Evening Star Newspaper, August 9, 1890, Page 9

BALANCING IN MIDATR. Description of Hazardous Feats on the Trapeze. PRACTICE AND CONFIDENCE. cage Advice From a Star Amateur—How the Necessary Skill is Acquired—Balanc- ing from the Waist Up—First on the Ground, Then in the Air, ————— Written for Tax Evextea Stan. LTHOUGH the athletic clubs do not awardchampionships or give medals for feats of balancing on the trapeze, rings jand slack rope, I believe there is no phase of gymnasium work that re- quires more patient and faithful study, more steadiness of nerve or a greater command of the muscles. True, it is not work that brings outa large amount of muscular strength: but a beginner who tinds himself lacking in general physical development 1s apt to make that discovery about as rapidly and as conclusively while at- tempting to recover from a slip on the prac- | tice trapeze as in any ‘other department of gymnasium exercise. To balance well one amst be systematically developed. and each muscle must be ready to act instantly and do its work with certainty. strong and firm to sustain the body in its va- rious poses. The back must be sinewy, so that the recovers may be made quickly and the up- right maintained without a chance of failure. and the arms and hands must be hard and strong. for when a man falling from a trapeze grasps at the oar he must catch it and hold on to it if he desires to preserve the wholeness of his skin. Still, in spite of these admirable qualities that balancing calls into play, most indoor athletes prefer the bar and the rings. the | trapeze and the bells, This may in a measure be the cause of the lack of literature bearing upon the subject. In the hope that a brief | sketch of my own experience, short though it be. may be of interest to those who are about to begin a course of practice in this line I will try and describe how some feats are ac- complished and how some of the mistakes that I made at first may by caution be avoided. Iwas born in July, 1860, and entered the New York Athletic Club nearly three years ago. Although I had ample opportunities for under- taking gymnasiam work I never attempted ex- ercise of any kind until last December, when, partly in an emulative spirit, after a “lad day” exhibition at the club, and partiy to strengthen myself generally, I took up work in the gymnasium. After keeping at it pretty faithfully for the best part of a month and tr: pretty much all of the apparatus. with little or no success, I became very much discouraged at my want of ability to eve ake a start at any- thing. One day when wandering around the gymnasium I came across the balancing tra- peze, which for practice had been hung within a few feet of the floor. Stepping on it I fonnd that Icould maintain a balance for a few sec- onds at atime. Mr. George Goldie, the club instructor, who was standing near by, snggested that I make balancing a specialty. keeping in niind that “Rome was not built in # day.” THE EASIEST RALANCE. After practicing for some time I was able to ‘ep my balance for about half a minute in one position, The outgrowth of this step in my practice is No. 1 of the illustrations that accom- pany this article. The reader should bear in mind that the instantaneous photographs that the artist made of me were not taken when the trapeze was at its practice height. but when it was suspended 20 feet from the floor, with no net spread out above the mattresses ‘that cov- ered the boards. I followed this up by bal- anctng alternately on the right and left ‘oot. The next step on the trapeze was to attempt a balance with both feet, aud for a long titae I thought I should never learn it. For many weeks I had this experience. I would be able to do it after a fashion one day, but when I tried it the following day I would fail utterly, ud I could count my fails by the score. er, I finally mastered it. To mak turn’ on the trapeze without touching the ro bothered me for a good while, as also did Dal- aneing on my toes with my legs crossed. My work all this time was very rough and I had to make very violent motions with my arms in all wy balances. The next style of balance that I attempted is sted in No.2 This was rather hard to wh. as it differed materially in execntion ym those just mentioned. A at deal of work had to be ace with the back, the reader will ataglance the move- of the back forward and backward are iin preserving the upright, and these »vements, with the motions of the arms. are when one is just this line of work. en I had succeeded in mastering this I fan- cied I was in medias res. Subsequently, how- ever, 1 discovered that 4 was merely at the out- whirta, The legs must be | trapeze is in motion, forward and back, from right deseribing an ellipse. i ould be thoroughly mastered before attempting the swings. side swing, as is represented in No, 4, is # good one to begin with. This is the way it is done: First try it with a gentle swing. and jually increasing the momentum make it ler. After this a backward and forward ewing on one leg micht follow. and should be treated in the same way, A difficult swing to learn is the back and for- ward, The balancer stands as I did in N and the t at first and then more a 1 and forward. The learner must guard azainst « fall, as the ropes ‘der tocatch wh doing this trick than other, with the possible exception of the knee swing. The neatest balance of them all and one of the hardest is the circular swing. The balance changes at every point, This isthe way I do it: I place both feet on the trapeze in th position I had in No. 4 and start a forward backward swing, which is gradually worked into an ellipse. THE DIFFICULT CHAIR BALANCE. When one is proficient in the above the chair balance may next be tried. A good way to learn this is to try the balance on the floor with the chair so near the wall that the back of it may find an en so that when thet ner loses his bala as he certainly wiil do ¢ his first attempts, hf will not lose his personal dignity as well as his general equipoise. peze is, idly, swang back When he can take a chair and place ft in the middle of the room and strike a balance and it then let him to the trapeze and is accomplished. ance. After he has ut state of assurance the trapeze should be elevated to its natural height, from fifteen to twenty-five feet from the floor. My state of mind on first find the air with the hard floor visible t meshes of a decided! that of extreme ne howe skimpy-looking 1 vousness to say the least, . qradnally wears off