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To do a little tradin’ while they waited for th’ mail wo never wis respecters of no persons, sex or kin So I've thought th’ whole thing over an’ I've just about agreeqd Vghen th folks got mad—by gum!—we'd tease as worse That whilo th’ rural route itself has filled a long-felt need, ag'i. I believe that I’d be willin’ to go git my mail once more Just to live, an’ laugh, an’ lie ag’'in at 'Lijah Joneses store. ¢ th' old duys has departed an’ th' store ain't quite the ; same, —W. M. Herschell, In Indianapolis News. ECRET OF THE SPRING WINDS. ¢ wind of March has the call of the sea (0 wings of the ‘\ill(l' do th(‘,y never tire?); purries the clond and it harries the {ree With the flutter and roar of a leaping fire, 4 and wild and eager to flee, the lure to loss or to liberty, Light of the ey« and nmy ll(‘ilrt'ﬂ I)C‘ blre{ o April wind has the seent of rain (0 wings of the wind, do they never tire?); ftly it whispers and hushes again, Warm as the kiss of the pale sun afire, omise of bloom and the green of new grit peace but the drowsy surcease of pain, Light of the eyes and my Heart's De ho wind of May tosses the petals white (0 wings of the wind, do they never tire?); hite as the love-moon silvering the Pure a 8 the dew and the heart’s new fire, tlmy blessing and strong sweet might, bherty, peace, and the sure delight, I.i,ﬂ:( of the eyes and my Heart's De sire? ~Harper's Magazine. E SQUIRE'S “HIRED GIRL™ NN WO o'clock p. m. on a blazing July day In the country. A row of stalwart mowers, each keep g e with sevthe and step across @ ten-acre lot on the Howland farm. Ine of plebald eattle, black and Mte, red and white, dun and gray, wum color and dun, coming slowly O the slope of the woodland pas -1o drink from the brook beneath 0 spring. A great, old-fashioned, tm-colored farm house, with green linds and o pinzza, a slde porch and frapevine colonnade, standing on a el lawn, beneath tall maple trees i were only tiny saplings in the Y when Greatgrandfather How- W moved up Into Vermont from Miecticut “to settle,” some eighty Rars ago. The Qoors and windows of this fine i mansion werpe standing wide open, 1 & brown retriever stationed at the Wt gate amiably watched the de- Ture of two double-seated carryalls @ drawn by o pair of fine horses, dladen with o merry ¢argo of laugh g girls. And from one of the upper adows another sirl, apparently some Mty Years of age, looked out, dress na bine striped calico, with a pina b“‘ bron pinned to her sloping shoul ?e;'-“:lilmi 1 ¢cook book in her hand. CHYWas the aspect of the old How- N farn, and homestead when John F“WS. artist, first beheld them. :hDurmg the three weeks of his stay k;hli‘:nsumuin \‘il\ugo of Bradley he e mor_.“mm‘-h of Qlo Howland place, OWiand girls."” Being a shy & Rtring student, he inwardly con lted hmselt this afternoon on G&R:‘f::r ~“ “‘(‘A‘a'«-so girls,” as he, too, s ¢ cloud of dust that fol- E ¢ retreating carryall wheels. e.Y ;\;l'::“‘xf;i(ll‘l';;‘-:vl l-'i.(‘“;r?q :lor?e before Aln," mnuu;.\‘l‘l :l "‘ n;‘ b‘h:bm')g ho:le lis camp \o\\.d- o g i ” and umbrella near s “WL‘-\-‘!. um.l prepared to Yk k‘;~l\rt(.QXLl‘~l\\ ork of the finest k the villgge Iqo o B 8 RIS BGSS hite d‘xroc;i:xlv ‘::‘\mu had ‘called X The un-»ni?-:.“‘ ‘fl.m it that day. ™ !‘os:n,;‘\-ut\itm.t painted as fast Work bl‘l}:\\t\\‘ \::d\. in order to finish - Nm“m}( \::( duugbtm of the 2 big lll«‘st' - ‘..u.t the sun poured scorching beawms upon THE DESERTED POSTOFFICE. Now, I'm no reminiscencer an’ folks ain't chargin’ me With bein’ versed in rhetoric, or gab, or repartee, But I've got my opinions an’ I'm not afeerd to say I wish our old postoffice still kep’ open here to-day. For when it kep’, us fellers iad a heap more fun, no doubt, Than since it's been abamloned for a new-style rural route. That’s when it used to keep, you know, down to Joneses store, But them old times is gone, 1 guess, to not come back no more. You rickollect, T reckon, how we'd get around th’ stove An’ gas, an' talk, an’ tell our tales, an' ever'body strove To see which one could lie th” worst an’ all of you'll agree That Annanias never had no great big edge on me. An’ we'd chaw an’ cuss au' conjure schemes to reg’larly regale Qurselves on Joneses apples while he passeled out th’ mail. An’ we'd sometimes git to hummin’ on some old camp meetin’ tune Till Jones "ud laugh an’ tell us we'd be singin’ purty soon. An’ when the evenin’ shadders come a-stealin’ cross tl’ land We'd spy th' schooimarm trippin’ in an’ holdin’ out her hand higs head, and not a leaf was stirred in any direction by a welcome breeze. The haymakers halted now and then to nllow of the passage of stout, com fortable looking brown jugs along the line, and the sight made Mr. Parry thirstier, till at last, in his desperation, he unlatched the garden gate beliind him t}nd went up to the house. The