Newspaper Page Text
THE DEMOCRAT.
II. II. ADAMS, Publisher.
Cape giuardeac
MISSOURI.
TWO PERSONAL SONGS.
SYMPATIC.
it you but tou-h my hand, ever, ever o
lightly!
Or Epeak a kindly word, or on me fondly
smile.
Tk2 llehter grows the burden that I bear of
sorrow.
And in life's unshine. happy, stand I a
little while.
tome trlft of yours perhaps 'tl3 but a frag
ile rtower
Or your dear presence for a moment at my
Fide,
YiU make my dreary pathway bloom w'th
sudden blossoms.
And the shut gates of Paradise open to
me wide.
HOPE.
There's rever a day so dark and drear
liut that its close may shir.e
In rose, end gold, and anuthyst.
And tints of ruby - ii:e.
There's never a nisht o wrapt about
With mist and slantir.y rain.
But that the clouds may r ,11 away
And stars slilne out a--a!n.
Grac-e Hiubaid, in SiirintUtId (Mass.) Re
publican. 3IIiS. SLOANE'S PAIiTY.
li JUKI JOSLYX SMITH.
It was on the morning of the 15th ol
.August that there was a great chatter
ing in the Sinners' kitchen all about
the city folks that had taken the Burr
place for the summer. The Somers"
kitchen was a wonderful place. Mr.
.and Mrs. Somers always called each
other pa and ma.
This particular morning1 pa did not
feel very well, was threatened with
jigue and -hills, and sat in the kitchen
as near the stove as ma would let him.
onsidering it was one of her bake day.
They did their own work, but then
there was a regular slew of women
folks in the house.
Mrs. Somers made the fried cakes.for
in that house they had fried cakes sum
mer and winter. Then she made apple
pies and Lawton blackberry pies that
morning, getting the fruit all fron
their own place. Cousin Liza was mak
inir her summer visit there, and whei;
ehe came she made soft ginger cake
They had her reciie written in a book
with ail the particulars, but no one
could make cake with just the trembl
and the shake that Cousin Liza could
The reciie was plain:
Two eggs; butter the size of an egg;
tablespoon of ginger; cloves; cinna
mon; nutmeg to taste; a cup of darl
molasses; a cup of brown sugar; a good
Tuowl of sour milk, with dessertspoon
of soda and Hour to make a thin dougn
Cousin Liza said maybe the Hour
business made the trouble; some peo
ple put so much in that it made a stilt
take, or so little that it would fall flat
as a pancake in the big dripping pan in
which it was to be baked. Or it might
be the oven, for it needed a good deal
-of judgment about the oven.
The pitcher of saltrising cmptings
was in a pail of warm water upon the
high oven, and soon after dinner that
would huff tip and be nnde into loaves.
-and what white bread it was. l'a had
lvsnepsia, and thought he could eat
no other bread.
Aunt Lois lived there, too, ai:d she
was a inartvr to the dishwashing on
those important days.
She started in promptly after break
fast to wash dishes, and there would b
nn additional pyramid from the bak
ing department every now and then,
until at half-past 11 she sometimes saw
the thickest of them cleared away.
Mrs. Somers daughter Jane w as put
ting the house to rights, and after a lit
tie would come to iron with the baking
lire, for firewood was never wasted in
that house.
The three sons were up on the farm.
a mile awr.v, tending- to the hay and
mcnd'n)'' the fence, and at noon would
come down, hungry as sharks, in view
of which a biir kettle ot boiled victuals
was being' prepared; but with all the
work, there was a babel of talking.
Cousin Liza did not know anything
nbout the newcomers from the citv. so
everything had to be explained to her.
"l'a, how many calves did you say had
"to be killed by the butchers in the two
-villages when the Sloanes were getting
"pa, bow many calves had to be
KILLED?'
ready for the tally-ho party from the
city?" called out Mrs. Somers. "They
lii list have had calves'-head jelly, you
know, and, positively, they expeet that
cream flows almost in the streets here.
It is all right to sell to them, but you
-can't sell what you want yourself, at
least I'm not going to, rattled on Mrs.
Somers, never waiting for any answer to
questions.
Mr. Somers roused himself, and spoke
tip:
"What are you women always bother
Ing your heads about those people for?
