North Carolina Newspapers

FRANKMN . PRESS. THE NUMBER 29 FRANKLIN. N. C. WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1905. VOLUMEXX. Stubby's First Panther. By CLARENCE HAWKE5. f The fitful gleam of two tcor lan terns, following at regular Intervals, a few rods apart, waa trailing along a country road. The moon and atari were hidden by a sort-spring haze that enveloped the travelers; wrappplng all things in its gray mantle. Bjr the light of each lantern one could see revolving wheels, and the massive outlines of circus vans. Here and there a light stronger than the rest revealed the outline of the driver sitting wrapped in his great oilskin coat, guiding the team through the dense darkness. Even had It not been for the lan terns one would have guessed that a 'large caravan was passing, from the snapping and creaking of the axles, and a score of other small Bounds that always attend the moving of heavy freight. Most of the drivers were alert, watchlr. g the bushes by' the roadside that they might guide their teams as ne'ir between the two' dark outlines as possible. Others in the middle of the procession dozed, feeling quite sure that the horses, so long accustomed to the life, would trail after the lan tern in front of them, and keep the road. Two or three of the drivers neith er watched the teams which they were supposed to drive nor the road, but were wholly engrossed with black bot tles on the Beat beside them. Such was the condition of Big Ire land, as he was called by the bands, the driver of the great van containing the panther and the jaguar. Presently the teams in the distance began rumbling over a short iron bridge. One could have guessed this, for the sounds of the heavy wheels on the plank came nearer and nearer, giving the Impression that the bridge was traveling towards one, for there was nothing In this dense darknesB to gauge the movements of the team by. When the van carrying the big cats struck the bridge, which was narrow, the team had hauled over to the left, and the shutters of the cage barely cleared the strong iron pillar that stood guard at the corner of the bridge. Although his faculties were numbed by drink, Big Ireland felt that some thing was wrong, and Instinctively pulled upon the right rein, or what would have been the right rein had they not been crossed. At the same time he spoke sharply to the horses. Then there was a grating, grinding sound, and the drunken driver reach ed for his whip. Twice It fell upon - toe frightened horses, and the grating grinding gave "place to cracking breaking. Then thre was a bid- in wuica me gr fcccstrmltrbehind hurried TIP iw they found one horse down, his legs through the lattice-work in the side of the bridge. The two left wheels of the wagon had gone through an opening between the railing and floor of the bridge, and were wedged in clear to the hub, while the forward side of the van had been literally gutted. Their first thought was of Chieftain the great circus cat, but the flash of their lanterns Into the cage showed that he was gone. When the van driven by Big Ireland struck the bridge. Chieftain, the pan ther, waa lying curled up in one cor ner of the cage asleep. His first In stinct on being so rudely awakened was to slink away Into the furthest - corner from the commotion. But when he heard the tearing of the bars that had so long stifled him, he raised his bead and sniffed the air eagerly. He eould not see that the side of the cage had been ripped open, but something told him that it was so. For a breath of freedom blew through the open bars, that only a wild creature, for years held captive, could have dis cerned. Then he stretched his great paw forward and felt the opening. Then cautiously he slipped through the opening to the ratling of the bridge where one great, spring carried him in to the darkness, and night folded her . arms about htm as though to protect this wild creature from pursuit, while . the fields and the meadows cried, "Come, you are ours! We will feed and water you." At first the panther, so long cramped in his cage, stumbled blindly through the darkness. His limbs would not re spond to the mind that subtlety that they should, and hia eyes, so long used to artificial light, winked and blinked strangely. But by degrees the pupils dilated to their utraoBt and drank in whatever light the gloom contained, and with catlike stealth he crept along the pasture. ; Now and then the great cat would top to roll like a kitten upon the grass, or stretch Its limbs. Once it gaye two or three great bounds, Just to feel those sturdy limbs, spurn the green . earth. After about two hours of stumbling through the darkness, a gray streak appeared In the east, and birds began to twitter In the tree tops. Then the panther entered a wood. As it had been captured when a kitten, It had never seen anything like this before, but It was fresh and cool, and besides It was dark and there were plenty of 'places to hide, so the great cat was well pleased "with his new discovery, and thereafter kept to the woods. It was about a week after the acci dent on the bridge and the escape of Chieftain from the van, that Stpbby Daggltt waa going for the cows, just as he had done for the last sis or sev en years. ' There would seem to be little relation between Stubby and the cow, and the great circus cat For that dread animal had escaped some twenty-five miles from the village where Stubby lived. Though the woods had been scoured for days, nothing could be found of him. So every