CHAPTER V.
Blackthorn Hoom u tt name ef a
very beautiful mansion in London that
Lady Darcl had taken for the year; It
t as looking ita brightest and best now
at on the pretty veranda the mignonette,
the scarlet verbena, the purple heliotrope
stood in great rich clusters. Prom the
large open windows one caught sight of
the trees in ths park, the gleam of the
gold laburnum, the pink and white of
the hawthorn, the rich rippling foliage of
the tail green trees. People had a fash
ion of telling Lady Darel how they envied
her tke beautiful views from the. win
dows. The drawing room a long, lofty
exqalsJte room opened on to the veranda,
where the sweet, bright flowers bloomed
It was an exquisite room, bright, light.
chseifal and beautifully arranged. There
on rais eventful twentieth of May stood
Lady Hilda Dnnhaven, awaiting the pres
ence of the man she had been enjoined to
marry.
Meanwhile be was holding a converse
tion with his lady mother. They had
taken luncheon together, so as to have an
ODDortunity of talking. He was quite un
willing at first to broach the subject; be
talked about his travels, and when he
tonld say no more he threw himself back
jj the chair.
"Now. mother." he said, "about this
matter which has brought me to England
this absurd will."
"I have never dared to think of it
Leonard," said Lady Darel.
"And I have never cared to think of it,"
he replied, "but the time has come when
the Question must be decided. I want
the money, yet I cannot make up my mind
to marry that child. I should like my
wife to be a refined, accomplished, spirit
uelle woman this child will never be
that."
"I have done my best with her; he is
improved. She has a good disposition and
a refined mind. Lady Hilda is in the draw
ing room." said the mother, and without
another word he went to join her.
She looked up as he entered, with a lit
tle, low cry. and the first sight of ber dis
armed his Impatience. The talL blender
figure, with its promise of future beauty;
.Jhe fair, sad girlish face, the sweet, sad
.eyes; and how wondrously the face bright
ened at the sight of him.
He had meact to speak but few words,
and those of the coldest, but he was a
man of tender heart; he held out his hand
to her in greeting; he smiled in her up
raised face; he almost forgot that he in
tended to be cold; and all because of the
sudden light that had come into ber face
when she saw him.
As for her, in the sunlight of his smile
her whole nature seemed to find warmth
and freedom, as a snow wreath melts un
der the glance of the sun.
"I am so glad to see you," she said, and
ber face carried out her words. "How
long have you been away. Lord Dun
haven? I am so pleased to welcome you
home."
"I thank you for your welcome," he
said.
Then came a few moments of silence;
his task was more ungracious still; how
was he to tell this child, who seemed so
reioiced to see him, that he preferred
beggary for himself and for her rather
than marry her? She seemed to feel quite
at home with him, and talked to him with
a freedom that astonished him.
She placed a chair near the open win
dow for him the rare, sweet perfume of
the heliotrope came in like a greeting;
the warm western wind brought mes
sages from every flower that bloomed.
"Am I to sit here, Lady Hilda, and tell
you about Norway? Ah, me, I ought to
talk to you about something far less
pleasant."
"Less pleasant," she repeated, gravely.
"Yes, far less pleasant. I think we had
better discuss the question, had we not?"
"Will it require much discussion?" she
said. "I think a few words will settle it"
He looked at her keenly.
"You are the lady," he said; "you ought
to be allowed the first choice and the first
speech in the matter. That did not occur
to me before, but 1 see it now. Tell me,
if you had to decide this question yourself,
how would you decide K?"
Again the young face was covered with
hot blushes, and turned shyly from him.
"I should decide it so that you should
have the money," she said, gently, and
there was a short silence.
"Then you would have the marriage
take place?" he said.
She thought for a few moments, then
he said:
"If we were married as the will said,
should I be always with you?"
"I suppose so," was the indifferent re
ply. The light that came on her face was
beautiful even in bis eyes.
"Then if I may be always with you. I
should choose that the marriage take
place, and you have all the money," she
answered shyly, and without raising her
eyes to him.
And thus they became betrothed.
CHAPTER VI.
