V Jr- 0 "Beth" Van. Lew, the SpyvNvs?s Fa.mois Woman Recently Pa.ssed Away A strango and picturesque career ,Was brought to a close by tho recent 'death In Richmond, Va., of Miss Eliza beth Van Low. Ucforo tho outbreak of tho civil war Miss Van Iow hold undisputed sovereignty as tho belle of Richmond. Hor father was wealthy and mirroumled her with all the ad vantages and luxuries that money could procure. The stately mansion which ho built and In which his daugh ter reigned, remains to this day as ono of tho "show places" of Richmond. It stands on Church Hill and directly opposite tho ancient 3t. John's Church, "where Patrick Henry jnado his memo rable speech. Miss Van Lew never married and It Is believed that a lovo affair embittered her life, but this be lief Is founded merely on gossip. When the war commenced sho es poused tho northern causo in oppo sition to the course followed by all her friends in the dnys of her social euprcmacy. Her relatives have at tributed this action to tho sentiments with which sho became Imbued while receiving her education In Philadel phia. At any rato tho Van Lew man sion, "the mystery house on the hill," became tho headquarters of the opera tions of tho federal secret service in Richmond. It wns known to many southern leaders that Miss Van Iew Kvas furnishing Important Information to the Union commanders, but so clev erly did she cover all traces of her op erations that nctual proof against her could not be obtained. It Is said that hor field of Investigation embraced all tho plans and actions of tho Confed eracy and Us agents, both civil and military, and tho valuablo knowledge which sho thereby obtained sho com municated to General Grant. Ono of tho most Important services dislike to the payment of taxes of any kind. She contended that, inasmuch aa sho had no volco in the govern ment, her property could not be taxed constitutionally and every check that she over sent In payment of a tax fee was accompanied by a picturesque pro test. Tor over two years previous to hor death sho had struggled against illness, n task made doubly dllllcult by her roduceel circumstances. When death came, It found her In poverty, friendless and alone. KEEP YOUR FIGURE to Attain Woman Advlird to Eicrclno Till- Kml. Advlco to tho woman of 30: "Keep your figure." How many women aro lolling up and down the veranda? of our fltimmer hotels who aro sights to look at! They havo neither form nor shapo and aro only a llttlo past middle age. If you watch them yon will no tice thnt their arms arc almost help leso, like thoso of deformol people, yet they aro in correct proportion with their bodies, but useless for want of exercise. Now, it is the aims that must act as propellers to reduce tho slzo of tho figure. If they had been used to slap the hands together over tho head every day for a year tho abdomen would have been reduced, tho rollso of unsightly flesh scattcied and a good walk. Instead of a waddle, would havo been tho result. Theie in absolutely no need for n thickness of waist or cushions of fat because of advancing years. These aro tho re sult of lethargy In tho beginning of the increase. Use dumb bells, practice ly ing on your face, then aupport tho body by gradual lifting on the palm of tho hands, rising slowly to full hcfslit "MM . m The Ghivlngton Twins. DT JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN. (CopjrrlKhU-tl 1900: Dally Story Tub. Co.) "Hello, Jack Ohllngtonl Hello. Chlv twin! Hello! Hsllo!" A young fellow hnd Just got out of a cab in front of tho Auditorium Hotel. At this curious sort of hull ho turned nnd saw a neat automobile road wa gon dashing by. Tho man lu it was waving one hand excitedly and with the other slowing down tho machlno. The womnn with him was looking back, her face alight with Interest. Tho young fellow's glum fnco broke Into a srullo of pleased recognition, and as the other man made a skillful turn and brought his machine up to the curb, he stepped forward to shako hands, saying: 'Hollo, Tom IJuttcrworth! Glad to seo you, old man." "What in the name of nil that's cu rious brings you 'so far away from home on Christmas Day?" began tho man lu tho wagon, giving him soma sort of a cabalistic hand grip. "And what makes you look so glum? Hope nothing's gone wrong. 