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u U -uni itittt one m •very ten of the world’* workiugwomeu supports her busbund. England has ninety-four unirer*!- lie*, whiio the United State* bare four time* a* many institutions of learning that claim the nutns of university. An ifficer in the British army thinks that docks would be preferable to pigeons for carrying naval dispatches over the *ea, because they would drop down and sit on the water when tired and resume their flight after resting. For iwo years the' Hydrographic Bureau in Washington has been try ing to learn something of the char acteristics of the Atlantic Ocean as a great moving body of water by means of bottles. As a result it has been as certained that the whole Atlantic is slowly circulating round and round like an enormous pool. One of the flourishing industries in Cairo, Egypt, is the manufacture of paint from mummies. The mummies arc ground to powder, and this pow der is mixed with oil. Thus, solilo quizes the New York World, Pharoah’s dual may adorn the side of a house, while great Caesar’s clay is only stop ping a bole to keep the wintry wind awav. There is now conclusive evidence l oat on the site of London there once roamed the mighty mastodon, the ele phant, the rhinoceros and the hippo potamus. In making excavations for sewers, a short distance from Regent** Park, workmen recently discovered the tusks of a mastodon and remain* of other pre-historic animals embedded under three strata of earth, aggregat ing more than twenty feet in depth. Similar remains have been found else- where in England and all over the north of Europe. Bones of snob carnivora us the lion and the tiger have also been found far northward in Europe, clearly proving, declares the New York News, that wonderful climatic changes have occurred ever •iuce the appearance of mamma lian life on the earth. Afterward. We know not the sweetness of rest Until we hare shivered with pain, June’s rosea seem all the more fair After Winter’s cold darkness and rain. We know not the jewel to prize Until we have counted the cost— We know not how deeply we love Until the loved we have lost. We know not how dear was that form, Till stilled by the ravishing breath. We know not how sweet was that voice Until it is silent in death. Life’s sunshine seems all the more bright, When shadows its splendor have crossed— We know not how deeply we love Until the loved we have lost. —[New York Advertiser. A GENUINE HERO. A “wreck chartof the Great Lakes" lias been prepared and issued by the United States Weather Bureau, allow ing the places at which the principal shipwrecks upon the great inland sea* of this country have occurred during the last seven years. These disasters were 147 in number, and a description of each is appended, with dates and losses. These latter amount to $2,95^595 and 257 lives. The object of tills graphic cuiupilatioh isTb show what are the most dangerous points along those coasts, information having value both for the navigator and for the government, which establishes lighthouses and life-saving stations. The work is so valuable that one won ders that it has never been undertaken before. This, however, it is under stood, is only one of the ways in which Professor Harrington, chief of the Weather Bureau, has been extending the advantages of the service which be directs to the enormous marine in terests of the Great Lakes. When it is borne in mind that 30,000 horses have been taken ofl city car lines to make way for improved methods of traction during the past few months, the plaint of a New Jer- gey horse brush manufacturer who has unburdened his mind on the sub ject can well be believed, admits the Boston Transcript. His trade, which has been a flourishing one for many years, has been steadily and of late rapidly falling off, and he attributes the decrease to the installatioa of electric and cable car lines. He puts the decrease in the horse brush trade generally in the past few years at 20 per cent., and for this ho gives two spcJlic reasons: “In the first place,” he savs, “not nearly so many people keep carriage horses as formerly, be cause they have rapid transit. Then again, horse car lines, which used to make a big market for our brushes, have been transformed into electric lines and our trade is cut oft.” Although Patagonia has long been such a ierror to the ordinary traveler, the name of that country being asso ciated with monsters of cruelty wh kill strangers without the slighu- compunction, Jonathan