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1 "Mia' Hull 1" - Marcellus Cox drew rein and sent his his voice bounding toward the figure with scant, flying skirts at the clothes- line. Lobelia Hull was hard of hear- ing, and in Marcellus Cox’s opinion it. .was needful to boom. "Mis’ Hullâ€"'hullol” "EMâ€"why, Marcellus Cox, is that you? I heard something right along, but I thought it was the Cochin roos- ter, aâ€"crowing. He does crow dread- ful human. How’s the folks? I take it you’re going to mill 3” She readjusted her sun-bonnet with little tWeaks and advanced to the side of the fence. Something mysterious lathe lean, weathered face of Marcel- lus Cox wh'e'tted her appetite for news. Marcellus was a good hand for news. He leaned out now an dtapped the wheel slowly with the bu-tt of his whip. "I calculate you’ve heard, Mis’ Hull?” be said solemnly. ' "No. No, I haven’t heard a thing this morning but that rooster, an‘ that warn’t him. Is anybody dead, Marcellus Cox V” The man’s solyemn face lengthened still more. "No; he ain’t dead, but he’s run tway. I always said he’d do some- thing.” "Run away lâ€"who’s run away 3” "That harumâ€"soarum little Bub Meek. In the night. Can’t find him high nor low. N-ary a trace." Marcellus Cox doled out the facts jerkin and then drew up his reins. His mission was accomplished. "Little Bub Meek run awaylâ€"why, his poor mother 1’” "Yes, I calculate it‘ll nigh kill her. She and his pa-sevt the greatest store Untthat little limlb o’ mischiefâ€"I never haw anything like it.” The two Women parted presently, and pent their separate ways to spread the lews. "You better run down to the Holmes’s, Elmiraâ€"I’m going home by {he road and tell Desire Swett,” Loâ€" 7elia Hull said briskly. "Desire’d )ught to knowâ€"she’s his Sunday school teacher. She’s labored dreadful hard with that boy, and she’s fond of him, {00. I do’ know but ’twill bring on one if her spells. Well, it’s a calamity. it’ll be all over town by night. ’Cellus Dox heard it down. to the Forks store, ind he’ll sttovp along and tell it onjhe VIill road. Everybody’ll be dreadful lorry for little Phoebe Meek. They won’t be real surprised, because they- ve always known Bub Meek‘d cut up me shine. I guess there ain’t a soul but knows he’s the mischievousest, iarumâ€"scarumest boy in the townâ€" .hiplu "Yes, I guess so," assented Elmira, ith a sigh. The slender tie of re- ; tiopshipâ€"on the Meek sideâ€"drew her [e tly to little wild Bub. She did [10 like to think she should not see again. And the calfâ€"well, for Bu ’5 sake she would even submit to the, little wild calf. "E: was a handsome little fellow.” Ihe urmureld ambiguously. "It’s a terrible dispensation.f‘ Itre gth at every repetition. Toâ€" var the end of the day mysterious hintks of theft were in it, darkly. Bub Th; stous went its way, gaining "Yes,’ murmured Mrs. Hull, "Phoebe Meek is real sensitiveâ€"it’ll be an aw- ful blow. It won’t be so bad for John. You can’t kill a Meek. Why, for the mercy, little Bub Meekâ€"runâ€"awayl” "1‘11 hang out the rest 0‘ the white thingsâ€"in won’t hurt the colored clothes to wait till afternoon. [must go acrost and tell Elmira Bennett. Em- mira’s a connection on the Meek side ahe’ll feel dreadfully. I know. To think 0’ that little laughing, acting boy’s up and running away!» W'ell, it’s just as well my boys are all girls, but they wouldn’t run away if they hadn’t beenâ€"I guess I know that l" After the wagon had rattled on, L0â€" belia Hull stood in the wind, her pleas- lnt, plain face .midly excited. It was hard to go ,back to the lineful of flap- ping clothes. It was a short walk, arias-cross, through a pasture. Mrs. Hull pitched and puffed over the hummocks of dry, dead grass. The wind was in her face and impeded her. She found Elmira Bennett‘s clothes-line hung full of white linen, in neat, graduated rows. Even the colored clothes were dangâ€" ling, limp and ungainly, from their alâ€" lotted cross line. Elmira received the news with a shocked face. "You dom’t tell me he’s run away? -â€"not run away?" she cried, shrilly; "why, that's the only thing in the whole creation I didn’t think he’d lol He always seemed real content- !