h
I
THE MONSTER PRACTICING
Wherever I may go
Whatever I limy do
That dieadful monster Practicing
Looms up before my view
And in a voice I must obey
He calls me from my pleasant play
Each day sit half past three
When I conic home from school
In sternest voice he summons me
Straight to the piano stool
There while my chords and scales I try
I count the moments passing by
If I am out of sorts
And ciossly strike a key
With discord most unhesirable
He then does punish me
HeJl worry nie with all his might
Until my exercise goes right
They tell me that in time
More beautiful hell grow
Therell be a smile upon that face
That now does scare me so
His rgliness will flee and I
Will grow to love him by and by
And so perhaps if I
Am good and persevere
And do my lessons right and try
Not to offend his ear
Old Practicing will grow to me
As pleasant as they say hell be
UNTO KIM FGUEFOLD
There was a sharp tinge of frost in
the air esirly iu the afternoon snow
had fallen clothing the city for a brief
spell in a mantle of dazzling whiteness
but now it was trodden under foot into
grime and slush making- the pave
ments and roads wet and slippery
A feeble moon could be seen but its
pale wan light was entirely lost and
swallowed up by the glare and glitter
of the London streets
As he sailed on the morrow John
Forsythe was giving si parting dinner
to a few old cronies and now walked
leisurely to his club where they were
to meet His reflections were not un
pleasant
Adventure he craved for the thought
of rustling for his living stirred his
blood pleasantly he was rather pug
nacious by nature and whatever he
took in hand he stuck to it until he
carried it out
And it was just as well that he was
going the old place was not the same
since the Guvnor departed and Car
ringford was not all one cared for in an
elder brother
He reached the club steps and was
about to enter when si tiny figure
darted in front of him and a small
grimy fist held out a paper a thin voice
piped plainly
Buy a paper sir Oh do sir I
aint ad no luck this dy an if yer
would
A pair of great eyes gazed up at
him from under a tangle of red hair
and the little face was pinched and
blue from hunger and cold
No luck eh said John kindly tak
ing the paper from the rough bleeding
liand raw from chaps Poor little
-soul you look hungry Here take this
and get a good feed with it and get
something too to keep you warm
This was a half sovereign and
the childs eyes seemed to start out of
her head with wonder at the unexpect
ed gift John laughed amusedly at her
astonishment
There go along he said giving her
a good natured push and as she began
to slowly move away she heard him
greeted by name by a couple of men
-and then they disappeared into the
building
With the gold firmly clutched in her
paw she made her way to the nearest
coffee palace picking up a pal on the
road and together they had a meal
such as theyd never eafen in their
lives before And in her after life
nothing ever tasted exactly so good as
this uulooked for dinner did to the
ionely waif of the streets
Forsythes friends insisted on know
ing upon what he was so busily en
gaged that he did not notice their ap
proach and their chaff was plentiful
when he confessed his philanthropic
act
Bread upon the waters Forsythe
said one look out for its return after
many days he added jestingly
John laughed and shook his head
No fear old man its only in Sun
flay school books that the heros good
fleeds are rewarded in real life they
are speedily forgotten
The next day he sailed and it was
many years before London saw him
again
Once more he walked upon the
asphsilt of London no longer plain
John Forsythe but by a series of
events Earl of Carringford
Having been singularly lucky in all
his ventures he was now a very rich
man and on the death of his brother in
the hunting field had returned home
after a prolonged tour to succed to the
title and what was left of the estates
Most of the land once owned by the
Darringfords had been sold or mort
gaged by his dissipated elder and his
first act was to buy back as much as he
could and to restore the old Court to
something of its former splendor and
o find a suitable mistress to grace his
home
In spite of the encouragement given
to a wealthy man and an earl to boot
John had up to the present remained
placidly heart whole and siw every
prospect of so remaining as he had
Eeen no woman yet who made his
pulses beat any faster for her sake and
he had come to the conclusion that he
nad better take the first who presented
herself and trust to luck
As he strolled down to his old dab
fvhere he was o meet the same men
with whom he had spent his last even
ing ten years ago his mind went back
to the little beggar to whom he had
proved such a Santa Claus and he
wondered absently what had become
of her g
And curiously enough it was recviied
to btexx again later in the evening fty
one of the men whohad witnessed the
