THE NORFOLK : NEWS : FRIDAY , OCTOBER 21,1002.
Rrlstow Station \VIIH In the I'nnhun-
< llu section of TI'.VIIH , Mini n more lone
ly and dreary place It would he lined
to Iliul. Thorn was but ono building ,
which served for frolghthotiHO. piiHucn-
per depot and ticket and telegraph
olllce , Hert Hrown , the K. and M.
ngcut , had to do all the biislncNH and
cook bin own nu'iil.s over an oil Htove.
Tlii'ro wore four trains dally over thu
road ; tint , unless flagged , the two pus-
ncngor tralim went through llrlnlow
nt a llfty inllo clip. To the wont of the
Htntlnn wan a long siding with cattle.
jion.M , then a straight traclc for thirty
miles over the pratrlo ,
Itert could alwayH count on n visit
from throe or four tramps a day , nnd ,
though the Instructions from the divi
sion superintendent were to "discour
age" them , ho took IIH ! own course In
the matter. To "discourage" them
meant to threaten them with paltm and
penalties and refuse ( hum oven a drink
of water. To Bert It looked too much
like childish split , and , though ho may
have done HOIDO growling now and
then , ho alwayH had a bite to eat and
n hit of tobacco for the "tourlHt" whoso
language wan respectful. AH a matter
of fact , there were tlinen when ho
could Hit down with ono of them for
nn hour and bo Interested In the
trnmp'H adventures by Hood and field.
If Itert did not obey IIH ! Instructions
to the letter , the section IIOHH on that
tcctlon did. Ho was a burly big fel
low , regarded by his employers as a
bully and a coward. Knowing that he
bad the law on his side , he fairly went
hunting for tramps. If one was found
trade walking , ho received such n
thumping that ho could hardly crawl
olT to a highway , and no freight train
with a hobo on the ImmperH could pass
the boss that his sharp eyes would not
delect the culprit.
1'erlmpH It was this man's tierce
enmity toward tramps that softened
Rort's heart.
Agent and boss bad never had a
word on the iiubject , however , until
ono mimmcr afternoon ho happened
along with hla car and his gang Just
its a tramp had reached the station
nnd was resting in the shade. Hurt
bad not seen the fellow as yet when
bo heard n row outside. The section
boss had spied the hobo and stopped
to give him a drubbing. The tramp
was a man about thirty , and It needed
A sonrntsn AWAITED HIM AS un
THU DOOll.
only one glance at his face to prove
that he was not born to the road. He
had an Intelligent eye , and his speech
was that of an educated man.
The section boss was already slam
ming him around when Bert Inter
fered. As the big brute let go of his
victim ho gave him a whirl and
brought him down on the iron rail.
The hobo lay there until Bert assisted
him to rise. He complained of n pain
In his side , but after resting for awhile
It seemed to pass off. The story ho
told was not new to the agent. Born
of good parents and with a good start
In life , drink and a spirit of adventure
had been his bane. He did not men
tion what occupation he had followed ,
and Bert , In his genial , thoughtful way ,
refrained from exhibiting too much
curiosity. After accepting lunch , a
bracer of whisky and a few coins ho
left the station and continued west
ward. This wns toward sundown.
The tramp had been gone about an
hour when n thunderstorm cauio up ,
and for nn hour it rained furiously. A
mile to the east of Brlstow they were
putting In n new bridge over n sinnl
creek , with the rails laid on a tern
porury truck. It was not Bert's busl
ness to worry about that bridge , and
bo hadn't given it a thought when he
received a message from Clnlrsvllle
nine miles to the west , that the section
gang had been dumped into the ditch
nnd all badly hurt. Then arose the (
question whether It was his duty to ,
remain at the station nnd be ready for
a call or to make a trip to the new
bridge and see that all was safe.
Ho knew that the creek would bo
tank full from tbo downpour , and as
It wni In the dry Reason , when no rain
WIIH ujpocted , the temporary tracks
might bo swept away. After fifteen
ninnies of doubt and worry ho tele
graphed C'lnlrsvlllo that he was going
0 the creek and at once set out on n
un , Ho hud scarcely started when a
; nlo sprang up In hl very teeth , and
within ten minutes It was all ho could
lo to make way against It at n walk.
