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tHEY ring aeain, the bells of earth. Beneath the stars that hailed the birth Of Judah'sking, where softly lies Fair Bethle'em mirrored in the skies: From out the land of rose and palm. From Galilee's immortal calm Their wondrous music mounts and swells, For seraphs ring the Easter Bells. CHE lilies In their robes of snow. Deep In the chancels bloom and blow, The roseslift their headstosee Once more that spot by Calvary Where rose the Lord, death's fetters riven. To wear again the crown o' Heaven: While o'er the country far and wide Earth hails its first glad Easter-tids. nONo more the thorn, no more the t?ar, more the cruel Roman spear. But in their stead a beauty glows. Far fairer than the garb of rose He riseson the wings of li^ht And shakes from earth the hues of nightj The watchful Marys turn aside. Bathed in the beams of Easter-tids. An Easter Bonnet A ROMANCE OF THE I GOOD OLD DAYS By MRS. MAN DA L. CROCKER IHARITYT AXX pressed the tiny bit of red wax on the folded paper and tossed lier pretty head in coquet tish triumph. For once she had time by the forelock. It was in the days of stage coaches and )oke-bonnets, when the average village jelle considered it a matter ot' no small mportance to obtain a poein in headgear short notice, that this all happened. But the eldest daughter of Judge Bently ,iad solved the problem of an easter bon jet by ordering it three weeks ahead of ime. The city milliner was to forward her address "a dream of a poke in blue /elvet and white pinnies," the last of Lent, and she, Charity Ann, would see the rest. Now, "the rest" meant wheedling the judge out of a respectable 'Dank-note to square accounts and to aston ish all Millville and become the envy of :he belle and the admiration of the beaux it St. Catherine's Easter night. Over and over the ambitious girl planned for the conquest: as she looped up her brown curls on side-combs of "real shell," practiced the opening carol for the Easter .service as first treble or good-naturedly washed the dishes for Patty, the planning went on. A part of the plan, also, was •to drop a word, now and then, concern ing the "love of a poke," much as a fcareless knitter drops stitches, omitting the motive. So the whisperings began to .circulate that Miss Bently's Easter bon •liet wa9 to be a marvel in millinery. And while the whisperings went around and the first treble dreamed of white plumes, •the second treble, sitting at her elbow evening after evening, caught the fever of being fashionable and dreamed in unison. Nevertheless, Charity Ann had not the remotest idea that her musical neighbor, .whose faded neapolitan dating back three :long winters was rusty enough, had laid ?the aforesaid whisperings to heart and thad determined to ''not be eclipsed by (••ny seventh magnitude poke that the |:Bentlys could, order." As a result Ruth Hamlin surprised her ginother one day by a very startling ques tion: "Do you suppose," .she began, ^measuring her words, "that if I should iwrite to Aunt Prudence of my success as second treble at St. Catherine's, and my lepecial part in the Easter songs, she would ieend me a new bonnet, if I hinted—very .sdelicately, of course—that I would be the only shabby one in the chorus, in my old poke?" I "Would wh-at?" and the astonished rmother waked up suddenly to the weighty interrogative. "Why, send me a new bonnet, if I hint ed," repeated Ruth, impatiently perking SHE SEALED THE ORDER. Up the dilapidated bows on the ancient neapolitan. "It is not impossible," answered Mrs. Hamlin, after considerable deliberation, "but then—" "But then!" Ruth flushed with the ex citement of anticipation. "I don't care a for the "but thens," she said, en j, thusiastically "if it is not impossible, why I it is possible," and away went the sec ond treble to "hint" as delicately as fem inine tact could devise. After this heroic tack in the direction of Aunt Prudence Hamlin's purse, Miss Rath kept her own counsel and slyly hugged her precious secret as she lis tened to the further whisperings of the •'marvel" in blue velvet. The stage was due at Millville at sun Bt, and the inhabitants were agog with be excitement usual at the coming of ?A1R the weekly mail in the rural districts. Of all the mysterious packages delivered, however, not one seemed to compare in general interst to the huge, big-flowered bandbox assigned to Amos Bently, Char ity Ann's tall brother. But when Ruth Hamlin put out her hands timidly from the back row to receive a formidable-look ing bundle for a girl in her circumstances, DROPPED THE MISSIVE IN HIS SWEET HEART'S LAP. everybody concluded that her rich city auntie had once more tired of an out-of date gown. Charity Ann was tying her satin hood under her dimpled chin in a precise bow knot, when Amos appeared with the ex pected box. "Now," he cried in triumph, "you can tangle up Orlando Hines, for he is not proof against starry eyes beneath nodding white plumes eh! Chat." "O, you tease!" laughed she of the satin hood, wondrously pleased at the reference to the rich man's son who lately had shown her marked preference. "But never mind now," she added, hastily. "Come along, it is getting dreadfully late to go to practice. 