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[ 4'ttÂ¥r3^Â¥O^<l^'Cf^^0tHi'^<hH>Â¥<iHt^Vi-Â¥XH^ r i A House of Mystery OR, THE GIRL IN BLUE .«>«4«*fiet-!CH«-f«-f«>«-H3+0-f -f O>»+«^ChKH-0-H«-»-«+«-f«H-X i i CHAPTEn XIII. > The face of Mabel Anson, my now- • fcunU friflml and idyll, hud in that in- • Btant chanycj. Ikr counteniino! was , pale as doa.'h, while Ih-i hand hold.ng the small p<mCil trembled. "Whenw did you obtoiii thisT she dc- ' maivjod in an awo-sliiok n tme, wlicn . ^hovxod plainly Wial she ret-ognlzeJ ii. She h.'Id her bi%ath in expcclmicy. What "-ould I reply? To ex-plain th« , truth WU.S impossible, for 1 had p!odg<vl my honor to Edna In prc-.ei-ve the' an:- " ret. BtTsidcs, I had no w Uh to appal â- her by t!i« strange story of my juldjiighl ,*(Ji>-entuic. Hence a lie aixjisc involun- tarily lo my Urs. "I found il," I slanimcr>jd. . "Found ilf Where?' "I found It when groping about during \b^ tin'.e I wa.s blind, antl 1 vo carried 'I tveic s'no', wondering wl.elher oi:o day ,1 should dscover its owner." "It Ls extraordinary!" she gasped â€" *^ast ext!a')iNlinary." > "You appr.ar Ui rerognize it.' I ob- ^rved, much puzzled at l-.er a'.tlud<?. "It ^you can tell .me to whom it bel-ongs ' will relUi-n it." She h»itated. and with a qu ck offort Yegaintxi her solf-conlrol. . "I mean It possesses an extraordin- ary nseniblanco lo cna I have seen .Tiiajiy limes beforeâ€" but 1 sui-.pi.-e there tare lots uf pencil-^asi's of the 'amo shape,* she added wilh nffockO caro- 'lessncss. • "But there ia a curious. uninlcUigibio '<:yph«ji- «rnj,'rBved upon it, I sad. -D'd â- you notice it?' . "Y«js. It is the engraving which makes ,.Tnc doubt Ihal I know ils ownci-. His .Initials W(Mo j:«t tb.)si\" "You speak in the \ms-l liiisc,' I ob- •£er\ed. 'Whyr ^ . "Baauscâ€" well, bocaus.-! wo rre no . longer friendsâ€" if you des re to kn<.w Iho , truth; " and she handtyf nie Iwck Ihe ,Obj<'et, which, w th the drcss-sliid. f,jriii- «J th-^ only clue 1 had lo Ihe idenlly ol •the ui:f rlunalj viclin â- .^l llw as assin. • There wu-s somalhin;,' in her manner •which was It) mo the tovcrs*! ol con- ^vuwing. 1 felt absolutely c«irlain that this immip rtant obj-'ct had, in ve:ilily, • been iJcnl:(led by her, and that with .«cnie hidden nMlivesho wa.s now inten- tionally misleod ng me. • "Then you do not believe that this •really bekwiged to yiur fr:en.J?' 1 a.sk- .•ed, holding it up to her gaze. . "No,' .she ajfibwered ((uickly, averting vher face as thniugh isight of it wore ob- ,mcxiou.s. "1 f<cl criain thtit It did not. .lis re-e;nb!anc<> is .strikingâ€" Ih.ils all.' ^ "II wiuUl have b;en a r.ina';kabe co- incidence it il n-nlly were tlie i r.i)crty "•of your frioi.'d,' I said. , "Wry icnmrkttble,' she ndm It d, stiil regard ii^' mo .strangely. "Yet Iho lr:te • Baying Ihiit 'The world Is -vnioli' is iicv- '<rlliele»s very true. When I llr.st siiw » it 1 felt certain il Ix-longcd lo a gciitl'j- , man I kn<w. but on el.aer <'x»ininalio(i I llnd it is oider, nnich ni'ire l)oMer<>J. < «nd boai-s inillaU which have evidently I X>et.r\ cnyruvod s-veral yeai's." . "Where did your friend lose hks " 1 ^ dnqu red, ivflecling upoai th.