Why don't you let them alone? Whnt
has started you now?
"Whv. pa. don't vou know about our
irritation?
You must j,t over tout 1
j Men
'IT
ague before night if you want the honci
of paying a viit."
"What now?" asked pa.
"Martha Shafer stopped here going to
her work in the tailor shop, and said
that she had been directed to ask all the
neighbors to go to Mrs. Sloane's to
night; we should call round any time
convenient; that we were to see Mrs.
Sloane in bloomer dress.
Aunt Lois explained to Cousin Liza
that Mrs. Sloar.e w as a big, fleshy w om
an, and would look about as graceful as
a cow in bloomers.
"Pity, isn't it, such people don't have
some work to do. so they wouldn't make
themselves so ridiculous getting up
things:" was another of Ma Somers
wise sayings, as she added more and
more to her store of baking.
In the afternoon the neighbors
dropped in to Mrs. Somers' as a sort of
headquarters. 2nd talked over the whole
question of dress, and of city people
thinking country people did not know
anything.
They decided tfcey would not go near
the house.
"Did you hear the joke on Mrs.
Sioane?" asked one of the neigh.iors.
"No. what was it?" all exclaimed.
''Well, she was at the Corners, and
asked if there was a library here. Joe
Green, of course, was on hand, and he
said yes, he believed there was, and that
it was in charge of the cobbler, over the
way."
Mr. Forbes, the cobbler, told the rest
of the story the other day. He said she
came and asked him. and he said he
reckoned there were some books in the
cellar. Seems the old library that wai
startej and failed was moved around
to get it out of the way, until it was
put in the cellar there of the old house
where he has his shop. He got a candle
and told her to come on in the cellar
i:nd not fall over the old stairs. and then
he put his hand into an old ehe-se safe
and hauled opt two musty books the
'Life of Washington" and "Life Among
the Mormons. And will you believe it!
she took home "Life Among the Moi
mons.' What did she want of that, do
you think'.'"
Mrs. Somers suggested that Mrs.
Sloane just wanted to see what they had
there, and by and by would make out
they were sort of heathen.
l'a Smners tried to quiet the jargon
by sayinsr that the city lady seemed
very kind and nice to him.
I'.ut he was silenced by a volley of
words from his wife, who said that
Martha Shafer and pa seemed to be
champions of the new jieople. and must
be expected to pay for their trouble.
However, pa ventured onee more to
say that Mr. Sloane taiKed of buying
1 IV
Tf.
7
;i i i
r V-:' :.
MRS. SLOAN' S XIOlIT-BI.OOillXO CEKEl'S.
the Burr place, and if he did that
he would likely do something nice for
their town if the women did not make
it too uncomfortable f v his family.
"What if we write an anonymous let
ter to Mrs. Sloane and tell her we have
some sense and don't need to be invited
to see her in bloomers'.'" said one of the
afternoon visitors.
(; minima Somers. a lady of the eld i
school, sat in her corner mending, an. I
culm as a June day. Nobody remem
bered to have ever seen her stirred up. j
In the civil war days, when there wcr ? !
war i:,eetings and people were eifi ted, i
she would say: "Oh, this is nothing
like the time of the great alarm!" licr I
memory went back to that time. She
seldom joined in the conversation when j
the neighbors gathered in, but now she ;
raised licr head from her work and j
said: j
"You lietter go to Mrs. Sloane's to- j
night, and decide afterward about your j
h tters. Long ago as when I was a girl, j
an anonymous h-tter was considered a ;
mark of ill-breeding. I don't know j
what jH-ople think aliout them nowa-
days; did not know but thev were a
lost art." j
Kvening came, and they did all go to i
Mrs. Sloane's, and she had a beautiful
"night-blooming cereu:." to show them.
It seemed that in the mcrnin she felt
sure that the plant would blossom that
night, and she told her coachman to
get word around to have anyone come
to see it who wished to do so. The
coachman saw Martha Shafer, and
thought it would save him all the both
er if he told her to tell the people.
Xoljody could ever make out how
"night-blooming cereus" could sound
;e "dressed in bloomers to-night;
but the party concluded to lie frienda
with Mrs. Sloane,. if she would let them,
from that time forth.
