THE POET AND THE BABY. Ü
•w's a man to write a sonnet, can jron
tell
es he going to weave the dim poetic
. spell—
I When a-toddjing on the floor
' Is the muse he must adore,
nd this muse he loves, not wisely, but
too well.
E ow to write a sonnet, everyone allows,
ae must alwnys Ue as quiet as a mouse,
j But to write one seetns to me
,<Juite superfluous to be,
fiYbeu you've got a little sonnet in the
{ house. I
■list a dainty little poem, true and fine,
ffhat is full of love and life in every line,
Earnest, delicate and sweet,
I Altogether so complete
***1 I wonder what's the use of writing
fhine.
h—Paul Laurence Dunbar.
a*)»?****;********:)*.**
A MOUNTAIN GIRL. |
Î9 Çjp IS morning. The rising sun
' II Just tops the crest of that por
' lion of the Appalachian chain
Sf mountains between'the northern and
iMntbern boundaries of the State of
Kentucky, tinging its peaks and crags
•ritb a grayish vagueness. From every
' [»vine and gorge huge clouds of smoke
tike mist arise, assuming wondrously
Odd and fantastic forms in the uncer
tain light The stillness engendered by
the natural environments and the time
■ of day is unbroken save now and then
hy I he far-off bay of a foxhound float
ing 1 alntly from some mountaineer's
'Sabin, or the whistle of a dove's wiugs
. u It flies swiftly by to the sedge fields.
: The aun climbs higher, and conscious
i»f Its might, drives back to earth the
< Quenching mists. The rear guard
\ shadows of the night are mysteriously
' disappearing The smoke of numerous
inabin chimneys can now be distin
guished rising in curling columns of
(blue. Along the rutty clay road, or
iratber mountain path, and hugging the
ormealen rail fence for safety a red
lor slinks under cover of the alder
rashes, his whiskers and brush brist
ling with pendant drops of early morn
ig dew. A mother quail and her
rood, that have been pluming their
feathers on a topmost rail, with an
^affrighted whirr fly to cover.
Presently a soldier In his uniform
iomes galloping furiously down the
«oad; he passes at full speed; the sound
t his steed's hoof beats grow fainter,
d silence for a few minutes again
keigns, only to be broken by a dozen or
Ç ore men in uniforms of the other side,
ho break cover and also come down
«he road like mad; tlieir horses reeking
fwltb swtat and blood. The first man,
^farther down where the road forks, has
«oroed to the right; these others take
^be left-hand branch. In a few mo
gnents shots are heard, nnd presently
A horse, the one ridden by the first
«nan, comes galloping, back to be met
And caught by a slim, dark-eyed moun
girl, who comes suddenly out of
bushes from somewhere. She
itands there boldin': the b"!dle reins In
er right hand; the left is pressed hard
nst her in ait ::s 11 to ward off an
finseen blow Ker eyes stony in their
Intensity, look off far up the valley to
A break in the morotai.is, where God's
<j«ood morning displays its' brightest
■ays. Her gaze finally turns slowly to
«be pursuers, who at sound of the shots
nave ridden back to the forks, and
«etching sight of the girl and the horse
comes excitedly up the road toward
lier
"Bob Jordan's darter,
«hem.
"Jes' es I thought," laconically replies
lie, who appears to be in command.
■"The pesky critter 's got warnin' frum
Aum'era, or he'd biu'r gone fawn skin
Afore now. Whut air you adoin' heah
At this time o' day?" he demands of her.
JTor the first time the girl seems to take
«all notice of their presence.
"Did ye heah whut I sed?" he de
jnands more commandlngly.
"I'd like to know whut consarn that
Is nv your'n?" she replies, turning to
blm defiantly.
"Ain't er body got a good right ter go
wrbar they please 'thout bein' stopped
iu tber road and pestered ter death
*bont hit by er lot ov big, cowardly
jmen? Ef you air erbliged ter know
<ho\ I'm er going down to Bob Black
jnore's to bep his mother. She air sick
-Jin bed, an' bepless."
"Did ye mean ter ride Bob's hoss
.down thar? I 'low ef my eyesight
Ain't er failin' me, that that air is his
critter. Whar's Bob now?" he con
tinued eoaxingly.