> lameness of her story. The mere rc(\^giiilion o' , a lorit ixn.il-ca.se woukl novel- hive af- _ focltxl her in Iho inanne.r that sight o' this one had if there \vei« not buine • deeper ineaning atlached lo it. "I have iw idea. Indeel, I uni mot at ai: .sure that it la not s.lill m his pos- session.' ' "And hnv canic you lo l)c so w.ll ac- , <iuainlcd with its aspt;cl?' I n.sked, in â- eagemo.ss to a.sccrtan Ihe Irulh. ' She hesilaled for a few monu.^iLs. "15e. , flause, ' she fallered â€" "bicause il wajj, a ipresMit fivim me.'- To un a An ire r?'* > She did not answer, hut ovxTi in that Jim lamplight I deleeled ih,; lcll-l.:ile ' flush mounting to her clicks. ^ Then, in order, apparently, lo cover her Confusion, sho aikleJâ€" ' "I must irally go. I shall be la'c for , dinner, wi my mother hates lo wail ^ tor me. (i0ixl-!i.ve." ^ Our hands clasped, our eves ni t. and 1 saw in hers u look of ikvp myslory, ' as though she held me in sii.sDicioii. . Her UKinner and her IderiUlicali^jn cf « ilhat objict exlia.l..d from l':c p.xkel Lf < the dead man were veiy pu/.zling. , "Goo 1-bye," I said. "I hojX' .soon lo , have Ihe pleasure of tn.vttng you again. , I have enjoyod this walk of ours ini- , niensely.' ^ "Will n we modâ€" if ever we do," she ^answered with a mischevious .s-:n;le, "ro- ^fneinbc-r lluit I have pronii.soil lo wear the nii.sk. Coixl-bye.'' .\nd .sh.^ twisted 'l:cr .sjiifjs gracefully, enU>rod Ihe cab, â- and a nionieMl InU r wjis driven uff, leav .iug nio alone <^n the kerb. 1 hesilaicd vvhclher to ro'iirn home liv /bus or l'iii'ergiyMm4 Ra Kvii\. hut, de- ,<:ding< n Ihe laUer, crnlinue I al mg the .Hgii .'^l eel to the slatim, and jminiey- ,^l Ifi Ihe Tniiple by that sul;)!iuroiis r.>- ,pim of dirt and d;:rknc.ss kn",wn as the « "Inner r, rcle." TIk- leird'r may ie:idily iiiagliie how flilod wilh cnnni<;tiiig thoughts was my m nd (11 lh:'t lionicwnrd journey. AJ- th.u;;h I ajored .MaJx>l .Xii-sun ".wilh a love b,y.rn<l all twimdis, and woull on that evening Iniv d<clarevt my p.a.s.^ion lor her Inul I daiod, yet I co.ild not dis- guise from my.=«lf that sight of the pen- cil-case I had taken from th« dead un- kiniwn had wrought an instant and ex- t aoi<dinary cJiange in her. .She had idenlilied it. Of that f«cl th ro was no doubt. Her lame ex.planation that il bore a rcyemblaiiec lo llie one she ha*l given 10 Ivor friend was too palpably an af- terthought. I was vexed thai slw should have thus nitanpted a deception. It was ccrla nly true thai one t,old peicl- case is very like another, and thai a Pii-mingham maker may turn out a thousinl of similar pattern, y t the in- U-icalo cypher engraved on Ujc one m quesUon was suinuient by which to identify it. II was these vfli-y initials which hod caused her to deny Ihal it was really the one she had purchased and prest.il.d; yel 1 fell oonvmced that what .«Jw had told mo was untrue, and lli-al Ihoe very initials had been placed upcn it by her order. A.ga n, had .she not .sp.ik. n of ils own- ei" in the past len.sc? This, in it-eif, was a verv srsp C ous c r.-uinsliince, and led I me lo the belief Ihal sIk- was awarC of his d«>ath. If ho were dead. Ihen cer lainlv he would no long<r b„- her friend. He:- su.'d n and abject uniawmi-nt at seeing Ibe pencil in my hand; h.er exda- Tnalion of surprise; her ♦agcrress Ij ex- amine it; all were facl3 which showed plainly Ihal slw knew that it r.mained no Umgflr in his i)Osse.ssion, and was yet duii.bf-iundcd lo find it in my hand, ila.l .'h' not also regarded me Willi evi- dent suspicion? Perhaps, lia\ing dcnt;- fled her present, she suspected iiMJ of f-iul play? The thought hold me petrified. For aught 1 knew .