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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Clinton News Record, 1920-8-5, Page 6'Influence Unawares - Hy FRAIsICE$ GISEENMAN, •;eeisesseeeeseeseessiesteestee "I caleulate," said Pa Dallas, "that the cominiesieners ain't asking odds of no one. Dear Imam both roads are for from good, and there's net a Mite of use to try to nialee them de- cide on our NINA road.feel it in my bones they're going to pick on the east route" Pouring two Junkets of foaraing milk into a big pan in the milk hoisee, ae loolfed inquiringly at his wife, Ma Dallas took her time to finish the skimming; she plunged the slangier into a pall of water and hung it on ate own particular nail before she de- manded: , owey e n . • "Cauee we don't knew what sort of influence to bring to bear." '"Influence'—what a svord! I'd think it would be dead from over- work. Why don't you men -folks try?" :"We can't think of anything to do," said Pa as he pick -ed up Inc pails. "Billy Mix ain't one to ask nor take advice. Tdin Hart's most as bad, and neither a 'em wants to be re-elected. Besides, they'sve 'called in a highway engineer and a good -roads expert. I ealeulate we'll have to let mattees take their course." . Mr. and Mrs. Jed Dallas had neither "thick nor child" of their own, but, nevertheleas, they owned many chil- dren. To the whole countryside they were Pa and Ma; their house door was the • easiest one- to swing open,. and no one ever passed a dull hour within the four walls of the old farrnstead. Mrs. Dallas gazed speculatively through the open door of the milk house upon the flowering trees and the sheen of spring grasses. A lilac bush beside the door swayed in the morning breezes, pigeons fluttered from the barn roof, and Good Fellow, thebest churn dog in Pretty Meadow township, thumped Inc tail on the wide stone step. "Your turn's coming," said•Ma. "I'm going to start you churning right off. You can 'influence' .the machinery, and the machinery'll 'infleenee' the dhurn, and the churnal 'influence' the - cream, and—" Ma Dalla.s laughed: She was sixty odd years old and in spite of her weight as spry as 'a girl. All the cciuntryside loved Ma. Dallas and the butter she made. The pro- prietor of the Great Eastern Empo- %atm at the county town paid Inc highest price for the firm, golden balls with a 'deer stamped neatly on each one. "Only fault I find with your butter, • Ma," he told her, "is you don't bring in enough." "I'd come oftener, Mr, Swift, Frit wasn't for the road. There are forty- aeven-kinds of blimps arid hollows in It, I'll own I'm considerable upset by the time I reach Your store." Ma lingered a while in the mills house that, morning. Everyone who came to the Linn said the milk house was the "nicest place," A cool little brook rippled among the stories; big leans, "four foot square," stood on span legs at a convenient height for Ma and Clarissy Ann to skim the lakes of milk topped with yellow cream. The lattice windows were wreathed in vines; shining tins and implements ornamented the wails; and on a shelf was a row of steins with delft -blue boys and girls and cats chasing reund and round them. Outside a big bass- wood whispered, and in the friendly shade of .the tree Good Fellow paced round and round "influencing" the but- ter to "come' "While I'd love to have the paved road past our place,I've got 710 time to worry this morning," said Ma to ' herself. "Sugar cookies and bread to mix and a pot of beans to look afterl Metcyl I better he flexing round a bit swifter." When Mo, reached the kitchen Clars . iesy Ann was just hanging up the dislapan. • "Aunt Dell," began Olarissy, "Uncle .Ted venturesthe commissionersal pick the east road. My! What wouldn't it mean to us west ro.aders to have a de- centshighway lear to town! I wish we had soine influence." "Run down cellar, Clarissy, and "in- fluence' the lard and that dish of 'berries to come up into the kitchen." "But don't you care.about our get- ting the paved road, Aunt Dell?" wail- ed pretty' Clarissy. "You know nwell's I do, child, how , Vm all but jounced to a jelly after a trip to town. Hoy:eve-retail real busy now. thinking about 'influence.' " .While Ma made cooky dough she po,ndeged:hey•Sebjeets She got out the oriam-edged cooky cutter and began to make circles in the sugar -sprinkled dough on•the moulding board. "Let's see," she mused, "I spanked Ted McCool once' when.I caught him In my cherry tree, and now he's real imPortant—a highway engineer, been called on to go over both roadand advise. the commissioners. Now I'll wageee-" W'hfit she would wager she did not say, fey the, (lining room slime opened, • anti a tall, than woman with a sills bag an her aim came into the kitchen, 'Why, Mittie