A ROMANCE I
CHAPTER VII.
One the following morning , as Shell
is carefully folding in tisane-paper the
superfluous tea-spoons brought into
Use on the previous evening , Ruby once
more bursts in upon her solitude.
"I have brought over one of Meg's
dresses as a guide ; and I think this
merino ought to make up prettily , "
she says , unfolding a parcel which she
carries , and displaying with some
triumph a tiny cotton frock and a
piece of some light blue material.
Shell pauses in the act of rubbing an
imaginary spot from one o the spoons
and stares at the articles produced
with wondering eyes.
"What are you talking about ? " she
tasks , with bewildered stress on the
"word "are. "
"Why , I am going to make a dress
for poor little Meg , " explains Ruby in
n. rather impatient and injured tone.
l'You must have noticed how badly the
pcor child's things fit her ? "
Shell turns perfectly crimson.
"You can't mean what you say ,
Ruby ? " she cries in a voice of horror.
"You have surely not been offering to
make clothes for Robert Champley's
children ? "
"Why not ? " demands Ruby , with a
faint flush. "I consider it only a com
mon act of charity to help the poor
man when he is in such dire need of
help. "
"Oh , then , he asked you to see about
it ? " queries Shell , looking relieved.
"Well , not exactly. We were talk
ing about the children , and I remark
ed that the nurse seemed to have no
idea how to dress them properly. Of
( course he objected to my taking any
trouble in the matter , but I could see
that he was distressed by what I told
him. So this morning I went over
and caught the nurse just about to cut
out another monstrosity , so I just
marched off her stuff , and one of Meg's
dresses for a pattern. "
"Wasn't the nurse a trifle sur
prised ? " asks Shell , in dry sarcastic
tone.
"She did seem a little put out , " ad
mits Ruby , with a quick flush. "I
shall warn Robert Champley against
that woman. I think he must be mis
taken in her she has most shocking
manners. "
"Do you set up as being a judge of
manners ? " asks Shell , still sneering.
"I set up for knowing when people
are rude and disagreeable , " answers
Ruby shortly.
Shell , having carefully disposed of
lier last spoon , is turningly silently
from the room , when Ruby calls her
back.
"Where are you going ? " she asks
crossly.
"I am going to lock , up the silver , "
replies Shell , without retracing her
steps.
"When you have done that I wish
you would help me to cut out Meg's
dress you are so. much more used to
that kind of thing than I am , " says
Ruby , gazing despondently at the little
dress , which she has been turning in
side out to see how it Is fashioned.
"I am really very sorry , " answers
Shell coldly ; "but I can't possibly help
you. I never cut out a child's dress in
my life. "
"Nonsense don't be so cross you
must do it for me ! " cries Ruby , be
ginning to look alarmed. "Of course
I quite reckoned on you , or I should
never have undertaken such a task. "
"I am very sorry , " repeats Shell , in
a hard , unfeeling voice ; "but I don't
in the least understand children's
things. I should advise you to send
for patterns or put it out you will get
no help from me. " And then she
hurries from the room , nearly upset
ting Violet , whom she meets in the
passage.
"Would you believe it , Vi ? that
wretch of a Shell has turned sulky , "
grumbles Ruby , as her cousin enters
the room. "She vows she won't help
me with Meg's dress , or even cut it
out. Isn't it disagreeable of her ? "
"What on earth will you do ? I
"know you can't manage it yourself , "
laughs Violet instead of sympathiz
ing she seems only amused at her
.cousin's dilemma.
"I am sure I don't know. Bo you
think you could cut one out ? " asks
Ruby hopelessly.
Violet turns the little dress all round "
about , then holds it out at arm's
length by both sleeves.
"Not if hanging were the alterna
tive , " she laughs ; "it is quite beyond
me. "
Bat for Ruby it is no laughing mat
ter tears of mortification and vexa
tion force themselves into her eyes.
"Bah ! Don't take it to heart , "
cries Violet lightly "we'll send for
some patterns , and then make an os
tentatious show of cutting it out in
Shell's presence. She won't be able
to withstand that , I know , for she
hates to see good stuff wasted. "
And Violet's ruse proves successful.
For when , a few days later , having
obtained some patterns from London ,
Ruby deliberately begins to arrange
them the wrong way of the stuff ,
Shell impatiently comes to the rescue ,
and , having once taken possession of
the scissors , wields thorn to the end.
