THE DRAGONS.
, - . . , Prince Vortigern so run the ancient tales
x A stronghold sought to build in wildest Wales ;
But some fell power frustrated each essay ,
And nightly wrecked the labors of the day ;
Till Merlin came , and bade the builders all ,
Beneath the escarp'd and many-bastioned wall ,
Dig deep ; and lo , two dragons , o'er whose lair
Nothing secure might rise , lay sleeping there.
Search the foundations , you that build a state ;
For if the dragon forms of Wrath and Hate
Lie coiled below , and darkly bide their hour ,
Fear walks the rampart. Fear ascends the tower.
And let it not content you that they sleep ;
Drive them with strong enchantments to the deep.
First of such charms is Perfect Justice ; then
Comes the heart's word that conquers beasts ami rnon
No other craft shall serve no spells but these
Drive the old dragons to the whelming seas.
Saturday Review.
TheirGrewsome Bridesmaid
EOKGE IIAYDEN was really no
such great villain after all.
Put baldly , he had merely
flirted with a girl of a lower position
in life than his own , and left her. Yet
circumstances and the girl had be
fore long made the affair seem a heart
less tragedy , and for two miserable
years George Hayden had been haunt
ed by it
There was no doubt that he had
made love , generally with gay non
chalance , occasionally with fervor , to
Kate Moon , of Mossdyke farm.
It was during that summer when he
was off fishing in Devon , and the
feather was beyond reproach except
for fishing. The trout would not bite ,
and'Kate Moon was beautiful , tall and
black haired , with a complexion of the
proverbial Devon milk and roses ; a
magnificent passionate , impulsive girl.
It was an artistic pleasure to him to
see her corning toward him in her lilac-
cotton gown she always wore lilac-
cotton gowns unlike any one else's , full
gathered and dainty , with a bordering
of palest pink around hem and waist ;
the effect was one of lavender and
roses.
It was when the rector came back
.fter his holiday , bringing with him his
sister , his niece and quite by coinci-
* 'TELL HER ABOUT ME ASD SEE WHAT
SHE'LL SAY. "
dence a college friend of Hayden ,
that mischief began , and it began
without delay , for the college friend
recognizing Hayden in the village , in
troduced him to the rectory party , and
Hayden promptly fell in love , gen
uinely this time , with Sybil Dove , the
rector's niece.
It did not take Kate Moon long ,
either , to see her doom.
Hayden , it is true , was a .little trou
bled at first but that was merely an
noyance with himself for the careless
way in which he had talked love
"desecrated , " he called it but he did
not dream of the * manner in which
Kate would take it
No one but Hayden and Kate her-
eelf knew of that terrible night of re
crimination when the moon shone
down on the final meeting In Dalling
wood.
By the next night Hayden had left
the village ; by the next Sunday Kate
Moon had left the world ; she had
drowned herself in the river the pret
ty river where the trout had fought
ehoy of Hayden's rod and line.
And Hayden began that terrible two
years with the sight of the girl con
stantly before his eyes , in her lilac
.gown , with the rose-pink bands about
her waist and hem , and with her last
-words in his ears.
"Tell her about me , and see what
she'll say of your love ! Tell her , I say ,
or I'll curse you to your very marriage
day ! aye , to your very deathbed ; I'll
walk and sit and stand between you ,
and you shall never bide in peace ! "
Then what had seemed but a sum
mer's flirtation shocked Hayden aa a
lieartless tragedy , and grew and grew
into his life till he became to himself
a sort of banned wanderer.
About two years later Hayden met
Sybil Dove in Rome , and for the first
time the wretched tragedy became less
important , and his heart leaped. He
could see , too , that Sybil was happy to
meet him.
For weeks he sunned himself in joy ,
.and tried to banish Kate. Then one
-dny he faced the ghost and reasoned
with himself in a logical , sensible man
ner , and his state of mind became more
normal , arid he asked himself why he
-should not be happy.
Next morning , on the hili , he broke
Into the first love words he had uttered
* lnce he dawdled with Kate by the
Devonshire river.
