? ' * * !
Qnestlons in Rhyme.
W.T" Docs your mother-in-law 1'vo ' with you ?
-Arc you deaf ?
Havoyou clepbantlasm of the heart ?
Did you ever have the measles ? Are you go <
Ht hunting wc.iBols ?
Do jou wear your trcgscs In a ban ? , orpar
Have you got u mortgage- your house at
lot ?
Do you pray till you got corns upon yoi
IJtlCCS ?
Did you over drop a nickel In the air t ?
Do you ically think yourbrothor-ln-lawllki
cheese/
Are you fond of chestnuts ? Doyouovorewoa
Do you cat plo with n knlfo or with an ax ?
Arc j our molars all j our own , or dooa yet
dentist jmmn
In spirit wliou ho hears you chewing tack
Do you like your sirloins well douo or bloc
rate ?
At Do you put mollifies on your black-eyed pea
Do ion have ( rood luck In drawing to a pair ?
Do you really think your brother-in-law llki
eheeEO ?
Did you ever kiss a girl at four o'clock ?
Don'tyou think that Wagner's music's rathi
poor ?
Wcro you qulet-lilto or merry when In Jail ?
Did you ever slide upon a cellar door/
Do jou feed jour wealthy relatives ou polsoi
What do jou think of queries such as thesi
Stop , stop I'll go away , don't kick mo so ,
pray
Do you really think your brother-in-law llki
cheese ?
N. r. World.
THE DISPUTED WILL ,
"There are some things the multipl
cation table can't estimate , Doctor.an
I calculate this case is one of them. "
The speaker was a Texan alcalde c
half a century ago.a man with a grave
handsome face , and one of those gigat
tic antediluvian figures only found * i
the bracing atmosphere of { he prairie
or the lush freedom of the woods.
"Tho senorita will help you to a fai
settlement ; she knows her own mint ]
Santa Jose ! few women knowas much.
The doctor gave his opinion decided
Iy. and in very good English , albeit hi
small , yellow'person and courtly , dig
nified manner fully proclaimed hi
Mexican lineage. "Then ho culml ;
helped himself to an olive and a glas
of chamberlin , and watched the alcald
as he smoked , and Availed for the ex
peeled ayunlamicnto , or jury.
In halt an hour , the twelve men hai
dropped in by twos and threes , noddei
coolly to the alcalde , and helped them
selves to the liquors and cigars on th
sideboard. Now and then , they spok
in monosyllables ; and the composure
gravity , and utter absence of burr
gave a kind of dignified , patriarcha
earnestness to the proceedings tha
were eminently American , and whic !
quite made up for the lack of ceremo
After a lapse of five minutes , tin
alcalde touched a little bell , and said t <
the negro who answered it :
Zip , tell the gentlemen we an
waiting , and send Tamar for Mis
Mary. "
"The gentlemen , " who were sitting
under a gigantic arbor-vitaj oak in tin
garden , in close conversation , rose a
Zip's message , and sauntered slowh
into the presence of the alcalde , win
nodded rather stiffly to them , and motioned
tionod toward two chairs. They wen
evidently men of cultureand brothers
some of the jurors leaned toward then
with courteous salutations , others sim
ply ignored their presence.
But every one's interest was arouser
when the doctor , hearing a footstep ,
rotse. opened the door , and offered his
hand to a lady who entered. A calm-
brewed woman , with large , steadfast
eyes a woman who it was easy to set
could be a law unto herself.
She looked inquiringly at the twc
"
gentlemen , who were "evidently hei
brothers , but finding no response to the
uuuttered love in her pleading eyes ,
dropped them , and calmly look the
seat her friend led her to.
There was another pause ; then the
alcalde laid down his cigar , and said :
"Men ! "
"Squire ! "
"Wo have got a little business to set
tle between David and George'Forsyth
and their sister Mary. You are to judjje
fairly between them , and they are wBl-
ing to * stand by what you say. I cal
culate they'll explain their own busi
ness best. David Forsyth , will you
speak for your side ? "
David was a keen , shrewd lawyer ,
and knew how to state his case very
plausibly. He said that his father , un
duly influenced by Doctor Zavala who
had designs on their sister's hand had
left , not only the homestead , but thirty
thousand dollars in gold , to Mary
Forsyth , and that they claimed their
share of the money.
