CHAPTER I.
"Why, ye" the speaker was Mr. Den
bigh "now we are comfortably settled
down at last, girls, we ought to advertise.
What do yon think. Elizabeth 7"
Elizabeth was Mrs. Denbigh' second
daughter, a lank, pale girl with brown hair
and eyes.
"I was just thinking the very same
thing, mother." she replied.
"And you, Nora?"
Mrs. Denbigh turned to her eldest
daughter, whose gaze was riveted on the
lank girl.
"I was thinking how we could alter
Lizbeth' dress. Perhaps we can turn it
sideways; things are worn to the side
now. Yes, I think I see my way to that."
"I wish, my dear, yon would not mind
dress now," remonstrated the eldest lady.
"What we want to see our way to is
work."
"Precisely, mother, and if we want
work we must dress well. Now, family,
what is it"; The advertisement plan?
Well, I shall advertise for music lessons."
"And I for lessons in English," said
Mrs. Denbigh.
"And I shall advertise for translation
work," said Elizabeth.
"Andl? What shall I do?"
The seaker was a dark, curly-headed
girl of fourteen Dorry.
"You? Oh, you can't do anything yet."
"Can't I? Won't I. though:" and the
girl's dark eyes ftiiHhed
A boy w as standing beside her.
"I wish I could do something, too," he
said, with the inimitable earnestness of
manner with which manhood at eight is
foud of setting off its sage remarks.
"You can," said Nora.
"What?"
"Help us to keep up appearances. Al
ways look happy, even when we don't feel
so: never tell any one how bard we w-ork
for the little we earn; to take ill luck
quietly "
"That's very hard." said the boy.
"And good luck quietly "
V'fbat's harder still," said the curly
headed girl from the floor where she was
seated.
The boy was the child of Mrs. Denbigh's
brother-in-law. The little fellow, whose
birth in India had cost his mother's life,
had been sent to Mrs. Denbigh by his
father, with the request that she would
bring him up with her own children.
The day following the above conversa
tion three professional women adver
tised in the three puers of the German
town of Ecks, where they had just locat
ed, and were known as "poor gentlefolk,"
and the day after was one of great excite
ment to at least two of thciu.
"Mother!"
The speaker was Dorry."
"Wbatr
"1 see a genilem-jn looking np at the
different bouses. 1 wonder if he isn't
for us. Rush to the piano, Nora, and be
playing! IJxbeth where' Lizbeth"; It
might be for ber."
Lizbeth was frantically arranging a
pile of papers in "admired disorder" on
a little table, to look like manuscripts.
This feat was still in the course of per
formance when a gentleman entered, and
Nora, unconscious, of the little comedy,
rose to greet him with her blandest smile.
He was the first to speak.
"Good-py. Hat I, my lady, the bleesure
to speak to Mistress Denbig?"
"No, I am Miss Denbigh," replied Nora,
suppressing a titter. "My mother is not
often to be seen in the daytime, but you
may find her any evening between six and
seven; or perhaps you can arrange with
me."
"May I ask what are your mistress
mother's derrems?"
"Threw marks a private lesson."
"Oh, then I' do lament. That is too
mui h for me," How motch dake your
mistress mother in a glass; How motch
scholars. I mean?"
At this moment the hall-door bell rang
again, and in walked a lady, arrayed in
bonnet and shawl, and holding a parasol
in her hand Mrs. Denbigh. Then the
conversation in the drawing room was
conducted placidly enough. Herr Meyer
declared himself desirous of entering Mrs.
Denbigh's class, and Mrs. Denbigh,
though she only now learned of the exist
ence of this class, declared herself quite
willing to take Herr Meyer; only she
thought it would be best for Herr Meyer
to commence alone,
""pon the glass derrems, my lady?"
"Yes; as it would only be to prepare
you for the class. Do not say 'my lady
to me; you should say 'madam.' "
"Oh, thank you, madam; you allow that
I make a note of that
And out flew Herr Meyer' note book.
Then he rose to go.
"Good-py."
"Good morning," replied Mr. Denbigh.