"I don't know nuthln' 'bout him. Ef
.-you'uns want ter find him, you'd bet
tter look fer him.''
"Whar'd you git his critter, then?"
U>reaks in one Impatiently.
"I stopped him in ther road, right
Jieab, es I come from down ther p&th
«har. The critter wuz cornin' lopin'
iOI». when I run out an' headed him off."
After parleying a few moments, the
spokesman again turns to her.
"We'uns think thet more'n likely ye
evuz tellin' ther truth jest now," he
tr-entures. "Spechully es ye air a mem
ber uv ther church, and your daddy
«vue, too, an' er elder besides. Sissy,"
.be Insinuates, "nobody ever heerd tell
ait your tellin' no lie afore. Which way
«lid ye say ther critter wuz kummln'
«rum?" She looks him steadily In the
«IM.
< "That way," she says, Indicating with
A wave of her hand the opposite direc
tion. "Ther Lord ferglve me," she
tally pleaded, "fer tellin' ur 11s fer
says one of
suent
"Tbet won't do, Sissy. We'uns Jes
i Vimw that air way ourselves, right after
blm. We'uns had better look fer him
eight er-round heah, I reckln. I hear
«all," ha said for the girl's benefit, "tbet
whar thar's enny petticoats er-round
Bob Blackinore ain't fur er-way."
"You better look out fer yerself," she
Scornfully replies. "He'uu is mighty
haudy with his weepins, and with his
fists, too. I reckin you know thet, too,
don't you, Jim Wooten? 1 hav heerd
tell thet yöu an' him had er fight ter
wunce, an' Bob didn't kuin out no little
end uv ther horn, neither."
"We'uns will fix all thet thar ef we
ever git our han's on ther on'ry, good
fer-nuthin' .scoundrel ergin. He'uus
ain't litten ter live noways."
"He's er sight mo' fitten than you
air," she breaks in hotly. "He's alius
bin er hard-workin', sober man, an'
taken keer uv his mammy; sumpin you
never done. 'Sides thet, he's er gentle
man, an' alius minded his own busi
ness. Do you'uns call this wait?" she
demands with rising vehemence. "Too
cowardly ter go way frum home an'
fight yerselves, but lay round heah an'
take everything ennybody's got left.
An' soon's somebody—that's Bob
Blackinore— who's fightin' fer his side
beahs his maw's sick, an' slips off ter
kum an' see her, ter houn' him like er
dog an' try ter kill him. Hit's jes cause
he's better'n you air."
The faint winding of a horn down the
road arrests their attention, and hur
riedly mounting their horses they ride
off, one calling back to her:
"We've got him, Sissy. Thet's Tom
Winburn. I tole him ter kum up ther
road, so's to head him off an' meet
we'uns heah."
The pursuers proceeded down the
right-hand road beyond the forks, from
whence the shots seemed to have come,
where the road makes a sudden dip into
a dry ravine. Down there a man lies
s till In death, bis cheek pressed heavily
against the delicate ferns that grow
luxuriantly out of the cool shadows.
The trees meeting overhead almost ex
clude the light, but now and then a
recreant bough, straying from its place
through bidding of the gentle morning
breeze, lets in a feeble ray of sunshine
that touches up the dead mau'a face
with a pallid coloring. The nodding
ferns caress his pale cheek in vain.
The morning songsters sing their lays
to unhearlng ears. The pines and hem
locks mingling their foliage with the
poplars, and bowing their good morn
ings to the beeches and young hick
ories, sough in vain to arouse or soothe
the sleeper. He will never again take
cognizance of earthly things, nor inhale
the beauty and vitality of his native
mountains—his spirit has gone before
the last tribunal. A round hole in the
center of his forehead shows where
the messenger of death has entered,
bringing its Inevitable summons. His
slouch hat lies where it has fallen a few
feet away, bis right hand still clutches
a pistol, his finger within the guard and
grasping the trigger. His garb is the
same as they wear who find him.
He had sought unfairly to take hu
man life, and with his own had paid
the penalty. Coming from farther
down the mountain to meet his com
rades and seeing the fugitive he had
ridden aside into the ravine, intending
to slay him unawares as he passed.
