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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (March 23, 1900)
Jephthah’s Daughter: A Story of Patriarchal Times. By JULIA MAGRUDER... C*mm mtmt> tm* ii» i*4 bt h bck. bo*m®h Sos* CHAPTER IV. | Bot Nam*rmli raised ner hands and hil her fare tram aigbt. and Adina * *•»•* ***** «o tremble as be spake to her again and Maid, fall tenderly : lAdst thou not know Namarah when I told tbar I would wend thee a ' **"■■**«*• by thy bird, but that 1 la* ked the <uurage. that that message was my Wire for thee* As tiod beholds me maiden my he»n hath eren been knit to thine stare Irvt my eyes fell on ttnee and if them kite me not. my life is at! tutor for tar * htill was silent the maiden Namarab. so that Adina s heart grew told with •'a* wiTfctQ U ni and bis %*.»»• e i.rake j as he spake usr more " I go forth to battle « maiden, to hght agamet the enemies at the Lord sod to shield tb* father It may be that death awaits me and if thou bast .a thy heart aaght of tenderness toward me. 1 pray thee speak or let m« i «*■ to death aad silence and forgetful’ , Then 414 X*marsh turn to him a | saddes trembling i»r over her • hoi* aody and dropping her hands from before her far she stretched them uni toward him. Whereat ] Adana fell upon his knee* and bowed h » h«nd. "Unking it was her to be et *• her b>asitg spue him in token «d eterna* farewell Bat with a swift and sliest motion Nam* rah was at his side and befote he could lift his bend ed head her soft nrms clung around hi# murk. Ma*dm * he muttered In a tone •ecp »tfb p*sw» m. shtlr b* reached epmard his strung i.m. and held her in a ci«a# and gentle clasp, though be roar not from ha lowly posture, “tell me 1 pray thee what thou meanest. Is it for pity thou dost «la»p me* If Mat Xatnarab best her head above him and made answer' Xc not pity-love. ~ then did he spring to his feet, and stand erect in nil the « omely beauty «f hi* goodly youth and draning her dose against his breast, he bent his head and kissed her. It was to Va mamh the ftrat time she had ever felt her heart respond to any sign of love, and Adtna * heart was even a* virgin a> her own It was this in the heart of erch that made that moment's rap ture. It so a long long time that neither spake Their arms were fold ed close about *a b other and oo<e and again their lips met* sad clung { to those sweet and mm red kisses w hich are the pre. tows fruit of parity of life. Then spake the young auia Adma: Mil* thou hate me tell thy father. Xantrth that we may hav* his bles sing on our betrothal* - for I think he will not turn him from me seeing he hath but Lately told me that he oweth unto me hi* life.*' Mot Nam* rah aa»«c:*-d \af I would have fa.tB go forth to the igfaf. as hath been his wont of ywrr. be.ieving him*etf my only object «f care and love and prayer. He hath told me that be wills that I shall marry- snd whew tboti come*: back with him %1'toriou* then will I tell him nil. and ask h:» blessing But. ‘ ah Adtna. my most loved one. my newfound joy and hope how if the enemies of the Lord should slay thee. * tint tbor return*-*! to mt no more"** 1 AM At them word* »be frit to top ing aod aobbed upon hi* brea*t. But Mitt imlorud b#r strongly, and <*4e brr pray to God ntth faith tell ing her be felt wttkia !«*!( that (Mi Autf.d pro* per the a my of her father Jephthah and bring thm u*< k ! Then will I ruiitt thee for toy • bride. X* mar ah t bun fairest of tuon and tatM«» and Joy oill br- oars as ioog mm Me abaii la*! " KiBAntA i Laep*d bin * U*»er yet. and turned bet face ppoard to receive bis I kum, and behold a* hi* lips rested .pa bars the? beard tbe doves near ■ by oaiAg and calling Tbon kbait give m* <*# of thy birds. Xanarab * Ad;a* said: "aod I ndi nabe for it a little cage, and carry It • ttb nr. and when tbe enemies of the Lord shall have b**a vanpaiebed then nil! 1 send tbee tbe tidl&g* on tbe * tng* of tby bird And tb* idea pleased Xanarab. and side by side tbe? neat together to • her* the dovea slept, and Xanarab i .prprd tbe door and called then to bet ottb tbe little rail they knew m, wet! aod although tbe tine was tat> bsms straag* (bey nr* led round , brr b«nd and otr of then settled oa bee shun Hire Xanarab took it geatlr ua her band and ere she gave It over to Adma she kissed tbe treat of Its too 'While bead Tam iorl to nr la peace and trl copA . she said And then, obea Adiaa bad taken •be dove Iron bee abr realised that tbe mart' of pan tag oa* mho and. oitb a great ••*«■ of love aod tender mesa and ang'.ng sweeping over her. •be gave herself into her lover's arn» to receive bis last embrace muMno aod *o«wt and si Seat it *ra*. there tn tbe holy moonlight; and shea at last abe raised her bead to speak, three nere brave words us her tips. Tka 1 nooeel the meaniag of oar rtifrs mane *h* said "Take It for aa ones to comfort tbee and rewt tby heart and 1 will even rest so on it. “T«a I know It " le answered; then booed b» bsr one