THE FLICKERING JET.
(A11 hill. Hill story.)
Gas low.
Brave" fair-—
You know,
Been there.
Soft eves.
Old theme——
Long.r sighs—
Sweet. dream.
Years pass,
Dream o’er;
Low gas
Once more.
A yawn.
Some sighs—-
E con
0 misc !
—Cleveland Leader.
THE GILKERSONS.
ll‘t' \VILI..L\METTA A. PRESTON.
“Did I ever tell ye o’ the Gilker-
sons?" asked Aunt Hillty Buell, look—
ing into the fireplace, where a cheerful
bit-ze'was striving to atone for the rag-
ing elements without.
"You told us of a Gilkerson who was
a laird in the old country," replied
liilen Lawnes. “Wasn’t there a story
_;.,iout theiraoming over from Scot-
_: 1nd? I always wanted to know more
.bout them.”
“Yes, that was Duncan Gilkerson.
i-Ie Come to Brakewood an’ lived an’
' died on the place his brother had
bought an’ cleared. That was the
story I had in mind to tell ye.
"It was only a log house.
Gilkerson, folks said, run away from
home. At any rate, he come to Brake-
wood when the town was fust laid out,
an’ bought a farm, an’ built this log
house. Arter a year or so he went off,
nobody knowed where, and the place
went to rack an’ ruin. By-and-by
Duncan come with his wife and chil-
dren an’ all his household belongin's.
But that wasafore my time. \Vhy,
the fust thing I can remember was
pl‘ayin'vdth Chris. She was as pretty
as ,a picter.
“Beside Chris there was Rob. He
was a master hand for music, and
could play his old bagpipes like all pos-
sessed. Malcolm had a horn, and they
ail sang like birds. I do s'pose they
had a hard time gettin’ a livin‘; but
they was as chirk as crickets over it.
Chris looked as fresh as a rose in her
tow an‘ linen or wool gowns, alters the
same. plaid pattern.
“We allers asked ’em to our frolics,
an' never minded that they didn't ask’
us back. We wouldn’t have wanted to
have gone if they had, for Mis' Gilker-
son had the name 0’ held cross an"
snappish like. Men who had worked
there hinted that there was some mys-
tery in the house—a covered picter,
chairs all sewed up in cloth, and some
even went so fur as to say there was a
ghost in the loft that cried an’ sobbed
0' nights.
“Everybody could see they was bent
to make money. The parson called on
‘Em many a time an’ tried to persuade
“em to be e leetle‘more liberal, to lay
up part 0‘ their treasure in heaven;
but neither he nor the church commit:
tee, who was trying to raise money for
a. new‘ building, COllld get a cent from
them.
“Arter a spell—is was the summer
Chris an’ me was eighteen—they built
a. new house. ’Twas time, for the old
one was nigh about ready to tumble
in over theirfieads. Folks ’xpected
they'd put up some sort of a makeshift
for a house; but no; they blossomed
right out; there warn‘t another house
in allBrakewood that could begin to
compare with theirs. '
“ ‘I sh’d think they might!’ said Miss
Pettigrew, the village rta'iloress. She
had a sharp tongue, an’ allers carried
a budget 0'. news as she ~went from
house to house with her goose. ‘When
I worked thar last year—wall, 1 jest
wish ye could ha’ seen the table they
not me down to! Thin, gritty cakes,
oatmeal porridge, brown bread an' cold
meat, an' the qu‘eerest kind 0‘ cake.
I’ll warrant that was made out of oat-
meal, too; not a scrap 0' white bread»
nor ginger cake nor nu-t cakes nor pie: '
an' the tea warn’t even colored. I
spunked right up then—I’m real de-
pendent on my tea—an' I told Mis' Gil-
kerson that it was a sin an' a. shame
for any one to be so miserly. I told her
it was only water bewitched an‘-tea
begretched. Mysif'she want-mad! Her
face was as red as a play, an' she told
'me I might take my goose an‘ go an’
never to darken her doors agin‘. ,
“Of course the story spread and grew
f‘astsr'n the house did, but for a long
timo'Rob an’ Malcolm an' Chris never
knowed a word of it. One day Chris
stayed in supper with me—we was go-
in’ to c huskin' together afterwards——
an’ Miss l’ettigrew dropped in, as she
had a habit o’ doin’.
