Evening Star Newspaper, December 21, 1889, Page 7

{Copyrizhted 1889. Written for the Evenrxe Stas.) [CONTINUED.] “I had heard of animals and even human beings who were totally invisible, but who still Fetained their form, their palpability and all the powers and functions of life. I had heard of houses haunted by invivible animals; I had read the story of the maiden whose comings her lover perceived by the parting of the tall grain in the field of ripe wheat through which she passed, but whose form, although it might be folded in his arms, was yetas invisible to his sight as the summer air. I did not doubt for a moment that the animal that had come to me was one of those strange beings. I lifted his head; it was heavy. I took hold of a paw which he readily gave me; he had every attri- bate of a real dog, except that he could not be oon” “I call that perfectly horrible,” said Aunt Martha with a sort of a gasp. “Perhaps,” said the young man, “you would prefer that I should not continue.” At this both my wife and Aunt Martha de- clared that he must go on, and even I did not object to hearing the rest of the story, - “Well, said the young man. “Ajax never came back. Itis generally believed that dogs can see things which are invisible to us, andI am afraid that my faithful hound was fright- ened, perhaps to death, when he found that the animal whose entrance into the court yard be had perceived was supernatural and un- canny thing. “But if 1 needed a canine companion I had one, for by day or night this invisible dog never left me. When I slept he lay on the tloor by the side of my bed; if I put down my hand I could always feel his head. and often ‘he would stand up and press his nose against me. as if to assure me that he was there. This str nge companionship continued for several days, and | I became really attached to the invisible ani- mal. His constant companionship seemed to indicate that he had come to guard me and that he was determined to do it thoroughly, I felt so much confidence in his protection, al- though I knew not how it could be exerted, that one morning I decided to take a walk and, with my hand on the head of the dog to make sure that he was with me, I stroiled into the pen country. “Thad walked about a mile and was approach- ing a group of large trees, when suddenly from behind one of them the tall figure of a man appeared. In an instant I knew it to be Col. idhein; his was a face which could not easily be forgotten. Without a word he raised a pistol which he held in his hand and fired at me. The ball whistled over my head. “I stopped short. startled and frightened almost out of my senses, Iwas unarmed and | the stairs tion of the bodies of serpents, this one must ex- tend a long distance down the stairs. “But I had not descended more than a dozen steps before I felt a shiver keneath my band, and then a jerk, and the next moment it was violently drawn upward, I withdrew my hand and started to one side, and then, how, I know not, I became aware that the dog part of the creature was coming down stairs. a “I now became possessed by a wild terror. The creature must be furious that I had dis- covered his real form. He had always been careful to keep his head toward me. I should be torn to piecesas Kaldkein had been! Down dashed, across the court yard and toward a lofty old’ tower, which stood in one corner of the castle. Up the winding stairs of this I ran with a speed which belongs only toa frantically terrified creature until I reached the fourth story, where I dashed through an open doorway, slammed behind me an iron door, which shut with a spring, and fell gasp- ing upon the floor. “In less than a minute I was aware, by a slight rattling of the great hinges, that some- thing was pushing against the door, but I did not move. I knew that 1 was safe. The room in which I lay was a prison dungeon, and init, in the olden times, it is said. men had been left to perish. Escape or communion with the outer world was impossible. A little light and air came,through a narrow slit near the top of the wail, and to force the door would be im- possible. “Iknew the in sible dog, or whatever it | was. could not get in unless the door was | opened. I had frequentiy noticed that when he entered a room it was through an one door, and I sometimes knew of his approach by see~ ing an unlatched door open without visible cause, 80, feeling secure for the present, I lay and gasped and panted. “After the lapse ofa few hours, however, I was seized by a new terror. How wasI ever to get out of this horrible dungeon? Even if I made up my mind to face the dog, trusting that | he had recovered from his momentary anger, I had no meuns of opening the door, and as to making any one hear me I knew that was im- ‘ible. “I had no hope that my servants would seek me here. I had not seen any one when I ran into the tower, and if they should discover that I was here in this dungeon how could they open the door? The key was in my father's possession, He had taken it to Vienna to ex- hibit it as a curiosity to some of his mechanical friends. He believed that there was not such another key in the world. I wasin the habit of making long absences from the castle, and if Lshould be looked for I believed that the tower would be the last place visited, “Night came on; the little light in the room vanished and, hungry, thirsty, and almost hopeless, I feli asleep. “During the night there was a most dread- fulstorm, The thunder roared, the lightning flashed through the slit inthe wall, and the COL, KALDHRIN WAS BEING ATTACKED BY MY PROTECTOR. there was no fly. It was p! to kill me. | “Quick.y recocking his pistol Kaldhein raised itagain. I involuntarily shrank back, expect- ing death, but before he could fire his arm sud- denly dropped and the pistol was discharged into the ground. Then began a strange scene. The man shouted, kicked and beat up and | down with his arms, his pistol fell from | hand, he sprang from side to side, he turned | around, he struggled and yelled. “I stood astounded. For an instant I sup- posed the man had been overtaken by some sort of fit: but ina flash the truth came