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iT SONG. But the road loads us all. For the King now is dead; And we know, stand or fall, We have shared the day's bread. We can laugh down the dream. For the dream breaks and flies; And we trust now the gleam, For the gleam never dies? So it's off now the load. For we know the night's call, ^.nd we know now the road And the road leads us all. Through the shine, through the rain, We have wrought the day's quest; To the old march again We have earned the day's rest; We have laughed, we have cried, And we've heard the King's groans. We have fought, we have died. And we've burned the King's bones, And we lift the old song Ere the night flies again. Where the road leads along '"i 1- J.1 ti i. ITWILIGH Through the shine, through the raia Wc have shared the day's load; To the old march again We have tramped the long road; We have laugh id. we have cried, __And we've u^ed the King's crown; We have fought, we have died. And we've trod the day down. So it's lift the old song Ere the night Hies again, Where the road leads along Through the shine, through the rain. Long ago, far ap/av. Came a 9ign from the sties, And we feared then to pray For the new sun to rise; With the King there at hand, Not a child stepped or stirred? Where the light filled the land And the light brought the word; For we knew then the gleam Though we feared then the day, And the dawn smote the dream Long ago, far away. * A Twelve-Th' ^ Che * eK*8?K*BI8K*?*&K MK HE our grew late, and Mr. I ___ Brand paced bis: chamber "J* O in moody silence. The train ~~ A Jiau come 111, uu ims iucsnger had not returned, m| trie merchant was troubled; troucd by a vague sort of doubt, tvjiich muted him in spite of his faith in ake. A merry, sober old trader of ng experience had said that Lake as too young to fill the important potion which he held, but Sir. Brand id never found his trust in Tom misaced. Having heard rumors concerning a mse. with which he had extensive falings. the merchant had despatched ike to London, telling him to make quiries, and in any case, to get the irtners of the firm in question to set> their account. So Lake had gone from Liverpool to >udon. The time appointed for his turn nnccorJ nnri still h<* did not me. A. lady entered, and stole to the meriant'3 side; her own sweet face was ixious, and there was ?. tremor in the usic of her voice as she said: "Do you think he will be here logbt. dear papa?" "I hope so. Mary, but it is very te." "Is there no other train?" 'Only the night egress, and that es not stop, except at the central sta>11 s." "Perhaps he will come, papa; he ould not mind coming ten miies; even he had to walk." should not Lave missed the ain," said Mr. Brand, sternly; "puncality is am imperative duty with en of ^business." "But, papa, something may have o> rred to detain him." 'Nothing should detain a man who s given his word." L'he fair pleader was silenced?her tlier was angry, and knowing his ictness of principle and how invetate was his dislike to any breach of scipline or duty, she did not even ntur^^^ak again. Hary sat subdued and quiet, watching 9m. She saw that he was listening the night express went whirling v, and from the depths of her heart ere went a prayer that Lake would Ime safely home. The girl loved him, ^uld have staked her life on his truth. id knew that he was not beyond His ne through any weakness or wrong, ivo slow, weary hours passed. Mr. :and was reading the commercial ws; but for the first time in his life did not interest him: he was thinkg of the young clerk and the heavy m of money that would be in his ssession should the London firm have id liim. And Mary, reading her ther's thoughts, felt pained and illed by the slur cast on her lover's mesty by his suspicions?her every ought was a denial to his doubts, id as the rapid clatter of a horse's et rang ofit, she ran to the window. 'Look!" she said, dashing the curins aside with an eager hand: "look. ok,4papa, I said he would come?I lew he would." The merchant's stern face relaxed itlx a smile of pleasure: tie was not nctic nai or demonstrative, but bis lugliter's gladness pleased him. There were a few moments of exictaricy. and then Tom Lake came in. e went straight to Mr. Brand, only >ticiug with a bow the lovely face hose glance thrilled his sou!. "They have paid," he said quietly, he placed a thick pocketbook in the erchant's hand, "but I think we were ily just in time." "Indeed!" ' "There was a consultation at the inker's before I could get the cash ir the check." "Do you think they will break?" "Hopelessly. They have given me l immense order, but it would not > wise to forward the goods." "You did not hint that we had the ightest fear?" "Xo: but I was glad to get the oney. Twelve? thousand pounds ould have been a heavy loss." ' It -would have done ma serious inlry just now." "A.ud yet," said Tom gravely, 4,this lorning the odds were