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'CfliiBniiiVti ll saait 'Awraaras One of the features of the enter- jf LtBBmBl. ia:nmc-it provided for tlie delegates '-'"M2BftHVS . the annual meeting of the United "" . t2?ijMESffifaBsS& State League of Building Associa- ,-- v SRGHKi(KBKI? lions in Sault Ste. .Marie, a perform- ' XMKitr cBBf. vV . nee of the song of Hiawatha by Ojib- V JRy3M 3uf hMMMCTi 3"f g Wt?SjfMfa j ftuii J ' ,T""I!-1'- iftiP htJSWATHM fiLTUSHS mm MIS BltlOg way Indians in a natural open-air i neater near tne fcnii c The old legend of the trihe. which l.i.nglVIIuv. has made familiar ly his wonderful ih:ii-.rt eristic poem, is iv-di.-ed to what might be called tab h.i' .ivani. for. as presented by the t'ldijiis. ii has ;ateily il.e merits of the drama a .e row look ujion it. and yet it is pot a Jozii; ery from the .limit ie plajs from wliie'i our drama was evolved. Much of it is in pantomime. allhou;h speech the Ojib way language is used is not en tirely discarded. The Mrxulnr appropnatciiexs of peiforminj; this beautiful legendary drama on the spot where its action is believed to have actual!, taken place in tho-e distant ases whose history is recorded only in the folk-tales, in terests the spectator almost as much as Ihe ierforniai:ce itself. On the shores of I ..ike Huron, near Kingston, inly a short distance from the famous "Son" canal, through whose enormous locks more tonnage .. . -. ... . .... than from any port in the world, the drama is performed each year. Side b side with the poetic legendary past, alive with mythological Indian heroes and heroines, is the insistent co::i:ucrciaI present. choUmg the i-anal witii its onrushing tide of busi ness and clouding the sky with the smoke of industrial fires. While the human desire for gain may account for some of the interest taken in the play by the Indians, there is evidently a deeper incentive responsible for their appearance in i.ie annual phy. There is undoubted ly family pride in the past of their trihe. and pride, in the fact that the poet of the pale faces took the tribal legend anil made of it a poem known around the world, it is approached with the same reverence with which, religious plays are in certain other parts of the world, for from the In dian point of view it expresses some tning of the religion, or former tc ligion. of the tribe. The drama of "Hiawatha" is or re cent origin. Although the legend has been told trom generation to genera tion in the Ojibway trihe. it was only tour years ago that it was reduced to ..ome semblance of a play ami per toimed. It is known that the Aztecs had : drama; indeed, one of them told a story startlingly similar to that of Damon and Pythias, so fa miliar in our own literature. With the coming of the white men certain "ballets." or pantomimes with words, were written for Central American tribes, and they were taught by the early missionaries or travelers to act in them. While the North American Indians have a strong dramatic gift, which must be known to all who have studied them, they have no drama, although certain ceremonies and tribai rites are. in a measure, theatrical. During the year lS9i a sportsmen's show was held in Boston, and. indeed. in other cities of the country, at i which a group of Ojibways were pres- ' cut to give the necessarv local color I While showing in Boston. Kabaosa. a leader among the tribe, and his nephew. Wabonosa. were entertained by the daughters of the poet Iong fellow. The Indians were charmed with the attentions of their hostesses, j and the latter promised to visit the ' Ojibways at their home in the Hia watha country. This by-incident sug gesred to L. O. Armstrong, the head of the Colonizing Department of the Canadian Pacific railway, that it would be a novel and interesting spec tacle for the Ojibways to perform a Vacation Substitute. "What's that we're selling?" re peated an enterpiising druggist, dur ing a briet lull in business last night. "That's something that's in a fair way to beat Col Sellers" eye wash fo death. We call it 'The Vacation Sub stitute." and you'd be surprised if I told you how many bottles l"d sold to-day. We've got rid cf thousands of them, and the season's young yet. It's nothing but a kind of black wal nut stain. Tou know tan is all the rage seashore tan. or golf links' tan. or tan shoe.. Well, you just apply this mixture to the face and hands and for a dollar you can get a com plexion that would cost jou your sal ary every hour at the "pier or at New port. It won't run off on pillows or handkerchiefs, and it lasts three or four days. Everything thinks you've got a yacht or are summering out of town. We have the stain plain and mixed. The mixed contains an imita tion of freckles. You can have a healthy brown on your cheeks and neck, and freckles on your nose and hands, but most folks prefer the olid color. It's a great scheme, be- drama made from the legend of Hia- watiia. ho it was arranged, and tne following snmnier. HMHt. the daughters of the poet, when they visited the Indian camping grc.unds on the shores of Lake Union, were treated to the play performed b. Indian actors. On this occasion