and comes contilence. nner should not be discouraged at his failure to perform all the task he has inid out for himself in a single day or at first trial, seause one day he 88 aud the day fol- marked by repeated failures. Such are common experie! Kalaneing, like all other gymnastic feats, can only be acquired by faithful and persistent practic The ring balance, as shown in No. 7, is done both with a swing and ata standstill. It should not be attempted until the muscles of the legs are well developed. After the ts have been learned the bu r should pay attention to his style and learn to be graceful us well as sure in his work. SLACK ROPE, Balancing on the slack rope is essentially different from trapeze balancing. On the slack rope the balance has got to be kept by working the body from the waist down and is mainly done with the legs. It ia the reverse in the trapeze, The legs must be kept rigid and the balance worked from the waist up-—of course a nce on one legis helped considerably by its low. But when both feet are on the bar itis all from the waist up. The slack rope should be harder to learn at first than the trapeze, as it is rad: different from the man’s uatural balance. which is kept more with the arms and body and lexs with the legs. For instance, take the smail boy walking on a railroad track. who «wings his arms like « windmill and wriggles his body like an eel, Besides, the beginner has not the ropes to cateh at when he loses bis equilibrium as on the tr peze und it 1s harder work and more fatiguing. Asimple balance on one leg is harder to learu on the slack rope than on the trapeze. The feats commouly performed are: FEATS ON THE ROPE AND WIRE, Walking forward the length of the rope and back again; also running the length of same, the impetus thus acquired allowing the per- former to get near the end of the line, which at quite a slant. and then, while stil! keeping balance, to slide backward toward the mid- dle of the rope. To lie down at full length on the rope wud to get down to a knecling posture are both ueat in their way. ‘The tirst, however, as much harder to learn tian the latter. The feats that can be done on the slack wire are naturally more restricted than on the trapeze, as it has much more stability, the busis of operations in one being a light rope and the other « heavy bar, ADVICE TO LEARNERS, There are six things that I would advise a beginner to heed as the most important factors in « course of training in all kinds of balanc- ing. ‘They are as follows: First. A moderate use of tobacco and aleohol; the nerves should be steady, a man who drinks mixkes a poor balancer. Second. The most assiduous attention and A PUSH-UP. A push-up balance, as is shown in No. 3, gearly broke my heart, without making any reference to my bones. The object of this feat is to get imto a sitting position and afterward back into an upright balance, as in No. 1. ‘Tius must be done, too, without touching the ropes er the bar with the hands, ihe beginner should acquire this balance at first on the tloor before trying iton the he mast look out tor ni er learning all of the above named foata ke will find the remainder of the still balances, with the exception of afew which are made in ancy” postures, comparatively easy of ac- ement, A “still” balance, I may explain, is one that is made while the trapeze is motionless in the er. The “swing” baluuces are made wuile the nu practice until the balances have beeu weil | aieioany when a very little practice will keep n trim, Third. In learning to balance on the trapeze always catch the rope when the balance is lost, ‘This should be kept in_mind when practicing | near the floor, so that when elevated in the air it will be second nature to catch the ropes when ance is lost. arth. Never try to do any balancing if feeling out of sorts or unwell. It will dono good and a discouraging fall might ensue, Fifth. Strengthen the various muscles of the body which are called iuto play—and this, I may say, is about all of them—so that they can | perform what is required of them instantly. his is what is known as being set, Sixth. Always part your hair in the middle, Jeng Beau. ——ce-—______ 3 Shouldn't nder if we shall, though. We used artificial 1m all last summer and it worked allright Phikadeiphia Inquirer, Mr. Meredith Stanley, a Cincinnati bridge Jumper wuo is still alive, offers to jump from the top of the Washington monument if any one will put up €500. Deducting #150 for funeral expenses the profite ‘on the job to his juriingtun Hawkeye, family will be $350.—. A DISGRACE T0 HER FAMILY, el FIND it impossible to believe she could ever have done the smallest action that was not perfectly ladylike and mice, A face like that is the sure token of « heart of gold. “Lbelieve, Arthur,” I say, turning to her great great great step-grandson. “that the old maids of your family have been jealous of her for generations aud couspired to run her down. She is so very pretty and so young!” I have been curiosity hunting in the lumber room at Hawkesworth castle, which domicile I am shortly to enter asa bride. My future hus- band has just announced his intention of hav- ing the ladies’ power, which I consider the pretticst room in the honse, renovated for my especial benefit. We have triumphantly un- earthed a spinning wheel to replace in it, gravely considered the propriety of setting a spinnet, with most of its notes dumb, on its spindle legs once more, and are now discussing «picture, which bas been for years banished from civilized society. “L like that the best of all our discoveries; let us have it hung in the bower in the most favorable light im the room.” “That is quite out of the question, Eva,” re- marks Miss Sarah Hawkesworth, Arthur's e'dest sister. ina tone which cleariy implies, “trom my decision there is no appeal,” “Oat of the question? Why?” I inquire boldiy, enjoying the strong moral support of Arthur's presence, though I should have been aid to demur ata fiat of Sarah's without it. p You are 80 very anxious for injurma- cause the original of that picture was a disgrace to her family.” ihe portrait in question represents a girl of about seventeen or eighteen, with a small, rather childish face, of a very beautiful type. she has large, soft gray eyes and a most deli- ut mouth; her dark hair is tightly drawn back trom her good, candid brow, after tne trying fasion of her day, and almost con- cealed by a pearied lace head dress, a pretty, ent, that can scarcely be loose robe of dark silk, turned