m
A CONVERT.
I$n ready fur the simple life, I'm
ilfen everything is peacoauie, witnout a sign or tray.
frfiri n' ft nli tin' snowstorms. I'm tired o' chomilu' wood
iti . v '
Nttirhin iifrt id amnnthln' Hint T
I've shivered In the mornln' when
I've took quinine aim outers tin my stomacu s geiuu wean.
An' I'm waltln' most Impatient for the time to come along,
When the sun Is shlnlu' lazy nnd the world is all a song.
Swlugln' In the hammock underneath the spreadln' tree,
Llstenln' to the robin an' the murmur of the bee;
Kcepln' Jest a little bit awake, so's not to miss
The perfume of tho clover mingled with the sophyr's kiss.
I've had enough of battlo with tho winter's ruthless power;
I yearn for peace and quiet. I can stand It by the hour.
It's fine to bo a hero an' to conquer In the strife,
But I'm gettlu' good an' ready to adopt a simple life.
-Washington Star.
LEONORA'S WEDDING CAKE
ONOLOGUE, Miss Martha Pin
ter, seamstress by the day,
sneaking:
i.ir . ( . . . I .. 1 . T n n ti fitin 'nm 1111
"ICS ill. yUllUIUIJ X ViMll iuiii "I'
Vsldo down and put 'em right in style.
jve 1)00,1 dolug tnat for a11 my CU9t0,u
Jiers ever since the spring work bdgan.
'Tfjiever did like sleeves big at the bot
, !om. They didn't fit the way arras are
made, and I turned against 'em from
ho nrst. But land, with most roiKs
It's anything for stylel I'm real glad
to reverse 'em and put the fullness at
the shoulder. When all's said and done
you can't tell but what they was cut
that way In the first of It. I've been
real successful changing sleeves.
"Tell you about the wedding? I don't
know any reason why I shouldn't.
You see, having the same regular cus
'tomers year In and year out, I got well
..acquainted with tho folks I work for
'and I sort o' fit 'em together like one
!blg family; though I never was a hand
to carry tulea from one hotiso to an
other. Troubles I never repeat, and
there's many a one of 'em I know, I
don't mention. But weddings arc dif
ferent. They're mostly joyful occa
sions, particularly when It happens
they're doublets, so to speak, as Leo
nora Wilson's was. Haven't you heard?
Why, her pa and ma has come togeth
er again and Leonora's getting married
done it. That's tho reason I said her
redding was a doublet.
"Just let mo slip this sleeve on you
till I see If It fits the arm size. Do you
prefer having tho fullness gathered
3 near thu front, or over back? I think
they drape moro graceful when they're
a little mite nearer the front, butjt's
Just as you say, not's I care. There,
Just step to the glass and see If that
suits you. Well, I'm relloved that you
like 'em. The set of a sleeve Is every
thing. I never like to lot 'em go care
less. "As I was saying about Leonora's
wedding, I made her outfit and I must
say, without meaning praise to myself,
that It was sweet. Not that she had
so much. She had a small outfit, her
ma not being able to afford and things
being as they was with her pa, but
what she had was nice and I always
did hold for quality instead o' quan
tity. And Leonora's such a pretty girl,
she sot oil what she had. ' She always
makes mo think of a flower, she's that
dainty and pure looking.
"Of course, me being in the house
helping 'em get ready for the wedding
Leonora married a real smart young
man and he's well off, too, which Isn't
a drawback, so's she's got a favorable
start and him and her are that fond of
each other 'twould do you good, to see
'em together. As I was saying, me
being In tho house helping 'em get
ready for the wedding, 'twas natural
I should know most everything going
on and they didn't nesitate to talk
right out before me, l-ve been In tho
family so long.
"I never really knew why Leonora's
pa and ma took to living separate, but
It seems they got so they couldn't ugivo
and one trouble led to another till It
ended by his going to the hotel to stay
and Leonora's ma commencing to take
boarders for a living, which she didn't
got rich by. Leonora was real young
when her pa and ma separated and It
was hard on her, she loving 'cm both
and not understanding why her pa and
ma was like poison to each other. Liv
ing In the same town, It made things
kind o' awkward, as family partings
generally does, especially when there's
only one child to divide up between
r 'em.
