Svi II
I'll
jilj
I '
U
Qcbrmiltii tlvwlincr.
0, W, rAmDIlOTUEIl&CO., rroprhtori,
AUHURN. "i i NEBRASKA.
MlSUNMMSTANDINaa.
Scene. flow York drnwhiff-rootn, 1:20 a. n,
Erlnipori hor bund, nnd I hold It fust,
Whfln I jf it ml In hor drcumy oyoH,
And n fnr-olf look o'or hor tonturcs passed,
Llko tho twilight of vonpor Hklcs,
Whllo, llko ono loo hnppy or uliy to penk,
With n throl) I coulil undorntatid,
8ho ttiniod from my ruptures hor kIowIhk
chook,
And veiled It with faltering Imnd;
And tho (rontlo tremor which thrilled hor
frnmo,
And leaped from hor puMo to mliio,
To my thirsting houI w th It iiiosiiiko enmo,
Llko tho tmiKlo or cordlnl wlno.
At lurtsha pitied tho hopelem mnnrt
Of tho piifwlon sho loinr hud scorned.
And JiiHt (W I reltHlio hud unwind her heart,
Bho opened hor mouth, imd-yuwnod I
0. V. Carroll, in Harper's Magazine.
CnpurlgMed.
VIOLA
Oil
Thrice Lost in a Struggle tor a Name,
nv miih. it. ij. hdson.
CIIAITIJK IV.
Tho hoitrfl slipped away, nnd it was
noun, mid, though search htul boon
iimdu In uvory direction by tliu police,
as woll ns l)y Mr. Anderson nnd Brad
iloo, who could not Htny in tho house
nnd wait, though tlioy could do little
Sood, strangers as tlioy woro, still not
10 slightest truco of tho missing girl
could 1)0 found. TJio lundlord of tliu
iiotol, Mr. Gordon, htul thought at first
thoro was no eunso for serious uliinn,
ns tho child might lnivo run into tho
Htroot, thinking to moot hor adopted
father, and gutting bewildered, had
licon unahlo to I. nd hor way back to tho
house. But as the hours slipped away,
nnd a systematic search of ovory street
In tho city was made, and nothing was
licard of hor, ho came to the conclusion
that slio had got down to tho wharf in
hor wanderings, and, in sonio way,
fallen into tho wator and got drowned,
it was not very probable that a child
like that had boon abducted in a city
whoro scores of children swarmed in
tho streets unmolested every hour in
llio day. A foundling, too, like this,
coming from an Eastern country town
bo far away, perfectly unknown to a
lnglo soul in tho city why, it was the
lioight of absurdity to fancy sho had
been abducted, and so ho told the half
distracted Andersons, though his by.
ynlhcsis was not particularly comfort
ing, and poor Myra Andorson only
grow wliilor and nioro scare-looking
when ho broached It.
"Viola is accustomed to tho wator,
nnd I hardly think sho would venture
"whoro there was danger," Mr. Ander
son said, thoughtfully; still it is not
impossible butfl.hu miirht have attempted
crossing tho plank to tho steamer, and
fallen oil', someway."
But soino ono would have scon hor,
it's likely," interposed Ralph, "and
rescued her. J don't boliovo sho wont
aioar tho water everything is always
Said to tho watorl"
"You llko it, I reckon, my lad,"
Gordon said, smiling at his onrnoslness.
'' You should plow tho sea, instead of
tho prairie."
"I intend to somo day, sir," was tho
iquleli reply, a sudden glow lighting his
face.
Through all tho griof and alarm of tho
prosont, a wild fear for tho future struck
n sudden deathly chill to Mrs. Ander
son's heart. It would kill her to have
llnlph go to soal Hut ho would forgot
nnd outgrow this lovo for the sea when
ho was onco fairly away from -it, sho
eomfortod horsolf by saying.
" Perhaps wo had bettor go down to
tho shoro," Mr. Anderson said, "though
'1 Jiavo little idea that it will bo of any
nvail."
At that moniont Nod Bradleo opened
mo uoor ami iookou in.
