Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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WE ARE SEVEN. [A rnod-rn complication.] X suet a little girl one day. She was eight j ?ars old. sho said; A hat that waa mide in a wonderful Boee bash abbye her head. She had a fin de si?cle air. And abe was richly clad. Her eyes were black, her face was tait, Her beauty made me glad. "Sisters and brothers, little maid. How many may yon be?" "How many? Seven in all," she said. And. wondering, looked at me. "And where are they ? I pray you, telL1 She answered: "Seven are we, And two afc ns with mother dwell. And two with pa and me. "And two came into the family Along with my second mother; ? boy and girl, so they, yon see. Are my sister and my brother." "You say that two with your mothar dwell And two with your pa and you. So far it's all as clear as a bell, But what of the other two?" Then did the little maid reply: "Seven boys and girls are we; Four and two are six, and I Make the seventh. Don't yon seer* "You've got it wrong, my little maid, As sure as you're alive. Subtract your new stepmother's two And ye are only five." "Hy m& and pa live far apart, Each married to another. Hy ma has two to cheer her heart, Hy sister and my brother. "Hy father took my sister Jane, Hy brother John and me. If you can count, it must be plain Enough that he has three. "Three and two are five, yon know. And then those other two Hake seven in alL Now I mast go, Since I've made it plain to yon." "Those two your step ma brought will not Have seats with yon in heaven." "IVas throwing words away, for she With pitying looks regarded me And answered, "We are seven!" -Chicago News. SATED THE FARM. John Smith had a hobby, an uncon? querable aversion to old maids. And yet, as in very mockery of his pet an? tipathy, his only child, Sarah, had de? veloped into the hated object, right in his own household. Sarah was tall and angular, like her father, but her face was pleasing and her disposition mild and amiable. She had never revolted against anything in herlife-not even against" the injustice of spending her youth in making pre? serves, apple butter or piecing quilts while other girls were making merry. O ae day Jackson Smith received a hurt, and when Dr. Brown was called in he told Jackson his days were num? bered. Then it was that his hatred for oH maids proved itself. I *'3?11 never leave this place to a woman that can't get a husband," he said fiercely. , "Bat; father, Sarah's never had no chance; we've always kept her down, " remonstrated his weeping wife. Be waved his hand to silence her. "Woman, no old maid shall inherit my place.^ I've sent by the doctor for Law? yer Clarke, and he'll come tomorrow. There's money enough in bank for you, but I'll fix it so that at your death, it will go with the farm. Jackson Gpggan, zny namesake,, shall get it alL " Tearfully Mrs. Smith imparted <;ne facts to Sarah. "Mother, would he turn you out of the old place just because he hates me?" and Sarah looked incredulous. The elder woman nodded ; then Sarah kissed the round, sunburned face and said: "Mother, I never > have revolted against father, but I'm going to save the place for you. I wouldn't mind so much, but you shall never leave your home. I'm going out now to think it over, " and putting on her pink sunbon? net she went out the back door. When some distance from the house, she sat down in the shade of a tree, and while ?er heart beat loudly over her father's contemplated injustice she resolved to outwit him. "There's Josh Mullin, he might-but I can't bear Josh; he chews tobacco, and his mouth always looks dirty." She cast her eyes over the landscape, and on the next farm she saw the fignre of a man in the field. "Yes, there's John Howard, but"-and her face grew pink-"I hate somehow to ask it of him. " Then the tear stained face of her mother passed before her mental vision, and, giving a jerk to her sunbonnet, she started down the path across the mead? ow. John Howard was hoeing corn. When he saw Sarah approaching, he stopped and leaned on his hoe, a look of concern on his face. "Is the old man worse. Sarah?" he asked. "Yea Dr. Brown says he can't live more than two or three days, and-oh, John, it's awful the way he is!" "Yes, but you have been a good, sac? rificing daughter, Sarah, and you can't blame yourself for anything, you" "Oh, you don't understand, John! He's going to leave everything to-to Jackson Goggan, and mother'Il have to leave the place, " she half sobbed. "You can't mean it, Sarah! Why why, that would be outrageous. What makes him talk of such a thing?" "Because - because - i aman old maid; he hates all old maids," and her face grew pinker than the sunbonnet. John Howard shifted the hoe to the other arm and looked down. "John, i've