M l I I I I
OLD I
FAVORITES I
The Death of the Flonrri,
The melancholy days have come, the ead-
dcut of the year,
Of wailing winds, and tinked woods, and
meadows brown and sere.
Heaped in the hollow g of the grove, the
uutu:im leaves lie dead;
They rustle to the eddying gust, and to
the rabbit's tread.
Tho robin and the rwi are flow!!, a-:d
from the shrubs the jay.
And from the wood-top callM the crow
through all the gloomy day.
Where arc the flowers, the fiiir young
flower, that lately sprang mid
otood
In brighter light, and softer airs, a beau-
t'-uiiH xixtcrhood ?
'Alas! they all are in their graves; the
gentle race of Mowers
Are lying in their lowly beds, with the
fair and good of ours.
The rain is falling where they lie; but
the cold November rain
Calls not from out the gloomy earth the
lovely ones again.
The wind-flower and the violet, they per
ished long ago,
And the brier rose and the orchids died
amid the summer glow;
But on the hill the golden-rod, and the
aster in the wood,
And the yellow sunflower by the brook
in autumn beauty stood,
Till fell the front from the clear, cold
heaven, as falls tho plague of
men,
And the brightness of their smile wan
gone from upland, glade and glen.
And now, when comes the calm mild day,
as still Hitch days will come,
To call the squirrel and the bee from out
their winter home;
When the sound of dropping nuts Is
heard, though all the trees are
still,
And twinkle in the smoky light the wat
ers of the rill,
'The southwind searches for the flowers
whose fragrance late he bore,
And sighs to find them in the wood and
by the stream no more.
And then I think of one who in her
youthful beauty died,
The fair, meek blossom that grew up and
faded by my side.
In the cold, moist earth we laid her,
when the forests cast the leaf,
And we wept that one so lovely should
have a life so brief;
Yet not unmeet it was that one like, that
young friend of ours,
So gentle and so beautiful, should perish
with the fh'Wera.
William Cullen Bryant.
i The Itiiiner Hour.
O hour of all hours, the most blest upon
earth,
Blest hour of our dinners!
The land of his birth;
The face of his iirst love; the bills that
he owes;
The twaddle of friends, ami venom of
foes;
The sermon he heard when to church he
last went;
The money he borrow'd, the money he
spent;
All of these things a man, I believe, may
forget.
And not be the worse for forgetting; but
yet
Never, never, oh, never! earth's lm ki.nt
sinner
Until, uiipiinish'd, forgotten the hour of
his iJinucr!
Iielige!ji.n,.iliai; conscience of cM-ry b:ij
hiouiai'h.
Shall fletiili-Khly gnaw and pursue him
with some ache
Or some pain; and trouble, reuiorseh-fs,
his best ease.
As th Furies mice troubled the sleep of
( (restes.
Wc may live without poetry, music and
art;
We may live without conscience, and
live without heart;
We may live without friends; we ltiiiy
live without books;
Put civilized man cannot live without
cooks.
lie may live without books what is
knowledge hut grieving?
He may live without hope what is hope
but deceiving?
He may live without love what is pat
sum but pining?
Uut where Is the man that can live villi
out dining?
Owen Meredith.
ftonif
Hark, hark! the lark at heaven's gala
sings,
And Phoebus 'gins arise,
His steeds to water at those springs
On chalieed flowers that lies;
And winking Mary-buds begin
To ope their golden eyes:
With everything that pretty is,
My lady sweet, arise,
Arise, arise.
William Hlmkipoare,
NEW-STYLE CATTLE-PUNCHING.
la Now Done bjr Klectrlclty, with He
murkable Keeulla.
The employe of the Hchwarsehlld &
Hulxtx-rger I'm-klng Company here
now employ electricity to drive the cut
tle Into the Iwef tied Instead of shouts,
clul, whips and prods.
The application of electricity In made
by two Insulated wlrea connected
with the light wlrea over tho catch
ing ix-n and the knocking pens. The
curreut passes through a atlck and con
neeta with two brass points on the
end.
