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LOVE AND TURNIPS. Hi« n»mn was John Goodwin Emer* sou,and his works and days were these; tending a pegging in ichine in a New England shoe shop,and thinking much of Pstienoe Lovering, tho primary school teacher. When tho sis o’clock whistle brought welcome release from the weary clatter of the pegging ma chine, he betook himself to the society of Pstienoe or books. That is, Patience would not always receive him, and then he read books in a species of mad fury. I’atienfw Loveriug seemed in some manner above him. He knew this, and hud wisely thought to raise him self to her level. Finally the time came when the word that was in his heart came out, aud npon u suitable occasion he told her that ho loved her, and had hoped to make her his wife. The result was peculiar aud most unhappy. This modoru maiden met hive’s advance with a kind of iron- ciad common sense, and bluntly told hi in bis income was lusuflicieut. Her own earnings were enough for her support mid a little more. She lived in comfort and had some leisure, to say nothing of an occasional taste of the drama and music. As his wife she would have none of these, besides many household cares, and that sort td thing. Did she not love him? She looked at him with a aad smile, and said, **l util not say whether I love yon or not; perhaps—perhaps not.” Seeing that he was greatly cast down, she added, playfully, "Am I not worth ''Wienfagr Why you nortsyr* ’•What can I do?” said ha bitterly. "1 am only a mechanic.” •She made no reply for a moment, and then she said, slowly, "That is nothing—I mean, it is nothing against you. The point is that you must be more. Tt is not for me to say what or how. You are n man. I make no promises, but you may w in me — if you can. ” With this she turned away quickly aud walked on along before him, leav ing him standing in the middle of the rural lane where they had beeu walk ing. He saw her put her hands be fore hor face, but w hether it was in shame or grief ho could not tell. It was both; shame that she had been forced to speak so plainly, aud grief that—But, really, her grief was so mingled with other sentiments, that it was part sorrow aud part hope. The young tuau gazed after her till she had disappeared, and then he turned aside to the stone wall that bounded the lane, nud looked out over tho wide expanse of a very fine turnip field. There wore millions of turnips in majestic row, rank beyond rank, their plume-like leaves waving as an army with banners. Of these ten thousands, one alone attracted his attention. It was u mighty turnip, fair to see, and of goodly size ami shape. It was the king turnip of the field, and the disconsolate lover stud ied it with interest. It is a curious (act teat sometimes, when the mind is sttHeiiug from a shock or sudden revulsion of feeling, the most trivial things absorb the at tention. It is as if the will was too weary to trouble itself about dire ting the mind, and any chance object ab sorbed tho whole attention. The yonng man considered this superior turnip with profound interest. Why was it so mighty while all its million brothers were no more than ordinary taroips? Truces of an old compost heap near by seemed to explain the turnip’s glorious proportions. Atones his mind skipped nimbly to the fu- I til re. It Mils turnic, '..» in shape hi> » ^ , wctv HHifptt-d l.»i‘ would iioi' ii- vt-i'd retain something of its noble proportions? it tnu tittest were made to survive, would not a su perior race begin? Having con-idered those deep aud momentous questions for some time, the young man turned away and went tiome. feeling much better. Such is the effect of labor, particularly mental labor, on sorrow. The next day they both resumed their labors iu school and shop, and none guessed that aught had passed between them. Months passed away, and already the winter was far spent. She taught the infant mind, and he tended the pegging machine, and it seemed as if all were lost between them. Wait! The spring sun already mounts the sky, though the wind blows sod the snow flies. It was the 15th of Febru ary when the young man went to the savings bank bp4 drew out som** money. He rainnr.imred the days when he had saved these dollars for another purpose, aud now it was all over, aud he might as %ell spend the money in another direction. Before night be bad purchased two hot-bed sashes, a load of stable manure, and s few boards. From these he constructed s hot-bed, «uch as he had seen gar deners make for early lettuce. Two days after, be found a chance hour when the wind was lolled, and be opened the hot-bed. The soil was soft and warm, like a bit of spring laud in the midst of snow. Taking a paper from his pocket, he began to sow a quantity of seeds—white tu*- nip. Now it happened that the yard where he worked was next the street, at the side of the house where he lived with his mother. He was aware,after u while, that some one had stopped in the way aud was looking over the fence at him. Little caring who it might be, he went on with his labor. Presently there was a little cough—a highly suggestive cough, full of curios ity and dashed with pique. Ho looked up. It was Patience Lovering. "What are you doing?" "Sowing the seedsof good fortune,” said he gravely. "Dear me! how interesting! Have you any of that kind of seed to spare?” "No. Bat yon shall have the whole crop. ” "Ah! thanks. Yon are very kind. I hope it will bear 'some an hundred fold, some two hundredfold.’ " . He stoodfcwp and looked at bar, vfitb a new light kindling in bis eyes. 1 "1 hope it will be a thousandfold, if yon will necept it.” Thia disjointed speeeh he uttered with ill-suppressed eagerness, and sin- observed it, snd blushed. Nothing more passed between them save a few commonplaces, snd then she moved on, and he fluished his work with re newed hope and courage. Weeks grew to months, and still he tended the pegging machine, and slowly added to his savings in the bank. With all this, he was not pa tient. Ho had not Patience, and yet she daily walked before him. Thus was he doubly sorrowful, for he had neither the woman nor the virtue. He cast about iu many ways to see where by he might better himself. More over, ho rend books, end thus, while he knew it not, he grew in mental stature. Meanwhile the turnips grow. They sprang up quickly iu tho gentle heat of the frame, nud, acting on the ad vice of a gardener in tho neighbor hood, and such books on horticulture ns he could find, he transplanted the tiny plants to small flower-pots. As they grew Im removed them to still larger and larger pots. When the spring came he hired a few rods of ground outside the town, and iu June removed the turnips from the pots to the open ground. Ho gave each tur nip thr e square feet of space, and he iliggt-.l about each plant and enriched it to the utmost. Thu result was as he expected. In August ho had some hundred or more most mighty turnips. The like hud never been seen iu all the land. In nil this Patience Lovering took no interest. She could not under stand it, and she bad belied her name. She bad become weary of waiting. Instead of leaving his pegging ma chine and starting out in the world to make his fortune, after the man ner of the various knights of whom she had read, be went to that dull shop every day— and cultivated Hump-. The truth is. site was blind. Sue x.i« u<>; Ihc cords of duty that bound the young man to his pegging machine, that his widowed mother might live in decent comfort. With the summer came her vacation, and she went away to the sea-shore for a little pleasure trip. It was her first journey away from home, and it is small wonder that she met and was da/.zled by a creature of seemingly fair si .pc. He made love to her, and —poor little goose!—she accepted him without even asking whereby be earned the wherewithal to be clothed in such gorgeous apparel. There is a trace of the eccentric in every mind, and the wise virgin who counselled her poor lover accepted a rich one without a question. She returned to her native shoe town with a diamond ring and announced that she would teach school but one year. Suddenly there appeared in the town a creature new to the experience of the sober inhabitants. The yonnger feminine populice declared it was "Patience Lovenug's bean.” So it it seemed to the cultivator of turnips as he came home from the shoe shop and met Patience on the man’s arm in broad daylight. He bowed to her us they passed, but she only replied with a distant nod. The young man stood for a moment gazing after thorn, and then be hastened home aud put on his best suit as if to go oak No, he would not. She would not listen to his warning; she would probably resent it. There was nothing to do but to miller in silence, and to be as patient as he might. Thou came another surprise. Pa tience Levering, the wise aud sensi ble school-teacher, suddenly resigned her school, was married at the minis ter’s hom-e, and went away before the village had time to say a word. After that the tongues wagged nimbly, but the young man minded his pegging machine, aud kept his thoughts to himself. Again the advancing sun warned of spring, and the gardeners got ready their trarnes. The young man selected from his monster turnips a number of the bi-st, planted each iu a large flow er-pot, aud put them in a new hot bed- Day by day he watched them grow, tending them with minute care and persistent nursing. They reward ed him abundantly, and by April showed signs of throwing up flower- stalks. Patience Loveriug disappeared ut terly. It was said she had gone to Boston, bat some said it was New York or London. Yet one remem bered and knew, because be still loved her; but