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* THE CLEARING UP. At dawn there was no shred of pinlc, No nlouzhine up in clouds of gold Of that gray field, the eastern sky; But dim-defined, and white and cold, The fog's wet wings blew here and there, The plaintive rain-sounds filled the air. And all the loitering morning hours, And all the lagging afternoon, We've watched the swift, unswerving line. 3, And listened to the mellow croon; But now the tidal turn in nearSome change pervades the atmosphere. The crowing of a barnyard fowl Comes clear and shrill and jubilant, Borne from some fence's dripping top; And broken is the silvery slant Of slender, westward-driven threads Across the reeking garden beds. A breez" springs up brimful of scents And essences all warm and wet, Of savory herb and spicy weed, And rose and pink and mignonette, And rain steeped shrub and odorous root. And mellow, over-ripened fruit. From out a white, dissolving cloud An amber arrow of the sun Comes flashing, quivering through the mists? The rainy day is almost done. The west grows pink, the earth crows fair, And rain-wrought freshness fills the air. ?Hattie Whitney, in (he Current. BORROWED PLUMES. A.u odd-looking figure, arrayed in a shabby cloak and a green veil, appeared before Charles Lorraine, junior partner in the firm of Stearne & Lorraine, book publishers. 41 have a book here I would like to oiler you. sir." There was a quiver in the girlish voice, and the cotton-gloved haud holding the manuscript trembled, in spite of her efforts to be calm. ! 44 Ves, I suppose so: much obliged, but we are not needing anything just at present."' And Mr. Lorraine went on with his wrising. 44 Surely, sir, you do not mean that you will isot even look at it?" 44 Certainly I mean it: we have no time to waste over manuscripts we do not want." 4> But how do you know mine would not be accepted without seeing it ? I have spent months?years, I may say?" 44 No doubt; so have others who might have been better employed." 41 But I have traveled far, at some expense. My case is a peculiar one." 4 So are they all; each one has a special plea to urge in offering us a book; bo really, madam or miss, you are wast my juui tunc uiiu unlit'. 1 II1USI UCg VOU to excuse me from further discussion; I am bray." "Order me out at once!'' came hysterically from the folds of the green veil. "Oh, what will become of me? What shall I do?" And turning around, as though in answer to her own question, she ran straight into the arms of the senior partner, Horace Stearne, who was coming in at that moment. He had a vision of quivering red lips, startled brown eyes and tear-wet lashes, and then, before l)e could recover from his astonishment, she was gone. "Confound it!" Charley was saying. "Can't a man refuse to buy a bundle of grimy manuscript without raising a tempests. By Jove! that young woman has missed her fate by choosing literature? ! she should go on the stage in high tragedy." "Did you look at her offering, Charlie:'' "Ilcoked at her; that wasenouarh!" ' You should have allowed her to leave it here a little while, just to satisfy her, you know. Poor child. I suppose she has built upon its acceptance." He turned to the door a:id looked up and down the street. "She is out of sight entirely, now," he added regretfully. Upon leaving the publishing house the girl kept her veil closely drawn, and, turning into a side street, walked rapidly, but aimlessly, until she reached the outskirts of the city; then, seating herself upon a stone by the wayside, withdrew her veil. She was not noticeably handsome. Her eyes, although a beautiful browu, were dull with agony; her face was tear-stained ,~n? ?i i? -.. 'I? ?-f nuii on uuuij, nuu ncr YUilOW iiair dishevelled. It was in the latter part of November, and night was coming on, but this wretched girl was homeless. Her pitiful story is quickly told. Her father, the only parent she could remember, had been a poor schoolmaster, her mother having died at her birth. He had educated his child himself, with particular care, so at eighteen she was far in advance of most girls of her age, 1 and from her narrow experience, Ijy the aid of a vivid fancy, she had written a novel. Then suddenly she found herself father- ' less, and when the funeral expenses were paid she was the possessor of a library of well thumbed volumes, six dollars in money and her precious novel. But this in itself was her fortune, and though dazed by her sudden bereavement, she determined to go to the city and turn it into hard cash as speedily as possible. ''I dare not buy a bit of decent mourning yet," she sobbed. "I must save the six dollars to pay my expeu es until I get; my money." Poor child! she never dreamed of disappointment. She knew so little of life as it really is?of its hard strugglesfor small triumolis. its ahum pnmtwitin.. and crowded marts. She knew not that I "For one who wins the cro wn. Hundreds go down, go down!" So, a business card from the publishing house of Stearne & I.orr.iine having fallen into her possession, she had carried ; her precious manuscript straight to them, with what result we already know. A small dwelling was near where she sat, and several cows were gathering the gcant herbage by the wayside. The I tinkle of their bells had a soothing effect, ! and when they turned their meek eyes ' upon her, she almost felt as though they pitied her misery. The c ottage door opened, and a woman ! came toward her with a couple of milk \ pails, and as she knelt to her ta*k, she glanced over her shoulder at the silent figure, looking so pitiful and desolate. ! She finished her milking, hesitated a moment, and then icmarkcd,? "Aren't you cold sitting there?" "Yes." " Won't you come into my house, and j warm yourself? This is a poor place to rest." The vouDg girl arose and silently fol- J lowed her. j "What is your name?" she asked, ' kindly but curiously, as they entered the tiny dwelling, and she proceeded to V?r?r cm net rnmffirbihlf* "Jennie Morrison, I? But tears and sobs choked back the ! rest of the sentence. In an hour th? | thoughtful, kind-hearted woman, who < was a spinster living all a!otic, knew the i wholes id story, and d.