The Exeter Advocate, 1896-5-21, Page 2aeuee ox at is toe ol(t boy's as proud as long; thin man you have seen before.
rTED LC! Lucifer slid it would lust break his He knows what to do. Directly you are
was subsisting on any one's generosity chambers, You will field blur in his
■ • heart if he found out one day that he seated he will drive you to Gordon's
' i -a sort of • pensions; don't you know, rooms, for I shall have sent hila in the
i And --well, that's how it is, don't you afternoon and warned him that a de-
E,e," . - A velopnlent of Rudersdorf's plot is to be
"No, I don't quite. How does that expected. Say to him: 'Tarns wentout
01 How the Wharf Waif , affeot your marriage with Miss Bell?" before dinner and has not returned.
1 'Why, Judith knows how matters Kavanagh says they have carried lisp
stand though the colonel doesn't. You off to Shadwell. He has gone on in a
Became a Princess. i i.ulies are such a lot sharper than we at hansom, Ile sent me to fetch; you. His
Iseeing right into things. She hams carriage is outside, The driver knows
that if this last venture of her poor old where to take us. Come, for heaven's
aL ARRANtaEBIANT, 'shed's breaks down, he must learn the sake!' Now reheat what I have said.„
eUBLisasn ax bions
"If it concerns our friend Tastes,” I. truth, suer—well, she's got a bit of the.
said in a low voice, "I beg you not to : old blessills pridend she in ewonr lt marryaight back,
hesitate in telling me anything you have before lie is certain that 1 stn not o be
heard." saddled with her father. It's confounded have to act. Your own agitation will
does concern him," he replied, i preclude anydoubt ofyour sincerity."
• r h' •vice also. "Perhalis yeti . nonsense ' of course—we're bound to p '
Word for word I repeated what he
had told use to say. He nodded approval
and said:
•'You need not study the part you
nroppm„ sa u marl because we cuuldn t love anybody
know that he is in danger of being seized else but I honor her for it, eyoua know
by the secret police of Russia," She is a brick:"
"I have every reason to know it. Two "But still, if you love each other, it
attempts brave already been made to take "seems natural that you should want to
hien away."
`Savanagh told me that, and also.' : see each other '.ouirtilues, even if you.
can't many," I said, thinking of Turas.
that in each case the attempt was Oh we do sometimes, but not every
knocked ou the head, so to speak, byyou. ' :,lav—not even : encu a week. It isn't
Do you think Taras ought to be , ; practicable, because, don't you know,
warned'' - ; .Juulth isn't exactly free. Knowing the
"What would that dc? If you told critical state of the' -'
there on the bridge to shoot him, Tania, ,nursergoverness; that will show you Tarns and. Gordon overtook us as we
without second thought, would go out what a capital sort of girl she is, This -stood before a statue which Kavanagh
on the bridge to face 111n1." • is quite between you and rue, for the had stopped to criticize with the drawl-
ing nodded assent. ' colonel. with his awfully narrow ideas eng manner of a man who is at a loss to
"I think that's what I should do my cahoot class and that sort of thin„ would find a subject for conversation. With
self." he :add. d.. be horrified at the notion of his daughter. ready address he made some observation
-But that is not what we want Taras earning her living." on sculpture which provoked discussion
to do." - '`But how is at kept a secret from with Talcs and enabled me to escape
"No, we want to keep him out of dao- mini" - observation by falling in the rear with
ger as much as possible; but, as Kava- "Oh, that's easy enough! He sup- Gordon as we walked on down the half
nagts pointed out. anything that We can poses that she is staying at Sydenham lit alley toward the transept. Follow -
do niust be done without his know- on a visit with Mrs. Kavanagh, who is ing Tarns and Kavanagh, we left the
ledge.." an old friend" - alley to cross the brightly illuminated
"All that we can do is to be on the "Mr$,e Kavanagh!" I exclaimed in transept. At that minute a couple of
alert for anything that occurs. I can astonishment.
only watch as I have watched before." "Mrs. Charles Kavanagh—Barry Kav-
"Y ou will let me know if you see any- anagh's sister -in law," he explained.
thing. won't you? I'll drop in pretty "I did not know that he.had any
frequently, and should you want help at relatives living in, London,"
any time when I'm not its the works or "That's not a bit surprising. Kava -
at the office you wi11 find me at my dig- nagh's such an awfully ruin, taciturn
gings at the Adelphi terrace. I shall fellow in some matters. You -never
look in every night until I feel sure that know what he, feels or thinks or knows
I may not be wanted." or does or anything about him. I must
Just then we heard Tarns corning have known him a couple of years and
with some degree of intimacy before I
discovered and then by accideut that his
mother was living."
