Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1892 — Page 5

RANKEST OF FRAUDS.

THE BOGUS CHRIST, GEORGE JACOB SCHWEINFURTH. •?;, Desfcrlptlon of HU “Heaven”—Xuxnrlons * Quarters on the Weldon Farm—Served by Hls Dopes—Saits that May Be Disastrous. The BocUord Redeemer. George Jacob Schweinfurth, who claims to be the second Christ, is beginning to realize that all things are not in his power, writes a Rockford, IIL, correspondent. He is consistent enough; though, to continue his protestations to his band-of “angels” that he still has the whiphand of the universe, and he therefore continues to reign in their addled minds as the king of kings and lord of lords. His failure to sway mankind to his liking in his recent futile attempt to settle the three healthy damage suits which were brought against him and his apostles by “angels” who fortunately fell from their estate with lorce sufficient to bring them to a realizing sense of their ineffable stupidity does not seem to sway him in the least. He did buy up the complainants in one of the suits, and thereby escaped the immediate trouble of a journey to court, where the inner workings of his heaven would be revealed, but the pieces of silver offered to the others have not procured the desired withdrawal. Rockford people are glad. They are anxious to see Schweinfurth beaten. They have been waiting for that event a long while, and it now looks as if it was well assured. At least the defendants have a remarkably good show of winning. Schweinfurth doesn’t want to come into bourt and have his preposterous pretensions subjected to judicial scrutiny. He would much rather tax his angels a few hundred dollars with which to settle the cases. Schweinfurth has taken no action as yet in the two suits instituted against him by George F. OstrandeT and Matilda Pierce, which are pending in the Rockford/courts. They each wanted SI,OOO. They entered “heaven” several years ago, after the usual renunciation which the impostor requires from all his followers—namely, placing all their goods and chattels at his disposal and consenting to work for him without money and without price as long as he saw fit. Before he had brought them to that condition of servitude, Schweinfurth had incidentally promised them golden harps, wings and other appurtenances of wellappointed angels. When they had toiled early and late with no other result than making Schwelnfurth’s condition more luxurious, their faith •wavered and Anally deserted them entirely. They became convinced of the utter nonsense of the swindler’s pretended godship, and left the farm in dudgeon to sue for their lost property, claiming that Schweinfurth had failed to keep his part of the contract in furnishing the harps, wings and crowns promised. The Coudrey suit Will be tried in Chicago. It is expected that when these suits are tried the iniquitous community which 6chweinfurth blasphemously calls “heaven” will be fully exposed. It Is hoped by the good people of this country, moreover, that it will result in the breaking up of the establishment which has so long been a disgrace to this portion of the State. Pending such a culmination, however, affairs are proceeding as usual at the Weldon farm, as the “heaven”' is known. The place Is about six miles southeast of Rockford. A description of the man and his dupes will be of especial interest at this time. They may- not exist much longer. Although Schweinfurth was chary about speaking of his peculiar establishment he made no objection to his visitors inspecting the premises. It was an interesting tour. The Weldon farm contains about 500 acres of the Anest agricultural and pastured land In what may be termed the “garden spot of Illinois,” and it is cultivated with the greatest of care and skill. The work is done by the five Weldon boys and the twelve or Afteen other disciples who make their abode at “heaven.” The breeding of fine horses Is also carried on quite extensively, And at good profit. By va-

GEORGE JACOB SCHWEINFURTH.

rious enlargements, additions, and improvements the old Weldon farm house has been transformed into a handsome, well-appointed establishment, a good likeness of which is herewith presented. The members of the “church triumphant” dignify the place by calling it Mount Zion. The residence in the summer is completely shaded by the spreading oak and dim trees which surro ind it. Each year the building is painted and frequently changed at the order of the fastidious Schweinfurth. The house is capacious, well provided with comfortable porches, and is surrounded by verdant, sloping lawns with just enough shrubbery to show them to the best advantage. An inspection of the interior was made, including Schweinfurth’s library and chambers, the chapel and school-room. The entire house and appointments are suggestive of taste, refinement and repose. * The men, women and children live together in one house as a large family, of which Schweinfurth is th« head. The disciples claim that tiw relation of brother and sister is maiOM tained between the sexes even byj