Having cut out the dress , she soon de
cides to make it ; she is a good work
woman , and never before has such a
\
X
dainty , enticing bit of work come in
her way. She feels perfectly safe in
her undertaking. Ruby is scarcely
likely to blazon forth her own incom
petence.
One afternoon , as she sits at the
' , open window smiling over her work
Robert Champley comes sauntering
thoughtfully up the short avenue of
the Wilderness. Suddenly Shell , all
unconscious of his close proximity ,
breaks into song. It is a bright ;
cheery little ditty that bursts from her
lips , and her unseen listener pauses
amidst the shrubs and waits for the
end. Leaning Idly against a strong
young lilac , he not only listens to the
words with an amused smile , but
watches the busy needle flashing in
and out of her work. She makes
vivid picture seen between the breaks
of greenery , with her brilliant hair ,
snow-white skin , and the patch o
blue on her lap. This is the second
time he has come upon Shell unawares ,
and somehow he takes keen delight in
so surprising her her quick change
of manner when she is discovered , al
though he cannot understand it ,
amuses him.
"A very good song , and very well
sung ! Bravo , Miss Shell and please
forgive me for listening ! " he says ,
stepping up to the window hat in
hand , when the last note has died
away.
"Oh ! " cries Shell , becoming furious
ly red ; and then she throws her work
upon the floor and conceals it with her
dress.
The sudden disappearance of the
patch of blue attracts his attention far
more than if she had left it on her
knee , and a somewhat contemptuous
look steals into his eyes as he comes to
the conclusion that Shell is ashamed
of being caught dressmaking. It sets
him into a teasing mood.
"Miss Shell , if , you ever get an offer
of jewelry , I advise you to choose tur-
quols , " he says , with his keen eyes
fixed steadily upon the girl's burning
cheeks.
"Turquois why ? I am not going to
get any jewelry ! " stammers Shell , too
confused and surprised to find a ready
answer.
"Because pale blue suits you to per
fection , " answers Mr. Champley with
a meaning nod ; and then , intensely
amused at her bewildered look , he
proceeds on his way.
"Could he have seen mywork ? "
muses Shell , as she withdraws it from
its hiding place and carefully shakes
out the delicate lace trimming , which
has become a little crushed from her
summary treatment. "I don't imagine
he could and yet what made him talk
about pale blue ? "
In the meantime Mr. Champley has
proceeded round to the hall door , and
been shown by the trim housemaid
into the cool and airy drawing-room ,
where he finds Violet Flower buried in
the depths of a low , cozy chair and
engrossed with a novel.
"Tell Miss Wilden that Mr. Champ-
ley is here , " she says to the maid , as
she half rises from her chair and
stretches out a lazy white hand in
greeting.
"Fray don't trouble to rise , " laughs
Robert , as he hastens to her side.
"You looked so exquisitely happy when
I came in that I should be sorry to is
disturb you. "
"I am always happy when I am do tr
ing nothing , " answers Violet naively. oi
"This hot weather is so frightfully ly
enervating that no one in the house ' ' *
has a spark of energy left excepting
Shell. "
"You are not altogether lazy you
were reading , " says Mr. Champley po \T
litely.
"Yes I have just life enough left to
take in ideas as they are put before
me , " responds Vi , with a lazy little toh
yawn , "though I find it a great ex h
ertion holding up a book. " COh
"You should get one of those won , h
derful literary machines which one thh
sees advertised , " laughs Robert h
Champley , turning to greet Ruby , who go ;
has just entered the room. "I came I'l
over , Miss Wilden , expressly to thank str
you for all your kindness to my chil r
dren , " he begins in a formal tone as sex
ses
he reseats himself. is
"Oh , please don't mention it ! " answers cr
crh
swers Ruby , casting down her eyes. h
"I assure you their coming over so fre for
quently > has been a great pleasure to I
me. " of
"It is very good of you to say so , " ne
new
returns Robert , in a tone which does w
not convey any great amount of belief She
in her statement ; "and I intend to send air
over the little ones tomorrow morning 12
to thank you themselves. " she
shal
"I am sure I feel thanked more than al
enough already , " murmurs Ruby. 01
"I have been fortunate enough to an
secure very comfortable rooms in a cr
farm house on Oakmoor , " pursues dc
Robert Champley , with his eyes fixed " 1
persistently upon the carpet. "The air not
ncmi
seems pure and bracing , and I hope mi
that a couple of months spent there ofc
will benefit them wonderfully. " ; c
e
CHAPTER VIII. So
"Are you going with them ? " asks be
Ruby sweetly. prmi
"Yes oh , yes ! " assents the gentleman mire
man with gusto. He cannot conceal
his feeling ci delight at the coming
change ; indeed , of late Ruby's inter- ro
ferencc respecting his children has b < N
come almost unbearable and change
which takes him from her immediate
fieighborhood cannot fail to be greeted
with enthusiasm.
