkness; and then when he
could see nothing else, he could sr-e
that sunny face, and the musical chir
rup sounded again in his cars. At
llrst he would have been glad to be
lieve that the child's mother had In
structed her In this, but when he look
ed over all tin; circumstances, ho knew
It could not have been; and before he
slept he was glad the child had come
to It 1 in of her own sweet Impulse.
Upon the hard Moor, with only a
single blanket for bedding, Hufus
Grote did not. sleep so soundly as was
his wont. He dreamed, and in his
dreams he saw a cherub, and fait cher
ubic arms about his neck, with, kisses
upon his cheek. And he said to him
self In lib dreams:
"Surely, I cannot he such an ogre
If these sweet beings can love me."
In the morning Hufus 05 rote was
up very early. He had thought the
night before that he had bread and
cheese enough for breakfast; but after
the night's dream he took new
thoughts. Without exactly compre
hending the feeling, the sense of utter
loneliness and selfishness had given
place to a warmer sense of companion
ship and fraternity. He put his hand
to the cheek where- the Impress of the
child's kiss had fallen, and a new res
olution came to his mind. He went out
to a neighboring street corner and pur
chased tea and sugar and butter, and
new warm breakfast rolls, and a small
can of milk.
He had Just deposited these articles
upon the table when Mrs. Sanford
made her appearance.
"OJood-niornlng, Uncle Hufus."
Had .the host caught that sound
when he llrst arose It would have
startled him; but It fell very softly
upon his ears now. Ho hat been ex
ercising, and earned the sal te.
"Good morning. Mary," returned
Hufus; and so odd was It, that the
very tones of his own voice surprised
him.
"What can I do for you this morn
ing, uncle? May I get your break
fast for you?"
"I will build a fire," said the man,
"and then If you please, you may make
a cup of tea."
The tire was built, and then he
showed where Id dishes were.
Mary Sanford was an accomplished
housekeeper, and she could accommo
date herself to circumstances very nar
row. While she was busy a ray of
fresh sunshine burst Into the room,
lighting up the dingy wall, and mak
ing golden with its light the atmos
phere of the place. It was little
Flora, bright, Joyous and Jubilant,
thinking only of love In the llrst hour
of her waking from refreshing sleep
Without, a word only a ripple of ghurM
...,. . ..... , .. r....
ness dropping from her lips she went
to where the old man had Just sat
down In the corner, and crept up again
Into his lap
"1 can't reach your cheek, uncle,"
she Inughed, "without getting up you
aro so big and I am so little."
And then she kissed him as she
had done the night before; but not as
on tho night before did Hufus Grote.
With a movement almost spasmodic
so strange was It for him lie drew
tho child back to him, and Imprinted
a hearty kiss upon her round cheek.
And the words "God bless you, llt
tlo ouol" fell from his lips before h&
know It.
Verily the crust was broken. But
had any good seed fallen upon the
heart?
Whnt an odd scone for the miser's
home! A really good breakfast a
tablo tastefully laid tho fumes from
the teapot fresh and fragrant and
the surroundings cheerful.
After breakfast Kufus Grote was
forced to go away on business. And
on that day ho concluded arrangements
for the leasing or a ounoing wnicn
was to roturn mm ten tuousanu col
lars a year; and he had meant when'
the business was done, that ho would
be poorer than ever, and live on less'
than heretofore, so that he might lay
up more. On tJils same nay one or
his houses was vucated up town a
dwelling on one of the broad streets
where the green trees grew. He saw
his agent and ordered him to let tho
house as quickly as possible.
That evening, whim Mrs. Sanford
was out, Flora came to Hufus OJrotc's
side, and looked earnestly up Into his
face.
"Uncle." she said, with quaint seri
ousness, "don't you want mo io get
up into your lap?" '
"Why do you ask that?" demanded:
the old man.
"Mamma said I mustn't She said
you wouldn't like It."
"What made her think I shouldn't
like It?"
"Because she said you wahn't happy;
and she cried when sho said that her
little girl mustn't make her Unclfj
Hufus dislike her."
"And what did you say to that?"
asked Hufus OJrote, with awakening
Interest.
"I told mamma that I would put my
aruiR around your neck, and hug nnd
kiss you, and see If I couldn't make
you love me. And if you loved me, I.
knew you would let mo sit in your
lap."
When Mnry Sanford came in, half)
an hour later, she found her child in
Uncle Hufus' lap, her sunny head pil
lowed upon his bosom, and his strong
arms entwining her.
The seed had fallen, nnd hnd taken
root!
Three days afterward Hufus Grote
saw his agent, and told him that he
need not hurry about renting the,
empty house up town.
On the evening of the same day
Mary Sanford came in with a letterj
In her hand, and found Flora nestled
in her uncle's arms.
"Unclo Hufus," she said, "I have
received a letter from Mrs. Mnynard.
She will be at home day after to-morrow."
"And she wants you to take charge
of her house?"
"Yes."
"Very well. Walt till she comes."
And the old man held the little child
in Ills arms until It was time to go to
bed.
On the following morning Uncle
Hufus told Mary that lie wanted her
to take a ride with him during tho
forenoon.
