The Exeter Times, 1890-12-4, Page 3•
A MATRIMONIALSCHEMER.
A. STORY IN ONE CHAPTER.
By Tim Aunnota on "HER BROTHER EPHRAIN," "THE OF A GIRTON Gnu," Ett,
It is a curious circumstance that while
the waiting room at your dentist's is sure to
bat
a cheerful apartment, well provided with
illustrated papers and the current maga-
elites, your need of distraction and enter-
tainment before a trying interview is never
similarly recognised by your solicitor, who
leastes you to attend his leisure either in an
outer (Once, where every sign of agitation on
your part is noted au4 enjoyed by the clerks,
or at best in a wretehed little ante-rooin
of unmitigated dulness and dingy discom-
fort
"1 suppose," thought .h.liss Sybil Eason,
who had come to a lawyer's office for the first
time in her life, and was struck bythe above
contrast—" 1 suppose it is because lawyers
don't often have ladies to visit them, and
never children.—Do yon think Mr. Wiggins
'till soon be also:lemma ? she inquired of the
aerk -nearest to her.
"-I can't say, miss, but I shouldn't think
be would te lOngi" be answered civilly, for
Sybil was not only a lady, but young and
pretty. Ile wondered what she hail come
anou'a and why she was so nervous.
As a matter of fact, Sybil was more im-
patient than nervous; and presently,. when
Menials ushered into the solicitor room,
she had all her wits about her end looked
straight and composedly into his faee. She
knew himby sight well enough ; the
untubly-uressed figure, the clean-thaven
face, the bright eyes and protruding under-
lip, had been familiar to ber since her child-
hood ; but she wantecl to reed beyond these •
—to find out whether be was kind and
whether be was clever.
Augnstus Wiggins, however, was not a
man to he read like a book. Ile -fondly be.
lieved, hoc:Iced, that los was the moat inscruta
able of men, and with a view to sustaining
this character had an odd habit of changing
his manner continually. At thismoment he
was the busy professional man.
"What can I do for you, madam ?" he in-
qiiired, looking at her penetratingly over
his tpecteeles.
Sybilas an intelligent giri, and, taking
her cue from him, stmightened herself and
spoke out with a retie:mon of his busiuese-
like air,
"1 am the daughter of Dr. Eason, of More
leg Square. Daymvater," she stated, " and
NVIA to ask you in the first plate whether
you would, uuder any eiretmstaneese under-
take a cane for him without lacing save of
payment in the event of its being decided
aganist him:"
" Uni—that would depend on the nature
tif the ease replied Mr. -Wiggins eautiously.
"1 might, of vouree. De able to predict, the
issue with certainty."
" Let the tell you," said Sy141, " and then
non PAU Wpm."
Like most ladies, she forgot that a lawyer's
preliminary opinion even has an exchange
value :
bu Mi. Wiggins was privately balks
owed lay her fresh beauty, and eneouraged
her a grave bow to proceed.
" 1 wont take ninny %virile," she said,
" for I've written it all down clearly so as
not to make a mess of it in the telling."
At this :air. Wiggins' manner underwent
a sudden stansformition ; open surprise and
admiratit n illumined his countenance.
" illy young lady, what admissible
forethongla ! How- I wish your example
might be followed by every client 1 have I
Admirable, admirable 1"
Ms pretty visitor 'produced a note -book
and pro led to set forth, with aetailsinto
which we need not enter, how her father's
claim to a legacy of £(,Q00 was being dis-
puted on aceount of a mere teohnicelity, by
a certain Hugh Lorrain, of Queen's Gate,
to m-hom OM:money must come if the will
were
proved
"My father is too poor to fight it out,"
taid the girl. "Ile is afmi3 of heavy law
expentes, aud would rather give everything
up at once. That is why I have come to you.
There are ever so many of us. and we want
the money dreadfully ; why should we sur-
render it without a struggle to this mean
num w h has not a shadow of real right to
it?"
The girl spoke indignantly ; her eyes flash-
ed, and she looked so lovely that Augustus
Wiggins quite forgot to consider his own
pecuniary interests.
" My dear Miss Eason!" he exclaimed,
with quite unprofessional gallantry, "1
place myself unreservedly at the service of
your youth and beauty. Let your father
mine and give me instructions, and I will do
a11:1 can for him."
