TOPICS OF THE TIMES.
A CHOICE SELECTION OF INTER
ESTING ITEMS.
Comment and Criticism Baaed Tpoa tbe
Happenlnga the) ly-MUUrta4 and
Biawa Ko&eA.
Sabah BiiKKnAKDT announces that
she is about to publish her memoir
ia two volumes." Tnere'll te more
than that in t!iem or Sarah has been
slandered.
Miss. IlAKititT Lank Joiivsos", a
sister of President Huchanan. who
presided over the White House dur
ing his term of office, has purchased
a valuable property in V sh ngton,
,f here slie will make her permanent
Lome. It a known as the old Travis
Mansion, and is on the earner of
E ghteenth and I streets.
Skliu Whitman, otherwise known
as "Ajax, the Strong Man," has b- en
appointed on the police force in New
York. He told the commissioners
th::t he could ush a loaded freight
car, weighing T.oOo to nds, fifty
feet on i railroad track. He claimed
that be could outlift any other man
in the world, other olicemen may
have a pull, but it is evident that
Selig has a push.
Ti!K hard t mes are not without
their compensations. The Italian
Government ail vises its people
against emigrating to the I.' nit d
States "on account of the economic
conditions preva linf there " if the
other European Governments should
follow suit they would greatly oblige.
The supply of emigrants for some
time past has been in excess of the
demand.
S imp. people think women have not
executive ability for public a 'airs, and
yet, in a Kansas town, where a wo
man was elected I'olice Judge, she
solved the tramp problem (.uickly.
The tlrst train j that was brought be
fore her for judgment was sentenced
to two baths a day for ten days, and
to hard labor on tbe stone pile, w th
the order that he be fed if he worked
and starved if he shirked. The pris
oner survived the ordeal, but now the
tlrst question a tram; asks on ap
proaching a town is whether the po
lice judii,; is a matt or woman.
The only thing that can be ad
vanced In defense of tbe prize ring Is
that it shows that strength can be
developed and maintained only by
temperance anl self-discipline. It Is
unfortunately true that, while this
mav be correct n general, demon
stration ofsuperio- physical achieve
ments as illustrated in the r.?e ring
leads to more inteuiperanceand brut
ishness of every kind than all other
influences exerted by physical culture.
Tbe i ri e ring is not an arena of com
petitive manhood. It is the last re
sort of compet tive brutes. The
malice of Corbett after he drew blood
from his a tagor.i.-t could not have
been more savage if he had been
frenzied with drink or mad with fear.
A ncmbkr of members of the
American Societ-' of Civil Engineers
paid a visit to the coast defences near
fandy Hook. Four tt its members
found themselves stopped by o.licers
of the Engineering Iepartment be
fore they le t the steamer. They
were foreigners and had never be;ome
naturalized citizens. No personal
discourtesy was intended, but it is a
rule for the preset vation of all forti
fication secrets that the arrangement
of defences shall never bo se.-n by
any except citizens of known loyalty.
It is easy to see that such a rule has
a good reason for its existence. If
the plaus of fort flcations were made
public, it would diminish their e.li
cienry one-third or more. The order
piovlding that none but Americans
shall Inspect fortifications was issued
in 1ST4.
Ciiicaoo may have to let slip such
ot the dogs of war as are tied up in
this vie nitv, train every papier
mache gun of the brick battlesnip on
the foi eign invader and get ready to
tight. For In a dark cell of a west
side police station is a man who
claims to 1 Consul General of Hawaii,
lie is in durance vile pending his e -planations
relative to the pur hase
ot certain sealskin coats with no avail
able funds to liquidate the account
But be swears that President Dole
will just tear things up when be
bears about it, and Chicago should
be prepared. Let not the armed foe
sweep down upon tbe lake front and
capture the Columbus statue and
other priceless things without one last
desperate rally, Should the Honolulu
borne guards really laud at Hyde
Park and attack tbe citadel all would
indeed be lout. This Consul General
stay send a postal card borne. To
arms! If die we must we can't get
arowod tV
Tu Chines representing tbelr
nitx BBira at Waahlngtoo an do
e2 ftwtr. Tfcey kaow aod
O tUrUi f We
bill was left at the door of the lega
tion. It was on yellow paper, of tue
hue of the Chinese emblems of
mourning. It was e? dently i ntended,
tbe Minister thought, of the not D
catlon of somebody's death, and as it
was left at the legation duor it doubt
less iudi. atei the Lereavement of
some family high in official life. The
Minister at once gave orders to close
the house. The u.-uul cstr.ime:its
of mourn ng were brought out, the
shutters were drawn, and passers-ly
for the rema uder of the evening
were regaled witn a combination of
urious no ses, su h as the Chinese
only know how to utter when en
gaged in bewailing the dead, and tbe
Minister re'.ireil with the satisfac
tion of know ins; that he had rer
formed a diplomat c courtesy.
