Exeter Times, 1897-4-22, Page 12THE EXETER TIMES
A FREAK OF CUPID.
other child playing, loyally determined
CHAPTER IL
"My name is Coarthope." The visitor,
denuded of coat an cicap, presented his
card, upon. wetob. was written, M.
George Conratopei"
He began telling his hostess whence
he came and what was his badness. A
quarry which a dead relative had be-
queathed to him had hail sufficient
attraction to bring him across the sea
and across this railless region. His few
words of self -introduction were mingled
with and followed by regrets for his in-
trusion, expressions of excessive grat-
itude. All the time his mind was ques-
Coning emazedly.
By the time the speeches which he
deemed necessary were finished., he had
followed the girl into espacious room.
turniehed in the large gay style of the
fifties, brilliantly lit, as if for a festi-
val, and warmed by a log fire of gen-
erates. dimensions. Having led hien in.
listening silently the while, and pat her
additional lamp upon the table, she now
epolte, with no empressentent. almost
with e meatier of insouciance.
"You are perfectly welcome; Day
father would, never have wished his
house to be inhospitable."
With her words his own. apologies
seemed, to lose their significance; he felt
a little foolish, and she, with some
slight evidenee of childish awkward-
nees, seemed. to seek a. pretext for short
wave.
"I wile tell my sister." These words ed- or of me
came with more sthaptaesh, as if the ba"Which do you prefer -to sleep in the
that 'should be undut dui and.
interior excitement was working itself disrite;rany stepmother 2"
to the surface. In a mutate he gave her chin that
The room was a lona one. She went lift. in the air that he had seen before.
out by a door at the farther end, and. as "You aeed not feel uncomfortable
about 3Ire. King ; the, house is really
with intense curiosity he watched her mine. not hem, and father always had
quickly receding farm, he noticed that
tobe ber mete, •ithatever the cbaraoter
that might entail. "I will even be the
Idiotic Edward if you are Eleanor
Dashwood."
Her chin, was raised just halt an inch
higher; the smile that had been peeping
from. eyes and dimples seemed to retire
for the moment.
"Oh, we," she said, "are the hostesses.
My sister is Raiz King and Ira Madge
King, and I think yeti had better bea
real, person too; just a Mr. Courthope
Dome in by accident"
"Weal, then. he can help us in the re-
ceiving and chatting to them." Elia
was quite reconciled.
He left glad to realize that his mis-
take had, been, merely playful. "In that
case. may I have dinner without grow-
ing grey ?" He asked it of Madge, and
her smile came back, so readily' did she
forget what she had hardly conscious-
ly perceived.
When the sharp -voiced little Eliz had
beea wheeled into the dining -room to
superintend. some 'preparations there
before the meal was ready Courthope
could again. break through the spell
that the, imaginary reception imposed.
He came from his dressing -room to find
Madge, at the housewifely act of re-
plemehing the fire. Filled with cuir-
°shy. Unwilling to ask questions, he
remarked that he feared she must oft=
feel lonely, that he supposed Mrs..
King did ime often make visits unac-
companied by her daughters,
"She does not, worse luck!" Madge
on her knees 'replied with childish
audacity.
"I hope when she returns she may
not be offended by my intrusion."
"Don't hope ihe-sbe snalled.-"suoh
hope would be in. vain."
ectald not help laughing.
"Is it dutiful thee of you," -he pans-
his
boaee, full of conletay. 1 aat doing
when she nought herself out of his TaY diltY lehi-111 iala rillil: hi/111 in' and
tn. making a feast to please Elie when
sight she entered the other room with the stepmother happensto he 1 aea.y and
a, skip. At that same. end of the room I ran do it peaceably. And when she
hung a full-length portrait of a gentle- Ilene/et ,to Le Le here I do my . ti to
un le, lug the peaee meth her."
man. It, was natural that. Courthope "Is hhe. aPrikind. to YOU?" be asked.
should walk toward it, trying to be,.. with the ready, overflowing pity that
come acquainted with some :ink in the young men are apt to give to pretty
trate of circumstances which had rale- wratilith‘,.....1Tvoue°1111d.Ihrlaatiel. him know that
ed this enchanted palace in the wild.- she bad not eomplained.
erness; he had not followed to hear, . There was no aitterness in her tone -
but he, overheard. her plihmeophy of life was all sweet-
ness. "No! Bless her! God made her.
"Eliz, ita a. real yoang man I" . I supputajtese as he made us; so ac -
"No 1 yea are only making up, and." cording to the any she is made. she
here o. touch of querulousaess, "I've packs away all the linen and silver,
often told you that I don't like make- , smhee keeps this room. eirat up for fear it
ill get worn out. end we never see,
ups that. onewants too much to be true, any visitors. But ' to -day ehe went.