thoee who were married before they entered Zion. The easy time enjoyed by Schweinfurth is shared by none other of the flock. The “disciples,” as the males are called, work in the field like hired men, only a pay day never comes. The “angels” (the women) bake and sew and look after the household duties. A dormitory for the women is located in the rear portion of the building, while the third floor, or attic, is divided into apartments for the men. In the rear of the house are several large hams. They are inclosed in the front by a hedge which always shows the trimmer’s care. The roadways about the

MRS. TUTTLE—-THE CHIEF “ANGEL."

place are all graveled, and the general appearance of the big farm is that of an unusually prosperous, wellkept country establishment. Whatever may be said in condemnation of Schweinfurth’s peculiar morals, nobody can truthfully say that he lacks shrewdness or ability. It may be only ability to hoodwink weaker mortals, but there is no gainsaying the fact that he uses it in a brolly cunning manner. He is averse to talking about his doctrine to outsiders—the heretics. It doesn’t pay, and Schweinfurth never engages in anything that doesn’t yield a fair profit, to George Jacob. Schweinfurth was born in Marlon County, Ohio, in 1853. His early years were passed In company of mere mortals, and he acted as one until be evolved his grand wool-pulling scheme that has blinded the eyes of his deluded followers. Now he acts worse than ordinary mortals. In his youth he gave indication that his life would be consecrated to God, and hls avowed aim was to take the life of

Christ as a model of his own career. He gradually became conscious, he says, that neither the orthodox churches nor their ministers could satisfy his aspirations. While stationed at Alpena, Mich., Schweinfurth became acquainted with a woman named Dora Beekman, who was conducting a mission there. Her permanent home was Byron, 111., where she ministered to a congregar tion who aimed at a life of actual holiness, a religion that was not acceptable to the populaf churches of that town. Schweinfurth attended the mission services, and his belief in the practicability of man becoming the image and counterpart of God was strengthened and developed. Mrs. Beekman was the first preacher he had heard that satisfied him, and ultimately hls preaching, fashioned after hers, became unacceptable to his orthodox hearers. Then he went to Byron and became associated with Mrs. Beekman in her pastorate. This connection continued until her death “in 1882. For the last ten years his place of abode has been the Weldon farm, which is only nine miles north of Byron. Schweinfurth claims that Mrs. Beekman was made to know by an inner illumination that she was the woman clothed in white described in the Revelations, the spiritual mother of Christ in his second coming, and when she found that he was partaking of he'r spirit and showing the characteristics of the Christ, she was further assured that he was indeed the “Messiah.” She announced the fact to her people, and at death in 1882 he succeeded to her pastorate and has since continued to fill the throne. When an individual recognizes Schweinfurth as the Christ, and follows him accordingly, he or she becomes a member of the “Church Triumphant,” as they eall it. The “church” Is entirely void of rites or ceremonies. Services are held every Sunday, when Schweinfurth speaks from two to four hours, his sermons being taken in shorthand by his sister, who, by the way, is an exceedingly expert stenographer. They are then sent to the other congregations at Chicago, Byron and Plum River. Ill.; Kansas City, Mo.; Minneapolis and St. Charles, Minn.; Buena Vista, Cal.; Detroit and Alpena, Mich.; and Richmond, Ky. The services usually begin with some good singing by the “angels” and the opening exercises are similar to those in the Methodist Church, where he received his religioustraining. It isonly when he begins his discourse that the peculiarities of his doctrine become apparent. Almost invariably his sermons are directed to the evidences of divinity manifested in his life and work- His chief argument is that God, having finally decided that the means of redemption are inadequate to the needs of mankind, has determined to make another effort to rescue a perishing Igorld. To accomplish this end, he pHaims, God has raised him up from the people, clothed him with divintsy .and power from on high, and