1 will try it on when 1 get back." She was thinking of a little tete-a-tete with that same Orlando, before the rest of the choir came. Amos deposited the box on the near est shelf and followed his sister to St. Catherine's, wondering somewhat. Sure ly Chat's iieart was not so vain as he supposed, else she would not have gone without even indulging in a "peek," at least. Be that as it may, she surely had vanity enough to be painfully shocked when,later, she took from the perfumed depths of the bandbox a pretty combination of gray and olive green, instead of the dream in blue. "O, my stars!" she almost shrieked, and down went the attractive, yet offensive, millinery into the depths, a despised af fair. The brilliant plan rose up, the whisperings marshalled themselves and Charity Ann's all-conquering perspective became bluer than any poke ever invent ed. "What shall I do?" she exclaimed, overcome by it all. "0, dear, it is some body's wretched mistake!" By and by, out of the chaos a bright idea materialized, and Charity Ann seized it. "It is too late to rertiedy it," she said, trying to be resigned, "for to-morrow is Easter, and I don't mind it much, any way: besides I can wear my new gray al paca now. These colors match it to per fection." Up came the gray and olive-green combi nation hurriedly and Charity Ann contin ued: "See! what a lovely buckle and what a fine, rich plume why, I declare, it is a lovely poke! As to color," musingly, "why, I have changed my mind at the very last," thinking of the whisperings, "and—well, I have, that is all!" this very decisively. But while Miss Bently was thus brave ly "changing her mind," Ruth Hamlin was going into raptures over the jewel of a bonnet for which Aunt Prudence must have paid quite a sum, considering the knots in her purse strings, usually. And it would go nicely with the blue sacque she sent in the winter likely as not she had that in mind when she chose the bon net. So the garment was brought out and fresh lace added to the neck and sleeves, while the second treble hummed the Easter carol with delight. Orlando Hincs was woefully behind time at the service Easter evening. He had spent two whole hours inditing a carefully worded note to his lady love offering her his heart's devotion, "if she would ac cept, this blessed Easter time," hence he was abominably late. Mortified at his tardiness, the leading Kedron's brook that seeks the Reflects the smiles of Galilee. The lily in her beauty blooms Beside the saintliest of tombs: Ar.d He is risen!" far and near The angels chant for earth to heae As louder still the music swells Of Heaven's holy Easter Bells. O'ER earth the hymns of love and peaoa Bid every cankered sorrow cease. And Memory's music sweetly stirs The emerald crests of Lebanon's firs The stars of Easter brightly shine Upon the groves of Palestine: And where He trod the darkened ways Soars Easter's endless chant of pralso. 77IHERE orient roses in samite W Bend to the lily's garb of white. The bells of Easter gladly chime And sanctify that storied clime: I hear the notes that grandly rise To meet the anthems of the skies. And higher yet the paean swells Till all earth hears the Easter Bells I To this add the curious expectancy of cer tain interested gossips, and you have the attitude of the waiting groups in and about the Golden Sickle. Suddenly, and as if by magic, with a prolonged toot from his horn, the ven erable and voluble stage driver was in the midst. After the mail was disposed of, the usual array of bundles and boxes were whisked this way and that into the arms of their respective owners, while the meaning nods and covert smiles kept pleas ant tally. T. C. HARBAUGH. bass stumbled along to his place, dropping the missive into his sweetheart's lap, and in spite of his confusion he could not help but notice how lovely her blue bon net was. Ten minutes later when they stood up to sing he saw his mistake. Good heav ens! He forgot everything but the awful dilemma he was in. Finally the sub-bass nudged him. "Why don't you sing?" he asked, gazing in blank astonishment into his white face. Then, with the cold sweat beading hia forehead. Orlando Hines began the bas* repeat with a desperateness scarcely ever entering into an Easter song. When he sat down again everything was unintelligible pantomime until the sec ond treble beamed at him over her book. She had accepted him for all time! For a minute the crowd melted into hazy dis tance, and he wondered if the gossips would gossip much if he died then and there? But his good sense came to the rescue he shut his eyes a moment to collect his thoughts, then opening thena he looked at Ruth. Why, how sweet and graceful she was! He ought to have seen that before. And she was as good and pure as the saints what more could hi desire? Instinctively his eyes sought the evei of the first treble, perhaps for compar ison, and he saw her look angrily, haught ily down on Miss Hamlin. He had not tnought she could do that. Then he was glad that the whisperings had mixed up the Easter bonnet and Orlando Hines as