MR. AND MRS. BINKS.
HIS ! a story fur wives. It ex-
tiibiu a noble woman's effort to
aid her husband, divide his bur-
dens, aud shield him from worry
Jul care. And It also shows what
happened to the beneficiary of all these
praiseworthy exertions on her part.
Binks wax an excellent man; hard
working and sober. He wade good
ey and took It home to his wife for
' Judgment to settle Its fate; every
of it.
Mrs. Binks was a woman among a
t&voasand. When taken separate and
apart from his wife and questioned.
Wnlu said she wag a "corker." Press
d as to what he meant by "corker,"
Maka declined all attempts at deflnl
tkm, and beyond Insisting that Mrs.
lUaks was and would remain a "cork
r," would say nothing.
From what was said of Mrs. Binks
by herself It would seem that she was
a true, loving wife to Binks, and that
aside from the duty every woman owed
to her sex and the establishment of Its
rights In ail the aveuues of life, she
add that with the wedding ring came
a lint of duties due from a good woman
to her husband which could not be
avoided or gone about
""Snme women," quoth Mrs. B.,"worry
their husbands with a detail of small
matters. A woman who is to be a help
meet to her husband such as I am to !
Binks will be self-reliant and decide j
things for herself. In the little cares ;
t life that fall to her share let her go i
forward by herself. What is the use '
of adding her troubles to his? If she !
kaa plans let her execute them. If i
problems confront her let her solve
them. If she tells her husband aught
t the thousand little enterprises of her
tdally home life let It be then the result.
When success has come to her she may
her husband to witness the vic
tory. Aside from that she should
face her responsibilities alone."
-Of course. Mrs. B. did not mean by all
'this that she would not be open and
frank with Binks and eonllde in hlra If
a burglar was in the house; or If the
jhonse took fire in the night that she
would not arouse Binks aud mention
It What she did mean was that when
It raiae to such things as dismissing
the servant girl the wife should gird
up her loins and tire the maiden slngle-haiult-d,
and not ring her husband in on
play manifestly disagreeable and like
ly to subject him to pain aud remorse.
It chiinced but recently that an oppor
tunity opened like a gate for Mrs. B. to
illustrate her doctrine that wives should
prwd with a plain duty alone, with
out Imposing needless anxiety on the
head of the family.
-Mrs. Binks had decided to visit her
sister in Philadelphia. She was to go
Thursday, and Binks. who was paid his
sweat-bought stipend on Monday, was
to cough up the money Monday even
ing wherewith to make the trip.
It chanced unfortunately that pay
lay this particular week was defer
red. The head partner was sick or out
of town; checks could not be drawn, or
something like that
"But your money will come on Satur
day, boys," said the other partner. So
Binks was obliged to wait
The money was all right; it would be
accurately on tap Saturday; so Binks
took no fret on that point.
Bat what was he to do about Mrs. B.?
That good woman was to go Thursday,
aad in order to organize for the de
aoeat upon her relatives would need the
aaewy $40 on Tuesday. What was
Rinks to do?
Clearly he must do something. He
eM not ask Mrs. B. to put off her
trip a week. Indeed, his reluctance to
take sneh a course came almost to the
paint of superstition.
In his troubles Blnkg suddenly be
thought hlra of a gold watch of his
father's with a rich chain and guard
attached. These precious heirlooms
lad been given to Blcka by the elder
Banks' executors, and were cherished
aaeeenflngly.
Bather than disappoint Mrs. B., the
wwortay Binks decided that Just for once
la aia life he would seek a pawnbroker
ad do business with that common rela
tive f us all.
Binks felt timid and ashamed, but
the rase was urgent Tnere was no risk,
fa his money would float In all right
a Saturday. Binks could then redeem
tkt'fei rle lues from disgraceful bock,
aad all would be well. Mrs. B. would
fee la Philadelphia on redemption day,
ant wwuld not be necessary to tell her
ataythlng about the matter. It would
saw her a pain, and Binks bravely de
l Blued to keep the whole transaction
dtark.