brown retriever did not oppose his advance, but lay on the clean mar ble-painted wooden floor of the hall, and lazily flapped his tail in welcome. Mr. Parry knocked. After some delay a light, graceful figure in blue calico appeared at the lower end of the hall. Mr. Parry looked at the girl as she came néarer. She bad a frank, happy, childlike face, with large, bewitching gray eyes, and a quantity of soft, short, curling hair of the true golden color, such as is seldom seen except upon the sunny kead of a very young child. “The hired girl, of course. How live ly she is! I should like to paint her,” thought Mr. Parry, as she dusted some flour from the prettiest hands anti arms in the world, and apologized to him In a very sweet voice for keeping him waiting. “I had just begun to make biscuits for tea, and I could not come till now,” she sald. The artist, lost in admiration, gazed at her so persistently that a sudden warm blush ran over her pretty face. “Do you wish to see Mr. Howland, sir?” she asked. “No-—no—l—you—if I might have a glass of water,” stammered the unfor tunate artist. “Certainly, sir. Won't you step in side while I get 1t?” Like one in a dream, he followed her into a cool and pleasant parlor, and stood waiting till she returned from the kitchen with a goblet of water on a tray. “It is from the coolest corner of the well, for I drew it myself,” she said, with a bewlldering smile. John Parry drank it, and thought it nectar. His mind was in a whirl, but out of the confusion a settled purpose very gradually developed itself. And when he set the glass down upon the tray on the table, he proceeded to car ry out that purpose by taking the girl’s band and asking her point blank if she wou!d marry bim. : “§ir'"” she exclaimed, drawing her hand away, and turning pale with fright, for she thought him a maniac. “Don't be alarmed,” he said, more calmly. “I am in earnest. And Tam a gentleman. There is my card, I. wlll give you any references as to my respectabllity you may desire.” “But, sir,” she began. Then she glanced at his card, and was silent. “Yes, I know it seems strange and perhaps rude to you,” he said; “but on my honor I don’t mean-it so. All my life long I have had an ideal, and you realize it for the first time. I am rich, and I think I may say good-tempered. If you marry me, you will have but one person to please hereafter instead of many, as you have here. This menial position is not suited to you. Be my wife, and no young ladies will ever again drive away for pleasure and leave you to perform tasks like these.” “Like these!” repeated the girl, smil ing. “Why, yes. You said you were mak ing Dbiscuits for their supper, didn't you? Surely you cannot prefer the place of a servant to being the beloved wife of a rich man, who will study to make you happy in every way he knows?’ The hired girl looked dewn upon her brown and dimpled hands o moment. “Would you really marry me, sir, & poor servant girl?” she asked, in an altered and softened tome. | “Indeed I would. To-morrow. Here In your own village, and among your own friends,” cried the artist. “You are the sweetest, loveliest, dearest—" “ITush!” she answered gravely. “I'll tell you, sir. In a week from now I'm going arhong my friends, and if you like to follow me there-———" She paus ed. “I'll go to*the end of the world! Where is it?” asked Mr. Parry. “Only to Saratoga, sir.” “Very well. One week from to-day I will be there. You'll marry -me, then?” She laughed, showing her little gleaming white teeth, made him a rus tic courtesy, and fairly ran away. John Parry packed up his things, went to the inn, paid his Dbill, and started that very night for Saratoga. He had nearly reached that place when he remembered, in utter conster nation, that he did not even know his l.eroine's name. “However, I'll soon find her. There is but one such face in the world,” he thought. And after & week had passed, he sought for the girl diligently, every where through Saratoga, but in vain, One night he looked in disconsolate ly at the gayest ball of the season, and beheld her! She sat the center of an obsequious group, magnificently dressed, and beautiful as a dream. Poor John stared at her open-mouth. She saw him, smiled slightly, and she beckoned him to her with a wave of her jeweled fan. “Give me your arm, my cousin,” she said, negligently, as she rose from her chair. And then John Parry saw it all. This was his heiress cousin, IKate, whom he Lad never seen before since their child hood. This was the bride his mother had begged him to scek, and from which very thought he had turned dis gusted, lest he should be reckoned by the world an heiress hunter. And tkere, among the group of matrons on the sofa, was his mother's pleasant face smiling after them as they walk ed away together. He had met Kate at the house of one of her country friends, and, without knowing it, had given his mother the very desire of her heart. Thus it was that the great heiress was wooed and wmarried for herself plone, as every heiress truly desires to be, But John Parry persists in saying that he married no one in the world but “Squire Howland's hired girl!"