Evening Star Newspaper, December 16, 1893, Page 19

TEA TABLE GOSSIP. History of the Handkerchief and Its Many Uses. TIMELY NOVELTIES IN PINCOSHIONS. A Lavish Entertainment Given by the Princess de Sagan. FIGURES FOR THE GERMAN. Written for The Evening Star. Othello might well exclaim in agonized tones today, “The handkerchief, the hand- kerchief!" The favorite handkerchief of the moment in Paris is colored, with a bold and @ecided pattern all over it. It is sometimes hemmed at the edge, and sometimes border- ed with lace; but the novelty is the curious form the patterns take. They seem almost to have been borrowed from ancient cotton hangings, though they are all of one uni- form tint. Such a handkerchief should have a special name. It might almost return to one of the original, expressive, inelegant designations of handkerchiefs, “clout.” But ae isto vi long ago—indeed, long before the six- posites century when Henry VIII developed @ “fad” for the handkerchief, and gave it @ place of importance. He became so in love with handkerchiefs that he provided them in dozens for each of his queens, in turn. What had been in order for court moses before that time history fails to men- tion. But Elizabeth, in her young days, was totally umprovided for in this respect, and her guardian complained to the king that the royal child had “no handkerchers” to ber nose. During her reign, evidently, she made up for this inconvenient childhood pri- vation, since dainty handkerchiefs, edged with lace, were numerous in proportion to the gowns in her wardrobe. She elevated the handkerchief to a thing of sentiment, as well, and lovers wore in their hats, as tokens of devotion, tiny Lr gf gt ely work and bordered with go! ce. aon ente a feithioos knight, no matter how imconvenient the emergency, would apply this flattering pledge of favor to his nose. Its gole duty was to wait upon the loving, tear. met the presett time the delicate elegance ef handkerchiefs has reached a height hardly to be surpassed, while plain, pretty ones are sold at prices within the reach of t meager purse. Yer the refined white handkerehieZ does not suit all tastes, as may be proved by the British workman, who uses a red cot- ton one and makes it do double duty by carrying his lunch in it. The Japanese coolie practices a similar economy with his sky-blue one, by tying It Ught around his head when he is dragging heavy joads or racing his jinrikisha, and removing it when he wants to wipe his heated, dripping face. The London Ambulance Society has a unl- form handkerchief, a cheerful affair. 1t fs printed with bandaged heads and 1s considered so desirably emphatic by certain authorities that an army handkerchief 1s under contemplation, to be printed all over with army regulations. Sull, it is very doubtful if it will be adopted, for Queen Victoria would scarcely consent to have even the least of her laws put in @ posi- tion to be “sneezed at.” Novelties in Pincushions. ‘As Christmas approaches and pretty, at- tractive gifts or bazaar articles are in con- templation some novelties in pincushions may serve as suggestions. The coal-scutile is a favorite shape, and when made of cop- per-colored velvet, the inside a blaék satin cushion for the pins. it is charming. A large yellow satin coai-scuttie, with a green velvet cushion inside, is pretty, too. Anoth- er design, easily made, ts a satin hat, sailor shape, the crown forming a pincushion. Another imitates a cigar. This must be of giant size, covered with brown satin of the Fight shade, and tied round and suspended by yellow cigur ribbons. For flat pincush- fons, with Sims at the edge, the greatest Rovelties resemble a square envelope in size and form. They are made of white satin, have « stamp in one corner, and are directed with pen and ink ih some such way as the following: Miss B. Tidy, Pin Park; Mrs. Extra eet; Lieut. B. Careful, Needles place; Miss U. R. Particular. Any pretty colored satins may be used and they may have ribbons and bows if they are to be suspended. An Old Work Revived. In Paris a great deal of attention is now @evoted to the embroidery of screen panels. The work is an old kind revived, which consists in working on canvas laid on a ma- terial, and then drawing the threads away. The more the panels of a screen resemble @ picture the vetter the effect, and there is generally a central figure of a pretty girl im peasant dress, or a man in the Louis XIV style. As fine .inen is used for a ground- work, the faces can be exquisitely worked and the result is very effective. A noted physician recommends a simple remedy for the feeling of exhaustion and weariness from which so many women suffer after any undue amount of fatigue and for which drugs and stimulants are so often used. This eminent medical man as- sures us that cold water is a stimulating restorative for inertia of the heart's ac- tion, a prevalent trouble in these days of hurry and bustle. In his own case—of course the result would vary with different people—he found that by sipping a wine glass of cold water he could raise his pulse from 76 to 100. Any one experiencing an exbausied sensation would certainly prefer this natural remedy to doses of brandy or sal volatile, fur the convenience of having it at hand, if for no other reason. Fin de Siecle Babies. The essential principle of elegance in dress, that “one can never tell what a real- ly well-dressed woman has on,” can hardly apply to fin de siecle babies, for their robes follow the luxurious fashions of their elders and are now made from white poplin, white Sicilienne and white benguline. Even the Most careless obs: Rote the white velvet long robe recently worn by a three-months-old cherub, whose mother recognizes no such word as extrav- agance and apparently knows no such word as sense. The Baroness Seilliere Is one of the hand- some, distinguished American women that have made brilliant foreign marriages. The Seillieres divide their