-:iar<*d she should ! s/ v tVra until soni *];*:? '?*?' 1 ha dostc. 0 "You can keep house until I carry the milk to my customers,'" she said, briskly. "Yes, and I'll sell the milk for you, or do anything I can. I'm not afraid to work." And so the poor novel was put I ?w,iv. and the authoress lost in a milk- ! maid. One morning, late in February, as Messrs. Lorraine & Stearne sat in their I private office, an elegant carriage drew , up before the door, and the liveried foot- i man assisted to the pavement a lady, j velvet rolled and ermine wrapped. She . ascended the steps a,1(l a feNV seconds stood in the presence of the two young ' publishers. With quiet dignity she ac- i cepted the proffered seat, and then threw , back her cloak, displaying costly jewels j at throat, wrists and girdle. The footmnn who accompanied her carried iu his hand a square package. I ,lI have brought a book," she said, ! motioning toward it, "which I wish you . to examine." i "Certainly; shall be happy to do so," | smiled Mr. Lorraine, coming forward . and taking the package from the servant's , hand. j "Let me know your opinion at your : oorlincit on if] ri?&innr I ami dropping a dainty card into the receiver as she turned away. Mr. Lorraiue followed" her to the car- [ riagc. and then watched it disappear. "Hev, Charlie, struck?' asked Mr. j Stearnc, as lie re-entered. "Struck? Yes, by Jove! if you choose j to call it that. But did you ever see such a vision of loveliness?" "Vision of dry goods?, you mean. Do you really suppose such a creature could write anything the public would care to read ?" "She is beautiful, rich, and no doubt ; talented," declared Charlie, eagerly scan- j niug the white enameled' and gold card ! she had left. 4 Miss Doilie Williams, 208 i Park street. Doilie Williams; not highly j romantic, Charlie, and you dote ou names, you know." The gentlemen addressed looked a little crestfallen, but he tore open the manuscript. "Well see wnat it is luce,' 110 saia, for I want an excuse for calling at No. 20^ ;.t my 'earliest convenience.'" Mr. Stearne said nothing. lie knew his partner to !,e a superficial observer, although he prided himself on his discernment ; but both were surprised as they perused the work. It was not practical and sadly needed revision, but the web of fancy was exquisite, showing that the young authoress possessed no common talent. "We must make her an offer of some kind," declared Charlie, ''thoughI suppose what we do will seem beggarly." "Then perhaps we had better do nothing," said Mr. Stcarne. who could not reconcile the over-dressed fashionable lady with the evidence of intellect and careful training displayed in her work. "Then I shall make her an individual otter one of these days, which I hope she will not have the heart to refuse." "Well. We'll drive out to No. 20S this afternoon. Let us settle this business first, and then your individual offer will be in order. No. 208. Could it be that mean-look-* ing dwelling, the single door of which was surrounded by cows, while a milk, maid was busily plying her task? Mr. Lorraine's face was a study as the^' drove up to the door. I "There's some mistake," said he, and his companion could only smile broadly to keep from laughing outright. "We are looking for Miss Uollie Williams/' said Mr. Sterne, politely, to the middle-aged woman who answered their knock. "I am Mis3 Dollic William.?, sir," an- 1 swercd she, briskly. "Walk in, gentlemen.'' "Really, madam, you must be mistaken.'' said Mr. Lorraine, aghast. 4'Mistaken! Don't I know my own name, hey? You are printers, Stearne 1 & Lorraine, aren't you.'" "Wei!, yes, but?" "Its all right, then. Didn't expect you 1 to call. Thought you would write, but 1 no harm done. I hope?'" At this moment the milkmaid entered, : bearing in each hand a loam-capped pail. 1 She looked startled and confused, first at 1 one then the other, then, placing her milk-pails on the floor, she faced them defiantly. The vivid scarlet in her ch- cks and lips, aud the proud light in her dark 1 eyes, gave her a beauty no embellishment I could brighten. " I did not mean you to see me thus," ' she said, candidly, "but perhaps it is 1 invt wpI! I ''Yes, perhaps,'' said Mr. Lorraine, with an assumption of dignity. " But how eanie you to appear us you did at our olKce ?'' " Cannot the jackdaw pin on the peacock's feathers?" she retorted, hauglitiiy. " You. sir, have been kind enough to show me how vast is the difference between the two birds. Had I obtained a hearing in my own character I would never have dreamed of assuming that of another?did not dream of doing so. until the lady herself suggested it, aud insisted on placing everything at my disposal to try the experiment. She has kindly interested herself iu me?is one of our best milk customers?isn't she, Dollic ?" Mr. Lorraine sat in helpless silence, while his partuer in business negotiated with the young authoress, congratulating her on her unquestionable talent a3 a writer. Both young men were silent during the drive homeward, though from different emotions. For the image of the young girl, as he had imagined her. was shattered in the shallow heart of Charles Lorraine by the same master stroke that lnir) nmv pnsViviiiP'l it. fi-rpvor in flirt ! i true, noble oue of Horace Stcarne. n One year later Mr. Stcarno led the girl c he loved to the altar, looking, not like a ^ peacock, but a snow-white dove. The rich, eccentric lady had made a pet of her, and introduced her to society as a rising young authoress. But Dollie, her first true l'riend, was never forgotten. The "Great Eastern." The huge steamship, which might have been christened "Brunei's folly,'' is at last going to be put to the work for j which she was originally intended? j namely, the Austrian trade; but not ! before she has undergone an important metamorphosis. She is to have her paddles removed and to trust to her screw propeller alone. She is, moreover, to have her engine power enormously increased, so as to be able to do twenty knot * an hour. There is no reason why she should not do this. In spite of he.