The men listened gravelywith keen ,
"
sidelong glances. When "he had fin
ished , one of them said :
Very good , stranger ; now , what do
you mean by 'unduly influenced1"
"I mean that this Mexican passed
whole days with my father , reading to
him. talking to him. and in other ways
winning his affection , in order to influ
ence him in the making of his Avill. "
"How much did old Forsyth leave
Doctor Z.ivala ? "
"He left him personally nothing ,
but- "
but"Oh
"Oh ! " the men nodded gravely at
one another.
"But , " said David , angrily , "he had
a deeper scheme than that. He in
duced my father to turn everything but
< his homestead into money.-and to place
the whole sum in theSau Antonia Bank
to Mary's credit. Wo have no objections -
. , tions to Mary having her share , but
xve do not see why our share should go
to that Mexican whom she intends .to
aiiarry. ' *
The doctor smiled sarcastically , and
Mary blushing with indignation , half
ru-'e as if to speak , but a slight move
ment of Zuvala's eyelids was sufficient
to chuck the impulse.
Then M.-irv Forsyth is going to mar
ry Doctor Zavala ? ' '
Of course , she is. "
_ "And you are willing that she should
have tlio homestead ami ten thousand
dollars ? "
We are willing she should have the
use of the homestead for a moderate
I rent. We are not willing to give up
: all claim to it. Why , , there are .two
liumlretl'acres of the finest cotton land
in the world that go with it. If she
had the entire right to the homestead ,
she ought to give up the money. "
"Mr. George Forsyth , what have you
to say ? "
My brother David has spoken for
me. "
Then there was a pause. - The pro-
cttrador stepped to the sideboard , and
filled his glass ; several of the iurj fol-
lowed hlin. nn < 3 the others cBewi
awav with silent thoughtful intentne :
' Doctor Lorenzo Zavala , will yi
speak for the defendant ? "
'Tho doctor turned his chair so as
face both the brothers and the juryb
did not rise.
"Menhe said , "I have known t !
late David Forsyth for twenty yeai
I have been his physician and been h
friend. I saw his wife die , and watchi
his children grow to what they ar
When the good mother left them" , Mai
was twelve years old , David ten , ai :
George eight. For her father ai
brothersMary sacrificed r.ll that mak
the youth to other women. "
"Will you be plainer , Doctor ? " *
"If you desire. It is known to n
how th ey were then poor , her father
trader in silks anU lace and ladies' tit
goods , between San Antonio and tl
outlying settlements. But ho was
good man , industrious and ambition
For his two sons , he had great hope
and saved and saved and saved by dn
and by night. The little girl at "hon
helped him bravely , hiring out their or
servant , and doing cheerfully the woi
with her own hands. She plaited tl
straw , and made.hats , also , which sol
for much ; and she worked up the ren
nants of lace and ribbons into or
thousand pretty trifles for the fa
women in San Antonio. "
"Alcalde , these details are irrolevar
and impertinent , " said David , angrilj
"Every man tells his story in li
own wav. " Arc von willing to listei
men ? "
There was a universal arliculatio
which evidently meant "yes ; " for th
doctor smiled graciously , and " went or
"For her two brothers , the littl
Mary worked , and always worked wit
a glad heart. , They had been sent t
the Northern Slates to school , an
David was educated for a lawyer , an
Georjre for an architect aud'buildei
For eight years , this father and siste
worked together , solely for these be
loved boys.sparingall comforts to them
selves. So they paid all their expense
liberally , and saved besides about to
thousand dollars.
"But when the young men cam
back , there was great sorrow and dis
appointment. They had been educate
beyond the simple "trader , the self-deny
ing sister , and the log-house on th
Wachita urairic. So much sorrow an >
disappointment that the sister at las
begged for them that they should g
to the capital.and divide the ten thotis
sand dollars between them. "
"How do you know such a thing ? I
is a lie ! " said George.
"I have the father's letter which say
so. Will the alcalde and the jury rea <
it ? "
The alcalde read the document , am
nodded to the jury.