considerably gainst its ever reaching you.' "How?" Tom took two chairs and placed them de by side near the lire, led Mary to ae. and seated himself in the other, [e had done liis duty as the merlant's clerk, and now was Mr. Brand's rospective sou-iu-law and partner. "I had an adventure," he said; "I was lie hero ot a strange story in a ride by Bxpress." Mary bent forward to listen?Tom lasped ber hand in his own. Mr. j rand sat opposite them, interested by we speaker's manner as he began: "When I got the cheque I had an lea that all might not be well, so to lake sure I presented it to the bankr's. There was. as I toiil you, a conultatiou before they cashed, and while lie consultation was going forward. I oticed a stranger looking at me iuently. I knew the man in my younger nd wilder days. I had aiet him often t the race course, in billiard rooms, nd in other places more or less repeclable. Now be was changing a ?uruu?il LI 11* auuir, LUC lain. ?Edward Arlington Robinson^ DKmasiaeK ousand-Poimd ^ ____ ^ que. m * cheque for some petty amount, and was evidently astonished by the immensity of the order I had presented. I left the bank with my pocketbook full of notes, and I found that I had lost the train. The next would be the night express, so I strolled into a billiard room. A man is just as safe with a | fortune in his pocket as if penniless, ap that be is wise enough to bold bis tongue. There was some clever play going on, and I stood watching the players till some one challeuged me to have a game. If I have one special vanity, it is my science with the cue:I accepted, and ais I aid so a strange feeling, which had been growing upon me." took a sudden turn which startled me. '*My challenger was the man whom I had noticed at tbe banker's. There wac Tir?<-hinr? etr.intro in tiio fnpf ftf Ilia being in the room, one of liis favorite resorts, but I was possessed by tbe vague shadow of a single idea. I had read somewhere of a man being followed and plundered in a train, and somehow I associated the story with the man before me. It was the first time I had evec paid fiim any particular attention, but I gave him full observation now. The more I looked at him the less I liked him. He was handsome, gentlemanly., with, a fair form and elegant figure, full of suppleness and strength. His manner was singularly unassuming, his face frank and genial, but by looking closely at him you'could see something sinister-looking in the depth and softness of his Cj tg. "I never liked a stranger to be affable and prepossessing, and my friend was the very pink of affiability and grace. "We played for an hour with alternating success; he was an amusing companion, well informed, and had traveled, but I still having some time to spare, went to see a friend' in the Temple. "When, at the expiration of some thirty or forty minutes, I emerged into Fleet street, almost the first person on whom my g?.ze fell was my late antagonist at billiards. "I thought there was something more than a mere coincidence in this second meeting since we stood together at the banker's. He was. in a cigar shop opposite. "Not a hundred yards from the Temple gate stood a man whom I recognized with a very welcome feeling. It was George Vixen, the detective. "He was fashionably dressed, and looked an aristocrat of the first water. I went up and greeted him as I should an old familiar, held out my hand and said: " 'Step into the hotel office. I have something to say.' "He shook bands in the most natural way possible. I took his arm,' and we entered the door of an adjacent hotel. "I told him my suspicion, told him of the sum iu my possession, and of the journey I had to perform by rail. "I saw that, watching through the glass of the door, he was taking a mental photograph of two men. " 'They mean business,' said Vixen, quietly, 'but I shall be with you. We must part at the door, or they will see we have scented the game.' " 'And. you,* I said, "now will you act?' " 'I.' he said, 'shall travel to Liverpool by the night express." "He left me. I had no fear nowknowing him to be a clever and determined fellow. "Taking a casual glance across the road. I saw my man with his companion. It was quite evident that they were tracking me, though I lost sight of them before reaching St. Paul's. "I strolled along the churchyard, wardered nearly to Islington, then went through the city again before I made for the station; my acquaint-1 ance of the billiard room did not gome in sigbt, though I kept well on the alert. "I took my ticket.. lingering almost to the moment of starting before I entered the carriage, but my man did not appear. Two men were in the compartment with me. I could not see the face of one. und the other was a stranger. "The bell rang. The guard had just time to put a bewildered old gentleman by my side, and we were off. "The man whose face I had not seen turned toward me. "I could scarcely repress an