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The Exeter Advocate, 1896-12-3, Page 2Dark ilit's Work. By Paul Ingelow, (Ct)]`I`ri;`IUktre ) "It will be a pleasure to me, perhaps a peoteetion to you," responded Le Britta. `"Thin scoundrel may seek to trouble you again." "But he has disappeared." "Perhaps only temporarily. I do not wish to needlessly alarm you, but that man is no tramp." "Then"-- ' "He was disguised." "For what purpose?" "I know not, only his questions evinced a familiarity with your family history. He means your uncle harm, I fear. ' "Uhl I hope not," murmured the girl, oonceruediy, clasping her hands in frantic anxiety. "Uncle is so low and nervous that the least thing will startle him. He has some secret care all the time, and this rude fellow would alarm, terrify him: Yes? yes! If you will accom- pany mo; if you will explain to uncle. He may know the man. You can warn him, enlighten him." Le Britta had secured his camera and other traps. Miss Vernon, leaning lightly on his arm, they took the path leading toward the villa she had indicated. The great honest heart of the artist went ant in sympathy toward his fair companion as they walked along the flower -spangled path. The consciousness of duty done made hint content. A keen interest in the girl led him to hope they should know more of one another ere they parted. Hie expansive nature ever took a delight in deeds of chivalry and kindness; and, as she told him of the lonely life she led at the sequestered villa, he marveled that so fair a face had not long since attracted the loving attention of sante kindred spirit. Opulence and stability showed on every side, as Gladys led the way into the extensive grounds of Hawthorne villa. Grandeur, tinged with gloom, haunted the massive rooms within the bouse with their rich adornment Miss Vernon indicated a, chair in the drawing room, and said she would see if her uncle was able to receive a visitor. The latter could hear her speak in low. gentle tones to same one in the next apartment beyond the closed doors. Then a more masculine tone answered faintly, and then she reappeared with her soft, pleasing smile. "Uncle will see you, Mr. Le Britta," she said, "I want you to tell him all about the man I met; only do not excite h m too ]mach." "I think you are wise in enlightening him," assented the photographer. "That man certainly means niisehief to your uncle." "Uncle, this is Mr. Le Britta, a gentleman whose friendly kindness served me in a situation of peril to -day." "Peril!" repeated a startled voice, and Le Britta found himself bowing to an austere, white-haired old man, propped up among pillows in an arm -chair near the open window. "Embarrassment. Miss Vernon should have said," iota pclated Le Britta, lightly. "Do not be alarmed, Mr. Vernon. I am a phntographer on a wayward tour, and I chanced to interfere with the insolence of a tramp a short time since." With shrewd finesse, the photographer proceeded to relate the incident of the hour. He told the story simply, robbing the narration of all exiting details as far as possible. To his surprise, however, as he concluded the recital, Mr. Vernon grew dreadfully pale, and, sinking back .among the pillows. uttered a worried moan. "Trouble—peril l" he gasped. "Yes! Yes! It means something. Oh! must my life be ever filled with fear? Gladys, this man was no tramp." "I think not." "An enemy, then. Yes, yes"— "Uncle, Ipray yen do not get excited!" exclaimed Ulndys, solicitously. "Yon know the doctor forbade any agitation." "But this man—he knew your name. Be threatened mei He asked about my will"— "He may have been some pryingrogue bent only on terrifying Miss Vernon," suggested Le Britta, soothingly. "Noe" cried her uncle, forcibly. "There is a plot here. A h ! I feared it. Quick, Gladys! describe him." The young girl did so to the best of her ability. There was no sign of recognition in old Gideon Vernon's ashen face as she concluded, however. "I must know who that man is," he cried, in a sharp, querulous tone. "I am satisfied that ameril menaces us. Who can he be?" "Ah! I bad forgotten ik" Le Britta, arose suddenly to his feet as bespoke, a latent ezeltemneut in his eyes. "Forgotten what;" demanded Mr. Vernon, wonderingly. "You would like to know who the tramp was?" "I shall know no rest till I find out," answered the old man, anxiously. "Will his picture do?" "His picture?" "Yes'" "Have you got it?" inquired the old man, eagerly. "I have" "Where? Show it to me!" "It must be developed first. Allow me to explain. I was taking a snap -shot picture with my camera of Miss Vernon. Just then the tramp came into view. His face, as well, will show clearly on the plate." "What fortune? Where is it" "In my camera, but I can develop a negative quickly, only I must have a dark room in which to perfect it." Le Britta soon made his interested and excited auditors comprehend what he had to do in order to produce a distinguishable picture. Soon, too, ' he was shown to a dark apartment. Here, with ruby lamp, trays and chemicals, he perfected the plate taken from the camera. Old Gideon Vernon's hands trembled with excitement as he saw him reappear, bearing the glass plate between his fingers. "It is a perfect picture," iapoke Le Britta, as he held the plate between the old man's range of vision and the light of the open window. "See, Dir. Vernon, ;there is your niece, and here is the tramp. Do you recognize him?" With staring eyes the old man glared at the outlines on the plate. Then, with a hollow groan, he threw up his thin, white hands, and sank back a huddled, senseless heap among the "It is he—the dead alive, woe, Waage! a0 tI or—all is lost!' tf CHAPTER IV.