- Again. If be told her be had not been
apn!d at the store the brave woman
. M Infallibly wend to his employers'
Iwuwand demand the reason why. This
be useless and embarrassing.
Tor Binks would say notblna.
Ca wvald pawn the ancestral super,
ezlajut It attain when bis money came
C2CS1UM wife was away,
:;t'Twtdt and iu appertain menu
t Jnatg ta the far corner of a bureau
ratway orar ana Denina Mrs. B.'s
had a watch of his
i i(Tm aa a. chain patnn. lira, B.
r "Y CrafoWt ao nam why ha
rrry te fold watch of his pre
Jrii Vm tKfct last It Km B.
t 7tJ Cat it bs kept la the
; ttr tt cacti ba safe; aad. af
course. In an affair of that sort Biuks
took h!a wife's advice.
Kink reflected that he must secure
the watch and pawn It that night. To
do so he must plot to get Mrs. B. out of
the house. Binks thought deeply. At
last he had It.
Binks sent a message home In the
afternoon and asked Mrs. B. to meet
him at the store downtown at (i o'chx-k.
Then he had himself released at 5:30
o'clock and went hot foot homeward.
The coast was clear; Mrs. B. was
downtown In deference to his strata
gem, no doubt believing that Binks
meditated blowing her off to soda water
or some other delicacy as the cause of
his sudden summons of the afternoon.
She little knew she was the victim of
deceit. If she had there would have
been fun.
Binks rushed at once to the bureau
and secured the treasure. He did not
wait a moment but plunged off to a
store where the three balls over the
door bore testimony to the commerce
within. Binks would explain to Mrs.
B. on his return how he had missed her,
and so failed to keep his date with her
downtown.
The merchant of loans and pledges
looked over Binks timepiece, and then
as Biuks requested gave him a ticket
for It and $e. It was to be redeemed
In thirty days or sooner. Ami Binks
was to pay J H to get It again. Binks
was very willing. Anything was wiser
and better than to iermlt Mrs. B.'s
visit to her sister to be Interrupted.
When Binks got home Mrs. B. was
already returned. There was a bad
light In her eye, and she accepted
Binks' excuses and explanations as to
"how he missed her downtown" with
an evil grace. She as good as told
Binks that she believed that he de
ceived her. and that If the phenomenon
were treed she would fiud another wom
an In the case.
However, Binks had the presence of
mind to turn over the fVi he hail reaped
on the watch; and as he expressed it
later:
"That sort of hushed her up."
The next day Binks returned to his
labors, while Mrs. B. repaired to the
j marts to plunge moderately on what
truck she stood In want of for her trip.
Win ti Mrs. B. got back to the house it
chanced that the first thing she needed
was lit the fatal drawer. She opened
It.
Horrors! The watch was gone.
Of course Mrs. B. knew It had been
stolen. Anybody could see that from the
way every garment bad been carefully
laid back to hide the lows.
What should she do? The police must
at once be notified. Mrs. B. pulled on
her shaker and scooted for the Central
station. She told her story out of
breath. She had left her house at 3
o'clock and was back at 4 o'clock, and
In that short hour her home had been
entered and looted of Iu treasures.
Made to be specific, Mrs. B. said the
treasures were a watch and chain, and
described them.
"What was they worth?" asked the
chief of detectives.
Mrs. B. considered a bit and then
said they would be dog cheap nt $l.ono.
She reflected that the sain If published
In the papers would be a source of
pride. - . t
The chief of detectives told Mrs. B.
his men would look about for her prop
erty, and should they bear of It or find
It they would at once notify her.
"You bet your gum boots ma'am."
said the sletuh confidently, "whatever
crook's got your ticker, he's due to soak
It or plant It some'ers In a week. Meb
by he'll turn It over to his Moll. But
the minute we springs it, ma'am, or
turns It up we'll be dead sure to put
you on In a jiff."