Their Advantage,
There are some things in which our
English cousins have the advantage of
us. An American millionaire, accus
tomed to xnircha.se anything he wanted,
tried to obtain from an Oxford garden
er the secret of the beautiful lawns
which make the pride of England or
portion of it. "Tell me, my pood
man, how you manage it," he said, con
descendingly, putting his hand sig
nificantly into his pocket. "It is werry
simple, sir," replied the gardener.
quaintly. "You cuts it as close as ever
you can cut, and you rolls it and cuts
it for 64)0 years. louth s Companion.
Lord Burleigh was a minister ia
parliament before he was S2.
'IN ife
EDUCATING THE CHILDREN.
The HIgh-Pressnre plan la
Fall of
Danger.
There are many people who seem to
fancy that if children do not come
home from school with their arms full
of books, and with a careworn and
thoughtful expression on their faces,
they are not learning anything. Their
gauge of progress seems to be built on a
high-pressure plan, and they entertain
very serious doubts about the possibil
ity of any royal road to learning.
This iieing the ease, it is not at all sur
prising that teachers and school boards
should indulge in various cramming
end crowd- ng met hods, and should make
an effort to push the children forward as
rapidly as ossibIe. Indeed, they must
i!o this to earn their money, so to speak.
The injury dune by this course is past
computation; children are overtaxed
and lire mm worn out, fretful and irrit
able. They do not advance as fast as
they ought to; indeed, it is impossible
'or them to do so. Then there is more
frettinsr and worrying on the part of
-larents and teachers, and with the most
disastrous results.
Children break down, become dis
loursigcd ar.d inattentive; their minds
ire incapable of grasping theenormous
amount of materia! that is put before
them, and the inevitable reaction ,cts
in. Instead of making learning inter
?sting and engaging their attention
ind enthusiasm, they are made into
mere machines and pushed to their ut
most, even though, as is often the case,
the teachers know it to be a hopeless
struggle.
An experienced instructor has .'aid
that a child will lenrn alxiut live times
as much when the studies are made
pleasant and agreeable, and thisamo-;nt
will be increased if anything like en
thusiasm can be awakened. Admitting
that this is true, it is the most weari
some and thankless of tasks to force
uxn young children such a compre
hensive course of study as that laid
:lown in some of our public schools.
The drill and monotony of hard work
are inevitable, but a jmlieiousand well
selected teacher will enthuse the pu
pils either on the subject of their hooks
or give an incentive in the way of pro
motions and preferences that is cer
tain to have a most happy effect on the
miniis of little ones.
It is the height of absurdity to see
children of 11 or 12 years studying
philosophy and similar branches.
There, is time enough for thi.s when
they have reached the ages of 1j or 10.
Fundamental physirdogieal truths
should be taught to erery child while
in its cradle, and should lie followed by
the few important facts necessary for
it to know, until it has reached at least
years of incipient discretion. X. Y.
Ledger.
HE COULD FIGHT.
One Blow Secured a fM-hool for the Pale,
Thin Young 3tan.
In the mountains of ths south the
schools are still maintained upon the
subscription plan. A traveling man
just returned from that section gave the
following account of an examination of
an applicant for a school:
"1 was stopping at a cabin all night,"
said he, "and a pale, slender young
man came during the evening to talk
with my host.
"'1 am thinking of starting a school
here,' he said, 'and I wanted to see if
you would subscribe.'
" "Kin yo' read?
" 'Yes.'
" 'Km yo' write?
"'Certainly.'
" 'Kin yo tigger?
'Of course.'
'Air yo' married ?'
"'No.'
"'Wall, we did want a married man
nex" time. The las' three teachers has
run oil" with gals, an' thar i.in't eiiinf
srals in this hyar ucighliorhnnd now.
Itut I don s'pose none of Vm would
want a lean feller like yo. I don't
reckon yo" not bein" married "11 make
much ditrrence. Coiihln't exject sich
a po'Iy feller ter be married. Tht n thar's
one thing. Me an Hill Simpkins an' Alf
Toney is ail gwine ter school an" !arn ter
read an" write. 1 done licked Hill an' he
done licked Alf. so I reckon the only one
ter settle with is me. We ain't gwine to
bey no man we kin lick. Kin yo' fout T
" 'I studied boxing,' said the stranger.