"I love you ! " he cried out. as ho un <
Sybil sat resting in the noonday
"Sybil , I can't Jive without you !
have hungered for you since I firs
met you two years ago ! "
"I"love you , too ! " she said , simply
when she could find voice. And Hay
den held her in his arms for a raptur
ous moment.
When he glanced up , his arms stil
about her , a girl was passing along th <
hill below a dark-haired girl , in i
lilac gown. It was , of course , merely
a coincidence.
Hayden shivered and loosed hii
clasp. The old haunted feeling hac
returned. He had an impulse to tel
Sybil the whole wretched story , but i
would be a gloomy beginning to th (
first hour of his new happiness. Be
sides which , Mrs. Dove came into sighi
at the moment
Those were strange months , thos (
months of engagement There were
hours when both Hayden and Sybi
were wildly gay ; but again there wen
hours when a cloud hung over them
when something seemed to be betweer
them , checking their words as if E
third person were listening.
In himself Hayden could under
stand the feeling , for even now , spite
of argument , spite of happy future , he
could not throw off the recollection of
Kate Moon and her despair. But the
same mood in Sybil he could not un
derstand. Was the drowned girl al
ways to be between them ? Haydeu
groaned.
"Tell her , I say , tell her , or "
In desperation Hayden caught up
his hat. "I'll stroll down to the
church , " he muttered hastily the
evening before the wedding , after
hours of gloom in which he had.seen
the dead girl walking between him
self and his living bride.I'll see how
the decorations are getting on. "
It was a lovely old building of gray
stone , far famed for its many windows
of str.hivl glass , which in a clo.se line
told in rich purples and crimsons the
story of Joseph and his brethren.
One or two gardeners were busy at
the choir stalls ; some girls talking in
subdued tones were garlanding a pil
lar. Hayden watched their deftness.
Then with a tender impulse he turned
his eyes to the altar , where he would
kneel to-morrow beside
A sudden horror clutched him , the
blood surged within him and deaf
ened him. Bending at the altar step
was a dark-haired figure in a lilac
gown with a pink band across the
hem.
Hayden groped with his hand , and ,
clutching a pew door , closed his eyes
in a despairing faintuess. His bond
age was to be relentless.
When he looked again the figure
was gone. The girls at the pillar had
turned from their work to speak to
another. Unseen in his misery , Hay
den stole out at the porch , stunned
and cold in the sunshine.
Hayden never forgot the night which
followed , as he lay , unnerved and
hopeless , waiting for his wedding day ,
and facing in all their details the two
years past and the many years to
come , from the day when he had
played a summer's game with the
heart of a girl to all the days when he
should live close to the girl ha loved ,
and feel himself a murderer.
Toward morning he began to take a
more ordinary view of the matter.
This was his wedding day sunny ,
happy , glorious. He had been in an
excited , unnatural state of inind yes
terday. He had brooded so long that
his remorse was abnormal.
"The prettiest wedding the village
had ever seen , " the people said after
ward. The pews were packed and a
subdued buzz of comment played
about Hayden's ears as he waited.
He had not allowed himself much
time to kill ; but supported by his
best man , he took his place about five
minutes before the bride was expect
ed. He determined to throw off use
less self-reproaches and do his best in
the future.
The brightly colored crowd was an
undlstinguishable whole to him ; but
at the end of the aisle was a shaft of
brilliant light ; it streamed through
the porch , and into and through it
walked a double Hue of beauty.
They came on in the sunshine and
halted till the end of the lines was in
side tlit door , then they widened the
space between them and lined the
lo-.vor half of the little aisle.
The smile on Hayden's face snapped
off ns suddenly as if struck by a
hand ; lii ? .Matures became stiff and
ashen-colored ; a roar seemed to b
filling the church and hurting hi
| brain , the building itself heaved abou
! him.
| But the figure on which his eye.ha <
i first smilingly rested stood motionless
She stood nearest to him , as firs
bridesmaid , her back slightly turned
a drooping hat almost hid her fea
tures , but she was dark-haired am
splendidly poised , and her gown wa
of lilac with a pink band about tii
hem ! Lilac , among the white gown
beside her !
Then he felt a hand grip his am
firmly. "Keep up , old man , she's com
ing , " some one said.