delegated him to this work of regeneration. Thus he boldly declares himself the second person of the trinity, claiming all the divine attributes that Christ possessed when on earth and the delegated power and author* lty of God himself. The Schweinfurth mansion is always filled with a company of “angels,” who come and go from all sections of the country. Perhaps the oldest and most faithful female of the belief on the farm Is Mrs. Tuttle. She has two or three bright, curly-haired little cherubs who romp and play about the big house, and who came in a mysterious way. Mary Weldon, whose father and brothers have been hoodwinked out of their many valuable acres and live under the same roof with Schweinfurth, also has a pretty 2-year-old child. Miss Schweinfurth, a sister of the “Christ,” has made her home at the “heaven" for four years. She is quite a stylish-looking woman, tall and of the brunette type of beanty. The visitors to Schwelnfurth’s heaven (and they are many) Invariably ask why the Weldons allow such a valuable piece of property to be controlled by such a worthless drone as the bogus Christ, and why they consent to toil for his support. There is no doubt that the senior Weldon is a devout believer is Schweinfurth’s fantastic theories and accepts all he utters as gospel truth. Weldou Is nearing threescore years and ten and has always been what his neighbors call a “religious crank.” His sons regard Schweinfurth with considerable awe and have been brought up to regard him as their lord and master. Schweinfurth was certainly lucky in falling in with a family so well disposed toward hiip and so well able to gratify his luxurious, indolent habits. He possesses quite a large library and spends much of his time among his books. Branch Heaven In Chicago. The Chicago branch of Schweinfurth’s heaven is a two-story frame house at 1309 Wolfram street, in Lake View. Mundane mortals who lack wings with which to make the journey take the Sheffield avenue horse caj, and then walk a block west on Wolfram street to reach the earthly paradise. The place isn’t so big as the Weldon farm, bat it is just as well. kept. Critical mechanics say it is the best built house on the street. It is owned, the neighbors say, by Francis P. Ward. He

MOUNT ZION, THE IMPOSTOR’S HOME.

and Wilber L. Baldwin are the resident apostles representing Schweinfurth. Ward is a carpenter and has the reputation of being a hard working mam. “But on Sundays he has great goings on there,” said one of the near-by residents. Baldwin is a sign painter and has a shop at 303 Dearborn street. Both men live at the house in Wolfram street, but since the damage suits were brought which threaten to expose the evil workings of their principal’s shallow scheme they have not been noticed about the place so frequently. The neighbors have become accustomed to the nov-

elty of living in such holy atmosphere and have ceased to pay any attention to the proceedings in No. 1309. Once upon a time a worthy young man went to have his fortune told. “You will inherit great wealth,” said the prophetess, looking at the lines in his hand, “and will become a man of great power in the community.” “If I am to inherit great wealth," said the young man to himself on his way home, “what is the use of drudging and working hard every day? I will give up my job, and rest that I may not be too tired to enjoy my wealth when it comes.” So he quit work, and rested, and days, and weeks, and months and years passed, and his wealth never came to him; his habits of industry left him; he became the most worthless vagabond in the town, and his mother and sisters support him. There is a moral in this, but the moral editor is too busy writing millinery advertisements to expound it Senor Garna, the new Chilian Minister to the United States, is a literary man who has written several books, and served as Minister to the United States as long ago as 1870. Since that he has been Minister to France from .Chili, in which post he served for seventeen years. He is a man 50 years old and personally very popular. “’Ostxer Joe,” with which Mrs. James Brown Potter hortfled the elite of Washington, has been dramatized and will be played by an actor named Baggage. Wait until the baggage “smasher” catches him on the road.

THE LAKE VIEW “HEAVEN.”

A DAZZLING SCHEME.