1 Bay hold on I've forgotten my 'Manners.' Ha! Ha! Miss Manners, allow mo to pre sent to you Mr. John Agnew Chiving ton of Now York, ono of tho famous lr if jlMy J ,Uj 111 I MM MISS ELIZABETH VAN LEW. which Miss Van Lew rendered to tho north was In connection with tho aid which sho gavo to tho federal officers who escaped from Llbby Prison. Not only did sho shelter In her houso those who were not recaptured by tho Con federates, but in many cases it was through her instrumentality thnt the success of her plans for escape becamo a possibility. Sho was constantly in communication with Llbby Prison, and sometimes found It necessary to hldo escapod prisoners for a long time bo foro it was possible for them to got out of tho city. She was a prime mover .in tho plot which resultod in tho es cape of Colonel St eight, tho noted 5 alder, who had been captured with ,800 men by Forrest. Colonel Strelght's escape was accomplished by means of a tunnel constructed by tho prisoners. When General Grant learned of tho cvacuntlon of Richmond ho immediate ly sent his nld-de-camp to see that his spy was properly cared for, and when alio expressed a determination to con tlnuo to llvo In Richmond ono of his first acts upon beaomlng president was to appoint her postmistress of the town, a position to which ho reap pointed her nt tho opening of his sec ond torm. During tho Hayes admin istration Bho was deposed nnd, after a long struggle, finally secured a po sition in a department In Washington. The duties there woro not pleasing to hor nnd sho Anally resigned and ro turned to hor old home. In personal appearance Miss Van Low was considerably under modlum height, with gray curly hnlr and a thin, nervous faco full of lines. To the day of hor death, however, her eyes remained singularly keen and penotratlng. It was Impossible to con verao with hor and not appreciate that en o was a woman of unusual educa tion, but, on tho other hand, her ec centricities were equally apparent. Ono of these took the form of a most rabid Join a physical culture class nnd hnvo your weight recorded every lay. Work until you tiro bathed in perspiration It will bo n decreasing bith and keop up tho effort until you have made a return to your normal weight and con dition. Keop your figure. BUTTER BY THE YARD. Lineal Measure U-ed In Odd Way at Cambridge-hire. Probably Cambridge Is the only place in tho world whero one would be like ly to find butter sold by linenl meas ure; but hore, In accordanco with tho old custom, It is literally sold by the yard. For generations it has been tho practico of Cambridgeshire dairy folk to roll their butter into lengths, each length measuring n yard and weighing a pound. Deftly wrnpped in strips of cloan whlto cloth, the cylindrical rolls' aro packed into long and narrow bas kets mado for the purpose nnd thus conveyed to market. Tho butter wom en, who In whlto llnon npioiw and sleeves, prcsldo over tho stalls In the market, havo no need of weights or scales for dispensing their wares; con stant practico nnd an experienced oye enablo them with a slnglo htroko of tho knlfo to divide a yarJ of butter Into halves or quarters with almost mathematical exactness. Tho univer sity people aro tho chief buyers of this curiously shaped articlo. In addition to being famed for Its purity ntl sweetness, Cambrldgo "yard butter" Is eminently adapted for serving out to tho university students in the dally commons. Cut into conveniently sized pieces and accompanied by a loaf of tho best wheaten broad, a stated por tion is sent round evory morning to tho rooms of tho undergraduates for ubo at the dally breakfast and tea. mado hasto to tie a red flannol rag nbout tho neck of the contents of the first. Thereafter, aa I am crcdltnbly Informed, It was a case pf red flannol mg or confusion with everyone ex cept the mother. Hore the mother love taught lu Mimo m Merlons way to tell her twin wins apart