- j enormous bulk she is a vessel of beautiful i linos, and to the day ot ins death was the i pride of her designer, Mr. Scott Russell. j Only a short time before his death I ! heard Mr. Scott Russell express his eon- I fidenee in the future of the great ship i which had bee:) conceived by Brunei and executed by himself, notwithstanding that she h ?d then for nearly twenty years been a colossal faiinre. The "Gre.it; ' Eastern" will probably occupy a permanent plac e in the world's history as the biggest ship ever built, but some of the ! large; Atlantic liners do not f :1! so * ery ! f.i s'lori crh r s: e. <>.d> . WAMAN'C WftRTn M VlU.n.11 U M UlllJUi PLEASANT LITERATURE FOR FEMININE READERS. Some Girls' Names. Frances, i3 " unrestrained and free"; Bertha, "pellucid, purely bright"; Clara, "clear" as the crystal sea: Lucy, a star of radient " light ; Catherine, is "pure" as mountain air; Barbara, eometh " from afar'; Mabol, is " like a lily fair"; Henrietta, a soft, sweet "star." Felicia, is a "happy girl"; Matilda, is a " lady true"; Margaret is a shining " pearl Rebecca, " with the faithful few"; Susan, is a "lily white"; Jane has the "willow's" curve and grace; Cecilia, dear, " is dim of sight"; Sophia, shows " wisdom " on her face. Constance, is firm and "resolute"; Grace, a delicious " favor meet"; PViorlnfta " naKIq r*f rrrvrvil ronnffl''* WUUi IVVIC| HVU1V) VI. qVVU 1 vpuwv I Harriet, a fine "odor sweet"; Isabella, is " lady rare''; Lucinda, "constant as the day Maria, means "'a la<ly fair'*; Abigail, " joyful" as the May Elizabeth, "an oath of trust" Adelina, ' nice princess, proud"; Agatha, " is truly good And just"; Letta, " a joy by love avowed." Jemima, "a soft sound in air"; Caroline, "sweet spirit hale Cornelia, "harmonious and fair"; Selina, "a sweet nightingale"; Lydia, "a refreshing well"; Judith, ' a song of sacred praise"; Julia, ' a jewel none excel"; Priscilla, "ancient of days." ?New York Graphic. Girls in Ringlets. Ringlets flourished in 1846. In those days accomplished girls "twanged the j light guitar," and accompanied them-j selves in the most sentimental of songs. I They liked sitting dreaming in the moon- j light, alone or en tete-a-tete. They read i unlimited novels, and bad no sense of i humor. They never awoke to the realities of life until they married and wore their hair in hands. If you put a girl in ringlets, what can you expect/ Certainly, nothing practical or energetic. It is well ivuuMu iniu me anguiusi exertion taKes i the ringlets out of curl. Let us hope I that fate will never be so cruel as again to make thcui fashionable.?Boston Herald. Wedding Superstitions. The bride must keep the pins which fastened her wedding dress. "Twice a bridesmaid, never a bride," is a proverb that needs no comment. Marry at the time of the moon's waning and your good luck will wane also. If two marriages are celebrated simul-, taneously one of the husbands will die. i Fair or foul weather upon one's wed- j ding day augurs a happy or unhappy i married life. If a girl who is engaged accidently iets a knife fall it is a sign that her lover ' is coming. The girl who steps, accidently or other-! wise, on a cat's tail need not expect to be married the same year. The husband must never take off the wedding-ring; to take it off will insure! him bad luck of some kind. A School For Wiveg. "A Perfect Wife for ?25" is the head- j ing of an advertisement in an English j paper. It is issued by a lady who is ; going to start a sehool for wives. In these days of garish accomplishments; ' the practical side of woman's nature" is neglected. In the new academy it will be developed. Girls who go there will be "instructed iu housewifely du-1 ties." The classes will consist of cookery, 1 dressmaking, physiology, book-keeping, elocution and debating. The book-keep- ; iug will be very useful. The perfect wife \ who keej s her husband's, choice editions instead of lending them to casual ac- ] quaiutances is far above rubie>. But debating is the liosewifely duty which most : needs cultivation. When a little debate : tloes occur in the domestic circle (on milliners' bills, for instance) it is la- j ineutable to think how unfairly women are handicapped by the deficiency of their education. It is the universal opin-' ion of married men that debating power , is perhaps the point in which their wives ; ire weakest.?Philadtlphin Times. i The Cost of Gray Hair. Since it became fashionable to be gray, savs the New York Snn, the price of real ! gray hair has risen to enormous figures. A. hair-drteser in Sixth avenue recently' filled au order for one of his customers i for seven ounces of gray hair twenty- 1 sight inches long, and the price was $100 in ounce, or $700 for the order. The j jame amount and quality of light-brown iiair would have co>t about $00. The J j high price is caused not only by the great i icmund that has sprung up for gray hair, ' < but because good live gray hair is scarce, j' It is comparatively easy to secure scant, ; iKapK rrro U IahL'Q l\nf >uVi V 1* J k\jKsi\0j ky L4L it) r liuaua jfiuiu. IIIU ^ jeautiful pearl gray that is so fashionable | ivhen their owners grow