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More than Agitation Needed.
Ti.e ijuesrlon of the improvement of
ur country mails has been very pi
tensively discussed In recent years.
The ni of bicycles 1ms contributed
arretitly to this, but thousand who care
nothing for wheel are glad of any pre
text for awakening public Interval In
Jl matter that they regard as so im
portant. There has been au abundance
of agitation, but unfortunately there
has been more of that than of anything
else. Louisville Courier-Journal.
kailroud and Wggon Koad.
Many of the railroad companies of
the bind have expressed their friendly
Interest in the gisul roads inoveiiieiit
iiy offering to trausjrt materials and
machinery for the Improvement of
tiigbwavs. at reduced rate.
W- should always give the devil bis
Juo, ii!id. furthermore, we should not
look a gift horse in the imuitli. As a
rule, railroad corporations are not often
troubled w ith big-licarteiliics.
This seeming liberality of the rail
road -ompanios is merely a display of
good sciim' and good busho s. But the
IrnVnrive for their acts, like "the flow
ers ti.at bloom in the sprint, have noth
ing to do with the case." except it is a
bj-ful sign that business, anil not
KViiij.athy. proiiiit tliem to do as they
. o re.
It is 3 well understood fad that the
tlistatn-e to market should lie tin uMiivd
largely Iiy the dy na iiio-iueter rather
'4han by the surveyor's chain. Hence
the be;ie- the roads the larger the urea
from which a railroad will derive pat
ronage, am the less likelihood of com-t-(ing
or other lines Is-itig asked for
Cin1 constructed.
adduce that cannot be hauled to the
taOrotnl. with profit to the farmer. Is so
liai' ti business lost to the railroads.
On ordinary roads the cost of haul
ing p-oduce to the local railway sta-
tioi! is several times iis much as the rail
toad charges for conveying it to the nie
IropeQis or seaboard.
Ei is clear that bad roads may make
the marketing of inti'li produce un
profitable ami unwise, whereas, good
roj-uls would make it worth transport
ing, and thus they would greatly in
crease the railroad's income, and at the
statue time benefit the fanners.
("nd'-r present conditions, railroad
traffic in many sections of the country
depends on every change of the weath
T that may effect the wagon mails. In
very muddy tfmes mi produce is mar
keted, and a sudden freeze-up may pre
cipitate a rush, which proves incon
venient to the railroad company. Good
weather-proof roads would insure a
more regular shipment of farm pro
ducts and a more even market for the
fame.
All in all a thorough system of good
roads would benefit the railroads very
greiitly. Kvery wagon road is a feeder
to tl railroad. The better and more ex
tended the former, the more business
will lie done by the latter.
It is simply good business for the rail
Toad companies to do all they can to
encourage and materially aid in the Im
lirovement of highways.
Heroes Never Brag.
The following extract, quoted by an
exchange, without hint as to ltt an
ihorship. Is most excellent reading
Whoever wrote it, it would bp a pleas
ure to know die man alMiut whom It is
written.
I recall a traveling companion, an Fn
glish soldier, a sergeant, who wore the
colors of the queen with a smartness'
that became them. He had been all
through the Fgyptianand the Soudanese
wars, and told much of what he had
eon. felling it well.
We were in the night express, and the
others in the carriage slept, in various
nagcs of dishabille and discomfort;
he rain beat on the windows, and the
tmin roarpd and rocked and jangled
lis It rushed southward. Hut I heard
mly the strong voice of my lieighlor.
es he poured out story after story of
the two campaigns: and now we laugh--d.
and now we fell to silence for a
:ihcp, as he turned from the wild Jol
lity of a camp to Its queer, sudden pa
IIioh, and spoke of the bravery that
went unrewarded, and the great deeds
that could never le recompensed.
'For it flint the best of us that's dec
orated," he said: "anil after all. If a
fellow drops lehlnd In a rush, and has
(ill his wounds In front, what better
tiicd a 1 could he have than that?"
But I glanced at his breast, and.
miling. shook my head. He was will
ing to tell story after story of what his
(-hum had done, and what he had
tiarl of (A hers; but he did not say how
h tad gained that plain little cross,
-and only reddened and grew taciturn
when I asked altotit It.
"Twfl nothing," he mm I A. awkward
ly, and there was no further word to ls
got from him; "'twas of no ennae
qonce. Now If they had given It to
" ami he plunged Into another story,
which ended In anon a manner that
frith of na had to stare hard out of the
wliWInw.
A Charc-h on Wheels.