come to ask you-oh, John, don't think me brazen; it's for mother's sake. I can't stand to see her turned out, and for my fault, and if you will only help me and-and-come up to the house and pretend that we are to be married-just until after the will is made-it wouldn't be so very wrong, Johu-not so bad as letting mother be put out of her home. " She caught her breath in snort gasps, but when .John was silent her pink face suddenly paled. "I reckon it's asking a heap too much of you, John, but don't hold it against me I couldn't see any other way. Good? bye John. " She was turning away. "Don't go yet. Sarah I-I think your idea is good, but it might not Work. Jackson Smith is sharp. He'd gee right through it, but-if-ii' you would be willing we could drive over to Squire Hall's this afternoon and get married. I wouldn't trouble you any, Sarah. We could go on just.the same, and I'll never want to marry any one else, and if you should you could get a divorce, you know. " "Oh, you're sure it makes no differ? ence-you don't mind, John?" Her tone was eager. "No, I don't mind. I'd help you any way I could, Sarah. It's nigh noon now. I'll drive over for you in the buggy right after dinner." j "I'll be* ready, and-I wouldn't have asked you, ?fohn, only-only-you un? derstand how it is, don't you?" Her face was red again. "Why, Sarah, where have you been? You look as rosy as a poppy, " and Mrs. Smith wiped the tears from her eyes as she gazed at her daughter's face. "I've been attending to business for us, mother. You will not leave the place. I'm going over to Squire Hall's this evening. John Howard is coming to take me in the buggy. " The sun was sinking low in the west when John Howard and Sarah returned from the squire's. "Will you come in, John, and stay about some? I'd-I'd rather you'd tell him, if you don't mind, " Sarah said. John hitched the horse and wont in. He walked to the bedside of Jackson Smith and sat down. "Uncle Jackson," he began, "I've come to tell you what I've done. You know that I've often warned you that some day you would lose the most valu? able possession you had" "It|s the brindle heifer, " interrupted Jackson Smith, his eyes snapping an? grily. "John Howard, you think be? cause I am on my deathbed that you can do as you please, but I'll show you. It's just like you to shoot a neighbor's heifer just because she jumped into your wheat I don't expect anything better of you-the whole party is made up of thieves and cutthroats-but I'll leave it in my wilL Jackson Goggan shall law and law until"- He sank back exhausted from his outburst. "If you get that angry over that brindle heifer, Uncle Jackson, I don't know what you will say when I tell you that I have not touched the heifer, but I have married Sarah. " "Married - Sarah!" and Jackson Smith's eyes dilated. 1 'Married Sarah !' ' he said, under his breath. "John, give me your hand. I knew Sarah was a Smith. Why, there never was an old maid in the Smith family, but it did seem she meant to take after the Walk? ers-her mother was a Walker. Sarah -married 1 I . can go in peace, John, now that you have lifted the disgrace from the Smith family* Call Sarah. I want to give her the brindle heifer. " When the lawyer-came the next day, : B? wrofce & will'bequeathing all, save a life interest to Mrs. Smith, to his be? loved daa^ter, Sarah, who had glad? dened the last hours of his life. A few days later, with all due cere? mony, Jackson Smith was laid away by the side of other Smiths, John Howard went home with his wife and her moth? er. At the porch he halted awkwardly, seeing which Sarah "turned. "Will you come in, John?" she asked. "I'm afraid.it would only pester yen if I-did I-reckon-1 ought to go home, but I hate to leave you-yon women folks alone-and you'll be kind of lone? some now. " "You might stay. We would fix np father's room real comfortable if you would just as soon, " said Sarah, begin? ning to realize the awkwardness of her position. "Pd like to, Sarah. I could tend tho crop just as well, but I'd feel as if I j was living off of you women, and-and j you might get to hate me if I hung around. ' ' "You needn't be afraid of that, ! John," said Sarah, tapping her foot nervously on the porch floor. "It would j be the easiest way out of our-our-di- j lemma, but, if you'd rather not stay we i could explain to folks how it was that you just married me to save the farm. " "But, Sarah, if we told that, it would be a lie. I took advantage of your trouble to get you married to me, and you didn't suspect me, but now I . feel mean and as if you will not respect me when I tell you the truth. " Sarah gazed at him in wonder. What could he mean, she thought, but no sound came from her lips, and he continued: "I've been trying for ten years to ask you to marry me, but I never could do it, and when you came to me in your trouble I jumped at the chance, Sarah, because I wanted you-I've always wanted you, but now I feel I can't stay-unless you can take me for your husband in earnest. " His eyes did not lift to her face. "John !" Her eyes were open wide :in amaze, and the face so lately tear stain? ed became radiant with unexpected joy. "You love me?" she questioned in glad unbelief. " Why, I have loved you all this time, too," she whispered.