on bad concluded that the panther by tome Inborn instinct waa working his way northward toward the wilderness that Its kind had frequented ever since the days of the red man. Stubby was not handsome. You will guess this when I tell you that his other nickname waa "Freckles,' but he had an honest countenance, and any boy In the village would tell you that he was clear grit from the top of his tow-head to the bottom of hit bare brown feet. - The cows gave him considerable trouble this night, for he had to go to the farther end of the pasture Into a maple grove for them. . They acted rather strangely, too, he thought; ibr they started uneasily every time he struck at the weeds by the side of the path with. his birch rod. Just at the edge of the woods -was a spreading maple that overhung the path; here they jammed up In a bunch, refusing tn art nnM Ik. ma "Whey, there! what are you dolngf ? cried Stubby, switching the hind cows with his birch. These pressed forward and the cows ahead broke Into a trot, going under the maple at a good pace. Then a long, lithe figure dropped from the tree like a thunderbolt from a cloudless sky, and with a snarl that froze the blood in Stubby's veins, dug its claws In the sides of the foremost cow, while its teeth were burled in her neck. With a frenzied bellow of pain and fright, the old .cow broke Into a keen gallop, and almost before Stub by knew what had happened the herd was ten rods away, going tor the barn like stampeded steers. Stubby's first thought was of the escaped panther. Then Stubby thought of his own safety, and he started for the barn as though the panther had been upon his trail Instead of the old cow's back. He was taking a short cut home, par allel to the path the cows were follow ing, so he could still hear their wild bellows and the snarling of the pan ther. All of which lent energy to his sturdy legs; over knolls and stones he bounded, as though running the race for life. Half way to the barn he mounted a stone wall, and gave one frighten ed glance backward, to see If the pan ther had left the cows for his own trail. Then he saw a very strange thing that both amazed and delighted him. The cows, in their headlong rush for the barn, had reached the same stone wall that he stood upon, and were about to pes through an opening from which all but the top bar had been left down, the remaining bar caught the great cat under the chin, and brushed him off the old cow's back as though he had been a fly, while the herd galloped on with new energy. Stubby waited to see no more, but Jumping from the way, made the sprint of his life to the house. A t later he burst into thodipi""" arn, Crinkelhorn was only too tn There was great excitement In th village that evening when Stubby's ad venture was related at the countr store, and a hunt was planned for th next day that should rid the nelghborJW nood of tnis furious neast. Old shot-guns that had not bei fired for years were pressed Into si vice, heavily loaded with buckshot or slugs. To his father's astonishment Stub by declared his intention to go with the hunting party. "Gracious, boy!" exclaimed his fath er. "Didn't you get panther enough laat night to last you twenty-four hours?" but secretly he was pleased with his son'a pluck. "Don't go, Herbert" pleaded his mother. "You'll be eaten alive." "I guess there won't nothln' happen to him if he sticks close to me," put In the boy's father. "I've got the old shotgun loaded with four slugs In each barrel and I guess there won't no panther eat us up. Bet'ter let him go, mother." So Herbert's mother gave "Guess I'll take along my pocket rifle," said Stubby. "I'll feel safer with It" "Might as well try to Bhoot a rhin oceros with a popgun, as a panther with that thing," said his father. But the boy slipped the little 22-rlfle under bis coat and went with the hunting party. They had planned to beat the woods where the panther had appeared the night before, just as they do In India for tigers. So the party was strung out in a long line, each man two or three rods from his neighbor, and in this way they swept the woods, from end to end. It was a new experience for most of them, and each man went with hia gun cocked, and his heart In his mouth The timid hunters Insister on making a great shouting, and the courageous said It was to frigi. en the panther away, 'for fear that they would see him. As for Stubby, his nerves tingled to that he doubted if he could even hit the tree containing the panther, ' let alone hitting the beast it he should see him. ) The forenoon wall very hot and It was hard work beating through the underbrush to by jnoon they were a tired and disgusted lbt A council was then held, and It wesvdeclded to divide the party Into two parts and one beat the neighboring woods, while the re mainder worked the maple grove still more. A hasty lunch waa eateh.aud they set to work again. - ., N By the middle of the afternoon the maple grove had been beaten frum end to end, and the panther certainly was not there. So While others of the par ty went Into a little swampy run near by, Stubby sat under a big hemlock, resting. . They iad barely gotten out of tight when the boy noticed a movement In the large hemlock near the one under whlch.be sat Then on of th green tutted bought sprang down as though ft heavy weight were upon it, opening a gap between It and th branch above; and what Stubby saw la the opening made lys tongue cleave to th roof of hit mouth, and hit heart pound away 1W MifTitor at his ribs as