TIIK LITTLE KNIGHT.
The knight of olden time , they eaj ,
Went bravely out to battle ,
Ana jlo a serene amid the strife ,
The din and roar and rattle ,
Because he carried on his arm
A ribbon or a glove ,
And fought and won , or fought and fell ,
All for his lady-love. ,
P , y- - We boys may bo like knights , they say.
& ' * Although our lives arc quiet ,
L" And though we may not ride to war ,
With martial clank and riot ,
Yet we may Htlll be bravo and true ,
And flght against the wrong ,
: And , like the gallant knights of old ,
Help other lives along.
So , Cousin Alice , you , I ECC ,
\ \ ear ribbons with your dresses ;
1 lease , will you spare one pretty bow ]
I rom of ! your braided tresses ,
Just to remind me , day by day ,
I mu-t bc good and true ,
A valiant knight to servo the right ,
Because I 'am fond of you ?
Then , Cousin Altec , let me wear
lour pretty colors gayly ,
vv
LVV * * Ami they shall make me kind and true- .
5,4 , „ AnJ brave and senile , dally ;
jr. -c or , like the knights of olden time ,
, / - I promise , "honor brignt
Su ICJ'OU > rc my I'ttle ' Valentine ,
/ To be your faithful Knight.
Margaret Johnson , in Ftbruanj St. NicMcu
tV- UNDECEIVED.
'
$
; C" Agustine Powers had never felt the
' * fatigue caused by labor nor the hard
' < C ship and suffering entailed by poverty
und one would bo quite sure , to see
* uor as she sat listlessly before the
* t\ piano in her rich and tastefully furn-
& ' tshed apartments , that the thoughts oi
p woe and misery never found oven s
* X , transient place in her breast. But al-
> J < though young and beautiful , and
" - possessed of every Inxury which monQj
could purchase or a refined taste could
contribute , she imposed upon herself
the-duty of helping bear the burdens
g , of her sex who were less fortunate than
she , by providing each day for the
wants of some unhappy creature. For
this purpose her trusty servant Peter
was sent out every evening to investi
gate the condition of such as were re
ceiving her assistance or to recover
now objects for her generosity. At
the time she is brought to our notice ,
her attitude indicates that she has
? , been indulging in one of those harmless -
* - less reveries called "day dreams. "
Her thoughts seem to wander far
away from her surroundings , and even
the crumpled letter which she holds
in her hand has apparently ceased to
excite her emotion. The reader may ,
however , glance at this letter. It was
written in a plain , school-girl hand ,
and ran thus :
Mr KIND FRIEND : The trouble you
have already taken in my behalf causes
me to hesitate before acquainting you
with what has produced my greatest
anxiety ; but as you requested me to
y notify you in case anything occurred ,
and as you are my only friend in
whom I can confide , I feel it my duty
to comply. The man who has so
greatly wronged me , and at whose
door l"lay all my misery and degrada
tion passed the house , where I am liv
ing this morning. He has certainly
discovered my whereabouts , for he
looked very hard at the windows , and
will , I fear , use every means to frus
trate my intentions. Had he never
'
treated'me so cruelly , and then left
uie to die alone , I could still endure
him ; for , notwithstanding all the dis
tress he has caused , the vision of happy -
} py moments still haunts the vacant
chambers of my heart. What his ob
ject may be in seeking me out I can
not say. He may fear I will discover
his true name , for I am sure he made
use of a fictitious one , and disclose his
base conduct , but this I will never do.
If I could only go away from here , I
think I would be happy , but I am so
weak that 1 can scarcely move.
What shall I do ? Cannot you , my
good friend , advise me ? I am so en
tirelv alone. Your humble friend ,
MARY.
JMiss Powers had read this letter an
„
' hour or so previous to our introduc
tion to her , but now she seemed to
have lost all interest in its contents.