the amateur actors numbered about seventy-live, and were carefully chosen from the Shing wauk band of the Ojibways. who re side on the Garden River Reserve. twenty miles southeast of Sault Ste. Maiie. in the province of Ontario. It is well known that Longfellow heard the original legend ol Hiawatha from his friend. Schoolcraft, the historian, who married into the Ojibways. There appears to be some doubt whether Longfellow ever visited the counliy himself, although the aged Cinel Huk-wm-n-ni-ni always main- tained that the poet visited'him. and that he related the legend to him. However that may lie, it has been generally conceded that Longfellow .. ot the scenery with marvelous accuracy, and also that his Indian names and words were wonderfully correct, doubly to be marveled at if he had never had the advantage of a visit to the scene. This, however, is u dii;rotittion The drama, which has been annual ly acted since the visit of Longfellow's daughters, usually between July and September of each year, is performed on one of the Desbarats islands in the St. Mary river, on the Canadian shore of Lake Huron. The spectators are seated on the shore, and. while most of the action of the piece takes place on a platform anchored in the river, the river and islands within a short distance are used. As a matter of fact, the "stage" is the largest upon which a play was ever performed, and the scenery and the actors are natural. Realists should find in the production all their hearts' desire. The produc tion is managed with completeness regarding details, and the greatest care is taken to see that the charac ters are assumed by those best fitted for them. Although the actors are In dians, study of Catlin's designs was given, in order that the costumes should be accurate. lu speaking, the Ojibway tongue was used, but so clever were the ac tors in pantomime that the action was closely followed with ease by the spectators, who were, of course. ignorant of the meaning of the gut teral sounds emitted by the players. The music which accompanied the action was characteristic, harmonious and. at times, iioetically weird and sentimental, and the choruses were impressive. The play opens most dramatically. Near a red pine tree a column o smoke ascends from a pile of blazing branches as a signal to the Indian nations. In response to the pillar of smoke, scores of red faces appear on the surrounding heights. It is the smoke of Gitche Manito, the Great Spirit, calling the tribes of the land together. "All the tribes beheld the signal," and with shrill warwhoops the Indians pour from their hiding places and rush to the burning pyre. Then Gitche Manito. stretching forth his right hand, speaks to the gathered group and bids them listen to "ords of wisdom. his The counsel of the Master of Life is potent, and the braves, who were spotted with war paint, throw oft their deerskins, cast aside their weap ons and jump into the waters, where the paint is speedily removed from their bodies. This introduction ends cause it brings an outing, or what pisses for an outing, within reach of thousands who can't afford to go farther than Rumford or the Paw ti'xet. And I'll say this for it. it'll put on tan and freckles a good deal faster than cucumber cream and lond lily extract will take them oft". Come in some other evening and ask some more questions." Providence Journal Birds That Shave. Man has a rival in the art of shav ing in a South American bird called the "motmot," which actually begins shaving on arriving at maturity. Nat urally adorned with long blue tail feathers, it is not satisfied with them in their natural state, but with its beak nips oft the web on each side, leaving only a little oval tuft at the end of each. Floating Coal Depot. Built on the Tyne, a floating coal depot with a capacity of 12,000 tons has arrived at Portsmouth. England, where it will be used for coaling bat tleships and, cruisers. JlMV e tsmw &j fonQfeilQW yairw sr with a dance ot jubilation and smoking the pipe of peace. In the second tableau, a scene from Hiawatha'? childhood is de picted. The youth makes a display of arrow shooting, in which he has been assiduously train ed. As he shoots with bow and ar row, behind him stands the "wrin kled old Nokomis." who reared the motherless child. When grown to boyhood. I a goo the boaster, made a bow for the lad and with it Hiawa tba brought low his first deer. The youngster who por trays the young Hiawatha proved to he an excellent shot -with such archaic instru ments as a bow and arrow. The next scene shows Hiawatha to have come to manhood. He has re turned from his initial journey and he has seen the dark-eyed maiden of the West. A second journey has been made across the Big-Seawater to the tent ol the arrowmaker. The Indian lover is represented at the door of the Dakota tepee where sat the an cient maker of arrows. Minnehaha had been thinking "of a hunter from another tribe and country, young and tall and very handsome." Would he come again for arrows? He sud denly appears from the woodlands, and the maiden, with true Indian hos pitality, brought forth food and set before them. Hiawatha lends