—FROM THE PAST. Jera Le Britta looked startled as he observed the wealthy and aged Gideon -tampon sink bank insensible, uttering those ominous words— "Act, Gladys, apt! or all is lost!" The effect of this marvelous statement on the girl, was to drive every vestige of color frons her face. "Ho is dying!" , she shrieked, 'bending over the limp and motionless figure of her uncle. "The shook has killed him." "No, no, Miss Vernon," said Le Britta, quickly. "He has only fainted. You really must not excite yourself. Allow me to' give him the attention he needs. Bring some water." The young photographer knew much of chemicals, something as well about medicines. He haetenod to examine a medicine case outspread on the table. Selecting a phial, he poured a few drops into the goblet which Gladys present,d with a trembling hand. and fear -filled face, and then, approaching the invalid again, he forced the stimulant between the ashen lips of the old man. Watched with haunted, frightened eyes by the girl, and speculatively by the more composed artist, the invalid slowly rallied. A sigh escaped his lips. his eyes opened, glared wildly about him, and then, with a shudder, be gasped hoarsely:— "Where is he—that Durand?" "Is that the .name of began Le Britta. "He is no tramp.' "I suspected as much." "Ho is a scoundrel of the deepest dye, an enemy, a man to fear, a being to chain, as you would a wild beast; and I thought him deadt I rested in fancied security l" "You may be mistaken; a fancied resemblance," hazarded Le Britta. "No " cried the old man, definitely "I am not In error. It is no fancied resemblance. There is but one Ralph Durand in the world, and he has appeared in this vicinity to -day, The picture you showed me is his. Do you know what that means?" Le Britta regarded the hollow-eyed invalid and his increasing agitation with alarm. Vernon's nerves were at a. fright- ful tension. "It means plot, peril, crime, and the will --all! I see it all. I must be calm, I must act with promptness and prudence, or we are lost. Gladys, I must see you alone to direct you. You must hasten to the village at mice. This stranger must not be harassed with our family troubles"— "Mr. Vernon," interrupted Le Britta, gravely, "it is true that I am a stranger, but I am deeply interested, and deeply sympathize in your troubles Yon are in a dangerously weak condition. Too much excitement may prove fatal to you. I beg of you to be calm, to composedly tell me your story. and allow ins to aid you in any way I can. You surely would not thhink of sending your niece back into danger of meeting that villain again?' "Trust a stranger?" mused Vernon, dubiously. "Yes. uncle, you can trust Mr. Le Britta," spoke Gladys, with a eratefal, confident glance at her rescuer. "I will," announced Vernon, resolute- ly. "hit. Le Britta, I depend solely on you to old me to protect this fair young girl who will soon be friendless, as she is an orphan." No! no! uncle, do not say that," sobbed Gladys. "It is true., I feel that I cannot long survive this last shock," proceeded the invalid. "I am a wealthy man, Mr. Le .Britta, with but ono near relative, my darling, faithful Gladys. To her, three years ago, I left by will all my fortune." "Then what interest can this villain Rlph Durand have in knowing about it—what have you to fear from him?" queried Le Britta, wonderingly. Vern.m shivered apprehensively. 4W1011 to fear at all times," he replied, "hut just now only regarding Gladys' future. This man is a distant relative, a half cousin. Three years ago he was my favorite. 0ledyswas not with me then. I twisted Durand with the control of my property. I treated him like a son. I had deposited in a bank several thousand dollars which I intended leaving to him when I die. I male a will. Gladys, of eourse, was my sole heiress. In that will I appointed as her guardian this man Ralph Durand, with rare discretionary powers, until she ,was of age, for I trusted hila implicitly. His fellow - trustee was a friend of mine. Doctor Winston," "I understand," comprehendingly. "That will I deposited with my city lawyer. In his safe it has since lain. A short time after I made it, Durand was unmasked to me. Slowly, doubtingly I grew to believe, aud, finally, investigated the dark rumors that reached my ears about his bad habits. I learned that he was a profligate, a gambler of the worst kind, that be openly