Hut tho father, after giving medicine several times to tho well twin nnd spanking tho tem porarily niiKcllo twin, gavo up tho Job In despair, lu tevengo ho named the first liuudlo Jnmcs Adnms and tho c ond John Agnew, that they might both write their names J. A. Chlvlnglon and thus still further Inflict n suffering community. Their mother drosicd them alike, nnd thus equipped theso twins set out upon a career of comedy that wan wry close to tragedy. "When they burst In nil their glory upon an nstonlshod college world there wero high Jinks. They passed their examinations nB ono man, tho Indlg nnnt professors refusing to waste tlmo on tho samo freshman twice. When tho truo Inwardness of tho situation became understood there wns Joy un feigned In old South Hall. Ono tuition feo for tho college nnd the other for beor money! Ono twin to coll on tho president for religion advlco nnd tho other to simultaneously cut tho chapel bell ropo or splko shut a recitation room door or to perforin without pos sibility of detection any dovlltry thnt the rest of us could concoct! Two souls with hut a slnglo body, two heurtB that beat as one even to tak ing turns nt recitations! "letter on these marvelous twins won for tho United States of America the great and glorloim vlctoiy of San Juan for when they charged Bide by side up that historic hill In tho ranks of the Rough Riders, tho poor Span lards thought thnt all our museum freaks had been turned loose on them, nnd lied In a panic. "And when Jim, tho other ono, mot his beloved Resale Leo ho never dared go to seo her except when Jack, here, was safely out of town. Hut I grow loquacious. Here's to Tho Twlns-for they're a Jolly good fellow!" A day for toll, an hour for sport, but for a friend, a life is too short Emerson. "Hello, Tom Buttorworth!" 'Chlv twins' of whom you've heard so much; my classmate at college, and my very good friend." "I am pleased to meet you, Miss Manners," said tho young follow, rais ing his hat and clasping a hand that was small and warm and very neatly gloved. "And I am proud to be intro duced by such a past master of tho art. There's only one thing wrong, and that is that I'm tho other twin." "None of your nonsonso, now, old fellow," broke in Tom. "I know your tricks and ways. You can fool every body elso, but you can't put It ovor me. I'm tho only man that over could toll you two freaks apart. You're Jack and I know It; and Jack goes. Now, glvo an accouut of yourself, nnd do it quick. I want to know all about It" "Well, I'vo been West on business. I've been delayed all along the trip, nnd ended up by missing connection hero this morning. So I'm Btranded hero in Chicago on Christmas Day, when I oxpectod to be nt home. Isn't that enough to mako a man look glum?" "No, sir, It isn't. Now. look pleas ant, plcaso, whilo I tell you whnt you're going to do. To begin with, anybody should feel happy to bo In Chicago and even moro so on Christ mas day. Next, you get Into thnt cab and follow me home. We're going to keop Christmas In proper stylo nt our house today. I'm Just tickled to death to havo a chanco to show tho effete East how tho Wild and Woolly West celebrates. My hotter half Is up to her neck this very minute in all sorts of schemes, and wo'ro going to have a houseful of protty Bisters and cousins of which tho young woman here present is an average 'fair' sam ple." "Tom, I'm shocked at you. Please remember that I am an engaged man, and tho most devoted lover In all theso United States, not excepting Hawaii, Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines. Besides, a stranger at a family gather ing Is n regular kill-Joy. Go away and leave mo to my misery." "Yes, I know Jim's tied fast to the apron strings of the beautiful Besslo Lee, but Jim cuts no lco here. Get into that cab and come along." Tho young fellow was In the midst of protesting that ho couldn't nnd shouldn't and wouldn't go, when he happened Just happened to catch a glance from Miss Manner's eye. Whereupon ho becamo confused in his argument, wns Ignomlniously over borne by his friend, Tom, and ended by