Chicago M ail: Iown in the town
ot Winthrop, Mass.. named a!ter the
tardy 1'i.ritan pioneer, and tbe fre
quent resting place ol good old Cot
ton Mather, a town were witches
were burned, and Quakers piously
chevied, the devil has apiared in
1W4: He did not manifest himself,
with horns and hoofs and a spiked
tail, neither did he come in red
tights and a plumed bat up through
a trap door sinking "O Caterina,
Addio," but he appeared simply as
a cray quilt at a church fair, and
scored one of the most smcess ul and
comprehensive job lots of trouble
among the sisters of two churches on
record. Tbe evil one in this deluding
guise has six Winthrop women suing
each other in justice court, wh le
eight others do not speak. The
two churches have decided not to
fellowship any more, and one of
them Las brought charges of fraud
against the pastor of tne other. No
body understands why all this d ssen
sion ha broken out. It is as mys
terious a quarrel as any riot in the
teard of lady managers. Only the
foul fiend could have done so much
wi h a few scraps of silk, ard a
knowledge of the feminine temper,
liut there is the iuilt and there the
row. If It was not the old serpent
who decoyed Mother Eve unto the
outside of paradise then who tbe
mischief was it?
Chicago Herald: The Painters'
Union met the other day and elected
a walking delegate for the ensuing
six months. The successful candi
date made a brief s eech in which,
like a Mayor or a President, he an
nounced the policy of his administra
tion. The most interesting feature
of his program was that he meant to
quit drinking during business hours.
The statement by the new walking
delegate that he did not mean to
drink during business hours was re
ceived with cheers by his constitu
ents. Since ft was so excellent a re
solve when made by him why cannot
they follow his example? Both self
interest and honesty should prompt
the men who work for others to stop
drinking during bus ness hours.
There is a great deal of it and the
painters do their share. Sometimes
the men working on a new building
bricklayers, carpenters, etc. will
And it necessary to stop off at least,
once in every two hours for the pur
pose of refreshing theo selves a little.
They are paid for the time thus used
though they do no work in It. an 1 ti e
quality as well as the quantity of
their work is affected by these fre
quent beerings. Even if the con
science of one of these men does
not sting him when he reflects that
he Is not doing a full hour's work for
a full ho ir's wages, it . is strange
that the man does not reflect that
he is lessening hi- ability to work by
this . continual soaking and that
sooner or later he will be unable to
Mod a job.
Preparing for the Storm.
A correspondent in the North of
Ireland sends tbe following account
of an interesting incident that came
under his observation.
lielng on a walking tour through
Inishowen, and passing along the
ed'4e of Lough ; willy the romantic
"Lake or shadows" he noticed an
1mm nse gathering of crows on the
sandy shore.
In company with several others,
the tourist was attracted ty this
novel spectacle, and began to wonder
at tbe cause of ib. An old man, who
was working in a field near the place,
offerei an explanation. He said that
the birds were picking up sand to
ballast themselves in a storm, and
when tbey did so It was a sure sign
of coming He added that on shoot
ing crows after a gathering of the
sort, he bad found their crops 1 aded
with sand.
As a matter of fact, the gentleman
concludes, a violent gale set in early
next morning.
Kx-Governora in Congress.
There are fifteen ex-Governors in
the r-enate and two In tbe House.
Tbe names of the ex-Governors hav
ing seat In tbe Senate are Cullom,
Palmer. Colquitt, Gordon, Hams,
Bate, Hawley, Vance, Coke, berry,
Perkins, Shoupe, Proctor. Hill and
Gear. MoCreary and Dingle- are tbe
only ei-Governors In toe House.
TxnaieacooddaieJof bad luck
flat If yon dfOP MrtfaltX tbU
aw art vw-v f in mnu
SIXTY AND SIX.
L'tfht of the mon,
lexiicg of daaoing.
Blithe little, lube little du,bw of mice I
W h.l web ibee rat giug.