though it would break through them. For there, upon a large limb of the hemlock, with his hind leg well under him and resting against the trunk of the tree waa the great clrcua cat, ' His tall waa switching horribly, hia fangs were bared as though for a snarl, and his eyes seemed to be meas uring the distance between him and the boy. The moment his eyes met those of the panther, Stubby's gaze waa' held as though by some will stronger than his own. Be could not move, he could not cry Out. All he" could do was to sit there and wait until the pan ther should spring. Cold sweat stood upon his brow, and he felt sick and faint He thought of his mother's prophecy, that he would be eaten alive. It looked as though it would be ful filled. He felt that his only safety lay In looking directly at the panther. Per haps someone would discover them be fore It waa too late. Seconds seemed like minutes, and the quarter of a minute that elapsed, an hour. Then Stubby thought of his little pocket rifle; that lay upon the grass beside him, and felt for it with one band, still keeping his eyoon the panther. But as his arm went down for the rifle, the panther bent lower on the limb. He was going to spring. Then with a quick motion Stubby raised the rifle to the level of his eye. Qne moment the sight glimmered along the panther's back, and the next it was dancing around in the tree. His arm eyes, and pressed the trigger. Then a fit of sheer desperation seized him, and with a great effort, he drew the sight down until it stopped, as he thought1, between the great brute's eyes, .and pressed the tripper. Then In a frenzy of fright he pitched the lit tle rifle into the bush and sprang to his feet His nimble legs had saved him the night before, and might now. He had barely sprung from a sitting position, when the body of the great cat shot like a black streak through the air and fell heavily at his feet. Then Stubby's legs sank under his weight, and It grew very dark. The next thing he remembered, his father was bending over him, fanning him with hit) palm-leaf hat, while someone else was sprinkling brook water In his face from a wet handker chief. He was not mortally wounded, as he at first thought or even scratched, only his head waa light and things looked strange. After a few moments he was able to sit up and tell his story, "You say you fired at him with the popgun, did you?" asked Stubby's fath er. "Yes," replied the boy, "I ' aimed right between his eyes, just as I have read about In books." "Made a mighty big sight of noise for a 22," remarked someone In the crowd. "Wal, the panther's dead." said Stub by's father,"and I don't see but the did it" this here wound," said an- lullet went In just behind the are through the heart. mejjtrierBt! M no - ijg - 5i1g - w TiiL' Lil.iJilll B ii n "I vum!" and flapped his side. "I have It" he said. "I just saw Ben myself, sorter skulking oft through the woods towards home, and If I ain't mightily mistaken 'Old Ken tuck' was still a smoakln'. Anyhow I saw Ben lift the hammer and throw away the cap, and' he wouldn't have done that if It had been a good one." Here then was the secret of the mys tery. Ben had happened along just In time to tee Stubby' plight, and had rescued him by a lucky shot with his famous hunting rifle that he called "Old Kentuck." To make sure that this was the case, a committee was at once sent to In terview Ben. But to their great aston ishment that quiet old man would say nothing about it either one -way or the other. "We want to give you a vote of thanks and the skin," said the chairman. "Now tell us; did you kill the panther?" "Can't say as I did," replied Ben. "I hain't seen no dead panther. 'Twould be mighty hard to say. There ain't nothln' sure in this world, 'ceptln' death and taxes. But you folks just go back an' ask Stubby about It He got the panther's eye and I didn't "Mebbe, he winked at him. You just ask Stubby." Outing. Chinaman and Tramp. Senator Clay of Georgia had occa sion recently to visit San Antonio, Tex., where there Is a Chinese colony. In one of the poorer sections of the city he was witness to an Incident which has Impressed him with the be lief that Celestials have a fully de veloped tens of humor. : A tramp wandered up to a weather beaten shop- and knocked gently. Immaculate In whit sack blouse and clean apron, the Chinese cook opened the portal and gazed with disfavor up on the soiled specimen of humanity. "Wha't mattah?" "Say, Chink, give us a bite ot food." "You hungly?'." "Yes, I sure am, Chink." . "You like fish?" v "You betanything." "You likum boiled filed baked?' -"Yes, yes, any way; no matter," "All right you come back Friday," Philadelphia Post , Gothlo Type Again. , ".. ordtng to the Berliner Tageblatt the short-sightedness of recruits la be ginntnr-40 cause grave anxiety to the German var office. "Bismarck him self," comments The London Chroni cle, "who Had to take to glasses long before he wfcs out of office, was strong ly of this opinion, though, from mo Uvea of patftiotlsm, he would not heir of the abolition of the Gothic type, and invariably Refused th gift of any book printed In Roman characters. But the antl-Gothlo party It now gaining ground, and several newspapers and numerous tcUentiflo works are printed in iwrnuiY ,typ, wnicn th emperor himself lald to favor' STUDIES OF THE COYOTE AN ESPECIAL ENEMY OF THE SHEEP RAISER OP THE WE8T. Th Animal' Economic Relations Subject of Importance Enough to Be Handled by th Agricultural Do '.' pirtment Beneficial and Injurious Habits. '' A wonderful ezampfe ot the debit and credit account which man must keep with any wild animal Is afforded by the Agricultural Department's study of the economic relations of 'the coyote, an animal whose activities help to regulate the price ot mutton in the cities of the Eastern seabord, even though his face is unfamiliar and per haps in soma quarters his name. The coyote will eat anything.