firewiterl" - , "I knocked at every door, • Ma. 1 told Henry I'd rather s -it a. Spell with you than look at the best Berkshire ever. penned. Henry's daft on Pigs. ‚He's gone over to Charlie Stetson seto try to buy another." -Mrs. Dallea plimisied up -the cushion . in the calleo weaker by the morning- • glory window. "Pin glad you did, Mettle, but I'm right in the midst of cookies." "Go on, Ma; you knew I can tat arid talk same as you can bake and talk, My! You own the homiest kitchen in tbe country. I tell folks if I was col- aectingkitchens, like we used to collect buttons, I'd have yours on in charm otriag sure." Ma laughed and tested the temper- ature el: the oven with bey hand be- fore sliding in a pais of cookies, It's Omit a pot or so of geriusiutns and Oahe 1 paint, Mittie." 7' rt: l' e Visitor ehoolc her head. "Your adtchae a soul, alat.. I suppose you are eard the conunisonerts are ge- er eS ovour road Saturday. TheY ave a My. Paul, a /oad roads eipert, jAowi from the eity." 'J3eter get a bad -rods expert," aeald Ma dryly, "If anyone eat show itwo wotse ends than the east and West thee our commissioners aro in- . opecting, I don't want te vlosv 'ems eThere's not one reason Why we ehouldn't vet the paving ori Our road, anot, so far ita I Ithow, why the east • taped theuichat rieither," , 1 !Sakesry time It raffle I tell Honey 1,0,4(1 alai: AO soots bet toeseal hp in it blanket, Inf te go 10 toWn over our road, Sam Sprout'e going to be a widower one of these days, it tams go long to get a doctor when Mary bits those spelle, On a emooth road Doe Kilroy could make it in a quarter of the time, Think what a good road would mean to us Ma placed a plate of cookies on the broad window ledge near:her gueet, rested her handson her hips and our- veyed the woman in the roam "Prn real pillowy, Mittie," she said, "but ewn feelings., especially when I'm try- ing -to reach town with my butter and my disposition M the seine condition they were when I left home." IVIittie Brewster held forth on roads mail a long call from an auto horn broke the quiet of the morning. "That's Henry!" she exclaimed. "I got to go, Ma, if you tan think of one thing to do—you use your influence." The rest of the day Mrs, Dallas re- flected' on "influence," "Haunts me like a composition subject!" she mur- mured. "Now I wonder what sort of a man this good -roads expert is." A whiff oe mingled odors from the kitchen came to Ma as she rested in • comfortable rocking chair in the living room.' There were fresh bread and baked beans; and a large pot of "good luck" simmering for supper on the back of the range added also its pleasing aroma. Ma was putting a plate of sally lunn on the table when an idea came to her. Hastily terming to the tele- phone, she called a number. "That you, Mr. Thorp? You ac- quainted with Mr. Paul? Yes, the goeid-roads expert. What sort is he? No, iso, I suppose he is honest. City man? Lived on a farm when a boy. Ohl What? Friend of Ted McCool's? Shot I don't even know him. 'A little rheumatic! We all are. Thank you," All during supper Peter and Clar- issy talked road. ' • "It won't do a mite of. good to try to influence men like Billy Mix and Tons Hart," said Pa. "Jed," •asked Me, passing round dishes of strawberries, "just what do you mean by 'Influence"?' "Oh, sort of talk 'em over. You know I'm no elocutor, Ma, I can't." "I wouldn't try, then," said Mn cheerfully, That 'evening. Ma Dallas's mind la- verted to a long -gone year when she had spanked a little, boy for eating cherries. "It seems dreadful now," she told herself. "I never see a cherry to this day but I also see that young- ster's brown eyes that looked at Inc s,.o reproachful. I was ashamed right off. If he hadn't broken aelimb Irons my best tree, I don't suppose I'd have touched lam. My, how he put for home! Kept looking back as if I was going to chase after. Left his hat and never did come back for it." Ma laughed softly. Her wienmey, like her butter, was excellent. She continued to roth and to "visit" with herself. "Ever shin I heard Ted had come back, I've wanted to snake some sort of reparation, though I don't haae any notion he's one to harbor grudges. I've most a mind to do it. I've an Idea he'e a real lovable chap, and Pd like to see him again. Iebelieve that little straw hat of his is' up garret this very minute, and 1'!! ask him to come get his hat." (Concluded in next issue.) The Fine Woods of the • You .:Ask Me WhoIAm alli.1 Shall You' I am the cheapest thing in the world. With me, men have felt within them the power to MONT mountains:—to Ily the air Ste birds—to gain the wealth of Oroesus. • I am the Secret of Happiness. Without me 'the years are but a MMUS; old age a tragedy. I offer mySelf to you and you do no't