Bur 1 in exrba; gin
BUty of m y-r, fur tiiity jenra like thin.
im laiinot tie i h thee,
Lifhily 1 with tbra.
Gay aa tbe tliiatiedown oi iLeiea;
1 lie i ail maie,
omlc or tragic,
Flayed if tho ,iyMt jt jir wita tue.
Final I rj an l riDing.
lliy nierrr ain&uig
Cornea whau he liKtt coujea, like tLot of tLe
tlx la
Mat to tLe fbj of i( !
T4re a tl e wy of if ;
AlTt in the iimnic aixl nam bt iu the words
r!d itr giiet-ialea,
St hub-rt ttr Havtien.
Pallad of I- no,, or inerrv s,mch lay.
I.lit an evangel
W ine labv eus;el
Brought from akv uureory etenliuK away.
Kure! 1 know it,
ArUht or poet,
Guea-a my ire..uie,,f ji,Lilnt boura.
S-irrowa, a bat are IbeyT
Nearer itr ir, tuev
Vaniah tc a'j&ahu.-e lihe d-w tram the fiow.rs.
Yearn 1 am t lH't ui t a ; in ;
Would ttal 1 btd of item
Wore ard yBt more, ubiie tbua luUigltd with
tbiue.
Ac. I make l;!it of it t
rear n it ibe tht of it.
Time a tut ojr pit, vuiute, a Lose toyi are diunr.
kaukee l-.lkue.
A X OLD M A IDS M 0 N K V.
Aiint Jane was angry. There was
a tieculiar emphasis in the motb.n of
tbe crochet needle she was punching
inio the holes ot a piece of wor-ted
work, and a erg In the rocking o'lier
chair that spike volumes to those ac
quainted with Aunt Jane's peculiar
ities or temper. It was early in the
forenoon and generally the estimable
maiden lady wa bustling almt her
handsome house at this hour, and
making t he crvants' livei a burden
fur the day Luton this partbuiar
mjining they washed dishes and
swept rooms in peace The spasms
of anger grew more violent, t II
finally tiie worsted work was ma !e
Into a bail to-s d to a cmnerof t'.ie
r.-;;ni, and Aunt .iane burst into a lit
of weening
Mie was still sob' ing when the
d)or was oned and a pa t litt e
bit ude came into the room. Looking
at .Nilss Jiine Montgomer. for a mo
ment, wit., a lip curled contemptu
ously, she suddenly drew oterher
f,.ce, like a mask, an expression of
tender sympathy, and rushing across
the room knelt beside the weeping
lady.
"IiearM ss Jane," she said, anxi
ously, - what can be th ; matter"
Auut Jane -verybody called Miss
Montgomery Aunt .lane sat ere t
w th a start her eyes enapplng and
her voice sharp
"Tom is gone!"
Gone:"
"Yes he's gone!
fui uanel, and he
ow 11 wav: ho 1 void
We had a fear
would have his
him to go, and
never see m face aga n "
Would have his own way!'' echoed
the l.ttle blonde.
"ifes, he will many Mary Hill, and
he won't marr. you: I've done with
him. He has .",oio his mother lea
him, let him try Iving on that, and
see how helikesit, alter living here,"
and Miss Jane's sobs broke out again.
"To think of that lioy's fiv ng In my
face iu that way, a ter being like my
own son for twenty years.''
'He is a wicked, ungrateful to in,"
said Miss .;ul a energetically.
"He '.s nothing of the kind,"
snapped Aunt iane.
Julia was somewhat startled, tut
said:
'To marry against your wish is un
grateful." "Why shouldn't he marry ths girl
he lo es.-" cried the Inconsistent
spinster. "I'm an old fool. I've
sent him away and I'll never see him
again."
It seemed as if Aunt Jane was
right In herconcluslons. The stitely
house icbocd no more the ringing
vo ce and light step of Tom, the
nephew and darling of his maiden
aunt.
If Aunt Jane had teen alone Torn
would doubtless have been hunted up
and recalled; but Julia kept tbe
anger alive. Hie was fiaiterer-in-chief
in Aunt Jane's court, and she
made her cooing voice and soft step
almost a necessity in Tom's absence.
Miss Jane was very rich, and had no
relative but Tom. If she could te
persuaded to make a will, who knew
but friends might have legacies
Miss Julia Canned the Came of wrath,
not openly, but in covert, sly re
marks, that kerTt the sore rankling.