”When mother gave her a cup 0’ tea
she looked at it, an’ then passed it over
to Chris.
“ "there, that's what I call tea! It
yer mother’s had been like that, I
shouldn’t ha' had a word to say. Hers
was only water bewitched an’ tea ge-
gretched.’ I .
“Chris got right up from the table,
her face ps white as a. sheet, an‘ go
home she would in spite of all we could
~say. ii
“’Twas the fashion then to have
house-warmin's, biit the Gilkersons
was so pudjerky, arter they found out
what folks had been 'sayln' about ‘em,
that they wouldn't accept a favor from
nobody, ‘so we didn't know whether
’twould do to give 'em one or not.
“I had been with Chris so much that
I' knowed Mis' Gilkerson warn't nigh
so bad as folks tried to make out. So
I could say ‘I told ye so' when Miss
Gilkerson asked a lot 0' Chris’ friends
an’ some 0' the women to a quiltiu'
an’ the young men to come to suppm
an’ help shake the quilts.
“it. was the fust time anybody in“.
ever been asked there in all the «Min
teen years they'd lived in Brakewood
I
I
Malcolm ,
:in’ we took the hint at once an" got up
no biggest house-warmia‘ ever seed in
town. My brother Ascl was sweet on
Chris, on he knowed it would please
her to have everybody come.
"Mother an’ I went over right after
dinner. In them days we didn’t wait
-. ‘l supper time if we was invited
l I
out.
“The new house was a big one, with
a hip roof an' a piazzy all around.
I here was four big square rooms in the
main part, with a hall runnin’ straight
threw into the L. an’ six big chambers.
'l‘ucy was furnished harnsome. too. I
zould hardly believe that they was the
grunt: cheers that had stood in tow~ an'
linen. covers in the old house. but Chris
said they was: that they had brought
them from Scotland with a lot of other
truck. ,
“‘Mothcr expected to find a good
house here from what Uncle Malcolm
told them, an’ when they found things
as they were, she jest covered the fur-
niture so ’t would last till she had a
decent place to put it. , Here’s the
ghost.‘ She drew me into the front
room an’ showed me a spinet. ‘I used
to go up the ladder to the left an‘
practise nights, an’ so folks thought it
was a spirit.’
“They had three quilts on; one was
a windin’ stair an’ one was a. blazin’
star an’ the last was the clans 0' Scot-
land. Chris told me that each block
showed the plaid 0' some Scottish fam-
ily. "l‘was as harnsome as it was odd
Chris said we girls was to work on
that, an’ work we did. ’Twas no small
iob to.do a quilt in an arternoon if
we did begin afore two o’clock: but
,when the men folks come to supper at
six it was all done. We ripped it out
of the frame an’ went out on the grass
to watch ’em shake. By the time they
had shook all the lint off'n that, the
others was ready.
“When we come into the house agin
the tables was all set for supper, an‘
such a supper as nobbdy had seen at a
quiltin’ for many a year. ’T'was like
a. ’l‘hanksgivin‘ dinner, with a roast
pig at either end of each table. an’ ven-
ison, an" white bread an' honey, an‘
cakes an‘ pies an‘ kickshaws. -VVe
never seed scch cookin' afore. An’
warn’t they all ashamed for believin'
what Miss Pettigrew said! ‘
“Mis‘ Gilkerson bad on a new brown
silk dress, an' looked as proud an’
happy.as the next one as she. poured
the tea strong enough to hold up an
5100‘
Nibb-
“Mother praised the cake an' asked
for the receipt, an' the others took the
hint and praised this an’ that.
“Jest afore we left the table. Mr.
