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WHOLE NUMBER 1,388.
COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA. WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 16, 1896,
VOLUME XXVII. NUMBER 36.
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Intrlligrnrc of the Cockroach.
A wrjter in the Revue Scientlfinue,
of .Paris, says: M. Delboeuf has pub
lished s very interesting study of the
psychology of lizards, a study that has
led him to the conclusion that there
exist among these creatures veritable
"sentiments that we find among all the
superior animals; love, friendship, hate,
anger, devotion, courage, defiance, jeal
ousy, craft, fear, malice, and even
pity."
These very interesting notes recall
seme observations that 1 made in 1893,
not on a lizard, although a lizard had
something to do with them. One of
our comrades had brought to the Mar
seilles Scientflc School a lizard, an in
dividual of the genus Lacerta, those
great lizards that reach thirty of forty
centimetres (twelve or fifteen inches)
In length, colored with many brilliant
hues, and banded with blue, green and
gold, which are so abundant in the
south of France. When the lizard was
given to us, it had not eaten for sev
eral days. I thought that I would
collect different insects for it to eat,
especially some of the cockroaches so
'numerous in most cellars and in kit
chens. Tne lizard, as may be imagin
ed, did not hesitate to accept this of
fering, and the terror of the cockroach
es was great. They cast themselves, in
their fright, in all directions in the
glass case where the saurian was con
fined. And we could observe in the
Insects real sentiments the sentiment
of fear; that was not difficult to recog
nize; it is found also among all ani
mals, and perhaps often confused with
the Instinct of self-preservation; the
sentiment of craft; also the sentiment
If pity, and as a consequence of this
Jentiment of pity, the sentiment of de
motion and courage.
This is how we were permitted to
show the existence of these last senti
ments: We had placed in the reptile's
Vass prison a porcelain cup full of
Xater; wo did not wish our guest to
suffer from thirst. Now, in their con
fused movements It happened several
times that one of the cockroaches rest
ed on the edge of the cup. and in his
haste lost his balance. We saw him
tumble into the water, almost always
on his back. The poor insect then pre
sented a lamentable spectacle; stretch
ed out In the water on his back, terri
fied by the thought that the lizard
was so near him. he waved his six legs
in the air despairingly. This accident
happened at least five or six times.
And each time, without exception, some
of the other cockroaches, interrupting
their flight, went to the edge of the
cap to aid their companion: forgetting
their own danger, they actually suc
. ceeded in saving him. aiding each other
in reaching their unfortunate brother,
imd always showing the same agita
tion. We tried the experiment sever
al times, and always observed the same
facts.
The California!! Sea I.lon.
If reports arc true we may truthfully
call the California Sea Lion the cham
pion jumper and climber of all the pin
nipeds in the world. Captain Scam
mon states that on Santa Barbara Is
land the old male sea lions are in the
habit of climbing to the tops of the
bold rocky cliffs that abound on its
coast, and lying there for days at a
time to enjoy the scenery, perhaps!
What is stranger still, these wonderful
creatures, when -attacked or thorough
. ly alarmed, will take flying leaps from
the tops of those same cliffs into the
sea. Captain Scammon relates how
he and his crew once cornered a. herd
of about twenty old male sea lions,
who "were collected on the brink of a
precipitous cliff, at a height of at least
sixty feet above the rocks, which
shelved from the beach below. Our
men were sure, in their own minds,
that by surprising the animals we
could drive them over the cliff. This
was easily accomplished, but to our
chagrin, when we arrived at the point
below where we expected to find the
huge beasts disabled or killed, the last
animal of the whole rookery was seen
plunging into the sea."
The California sea lion is found only
on the coast of California and the pen
insula of Lower California, and its
two centers of greatest abundance are
the Farallonc Islands, near San Fran
cisco, and Santa Barbara Island. In
former years immense numbers were
killed for their oil, but that has ceased
to be a paying industry. Owing to the
fact that they arc protected by law,
they have become so numerous around
the Cliff House, the Heads, and in San
Francisco Bay, that their wholesale
destruction of valuable food fishes is
bitterly complained of by the fisher
men of San Francisco. Of all pinni
peds, this species is the most noisy.