"Punchers' Is the name Riven the
ticks. There are two punchers, em li
six feet long. In the catch pet), mi 1
five, four feet long, In the knocking
pens. The Insulated wires are nboiit
twenty feet long, thus covering n ills
tanco In the pens of about thirty feet
each,'
One hundred and twenty-five vol's
of electricity are turned on. It Is
enough to make a sharp, stinging mn
Mtlon, without leaving a umik or
limine on the beef. It Is said flftj
Volts would be us effective.
The work Is done In one half th
time and with half the exertion. Th
effect on the steer of the magic toucb
Is amusing to see. A steer touches
on the left hip Immediately throws hll
hlnderqunrters as far as he can to th
right. He cocks one ear straight aheac
and one straight back, switches hll
tall and Marts straight ahead, not car
lug for a second shock.
There Is a look of surprise In hit
eyes, oud he seems to know that al
the trouble lies In the end of tin
stick. He doesn't stop to get mad o
howl. He has urgent business at tin
other end of the peu. That Is exactly
where the drivers oud knockers wanl
him. ' '
It completely does nwoy with all
back rushes and drugging In wltt
chains, for Just as long as the punchei
Is behind, the steer Is just as far ai
he can get in front. The savings ol
time and of bruised meat are also itemi
to be considered.
This novel Instrument, says a Kan
sas City special to the New York Her
aid, Is the invention of L. E. Uuroe
the machinist In the beef beds, wbc
has made several other useful Improve
ments In the machinery.
Superintendent J. L. Sterrett says
"The cattle puncher Is a great money
saver, as well as an Instrument foi
saving breaths, muscle and morals
.Many actual dollars are saved because
bruised beef Is kept at the lowest min
imum ever reached."
DO NOT SCOLD.
Women of that Temper Are Disagree
uble to All rikI Unuully Unhnppy.
No one is so disagreeable as th
habitual scold, who is continually crit
iclsltig and finding fault with thos
who surround her In dally life. Sons
daughters and husbauds have beet
driven away from home because ol
her, and thousands fall Into daugoroui
temptations. The scold sows scedi
which bear a rich harvest for the sa
loon and clubrooms, says a writer it
the Pittsburg Press.
All women In authority, be it at tht
head of a home or a business depart
merit, should study consideration ol
other people's foldings. The commoc
scold or the continual fault-Cutler It
perhaps the most disagreeable person
In the world, not only unhappy herself
but mnklng others so.
Scolding, In one light. Is really at
accomplishment that is, when uses'
for the proper correction of servant!
and children. If you feci called upot
to deliver a rebuke to a servant makf
It clear to that offender that your dis
pleasure Is justified; never lose youi
temper, but be culm and dignified, foi
remember that your bearing has muefc
to do with the resect that you an
held In by those under your authority
Never let a scolding degenerate lutt
nagging, for If you do you lose aL'
claim for respect from the delinquent
and the person at fault becomes youi
critic, and a very scornful one at that
Let all scolding be gauged by th
error, but do not make any one re
buke long drawn out. Give each a
hopeful ending.
When properly administered n mer
ited scolding quickly bears the frill!
of better behavior oil the part of the
offending one.
Many wives have spoiled the good
nature of their husbands by seizins
upon some fault, trivial perhaps, and
constantly dwelling upon it.
The art of pleasing consists In mak
lug our daily lives agreeable to oth
ers ns well as to ourselves. To throw
a grain of the Ideal and of poetry lute
our surroundings Is going to makf
them less commonplace and more con
genial. It a woman has the tact ol
making others comfortable, then shf
Is endowed with the gift of making
life happy. The gracious womitE
shines through u collection of beau
1 1 ful qualities. She not only please)
the eye by her outward air of fresh
ness ami health, but she charms tlx
mind by a characteristic worth. Th
cultivation of the physical body, pro
duces the bloom of health; but quljf
as necessary In making a woman beau
tiful Is the cultivation of the Intellect
which gives her the Inimitable attrac
tion of knowledge. Then there Is th
cultivation of the heart, which glvei
her those gentle graces which are t
her what the perfume Is to the flower.