) arknoss had fallen heforo ho reached
ho culvert. The bridge Was gone I
The first train duo was a freight at
0 o'clock. This train would sidetrack
it Brlstow for the express bound east.
lo hud brought a red lantern , nnd this
10 managed to secure to a polo SUM0
leilded over the track. That would
nlo | ) the freight , and ho would get
mck to the station In time to flag the
express.
The wind was howling along nt the
rate of sixty miles an hour , and n
lozon different times In returning ever
hat inllo of track Bert was blown flat
or clear off the track Into the ditch.
Even with the gale at hlH back It took
ilm an long to go us It had to come ,
and ho was thoroughly played out
when ho reached the station. Even
icforo ho mounted the platform ho
leard the Instrument calling him nnd
realized that something wns up.
A surprise nwalted him as bo opened
the door. Sitting at the table , with
ils bead on bis arms and apparently
isleop , was the tramp of the afternoon.
The Instrument was calling "B B , "
an if lives depended on nn Instant nn-
flwer , nnd Boil had to reach over the
sleeping man's shoulder to reply , In
mlnnlu came tills message from
lalrsvllle :
"What the dickens Is the matter
with you ? Are there any moro emp
ties on the way ? "
"What do you mean ? " Bert asked.
"I mean that I have ditched the
seven cattle cars nnd wnnt to know If
nny others got away. "
It took some time to make matters
ilaln , Several ( linen Bert shook the
sleeper and'called to him to vacate the
chair , but ho did not move. The !
o'clock freight had brought down six
teen cattle cars and after backing
hem In on the siding had pulled out
ind left the switch wide open. The
section gang had passed the spot with
out noticing the switch , and when the
; ale came up seven of the cars had
joon blown out on the main track and
started down the road at thirty miles
an hour. The other nine would have
'ollowed ' had not one of them Jumped
the truck and hold the rest. Clalrsvlllo
nad received word of the runaways
nnd ditched them to prevent n sninsh-
up with the express.
It was no ghostly telegram that had
> ecn sent In Bert's absence. The In-
lured tramp who had left him that
afternoon had for some reason re-
: urnod to the track later on. He must
liave scon the open switch and sight
ed the runaway empties. Ho had
made his way down to the station to
? lvo Bert the Information and , finding
lilm gone , hail sat down to the Instru-
nont and warned Clalrsville. Ho had
given Bert no hint that ho was an op
erator , but such was the case. He had
sent the message through In good
shape and saved the road a big smash-
ip.
"Here , wake up , wake up and shake
hands and let mo thank you , " Bert
shouted as the mystery was solved and
10 felt his heart growing big.
No reply broke the silence which
suddenly and strangely impressed
Bert. The hands ho touched were
cold.
The Inquest was held at Clalrsvlllo ,
and the verdict was "heart disease
aggravated by n recent Injury. " The
'recent Injury" consisted of three bro
ken ribs. The fact that this was' re
ceived nt the hands of the section boss
wns not stated. That the poor chap
: ind ever managed to wnlk n hundred
rods the doctors declared a wonderful
thing. He wns nameless , homeless and
friendless , and the railroad company
tiad no sentiment and no gratitude.
The poor bruised body was laid In a
pauper's grave , unmarked and uncared
for , and only Bert Brown stood bcsldo
the lust resting place of Brlstow Sta
tion's hero.
Tvro llmllr Pu * led Ladlci.
Vernet , the French painter , was once
traveling from Versailles to Paris in
the same compartment with two ladles
whom ho had never seen before , but
who were evidently acquainted with
him. They examined him very minute
ly and commented upon him quite freo-
ly. The painter was annoyed and. de
termined to put an end to the persecu
tion. As the train passed through the
tunnel of St. Cloud the three travelers
wore wrapped In complete darkness.
Vernet raised the back of his bund to
bis mouth and kissed It twice violent
ly. On emerging from the obscurity bo
found that the ladles had withdrawn
their attention from him and were glar
ing contemptuously at each other.
Presently they arrived at Paris , and
Vernet , on leaving them , said , "Ladles ,
1 shall bo puzzled all my life by the In
qulry , Which of these two ladles was
It that kissed mo ? "
In a Junaneae Hocpltnl.