"On approaching an island or a point
occupied by a numerous herd," says
Captain Scammon, "One first hears
their long, plaintive howlings, as if in
distress; but when near them the
sounds become more varied and deaf
ening. The old males roar so loudly as
to drown the noise of the heaviest surf
among the rocks and caverns, and the
.younger of both sexes croak hoarsely,
or send forth sounds like the bleating
of sheep, or the barking of dogs. In
fact, their tumultuous utterances are
beyond description." In the water, tho
body of this creature appears to be a
shiny dark brown, but when the skin
Is mounted and dried in a museum col
lection, the hair is found to be thin,
coarse, very stiff, and of a dirty brownish-yellow
color.
A Wonderful Lizard.
Living specimens of the strange
frilled lizard of Australia, scientifically
naxned chlamydosaurus. have recently
been transported to England, where
photography has most convincingly
ftroved the trath of the legend that
fleee animals, which sometimes attain
a length of three feet, are in the habit
of running about on their hind legs.
The lizards are furnished with a broad
frill or collar around the neck, which
lies folded unless the animal is threat
ened. In that case it immediately
spreads its frill like a suddenly open
ad umbrella, to scarce its enemy. When
running on its hind legs, with its long
tall swinging in the air, it presents an
irresistibly funny appearance.
London Market Porters.
Tfeerv are 400 licensed market porters
U Loadem
HISTORY. 1
ELECTION BONFIRES.
They Are Prohibited in Xciv York, but
Blaze on Kicry Illork.
Tlie moment the polls close the
liquor- saloons open, but the excessive
drunkenness and brawling common in
former years are not now seen. Five
o'clock editions of the newspapers aro
issued, but have little to tell, for
everywhere the clerks arc still busily
ccunting the votes. The streets over
flow with beys vrho hardly wait for the
earliest darkness to institute their pic
turesque part of the day's doings. The
New York citizen begins to break elec-'
tion- laws as soon as he can toddle
about the block. Bonfires are strictly
prohibited, yet thousands of them red
den the air and set all the windows
aglow before 7 o'clock. Antiquarians
inform us that this custom is nothing
but a survival in America of the old
English celebration of burning Guy
Fawkcs on the r.th of November, in
recollection of the Gunpowder Plot of
1C03, which the children have trans
ferred to the movable feast of our
election day. Maybe so. At any rate,
for weeks beforehand the lads, large
and small, rich and poor, have begged,
borrowed or stolen every burnable
thing they cou.d lay their hands on,
and have kept their treasure as well
as they could. Knowing by sad ex
perience the untruth of the aphorism,
"There is honor among thieves," they
usually persuade some one to let theni
store these combustibles in his back
yard, or still safer cellar. From hun
dreds of such repositories the lads
bring their treasures, heap them up in
the middle of the street, and fight off
raiders until they arc safely blazing.
Women and children swarm out of mo
huge tenements and cluster about the
scene, where the youngsters are leaping
and whooping and waving brands, like
the true fire-worshippers they are. The
smallest boys and girte have saved a
box and a board or two, or beg some
fuel from good-natured big brothers,
and start little blazes of their own,
with a headless ash-barrel for a chim
ney. Everywhere are dancing, merri
ment, singing and shouting. The great
heaps throws out a terrific heat, glare
upon the highest windows, and illumin
ate the whole sky, while showers of
sparks whirl up and down the narrow
streets in the autumn wind, yet rarely
do serious damage. But boxes and bar
rels are slight, and tho flames die
down long before the enthusiasm of the
boys, and their applauding friends is
exhausted. Now begins criminal for
aging and senseless waste. Lumber
piles, scaffolding, new buildings, kitch
en chairs, wheelbarrows, and some
times even serviceable wagons, aro
seized by marauders and thrown on tho
fires, unless carefully guarded, so that
each year sees not only a great waste
of good fuel among the poor, but the
destruction of much valuable timbpr
and household furniture. This work
of hoodlums cannot easily be stopped,
because just then nearly all the police
are in the polling-places watching the
canvass. "Election Day in New
York," by Ernest lngersoll, in the No
vember Century.
EUROPE BEATING US.
Big
t iti-H f Ilif Continent ftronitvt;
More Knpldly Than Ours.
It will surprise many people to learn
that the big European cities have been
growing much faster than .those of the
United States, says the New York
Journal. This fact is pointed out by
Dr. Albert Shaw in a recent book on
the municipal government in Europe.
