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Killth ill , A song called "The Sprig of Shl1l\‘â€" lagh," which has been very popular with the Irish peasantry since it was written, close on a century ago, says: Love is the soul of a neat Irishman, He loves all that’s lovely and loves all he can. And yet, though there seems to exist widespread impression that strong, passionate, masterful love is a charac- teristic of the Irish temperament, loveâ€" making in Ireland is really a very calm and placid business, and, the old song I have quoted notwithstandingn the average Irish peasant takes unto himself a mate with as clear a head, as placid a heart, and as steady a nerve as if he were buying a cow at Ballinasloe Fair, says a writer in Macâ€" millan's Magazine. Love by no means decides all the marriages that are made in Ireland. The match is often arranged in a ludi- crously cool, businesslike and mercen- ary fashion between the parents of the “boy” and the "girl," the young peo- ple themselves not being allowed, and, indeed, not expecting any voice in the matter. But if there is little romance in the ocrigin of most of the matrimon- ial contracts made in rural Ireland, they are, as a rule. entirely successful. The marriages thus prosaically arrang- ed are as happy as happy can be. Pat and Mary fall fondly in love with each other after they are made husband and wife; children quickly spring up around their hearth, and the older they grow the more passionately do they cling to each other. Their domestic felicity is rarely, if ever, disturbed by jealousy. for Pat makes the faithfullest of bus- bands and Mary the fondest and truest of wives, and as there is little or no illicit passion, the crimes which spring from that source and make desolate so many homes in other countries are al- most unknown in Ireland. The great marrying season in Ire- land is Shrovetide. During the forty days of Lent the Irish peasantry, in obedience to the ordinance of the Church, abstain from matrimony as well as from eggs, butter and milk. Some time before the approach of that ‘ holy season a farmer with a marriageâ€" able son or daughter whom he desires to see settled tells his friends and neighbors of the fact. He usually conâ€" veys the intelligence in an indirect, offhand manner. He meets a friend at the fair or market, and says, with a ‘ laugh. "Whisper here, Jim. I'm train- ing up my Johnny.” "Ah, now, Jim," the other ly. But mind you, my little Johhny is very particular. The boy do he say- ing what a grate fortin he'll want with his wife.” The subject having thus been broached, the parents dis- cuss it whenever they meet, and it of- ten happens that a long time elapses and many a discussion and wrangle take place before the terms are finally settled. The farm generally goes with the male, and the great difficulty in. the arranging of matches is the fixing of the girl's dowry, consisting partly‘ of money and partly of furniture and culinary, utensils as a setâ€"off against the land. ‘ ' A favorite proverb of the peasantry In regard to matrimony is "Either marry very young or become a monk very young." Early marriages are the rule in Ireland, and the poorest marry the earliest. . - And yet many of the Irish poor en'- ter into matrimony as a sort of proviâ€" dent investment for old age. A very intelligent Irish peasant once said to me: "A poor man ought to marry young,_that his children may be able to assnst him when he grows old.” _When Pat and Biddy begin housekeep- ing their little cabin is soon filled with children, and the more their flock increases the more they say: :“Shure, the _childer will be a grate support to in our ould age." And happily this investment for old age never fails them. In no country in the world is the affection between children and parents so strong; in no country in the world is the duty of children to provide for their aged parents held so sacred as in Ireland. b‘our genera- tions may be seen in many of the poorâ€" est cabins in the West~the children, the young father and mother, the old grandparents, and an ancient great- grandmother or greatâ€"grandfather. The large sums of money which have been annually sent by children in the colonies and in America to parents in Ireland during the past half century are another striking demonstration of this intense filial affection. _ But happily many of the marriages in rural Ireland have their spice of romance. rlhe match is