The Cumberland Echo, 1893-09-21

A BOY'S ROOM. . Tin Experienco at Taking Care of It Himself. "Where is my vest? Oh, here'tis just where I shied it last night." Fred picked up his vest from behind the bed, and then looked around for his collar. "I wonder, now, if that collar's been carried off to the wash! Just like Susan! If ever I get hold of one that fits me better than any other, and would like to hold on to it for a little while, off it goes. Oh, here 'tis. I for foro - o foro I was standing by the window then I took it off, and left it on the sill. But it's all limp. Dear me, what , drawer! I wonder who interferes with my things? _I'm sure I never got ' it into such a muddle as this." Stirring among collars and neckties, turning things up and down in a way ' that would lead anyone reasonably to give him credit for any amount of dis disorder, - order, disorder, Fred at length found a collar. .Just like got I W a "Now, my necktie. Where did I put the one I wore in the morning, when I dressed in the afternoon? Of course, some one was in here straightening up my room. I never know where to find anything after that. Come in. Fred turned a face full of abused ex expression - pression expression toward the door as his moth mother's - er's mother's entrance followed her tap upon it. "Good morning. Are you ready for . breakfast, dear? Here is one of your neekties." ... , "Yes, the very one I was looking for. Who took it away?" , "Susan carried away for the wash the clothes you took off when you dressed, and this was among them. You ="s ="sYou - You ="sYou must have thrown it down." ' "Yes, I knew somebody must have been here." "My dear boy," mother looked around ' with a discouraged face, "how often must I speak to you about keeping your things in better order? You really get worse and worse. I come in here and set the room to rights, and by the next day it will be as untidy as before. "O mother, 'tidy' may do very we for girls or women. It's a real girls word, I think." "Good for either boys or girls. 1am sorry to see such an ugly habit growing with you." "Really, mother," said Fred, with a return of the injured lopk, "one would think from your talk that you thought it a real sin - that you look upon it as you might look, upon lying or stealing and such." "No But in evil habit is evil, make the best you can of it Its indulgence is sure to have an evil effect upon the character. A person slouchy andslov andslovenly - enly andslovenly in his small habits is pretty likely to be so in the greater thing in his life. I wonder you don't find enough incon inconvenience - venience inconvenience from your carelessness to lead - you to wish to improve." .. - _i_. - 4 whv. if 99 carelessness, mother? Why, if "My carelessness, motner: - mv things could only be left alone, I d get along well enough. When I come into the room, I never know where to find anything, because sore one has been setting things in order. Of course Idon't mean, mother dear, that all you do is not the very best that could be know," Fred put done; but a boy, you . on a dignified air, "can't be expected to > be just like a girl, and ought, I think, - .. - . 1. + h9 nwn $ to be allowed to follow out his own way a little in his own room." "How do you think it would work if 'yon were left to your own way?" said his mosher with a smile. . Enurely? Why, mother, I think it would be fine. "I have a great mind to let you try it," she said. _ , "Do mother!?' said Fred, eagerly. mavershld see the poe - with all .re - hanncttavou, you understand - of this . Pnine assnepii and dusting. Ill agree to take entire charge of the room I re reI'll - I'll reI'll Lmay be left to myself." * - ".said mother, still with the gthink Suian would better make yout bed." "No," interposed Fred "Sometine s - f - **.,

But even a privilege may be over overdone, - done, overdone, Fred was obliged to acknowledge one morning not long after. He had brought a friend in to see his geologic geological - al geological specimens and his collection of but butterflies. - terflies. butterflies. As usual, he had set things out of his hands just where it was most con convenient - venient convenient to set them. Arriving at home rather late in the evening, he had come in hastily and gone to bed in the dark, having forgotten to bring up any matches. "Well." he exclaimed, sitting up in bed to take rather a disconsolate view of his surroundings, "if I chose to con confess - fess confess it, I wouldn't mind having mother ! - and Susan too - to skirmish about here | for awhile. How did I come to set j those trays and boxes on the foot of the bed! I've had the meanest kind of night, those stones going rattle-te rattle-tebang.on - bang.on rattle-tebang.on the floor every time I turned And - oh, my! . Look at my but a over! terflies!" In real regret he gathered up the crushed remains of the pretty winged creatures he had taken such pains and such pleasure in mounting. While I doing so his attention was for the first time drawn to the condition of the carpet. "Well, it really is dirty. And no one can say I ever liked dirt. Why, it looks as though some one had been throwing a lot of wool and feathers under my bed. I'll give it a sweep to-day. I undertook to do my own sweeping. I suppose folks think boys can't sweep." Fred put all his strength into the wielding of the broom. It had been a Fred pput all his str< wielding of the broom. " _. __ A . 