time between Paris and this country, and the toilets of the baroness are noted, in Newport and New York, for their taste and elegance. One of the gowns she wore at the horse show was entirely of astrachan fur, skirt, cape and ali, but of such exquisitely fine texture that it passed for brocade. She may have ac- quired a degree of her superiority, in this | respect, from her sister-in-law, the Prin- oss de Sagan, who is the Jeader of fashion tm Paris. The whole world owes her a debt of gratitude for averting the invasion of the heop. Fashionabie feminine Paris was head- ed for that atrocious revival and only the firmness, of Princess de Sagan's opposition turned the tremendous tide. It isto be re- gretted that she has adopted, instead of dis- couraging, the panier, although that may be a graceful concession to compensate for m‘pping the crinoline plans. A Lavish Entertainer. She not only dresses superbiy, but enter- tains magnificently. The cotillon given by her for the Duchesse d'Aosta may serve as an exampie of her hospitality. In the en- trance hall were no fewer than seventy men servants, who formed two rows, be- tween which the guests passed on their ar- rival. Half of these servants were in blue dress coats, with steel buttons, knee breech- | es to match, blue silk stockings and frilled shirts; the others were in red liveries braided with gold, white silk stockings and powdered heads. @ splendid Suisse.with hallebarde and three- cornered hat. and two ushers to announce the names, dressed in maroon coats and satin breeches. The presents given during the cotillon would have stocked a Christmas bazaar--00 silk bags, with clasp; 100 para- is, 10) bonbonnieres, 250 sachets, 200 fan: 10 baskets of fruit, 400 bouquets of ro: 10 silvez-headed walking sticks, 100 silver pencils and 100 note books. One of the pret- test figures of the cotillion was the scarf figure, the searf fastened to an immense Chinese parasol heid by a little Arab boy in his national costume. By way of cotiflon figures, there are some very pretty new ones this season. Melinite bombs will be a great success; these are thrown into the air and burst, scattering ns of varied colors around. The wheel- row ig amusing, or rather two wheelbar- Besides these there was| v 7 rows, filled with light trifies, and wheeled | by two men; he that is fortunate enough to | reach the opposite end of the room first} without upsetting the contents wins the lady he wishes to dance with. Another good figure is the giant muff, into which the ladies and men thrust their hands, whereupon the muff opens and discovers whose hands are interclasped, thus deciding the partners. ontaceigeiina THE TALLEST EXTANT ANIMAL. Male Giraffes Have Reached the Height of Eighteen Feet. From Knowledge. Compared with their extinct allies of ear- lier periods of the earth’s history, it may be laid down as a general rule that the large animals of the present day are decidedly inferior in point of size. During the latter pertion of the territorial period, for in- stance, before the incoming of the glacial epoch, when mammals appeared to have at- tained their maximum development, there lived elephants alongside of which ordinary individuals of the existing species would have looked almost dwarfs, while the cave bear and the cave hyena atiainel consider- | ably larger dimensions than their living rep- | resentatives, and some of the sable-toothed tigers must have been considerably larger than the biggest African lion or Bengal lion. Again, the remains of red deer, bison and wild oxen disinterred from the caverns and other surficial deposits of this country indi- cate animals far superior in size to their degenerate descendants of the present day, | while some of the extinct pigs trom the Siwalik hills of northern inuia mignt be compared in stature to a tapir rather than to an ordinary Wild boar, sne same stury is toid of repules, ine giant Uortvive of luc S.walik hills, im spite or 4s dimensions hay- Ing DEEN CunsMeranLy eXagecruced, Breduy exceeding mm size Uie largest living gient tortoises of e.twer the mascarehe OF ine Galapagos Isiatas. ‘Tne latter rocks have also yielded the remaims of a long-snouted crocodile, allied to the gavial of Lne Ganges, which probably measures from fitty to sixty feet 1a iengin, Wheres it 1s very douotful if any existing memver of the or- der exceeds nalf tne smauer of these ul- mensions. If, moreover, we took into ac- count totally extinct types, suca as te megatheres and myiodons of South Aime: ica, and contrasting them with their ne. est living allies—in this mstance tne sloths and ant eaters—the discrepancy in size would be still more marked, but such a comparison would scarcely be aualogous to the above. To every rule there is, however, an ex- ception, and there are a few groups of liv- ing large mammals whose existing members appear never to have been surpassed in size by their fossil relatives, Foremost among these are the whales, which now appear to include the largest members of the order which have ever existei, The so-called white or square-mouthed rhinoceros of South Africa seems also to be fully equal in size to any of its extinct ancesiors; and the same is certainly true of the giraffe, which may even exceed al its predecessors in this respect. Whether, however, the fossil gi- raffes, of which more anon, were or were not the equals in height of the largest in- dividuals of the living species, there is no question but that the latter is by far the tallest of all living mammals, and that. it was only rivaled in this respect among ex- tinct forms by {ts aforesaid ancestors. Moreover, if we exclude creatures like some of the gigantic dinosaurian reptiles of the secondary epoch, which, so to speak, gained an unfair advantage as regards height by sitting on their hind legs in a kangaroo-like manner, and limit our comparison to such as walk on all four feet in the good old-} fashioned way, we shall find