- He would make an ideal summer boarder. Sheep meat Is an acquired taste, but he has had no trouble Jn adjusting himself to it Other animals are driven back by civilization, but he rather cottons to a certain degree of civilization, be-, cause he finds more to eat. Kansas alone paid bounties last year on 19,614 coyotes, and yet he Uvea and thrives by devices for evading his enemies. Some farmers do not know how they would get along without the coyote; they regard some of his. favorite ar ticles of diet as worse pests. The destruction of rabbits, both large and small, Is of great advantage, especially on the plains and in the cultivated valleys, where their depre dations are keenly felt by the settlers. This goes to the coyote's credit ac count. The various species of jack rabbit are Included In the coyote's fare, and the smaller rabbits are also habitually eaten. He usually catches the rabbits by lying In wait behind bushes and bunches ot grass near their paths, and pouncing upon them as tbey pass. While a single coyote would not be able to run down a jack rabbit, by hunting together, taking turns In the drive, and by taking advantage of the tendency of the hare to run In a circle, several coyotes can capture It The abundance of rabbits In some sections of the West has been attributed to a local decrease In the number of coy otes, caused by an unusual activity against them, stimulated by high bounties. Prairie dogs are also a staple coyote food. He captures them by hiding he hind clumps of weeds or bunches Of grass at some distance from the bur, rows. When the unsuspecting rodents, in feeding, approach near enough, a few leaps enable the coyote to secure them. The grass in a prairie dog "town" is usually cropped short, and all tall-growing weeds are cut down to, prevent the unseen approach of an enemy. When the cultivated crop Is some rapid-growing or dense one, which they cannot clear away, they abandon the land rather than stay to be devoured. But clearing the prairie dog town ot weeds Is not sufficient to baffle the coyote. Rice rats, ksngaroo rats-wood rats, ground squirrels, woflfrthucks, moles, pocket gophers1Bfpnlunkgj and poo ket ralcegyg a80 coyote delicacies. These are generally harmful, and the coyote performs an important service in preying upon them. When the num ber, of animals taking part In the work is considered, the enormous im portance of its bearing In maintaining the "balance of nature" becomes ap parent Coyotes have been known to capture some of the wild animals that assist man in his warfare against insects and rodent t- -, ' m""ff them are the weasels. Skunks also are cpVftw4-L, and eaten by the coyote. He destroys considerable game. Birds that roost and nest on the ground are frequent victims. , Quail, grouse, wild ducks are caught on tlir s and both blids and eggs are I in. Wild ducks and geese, when funded and unable to fly, may be found along the banks of streams which the coyotes regularly patrol In search of them. Like the larger wolves, coyotes kill deer and antelope. In hunting these they always go in packs of two or more, and take turns in the chase. They know that their prey runs in large circles, and at Intervals Individ uals drop out of the pursuit, and, crossing a chord of the circle, lie In wait until the quarry passes near hem again. In this way they keep iresh until the pursued animal is ex hausted, but ail of them are "In at the death." The present scarcity of the large game animals gives few oppor tunities for' such chases, but on the plains they were formerly of frequent occurrence. The coyote is widely and unfavorably known as a destroyer ot domestic ani mals. Its depredations upon these In dicate a marked change of habit slnre tue first settlement of the West. The destruction of the, larger game by man may partly account for the change to farm animals as a diet The coyote kills hens, ducks, geese and turkeys. Its usual method of captur ing them in daytime la to lurk behind weeds or bushes until the fowls come within reach. Turkeys, which range far afield In search of grasshoppers and other Insects, are frequent vic tims. At, night the coyote captures poultry from the roost provided the door of the henhouse It left open. Few of the mammals of the farm are exempt from coyote raids. Even house pets, roaming far from home, become vie tims. Th coyote has been known to kill the young of most farm animals colts, calves, pigs, lambs, and goats. Colts are seldom killed, because th dam can usually protect them. Calves are taken only when the mother cow Is feeding at a distance. ' Coyotes are especially notorious as' enemies of sheep. This Industry has greatly languished because of their depredations. They are present through out the yjsar, and prove a steady drain on. th i Mourcea of the flock i owner. In parts of the Southwest sheep grow ers havi estimated their losses from wild an mala at equal to 20 perceit The avirage loss reported from. sev eral sta nt Is 6 percent In nearly, all the stat s west of the Mississippi the Industry has declined. In the Jast (wo -years. t present it thrive only in sections where the local conditio.