C. Davies. Welchman who has managed to 1 for sixteen years in Patagonia, 1. just issued a little book in which i gives a lot of interesting informaii<> respecting a Welsh colony that wa- planted in Patagonia in 1859 by Rev. M. D. Jones of Bala. The first set tlers numbered 150, but the present 5 opulation of the colony is about 000. The aim of the founder was to secure a tract of land for Welshmen who leave their native land to form a settlement together, instead of scat- j •eriug about among strangers in all ;>arts of the world. The colony is set- , -si in Cbubal Valley, which is about i : ty miles long and four broad, and i-.ell protected by ranges of bills. It uasnot until 1877 that the colony showed signs of prosperity, and even now the colonists have to struggle with fear* and dangers that would daunt any but a hardy and determined neonle. A sky of opal and gold, a deep trel- lised veranda, a novel, and a hammock slung at the most comfortable of angles. With these conditions it was scarcely strange that Halcyon Hartford swayed delightfully between dream land and the real world that June afternoon, with the fleecy gold of her l.air, all guiltless of pin or comb, and the bell sleeves, falling enchautiugly away from her round white arms, while one trim slippered foot hung from the edge of the hammock. “HalcyonI Halcyon! Where are you?” It was one of those exasperating voices which, once having been sweet, had now a vibrant jar to its tones, painfully akin to shrillness. Halcyon frowned a little and raised herself on one elbow. “Ob, Aunt Hal, don’t scream so! I was just in such a dreiraof de light.” “Well, you should have answered, then!” Aunt Hal came out of the wide, shady hall with an effusive swing of her draperies, and seated herself in a bamboo chair close to the hammock. She was comically like her niece— at least, as much as a woman of 38 could be like a maid of 18. There was the same yellow luxuriance of hair, but harsher, drier and suggestive of dye; the same pink and white com plexion, artifically heightened; simi lar features, cruelly sharpened by the inexorable hand of time, and teeth just one degree too white and regular to be real. The white dress she wore was pain fully trying, and she was compelled to use gold-rimmed eye-glasses as she held up a letter to the view of her niece. “What has happened?'’ drowsily demanded the latter, lifting a pair of blue eyes, fringed with dark lashes. “The strangest tiling!” “Another offer of marriage?” haz arded Halcyon, settling on the unlike- liest thing which could, in her opinion, happen. “How did you guess?” with a little exultant cackle. “Exactly. The dear, foolish lad—and he so much younger than I! Why, he couldn’t have been 21 when he went to Bom bay, and I was at least 30 then—” “Thirty-five, Aunt Hal,” said Hal cyon, the merciless. “Was it as much as that? Well, he seemed desperately in love, then; though of course I never took any notice of the child. But I suppose iu that country of blackamoors one can’t- help thinking about all the women one has ever known at home; and he has written me two or three letters—” “Has he?” Halcyon sat straight up In the ham mock now. Her blue eyes glowed. The heat had brought a flush to her cheek which all Aunt Hal’s carmine sauce* 4 could not rival. “But I never told you,” said the older beauty, “because I lemembered that there was a sort of boy aud girl affair between you and Charlie Bies- fiou, when you were at boarding ■cbool, and I thought you would be nettled. And here’s the proposal a 1 lust, deer—with his photograph en closed.’' “Lei me see it” What a brave, good face it was— slightly older aud sterner than she had looked upon when the Avancaniau sailed away three years ago, but yet so strong and manly! She laughed hysterically. “Shall you accept him?” Aunt Hal nibbled coquettishly atthe edge of the envelope; the new false teeth gleamed iu a smile. “I—think—1—shall!” “Aud you fourteen years older than he is!” “People don't think about such things as they used to,” reasoned Miss Hartford the elder. “Eros is immor tal, you know.” Halcyon sank back into the ham mock and reopened her book. “You must do as you please, of course,” said she. “After that quota tion about Eros, 1 have not a sugges tion to offer.” “Jealous, poor darling!” thought Aunt Hal, with a thril. of pity. And she said: “Well, of course one can’t help those things happening to one, and your time will come soon, dear, never fear.” “It’s a good thing,” she added to herself, “she does not know