" Must you see him?" asked Sybil, in dis-
may. " Won't what I have told you do is?
He sure to decline to accept your generous
offer. Oh, Mr. Wiggins! couldnityou make
it double or quits? Let him pay you double,
I mean, if he wins, and nothing if he loses."
The solicitor's eyes twinkled at this re-
freshing ingenuity on the part of a client.
"Well, well," he said, "arrangements of
some such nature have been come to before
now, but in this case your father may set
his mind at rest; the costs would certainly
be ordered out of the estate. Anyhow, my
dent most intelligent younglady, I am paid
in advance by the honour and pleasure of
your visit."
Sybil finished pulling up the wrists of her
gloves, and then looked up at him with a
smile -
" You are as nice now, Mr. Wiggins," she
said, "as you used to be in Morley Square,
when you always took the side of us child-
ren against our enemy, the gardener."
" What 1" exclaimed the lawyer, regard-
ing her with fresh interest; "were you one
of those dear little girls who would skip on
the gravel and send the stones all over the
grass?"
Yes," retifed Sybil; "and you always
(
told the man o let us enjoy ourselves, and
sometimes youtiurned the rope and counted
for us."
" So I did, so I did, "said Wiggins, nod -
sling his head. " Dear me ! you've grown up
very quickly."
" Ah, I'm the eldest gtrl," remarked
Sybil, laughing, " end that in a large family
is an ageing circumstance. GoOd-bye, Mr.
Wiggins. 1 don't know how to thank
you."
"Now, that's a sweet little maid," said
the lawyer to himself, when he had watched
• her down -stirs, "and. I would like to save
her fortune frem Hugh Lorrain. He's a hard
• man, as I know of old."
The afternoon was drawing to a close, and
presently Mr. Wiggins, still thinking over
the Lorrain case, put on his shabby old hat
and prepared to leave the office. As he
pa led outside the door of an inner room,
where' he wished to deposit some papers, a
sudden thought struck him.
" Hugh Lorrain had a son 1" he exclaimed,
and. then :he stopped, put his came to his
netr,uii cl made a baleulation.
"'['hat githwas:still a, little thing .When
MOiq ay Square,- and in those days I used
to visit at Hugh Lorrain's and see his boy
Bertie, who was et Eton. He must be six
or seven and twenty by now. tho was the
king who planned a match to stave off the
ThirityYears' War? Well,why not Wiggins,
to nip a law -suit in the bud? James was a
bungler, and failed ; but Wiggins isn't, and
won't."
The scheme laminated him. It not only
offered scope fer the display of all those gifts
of tact and, diplomacy upon which be piqued
himself, but roused an. old-lathier:0d chivalry
in his breast:
" It. is to be done," he told himself, " but
1 must bo as wily as Ulysses, as patientas—
as Penelope."
Next day Dr. Eason, a nervous man with
A thin, fair face and deprecating manner,
called and gave him not only all the informen
tion in his possession, but full instructions
to act fo • him. The more Wiggins entered
into the case, the more doubtful he became
as to bis client's chance of winning it, and
the more closely he hugged the ootion of
bringing about a match between Bertie Lor-
rain and:Sybil. As a first 11101:0 he found
out that the young man was at present in
au architect's office in Bloomsbury, and, im-
portant detail, usually lunched at a certain
restaurant in the neighborhood. Thither at
lunch-time the vary next day old Wiggins
betook himself, and there, glancing round,
he perceived his young friend at a table close
at hand, and immediately possessed himself
of the opposite seat.
" WeU, Bertie Lorrain, We a long while
since 1 tumbled across you," he observed,
feigning what be considered just the right
amount, and no more, of astonishment.
The young matt could not fail to recognise
the queer, ill -dressed, brightoeyed little man
whom he had often seen at his father's house
in bygone days.
Mr. Wiggins, as I live !" he retut
shaking hands cordially, "and looking not
a clay older."
" Can't my. the tame of you, my boy. You
have grown into the man about town since
last saw you. What are you doing T'
"Oh, grinding in an architect's office near
Itere."