"You have forgotten , Mr. George.1
he said ; "it is easy to forget sucl
nouey. The doctor"is right. "
"After this , the father heard littli
from his sons. They married , and for
got the self-denial , the hard labor am
the love of so many , many years. Thi
old man worked on , with failing health
but now that he had lost his ambition
and cared little for money , it came oi
every venture. He did not try to mak <
it , but it came and came. He made o't
silk and cotton and land ; whatever hi
touched was fortunate.
"But as money came , health went
he was sick and suffering , and coul (
not bear his daughter away from him
He was jealous of her love , also , anc
he suffered her not a lover. This ii
one thing I allow not myself to speat
about. I tell you , alcalde , this womar
showed through many years one great ,
sublime sacrifice. Upon my honor ,
senors\ \ " and the Jittle gentleman laic
his hands upon his heart , and bowed tc
Mary as if she had been a queen.
"Not for myself ; that is one infamy ,
one scandal too great to be believed.
As my sister , as my wife , I honor Miss
Mary Forsyth. A my wife ? Impossi
ble ! Does not all San Antonio know
that I adore alone the incomparable
Dolores Henriquez ?
"One day , as I sat reading by my
trieud's bed , he said to me :
"Doctor , that is a pitiful story , and ,
too true. We think it a grievous
wrong not to give our sons a trade or
i profession , but we never think what
is to become of the poor girls. '
"I said : 'Oh , we expect them to
marry'
" But they don't , doctor , ' he said ;
'they ' don't doctor ; and the most that
lo are left by death , ill-usage , or mis-
'ortune , to fight the world some time
jr other , with no weapon but a needle ,
loctor. It is a sin and a shame1 !
"It's the way of the Avorld , my
'riend. ' I said.
" I know. I spent thousands of dol-
ars ou my boys , and then divided all I
lad between them. If Providence had
not blessed my work extraordinarily ,
> r if I had died five years ago , what
vould have become of Mary ? '
"So , gentlemen , I said :
' "Squire.your sons do not know that
rou have made more money ; they
bought they had got all you had , and
lave not visited youor written to you ,
est you should ask anything of them.
) o justice at once to your loving.faith-
til daughterj secure her now from
vant and dependence , and give her , at
ength , leisure to love and rest. '
" "And my friend , being a good man ,
lid as I advised that he should do.
for that he died in good peace with
iis own conscience , and made me for
mce , s&iors , very happy that I gave
jood advice , free , gratis.for nothing at
ill. "
"So you " did not profit at all by this
vill ? "
"Not one dollar in money , but very
nuch in my conscience. Simla Jose
. ' am well content. "
"Miss Mary , " said thealcnIdakindly ,
have you anything to say ? "
Mary raised her clear , grey eyesand
ookcd with j'earuiug tenderness into
icr brothers' faces. David" pretended
o be reading. George stooped over and
poke lo him. With a sigh , she turned
o the alcalde.
"Ask my brothers what they value
he homestead at. "
"Two thousand dollars , " promptly
inswered David.
"Too much too much , " grumbled
ill the jury.
r Two thousand dollars,3' reasserted
"
) avid , and George added : . "Bare
palue. "
"I will buy it at two thousand dol-
ars. Will you ask my brothers if they
tavo any daughters , alcalde ? " . _
I
' ' 'Gen lemeu ! you hear ? " Have yo
any daughters ? "
David said surlily that ho had n
children ill all , and one of the juryme
muttered , with a queer laugh , that h
was sorry didn't see how Bis sin we
"a-going to find him out. "
' George said ho had two daughters.
"Ask their name , alcalde. "
"Mary and Nellie. "
The poor sister's eyes filled as sli
looked in George's face and said :
"Alcalde , I give to my niece Marten
ton thousand dollars , and tomy nice
Nellie ten thousand dollars , and I hop
you and the good men present will a
low the gift to stand. I know m
brother David.will never want a della
while there is one in the country h
lives in. George is extravagant , am
will have always a ten-dollar road fo
a five-dollar piece ; but his boys ca
learn his own or their uncle's trade
there are plenty of ways for them ,
would Ifke to put the girls beyond dc
pendence and beyond the necessity c
marrying for a living. "
David rose in a fury and said h
woulU listen no longer to such none
sense.