scoffed at me as a 'golden goose be was plucking' to his evil-minded companions in vice. I found that he had systematically robbed me, that he was a forger and an embezzler in matters at my estate. I summoned him to my presence, and told him all. I ordered him from my door. He left, That night he managed to get a forged check for a large amount on my banker cashed, and on a second forged order he obtained a box containing some private papers of mine. Among them was a—a document," and Vernon faltered and paled visibly. "It referred to a family. secret that I wished to guard at all hazards. I sent detectives on his track, but it was of no avail. Beery day dread- ing that tram some secure and distant place he would begin to menace me with giving publicity to the secret, I shuddered and feared, Finally, one day, in a newspaper I read that Ralph Durand bad been killed in a drunken brawl in a fart western mining tavern. I was free. I was only haunted after that with the fear that some one might accidentally find the document he had stolen, and attempt to blackmail ane or publish the same. Now," and the old man's eyes expressed a deep anxiety, "he reappears suddenly, mysteriously, he was not dead at all. He has: returned to wreak his baleful hate on myself, and the only relative 1 have in the wide world." Le Britta Was intensely interested in the strange, graphic recital,' but he said, sternly:— "And, Mr. Vernon, what is to prevent you from; sending word to the nearest police official to arrest this knave who robbed and disgraced you" Nol t tquickly. Vernon,n no!" uttered. r q y. "I dare not do that Too well Ralph Durand understands his power, and he will wield it without mercy. Be probably has the compromising document I infer to, and he knows, I would rather man—Ralph the tramp?" "And that documentt" insinuated Le Britta, curiously. "I dare not tell you. Gladys, too, must never know. Leave all that to me, I will find a means of securing and destroying it, if I live. I will, later, negotiate with this villain for its surrender for a money consideration, but just. now there is a far more vital point that agonizes me and demands attention." "And that is?" queried La Britta, "The will," ejaculated Vernon, forcibly and excitedly, "The one you made" -- "Three years since. It has never been changed. it lies at the lawyer's, just as I Left it," tl" exclainletd Ise Britta, Incredulously. "Surely, Mr. Vernon, you do not mean that you allowed that important document to remain as it was with that villain Ralph Durand as guardian to Miss Vernon." "Yes, I know it was reprehensible, hut let me explain. For a time I was so worried over Durand. that I never thenght of the will. Then Gladys came from boarding -school to brighten my life, and it again escaped my mind. One day I thought of it, and arranged to go and got it, destroy it, and make a new will, appointing a new guardian. That very day I read of Ralph Durand's death. That relieved me of all dread. If he was dead, the mention of his guardianship was invalid. Naturally, Doctor Winston, a trusted friend, would become successor in trust. The will was made extra strong and with care, and blind that I was to the future, I never worried about it." "But now," began paused, "Now, to be plain, if I should die to- night" -- Oh! uncle," murmurer; Gladys, with a shudder, nestling closer to her beloved relative. Yes, if I should die to -night," pursued Vernon, steadily, that man Dnrand would appear here to -morrow in all his insolence and villainy, your legally -appointed guardian—the guardian of my pure innocent Gladys. Ohl it is terrible to contemplate. Worse than that, in my blind confidence in him I gave Durand, under the terms of the will an absolute temporary control of everything without bond or legal accountability, Nol no! I must take no risks, Not for a day, for a single hour. We must, indeed, act, or all is lost I" "Then why not send to your lawyer for the will?" suggested Le Britta. "It is in the city. A day's journey there, a day's journey back." "Telegraph to have it destroyed." "In an important step like that they might hesitate. No, I have a pian that obviates it all.' "May I ask what it photographer. "Yes; a new will." "Ah!" "I will send at once for the village lawyer, Mr. Munson. You will go for ane, air. Le Britta?" "Certainly." "Bring him at once, I will have him draw out a new will, giving all .nay property to Gladys but appoiuting a new guardian. You and the lawyer can witness it, I will deposit it in a safe place. This will invalidate the old will. Than I can rest in peace, then I eau defy this villain, who, I verily believe, would murder me if lie know how affairs stood —his rude questioning of Gladys proves that." "You aro right Mr. Vernon," spoke Le Britta, comfortingly. "Year clear- headed Plan removes all obstacles from your path. Where am I to go—what is the name of the village lawyer?" Mr. Vernon directed his guest, and urged dispatch. -For a moment Le Britta busied himself adjusting his camera for future use. Then