12 Conservative.
ti
APPLE BLOSSOMS.
In the springtime , bright nnd breezy ,
On n May dny , clear nnd fair ,
Stood a bonnie maiden , smiling ,
With the sunshine on her hair.
And her eyes were lifted upward
To the blossoms overhead ,
With A happy look of wonder ;
Joyous were the words she said :
"Apple blossoms , apple blossoms ,
O , I know and know it well ,
As you're swaying just above mo ,
Something sweet you have to tell.
Can you guess of whom I'm dreaming ,
Gue.ss the name I dare not speak ? "
All the pink within the blossoms
Was reflected on her check.
Clustered branches bent around her ,
Waiting buds hung o'er her way ,
While her joy was shyly whispered
To the llowers of the May.
"Apple blossoms , apple blossoms ,
How your frnganco fills thunirl
Just as love , so true nnd tender ,
Maketh nil my life most fair. "
When again upon the blossoms
Gazed the pretty little maid
Fled were blush and smile of greeting ,
Sad her eyes with pensive shade.
As in plaintive tone she murmured ,
"It was all a dream. Ah mo ! "
Silently , the white leaves downward
Fell like tear drops from the tree.
Roguish Cupid oft lies hidden
In an orchard's charming maze ;
But his arrows aimed through flowers
Youthf ul hearts will only graze.
Springtime love so oft , like blossoms ,
Short-lived , lingers but to die ,
Like the petals , off it flutters
Wln-n n fitful breeze blows by.
MAHY FHKNCH MOIITON.
Iii California the
GOOD HOAUS.
roads are grad
ually improving because of a law to
which the attention of the permanent
citizens of Nebraska is now called.
Whether similar legislation for this
state would be beneficial is a question
worth thinking about. Having a great
dread of lawns and meadows cut up and
gullied out by narrow tires the writer
some years ago had a four-inch tire
wagon made by the Studebaker's , for
use at Arbor Lodge. And the exper
ience and its results are entirely satis
factory.
The following is the law of Califor
nia in relation to wagon tires passed by
the legislature of 1897 :
"Tho width of tires for wheels upon
wngous or other vehicles to be used upon
the public highways of the state of Cali
fornia shall bo for the following styles
of wagons as follows :
"Two and three-quarter inch steel or
thimble-skein axle , \ % inch tubular
steel or iron axle , not less than 3-iuch
tire ; 1 } inch steel or iron axle , 2 inch
tubular or iron axle , not less thoii ! H
inch tire ; 8 inch steel or thimble skein ,
1 % inch steel or iron , 2 % tubular steel
or iron axle , not less than 4-inoh tire ;
8 * < ( iuch steel or thimble skein , 1 % or
1 % steel or iron , 2 % tubular steel or
iron axle , not less than 4)inch tire ;
8) inch steel or thimble skein , 2-inch
steel or iron , 2 % inch tubular steel or
iron axle , not less than 5-inch tire ; 8 %
inch steel or thimble skein , 2 inch
steel or iron , 8 or 2 inch tubular steel
or iron axle , not less than S1 inch tire ;
4 inch and larger steel or thimble skein ,
2 % inch and larger steel or iron , 84 -
inch , and larger tubular steel or iron
axle , not less than G-inch tiro. "
Other stj'les of axles shall have tires
of the same width as those of equal
carrying capacity above enumerated.
All intermediate axles shall have tires of
the same width as the next larger size
above specified.
The firsfc priut-
OLD HOOKS- .
mo VKICKS.1US press was
brought into Bug-
land by a merchant named Caxton , who
forsook his trade to enjoy the favor of
the duchess of Burgundy , sister of Ed
ward IV of England , and in 147G im
ported from Germany a printing outfit ,
which he established in a building ad
joining Westminster Abbey , especially
for the purpose of publishing his trans
lation of the history of Troy ( Recueil
des Histoires do Troyes. ) It was the
first English book ever printed , and in
1885 a copy was sold by the earl of Jer
sey to Bernard Quaritch , in London , for
$9,100.