Where home Is made unhappy by 8
great fault of the husband. If he li
worthy of loving and saving, he If
more effectually appealed to by tender
ness than by denunciation or scorn.
It Was Hopeless Case.
A balky horse Is on annoying creature
under any circumstances, but the story
of an Incident which happened during a
regimental drill raises tho question
whether such a horse may not simply
be overconscleritlotis.
The sun blazed down on a Held ol
hot, tired horses and excited men, all
waiting for a big, raw-boned animal tu
succumb to the urglngs of the starter
and get Into line.
"Bring up that horse!" shouted oii
of the ofllcers at last, his patience hav
ing given out. "You'll get Into IroubU
If you don't!"
The youthful rider of the refractory
horse looked at his ofllcer despairingly,
"I'm as tired of It as you are, sir,"
he said, with dull resignation, "but I
can't help It. He's a cab horse, sir,
that's what he Is. He won't start till
he hears the door chut, sir. and I
haven't got liny door to shut!"
The time conies terribly soon to pw
pie when they quit slaying out lata
nlghls, und Join those who lie whin
awake It' worrying over those who nro
out.
The girls named Lillle never agreii
on the spelling. Home spell It Lily,
others Lilly, and others Lillle.
TOPICS OF THE TIMES.
A CHOICE SELECTION OF INTER
ESTING ITEMS.
Comments and Criticisms Bused Upon
the Happening of the Da Histori
cal and News Notes.
Urittannla rules the wave when Mr.
Morgan waives his rule.
Feople have died for love that would
Dave made them miserable If they
:ould have hud it.
Peary says the north pole can be
'cached. There are others who say
!hat perpermil motion can be solved.
M I:-:s Snow Flake Uvea at Pilot Point
rtxas. Let us hope that she Is always
ible to keep cool under the most trying
:ircumstunces.
We still Insist that the greatest of
ill American heroes Is the taxpayer.
His Is the sort of heroism that keeps
ihe government going.
Lieutenant Peary says he found
much Ice. If he thinks the public Is
;olng to get excited over that sort of
t discovery lie Is a poor guesser.
It Is safe to venture the assertion that
en most cases the people who kill them
selves because they fear losing their
ailnds have mighty little ralnd to lose.
Iiee sting Is now considered a cure
or rheumatism. A man who runs
winter to the little Insect's Ideas of
ts personal rights usually forgets bis
heumatlz.
The Boer generals were said to be
deeply Interested In the London chorus
girls. But this may simply be a rumor
Invented for the purpose of Injuring
Ihem at home.
Prince Victor Dhulep Singh asserts
lhat If his allowance had been suffi
cient ho would not have run In debt.
That's Just the way It Is with most
young men and some old ones.
A Massachusetts man sent King Ed
ward some verses on appendicitis, and
Edward has sent him a letter of
Ihanks. There Is no doubt that En
gland wants to be friendly with this
;ouutry.
There Is a story going the rounds of a
nmu who saw an advertisement offer
lug, for thirteen stamps, to tell you how
to win the girl you love. He sent the
Btamps, ami the reply was, "(Jet a mil
lion dollars and let her look at It." 1'et
he had no case against the scoundrel,
for any court would see that it might
Influence the lady's choice.
Of 23,000 children placed In families
By tho Children's Aid Society, only six
ty have been arrested and sent to re
form schools;. New York letter. This
aught to stagger the old notion of in
surable hereditary tendency. Common
lease application of kindness und mor
al training still ma Intuitu its position
is the most potent force In the world.
The truth is that the Newport set is
made up of silly, jaded people, with no
resources In themselves, who are eager
.in their quest for a new sensation.
'They mean no wrong because they do
; not mean anything. The trouble with
them Is not that they live vicious lives,
.but that they do not know what tuor
j ullty means. We have no doubt that a
sensational press exaggerates their mis
1 doings, but It it; impossible to exagger
ate their lack of stability or their fail
ure to appreciate the responsibility that
rests on them.