Site said she would be at his serv
ice. And later a fine coach drew up be
fore the door, and Unclo Hufus came
in and bade Mary make ready, and to
make Flora ready also.
They rode up town, and when they
stopped Uncle Hufus handed them out
before a house with grent chestnut
trees growing in the yard and upon
the sidewalk. And he led them Into
the house. And in the broad, hand
some parlor he turned and spoke, hold
ing Flora by the hand.
"Mnry." he said, "this llttlo child
has promised to make her old undo
happy, and I will not give her up.
This house is mine. If you will como
and help me take care of It, I will
live In It. What say you?"
What could she say? She saw the
new light upon her uncle's face; and
when he took the child In his arms
and held the sunny head close upon his
bosom, she saw the blessing of tho
coining time. She said, with a burst
of tears
"Dear uncle, if Flora and I can
make you happy, you may command
us both."
There was wonder up town and
there was wonder down town when
Hufus OJrote appeared a well dressed,
smiling, happy man.
And In the mansion beneath the
shade of the great chestnut trees there
was peace and Joy. An angel, In the
shape of a llttlo child, had touched
a human heart long burled in cold
darkness, and brought It forth to love
and blessing. Waverley Magazine.
Lord Strattiooua.
Lord Stratlicona began tho career
It'll 1 flit llll 1 ltul 111 111 it UniiMn ..a
' 7.L i , ,i V ,
Irds and a colossal fortune as a "red
itu Ired, freckled, rough-hewn Scotch
lad" in the wilds of Labrador. Ho was
In the employment of tho Hudson Bay
Company and Ills duty was to barter
for furs with the natives and pack
them oft' to Montreal work which In
volved long and perilous Journeys by
canoe and on snow shoes, amid hard
ships which would have proved fatal
to anyone less sturdy than tho Scottish
saddler's son.
The troublo with having a good
word for everybody is that when you
pay a compliment, it doesn't count.
-- OLD-- - I
FAVORITES i
The MoiieylcHH Mnn.
ts there no secret place on the face of
the earth
Where charity dwclleth, whero virtue
hath birth,
A'lioru bosoms in mercy and kindness
will heave,
nd the poor and the wretched shall ask
and receive?
,s there no place at all where a knock
from the poor
ill bring a kind angel to open the door?
Dh! search the wide world, wherever you
can,
There Is no open door for a moneyless
man.
Jo look in yon hall where the chande
lier's light
Drives off with its splendor the darkness
of night;
Where the rich hanging velvet, In shad
owy fold,
Sweeps gracefully down with its trim
mings of gold;
And the mirrors of silver take up and
renew
n long lighted vistas the 'wildering
view;
So there at the banquet and lipd if you
can
welcoming smile for the moneyless
man.
Jo look In yon church of the cloud-reaching
spire,
Which gives buck to the sun his same
look of tire,
Where the arches and columns are gor
geous within,
And the walls seem as pure as a soul
without sin:
Walk down the long aisle see the rich
nnd the great,
n the pomp and the pride of their world
ly estate;
Walk down in your patches and find if
you can.
Who opens a pew for a moneyless man.
'Jo look to your judge in his dark flowing
gown,
With the scales wherein law weiidicth
equity down:
Where lie frowns on the weak and smiles
on the strong,
nd punishes right while he justifies
wrong:
Where jurors their lips to the Bible have
liml
To render a verdict they've already
uiiide:
(Jo there in the court room and find if
you can
Any law for the cause of a moneyless
man.
i Jo, look In the banks, where Mammon
has told
His hundreds and thousands of silver and
gold;
Where, safe from the hands of the starv
ing and poor
Lies pile upon pile of the glittering ore;
Walk up to their counters ah, there
you may stay
Till your limbs shall grow old and your
hair shall turn gray,
And you'll find at the bank not one of
the elan
With money to lend to a moneyless man.
Then go to your hovel no raven has fed
The wife who has suffered too long for
her bread;
Kneel down by her pallet and kiss the
, death frost
From the lips of the angel your poverty
lost;
Then turn in your agony upward to God
A n't bless while it smites you the chast
ening rod;
And you'll find at the end of your life's
little span
There's a welcome above for a moneyless
man.
Henry Thompson Stanton.
SOME ODD RAILROAD RULES.
Jnrious Kurly KxperienecH In Trans
portation In I'ciuiHyl vnnia.
Some of the regulations In force on
he earliest railroads llullt In Pennsyl
vania read very quocrly In these days
of "Umlteds" and "dyers." says tho
Boston 'Transcript. A number of them
lire quoted In a brief paper read before
the Engineers' Society of Western
Pennsylvania on early experiences in
transportation by Antes Snyder, and
abstracted in part in tin Scientific
American supplement. Says this paper:
i "When the commonwealth opened
the Philadelphia nnd Columbia Hail-
way tlit theory was that the State fur
bish the roadway and that any one
who pleased could furnish his own ve
hicle and motive power and use the
railway whenever he wished by paying
the State tolls for Its use, just as the
turnpikes of the day were used, lint
It was soon discovered that a certain
character of vehicles was needed and
that rules and regulations as to times
ind milliner of using the railways wero
absolutely necessary to effect their suc
cessful operation. The ordinary ship
pers found It too expensive to lit thein
Kelves with the necessary plant and
that they could get tills transportation
done by large and woll-equlpped ship
pers much more cheaply than they
could do it themselves, so that in prac
tice the business drifted Into the hands
of a few individuals and companies,
who did this service for the many.