"Leonora's pa did as much for her as
her ma would let him and between the
two she got good schooling. Leonora
aimed to bo a teacher, but Mr. Right
came along and put a stop to that
which was a good thing, say I, believ
ing In marrying when the right folks
get together.
"It's likely you remember tho tulle
there was about Leonora's pa. Whether
or not It was true, I don't know. It
might bo he was wild some, not having
any . real homo and feeling lonesome,
but however It was, It sot Leonora's
ma against him more'n ever and she
, said- they was parted for good and all.
"'How will you have your sleeve
waltln' for the day,
foot wnnld do inn crood. '
the dawn was gray and bleak,
.1.1 ..ni. i t.
fixed around the hand? Just plain with
a fall o' lace? I like 'em best that way
myself and that's real pretty laco you
have. It'll look sweet
"As I was saying, when Leonora was
grown sho kept feeling worso about
having things as they was between her
pa and her ma. Sho tried to bring 'em
togother, but no, they was both stiff-
necked and prldeful, and, being used
to living apart, they didn't feel to come
together. ,
"When Leonora's pa heard she was
going to be married, ho Bent her a nice
check and a letter she thought more of
than sho did tho money. Her ma acted
kind o hurt about it, but Leonora's
firm for all she's so soft spoken and
has such loving ways. I heard her say
myself one day when her ma was fret
ting, 'but, mother he's my father, and
wo haven't quarreled.'
"The day before the wedding all of
Leonora's things was done and we was
trying her wedding dress on her. I
never expect to. see an angel look
sweeter. Leonora's soft air and tall
and slim, and with her white dress and
veil on, she made mo think of an Eas
ter Illy, Right In the midst of the
trying on, In come her ma with a big,
wooden box. She'd had the cover tak
en off and inside was another box
mado of tin, and inside uio tin box was
a big, rich fruit cako done up In Avax
paper. She looked sort o' pale and
trembly when she set It down. 'Leo
nora,' said sho, 'here's your wedding
cake. It was mado tho day you were
born most twenty years ago and see
how fresh lfs kept.'
"Leonora flushed all up, she was that
pleased. 'Why, mother, said she, 'why
mother, how lovely!' She put her
arms around her ma and I could see
her give her a good squeeze.
"When she was born tilings was dlf
..rent in the family. Her pa was do
Ing well and thinking nothing was too
good for her ma, and If ever a child
was welcome and made a to-do over, It
was IVeonora. You'd have thought she
was an angel straight from heaven and
as she made things turn out, I more'n
half believe she was.
"Her ma couldn't talk for as much
as n minute, but when she could speak
she said, 'Leonora, there's some let
ters for you In the box. They were
written and put In 'fore the cako was
sealed up. Maybe you'd like to read
'em. They were meant for this day
If you should live to see It.' She stop
ped and choked up.
"Leonora gave her a quick look and
then began to take out tho letters
They was stained from the richness of
tho cake and the Ink was faded, but
it wasn't any trouble to read 'em.
Loving messages they wore from her
pa and ma and other relations. Leo
nora read 'em all real careful, and
then looked In tho box for more. She
lound another nlmost hidden In a cor
ner. 'Why,' silld her ma, 'I didn't
know that one was there. Who wrote
it?'
" 'To My Dear Wife,' road Leonora,
slow and gentlo,
"YES'il, I CAN TURN 'EM UPBIOU DOWN."
"She passed It to her ma and lookod
at her, sort o' boseochlng. Her ma
took It In her hand as If sho was
afraid It would burn her. It was a
full minute boforo sho opened it and
Leonora and I pretonded wo weren't
noticing,
"'Is your dross satisfying?' said I.
" 'It Is lovely, said Leonora, absent
minded. "Pretty soon wo honrd her ma sob
bing. Leonora flow to her like a bird.
I grabbod a sheet and wrapped around
her so no tears could fall on her wed
ding dress. I couldn't havo that bad
luck come to Leonora.
" 'What Is It, mother?' said she, be
twixt laughing and crying.
"You see I had her done up tight in
the sheet and she couldn't get her
arms free.
" 'Oh, take this sheet away,' sho said,
as near cross as I ever heard her
speak.
"I wouldn't budge, and there stood
Leonora trying to .get free, till her ma
camo to her.