Presently a servent entered bearing
a card which he handed to his mis
tress. "Ah , Mr. Waltser , " she mut
tered half aloud ; "show him in , Wil
liam. " A moment later Mr. Waltser
was ushered into the room. His ap
pearance was that of a man about six
and twenty , not over handsome , but
with a face filled with intelligence and
a tall , well-proportioned frame. As his
eyes met those of Miss Powers his
countenance plainly told the admiration -
tion with which he"re"garded her. All
his inmost soul seemed expressed in
that one look. "I have brought you , "
he said , after a moment's pause ,
"some money your father requested
me to hand you. He also wished mete
to ask , now "that Peter is ill , if I could
be of any assistance by accompanying
vou on your visit to that poor girl oi
whom you spoke to him thjs morn
ing ? "
"IIow thoughtful pa a is , " inter
rupted the girl ; "and I am sure it i-
very kind of you , Mr. Waltser , to con
sent to render me such a service. I arr
quite certain you did not understanc
this was to be part of your duty wher
house of Powers
V vou entered the banking -
' ers , Farlow & Co. "
The vouug man was about to make
some remark expressing his willing
ness to undertake the mission with sc
agreeable a companion , when he was
interrupted by the entrance of a serv
ant bearing the card of Mr. Nathar
Farlow , Mr. Powers' partner in busi
ness.
"Good afternoon , Miss Powers , " ex
claimed that gentleman a moment later ,
"I am indeed happy to see you look
so much better than you were yester-
dav. Ah ! good afternoon , Mr. Walt
scf , " for the first time glancing inth (
direction of his employe'you hav <
left t : > e office rather early this after
noon"
"It was to deliver a message frorr
* \li Mr. Powers , exclaimed the clerk.
' -Yes , " added Miss Powers , "Mr
Wkltser has come to offer me his ser
vices by accompanying me on a visi
of mercy this afternoon. "
"Ah ! " and Nathan Farlow's face
lost its pleasant expression. "I shoult
like to offer my assistance if I coult
hope to gain that confidence whicl
Mr. Waltser seems to have inspired. '
"Why , Nathan ! " exclaimed Mis ;
Powers , "I always imagined yet
would much rather be at your clul
than wading through filthy streets ant
r *
tenements in search of worthy desti
tutcs. But if you would really like tx
accompany me , I should be so happj
to have you go to-night , " and her face
lighted up with real pleasure as sh <
spoke.
"What is the especial object of youi
visit , and at what hour do you intone
going ? " inquired Farlow.
"Oh , there is no fixed time , " re
spondcd Miss Powers ; "I usually sonc
Peter out shortly before dark. Itii
the time most people who deserve assistance
sistanco are to be found at what the ; ;
call their homes. "
The other part of the question sh <
seemed cither not to dcsiro to answer
perhaps , on account of its delicatt
nature , or else had forgotten it , al
least it went unanswered.
During this conversation. Waltsei
had remained .a quiet spectator. Sev
eral times he attempted to say that ,
since his services would not bo requir
ed , he had better hasten back to the
office , but on each occasion ho was in
terrupted. Now , however , he em
braced the opportunity , and was soon
on his way down town.
When Augustine and Farlow were
left alone , the conversation turned
upon matters which more nearly con
cerned their personal affairs and pros
pects. For it must bo known that
Nathan was Miss Powers' affianced ,
and their marriage was to take place
at no distant day. That the only child
of that proud aristocrat , Schuyler ,
Powers should marry a man of Na
than Farlow's wealth and social posi
tion seemed but natural. Mr. Farlow
was what would bo termed "a man
of the world ; " handsome in appear
ance and fascinating in manner , ho
had gained the purest affection of this
lovely girl , and as they conversed to
gether on this bright autumn after
noon , no one could doubt the depth of
her feeling. Once during the conver
sation , when Miss Powers reverted to
the sad case of the young girl they
were about to visit , and pictured the
cruel treatment and misery she had
endured , a keen observer might have
noticed.a flush pass over the handsome
face of Farlow , which deepened per
ceptibly when she expressed her sym
pathy for the poor creature , and her
zontempt for the man who had so
basely deceived her.
Just previous to their intended de-i
parture , Farlow gazed anxiously at his
watch , and then , as if a sudden thought
struck him , said : *
"I ani sorry , Augustine , that it will' '
be impossible for me to accompany you1
to-night. I have an important engage
ment , which I-had entirely forgotten ;
you must defer your visit until tomorrow
row , when I shall be glad to assist you
in doing so good a work. "
With reluctauce the young sirli
promised to comply with his request , !
and neglect what she knew to be , hert
present duty. After some further c6n- (
rersation upon general topics , Farlow
3ade her an affectionate adieu.
