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HAIIj! MKItliY DAY. Oli, blessed, ble&sert day on which our Lord was born I Thy irlnd rut urn wc celebrate once more; While everywhere sweet bells ring in the Christmas mom. And nations sing Ilia praise whom we adore. While the sweet church bells ring Hall to our Savior! King! Our Lord, whom we adore! Horn In no earthly fane, Yet shall lie ever reign Our Christ, forevermorcl Now gather happy hearts around the Christmas board, , And loyous greetings pass from each to each; While young and old bring forth their precious hoard. And distribute their gifts with merry speech. While the sweet church bells ring Hall to our Savior! King! Our Lord, whom we adore ! Horn in no earthly fane, Yet shall He ever reign Our Christ, forevermore ! Lllla N. Cushman, in tit. Louts Magazine. SAVED AS BY FATE. 'What can it be, Louise, that is so charming about AlieeP Any one but her would be pronounced homely, with those features; besides, she is a straw berry blonde,1 she is freckled, and she has the most immense feet wears a six at the very least." "I am sure 1 cannot say, but fascina ting she certainly is; it must be in her manner or in her accomplishments. Who would ever have thought when sho came hero six months ago that she would now bo the bollo of Lancaster?" I didn't, I'm sure, or 1 never would have allowed papa to offer her a home with us; just listen to that voice!" And Jeannette Taylor paused as the Hweet tones of her cousin's voice came floating up to them from the music room. She is practicing up for the con cert. I'd give the world to keep her away irom there. Ulaude Moltrop is Kit re to fall deader in love with her than ever, for she does look stunning in her concert dress, in spite of her red hair." Do you think that would make any difference, Jeanne P Wouldn't he fol low her just the same if she did not attend the concert?" Haidly, for, you seo, Claude knows nothing of this sudden summons Alice has receive from Undo George, and if ho should not meet her to-night, 1 feel sure I could securo him before Alice would ever sec him again, for you know she goes in the early train." I rather think so myself," mused Louise Lorton, Jeanne Taylor's mar ried sister. He soems to be almost as attentive to you as ho is to Alice; it may be only her singing which at tracts him. 'What are you going to wear to-night, Jeanne?" My white tissue, but I know it's all vain to think anything about it, if she sings at that concert. I wish I dare send her away this minute," and Joanne Taylorlooked at hor sister with despair and anger in hor black eyes. "It was a mistake, father's bringing her hero," said Mrs. Lorton. But you must do nothing rash Joanue; por haps I may find a way to prevent her attending the concert." Oh, Louise, how? I have positively bogged her not to go, havo hinted that it was unladylike to sing in public, but she is not to bo turned from her course a single iota." Mrs. Lorton smiled, and, bonding over, whispered in hor sister's ear a few words which acted liko magic upon rtho despairing look in Jeanno's faco. Oh, Louise, if you only could," she said. I think I can," replied Mrs. Lorton. 'And now go down stairs and offer to help Alice with hor packing and then when you are both dressed come to mo in the dining room where, 1 will have a glass of lemonade prepared for you." Jeanne departed with a littlo tri umphant laugh, and Mrs. Lorton took up her sewing with a self-satisfied look. Alice Taylor was an orphan. Hor paronts had left hor a small fortune, ami when horupclo Harvoy had offered hor a house with his own daughters sho had accepted, not because she could not support hersolf, but for the companionship sho had hoped to tind with her cousins, who wcro about hor own ago. She had missed aomothing in their demeanor from tho first, but thoy had never been particularly, un kind. Still tho lonely girl missed tho love she craved with such intensohess. Soon after hor arrival, her cousin Louise had married, and was soon hor father's housekeeper, and acted as chaperon for Jeanne and Alice on all ociety occasions. After sho had been in society a w times people had discovered that plain Alice Taylor possessed a beautiful voice and an indescribable charm of manner, and sho began to be courted and flattered until six months after her arrival sho was tho acknowledged belle of tho small town. Mrs. Moltrop, one of tho leaders of society, had decided, just as the story opens, to got up a charity concert for tho benefit of the indigent of Lancas ter, and Alice Taylor's voice was to be the particular attraction. Mrs. Mol trop was very popular, and her only son Claude was considered the best catch" in town, and Jeanne Taylor, bofore Alice's arrival, had been reas onably sure that the prize was her own. But there was a change, yet she strove with all the tact which is given the young society lady to place herself first in his regards, but, alas for her. Alice's company was preferred to her own. Sho was secretly very angry, and Alice perceived an unpleasant change in her, which she could ac count for on no other grounds than the true ones. About this time sho received a letter from another uncle here, who wished her to fill a daughter's