that giraffes are not only the tallest mammals, but itke- wise the tallest of all animals that have ever existed. As regards the height attained by the male of the tallest quadrupeds, there ts unfortunately, a lack of accurate informa- tion, and since it is probable that the ma- jority of those now living are inferior in size to the largest individuals which existed when the species was far more numerous than at present, it Is to be feared that this deficiency in our knowledge is not very likely to be remedied. Rv some writers the height of the mate giraffe ts given at six- teen feet and that of the female at fourteen feet, but this is certainly below the reality. For instance, Mr. H. A. Bryden states that a female he shot in southern Africa meas- AS THE EXPERTS PLAY Position Shots by the Master Billiardists. WAYS OF GETTING BALLS TOGETHER. Schaefer's '*Anchor" and How He Achieves It. SKILLED WORK WITH A CUE. Amateur billiard players frequently dis- cover when they have attained a certain degree of proficiency that they cannot ad- vance. Each game shows no improvement on the preceding one. It is because they have not learned the secret of playing for the following shot, or for “position.” In this article diagrams are given of some of the shots by which the masters of the game gained position in the balk line tour- nament that has been played in New York between Ives, Slosson and Schaefer. In the diagrams the heavy lines indicate the cou of the cue ball and the dotted lines the course of the first object ball. No. 2 is a marvelous masse cushion carom made by Schaefer. 3 is one of Slosson’s drives for posi- tion, sending the white object ball the Jength of the table and back into the cor- ner. No. 4 is Schaefer's famous “anchor,” each of the object balls being in a separate “block.” It was on this shot that the rec- ord was three times broken in the recent Schaefer-Ives games in Chicago. ured seventeen feet to the summits of the horns. From the evidence of a very large though badly preserved specimen in the Natural History Museum it mav. however. be inferred that fine males certainly reach the imposing height of eighteen feet. ALA LE PON » PROFIT IN GUINEA PIGS. Reward of Three Years’ Labor in Producing a Canudated Variety. From the Buffalo Press. “I have just come in from the country, said the young man with the fall style der- by, “and I succeeded in making a large and juicy fool of myself almost every day I was there. I stayed with an uncle of mine who has a farm sixteen or seventeen miles from nowhere, and the Reubens got the laugh on me so many times that I can’t remember the number. “The queerest experience that I had, though, was at one of their country fairs. They held the fair early this year, for some reason or other, and I was on hand to take I went out to the grounds with a party of women who were visiting in the neighborhood, and, undismayed by the faii- ure of my former efforts to string the rus- tics, I started out to have some fun with them as soon as we struck the grounds. We walked around for a couple of hours, and I was poking all manner of fun at the people we met. Finally, we.came to the shed where the poultry was on exhibition, and, we went along looking at the var- fously bred chickens, [ got particulariy fun- ny. At the end of one of the rows of coops Was a box with five or six guinea pigs In it. There were quite a number of countrymen standing around locking at the queer little animals. “We walked over and looked at the pigs. Then | said loudly: ‘Du you know that if you pick up a guinea pig by the tail its eyes will drop out?” The countrymen stared. “Fact,” L continued. ‘Pick one of them up by the tail and its eyes will drop right out. Most queerly constructed anatomically of guy animal known to naturalists. If these pigs were mine I would soon show you.’ “A big, strapping fellow who stood beside the box said: ‘Stranger, I don't believe you.’ I insisted that I was right, but he stood and doggedly shook his head, and the rest of the countrymen sided with him. Now, a guinea pig has no tail, and there is where the joke comes in. I argued for some little time, and then made a grand bluff. I pulled out a little roll of bills and offered to bet the Reuben $25 that just that thing would hap- pen. Imagine my surprise when the Reuben hauled a greasy old pocketbook out of his jeans and covered the money. I was sure I had him, for the bet was a catch one any- how, and, as the young women who were with me were egging me on, I couldn’t ‘I claim that if you pick up that guinea pig by its tail its eyes will drop out." “ft understand,’ said the countryman, as he opened the little door in the side of the box and pulled out a guinea pig. ‘Now, pick this one up and let's see its eyes drop out.” “Then I began to laugh. ‘Ha, my friends,’ I said, ‘I have played a little trick on you, that’s all. As a guinea pig has no tail, you can’t pick one up by it. If you could, I do not doubt that its eyes would drop out." “I reached out for my half of the bet, when the big countryman said: ‘Hol’ on there, mister. You jist look an’ see if this here guinea pig hain’t got a tail.’ I examin- ed it, and may I be switched if it didn't have a tail an inch long. The countryman picked it up by the little caudal appendage, j and, of course, its eyes didn’t drop out. | Then he reached over, grabbed the wad of money and put it in his pocket, remarking the while: ‘I didn't think when I developed ; that breed of guineas that they would ever make that much for me." “I'll be blamed if he hadn't been working for three years to produce guinea pigs with tails! He had succeeded, and I was chump enough to go against the only cage of that | Kind of animals in the world with my chest- nut about their eyes dropping out." ——_+e-+___ How a Hen Sleeps. From a St. Louis Exchange, | People often wonder why a hen does not i fall off her perch when she goes to sleep. The fact is, she cannot. As long as a hen is standing up or walking about the ten- dons of her toes are relaxed, but by a very curious arrangement, a natural mechanical | grip, the moment she sits down on her | | perch the act of bending the knee-joint Ughtens the toe sinews and they are drawn | taut, thus clasping the foot around the; j perch with a vise-itke clutch. She can only | loosen it by rising, and that is the reason why a hen or bird that has been frozen to death is found firmly fixed on the perch, Hens or birds that die in convulsions stand | uP or try to fly, and so fall, but a bird that as ‘n frozen slowly to death re: ee mains on No. 5 shows how Schaefer brought the balls into the “anchored” position. No. 6 shows some of Schaefer's masse shots in different parts of the table. They frequently aided him in anchoring the balls. No. 7 shows two difficult position shots. Fig. 1 wes a difficult masse. Fig. 2 was a draw, which sent the first object ball up to the further position and back again. Slos- Son, who tried it, failed on the draw, but the object ball, returning, kissed his ball on to the other object ball. —————————") No. 8 is a cushion carom by Schaefer, which brought the balls together. No. 9 is one of Slosson’s follow shots for the cushion, bringing the object balls to- gether, ———+e-___ Ivory as a Setting. The study of precious stones has suggest- ed to the wife of an expert and collector an idea for reformation in the setting of dia- monds, says the Pall Mall Budget. Wheth- er it 1s practical is a question for jewelers. The proposal is that ivory should take the piace of bold or silver. All wearers of dia- monds are aware how troublesome is the process of washing and drying silver-set diamonds so as to avoid the slightest tar- nish, and a gold setting has the disadvan- tage of causing so much reflection of its own color as to render the whiteness of a fine diamond difficult to gauge. But even more important would be the gain of beauty. The brilliance of gold and silver would mar their charm as a setting for transparent and sparkling stones,though it makes them a good setting for opaque stones and for pearls. Ivory would give the gentle effect that 1s now sought for by set- ting diamonds together with merely semi- precious stones—a combination deplorable to the expert. Ivory would have even more than the quieting effect of cat's eyes or chrysoprase and its thick, warm whiteness by the lucid and darting diamond would wake an effect of great refinement. Per- haps a difficulty would be found for its camparative for agility. +o+—____ French Spies on Trial The trial of the two French spies arrested at Kiel, Germany, while attempting to pass themselves off as yachtsmen began at Leip- sic Thursday. THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 18 IN THE CRIMEA. A Flag of Truce a Lost R From the Ashton Reporter. A mandate had gone forth to the effect that a certain suburb of Sebastopol should be raided by a select body of English. The attack was to take place at midday, when the enemy were at dinner. The venture was 80 quickly executed that it was completely successful. The occupants of the cottages aad fled, leaving their dinners untouched on the table and the canaries in their cages. In one cottage was found a baby about six months old clothed and asleep in its cradle. An officer carried away the little one as a prisoner of wap and sent the news of his capture to headquarters. Word came at once from Lord Raglan ordering that flag of truce should be sent out next morn- ing and that all possible search and in- quiry should be made for the mother of the child. Some of the officers were amused that so much trouble should be taken for a stray baby, but the chief's orders had to be obeyed No mother was forthcoming, however, to acknowledge the lost waif, But there was a woman in the rifle brigade who had a baby a few weeks old who was willing to undertake doifble duty. About three weeks elapsed and then Rag- len the Good sent another message to his 3taff,who had forgotten all about the adopt- 2d child, directing that inquiry be made! after “the mother and her twins.” Word came back that the two children were thriv- ing admirably, but that the mother herself {ooked worn and tired. “How many cows are there?” asked Raglan. “One, sir,” was the reply. “Then,” said the self-de- nying chief, “send the woman down a bot- tle of milk every morning.” After this the little army protege became very popular. A chaplain christened her Alma and at the end of the war the queen adopted her and gave her a liberal education. eugene cepts THE ART OF EATING, Few People Know How to Order a Dinner in Proper Style. From the Buffalo Express. “When my children get to the proper age,” sald the man who was smoking a briar pipe, “I intend to have them taken in hand by some competent person and given a thorough instruction in the art of eating, and, further, in the science of finding out what to eat and ordering.” “What do you mean?” inquired the man who sat next to him. “I mean this: The average American citi- zen is woefully deficient in knowledge of what he can get to eat. He falls down when it comes to ordering a dinner. The great majority of people in this country are brought up frugally at home and do not know anything but the commonest dishes, The consequence is that when a man goes into a restaurant for dinner or to a hotel he gazes helplessly at the bill of fare and sees many things of which he does not know the component parts. He dares not order anything that he is not sure of, for fear of ridicule, and he falls back on roast beef and mashed potatoes. The fact is, he doesn’t know anything but roast beef. Same way in a restaurant. When a waiter shoves a bill of fare under a man’s nose, nine times out of ten he will look it over and then say, ‘Gimme a steak and some fried potatoes. Now, the man who does this, and nearly every one of us does do it day after day, doesn’t want roast beef. He is sick unto death of steaks and fried potatoes. He loathes ham and eggs, and yet he keeps on ordering them in dreary and dyspeptic suc- cession, because he doesn't know any better and he Is too proud to confess his ignorance. It's that way with me and I'll bet it’s that way with most of you. I am going to re- lieve my children of all these things. They're going to know what's what when it comes to eating. ‘No roast beef domination! shall -be my household slogan.”