old. The hair talis out, leaving wliat remains thin and , }f poor quality, or if it remains on the lead the ends turn yellow and fray. The ordinary lengths of hair supplied ! :o order are from twenty to twenty-eight inches. Gray hair is not often found so ' ong,and, when it does grow that length, 1 ;he owner is usually found in that class )f society that takes too much pride in 5 ts hair to sell it. It takes ten times as s ong to till an order for gray hair as for ' ;hc usual shades of brown. The head of J ;he largest hair house in this city said i ;hat he would not undertake to till a gray j lair order to a certainty within six | nonths, as he would have to send to his i European corrcspendents to get the1 j joods. Almost all the live white hair somes from Europe, the Swiss and Ital- , ans furnishing a good share of it. They j ire accustomed to classing hair with their ^ >ther crops, and to tending it with care, , vun me nmu saic 01 it in view. Girdles for Girls. The girdle hiis grown to be a monstrous 'ad with the girls, says a New York cor-'t espondent of the Argonaut. This morn- r ng, in an elevated car, I found myself ^ jeside an acquaintance who has some ( iretence to social position. Her slim j igure was encirclcd by a hugesilv.r * jirdle, from one side of which dangled ^ orty-six little chains. At the end of: srery chain was a trinket. We fell to ^ alking about them, and 1 looked them >ver, while she chatted about the history j )f every one. There were fourteen llonan coin?, a latch-key, pen-holder case, j . inaigrctte, skating medal, button-hook, j < *love-but toner, silver address-tablet,tiny ; t iilver bon-bon box, a corkscrew, a: Miniature srimetar, a chatelainc watch, i > small oxidized iron parasol, which, j when opened, became a fan, a bullet with | which she had killed a bear on her j brother's ranch, a card-case, a lock of i lair in a lo -ket, two miniatures, a chain rturse, a compass, a small paper-cutter, a io7.cn odd trikets of every conceivable shape, and a double-barreled dogivhistic. "Where did you collect them all?'' I isked. "Everywhere," shesaifl, with a shrug. "Don't you find them troublesome?" "Oh, no; they're vastly useful." "How so?" "Tie;: r.r.tp'y subjects of conversation | to men who are a little stupid in the morning," she 3aid, sweetly, as she wandered out of tho car at Fourteenth street. Saved by Two Girls. Whatever may have been the original j of the fabled mermaids, "sea-girls," the real mermaids are certainly found in the Sandwich Islands. Thai, a strong man, much less a young woman, can be so much at home in the water as to fight and kill the fiercest native of that element on its own battle-ground, seems incredible, but Senator Fair, of Nevada, tells the following story an an experience of his own: It happened upon my last visit to the Sandwich Islands. I ait a very expert , swimmer, and nothing pleases, me bettei j than to plunge into the salt water. The j temperature of the islands is delightful, | and I could not resist the temptation to take a swim. I prepared myself, and plunged in. After I had been in the water for half an hour, I pushed out over and beyond one | of the reefs which surround the islands, j All at 0L-.ce I realized that something was ( going on on the shore. There was quite a number of natives there, and they ap. MAiiDA/1 f a 1\A rwvAn ! tr ft vr.ifnrl [juaiuu tv/ ijc gieanj cAViivwi j Suddenly two native girls swam out behind me with long knives between their teeth. I looked arouud, and to my horror I saw a shark making for me with terrific speed. An instant later the girls had dived, and the shark had nearly stopped. The water around him was red w'ith blood. The girls came to the surface again, and again they dived and plunged their long knives into the monster. At last he lay still on the top of the water quite dead. The natives dragged him ashore, and found that he was one of the largest of his species. But for the wonderful bravery of these girls I should not be here to-night to tell you this story. Fashion Notes. Neapolitan straw^bonnets have been revived? Silk dresses are exceedingly fashionable again. Sewing machine silk grenadines are again in style. Braided embroidery is again seen upon tailor made costumes. Narrow flowers are a favorite garniture for skirts made of a light quality of silk. The Leghorn hat promises to be extensively worn by ladies and children this summer. Full vests of lace or surah, strapped or lnced, are seen on many midsummer costumes. Sailor hats of felt are brought out for summer wear in the country for boating, tennis, etc. Some novel parasols are entirely covered with bows and loops of very narrow ribbon. Ostrich feathers are a conspicuous feature of hats, despite all predictions to the contrary. Pretty dust cloaks for driving or traveling are made of alpaca or mohair, with silk lined hoods. Black hats with black feathers are in high favor with light or bright colored summer costumes. White serge and camel's-hair tailormade dresses are popular for morning wear in the country. An attractive dress for light morning is made of white nun's veiling, combined with plain white net. Silk-warp cashmere and moire of a dainty, shimmering gray tint form a beautiful afternoon costume. The favorite ribb in for as<? upon black lace dresses is black watered ribbon an inch and a half wide, with picot edge. French dressmakers have revived the fashion of making lace flounces over the tulle to bring the pattern of the lace into full relief. Heliotrope toilets are rot favored so much as of late, but there are new shot fabrics which show an snaaes, irompeacn blossom to plum color. Black silk Jersey waists flushed iu bright red velvet for collars and cuffs, make a stylish cffcct with the brilliant skirt of plaided gingham so fashionable this season. Dressy bodices to wear with silk or muslin skirts are made of alternate rows of ribbon and lacc either black or white. They may be in basque shape, or full gathered to the belt. Polk i dots in India 3ilks are very elegant and stylish always. This season two sizes of "dots are used, one for the jverdress the other for the petticoat. Velvet is the trimming. That Spanish hat so called is of Tuscan braid in form of a disk with tiny I -II r -:n ?