Bloomington Progress, Bloomington, Monroe County, 19 January 1900 — Page 6

THE OLD TRUNDLE BED.

Oh, the old trundle bed where I slept when a boy, What panoplied, knight might not covet the jpy? The glory and peace of that slumber of mine, Like a long, gracious rest in the bosom divine; The quaint, homely couch, hidden close from the light, But daintily drawn from its hiding at night. Oh, a nest of delight, from the foot to the head, "W&s the queer little, dear little, old trundle bed. jOh, the old trundle bed where I wonderi ing saw The stars through the window, and listened with awe To the sigh of the winds as they tremblingly crept Through the trees where the robins so restlessly slept, (Where heard the low, murmurous chirp of the wren, And the katydid listlessly chirrup again, Through the maze of the dreams of the old trundle bed. t Oh, the old trundle bed! Oh, the old trundle bed! tWith its plump little pillow and old-fash-ioned spread; Its snowy white sheets and the blankets above, Smoothed down and tucked around with the touches of love; The voice of my mother to lull me to sleep With the old fairy stories my memories keep Still fresh as the lillies that bloom o'er the head Once bowed o'er my own in the old trundle bed. I James Whitcomb Riley.

HIS BUSY DAY.

m

ST WAS my busy day. A pile of correspondence as daunting to a man's ambition as Pike's Peak or the Eiffel Tower burdened my desk and. there was a kink in my temjper which I had calculated would reQuire a dinner at Martin's, tete-a-tete (with Marguerite, to effectually straighten out Martin's chef makes a certain jate that puts, a man at peace with all (the world, while Marguerite is at once isootliing and stimulating, like champagne. At this point my reflections were interrupted by Forsythe, the best fellow Sn the world, but with an unlucky habit

uiMiug ur at, uic VViUllg XIlUUltMll. fl didn't give him the glad hand exactly, for which I was sorry enough af ter-

iward, but he was too preoccupied to tnotiee. ; - .'- "Oh, I've something to say to you, ! Austin," he said after a few prelimi- j paries, with the effect of having just remembered something. "AH right," I replied, taking my feet loff a chair to shove it toward him, "but 'make it twenty words if you can. I'm 'in a rush to-day." , "I can do it quick enough," he went jon, with an uneasy laugh. "I jus! vrant tto ask you if you've any Intentions of a matrimonial sort, you know, toward Marguerite." "The devil you dot" I exclaimed. "It strikes me that's my business." 'Perhaps it is," he said, with an air of wishing to do me every justice, "perhaps it is, bat it's mine, too." "Indeed," I remarked, feeling that I was unanswerable. "You see, Austin," cried Forsythe, "when you introduced Dillard and me to Marguerite we both thought you were a trifle gone in that direction, and when I found I thought such a lot of her I couldn't live without her I felt that I had no right to ask for her until I found out whether you wanted her yourself." "Deuced good of you," I commented, stiffly, seeing he had paused for a reply. "It only seemed fair to give you the first chance," he finished, looking at me in a hurt sort of a way that made me ashamed of myself. "You're all right, old boy," I hastened to say. "Forgive me; you took me, by surprise. But since you ask me I don't mind saying I never had a thought of marrying Marguerite" (which was true enough, and I'd never thought of any one else marrying her either). "I'm mighty glad of that," cried Forsythe, joyfully. "No doubt," I said, a trifle dryly; but he hastened on: "I'm going to take her to a picture exhibit this morning, and thought I'd like to ask her then, it you assured me the field was clear. 1 hope I have your good wishes, Austin." ? "Certainly," I said. "Go ahead and try for her, and good luck go with you, old man." 1

The painful memory of the grip he gave my hand on leaving still lingered

with me when Dillard dropped in an

hour later. I gave Dillard the other

hand. "Hullo," he cried. "Busy, Austin?"

"Rather," I returned, shortly. Dll-

'iard's only occupation in life is spend

ing an income of forty thousand a year, jand it's hard to be glad to see a mac

jllke that when you've got your own aiose down on the grindstone. "Just a word in your ear and I'm