-Cin? cinnati Commercial Tribune. , Cornstalk Hay In the south. The use cf machinery for shredding cornstalks into a coarse hay is rapidly extending in the north. It is the almost universal practice in the south to gather and cure the blades and harvest the ears of corn, leaving the entire stalks in tbe field to prove a nuisance and obstruction j in the preparation and cultivation of the land in the succeeding crop and winter homes and hibernating retreats for in- ! sects that will be ready to attack such crops, especially if it shall be another I crop of corn. Farmers have habitually considered this large part of the crop as j of no practical value, according to the director of the Georgia station, who calculates that by so doing there are ; 1,300 pounds of food lost for every 31 bushels of shelled corn. He says: The j corn crop of Georgia, for convenience, may be stated at 31,000,000 bushels sometimes Jess, often more. Then, al 1,"SOO pounds of corn hay, heretofore not saved, for every 31 bushels of corn, the total loss in the state would be 1,300 pounds x 1,000,000 - 1,300,000,000 pounde. or 650,000 tons of corn hay, a very good food and worth at least $10 a ton, or a total of $6,500,000, or about enough to pay for all the commercial fertilizers used in Georgia in one year. AN ANXIOUS TWO MINUTES. A Haagrinj* That Tok Place on Train, Not Local, Time. There is a branca of the Burlington railroad "which runs down into the south? western part of Nebraska and along which are strung several county seat towns. At the time to which reference is made a man named Bruce Mattingly ?was awaiting execution in the jail of one of these towns, he having commit? ted a homicide which, according to the theory of the jury, merited death. He was a pretty bad man, but, as is fre? quently the case with tough citizens, he had a, strong circle of friends who were disinclined to see Mattingly snuffed out at the end of a rope. They interceded with the governor after the regular channel of law courts of appeal had been run fruitlessly, but Mattingly's reputation was against him, and the governor would not definitely promise to grant the desired respite. The sheriff of the county had announced that he would wait until 8 o'clock in the morn? ing for any gubernatorial interference, and promptly at that hour, in the ab? sence of a notice of a stay, he would launch Mr. Mattingly into the else? where. On the morning of the day set for the execution the conductor of Burlington No. 3 was instructed by the trainmas? ter to pick up at this county seat to wu the state fish commissioner's private car, which had been there for some days, and carry it on to the terminal. The engineer, when told of the order, suggested that it would be best for him to run in a few minutes ahead of card time, so as to be sure to have enough time to get away on the schedule, foi there was a strong competition in the matter of promptness on that run, and for over three years the train had not been behind. So, being due at 8 o'clock, tho engineer of No. 3 rushed things a little and got in at 7:56, thus having four minutes' leeway to pick up the commissioner's car. As they pulled up at the platform a sound of whistling and the ringing of bells rose in the town, and from the high board stockade around one wing of the county jail, which was just across from the depot, a red flag fluttered as somebody hauled it up on its temporary pole. The en? gineer asked what it meant. "Just hung Mattingly, " cried a mau at that moment, breaking forth, from the stockade. "Hung him prompt at 8 o'clock. Bill was afraid a order might come from the gov'nor, an as soon as it was 8 he let him go. " "But it isn't 8, " said the engineer. "It's three minutes to it." "No, it isn't It's 8. Ain't Na 8 in, an don't she git here at 8 to the dot?" , The engineer's heart jumped and then fell down into a deep well. "Do you mean to say you hung a man by Nb. S's time instead of by watches or clocks?" he gasped "Of coursa Why, watches an clocks varies. Take any dozen watches among the crowd in that jail right now, an I'll bet there ain't no two alike in p'intin out the time. But No. 3"-and the man looked at the engineer ia eloquent silence, which was immensely expres? sive. The latter leaned against the tank and pulled his own watch and fastened