A lady who wns for a time In a Japanese
neso fever hospital says , describing her
experience : "The patients , according to
their condition , were put on ono of four
diets first , for the very sick , rice wa
ter and milk ; second , 'mnjlrl , ' rice wa
ter containing a small portion of rlco
and milk ; third , ' 0 kal , ' very soft rice
with two eggs and milk , nnd , fourth ,
ordinary diet , which was rlco ( cold or
hot ) , vegetables and occasionally fish ,
They were never fed except at their
mealtimes 7 a. m. , noon and evening
but these who were very 111 were ordered -
dered weak wine and water frequent-
ly. No ono seemed anxious when a
delirious patient walked along the ve
randa , but n nurse snid , 'Oh , It can't bo
helped ! ' a speech the Japanese nro
very fond of , nnd assisted him back to
bed. "
\Vlir AmrrlcntiN Drink.
"PloaHitroablo emotional excitement
IH a great relaxer , " nays a writer In
AliiHlee'H , "Every kind of work IH
liable to leave the mimclcH and nerves
toiWM ami overdrawn. Wo often see
imiHclu toniiH corrugating the brow ,
rlgldlfylng the face or attitudes and
showing that liuiervatlon ImpulsoH con
tinue ( to flo\v out from the nerve centers -
.
' ters t after toll IH over. Wo Americano
tack | ; the very words gcmuth and esprit ,
I and It Is very linrd for un to entirely
forget the struggle for existence In so
' cial InteiTourHo. The careful studies of
Partridge | and others show that the de
sire for this kind of unbending Is ono
of the chief causes that lead Ameri
cans to drink , hocnuce ( hey have lost
, tbo power to feel the normal exhilara
tion which Inebriation stimulates. In-
I Mtlnct points to this as a great boon ,
and so It IH sought over cups and glass
en In the conviviality that comes from
artificial I stimulation. A little moro rol-
licking l Jollity , with Jest and quip with
congenial friends , the tale , the song ,
perhaps the quiet , harmless r G that
docs not overtax the system of all
this we have too little In our stonr ,
American life , with Its tendencies to
overtonlclty nnd cramps of will nnd at
tention. "
nnd Altec nnd I.nrne Atilmnlx.
How many people are there who
know that elephants , rhinoceroses nnd
other largo thick skinned animals have
formidable enemies In rats nnd mice ?
These small , rnscnlly rodents havti
found that the feet of the elephant nro
excellent eating nnd have no hesitation
In gnawing nt them when the animal
lies down , when , owing to Its confined
condition , It is not very well able to
defend Itself against Its puny enemies.
To protect these vast creatures It la
found necessary in most menageries to
keep terriers about the cages. These
llttlo fellows very soon dispose of the
pachyderm's tiny adversaries. It was
recently discovered In n well known
menagerie that the mice and rats bad
been very busy with the hide of a rhi
noceros. A Scotch terrier , Fanny , was1
put Into the cage of the huge beast , and
In the first night she had killed no few
er than twi'iity-suvcrn rats. In n few
days there were no rats left to nibble
the hide of the poor rhinoceros.
The Ariitm of Syria.
Among the Arabs of Syria a man
changes his name after the birth of
his eldest son , assuming the name
which has been bestowed upon the
heir , with the prefix Abu , meaning
"father of. " Thus , If the son Is called
Fudlo Allah , "God's Bounty , " the fa
ther will be henceforth known as Abu
Fudlo Allah , "Father of God's Bounty. "
In like manner the mother would be
come known us Em Fudlo Allah , "Moth
er of God's Bounty. " This custom Is
not merely ono of common speech , but
extends to all occasions and even to
legal documents. Still moro strangely ,
von when a man though married has
no son the courtesy of oriental soci
ety demands that ho should bo ad
dressed ns Abu Ha 11m or Abu Mali-
inoud , after nn Imaginary son whom
politeness confers upon him.
Neeklaeu of Aiitt.
A necklace made of black ants is nn
nrtlclo of adornment of Now Guinea.
The Anglican mission there gives par
ticulars of one which measured over
cloven feet long and was composed of
as many as l.SOO bodies of nuts. Three
little pieces of shell nnd n dozen Eng
lish beads wore Incorporated Into It ,
nnd there was a native string holding
it together , yet Its weight only reached
2 drams 2 scruples 13 grains. Thcso
largo black ants make big nests In the j
native gardens , and the native women
nnd girls catch them , pull off their
heads , bite off and swallow the other
end nnd thread the thorax.
A Very Queer CiiHtom.