* And the rest of the party thought it over CALIFORNIA’S GOLD PRODUCT. Fabulous Contribations From a Single State to the Wealth of the World. Expert miners and prospectors predict that the new South African gold fields, of which the wonderful city of Johannisberg is the commercial center, will, when fully developed, prove to be the richest ever dis- covered. The character and extent of the deposits in that territory, says the New York Herald, certainly warrant the expecta- tion that further operations will place it among the most famous mining regions in history, its output already exceeding that of any other district of similar geographical area with the single exception of California. It is to California, indeed, that historians must turn for the standard with which to ascertain the comparative richness of all other gold fields. The record of that state in the yield of the precious metal stands without parallel in the history of mankind. No other territory ever developed goid de- posits so extensive, so rich, or so enduring, nor has any ever witnessed profitable min- ing operations extending over such long periods of time. The gold produced in California since 1850 exceeds $1,250,000,000 and the yield at pres- ent amounts to about $13,000,000 a year, or perhaps $7,000,000 more than that of any other state. The output has decreased some- what in recent years, but the decline is due not to any general exhaustion of the territory, but to the suspension of the hy- draulic mines, which of themselves turned out something like $10,000,000 annually, These figures set a high mark for boomers of the South African gold fields. They rep- resent a contribution to the wealth of the world never equaled by any similar area of territory on the face of the earth. And California, notwithstanding the diversion of vast sums of her energy and capital to profitable mining operations for other min- erals, is still turning out more than one- third of all the gold produced in the United States. ee Terrapin a Little Lower, but Still High From the Baltimore American. Terrapin, the now greatest delicacy known to the epicure, are a little lower in price this year than they were last, although their comparative scarcity makes them one of the most precious luxuries, “‘Counts"—that is, terrapins that measure six inches or over —which brought $55 per dozen last year, are now selling for $50. The largest specimens are highly prized for their flesh and have brought even this year as high as $72 per dozen. The more common varieties, which have not changed materially in price, sell for $15 to Terrapin farming, as it is technically“dubbed by the trade, has proved itself a lucrative business. Of late years many have entered into it and have earned a@ good living by plying their strange trade. One of the most noted of these farms is situ- ated on Hog Island, Va., which is located at the mouth of the Coan river, where all the advantages of water and surroundings nec- essary for the rearing of the animals are at hand. The farm covers about two and one- half acres of land and water and is sur- rounded by a board fence, which effectually prevents the terrapin from escaping. The interior is divided into lots. Marshy ground is afforded the animals for burrowing in the mud when the cold weather sets in. The summer months seem to be the favorite time for the terrapin to lay its eggs. This operation is performed in a pecullar way, which admirably demonstrates the sagacity of the animal. The female first digs a hole in the sand with her claws and hollows it out cleverly in the form of an inverted cone. In this she deposits her eggs, one layer ata time, and, having filled the cavity, she cov- ers it over carefully, and, with her hard breast shell, packs the sand down over the nest. She usually lays about twelve eggs, this being a fair average. The heat of the sun hatches the eggs and after they have been in the ground about two months and a half the little fellows dig themselves out of the sand and take to the water, where they proceed to obtain nourishment as best they can. When the cold weather comes on the terrapin hunts his winter quarters, which are generally located at the bottom of the pond. The older ones sleep all the winter at the bottom and the younger ones live around the edges of the bank. As a natural conse- quence, the terrapin only requires care dur- ing the warm weather. Then they must be fed regularly with fish, crabs and other food of which they are fond. Such farms are stocked at any season of the year. When- ever the animals are caught they are placed within the inclosure, where they find the quarters all prepared for their reception. A few terrapins are caught by tongers in the bay. They are generally large in size and command high prices. In New York, Philadelphia and Boston the demand for this juxury has become so strong in late years that they are brought from Georgia and the Carolinas. These terrapin, however, do not have the flavor of the true diamond back, and, therefore, are sold at a much lower price. Thirty years ago terrapin as an arti- cle of food among the elite was undreamed of by the majority of the people. Now they are caught in such quantities as to endanger the supply and make it possible that in a few years the terrapin will be no more, 98—-TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. MANDY’S ORG’N. From Romance. “I wonder,” reflected Mrs, Bentley, “why "Mandy don’t feed them chick’ns—'ts high time they was