to me. Kaldbein was being attacked by my pretector, the invisible dog. “Horrified by this conviction, my first im- pulse was to save the man, and, without know- ing what I was going to do, I stepped quickly toward him, but, stumbling over something I did uot see, I fell sprawling. Before I could regain my feet I saw Kaldbein fall backward to the ground, where a scene took place, so terri- ble that I shall not attempt to describe it When, with trembling steps, | approached, the man was dead. The invisible dog bad almost torn him to pieces. “I could do nothing. I did not remain upon the spot another minute, but hurried home to the castle, As I rapidly walked onI felt the dog bedside me, and, putting my hand upon him, I felt that he was panting terribly, and for days I did not leave the house. “About the end of this time I was sitting in an upper room of the castle, reflecting upon the recent dreadful event, when the thought struck me that the invisible dog, who was by my side. apparently asleep, was of an unusually powerful build to overcome #o easily such a strong man as Kaldbein. I felt a desire to know how large the creature really was, and, as I had never touched any portion of his body back of bis shoulders, I now pussed my hand along his back. I was amazed at his length, and when I had moved my hand at least seven feet from his head it still rested upon his body; then the form of that body begaa to change in # manner which terrified me, but, impelled by # horrible but irresistible curiosity, my hand moved on. “But I no longer touched the body of a dog; the Sores benacdh my hand was cylindrical, ap- ntly abouts foot in diameter. As my Kona moved on the diameter diminished, and the skin of the creature became cold and clammy. I was feeling the body ofa snake! “I now bad reached the open door of the room. The body of the snake extended through it It went on to the top of the stairs; lace of refuge to which I could | Fein tit the san was determined | wind blew with such terrific violence that the tower shook and trembled. After a time I heard a tremendous crash as of falling walls, and then another. and now I felt the wind biowing into my prison. “There was no further sleep forme. Trem- bling with a fearful apprehension of what might happen next, I cowered against the wall until the day broke; then I perceived that in front of me was a great hole in the wall of the dungeon, which extended for more than a yard above the floor. Isat and looked at this until the light became stronger, and then I cautiously approached the aperture and looked out Nearly the whole of the castle lay in ruins before me! “It was easy to see what had happened, The storm had demolished the crumbling walls of the old building and the tower, itself frail and tottering, stood alone, high above the Prostrate ruins. If the winds should again arise it must fall, and at any moment its shaken foundations might give away beneath it. “Through the hole in the wall, which had been caused by the tearing away of some of the comnection between the lower and main buildings, I could look down on the ground be- low, covered with masses of jagged stone, but there was no way in which [ could get down. L could not descend that perpendicular wall, If IT leaped out death would be certain, “AsI crouched at the opening I felt the head of a dog pushed against me. A spasm of terror ran through me, but the moment the creature began to lick my hands I knew that I had nothing to fear from him. Instantly my courage returned. I felt that he was my pro- tector. I patted his head and he renewed: his caresses, “Passing my hand over him I found he was holding himself in his present position by means of his fore legs. which were stretched out upon the floor. What adog this must be, who could climb a wali! But I gave no time to conjectures of this sort. How could I avail myself of his assistance? In what manner could he enable me to escape from that dan- gerous tower? “Suddenly a thought came to me. Iremem- bered the snake part of him. Judging from the ratio of diminution, which I have men- tioned before, that part, if hanging down, mast reach nearly, if not quite, to the ground. By taking advantage of this means of descent I might be saved, but the feat would require greatdexterity and an immense amount of faith. This serpent-like portion of the ani- mal was invisible. How could I know how jong it was! “Bat there was no time for consideration, the wind had again srisen and was blowing with fury. The tower shook beneath me; at auy moment it might fall. It I should again escape ian, ee ig eny the assistance of my invisible friend, I must avail myself of that assistance eta ‘eeaxe topped and felt the animal, He still b by the fore of his body, and by is fore legs to the floor of the dungeon, and by reach- ing out I could feel that rest of him ex- tended downward. I therefore seized his body in my arms, threw myself out of the aperture and Bogen to slide down, “Ina very short reached the snake ti I found that at Eg Thad downward have wished it tobe, I must slip down. se allen with wild ancta was an: concerning what was likely to be the ratio of dimtaunos form to which I was ine flash that there descent my mind 2 THE EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON, D.C., SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1889—SIXTEEN PAGES. “Fortunately I was on the leeward side of I_was not swung about by the wind. Steadily 1 descended, and steadily the form I grasped diminished; soon I could in with my hand, then with & terrified glance [looked beiow. I was still at asickening distance from the ground. I shut my eyes. I slipped down, down, down. The tail became like s thick rope which Iencircled with each hand. {[t became thinner and thin- ner, It grew eo small that I could not hold it, but as I felt it slip from my fingers my feet rested on a pile of stones. “Bewildered and almost exhausted I stum- bled over the ruins, gained the unencumpered gronodand ranasfar from the tower as I could, sinking down at last against the trunk of a tree ina neighboring field. Scarcely had Lreached this spot when the fury of the