The week passed, and Lord Dunhaven
trent hit! bill because in eoini; he hnH
shaken bands with Hilda, and told her to
be careful during the hot weather, she
was in an ecstasy of delight That any
one should care whether the weather
should affect ber or not was something
wonderful, and bef delight showed bow
Utterly onused to it she was. Then he
was gone and nothing remained but to
prepare the trousseau. It was wonderful
how the girl brightened and improved;
every day developed new beauty in her;
nly there were no loving eyes to note It
The days seemed to fly by the earl was
to return two days before the day appoint
ed for the wedding. I-ady Hilda never re
membered how they passed; to her they
ware one bewildering whirl. She was
alone when the earl arrived he went at
once to the library, where his lady moth
er awaited him; bet she was not sent for.
Che bad dressed herself with unusual rare
and attrnOoe, hoping that be would think
Aat ihe had Improved, bet hour after
beer neeed. and ae summons came for
kg.
'f"Vt "3KtJre eewitllng bridegroom and
i K 1 ct A fed her lore en dreamt
, t UMlMtUMM
to her with a few indifferent words. She
was too ignorant, too much engrossed in
her own sensations to know bow much
this cold greeting meant yet she was con
scious of something like a cold chill of
disappointment.
When dinner was ended she thought he
would probably join her in the pretty little
garden that made the back of the great
fashionable mansion pleasant as the coun
try. She went there. The drawing room
windows opened on to it great rose bushes
half concealed them, and the pretty gar
den chair was placed among the roses.
She sat down there, wondering if he
would come; they were to be married in
two days.
While the love light gleamed in her
eyes, the sudden sound of a voice the
sudden bearing of what were to her ter
rible words, struck her silent and dumb
struck the smile from her lips, struck the
light from the sweet eyes and the music
from the saddened heart the voice she
loved best in all the world. The words
stabbed ber; they slew the bright young
life within her.
Lord Dunhaven was speaking; he had
entered the drawing room with Lady
Darel, and they had taken their seat at
the window, quite unconscious that the
young girl was sitting among the roses.
He was saying:
"I cannot look happy, mother. It is of
no use trying. In whatever light I look
at it I am quite filled with despair. There
are times when I am inclined to give it up
and go to America. Then again it seems
a great pity to do that when I could make
everything bright for you in England."
"What induced you to offer to marry
her if she is distasteful to you?" said
Lady Darel.
"I did not exactly ask her. I found
that she wished for the marriage, and
well, I felt sorry for her; she looked so
young and so friendless. The truth is
I hate myself when I say it I hate the
circumstances that nave nemmea me
round but the real truth is, I want the
money, but not the girl."
"Give her up, then. Better that than
making yourself miserable over her."
No," he replied, slowly. "I do not love
her, certainly. I am not even sure that
I like her, but I am sorry for her. She
has had a lonely, desolate childhood, and
she seems in some measure to cling to me.
I must take all the consequences myself.
It would have been easier had she been a
more attractive girl pretty, accomplished
or anything of that kind, but there is noth
ing in her to win a man's love. However,
we will not discuss it; it has to be done.
Do not talk to me any more about It,
mother. I am going down to my club
now."
Lady Hilda went to her own room. Her
first impulse was to give up the marriage.
How could she marry a man who said
frankly that it was the money, and not
the girl, he wanted? Why had heaven
been so cruel to her? Why bad other girls
and women this power of winning love
which had been denied to ber?
She would write a little note to him and
tell him that quite by accident she had
overheard what he bad said, and that the
marriage could never be. She lay down
to rest, tears raining from her eyes, the
keenest pain in her heart, and the deter
mination formed in her mind that she
would not give him up.
She iried to sleep, but the Bilent dark
ness of the night brought back o her the
strange silence that bad reigned in that
death chamber of her father; the awful
outline of that rigid figure, the stern-set
white mass that had once been face.
All the shnddering dread and ear came
over her again. What if that s'ern figure
and stem-face appeared by her ide now?
