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,> t LIFE’S COMPLAtNT. Some murmur when their eky la clear And wholly bright to view. It one email 8|>eck of dark appear In their great heaven of blue, * And eome with thankful love are filled If but one etreak of light, On« ray of God'* good mercy, gild The darkness of their night. In palaces are heart* that ask In dixcontent and pride Why life is such a dreary task, And all good things denied. And hearts in poorest huts admire How love has, In their aid— Love that not ever seems to tire— Huch rich provisions made. •* The Foreman of the £ BT I'HAKLIH Jury. LEWIS. As the Lake Hhore train from the east rolled into Toledo one morning a dozen years ago, a detective was wait ing to see the conductor and make an arrest ordered over the wire an hour before. A detective who has been in the business for a dozen years seldom meets anything that surprises him, but as this officer was asked to arrest a handsome, w#!l-dre*sed woman on the charge of robbery, he opened hia eyes in amazement. There were two hand some, well-dressed women, and one aaid to him: “Officer, this person has robbed me of jewelry to the value of $6000 and I want her arrested at once!” The other looked at him in a cold, haughty way and made a gesture of contempt ns she replied: “Officer, this woman's charge is false, and if you detain me it will be at your peril!” “My name,” continued the first, “is Mrs. John Wickham, of New York city. 1 am on my way to Chicago to visit relatives. This person boarded the train at Buffalo, and wo became quite friendly. I bad the jewelry in a small satchel. Late last night or early this morning she obtained pos session of it. I wish to have her ar rested and searched.” “If you dare to do it I will have yon sent to prison!” exclaimed the other. Here was a straight charge and • Arm denial, and the detective was non plussed. If the woman had stolen the jewelry, she must have the plunder about her person or in her baggage. He asked her if she was willing to be searched* and she promptly replied: “Not only willing, but I demand it in order to clear myself. Afterwards I will deal with t^ia woman!” The two ladies left the train and were escorted to a hotel. Mrs. Wick- , . liimiiiiWiMk, : and a search of the other proved her innocence. None of the missing jewelry was found upon her. Bhe gave her name as Mrs. Taylor, of Buffalo, and she hinted that her hus band would demand the fullest satis faction for the insult forced upon her. By the advice of the chief of police, Mrs. Wickham attempted to get out of the affair as best she could, but Mrs. Taylor stood on her dignity and wanted $10,000 for her injured feel ings. She must either have $10,000 in cash or she would sue for $50,000 damages. Perhaps th^ two women might have reached some sort of a compromise but for the advent of Mr. Wickham. He heard his wife’s story about the loss of her jewelry, and realizing that he was in a box he tried a bluff game on Mrs. Taylor. He struck the weak spot at once by de manding her husband's address in Buffalo. She refused to give it, and .her refusal aroused suspicion that something was wrong. When pressed to give her identity she positively re fused, and the result was a formal charge and her arrest in due form. When the alleged thief was ar raigned circumstances were so much against her that she was held for trial iu the higher court. She continued to give the same address as at first, nud added that she would see the case through without any assistance from her husband. Her policy was one of haughty independence. Hhe bail a fine wardrobe, considerable jewelry, and was also bound for Chicago. Her cash in hand amounted to less than $1000, but uo sooner had she secured a lawyer than money was sent him to make a desperate tight for her acquit tal Wickham was not only au nggtes- aive man, but ho had to convict the woman or pay damages. He therefore aided the police in every possible way. Buffalo was turned upside down without finding a James Taylor to tit the case. Every effort was made to locate the woman, but beyond the fact that she had taken the train at Buffalo nothing could bo learned. There were plenty who said she was an adventu ress and was guilty of theft, but there many also who contended that she be longed to some honorable family, and was seeking to shield the name from ■candal by giving a false one and with holding information. She didn’t seem to worry at all during her commitment, and when the case finally came to trial she was iu the best of spirits. I am a quiet, steady man of family, not iu the habit of readiug the news- paxters much. If I had not been drawn