Aunt Jane did not gusi how Tom
wonaered over her obdurate silence,
and she fretted and worried and grew
graver and more wrinkled. Two
jears told upon face- and figure, and
from adark-baired. vixen! hold maid,
she altered loa white-hair d, whln
i: g old woman. One of her ir ends,
remaiking thoughtlessly upon this
i hange of ap, earance, said:
"You have changed so much I
scarcely knew you."
A luminous idea struck Aunt Jane.
Tom .Montgomery in these two
years had settled down into !pretty.
comfortable house, made home by a
gentle wife and a crowing baby. He
had invested his little fortune in a
partnership lo a dry goods house and
was making money.
To tills house one cold December
evening came an old woman, dressed
shabbily, and asked for the pro
prietor. '
"Not at home," the servant said.
"I will wait, if he will come soon."
A sweet-faced lady op ned the door
of a cheery slttintr-rooiu.
"Will you walk in here and wait?
Mr. Montgomery will soon be in."
The old lady came in feebly.
"You are tirod," Mrs. Moblmmerj
s;d, l-lndly. "Sit here by too Ore.
1 1 it very cold. "
'Wry cold Is that your baby?"
The mother turned down a little
the snowy sheets of a pretty cradle
and showed the dimpled ebeeksof
tbe sleeping cblld.
Yea, this is my little girt"
- "What Is bar name?"
Jan"
Jane l m awfully ugly Dane."
"It is not very pretty, but she is
named tor an aunt of Mr. Momtom
ery. of whom he is very fond."
Thinks she'll leave ber her
inos ey," thought the old lady, but
she did rnt speak, for a door opened
in the ball and a tirm step crossed to
the sitting-rx)m.
Losy, pant ng, coid. and learning
was Tom as he came in, kissed his
wife chucked the baby under the
chin and skinned oil bis veronal
before be a the old lady.
r-he thought she was alteied ty
trouble ai d age, iy her ,oor dress
and deep bonnet, but Tom gave one
siri-le to her and caught ber In bis
strong arms. .
"Aunt Ja e'. Aunt Jane:" he
fairlv shouted. "Mary, this is Aunt
Jane."
Tbey had ber bonnet and shawl off:
they had her in an easy chair by tbe
tire, and b.id -cut for siijer. Utfore
the could gasp out:
' Tom, I've lost all my money.
You don't say so "
"livery cent. Will ymi turn me
out as 1 turned you out twu years
a.'o?"
"Muehli" was Tom's mysterious
re;lv. '.Marv, is there a lire in the
spare room':""
I think the back attic is good
enoiiKh for a penniless old maid,"
said .unt Jane.
lid jou put roe in the hick attic
when my parents ieft me alone in
the world y"
'Humphl"
' Ir jou will light the gas, Tom,'
said Vrs Mootg. uiery. -'1 will put
fresh sheets and towels in the spare
room." j
Tom r.ished upstairs, and Mary,
with an apology, went after him.
Then Aunt Jane did the meanest
of a!i mean things she crept soltly j
after toem. and, nridniur thev were
in the Pack secoii'l stury room with
the d r open, she crouched down on
t.. stairs and listened. Tom was
m a Kb 1..C lire and Mary, moving in
ber i.uie!, -wift wav, was putting
clean linen on the bed.
'Ain't it jolly'" Tom s,v.d, en
thusiastically. "Making a fire?" Mary asked,
saucily.
'So. I say. darling." sitting down
on the floor as the Idea struck him,
"I never asked you if you would like
to have Aunt Jane here."
"lion't be a goose, Tom."
"Hut seriously, now, will it bother
you? I suppose I could get her a
room in some stunniriL'. tip-top (ward
ing house, more like ber own home
tjan our b rd cage, but "
"Well?" Marysa d. intensely grave.
It would be so Ion some. Mie
has a quick temper, 1 know, but she
is so kind, and she does love me."
1 Toor ihing"' said Mary. 1 'I wonder
if she Is very poor."
"She won't know It while we have
a home or a cent, wiil she. Mollle?"
"Of course not Tom And ityou
dare to talk about a board)ng-hou-e
again l'i! stop your allowance of
mince pies."
"Mary, you're an angel i" cried
Tom, springing up. "My fire is out
again' I'm awfully glad we called
the baby Jane, Moliie."