"AnynowsP" askod Audorson, anx
iously. . "Wall, no, not ra'ally," ho replied,
slowly. "Ono of tlioni frosh-wator
bailor chaps says ho see a girl run down
tho wharf to tliu sidu of tiiu 'Caspian'
jlhat's tho name of tho boat wo come in
qulto early this niorniu . Hut ho
didn't notice whether she wont back, or.
Jiot, and in fact ho didn't seem to
notieo much of anything, and 1 don't
b'liovo ho could toll whothcr sho was
two year old or twenty-five. don't."
"Hut why didn't you go on board Hhu
tooatP May be sho Is there," interposed
Ralph.
" DidnH IP Though I knoweil aforo
3iand that a bright littlo critter like her
.wouldn't bo likely to stay there all
this time. Lord! wouldn't she make
em walk back with her doublo-qulekP"
"Hut what did tlioy eayP" askod
Ciordon.
"O, tlioy didn't know nothin', of
course! There wasn't anybody thoro
only four or live niggor gals, and of all
..the etupid eattlo J over bee, they was
tho boat. J'ni afraid I might ha' "sworn
nt them if I'd staid thoro two minutes
lonirer I couldn't say for cortain. 1
lidu't ns it was," ho added,
thought-
fully.
"I think wo had bettor go down
there," Mr. Andorson said, putting on
3iis hat,
It won't do any good, Hen, but
liowover, I don't blanio you for wantiu'
to go," Hradleo replied. "Poor little
Ilummin' Bird! ' and ho turned sudden
ly and wafted away to tho window, and
stood a moment looking out into the
Inisy, hurrying streot, but seeing abso
lutory nothing not oven tho groat
blocks of buildings or tho blue sky, or
the soft spring sunshine.
Slowly and woarily the long afternoon
hours dragged on to Myra Andorson.
Tho first excitement of wonder and
alarm had given placo to dreadful sink
ing, dread and fear, l'coplo came and
wont, but sho sat by tho window, gaz
ing steadily into tho struct, and starting
nervouslj 'at every sudden bustle or stir
sho saw, fancying it was some ono com
ing to bring homualittlo limp, drenched
form, tho bright color all washed out of
the dear little face and tho soft lips that
had wakenod hor only that morning
with kisses. Only that morning! Sho
said it over drearily to herself, llko ono
talking in her sloop. Could it bo that
all thoso long, dreadful hours were only
one dayP How many and ninny tho
weeks sho could remember that had not
seemed ono half as longl Sometimes
somo ono, thinking to comfort or rouso
her, suggested that "it was not as
though it was hor own child," and per
haps it was not; but remembering tho
little grave in the grocn shadow of tho
Plymouth hills, and tho little face that
faded so early from earth, sho said so
berly that "hero could bo nodinVroneo
sho knetv by experience." Hut sho
did not rcmonibor what it was that soft
ened the lirst sorrow, and made it, look
ing back through tho sanctifying vista
of years, seem so much loss bitter than
this. Viola was lost; her baby God had
taken, and sho was safe. This was tho
secret tho secret that makes a living
sorrow so much harder to boar than a
dead one, always. He had dono It.
Ono, two, three days, and so up to a
wcok, and tho mystery that shrouded
the child's disappunratico remained still
unsolved. The shores of tho river had
been dragged, but nothing had been dis
covered Tho police had taken tho
usual measures, but all their search had
boon utterly and entirely fruitless. No
such child had been seen, e ther alono
or in company, on any train, boat or
vessel leaving Detroit that morning.
Sco soumod to have disappeared as com
pletely as if the earth bad opened and
swallowed her up, as in their amaze
ment tho Andersons almost believed it
had.
" Wo cannot wait horo much longer,
Myra," Mr. Anderson said, uneasily, to
his wife; "these hotel bills run up terri
bly, and you know we've got barely
enough money now to buy tho farm Tom
has bargained for. I never did get in
debt, and 1 don't like to begin b doing
so in a strange placo."
"Hut, Hon, it seoms terrible to go on
without knowing somethingabout her,"
slio said sadly.