"Thank you," said Mrs. B. Then she
went home, and, true to her determina
tion to save Binks from any unneces
sary worry, she told him nothing of the
loss nor her arrangements for Its re
covery. "What's the use of bothering Binks?"
she asked herself. "All he could do
would be to notify the police, and I've
done that."
Thursday came, and Mrs. B. took the
train for Philadelphia. No notice bad
come from the police. Binks was glad
to see her go. He bad lived In fear lesf,
she come across the departure of the
watch. Hi breathed easier when she
wag gone. As for Mrs. B. as she had
not heard from the police there was
nothing to tell Binks, so, like a self-reliant
woman, who did not believe iu
making her husband unhappy to no
purpose, she took the train without
word or sign as to her knowledge of the
watch's disappearance.
It was Friday; always an unlucky
day. Binks was walking swiftly home
ward. Binks wag thinking gome Idle
tilings when a band came down on bis
shoulder, heavy as a bam.
"Hold on, me covey, I want you."
Binks looked around, scared and
startled. He had been baited by a
stocky, bluff man In citizen's clothes.
"What Is ltr gasped Binks.
"Of coarse seen a fly guy as yon don't
know?" said the bluff man, with a great
sua sr. "Wall, never mind why I wants
yon; I'm a detective, and yon come
with ne."
Aad Binks want with him. Not only
that bat Binks went in a noisy patrol
wfM which the detective rang for,
cad It fcaot aoagtot Its war along aad
attracted everybody's attention. The
word went a Unit tun i Binks wag drunk
and had been Hooting.
"And to think a man would act lke
that" said one lady, who knew Blnkg
by sight "Jut bause big wife U
away on a visit If I were his wife I'd
never come bark to hiCL-
At the station Biuks wag solemn:;
looked over by the chief.
"tie g the party." said the chief at
jasi. r.xacuy oio joi.uerg s descrip
tion of the party bu spout the ticker.
V here did you collar him, Bill?"
"I sees hliu paddiu' along on the ave-
noo," replied the bluff man, " and I
tumbles to the sucker like a liou of
brick. I kuowed he was a sneak the
first look I gives; and the second 1 kuyg
to uiesclf 'he's wanted for a trau.li.'
Then I uails him."
Io you know who he la?" asied the
chief.
"My naue," said Biuks. who wag re
covering from the awful daze that had
seized him, ' my name Is II
".Shet up!" said the bluff man. 'Tou't
give ug any guff. It'll be the worse for
you."
"I know the mark," said an ortVer
looking on. "His name Is Windy Joe
the Magsman. His mug's In the gal
lery all right enough; number thirty
eight I think."
"That's correct." said the chief. "I
kuowed he was familiar to me, and I
never forgets a face. Frisk him. Bill,
and lock him up."
"But my name's Binks." protested
our hero. "I'm an Innocent man."
"That's what they all says," replied
the chief. "(Jo through him Bill aud
lock him up; I want to to to me grub."
So Binks was cast iuto a dungeon.
Next door to him was a lunatic, who
reviled him all night. m the blotter the
Ingenuity of the chief detective had in
scribed:
"Windy Joe the Magsman, alias
Binks. Housebreaking In the day
time." There Is no need of spinning out the
agony. Of eouise Biuks got free of the
scrape some twelve hours later. But It
was all very unfortunate. He came
very ni-nr dismissal at the store and
the neighbors don't understand It yet.
They shake their heads and say:
"It's very strange If he's so innocent
why be was locked up. When the po
lice take a man he's generally done
something."
"I'm not sorry a bit" said Mrs. B.
when she was brought back from Phil
adelphia on Saturday by a wire the po
lice allowed Binks to send her. "And
when I saw him with the olHcers I war
a good mind to tell them to kei p him at
ever I had to eat. To think how he dc
ceived uie about that watch, allowing
me to break my heart with thoughts of
It lieing stolen. I guess the next time
Binks sneaks off to pawn his dead
father's watch he'll let me know."
Washington Post
(-unlUlit and Colors.