"You forget , Mr. For.syth , that yo
have put this case into our liands.
think you will have more sense thai
make enemies of thirteen of the bes
men in the neighborhood. Gentlemen
would you liketo retire and conside
this matter ? "
"Not at all , alcalde. I am for giv
ing Miss Forsytk all her father gav
her. "
"And I , " "And I , " And I. " cried th
whole twelve almost simultaneously.
"I shall contest this affair before"
San Antonio Court , " cried David , pas
sionately.
"You'll ' think better of it.Mr. Forsyth
Do you mean to say you brough
twelve men here to help you rob you :
sister , sir ? "
"I mean to say that that Mexicai
Zavala has robbed me. I shall call bin
to account. "
The doctor laughed good-naturedly
and answered.
"We have each our own weapons.m ]
friend. I cannot fight with any other ,
Besides.I marry me a wife next week. '
And the doctor leaned pleasantly or
the alcalde's chair , and , with a joke ,
bade friend after friend "Good-bye. "
Mary Forsyth carried out her inten
tions. She settled , strictly and care
fully , ten thousand dollars on each ol
her nieces , bought her homestead , and
then sat down to consider what she
should do with her eight thousand del
lars.
lars."If
"If I were a Frenchwoman and San
Antonio were Paris , " she said ; ]
would rent a store and go to trading.
I know how to buy and sell by instinct ;
and if I were a born farmer , I could
plant corn and cotton , and turn them
into gold ; but I am not a farmer I
never made a garden and got a decent
meal out of it. I calculate 'twill be
best to get John Doyle for head-man ,
and put my money in cattle. "
Just as she came to this decision ;
Doctor Zavala drove hurriedly up to
the door.
"Mary ! Mary ! " he cried , "come
quickly ! There is an old friend of yours
in the timber too ill with the dengue
fever to move. "
"What do you need. Doctor ? "
"Need ? I need you and a couple of
men to carrv him here. Do you know
lhat it is Will Morrison ? "
"Oh , Doctor ! Doctor ! "
"Fact. Heard of your father's death !
in Arizona , and came straight home to
look after you. Poor fellow ! he's pret
ty bad. "
Well.Mary did not need to hire John
Doyle as head man ; for Will , who had
loved her faithfully for fifteen long
years , was the finest stock-man in the
State ; and within three months , the
doctor and his beautiful Dolores danced
a fandango at Mary and Will's wed
ding.
A Kestrel and Bat.
I see in your book on "British Birds"
you state that the kestrel is easily
tamed. Our bird was taken from a
nest last year and put into a cage out
of doors , for a few days only , and
fledged. He was then turned out and
Hew across the park into the woods
: iud was seen no more for some days ,
when be returned , found his way into
the house , and lias never voluntarily
left it since. We often turn him out
and see him a milo or more from the
house , but soon after find him search
ing for an open window by which ho
may reach the dining-room , wherelhe
lives by preference , perching on a pic
ture-frame , but always coming on my
husband's arm when called , even
through the glare of lamps and cau
dles. He invariably twitters a sort of
sole song when we speak to him. He
is a grand bird , perfect in plumage.
I have a white rat , who lives as all
our pets do , entirely loose in the house
ar garden , perfectly free to leave us if
they choose. The rat was given to me
is old and worthless two years ago ,
then quite wild. He gradually became
jxtreinely tame , and , during a severe
illness i- had last year , he took it into
liis head to sit on my pillow to guard
me. Ever since then he has continued
to sleep there ; ho runs upstairs with
sic , and follows mo to bed , sleeping
\lways on the bolster or pillow by"my
bead" He is very plucky and defend
ed himself during one" whole night
when he was shut up accidentally
Iy in the same room with a large and
savage cat. He was found sitting up ,
tvith teeth and claws ready , and was
perfectly overjoyed when his human
friends "took him up. Though six '
mouths have elapsed , nothing will ill-
luce him to enter that room again.
Our dogs are perfect friends with him.
Lie uses his left paw always when
Jrinking. "ladling" the water up to
Ins mouth , even from the bottom of a
is "left-handed.
tumbler , and quite -
London Spectator.
Sitting Not Natural.
An English scientific person has dis-
: overed that sitting down is an acquir-
: d habit. The great majority of man-
cind do not sit but simply squat , or , as
s sometimes said , sit on their heels.
league Manager ( to applicant )
"What makes you think you would
make a good pitcher ? You say you
have never played ball. " Applicant
"I have worked in a tar factvjj all inj
life. " Drains Magazine
-fit.