getting into tho cab and following tho automohllo down Michigan avenue. "Ladles and Gentlemen," said Tom, rising from his chair and looking around at tho merry faces about tho Christmas board. "Fill up your glass es again! I havo another toast for you a long one, and n strong ono, one to make you see double. Ready? All right; here goes: "Once upon a tlmo old Mother Na ture was in a Jovial mood and pro ceeded to lay herself out to-hnve some fun at the expense of us poor mortals. So, when It came time to send a stork to a certain chimney, sho sent two. Legend has it that tho bundles they carried wero so exactly alike that even the storks got them mixed up on the way. At any rate, whon the doctor .1 .1.. a.sn nn.n.il t Yt r k.inlfl. tl.aH I uu kue iiuibw uyiuiu us uuuuivo turn "Why do you claim to bo Mr. Jim whon Cousin Tom snyB you nro Mr. Jack?" murmured Lucy Manners' volco In tho twin's ear as they sat down to rest outaldo tho ball room, whero the Christmas festivities woro drawing to n hilarious closo. It was n dim and shadowy nook, nnd a bunch of mistletoe hung suggestively nenr. "In self-defenso," answered tho twin. "Now, if I woro Jack" "If you were Jnck." repeated tho girl ofter him, mockingly, flashing mis chief out of alluring eyes. "I'd do this" hero ho swept hor un der tho mistletoe "and this" and ho klisod hor on tho lips. "I love you, Lucy, will you bo my oh, 1 forgot" nnd tho Chlvlngton Twin came to a dead stop and looked as fooliBh as might be exoected of a lover pulled up short In tho middle of a speech like this. "Forgot what tho point?" laughed Lucy Mnnnors, her fnco all alight with delight nnd mischief. "Why, I'vo got to confess Unit, Lucy, I'm tho other twin. I'm Jack." "I should hope so! I don't wnnt any heart-broken Bosslo on my con science." "I mean I'm I mean it was really Jim that first time thut Christmas and" "Horrors! Then we've never been introduced. Sir" "Now, Lucy, don't; I I will you marry mo, anyway?" "Goodness! How do I know which ono" "Hold on, now, dearest. I'll toll you all about It Jim camo straight to me nnd, says ho: 'Jack, I'vo Just seen tho dearest llttlo girl In the world except my Besslo out In Chicago. If I woron't head over heels In lovo al ready, I'd try for her myself. Tom Buttorworth sworo I was you, an and I kind o' started things for you. Got a movo on you, now, and wrlto to her; I'll coach you all right' And I did FASHION IN SHHOUDS. Many Women Kuril LWtng by entering to Corp' fU-li. So much time and thought aro be stowed on tho question of how nnd with what shall wo clothe tho living i that tho Impression of fashions for tho dead never comes Into our hoadn, snys the New York Herald. Yet thero aro many women earning their dally broad In Now York by entering to tho fashions for thoso who havo passed Into tli a bourne whoro It la commonly supposed thero aro no dressmakors and no milliners. .All the casket companies down In Groat Jones street employ women for no othor purposo thnn to study tho tastes of peoplo In tho mat ter of shrouds, nnd theso women will tell you thnt grnvo clothes fashions aro Just as llcklo as tho fashions of street clothes or party clothes, or In fact, any othor specially designed stylo of garment Tho prevailing styles nro followed closely. If largo sleeves nro In fashion In tho clothes of Uio living, why, then the shrouds must bo nnd are mndu with largo sleeves. if tho skirts nro stiffened with crino line or haircloth, bo nlo Is tho skirt of the shroud, and recently, whon trains woro so fashlonablo, thoro were few shrouds mado thnt did not hnvo a long dip In the back. Thoro Is only ono radical difference nowadays be tween tho up-to-dnto shroud nnd tho up-to-dnto gown, nnd thnt Is that tho former nlways opoim In tho back. To got rid of old fashioned shrouds Is ns dllllcult a problem among manufactur ore and dealors as It Is for tho mor ehant to dlsKso of out-of-dnto cloth ing for thoso living. It Is next to Im possible for thorn to do It, although such goods aro often marked down to tho proverbial Hong. Indeed, so great Is tho nvorBlon to an old fashioned shroud that