"Is she living now?"
"Oh, dear, yes, ` She resides with the
family at Sydenham. "It's odd, isn'tit?
One would think he had no one dearer
to him than Tarns and me. It seems so
Natural to talk about 'people you love,
and I believe Barry's a most devoted sun
and brother. I know he spends a couple
of days a week at Sydenham. I suppose
it's the logical outcome of his confounded
rationalism."
After hearing this I could not expect
that Kavanagh would take the final step
one moment before Rudersdorf's pa
tience had been stretched to the utmost
limit.
One morning, it must have been the
9th of November, Taws, looking at the
paper, said: "There's to be a large dis-
play of fireworks at the Crystal palace
tonight. Shall we go and see it?"
I acceeded joyfully to the proposal.
"Then I'll knock off at lunchtime,
I was about to question hire as to the
course to be taken after reaching Shad-
well, but reaching the top of the stairs
he cut me short.
"Here they are," he said, "Now
when (xor. on asks you what you have
learned from ine say that 1 saw i- uuers-
durt following' you when you left the
building ami that he may be re,:ognized
by his wearing a coat with a deep sable
collar . and cuffs. Warn him not to
Paras that Rudersdorf was waitingout alarm Tarns, and you yourself be careful
sources,she took an engagement as as you value your lffe,
down the passage. He entered the room
before Gordon could beat a, retreat or
even assume the natural attitude of a
visitor. A worse actor never existed
than this honest, simple fellow, nor one
less capable of concealing anything, and
his clumsy efforts to appear uncon-
strained and easy gave him such an air
of guilty embarrassment that any one
less acquainted with his amiable char
acter than Tarns would have certainly
suspected hills of some wrongdoing. An
irrepressible smile broke over Tarns'
face as he shook hands with his friend
and congratulated him on looking so
rosy and well. It was a trying time for
poor Gordon, but fear of the ordeal did
not deter him from keeping his word.
Every day he called in and always at an
hour when Tarns was working at his
atelier.
Mere Lucas was delighted. She saw
in these visits the realization of her
hopes and gave me to understand by
many encouraging winks and sly ob-
servations that she knew perfectly well
Gordon came only to make love to me. saidhe, going to the window and look
It seemed to me that Tarns put the ing
out. "ire may as well take ad
-
theconstruction on these visits and vantage of this sunny day. We may
the awkward behavior of Gordon. He not get many more."
gave me no verbal hint of his belief. I To my oversensitive ear there was
I drew my conclusions rather from his something terribly prophetic in that
reserve on the subject. Always he spoke phrase, and indeed there seemed to be
of Gordon with warm affection, and yet a touch of sadness in his voice as if some
I fancied with a certain tinge of pain sorrowful prognostic were passing,
which I was then at a loss to account i through his mind.
for. I looked forward to our spending the
afternoon and evening together alone,
but Tarns, finding Gordon with me
when he came down from his work,
asked him to stay to lunch and go with
us. doubtless thinking to add to my
pleasure. Gordon accepted the invita-
tion with vexatious alacrity. I hated
him for coming between me and Tarns,
but my vexation wore off before we
reached the palace.
I had never been there before, and the
beauty of the grounds, the .flowers and
creeping plants in the building and the
music charmed my senses and -quite
restored my good temper. Gordon was
particularly good humored and lively,
and his mirth was infectious ; the
CHAPTER XXVI.
NEARING THE END.