A curious custom takes place in vil
lages of the Luxembourg district , Bel-
glum , In May. After Sunday service
numbers of lads cluster' round the
church entrance and ns the girls como
out seize them ono by one , ono lad
grasping a girl by the shoulders and the
other by tbo heels , the two lifting her
well up while a third bumpkin passes
under the human bridge thus formed.
This Is done In the presence of the par
ents , who themselves have passed
through the same ordeal.
Tlic Way He Cnnie.
At the finish of a football match a
youngster In his hurry to get out scram
bled over the paling that surrounds
thu ground.
A burly policeman standing by
shouted to him as he wns about to
drop outside , "You young rascal , why
don't you go out the way you came
in ? "
„ "So I am ! " shouted the boy as ho
vanished Into the crowd.
The policeman nlso vanished , amid
the laughter of the bystanders.
Profitable "Walnut Tree * . *
The English walnut is said to bo the
most profitable of all nut bearing trees.
When In full vigor , they will yield
about 300 pounds of nuts to the tree.
The nuts sell on an average at about
fourpence per pound. If only twenty-
coven trees arc planted on an ncrc , the
income would be nbout 135 per ncro.
London Answers.
Two Sad
I have just fallen upon the two sad
dest secrets of the disease which trou
bles the age wo live In the envious
hatred of him who suffers want and
the selfish forgctfulness of him who
lives in nllluence. "Journnl of a Hap
py Man. "
A Mntchlen Pace.
Ida She thinks she has a match
less face.
May I agree with her. She will nev
er make a match as long as ebc has it
Chicago News.
FACT AND RUMOR ,
The Story of Out * rontponed Cabinet
Council In KitKlaiid.
Cabinet councils give rise nt times
to rumors that dodge fact and mislead
public expectancy. One of Lord Beac1
onslleld's wipplles a case In point
Queen Victoria , HO runs the tale , was
anxious about the state of wind and
wnvu In the mid-Atlantic , which the
Princess Louise happened then to bo
crossing. A lord In waiting knew n
professor who was a wotjfter dlvlncr ,
and to him ho wont with a message
from her majesty , who sent also a mcs-
Hugo to Lord Beaconsllcld. The lord
In waiting was sent to a theatrical
supperit was Sunday night In search
of the professor. Him bo found In
this lively company and was himself
constrained to listen to tbo game of
words that was passing round. Which
would they choose If they had to marry -
ry , Gladstone or Disraeli ? All said
"Disraeli" except ono , and she said
"Gladstone , so that I might elope with
Disraeli and break bis heart"
The lord In waiting , much diverted ,
went forth and , finding Disraeli In
rather low spirits , told him this tale
as an Instance of bin great popularity
nv
with all classes of the queen's sub
jects. The whimsicality of'tbo thing
was congenial to Disraeli , who was
kept ( waiting next day at a cabinet
council for the arrival of an Important
colleague. To pass the time ho told the
assembled ministers tbo story of the
theatrical supper. Lord Cairns ( abslt
omen ) , hearing , did not smile , nnd bis
solemnity put out of countenance the
prime mltiister , who at once mndo the
nonarrlval of tbo colleague nu excuse
for postponing the council for a couple
of hours. The "balance of power"
was then unstable , and thnt nfternoon
the pnpers had headings : "War Immi
nent A Second Cabinet Council Sum
moned. " For once the Indies of the
stngo made history and staggered the
Stock Exchange. London Cbr6nlcle.
TOWN HAD OFFSETS.
So IIlH Cliitiu For naiiiiiKCN
In Only tjUlO.Itl.
"I bad been knocking about a Kuu-
sna town In the evening , " said n drum *
iner with a limp , "and In heading for
my hotel I walked plump Into an open
sewer which had no red light of warn
Ing.
Ing."I
"I bad a bad fall nnd broke my hip ,
and I wasn't yet out of the sewer when
I made up my mind to sue for § 20,000
damages. I was taken to the hospital ,
nnd next day the city attorney called
on me to know what I was going to do.
" 'I am going to sue tbo town , of
course , ' I replied.
" 'But what for ? ' be nrtnal.
" 'For personal damages. Tbero
should have been n railing or n light ,
but there M.IS neither , nnd my Injury
will lay turf up for weeks. '
" 'But don't you know what you es
caped by fnll'ng Into the sewer ? ' ho
asked.
" ' '
'No.