What if he had not said enough; be had
said that unless she fulfilled hi command
obeyed his wishes he shouU not rest
even in his grave? What if i.z came to
her now and told her that hi command
must be obeyed? She shuddered with
mortal dread. There was a slight sound
in the corridor outside; she sprang from
the pillow, her heart standing still with
fear. He would not rest in hit, grave un
less she married Lord Dunhaven.
If it was to be so she had bt-tter marry
him, no matter how much he disliked her.
It would be easier to live in bis society
than to live in deadly fear of that horrible
sight If she could have mastered her
fear, all would have been wll; but she
could not. No one had told hyr that sup
erstition was but ignorance. She was so
sorely afraid of her dead father that to
keep him at rest in his grnvt she would
have consented to live in tor.ure for her
whole life.
CHAPTER VII.
Her wedding day. It sej-med a very
mockery that the sun shone s it had nev
er shone before; that the golden light
beamed down in shining flkxi; that the
blue sky had no clouds. The dew lay
shining on the grass and leaves, the white
lilies bad opened their gnlde.1 cups, the red
roues were nil awake, Had there been
any love in the marriage this would have
been the very day for it, but Lady Hilda
rose heavy at heart, miserable beyond
words, longing for evea death to end the
miserable fever she ca:led life.
Even in her own rcom she could hear
the kind of happy confusion that reigned
in that usually well-flrdered mansion she
had no part in it. She stood for some time
at the window watching the gleams of
golden light, the bright-winged butterflies,
the pretty bees everything in creation
seemed happy except herself.
"4 need not expect to be happy," she
thought. "I have heard my fate. I am a
girl who will not wiii any man's love. 1
must go through life content with indif
ference." She smiled when Annie spread out the
magnificent wedding costume before her
the maid was of a kindly disposition and
did not like to see that mid young face and
the weary, tired eyes; surely hef young
mistress ought to smile on this her wed
ding day. She spread out the rich, glis
tening folds of satin, the lovely lace, the
veil flint was fine as gossamer, and Lady
Hilda ii rued away with tear in her eye.
Tlu ii ber ladyship came in and laid
down a pretty morocco case, and opening
It showed Lady Hilda very beautiful
bracelet, fihe was so unusually gracious
that Lady Hilda hardly recognised her. -
"This should hare beee here before to
have taken its phtee among ymr otln-r
wedding presents, but it was uot sent
home until this morning. There was a
diiiiculty in marching some of the stones.
I wish you to wear it to-day, aud when
ever you look at it to assure yourself o'
my affection for you."
The young girl thanked her briefly. A
few weeks .iuce and such kind words
would have wrung from her a heart full
of love; it was too late uow. She knew
that it wan for her money, aud not fur
herself, that mother and son valued her.
But still further, to her intense urpfe.
Lady Darel bent down and kissed ber
not merely touched her face with her lips.
as was her ordinary fashion, with a touch
as light as a butterfly's wings. She kissed
ber aud said:
"My dear Hilda, you become my daugh
ter to-day, and I hope we shall always be
good friends. You will wear the bracelet
to-dav?"
"Yes."
"I love my son very much, and I am
very proud of him. 1 hope be will be hap
py. I hope you will have many tranquil
years together."
"He will be happy," said the girl. "He
will have all that he wants, and that
makes happiness, I suppose, in this
world."
Lady Dare) looked thoughtfully at her;
she did not understand the girl in this
niood; it was unusual; there was some
subtle change in ber face and her manner,
as though she had passed through some
ordeal, let that could not be; there bad
been nothing to disturb the even tenor of
her way. Still her ladyship was baffled.
Then came another rap at the door; this
time it was a superb bouquet from the
young earl.
"Flowers," said Lady Hilda. "Look,
Annie, for the thorns."
"The thorns, my lady?" she replied;
"there are none."
And the thought came to her that the
sharpest thorn of all was the one planted
in her own heart
So the ill-omened marriage took place,
and the general feeling was that, although
the ceremony had been one of the grand
est, yet the chief actors in it were not to
be envied.