Now that Gordon could convey his
thoughts without pulling up iu the
middle of each sentence to find words to
express then, he became far more com-
municative, and kindly feeling rapidly
expanded into genuine friendship. He
liked to talk about his sweetheart, and
he found me an attentive and sym-
pathetic listener. I wanted to know all
about Judith Bell. I was eager to sound
the depth of their mutual attachment
and ascertain the probable outcome of
this love affair. The aspect of Kava-
naah's plan for kidnappinu Gordon was
considerably altered by its bearing upon " solemn diners and severely correct
Judith. Wo had agreed that Gortiou I waiters seemed quite scandalized by
himself would willingly accept the part otir gayety at dinner.
assigned him. But these arguments t We saw the fireworks from the upper
seemed to lose their force now that an- I terrace. There were a great many
other was concerned. Knowing how I ! people there. The last bouquet of rock -
should feel the loss of Tarns, I could not f ets had been fired, and the falling
be indifferent to the anxiety and pain ' splashes of color were fading away when
to be intl cte,i on Gordon's sweetheart. a voice beside me said:
even though that anxiety might end so I "Ah, I have found you at last!" It
soon. But for all that I never wavered r was the voice of Kavanagh who spoke,
in the determination to play out my though I did not recognize him immedi-
part. No consideration of friends or ately in the darkness that followed the
self could turn rue from my purpose. bright flood of light.
Gordon saw Kavanagh frequently. but (• "We saw you going down the steps,'
he had little to report except that the r he explained as he shook hands with us.
detectives were closely watching Ru• I "Mrs. Charles insisted on my pursuing
dersdorf, who as yet had not left the you, but I lost sight of you in the crowd.
neighborhood of Shadwell, where he We shall find them in the transept."
had taxen lodgings. Whether this was
true or not' had no means of knowing,
for Kavanagh still kept away, though a
week had passed since our last inter-
view. The suspense of these aays was
hard to bear, but incidentally I learned
a fact from Gordon, which explained
and excused his postponing the final act
to the last moment possible.
"Do you see 11Iiss Bell very often?" I
asked Gordon one day.
-Not half so often as I should like to,
I assure you," he replied, and then,
rather inconsequently, as it seemed to
rue. he added, "you see, she's such a
brick of a girl."
that any reason why you should
not teal iter if she's engaged to you?"
-Well, that's a provisional sort of af-
fair, you know. It all depends on the
success of the pottery, hang it, though
of coarse it's bound to succeed. You
see, the old colonel has stuck all his capi-
tal iutc the concern. It was't Hauch to
be sure, but it's all he has. Well, if he
gets a jolly good income out of it, Ju-
dith will be my wife. If he doesn't—
well then" -after pulling his beard re-
fiectively for a minute in silence—`'well,
then we shall be married all the same,
only it will be a deuce of a bother."
••I dont think I quite understand.
It's like this, mademoiselle, I don't
mind telling you, because you are the
lest one in the world that would betray
the confidence of a friend. The fact is
poo.' old Bell's had a rough time of it,
and through trusting one confounded
kind friend and backing bills for another
has ,got his finances - into such a muddle
thtat:1 doubt if he would have £00 a Year
to live upon if all his precious bonds and
securities• and shares - were put in the
Market and realized.. Well, you know,
he doesn't know that, and heaven forbid
that it should ever come to his ears.' It
shan't if T can have a hand in cooking
his accounts, you may be sure But the
We made our way slowly with the
throng flowing into the building. The
crowd at the entrance was so great that
we separated, Kavanagh and I going in
advance of Tarns and Gordon. Having
passed the door, we waited for them to
rejoin us.
children darted out from their ambus-
cade behind a group of statuary and and then if it can be profitably done to
caught Gordon's disengaged arm. Even supplement these with commercial fertil-
HousEHoLglittering ring over .them, he oast -a GUIDES IN' CHOOSING MEAT.
Beef when young has a fine open grain
and a good red color, and the fat should
be white, for when more or less yellow
the meat is seldom of the best. Beef of
which the fat is hard and skinny and
the lean meat a deep red with coarse,
fibers is of an inferior quality, and when
the meat is old it can be told by a line
of horny texture running through the
meat of the ribs. Mutton must be chosen
by the firmness and fineness of the
grain, its color, and the firm white fat.
Lamb that has been killed too long can
be discovered by examination of the veins
of the neck. These are bluish when the
meat is fresh, but green when it is stale.