"1 wisli wo. never had started," in
terrupted Ralph, impetuously. " I am
sure shall never like it out (here, and I
don't want to go now nlie Isn't to bo
with us," tho frank, boyish face grow
ing gnivo and troubled.
"It's my opinion that it's no use a
waitln' hero. It's a hard thing to say,
neighbors, but I don't believe she's any
where, alive, now," Hradleo said, his
jovial face graver than It ever was bo
foio. "Still, if you say so, why we'll
wait, if it's all summer. 1 wouldn't
vally oory dollar I have got which
ain't many, tobo sure goiir into Gor
don's pocket, if only thoro was tho
slightest chance of hor coniln' back, or
our lindin' out anything about her, poor
urn.. ir.i. .,!,.' nf.wit"
little Huniniln' Bird!
There was two or three days more of
dreary waiting and susponso, and then
the journey, was resumod, Mr. Gordon
promising to inform them immediately
if anything whatever concerning the
lost child canio to light.
Tl.u "beautiful West," of which Tom
Arnold had written in such glowing
terms to his sister, seemed now to that
sist or llko some dreadful i'jnus fatuus,
growing wilder and more iitful as they
shot away from tho city where it htill
seemed to her that tho bright littlu faeo.
whieli had crept so Into her heart, was
yet somewhere hidden. All, how deso
late and gloomy looked tho half-broken
forest farms, scattered bore and there
along tho wa ! What curious, squalid
looking huts," with four small panes of
glass doing duty for windows, and nev
er a shingle or clapboard, or bit of white
paint anywhere about them. . And how
solemn and lonely looked tho gioat
shadowy forests, in their dead, unbroken
level; so little like tho airy hills of the
East, whore tho loaves toyed with tho
clouds, and caught tho sunshine in their
green palms. But now and then there
glimmered through the trees pretty
while villages as they hurried on, and
nt last Chicago was reached Chicago,
tliu " ieked, if all the newspapers say
can bu relied on Hut I am not inclined
to believe all its traducers say of it. I
remember some vory pleasant things of
it, and I belieio there could bu quito a
respectable rpnmunl found who have
"not bowed the kne unto Baal," even
in these degenerate days.
Tom Arnold, a littlu older, a little
stouter, but still I In old, gonial, truu
huartod Tom, grasped their hands tho
instant tholr feet touched the platform.
"Oil. Hon!" grasping his hand,
"and Ned Hradleo, as I live! Well, if
this isn't Jolly! Anil Myra, my dear
girl," holding hor in his strong arms
and kissing tier fondly, "and this is
your boy P this groat fellow!" holding
Ralph's arm anil looking admiringly at
him. "Aren't you delighted to soo your
worthy unole, whom, it is said, you
aro so fortunate to resemblo in certain
lino traits of oharaotorP" ho cried, with
n laugh. " Hut where Is tho wonderful
littlo exotic you wrote mo such an ox
travagant account of, MyraP" ho asked,
looking round, and pausing to take
breath.
"Sho is lost, Tom," Mrs. Andorson
answorod, gravely, tho sniilo fading
from hor lips.
"Not dead!" ho exclaimed, his faco
sobering.
"Wo do 'not know;" and as tlioy
went into tho station she told him the
story of Viola's strange disappoarauco.
"And that Is why you aro so far bo
hind? I linvo boon hero a week, waiting
for you, and yesterday I wrote to find
out if you had left Massachusetts. I
boliovo I was gelling rather nervous.
Hut this Is an odd affair! Don't you bo
liovo tho child ran away on purposo?
You say she didn't like tho idea of
comlngi"'
" Han nway! our Viola!" cried
Ralph, indignantly.
" I beg your pardon, my boy, but I
hope so, and 1 do noC think it so very
improbable, either. It's not very liko
ly tho child is dead. Sho would have
been found if phc had been. I suppose
you woro qulto attached to hor?" ho
askod, carelessly.
0, Tom, I loved hor as If she had
been my own!" Myra Andorson cried,
catching her breath sharply.