<?,! u>lm Drills U1 Slltt. UI WUIIIUU UUUll- IHC until. Bright colors arc used ia these balls. They are for seaside wear. Large plaids are seen in fine surahs, md are much worn by stylish women at the seaside, for they may be worn with t variety of corsages, and make thus nany change? in a limited wardrobe. Felt sailor hats arc sho<vn for boating, tennis, etc. They have low crowns, itraight, stiff brims, a band of wide ribxm and a' flat bow at the side being heir only trimming. They arc shown u white, navy blue and dark led. The Oil Well business. Statistics show that 53,000 wells have >ecn diillcd in Pennsylvania aud New k'ork sincc the discovery of petroleum, it a cost of $'200,000,000. These welU lave produced 310,000,000 barrels of oi!, vhich were sold at the wells for $500,>00,000. This represented a proli: to lie producer of $300,000,000. The imount of oil exported is placed at >,2:11,102,023 gallons. In the pool in Washington county alone $3,200,000 has >e.-,n expended in machinery and drilling. * I'his does not include tha many millions hat are represented there in the natural ] ?.t.s industry. Independent of the oil msincss there is about $50,000,000 in- i rested in natural gas plants in Pennsyl- ( auia. These are majestic figures, and < crve to show the magnitude of the oil i md gas business. ? Oil City Derrick. 1 ? I Worms In Rar Kg?s. In a German paper, Professor Licbe adluces reliable data in answer to the qucs ??? ' ion wuuiliur living numis i/u J ound in hens' eggs. A shjrt time , ireviously his sister had found a J ound, tlircad-like worm, the length >f a little finger, in the white of j tn egg. It moved itself iii a very lively nanner. She at once took the egg to a ' Iruggist, wlio put the worm in alcohol. ( Professor Mobius. of Kiel, decided that ? he s]>eciincn was an example of the ' * ' ' ' - ? '?..?/! < areau worm 01 iowis uuui iuuuu iu mc :inall intestine of the domestic hen. ^ !)nly a few instances of the existence of ( :he same in the white of the egg have j aeen recorded. <1 Good carpets from common moss are ' the production of a French manufac- 1 Lurer. \ A-PILOT'S LIFE. HOW SEAMEN ARE TRAINED run An AKUUUUS VUtAlIUfl. The New York Harbor Men?How Pilots' Earnings are Divided ?A Long ProbationThe Pilot Boats. A New York letter from E. L. "Wakeman to the St. Louis Glolte-Democrat says: When one considers the mighty interests involved in the pilot system of New York harbor alone; that annnally hundreds of thousands of lives and hundreds of millions in property in a large, noteworthy sense are at the stake of these men's sobriety, proficiency and bravery; and that not one in a thousand in New York or anywhere else seems to have the slightest knowledge of such men or service; the diversity of our tremendous everv dav maritime, commercial and so ""o f, ; x? culiar aptness in tripping up possibly unworthy applicants. Nor docs he now become a full-fledged pilot. He still serves a probationary term of two yeais as a journeyman. All this time he is subject to the strictest espionage and criticism upon his work, aud is given charge of only vessels of the lightest draught. Indeed all licenses are based upon certain draught, and a journeyman's license will not entitle him to pilot a vessel drawing upwards of from sixten to eighteen feet; so that at best his progress is painfully slow. After he becomes a full pilot any inefficiency or the slighest mishap is liable to cause his suspension or the withdrawal of his license altogether, while whether novice or pilot of a quarter century's actual service; his license must be renewed each year, and then only on absolutely unimpeachable good standing. The entire system of earnings is a peculiar one, and to be understood requires minute explanation. The thriftless pilot, or the one who is without money or resources, has a sorry time of it financially. Ilis assignments arc by mere chance, and hia on minors hiir. :i nnrfrntnern r>f til ft V.?. M4?hw - 1 O " " boat's earnings after other larger sums are deducted. Each boat is owned by a company of six pilots, each of whom owns an equal interest, though one pilot can own a share in more than one boat. No salaries are paid, and the income of pilots is necessarily just their share in the net earnings of the boats which are restricted in number. Of the 133 New York pilots, not over eighty arc owners of the twenty-two pilot boats. The affairs of each boat or company are an illustration of all; and to indicate these a basis of earning should be given. We will suppose six full-grade pilots on "Pilot Boat 1." Its average earnings will be about $1,G00 per month. Its running expenses will be $400, which include supplies of wood, repairs, cooks', oimrnntiV.i8' nnrl wncron nnrl """ "--l" O J all fees. This is first set aside. Then twenty-five per cent or $400, is deposited with the company's tre.tsurer as boat revenue exclusively for shareholders'annual dividends. The remain- j ing $800 will be monthly divided among the six owner pilots, who, it will thus be seen, receive monthly share-earning payments as well as annual dividends, bringing the average pilot's annual earnings to from $1500 to $-2000?an utterly ina-.lequate compensation for what he lias acquired and endured to become profisieut in his perilous vocation. The '-jour aeymen," or non-owning pilot simply jves on what he can get until by some