In the hind quarter the point to examine
is the knuckle, which is not firm when
the meat is not perfectly fresh. Venison
whfat on wich young wishould have
be clear and considerabht
le
thickness. Partridges have yellow legs
and dark -colored bills when young. Quail
are greatly improved by wrapping, them
in very fat larding bacon before cooking..
swift glance at me to make sure that the
signal was understood. ' •
CHAPTER XXVIII.
WE STA'R'T' FOR THE MARINER'S JOY.
heft the thous as Tarns was opening
a folded dooument which Kavanagh had
begged him to read. Swiftly 1 ran to
my room and put on the things I had
laid out ready to my hand. At the head
of the stairs 1 paused to assure myself
that the way was clear. The muffled
sound of Melo Lucas' voice humming in
the kitchen and of Tarns reading aloud
showed that the doors were closed. I
ran down noiselessly, opened the street
door and perceived Kavanagh's carriage
drawn up bythe pavement before the
church. The driver stood. on the curb,
and I recognized the man at once..
FARM NOTES.
The good -roads movement is spreading
and bids fair to result in an improved
system of highway construction through-
out the Union for those - sections able to
meet the expense.
The system of buying on long credit
has been a curse both to farmlirs and
manufacturers of fertilizers. If you would
get the most for your money, - order
yearly and pay cash down. A certain
tl t
mo let if
grocer whom I patronize told
all 11istrade could be brought to a cash.
basis he could sell 10 per mut, lower than
at present,
Commercial fertilizers have a legiti-
mate part to play in helping to keep up
the productiveness of the soil; but it .
would be unwise to depend on them
alone when we have such valuable side
products at baud. 'The rational course to
pursue is to utilize all material, includ-
ing the clover crop grown on the farm,
A Fen for the Baby.
ILitttle Jack's mother is enjoying a
happy freedom from anxious care while
about her household duties, knowing that
Jaok is placed where he can injure noth-
ing and nothing can injure him. A con-
venient safeguard like the one illustrated
here, and which can be folded and con-
veniently stored away when not in use,
is made as follows: It is formed of four
frames fastened together uprightly, each
frame consisting of two posts and three
rails. It requires strips of boards two
inches wide cut into twenty pieces of
three different lengths. The eight posts
are twenty-one inches high; the six side
rails• are forty-eight inches long; and
that startled us, and before we had re- iten.
covered from the surprise a young lady
came forward who I knew must be
Judith Bell before Gordon introduced
us. -
A more unfortunate moment for this -
introduction could not be imagined.
Gordon, at no time remarkable for self
possession, and I, naturally gauche and
awkward from want of cultivation,
were now, under the paralyzing influ-
ence of fright and nervousexcitement,
absolutely incapable of assuming 'an at-
titude of rational composure. We must
have looked like culprits discovered in a
misdeed. After stammering the usual
form of introduction in an unintelligible
jargon of bad french and English, Gor-
don said:
I'm making an awful mess of this;
but to confess the truth, Judith, you
have taken me by surprise."
"That scarcely needs confession." re-
plied Judith. "You did not think to
ask lir. Kavanagh if I were here?"
"Oh, I remember, he said you were
here," stammered the honest fellow,
"but my thoughts have been so absorb-
ed by something else. Hang it 1 I don't
mean that."
"It would be quite excusable if you
did," she retorted, with a slight inclina-
tion of he head as she turned to address
me.
There was something painfully ludic-
rousin the embarrassment of this big,
awkward man—something which tinged
the expression of .Judith's pretty face
with sadness as well as mirth. He sub-
mitted to be dragged away by the child-
ren to the group where Tarns was chat-
ting with Mr, and Mrs. Charles Kavan•
agh.
`•I have been a long while anxious to
make your acquaintance," said Judith
in her good French as we slowly walked
toward the party. "I have heard so
much about you from Mr. Gordon—so
much that if I were not quite sure of his
constancy I might feel jealous."
I could not find a word to say in reply
to this advance—not one. I was not yet
an adept in hypocrisy, and my tongue
obstinately refused to make any pro-
fession of friendship for this girl. whose
happiness might be turned to misery by
my act.