wind storm a peared, to redouble, and before the wild and shrieking blast the tower bent, snd then fell with a great cresh upon the other ruin. “The first thought that came into my mind whenI beheld the dreadful spectacle con- cerned the creature who had twice saved my life. Had he escaped or was he crushed be- neath that mas of stones? I felt on either side to discover if he were near me, but he was not. Had he given his life for mine? “Haat been stronger I would have searched for him; I would have clambered among the ruins to see if I could discover his mangled form. If { could but reach his faithful head I would stroke and caress it, living or dead. But excitement, fatigue and want of food had made me 80 weak that I could do nothing but sit upon the ground with my back against the tree. “While thus resting I perceived that the | whole of the tower had not been demolished by the storm. Some 6f the rooms in which we had lived, having been built at a later date than the rest of the great edifice, had resisted the power of the wind and was still standing. i “From the direction of the uninjured portion of the castle Il now saw approsching s light- colored object, which seemed to be floating in the air about a toot from the ground. Asit came neurer I saw that it was a basket, and I immediately understood the situation. My faithful friend was alive, aud he was bringing me some refreshments. “On came the basket, rising and falling with the bounds of the dog. It was truly an odd spectacle, but a very welcome one, In a few moments the basket was deposited at my side and I was caressing the head of the faithful dog. Inthe basket I found a bottle of wine and some bread and meat, which the good creature had doubtless discovered in the kitchen of the castle. and it was not long be- fore [ felt like myself again. The storm had now almost passe and I arose aud went to my own rooms, 1 end and protector stili keeping close to my side. “On the morning of the next day, as wondering what had and found that it was the invisible di ining that he wished me to follow him I arose, and, obeying the impulse given me by his gentle strain upon my coat, I followed him out of the door, across the court yard and into the open country, We went on a considerable dis- tance. A gentle touch of my coat admonished me when I turned from the direction in which it was desired that I should go. “Alter a walk of about half an hour I ap- proached a great oak tree, with low, wide- spreading branches. Some one was sitting be- neath it. Imagining the trath, I rushed for- ward. It was Marie! “It was needless for us to say anything, to explain the state of our feelings toward cach imag- other, The tale was told by the delight with which we met. When I asked her how she came to be there she told me that about an hour before, while sitting in front of her father’s mansion, she felt samething gently pase at her skirts, and, although at first a ittle frightened, she was at length impelled by curiosity to obey the impulse, and, without knowing whether it was the wind or some supernatural force which had led her here, she d come, “We hada great deal to say to each other. She told me that she had been longing to send me @ message to warn me that Col. Kaldhein would certainly kill me the next time he saw me, but she had no means of sending me such a message, for the colonel had had her actions closely watched. “When the news came of Kaldhein’s death she at first feared that I had killed him, and would therefore be obliged to fly the country, but when it was known that he had been almost torn to pieces by wild beasts she.like every one else, was utterly amazed and could not under- stand the matter at all. None but the most ferocious creatures could have inflicted the in- Juries of which the man had died, and where those creatures came from no one knew. Some people thought that a pack of bloodhounds migut have broken loose from some of the es- tates of the surrounding country. and in the course of their journeyings might have met with the colonel and failen upon him. Others surmised that a bear had come down from the mountains and killed the man, but the fact was that nobody knew anything about it. “I did not attempt to acquaint Marie with the truth. At that moment the invisible dog was lying at my side, and I teared if I men- tioned his existence to Marie she might fly in terror, To me there was only one important phase of the affair, and that was that Marie was now free; that she might be mime, “Before we parted we were atflianced lovers, pledyed to marry as soon as possible. 1 wrote to my father, asking for his permission to wed the Iady, But in his reply he utterly forbade any such marriage. Marie also discovered, without difficulty, that her parents would not permita union with a foreigner, and would, indeed, oppose her marriage with any one at this time. “However, as usual, love triumphed, and, after surmounting many difficulties, we were married and fled to America. Since that time Lhave been obliged to support myself and my wite, for my father will give me no assistance, He had proposed a very different career for me, and was extremely angry when he found his plans had been completely destroyed, But we are hopeful; we work hard and hope that we may yet be able to support ourselves com- fortably without aid fromany one. We are young, we are strong, we trust each other and have firm faith in the success of our efforts. “I had only one regret in leaving Euro; ey and that was that my ‘aithful friend, the noble and devoted invisible dog, was obliged to re- main on the other side of the Atlantic. Why this was so Ido not know, but perhaps it was for the best. I have never told my wite of his existence, and if she had uy save D discoy- ered it I know not what might have been the effects upon her nervous system, “The dog accompanied me through Austria, Switzerland, and France to Havre, from which port we sailed. I took leave of him on the gangplank. He licked my hands and I caressed and stroked him, People might have thought that my actions denoted insanity, but every- body was so greatly occupied these last