A PROJECT FOR A GREAT NATIONAL GALLERY. The National Capital to be its Home —Buildings That would Cost s4o,* 000,000. The project of establishing a great National Gallery of History and Art in Washington Is again being discussed in the press. The scheme, as outlined by Mr. Franklin Smith, its originator, is highly attractive. Mr. Smith says: “Mr. James Renwick, the venerable arohiteot associated with me professionally, followed me to Egypt some time ago, and is now on tho Nile in study and oorrespondenoe with me in reference to the proposed national gallery. On my return northward it is my intention to ask to be heard before Congress for land for the gallery, and afterward in the principal cities to enlist public interest and co-operation in its promotion, showing plans and paintings illustrative of the enterprise. “My plan initiative for tho promotion of the entire scheme is to secure forthwith in Washington a full reconstruction of an Egyptian palace, within a surrounding gallery and colonnade of Egyptian design, having an entrance (propylaeum) through pylons. These are to be oonstruoted noflow, with a glass roof, whioh would make tho cheapest and yet the most appropriate possible museum structure for mummies and other unsightly objeots ordinarily to repellant in Egyptian collections, leaving the palace, in its gorgeousness of Egyptian decoration, to show tho home, not the sepulchre, with its accessories of that race.” This Egyptian palace which it is proposed to reconstruct in Washington is only a small part of the vast gullery whioh Mr. Smith has designed. The whole plan embraces such a bewildering array of temples, galleries, arches, palaces, pyramids, laket, domes and towers that the spectator is lost in the contemplation of the drawings and is likely to conolude at once that there is not spare money enough in the whole country to construot such a mass of masonry. The foundation stone of this proposed gallery is the fact that America is the only great country whioh has done nothing as a nation in a oknowledgment of the olaims of art. England has her National Gallery, British Museum and Kensington Museum; France her great national galleries; all the other European nations their vast collections of paintings and statuary, but we have nothing to thank the Government for in the enoouragement of art. The belief is that the United States is for enough advanced in wealth and oulture to appreciate a National Gallery and pay for it. It is proposed that the National Gallery in Washington shall surpusß in extent and in architectural grandeur all similar constructions, but that it shall at the same time be thoroughly utilitarian as an eduoational institution. The prospectus of this magnificent scheme is truly dazzling. On a height in the background is the Parthenon, one-half larger than tho original at Athens, surrounded by ranges of temples of the same order of arohiteoture, with a colossal statue of Columbus upon a terrace in front. This will give some idea of tho magnitude of the plon—an enlarged Parthenon, surrounded by ranges of temples. But this is only a beginning. Stretching away to the right and left are vast colonnades for promenades. Descending from the esplanade of the Pantheon, Successive terraces support galleries and oourts proportioned totne extent and importance of historio periods and races, for orderly delineation of life and art through the age* —Egyptian, Greek, Assyrian, Persians, Roman, Byzantine, Renaissance, Arabio, Gothio, Moorish, Spanish and East Indian. In a park outside the walls of the historical group are many examples of tho modern dwellings of mankind, and in the courts are reproduced structures typical of tho highest development in the respective styles, suoh as the Bnzantine of St. Sophia, the Gothio of the Campo Santo, tho traoery of the Alhambra, and the pierced screen-work of the Taj. In the enclosures of the galleries are oonorete casts of antiquarian remains, such ss the early Christian crosses of lona and other places in England and Ireland, full-sized specimens of fountains, cloisters, and Spanish portals, reproductions of the various nationalities serving as museums of their life, manners, ana industries. Houses of the anoients are reproduced, but instead of a small provincial dwelling like the House of Panes there is the elaborate house of Glauous, (Glauous was a gentleman who lived in high style in Rome some years ago,) a palace that makes our best New-York houses look oommonplace. A medieval oastle has its banqueting hall ornamented with the arms, furniture and metal work of its age. There are rooms from Cairo and Damasous, of full size, showing all the elaboration of Oriental handiwork and tho gorgeousness of the harem. There is a Greek theatre in the Grecian court, and a reproduction of tho Court of Lions, in the Alhambra, in the Arabio court, and of the great Taj Meh&l in the Mogul court, and a huge Gothio hall in the Gothic court, all of full size, and all following the originals in their fittings and furnishings. In all the buildings illustrating any age or oountry the works of art and domestio utensils of that country or that period are gathered, that they may be better understood through proper juxtaposition. This is a very brief mention of some of the more important buildings. It would be hopeless to try to give in a newspaper artiole a description of the whole as shown in the designs. The dimensions, perhaps, will give a better idea of the plan, which requires 220 acres of land, on whioh are 20,000 feet range of pioture galleries and 40,000 feet range of oorridors for statuary, casts and models. The-area under roof is 35 acres; open courts, 40 acres; area around temples for American prehistoric reproductions, 35 aores and the park, 110 acres. The galleries are of one story,with basements, the basements to be used for the making of oasts, for modelers, offices and storerooms. Here is enough, as it seems at first sight, to empty the Treasury of the United States. An enlarged reproduction of the Parthenon, surrounded by temples; Egyptian paiaoea; Roman baths; sections of the Cataoombs; part of great mosque of Cordova: a castle from the banks of the Rhine; the Sphynx and the Pyramids, in miniature; the Town Hall of Antwerp; a salon from Fontainebleau; a court from the palace of the Infanta in Saragoesa, Spain; an old Norman gateway; Japanese and Chinese dwellings; an Egyptian mosque, and hundreds more, and all these buildings to be filled with works of art. But when the plan is explained, although a great sum of money is required, it is not suoh a sum as is beyond the bounds of reason.