Every one kn'Wa (he danger of mis
takes In attempting to select colored
articles iu artificial light. Only the
white light of the suu, containing all
the elements of color known to us, can
be trusted In such cases to reveal the
actual hues possessed by the objects
under examination. Some Interesting
scientific experiments on 'the effect of
light in revealing or concealing color
were lately made by l'r. II. W. Vogel,
the distinguished physician and astron
omer In Berlin.
Starting with the fact that In a pho
tographic "dark room." tilled with ruby
colored light, bright scarlet cloth ap
pears white. It was shown that when n i
white light whatever Is admitted to a
dark room, the power of the eye to dis
tinguish colors .s o-t -Hid
all objects appear of various shades
of white aud black.
By mingling blue or green with red
light the colors of objects can be made
to undergo remarkable changes. The
quantity of light also affects the ap
pearance of a color, particularly cer
tain tints of blue and violet for which
reason, even In the absence of arti
ficial lights, a person purchasing col
ored goods In a dark store must carry
them to the door or window, where
a strong illumination can be obtained.
In order to make certain of the precise
shade.
Psychic Pover of the Insane.
A woman who lin a greut deal to do
profetwlonally with the Insane and with
their treatment sayg that nothing has
more Impressed her In this st range and
Interesting people than the clairvoyance
which they undoubtedly display. Often
she has been told of occurrences In an
other part of the building which the
mad narrator had no possible nattiml
way of learning, and which were ex
actly corrw-t Jul related. This curious
fact would not surprise the psychical
student who has a perfect Is-llef In the
undis-overed limitations of the subjec
tive mind, but to most of us it is but
further uncanny proof of the existence
of more things !n heaven and earth
than are dreamed of In our philosophy.
New York Times.
Disappointed Travelers.
"About half the people on this ship
are going back to America with sad
hearts, ' said a German on board a
westward-bound German steamer oue
day last summer. "We have, most of
us, been back to Germany to see our old
friends, and we are disappointed be
cause they all seemed more eager to
know how much money 'we lunde In
America than glad to see us." Boston
Transcript
Aa Example.
Women are now admitted to lectures
at Edinburgh University, where they
sit on the front seats. Recently eight
women were attending Prof. Talt's lec
ture on the geometric forma of crystals.
"An octahedron, gentlemen," said the
professor, "Is a body with eight plane
face. For example- " "Look at the
front bench," broke In a man from tat
lata,
ALFALFA VS. THE HORTCACE
They Will Seter Buy Long oa tbe
Same Farm.
INCOMPATAEILITY OF THEIR TEMPER.
ir lh Allatf Staj. Mortgaga Mu.l
Hum Maufr mad Hoar lla tiot
Hlrh la tka t ,ck ltalurM.
IUsm bv, Neb. Th;g town of Tan
bury is the last Nebraska town in the
Beg ver valley se you go west. It is in
had Willow county, nesr the Kansas
line. You bear oi I)4nbury all the way
up the Beaver valley. People t"il voti
every day that you ought to see Il.in
bury. They do not refer to the town
itself, for it is a v.-ry small affair, but
to the farmings interest here. This is
the place where alfalfa first ststted in
Nebraska twelve years ago. It is worth
coming all the way frum the Missouri
river to gee this one green bpot.