a deaf ea to the teachings of old Nokomis. who ad vises the wedding of a maiden of his tribe. He wooes Minnehaha, which character was played with a native chat m and modesty which fulfilled the exacting demands of the part. One of the most interesting and spectacular of the scenes is naturally that depicting the wedding. In this scene there are numerous dances; the deer dance, which foretells a life of peace for the wedded pair; the snake dance, which is to appease the evil spirits, which is performed by Paw-Ptik-Keewis; the gambling dance, in which the latter is also the chief fig ure. Following is a missionary scene. As the dances are being concluded, a biich-bark canoe, appears from be; hind one of the islands, whereupon a score of Indians hurry to the shore I ivp "h wni,e missionary welcome Hiawatha listens to the white man's speech, his vision having come true, and the departure of the hero is the fitting climax to the drama. With long strides Hiawatha passes down the sloping bank to the water's edge, where floats his wonderful canoe for "all the forest's life was in it." He stands erect in the graceful craft, with paddle uplifted in one hand and the other bidding farewell to the warriors, the canoe sails away swiftly, mysteriously, without the aid of oar or paddle. His comrades on the shore break the dramatic stillness with theii weird chants, fainter grows the song and in reality the golden sunset fc being usurped by the dusk, as it is -in the poem: the play is done, and yet to have witnessed it leaes the sensa tion that it was not a play; it was either the legend come to life or i gentle vision. A Record Breaker. Three fellow travelers in the smok ing room of a fast train were discuss ing the speed of trains. "I was in a train once." said the first man, "that beat everything I evei rode in for speed. Why, it went so fast that the telegraph poles at the side of the track looked like an im mense fine toothed comb." "That's nothing." said the second traveler: "1 remember riding in an express on the and that went at such a gait that the telegraph poles looked like a solid board fence.' The third man made an exclamation of impatience. "Ah, you fellows don't know what high speed on a rairoad is. Why, I traveled west from Chicago last month in a train that went at such a pace that when we passed some al ternate fields of corn and beans the looked like succotash!" Harper's Weekly. Getting Him to Work. Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, the pres ident of the Woman Suffrage Associ ation. was citing diplomatic ways oi making children work. "A Chicago woman," she said, "hat a little boy who hates to practice writing. Last fall she told me that in this matter of writing she could dc nothing with the lad. But in Decern her. when 1 met her again, she said complacently: t "Well. Harry spends quite two hours a day now at his writing regu larly.' "How in the world.' said I, 'did you bring this miracle to pass?' "The woman winked slightly. "I told him she said, 'to make out, in his very best hand, a list ol everything he wanted for Christmas and he has been at it ever since.' " Why Women's Wages Are Low. Rather an amusing reason is given by Anna B. Doughten as to why young girls' wages still remain so much lower than poung mens, when the same wcrk is accomplished and in quite as good a manner. "Seldom,' she says, "does a girl work with any idea of permanency, and often the brighter and more capable she is, the sooner does some young man find that her qualifications are just what he wants in a wife. Indeed, it is a fact." says this philosopher, "thai many employers have found it useless to train good-looking, capable girls in any special lines, for just when they are fitted for the required duties and the accompanying higher salary off they go." Miss Doughten is in a position to discuss the subject, as she is social secretary in one of the larg est publishing houses in America. From Social Service. Odd Name for Babe. In England a woman wanted hei baby named "Port Arthur," but the of ficiating clergyman refused and final) I the "Port" was stricken out. CM r. Wragg tnvttes eontrlbathma et t anv new idema that reader nf thJa & ' partment may wish to present, and would be pleased to answer correspond ents desiring Information on subjects discussed. Address U. J. Wra. Wau kee. Iowa. GOOD PAINT. During the summer farmers will be gin to look about for material with which to paint some of the farm buildings. Paint preserves the wood and keeps the air and moisture out of the timber, thereby preventing decay. Whenever wood is kept perfectly dry or is kept saturated with water, de cay is prevented. Coal tar makes an excellent material as a covering for wood, but its use is rather restricted on account of its color and objection able qualities. It is used, however, quite extensively and very success fully as a paint for the inside of silos, especially for stave silos, when both edges and the inside of the staves are coated with this material. As a rule people in general have very inadequate ideas as to the real nature of paint. They understand that there is such a thing as good paint