“If you look at the plan oloeely," Mr Smith explains, “you will see that every one of those proposed buildings is only one story high. The effect of great masses of architecture is produced by piliug tier upon tier on the sides and summit of a hill. The ascent is gradual by terraces, each a little higher than the last, till the crowning point is reached—the Parthenon on the hilltop. Then the material. To reproduce all these build* ings in brick, out stone, or marble would involve an expenditure of $40,000,000 at the least. But in my plan they aro made of ooncrete, the most available, the cheapest, and most durable of all build* ing materials.

POPULAR SCIENCE NOTES.

—The recent discovery of prehistoriccopper implements on tho site of an ancient Indian village near Betterton, Md., Is considered as furnishing another link in the chain of evidence that among the most remote tribes there existed a system of intertribal trade. —Professor Duner of Germany has discovered that the revolution of the sun as shown by the movement at its equator is once for twenty-flve days and twelve hours of our time, while at or near its poles the revolution may be only once in forty-six of our days. This would only be possible with a movable and gaseous surface like that of the sun. —Long-distance photography is rendered quite successful by a new camera with a telescope objective, which consists of a concave lens of short focus and a convex lens of considerable length of foous. These are put at n certain distance apart, depending on the difference or the two foci. By the laws of optics this arrangement projects an inverted image of an object at a long distance from the lenses. —Herr Kllnge has been studying the eruption of peat bogs and the stream of dark mud these give out. He rejects the explanation that It is due to excessive absorption of water by the peat, or that it is caused by exploding gaseß, but attributes it to land slips of the ground under the bog, and remarks that in Ireland the eruptions are most frequent in limestone formations with caverns and bodies of underground water. —Future of Electricity.— The Electrical Review finds great promise in the future of the new eleotricity. It thus comments on the latest discoveries : “ Those who have followed the recent progress in the transmission of power will doubtless read with some awe the bold proposition made by Prof. Elihu Thomson for the transmission of power on a large Beale. Coming as it does from one of the best authorities in America, who differs from some others in that he usually accomplishes what he says he can accomplish, it can hardly be looked at as a wild scheme. When Prof. Thomson speaks of transmitting 130, 000-horse power 240 miles at 500, 000 volts through three wires about as large os a good-sized knitting needle, and to send tblß underground, too, through a small pipe, using only cotton ana cheap oil as the insulator, and then adds to this his opinion that it would be ‘practically^safe ’ —we cannot help admiring his courage. With such propositions mode in earnest, by a reliable authority, we may certainly look Upon the transmission of power as at present the most important of the numerous developments of eleotrical engineering. It is interesting to note, too, that the proposal is to accomplish this by means of three-phase alternating currents, such as were used at the Lauffen experiment. He also proposes to supply the central stations of a city like New York with cheap electricity instead of expensive coal. It is a curious coincidence that at tho same time another esteemed authority, Nikola Tesla, states that there will be no necessity in the future to transmit power to great distances, because we shall lie able to get cheap power—extract it, as it were—at any place in the universe. Electrical engineering is certainly making progress.”