It was five in the afternoon when they
started for Dover; they went serous to
Calais by the evening boat anil on to
I'ari by the express train; every detail
of the journey had been arranged, there
fore no word was spoken during the drive
to London bridge, save once, when the
earl said he never remembered to have
seen IL(lon so crowded.
Then came the confusion of starting.
The earl purchased every paper or peri
orical he thought she would like, and gave
them to her. The white lips were never
unlocked for one word.
Then at last they were on their way to
Dover, and the earl looking for the first
time that day at his wife's face, saw how
white aud set and sad it was.
CHAPTEK VIII.
"Hilda." said Ird Dunhaven, "this is
onr wedding day; give me one kiss,"
No flush came to the fair, snd face. It
grew whiter, and the lips quivered.
"No," she replied, proudly, turning from
him. "There can be no kiss from you to
me because you do not love me."
He was vexed and disconcerted.
"But you are my wife," he said.
"It does not follow that you love me,"
she added. "I have heard you call your
self a truthful man. Can you say hon
estly that you love me even in the least?"
The dark, clear eyes were fixed with
such unwavering truth on bis that he
could not speak a false word to her.
"There is no question of love, but of
obedience to your father's curmands," he
said. "You must do me the jttice to ad
mit that there has been no ove in the
matter."
"No, there has not The .Ly do you
hesitate to answer my ques-.ii. Do you
love me?"
She knew quite well rhtt Je did not.
She lad heard him say that r. man could
love her, but she wanted thi atisfactiou
of hearing him say so.
"I a-ill answer you," he a.d. "No. I
do not; but I think we may Us very com
fortable together. I do not dvibt but we
shall get on as well as othe, uarrk-d peo
ple do."
"I am sorry for married ,e.iple, then."
he sjid, with a little flash of ratire which
her onipanioti left unanswered.
"1 think, Hilda, if we bo in try that we
may be really comfortable,' le said. "I
shall try my best to make yyt happy. You
shall have all you want."
Again the strange little luigb that he
caunot understand.
"Thank you," she said, V ou can give
me everything except love."
"Plenty of people live withjut that," he
answered; and then again pere was si
lence. He did not ask hi r to kiss him;
he did not even touch the little gloved
hand that rested so lightly n the cush
ion. He went back to hi csd seat, feel
ing more pur.zled about ber than he bad
even been before. They wept on for some
tim, past the great white c-ftlk bills, and
the? the young wife, lookinf np suddenly,
said:
"Lord Dunhaven, I do tatt nnderstand
business; I want you U ell me some
thing." "1 nil tell you anything you may wish
to know."
"I have signed my deeds, and papers. I
v, ant you to tell me if al, that money is
ssfely yours now?"
"Yen, it is mine and ysi.rs."
"Will you tell me what part of it is
uine?" she asked.
"You would have kiiovvn hud you lis
tened to Mr. Preston," b. said; "you have
a settlement of so niuc a year out of it
for your own piirpo. be said. "If 1
die before you it will tl revert to you, un
lessbut I cannot explain more."
"Tell me," she repeated, "if -I die what
becomes of It ?"
"My dear Hilda, do tot talk about dy
inf In that cold-blooded fashion."
jPtili, will you answer my question V"
sbi said. "What would become of it?"
-'.a that case," he said, "it would ail
ewe to me."
"And you would do as you like with it?"
she asked.
"Ye; it would be at my own disposal,"
be replied.
"You might marry again and be quite
nappy," 'ie said.
He laughed.
"How yonr imagination travels, Hilda,"
he snid. "I have only been married about
seven hour, and you are talking about
my second marriage."
"I want you to answer me the ques
tion simply from a business point of
view," she said. "If I die could you
marry again and keep It?"
"Yea. certainly I could." be answered.
If I died, you could marry again '
It"
...... tiiswered h:m by low. lunf ).
"I am quite nssSt-d now." she ssld,
i with trembling lips, "I uu rely wantt d
! to know if it were all safr for you."
As he spoke she preed with bi r fin
gers a letter that she had bidden in the
bodice of her traveling dress.
"He dues uot understand now," she
said to herself, "but he will k:iow ail
about it when he has read this."
, . ...