through," he announced. "It's about Marguerite, you know." "Marguerite!" I exclaimed, "then you've heard " "Heard what," he cried. "Are ycu engaged to her?" "Certainly not," I answered, with emphasis; "what made you think that?" "Oh, I thought you rather fancied her and I'm tremendously glad to hear you don't care about her." (I wasn't aware that I'd said that, but I let it pass.) "She and her aunt are going to take lunch with Forsythe and me today, and I thought I might get a chance to try -my luck with her then. But as long as you introduced us I thought I ought to give you the first chance." This sounded familiar too familiar, in fact. "Oh, don't mind me," I protested impatiently. "My intentions toward Marguerite are wholly innocuous. Wish you success, Dillard." I managed to evade his parting handshake, thus saving my fingers a second crushing, and he departed happy. When I went to lunch and had time to analyze my feelings I found that I resented being forced into posing as a sort of trousered fairy godmother to Marguerite. Of course as long as I had no intentions whatever of asking her to marry me I could hardly be so absurd as to resent some one else doing so. And certainly Forsythe and Dillard had behaved handsomelyno one could have done more. But to be asked for my consent to Marguerite's nuptials as though I were her elderly uncle or benevolent maiden aunt was a trifle trying. At 5 o'clock I was on my way to see her. I felt that however unpleasant my new attitude toward her might be, it at least gave me a right to know which one of my friends she had accepted; By the time I reached the car I was sure it was Forsythe; when I alighted at the corner my mind was made up to accept Dillard as her future husband, and when I entered the door I had come to the conclusion that whichever she took she was undoubtedly doing well for herself. "What, it is you?" cried Marguerite, when I found her in the library. "Did you expect some one else?' I asked, scanning her closely. She undoubtedly looked, happy. "You were here yesterday," she replied. "One good turn deserves another," I said. "Besides I've come to congratulate you." "Well?" she asked and settled down

comfortably to listen. Marguerite is j

very pro voiung sometimes, one j&uew I was-all at sea. "Dillard is a man to be proud of," I hazarded, .watching her face. "Are you proud of him?" she inquired, looking up at me with big ques

tioning eyes. After all the role of fairy

godmother to Marguerite wasn't so bad, I reflected, that is, if one couldn't be anything else.

"And his fortune " I went on, ig

noring her question. '

"Ah, his fortune are you proud of that, too?" she asked. Perhaps it wasn't Dillard after all. "But Forsythe," I said, shifting my ground, "he is a man in a million." "Yes, he is," said Marguerite reflectively. "See here," I cried desperately, "which are you going to marry? "The man in a million or the maa with a million?" she cried with a saucily lifted chin. "Yes, which is it to be?" I repeated eagerly. "Suppose," she said, slowly, "suppose" I asked your candid, unprejudiced hon-: est advice?" "Oh, then I suppose I should have to' advise you to take them both." "Yes, I suppose you would," she as sented thoughtfully. "Or else to refuse them both," I added. "Ah, suppose I had already done that," she said softly. I felt my breath fail 'me suddenly. "Marguerite!" I cried, and a moment later found myself an engaged man. "By the way," I remarked as we sat waiting for the pate at Martin's that evening, "how wei'e the pictures?" "Really I've forgotten," said Marguerite with a happy little sigh. "This has'Mbeen such a busy day.' "Come to think of it," I replied, "I've had 'rather a busy day myself." Chicago Times-Herald.

Great Pest in South Africa. One of the greatest pests of south Africa is the locusts, which descend in swarms each year upon the farms of Natal and the Transvaal. They sometimes fly in such numbers that railroad trains are blocked and are forced to wait until the bodies of the insects are shoveled from the tracks. Last year the government of Cape Colony paid out $8,500 for locusts' eggs, at the rate at, JP cents a pound. As it takes 40,000 egj$s to weigh a pound an idea of the enormous' number destroyed in this way may le gathered. But the locusts are not an unmixed curse. They are eaten by the natives, who say they make delicious food, and all animals, including horses, are said to be fond of them.

A PECULIAR DISASTER. Part of a Picturesque Italian City Slid Into the Sea. In a peculiar manner death came to a number of people at the famous tourist resort of Amain, an Italian city situated on the Gulf of Salerno, southeast of Naples. Owing to the action of the water undermining the rock upon which Amalfl stands a portion of the place slipped into the sea, taking with it two hotels, a Capuchin monastery and several villas, and crushing under its enormous weight four vessels, the crews of which fortunately escaped. The number of dead was at first believed to be very large, but, marvelous as it may seem, only ten persons lost their lives. The monastery contained many monks and the hotels many guests, and all of these, together with the occupants of the villas, were at first supposed to be lost. The mass of earth and rock which slipped into the sea is estimated at 50,000 cubic yards and the shock of its rending and crashing into the water shook the principality for miles around. The hotels destroyed are the Cappucinni and the Santa Calerina. Amalfi, the scene of this disaster, is a city of 7,000 souls and has a great antiquity. It . took its origin in the fourth century, though its name did not merit the historian's notice until 200 years afterward. It then became an independent republic, with a vast trade with the east, and at the zenith of its power and fame it numbered