he announced his readiness to depart on bis strange and important mission, "I can never forget your great kind- ness to us, Mr. Le Britta," spoke Mr. Vernon. "Once the new will is made, I shall feel as if I have a new lease of life. Why, sir, what is the matter?" Le Britta bad started violently. He even uttered a quick ejaculation of surprise, almost alarm. About to speak, he turned his glance front the open window whither with fixed intensity it had just been directed, and evaded a reply, by saying, with forced calmness:— "I am ready to depart on my errand, Mr. Vernon." Every pulse was quickened, his nerves were at a high tension, however, as he left the room. He knew that to reveal the truth to the invalid, would he to startle, alarm him, possibly imperil his life. For, peering in at the window through the thick vines that trellised it, he had seen the evil, malignant face of the pretended tramp, Gideon Vernon's old time enemy— Ralph Durand! nodded Le Britta, La Britta, and is?" queried the present, it makes bright the future, A picture ?ls. fadeless. It gives to the mourner the sweet face of the cherished dead. It preserves the record of love, devotion and fidelity, In this case, it has played the detective, may the results baffle villainy, and bring peace and happiness to those two imperiled, souls." Truly, indeed, a great art was that to which Jera LoBritta bad devoted his life and energies. TO lBH, CONTINUED.) pillows, with the, agonized utterance:- pay a fortune than have it published." THE LITTLE FRENCH GIRL. Slags is a Miniature Woman and Is. Taught Feminine Arts. However innocent she may be, a little French girl is much more of a little woman than a child of any other nation- ality. She does not romp; she is demure and quiet in her games, which are often imitations of a grown person's life. She is trying to learn how to be the mistress of her house by means of her dolls,furni- ture, kitchen and dishes. Feminine arts are still a part of every well -arranged French education, writes Mine. Blanc in the Century. Men really care more for these accomplishments than for the others, as they make stay-at-home wives who look after their households; and- as a Frenchwoman's principal aim is to please her future husband, every mother pre- pares her daughter for this end. This is why she does not permit too close an Intimacy with little boy cousins, because ten years later a jealous hushaud would take a dislike to these friendly cousins; nor would he like his wife's bosom friends, in whom she confides. and who uaver leave her any hatter. Mothers, therefore, permit' few if any intimacies, and these are all winnowed and selected with the greatest care. One advantage of this system is that the name of friend is not carelessly bestowed right and left; it takes time and good reasons for simple acquaintances to rise to that rank, The mother not only wards off little boy cousins and intimate girl friends, but she discourages the little girl in showing off her knowledge out of the class -room, for she is fully aware that nothing could be less attractive in the eyes of the expected lord and master than a blue stocking. A bright little girl I could name had, by chance, picked up some astronomical scrape, together with other scientific facts, which allowed her to shine now and then. One evening, while playing in the garden, she heard a friend of her father's exclaim: "What a dazzling star!" "That is not a star, sir," she said; "It is a planet," Her mother was in despair, for she would rather a hun- dred times have found her ignorant than have seen her "show off," or capable of committing the enormity of contra- dicting an older person. "1 hope," she said, jestingly, as a sort of excuse, "that when she is 16 the poor little thing will have forgotten a great part of what she knows to -day!" THLlit�Ai�. - ..... D[.N. BULBS IN HOUSE CULTURE. Varieties That Afford a Diversity of Form and Color. Bulbous' plants, properly managed, will give an abundant supply of flowers in the window garden from January to May. Those, therefore, who have only the window to depend upon for the winter flowers cannot afford to neglect bulb cul- ture or to give it indifferent attention, says Vick, who gives this information on the subject :in his illustrated monthly:— Beginning with the Roman White hy- acinth and the Paper narcissus, there may follow a continuous bloom of hyacinths and narcissus of many kinds, of tulips and crocus and snowdrops, of freesias and lilies and sparaxis and chio- nodoxas and aoiilas cod alliums, and be. sides the truly bulbous plants there are those which have rhizomes that are treated nearly the same as the bulbs, such as the anemones and winter aconite and the small growing kinds of of iris. All that is needed is toplace the bulks in some light soil in pots and stand them away ip a cool, dark place for a few weeks, aud then they are ready to show their handsome forms, Or the by- aoiuth bulbs may only be set so that the Cutting Teeth at 33. Two of the oldest men in Baltimore