more, and murmur ing the sord M»rg**L' between hi* half parted tip* be turned and left bee alone. CMAKTf-H V. I* was many a wear? day that NV narab saHM for I k ing* which rncta tf— it was her habit to sit at work with b«e ddlfcS* opoo the roof, or else high ep it tbe tup chain -r of the bouse, and a'«ays she would place herself near to the window which looked toward the field of battle, and none knew why it was that she ^trained hei e\es so wistfully into the air, as if she looked for and expected ►ome token in the heavens. Often her work would fall from her fingers, and she would rest a long time idle, with no sound escaping her. except the de*P'drawu sighs which none knew how to interpret. The maidens that were her companions looked on at this and marveled. They knew that Xaniarah was ever a loving and solici tous daughter, but it was not uncom mon for her father to l>e away and in danger, and this was something more than her usual concern for him. She had lost heart in her work. also, and * ared no longer for the amuse ments and pastimes with which it had formerly been her wont to occupy her self. But. in spite of this, her inter cst was more tender than ever before in those who were sick or in trouble, and she sjient much time in prayer. Her chief amusement and diversion during this time were her doves, and sometimes after feeding them she would plai-e herseif on the garden seat and let them climb and flutter all about her. and take their fowl from her mouth and fingers, and even from the j me>hes of her hair. She had told to < no one the secret of her heart, and j th*»e silent witnesses of her meetings with Adina seemed now the nearest thing to him that there remained to her. ' 3K;n one morning, wnen .>a tuarah had grown paler than was her wont, with long waiting and watching. 1 she stood at the casement of her cham- j l»er, and her listless gaze that had been long fixed wearily upon the distant i s ene, became in a moment alert and j animated. Far up in the blue she had 1 seen a flying bird and at that sight her heart within her always trembled. ! Perhaps it was a skylark, or even one J if her own pets, wandet u farther j than its custom away fro home. Yes. it was a dove—a snow .uite carrier— and surely, one of 1 r own. as there war none like them in that region. She had never known one of hers to fly so high as that bebae. and the throb bing of her heart grew violent, as she looked up and saw it pausing and cir cling above her head. Surely she • aught sight of a tiny object, not a feather, between its wing and breast, as the bird swooped downward and flew into the pigeon house. With limbs that shook with hope and fear. N'amarah stole softly through the Hient halls and chambers, down the garden path and into the place where : all her birds were together. They »*:e cooing and muttering and gab-j bliag as if something out of the com- I nnui had happened to them, and when she paused in the doorway and called. th*y ali <ame fluttering to her. One | *’> she touched them with her hinds and felt beneath their wings. 1 uey mere too exactly ea< h like each to distinguish among them, but all of tu rn came tamely to her call, it be ing her habit to stroke and smooth ’iern as she would. Just as her heart tiegan to sink with disappointment, she n-'iced on* with broken feathers, and her ling*!- tombed something smooth and hard, and lo. there was. indeed, the vung she nought a tightly folded pa P* * tied with a small cord under the t rds wing Her bauds trembled as she loosed it. aud she hid it hurriedly in her bosom Then she ran swiftly Titru*.gn in** garden paths and back to her own room, where she shut her • f :n. and taking out the precious paper. pr« ss*d it to her lips and then :jm»n her knees in prayer. She entieaied (P**i most earnestly that the t:ri(ug.- might l»e good: her heart ■welled with praises to His holy nam**, and her faith was strong in the answer u» her prayer* as she opened the pa per and read These were the words: ! Most I tear Maiden it hath pleased tne God of Israel to send the hosts of Jephthah. thy father, a complete and mighty »i< tory. and we be. even now, upon our way to thee, returning in triumph and great thankfulness of heart. Thou will greet me as thy < h«<^*-n and sanctioned husband. Na marah for thy father hath so com mended my liearing in the fight, where in I wa« able to render him good serv ice. that he hath promised me that I ■hall choose my own reward, and I have > h<»an even the maiden Xamarah to be my wife. I have even so spoken to thy father, feeling sure that at that moment he would not say me nay. and be hath even given me his blessing, and avowed that I have found favor in his eyes. The white bird will bear !