A r&MIION AMir APT A IK.
UstaaUaaahbp..,
A tmUmm bbbuaaat
AhUatfabMuk, -
Aa) fMfcUmaiti. gun;
ACMkluMbWCkrutiui
la faatuoaabW hi;
A fii lite yntt book
A afaaUoaauiacfcoir:
Afaatkaabkcaai!
Wit S tHBiossUs ipire;
A fMhtn hl M(tB
Witt la-aiuaabi (pmrk:
AhaMnaa Mmnm
Mi (MhloMblo mi;
A fa-ainasbli valmoM
At U faahiuaata. door;
A faahiuaabW paaaj
For la ftehianatiU poor;
A Mioudto Utm
Aad faaaioaabl bll;
A hikwuUi Biol. ,
For Mi-rahioaatl Ull;
A fataiuu.lil. kaMliac
Asd I fMhioctule and:
A fataioaabb n-r-thiaa'
But Bo fatiiioeabl (toil.
-aVrrliaot Traveler.
HOW RIDICULOUS!
"What under the sun are you putting
Into that butter Sugar as true as I
live-instead of salt! What has got into
you?" and Miss Mehitable Robinson,
an old maid, whose mental and jidy sn-ul
angularities exactly eorresitonded,
leaurdoer the wooden bowl of butter
which her niece- a young lady of nine
teen was working over.
I reckon, Hope Harris, if you mother
knew what a time I was having with
you, she'd about give up, in despair
The last words she said to me, standing
right there, in that front entry-you
can teethe spot yourself, if you're a
mind to look -was; 'Mehitable, I leave
Hope to your care, and all 1 ask is, that
you endeavor to make as good a house
keeper of her as you are yourself.
There is no doubt but she will prove
troublesome, sometimes, for she doesn't
I'm sorry to say take naturally to
domestic pursuits'oh lord," and here
Mehitable drew a long breath ami pro
ceeded to taste of the yellow lump,
spread so temptingly before her.
"'Take naturally:- I shouldn't think
she did! You See that butter, I sup
pose," continued the spinster, removing
the wooden spoon from her niece's hand
and brandishing it aloft in a manner o
comically tragic, that Hoie was com
pelled to turn her head one side to con
ceal the rising laugh.
"Yes, ma'am, 1 see that butter," she
replied. "I've had the pleasure of look
ing at that butter, and feeling of that
butter, for the last hour, in the vain at
tempt to remove the last drop of but ter
milk from that butter, and 1 would
give the small farm I own, before here,
if some good angel would say, today :
Hope Harris, you need never, as long as
yon live, touch the sticky goumy stuff
again,' A farmers wife! Xo such fate
forme, if jron please. Why, I'd rather
engage myself, for a life-partner, to old
Mephistophiles, himself."
"1 don't know nothing about you r city
chaps, and more than that, I don't want
to; but this much I do know, you
needn't worry yourself alout any fann
ers ever wanting you. They know too
well which side their bread is buttered.
Heavens and airth! If heredon't come
Mr. Halstead! Between you ami I,
Hope, that man's got to coming here
pretty often, lately. I never have done
anything, in the whole course of my
life, but I had just as lief everyliody In
the created world would know; but 1
begin to be pretty well scared about
what folks will say about this old
bachelor's coming up here e'ena' most
every day. How does my hair look,
Hope? AH of a frouse, I'm sure; but
it'll never do to run and fix up a bit,
because he's seen us both, 1 wish he
would go to the front door."
Hope's curls were tied out of her eyes
by a knot of scarlet ribbon, w hich' added
not a little to the coquettish make-up.
The sleeves of a light cambric wrapper
were pinned to the shoulders, display
ing an arm which would make an astist
wild, to copy. And then, Hope's eyes!
So one bad eer detected their exact
shade, tuough sonnet after sonnet had
been dedicated by her numerous lovers,
to her blue, brown, cerulear, sea-lined,
gray, and other colored orbs.
Aunt Mehitable had laid down the
wooden spoon, at the approach of the
stranger, and Hope, as if life or death
depended upon her celerity, spatted
away with a vengeance. The tones of
.the new comer's voice were very pleas
ant, but Hope didn't turn around.
Her cheeks were as red as the ribbon
which peeped out from among the
brown curls.
"flood morning, Miss Robinson -ex
ense my early call. I "
"(Mi, don't talk, about excuses, Mr.
