IKE WALTON’S PRAYER.
I l crave, dear Lord. ' ' 1.5"
No boundless hoard A 19.9.
Of gold and gear, "3
Nor jewels fine. a...
Nor lands, nor kin‘e. Farr
Nor treasure heaps of anything—
Let but a little but be mine .
Where at the hearthstone I may hear
The cricket sing, J
And have the shine ' .11.;
Of one glad woman’s eyes to make.
For my poor sake,
Our simple home a place divine; ‘
Just the w ee cot~the cricket’s chirr— 13.3:
Love, and the smiling face of her. arm
I pray not for I r. ‘5 ‘ '
Great riches, nor M
For vast estates, and castle halle— i .......—
Give me to hear the bare footfalls {mg
Of children o’er ‘1 ’1‘
An oaken floor, ’"
New-rinsed with sunshine, or bespread .a‘
With but the tiny coverlet :13
And pillow for the baby a head; ‘
And pray Thou. may_
The door stand open and the day
Send ever in a gentle breeZe
With fragrance from the locust trees,
And drowsy moan of doves, and blur
: Of robin-chirps and drone of bees.
With afterhushes of the stir 4‘
0f intermingling sounds, and then
The good wife and the smile of her 7:11.
Filling the silence again— ‘
I‘he cricket‘s call .. ,-
And the wee cot, ‘
Dear Lord of all,
Deny me not! 1‘
1.’
uaa.ssr,
I pray not that
Men tremble at
My power of place
And lordly sway—
I only pray for simple grace
To look my neighbor 1n the face
Full honestly from day to day- 2‘
Yield me his'horny palm to hold :
And I’ll net pray "'\ -
fl.
. For gold—-
The tanned face. garlanded with mirth. ""
It hath the kingliest smile on earth— ‘1
The swart brow, diamonded with sweat.
.. And so I reach,
I . Dear Lord, to thee,
And do beseech
Thou givest me
The wee cot, and the cricket’s chirr,
Love, and the glad sweet face of her!
-—James Whitcomb Riley.
A RACE FOR A CLAIM.
Lelia Staunton was strong, capable
and decisive. She 'had a good, all-
around education, but not quite thor-
ough enough at any point to fit her for
a teacher; so when the small income of
her mother dwindled down to less than
.an actual living-Miss Lelia began to
cast about for ways and means to re-
plenish it. .- ' '
But Little Compton offered few op-
portunities, especially to girls, and
presently Miss Lelia-everybody called
her that—extended the ‘horizon of in-
quiry to the world outside. There were
only her mother and herself at home,
so naturally her first thoughts went to
those sections of the world which con-
tained her brothers and sisters. Tom,
the oldest, was mate of a Clyde steam-
.er, and he was promptly dismissed as
useless; then came Charlie, who was a
lieutenant of cavalry in Arizona, and
he also was useless; and after them
came Will, Who was railroading; and
Jack, who was merchandising; and
Alice—why, certainly!
very one. She had married an orange
grower in Florida, and had wrilten
time and time again for her mother
and sister to join her. .
Miss Lelia had given little thought
to Florida. If she had been a boy she
would have chosen cattle raising some-
where in the West, and even as it was
she leaned strongly toward a home-
stead there, and the raising of fruit or .1
poultry or farm crops for a living.
Women were doing such things every
day, and were succeeding, too. How
ever, a few vigorous letters from Lieu-
tenant Charlie made her reluctantly
abandon the idea.
But the orange State was a strong
substitute and Miss Lelia was not
easilydiscouraged. There were free
lands in. Florida, and with the home
of Alice as a vantage point she would
look around and select a homestead,
and then she and her mother would go
to it and raise oranges or truck or
poultry, as circumstances and their in-
clination might suggest.
So a few weeks later found them at
Alice’s house, with such of their furni-
ture as they had not sold, and with
Alice’s husband on the lookout for a
suitable piece of vacant land.
“You will probably have to go back
some distance,” he said; “most of the
Iand in the vicinity of towns is already
taken up—I know of several good
homesteads ten 01' fifteen miles away."
Mrs. Staunton raised her eyebrows; .
“That is a long distance,” s'he de-
murred. “Couldn’t we get nearer a
town than that?”