be held his peace—for grief. At last it came—the harvest of seeds. He had now seeds of the mon ster turnipa By every means possible he kept some of the turnips back late into the summer as samples of tha variety. He called it the Friend Turuip,” with a touch of sen] iimeut and he took pains to make if known that he had seed of this sa- perior variety of tnrnip for sale. He raised a new crop in the same man* tier ns before, aud at the horticultural exhibition he exhibited the "Good Friend, "greatly to the astonishment of the rural mind. The like of these tur nips had never beeu seen, and every farmer for miies around was in want of the seed. A ceratin seed dealer came anxiously to the house one even ing, and asked the price of the whole lot of seed—about half a pint. The young muu suddenly changed his tac tics, aud said that there would be no seeds of the "Good Friend’’ for sale till another year. The result was that every one was tho more eager to pur- chase, and the young man took orders for the next crop of seeds, at the rate twenty cents for s single seed. The snow covered all the land and blocked the railroads in every direc tion. It whs past nine o’clock when the last train came in from the city, four hours lute. Tho passengers strug gled sleepily out of the snow-covered cars, and stood shivering in the deso late station, fearing to venture into the deserted streets of the town. The tall shoe shops stood grim and white jU the night, their many windows, dull like glazed eyes, staring out on the night and storm. "All out John?” said tho station- inuster to a brakoman who had passed through the train. "No; there’s a woman asleep here. What shall I do with her?" "Rout her out. We can’t stay here all night.” The brakemsu did his duty ss kind ly as he knew, and the woman took up her child, wrapped it in a faded shawl aud stumbled out of the car,and crept along the platform to the street door. The station-master stood by the door, keys iu hand, as if to lock up. The woman paused • morubnt at the entrance of the deserted snow- covered street, and asked if there was a cheap boarding-place near by. The man knew of none, save the hotel up in the town, and then he moved the door as if to urge her out into the street. She took the hint and went out, and she was alone in the streets of her native town. She tried to re call the houses and streets, but could make nothing familiar, so greatly had everything changed. She walked on for some time, little heeding or caring, so long ms she went on from the terror behind. She ’ passed several streets and then saw • light, and going toward it, found it was a warehouse, where tho clerks were still busy long into the night. By ; the aid of tho street lamps she made oat the figure of a golden tnrnip, with this legend beneath it—"The Good Friend.” Suddenly the door opened and some one came out and started to walk briskly up the street. It seemed as if her knees gave way beneath her,and she sank down in the snow. "My good woman, it is late to be out. Why do you not go borne? Ah ! pardon me. Perhaps yon aro ill?” He took a match from bis pocket, aud when it blazed up he held it close to her face. She tried to bids her face with her arm, but he gently drew it away. Stuld-nly there whs a loud call,and—that was all she remembered, till some time after she was awakened to sense and feeling by warmth and light She was upon a bed, and an elderly man stood over her with a bottle and spoon in his hand. Seeing that her eyes wandered, he said: "Never fear; I am the doctor. The child is safe.” She sat up on the bed. and looked round the room. "This is not the hospital?” "No; something better. Drin.. and yon will soon feel stronger.” She drank,and then lay back on the pillow aud tried to recall her scattered thongbts. On the wall was a litho graph of a number of turnips—absurd aud monster turnips, tit for the feed ing of a mighty family. Besides there were pictures of other vegetables, and all of inordinate proportions. Sud denly she laughed, aud then tears came. It was all so strange and so wildly improbable. There were footsteps in the room, and she listened eagerly. A shadow fell on the bed, aud some one stood before her. "Patience.” She was startled and turned away in mingled shame and grief. It was true; it was his house, his home, and — Ah I there was another near— a woman. "Patience, do you not know me?” What coaid she do or say? Her mouth was parched, and the aobe chocked her speech. She did noth ing, till at last he took her hand, then her thin fingera tightened roanj his as if seeking help, protection, for giveness—everything. But that wom an—who was she? "Mother, she knows me. Please leave her to me.” Her fingers tightened closer on his and there was a movement of the arm as if to draw him nearer, till at last her head was pillowed on his arm. For a moment she lay