"'Don't know nothin' 'bout thct.
Does niakin boxes make muscle?"
" 'Try one and see, was the cool re
joinder. "The big mountaineer hit at the little
man, and when he regained conscious
ness had his head in the wood box and
his feet sticking up in the air.
"Looking about him with a dazed ex
pression, he said:
"'Young feiler, shake. I'll go with
yo' some day an' we'll git thet school.
An, say, young feller, set me ter work
on them boxes, w ill yo'?"' Washing
ton Star.
The Pin Basket
One of the newest cf new things this
winter is the pin basket. To make a
pretty one buy a small, shallow basket.
It should be quite fresh and new. If
possible secure one in which the edges
are nicely finished oft with basket lace
work. Line it with silk of some pale
shade pink, blue, green or violet. Make
the lifting loose and puffy. Only the
bottom of the basket is lined. Around
the sides inside, of course are at least
half a dozen minute pincushions made
of the same silk as was used in lining.
The cushions should be attached to the.
basket with buby ribbon of the required
shade. One cushion is filled with ordi
nary pins, another with white-headed,
mother with black, and so on. A pretty
idea is to gild the basket before trim
ming it, St. Louis ICepublic.
l'rei'.lctlons Fulfilled.
Mr. Xuitt This letter informs ma
that our former neighbor. Judge Still
well, has just lost his wife at the ad
vanced age of "4 years.
Mrs. Xuitt At last! I always said
they never could live tog-ether. X
Date.
THE GRINNING SAURIAN.
BablU of the Nile Crocodile Worshiped
as m lixl-
As a songster the crocodile is not
to be compared to the bulbul, but ha
can, without any exertion, hold his own
in that respect with the bull. Like the
latter he bellows, but, unlike him, he
belllows at night, whereas the bull only
bellows during the day, except when he
is badly scared. With these exceptions
there is nothing in common between
the crocodile and either the bulbul or
the bull. There is no definite informi
tion to be obtained regarding the ex
act lines upon which the first crocodi!.?
was built. It is maintained bythos
who have devoted a lifetime to a study
of his interior that the traces of a dia
phragm which are to be found in him
to-day show that his organization must
have at one time borne some resem
blance to that of warm-blooded ani
mals. There is little in the animal kingdom
that can look so dead and be so much
alive as a crocodile. The number cf
unsuspecting persons who have mis
taken him for a log and have failed tz
discover their mistake until i was too
late to be of any benefit to them will
never be known. In ancient timer,
several years prior to the I'.ritish occu
pation of Egypt, some of the people of
that country worshiped the crocodile as
a god. there being nothing else lik-;
him. They fed him on dainties and
ogged him out w ith jewels. In other
parts of Egypt, however, "the natives
looked upon him as a devil. Having
no firearms, they did not fill him with
lead, but they managed to immolate
him successfully with such weapons as
were fashionable at the time.
The crocodile is not so numerous in
the Nile as he was in the days of thu
I'ameses family; in fact, he rather
shuns the river now below the second
cataract on account of the annoyances
inseparable from tourist tratlic. It
seems impossible for a tourist to see a
crocodile without trying to plug hini
with a rcvalver. and to a reptile that is
fond of a quiet life this sort of thing is
simply insulTeraliie. He will not mr
lest a man unless he can take him at a
disadvantage, and so long as man does
not. unthinkingly, step on him, the
crocodile will go his way and calmly
await his opportunity.
His methods of capturing large game
are plural as well as singular. Some
times he will lie on a river bank, partly
covered with sand or mud. until a.i
absent-minded native wanders within
reach. Having grablied his prey he
will waddle into the water and thcrs
drown the struggler. He will then
drag his victim ashore and bury him in
sand or mud and wait for days before he
gorges himself.
His favorite plan of providing food
for himself in the water is to depress
his head and tail and float withthe cur
rent. While performing this act he
looks like an old, blackened log
Though he is perfectly happy on land,
and sH-nds much of his time there, r.e
ran stay under water a long time and
kill while under water without suffer
ing any inconvenience. Chicago News,
CURIOUS RUSSIAN RITES.