In 1S70 New York ha-d 150,000 more
people than Berlin; in 1SS0 Berlin had
outstripped New York, and it still
maintains. In the twenty-five years
since the war the increase in the popu
lation of Berlin has actually been as
great as that of Chicago. Philadelphia
was bigger than Berlin thirty years
ago: since then it has only grown by
300,000. Americans will say that Ber
lin is exceptional: that its growth is
due to political causes. But how are
they to explain Hamburg? In 1S75
Hamburg had Sl.CCO people and Bos
ton 342,000; in 1S90 Hamburg had 569,-
'2G0 and Boston 44S.00P. Ealtimore was
once as big as Hamburg, but it has
long been distanced. Leipzig has
grown from 127.000 in 1S73 to 355,000 in
1S90 and lias distanced San Francisco.
Even St. Louis has not grown as rap
idly. Breslau used to be smaller than
Cincinnati; it has now distanced it.
Cleveland and Buffalo and Pittsburg
were all in 1SS0 bigger than Cologne,
but Cologne was much the biggest in
1S90. Dresden is growing more
quickly than New Orleans and Madge
burg than Milwaukee. Hanover,
though a sleepy place enough, is grow
ing as quickly as Louisville or Jersey
City.
Prinre Nicholas and the Swinohorc.
A curious story is going the rcundi
of the European press concerning
Prince Nicholas of Montenegro, the fa
ther of the future princess of Naples.
A few years ago the prince, who is far
from being wealthy, found it necessary
to borrow 40,000 florins from the Lloyd
bank in Cattaro. A few days before
the debt became due the prince saw a
peasant, driving a pig, pass by his pal
ace. Ho rushed out and asked the
countryman where he was going. "Tc
Cattaro, prince." replied the Montene
grin. "All right," said the prince, "you
can do me a great service if you will
leave this at the Lloyd office," and he
gave him a package of bank not-i?
which the peasant carried faithfully tc
the cashier of the bank.
Oar Kailu-ay.
The annual report of the Interstate
Commerce Commission covers the year
ending June 30, 1S95. At that time the
total mileage of the railways o the
United States was a little more than
180,000 miles; and the increase during
the year was but a little over 1 per
cent, the smallest since the organiza
tion of the commission-. About" 70 pei
cent of the aggregate amount of rail
way stock paid no dividends during the
year, and about 17 per cent of the
funded debt paid no interest. These un
usually discouraging figures reflect the
'depressed business conditions whicfc
prevailed during the year covered by
the report Passenger traffic fell off
I hut freight traffic increased.
DELIRIOUS RITES.
WEIRD ARIZONA SNAKE DANCE
FOR PENANCE.
Horrible Rite of the Motel Indiana Who
Dance with Live Rattlesnake Dangl
ing from Their Ilands and Months
Sua- Biting Indian.
WAY off in North
ern Arizona in one
fimi of the most deso
t?!5?iHfe5rHS late rppiniiR nt
North America, live
the primitive Hopi
or Moquis, a most
interesting tribe of
Indians, who have
a religious cere
mony that has been
handed down un
changed for centuries. This is the
"snake dance," which occurs usually
at about the last of August, on some
one of the three mesas on which their
villages are built. In this dance, which
is an invocation or propitiation of the
rain gods, the performers carry living
rattlesnakes in their mouths as they
circle about in step with the songs.
The Mokis are an agricultural people,
and Arizona is one of the most arid
countries mi the world. Naturally,
their sacred dances are intended to
bring a plentiful supply of rain or
moisture upon the crops. The rain
gods are always symbolized as ser
pents. To the Mokis the rattlesnake
is the God of water. The lightning is
the snake's tail in the clouds, and the
thunder is his rattle.
The approach of the biennial per
formance of the rattlesnake dance cer
emonies and its meaning to the Moki
nation is announced on a certain af
ternoon, feume two weeks previous to
the dance itself, by the chief priest,
Hol-la-kah, of the tribe, from the round
sacred rock in the little plaza at Walpi,
where such announcements have no
doubt been made every alternate sum-
THE SNAKE-BITING fit
jner season fo: fully five hundred years.
From the time of the official announce
ment the whole Moki population at
Hano and Walpi makes ready for the
ceremonies. There arc two classes of
warriors who take part in the ceremo
nies. One is known as the antelope
men. They arc young and middle
aged men, who number sixty, and iie
others are the mu-mi-pi-kong, the
snake priests, who number twenty, and
who are selected from the antelope men
for their age and experience in tribal
wisdom. On the day following the offi
cial announcement y the chief priest,
the antelope men rfet out on foot (for
there is not a beast of burden within
one hundred miles of the Moki nation)
across the desert to hunt for rattle
snakes. They go singly and in every
direction.