Judith spoke to me again. I was in-
troduced to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ka-
vanagh, but what was said, how I be-
haved, is lost to me now like the inci-
dents of a long past dream. I only re-
member looking at Judith Bell, fascinat-
ed by her prettiness and picturing the
change iu that bright face which would
cove if Gordon fell.
I must have appeared incomprehensi-
bly odd and ill mannered or exceedingly
stupid to her and the Kavanaghs, for
after a vain attempt to engage me in
conversation they abandoned me to Gor-
don, who, gauging my feelings by his
own, stuck to me loyally. The strange-
ness of my behavior did not escape the
notice of Taras. More than once on our
way home I found him regarding me
with curious interest from his corner in
the compartment, and in saying "Good
night" there was a coldness'in his voice
and manner that chilled my heart.
He must have thought Gordon guilty
of inconstancy to 'Judith Bell and sus-
pected me of being a party to his treach-
ery.
"What does it matter?" I exclaimed
as I threw myself on my bed. "If Taras
is saved, that is everything. I would
sacrifice myself and the whole world
for him."
I expected to see Gordon that morn-
ing, but he did not come. While we
were at lunch a clerk came around from
the pottery -to ask if he was with us,
snowing that he had not put in an ap-
pearance there. Taras made no com-
ment, I saw him glance at me as the in-
quiry was being shade. I kept my oyes
clown that I might not betray what was
in my mind. There was significance in
Gordon's absence which was ooyious
enough to me. Kavanagh had warned
nful to hold himself in readiness, and he
vwa:� staying: at his chambers for the call.
weicu 1 was now certain wodld soon be
made.
Nothing occurred .during the fore-
noon, but we had scarcely nnrshe.e.' din •
ner when Kavanagh's light kilos:: at the
door camel my heart to leap. The next
minute ho entered the room. His hands
were gloved.
I sat in choking suspense as, ,in
compliance with Tarns' invitation, he
seated himself and slowly unbuttoned
his gloves, talking airily about souse top -
le or the day as lie leaned back iu his
chair, one leg crossed upon his knee and
Las e:bo ws resting on the arms of the
c; ::wii :,u as to Place his hands well in my
view; He slowly drew off the left
;;love. The ring was not on the. finger
of that hand ---not where he was to have
worn it if nothing could be clone. But I
waited fort:iiore decisive proof, the sig-
nal which was to bid me act..
Slowly he drew the glove from his
right hand. The ring was onthat fin-
ger,. and
n-ger,.and as he nicely folded the gloves
on his knee, passing the hand with the
CHAPTER XXVII.
TRE SIGNAL IS GIVEN.
"It's all right," said Kavanagh. "See
—there they come. Let us go on. They
cannot overtake us until we are at the
top of the stairs, and I have something
of the utmost importance to tell you.
The preparations are all made. We
only wait now for a favorable oppor-
tunity to take the last step. That oppor-
tunity may present itself at any moment
after to -night. Some time tomorrow,
probably in the evening—I cannot fix
the hour—or the next evening,certainly
not later than the night following, the
thing will be done. You must hold
yourself in readiness for ;immediate
action. All depends upon your prompti-
tude and exactness.
"What am .1 to do?"
"I am about to tell you. Listen at-
tentively, for I may not have the chance
of repeating instructions, When I come
to Lambeth, Tarns may - be with you.
Now you see this ring on my linger"—
as he spoke he passed his hand lightly
over his mustache—"if you see it on my
left hand you will know that nothing.
can be done yet awhile,but if it is on
the little finger of the right hand—the
right hand, mind—you will leave the
ronin, the workshop, wherever you are
-without excuse will be the best—put
ou your things and leave the house as
quickly as you can. You niay depend
upon my fixing Tarns' attention tor a
clear spaceof five or ten minutes. .In
front of Lambeth church you will find
my carriage. The driver will be the
So remarkable are the effects of plaster
on clover that many believe it helps the
clover plant to disintegrate the air, so as
to use the 80 per cent. of nitrogen of
which it is composed: - The best time to
to lot the rains wash the plaster Into the -
soil. It may be sown later in the season
on clover, whon the plants are suffering
from lack of moisture. It is also excel-
lent to use in stables and to throw on
manure heaps when they are fermenting.
Plaster absorbs ammonia and is then
converted into sulphate of ammonia,
which is a very stimulating fertilizer.