his eyes devouringly upon it. He after? ward said he lived a lifetime in wait? ing for the two remaining minutes tc pass so that the hour would really be 8. Every instant he expected to see the operator come flying out with an order, to delay the hanging, and, knowing that he had given the signal to execute the man four minutes ahead of time, he felt that if any such notice were to come before 8 he would be a kind of mur? derer. At last-it seemed after years the hands indicated the actual arriving time of No. 3, and with a great gasp of i relief the engineer climbed into the cab ' and went about the work of hooking OD the commissioner's car. It was some time before that engineer got around to a state cf mind where he could speak lightly of the incident, and to this day he has never run so much as four seconds ahead of time. He says it isn't conducive to a man's peace of mind out in that country, where they hang people by railroad time card.-Chicago Record. A Visit to A rabi Pasha. By half past 91 had everything packed ready for a move, when Achmed an? nounced the arrival of my Egyptian friend in a carriage to take me down to the war office, that was . inside the arsenal gate. Arrived at the gate, we alighted from the carriage and were about to enter, when we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by a crowd of ex? cited fellahin soldiers, vehemently ejac? ulating in their guttural Arabic. It was with the greatest difficulty that my Egyptian friend and the faithful Ach? med finally persuaded them to hold up their rifles with the bayonets fixed that were playing about our heads and send in for the officer of the guard. This they did, and as soon as the offi? cer learned the object of our visit we were admitted without further trouble, though it was quite plain from the mut? terings of the soldiers that they had nc friendly feelings toward a European. On reaching the anteroom of the war office wo found all the celebrities of the revolt anxiously discussing the turn af- ? fairs had taken. I was presented to sev- ? eral of them while waiting to be receiv ed by Arabi Pasha and soon became the j center of a circle of eager questioners, I who kept me fully occupied until an aid de-camp announced that the pasha was ready to receive me. The interview last ? ed about half an hour, and 1 was very favorably impressed by Arabi's person- j ali ty and the intelligence with winch j he discussed tho situation.-Harper's Round Table. Anchovies. Sir Walter Scott used to tell a story j of one of the nursery gardeners of Iiis ; dav: "Au old friend of mine having asked him to supply him with a dozen anchovies, he replied, 'He had plenty, but being a delicate plaut they were still in the hothouse.'" -Household Work. j VOLUNTEERS OF HAVANA. How They Were Won With a Pocket Handkerchief Promise. In 1868, when the revolution of ten years in Cuba began, no volunteers ex? isted in Havana worthy of being called such. There was only one old regiment, and when Governor General Lersundi, then of the island, tried to complete this regiment he found the task diffi? cult of accomplishment on account of the prevailing unwillingness to enlist. But just at this time, most providential? ly for the relief of the dilemma, some unknown hand covered the walls of Matanzas, near Havana, with huge posters promising each Spaniard his passage home and the privilege of car? rying away with him whatever his pocket handkerchief could contain in the event of his enlistment. The effect of this stimulus to the flag? ging pulse of the public was electrical, and the enrollment of 50, OOO men fol? lowed within 48 hours. The volunteers thus came into existence with their chiefs in the majority. But the ruined merchants of the city of Havana soon found out and objected to the newly risen power. This opposition increased upon the arrival in Cuba of the new governor general, Duice, who came in 1869 as representative of the revolution? ary government in Spain. He was a man of good faith, empowered by the government to grant Cuba all the re? form she coveted and that had lately been offered. He would undoubtedly have put a term to the revolution, avert? ing all the ruin and devastation which followed. But such an easy and mag? nanimous course did not suit that class which faced inevitable financial ruin as a consequence of such a policy.