I'll only have. the. Austen s and. Sir away to et. I hilippe to see a dying
Chareles and. Evelaine and---" man -I think she. ens going to eorivert
"Eliz ! lae's not a. make-up; the fair- ltyinefoti:riy.t22.gn;t1NVII"vNle'hillook a. long
y be snow -
fes have seat him to our party. Isn't ed. 'up for. (lays, and we are going to
it fust fairilly entrancing ? He has a nye a perfectly glorloies time.' elm.
curly moustache and a mice nose. He unded homiteley, "Yea need not feel
. der the shghtest olligatien, for it
English, like. father. He says "cawret,"
sad "chawn't." and "heal," and
"theyah"-genaine, no affectation. Oh"
here came a little gurgle of joy, "and
to -night tool It's the first perfectly
joyful thing that has ever come to us." ith eln. and. steed again face to face
gives us p eaeuxe e Lave you, and,
know that father would have taken
you in."
Courthope, rose up and followed her
glance, almost as adoening glance, to
the, portrait he had before observed.
Coarthope moved quietly back and
stood. before the blazing logs, looking
down into them, with a smile of pure
pleasure upset his lips.
It was not long before the door, which
she had, left ajar, wasre-opened, and a
light -wheeled chair was pushed into the
room. It contained a slight, elfin -like
girl, white-faced, flaxen -haired, sharp -
featured, and arrayed in gorgeous crim-
son.. The elder siker pushed from be-
hind. The. little procession wore an air
of triumphant satisfaction, still tem-
pered. by the proprieties.
"This is my sister," said the mistress
of the, house.
"I am very glad to see you, Mr.
Courthope." The tones of Eliza, were
sharp and thin. She was evidently act-
ing a, part, as with the air of a very'
grand lady she held out her hand
goodly man was paled there,
dressed in. a judge's robe. m
e. Courthope
read. the lineaments by the help of the
living interpretation of the daughter's
like.nes.s. Benevolence in the mouth, e
lore of good cheer and good friends in
the rounded cheeks, a lurking sense of
the poetry of life, lathe quiet eyes, and
te th.e, brow reason and a keen sense of
eight proportion dominant. He would
have given something to have air -
changed a quiet word with the man in
the portrait, whose hospitality, living
after him, he was now receiving.
Madge. had been arranging the logs
to her satisfaction, she would. not accept
Coarthopen aid, and now she told him
who were going to dine with. them. She
had great zest for the play.
"Mx. and Mrs. Bennet, of course, and
we thought we might have Mr. Knight-
le,y, because he is a squire and. not so
very yoang, even though he is not ya
He was somewhat dazzled. He feltarn ...Ins Bates, et course, and the
it not inappropriate to ask if he had. Westoas. ales. Dashwood has declined,
entered. fairyland. Eliza would have an- of which we ate rather glad, but we
are having elm Jennings' So she went
swered him with fantastic affirmative,
but the eider sister, like a sensible child on, with her list. "We could not help
who knew better how to arrange the asking Sir Charles with Lord and Lady
game, interposed. G.-- because be, is so important; but
"I'll e•xplaan. r
it to you. retie and I are Gee/Imamate Shirley is "mortifying"
giving a party to -night. There hasn't at present. She wrote that she could
died. f ' Sir h a regal
not stand so ii
'ce.liar-
father
any company in the house since grave pegeeeen eget tome afterwards
er ear years ago, and we
know he wouldn't like us to be dullwith Harriet, and I am thankful to say
, so
when our ate that Lady Cleanentine is not in Eng -
',mother went outand , lnd at present, so maid not be in-
tsent word this she couldn't coxa a -
e back vited." She stopped, looked up at him
o -night, we. decided to have a grand freshly to (make a comment. "Don't
party. There are only to be play -people, ou detest Lady Clementine f"
you know; all the, people in Miss Aus- y
ten's booWhen. they went into the dining -
ones out of 'Six Charles Gra,ndison '" room, the, choice spirits deemed worthy
She paused, to see if he understood.
"Are the 'Mysteries of trdolpho' in.-
vited ?" he asked.
to beat the board were each introduce
by name to the Lady Elia who ex-
plain.ed that because of her infirmities
she, had been. unable to have the honor
and there, because we liked them -Eve- .
e era we elest chose here of receiving them in the drawing -room.
lina, although she was rather silty and She made appropriate remarks, Intleirs
we told her that we couldn't have Lord ing after the relatives of each, offering
Ormond, and Miss Beattyand Brother
congratulations or condolences as the
Peter olut of "Ceanford,, case demanded. It was cleverly done. and Moses
Wakefield, because Courthope stood aside, immensely because we liked him best tried, and when at last he too be
of the family, and the Portuguese nun n to offer spirited remarks to the im.-
who wrote the letters. We thought ge
we
would have. liked to invite the young aginary guests, he went up in favor
man, in 'Maud' to meet her, but we de- so immensely that Eliz cried, "Let Mr.
cidCourthope take the end of the table.
e,d we should have to draw the line
sLet. Mr. Courthope be father. It's much
somewhere end leave out the poetry-
p,eopleenicer to have a master of the house."
'
The girl, leaning her forearms slight- She began. at once introducing him tothe invisible guests as her father, and
ly an, the beck of her sister's chair,
gave the explanation in soft business- Madge, if she did not like the fency,
like, tones, and there was only the
faintest (lurking' of a smite about the
careers of her lips to indicate that she
leer in view both reality and fantasy.
think that I shall have to ask Lou
ten introduction to the Portuguese
non," said Cou,rthope; "the others, I
as33,1 happy to say, I have met before."