Ho had scarcely left 'the room when
a servant entered with a note ad
dressed to Miss Powers. The hand
writing was the same as that received ,
a few hours previous , although it was
written by a weaker and far more unsteady - .
steady hand. It contained the follow
ing :
MY VERY KIND FRIEND : If you can
conveniently , please do come and see
me. I have grown so much worse
since morning , and 1 fear a sad and !
miserable life will soon be ended. You
are the only friend I have in the world.
Do not deny my last request.
MARY.
Miss Powers had no sooner finished
reading this note than her course was
decided upon. Surely , thought she ,
Nathan will not object to my respond
ing to so earnest an appeal as this. 1
wul send immediately for Waltser and
get him to accompany me.
A few lines were hastily sent to the
lodgings of Mr. Powers' employer , and
were as hastily answered by the clerk
in person.
After explaining her object Miss
Powers excused herself for a moment ,
and soon reappeared attired for the
street ,
It was almost dark when they
reached the lower part of the city.
Men , women , and children were hur
rying along , shopkeepers were com
mencing to "light up , " and all the
confusion and din of a great thorough
fare sounded in their ears. Presently
they turned into a side street , and
then into another , the filthy condition
of which plainly indicated the poverty
of the neighborhood.
At last they halted in front of a large
tenement , around which a dozen or
more half-clad and dirty children were
at play. Into this house they entered
and ascended its gloomy staircase.
At the fourth floor tney paused a mo
ment , and Miss Powers scrutinized the
passage way , as if in doubt which
door to enter , when they heard angry
sounds come from one of the rooms
near at hand. Anxious to shield the
delicate ear of Miss Powers from such' '
harsh language , Waltser hastened
along the passage , but when he reach
ed the door of the room from which
the sounds came , he hesitated a mo
ment , as though he recognized the
voice within , then , casting a hurried
glance in the direction of his compan
ion , passed on as if unwillnig to have
her understand the cause of his hesi
tancy. The sounds from the room be
came louder and more distinct as
Miss Powers approached the door.
She stopped , looked steadfastly at the
door an instant , then stood as If rivet
ed to the spot.
"Ah ! " said the person inside , whose
voice was that of a man speaking in
great passion"so after offering you
money , a comfortable home , and ev
erything , you still refuse , do you ? I
should lik"e to take you by the hair of
your head and pull you out of that
bundle of rags. "
And he seemed to move toward the
object of his fury as if about to exe
cute his wish.
"Oh , William , don't , please , don't , "
pleaded a female voice. "I shall leave
here soon enough , and will want
neither your money nor your home.
Home ! " she repeated , half sarcastic
ally , " 3ou took mo from the only home
I ever had. "
"Well , " said he , "that is immaterial
now. I tell you , you must leave here
"
to-nightand the"soonerthe better ,
and be sure no traces of your intended
whereabouts are discovered. I don't
" 1
want that fool of a girl hunting you
up agajn. "
"Oh , William , " returned the other ,
"don't say that ! She has been so
kind to me ! "
t'Kind ! She's a little fool. " retort
ed the man ; "but I did not come here
to talk about her. You must bo got
out of here before to-morrow , dead or
alive. Twill go now and call a car
riage. "
"Oh , please , spare mo ! " pleaded
the other , in a weak voice. "Before
to-morrow my spirit will be far away ;
then you can do what you choose with
my body. "
"Nonsense ; you can't deceive me , "
replied the man. "Do you think I
want my affairs'repeated to such a sil
ly fool as this Miss Powers must be ? "
Saying this ho moved hastily toward
the door , and as it flew open the flush
ed and angry features of Nathan Far-
low met the cold , scornful glance of
Augustine Powers. He staggered back
a moment , then stepped forward , and
would have hurried past her , but she
stood in the doorway and prevented
his passage. Then summoning all her
courage , and with a look of infinite
disdain , she took him by the coat-
sleeve and led him to the bedside of
the dying girl. AH through this scene
the occupant of the room , who was
none other than the unfortunate Mary ,
gazed vacancy nrsnnd as if bewilder
ed by what transpired. Then , as if sud
denly recalling her senses seemed to
comprehend the question Miss Powers
was about to ask , "No , no ! my dear
Miss Powers , this is not the man I
spoke of. Ho never treated me un
kindly. Did you , William ? You
would never desert your little Mary.