"4 'Married, or engaged, or going to be 1"
" No,"
AN11110•••••• • •
Sybil's allowance was whet girls call this case, and next week it will be decided;
ft skimpa" but she had a knack of putting
looked well on her; and as she stepped in
eow, with soft folds of Indian muslin falling
about her lissom figure, a pretty flush on her
cheeks, and a smile on her lips for her
friend Mr. Wiggins, she made a el:tarn-Mg
pie•ure, and one that effected. an abiding
ladgrneut for itself in Lorrain's mind.
As for her, she was agood deal excited at
being introduced to any one of the name of
Lorraia. At first she tried to be cool and
reserved, but soon she unbent, refleeting
that she might have caught the name :mug
or he might belong to quite enotherfandlyof
Lorraine. In the course of dinner, however,
he asked her whether she lived. in Morley
Square, and she flashed the question back
at him : Did he live in Queen's 'nate ?—upon
which a momentary silence mammas winch
was broken by a deft reference on
Wiggins' part to what he had found out to
be Bertie's hobby - namely, mountaineering
in the Alps, Lorrain was easily prevailed
h ld f h '
on her clothes so that the poorest of them
Yi
getting intensely interested, quite forgot, to
convey by her manner how size hated him.
After dinner Wiggins put forth all hie
powers as a strategist, and made it surpris-
ingly easy for Lorrain not only to see a
great deal of Sybil in tile course of tbeeven-
ing, but to provide safely for the furtherde-
velopment of the acquaintance.
" I shall allow myself the plmsure, them
Miss Easoxi, of sending you the bookwe have
been talking about," Wiggins heard him my
as the Zoom rose to go. 11e was looking
very straight, into the girl's face, and her
Thank you very much ; good night," was
given in a Jew, slightly constrained voice.
During the next, few weeks, the young
ME, really thoroughly in love, went ahead
like a steam-engine helped by the puny
pushes, of a child, who imagines it is doing
all the werk —Wiggins, it need not be mid,
eing t
Sybil was bewildered lay the frequency
with which she met the son of her father's
opponent, but Mit Lorrain always looked so
very surprised to see her, that she meld not
for a in smolt suspect him of complicity.
All this time, though both knew well
enough that it law -suit teas pending between
their permits, the question was never broach-
edbetween them. Sybil had a reputation
fer plunging headlong into uny subject rather
than maintain A, constrained silence upon it,
but on this matter a new shyness kept her
silent ; while Lorrain, who was moving hems
"uz SPODDED, ITT BIS CANE TO HIS NOSE, AND HADE ACALCCLATION."
"Bravo ! that sounds sensible. No woman
worth having, eh?"
Lorrain laughed. He was a pleasant -look-
ing yotmg fellow, with the frankest imagin-
able manner.
"That's what I mean to think till I get
some cash, anyhow," he said.
"Pooh !Cash ! Talk like that at your age
I'in ashamed of you. Chops good here ! "
"Very fair."
"Waiter, get me a chop done to a cinder.
Youknow," the lawyer explained to Lorrain,
knowingly, " if yon order a chop well done,
they'll bring it you a little less raw than us-
ual ; if you want it cooked, you must say
done to a cinder! Now tell me more about,
yourself."
At the end of an amicable conversation,
the two parted with mutual friendliness,
Lorrain promising to dine with the solicitor
the following Thursday.
Obviously the nextmove was get Dr. Eason
to bring his wife and daughter the same day;
and consent to this being obtained, Wig-
gins felt that the battle was half won.
He now devoted himself to arranging the
details of this dinner -party, which must be
planned from beginning to end with a view
to arousing the interest of the young couple
in one another. When Thursuay came, his
two servants wondered at his fussiness. As a
rule, he allowed them to manage his dinners
without interference, but on this occasion
not only must he inspect the menu and give
minute instructions about the waiting, but
he must take the arrangement of the draw-
ing -room furniture out of the house-
maid's hands. The piano must be put so,
the cliental:1s son this little arm-
chair here, that screen there, and so on all
round the room.