«> ibee those tidings, and liefore set of *un me shall he with thee. God grant to me. O maiden, that thy heart may reach forth to mine with the same love wherewith I feel mine reach to thee. 4* I write these lines, to be held in thy dear hands beneath thy dear eyew. THY ADINA.” Now as the maiden Xamarah read theae words, there rose within her so great a rapture that her very face did glow and become radiant with joy. For until her eye* had rested on the young man Adina. she had known not what it waa to feel the mighty love wherewith a lender virgin loveth. with bet *4mi] and heart at once, the youth whose nobleness and virtue command her worship and devotion, and the ex «ceding joy of this moment wrapped her aoul in a great wave of ecstasy, that make the shining of her eyes like unto the light of stars. To feel that Adina loved her. be who was unto her eye* the very prince of men. and that tier well-beloved father looked with favor on their union was a bliss so great, that almost she felt as if her heart within her must burst for very >uv. As she sat in her chamber alone, and read again and yet again the pre cious message that the bird had brought, such visions as ever fill the minds of maidens when love is come in truth passed like pictures before her. She saw herself meeting with Adina without the need of concealment and she felt again those arms about her and those kisses on her lips, at the mere memory of which she thrilled. She saw the calm delight upon her be loved father's face, as he blessed her union with Adina. and gazing further yet into the future, she saw herself the happy wife and mother. CHAPTER VI. Now when the sun began to sink toward the west. Namarah called to her maidens, and arrayed herself in garments richly wrought and beauti ful. as one that keepeth a great feast. Her robe was all of white, embroid ered with gold, and the encrusted folds fell heavily about the splendid curves of her most noble figure. In her loos ened hair were twisted chains of gold that wrapped it in and out. and made a light and darkness beautiful to see. About her shoulders, which her robe left bare, she wrapped a scarf of golden tissue, through which her gleaming neck and arms shone fair as moonlight seen through sunbeams. And when the maidens and all the household of Jephthah wondered to see her so adorned, she spake, and said unto them: “I go to meet my father Jephthah and his host returning from victory.” And when they asked her: "How knowest thou that he hath won the day. and is returning?” She made answer, as the saying was: "A little bird hath told me.” And they knew not how true indeed were the words she spake. And as the sun sank lower and lower and it began to draw toward evening, behold, there fell upon the ears of Na marah and her maidens the distant sound of tramping horses and anon the notes of a trumpet. “They be notes of victory; even as thou hast said,” spake one of the maid ens. while Namarah stood and listened, breathless and half troubled, like an image of too perfect joy. And Nama rah said: "1 will even go forth to meet them.” Whereat her maidens wondered, for it was her custom to await her father within the house, a feeling of timidity ever preventing her from appearing before the eyes of the soldiers. But now there showed in all her bearing a very noble pride, so that she looked no longer a shy and trembling maiden, but a woman and the daughter of a conqueror. There was a most rich hue of roses on her cheeks, and her great e>es blazed and sparkled, so that Namarah looked that day a being of such glorious beauty as none who looked on her had ever seen before. (To be continued.) OLD WITCHCRAFT. John FUke. the Celebrated Historian Talks of the Delusion. The Lexington (Mass.) Historical Sovietv observed Forefathers' day with a public meeting, held in the Hancock Congregational church. The special feature was an address by John Fiske, of Cambridge, on "The Salem Witch craft," who spoke as follows: "The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were the flourishing ages of the witch naff delusion. Withcraft. in the early ages, was considered one of the gieat est of crimes, as much so as murder, robbery, or any other serious offense asrainst the law, and the belief in it was -hared by the whole human race until fhe latter part of the seventeenth century. In England, in 1664. two women were tried before Sir Matthew Hale, (barged with bewitching several girls and a baby, and they were put t ) death, for at that time the evidence seemed perfectly rational. In 1615, iu (Jen^a. 500 people were burned to death on the charge of witchcraft. It was thefproud boast of a noted execu tioner in northern Italy, at this time, that in fifteen years he had assisted in burning 900 persons charged with sor cery. In Scotland, btween 1560 and l*»o0. 