heed. I bide my time. To -morrow you willcome begging, but shall, turn aside, I can not --4 will not—be ignored. I am the sunlight of the day; the star -dotted heaven of the night, • I hold your future in the hollow of myhand. • I can make of you what I Will. I arn the Door a Opportunity—the Open Road to the Fairyland of •'Dreams. I am the most important thing in the world—the one thing without which all else is impossible. You ask me who I am and I Shall tell you; • 1 am GOOD HEALTH AFLOAT WITH HIS MAJESTY THE KING ROYAL YACHTS PART OF • BRITISH NAVY. A Personally Conducted In- spection of Famous Yacht Victoria and Albert. "His Majesty isesver the side; -sir." • It doesn't mean that the King has fallen overboard; it is almply the Naval formula for reporting to res- ponsible officere that the King has left the Boyal yacht, say a Health naval writer. But it sounds very funny the first time you hear it. I remember the Shock I had, One bright' swum afternoon, many years ago, sitting in the wardroom of a bat- tleship at Spithead, when a messenger came up to the 'dffieer Who Was chat- ting with me, and, in emotionless tones, reported: "The Admiral is over the side, tire' For that admiral was particularly portly and dignified. ,.I was raw to Navy ways, and I had a momentary vision of a wet, bedrag- gled figure being hoisted up with a boathook byethe slack of his pants. And all the time the dignified figure was sitting in the sternsheets of his barge, magnificently acknowledging salutes on Inc way to the shore! Figures in the Navy List. Future. It is the tropics that furnish the beautiful "cabinet woods" required for the making of fine furniture and other uses. Mahogany, the fulesiture wood Par excellence, is typical. Unfortunately, the available supply ot mahogany is nearly used up. Ex - elusively native to the new world, it has been cut recklessly and wastefully for hundreds of years, so that now the trees are relatively scarce and remote- ly situated, the cost of getting them out of the forest and transporting the lumber being maily accountable for the present high price. .- The same condition exists as re- gards the much -prized rosewood, and also ebony. We get mahogany from 'tropical Africa, where the tree was introduced -a good while ago; but near- ly all of this wood that conies to us nowadays is used for veneers. The old-fashipned furniture of solid ma- hogany is a thing of the past, though rich people, willing to pay the price, may have it made for them. Even so, the chances arethat it will not be the real thing. Various de- ceptive substitutes, certain , cedars dmong them, pass in the trade as ma- hogany. Eucalyptus is largely used for "mahogany" veneers, which, when stained and polished, aro a very sue- cessfel imitation. The sapodilla and Spanish cedar of Mexico and Central Amevica are be- coming rapidly exhalisted, and the "cocobol.a," a hard, dark -red wood that takes a beautiful polish and is much aged for knitfe-hanciles, is getting so stereo that subetitutes are anxiously soUght. There is hope ahead, however. The tropics of South America have vast ving•in forests of high-class cabinet woods which await only the develop- ment of transportation to render their wealth available, In Brazil there are more than 100 species of such trees, among which may be mentioned the cabbage tree, the,crabwood, the wax palm; the white cedar, the "pao violate. (yielding a be.autifel wood of light violet color suitable for inlaid work) and the gi- gantic "tittneril," attaining a height of 180 feet, a single log of which has bocci converted ineo a vessel of twelve aons burden. The Modern Child, Papa was ebout to apply the strap. "Father," eald Willie, gehtly but flrtnly, "mem that instrument of elase- tisetnent has been properly sterilized I must protest." Tho fed man groped. "Moreover," • coatenuea Willie, "the germs that might bo relefieed by the vieleat impact of leather upon a pole ous textile fabric lea Tetely exposed to the duet of the streets would be IlitelY to affect you deleterlotesly," The strap hunglime in the netvelete halal ansi Willie beat 11, This yarn is not dragged in by the scruff of its neck. It points a lesson, namely—that the Royal Yacht Vic- toria and Albert, in whith the King has planned to take a ten daye' cruise, visiting, for the first time, Igo Isle of Man, is run Navy fashion. She As, in fact, most literally entitled to be called one of "His Majesty's Ships." She is built by the Navy, manned and officered by the Navy, docked by the Navy, and figures among all the war- ships in the alphabetical list in the Navy List. Royal Yachts have been part of the Navy'for generations past. Charles II., a merry memory, had one to which he gave Hie extraordin- ary name of Fubbs, but