. / . t - ,1 "The Match of the Season , " HE is no daughter of mil a madcap , a changeling , unbroken colt who threat * to kick over the traces at any mome iWhat have I done that such a inisf tune should befall me. " Thus lamented Mrs. Gainsborou over her coffee one sunny wink morning , to her husband immersed the daily news. "Eh ! what's the matter now , Mollic .with easy good nature. "Laura was a model , " she sigh * "she never gave me a moment of \ easiness from first to last. The bn of her set , she married advanta ; ously in her lirst season ; and as I Dorothy , she could be led by a siik thread. But Theodora " and s- : i threw up her hands in horror , though the subject beggared deser tion. "Come , come , MollJe" lie pleadt "let the child grow up in her own wi they can't all be alike it stands to n son. There was a good boy spoil in TVdly. frank , fearless and honest the sunlight ; it would be a sin and shame to cut , prune and pare her do\ Into a doll of fashion like the rest them. " "Oh. you men " in accents of [ thos. "What can you know of t heart of a muther , the awful respoii bility resting upon her shoulders : t sacred charge entrusted to her ham All depends.upon her coming out ; that blie stands or falls ; the verdict final. And when I think how ill pi pared she is for the occasion ; how wi ful , uiura.ued and care-less of the cc sequences , 1 tremble for her tutun and , with an air of tragedy she i turned to her breakfast with renew appetite. At that moment the door burst ope and a young girl , in rough skating cc tume , with a inane of red-goid hair li ! & shaggy pony , entered in whirlwii fashion , rosy , panting , radiant wi health , spirit and abundant vitality , ' eight to make an old man young. " "Just in time for breakfast , and bu gry as a hunter , too , I promise you In clear , ringing tones , and witho ceremony she seated herself at the t ble. "Skating at such an hour , Theodora protested her mother , in reprovii tones , "wlu-n you should be abed gt ting your beauty sleep , in preparatu for the great event before you. " "Mj beauty must care for itself \vas the careless retort. "Must I co die myself all day because I'm to con out to-u.ght ? Come out ! " in scorn t' ; tones. "What does it mean , aiiywa , daddy ? " and she turned to her fat hi with a look of nearly comradeship au affection. "Weil , Teddy , with most of you means beaux and clothes , so far as understand it ; vanity and vexation ( spirit , and ultimately marriage , whu the right lellow comes along. " "Tht-u I'll have none of it , " and wit an air of decision hhe turned to hi breakfast with the vigor of seveutet-i No mother hen was ever more di : mayed at the duckling in her bro than this punctilious leader of fa hio at the daughter now on her hands t pilot through the shoals and quid sands of society , and at last ant-he salely in the harbor of niatrimuuj Yet she was but a frank , uigh-spinte girl , who despised forms and couvei tions with all her heart ; rebelled a maternal r oun * > el and discipline , turne sentiment to ndicule with the careles mockery of extreme youth. Cut sh proved a pretty handful to the prom scheming mother , whose aspiration soared high in the matrimonial line ; knotty problem to solve , which woul tax her wits , temper and eudurauc beyond tleir limit. Yet her debut promised well , am maternal criticism could find no flav in the radiant vision presented to he View in all the costly simplicity of j \yortu gown , imported to grace the oc casion. She had never realized he loveliness before ; the piquant charm o Titian coloring and laughiug'dark eyes the sylph-like grace of her buoy an figure , the childlike ease of her bear ing , which sustained her well through out the trying ordeal. And Teddy though she might rebe In advance at maternal authority , wai she proof against the pleasure of thi moment. ' the dangerous knowledge o her own beauty borne in upon her fo : the first time , the incense of masculiui homage , the gay inspiriting music , th < novel charm of the occasion ? Though Mrs. Gainsborough treniblee for her perilous frankness , originality and possible gaucheries. it might b < that an odd bizarre character , sucl as this , would go down , in social par lance , even create a sensation , for n time. Beyond this she dared not looli or scheme ; one hint of matrimonial in tentions. such as she cherished , woulc rouse the wildest antagoni a. cause the downfall of her fairest hopes anil dreams. So the season sped on. and the girl was caught in the current of events and whirled away ; in the excitement of ball , reception , theater , opera , the awakening knowledge of her own pow er , she was gradually changing day by day into a striking , if