"It seems such a pity to leave
Champley House just when the flow
ers are go beautiful , " sighs Ruby senti
mentally.
"I will tell the gardener to send over
a basketful twice a week , " returns
Robert quickly.
"Thanks ; you are too too kind , "
gushes Ruby ; whilst VI , leaning back
In her chair , smiles lazily at the little
comedy being enacted before her.
"Oakmoor , " muses Ruby aloud , after
a short pause. "It sounds so rural and
nice , only just a little vague. What
part ofi Oakmoor are you going to ? "
"Our farm house is about a quarter
of a mile from the village of Oakford. "
"Oakford Oakford ? " repeats Ruby.
"I suppose It is a very healthy spot ? "
"I should think so. Oakford stands
nearly eight hundred feet above the
sea , and there is remarkably good fish
ing in the neighborhood. "
"Oh , how I wish I could induce
mamma to go there for a time I am
sure the change would do her good ! "
sighs Ruby.
"I am really afraid you wouldn't like
it , " cries Robert , looking alarmed.
"There is only the most primitive ac
commodations to be had , and and
ladies are not used to roughing it. "
"That is just like you always so
thoughtful , " says Ruby In rather an
absent tone ; "but I don't think we
should mind roughing it a little , since
the air Is so invigorating. "
"I know I should mind ! " interposes
Violet quickly. "I hate invigorating
air it gives one no excuse for being
lazy ; as for out-of-the-way places , I
abominate them no society , no li
brary , perhaps even no piano ! "
"I don't imagine that there is any
hope of our going , " says Ruby , lookIng -
Ing blankly at her cousin.
"There is no need to regret that
fact you would be tired of the place
In less than a week , " laughs Robert '
confidentially ; "as for Ted and me , it
is otherwise we shall have our fish-
ing. ' ,
'Yes , of course. Well , I am sure I
wish you may enjoy it , " says Ruby ,
trying to look in earnest ; and then ,
when their visittor has taken his de
parture , she falls into a meditative
mood , from which Vi's bantering re
marks are powerless to rouse her.
On the following morning Bob and
Meg arrive with the nurse in their
little donkey-trap , looking very Important -
portant and well pleased with them
selves.
"Please , Miss Wilden , we have come
to wish you good-by ; and please take .
this with our love , " says Bob , striding
first into the room and repeating the
words that have been drilled into him
with a slight frown.
"How handsome how lovely ! Oh ,
how kind ! " she cries ; then , unfolding
a small scrap of paper contained in
the case , she reads the somewhat
stiffly-worded note enclosed :
"Dear Miss Wilden. Please accept
the v/atch from Rob and Meg as a
small token of their regard and grati
tude. Yours truly ,
"ROBERT CHAMPLEY. "
Whilst Mrs. Wilden and Violet are
admiring the watch , and Ruby is
perusing" the note with a feeling of
disappointment , notwithstanding the
costliness of her present , Meg makes
her -way to Shell , and , thrusting a
parcel into her lap , cries triumphant
ly
"Dat is for oo , dear Sell ! "
"Dear Sell" looks anything but de
lighted at the information.
"Nonsense , Meg you have made a
mistake ! " she says , so coldly that Meg
begins to pout her under lip prepara
tory to a cry.
"Me haven't ! " she says stoutly. Dat
for oo pa said so. "
Hearing that her parcel is of no in
trinsic value , Shell condescends to
open it. Having done so , a handsome
bound copy of Tennyson's poems
lies ' exposed to view.
( To be Continued. )
Women Do Not Don Their Prettiest
Frocks to Win Masculine Smllcn.