are now undergoing the suffering of cut- ting teeth. One is Thomas R. Rich, aged 70 years, an accountant. Six years ago he was knocked down by a trolley ear, His eye teeth were loosened and fall out, For six years he mourned their loss, and now he sheds tears at the arrival of their successors. Two well defined teeth have appeared in the place of the others, end the old man's jaws are so swollen that he can. hardly eat. The other aged tooth -cutter is William H. Hill. He is 03 years old, and is suffering with a now wisdom tooth. Mr. Hill is one of the oldest residents of South Baltimore, and a pensioned vet- eran of the Mexican war. During the civil war he belonged to the Union League of Baltimore, and was a mem- ber of the party that helped dig a trench at Druid Hill Park for the reception of Harry Gilinnre's band of Confederates who were expected to try and raid this city., Mr. Hill baa a narrow escape from be- ing hanged in Northumberland Co., V a , daring the rebellion by a band of young Southerners They had collected a party of six Union sympathizers and had ropes about their necks. 11111 was one of the party. All were saved by the arrival of a big fellow named Jackson Walker, whose capture the Confederates were discussing. He made his appearance on the scene very suddenly. He was armed to the teeth, and, leaping into the crowd, quickly dispersed it, and the Union pri- soners made their escape. The old gentleman delights to tell this story, and declares that was the only time in his life that he ever felt as badly as he does now, when cutting a wisdom tooth.—Boston Globe. CHAPTER V—"TINCTliRE OF IODINE." Miss Vernon accompanied the artist to the door. Her eyes expressed gratitude, her working features told of how she valued the kind friend so strangely come to her rescue in a time of direful need. "Watch out closely for that villain Durand," spoke Le Britta, seriously. "I shall not be gene lung." As soon as Gladys re-entered the house, however, he glided stealthily around the corner of the mansion. "It was no delusion," be murmured. "That man, the tramp, Ralph Durand, was certainly at the window. He may have overheard every word of our conversation." Le Britta was forced to act with caution. He dared not alarm Mr. Vernon by telling him of his latest startling discovery. He • penetrated the shrubbery, be sought everywhere for a trace of the lurking scoundrel. but none was vouchsafed him "He has disappeared," soliloquized Le Britta. "He surely will attempt no villainy in broad daylight. .I can only hasten on my mission, and, returning, aid this poor old man and his niece by advice and protection." Le Britta hurried toward the distant village at a rapid gait. His thoughts kept pace with his swift walk. That earnest mind of his was deeply engrossed in the case that a mere trifling accident had made a seeming part of his life, a vivid chapter in the ' book of destiny. "The camera supplies the clue," he reflected. "It is, like the affair `. where I'. photographed the brain of a murdered man, and that strange evidence played a conspicuous part in the trial that ensued. Ali! the possibilities of my profession. it is artistic in the highest sense, yet .material. Itis the connecting link between the past and the present. It illuminates that past, it sanctifies the Now an :Elephant Sleeps. One of the most erroneous of the many queer ideas which the layman has on the questions of natural history is the one respecting the elephant's mode of sleeping. Even the old school of natural- ists declared that the elephant had never been known to sleep except in a standing position, saps. the St. Louis Republic. Of late, however, say within the last century, it has been learned that the error name about by persons studying the habits of such beasts as had not been long in captivity, Such animals, when undergoing the process of domestication, have been known to stand for twelve, eighteen or even twenty-four months without once lying down to sleep. This is regarded as a want of confidence in their keepers, coupled with- a longing desire for liberty. While elephants are at perfect ease and reconciled to their fate, they will lie doan on their sides and sleep as all other beasts do. CIililSIt saultun LILIE. base of the bulbs will be close to water in vases, and this will be all that they ask. Or almost any bulb will grow and bloom well in some damp moss, By pre- ference a sunny window should he chosen, but if not at command give then; the full light of a north Winslow, and they will cause no disappointment. Not much heat is needed, and in fact the lower the temperature can he kept above 60 degrees the better will be the develop• mons of the flowers. The Chines° or sacred lily is properly fl nareissas of the polyauthus type. The bulbs aro largo, and each one sends up a number of flower spikes. These grow in pots, but a proper method is to fill a bowl or some similar vessel with pebbles, in which place the bulb, setting it about one-half its depth, will be held firmly; then fill with water to the top of the pebbles and place in a warm, sunny window. London's Big Drink Blll. The most recent temperance atatistios published in London show that the an- nual consumption of liquor in the capital is largely on the increase. It is estimated that the sum of £20,000,000, or $101).