8.1*00 people were put to death, an average of 200 a year. The last ex ecution for witchcraft in England took place in 1712. in Scotland in 1722. in Germany in 1740. and in Spain in 1781. In 1b5*l Mrs. Ann Hutchinson was tried before Governor Endicott. found guilty, and hanged on Boston Common. In the next twenty or thirty years there were a number of cases tried, and, strange to say .a number of those in.vv ■ i ii me i tiiiiv d» John Bradstreet. of Rowley, was ac cused of intimacy with the devil, and sentenced to pay a fine or be whipped. A noted ease was that of a woman em ployed by the Goodwin family in 1683 in the fact that Cotton Mather took an active interest in the case. This woman confessed, thinking that clem ency would he shown her, but she was hanged." Professor Fiske gave a brief resume of Mather’s life, and said that early historians had not done him jus tice. and that his memory had been held up as that of one who more than any other man stimulate the delusion of withcraft. This, the speaker said, was not so. and the first man to do him justice was the poet Ixmgfellow. in 1868. and. later. William Frederick Poole, the iatter giving a most accurate view of the case. The speaker then came to the Salem cases. He said that in 1692 the circumstances favored an outbreak of witchcraft. Everything in Massachusetts was going wrong, it was believed that the devil was in their midst, and the reverses in Indian wars and other afflictions had wrought the minds of the colonists up to a high pitch.—Boston Herald. Shocking th« Earth. The revelation of Professor Milne’s observatory on the Isle of Wight of the manner in which earthquakes send their impulses thousands of miles through the frame of the globe are a source of ceaseless wonder. In Sep tember last Professor Milne's instru ments detected remarkable tremblings of the earth on the 3d. 10th, 17th, 20th and 23d. Since then he has traced the origin of the shakings on the first three days named to Alaska, on the 20th to Asia Minor and on the 23d to Japan. But every earthquake does not thus set the globe in a tremble, for, the shocks at Darjeeling, in India, on Sep tember 25th and 26th were not felt at the Isle of Wight, the reason being, Professor Milne thinks, because those j shocks were due to local landslips. QUEEN VIC'S LIFE. SHE DRESSES PLAINER THAN HER SUBJECTS. Lives More Fruc»UT *nrt SI* In tain* a Greater Air of Couifort and Homeli ness About Her Private Rooms—Her Daily Labors. The home life of Queen Victoria has ever been a subject of widespread in terest and sympathy. Her somewhat dull and monotonous childhood, her idyllic married life, her long widow hood and her peaceful by busy old age have alike attracted both writers and readers on every hand. Perhaps the most remarkable feature in the queen's career has been the skill with which she has contrived to maintain the sim plicity of an old-fashioned English home life, notwitshstanding the pomp and ceremony which necessarily be long to court. This is largely due to her early training. The daughter of the duke of Kent, a prince of very limited income, the young Princess Victoria saw little of the luxury which is commonly supposed to abound in royal circles. Strict economy was the rule of her early home, and the lesson has never been forgotten. Amid the costly magnificence which characterizes the state apartments the queen’s private rooms are always not able for their comfort and homeliness. In matters of dress, too. Queen Victoria is far more economical than many of her middle-class subjects. The queen attributes her long life and excellent health very largely to her practice of spending as much time as possible in the open air every day. In her youth riding was her favorite recre ation. and in Scotland she has almost lived on pony back. Now. of course, carriage exercise has taken its place. Every morning her majesty goes out in her Httle pony chair, often visiting the farm and stables in the course of her drive. Sometimes her chair is drawn by a beautiful donkey which was pur chased in the south of France by his royal mistress to save him from ill treatment. This donkey rejoices in the name of Jacko. and on holiday occa sions wears a curious harness adorned with bells, and with two foxes’ brushes hanging over his blinkers. The greater part of the forenoon of each week day is devoted to business, for no woman in the land gets through more actual work in the course of each week than the queen. Her dispatch boxes are ar ranged on a table set in Windsor park, near the Frogmore teahouse, whenever the weather permits. Here the queen carefully reads and annotates the in numerable dispatches which come to her from the foreign and home offices, for It has been the rule of her life to attend personally to all important af fairs of state. But this by no means represents all the multifarious occupations of the queen. Her private correspondence is enormous, for it is a kind of unwritten family iaw that all her children and grandchildren shall write to her every day. All important housekeeping ques- ! tions are settled by the royal mistress herself, who often orders the meals and even keeps an eye on the household linen. ] E»en the smallest details of domestic ' economy are not regarded by the queen as leneath her notice. A story is told that on one occasion she went into a practically