"Do a large portion of the sons of
ministers not turn out as well as the
sons of other people?" 'This was the
Interesting question discussed by the
Society of the Sons of Ministers of the
Church of Scotland, at its recent ses
lon In (ilasgow. The cbief speaker,
who Is the Moderator of Ihe Gcuerul
Assembly, declared that the "sons of
'.he manse" have given more ornaments
to art, literature and science than any
ther class. It Is probable that any
American who takes the trouble to
count up the children of ministers
known to him, and to weigh them In
the balance, will come to the same
:oneluslon.
The history of Arctic exploration has
feeu an unbroken chronlclu of scandal
ind disaster, ever since the abhorrent
rruze first found lodgment In the mind
f man. Some of the chapters are too
frightful to even think about, much
less dbicuss. All of them are tentl
lionles of failure, tragedy, often horror
ind disgrace. The record Is without a
redeeming feature so far as concerns
3ie hopplness of mankind or the In
crease of human knowledge. Untold
thousands of money have been expend
ed In this crazy quest, Innumerable
hundreds of lives have been vainly sac
rificed, scandals, hatreds, animosities
without number have been spawned.
Rut the world Is no wiser, no better,
no more prosperous In consequence
When tho novelists get through re
writing history shall we have to revise
)ur Ideals? They have reconstructed
nberlus and Aaron Burr, "Bloody
klary." Henry VIII. and other "shady"
tharacters, almost persuading some of
ss that these were gentle hearted, high
tnlnded creatures who have been gciin
ialously vllllllcd. But suppose (he nov
elists should take to "writing down"
Washington and Martin Luther, Sidney
ind Bayard and Joan of Arc? Then
Ihe next generation might find Itself
worshiping new heroes nnd heroine.
I Seriously, however, there Is something
to be said In ruvor or attempts to nit
tho load of obloquy thnt resls upon
many a historical character. A mail's
contemporaries seldom see him u k
really Is, and they do not at all see him
as he thinks he Is or as he wants to be,
They put their own lnterpr4atIon upon
bis deed, and give him limited credit
for his aspirations. But such persona)
prejudices die with those who hold
them. In the clear white light of his
tory one who chooses to look may see
the actual character a compound of
good and evil, like all the rest of us.
The danger that really threatens from
the new fashion of rehabilitating his
toric personages is that an author who
In good faith undertakes such a task
may become a partisan and an apolo
gist Then the Infatuated ma.u as
sumes that his hero's acts were Justifi
able because his hero performed them.
Then every page he writes sets up -a
false standard of conduct, and con
fuses the difference between right and
wrong. The tiling to be borne lu mind
by both the writer and the reader of
historical fiction is that a tendency to
excuse Ul-doing is not an "amiable
weakness," but a betrayal of principle.
Librarians are now busily engaged
in "weeding out" the works of Oliver
Optic and all that class of Juvenile
books, and are substituting others of
a higher literary finish. Probably the
reform deserves all the adult enthusi
asm and praise with which it Is accom
panied, but the librarians are liable to
err If they reckon without the boy in
this matter. There are worse books
than the Oliver Optic kind, and It may
be well to consider the danger that too
hlgii a literary standard may drive
boys to reading behind the barn rather
than lu the library. The point in ques
tion appears in the statement of a
Pittsburg boy of 15 who said: "I like
Conitn Doyle, but he comes high; you
can get a lot of this for a nickel"
"this" being a second-hand copy of
"Jesse James." But, as Harper's
Weekly points out, "Sherlock Holmes"
can he had at the public library for less
than a nickel. One suspects that the
Pittsburg boy was not quite frank in
stating his reasons for preferring the
tempestuous biography of the Ameri
can bandit to the carefully analyzed
exploits of Sherlock Holmes. The truth
Is that a boy of 15 has not yet arrived
at the age when analysis of motives
appeals to him. What he wants Is action-
something doing on every page.
He does not read "The Life and Adveu-
' tures of Jesse James" because he likes
the criminality In it, but because the
robber keeps things moving. He reads
Oliver Optic for a similar reason.