-San Francisco Chronicle. African Skin?. Between 1850 and 1S75 it is certain that some millions of blesbok., wilde? beest and springbok must have been de? stroyed in the Transvaal and Orange Free State. The slaughter was so prodi? gious and the variety of wild animals so great in these wild regions of South Africa that the result made a sensible difference in the leather industry of Eu? rope. The markets were filled with skins which, when tanned, gave leather of a quality and excellence never known before, but the origin of which, as the material was still sold under old names, purchasers never suspected. Hides of the zebra and quagga arrived in tens of thousands, and good as horsehide is for the uppers of first class boots, these were even better. Smart Englishmen for years wore boots the uppers of which were made of zebra and quagga skin or from the hides of elands, onyx and gemsbok disguised under the names of "calf" or patent leathers.-London Spectator. Evading the Issue. "Mr. Addern up, " said Mr. Spot-cash severely, to the bookkeeper, "I have spoken to you before of your careless manner of smoking in the office. You threw a lighted match in the waste? basket a little while ago and it set a lot of papers on fire. Such work as that might start a big blaze some day." "It was heedless, " replied the book? keeper. "I will see that the office boy keeps that wastebasket emptied here? after. "-Chicago Tribune. Fatal. He-There is Miss Glover over there. She is superb. She is considered per? fectly formed. She-But very imperfectly informed. -Boston Transcript. DISGUSTED FISHERMEN, It Made Them 111 to See an Old Angler Critch Trout. One day a Boston party, ou a fishing trip to Moosehead, came across one ci the old school fishermen. He was up o?: the mouth of Tomhegan stream and was fishing out- of a lumberman's bst teau. It developed later that he wa.s the cook for a crew of river drivers. On the bank near a; hand stood the cookee, or his helper. The cook had thrown about a peck of table refuse into the lake in order to "tole" the fish, and over that lure he was having great luck. His pole was of the jib boom variety, and when a fish bit he would derrick it over his head into the bushes where thc cookee was stationed. The Boston men from their canoes watched operations with all the disgust of the true sportsmen. "Got enough for supper yet?" shout? ed the fisherman over his shoulder as he set another great trout flarupiug into the bushes. "No; better catch six or eight more," shrilled back the cockee. "Say, how many fish do you two fel? lows usually eat for supper?" shouted a Boston man who didn't understand the situation. "When you've cooked for 22 river drivers as lone: as I have," yelled the cook, derricking another fish, "you'll know more about empty nail kegs." Hardly was this enigmatic utterance out when there came a tug at his line that was nothing short of tremendous. He twitched. The fish didn't come. He braced, set his jaws and pried. His line only sawed the hissing water. "Play him ! Play him!" screamed the excited sportsmen from the city. "Play your grandmother!" bellowed the couk. "I ain't here to play. I'm here to fish." And as he spoke he boost? ed over his head a 15 pound laker. Any man in thc Boston crowd would have given $10 to have played bim an hour at the end of an eight ounce rod. 'Twas too much for their nerves. They came away.-Lewiston .1 o urnaL Washing: In Hard Water. It is difficult to wash our hands clean with hard wa je?, because the soda of the soap combines with the sulphuric aeid of tho hard water and the oil of the soap with the lime and floats in flakes on the top of th* water. Sulphate of lime consists of sulphuric acid and lime. It is difficult to wash in salt wa? ter because it contains muriatic acid, and tho soda of soap combines with the muriatic acid of the salt water and pro? duces a cloudiness. STUMP PENCILS MASCOTS. Members of Gotham's Stock Exchange 8? perstitious About Lead Sticks. "Talking about hoodoos and mas? cots, :' said a member of the Stock Ex? change, "the boys on the floor of the exchange are as superstitious as a lot Cu sailors. If you don't believe it, you look ht the lead pencils they are using the next time you are in the Olding. "You won't find a m wingalong lead pencil. Why? Because a long pen? cil is a 'hoodoo' of the worst kind. They always cut 2 new pencil in half before they sharpen it. Some of these pencils acquire the reputation of being lucky. "Less than a week ago I came down without my pencil, which, by the way, is a lucky one-every memorandum made with that pencil results in a profit for me-and I borrowed one from a friend on the floor. Ho handed me a Btump about an inch long and said, 'You can use that; it's, a lucky pencil.' "Sure enough, I made two deals in the morning, and each netted me a handsome profit. "I was about to make a memoran? dum of some stock I had bought when my friend approached and said : " 'Here, take this pencil and let me have mine again. I've lost on every deal since I loaned it to you. ' "Sure enough, I lost on that deal, and the luck went back to the owner of the pencil. " When you get hold of a lucky pen? cil, you want to hang on to it. "Some of the boys have little lucky pencils not more than an inch long, and they guard them as they would their lives. "If you, through carelessness or acci? dent, cause them to break the lead point they lose whatever regard they have for you and forever afterward regard you as inimical. Some of them wouldn't take $5 for a little piece cf pencil worth considerably less than a cent."