Then a hush , ihen a stir filled th <
church , and between the waitinj
bridesmaids , shutting from his sigh
that terrifying form , came Sybil to
ward him ; and chilled , horror-filled
as one in a dream , he stepped to mee
her.
"Tell her , I say , tell her " was ii
his ears as the marriage service began
A strange vow mingled with Hay
den's marriage vows. "Tell her ? " " :
will. " "I will. " "I vow it. "
There was no lilac gown among tru
bridesmaids surrounding her when hi
took her away. He could see no on <
like Kate Moon.
But he told Sybil all the story ai
they drove toward their new life ;
and she listened with flushed , avertet
cheek.
But when he had finished , and i
moment's silence like a concrete blocl
of despair had followed , she turned tc
him and wept upon his shoulder. Anc
"How you must both have suffered ! '
were her first sobbing words.
But because she was frightened bj
the new suffering the telling of the
tale had cost him , she did not say thai
she had known the story all along , anc
that the silence had been as an aveng
ing ghost between them.
One day , long after , when Hayder
and his wife strolled into the old
church , he noticed a curious thing.
Sybil had walked toward the chancel
while Hayden halted by the door , and
as she stood a moment in the aisle he
saw her white gown turn to lilac in the
sunlight , and a band of rose-color fell
across the hem.
For a moment the blood flushed into
his face , and all the miserable past
rose before him.
Then , as he looked , Sybil moved for
ward and her gown was white again
and again as she moved it was
splashed with color.
Then in swift enlightenment he
looked up at the famous windowed
story of Joseph and he understood.
"It was all for the best , though , " he
said to himself at last , and in unutter
able relief he followed his wife and
stood again beside her before the
altar. Utica Globe.
MEDICINAL VIRTUES OF FISH.
Carp and tlie Tench Are Valuable aa
Curatives.
Fishing literature , prior to the days
and writings of Izaak Walton , opens
up points of interest which are unique ,
says the Brooklyn Eagle. Not the least
interesting are the constant references
cf the early writers to the medical vir
tues of fish. Of course , many of the
salt and fresh water fishes mentioned
by the old writers are not recognized
by the writers of to-day , but the fresh
water perch , carp , tench and eel are
yet recognized , and it is in connection
with these fish that some of the quaint
est ideas as to their medical virtues
has prevailed.
In the art of healing the carp plays
a respectable part One old writer
speaks of the fat of the.carp as be
ing of miraculous powers for the alle
viation of "hot rheumatism. " The
manner of its application was by fre
quent rubbing on tae painful part and
the effect was said to be eminently
mollifying and salutary. The trian
gular bones in the throat of the carp ,
on being ground to a powder and ap
plied to a wound or bleeding nose ,
were said to act as styptic. The gall
was also said to have been used for
sore eyes and "above the eyes : " says
an old Esculapius , "two little bones
exist semi-circular in shape , which
are diligently preserved by noble fe
males against the lunatical disease. "
The eel has also a respectable med
ical history. Members of the profes
sion from Galen to the present day
recommend it Hippocrates , however ,
makes this exception : "This food is
forbidden in tabes and diseased
spleen. " Galen prescribed it in ne-
pnritis. The monks of Salerno held
the eel in abhorrence. They say , ac
cording to Dr. Badham , in tueir dietet
ic code , "to live on eels is a sure reci
pe for spoiling the voice. " Pliny also
held this opinion , but says also , "sin
gular they are holden to be to cleanse
the humors , either cholerick or phleg
matic , likewise , to cure the infirm
ities of the spleen , and only that they
be hurtful to the throat and make a
man to lose his voice they be harm
less enow. "
Pacing the Future.
"What is baby's name ? " asked the
graciously condescending young wom
an.
an."His name is Flyin' Machine Jack
son , " was the colored mother's reply.
"How did you come to give him such
in extraordinary name ? "
'
"Well , you see dat chile takes after
tils father an' I wanted to give him a
name dat were gwine to be appropri-
ite , An' every time anybody mentions
flyin' machine' dey say it's sumpin'
lat positively refuses to work. "
Washington Star.
Can Claim Damage.
In Mexico the family of a dead duel
ist can claim support from the person
tvho shot him.