3 C»1 e g e 4 rainy week, and Susan's careful hands had not supplemented her morning care of the room by gathering with brush and dust-pan of the mud which his careless feet brought in. It was now dried and ground into the carpet, to be raised in clouds of dust by his vigorous sweeping. . "Phew!" Glad enough was he, hav having - ing having at length finished, to get into the open air, burdened with a few doubts as to whether, after all, he so very much enjoyed the new order of things. "I don't really believe boys were made to be housemaids," he concluded. "But it's only an experiment. There won't be any trouble in getting back to mother's dear, careful ways," con conscious - scious conscious of an unexpressed yet decidedly increasing respect for his mother s ways. Late in the day Fred rushed back to his room to make ready for an evening to be spent in company which he held I in high esteem. Fred's slovenli ness did not, as a general thing, extend to the care of his person, his mother having often had occasion to wonder at the neat appearance with which he con contrived - trived contrived to emerge from the chaos of his room. "Thunder!" Fred stood for a mo moment - ment moment at his room door, finding the situa situation - tion situation worthy of his strongest expletive. The dust from which he had fled lay thickly upon everything, adding dis dismally - mally dismally to the prevailing disorder. "I forgot all about the things mother spreads over things when she sweeps. How I hate dust on books! Well," seis seising - ing seising a towel and hastily whisking it about, "I haven't time to do much dust dusting - ing dusting now. Jack Harper will call for me in a quarter of an hour. "Buttons off? I forgot to take my best suit to mother. And there s a lit little - tle little rip near the coat cuff, but I can ink that." Setting the ink on the bureau, he carefully darkened the white streak, but as he turned from a study of the ef effect, - fect, effect, his brow took on a deeper cloud. "My white tie in the blacking bozl" _ - . _ giome *ne 44y **9 l V He snatched ft up. "The last one *. have left! And all these," tumbling over a nu ober which were mixed in with other things thrown on the table, ( 4" . - t

miABiK u a t*0,U0U cnapei .4 - The contribution of the Salva 't I Army in the United States during the recent self-denial week aggregated $35, $35,000. - 000. $35,000. - In Colorado there was not a single Baptist church forty years ago. Now there are sixty churches and five thou thousand - sand thousand members. - The archdiocese of Baltimore has had but nine Roman Catholic arch archbishops, - bishops, archbishops, and three of them were con converts - verts converts from the Protestant Episcopal church. - There are three Catholic and eight ' Protestant missions, among which is that founded by Bishop Taylor, in the Congo region. There are twenty-eight stations and ninety-five missionaries. - The prince of Wales recently con conferred - ferred conferred the order of St. John on two Methodist nurses in London - Sister Rita, lady superintendent of Wesley Deaconess institute, and Sister Emma, sister in charge of the Children's Home hospital. - The trustees of the Church of the Kaea* a * 4 - * - A - 4 44 2P.. .7. T . t %Y. Covenant and of the Brick church, New York city, two of the wealthiest Pres Presbyterian - byterian Presbyterian churches in the United States, have decided to consolidate. Under the proposed plan the Church of the Cove- i nant will cease to exist. - Rev. Elijah Kellogg, whose "Spar- I tacus to the Gladitors" has been so many school boys' declamation for many years, is still preaching on Sundays in his church at Harpswell. Me.. although he has passed his eig ' ieth birthday. He has done a wonderful amount of good among the f ermen of Casco bay in his long career. He expects soon to retire from active service, but he can never cease doing good as long as life lasts. - Young men and women in Aus Australia - tralia Australia stand side by side in universities as in public schools, and