“It is doubtful. Land has been
taken up very rapidly during the past
‘ few years. However, I will make more
inquiries. Sometimes a homestead is
abandoned by its" claimant before his
title is perfected, and it reverts to the
government; then it may be reentered
by anyone. Several such instances
have occurred in this neighbmhood.”
One day he came in with a radiant
face.
“I have found a prize for you!” he
exclaimed. “A German who lives two
miles from here has just been left a
fortune at home, and is going back. He
entered his claim nearly three years
ago, and» has made quite a lot of im-
provements; but of course he doesn’t
mind them now. He leaves this after-
noon, and then the land becomes pub-
lic property. I asked him if he had
spoken of~it to anyone, and he said on.
By to the postmaster. He received the
news this morning and told the pogt.
master about it. I have been able to do
him some service, and when I Spoke
about you he seemed pleased, and said
that ‘he would like you to have the
land and the improvements. He said
he would like to think of the place as
belonging to some of my people. Now
the sooner you file your claim the bet~
for. I will go with you to-morrow, if
you like.”
“Why not go at once?” asked Miss
.Ihelia, eagerly: _..__
/
Alice was the.
“I have an engagement this after-
noon and can’t possibly get off. But
we’ll start early in the morning.”
“That might be too late,” urged Miss
Her brother-in—law loOked at her
thoughtfully.
“Well, I—-don’t-_—know,” ‘he replied,
“I hardly like the idea of your going
alone. Still, time is important, as you
say; and the road is good, and you are
a splendid rider. You could spend the
night with Mrs. Wilson. Under the cir‘
cumstances—
“I had better go,” she interrupted.
“Good! now if you will plea-so saddle a
horse I will run upstairs and get
ready. ” .
Her brother-in- law‘s place" was in the
out-ski1ts of 'a small town, and as he
went toward the barn he heard hasty
footsteps outside the fence Which sep-
arated him from the street, and pres-
ently a strong, athletic figure vaulted
over and came toward him.
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Gifford,” the
stranger said hurriedly, “but can you
let me have a horse for a few hours?
My brother, said you kept the best
horses in toWn.”
“Not to let, though," answered 'Mr.
Gifford, rather coldly. “Who is your
brother?”
“Henry Wayne, the postmaster. You
see, I only reached here to—day, and
Henry has been telling me something
which renders my presence in Gaines-
ville Imperative.”
“Ah I"
“I am in a great hurry,” hinted Mr.
Wayne, after a prolonged silence,
“and I will pay you well.”
“I want no pay,” harshly. Then,wlth
a sudden change of voice, “Yes, I think
I can let you have a horse; but I do not
warrant his speed.”
Leading the way to the
pointed to a large gray.
“That is the strongest one in the
stable,” |he said; “you can have him if
you like. The black one is faster, but
I reserve him especially for the side
saddle; and the two bays have been
working this morning.”
Five minutes later he led the black
horse to the stile. Miss Lelia was wait-
ing.
“Who was that gentleman?”
asked.
“A MLWayne. He is going to Gaines-
ville. I let him have the gray horse.”
“The gray horse!” she echoed,.as she
sprang lightly into the saddle. “Why,
that is the plow horse. He could go
faster on foot.” P
“So I think,” coolly; “but I fancy he
is after the very piece of land I have
been telling you about. He has gone
,by the main road; you must take the
stable he
She
past Lake Dora. .T-hat will save you
two miles and allow-you to avoid him.
He might recognise the black horse.”
He took a slip of paper from his pock-
et-book and handed it to her. “That
contain-s all the necessary information
about the homestead,” he admonished.
“Give it to the clerk whose name is on
the back. He knows me, and will see
that your entry is made correctly. Now
go, and don’ t spare the whip.’
Miss Lelia was a good rider, as he
had said, and it was not long before
she had passed through the live oaks,
and by Lake Dora, and so on to the
main road. The stranger was not in
sight. 1
She rode on with exuberant spirits,
when of a. sudden her horse shied toone
side at sight of a. cow quietly grazing
at the roadside. Lelia had carelessly
allowed the reins to fall upon Jack’s
neck, and being entirely unprepared for
this sudden movement, she was unable
“to recover her seat in the saddle, but
slid to the ground in an undignified and
somewhat forcible manner, while her
horse, free of its rider, gaily started for
home.
, Lelia found that in her fall she had
sprained Ler ankle, and. that while the
injury was apparently not se1ious, she
must wait for some time before she
assayed to walk.