But before I describe these alfalfa
taring at Ianbury, let uie go back into
tbe country half way between I'an
bury and Lebsnon, where I left t-am
Mesneron big farm. I met him first at
Lebanon, where he nag loading a car
of fat cow g for shipment to Omalia
taw these cows as 1 got olf the train at
!ebanon, that they were unusually fine
locking, and Mr. Meaner informed me
that they had not tasted grain, either
w inter or summer, but had been raised
and fattetieJ on alfalfa alone. In talk
ing wnii air. iiesner aisjut ttiese cows
I got arjuainUd with him, found that
be hail made a hit financially in the
last few years raising and feeding al
taila, and becaue lie bad done tins
be was interesting to me. Un further
acquaintance 1 found bim to be as
agreeable is rsonallv he has Is'en sue
cessiul financially. In tlin cloning of
my last letter 1 said that ham Mesner
looked tough. I meant by that that
if he were taken suddenly from this
farm, just as be apjears moving about,
fuperintending the hay harvest and
the feeding of fattening steers and bogs,
if he were suddenly uxheerd Into a
fashions!; drawing room in the city,
w here men are sometimes sized up from
tbe clothes they wear ami the polish of
their manners, be would be set down in
tbe Judgement of these fashionable peo
ple way lsdow bis just iieserts. To uie,
as I talked to hint, beard the story of
hi liie in weKern Nebraska and w hat
be had achieved, be looked np'endtd
and 1 liked bim. Twenty-three years
ago, a young man then, be lived at Kair
bury. Everybody had the blues there
then. There waf a v?ry light cr.iji, al
most a tutal failure in '7'i', ami '71.
Nearly everybody was discouraged. All
tbe ,s?opiH were oor there then and
the farmers placed but little value on
that land (now worth $35 to $40 an acre)
just as some js-ople hern place but lilt e
value on this land now. eome of the
tanners there w ho had borrowed $.(00
each on their farms, abandoned them,
and m'u to fain as 'they went away,
"You csn have that land jii"t as it is
for nothing if you want it. It is no use
to us." But r-am was young then un
married and be di I n't want land, lie,
had beard i) ti e buffalo that were tlcn
piemy In lied Willow county and In
longed to get ot. a strong horse, under a
big white at, ami rid free aud bold
among the buffalo on the plain. He
came with some other young men and
took up his temporary anode in a fctnail
cabin among tbe tree on the Heaver
near where his pretenl comfortst-h-farm
dwelling now stands. For several
years be lived much in the snldle,sleep
at night w lierever niglit lound bim, on
the tuft, brown buffalo grass, giving no
tbo'ight to land r home or settied con
i itou- of life. Home of tbe lioys took
up laud and they wanted ISam to take
some. but. land here had no value then
and so tar as be cuild see never would
Imve. Home of tbe boys took up land,
built themselves .ittle homes and mar
ried wives. One by one thes bold
riders settled down into quiet and civil-i7-ed
life and Ham, finding the long rides
acrosn the plain to the mountains and
back lonesome without his old com
panions, married and settled down too.
THK IIKOIKMKG OF IT ALL.
Up to I8!K) the seasons were favorable
and crop conditions good. But 18'.)
was a dry year, ihere wag a scarcity
of bav and roughness and many farmers
on the uplands sold their stock for
whatever they coald get. Mesner, who
had made some progress in alfalfa, bad
plenty of hay and could buy and feed
all tbe stock that came his way. Here
it where allalta bay gave him a big
boost, lie bad a supply of old hay on
band. It will fatten tiogB aud cattle
w hen it is one or two years old as well
as when it is new. The alfalfa farmer
always keep a supply on hand, so that
w htu his neighbors are short of feed and
offer their young sUick for sale he can
take them, lie made enough money
that year to pay off $3,000 of debt which
oe bad incut red by the purchase of ad
ditional land. Allalla bad served him
so well during tbe dry year of 1HW) that
be enlarged bis fields in '01, 'V2 and U3.
From (September, 1883 to September,
1874, be sold from the farm $2,700 worth
of bogs lhat had been brought to matu
rity and fattened largely on alfalfa. lie
sold that same year $1,500 worth of fat
steers that bad subsisted chiefly on
allalta. He used this money to buy
more land. He now has 000 acres in
this farm. He showed me a carload of
Ul bogs nearly ready for market that
are now being fed a little corn to harden
them up and give them weight. He
showed me 100 bead of fine s boats in
the clover field, growing rapidly and
thriving without grsin. He showed me
twenty-live (at steers that will be ready
to sjliip in thirty days. He showed me
100 tons of alfalfa bay in the stacx, be
tides 100 acres that will yield another
cutting yet Ibis year. Last year he cut
twe.ve acres lor seed, from which be
threshed 103 bushels, wniuh sold at $5
per bushei. He has a good bank ac
count and does not owe a dollar.