done, and then the mage asked Lord Lytton where he would like the ring to reappear. He answered "in his dispatch box," of which the key was attached to his watch chain, or at all events he had it with him on the spot The dispatch box was brought out, Lord Lytton opened it and there was the ring. This trick would be easy if the British officer was a confederate of the juggler's, and if he possessed a duplicate key to the dispatch box. In that case he would not throw the ring into the well, but would take it into the house, open the box and insert the ring. But this explanation involves enormous improbabilities, while it is unlikely, again, that the conjurer managed to insert a duplicate ring into the dispatch box beforehand. Lord Lytton then asked the juggler if he could repeat the trick. He answered in the aflirmative, and a lady lent another ring. Another officer took it, with the seeds, as before, and dropped the ring into the well. The countenance of the juggler altered in the pause which followed. Something, he said, had gone wrong, and he seemed agitated. Turning to the second officer, he asked: "Did you arrange the seeds as I bade you?" "No," said the officer, "I thought that was all nonsense and I threw them away." The jugglei seemed horrified. "Do you think I dc this by myself?" he said, and packing up he departed. The well was carefully dragged and at last the lady's ring was brought to

.

CAPUCHIN MONASTERY, WHICH SLID INTO THE SEA.

50,000 souls, with a contributary population in dependent territory of 500,000. During the crusade its inhabitants founded the hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, from which the Knights of Malta derived their name. Toward the twelfth century its decline began, partly due to wars with the Pisans and partly to the encroachments of the sea. In 1342 its quays and public works were destroyed by storms and inundations. Amalfl is now only a shadow of its former self. Its chief industries are the making of paper, soap and macaroni. Amalfi is picturesquely situated and is surrounded by mountains. The Capuchin monastery destroyed dates back to 1212.

A circus ostrich once made a meal, of sauer kraut and fat pork, and died: within three days of indigestion.

MARVELS OF INDIAN MAGICIANS Wonderful Feat of Which Lord Lytton Was a Witness. Tii following story of Indian magic was told me by the person to whom it was told by the late Lord Lytton. I gave it in my own words, for the excellent though humiliating reason that I have mislaid the MSS. When in India Lord Lytton often sought out conjurers, but never saw any but the usual feats, such as the mango tree trick and, the basket trick. The method in each case is known, or, at all events, plausible explanations have boon given by Mr. Maskelyne and other experts. On one occaison Lord Lytton liked something in the looks of the conjurer who was performing in the open space before his house. After the ordinary exhibition his lordship asked the magican if he could not do something more out of the common way. The man said he would try, and asked for a ring, which Lord Lytton gave him. He then requested an officer to take in either hand a handful of seeds -one. sort was sesame. The name of the other sort my informant did not know. Holding these seeds, and having the ring between his finger and thumb, the officer was to go to a well In the corner of the compound. He was to dispose of the seeds in a certain way I think on the low wall around the well, into the depths of which he was to throw the ring. All this was

die surface. That ring, at least, had certainly been in the water. But had the first ring been as faithfully consigned to the depths? Experts will be of various opinions as to that yet the hypothesis of confederacy and of a duplicate key to the dispatch box is difficultLongman's Magazine.

Increased Strength of Chinn. A German engineer has brought forward a new .method of constructing chains so as to eliminate the weakness due to faulty material or construction, which sometimes occurs in chains made of solid metal. The method consists in winding wire into links and binding the turns of wire by dipping in a bath ol liquid zinc or other noncorrosive material. The wired links may also be stiffened by being wound on an internal steel lining adopted to receive the wrap pings of wire. It is claimed that chains made by this method provide equal strength with less waste of metal.

English and American Letter. A comparison of the postal statistics of the world shows that the English people write a third more letters in a year than the American, but this is attributed to the almost general use of the telephone in this country doing away with the necessity for so much writing. New York Times.

Mushroom and Snake Venom. A French scientist has found that some kinds of mushroom afford a vaccine against the venom of snakes. The juice of the mushroom renders a person immune against the poison for a month or two.

A Well-Known Man. "You say that man who just went by is one of the best-known men in town?" "Yes; he couldn't borrow a dollar to save his life!" Yonkers Statesman. . , ,. Briefly Defined. "Define divorce." "It's the interlude to rag-time matrimony." Chicago llecord.

j

A GOOD STORY TELLER.

Justice Brewer Delights in Butertabf

ing His.Many Friends.

One of the most genial of judic!

dignitaries at Washington is Assoc!

Justice Brewer of the Supreme Co

tt. i - i : v. i . a. li .1 Jr.