exclamation. There was no mistaking that frank, genial countenauce, nor the lurking devi! in those eyes, whose softness was so sinister. "He had met me then at last! Vixen had broken his promise! and I was left to travel that perilous journey alone, with the man who had followed me so skilfully?another who might be his confederate, and an old gentleman, who, after grumbling out his indignation against all railway servants and locomotive traveling in general, was fast asleep in the corner. "That the iuteutions of my billiard player were bad was manifest by the fact of his having assumed a false mustache and beard. They added to the beauty of his face, but left to his eyes that sleepy, cruel glitter that is characteristic of the Asiatic. He spoke to me. remarked the oddity of o':t being traveling companions, and grew pleasantly familial'. I answered him. not wishing to :<ppear churlish or afraid, knowing that I could trust something to my own strength should the worst come. "We had made the last stoppage, and were rolling swiftly through (he gloom, when, among other topics, our conversation touched on jewelry: lie drew a showy ring from his finger, telling me it was a curious piece of workmanship having a secret spring, which h? said I could not discover. "I took it. searching in vain for a spring, then returning it to him. It dropped and rolled under my feet. "I stooped to pick -t up, and so did he, but in that moment, while my head was down, he had me lightly by the throat, and threw me to the carriage floor. "His confederate was upon me in an instant. I could scarcely breathe, and could not struggle, for a heavy knee was upon my chest, and two strong, brutal hands were clutching the life from my throat. "Though the horror of that situation did not last a minute, it seemed an ptornity to me. I felt the ruffian's bands searching for the pocketbook. and I strained desperately for a chance of resistance. "Their work was nearly done. Cramped in that small space, I was powerless, and the veins in my throat and head were swelling like sinuous bars, when the old gentleman in the corner awoke and came to my assistance. "I heard a low, quiet whirr of some weapon in its descent, and my first assailant reeled from me, stunned. The old gentleman, with a strength and rapidity of action wouderful lo see in a person of his. age, seized the scoundrel, lifted him away aud dashed him down on a seat, "There was a brief struggle, and then I heard a sharp click?scoundrel the second bad a paid of handcuffs 011 his wrists. " 'They were more prompt tban I expected,' said tile old gentleman, removing bis woolen comforter, witb which be fastened my first assailant's bands behind him, 'and a railway carriage does not afford much scope for a struggle.' "The pocketbook was safe. The ruffians were securely bounds and the old gentleman who. without his spectacles and muffling, stood out in pleasaut relief as the detective, kept guard over them. "At the station they were handed over into the custody of the police. I was all right by that time. Vixen rode witb me as far as the hotel nearest here, and to-morrow be will call to see if I am any the worse for my ride [ by express." The contents of the pocketbook were Mary's bridal dowry. The detective speaks of the senior partner in the firm of Brand & Lake as tlie most IlOSpiUlUItr <111 u gcunuu.1 man be over met in the course of his professional career. Lake was quite cured of his love for billiard playing. He had too narrow an escape, and he did not forget the lesson.?Waverley Magazine. Shelves. As perhaps few of us realize, shelves add much character to a room. Like cushions and rugs and books, they give that delicious air of comfort so often lacking in the stately yet stiff drawing rooms of some of our modern homes. People have become educated to seeing bookshelves in a library or sittingroom in pereference to bookcases, for these always seem designed more as showcases for books and their bindings than to hold books ready for intimate use. Fewer bookcases are sold nowadays than formerly, for everybody seems to appreciate the charm of the low bookshelves built in around a room or occupying some special nook or corner in a bay tviudow or alcove. On top of these'shelves one can always have plants, photographs, magazines, all the hundred and one little furnishings that add to the beauty of a room. The high corner bookshelves are always good, for they often use space | often otnerwise wasteu, ?uu luio w .?