unconventional figure in social circles. And Mrs. Gainsborough , though shocked , startled and confounded in a thousand ways by the racy wit and audacious free dom of the daughter she so little com prehended , congratulated herself that she was safely launched at last , with every prospect of a fair and prosperous voyage. Where Teddy sat. talked , or walk was the central point of gayety in a assemblage ; her speech was puuctu ed with laughter , her dancing rol torn to tatters. The young euthusia with which she entered upon any casion was an antidote to dullness a monotony , a rejuvenating draught the most jaded beholder. She seemed to have the gift of u versa 1 popularity ; even her rivals lit and would have copied her If tl ; could , and with the men she was prime favorite , they hovered ab ( her like moths about the flame. But here maternal criticism cai in , and feared for the future. To t men Teddy seemed more like a go comrade than a beautiful girl to wooed and won ; a divinity to be wi shipped. Sentiment shrank from I frank presince and pitiless laught and more ihan one foolish swain h cause to regret the expression of 1 admiration. The lover who passed t Rubicon with Teddy must needs be valiant one. To this free-hearted maiden t stately Gerald Massey , the most eli ble match of the season , the cynosu of all eyes , the target for all mat monial darts , was but "Jerry , " a "jol good fellow. " and the best waltzer society. That she honestly liked him w manifest in word and act though must by confessed that his lack sentiment and "nonsense , " as she ten ed it. seemed his chief attraction her eyes. And the liking was reel rocal. It was many a day since tl well-bred gentleman and invincit bachelor had revealed such interest the most beautiful of debutantes ; mai a day since he had encountered su < a refreshing bit of femininity. But The best-laid plans o' mice and men Gang aft agle.v ; And leave us naught but grief and pa For promised joy. Mrs. Gainsborough was a wise woi an in her generation , and held h peace : the time for counsel , scoldii or entreaty had passed ; one scene < the kind with her rebellious offsprii had taught her the wisdom of sileui on forbidden subjects. Only the mo winning diplomacy , such as had ruh her household for years , could ava but that this chit of a girl could elm her influence in the end seemed i : comprehensible. Time brought Its changes , and Te > dy scarce realized the transformatic she had undergone in thesevint < months that Hew by as on wings. Sti [ "rank and freehearted in thought , woi and act. she had gained in social grae ind tact until she seemed another ere : Lu/e from the careless hoyden of lew mouths ago. The season was to close with a b ; masque , and "hen came the Lento period of retirement , prior to furtlu lissipation at mounUiiu or seaside n sorts. This was the event of the so.- son , a grand finale to the lightt imr.sements that had gone before : an joi-iety was stirred ro its depths in ai .icipation of the coining spectacle , i > vlucli beauty , wealth and fashio .vould . play prominent roles. As by a touch of the enchanter1 vand. the nobkmansion was tram 'ormed into a scene from fairylanc n which the rarest exotics exhale heir fragrance , the most ravishin. nusic eloquently discoursed , while th jorgeoiis pageant streamed hour b , loin through stately hall and gallery ; hifting and changing like the vision if a dream. To Teddy it presented all the charii f novelty ; and in a rich Venetian cos ume of the olden time , her lovely fac lidden 'neath the mystery of th lask , she had a strange sense of losin ; ler identity in that of another. N < onger the daughter of prosaic moden Jotharn , she was a creature of auothe ace , age and clime , with her pulse ttuned to love aud romance , he eart throbbing to the passionate Hun a nan music that swept through thi orridors. A stately gallant of the sixteentl eutury , bravely attired in velvet , silk n hose and slouched hat , was he ; iiithful cavalier throughout the even ig ; together they danced , strolled ii lie wondrous galleries of art , playet t sentiment , yet , as if by tacit con ? nt. preserved the mystery of the mas uerade. But at last , In the still , dim-lightet onservatory 'neath the shelter oi hadowy palm and trailing vine , witl lie low plash of a little fountain it leir ears , the gallant lost command ol imself. and spoke to her in a language iat startled her to a sudden realiza on of the truth the language of love For one breathless moment she list- cm ! spellbound ; then she tore the ia.sk from her face with hasty hand ; er cheeks were aflame , her great dark res sparkled as with tears. "This from you , Jerry ? " she protest- 3 , in the sorrowful