"Good morning? What, you say not
'good-py!' Of that also, uiadnra, I will
make a note."
And out flew Herr Meyer' note book
gain.
"Then I shall expect you at six o'clock
on Thursday," were Mrs. Denbigh' part
ing words.
Hereupon the bell was rung again. This
time it was an official to request the re
moral of a diminutive flower pot from
one of the window sills, ere it should per
hapa fall and cause loss of Ufa to the
passers-by.
"This is living abroad," moaned Mr.
Denbigh, while the girls and Tom danced
a jig in the next room, preparatory to
posing for the next visitor, who arrived in
the midst of their merriment, being the
errant from the story beneath, with the
request that the family would cease danc
ing. the house wa not vary solidly
built.
"I'm truly glad, my dear," said Mr.
Denbigh, profiting by the Moment' si
lence to deliver herself of a few serious
word, and, gating with maternal severity
at the trio, who looked wickedly inclined
t test the solidity of the boaaa once fur
all by waltzing through every room; "Pm
truly glad, my dears, that the houses are
so constructed as to force you to put an
end to these childish outbursts of merri
ment. RememlM-r. you are now, two of
you, starting with me as profcsniuual
women. Really, girls, I rely ou ynr be
coming steady."
This last sentence was a masterpiece
of motherly diplomacy. The "girls," thus
flatteringly apiealed to, at once sat down
with solemn faces: that is, N'ira and
Elizalieth. Not so Miss Dorry. She drop
ped down on the fl.mr lieside her mother,
and hid her black, curly head in the ma
ternal lap.
Mrs. Denbigh laid her baud on it.
"Well, daughter?"
The girl looked up.
"I w ish I could te a professional wom
an, too." she said, "and help." and this
time she brushed away a great tear that
was not a tear of laughter.
Such uas little Dorry.
CHAPTER II.
Thursday following.
"Yes. that looks very nii-e," said Mrs.
Denbigh. a she entered a room, where
on a table Here arranged ens. ink and
paMT. "Only one thing, my dear, you
have forgotten. We none of us have a
watch. How am I to know when the hour
is up?"
"1 have an idea." exclaimed Dorry.
"And what is that, pray?"
"There is a clock one can hear striking
from the back of the house. I shall keep
on the qui vive, and when it strikes seven,
sneeze outside the door here. You will
understand, mother."
A few minutes later Herr Meyer arriv
ed. A quarter past six, half past six, a
quarter to seven, anil at last seven struck.
Then Miss Iorry Denbigh went to the
class room door.
"Hatt chish!"
Still Mrs. Denbigh continued: "A little
flatter your 'a,' please, in that word 'man.'
We do not say 'monn' in English, neither
do we say 'men,' but bet weeu the two,
thus, 'man.' "
"Hatt chish T louder than ever sneezed
Miss Denbigh, knowing well that her
mother once launched into a linguistic
discourse of this nature, the lesson would
probably last another hour.
Mrs. Denbigh sighed; but Dorry was in
exorable. She was forced to give in. "This
is a subject,' she said, "we must return
to next lesson. It is already seven o'clock."
At six o'clock the next morning Dorry
was up and dressed.
"Elizabeth!"
"What do you want?" Saying which
Betty sit up, and begins rubbing ber
eyes.
"You said you'd come with me. See,
I'm dressed already."
Some minutes after tbey stole silently
out of the bouse.
"Have you puper?" asked Elizabeth.
"Yes, and string."
"If we shouldn't be able to carry it?"
"Of course we shall, it wa advertised
as small," and the girls walk on silently
for a space.
"Have.you any money, Dorry?"
Answer, after a pause: "You know
yourself, when I have spent the two
marks, I shall have one mark left, our
last silver piece. Y'ou don't want me to
change that, I suppose, to buy bread on
the way, and we able to get it on credit
at the baker's opposite us. You'll eat
nil the more heartily when we get home,
for waiting a while, and letting yourself
get hungry."