When It comes to a choice between the
yellow backed story of crime and the
trashy but harmless biles of the cur
rent "juvenile" writer, there Is no
liiestlon as to which is preferable. The
Using of the standards of juvenile lit
rnture Is very desirable, but the mo
icnt the standard is elevated above
ne plane of youthful Interest It closes
.lie library doors to the boys ami sends
them to the literature of the back stairs
and the street corners. The line that
excludes Oliver Optic Is not far from
the region of ultra reform. Librarians
will do well, at any rate, to remember
that a lwy must have action, and plen
ty of It, In the books that he reads vol
untarily. If he cannot get It In a whole
some or at least a harmless form he
will get It In robber romances.
T I G E RS LOVE LAVEN DER.
Ex per lm cuts of a Naturalist wit h Herb
on -Membrrs of Cut Family.
Lions and tigers dearly love lavender.
They liko It quite us well as cats like
catnip. 'The naturalist Uev. J. (',. Woods
tells this: "Wanting to be on good
terms with the leopard Old Man, 1 took
some lavender water with me. Helore
giving it to the leopard I thought I
would try the effect on Bessy, a Due
tigress, who has for sonic; time been
very gracious in her conduct toward
me. I poured a few drops of the per
fume on a small piece of brown paper
and held It out to her. She first gave
a prolonged sniff, and then scraped the
paper out of my hand and laid It ou the
floor of the cage. First, she sniffed at
It repeatedly, raising her nose high In
the air after every sniff. Then she tore
It Into little pieces, which she strewed
over the floor. Then she rolled over
and over and over on the perfumed
fragments, giving a series of mullled
yelps of delight, and then began leap
ing all over the cage, springing up un
til her bead struck against the roof,
turning over In tho air and coming
down on the Isjarded floor with u
mighty thump, os might be expected
from an animal weighing more than
.'!K) pounds. Next I tried the effect on
the leopard Old Man, who occupied the
next cage, and found that be was even
more powerfully affected than the ti
gress, slobbering over the perfume un
til the floor of the cage was quite wet,
and rolling over and over, exactly as
his neighbor had done. Meantime Em
press, who occupied a cago ou the op
posite side of the building, had scented
the lavender water from a distance ami
was loudly expressing her opinion that
she had been shamefully deflected. So
I gave her a liberal dose of the per
fume, and ihe, being only a young
thing and unaccustomed to self-control,
straightway proceeded to go maul over
It."
What a Horae Power la.
A horse power Is the force required
to lift a dead weight of 3.'I,00u pounds
one foot a minute. To find the horse
power of an engine, multiply the urea
of the piston In luches by tho average
steam pressure In pounds per square
Inch. Multiply the product by the
travel of Ihe piston In feet per minute
and divide Hint product by 3X,U00. If
an engine Is rated at ssiventy-three,
horse power it will raise poiinfis
one foot fVinty-ti')r ttrjiss la cne
minute.
The light comedian, narly atwsyt
weighs n.orc than tho heavy lrjct!i.i
COUNTRY BOYS RISE.
WHYTHEY EXCEL LADS BROUGHT
UP IN THE CITY.
Lack of Opportunity the Best Equip
ment for Serious ttruggle of Life
Ihe Town-Bred lioy la Likely to
Early Become Blase.
A country boy's lack of opportunity Is
his best equipment for the serious
struggle of life. This sounds paradoxi
cal, but It Is true. It Is just as true as
the opposite proposition, that the great
est hindrances a city boy has to contend
w rth are lire oppoi luniries" w bich beset
him when young and pursue him till he
begins the real business of life a busi
ness which each Individual must curry
on for himself. For the city boy every
thing is made as easy as possible. Even
pleasure becomes to him an old story
before he Is out of bis teens. Brought
up in the feverish rush of a place where
great things are happening; day by
day, he sees the world with a cynic's
eyes and despises the small things
which, like the bricks in a house, go to
the upbuilding of characters and
careers. He believes in using large
markers in the game of life; for pennies
and small units of value he has little
taste and scant regard.
The conditions surrounding the coun
try boy are as different as possible.