jood luck he may secure possession of a share, the offer of which, though seldom nade, must be always posted in the Comnissioner's office black-board, and then, >f couise, goes to the highest bidder: and lis opportunity for earning is limited ilmost exclusively to the chance assignments where pilot owners happen to he ibscnt and a pilot must instantly be had jy an outgoing vessel. Then his com)ensation is just one sixth of the sum >vcr and above the reserved 23 per cent, ind the deducted running expense proportion, which he receives from the boat :ompany at the end of the month. The pilotage itself is fixed by theComnissioners, and it is wholly based on the Iraught of vessels; and the pilot who las brought a vessel into port, is invariibly assigned to "put her out to sea" uness the vessel's master can urge good easons for a change. The scale of pilotige is fixed on vessels of from 6 to 28 eet draught, and the rate from $2.78 cial interests and the indifference of the average human to any particular class of toilers, is most impressively illustrated. There are to-day ltfl of these New York harbor pilots. By law two more, or 183 all tola, are allowed. Of this number, 133 are under control of the New York Board of Pilot Commissioners, and fifty under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey Board. Of the pilot-boats themselves, New York pilots own twenty-two, and New Jersey pilots seven; and the powers of these Boards, the regulations of pilot service, and daily work and lives of the men arc practically identical. They are all New York harbor pilots, and what is of interest about each class applies to them all. Pilot3 do not grow, they are made; and a long, dreary task it is with some of them in the making. A '-cub" or a "boy," as the apprentice is called, whether fourteen or forty years of age, may have come from any landwise calling with a cruise or two at sea to his advantage; he may have been the most wretched of seamen, or even the most excellent of ship's officers tired of long cruises, or with some other strong motive for compacter life anchorage. But wise or ignorant, old or young, lie must serve a rigorous apprenticeship if three years. This is arbitrary, even though he became a capable pilot in six mouths. Each boat's crew consists of a boat-keeper, six of these 'prentice-pilots and a cook. For a while the apprentice gets nothing but his food for his services, though this is infrequent, the usual wages ranging from $15 to $18 per month. After the three years' term has expired he may apply for his pilot license, or he may have already become a boat-keeper. If so. he has secured an advance in wages to about *0=; r\nr* rr?/\r?+Vi o rwl V?oc rrr\f o 1 r\n rr v\'0tt -pwv UlV/UbU} UUU O H MiJ toward a place in his vocation; for these boat-keepers are practically the sailiug musters of the pilot boats, and they are never expected to leave their craft, day or night, so long as they hold that responsible position. Previously, as one of the apprentice crew, he lias only been required on duty with the regular relays of two, to take his turn at rowing the pilot from the pilot boat to the incoming or from the outgoing vessel, though this is no sinecure. Indeed this is at times really the most perilous of all duties he may ever be compelled to assume. In applying for his licensc as a pilot, he is " hung up on the blackboard," that is, his application is bulletined at the Commissioners' office for thirty days. Then he is under fire of scrutiny and objection as to fitness, and complaint as to character, if any of these faults exist. If he passes this trial safely, he then meets the ordeal of a regular examination by the full Board of Pilot Commissioners, to which arc added two nlil co-i-rlnri' nilntv fnr thf>ir r?P . 'vy - >s' 'v:^~ .; to $4.88 proportionately. For an illustration of the single pilot's frequently single earnings for his company, a vessel of 20 feet draught may be con sidered. The "inward pilotage" would be $82.60, and the "outward" $61.60. To this added by law?though ships' agents latterly refuse its payment?an outward "off-shore" pilotage, or fee for pilotage from outside the Sandy Hook light-house fifteen-mile limit, and like "off-shore"' outward pilotage, of $20.65. So that during the summer months the total pilotage of a 20-foot draught vessel from off-shore points to deep sea again may. reach $185.50, which sum, from November to April, is increased about 7 per cent. The most distinguishing features of New York pilot boats are their strength and seaworthiness. They are not built for beauty, no more than are their owners remarkable for that quality. But like their owners, they arc staunch and sturdy beyond comparison. They are built low in the water; average about fifty tons burthen; are two-masted, schoonerrigged craft, carrying all sail*: and have a speed of from eleven to thirteen knots an hour under a still bree/.e. The smallest boat in the service is the Enchantress, thirty tons, and the largest the Alex. M. Lawrence, eighty-seven tons burthen; and those not out at sea generally make anchorage in the harbor over against the eastern shore of Staten Island, and opposite, off Bay Ridge, by the pleasant Long Island bluffs. . Nestling here, with furled sails, and occasionally with colors | riving, with everything trim and taut for j instant service, they form one of the ! prettiest and certainly the most sugge3j tive pictures of the many interesting I groupings of this, the noblest of the | world's great harbor3. A Chines? Bookkeeper. j The Chinese book-keeper is a curiosity, as he flourishes on the western coast and ! around Portland, Oregon, says Frank j Nicholson in the Globe-Democr<t't. I was i up around there recently, and with the idea of bringing hnuie some Chinese curosities, visited several