neck, with some wond-rfuliy painted Venetian point, completes the picture, Alter a prolonged look at the pogtrait I mutin 'sThuve already recorded, against Sarah's verdict, ‘Of what crime is she supposed to have been Who she?” She was my great great great grandfather's first wife —and——” “Is supposed to have bolte: .” putin Arthur. - v"Asamatter of fact, Dot. nobod really knows what became of her, and I bel a lover was inventedas the most convenient way of accounting for her disappearance. we are gure of is that she mysterious within a few months of her marri thore were not the days of sagacious poticemen and private inqairy vdicers. Don't you follow er example, or you will figure in a paragraph 1 the papers!” At which speech Sarah looks as solemn as if Arthar Were tai a yrim earnest. It is most unfortunate thar she is so fond. of ring in our society, as she never under- s when we happen to be talki The runaway is very pretty think a htt your style, clild,” he contin- ues, focusing me tarough his closed hand, as | fl were merely acanvas. Then turning to Sarah“ will send the picture to be cleaned; and you shall have it hung up over the writing table before our return, Sarah; if you think it iuadiissible to the bow v other grounds at may serve as an ‘awtal example’ to Dot. I expect my venerated grandmammias sont it up- stairs out of pure jealous: i has come down to you by the laws of heredity, Sally!” “Oh, Arthur, you tease! Why do you cail her such a frightful name as “{t may not be pretty, but ble than some of his diminutives,” returts bh asif she rather liked tie name than otherwise. Again Iam conseious that I have blundered. For the last four vears Arthur has been in the habit of smokine pipes with old Mr, Muckle- worth, fathe snished and li st audios up their minds that ing himselt into an al- “Quite a settled "1 My poor. dear boy! What a victim he would have been if I had not providentially ridden into a bog one day, out stag bunting, in consequence « n ambitious attempt to get the lead of my Uncle Dick. Arthur pulled me out and scolded me as thoroughly as if he had known me all my lite, the next week he rode over to sce that I had teaught cold from the black peat water — i in the neighborhood ma he was sitting and sm not and told Uncle Dick that, as I evidently had not an idea of taking care of myself, ho wished to be allowed to take care of me for life. And »o—the promise of ail those pipes at the Mackleworths was blighted in the bud. Now Miss Muckleworth, though a very pretty piece of self-opinioned simplicity, had a habit of referring to Sarah's superior judgment upon most occasions, ‘Ihis piessed Arthur, in. the past, there is uo doubt; his sister's opimons weight with him, and from his own nature, he was likely to have become mildly attached evan to an ani- mated Dutch doll, if he was constantly in the habit of meeting her, Oh, propinguity!- thief of men! ing on every hound in the hunt that delivered Arthur from your clutches! I shall never forget my tirst lunch at Hawkes- worth, The whole family evidently regarded me with suspicion, as an unknown quantity. and, finding them as cold as icicles, to begin with | put on Arthur's cap when we went into the grounds, and talked all the slang I could muster for the amusement of seeing them freeze harder and harder, At last Sarah, who always piques herself upon her candor, re- i: “Mr. Blank (iny Uncle Dick, good in- nocent man!) is very fond of throwing people together; but Arthur never flirts!—and we ap- prove of May Muckleworth.” At which an- nouncement, from sheer nervousness, I beg to iaugh, and said J felt sure that Mr. Hawke: worth must be very much obliged to them! I was really trying. Ina bewildered way, to say the most polite thing I could think of, but it was an unlucky speech, as, ten minutes later, Arthur told her we were engaged. I must confess that. unlike Miss Muckieworth, I had thought very little about his sisters— except as his appendages, Milly, the youngest, rather resembles him and I loved her as soon as 1 discovered the likeness, but she is timid and gentle, quite over-ridden by Sarah, who resents my existence as an injury to Miss Muckleworth, though she has really endeavored to like me and has succeeded in being merely passively hostile since the announce. ment of our engagement. I fear I must still bea thorn in her side—for Miss Muckleworth, besides being her friend and a near neighbor, is, as she explained, “a power in the lan by reason of her riches, and I am only a poor offi- cer's daughter, though my family is quite us old as the Hawkesworths, “L will carry the spinning wheel, you girls can take the picture down to the bower at once, and we will settle where they are to stand when the room is done.” ‘his from Arthur, whom I have left all this time in the attic. “Wait till [have them dusted,” from Sarah in a tone of horror, Arthur quietly dusts them with his pocket handkerchief, and then requests her to tuke it away and fetch him @ clean one, as he did not want any servants bothering up there. And by this means we get rid of her for three whole minutes! At the end of that time she returns, aud, laden with the jetsam and flotsam of centuries, we make our Way to the bower, which is to be my own especial sanctum in years to come. We enter « long. narrow room with a very high oak wainscot, having at the far end a window with latticed panes, looking out on a graveled terrace, The bower is built over the dining room, Round the bay window goes a cushioned win- dow scat, which Arthur thinks the most com- fortable lounge in the house; we all rest for a few miuutes, and then begin dragging about the spinning wheel, which is finally fitted into an alcove. Next we place the portrait of the family derelict in various lights. I regard her with ever-deepening interest, and for half a second tind myself wondering if she could have fled from the shrewd nips and pecks of any former Sarah Hawkesworth down the broad road to destruction? Butno. The more steadfastly I took at her the more I see good faith and uprightuess ap- Poaring in every line of the face. “She shall have a place of honor straight over my writing table, Arthur, in sign that I intend to take her under my mighty wing and do my best to find out what became of her, Who knows that I may not succeed in clearing away the cobwebs of a few centuries from her reputation?” So we arrange our “articles of bigotry and virtue” greatly to our satisfaction, and then Arthur and I sit down in opposite corners of