There Is a deal of regular work that
every country boy must do, and this
regularity of employment, mostly out of
doors, Inculcates Industrious habits,
while It contributes to a physical de
velopment which In after years is just
as valuable as any athletic training that
ran be had. He cuunot run as fast, per
haps, as those trained by a system; he
may not be able to jump so high or so
far, or excel in any of the sports upon
which we bestow so much time and from
which we get so much of pleasure, but
Ids development enables him to buckle
down to the hard work In which hours
are consumed, and from which very lit
tle or no Immediate pleasure Is extract
ed. His strength may be something
like that of the cart horse, but the cart
horse Is to be preferred where a long
and steady pull is required. The thor
oughbred racehorse hits a fine flight of
speed and canters with delightful light
ness and grace along the park bridle
paths, but the heavy work Is the work
most In demand, and for that we want
the draft animals every time.
Enthusiasm Is the spur to endeavor,
ind at the same time it is the savor of
life. The country boy whose ambition
lias taken him to town conies filled with
enthusiasms. Even the little things are
novelties to him, and as he accom
plishes this and that he feels that he is
doing something not only Interesting
but valuable. His simple tastes have
not been spoiled by a multiplicity of
gratifications, and so he Is glad pf ev
erything good that comes bis way. At
thirty, if he leads u clean life, he has
more of the boy in him than his city
cousin has left at fifteen. He does
what is before him because It is his
duty, while the other is too apt cynical
ly to question the value of doing any
thing and ask, "What is the use?"
Of the men who have achieved great
prominence and high Influence in our
affairs of state the country boys are at
least twenty to one over the city luds.
Nowadays. Indeed, our cynical city lads
look upon men who take an active inter
's t in public affairs as rather low fellows
md quite beneath their associations
Hid notice. But the country boys are
it the top In other lines of endeavor.
In finance they are pre-eminent, and the
great bank presidents of to-day in the
great cities nearly all learned to read
and to cipher in country schools where
birch and ferule had not succumbed to
the civilizing Influences of scientific
pedagogy. Our great railways were in
the main built by them, ond to-day the
idmliilstriitors of these great compan
ies are In great measure from farms
and country villages, from places where
work began lu early Infancy, and a
sense of duty developed while still the
lisp of childhood lingered.
Some city boys, however, are of such
sturdy stuff, and endowed with such
natural gifts, that they succeed by rea
son of their Inherent superiority; others
succeed abundantly because they have
used their opportunities wisely, and In
real life have pursued the same course
which enables so many country boys
lo win fame and fortune. The more
honor to them for having survived their
too great opportunities. But the coun
try boy when he comes to town reaches
out for the high places; though not all
And seats of the mighty, nearly all of
the exulted stations are Oiled In the end
by men of country birth and country
rearing, for they usually start out with
he sound theory that what Is worth
laving Is worth striving for. John (Ul-
ner Sliced, In Brandur Magazine.
IfOUTH AND CRABBED OLD AGE.
Youns Men Who Wonld Not Allow
Themselves to lie Hquelched.
Our respect for age dwells In us side
by side with enthusiasm for youth.
S'othlng gives one more of a glow than
when a young man deservedly beats a
man of an older generation. It Is that
glow which has made a familiar quota
tion of Pitt's famous retort to Walpole,
Unit crushing sentence beginning, "The
atrocious crime of being a young man."
A judge named lloblnson was noted
for his peevish, sneering manner.
Ilonre, the Irish lawyer, was once ar
iculng In a case before him. The Judge
was unusually stern, and finally roused
(he young barrister by accusing him of
intending to bring the king's commis
sion Into contempt
"No, my lord," said Hoare; "I have
end In a Ixiok that when n peasant,
luring the trouble of Charles I., found
the crown In a bush, ne showed It lH
reverence. In like manner I shall r
spect the king's commission, though I
find it on a bramble."
Itobinson was reported to have risen
to his rank by the publication of soma
slavish and scurrilous pamphlets. Once
In the days when Curran was poor and
unknown, struggling against great ad
versity, he appeared before Bobinsoa
The judge tried to extinguish him.
When Curran declared that he had con.
suited all his law books, and could nol
find a case that did not support hist
position, Itobinson answered:
"I suspect your law library Is rathei
contracted."
This brutal and unnecessary remark
stung Citrrati's pride und roused biro
at once.