An hour went by. Then she heard
the faint tap, tap of hoof beats in the
distance. Presently a gray horse ap-
peared, and behind him was Dick, ap-
parently being led by the rider of the
gray. As they approached she recog-
nized her brother-in-law’s plow horse,
and the rider was, of course, after the
very land she wanted. Her heart sank.
“I suppose this is your horse?” The
. voice was rich and musical, and as the
stranger lifted his hat she felt that the
strong, scholarly face belonged to a
true man. “I met him down the road,
and thought he had run away. Ah,
you are hurt!” he added,as she es'sayed
to step forward. “Here, let me assist
you.” c . sprang from his horse,
throwing the bridle,1 of the black over
his arm as he did so. “My gray will
stand all right,” he said, smilingly. “I
am afraid that his owner thought I
was a poor hors‘e’man, and so gave me
a steed that would be safe.
lean on me. ”
He assisted her to the saddle, and
then examined the girths and bridle to
see that everything was secure.
. “ Do you think you are able to go on
alone?” he asked.
“Oh, certainly! Thebushes broke my
fall. I think that my ankle will be all
right by to-morrow.”
"Well, then, I will not try to keep up
with you. My horse is very deliberate
in his movements, '
reach town before dark. Good-by.”
He watched her until she passed be-
hind a .bend [in the road; then he
m0unted the gray and jogged slowly
after. /
As she rode on, Miss Lelia’s emo-
tions were a curious mixture of exulta-
enter a claim to the land, but in doing
so she almost felt that she would be
taking an unfair advantage of the man -
_ I who had come to her assistance.
.. At
Lelia. “It’s only fifteen miles to Gains- ’
short cut through' the livedbaks and on 1
Easy now: ’
‘mals in the country,
and‘I doubt if 1
tion and dismay. She would be first to
times she thought of 'V stopping. and '-
waitlng for’him to come up, and or ex-
plainlng everything and Offering him a
fair race. Then she Would think of her
mother, and of her brotheréin-law, and‘
of the German who had said that he
Would like her to have the land. or
course she 1had a better right to it than
this stranger; and of- c0u-rse it would
be the height of folly for her to throw
away any of her advantage. ,
But she could not quite satisfy. her-
s;elf and the thought of the stranger
jogging along on the old plow 110151, ac-
companied her into town, and. into the
land office, and grew stronger when
she knew that the homestead was 59- .
curcly in her possession.
Early next morning she started on
her return trip, and soon after leaving
town overtook the old gray horse and
his rider, moving slowly back toward
home.
“I am glad to see you looking so
well,” said Mr. Wayne, as she mined
in her horse in answer to his saluta-
tion. .
terd-ay caused you no inconvenience.”
“Very little, thanks to you.”
They rode on for some minutes in
silence, then Mr. Wayne looked at her
humorously. '
“If you are not in a hurry,” he
said, “I will do my best to make the old
gray keep up.”
“I have the day before me, [and I
shall be glad to have company.”
“Thank you." Then, “Did you enter
your claim all right?”
Miss Lelia flushed and looked at him
inquiringly. He laughed frankly.
“I recognized your horse as one I had
seen in Mr. Gifford’s stable, and I put
one thing and another together. But
don’t think I harbor the least ill-feeling
toward 'the old gray,” he went on
quickly, patting
spoke; “he and I are getting on fa-
mously together. And really and truly
and honestly, Miss—7’
“Staunton.”
“Thank you—Miss Stanton, I am a
thousand times obliged to you for Oh
taining that land. You see, my brother
was wild about my getting it, and his
enthusiasm was so contagious I never
paused to consider the consequences.
Now, I am a lawyer, and I think I see
a good opportunity down "here for me
to practice my profession. But sup-
pose I had buried myself out on that
homestead. Why, it would have been
the extinguishing of both the profes-
sion and myself. Not but what it is a
fine piece of land,” hastily, “and a
prize to anyone who can afford to live
on it the necessary five years. But you
see I could not do that and practice.”
Miss Lelia looked at him searchingly.
“Are you in earnest?" she asked.
“Really and truly and honestly, as I
just observed.”
She looked relieved.
.“I am glad to hear it," she said. “I
was afraid that I—I might not have
acted quite fairly by you.” . -
When they reached the home of Mr.
Gifford they found the owner absent.
Mr. Wayne assisted Lelia to dismount,
and took the horses to the stable.