any thing about dear old Judge Flostroy. There’s a difference iu age, if you please, and the old pet U so infatu ated about me! An old man’s darl ing or a young man’s slave—which?” While Halcyon thought on her eid«: “The *illy gooee! He ho* done it now! He ha* been making love to Aunt Hal, thinking he was courting me. Oh, I thought he kuew her name wo* the same as mine- Didn’t *he ataud godmother to me at St. Chryso- line’s and give me a coral and bell* and an embroidered christening robe? And now he has actually proposed to her! Weil, if he is the man I take him to be, he’H stand by his colors, cost him what it may. A man who could walk up to the cannon’s mouth at Bey-Idouna surely won’t shrink, even from Aunt Hal. And I’d rather know that he was a true hero th-than have a poltroon for my husband!” And Halcyon turned her face tow ard the pillow, and cried great spark; ling tears like dewdrops. • •****• “So you’re back again, Lieutenant? Beg pardon, I’d orter said Colonel, I do suppose,” said the old cab driver at the station, whom Charlie Blessou had remembered ever since he was a child. “Well, I declare, I shouldn’t hardly have knowed ye! Aud come home to be married, eh?” Blessou bit his Ups, but he laughed carelessly. Jonas Hopper was a privileged individual, like the court jesters of old. “How did you know. Hopper?” “Oh, I dunno. Miss Hartford, she’s been gettiu’ ready to be married, this long time,” said Jonas, hoisting the Colonel’s luggage on the back of the wagon. “And dressmakers and mil- liners they will talk, you know, though I’m told Miss Hal took great pains to hide it.” “Did she?” (Aside: “The dar ling.”) “And a fine woman she is. Colonel,” officiously added Jonas, as he pushed in the last iron-clamped trunk. “A very fine woman, considerin’ her ajfe. I wonder she ain’t married long ago.” Col. Blesson opened his sleepy black eyes wide. “Why. man, who in the world are you talking about?” “Why, Miss Hal Hartford, to be sure.” “Miss Halcyon or Miss Haliiana?” “There ain’t no Miss Haliiana,” said Jonas. “They’re both the same name; but we call ihe aunt Miss Ha and the niece Miss Halcyon. My daughter she’s lady’s maid there, aud Id’d orter know, if anv one does.” “Aud which of u is it that is going to get marrieu.'” breathlessly queried Blesson. “Why, the old ’un, in course! Beg pardon I” hurriedly added Jonas. “I mean Miss Hal. P'Hv she tells me there are twenty-fou. .ifl'erent gowns ordered, let alone the jackets aud parasols and ten-button kid gloves fit to make your hair stand on end.” “And Miss Halcyon—the young lady,” cried the Colonel—“she is en gaged, too?” “Not as any one knows on. That all, Colonel? Got your telescope bag? Then we’d better be movin.’ ” Col. Blessou pondered seriously all the way up to Hartford Cedars, ob livious of Jonas’s incessant stream of talk. Could it be possible? No, that was utter nonsense! Aud yet— He strained his eyes as he ap proached the house. Surely golden haired Halcyon would be there, smil ing, to meet him! But no. In her place stood a mid dle-aged charmer, rouged and pow dered, with hair gleaming meretri ciously, and teeth just a size too large for a thin-lipped mouth. In one hand she held his love" breathing le tter, in the other his pho tograph. And during that second his heart sank like lead. Ho did not know—ah, how much more difficult would it have been to bear had he known !—that Halcyon Hartford’s eyes were surreptitiously watching him from the honeysuckle- garlanded casement beyond. “Dear Charles,” the elderly damsel said, “you are here at last.” He set his teeth, drew one long breath, and allowed her to slip a ca ressing hand through his arm and lead him into the house, muttering some hoarse acknowledgement of her coquettish smiles. “I’ve brought this upon myself,” he thought, “and I must endure it. The lady is not to blame—no, she is not to blame.” “He is a hero,” Halcyon thought— “yes, a hero.” And then she burst into a passion of tears and ran upstairs to room. “But now I’ve got you fairly here,” lisped Aunt Hal, more determinedly youthful than ever, “I’m really afraid, dearest Charles, that there’s a great disappointment iu store for vou.” “Eh?” The young man had sat down in a rather listless manner. Aunt Hal held on to his hand, still all teeth and me have my photograph • ring at maid an- if you wilt" let back.” Just then there came the door below as the nouuced: “Judge Flostroy, miss, please.” Before the slow and ponderous steps of the approaching visitor could reach the room, Aunt Hal had