as well as poor paint, but why one is good and the other bad is not understood and the result is that they often buy a quality of paint that gives poor satisfaction. There is a great deal of fraud practiced by unscrupu lous manufacturers of paint. In ready made paints, it is difficult to tell except by a chemical analysis whether a paint is good or whether it is a spurious article. Nearly every body understands that linseed oil is the best oil to use for paints, but the natuie of the ingredients added for the purpose of giving "body" are not so well known. There are only two substances that can be used for the production of first class outside paints and they are white lead, a mixture of lead carbonate and lead hydroxide, and zinc white, which is an oxide of zinc. When these substances are bought separately and mixed at home with good linseed oil there is little danger of getting a poor article. For outside painting raw linseed oil should be used, while for inside work it is preferable to use boiled oil on account of its more rapid drying qual ities. Many of the ready made paints on the market contain no white lead or zinc white in spite of the fact that some of them are labeled "Pure W.hite Lead.". "Red Lead," which is an oxide of lead is much cheaper than white lead or zinc white, but may be used to advantage where a cheap paint must be used, it has fairly good wearing qualities, even for outside work, and for inside painting it makes a splendid cheap paint wherever it can be used. Its color, however, is against it and restricts its use consid erably. Every little while we notice that some man well fixed on a good farm sells it and thinks he will look for a better country and. after trying the several gardens of Eden as set forth by real estate agents and corpora tions, comes back to bis old stamping ground and buys the old farm back at a good increase in price over that which he received. It is always best to rent the old place for a year or so and go and prospect. You may want to come back. WOOLLY APHIS. J. B. B. I enclose you a sprig from an appletree planted last spring, show ing a fungus, louse, or something of that nature. Will you please give the proper remedy for destroying it? I used carbonate of copper and am monia as a spray, but it did but little good. The apple twigs are infested with woolly aphis. This insect attacks the roots as well as the branches of apple trees and in some cases does a considerable harm. Owing to its waxy covering it is somewhat diffi cult to destroy, but thorough spray ing with strong tobacco water to which lye at the rate of one potind to ten gallons has been added will prove quite effectual. Kerosene emul sion is also a good remedy for it. When the insect is upon the roots the injury is even greater than upon the branches. As a remedy for them when under ground scrape away the soil for a few inches and apply to bacco dust at the rate of two to five pounds to the tree. Where they can be easily obtained, tobacco stems can be run through a coarse seive and will answer very well. Another good remedy is to apply from a peck to a bushel of wood ashes and if the soil is lacking in plant food the applica tion of a liberal amount of stable ma nure will strengthen the trees and help them to outgrow the injury caused by the insects. The carbonate of copper and am monia is fairly effectual against some of the fungi, but is of no value in treating the woolly aphis. If farming is a business, and It should be considered as nothing else, then the capita! invested in every branch should be accounted for. The only way to do this is to keep ac counts wjth every crop and with every class ot stock. GOOD THINGS TO LEARN. Jjearn to laugh. A good laugh is better than medicine. Learn to attend strictly to your own business; very important point. Learn how to tell a story. A well told story is as welcome as a sunbeam in a sick room. Learn to stop croaking. If you can not see any good in this world keep the bad to yourself. Jearn to keep your own troubles to yourself. The world is too busy to care for your ills and sorrows. Learn to greet your friends with a smile. They carry too many frowns in their own hearts to be bothered with any of yours. Learn to hide your aches and pains under a pleasant smile. No one cares whether you have the earache, head ache or rheumatism. There is no better method of renew ing fertility than sowing oats and rape, then pasturing the rape with sheep after the oat harvest. Sheep distribute fertility and put in on the ground in most desirable form. Keep as many as possible. - --- ". -- Z' -""S - ... . GROWING PLUMS. The growing of plums is one busi ness not over done, or at least such is the case in parts of the country where I have. been. In fact they are in smaller numbers than any other fruit unless it is the pear, and in so many orchards it is a minus quantity. For this reason those who do grow a surplus of plums receive an interest ing price for them right at home from their neighbors who were oblivious of the importance of raising their own fruit. I know of a man who had a small orchard of old-fashion Damsons, seven years old, that