on the jury for that term of court I doubt if I should have ever heard of the case. As a juror I had to listen to and weigh all the evidence, and for three days the accused woman sat within ten feet of me. The evi dence was purely circumstantial, but not particularly strong as circumstan tial evidence. Mrs. Wickham had section No. 7, and Mrs. Taylor had sec tion No. 5. Both had handbags. Mrs. Wickham had said nothing about the jewelry, but the bag in which it was stored had disappeared. There were only four passengers in the sleeper. The third was an old lady—the fourth the president of an eastern college, and therefore to be considered above suspicion. If the car porter had taken the bag he had passed it to some one dnring the night, but the defense did not even hint that he might have stolen it. It was a singular and yet a strong defense. If the prisoner preferred to fight the case out without revealing her identity that was to her credit, and could not be used against her. As she did not know the contents of the bag, why should she be tempted? If she had taken it what had she done with it? Hhe was perfectly willing to be searched, and nothing had been found. The old lady might have taken it by mistake—even the college president might have been tempted. There was the train conductor, the car conductor ami the^porter. As tne bag had not been opened by its owner be tween Ne\^ Y'ork and Toledo, how could she swear that the jewelry was iu it at Buffalo and beyond? Mrs. Wickham could only say that no one else but Mrs. Taylor could have taken the bag, and in all but one thing the prosecution made out a very poor case. The accused had persistently refused to reveal her identity. It was argued that if she were an innocent woman she would not do this. Hhe would give uo part of her history—say noth ing whatever except that she was the wife of a respectable and wealthy man. I had been made foreman of the jury, and when we retired I found myself halting between two opinions. No legal proof bad been advanced that Mrs. Taylor stole the bag, but if there was nothing wrong about her why should she conceal her identity? I was almost of the belief that she was an adventuress, but yet I had sworn to be guided by the evidence. On our first ballot we stood seven for convic tion and five for acquittal. On that ballot I voted for conviction, but five minntes later I was using arguments against such a verdict. Deep down in my heart I believed Mrs. Taylor to be the thief, but if we were to be guided by law and evidence she must headed and obstinate,aud we had been out seven hoars before one of them decided to come over to the majority. The other three vowed they would hang out till doomsday, and we put in a long night in the jury room. After breakfast the next morning I went to work at them in earnest. I am neither an orator nor a magnetic man, bnt I went over all the evidence and pre- v seated it, pro and con, in such a man ner that after we had been put about thirty hours a ballot showed that we were all for acquittal. This was the verdict announced in court, aud Mrs. Taylor was at once discharged from custody. Within two hours Mr. Wickham had compromised with her for $3000 in cash. As the days went by that verdict bothered me. Mrs. Taylor had gone to a hotel as soon as discharged, and Mr. Wickham had hired a detective to watch her. It was determined to discover her identity, if nothing more. The woman probably suspected that she would be watched. After a few days she went to Chicago, visited a lawyer’s office, a bank and two or three other places, and then bought her ticket for Bufialo. The detective had dogged her every movement, and she had made uo sign that she was aware of his espionage. He saw her leave the hotel in a carriage for the depot, .and as there was plenty of time he took a street car instead. When he went through the train she was not to be found. The man worked on the case for a week without striking her trail and was then hauled oft". When this instance came to my ears I was conscience-stricken over our verdict. The woman must surely be a sharper, and we ought to have strained a point and given her over to justice. Two months had gone by, and one evening I was waiting in the union depot at Cleveland for a train. I sat reading a newspaper when a woman dropped into the seat beside me and smilingly asked if she was mistaken in thinking I was Mr. So and So, of Toledo. I replied that there was no mistake, aud then recognized her as Mrs. Taylor. “I am so much indebted to you!” she said, as she held out her hand aud let her smile broaden. “About your case at Toledo?” “Of course. The prosecution had a poor case against me, but my lawyer was fearful of a verdict of guilty, be cause I refused to reveal my identity. It of course looked as * if I had somethiug to conceal.” “But you didn’t have?” “Didn’t 11” she exclaimed, as she laughed heartily. Buffalo, as yon live in claiaell asked. enot.” t your name Taylor?” 