Then he came back to the porch to say
good-by.
“It has been a very pleasant ride,”
he said earnestly, and something in
his voice brought a warmer color to
her face. “May I call again?”
The color grew deeper, and some-
thing of her embarrassment even crept
into her voice as she answered-—
“Yes, certainly.”
—Waverley Magazine.
MADE AN UNFORTUNATE SPEECH
It Embarrassed. the Young Lady and
Amused the Onlookers.
It was on a Delmar avenue car, says
the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The car
had stopped,and everybody knows how
in the stillness 'of a stopped car, a
voice as soft as a cooing dove smites
the general ear as clearly as the stri-
dent voice of the professional orator
at a ward meeting.
The young man fumbled in his
pockets in vain. He was moneyless.
[n a stage whisper intended for his
:0mpanion’s ears a-lone,but which went
to the ears of all the passengers, with-
out disc1',imination he said:
“Have you any change with you, I
changed my, pants and left my money
behind?"
Of course, the passengers were all
attention. They always are on such
occasions. The youngflady looked in
her purse and felt in her pockets. ~The
search was in vain. She stage-whis-
pered, “I’ve done the same thing.”
She meant she had left her money
at home, but she framed it un‘happily.
And when one or two heartless young
men laughed mildly she blushed and,
made things worse by explaining audi-
bly that she had left her money in her
other dress. A. fellow-passenger paid
00th fares, and the episode and the car
passed on. V
In the Matter of Good Roads.
A million miles macadainized road
would cost $4,000,000,000, but would
dispenSe with about half the draft ani-
and thus save
$738,000,000 in the annual feed bill.
This is three per cent interest on $36,-
)00,00£),Ul)0. Consequently if road bonds
were issued bearing 3 pei'cent interest,
more than 6,000,000 miles cf macadam-
ized road could be built without in-
creasing the annual expenses one (10]:
let. The people are paying 3 per cent
on $36,000, 000, 000 in order to keep up
the present bad roads. So the apostles
"of good roads figure.
The Dog Was All Right.
“Do you know that your. confounded
dog barksall night?” -1
“Yes, I suppose he does. But don’t
woriy about him”. He makes up for it
{by sleeping all day.”—Oleveland Plair ‘
‘Dealer. , . ' . . 1 _ I . . ..
‘ big puffs.
“I hope your adventure of yes:
the animal as the ‘
"uh;
1; _
FASHIONS "Foe CHILDREN.
Examples of the Pretty Styles De’vleed to: _ '
. . Little Boys and Girls.
(By Special Arrangement with the N .' Y.- Sun.)
‘ The fashions. for children are particu- ’
larly pretty this Season. A gown suit-
able for a child between two and four
years of age is of pale pink or blue
linen, made like a simple smock, with -
the top of the back and front breadths
set in a multitude of very small tucks,
from_which the skirt falls in *unre-
strained'folds. This is finished at the
bottom with'small tucks and two tiny
ruches. The bishop sleeves aretucked
at the wrist in the same manner as the '
neck of- the frock, forzhing cuffs, and
rom the top of the tucks to the gather-
ing in at the shoulder the sleeves form
The dress is finished at the
neck and hands with a tiny ruffle edged
with Valenciennes lace.
”34"“12)
s11 ",0
411‘. A 1
y’i-ol- ; . I. . 5
‘ v V .
.Js‘
The first little maid in the illustration
is dressed in a frock of embroidered
muslin. The deep flounce is edged with
embroidered Swiss at the bottom. This
is set on the skirt with an embroidered
frill at the top and a row of insertion
of the embroidery above the frill. The
same muslin form-s a pretty sleeveless
bodice, cut pointed at the neck, back.
and front, and trimmed with the same
edge as the skirt. This is worn over a
plain mull blouse, or, if the weather
is cool, a soft white Silk. Delicate pink
ribbons finish the gown about the waist.
The b10ad-brimmed,flapping leghorn
straw hat is trimmed with a wreath of
very pale pink flowers. The next little
maiden is in light blue pique. The bod-
ice is cut in a series of points alound
the body and edged with n'ariow lace.
It is worn over a white muslin blouse
trimmed elaborately with lace inser-
tion and edge, and the long, tight
sleeves are surmounted by two flounces
The quaint poke bon-
delicate
instead of puffs.
net is laced with .the most
pink. over which fall blue feathers to
match the gown. The tinybow under
the chin is of blue, like the feathers.