yielded sixty bushels, for which he received $1.50 per bushel from bis neighbors. The largest individual yield was four bushels, netting $6.00 on a tree that cost less than 25 cents. Very little expense was incurred, for chickens kept the curcuiio in check; the chil dren picked the fruit the trees be ing headed low. A suburbanite raised plums on a back lot, netting $500, sell ing per bushel at $1.50 to $1.87. deliv erea at the depot, only a few hundred yards away. This was less than one third ot a crop, being their first and a poor season at that; so he can count on a handsome figure when he has a good season. Many kinds were tried, and be counts that his returns woulri have been nearly twice aslarge this year if his orchard had only Shrop shire and Freestone Damsons in it. The newer and higher recommended sorts were better quality, possibly, but yielded next to nothing.' Japan plums, the much lauded, were a fail ure with him. The orchard was well ke'it, and accurately planted. Some trees yielded as high as four bushels. He was making a success of a busi ness nearly everybody else neglected Suc-h is often the case. Jones, Missouri. It matters not what vocation a young man may follow, he will always find that the better his education the more successful will he be. A college education will make him a better farmer, a better miller, a better auc tioneer, a more successful manufac turer, as well as a better lawyer, doc tor or parson. The ignorant fellows are hereafter always to be found at the tail end of the procession. THE COUNTRY CHURCHYARD. The average country churchyard is a iidcous looking place overrun with briars and weeds, and with little at tempt at adornment. As Whitlier well says: Our vab's are sweet with fern and rose. Our hills arc maple crowned. But not from thexo our fathers chose The village burying-ground. Tlie dreariest xpot in all tlie kind To death they set apart. Willi scanty .nice from Nature's hand And none from that of -irt." Sgme of these local burying grounds in the west occupy places that might be beautified at little ex pense, but as a rule they are sadly neglected. In some parts of New England the old churchyards are be ing improved in a singular way. We saw one recently that had been put in order with money left by an old citizen of the town. This person willed a certain amount of money for the purpose of refitting the old churchyard and keeping it in order. Another man has already laid aside money which, at his death is to be spent in beautifying the graveyard in his native town. Such people leave worthy monuments behind them. The country bury-ground can and should be a beautiful park bringing us happy and not gloomy thoughts of those who have gone before. We wish to say once more that when you give a field a two years' course in clover you have done as much in the way of renovating and fer tilizing the soil as though you had put fifteen wagon loads of manure on each acre, and more. The soil is in better shape for future plant growth than if it has been manured as stated. There is no one thing of so much im portance to farmers everywhere as to thoroughly comprehend the value of clover as a soil fertilizer. It is the law and gospel of the new agricultural dispensation. Clover will prevent good soil from becoming poor and will make good soil productive. ROTATING CROPS. We are asked whether the growing of wheat can be continued for an in definite period on the wheat land ot the Northwest. This will depend upon whether the growers are wise enough to adopt some system of crop rotation. As in much of the northwest country corn is not a sure crop, and the clovers and grassers do not yet do well, the chance for a satisfactory crop rotation is very limited, as it would not answer the purpose to change from wheat to oats or barley. For the present about all the rest which the wheat fields have is an oc casional summer fallow. The proba bility is that, as with all other wheat growing countries, the fertility of the soil will in time be gradually im paired and tne yield reduced to a point where it will be unprofitable to raise the crop. However simple a matter farming may seem to the city-bred man. he wjJl find when he undertakes it that practical knowledge counts. What the practical farmer knows, he knows to be a certainty. For this reason be ginners should hasten to avail them selves of the experience gained by the most successful farmers during many years of practice. WHAT TO DO WITH HEDGE. Hedge fences are a beautifier when properly kept. They are an "eyesore" when improperly kept. Put them in shape or grub them up. No matter how costly the material or how much care is used in construction, the ! fences will not add to the beauty of iuc imu;g ii uic mxua art; not Kepi down along them. When pigs are well kept, they should gain the faster the older they grow, but it does not necessarily fol low that this increased growth makes fhem more profitable to the farmer, for it has been shown that 'the in creased ration and cost thereof more than offsets the actual value of gain. 7 ?&.