mo- ments before departure, perhaps I was not noticed. Just asileft him and hastened on board a sailor fell overboard from the gang- lank, He was quickly rescued, but could not imagine why he had fallen, I’ believe, how- ever, that he was tripped up by the snaku part of my friond as he convulsively rushed away.” The young man ceased and gazed pensively upon the floor. “Well, well, well!” exclaimed Aunt Martha, “if these are the sort of experiences you had I don’t wonder that Realism was wonderful enough for you. The invisible creature was very good to you, I am sure, but I am glud it did not come with you to America,” David, who had been waiting for an oppor- tunity to speak, now interrupted further com- ments by stating that it was daylight, and if I thought well of it, he would open the window shutters so that we might see any one going toward the town. A milkman, he éaid, passed the house very early every morning. When the shutters were ky epoca we were all amazed that the night should have passed so quickly, The tall burglar and the young man now be- gan to exhibit a deal of anxiety, —_———+o-__—_-__ The Little Copper Kettle, From the New York World. The little copper kettle hung on an iron crane above a spirit lamp where society brews tea and toddy is as much fixture of the fash- ionable sitting room as the corner chair or the potted palm. Whether it is used or not it is the =, of the parlor maid to keep the iam iH if fe i 5 if Hy Fl i : z 5 F i {called by Senator 3 and whether my father had been ap: the disuster to the casile, I felt something pull- ing at the skirt of my c I put out my hand | THE LIVES OF CONGRESSM How They Are Written Up for the Con- gressional Directory. THE EXPERIENCES OF THE COMPILER—MEMBERS WHO WANT TO MENTION THEIR ANCESTORS— OTHERS WHO CONCEAL THEIR AGES—REFUSALS TO GIVE MIDDLE NAMES, The United States government does not issne from its gigantic printing and publishing es- tablishment another work that is in such great immediate demand as the Congressional Direc- tory. Ten thousand people want the paper- covered result of Mr, W. H. Michael's industry, and, like the folks who want pistols in Texas, they need them suddenly. Senatorsand Repre- sentatives have hourly use for it,society leaders yearn for its appearance because it shows what statesmen have wives and daughters with them—no calling list can be made up without its aid; compilers of state blue books and authors of almanacs await its coming, and the general public which is on a visit to Washing- ton scans its pages with interest. THE ORIGIN OF THE PUBLICATION, The first Congressional Directory was issued in 1827 and was then a little 3 by 5 affair which was but little more than a list of Senators and Representatives, Twenty-four very diminutive pages were barely filied even with the large type which was then so universally used. i those days the postmaster of the House was the editor and compiler of the document, and as its preparation and publication brought to that official neither solid reward nor fleeting fame but littie brain power was used in its compila- tion, The man who brought it out of the darkness was the late Ben: Perley Poore, mittee on printing, to undertake the publica- tion of the directory, Mzjor Poore, then a young man, developed it, added new features to it and gave it a place among the works of the most select standard authors. During the Forty-sixth Congress, when the Senate became democratic, a reorganization of that body resulted in the appointment of Mr. F. A. Richardson, chief of the Washington bu- reau of the Baltimore Sun, as clerk of the tinting records, and as such he compiled two irectories, ‘The work is now done by Mr. W. H. Michael, a Nebrasks newspaper proprietor, who was nderson to the clerkship of the Senate comm » on printing and the labors incident to the compilation of the direc- tory. HOW THE BOOK IS CONSTRUCTED. chatty mood an evening or two ago and asked him to tell the public just how the directory has to be constructed. Nothing elaborate about it.” replied Mr. acl, “but it entails a good aval of work. rst step after a new Congress has been elected is to send to each of the recently e alted Senators and icpresentatives a request fora biographical sketch of himself and the size of the total voto cast for himself and his antagonists. Accompanying this request is a sample sketch and the information that the committee on printing, not Congressmen betore their eyes, haa resolved that no man, no matter how distinguished he was or thought he was, would be allowed to tell all he knew about himseif if he could not do it | in twenty lines of the directory. The limita- tion was not set until it bad become absolutely necessary, There was a disposition on the part of many to transcend all reasonable bounds and their lengthy chapters would have made the book too large to serve properly the purpose for which it was intended. HUNDREDS OF LETTERS. “To obtain the information required never takes less than five hundred letters, for not ten per cent of those applied to send the correct figures relating to their election, New mem- bers always give their majorities and fre- quently endeavor to direct particular attention to the fact that these particular majorities are wuch larger than any majorities ever given any one else in the same district, Some send their majority and refer the compiler to the secretary of state for the other figures.” Does the biographical matter come in in pretty good shape?” asked the reporter. “Sometimes,” was the reply. ‘But very often it does not, Frequently the answers are catapaign sketches from four to ten pages of reprint, with an accompanying note to the ef- fect that the desired intormation will undoubt- edly be found in the pamphlet, In several instances the brief biographical data called for has turned up in the shape of four or five columns clipped from a newspaper and en- livened by a wood cut. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHIES, “Does it takelong to gather the necessary information?” “Yes; itkeeps me busy allsummer. This would not be were it not for the delays. As s00n as a man is elected to a place in the na- tional legislature he seems to be overcome by a sudden impulse which takes him away to the mountains, or the seashore, or to Europe, or somewhere else where he is hard to find. The directory, however, must be out during the first week of December and it must have all the biographical sketches in it, so the compiler follows the statesman by letter and telegram until the facts called for are sent him.” “Is there any particular class of men whose ‘copy’ is clearer and more to the point than that of any other class?” “The variety of replies given to the same set of questions is almost endless and but few new Congressmen give just what is asked for, The clearest replies come invariably from men whose education was largely received in the printing office; they never make mistakes, I guard against errors as far as I possibly can and it is a regular practice to send each Con- gressman a proof ot his biography before it is ublished. Very few of these proofs come ack unmarked and quite frequently attempts are made to add a great deal of matter which was sent in the first letter, but which neces- sarily had to be leftout. Frequent and per- sistent are the efforts made to refer to dis- tinguish persons who were the ancestors of either the writer or his wife; of course there is no room in the directory for the roots and branches of a couple of hundred genealogical trees, however honorable they may be, Asa rule, however, the Congressman is modest, Surprised, eh? It’s true, though. There are a few in whose character modesty is not the principal feature, but it is a fact that the great majority of these men whose lives are out- lined in the directory are inclined to modest} in their statements as to themselves; too mod- est in many cases.” ARMY RECORDS, “Do those who have military or naval rec- ords seem desirous of having them incorporated in their biographies?” queried the reporter, “They do,” said Mr. Michael. “Both Union and confederates are particular about that. Both are evidently proud of what they did in the late war. They are not, however, equally willing to give the directory the benefit of their full names. Odd, isn’t it?’ Very peculiar, but yery true. Most of them will give their first name and their last, but they seem to have a decided objection to doing any more than give the initial of their middle name when they have one. Especially is this reluctance—often a di- rect refusal—noticeable in northern and west- ern men; southern men are invariably willing to tell it all.” “Have you found out why?” “I think I have,” replied Mr. Michael, “It seems to be so because a great many southern men in Congress have names of persons who have been historically prominent, and in most instances the Christian names were those of these distinguishedancestors, A large number of the northern and western men who were asked for their middle names refused point blank to Five them. A few of the southerners neglected to send more than the middle initial, butin no instance did one of them refuse, REFUSING INFORMATION REGARDING AGE. “There is another line on which refusals were not wanting,” continued Mr. Michael, “and that isas to age. ionally gressman would confess himself to be a bach- elor and would i he did not desire his age to be made piain in the directory. “How long does it take the, it ite office to turnout the book? About four days. That means that from 235 to 250 ot se are set up and prin wy copies have —_ bound and delivered, “simply to the biographical sketches, and would have copies of it on the desks of i cf F s ‘4 : te ret fic ees Hi SfAMPS WITH A HISTORY. Two Rare Specimens Presented to the National Museum. There have lately come into the possession of the national museum two articles which are of great interest to every American and of par- whose duty it became, as clerk to the joint com- | A Sran reporter found Mr. Michael in a | i | Brill receive: | ticular value to every student of American his- | tory. These are nothing more nor less than ' two of the original stamps engraved in England for use in the American colomies in accordance with the provisionsof the stamp act of Feb- ruary, 1765. This wasthe act which cansed ‘such an uproar among the colonies and which was one of the main causes of all the trouble immediately preceding and leading up to the revolution. It was intended that the revenue to be raised by the stamp act should come from the sale of stumped paper and stamps which were required to be placed upon all paper used in commercial transactions, suits at law, publica- tions, transfers of real estate, inheritances and marriage licenses, THE STAMPS IN THE MUSEUM. . Thus atax was placed upon the colonics without their consent and the money derived from this tax was to be used for the sup- portof astanding army, which in turn was expected to enforce the payment of the tax. Apparently no Englishman dreamed of any re- sistance to the act and it 1s said that Grenville, | the minister under whom the act was d, afterward made the statement that he would have staked his lite on the obedience of the colonies to the measure. Of course, however, there was a decided resistance, as every Amer- ican knows, which led to the repeal of the act in March, 1766, under the Rockingham min- istry. he stamps themselves were hand- engraved and ran in value from a half- penny up to several pounds, The two stamps now in the museum are of the value of a half- penny anda penny, They are uncanceled and are two of eight which were preserved by the heirs of the Hon. Welbore Ellis, who was com- missioner of internal revenue tor Great Britain in the year 1763. After his death they came into the possession of his son Welbore Ellis, jr., who Wasa partner inthe famous banking house of Wa ¥, Everett & Ellis, which failed in the great financial panic of 1827, These two stamps remained in the Elis family up to a few years ago, when they were ziven to Mr. E. J. Walker of Newcastle-on-Tyne by his grand- father, the senior member of the’ above-men- | of the establishment. DEAD BEATS AND PRODIGALS, | weitten for Tee Pvexuw Stan They Are Both Objectionable From the Bar Tender’s Standpoint, “Dead beats don't trouble me very much,” said the saloon keeper, “‘Of course, the way they work is to call for adrink, usually, and then say they have’t any money. Such an announcement rather stumps the bartender, asarule; for what ishe todo? He finds very little satisfaction In bouncing the offender, since, at the close of the performance, the party fired is still undeniably one drink ahead Oa the other hand, he can hardly be expected to smile and look amia- ble, as if he appreciated the little jest that has been played on him, The only useful plan is to study homan nature as it is exhibited before the bar and learn to recognize the beat before he gets his grip on the bottle. Many a time has acustomer unknown tome come in here and said, ‘Whiskey, please!’ And I have re- eg ‘Let me see your money first.’ Nor we Ionce made a mistake in such a case. There is something about the way in which & man whose pockets ace empty shambles up to the bar that indicates his isolvency unmis- takably; he cannot, somehow, successfully imi- tate the confident air of the person who has the wherewithal tosettle for what he orders, | A person without ex business would fail to notice a: mptoms as Ispeak of; itis alla matter of technical edu- cation, Isaid just pow that Lhad never wis- taken a paying customer for a beat; I may add that I was never but once beaten in the ordin- ary way. That was by a slick-looking fellow, not badly dressed. who walked int the common sort, bat the best the house af- forded, no matter what it cost, He filled his glass up to the brim from the bottle, guessed he'd have another; theu loaded up again as be- fore, swallowed number two, and, as he put hia tumbler dowu on the bar, said; “Phat went to the right spot and I'm awfully sorry that I | town th. haven't a copper to pay for it. “What aid you do then?” queried Tar Stan reporter, “Weil, sir, it took me exactly one second and a halt to the back of the neck. second later he was sittin; where I had landed red kick, in the gutter in me I might feel hurt, but, as it is—O tc li-looral-hi-1 And he walked down th singing as cheerfully as possible, there is never any abeat. The on! ral: satistaction to be got out of hing is to avoid being taken in, After all, Lam quite as apt to have trouble | with men who want to spend too much money as With men who have none at all to squander,” “And how is the Simpiy that me always reckless about money. Particularly on Saturday nights they will throw aw ‘ay cash that is really needed, maybe, by their families, It tioned banking firm, who was interested in antiques and curiosities, A short time ago the two stamps were given by Mr. E. J, Walker to Mr, John A. Brill of Philadelphia, Very soon after the stamps came into bis possession Mr. an offer of £10 from an English collector for the two, but declined it at once, whereupon the Englishman cabled him an offer several times as large, which was also declined, Mr. Brill came to the conclusion that if the stamps were uf that much value to an | Englishman they wouid be of much more in- terest toan American museum of historical | relics and he promptly presented them to the national museum here, where they will be ap- picciated and properly preserved. They will @ installed in a handsome frame, which will have pictures and proper legends that will help to tell the story of the causes that led to the American revolution. Written for Tar ivenine Stan. The Thread of Life. Years of the past, when youth and bloom and beauty Flashed from the roseate sky, 23 Your flowers are growing old, your blossoms fruity And falling off to die: O, radiant scenes from life's fair landscape Dan- ished, Vain was your transient light! As ships upon the ocean so ye vanished And sailed into the mght! Yet, Time has borne us bravely on our journey, ‘Till yonder looms the end! As champions of old we wage the tourney Where'er our fortunes trend! Though some have fallen in the mad arena, Many are battling still! Slowly we climb the summit of the scena To hasten down the hill! But 'mid the labyrinth of wild confusion, A strenuous force we feel ‘Throughout the tumult to its dire conclusion, ‘The thread from Clotho’s reel. A silken cord that leads us to Love's fountain! A rope to draw the plow! A cable to ascend Ambition's mountain! A band about the brow! The line of destiny our fate is guiding Along the winding stream! As o'er the tide our argosies are gliding, ‘Their freight a fleeting dream. Years that are gone, we miss ye and we mourn ye, Gardens where roses grow! Wreaths of the past with withered leaves adorn ye; Your buds but sadly blow! Years yet to come we welcome and adore yel Fresh are the fields we see! Visions of glory deck the skies before yet Strange skein of destiny? AVID GRAHAM ADEE. —— FASHIONABLE SHOES. The Kind They Wear in London and What They Covet in New York. From the Home Journal. ‘The most fashionable London shoes, for very smart occasions, are in silk, suede, or morocco, corresponding with the gown, with contrast- ing heels, rands, and either ribbon tying the side flaps together, on the instep or a hand- some buckle. Gray silk or morrocco, with white heels, rands and a silver buckle; dark green with white, reseda with pale pink, black with red, gold color with gray, have all been popular combinations, and have been worn at Goodwood, the garden party at Marlborough house, and at entertainments on board the ships and yachts off Portsmouth. fashion of piping shoes with cork comes to us from the commencement of the eighteenth century, The black patent-leather shoe, with colored satin heel, is another fashionable shoe, and is a copy of French court shoes, wore very many years ago, th ape and general fashion beiug adhered to, though the patent leather is an invention of modern day. Those with red heels and handsome gold buckles are ex- tremely smart and most becoming to the fect. For evening, brocade shoes, made with the contrasting heel and rand, with dainty bows, lined with the color of the heel or with cut buckles, are in the height of fashion, Some of the bows are smartly set up, each one lined with color, drawn together at