Elizabeth made no reply. She had Dev
er "let" herself get hungry in her life be
fore as she now felt, and the cool morning
air was doing its best to make the distant
prosecta of breakfast at borne seem more
and more dismal. Finally they came to a
gloomy-looking bouse, then up one, two,
three, four flights of stairs, and they
found themselves in a small, untidy room.
Here Dorry produced her advertise
ment, and Elizabeth asked eagerly:
"Have you sold it?" for which her sister
gave her a lecture, winding up with, "a
if we should appear to care whether he
had or not!" to which Elizabeth made the
not illogical answer, in tones equally In
dignant: "As if he could think we should
break our necks almost, mounting four
flights of stair the first thing in the
moruing. if we didn't!" an argument to
which Iorry simply replied by a scornful
look. She then turned to the man:
"I suppose you will let me have it for
one mark and a half. Oh, you needn't
trouble to lift your bands" (Herr Schmidt
having adopted the attitude considered
as best portraying astonishment). And
she gave the man the string and paper
with the words: "Paper it up, please, and
cord it. We are in a hurry."
"Do yon mean to carry it yourself?"
(Herr Hasps r Schmidt looked more as
tonished than ever.) "Why, you couldn't
lift it."
Dorry took the parcel in her hand.
"It isn't heavy at all!" she exclaimed.
"Come, Bet. The buying of it is my doing,
and I will carry it."
A they reached the park their faces
grew serious, a most disagreeable cir
cumstance having just taken place. A
they passed the majestic-looking porter at
the eutranee a clear chime fell on the air,
not from any of the churches near, nor the
postotfiee, nor the station; alas! no; but
from a large brown paper parcel in the
youngest Mis Denbigh' hand.
Now, it w nine o'clock by thi time,
Just the hour on bright summer morn
ing when visitors flock to enjoy a walk
In the park of Ecks. It most also be re
membered that the Misses Denbigh were
both young girl, and yonng girls, especial
ly young Irish girls, con Id not but hare a
great objection to being seen in a crowded
place, walking along with a paper parcel
n big as a portmanteau, especially when
the latter attracted the gase of all ad
mirer by sending forth chimes which, to
unote Ellxabeth. would bare dons credit
la a cathedral. Iiera, bo doubt, there
was some exaggeration. He that it
may. the majestic looking porter looked
decidedly a anted, and witty youth pss-
j tug made aa apt quotation from Goethe
ly unserving: Die Ulocse sotumn ge
wa.kelt." CHAPTER HI.
Elizabeth forthw ith walked to some dis
tance. and the next time the unlucky
sound fell on the air. adopted so atti
tude of meli feigned dtseovcry. with ber
fai-e iu the other direction, as if it had
suddenly dawned on her whence the
sound csme.
Just then another sound fell on her ears.
It was a gentleman seated on a bench
near, w ho wa observing the sister, and
at this little strategem positively shook
the seat with laughter. Poor man! the
eyes of the Misses Denbigh fell on him
with withering scorn, as the youngest
strode past him with a toss of ber black,
curly head, plainly iutimating that of all
the things she did most heartily despise,
laughing gentlemen were the chief, while
the clock in ber hand boomed it loudest,
as if adding that all the laughing gentle
men in creation shouldn't silence it.
The girls continued their way in i-leni-e.
side by side, having agreed that it
was Ix-st to share the humiliation, and
keep each other in countenance. Mean
while, the longest lane has a turning, and
everything has an end. Not even a tier
man clock can strike more than thirteen
at nine o'clock in the uioming, and at
the thirteenth stroke the clock in Dorry
Denbigh's hand relapsed into silence.
They reached an empty seat, and Eliza
beth proHeil their sitting down for a
while that she might rearrange her hair.
This accordingly they did, and as Dorry
at this moment caught sight of an ac-qiiaiiitam-e
she remarked to her sister:
"I'm going to drop this parcel into the
flower led behind us. Mr. Thomson is
coming towards us. He's so near-sighted
be won't notice my doing so from
where be now is, and I wouldn't for the
world he should see us carrying such a
thing when he comes np. We can wait till
he goes on then, and take it out again."