A smile of approval leapt straight
Out of her dark eyes into his, as if she
woad. haat, said: "Good boy 1 you have
read. gaits the Tight sort of books I"
,Eliz was riot endowed with the same
well-balanced sense of proportion; for
the time the imaginary was the real. •
"The only question that remains to
be decided," she cried, "Ls, who you
woluld prefer to be. We will let you
ciloose--Biagley, or Darcy, or--"
"It would be fair to tell him," said
the other, her smile broadening now,
"that We only the elderly people and
notables who have been invited to din -
new, the ycieng folks are coming in
artier ; so if yeti are hungry-" 'Her
soft vase, paused, as if suspended in
mid-air, allowing him to drew the in-
ference.
did n.ot cross her well. There wasT(
Madge's manner a large good-humored
tolerance,
The table was long, and. amply spread
with fine glass and silver; nothing was
a-ntique., everything was in the old-
fashioned tasteless style of a former
generation, but the value of solid silver
was not small. The homely serving -
woman in her peasant -like dress stood
aside, submissive, as it seemed, but
ignorant; of how to behave at so large
a dinner. Courthope, who in a visit to
the. stables had discovered that this
French woman with her husband and
one young daughter were at present
the whole retinue of servants, wondered
the more that such precious articles as
the young girls and, the plate should be
safer in so lonely a place.
Mad,ge, was seated at the head of the
table, Courthope at the foot. Eliz labor
high chair had been wheeled to the cen-
tre of one side. Madge, playing the
hostess with gentle dignity, was enjoy-
ing herself to the full, a rosy, cooing
sort of joy iet the play, in the feast that
she had succeeded in preparing, in her
"It depends entirely an who you: are, amusement at the literary. sallies of
who, I would like ta he." He did ech Eliz, and, above all perhaps, lea the
reelize that there was undue gallantry' company of the new and unexpected
In kis speech; he feat exactly like an playmate to whom, because of his
youth, she attributed the same perfect
sympathy with their sentiments which
seemed to exist between themselves.
Couxthope felt this -he felt that he was
idealized through no virtue of his own;
but it was a delightful sensation, and
brought out the best that was in him
of wit and pure joyfulness. To Elie the
creatures of her imagination were too
real for perfect pleasure; her face was
tense, her eyes shot sparkles of light,
her voice was high, for her the enter-
tainment of the invisible guests in-
volved real responsibility and. effort.
"Asides are allowed, of course," said
aEtlicza,ratissi! pronouncing a debatable rule
Of course," said Madge, "or we could
ne.`t'ItP'las The." greatest fen," cried Eliz, "to
hear Sir Charles tenet:in Mr. John
Knightley about the good. example that
a virtuous man ought to set. With
hands and eyes uplifted' he is explain-
ing the duty he owes to his Maker, it's
rare to see John Knightley's face,
seated them on purpose with only Miss
Matty between them, because I knew
she wouldn't interrupt."
Courthope saw the smile in Madge's
eyes was bent upon him as she said
softly, "You won't forget that you have
Lady Catharine de Bourg at your right
hand. to lookafter. can see titet
brother Peter, has got his eye upon her,
and don't know how she would take
the 'seraphim' story."
If she begins any of her dignified
impertinence here," he answered, "I in -
teal to steer her into a conversation
with Charlotte, Lady G--,te
Courthope had a turkey to carve. He
was fain to tura from the guests to ask
advice. rte to its anatomy of Madge, who
was carving a ham and assuring Mr.
Woodhouse, that it was "thrice baked,
exactly as Serie would. have done it."
"Stupidl-it was apples that were
baked," whispered Eliz
"You kee," said Madge, when she had
told him how to begin upon the turkey, ,
"we wondered very much what a dinner
of ' two full conisne mieht be and
where the ' corner dishes' were to be
set. We did .not quite know -do you?"
" You, must not have asides that' are
not about the peppier cried Eliz in- i
tensely. "Curt harem Moreland's; moth-
er is talking common sense to General
Tilney and Sir Walter Eliot, and there -
'11 be no end of a row in a minute if
You floret divert their attention."
Elia had more than once to (all, the
other two to aceount for talking pri-
vately zelown the long table.
" What a magnificent tem!" he ex-
claimed, " Do you keep lege?"
.Mie had a frank way of teiring
family details. "It. was onee a dear
little pig, nal we wanted. to teatli it to
take exercise by running after us when
we went out, but the steemother, like -
Runyan, penned it ':-
"hail at last it tame to be,
For length and breadth, the bigness
which you see."
M'i're than once he, saw Madee'eh
quick wit twinkle through her bootee
lean 'When he was looking. ruefully
at a turkey by no means neatly carved.,
she gave the comforting suggestion,
'TM impious in a good Irma to be
sad."'
"I thought it one of the evidences of
piety."
"It is true that he was 'Young' who
said, it; but so are we.; let us believe it
fervently."
When Madge swept across the draw-
ing -room, with her amber skirts trail-
ing, and Eliz bad been wheeled in, they
received the after-dinner visitors.
Ceurthope could almost see the room
filled with the qua bat creations o whom
they 'were both bowing and talking in-
cessantly.