it is rarely posslblo to glvo ono nway. Peoplo seem to havo nn Instinctive deslro to have tho last dress of their departed loved oucs Just as up-to-dnto nB It Is possible to mako It, Irrespective of whothor or not tho corpse had been a man or wo mun addicted to current fashions. Uhe Weekly Panorama. Illbllrnl Dor". Tho Arabian nnd Hebrew dogs woro In bad repute, as may bo soon from tho slighting wny in which Mosos and tho prophets spenk of them, classing thorn constantly with wrong-doers and outcuBts and calling thorn unuloan. They woro considered very different, however, by tho Groeks and Romans, for tho great poet Homer, who wroto his wonderful oplc over 2,000 years ago, speaks tenderly of a noblo dog who was faithful unto death to hla master, who loved him. Thero la a legend of tho dog of tho sovon Bloop ers. Tho seven noblo youths who fell asleep for 300 years had a dog which accomnanled them to tho cavern In which they woro walled up. It re mained standing for tho wholo time, and nellhor moved from tho spot, nto, drank nor slept This dog, nnmed Kat mlr, has boon admitted by Mahomet Into I'aradlso. At least that Is what tho Koran says. ftfcflS 111 I.uck nn Hmidiir. For centuries Frldny has been re garded as the most unlucky dny In the week, but tho tendency now Is to ro gard Sunday as tho most unfortunate dny. According to a modern statisti cian, who has Just published an Inter esting pamphlet on tho subject Sun day is certainly moro unlucky thnn Friday, so far as rulors nnd other prominent porsonnges nro concerned. Tho king of Italy, ho points out, was killed on Sunday, and it was on Sun day that two previous attempts against his life wero made namely, on Sun day, March 17, 1878, and on Sunday, March 2C, 1893. Othor cases cited by him nro thoso of tho Due do Berry, who was stabbed to death on Sunday, Fob. 13, 1820; of Czar Alexander II., who wns killed by n bomb on Sunday,March 13, 1881; of Prosldont Carnot, who was assassinated by Cnscrlo, on Sunday, Juno 21, 1894, and of M, Cnnovas, who was killed on a Sunday In 1897. 7Jelicx)cd to "Be AiVtf. A liondon pnpor prints n story to tho effect thnt Charles Stowart Parnell Is not, dead, but loading the Boer forces In South Africa. Pnrnoll la by no means tho only man ofTielully ro portcd ns dead, nnd concerning whom n popular bellof prevails that ho still romnlns In tho laud of tho living., Throughout Rus sia a almlllar suporstltlon oxIbIh concerning that Charles 8. Pnrnoll. Genornl Skobolcft whoso suddon doath nt Moscow has always romainod shrouded In a certain amount of mys tery. Tho Idol not nlono or tuo army but llkowlso of tho masses of the Rusfllan people, tho populnrlty of this heroic flguro, who still lives In tho hearts of his countrymen as tho "White Gonornl," at ono moment gavo serious concern to tho govommont at St. Petersburg, especially when tho gonoral, having without nuthorlty pledged Russia's co - oporatlon In certain nntl-Gor-mnn enterprises of Franco, showod a disposition to use his Intlucnco with tho peoplo to forco tho czar Into an lmmedlnto war against Germany. Mfirnnvor. his close Gen. Skoboloff. intimacy with tho lenders of tho pan-SlavlBt party at Moscow, and his pronounced sym pathy with tholr vIowb, all contributed to render him a apocles of "enfant terrlblo" to his government. It Is theso clrcumntancos, coupled with tho fact that his allogod denth took pluca precisely at tho moment when Russln found hersolf on tho vorgo of n war with Gormnny, for which Bho was In no sonso prepared, that has given rise to tho so wide spread bollof that his demise was fic titious; that ho merely vanished from tho scouo; prompted by motives of patriotism and cxpcdtcncy, nnd that ho romnlnfl to this day In tho land of tho living. So firmly Is this con viction rooted In the minds of tho peoplo thnt only two years ago tho entire population of n largo town lu. the interior of tho empire, attor adorning tho chief thnmuirhfareH with buntings and trl- Arch Duko Jonn umphal arches, flocked to the railroad station with bands of music and sil ver salvors bearing bread and salt, all for tho