The Batie and the Church Kxtrruie line
tlou Prayer for the lead.
All Kussian babies are anointed after
a triple immersion in the font, this
1 eing quivalent to the confirmation in
Anglican churches. The baby's eyes
are anointed and the feet. After this
the baby is brought often to holy com
munion, which is administered to it
with a spoon. Hut a child does not go
to confession before it is seven years
aid.
When a Russian Christian dies he ia
Pressed in the costume of his calling,
as the late emperor was dressed in the
uniform of an infantry regiment. The
costume of a man's profession is chosen
to clothe his corpse liccause every man
is held to direct account for his plain
duties in the present life and his call
ing therein.
The late emperor when dvinsr rc-
reived extreme unction. This is dreaded
for young people, as it is generally be
lieved that if a person receives extreme
unction and recovers he can never
thereafter cat or marry. The service
consists in administering the sacra
ment: after this a vessel tilled with
dry grain, symbolic of a withered in
valid, is placed in sight of the sick
person on a table; the invalid is anoint
ed seven times on the brow, cheeks,
nostrils, mouth, breast and hands with
oil mingled with red wine, in commem
oration of the way in which the good
Samaritan poured oil and wine in th-i
wounds of the man who fell among
thieves.
From the moment of death until the
burial on the third day the psalter is
read constantly over the corpse. Serv
ices are held for the soul of the de
Jiarted on the ninth, twentieth and
fortieth days after the death of a per
son. At the funeral the body is accom
panied on foot by the male relatives
and friends and by torches, the road
being strewn with evergreen, which is
a symbol of hope of eternal life for the
departed.
Greek Chariot Races.
The chariot races, like those of the
Ionian circus, imitated from the
Greek, were of striking interest. There
was scarcely any honor of the games
more glorious than the charioteer's
victory, especially if the owner drove
his own horses. The danger to life
and limb undergone by the charioteer
was not less than that risked by the
athlete in boxing with the cestns, or in
the pancratium. The vivid chapter in
"Ben Hur" depicting the chances and
jierils of a chariot race essentially the
same as that of the Olympic games
gives an excellent notion of such a con
test. G. T. Ferris, in St. Nicholas.
Ia the Interest of Srlenre.
Professor Have you ever held yotif
ear on a person's heart so you could
study the action of the heart?
Medical Student (blushing) Oh, Jt,
several times. Texas Sifter.
SCHOOL AND CHURCH.
A law suit to recover pew rent
brought recently by a church in Saco,
He.
It is interesting' to note that among
the Cambridge opponents to women's
tiegrees is Dr. E. W. Hobson, who
coached Miss Fawcett.
Armenia is not a thoroughly Chris
tian countrv, as is generally believed.
Out of a population of 3.510,205 nearly
llve-sixtus are Mohammedan, the ex
net number being1 ,900,414, to only
609,791 Christians.
The little Wallace children, the
grandchildren of Chief Justice Fuller,
the little daughter of Gen. and Mrs.
Draper and the children of Private
Secretary and Mrs. Thurber are among
the pupils of the kindergarten at th-j
white house.
The Boston Pilot (Roman Catholic)
quotes and indorses the following dec
laration recently made by a Catholii
convert from the Episcopal church:
"Whoever wants to stop the steady
stream of conversions to Catholicity
will have to close every Episcopal
church in the country."
rrof. Colvin Thomas, of the Uni
versity of Michigan, has been appoint
ed professor of German languages and
literature at Columbia, to succeed the
late Prof. Hoyesen. Prof. Thomas ia
at present in Weimar, Germany, en
gaged on an edition of the second part
of Faust.
By the death of Mrs. Mary Gibson
the Pennsylvania academy of fine arts
will receive a collection of paintings
valued at $300,000. The majority of
them are by French artists belonging
to the period which marked the re
vival of romanticism in that country,
and this is just the period of which the
academy has few examples.
WHITE AND BLACK CRAVATS.
In Former Times They Were Badges of
the Wearer's Profession.
Years ago the white tie in this coun
try was the characteristic wear of the
reverend clergy, their monopoly.
Thence it passed into general use and
disputed popularity with the black.
The black neckcloth was earlv in this
century likewise a professional budge.