Gilkerson got up an' said he wanted to
say a few words. I never knowed afore
what a harmsome man he was, nor
where Chris got her wonderful eyes.
“ ‘I want to make a. leetle explana-
tion,’ says he, looking around the
tables. ‘I know ye‘ve thought it
strange the way I've lived amongst ye
an' yet not of ye; an' I’ve heerd some
things that' was said of the kind 0‘
table we sot. But a Scotchman keeps
his own counsel till he gets ready to
talk. an' my reasons for silence was.
good ones. Now ye are welcome to
know the whole story.
“ ‘Some of ye may remember a lad
callin' himself Jack Galbraith who
lived on this very place store I came tc
Brakcwood. He wnsmy brother, a let-
tie. older'n I am. an’ Wall to have been
laird o' the castle. But he had a good
many wild cats to sow, an’ arter he
come to America we lost track of him;
then we heard that he was dead. So
arter father-died I took the castle.
There. was a good many debts to pay
off an' a heavy mortgage, an' we had
to live cldse to make both ends meet.
“‘I pledged my own name to get
money to pay the mortgage. as the
man that. held it [wouldn't renew; ha
had a family grudge against us an‘
wanted the castle. Then Malcolm
come home with a wife an' son. Oi
course he was the rightfu‘ laird an’ as
he was steady now, I agreed to take
this place of his in Brakewood for all
that. I had done to Gilkerson Castle.
liur. there was that note for a thousand
pounds. Malcolm didn't offer to pay ii
an' i was too proud to" ask it. One of
my father's best friends held it an' be
him. You can see that we had our
hands full to pay the interest an' fifty '
[‘nltnds a year on the principal after
the first year. I didn’t know anything
.Illnlll. life here when I. give that prom-
isc, but I was bound to keep my word.
“ ‘.l.ast year I paid.the last pound an:
writ the cancelled note to Malcolm.
He'd never knowed a word about. it till
:ben. an' I almost feelin’ hard to him.
ile'd been prospered, too, in everything
but children. His had all died. an‘ he
wants my Rob to go back to Scotland,
2111’ some day he'll be laird o' the castle.
“ ‘Malcolm sent that thousand
poundsIright back to me, an‘ I have -
built this house, an’ am at liberty in
take my place amongst ye, even at this
late day. an’ work for the good 0' the
town. An' my wife an' Malcolm an‘
Christina can do as they like.’
“Scch a about as went up then kept
us from heariu' if he had anything
more to say. They give him three
times three cheers an' a tiger, an' he
deserved 'emuall, the way he'd worked
zin‘ never said a word! . .
"Wall, if they didn't have a house-
warmin' that might an’ no mistake!
Everybody come for miles around, an'
the young folks stayed an' danced till
mornin'.
'fl‘here warn't a more pop'lar family
in Brakewood arter that than the (lil-
kersons, nor one more ready to help
the poor or work for the church or help
on any frolic. '
“Brother Ase! married Chris for his
l’ust wife. ‘Malenlm lives on the old
place, an' Rob is lsird 0' Gii'lierson
Castle."
i miesz,
:
. ~ £323"
‘ L“, In.“
a q .13. "#353
Jfléama
"‘R;=‘\ 5-?
We 11.:
Perfect Lips for All.
Lips of .a cleartdeep red, satin-soft,
and with handsome curves are desired
‘ by all women, both young and old.
The first thing to be considered is
the rigidity or laxity in the appear-
ance and action of the lips. If they
tend to stiffness or sternness of ex-
pression, one should begin to make
them supple by gentle but constant
massage treatment, supplemented by
the cultivation of an intelligent smile.
Not a perpetual grin, be it understood,
for that deepens the lines around the
mouth; and gives the face a haggard,
pained expression anything but becom-
ing. The smile to be cultivated is
more a brightening of the whole face
pvith a. sensitive parting and curving
of the lips. It is not necessary .to
stretch them.