1.” jr I ask who you are?” because you proved your- riend in my hour of need, yon brought those four lows over to your way , and I am glad of this to show my appreciation ial manner. As to my half a dozen. As to make my living by my rere a man I’d be called self a I bear’ obstinai of thi opporti in a sn name, I who I ai wits. li a shai “Then ress!” “That term,” s! “And “I too! course, your own friend. are an adrentu- ACRICULTURAL TOPICS, y Good Barn Cat*. To make a oat a good mouser it should never be allowed around the house. To lie near the stove and be fed, without doing anything to earn its living, makes a cat lazy, fat and good for nothing. There are always in the barn enough vermin to give a good cat constant employment, and she will rarely need other food than what sho can herself procure. Such a cat is easily worth $10 to $20. On most farms tt will make big interest on these sums every year iu grain and grain bags and fruit which a good cat will save from being destroyed. i—you ped. presumably a correct ughed. ?” e bag of jewelry, of had no donbt of it in d, and yet you stood my ' Etroy all the I stole the bag while ground. The being made up at night on to a good friend of next car. The haul between us, and for for me I am going to ith $500.” red at her with month dering if I was awake d she took a pencil and eticule and said: nr home address and I oney by express tomor- her berth ami passe mine in divided $3i what yon present y I sat an wide open, or dreamin oard from “Give m will send ti row. “My hea really steal pered. “Why of plied. “And you “Without “And you you $3000 daiges?” tfOf course You Do Not Uestrojr the Birds. It is said that an ordinary caterpil lar increases 10,000 times in bulk thirtT davs from tne time it is hatched, that the food it grows on is vegetable, and that 10,000 caterpillars could de- grass ou au acre of insect population of a single cherry tree infested with aphides was calculated by a prominent ento mologist to be 12,000,000. Cultivated country districts are supposed to con tain from 700 to 1000 birds to a mile, each of which consumes hundreds of insects each day. If not wantonly de stroyed, the birds will keep the bal ance between plant and insect life. , woman, but t jewelry?” did you I whis- irse I did!” she re- *r adventuress?'’ ibt I live by my wits.” de Mr. Wickham pay I went on. didn’t suppose I’d let him off .ftcr all that trouble, do you? Whtiis the address, please? I am one who fehts her enemies aud rewards her frjnds. If you do not think $500 is wfficient, please say so and I will incite the amount.” I arose and wlked out of the depot without saying i word in reply—with out a look back it her—so overcome that I could hardly have given my name if asked f<r it. After wander ing around for ai hour I went back. To my great rejirf she had gon°, nor have I ever hea d from her since. —Atlanta Const tutiou. LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON. Lord Cochrane’* F ghting Boy, Five Tear* Old, Behaved Like Veteran. Lord Cochyme was one of the great est naval coimnauders England ever — ...... ■■ennjj s. engagement her navy, he folught an with his five-year-old son by his side. Lady Cochrane had to come from Hau- tiago to Valparaiso to see her husband off to the war. As she was looking out of the window of her house a )d listening to the gun that was summon ing all hands on board for the last time she saw her little son in the arms of the first lieutenant, waving his cap and shouting “Vive la Patria” as hel was carried to the beach. The sea lion’s cnb bad insisted on going with his father, and before bis frantic mother could reach him, he was in the boat under way to the flag ship. Lord Cochrane could not de lay the fleet to send him back. It seems probable he was glad to get him, for, if the first lieutenant had not had a pretty good notion of his mas ter’s desires, how would he have dared bring the boy aboard? The youngster was without other clothes than those he had on, and he was rigged out in suits made of canvas by the delighted sailmaker. Before the first engagement Lord Cochrane locked his son in the after cabin, but the kid was not his son for nothing. Ho wormed himself through the quarter gallery window, joined his father on deck aud, strange 1 as it may seem, was allowed to stay there. He stood there in his miniature