One of the most practical economics of
the farmer who finds that his farming
does not pay is to get his poorest land
into grass, and let it grow what it will,
while he gives his manure and labor to
the best land, which he knows will pro-
duce a paying crop. Restoring poor land
during a period of farming depression is
always an expensive prceess—much too ex-
pensive for one who has not reserved nap-
ital that he is Partain will be sufficient to
carry it through. The greatest immedi-
ate profits aro made always from the best
land This should bo crowded to make
it produoe all it will. In the meantime,
the poor land, if in grass and pastured,
will be slowly gaining in fertility, and
will he ready to begin cultivating it an
acre or two at a time, as fast as manure
can be made to bring it up to a high
condition. Continuing in this way the
entire farm can in time be brought up to
the standard of the best. The opposite
policy of beginning with poor land and
bringing that up will swainp the farmer
with expenses before he can begin to
make a profit.
sow plaster is early in the sP
g, so as
the six end rails are twenty-three inches
long. Any other size niay be used, it be-
ing necessary to cut the side rails two
inches longer than twice the length of
the end rails. In making the frames,
place the top rail even with • the tops of
the posts and the other two rails below,.
five inches apart clear. In putting the
frames together. hinge both end frames
to the back franc on the inside, so that
each can open only at an angle of ninety
degrees, letting the side rails pass by the
end rails. In fastening the front frame,
fit the side and end rails so they cannot
move up or down, and hold in place with
hooks. This frame work can be moved. to
any part of the room, and a soft rug
spread underneath snakes it a comforta-
ble place for the baby, either in winter
or sninmer.-American Agriculturist.
A French Strawberry Shortcake.
This shortcake somewhat resembles a
charlotte rusee to which strawberries
have been added. It consists of layers of
delicate sponge cake with layers of
whipped cream and strawberries. It is
an ornamental and delicate dish, and
one that is easily made.
First prepare the sponge Dake; the
plain -water sponge cake is generally pre-
ferred for this purpose. Beat three eggs,
very light, and add a cupful and a half
of powdered sugar. Sift two cupfuls of
pastry flour with a teaspoonful of cream
of tartar, and half a teaspoonful of soda
three times through the sieve. Add half
a cupful of cold water to the eggs and
sugar after they have been beaten very
thoronghly together, and add the sifted
flour to this. Beat well and pour the
cake into layer -pans such as are used for
jelly cake. Bake these until done; but
not until they are dry and hard. It is
essential that the cake be moist.
As soon as it has cooled, spread it with
whipped cream to about half an inch in
depth, and fill this cream with as many
fresh, ripe strawberries as it will hold.
Prepare a second layer in the same way,
and put one on top of the other. It is
not a hot shortcake like the American
•dish, brit is served perfectly cold.
To prepare whipped cream for .short-
cake, select moderately rich cream. Very
rich cream will beat to butter before it
will froth, and cream which is too thin
will not whip to a stiff froth. There are
various utensils in the market for whip-
ping cream. The whip used by practical
cooks is a simple egg -beater, such as may
be purchased at from five to ten cents at
any house -furnishing store.
The cream should be set (about two
cupfuls at a time) in a large earthen
bowl, which is placed in a pan of cracked
ice, and shnulcl be rapidly beaten with a
whip when it is cold. Begin beating
slowly, and increase in the swiftness of
your strokes until the whole is a stiff
froth.
Add two heaping tablespoonfuls to
every pint of cream measured before
whipping. A pint of cream increases
from three to four times in bulk after it
is whipped. Be careful to use fresh straw-
berries in this shortcake, as a moist berry
would discolor the cream and soak into
the cake. Layers of white sponge cake
are sometimes used for shortcake, and
the whole is elaborately decorated.
Street Trees,
A noted landscape gardener, in a leo-
ture at an institute, said that in planting
street trees, or in fact trees of any kind,
one of the most important points to bear
in mind is that we are planting for the
pleasure and benefit of future generations
as well as for immediate results. 'Ton
let us plant trees that our children's chil-
dren can point to with pride . in years to
come. To this end we should select thor-
oughly acclimated and hardy varieties
and plant them with such care that they
will start off in a vigorous way, mature
and live to a gond old age. It is unwise
to try any affectionexperiments in street
planting. With a few exceptions foreign
trees have been a disappointment to
American planters. They do not stand
successfully the test of time. The people
of European countries show an apprecia-
tion for their own native trees which we
Americans should emulate. What can be
more beautiful than some of our native
forest trees when given an opportunity to
display themselves to good advantage.