But he had seen the interceptor, and
was prepared, and as the other fired at
him going by he too had fired in return,
and slew him. It was but a moment's
work to exchange his steed for the
fresher one of the dead man and ride
furiously forward again. The horse
deserted, frightened at the realization
of something wrong and scared at sight
of the dead man, gallops back to be
met and caught by the girl.
But now, heartbroken, overwhelmed
and frightened at sight of the Inani
mate body they shortly bring up the
road toward her she flees stricken and
crushed, thinking it to be the other
one. And thus It is for days and long
weary days, until by chance she learns
the truth.
The war's over. Another bright
morning. A man rides leisurely up the
road; where it forks he catches sight
of a woman's form sitting on a fallen
tree, where she has evidently stopped
to rest
"Mawnln', Miss Sissy," he says. At
the sound of her name the girl looks
up quickly, and then as quickly down
again, a flush surmounting her usually
colorless cheeks.
"Mawnin', Bob," she quietly re
sponds. "We 'lowed up ter our house
es how maybe you'uns had forgot us.
How's your maw?" quickly changing
the subject
"Hit did look bad in my not erkum
mln' ter see you all afore now," he re
joins, Ignoring the last question. "But
I had ter kinder straighten up around
home à bit afore I got out much."
"I thaut you wuz killed wunce, Bob,"
she ventures by way of further con
versation. Instantly he dismounts,
leaving his horse standing In the road,
and goes up and sits down beside her.
"Why did yon'uns think that?" he
asks.
"I wuz ergoin' down ter your maw's
an' stopped your critter lu the road up
thar that time, an' then they brought
he'un that wuz killed, an'—an'-" she
could go no further at recollection of
her misery.
"An' did you keer, Sissy?" he asks,
leaning eagerly forward.
"You warn't dead," she protests.
"Well, then uv ther fac' that you
thaut I wuz dead?"
She answers him nothing. A few dry
leaves flutter In the autumn air and
fall at their feet A wild grape vine
nods Its approval and swings in the
breeze, and the branches of the trees
overhead rustle with the gambols of a
young fox squirrel. A flame-crested
woodpecker files to a dead pine and be
gins plugging unmolestedly away. He
puts bis arm around her and draws her
to him.
"Who writ that thar note, then, Sissy,
that wuz shoved under ther door tbAt
night ter warn me? You will tell me
that won't ye? An' who tuck keer of
my mammy when she wuz sick? Sissy,
, honey"—the arm draws tighter— "won't
you marry me?" She hides her face
against his breast
"You air shore good at axin' ques
tions, Bob," she says, "an' I love ye."—
Louisville Times.
INHERITED DISEASES.
Care Max Prevent Tranam lesion from
Parent to Child.
The question of heredity, or the trans
mission of certain mental traits or
physical characteristics from parents
to children, is one that has been much
studied, but of which as yet too little
is known. Formerly the inheritance of
disease was believed in implicitly, by
physicians as well as by laymen, and
the list of maladies to which children
were supposed to be almost inevitably 1
condemned by the accident of birth
was a very long one.
Among these hereditary diseases
were reckoned consumption and scrof
ula, leprosy, gout, rheumatism, goitre,
cancer, insanity, epilepsy and many
other nervous affections. As we learn
more about these maladies, however,
one after another of them is removed
wholly or In part from this category
and placed among the acquired dis
eases.
Undoubtedly some diseases are really
inherited, but their number is certainly
not large. Many diseases run in fam
ilies, but are not on that account neces
sarily hereditary.
Consumption, for example, was only
recently regarded as one of the most
surely inherited diseases, and is still
believed by many to be so. But we
now know that it is a germ disease,
which, while not "catching" in the or
dinary sense of the word, is readily
transmitted from the sick to the well
when the Invalid is careless in his hab
its, especially as regards expectoration.
It is also acquired more readily by
those of delicate constitution than by
the robust
The children of consumptive parents
are seldom robust, and so are predis
posed to any of the germ diseases, and
living constantly in a house where the
germs of consumption are necessarily
abundant, they are very likely to be
come victims of that disease.