"Ahl I'm very sorry, girlie," ho
said, gently, holding her hand in a Arm,
warm grasp. " Hut I am so glad to seo
you again that 1 can't took vory sorry,
I am afraid. Why, it's twelve years; do
you know it? Have T changed very
much? Don't bo afraid of hurling my
vanity, but tell mo if I look older and
di lie rent from what you expected."
"No, you have not changed as much
as I feared. O, Tom. I coulil never litivo
come, it was so hard at the last, if you
had not been hero."
"You're tho best sister in the world,
Myra, and we will bo as happy as clams
see, I've not forgotten my native sim
iles! - and wo will never bo separated
again while God lets us live, my girl,"
ho said, earnestly.
The now homo in the West! How can
I make you who are natives understand
tho alien's hoart? How can I make you
realize the faint homesickness Unit will
come, even amid tho fairest scenes and
in tho most attractive laud? The new
may bo a score of times more lovely,
anil you may know that it is much tho
best for our interests, bat it. laeks that
indefinable somclhimj which tho old
held, and it will lack it forevormoro!
You may faney you have outgrown and
forgotten it, perhaps; but sometime it
will start suddenly to life, and moek
your fancied d roam of content with its
old, vanished sweetness, and tho bleak
est and most common-place spot, seen
through the lens of years and lovo,
will bo touched with lin indescribable
glory It is tho old (dinging lovo for
ono's nativo land which all feel moro or
less.
The pleasant rolling prairies of 1 ho
now farm contrasted sharply .with tho
littlo wooded, sand-girdled homestead
in the East. It was a score of times
more fortilo, and twice a scoro of times
more prohtable, but, alas! the sea never
canio tumbling to its edge, nor never a
lodge of rock and pine lifted its dun
green summit against tho blue of its
bunding skies. Hut it was very pleas
ant, nevertheless, and the Andersons
know tlioy had gained by coming, and
resolved to bo content all but Ralph;
ho grew more and moro restless all tho
long summer through, and longed moro
and moro for tho sea as tho days of ab
souco increased, and not oven tho
charms of his beautiful young cousin
could mnko him forget it lor a day.
Tom Arnold had, indeed, grown rich
in tho West. Ho owned a largo stock
farm, but ho lived less than two miles
out of Rockford, in a beautiful cottage
mansion, built on a fine elevation over
looking the pleasant wators of Hock
River and tho pretty, picturesque city.
Long, sloping offsets of velvety sward
swept in slow curves to tho river and
the road. A few trees and shrubs care
fully disposed, and a narrow lino of
gay-colorod ilowors edging tho entire
length of the first oil'set, ga"o an air of
elegance and brightness to tho whole.
altogether, it was as lovely a place as
you could ask for, and Tom was not
to
in
blame for fueling just tho least bit
the world proud of it. But his special
prido was Ids daughter Blanche. Stop
a moniont while 1 describe hor to you
as she was tho lirst suininor that Wo
niado, hor acquaintance.
You aro to reniomber that sho is hut
fou i teen Mill a child, but easy and
graceful as a woman. Slender, tall ami
fair might describe hor, but 1 wish to
be a little more explicit. First then,
she had rare, clear, gray oos, full of
shifting lights and shadows, fringed
with heavy dark brown lashes, which
had a trick of drooping suddenly and
veiling tho light or shadows in her oyefl.
Her brown hair, soft and faintly waved,
fell over her shoulders in luxurious
abundance, and set off tho clear, creanvy
whiteness of hor complexion charming
ly. Sometimes exercise or excitement
brought a faint tinge of pale rose to her
chook, but ordinarily the vivid crimson
in hor lips was the only color in hor
faco.
Tom Arnold's assertion that she
"managed both the house and hlmsolf"
was strictly correct. Indeed, it would
be very hard to live in the house with
Miss- Blanche and not be managed by
hor. Tho girl. was a born diplomat, nnd
it seemed rather a mistake that she had
not been bom to royalty, whore her tal
ents might have niado her famous. Yot
sho never gave loud orders, or issued
any particular commands, or .seemed to
rule, but overybody about the house,
from its master (by courtesy) down to
Billy Doane, the c'horo boy, know that
sho did.