Halstead. Some people are always
welcome. 1 was Just telling Hope how
pleasant it was to have you for a neigh
bor. Hope, child, why don't you look
around y Here is Mr. HalstewL"
"All, toujour, Mr. Halstead," said
the butter-maker, giving him her little
left hand.
"You And me very busy. The fact is, I
hare been trying ever since breakfast
to whip the properties, which auntie
declares should be foriegn to good but
ter, out of this unmanageable lump,
and now, having used sugar instead of
salt, to flavor It with, I shall have, I
suppose, to bang away an hour or two
longer. Ooodocaa! how I do deleat
uckworkr
' Br. JJalaUad laughed heartily Id
which Aunt Mehitable Joined, andtlien
the gentleman made known his errand.
The young folks visiting him, from the
city, had determined upon a picnic that
very day, by the sea-shore, and would
Miss Robinson and Miss Hope favor
him with their company? The ladies
assented, and our gentleman took his
departure.
Lawful sakes, Hope, you hav'nt the
least idea how that man makes my
heart beat every time he comes into
this house. If I didn't know just what
he was arter, 'twould make a consider
able ditTerenee; but, you see. John never
in the world could get along, ou this
farm, without me; and then, Mr. Hal
stead don't stay here in the winter.
He's got a house in Xew York - and
they do say 'tis elegant where he ges,
just as quick as the frost conies.
Massy! how my heart does beat!"
"Why, Aunt Mehitable. you don't
suppose he wants to -narry you. do you ?"
' Vet, Miss; and why not. I should
like to ask ? Men never look at women,
as that man looks at me, without mean
ing lonwthiim. Fortune-tellers always
told me that I should die in wedlock,
and I suppose it's got to be."
Ilojie threw down the butter-spoon
in a paroxysm of laughter, and retired
to her room, from whence she issued in
a short half hour, all ready for the pic
nic. Nof so Mehitable. Two hours of
curling, fixing, and fussing, and then,
with stately step and dignified meiii,
she walked across the Held to Mr. Hal
stead's. The most of the party had
started for the shore, and Miss Robinson
followed. The path she took was a
little circuitous, but the spinster chose
it because she desired to give herself a
little more time to think. It wound
along by a winding brook, under the
shadow of a great rock. Here .V.eh it
able stoped to take breath. TK sound
of voices, inclose proximity, was wafted
to her ear.
"Goodness alive," nlie muttered, "who
can (tat be? Well, I declare, if that
ain't pretty goings on! Our Hope, as
l'rn alive, and a man's head in her lap!"
There was no mistake about it. The
old maid was right. Hoie, with a
shawl spread down for a eariet, sat
leaning aginust a tree, while, by her
side, reclined Mr. Halstead, and truth
comielH us to state that his head wins
not only lying in her lap, but Hope's
lingers playing loviugiug with his hair.
Mehitable, with cat-like tread, drew
near.
"Hope, I loved you the first time I
saw you, and you are. sure, very sure,
darling, that you lovenie?" And Rich
ard Halstead waited for an answer.
The reply he rece d was quite unex
pected. "Hope Harris, n . oi.ie along with
me! 1 never wou',1 h.ive thought, it
you hussy you a-ift.l, designing hussy!
I'll send for your hither and mother to
morrowthat I will," roared ,M eh table.
"There's no occasion," replied Mr.
Halstead, coolly. "I saw both of Miss
Hope's parents, yesterday, and they
have given me full permission to ad
dress the young lady, with ii view to
matrimony. Won't you add your bless-
Miss Mehitable?"
"Who'd a thought it ? who'd a thought
it? The Ingratitude of one's own flesh
and blood!" And the irate spinster
walked away.
' ''IXv you know I have sometimes
thought that your aunt had an idea
that I was in love with her?" said Dick,
as he watched the tall figure stalk
majestically away. All the answer he
received was a merry laugh, and
"How ridiculous, Dick!"
To this day, Mehitable has not for
given them. Nki.uk Ames.
Ingersoll a Tenderfoot.