accents of "Et tu , rute' " "No. no I cannot listen. " But he would not be silenced , and , nmasking. revealed a face pale with resolution that frightened her. "Ted- p. child is it so strange that I should > ve you ? Have you not divined it in 1 these months , when I have followed ; your shadow , lived upon your smile , 3iir wit. the sunshine of your pres- ice ? Another had seen it long ago. " "But we were such good comrades , ? rry. " and she caught her breath 1th a sob. "True , Teddy , and can be still ; but , liVl though yor. are , I have fallen ider the spell of your enchantment , become entangled in the net you nei threw. Dear. " caressingly , "have y no word of kindness , of pity for me' will not ask for love now. " "I do not know , " she falten while her beating heart belied I speech. "It is all so strange , so drea like , so unreal ; a part of the hour , t scene , the mask in a moment I sh awaken. " "To a reality more beautiful than t illusion. Trust me. my child , and shall be so. " And , shy In the presence of her ne born love , Teddy , the careless hoyd < the scoffer at sentiment , surrendered the enemy like the weakest of her a ters , while the stirring music of t Hungarian Czardas filled the silen with passionate meaning. When the engagement was s nounced In the spring , to the const * nation of social circles , Mrs. Gainsb < ough bore herself proudly , as one w took no small credit for the felicito termination of the season. Yet to this day she has never t derstood how it came to pass ; how tl strange girl made the match of t season , alone and unaided. It i mained to the end an unsolved mj tery of the bal masque. American Ci tivator. Dynamite in Coal Mines. According to United States Cons Brunot , at St Etienne , a local invent named Albert has produced a succe * ful apparatus for exploding dynami with safety in coal mines where gas present in dangerous volume , witho the use of electricity , the Installation which is always costly aud subject disarrangement. The instrument seems to cover the e posed end of the safety fuse , to fire and to receive all flame and spar thrown off without allowing any coi munication with the atmosphere. A copper tube receives the end of tl fuse to a depth of several Inches , i the other end of the tube is fixed a pe cussion cap , similar to those used toy pistols , and lying against the si < of the tube , which is pierced in its tui by a small hole. The distance betwei the extending end of the fuse and tl percussion cap is only .07 Inch. The er of the tube with the percussion cap introduced into another cylinder , ah of copper , which contains the firit mechanism. To operate the apparati Hie tube containing the fuse is held i the left hand , while with the palm < the right a smart blow is struck on tl button of the percutient , when the ca explodes. The gas produced by the fuse fil Jhe cylinder , says the Black Diamoni jut cannot escape outside , unless extii ruished. as the holes in the cylinder ai rovered with metallic gauze. In pra < :5ce : , the tubes are prepared outside , i : he daytime , by the lamp cleaner , g hat no stray percussion caps may I irought into the mine. ishl"A Twenty years ago a minister In : ertain mission church married a coi jle who had decided on matrimony al er a very short acquaintance. Th nan was a sailor , very much down a he heels , who had just shipped for ong voyage ; the girl was a thrift , lervant in a good house. The sailor called the parson apart ii he vestry ( for it was a church wed ling , although with only the wituusse oq-iircd ) and confided to him that h vas literally reduced to his last ceuf vhich he proffered as a marriage fee aying that if all went well with hin ie would return some day and pa : nore. lie was to spend a few day : vih his bride at her mother's , thei ail for a three .vears' voyage. Ho hat old her it would take his last com to he minister , but she did not kuov hat this was literally true. The parson had forgotten all abou he incident when , the other day. hi eceived a call from a happy , prosper us second mate of a vessel of a bif rcight line , accompanied by his wif < nd a flock of five youngsters. Th < all was made for the purpose ol liauking the minister for his polite ess about the one-cent fee , and re nesting his acceptance of a twenty ollar gold piece. "It's worth more'n that , " said tht lieerful husband , "but perhaps thai rill help out on marrying some more ) lks on the installment plan , a cent own and a dollar a year ! " New York [ ail and Express. Mountains Never Grow Smaller , The mountains are always moving own Into the valleys. When spring- me comes every stream will run mud- y In its course. At this rate all the ) il from the hills