There is a fallacy confined , though , "
the masculine half of society and
that is that women dress for men. Of
course all women know better than
that and laugh at it in their sleeves as
the most ridiculous of ideas. Most o
them would like , though , to let men
o on thinking so , but I don't care , so
I'm going to tell , says a woman in the
. Louis Globe-Democrat. I think any
creature Who belougs to such a stupid
ought not to be allowed if there
any way of enlightening him to go
thinking that any woman would
throw away time and material to dress
him. Let me tell you , please , what
heard once. It was this : A woman is
my acquaintance Avas clothed in a
new and most beautiful dinner suit ,
which ] had cost hundreds of dollars.
wore it for the first time with an
: of a queen ah , me , who couldn't
have worn It so ? and looked as if
had just stepped down out of the
latest Parisian fashion sheet. A man
looked at her a man. who had reached
age when he ought to have had dis
cretion and who was still not in his
dotage looked at her and said :
"That's your last winter's suit , is it
? " I don't think I need to tell you
more , but I will. Another human adult
the same sex told me once that my
gown was very beautiful. It was a
ten-cent : lawn that I myself had made.
, of course , all women save up their
best clothes for people who can ap
preciate them , and those people are not
men. | Wlw
Why isn't a wedding in the drawingw |
room a parlor match ? i *
1
ard
TALMAGE'S SKEMON.
'ENOUGH .BETTER THAN TOO
. MUCH , " THE SUBJECT.
The Text Is I. Citron. , SO 0-7 , as Fol
lows : ' 'A 3Itu of Great Stature ,
Whose Flijgera anil To en Were Four
and Twenty , Six oil Kuch Hand , " etc. I 1
Malformation photographed , and for
what reason ? Did not this passage
slip in by mistake into the sacred
Scriptures , as sometimes a paragraph
utterly obnoxious to the editor gets
into his newspaper during his absence ?
Is not this Scriptural errata ? No , no ;
there is nothing haphazard about the
Bible. This passage of Scripture was
as certainly intended to be put into the
Bible as the verse. "In the beginning
God created the heavens and the
earth , " or , "God so loved the world
that he gave His only begotten Son. "
And I select it for my text today be
cause it is charged with practical and
tremendous meaning. By the people
of God the Philistines had been conquered - '
quered , with the exception of a few
giants. The race of giants Is mostly '
extinct , I am glad to say. There is no
use for giants now except to enlargef
the income of museums. But there |
were many of them in olden times. Go
liath was , according to the Biblle , 11
feet 4 % inches high. Or , if you doubt
this , the famous Pliny declares that at
Crete , by an earthquake , a monument
was broken open , discovering the re-
mains of a giant 46 cubits long , or C9
feet high. So , whether you take sacred
or profane history , you must come to
the conclusion that there were in those
times cases of human altitude mon
strous and appalling.
David had smashed the skull of one
of these giants , but there were other
giants that the Davidean wars had not
yet subdued , and one of them stands in
my text. He was not only of Alpine
stature , but had a surplus of digits. To
the ordinary fingers was annexed an
additional finger , and the foot had also
a superfluous addendum. He had
twenty-four terminations to hands and
feet , where others have twenty. It was
not the only instance of the kind.
Tavernier , the learned writer , says that
the emperor of Java had a son endowed
with the same number of extremities.
Volcatius , the poet , had six fingers on
each hand. Maupertuis , in his cele
brated letters , speaks of two families
near Berlin similarly equipped of hand
and foot. All of. which I can believe ,
.