Gathering in Rattlesnake.
Each Indian carries a bag made f
animal skins in one hand, and a short
brush of gaudy eagle feathers ,n the
other. When a rattlesnake is found
the Indian waves his eagle feathers
over the coiling and hissing serpent
for a few seconds. Then by a sudden
nd adroit movement, which his ances
tors learned long ago, he snatches the
venomous reptile immediately back of
the head, and thrusts him in the bag
before one can barely see the operation.
In the course of a week several hun
dred serpents are caught and the ante
lope men bring them to Walpi in then
bags of skin, and turn the reptiles into
a very old receptacle in the sacred
stone chamber known as the kiva.
Meanwhile there are a dozen bucks
who have traveled on foot across the
burning desert sands for miles to the
San Miguel Mountains and have
brought back bundles of herbs, which
are the chief components of a broth
like decoction that the snake dancers
drink in preparation for handling the
deadly reptiles.
The day of the snake dance has
come. The old wrinkled broth-squaw
He-ne-mi-gog who has held this im
portant office for over half a century.
sits on the floor of the lava at a caiaron
of steaming and bubbling broth made
from the herbs as an anti-venom decoc
tion known, only to the Moki Indians.
She slowly stirs and stirs the mass.
Meanwhile others of the Mokis are
preparing the scene of the snake
dances. The rattlesnakes, usually
about two hundred and fifty in number,
are sprinkled with cornmeal that has
been blessed as sacred meal while a
company of squaws-chant a weird air.
The serpents are in earthen jars. At
exactly sunset the antelope men, twenty-nine
in number, issue in single file
from the estufa (prayer house). They
dancc and croon, weave their bodias
backward and forward in unison one
with another and in perfect time to
their rude songs and the sound of
tomtoms beaten by a company of
young squaws. The antelope men are
dressed in all finery thai savage taste
may conceive. They have a huge head
arrangement of eagle feathers. They
wear a sort of red kilt from the waist
to the knees, but otherwise their legs
are bare. They have bracelets of shells
and silver by the dozen about their
wrists and ankles. Their faces are
painted a ghastly white set off by jet
black painted ears and chins. Indeed,
the distinguishing mark of the antelope
men and the snake men among the
Mokis on their tribal fete days is sim
ply the coloring of their faces. Elab
orate moccasins with beaded tassels
are on the feet cC each of the antelope
men.
Frenzied Men and Writhing Snakes.
Next following-come a half dozen In
dian boys, entirely nude except for a
breech cloth of red fabric Each bay
bears small earthen bowls of the steam
ing broth from the caldron. The snte
lope men circle pasl the' boys and drain
the bowLs at a swallow, only to renew
their chants and gyrationt. Seven
times the antelope men circle the .little
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nlaza at Walbi. and as they pass the
struggling hissing serpents the chief
priest, an old rrian painted, hideously
in red and white from head to foot,
blows upon a cattle horn instrument
that produces a sound- like distant
thunder, followed by a sound similar
to those of growling bears and roaring
pumas.
Another harsh blast from the horn In
the chief priest's hand, and the priests
suddenly thrusting in their bare hands
and arms draw out two or three wrig
gling and squirming snakes at a time.
The serpents are snatched eagerly by
each of the antelope men, and the
snake dance begins. The antelope
men and the priests sing a wild pierc
ing song, and while the tomtoms beat
fiercer and faster, each of the antelope
men bears three and sometimes six rat
tlesnakes, while he dance3 about the
plaza. In a moment the little plaza
of bard, sunbaked earth becomes f
scene of yelling, dancing and hideously
painted, half nude savages, while rat
tlesnakes, that arc carelessly let fall,
wriggle and squirm across the earth
in their efforts to escape. The snake
priests keep sharp eyes on the serpents
and permit none to get away from the
hands of the wild and excited antelope
men. The serpents shake their rattles
and twist convulsively in the hands
and even in the mouths of the antelope
men. When they fall to the ground
they coil in an infant, and very often
strike their fangs deep into the naked
legs and feet of the semi-insane dancing
Mokis.
A Star Snake Cbcnrr.