fed!. "Mandy! Hoo-o0-hoo! Hoo-o0-hoo! You "Mandy!”” “Yes, maw, what d’you want?” A girl about seventeen years old came out the kitchen door, and stood looking at her mother with her hands on her comely lips. Mrs, Bentley was twenty or more steps away, and the chickens were making so much noise she had to raise her voice to a disagreeable, rasping pitch. ‘What'd’ I want! Why, I want ter know why you don’t feed them chick’ns, missy—that’s what I want! Step around lively, now, ’n’ don’ forget 's Chris'’mas Eve, 'n’ a lot o’ extry work ter be done. You ac’ '’s if you did’pt care whether the minister hed anything fer dinner tomorrow 'r not!” “I don't care,” said the girl, with sullen emphasis. She came out into the lane, und stood near her mother. Her apron, gathered up in her left hand, was full of wheat. With her right hand she began scattering it on the hard, ungrassed ground. “Mebbe you think 'ts fun ter hev minis:ers *n’ their wives ’n’ a lot o’ children ter cook ‘n’ work fer an Chris’mas,” she said; “but I don’t. I wish Chris’mas 'ud never come— fer all the good it does us! Maria Quacken- bush’s paw’s got her a new org’n,” she add- ed, suddenly. A glow of eagerness came across her face, but faded almost instantly. “Has he?” said Mrs. Bentley, stolidly watching the chickens. “"N ‘ts got twenty-four stops, maw.” “What has?” “The org’n Maria's paw got 'er fer Chris’- mas.” The elder woman shut her lips together with a kind of grimness. “I guess it won't give no better music than one with twenty-two,” she said. 2 said "Mandy, with a sigh of indif- ference. “Oh, maw,” she added, sudXenly with a very passion of longing in her tone; “a’ you think paw’ll ever get me 'n org’n fer Chris’mas?” “I do’ know,” replied her mother, ‘Looks kind o’ like snow, don’t it? Which o’ them pull'ts ’r’ you go’n’ ter kill fer termorrow?” “I do’ know; any of ’em’s fat enough.” A dull grayness lowered upon the farm. The wind whistled a little as it came around the corner of the big barn, and pushed some stray locks of the girl's hair across her neck, A horse came running up from the lower pasture, and looked over the tall bars, neighing and pawing the ground im- patiently, Far off, down near the river, was the tinkle-inkle-inkle of a cow bell. “There comes the cows,” said Mrs, Bent- ley, sighing unconsciously. It was a sigh of resignation, however, for Mrs. Bentley had been a farmer’s daughter before she was a farmer's wife. ‘There!’ she ex- claimed, in mild triumph, as a cock crew, “Didn't I tell you it was go’n’ ter storm? You can tell it by the mournful sound o’ thet fooster's voice. Oh, say, ‘Mandy! Dick Underwood got home las’ week from town ter. spend Chris'mas ‘n’ New Year. I just heard it while you was out gether'n’ punk'ns!”" “I knowed it yesterday,” said the girl. She did not stir or litt her eyes, but a faint color came into her face and a pulse in her throat began to beat quickly. Her mother gave her a keen, searching look. likely be go’n’ ter Maria's termorrow, a-see’n’ her new org’n,” she said, looking away. “Yes, I guess,” said the girl. After a mo- hesitation, she added: “Maria’s maw got ‘er 'n offul pretty new dress.” “Did she?’—with a look of it like?” interest. brown ‘n’ gold stripe— offul pretty,” added the bitter reluctance. Mrs. Bentley was awed into silence for @ moment in contemplation of Maria's splendor; then she gave a little sniff of con- tempt. “Well, I don't see where them Quacken- bushes git so much money ter spend on foolishness! They got just the same fer their pertatos ’s we did—n’ they didn’t have no bigger crop, I know. 'N” they ain’t sold their hawgs yet. It beats me where they git their money ter pay fer things!” “She's got a pair o” gloves ter match, too.” “Lan’ sakes! Just 's if that pair o’ gray ones she got ’n the spring wasn’t good enough! It beats me. Well, there's one thing mighty sure! They needn't any of "em think she’s go’n’ ter Jook better ‘n sll aS finery than you'll look ‘n thet peacock eo” your’n! the hills,” said the girl. ‘Ts ‘'s old Her lips quivered, and There was an under- tone of tears in her voice. Her mother looked at her in mute sympathy. “Maria Quackenbush ain't got no such figger 's your'n,” she said, after a little, taking stock of the girl's good points; “nor no such hair, ’n’ she don’t know how ter do *t up like you do. 1 don’t suppose he'll take a notion to her.” “Who will?” There was a conscious look on the girl's face. “Dick Underwood.” “Who's a-car'n’ whether he does 'r not?” exclaimed "Mandy, with an exaggerated affectation of scorn and indifference that but poorly concealed the deep hurt her mother’s words had given. “He's welcome bea "ft he wants to! Nobody ’ll hender ‘im, ess.” 'Hev you got them chick’ns fed?” Yes.’ She shook the last grains of wheat from her apron. Her face was flushed, and tears were very close to her eyes now. As she turned toward the house, there was a clatter of unevenly galloping horses on the winter ground, and up to the gate dashed Maria Quackenbush and Dick Un- derwood, laughing noisily, and with a great deal of color in their faces, as if they had been riding recklessly. “Whoa!” cried Maria, with spirit. “Whoa, T tell you! Hello, ‘Mandy! How do you do, Mis’ Bentley! Guess my hair 's down my back, ain’t it? My! I must be a sight! But when you git this horse warmed up, you can’t go slow on him! “Won't you git down 'n’ come in?” asked Mrs. Bentley, with cold and unmistakable disapproval. “How do you do, Mr. Under- or My! how you have changed! "Mandy" "Mandy came to the gate, blushing and looking rather shy and awkward. The young hands man jumped off his horse and shook with her through the gate. “I've only changed in looks,” he said, with shining eyes. “No, we can’t come in tonight. We promised Mrs. Quackenbush we'd be back early to supper.” “We're go’n’ ter hev some music ‘n’ sing’n’,” said Maria loftily. “I've got a new org’n. fer Chris’mas, 'Mandy. “Yes, I heard,” said "Mandy, faintly. “Got