The masculine idea of an intellects
il woman is the one who is as thin aa
i matcl : . ? nd wears classes.
i i f $ > f i > 'f f > 'H 'f f" $ H" ?
.
L HL J MLl. fll 1 *
< *
Opinions of Great Papers on Important Subjects.
4 * "f * f * * f * i * < 4 * 4 * * i' '
Official Corruption.
HE great Governments and the great municipal
Ities of the world have a problem before then
which as yet they have not fairly faped , bui
which they must face if they are to make sun
in times of emergency of the efficiency of theli
agents. The growing hunger for money as tht
one absolute condition of endurable life , the
Increasing severity of the competition for great contracts
and the decaying abhorrence of suicide all tend to the de
velopment of "corruption" in its official sense , that is , o
bribe-taking by officials , and of stealing from State and
municipal departments. No form of government seems tc
protect the nations from it We Iiave less of it than mos
countries , because under our social conditions the class
which really governs has been taught from early childhood
to regard bribe-taking as a worse dishonor even than cheat
Ing at cards , and because those who suffer are absolutely
free to complain ; but even here , when the Government is
forced to spend millions suddenly , rings are formed to get
some of that money , and the taxpayer is fleeced through
preposterous charges and illicit commissions. * * *
It is a great blot on modern civilization , which in many
respects depends upon efficiency for success. Efficiency and
corruption are wholly incompatible. Some think that cor
ruption produces only waste , and that they can bear waste ;
but that is a false view. Corruption , in the first place ,
arrests the employment of the best men in leading posi
tions , for the whole energy of the corrupt is devoted to
preventing their promotion , or if they are promoted , to
rendering their positions untenable. In the second place ,
corruption makes energetic administration nearly Impossi
ble , for no Government ever loses the hop ? of preventing
it ; and to prevent it most of them apply an Infinity of
"checks , " every one. of which occupies part of the time of
the executive officer , and increases the load of responsi
bility under which at last he dare do nothing without pre
vious sanction , And , in the third place , corruption is not
only fatal to the very idea of duty , but to the habit of
performing it.
A perfect remedy for corruption is hard to find , because
it requires a change in the motives of the corrupt which
Governments cannot produce , and which society will not be
at the pains to encourage effectively ; but two or three
palliatives might at least be tried. One is to protect those
who complain. Another is to pay all those who have any
thing whatever to do with contracts at least decently , a rule
often neglected in the case of toe experienced but subor
dinate men upon whose judgment their less experienced
superiors In matters of business compelled to rely. And a
hird is declare . bribe-giving and bribe-receiving a form of
reason severely punishable whenever It is proved. Ixmilon
Spectator.
Social Gravitation.
HE census proves incontestably that the drift
of population cityward reached its maximum
some years ago , and has begun to recede. Some
one has said : "Hereafter the city and the coun
try will march side by side , with even step. "
Even this is hardly probable. The change of
drift Is owing to economical conditions that
will continue strongly to favor the country. Population
will still move out and differentiate from the masses. In
act , the coming deal seems to be rather an evenly dis-
ributed suburbanism , covering the whole country ; while
he cities will remain as ganglia. Following this ideal the
ity will grow more country-like , while the country will
teadily acquire those privileges which have heretofore be
longed to the city.
According to a recent census bulletin , l. > 9 towns show
an increase of 02 per cent during the last ten years , which
is about the average of the increase of the whole country.
The relative gain of cities from 3SSO to 1890 was from 22
to 29 per cent or 7 per cent positive increase but from
1890 to 1900 this increase was only about 2 % per cent.