One dancer carries a venomous snake
in each hand, and has two more tacked
in a belt at his waist, waile he holds
two squirming and rattling snakes be
tween his teeth. All of the serpents
are deadly. A little old Moki Indian,
who has evidently participated in many
snake dances from his early manhood
and means to silence dispute as to his
prowess, is practically naked, and is
apparently mad with excitement. He
carries a very large rattlesnake in his
mouth, and lets the tail trail on the
DIANS OF ARIZONA DOING THE
ground, while he hops about. The rep
tile is fully seven feet long, and as
large around as a boy's arm. It is of
the bull snake species. His fangs arc
tli rust far out towards the face of an
Indian, who has at least six serpents
dangling from his brown hands and
coiled about his wrists. As the per
formance goes on you see snakes en
gaged in fierce combat upon the stone
surface of the court. When the snakes
fight among themselves the Moki spec
tators regard their actions with su
perstitious terror. As the Indians hop
around in this terpsichorean deviltry
the maidens and old women throw little
handfuls of cornmeal upon them and
croon dismally all the while. A feeble
old warrior hobbles about on a heavy
cane. A snake has bitten him upon the
hand, but he hops about unconcerned
ly as the blood slowly trickles from
the wound. Another man's cheek is
ciimsoned with blood from the sting
ot a snake, yet on he goos until the sig
nal is given for the repulsive yet fas
cinating finale.
A priest advances to the side of the
dance rock. There he draws a circle
with the sacred meal and makes mys
tic symbols iii its center. Then there
i? a Erand rush towards this circle.
Every antelope man hurries there with
a bunch of snakes, which he throws
into the circle. It is a blood-chilling
sight that mass of wrrggling, hissing
snakes. A signal is given by the high
priest, and the antelope men and
priests rush in among the squirming
and maddened serpents, and each man
snatches up as many snakes as he can
carry, and then runs with his horrid
burden to the east and south side of the
little mesa, pueblo of Walpi, where the
reptiles are liberated with parting
shouts to the effect that they shall go
home and tell the great rain gcd ser
pent how the Mokis have done honor
to his offspring to intercede for bless
ings upon the Moki lauds and crops.
In a few minutes mere the savages
come running at full speed back to the
kiva or sacred chamber. A dozen wo
men go there, and bowls of the anti
venom broth are served to the perspir
ing and panting men. Those who have
been bitten by the serpents are bathed
by the women and their bleeding
wounds are anointed with a salve that
the Mokis have annually made for sev
eral centuries. Often a Moki Indian
may be severely ill for several days
following the barbarous rites, but sel
dom does one die from the effects ol
the snake poison.
-Wood Fibre.
Improvements have been made in
wood fibre by Otto H. Schwartz, an
architect of Munich, Germany, which
he claims give to such fibre a special
adaptation and value as a building ma
terial, and well worth the attention
of all those who are interested in build
ing and architecture. The substance
is made of wood fibre impregnated an
tiseptically in combination with a mor
tar stucco, manufactured by a new and
peculiar process, or in combination
with a mortar of Roman ce
ment, and has proved, says Le Echo
Forestler, of great strength and dura
bility. Gypsy Custom.
An aged gypsy woman having died
near Slough, aceoiding to an ancient
rite all her belonging were destroy
ed by her sou and heir. The horse
Ij-jvine been shot, he: van and other
7frty rc burned,
I
IRVING'8 HOME BARRED.
Thoroughfare ted for Nearly
Tear Now Closed
The community of Tartytown are
figuratively up in arms. Sunnyside
lane has been fenced off. Washington
Irving's historic old mansion has been
closed to the public. Isn't that enough?
(The famous old house is midway be
.tween Irvington and Tarrytown. There
Irving lived and died. There he wrote
about Tom O'Shanter and Sleepy Hol
Inw and Rin Van Winkle. There hs
wrote his life of Mahomet and his vivid
d(vrinttnna nf tho Alhambra. And
When he died Sunnyside went to two of
his nieces, the Misses Irving. None
loved Irving more than they. His mem
ory was everything to them, as it was
to the village he made famous. Sun
nvsiilA wan to he kent iust as he left
it-rttuccoed. Ivy-grown and romantic.
Te room M lived in was ta oe Kept
just as he left it forever. And the pub
lic were to have free access to it all.
Sunnyside became a visiting place for
hundreds of pilgrims. Some walked
off with relics, to be sure, but more
flowers grew and more grass came up.
