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"11‘ you have nothing to do U‘ afternoon, Claude.” Sir Arth said, "do try to amuse poor Iitt Ethic; she is frigluiully low to-day was all very well in one's teens, but a. woman of fourmndâ€"twenty, posses- sing large property, expects more deference. So Miss Lonshale told her cousin latm‘, when cxplgining the cause of her anger to him. But, Claude knew the true cause far too Well. Luncheon was in full progress when he reached the Court. cheerful and good-tempered as usual. “Been sketching this morning, Clara. ?" he asked his cousin. "No? _Is the picture finished, then ‘2” Clara did not reply; she was angry with him for not making himself acquain- ted with her movements earlier, in which case. he could have driven to Cleave with her. Being Sir Ar- thur’s ward, and having from early childhood passed half the year with him. Clara had fallen into frat- ernal relations with her cousin. This was all Very well in one's tonne hm naiaclava business ! by J ove 7 who Wouldn’t have bragged '.’â€"'1"ne viper!‘ ’â€"-Sweet child ! She could face death, but cried at the slipporinoss! En- gaged, and to Philip ?â€"is Philip mad, or what ?â€"-” He unfolded his arms and took a turn beneath the duppled shadows. "1 wish I had never seen her l” he sighed, “I wish to Heaven I had cher seen her 1” be repeated. Luncheon was in full nl‘narrncc “By the way, I quite forgot the note," Captain Mcdway said, for- getting also that he had been sur- prised to meet Jessie,_ and handing her a. little cockedâ€"hat of Clara’s inâ€" difing, which briefly told her that she was not able to keep her tryst that morning. Jessie did not wonâ€" der at the lady’s choice of a mes- senger, her simplicity was too ab- solute; and he did not think it nec« essary to explain that he had inter- cepted the note on its way to her by the hands of a servant. She wished him goodâ€"morning, and taking her easel and painting thingspvanished in the depths of the wood. lle reâ€" mained leaning- ugaainst a. tree with folded arms, gazing at the spot left vacant by‘her ! ' "She is too good i" he reflected. "This is no more milk and water inâ€" nocence, half ignorance, half want of temptation, no light, slight vil- lage beauty. It is sterling. A new type of woman. And I am not to be shut of her heaven ! But she is a woman, after allâ€"and women are â€"womenâ€"â€"My cousin Claraâ€"hm! I have her authority. My Motherâ€"â€" well! my mother ought to know, but she does not think highly of the sex. Everybody, man or woman, especially Woman. has his price, acâ€" cording to Lady Gertrude, That Balaclava business ! bv Jm-n ? who He turned away, a 119m” frown dISguising the beauty of his face. Jessie now began to express some wonder at Miss Lonsdule’s delay, and looking at her watch, found to her intense surprise that the morn- ing was gone, it. was time to go home to dinner. me ill. A snake,” s calm and ashamed of “is the symbol of sin near a sin is like to snake." "Did you think it would kill me ?” he asked with quiet gravity, as they each recovered from their dissimilar agitation. "Then it might have killed you? and you don’t like slippery things,” he added with a. tender smile. "I don’t like snakes. They make me ill. A snake,” she added, now She possessed the rare art of cryâ€" ing gracefully, her flushed face only looked sweeter through tears, her features kept their dainty curves, her eyes were all the brighter, like for-getâ€"meâ€"nots in the dew, her eyeâ€" lids did not, redden, the quiver of her lips went straight to people's hearts. Some of her golden hair had fallen about her neck and glit- tered in the sunshine: he could not help touching it lightly, caressineg, unseen. actually passed. “Come, Jessie, look up, what is there to cry about?" he said, reâ€" leasing her hands, “the beast is stone dead." "Itâ€"wa childisth ed." "But it didn't, thanks to you! How you tremble. Look up, (lem‘ Jessie, look upâ€"I am all right." Jessie continued to tremble, though she recovered herself suffi- ciently to withdraw her hands from the kisses pressed upon themâ€"kisses she was too agitated to heedâ€"kisses more dangerous than udders' bites. Afterwards she was vaguely con- scious that hcr hands had been kiSSâ€" ed, but she never remembered what actually passed. "Your almostâ€" -'~'.