twenty-four stops 'n’ two knee swells —w loud 'n' a soft. "T's got a high back, ’n’ places fer lamps ’n’ vases. Can’t you come over ternight?” “No, I guess not,” said the girl. The color had left her face, and she was looking pal 0,” said Mrs. Bentley, with a hard look in her eyes, “‘she’ll hev ter do all the work ternight. I'm a-go'n ter town.” “Why, maw!" exclaimed ’Mandy, in amazement. ‘'R’ you, honest? What you go’n’ fur? “I'm a-go'n’ ter git some things fer din- ner termorrow. I'm all out.” She began drumming with her coarse red fingers on the gate. There was a look of sudden resolution—almost stubbornness—on her face; and a cold glitter, like steel, in her eyes,—especially when she looked at Maria. “I wish you c’u’d come,” said that young lady, airily, to "Mandy, flicking her horse’s ears with her whip; “I’ve got lots ter tell you’’—simpering—‘‘'n’ just piles ter show you. I’ve got a new dress that'll make your mouth water! “Hunh!” sniffed Mrs. Bentley, tossing ber head contemptuously. “'Ts brown ‘n’ gold camel's hair—dfful ee a it cost a dollar-’n’-a-quarter a yard.” ‘Hez your paw sold his hawgs yet?’ asked Mrs. Bentley, with sudden and start- ling significance. But evidently nothing could shake Maria's self-satisfaction today. She returned with placidity Mrs. Bentley's intense gaze. “I do’ know,” she replied lightly. “'N’ I've got @ pair o’ gloves ter match, "Mandy. Guess you better come,after all. Well, we'll hev ter be go’n’, Mr. Underwood”— she gave him a decidediy and boldly coquet- tish glance, whereat poor "Mandy turned paler and Mrs. Bentely’s face assumed a fairly purplish tinge—"‘r we'll be late. Good-bye! Hope you'll hev a good time ter- morrow.” “Good-night,” said the young man, with a lingering look through the gate at the pale, Pretty face and wide, hurt eyes. “1 wish you a very happy Christmas!” “Good-night," said "Mandy, with a poor that was hardly a smile at all. Ww, you go right ’n the house ’n’ do up all the work, ’Mandy,” said Mrs. Bentley, taking up a slop pall and walking with quick, resolute strides. Every step seemed to say, “I've made up my mind! I’ve made up my mind!” “You tell Peter ter hitch Dock ‘n’ Charley ter the spring wag’n, while I'm dress‘n’ " you hurry up, too, so’s I can git off before your paw gits back! I won't git home tonight; 1'll put up at Mis’ Huntly’s. Hurry up!” Too occupied with her own refiections to give more than a passing thought to her mother’s sudden resolution, and eager to get her pale face away from those solic- itous eyes, "Mandy gladly obeyed. Twenty minutes later Mrs. Bentley came from the house, dressed for town, and crossed the lane to the barn. “I'll show them Quackenbushes "f they can walk over my girl!” she was saying. Her lips were shut firmly together, and there was an ominous look in her eyes. “”Man- ay’s paw'll never git stirred up ter the pitch o’ gitt’n "n org’n; 'n’ what's the sense 0” my keep'n that hunderd dollars ter bury myself with? Guess I'll git buried decent somehow. ‘N’ then a 'ticin’ Dick Under- wood down there on the strength o’ a new org’n 'n’ a new dress!” Her tone was bitter now indeed. “I'll show ’em!” She climbed into the wagon over the front — and yor up the reins with decision. “Git up,” she said, in a tone not trifled with. £65 As she passed the kitchen, she looked tn, but "Mandy was not in sight. The ominous look deepened on the mother’s face. “I'll show 'em,” she muttered again. ‘The wind whistled around the corner, and brought with it the first flurry of snow. The ground was white when Mrs. Bent- ley drove with a flourish of triumph into the barn yard. "Mandy ran out, bareheaded. ‘She was still pale, and her eyes looked as if she had not slept. “Oh, maw!" she cried. “What you got said her mother there?” iad holler’n’, a “'Ts a new o! fer you—'n’ "ts got twen- ty-eight stops ’n’ three knee-swelle™ “Oh, maw!” excaimed "Mandy, completely overcome. Then—“you're a holler’n’ your- monte Say, maw, what's the third swell “I don’t know what ‘ts fur, but ’ts there. "N’ IT guess I can holler ’f I want to, be- cause I've showed "e1 'N’ I've got a dress fur you thet cost a dollar ’n’ a half a yard, ‘n’ two pairs o’ gloves ter match!” “Oh, maw!” gasped "Mandy, “you're a-hol- ler’n’ offul! “'N' Dick Underwood told me he was com’n’ ter stay fer dinner, ’n’ spend the evenin’ ter see the new org’n. "N’ he asked me ’f I thought you liked him lke you uster, ‘n’ like he likes you! So ’f I ain't showed them Quackenbushes, missy, I'd Uke ter know who has! 'N’ I guess I I want to! ——+e-_____ QUESTION OF PREFERENOB. The Law in Regard to Honorably Dis- charged Soldiers and Sailors. Grand Army men are somewhat perplexed at the published statment that the Navy Department has raised the question of what constitutes a “veteran” for purposes of preference in the matter of appointments in the civil service. This perplexity is due to the fact that the law regulating such ap- pointments makes no reference to “veter- ans.” Section 1754 R. &., the only statute having a probable application to this ques- tion, provides as follow “Persons honorably discharged from the military or naval service by reason of dis- ability resulting from wounds or sickness incurred in the line of duty shall be pre- ferred for appointments to civil offices, pro- vided they are found to possess the business capacity necessary for the proper discharge of the duties of such offices.” Rule X of departmental rules governing appointments in the civil service provides as follows: Upon uisition of the hy depart- ment, tee oceania, shall oactlty fer rein- Statement in said department, in a grade requiring no higher exemination than the one in which he was formerly employed, any person who, within one year next ceding the date of the requisition, through no delinquency or misconduct, been Separated from the classified service of that department: Provided, That certification may be made, subject to the other condi- tions of this rule, for