"Mr. Courthope-Miss Jane Fairfax-
' believe you have met before."
Iteadge's voice dropped in a well-
fe,gned absorption in her next guest;
but she soon found time again to
whisper to him a long speech which
Bliss Bates had made to Eliz. Soon
afterwards she came, flying to him in
the utmost delight; to re.peat .what she
called a lovely sneap ' which Lady
G— had given to Mrs. Eton; nor did
she forget to tell him that Emma Wood-
house was explaining to the Portuguese
nun her reasons for deciding never to
marry. Out of sheer astonishment she
appears to become quite tranquilized,"
said Madge, as if relating an important
fact.
His curiosity concerning this nun
grew apace, for she seemed a favorite
with both the girls.
When it was near midnight the imag-
inary pageant suddenly came loan end,
as in all cases of enchantment. Eliz
grew tired; one of the lamps smoked
and had to be extinguished; the fire had
burned low. Madge declared that the
company bad departed.
She went out of the room to call the
servant, but in a few minutes she came
back discomfited, a little pout on her
lips. "Isn't it tiresome,! Matlulde and
Jacques Morin have gone to bed."
It is just like them," fretted Eliz.
At the fretful voice Madge's face
cleared. "What does it matter ?" she
cried. "We are perfectly happy."
She lifted the lamp with which he had
first seen her, and. commenced an in-
spection of doors and. shutters. It was
a satisfaction to Courthope to eels the
house. It was a French building, as
were all the older houses in that part of
the country, heavily built, simple in the
arrangements of its rooms. Every :door
on the lower floor stood open, inviting
the heat of a large central stove. In-
sisting upon carrying the lamp while
IVIadgie made her survey he was intro-
duced. to a library at the and of the
drawing -room, to a large house -place or
kitchen behind the dining -room, these
with his own room made the. square of
the lower story. A wing adjoining the
further side was devoted. to the Morins.
Having performed her duty as house-
holder, Madge said good -night.
" We have enjoyed. it ever so much
more because you were hare." She held
out her hand.; her face was radiant, he
knew that she spoke the simple truth.
She lifted the puny Eliz in her arms
and proceeded to walk slowly up the
straight staircase which occu.pied one
half of the long central hall. The crim-
son scarfs hanging from Eliz, the length
of her own silk gown, embarrassed her;
she stopped a moment on the second
step, resting her burden upon one lifted
knee to clutch and gather the gorgeous
raiment in her hand.
"You see we put on mother's dresses
that have always been peeked away in
the gerret."'
Very simply she said this to Court -
hope, who stood holding &lame) to light
them in. their ascent. He waited until
the glinting colors of their satins, the
slow motion of the burden -bearer's
form, leeched the top and were lost in
the shadows of an open door.
(To be Continued.)
IN THE COILS OF A PYTHON.
TIT THRILLING ADVENTURE OF A
WASHINGTON SCIENTIST.
ne storied out to capture a nig geom,
But the Snake Came Near to Mauna a
ethaepteivtialdesrolfligo-reidlne.errible Struggle Iii
A huge Brazilian boa constrictor
Which has ruled Black Point Key, Fla.,
for a long time has been captured by
Prof. Walter Ralston, of the Smithson-
ian. Institution, at Washington, who
went to Florida for the purpose. The
sn.ake measured fifteen feet in length
' and weighed fully seventy-five pounds.
It is supposed to have killed several
persoos who landed on Black Point
Key, and have never since been heard
of. . ,
Prof. Ralston tells a thrilling story'
of bisi adventure with the snake, and
it see= almost a miracle that he lived
to relate it. He watched the python
without food, or sleep for twenty-four
1 hours before the opportunity came
which enabled hila to try to master
it with some possibility of success.
i The profes.sor bas prepared the follow-
ing statement, which tells in graphic
ImatiestMenuawctelyree:hat his fortunes and.
"I have been working twenty-six
years ill the interest of science, and
in all that ti.me never experienced an
adventure so perilous as the one that
befell me on Black Poitit Key. I had
beard of a great snake being there,
and made up my mind that it must
he a specimen worth looking after.
, The story as it came to me was that
a ship containing specimens from South
America for a circus in the United.'
States had foundered off Florida coast
end it Wafi supposed that this snake,
which was really king of Black Point
Key, had bean a. part of the cargo of
the ill-fated vessel,
"Black Point Key lies just off the
coast and at the edge of the Ever-
glades. It is a low ridge topped by
a growth of pines. Whale an island
now, it originally was a peek of land.
The people who lived on the adjacent
keys were
IN A STATE OF TERROR
regarding the snake, and in constant
fear that it would leave the key on
. which it had been for so long, Pay
, them a visit, and possibly eat them
before they could do anything about
it. Tee length of the snake, they de-
clared was pleatemenal, and it is an
actual faet that a number of men who
, said they had seen it were willing to •
make affidavit that it was fully
, thirty-five feet hong.