‘,’ her side, With his arm, he did, for hc Who are wu: "Jessie, Jcs Heavens 1 Du he added, tak ungloved hm that they 1):“ hand. g9: Wanammmmeeaeemmae; r_‘~' 11 S S 0â€" a moman Claude A MENE @MESE Ld ashamed of her agitation, symbol of sin. Even to be sin is like touching a. cold 95%5 “WWW 00399669 W999 90$ 859 CI‘YAI’TER XII. l "I was thinkinnâ€" I n 'nâ€"hi who: wax to a woman's tears. Jessie! Are you hurt? Did the beast bite you?" taking and examining her hands, and remembering had grasped the viper‘s 'a CC no light, slight vil- It is sterling. A new 1.7 And I am not to â€"slippery,” she said, iâ€"I was so frightenâ€" 1'. Being Si] having from half the year fallen into I quite forgot the Mcdway said, forâ€" . he had been sur- Iessie,‘ and handing in full progress 1e Court, cheerful as usual. this morning, his cousin. "No? (Hfâ€"surrounding her larcer knowing what, 115 one of those men 0 a woman‘s tears. she p ?â€"is Philip unfolded his beneath the I wish I had OR, THE MISSING WILL sobbon lex‘, in van to ‘uir Arâ€" 1 early u‘ with o fratâ€" n. This us, but Arthur little kneeling 1is ..- ‘ onyuuuuu jof poor Martha’s own child." "I was thinking of something funny," Jessie hastily explained. “I am sure I wonder at' you, Jes- sie,” Mrs. Plummer lamented, placâ€" ing the mustard on the table with an air of resignation, “and I won- de’r your poor mother don’t, turn in her grave to hear you. I don’t expect much from them that isn’t Woods. And to be sure, Wood as you are, poor Matthew reared you up as I always said he’d live to re- pent. Men folks may laugh and whistle While their mm‘ried wives are drove into their u‘l‘nx'uc :o’n , ....‘. 4‘,» LU convey to Jessie a hint of what was going on, tried to twist one eye slowly in- to a. solemn wink, it was too droll, and a. slight titter escaped her. “Seeing anybody’s own flesh and blood wore out may be amusing to some," continued Cousin Jane, sev- erely, “but ’1: isn’t what 1 expected of poor Martha’s own phild " V4-" Jhomely in feature, iin expression, hm siognomy of a c brick cottage. T ‘ing a burly form air of illâ€"feigned Sng decided pertu straight line of . into an incipient enough to Jessie': Mr. Plummcr, wis pear at his ease : to Jessie a hint ( on, tried to twist to a solemn wink, and a. slight tit.th It One glance round the room was sufficient to show to her practised eye that tempest was lowering upon the domestic horizon. Cousin Jane was laying the cloth with her own hands, a wholly, unnecessary thing .pointing to storm on the Redwoods barometer. “To be sure, anybody gcan but he wore out," she was say- ing mournfully, when Jessie came in with the soft freshness of a spring breeze, “and the sooner the better in a. world like this. I don't know as there’s anybody to care when I’m goneâ€"without ’ts the funeral ex- penses,” she added, showering the 1knives and forks with a clatter up- ;on the table. Jessie knew better than to make and remark 01‘ offer to help; she looked inquiriugly at Mr. Plummer, who stood in the English house holder’s commanding position on the hearthrug, trying to appear at his case. Beauty was not Mr. Plummer's strong" point, his com- Dlexion, with the sun and storm, the frost and 1'02- of shsfu pn ., 4A w ., . 7.7- “a- “NW nuns. w anticipation, was relieved to find that her delay was unnoticed, din- ner not_being~ yet on the table. Jessie sped breathless shocked at the lateness but. when she reached where a pungent fragra smoke and bacon made hungry people still mor “v. .. “we, quAhu VAuA u, “think of the Balaclava wound, and the winter cold, and starvation. Re- member the story of the goose he and young Rundle stole together in the Crimea." "To be sure! the goose!” laugh- ed Sir Arthur; "Claude and Randal stole the goose and hid it, and anâ€" other man asked them to dine upon it, his servant having seen and snatched it. The villain made a merit of feasting them on their own goose." - } "My dear uncle, it is precisely those strong men