" 'We can't have any tears on your
wedding gown, little daughter,' said
she, wiping her eyes. Shu sort o' hesi
tated and then I heard her say, real
soft, 'tills letter Is from your father.'
" 'Oh, mother!' said Leonora, 'let me
read It Please, do.-
"Iler ma flushed up and gavo It ih
Jier without a word. She looked melted
and forgiving. I knew right away
how it was. You seo that letter was
written when Leonora's pa and ma
wero thinking a lot of each other and
feeling so happy over Leonora's com
ing, and reading it bo unexpected,
brought it all back to Leonora's ma.
"Leonora read It through twice. It
was that still you could hear a pin
prick you. And then Leonora said,
'Mother, that's tho dearest letter I ever
read. If father was like that then, he
can be so again. Won't you make me
happy and ask him to my wedding?'
"They was crying, whether or no, on
each other's shoulders. I went out of
the room real quiet, and closed the
door.
"How they fixed It I don't know, but
come Leonora's wedding night I was
there helping her to dress and says
she, chirk as a lark, 'Father Is coming
to my wedding; isn't it beautiful?'
"I wish you could have seen tho way
her eyes were shining! I thought of
blue stars when I looked into 'em.
"Just before it was time for the folks
to come, I went down stairs to seo
about Leonora's flowers. And Just as
I got down In the hall, tho bell rang
and I let her pa In tho front door.
Knowing ho was expected, I didn't act
surprised. Says I, 'Good evening, Mr.
Wilson; won't you rest your hat?' Then
1 flushed up, remembering he ought to
be more at home than.. I was.
"lie came In and stood around sort
o' uneasy until ho saw Leonora's moth
er In the back end of the hall. He
moved toward her like ho was pulled.
Leonora's ma was looking almost as
pretty and young as Leonora. Sho had
on a white dress I'd mado her, with a
full skirt and shirred .somo on the hips
and cut out a little mite In the neck.
Mr. Wilson Is a well-favored man and
they certainly was a handsomo couple.
He went right up to Leonora's mn and
took her hand and said something In
almost a whisper. ' I couldn't hear.
Then he put his other hand on her
shoulder and looked at her steady for
a full minute. If there ever was love
and pleading la a man's face It Avas la
his.
"In the midst of It I heard a soft
rustle on the stairs and there was
Leonora coming down. If you'll believe
me that girl appeared to float from the
top to the bottom without putting foot
on the stairs! '
" 'Father mother you're together!
Oh, I'm so happy!' she was saying, and
she kept saying 'I'm so happy,' till she
was where they stood smiling and not
speaking. Leonora's pa put his arm
around the both of 'em and hugged 'em
up close. I never expect to aee a
lovelier view!
"Leonora's pa and ma stood up with
Leonora and her beau while they was
getting married, nnd tho wedding was
exactly like a doublet. .They was con
gratulated ns. much as the real bride
and groom and a happier acting couple
you needn't look for. I expect folks
wondered considerable. Let 'em wpn
der, say I. Good things don't need ex
plaining. "It was Leonora's wedding cake that
was the means of bringing 'em togeth
er and I feel real privileged to have
seen It. Tbey never expected to live
together again, but hover Is not such
a long day hut what It has an ending.
Leonora's ma won't havo to keep on
taking boarders. Mr. Wilson's well
able to care for her, and it's pretty to
think that now they can go hand In
hand through tho rest o' the vale. That
wedding was certatnl n happy occa
sion. "Yes'm, I'm real glad I could toll
you about It, though I'm no hand to
carry tales from house to house. If
you'll hand me that lace I'll frill it on
around your sleeves, and Avhen all'a
said and done, you never can tell but
what they wts cut full at the top In
the beginning." Toledo Blade.
The only thing that ever happens In
a country town Is the appearance in
the spring and fall of a strange milli
ner to trim hats for sir weeks.
A grass snako, reported by an Eng
lish nnturollst, ate a small frog on
Juno li, inoi. After this it refused all
food, but appeared In good health, nnd
often very Uvoly, until about a week
before lta death, on Feb. 2.
Two Nova Scotia men bellcvo that
they have discovered a practice for
hardening copper. One of them Is a
blacksmith and has mado a razor out
of tho hardened copper. The razor,
though rough, , is sharp enough to
shave with. Tho men say they can
harden copper to any degree.
