WHEN THE CLOCK TICKS LOUD. There are times when life Is something more than meat and drink and sleep; When the surface shows no ripple though the stream Is swift and deep; When the good that's In the worst of us has taken us In tow And has tanned love's fading embers till they flash again and glow; When we feel there's something in us has escaped the madding crowd— When It's quiet In the evening and the clock ticks loud. When the grate fire's crimson afterglow is graying Into gloom. When there's none but she and you within that cozy little room, When the cat upon the hearth rug yawns and drifts again to dreams, Then how very like the heaven we have learned to long for seems That delightful little chamber with the magic charm endowed— When It's quiet In the evening and the clock ticks loud. Not a word to break the stillness, yet there's music In the air — Music born of softest silence, music sweet and low and rare; For the one who sits beside you Is your sweetheart, and you know That she loves you, for she wed you many patient years ago; And her love songs, born of silence, make you brave and great and proud. When It's quiet In the evening and the clock ticks loud. •—New York Times. m A Converted Clergyman m m mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmrn (§)= HE Reverend Boswell Holland sat alone In his study. The room which, though small, had been dignified with the name of study, was the best and pleasantest room in the house, and In It were drawn together all the best that the house afforded— here was the prettiest paper and the best carpet, the only lounge, the easi est rocking chair, the gayest table cover, the best lamp, and the prettiest ornaments, all gathered here by his young wife's unselfish devotion, and her husband's devoted selfishness. A tall, stout, well-made, florid young man. never Intended by nature for any aedentary life; one whose broad shoul ders and strong arms would have made a better and healthier man of him In the field or workshop: one who as a farmer or machinist might have made something of his muscular Inheritance, but who had beon thrust Into a posi tion he was wholly unfitted for by the weak ambition of a doting mother and the vanity and self-indulgent In dolence of his own character. A gentle step, a timid deprecating tap at the study door. "Eyes right— attention!" In one moment, like a sol dier on drill, the reverend gentleman had wheeled Into position at the table, snatched up a pen, dipped It Into the Ink, and held It suspended over the paper, as he said In the half-annoyed tones of a person suddenly disturbed In some absorbing train of thought: "You can come In." Softly the door was pushed ajar, and a sweet young face, fair and fresh as an apple blossom, and framed In braids of soft brown hair, peeped tim idly in. / "Quite alone, dear?" she asked, glancing round the apartment; and then satisfied that he was so, the wife came In—a girlish figure, though one arm clasped her sleeping baby to her bosom; In the other hand she bore a small tray with snowy white cloth. Pausing a moment on her way to de posit the child among the cushions of the lounge, she came to her husband's side. "What have you got there. Lucy?" he said In half-reproachful tones, though his eager eyes contradicted his assumed indifference. "Only a little lunch for you, dear," said the little wife, coaxlngly, and she removed the desk and set the l4tle tray before him. "You silly child! what Is It?" Lucy raised the cover and revealed a small Juicy beefsteak, temptingly cooked, a biscuit, and a cup of steaming tea. "Oh, I have not any appetite; I do not want It," said the husband, making a very faint demonstration of pushing It from him. "Yes, you do, doar; I know best. Did not you tell me yourself that brains needed food, and that mental labor was more exhausting than any other? Take a little sip of the tea first, dear, and maybe that will bring an appetite." "You are a little goose, Lucy," said the Reverend Boswell, as he took the cup from her band; and so, just to please the affectionate little thing, he ate and drank all she had provided— and he did It, too, Just as If he relish ed every mouthful. You would never have guessed be did not relish It Ob, he was such a good man! And Lucy sat by, delighted that her Idol had condescended to accept her meat and drink offerings. "There now; these poor, doar, tired brains will feel a|l the better," she said, laying her soft band carelessly on bis low brow. • "It Is too bad for you to sit here, hard at work, all this love ly day; but tell me, have you worked very hard this morning?" "Well, no, not very," said the self convicted Idler. "It Is too warm to do « much.' "Warm here, dear?" said Mrs. Hol land, glancing round the cool, fresh, orderly little room, and contrasting It with the kitchen, the heated scene of her own labors. "Then It must be be cause you feel weak; do you?" "I thought you would come up and read for me, Lucy; I have been expect ing you." "But I could not come to-day, you know," said the wife, deprecatingly. "It's washing day!" "Well, what If It Is? You do not wash, I presume." "No, dear, not exactly; but Katie does." "But you are not Katie." "I beg your pardon, but I am on washing and Ironing days." "What do you mean?" "Only, of course, that when Katie Is washing. I have her dally work to do." "I do not see what great amount of work the is very inefficient, honest, but she Is a miserable cook, and very wasteful. But all such young Rlrls are: they waste half enough to keep a family. And the washes are very heavy; gentlemen and babies, 8 he said, with a rippling laugh, 'make a Ki'oat deal of washing, you know, and Katie Is vary slow, and If you have to put It out that Is very ex And then there Is so much "Katie, though a good girl as far as She Is pensive, sewing to be done. I did hope we should find time to make up your new linen before I left, but It Is not cut out yet, and Lucy will never get through a dozen shirts alone. Poor girl! the parish and the babÿ make such heavy demands upon her time, I think she will have to put your shirts out to be made." And with a few pleasant remarks about the parish and the weather, she smilingly withdrew. But the good seed had been carefully sown. The parson, though not over wise In general, was sharp and shrewd where money was in question, and knew the full value of dollars and cents. He took the matter Into con sideration, nicely balanced the