made by the boy and girl themselves. An Irish peasant maid in the heyday of her youth, with her pretty figure, her abundant black ,hair, her large blue eyes, with their indescribable half- a-rch, halfâ€"shy expression, is quite ir- resistible; and the boy has too often an impressionable heart and a "delud~ hering tongue” to render it always necessary that the parents shoultl "make the bargain." The youthful couples meet at dances or on Sunday; after massâ€"even a wake is turned to account for a little courtingâ€"and they are in hearty accord with the boy wh said, "It is a grate pleasure entirely to be alone, especially whin yer sweetâ€" ' thing." little Maggie for your‘ heart is w’id ye." "Do you drame of .112, Mike 3’" said thi girl to ht‘f lover us they walked arm in arm down the. lonely glen. “Drame of you, is it, Kate? Shure, 'tis the way wid me that I can't sleep tlralnin‘ of you, me larlin'l" Yes. they have the flatterâ€" ing tongue, those Irish boys. “Och, l wish I was in jail for stealin' ye,“ was the. Compliment one. of them paid to a preth colleen. Even when they get a refusal th>y have a "soft word" to say. Eileen was engaged to an- other boy, and so she. had to say no to Jim when he asked her, "\Vishu, thin," , said Tim with a sigh, "I wish you’d been born twins, so that I cud have, half of yez." The girls in IreLand can afford just‘ as well, if, indeed, not better, than the girls of any other country to take up :in independent position in regard to matrimony, ‘ for the proportion they bear to the males is not so large in Ireland as in other lands. The boys. therefore, have often a great deal of difficulty in inducing the girls to agree to "getting the words, said," as the marriage ceremony is col- loquially described. In one case Ihave heard of, a farm servant was told by the girl to whom he proposed that she was too much attached to her moâ€" ther and her mother to her to think of getting married. "Arrah, sure, no husband could equal my mother in kindness,” said she. "Oh, thin 1” ex- claimed, the boy, “be me wife and shure we can all live together, and see that I don't bate your mother.” He could not have meant that he would ill use the motherâ€"that was only his Irish way of putting thingsâ€"for his declaration induced the girl to yield to his wishes. A bashful youth, a rath- er rare person in Ireland, be it Said, who was in love with a girl, intrusted his proposal for her hand to his sister. One day the maid visited his father‘s cabin, while he, with anxious heart hid behind the door, awaiting the result. The girl, who did not care to be wooed at second hand, replied with a saucy toss of her head, "Indeed now, if I’m good enough to be married, I'm good enough to be axed." The boy then stuck his head into the room and ex- claimed, with a sob in his voice, "Mary, allaznah, will ye do what Maggie axed ye; 1 > When the day has been named, whe- ‘ther by arrangement between the boy and girl themselves or through the inâ€" termediary of their parents, preparaâ€" tions are made, on the mOst extensive scale, for a grand wedding. It is conâ€" sidered essential in the humblest cir- cles that, for the honor of the family, the guests at the wedding, which inâ€" clude sometimes the whole countryside, should have lots of eating and drink» ingâ€""lashin's and. lavins of ivery- Closeness on such an occas- ion is the unforgivable social sin. "Ar~ rah, if I wor gettin‘ married," I have heard a woman exclairn when she saw poor display at a wedding, "I'd sell every stitch to my back and go naked in order to get married ducentlyl" A pretty Irish servant maid, who had got married, called to see her mistress. "I hear you are going to Australia with your husband, Kitty," said the lady. “Are you not afraid of such a long voyage I" “Well, ma’am, that's outlook," said Kitty. "I belong to him now, an' if anything happens to me, shure it'll be his loss, not mine." 583’s, "you do me a grate favor enum_, But there is not always that complete loss of the wife’s identity in the bus- band which the above anecdote sug- gests. It is the wife that rules the household in rural Ireland. The husâ€" -band surrenders to her all his earn- ings, to the uttermost farthing; an exâ€" cellent. arrangement for Pat, who, feeling the money burning in his poc- .kct, as he says himself, is disposed to get rid of it rapidly; and a still more excellent arrangement for the sake of the children. budget is, indeed, Pat's