lAHilfliI liL If f rUIL)K i j
HE reluctance of a woman to tell
her ago Is proverbial. It has re
cently had a curious Illustra
tion In the construction of the
book entitled "Who's Who In
America" a biographical dictionary which
presents the main facts in the lives of the
14,403 persons who seem to the editors, "be
cause of their position, their achievements
ani their relation to certain activities, le
gitimately subjects of Inquiry and Inter
est." Two per cent of the men included In
the list refused to give the date of their
birth and 29 per cent of the women.
It is easy to understand why a woman
belonging to the hnrem of the sultan
should wish to conceal her age. Envious
fear of a younger favorite is reason enough.
It Is natural and pathetic that the woman
who Is earning her own bread In some em
ployment where competition Is sharp
should fear the sound of time's hurrying
foot.
"I hope the lawyer won't nsk me how old
I am," said a gentle little woman, witness
In a will case. "I'm afraid the music
committee will think they must get a
younger singer for the choir."
The desire for silence in regard to age
Is not peculiar to spinsters, for the edi
tors of "Who's Who" testify that married
women are as unwilling to give the fatal
date as those who are unmarried.
Whatever may be the Impulse that
prompts a woman to conceal her -age, the
extension of education for women will
have a tendency to repress It. In the first
place, the large number of college women
know, approximately, the ages of their
classmates, and the secret which becomes
an open one at the time of graduation is
never again guarded. Moreover, the edu
cated woman is likely to be less desirous of
being thought to possess the charms of
youth and more eager to deserve the highly
satisfactory compliment:
Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety.
Youth's Companion.
Lighthouse Heroines.
f ft AST history of the lighthouse
I I service shows that women are
1 J thnpmicrlilv rolintilA nnd efficient
as llghtkeepers. As a rule they
are not appointed to the care of
lights of the first Importance, because the
work would be too arduous; but wherever
they have been put they have done their
duty most satisfactorily. The Boston
Herald tells of many notable feats of
heroism performed by women lighthouse
keepers.
On Lake Michigan, at the north end of
Milwaukee bay, stands a till red tower,
which is under the charge of Mrs. Georgia
Etebblns. Its light Is 122 feet above the
water and may be seen for twenty miles.
Ten years ago there was a frightful storm
and three men, upset from a sailboat, were
In imminent danger of drowning. Mrs.
Btcbblns went to their assistance and res
cued them at the risk of her own life.
Twenty-five miles out in the ocean, in the
pathway of the steamers from Boston to
Halifax, Is a barren and rugged island
of small area, which In stormy weather Is
often swept by the waves. It 1m called
Matlnlcus Rock, and the lighthouse was
formerly kept by a man named Sam Bur
gess. On one occasion, in winter, he had gone
away to the malnl ind to procure provisions,
when the weather turned bad and pre
vented him from returning. Meanwhile his
wife, who was an Invalid, and her four
daughters lived for three weeks on one
cup of cornmcal and one egg apiece per
day. The sea swept everything off the
rock, driving the family to the light towers;
yet the lights during all that dreadful
period were as carefully tended as usual
and never fulled.
The wife of a lighthouse keeper often
acts as his assistant and performs all his
duties when he happens to be away. Thus
It chanced that once, during a storm, Mrs.
Fowler, whose husband had charge of
North Dumpling light, on the Rhode Island
coast, found herself In serious trouble.
There was a thick fog and the machine for
ringing the fog bell broke. It was an acci
dent that might have cost many lives and
more than one ship; but the woman was
equal to the occasion. Scaling the outside
of the tower she fastened a rope to the
bell and rang it until the weather cleared.
Old-Fashloneal Glass Painting.
JSL I tlons, glass painting bids fair to
I tnlrn 1 1 a nrl wS n ri 1 ril :i ftt In ilio rnnlr
of decoration, and women who
are so fortunate as to have old
heirlooms in the shape of banjos and
grandfather's clocks with quaint glass
pictures are now moro than ever to be en
vied. But any woman of moderate ability
can turn her knowledge of painting to ac
count In this direction, for the work is
easily done and the results are always in
teresting. Since this old accomplishment has . been
revived, it is rapidly becoming the fashion
to use it In beautifying the home. Often
the entire appearance of a somber room
Is changed by transforming an ordinary
glass window into an Imitation stained
glass one. A square or oblong window
over the piano or book shelves, which is
not an ornament to the room, but is neces
sary for light, need be no longer an eye
sore If treated to this simple method of
color painting.