I think thoro aro somo persons, both
men and women, who have tho power of
casting a glamour over the oyos of oth
ers, and then of leading them whither
soever tlioy will, without any Apparent
effort. Beauty is a noworful ally, but
it is not an indisponsablo one. Thoro is a
subtlo power of fascination moro mighty
than tho handsomest faco, but when
both aro united in tho same person, es
pecially if it happons to bo a woman,
tho spoil is complete I say "especially
a woman," because ovorbody knows
tho "superior" woaknoss of men, and
tho oaso with which a beautiful or po-
lite woman can hoodwink them, when
she really sots herself to tliu task.
All through the summer and autumn
tho Andersons entertained fault hopes
of hearing in somo way from tholr lost
Viola. The littlo hair trunk, studded
with brass nails, with tho solitary M. on
tho lid, was put carefully away up
stairs, and more than once had Myru
Andorsou knelt down beforo it, nnd
lifted tho dainty little dresses so llko
tho bright littlo crcaturo who had worn
them and pressed tho senseless things
to her heart and her lips, in a wild
passion of sobs and tears.
But tho soft ha.o of autumn faded
from the faintly-rounded hills and tho
silvery river, and winter camu cold,
cruel and stern and no word from
Gordon had yot come. Thoro had,
then, nothing ever been hoard from hor,
or ho would Tiavo written, and the spark
of liopo burned lower and lower as tho
days went by, and they canio after a
wiiilo to speak of hor in the tender,
awed way wo speak of tho dead.
And sp tho days came and went; and
by-and-by brightened and lengthened,
and tho rivor slipped oil' its silver chain,
and tho nrairics grow faintly green in
tho sunshine, and April, flushing and
weeping, came shyly ovor tho threshold
of Time.
CIlArTEK v.
It was, perhaps, the middle of April
when Tom Arnold stopped at his sis
tor's ono night on his way homo from a
littlo trip ho had been making South to
buy cattle.
" Rather an odd thing happened to
day or rather I should say, yester
day," ho said, drawing a letter from his
poekct. "I expect you would call it a
special Providoneo, Ben, but 1 prefer to
wait till I know what it's about bcroro 1
decide. I am not a vory religious man,
but 1 have a littlo theory of my own that
forbids the idea of saddling all the mis
eries of mankind on Providence.'
When anything conies along that's un
mistakably good, I am willing to admit
that He had a hand in it, but I don't
hardly believe Ho ordains ovil. But
hero is tho letter," tossing a greased,
blotted, and sadly soiled onvelopo on
the table.
Mr. Anderson took it up and carried
it to tho west window whoro the sunset
light could lull onit his eyes wore jot
ting to be a little treacherous. The orig
inal poit-mark was altogether indistin
guishable from being crossed and re
crossed witli other post-marks, and tho
onvelopo was fretted and worn on tho
edges.
" 1 don't know how I happened to go
into tho Rock Island Post-ollice, unless
'twas because II always has glori
ous cigars with which to regale his
friends, of whom 1 have tho happiness
to lie ono," Arnold continued, as Bow
Andorson drew the letter from the en
velope. "Well, what should bo tho first
tiling my eyes fell on but iour name
heading a list of advertised loiters. I
asked II. for tho letter immediately, and
ho gave it to mo vory gladly, saying
that it had been to tho Dead Letter Ot
fiee and been sent back again; had boon
sent down to Rockdnle and returned;
and ho had an impression it had been to
llookiord, but he might bo mistaken.
Ho thought it must bo nearly a year
since it lirst canio there. The last time
it canio back ho put it in a drawer, and
hadn't thought of it since, and the
"List" which it headed was an old
one, which ho had neglected to take
down."
"Myra," broke in Bon Andorson,
sharply, "come here."
Slio canio and took tho letter from his
hand, glanced at it, and gave a littlo
quick cry.
"0 Bon it is from Gordon!" and
she sank into a ehair, white and tremb
ling, tho lottor falling from her nerve
less fingers.