Then instead of firmly closing the
lips, as so many women have a habit
of doing, which gives heaviness to the
jaw and hardness to the mouth, they
should learn to bring the lips together
very lightly, allowing that always
agreeable dimpled effect in the corners.
_ But where the mouth is inclined to
stand open, with loose, undefined lines,
the vigor of the message should be re-
doubled, using the treatment as a tonic
.to tone up flaccid nerves and muscles.
With such a mouth the object must be
i to learn to hold the lips with firmness
tempered by grace.
Besides a thorough massage once a
day, ten minutes should be spent,
morning and evening, standing before
a. mirror and with thumb and ,fore—
finger pinch the curves of the mouth,
accentuating their delicacy and clear-
ness. Until this method has been given
a fair trial, say one month, it is im-
possible to judge of the happyresult.
i The next point to be lookedlto is the
attaining of that exquisite polish and
satiny texture of skin, without which
no mouth may be accounted perfect.
To this end the lips should be bathed
twice a day in water as hot as can be
borne. Strictly avoid ammonia, so of-
ten and so foolishly recommended, be-
.cause hartshorn parches and cracks
A good white soap is all that '
the skin.
is necessary for cleansing the skin, and
it should be freely used once a day—at
night just before retiring. After thor-
oughly drying the lips, gently rub on
white perfumed vaseline or cold cream.
It is well to anoint both the lips and
the surrounding parts of the flesh be-
fore beginning the massage or mould-
ing treatment.
The lips should be rarely moistened
with the tongue, and never bitten or
drawn between the teeth. Such treat-
ment not only tends to chap them, but
also perceptibly increases their thick-
ness and coarsens their texture. For
dry lips nothing is better than keeping
them constantly greased with some
colorless perfumed cream. This done
persistently, the dry feeling will soon
be overcome and the texture of the
skin much improved.
The massage movements for the lips
are always upward and circular. They
are so simple that after a few treat-.
ments by a professional any one can
learn to do her own work. Of course
ealth, exercise, and amiability are the
ng, tinting,
mouth—New "York Sun.
- ost potent féctors after all in round-
1 and shaping a sweet,
V A Pleasure Book.
“What is the secret of my happi-
ess?” said the contented woman to
one. of a different order. .“My dear, I
eep a Pleasure Book. Long ago I
learned that there was no day so dark
and gloomy that it did not contain
some ray of pleasure, and I have made
it the business of my life to write
down the little things which mean so
much to a woman. I have a book for
every year since I left school, and a.
place for every day. It is but a little
thing; the new gown, the chat with a
friend, the thoughtfulness of the hus-
band, a flower, 3. book, a walk in the
f field, a letter, a concert or a drive;
momma] to wait until I could pay ? but it all goes into my Pleasure Book,
and when I-am inclined to fret I have
nly to read a few pages to see whats
appy, blessed woman I am. Try my
plan; it will lift you above little wor-
ries and vexations, and give you some-
thing pleasant to think of every day
[in the year.”
Stones for Each Month.
The month stones and the virtue of
wearing “for luck” the gem bestowed
’9n the month in which one was born,
emanates from the Poles, who contin-
,ue to maintain that each month of the
‘ year is influenced by a special precious
'htone that affects .the destiny of all
persons born therein. The dedications
and the meanings attached to them are
as follows: January, ‘garnet, emble-
matic of constancy and fidelity; Febru-
ary, amethyst, sincerity; March, blood-
stone, courage and presence of mind;
April, diamond, innocence; May, emer-
ald, success in love; June, agate,
health and long life; July, carnelian,
contented mind; August, sardonyx,
conjugal fidelity; September, chryso-
lite, antidote against madness; Octo-
ber, opal, hope; November, ‘topaz, fi-
delity; December, turquois, sincerity.
Nature’s W'lsdom.
The fish’s belly is white and his back
green, because in swimming about in
the water the- white belly is the color
of the light shining through the water,
hence protects him from his enemy be-
low. His back being green makes Lim,
on the other hand, appear, from above
.as part of the green water, and is his
safeguard from hawks and other one-
FUR GALOREON ALL MATERIALS. 1
The Graceful
Evident.