-New ! York Press. STING OF THE BEE. Poisonous Properties That Lurk In the Honey Maker. The chemical and toxic properties of the poison of the honeybee have been a subject for long study by a German sci? entist, Dr. Joseph Zanger. During his investigation Dr. Zanger employed 25, 000 bees. He found that the fresh poison is clear, like water, of an acid reaction, j bitter taste and of a fine aromatic odor. On evaporating and drying at a tem? perature of 100 degrees centigrade (212 degrees F.) a gummy residue is left. It is soluble in water; with alcohol it forms an emulsionlike mixture. The aromatic odor is due to a volatile sub? stance, which disappears on evaporation and is not poisonous. The poisonous constituent is not destroyed by short boiling nor by drying and heating the residue to 212 degrees F. nor by the di? luted acids or alkalis. Dr. Zanger has proved the existence of formic acid, but he has also proved that that ls not the poisonous principle. The latter is an organic base, soluble, with difficulty, in water, but kept in so? lution by an acid. On the healthy skin neither the bee poison nor a 2 per cent solution of the poisonous principle has any effect, but they act as powerful ir? ritants on the mucuous membranes. His tests made on rabbits and other animals show that when the poison is brought in contact with the eye there follow lachryination, hyperemia, Che? mosis and croupous membrane or con? junctiva. The general condition is also affected; the animals become melan ! choly, take no food, but are very thirsty, ! and the urine shows small amounts cf ! albumen.-Philadelphia .Record. A Louisville Slander. Not long ago there was put in at the Louisville telephone exchange a switch board run entirely by a battery, so that the amount of calls was definitely indi? cated by expenditure of force. The j chart showed correct business conditions 1 up to 10 a. m., and then there came a ? most unaccountable drop. The elec- ! trician was bothered. There must be a j leakage, a weakness, somewhere. Again ! and again the same remarkable and in-1 stantaneous drop showed on the chart, j and the perplexed telephone engineer j went from Chicago to Louisville to in- j vestigate. ? He was with a group of anxious man? agers and directors waiting for the sig? nificant hour to approach, when sud? denly some one looked at his watch and called, "Gentlemen, we are losing time, " whereupon one and all arose and 1 passed to the nearest buffet. That was crowded, and they tried another, only to find it also thronged. Then the elec? trician looked at the hour. It was just past 10 o'clock, and a daily scene was being enacted. All Louisville was out taking a drink. -Chicago Times-Herald. Circumstances Alter Cases. Circumstances are still much in the habit of altering cases. It is said that a Yorkshire socialist was explaining ro a friend tho principles of his belief, and that he made the statement at the outset that all possessions should be shared 1 equally. "If von had two horses, " said the 1 friend, "would you give me one?" "Of course," said the socialist. "And if you had two cows, would ! you do the same?" "Of course I should." "Well, suppose now, " said the friend j slowly, "that you had two pigs, would ; you give me one of them?" "Eh. tha's gettin ower near homo,'" ? said the other slyly. "Tba knows I've : got two pigs."-Youth's Companion. -* Mechanically. i Judge-And what did the prisoner say when you told him that you would have him arrested? Complainant-He answered meehan- j ically, ver honor. Judge-Explain. Complainant-He hit me on the herr"' ! with a hammer. -Exchange. Good sewing machine from $10 up ta Randie's. CARE OF FURNITURE. How to Freshen and Preserve Oiled aad Varnished Wood*. As the best of furniture will grow ? dusty and shabby in appearance careful housekeepers are constantly fighting the approach of age and dirt from their household goods in the way of chairs and tables. Oak wainscoting and furni? ture are likely in time to assume a : greasy appearance, which should be re I moved during the annual houseclean ! ing by washing it in warm beer. To give it a handsome gloss brush it over with a mixture of two quarts of beer, boiled with a tablespoonful of sugar, and a piece of beeswax as large as a walnut When dry, polish with a chamois or flannel. If oak or walnut articles are infected with a tiny insect that bores holes until the wood crum? bles into a fine powder, stop