Those who followed the profession of
arms claimed the right to wear it as
their monopoly and sometimes en
forced that right. Cooper in "Wing-and-Wing"
makes a very dramatic use
of this custom. A French privateer
captain in disguise has fallen into the
hands of the English and is brought
before a court-martial. So skillfully
does he stick to his assumed character
of a fisherman that his judges are puz
zled until one of his accusers suddenly
places around the prisoner's throat the
black necktie which all oflicers wore.
Then his true character blazes forth
and he is condemned, but escapes ex
ecution to die, sword in hand. Cooper
knew what he was writing about, for
he, too, had been an officer.
Military and naval men wore black
cravats when in plain clothes and
civilians aped them until black be
came the only wear. Before the rise
of the black cravat carelessly tied
white lace, the Stecnkirk, had been in
vogue for neckwear. Its popularity
likewise was a civilian tribute to mili
tary valor. At the battle of Stecnkirk
the French royal guards, the house
hold troops, being suddenly called
from their tents to meet the oncoming
English, had no time to tie their rich
lace cravats with their accustomed
neatness and loosely knotted them
about their throats. They were the
dandies of Europe, the perfect pinks of
military propriety, and were corres
pondingly brave. They did up the
English in about one round and hence
forward the Stecnkirk cravat was the
fashion, and the more carelessly it was
knotted the more Steenkirky it was.
As white is now the color of peace
may not the psychologists be justified
in hailing snowy cravats as evidences
of man's recognition that peace hath
her victories not less fashionable than
those of war and as worthy of being
commemorated at the neck? BostOD
Transcript.
Opinions of Great Generals on War.
Arbitration between nations signi
fies the same thing as the existence of
the ordinary judicial courts. It means
the substitution of reason for force as
n means of decision. That its possibil
ities are great has already been demon
strated; that they will grow with the
development of a disposition to peace
is unquestionable. An indication of
this tendency may be found in the ab
horrence of war by great commanders.
The sentiment of Wellington, "Noth
ing except a battle lost can be half so
melancholy as a battle won, was ex
pressed more bluntly by Gen. Sher
man: "Do you know what war is?
War is hell! while (Jen. Grant, speak
ing with direct pertinence to the sub
ject of arbitration, said: "Though I
have been trained as a soldier, and have
participated in many battles, there
never was a time when, in my opinion,
some way could not have been found of
preventing the drawing of the sword.
I look forward to an epoch when a
court, recognized by all nations, will
settle international differences, in
stead of keeping large standing
armies, as they do in Europe. Cen
tury. A Big Python Fooled.
The big python in the London zoo
made up its mind some time ago that
life was not worth living, for it refused
10 eat sufficient food to keep it alive.
Its usual meal was four or five pigeons
or ducks, but it became too languid to
seize more than one of them w hen they
were put into its cage. Its keeper in
this emergency had recourse to a
ftratagem which has completely
fooled the python. Before the pigeon
had been swallowed the keeper pushed
into its mouth a dead deck and before
that had been disposed of the regula
tion number of birds followed the
same way. Thus the python takes hi
usual quantity of food without knowi
log 2f. Y. World.
HUMOROUS.
She "I suppose you know. ChaH
ley, that this is leap year? He "Thi
is rather sudden, but never mind; I'll
be a brother to yon, and let it go a9
that. Boston Transcript,
"By jove! I left my pocketboolt
tinder my pillow! "Oh, well, youij
servant is honest, isn't she?" "That's)
just it she'll take it right np to mj;
wife!" Philadelphia Telegram. ;
Much Admired. Your daughter
lias had a great many admirers." "Oh,
yes; she puts nearly all her window
curtains on the rods with her old en
jragenient rings." Chicago Eecord. i
"Ah, me!" inspired the poet, as he
finished a sonnet to his mistress eye
brow, "what would be the condition of
a country without women?" "Stag na
tion," softly responded the humorist.
Boston Courier.
Grace "I must refuse him, poor
fellow, but I wish I could do some
thing to lessen the pain of it." Maud
Viet some one to tell him that youi
haven't as much money as he thinks
you have." Brooklyn Life.
Magistrate "Why didn't you an
swer to your name?" Vagrant "Beg
pardon, jedge. but I forgot wot name
1 gave las' night." Magistrate "Didn't
you give your own name?" Vagrant
"No, jedge; I'm travelin' incog." Tit
Bits.