You said so , William ? " She was evi
dently fast failing. "William , " she
murmured , holding out her thin white
hand toward him , "they shall never
say that you deceived me. He would
never deceive me. " She grasped his
hand tightly , and added , in half broken
whispers : "I hope God will forgive
me for all the wrong I have done.
Heaven bless you , William. " These
were the last words she uttered. In a
few seconds she was a corpse. For a
moment all remained quiet as the
grave. Then , as if moved by a suddeu
impulse , Farlow made one dash for the
door , and ran hastily down stairs and
into the street. {
The Powers family never saw him
after that night. Through his attor
ney he withdrew his -interest in the
firm of Powers , Farlow & Co. , and it
was understood that he had gone
abroad. Miss Povers , after making
provision , as well as her condition ,
would allow , for the burial of her
dead friend , was taken with a severe
tit of illness which lasted many months ,
and , the physicians say , was caused
by extreme nervousness.
Many years after might have been
seen , in one of the daily papers , thei
notice of the marriage of Angustine
Powers , daughter of Schuyler Powers , !
to James Waltser , of the firm of Pow
ers , Waltser & Co. Chicago Ledger.
"AnOnery Cuss. "
Captain Paul Boynton has opened an
acquatic museum in New York. He
should secure an old fellow whom he
encountered during his float down the'
Arkansaw river , just before reaching
Red Bluff , a native , who had never
h
view. State Journal.
One noticeable feature about the n
vival at the M. E. Church is the quii
earnestness of the whole congregatic
and especially the young men of th
town. For good behavior , earnest woi
and Christian sympathy , we believe the
far excel those of any other town itlu
been ourjottp live in. _ We understrfii
have seed a few , but you air the fust
talkin' alligator that I ever seed. "
The captain , to humor the fellow ,
and not knowing that his words would
enforce conviction , replied :
"Yes , don't many of us talk , but I
got the hang of it somehow. "
"Wall , I'll be dinged , " said the old
fellow , slowly rowing down stream.
"You must've larnt it from the Yan
kees. "
"Yes. "
"How'd they do it ? "
"Split my tongue , "
"It's a pity they hadn't split your
blamed head open , fur you'll cause
devilment enough , turned loose in this
here river. Come out on the bank an'
let me get a good look at you. I'd
like fur my wife to see you , fur she
thinks that I'm the ugliest thing next
to a cat-fish but blamed if you don't
lay over me. Whar you goin , ' any
how ? "
"Going back down toJJie Mississip
pi. "
"Whar you been ? "
"Been tip to Fort Smith ; went up af
ter a school of bass. "
"Wall , I'll be dinged if you aint a
onerycuss. "
"Say , if I come out maj * I stay all
night with you ? "
"Yes , go a lectle 'furder down thar
an' yer ken git in the bayou an' sleep
thar" , but mind , if I ketch you on my
trot-line you're gone up , talk 01 no
talk. Good bye ; never eed the like o'
you bcfo' an' [ hope never to agin , "
and , taking a final look he mused :
"My Lawd , but he's a onery cuss. "
Arkansaw Traveler.
The Rhythm of Marching1 Meo.
M. Marcy , experimenting and study
ing the march of French soldiers , dis
covers that low heels have a favorable
influence on the pace which a person
makes , and that the rhythm of the
step has an important influence on the
speed. The rhythm was studied by
means of an electric bell , actuated by
a pendulum of variable length , to en
able the subject to keep exact time ,
and the distance traveled was recorded
on the odograph by electric * signals
sent along the line every fifty meters
traversed. It was then found that the
length of the steps increased little until
sixty-five steps pef minute are taken ;
it then increases until seventy-five ,
and afterward increases as a higher
rhythm is reached. The speed of
travel increases with the acceleration
of the rhythm up to eighty-five steps
per minute , and decreases at higher
rhythm. 81. Louis Olobe-Dcmocrat.
