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TH ti LCHW BIRTHDAY By MAY C S?ll? HE, with her sweet young enthusiasm, told them of the first Christmastide - of the Christ Child cradled in the manger because there was no room . in the inn; of the Christmas carol of peace and good will sung by the an gels to the shepherds watching their flocks by night. Clarice's face was rapt; her eyes adoring. Of all the teachers in the Sunday-school, none was so lovely as her own Miss Maud. She was certain that the Christmas angels had the same shining yellow hair. Did they wear those fascinating gold hairpins, too? One was slipping out from the soft fluff over Miss Maud's left ear. If only she dared tell her! But that morning she had asked the awful privilege of holding Miss Maud's mun* --a rich sable with a beautiful bunch of violets fastened to lt-and there was no courage left for further inti mate speech. Suddenly the spell was broken; and Clarice turned with angry jerk from the object of her . worship, and fiercely Bcowled at an inoffensive little girl scated beside her. . . "Excuse me," meekly apologized Agnes, the nev/ scholar. ; Clarice drew her light blue silk ' Bkirts away from the dingy brown cashmere touching them; held herself very straight; and, with a superb dig- j . hity, sniffed the violets on the muff. "And now, my dears," said Miss Maud, "as you know, Wednesday will be another birthday of the Christ Child, and who wants every one here j - to give Him a present-just as you j would give a present to your own little brother on his birthday at J home." She smiled radiantly. "Do you wonder how you can do that when the Christ Child has become a King in Heaven? I'll tell you. He left in His place all the poor little girls and boys in this big world, and told ns that in giving to them we give to Him. Not fa' -.waj is a great hos pital * for little children who have crippled legs and arms, and poor, crooked backs, sick children who can't run and play, but have to hobble about'On crutches or lie In bed all day. Wouldn't you like to make their Christmas so happy that they'd forget their pain?" Her smile gathered up their eager nods of assent, as a golden thread gathering pearls. "1 knew you would. Well, I'm going to tell you a secret." She leaned confidentially near. "Tho .day before Christmas we're to have a d?ar Utile service down here, and over there on the platform will be an empty manger, and, as we sing our Christmas carols, we are going to march up to the manger and each put in a gift for some little Christ child at the hospital. Won't we have a jolly time deciding what to bring! Wiry, it. wili be almost as exciting as -if -ever?, girlie off you were,, playing Santa Claus!" Again Clarice's smiling face was clouded by a scowl, and one rude elbow poked the new scholar's arm. "Clarice?" exclaimed Miss Maud, severely. "She's crowding me!" defended a sulky voice. Miss Maud looked up at the little brown figure shrinking back Into a corner. The child's eyes were lumin ous; ber face flushed, her lips parted. "Agnes was so lntectly listening to me that I'm sure she didn't realize that she was leaning against anyone. I'm surprised at you, Clarice!" A cheek hid its shamed crimson In the soft muff. To have Miss Maud ^sur prised" at you was Ignominy Itself! Her tears wet the violets. It was all Agnes' fault. She would never for give her-never! And whe.i Sunday-school was over and Agnes, with a timid smile, asked if she might walk up the street with Clarice, that unladylike little girl slipped her arm through that of her chum, Anabel, and, whispering and giggling, stalked by Agnes without a word. The tears came Into Agnes' eyes, for mother would not let her play with the little girls In the new neigh borhood into which they had moved, because the children there were rough and boisterous, and used naughty words, and she was very lonely. But she was a brave little soul, and dash ing away thc tearai she waa soon THE ANGEL AND And the ange! said v.nto them. Keai tid?u?s <; I. RINGWOLT. skipping along in the sunshine, think lng what a lucky girlie she wa3 to have two lively legs, and a straight, strong back. Agnes remembered the time, be fore dear father's death, when they lived In a cunning cottage of their own on a pretty avenue, but now mother and she had only one room at