stores and shops. Some of the biggest merchants in that country, you know, are Chinese. I went into one small place where a lot of books were spread out on a long coun! ter. behind which was a Chinaman, while ! behind a sort of a de-^k at the other end j was another wearer of the pigtail. The books looked to me like almanacs, if the I Chinese have such things, and, walking i up to the counter, I turned two or three I of them over, looking at them to satisfy ! myself as to what they were, though, of i course, I couldn't have told if I had looked a year. The ink was still wet. as if a hen with inked feet had been walking back and forth over them. This gave me the idea that I strayed into a a manufactory of Chinese almanacs, and noticing the yel'.ow-hucd gentleman be! V>inr1 Innlorx* ftt nit>. I care lessly inquired: "How muchce, John?" He looked at me still, but without replying. "IIow muchee, John?" I repeated: | "want to buycc." This time Johtfs | features changed. He actually smiles 1 as he replied: "Me no sellc these bookec; j me keepee countee, te'lee how muchce I Melican man owee." I had actually been I trying to buy the man's set of books. I j don't know whether he was the keeper j of book's for that entire busiuess portion i of the city, but if he wasn't he had books I enough to have kept all of their accounts. Their system is certainly original, and different from that with which the English book-keeper has to wrestle. In a German Kitchen. The German salon may disappoint us, ! but the German kitchen is a charming | surprise. It is in itself a domestic poem I ?really the prettiest, most uuique room i in the establishment. Small, bright, injviting! The clean, painted floor, the ; blup and white porcelain range; these ! two items alone form a basis of beauty ; and clcanlines^, a beauty and cleanliness | easily kept. It is not uncommon that l the floor is of stone or marble, laid in I pretty figures, and the frescoed ceilings | add their harmonious coloring. Above : ! thn stove* aro shelves for stov^* utensils: I ! here the brass kettles, iron vessels, ranged in order, are like classic ornaments. One can here easily adopt j Raskin's theory that beauty lies in j utility. On rows of bright brass hooks hang pitchers, mugs of all varying sizes, from giant to dwarf. Think of it?in some kitchens each hook i3 tied with a little blue ribbon. Is it not a poem? j Esthetics in practical housekeeping? ! Life here cannot be the drudgery it is j usually thought. It is a noble idea to j bring beauty into this sphere; and those I who must spend their days in a work i which seems so removed from the beautiful may still find brightness aud beauty in their surroundings. See how it dignifies labor! What pride, self-respect, pleasure are infused '.?Berlin LetUr. A Modest But Expensive Repast. It all happened in a Portland restaurant, yesterday at 1100:1. He was a chronic epicure who strolled into one of the leading cafes in the city for a lunch, he said. "Got any bill of fare?" lie growled at the waiter, a modest lass of sixteen. The young miss told him would he be so kind as to look behind him. and he would there eucouuter the bill of fare written on a blackboard. It took two 1 men to move the bill of fare, but they did 1 it, placing it directly in front of his : table. He adjusted an eyeglass, turned ' up his Roman nose, and studied the 1 menu. It took him five minutes to order ; a slice of bread and a cucumber. He or- ' dered his cucumber served in a non- ! sliced condition. The waiter in her silver ' s ilver brought him a cucumber, and the 1 I epicure actually took in his fist, dipped it 1 in a pitcher of molasses and water, and 1 bolted it out of sight without so much as '' slicing or paring. He stepped to the 1 clerk, and asked for an itemized bill. | 1 The clerk handed him the following receipted bill, which the epicure paid and left: To one eucumbcr 05 I To one slice of Invad ()"> t To ono pitcher of molasses 23 To moving the bill of fare 1UJ s Total $1 o5 c ?Lcwiaton (.Ve.) Journal. I What Some New York Doctors Earn. * ?] Of the New York physicians. Dr. For- s dyee Darker probably makes the largest c income, writes Foster Coatcs. Ilisrepu- 0 tation as a consulting physician stands ti very high. He is said to make from $10.- t 000 to $ij0.000 each ve.ir. Dr. A. L. a Loomis. a specialist 011 throat and lung t troubles, makes about ?.->0,00!). Dr. J. t Met calf makes about the same amount, o Dr. L. A. Sayre, the great surgeon who v mended John L. Sullivan's broken arm, ( makes $;50,000. Dr. A. Jacobi, who dc- 'u votes himself entirely to diseases of chil- o dren, makes $30,000. Dr. C. R. Agnew, c who makes the eye a specialty, clears n $25,000 yearly. Dr. George T. Shrady, a who attended General Grant so faithfully, c has an income of if25,000. Dr. Herman t Knapp, an eye specialist, receives about b $25,000. c v -io . , x-i ^ FACTS FOR THE CCRIOUS. _____ f> '."-i The first almanac was prepared by Regiomontamus ia 1474. What is now Annapolis, Md., was originally darned Ann Arundel Town. Th? present name dates from 1695. The first newspaper in England was published in 1558. At that time Shakespere was twenty-four years of age. A workman in a vineyard in Napa Val ley, Ual, committed suiciac oy jumping into a cask of wine and drowning. Wales was conquered by the Normans who at that time ruled in England, in 1254, and was uuitod to England in 1283. Indian River, Florida, is said to be the straightest in the world. A straight line can be drawn thron^h it for seventy-five miles without touching shore. A Sturgis, (Mich.) man placed $78 in greenbacks in his stove for safe keeping. The usual result followed: his wife built a fire in the stove a few days later and the monev was burned. A new asparagus found in the steppes of Akhal-Tekhis, lately annexed by Russia, is said to have stalks nearly as thick as a man's arm and growing to a height of five or six feet. In flavor it equals the best cultivated varieties. A Virginia paper relates that a white >"1 handkerchief folded in four layers was placed over the face of a woman who died lately in Lousia County, and when it was removed there were four distinct pictures of her on it, the size of a quarter of a dollar. Spirits of camphor had been. put on the woman's face just before her " death. '.