affsiir
I suppose shes dead said Carring
ford indifferently in answer to the
question or lived to swell the rsinks
of the unfortunate sisterhood he add
ed with a sigh
After dinner they adjourned to the
theater The play was a modern prob
lem one a new fashion since John
went away and but for the sictiug had
no spechil attraction
The leading lady Mathalie Ross was
one of the most besiutiful women of the
day fsnned alike for her Titian colored
hair and the absolute blamelessness
and purity of her life
No bresith of scandal had tainted her
fair name and she was known to be a
brilliant and hard working woman
At the finish Carringford who had
been strangely moved at the sight of
the lovely creature on the stage made
his way behind smd asked for an in
troduction
lie fancied she grew a trifle pale and
that her dark eyes sought his in a
somewhsit startled manner but as
there was no trace of embarrassment
in her graciousness towards him he
concluded he was mistaken
Nathalie asked him to call and soon
it came sibout that few days passed
when he did not visit the tiny flat
London wondered then laughed and
said that after all she was no better
than the rest of them and that it had
known all along her virtue was as
sumed
For some time neither heard the
rumors about them but continued their
friendship tranquilly enough although
to Carringford the wish for more than
friendship was becoming stronger
every day but it was not until a sneer
and a low expression coupled with
Nathalies name was uttered in his
presence that he determined to speak
His action was simplicity itself
After knocking the man down he
turned to the assemblage saying in
grave even tones
I lisive done this because that cur
insulted the fair fame of an innocent
woman whom I intend to ask to do me
the honor of becoming my wife
News of all kinds flies apace and
when he called the next morning
Nathalie knew about his defense of
her
Oh why did you do it she cried
her eyes full of unshed tears What
does it matter what they say of me I
am only an actress you know and not
worth lighting over
She seized his hands with her warm
impulsive ones smd would lisive raised
them to her lips had he not prevented
her
No no he said hastily dont do
that Nathalie I love you give me the
right to defend you always be my
dear wife
The color flamed high in her cheeks
and her lips quivered
You love me you wish me to be
your wife You Ah this is wonder
ful
-What is he queried laughing
drawing her to him that I should love
you
Yes she said gravely listen to
what I have to tell you and then
Ten years sigo on a cold winters night
do you remember giving a gold piece
to a little ragged half starved girl
He nodded
Yes I do but how does that con
cern you he sisked
In this way I was that little girl
I and no other I was a friendless lit
tle waif and your money was the first
kind action I had ever received in my
short life Small wonder that I re
membered and hearing your name
treasured it up in my heart With that
gold I laid the foundation of my pres
ent position
A small pantomime engagement led
to others and slowly and surely I
worked myself up Oh it has been
hard and I hsive been sorely tempted
many a time for I am beautiful I
know but you were before me like a
guiding star and I kept myself what I
knew you would have me be I have
waited for you I am yours do with
me what you will
His arms closed round her and as
their lips met she heard him whisper
My wife Saturday Evening Post
Wants the Letter Back
The other day a Chicago man paid
five cents postage to mail a letter to
Germany To days later he spent 15
in an attempt to overtake and recover
it He is a west side merchant who
has had some business dealings with a
relative in Germany Failing to get a
satisfactory settlement through liis at
torney in Germany he uncorked
his bent up wrath in a letter and mailed
it to his relative Next day he got a
cablegram from his attorney saying
the matter had been settled The west
side man thought of liis letter and the
family estrangement that would follow
its reception for he had raked up a lot
of old family quarrels and had said
many things he does not now want to
be read He paid fifty cents for a tele
gram to the New York postoffice to re
call the letter During the afternoon
answer came that the letter was al
ready on the ocean bound for Ger
many
I will give 100 if it does not get
there he said as he wiped the beads
of perspiration from his flushed face
Superintendent McArthur of the in
quiry department said it could be pver
taken by a cablegram and the mer
chant willingly made a deposit of 15
and the recall was cabled to Germany
through the postal authorities at Wash
ington If I dont get that letter back
I cannot go back to Germany to see
my people was the wail of the letter
writer as he left the office
His Hopes
I hope you appreciate the fact sir
that in marrying my daugKer you