place to him. She hailed the change with joy, and had planned to start for his distant homo the morning after the concert. All this had been kept perfectly quiet by her cousins, for they feared she would receive an offer of marriage from Claude Moltrop before her de parture. Alice knew all this, but she expected to meet Claude once before leaving, and her gentle heart fluttered at what might happen on that porten tous evening. She was, therefore, a little surprised at Joanne's kindness that afternoon when she came down and offered so pleasantly to help her about her pack- Louise?" asked Jeanne, a little regret fully. Of course not," was the reply. "I've taken it for neuralgia a great many times; sho will have a dreamless night's sleep that is all." And then?" Then sho will start for Uncle George's in the morning train, and you, if you play your cards right, will marry Claude Moltrop." Jeanne throw a shawl carelessly over her white-robed cousin, overlooked her toilet, and then followed her sister to tho carriage and was driven to the large hall where the concert was to be given. The two ladies rustled to their seats, and it was not long before Claude Mol trop joined them. "Did uotMiss Alice come with you?" wore almost the first words he said. "No," replied Mrs. Lorton, "She starts for tho East in the early train, ank so gavo up attending.'1 "But what will we do without her solos? My sister will bo at a complete loss." "That's just tho way with Al," ro plied Jennne. "No one can depend upon her in the least if she gets a lit tle miffed at anything; she always acts just so." Mr. Moltrop said but little more to tho two ladies, and then made his way back through the hall, which was crowded, to the green-room. "Mary," said he, Alice Taylor is not going to come. What will you do?" "Not going to come?" questioned Mrs. Moltrop, in excited surprise. "She must come; we would not have any concert at all without hor. What is the matter? Is she ill?" "I. believe not. Mrs. Lorton, or rather Joanne Taylor, wave me to un derstand she was miffed at somothing. "Impossible," said Mrs. Moltrop. "Claude, you get the carriage and we win go alter nor. x woum noi uisup in jr. "1 am sorry you are to leave us, Al ice," she said; "although I don't doubt you will like it at Uncle George's." "I hope so," said Alice, brightly; "and I uever shall forget your kind ness in giving me a home when I had none, Jeanne." "That was nothing," said Jeanne "How time does fly ; we ought to be dressing now, and Louiso has set out a lunch for us before wo go," Alice did not know what to make of this unusual kindness, and went away to her dressing room thinking that she had possibly misjudged her cousins after all, and they were sorry she was leaving them. Dress made a great change in tho plain littlo girl's looks, and it is an airy, graceful figure that accompanied Joanne to tho dinning room where Louise, also attired for the concert, was awaiting them. "We will have to go alone girls. Papa and Mr. Lorton will drop in be foro the concert is over," she said, and then she observed, "I have some splen did lemonade here, as cold as ice can. make it. I thought you would like some, it is such a warm evening." "Thank you," said Alice, "I do not care for anything to oat, but I will take a glass of lemonade." "I knew your taste, you seo, my dear coz," said Louise lightly, hand ing each of tho girls a heavy goblet which stood ready filled at her elbow. "How do you liko it?" she asked, when Alice had half emptied her glass. "It is excellent," was her smiling reply. "We must get on our wraps," said Jeanne, hurridly, setting down hor glass. "It is getting late; drink up your lemonade, Al. I hear the carn age" Alice drained the last drop of tho delicious draught and followed her cousin into tho sitting room where hor wraps wore lying. "Sit down in this chair, Al, and; lot mo arrango thoso lilies of tho valloy in your hair," said Louise, "That could not have been our carriage, Joanne." Alice sat down, and that was tho last sho romomborod distinctly, for she foil into a ticop doze, and soon af ter the two sisters laid hor limp form upon tho couch, in tho corner of the room. "You aro sure it will not hurt hor, point this If Alice n ; great audience for anv Taylor is in town she thing. he must sing. I1 ing in a country road far beyond ,t he villiago of Jefferson, are magnilicie nt houses, homes of the wealthiest me n in tho city, varying in style of archi tecture from the typical Southern house, with its great pillars and broad galleries, to tho latest craze, the Swiss cottage. Beautiful lawns and gardens surround them, from which the rich perfume of orange, myrtle, Capo jas mine and magnolia combined fills the air. Mobile Register. They had driven but a block or two when the fire bell began to ring ex citedly, and the street idlers rushed toward tho indicated locality. "That's somewhere near the music hall," said Claude, as he barkened to the bells. "That's true," said Mrs. Moltrop. "What if it should have caught fire? It was fearfully warm." "Let's go back," said Claude. Their forebodings were too true. When they arrived a frantic mass of people were pouring from the build ing, and the engines were pouring a