"Tom, make that Are!" said Mary,
severely, "or your aunt won't get to
bed to-night. I am sorry it is not
finer, tor i know her own rooms must
have been very handsome. I'll get
my own rocking chair; it is the easi
est one in the house: and I'll hang
the piiotograph of the baby over the
mantelpiece. It will make It look
home-like."
"That's a dear girl. Make her feel
at home, Moilie. She won't care so
much about her fine house if we make
her feel at borne here. If you could
let her putter round the house a little
and feel herself of importance, Moilie,
it would delight her."
"She can boss the whole machin
ery! liut, Tom, 1 had no idea she
was so old."
"Nor 1," said Tom ruefully. "I
wonder If frett ng turned her hair so
white."
"Tom: Tom:"
This voice was at the door, and
Aunt Jane stood there, with tears
running dow.i ber cheeks.
"1 am a miserable old woman,
Tom!"
"Why. auntie," said Tom cheerily,
"don't cry. Come In and see how
cozy Mollle has made your room."
"I know it, Tom. I've been sorry
a thousand times I would not see her.
Hue you should have come back to
me, " she said reproachfully.
tint I wrot and wrote, and you
never answered."
'Wrote to rue?"
"Of course "
"I never saw the let ters. That
viper Julia must have desteoyed
them "
"Where Is Julia?',
"Gone home. The day that 1 told
her I had lost my money she packed
up and left me. Tom, 1 don't de
ser e It after doubting you. b it will
you forgive me for listing your love?"
"Testing my love?"
"Yes, my dear lioy. I meant to
talk to your wile and you a some
body else, but you knew m.- too soon.
Uut, Tom, that was all fudge "
What was all fudge?"
"About tbe money."
Oh," said Tom dryly. "You
haven't lost any?"
"Not a cent Now, Tom, don't
set your face that way. Come bacg
to your old home, and bring your
dailing wife and baby. IKj. Tom:"
Aunt Jane," said Tom, solemnly.
"I'll come home on one condition."
What is that?"
"That you here solemnly promise
me never to leave tne one cent of
your money."
I won't leave you anything but a
lock of my hair."
8be kept her word. For ten years
the family lived happily together.
Then tbey earn d Aunt Jane to ber
laet resting place, and ber will beluft
opened, ber money was found to be
equally divided among Tom's cbll
dien. New York New.
RICH FIEUD FOR EXPLORERS.
Tbe Bain of Two Hnt Trehletor l itl
round In CVntral AaUk
In Central and Eastern A-lk thete
lies an unenplored region full of in
terest, and to the anhioicwist es
pecially, sm tbe i'ltlsbu'gh dis
patch. A great traveler and clever
writer, the Kusslan deneral I rje
vaisky, siaking of the oasis o:
T hertehen, situated in the great
table lands hemmed in by the un
br .ken wall o the Himaiayas, says
that dose to it are tbe i uins of two
great cities, the olde-t of wbi h. ac
cording to local trad,tion was de
stroyed ;,ono yeais a'o. and tiie other
by the Mongolians iu the tenth cen
tury o; our era Tbe emplacement
of the two ctieg I now co ere I, ow
ing lo the shifting sands and desert
w:nds, with strange and heterogene
ous rel c-, broken china, kitchen
utensils, and human bones. Tne na
tives often find mpjier and go d coins
ingots, diamonds, and turiuo ses,
and. what i most remarkable, Pioken
glass. Cortins of some undeia. ing
wood or material are there also, vv iui
in which l-autiiul!y preserved em
balmed bKlies an- found The male
mummies aie ull enormously tal ,
p.werfuliy built men. with long,
wavy hair. A vault was fou d with
twelve dead n. en sitting in it An
other time in a separale coilin a voung
giri was found by us. Her eyes were
closed w ith golden disks and the jaws
held firm by a golden in let running
from under the chiiiacros- the top of
the head. Clad in u.iirow wo len
garment, her bosom was coveted with
golden stars, her feet U-ing left
naked. To this the lecturer adds
that all along the way on the Ki er
Tcl ericlieii they beard legends alxiut
twenty three towns buried ages a.'o
by the sands of the desert, 'i lie
tradition exists on the Lob nor
iu the oasis of Kerya.