"It is true, my lord," he said, after a
moment's contemptuous silence, "tha
I am poor, and the circumstance has
curtailed by library. My books are not
numerous, but they are select, and I
hope I have perused them well. I havi
prepared myself for this high profes
sion rather by the study of a few good
books than by the composition of
great many bad ones."
The Tradition of
i St. Swithin's Day.
Somebody at Boston has taken tht
trouble to expose Saint Swithin, who
is shown to be a pious old fraud, and
incidentally some rather Interesting
figures are collected showing the num
ber of rainy days in various summers
since J 872.
Saint Swithin's day, it will be re
membered, is July 15, and the reputa
tion of the saint is staked upon the tra
dition or adage which runs to the ef
fect that if it rains on Saint Swithin's
day it will rain on each of the forty
days following. This did very well be.
fore the days of rain-gauges and
weather bureau records, but now 1J
does not go down. In point of fact, thij
tradition came nearer being true this
year than for twenty years past, saya
the New York Evening Post. Out of
the forty days this year it rained on
twenty-two. This was nearly equaled
in 18!)(i, when it rained twenty-one out
of the forty days. In TSS'J and I'.WIJ tho
record was nineteen days, in 1S72 and
1S91 eighteen, In 18S(i seventeen, ill
1HU2 fifteen, and so on. As to the
amount of rain, 1872 was much th
wettest at this particular season, near
ly twice as much rain falling as in any
of the years since. The next rainiest
year was 1884, when St. Swithin's day
was fair and clear, with not a drop of
rain In Boston at least. There seems to
be no relation between the amount of
rain on St. Swithin's day and the
amount of rainfall following. The best
the saint could do of late years was in
1880, when .1)0 inches of rain fell, yet it .
was only an average wet season for the
next forty days. This year's St. Swith
in's day was rather wet, .70 inches fall
ing at Boston, yet since August 1 the
rainfall has been only about the aver
age. The year 18S-I, when the saint's
day was dry, had :!.(!." inches of rain
during July and August.
I'lants Which Cough.
Man has not u monopoly ou cough
ing. Before there was a vertebrate on
the earth, while man was in process of
evolution through the vegetable world,
Ef.'ida Tussien that is what the bot
anists call him, while we know him as
"the coughing bean" coughed, and
blew dust out of his lungs. Recently
botanists have been giving special at
tention to this bean, and tell interest
ing things about it. It is a native of
warm and moist tropical countries;
and objects most emphatically to dust.
When dust settles on the breathing
pores in the leaves of the plant and
chokes them a gas accumulates inside,
and when it gains sufficient pressure
there comes an explosion with a sound
enxctly like coughing, and the dust is
blown from Its lodgment. And, more
strange still, the plant gets red in the
face through the effort. Loudon Ex
change. Testing the Sermon.
The minister of a parish In a part of
New England where doctrinal points
are considered of great Importance
says that his test of a satisfactory ser
mon is the opiiosite of that which is
commonly applied.
"My clerical friends In the city tell
me that so long as their congregations
appear wide-awake and. Interested they
feel encouraged," he said to a visitor,
"but with me It's different
"Of course I wish to Interest the con
gregation, but If I look over to Deacon:
Drew's pew, and then to Deacon
Snow's, and see thetn with their eyes
closed and heads nodding, I feel that
all Is well. Just as6 surely as I dis
cover them wide-awake and alert after
I've been preaching for ten minutes I
know that there's something wrong, to
their minds, and that I shall hear what
It Is as sisin as the service Is over."
A fish Story.
A Uirge pike was recently caught at
(iondor, lu the Netherlands, and sent
to Paris packed In Ice.
Whim It arrived It was discovered to
be still alive, notwithstanding tbq
many hours sliK-e It was caught.
Tho pike was plunged Into water and
quite revived. It has been placed In,
the aquarium of the Trocadero.
Such tenacity of life hi a flsh Is said
to be remarkable. But they who mf
so cannot be acquainted with flKucr
men. London Express.
A Hot One.
The amount of heat generated by a
man's body In a day's work Is ufll
clent to raise sixty-three pounds of
witer from freezing to boiling point-.
London Answers.