No sooner said than done. With the
most Innocent face in the world Dorry
tripped over to the bed, "dropM-d" her
liete noire into it and then walked back
to her seat.
"Ah, how do you do. Miss Daury?"
"Quite well, thank you."
Meanwhile Mr. Thomson, himself an
oddity, had taken a fancy to the odd girl.
He had just leen marketing he went to
the fruit market every day and, as was
his wont, offered Dorry a peach. Three
times a week Dorry met Mr. Thomson at
the market, and every time he offered her
a H-ach. To-day he had only met her by
chance, but the peach was offered the
same as usual, and, as usual, accepted and
dropped into Dorry's pocket to be cut in
five pieces w hen she reached home.
"A fine day. Miss Daury," Mr. Thom
son now said. He was also not a person
of many words. He always said: "A
fine day, Miss Daury." every time he
met this young lady. He now said, draw
ing himself up. and looking about him:
"How brightly the sun is shining, is it
nant, Miss Daury?"
"Yes, very brightly."
This addition to Mr. Thomson' and her
ordiuary conversation was a phenomenon.
It was but natural that it should be fol
lowed tiy another, as it was, for the smile
had scarcely vanished from Dorry' lips
when it struck one-quarter past trine from
the flower bed behind her.
"Did you naut hear It strike. Miss
Daury?" asked Mr. Thomson.
"Why, yes, but, dear me, it's always
striking here. Not a building but has a
clock ou it."
"The sound seemed to me to come from
the flower bed behind us."
"Really? Well. I hardly think Ger
mans would put a clock there" (with a
ghastly little laugh). "There might be
a sun dial, but sun dinls don't strike."
"No, sun dials do naut strike," said Mr.
Thomson, slowly.
He never made use of abbreviations,
hence the "do naut."
After this brisk dialogue, it was but
natural that the conversational power
should begin to flag on both sides. The
company sat ou iu silence, unbroken until
Elizabeth passed the seemingly common
place remark:
"We must not stay sitting here too long,
Dorry, or it r will strike half past, then
three-quarters, and then fourteen ten, I
mesn."
There was a slight quiver iu her voice
as she made the last correction.
"True," replied Dorry, in a would-be
sprightly tone, addressing Mr. Thomson.
"We should be going home, I think," and
she rose.
She intended to walk to the gate of the
park with her sister and Mr. Thomson,
who seemed determined to sit on the
bench a long as tbey did; then she would
return and fetch the clock. Scarcely
had he resolved on this, however, when
she saw the eyes of a park ranger fixed
on the peculiar brown-paper parcel in the
flower bed. If she left the place the clock
would be taken.
"Well, Miss Daury, have you forgauten
anything?"
"I yes no only "
"A a present for my mother, which I
had bidden in that flower bed."
A Scotchman never sees a joke, say
those of England and the Sister Isle. A
closer acquaintance with those north of
Tweed might show ns that they might
often see and relish a joke when we in
our density imagine it lost to them.
Not a smile crossed the face of Mr.
Thomson; but In the twitching of the eye
lids toward the region of the crow's-feet,
a brother Scot would have seen Ihat the
little Denbigh comedy was by no mean
lost on bim.
With great apparent earnestness he
said :
"Shall I fetch it for you, Miss Daury?"
"Oh, no, please not; it must be carried
very carefully. I bad rather fetch it
myself, thank you."
And Dorry lifted it Not long after thc-y
were at their own hall door.
Mr. Denbigh owned it.
"Oh, mother!' (Elizabeth was the first
to apeak). "You saw us, of course, com
ing down the street. It was so cheap"
(looking at the parcel, the contents of
which she evidently imagined her mother
must know as well a she, from a glitter
of painted wood through the poper), "and
we met Mr. Thomson, and it struck from
the flower bed behind ns thirteen, fancy,
mother! and we pretended we didn't know
what it was it was such a humiliation
and I'm so famished, mother! and I
thought one gentleman would kill him
elf with laughing so unfeeling! And
when it struck thirteen, my hair fell
down. That's all, mother! Do give a
some breakfast!"