.. I l.i ,w ,,m.
..,!,..,..,. l.,iv ..t.'hine the nassen-
rr ii thev alighted, ca ng ber bus-
.n'DM-u. ..... m. r
l,o,f .Mention ti r.niU- llnnhHven
"Look, she said, "at that youug lady;
how beautifully she is dressed. How
young she is, yet she has a look like com-
iug death in her face."
ine young countess, wno overoe.ru iu
She walked with ber husband in silence thn,t construction warranted. "Mo
on to the pier; there was the lovely, laugh- I m "an be live fur die."
in summer sea; the waves that she had Hastening to the hut where the in
loved and listened to. A great longing
came over ber to open ber arms and
spring into that friendly sea, the chime;
of the waves was so familiar to her. She
saw the Channel boat at the end. The
earl cried out:
"The British Queen. I went in that
same boat last year."
They descended the steps and stood to
gether on the deck while all the luggage
was brought in. Lord Dunhaven said,
at last:
"Now we are all right;, the two ser
vants re here, the luggage is all safe;
we shall start in a few minutes."
She looked wildly around.
"I should like to go to the cabin." she
said. "I will go alone.
She turned to him and looked in hi.
f.rp
"Lord Dunhaven. you asked me4o kiss
you a short time since, and I refused."
she said; "will you shake bands with
m"?" -
inere was a strange light in tne darn
eyes-sucn a strange light on tbe white)
face that he was startled into ooing what ,
she asked him.
il.tntlr Iia tsi.klr nor hntiil
and held it for half a minute tightly clasp
ed in his own. then he turned away, nml
she went down the cabin stairs. A strange
haste -ame over her; her trembling bauds
could hardly obey her will.
"Annie, 1 she cried, and her maid came
quickly. "Give me the black cloak and
the traveling bood," she said.
In two minntes her whole outward ap-
beautiful dress was covered by a 'long
b'ack cloak: the besntiful bonnet with Its ! "l "" WMS- 80 1 ""Weu ui ci
rich plumes had given place to a h:ack i reared, driving my head up
traveling hood.
Why. my lady, yon have quite dis
guised yourself." said the maid.
She looked up eagerly.
"Do you think so, Annie? W ill the
earl know me. do you think?"
"I am quite sure he will not," said
Annie.
Then tbe young countess said:
"I am going on deck now I will not
remain here, Annie. The earl is smok
ing; I will not go to him; but when the
boat rs half way between England and
France, give him this letter; it contain
good news that will please him."
(To be continued.)
Robber-Prod aclng Plants.
Monsieur Dybrowskl, professor of
colonial agriculture at the lnstitut Ag
ronornique, Paris, baa called the at
tention of tbe French Government to
the rapid disappearance of the caout
chouc forests in all the equatorial re
glow o the globe, and warns not only
France but all other countries having
tropical possessions that unless some
preueutive steps are taken at once, the
tlm U close at -band when all of tbe
varS'wS) rubber-producing plants will
bav! disappeared from their native
haneta. Already, be says, in India the
spontaneous production has diminish
ed !n an alarming manner. Already,
too, in all forests of the easily reached
portions of Africa, the rubber-producing
trees, have dlsapeared. They have
becj; dt-stroyed In all the const regions,
ano day by day the destroyers the
guiii-gatlierers must jeuetrate deeper
aur. deeper into the primeval tropical
forests to obtain the world's supply.
VL,cn one thinks of the Importance of
tbt role played by rubber In the arts
and industries, and of Its almost lu
dlfpenaability In electrical science, the
eH;ise for uneasiness becomes very
mt.uifet.
Monsieur Dybrowskl urges France
a'kl Snbmd to lend all possible en
co.irHement and aid to the culture of
rubber producing plants. Experiments,
Instituted In the Congo region. In the
cUtivfttlon of a shrub, the caoutchou
tler uf Ceura, have given brilliant re
sulbj, and it U urged that they be ex
teudfad. -
In Case of Collision.
When the use of the automatic vacu
um brake was first made compulsory
mi our railroads, great piling were
taku by the foremen of engine sheds
to see that the drivers were fully alive
to tbe proper working of It.