The Explorer's Difficulty. "To my
mind," remarked Squildig, "Nansen's
greatest difliculty is not finding tha
north pole." "What is Nansen's greats
est difficulty?" asked McSwilligen.
"Finding his way back home." Pitts
burgh Chronicle.
THE NILE FLOOD.
Interesting Ceremony of the "Cutting of
the Khalig."
From the time so far back that his
tory is lost in myth, the River Nile has
enriched the land, therefore the annual
Nile flood is the most important hap
pening in Egypt.
The ancient Nilomcter, at the south
end of the island of Iioda. just above
Cairo, is one of the most interesting
sights of the place. The water enters
from the river by a culvert into a well
13 feet square, with a graduated stone
pillar in the center. On each side of
the well is a recess six feet wide anil
three feet deep, surmounted by a point
ed arch, over which is carved in relief
a CuSc inscription, and a similar in
scription is carried all around the wel!.
consisting of verses of the Koran. A
ftaircase goes down the well, from the
steps of which the initiated may read!
the height of the water on the pillar;
but they are few in number, and tha
hereditary sheikh of the Nilometflr.
whose duty it is to keep the record, ia
a person of some importance.
The Nilometer dates from A. D. 661;
and in the archives of Cairo may ba
found the daily record for 1,000 years. ;
After the river has, begun to rise ita
height is daily chanted through tha
Cairo streets until it reaches 16 cubit 3
on the gauge. At this point the Khali;
el Masri, the old canal that flow
through the heart of Cairo, is opened
L'p to this point it is dry.
There is no more interesting cert
mony in Egypt than the annual "cut
ting of the Khalig," as the opening cf.r
emony is called. It takes place be
tvveen August 5 and August 15.
Days before, preparations are being
made for the festival. Tents, with in
numerable lamps, are placed along the
wall on the one side. Frames for all
manner of fireworks are erected on the
s.-inil-bank on the other side. All the
notables are there, in full uniform cr
in canonicals. The khedivc himself, ot
'sis representative.the Sheikh ul Islam
the highest dignitary of the Moham
medan faith all the learned scribes
Df the great university of the Azhar,
the cabinet ministers and undersecre
taries, the general of the army and his
staff; the judges and the financiers.
The Egyptian troops are turned out.
salutes are fired, and about eight
D'clock in the warm summer night, the
elasses all assemble under the gayly-
Jighted tents, the masses crowd around
the frames for the fireworks, the street
is lined with harem carriages full of
losely-veiled figures, though it is not
much that they can see from their
broughams.
Out in the river, just opposite the
canal's mouth, is moored an old hulk.
which has been towed up from Bulak
during the day, and is an emblem of the
time when the great republic of enice
s-ent an envoy to witness the cere
mony. This boat is full of lamps and
hreworks, too.
As the night deepens the excitement
increases. The populace on the bridge
and the oposite banks are shouting,
yelling and dancing w ildly around tha
fireworks. On the ether side are the
gay uniforms and lighted tents, from
which we can look over the wai!
down on the dark water, where
you see brown figures plunging
waist deep, and digging with their
hoes the embankment that blocks
the canal's mouth. Long before mid
night the fireworks have gone out,
and left the splendid stars to them
selves; the grandees have all gone to
bed, but the people keep up the revelry,
and in the morning, by half-past seven
o'clock, everyone has come back.
Then but little of the bank is left un
cut and a few more strokes of the big
hoes will do it, and the brown skins and
the brown water reflect the bright sun
light from above. Then the Sheikh n!
Islam solemnly thanks Allah, the all
powerful, the all-raerciiul. He implores
Ilis blessing on the flood, and, at a sig
r.al, the bank is cut, the waters rush in,
and with them a crowd of swimmers.
A bag of 6ilver piastres is scattered
among them, and the ceremony is at
an end. Golden Days.
Ills Nightmare.
Bollingstone Nomoss I had an awful
dream las night.
Tatterdon Torn Workin'?
Bollingstone Nomoss Yes; I t'ough
I was turned into a cake o' veaU-.Ptiif
fctSaluhia Record,