The old ladies were getting along in
life. Both passed eighty last year and
the burden of the historic place became
too much for them. So 'when Mr. Ir
ving, their cousin, offered a good sura
they were glad to take it. That was in
June last. Mr. Irving started at once
tn chance things. One day Howard
Jaffray, whose extensive grounds and
fine house reach up the hill above Sun
nyside, started to go down to his boat
house on the river through old Sun
nyside lane made famous by Irving. It
wasn't there. The ancient highway,
tread by thousands of feet on their way
to Irving's house, was barred off, raked
up and seeded over with grass to form
a part of the new Mr. Irving's lawn.
Worse yet, down at the foot and skirt
ing therailroad track was a high board
fence. Sunnyside lane was gone. Tar
rytown and Irvington heard it that
night. Scorca besieged the town au
thorities. Something must be done tc
RATTLESNAKE DANCE.
'2
keep that old lane ever open. Next day
insult was added to injury. Across the
entrance to the lane where the Irving
property began was an unsightly three
barred fence, on which was posted this
legend: "No Trespassing on These
Premises Under Penalty of the Law,"
and a little farther in, "Beware of the
Dog."
Pern's Desert.
In the long coastal desert of Peru,
which is 2,000 miles in length, but
only 120 miles broad at its widest part,
the rivers disappear in the dry season
and begin to flow again in February
or March (when rain falls in the Cor
dilleras. One of the most important of
these rivers is the Piura, the return
of whose waters is welcomed with great
rejoicings by tho inhabitants of its
banks.
Pyramid of Cheops.
The great Pyramid of Cheops is the
largest structure ever erected by the
hand of man. Its original dimensions
at the base were 7G4 feet square, and
its perpendicular height at the highest
point, 448 feet. It covers four acres,
one rood, and twenty-two rods of
ground, and has been estimated by an
eminent English architect to have cost
not less than $165,000,000.
Cliinhcd thp Mount.
Fifteen thousand people climbed
Mount Washington the last season.
EDUCATIONAL.
Wcllesley college, Mass., has regis
tered 722 students. The freshman clasa
numbers 181.
The preachers of the Pittsburg con
ference subscribed, at the last session,
13,755 to the American university.
Prof. Benjamin Ide Wheeler, of Cor
nell university, declines the call to the
presidency of Rochester university,
Xew York.
The Modern Language Association ol
America holds its annual meeting with
Western Reserve university at th
Christmas holidays.
Prof. T. P. Crane has presented tc
Cornell university, Ithaca, N. Y., a val
uable collection of 2"0 books relating
to the society of France and Italy.
Bowdoin college, Brunswick, Me., haj
entered upon its one hundred and sec
ond year with a larger attendance ol
students than at any time in its his
tory. At a meeting of the regents for tht
college year, President Angell, of Anr
Arbor, in reviewing the work of th
past year, said: "If we are really U
prepare men and women for conspicu
ous positions, we must carry thsm be
yond the boundaries of the undergradu
ate curriculum. Especially is this tru
of those who are aiming to occupj
prominent places as teachers."
Mt. Holyoke college, at South Had
ley, Mass., the pioneer institution for
the higher education of women, re
ceived a severe blow Sept. 27, in the
burning of the iaain building, with a
probable loss of $150,000. The building
had cost over $300,000, and could not be
replaced to-day for less than $300,000.
Fortunately, none of the 400 students
or faculty were injured, there being
ample tine for their escape with part
of their personal effects.
gm, jJ3 U&mmpmajj&Sm$
I The White Violet. I
(The inhabitants of far Cathay have
a pretty little legend which accounts
for the origin of the white violet. Tho
following story Is an accurate transla
tion from the Chinese.)
At Nantai, close under the great
south wall of Fuhchan, lived Suen Moi.
the violet girl, in the Mouse of her
father, the maker of baskets. Bill he
was old, his hands had lost their skill,
and he was like a blind fowl picking
at random after worms. Tley would
have been poor had he not been as
careful with his cash as a bee with its
honey. Suen Moi did not know, so
she sold violets that heaven might be
stow upon her the hundred blessings.
Her flowers grew in front of the house,
which faced the north, and she.knew
the flowers loved her, because when
they blossomed they always turned
their heads toward the door.
She called the flowers her children,
gave them water, when the hot sun
tried to scorch them, and kept the
weeds away. Every day she picked
the best ones and sold them, that her
parents might not die poor. Whenever
she sold a bunch she always whispered:
"Ni-ho-chi-lok," that they might find
comfort in the parting.
"The flowers of Suen Moi have souls,"
those at the market said. "They
know her voice and her touch, and
when they pass into strange hands they
droop their heads and die."
But Suen Moi said they only wanted
water.