the top of a gloomy house on a forlorn back street. Still, as her feet clattered up the dark, uncarpeted stairs, her heart was full of happiness because she-had reached home at last-for even one room is home when mother is there. "Oh, mother," exclaimed AgneB, "I've so much to tell you!" And cuddled in mother's lap, an arm about her neck, a hand palting her cheek, Agnes sweetly prattled of the Christ Child of old, and how His birthday was to be kept by giving presents to poor, sick little children left in His place. "And, mother," she cried, "I'm going to give a doll just.like my own dear Peggy! Do you think, mother dear-Cl I sewed, too, you know-you could get the dollie dressed in time?" The smile faded from- mother's lips, and the arm about her girlie trembled. "My dear little Agnes," she murmured, with a catch in her voice, "mother is so sorry to disap point you." She paused, then brave ly went on. "Agnes has grown to be such a little woman that mother is going to explain everything to her. You know, dear, for three whole weeks mother had no work to do." "Yes," chimed in Agnes, gally, "and It wao just beautiful! We took lor.g walks, and, In the evening, in stead of the stuoid sewing, you told ' me the lovelist stories.!" "But, love," explained mouther, with a sad smile, "when there ls no work there is no pay-no money to buy anything to eat nor coal to keep us warm." HANGING TH "We ate every day, though, mother 1 dear, and most generally always we I had a fire." "Yes, dear, because a kind man let tf?r have all that we needed, and trusted mouther to pay for it when she got work again. So, you ses, Agnes, the money that mother is making now docs not really belong to us, but every cent must go to pay O;T debts." A small head solemnly nodded. "lt hurts mother very much not to give her darling any Christmas toys nor let her girlie's kind heart have its wish about the dollie for the poor dck little child at the hospital, but Agnes will try to be a good little girl about it, won't shs?" The arms about mother's neel: tightened their hold, but Agnes' mouth twitched, and she had to blink very hard to kesp back the tears. If she had no present to lay in the Christmas manger, how would the Christ Child know that she loved Kim? "Of co if rsc," she r.rgued to herself, "I could 'splain in my prayers that I had nothing to ?Ive." But had she nothing? Her face suddenly crimsoned, and a great lump choked her little throat. There was Peggy herself! Without speaking, she got down from mother's lap. and darted acros3 the room to her little bed. There, THE SHEPHERDS> . - - Albert KUelldl. . not; for, behold, I bring you good I' greal joy. propped up by a pillow, eat Peggy In a stiff pink calico dress. The curls had all boen combed out of Peggy's straggling hair; the roses had long ago faded from her cheeks, and In a sad accident Perry had parted com pany with the end of her nose. "You dear!" whispered Agnes. Her lips formed a determined line. How could she have thought of giving Peggy up! What would she do all day without a' dollie to play with? What would she do at night without a dollie to sleep on the pillow beside her? But how disappointed her sick little girl at the hospital would be Christmas morning when all the ether children had lovely presents, and she found that she had boen left out? Agnes stooped over the bed, gathered Peggy in her arms, and pressed her to her aching heart. . .*.*.. It was the day before Christmas, and the children had sung all but their last carol which they were to sing as they marched to the manger and laid down their gifts one by one. The door softly opened, and a little browr hadow of a girl with a small pink object hugged to her breast slipped timidly in. For a moment Agnes stood dazed, as if she had sud denly entered fairyland, for the bare walls of tho room were festooned with heavy ropes of Christmas greens, the shades at the windows were drawn, and all the chandeliers bril liantly lighted, while above the await ing manger shone a glorious electric star. Then, ashamed of being so late, she hurriedly tiptoed to her place, the vacant seat beside Clarice. Clarice met her with a cold stare, but the gaze of Agnes* eyes never reached the unkind little girl's face, for lt rested In fascinated awe upon a vision of beauty in Clarice's arms. It was a