the window seat,and I rather wish Sarah would join Milly down stairs; but she has no intention of leaving us to enjoy our city of refuge. On the contrary, she is bent on improving our minds both by preceptand example, and, seating her- self in a resolute manner on the stiffest chair she can find, she begins to do some Russian cross-stitch iu red cotton all along the edge of acleau white toilet cover, in my bumble opin- och ea wpoiling the look of the snowy ma- My bless- All} “T like to em lo} time——" she but never ends os ae needleful begins, x speech, for in pulling out her of red cotton with great energy she manages to drop her thimble. Arthur jumps up hastily and rather heavily from the window seat to find it for her, and in doing so treads on a loose board, which moves with a creak under the carpet and nearly throws him down. The floor is covered with a dingy old Brussels—date, early Victorian; it is nailed down ull around the skirting board. so that the evil cannot immediately be remedied. “This must be seen to, Saruh, when the room isdone up. Itisareguiar man trap. I don't want Dot to break her neck the minute she comes home!” Sarah looks exceedingly crosa, “The board has been loose for years and you never remarked it before. I suppose our necks” (reproachfully) “were not supposed to be so brittle!” “I wish your tongue were not so tough,” re- torts Arthur. I hate family ea werone having never been used to them. king round desper- ately for something pleasant to talk about I observe a curions mark, like « finger pointing downward, impressed upon the pane of glass near which I am sitting, » What is this curious mark?” I ask, looking up. Arthur and Sarah exchange meaning giances; I feel myself growing hot and cold by turns and wonder what uncomfortable topic I have started now. ‘The fates seem against me this afternoon. “My dear child,” says Arthur with mock solemnity, “you seem bent on digging up all our family skeletons. I begin to feel quite airaid ot you, ‘This is the bors of them ail. or rather its finger mark. The terrace below has been dug up again and again by rp Speer members of the family, in hopes of finding the bones. but with no result whatever- ct for laughter or light con- versation, Arthur. You know perfectly well that whatever is done to the window the finger marks always return to the same pane. We are accustomed to it, but——” “Oh, don’t mind me!" I cry, inclined by this time almost to apologize for existing. “You are precisely the person that is to be minded,” cried Arthur, ringing the bell and ordering hot water, soap, soda, flannels and brushes ad libitum. And we soap and scrub, and sponge and dry ut that pane, inside and out, till we are tired, with the unique result of bringing the downward-poiuting finger mark into still stronger relief, *-Without doubt it is no accidental thing, but asign franght with meaning, Has the dining room below been examined?” I ask. “Yes, and the explorers were rewarded by the discovery of several nests of mice anda dead rat; after that the planks of the dining room floor were replaced, and enterprise tell asleep.” ‘Then they have never looked under this No, not in my day; but, by Jove, Dot, it's not half a bad idea “Lhave no doubt proper search has been made, though we do not remember it. 1 do not suppose Eva is the first person who has thought of such avery simple and evident place to look 1n as the flooring—right under the finger mark.” We both hasten to assure Sarah that this time she isin all probability right—doubtless the same idea struck everybody who has given the uncanny matter a thought. Mollified by this flattery, she goes down stairs to make which #Re wisely never aliowed @ servant to touch, As soon as she is gone T say to Arthur, with a urious kind of shiver running down my back: it there is anything in the air I feel con- | Vinced it will untold itself to me; nobody can possibly be more matter-of-fact than [amin iny waking moments, but to make up for it I dream,” “You a seer?” cries Arthur incredulous! should as soon have expected to hear a kitten lay claim to second sight. Pray. did you see me in the glass last All-Hallow Eve? . Ididn’t, but I saw myself looking ex- actly like somebody else—and wondered. Why, it was you, of cou ‘The next mor: was the last of my visit to Hawkesworth as Eva Howard. Everybody was in the unnecessary state of flurry which, in conntry houses, so often precedes tue departure of a gue t by an early train. It was only when taken my seat by Arthur's side in his dog cart and he was rapidly driving me toward the station that I found an opportunity of telling him what I had dreamed tlt night. I dreamt I was sitting in the ladies’ bower, just as we were doing yesterday, when sud- deuly I heard the lost bride calling, ‘Eva, Eva, come tome.’ I leoked around and. listene but could not discover where her voice came jfrom, Finally I tossed down acoin that was | lying near at hand in hopes that it might fall in the direction from waich the voice pro- ceeded; it rolled near the window seat, just where you trod on that loose board, Arthur— and then something woke me.” “My dear Dot, you have been telling me the merest jumbie of the events of the day; that isu’t worth calling a dream,” said he in his most superior manner, which was just the least bit like Sarah's, and consequently grated on my nerves. “I am going to write it down in your pocket- book all the same,” I returned, taking the reins while he hunted in various ’ pockets for iny volume, wherein I wrote down my ninrather @ spidery manner, owing to the rolling of the wheels, and returned it to him again with a sigh of relicf, as if the act of recording the dream had lifted some weight from my mind, ‘Twice, in the course of a few months, it has recurred to me, but, apparently, nothing more is to come of it, so I have kept my awn counsel and given Arthur no more sybilline warnings. PART IL Behold me installed at Hawkesworth after my honeymoon as supreme mistress of the ladies’ bower, the only spot on earth in which Tam resolved to be “monarch of all I survey,” and never, never, never, submit to Sarah’s jurisdiction. The ugly old sprawly-patterned carpet has been sent to Limbo and replaced by # handsome Persian rug. laid in the center of the room, leaving the good oak boards visible all round its edges. Sarah calls them “beau- tiful boards as firm as a rock. Of course Arthur must have imagined one of ‘them loose, it is all of a piece with the ridiculous dream that vou wrote down in his