Mine. lilavatsky, who was In
ame
and
the
earlier part of her life a great and in
defatigable traveler, coveting more
ground in a given time than is
usualh accomplished by even t ose
of the sterner and more enduring se,
bears witness also to llioie ancient
ruins, which she openly avers are lire
historic: the pages of her works also
make fre Uent reference to other
ruins of anc eni character scatteied
throughout the desert regions of Cen
tral Asia. She hints, toi, at buried
crypts and underground vauit- In the
desert of (.obi, in particular, iu which
are stored many of the preserved rec
ords ot the ages. However th s may
te, the ruins descri ted are certainly
In place awaiting the organized ef
forts oi sc. c nee to recover for the
world a long-forgotten page iu the
history of the peoples of the glote
Or, as in the base of Troy, private
entert rise may step in and, contin
uing the investigations tegun by the
Hussion traveler, read this riddle of
a bygone civilization aright.
Birthday f lower.
A little girl, poorly-clad, and with
asmallioin lightly clenched in her
hand, hastily entered the store of a
fashionable florist
'I want the best bouquet) you can
give me for in cents," she said to a
clerk, who smiled audibly at her re
quest. "I'd advise you to wait t l! next
summer, missy,'' he said, in a patron
izilig way "Flowers don't grow in
greenhou-es for nothing."
The snub was lost on the child,
who said eagerly.
"Next summer won't be sister Liz
zie's birth lay, and to-morrow is. He
sides, I don't want them for nothing.
I toid you 1 had 10 cents."
She was as grand as though it had
teen flu.
" .'o where the woodbine twineth,"
caroled the clerk, "we have no lu
cent teuqtiets here "
The ch Id looke I at him with In
credulous eyes. How could he sj.cak
so lightly ot what apie,tred to her
like actual wealth. Tears of cruel
di-appointment rose in her eyes, and
she turned awae.
A young g rl who was tying up
flowers had overheard this dialogue
and was soiry for the child. She
whispered hurriedly to the clerk:
There are the waste flowers, Mr.
Smith. They haven't been thrown
away yet, and some ot them look
pretty fresh."
The girl was so much In earnest
that the cleik ailed ungraciously to
the child:
"Qme ba k. little one. Mere are
some roses and pinks that aren't as
fresh as they might be. You can
have them for nothing if they'll su t,"
and he tossed them to her.
They not only suited, but they
seemed to the grieved heart of the
ch Id as fresh and Ix-autlful as those
in the window. Her shining eyes
and thankful words caused a Ilttie
satisfied glow In the sallow cheeks of
the carelegi clerk. He had helped
another to do a kind deed, and the
rejection of It wanned his own
nature. Lizzie's birthday was an all
around beueilt.
A Word lo the Hleepleim.
Ir. J. V. Huxley of Maidstone,
Kngland, thinks he has hit upon the
natural remedy for sleeplessness, lv
is, In brief, to curl under the clothes
like a kitten, or put the head under
the wing like alien. He says: "This
insomnia eerus tobenos' a universal
a I Ictlon. We live wrongly; sit up
late and overwork the brain, and
thcii go to ted In an excited condi
tion. No one t-eerns to have hit ui on
the natural rented r. 1 think 1 have.
J'cople take chloral and the like at
tbelr oerll, and the fatal conse tuence
not seldom ensues. It Is all wrong,
for you cannot control the dose re
quired for the exact circumstances,
but try nature's plan Instead; lower
tbe supply of oxygen to tbe blood,
produce a little asphyxia, limit the
quantity of air to tbe lungs, and the
beart and v circulation becoming
quicker, tbe brain lows Its st mulant,
and sleep follows, When you And
yourlf "In" for a slee-less night
cover your , ea I with the bed clothes
and breathe an l lebreathe only the
respired air. I'iius you may reduce
the stimulating oxygen and fall
asleep Tneie is no darger. W hen
asleep you are sure to disturb the
cove'.ngs and get as mu h fresh air
as vou fri uire, or. when once drowsi
ness ha teen tiroiuced. it is easy to
iomi bleeping, though the air le
fresh. What no the cat and dog
when tbey pre are to sleet.'' They
turn annuel, gem rally three times,
and lastly I uiy their noses in some
bo, low in the.r hair, and off they
go. Tbey are iu no danger, although
ii might look as if tbey weie rom
the closeness with which they embed
their noses." Medical Tress.
t lnnexe I'uiiiwhirienl.