disused room at Windsor and noticed a cabinet that had evi dently not been dusted that day. She promptty wrote the royal autograph in the dust, and beneath the name of the particular maid whose duty it was to dust the room. This may seem rath er a small matter, but when one re members that nearly 2.000 persons are employed in Windsor castle and its precincts It shows a very remarkable knowledge of the personality of so vast a staff. Tli» Power of Imagination. Stories illustrating the power of im agination are many. Here is a new one. It comes from a recent number of the Psychological Review which re lates an interesting experiment made by Mr. Slosson with the view of dem onstrating how easily this faculty of imagination mav be called into play. i In the course of a popular lecture. Mr. Slosson presented before his audience a bottle which he uncorked with elab orate precautions, and then, watch in hand, asked those present to indicate the exact moment at which a peculiar odor was perceived by them. Within fifteen seconds, those immediately ir front of him held up their hands, and within forty seconds, those at the other end of the room declared that they distinctly perceived the odor. There was an obstinate minority, largely composed of men. who stoutly declared their inability to detect any odor, but Mr. Slosson believes that many more would have given in. had : he not been compelled to bring the ex periment to a close within a minute . of opening the bottle, several persons j in the front rank finding the odor so j powerful that they hastily quitted the room. The bottle contained nothing but distilled water. It would be inter esting to know the effect of the ex planation on the audience, but this j part of the story is lefi to the imagina tion of the reader. Age Limit for CHcmc. “A few days ago.” said. Harry Cun ningham. of Montana, ai Chamber lain's. “the late Charlie Broadwater, of our state, gave a banquet to about a score of his personal friends. It was an elaborate spread, and one of the chief items was some twenty-year-old brandy that cost Mr. Broadwater a fabulous price and regarding which he spoke with much enthusiasm. At the w'ind-up of the feast cofTee and Roque fort cheese were brought in. though the latter was not commonly down on Montana menus at that period. Sit ting near the host was one of his spe cial friends, who, after eyeing the Roquefort a trifle suspiciously, tasted It, made a wry face and shoved his plate to one side. 'You don’t seem to like that,' remarked Mr. Broadwater. ‘Indeed, I do not, Charlie. Your tw'en ty-year-old brandy is all right, but 1*11 be d-d If I like your twenty-year old cheese.' ”—Washington Post. God works through human instru ments, through the natural laws that he has Instituted.—Rev. P. C. York*. STOPPED DRINKING. Orleans Drunkard Saw a Verbatnm Report of His Monologue. ‘There goes a man whom I reclaim ed from the Demon Rum,” remarked a New Orleans court stenographer re cently. ‘It happened in this way. He is a tip-top fellow, and has no end of ability, but four or five years ago he began to let liquor get the best of him. He had a fine position at the time, and I don t think he exactly neglected his work, but it got to lie a common thing to see him standing around barrooms in the evening about two-thirds full and talking foolish. A few of his close friends took the liberty of giving him a quiet hint, and as usual in such cases he got highly indignant and denied point blank that he had ever been in the least under the influence of liquor. All the same he kept increasing the pace, until it became pretty easy to predict where he was going to land and it was at this stage of the game 1 did my great reformation act. I was sitting in a restaurant one evening when he came in with some feilow and took the next table, without seeing me. He was just drunk enough to be talka tive about his private affairs, and on the impulse of the moment I pulled out ray stenographer’s note book and took a full shorthand report of every word he said. It was the usual maudlin rot of our good fellow half seas over, shad ing off in spots to boozy pathos, where both gentlemen wept in their beer, and including numerous highly candid de tails of the speaker’s daily life. Next morning I copied the whole thing neat ly on the typewriter and sent it around to his office. In less than ten minutes he came tearing in. with his eyes fair ly hanging out of their sockets. ’Great heavens. Charley!’ he gasped, 'what is this anyhow?’ ‘It's a stenographic re port of your monologue at-’s last evening,’ I replied, and gave him a brief explanation. ’Did I really talk like that?' he asked faintly. ’I assure you it is an absolutely verbatim re port.’ said I. He turned pale and walk ed out. and from that day to this he hasn't taken a drink. His prospects at present are splendid—in fact, he’s one of our coming men. All that he needed was to hear himself as others heard him.” SOMETHING NEW AT BULL FIGHT Some of the Spectator-* May l^>»e Ttieir Sight. A disgraceful scene was witnessed in a bull ring, when there was a strug gle between a small panther, an old lioness, a large hear, and a powerful bull, says a Madrid correspondent of the London Standard. In a short time the hull terribly gored the panther and tne lioness, but he had more trouble with the bear, which required several terrific tossings and wounds from which blood flowed freely, before the wretched animal gave in. The proceed ings were witnessed by 12,000 specta tors of all ranks, who were so much engrossed in the fight and so enthusi astic over the victory of the bull, that they hardly noticed the report of a gun fired by the keeper to goad on the wild beasts when at first they did not show fignt. About twenty persons, however, hnrriedly left one of the stone galler ies. and when the performance was nearly over it was found that these twenty spectators had been wounded, several seriously, in the eyes and face by the slugs fired at the animals. All the injured were instantly attended to by the doctor of the infirmary at the hull-ring, who stated that one man— an Austrian baker—would lose the sight of both eyes, while another would not be able to see again with his left j eye. On hearing this the crowd be came very demonstrative toward the tamer, who was at once arrested and taken to the office of the civil govern or by the gendarmes. He is to be prosecuted for having caused the in juries to the occupants of the gallery. The Madrid papers denounce the au thorities for allowing the use of fire arms in a crowded bull-ring, but only El Correo and El Correspondencia have the courage to lament the fact that such scenes are possible in the capital of Spain. Prehistoric Man In California. The antiquity of man in America is an important problem, and W. H. Holmes in The American Anthropol gist revives the evidence relating to auriferous gravel man in California. His conclusion is that the testimony furnished is greatly weakened by tne facts (1) that the finds on which it was based were made almost wholly by inexpert observers, and (2) that ail were recorded at second hand. Noth ing short of expert testimony, amply verified and vigorously stated, will convince the critical mind that a Tertiary race of men. using sym metrically shaped and beautiful im plements. wearing necklaces of wam pum and polished beads of marble or travertine bored accurately with re volving drills. fishing with nets weighted with neatly grooved stone sinkers, and having a religious system so highly developed that at least two forms of ceremonial stones had been specialized, occupied the American continent long enough to devolp this marked degree of culture without hav ing numerous and distinctive traces of its existence. All these objects re semble modern implements in every essential respect. They are such as may have fallen in the mines from Indian camp sites or been carried m by the Indians themselves. Would Have Them. Visitor (looking at portraits) -What a lot of ancestors you ve got! Porkenchopps—"That’s dead right. 1 didn’t want so many, but Sarah she insisted.’’—Brooklyn Life._ A Contrary Man. Nixon—“Would you call Dickson a contrary man?" Fundenberg«p"Con trary* Why. that man would tr> to toboggan up hill!“-Harper’s Bazar. Kara with the Train*. \ common sight in Cape Colon.' is a herd of ostriches accompanying a railway train as it speeds or its way. Collect* *“ lndl*' India now has HO colleges ana 1«0. 000 students. PECULIARITIES OF GENIUS. Stories of Mme. Sembrich, 8lf. T»“ mag no and Slg> FolL One prima donna at least has been known to take her own cook to prepare dinner for her when she was invited out to dine. Mme. Sembrich is not so exacting in her requirements. In one respect she is unyielding—everything she drinks must be warm, even cham pagne. The other night at a large dinner party she surprised her hostess by asking for a pitcher of hot water. When it was brought to her she pro ceeded to dilute the champagne in her glass, “to keep,” as she expressed it. "from taking cold.” Her husband, possibly fearing that writh such a sen sitive organization Mme. Sembrich might take cold if he failed to pour hot water in his champagne, followed the same hygienic course. But Tamag no was the trying one, when it came to dinner parties. Upon one occasion, the last, indeed, of the kind, he was invited to dine in the sacred and inner most circles. Some of his fellow sing ers. including the De Reszkes and Mme. Melba, were also invited. The first thing he did was to open his opera hat and put it on the floor beside his chair. The soup, fish and the earlier courses passed without surprise. But after awhile hothouse grapes, bon bons and other edibles found their way into his hat. With each relay he would say briefly. “For my daughter.” Finally, when the company arose from the table, his colleagues completely overcome with chagrin, he took the bouquet of the lady who sat next to him. calmly saying. “For my daugh ter.” and placed that on top of the collection, put his hat under his arm and marched out. Signor Foli some years since took part in a concert at St. Helen’s, where he sung “The Raft.” He had just finished his first verse when an infant in arms made the hall resound with its cries. Foli commenced the second verse, the first line of which runs “Hark WTiat is that which greets the mother’s ear?” He could get no farther than the end of the line by reason of a fit of uncontrolla ble laughter. He left the stage, but soon returned, smiling, and sung in his inimitable style. "Out on the Deep.”