The Mafcop of North Dakota baa a
MOt vpoa wheels capable af
t--J wvtaty people, with which k
travel about bla diocese much in thai
ame manner as- the showmau wan
ders through the country In his cara
van, with the differeui-e that the bish
op's structure is moved from place to
plsne by railway. Whenever he wishes
to halt for a wfvice on one of his pas
torUI trijis across his prairie diocese,
the church is shunted on to a siding,
and the new of hi arrival having
spread a oongTcga!l..u ss.ii gathers.
Notice of future services are given,
and men will often walk long distances
in order to lc present, large uuiulx-rs
of miners and railway hands assem
bling. Naturally the Hishop is very
proud of his church car; he conducts tle
aervhvs alone, and U his own pew.
opeiu-r, verger, c-ook and housemaid.
ODD MIXTURE OF RACES.
Baltimore' Colony of German-Irian
men Create Home Curioaity.
Many people have ts-eu xurprissl to
learn that there are in Hultimore German-Irishmen
that Is. persons de
Hceudetl from Uermau iarents In Ire
land. Such Irishmen of German orig
in are, however, also to lie found else
where. Thus, for Instance. Bishoji
Thomas Kouacum. of umalia. is an
Irishman of German descent. To Il
lustrate the reason for this the follow
ing facts might Is- of service: In the
year li'li a great uuinlier of 1'alatiHes
were induced to emigrate, partly on ac
count of the distress eonseqi cut to the
French war. but more so on account
of the glowing accounts from the first
German Immigrants to Pennsylvania.
They came In great numlers to Itot
terdam. depending fur assistance on
Kngland. whence already in I7 a
great number of Palatines had Is-en
transported to New York. They came,
however, in too great numbers, and
there were Do vessels to convey them
from Uottcrdaiu to London. For some
time they were cared for in the former
city, but when this proved tis great
a hurd-u Fnglaud had them tninsHrt
ed tn London, where they were housed
and properly cared for.
Hut on the 1st of June the uumlier
had grown to lo.'i. in consequence
of which Kngland caused a publica
tion to be made in Holland on June U'i,
1T":. that no new immigrants would
In- thenceforth received. Neverthe-h-ss.
until October. 17'f.t. some 4.tl
mure crossed over. The exis-nx- of
supporting these Germans at "Gri-cn-w
ich camp." near London, was de
frayed by large collections th:ougu a
coiiiutitii-e. to which the highest js-r-sons
in the realm belonged, ijuecu
Anne gave jtsKi daily. Hut even f.r
wealthy Kngland this burden soon 1m--came
too great; therefore efforts Were
made to scud these people to America,
and many of them wont to Schoharie,
In New York. Many of them di-d. but
there still remained a large nnmlior.
so that .'I.hiki Palatines were sent to
Ireland, where they settled In tin
county of Limerick, making splendid
progress as skillful farmers and me
chanics, such as linen weavers. Phila
delphia lieeord.
Swallowed His lUlon.
A decidedly unique variation of a
drum major's usual performance when
on review occurs in one (f the French
regiments of the lim- or, rather, did
occur for the colonel of that retr'mcnt
has now put his foot down and issued
a positive tiat that his sulsirdlmtte shall
henceforward confine himself to of.ho
dox tricks.
The musical leader in questV.-i had at
one period of his life lioeii a mounte
bank, and evidently a good one. lor.
after practicing in secret a number of
times, he astonished the reglttun:.
drawn up in review one d-ty, by sud
denly throwing his stick high 'n the
air. catching It in his mouth -ipon in
descent and swallowing fully one half
of it. Having accomplished this gas
tronomic inversion, he stood for a mo
ment while- the spectators gazed in
awed amazement, and then disgorged
the half of, the baton which he had
swallowed and continued his march
dow n the linp.
He repeated this trick a good many
times, and the regiment was very
proud of him, but it brought it such an
unenviable reputation that the colonel
finally had to stop him. Now his per
formance is thoroughly conventional.
Colors.
In medieval times the following sig
nificance was given to color: White
was emblematical of light, purity, vir
ginity, faith, Joy. and life. Carmine
red, of Christ's passion and death, of
royalty, of the Holy Spirit, and of tire.
Blue, of truth, constancy, piety. Iark
red. of anger, war, and bloodshed.
Gold and bright yellow, of the graces,
of brightness., marriage, ami frultful
ness. IHngy yellow, of deceit and
Jealousy. Green of hope, of spring,
prosperity, victory. Immortality. Vio
let, of love, truth, humility, passion,
and suffering. Black, of death, mourn
ing, humiliation; also of the earth.