TAMING A FLOCK OF QUAILS.
Buckwheat and Gradual Advance * Co ;
qaer tlio Wlldnens of the BlrcU.
Several weeks ago Mrs. D. N. Snydc
of Jefferson township saw a lot <
quails dusting themselves under som
currant bushes in the back end of la
garden , says the Scranton , Pa. , corn
epondeut of the N. Y. Sun. The bird
looked so happy and contented tin
she thought it would be too bad to di ;
turb them , so she returned to the hous
without pulling the weeds out of
patch of onions that she had goa
there for the purpose of doing. In a
hour or sothtMjuails had disappeare
in the tall timothy of the adjoiuin
meadow , and Mrs. Snyder scattere
some buckwheat around where the
had been wallowing. On the follow
ing day the birds came there agaii
gobbled up the buckwheat , and had
good time. Every day for a week ese
so Mrs. Snyder scattered grain am on
tlie bushes for the quails to feed oc
and the birds soon got so that the
looked for food in the garden as regii
larly as they did for a resting place a
night out in the woods , back of th
big meadow lot.
One morning the kind-hearted woma
forgot to throw the buckwheat , butth
quails reminded her of her nogligenc
by appearing at the usual hour am
making a great fuss and noise bocaus
there wasn't any grain in the gardei
for them to piclc up. Mrs. Snyder le
the birds hunt for other kinds of foot
that day , and for several morning
after that she didn't fail to give then
a good feed of buckwheat. Then sin
missed a morning on purpose to sei
how the quails would act when thej
didn't find : : ny grain near the curran
bushes' watching from a secoud-ston
window for them to make their ap
pearance.
Promptly on time the whole flocl
crept under the garden fence from tin
meadow , ran among the bushes , am
began to dodge and flutter about when
they had been in the habit of finding
the buckwheat. When the } ' hac
searched long enough to learn that m
grain had been put there for them tlu
birds piped in low tones , fluttered un
easily , scattered into the vegetable
beds , and appeared to be very mucl :
disappointed. In a little while the
quails gave up the scaich , assembled
under the currant bushes , and went tc
dusting themselves in the soil. Mrs.
Snyder counted fourteen in the flock ,
and then she went down-stairs , got a
basinful of buckwheat , and tiptoed her
way into the garden. When she had
got as near to the quails as she could
without scaring thorn Mrs. Snyder
( lung a handful of buckwheat toward
the quiet little flock. It fell among
them and they all scampered under
the fence r id went out of sight in a
liurry. Then she threw some more
of the grain on the ground where they
tiad been and secreted herself behind a
row of peavines. Presently one of the
birds ventured to crawl under the
Fence into the garden. It soon found
; he buckwheat , and set to filling its
irop , and at this the other birds took
courage , filed from their hiding places ,
md went to picking up the grain as
ihough each was determined to get its
ihare.
From her place of concealment Mrs.
suyder flung a handful of buckwheat
nto the air so that it fell into the midst
if the flock. It scared the birds a lit-
le , but they quickly resumed their
ceding , and Mrs. Suyder began to
vhistle to them , flinging more grain
nto the air as she whistled. That ex-
lited their curiosity just enough to
nake them look up for a moment , and
Jrs. Snyder emptied the basin and
tole away without letting the birds
eo her. She fed the quails in this way
or a few days , gradually got them
ised to her whistle and voice , and let
hem get sight of her by degrees. In-
ide of a month from the time she first
aw the birds in the garden she had
hem so well tamed that they fluttered
ut of the meadow whenever she called
liem , ate in her presence , and did not
eem to fear her at all. Siuce then
Irs. Snyder has taken a good deal of
'
omfort'with her strange little flock ,
ml she said the other day that the
onfidence the birds have in her pays
er many times over for all the trouble
he has "made herself in getting the
rild little creatures to be as tame as
liey are.
How He Worked the Innocents.
The experienced train boy was ap-
arentty giving instructions to a youth
, 'hom he was breaking in as an assist-
nt.
nt.In the seat directly in front of the
wo sat Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Kcr-
uuk , of GeorgCSon's Cross Roads' . It
ras their first trip away from home.