ALFALFA ANU MOBTOAOKS AT OPTS.
Now, I hava talked of Bam Mesner,
not because it is bim, lor ha was aa aa
tire stranger to me until 1 mat bim at
Lebanon, oat because I wanted to use
hiaa as aa sxamnle of one wbo baa made
money out of alfalfa, not by telling tbe
bay and seed, bat by leading it to stock.
Metier in-Lcvei init silaifa will re
volutionize tiie stock industry ail over
western Nebraska llel liM it will
inaugurate a new system of farm man
agement toat will run more t L gt si-d
cattle, lesi to wi-e.it aud oats, and el
tbe ssieof 15-ceut corn. He thinks the
corn and beat raisers work too bard
with their ban. In and mt enough with
their brains. It is not bard work, but
good nisnageiju-n', that makes a tanner
rich. He rays that aifaita w 11 not stay
ou a farm year after year and work side
by Fide in harmony with a mortgage,
believer allaila begins to gel iu its
work, lguis to put lat on cattle and
hogs, the mortgune folds iu tent like
an Arab and bilrutly steals away. Now
1 have proven Batisiactori.y, to myself at
least, in my observations here in the
last tn days, that tins is liteially true.
In all my ii.ouiry I have not yet heard
ot a single alfalia farmer wbo is not
well-to-do and out i f di bt.
How could it I otherwise with the
phenomenal profits tfiat have U-en real
ized from this clover in the last two
years? It may be true that these enor
mous protiis wnliiever again be realized.
1 find men every diy who have no alf
l a of their own, men who are always
r -ady to prophesy evil to every new en
terprise, repeating this suggestion, that
alfalfa will soon be overdone, that the
seed will come down iu piice to $i a
bushel ami that the bay, when it be
comes plenty, ld not sell for more than
three or four dolla-s a ton, and some of
tiit-.-te men, when they Sak ot this, act
as if they really wished that it might
come true. But 1 jy, let it C 'lne true,
and still it may be worth more by tbe
acre than any other crop, and will go
right on making beef and p-rk.'just the
same. What tbe hay and the seed will
lie worth is a shallow 7ie to take of ti e
alfalfa quest ion. It is its meat produc
ing power that gives it its va.ue. Meat
will always be valuable aud whatever
crop will produce the most m at per
acre will be tbe most valuable occupant
of the ground.
am Mesner last winter turned a drove
of bogi. into a slack yard where they ate
tbe stH'-ks dewn little by little, evt ry
straw , all through the w inter an i kept
in gol on!ilio:i without a mout'.ftil o.'
grain Now, it may be said, if all tlii'se
tilings aie true at-oui this new clover,
why is there not a green spot on every
Neoraska farm?
The secretary of agriculture in his
farm bulletin for ls.Ul, rettorts lhat the
tdn-ep industry of soiiihern Missouri and
of Arkansas, Alabama, Mieisippi and
Miiuli Carolina is praclially paralyzed
and has been for years, because of tho
revages of tbe farmers' dogs. Now you
may ask me to explain '..by these
southern fauu ri! continue from genera
tion to generation to love those iniTions
f wvrthlrss, hungry dogs more than
they do innocent, unoffending, wool-
producing, meat producing stuep, but I
a i. I explain it. These southern farmer
have le!i h-v 1 from generations back
when ttiey return to their squalid cabins
at evening from the cross roads grocery,
to U' gn-eted, each one by a baif dozen
of the-e di ep mouthed cuts clambering
over the rail fence and be compaiiinn-
slr.p of ttiese worthless fclieep-killing
log has ts-coine so limi li a part of tbe:r
existence that they cannot give them
up, even lor the pleasure and tbe money
that there is in the sheep industry.
A LOOK I.V'IO TIIK KI TCHK.