-'". TEST EACH COW. Gcod judges believe that in the en tire country one-third of the cows kept ror tfceir milk do not pay for their i cost of keeping .and nearlv one-third more fail to yield annual profit. This ratner startling statement, said Dr. I E. W. Allen of the Department of Agriculture, was made in the Year Book of this department by one who is competent to speak upon the sub ject. The question arises what the farmer with the herd of dairy cows is to do? First of all he should find out not only what his herd collect ively, but what each cow is doing; he should begin a record of both the quantity and quality of milk produced by each cow. This will enable him after a time to systematically weed J out his herd, retaining only the best. He should then gradually raise the standard of his herd by breeding or by the introduction of new stock. The average cost of keeping a cow a year has been variously estimated by experiment stations in different local ities at from $33 to $45. The means of keeping the record of the income, enabling the weeding out process, are now available to every dairyman. The Babcock test, which is a simple means of determining the richness of the milk in fat. and the scales for de termining the yield of milk, enable any farmer to ascertain the value of milk and butter production of each cow in his herd, and whether she is a source of profit or loss. The mere milk production may be misleading, if the fat test is not made. The fat test may be made at frequent intervals, say once a week. Since morning milking differs somewhat from that made at night, it is more reliable to take samples ot both for testing. It is needless to say that proper care and feeding count for a great deal iu milk production and may do much to improve the milking qualities of otherwise poor cows. Before a cow is rejected the farmer should be sure that the fault of light production lies in the cow and not in himself. Ignorance, poverty and discontent are assigned as the reasons for the unrest among the peasantry of Unsold. It is .-aid to form the basis of ex plosive conditions that may result :n a convulsion at any time. These con ditions arc attracting the attention of those in authority and measures arc being presented and discussed to bring about a better state of affairs. The emperor is much in favor of bet tering the condition of the peasantry. DAIRY NOTES. Pure water never conies from a contaminated source. Clean milk never comes from a dirty cow. Are there not some dark, damp cor ners in your cow stable where you can put in a window and let the life giving sunshine and light in? Be reasonable, don't expect your cow to give you a large mess of rich milk unless you furnish her material to make it of, as well as a comfort able place to do it. The young heifer with her first calf should have the best possible treat ment. With kind care and proper feed she will acquire a habit of per sistency, thereby making a profitable cow. if your calves are not doing well, or you are losing any. look to the feed buckets. They should be washed and scalded every day. Disease and no end of germs lurk in a dirty pail. The dairy farmer who has no pride in his business, no love for his cows, no enthusiasm and does not take a good farm and dairy paper, will fol low in the rear rank of the procession and be lost in the shuffle. The man who grows his own feed always has the advantage of the man who has it to buy. because he saves all the grower's profit and all the banker's charges for use of money put in the feed, and is saved from the stress and losses that often come to the man operating on borrowed money. One makes the double profit, that of the grain-grower and that of the feeder, while the other makes only the feeder's profit less the bank er's charges. COW PEAS AND CORN. Recently a very successful farmer declared he would never again plant a field of corn without also planting cow peas with it. His method is to run the corn planter one-half a day. then change the planter plates to suit for cow peas, and go over the same ground putting the. cow peas in the same hills with the corn. If this prac tice becomes general, we shall soon have double-box planters enabling the drnnninir of both seeds at once. A double advantage is gained. Cow peas are rich in protein, they will smother weeds and being of the legume family they enrich the soil with nitrogen instead of robbing it of its fertility. It is well to bear in mind that alfalfa, clover, beans and cow peas are among the chief legumes upon which the farmer most depends for the enriching of exhausted soils. Let the farmer supply his house with plenty of good literature, but ex amine all papers before you subscribe for them, so that you may know what the family is reading. Nothing ele vates more than good reading, and nothing pays the farmer better than to take anil read several agricultural papers. There are good ones and oth ers. The farmer who reads good farm literature will learn more in one year than he will in ten without it. I know there are farmers who ridicule the Idea of farm literature, but it is coming into greater favor with the farming class each year, h arming is a business, and what kind of a busi ness man is a man who does not