— New York Weekly. et et No Answer Given. Here i 8 a little story they are telling on a Maine professional man who oc caslonally delivers interesting lectures at intitutes and grange meetings, One day he came across a farmer feeding his hogs, and he thus accosted him: “What are you feeding to those hogs, my friend?” “Gorn,” replied the grizzled farmer, who knew the learned gentleman by sight. : “Are you feeding it wet or dry « uDry." “Don't you know if you feed it wet the hogs can digest it in one-bhalf the time?” The farmer gave him a quizzical look. ‘ “Now, - see here, doctor,” he said, «how much do you calculate a hog's time is worth?” iAo Soldiers Kept Long Abroad. After twenty years' service abroad the First North Staffordshire regiment of England lately arrived at Southamp ton. S It is a wonder that it is not demand ed of the men that they put up new monuments for their wives every time the style changes, MOHAMMEDA& AND DOGS. They Take Particular Pains Not to - Come in Contact With Each Other. In Egypt dogs are never permitted to enter the dwelling of a Moham medan, and if one is found in a mosque, he is immediately put to death. : In consequence of this excommuni cation from the society which this ani mal seems so instinctively disposed to cultivate, Egyptitan dogs live, for the most part, in the open air, feeding upon garbage and any other filth that chance throws in their way. Yet they are found to be faithful protectors of the property and even persons of the very men by whom they are thus dis pitefully treated; although, Sonini re marks, it is extremely curious to seo the pains taken by a Musselman and a dog when they happen to meet to avoid coming in contact with each other. Notwithstanding this state of persecution, dogs are remarkably numerous in the towns of Egypt. The species is a large one, about the size and make of the greyhound. As a proof of the Mohammedan prejudice against this useful animal, it is suffi cient to state that they regard the terms Christian and dog as synony mous——bgth, of course, in the most opprobrious sense, As a singular contrast for their dis like for dog., the Egyptians have ever held cats in greatest veneration, and in ancient time even worshipped themn. And historians tell us that Bubastis and Atribes, two towns in Egypt, the former a votary of cats and the latter of mice, contracted on that account so strong an antipathy to each other that the inhabitants were never known to intermarry, although only a few miles asunder. In some parts of India, too, we are told, they have a similar reverence for Grimalkin, as the only crimes punished capitally there are the murder of a man and a cat.—New Orleans Times-Democrat. Irish Bards of Yore. Mrs. Milligan Fox delivered an en tertaining lecture on “The Evolution of Irish Folk Song” at the Pioneer Club, in London, the other night. In the course of her paper Mrs. Fox mentioned that there was evidence that Irish music had its origin in the East. The bards of Ireland ranked next to the King, and wore one color less than that worn by royalty. Their training lasted for ten years. The pride of the bards rose at one period to such an extent that they wished to equal the King and to wear the royal pin. King Hugh of Ulster re fused this privilege, and resolved to suppress the bards. St. Columkill, however, came from Jlona to obtain their pardon, and they were only tem porarily banished. *“The bards were trained at the four great colleges— Lismore, Armagh, Ardagh and Coug her. The Irish Cruth harp had 28 strings: Brian Boru's harp was stud ded with precious stones. It was sent with his crown as a present to the Pope, and it was in Rome until the reign of Henry VIII., when it was sent as a present to him by the Pope. Hen ry VIII. did not value it, nevertheless he put it in his coat-of-arms. Queen Elizabeth suppressed the bards, but employed an Irish harper named Don ald John Dowlands. The court musi cian at the Danish court was Irish, and it is said he supplied Shakes peare with some of his songs. He died in 1626. Both his parents were Irish, and he was born in Kildare. At the plantation of Ulster the Scottish settlers set their psalms to old Irish airs. The Cromwellian settlers sold 8,000 Irish women and children to the West Indian planters as slaves, and Mrs. Fox hag found that the old Irish airs are still sung in the West In dies. Miss Coleman sang the illus trative songs of Mrs. Fox’s lecture most charmingly, her contralto voice being especially well suited to Irish music. Words That Have Never Lost Caste. Time was, for example, when the words “art” and “artist” stood for something that was dignified and of good repute. Nowadays, “art” seems to center in the dry-goods stores, where it is dealt in on “art floors” half a mile square. and finds suitable expression in red plush and nickel plate. As to the “artists,” they have invaded almost every calling, however prosaic and menial. There is, or re cently was, a boot-blacking stand in New York bearing the legend: “Drop yvour nickel in the box, as the artist is not allowed to receive the coin.” The word “professor” has had a hard time since it was torn down from its high scholastic estate, and compelled to do duty for barbers, dancing-masters, roller-skaters and oyster-openers. To day, anybody who can produce any sort of sound from a supposedly mu sical instrument acquires the title by common consent. The word “society” once meant the whole human family; now it has come to signify merely those whose receptions and dinners are described in the daily papers. The corruption of this once comprehensive and dignified term is in a measure re gponsible for the degradation of other words and phrases which were origin. ally intended for the exclusive use of the polite world. In appraising the value of alienated affections juries should be admonished that odd dollars and cents throw a picayune air on the whole business. Why $12,500? What is that odd SSOO doing there? It blurs the grace and dignity of the adjudication. But per haps that is what the plaintiff really gets, the rest going to the lawyers. e WA, ~oer S W -\ \ ‘ ot ﬂ.@(_ é‘ﬁdh@ll Jl!!'ﬁldﬁ' 11-'. Box for Carrying Eggs. Most poultrymen are familiar with the egg carriers used on the market and those who have a considerable quantity of eggs to handle use these carriers; the farmer, however, I 3 In the habit of carrying eggs in a basket and often many of them become bro ken resulting in considerable loss. The illustration shows one of the boxes which may be made from cheap mate rlal and which will answer as weli as the boxes sold for the purpose. Any grocer who handle§ quantities of shipped eggs will give a customer some of the cardboard filler such as are up in the crates; them buy some cracker boxes and fashion a neat box like the one shown, cutting the paste board flllers with a sharp knife so that they will fit the wooden box. Boxes made to hold one dozen cggs and others to hold two dozen will be large enough. These boxes ought to have covers with a hasp coming down over a staple so that the box may be Jocked if need be. These boxes will cost’but little if made at home as sug .gested, and if one has strictly fresh ¢res of good size as well as uniform in ghse they can be marketed in these Pomes at a higher price than if market ed in a basket; try it and see if it is not so. As an extra inducement to the consumer wrap each egg In white tissue paper and twist the ends of the : b = =] CONVENIENT EGG BOX. paper as they are twisted around oranges and lemons. Ilave the eags gtrietly fresh of good size and clean, and you'll find that the tissue paper conceit will sell them readily and at goad prices.—lndianapolis News, No Breed of Black Sheep. A black sheep belongs to no particu lar breed, though at times he appears in the flocks of nearly all the pure breeds. In England he is more com monly seen in the Suffolk flocks, and it 1s a noteworthy fact that the suffolk breeders have all they can do to keep the blackish and gray-black tendency from asserting itself both in the skin and fleece. Black sheep frequently nppear in pure-bred Leicester flocks, and to some extent in Lincoln and Devon Longwools, and the tendency Is noted in the black spots on the skin; more frequently seen on the ears of even the best-bred sheep of these long wool families, thus fortif; g the be lef expressed by Dr., Heiry Stewart that the tendency to black in the lLei cester owes its origin to the black ram known to have been uscd by Bakewell in the perfection of the breed 150 years ago. And it is not un reasonable to suppose that the black sheep which now and then appear in the Down and long-woo!l breeds, near ly all of which have been more or less improved through the use of Bakewell blood, are traceable to that great sheep builder's handiwork.