guardian angel. On many, a Saturâ€" day, when aboy in Limerick, have I seen the long line of country cars rc- turning homeward from market in the dusk of the summer evenings, the wives driving and the husbands, with a taken," perhaps, quietly in the straw behind. There is a story told of a. young lady from Cork, who was presented at the Viceregal Court, Dublin, shortly after her marriage. The Viceroy has the pleasant duty of kisaing the cheek the ladies presented him at a drawing room; but when his Excellency was about_ to give this young lady the re- gulation salute she cried, "Oh, no, that privilege is exclusively reserved for Mr. O‘Mahony." Of course there are exceptions to the general serenity of the domestic hearth, and the fond attachment be tween husband and wife. I knew at least of one Irishman in Limerick whose life was made miserable by a drunken wife. She had sold everyâ€" thing in the home for drink, and as a last-resource she threatened to commit suicide if money to procure liquor were not forthcoming. Next morning before proceeding to work, the hus- band, driven to desperation by his Wife’s conduct, left his two new razors lying on the table, telling her to "se- lect the best one ov them." At night when Pat came home, trembling with apprehension, he found his wife budâ€" dled up in a. corner, not deadâ€"but dead drunk. By her side was a pawn- ticket, and on it was written, "Two razors, ls. 6d. .There is another story of the excepâ€" tion which proves the rule. Some years ago, as the mailboat from Ire.- land was entering Holyhead Harbor, a lady fell into the water. One of the sailors, an Irishman, jumped overboard and rescued her from death by drownâ€" ing. When she was safe on deck again the husband, who was a calm spectator of the accident, handed the sailor a shilling. The spectators did not. hesitate to express their indignaâ€" tion at the man’s meanness, when the sailor, with native shrewdness, threw '1. new light on the matter by saying: “Arrah. don’t blame. the gintleman; he knows best; maybe if I hadn't saved her he'd have given me half a crown." l am disposed to think that the. hus- ‘izind in this case was not an Irishman. llistory. certainly, does not indicate his nationality: hiaritul relations in Ireland are as a rule of the most harmonious character. and if a. husband and wife do fall outl occasionally and even rt-srrt to blows they think nothing the. worse of each other in the end. Pill Lane is a clasr sic locality in Dublin, which might with some truth be described as the Billingsgzite of the. Irish metropolis. "That's a fine black eye you‘ve got. )Iissis," said a man to a woman, sitâ€" ting over her basket of fish in l.’ill Lune, “l’ightin', I suppose, agin." “No, I wasn't lightin‘," replied 1h.- fishwo‘ man. "Himself, her husband, it was that gave me that," and facing fierceâ€" ly round on her questioner, she addâ€" ed, "and I'd like to know who had a better right." i A laborer out of employment, ap- plied for outdoor relief for himself and his wife at the North Dublin Union. "\Vell, my good fellow, we must have evidence that you are legally marâ€" ried," said the Chairman of the Relief Committee. "Begor, sir, I've the best proof in the. wuruld," said the. appliâ€" cant, and bending his head he displayâ€" ed a on his skull. "Does yer Honor think," he added, "I'd be. after takin' that abuse from any wan but a wife 2" Having such happy homes and faith- ful wives, is it any wonder that Irishâ€" men are loath to leave them behind? An Irish car driver was wrapping himâ€" self up carefully before, starting on a journey on a cold winter’s day. "You seem to be taking very good care of yourself," said the impatient fare. "To be shure I am, sur," replied the driv- er. "What’s all the wuruldl to a man when his wife's a widow l" _.._â€"â€"_. THE GULF STREAM. Abandonment of the old Idea That It Rom-hes Europeans n nlstlncl, (‘In-rc-nl. The best school geographies nowa- days do not say that the climate of northwest Europe. is rendered mild by the Gulf Stream as such. They admit the Gulf Stream as one of the most powerful influences contributing to the mild winter climate of that region, but the great current has ceased to figure alone as the element which makes Eng- land and Scotland fertile. while Lab- rador, in the same latitude, is bleak and very cold. The best maps also no longer show the Gulf Stream as extending clear across the ocean. They show