thrust the photograph iuto Blessou’* hand. “A-hem-m-m!” sonorously coughed the luminary of the Superior Court. Aunt Hal tripped smilingly for ward. “Glad to see you, Judge,” she cooed. •This is my old playmate. Col. Bles son, just arrived from India. I dare say, Colonel, you’ll find Halcyon somewhere about the house.” “Disposed of in short order,” mut tered Col. Blesson. “Great heavens! what have I done to deserve such luck?” Two hours afterward the young lovers sat on the veranda, watching the evening star rise over the hills, while the Judge’s basso profuudo voice still rolled in the sitting room like distant thunder. “But wasn’t it a narrow escape?” gasped the young Colonel, holding the girl’s slim hands iu his. “Would you really have married her?” Halcyon asked. “As a gentleman there was no escape for me under the circum stances.” “But would you really have married her?” “Yes, I would!” with sternly set teeth aud knitted brows. “Then I’ll marry you, Col. Bles son,” whispered Halcyon, “because you are a genuine hero, aud because,” with an arch glance, “I really think you need a wife to take charge of you.” “After the episode of today,” said Col. Blesson, “I really think Ido.” Take, for insta and-thread tnj luxury and the to your tree anl threaded all real may seem to us,l Needle and Thread Plant. That there are more wonders on the earth, in the sea, “beneath the earth,” aud in the sky above it than ever Horatio imagined is a well known fact which thatavorthy’s must ardent admirers will Inot attempt to deny. , the famous needle- Imagiue such a lights of going out plucking a needle for use! Odd as it here is, on the Mexi can plains, just Inch a forest growth. The “tree” 'Way not exactly be a tree in the truo/seiise of the word, partaking as iC does more of the nature and characteristics of a gigan tic species of asnaragus. It has large, tWbk r _fioeihy leavjos, such as would re mind one of the! cactus, especially of the one popullrly known as the “prickly pear. The “needle: thread tree these thick, obtain one f it is only nec gently back (this to loosen j side covering pull itgentl) operation is fan of ro of the needlc-and- along the edges of leaves. In order to quipped for sewing y to push the needle uto the fleshy sheath rout the tough out- the leaf), and then in the socket. If this perly carried ouf one hundred or more fine fibres adhere to the thorn likl so many spider webs. By twisting the “needle’’during the drawing opentiou the thread can be made of anyljlengih desired. The action of thenir on (he fibre* tough ens them am«ingly, a thread from it not [argUFThan common No. being capable of sustaining a weight of five pounds, about three times the tensile strength of common “six-cord” spool cotton.— [New York Journal. smiles. “And I may as well tell you at once,” said she, “that I’m engaged to Judge Flostroy of the Superior Court. Of course, if I had known of your attachment in time, there’s no say ing—” “Oh, pray don’t let me interfere with any existing arrangements,” said Blesson, jumping up eagerly. “Per haps, under the circumstances, you Finest of Persian Carpets. There is now to be seen in London what is declared to be the finest Persian carpet iu the world. This is the Holy ' Carpet of the Mosque of Ardcbi in : Persia—a carpet which for size, I beauty, condition aud authenticated i age is said to be unrivalled by any known example. Its dimensions are 31 feet 6 inches by 17 feet 5 inches. The groun 1 of the body of the fabric ; is of a rich blue, covered with a floral tracery of exquisite delicacy. A centre medallion of pale yellow terminates on its outer edge in sixteen minaret- shaped poin s, from which spring sixteen cartouches, four green, four red and eight cream, and from two of these are suspended, in the direction of the respective ends of the carpet, two of the sacred lamps of the her own mosque. But the most interesting ' detail is the pale cream cartouche placed within the border at the upper end of the carpet, bearing an inter woven inscription, which is thus translated: “I have no refuge iu the world other than thy threshold. Mv head has no protection other than thy porchway. The work of the slave of this Holy P.ace, Maksoud of Ivashan, in the year 942.” Now, 942 of the Higira is 1535 of our era; so that the carpet was actually inexistence, in the Mosque of the sacred city of the Suf- favivan Dynasty, when Queen Eliza beth sent Anthony Jenkinson on an •■ntbassy to Shah Tamasp. Carpets Hius signed and dated are extremely :»re and