knowing nothing of pain who are most impatient of other people’s suffering,” Clara in- jtcrposed; "Hugh would never (1eâ€" vote an afternoon to Ethel; he says that she gives him the blues." “And Claude knows what it is to $11313,» Aunt Gertrude," added Clara; "Claude fools for the child; he is certainly kind," Sir Arthur returnâ€" ed. “But it would be hard indeed if a strong man, who never had an ache in his life, lost his patience with a sick rrrirl.” "I really wonder," Lady Gor- trude said, "that Claude bears with Ethel as he does. The truth is, he spoils her. She is more pcevish than ever after he has been with "1 was thinking I night wheel her out in the sun, perhaps, this bright day," he replied readily. And he passed the long afternoon by the side of the fl‘etful little cripple, who rewarded her brother’s patience by pouts and reproachos, but would not let him go. "I really wonder," Lady Gerâ€" thatched too'f runner deepâ€"set and ove}: ,uftcd sandy eyebrows; they Jessie of bright little lead- ‘e Windows beneath thatchâ€" his sandy hail", perfectly parted on one side, brushâ€" h on the top and brushed 0 ends, was strikineg like ed toof; the whole face, feature, genial and kindly sion. had exactly the phy- of a cosy thatched red at the lateness 'of the hour sped brgathlcssly homeward, I, had exactly the f a cosy thatched 2. This face surm form and wearing gned indin‘erence c perturbation, with ’1‘ his mouth screwed ant whistle. was droll sie’s mind; but when wishing still to ap- se and yet to convey nt, of what was going incidental to the reaping and riding of that, long period, atthew reared you aid he'd live to re- ‘s may laugh and air married wives their graves. it’s eached Redwoods; fragrance of wood- lade all healthin more hungry by surmount- g an coverâ€" !1 the “She'll be all right," he averred, cheerfully, “now she‘v giv out we may all be gone by this time toâ€" morrow." Then Jessie went to lofier her serVices in the complicated preparations that she knew must be made for the reception of guests, services that. after many gibes at her fine breeding and general incom- petence, were finally grumbling ac~ :cepted I She was glad to escape her own thoughts in this household hustle and put on an apron and tucked up her sleeves, and found her shaken nerves and feverish heart-beats calm- :ed and quieted, especially when she [went into the clean, cool, fresh idairy to skim the milk. Dairy-Work Cousin June had left tlu waited by her own sighs, you ever give Philip the ton for dinner, my deur;" and slu soned with inexplicable pain : indirect allusion to her engag: “The Lord only knows,” he i ued, “how 1 came to forgot I'd asked four or five to droI tea. and supper toâ€"night till morning; entirely forget.” "Well, Cousin Plummer, yo served a scolding," Jessie r ' ‘Well, served a laughing. shouldn't J ane. " lsterical; but Cousin June went on ‘with placid pluintiveness, "Roger, my dear, do try some more pie; Keep yourself up, for you may need it; there’s no knowing when trouble may come. We may all be gone by this time to-morrow.” Roger mnnfully responded to this appeal by finishing the beefsteak pie in his most heroic fashion, on- treating‘ his mother between “lines to "pick a. bit" herself, which she steadily declined to do. "Only last night I dreamt of bride cake,” she sighed, "and the feelings I have in my inside nobody knows. But I ain't one to complain." Anothex' contraction of Mr. Plum- mer's features here nearly produced another tittez‘ from Jessie. whom these amenities sometimes made hy- “But what," continued Cousin Jane, fortunater missing the in- nuendo and mollified by the comâ€" pliment, “is the bestâ€"cured tongue in a. world like this ‘2" "You Mayn’t have the chance long.” she sighed, beginning to carve; “for I will say this, there ain’t a many can match my hams. Not that I was ever one to boast‘ The many hams I’ve cured and no ‘thanks. It’s in Wood blood.” "There ain’t» a. many can match your tongue,” added Mr. Plummer hastily, bonding his jovial face over his foam-topped mug of ale, and reâ€" ceiving a. hearty kick under the table from Roger, who had juust pounded into the room, all blowsed and ruddy from the thorough scrub- bing; that always preceded his din~ her. "You was always good at tongue,” he added, eVidently reckless of consequences and altogether de- moralized and defiant. I do have 2; nut ofrltl;atvrih‘am,” said Mr. Plummer, as if in response to an invitation after handing Jessie he‘llplate of pie. , _Â¥ .0..