^3 There were five boys in the Widow ^ Hamby's family in Fayette County, ?4 Georgia. Widower Stearns, a wealthy neighbor, had an equal number of girls. The boys began marrying Stearns's daughters, notwithstanding his protests, , and kept it up until the last girl was taken off her father's hinds. Then Mr. ' Stearns hurried over to Widow Hamby's," and putting her into his buggy drove to Fayettesville, and completed the family ' J union by marrying her. 4' Why is Liberty represented in the form of a woman?" It was a poetic fancy of ancient sculptors and bards. The Goddess of Liberty in the Aventiae Mount was represented as holding in her hand a cap, the symbol of freedom. In ancient mythology there was a presiding ?; divinity over almost everything, and the voluptuous Greeks and IJomans common- d?.; ly ascribed to females whatever administered to human happiness and comfort. Venus was the goddess of beauty, Dina ^ presided over the chase, Minerva personated wisdom; the muses were females, and, of course, the graces were, as well as the fates. But it was a keen little piece of satire on lovely woman when the furies were elected from her sex. Fly Storms. "You never heard of a fly storm, did" ' you?'' an old house painter asked of New York Sun reporter. The reporter hadn't. "Well, I reckon it will be a new thing : for mnst iinnnle to hear of. but one comes ??' r--*i -i . nearly every year at this season. The storm began' ab;Ut June 1. It la3ted a : Meek. This pa;t of the country was stocked with flies. I've studied liv storms for forty years. It's mighty hard to tell when one is coming. On generai priaciples you can say that it will follow close on the first warm wave. When the weather comes t:> stay then we have a fly J storm. Sometimes it is a little previous, but not often. When the first fly srorax : is at hand, a gardener can safely set out his most delicate plants and seeds. There -; will be no chilly weather after that. ' When a fly storm is at hand you feel the air moving as if a funnel with a bellows attachment was pointed at you. The atmosphere grows suddenly thick. Heaven help a newly painted house ' ^ ' 4-1,? ' - wnen mat nappuus, t-3j>ccmujr ji mo house is white. The storm tuttoes it completely with wriggling black specks. They are young flics. MoSt of them are 110 larger than piu heads. They can't fet away from a coat of fresh paiDt. If had a "dollar for every fly that sticks to the side of a freshly painted house exposed to one of these storms, and right in its line, I would almost b'j ready to match my pile against Jay Gould's. In about two seconds they will mirk a % house so thac one wouid think it could l.? Alnd HA'l ?? LLC v Ci ij\i wiuaugu, "Does a riy storm worry housekeepers?" ; "Well, I should say so. Many a little woman sits down and has a good cry after a fly storm. It seems at first as if there was nothing left to do but paint the house again. But like many things that worry people, it seems a great sight worse than it is. The fiies don't dry ia with the paint. After a lew days most of them drop off. The rest go with the fiist good breeze or rain. leaving the house perfectly clean. , ,!* "How do you a:couat for the fly storms?" ? "Well, flies probably come just as bees do. They find warm places to winter, and iu the spring turn their broods loose to the wind, which carries them in clouds to northern alighting places. They say that a Queen bee lays :3,0<)0 eggs a day. It looks as though something like this must happen with this kind of fly. If this is so, a few families starting together on a 3outherlybreeze a m >nth after the breeding season begins would make quite a cloud. A fly storm always comes from the South. I have seen "houses after a storm with their sides exposed to the S)uth black, and with uot a speck oa my other side. Anybody who is curious I :o"know what a fly storm is like can see I for himself almost any day just now wiien .here is a warm breeze, if he watches a lewly-painfed, light-colored surface for i little while about sunset. That is the :ime of day the storm usually cornea, ,vheu the sun doesn't scorch the air." The Loss of Memory. The are a few cases recorded of total oss of memerv, usually following a leep and prolonged (unnatural) sleep or levere accident, such as concussion of he brain, almost drowning. etc. In one >r two of these the personal identity hag >ecn completely lost, so that on recovery lie victim lost all remembrance of name, amily, friends, localities and mental ac[iiisitions. Tliey were in the condition, o far as knowledge of any kind was conerned, of the new born child. In some f these re-education was successfully atempted and a new memory formed, but lie old was never regained. In others, larger number than those just menioned, the forgctfulness was of ouly emporary duration. After a few weeka r months all that was before known .as regained in an instant and the pro JCSS Ot re-cuucilliuu Will uu lunyci leedcd. There arc numerous instances f the memory being lost of all that had iccurred for hours, days, weeks, or even nonths, immediately precediug a serious ccident in which the brain had suffered oncussion. In these the memory relaive to everything up to a certain data efore the accident remains intact on reo vering consciousness.?Globe-Democrat. ; ^ ; .... >-a. * - - -ia