thus in silence, while the tears flowed. At last she said, slowly; "Can you forgive me, John?" "Forgive yon? Yes, and more. Now that i have you safe, you shall never more leave me.” "But, John, he—” "He is dead—ho was killed in some xtreet brawl yesterday. It is in all the evening papers.” (She ueiiner cried nor iu any man ner noticed this, save to say sadly: "I am glad. He—be was not a good man. I loved him once; but it is better so." Then he found words to say all that had been in his heart all these years. She heard it all in happy silence, and then she said, with a quaint trace of her old manner: "How came you so rich, John? You are well off. I see it plaiuly.” "Turnips, my love, only turnips. The house of ‘Emerson A Co., Seed Growers and Dealers’ is founded on turnips. You shall have a quarter section of a Good Friend Turnip for dinner as soon as you are able to come down.” Strange Use of Gunpowder. A peasant woman in the village of Slsvyansk has a daughter, aged 10, who recently suffered from some affliction of the eyes. She cousnlted a "wise woman” iu the village, who gave her the following advice. She told her to procure eome gunpowder, put it in the child’s eyes and apply a match to it. This advice the mother implicitly followed. The writer of the letter states that he was passing the house at the time, heard the report and went to tee the cause of it. He found the room full of smoke, and wbeu this had cleared off the wretched child was seen lying in agony with two cavities where once had been eyes.—London Lancet. More Execution. Mother—When the boy in the other house threw stones at you, why didu’t you come and tell me? Bobby—Lt .?anse,mainma,Ican throw them back better than yon. He’s more likely to get hit.—Hartford Times. OlUIDD THK SNOW BIRO. When all the ground with snow is white. The merry snowbird comes And hops about with grea‘. delight To find the scattered crumbs. How glad be seems to get to eat A piece of cake or bread. He wears no shoes upon his fi>et Nor hat upon his head. But happiest is he, I know. Because no cage with, burs Keeps him from walking in the snow And printing it with stars. —Frank Dempster Hherman. THK JAPANESE NEW YEAB. The Japanese literally "turn over a new leaf’’ on New Year’s day; the house is cleaned and swept, new gar ments are made, the family shrines are brightened up. All debts are paid, and even tho streets are elaborately decorated with bamboo, pine and other native plants aud festoons of tiny oranges. The national flag—the rising sun on a wnite ground—floats from every house-front; the girls, iu their best clothes, powdered aud painted, play battledore aud shuttle cock, the boys fly kites—great mon sters painted ou paper stiffened by bamboo strips—aud tbe very small childreu play with pretty balls made of cotton aud wound with various- colored silk threads. All work stops, aud for three days presents are ext ..tuged. These are usually sweetmeats put up iu decorated boxes of wood or paper.—Chicago Record. SNOW-YACHT OF TUB BASSWOOD. Have you ever seen the snow-yachts of the basswood? Almost any breezy day in early winter they frolic swiftly over tbe snow in the parks or in the wpods. There is a fanny little brown ‘sail about three inches long cnrled at the edges and looking very much like a dried leaf. At the center of this there is a stiff stem with several little green balls hanging at the end of it When tbe wind blows it catches the sail and whisks it over the suow or ice, and the balls are dragged along behind, like anchors. This snow-yacht, sail and all, grows on the basswood tree in the summer. The balls aro the basswood’s fruit aud the sail is a little bract. It huugs fast to the limb until all of tbe leaves are gone and good sleighing comes- Then the winter winds twist it off, and it falls to the surface of the snow, to be driven far away from the parent tree. In the little balls arc the basswood seeds, and when tbe yacht is finally lost in a drifted fence corner or near n rotton log the balls remain still until the snow melts, and then the seeds fall into the ground and a young bass wood sprouts. Nature has provided this marvelous way for the basswood to scatter its seeds, sometimes for miles across the suow. THE REWARD OF OBEDIENCE. An English paper revives the follow ing pretty little “story with a moral.” It is really tbe amplified version of a Persian proverb: A Persian mother gave her sou 40 pieces of silver and made him swear never to tell a lie. "Go, my son,” she said. "I commit thee to God’s care; and we shall not meet again.” The youth left the house and tbe party with whom he traveled were as sailed by robbers. One of them asked tbe boy what he had, and bo said, "Forty| florins are sewn iu my clothes." The robber laughed, feel ing certain that the boy jested. An other asked him the same ques tion and received the same