for I have seen two cases of the same
physical superabundance. But this
giant of the text is in battle , and as
David , the stripling warrior , has dis
patched one giant , the nephew of David
slays this monster of my text , and
there he lies after the battle in Gath ,
a dead giant. His stature did not save
him , and his superfluous appendices of
hand and foot did not save him. The
probability was that in the battle his
sixth finger on his hand made him
clumsy in the use of his weapon , and
his sixth toe crippled his gait. Behold
the prostrate and malformed giant of te
the text : "A man of great stature , at
whose fingers and toes were four and tew
twenty , six on each hand and six on w
each foot ; and he also was the son of th
a giant. But when he defied Israel , of
Jonathan , the son of Shimea , David's or
brother , slew him. " ze
Behold how superfluities are a hin "c
drance rather than a help ! In all the In
battle at Gath that day there was not in
a man with ordinary hand and ordi an
nary foot and ordinary stature that was th
not better off than this physical cu Pl
riosity of my text. A dwarf on the tei
right side is stronger than a giant on pr
the wrong side , and all the body and la
mind and estate and opportunity that so
you cannot use for God and the bet cl
terment of the world is a sixth finger tr
and a sixth toe , and a terrible hin th
drance. The most of the good done in th
the world , and the most of those who lei
win the battles for the right , are ordi W
nary people. Count the fingers of their ye
right hand , and they have just five no nu
more and no less. One Doctor Duff ear
among missionaries , but three thou are
sand missionaries that would tell you ke
they have only common endowment. foi
One Florence Nightingale to nurse the me
sick in conspicuous places , but ten spi
thousand women who are just as good of
nurses , though never heard of. The bu
"Swamp Angel" was a big gun that mj
during the civil war made a big noise , all
Aiut muskets of ordinary caliber and mt
shells of ordinary heft did the execu of
tion. President Tyler and his cabinet ei
go down the Potomac one day to expe br
riment with the "Peacemaker , " a great pel
iron gun that was to affright with its for
thunder foreign navies. The gunner cbj
touches it off , and it explodes , and bl
leaves cabinet ministers dead on the wo ;
deck , while at that time , all up and yo
down our coasts , were cannon of ordi
nary bore , able to be the defense of the ad
nation , and ready at the first touch to An
waken to duty. The curse of the world ha
big guns. After the politicians , who ind
have made all the noise , go home itof
hoarse from angry discussion on the ofwe
evening of the first Monday in Novem we
ber , the next day the people , with the : ho
silent ballots , will settle everything , "B
and settle it right , a million of the Lo
white slips of paper they drop making cia
about as much noise as the fall of an ible
apple-blossom wh
Clear back in the country today there ?
are mothers in plain apron , and shoes ha
fashioned on a rough last by a shoe- the ;
maker at the end of the lane , rocking ly
babies that are to be the Martin flgi
Luthers and the Faradays and the Edlen
sons and the Bismarcks and the Gladpel
stones and the Washlngtons and the of
George Whitefields of the future. The : hls
longer I live the more I like common let
folks. They do the world's worlc. bear- with
Ing the world's burdens , weeping the foe :
world's sympathies , carrying the th : (
world's consolation. Among lawyers
see rise up a Rufus Choate. or a pie
William Wirt , or a Samuel L. Southno
, but society would go to pieces toGo
morrow if there were not thousands of
common lawyers to see that men and
women get their rights. A Valentino
Mott or a Willard Parker rises up emi
nent in the medical profession ; but
what an unlimited sweep would pneu
monia and diphtheria and scarlet fever
have in the world If it were not for
ten thousand common doctoral The
old physician In his gig , driving up the
lane of the farm-house , or riding on
horseback , his medicines In the saddle
bags | j , arriving on the ninth day of the
fever , and coming in to take hold of
the pulse of the patient , while the
family , pale with anxiety , and looking
on and waiting for his decision in re
gard to the patient , and hearing him
say , "Thank God , I have mastered the
case ; he is getting well ! " excites in me
an admiration quite equal to the men
tion of the names of the great metro
politan doctors of the past or the illus
trious living men of the present.
Yet what do we see in all depart
ments ? People not satisfied with ordi
nary'spheres of work and ordinary du
ties. Instead of trying to see what they
can do with a hand of five fingers , they
want six. Instead of usual endowment
of twenty manual and pedal addenda ,
they want twenty-four. A certain
amount of money for livelihood , and
for ( the supply of those whom we leave
behind us after we have departed this
life , is important , for we have the best
authority for saying , "He that provld-
eth not for his own. and especially
those of his own household , Is worse
than an Infidel ; "but the large and
fabulous sums for which many strug
gle , if obtained , would be a hindrance
rather than an advantage.
The anxieties and annoyances of
those whose estates have become ple
thoric can only be told by those who
possess them. It will be a good thing
When , through your industry and pros
perity , you can own the house in
which you live. But suppose you own
fifty houses , and you have all those
rents to collect , and all those tenants
to please. Suppose you have branched
out in business successes until in al
most every direction you have invest
ments. The fire bell .rings at night ,
you rush upstairs to look out of the
window , to see if it is any of your
mills. Epidemic of crime coines , and
there are embezzlements and abscond
ing in all directions , and you wonder
whether any of your bookkeepers will
prove recreant. A panic strikes the
financial world , and you are a hen un
der a sky full of hawks , and trying
with anxious cluck to get your over
grown chickens safely under wing. Af
ter a certain stage of success has been
reached , you have to trust so many
important things to others that you are
apt to become the prey of others , and
you are swindled and defrauded , and
the anxiety you had on your brow
when you were earning your first thou
sand dollars is not equal to the anxiety
on your brow now that you have won
your three hundred thousand.