—Denver Times. REBUKE TO A BRIDE DotIdj the Honeymoon That Tasted Through Her tlfe. “Never shall I forget,” said a bride, i “the first word of criticism I received ; from my husband. Everything was ' moving along beautifully. There had n’t been a single cloud over our honev i moon. Then one morning I found Hal standing before my dressing table looking down disgustedly at the comb lying there. What was the matter?’ Here two cheeks blushed like scarlet geraniums. Well, I had it full of combings, a habit, r frankly admit. I had always been guilty of. This time it got me into a jlckle. Hal held that comb out at arm’s length, the untidy mat of hair clinging to it, and I will say he tried to make his voice nice and lamb-like, but I saw by the line of his lips and the flash of his eye that he mas thoroughly put out. Elizabeth,’ he said. *1s this your comb?’ just as if he don’t know it mras the very comb he had given my last birthday. I meekly answered ‘ves.’ ‘Then.’ he said. T would try to keep it like a lady’s comb.’ With that he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, leaving me sniffly and terribly abused. But it was a wholesome lesson. I never forgot it. and my comb rested in spick and span cleanliness on my dresser ever afterwards. Not that comb. I packed it out of sight, hand some as it was. that very morning, and couldn’t bear to use it again. But I’ve never been caught napping with its substitute. Not a single hair is al lowed to remain in it over time.” This bride s husband had the courage to correct her for her fault. How many men. though, naturally neat them selves, have to endure the petty trials of a wife who is careless in just such toilet trifles?—Philadelphia Inquirer. A Scientific Beqneet. An important bequest has been made to the University of France by M. Raphael Bischoffsheim. the banker of Dutch origin who became a naturalized Frenchman nineteen years ago and now' sits in parliament for a division of the Alpes Maritimes. He has made over the freehold of the Nice observa tory. founded by himself, with its branches, instruments, library and lands, to the university, together with a sum of £100.000. to be devoted to the maintenance of the establishment on Mont Gros. so well known to English visitors who patronize Nice or its neighbors in winter. The total value of the Bischoffsheim bequest is esti mated at 5.000.000 francs, or £200.000. The Nice observatory has done good work and scientific men are glad to see that its future is assured through the liberality of fts founder.—London Tele graph. The Byzantine Ltnpire. Byzantine Empire was the Roman Empire of the east. The name was derived from Byzantium, the ancien* name of Constantinople, the capital jt the empire. As a separate power ’t began its existence in 395 A. D.. when Theodosius the Great died, bequeath ing the Empire of Rome to his two sons, who divided it—Arcadius taking the eastern half, with his capital at Constantinople. It was a rich and powerful sovereignty, and continued to exist for over ten centuries. Dur ing the last few centuries it was grad ually but surely declining before the Turks and Saracens, and ended with the Mohammendan conquest of Con stantinople in 1543. It was also called the Greek Empire, and was the home and head of the Greek church. Spread of the KngtUb Language. Writing on the decline of the French language. M. Jean Finot points out that at the end of the last century French was the language spoken by the greatest number of civilized people, w hereas now it stands fourth. English is spoken by 116.000.000. Russian by 85.000.000. German by 80.000.000. and French by 58,000,000. A yneon's Collection of Dolls. Queen Wilhelmina has preserved her dolls and adds constantly to her col lection. THE MORMONS DID IT. V/HAT WE OWE TO BRIGHAM YOUNG’S FOLLOWERS. They Were tbe First to l’at Into Oper ation tbe Idea of Irrigating Arid Region*—Ha* Grown Into Va*t Pro portion*. (Boise. Idaho, letter.) Criticise the Mormons as you will, they must be credited with the won derful system of irrigation by which the wastes of the western states have been redeemed. On July 24. 