"What's the meaning of it all, that's
what I want to know ?" demanded the out-
raged Jane. •
Old_Miss Brown's coming ; he's a -court-
ing of her," sniggered the cook—a conviction
in which she was much confirmed when, just
as the guests were expected, Jane informed
her that the master had appeared in a new
dress suit, with a flower in hisbuttonhole,
and a pair of " paolisnan" on his nose
Lorrain was the first to arrive, admirably
dressed, , and with a dash of the patrician
about his open, self-possessed bearing, whieth
Wiggins noted with approval as sure to im-
press the unsophisticated Sybil. The solicitor
contrived very casually to drop the fact that
.he expected some people of the name of Ea-
son, and had the satisfaction of seeinga look
of keen interest dart into Lorrain's expres-
sive face. -
"Living in Morley Square?" the young
man asked quickly; but before any answer
couldbe given the door opened and the Ea -
sons were announced.
Yen and earth to persuade his father to re-
sign his claim, and had so far signally failed,
naturally avoided a topic likely to raise hos-
tility.
At last the date was fixed for the trial to
come on and then Bertie marched into Wig-
gins' Mice, looking the picture of despair.
"I'm going daft, Wiggins," he remarked,
" and this sickening case is at the bottom
of it."
"Kindly remember that I am solicitor fer
the other side, and avoid that subject," said
the lawyer severely.
" Oh, hang itt" said Lorrain, "I'm not go-
ing to discuss the case. I only want to say
that it's a sin and a shame, and if I had a
voice in the matter I'd withdraw the claim
on our side and apologise humbly for ever
having made it."
"That statement, made to me by your
father through his solicitor, would be in-
teresting and valuable ; foam you it is mere
waste of words."
" Wiggins, don't get on the stilts," said
Lorrain impttiently. "You might see what
a fix I'm in.
"You are taking up my time, sir," re-
marked Wiggins significantly.
"Then you may as well listen to me.
Don't you understand that Pm dead set on
marrying Sybil Eason, and that whichever
way the case is settled I'm done for? If we
win she will simply loathe me, and if they
win how can I make up to a girl who'll
have such a pot of money? Speak up, sir—
what am I to do?"
"Speak up yourself," said Wiggins
shortly.
" To her, do yon mean? Now? My
word, if I tilted Do you think she'd let
me ?"
Wiggins put on his spectacles and Iodised
the young man up ant down without a
word.
Lorrain positively blushed at the implied
coMpliment
"Seriously, do you think I might? Oh,
Wiggins, what an awfully good fellow you
are! I say, how do you think the case will
go 1"
"Your question, Mr. Lorrain," said
Wiggins magisterially, "is improper to the
last degree. Kindly leave my office."
Lorrain walked out very soberly and hail-
ed a hansom.'
" Now or never," he seicl to himself, as he
directed the cabman to Morley Square.
Once more luck favoured hhn ; Sybil was
sauntering round the square Alone. Bertie
joined her, and presently—she hardly knew
how—she found herself sitting on.a bench
with him standing in, fronted her.
He was quite' simple and direct. " Sybil,"
he said, "your father and Mine are fighting
- • ,r•••••,-..c.ta0•,,,,,,,,,,,......,./LWCTA..!1•L'.7.''?...1!"7".."--.'"
if for us, you will hate me; if for you, I
an't play the part of a fortune-hunter. So
let inc say now that all I want in this world
is ycii for a wife, and tell me, Sybil—will
yen give me what I want?"
Sybil was equally simple, but had not so
much to say. "1 aon't know whether I
know you well enougn," she faltered,
glancing up at him and down again," but I
think -1 think Ido."
And therewith she glanced up again with
a ham smile and told herself that of course
snit did was he not everything man
should be 9
Dr. Eason took Mr. Wiggins' word for it
that this engagement was an excellent thing
bat old Hugh Lorrain was &rim for days.
' Then /Ionic made a solemn appeal to him
and in the end the old man, actuated partly
by affection for his son, partly by not un-
fouuded anxiety as to the result of the trial,
consented to agree to a compromise. This
Dr. Eason had always signified his readi-
ness to enter into, and finally, after endless
cousultations, a division of the money was
effected which, while leaving Dr. Eason
principal legatee, settled a large sum on the
young couple.
Wigging was not so. jubilant as might
have been expected. True, his green scheme
heal succeeded admirably, and his reputation
for diplomacy was recognized all round;
but on th other hand lie had become dee
ly intermted the case itself, and so con -
timed of his ability to establish Dahlman's
claim, that the compromise patched, up at
the last minute seemed to match a secoud,
even sweeter eup of triumph from his lips.