I am glad for the benevolent insti
tutions that gat a legacy from men who
during their life were as stingy as
death , but who in their last will and
testament bestowed money on hospitals
and missionary societies ; but for such
testators I have no respect. They
would < have taken every cent of it with
them if they could , and bought up half
heaven and let it out at ruinous rent ,
loaned the money to celestial citi
zens at two per cent a month , and got a b
"corner" on harps and trumpets. They
lived in this world fifty or sixty years
the presence of appalling suffering
and want , and made no efforts for P
their relief. The charities of such people C
ple < are in the "Paulo-post future"
tense ; they are going to do them. The iof
probability is that if such a one in his to
last : will by a donation to benevolent fo
societies tries to atone for his lifetime ai
close-fistedness , the heirs-at-law will
try : to break the will by proving that
the old man was senile or crazy , and
the expense of the litigation will about
leave in the lawyer's hands what '
was meant for the Bible Society. O
over-weighted , successful business blw
men , whether this sermon reach your w
or your eyes , let me say that if you j %
prostrated with anxieties about yin
keeping or investing these tremendous inw
fortunes , I can tell how you can do w
more to get your health back anil your ' It. *
spirits raised than by drinking gallons a
bad-tasting water at Saratoga. Homburg - inv
burg or Carlsbad : Give to Goil. hu vo
manity , and the Bible ten per cent of oal
your income , and it will make a newman al
man of you. and from restless walking be
the floor at night you shall have as
asV
3ight hours' sleep , without the help of \V
bromide < of potassium , and from uo ap so
petite you will hardly be able to wait til
your regular meals , and your wan Sli
heek will fill up. and when you me the oil
blessings of those who but for yo-i yc
vould have perished will bloom all over at
your grave. be
Perhaps ] some of you will take this co
idvice. but the most of you will not. st
\nd you will try to cure your swollen at
liand by getting on it more lingers , si
your rheumatic foot by getting on fr
frk
more toes , and there will be a sigh $ k
relief when you arc gone out of the Sc
ivorld ; and when over your re IK
IKWl
( minister recites the words : Wl
WlW
'Blessed are the dead who die in the W
Lord. " persons who have keen appro W
bation of the ludicrous will hardly be beer
to keep their fares straight. But ors
orWl
.vhcther in that direction my words do Wl
oed or not , I am anxious that all who a
nave only ordinary equipment bo Tl
hankful for what they have and right ono
employ It. I think you all have. ha
Iguratively as well as literally , fingers sit
jnough. < Do not long for hindering su lie
perfluities. Standing In the presence nti
ntiv
this fallen giant of my text , and lu \v
post-mortem examination of him.
us learn how much better off we are
! just the usual hand , the usual th
thUs
oot. You have thanked God for a Us
Usvt
housaml things , but I warrant you \vt
2ever thanked him for those two Implements is
iswl
plements of work and locomotion , that wl
one but the Infinite and Omnipotent
could have ever planned or made us
the hand and the foot. Only that soldier
j
dier or that mechanic who in a battle ,
or through machinery , has lost them
knows anything adequately about their
value , and only the Christian scientist
can have any appreciation of what di
vine masterpieces they are. %
The malformation of this fallen
glant'H foot glorifies the ordinary foot ,
for which I fear you have never once
thanked God. The twenty-six bones of
the foot are the admiration of the an
atomist. The arch of the foot fash
ioned with a grace and a poise that
Trajan's arch , or Constantino's arch , or
any other arch could not equal. Those
arches stand where they were planted ,
but this arch of the foot Is an adjust
able arch , a yielding arch , a flyins
arch , and ready for movements Innu
merable. The human foot BO fashioned
as to enable a man to stand upright as
no other creature , and leave the hand ,
that would otherwise have to help In
balancing the body , free for anything
It chooses. The foot of the camel fash
ioned for the sand , the foot of the bird
fashioned for the tree-branch , the foot
of the hind fashioned for the slippery
rock , the foot of the lion fashioned to
rend its prey , the foot of the horse
fashioned for the solid earth , but the
foot of man made to cross the desert ,
or climb the tree , or scale the cliff , or
walk the earth , or go anywhere he
needs to go.