It I, perhaps, unnecessary to say that
thia Elizabethan narrative wai so Inco
herent that Mrs. Denbigh found herself
ao wiser Vtsr than before. Mean
while Dorry took her breakfast la digmi
hed sdcni-e. while Nora, having just
marched Tom out of the room, this young
man having taken advantage of the gen
eral excitement to practice a new species
f somersault, in whim he turned heel
over bead instead of bead over heels.
commenced opening and examining the
pan -el.
"What a beauty!" she then said, with
difficulty raistug the clock and putting
it on (be table. Now, this wa genuine
admiration; for the eldest Mis Denbigh,
like her sisters, not having been brought
up in the lap of luxury, could admire a
clock, albeit the paint coveriug it wood
was scant and scratched, the glass broken.
and several of the numbers missing off
its face, this giving it a decidedly dismal
"never-for-ever" appearance.
Rut alas! the clock never struck again.
It was wound up and shaken; Mrs. Den
bigh even tried her skill at the works; in
vain. Nora hung it up high iu a dark
corner, w here she declared it gave a fur
nished appearance to the room, and when
the time of day was alluded to before vis
itors she would look up at it, then turn
away with a disgusted expression, a
much as to say, "Dear me, not wound up
again!" which wa, of course, base "fib
bing" in its way. and moralists will shake
their heads and sigh.
Rut such was Nora.
CHAPTER IV.
"Mibs Denbigh, the pianist, at home?"
"Yes; will you please walk in here?"
and Tom oencd the reception room
door in his licst manner, then off in
search of the pianist, who was deshabille,
in other words, in a faded cotton jacket
and underskirt, washing the collars and
cuffs of the family.
A few moments later she hastened
away, looking as perfect a little gentle
woman, as if she had not In-en an instaut
before leaning .over a basin with her
sleeves turned up to her ellsiws.
The lady wished to know if Miss Den
bigh baU nn elementary course, and Miss
Denbigh said she intended beginning one,
whereupon Mrs. Smith begged she would
take her little son as a pupil into it. At
eleven o'clock ou the Thursday following
Master Smith, a small, freckled child,
with hold eyes and a shrill voice, rang at
Mrs. Denbigh's dHr.
The lesson passed off quietly; but when
she rose Nora Denbigh felt for the first
time that she was indeed now a profes
sional woman, and realized all the weari
ness that was to come to her as such.
When the boy had left she leaned her face
uiMn the desk of her piano and gave her
self up to thoughts, then suddenly drew
herself up and played a "Ballade' by
Reiuecke, a wild, changeful piece, full of
meliMly. Her face brightened as she con
tinued to play, and toward the end there
was not a shadow on it.
Elizabeth had entered the room, carry
ing a small table over to the window, it
having suddenly struck her that its upper
woodwork might need a washing. She
then drew down the Venetian blind on the
outside, not to be seen ny the neighlxirs,
set a chair on the table, a footstool on the
chair, a pile of music ou that, and, final
ly, mounting all these, Is-gsti scrubbing
the portion of the woodwork nearest the
wiling with energy. In the midst of this
occupation a gentleman's voice at the door
asked in Gentian:
"Miss Denbigh, the translator, at
home?"
Now I ask any of my renders to picture
to himself what the result would have
been if Elizabeth, clad as she was, hail
stepped down from her erch, with a
scrubbing brush in one hand anil a cloth
in the other, and had said:
"Yes, Miss Denbigh is at home, you see
her before you."
There would have been something sub
lime iu her doing so; something of the
spirit of Diogenes receiving Alexander in
his tub. But Elizaltetb had nothing sub
lime in her character, nothing of the spirit
of Diogenes. She was a simple Irish girl,
and as a simple Irish girl she behaved.
(To be continued.)
The New ami the Old.