well. So he came to himself, smiled his sweetest and kissed the tips of the fingera of the second treble. But, be it said to Charity Ann's credit, she was putting on the proud exterior to mask the chagrined interior. From the moment she entered the church, the Bent ly banknote, as it were, mocked her from the innocent head of Ruth Hamlin. And, more than that she saw the fickie Or lando's billet doux fall lovingly into her lap. After that everybody and everything was perfect torture, pure and simple but the leading bass was judging from ap pearances only. And everybody went home from St. Catherine's wondering about one of two things why Miss Bently changed her mind from a dream in blue to a poem in gray, and why Orlando Hines came so near breaking down in the opening piece. Celebration of Easter IE observance of Easter is almost as old as the Christian Church. It was recognized as a religious fes tival within 300 years after the resurrec tion of Christ, but it was not till the eighth century that its celebration be came common throughout the Christian world. In the western countries of Eu rope it was always kept on Sunday, but the churches in Asia kept it on the third day after the 14th of the Jewish month Nisan, whatever day of the week this might be. This was the Jewish rule, which aimed to keep the actual anniversary of the day of the resurrection (as we ob serve Christmas), while the gentiles pre ferred to observe the Lord's day which comes next after the actual anniversary. The council of Aries, in A. D. 314, ordered Easter to be observed at the same time throughout Christendom, and the councils of Nicaea, A. D. 325, ruled that it was to be celebrated only on the Lord's day, and not on a week day. It was not, however, until the year 714 that the computation of the time of Easter was fully settled and uniformity secured. The rule was then laid down that Easter day is always the first Sunday after the full moon which happens upon or next after the 21st of March. If the full moon happens on a Sunday, Easter day is the Sunday after. Poor Mail! Mrs. Boreum Place (on the way to church)—Well, whatever you do, Morti mer, for goodness sake, don't go to sleep in church this Easter! Boreum Place (wearily)—Don't worry. I'll keep thinking "How shall I be able to pay for that Easter hat and outfit?" That kept me awake all last night."— Brooklyn Eagle. Her Dliehted Easter. Mr. McSwatt (at the foot of the stair way)—Lobelia, it's time we were off. Mrs. McSwatt (in a faint voice, from the floor above)—I am not going to church this morning, Billiger. The hired girl has g-gone and got one exactly like m-mine! Chicago Tribune. Their Attitude. They now devoutly go to church. Do fashion's autocrats. And while their knees are bent In prayer. Their nrun&i are bent on hats. —Brooklyn Llfe. The Easter Sermon. He—How did you enjoy the service to day? She—It was simply charming. I never saw so many lovely bonnets in all my life. Two Leading Questions. Miss Passee—What did you pay for jour Easter bonnet, dear? Miss Blooraleigh—I'll tell you that if you'l' tell me your age. Simple Ain»aratn» by Which Any llriKht Karnu'r (,'nii Knully Ob tain a Proper tirade. A device for assisting in getting- the ffrade while digging drains is described by II. \V. Smith, Somerset county, Me. I took a piece of board a, a, eight feet long-, seven inches wide, and nailed on two three-cornered pieces, b, 1), cut ting out the section of the board be tween tliem, as shown in the illustra tion. Then 1 nailed a piece of lath across the tops of the three-cornered pieces. A piece of clapboard, d, three feet long, was sharpened nearly to a point on the thin side and nailed di agonally to the side of the eight-foot board, thin edge down, so that the APPARATUS FOR PROPER GRADE. point of the clapboard would be about 20 inches above the center of the lath. A plumb line and bob is suspended from the point above the center of the lath. If the lower edge of the board is straight and placed in a level po sition the line will hang at right an gles with it. Have the edge of the lath planed. Take a sharp pencil and mark each side of the line and cut a notch the lath. 'To illustrate the use of the device, when the board is level, if a two-inch block is put under one end and a notch cut behind the line, the plumb line will indicate the grade :in! the operator will get a twn inclr! fall for every eight feet, eight feet being the length of the board.