14 one of our northern towns a fore
man was examining a driver on thle
subject, and after questioning blm for
s(;ine time put the following query to
him:
"If you were In charge of mi engine
8nd the brake failed, and you saw n
illusion wan unavoidable, what steps
would you take?"
Tbe answer. If totally unexeclcd,
tas not devoid of genuine wit. Tbe
nrlver looked his questioner up am
down, and, with a look of contempt,
blurted out:
"The tender step, sir; and pretty
handy, too!"
Launching a Ship.
The Japanese apply one of their
many pretty ways to the launching of
ship. They use no wine. Tliy bang
over the ship' prow a bilge' paste
board cage full of birds, and the mo
ment the ship I afloat a mm pull a
string, when the cage opens, and the
birds fly away, making the air alive
with muwlc and the whirr of wing.
The Idea la that tbe birds thus welcome
the ship aa site begin ber career as a
thing of life.
DOCTORING A NATIVE.
A Experience of Missionary in Fur-
Off Air cm.
M!s Mary Klngsiley, In a recent
tcrtuiiiLug artkl uioii hoiim of ber
African exptfleufe, relates ber first
attempt at doctoring a sick uative. S1m'
bad olMtTred, during a ratlir tryln
march w bleb br party bad bta uiak
iug, that otie of the ciu riera bad begun
.. ., i ,, i in
rmU'H bad relieved hlin of hi load
and b managed with much difficulty
w " V " 1UJ oiuera umii
will.. ...... 1 1 !.!. ....It. ..1
"",r a- iwum, Kim a uuu uujki
for tile ulgllt.
1 S1k; Uhui Uado hie friends call In the
bet doctor there wae In the place to
attend tw th sufferer, and sb would
pay aijU; but shortly after one of tlieui
wme to HJjd ta langua
( Talld lay, abe found the native doctor
elUlug outside, covering and uncover
lag a small btwkrt, and muttering ln-
cautatlons engaged, so the awestruck
observers informed ber, In trying to
find out "who bad stolen. one of the
patient's souls."
Wltiiout criticising this theory of the
disease, the lady tactfully explained
that perhaps. If tbey allowed ber to
try, she might effect some good while
the other doctor was completing bis
dlaguueto and she got out her medical
book
It Informed her that the patient was
uffertng, not from a missing soul, but
! f1 ,u klnJ of hifla ruination of Uie
oram, ana uiat ne Hliould be Wintered
I upon the back of the head and neck
He lay upon his client, picking at the
I floor with his bands, and evidently
j delirious, as he was talking to his fatb-
rt WUo had dU'd many years before.
Rh4! Ixpl,jarHj a bllMer of mu.HtfllxJ.
iaV K ...
I '
eovered that the wool wa sweral
lnehe deep on the back of the mau'g
bead, aud that a place must be dipped
cWr to receive the blUter, or It would
have no effect. Taking a pair of seia
rs, be eet about clearing a patch of
scalp.
"While I was engaged In tbte opera-
I tlon, she ayn, "the patient wen off
lntw convuJ1"n that frightened me
tnrougn tne low roof mm! tearing that
structure from its stiports, I wore It
as a collar or neck-ruff, while the pa
tient broke the rest of that simple homo
completely up, and mixed blnutelf and
the sidKsons and Uie muntard-leaves and
the lantern so well wMithe debris that
It took some time to sort'lilm out.
"I regret to say, however, tliat he
was neglected for some ten minutes,
because the asweiiibled spectators
roared so with laughter that tliey were
Incapable of action, and I was buxy
clearlng off my tflipcrstructure and try
ing to extract an Interest lug and ex
citing collection of centipedes, Hzanti,
scorpions and tipiders from niy balr,
wherein they had nought refuge on the
occurrence of the cataclytwn.
Nevertbelewi. she icrevered, and the
invalid was finally extricated, cllpied
and blistered, and In due time got well;
but It Is probable that Miss KlngAley
thereafter preferred oen-nlr practice,
at leant wlu-n she liad to blister a ninn
in delirium.