"You can gener'ly tell by their
) oks , " said the peanut boy , oracularly ,
'whether it's goin' to pay to try to
ome any little game over 'em or not.
ee that chap half way between hero
n' the other end of the car ? Well ,
ou could sell that man a dime novel
> r a dollar and a half and rope him inn
dollar-in-the-box trick as
n the - - - just
asy as look at him. You'd be wastiu'
our time , though , to try and play
ny tricks on such people as these two
i 'front of us. They're old travelers.
lo use to show them anything but
'hat's bang up genuine an' cheap. If
ou've got anything that's fresh an'
tih { the money , them folks is the kind
f customers to" take 'em to the first
ling. Snide goods won't go dowu
pith such customers as them , 1 tell you.
fell. I must work the train now. Ke-
icmber what I've told you.
"That boy is a mighty good judge of
uman nature. Jose , isn't he ? " said
larrison to his wife , after the experi-
nced peanut boy had gone into the
car to "get his basket. "He
iiought he wasn't talking loud enough
nus to hear , but I've got pretty sharp
ars. I heard every blamed word he
lid. Well , it's a fact. Jose. " he atl-
ed , "it wouldn't be much use to try
ny of his little tricks on me. .I've got
Here he comes.
iy eye teetli all cut *
E he's got anything worth buying he'll
ome straight to us. You see if ho
oesn't. "
And before the peanut boy was done
5th Mr. Harrison Kerpuuk he had
aid him half a dozen prize packages ,
ve boxes of last year's "maple caramels ,
dozen sour oranges , three 25-cent
ooks for half a dollar each , unloaded
Is entire stock of moldy fijrs on him.
n
' ' J- > * * '
.
:
and cleaned him out of a $2bli ! on i
inoocunt little trick with a pill-box a
a gold coin.
"Jose , " said Harrison , after ho hi
sat looking out of the car window f
about five miles , "durned if I doi
begin to think bo said all that to tether
other boy on purpose for nje to hear it
WHEN YOl ) KNOW HOW.
It Is Right to Fac Backward Win
Jumping Off a Car.
Woman , lovely woman , is about ;
be rehabilitated in the estimation
the world in an important matter , sa ;
the Washington Posi. Ever sine rai
roads have been built , ever sim
street-cars have rolled through bus
streets , the cartoonist , the paragraphe
the wits of the tiresido , the encT-mau i
minstrels shows , and the clown in tl
circus have been depicting her as di
fyiug the laws of motion and graviti
tion in getting off a moving car.
Paroxysms of laughter liavo bee
evoked at descriptions of her manni
of grasping the rear rail , facing bad
ward , and stepping to the ground wit
her face to the past and her back I
the future.
The funny man has never ceased I
gloat as ho recounted the number <
revolutions lovely woman complete
before she recovers from the effects <
her attempt at resuming her footin
on solid earth from the fleeting car.
And man has always , in the pron
consciousness of knowing just how
ought to be done , faced front , swun
ahead dropped off , and run for tw
blocks before he could check his mi
menttim.
Then he fans himself with his ha
and spends ten minutes in a saloo
drinking beer and congratulating bin
self on the time he has saved by droj
ping off the car while it is in motio
instead of having the eondHetorstop t
let him off.
Yet he is wrong , and the worac
have been right in theory at leas !
though , bless 'em. they couldn't put
in practice for lots of reasons. Th
patrons of the c.ible c.irs knows hoi
the thing is done.
The next time you ride on Sevent
street just notice how a conductor gel
from the grip-car to the rear of th
open car. He don't walk back and h
doesn't swing off like the ordinary ru
of masculine mortals.
He swings out on the foot guard wit
his face to the rear. Grasping til
brass rod with the hand next the carh
throws his body out and forward to
ward the rear of the train and lets go
He lauds lightly ou the ball of hi
off foot. The momentum of the ca
throws him back , and he recover
gracefully on the near fool , whicl
swings back to afford the needed sup
port. Then when the rear car get
along he swings on again.
It is very easy when you know how
but don't try it until you are dead sur
you can do it.
Harvesting Opinra.