*? j important factor in these days of [ apartment bouses.?Washington Star. Wild Horses on Sable Inland. Sable Island, which lies about eighty miles to the eastward of Nova Scotia, consists of an accumulation of loose sand, forming a pair of rTdges, united at the two ends and inclosing a shallow lake: tracts of grass are to be met with iu places, as well as pools of fresh water. The droves of wild horses, or ponies, and herds of seals appear to be the chief mammalian inhabitants of the island. It is generally supposed that the original stock was landed from a Spanish wreck early iu the sixteenth century, although some writers make the introduction much later. Twenty-five years ago the ulimber of ponies was estimated at five hundred; at the present day there are less than two hundred, divided into five troops. Not more than two-thirds of these are pure bred, the remainder being the oilspring of mares crossed with introduced stallions.?London Nature. A Queer Case of Frlcmlehip. Friendship and possibly affection have sprung up between a oat and a large wild raccoon at Avery's logging camp, in Thurston County, Wash. Cue morning recently the camp cook heard the cat mewing at the open kitchen door and purring in an iuvitiug way. Investigation showed the coou with his front feet on the doorstep iu apparent indecision as to whether freedom was worth giving up for his new partner. Every day since the coon has come to the cook's tent to play with the cat, and present indications are ennn hanmn.-v onfil'elv do mesticated. Origin of the Frankfurter. The little sausage known as "frankfarter" and "wiener" was offered for sale for the first time in 1S05, aud the oentennal was observed in Vienna by the Butchers' Guild. Til? inventor of the sausage was .Tohann Lahner, who named it for his birthpiaee, Frankfurt. The business founded one hundred years ago by a poor man has yielded a fortune to its various heads. It has always remained in the same family, and is now conducted in Vienna by Franz Lahner. a grandaephew of the original frankfurter sausaga man.? Vienna Neue Frsi? Presse. MAKING WESTERN i.K* . \ '.. X?<?.W V. V I&??> v"*" ' " ** ,) "* IRRIGATION FLUME CARRYIK / THE PYGMIES OF THE CONGO. For years we have been aware of the ictual existence of a race of pgymies In the interior of Africa. And now, authorities on the subject have expressed the belief that in this little xnown race of black dwarfs, hidden to-day in the fastnesses of the tropica! forests of the Congo, but in past centuries probably far more common and widespread, we may have the origin of the dwarfs of tradition. Sir Harry lohnston, the well-known English exDlorer. made famous by his classic dis :overy of the okapi and by liis researches among the ape-like little black people, is of this opinion. The human type, in all probability, first emerged from the ape in Southeastern Asia, possibly in India. The higher types forced the negro from the continent in an eastward direction, across the intervening islands, as far as Australia, and westward into Africa. Even to-day ape-like negroes are found in the gloomy forests, who are doubtless direct descendants of these early types of man, who probably closely resembled their simian ancestors. They are found on the eastern border of the Congo woodland and in other portions of tbe Congo basiD, and the attention of scientists was nrst called, to tbem by Johnston, Grogan and Sharpe. They are often dirty yellowish brown in color and covered with a flue down.. Their faces are fairly hairy, with great^prognathism, and retreating cbins, while in general they are unintelligent and timid, having little tribal cohesion and usually living upon the fringes ^f higher tribes. / \ j" ' , /V : r??itri j--n?niiiii rrn'niMiO f >" " ' . r ' J. \ > - V V CONGO PYGMIES TRAVELING Among the latter individual types of the lower order crop out now and then, indicating that the two were, to a certain extent, merged in past ages. Whence the pygmies came or where they originated is unknown to us. In the hieroglyphic records of the Egypt* <ono on/1 rtflior oii/itatrf nonnlp fl TA ,1P counts that prove conclusively that the dwarfs existed in Africa at that time. However, from native traditions gathered by Schweinfurth, Junger and other travelers, it appears that the little people occupied land as far north as ihe western Nile water shed, and were driven thence by invasions of larger blacks. To-day they are confined to the Congo forests and to such portions of these as extend toward the Nile water shed and into Cameroon and French Gaboon. There seems to be some connection between the pygmies and the bushmen of South Africa, and if this is true it gives color to the theory of the former wider occupancy of the continent by the dwarfs. Traces of pygmies have been found in Europe. and whiie there is no absolute proof of a prehistoric, universal, dwarf people, there is some ground for belief in the truth of this, and the acceptance of this theory furnishes us with an explanation for the general occurrence of the mythological dwarfs in human folklore. The existence of the pygmies is of the rudest; they do not practice agriotiUiirA and no domestic animals. They live by menus of hunting and snaring, eking this out by means of thieving from the big negroes, on the outskirts of wbofee tribes they usually establish their