Newspaper Page Text
tho ing is wonderfully handsome worn- a __ . - suppose the to •S queer old fellow hv W ! ! , r , r> husband. Looks *5? for all the world ... n>. »? like I ai«l i ry. That was what my nephew said to L me. as her carriage turned into the 1 a. z .1 » r T T park at the Apsley House corner. "Beautiful!" I replied; "beautiful j .. * _ _ » doesn t express it she was an angtl. She is an angel, a saint, and martyr y too. God, how I loved that woman!'' j ' "Oh of course uncle" renlied mv > n un, oi course, uncie, repueu mi ^ graceless nephew. "Professionally, I suppose'.'" You see there isn't so very much j difference in our ages, though I am | , . , , 1 Ins uncle, and we are more like broth ! And then that imprudent nephew of mine blew out his cheeks, got very red in the face, and vervnearlvchoked ' v himself w;tn laugnter. And then we sat down upon two ol the green chairs. "Tell us about her, boss," said Jack T i-i,rnn TniT,îin I have three pup .... n ^ m v nephew; they all smoke short pipwj m my presence, and they all threecall Tu ?_! b ° 88 :, , r ... , . rhat s the ccnntess of \\ nilsend, I, liegan. tifteen years ago her lius band the earl, I oui 1 v\ , as }ou call him—and > ou are not the first. Mr. Jack to call him Paul I ry—became a widower, and every right-minded young woman in society duly set ofiÄotlenhan, Court Hoad! and ■ I just earned a living then and no ™ OT l ,. It r wa8 r b; \ f ° r « 1 *l a ^ 1,! raed to flatter, Mr. .Jack. Her rmoto graph struck me at first. I bought the photo-the photo of Lottie Viv inn of the Portico Theatre-and I ; î mn knit /«nnt.i zi,- -U i [ paid my nan crown at the pit door, 1 saw her in drama, and I saw her in ^ an Easter fairy piece that followed. f K-.wherdnnce- I heard her sinn- I ..r,tiV, î», ru P l ,, f night after night I made stud.es of and ahea Mr. d.alor, : I j \ î THE FARMER FEEDETH ALL. M.v lord rides through his palace gate. My Indy »»weeps along in state. The snge thinks long on muny a thing, And the maiden muses on marrying; The rainistrel harpeth merrily. The sailor plows the looming spa. The huntsman kills thf irood red deer, And th»» soldier wars without n fear. Bat tali to each vrhnte'er be:nll. The farmer he must feed them all. Smith hnmraereth cheerily the sword. Priest pr acheth pure and holy word. Dame Alice worketh broidery well. Clerk lîn hnrd tales ol love can tell, The tap-wife sells her foaming beer. Pan Fisher tisheth in the mere. Ami courtiers rulHe. strut and shine, While paires bring the Gascon wine; But fall to each whate'er be.'all. The farmer he must Iced them all. Man builds his castles fair and high. Whatever river runneth by. Great cities rise in every land. Great chnrches show the builder's hand, Great arches, monuments, and towers, Fair palaces and pleasing bowers, Great work is done, be't hen? unu there, And well man worketh everywhere; But work or rest, whate'er befall. The farmer he must feed them all. —Charles Godfrey Leland. MY FIRST COMMISSION. an still; she mnst have been very beautiful once. I it y ers than uncle and nephew. "You know you are a very bad lot, uncle." the bov went on. "You go ,_._,_ . on loving em t.ll you put the last finishing touch, nnd then j'ou start another canvas and begin to love somebody else. I believe that's the My nephew is always saying rud e things to me. ; "Jack," I said," severelv, "mv sue , .. - , ' cess is due entirely to perseverance, and the fact that I never flatter. secret to your success as a portrait painter." offered to buy them, I was rude to Melehizedec, and I declined to part j with them upon any terms. One night ns I came out of the pit of the Portico I found that it was raining cats and dogs, but money was scarce with me, and I walked! home through the rain, because I . couldn't afford a cab. Just as I neared my own door, a four wheeler drew up nt it, a lady paid the driver, and then she opened the street door withherlatchkeyanddisappeared in to the house. Great heavens! it was 1-ottie Vivian herself, and I stood in the rain in open-mouthed astonish- 1 ment. Inn lew moments the gas was ! turned up in the first floor, and then it ; dnwned upon me at once. j I am not a curious man. I knew that an actress Jived on the first fioor, nnd that a teacher of languages ! lived on the second, hut I, the third floor lodger, had never troubled my j head ubout \ hern in the least. I had j