doll such as fairies might dream of. She had dark, clustering curls, arid magnificent brown eyes. Her cheeks glowed with color, and E STOCKING. there was the cunningest dimple in ber round chin. She was dressed in claret velvet trimmod in white silk, and wore a claret velvet poke bonnet with white silk strings and an ex quisite white plume gracefully touch ing the brown curls on tho right side. And best of all, she had a necklace of gold beads, and gold bead brace lets dangling over her hands. "Ob," murmured Agnes, "won't your little hospital girl be pleased?" "My little hospital girl!" scorn fully whispered back Clarice. "You don't suppose I'd give my best doll away! Here's my present"-she held out a box of jack-straws-"Lady Lu For Farplly of^fw^ Oyster Soup. Gherkins^- Roast Ducf? >' Apple-and-Cclery Salad/. ^ Fbtafoes,Scalloped, with Grated Onioal Squash. % Plum FWing/Hard Sauce,] kTaoo^riocjQranoes, Graber ?o/fcf" elle and I simply stopped in." She airily tossed her head. "We're ou ourjway tu a Christmas Eve party." /Form in line, my dears," inter rupted Miss Maud, briskly. "Yes, our clas3 comes last, but you must sing all the time we're marching." The children's voices caroled joy ously as the procession pressed for ward, hut one little singer was mute. She was the last in the line, a little brown shadow of a girl with a small pink object hugged to her breast. Miss Maud stood by the manger, now heaped with all sorts of playthings, and nodded and smiled as each wee member of her class approached. Puzzled, she watched Agnes pause, look at the manger with frightened eyes, and hesitate. Then she saw the small pink object lifted to the child's lips, and heard the sound of a smacking kiss of farewell before trembling hands laid a doll with straggly hair, faded cheeks and a broken nose among the new toys. "Why, my dear," cried Miss Maud, putting her arms about Agnes, "what is the matter?" A great cob bhook the tiny figure. "Tell me all about lt," comforted Miss Maud And Agneii brokenly confided the whole story. But as she explained how mother's money belonged to somebody else, and how ?she had noth ing to give the Christ Child except her only doll, neither of them noticed a little listener who drew nearer and nearer. "No, no," cried Agnes, "I wouldn't take her back. I want thc little h >3 pltal girl to have her-she'll 'predate Peggy's crippled nose, won't she?" Agnes forced a smile through her tears. "Only," she faltered, "it will be BO-so lonesome without anv doll-ie." Something tugged at Miss Maud's skirts. She turned, and with a start of surprise, looked down Into Clar ice's eager face. "I've lots more at home, you! know," she whispered. And. laying Lady Lucile in Agn?s' astonished anns. Clarice ran after her chum, Anabel -Tho Interior. SPLENDID BARRACKS OF THE MORRO CASTLE, THE NEEDLE-EAGLE. Hzd How It Pounces Upon thc Poor Baa-Baa. This is quite a startling exhibition >n account of the lifelike Qualities of he eagle, which really soars into mld lir up the mountain crag after the iefenseless sheep. The eagle may reach its prey or { lover about it in the air In an unsuc iessful attempt as long as the youth !ul operator wishes. How It Looks to the Audience. A small toy theatre stage presents the best setting for the trick, al ihoughit can be done on an ordinary :able, but with the stage setting by far the best effects may be obtained. You can easily fashion a set of mountain scenery by cutting out mountains from colored pictures in old magazines and setting them up either in the slits of the stage or on small wooden stand mounts if you have no toy theatre. Two "wings" of mountain scenery will be enough - that is, the front wing which ls the mountain side in the foreground, and the other "wing" made up of the hills in the back ground as shown in the picture. Now cut out a very small picture of a sheep and paste it on the "wing" In the foreground at point A. Now cut out a small eagle from fine tissue paper. A small sowing Hov/ It Looks to You. needis-riboald;.be procured. Thread it vs|?fi*-a piec?of fine "thread about a foo&rin lehgth/-iind run it lengthwise through the b?dy'ofthe paper eagle. The most important thing of all to secure -is a very strong magnet. You plac? the theatre pr table in such a way as. to enable you to stand direct ly behind'the stage, where