read? The borrowing farmer is a regular nuisance, yet he is in evidence in all farm communities. The Rural Home says: "Next to a tree agent and light ring rod nian. the chronic borrower i3 the moct undesirable person one can meet. He will bring a broken tool home and look as meek as a lamb and at the same time ask for another to break up Fuch men will put a wood en Indian to shame" Melon Was Gustam is truly a connoisseur, and the culinary feats he can perform up on a two-burner gas stove in his apart ments is the wonder cf his friends. He has been on the lookout for de lectable delicacies poten to cool and refresh. The luxury that tickled his palate most was a watermelon that Had been doctored with rum and claret and cooled to the freezing point. Inspired by this work of art. Gustam forthwith planned a surprise for a few Df his friends. He procured a huge watermelon, the necessary rum and wine, and, in accordance with the re cipe, stirred up a mixture, plugged the melon. -Miured in the liquid, in serted the plug and set the whole in the refrigerator Jo cool for two days. Then, summoning his friends, he cut the melon. Before taking a bite himself. Gustam proudly awaited laudatory remarks and exclamations of praise. His friends ate in silence. Uon tasting his slice Gustam could detect but the faintest flavor of rum and wine. What had become of the two quarts of God's Plans the Best Some time, when all life's lessons have been learned. And sun and stars forevermore hae- set. Tile things which our weak jiuls-meul here ha. spurned The thin o'er which r ri.'ed with lushes wet Will Hash lMfore n-s out of life's dark ni;ht. As st.-irs shine most in de-per lints of blue: And we shall see how all Mod's plan weie rlxht. And how what seemed reproof was loe most true. And we shall see that, while we trown ami ::ikii. God'a plans so on as best for vuu and me: flow, when we called, lie heeded not our cry. Because Ills wisdom to the end could s-e: And. e'en as prudent parents disallow Too much ol" sweet to enivtu; baby hood. 5o God. perhaps, is keeping from us now Life's swiftest things, because it seim eth '"ii. And if soiiii time, commliik-l'-d with luV wine. We liud th shrink. wormvv.MMl. and r-hel and 1'e sine u wi--r hand than voiirs or min-I'our-i out this portion Tut- or lips to drink: The Origin "I believe that the origin of the ex pressive bit of slang 'kickers' may be found in the very lowest form of occupation any member of the human race follows," Mr. W. M. Robinson states. "Between Wornisley's anil St. Hel en's in Cornwall, is an underground canal connecting the lower levels of the coal mines at Wornisley's with the surface station at St. Helen's, which saves a great deal of money for the mine owners in handling the coal, which is simply loaded on the barges in the mines ami transported by the canal under the mountains to the harbor at St. Helen's. When the canal was devised, however, how to provide for locomotion for these barges was a problem. "Mules couldn't be used, and there were circumstances which made uteam impossible, but an incentive genius fiually solved the riddle by .sug Seeks to Improve Race On the estate near Perm, in north east Russia, of a wealthy man named Reshetnikoff, a singular marriage took place recently. The bridegroom. Vasilieff. was a handsome peasant, the bride a beautiful girl of IS. M. Reshetnikoff gave them a large wood en cottage and a plot of land, and at the wedding breakfast greeted them as the second generation of his nurs lings "who are to make of holy Itus sia an earthly Olympus peopled with A polios and Hebes." At the time of the Riisso-Turkish war M. Reshetni kotT. struck with the inferior, ill nourished physique of many recruits, set aside annually out of his large for tune 10,000 rubles for the puriose of eliminating the unlit by encouraging marriage only between young people of exceptional beauty, health and in telligence. He employed as workers on his estate only the handsomest I Mike "Got Wise" Quickly "Up in my bailiwick," said Col. Abe Gruber. "there is a Hebrew and a son of the Ouid Sod, who are near neighbors and friends, but the des cendant of Brian Born, who manage to make just enough to keep him from week to wcek.has long been filled with wonder as to the causes which make for the piosperity of his He brew friends. To clear the matter up he called on his friend, who. by the way. bears the same Christian name as mine, if it may he so called " Abe, said Mike, 'how is it yon fellows are all so piosperous. What do you do? Let me in on the secret." " 'Well, we're wise. replied Abe. We eat fish.' "'Fish, is !'."