Ralph sprang forward and caught it
before it scarcely touched the Uoor.
"Road it," she said, with an eager
gesture, but ho had begun almost before
slio spoke.
"Mu. Andkiiron Dear Sir: I feel as If I
must wrlto u word to conjirntuliitc you on tho
cutely of tho littlo ulrl wiioso dlsuppenrunun
caused us nil bo imieh unoaslucHS imd iilaritv,
and you no inuuti pain. Slio canio Imek I lift
third day after your depnituro, and 1 put her
on board the train tor Michigan City the next
moruliifr; and 1 trust slio reaelied you In safe
ty Hovoral days ajro. 1 deslrod to wrlto tor you
to eoinu Imek for her. but sho declared who
wouldn't wait. Uy tho way, I'll trust her to
innku hor way through tho world. Sho Is the
most liidomltnblo littlu tiling 1 ovor saw u lit
tlo compressed tornado. Thero Is a mystery
about tho way shu was spirited off, and us to
wliuro nhi' litis boon ki pt all this time, and
moro than all, tho reason of tho abduction. 1
think sho has been druiwcd hm Uy, for tlicio
mo dark lines under tho Hiiibliiy eyes wlileli
it Is not natural to seo In a child. She seems,
too, to think sho has been away but a dav or
two. Hut Hho bus dmibtloHH told you all about
It, as well as tho way alio oscaned and found
hor uaj Imek horo, and so I will only add that
it Kiveo mo moro satistaetlon than i can toll,
this happy solution ol your trouble
cry truly and bl
neoioly yours,
"L'HAK. UOItllO.N.
"And this was a
poor darling!" Mrs.
year ago
Andorson 0 my
cried,
sharply. "Who could bo cruel enough
to wish' to harm her? O Ben, what shall
wo do -is there no way to lind out any
thing about her?"
" If this Gordon was as careless about
tho child as he was about the direction
of his letter, sho might have been for
warded to Now Zealand!" exclaimed
Arnold, impatiently.
"But Viola knew whoro wo were
coming, and sho would toll that, her
self," Airs. Anderson said, quickly.
" Yes, 1 supposo so. Hut I don't sco
what you aro going to do at this lato
day. It's my opinion that somebody
has an interest in tho child, and I think
you had hotter lot tho whole thitu
drop." " 0 Tom! And never know whether
sho is living or deadP" Mrs. Anderson
cried, in a distressed voice.
TO ltU CONTINUUI).
Tho common beetle has oyes 2,500
times sharpor than thoso of a man, and
yot tho old lion gulps him down soouot
or later. Detroit Free 1'resn:
RELIGIOUS AND EDUCATIONAL.
Thoro aro sixty Methodist churches
in New York City.
Instruction infield and garden work
is to bo given in tho rural schools of
Russia.
Fifty out of tho seventy-three stu
dents in Jafl'ra College, Ceylon, have
renounced paganism for Christianity.
Christian Inion.
If your son has no brains, do not
send him to college. You cannot make
a balloon out of a shanty by treating it
to a French root. Wiitchal? Time.
A religious paper makes the state
ment that ono in ovory live persons in
tho United States is a member of somo
evangelical church, and one in every
fifty-six is a Sabbath-school teacher.
Tho English Church has established
a Christian mission at Gaza, a town
which reaches further back than tho call
of Abraham. It was on tho way to Gaza
that Philip baptized tho eunuch of
Ethiopia.
The will of the lato Rev. Dr.
George
Princot
Musgrove bequeaths S.'IO.OOO to
incoton College, 812,000 to tho Pres
byterian Hospital of Pliiladclph a, and
$1,000 to the Theological Seminary of
Princeton.
The authorities of Cornell Univer
sity havo negotiated the sale of a large
part of tho institution's Western lands,
by which about 82,000,000 will bo real
ized. A few months ago sales were
made to tho amount of 8.)00,000. Tho
land undisposed of belonging to the
University aro 1SO.O0O acres of pino
lands and 50,000 or fiO.OOO acres of
farming lands. N. Y. Times.