One of Denver's old time citizeus last
evening at the Windsor related a very
interesting incident of nn experience of
Colonel Robert Ingersoll, the noted athe
ist, as a "tenderfoot," say the Denver
Kew. Colonel Ingersoll has for years
past been interested in mining and ranch
properties in the west, and his immense
cattle ranch in Xew Mexico, owned
jointly with ex-Senator Dorsey, Is known
all over the union, Several years ago
"Bob" and some eastern confreres were
investigating mining property In Xew
Mexico with a view of purchasing. At
one raining camp where the party
visited, the owner of a mine, which had
after a thorough trial proved to be
scarcely worth working, saw an oppor
tunity to "strike it rich" by selling his
almost worthless mine to the eastern
tenderfoot. In order to effect the sale
he decided to "doctor" the mine, as
nothing else than n ersonal examina
tion would satisfy the worthy Rob. So
the wily miner procured a quantity of
the very richest silver ore and strewed
the lumps along the floor of the mine
close to the wall where the vein, which
was being worked, cropied out. At an
hour appointed Colonel liob and the
trickster, quipied with hammer and
sack, went to the mine to bring away
some samples of ore in order to test
them.
The great infidel attacked the ledge
where the ore cropped out with his
hammer, and as the lumps knocked off
fell at his feet his companion stuffed
Into his tack the rich pieces of ore with
which he had strewn tho floor of the
ca.e. Great was the astonishment of
"wise men of the east" when the
samples brought away from the mine
assayed from tfOO to 91,000 per ton.
of course a bargain was struck, and at
the mine owners figures.
FASHION NOTES.
Vmaii Hiriwn la I
A lady w hom I know is thinking of
opening a haircuttiug saloon for gentle
men, and having a trained army of lady
hairdressers to wait upon them. There
is no doubt that a staff of lady haircut
ters would attract customers. There is
no reason at all why women should not
be employed to "barber" men. Wuiueu
barber's are largely employed tocut wo
men's hair, and a man's hair is easier to
cut than a woman's. Of course the wo
men barbers would Have to gain proli
ciency in shaving. Miss Mantalini in
Pall Mall Gazette.
A New Artirlc ofUrtw.
The most sensible thing that has come
forward lately is the "Kstelle Clayton
shirts" for ladies. It is made of the usual
material of laundered shirts, and is just
like a man's, so far as the bosom, collars
and cuffs go, w hich latter are made ou
the shirt. The only way in which it dif
fers from the masculine garment is that
it is shorter and hat a drawing string
that holds it around the waist. Every
woman who likes to wear cuffs, but who
dislikes the instability and pricks of
pins, will thank Miss Clayton, if she lie
the inventor of this garment, which, by
the way, why not call the "Clayton"
without the name shirt attached? We
wear "Soutags;" why not "Claytons?"
New York Commercial Advertiser.
r'liliu In Tollat Ket.
It is a fashion of the hour to use a
number of articles for the toilet table
in richly cut crystal in place of silver.
Silver toilet articles require constant
'care. The cry.stal, moreover, throws
over the dainty drawn work cover ol
the toilet table and over the delicate
tinted hangings of the boudoir the love
liest iridescent lights whenever a stray
beam of Kunshiue touches them.
ISrushes and combs, however, are still
mounted in silver in old repousse and
etched patterns.
A (Jneeii Anne bedtime candlestick of
polished metal is preferred to one in
crystal, but not to one in Merlin or
Dresden porcelain or even blue Delft
The loveliest porcelain toilet boxes are
made by the JScrliu factory, mounted in
gold and painted in realistic flower
patterns of the period of Martoline at
Meissen, or in line andscaes of old
Dresden. The Rerliu factory does little
work of original design, but makes the
best reproductions from old Dresden
patterns. Xew York Tribune.
Tba Fa-hlon in Root.
This high cut boot with a top that
can be removed at will is a novelty for
lady tourists who wish to climb or walk
much. By lacing the top of the boot
proper above the ankle it Isdrawn tight
and acts ns a support to the ankle,
while the loose extra top protects the
limb wit hout causing any inconvenience.
With the extra top removed the boot is
a stylish one for rambling or for lawn
games. Roots and Shoes.
Skirt ror Spring: Wear..
The fiat has gone forth that soft, light,
clinging materials like foulard will be
used for spring dresses, crossing in folds
on t he bodice, which they nearly cover,
yet showing the outline of the figure
and falling thence in graceful folds on
the skirt. Only flat skirts without
Uiruures are seen, though it is predicted
that this fashion lias had nearly its
allotted time of popularity, and they
are made much longer than formerly.