It was not till the wedding -day arrived
that bis self-satisfaction regained undivided
supreumey. On that occasion his calm con -
AGRICULTURAL.
Atter Harvest.
The days of harvest are past again:
We have cut the corn, and bound the
sheaves,
And gathered the apples green and gold,
Wid the brown and crimson orchard
leaves,
With a flowery promise the Springtime came,
With the building birds and. blossoms
sweet;
But, oh! the honey, the fruit and wine ;
And oh! the joy of the corn and wheat
What was the bloom to the apple's gold,
And what the flower to the honeycomb ?
What was the song that sped the Plow
To the joyful sena of harvest home?'
So sweet, so fair, are the days of youth ;
So full of promise, so gay with song;
To the lilt of joy and the dream of love
Right merrily go the hours along,
But yet in the harvest time of life
We never wish for its Spring again.
We have tried our strength, and proved our
heart;
Our hands have gathered the golden
gWe haartine;aten n-itb sorrow Iter bitter
bread,
And love has fed us with lioneyrombi
p, P Sweet youth, we can never wetp for thee
When life has come to its harvest 110111e,
When tlotgh,
ieipapies are red theon topmostbough, b
We do not think of their blossoming,
hour;
When the vitae hangs low with its purple
friut,
sciousness of sagacity, benevolence, and We do not long for ha pale green flower.
power over his fellow -men made his simmer Si. then, when hopes of our Spring at last
grand. Everybody credited him with heti Are found in fruit of the busy brain,
mg been the manager of this affair, and f or In the thoelal,rt's meet love, in the hand's brave
o
onto ins life 110 Ima or almost Ins
fill, of deference and respeet. We shall not wish for our youth again,
Privately Lorrain whispered toSybil, with Ah, oo 1 we shall say, with a glad content;
the basest iugratitude, "You know, alt old "After the years of our hard unrest
Wiggins realty had to do with it was the Thank God for our ripened hopes and toil
original introduction. After that I didn't Thane God, the harvest of life is best 1"
need any egging on; love would have found
out the way anyhow."
"But I shall never forget that Mr. Wig
gine thought of it and smoothed it," said
Sybil warmly, "I'm going to he grateful
to him all my life."
...•••••••••••
The Ideal in FatMing„
Nearly every one who owns or improves a
farm hes. an iaea of how he would like to
hate that particular farm look, and of the
magnificent :maps he would like to raise, of
A Tunnel •Bpisade. the- bountiful supply of tindee fruits and
Without 31 moment's waining the train vegetables for ins family and a theetand
plunged into a tunnel, other things of like char:Atter, and he plause
There is something frightful in this sua, no.pordingly for big erops„.plenty of money,
ileeammo front the go. MI light of day to geed living, and an improved appearance of
the profound gloom of Cimmerian darkness. his farm and buildings. Well there is math- ,
tine moment we see Lashing past us a ing bad about planning for momething better
wide -spreading landscape On either hand. than Ike. ROW pesfees, for sometimes we get
All is gayety, animation, abounding life. it and sometimes we do not It is the ones
The peat moment everything is blotted who weer plan, who have no ideal in them
from. sight. farming, that are continually and steadily
The ti•iiin plunged on into the darkness. genes down hill.
It is true that the farmer has to 00115(0341At high noon of that day Hulet Melone
hail wedded. Glycerine itlitiunly and the against hummer:ado objects that come
hlitsfsl pair had started on their Wedding between him and his ideal. He manurea
certain piece of groand hesvily, get' it in
1°Irn.:Ie of the crowded ears of that train excellent condition, puts in his seed, hoping
sat Itulet Metope and his lovely that his- ideal crop will. be a reality. But,
14 the spectacle of young wedded love on a'as ! the seea fails to germinate. The
its first jiterney there is eomething inexpres. frosts inp the young plants. lee eut-worma
Oily weird and touching. put in their work. The drouth conies,
The manly, protecting devotion of the later on the potato beetle gets there, then
young and tender husband, the seraphic, comes blight and rot, and at the end of the
glow on the cheek of the gushing., artless season he finds that instead Of his ideal crop
bride—these, with the knowledge that lie has one of the poorest crops he evergrew.