Horse Notes.
The stock of cow ponies available
for such purposes is thought likely tc
run short within the next year or two.
This in itself will furnish a frontier
breeding industry after awhile. Texas
Farm and Ranch.
Ex-Gov. Stanford , of California ,
lately imported fifteen fine young
thoroughbred marcs , bred to sofm * of
the best horses in England. Only
three larger importatious'of thorough
breds have ever been made to this
country.
"Take good -care of your colts , no
matter how insignificant they may ap
pear , " says the tturnl World. "Muul
Messenger was sold as a yearling for
only $12.50.She now has a record of
2:16 1-2 , and is worth several thousand
dollars. They may all be worth th *
more for having good care and plenty
to eat. "
Great care should bo taken at this
season of the year , to keep horses from
taking cold , which is liable to occur if
they are lei'fc standing in storm or cold
drafts after being di iven. The better
the horse the greater the care , with
many people , but humanity -dictates
that the dumb beast should bc taken
care ot , whether good or poor.
Every horse should have exercise
as regularly as a person , and needs it
just as much. It won't do to leave
your horses stand in their stable one
week and take them out and over
drive them or over work them , and
call that regular exercise. But give
them honest work and honest groom
ing every day , or leave them out in
the lot every day , and they will be all
the healthier and" better for it.
In raising mules for profit , says an
exchange , the great aim should be to
raise that kind that will sell readily
and to the best advantage. Size and
good build seem to be the principal
requisites sought for by the best buy
ers. It pays to try to meet the de
mand. To do this , the selection of the
jacks is of the first importance. Ho
should be at least fourteen hands tall , "
have a good length of body , a deep
chest , with upright ears , a good tem
per and sprightly appearance , and ,
above all , a good sound condition.
The description and pedigree of the
famous horse Jay-E3-e-See , who bears
for his name the initials of his owner. ,
are as follows : Black ; 15 hands high ;
foaled April 15. 1878. Bred by Rich
ard West , Georgetown , Ky. Sired by
Dictator , 1st dam Midnight , the darn
of Noontide , 2:20 1-2 , by Pilot , Jr. ;
2d dam Twilight , by'Lexington ; 3d
dam Daylight , by imp. Glencoe ; 4th
dam Darkness , by Wagner ; 5th dam
by Sir Richard ; Gth dam by Ogle's
Oscar ; 7th dam by imp. Knowslc ; 8th
dam by imp. Diomede. This horse is
"
looked" upon , by all who have watched
his wonderful career , as the lastest
trotter in America. South and West.
Few owners of horses realize how
much the character and disposition
of the animal depend upon its owner.
From the training of the young colt up
to the full maturity of the horse the
disposition is sweetened and soured or
embittered and made vicious by the
good or ill-management of the man
who has charge of it. Probably no
other horse in the world is so docile
and attached to his owner as the Ara
bian and the Tartarian horses are , and
these are petted and used with the
greatest possible kindness. A horse , in
regard to brain and instinct and we
might well say reason stands next tea
a man , and there can easily be a mu
tual friendliness and understanding
between a horse and its owner , which
will lead to a community of idea and
effort between the two. This should
be tiie aim of every one who rears a
colt , and it should also be the desire
and business , as far as possible , of ev
ery one who keeps horses to rear and
train them for himself. It is in this
way only that one can derive the most
usefulness and benefit from a horse.
Texas Farm and Ranch.
Lincoln's Religion.
Mr. Lincoln's religious opinions ,
writes Ben : Perley Poore , have been
the subject of much discussion since
his death. Eminent , during a long
and eventful life , for his kindness of
heart and his generous syrdpathy for
the opinions of all men of whatever
station in life , he listened to the dis
cussions upon religious subjects that
were forced upon him , even by zeal
ots , with patient politeness ; and be
cause he did not combat them , how
ever extravagant , even one so honored
' /Aanvmti doubt , ' .eJ'unjMKrecubn , " wnicii e
is expected will take place in about 3t
days.
days.J.