"I knew that no snake from South
Alnerica could be of that size, and
so fancied there must be a good deal
1 of exaggeration. I made up my mind
i would at least take a look at the
moneer if I could not capture it, end
made two trips to Black Point Key for
the purpase. I could not even catch
, a glimpse of the snake, and not be-
ing desirous of placing myself in such
a positive that it could. catch me un-
aware.s it really proved to be as
horrible as 'my informaats had slated,
, I kept out of the underbrush and
avoided places where. it could drop on
, ine from trees.
"I heard of the snake again soon
, after ray second trip, and so decided.
to make a third. attempt. I went to
1 that portion of Black Point Key that
t is known as the Prairie, being that
section of it nearest the land. If I
could find the snake there, I knew I
would have a. better fighting chance
to attack it. Fortune seemed with me
this time, for had barely landed when
I found traces of the snake. I trail-
ed it for half a mile, and at last came
within sight of it. It was a big one
and. no mistake, but there did not
. seem any opportunity for me to cap-
ture. I realized that it would be im-
possible to et it r f though I
could crowd a pretty. big snake into
I the canvas bag I carried, thee one was
1 altogether too large for anything of
i that sort.
t "I thought the situation over and
concluded that the only thing for me
to do was tp
A MINUTE LAMP.
Physicians occasionally use, for the
purpose of illuminating parts of the
intetrior of the body, a delicate elec-
tric lamp, called the ”pea lamp," be-.
cause its little glass bulb resembles a
small pea in size, being only one-quar-
ter of an inch in diameter. It is, nev-
ertheless, a complete incandescent
lamp having a carbon film one-eighth
of am inch loog, and about one -two -
thousandth of an inch in dia,nteter.
WATCH AND WAIT
for my chance. I knew I was fif-
teen miles from the nearest person,
and that I might cry for help as loud
as I liked without the slightest prob-
ability of any response. 'Ibis was
about 2 o'clock- in the afternoon. It
seemed as if 'it knew I was watching
it, for it kept sharp an outlook as
any snake I ever saw. I waited until
darkness came. It was impossible for
me to do anything at night. Still I
was afraid to go away, lest the snake
should disappear, and it might be weeks
before I would find it in a place so
favorable to capture.
"So I got into my canvas bag and
remained where I was. When day-
light came I resumed my watch, but
the snake was as wary as ever. The
bour,s wore away until it was nearly
2 o'clock. I had been watching the,
snake twenty-four hours, and in all
that time had not slept a wink or eat-
en or drank anything. Presently I
saw the snake move. A short distance
away was a rabbit, a(nd almost as
quickly as I can write this the snake
went after him and seized him. Then
began the process preliminary to the
swallowing of food., by a boa. This
oecapeeted, the snake began to swal-
low its viotemi
"I waited a few motments until the
riebbit had gotten fairly into the
anahhe throat, and then I went af-
ter the boa,. I !seized it by the neck
and tried to shave it head first into
the canvas bag. I had underesti-
mated the powers of my adversary. I
had supposed the snake would be in
such a, state, owing to the Mewl it was
making, that there would be little trou-
ble in handling it, but before I knew
it I felt the snake folding around my
limbs. In a marvelously6...sort space of
time. the snake was about me as far
as the abdomen. I clung to itsthroat
desperately, realizing that if I once lost
my hold it would be like
SIGNING MY DE,A11111. WARRANT.
I would be squeezed to jelly. •
"It is impossible for me to describe
with s pen such a frightful position.
The snake turned its head towards me
and lidesed in me' fee% darting out its
forked toalgtle as it Woued pieces me
with it. I expected to be slowly
squeezed to death, but to my
surprise the Wide did 'not tighten, and
then I realized that otiyma to the po-
sition of the rabbit in the snake's
throat, the pressure of my bends there-
on was having an effect. Besides this,
the snake was not seemingly in the
possession of its full powers. My
beads are rather Muscular, and I
doubt if this face will ever stead me
in better stead. I squeezed the snake's
throat as vigorously as possible, and
it kept up a continual hissing, glar-
ing at me with the most malevolent
look it is possible to imagine.
"This soot of thing went on for a
few moments, and then I made( up my
mind toetry to break the snake's hold.
So I choked it with, all the strength of
which I was capable. elto my joy, T
felt the hold, of the snake upon me re-
lax, and, the coils slipped dowel. as they
loosened. I pushed the head and neck
to tae ground, still keeping one hand
and my knee thereon, I managed with
the tither to gala possession of the
ketife at my belt. With this I soon
ended his snakeship's existence. It
writhed about to a considerable extent
and during its contortions thrust the
end of it e underneath the edge
of one leg of my trousers. Another
movement of the tail split that leg
ire to any waistband. At last the snake
died, and I took it to Miami.
"The snake is unlike any I ever
Flaw before. but I am satisfied it is
a. 'Brazilian python. It is of a dull
brown in color, wet& black spots. Its
head is about four inches ithig, and
three and a half inches wide. Taken
altogether, it is as ugly a customer
as I ever encountered."
The snake is being prepared for pre-
servatioa, and before long will be one
of the. curiosities of the Smithsonian
Institution at 'Washington.
CATCHING FLYING FISH,
An Important Industry on the Coast of
nareadoes.
Off the mast of Baxbadoes, where a
speciee known as Exocoetne Volitans is
found, flying fish are very good food,
and foe= the staple of a considerable
industry, says the London "Graphic."