Soft. (flinging, Effect in
‘ Skirts Very
(lly special arrangement. with the i' Y. Sun)
Fur is worn on every kind of mate-
rial this season, and is no small item
on the list of fashion’s favorites. It is
more fashionable even than it was last
year, and, the woman who does not
possess some kind of fur-trimmed oi
all—fur garment this season is the ex-
ception. Coats, capes, and hats are
trimmed with fur, and in gowns it does
not seem to matter how rich and heavy
or how gauzy and sheer the material
may be, fur is an equally suitable deco-
ration from fashion’s standpoint. Su-
ble, fox, Persian lamb, chinchilla and
broadtail are the most p0pular furs fCl
trimming, the last being very prettily
used in wide bands cut out in some
odd-pointed design on either edge and
outlined with afine silk'cord or braid.
Two bands of this description, fully
seven inches wide from point to point,
arranged around the hips, pointing
down in front, apron fashion, are very
stylish Off a green cloth gown. This
fur is so thin and pliable that it can
be used as a substitute for velvet and
silk, and entire blouse waists are
made Of it.
The close Eton jackets of fur worn
last year are brought quite up to date
by usingvthevsleevesfor a blouse front,
and putting in velvet or cloth sleeves
to match the skirt. Velvet jackets of
this sort, with fur rovers, are very
stylish, and one of the latest novelties
is the little coilarette of light-colored
velvet, with a bow at the back and
front, which is worn with the fur capes.
Nothing is more evident in the fash-
ions than the soft, clinging, graceful ef-
fects, and the really fashionable wo-
man is chiefly known by the cut of her
skirt and the trimming thereon. Just
which model leads in favor is difficult
to determine, but the up-to-date dress-
maker usually settles that question by
considering the material and the fig-
ure she has to fit.
Black satin finely tucked makes very
pretty belts to wear with separate
waists. Fasted them with a fancy
buckle or a knot of satin.
A flowered silk gown can be brought
ID to .date with a velvet blouse waist
'f some dark color -in the silk. The
r-eics may be of silk, and with a
.. re neck of lace the effect is very
.y. If the velvet bodice is black .
-I-i of velvet,ribbon.on~..the skirt are
an improvement. '
drouth as well.
WEEK by » {noun/Alla -,GAZE'1~—'rn_ :
. Vt '
, .u' «.- Ill "
Seed Mixtures for :1 Lawn.
One of the best mixtures for a lawn
is four parts Kentucky bluegrass with
one part of white clover, sown at the
rate of five bushels per acre. Equally
good results have been had with redtop"
in place of Kentucky blueglass, also
with equal parts of redtop and Ken-
tucky bluegrass, with about tang:
pounds of white clover to a bushel of
the former.
When moisture conditions are fav—
orable the Kentucky bluegrass forms a
softer and prettier greensward than
redtop, but does not appear to endure
Again. redtop has a'
tendency to form bunches unless grow-
ing very thick. From these observa-
tions it appears that more or less shel-
tered situations Where the full rays of
the sun do not penetrate and where
the ground does not quickly dry out
the bluegrass and white clover mixture
are unquestionably the best, but in
more exposed situations a mixture of
equalparts of bluegrass and redtop
with a little white clover is preferable,
as it is much more certain to with-
stand drouth.
It, is impossible to give the best time
for sowing a lawn, as the weather can-
not be predicted far enough in ad-
vance. Different plots of grass have
been successfully grown when planted
any month in the year except January
and February, and at other times they
have been absolute failures when treat-
ed in the same manner. The most
frequent failures appear to b e when
the seed is planted in autumn; not
having time to much more than ger-
minate before severe weather begins,
much of the grass is winterkilled. One
of the most satisfactory results with a
lawn was one planted in December.
