Page 4 Advertisements Column 1

Manawatu Herald, 27 August 1898, Page 4

THE CONCEITED MOUSE. A Lively Tale From St. Nicholas, In Which a Moral May lie Found, If Wanted. Oxico upon a tiino thcro wasa very small mouse with i\ vory, vory large opinion of himself. What ho didn't know his grandmother couldn't tell him. "You'd better keop a bright eye In your head these days/ eaid she one chilly afternoon. "Your gxan'ther has emelled a trap." I "Scat l" answered the small mouse, 11 's if I don't know a trap when I see it!" And that was all the thanks ehe got for her good advice. "Go your own way, for you will go no other," the wise old mouse said to herself, "TOUR GRAN'THEB HAS SMELLED A TRAP." and she scratohod her nose slowly and sad* Jy as she watched her grandson scamper up tho collar stairs. "Ah," sniffed ho, poking his whiskers Into a crack of the dining room cupboard, "cheese, as I'm alive!" Souttle, wsuttle. "I'll be squizzlcd if it isn't that cunning little house! I know what that is — a choesehou.se, of course! What a very snug hall! That's the way with cheesehousos. I know, 'causo I've heard the dairymaid talk about 'em. It must be rather inconvenient, though, to carry milk up that step and through an iron door. I know why it's so open — to let in fresh air. 1 tell you that cheese is good! Kind of a reception room in there. I guess<l know a reception room from a hole in tho wall. No troublo at all about getting in either. Wouldn't grandmother open her eyes to sea me here! Guess I'll take another nibble at that cheese and go out. What's that noise? What in squeaks is the matter with the door? This is a oheesehouse, X know it is, but what if it should turn out to be a — O-o-o-eeeel" And that's just what it did turn out to be. Interesting Autograph*. To soratch ono's name on a window pane Is a pastime familiar to most young folks and one in which it seems that the dignitaries of the earth can find amuse- I ment too. On one of the windows of a railway carriage devoted to the exclusive uso of the king of Denmark and his guests is perhaps as curious a collection of these autographs as can anywhere be found. Every one of royal blood who travels in tbia car is expected to soratch his name with a diamond, and in consequence the glass is scored with the sign manuals, most of them nearly undecipherable, of the majority of the princes and princesses of Europe as well as many crowned heads. Ceremony is entirely laid aside in this utately fooling, and the great ones are bound to Bign their pet or family nickname. Consequently here may be seen the signatures: "Nicky," the present emperor of Russia; "Sacha," the late emperor; ' ' Winny, ' ' princess of Germany; • ' Bertie — Alix," Prince and Princess of Wales; "Misha," grand Duke Michael of Bussia; "Eddy," late duke of Clarence; "Baby," youngest sister of the czar; "Willy," Prince of Coburg; "Toria," Duohess oi York, and others quite as informal. Aren't We Heavy? Aren't we heavy, Gyp and I? Don't we weigh a lotf Mother let ua Come and try One penny in the slot! I should think That we most weigh I ? '" Seven hundred tons! They can't get folks , Like oa each day. We're very heavy ones! Foretelling the Weather. A Spanish journal tells of an Interesting experiment to be tried with a cup of clear coffeo and a lump of sugar. The sugar should be dropped into the coffee without stirring. In a moment the air oontained In the sugar will rise to the surface in the shape of bubbles, and these bubbles are excellent weather indications. If they collect in the middle of the cup, a fair day follows; if,' adversely, they ad- i here to the sides, forming a ring of bubbles with a clear space In the center, take i your umbrella, for rain is at hand, while If they do neither one thing nor the other, but scatter irregularly, variable weather Is indicated. Just what is the scientific explanation of the action of the atmosphere on the bubbles is not stated, but that their indications ouriously agree with those of a barometer has been tested. Where He Caught It. "Where did you catch that awful coldf" The anxious mother said, And then tho little youngster told, "I caught it in my head." Chines* Idea of Telegraphy. The Chinese believed when telegraphy was Introduced in their country that foreigners out out the tongues of children and suspended them on the insulators to transmit the message from pole to poll