This tells the story with accuracy. It does not warrant.us
in assuming that cities will cease to grow , but that rela
tively they will cease to grow as fast as the country. * * *
A potent cause for depopulating the country came in with
improved machinery. Farm work could be done with few
er hands. A single reaper would replace ten men. Costly
machinery could be profitably used only on large farms ,
yet a single reaper might serve a dozen small farm owners
GREAT AGRICULTURAL DISCOVERY
Four-fifths of every breath of air
which the lungs inhale is pure nitro
gen. It is one of the commonest of
the elements. And yet , says a writer
in narper's Monthly , it is the one thing
for the lack of which wheat fields ,
cotton fields and corn fields are aban
doned as "worn out" because it is the
most expensive plant food for man to
supply to the soil , and one which most
plants are unable to absorb in its pure
state from the air. To remedy tills
the Department of Agriculture at
Washington is preparing to distribute
among farmers a substance resembling
compressed yeast , which will raise , not
bread , but crops ; for when applied
to certain plants it will enable them
to tike abundant nitrogen from the at
mosphere. The "yeast" is really a
mass of germs , which bid fair to be
come most efficient gardeners.
It has long been known that clover
end other leguminous crops flourish in
"worn-out" soil , and when plowed into
It partially restore the fertility of it.
Studying this phenomenon , scientists
have found that in such a soil the
plants have nodules , little bunches or
swellings , on their roots , which they
do not have when grown elsewhere.
These nodules are formed by bacteria
called radiocola.
Professor Nobbe , a German investi
gator , found that lupines which had
the nodules would grow in soil devoid
of nitrogen. Without the nodules the
lupines would not grow. He obtained
some of the radiocola from the nodules
and propagated them in gelatine till
he had many millions of the germs.
He then put Into three jars equal
quantities of sterilized sand contain
ing no nitrogen whatever. In each jar
he planted beans. The first he fer
tilized with all the usual plant foods
except nitrogen. The second he sup-
co-operatively. So far , the Eastern States were at the
greater disadvantage , the deserted farms were common
throughout New England. It was wiser to so West with
small capital , and leave the homestead to go back to wil
derness , rather than to remain and be starved. This state
of affairs , in aggravated symptoms , continued until near
the close of the nineteenth century. * * * A cause for
the reaction which we chronicle , is the splendid increase in
the value of farm products , brought about by our having
secured the world's markets. Commercial expansion dur
ing the last ten years has immensely increased the expor
tation of nearly everything that the farm produces. Our
fruits , our meats , our corn are now found in every marketf |
of the globe. There is no longer any fear of overproduction - \ /
tion ; v/e have only to insist on the open door principle and
free competition. The farmer can apply his whole attention
to the increase of products , and the conquest of Insect and
fungoid enemies. Agriculture is proving itself to be once
more what it was in the early part of thelast _ century ,
the most independent of all the industries. New York In-
Forts and N'aval Attacks.
NE of the surprises of the Far Eastern war is
the failure of the fort guns to do more damage
in the attacking fleets. It was a matter of faith
among the authorities that not even the strong
est modern battleship could safely attack an
effective modern fort , armed with long-range
heavy guns. England is at present making a
number of long-range fort guns for the defense of her south
coast , and it is calculated that these guns will easily be
able to throw a twelve or thirteen-inch shell across the
Straits of Dover , so that it would not seem to be worth
while for France even to take her Channel squadron out
of port , much less to attempt to land in the face of such an
overwhelming attack. But this is mere theory. The truth
Is , that , although the weight and range of these guns have
oeen steadily increasing the human powers which are to
use them have not shown , and are not likely to show a cor
responding progress. While a gun can carry a shell across
the Straits of Dover , the gunner who could make a hit of
twenty miles Is yet unborn ; neither eyesight nor fineness
of hand are equal to the task. Nor would the atmosphere
permit it , if they were. Attacks by fleets' are made by sea ;
and the sea Is proverbially untrustworthy in the matter of
weather. Air currents , mists , uneven radiation , mirage
and a dozen similar causes deflect the shot and the vision
which directs it Moreover , no one nowadays is likely to
attack a fort at close range in broad daylight The Port
Arthur bombardments were nearly all at night and some
of them in snowstorms. It is intelligible that a ship at
sea can more or less locate a position on land , such as the
rolden Hill above Port Arthur , over a town where there
are certain to be some lights at least ; but the fort has no
lights to guide it in locating the ship , except the momentary
flash of the guns , which give hardly any opportunity for
aiming. In the case of the Vladivostok bombardment it
seems that the Japanese fleet were too far off to do any
damage , and , therefore , too far off to receive any. It is' '
also likely that the object of that attack was to draw the1
Russian fire in order to locate their forts ; the Russians
soomotl to have divined this , and naturally abstained from
Weekly.