mid shipman’s uniform and handed powder tins up and down to the gunners. Presently a shot killed the marine next him, and he was covered with blood, bnt be rushed instantly to his father, crying; “I am not hurt, papa; the shot did not touch me. Jack says the ball is not made that can kill mamma’s boy.” After that he was ordered below and carried away screaming, but vic tory ran in the fac *Iy,so to speak,and he got on deck and was at last allowed to stay there tijll the lust gun was fired. —Philadelphia Press. Trough* In Winter. During the summer the ftatcr-fouu- tains are the best utensils to employ for providing water to the fowls, but they should uow be stored away and water given in wooden troughs. Foun tains will break when the water is frozen, but the troughs cannot easily be so injured, and can also be cleaned. The water trough or fountain is the most important utensil used by the poultrymen, and demands daily atten tion, as it is the source from which all contagious diseases are spread among the members of the flock. Tho besi; method of providing water without in curring such risk is yet an unsolved problem, but cleanliness will prevent many diseases. Seed Stalke in Cclenr. We have never seen an explanation of this by the experts which was satis factory to us, but we think it is caused by some chepk in tho growth at au early stage. We have had a similar trouble among beets and carrots which were sown so early as to get hurt by the frost after they came up, while the same seed sown later gave a satisfac tory crop. But a more probable cause in many cases is that it was sown too early under glass and was forced too much, making a rank, spindling ood tender piaaL-wMoh go on ana grow at one gan its second growth, like the carrots and beets that hod been put back by tho frost, its natural teudency was to begin as a bienn ial plant would that had been wintered in the cellar, to make its seed crop. We bavo never seen a biennial plant making a seed stalk the first year which we could not account for satisfactorily, to ourselves at least, by some check or break in the early period of growth.—Boston Cultivator. . 4 Uow to Fatten Poultry. I have fattened for the market this season over 100 cockerels and have settled on this method as best, writes Clarissa Potter, in the New England Homestead. They are confined iu a pen, given plenty of room and air, but where drafts can not strike them. Low roosts are provided, a dust bath, though I have never seen them nse it, and boxes of grit and oyster shells. I make low benches of overturned soap boxes on which I place their pans of food and milk, that they may not readily bo soiled or spilled. I feed three times a day. A warm breakfast of boiled potatoes, pump kins or squash, crushed when hot and thickened with corn meal. This is seasoned with salt and pepper. A noon feed of the same on alternate days. The other days they receive the same as at night, whole* bright corn. Nothing musty, soured or solid is allowed in their feed pans. The pen is kept dark except when the fowls are eating. ThisL is accom plished by hanging a thick covering over the windows. The pen is so dark they move about bnt little between meals. At feeding time the curtain is lifted and they are fed all they will eat bnt no more. A pan of sweet skimmed milk is kept before them, and the pen floor is clean and supplied with fresh bedding. I discourage scratching and crowing all that is possible. A crow ing bird fattens slowly, if at all. Light encourages crowing. The corn is fed iu pans, or scattered, and the curtain is dropped as soon as it is eaten. Cut green bone and meat whets their ap petites and should be given every third day. I fatten from nine to thirteen days WORDS OF WISDOM. There ia no education like adversity. •^-Disraeli. The greatest remedy for anger is de lay.—Seneca. Happiness cannot be bought at a bargain counter. There is only one real failure in life, and that is the failure to be true to the best one knows. When you think yon oughtn’t, then yon want to; when you know you can’t, then you’ve got to.—New York Press. Evil thoughts swarm only in unoc cupied minds. Be busy about noble things, if you would be saved from the ignoble. No matter what his rank or position may be, the lover of books is the richest and happiest of the children of men. —Langford. It’s pretty hard for some people to distinguish between what they think they know and what they know they think.—Puck. “God bless you” is the old-fashioned summing up of sincere affection, with out the least smirk of stupid civility. —George Eliot. The world is full of men with no other possession than experience, who would be glad to sell it for less than they paid for it.