little colonies, though they are as unstable as water, and range far and wide through the forests. They have seemiugiy become acquainted with metal only through contact with superior beings, and their weapons were formerly of wood or stone only. They live in little conical huts about four feet high and four feet in diameter, constructed by thrusting withes in the ground, tying them together at the top and thatching them with leaves. Each man usually has but one wife, the couples housing together in a single hut, but as soon as a child leaves the mother's breast a separate hut is constructed for it, and as we can imagine, some of tliese are absurdly tiny. The women are said to be affectionate and make dutiful wives, sometimes marrying into the tribes of the larger negroes. The dwarfs Iiav= no separate language of their own, but speak, roughly, the dialects of the neighboring tribes of large blacks. While in the forests they are usually absolutely unclothed, but they adopt sufficient covering for decency when they come into contact with others.?Scicntiflc American. DESERTS FERTILE iG WATER OVER A HILL. ?From Outing Magazine. A HAHDY CANDLESTICK. The hunter of experience has learned that an oil lamp or lantern is bulky and nine times out of ten leaks out and runs over its duffle. A large number have come down to the candle, which, never leaks and does not take ? ? \ W V vH U i ill 1 ,? i 1 I '' ^ fig^ L ;HG3 ;FI<il up much' room. It furnishes enough' light for one's tent, as little light is necessary. Tbe folding candle lantern is very good, but if it should break or be lost tbe bircb bark candle-stick is tbe next best thing. This candle-stick can be made In five minutes. It can be made FROM AFRICA TO EUROPE. in almost any part of a forest, as birch can be had at almost any time. The construction is as follows: Cut a stick about one foot long and one inch thick. Split one end down two inches and sharpen a point at the other end, as shown in Fig. 1. Then peal off a piece of bark two inches wide and four inches long, as in Fig. 2. Bend the bark to the size of the candle and slide it in the split stick, and your candle-stick made. It is then stuck in the ground in any part of the tent desired. The longer the stick the higher the light will be.?E. M. Johnson, in Forest and Stream. A HOME-MADE TALKING MACHINE Would you like to make a talking machine? If you have a toy trumpet put the small end iu your mouth aud your two hands over the large, or funnel end. Now blow through the trumpet, and open and rhut your hands once quickly. The syllable "ma" will be sounded, and if you repeat this in a quick succession the word "mamma" will be spoken by the trumpet It may have a strident nound, but it will, nevertheless, be a spoken word. Another good imitation of the human voice, says the New York Evening Mail, may be made by taking a large empty spool and stretching across the hole at one end two rubber bands. The bands must be close together at their edges, but must not overlay. You can HOME-MADS TALKING MACHINE. tack or tie the ends over the side of the spool. When you blow through the other end of the spool the bands vibrate like the human vocal chords and make a sound something like the human voice, which will change according to the force with which jou blow. China has ten railways in operation, with a total mileage of 228;!, or about oae-tenth that of Gre^t Britain. SOME QUEER COMPETITIONS. Frog: Catching: Contests, Prizes Given For Singing: Larks and Other Odd Struggles Are Closely Fought. T Silverton, in Devon, they ^ frequently have cock crowO Z\ O ingcompetitions. TheownX Jft<ers of the birds take them to the village schoolroom and set them crowing one against another. In the last competition there were few of the cokerels requiring encouragement; in fact, the difficulty was to get them, to stop at all. The -winner succeeded in crowing fifty-one times iif seventeen minutes. For some time before the cock crowing competition. begins the birds are fed in a special manner peculiar to each owner; the secret of the art of feeding is very closely guarded. For about three weeks prior to the compe titiou the food is carefully dosed, and made as stimulating and exciting as' is possible. When the bird is sent to the show a timekeeper stands in front of it during the crowing contest; he marks the number of crows and the variation of notes in a given time, which is generally fifteen minutes. Paris has just had a cock crowing competition open to the whole world. The birds in the Paris competition are brought by their owners in darkened boxes. As each competitor's turn comes the cock is suddenly taken out into the light of day and placed on a platform. The bird imagines that he is tbete to herald a supposed dawn, and begijos to crow vigorously. At the same moment a special timepiece is started. The utterer of the greatest number of cock-adoodle-does in a quarter of an