Fifteen yen ago the British war
ship Canada was launched. A week
or two ngo she wns coudcmnei and an
vcrtised for sale. The modern Iroii-chi 1
Ik a very short-lived us well ah com fly
machine, i-ompiircd with the "old Iron
hides." Nelson's Victory was forty
years old when she flew bis flag at
Trafalgar. Our Old Ironsides wns
sound otid seaworthy after fifty years
of service and the Constitution took a
cruise under her own canvas when she
was more that 70 years old. The mod
ern iron or steel war vessel is a huge,
delicately adjusted machine, which
passes a brief, feverish existence be
tween the stocks arid the scrnp-iroE
heap, being over-much of the time in
Hie hospital undergoing repairs. How
a genuine "old salt," if any such sur
vive:, must lament the "decadence In
naval warfare" and the glories of the
spick a ml spun clippers and frigates of
the days when America led the world
In the shipbuilding art. These grimy,
floating machine-shops and electrical
laboratories don't seem to have much
In them that appeals to a sailor's heart.
The engineer has become In some re
sects a bigger man than the seaman,
and the line and staff will have to rec
ognize that disagreeable fact sooner or
later. Buffalo Commercial.
Why He IMiI Not Speak.
Augustus Thomas, at the Lotos Club
dinner given 111 New York City recent
ly for Chnuncey M. Depew, told a
story about the neat manner iu which n
guest who was invited' to souk at a
dinner, without notice, evaded the Is
sue. The dinner was one at which Mr.
Dcpew nnd Gen. Horace Porter had
each made nn address. When the
sMuker was called upon, lie said: "1
want to tell you a story. There owe
lived In the West a parson. He bud a
large parish; in fnct, was the regular
circuit rldr of the district. He wns
away from home when twins were born
to him. When be got back the attend
ing physician tip-toed Into the room,
and turning down the coverlet, showed
hint the rosy, sleeping babies. Tin
preacher looked at them long and cur
nestly, and then he turned to the doc
tor and said feelingly, 'Doctor, the)
are both fine boys. I wouldn't take
11,000 apiece for them now nnd 1
wouldn't give a blamed cent for an
other one.' That la my feeling and
yours. Yon don't want 'another one'
after what has goo before"
Improving; the Telescope.
Prof. C. S. Hastings, of Yale, baa de
vised a method of shaping ami combin
ing two lenses of ordiuary optical glass
in aucb a manner as to do away with
the outstanding color due to chromatic
aberration, which haa always Iwen a
source of more or less trouble, even In
the best of modem telescojcs. It is es
timated that the Improvement will in
crease the effective power of teleseoics
about 10 per cent.
Odjrs i, nd fhotvgraphjr.
Every photographer knows that sin
gular differences exist In the actinic ac
tion of light on succeeding days which,
so far as general appearances go, seem
to be equally favorable for photograph
ic purposes. This may !e partly ex
plained by the recent discovery by
Monsieur Deelaux of Purls, that the
odors arising from vegetation utid dis
seminated through the air diminish the
actinic power of the solar radiations
which reach the surface of the ground.
Tesa fulphur.
The best known sulphur deposits iu
the world are those of Sicily, but ac
cording to Mr. Eugene A. Smith, of the
University of Alabama. Texas may pos
sltily enter the field as a producer of
commercial sulphur. The deposits ex
amined In Texas are situated In h large
haslu somi forty miles northwest of
Pecos, but others nre said to exist iKith
to the west mid north of this locality.
The nearest railroad Is twenty miles
from the sulphur Imsln. ami the sur
rounding country contains no fuel and
very little surface water.
A Hlilina Plant.
Many Insects and other members of
the animal kingdom mimic the forms
and colors of plants and other natural
objects, for the supposed pun"
concealment from enemies, but It is
rare to And a similar peculiarity In
plants. An Instance of this, however,
has been noticed nt the Cape of Good
Hope, where a species of mesemliryan
themum, or tig-marigold, so closely re
wmbles the stones amid which It grows,
lKth In color and form, that It frequent
ly escaes the attention of cattle and
other browsing animals. South Africa
presents other Instances of what is
called protective mimicry In plants.
Insenloaa Chimpanzees.