you can use both hands at the same time. Tak? -the. magnet in your right hand and place lt. at the point marked A behind the mountain and out of sight of the audience. The needle-eagle starts to fly to ward the Invisible magnet. You in stantly - check its flight by pulling backward; on the thread, the. end of which you have grasped in your left hand. ? Now .you gradually move the invis ible magn?t upward in the direction indicated by the dotted lines. The astonished audience sees the eagle slowly fly up tho mountain side. This se'entfng miracle is easily aecom plished/by1 holding the thread end so .that the attracted needle-cagla will Lbe just far enough away to get the full strength df the hidden magnet's I HINDOO NAUTCH GI? mm wW?m Improved Wrench. The tool illustrated in thc accom panying engraving embodies several improvements over the ordinary wrench, lt is provided with oppositely, disposed jaws, tho jaws on one side being set at an angle, so as to per mit of using thc tool in corners or places that would render thc usa of the ordinary wrench inconvenient or Improved Wrench. impracticable. The improved wrench ?3 of.;"t?i3 quick acting _typc. The shank-of the tool ia provided with a Axed head, and is formed with a recessen which a half thread is cut. Tho movable jaws carry a feed screw adapted to flt this threaded recess. The A.feed screw is mounted in a hinged -carriage cr frame, and when PORTO RICO REGIMENT NEAR SAN JUAN, P. R. attraction without quite being able to touch it, and as the magnet is raised upward behind the mountain the eagle naturally arises with it. The audience sees only the eagle, and, of course, is greatly mystified. If your hand is steady you may di rect the eagle's flight at will, being careful to always keep the magnet out of sight behind the scenes. Philadelphia Record. Trance Makes Girl Taller. The case of Clara Konter, the eigh teen-year-old girl who became un conscious recently, is growing more peculiar. The father of the girl said his daughter had grown fully two inches taller in the past three days, and every dress she has worn is too small for her. "The girl is now perfectly ration al," said Dr. C. P. Kerr, who exam ined her. Ho advised the parents that the girl should not be spoken to on tho subject, and even the county detectives, who have been prying into the case, were forbidden to question her. .- Pittsburg Telegram to the Philadelphia Record. A Good Trick. Draw a big U on cardboard or stiff paper and then, with a sharp knife or scissors, cut it out. Laying it on the table, ask who can, in two cuts, divide it into seven pieces. That seems a difficult thing to do, doesn't lt? But lt is quite easy. The picture shows how you may do it. First cut across from 1 to 2, which will divide it into three pieces. Then place the pieces side by side, and one cut where you see the dotted line will give yov seven pieces.-Good Literature. A Slight Mistake. Young Hopeful - "Mummy, have gooseberries got legs?" Mother-"No, dear." Young Hopeful-"Then I've swal lowed a caterpillar."-The Tailer. In Paris last year 49,298 horses were killed for food, which was 5000 moro than the previous year. These animals yielded 26,600,000 pounds of meat. ILS AND MUSICIANS. engaging thc threaded shank is held in place by means of a spring latch. When it is desired to quickly adjust thc wrench to the work tho Trame is swung upward, so that the screw will clear the frame, and the movable jaws may then be set to any position desired.-Scientific American. His Lucid Answers. They were asking the cminnnt law yer why he took so large a Iee from tho Trust. "I think it was its largeness that, made it easy to take," he smilingly answered. Then the State's attorneys con ferred. "And didn't you stop to consider that the money was tainted?"' they asked him. "No," ho ingenuously replied, "1 only stopped Lo count it." This closed the proceedings Cor the day.-Cleveland Plain Dealer. Vessels movo faster through deep water with the r.ame amount of power. New* York City.