marry a large hearted generous girl
I do sir with emotion and I hope
she inherits those qualities from her
father Harlem Life
iMiril
fwini wjt
DOCTORING A NATIVE
An Experience of a Missionary in Far
Off Africa
Miss Mary Ivlngsley in si recent en
tertsiiuing article upon some of her
African experiences relates her first
attempt at doctoring a sick native She
had observed during i rather trying
march which her party had been mak
ing that one of the carriers had begun
to stagger and look dazed His com
rades had relieved him of his load
and he managed with much difficulty
to keep on with the others until a
village was reached and a halt called
for the night
She then bade his friends call in the
best doctor there was in the place to
attend to the sufferer and she would
pay him but shortly after one of tliem
came to her suid reported in language
which she found more comprehensible
tlijun its construction warranted Mas
ssi them man he live for die
Hastening to the hut where the in
valid lay she found the native doctor
sitting outside covering and uncover
ing a small basket and muttering in
eanlsitions engaged so the awestruck
observers informed her in trying to
find out who had stolen one of the
patients souls
Without criticising this theory of the
discsise the lady tactfully explained
that perhaps if they allowed her to
try she might effect some good while
the other doctor was completing liis
diagnosis and she got out her medical
book
It informed her that the patient was
suffering not from a missing soul but
from some kind of inflammation of the
brain and that he should be blistered
upon the back of the head and neck
He lay upon his chest picking at the
floor with his hands and evidently
delirious as he was talking to his fath
er who had died many years before
She prepared a blister of mustard
leaves but upon trying to apply it dis
covered that the wool was seversil
inches deep on the back of the mans
head and that a place must be clipped
clear to receive the blister or it would
have no effect Taking a pair of scis
sors she set about clearing a patch of
scalp
While I was engaged in this opera
tion she says the patient went off
into si convulsion that frightened me
out of my wits so I dropped the scis
sors and reared driving my head up
through the low roof and tearing that
structure from its supports I wore it
as a collar or neck ruff while the pa
tient broke the rest of that simple home
completely up and mixed himself and
the scissors and the mustard leaves and
the huitern so well with the debris that
it took some time to sort him out
I regret to say however that he
was neglected for some ten minutes
because the assembled spectators
roared so with laughter that they were
incapable of action and I was busy
desiring off my superstructure and try
ing to extract an interesting and ex
citing collection of centipedes lizards
scorpions and spiders from my hair
Avherein they had sought refuge on the
occurrence of the cataclysm
Nevertheless she persevered and the
invalid was finally extricated clipped
and blistered and in due time got well
but it is probable that Miss Kings ley
thereafter preferred open air prsictice
at least when she had to blister si man
in delirium
Municipal Ownership
Gas plants are opersited by 10S cit
ies of England and Scotland including
almost every city of consequence ex
cept London by 33S cities of Germsiny
including thirty of the largest such as
Berlin Hamburg and Dresden by
Brussels by Amsterdam by many cit
ies in the British colonies and by
twelve American cities including
Wheeling Louisville Richmond and
Philadelphia Electric lighting plants
are operated by over 200 American
municipsilLties including Dunkirk in
this State and Jacksonville Spring
field Little Rock Topeka Bay City
Detroit and Chicago by many British
cities by some in the Australian colon
ies smd by thirteen German cities in
cluding Hsimburg and Dresden Street
railroads are owned and operated in
thirty three cities of England and
Scotland by some cities of Germsiny
Switzerland Holland sund of the Aus
tralian colonies by Toronto and in a
measure by New Orleans To put the
miatter into condensed form municipal
ownership of one or more of these
street franchises prevails in over 700
cities and is authorized by the htws of
a score of States and countries Time
was when private ownership of all
street franchises was the rule Now
the chief est cities of the world are for
saking it Progress in the art of munic
ipal affairs is all in the direction of
municipal ownership
Municipal ownership is therefore no
new or over radical thing It is neither
socialistic communistic nor populistic
It is feasible and practicable It must
be at least reasonably successful and
it cannot be attended with any greater
political evils than the no more univer
sal municipal ownership of docks fer
ries bridges markets and the -water
supply So much the experience of