- What kind of fish?' I sell 'em,' was Ab"'s shrewd reply. Odd and Fanciful Idea An odd and fanciful idea is advanc ed by Zona Gale, writing for Outing, in which she gives her reason for her "discovery" as "the coming of Semi ramis." Now Semiramis is evidently a cute, furry little kitten, and so the owner of this dainty feline says: "It has long been my belief that fairies are the little souls of some thing. At first I was puzzled to know of what, but -since the coming of Semiramis it is quite simple. Her mysterious amber eyes and lithe little body of furry silver have taught me the truth; fairies are the souls of all little kittens. And let only him deny this who can cast the firstf proof to the contrary! "1 say let hin" deny it; for what 99 liquor he had put in? Much mysti fied, he explained the circumstances, but all the comfort he got was the accusation that he had been "stingy with the booze" and the admonition "tc put more in next time." As it was. however, they got away with half of the melon and then Gustam called the Janitor and gave him the otaer half. An hour or so later the janitor's wife knocked at the door, and ar she faced Gustam and his guests she be gan with a great show of righteous wrath: "Misther Chus (hlc) turn, wot did yes put (hie) in thot malon? Me ouid mon (hie), me otild mon me ou!d mon (hie), ish down there yellin wid (hie) th jimjams! Oi wanta know whash yez put (hie) in thot in thot malon! Ibh ut a joke (hie) a joke thot ye put up (hie) on urn? Oi wanta know (hie) " The truth dawned upon Gustam. By reason of the melon lying two days in one position the rum and wine had all settled in the lower end and he had given that end to the janitor. New York Press. And if some friend we love N lyint: low. Whe'e human kisses cannot reach his face. Oh. do not blame the loving K.uher so. Hut bear your sorrow with obedient -race. And you shall shortly know that length ened breath Is not the sweetest gift Ood sends His friend. And that sometimes the sable pall of death Conceals tlie taircst boon Mis love can send: If we could push ajar Ihe ipites of life. Anil stand within, and all tlotl's work h.Sj see. We (old iuternret all this doubt and strite. Ard lor each iinsteiy could find a key. Hut not to-da Ttieii be content, poor heart. Coil's plans, like lilies pure anil white, unfold: V mii-st not tear the close-shut leave apart: Tinn will ri veal the ealvxes of Kold. And if through patient toll ue reach the laud Where tind feet, with sandaK loose, iray lest. When we shall clearly know and under stand. I think thai we ill. ill say that1 "liod knew !-1 "" of "Kickers 99 gesting that cross pieces of timber he placed along the roof of the canal, which was very low, and men could lie on their backs on lop of the loaded barges and 'kick the vessel along. Alter the barge was once started thlsi was found to be feasible. The men could easily keep the load in motion by I lie means suggested, and it has ccr since been in use. There is no question about the low grade of this sort of work, and even the men who follow it are constantly 'kicking around the villages when they live. They were known at the mines officially as "kickers' because of their work, and their vocal complaints continually indulged in. caused every one at Wornisley's or St. Helen's, no matter what their station or employ ment. who indulged in complaints to be called 'kickers. I presume that the origin of Mm- word, as we use it, is just what I have suggested." St. Louis ('lobe-Democrat. and healthiest villagers. These he encouraged to enter ii'tou matrimony by grants of land, payment of mar riage t'wa and :m annuity of fifty rubles a year for every child born. He removed from his estate all de formed and sickly per.-vous and at tracted handsome giants from all parts of the province by granting i hem valuable privileges. Those whe refused to marry the partners hn selected were unceremoniously de IMirted. Since the institution of his scheme torty marriages have taken place, and over lob children have been born, nearly all of tnem being immense'. Miperior to the average Russian peasant children in strength and beauty. Vasilieff's marriage was celebrated with exceptional display, he and his bride being the first couple both of whom sprung from unions arranged by M. Reshetnikoff. "'How much are they?' said Mike, his curiosity now thoroughly aroused. "'Five dollars apiece. " 'I'll take one. said Alike finally. "We don't sell less than three.' said Abe. sizing up his man. "'Well. I'll take a chance," satd Mike. 'Give me three. "Abe went over to his safe after pocketing the $1". and brought out three diminutive fishes of the dried variety. These he handed to Mike, who looked them over carelully and finally took a bite trom one of them. 'Say. Abe. said Mike suspiciously, the.-e things taste a divil of a lot like .smoked herrings." 'Now, you see." said Abe. in seem ing glee, "you're getting wise al-read.-.'" New York Times. ever is fragrant to llelieve and pleas act to preach about the kittens of tho world, every woman is fain to accept and to repeat. How gladly, then. will she welcome such a fair doctrine as this concerning the kittens that have left the world! And if her own 'little lion, small and dainty sweet. he still her daily companion, she has only to sit with it in her anas for an hour some night when the moon is full, to understand that to all strange, sweet influences and potent, hidden presences the reticent, eerie little creature is akin. Especially will she feel this if. as I trust every wojpan ? who loves a kitten knows, it has been I named for some beautiful dead queen." , a "Peach -'4 i3 : 71 3-1 .-! - ? gV-Vr . fcSJg;V- UHx ?. r- - U'ff