arc historically important, but a carpet not only dated and -igned, but of such size and beauty a* tit is, is said to he something unheard f before-—[New York Post. RUSSIAN WEDDINGS. Curious Customs That Date From m a Remote Antiquity. A Woman Mediator Brings About Marriages. The choice of a bride in some parts of Russia is still accompanied with many difficulties. The customs which are observed rigorously by the fami lies of the lower classes would certain ly embarrass au American swain, or indirectly create a large number of young “Lochinvars of the West.” “Iu almost all Russia,” says a recent issue of “LTtalie,” “marriages are brought about by means of a woman mediator, known as the ‘Svakha.’ As soon as the choice is made the Svakha puts on her best ‘bib and tucker’ and proceeds to the home of the future bride. She makes her entrance in as dignified a fashion as possible, salutes the ikons aud begins to speak of various things which seemingly have little relation to marriage. She says, for instance: ‘Where there is no snow, it is difficult to follow tmeks; but today snow has fallen aud it is easy to find the way to a marriageable maiden.’ Or, she may say: 4 A white swan has escaped from the house; is it possible that it fled to you?’ It depends upon the answers of the parents of the young girl whether the mediator becomes more specific and speaks to the point, or withdraws from the place. If the negotiations end desirably, the suitor takes courage to visit the young girl, to become better acquainted with her and her surroundings. “In some provinces, for instance, iu the Government of Volagda, this visit of examination on the part of the suitor becomes an elaborate cere mony. The family of the bridegroom, under the leadership of the mediator, proceed to the house of the bride. The mediator, without much ado, commands the bride to spin. If the visitors are satisfied with the talent of the girl for weaving, they ask her to walk about the room to see whether she limps. The prospective, or rather possible, bride and groom, are then placed side by side to see whether they are mated as to height. If one of the young persons happens to fall short of the proper length of body there is always great hilarity among the members of the two families. . “In almost all the so-called ‘Great Russia,’ the surrender of the bride as- summes, in a way, the character of a sale. The money and objects of various kinds which the groom intends to present to the parents of the girl are the subject of long discussion. “ ‘We can consider the affair closed?’ asks, for instance, the father of the suitor. “ ‘I am agreed,’ comes the answer. “ ‘ How much will you give me in cash?” “ ‘Fifteen roubles.’ “ ‘ That is no money at alL ' I re ceived twenty roubles when my oldest daughter was married, and then times were hard.’ “ ‘I shall add a fur mantle,’ comes the reply. “ ‘Keep your mantle. My daughter has one.’ “Thus the conversation proceeds until the marriage terms are settled. But the customs at the marriage are equally queer. A few days befoqp the weddjafc* the bride is taken to bathe by Bier friends aud companions. The soap used at the time is a present from the bridegroom. The bathing sponge, through which ribbons are passed, is carried on a long pole in front of the bride. The young woman sings as the procession advances. The platform of the bathing house is sprinkled with beer. It depends upon the odor from the beer whether the groom is to be a henpecked husband or not. As soon as the bridal procession enters the church on the day of the wedding, the bride aud bridegroom I start down the aisle in a mad race, i There is a tradition that whichever one places the foot first on the cloth iu front of the altar is to be master iu the house. “Among other things, there are queer customs at the wedding dinner. When the wine is passed around, each guest tastes the beverage and cries out that it is bitter. That is the signal for the newly married couple to em brace one another. In some govern ments, the young wife is obliged to pull off her husband’s boots in the presence of the guests as proof that lie is master. A whip—placed there purposely—falls from the boot and the husband strikes the wife with it three times. After this greeting he kisses her. The Russian peasant values his wife for her economical ! properties.” Mercury Mining. The mercury mines of Almaden, in Spain, are at a short distance from the town of that name, following the val ley in a northerly direction. The veins of the