No Thought of Annexation.
= * K Unitefl States undeiS.V
S V regards Canada as undeiS. -
- * \
H jjRritish Imperial suzerainty , an independent
- ) voivigii tuition , whoso title is as valid us that
if nny nation on the globe. It has no thought
of annexing Canada against her wi ! ! , nor does
t indeed , regard annexation as necessary or
inevitable. It is not sitting up o' nights to coaxer
or to coerce the Dominion into union with the Republic.
If ever Canada should at her own will seek such union ,
the United States would probably be cordially responsive
But , if Canada never does seek it , the United States will
regard with entire unanimity and satisfaction the prospect
3f continuing for all time to share this continent with an
other great English-speaking commonwealth , and will only
liope for constantly increasing sentiments of mutual esteem
\nd constantly strengthening bonds of friendship between
: hese two sovereign nations. New York Tribune.
plied with the same food and salt
peter , a form of nitrogen easily ab
sorbed by plants. The third he fed
like the first , and in addition inoculat
ed sand with his radiocola.
The result was extremely interest
ing. The beans all came up , and for a
few days grew alike. Then the first
lot , having no nitrogen , turned yellow
and died. ' The second continued to
grow in normal fashion. But the third ,
although it got no nitrogen in the soil ,
flourished far beyond its neighbor , and
developed a luxuriant and healthy
growth , showing that the radiocola
had enabled it to draw its nitrogen
from the air.
Professor Nobbe carried his experi
ments much further. He showed that
while in neutral soil radiocola are all
alike , once they have associated them
selves with a given plant , as clover ,
they become very nearly useless for
other plants , such as beans and
lupines. Accordingly he has labored
to produce highly specialized bacteria
for each crop gardening germs
trained to grow their specialty.
Having done this , his next move waste
to place them in the farmers' hands.
He grew them by millions and packed
them in bottles of gelatine. All that
the farmer needed to do was to dilute
the gelatine with warm water , mix it
with the seed and a little soil , partially
dry the mixture and sow it The
germs did the rest
There was much opposition to the
new "fertilizer , " and one old farmer
who did not believe in It planted in
a big field a lot of the inoculated seed
in a big letter "N , " Professor Nobbe
having named the gelatine compound
"Nifragen. " The farmer was amazed
and convinced when above all his oth
er beans that year there stood out the
letter "N" in luxuriant and healthy
plants.
Professor Nobbe's glass jars are in
convenient to handle , so the United
States Department of Agriculture , fol
lowing up his experiments , has hit
upon the "compressed yeast cake
plan" as simple and satisfactory.
Comrades.
Bobby was ten years old and an
alarmingly light-hearted and careless
young person. It was supposed , how
ever , that he would be capable of es
corting his grandmother to the family
Christmas dinner , one block away from
her home , without mishap.
He was tall for his age , and he of
fered his arm to his grandmother in a
gallant and satisfactory manner aa
they started off together.
"I hope he will remember that she Is
almost ninety , and not try to hurry
her. I'm sure I've cautioned him
enough , " said Bobby's mother , as she
began to dress her younger children.
But when she arrived at the family
party it appeared that grandmother
had turned her ankle and was lying
on the lounge.
"Bobby , " said the mother , reproach
fully , "where were you when grandma
slipped ? "
"Now I won'tve that boy
blamed , " said grandmother , briskly ,
smiling up into Bobby's remorseful
face. "We came to a fine ice slide ,
and he asked me if I thought I couid
do it , and I told him I did. And I want
you children to remember one thing :
when you get to be most ninety you'll <
count a turned ankle a small thing
compared with having somebody forget -
get that you've outlived everything but
rheumatism and sitting still. Anybody
that likes can rub this ankle a minute
or two with some liniment , but I want
Bobby next me at dinner , mind ! "
He Had Twenty-seven "Wives.
In the course of a murder trial at
Cape Town recently the defendant an
aged Malay trader , admitted that he
had twenty-seven wives.
Our idea of a mean man is one who
spends tworthirds of his time in get
ting money and the other third in keep
ing it