steady stream of water upon the roar ing flames. It was not long before the fire was subdued, but the scene was a heart rending one when the mass of burned and crushed humanity was taken from tho crowded building. Many lives had been lost in the swaying living mass who had wildly attempted to escape, and many had been move or less burned by the hungyy flames. Claude Moltrop assisted Edgar Lor ton, as ho brought out his dead wife, all crushed and bleeding, and Jeanne Taylor was found with her beautiful face and hands deeply burned by the falling embers. It was tho saddest oc currence which had ever happened in tho little town, and the survivors never forgot that scene to their dying day. Poor Jeanne Taylor was scarred deeply for life, and when at last her cousin and Claude Moltrop wore en gagod, for Jeanne would not lot Alice leave, she told them tho whole story of the evening of the concert. Alice freely forgave her, as she looked at her scarred face, and thought that she herself had been saved as by fate. Sara JJ. Hose, in Chicago Ledger. . A Celebrated Thoroughfare. The famous shell road of New Or leans is a boulovard of almost snowy whiteness, nearly 200 feet in width and 9 miles it length, extending from the western limits of the city to Lake Pout- chartrain. A summor evening drive along this road, through tho forests of cypross and oak, tho black moss hang ing in festoons across tho way, pre-r sonts a woird and novel siglit. St. Charles avonuo, tho aristocratic resi dence street of tho city, is in the south ern or new portion of the town, and is, perhaps, tho most beautiful of all. It is paved with asphalt, and from its bo gining at tho Tivoli circlo, whero stands tho Leo nacrauniorir; Tto"ifaml: Wind Against Steam. E. Vinton Blake contributes a capi tal story of ice-yachting on the Hudson to the January St. Nicholas from which we print the following vivid account of a trial of speed between an ice-yacht and the fast express: "There is a roar and rush behind them. What next? "Tho down train! The boys look over their shoulders as the big black monster shoots past. The whistle blows sharply; there are handkerchiefs waving from the windows. The ice yacht is just now holding nearly across the rivor. " A race! a race, boys!' cries the skipper, as he "fives a quick turn of his hand, and with a sheer and a spring they aro off after the train. "Now the race the race, boys! Steam against wind! How they ily! Everything is blurred and melted to gether and indistinct. Tho ice is all a bluish white haze, with that diamond sparkle from the runners blazing up. "The windows of the train are filled with heads: they seem to shout at the part' on the ice-yacht, who hear only the rush and roar of tho wind and the runners. The wind increases; the boat rears higher; tho windward run ner cuts fiercely through the air, and the crushed ice Hies in a shower. Al most up with tho train, now; and creeping on! "Will the wind hold? But never fear; this is no flaw, but a steady gale. It seems as if the black train were slowing up; yet no, it is the yacht which is Hying faster, literally on the wings of the wind. And now a crack in the ice ahead! "The skipper raises himself and scans tho ice with eager eye. An old hand at ice-vachtinir is he. " 'We can do it, 1 think,' he says. "Now, brave 'llondina!' Anil tho train sees tho crack, too; the cars seem alive all their long length with heads' and gestures and warning shouts. Do they think everybody is asleep there on that light, Hying, feathery wanderer? "The upper edge of the crack is higher by full six inches than the lower; and between swirls the black, treacherous water. They aro upon it. "Whiz! Splash! as the edge .ice sags and the runner catches the cold tide. There is a wild, tremulous swing and sway, a toss of tho windward run ner, and the crack is far astern. How tho train cheers! And look, now, the black, snorting engine falls behind! Wind against steam! Give them three cheers, boys, and swing your caps, and hold fast while you are about it. The track is clear ahead; the locomotive whistles and snorts and shouts in wild salute at the yacht's victory. Faster, faster, till there is only the ring of tho runners, the roar and rush of the wind, the tremble and leap and swing and 3way of the wayward craft." Among the most valuable experi ments made recently with a view to ascertaining the difference in the con sumption of coal between running a train very rapidly and at a very low speed, those upon the Pennsylvania road, near Philadelphia, present the most pertinont and definite data for arriving at. a conclusion. According to tho published account, the same con ditions, same number of cars, and sim ilar engines were employed, and the trains in each case went the same dis tance 119 miles out and back, with same stops. The fast train ran on schedule express time and consumed G,725 pounds of coal; tho slow train ran at twelve miles an hour, and con sumed 4,420 pounds, being a saving of 2,305 pounds. A man In Tuscarora, Nov., teased a blar tarantula with a littlo stick. The venomous InBect jumped about four fea and bit Its tor mentor on the wrist, inflicting a wound that cost him a doctor bill and a long lay off ""from work' . . .