- permit t is herding of sheep In large flock system highly injurious to the pasti rate. Vaxiou i methods of dealing with the pest havi been In ngu elpce coyotes ; first began to like mutton. Poison has probably kljled the greatest number of adult . animals, and In some parts ot Mexico has almost destroyed some spe cies, but no such success has attended Its use in the United States. Strychnine has always been a favor ite weapon ot hunters for wolf pelts and bounties. As 'an Illustration ot the" shrewdness in avoiding poisoned baits, a farmer n Oklahoma gave the writer the following experience: . After butchering some hogs be polsonel a hogskln and left It for a coyote that nightly prowled about his premises. In the morning everything but the poisoned skin had been cleared away. Hp left It two more nights, but It re mained untouched. Thinking that the animal would not eat the poisoned bait be buried it That night the coyote dug up the hogskin and ate it, falling a victim to its deadly contents. jSlnce then the farmer says he has never failed to poison coyotes when he buriel the bait Coyotes are not easily trapped. They travel In rather well-defined paths and usually hunt agalst the wind. Having a keen sense of smell, they easily de tect the tracks of man, and It they have had previous experience of traps or guns they are suspicious. The chances for successful trapping de crease with their familiarity with man, so that there is little probability that the process will ever have much effect on their numbers. In the open country, where there are. few fences, hunting coyote with horse and dogs la an exciting sport. The ordinary greyhound can easily overtake a coyote, but Is usually un able to kill it alone. Coyote drives, in which an entire community engage, have become a popular feature of ru ral sport In Kansas, Colorado, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Texas; but the meth ods employed depend largely on the local topography. QUAINT AND CURIOUS. A dog with hoofs like a cow Is own ed by Daniel Brown of Logansport, Ind. A process has been Invented by an Englishman for giving artificial age for wood. He replaces the sap of trees by beet sugar or saccharine. There died on a farm near La Sueur, Minn., recently the oldest swan that ever lived, as Its owner, Peter Valley, firmly believes. It was hatch ed in France in the year 1795. A N . York centenarian who died the oth. day at the age of 104, was accustomed to tako a "light breakfast, always coffee and crullers," and Brook ed his pipe in peace and enjoyment for 90 years. Brookline, Mass., Is still the richest town in the world. The annual state- Kment of finances shows that the debt 367,949 under limit There are no unpnlil-taxes prior to November l, 1904. BalanceXpn hand loots up to $95,312.88; assessed polls, 6411; tax levy, 1939,707: reaPwafate valuation, $61,842,600. A Spanish contemporary says, cording to The Indlanarolls News, that In 1904 nearly twelve thousand bulls were killed, in bnll rights in the coun try. The bulls killed about ten thou sand horses. The best and most valu able bulls for the arena are raised on the vast estates of the Duke of Ver agua, in Andulasia, who has made a fortune out of the business. made in York, Pona., for the manufacTuracf an Improvement In flypaper, which, It is thougU, will fill a long-felt want In this the-corners of the sheet, aro scored so uiat they may be interlock ed, and in this manner a pan is form ed which w.111 prevent much o fthe mischief which the old form of fly paper is largely famous for. For in stance, if the paper blows from Its place on the table or window ledge and falls on the floor the sticky side cannot come In contact with the car pet or furniture on which It may fall. The oldest lawsuit in North Caro lina is now being finally settled. It Is that of the ttastern band of Cher okee Indians aaalnst W. H. Thomas 4hd others, involving a great many thousand acres it land and also other interests. ThomSu was for some years before the civil ar the cht.af of the Eastern band, a: raised a legion ol troops from ami ig nis uneroaees. which was In the Confederate service, ;orth Carolina regl- being one of the ments. The case; Ibegan in 1867, In the federal court or the Western North Carolina ads .let, and since that date more than 90 employed. torneya have been .Photographing an Owl. The Great Horned Owl may also be fascinated by aldog. And the photographing of the j Great Horned Owt ander these condition Is not diffi cult Walt until the Awl seises th fowl and stops to rest 1 on the. return to the woods, then let al dog be led to within 20 or 30 feet oft the owl, and the bird will be all attention tor the dog and take no apparent, notice ot the person leading it. The behavior of tha owl at such timet It vfery amusing. It atands motionless, gating Intently at the dog; but after a fevfr minutes, it the dog remains quiet, I the bird seems to become nervous! and steps first to one side and then to the oth er, hissing, snapping Itt besk and ruf fling its feathers. After this the owl will usually try to make olf with Its prey; but If ana ner naia is maue the bird's actions show even iraore ner vousness. While the own .attention la thus attracted Is the tlrmi to ap proach within "photo-dlstanc " to get the snapshots. Silas A. Lottfvidge la St. Nicholas, -i ,v '-'.' . A Rar Specimen. 