The-gown of white serge on the last
child is very stylish. It has a trimming
of dull red. The full loose blouse is
fastened closely about the waist with
a red belt, and below there is a frilled
basque lined with silk of a dull red
shade. The full rovers and flounces
at the top of the tight sleeves am lined
with red~ silk and trimmed with narrow
rows of the same material. The white
silk skirt worn with the gown is striped
acrosis the chest with rows of the red
silk stitched on. A red Tam 0’ Shanter
is worn with the gown, and is trimmed
with one red and one white quill, fas-
tened with a white rosette on the left
side.
Attractive styles are also provided
for little boys. Scotch plaids are used
for kilt suits, as in the illustration. The
' little coat and waistcoat, for real ser-
vice, are best made of tweed of a
black and white mixture, with the cap
of the same material with a flat band
of the plaid about it. A suit of checked
tweed may be made with a Norfolk
jacket belted about the waist under-
the pleats. The golfing stockings
should repeat the shades of the cloth.
The wee sailor boy is in heavy blue_
linen trimmed with narrow white braid
about the collar. The Panama hat has
a binding and broad blue ribbon band
about the crown to match the linen of
the suit. The hat is WOID well back on
thehead. ‘ .
Tying Postal Cards.
Two of the most interesting auto-
tomatta now working within the lim-
its of the United States are those
used by the government for counting
and tying postal cards into small bun.-
dles. These machines are made in
Connecticut, and the two are capable
of counting five hundred thousand
cards in ten hours, and wrapping and
tying the same in packages of twen-
ty-five each In this operation the pa-
per is pulled off a d1um by two long
“fingers” which come up from below,
and another finger dips into a vat of
mucilage and applies itself to the
Wrapping paper in exactly the right
spot. Other parts of the machine
twine the paper around the pack of
cards and then a “thumb” presses
over the spot where the mucilage is,
and the 'package is thrown upon‘ a
‘carry belt ready for delivery. ,.= s11:
._ , -._.._L'r.. .
of heating ‘apparatus'has become a very im-
portant part of the manufacturers” busineSS.
The time has gone by When a useful, econom-
ical furnace 0r stove is all that is to be desired. l
It must 'be more, viz'., artistic. The Bay I
State has always been in the lead for—artistic i ‘
designing applied ’to furnaces, and especially
ranges. You have but to send for our cata-
logue containing fine wood- cut illustrations
of our different styles to '- 1
be convinced of, this.
Consult your local dealer.
BARSTOW S'rovr c N... Y... 1,1121
Foundries-Providence, n. 1. Boston Office—56 Union Street
e “--
I
, p . \
228 WATER smear J
i:
was
Sum/cu:
AND 0E
CONTENT.
is known throughout cycling as a light, staunch,
stylish, speeoy mount. _ here' s a best in every-
thing; the ’96 Stcarns IS a veritable edition dc luxc
among bicycles. Finished' in black or orange.
Stearns riders are satisfied riders, and always
proud as kings of their mounts. '
Your address will insure receipt of our hand-
some new catalogue.
V
E. C. STEARNS 6‘: CO., Makers, Syracuse, N. Y.
Buffalo, N. Y.
San Francisco, Cal. Toronto, Ont.
H. R.-,BIULKVLEY & co.. Agents, SOUTH NORWALK.
,‘Towle Vault Light Company,
MANUFACTURERS.
nunuemrawunui
ANDPATENT LIGHT DESIGNS.
Factory: Office:
“I BRIGGS AVENUE, ’ IB'I ELM STREET,
311001111111. 1111111 101111.
-If you'ere able to
pay ‘IOO for o bicy-
cle, why be“ content
with any. but a
STANDARD OF THE WORLD.
Nineteen years of re utation for building the best b1 lgels, backed
by the certainty 0 quality assur by our scient' :1: methods,
should mean much to any buyer of a bicycle. There' s but one.
Columbia quality—one Columbia price—
- doom-w
rc1 bin and Hartford Bicyciedle freeifyou «rupee-of
. Beautiful Art “urfifaalgeggyby mail from us for two «was stamps. .-
POPE MFG. CO., Hartford, Conn.
Bren tom ciee in almost 1W and town. If Columbine are not.
chs “6 “€1an inyourvi ty,letue cw. p I.
4 e
Norwalk Chronicler