This is an important fact It teaches
us that since, as a rule, only the pre
disposition to the family disease is in
herited, and not the disease Itself, the
chances of the younger generation's
escaping, if proper care is used, are
very great
The bringing up of a child in a con
sumptive family should be of a special
ly hygienic character. The best of
foods, of fresh air and sunlight, not too
much study, long hours of sleep in a
well-ventilated room and, as far as
possible, avoidance of exposure to the
contagion of the family malady—these
are the weapons by which the malign
influence of inherited weakness of con
stitution may be overcome and many
precious lives saved.—Youth's Com
panion.
DRY CLIMATE OF THE ARCTIC.
Wounds Sometimes Heal Rapidly in
It—Meats Do Mot Become Putrid,
One of the American consuls in Ger
many has forwarded to the State De
partment a report made by Dr. Rowitz,
the physician of the German Fisheries
Society, who spent four months in the
Arctic last year, on some climatic con
ditions of that region. He made some
interesting discoveries concerning the
putrefaction processes and the healing
of wounds. His steamer arrived at
Bear Island in the beginning of July.
Fish caught on the voyage and dried in
the Norwegian fashion showed uot a
trace of putridity as long as the air
remained dry and clear. Even the nat
ural fishy smell disappeared. Walrus
meat caught on the island and left ex
posed on the rocks kept perfectly fresh
and sweet. It tasted, by the way, much
like beefsteak.
Wounds on the hanjls, though ex
posed to the contact of iron chains and
bloody walrus flesh, did not become in
flamed in fair weather, hut they did
not heal. They remained raw, open
wounds. The surface gradually dried,
but showed no tendency to form a scab.
But it was very different in dump,
cloudy weather.
Then fish, though already almost
dry, soon became moldy and putres
cent The walrus meat also soon be
came offensive.
Shoes bad to be kept well oiled to
prevent molding. The slightest wounda
festered at once. In some cases the
pain was so intense as to make the
hardy sailors writhe in agony. But,
after lancing these wounds healed rap
idly, sometimes In one night.
In dry and germ-free air, therefore,
there was neither inflammation nor a
tendency to heal, while in moist germ
laden air intense inflammation and pro
fuse suppuration were quickly fol
lowed by complete healing.
It would seem as if the system made
no effort to heal wounds except when
the presence of bacteria makes them
specially dangerous.
New Industry in Florida.
The cultivation of the camphor tree
In Florida has been so successful that
this section promises to be a formida
ble competitor with the far east la
China, Japan and Formosa but a small
portion now remain owing to the waste
ful methods of obtaining the gum from
the trees, which in many cases were
cut down entirely. In Florida, on the
other hand, it has been found that cam
phor could be produced profitably from
the leaves and twigs, obtaining a pound
of the gum from seventy-seven pounds
of the cuttings. The tree requires no
fertilization and Is extremely orna
mentaL
By Innuendo.
"Chollie Is all right, but I think bis
cables have been cut"
"Cables cut?"
"Yes. He has no intelligence."— In
dianapolis Journal
THE FIRST TOUCH OF AUTUMN,
1
muz
m
mm.
»1
&
<#
e?
ELMAR SPEAR.
but
She Is Only Seven Years Old,
Weighs ISO Pounds.
Green County, Ark., boasts one of the
leaviest girls iu the United States for
1 er years. She is Elmar Spear and
age is only 7. De
spite this she
weighs 180
pounds. Her bight
is 51 inchest. El
mar is phenomen
ally strong and
can readily lift a
man weighing 200
pounds and carry
himacrossa room.
She enjoys excel
lent health and
lier mind Is as
bright as her body
is abnormally de
veloped. If ber KI.MAH SPKA.i.
present rate of growth and develop
ment Is maintained she will probably
be the largest and heaviest woman in
the world.
The Butterfly King.
The London Express, in announcing
Ihe death of William Watkins, one of
the foremost entomologists of the day,
gives this interesting story of his life:
Of Welsh extraction, he began col
lecting butterflies when he was a
schoolboy of nJue. At that time there
were fields in the vicinity of Peck ha in,
and the first butterfly Mr. Watkins
ever caught was the "peacock." From
thenceforth he became an ardent en
tomologist; he gradually went on col
lecting moths, and eventually he made
this the business of his life.
His parents articled him to some ship
and insurance brokers, but while out
witb them he devoted all his leisure
time to collecting. Indeed, It was no
unusual occurrence for him to stay out
until midnight In pursuit of the treas
ures he coveted. Taking a dislike to
the shipbroking business, and mani
festing the Inevitable desire to "see
life," he went to India, where he had
plenty of scope for his love of ento
mology.