1 J - 1 1 -A. J.1 M ' M

3

the grave and reverend gentlemen who" compose the highest tribunal in the land. Out in Indiana, he said, there was a justice of the peace who owned a farm. One line of his fence formed the boundary of the States of Indiana and Ohio. Like others in rural districts who hold that office he had an

aDnormai appreciation or tne responsi

bility of the office and never lost an ' AnnAifnn!fir t nvnrnlcjA Vila nfaitAffaftvA -

served. One day his son ana his hirea man got to fighting on a stretch of the form naor f Via linnnflflrv lino ffnot ftnflv.

nas but to command, he shoutea: the name of the State of Indiana I

just men tne rence gave way unaei

his weight and as he soon went down

with the fence toppling over to the Ohio side he shouted to his son: '"Give

him the mischief, Jim; I've lost my. jurisdiction!"

xae vaiue or piain, convincing argu- v . , , . A

flowery type, as opposed to high-soar- j

aw s- i 1 f -'

ing law m new xvrn. viij ue o j.jja;c .t

: J XT mmIaIwhI An m .

KllfllU ! I - I S4 I ... I III lllllllll'll .2. i

LJ O . " ' .

a speech on a certain occasion. He ac-

ceptea ana careruuy rornrymg nimseix,

with information on the subject and otherwise preparing for his part of the, program he appeared on the platformi in ample time. When he got up heA

n i q rl o art einmiont npniptfnn or thft vilV

tues of his party; he made deep

draughts on simile and metaphor: his

sentences were exquisitely rounded and it was a masterly example of a class-day oration. The audience sat unmoved, an occasional nod alone greeting what he said. The next speaker was an unkempt individual, careless of grammar, who committed a wholesale slaughter of the English language. But he made several good points In a crude way that appealed to the crowd, and when he ended the applause was deafening. As the then would-be lawyer with the fine periods passed out a man behind, not recognizing hini, whispered in his ear: "I like that second feller better: he talks sense.". . i' "Boiled JBersrs" at San Juan.

. . 1

cne aiicuipis oi me uiuuwoua Aurcir

nana virltrt lirnn intn Si'J n .IllaTl Tn fNlll.

" "w v " ; jV:

verse with the native Porto Rlcans. A ;. correspondent mentions the case of a loud-voiced American in the breakfast room of a hotel who was vociferating

wildly in the midst of an interested

crowfl. He was shaking his lists and

vals. If he had said "eggs" merely, some one might have understood, but

ed everybody. Then he began to scold the natives for a lot of donkeys and

fools, and wanted to know whether the had ever gone to school.

'rvnl nnnl vast" ripri thA hp1 xcalt-

n T l-tiTt. nnnlV T-To rin fl TVU XT ani)

soon came back with a plate of cracked Ice. At this stage, the American was on the point of exploding with wrath,

WURUtt menu, nuu uuuciswuu (Huiiui, . stepped up and straightened out the affair. . New Cable Lines. France is dependent upon JSnglsnd for

news of the Transvaal war, because the

caoies are unaer tneir control, ana sue is ready to spend a vast sum ot money to

tvhn hiivp rirsnpnsia. snend a fortune..

seelfing deliverance. They should try .... . t . v-h.i.. T i

fni Is tn pure drsntnsia. consignation awM

biliousness.

There is a line in Goldsmith's poem of

the "Deserted Village" which greatly

mystifies readers. It i this:

Twelve cood rules tne royal same qx?

According to Foster's life of him he v

referred to twelve good rules thatm k 1 JB .

They were these: Urge no healths

Profane no divine ordinances Touch

not state matters, ueveai no secreis. Pick no quarrels. Make no comparisons..

Maintain no m opinions. Jveep no oaa

company. Encourage no vice. Make no long meals. Repeat no grievances. Lay no wagers. Catarrh Can't Bs Cured With LOCAL APPLICATIONS, aa thy cannot reach the seat of the disease. Catarrh la a blood or constitutional disease, and in order to ours it you have to take internal reutediea. Hall's Catarrh Cure is taken internally, and acts directly

OU tUO U1UUU IUIU U1UVUUD duiibvb Awa tm ssr-

tarrh Cure ia no qnacK medicine. It was pw

It is coniposea oi mo oesi. wom uwwn, ac hinMl with the best blood purifier a. actina

Bola oy cu uggisiB, pricw

When women take their troubles to the Lord, their husbands should do the same, in order that He may hear both sides of the story

W aires of London Bill Posters.

Tendon billDosters struck for $8.3

tute a week's work.