" 'Then let me tell you that the roof
of the hotel fell In last night nnd killed
three men , and If you had been In your
bed you would have been crushed to
pulp. You really owe this town some
thing Instead of talking nbout dam-
nges. '
"When able to get out , " continued
the drummer , "I found that public
opinion was against me and the people
ready to stand n suit , and by advice of
a lawyer I settled the case for § 123.
"I didn't oven get all that. In tum
bling Into tin ; sewer I broke two planks
and brought on a cnvcln , and the dam
ages were assessed nt § 5.00 nnd taken
out ' of the money. " Dallas News.
IlcnonrcefnlneHN of Chinese Cook * .
If there Is one sphere of European
domestic life In which more than an
other , says n traveler ! the Chinaman i
finds scope for the exercise of his own ii i i
peculiar Ingenuity , without doubt It Is
In the regions dedicated to the pursuit
A Uooil Gnc Bt r.
An elderly woman with nn Impedi
ment in her speech hnd troubles of f
her own nt the comer of Twelfth and I
Walnut streets the other dny. As each
car came out Walnut street she would
stop it and say to the conductor , "Dud-
dud-dud-does th-thls kuk-kuk-car gug-
gug-go" At this Juncture , and some
times before , the conductor would Im
patiently exclaim , "No ; take the next
car. " Then he would pull the strap ' ,
and the car would go ahead , leaving
the woman at the crossing. I
There are five different lines passing
out Walnut street nt this point , and if
the woman could read the signs she
disregarded them. Finally a conductor
more considerate than the others help '
ed her aboard and allowed her to explain : - ] i !
plain afterward. After three blocks
had been traversed bo found that she
wanted to go to Darby , and his was a
Darby car. When she learned this , she
beamed her Joy. "Yuh-yuh-young man , " I
she said , "yuh-yuh-you'ro a gug-gug-
good gug-gug-gug-guosscr. " Philadel '
phia Record. '
Turning n Sharp Corner.
On ono occasion a great public din '
ner was given to Isaac Hull by the
town , of Boston , and he was asked to , i
sit for his picture to Gilbert Stuart , the I
celebrated artist , who was n great
braggart. When Hull visited his studio ,
Stuart took great delight In entertain *
Ing him with anecdotes of his English
success , stories of the Marquis of This I
nnd the Baroness of That which show
ed how elegant was the society to .
which he bad been accustomed. I
Unfortunately In the midst of this
grandeur Mrs. Stuart , who did not
know that there was n sitter , came In
with her apron on nnd her bend tied ,
up with handkerchief from the kltch-1 I
en nnd cried out , "Did you mean to
Uavo that leg of mutton boiled or roast
ed ? "
To which Stuart replied , with great l
presence of mind , "Ask your mistress. "
An CncroiTiieil ICInK of Enirlnnd.
Writing of Prince Albert in an article
in I the Century on "The Royal Family
of < England , " Professor Oscar IH-owtv
ing I says :
From the first the prince identified
himself 1 with the queen in nil her la
bors. I They bud ono mind and ono
soul. i Rising every morning with the
dawn , the prince went Into hl work
room i , where their two tnblca stood
side i by side , and read all their corre
spondence i , arranging everything for
the 1 queen's convenience when she
should i arrive. He knew all her
thoughts < and assisted nil her notions ,
yet ; HO adroit and self sacrificing was
his I conduct that nil the merit and pop
ularity i came to her. The people hud
no i idea that he Interfered with public
affairs i , yet had they reflected they
must < have known that it was Inevita
, ble. I Once during the Crimean war ,
| when ' the notion got abroad "that the
prince I had intervened , there were talcs
of treason and of sending him to the
tower. Yet on the day of the prince's
death , on that cold , Icebound Saturday ,
Charles Klngsley said to the present
1 writer , "He was king of England for
twenty years , and no one knew It. "
Colored Dottle * .
Those huge glass bulbs of red nnd
yellow and blue water which are called
show bottles are gradually ceasing to
bo a feature of the decoration of drug
gists' windows. In the past they were
as necessary to every drugstore ns n
red nnd white pole Is to n barber shop ,
but they have not , as the pole has , a
well defined history. All that druggists
know of them la that they have been
always used as window ornaments.