-he might le well aware ;^f that man's tragic end. and llxr dis- covery of part of his pi«i><u'ly in my p.^icssion was to her evidiiice that I I. ad loimnitled murder. .\ly position was certainly growing a rious. I detected in the lalher formal manner in which she lojk leave of me a disinlnalon lo shake my hind. I'er- ha;^s she believed it to be Ihe hand â-  ' the' murderer. lnde«yl, my ili.N!arali«m Ihal 1 had found tlial incr mnal-iig i>b- joct was in ils.-II sulUcient lo strtngtlicn her saspicioii if, as .secMiied (luile piv)- bnble. sIjo was aware of her friends tiagie end. Yel I had really found it. 11 was no lie. I had found it in hisioock- el. and taken it as a clue by \vhich_ af- lerw.r.ls lo identify hiin. Now, if it were true Uiat the man who luul been struck dead a I my side wa.s ucti:ally Malx'l's friend, Mien 1 was with- in measurable distance of eliicidalng llio mySley of ♦at fateful night and asc<'r- lain ng the idcnt.ty of the myslerious Edna, luid al.-o of thai ruler of niy d^M- liny who corresponded with me under tt>e iwuikmym of ".\vel." rhis thought caused iiic lo revert lo l.hii.l hour when 1 had .'•â- at upo i Ih' .s<^ut 111 the Park, keeping a trysl with sinie pels n unknown. St'uted in Ihe eorn-T ( f Iho railway-carriage 1 calmly rellect- ixi. More Uiaii a ooijicideiiee it .seem- ed Ihat at tho moincnt my palicn'e bi> cnnk> exhau.sl!>d, and I rose lo h av^> the spot my mysterious corrc-siiondeiil Had apivoinled for tho meeliiig,T .-hoiihl have ci.me face lo face with Iho wiuiian w1io.m> grace and b<auly held Jiie Iviualh llieir »p-'ll. For .some purpo^eâ€" what 1 knew nol â€" I had bee'u sent to Ihtil pai liciil:ir scat to wail. I had remained Ihere iii vain, .-m kuig a dozen cigaie I s, read- ing through my paper even lo the ad- verts, men's, or iin:>atenlly walch ng every i>ersuii who aiiproached. yel the moment I ro.se I encoimleri\d llh! very piM'.son fur whom I hud for days past to 'n in active .s ar.'h. Had .Mahois pii'e-enco thc:'«' any oon- necliin w th the mys'.,Tk)u> < rler which I l.ad obeyed? Upon this ]>;inl 1 was lllliNi wdh indcision. KirsI, wiml pos- sillo coniiecling link could l!i<re l;e bcv Iween her nalural niovemcnl.s and Iho lelkT from that iinknowu hanuV \s far as I could d'.srs'in there was akso- lulely none. I l.-ied to form Ihi^ories, lull failed. I knew Ih'al .\Iulel alU-nd- 0(1 al the Hoyal A. ademy of Music, and what was more iMiluial than Ihal she .«>!i.,iiild civ'.ss l.'ie Park on her way hoiiK!? iter way did nut lie along live path wh're 1 had kepi such a watchful vig- il and had I not risen and i)a.s.«ed to- wards (irosveiior (iate at Ihat mojneiil we should U'lt have met. There, in- elivd. .-eeiiied no possible ceimbination b<.'twi»cii Ihe rcjiiest I hnd receiv.xl frmn my ui«l;n' wii cori'cs|;ondent and her f.r. sence l.hene. In my wild iiiiagin'iigs I w.indirer wli-lher vihc were aclually tic Wi'inan wh un in my blindn -ss I had known ns tidna, Lul next inslunl lloule<t the idea. Tie voce, Ih.i touch, the haml. all wc:e d ffer. 111. \ga,n, her por-ional sii- ;oarai:C' was not at all Ihal id llie wo- man de.^cril,M^I by West, tJ:e cabman who had (lri\eii me homo after my sira.nge udv.'iilures. No; she c<iul I not 1k> Ivlna.' As th" tiaji roared through the .slif- Ing tunnels Cilywards. I strove lo ar- riv(^ al .