Mosquitoes have been associated
with malaria in the minds of men for
a very long time. Sir A. J. Blake at
a meeting of tho Asiatic society re
cently announced Unit Slngalese modi
cal books of tho sixth century record
ed sixty-seven varieties of mosquitoes
and JIM kinds of malarial fever caused
by mosquitoes.
That uniHlc tends to stop bleeding
from wounds Is tho singular observa
tion of nn army surgeon. On bringing
a patlont near music ho noticed that
hemorrhage was greatly reduced or
stopped, and was eventually led to
concludo that tho air vibrations In
duce falntness, thus lessening heart
action and consequently reducing
blood overflow.
Tho new typo of telautograph of
Isaac and Menibret, French engineers,
includes a desk transmitter, on which
tho writing Is done with an ordinary
pencil, nnd an apparatus at tho other
end reproducing tho writing on n roll
of paper. Designs, music and signa
tures, as well as messages, are pre
pared In Paris and nro accurately re
produced In Rouen, tho results being
much superior to tlioso attained from
time to timo during many years of ex
periment The final report of tho Royal Com
mission on Coal Supplies presents
somo Interesting facts. Assuming
four tliousnnd feet ns tho limit of
depth and ouo foot as the minimum
thickness of seam at which coal-mln-lng
is practicable, Uio commission esti
mates that tho avallablo quantity of
coal yet untouched in tho British Isles
amount to n little over ono hundred
thousand million tons. This Is about
ten thousand million tons greater than
tho estimate made by tho Coal Com
mission of 187.1, notwithstanding the
fact that moro than five and n half
thousand million tons of coal have
been raised In tho meantime. Tho
consumption of British coal In 1003 is
estimated at ono hundred and sixty
seven million tons, so that tho report
is reassuring as to any danger of im
mediate exhaustion of tho supply.
Aro thoroughbred racers ond Arab
horses distinct In their origin from the
common kind of horse? Richard
Lydekker, a well-known geologist and
traveler, has written a letter, dated
at the British Museum, to the editor
of tho London Times requesting that
skulls of pedigreed horses bo given to
the British Museum. He says It was
"recently discovered Unit a horso skull
from India, in the museum, showed a
slight depression In front of tho eyes,
evidently representing tho pit of the
face gland (like that of a deer which
existed In tho extinct three-toed hip
parlous or primitive horses." A sim
ilar depression has been noticed in tho
skulls of tho racers Stockwell nnd Ben
d'Or and an Arab horse. It existed
In a less rudlmontnry condition In tho
fosll truo horses of India. But it has
not been found In tho skulls of any
of tho ordinary English or continental
horses, nnd "It appears to be lacking
In horses' skulls from tho drift and
turbary of Europe."
COASTING IN 8AN FRANCISCO.
It la Done on GrnwH lu that Fur West
ern Town.
One-hnlf of tho world's coasters do
not know how tho other half coast
Tho Canadlnn has his toboggan, tho
mountaineer his sled, tho rustic East
erner his home-made sled for ankle
deep snow In zero weather, tho city
boy his wheeled coaster for paved
streets; but here, on the hillsides of
suburban San Francisco, a boy may
coast without snow, without a cement
walk or an asphalt street without
even a coaster! All ho needs Is to
mount; n piece of board on tho top of
a hillside, where there is a vacant lot
coveredwlth dry "sticker grass," and
away he goes like a sandbag out of a
balloon, whooping, screeching In wild
excitement and boundless Joy.
It Is a dangerous sport, but no boy
loves It less for that. Even full-grown
men have been known to break faith
with llfo Insurance companies, forget
their duty to housemates given them
to keep their trousers In order, and
throw themselves for a mad hour Into
this Intoxicating frolic.
Foxtail grass, or "stlckor grass," as
It Is commonly called, is tho terror of
gardeners. Tho seed head of foxtail Is
borno on a rodlike stem that, as tho
season advances, becomes stiff and
sleek, like wlro polished with sand.
In tills State, beginning usually In tho
latter part of Hay, the foxtail makes
of every hlllaldo upon which It appears
an unrivaled coasting track.
June is tho ideal month for grass
coasting. Somotlmos the grass Is not
dry enough In May, sometimes It haa
been spoiled for later months by
Fourth of July fires J but almost any
Juno day, If you will walk about tho
slopes of Bornal Helghti or of Fair
mount, you may find boys enjoying
this sport cither singly or In groups.