Some of the grand old trees now shading
the streets of New England towns were
transplanted from the adjacent forests
more than a century and a half ago.
They have stood the severest test of suc-
cessful planting—the test df time. In de-
ciding what trees to ornament the streets
of a town with, it is a good rule to limit
the selection to such varieties as are
known to flourish in the vicinity where
they are to be planted. We have; especi-
ally in the Eastern and Middle states, a
large assortment of really beautiful forest
trees to choose from, and they can gener-
ally be procured in better condition and
are far better calculated to stand the
hardships of town life than foreign vara-
• eties. Many of our oaks are admirable
street trees, as are our maples and elms
so long used for this purpose. The honey
locust and tulip tree are also excellent
and deserve to bo used more generally
than they are. In fact, we have a bewil-
dering assortment to choose Froin, and
ono is hard to suit who can .not make a
satisfactory selection from among them.
For street planting avoid trees that make
too dense a shade or that have brittle
branches.
The Word "Crank."
If - "crank" is an "odd American
word," it has been in common : use in
Derbyshire as long as ' I can temember,
and it is still often heard. It is used to a
describe a inan, who Ms fads, fatties
notions outside the common run of his
neighbors. A man with a bee in his bon-
net is cranky., and so are those who
ride hobbies of any kind.
Itis good - old English, and having
died' away and gone out here has been
kept alive and, is now revivified in Amer-
ica. Burton used it nearly 300 years ago
in his "Anatomy," and Wendell Holmes,
after tacittly accepting it as of Ameri-
can coinage, discovered' and pointed out
that Burton had used it according to its
accepted meaning in America. -Notes
and Queries
In sleep, when fancy is let loose to play
our dreams repeat the wishes of the
day.
Ile that bears himself like a gentleman
is worthy to have been born a gentle -
Like clocks, one wheel another on
must drive, affairs by diligent labor' only
thrive.
Keeping Cut Flowers.
How to keep flowers after they have
been out, is a problem that puzzles people
in the city as well as in the country. The
florists usually have refrigerators in
which to keep their flowers. But a cool
ice box is not often to be hadat the very
time it is most wanted. The first essen-
tial in keeping out flowers is to prevent
their moisture from evaporating.
A lamp chimney can be made into a
flower holder that will servo every Vim -
pose of an expensive glass shade. Put a
oork in the top. Rub the cork all over
with beeswax and melt it in over the
stove. This ensures its being air -tight. If
the sides or edges of the - cork are waxed
it will make a tighter joint. If a,eork of
suitable size cannot be had, tie a piece of
muslin over the mouth or the chimney.
Trim it up neatly and dip it in a saucer
of melted beeswax so as make it tight.
And if beeswax is not at hand tallow
will do very well. Even a coat of paint
or a dip into the paint pot would answer
at apinch. The idea is to make the top of
the chimney as nearly air -tight as pos-
sible. Arrange the flowers in a cup or
some vessel that will allow the bottom of
the chimney to come down into the sass -
Scien tine Strawberry Growl)) e.
More frequent dry seasons call for a
change of methods in strawberry grow-
ing. In order to fight the drouth suc-
cessfully and do the cultivating with
horses, set the plants 80 or 32 inches
apart in the row, and plow both ways.
The rows must be straight, so that the
cultivator may be run close to the plants.
Keep the entire surface covered with a
dust mulch. Growth will then continue
through a drouth. .
In the winter cover the whole space
with a mulch. ' In spring make a small
opening over the crown of the plant
with a pointed stick. The leaves will
grow up through this opening.- The
mulch can then remain to prevent evap-
oration and to keep the berries clean. In
the hill the fruit will be larger, better
colored and sweeter than if grown us the
matted row. Varieties like Havelrand will
have as high a color as Parker Earle.