The correct thing is only just to show
the tip of the toe in front and to lay
four or Ave inches ou the ground in the
back. The definite styles of Henry II
and Louis XYI are losing favor, and
one sees only crossway folds round
waists, coming to the hips with a small
point in front. The waist is made long
at the back, the gathered skirt fasten
ing on to it, while bows of ribbon or
velvet rosettes retain the draperies and
folds. Exchange.
Frnmla Anomallm.
A woman will walk up street in the
rain to save a street car fare, and then
she will give n quarter of a dollar to
the first beggar she meets.
She will go over every carpet in the
house with a damp cloth and brush,
and then go down town with a black
spot on her nose.
She laughs because the Smith girls
wear old fashioned bonnets and cries
because she knows of some poor boy
who don't a9ord a winter overcoat.
She will arrange a silk Kcnrf over a
picture frame until a man's eye will
bulge with admiration, but she can't
tie a plain, ordinary necktie to save
her life. Buffalo Express.
Covering Book.
The books we are most intimate with
are apt to grow more or less defaced by
frequent handling. To restore their at
tractiveness by concealing the original
covers is a pretty home nrt quite worthy
of practice. I f the book is bound- In
black or dark cloth, a silk with black
ground and colored figures may be
selected for the new covering, ai a lighter
ground, unless the silk is very thick, is
apt to be shadowed by the darkness
under it. The cover is cut to tit tie
book, much as the slip covers school
books are cut, excepting that, only a
small portion is left to turn in ou tu
wrong iidft ,'kiston Record.
YOUTH UNDER THE AX.
caurfcaMa
Karva Ksblblte Hf
ITouuf at Vketia- af tha OaUlatlaa.
"That man has receutl v witnessed a
rare and infrequent sight," s:iid a well
known man-about-town to a Xew York
Journal reporter on Broadwav, point-
lug to a foreign-looking man who was
just going into the Fifth Avenue Hotel, i
The reporter approached the gentle
man, who gave bis name as George
Hur'uitioD. a well knows Parisian jour--
nalist He left Pans about ten dayi
ago.
"Ye; I have witnessed a strange
sigLl,aud one I don't care about seeing
again," he said, with a strong foreign
accent.
He then related the incideut. He
had seen the guillotining, about two
weeks ago, at Paris, of the youngest
person who had fallen a victim to the
grim ax in Palis since the French Rev
olution. It was a boy of 18 who had suffered
the awful puiiUhment His name was
Georges Henri Kaps. He had murder
sd his sweetheart in May last. At the
trial for this crime 5 was shown that
toung. beardless Kaps.at the age of 11,
ad assassinated an old man in a dark
side stret
When arrested for this last murder,
boy though he was, he threatened his
guards with death.
"I have seen many persons die,"
said M. Herbillou. '1 was in the coui
niune in 71 and at the executions after
it, but I never saw anything so distress
ing as tho end of this young murderer.
"He was only a boy lit still for a
mother's caressing," went on M. Her
billon, "but he displayed the most re
markable nerve during the trial and
greeted the verdict of death with a
smile."
When the officials came in to the
prison to announce that his hour had
come he showed no fear.though till that
moment he had expected a commutation
of sentence.
He dressed himself with out assist
ance. When a priest approached he
mof.ioned him to leave with a wave of
bis little hands.
Afterward he gayly skipped to his
place in the sail procession for the
guillotine.
When he arrived at the "Place of the
Ax" he glanced curiously at the few
8ectators. Catching sight of the
deadwagon that was soon to carry
away his lifeless body he smiled visibly.
Standing beneath the glittering
knife, the priest extended the crucifix
to the boy s lips, but ho tin ned aside
his head.
The victim's manner was so naive
that a movement of pity made a mur
mur in tho little throng as the execu
tioners forced him back and laid his
ueck in the fatal groove,
' As ho lay for a second before the
blade dropped," said Mr. Herbillou,
'I caught a lingering smile upon his
lips.
"Then I turned away," he said, "and
the sound of the falling knife was
heard. The bov died more like my
Idea of a Christian martyr than any on
1 ever saw die."
Experimented ou Dad.
One of tho well known citizens ot
Pawtucket, R. I., and a man of de
cidedly mechanical turn of mind
withal, says the Providence Journal,
was severely shocked the other day in
the following manner: He has a son,
l.r) years of age, who is a chip of the
old block in his love of mechanics and
his desire to see into the reason for
everything. The young man is very
much interested in and a linn believer
la the wonderful power of electricity.