pocketbook.” “You don’t mean to say he told you that!” I ery indignantly, a he did not, but I always make a point of looking over his accounts for him, or he would be continually cheated. Iwas hunting in his pocket for a memorandum, if you must know how I happened to see it,” snapped Sarah, “You are very kind, I am sure. I cannot even keep accounts as well as Arthur,” I reply, feeling crushed, Superstition is at « discount at Hawkesworth; the matter-of-fact would reign comfortably in all our minds were it not for that weird finger mark, always pointing downward, We have returned home in good time for the chase of the red deer, of which my husband is a devoted follower. As for me, I find what Whyte Melville used to call riding at stag hounds has become a less absorbing pursuit than it used to be when it was my only chance of meeting Arthur without his sisters, and am content to hunt twice a week, or even once, if I ride to the meet with him in the morning. I thoroughly enjoy a quiet afternoon at my silk embroidery in the ladies’ bower, but there are generally half a dozen interruptions just at the most interesting part of my pattern—the most pleasant being from a dear, old, tawny St. Bernard dog, Tiger by name. He belonged to Arthur before we were married, but has taken a great love forme. He knows Sarah does not allow him upstairs, so spends half his time trying to circumvent her and pay his ponderous respects to me in my own room, The formality never varies—first he insinu- ates a paw and then his person through the doorway, having, as I very well know, pre- viously pushed against it with all his weight, as he has discovered that the latch gives way to pressure, Then he advances joyfully and scrapes my dress down with his huge paw, next lays his head on my kuee, expecting a at and says in dog language, ‘“Mauf,” ich take to mean ‘Glad to see you.” After this he sighs contentedly, as if his mission in life were accomplished, and lies down in the furthest corner of the room, with head in his paws, piacidly watching me. I am not at all sure that Arthur will return tonight, as the meet has been at a distance, and if the stag has taken a particular line, which we gene: calculate on his doing when roused in Fairfield covers, Arthur will sleep at a friend’s house instead of riding home among those dangerous bogs. Ihave 1d 5 o'clock tea in the bower instead of the drawing room and invited Milly and Sarah to come up and drink it with me for the sake of # change. At about 4:45 I put away my work and draw ®@ round table toward the window, taking nest 8 desk off it, which I deposit on boards at my feet. Of the events of the next few minutes I can give no coherent descrip- tion. The ground suddenly gives way bencath my feet andI fall heavily after the desk, I know not where, | first impulse is tolook up. Above my are the substantial rafters under the floor of the bower, and a trap door closed by iy tom of the ladies’ bower window. We have avers known that the glass was con- tinued to the level of the floor, ‘fougn hidden by the window seat, but no one ever discovered = went “il ‘ Speed further. Under = ar of dusky seated—a thing—unspeak- ably awful, robed in dark silk and Vouctian after all other life became extinct, fall softly te the very ground. I perceive, as soon as I can collect my senses, that {am in'the presence of the “disgrace to the famiiy.” “Ob, my poor innocent,” I whisper, “mnst I share your terrible fate? Why did not God de- liver you?” My attention is distracted by sounds above me. Ican hear the tea tray being placed on the table, noises of combat between Surah and Tiger, who scratches at the trap door, whining ses a then the snnfting and scratchin; cease. I conclude that Sarah has triumphe. and dragged him out of the room by the scruff of his nec! T have so often caught hold of the loose soft folds of his well-furred skin, in order to see him bravely endeavor to tug me up some very steep bit of hill, that a little feeling of indignation creeps into my mind and rouses my stunned faculties. I comprehend that as my best friend has been bauished with con- tumely, I must endeavor to help myself. Stand- ing under the trap door I cail as loudly as I c ‘Sarah—Sarah! Milly 1 am down here— right below you!” but Treceive no answor. It seems as if my voice were stifled among the dust of centuries. I picture them waiting indignantly for ten, and at last pouring out their own, with sisterly comments on the rudeness of my absence, I dare-say Sarah is finding fault with the ten pot, as it is new-fashioned—a wedding present. i resolve to try the effect of an inarticulate shout, to attract their attention, and putting both hands to my mouth to concentrate the sound, I strive to emulate Arthur's the best of my small power, I have the satis- faction of henring both girls rise and fly from the room. Now Lunderstand the fate of the lust bride. It was not the will of God, but the cowardice and stupidity of man, that left her to die by inches of hunger and despair. crics for help must have terrified the super- stitious household, instead of bringing succor. For myself, I cherish hopes of escape on Arthur's return; he may remember my strange, three times repeated dream, and couple it with Tiger's futile attempts at a rescue; sure th ithful brute will come trap door, iu spite of Sarah. Most likely a whole night and the greater part of the next day must be spent in this hor- rible place, I pray that through the loug hours of darkness { may be permitted to retain my reason, Eise better I should die than that Arthur should be chained to an imbecile for the rest of his days, I picture myseli dead and forgotten, like the poor wreck beside me, the innocent, maligned creature, who seemed to have met death while putting with her failing strongth a few last stitches to the wifely piece of needlework in her hand, feeling perhaps the same kind of comfort in it that Marie Antoinette managed to extract from knitting the wool of her rav- eled piece of carpet. think, with almost a smile, of the brave lieutenant who, in his strange woodland prison, combed his wig on his knee. Alas! my hair is my own and my work is above, in the bower. Perhaps aiter all the greatest mercy that can befall me will be death in the night, and then then, why perhaps Arthur will marry Miss Muckleworth! Ah! What Sarah calls my un- disciplined spirit rises in rebellion at the thought. I determine not to die till I have en- dured to the uttermost extremity of endurance. Oh, that I could find some occupation; but there is nothing in this terrible place that I can toue! My heart sinks lower as it grows darker and darker, At last [speak to comfort myself with the sound of my own voice. “Marry Miss Muckieworth—no, he shall not!” Suddenly [hear a mighty sound of vox barking, rushing, hammering. The trap springs backward, and Arthur's spurs, all over niud splashes from the bog, appear in the open- ing, swiftly followed by his person, “Arthur!” “Dot! I will never leave you alone in such a house full of idiots again!” “No, not till the next mect, dear husband!” But my troubles were over, and the “Disgrace to her Family” vindicated at lust!