J. H. McGinnis , stock inspector foi
the Colorado Association , was in town
Saturday. Mr. McGinnis' territory also
includes Southwestern Nebraska , raanj
of whose stock-growers belong to the
Colorado Association , and have the ad
vantage of its inspector and detective
systems.
H. "W. Pike went down to Indianola ,
IMonday morning and completed arrange
ments for starting a lumberyard at that
nJf "i He has associated ] 3. P. Hazen
His great heart of sympathy for all
mankind has won the love of millions ,
who have no anxiety as to whether
his opinions were heretical or ortho
dox , measured by the standard of re
ligious bigots. That he had faith in
the great principles of Christianity ,
that he exemplified them in his life ,
that he taught them in his familythat
he. impressed them on his children , are
facts established beyond cavil or ques
tion. _
A Serious Mistake.
"The only serious mistake I ever
made during my professional career , "
remarked a physician , "was when I
cut the wrong leg off a patient. It re
sulted in his losing both legs , poor
fellow. "
" 1 suppose when he learned of your
mistake he became very indignant and
made a great kick , aidn't he ? "
Well , yes , he became very indig-
nent but he didn't make a great kick1
New York Sun.
A HOUGH PLACE.
V/ny a Young llau Docs Not Cnro to Serve
Uncle b'ani by Taking a Course at
AVcst Point.
"I don't care to see West Point
again- said a young man who having
just returned from the great institu
tion , was asked how ho liked the
place.
"Oh , yes , the discipline is good , and
they take the stoop from a fellow's
shoulder , still they do not observe
those little niceties of politeness which
I like to see practiced among gentle
men. I went in with a young follow
named Adams , a youth of good man
ners , who , I thought , could not fail to
make a good impression , Wo were
shown into an ollice , where I was
pleased to meet a lieutenant with
whom I was acquainted. He shook
hands with me cordially and asked
about my relatives. I introduced him
to Adams , and he seemed glad to meet
him and profoundly acknowledged his
gratitude. 'Ah , young gentlemen. '
said he , 'so you contemplate joining
us. Glad of" it. You'll fiud every
thing pleasant here. Just sign this ,
please , ' shoving out something that
looked like a cut-throat mortgage.
Just as we had signed the thing , the
lieutenant , turning to apug-noe thing
who stood near with a gun , said :
'Take these fellows down to the com
missary department. ' Adams and I
looked'at each other and smiled. 'Get
out of here , ' demanded the lieutenant.
Corporal , take 'em away. ' Wo did
not like the change in his manner , but
thinking that such freaks might be
among nis peculiarities , we said noth
ing , but accompanied the corporal
down to the commissary department ,
where wo were each furnished with
fifteen pairs of shoes , fifteen pairs of
boots and about four hundred pairs of
socks. Then , loaded down with our
spoils , we were conducted into an
upper room. 'Fix these things , ' said
the corporal. 'How fix'em ? ' I asked.
He stormed at us and told us that if
we had not stacked 'ein up in shape
by the time he got back ho would re
port us.
"He went away.and we went to work
to arrange our goods. I thought that
my socks were especially well ar
ranged , but when the corporal came
back , he gave them a kick and said :
'Fix these things. " I felt like knock
ing him down , but thinking thsrt I had
not got the hang of the place , I re
strained my feelings. 'Come on here ,
now , ' said the corpora ! . We were then
shown into a long hall. The corporal
left us , and , i-aving given no instruc
tions , we knew not what to do. After
awhile Adams remarked , 'I see a lot of
tricks leading to that door. Believe
I'll go in and ask for directions. ' lie
went into the room but a moment af
terwards , came out like a man falling
down stairs. Pretty soon after this ,
we saw , posted on the wall , a couple
'
of sheets'qf paper. Thby referred to
us , giving us everything but fatherly
advice. Well , I concluded to go in.
When I entered- bluff officer , looked
up and asked :
' 'What's your name ? '
' 'Jackson. '
"Get out of here '
"I went back to my bill of instruc
tions and learned that m } ' name was
'Jackson , L. D. , sir. ' Thought I'd try
it again , and went back.