people are rushing .blindly into this kind This Wes just my experience 'with held of
of thing every day m the year, move the emit the past season. But,notwithsenaling
thoughtful observer to pensive reverie. all this. farmers must not get " downlin the.
mouth " as the saying goes, but stick to the
tt Were you alarmed, dearest ?" inquired ideal, even if we never reach it we shall be
Mr. Melone, after the train had emerged the letter far it.
into daylight again. It is an old saying that if a manaims at
"
N.not much, &let," answered the the sun, although he wilrnot hitit, his arrow
blushing bride. will fly higher than if he aimed on a level
"111 had not been afraid this tunnel was with himself. Therefore I say again stick
a short one, Glycerine," he whispered, " I to the ideal, and do the best you can to
should have taken advantage of the dark- make it a reality. This applies to the gen-
nese and kissed you, my love."
era' appearance of the farm and farm build- •
" Didn't you *kiss me, dear ?" exclaimed iugs as well as to the growing of craps. Perm
the wondering bride. " Somebody did, your ideal elitist how you want your place
half a dozen times !" to look, and then as you have means and op-
portunity work according to the plan you
have mapped out. • It may be a slow process,
unless you have plenty of ready money with
which to hire laborers, but never mind, do a
little this fall, more next spring, and so on
until your ideal is realized.
As farmers we need to think more and
plan more,' both in regard to crop raising,
and in the appearance of our homes, and so
I say form your ideal and. then work to
scualy. it out, trusting in Providence for re -
TR 'INING TFIE SCatIERS.
Out ou the parade grouncl—beside that
grim ola prison,
the "Beauchamp Tower,"
where you rem-lthe inscription cut in the
walls by men for whom death was better
than life—and beneath the windows of the
Armory, two or three lines of red -coated
soldiers, with the lightest jackets and the
most ridiculous little -roma caps hong on
on0. corner of their skulls and strapped across
their chins, were being taught the most ap-
proved methods of shooting an imaginary
enemy. They appeared to enjoy it.
That sort of thing is going on every day
all over Europe. The German soldiers in
Munich are trained in gymnasiums, and set
at vaulting -bars and sand -bags as men train
for a boat race. All these stout, good-look-
ing, fellows, who might be ocenmed in some
labor which might be of use to the human
race, are dressed up in red or green, and
taught the. gentle art of fighting.
You turn your back upon it, and make
another journey through the smoke of the
undergrotmd railway, and you come out at a
station where you see upon one side the im-
mense building which is occupied by The
Times newspaper, where they print a score
of thousands of copies in a single hour, and
next door to it is another immense building
which is the headquarters of the British and who has an acre of ground to plow, or a
Foreign Bible Society, where they print four rood of garden to spade up.
After we learn how to rse potatoes of
millions of Bibles in a single year. ai
good quality, we want to learn how to pre-
butThe guns may be the "arguments of kings,"
serve that qua,hty, so that the tubers will
the newspapers and the Bibles are the
make as fine eating in April as they did in
arguments of the people. The Tower and
Octo. ber. But few farm house cellars have
The Times, the swords and the Scriptures,
a winter temperature equable enough for the
preservation of quality in potatoes. They
are generally too hot, or too hot at times, so
that the tubers early in spring send out a
What is Nan ?—A Woman's Opinion. mass of sprouts, which prematurely shrivel
I had a letter the other day, evidently and soften the seed. Potatoes stored in
from a woman, and she said : " Would you cellars should have a low temperature with
mind answering the question, Whet is a a dry air. The cellar is generally located
man?' "A more or less Intimate acquaintaamo under the farm house kitchen, which is
with mankind Makes me feel that I can re- 'proverbially the hottest room in the build -
ply to this goestion. mg: 15 18 difficult or next to impossible to
A man is an animal who would scorn divid.; maintain a low cellar temperature under
ed skirts and yet spends two hours selecting such conditions.
the kind of cloth he wants used for his trolls.; r" I am a great friend of the "out door
ers. ;cellar," so popular in many of the Western
• A man is au animal who can be flattered States. • When properly constructed, one of
and coaxed into anything, but once, you start, these " cave3" store houses is the best thing
to drive, him the -mule-like nature upper- , out in which to keep roots in a natural 'state.
most. • I The secret is, you can. here govern tempera.