—Sheep Breeder. Overdone Gardening. One of the misfortunes of garden lovers is that they frequently plan to do more work than can be carried cn successfully. Almost every one who puilds a house thinks he would like to have a nice garden, and the nice garden is consequently arranged. But when it is found, as it too often is found, that it requires an expensive wages bill to keep the place in gocd order, what was expected to be a pleasure becomes an annoyance and a bore. A small place, well cared for, and everything Kkept up nice and or derly gives far more satisfaction than an overgrown place that is a drag on the means of its owner, In all our operations we are 100 apt to think we can do more than we really can. In gardening matters it is especially 80, " Apple Trees 70 Years Old. On the farm of John Carson, near Russellville, Howard county, Missouri, is an apple orchard which was planted seventy years ago. The land was pre empted at that time, and the original “sheepskin” deed was signed by An drew Jackson. The orchard bore a good crop.this year. Many of its trees are three feet in diameter, - Pecan Crop Increasing. The Southwest is the most promi nent producer of pecans. Jast season the output was possibly 1,300 cars. It is claimed by some that the yield this season will approach two thousand cars. The nuts are suitable for all purposes, and are relatively cheaper than almost any other sert on the mar ket. v Repairing Harneces. Most premises have old leather traces about, and a number of parts. of harness, such as breast, pole und: holdback straps, ean be made of these, by one handy at sueh work, BSelect a piece long enough for a breast strap, fasten a snap at one end; 18 or 20+ inches from this snap cut away all but the best outside ply, rivet a buckle,. punch a number of holes, and there you are, The pole and holdbacks. may be made from cld light traces. A belly-band for chain harness would: M #-{ “..\ < W\ e ‘ ———. "//" 9 ‘ T GOOD P ARNESS HORBSE. have a large loop at one end instead of a buckle. A back band for plow harness may be made from old leather or rubber belting. The leather belting, if pretty fair, will make good traces, These hints are not for repairing valuable new harness. One should be very careful about riveting on these. The illustration shows how I made a clamp for sewing harness from two kerosene barrel staves fitted in block so the bolts will draw at least 3 inch.. This makes it clamp the work at top. Use two 3-inch bolts. This clamp, if” properly made, will hold any part of the harness gwhile being sewed.—W, A, Cloarwaté’s, in Towa Homestead. To Move Wire Fences, It often becomes nceessary to move: a fence from one part of the farm to another. Itis a simple matter to move posts, but the wire presents a more difficult problem. The most common. method 18 to slowly and laboriously roll it up on a barrel, haul it to the place where it is wanted and as slowly unroll it again. A much better and quicker way is to take a couple of old: wheels, the larger the better, and fas ten them .together by nailing pleces of" board to the spokes next the axle. The wheels when fastened together should be about two feet apart. Now take two planks and fasten firmly to the sides of the wagon box so they will extend backward about four feet. Mount the wheels on these planks so they will turn easily. Kasten one end of the wire to one of the boards that: connect the wheels and drive astride of the wire. One man turns the wheel while the other drives, and the wire can be rolled up as fast as the team NAR D) FOR MOVING WIRE FENCES, can walk. To unroll fasten wire to. one of the corner posts, drive ahead and the wire will unroli itself.—C. V.. Gregory, in St. Louis Republic, .~ Wood Ashes for House Plants, It is not generally known that wood ashes, mixed with compost, are very beneficial for most pot plants. Palms are wonderfully benefited, and so nre crotons, dracaenas, marantas, in fact, all folinge plants. In many instances,. when the plant has nearly exhausted the soil, if the top he scraped off to a little depth, and a sprinkling of weod ashes and fresh soil Dbe added, the plant will be all right until time o re pot. To many a lover of flowers this hint, to add a little weod ashes to com post, will bring many a brightened flower and much mmproved foliage. The mixture should be worked into the earth immediately or some of the ammonia in"the manure will escape into the air and be wasted. - Rapid Sheep Shearing, Some of the wandering sheep shear ers of the Western sheep-ralsing States. have acquired wonderful speed. There is a record of one man who sheared 250 sheep in a single day. The aver age for each man is about one hun dred. The men never tiec a sheep. They seize it by the legs with the left. hand, throw it so that they can squecz>- it firmly bLetween their legs, and al most before the shecp has begun to bleat the fleece is falling In ygreat fluffy masses, As soon as the last clip of the shears has becn made the shearer kicks the fleece out of his way, the struggling sheep is released and races off, and ancther one is bun dled in. The Prolific Scale, The total number ¢f descendants from one individual eof the San Jose scale during the time between the mid dle of June and the last of November: Las been calculated at 3,216,080,400.. As all these millions ebfain their food: by sucking the sap frowm the plant they are on, it is not to be wondered at that a tree which in the spring was appar-- ently in good cendition may be nrearly or entirely dead by fall. 