—Belyravia, : i fis Too Serious to Overlook. From the Chicago Tribune. They were standing by the window looking out at the golden sunset. His arm was around her slender waist and her head rested confid- ingly on his manly shoulder. Life looked rosy to the youthful pair, and not a visible cloud obscured the bright firmament of their hope. “Perseus,” she murmured, “it seems almost incredible that we never met until three weeks ag “It does indeed, Andromeda,” replied the youth, “We have had nardly time to become acquainted with each other's views of life and its problems, notto speak of each other's peculiarities and prejudices, Yet it seems as if we must have known one another always.” “And that reminds moe, Perseus,” rejoined the lovely New England girl, thoughtfully ad- fasting her spectacles, “that I have never eard you express your opinion of theosophy.” “My opinion of theosophy, love,” the young man said, breaking it to heras gently as he could, “is that the system as thus far devel- oped hardly meets the requirements of an exact science.” It was a severe shock, but the maiden did not flinch. She only teaned a little harder on the young man’s shoulder, “You find much to admire in Emerson and Thoreau, do you not?” she asked, hopefully. “I cannot say I do. The one seems too transcendental, the other almost atheistic.” “Ibsen, my darling, makes me tithe wearies me.” “Does not the Delsartean idea appeal to you favorably’ “Hm! is Delsartean business, dearest. I regard as a harmless kind of thing suitable for twelve. chool girls who have no roller- he eaid, with a happy sigh, “what difference docs it make after all if we love each other? These little differences of opinion shail not separate us.” “No, Andromeda, they shall not. We will not speak of them. They are trifles, Look at the roses in this beautiful vase—" A cry of horror broke from the lips of Andro- meda. She sprang from his embrace. “What is the matter, dearest?” exclaimed the young man, with the utmost concern, “Don’t touch me!” she panted, sinking on a sofa, ‘Don’t come near me!” “What have I—” ‘Mr. Grigson,” she said, recovering herself by a powerful effort and ‘standing erect. “I can overlook your lack of appreciation of the great names in our literature. I can forgive your want of sympathy with the great move- ments in the world of thought that possess my soul and move all my powers to action. But”— and the proud Boston girl pointed sternly to the door—“I can never look with anything but utter abhorrence on a man who does not know how to pronounce the word vahz! Go!” soe Freaks of Fashion. From the Clothier aud Furnis! A neat tie much used by members of the theatrical profession is over three feet long and made of wood. An odd effect in suspender buttons is pro- duced by a shoe string and a safety match. Never place your scarf pin in the middle of your scarf, Always put it on one side and give the necktie a chance to be heard, Time-table trousers are now worn by sub- urban residents. They give the arrival and departure of all trains and call out the names of tho stations. Brazilian bugs are worn by hotel clerks, Most of them are born on the premises and painted green for the occasion, In Chicago beef will be dressed much the same as in previous years, The unusual sight of a man playing tennis in © tennis suit was soon ther da; Scarcity of Young Men. Awriter inthe New York World, talking about the scarcity of young men at the summer resorts, says that ‘‘the wail this year is more deep and heartfelt than it has been for many years past.” He adds: “If things go on at the resent rate betore long the government will importuned to take a hand in supplying the summer resorts with young men. ir scarc~ ity bids fair to rank as a public grievance, Some of the published lists of the entertain- ments given at the watering places are curi- ously suggestive. In one dispatch from Narra- gansett, for instance, on Sunday, the details of a ‘delightful impromptu picnic’ were given, A list of the guests was appended. There were four young men and twenty-seven young women. Atan ‘informal’ dance in Newport on the same day it was said that for the first time in the history of that famous waterig place girls danced with one another, since there wore not men enough to go around. —_— The Real Difficulty. From the Clothier and Furnisher, Jagway—‘‘What's the use of paying $40 or €50 for asuit? I got this for $20.” F ‘Travers—‘Yes, but you had to pay cash for ro ne re ane aac Pasadena has a seven-year-old boy whose ad- thrilling yr palm orn Fon thri any di novel. Insite of three weeks he of a second-story window, shot in with an air gun and railway turntable, Occastoxaty Use a Covria oF Drors of camphor on the tooth brush. Warm Drewes ror tae Taste by immersing them in het water, not by standing them ona hot stove. Garase Spore Mar pe Taxex Oct with weak ammonia in water; lay soft white paper over and iron with a hot iron. Prorts Wno Take Cracrep Ice get tho stimulus of ice upon the nerves of the mouth and tongue, and not flooding by water of the feeble throat and stomach. Use Garat Cane ix Sravrxe Foop for the table, as the smallest spatter of grease or TAVY changes the a and spoils an other- Wise pretty dish. Dox’r Tusk Warn You Srr Dowx ro Rest thatit is necessary to pick up the unfinished ending. Ten minutes’ absolute rest is worth wuch to the tired muscles, Pur 4 Teasrooxrut or Borax in your rinsing water; it will whiten the clothes and also re- move the yellow cast on garments that have been laid aside for two or three years. Por 4 Teasrooxrvr oF Awmoyta in a quart of water, wash your brushes and combs in this, and all crease and dirt will disappear. Rinse, shake and dry in the sun or by the fire. Forxitune Pow ual parts sweet oil and vinegar and « pint of gum arabic well powdered; shake the bottle and apply with a rag. It will make the furniture look very nice. Iris WetL ro Kerr Some Caxxep Satwon in the refrigerator, which then becomes firm and slices nicely; placed on a platter sur- rounded by slices of lemon it makes a pret ty and tempting supper dish. Heartaurs May pe Revievep Avmost Iv- STANTLY if halt a teaspoonful of table salt be dissolved in « wine glass of cold water and then drank, Wuen tre Nos or Your Corrre Pot gets stopped up fill it up with cold water, add from one-half to three-fourths of a teasponful of soda, place it on the back of the stove, let it come to a boil; then pour the water out through the nose and you will find it is all clean, Remepy ror Srrarvep ANKLE.