«d at hpme, little Bub did.” "Well, I should think he might, the way his pa and ma bummed himâ€"giv- ing him that valuable little calf 0- make a pet out of! Why. Marcelâ€" 8 Cox offered John Meek fifty dol- rs, out ’n’ out, for that calf] But, land, no; Bub’d got intimate with it, Indehug’d got to have it for a pet." Elmira Bennett uttered a short, dry \augh. Her eyes sought out far reaches of sowed land that had known the despodling gambols of that valu- |ble little calf. “I guess ’Cellus can afford to be lhankful,” she murmured. "I guess his pieces of oats an’ barley had ought lo be, any way. That’s a terrible lit- }le calfâ€"I doan’t wonder ‘t they named |im Beelzebub." “Yes, it’s kind of heathen, but they Ball him Bub for short. The whole Iamily’s terrible fond of the little crea- ture, an’ Bubâ€"dear (me, to think that ittle Bub Meek’s run away!” "They didn’t? or all heathen |.ap_]_esl”_ qjapplqted Mrsf Hull. The Wrong Prodigal. had taken a dollarâ€"two dollaraâ€"lthre‘e dollarsâ€"all his father’s money. People lifted slow, astonished hands, but their faces said: "I told you so.” Hadn’t all East View prophesied that harmâ€" scarum little Bub Meek would come to grief? When he muffled the church bellâ€"and dressed Mis’ Peck’s pullets in little red flannel pantalettesâ€"and put the minister’s new linen duster on his father’s scarecrowâ€"what had East View said then? And the times upon times he had put buttons in the con- tribution plateâ€"what then? And when his little pet calf, Beelzeb-ub,had, pattered up the church aisle after him â€"what had East .View said then? Bub had said it was an accidentâ€"the little calf had followed him of his own ae- cord, but Bub’s merry bifoan eyes had danced, and all his little brown freck- levagvi-t'h delight. --1,n “4..., ..-..-. _V-_ “Wanted toeâ€"figar the sermon, didn’t you, Bub 9” some One hlad heard him Toward evening little Phoebe Meek hurried down the lane to meet John. Her sweet, round face was drawn down in dubious lines. "Oh, John, didn’t you find him 3‘" she. cried, sending her anxious voice ahead of her, in her haste. John Meek shook his head. “011, John 1" "I can’t help it, Phoebe. I’ve spent all day lookin‘. I guess I feel as bad’s you do.” "Dear little Bub l” mourned Phoebe. “How could he run away when we’ve beeyso good to him?" ..... -.-u "It’s the way 0’ the world,t’ Jo-hn Meek said gravely. “There ain’t a great sight 0’ gratitude lyin’ round loose. If the little teller Warn’t con- tented with our panderin’ an’ humor- in', let him try what other folks’ll do for him. I guess it'll be a good experi- ence for him. Now, I want my sup- per! Phoebeâ€"I’m, tuckered out." _ r_-, _...VVN- __ ._.V,, "It seems queerâ€"I always gave him his su'ppe‘r first,” murmrued Phoebe sadly, "and' there ’tis waiting for him now. He did used to eat it with such a relish! John!” “Well, what say 9” "The other little Bub won’t eat a crumb ltoâ€"nig‘h‘t. I’ve coaxed and coax- ed, but seems as if ‘his heart was brok- en. He’s out there in the barn now, mlovgrning.” “Well I declare l” she grasped. “\Vell, I guess you’ll kill the fatted calf, now.” "Mercy, no!” Phoebe Meek cried. “No, indeed! It wouldn’t seem fair to kill him the minute he’s got back, would it? Besidesâ€"poor little thing!â€" he isn‘t 'Iatted’ now.’ “Poor fi-ttle feller l” thn Meek said tenderly. His own weal-iness and hun- gerr Ware forgottan and he strode away to the barn ,to comfort the other little Bub» Phoebe Meek came to the door. She was smiling hosp‘itaoly. "Poor thing, she’s doing. her best to cover up 'her feelings!” the Visitor thought. Then she cleared her throat and began her stilted little. speech. "I feel to sympathize with you and John in your recent affliction,”â€"-it ran like a formal testimonialâ€"Lobe‘lia Hull, the undersigned, 9tc., etc. She laughed again, ‘but the astonish- ed caller an the door-step did not join. She was thinkingof the other care- fully prepared condolences of the “undersigned,” 11on valueless and void. Mrs. Hull had thought of a good many comforting things to say. Bub Meek had always furnished lively material for “talk,” but now the groups of men around the stove and on the wi-ndy porch of the Forks store mentioned his name solemnly, half under their breaths. The grizzled or blonde heads shook with grave disap- probation. "I’m going. I sub-all .put on my bom- bazine,” Lobe.]i2_1_I:Iu11 decigiqdi That afternoon, for middle fall, was warm and still. A quiet glary of golden foliage was over everything. Mrs. Hull stepped