Municipal Ownership.
Gas plunta are oimrated by 1(58 olt
lee of England and Scotland, Including
almost every city of wmsequenee, ex
cept Ixindon; by JW8 cities of Germany,
Including thirty of tlie largest, such aa
Berlin, Hamburg and Dresden; by
Brussels, by Amsterdam, by many clt
lee In the British colonies, and by
tweJve American cltlew, including
Wheeling, Louisville, Richmond and
Philadelphia. Electric lighting plants
are oiierated by over 'M) American
niuniciimlltles. Including Dunkirk, In
tub) State, and Jacksonville, Spring
field, Little Hock, Topcka, Bay City,
Detroit and Chicago; by many Brltiidi
cities; by some in the Australian colon
lew, and by thlrb-eu German cJtlee, In
cluding Hamburg ami Dremlen. Street
ralroads ure owned and oierated in
thirty-three cities of fdnglnud and
Scotland, by some cltlee of Germany,
Switzerland, Holland and of the Aus
tralian colonics, by Toronto, and In a
measure by New Orleans. To put tbe
matter Into condensed form, municipal
owncntlklp of one or more of these
Htreet franchise prevails Ln over 700
cities, and Is authorized by the laws of
a score of States and countries. Time
waa when private ownership of all
trec4 franchises was the rule. Now
the chief est dtk of the world are for
enklng It. Progress In Uie art of munie
llMtl affairs Ln all In tbe direction of
municipal ownership.
Municipal ownership is, therefore, no
new or over radical thing. It la neither
socialistic, communistic, nor popultatlc.
It Is feasible and practicable. It must
Ik' at least reasonalJy successful, and
it cannot Is- attended with any greater
political evil than the no more univer
sal municipal ownership of dis ks, fcr
rie, bridges, market) and the water
sujuply. Ho much the experU-nee of
thewe other cities Indicates to us.
Municipal Affair.
A Wonderful Clock.
Two years ago n South Chicago jew
eler did some figuring. He calculated
that be would, Ui all probability, live
forty years. He knew Unit it takes at
least two minute to wind tlie ordinary
Itouse clock At that rate lie figured
that be would, during the n-st of his
life, spend about sixty days of his
valuable time winding the clock, to say
fw firing uf the time and tenqs-r lost
tbAHigh forgetting U. Then he decided
to make a clock that would have to be
wound but once 1c forty years.
He spent Ma odd minutes at the task
aod baa sua seeded in producing a won
derful piece of mechanlani-tbe only
one of Ma kind, be cJalitte, In the world.
TbJa forty -year timepiece la fifteen
hiclies W diameter, and weighs awram-
ty-tive potu!. Tlie movement I
geared so that the !rrel-wbeej con
taining tbe mainspring retolvca la two
and a half years.
When this -wheel Im made fifty-six
revolution somelssly will have to give
the key seventeen turns. Tlie clock;
will then te wound up for another
forty yearn. The first wheel from
lwrrel-whecl crowd around at tbe rate
of one turn a year. Tbe dial-plate Is
six Inches in diameter. ,
The making of the work took most)
of the Jeweler's leisure for twenty-four
month. The movement is ful-Jeweled.
The clock will be put fcti a hermetfc-allyj
sealed guise ease, and It will work lri
a vacuum, thus lessening frictUn and;
preventing the oil from drying. Phil
adelphia Tiiiiee.
Herbert Spencer I anxious to bring
tbe biological part of hi work up to
date, and ha five secretaries at work
helping hku. HI health is o feeble
that he I only able to manage at In
tervals an hour's work In a day.
An advertisement in the Ijondon
Daily New offer for a history of Call-1
fori) la fifty dollar. It must be com-i.
piled from mnterial In tbe British Mu-'
scum. The length of the history Is also
iaid down at four hundred thousand
words. It could lie produced, at tbe
rate of two thousand words a day, ln
two hundred day, or In nearly seven,
months.