the current as flowing north as far as the neiggh- borhood of Newfoundland. and beyond. this region they depict a movement to« ward Europe of oceanic waters to which they have applied the same Gulf Stream Drift. The fact is now that as a distinct current the Stream disappears south of Newfoundâ€" land. The enormous river in the ocean far greater than all other ocean cur~ rents rushes northward from the Straits of Florida, with a depth of 2,000 feet, a width of forty miles and avel~ ocity of from three to over five miles an hour. But it gradually spreads out and thins until, in the region of the Grand Banks, it becomes dissipated like well understood a stream in a swamp and is no longer' recognizable as a distinct current. There is, however, a constant set of warm surface waters, toward -the European coast. The prevailing. west winds carry them toward Europe, and their total influence is to modify the.‘ winter climate of that region, and this warmer water comes not only from the Gulf Stream, but also from the great current that flows north, outside the. Bahamas. _ Many sailors do not realize the strength of the Gulf Stream current. Mr. John E. Pillsbury, who spent much time several years ago investigating the Gulf Stream for our Government wrote that one day his vassel was an- chored in the stream, observing the current, when a sailing vessel was sighted ahead, drifting to the north- ward. The wind was very light, but as she came nearer and nearer, it be- came evident that there would be a collision unless steps were taken to prevent it. The crew of the sailing ves- sel trimmed their sails to the gentle air, but it was useless, for onward she went, carried by the irresistible force of the current directly toward the bow of the steamer. As the vessels approached one another, by askilful use of the rudder on board the steamâ€" er she was moved to one side and the sailing vessel drifted past a few feet distant. The Captain of the latter was as astonished as he was thankful that his vessel was not lost. All that he could cry out in broken English, as he flashed by, was: "I could not help it, the water bring me here."' .â€"â€"â€"-â€"â€"‘â€"â€"- BITTER WI III THE SVVEl‘Z'I‘. Anxious Mother at a ballâ€"My dear, you look tired. Sweet Girlâ€"I'm 'most dead. Every bone in my body aches. I’ve danced every done: so far, and I'm engaged for ten more. Anxious Motherâ€"No doubt the gen- tleman willlot you off. » Sweet Girlâ€"l don't want to be let off. Anxious Motherâ€"You say y0u are tired dancing. Sweet Girlâ€"I am not hugged. tired being AN AN'I‘Eâ€"NUP'I‘IAL STANDING. There is one question I want to ask you, dearest, said the beautiful girl as she toycd withthc dinmoind ring on her third finger. ‘\thn we are mar- ried will you expect me to bake my own bread? You can do as you like about it, darl- ing. he. replied, but I certainly shall insist upon your not, baking mine. UN DE R- CONTINGENT (‘IllleMS’I‘ANG ES. Hs IVIr. liiltlen a good memory? \\'ell replied the discreet friend: I must s y it depends somewhat on whether he‘s owing or collecting. Gulf. ,. . 74.. ..... c L, ’O”OO”00”OOOOOOOO¢‘OOOO: inborn the House. COMOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOO Sllli CAN'T COOK. My wife cannot cook, though she studies a hook Of recipes day after day; But \Vh‘ll' d.) I care? She is charming and fair, And as sweet as the blossoms of May. 0 O O O O 0 She tries all her might, but her bread isn't light, For she. never can get it to rise; But then you should see, as she break- fasts \vith'me, The light that illumines her eyes! No skill can she boast in preparing a 'rt'rast, And in pies her sucesses are few, And ill she fares when soup she preâ€" pares, For shi is sure to get into a stew. But no fault do I find, for she’s loving and kind; And when bachelorship I forsook 'Twas to Wed a sweet wife, a companion for lifeâ€" It. wasn't to marry a c0nk. FLORAL DECORATIONS. There is no more artistic decoration than flowers; they give the note of reâ€" finement even to a. room that seems otherwise impossible, and they cheer and brighten as no other dumb things can. Somebody has called them "hea- ven's messengers.