None of the seed germinated until
spring, when it; all came evenly and by
June bore the appearanace of a well-
formed turf. Some spring planting is
as satisfactory. That sown since April
1 is usually better than if planted pre-
vious to that time—American Agri«
culturist.
The Japanese Persimnum.
The Japanese persimmon tree is
hardy in New Jersey but will not
thrive much further north. It bears
early, and is wonderfully prolific. In
summer and early fall it is thickly
covered with dark green leaves which
entirely hide the fruit. During No-
vember and until, early in December
the tree presents a. wonderfully bril—
liant appearance with its branches
heavily laden with its bright orange-
red fruit. The fruit is about the size
of a mandarin orange, and it colors
when half grown; it should be allowed
to remain on the tree until after a
heavy frost, for this will improve the
flavor. For market it has the merit. of
shipping well and keeping long, if
picked before a frost; in the city mar-
kets it finds a. ready sale and at a good
price.
, In some localities it is called the
“Keg fruit.” No doubt it received its
name from Japan, as a Japanese friend
tells me the persimmon is most deli-
cious when prepared in the following
manner: Get a beer keg, remove the
head and fill the .keg with persim-
mons, then replace the head and in a
few weeks the fruit will be ready for
eating, with a much improved flavor.—
M. Abbott in Agriculturist.
Lime Benefits Glover and Timothy.
The experiments in liming by the
Rhode Island station were continued
through the season of ’97 with- clover
and grass. With but. one exception,
the crops showed marked benefit from
the application of lime. At four farms
in various parts of the state the un-
limed clover plots looked better at the
beginning of the season, but before
fall the plants were puny and the
crop almost a failure- The ability of
‘clover to gain the upper hand of sor«
rel upon limed plots has been fully de-
monstrated and is an important dis-
covery. ' ‘
Where timothy and red top have
liming has in-
variably increased the percentage of
timothy. This increase has been so
great as to make the hay sell for $2
per ton more than that formerly har-
The great bane—
been found together,
vested from the plot.
fit usually derived from adding wood
ashes to the soil is thought to be not
entirely due to the potash, but in a
large degree to the high percentage of
lime contained. As it seems probable
that ashes will be more and more diffi-
cult to obtain, it is urged that lime
should be applied in their place.
Bliglited Celery. ,
It is a mistake to suppose that blight-
ed celery is not worth putting in for
For four years the bl'ight
winter use.
has besieged my garden; rotating the
crop makes but little difference; not a
decent head matures. Plants set early
in June grow well for a month or six
weeks perhaps, and then the blight ap-
pears; active growth ceases, then it
stands in spite of fertilizers or irriga-
tion.
But about the first of October I trim
up the plants, leaving only the heart
leaves. A shallow trench in thelcellar
is well watered and the roots, with as
much soil as can be conveniently left
on, are placed in the trench; more
water is given and sand or other light;
and dry soil is worked carefully in and
about the plants, leaving only the tips
exposed. Finer celery I have never
had than such roots furnished in Jan-
uary or February. If the long white
brittle stalks are cut off squarely—-
not too close—a second crop has been
ready by April. This is lighter 0!
course than the'other, but a dainty
luxury for the season.—-G. A. Woolson
in Agriculturist.
I
[III/1],”,
mmmmmm,”
“III",
A BOY’S KING.
““mtlllllllllllIllllll
My papa.he’s the best-
, est: man
VVlmt ever lived. I
bet,
And I ain’t never seen
no one
As smart
yet.
“7h y. he knows everythingr almost.
But mnmmn says that. he -
Ain't; never been the President,
And that. surprises me.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\u
\
\
as he is
And often papa. talks about '
How he must. work away-~—
He’s got to tell for other folks.
And do what others say:
And that’s a. thing that bothers inc—-
fl'hen he‘s so good and great.
He. ought, I think, at least to be
The gov’nor of the state!
He knows the names of lots of stars,
And he knows all the trees.
And he can tell the different. kinds
Of all the birds he sees. .
And he can multiply and add
And figure in his head——
They might. have been some smarter men,
But. I bet you they are dead.