never even asked their names. I ! went up to my rooms, aud flung my self into my easy chair, and I thought of the strange fatal ty that the wom an I admired above all living women should be actually dwelling with me under the same roof, and thnt we were separated only by a single floor. But though I was in love I had a cer tain amount of common sense left, and I had remembered that there was a great gulf between Lottie Vivian the popular actress and the painter of pot-boilers on the third floor. Next morning I dined, ns usual, at the Convivial Cannibals. Groper, tho low comedian, was a member there. I knew that he had been play- self ing at the Portico for the last ten years. There's nothing: comic about Groper in private life; he's the most serious Cannibal I know. His seri- me ousness and his constant complaints about the cookery are his principal characteristics. ' was We are still Cannibals, Groper, and I, and fast iriends. It was Iron her ns to of "She was a pupil of old Jack Slid er's—most of the successful ones have been pupils of Slider's," said Groper. w "at some time or other It a a strange thing," he went on: "she corn., out nt tho Portico nadshehna on came out at the l ortico, and she has iu had a constant engagement there ever since for the last eight years. . She's good nil round, that's what she is," said Groper enthusiastically, and then he went on to describe her 8au various triumphs, with which I shall j V.'r" not trouble yon. "But though she 1 is a popular favorite at a fashionable v J her," s'aTd Gro^"She™as good as gold and as straight as j l * a die, nnd every farthing she ! earns goes to 'her famîly-to her ohl father. who was a big man on the Stock Exchange I tur mind id r i ' und once, mind 3 ou, said Groper, and to a whole family of little brothers "nd sisters, who are entirely depend ent upon her. She is an ambitious girl, too," he added, "and they say gke > 8 „. 0 | nfV to marry Lord Wall send"* ° 1 * . ', ., . . .... . , What, the mad millionaire, suid L ''That's the man," said Groper. | And then Groper began to abuse j the dinner, and I heard no more about Lottie Vivian from him. t «.««*- «« ««..î* - »... I went on pa\in« m\ hall-crown at by y ie I ortico, and I got deeper and w ' 'f, per lr î lc | ve . wlt h my fellow-lodger, n >i °' 6 î nte nît Ped -i U SOtM ln It , with mv work. Then it was that 11 got my first commission to paint a j fiTtunè andern nahith!" oA'^nt-är ! th j 1Y U b a " a > ne P 01111111 ^ 01 lt ntür " j " ro ^ke mx-neart. | It came about in this way: I got a no te one day from Miss Vivian—I have it still—requesting me to call j ^ Can you oblige me in this matter, Mr. Stippler, and." here she blushed violently, "will it be very expensive?" "Madam, I replied with enthusi- I asm, "you do me too much honor in selecting me. If you permit me j a to paint your portrait, it'll cost you just nothing at all." "Ah!" she answered, with a sil very laugh—don't grin, sir. it was silvery; jt wasn't a bit stagey: an innocent, silvery, girl isli, delicious little laugh _., th ' t £ not business, Mr. «tippler, B,. s ij es> " 8 ) le added gentlv snubbing me, "it was Mr. Melchizedec's selec tJ - on nd not Let's leave tom D i ime nts, nnd come to business. You (Jon , t know how gick G f compliments p orn Mr. Stippler." I blushed. I felt like a fool, and I know j looko ,j like one . „ Mr Melchize(]ec 8nitl BOtnet hing ■ g twent J ffuineas," said Miss L^ llbeoi,,y to ° deiichted '" 1 ,. Then ' we m conHi(Jor it as 8et . tied, Mr. Stippler," said my fellow w n t a./_ .»»» nnrninfi ml nnrl fl . fl onr^ 1 ^ 4 ," « 4 T *5^ Z «r n ,.î,î w ; n M n hi [ Gil she would want to h© pm in ted in n- A ^ 1 "i tnk-e'vVm' intn^mv miflloripo must take you into my confidence. 