" 'What's your name ? '
" 'Jackson , L. D. '
' "Get out of here. '
"Went back to my bill again and
found that I had left off the sir.
"The next time I succeeded , but
Adams , I think must have been fired
out four times , at least. We soon
learned that for the first three months ,
we were to be known as 'beasts , ' and
that no cadet would speak to us , and
that we were not even allowed to look
at one of them. One day I happened
to look up at a fellow. Swelling like
a toad , ho exclaimed : 'Take your
slimy eyes off me ! '
"I wanted to knock him down , but
by this time I hadlearned to endure in
sults. There may be places more un
comfortable for beginners , but I
wouldn't know where to look for them.
They say that the penitentiary is rough ,
and I suppose it is , but I warrant you
that if a West Point 'beast' were to
awaken some morning and find himself
in state's prison , he would wonder how
he came to be thrown into such polite
society. " Arkansaw Traveler.
Large Yorkshire Swine.
There is a tendency to vary in all
breeds of animals. It is as much a law
af nature applicable to all living things ,
as the more widely recognized law
that "like produces like. " Every
breeder of swine , in particular , ob
serves that there is a great variation
in size , though in other points tnere
maybe uniformity. Thus among Berkshires -
shires , some are very large , others are
of medium size , and others again , fine
and small. Each size has its merits ,
particularly the extremes. The same
thing , as might be expected , occurs
with the white breed of Yorkshire ,
was originally large and coarse ; but
instead of inter-breeding and refining
the large ones by the use of small tine
pigs for crosses , each has of late 3 ears
been separately bred , and improved
rather by selection than by introduc
ing the blood of the finer and smaller
animals. This has given rise to the
two distinct breeds of Yorkshire pigs
which are now established. They are
similar , but quite d.istinct in form , arid
it is rather remarkable , that with the
natural desire of our countrymen for
something not only big but odd , tbey
have produced a breed tiiat is wry
profitable. The large Yorkshires are
undoubtedly the best formed , the
smalest boned , the quickest feeders , of
all the large breeds. They are exceed
ingly deep in body , with short , broad
heads , fine bones for their wrsight ,
with good hams , shoulders , and sides.
They are not extraordinary for length
of bed } * , but in this they are improv
ing. A point of weakness sometimes
found is a depressed chine the weight
of the body in old hogs , causing a hollowness -
lowness of the back. In this respect
too , there has been greatimprovement
of late. The Yorkshire is preeminently
a lard-maker , but when crossed with
the Berkshire , the quality und quan
tity of the meat is much improved. As
economical feeders and rapid growers ,
the large breed is only surpassed by
the small Yorkshires , and for crossing ,
when largo-sized pigs are doMrod , they
certainly are unsurpassed. When well-
fed from the first , they attain great
weights. When properly crossed , as , |
for instance , with largo.Borkshires , orj
with what are called Cheshire's in this
country , or with largo sows of tho' ,
Chester White breed , wo may expect' '
the greatest weight of the pure Yorkshires - *
shires to bo exceeded. COL. WELD w ]
American Agriculturist for Feb.
The Female .Form Divine.
A stay-maker , asked by a reporter if !
ho ever thought of studying woinens'j
figures with respect to their national- !
ties , delivered himself of the following : !
"Yes , the study is an interesting !
one. English women , Avhon they aro' '
young , have the noblest figures , ' . o far )
as I have observed , " said the ruanu-j
facturer , after a pause , "but they get
corpulent and dowager-liko after mar-j
riage much sooner than American" "
women , after which they maybe saidj
to have no figure at all. English ;
women , as a rule , are less ashamed of ;
their figures when stout than most !
other fashionables , and seldom resort !
to tight lacing. Mrs. Langtry , whoj
has been in our store several times , ;
is a superbly shaped woman , say what !
they will , and is a fine specimen ofj
English women in general , though i |
believe she is only half English after all. ;
Among fashionables thei reach ladicsi
are apt to bo spare to scrawfulness.j
but they have such a natural talent'
for making up and concealing their *
defects that it is hard to judge of1
them. There are some prcttv figuresj
among the Cuban and other West In
dian women , but they are short , agoj
rapidly , and soon grow dumpy ; yetj
such as have French maids manage toj
make up well. Refined Irish and ;
Gorman ladies have line figures on the ;
average. So do the Italian ladies. ;
The few Holland and Belgian ladies I ;
have seen arc rotund , and essentially !
well built. The best shaped woman in.j
every respect who comes into the ;
store is a Hungarian , wife of a musi-I
cian in one of our theater orchestras. !