•â- oiiie de.iSKiii. Puzzled and | cr- |)le.\ed at llie various phases pre>-ente(l by Ihe oiiigma which for ev<f ginnv m<ire and more complicnted, I fmind any d»e'ison-au extremely ddlicull mat- ter. I am not a man given lo form- ing Ihoorics ujon insufllcient evidcatie. nor jumping to immatuiie concliwions, therefore I calmly and carefuily consid- ered eacJj fact in ils sequence as relat- ed in this nairative, Tho absence of motives in several instances prevented any logical deduct'on. Neveilheless, I CiU'd not .smn.ii.AV p event a suspicion arisng within me Ihal th' apixiinlme'it made by my anonymous coriespondent had some ivmo'c connect'jon wilh my meeting with the w^iinim who had so sudileiily come into my lifeâ€" a mere su- bpicion, it is Iriio, but the fact that no one h.:d a.ppearcd lo keep Ihe appoinl- menl strengthened it cons derably. WhencveiT I thought of Mabel, recol- Uctioirs of Channing's slranj-c admoni- l.on aro.se wllhin me. Why liad h» ut- lercJ that warning ere 1 had been ac- qaint'.d with her a few hours? To say Ihe least, it was extraordinary. And mora especially .so as he refused- to give any explanation of h s iieason.<. The one dark spot in my life, now that I had recovered my si^hl, was the ever-pre.sent I'ecoliectkm of that mid- night tragedy. Its roniombrance held me appalled when I Ih night of II. .\nd when I rellecled up<m my own culpabil- ity in not giving information lo Ih? po- l:ce, ajid Uiat in all probabilily ths neg- lect of mine bad allowed Ihe assassin t escape .'=cot-frne, I wa.s besiele my.sell with vexaton and rt>grel. My Ihmgals for ever toj'tured me, being render.vd the more bitler by Ihe rclloction that 1 liad placed m)soif in the j.ower of one who remained concealed, and whoso iden- tity was inviolable. .Vs 1 declared in Ihe opening of this nan alive, it seems almast incnediolo Ihat m P'e-e eiid-of-lhe-Ccntury days a man couid And hims-lf in suc'i a plight, surrnind-'d by inys'eroua eimni s. and held in bondn^- by ono miknowii and unrcvealed. Laboriously I trkxl t:) un- ravel IIh} tangled skein of events and so extricate myself, but, tiieii with the overtask, I found that the mysleiy grew only m<Te inscrutrible. The woman 1 lovexi â€" Ihe woman to wiioni I had f. ndly hoped some day cro long lo make Uie declaralion of the sec- ret of my heartâ€" had discovered m my pcssession an objccl which might well ho viewexl as evidence of a foul and ciward'y crime. I feure.lâ€" ind<"Od, I fell assuredâ€" Ihat her sweet sympathy hud, in an instant b en turned to hat- llC.I. I loved b r. I ad jrcd her wilh all the sirenglti of my bi'ing, and 1 knew that w.thiiiU her my life i.%lhc future must on'y be an amies blank. In the .av. det- est natures there can be no cmnpletiv nesi mj c uis:stency wilh ml moral en- ergy, and that MaliH |.osses.sed it was plainly shown. In her conlldences with me as we traversed Ihe Paik and Ken- s nglon Gardens shi> had shown, with ll't most jwrfoi't nrlle.N-ness. Ihal .-she had Ihal Instinctive, uiiconscxiiis ad- divss of her .wx which alw:;ys rendei"s a wumnn d )i;'bly chnrmiiig. I'er.-nns who unite preiit .sensibilily and lively fancy po,s.