mote suitable names like the Royal George came into use under the Georges, and Victoria and Albert has been borne by two yachts, the first, a paddler, built in the middle of Queen Victoria'i•eign, and the present one, completed about eighteen months before she died. The Splendid Dining Room. She is a handsome ship, but not unduly ornate. She wasbuilt more for comfort than magnificence, and she was never intended to vie with the floating palaces built as Royal yachts for the Czar of Russia and the ex -Kaiser. The most ornate -part of her is the great dining room, whith has been the scene on several cacti - dons of international' banquets of great moment in the world's history. Its size mayb e gauged from the fact that it has thirty windows, each rather larger than the ordinary porthole in a steamer. It is furnished in Louis XVI. style' with white enamel walls. The carpetand the hangings were of blue the last time I was on board. And the walls thyoughout all the suites were of white enamel, color and in- dividuality being given to each suite by the carpets and draperies. Thus, in the .King's -stateroom, the Prevailing color was Royal blue, The Queen's bedroom was carried out in a scheme of pale green. The stateroom foe the lords -in -waiting was dark - toned, with dull oak furniture. The Ring and. .Queen, however, have a great liking far satinwood. Much of the fitting of the Royal train is carried out in that wood, and so is the furni- ture of both their suites in the Vic- toria aad Albert. that they 'have quite a wrong impres- sion ef the Victoria and Albert, She is large enough to receive a comple- ment of 400 officers and men -to work leer at sea. That was one of the reas sons why she was laid up throughout the war. Men could net he eparecl for her from the Navy: She lay in har- bor the whole time; with a few old pensioners beyond the age for strenu- tios Work in the Fleet, to look after her, and see that she did not deterior- ate too meth. , An olcrwarrant-officet was in com- mand of her in those days, a vast dif- ference from the ordinary rule, when such men as Sir Haworth Lambion (now Admiral of the Fleet Sir Hed- worth Meux), and Sir Berkeley Milne were in command. The present conamander of the Roy- al yacht is Commodore the Hon. Sir -Hubert Brand, who last served in the Victoria and Albert as a lieutenant. In Queen Victoria's time an appoint- ment to the Royal yacht generally lasted a long time. When her Majesty got to know an offices', she liked to keep him; but nowadays appointments are only for the usual Service time— two years being the maximum. • TIM King's Skipper. Commodore Byancl I met several times during the war, with the Grand Fleet. He served Beatty as Captain of the Fleet—a post that .calls for great business ability, for It is really that of general manager on the do- mestic side, having responsibility for supplies, anchorage, mails, and a score of other matters that have nothing to do with fighting, but are fundamental necessities for the work of a fleet. Short, clean-shaven, and cheery, he was well knowp to everyone who went up to the Fleet and had business in the Queen Elizabeth. And he was one of the little group of officers who, in the mist and dusk of a November evening, received Admiral Meurer in the Firth of Forth, as that unhappy delegate arrived to receive from the Commander -in -Chief the details of the surrender. •Cattails,. for. Food. Possibly cattails may yet be culti- vated for food. -Their rootstocks, which are rich in starch, are eaten by some tribes of American Indians. These cattail roots contain four times as nnich starch as potatoes, weight for welgat, with more than 3 per cent. ot fat, and they yield a flour that makes a "pleasing and palatable" bread. Under cultivation, the Plant would yield, it Is thought, valuable crops. Coal has been reported at Lamp - man, Saskatcliassan, whic,h should pro- duce an important addition to the fuel supply of Saskatchewan and Mani- toba. The coal is reported to be of a .high 'carbon content, It con.sists of seams varying from 4% to 15 feet in thicichess, at a depth of 210 feet. If the commercial product approximates to the reported analysis, this coal will be one of great value to the consum- ers of these provinces. Married to Save Women From Reds, Russian Admiral, who, An ordes to Mtn°. Mekaroff, a widow of a fainoue• 'Of/C# .a0/1‘6_ rit eP t. Stranger than any ftetiqn is the re- cital of the finalities experienced by eecape the' wedded Bri- Prolesser merely 74 IISSUM4 hie nationelity,,Says a Parts cleeputch, . Mme. Malatroff has eeathed France ,at last and le sheltered by Mends, while her legal husband; tree to his word, has returned to Shie English home with his altreistic merriage con - thieved tk *gad