— Orange Jiuld Farmer. ROADS IN GERMANY. How Tliey Are Kept In Repair With out Any Appreciable Cost to the Taxpayers. Americans concede th.it roadmaking in Germany is a fine art. Few, how ever, realize that road repairing has been reduced to a comparatively cheap art as well. I wish devotedly that local societies could be former in order to study it, and appl3- the results of the study to country roads in America. I spoke once on the subject to an audi ence of leading citizens in Ulster coun ty in New York, an ideal county to ex periment in. having all the three chief things for success. I mean stones, paupers and fruit trees. Germans, namely, find that it pays to encourage peasants to free their fields of stones the property rises in value—taxing value. The stones thrown into heaps by the roadside are purchased by the listrict. road-repairing commission. Poor men, who otherwise would have _o be supported in almshouses, are hired to break these stones, and then re trained to the work of repairing lie roadbeds. The money to pay the men is made by auctioning off to lie highest bidder the crops of the ruit trees that were planted on both ides of the highway when it was built, ind which are nourished well by the manure that falls along the road and pushed at intervals by a road tender upon their roots. The purchaser of the crop sees to it that his fruit is not tolen. The road commissioners have bother about that. And although lie sale Is by auction, it brings in con siderable. Every burgher knows how much, because the sales of highway fruit crops arc published in the local lewspnpers.—Countess von Krockow, Chicago Tribune. Amount of Sccrt to Sow. The amount of grain to sow per acre is a question of considerable im portance, since the saving of half a peck per acre is $15 to $20 on every 100 acres of wheat sown. It is not well to skimp the seed, but too much is as bad as too little not. only is it a waste of seed, but the plants will he too crowded to develop in the highest degree. The right amount of seed, then, is the question, and yet to say what will apply in every case is not possible. ISy using averages, the proper amount under average condi tions may be stated, but what would be too little in a dry summer would be 1oo much in a wet one. The im plement used in sowing also has an influence on the amount of seed to sow. Tt is generally conceded that it is good practice to sow a peck less of seed with a drill than with the broad east seeder.—Midland Farmer. Farm Lands in the Went. Whatever may be said of low of fa lies, t' farm's of the central valleys, from the eastern to the western mountains, are advancing rapidly, and are in de mand at greatly increased prices. Plenty of land in Illinois has reached the $100 mark, and farms of the Mis souri valley, from Kansas to Minne sota, are steadily increasing in value. As western competition becomes more intense, western farmers and the congressmen who represent them demand expensive irrigation and more free farms,while eastern farm ers have failed to ask for government supplies of free fertilizers and east ern gardeners have made no demand for appropriations for plant houses and other aids to production.—Coun try Gentleman. prices of farm lands east of the Al leHienies, there is no doubt that David 'Rankin, of Tarkio, Mo., owns the. largest cultivated tract of land in the world, says the Cincinnati En quirer. To those who have never vis ited a large ranch the methods neces sary to carry on the vast amount of work would seem a great problem. Mr. Rankin owns 14 ranches, contain ing 22,000 acres 700 teams and 220 fnen are required to operate the daily routine 'iVork in the busy season while the crops are under cultivation. Each ranch has an overseer, who is required to make a monthly report and to sub mit the same to his employer. The records of the past year's work over all the ranches show that a total of 7,539 head of cattle had been sold for $172,520 and 8,249 head of hogs for $111,840. The total clearance for the year 11)00 amounted to $100,000. The expenses, including interest, reached the sum of $91,851.13. The most profitable ranch is the one looked after by Foreman George Ross, whose yearly report contains the fol lowing statements: Number of acres, 3,2S0 cattle, 1.32S net proceeds from eattlfc, $44,598.90 hogs, 1,232, cash for the same, $17,954.19 expense per acre, $4.39 corn bought, 98,720 bushels. Mr. Rankin io a close observer and soon picks out the good qualities of his men. fie is pleasant and accom modating, daring and energetic, which qualities have won for him the wealth he now commands. Besides his farms he has an interest in several banking concerns, but to these latter he gives little attention, and spends most of his time riding over the ranches to see that proper care is being given the stock. Sometimes he lends a helping hand in pulling a steer from the mud again he will assist in building a shed for the fattened hogs. NAMING THE FARM. A Commendable Fashion That II Gronintf in Favor In the Rural Districts of the West, The farm ought to have a name. The,boys will love it more, and others will respect it more if given this dig nity. After giving the name, mark it in a prominent place. The cut shows .1 unique way. Haul a pictur esque bowlder to one side of the main Proprietor' NAME PLACED ON STONE. entraee. With a sledge hammer and cold chisels cut a smooth face upon the front,, and either cut out the name of the farm or paint it on the smooth face with black paint. A granite bowlder will work best.