Iu liecemter. ls'.il, 1 was in Can
ton. One aiteriioon I visited the
principal law court. Two prisoners
in chains were introduced --one an
old man, too int'rm to walk, theotber
a youth, tolerably v gorous, but al
je t and forlorn In demeanor. The
pie-iding mandarin appeared, sat
dow ; and sipped his Ua. wh le an
0 i cial paltered out a long oration,
piesuniably an indictment, for the
pnsoiicis proceeded, as 1 understood,
to plead "not guilty." What fol
lowed was this: The old man was
held up - not held dowu while two
slol d h named tlogel him with
long, pliant ca es ateve the knees.
The youth wasdivest- d of his chains,
w ii.ch were then plied up In front of
him I pou these tie was compelled
to k eel, while bis feet, hands and
pigtail were all attached by a cord to
a post behind him and tightly se
c .red.
The cr es of the victims a' d the
complete cnmio-ure of the p c
tutors were alike d sgust ng. I
sa d as much to my guide, whom i
generally regarded as an am able be-
1 g. lis reply was -Th s very in
teresting. 1 n ver s -en this before,"
though 1 have no doubt- he had. The
explanat on of the dreadful 8 ene
excuse there could be none was that,
by the law of China, no man can te
executed until be has confesed his
guilt. These two individuals had
been co.ivicted teyond doubt o' be I .
ou cr mes, but they refused to con
fess The alternative be. ore them
wasexecuton or death by torture,
and apparently tbey preferred the
latter. Tne ceremony 1 witnessed
wjs to tie repeated de die In diem
until either life or resolution gave
way How the cod came, of course,
: I never knew. The Spectator.
i Wei- mo to It.
O caslonaily there comes a reminis
cence of the runaway ch.rky which
shows not only bis humor, hut his
irrepressible longing for the boom of
freedom, l'.efo.e the war there came
into the public room of a hotel in
Canada, near the frontier, one day a
bright-looking negro.
"1 s'jsise you're a runaway s'avt!,"
said one of the men in the room,
looking sharpl" at the newcomer.
Keeling that he was pretty wcilaway
from bondage the darky responded
In the a.lirmalive.
"Well, we're glad enough that
you've got away, but jou don't seem
to look very iioor. Have good clothes
down !-outh.-"
"Suttlngly, sab; same clothes as my
massa. "
'liut you got a good many thrashi
ngs, eh?"
"Nebter had a whipping in my life,
sab."
"Never thrashed: Well, but I sup
pose you don't always get enough to
eat. do vou?"
"Always had enough, gemmemneb
ber went hungry."
"Wt at." sa d tbe persistent Inter
rogator. Good clothes, no punish
ment, plenty to eat? Now just think
of it," he said, addressing a group of
loungers 'This fellow has left a
losliion where he en ovs all these
privileges, for an uncert.i'nty."
"Oernrnen," replied the darky, "all
I'se got to say respect n' detn privi
leges is, dat if any o::e ob you wants
to avail hisself oh 'em, de situation
am still open.'"
Too Atleiuive.
"Pol teness is a good thing, but
sometimes It's wearln' ralely," said
Mr. lirown. "Seems so it almost bor
ders on sarse to follci any o e up-so,
an' pester 'em with kindness, as they
do at these big hotels." "What are you
ejecting ateut nowv" asked Mrs.
lirowii.
"Well, 1 was only thlnkin' how
them jiorters loller vou up like a ar
cei of detectives. When I sot my
foot in one of them hotels u; to New
York a icller looked at me, jest as
pryin', an says, h an't 1 curry up
your baggage.-' It seemed jest as
though he jcncw all I bed was my a
pcr collars rolled up In the top of ray
bar. His manners was kind of
twittin' like, seems ef." ,
"Well, 1 said you oughter carried
a charge," began Mrs ilrown In her
most corre tive manner.
".Now that alnt, the point," said
ber husband. "I'm jest say n' 1
don't like to be spied on an' follered
up. 1 got the test of 'cm once,
though.
"W hen I got on one of them ferry,
boats a little chap In brass buttons
come u i an' asked me if my baggage
was ateard. I said very dignified
that It was right in front of him.
'Whereabouts?' be up an' asks."
'Well, I'm standin' right in the
m'dd'e of It, namely my rloVsays 1.
and that settled him."
Cliemialry.
A scientist thinks that agricrttt'ji '
chemistry should teach how to m .ki
Florida oranges better. Vo this end
ho is now engaged !n a chemical
analysis of the different varieties
grown upon different soils, eta, fed
by different fertilisers, with tbe Idea
tbat be can do for oranges what tbe
Frenchmen have done for pears and
what grape growers' have done for
grapes.
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5
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