- 000,000, will be spent, this year in alco- holic drinks by the dwellers in the me- tropolis. This sum, it is computed, would nearly eight times pay for the School Board maintenance, added to the cost of necessary new school buildings. The appropriations for the relief 'of the poor in London are about $13,000,000, which is only one-eighth of the total drink bill. The London debt of about $06,000,000 could be paid in one year by the amount spent on liquor and a bal- ance of nearly $4,000,000 left over. When it is taken into consideration that liquor is much cheaper in London than here, the enormous quantity oon- sumed is largely in excess of what it at first appears .to be. Cruel Girl. Cholly—Yana, I have a position in a pow- der mill. -'She—Have' you? I hope they let you smoke.—Brooklyn Life. HANDLING CELERY. A Plan Cn:;•_^gated by Prof. Green, of ellsio Ohio Experimental Station. When the celery plants are large enough for handling or firming, things may be done either in the old way, by drawing soil around the base of enol plant, or winding a string once around eaolh, as recommended by Professor Groom Here is what he ways about it in a man- ual on celery culture published by the Rural Publishing Company, New York. In handling we tried string by wind- ing once around each plant and then go- ing on to the next, keeping the string Bow to Preserve Boot Cuttings. It is quite common for those desiring new plants from cuttings, sale The American Cultivator, to place them in a bottle of water, keeping the whole out ting, except a bud, submerged until roots form. The practice of gardeners is to place the cutting in damp sand, and they claim that the sharp particles of sand rubbing against the smooth end of the cutting hasten the callousing from which the roots are started. No manure of any kind should be allowed to come in contact with cuttings, The ,first roots formed are very tender and sappy. They will rot off as fast as they form if heating manure is placed near them. After the cutting has been well rooted it may be planted in richer ground, but even then the filling around the roots had better be sand than rich earth or manure. When the roots grow, they will reach the man- ure fast enough if within reaching dis- tance and this for a large vine may be 15 or 20 feat distant. LULLING CIiL ultY. tent enough to hold the stalks in place. This was a decided improvement over the way of holding the stalks la place by earth until the rest of the soil was put In, but when it came to taking the string off the soil would be tramped around the plants, and the leaves and upper part of the stalks would be torr; off. Some one thought that paper string might do, and it would rot off and not hurt the plant. We put it on several thousand plants and found that very little injury was done, and this happened by the careless putting on of the string. The plants were held in position by the string until a rain mane and settled the dirt around the plant and wet the string enough so it would give way to the growing plant To some of the plants we gave a second banking be- fore the string gave way andlettheplanll spread. We invented a little device foe putting the string on. I took a Comate can and punched a hole through the bottom of it, nailed it to a stick, and then taking a piece of suspender with the buckles fastened it to the right arm above the elbow and at the wrist, letting the string run out at the bottom of the can between the thumb and front finger: With ttiit one can wind celery all day. Tho final blanching may be done with boards, and these need not be excessively wide either. Banging Baskets. Whether in the greenhouse or ordinary room, these will be found to take a lib- eral supply of water where good growth has been made. Non -attention to this is a frequent source of failure, the plants, whatever they may be, soon assuming a sickly appearance if not regularly at- tended to. In the case of any which are found to dry up rapidly it is a good plan to water them in the evening and then again in the morning. If the soil has been partly washed, away, a slight top dressing would be a considerable assist- ance. All decaying foliage and flowers should be kept removed, the position occupied by the plants being one where such things are brought into prominent notice. Protecting With Boards. Wooden boards come in very handy in protecting plants in winter, Gardening says. Make wind break fences of them to protect your garden against the pier- cing blasts; build boxlike structures of them over more tender roses, rhododen- drons and other evergreens; nail a few overlap fashion to ward off the rains from your stored celery in the ridges, or make shutters of them to put over the mats or other protecting material you