A few days ago, as the father sat down
to dinner and attempted to take his
knife, the knife refused to be taken up.
tie glanced at it hurriedly, and saw
that it appeared to have been fastened
down with a piece of string. TUink
log one of little ones had tied it down
for a joke, he administered a mild and
playful reprimand, at the same time
attempting to take up the fork at the
other side of the plate. But the fork
also refused to be taken up. Thinking
that his two younger children had com
bined in tho joke, lie reprimanded the
other little one. In the meantime the
young man had been quietly watching
the progress of events with a good deal
of iuterest and saying nothing. Ths
father then attempted to take up th
kuife and fork in each hand, and theu
be understood the matter, as he re
ceived au electric shock that raised
him from bis chair and set him shak
ing like a touch of ague. Ho finally
shook the kuite and fork from his
hand and then proceeded to investi
gate. He discovered that the innocent
looking young studcut of electricity
bad beeu tryiug an experiment. Tak
ing a battery which he had made him
self in his father's shop, he bad
concealed it under the table; then, cut
ting down the bell wire, he had it at
tached to the battery and attached on
pole to the knife ami one to the fork.
The result of the experiment was satis
factory to himself, whatever the fathei
might .' ' ought of it.
STATISTICS OF OLD AUt.
a Anal?1 of Ktitrn Kenpeotlng fifty
Two English Ceiiteuariaut.
Prof. Murray Humphry has JnsV
brought together a remarkable book on
'Old Age,'7 says the Pall Mall Oaxctte
It is based uKn the results of an in
quiry conducted by the collective in
vestigation committee of the British
Medical association.
In a portion of it the analysis of ths
returns respecting 62 centenarians are
given; of these 16 were males and 34
Females. Eleven of these were single
(10 being females), 5 were married."
and 8 were widowed. Out of 60 re
turns 8 only were in affluent circum
stances, 28 were comfortable, and 19
poor; of these 9 were fat (8 being to
males), 20 were spare, and 18 of average
condition. Twenty-live were erect n
figure and 2ft wcro bent.
Oat of Sfi returns 28 used glasses, 7
did not; out of these 4 were poor, 6 had
used glasses for 40 to 60 years, A for 8C
to 83, 4 for 10 to 20, 2 for 4 to 6 years,
6 for "many years," 2 for a few years.
From among these 1 had used specta
cles for many yearn, but for the last li
veers had been able to read without
them; another had not used them for
II year, another "not for many years.'
bat I can not now get them strong
OttOS-l'
CAM OF WATCMttk
ffca Maawar la WMrk a Panhat Til
aaauM Ba Haadtad.
A watch, even of very good quality,
ean only give satisfaction if it is treat
ed t'ordiug to its subtle const ructioav
tays the American Anahjat. Its pos
sessor niutt prevent it from falling of
heing knocked about. A jump from
Mi'eei-cir has more than once caused a
ood timepiece in the jumper's pocket
o change its rate. A watch must be
kept in a clean plai'e. Dust and suall
articles of the pocket liuiug gather
eontiouously in the pockets, anil even
.ha besl-tittiog case can not protect the
movement from dirt hading its way to
the wheels and pivots of the move
ment. Watch-pockets should be turned
inside out and cleaned at regular in
tervals. A watch ought to le wound
np regularly at about the same hour
every day. The best time to do it is in
the morning, for two reasons. First,
because the hours of rising are more
regular than the hours of disrobing and
retiring. Second, because the full
power of the Bsiaspring is more likely
to reduce to minimum the irregulari
ties caused by the movements of the
owner during the day. When not car
ried in the pocket a watch should al
ways hang by its ring in the same po
sition that it is worn. As a tills
watches will run with a different rale
when laid down. Only high-grade
watches are adjusted to position ami
will cnly show a few seconds' dif.
ference in twenty-four hours, whils
common watches may be out of time
several minutes in one niglit.