One of the most Interesting examples of
Imitation stained glass was seen recently.
To accomplish this result the painter first
had a pane of glass cut the same slzo of
the window. On this was sketched In
outline the motif, after which It was
painted In the same manner as on china.
From the edge of the glass the arrange
ment of the gold leaf was so carefully ap
plied that It gives a gorgeous effect when
the sun shines through It.
Some artists make It a point to stand
their easels in the sunshine while working
on glass, so they can keep the effect In the
foreground In applying colors. ThU method
of working Is trying on the eyes, however,
and rather difficult to follow. To Insure
durability, the glass must be fired before
mounting in the pane.
A new Idea for beautifying a hall win
dow at the first stair landing Is to arrange
a circular piece of glass about eighteen
Inches In diameter In a frame In such a
manner as to give the effect of stained
glass. This Is done by carefully choosing
the proper colors of point and applying
them with a quantity of gold leaf Inter
spersed. If the window Is square, oblong
or diamond shape, It may be first painted a
solid color, leaving a space In the center
for an Imitation stained glass window, to
be puttlod on In any desired shape. The
putty Is gilded over, so that it does not
show, and the effect of the solid color un
derneath the outer glass la beautiful If the
paints are Judiciously applied.
An old-fashioned oblong French mirror
Is also an excellent object on which to ex
periment, after removing it from the frame.
Thta may be decorated with a top panel
about nine Inches deep, after the old style,
with a church and trees. After the glass
Is fired It should be turned over to a
picture framcr to frame appropriately,
having a molding under the painted panel,
of course, as they did In olden times.
The modern grandfather clocks are nlso
decorated with pleasing results. One of
the prettiest ones shown has the cout-of-arms
nnd the monogram of the family to
which it belongs. A laurel leaf wreath en
circles the colored monogram and adds
character to the painting. Kven book
cases have lengthwise or crosswise panels
showing some landscape scene.
Dainty Modern Closets.
1 IVTV f1naftu nrn Mi n mn.ln nnur
B I The dainty woman hm so dci i led.
much attention to the closet as
tn the family sitting room, and
When they hive done, the woman herself
puts on the finishing touches.
City apartments ami even flats, as well
as houses, show closets that are quite as
perfect In arrangement as any other room
In the house, even though they are small.
In one corner of the modern closet Is a
basin with hot and cold water faucets, and
over the basin an e'ectrlc light button.
The walla are quite as daintily tinted
as those of the drawing room, and the
woodwork is usually enameled. If there
Is room for a chest of drawers, It is white
like the woodwork and has brass knobs
and trimmings.
Not tin Inch of space is wasted in the
modern closet. On the side which is de
voted to clothing is a shallow shoe box
with a lid. This Is built in the wall and
runs the length of the closrt. It, too. Is
painted white and has brass hinges.
Several enameled boards are placed along
the wall, the lower one being at a con
venient height for hooks (o be Inserted for
clothing. These shelves are useful for hat
boxes and other odds and ends of the
wardrobe.
This arrangement of the shoe box nnd
shelves make a little wardrobe by itself
and It Is quite the fad to, keep the dust
away from the gowns by hanging dainty
curtains bi fon the lower shelf. Some
times the shelves ure left hare, hut they
often are made more attractive in apiiear
ance by putting crepe paper on them, let
ting two or three inches extend below the
shelf. The paper is tacked here and there
with a brass-headed thumb tack, and be
tween tacks Is gently pulled out to make
It look like a ruffle. The yellow and pink
chrysanthemum, the wild rose or the violet
papers are especially dainty for this pur
pose, and are so durablethat they will not
need to be replenished moro than twice a
year.
Crepe paper is also used to cover the
hangers, In place of silk or satin. A doren
hangers at 6 cents upiece, a roll of crepe
paper, a few yards of No. 5 ribbon to wrap
the hook, a sheet of cotton for padding
and a pot of glue are all the accessories
required to make the hangers more at
tractive. It Is astonishing what one roll of crepe
paper will do. If the closet Is not too
large It will cover several shelves, hangers
and a band box or two. Instead of the
hat boxes, bearing on the covers the trade
marks of various milliners, something akin
to the charming old band boxes of our
grandmothers' days are made.