1 intend this portrait as a present— f ns a sort of surprise. I wish to give j gentleman whom I am about : i ÄÄ4 groaned aloud had I dared. So she sat to me in a little simple I deignoir of French muslin—ten gowns j weren't invented then—and when I \ î had posed her she said to me: "Lord Wnllsentl—that is the name Groper, by dint ol piretendin«? that I had never heard all his old stories be fore, that 1 ascertained the true his tory of Lottie Vivian of tho Portico Theatre. upon her on a little matter ol busi- i noas - I took a good deal o! pains ; with my toilet, and then I went down 8toi „ £ nd knocke(1 ut the door of f e ]low-lod' r er. There was nothing fast about Miss Vivian. She was very quietly dressed, and she came to business at once. "Mr. «tippler," she said, "you'll excuse mv asking you to come here in this inïormal way but the fact is ; that I want to have my portrait Pointed. I can t afford to pay very much for it. Mr. Melehizedec re conunended me to , on . j , H . of_the gentleman to whom I am en g a S e ^i *»nd I tell to 3' 0U ln co P" fidence, Mr. «tippler has seen me in Cordelia. He thinks a great deal of my hair. You won t think me vnin, M r - Stippler, if I ask you if I may let it down. . "Of course I said that it was acap 1 lb al idea. _ «lie pulled out half-a-doz ! en hairpins, nnd a great glory of ; molton gold fell in luxurient j upon her shoulders. She gave me twenty sittings for that portrait. Iwasmadly,passion ! ately, desperately in love with her, but I never breathed a word of it. j We became great friends, we' talked j unreservedly to each other just as if I ! we had known each other all our at v. I - lives—almost as if we had been broth er nnd sister. I suppose it was cam araderie. Once, nnd once only, I made an ass of myself. "It must lie finished by the twen tieth," ehejsnid; "the twenty-first is his birthday." "I wish it could never be finished," I replied passionately; "I wish I could stn nd here painting you all my life." The pretty smile faded from her face, and she pulled me up at gnee. "You musn't say anything to me, Mr. Stippler, if you please, that you | A wouldn't say if Lord W allsend him self " ere here by my side." I apologized; I felt that I was a „ brute. " e became last friends. She told me her history, her struggles, her ambitions; and from her own lips I learned that the coming marriage was no union of love or even iadina tion. She had been driven into it by her parents. There is such a thing ns being too dutiful. I learned, too, that Lord Wallsend was next door to an idiot, and that his insanity de- the dared itself in a monstrous jealousy of Lottie, as unfounded ns it was j absurd | , , , . ... ... ... . . 1 had lunched with Miss \ man; it w » s «kV farewell visit to her. Ihe Portrait was finished—it was my masterpiece. Jack-and it stood up on an ousel in Its bright new trame iu the middle of the room. T( e 1 1 b , h , U , ot , d ' ired . thank . J' Deen cltarea > tnanK j is . " . \r_ .w I . , . ,u f; : lr ' •tippler, she in 8au * ln a vo,t j e that went straight to | i s V.'r" lu>art; m t *' rrlbl .V low-spirited. | 1 something cheerful. v J a ™ d °" a Jj/Jj V ! melodies; I played ! l * aDtfe music, »nil then, somehow or i t other, I drifted to Home, Sweet Home, ' and then I felt so utterly niu?era b*° * broke down. I tur , n ?^ on 8to °* *• owartl Lottie, und I saw her eyes were lull of tears. "Don't Ueorire don't" she said Tc'nn't bei\r itwell ' lno hv „I vI'hrmtin.. *-0® called mo t y iny thnstiun . name for the hrst and Inst time And then there came a tap at the I door, and a hoarse, creaking voice , grated out: "May I come in?" ; * 'Good heaven! it's his lordship," i cried Lottie Vivian, "and I am cl ruined!" n n t I i lor thnno-h if î Imrin'f been prompt she'would never have SwSd hta and she mteht-Yw marrieu Qiin, ana sne migiu—yes, by .love!—perhaps have become my w jfe alter all. Stranger things have happened. But I reassured her by a glance, and she took her cue at once. gjje was ail actress remember ! Hun „ off my coat> ' ! whipped out th ® ! r ° nt boariio [ th ® P inno - 1 buri f'j my face among the hammers, and I j Js-gan striking single notes upon the keys. "Come in," said Miss Vivian, and j his lordship entered. "I hope i don't intrude," ho said. And then I too thought of Paul ^ r y- 1 "lou are always a welcome guest, Wallsend," said Miss Vivian, And then they began to chat in whispers. "Faugii! how the fellow smells of toltnccu?" croaked ['mil Pry I mean nis iorasnip. _ Man, he said, addressing me, "you can go" I put on my coat. "Where's your hat, man?" said his lordship suspiciously. "In the'all sir," 1 replied carefully dropping the "h." * "I've put it at concert-pitch, miss." I said; "it'll be five shillings, please," and 1 held out my hand. There wus j a grateful twinkle in her eyes as she gave me two half crowns. I have them still, those two half crowns. I went up to my rooms and shaved off my beard and mustache. I have never spoken to Lottie—I mean Lady W alleend —from that day to this, but she always notices me, and her hus band is one of my stanchest patrons. Eady Wallsend's carriage passed. She bowed politely to me, und off went my hat. "She's a stunner," said my nei»hew. "I hope she is happy," said I, with a sigh.