Ladies often complain that
watches do not run regularly.
their
This
Biay be ou accouut of smaller size and
more difficult regulating, but the main
reason for the faulty rate is to be found
in the fact that ladies do not always
carry their watches and consequently
often forget to wind them. Xevei
leave a hunting-case watch open dur
ing a considerable length of time. A
careful observer will bud in the morn
ing a layer of dust on the crystal of a
watch that has been open during the
night The dust will find its way into
the movement. The dust on the out
side of the caso will be unconsciously
rubbed off by the wearer, but wheu the
watch is closed the dust inside of the
case must remain there. A watch
ought to be cleaned every two, or at
the utmost three, years if'it is not to be
spoiled. The oil will change. It will
become thickened by the dust that can
not be kept out of the best closing.
nse. The dust will work like emery,
and grind the surfaces of the pivots ol
the train. The best of movements will
be spoiled if this requirement is neg
lected. Even after being cleaned and
put in order they will not recover their
exactness. Many times it has been ob
served that a watch ran well for years,
and that it was unreliable after having
been cleaned. The reason is to be
iound in the fact the pivots and their
thick oil tit the jewel holes, and the
rieaned pivots and their clean oil do
aot tit the same jewels.
Choking Off Farmer.
As the train left Dayton, south
aound, the conductor came into the
smoking car with a cry of "Tickets,
please!" and as there was only one fresh
passenger he walked directly up . to
him. The new arrival was from the
farm, and in nothing of a hurry.
"What's up, Kurnel?" he asked as
the conductor halted before him.
"Ticket, sir?"
"Yes. Is she on timeP"
"Yes."
"Going right to Cincinnati?"
"Yes. Ticket, if you please."
"I had a ticket, but . Say, how's
wheat looking along the line?"
"Give me j our ticket."
. "Wonder where I put it? Been
much rain between here and Hamilton
this month? F'eller was telling me
yesterday that he never "
"I'm in a great hurry, sir!" exclaim
ed the conductor.
"Shoo! Haven't got any hay out at
the other end of the line, have you? 1
Sot caught once last week, and me'n
ill had to work like uailors to beat a
thunderstorm"
"Have you got a ticket?"
"Of course."
"Then hand it over at once! I can't
fool away any time here!"
"Sboo'i Wall, here's the ticket, and I
want a receipt for it. Feller in such a
hurry as you are might die suddenly.
Lands! but what a hired man you'd
make for a week or two! Never had
one who was in a hurry. Say, if you
But the conductor had gone, and he
turned to us with a look of disgust ou
bis face, and continued:
"That's tho way with these monopo
lies. They not only want all your
money, but they won't treat you de
cent after they get it. Reckon I'll drop
in on the boss of the road when I git to
town, and let him know that such con
duct don't go down with a free-born
American." -V. Y. Sun.
Getting a Snbstltntn.
in China nothing is more common
than for a gentleman who is in a
serious trouble with the law to hire a
substitute to take the punishment foi
him. The payment varies according
to the gravity of the offense; but when
it is murder," for which the penalty is
death, it runs, we are told, . to 12
exactly. In England these matters are
seldom settled by proxy, and the last
.xirsons likely to volunteer to be
hanged for one are one's relatives; they
will see us hanged Krst. This makos
the scene at the Portsmouth- Police
Court the other day vcrj remarkable.
A young gentleman of i9 is brought
up on several charges of burglary; tht
evidence is, unhappily, clear, but his
father comes forward and expresses
his wish to net as substitute. "What
do you meant1" asks, the astonished
magistrate. "To go to jail for himP"
"Yes, certainly!" Upon this amazing
proosltion being rejected the young
gentleman faints; a young lady whoss
relations with him have been described
by an adapter from Shakspcaie as be
ing "a little loss than kin, and mors
than kind,'' faints also; and tho soif
sacrificing parent has a tit. This Is,
probably, the most emotional family,
as well as the most tree from conven
tion, thai has yet been discovered
SOME THOUGHTS Of eOfSON.
Ill 0raat laaatar CaaaapMaa af Mac-
tar a4 Stallaf la Oaa
The following extract is from "Talks
with Edison, by George Parsons
l.athrop, in Haryer'$ Magazine, lu
addition to being extremely practical
in his thoughts and processes, Edison
has a rich imagination of a creating
sort, and moods of ideal dreaming in .
his particular line. One day at dinner
he suddenly spoke, ss if out of a deep
reverr, saying what a great thing
it would be if a man could hare all tho
component atoms of himself under
complete control, detachable and ad
justable at will. "For instance," he
explained, "then I could say to one par
ticular atom in me call it atom No.
4320 -Go and be part of a rose for a
while.' All the atoms could be sent
off to become parts of different min
erals, plants, and other substances.
Then, if by just pressing a little push
button they could be called together
again, they would bring back their ex
lerieuces while they were parts of
those different substances, and I should
have the benefit of the knowledge."