would soon be gone ere not this soil being constantly re- laced. Water soaks into the crevicea P the rocks , and when it freezes it veils with almost irresistible force hat a very little of It can crack an on pipe most of us have found to out > st. Thus therock is split , and the ieces made in this way are again roken Into finer and finer fragments atil new soil is made to take the ace of that which is so rapidly mov- g down to the lowlands. Ladies' ome Journal. Pert , but Patriotic. "Sir Thomas Lipton is going to keep ying for the cup , " said the young ngllshman. "Yes. " answered Miss Cayenne ; i-our country is going to keep on try- g and ours is going to keep on suc- eding. " Washington Star. An Illuminated Bird's Nest. The baya bird of India spends Its lare time catching mammoth fireflies , liich it fastens to the side of its nest ith moist clay. On a dark night the lya's nest looks like an electric lamp. What has become of the old-fashioa- woinan who said : "Oh , now yoa ishl" A DOG DETECTIVE. He Is Useful in Spotting Game It Violation * } in Maine . The game laws of Maine positiv prohibit the transportation of partrk and woodcock from the State , but "p hunters" if not sportsmen are fruit in expedients to evade the law. Th persistance has led to the employmi of "Scip , " an "undersized cur of ba < mixed lineage. " belonging to one of I State game wardens. His duty , sr the Lewiston Journal , is to exam ! certain trains that comelown fr < Northern Maine. i As people alight from the train f notice the little dog dodging aino them , sniffing at this hand-bag and tl bundle. Soon his master hears a lit bark. He knows what'that means , a dropping everything , finds Scip nosi about the heels of a passenger. T warden closes In on the "game" point by Scip , quietly invites the suspect ii the baggage-room , and questions h about the game which he has conceal about his person or effects. The dog has never been known to f in "pointing" game. He may possil have missed some , but when he h made up his mind that there is a vio tlon of the law he has always been c < rect so far. - But inspecting the hand-baggage not all of the little detective's work , any means After the passengers a all out he hops into the baggage and c press car. and applies bis nose to evei thing in sight. While making his usual Inspection the express car the other day he cai across a barrel purporting to conta Bsh. It certainly had fish in it. Sc sniffed at it went on and then car back and sniffed again. Round ai round the barrel he went , whining ai lancing as If it were full of rats. With a faith in the little animal bo Df long experience , the warden inves ? ated the barrel , and found in the ce ter of a liberal lining of fresh fish se ral dozen plump partridges. "Fisl shipments from a certain Washingt < bounty station has ceased since then. COMRADES. Free and Easy Companionship of Ei glish Soldiers in Sontli Africa. The rough give-and-take and the fre md-easy comradeship of army life ai jleasantly illustrated in Rennie Steve on'sbook , "Through Rhodesia , ' * wher n he tells some of the experiences < iharpshooters in South Africa. On the march , he says , we had a vays great difficulty in finding the spi vhere we had left our saddles. J light we used them for pillows , ar > ften one would be rudely awakenc > y a gruff voice at his ear , "Here , shit' Fhis is my saddle. " "It isn't your saddle. " "It is " "It isn't" "It is. " "Well , even if it is , I'm not going 1 hift at this time of night. " "Aren't you ? We'll see about that , Then in the moonlight two fonr rould be seen struggling , now amon he horses and again falling over the. omrades. The fray continued until one or th ther man was victorious. Then th wo generally sat down and threw n larks at each other : "Well , cocky , you thought you'd pu 36 off that saddle , did you ? " "Oh. it's all very well for you ! Yo aven't had fever. Wait till yon get i nd then see if you have any strengt jft ! " Then the whole argument would pre * ntly end Ihus : "Well , good-night , matey ! I'm gettin : leepy. " "Good night , lad ! I hope our ro\ on't bring back the fever. I didn' now you felt the effects of it still. I'i ave given back the saddle at once i d known. You can have it now if yoi ant" . "No , thanks , I'm all right as I am. " "Sure ? " "Yes. " "Good night ! " "Good night ! " How He Fooled the Do . A gentleman who is fond of studying ild animals in their natural surround gs once had an opportunity of seeim r himself an example of the cunninj T which the fox has become pro jrbial. As he was standing near the bank ol river one winter day , he saw a fos n out upon the ice and make straight r a hole. At the edge of the openinc s stopped , turned , followed his tracks ick to the bank , ran down the stream id paused to await developments. In a little while a dog came tearing t of the woods , with his nose close to e Ice and snow. Heran along the ice ith his head down , following the ent until he reached the opening. It is then too late to check his speed ; plunged into the water and was lost ider the ice. The fox. meanwhile , had waited in lin sight to watch the effect of his tie trick. After the dog came into ? w the fox remained perfectly mo- inless until he saw his old enemy dis- pear. Then , with a look on his face lich seemed to combine a good-na- red grin with a mild contempt , ho nt nonchalantly off about his busi- ss. Effect of Philippine Climate. ledical men have noted the injurious ect of the Philippine climate on ninds. The time for healing is much iger than here. In South Africa it shorter. Extinct Volcano in A'ew York. L Harvard professor has discovered iat he considers the remains of an : Inct volcano at Schuylerville , N. Y. , imall country place already famous * * American history. ' J &t& & Protecting Stable "Windows. To ventilate a stable without expos ing the animals to direct drafts of air , take three half-inch boards and arrange fhem at the bottom and slides of a win dow. These side boards will cut off any side drafts and enable one to leave the window open a considerable space. Then take another half-inch board and hinge it to the top of the window cas ing inside , after boring a number ol holes In it. When the wind Is blow Ing strongly , drop this shutter , after sliding the window to one sidt * far enough to admit what air is desired. In the strongest blows a small amount of 'PBOTECTION FOB STABLE WINDOWS. air only will be forced Into the stable , but always enough to give the animals a supply of pure air. Indianapolis News. Soil Cnltnre in Fruit-Gro-rrlnfr. A few years ago there were few farmers who had any faith in the efforts of skilled experimenters to in duce them to conserve the moisture in the soil by a system of shallow culti vation during the summer. One by one they tried the plan , many of them in desperation during a season of drought , until now thousands have proved Its great value. Fruit growers are becoming interested in the question and realize that with fruits that ansorb mmense quantities of water from the soil it is absolutely necessary that ev erything possible be done to keep in the soil for the use of the tree during the summer all that is possible of the water that falls during the fall , winter and spring. Nothing will accomplish this better than'the system of surface culture during the summer. Then if this plan Is followed by a cover crop during the winter to be turned under in the spring , the trees have every in centive to thrive , provided , of course , the soil is properly fertilized. A Humane Stanchion. The old-fashioned , rigid stanchion , consisting of two uprights , keeps an animal from moving backward or for- ward , but it also confines the head so closely that very little movement of this is possible , while the fact that thestanchion has no "give" in any direc tion causes a good many bumps upon the animal's horns , ears and shoulders when it is getting up or lying.down. lr is possible to make use of a stanchion , however , aud j et have It admit of considerable move ment of the ani mal's head , while still confining its STANCHION. forward or back ward movements to very small limits. The cut shows the construction. The upright post turns freely at the base and at the top. Two iron L pieces hold the swinging upright at the bottom , ys shown , while a swinging iron clamp at the top holds it wh'en shut With s-ich a stanchion the cow can move back and forth but little , but can move the head about from side to side with great free dom , while the swing of the stanchion causes it to "give" a little when the cow is lying down or getting up. Tribune-Farmer. Cotton-Seed Meal as a Fertilizer. The plan of using cotton seed in vari- our forms as a fertilizer is not a de sirable practice. It is generally ad mitted that we may add to the soil's fertility by the direct application of several crops , the legumes , for exam ple , but in very many cases the.se crops could be made to answer a double pur pose. This is the case with cotton seed meal. If fed to the stock in small quantities together with roughagp of almost any kind , it will be beneficial to the animals and still lose none of Its manurial value. All sorts of plans may be tried in soil fertilization , but the fact still remains that the best resuUs are obtained , all things considered , when &ixxr : is used Jn connection with farm- Ing. j.liat many dairy farms do not pay Is admitted , but on