these other cities iudicsites to us
Municipal Affairs
A Wonderful Clock
Two years ago a South Chicago jew
eler did sonic figuring ne calculated
that he would in all probability live
forty years He knew that it takes at
least two minutes to wind the ordinsiry
house clock At that rate he figured
that he would during the rest of his
life spend about sixty days of his
valuable time winding the clock to say
nothing of the time and temper lost
-through forgetting it Then he decided
tolnake a clock that would have to be
wound but once in forty years
He spent liis odd minutes at the task
and has succeeded in producing a won
derful piece of mechanism the only
one of its kind he claims in the world
This forty year timepiece Is fifteeni
inches in diameter and weighs seventy-five
pounds The movement is
geared so that the barrel wheel con
taining the mainspring revolves in two
and si hsilf years
AVlien this wheel has made fifty six
revolutions somebod3will have to give
the key seventeen turns The clock
will then be wound up for another
forty yesirs The first -wheel from the
barrel wheel crowds around at the rate
of one tuni a year The dial plate is
six inches in diameter
The making of the work took most
of tiie jewelers leisure for twenty four
montlis The movement is full jeweled
The clock will be put in a hermetically
sealed glass case and it will work in
a vacuum thus lessening friction and
preventing the oil from drying Phil
adelphia Times
Herbert Spencer is anxious to bring
the biological part of his work up to
date and has five secretaries at work
helping him His health is so feeble
that he is only able to manage at in
tervals an hours work in si day
An advertisement in the London
Daily News offers for a history of Cali
fornisi fifty dollars It must be com
piled from materials in the British Mu
seum The length of the history is also
laid down at four hundred thousand
words It could be produced at the
rate of two thousand words a day in
two hundred days or in nearly seven
months
On the same morning in Chicago the
Tribune and the Times Herald review
ed Robert Hichens novel Flames
smd the phrasing was somewhat amus
ing Said the Times Herald The
Green Carnation was a green lily pad
floating Jon the surface of stagnant
slime and ooze compared with this
v hich is ooze itself down to the very
bottom of the pool The Tribune said
For the healthy adult mind Flames
is as pure and elevating as the lily that
elevates itself out of ooze and slime
W T Stead fears that the growth of
dialects and of slang will split the
mother tongue up into so many portions
that before Ave know it people who
have always been understanded of one
another will have to converse with the
aid of an interpreter The London
Spectator saj s that no academy for the
preservation of the English language
s needed and continues We do not
believe that any need exists because
we entirely deny the proposition that
the English race in its various habita
tions is taking to unintelligible dia
lects We have never met with a news
paper article in modern English much
less a printed book whether hailing
from America or Australia if not in
tended to be a skit on current local
slang which was not perfectly intelli
gible to any educated man who uses
the English language as his mother
tongue The marvelous thing about
the free trade in words which has been
employed in the English language is
the manner in which it has kept he
English language steady Books writ
ten in the Elizabethan age are still per
fectly intelligible There is going to be
no English tower qf Babel Instead
the hmguage will broaden and deepen
and yet remain as clear sis ever it
was
Feeds His Mule Fence Rails
An old southwest Georgia negro
called to one of the laborers in his vine
yard
You John Hits time ter feed dat
mule Give him a couple of fence rails
quick
He doesnt eat fence rails does he
inquired a bystander
Lawd bless you yes suh replied
the old man Dat des whets his ap
petite lie use ter blong ter one er
dese ollise scekers en he got so hongry
stsmdin hitched in do sun dat lie
staned on fence rails fer si livin en
now he wont tackle grass tell hes
done eat up a string er fence den k
eats oats or grass for dessert Wy
suh continued the old man he got
loose de yuther day en took en esit uj
one whole gable end ob Ebenezei
chapel an wen we run up on him h
wuz makiu a break fer de pews en de
pulpit Dey wouldnt been much eD
dat meotin house left of ever hed go
ter do inside or it Give him fenc
rails John he got ter do some hsird
plowin dis in awn in Atlanta Con
stitution
The Benefit of Self Help
Booker T Washington the coiorec
orator constantly impresses upon tin
minds of the members of his race to
whom he talks the advantages to br
gained from self help In a recem
speech ho told si good yam to illustratt
his point There isnt much that wr
get in this country without workins
for it he said I remember a storj