-css uro iisci ^u-^ly Ihe ixiwer of plac ug lhem.s<'lvv"s in the ixsitim •' another, and imngning raPier tluiji [)er- ceiving what is in tiieir h< iir's. A few wom.Mi possesi Ihia faculty, 1 ul m. n n ver. II is not iiiconsislenl w th ex- treme s'm iltcity of character, and ipi.to (lislincl Iroiii Ihat kind of art which 'a Ihe lesiill of natural acutn Si and ha- b Is (if cbservalon â€" <iuick to p rcoive- Iho fi.ibh'.s «if otlieis. and as qu ok lo turn ll.'eni lo il-i invn pur|)ose; which is al- ways eoii.sc ous of it-e'f. and if un ted with sti'ong inlcllect, seldom percepliblo lo o'lers. Ill her cluit wilh me she had no de- sign formed or ciuiclusion jireviously dr.-iwii, but her iiilulve qiiiikn s-i uf liM'ling, added 'o ler ini;ig nation. Ciu^e I her lo half-conlldo in me her deep s riN,w. II.M" coinpa.ssionale dsp;s.- lioii, her exce ding g ntleiics, which gave lh> mevading tone ti h 'r i.haiac- ler. ler nn <Uwly, her Undenuvs, her gia:e. her almo.-,t etheieiil lolinoment and delicacy, all showed a hue poetic nulure wilhin, wli le her d rl;, fnt'rom- le s eyos l^-trnyed that <ii rgy ol pas- sim which (jftve her churavler its con- central' d j ower. Was il eiiy w n !or, ev.Mi lh.,ugh .she mig'U have b<Mm belraycd into a mo- ineiilary tergiversation, that 1 b'W(><l and worshipind hiU? .She wis my id,Nil; hei pers.nal le:iuty und tie lender swooliess of her cliataclcr were alike I erf.'( t. The:efi IV? my 1 jvo fur her was a iia.ss<'nâ€" that headlong vehemence, thit Ihitt-ring and hope, fear and trans- |hut, Ihit g.ddy inloxlcntiou of heart and .sense w h c!i btl ngs lo Iho novelty of true lovi> which we fiM-l once, and but once, in our lives. Yet 1 was held |crple-xed and power- less ly her une\i)ectc<l and unacknow- ledged indent n alon of lh"t cIuj to !iic unknown dead. (To bo Cent nued.) GATHBniNti INDIA nilBBER. InleresUnq Faets in Regard lo |hc In- duslrj' in the .\n1a7.un Region. India-rubber has a curims hisloiy 111 Ihe ui'ls. Ils common naino wojS given lo il because il was lirel lisiM f<u' n- moving pencil marks from paper. I. Is pividuc^-d in most tio,.lal Uin 's. The use of il has increased uiiiil it hiw Si- come one of the most imiKjrtant forcsl producls. of the w.irld. It has leKViiK- in nwiny parls of the world an articK of cull ival ion. but tho native fuieisls ol thj Ainazim basin and of th.ei t^ngu. in Africa, ore .slill tlie soun;.'e of llie worlds gr<ia.U-bt i>u.>ply. The qnaiil ly has lo. n greally increased m later veais, for Ih iproduclion has been .sUnuilaled by ai: advance in pi ice. Intei<iitiiig facts in legard to the mdus'ry m tho .Aiiiazon region aiv! ni\cn by one who is a nativt of ll>j counto' nxi-i familiar with iL- pr..ducllons. .Vs tho steamer moves al 'ng, thj li-av- ellfT on the .Vmazon, or un miy of lU'- numenous navigable tributaries, w li iiotio- lillJo wisps of smoko i-ising fr.jui lh_- banks of l-h.'. river. The .siinoke. wliich LS qmle ciiaracb r slic of llv? most feilli river-banks, indicaies live placets whe;o the natives axa troating iho sajj :f Ihe lubtci-trec to lavipaiio it lor tlu liiaikot. The bu.siness of collex;ling und propar- u)g iitliber u> carried on extciisivuly >i> Ihe valley of the .\niazon. There aiv distncis of from forty lo fifty s«iuuiv mill 3 owned and op-ralei by om j;er son. The rubber-li-ees ara scatlero. m-ur« or le>s pltnlilully among olhei Uoes that yield no pioltt as jiol. When a man his -vxured u large tracl jX forest land for th' industry, ne pnl- up a rough .