—Take cara- pound it, put it in a tin basin with a fer, put iton the stove and stir until it thickens, then bind iton the ankle; it will take out the inflammation and ease the pain. To Remove a Bran From Tar Nost.—It is & common occurrence for children to get beans, grains of corn and other foreign substances up their noses. This simple remedy is worth re- membering: Get the child to open its mouth, apply your mouth over it and blow hard. The offending substance will be expelled, Ivory Onwaments, unless carefully cared for, become yellow. Tey are very easily cleaned, and with a little trouble will look fresh and re- tain their luster for along time. A simple way to clean them is to brush them with a new tooth brush, but very sharp, to which a little soap is applied, Then rinse the ornament in lukewarm water, Next dry it and brush uutil the luster reappears. A little alcohol poured upon the brush will increase this luster. If the trinket has become very yellow dry it in a gen- tle heat. The yellow will soon disappear and the ornament look as good as new, To Preserve Panstey take fresh-gathered sprigs, pick and wash them clean, Set ona stew pan half full of water, put alittle salt in it, boil and skim it clear and then put in the parsley. Letit boil afew minutes, then take jay iton asieve before the fire that it may be dried as quickly as possible. Put it yinatin box, keep itinadry place and wanted for use lay it in a basin and cover it with warm water a few minutes before using. TounreNtiINE Appgp To THe Wasu Bortin of clothes answers the same purpose as coal oil, about which many questions are asked. The use of both these oils 18 that they dissolve grease out of the material, just as » lard to dissolve out tar a 's trousers, 8 from a be Both turpentine and coal oil are unsafe things to have about a fire, and can only be put into the wash boiler at a distance from the stove, and then must be covered before putting the boiler on the fire. Neither of them is any cheaper or better than the household borax, a pinch of which removesthe dirt with no danger of catching fire from the flames, It is a foolish “fad,” as oiled clothes are certainly no nicer than otherwise washed ones, and borax does not stir the most delicate colors of dyed goods. For Wasninc Kyirtep Woo.ens, or woven ones, boil gallon of soft rain water and pour it upon a pound of fine bran; stir them weil together, and leave them to stand from twelve to fourteen hours. You must then drain the water from the bran, and make it lukewarm, not hot. Wash your woolen garmenis in this water without using soap. When clean, on no account wring them; but press and pin them to dry. The combinations should be drawn over ‘in board made to the shape, and be pinned in their places, or be fastened with drawing pins until they are quite dry. It should be borne in mind that no knitted woolen garments, nor, in fact, any woolen garment, should be allowed to become very much soiled before washing. If very dirty use ammonia with the bran water. The rule for shrinking knitting, if too large, is to soak it in boiling water,wring tight and ict it lie doubled up ina cloth until ary. It is obvious that the very reverse of this process must be used when vou wish to prevent shrinking, aud to be quite successful every gar- meut should be “blocked,” i e., drawn over a board made to the —= of the garment. Growth of the Church, From the New York Herald. ‘The Independent has gathered some valuable and interesting statistics showing the strength of the various Christian churches in the United States and their growth during the past year. In some cases the figures are estimates, but our contemporary believes that on the whole the results “very closely approximate the truth.” From these it appears that there are in the United States 151,261 churches of all denomi- nations, 103,300 ministers and nearly 22,000,000 members. During the year there has been an increase of 8,500 churches, nearly 4,900 minis- ters and nearly 1,090,000 members. The most numerous denomination is the Roman Catholic, with its 7,500 churches, 8,300 priests, &c., and 8,277,000 pulation, of whom 4,676,000 are estimat to be com- municants. Then come the Methodists with, in round numbers, 4,980,000 communicants; Baptists, 4,292,000; Presbyterians, 1,229,000; Lutherans, 1,036,000; Congregationalists, 491,000, and Episcopalians, 480,000, [he increase in the Catholic population dur- ing the year was 421,700. The estimated gain in Catholic communicants was over 238.000, The growth of Protestant membership was 663,000. The Methodists gained more than 256,000, the Baptists more than 213,000, the Lutherans 98.000, the Presbyterians nearly 49,000, the Congregationalists more than 16,000 and the Episcopalians about 9.500. The accession of new members was e' larger than these figures, since in every nomination there were deaths of members whose places were filled by new acquisitions, The number of deaths in the Methodist Epis- copal body, for example, was reported at 28,300, ‘This is & highly eatistactory and encouraging showing to all who have the welfare of the church at heart, A gain of nearly 1,100,000 in membership in one year with a corresponding increase in the number of churches and min- isters indicates that Christianity is marching on with no uncertain stride. Asour contempo- rary well says, is in itself a most over- whelming refutation of the assertions we hear now and then from various quarters that Christianity is losing its hold upon our peopie and that our churches are declining.” — oe Kindly feelings, quick sympathies and gentle manners, joined with true self-respect, form the basis of that gentlemanliness which is so naturally admired and coveted. Vulgarity, which isso much dreaded and so much mis- understood, cousists in the absence of one or all of these qualities. It is not vulgar to wear @ coarse coat A ay 4.” 