On the same morning, In Chicago, the
Tribune and the Times-Herald review-;
ed Robert HlcheDs' novel, "Flames,"!
ntid the phrasing was somewhat amum
i!i. Sakl the Times-Herald. "The
Green Cnrnatlon' was a green lily pad
Coating on the surface of stagnant
slime aud ooze, compared with this,'
n hlch Is1 ooze Itself down to tbe very
bottom of the iool." The Tribune said:
"For the healthy adult mind, Flames'
Is aa pure and elevating as the Illy that'
elevate Itself out of ofwse and sllnie."
W. T. Stead fear that the growth of
diale-ts and of slang will split the
mother tongue up Into so many portion
that before we know It people who,
lave always lieen understamled of one
nuother will have to converse with the
aid of an Interpreter. The Indon,
f:lecta!or says that no academy for the
preservation of the English language
' needed, and continues: "We do not
believe that any need exists, because1
we entirely deny the proposition that
the English race. In Its various habita
tions, Is taking to unintelligible dia
lects. We have never met with n new-
)jiper article In nMsIern English, much
bss a printed look, whether balling
from America or Australia If not In
tended to be a skit on current local .
lang which was not perfectly intelll-
fc'ble to any educated man who uses
the English language aa his mother
tongue. The marvelou thing alsiiit
the free trade In words which ha been
employed In the English language is
the manner In which it has kept the
English language steady. HiMks writ
ten In the Eliza iM-tliau age are still ikt
fectly Intelligible. There Is going to lie
no English tower of Ilalx-1. Instead,
the language will broaden and deepen,
trd yet remain as clear as ever It
v,as."
Feed His Mule Fence Kails.
An okl southwest Georgia neirro
called to one of tlie laborers In his vine
yard. "You, John! Hit's time ter fw-d dat
mule. Give him a couple of fiiu-e rails
quick!"
He doooi't eat fnice mils, doe he?
Inquired a bystander.
"Lawd bless you, yes, suh!" reiillcd
the old man. "Dat de-whets hi
tietite. He-use ter b'lonir ter one u
dese oftlse-wekcrs, en lie got so hongry
standln liit,4ii-d In de saui lnt h
started on fence lulls fer a Uvln; en
now 1m? won't tackle grass tell hen
done eat up a string er feme, den he
eats oats or griw for dessert. 'v
snh," continued tlie old man. "he vt
l(se de yuther day en took en eat uo
one wnoie gatie end ob Elienezer
chapel, an' w'en we run up ou him he
wuz maiun' a break fex de jiew en de
puipu: Key wouldn't bn-n mn-h n
dat metrtln'-house left ef ever lie'd got
ter ue uisuie er It Give him fence
rails. John; lie got ter do some lu.r.i
plowin' dia mawnlnT'-Atlanta Con
stttutlon. The Ileneflt of 8ef Help.
Hooker T. W Bailing ton. the
orator, constantly Impresses ujion tlie
niuuia oi tne meniners of his race
to
whom lie taJka the adviintng to
U
gatmi rrom HHMiHp. In a recent
Keech be told a good yarn to Illustrate
ins iint. -i imtc inn't much rMlll we
get ln tlits country w It bout working
for It," he sa'l. "I rciiMMiilier . ..h-
of an old negro wlio wanted a Clirlst-
iinis dinner ami prayed nlitht tu.r
night: !rd, please send turbo,, t
tbU darkey.' Hut ixme came to blm
Finally be prayed; () lAtr,t
send this diirky to a turkey.' Atui
he got one that some night."
Nerve or a Hitting Hen.
Fire broke out sliortJy before uoon
yesterday In a n)M In the rear of MO
Eat Washington street, owned by
George Hoffmim. The firemen saved
a lire and prevented the n., frm,
spreading. A sllUng lien occupied a
nest In one corner of the sbl, nod
notwithstanding ilw fal Uiat slie was
drenched with chemical matter, she
refill! to move. The tire wait all
alut her, and finally imf 0f tix mm
picked ber up and carried hw, aaat and
all, Into the alley. The hen atoowed
her disapproval of the famWamy n
the part of the fireman by cackUmi
loudly.-Indlanapoii journal