Occasionally a long boord starts down
a precipitous descent, with a sturdy
steersman In front and a row of othor
boyti squatted along upon Its cntira
length. On tho downward flight somo
of the coasters are usually spilled, bo
glnnlng, commonly, with the one scat
farther back. Often I havo watched
them, and I hnv novcr seen one of'
those courageous youngsters seriously,
hurt Sometimes tho board strikes a;
stone, swings round and selects a newi
course, as If It were a living thing.
San Francisco Chronicle.
i!
A NIGHT ON THE MOUNTAIN.
It Is not tho expected dangers which1
nro Uio greatest monaco to Alpine
climbers. W. 0. Sllngsby tells In thai
Alplno Journnl of n party of threo who
sot out to Bcale the Dent Blanche with,
every rcasonnblo expoctotlon of a
quick return. They wero well equip
ped, AVoro all experienced climbers in
flrst-rnto condition, and tho weather
was above reproach, Yet an unfore
seen peril overtook them, nnd not ono
of them would willingly, repeat the ex
periences of tliat night. Says Mr.
Sllngsby:
Wo climbed up without any adven
ture, and about 4 o'clock In tho after
noon wo started to como down. Tho
weather was perfect, and wo had no
thought of mishap. We had been de
scending for about ono hour when a
flash of lightning called our attention
to a black cloud, which advanced to
ward us and caused us to hasten our
movements. )
Suddenly, without warning, tho
cloud fell upon us, dense- and dark..
The axes in our hands gavo out faint
and steady flames; so did our gloves,
and our hair stood out straight A
handkerchief which Solby had tied
over his head looked Hko a tiara of
light. The sight was uncanny, but in
teresting. The (marks und flames emit
ted no heat and no hissing, but I felt
an uuplejwant vibration about my
spectacles.
Ono hundred and fifty feet of climb
ing would tako us over tho dangerous
part of our Journey, and In splto of
tho darkness wo pressed on to reach
snfety beforo nightfall. Wo wero all
seated on a Bteop Incllno of lodge,
clearing away tho Ice, when all at once
the mountnlnsldo appeared to break
out In a blnze, followed by a muzzled,
muffled peal of thunder, which seemed
to como out of thp interior of the
mountain, if a great crovlco had open
ed and flro burst forth we should not
havo been moro surprised.
Solby nnd Smith cried out, "My ax
is Htruckl" and each let his ax go Into
tho chasm In front of us. Wo woro
blinded by tho terribly lntenso light
Smith had a broad baud burned half
way round his neck, but aside from
that wo wero not hurt. There was
nothing to do but to wait until tho
storm should pass. Tho spectado was
ho grand that we even took a grim en
joyment In it. But when it had passed
night had fallen, and wo were prison-1
ors until morning.
Wo lashed ourselves to tho rocks,
braced our feet on tho small projec
tions of tho steep Incline and tried to
mnko tho best of It It snowed and
hailed and blew. Wo did not daro,
to sleep, but kept our hands and feet'
moving all night long. Smith was so
dazed by tho electric shock that ho
kept calling us by wrong names.
At tho earliest dawn wo mado a
breakfast of frozen oranges and sar
dines. Then wo tried to start, but we
wero so benumbed that wo were forced;
to wait for the sun to give us somo
heat. When It finally did blaze upon
us and our stiffness had disappeared,
wo rescued our axes and started for
Zermatt, which wo reached at night
fall. A rescuing party had Just been
organized to go to our relief.
Two T! in oh.
The expressions "time" and "right
time," as used by the North Sea traw
lers, wero explained by the managing
director of the Gamocock fleet at tho
Board of Trade Inquiry, at Hull, con
cerning tho firing by tho Russians
upon tho English fishermen.
The clocks on the fishing trawlers
are set an hour faster than Greenwich
time, In order that the catch of fish
may bo delivered to tho rocolvlng boat,
and reach tho Hull market promptly.
The witness was asked what the
fishermen Avould gain If they knew the
clocks wero fast.
The manager answered that It was
an old custom, and that such tradi
tions have great weight with fisher
men. You can't blame people much for
hating agents; on agent always comes
In when you aro busiest.
Most people are not sorry soon
enough.