—London World, of i ; How Does Electricity Kill? An electrician says that just what takes place in the human organism to produce death from an electric currant seems to be an unsolved problem. One of the theories some times advanced concerning it is that when a being suffers denth Iront electric shock, it is a pure case of in ternal rupture or explosion from the generation of gas or vapor. In sup port of this view the way in which telegraph poles are sometimes torn pieces in referred to. Tho light ning follows the moist portion of the pole, which is the core or heart: in this case the moisture is vaporized and an explosion occurs. The high resistance produces heat, the heat in turn steam, and thestenm an explo sion.—New York Telegram. to if Matrimonial Confab. From tho Chicago Tribune. "That was a very foolish young woman in New York, ''observed Mr. Billius, laying his morning paper down for a moment., nnd renewing the attack on his beefsteak, "that married tho wrong man the other day, and blurted out her confession to that effect at the altar. The young man she didn't marry lias liud a lucky escape." "Ycs.she wnsfoolish to make a fuss at such a time," assented Mrs. Billius, who was staring abstractedly nt the wall. "Most women find out soon enough that they have married the wrong man. but they have sense enouch to keep still about it. Have some more coffee, John?" she inquir ed sweetly. is | power. Petroleum Motors Growing Popular. Petroleum motors uro being sim plified and improved to such an ex tent that they may now he ranked among the useful small motors. A number of theso little engines have been running for over a year in dif ferent parts of Germany nnd ltussia, and in Belgium a company for their construction hns been formed. The motors range from one to fonr horse an of of A LONELY HERMIT HE. „ Much has been said and written of the Lake Michigan Island which has been overlooked by the surveyors for j ,u ' P. r .®ij e " t " a P o! t h A Â *?Î! but little is known of Dick Bassett, its ruler. Ho is the only human inhabi tant of the island. Wolves, bears and other wild animals abound iu winter though, and strange to say. Bassett refrains from slaughtering Jhose.and they refrain from teastmg upon his carcass, so Dick aud ail sorts of anl mala live in peace. When other food is .scarce the wild wolves and bears of »«. come to the hermit's cabin and in t j, c q r own way ask for food. Such i s the story that Bassett tells, and in such a serious manner that the truth VStli recently Bassett never left the t j od rotf j on . jjot long ago though ho surprised people by takings train at Traverse city and goiur to Grand Ha ids« where he visited for several days. ,, Dick Bassett is about 50 years o!d. wears a full beard tinged with gray, is read and intelligent and has a ™""nccsomewhere in Inseureer.but no . one knows j ust u |ierc the romance comes In and the particulars of it are a profound teeret. He will tuik freely on any subject that may be brought up;but ; when the conversation turns to his i jx'rsonal history, ho shuts up liken cl >" n - a pensive look comes into his eyes and unless a fresh topic U intro duced he soon quickly retires from the cir *de. He arrived in Traverse City fourteen years ago and .Hwl ma deserted fish mir cubia on the beach, far from the abode of men. He oc casionally came to town,, but only to buy supplier or to sell the Hah {'*' caught and never lounged around tlie bar-rooms or corner groceries. "nlhe ""iTlf .h! bay with tish line in hand. He iva, a j mystery then and is alintwd a h much *>f a mystery to-day, although through casual remarks and occasional ob.ser valions he has dropped within the hearing of friends some inkling of his c "£' cr "" become known. ' ca hin on the beach and then he took poa session of a little island eight miles out in the bay from this city, lying be tween Marion islan • and the mainland. so near to cither that but u stone throw of water separated him from *!"'"