co-education co-educationists - ists co-educationists regard the fact that in no country in the world is there so small a percent percentage - age percentage of unmarried women as here, quite conclusive evidence of the wisdom of their theory. Australian girls are said to be remarkably well educated, and in most religious bodies of that country women as well as men are allowed to vote in church affairs. - The'Canadian Presbyterians are considering the matter of a young peo people's - ple's people's organization within their own de denomination. - nomination. denomination. It will be similar to the Baptist union, and, like that organiza organization, - tion, organization, will not disturb the interdenomi interdenominational - national interdenominational relations. This seems to be the natural order nowadays; and the time is not far distant when such or organizations - ganizations organizations will be found in every de denomination. - nomination. denomination. They will in no wise dis disturb - turb disturb the Society of Christian Endeavor. - Ensign. - The will of the late Anthony J. Drexel was probated at Philadelphia. It disposes of an estate generally be believed - lieved believed to be worth about $30,000,000. Among other bequests the executors are directed to transfer $1,000,000 to trustees who will apply the income to toward - ward toward the erection of an art gallery, museum or other public institution in the neighborhood of the Drexel insti institute, - tute, institute, provided the latter has not suffi sufficient - cient sufficient accommodation for it. So muca of the income as can not be judiciously expended for the museum, may be used to maintain a Drexel hospital. The German hospital, of Philadelphia, is to receive $100,000. A codicile provides that part or all of the income of $1,000, $1,000,000 - 000 $1,000,000 bequeathed for a museum or hos hospital - pital hospital may be expended, if the trustees deem it necessary, in support of the Drexel institute.

WVB UIVU morning "are covered with dm one will do; but there's E=pmunity I Seizing * towel, he carefu . n/U. * - 4 2=e A 6 2-72 49w 42 T. the front of the lightest-colorca tie he could find. But it was the towel which had already done duty as a duster, and was streaked with the sooty dust which prevails ia s house in which bitumin bituminous - ous bituminous coal is used. As the tie soon lool rather worse than better, Fred threw both towel and tie from him with an angry excla exclamation. - mation. exclamation. They struck something on the bureau, which went with them to the floor. "Oh, that ink! And all over those books I left there! Mother! mother!" What shall I - Mother, quickly appearing in answer to his loud cry of distress, could not for forbear - bear forbear a smile at the mixture of expres expressions - sions expressions on Fred's face Despair, mortifi mortification - cation mortification and a comical onse of the ludi ludicrous - crous ludicrous seemed striving fr the mastery. "O mother," he said after she had done her best to arrest any further mis mischief - chief mischief from the ink, "will you take me back?" "Take you back? she asked, not quite understanding what he meant "Yes, me and my room. I've given up. I'll take all you havo to say on the subject of boys and tidiness if only you'll wind me up and then keep me running. But first will you please go down and tell Jack Harper I can't go to-night?" "Why can't you, dear? I thought you were so anxious to go." Buttons "So I was; but look at me. off. Rips. I can't find a clean collar in that muddle, and my white tie's spoiled" "I'll ask Jack to wait for you a few minutes. I think we can manage things yet." Most boys who have mothers can imagine the quickness with which her hands flew from one thing to another in making that particular boy look as a boy should look. From hidden depths of her own stores a tie was un unearthed - earthed unearthed Buttons went on and rips hid themselves from sight. At the end of a quarter of an hour Fred joined his friends a wiser and happier boy. Some hours Pr ter be *urned the light high for a satisfied gaze about his room. "This is jolly! Every thing clean, ev everything - erything everything in place. Well, it's rather mean in me if I can't cooperate with mother and Susan in keeping myself straight. I guess its best for folks in this world to help each other run each other, and not be always making things harder for each other - I mean me, for mother and Susan - and other folks for each other." With which very indefinitely ex expressed - pressed expressed but very sincerely felt senti sentiment - ment sentiment as to every day's small duty, Fred went to bed. - Sydney Dayre, in Inte Interior. - rior. Interior.