After a sojourn of six years In In
dia, he returned to England, and was
able to sell a large collection to Mr.
Horniman, the well-known tea mer
chant.
He then began business as a profes
sional entomologist, and opened estab
lishments in Piccadilly and in the
Strand. In 1881 he formed the Insect
House in the Zoological Gardens.
During the past ten years he resided
RELATIVE SIZE OF THE CELESTIAL EH PI RE.
PHGVtNCE or
AtA/KMUfif/C
CH*A/A
*
ft*»
AUSTRIA
«
&
f/SfUUH
Arpfl (rail's). Population.! Area (miles). Population.
China ..............4,218.000 483.000,000 Australia ............2,973,000 6,000,000
Canada .............3,456,000 6,000,000|Europe..............1,340,000 176,000,000
The above map shows at a glance, with an approximation to accuracy, the
relative areas of China, Canada, Australia and all Europe, without Scandinavie
and Russia. Europe will be readily recognized, standing white on the black
background of Australia. Canada forms the shaded background to Australia,
and the black line ruuning roughly around all represents the area of China. The
diagram and the figures attached give some idea of the vaatness of the Ancient
Empire, which recently has fallen into anarchy and chaos.
at Eastbourne, where he carried on the
breeding of butterflies of the most di
verse specimens. His success earned
for him the name of "The Butterfly
King."
Re signed to His Fate.
The following story of a uegro Slav«
Is told by a French officer conducting
an exploring expedition recently up ona
of the rivers which flow into the Congo:
"One night while we were In camp
there came from the jungle a youthful
voice crying out to our boatman in the
Yakoma tongue: "Halloa, Sangos! Do
you knbw ou the Ubauqul the Yakoma
chief Dembussl of the village of Dl
massa?"
"Yes! we know him."
"Is he still living?"
"He was living when we left Uban<
qui."
"He is my father. When you see him
on your return, salute him for me. Tell
him that his sou. uow become a man,
has not much to complain of In his situ
ation, but that he longa, for his nativ«
country, his father's village and hit
friends. Tell them that 1 am a slave
of the Saugo chief, and that he treat«
me well."
"How came you here?" asked th«
boatman.
"My father, debtor to a Bougbou,
sold me to his creditor eight timet
twelve moons ago. From market to
market I have passed, through many
hands to finish here fifty moons ago.
You will give my message to my peo
ple, will you not?"
Taught How to Kindle Fires.
Up iu Oregon they are teaching in th«
special schools a number of simpW
household duties. For Instance, one of
these is how to kindle a tire. Now, at
first blush. It would seem to be trifling
with time to teach a boy or girl how to
start a fire In a stove or on a hearth.
But as a matter of fact the mass of
children grow up without understand
ing that art It requires a certain skill
and knowledge, which it is found the
many do not have. Fire mismanage
ment by girls has been a prolific source
of woe. It means iU-cooked food, waste
of fuel, loss of time and danger to life
and property. But, then, why should
parents by neglect of home duty force
this new task upon even a special
school system?
London's Hospitals.
More than 1,000,000 people are treat
ed in the hospitals of London each
year.
Questions
for
Women
If you were offered sure aid in time
of trouble would you put it aside
and accept something of doubtful
efficiency ?
If you saw before you a strong and
safe bridge leadingtoyour goal, would
you ignore it to try some insecure and
tottering structure ?
The answer to these questions is
plain. You would, of course, choose
without hesitation what all evidence
showed to be the safe thing, and you
would risk nothing in useless experi
ments.
Why, then, do some women risk one
of their most precious possessions—
their health—in trying medicines of
unknown value, which may even prove
hurtful to them.?
Lydia E. Pinkliam's Vegetable Com
pound has stood the test of years. It
has the largest sale of any remedy for
female ills in the world, and nothing
could have given it this sale except its
own merit.
Do not try any experiments, but buy
what is known to be reliable. Mrs.
Pinkham's Compound can do all that
is claimed for it, and all statements in
regard to it can be easily verified.
Write to Mrs. Pinkham at Lynn, Mass.,
for a little book she has just published
containing letters from the mayor of
Lynn, the postmaster and others.