Of course this was only a passing
fancy, an imaginative way of express
ing ths constant desire which exists in
the inventor's mind for a more inti
mate knowledge of the nature of things
concerning which he has already learned
so much. This desire is gratified to
the farthest practicable extent by the
great store of all sorts of materials
animal, vegetable and mineral col
lected in his laboratory, where he ex
periinents upon and combines their
various properties as a composer plays
upon the instruments of his orchestra.
Indeed, in this large imaginative as
pect of his mind Edison distinctly re
minds me of men having creative mu
sical or noetic or artistic genius. The
mingled abstraction and tire in their
faces and eyes are noticeable in his, at
times, when he emerges from some
private room in the laboratory where
he has been engaged in deep inventive
work.
The above remark about the atoms,
too, recalls a statement which he once
made to me regarding his conception
of matter. "I do dt not believe," he
said," "that matter is inert, acted up
on by an outside force. To me ft seems
that every atom is possessed bv a cer
tain amount of primitive intelligence.
Look at the thousand ways in which
atoms of hydrogen combine with those
of other elements, forming the most
diverse substances. Do you mean to
say that they do this without intelli
gence? Atoms in harmonious and
useful relation assume beautiful or in
.cresting shapes and colors, or giro
forth a pleasant perfume, as if express
ing their satisfaction. In sickness,
death, decomposition, or filth, the disa
greement of the component atoms im
mediately makes itself felt by bad
odors. Gathered together in certain
forms, the atoms constitute animals of
the lower orders. Finally they com
bine in nian, who represents the total
intelligence of all tho atoms."
"But where does this intelligence
come from originally?" I asked.
"From some power greater than our
selves." .-- - - -
"Do you believe, then, in an intelli
gent Creator, a personal God?"
Certainly," said Mr. Edison. "The
existence of such a God can, to my
mind, almost be proved from chem
istry." Surely it is a circumstance calculated
to excite reflection, and to cause a good
deal of satisfaction, that this keen and
penetrating mind, so vigorously repre
senting the intelligence the mind of
a remarkable exponent of applied
science, and of a brilliant and prolirio
inventor who has spent his life in deal
ing with the material part of the world
should so confidently arrive at belief
in God through a study of those media
that often obscure tho perception of
spiritual things.
A Pleasant View of Swinburne.
How very conservative Mr. Swin
burne is in his daily habits, lie gener
ally takes an afternoon walk from Put
ney over to Wimbledon, where he
"puts up" for a quarter of an hour at a
house he is fond of visiting. He never
carries a walking stick or an umbrella,
though I have it on very good authori
ty that he is not above lining his pock
ets at a confectioner's shop with sweets
and biscuits, and dispensing these free
ly to the youngsters whom he meets on
the road. The other day Wimbledon
was deluged, and the Common especi
ally was a place to be avoided, but
when the downpour was heaviest
about 4 o'clock I saw Mr. Swinburne
calmly marching along toward his
usual resting place, and . he was pro
tected against the ungentle rain from
heaven by neither umbrella nor mack
intosh. He was wet through. From
his large-brimmed felt hat rills of rain
ran down upon his garments, his face
was shining as if anointed with oil, his
long white cuffs were in a miserable
state. The number of stories, by tho
way which are told at Wimbledon about
the poet, whom every child in the vil
lage knows and admires fthe admira
tion being, no doubt, a kind of cup
board love), is quite . endless. The
other day 1 asked the confectioner's
wife whom Mr. Swinburne honors with
his custom, whether she knew who the
gentleman was who had just left her
shop. "Oh, yes," she replied at ones,
once, "that's Mi. Swinburne, a private
gentleman, but he isn't quite light in
his head; ho is what tbey call a poet,Fm
told." When he is walking along In
his soldierly fashion, Mr. Swinburn
nevor takes bis eyes off the ground, and
evidently doos not see that be is tho
observed of all observers. The other
day a charming young lady sakt to me,
in an ecstacy of admiration: "If I
only dared, wouldn't I like to hayo tho
honor of shaking bands with him. But
ho looks too stern." .The sternness,
however, vanishes altogether when, on
their playground on the Common, ho
sees the children at play or being
wheeled about in their perambulators.
And if you "catch" Mr. Swinburne a
such a moment, you no longer marvel
that this is the mat poet who WTOW
"Atalanta." His face is tntnsfmd,
and from bis eyes then shines a f-ict
which is not of- the arth.-ftU iU