precious metal are dis seminated a little haphazard, but those at present in working form altogether a zone stretching for a length of from 160 to 170 metres, and which ia only from 10 to 12 metres wide. The depth of the bed ia still for the reason that ifhca a vein H ex- \ hauated the depth of the well ia in creased in order to reach a new vein. Between the different workable reins there are beds of ores and rocks of different kinds; the average thickness of the unworkable beds varies between 10 and 37 metres. A curious feature is that the fur ther the distance gone, the quality of mercury improves and the quantity increases. In the tenth aud eleventh gallery (the deepest) the mercury runs, so to speak, from the rock as resin exudes from the trees; it can be gathered in small skin receptacles. The rock varies in color, and passe# from black to brilliant red; the more the color approaches red, the more the quantity of mercury increases. ^ cry often mercury is present under the form of cinnabar or sulphur. The pits at present in working number three. The other old wells have been abandoned, and only serve in excep tional cases. On delivery from the pits the ore is smelted in vast fur naces, with enormous cupolas, beneath which a tierce fire is constantly kept burning. Distillation is effected through a long and complete scries of tubes, formed of thick jars, with a long, narrow neck, fitting into each other. In the lower portion of these jars there exists a kind of small reservoir, where the drops of mercury produced by the evaporation of the metal in a state of fusion are condensed. These drops are then collected, and, with the aid of small pipes, stored in large iron barrels. A strong and penetrating odor, which irritates the eyes and nos trils, escapes from the jars aud bar rels. The production of mercury reaches about 55,000 to 60,000 frascos per annum, the frascos being enormous bottles of cast iron, which contain four arrobes of about 25 pounds each. Each bottle, which measures twenty- two centimetres in height by six in width, weighs, when filled, about 100 pounds. The workmen at present employed number about 2000. There are also a thousand workmen who are employed out of the mines with ma chinery, furnaces, transports and other works. — [Chamber of Commerce Journal. Olive Growing in California. O;ivo growing is now all the rage in California,and warnings are thrown out that the business is likely to bo overdone. In the neighborhood of Pomona, for instance, more than 300,- 000 trees have already been planted. It must be admitted that the Califor nians are prone to excess in the mat ter of fruit culture. During the last thirty-five years there has been at dif ferent times a craze to cultivate the grape, apricot, Bartlett pear, and other fruits, as if it overshadowed ev erything else in importance. The last fashionable horticultural fad is the olive. A writer on ihe subject points out that Pomona being the headquar ters for the sale of olive cuttings the conclusion that elsewhere in Califor nia the olive is as largely cultivated is unwarranted. He thinks that the distribution of cuttings may go on for years without danger of overstocking the market. Pure olive oil, he says, is hard to find in the United States, and in supplying it will consist the large profits of the growers. The imported article is ia most cases adulterated, and the admis sion is made that the Californian product is sometimes not as pure a* it might be, the high price of the oil tempting the dealer to fraud. Were the State law against the adulteration of olive oil strictly enforced, he says, almost every grocer would be fined or imprisoned. Of thirteen samples of California oil recently examined by the Board of Horticulture only two were found to be pure. The oil of sunflowers and cotton seed enters largely iuto the adulteration. — [Chi cago Tribune. . The World’s Steamships. There ate 1100 steamships travers ing the four great ocean routes. The first is that across the Atlantic, another is by Suez to India, China and Aus tralia. To go around the world that way lakes eighty or ninety days and covers 23,000 miles. The passage money is $1000, and the traveler who wishes to go in comfort and ease should take auothet $1000 with him. Another sea route described is that by which you start from San Francis co and sail around the American con tinent to New York. The journey is 16,500 miles long, it takes 100 day to cover it, and the fare is about the same as that around the world. To go around