1847 Brigham Young and his little band o pioneers began the construction of the first irrigation canal ever built in the United States. Irrigation made of Utah s desert wil derness the garden spot of America. It is doing as much for Idaho, where the mountains are so located that ample valleys, and plains of millions of acres, may be easily and economically watered. On the Nile, in Italy, Spain and elsewhere in Europe, irri gation has prevailed for centuries. In deed, 60 per cent of the world’s bread stuffs and cereals are grown by irriga tion. Where “the vine-clad hills and citron groves" around Vesuvius in sunny Italy are found, a great population has been sustained for many thousand years—and the land has never worn out—its wonderful vitality being due to underlying strata of lava which some curious chemistry renders the soil immortal. Idaho's wonderfully productive so.i covers lava strata deposited by volca i coes long ago extinct. The rejuvena tion of the land results not alone from this lava, but from rich fertilizers an nually brought to it by the irrigation waters. It is almost an aphorism that land is good where sage brush grows. Marvelous must therefore be the fer tility of Idaho, for everywhere the green of the sage is seen. Wheat.corn, oats, barley, alfalfa, timothy, rye, flax, tobacco, broom corn, sorghum, sweet and Irish potatoes, beets, cabbages, hops, and fruits, such as prunes, ap ples, pears, plums, peaches, cherries, apricots, nectarines, grapes and all of the small bush products, grow profuse ly. Particularly do the apple, pear and prune attain to perfection in size and flavor. Alex. McPherson of Boise City real ized $600 per acre from apples. Geo. L. Hall of Mountain Home sold $800 worth of peaches from one acre. T. J. Phifer of Boise City realized $900 from 1 two acres of Italian prunes. Instances like these can be multiplied ad infini tum. But Idaho does not depend entirely ; upon agriculture. Its mountains are Ailed with mining camps which furnish a home market for far more agricul tural products than the state ia now. able to produce. Snake River Valley contains about 3,000.000 acres and some of the finest pastoral scenes there presented are ia the midst of gold placer raining opera tions. Many farmers there realize handsomely for w*ork during spare hours—washing shining powdered gold from the river’s bed. In a state having so many productive portions to select from it is hard to suggest particular locations, but set tlers will find room for any number of new homes. Different state and private agencies are sending out printed information about Idaho. Perhaps the most con servatively prepared matter is that now emanating from the general pas senger agent of the Oregon Short Liue at Salt Lake City. Utah. This railroad permeates almost every agricultural region in the state and stands ready to furnish to homeseekers every cour tesy in the power of its officers. At the present rate Idaho will soon be as thickly populated as Utah. It is in the same latitude as France. Swit- i zerland, Portugal, Spain and Italy, and \ Its climate is incomparable. Vast timber areas furnish lumber of excellent quality. Cyclones and de structive storms never occur. The win ters are short and people work out doors all the year. The annual death rate is the lowest of any state in the Union. Verily Idaho is a wonderful state and destined to become the home place of ■ many times its present population. / Senatorial SnnfTtaker* There are but two confirmed snulT smokers in the United States senate at the present time. Senator Turner, cf Washington, and Senator Car ter of Montana. The old custom of J*" taking snuff has about died out. Rroken-Nrckrd Man (Jetting Well. Walter Duryea. whose neck wa; broken early last summer, by a dive into shallow water at the Duryea country place. Glen Co’ve, L. 1.. and who has since been a patient at Roose velt hospital, is steadily improving. He has n*w fuH control of the mus cles of the upper part of his body and though the lower part of his body is still paralyzed and he is unable t > walk or stand, sensation has returned which fs regarded as a hopeful sign. He is confident of his eventual recov ery. C'KiengoV Kxtort ionata Tax Kate. Because of the multiplication of governments in Chicago, due to the ex istence of seven townships in Cook county; the per cent cost of collecting taxes is 6.68, as compared with .57 in New York proper. .06 in St. Paul, and l.»2 in Boston. Feminine Rank stock Owner*. The amount of the national bank stock held by women in America it estimated at $130,000,000. and th > amount or private and state hauk stock at $137,000,000. Remarkable Showing The latest report of the New York < savings banks shows a tremendous ad* varce In the welfare of the poorer V moderately well to do classes of th?^ *tate- D‘,rinK the Just closed the gain in the resources of these banks was over $76,000,000. This is greater than any ever made before during a I ke period In the history of the stat?. in V/Tri °f the Havln8« banks .* ,hp sta*e hav* passed the billion SjJ’jJo Mafk# Th*y ®KKregate $1,000 - 209,099.61 * of which $887,480,650.30 is »ho»e deposits average J