She gathered her flowers early in the
morning before the sun was up, and
she kept them in a basket made of
bamboo shoots.
One morning, just as she had fin
ished, a young man stopped at the gate.
"Do you sell flowers?" he asked.
"Yes, honorable sir," and she bowed
low, for she knew by his dress that he
was a man of rarlc.
"I want to buy some of you."
She took the basket to him and
held It out that he might please him
self. He took one flower. Then from
the purse at his belt he brought out a
coin which he dropped into her hand.
It was a long piece of yellow metal
shaped like a knife. Upon it were
characters which Suen Moi could not
understand.
"It is too much," she said, like a
child that cannot calculate.
"I give it to you because you love
your flowers and are good to them,"
answered the stranger.
She watched him curiously as he
walked away, and then she looked at
the coin. When she went into the
house she showed it to her parents.
"It is very ancient," said her father.
"There is one like in in the museum
at Fuhchan."
"It is gold," said her mother. "If
wc had three more we should be rich."
The next morning the stranger came
again. He came over to whrc Suen
Moi was gathering flowers, and said
to her:
"Suen Moi, Suen M ., give me a
flower."
"I have picked the best one for you,"
ehe answered, blushing.
"Why have you picked the best one?"
he asked.
"Because I know you love flowers,
too," she answered.
"Do you know you are a flower?" he
said.
She hung her head. No one had ever
spoken like this to her before.
"You are as beautiful as the flow
ers," he said. "Your heart is pure
and sweet. I love you as you do the
flowers."
"The stranger one is at the gate
talking to her," said the father to his
wife.
"I wonder if he will give her an-
4
"DO YOU SELL FLOWERS."
other coin!" she answered. "I'erhaps
he wants to buy her."
"You are like one who looks at the
heavens from the bottom of a well,"
he answered.
As he spoke she went to the door.
"She is bringing him in," she said,
sharply. "We shall be disgraced."
Suen Moi entered with her backet.
The' stranger followed. The old cou
ple kneeled and knocked their heads
on the floor because they coald easily
see that he was a man of rank.
"I have enme to announce my ba
trothal to your daughter," he said.
They were so astonished they could
say nothing.
"You are not to send her to the market-place
to sell flowers. You are to
find a sln-shang, who will teach those
things which she ought to know."
"But we arc poor, honorable sir,"
eaid the old woman, who could not
help thinking of the knife-shaped coin
of gold.
He took from his belt an embroid
ered purse and laid it on the table.
"You are more wealthy than your
neighbors," he said.
Then he went out, while the old
woman began counting the coins.
Every day he came at sunrise and
stood at the gate, while Suen Mci
picked one violet for him. One day
she asked him:
"Where do you live, honorable sir?"
"In the Temple of the Seven Genii."
and he pointed toward Fuhchan. "My
home is in the Temple, but because you
have asked me the question I must go
away. When the moan shines bright
and round again I will return."
He walked down the road with the
violet in his hand, while Suen Moi
walked sorrowfully into the house.
Por three days she grieved. The
flowers which grew in the garden
turned their faces toward the door, as
if looking for her, but she did not come
to them.
The black monster laid his hand up
on the village. The curse of smallpox
raged. It crept like a thief through the
gate and up th path between the flow
er beds of Sucij Moi. It stole into her
room, and laid its hand upon her fair
forehead, and chained her to her couch.
i7v Cfi ,1 Js-.tS Iji
it N Li 'I
fi Ipiil
The fever came into her face, then the
Ppeta appeared, and, last of all, the
marks of the monster's claws. Tha
flowers in the garden knew, and hung
their heads in sorrow.
In her delirium Suen Moi found her
lover. He had returned, and she was
searching for a flower to give him. But
they all drooped their heads. So she
raved:
"Raise up your heads; don't you
know that that '
She did not know his name. She
turned to him.
"1 cannot call yon he,'" she said.
"What is your name?"
The blush seemed to come over her
face because she was bold, but it was
onlv the fever.
"I am called Wong-Fa," he answered.
"That is the name of the God of the
Flowers," she said.
"I am that one," was the reply.
But the memory of all thla passed
from her.
The black monster has no mercy. It
has no oul. so it is continuously
searching for human ones. It took
the soul of Suen Moi. and left the body
for the parents to shed their tears on.
But as the soul passed down the path
to the gate tho flowers raised their
heads and demanded it, and it went to
them.