along briskly, in- vested with due importance. Her lips were set to appropriate lines of con- dolence, and moved silently as she rep h‘earsed her part. It was in. the na- ture of a violent interruption to her mood when a rooster crowed suddenly in her ear. It was a Meek rooster and he did not show good taste;â€"for all Mrs. Hull knew, it might be poor little Bub’s own pet. He petted every- thing round the farm. A definite atmosphere of cheerful- ness pervaded t'he Meek front yard, and the trim, whiteâ€"painted house shared it. The curtains were not down, as Labelia Hull had expected. T'hey appeared to be up unwontedly high, and the windows were aflame with potted red geraniulms. "I declare 1" she muttered. Round the corner of the house float,- ed a shrill, jubilant whistle, accom- panied by the rasp and whir at a saw. Mrs. Hull shuddered. It seemed like the ghost _0_£ little Bub Meek’s whisjle. ~“Ilcaine oilar t5 3a); it. 'It’s one 0’ the dispensations 0’ Providence that all file.th is heir to.” Light broke in slowly on Phoebe Meek. Her fresh face dim‘pled. "\Vhy, he's come back 1” she cried. "He hasn’t? You don’t say so, Phoebe Meek l" 'gYes, I doâ€"I’m glad enough to say so! He came trotting homeâ€"poor, lit- tle, disgusted, tired t'hinglâ€"night be- fore last. We haven’t the least idea where he’s been toâ€"oE course we wouldn't ask him 1" The feeling in the neighborhood was wide-1y distributed. The little ripples of excitement toudhed every home in the little village of East View. For several days nothing was seen} of any of tth Meeks, and it was supâ€"1 posed they were nursing their shame} and sorrow behind drawn curtains and-; closed doors. No 01113 ventured to apâ€"prose-h them, until some of the wow men decreed that common humanity‘ demanded it. } "It seems as if I was «goin’ to a fun- eral. I declare. If I was Phoebe Meek I’d rather have laid little Buby out, with lilies 0’ the valley in his hand, than to have him turn out a prodigal son. Poor Phoebeâ€"I declare, I dread seei-n' how set an‘ white her face’ll look!" COLUMBIN E. Sprung in a cleft of the wayside steep And saucin nodding, flughipg dgep, With her airy tropic bells eglowâ€" Bold and careless, yet formed light And swung into poise one stony height, Like a challenge flung to the world below! Skirting the rocks at the forest edge, With a running flame from ledge to ledge, Or swaying deeper in shadowy glooms, A smouldering fire in her dusky blooms; - Bronzed and molded by wind and sun. Maddening, gladdening every one With a gipsy beauty, full and fineâ€"- A health to the crimson columbine! FOR YOUNG MOTHERS Who can understand the scope and variety of a mother’s duties? She must have a knowledge of the physi- cal requirements of the baby, attend to his food and clothing, and the trainâ€" ing of his moral and ethical nature. Whether you have a good baby or a bad one depends very much upon the first few months of his life, for habits formed then are not easily broken. If you begin by rocking him to sleep, he will expect you to continue to do so, and no matter how busy you may be, the chances are that he will make it so unpleasant for you that you will be glad to drop everything and take him. If a baby is given his own lit- tle bed from the first, and placed there whether sleeping or not, it is surpris- ing how comfortably and quietly he will lie, without the aid of singing, rocking or other unnecessary care. The best mattress for this bed is made of hair, and the feather pillow should be small and flat. The best covering is a small woolen blanket, of which sev- eral should be provided, so that the bed can always be kept neat and clean. Arrange his clothing so there will be no wrinkles or lumps to make him un- comfortable. , Baby’s clothes are not made so long and heavy as they were a. few years ago. During the summgr a skirt thir- ty inches in length an made of the finest, softest flannel is necessary for a baby less than three months old. Over this is worn a slip made Mother Hub- bard or peasant style, just long en- ough to reach the bottom of the un- dergarment. The material may be as plain or as handsome as desired. China silk in white or delicate colors, trim- med with laoe makes a handsome robe, and as it requires no starch, is very comfortable for the little one. St. Louis, Mo. Elsie Gray. Tomato Campyâ€"To one gallon of to- matoes, after being boiled and strain- ed through a colander, add three tableâ€" spoonfuls of salt, one tablespoonful each of cloves, cinnamon, allspice and black pepper, one small teaspoonful cayenne pepper, one pint good vinegar. Boil to the proper consistency and bot- tle while hot. SOME GOOD RECIPETS. Chicken Croqu'ettes.