Once when he thought I wasn‘t near
He talked to mamnia then.
And told her how he hates to be
The slave of other men,
And how he wished that he was rich
For her and me—and I I
Don‘t knmv what. made me do it. but
I had to go and cry !
And so when I sat on his knee
I ast him: "Is it true,
That you're a. slave and have tootoil
. \Vhen others tell you to ?
; You are so big and good and wise.
,r - You surely ought to be
The President. instead of just
, A slave, it. seems to me.“
And then the tears came in his eyes.
And he bugged me tight and said:
"Why. no. my dear. I’m not a slave—
What put, that. in your head ?
I am a. king—the happiest king
That ever yet. held sway,
And only God can take my throne
And my little realm away!"
——S. E. Kiser in Cleveland'Leader.
..\._‘-. . ._. _
‘._-_~.‘_.-\_
m
l
Care of a Locomotive Beforea Run.
i “Running the Fast Express” is the
title of an article by George Ethelbert
Walsh in St. Nicholas. ,Mr. Walsh
says:
: The engineer comes down to his post
of duty nearly an hour before his train
is scheduled to leave. All night long
in the round-house the engine has
been carefully watched; a wiper has
spent the whole night rubbing down , _
the panting, snorting iron horse until
:e‘very rod and cylinder shines like gold
or silver; the banked fire has been
kept going so that a little steam has
been always in the boxes; and before
he left at night the fireman put every-
thingin perfect order inside the cab.
The fireman appears first in the morn-
ing, and inspects the work of the
round-house men; and if any part is
not satisfactory, he makes it so. The
' engineer makes his inspection after the
fireman, and thoroughly and carefully
examines every part. All the bear-_
logs are then oiled, and the oil-cups
are filled with oil. Next, the engine
is run out of the round-house and test-
ed. Fifteen-minutes before the time
to start,lthe engine is coupled to the
train, and the steam and air-brakes
are tested.
' No race-horse was ever brought to
his post better fitted for running the
course than is the locomotive of the,
fast express. In addition to the tests
already made, a mechanic "goes from
wheel to wheel, and upon every one
strikes asharp, resounding blow to as-
certain if the wheel and axle are sound.
Nuts and bolts are examined. The en-
gineer and fireman are held responsi-
ble for the perfect condition of the en-
gine and cars before the start is made.
___._——-—-——-—————
Curious Facts About. the Toad.
The toad lives ten to forty years,
does not begin to produce young until
the fourth year, but then lays over
1,000 eggs a’year. It has lived two
years without food, but cannot live
long under water. It never takes dead
or motionless food. It takes its food
by means of its tongue alone, and it
operates this so rapidly that the eye
cannot follow its motions. It captures
and devours bees. wasps, yellow jack-
ets, ants, beetles, worms, spiders,
snails, ‘brgs, grasshoppers, crickets,
weevils, caterpillars, moths, &c. The
stomach that doesn’t flinch at yellow“
jackets, wasps, blister beetles. and
click-beetles or pinch bugs would seem
to be prepared for anything in the in!
sect line, and it doubtless is. In
twenty-four hours the toad consumes
enough food-to fill his stomach four
times. A single toad will. in three
months devour over 10,000 insects. Ii
every ten of these would have done
one cent damage the toad has saved
$10. Evidently the toad is a valuable
friend to the farmer, gardener, and
fruit grower, and can be made especial-
ly useful in the greenhouse, garden,~
and berry patch—Galveston News.
Innocent Child.
“Papa.” said Teddie, “little children
ain't reSponsible for what they do, are
they?"
”No. Teddie,”_said the sweet child’:
father, “their parents are responsible.’
“And do little children’s parent: I"
have to be punished for their sins?”
“Yes, dera.” r,.
‘f'l‘hen, why didn’t you go out and
sick yourself instead of jumpin’ ontt
~. nie‘:=when..yozi..heard me swearin’ yes-
:erday.”—Cleveland Leader.
Norwalk Chronicler