hour is nliamniAll me oue WU1CU 1? IHUtiaiWCU . chanticleer. At Huddersfield they have an association for the promotion of lark singing. The association has now been in existence for about tw#nty years, and last year 313 birds were entered for the various competitions. ^1: each "sing" about fifteen birds are entered. These contests, together with lark breeding, form a very attractive hobby to many people in Huddersfield and the surrounding villages. The manner In which such- competitions are managed is very interesting. As a rule, the, birds are kept for a considerable time in the dark, and when the competitor's "turn" comes he is brought in his darkened cage before a mirror. Light is thrown upon the mirror. and when he sees his own reflec tion lie takes it to be a rival. After about half a minute in which to scan the "enemy," his cage is taken i-? front of the window. AsN soon as this takes place he bursts into song, spreading his wings and singing for a considerable time.' Still, he is remarkably sensitive while singing; the least thing, such a9 taking out a pocket handkerchief, may put an end to his lay. . The bird also abhors a noise, so absolute quiet must be maintained in order to give him fair play. Last year three birds sang for about ten minutes without cessation, thus gaining the , championship. Frog catching contests are just about the newest thing in these competitions. The greatest struggle in the "fancy" occurred a short time ago, and resulted in a victory for .Tames Ahern, who recently won the fishing championship. Thp froe catching challenge was is sued by John Leger, who last summer caught thirty contralto, sixteen soprano, ten tenor and twenty-seven bass frogs in three hours. The conditions of the contest stated that any frogs whose legs were under two inches should not be counted. Altogether, about 200 men went down to the ponds chosen at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and the contest lasted for two hours. The contestants had red flannel for bait, and were armed with small shotguns and clubs. The first frog captured was a large one of the bass variety, and he was felled.with a club. When "time" was called the winner of the competition had nineteen frogs. In some variations of frog catching contests the expedient of spearing, frogs in their holes is sometimes resorted to, but this is not a very successful method. After the competition mentioned a prize nedal was given to the winner at a dinner held in his honor. Plowins contests are quite common in the couutry. The man who was best known as the champion plowman won about $10,000 in prizes. This was Jiui Baker, of Ipswich. Being a thrifty man he amassed a comfortable competency as a result of his success in these competitions. A novel competition was recently started by a Newfoundland fleet during fishing. This was a competition to see who could eat the largest quantity of salted cod. The winner iu this case was seized with a terrible thirst; he drained off a decanter and fell unconscious to the ground. The contest proved fatal, inflammation of the stomach being produced. The members of the Hoxton Constitutional Club have taken part iu a novel prolonged smoking competition. Seventy of the members were each supplied with an eighth of an ounce of shag tobacco. The object of the competition was to decide which could keep his pipe goiug the longest, uo second lighting being allowed. The winner, a gentleman named Mr. Sanderson, succeeded in keeping his pipe going for one hour and ten minutes, so he was proclaimed the victor amid loud cheery. In a similar competition h?ld at the Sboreditch Constitutional C'ub this performance was eclipsed. The win ner of the first prize succeeded .Hi keeping bis pipe alight for one hour and twenty-nine minutes, during the whole of which time he was smoking continuously. A cigar smoking competition has taken place at a club in Thailfingen. In this case the object of the competition was to decide who could smoke a cigar for the longest possible period without letting, it go out. The prize winner succeeded in smoking his cigar for seventy-four and one-half minutes. Not one of his competitors had a record of oier one hour. Coaling contests often take place-between British warships. The world's , coaling record belongs to the battleship Mars, however. She took aboard somewhere about 1570 tons at an averagerate of a fraction above 241 tons an hour. This is a great advance upon. the record of 212 tons an hour established by His Majesty's ship Majestie a short time ago. Quite the biggest competition is a battleship building competition which has been entered into in the United States of America. The Government naval yard at Brooklyn is competing with the Newport News Shipbuilding Company as to which can build a battleship the best and most cheaply. The time limit is forty-five months, and President Roosevelt will be the judge. In this case