â€"Have ready a cupfu! of cold chicken ; chop very fine, take a small‘ lump] of butter and heat very hot; stir in a spoonful of milk, thicken with flour. When cooked add a beaten egg, the chicken, pepper, salt and a little thyme}. Spread out on a platter to cool. \Vhen want-ed form in croquettes, dip in grated bread crumbs and fry in hot lard. Grape Catsup.â€"â€"Take five pounds of grapes; boil, then sub ’through a colanâ€" der first and sieve after; add two and one half pounds. of sugar, one pint of vinegar, one rtahles-poonful each of ground cloves, cinnamon, auspice and pepper, one half teaspoonfu] of salt. Boil 20 minutes. Bottle. UmeUA nu gun The baby’s bath is an important event in his existence, and should be given once a day. Heat the water un- til it is as warm as new milk, and bath him quickly. It will not be necessary to use soap every day. Wipe him with soft linen, and have his clothing ready to put on as soon as his bath is fin- The mother’s milk has always been considered the best food for the baby and if it is of good qualtiy and suf- and if it is of good quality and suf- devised. But there are thousands ' of mothers all over the country, who, like myself, cannot nurse their babies, and Lactated Food is an excellent substi- tute. I speak from experience, having raised three fat, healthy babies upon it. Cow’s milk is never safe, especially if you live in the cty and must de- pend upon the dairy wagon for your supply, for you cannot be sure that the cows arec healthy. nor that the food they eat, and the Water they drink are what they ought to be. I always prepare the food myself, and prepare just what is necessary for a neal at one time. After the baby is fed, the bottle is rinsed out, the rub- ber turned wrong side out and thor- oughly cleaned with a soft brush. There is then no danger of acidity in the bottle. Do not use a bottle any longer than necessary. A. child can soon be taught to drink from a cup, which is so much easier to keep clean. At the age of six months, a little beef broth, well cooked rice, sexy and barely gruel are given in addition to Lactated .food, but very little of such food must be given at a time until he becomes accustomed to it. Do not for- get that he needs water as well as food, for the little mouth gets very dry and hot, and a drink of water will often quiet a restless child when nothing else will. Deviled Tomatoes-Skin and slice thickly three solid tomatoes. Sprinkâ€" le lightly with one teaspoon salt and fry nice brown in two tablespoonfuls buttet. To what ’is left in pan add one half teaspoon dry mustard, half teaspoon salt. half teaspoon sugar, and dash pepper. {Beat lightly) yolk of one egg, add slowly one tablespoon Wor- cestershire sauce, stir into the other ingredients, cook and stir till ,thiek; add two tablespoons lemon juioe and pour over tomatoes. Roll oufl: puff pastry quagrter of an inch thick, 1133 some patty pans and put a teaspoonful of the mixtre into the Centre. Bake 15 minutes. In- gredients: One and ‘a halt ounces of butter, one and ‘a. half ounces castor sugar, two ounces of desicated cocoa- nut, one tablespoonfull of rice or pota- t02flouT, . ' Cheese Cakes.~Beat one and. a half ounces of butter and one and a half ounces of castor sugar together to a cream. Add one wellâ€"beaten: egg, one tablespoonful of rice potato flour and two ounces of dessicated cocognut. Egyptian Cabbageâ€"Select a large. lOOSe head: of Savoy cabbage, carefully, loosen the leaves down to the heart. rinse thoroughly in cold water, then place in, a bowl; pour over it boiling water to cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Have ready one cupful each of cooked lentils and boiled or steamed nee. Mix ‘the two, season highly with salt and pepper ;; add one tab-lespoonful of chopped onion and one tablesponful of chopped parsley and \two tablespoon- fu'ls of melted butter. Drain the cab- bage, put! a teaspoonful of the mixyure 1n the very cemtre;; draw over two or three leaves, spread over them more of the mixture and so on until the outer leaves are reached. Press gent- ly together, tie up in a piece of coarse cheesecloth, drop into boiling salted water and boil gently for one hour and a half. Drain thoroughly, arrange in a heated dish and pour over it acream sauce. :4 Apple Meringue Pie.