Blue with gold stars, of heaven.' White
and red roses, of love and Inuisi-nce, or
love and wisdom.
Will He Remember the Adage?
It Used to be said that one who lives
In glass houses should not throw
stones, though the author of this old
adage never dreamed that anyone
would ever live In a glass house. But
a prominent French manufacturer of
glass determined to construct a house
entirely of that material for the next
French eihibltlon. The walls will con
sist of an iron skeleton, on which will
be placed slabs of glass In such a man
ner as to form a double wall. In the
Interior of which hot air will le cir
culated, In winter, and In the summer
compressed air, which will cool them.
The roof will Im glass, with a network
of Iron, the walls, staircase, etc., being
similarly constructed.
Kngland A I moat Ignorant of Iff 13.
The war of 1812, about which hooka
are written Id America, baa scarcely got
ire line devoted to It In any one of
the popular Kngllsb historic. London
ketch.
QUEEN OF FESTIVALS.!
THE DISTINCTION THAT IS GIVEN
EASTER DAY.
Bome Custom, by Which It la Ob
served Why the Kif la Symbolical
of the (R-casiun Leicenda and snper
atitiona Connected with It.
ASTKK Sunday.
Muich for ceuturie
as observed oulj
by certain ihurche.
'. now ahiiust univer
sal!) kept as a day of
days, all evangelical
c-!iurcbe nyojtKiliiujg
it as the anniversary
commemorative of
the resurrection of
Christ, a festival
which in the early
t MSaarr 'Christian era n
W- '" Sunday of joy. and
which Gregory Naziann-ii 1 .' )' ea rs ago
called the "Queen day of days, that exi-el
ail others a far a the uu exi-ced the
other stars, ami which is sti'l ktciwu ia the
pas: as tile "bright day.' " Another typical
name for Faster is the "Holiday of Ib'lM?."
There is a wonderful ibarm and faaci
uatiou in this queen festival of the year,
which dominates the whole world with ita
wonderful !e.u of returning life- Not
only is the ileeji religious significance of
the occasion il!n:ratei! in the most attrac
tive and beautiful f'rui as a lcs.n to the
eye, and through that to the heart, but the
joyful features of Faster, the upssiriuitlUg
of hope and the miracle of returning life,
iuipire a condition of joy mid happiness in
the hves of yoiiiic and old. and the moat
insensible object benoucs a part of the
carnival of joy.
Faster was not kept as a festival until
the fifth or sixth century, hut pr-viu to
that the question of establish. :i it as a
feast day came before the council of Nice,
when it was ile.-i i.-d authoritatively that
Faster was In-ucefonh to be the Sunday
following the Hth day of the calendar
moon which happened upon or next after
the 'Jlst of March, so that if this Htb day
Im-a Sunday, Faster w as not to he on that
date hut on the next following Sunday.
Faster day. therefore, may lie any day
within five weeks indu-ovc uf March '2
and April 'g". Ir cannot happen earlier
nor later than those two date. In
Faster occurred mi March go. and again
in 1M!M. which will be twice in the pre-
ent century, hi l.tol it will occur again
on Man h go.
If has often tieen asked why an egg U
the ayiulsd of Faster. The use of eggs for
Fater can be traced to the theoiogy and
phi!o-iphy of Fgyptian-.. pel-shins, Gauls.
Greeks and Rinnan, among ail of whom
an egg was a symbol of the universe, the
work of tin- Supreme Divinity. The IVr
mshiis gave presents of eggs at the feast
nf the vernal equinox in honor of the re
newal of all things. The Jew n adapted it
to suit the eireinnstate-es of their history
as a type of their departure frotu Kgypt.
and it was used ju the feast of tke pnss
over as part of the furnishing of the tabie
w ith die Paschal lamb. The early Ilruid
also used Uip egg in their ceremonies.
The custom of coloring Faster egg
seems to be as old as tile us ijf the egg
as a symbol. In Germany sometime in
stead of eggs at Faster, a curious print
illustrative of their use is presented. An
Faster custom brought from Mesopota
mia is that of egg-rolling or egg-pitting.
The manner of this ssirt is to strike the
eggs oiip against the other, until one in
broken, which is the spoil of the owner oi
the egg which remains whole. Anothel
egg is then pilled against the inning one,
and so on until the last one is vieioriotis.