incident between them. According to Mine. Makaroff's re - pita], when news came to Petregted .that Heaths wourci-be allowed to legve Russia she sought out Prof. Russell of the Redlitz School there and paoposed that they be married vvita the assur- ance that 'the ceremony Would be con- ldered auye fiction. .The marriage was celebrated by a woman justice of the peace after numerous difficulMee regarding Mine. Mekeroz's property, Which the Bolsheviki' hed, confiscated, and the couple weropermitted toleave Petrograd for Finland. When they nulled the frontier dis- ease was discovered les their party anti all oe them were placed in quarantine, married couplee being placed to- gether. Mr. Russell gave the only bed placed at their disposal to his com- panion:for four days and nights, ob- taining only a- few minutes' sleep at a time while sitting beside her and guarding her slumbers. " While in quarantine they were able to send a message to the president of the British 'Red Cross Society, who, astonished et their romantic uarrative, obtailied permission for Mme. Ivlakar- off t� leave Finland on the first British cruiser to leave a Finnish port for England. Mr. 'Russell accompanied her as far as London. Howe -am., they stopped for a few days in Denmark, where Mme. Makaroff's recital of her escape from Russia moved the Queen mother alternately to tears and laugh- ter. Mme. Makaroff does not, intend to return to Russia until the Soviet regime is overthrown. Never.Frce From Duty. .• The Queen takes a very keen inter- est in the decoration of apartments In whichthe has to live. When it' was decided to braeg up-to-date the furn- ishing of some a the peivate apart- ments at Windsor, she Was not content merely to have the advice of .eotatrac- tors. She eommarided one or two artists who were known to have ideas on the subject, and to be independent of trade, to visit her at Winner, arid went over all the rooms with them. The Royal yacht at sea is not alto- gether a holiday home, Even when she was cruisieg in the Mediterran- ean with Ring Edward there Was al- ways a great deal of work to be done each morning by the Ring and his secretariee, and the seine thing ap- plies to -day, with more force, for wireless has added to the meane of communication &ince those days. The King'e day begins at eight o'clock, but by noels he is generally tree, eithee to put off in his racing yacht, the 131i- tannia, or, if the Victoria and Albert is at sea, to protrighacle the dock arid take the air on tho bridge, The Queen is as fond of the open air aa the Kieg, end for boisterous eveathese there aro two glass -sheltered promenades. , Laid (Tp for the -War. Maey people imagine the weed "yacht" Means ealy a ctriall craft, act Famous Children in Fiction'. if the question, "Which is the most famous child in fiction?" had been asked eighty years ago in England, the answer would have been "Little Nell." At that moment everybody who could read was following the pathetic wanderings of that queer little figure almost breathlessly, and when Dick- ens "killed" her in the last chapter all England wept, solemn stockbrokers stopping each other and gasPlog, "Little Nell's dead." But although Little Nell has some- what lost her hold on the British pub- lic other children of Dickens's fancy still have. a warm place in the British heart. It would be herd to decide which of these takes first place: David Copperfield, Paul Dombey, Little Dorrit, Pip, or the Artful Dodger! Twelve years later another child took the English-speaking world by storm. This was' Eva in "Uncle Tom's Cabin," although interest M the slave• ownrer's child was (Unmet equally shared by the stave -child, Topsy, who, when asked where she came from, said, "I 'sbect 0 growed." About forty years ago another child appeared in literature as the young hem of a ,pathetic story called "Little Lord Fauntieroy." He was of a nevi pattern, evidently belonging. to the same school as Millais' "Bubbles," an arlseocrat who wore blue velvet and Medici collars and owned a fullsized dog. Then Kipling's Mowgie thine on the scene and took everybody by surprise. Here was a wolf -boy, a boy who ran about mostly on all fours., talked familiarly to monkeys and black pan- thers. If Peter Pan and dear Hale mother- ly Wendy nmy be adulated into this gallery, then they will make a strong bid to be the moot popular children in action, although they will be run -very Otos.