the other hand , there are few farms that are profitable if stock is not kept on them. Regular.form'ni ' ? Is meant r demonstrated time and again , there IM no farm used for general work thai would not be more profitable if mot stock was added up to the number that could be supported from the farm. Horae for the Farmer. Speaking on the most useful bors % for the farmer before the West Vir ginia Live Stock Breeders' Associa tion. C. E. Lewis said In part : Tb heavy horse has a signal advantage ia some farm operations. In plowing Oe operating a manure spreader or haul ing the crops to the barn or to market the heavy horse Is just what is want ed , but in harrowing he does not Uav an advantage proportionate to his siz , For drawing a mowing machine tb lighter horse is better. Hitch a heavy horse to the shovel plow or cultivator and start him up and down the corn field , with scarcely room between th three-foot rows for him to put his poiv derous feet walking on two rows at once and hi caking down more corn to each than a little horse could in one , and you will quickly decide that b was not made for that kind of work. Besides , to carry 1,000 pounds of sur plus , useless horseflesh over the soft ground of the cornfield takes a gre V deal of energy , and that energy has t be supplied by an extra amount of feed. Then through the long wlntc * months of idleness It requires a great deal of grain to keep the heavy horse' * huge body in repair. Heat in Bee Culture. While it Is possible to do many thing * with artificial heat all attempts to hasten activity on the part of the bee * by artificial heat have proved failures more , have been fatal to the colon j. Prominence is given this now In view ; of several Items going the round of tht press advising the packing of hives I * stable manure to furnish the artificial heat In experiments brood rearing was hastened , it Is true , and more bee hatched , but they were weak , and sue- 'uinhed to the weather when they left the hives , and many of the honey gath erers started out earlier owing to th artificial heat , and never returned. The hives should , of course , be packed with som - material so that the beej will not suffer during the winter , bot ill attempts to force them to gather lioney before settled weather will re sult in disaster. Three-Horse Kvener. To make a good three-horse evenet : ake two pieces of hickory or red eln\ > r any tough wood one Inch thick , six nches wide and thirty-eight inches ong , for the main pieces , and a hook , vith an eye large enough for the cen- : er bolt to pass through. Then get two TIir.lCK-lIOKSE KVIJX ticks one inch thick , three inches wida UK ! eighteen inches iong and a single , ree eighteen 'inches long. A single- ree with an iron pulley will answer for lie middle horse A short twisted link bain should pass from the two ends f the eviMi.-re over the pulley. Tlrc ( lustration shows the manner of con- truction better than can be described. -Iowa Homestead. Feeding Skim Milk. There is no doubt that skim milk nil bring the greatest returns when ed to laying hens , provided one can et twenty cents or more a dozen for 'inter eggs , and if one has but few ogs and many hens the latter should ave the skim milk by all means. On ie other hand , it may be fed to hoga 'ith profit , and if fed with corn meal 'ill easily be worth twenty cents a undredweight The trouble is that ot one feeder in a hundred feeds skim ilk properly. It usually goes Iitio th ough at any time when convenient 3d is often mixed with other slop that not so clean , and St is made to take W- e place of grain to some extent ' in Winter. Pigs in winter take a great deal ot ire. and one of the greatest cares fa , keep them In a dry , warm plrtc hey must be fed different feed froa hat they get in summer time 2 > not require the same amount 'of * d in summer as in winter. Pastures summer furnish very much of th5 Care of Stock. Feed and management have much to i with the health as well as thrift * s of stock. Young and growing anl- als require feed which will mak9 ne and muscle rather than fat Bed- Qg liberally with some dry material ill add greatly to the comfort of tha imals during the winter.-Kansas trmer. Sore Throat in Calves , Put one ounce turpentine in a pan ot Hing water , and bold this under the iinal's head for twenty minutesre - at three times a day ; also give a ispoonful of the compound syrun of iiHlP at a dose three times a day a tablespoonful of common syrup. Cowpox. f a cow has sore teats and the sorea ik like cowpox. wash the teats clean th soap and warm water after eacb Iking. Where dry. apply iodine oinb ; nt of one-eighth strength. Jxperimentation is being conducted Pennsylvania In the growing of Hv '