â€"Pare, slice, stew, and sweeten» ripe, tart and juicy apples; mash and; season with nut- meg or stem lemon peel with them for flavor; fill the crust and bake them until done; spread over the apples 3 thinck meringue made by whipping to a froth the whites of three eggs for each pie; sweeten with three table- SPOOmuls of powdered sugar; flavor with vanilla; beat. until it will stand alone; cover pie. three quarters of an inch thick, set back into a quick oven uniil well set. To be eaten cold. , 8mm Nations Have Four Genders, and Sum: Extend Genders to Verb. There is fun which the vulgar do pot) suspect im the study of languages. Observe the detail of gemder. It Seems to us that mature itself has regulated that matter once for all. In most languages of course, inani- marte things are treated as masculine or feminine; everybody knows that our forefathers did the same long ago. But in any case, male, female, and neuter genders exhaust the possibili- ties. You, cannot have more than three genders or less than two, for the sexes must be d1stirnguished. SIMPLE FOOD FOR CHILDREN. To promote children’s appetites there is no better plan than to give them plenty of outdoor exercise, fun and irplic; make them regular in their habits and diet only upon plain, nour- ishing food, and they will seldom, if ever, complain of a lack of appetite. So it appears to the civilized mor- tal: But an Australian of Daly River co'nltrivels, to recognize four, while an Algonquin of North 'America and a Dravidia'n of India have ‘two, indeed, but they are not male and female. For the Daly River persan insists that plants shall have a gender of their own; the Algonquin and the Dravi- diarn agree that it is the distinction of living and dead, not that of sex, which should be maintained. The FudaJJ nauon also ignores male and female, making one comprehen- sive gezndegr 101‘ human beings, and everything that relates thereto. and another for all creatures and things outside. Thus, tame cattle are disâ€" tirnyguish‘ad from wild, and a tree plan,th with Intention from one that springs naturally. VUpS-n the othér hand, those poor Arm‘epuians have not even one gender to! bless themselves with. Thirty-five are reckoned in the speech of the Basu‘to Kaffirsâ€"mo Jess do those interesting barbarians - re- quire for conversation. But they flo new call upon them to agree with the gown in gender as well as in (number and person. That Is the exclusive de- mamd', of the Mullokâ€"Mulloks, Cherites and Ponlgu-Pongas, among whom Mr. McKillop and his brethren spend their days, desperately wrestling with the part»: of speechp Bu-t the‘Aueralia‘ns of the Daly River actually put gender into their verbs. Only .to think of learning such a language gives one a shiver. We do‘ not hear now mamy moods go 'to a verb, but the tenses are vaguely and awfully described as "endless," per- haps the revereeml gentleman had not yet succeeded in counting them. .A‘nother comrivance, not exclusiva, bum-[more highly developed on. the Daly River, apparently, than in any otha'r- land or age, is in the inflection of the adjective. Besides singular and plural, they have, as we should expect, the ,ual, "and they are very strict abouru the use of it. RUMOURS 0F GENDER. One very seldom hears of Mrs. Henry Irvingâ€"Lady Irving, she in entltled to be called. The public. has heard, now and them. of a Lady Irving, but as she never appears with her distinguish- ed husband in society or elsewhere, her existence would hardly be suspected. . In fact a great mamy people have regarded Sir Henry as a widower. They knew he must have been married at some time or other, because there are little Irvings running 7 about Great Britain, but further than that few peo- ple, ever knew, and probably few can- ed. Wife of Sir Henry Irving. An actor, recently returned from London, was speaking of her the oth- er day. " Lady Irving has a cottage on Pel- ham Row,” he said, “ where she spends most of her tima, only leaving London in the winter season. She is afflicted with pulmonary troubles, and is forced