the base in form somewhat resembling @ mouse’s ear, while others are laid over upon the shoe, sometimes with three pearl or crystal studs placed down the center. The brocade is usually that of the gown the shoe is to be worn with and the heel and rand that of the color in it, such as gold and white brocade with a gold satin heel and Piping and 80 on, ‘or ordinary wear kid shoes are more fash- ionable than satin, For afternoon wear colored ZV gecton wiih high pointed’ setip Svea an han buel 3 Frese kles, are much worn. shoes are often worn with historical wear tight shoes, That ell club men get drunk and don’t go home till morning. ‘That the children of fashionable people are not well taken care of ‘That all boarding house tables are bad. That all women wear tight stays. That ali women lay the seeds for con- sumption by getting their petticoats wet on ods yomen ane ielkbesedaosk otue. a fe eine ag will save your body and bat Your way is the right way. and mine is believes any of these except the people wo ire ach narrow lives they nothing good can come out of may svem strange to find a saloon keeper with any feelings, but I don’t care to take in coin that way. The customer who comes in here with a week's hard-earned wages in his pocket and wants to buy out the house is not a we come guest, I often refuse absolutely to sell to such aone, The funniest thing of all is the way in which men drinking at a bar will give away their most private affairs in conversation, though not at all mtoxieated, They never seem to think, so long as there is no one within ear- | shot in tront of the bar, of the presence of the man who is waiting upon them behind it, A bar tender is n}wa secrets, bnt to sional with him, p them is a matter profes- ——-____ Meeting at Night. ‘The gray sea and the long black land; And the yellow h :lf-moon large and low; And the startled little waves that leap In fiery ringlets irom their sleep, As I gain the cove with pushing prow, An. quench its speed iu the slushy sand, Then a mile of warm, sea-scented beach; ree fields to cross till a farm appeurs A tap at the pane, the quick, sharp scratch And blue spurt of a liguted match, And & soice less loud, through joys and fears, ‘Than the two hearts beating each toeach. Parting at Morning. Rour. _ the cape of a sudden came the sea And the sus loo.ed over (he mountain's rim; And straight was a path of gold for him, And the need of a world of men for me. —KosERT BrOwNING, ————-see. SCRAPS OF GOSS! SHORTSTOPS IN THE GAME OF FASHION —a PRETTY CASHMERE GowN. Taear is a decided reaction in low cut | 3°04 deal of consideration, gowns. A revival and also a pretty innovation 4s the use of the lace bib in low cut bodices, Hanpxencuters follow the lesd of dresses and mantles and have long and sharply in-| mounted. Of p tended trimming, A Swiss Bopics of the same color as the skirt will be much seen in ball room costumes. Many Tutte Dresses will be worn insimple color and pale pink will be largely used, one of the changes being its adoption by some of the most attractive of the debutants for their coming-out gowns, Heavy Beaver Crorus in diagonal designs are made up into Jong wraps and make very handsome and serviceable wraps, For Evenixe Gowns tulle, of course, will hold its owa and can be had in exquisite new shades and 1s popular draped over a founda- tion of a different color. Black tulle veiling will be one of the combinations much seen’ adso biack over apple green, Ax Usvsvat Neweer of crepe de chine dresses have made their appearance this sea- son, Ste Musuin is decidedly a fashionable fabric of the season, and those fond of net will stil] adhere to it. Barner a New Errect in ball dresses con- sists in having the bottom of the skirt and the corsage sometimes outlined with pinked-out ruching. A pretty fancy is to have the ruche composed of artificial rose petals, Some or tue Darstiest Batt Dresses for young wearers have ribbon introduced in the corsage, front and back, very much atter the mauner of the classic Greek costumes, Some oF TRE Brocapes worn are very beau- tiful, especially in combination with tulle and other filmy materials. Wuize Skirts were never 50 simple, bodices are very elaborate. Most of bodices will have small puffed sleeves, and floral garlands will be much used a8 a trimming reaching from shoulder to waist. A Late Novexry consists of having a long ostrich feather curled around the arm at the edge of the short sleeves. Tae Emrmz still dominates in evening dress and short waists and plain skirts will continue to be the rage. Asash or girdle about the waist is pretty much the only relief from this serverity, A TyvtcaL Brows-anp-Biack Gowx,—In woolen fabrics golden brown and black form a favored contrast. A typical brown-and-black gown is of black cashmere and brown Bengaline of very heavy quality. The long tablier, which is of the wool goods, is wrinkled and drawn to one side, being so arranged that a panel of Bengaline is seen, a broad lap falling from the top of the panel.’ On the bottom of this panel is applied a black passementerie o-nament a fourth of a yard wide; the passementerie is of lace-like pattern and every leaf and figure is fastened securely. The bodice has a polonaise back, which extends ihe full length of the skirt in smooth its and is decorated with two black crocheted buttons, placed just below the waist line. The jacket fronts are short and ity and turn away to display a double- reasted waistcoat of Bengaline that is closed with small brown silk buttons. Like the jacket portion, the vest has a rolling collar, from Mr. P.