The Earthworm.

The earthworm is an animal which has not received the attention from zoologists whioh it deserves, in spite of the fact that its habits and structure formed the last of that magnificent series of volumes with whioh Darwin enriched scientific literature. And it has not only been neglected by naturalists, but has incurred the bitter enmity of gardeners and farmers. It is true that the gardener has some reason for his dislike when he sees his carefully-tolled walks and smooth lawns rendered unsightly by the heaps of earth with which the worm dilligently covers them. But the farmer has no business to complain, for not only do earthworms form a large part of the food of many birds, which would, perhaps, in their absence direct their attention more olosely to his cfops and fruit trees, but they are of a positive advantage in loosening the soil, and so making passages for the rain to trickle down to the lowest roots. More than a hundred years ago Gilbert White devoted one of his letters to the subject of earthworms, and defended them from the accusation of uselessness and injuriousness in the economy of nature, remarking further, and so to a certain extent anticipating Darwin, that they are often responsible for the formation of new soils.—[Journal of Zoophily.

When Wig-Wearing was Universal.

A oentury and a half ago wig-wearing was at it* height, and little boys four or five years of age submitted to having their heads shaven preparatory to donning their false head-dresses. A Leyden professor—Rivers by name —shocked all churches by declaring that a Christian must necessarily wear a wig or be eternally loßt. On the other hand, Dr. Thiers, a celebrated Catholic, assailed wig-wearing priests in a good-sized volume. The ancient Egyptians all wore wigs, and the early Christians from A. D. 427 to A. D. 917 considered a false bead-corering a badge of distinction. This, too, in direct opposition to Tertullian, who in vain declared them devices and inventions of the devil, and Clement of Alexandria, who warned his hearers that when the sacred hands of the clergy were laid on their heads' the blessing would not penetrate through the false hair. —[St. Louis Republic.

How Indians Fish in Nevada.

The Indian method of fishing in Nevada is rather cool for some seasons of the year. * The red man takes his stand in the stream where the water is about eighteen inohes deep, and patiently waits for a bite. When his legs are benumbed with oold, he wades to the bank, where he has a fire, warms himself, and again takes bis stand in the water.

CHILDREN’S COLUMN.