of an old negro who wanted a Christ
mas dinner and prayed night aftei
night Lord please send a turkey t
this darkey But none came to him
Finally he prayed O Lord please
send this darky to a turkey An
he got one that same night
Nerve of a Sitting Hen
Fire broke out shortly before noon
yesterday in a shed in the rear of 54S
East Washington street owned by
George Hoffman The firemen sa ed
a life and prevented the fire from
spreading A sitting hen occupied a
nest in one corner of the shed and
notwithstanding the fact that she was
drenched with chemical matter she
refused to move The fire was all
about her and finally one of the men
picked her up and carried her nest and
all into the alley The hen showed
her disapproval st the familaairity on
the part of the fireman by cackling
loudly- Indianapolis Journal
THE ONLY WHITE BUFFALO
Seen and Chased by miters hut
Never Caujjnt
During the summer of 1S75 bands of
Indians returning from a hunt far out
in the plains brought in stories of hav
ing seen at different times and in differ
ent places and always in the center of
a large herd a white buffalo They
had used their best horses in the ef
fort to overtake it to no purpose never
being able to get anywhere near the
animal At first we did not pay much
attention to these stories but still it
kept cropping up from different camps
and stf last in the fall of 1S75 1 myselt
had a chance to verify the truth of the
report I had been sent on duty north
along the Red Deer River and was
camped near a large band of Black
feet who were hunting south of that
river The buffalo had moved north in
vast numbers and the prairie was
black with them
I had gone one one morning with a
party of Blackfeet to see one of their
hunts and also to try and kill it for
niyself My horse was a good one and
much faster than any belonging to the
Indian hunters I had got detached
from the party becoming tired of the
slaughter and must have been at least
twenty miles from the camp when I
made for a small clump of timber not
far off intending to roast a portion of
some buffalo meat I had on the saddle
with me As I approached the wood
a band of about one hundred animals
burst out from the brush and made off
to the south and yes most certainly
in the middle of them was a white buf
falo Although they were a quarter of
a mile away there could be no mis
take about it he was there as large as
life and quite white and running like
a deer There was no time to much
more than take in the scene but I gath
ered up the reins and was after him1
determined to bag that buffalo or kill
my horse
Oh what a race it was mile after
mile and although all the band with
the exception of sibout si dozen had
split off and gone in different direc
tions the white animal with his body
guard of about a dozen kept at about
the same distance ahead I could
catch a glimpse of him now and then
and there wsis no doubt he was snow
white Get within a shot I could not
for many miles At last they began to
tire and although my horse was tired
also I had good hopes of coming up
and getting a shot Alsis for such a
chance Of a sudden my horse lurched
forward on his nose sending me over
his head onto the prairie and turning
si somersault himself missing me only
a few feet He had put his foot into
si badger hole smd brought hopes of a
white robe to si sudden end Forest
and Stream
The Sultans Heir
The Sultans heir is not his eldest son
but his eldest brother The eldest male
succeeds Such is the law of Islam
and the fruitful source of dynastic
murders in almost every reign sinco
the Turks became a power The Sul
tan has four brotliers not one only
as was lately alleged The eldest
brother is Rechad Ellen di that is to
say he is eldest sifter the ex Sultsui
Murjul Y who being insane is not
counted Rechad Effendi is rarely
seen Every time he drives out he is
escprted by si troop less by way of an
escort than as a gusird The few who
do know him like him for he is ssiid
to be a courteous humane well in
formed man acquainted with current
politics and keenly interested in them
ne is a good farmer The pretty psil
ace known as the Tcheragan is his
residence During the time f the
trouble in Armenia Constantinople
and Crete Rechad hsis been more nar
rowly watched than ever for the Sul
tan and his clique know that Rechad
is popular Unlike the Sultan Rechsid
is one of the most handsome men in
Constantinople London Echo
New Color Names
If the latest additions to the nomen
clature of fashionsible colors be gener
ally sulopted by milliners and dress
makers ladies will be much puzzled
wfeD they come to choose their hats
and gowns for early autumn wear
Thus it appears thsit manufacturers are
offering to the wholesale buyers reds
distinguished as sport Cretan and
Athenhin Golf and spiritism are
neAV shades of blue some exceedingly
brilliant greens have been denominsitcd
the asparagus smd the Erin and
silvery grays are to be known as alu