‘...v.., “tnficty as you've been bred; for what we’re going to receive may the Lord make us truly thankful. ’Twould have been hotted up if I'd had a husband a respectable woâ€" man might look to, her with money of her own and a family looked up to ” ' “Not but what I'd as soon he took off as not.” she continued, not heeding' this interruption, which alarmed Jessie, accustomed as she Was to a masterly passivity in dom- estic broils on the part of Mr. Plummer; "I never was one to run up a doctor's bill if I could help it. And as for a funeral, I shouldn’t wish to put people out; walking would do for me. It wouldn't be hardly worth while to hev mourn- ing coaches just for Plummer and Toger. They could walk. I dare say their feelings would be equal to it. There’s isn’t anybody else to follow, without its‘s Eliza’s husâ€" band. And I shouldn't like to put him to the expense and trouble with the hay season coming on and Eliza going upstairs. I suppose you can eat cold pie, Jessie?” she added, taking the head of the now covered table with melancholy resignation, KIA,” . \he sang with reckless joviality. to the accompaniment of the steel on the knives, casting a half desperate, half deprecating wink toward Jessie at the sumo. time. Cousin Jane sank in a chair mid put her hands 10 her ears. "Thero’s no knowing when I may drop." she said, when the steel music died away, “our family always goes ofl‘ sudden.” “You can‘t drop fur in that chair, mother," rotorted Mr. Plummer, dryly. "Ho, ho, ho. her nose doth show, How oft. to the cupboard doth Mar gory go,” "Well, there, my dear, I don't know but I might sharpen them. bet- ter on your tongue," he replied, goaded for once to a retort. “Some thinks: it, fine to jeer at married wives,” said Mrs. Plummer, but her words were drowned in the hrisk obligato Mr. Plummet executâ€" ed with knife and steel “I beg your {)1 sic said, meekly, "And you may don't live to be; brought up as y Plummer, if 1 xx sharpen the kni knees, you wouldn't added. mournlully. on] did that Thank ye, Jane, I don't care if what think I did‘ ,ousm runniner, you (10- to pain.” scolding," Jessie replied, "I don’t know what I "So it’s to be a match,” she do to you if I were Cousin heard one lady say, when her song,r was over and the accompaniment be all right,” he averred, was lingering itself out beneath her “now she'v giv out we ‘flngers. my inside nobody ; one to complain. said Mr. I’lummc Lme had left t1 knife and steel may be thankful 3 beg your bread as you was. I S‘ I was to ask y knives on my lybody better 1111) the tongue-pie 11-;” and she crim- cable pain at this 0 her engagement. :nows," he contin- e to forgot to say five to drop into toâ€"night till this to a retort. it 'fine to jeer at said Mrs. Plummer, ere drowned in the '1'. Plummet executâ€" 1rdon, cousin used to, but I of Wood blood, the do (ton when room Jes- ing there about their imprisoned anxious mothers, each in her coop fwith her head thrust. between the bars. If Mrs. Plummer would but let her do these things regularly ! "To be sure Jessie’s ornamental if she ain’t. useful when there’s com- pany,” Mrs. Plummer confided that evening to one of her guests. “G oodâ€" ness knows her father hev spent money enough on learning her music and she’s a fairish singer." Jessie was at the piano singing in u fresh and artless voice, "Sweet is true love though given in vain, in vain, And sweet is death that puts an end to pain." (lairy !” he said, when he clatteer in over the wet flags, and Jessie's mind and heart were in a much calmer and healthier condition when all was done, the waiting and watâ€" ching Sebastopol regaled with a saucer of milk, and she went out to the orchard with a plate of curds and new checseâ€"parings to give the young chickens, checping and