the Cape of Good Hope to Australia and back around Cape Horn is about 25,000 miles, and can be cov ered in eighiy-one days. The cost is only $750. — ^Seaboard. Cheap Lodgings. Old Gentleman—Where do you lodge? Tramp—I lodge where I get board. Old Gentleman—Ah! And where do you get board? Tramp—In a lumber yard [New York Weekly. The American Sunday-school Union tince its organization has established 86.000 Sunday-school*. Humming-bird Song. Hummlng-hfad, Not a wonr Do you say; lias your throat No sweet note To repay Honey debt* It begets When you go On the wing Pilfering To ami fro? X May be you Whisper to Bloom and leaf On the vine Secrets tine In your brief Calls on them, Winged gem. Not a word You reply! Off you tly, . Humming-bird! — [Frank D. Sherman, in Independent. HUMOROUS. There arc two places where it re quires an effort to keep one’s balance —on the ice aud at the bank. Mamma—And now, Eddie, can you tell me what velocity is? Eddie— Yes. That’s what papa let go of the hot plate with today. He—Are you happy now that you are married? Site—Comparatively. He—Compared with whom? She— Compared with my husband. Miss Goldbug—I wouldn’t marry you, sir, if you were as rich as Croe sus. Mr. Hardrow—Well, that’s just the difference; I wouldn’t mary you if you weren’t. Attorney—Sneaky sort of man? What do you mean, sir? Witness— Well, sorr, he’s the sort of man that’ll never look ye straight iu the face until your back’s turned. Wynch—So poor Staggers has shuffled off the mortal coil. Lynch— No. As I understand it he tried to, but the boys had the rope too firmly secured around his neck. Mary had a little pug. But not as you suppose— Because it’s not of canine breed; The pug is iu her nose. Young Smith (telling the news to his grandmother)—Wrinkle, the gro cer, baa busted. Grandma—La mo! who’d a thought it? He was one o’ the skinniest, boniest men I ever laid eyes on. She (in affright)—Oh, Tom,why do you make such awful faces at mo? He (contritely)—I can’t help it, dear. My eye-glasses are falling off aud I don’t want to let go of your hands. “Browning, dear,” said Mrs. Emer son of Boston to Iter husband, “what is a cutaneous pastime?” “A cutane ous pafltime JL Jqy<il , «^l y^r-r y--! ^ such a thing.” “Well, I heard two men on the street car talking and ono of them spoke of a skin game.” “Literature certainly rnns in the Greensmith family. The two daughters write poetry that nobody will print, the son writes plays that nobody will act, and the mother writes novels that nobody will read.” “And what doea the father write? ” “Oh he writes checks that nobody will cash.” Marriage in Japan. A Japanese wedding iu high life is a pretty ceremony. Though no vows are spoken, nor has the church nor re ligion any part in it, the rile is, novor. theiess, solemn and impressive. There are ten bridesmaids gayly at tired in costumes of the “Japs.” Two at a time enter from opposite direc tions, and salaam each to the other, until the entire party has passed iu, each kneeling opposite her companion. The parents of the bride aud groom now enter, those of the groom at tho left, aud those of the bride at tho right, and are seated near tho brides maids on either side. The bride, attired in a snowy, filmy dress and closely veiled, now appear* leaning on tho arm of her affianced, while the bridesmaids salaam. The go-between assists tho bride to a seat i by her parents, and the groom to ono near his. Tea is then served by tho go-between, three cups being given the parents of the bride and groom and to tho happy couple. Each of the bridesmaids receives one cup. The go-between joins the hands of the bride and groom, aud the latter leads his bride to the front and whis pers in her ear a promise of faithful ness. The bride whispers iu return, and they exchange seats to show the union of the two families. A simple repast is now served, and the bridal party disperses; the bride and groom leaving first, then their parents, and lastly the bridesmaids, salaaming as they go. | The go-between is generally a friend of tiie groom. In courtship she settles the question aud arranges and assists in the marriage ceremony. — [New Y'ork Recorder. He Thanked Her Too Soon. “Have you anything for mo thi* morning, madam?” asked the hungry Higgins of Mrs. Glanders. ‘ T Yes, I have a nice cake.” “Oh, thank you very much.” But the tramp fled when she bandog him a cake of soap.— [Harlem Life. Bismarck’s favorite dog i* a bull terrier that ia said to possess far more ’ than the average canine intelligence, j