A recent report by Prof. O. V. Cook
on coloulzatlon In I.llierla gives some
interesting facts about the chimpan
zees living In that country. It appear
that these animals, which bear such
curious resemblances to men that the
natives call them "old-time people,"
are very fond of the flesh of land crabs,
which they dig out of the burrows. To
crack open the shells of the cralw they
dash then: against rocks. They also
crack nuts with stones In the regular
human fashion; and most curtor- of
all. perhaps, they kill pythons by grasp
ing the huge serpents alxnit the neot
and Keating their heads with stones.
Gains; Astrar at Ke.",
The difficulty of keeping a modern
steamship ou a straight course la point
ed out In the Scientific American. The
' helmsman steers by the compass, nnd
! w hile a single degree of deviation ap
! ears very small on the compass card,
It would, if continued, carry a fnsi
steamship four miles out of her course
in a single day's run. Yet the compass
gives the course more accurately than
the sh'p can lie steered. Owing to the
deflecting power of the waves and the
j rolling of the ship, which causes tln;
I one of her propellers and then the
' other, If she lie of the twin-screw fyp",
to exert the greater effect, the couise
its continually shifted a little this way
and that, despite the helm. The only
'safety Is In correcting the compnss
course by frequent observations of the
sun, moon nnd stars.
Hist rv In a Tree.
In the British Museum of Natural
History there Is a section of t lie trunk
of a large fir-tree from British Colum
bia, the growth rings of which Indi
cate that Is was more than !Vl0 years
old when It was cut down In 1HK". A
corresiiotideiit of Nature calls atten
tlon to the fact that alsmt twenty of
the annual rings of growth, making the
latter part of the first hundred years
of the tree's existence, are crowded to
gether iu a remarkable manner. Indi
cating that during those twenty years
some cause was In operation greatly re
tarding the growth of the tree. On look
ing Into history the correspondent
found that, nearly at the time when tho
tree In question was evidently suffer
ing from very adverse conditions, Asia
and Kunqie were undergoing extraor
dinary disturbance from earthquakes,
atmospheric convulsions, the failure of
crops, M-stllentlal diseases, etc. China,
In particular, suffered even more than
Europe. He therefore suggests that
possibly the crowded rings in the trunk
of the tree may be a record of the ex
istence of the same unusual conditions
affecting animal and vegetable life at
that time In North America also; and
ho allows that if the tree lind reached
Its full growth, and ceased to form new
rings a few years Ix-fore It was felled
In 1NNG, the corresiMindeuce In time
would be complete.
Colorado Cloudburst.
A writer In Travel describes a cloud
burst which came without warning,
one hot, stifling day,' upon the dwel
lers at Magnetic Springs, In Southern
Colorado.
The clouds gathered in tho Mils b-
i bind the turn, and came drifHiu I k
I . . . . . .1.- i..m .if
rngnlenea sneep neior iur
strong west wlnL No thong hi of
danger occurred to us unrll. In an -ful
hush, with no lightning-flash, no
thunder-peal, tbey broke, and death
came down.
The flood seized the canon like
channel; flume-wute it bore to the val
ley the cloud sent torrent of the bills.
The hotel stood full iu the path of tn
flood. If the builder had not wrought
better than any man knew, not one of
us would have lived through the stress
ful time of iK.lling. foaming, hissing.
rarliig water, that leaped s.ivif,elr
against the walls, bit and tore at Ilia
foundations, caught every movabla
thing, as In the grip of a giant, ami
whirled and ground It to utter destruc
tion. "The cloud! The cloud has burst."
came the cry on every band. With
one Impulse, everybody rushed to th
corridor, there to huddle and hold to
anything steady, half-med with the
sudden and perilous shock.
Then some one shouted for the wo
men and children 'to run within tin;
office. We hail hardly gained It when
the back door gave way; the ! -aping
flood rushed through the hall and par
lors, and whirled their furnishing
about like drift sticks In swollen
stream. We crouched there, watchii;
them to feHr and trembling.