I have followed this plan for three
years, and would no more think of going
back to the matted row than I would cut
my hay with a scythe. - This system is
spade easily possible by the invention of
'the automatic runner cutter, which gath-
ers up and outs the runners, leaving
thein about a foot in length. .A. new
fruit stem will result from every runner
which is cut. I have counted as many as
82 fruit stems on a hillfrom which the
runners were cut the year before. Less
labor is required to get the patch in con-
dition for succeeding corps than by any
other system.
If ground is limited, set the rows 38
inches; apart, and the plants 1 eal inches
apart .in the row, and cultivate one way.
This plan will require more hoeing,
but the yield per acre will be 25 per cent.
greater. Select varieties which send out
runners freely. Keep these cut off.
Crowns four to six inches across will re-
sult. Two quarts to the hill is not an ex-
cessive yield, and the quality will be first-
class. `
Lamb Steak.
_ A delicious way to cook a. slicefrom
a leg of lamb or mutton,' is to flour it'on
both- sides and shake off what does not
adhere. •
Lay in a shallow stew -pan with a lid,
sprinkle with pepper and salt, a spoonful
of choppedparsely, a pinch of thyme and
Oiler herbs.
Cover with a small teacupful of water,
.sot it in the corner of the oven, and cook
gently for upward of an hour.
ter. Then we shall have something that
will look like Fig. 1.
There is still another kind of shade and
lamp chimney combined that can be used
in the same way and will cover a very
large saucer or even a bouquet of flowers.
This is the radiator that is made wide at
the bottom and fits open another glass of
nearly the same shape as itself. The top
piece, when of clear glass, can bo used
by stopping the top and setting it its a
plate. If the top is of ground glass the
bottom can be used in the same way.
The smaller bole is closed and it is in-
verted over the flowers which are placed
in a saucer in the center of a plate. Fig.
2 shows this arrangement of the wide
lamp shade.
Another way is to take a clear glass
bottle, the wider the neck, of course, the
better. Put half a cup of water in it.
Take the bunch of flowers, press them
through the neck (they will bear gentle
squeezing) and leave them so that the
ends of the stems are just clear of the
mouth. Then put in the cork and turn
the bottle upside down. If the glass is
clear they will make a pretty table orna-
ment. Those who have glass shades can
also employ them to advantage. A large,
flat plate which will hold the shade • is
taken, and water put in it to the depth
of half an inch. The vaso with the flow-
ers is set in the center, and the shade
placed over all. Tho bottom of the shade
dips in the water and makes a perfectly
tight joint, sealing the flowers com •
pletely. A large tumbler - will serve the
same purpose when only one or two
choice little flowers are to bo kept. Here
comes a word of caution. Every time the
flowers are opened and exposed to the air
something is taken away from their
lives.
Common glass fruit jars may be used
for preserving bouquets. The flowers in
this case are set in some small vase that
will enter the mouth. The vase is then
set in the cap of the jar, which has a lit-
tle water put into it. Next the jar is in-
verted and screwed down upon the cap
and set away, bottom up. The reason
for doing this is to avoid the trouble of
lowering the vase of flowers down into
the jar and taking it out again.
Umbrellas in Action.
It may be noted that the first Person
who habitually walked about London
streets with au umbrella is said to have
been 'Jonas Hallway. - When our friend
Bazin rode off from the house of modest.
appearance in the Rue .de Calandre to
give Aramis "the office," ; he stimulated
his borrowed butcher's horse with an um-
brella. This wonld be about 1648.
On Dec.- 10, 1313, the Grenadier guards
under Colonel Tynling °coupled' an un-
finished redoubt during the action out-
side Bayonne. Lord Wellington passed,
and to his . great surprise" saw that the
officers were protecting themselves from,
the heavy rain with umbrellas. Arthur
Hill soon galloped up to say that "the
duke did not approvo of the use of um-
brellas in action; the guards' officers
might, in uniform, when on duty at St.
James', carry umbrellas if they pleased,
but in the field it was not only ridicu-
lous, but unmilitary." Colonel Tynling.,
"got goose," as the saying was, over this
incident next morning.,, Gronow, who be-
longed to the regiment and heard 'what
Arthur Hill said, is responsible for this
story.—Notes and Queries,,