The negroes go out in small boats, and
catch them mostly at eight. After a
good catch the Meats come into shal-
low water, where they are met by
negroes with large baskets, into which
the fish are c'ast. These baskets are
carried to the shore, where they are
put. on to light single -wheeled trucks -
something between a railway porter's
truck and a light wbeel-barrow-end so
conveyed by another set of blacks to
the market. Here are gathered a large
number of negro women, all eager to
secure good fish to hawk in the street.
These women know their business thor-
oughly, and have a keen eye for abler.
gain. They affect indifference, and
some will even smoke a pipe to show
how little concerned they are in what
is going on.
This, 'however, deceives no one; for
every one concerted knows that each
woman is trembling with impatience to
secure the best fish at the lowest rate.
Indeed, as eo 'bargains, they are as
fond of making them as any lady shop-
ping in the West End, and retake them
much better than their fairer sisters.
Having secured as many fish as they
require, they hoist the baskets on to
thee heads and my their wares
through the town; and usually do not
take vary loag to sell the lot.
CLAD IN WHITE,
with short skirts, showing bare shiny
black legs, and with baskets on their
beads, these sturdy fishwives present
a very picturesque appearance; and
when Samba, the ever -obsequious wait-
er, serves you with a plate of flying
fish at yid= dinner, you may be very
certain that the fish has been bought
from one of these dusky hawkers. You
afterwards learn from grinning Samba
that your wish to encourage their trade
has been fulfilled, for there is no other
adaree from wheel Ash can be got ex-
cept from these black, but comely,
fishwives.
Flying fish are so called from the
feet that they have the pectoral fins
so large that they are enabled to make
short flights or leave from the water.
It is a vexed question whether or not
the flying fishes use their pectoral fins
foe flight butt the general belief is
that the fins act merely after the man-
ner of a parachute or of a kite. How-
ever that maybe, these fish possess
the power of rising from the water to
a. height of 20 feet, and often fall. on
the decks of ships. More frequently
they skim along the water. There are
several kinds of flying fish, more than
thirty species being known. They in-
habit the Seale of the warmer parts of
the world. They swim 111` shoals, vent-
ing from twelve to 100 or more. It is
a line sight to see a. whole shoal rise
out of the water and dart through the
air for a couple of hundred yards, and
then drop into the sea together to con-
tinue the flight. /The cause of the
hurry is apparent when you see a hun-
gry dolphin in hot pursuit of the shoal.,
taking great leaps after his prey. The
flying fish 'take ahloirtecc and shorter
flights, until at last they sink into the
water, and fell easy victims to their
pursuer.
VERSATILE DOG.
Dogs that earo money as churn mo-
tors are not at all scarce in dairy re -
gloss, but it is not often that a dog
Lafound able to do what the one own-
ed by "Mom 'lethal -tie," an old negrese
of New Orleans, does. She is blind and
almost too old to walk. All her life, so
long as anyone can remember, she has
gained her living by "picking cotton,"
e$ the gatherieg up ot stray bits of
that product from the New Orieents
wharves is termed. She did this her-
self till bee bodily infirmitiets became
too great, but then she left it to her
black acid tan dog, "Voodoo," and he
deve.s Use "pioking" as well as ever she
did. In fact., be does it better, for the
detect not hesitate to pull' wisps of thhe
fluffy 'white substaxam Atom the bales
whenever there is a loose end sticking
out. Some of the porters consider the
dog a nuisance, but they would DAV=
dream of interfering with the beast,
for they think "Mom ereathrinee'
witch; that the deg is her familiar, and
that dire disaster would follow any re-
seataine of the dog's operations.
ABSORBING AMBITION.
Did. you gay that boy of yours was
ambitious? .
Ambitious! Well, I should say! Why,
that boy does nothing but sit around all
day and think of the great things he's
going to do I.
DOWNRIGHT IIONESTY.
"Downright honesty is hard to find!"
exclaimed a pessimistic) gentleman.
liv'eel-known literary lady replied,
"I hope not. When you find it where
you expeeted to, it attracts no notice.
Itisamatter of course; and, sometimes
yea find it when you axe not looking
forit
"Several years ego my blusband and
I were blunting for cdlonial landmark
in one of the oldest quartetes of Newl
Ya callkpretCtyit'YCiswph4laeya owfeliwngeeeriettarnadctesmd a.bly1
silk goods in, the window of a haber-
dashery shop. We stopped to ad-
mire, and, finally went in. The shop-
keepers were foreigners, a man and his
wife. Their politeness, their broken
English and their low prices were ir-
resistible, and, we made several Pur-
chases.
"'We sell cheap. It pay best -an'
zero be only she an' me,' the man said;
and his wife echoed, `Zare be only he
an,' meg and went on. with a pathetio
little story of the baby that died. 'Rut
lb he. best. Zis no place for theeldren.
Some. day, when we makes money, we
get intze, conntry, an' bat a leetle land
an: a loathe sleep, an' be happy.'
"'You seem happy here,' I said.
'Yees, we happy here -only we two.