You may ask when will these . uth
ern larmers reform themselves; When
will they shake of tins environment
of dog and inaugurate the sheep iu-
lugtry? Knowing something of the
stubborn and crycrUsd will ot southern
tuiiplc and of tbe slowness with which
prm li'-al leforins proceed in these south
ii sian s, I shMild say that the o ixis
sum hunt i g dog of southern Missouri
wi I sttil ! leeding his lank iHxly with
sheep meat in twenty-live years from
now. In Arkansas these dogs will he
ha-ing Wins i.nd eating lambs for
half a U'timry yet. Iu Missipni arid
Alabama the dog industry will flourish
an. I the forests w ill resound w ith the
bellowing of lop eared hounds when the
v ungesl bahv of today is tottering in
loti'ge. In booth Carolina tbe yaller
dog will still lie loved and cherished
and troops o bim will be clarni ermg
over the tuinbled-down rail lences
around those mud daubed cabins when
the next century is hoary with age.
But it yon ask me to prophesy as to
w hen all the farmers of western Ne
braska will iie imitating these alfalfa
fanners of the Republican and Beaver
vallevs; when they will shake off the
environment of 15-cent corn and 60-cent
wheat and in Miuurate in their stead
system of m. production that will lift
every mortgage and put every larmeron
bis feet niiancia'lv, then 1 say, knowing
as 1 do the indelatigahlegnt and the pro
gressive spirit of Nebraska people;
knowing that the record of Ibis farming
state in the last twenty years lor pro-gr-ssive'developinent,
is not equalled by
more than one state in the union aud is
not excelled bv any community of farm-
era in the world, in ten years from now
our vallevs whi all be green, our up
lands will all be lubeoiled and our 250,-
000 million bushels of annual corn yield
win oe coiisumeo aim converioi into
meat on the faruis w here it is produced.
Tbe campaign against the grain specu
lator is already begun, not by the hlatb
ering politician, not in the brawls of
political jealousy, but at the homes of
industrious, peace-loving men, where
cows give rich miik ami where white
honey from the alfalfa meadows is on
the farmer's table. Tate some of this
honey in tbe section house at Lebanon
where the railroad men board and the
lady told me that it wag the very fineH
she haxl ever seen and that there was
plenty of it among all the people al mg
the valley.
STICK TO THK FARM.
Now I can't Ulk alfalfa. I (Wt
know the points. 1 am only a student.
I am trying to learn about it and in my
investigations I am simply recording re
sults as I find them where the industry
lias rieen inaugurated, l am not a
farmer and I do not presume to lecture
farmers or give them advice. But I love
Nebraska and I believe in its future.
I believe that evry man wbo has a farm
home in this state and rho holds onto
it, will see the day not (ar in tbe future
when there will be plenty of buyers and
few sellers of Nebraska land and when
tbe farmers here will be surrounded
with such conditions of comfort thai
they will feel amply repaid for all the
anxiety of these hard timea. In my
nett letter from this point I will relate
tbe results of alfalfa according to tbe ex
perience of the Dslf brothars and the
shton brother bare, and I will try to
five aa I hava received from tbetn, tonw
of the practical details nsrsasary to
suocees la the raising of alfalfa aad ia
making money on westarn Nebraska
land.
mi
iAnrurmtf'iintt
French Tomato (oup.
Collect all the bones In the larder and
put them on to boll with s pound of
lean meat, all kinds of vegetables and
as much water as will make six plates
of broth. Skim well when It bolls np
and allow It to simmer for several
hours. Strain when ready. Cut up an
onion and fry It In a tabb-spoouf ul of
butter until light brown; then cut up
and a.Td six or eight large-sized toma
toes, a crust of bread, pepper aud salt
to taste and one lump of sugar. 1'our
over this the broth when ready and al
low all to boll until the tomatoes are
soft Strain aud put on to boil again.