A monis an animal who thinks he is a ture. The best ones I ever saw were only
little tin god on wheels and never realizes partly underground. Just imagine a one
that he isn't until he is down ,flat on this story out building, say 14x20, settled half
back with the malaria and a W5man has to its height into the ground, the sides above
- wait on him. I the earth being double and filled with saw -
A man is an animal who is, desirable when clust, and the roof made doubly warm. I
you are in trouble, because the brute in being have seen such a building as this preserve
greater he can swear more and bit out vegetables and roots through the severest
straighter from the shoulder that you can. 1 winter weather, and yet be cool enough
A man is an animal who eatethe very best when the warm weather of spring came, to
he can getand who prefers to drink the same keep potatoes from sprouting badly.
quality, but frequently becomes a tank for I Potatoes cannot be expected to be kept
holding bad whisky. ' I into early summer without sprouting, in
A man is an aninial made for the benefit fact such a thing would not be desirable if
of women and the more she can get out of they were destined for seed ; buS we protest
, him in the way of kindness and love the more against their being allowed to sprout in
has he fulfilled his duty in life, bot With all March, and even February, and having the
his faults We love him staid ' sprouts removed., Sprout ' again repeatedly
Winter Care of Potatoes.
Do you want your potatoes to sprout in
the bins, and lose their vitality, or do you
want to keep them hard and fresh and sound
till planting time? Potatoes form one of
our most important articles of food, and un-
like grain they are of perishable composi-
tion, a duration of about nine month's
time from digging, constituting their edible
life. A mealy, wholesome potato, properly
cooked is the delight of an epicure, and a
watery, bad -flavored one disgusts the palate
of the poorest laborer. Yet the board of the
poorest laborer is as often blessed with tubers
of a kingly quality, as his more fastidious
employer. The truth is, good potatoes are
within the reach of all, anti especially of him
the past and the future.
till planting time, when the seed have
shriveled up and have lost half their vital-
ity. Many farmers Iittle realize how much
crop success depends on seed vitality. You
may prepared; neli seed bed, fertilize it in a
scientific Jammer, plant potatoes thereon
whose vitahity has passed out through
the eyes by continuous sprouting and
you will not realize over half the crop
that you. -would by the use of vigorous
seed. The writer knows what lie is talking
about, because be has tried it in a famed
potato region, and with reliable varieties. I
have fouild that almost half depended
on seed, and I have taken great pains with
its preservation. By maintaining a low
temperature in the storing room, 1 would
keep the life of the peat* dormant, as late
into the :Tang as possible, and would try to
so time it that the first sprouts would be on
the seed at planting time. Thespeouts then
should not be more than half au Inch long,
and as the potato is sound and -firm, they
VII be vigorous, ands:oily prepared tocon-
thine their development uninterruptedly
in the soil. The seed Amnia not be rudely
shaken together so as to knock off these
sprouts before planting.
If the seed poottos are freshly cut, aud
the ground is dry at plantiug time, which
frequently happens on saltily soils, the seed
should not come in eentaet with dry earth.
I have seen freshly eut seed put into dry
planting, aud not one hill in a hundred of
them came up, while seed that bad been tut
e few days and had the rift sides dried over,
when placed in the same soil, came ontinely
as soon as it rained. liaruiersare hemming
to dis-over that it is not so much the stance
that they plant in potatoes,as it is the pains
taken to cultivate the crop. Pet:Owes are
very easy of degmeratiou, therefore in se -
testing seed, 'survival of the fittest"' should
always rule. Do not 1150 Out Of your potato
lain all winter, and then plant the scraps
that are left, ;slant farmers do it and then
they buy phosphate aml put on the crop, and
blame the phat dealer bemuse they get
no bigger returns. Fertilizing a -crop may
voter a multitude of sins of soil depletion,
but it cannot hide seed infesiority. I wish
that those who have been delinquent in the
put would please think the matter over,
mulhereafteraiin t• look to seed superiork.,y,
aswell
as fertilization.
Butter as a recd.