A DEPARTMENT FOR LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS. Something that Will Interest the Juvenile Members of Every Household Quaint Actions and Bright Sayings of Cute Children. At the Musical. The cat on his fiddle thrummed hey-diddle-diddle. In measure delightfully gays And three Uttle kittens waved wildly their mittens. And murmured: *‘How well he does play!” While Puss stamped his boots, thump, thump, on the floor, As a delicate hint that they’d like some mure. Tho Pussy who fell down that terrible well Arrived, rather damp, toward the end, With Pussy Cat Mew, dressed In petticoat new. And Puss from tho corner, her friend. Only uno sent regrots—’-Sadly grieved to have been . , At London detained by a mouse and the Queen. ” —[St Nicholas. Jumping Eggs. riuce two V-shaped wineglasses of tho same size near the edge of a table. In tho right-hand one put ap egg, Just fitting the rim of the glass. Hold tho bases of the glasses firmly down, the top rims touching each other. Now, with a quick, sharp breath, blow upon the line where the egg and the glass meet. The egg will jump to the other glass. With a little practice this can be done every time. Be careful to blow In a line with tho left-hand glass, or tho egg will jump in the wrong. direction, and land on the table with disastrous results.— Youth’s Companion. Faithful. A young Highlander, having set a horse-hair noose In the woods, was delighted ono morning to find a female song thrush entangled. He carried home his prize, put It into a roomy, open-braided basket, secured the lid, and then hung the cago on a nail near tho open window. In the afternoon the parish minister called in and tried to persuade the boy to set the captive fJee. While the clergyman was examining tho bird through the basket his attention was called to another thrush perched on a branch opposite to the window. “Yes,” said the boy, It “followed mo homo all the way from the woods.” It was the captive’s mate, which, having faithfully followed his partner to her prison, had perched himself where he might see her and hear tho sad, broken notes that chirped her grief. Tho clergyman hung the basket against the eaves of tho cottage, and then the two retired to watch what might happen. In a few minutes tho captive whispered a chirp to her mate’s complaint. His joy was unbounded. Springing to the topmost spray of tho tree, he trilled out two or three exultant notes, and then the captive thrust out her head and neck. Then followed a touching scene. The male bird, after billing and cooing with the captlvo, dressing her feathers and stroking her neck, all the while flutr tering his wings and crooning an undersong of encouragement, suddenly assumed another attitude. Gathering up his wings, he began to peck and pull uway at the edges of the hole in the basket’s lid. The bird’s ardent affection and his effort to release his mate touched tho boy. "I’ll let the bird go!" said he, in a sympathetic voice, as he saw his mother wipe her eyes with her apron. The basket was carried to the spot where the bird had been snared. The male thrush followed, sweeping occasionally close past the boy carrying tho basket, and chirping abrupt notes, as if assuring his mate that he was still near her. On arriving at the snare the clergyman begun untying tho knots which secured the lid, while the male bird, perched on a hazel bough not six feet away, watched, silent and motionless, the process of liberation. As soon as the basket-lid was raised, the female thrush dashed out with a scream of terror and joy, while the male followed like an arrow shot from a bow, and both disappeared behind a clump of birch trees.—Golden Days. Children's Wlailiim. The little girl sounded her father on the financial situation. “Papa,” she said, “I want $5.” “Great Scott, child,” the father exclaimed, “what do you want with that much money?” “I want to buy mo a doll.” “But a doll doesn't cost $5. ” “Oh, no, the doll only costs 5 cents, but It takes the rest to buy her clothes. ” The father rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a minute. “My 'dear,” he said, soberly, “you have the ratio about right, but I haven’t the $5. Here’s a dime."— Detroit Free Press. * « » five-year-old Dorothy goes to Sunday school and always learns the golden text. Sometimes her mother is astonished at her application of these bits of Scripture. She was allowed to go to one of the neighbors’ to play one afternoon and looked very sweet In her fresh, dainty gown. It was only a little while, however, before she ran home besmeared with mud from tip to toe. “Oh, Dorothy!”' mamma exclaimed in a discouraged tone. “What shall I do with you?” “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, mamma.” “But Just look at your clothes, child! What am I going to do with you?” “Well,” responded Dorothy, remembering her text for the previous Sabbath, “ ‘Man looketh upon the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ ” And what could mamma do?— Youth’s Companion. * * * When the Italians were digging the gas-pipe trenches in a suburban town a little boy told his mother that he had made the acquaintance of one of the laborers, with whom he had been talking. “The Italian can speak English, can he?" Inquired the mother. “No,” replied the small boy. “And you cannot speak Italian, can you?” askfd the mother playfully. The small boy replied in the negative.

“Then,” continued the mother,“hovf did you talk to the Italian?” “Just the way I always talk.” “And how did the Italian talk to< you?” asked the mother. “Why, just the way he always! talks, of course!” The mother gave it up Puck. * * # A story Is told of a Harvard professor who entertained a number of advanced students at his parlors with a learned dissertation upon the ex- 1 pansion of heat and contraction of cold. He gave numerous illustrations of an Interesting and convincing character, and his guests were evi- ( dently greatly edified and pleased,, while he appeared in the best of moods over his success. As he took his seat his Uttle daughter, who was sitting in a corner with her doll, asked: “Papa, If cold contracts, why did the frozen water break my glass, last night?” The great scientist and clever students were * alike dum- ; founded by the question. No answer! wqp attempted. Which was the! greater teacher, the college professor or his little child?—Troy Press.