â- ^heller ujron it, and engages all tho lndian.s of Iho neighborhood, men mid woaneii, to hely him ai 11k woik. Thoy start out early in Iho raorjiiii^; to make the iwuiids of th.' eslale, loi they must gel back k> the i-iverside Ix' fore l3:o h«al of tlio day beconieis loo great. Ttx!y lap Iho tr^ns ofresii if tli'.y ne<jj il, attach tho little Un ou|»s foj culching Ihe saip, and bring Ikiiiio what- ever .siup may have been cxilkxlcxl. Tho sap of Ihe rubiKT-lroe us a. per fecllv wlij e lijud of the consislencj' < f goals niiik. It is ncco.s,saiy tiial Tl be ijjnvvrUd' ,nt) a .9ulid. This is eff.K-led by the agtim of a piingejil -^noke which oiaguialos. or cuidlea, the milky lliiid. For this uvj llvo seedi of two differ.nl 'k nils of palm are employod. iNolh.iig eb*e will answer lli-e purpo*:\ The seeds are put in an eurllhii jar which has a narriw miek, tlie Ixdlum ol which is perforated wilh a mmilx'r ol sqwure holes. In Uii.s th.e palm iiuls are burn.d; ll:c l.oVs in I1k.> l;ottuni oi the jrr a im I a draft ;ind causo a d»ii-c snKikc to i!^sut» fivmi Ih.i mck. This is Ih'.' smoke teen fixjni llic d'Cjk of Ihe steal! I or. Th<! <v.;erutor lakes a [Middle .similar lo Ihat wilh wiiich hepuddl.s his eaniie and holdyi th.e blado of it over Ihe jar. V\:<m il Im' pours tho milky jiucx'. cu|i hy cup, all Ihe time lurniiig IIk' bhnU' -s 1 as lo bring all part.s of il into llie smoke. Tie find s instantly ll.\eyl, and adhoiHJi to the wo. id lu' lo Ihe ruliljer alivaily formevl. This proco.ss gix's 011 until a .'-olid lump is formiyl that will weigh p.^rha|)s sixicvii ixiuiids. Wh-<ji the luin:) has giown lai-gc enough for handling a sl:t is cift in it. and the blad r is drawn ou'. A masis of rubb. r is left reidy for expintaliin. It is llu'. .sniMke ii.sod in coagulating Itie .'-a;) that g ves i rc;de ruhb'r llie da. k ajipojr- anec witich is faniiliur. TIr: naliv.s who collect llie rubber have lltl.le u-e for Ihe arliclo ui hKJiiie. Th.'y have ni jienc I ngs l<> (rn-sc. wear 11' raincoal-s, have no mils lo Ih? stip- phed wilh helling, nor anlmnoliiles Ihal require nihlx'r liies. They do. lioweV'-r. inik^ ,pla.\l!iings for llieir children by J) uriiig llo .Mip in'o clay molds eif birds, an nia's and' fkshe.s. and Ur'ii crushing Ih? clay und iwiuvlng il. WIM.ING TO Wi CO.NVlNilKD. .\ slurdy tramp one day wi>iil into a garden, where the lady of IIk' lunise was engaged in attending Ui the llowers. lie look no niitice of her refusal lo give cop- pers, hut continued his iiiquirluiiiily until a bull-dog appeared, growling omiiioiis- K. The lady .seized it by 'the collar and held il, culling out; "Voii Imd heller go away at once; he may bile you." "You ain't gol no right lo kivp a savage dorg like lliiil," ivplii>d the tramp in out- ragiHl tones. "I'erhap.s I hrvc not," was Ihe cool niiiswer. "If you lliink !»o, 1 won't keep himâ€" I'll lot him go." The lalch of Ihe gnlo clicked vjole.nlly and in Iwenly seconds Ihal tramp had vunish(?d inUi space. .SAFF, ME.\SUHI';. Wise Fnllior (lo niarriod son)â€" "You're living very comforlahly. 1 .siv. Inil aiv yoi. saving any money?" Wise S(ui whispennk)--"Y(«; biil d ml tell my wife." CIlIMv^^li: TO .SAVK i'ORKiSTS. Scluf,)8 ol Korostrj- .Somi to be Opened -Where Wood is Sraroc. The. (^"hini'se aio .skiving their forests. The aim -si w-;r dw.d..; movement Ui pw- tecl and eslubli-.h foreisLs h.is reached Ihi; (>.'l..stial Kminre. and Ih < llr.st (llii- no->(" .