The railway as constructed was Intend
ed for the horse as motive power,
though the locomotive was being Jntro
Juced as an experiment shortly after
the railway was completed. The fol
lowing among the rules and regula
tions adopted by the canal commission
for the regulation of the railway may
be of Interest.
" 'Sec. 'J'J. No car shall carry a great
er load than three tons on tho Colum
bia and Philadelphia Hulhvaj-, nor
more thun three and a half tons on tho
Portage Hallway, nor shall any burden
car travel at a greater speed than five
miles per hour, unless the car body
and load shall be supported on good
steel springs.'
'"Sec. 108. It shall bo tho duty of
the conductors of cars moving with
less spocd upon the railways, upon ro'X
or otherwise, of the approach of a huVT
motive engine or other cars moving f
the same direction at a greater speed,
to proceed with all possible dispatch
to the first switch In the course of their
passage, and pass off said track until
said locomotive engine or other cars
moving at greater speed can patfs by.
The conductors of the slower cars are
directed to open and close the switches
so as to leave them In proper order.
Any person who shall refuse or neglect
to comply with the provisions of this
regulation shall, for every offense, for
feit nnd pay the sum of 910.'
"It must have been a very interest
ing and novel sight, Indeed, when the
horse and the locomotive weer used in
discriminately on the same track and
wero struggling for supremacy as the
future motive power of our railroads,
nnd the approach of a locomotive "wa
heralded by the tooting of a born. Even
nt that time the right of way was giv
en to the fast horse."
SOME SWEARING DEFENSIBLE.
Many Great and Good Men Have Used
an Occasional Oath.
According to the Anti-Profanity
League the swearing habit is "the na
tional evil." Undoubtedly tho use of
profanity Is extremely prevalent; a
person needs merely to keep his ears
open on the street to learn this, says
the Boston 'Transcript. But whether it
is so general as to justify one in term
ing It the national evil is a matter of
opinion. Not all swearing, moreover,
is wholly indefensible. There are arl
ous kinds of swearers and It will not
do to lump them in one class with a
..I 1.. I 1 . .. 1 . . . .1 . i 1 . .
single innei. nesmes uie uaiuiuai aim
commonplace swearers, whose profan
ity is mere redundant and colorless
verbiage, and the vulgar and diffuse
swearers, whose oaths are rank and
noisome, one must recognize also as a
distinct category the discreet and mod
erate swearers who employ an occa
sional oath with line emphasis and ar
tistic effect.
Many great and good men belong to
the last class. Even the father of his
country Is said to have sworn vigor
ously when the emergency seemed to
require departure from his customary
rule of unvarnished speech. This sort
of discriminating profanity is vastly
different from the causeless and gra
tuitous swearing of habitual and vul
gar oatliinongers. Indeed, the man
who now and then vents his emotions
in an oath is rather preferable to the
one who always bottles up his feelings,
however strong the provocation to
break forth. A robust ebullition Is bet
ter than ingrowing profanity. Silence
may be as profane as words under cer
tain circumstances. A saying of .Jo
seph Choate occurs to the settler in
tills connection. A noted prolate was
once playing golf with Mr. Choate. and
after foozling a tee shot egreglously,
stood looking at the ball for several
moments. After waiting for the bishop
to say something, Mr. Choate remark
ed: "Bishop, that was the profanest si
lence I ever heard."
As for the Anti-Profanity League,
the purpose of the organization is cer
tainly worthy, but somehow' the settler
cannot develop a high degree of en
thusinsui in such a cause. He Is a bit
weary of antl crusades of all sorts.
Movements for the suppression of this
and that and what not fall to interest
hlni profoundly. It seems to him that
what is needed in the Held of social re
form is not so much tho suppression
of bad tilings as the promotion of good
things. Heformers should concentiato
their energies on positive and construc
tive work, rather than purely negative;
and restrictive undertakings.
Might Have Heon Worse.
Hourko Cockran was condemning a
certain popular novel.
"This novel," ho said, "is as poor
and barren as Elmo County land."
"Is Elmo County land very poor and
barren?" asked one of Air. Cockran s
interlocutors.
"Is it?" ho said. "Well, I should sny
It is. Once two strangers rode on
horseback through Elmo County, and
the barrenness of the land amazed!
them. Nothing but weeds and rocks
everywhere. As they passed a farm4
house they saw an old man sitting in
the garden, and they said:
" 'Poor chap! Poor, poverty-stricken
old fellow!'
"The old man overheard thorn, and
called out in a shrill voice:
" 'Gents, 1 hain't so poor nn' poverty-stricken
as ye think. I don't own
none o' this laud.' "
After a man has been engaged three,
or four wooks, ho begins to find oppor
tunities to take sides in her quarrels.