“ And yet there is one melancholy thing about them says an exchangeâ€"their transientness. Preachâ€" ers have a way of noticing it and pointing a moral, and the average wo- man sighsâ€"because brief staying charms make flowers an expensive lux- ury. Flowers treated properly can last and look well even after six weeks, thus taking from them their only re- proach, and rendering them possible pleasure for the poorest. Every night take them out of the vases and thor- oughly rinse the stalks under the tap, removing with the fingers any decom- posed matter. Then place them to bed for the night in a basin of strong soapsuds. Be careful not to allow any water to touch the blossoms, as this only fades them. The soopsuds supply a certain amount of nourishment. In the morning rinse the stalks unâ€" der water again, and as each blossom is arranged for the day in the vase of fresh water snip off the tiniest posâ€" sible portion of the stalk with a pair of scissors. Always carefully trim away any faded portion. Ftod for the day is supplied by sulphate of amâ€" monia, a small quantity of which can be bought from the chemist for a few pence. If he knows his business he will be able to tell you that sulphate of am« monia contains all the properties of good manure for keeping the. blessoms alive. A few drops in each vase is quite sufficient; indeed, if you use the soapsuds at night. as well as the sulâ€" photo of ammonia in the day, SI me inâ€" tervals must be spent by the flowers in nothing but clear, cold water. It is possible to kill'with kindness, remem- bar. Put the flowers at night into some dark, cool place, say a scullery or pan~ try, as it is not good either for the flowers or the household that they should remain altogether in the living rooms. To revive flowers put them into warm salt water, to which has been added a few drops of sulphate of am- monia. To keep a spray of arranged flow- ers, place on damp cotton wool under a basin. This keeps the air away and preserves the blossoms. The fragile, delicate maidenhair fern is best treat- ed in this way. HELPFUL HINTS. \Ve have discovered a rather odd ad- dition to breakfast dishes, that maybe liked by others who have corn in plen- ty, but live where “breakfast foods" are expensive, says a writer. It is the oldâ€"fashioned cornmeal gruel, such as my grandmother used to make for me when I was a little girl and had a bad. cold. It is a very accommodatâ€" ing dish as it may be made to suit the taste, but we like it best to take about three pints of boiling water, sift slowly intoit, stirring steadily, a pint of meal ; when it has boiled a few minâ€" utes add a pint of milk, more'or lens, as it. may be plenty 0r scarce, boil up again and set back on the range wher you get the. rest of your breakfast. Salt to taste, and if you like thicker, use more meal or less water. Someâ€" times we have it thin enough to drink from cups and sometimes thick enough to eat with cream and sugar. [might add, too, that while a mem- ber of our family was recovering from a severe attack of inflammation of the. bowels it agreed with him better than anything else, and he did not tire of it so quickly as of rice, oatmeal or anything else we. could give him. I have recently learned that average fresh pork steak is much improved by covering with. water after it is seasonâ€" ed in the. frying pan and letting the. water boil away before frying it brown. I have found, too, that I need much less soda if I sift it with the flour the same as baking powder and add it the last thing, getting the article. into the uan as quickly impossible than I do if 1 mix with the milk or water. Of course, the less we use the better for our health. A good plain cake, easily made and nice focr the children to carry to school tsmade as follows: Two cups sour cream, two cups sugar. one egg, a teaspoonful of salt, a scent teaspoon- ful soda, flour to make a stiff batter. Put all the ingredivuts together, sift- ing the soda in with the flour, stir and get into the pants as quickly as possible. If preferred, bake in drop mch, gemâ€"tins or patty pans. If you dislike. to use soda, take sweet cream with baking powder. DOMESTIC USE OF BEEF. The retail butcher in cutting up meat as ordered generally weighs it be- fore trimming, making the customer pay full price for portions which go into the scrap and are sold at a small price for soap-making. The market- man thus gets piid for, this not incon- siderable put of his wares twice Over, the. first time usually getting a high valuation therefor. The economical housewife will insist upon getting all that she piys for, and mikes the trim- mings valuztble for soup stock. Meat when delivered by the butcher should be at once removed from the paper and put in a cool place until needed. Care should be taken that it does_not come. into direct contact with the ice. It the refrigerator is large enough. it is better to hang the piece up so that the cool air surrounds it. No good housewife will Older meat unless selecting it herself. Th; dealer is almost sure to take advantage of her _in some way or other if only in sending a out not quite so choice as is desired. Misunderstandings as to weight might be obviated if the pur- chaser snv her order on the scales, and then noted the quantity of bone and fat trimmed off and thrown into the scrap pile. Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding. â€"Put the meat upon a rack (ortrivet) and roast as before directed. Make a batter of one pint milk, 1â€"2 pint sifted flour, four eggs wetl beaten and one- half teaspoonful of salt. Mix thor- oughly and pour into the p'lIl under the meat about one hour before it is done. Cut in squares and serve with the roast. This dish is of English origin as its name indicates, and is a favorite with the people of that nation. Beef a Li Modeâ€"Take a large piece of round steak and lard with strips of salt fat park, i. (2., with a sharp instru- ment punch holes in the steak, the way of the. grain, and then run the strips of pork through them with both ends projecting. Then put the meat into a. bowl with a teaspoonful of whole cloves, one of peppercorns, a bay leaf. half cup each of sliced carrots, turnips and onions, and cover with vinegar and water, h.tlfâ€"and-half. Do not use any salt. Let it stand at least three hours, better a day or two. When tender, re- move from the pickle and fry it brown in a pot of hot dripping. Then put in two table p0 nfuls of flour, turning the meat over and over. When brown cover with hot water, cook slowly, al- lowing h'ilf an hour to each pound of meat. Silt to taste when done. Beef Brown Stew.â€"Three pounds beef, one onion, two cloves, one tea- spoon chopped parsley, one teaspoon celery salt, one tablespoonful olive oil, one tablespoon butter, one tablespoon lemon juice, one tablespoon browned flour. Slice and brown the onion in the butter; add the beef, brown a little in the hot butter, then add the remain- der of the ingrcdients exc:pt the flour. Cook in the oven three hours. Remove the meat and make a gravy of the browned flour and dripping, adding a little hot water. Strain gravy and serve in a bowl. Plain Stew.â€"-H1ve two pounds of meat cut into sm lll pieces, simmer two or three hours until quite tender, using enough water to cover the meat. Add potatoes, and, if desired. onions, allow- ing half an hour for them to cook. Season with salt and pepper about ten minutes before serving. The liquor may be thickened for gravy or served as soup. Beef Loaf for Slicing Coldâ€"Chop three pounds of raw beef, half pound of suet, half pound of bread crumbs, and two eggs, four tablespoonfuls of cream, one teaspoon .of butter, two teaspoon- fuls of summer savory, one teaspoon of salt, hilf teaspoon of pepper. Mix and work into a. loaf, using flour to bind the ingredients together. Bake in a pan for two hours, basting frequently with melted butter and hot water. Steaks Broiledâ€"This is by far the best way of cooking steak, and many will not touch it otherwise. Charcoal makes the best fire for this purpose, and several patented gridirons are on the market to hold the coals so that any stove miy be used. Have a bright fire of live COILlS. Heat and grease the bars of the gridiron. Lay the steak on the gridiron, cover, and turn as soon as the first side is scared. Turn again and again until sufficiently cooked, then put on a. hot platter, season with butter, pepper and salt, and garnish with parsley and slices of lemon. Serve at once. A porterhouse or sirloin is best for In iling. 'lirim off sup *rfluous fat and the tough end of the porter- house, which may be used for soup. Another way to prep'ire meat for broilâ€" ing is to cut out the. bone, and about LWL) hours before cooking rub with a. mixture made of one tablespoonful of salt, and half a teasp'ionful of pepper. Broil and garnish as above. ~ 7 e *rwfir â€" The simplest public railroad now operated is thought to be one between Atami and Ogawara, in Japan. It is a narrow gauge road, and is run by man power. Earn car has seats for four passengers, who sil back to back. A train consists of two or three cars, and is drawn up Lilli by half a dozen coolies.