The office had thick stone walls aid
but one door. Therein lay our bo of
safety. Thought of succor was valx
No outcry we might make could possi
bly pierce through that elemental
clnmor. and summon the neighbors to
our rescue. Earth and sky seemed to
call and answer, one to another; earth
Iu deep sinister rumblings, as though
ail Its fountain were broken up, ami
the sky In an overtone of singing water,
murderously swishing and thnuderni
almiit our refuge.
It was over at Inst; the roars ami
hissing died down to the plash nnd
pouring of rain. But still the houwi
stood; we had a roof letwecn ns and
the angry sky. Comfort Is Inrgi'1 a
matter of comparison. Now we te
Joiced, though the place was full of
wreck and ruin, and though the mud
lay a fisit thick wherever the Hood had
rolled.
By dint of bard !n!or one room st
Muni" habitable, and there, that night,
we huddled about the stove that had
somehow been groped for and dug out
of the mud and then set up to w.irni
us through the bitter chill that tmd
come In the wake of the storm.
.N'oble Hscrifloe..
Parson's W eekly tells a story of a tele
graph lineman who has to his credit as
brave a service to a comrade as a sol
dled might render on the Held of battle.
A few years ago two men were at work
upon a teb-grnph pole standing man."
feet alsve a Hue of railway. A wlru
had broken, and they were repairing
the damage.
The wind blw fiercely from the east,
and the ile rocked to and fr. Sud
denly a strong gust caused one of the
men to turn In his position. In doliiif
so he pushed his companion, who, taken
unawares, fell Wick ward. He chitctod
at his mate, and 1h-i1i tumbled over
among the wires.
For a moment the two men huu
without speaking a word. Then one of
them said:
"Bill. I can't reueh the t, and I'm
afraid tf I move the wires will break."
As he siwike a w ire did break. Both
men, hanging together, were In danger
of being precipitated to the track lie
low. "Well, mate," said Bill, "one of us has
got to drop. It's a big drop to make,
but ns you're married and have three,
children, I don't see why I sho'ild atnv
here."
"No, don't do that. Bill; you'll et
killed, surely. Let's hang on a Iltib)
longer."
Another wire broke. One more mihl
rlrop them both. Bill made up his mind.
"Gissl-by. mute," he suld to the other.
"Good by." answered his companion,
the tears running out of his eyes.
Bill dropped. It wns a fall of forty
fiH't. Me fell among some rough stump
of bushes, ii it (1 rolh-d down an embank
ment. Then be rose, and called up to
his companion:
"I'm all right, mate. Pin going for
help."
The station was half a mile distant.
When the poor fellow reached It ami
had told his story, be fainted away.
The dis-tor found that he had broUen
Ixilh his arms and one of his libs; Imt
his bnive action iind very lik'dy saved
bis companion's life.
Mineral fertilizers for the Cherry.
In no one of our frnlta Is the stone or
ed so large In proHrtlon to the whole
as It Is In the cherry. For this reason,
and also because It perfects Its fruit
Iu very short time, mineral fertilizers
In available form nre always ueeded
for the cherry tree. Some of the must
productive and large-st kinds of oher
rhw are very apt to rot before tbey
ripen. This Is almost always an Indi
cation that mineral fertility, especially
IMitash, Is needed. It is the potash in
the soli that not only perfects the seed,
but I necessary also In giving the color
to the fruit that make It attractive.
The most highly-colored fruit require,
therefore. lllsTnl supplies of the potash
fertilizer.
Woman's Kxperlencn on at Jury.
Mrs. Warren, who recently served as
foreman on a Jury In Denver, say:
"A a matter of interest to the public,
and particularly to ladles who In tho
future may lie called upon to servo
upon juries, I will say that In my own
experience there has iK-en noth'ng
which should deter any lady from serv
ing on a Jury."
Iloston'a limdly Planned Library.
The great new Boston public library
has already Is'en found to have been
111 planned and Inadequate. It coat
$2,.7i0,000, nnd now $23,000 la about to
le expended to construct a "aulUbU
reading-room." .
t