We go to church an.' hear music. We
not understand much talk, but we wor-
sheep, an' God. is good.'
"We tad them, we were from the
country, 'Oh l' exclaimed the woman.
'An' haf yeti a rosebush an' a aPPle-
teee an.' tings alive?'
"I delighted her heart by telling her
of our orcherd and garden, and the cow
and. horse, and the pig and chickens.
" 'Mathes' said. the man, his face all
asvaiv,l'iykouer.know, some such teethe place
s
"'Perhaps; we will see.' And paying
the bill and addressing our parcel, we
took lees -e, promising to come again1
the-
sotilareietttingituantober.
take the name andi
"As the parcel did not reach us, we
went the next afternoon to get it;
but our 'bump of locality' utterly failed
us. We could not find the shop. We
might almost as well have tried to
identify a particular grain of sand
that we had seen yesterday on the
beach. In, the tangle of streets and
houses we lost ourselves as completely
lavsooidsf .we had been sat down In the
"Twice before we left the city' we re-
newed our fruitless search, and then
gave, it up. But for long afterward,
on every visit to New York, when we
bad an boar of leisure we drifted in
among the (antique buildings and
crowded alleys of that foreign (marten
where (we scarcely beard a word of
English, never forgetting to look for
Itvhiendlcoewt.eouse with the quaint old bow
•
"The value of the parcel we, -had left
was of little, consequence, and it was
partly historic curiosity that continued
to attract us into those ancient streetst
kill wo h\.z.V"ted dtoi not el tilt ehreeisntgi ngb a Ififiltelde, caound.
ple that we would come.
"More than two years passed, and,
one. day, while on an errand of special
research through the old ward, we sud-
denly found ourselves facing the little
shop and looking into the same pretty
window. We stepped in to see if our
Me humble friends would recognize
us.
"They called us by name before we
were fairly inside the door, and the
man brought the paper in which the
bundle had been wrapped, end my
husband was assured by his own hand-
writing that our failure to receive it
was due to his own mistake.
aniv'Wpatheecykkallbeeegel.ven"(ilat come.. etoYmouaksaeyupso'
o%
'Bat it is so long same. we were
ohm:tem:at -yescers.,raight have said yout did nob
remember us -you have had so many
"Na, zat be wrong -ten a lie. Be
honest is best. Please God. 'You, find
zab teethe place We buy him now.'
"Evidently they theugbt we had dee
layed our visit until we could bring
them news of a country home, and had
watched for us with childish anticipae
tioa as they added to their small say -
e.
. 'We. wane to go away,' they said.
'Bad folks here all about. Only God
take, care of we -everything else bad.
We want hetu,se an' garden an' leetle
shop.'
"Fortiunately we knew of such a
place; and. the outcome of the matter
was that in a short time, their dream
of a home in the country was realized.
"They came when. the rose -bush was
in bud and the apple -tree in blossom.
The cackling of the hens was a joyous
welcome, and the cat and kittens asleep
on the, sienny porch excited them to
raptures of delight.
'Here they kept their little shop,
found a church home., and made many
Welles. Another baby came to them,
and still others; and they continue to
be so happy that it is always a pleasure
to call on. them and make a small pur-
chase.
"Of colerse 'the grateful souls credit
uS with much of their prosperity, and
when the rewards of well -doing are
mentioned, they always count us in.
"'411 is so glad, an' so good! It ees
zee we. do right -we an.' you. We be
honest an' please God -we an' you.'
"I consider ib one of the sweetest
compliments I ever had."
•
THE DRAGON -FLY.
One of the most useful of insects is,
owing to the ignorance of the public,
forever being killed. It is known as
the dragon -fly, the needle -case and the
devil's darning -needle. Says a writer of
authority: In its larval state it sub-
sists almost entirely on those small
squirming threads which can be seen
darting about in any still water, and
which hatch out into the sweet -sing.
log mosquito. As soon as the dragon-
fly leaves its watery nursing -ground,
and climbing some friendly reedebroves
away the old ;Mehl and flies away, it is
helping man again. Its quarry now is
the housefly. Not long ago the writer
saw one of these insects knocked down
int a veranda, where it had been doing
yetema,nrs service, and the children and
women seemed delighted, although they
shrank back from the poor, wounded
dragon -fly.. They all thought it had
an awful sting at the end of its long
body; a cruel injustice. W,hen the
writer took the insect up there was gen-
eral wonderment, which was increased
when a captured fly was offered it and
it ate it weedily. The boys of the house-
hold will smear harm, a dragon -fly
again.
FOR CHURCH FAIRS.
ecatteations on What Willjahe and
Well-- All V pry Usee4i awl LaslIN
Made.
"What can / make far our !Aural
fair if" is a question often asked. Oe
course you wish the article to sell read.,
ila. so they must be useful aswell as
pretty, and if these two essentials can
be combined in articles that can be
sold at moderato prices, so much the
better.
A laundry bag can be made of a Piece
of honeycomb canvas, one yard wide
before it is closed, and three-fourths
of a yard deep. This is faced acre&
the top with a strip of yellow silk or
sateen, six inches wide, Embroider a,
bunch of buttercups and green leavee
in) the centre or the piece. using Asiatia
rope silk, and the word LaundrYY,
in brown. Fold so the seam will come
it the back of the beg when it is fin-
ished, run two rows of stitching five
inches from the top, ane • - an a
draw -string of narrow yea .v ribbon.