Goethe and Heine.

It did not speak well for Goethe’s penetration or his generosity that he never recognized, or at least never acknowledged, the poetic genius of Heinrich Heine. The younger man was, however, filled with glowing admiration for the great master of German poetry and prose, and was irresistibly drawn to Weimar by his de-, sire to see personally the most wonderful man of the time. - Goethe received Heine with his usual graceful cordiality, but in the long conversation which followed noreference was made to Heine’s work In any way. Goethe kept to topics of tho most common order, such as the poplar avenue from Jena to Weimar. Suddenly he broke off to say to Heine: “What are you busying yourself with now?” “With one Faust,” quickly and, 1 gracefully replied the young poet, i Goethe, the second part of whose "Faust” had not then appeared, started with surprise, and asked, In a pointed tone: “Have you no further business than that In Weimar, Herr Heine?” To which Heine, who was never slow of comprehension, Instantly replied: “With my feetover your threshold, all my business In Weimar is ended,” and Immediately took his leave. Ills modesty, which always prevented his being tho first to speak of his own work, might well bo cdpied by young writers who secmofl to feel that by virtue of a single published article or poem they are entitled to the privilege of boring every casual acquaintance with the history of their literary aspirations and genius.

Australtan Hospitality.

Australian station hospitality keeps the latch-string always out and says, “Come when you wish, do what you like, and stay as long as yotl can.” A writer In Scribner’s Magazine says that xhe Australian host places himself, his family, und ail that Is his at the service of the guest—fish-ing-tackle, breech-loaders, horses and servants. Such hospitality is rarely abused, though the writer mentions one exceptional case, where a guest prolonged his visit until it wore out his welcome. To ono station came a visitor, whoso original intention of staying a month was reconsidered, and he remained two. Six months passed and he was still there. He enjoyed himself hugely with horses, dogs and guns, developed an encouraging appetite, and his host did not complain. After about nine months his host’s manner became less warm, and at tho end of the year ho spoke no more to bis guest. The latter was not sensitive, but lingered on for the space of a second year, when he departed and went to visit somebody else. During these two years he was never told that he had stayed long enough and would do well to go away.

A Brief Record.

Mr. James Payn, in “Some Literary Recollections,” regrets that he did not keep a diary. He says that in searching over his papers he found the following beginning of a journal, which although genuine has never been of any great assistance in recalling the happenings of his early life: Sunday.—Twice to church. Revs. Jones and RobiDson preached. A collection—sixpence. Monday.—Wet. Improved my mind. Duck for supper. Tommy. Tuesday.—Called on Uncle B ; grumpy. Accounts; sundries. Wednesday.—The bishop called. The call of the bishop was evidently considered a fitting end to this brief record. No month or even year was stated; the diary seems, like Shakspeare, to have been “for all time. ”

Didn’t Heed the Proverb.

A farmer in Manchester, Me., is reflecting sorrowfully upon the maxim that “honesty is the best policy.” Several years ago, In order to avqid paying some debts, he conveyed his farm, worth $4,000, to his wife. The wife died recently, and according to law the property goes to her children, the widower’s right of dower excepted. The children refuse to re-convey the farm to their father.

Queer Collection.

When the appraisers came to make a list of the personal property of Mrs. Julia Swinford, an old lady who died recently at Berry Station, Ky., they found 115 nightcaps, all of different styles and patterns, ten pair of shoes that had never been worn, fifteen pair of scissors and an innumerable lot of spools of thread.

To Protect Her Hen Coop.

An old negro woman living upon the outskirts of Columbia, S. C., is said to possess a secret that has been fatal to several of her neighbors. Her secret was knowledge of a drug upon which hens will fatten nicely, but their flesh becomes poisonous to human beings. Her neighbors enjoyed fat poultry, but the undertakei got them.

A Dusky Queen.

A colony of negroes living in West ern Alabama is said to be ruled by l Quuen.