° by "Alice," whohad such won- derful adrentures in Lewis Carroll's "Wonderland." How Lige Raised the Watermelons In the earl a morning and late even- ing Lance Grey, the village boy who was driving the derrick home for old Lige Moberly during the haying sea- son, made fettive- °Swum -lens' IMO the cornfields as if he were loking for something. Old Lige, watching hlm as he went and came, Itiegived softly to himself. On th,e evening of ,the third day he oagloti Lance to the kit- chen door. ' • ' "Cit thelantern, Lace,a he said, got a little job to d'a to -night, and somebody'll have to hold a light. It won't take long." , Presently the two were plodding thrOugh the darkness toward the tri - "angular cornfield on the TRW grOU1171 1107C7 Ito the timber, 00 the very centre ()WAN ileld they came upon a large watermelon patch with a goodly aka. ber-of dark, oblong shapes lying about among the emery yam. Lance lifted , . the Intern and looked round aparov- they. He also took note oi the loca- tion Of tho. patch with reference to the dark Ilne of timber to his left, .01d Lige watched him oat ef the corner of hie eye and grinned. 'Nice patth, eh,Lance?" lie said. "And well aid, deiet you think? I wouldn't bring just anybody out heee, I can tell you, I allow, though, thae the patch will be found sooner et kites, so Inc going to be toady," He drew a lade pastkage from his Pothet, carefully unwrapped it and diselosed a pill .box, 'which omit:Meted a fine white powder. Drawing his Sack - knife, the farmer opened tiro sulaPer blade and rubbed it carefully agaittet hie sisteee,- 4Tie0it he Stooped over the neared melonemade a May tht le the .thugh ilattjust ebove the curling stem„ lifted a slight Dinct of white t Moe on hit knife -blade mint accd careetilly worked it into the incielore Lariat watched the epeSation with wide eyes but said -nothing. For if1. teen minutes' ho .followod Lige about, holding the lantern, foe blet man be, had operated on ()vela, melon of C0Ir10- (111071C4 in tee pato, Ms DIMS had boon werideg rapidlyThat myetere ous white powder, the necessity of us - Ing it after dark, the farmer's infinite care with 11-011 these things he care- fully considered. He resolved that he would take no chancea with melons thus inoculated. When Lance went back to the vil- lage he held counsel Mal sundry of his associates andgave them a timely warning; and although there were &came nocturnat watermelon raids, the Maberly place escaped. Four weeks later Lige Moberly bfought two Wagonloads of fine water- melons to the village and left them at the two general stores. Lance was loafing 10 the large store, aad es he helped carry the magnutcent melees from the wagon he treticea that each had a tiny scratch just above the stem, elie eyed Lige with dark, suss Malan. The Sellow ought to be ex- posed, getting melons that he had "doped." Hewalked twee to where the farmer was trading with th.e store- keeper. • • "But T seo bow yea ever man- aged to raise such melons' and e -o limey ef them rotted thie town.", the mor - chant wet saying. 1.sigo grinned' and looked at Lange with twinkling eyes, • Lance and me knowshow toeraise "ems don't we, -Latin?" he seed. He leaned over the mead' confidentially tet ain't any .great Mee. The worst trouble with melons rotted hero is they won't stay on the vines, 80 Yoll gotta treat ate, That's what I done— 'em go they'd day ois the vkiee." . "Treated 'em? What. do you mean?' asked the butzled dote-keel:Mt • "Took and made a little mit ,above the stem De every melee I wanted to stay an the OM and lworked some flour into the out," , "I don't see how that'd make melons stick," seta the storekeeper. . "it (loos teem (meet I can't explain it Myself," returned /Age With a chuokle, "but it worked: Didn't 11, With?". • Lance aimed Without is Wesel and walked heavily t7W43'. • Why We Set Our Tables, Why pot put all the silver on one aide of the plate, or an top of it? Why make all the fuss we do about table aettlag? Is "eetting the table" a mere metier of style--somebody'S notion—or is there a Tension behind the eustom'e There are people who seem to he annoyed by the way "some Rake pet on style" at the table.'there are others Wilo are in doubt as te what is correct feria; and some ,young people who have not yet learned to set is table just right, Unnecessary raelset at table inter- feres with pleasant onversation. Pleasaet conversation helps digestion, so far the sake of quietnese as well as to save a good table, we put a Christmas Strawberries, Select your runners from some pen feewlowering, hardy variety, In mJd summer pot the plants into frY.0 ol six-ineh ilowerpota, Since the trans. Vlanting should disturb the 17007S ns More than .thrl, be helped, 11 18 beet to take the plants up with a trowel, OhooSe carefully the earth in which they are to be Se7, Clay soil LI likely to sour and pack, end sand runs out and dries up too quickly, The ideal preparation is rotted turf, but that is Often' hard to get; dark loam— sifted garden soil will answer—makes an excellent substitute, To .every bushel of the soil add a quart