The brilliant liquids that they contain
nre made cheaply and plainly of chem
icals and water. Thus a solution of
copper nnd ammonia makes blue. Bi
chromate of potash makes orange. Ani
line dyes have of late been used In the
chemicals' place , but the liquids fade
in a strong sunlight and have frequent
ly to be renewed. The liquids colored
chemically , on the other hand , last well
nigh forever. Philadelphia Record.
lie Han.
Sol Smith Russell bad three young
nieces living In the west , of whom lie
was very fond. On one occasion , so
the story goes , he took the youngest of
them for n walk and bought her some
, candy on. the agreement that It was
1
not to be eaten until they reached her
home. They started , but before they
had gone far the little girl proposed ,
"Let's wun ! " Her uncle declined , and
there was loug pleading , all to no pur-
i pose. Finally the little girl stopped ,
knelt down on the pavement and of
fered up the petition , "Dod , please
I make Uncle Sol wuu. "
I "It was simply a question of my los
ing my dignity or her losing her faith
in God , " said Mr. Russell in relating
the Incident , "so we ran as fast as we
(
could for home. "
Hnir Convicts Kill Time.
It li ist once Interesting and pathetic
to go through the cells of the eastern
penitentiary and to note the objects
which , with tedious pains , the prlsoiv
ers have made to while the time away.
Hero n mantel will be hung with n
lambrequin elaborately fringed , the
fine knots and delicate patterns of the
threads comparing with the work of
the French laccmakers. The lambre
quin Is of an odd blue hue , and the vis
itor Is told that it is made of an old
pair of prison trousers.
On a little gilt bracket Is a small
stuffed animal. The bracket , so deli
cately turned , Is of newspapers pasted
together and glided , and the animal Is
a rat , caught in a homemade trap ,
stuffed with rags and with pieces of
chewing gum colored with shoeblack-
Ing for Its eyes.
A wall is completely covered with a
really nrtlstlc decoration of roods , on
which are perched at least 200 birds ,
each accurately colored and drawn.
There are also numberless checker
boards and sets of chessmen that In
the delicacy of their Inlay work nnd In
the Intrlcncy of their carving would do
honor to the craftsmen of the orient
Philadelphia-Record ,
A Rare Draff.
"The price of many drugs used in
medicine is astonishing to those who
ore not acquainted with the subject ,
remarked a druggist to a Philadelphia
Times representative. "There are several -
eral thut nre worth their weight in gold
( nbout $20 nn ounce ) , while 52 , $3 nnd
$5 nn ounce nre quite common prices
In pharmacy. But there is one drug
that I can recall which Is worth more
than Its weight in gold. This Is pseudo
physostlgmlne. I don't think that it
has a popular name. It Is too rich for
that In the pharmacists' list it Is
quoted at $1 a grain , or ? 437.50 at
ounce. The seed from which the drug
is made grows in India and Brazil , ns
well ns in parts of South Africa. This
seed , tradition says , was once used by
native chiefs as an ordeal. The ordea
generally resulted in the death of the
man upon whom it was tried and so H
was considered as a great truth finder
The prepared drug Is sometimes uset
now In prescriptions for the treatmen'
of heart disease. "
Swindled Again.
"Ah , " exclaimed Mrs. Oldcastlo as
she took a book from the table In the
magnificent library of the new neigh
bors , "hand laid paper , isn't it ? "
"Is it ? " her hostess asked , looking at
it doubtfully. "I told Joslnh when
bought them books that that's one of
the set of that he was payln' a whole
lot too much. I'm glad It wasn't me.
If I'd of went and give such a price for
something that was band laid , I'd never -
er hear the last of it from him. But
ho wouldn't believe it when I told him
ho was cheated , because I seen the
eamo set with nearly three times more
gilt on the blndln's for a lower price.
Joslah's awful headstrong in some
ways. " Chicago Record-Herald.
'
' " HARDY SUWAROFF.
Pccnllarltlen of One of IltimilaM
Great Military Commander * .
Suwaroff , Russia's great military
commander , was a little man , Insignifi
cant In everything but that Intangible
power of mind and character with
which physical strength Is never to bo
compared. He had boon sickly In bis
youth , but became hardy under the
stimulus of cold bathing and the bone-
Jits of a plain diet Buckets of cold
water were thrown over him In the
„ nornlng , nnd his table was served with
fare which guests would fain have re
fused , but dared not lest he should
think them effeminate. Ho despised
dross and delighted In drilling bis men
In Kblrt sleeves , sometimes with his
Blockings literally "down at the heel. "
But his hardihood of life and action
bad Its effect on the men he command
ed. He was often up and about by
midnight and would salute the first
soldier whom ho saw moving with a
piercing cockcrow In commendation of
tils early rising. During the first "Po
lish war ho had given orders for an
attack at cockcrow , and a spy In the " 7
camp carried the news to the enemy.