its wild career by saturating the wood with cre? osota Do not allow it to dry for several days. If furniture is very dirty, it should be washed in water and vinegar, equal parts, using a flannel rag, and then, after perfect drying, rubbed with a clean flannel and a little linseed oil be? fore using any liquid or cream polish. If a table bears the telltale mark left by a hot plate, mb it well with lamp oil an * flannel, finishing off with a clean cloth slightly wet with spirits of wine. Another notable housewife re? stores the original polish, when it has beon removed by a warm dish, with lin? seed oil, rubbed in with a piece of lin? en, changing the linen until the table top is perfectly dry. White spots are removed by rubbing them with a piece of flannel and turpentine, repeating the application if necessary, and in any case rubbing with a good will until pa? tience and strength are about exhausted. Unsightly finger marks disappear j from varnished furniture when rubbed with sweet oil and from oiled wood if kerosene is rubbed on the spots. A bruise should be treated with a piece of brown paper, folded several times and socked in hot water. Over this hold a moder? ately warm iron until all steaming ceases. If necessary, repeat the process, remembering that one application does not always turn out a success. Always apply alcohol sparingly upon furniture, if at all, or it will destroy the polish. Clean carved furniture every week by thoroughly dusting it with a new paint? brush. If the mahogany table that is the pride of your heart shows stains, drop on them a mixture of six parts oi! spirits of salt and on3 of salts of lemon or a few drops of oxalic acid and water, rubbing until the stain disappears, and then wash with water and polish a? usual. If mahogany only needs clean ;*ig, rub it with a flannel dipped in sweet oil or cold drawn linseed oil. In rubbing wood follow the grain and do not rub against it any more than you would in people if wishing a happy re? sult-New York Sun. Why They Wore Armor. To such a pitch of exasperation did the practice of using buttons in the shirt drive the men of the middle ages that they adopted the plan of wearing brass or steel armor, fastened together with metallic bolts. The popular idea that men wore armor in order to fight in it is manifestly absurd, since no man could possibly have fought when in? cased in half a hundredweight of metal. Armor was worn solely in order to avoid the worry of shirts with missing buttons. There were distinct advantages con? nected with the chain steel shirts. When one of these garments came home on Saturday night fr^n the washer? woman, the owner could feel reasona? bly certain that the metallic clasps at the neck and in the bosom were all in their'proper places, for no washerwom I an could have succeeded in detaching vhem without the use of a cold chisel. If it did so happen that the washerwom? an's husband had been run over by a steam roller while weaning a steel shirt belonging to one cf his wife's custom? ers, and one of the metallic* fastenings had thereby been injured, the customer in question could not accuse his wife of negligence and demand to know why she failed to keep his shirts in proper repair.-London Answers. Russia's Magnificent Churches. "The churches in St. Petersburg are so magnificent that they go to your head," writes Lilian Bell in The La? dies' Home Journal. " We did nothing but go to mass on Christmas eve and Christmas day, for although we spent our Christmas in Berlin we arrived in St. Petersburg in time for the Russian Christmas, which comes 12 days later than ours. St. Isaac's, the Kazan and Sts. Peter and Paul dazed me. The icons or images of the Virgin, are set with diamonds and emeralds worth a king's ransom. They are only under glass, which is kept murky from the kisses which the people press upon the hands and feet. The interiors of the cathedrals, with their hundreds of sil? ver couronnes and battleflags and trophies of conquests, look like great bazaars. Every column is covered clear to the dome. The tombs of the czar are always surrounded by people, and can? dles burn the year round. Upon the tomb of Alexander II. tinder glassy is the exquisite laurel wreath placed there by President Faure. It is of gold and * was made by the most famous carver cf gold in Europe." Ht? Memory sure to Live. Beagle-Old Foxley is dead. He'll be long remembered by the people of this town. Spitts-Why, did he leave many pub? lic bequests? Beagle-He left debts to the amount of $50,000.-Boston Transcript Hood's Stimulate the stomach, nmm*, -mm rouse th?' liver, curr bilious- |Lj| ill ness, headache, dizziness. III St sour stomach, constipation. ? ? ? ? *MW etc. l^iee 25 cents. Soid by all druggist*. The only Fills to take with Hood's Sarsaparilla,