The Baptists aro extending their
mission in India and Burmah. Recent
ly the following missionaries sailed
from Now York: Rev. D. K. Rayl and
wife and Rev. E. Chute and wife, who
are to reside in Ongoil, India. Row
B. P. Cross and wife, Rev. iL. J. Dench
flcld and wife, Rev. .1. E. Ca?e, Mrs. M.
C. Douglass, Mrs. F. II. Evoleth and
Miss Bunn go to Burmah. Christian
Union.
Some of tho Beliefs that Pertain
Table Accidents.
to
"If euro were not tho wnlto
llchlud a follow'a chair.
IVhen easy Koliifr sinners
Sit down to Itlehmoiul (linnets,
Uy .lovo, It would bo nuo!
It euro woro not tho wniter
lletimd a lollow's chair."
Cnro may not bo an agreeable waiter
ochiud one's chair or elsewhere, but he,
will not spill hot soup down your back
nor leavo the print of his thumb on your
glass, nor put hisolbows iityoutryos or
in any way disturb tho natural icpose of
your outward being.
There is only ono thing can make a
person wretched in both mind and body
at onco. That is a pair of tight boots!
Then lot tho waiter bo care, ifno wants
to, but don't drag in any death's heads
at our feast. Let us oat, drink and bo
merry, for at a feast where friends aro
assembled and tho viands are good
ovory sense is gratified, audit is wisd
to forgot tho past and tako no thought
for tho morrow during tho brief hours
it will last. Given that rare and son
suous utmosphcro filled with tho
heavenly breath of exotic flowers, the
odor of dainty cooking, bright witli the
sparkle of light rollocted from burnished
glass and gloaming china, tho blended
sweetness of patchouli and jockey club
nnd white rose, tho admiring glances of
well dressed men, the Hashing jewels
nnd smiles of beautiful women, tho
sympathetic glances of social happiness,
and tho prido of strength and enjoy
ment, and ho would bo worso than a
cynic who could find no pleasure in such
n picturo! But thoro will bo a death's
head at tho feast. It is inevitable.
Some one will recall tho fact that it is
tho anniversary of tho doatlt of somo
friend or acquaintance; or a caro
lcss guest will spill the salt
and make an allusion to its be
ing unlucky; or another will discover
that thoro aro thirteen at table and
wonder which one will be dead beforo
tho year is out. Bad luck to such mala
propos people. Is it likely that thirteon
would sit down together any whore with
out thero boing a possibility that one of
the company might die in the course of a
year? Table superstitions aro as strong
in the best society as among tho ignor
ant and unrefined. If ono chances to
catch a glimpse of his face in a mirror
when ho is eating ho must at onco leave
tho table or he will bo unlucky all the
year. If two forks tiro taken up instead
of a knife and a fork it denotes a wed
ding; two spoons, you will bo lucky in
lovo. A guost at n dinner was onco so
much disturbed at somo discovery ho
niado in a slice of bread that he ex
cused himself, wont homo and took to his
bed. An examination, of the bread
which ho had regarded with so much
alarm developed tho fact that it had
tho ominous words "Rest in peace"
plainly imprinted on the crust. It was
learned that the baker had a brother
who was a tombstone cutter, and ho had
navod his oven with somo work that
had not boon called for, and so got tho
impression of part of an cpitapli on his
loaves. No doubt tho guest rocovorod
when ho learned tho facts.
Thero is a guarded decorum at a fash
ionablo dinner which usually prevents
guests from making thomscjvos either
conspicuous or disagreeablo if they havo
a faculty for being eithor; but at a" homo
dinner, where thero aro only n fow in
vited guests prosont, many absurdities
occur. An elderly maiden lady who
was dining ont was askod by hor host
what part of tho fowl sho proforrod.
"Tho bosom, if you please," sho replied
with much dignity.
A little girl hearing all the girls say
tlioy would bo holpod to somo small
niece of somo delicacy, carried out tno
iiones convietion of nor naturo by ask
ing for "a vory largo' piece, if you
plotisc." Detroit Post unit Tribune.
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