? The island comprises but a growth of virgin forest, appearing from a oistanee like a little tuft of green rising out of the water. He cleared the land without us sistance, leaving a row of large trees as a border to his plantation, He erected n cottage of boards, which do \v ii "an(l° U to °t h isd! v^lw'has °fived Xne'onAhc'i'slan L ouictly and to'ail apnear.inces happy and contented. He planted fruit trees and vines, ami the land produces more than enough vegu tables and fruit to supply his simple wants. In the summer he fishes in the "^e'from^Äo of the )ihh H1 the ,. Jty , iml llt tb. RUmmer resort near by. He is said to have accumulated *. competency, DICK BASSETT IS PHES1DENT OF A LITTLE REPUBLIC. The I*!*n«l In Lake .tllehlgaift »That 1» Not Controlled by Any St»te or Federal Authority*-Bassett Otvus It by Squatters' Itighl. of is a is given considerable of the assertion Jf Ù? t . ub o J î a ■ / 1 <i i-i \'S i R v THfcK&saar* m'" but of his worldly affairs Dick Bassett is as reticent as of his early life. He takes several daily papers and maga zines, has a well selected library, mainly of travel and history, and has a queer collection of old pipes, chiefly com cobs and briars. He is an invet erate smoker, but rarely drinks. He frequently spends the winter on the island alone, with an occasional hunt ing expedition to vary the monotony, while some winters he seeks employ ment in the linn)>er camps. His recent visit to Grand Hnpids Is the first time he has sought pleasure or recreation in a city. Tho only pets he has is a monster Thomas eat and a few dozen choice hens. He docs not take kindly to dogs and has never had one on the islund. In summer his house is never locked, and ho goes away leaving money and food on the table in plain view, confident that unv visitor who cornea in his absence wifi not rob him. Many summer rc sortors iiave visited his island, both while he was at home and when he was away. The Indians never think of passing in their canoes without maki g him a call, and yet his confidence has never been betrayed. If the visitors are hungry they help themselves to the food spread on the table, but as near as he can calculate Bassett 1ms never missed a dollar in money. But there is a strange circumstance in regard to the island. It is so small and insignificant it has never been sur veyed and Bassett has not been able to secure a legal title to lt from the government. To his inquiries, ic lias been informed from Washington that such an island does, not exist on tho charts anil maps, and therefore has no legal existence. In conaequ. nee of this decision from Wash ington the authorities of Grand Tra verse county hold that Bassett is not a resident of the United States, and not I a citizen, and that he cannot vote. Uving within a stone's throw of Mai ion inland and the mainland, both on the government chart, vet he U declared an alien and is disfranchised. He ac cepts this decision with commendable philosophy, Unding oousolutiou in the fact t liât he is exempt from all taxa tion, township, county und State alike, lie does not own very much, it is true, but if he were worth a million he would escape the assessor. Yet there are in conveniences in his situation, practically an independent monarch, all by himself, and can exercise all the privileges and rights of of Hod's annotated. He can de dare war or treat for peace, cun levy a tariff for revenue only or for protection to his iufuut industry of raising potatoes and eggs, can possibly coin his own money and enter into offensive and de fensive alliances with other nations. He is as much a monarch as the King of any of the cannibal islands, and un der the present interpretation of the laws could cat a few summer resorters or wandering missionaries without fear Michigan laws, not ambitious or * led he on ly a a He is • Mit? of the l' ni ted St Hut Dick Unaset» bloodthirsty. He luis no custom houses his island and levies no tuxes, and is far from being fond of war. willing to be annexed to the United States, and his fears all ari>e from his not already being under the protection of the star spangled banner. Several attempts have been made to oust him from hi* realm by designing parties in >eareh of a Stimmer home. He has filed an ap plication at the land office for a title to airs or He 1» ' u a* '• w' SjL 1 ? *0 «Va l Y 21 ; 3 kr -sasaiTil Ml. the property as soon as it Is annexed. He is holtlinjf possession just now by main strength und the moral »up|x V*. of the community, but he can show no lotfal rights on the island. In regard to Bassett's |»st life, all that is known is that he was born in the South; that his parents were well to-do and that he received a good edu cation. When the war broke out he run uwuy to join the Northern army, while his father unit brothers, mother und sisters sympathized with the South. He enllst d in the Fifth Iowa infantry und served throughout the war, seeing extremely hard service. He wus wounded eight times In battle and eurries several bul lets still in bis tsxly. lb has lost tru-e of Ids old comrades and lias been unable to get a pension und has not. since b-cominx an independent power, applied for one. After the war he returned to his old home, hut the family had disappeared and he has not heard (nun any of his relatives since. He went West, was a Cowboy for a number of yean, und served as guide and scout on the plains, and then settled down. 'I here is a love storv somewhere in his history, at least, he Kas so intimated, but the par ticulars of it have never been learned and probably never will Is-. The picture of him, given herewith, shows nlm in ids summer regulln as he appears at home, ami the other cut gives an idea of the house he built himself and livhs in. There are two rooms in the house, one the kitchen where he dia-s his cooking and serves hts meals, and lie is an excellent cook, and in the other he sleeps and has his library, parlor, sitting m m and re co| tion room all combined. Tolit In l>w tVonli. .Inpan has now 2,000 newspa pers, where twonty-tl ' e years ago not a single journal existed. Kton, or the collection of schools which constitute what is popularly known as Eton, has l.ooo scholars, Tho Columbia river is so clear at low water that salmon fishing can only be successfully conducted at night. The largest ship yard in the world is at Christiana, in Norway. Forty ships cun load at its docks at the same time. Japanese laee is coining into market. It is a new manufacture, and hitherto has been mainly consumed at home. An Atchison, Kan., man who has sent a 85 bill to England in nn envel ope for the past twenty years says that he has never lost a dollar. Tho British Museum appears to be losing its popularity. The number of visitors last year was 50,000 below tho number of five years ago. It is said that old sailora are made seasick by the excessive amount of vi bration caused by tho propellers of some of tho high speed cruisers. article" of tl»c London Times informs its renders that Chicago is destined to become one of the great est grain-growing States in tho union. A Maine farmer who believes in a strict observance of the Sabbath went out and killed a latnb which persisted in bleating on a recent Sunday after noon. lt is said that a red fox g barnyard of a farmer in Butl He He Is a his the rc he his If the in to the does, and In Tra a not ion The "city uarda tho er county, i'a.. and tho chickens and gees - are perf etly r,ufe from thieves when he is around. The greatest bird cage on the conti nent is said to he the 1 Irand Central railroad station in New York. The noisy English sparrows swarm there by thousands and nest in the great arch ing roof girders. Considerable British indignation hus heel, aroused by a fancy dress ball in India in which officers dressed as fiends with horns and tails danced a quadrille with eight Indies costumed as ••reluc tant angels." The Gerwiin Colonial society lias of fered two prizes for tho liest essays upon the following subjects: "What Advantage Has German Southwest Africa for German Settlers?" Tho first prize is 1,000 marks, the second 500 marks. The Russian government has decided to build a Mccond Russian church Ln I'aria, THE PRAISE OP BLIND PIQg. * strong« Tale Told by Kva CanMa i, llsrprr'e Voting Pvopls, There was a bear who danced for a living. He did not adopt this occupa, tion from cholco, but from necessity, and because his master curried à strong whip, aud had a quick arm. But he was a conscientious bear, and anxious to do his best, although il «a» net the sort of work ho preferred. ]| e danced carefully, and practised his steps along tho road, wlion he travel, led beside Ids muster from town to town. One day executing a new waltz as he went he passed a monkey, who sat on the topmost rail of a fence, and sur. veyed the bear's performance with a quiet smile. ••Wbut do you think of my dancing, sir?" linked the bear, wishing to hear the opinion of one who had a reputa