In the seleetion of food, smpetiring more
must be considered than that it is iiteitin
nutritive qualities. For instanee, 18cons
suiting 0 table of food values,ant tee is sho awn
to he ilinent all nuttiment : but it is no: cite
kind of nutriment mast tievaltsi. Mort prob.
ably it IlElytv considered Os n foul ele-
ment, the same as wrap, fat one inmost
live on either P,sione, Another elevation to
butter 04 that it is a food element cot titsy
of digestion. lty the process tif churning,
the little globules of fat in the Cream are
driven together, but the digestive Oath
must undo. the work of the dairymaid and
emeitify the fat before it can be of service.
Cream is already an emulsion, mixes rapidly
with fluids, therefore it is Much better te
take our butter in the form of eream awl
seam the ðic labor of the 4.1itiTSfitOiql end
ties stoma -h.
Again, it is next to impossible to scenes
Lotter which is pertectiy sweet 1 It 14 03
tilthUllIt to keep as either milk or meat. In
well managed ere:merles churning iS fliale
twice a day, the butter being made irom
nice tiWCEI MAI% blit ill ordinary couzitry
dairies, the cream 15 allowed tebeceme very
sour, beizig ehurned whim a sufficient gums
tit,' is itecnimilatea. eteunnue the get pos
are Lary with their work of increasing the
acidity—butyric • acid fermentation taking
place at the very least. Consequently, but-
ter made from it contains myriads of germs,
ready when favorable conditions of warmth
and moisture are added, to grow with great
rapidity. When taken into the stonewit
they begin their inisehiceous work immedi-
ately. Butter matte from eream wllib has.
been boiled before churning w id keep nitwit
the best. That St the maned pursued in
France and no salt is added. Cream orga-
ndie: most of the germs present in milk,
being lighter than the milk they thus rise
to the top with the rising of the cream.
—Dr. J. H. Kellogg.
Pruning For Fruit.
Joseph Meehan gives the Practical Farmer
some hints on pruning for fruit. Many are
so pertinent and sensible that we give them
here. "It is never wise to let trees bear fruit
while still young, and should. they flower
and fruit, then the fruit should be taken off
before it gains any size. But it sometimes
happens that tbe reverse of this is the ease,
and trees which are well grown and should
bear fruit do not do so. It is then that the
ski11 of the fruit grower comes into pian, and
lid uses his art and prunes for fruit. -Prun-
ing may be of the branches or of the roots,
aud both may be done to produce fruit. It
must be understood that when a tree is
growing fast it will not fruit. To cheek the
growth is a stop towards fruiting, and this
is what pruning is for. A tree in rich ground
will grow larger and be longer comin.g into
bearing than one hi poor soil. This is why
with the same variety of tree one man may
have fruit from his tree longbefore Itis
neighbor does—the soil differs 111
richness.
There is no use in waiting long after time
for a tree to bear any more than there is to
have one bear too early. Keeping in mind.
that a too fast growing tree mustbe checked.
in its growth to make it fruitful, root prun-
ing is the thing to do to accomplish it The
earth should be dug away until some of the
larger roots axe exposed and these should be
chopped away.
" There is no need to check it too severe-
ly, as a loss of a large portion of its roots
would do. A cutting away of one-fourth
will probably be ample. This process rare-
ly fails to cause flower buds to form. If done
in spring or summer buds will form for the
next SMS011. Sometimes summer pruning of
the branches will have the same effect. The
cutting off of the end of growing shoots is
done while the sap is still active and where
cut flower buds will often form. This way
will do where some fruit is looked for to test
a sort, brit it is sometimes at the expense of
the shape of the tree, and it is notto be re-
commended as so good a way as that of root
priming."
. Back to the Old Home.
" John," said Mr. Stingy's wife, "
wouldn't buy any more $2 trousers, if I
were you."
" Why not ?"
"This ast pair you Wright are the identi-
cal ones I sold the ragman six weeks ago for
fifty cents.
•
How His Campaign Panned Ont.
Uncle Tobe—"My campaign with Maria
lasted three years, 'n one day I stormed her
heart 'n shs surrendered."
tach—" Then you enjoyed peace?"
Peace? Boy that was the beginning of
war -fare; it's been a battle ever since."
The crews of the steambarge Bruno and
her consort the Louise, wrecked near Cock-
burn Island, have arrived in Toronto.
•