When the sun shone on them the
next morning a young man stood at tha
gate waiting for Suen Moi. He had re
turned. He waited until he saw tha
white cloth across the door. Then a
terror came over him. He walked up
the path.
"Where Is my betrothed?" h asked
of the old woman.
"She died of the scourge last night."
Ho turned and lookedat the flowers.
"You bloom In purple?" he asked,
softly. "You raise your heads in joy
when she, who loved you best is dead?"
He waved his hand gently over them
and they bowed their heads. "Why
should you not mourn?" he asked
them, and they shivered in the morn
ing breeze. "Mourn for her forever."
The old woman went in to light the
candles, that the soul of Suen Moi
might find its way through the dark
ness of eternity, and when the funeral
procession passed down the path the
violets were white.
NOT OF MUCH CONSEQUENCE-
Ilia Ultimate Destination Did Not Con
cern the English Traveler.
From the Troy Times: Rev. Dr.
John Watson, "Ian Maclaren" has a
clever way of telling a story, as the
readers of his books know full well.
In a recent lecture to the Yale students
he amused those young gentlemen with
a number of excellent anecdoteo. One
of these concerned a railroad trip
which Dr. Watson once took. Sitting
near him in the carriage wer can elder
ly gentleman and a good, worthy
man who believed he had the care oil
every human soul in his keeping. "
worthy man leaned over to the elderly
man, who was a rugged type of John
Bull, and asked him: "Do you knrv
where you are going to?" "What?"
exclaimed the elderly gentleman. "I
say, do you know where you are go
ing to?" "Liverpool," was the reply.
"Oh, I didn't mean that," exclaimed
the worthy man. "Didn't mean that!"
shouted the elderly gentleman, now
thoroughly aroused. "If this is the
Bradford express it must be stopped.
I want to go to Liverpool," and with
that he made a dive for the bell rope.
"Ho probably would have reached It,"
continued Dr. Watcon, "and stopped the
train had I not intervened and told tho
elderly man he was on the train for
Liverpool." "What did you mean,
then?" inquired the elderly gentleman,
rather sharply. "I simply wanted to
ask you if you knew whether yon were
going to heaven or hell," was the reply.
"Oh! that's all right," exclaimed the el
derly gentleman apparently greatly re
lieved, "but I thought you were
speaking about a far more serious mat
ter." Ahi-ad of the C.imr.
The old men Is a great favorite o..
Newspaper row; his only failing is that
he ban as:hroa. which he has to drawn
cut occasionally. Last week he started
out to drown his hay fever on pay day.
When he left the office he counted
among his possessions $23 his week's
salary. Just what happened to him fa
a mystery, because he never gained
consciousness until he woke up In the
station house the next morning. He
searched his pockets they v;ere emp
ty. Eight o'clock came and the sta
tlonkecpcr came to let him o::t. There
was no charge against him: he had
only been locked i'p to sleep It off. Sta
tionkcepcr Collins called out Bob's
name, and then began to hand out
things that had bcn taken away from
him when he was locked up. cf which
Bob had no knowledge. First h:j
watch, then ?S7.50. half again a3 much
as Bob had when he started out; then
a new suit of clothes, an umbrella, a
bon of paper collars and a basket of
grapes. Bob is still wondering where
they came from. But he entertains the
highest opinions of the police depart
ment and the board of safety. Louis
ville Commercial.
Hanged r.nrt Vaminlied.
An Eng'ish custom of not so long age
was to hang smugglers on gibbets ar
ranred alcng the coasts, a:'l then tar
the bodies that they might be pre
served a long while, as a warning tc
ether culprits. As late as 1S22 three
men thus varnished could have been
seen hanging before Doer castle.
Sometimes the process was extended to
robbers, assassins, incendiaries and
other criminals. John Painter, who
fired the dockyard at Portsmouth, was
first hanged and then tarred in 1776.
From time to time he was gien a fresh
coat of varnish, and thu3 was made to
last nearly fourteen years. The rreird
custom did not stop smuggling or oth
er crime, but no doubt it worked some
influence as a preventive. Pittsburg
Dispatch.
To Open Oil Well.
The Electrical Engineer, New York,
describes an invention of Tapley W.
Young, by which an electric heater
lowered into dry wells is said to melt
the clogged paraffine and other refuse
which closes the openings in the stone
of the reservoir, and to cause thereby a
renewed flow of oil.
Sir DonahFsmith, the wealthiest mac
in Canada, is a Scotsman.
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