tion for wit und wisdom. ••It is bad enough," replied the monkey. •■You uro a tremendously clumsy fellow. But you have a cm. tain heavy style of your own. and may improve if you apply yourself long enough. Ilis remarks iaddened the bear, but did not prevent his atitl trying painful, ly to make his stc|is correctly. Presently ho came to a couple of pigs, half blind, who lay dozing in the sun shine la-side the road. "What do you think of my dano ing?" asked the bear. He was foolish enough to ask everyone the earns question. •■Beautiful! Exquisite"' cried one pig. without opening her eye*. ■ Such enchanting grace, such a lovely figure, such perfect time!" grunted the other. Beautiful! beauti ful!" and they both fell asleep again immediately. Then the bear, suddenly seeing what a simpleton he was. sat down and groaned, hiding his nose in his pawn ••Now what do you mean?" cried his master wrathfully raising hi* whip, •diet up. and goon with your steps I» that approval enough? What more do you expect? baue» again, that you may have more praise. '' ••Master." wept the humiliated bear. • I can never dance again, key'» criticism worried me; but he knew what he was talking about, and I still had hop,.» of doing belter. But when I have fallen so low as to be treated to fulsome praise from blind pi'ii —I see my case is hopeless, and that ns a dancer t never shall suc ceed. " The moa Contrary Attjl»««. Not all tho residents of Cape Cod aro eccentric, as those who arc not familiar with tho region might infer from the many stories which are told of queer characters there. But it is no doubt a fact tha» many Cape Cod people have strongly accentuated dis position* in one way or another. In CotuiL many years ago. a local legend runs, Capt. Barnabas /.—— aud his wife Abigail, who were both queer after their way, lived at peace fur a good many years In spite of the fact that Abigail was said to be the • •contrarient woman in Cape Cod." Whatever wae said or proposed, she was almost sure to go against it But Capt. Barnabas was as patient ns hts wife was contrary, and by dint of al ways allowing for his wife's disposition and usually proposing the exact oppo site ol what he wished her to do, he got along very comfortably fer many years. But nt last on one evil day, when Mrs. Abigail 2--was down at the harbor vieitlng a relative on board a echoohor thon in port she fell over heard nnd sank In the water. Capt Bavnaha* was near by and was called In haste. He reached the spot and Immediately went out in u boat to search for his wife. ••Look here!" some one railed out frantically, seeing him push off. ••Tuu're going tho wrong way of the tide, You're looking up the tide, not down the tide." The captain kept on. •■Mebbe." said ho calmly, 'you ain't acquainted with Abigail. H 'twae anybody else, they'd 'a' gono with tho tide; but bein' ns it's Ablgr.lL I reckon if she ain't gono ag'inst the tide, it wa'n't her that fell in!" This timo Barnabas' philosophy was wrong. His wife's body was found Dexl day down the harbor. For once she had gone down with tho tido.— Youth's Companion. Will the Ksrth'. motion r«iw. I* the motion of our earth and oth er planetary bodies perpetual? A su perficial survey of the field would con vey the impression that such motion will continue forever. The earth with lta mass of B. 000,000,000,000.000 tons for ft long time dolled all nttompts to detect He loss of spood, but with tho friction of the tides continually at work lt was shown that such loss must take place; and now it is protty cer tain from calculations of Prof. Adam» and others that tho oarth loses about an hour overy lfl.000 yoars, and 1» slowly but surely coming to a stand still. Tho experiments nnd investi gations of modern scientists are prov* lhg thnt Sir Isaac Newton bellevod —that the motion of ail bodlus in space aro suffering retardation, and that tholr volocity Is becoming less and less und will ultimately cease altogeth er. Then tho whole planetary system will fall through spaco ovorlasting.— fit. Louis Kepubllo. a is in Consollna, Miss Gray (tho evening before her wedding) — "Suppose tho olergyin" 0 should want to kiss rao after tho cere mony, dear, what shall I do?" Her dear friond—"Ho won't want "—Pldln. Record. A Proverb Corroded. énwyer— •'Tho proof of the pudding is ln the eating." Do 8pap— "No. it Isn't, H U In tho digesting/'—Fuck. » ... • —" ' Ln