7.e South Kensington Mtiseum, London, I rejoicing In the arrlvlU of a skeleton of a . dlplodocus, a pi k-esent from Andrew Carnegie to King Ed- ward. It came from Pittsburg Iln 36 nlng. cases, having been found In Wyo; It ta the first dlplodocus .to I visit Europe, and it Is an interesting Ipom- binauon, in u structure, or rei tll and bird. THE PULPIT. ' AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY THE REV. ROBERT COLLY ER, Subject! Leading Children Boftly. Brooklyn, N. Y. The Rev. Robert Collyer, the oldest 1 Unitarian pastor In Greater New York, preached In the Second UnitarlarrCburcb, Clinton and Congress streets, Sunday morning. His last appearance iu that church was last fall, when be delivered an address on the late Rev. Dr. John White Chad wlck, the former pastor, who had just died. The eloquent preacher took for his text: Genesis xxxiU:13-14, "The children are tender; I will lead on soft ly," and said: It was one of the secrets of my craft, In the old days when I wanted to weld Iron or work steel to a fine purpose, to begin gently. It I began as all learners do, to strike my heaviest blows at the start, the Iron would crumble Instead of welding, or the steel would suffer under my hammer, so that, when it came to be tempered it would "fly," as we used to say, and rob the thing I had made of Its finest quality. It was the first condition of a good job to begin gently, later I could strike with a firmer hand, and In the end pour out all my might in a storm of sturdy blows; but If I began so it ended, as a rule, with a wreck. The perfection of the Nasmylh hammer lies in the blend ing of its gentleness and its ponderous might, so that it can come down as gently as a June shower or smite like a tornado, according to the need of the moment. So the skillful mecbaulc starts new machinery, a locomotive, a steam engine or even a sewing ma chine, gcutly. I.t is the first condition of keeping the bnlauct true that the machine shall not tear away at first at high pressure. I noticed the same In the building up of a grand organ. The builder began gently in bringing out its harmonies, with some fine. cbordB, made those true and went on to the others, and so wrought on to the end. Again an animal trainer while he smites the tiger with an iron bar. If he is wise talks to a horse, al lures him, courts him and makes him his friend. We do not speak of "break ing" a horse, so much now; we "train" him. So I love to note such things as these as I watch the perpetual advent of little children into this life of ours, and wonder how we shall deal with them in the one wise way which will weld them, shall I say, to whatsoever things are true and lovely and of good report, start them to the surest purpose and train them so as to bring out the whole power for good which God has hidden In their nature. There must be one right way, and I think tills father found it when he said: "The children are tender; I will lead them on softly." They may seem crude, mere machines or little brutes; there are some men who seem by their actions to have such notions of a child's nature, to their eternal shame. Here is the prin ciple: They are tender; we must lead thira on softly. Solomon may slip in with bis cruel maxim of "Spare the rod and spoil the chiU." He bas no busi ness about 'my place while my children are tender. I. can no more be hard on them than Jesus could. If I hurt them In this evil way I hurt tboso who are of the kingdom of Heaven. My white hairs have brought me wisaoin: That the unparrtou: Is to be hard on a Jrr not wonder that th? gentle witn jr tbIK acvLwlll not, 1r some Jk that camuSy the inextinguiv tries to get measure. My gob thing of a Spnrtai Spartan, with her child wonderfully beautiful to her old age spreading her wiu motherly wings over Ihe child the new day. She could no more hard upon them, no matter 4nJtsthevjilayed, than your May sun can bo liardTroorr yeur Alay blos som. It was the return of the heart to the soft answer, the sweet submis sion to the better plan, the vlBlon of the Infinite worth of gentle ways with tender folk, the endeavor, unknown to herself, to ease her dear old heart of what little pain there was from the old days, the feeling that perhaps she might have gone more softly once. These children are not things at all that we can turn out to pattern, but human beings, each one living to him self or to herself, holding a se cret we cannot fathom, possessing powers perhaps we cannot even guess at our children after the flesh; God's children after the spirit, but Intrusted to our hands and homes that, coming out of Heaven with hints of the angels in them, they may go back when their time comes as sealed saints. The boy may be the Image of the father, yet totally different within. We vainly try In our children, some times, to see onr image, we detect a faculty or temper we never had. The Holy Spirit, which watches forever, selects and saves, by a law we do not half understand, aud we do -not un derstand these tender natures until we know what these powers are which are waking out of their sleep. My boy may have a faculty which In thirty years may be a benediction to the human family, but to-day it may look like a vice to me, and may grow to be a vice if I did not say, "Th child 1 tender, I will lead on softly." He may be born with an overplua of imagina tion and things that have no existence may teem realities to him; I Imagine be it lying right and left and then instead of a gentle guidance, through which he can find the line between thingt and thoughts, I give first a stern warning and then a sound whipping. Here it a case where a father