-^jliool of to.e'stry shortly will Ix! o'l-e'ird in IVInk.'cu. Th â-  (lliine c realm .sonK'limes is ix>tnt- <>! mil as the woirst cxaiii|)l'.! aiiKing m Klein iiali(Uis 'if forest (le.slruelion. 'Iho IK ods wh> h pcr.««l'ically are lour- ed (!'J^vn from llie deniiile.l. m,)iinlains arc ('eslrnclive leyoiid 1 oinpnri.'oii wilh llios' < f any other countiy, lUid Ih.' want of fore.sLv s a.s-igned as t';e oh eif can.'*,'. Wo d !.'♦ s aroior in Chiia hii in al- m'>sl any otlior inhnbiled ieg;on •>f tho wol'lJ, adhnigli Ih.' oou.ntry is well p»;aple<l t'l Ihe gixjwing of l.re<?s. In the e-tahl.islune>nt of a fHiresl .-^'hool the (Ihi- ne.se C.ixeriunent gives evideno? that it reahzo.s llie iweil of b<>giniiing ils ic- foivistatiim in a s.'ioiitiUc manner. 0Ln-FA.SH10NF,li) KIND. Old fashioned man! Simple his plan. Plain al a glnnoe. Pays what he owes; Nolhing hi! knows Of high lliiance. To put away .Something each day Is hi,* design. Not very slick; Gelling rich ipiick Not in hiiS line. Old tiishi<mc(l man I Head of n clan. I flippy hi.s life. Kills all iiIhuiI, Rosy and sloiil. And just one wi/ol ON TIE maiL CLOD CRUSHING. No implement on the farm is moro cf- fictivo and useful in Ihe pivjc^ctis of re- ducing the land lo a tiiK! liltli than the reller, if used ul tho right lime. Tiw right time, however, is luil after liariow- .ng. as is loo often Ihe case, but before, mid. us a rule, Ihe .same day llie plowing .s done, after a few hours' exiKiMire lo Ihe .sun or wind, and before the land has begun to hake. The use of liie roller at I Ins period will cnisti the himi« to a con- siderable extent, and will atso render'tha harrowing much moro effective, thus sav- .ng llnio and labor, while making a much mora satisfactory job, and also bi'inging the furrow slice into close ooiitucl with .he suhso.l. Iheneby assisting the upwar^l capillary movement of .>oil moistui'O, and facilitating the deceimposllkin of the in- verted .sod. The mistake of plowing a whole Held before attempting lo rellna Ihi; .soil is yel a fur loo common practice, .is one cannot help noticing in travelling II, rough the •ountry. The ixisult is that the moisture in the land escapes, the soil i; baked and hardened, and tho iinple- nicnts used for reducing it to a suitable condition for a isex-'d-bed have little elfcct, while a great deal more time and labor s required to gel U into satisfactory oon- dltion than would have been necessary hud it been ultended to at the proi)er stage. It would appear lo be fur mora sensible, as a rule, to sl<ip plowing an hour or two before Ihe end of the day and hitch to the ixiUer, and then Ihe iiuriMiws, leaving Ihal part of the flekt ic good exmdilwn to hold the moisture and remain in a desirable stale. Of ccurse, judgment has lo be useil in Ihi* matter, as in all others in farming, for if Ihe land is heavy clay, and a littlo on the wet side when plowtd, il would not be wise to roll or harrow immediately after the pUiw, and a day or perhaps two days of drying may bo neoe'ssary lo get Ihe land in g<K)d condition for the lining proc^, but tjiul it no good reaMn . why il shouUi be left lo bake liko bricks. ' L'lSeful ns the ixiller is as at present made and used in this coiuilry, we liavo a s'ir<iiig conviction that it might be greatly impmved