Her waist , bust and shoulders are-
like sculpture. She is tall , willowy |
and statuesque , and her walk is the :
melody of motion. She doesn't walk !
at all"in the ordinary sense , but floats
over the ground. Her natural waist ?
measure is twenty-ei cht. American
fashionable women , though inclined ,
to fragility as a rule , have naturally ,
excellent "figures , but there are no.
other women who so persistently deform - -
form and destroy what nature has ;
given them through tight lacing and.
generally slavish obedience to the ab-v
surdest freak of fashion. American
women are the most unconscionable ;
lacersin the worM. But , everything !
said and seen , the British feminine fig
ures are the best models. New York
letter. _
Have an Object in Life.
Young man if you want to succeed
you must have an object. If you go
on through life in a ship-shod , aimlessj
sort of a way , the chances are that you ,
will die , as you have lived , a moret
cipher soon forgotten in this world , '
and if in the merciful province of God'
you succeed in getting into the next.j
you will have to sit around on the ;
ragged edge unable to join in the ,
smallest song which the celestial choir'
is said to sing. There won't be any I
place for you and nothing for you toi
busy yourself about. You won't even ,
have the satisfaction of being allowed !
to assist in taking up the collection , !
because you would go to sleep before !
you had "got half way around.
Have an object ! What does it mat
ter if you do fall short of it ? Aim ;
high and blaze away. Suppose you
don't hit the mark , you are no worse
off than hundreds of others ! But let ;
me tell you , if you aim well and keep ,
on firing , after a.while something is ;
sure to drop. Of course if you shut *
your eyes and pull off both barrels atf
once , you may hit something , but the
probabilities are that you won't , and
if you do it v/ill very'likelj be some
odoriferous turkey buzzard or harmless
"
less little pee-wee" that it would have
been much better for your reputation ,
had you left aione.
Have an object , young man , and.
stick to it. You may never be Presi
dent or even a Governor , but if you
keep some worthy object in view and
work hard , we'll wager a lead nickel
that some day you will be able to take ,
your best girl to the circus , without
skulking around on the back streets
for fear of meeting your wash-woman
"
whom you owe tor" your last three ,
weeks' washing. CALEB CORKSCREW ,
in St. Louis Magazine.
Ke.epin-r Watermelons and Squashes.
We ate the last of our watermelons
December 8th , a large one , a descend
ant from seed brought from Virginia
a dozen yeurs ago or more. This fruit ,
as usually managed , lasts only three
or four weeks in the northern states.
The season , may be prolonged through
October and November with a little
painstaking. Specimens for late use
should be picked about a week before
the } * are in their best eating condition ,
carefully handled , and placed in a
cool , dry room , where there will be no
danger of frost. By the last of Octo
ber they should be packed in dry saw-
duft , clean , dry hay , or cut straw ,
kept in a dry room and used as want
ed. The old-fashioned way of keeping
crook-neck squashes , hanging up in
the kitchen by a loop of woolen list
ing , 13 still in use , and is effective
when the room is safe from frost.
When the coal fire is not suffered to
go out , they keep well through the
winter. The Hubbaras and Marble-
heads are good keepers under similar
condition ? . Where there are closets
against the chimney , these and other
hard-shelled squashes , keep well. The'
great secret of success is in very care-
lul handling. As a table vegetable.and'
in pies , these winter squashes are
hard to beat. Wm. Cliff in American
Agriculturist for February.
An alarming prevalence of lung diseases
among the "society" people of Washington ;
is curiously attributed by local authorities taa
constant Insufficiency of substantial food.
The twelve hundred policemen In Philadel
phia will hereafter be taxed 25 cents each per
month , to pay for surgeons and lawyers to
look after their wel'are.