and ton are alike, but with a difference. The father, a minister, hat been draw ing on bis Imagination, time out ot mind, for matter for hit sermons; th ton hat come honestly by-the fatuity, but he It not shrewd enough to tee how far he can go without being found out. The father prays for him at the family altar, at if he were a son of perdition, and helps to make him one through such prayers. "Gently," I would say, "pray for insight and fore tight; this may be a rare gift yon do not understand. The loftiest poet that ever Bang may be but a Taster liar by your criterion." v , 'r Children ar tender we must remem ber as we try to educate them. We eould hardly light on a wiser or bettet woman than Mrs. Barbauld; but she was so eager to make a very remarka ble man out of her little nephew, Charles Aiken, that she educated him out of bis mind into Idiocy. Bo good parents, Who would shrink from laying heavy burden on their children's backs, do not; hesitate to lay burdens on the iiprve'and brain. They urge them on at their books, or permit the Teacher to do this, until the poor young things los more In wealth of life and life's worth tliau thctc ducstion will ever pay for. Lead on woftly in these paths of education. If your children will leave them learned but Invalids, hold them back; a true education is nnt a long fever. Here and there a child may need to be nrged on n little, hut I frankly confess that under the high pressure of our public schools I would take the children's side in their little plots to stay away a 'day from school when they have been bard at work for many- days. I like to plot with them; tbelr ruccess pleases me more than their failure. In the culture of the heart, also, we must lead of softly. I can no more be lieve that bard and cruel thoughts of God will be good for my children than I can believe In bard and cruel words and blows, and I have no doubt there are more so-called Infidels made,' and confirmed to that end, by fathers who thought they were doing God's service than tbfre ore of any other type. Such thoughts may be but theology to the father, but they are very often grim, hard, real biting torment to the render child. It shuts out Heaven and opens hell to him: It Is cruel as the hissing and biting of serpents to some delicate small souls. I suffered more agony at one time In my childhood when a re vivalist got hold of me and made me believe I might wake up In hell when I laid my poor little) head on the pillow thnn from any other thing that ever struck mo. There lies the way to dOxA fatal mischief, the way the seeds of In fidelity are sown in many a noliletia ture. It is simply the revolt at, the re sistance to, and the rejection of, a God their nature is too large and sweet and tender to tolerate. If In these early days there Is no day star of a lovelier light, no dawning for the small, bright soul of a better day, then there may be no chance for that soul to pass Into the kingdom until it bas passed out of the 'orld. When we qnote the Scripture: "Train np a child in the ay he should go," we must still take heed to our ways lest we think more of the Scripture than we think of the child fix our mind and purpose on the other rather than the hither end of the way and train him for what he should be at forty rather than what he must be in childhood and youth. We must answer for what Is written in the book of the life of our children. I must lay the patriarch's gentle purpose to my heart: "The children are tender, I will lead on softly," for those In my care, who also have the long bard Journev before thein. If this Is true of the shadow, how true It must be of the light. If ours Is a hard and poor lot, no man or woman, father or mother, need ever fear the children will fall to look back ward to the parly years with a tender love, If by all the means In our power we make good for them the patriarch's purpose. I think, Indeed, our love for the old home Is very often deepest and purest In those who have had to face the hardest times If we have fought through them In this bright, good way, and led the children on softly. There were homes In tills country fifty, sixty, seventy years ago bare of all things save this one secret they nre the dear est places on the earth to-day In mem ory of men and women who have every thing now the heart can desire. And when we have done this, what better can we do than put the whole wealth of our endeavor in trust Into the hands of God. e, aud now that .ial.1 . A nmnlalnl the WOTdff blessed B68k." llnty Above W. Life Is n matter of verT smft11 count to any one in comparison with duty-doing, whether a nn realises this truth or not. Whatever is worth living for is worth dying fK, if dying be an incident to Us pursues-when the Roman Generol, Pompey, was warned against the danger flt his re turning from Egypt to Italy, to meet a new trouble In his own land, bis heroic answer was: "It is a small mat tor that i ahnnlri move-forward and die. It is too great a matter tharTT should take one step Dacitwara ana live." Life is never well lived when it is held dearer than duty. He who would tell a lie in order to Uye is will ing to pay a great deal larger price for his life than that life is worth to him. self or to others. H. C. Trumbull. Short Motor Bermoas. Kindness makes kin. B'aith gives fiber to life. Blessed are the buoyant lives. - The selfish cannot be sanctified. Purity does not rest on a plebiscite. It takes more than a syllogism to tave men. Hot air is always succeeded by a cold "WftVCe Deeper science Is the cure for scien tific doubt.;: .