nave on your, frames to keep it dry and more frost proof. And old boxes or barrels set open, mouth down, over many a choice plant or root may save its life in winter. Labrador's Fruits. In spite of the latitude and the Arctic current, Labrador, and that almost un- inhabitable strip of territory which flee to the northeast of British North Amer. lea, is the home of much that is delicious in the berry world. Even the outlying islands furnish the curlew berry and bake -apple in profusion; and upon the mainland in September and part a1 October a veritable feast awaits one. There are three varieties of blueberries, blackberries, wild red currants, having a pungent, aromatic flavor, unequaled by the cultivated varieties; marsh berries, raspberries, tiny white capillaire torr berries, with a flavor like some rare per' fuine,and having just a faint suggestion of wintergreen; squash berries, peat berries and curlew berries, the latter not so grateful ag the others, but a prime favorite with the Eslkmos, who prefer them to almost any other; and lastly, the typical Labrador fruit—which, ex. cepting a few scattering plants in Can. ada and Newfoundland is found nowhere else outside the peninsula --the gorgeous bake apple. These cover the entire coast from the St, Lawrence to Ungava. Their beauti- ful geranium -like leaves struggle' with the reindeer moss upon the islands, car- pet alike the low valleys and highest hilltops, and even peep from banks of everlasting snow. Only one berry grows upon each plant, but this one makes a most delicious mouthful. It is the size and form of a large raspberry, but the color is a bright crimson when half ripe, and a golden yellow when matured. Its taste is sweetly acid. The Birch Trees. The birch has been neglected on ac- count of a supposed want ofbeauty, but when old it one of the most graceful of trees, changing' its stiff, upright growth to just. the reverse. It cannot be included among the largest park trees as single specimens, but in widely .spaced. groups it is quite distinct and beautiful, its beauty being enhanced by its silvery white bole shining through its branches. it is one of those trees which quickly get spoiled it thinning has • been neglected. As its branches are slender and impa- tient of shade, the bottom ones soon die off and leave the tree a bare pole, The Coinrebus Gooseberry. Rural New Yorker advises.' a few plants ofthe Columbus g of which.t gooseberry, 1 says: 'Taken all in all, it is the best var- iety yet offered in this country, or for those parts of it where the gooseberry thrives. The Industry mildews where the Columbus is mildew proof. Fruit Kept Prom i'rreezing. The great requirement for keeping fruit for family use during the winter is to sur round it with air as near the freezing point Lis practicable. Country Gentleman says that one or more thermometers are necessary for the attendant, and if be finds it much below freezing he must raise the temperature a little, but if he etas it too high. the frail will be made to rot. Time thermometer will show the attendant the precise temperature, which, if not allowed to vary, will convey the finest fruit through the winter. bit: Gregory, of Marblehead,Mass., keeps the right temperature with one or more oil stoves, which will add a few degrees el any time when the air is below freezing. Experiments have shown the great ad. vantage of a low, uniform temperature for keeping the finest fruit, which may be preserved with the fine and refreshing flavor of newly gathered specimens, Palms and Rubber Plants. Some palms like warm quarters, others rather a coolplace, but the ordinary: temperature of a dwelling house in Win- ter is good for them. Ru'bber.plante, toe, will thrive well in the common warra. temperature of our dwellings, lent they don't like cold. Both are capital house plants, thriving well in sunless win- dows, and, in fact, for weeks in the haii, dining room or elsewhere on a table or bracket and not near a window at all Don't use'big pots. One of the beau- ties of these and other house plants is healthy, leafy specimens in comparatively small pots. At all times the soil should be moist and never very dry. Don't give them stimulants in the house. If the pots are rather small and the prints root bound, stimulants would be useful. use stimulants when the plants are in full growth In summer. The Best Country for Apples. The apple ,is a native of cool and com- paratively northern regions. It has naves been able to adapt itself to warm coun- tries. Even in ` the eastern states the apple is, not -a particularly successful fruit south of the Potomac, river,exam) o in the: mountains and cosi regions. All along the. Allegheny range they thrive admirably --quite as well as in the fam- ous apple regions of western New York g -,but when we get into the lower land where - a long and comparatively. hi4 summer temperature prevails, ; thea pp_ would never be looked upon as a deela` able orchard fruit by those who are look, ing to profit from fruit culture, saga Meehan's Monthly.