HUMOROUS. - Minnie - "Did he kiss you when he proposed?" May - "Certainly; I wouldd't consider any but sealed pro proposals.' - Vogue. - posals.' - Vogue. proposals.' - Vogue. - He - "Yes, I dislike her. She called me a big' dunce." She - "Ab She - "Absurd! - surd! She - "Absurd! You're not large, are you. Char Charley?" - N. - ley?" - N. Charley?" - N. Y. Ledger. - "Why do you call your twins 'Cir 'Circumstances,' - cumstances,' 'Circumstances,' Jawkins?" "Because, my . ~ dear boy. they are something over " which I have no control." - Tit-Bits. - "My darling," protested De Graf, "my life is an open book." "Yes," sighed his wife, "but much of the print is very bad." - Kate Field's Washing Washington. - ton. Washington. - Prisoner - "But I would rather tell my own story. Don't you think it would be believed?" Lawyer - "Yes, I that's the trouble. It would carry eon- / viction with it." - Harlem Life. J - Beggar - "Kind gentleman, pray I - PP - - 2 - - , CUA" give me a trifle, so that I can buy a' morsel of bread." Gent - "Here'sa two twopence - pence twopence for your bit of bread. Drink my *' health with it." - Kladeradatsch. ' - "You seem to like the colonel. Uncle Mose?" "Yes, sah; he's so gen gentlemanly, - tlemanly, gentlemanly, sah!" "Gentlemanly? In what way?" "With his money, sah, with his money." - Buffalo Courier. - A Conditional Reply. - Mr. Gilley - "Will you share my lot, Miss Gilder Gildersleeve?" - sleeve?" Gildersleeve?" Miss Gildersleeve - "Build a ten-thousand doUar house on it and then ask me again." - Detroit Fresa Press. - - His Last Application. - Housekeep Application. - Housekeeper - er Application. - Housekeeper -Here is a telegram; your nephew is dead." Property-Owner (with a is dead. growl) - "Humph! Now, I guess, he wants money to bury himself with" - Zeitgeist. - "I say, what do you mark these apple barrels 'open this end' for?" "Should have thought any mutton mutton,* - ,* mutton,* head would ha' knowed that. D'ye sup suppose - pose suppose we can afford to pack big 'uns at' . * both ends of the barrel?" - Drake's Magazine. - Small Boy - "Mother. may I have 3 1.4 something tosat?" ly, my son." Small Boy - "A -"* * Mother - "Certain, caed with butter on it." Mother - 1 7. he you are hungry you can eat it without butter" Tittle Sister wha hem has 9 '0a J 119 111 21 - W -- -==*29.* ,2. - Little Sister (who has beeg 1 .. 2, T st ' J an attentive listener) - "Mother, I an" not hungry, may I have 'a biscuit wish: butter on it?" A _724 t

nolaCo she invariably wea' - which, no matter what may be, never exceeds a three-bu' length. y ngth. 8, - * -, - James Berry, the English ex-exe- "L q 4 , - 1. . . . 1.1 4 1. . . 2 7. 2a cutioner, has reached the end of his rope as a lecturer and is anxious to drop back - the other platform. He is appealin), to the sheriffs in the United Kii start in lit ers to start -Mrs. ' ? m to give him "a fresh ie sr /s, by helping oth othof - of othof .. writing (oalt stage liS. A hA-" " "r - lerson Navarro is " miniscences of her ' eking items about hees from friends!* varic spend) and wi be looked J the world. She is c "mmer in Switzerland ) ly. The book will - - great interest. - Walter Lee | fifty-four years the novelist, is now age and has been writing for twen-five years. He is a fine-looking, port!" man, a graduate of Cambridge, where he studied for the church. The fine descriptions of trop tropical - ical tropical life which appear in some of his early novels were gathered during his residence as a professor at Mauritius. - Augustus Hemenway, a retired < farmer of Canton, Mass., has invite all the public-school teachers of that town, twenty-six in number, to take a ten-days' trip to the World's fair at his 15 expense. He is a former member of the - Massachusetts legislature, where he i served on the committee of education. and is now a member of the Canton f 3 school committee. - "President Lincoln's library .ton .tonsisted - sisted .tonsisted of three books, the Bible. Pil Pilgrim's - grim's Pilgrim's Progress' and