flutter- The skimmer and bowl had to be set down more tlmnaonce because of the tears, but all the pans were skimmed at last, the milk poured from them, and fresh, wellâ€"scrubbed ones set in their places ready for the afternoon’s milk, that Abraham brought in in foaming pails suspendâ€" ed from a yoke on his shoulders. "It do seem natural to zee Miss in o “a... c, All called her mother, whose butter and cheese making she had so often watâ€" ched and admired. She liked the absolute cleanliness and dainty scru- pulosity necessary to dairy work. Why had she not been brought up to these things? She sighed, as the thick yellow cream wrinkled up in rich leathery folds over her skim- mer; aad her mother really destinâ€" ed her for Philip and for that reasâ€" on wished her to live differently? Philip had always been considered a born gentleman, she did not know why; she had heard of his proposed adoption by the Medways. Was he connected with that family? If so, why was the connection ignored? How could she ever marry Philip, the brother Ippie of childhood? No wonder Captain Medway was startl- ed at hearing it. Then she paused, having emptied the skimmer daintily into the Wooden bowl she held in her left hand, and fell into a train of reverie, her cheeks flushing and her heart throbbing, as the morn- ing’s history repeated itself and she thought of looks and tones that 'could never be forgotten. 0h ! ‘ that Miss Lonsdale had never known her! that she had never seen anyâ€" one at Marwell Court! And yetâ€"â€" and yet! She turned to the milk- pans again, drawing her fore-finger daintly round the inside of the pan she had just skimmed so as to reâ€" move the ring of cream adhering to ‘it, remembering her mother’s inâ€" structions on the subject. Thrift- less dairy-maids left the ring on the pan, careless ones forgot to Wash and cool the forefinger, untidy ones used the whole hand and so messed the cream over the handle. of the skimmer; a. whole code of ethics seemed to be involved in skimming milk. And she had no mother to teach her the ethics of more impor- tant things. “Oh! mother, come back, come back, to your child. For one little hour !" Soil is only a means to an end. The farmer does not want to pro- duce soil. He twishes to produce plants and animals. Soil is onl)y one of the means or essential condiâ€" tions to the successful production of plants. Speaking broadly, successful plant production depends upon the plant itself, that is, its inherited qua- lities. and upon its environment. Its environment is the soil, its prepara- always The problem of soil management is a, complicated one for a. Variety Of reasons, among which mnv be men- tioned: 1. We possess little fundamenâ€" tnl knowledge concerning: the soil. Thexje has not been a. time in 50 years when we know so little as at. ipl‘esent. 2. The character of our ‘soils varies greatly. and soil types ‘have not been sufficienth correlated to make it. possible to predict that results obtained in one place will 'apply to another, When the soils have been surveyed, mapped and clas- sified into any ten main types. it. will than be possible to carry on field experiments on each of the ten types and state with some degree of defi- niteness the conditions best suited to each, writes Thos. F. Hunt. RM @1333 “Na REM (To be Went tf) Jessie’s heart, it reâ€" SOIL MANAGEMENT oblem of soil management is cated one for a. variety of among which 11an be men- . We possess little fundamenâ€" ontir The character 7 0E 10d.) Those who cattle in thc has got a g isficd with t] flow of without to tum full bit: the seas In the spring many turn out their cows on the pastures before they can get a. full bite of grass. The cows relish the tender grass, but practice lgroves it is not good for them. ; They partially lose their appetite for dry forage and the watery grass that takes it does not contain the nourishment that was supplied by the hay. The conseguencc is that they fall oil“ in their milk and they hardly regain it again rall that season. The pasture is injured, yielding less feed for the season, while the ground is soft and they poach it up and cut the sod. When