Kvery year at Washington the children
of all classes of people meet in the grounds
of the Wiiite II .!!e. and with the Presi
dent and h: family looking on, and great
crowd of spectators in attendance, pro
ceed to roll igg i f all the color known
to humanity, and in such quantities that it
would seem as if the hens of all the world
had contributed. It is one of the sights of
Washington on Faster Monday. In thif
coiiniry eggs of all i-olor are used fur
the rolling sport, but in Mesopotamia they
are red only, in remembrance of the cruci
fixion. Ia France it was once customary at tut
approach of Faster to seek the largest
eggs as a tribute to the k.ng. and when
the Faster 1iigh mass waa finished, in the
chapel of the louvre, to take theui iuto the
royal presence, handsomely gilded and
carried in pyramids. Then the chaplain
blessed them, after which they were dis
tributed to the people.
Kaster Superstitions.
There are many superstitious connected
wirh Faster Sunday w hich are significant
of the season, and are almost as impera
tive as laws. On of these is the neces
sity of having something new to wear on
this day in order to insure happiness for
the coming year. Hem the Faster bon
net. Another one is that on that day tho
sun dances. This is an old legend, and
the lines from Sir John Suckling are well
known:
"But oh, she dance such a way
No sun upon an Faster day
Is half so fair a sight."
It is also claimed in heathen countries,
where the superstition originated, that the
lambs frisk and dance in the light of the
rising aun on Ostro, the naane of a heath
en divinity who was also represented as
dancing and who gave to our Faster ita
name.
Tho Faster Itahhit.
The rabbits enter largely Into Faster
amusements, especially among the Ger
mans, who hide eggs in nests for the chil
dren to find, attributing the deed to tb
Faster rabbit.
Fggs-actly the Faster Htyle.
,S-V
AN EASTER DAY.
Khali It be a song or auiiijett
Sooth: It must Ue something g.ij:
f'ess has got a stunning bonuel
fche will "Ion ou Kaster dajr.
I can see urr In my fancy
As she Diarrhea up the aisle,
With a iinue-tess necromancy
la the suuslilne uf her sujlie.
She's the loveliest of lassies
Kver winged a Cupid dart:
Every gallant when she passes
Will have failure of the heart.
Every ts-lle my word upon It
Wlil with Jealousy grow gray.
When sweet Itessie ill her boliuel
Treads the aisle on Easter lmj.
t would (rive a feudal castle
(All my castles ere hi Spain')
And the wealth of lord ami vassal
I Ail my wealth Is In uiy brain!
If 1 might to think upon It
Fairly takes my breath )!-ilnn-h
with liesle ami Iw-r Isiuu'-t
l"p the aisle od Easter I'ay.
s.'.vCXi-,.-
HFIt clothes were certainly very
ragged; no one could dispute
that. Her toes were rebellious
and objected to staying in her boots.
Lis'beth looked at them despairingly.
She was only nine, yet she could reason.
"If I was as cold as my feet am." she
mused, "and had any place to go, I just
wouldn't slay out in the cold."
Nearly all that day she had wandered
up and down the city street looking for a
home. Her father had left her three days
before on a drunken spree, with no place
in particular to lay her head. Ibiring
those three days she had eaten nothing
but a piece of bread an old Irish woman
had given her. Suddenly she made up
her mind she would go up where the rich
people lived and see if tticy didn't want a
little girl. "So much money to spare,"
said 'LU'betb, "souiebody'Il surely take
uie." Poor little trusting soul!
She turned her steps and went toward
the west. The abort winter twilight had
already commenced to deepen as she
climbed a flight of long stone steps and
timidly rang the bell. How warm it look
ed inside, she thought. A aervaut came
to the door and regarded the, ragged mite
before her curiously. "What do you wish
for'" she asked, not unkindly.
"Please, marm, a home," said 'Lis'beth.
The girl laughed. "There is none here
for you," she answered, and closed the
door.
'Lia'beth sank dowa on the doorstep,
tunned and sobbing. The door behind
her oened softly once more, and a little
Isiy looked out lie tiad Heard the ser
vant's description of the little waif, and
bis childish heart was touched.
"I've brought yoa soniefiti'," he said,
putting a large napkin iuto her bands,
filled with hastily snatched goodies from
the dining room. "Fat it quick, before
Nurse thida met No, wait a minute, and
I'll get you a present." And be ran into
the bouse. Ilia little heart was filled with
pity for this poor little girl whose mamma
was dead, and whose papa was drunk
jnost always. H came b.vk in a moment
and pressed a (lower pot into 'Lis'beth's
bands.