purposo of wolcomlng tho "Whlto Gonornl," who, according to a rumor, originated no ono know how, wns to arrlvo by tho midday express train. In Austria many bellovo that Arch Duko John Is still alive. Erf 3pflr Worked lloth Way. A llttlo story comes from a seaside villago In Normandy, In England, where a well known niau of letters la staying In compuny with a young writer of trifles at a somewhat primi tive hotel. Ono lino morning tho for mer addressed tho host as follows: "You would oblige mo by making your charges as low as possible for my young collcuguo. He is not a rich man." Tho landlord, delighted with the presence in his houso of tho man of renown, promlsod to havo duo con sideration for tho purse of tho younger guost But a few days afterward tho famous author came to him again, saying: "By tho way, don't let my bill be bigger thun that of my young friend. It would humlllato him. Boys llko that aro so oxtrcmoly touchy!" Kansas City Star. Librarian Putnam has , abolished tho custom of permitting porsons of responsible charactor and unquestion ed position occasionally to tuko books from the Congressional Library, after making a deposit as a precaution against accident. Mr. Putnam says that there havo boon no abuses of tho custom, but that ho thinks tho absonco of all risk tho safer plan. JVebu-t of Andrea Still LacKtng. Tho dispatch buoys of Andrco's lost enterprise, Just brought to Stockholm, glvo llttlo tidings of his fortunes, for they wero cost to earth and wind and wavo in tho early time, when tho aero nauts woro full of hopo and their frlonds had not begun to despair. Theso mesnnges wero sont at brief in tervals bock to tho world by tho man who was all too probably to see it no moro, and after tho last messaga sl lonco and dlstanco swallowed up the expedition tho men, tho balloon and the wholo project of a now invasion of tho pole. - "I love you, Jack." wrlto and then I camo to Bee you last Ptimmor and you know tho rest. Why, what are you laughing at?" "Oh, Jack, tho conceit of you twins! I've never been fooled a minute. I knew it was Jim thnt first tlmo, but I I wanted to seo what you wero like. You dear gump! Bessie Leo nnd I wore room mates at Ogontz, and I knew how to tell you apart long boforo I ever saw either one of you. No, sir; I won't toll you Bessie's way not yet But I've got a way of my own bond down so I can whisper I lovo you, Jack." A man generally asks his wife's ad vlco about his new fall hat after he has bought it and has given away hla old one. Soma Irlih Hall. Tho Irish bull has of late been wax ing fat and kicking, assisted by Mr. MacNell, asking why some Rhodes Chamberlain correspondonco which he was told had never existed, "was not produced," and tho Australian edi tor who announces that anonymous contributions "can not bo returned un less a stamped cnvolopo bearing the name and address of tho writer is In closed." A correspondent of a sport ing paper says that "Mr. Brown, or rather his brothor, died yesterday," and a lecturer In Scotland that "in Adam hlmrelf wero implanted heredi tary criminal Instincts." And a Dub lin gentleman the othor day invited a frlond to dinner by telogram without signing name or address "to give him a, aurprlso." London Chronlclo. DISPATCH BUOYS FROM ANDREE. Among tho largo army of the "miss ing'' thoso who are not returned aa prisoners or slain In tho battles of tho raco, becauso their end had no wit nesses and becauso, but for tho lapse of tlmo which porsuadod us of their doath, they might be living still An dreo has a lofty place. No new hope is afforded by tho experiment made some weeks ago to tost tho sustain ing power of a balloon of 8,000 cublo meters, supplied with all sclentifla ap paratus and provisions for three weeks. Dr. Thomas II, Norton, American consul at Harpoot, Turkey, recently gave a dlnnor to tho members of the Phi Beta Kappa society resident is Pora. Nearly a dozon persons woro present, representing Harvard, Prince ton, Yalo, Vassar, Hamilton, Bowdoln, Amherst, Williams and Columbia, i :i mmMmmss msssws&m 0;rntrT-r-Tr;--nrr;Hi .,jj,;s.. -i ( . y ---"