the stake amounts to the gigantic sum of $500,000.?Pearson's Weekly. . CHANCINC PLANT LIFE, -fl How Luther Burbank, the Famous Horticulturist, Accomplishes Hit Ends. The processes by which he (Luther Burbank, the famous horticulturist) works are not new or peculiar. They are in accord with well-known and unalterable laws of nature. The principal methods used are selection afxl crossing. Nature is using these same processes ~ every day. The bees and the wind carry the pollen of one flower to fertilize another, thus bringing about the crossing of species. The struggle for existence, and a thousand circumstances of growth and development, tend to weed out the unfit among the plants, leaving the best to survive. This is selection. But where nature's operations are largely left to chimceand accident, Mr. Burbank gives them intelligent direction and his results are sure and immediate. r ., He takes two plants whose life * habits, structure and environment may have been wholly different. He brings them together, implanting the pollen of one upon the stigma of the other. As a result the species are throfla in. a state of perturbation?set to "wab^ f i bling," as it were. The life tendencies are broken up by the shock. v| The plants resulting from the crossing may resemble one or the other of the parent plants. These are not important. Some of the plants will combine the best qualities of the parents; from these improved varieties of fruits and flowers are produced. Some of the plants will be different from either parent?perhaps unlike any: other plant in existence; from these unusual variants new plants may be developed. He selects his original subjects from* far and near. He brings a raspberry; from Siberia to combine it with ft blackberry from California. He brings a plum from China or Japan to combine it with a native apricot. Au experiment is built up on the foundation of a common wild flower, as the daisy, for example. . In another exnB?im0nt n flnwpr from Australia maji be used. He brings a cactus from Centra! America to cross with a species. from Arizona.?Success. Would Yon? If you were the hired girlWould you like to serve Ave breakfasts between 7 and 8 o'clock and be ( rebuked if they were not all hot and . crisp?' Would you like to warm up dinner, after your dishes were all washed, to oblige a careless member of the family who had not been working, but had merely stopped for a little longer chat with a friend? Would you like to hear your mistress discuss your shortcomings with every stranger within her gates? Would you feel inclined to handle sil- ' verware, cut glass and dainty china with loving care when the room >a , , which you rested and slept looked either like a poorhouse dormitory or an Incipient rummage sale??Buffalo Courier. ~~ v He Was No OrultholosisN Witmer Stone, one of the heads oI ^he Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science, lias gathered together what is probably the finest collection of stuffed birds in America. '-jj woe eli/wrHnor hif^S lUl. OIUI1C tl ao ouvir tus w.kMv the other day to a Pittsburg millionaire. There were thousands of lifelike feathered creatures, ranged in line on lines of cases, and Mr. Stone could not help praising them with much ornithological warmth. "Yes," he ended, "this collection of stuffed birds is worth some thousands of dollars." "Is it possible?" said the millionaire. "Why, what are they stuffed with?"?' New York Tribune. I<aagii anil Grow Fat. Dyspepsia is ciaimed to be systematically cured by laughter. It is stat- <*ed that a Paris doctor, in return for a large fee, admits patients into his private institution, where the mirtli treat inent is administered. A tew dyspeptics sit around a room and begin to smile at each other. This smile, once begun, must never be allowed to fade away. On the conIrary, it must be developed by will power into a grin, and the grin must become a guffaw. Then the patients must go ou laughing until their sides, ache. A course of a week or two of the' treatment at the rate of a couple of hours' giggiing a day is said to be sufficient to cure the worst cases of dyspepsia.?Chicago News. It Wag Hard Work. A man arrested for murder bribed an Irishman on Ihe jury with $100 to hang out for a verdict of manslaughter. The jury were out for a long time, and finally came in with a verdict of manslaughter. The man rushed up to the juror and said: "I'm obliged to you, my friend. Did you have a hard time?" '"Yes," said the Irishman. "I hail. The other eleven wanted to acquit yerXew York World. Chimney Stacks Left Standing. Souie curious beliefs still liuger in. country parts. For instance, in Hertfordshire wlien ancient bouses are destroyed. tbe chimney stacks are left intact, tbe popular theory being that tbe houses are still in existence, while Ibese remain standing. This may be a survival of some ancient but now almost forgotten legal ligbt.? London. Chronicle.