The attack , however , really took place
at 0 o'clock In the evening , when the
arrangement had been made , for
Suwaroff , suspecting treachery , had
then turned out his troops by his well
known crowing. The enemy , expect
ing the event In the morning , were en-
t' cly unprepared and fell easy victims
to his forethought
"Tomorrow morning , " said he to his
troops on the evening before the storm
ing of Ismail , "an hour before day
break I mean to get up. I shall wash
and dress myself , say my prayers , glvo
ono good cockcrow and then capture
Ismail. "
Society nnd Companionship.
The privilege of having some one
with whom we may exchange n few
rational words every day , as Emerson
phrases it , Is the choicest gift in life.
We are rich In society and yet poor In
companionship. In the overflow of
chatter we arc starved for conversa
tion. Social life Is so largely nn affair
of representation , it Inclines so largely
to the spectacular and to what Its
chroniclers designate as "social func
tions , " that the element of conversa
tional Intercourse is almost eliminated.
Yet , primarily , is not that the supreme ,
object of all friendly meeting ? When A
we reduce to first principles this com
plex thing called living , do we not go
*
to our friend solely to talk with him ?
Do we not Invite him solely that we
may exchange Ideas and compare
views on subjects of mutual Interest ?
Still , ns things go , people moot nil
through n senson In the midst of groups
nnd throngs at dinners , receptions , en- "I1/
tertalnments of all kinds without ex
changing one word In the way of true
Intercourse. Exchange.
Swift \Vnn n Dnncc nt School.
Not only philosophers and divines ,
but some of the most trenchant satir
ists and brilliant humorists were dull
enough ns boys. It has been said of
Swift in his best days that "he dis
played either the blasting lightning of
satire or the lambent and metcorllke
caricatures of frolicsome humor. " And
yet this vigorous disputant was consid
ered n fit subject for a fool's cap at
school. Afterward at the Dublin uni
versity "he was by scholars esteemed
a blockhead , " who was denied hla de
gree on his first application and ob
tained It with great dilliculty on the
second. London Standard.
A Lnrcc Department. - *
Mr. McBrlde was showing ills wlfo 1
the workings of our national congress.
The Detroit Free Press represents her
ns putting to her spouse this Intelli
gent question :
"But where Is the framing depart
ment ? "
"The what ? "
"I rend In the papers that laws were
framed in Washington , " she explained.
The IlenI Teat.
Hardup I tried to sell those diamonds
mends I bought of you and was told
they were not genuine.
Jeweler Did you sell them ? :
Ilardup Yes , for almost nothing. '
Jeweler Well , you go back and try
to buy them , and you will find out that' '
they are genuine. New York Weekly.
Somali Life.
The camel yields them milk , fre-
quently the only ftod of the natives ,
gives them meat ard hides , facilitates
transport from one place to another
and forms the means of exchange ,
which at any moment It Is possible to
barter for other articles , thus taking
the place of money.
The Somalls also accommodate their
existence to the wants of the camela
They go with the herd wherever pas
ture Is best or where rain has recently
fallen , and on this account one may
frequently not find the trace of a vil
lage where yesterday a place was full
of life and people. The camels , In fact ,
carry away the village on their backs
miles distant
Such are the chief events In the life
of a Somali. Everything is governed
according to some ancient unwritten
law , not contained in any codex , not
dictated by any tribunal , but still
sacredly observed and carried out for
centuries throughout the whole region
Inhabited by the Sonmlls.-"Sport In
Somallland , " by CountPotpckl.
nu ntii.
"Your young nephew
William
appears -
pears to think he knows much more
than he really does know. "
"Yes. he Is a BUI that Is stuck up ,
but not a Bill that Is posted.-Bostot
'I rauscrlpt.
The productiveness of
Formosa is so
great that It Is believed that the pres
ent population of 2,500,000 could bo
raised to 10,000,000 without exhausting
the fertility of the soil.