"Keen It where It's warm and aunny
he said hurriedly. "By and by it'll be
pretty. It'a aa Eaater Illy. I must go
now. Nurse Is rilling me. Good-by, little
girl."
He stooped and touched bis childish lips
to hers, then shut the door, leaving 'LI'-
Jeth alna once more, this time (borough
ly da cd. No one had ever kissed her
since her mother died, anil the unfamiliar
11 4 V V
W-i.v,.l
I il 1ST.'
' g?- i N
caress burned deep into her warm little
heart and comforted it.
Down the avenue, past the beautiful
hou-s she went, knowing now they were
not for her. It snowed faster and faster,
and 'Lis'beth's tired little feet just man
aged to drag themselves over the ground.
By and by she crawled under the shelter
of a friendly porch and wrapped her pre
cious plant tight in her skirts to keep it
warm. All around her that night people
lay in soft, warm beds, and shivering said
how cold it was. 'Lis'beth said nothing.
She only waited. God must have made a
mistake, she thought, that would come
right in time. Perhaps her prayers hadn't
reached him yet. It was a long way to
heaven.
When she opened her eyes again, it w as
to tind herself in a clean, while bed, w ith
sunlight streaming in at the w indow oppo
site, and a pleasant warmth in the air.
On a little stand In-side her bed was her
pet coiniiuniiHi. the Faster lily.
"Is this heaven'" said 'Lis'beth. "Has
God got my prayer? Ho you help Gud
take care of folks?"
"No, dear." answered a woman. "This
is only the hospital, and I am your nurse.
I am going to take care of you and get
you nice and strong."
' February passis), March came and went
and April dawned. 'Lis'beth still lay in
her bed. making no complaint, but w aming
day by day. The wonderful lily had a
Wonderful bud, and 'Lis'beth watched it
grow and swell w ith eager eyes. "It will
be ois-u for Faster, ' dear," one of the
nurses said to her one day.
"What's Faster?" asked 'Lis'beth, won
deringly. So Nurse Mary told her of the Imi of
the children. Hunting Him out in the pic
ture that hung on the wall, among the
little throng. Told of how He died, and
how on the third day the angels rolled the
shine away from the tomb, and the living
Iird came out, "and that is Faster," said
Nurse Mary.
'Lis'beth jsindered and her eyes turned
wistfully toward the lily bud. but she said
nothing. Faster morning dawned clear
and beautiful, the lily had opened. 'Lis'
beth eagerly atretcUed out her lean little
arms towards it.
"Will you break it off for meV" she
asked, and looked at it attentively for a
moment. "I think it is very pretty," she
said, "but I don't know about the Iird.
I mean to give it to him. Is it good
enough, do you think?"
"Darling." said the nurse, "to-day yon
A JOYOUS
sliall'g.) to the Ixird and take him your
lily, lie will like it, I know."
She heaved a contented little sigh. "It'll
be a long ways." she whispered. "I guess
I'll go to sleep and rest a bit."
The nurse bent over the dying child with
eyes filled with tears, and waMied the
TIIK HOY TOt ( 1IKI) Ills I. IPS TO HK.I1S.
breath flutter between the pale lis. It
was only a slight flutter, fainter and
fainter!
Then it went out, and 'Lis'beth gave
her Faster lily to the Iord on Faster
mom. Ladies' Hume Journal.
An Faster I.egeiiil.
"Will the sun really dance on Easter?"
tjuestliineil the i.euteli llcvolee.
tin Easter morn she rose lietlme
'in hear the merry ringing chlim-K,
The spii-tHcle of Joy to see.
Intnie fashion from Iter thrall ri-leased her
To waf-li tin- dancing sun lit Easier.
Iild the tin it dance for her at Ksstrr?
sUie saw lis rays of glory stilue
lu greeting at the break of ilsy :
Young diptd iiti't her by the say,
I.ove ens! o'er tier his glamour flue.
All nature offered Ji.ys to feast her
ller heart danced with the sun at Easter.
A German Custom,
A German Faster custom is to light firea
on the hillside of the Hart, obtaining the
holy water from the streams at midnight,
when the good spirit moves the waters,
and the presentation of cakes, shaped in
(lie form of the rising sun, are made spe
cial features of the occasion.
When the heart Is light with hope all
pleases, nothing comes amiss.
EASTER.
Is
Vs.-
"us"
.', ,-aa u:vl.