minium and nickel Grandmere
is a lavender tint and recent events
in the States have made a distinction
ir yellows as dollar gold and Mc
iiiiley Josephsit is hardly sug
gestive but it means a grass green
sipotheosis is a pink and recamier
is an orange London Telegraph
Buy Fruit Instead of Candy
I wish earid a doctor the other day
as he wsitched a group of school chil
dren troop out of a candy store where
they had teen spending their pennies
that I could form a society among
little folks in which each member
would take a pledge to spend all his
pocket money for fruit instead of
candy It seemed a funny way of
putting it didnt it But the physician
was very much in earnest and at the
moment it probably occurred to him
that as children like lubs an anti
candy club would be a very good one
for them He wanted to do two tiling
to stop their eating the unhealtlifui
sweet and to coax them to eat more
fruit An apple or a banana or an
orange can usually one or the othei
of them be bought for the price of a
little candy and the fruit is much
better in every way than the sweet
New York Times
Some men have no other genius ex
cept that they are always able to find
the warmest places in summer and the
coldest places in winter
Wheelmjr and Its KfFecta
Even at this late day there may be
occasionally found an individual whe
doubts the value of bicycle exercise Of
course such people are scarce and
growing fewer every day One of
them was siiring his views in si New
York clubhouse claiming that the
world would yet be sorry for allowing
the wheel to take possession of it to
such an extent Included in his tirade
wsis si general statement regarding the
expense incident to keeping si bicycle
A wheelmsin listened to the bill of par
ticulars and then declared that the
100 he paid for his wheel wsis more
than saved in one seasons riding This
statement was so sweeping sis to call
forth contemptuous snorts from the
previous speaker and even caused
doubtful headhsikings among other
AVheelmen present The young msin
who made the statement stuck to it
however and it was finally agreed
lesive the matter to a committee select
ed from members who would be sure
to thoroughly examine the subject The
committee devoted one or two after
noons to the work and then brought iw
the following surprising report
Expense for six months
Cost of wheel 100 00
Best lamp 3 00
Most approved bell 1 30 j
Good cyclometer 1 30
Pair toe clips 301
Bicycle suit 10 00
Bicycle headwear 2 00-
Bicycle shoes 30
Bicycle stockings 3 00
Two sweaters 7 00
Two pairs gloves 3 OOl
Three punctures repaired 1 00
Onnew tire 4 001
Pumping of tires SO
Foot pump Wi
Checking bicycle 00
Bicycle overhauled - 3 00
Oils and fittings 2 7o
OlU
Saved in six months
Railroad fares
Difference in clothing
Car fare saved
Theater tickets saved
Flowers saved
Candy saved
Less outlay for cigars
Less strong drink
Difference in laundry
Carrkige hire saved
lyt 1
95 GO
35 00
9 10
32 00
15 00
17 50
3G 40
25 00
0 50-
10 00
Total 2S2 lOi
In fsivor of bicycle 12S 95
This finding surprisou even the man
who claimed that the wheel was a- jL
money saver As for the party wlr6
had been declaiihing against the
pastime he is believed to have been
forever silenced so far sis that subject
is concerned
Bilce for Picnic Use
If you enjoy summer picnics you can
make a very nice carrier for the fam
ily lunch basket by fastening two
wheels together with diagonals These
need be no more substantial than wil
low strips or they can be metal bars
It is best to have a mechanic fasten
these together the first time and fit
with adjustable fastenings so the car
rier can be taken off The basket is
suspended from a cross piece of its
own
Donts for Wheelmen
Dont scorch
Dont ride until depressed
Dont think you own the streets
Dont drink immedhitely after meals
Dont drink alcoholic beverages dur
ing long rides
Dont forget to give a new cyclist
plenty of room
Dont ring your bell except to give
notice of jour approach
Dont coast down hills having cross
streets along the way
Dont ride at the expense of nerves
muscles and internal organs
Dont attempt to accomplish feats for
which the body is not prepared
Dont attempt to ride rapidly by an
electric car standing to unload passen
gers
Dont forget in turning corners to the
left always keep to the outside of the
street
Dont let your pride force you to keep
up with the balance when you feel
tired
Dont expect pedestrians to get out of
your way Make it your business to
find a way around them
Dont forget the wheel is master and
not the slave when the hand of the
rider is unsteady and the sight
dimmed
Dont fail to remember in turning
corners to the right to keep as far as
possible without trespassing on the left
side of the road
Dont overlook the important
cour
tesy when meeting other cyclists pe
destrians and vehicles keep to the
right In overtaking and passing them
keep to the left
ft
-
Jt
VA