The next book printed in England was
"The Game and Playe of Ye Ohesso. "
Copies have been sold as high as $1,800.
The first English book both written and
printed in England (1489) ( ) was "Dictes
and Sayings of the Philosophers , " of
which only four copies are known.
One of them was sold last year by the
earl of Ashburuham for $7GOO.
The first book printed in America was
"Doctrina Christiana , " by Juan Croni-
berger in the City of Mexico in 1559.
So far as known there is not a copy in
existence. The second was "Doctriua
Breve , " by Juan Zumarraga , the first
bishop of Mexico. It was printed by
Cromberger in 1548 , and copies have sold
as high as $2,200.
The first book printed in the United
States was an almanac at Cambridge in
1G89 by Stephen Daye , who established
the first printing press in this country.
The second publication was a slip con
taining a poem entitled , "The Free
man's Oath. " The next book was a
metrical version of the Psalms called
the "Bay State Psalm Book , " in 1G40.
Copies are very rare. It is one of the
most valuable books in the world.
The first edition of "Tho Canterbury
Tales , " printed by Caxtou , of which
only two copies are known , has sold for
$5,000 , $5,100 and $9,400.
The first edition of Robinson Crusoe
(1719) ( ) sells for $225. The first editions
of Izaak Walton's Compleat Angler
(1G53) ( ) have sold for $2,075. The first
edition of the Vicar of Wakofield ,
printed in 17GG , sold for $800 ; the first
edition of Paradise Lost for $ -150 ; the
first edition of Milton's complete works
containing a presentation inscription on
a fly leaf in his handwriting , $ ll 0.
The highest price paid for a book last
year was $10,500 , by Pickering & Chatto
of London , for Raoul le Fovre's "A
Boko of the Heel Lyfo of Jason , "
printed by Caxton in 1490 in black let
ter. It is one of the earliest books in the
English language and formerly belonged
to Bishop Hober. Some biographical
details on the fly leaf in his hand
writing greatly increase its value.
A copy of Captain John Smith's "True
Relation , " printed in 1G08 , sold for
$1,425.
The highest price paid for an Ameri
can book last year was $1,000 for a copy
of the Rev. Mr. Cushmau's sermon on
"The of Self-Love " which
Danger - , was
preached at Boston shortly after the
settlement of that place. It is the only
copy known of the first sermon printed
in America.
SILENCKD UY LINCOLN'S WOltDS.
Professor Laughlin of Chicago univer
sity was asked to meet a number of im
perialists at dinner at the Union League
club there a day or two ago , and he
took along with him this quotation
from Lincoln's writings :
"No man is good enough to govern
another without that other's consent.
When the white man governs himself ,
that is self-government ; but when he
governs himself and also governs
another man , that is more than self-
government that is despotism. Our
reliance is in the love of liberty which
God has planted in us : our defence is
in the spirit which prizes liberty as the
heritage of all men in all lauds , every
where. Those who deny freedom to
others deserve it not for themselves , and
under a just. God cannot long retain it. "
When the discussion was well under
way the professor whipped out the quo
tation and passed it around the table.
All wore republicans , and it is stated
that the face of each one was a study as
he read Lincoln's words. Some doubted
the genuineness of the quotation , and
when proof was forthcoming there was
silence. Springfield ( Mass. ) Republi
can.
HAS KEN IIKUK.
Prince of Wales
lauded at St. John July 24 , 1860 , for his
American tour. He remained on Ca
nadian soil for several weeks. While in
the United States he visited Chicago ,
St. Louis , New York , Boston and sev
eral other prominent cities. Ho was
inoc at Washington by President Bu
chanan and visited the several depart
ments of the government. He also vis
ited the tomb of Washington at Mount
Vernon. When his mother abdicates
he will become lung of England.