Dissolve one trasintotiful of corn starch
In a little cold water; add to It six
heaping tablespoonfuls of thick cream
and beat It well. Take the pot off the
fire, set ou the side of the range and
pour the cream Into It very slowly, so
thnt It will not curdle. Serve with It
squares of bread, fried In a little but
ter. If preferred, put them in the soup
tureen and pour the hot soup over them.
Should the soup be required In a hurry,
beef extract cm lie used, liissolve It
In water and substitute It for the boiled
soup.
Apple .VartnatHri.
Wash your apples, quarter them and
rut the cores out. l'nt on to conk with
water to cover them. Cook till soft,
and pour Into a cheese cloth bag. Let
drain through, but do not squeeze. To
every quart of juice use one pint of
granulated sugar; boll fifteen minutes.
The pulp of the apples may be used
by pressing through a sieve Add one
cup of sugar and the Juice of a lemon to
each quart of pulp; If It Is too thick to
cook, add n little water. Boll for thir
ty minutes, stirring constantly. Put In
small crocks or bowls. It makes a
nice spread for the little ones' bread.
Jipancae Varnish.
A Japanese furniture jsilish, said to
be exceptionally valuable, Is prepared
by mixing well together one pint of
linsi-ed oil, one pint of strong cold tea.
the whites of two eggs and two ounces
of spirits of salt. When thoroughly
combined pour Into n bottle, which must
be shaken each time lie fore tho polish
Is Used. Make a pad of soft linen,
pour on a few drops of liquid, rub well
over the article to le polished, and
finish the process with an old silk
handkerchief or dry chamois skin. The
Japanese use their fine pai-r both as
polisher and first applier.
Grandma's Candlesticks,
She who haunts antique shops Is
wiser than she who spends her money
In modern brlc-a brae. Modern brlc-a-brac
may "go out." but that which has
withstood the test of time and changing
fashions Is likely to be worthy of ad
miration. Consequently she who buys
the brass condlcstlcks of her grand
mother's day buys better than she who
pays the same price for some oddity In
the line of a china candlestick Invented
last month.
Hipe Orape Cat an p.
Five pounds of grapes, oue pound of
sugar, one pint of vinegar, one table
spoon of pepper, one-half tablouHHiu of
salt, one tablespoon each of allspice,
cloves, cinnamon. Cover the grapes
with water, cook ten minutes, then rub
through a sieve so as to remove skin
and seeds. Add the Ingredients and
boll twenty minutes, or till a little thick
er than cream, bottle.
Helectlnu China. ,
In selecting china for painting only
that which Is absolutely fne from Im
perfections should be bought, as some
times a flaw In Its smoothness as slight
as a grain of sand In freeing Itself to
gain room to expand will result In an
explosion, breaking not only that but a
number of pieces.
Crtnm Cake.
Three eggs, one cup sugar, 1 cups
flour, 2 tabb-spoonfuls water, teasxon
baking powder. Bake In two layers.
For tbe batter, boll nearly one plut of
milk, beat together two tableioons
flour, add one egg, one cup of sugar
and V4 cup butter. Then stir Into the
milk and boll until thick.
Death of a Queer Man.
A Bfllnbrldge, N. Y, dispatch says:
Thomas Foote, 22 years old, died nt his
home,.seven miles from Hancock, under
peculiar circumstances. He was af
fected by what he ate to such an ex
tent that when he Indulged In Iwef ho
would become restles. wander out and
bellow llfc an ox, going down on his
hands and knees to eat grass. After
he partook of mutton hi actions wetf
those of a sheep and h w ould bleat like
a lamb. When he ate chickens he
would go out and scratch for worms,
which he devoured with apparent rel
ish. Ilia father killed some squirrels,
of which the son ate heartily. He left
the bouse and was followed by bis
father, wbo soon saw bis son Jump
ing from limb to limb of a trae, barking
like a squirrel. lis called for bim to
coma down, but this only seemed to
make the boy want to aacapa and be at
tempted to jump from oaa tree to an
other. He missed bis footlna. fall to
tfca ground and eiplrad In leas than Art
miaaiaa