of bone meal. That is not absolutely Ilene. *eery, but it will greatly improve the quantity and the quality a• the ere"), 'silence pad under the tablecloth. • When you have set the plants in Thing's which a•nnoy any one canl the pots put them into some place thal spoil a meal. -Things awry annoy is net -too sunny, and that is sheltered orderly souls, so out of kindness to from drying winds, vshere they will these we put both the pad and the tablecloth en straight with the table and hanging at even lengths en appo- site sides. Then we set the table square with the room. If the table is of that unfortunate variety which spots when •liquids are spilled upon it, slip an oilcloth under or between the parts of the pad to pre- vent a frown of worry on the part of the hostess Should someone spill his coffee. Now, having placed the table and covered it with 'a neatly ironed table- cloth, we plan for the seating of the fo'llks. To be comfortable, each per: S011 needs at least twenty-twci inches of the side of the table for "elbow room." The hast or hostess may serve all the plates or not, but there must be enough space in front for each per- son to set down, without moving the silver, a plate of the 'largest size to be used at the meal. Moving silver to make room for the plate is not comfortable. If a plate is 1167 to be before each person when he sits down, the napkin is pet in this paace because it is re- moved before the plate conies.' If a plate is there, place the napkin by the side of the silver on the left-hand side of the plate, the silver next to the plate and the napkin further away because the napkin will be taken up -first. It is placed on the left, because there an usually fewer pieces•of silver on this side and inore room for it. Lay it with its edgea square with the edges of the table and :parallel with the silver. It "looks" better that way. - Napkins should all be folded with a corner on the outside. There will then be no riddle about unfolding it. Place the napkin so that the corner points toward the plate and the edge of the table. This corner can then be d I the nap kin will unfold graspe an( almost of itself as it is drawn across the lap. Certain forks are used at least dur- ing a part of the meal in combination with a knife and in the left hand, therefore all such forks are placed at the left of the plate, to divide the silver and designate which ones they are. It is proper to put all oth.er pieces of silver at the right of the Plate as they are used with the right hand. The spoon or knife to be used first is placed ferthest from the plate and the one second next, to help in khow- ing who's silver is who's as each piece is removal. Some pieces of silver such as knives and spoons are used at the same course and it is immaterial which is lifted from the table first, but to save confusion all knives are placed closest to the plate and all spoons farther away. The forks have already .been placed at the other side of the plate. Most waiters would rather put an extra fork at each plate for the pia than to have to run to the silver drawer to get one fork during the. serving of the meal, for sense person who has chanced to leave his fork on th late removed by the svelter, e The flavor of food which adheres to a piece of silver does not always blendwith thet of the following dish, Out of this has grown the .custom ofl changing of .plates and silver for each! Adelina 33eatty tells an inicrosting course, • story regarding the ship's cat 00 tho Lion. During the Jialand battle tho Platesand silver should never come sick bay .wasshattered by a shell. closer than one inch from the- edge of Happily, the 'eyelids had been re- moved beforehand, but, by an ever. eight, the cat, who lived In the me., had been left eiehincl. General grief WIAS expressed by the crew at the loss of the cat, bot greatly to the surprise or the men told ole ie eleareileay the debris„ a good healthy have a dance to grow steadily. A hotbed Or a cold frame answers very well. Water them as regularly as you water geraniums. You can keep them outdoor frost threatens.; then you should take them in and place them where they will have warmth and sunlight. • In general, they need the same atten- tion that other potted plants require. The -process by which strawberries are ferced into 'bloom in evinter Is interesting. When a plant is •forced to labor under adiierse eonditions, or when, in the pride of growth and strength, it is stricken with disaster, it will at once put forth all its pow- ers to reproduce itself. In the CaSO of strawberries the plants aro readily brought into bloom by what is known as the "drying -out" process, which consists in nothing more than cutting off the plants' supply of water. It must be done not