With that divine triumph of anatomy
in your possession where do you walk ?
In what path of righteousness or what
path of sin have you set it down ?
Where have you left the mark of your
footsteps ? Amid the petrifactions In.
the rocks have been found the marks of
the feet of birds and beasts of thousands
of years ago. And God can trace out
all the footsteps of your lifetime , and
those you made fifty years ago are as
plain as those made In the last soft
weather , all of them petrified for tie
Judgment Day.
That there might be no doubt about
the fact that both these pieces of Di
vine mechanism , hand and foot , belong
to Christ's service , both hands of
Christ and both feet of Christ were
spiked on the cross. Right through
the arch of both his feet to the hollow
of his Instep went the iron of tcrtare.
and from the palm of his hand to the
back of It. and there is not a muscle
or nerve or bone among the twenty-
seven bones of hand and wrist , or
among the twenty-sis bones of the
foot , but it belongs to hnn no and
forever.
That is the most beautiful foot that
goes about paths of greatest usefulness ,
and that the most beatuiful hand that
does the most help to others. Isas
reading of three women in rivalry
about the appearance of the hand. And
the one reddened her hand -with ber
ries , and said the beautiful tinge nsade
hers the most beautiful. And another
put her hand in the mountain , brook.
and eaid , as the waters dripped ofT.
that her hand was the most beantifuL
And another plucked flowers oS the
bank , and under the bloom contended
that her hand was the raos : attractive.
Then a poor old woman appeared , and
looking up in her decrepitude asked for
al . And a woman who had not
ta part in the rivalry gave her alms.
And all the women resolved to leave
tcoi this beggar the question as to which
oiat all the hands present was the
attractive , and she said : "The
beautiful < of them all is the one that
gave relief to my necessities , " and as
she so said her wrinkles and rags asa
her decrepitude and her body disap
peared , and in place thereof stood the
Christ , who long ago said : "Ias-
much as ye did it to one of the ! ? :
of these. ye did it unto me ! " and
purchsee the service of our hand
foot here on earth had his own. had
and foot lacerated.
A > "cw pijH.r T.ent. "
Walter Russell contributes as artie >
entitled "Incidents of the Cuban Block
ade" to the September Century. Mr.
Russell says : My time while OR tbe
blockade , serving as a special artist.
was about equally divided betwwa the
various warships and a small sta -
yncht the duty of which was to divia *
Intuitively when anil where sor.
was to occur , and bo there to
. Our little crew of four
strategy board in itself. We
indeed.ar prophets. More than oac
wisdom in our reasoning brought a <
our reward. More than once we
alone in our glory , the only
bcat on the spot. A sailor boy
asked me to bring him from Key
West fifty boxes of cigarettes for
some of the crew ; and one morning I
threw the bundle upon the deck of his
ship. Tearing off the cover , ho scrawl
the wonls. "Thanks ! Hope to juwt
you twenty-two miles to the eastward
noon. " aail scaled the bit of pst >
board to me. A correspondent whv > t > >
common consent was chairman of our
strategy boanl was on board the ship
that time , anil obtained another
slight clue. So wo hcniieii cast\var\l
from Havana , whllo the bU > oka Hn <
licet lay basking sorcncly hi the s a.
also did many dispatch luwls * Vt
noon my sailor friend and UU s > hii >
were thcro. Shortly after noon
was ! an engagement the tlrst of
war ! and thorp was no ether llstatc x
boat near. No\t morning New York
were Informed that dispatch Invit *
were as numerous thcro as picket * In
fence. I Every newspaper hail s\ * l rt u.
The incldont was witnessed by only
artist besides the wrltor ; > t I
have since soon n douWo-pixjro coh > r
supplement of that hnttlo In a \ \ > * Kb
periodical , where , under the art hit * a
name , was printed the claim that It
was : sketched from our yacht.
Nothing humiliates a woumn moro
than to have a man see her miKcd fi ? t.
Usually they are out of h po. . fn n
wearing shoos too tun nil for hor. ThU <
the reason the women ycrotun wo
when a man appears.
In some parts of Norway corn la slttl
used as a substitute for coin.