a copy of 'The Revised Statutes of Indiana,' contain > ing the Declaration of Independence ' and the constitution of the Uniter i States." says an early friend of th, | great man. "and his education forme I on this basis was sufficient to take hi* I to the presidency." - Wah -Chong. a wealthy Chin j merchant of Seattle, Wash.. made his fortune in building .up American trade with China and importing Chinese < laborers in past years. He is said to be worth over one million dollars. He had several wives, both here and in China, one of them an Indian woman, the mother of a son sixteen years old, of whom he is very fond.

MAMMOTH OYSTERS. Bivalves of Chincoteague Said to Be of Marvelous Size and Weight. Among the fine things that spring and summer deprive us of are oysters, since they are said not to be good in months that are spelled without an R. It is perhaps just as well that this should be as it is, because voracious man is so fond of oysters that if they were pleasant to eat all the year round we might find after awhile that they, like the lobsters, were growing more and more scarce every day. However fond of oysters men may be, they should be very careful to know exactly what- kind of oysters the particular place in which they happen to be fur furnishes - nishes furnishes for the delectation of oyster eaters. For instance, in London a man who does not like the taste of copper would better not order them at all, for it is a singular fact that oysters served at London hotels taste as though they had been born and bred in a copper mine instead of in the. waters of the sea. But most of all it must be re remembered - membered remembered by those t fortunate per persons - sons persons who have had the privilege of visiting Chincoteague, wherever that delightful place may be, that when they order their oysters they would better not order more than two or three, for, according to an item pub published - lished published not long ago in a foreign paper, the oysters of Chincoteague are the elephants of the bivalvular kingdom. One of them was a regular Jumbo in size, says the foreign chronicler, weigh weighing - ing weighing a pound and three-quarters in the shell and measuring nine inches in length and five and a quarter in width, and he adds thit he imagines it was an oyster of this size of which Thackeray spoke when he said that after he had eaten his first bivalve in America he felt as though he had swallowed a baby. A half dozen Chincoteague oysters on the half shell would probably last in most families for a month, at least Harper's Young People. - First Beggar - "Are you blind by Second Beggar - "No; only nature?' by profession." - Drake's Magazine.

Africa Journeyings. There are places in Africa where three men can not be sent on a journey together for fear two of them may combine and sell the third. When a man has determined on a journey he must consult the oracle by means of divination. The methods most com commonly - monly commonly employed are as follows: The magician takes a quantity of flour and lets it fall in a steady stream on a flat stone placed at the head of the travel travelif - if travelif it forms a perfect cone as er's bed. it falls, the omen is good; if not, there , is an end of the matter at that time and by means of the flour cone. Sacri Sacrifice - fice Sacrifice must now be offered to propitiate the offended spirits. Whe. *e cone is perfect it is covered by an inverted pot and left for the night. In the morning the pot is removed and the j cone examined; if it is still whole and . in the exact state in which it was left! when covered, there is nothing further I to be done beyond presenting a thank thankoffering - offering thankoffering of rice, flous, or fowl to the ancestral spirits and set out on the journey. Should there be a falling of the cone, even a '.small slip down its side, it is a sign not to.be disregarded, and the oracle, after propitiatory sacri sacrifice, - fice, sacrifice, must once more be consulted. - Anthropological Journal.