Mr. Hosie , the British Consul a1
Weuchow , in his last report , contrast
ing the methods of harvestinirthe pop-
oy prevailing in Western and E.isters
Jhina , says that if the cultivators o (
; he poppy in the East were as skilled
n the art of collecting the juice a
: heir countrymen in Western China il
s all but certain that the foreign im
port would be very small indeed. ID
tVestern China the capsules are sacri-
iced by mean1 ? of a parallel row.ol
vnive points projecting from one o ]
, he ends of a short wooden handle.
L'he incisions' , which are exceedingly
ine , are made in the evening , and the
nice , exuding slowly , is harvested in
lie morning before sunrise. There ii
10 waste. In the eastern provinces ,
) n the other hand , an instrument re-
lembling a small carpenter's plane is
imploded. The operator passes the
) laue over the capsule , leaving the
.having . of the skin attached to its low-
ir end. The juice immediately exudes
rom the capsule , and although the
: ollector follows closely on the heels
if the operator it flows so fast that
nuch of it drops on the leaves of the
item and is lost. As an example of
he manner in which native , as com-
mred with Indian , opium is consumed
n his district. Mr. Hobie mentions that
L refuge for the cure of opium smokera
vas opened by a missionary in the city
if Wenchow"during tiie "pas t year ,
ind that out of many scores of appli-
lants for admission only one smoker
if Indian opium presented himself.and
ic has ascertained from parties well
[ ualified to jtidiro that not more than
i per cent of smokers consume the for-
iign drug With a view to insure the
till payment of likin or inland transit
lues on native opium , regulations
vere , with the sanction of the high
> roviucial authorities , promulgated
irevious to the harvesting of last
ear's crop by the likin officers. They
mjoined intending purchasers , before
iroceeding to the country districts , to
epcrt at the offices the quantities they
imposed to purchase , and to take out
asses which , with the opium , had to
ic presented at the s'ntions for exam-
nation. Opium not covered by passes
vas to be confiscated , and the carriers
itiuished. But , owing to the ese with
diich the drug can be concealed and
nuiggled. the regulations have not
ieen generally respected Leeds J/er-
ury.
One ofBlaine' ' ; Daughters.
Over there near a tree is one ot
Vashingtou's prettiest women. The
oung woman is Harriet Stanwood
*
Maine , daughter of the Secretary of
itate. She is nineteen years old , "and
ust blossomed into society this yeir.-
ihe is of medium height , and carries
icr well-made , slender form with dig-
iity and grace. Her face is clear-cut ,
ler mobile , sweet face is founded on
.firm , clean-cut chin. She has hazel
yes , with the friendly magnetic look
hat has made her father the most pop-
ilar American statesman. She has
nasses of glossy brown hair , which
he wears in the'Carthaginian fashion.
Icr dress is a very quiet one ; not near
s rich in appearance as that of the
Ionian who jostles her as she passes
iy , and who looks down upon her and
loubtless pronounces her dowdy and
arries her head more lofty than that
if the Secretary of Stale's daughter.-
Vashington Letter.
5
, -
i ABE LINCOLN IN SPRINGFIELD ? ;
How the Presidential Candidate Got III *
3Inll-HIs "Wife's Ambition.
' "Yes , as you say , now yarns about
Lincoln are hard to find. Neverthe
less , his was such n striking personal
ity that it is not easy to exhaust the
nfaterial he offered to the story-teller. "
So spoke a middlo-agod man a few
nights ago to the writer.
"You see , " continued my friend. "I
was born in Springfield , III. , and lived
there until the war. From tny earliest
boyhood Abe Lincoln was to mo au
impressive figure. He used to come to
my father's store , stick his feet on the
counter and talk about the affairs
of the nation. I was present ono
night when Abe came in looking as
melancholy as n man whose hens won't
la } ' .
"What's the matter , Lincoln ? " my
father asked.
"Oh- nothing much. I'm discour
aged a bit. I fear my tilt with Doug
las was not very successful. "
"Nonsense. Abe , " remarked my fa
ther : "Your words have clectrilied
the country. They will bear r eh fruit
for you. 'Your reputation has been
merely local heretofore ; now it is
national. "
"Do you think so ? Well. I hope
you're right. " Then the future Presi
dent stalked out into the night looking
more cheerful than when he entered.