to spend the trying months of the year in Italy. " A slender, good looking lady is the wife of the great English actor. It the truth must be known, however, she but not been without occasion for grlet, The London public knows little about her and cares less. If they knew they would care no more, But people who have an intimate knowledge of many concerns tell me that Lady Irving has borne a heavy burden for many years. ” She was married to Irving- some 26 or 27 years ago, when he was only an inconsiderabie player. Her maiden name was O’Callaghan, and she was the daughter of a regimental surgeon of the British army in India. She was a woman of imperious, even violent, temper, I am told, and she and Irving did not long enjoy a period of domestic felicity. Two children were born to them, whom they named Henry and Laurence. “ When Laurence Irving was two weeks old and Henry Irving two years, Mr. and Mr. Irving separated,” con- tinued the actor. “ Irving left the house that day and has never returned. Ex- cept to chaucekencounters, the two have never met since that day. His friend: have always asserted that She Was in- saner jealous of him ; her friends have stated that he neglected _her cruepy. " He had the stranger side, but her family and relatives by marriage have constantly reiterated their faith in her. Mrs. Morgan, her sister, wife of a member of the firm of Ashburne & 00., of Calcutta, and her mother, have per- sis‘tently urged her cause, and she has had the constant support of Mrs. Mad 9 Kendal, the actress, and numerous 0t - er friends. " A reconciliation was impossible be- tween two such natures as those of Mr. and Mrs. Irving. The latter main}- tained an attitude of hastilitypSu Henry is very grand, and his natural indisposition to making overturns was increased by the favours heaped upon him from all sides. It was not for him to bend, he figured it. Friends like the Baroness Burdett-Coutts, were dis- posed to believe him to be a much suf- fering monument of domestic patience, and the mamâ€"even the actorâ€"who can resist the role of martyrâ€"has not yet been born into this world, I take i_t._ " In the absence of her husband Mrs. Irving lived with her mother. A num- ber of years ago proceedings for sep- arate maintenance were rumored. I don’t know that a suit was actually brought. but Mr. Irving promptly set- tled upon his wife a life annuity of $5,000. Lady Irving has never used a penny of it upon herself, but has de- voted it all to the education of her " For these boys Sir Henry has a very strong affection, yet strangely enough, until recent years he saw but little of them. When they were little fellows they visited him once ayear. He would take them to supper after the theatre, shower them with gifts of all descriptions, and then send them home. Unless he chanced to meet them by accident he never saw them again until! a year had elapsed. “Mrs. Irving, who is possessed of a mild aversion for the stage for 21 ca- reer,» did her utmost to prevent them from following their father’s avocation. But the blood inheritance was ‘too strong. Henry Irving, jr., is now an actor, and a good one. His mother, despite her feelings, journeyed to the west of England, to witness his debut. Laurence Irvin-g is a barrister by pro- fession. " " A good example of the feeling exist- ing between husband and wife was (11"- forded when Edwin Booth went to England. It may supply information to the curious concerning the real rea‘ son for the separation. Mrs. Irving wrote to Booth, asking for tickets of admission to a performance of 'Ham- let.’ » In the) Rakaia, New Zealand, railway smash drink was the direct means of saving the lives of about sixty excur- sionists, who, as the night was cold and wet) and the train was waiting, left the rear carriages and trooped into the railway hotel a few yards off. While they were drinking the smash tnok place. The narriagea which sixty of the beer~thimty crowd had ’quitted were reduced to Ima'tchwood. " This little display of animosity and other incidents of a similar character. show the disposition of Lady Irving. It is likely th'at she has been sinned against, but she has done a little bit of ginning herself now and then, I imagine," concluded the actor. “ ' I would like,’ she wrote, ' to have the two sons of Henry Irving see an actor.’ NOT A TEMPERANCE STORY.