-The fancy blouse hat ?3 made with Ceep girdle, so glv ng a modified directoire effect, Is one hat will have great vogue through ?ut the season, and this one is charm ngly graceful and attractive while it s simple at the same time. In thb llustratlon it is made of crepe de ?hine with trimming of applique and memisette and sleeves of lace and he girdle is of messaline satin. It is appropriate, however, for almost all reasonable materials, and can be va ried in a great many ways. If the sleeves of lace arc not liked they can >e made to match the blouse, or they. :an be made of chiffon, marquisette >r other thin material in matching j ?olor, while the chemisette either can j )e made of the same or of white lace j is Is most becoming. For the trim ring any finish that may bo liked can ie utilized, and the season ls slngu arly prolific of bandings, appliques md lace of all sorts. The girdle also ?an be made of silk or soft ribbon, nrlth. its ends finished with fringe weighted with tassels or with cro :heted balls or in any way that may 3est suit the special gown. The waist Is made with a fitted lin ing on which the chemisette is ar ranged, and there are also closely Titted sleeve linings which serve asa support to the full ones, and the blouse itself is made with front and back portions. The lining and the [douse both are cut off slightly above the waist line, and are joined to a foundation girdle, and over this foun dation the draped girdle and sash are arranged. If the long sleeves are not liked they can bc cut off in three quarter length. The quantity or material required for thc medium size is ene and seven eighth yards twenty-one or twenty four, one and three-eighth yards twenty-seven or one yard forty-four Inches wide, with two and seven eighth yards eighteen inches.wide for the chemisette and sleeves, two and a half yards of banding, two yard: twenty-one inches wide for sash and girdle. Tics in Irish Lace and Net. Extreme narrowness, the width hardly moro than half an inch, char acterizes a new and vcr:" smart ac cessory for drear with blouses and shirt waists. A fine babj Irish inser tion, a latticed pattern, is used for it, with wee foMs of ncc on either edge. This is won around tho i'oe'e ?ike a watch chai'., the two owls hooking together at the bust under :i pleated bow of v.bX combined wit-' Irish lace ind ?n'?h?d off with W't?i - l lassels. About Hatpins. Hatpin heads for a while grew larger and larger, until they resem bled the tiny butter plates once uni versally used. Indoor Gowns. Palo blue crepe de chine, pastel myrtle green chiffon voile, pale mink brown marquisette, pale tan chiffon broadcloth, embroidered transparent white voile - these show one tho trend of colors and m?terlals that will be selected for dressy Indoor gowns. Coral the Udor. One sees coral tints everywhere. Sometimes lt will be a wing In fla mingo tones, as a -decoration to a hat; another time the lavelllere ls mounted with this semi-precious stone (coral), and again lt will be masses of flowers alive with this color-the tones running from palest coral to deep geranium red. Six Gored Skirt. The gored walking skirt that gives long and slender lines ls the one greatly In vogue just now, and this one ls graceful in the extreme. It can be trimmed with the single wide band of contrasting material as Illus trated, with a band of the same or with a succession of narrow bands or rows of braid applied on the same lines, or lt can be finished with a hem only, all these styles being equally In vogue. Again, it allows a choice Of the inverted pleats or habit back so that lt can be made to suit all figures and all seasonable materials. In the illustration it is made of one of the new bordered materials, and the bor der is cut iff and applied to form the trimming jand. The ski;t Is cut in six gores, and there consequently is a seam at the centre front as well as one at centre back. When the habit back is de sired, the fulness Is cut off on Indi cated lines. The band which forms the trimming is arranged over the skirt and is mitred to conform to the indicated shaping. The quantity of material required for the medium size ls seven and a half yards twenty-four or twenty seven, five yards forty-four or three and three-quarter yards fifty-two inches wide when material has neith er figure or nap; five and three-quar ter yards twenty-four, five yards twenty-seven or three and a half yards forty-four inches wide, three yards fifty-two when material has neither figure nor nap with two yards twenty-four, one and a half yards twenty-seven, three-quarter yard cither forty-four or fifty-two Inches wide for the Cold.