I will never forget the lirst few days
after lie was nominated. At that time
Springfield had no postal delivery and
wo were in the habit of going to the
postoilico late in the afternoon for our
mail. Sometimes 200 people would
gather in and near the postollice. The
evening after he was chosen presidential - -
dential candidate by his party Abe
came to the postoffieo as usual for hi ?
letters. He was dressed in the homely
fashion of the time and place am ,
greeted his neighbors in his usual dem
ocratic way. He found his box full of
letters and newspapers.
The" next afternoon lie came air.iin.
This time the mail filled three boxes.
He was dressed with more care than
he had been the day before. On I ? .
third day after his nomination he ap
peared at the postoflioe with a basket
on his arm. llo went away with his
basket , pockets ; nd hat overflowing
with envelopes , newspapers , cam
paign documents , etc.
After this he was obliged to employ : i
secretary , who collected his mail , and
we saw but little of the great man.
Whenever he appeared in public , how
ever , we noticed lhit he wore wha"
gossip called "his Sunday best. " .
Those were lively times in Sprinir-
field. The town was overrun with
prominent men from all parts of the-
country. It was my privilege to at
tend the reception given to his fellow-
townsmen by Lincoln after his elec
tion. I shall" never forget the picture
: ie presented as ho towered above his
wife and greeted his old friends. There
was not in his manner the slightest in
dication of what is now called "tho
big head. " Mrs. Lincoln was very
gracious and made a 'ine impression
.hat night. I heard Abe say to my fa-
; her in the hallway as we were about
to leave :
"I guess Mary will carry herself
right we ' in Washington , old man. "
Speaking of Mrs. Lincoln reminds
me of an episode that took place some
rears before Abe became a national
icro. There was a well-to-do tailor in
Spring-sld Avho owned a handsome'
muse just across the street from the
jiucolns. Mrs. Lincoln did not feel
ileased that a tailor should live in a
iner residence than that occupied by
"
i leading lawyer. When Abe "was oil
> n circuit , therefore , she had a story
ulded to their hou = c. The job was
learly finished whi-n Abe returned ,
le strode down the street , gazed at
iis house in surprise , and then crossed
o the tailor's side of the road.
"Who lives in that palatial mansion
ver there ? " he asked of his neighbor.
"The widow Lincoln. " answered the
millng tailor. Then was heard a voice
rom the top story of the Lincoln house :
"Abe , Abe , come to dinner. You're
ate/ '
It Didn't Take Long.
A big man who looked like he might
je a senator or a rich merchant , a re-
; ired banker or something of that sort ,
valked dev , u the street a few evenings
igo and , stopping under a lamp post ,
ooked intent ! } * upward. A policeman
; aw him and stepped ov < r to that side
> f the walk to see what it inc.int. The
icxt man who happened along also
stopped and. after catching what ho
.bought was the. proper range , began
; o look. Another man carne up and
lid the same thing. Pretty soon a
roung fellow and his girl caught sight
> f the starers and they began to see
vhat there was to be seen. Presently
ome one in the rapidly increasing pur-
y spoke up :
"What's all this mean ? " he asked
he policeman.
"Git along wid ycz , " responded the
ifncial.
Just then the big man turned around.
"My goodness ! " he exclaimed , "what
in earth is this crowd here for ? "
"What are you looking at ? " asked
ne of the bystanders.
"Looking at ? ' ' echoed the gentleman ,
'why , bless me , I was only absorbed"
. " :
ti figures.
"About what ? "
"I was wondering how long it woul '
ake me to block thu sidewalk by say *
' "
Mechanics as Iisventors.
A significant fact in the history o !
nventions is that many of the mostl
aluable devices now in use have been
he work of mechanics. There is a
: rowhig tendency on the part of em-
iloyers to encourage their workmen in
his line. One of the mechanics of the
Pennsylvania lines is working on a deice -
ice by which coal will be fed to the
ire-bo"x of a locomotive in the same
nanner that a baie-bnrner is fed. It
s claimed that if the device is perfected
t will greatly increase the heat in the
irebox. as no cold air will rush in. aj
s the case when the door to the tire-
iox is opened to throw in coal.
"Tom "So yon did not propose to
hat dear girl last night , as you in-
! -nde l 10. Ah. my friend , I am afraid
nu were not fired by the divine sp irk
f love. " Dick "No. I was fired by
er father. " A" r. Weekly.
\
V
3
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