An ordinary hat box Is lined, cover and
all, with pale pink, pale blue, yellow or
White tissue paper, merely parted ut the
edges. If pink Is chosen for the lining,
pink chrysanthemum paper Is used for the
outside. A broad rutin ribbon to ench side
of the cover, Joining In the center and
tying In a big bow on top. finishes the box.
If the box Is very large and admits of
more than one hat, milliner standards are
placed Inside to set the hats on, so feathers
and flowers will not bu mussed na the
weight of the hat rests upon them.
What Women Arc Onlnpr.
Miss Ague Mullen, recently appointed
advertising manager of the Motion railroad.
Is the only woman in tho world holding
such a position.
While the Kritlsh J.idgej lefusc to ad nit
women to the liar women comliui" to w.n
honors us sttit'cnts. A woman has Jut at
tained the degree of I.I,. 1). fru n I o; d ill
university I y successful examination in law
and will renew the effort to get women ad
mitted to tlie I ur.
Mrs. Mary A. I.lvermore, the distin
guished woman suffragist, social reformer
unci lecturer, has Just ot n-i vcd her clgh;y
thlrd birthday ut I er home In Melrose,
Maps, line feature of the celebration was
the wedding of lirr private secretary , Miss
Adelaide Johns Witherlnglon to C. William
ili n 1 1 in.
Mrs. Elizabeth Milntyre of White Rock,
l'a., over M years old. lias Just com
pleted ii quilt containing 1,775 piece i. Kvcry
stitch In the quilt whs nuule by h-rie'r.
Among the patches which who tit Into thi
coverlet were plocea of the wedding gowns
of Mrs. Mclntyre's great-grandmother,
grandmother nnd mother, beclilec her (iwn.
The oldest hit of silk ure 1 is null to have
been in the Mclntyre lainlly fur 111 ycuis.
Maggie I,. Waikcr of Richmond. Va.. the
only colon d woman in the world who s
president of a bank, received n Chrictmis
present of a handsome victor! i nnd pMr
of coal black horsei, the outllt coctinr $ 0.
The present is made by tho I ndcpciident
Order of Kt. I.uke, of wlrch she is grand
worthy secretary of the fraternal depart
ment. Hhe I president of the St. Luke's
bank, which Is one of the enterprise) of
tho society.
Prof. Hunge of the I'lilverilty of Hale,
who has lieen making icse.irchc for many
years on t'.ie Increasing Incapacity of
women to fe-d their infants, lias Just pub
lished an alarming report on the subi -ct.
Ho Htutes that the mortality among chil
dren iirtllleally iioiirNl.e I v fir preiter
than among those nursed by the mother;
also that onic the power of feeling Is list
It Is never reeoveied. If the mot tier has
not nourished ' her children the daughter
Is equally Incapable.
A singular lawsuit which will result In
nn appraisement of personal beauty has
Just been tried In the Height n courts. The
Countess d'Argenteiu wns a d ck va-so-'ger
on the Ostond-1 lover mail I o it, whin owing
to some accident thn eibln was wre ked
and the coun'ess was covered with clebiU
of which sho retained permanent truces
In a permanent sour on the forehead. An
action for damages h is I ecu the remit and
it bus been derided in her favor with costs.
The countess, however, modestly refra'n
from herself asressing the money value of
the blot on her features, which are re-
mted to be very handsome. This has teen
eft to u committee of doctor.
Mrs. Joseph Hrexel, widow of the former
partner of J. l'ierisint Morgan, has re elvej
the famous eight-foot fans of the Vatican
and will take them to Philadelphia. They
are to be presented to the American pe ipte
and to le exhibited In the museum of the
University of t'entmylvunlu. Viiltor to
tho Vatican will remember these emblems.
No papal procession was ever held without
them. Years ago Mrs. Iirexel saw these
fans and eoveti;d them. Most any favor
unked by tills charitable woman had been
readily granted by the poie, but the fans
were regarded us too closely associated
with the history of the church to leave the
Vatican. However, year after year, when
visiting Kurope she had an audiencn with
the pope nnd renewed her plea for tho
fins. At last Leo XIII gave his consent
for the splendid symbols to lie given to Mrs.
Iirexel. In return Mrs. Drcxel presented
the Vatican another set of fans more sp'en
dld than the old ones. The fans are formed
of the rarest ostrich plumes, tipped with
peacock feathers, and the sticks are the
patial arms magnificently worked In heavy
gold, the crown being studded with rubles
and emeralds.