suddenly, but gradu- ally and judiciously, so that they will not wilt. When the plants find that hard times aro setting in, they will put out fruit stems; as soon as those are well established, the watering should begin again. , Under ordinary indoor conditions strawberries will ripen in four or five weeks from the time when they Mas - sone so that by mating off the water for a few days about the middle of November, it is possible to bare ber- ries at Christmas time. You must talc° one other step in order to produce the crop. In the garden polinizatlon is carried on by bees and by the wind; but in the house the fertilization of the blossoms must be done by hand, by transferring on a match stem some of the pollen from ono wide-open flower to another on the same plant. Unless the blos- soms are fertilized the fruit stems will be barren. Potpourri Jars ansl Bags of Sweet--?"—s's ' Clover. Most girls have made or seen rose; petal potpourri jars; but sweet -clover jars and bags are not so familiar. Use the blossoms of the sweet clover; combined with lemon yeebeaa. and geranium leaves; if you wish, add a few rose petals. Gather the blos- soms in great bunches, together with a few clover leaves; then spread them on dry newspapers and place them where they will have plenty of sun- light and air. To prochice the best result, the' flowers should dry quickly; for that reason it is better not to pre- pare the filling for the jars or bags in damp or cloudy weather. When the flowers are quite dry drip the leaves anti out the blossoms from the stems with sharp scissors. Then' blend the leaves and the flowers and place them in any small jar that has a cover. If you leave the jar open for a time every day, the (hied flowers Fill fill the room with a delicate, meadow -like fragrance. If you prefer, place the leaves and the blossoms in bags of orgemlie or voile and lay the bags in the drawers or boxes in which you keep your linger:e: Pussy Under Fire. the table. Then they will not get knocked off or upturned. Place forks with the., tines up and spoons with the bowls up; they set firmer this way. Turn the sharp edge of the knife to- ward the plate. Place water and other gla.sses on the space near the end of the. blade meeow wee linw atcla followed by five of the knife. This has proved 'a con- little mecows; Puss had haiden away e.Oient position for teaching them and one where they Ore least often over- turned, Place the coffee .cup by the side of the silver at the right of the plate after the soup spoon or other silver used in preliminary courses haveebeen removed. This makes it necessary to put side dishes at other places such as on the space at the and 'of the fork and to the left of the plate; or if no coffee is on the table they may be placed at the right of the plate, spoons aria knives. The use of it separate small plfito foe bread and butter is .an economy and a comfort, The bread and but- ter plates, for convenience and so as net to interfere with the position of other dishes, ate piked at the ends of tlio forks to the left of the plate, pere At in at the far side of the plate 07. IA UtAblo werei'ore, ;Tamil lietweelt tho glassee and the bread mid butter Video. Rood is passed people on timir left sides as they can thus take It freall bag weve wasbed ashore, Me cat. 0.• tlie dishee most easily with their right, hands, though thin and feeble, was still -Plates aee removed from the tablel nelettdi from guest's right wide, Use the lefi! as bead c.11 en a pleasuro yacht, tho hand to lift the plate. Have the nowl mess ef weed% had ewe es h,or ewe Plate to be Placed oa tile table la the, settees escape. Rale fell hooves' dm, right hand and set it clown by shoving: iug -woo part of ihn LT:any-four days, it under the 0110 baing 11 lied by tho: tho 011 IR S1111.K7/011 70 hart) eop1 left hand, MI these ways maae fey ellve by lleltlag the 11:Iter trete =tameable meals, her coat. ciL,shelf, and had signalized the bat- tle by giving birth to live Mamie, %she are now" distributed throughout the "%nether tint dory told by Captain Llewellyn of the s.s. NaIdern. One ce the ships. which he commandol in t1.. war was blown up by a milli,. In 0 rough sea tb o passengers, s,011CI 00() in number, were seely takee off in baoliktt.hisie 10,1 il:e.C7r1,11tglie."Caayptain. nolieed one from tin, scene of the salp's cats floatieg on a mailbag. He shouted to oMeer in charge of ate boat. nearest the cat to have her taken ou board, but. ascertained Home days after that iht; had not been fame, as before. the explosion, the cat, whee demises a rat, had lost a part of her tho myio roort,vat peD7 irvant.e. 11 Amato to aet .on the Now kr the sequel. Twerty-fouS daysand twenty hours atter the slina Mg• of the ohm the oat and the mail-.