answer. At last the chief called him and asked him what he had. Tbe boy re plied, "I have told two of yonr men already that I have forty pieces of sil ver sewn in my clothes." The chief ordered the garments to be ripped opeu, aud the discovery of the money proved the boy to be more truthful than most men. "How came yon to tell this?” asked tbe chief. "Because,” said the boy, "I would not be false to my mother, whom I promised never to tell a lie." "Child,” said the rob ber, "are you so miudful of your duty to your mother, and am I so forgetful Bt my age of the duty I owe to my God? Give me your hand that I may swear repentance on it. ” He did so and his followers, impressed by hia example, said: "You have beeu oar leader in guilt; be the same in the path of virtue.” Aud, taking the boy’s hand, they all took au oath to repent writing with secret ink. Borne of our boya and girls who wish so carry on a secret correspond ence with their friends should try in visible or sympathetic ink. A whole page may be tilled with writing sud still be entirely white, as if there wasn’t a word upon it. In this way it may be sent any distance, and no one can find out what it contains. But the person who receives it knows tbe se cret of "bringing out” tbe writing so that it may easily be read. One of the simplest of these invisi ble inks is a very dilute solution of sulphuric acid. Buy five cents’ worth of the acid at a drug store and pour iu a considerable quantity of water, at least three or four times as much as there is of the acid. Now, write with this solution, using an ordinary pen, snd blot the surplae "ink" ss you go along. To make the writing show black, all your correspondent has to do is to hold the letter close to a hot stove, when presto! out come the letters snd words one by one, so that they may easily be read. Another good secret ink, more diffi cult to bring o it than the one already mentioned, can be made by nsing a cheap solution of sngar of lead. To bring out the written words it is nec essary to spouge the letter with a solu tion of snlphuret of ammonia. Another simple secret ink is made of a solntion of ordinary starch. A letter written with thia will remain en tirely invisible until it is washed with a solution of iodine, which quickly brings out the writing. In using sectet ink it is best to write sn ordinary letter telling about tha weather and other unimportant things aud then between tbe lines write with the secret ink. This will serve to lead quite astray any one who sees the lat ter, because there could be no suspi cions of anything written between tha Hues.—Chicago Record. A DOO THAT CHEWS GUM. Black Michael, or Mike, for abort, s the name of a little cooker spaniel living in Lake avenue,near 46tb street, Chicago. He came all the way from Colorado by express, nailed np in a wooden box with slats across tbe top. On the side of the box was painted in black letters, "Please give me a drink," so that tbe baggageman would not forget him. Since he has lived in Chicago he has acquired the peculiar habit of chewing gum. It took him a long time to learn that gum is not to be treated as food, but it is to be chewed forever aud never swallowed. Before be learned tbe way of it he was very funny in his efforts to dispose of gnm as he was accustomed to dispose of everything that found its way to his mouth. The first time a piece was given to liim he chewed quietly at it for a min ute or two. When he found that it stayed just tbe same size sud would not separate, be treated it as he would a tough piece of meat, put his head low dowu and chewed with more energy. But nothing happened, the queer stuff still stuck together aud re fused to slide down his throat. Then he threw his head back and bit angrily at it, opening his mouth wide and coming dowu on it with all his might. During this lively process the piece of gum fell out of his mouth, and he lay down on tho floor all tired oat, and looked at the dented little wad in disgust. He is a gritty little fellow and he made up bis mind he would get the best of that stuff, whatever it wan So he soon got np, walked all around it as it lay on the floor, sniffing snspi- cioualy, aud then pounced on it sud denly. Of course, it stuck to his {law, and then he was angrier than ever. He finally succeeded in getting it off with his teeth, and then he went at it again. He barked londly, run ning aronud it and pushing it with his nose, but he would not give np, and after many triala he began to get the hang of it and to enjoy chewing it. The habit has grown on him steadily, and now he sniffs nnder the window sills and chairs, and if the small boy who lives in tbe same boose has left his gam sticking aroand, he is sure to lose it altogether. For Mike knaws it off, and patting his lit tle stubby tail down goes off to e corner, and for an hour is perfectly hsppy. ,