the reinstatement of any person who served in the military or naval service of the United States in the late war of the rebellion and was honorably discharged therefrom, or the widoy such person, without when's regard to the jength of time hi = moon ronat she has been separated from The Error. The published error probably arose from the fact that the regulations poston the employment of labor at navy yards, place “veterans” as first on the list of prefer- ence in the matter of appointments as mechanics and laborers,places outside of the regular classified service. The question of What constitutes a “veteran” Within the meaning of these regulations was raised by an applicant for employment » in @ navy Refused Preference. He said he had been refused “preference” by a naval officer on the ground that his service in a Maine regiment grom early in 1865 to the end of the war did not entitle him to classification as a veteran, The question has never been definitely decided, although many opinions have been rendered by various government officers, and the Navy Department has secured all of these and also informal opinions of other persons in authority. The War Department, Webster's Dictionary and the second au- ditor of the treasury practically agree as to the definition, and if these three authori- tes have weight in determining the ques- tion submitted to Secretary Herbert many applications for employmen y yards Wil be affected.) 7 ment im navy Webster says that in the U: lisument during the civil war and had re- enlisted. in an order issued in 1863 the War Department says men who have serv- ed for not less than nine months can be re-enlisted as veteran volunteers. The present second auditor of the treasury gives an informal opinion that to be enrolled as 4 veteran requires two enlistments, The soldier must have served at least nine months of the first enlistment and then re-enlisted for three years or during the war. The chief clerk of the pension office also holds that two enli — Ww istments are re- On March 2, 1893, the War Department —_ that enlisted men who have served welve years or more continuously wise shail be classffied as Veterans: The Union Veteran Legion makes active service at the front indispensable to membership. ———+-o+______ Bogus Commission Merchants. In the absence of the necessary legislation to protect outside shippers from the alleged bogus commission merchants and dealers here Inspector Hollinberger has devised a plan to thwart their game, A list of the al- leged bogus dealers has been furnished the freight depots of the railroad companies, and when goods are received for them word is sent to headquarters. Detective Carter, who has given the matter some attention, has responded to several calls from the freight offices recently, and large shipments of goods have been turned over to reputable merchants to sell. The latest affair of the kind was done yesterday, when a shipment of fifty boxes of oranges from Ocala,Fla.ar- rived. Telegrams were sent between here and Florida by the police and the alleged bogus dealers, and the result was that the police won. The oranges were turned ver to the police, and they will be disposed of. The Florida company will then receive their money for the fruit without further trouble. —_—> Transfers of Real Estate. Deeds in fee have been filed as follows: ‘W. P. Pepper to C. C. Savage, property in squares 472, 473, 503 and 504; $. C. S. Johnson to same, wharf property; $—. M. Robinson to same, do. do.; $-. R. Horan to Mary Sloan, part S, square 734; $-. E. J. Collins to H. Schull, square 159; $— F. Sniegoski to W. H. Pitts, part 12, square So4, and sub 14, square 893; $—. W. H. Pitts to Cecylia Sniegoski, do.; $—. J. O. Johnson to W. H. Campbell, subs 38, 40 and 41, square 960; $1,000. Henrietta C. Evans to J. S. La Rowe, part 5, square 876; $—. C. W. Pyles to G. F. Pyles, lot 313, Anacostia; $1,500. G. F. Dyer to A. C. Clark, lot 24, block 15, Reno; $-. _G. E. Emmons to H. 8. Fitch, sub 17% and part 181, square 721; $4,700. Carrie M. Norris to W. J. Dante, sub 39, block 3, Le Droit Park; $. G. Truesdell to J, W. Foster, sub 27, square 23, Eckington; $3,150. J. W. Foster to H. 8. Merrill et al., do.; $3,150. M. D. Jacobs to Alice P. Shadd, sub 1, square 363: $—. J. O. Johnson to H. M. Schneider, sub 43, square 260; $455.00. W. M. Stewart to The Chevy Chase Land Company, property in county; $—. J. H. Ralston to same, do.; $. F. G. Newlands to same, do.; $—. F. J. Shadd to M. Jacobs, sub 19, square 363; $—. ——__. An Angel \d Warn Him. She—“Do you think Ward McAllister wil) be saved?” He—“I think not.” She—“Then just think how awful it will be for him ele ar oon ing on the bosom of one of the Patriarchs!” | RAILROADS. PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD. STATION CORNER OF 6TH AND B STREETS. } IN EFFECT DECEMBER 3, 1893. 11:05 A. 1 LIMITED —Paliman M. PENNSYLVAN and State Room, Dra ‘aad to 7:50 A.M. for Kane, Canandaigua, Niagara Falis daily, except Sunday. 1105 AM. f a gaily, except, Sunday. Ww! ebeeey Tersy ; sean? SP 83 aplaP guts wiaiewe sea tet Pua i ec) : # a 4 i & k eRe if 11:30 a.m. and 15:30 pm ind Way po'uts, °7:05 p.m. thersbu: apd 16" 18: : 38, os) feiss” can’ “tase East, daily 3: 8:00 (ox 00 Dining Can, 8 York, Boston anf x. Can, 2: 8:00 11:30 pm. fo 8 Soc eee os Buffet Parlor Cers on all trains. For Atlantic City, 0:00 aan and 12:00 mee Sundays, 12:00 noon, 10:37 A.M. DAILY. So. Ell aan = omen pal Virginia points; daily, except Sunday, ‘oor Bah —=x*{KzKx>—>—>~>$——E>EX—E————Ts>>>>S= POTOMAC RIVER BOATS. WASHINGTON STEAMBOAT ©O., “LIMITED.” From 7th st.“ wharf.” and intermediate landings. Returning THURSDAYS and SUNDAYS. (ee 9 Steamer T. V. Arrowsmith on MONDA ana WEDNESDAYS at 3:00 p.m. for Alexandria, Oolo- nial Beach and all jower river 7 leaves Kinsale a ~~ Ste ri tee gee DaYs at 5: mm. watown, 4 George's Island, Smith Yeocomico; ret STEAMER HARRY NEW PALACE RANDALL cs, tg ts aplet