- ". - There are a lot of people who would rather gather to-morrow's thistles than tn-dav't furs. . What Being Hope. It is necessary to distinguish care fully between submission to the will of God aud to an Inevitable fate. Th one brings hope, but the other despair. Presbyterian Record. SAVED BY NARROW MARGIN. Railroad Official Owes Life to Pret ence of Mind. Mr. J. Floyd, the statlonmatter at the Kent House station on the South Eastern and Chatham railway, had the narrowest of escape from a ter rible death quit recently. He was crossing the metal, when the Dover xpress came' rushing throughThere wat no time to turn back, and with great pretence ot mind he dashed for the down platform and flung himself headlong on It He cleared the ex press all but the heels of hit boots, which were ttruck by the engine and ripped sway, the boots themselves being torn In two and pulled off and "carried some yards by th train, be ing eventually found Oty the metal. The stationmaster himself was prac tically unhurt, though stunned by his fall on the platform, and with bis feet bruised and swollen and cut t t'-- bootlaces as ttie bo - Losdon Tit-Bits. MOTHER Q008E REVISED. rhera waa a young woman who lived In a shoe, The die ot afomuld was known to b two : There was younf fellow woo tied up Ue lace, III heart beating wildly and red la tie face. Then vu u .old rater who lived la ' "hoe .' In fact, to be truthful, resided In two. The young fellow called and departed la haste. The maiden was tearful and life was a waste. There wu a young person, Dan Cnpld by name, Who never ' bootless, HrecardleM Whet came ; Just how 'twas accomplished will never be known, But soon, It Is whispered, old shoes will be thrown. New York Evening Mall. . JUST FOR FUN "I hear the cashier of your bank It very musical." "Try working off a false note on him and you'll think to," Judge. "No, I wouldn't Join that club. It'g too full of stupid idiots." "You're mis taken. There's alwayB room for one more." Philadelphia Press. s Cos Cob Con Kind 8lr, I have no home. Cynical Citizen You're lucky; I've got a home with four cosy corners and three mortgages. Puck. "Where did he get all his money? I thought he had some Insignificant po sition." "Oh, my, no! He was a Pull man porter." Cleveland Plain Dealer, "I suppose those feasts given by Lucullus were the most expensive ever served." "Lucullus? What insurance company waa he connected with!" Cleveland Plain Dealer. Edythe Divorce! Well, I never! What grounds can she possible have! Mae The very .beat. A quarter-section In Jorth-4Js!lata and a three-acre" plot at wwS. Fond Motiipr Tommy, darling, thl(f is your birthday. What would you j like iest? Tommy (after a moment's ; reflection) I think I should enjoy see- Ing tho baby spanked. Plck-Me-Up. : j Casey D' yez think cigarette smok- in no ue narmiui i tne leemi v;ur- rigan Oi do that; a young dude blew some cigarette smoke In me face yls tenia' an Oi knocked out six av his. Puck. Excited New Reporter Say, there was a man named Smith killed a bit ago down on Blank street! Cool City Editor Well, don't get excited. There's plenty of Smiths left Balti more American. Askltt Your friend Lambley it quite well off, isn't he? KnowUt--He was. Askltt He was? Knowitt Yes, but he didn't realize it until after he had taken a flyer in Wall atrenLasChl- Mabel-7 you were Paris, riiliyi, i n u inn i would you give the apple to? Mr. S. (thinking he sees a brilliant wav out of a difficulty) Well you see there is Buch a sameness about you all! Puijch. ' "!No man is a hero to his valet" said the cuotatlontst. "No sensible one wants to be," replied the personage. "The average valet's idea of heroism - Is measured by the amount of money' vou are willing: to part with in tips."- Washington Star. An Excited Voice Hello, hello. Is this the city editor? Well, one ot yntrr-flWll-tlownhere at this fire hat mnen uown the elevi:..ur snaft find 111 very badly hurt. Busy City Editor j Never mind. I'll send down another, i Cincinnati Commercial Tribune. t "Do you think that a man's political , Influence depends on his ability aa a ' public speaker?" "Not altogether," . answered Senator Sorghum. . "I have , found that the speeches which tome- . ' times counted for most were made In the strictest privacy." Washington Star. Footle Come, now, do you ' really enjoy a game of golf? Niblick Of course not! what a question. But I do love to talk about a game arbenlt la all over. Just as a man like total- about a narrow escape from death or a long siege of rheumatism. Boston Transcript , . i t. ' Miss Pyne Did you notice, Mr. Tac ky, that up In Wisconsin they are go ing to tax the bachelor $10 a head? Mr. Tacky Are they? . Well, If they were trying any tuch law here I'd find a way to evade It mighty quick, I'll bet youl Miss Pyne-Oh, Mr. Tacky, this it to sudden. Cleveland Plain Dealer. 1 The Professor's Tact Mist Gush lelgh I'm ture, professor, I'm Inl mcnsely flattered that you - shquiil leave that learned crowd and come over and talk to poor little be. Pro fessor Chumplelgh Well, yon see et the fact Is. I'm tired of their clever talk and I thought I'd come and listen to yon and rest my mind for a while. Cleveland Leader. - Aa Others Be Us, A Manchester (England) man a ' a Japanese what struck him n about the European face. He r that It was the horrible round eyes. Hindoo, to wh(" y " t the aan question, said Rlimnc Ing eyes of ' tlced mc cloee- ' i want to rus1! ahead at a pace which