6 eater ws essenti to dress in fine cl costl; ates nse of ‘one’s creditors or one's and perhaps that explains why one takes Pleas ure in rushing down « toboggan slide, “bebe bing” down the hillside, whirling throngh _ on a railroad train and in wheeling along the road on a cycle, called by the romancists, “the flying steed of steel.” interest In all te there pleasure faken in trials of epee arene ee ‘votees of a sport, no matter how slow they be, take more or less pleasure in knowing the “record” has been broken or The speed possibilities of the cycle, the —_ of cycle racing has been in teen years, are just becoming andard distance has been one which has been cut from am. 13a down 28 4-50. The record of 3m. 13a was about 1876, and the first time an event ever timed in this country, at least, was en Jt 4 of that year, CORTIS’ PNVIARLE CAREER, The first great cut was made by Hobert L. Cortis, the “Myers” of eycling, who repeatedly cut the record during his short and brilliant career and left it at 2m. 41 3-Se, when he re- kept tired in 1879. In Amer: pace with the English, the record —— Sppearance between the years over three minutes until the George M. Hendes, who 1880 and 1884 cut it down to 2m. 4la In this latter year the visit to this country of Saunders Sellers, the English crack, gave new gest to the sport, and in the fall of A year he reduced. the record to 2m. 3%, Heudee pr him all the way to the tape. After Sellersa new eter appeared on the horizon. William A. Rowe of Lynn, Mass., cut the amateur record to 9m. 85 5s. on October 23, 1855, Rowe afterward be- came a professional, and on October 22, he rode mile in the phenomenal time of 2m. 29 4-58., placing himself at the very top of the THE ENGLISH lishmen were making good use of however, and with the assistance of three new tracks Coventry, Long Eaton and Paddington, the latter the finest path in the world—they cut the record of 2m. 418-58, made by Cortis in 1879, do to 2m. 814-5, made by F. J. Osmond on September 12, 1888 Since October, 1s6, the American record has Temained at 2m. 294 During the iste fall of Is88 P. Purnival rode a mile iu 2m, 808, but owing to a tech: ty it was not accepted aq record and Oxmoud’s 2m. 314-58, remained the English standard until a few weeks since. THE “EMERALD AGE” OF CYOLING The months of June and July might be con- sidered the g: age of the English racing path, Perhaps the emerald age would be bet- ter, since it is duo to the visit of two to England that the record has at last been die- placed, It must of riders on “safety” bicycles, and it was onone of machines that K. J. Mecredy on July 16 made arecord of 2m. 30 4 another record of 2m. 29 record and equaling Row il j i & de record. Mecredy is a Dublin and no doubt the English who nessed his trials were much chagrined that an Irishman should out all English times, so they urged F. J. Osmond to make a trial, and b 1 mile in 2m. 2S 4-5a., wh: record. On the same nile On 9 safety bic} . pace, which is the piece of work ever accomplished, WINDLE'S GREAT WoRK, From the present outlook s new table of records should be established this fall, and it would not surprise us to see all world’s records held by Americans before the year is over, Windle, the American champion, recently rode a private mile at Berkeley Oval in 2m. 8 3-5s., and in a public trial at the same place he was ofliciaily timed in 2m, 36 4-58, the time bemg equal to 2m. 30s, sidering the wind, He shouid reduce the record @ 2m. 274, before the year is over. THE REO ENGLISH AND AMERICAN, The following table gives the list of records, English and American, corrected to date: Engiiah. American, Ordinary, Tricycles, Samson ~ ve Enjoying His Privileges, From the Detroit Free Press While almost everything else on earth seeme to have changed and improved during the last twenty years one has only to journey e few miles by an ordinary passenger coach to disy cover that the demeanor of the everage traveler is just the sume as when his father took his first ride occupy a whole seat, F the window up. Every man puts his head when the whistle blows for a highway crossing, If the train stops for over two minutes dy wonders what is the matter, and if speed is twenty miles an hour the man with the stop Swatch is heard callmg out thet the last mile was made in exactly aminute, Every= body carries his umbrella and his I os in days of yore, and the train boy sells just many peanuts as he did during the reckless and extravagant days of war. “Look-a-here!” rephed the man as the con~ ductor toid him that smoking was forbidden in that car, and that he had better put on bis boots and coat and confine his ta gpe seat—look-a-here, mister, haven't I paid my. fare?” “Then you go away and leave me qlone, a-tryin’ to take comfort, lam, If I can’t git it here I might as well travel by ox team.” isn’t Extravagant, From the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Cautious people are sometimes too cautions, The story of aman who considered seriously for a week whether it would be wise for him tq pay £500 for # lot, and, after deciding in the affirmative, learned from the real estate man in a more careful conversation that it was 6508 per front foot, is a case in point, A few days ago a stranger, while haberdasher's store, was attracted by @ of shirts, which were further dis placard on which was printed “These are 75 cents.” It happened thatin the same case were a few silk umbrellas, command about $6 each ona pleasant dag, with a slight tendency to rise if clouds The pedestrian gazed long and the window; then he wandered away, only return soon and gaze again, This was repeated, several times. — store and asked to look at the umbrellas, One was brought out and he opened and e: with the utmost care. It see to exactly — turned to the proprietor aright, for he leaned “What?” The st im, “I'll give you an even 60 umbrella.” The proprietor was be began to recover. “How much do you think it costs,” be ime ired. quire “Ser -five cents.” “and Bowe. you been debating all this time whether you would give that amount for a stil; i : : i il i i { z § ii i The proprictor led him gently but te the Seay friend” be oad tonto yee are too far from home and you'd better seoot before some hungry car horse gets a ry nibble at you and makes funeral of you fore the mistake is discovered.” “Papa,” said the young mother, “I've on a name for baby; we will call her Imogen.' Papa was lost in thought for a few He did not like the name, but if he 1