—Puck. Minds of great men may run iu the same channel, but somehow the chan nel seems never to become over crowded.—Philadelphia Press. Tricycle C*b» m Sucre**. Berlin has started the tricycle cab, or “Heydt” cjjcle so named after its inventor. Th# machine is a “rear- steerer,” and between the two front wheels is a comfortably cushioned | seat for the passenger, while the 1 driver works the machine from the ^ carcasses, since following this rear. The new system of locomotion has met with much favor, and 500 of these tricycle cabs are now in use in the German capital.—London Chron icle* -i — I . Practical Piety. “What is a devotional attitude, grandpa?” “Getting dawn into your trouser pockets for $ dollar to 'send to the heathen.’’—Brooklyn Life. plan, secure quick sale, being plump, firm and yellow with fat. If, for any reason, |some cockeral fails to fatten in this time, its flesh feeling lean and flabby, it is turned loose in the yards to run with other fowls two weeks or more, and then the fattening proqpss is repeated. Tobacco-chewing members of tha Methodist Church in Albertaville, Ala., have been levied upon by the stewards for a special tax of $10 a year. Why We Do Not Live a Hundred Year*. Almost all persons die of disap pointment, personal, mental or bodily toil or accident. The passions kill men sometimes even suddenly. The common expression, “choked with/ rage,” has little exaggeration in it, forf even though not suddenly fatal, strong passions shorten life. Htrong-bodied men often die young, weak men live longer than the strong, for the strong use their strength and the weak have none to use—the latter take care of themselves, the former do not. As it is with the body, so it is with the mind and the temper; the strong are apt to break, or, like the candle, run; the weak burn out. The inferior animals which live temperate lives have gener ally their prescribed term of years. Thus the horse lives twenty-five years, the ox fifteen or twenty, the lion about twenty, the hog ten or twelve, the rabbit eight, the guinea pig six or seven. The numbers all bear proportion to the time the animal takes to grow its full size. But man, of all animals, is one that aall^wa comes unto the average. he scarcely reaches an times the growing period. The rea son is obvious—man is not only the most irregular and most intemperate, but the most laborious and hard-work ing of all animals. He is always the mort irritable, and there is reason to believe, thongh we cannot tell what an animal secretly feels, that, more than any other animal, man cherishes wrath to keep it warm, and consumes himself with the tire of his own reflec tions.—New York Ledger. Lack Follow* Misfortune. That seeming misfortunes are often blessings in disguise was proven con clusively to one of the guests in a Chestnut street hotel a few days ago. He lost a valuable diamond stud in the waste pipe of the bathtub in his suite of apartments. On hearing of the loss the proprietor allowed the pipe to be taken up at the expense of tho loser. A plumber did the job for $10, and the guest not only recovered his stud, bnt also found in the bend of the drain pipe a diamond ring. Being an honest man, he gave the ring to the proprietor, who advertised tho find in several newspapers. As no one came to claim the ring the proprie tor, with an equally commendable sense of honesty, returned it to the finder. Needless to say, the loserjof the stud was highly compensated for his trouble, as the ring was valued at $150. The fortunate man gave the plumber a crisp $20 note extra, as the brilliant find was partly due to that worthy.—Philadelphia Record. Steam-Hoatcd Barn. The new barn recently completed for Colonel Blees, Macon’s millionaire, is one of the most expensive buildings in north Missouri, and undoubtedly the finest barn in the State outside the largest cities. More than 80,000 feet of the best Inmber that could be pro cured was used iu its construction. The roof required 56,000 shingles, and more than 22,000 feet of ceiling lum ber and nearly 30,000 feet of weather boarding were used. The inside is finished with hard pine and is oiled and varnished, the fioor space is nearly all covered with granitoid pavement, and tho entire building is heated with steam and supplied with all modern conveniences.—Kansas City Journal. Railroad FranchUa Fees. The Metropolitan Street Railway Company recently paid into the New York City treasury its annual car li cense and franchise fees, amounting to $200,000. The company pays $150,- 000 a year, says the Electrical Re view, for the Broadway cableroad franchise. is?-