—Orange Judd Farmer. A Mammoth Hay Farm. Five thousand acres of swamp land in Oregon, says the Hay Journal, will be reclaimed and made to produce hay, if a project set on foot by a live stock company shall prove successful. This company has built a dredge, with which it proposes to dig a ditch 60 feet wide and nine feet deep through the center of the swamp which covers a large proportion of Mollieur county. By means of this ditch it is proposed to drain the swamp and convert it into a great hay field. It is estimated that 100,000 tons of hay can be produced annual ly, where now nothing but swamp grass flourishes. A San Francisco company has secured a contract to operate the dredge, and it is esti mated that two years will be re quired to complete the ditch. Culture of Strawberries. There are three methods now fol lowed by the best growers, known as hill culture, the hedge row and the half-matted row. By the first, plants are set from 12 to 18 inches apart in the row, and all runners kept off so that no other plants can form. The hedge row method consists in having plants from to 12 inches in the row, with runners kept off and the half-matted row method is to plant in the usual manner with plants IS to 36 inches in the row, the first run ners that appear just where wanted, until there is a row about 12 inches wide, with plants not more than six inches apart. After the row is filled in this manner, keep the runners off, as in the hill and hedge row method. —Rural World. llow Weeds Are Scattered. They may be introduced and spread with seeds of grasses, clover and grain on the farm. By live stock carried in the hair, fleece or feet or by passing into the excrement. By unground feed stuff purchased in barnyard manures drawn from town, in the packing of trees, crocket, baled hay and straw, by wagons, threshing machines, etc. Oftentimes by plows, cultivators and harrows, by railway trains, or boats, by birds, squirrels and mice, by water or brooks, rivers and by washing rains, by the wind, aided by little wings, down or drifting snow. And in count less other ways. 'Tis an enemy that must be fought without quarter, till exterminated "root and branch."—' Midland Farmer. Defective Page DEAR MRS. PINKIIAM —Soon after my marriage two years ago I found myself in constant pain. The doctor said my womb was turned, and this caused the pain with considerable in flammation. lie prescribed for me for MRS. PAULINE JXJDSON, Socrotarv of Schcrmerhorn Golf Club, Brooklyn, New York. four months, when my husband became impatient because I grew worse instead of better, and in speaking to the drug gist he advised him to get Lydia E. Pinkliam's Vegetable Compound and Sanative Wash. How I wish I had taken that at first it would have saved me weeks of suffering. It took three long months to restore me, but it is a happy relief, and we are both most grateful to you. Your Compound has brought joy to our home and health to me."—MRS. PAULINE JVDSON, 47 Hoyt Street, Brooklyn, N. Y. 95000 forfeit if above testimonial Is not genuine It would seem by this state ment that women would save time and much sickness if they would get Xjydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound at once, and also write to Mrs. Pinkiiam at Lynn, Mass., for special ad Vice. It is free and always helps. IN THE SUPERLATIVE DEGREE. Tinium is the hardest metal. It looks like copper, but will scratch rock crys tal. The best home-made fire-extinguish er is four ounces of pearl ash dissolved, in hot water, and added to a pail of cold water. Most deaths during the 24 hours take place between five and six a. m., and least between nine and eleven in the evening. The largest fir tree in the state of Washington has been cut down near Arlington, in Snohomish county. The tree was 18 feet through at the base and 200 feet high. One 20-foot section will require two flat cars to haul it. A VERY STRONG LETTER. La Farge, Wis. Wm. T. Payne, of this place, has written a rather start ling letter to the papers. He says: •I was in great pain across my back for four weeks, and was taking med icine from a doctor all the time, but it did not do me any good. "I bought a box of Dodd's Kidney Pills, and had not taken more than four or five doses before I noticed that they were doing me good. 'They helped me right along, and I kept on using them till I had used four boxes, when the pain left me al together. One box of Dodd's Kidney Pills has done me more good thau five dollars' worth of doctor's med icine. "This remedy has certainly worked wonders in my case, and I feel it my duty to give it the credit due." SALZER S LIGHTNING CABBAGE. This is the earliest cabbape in the world and a regular gold mine to the market gardener and farmer. By the way, there Is lots ot money to be made on ear liest cabbage, beets, peas, radishes, cucumbers and the like. For 16c. and this Notice the John A. Salzer Seed Co., LaCros.se, Wis., will send you their mammoth catalog and 150 kinds of flower and vegetable seeds. Market gardeners'catalog, 2c postage. K. ABSOLUTE SECURITY. Genuine Carter's Little Liver Pills. Must Bear Signature of See Fac-Slmlle Wrapper Below. Very small and as euy to take as ragax. FOR HEADACHE. FOR DIZZINESS. FOR RIU0USNESS. FOR TORPID LIVER. FOR CONSTIPATION. FOR SALLOW SKIN. FOR THE COMPLEXION CARTERS PILLS. WITWVI GYWNM I. It cSnts I Purely Tnrassrssrraw CURE SICK HEADACHE. CURES WHEKE ALL ELSEFAILS. Beat Cough Syrup. Tastes Good. Use tn time. Sold by druggists. Uh lv :e ,-te