the cows are kept in the yard and fed their usual amount of for- age and grain they will give :1 steady Confining our remarks strictly to the production of general farm crops one may often Wisely stimulate the growth of crops by the use of comâ€" mercial fertilizers. It is eminently desirable, however, to feed at least a portion of this increased product to live stock and return the-manure to the soil. By this means, the crop producing power of the soil may be maintained, or if already reduced, may be increased. If, on the other hand, connnercial fertilizers alone are used, and the increased product sold from the farm, just the opposite may result. The farmer cannot afford to neglect any agency for increasing the productivity of his soil, and his most potent agency is 13. well preserxz ed manure pile. to meadows, especially if accompani- ed with the application of stable ma- nure, meadows may he. successfully maintained for many years, but it will generally be found better prac- tice to plow and take 00‘ one or more cultivated crops, and thus get a fresh start. If 1 were to suggest a general form of rotation, it would be as follows: An intercultural crop, viz., corn, potatoes or beans, one year; a. broadcast crop, wheat, rye, oats or barley, one year; meadow not to exceed four years. The basis of all soil culture is first to select the plants or seeds of plants having the characteristics most de- sired, and then furnish them, the most congenial home possible by re- moving all possible obstructions to their fullest development. A judiciâ€" ous rotation of crops is generally the most economic way of furnishing the environment. One of the important purposes of a rotation is to get a new start. This is an important consid- eration to the farmer, who has a. large portion of his arable land in meadows. The rule is tWo to {our good crops are produced and then the yields begin to fade away. The reaâ€" sons for this are many, but one im- portant factor is that the timothy plant is not strictly perennial, its length of life depending somewhat upon the favorableness of its sur- roundings. It has been pointed out that when it was customary to out timothy that had seed in it, the meadows tasted longer than at present. Dnubtless by the continued APPLICATION OF SEED‘ soil, by which p'lemt food is wide the physical properties of the are again modified as just. indit (3) to eradicate noxious weeds sect enemies and plant diseases to get a new start. soil the are THE BEST ENVIRONMENT. The purpose of this rntation of crops is (1) to give opportunity for modi- fying the physical texture of the soil by tillage, by which its waterâ€"holding capacity is changed, the cinculation of air hastened and the ease with which the roots penetrate increased; (2) to add organic matter to tho of these directions. This does not necessarily mean that, more land should be plowed annually than at present. Probably a good deal of land that is now plowed occasionally would be better off if not plowed at. all, but kept in permanent pasture, or al- lowed to grow up‘ to timber. It. means that those lands that are adap- ted to cultivation and are part 0! the regular tillage operations should be ploWed and changed from one crop to another sufficiently often to give the crops FROM STABLE TO PASTUI- is paid generally to the inherited qua- lities of the plant, that is, to imâ€" proved seed. and too little to adapt;- lng the plant. to the soil or the soil to the plant, and to giving it those methods of culture best, adapted to its fullest development. These facts admitted, what practi- cal methods are open to the farmer and others, not moroly for the im- provement of his soil. sinr‘p fhnf h: n eases tion, rainfall, temperature, the time and method of geeding or planting. insect or other injuries, and plant dis<, of milk. The grass will out interruption, and when r urn the cows on it will giv bite that will keep up 1hr season. TOO LITTLE ATTENTION 1 good start a: 1 their methods crops is generally the Way of furnishing tho. 0m; of the important as just, indicated the gras: \vcil sat added and the soil 0963, inâ€" asc-s; (4) 'ough