—‘“Yes. I expect to ask favors of Mr. Ballion's bank tomorrow, Sentpersent that awful little ho lous tan Sour waltzes.” P, 8 ee gives a swell recep- this saloon | and remarked that he wanted a little rye—not | ATTRACTIVE HOMES. Pretty Things for Christmas That May Make Them More Attractive. SUGGRSTIONS THAT MAY MELP ONE PUEELED OYER THE CHOICE OF A GIFT—UNIQTE DRe SIGNS FOR LAMPS—DISPLAYS AT THE JEWELERS —PHOTOGRAPA FRAMES AND GARTER BUCKLES. Before Tue Stan of another Saturday even- ing shall “rise and sh the grand festival of the year will be a thing of the past. The cal- Mination of weeks and months of preparation on the part of merchants and all other caterers to the public taste—the Christmas of 1889-—willl be goue r. At this breathless time, how- ever, such somber reflections are crowded out with the numberloss last things which fill the week before the 25th. No matter how long be+ forchand one begins one’s making or baying there is a rush at the end and anxious thoughts for fear of some one left unremembered. Only two more days of work or shopping before all must be realy. It is too late to suggest anything for making; only finis! touches can be put on articles dor w bere will be crowded hi ever, for some people put off their holiday purchases unt minute from inclination or bi about to see the crowds as r & gregarious position # at! 1 at this season, © fix the wandering tastes i fancies ™* bes lated Christmas buyers 1 will add some hints and suggestions to those already given. LAMPS, Never were lamps more used since gas hae been burned at Ml the fashionable entertainments at priva’ lamps are Prominent, both as the me d«playing | the decorations and as decor: s in them- selves. is scarcely a drawing room im y shaded lamp of aa aed yet brilliant light get over that bar and grab the beat by | Three-quarters of a) t- | him with one weil- | he scrambled to his feet he | Pardner. if 1t wasn't tor the good liquor | : No, as Isard, | in their cups are almost | 3 loaded with other people's | most ia nt much ad- | silver mounmte des come in all colors and several 6 of decoration, friend who a gift would be a p one she now y has a le differi phe this lamp, a hades come, gathered into a roe | bons. A black lace am ib rib ralamp may give quite 2 its app Citferent ocea- sions. Other lam oat on tables are in all styles of f many are reason- able in price a attractive in ap- Pearance, — T' pe, with large shade, is almost Lamps in old silver, iron shaded porcee lain are the 1 oh was 80 popue lar a fow years by-gone, The | Rochester burncr: fome other lar ¢ not so handsome as ro such a powerful and | satisfactory are in great de- }mand. A’ pre k or lace can be . put on one of these L , aiding much to ite looks, If the lamp is wanted for reading or writing, a whit ade g graceful look while not interfering w light at alk Where the lamp ix to eral way tone the Christmas, V« y dainty too in their freshr sett coloring. Of course later on dus: rehing will do their devastating work and th uty will be ruined | This will make room riquity, however, j for other gifts to fill the if it were not for which some of us would nexes to our domiciles te of goods that fal! who wanted colors of was unable ud in the shops, dyes, and by mixing them was to able tly mal ribbon and point white could make any y shirring up on silk, made some very pret and gus globes, AT THE JEWELEns’, The jewelers’ displays attra ple—perhaps more—t other line of goods, Besides the standards of jewelry and silverware so many noveltics in the way of use and ornament have crept in os to fairly be- wilder one, Here the men seem to receive a as meny of the handsome articles are expecially for their gratie fication. Among the costly objects are the inke stands of Mexican onyx for the library table, These have two wells and pen tray and are gold per Cutters there are all s.zea, hewspaper cutter to s, and so down er letter opener, 2 © wished, and by either alone or over ty shades for lampa as many peo= ny from the imme the medium knif silver boxes, are quite luxurions loc All sorts of are carried out * any is one s, about five 8 of cach is ime own and white and ¢ slope of the back, On the back of one re consisting of two +i inches im ostric! of proportionate connects the two anung shells.’ Other cigarettes, court les q articles gen- ver-mounted 1 4 © horns of ws of a th silver, “Brandy” and ng therm the bottle—I sup- ! While the silver- mounted carving se re 28 handsome as such implements can be made, PHOTOGRAPH FRAMES, Among the newest things to strike feminine fancy are the silver photograph frames, Nowa- days photographs are such really artistic pio- tures that they are quite worthy such impor- tant and costly framii ‘The rage for amateur photography has made large collections of pho= tographs more common than they used to be, and graceful posing in artistic costuming has given some really beautiful pictures to these collections, The silver frames are in varied styles as well as sizes, the smallest of all being perhaps the prettiest. All kinds of photo- graph frames are used now, cither singly or with au pening for two or more pictures, Among the daintiest are the ones of white lin mounted as the silk ones have been for sever years, but generally with an opeuing for one picture only. Over the linen is scattered the tinest of flowers, painted in water colors of several different shades, with green leaves ate tached. For bedroom or boudoir they make charming Christinas gifts, GARTER BUCKLES. Garter buckles of silver have come in greater variety than ever this year. Possibly more will be distributed at weddings than as bolic souvenirs. In the German imperial family the curious fashion of giving garters to the friends of the bridegroom still prevails. At the wed- ding of the Princess Sophie this custom was carried out. Thirteen pairs were made to commemorate the event. The bride's pair wag of pale blue silk with diamond buckles, One was for the Hohenzollern collection af Bertin, where already some three score were ex- hibited. The eleven remaining pairs were tor the nobles attending the crown of Greece, This is a fancy that may find favor om this side of the Atlantic, aud garters come one of the features of American im the near future, The subject of Christmas presents has drifted away and wedding favors have crept in, I remains to recall the former theme longea to wish to the readers of Tur Stan time worn yet always welcome “merry with “Peace on earth, good will to men,” Mrs, William K. Vanderbilt, From the New York World. Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt comes of a well known southern family, and is one of three sisters, all of whom are lished ¥