Mrs. Pinkham's advice is offered free
of charge to all women who write to
her for aid. This invitation is con
stantly renewed. A million women
have been cured of serious female ills by
Mrs. Pinkham's advice and medicine.
Three luttera from One
Woman, Showing How
! Lydie Em Pinkham's Vego
1 table Oom/tound Oured
Falling of the Womba
" Pear Mrs. Pinkham— I see your
advertisement in the papers in regard
to treating woman's diseases, and
would be grateful to you for your ad
vice in my ease. I am suffering from
falling of womb, have pains in my
sides and legs, in fact I ache all over.
1 am getting so weak I cannot stand
on my feet rauch. I have the head
ache sometimes, and a choking, tight
feeling in my breast and throat. Have
a baby seven months old. I hope to
hear from you soon, as I am in so
much distress."— Mrs. J. R. Compton,
Eggbornsville, Va., May 16, 1898.
"Dnar Mrs. Pinkham —I followed
your advice and I am now on the sec
ond bottle of your Vegetable Com
pound and 1 think it is going to cure
me. If it does I will ever praise it,
for I am. and have been, a great suf
ferer ; but now I live in hopes of
getting well." — Mrs. J. R. Compton,
Eggbornsville, Va., July 12, 1898.
" Pear Mrs. Pinkham— Again I
write to yon. When I first wrote to
you for advice in regard to my troubles
I thought I eouid never get well again.
After receiving your letter I followed
your advice exactly, and thanks to
you, I am cured "of that dreadful
disease. I cannot find words to ex
press the good your medicine will do.
It is really more than was recom
mended to me." —Mrs. .T. R. Compton,
Eggbornsville, Va., April 12, 1899.
Two Women Cured of Ir
regularity, Falling of the
Uterus and Ovarian
TroublBm
" Dear Mns. Pinkham — I hav«
female weakness. Menstruation ir
regular, and I suffer bearing-down
pains in left side and hip. My doctor
said I had womb trouble and enlarge
ment of the ovaries. 1 have doctored
two months, but see no improvement."
—Miss Mary E. Reed, Swan Creek,
ill. « m
"Dear Mrs. Pinkham —Your good
advice has been worth more than all I
ever received from a doctor. Words
cannot express my gratitude to you for
Lydia E. Pinkham 's Vegetable Com
pound. After twelve years' suffering I
am stout and healthy."—Miss MaryE.
Reed, Swan Creek, 111., April 28, 1899.
"Dear Mrs. Pinkham — I suffer
female troubles. My doctor wishes
my ovaries taken out, but I ■hall
never consent. Menstruation is irreg
ular and my head has a tired feeling.
Hospital treatment does me no good.
I have five children and am forty-four
year^ old. Please advise what medi
cine to take."— Mrs. E. H. Sonders, 437
N. 40th St., Philadelphia, Pa., Septem
ber 27, 1898.
"Dear Mrs. Pinkham — I followed
the advice you gave ine and your medi
cine has cured ine. I felt better when
I had taken the Vegetable Compound
but a week."— Mrs. E. H. Sunders,
Philadelphia, Pa., February 6, 1899.
Another Gase of Nervous
Prostration and Inflam
mation of the Bladder
Cured by Lydia E. Pink -
ham's Vegetable Oom
pound,
" Dear Mrs. Pinkham— I have used
your Vegetable Compound for female
weakness and it has done wonders for
me. I also had nervous prostration—
was not able to look after my house
work. After taking one bottle I began
to improve, and am now better in every
way and feel like a different person."
—Mrs. Della Keiser, Marionville, Pa.,
February 22, 1899.
"Dear Mrs. Pinkham —I cannot
praise your Vegetable Compound
enough for the good it has done me.
I suffered from inflammation of tha
bladder. I tried doctors, but obtained
nc relief,- At last I decided to write
to you, and now, thanks to your reme
dies, I am entirely cured. "— Mrs. K. S.
Grady, 131 Union St., High Bridge,
New York City, April 11,1899. »
According to a recently issued report'
the trades unions ot German had a
membership of 864,850 at the close of
the year.
Seventy-nine firms are now using the
blue label of the Tobacco Workers'
Union.