ami made much more useful if, ijiste'ad of being made with a sinoolli surface, il were constructed wilh L corrugated or disk-liko surface, which w<iuld moiv surely and thoroughly crush und break up clods, instead of merely ciipwding tlu'in into Ihu looser earth, as iii liH) generally the case. In Kngland, .'frocIlM' clod-rrushing rollers are in use, made up of a .series of steel rings, strung u|Kin an axle and acting ln(le|M?ndeiilly; and in Ihe Llnleel .Stales, disk redlers and corrugak>d rollers are mamifnclured for llie purfKise of bringing the .soil into Iho best ev)nditioii for si'eding al a iiiinimuin cost of liine and InlKir, while leaving llw liuid wilh a loose surface, and so re'tain- ing Ihe moisluro much more [wrfixjlly than when left with a compacli'd and smooth surface. l''armoi-s havo learned fiMui e\|HTieiice that corloin 'Ciioiis. such a i nwls and e'orn, grow faster and stronger, and yield more Iwimtitiilly, wlwn Ihcsm-face suil around Ihem f^ kenl loose by frecpient stirring, eveji in dry '. wi alher. tint loo many appear lo fail lo undersluiid that Ihe Ukisc .soil acis as a mulch, arrejsling llw osca(x? of moisluro by breaking Ihe capillary Inlies by which Ihe moisture is carried fixini llu- Uiwer soil lo Ihe surface, llience evatHiriiled in- 'o Ihe air. .\ piiiper .soil condition is ono in which till? soil ifl friable, yet linn, up ' I,) wilhin two or Ihi-ce inches of the sur- face, .s<i Ihal nioisliire may be ilrawn up {'â-  render Itin feeding range <if the planl- rooLs rpiile inoisl. In «iril(T lo jirevent 111'- e.scaiK? of lilts nioislure bv evaiKira- ti< n. Ihe surface layer .should Ix' ns loose and dry ns it can be made. Hence we nerceive the wi.sdom of following Ihe pol- Ur promptly wilh the harrow or soino other implement cnlculnleel to produce a fine loose surface mulch. VALUE OF HUMUS. 1. Humus is decaying vegetable mat- ter in tlu? .soil. •2. II is the slorPhoii.se of nilr-Tgen. tho most expensive and the most jioce.ssaror o' all plant foods. 3. 11 conlnins the fcKid upon which the soil orgnntsins live, whose funclkm Is lo wiivert organic niti'<?gen iiilo iiilrales in order to Iw available for the use of phmls. It malerially assists in decom- (vislng Ihe mine'ral eonsliliienis of the soil, such ns iKjIasli and phosphoric acid, innkiiig Ihom available for Ihe use of phmls. 4. It Ipcpen.ses Iho ix)wer of the .soil lo hold waler without lM>coiniiig wuUt- l<'«geil. 5. 11 makes clay soil more open and friiilile. II ,serves lo (vniinaet sandy soil and iiieren,se lis dixnilli-resLsling powi^r. fi. It preveiils wasliiiiu' to a areal ex- lont: lliei'oby dlinini.sliing Ihe le.ss of fer- tility by Hint cause. 7, S<iil niled wilh humus more readily admits Ihe air ,so ni''i?e-ssnry lo all useful plant (.'row 111. S, Ttiere anncnrs lo he n dKlincI re- hili.itishlp behveen Ihe nmouiil ..f hiiniu.t in Ihe se)il and Ihe nniouiil of availnbln nilro.'.-n Ihcrein. II has been oh'orved that w'len il is :il>senl fivini Ihe .soil, there Is a (lislincl iedii"llon of Ihe aliililv of Ihal .'â- oil to ci^'iw enons. Hcnec in nrr*'- 'ice In order to ot>lnin Ihe N^sl cr<nis ^v(y have lo resort lo bftrnvard mnniir" ralhec than Ihe use of concenlraled ferlllizer.s. UNFORTHNXTF. II Is imfeirlunale lliel peonle do rol have Ihe same faculty for geltin'? out of tiv.iiMe Ihat Ihcy have for getting out of work.