pros and cons. He knew that Mrs. Briant in her quiet, lady-llke way, had been very efficient In his family; she super intended the cooking, and under her diroctlon were prepared the savory meats that his soul loved. He knew, too, that since her advent among them j his weekly expenses had been lessen ed not i ncrett8fd . He knew that the liberal board which she had Insisted upon paying ever since she had been with them amounted to half as much as his salary, while her generous gifts supplied many needs of the little | Houseljold. He knew that she relieved his wife of much care and labor; and that her experience during the baby's troubles In the ivory business, upon which he had just entered, had already saved him the fatigue and expense of many a visit to the doctor: and all j ^ese loving services were freely giv j to p e gi n with, and how much In waste | and discomfort? And as to putting | ou ^ washing and sewing, those were en. On the other hand. If she left, all this must stop. An additional servant would cost him throe dollars a week, bugbears of unknown expense which | he cou i d no t estimate. The parson drew his conclusion—he was used to that business; "In conclusion" was bis I favorite portion of his sermon—so, In conclusion, he requested Lucy to Invite her mother to become a permanent member of the family; and Lucy, who | in her unselfishness thought dear Bozzy did It all for her sake, could not express her Joy and gratitude. And now you know the reason the I Reverend Boswell Holland resembled SL Peter. Don't you see? He had a | "wife's mother" m the house!—Wav It I try Jo*t now. "Say, I'd like the Job of setting a little of It at work for a week or so. I'd have It putting In eighteen hours a day and sixty minutes every hour and nothing off for meals. Oh, I'd keep It busy all right, all right"-— I Cleveland Plain Dealer. ■ In a Young man, don t turn down a leap I J*ar proposal because the girl can't of j cook. She may be able to pay your board. eiley Magazine. Idleness Discouraged. "I see It stated that there Is alarming lot of Idle money In the coun an VLADIVOSTOCK FLEET ELUDES JAPANESE ADMIRAL. \ The Two Fleets Came Within Ten Miles of Each Other During the Day But During the Night Russians Got Away—Japanese Lost 8,000 Men in Two Days Engagement. Tokio, July 4—The Vladivostock squadron eluded Vice Admiral Kaml mura's squadron eastward of the Isl and of Tsu Friday night in the dark ness. A drizzling rain and fog favored the Russian vessels. The two squadrons met early in the evening, the Russians being north of Iki Island and the Japanese south of Tsu Island. They were 10 miles apart. The Russians bolted to the northeast when they were discovered by Vice Admiral Kamimura. The latter chased them at full speed. The Japanese tor pedo boats steamed ahead and entered within the range of Russian guns. The Russian vessels vigorously shelled the Japanese torpedo boats. This firing confirms the cannonading on Iki Island and gave the impression that an en gagement was in progress. Vice Admiral Kamimura was only eight or nine miles in the rear, when the Russian vessels extinguished their lights and disappeared in the darkness. At that time the Japanese torpedo boats were pressing the Russians, who had been using their searchlights. The torpedo boats failed to get close enough to the Russian boats to dis charge torpedoes. Japanese Lose Heavily. Liaoyang, July 4.—The recent suc cesses of the Russians at Dalin and in Major General Mlshtchenko's engage ments with the Japanese have engen dered a much better feeling here. It is reported that in the fighting of June 26 and 27, the Japanese lost 8,000 men, and that their losses in the operations against Mlshtchenko were 1,500. A striking feature of the last en gagement at Dalin, as well as In the fight with General Mlshtchenko's force, was that the Japanese tried the bayo net charge, to which they had not been previously partial. Their lines went to the charge with loud cries of "Aiyar, aiyar," but almost to a man were mowed down by the Russian rifle. One of the Japanese prisoners cap tured by General Mlshtchenko states that the provisions of the Japanese are running out and that the troops are badly fed. For two days prior to his capture, the prisoner said, the Japan ese had eaten nothing, and this state ment is confirmed by Chinese. The Japanese commissary Is entirely sup plied from Japan and consequently is dependent upon sea communication, and the effect of the loss of any boats in the recent storm is beginning to be severely felt. Sporting News. . There was no baseball played in Brooklyn Sunday. Larry Temple and Joe Walcott, both of New York, fought 10 hard rounds to a draw recently at Baltimore be fore the Eureka Athletic club. Willie Anderson, the golf expert of Apawamis, N. Y., holds both national and western open championship titles because In an exciting finish of the western event at the Grand Rapids, Mich., links Saturday he gained the western title from the holder, Alex ander Smith of Nassau. The oarsmen of Yale again showed their superiority over those of Harvard at New London Friday by winning the 'varsity race for the fifth consecutive time and showing that they would probably have won the four oared race but for a mishap. Since these contests began in 1876 Yale has been successful In 18 races and Harvard in eight. Joe Pearson, the crack runner of the Spokane Amateur Athletic club, not only demonstrated Saturday that he is the fastest sprinter In the north west, but added laurels to his record by breaking the record In the 220 yard dash, and winning the quarter mile in 50 3-6 seconds. He ran the hun dred yards in 10 seconds flat. Merritt of Spokane proved to be the fastest distance man on the ground, winning the mile and half mile, while Shearer of Spokane proved the best at the weights, winning the shotput, and getting second place in the hammer throw and tossing the 56 pound weight. Spokane won the re lay race. Portland got the best of the points with 60; Spokane had 51; Van couver 11. Competition was between the cracks of Washington, Oregon and British Co lumbia. The events occurred at Van couver, B. C., were under the sanction and governed by the rules of the North Pacific Amateur Athletic association. English Lad, ridden by Jockey Eddie Dominick of St. Louis, and owned by Fred Cook, also of St. Louis, won the St. Louis derby and a purse of $13,^45 In a gallop at the Fair Grounds Sat urday.