This is used to draw the bag up, and
to finny it by, and leave a ruffle al-
most five blokes deep at the top. •
Pretty lamp shades are made with
a wire frame of the desired size and
shape, with a covering of pink silk
draped over it. Cover with lace, pleat-
ing or gathering the upper edge, and
pinging it to the top with a ruohing
of plain tulle. Other colors may be
used, yellow or blue making beautiful
ahad,es. Crepe tissue' paper is very
inexpensive, and is used na the tame
way, except that lace is not used with
it.
A hag for school books is made of
ticking or denim. Cover with up -
bleached linen, oat large enough to
face down on the inside three inches.
A design may be embroidered on one
side with' brown silk or linen, or ie
may be left entirely plain. The handles
are three or four thicknesses of linen,
held together with several rows of
machine stitching, or leather hand-
les may be made.
Eiderdown flannel makes a pretty
robe for a baby carriage. Cut a square
or oblong piece of the blue flannel, and
line it with; cashmere, sateen, or any
suitable material. Turn a hem one or
two inches wide all around it, and
sew down with invisible stitches. Work
a row- of featherstitching an the right
side just the depth of the Item from
the edge, using whet° Asiatio twisted
embroidery silk, and embroider *
bunch of daisies in two opposite cor-
ners. Um centre of the flowers is
delve in French knots. White broad-
cloth is a 'handsome material for
babies' carriage robes. They may be
lined with white silk, and the edge
bound with white ribbon. A bordei
or a floral design embroidered in the
centre with Roman floes is a hand-
some finish
A watch pocket may be made of a
piece of cardboard out palette hape,
and (severed with plush, satin, or vel-
vet, with a spray of flowers painted
in the centre. Shirr a piece of satin
to form a tiny pocket for the watch,
and place it on the lower part of the
cardboard. A small thermometer may
be fastened. near the thumb -hole.
Black broadcloth makes a pretty
cover for a small table. Stamp a con-
ventionalized design for a border, and.-
follow it with Aelatic couching silk Is
yellow, couched down. This work is
very quickly done and very effective.
The edges may be finiahed with hems,
caught down with a row of feather-
stitching, done with yellow silk.
For a sofa pillow make a case of
ticking half a yard square, and fill
with feathers or down. Make a cover
of figured Mina silk, just large enough
to slip over the pillow, and add a frill
made by doubling the silk, and gather-
ing into the seam on the four sides.
Slip the pillow in and hem the owl
down. -E. 3. O.
THE NORMANS.
All the Land They Once Owned New in the
Possession of the SalCOM.
Historians are constantly reminding
people that there is scarcely a foot of
soil owned in England now by the dee
scendants of the Norman conquerors,
all the. property having gradually come
i
again nto the possestion of the Sax-
ons, who originally owned it. One of
the rare exceptions in this state of
things is Trail ford Park, which until a,
year ago remained in the possession of
the same family which has held it for
over 800 years, the Traffords of Traf-
ford. Randolph, Lord of Trafford, why)/
Hived in the. reigns of Canute and Ee
ward tee Confessor, dying about 1050,
was the head of this ancient house,
which for 800 years has enjoyed an un-
broken line of (male successors, and
whose land, has not suffered alienation
dueling all the changes of this time. The
old, place is one. of the most romantic
and picturesque spots in all England,
and lying as it does eust without the
city of Blanchester, it is greatly admir-
ed by visitors. Th,ere are nearly 2,000
acres in the estate. The hell will short-
ly be turned into a hotel and the
grounds converted into parks, golf links,
race course, &c. 'A considerable por-
tion of the fine old land will be de-
voted. to shipping, as it lies along
canals connecting directly with the
ocean. It was only last year that the
estate passed from the hands of its old-
time owners into the possession of a.
company, which is dividing it up and
selling ut to various purchasers. .
BRITAIN'S BENEFICENT RULE.
Testimony au MISS dee St rr WhO for Eighteen ,
Years has Served inindia.
One of the passengers to New York
on the Germanic was Dr. C. J. R.
Ewing, of Lahore, India. Eighteen
years ago Dr. Ewing went out as a
traissionagy of the Presbyterian church.
He is now at the head of the mission
churches of Northern Indict, but has
devoted al geed deal of hie time of late
years to the political and economies
problems time have grown out of the
English rule in India. •
"No one with any sense," he nee
"can question that Etnglitsh rule in Lee
dia has been the best thing that ever
happened that country, The famine the
bubonic plague end the ether woes from
which Indite is suffering at present
would have been e hundred times more
terrible had England not been the can -
trailing power. et
"No One Who bile not been in India
can realize what the herrors of the
bubonic plague have been. I believe
though that the worst is c ver now and
the progreas of the disease has beets
shocked.
SPORTING BLOOD AROUSED.
Postee-rhedels offered to bet old Bul-
lion hundred that he would marry hie
daughter, •
Lowe --,What did Bullion say,
(Eaeene-Raieed bRae