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Peru Pertinent and Impertinent 



At eve of winter's waning day 

 I homeward take my pensive way,- 

 While redly sinlis the sullen sun, 

 Its daily circuit almost run. 

 Limned sharply 'gainst the crimson glow, 

 The leafless trees their shadows throw. 

 Close-clust'ring groups of spruce and fir 

 In dull green garb the landscape blur. 

 The rabbit crouched in matted grass 

 Hides wary till my footsteps pass. 

 Above the sparse and drifted snow 

 The stallis of reaped harvest show 



Winter ' s Prophecy 



Where tasseled once the juicy corn, 



Kissed by the breezes of the morn. 



Now silence lingers on the air. 



And nature rests all deathlilse, still ; 



No bird lisps out a cheerful note, 



No echo comes from frozen rill. 



And yet when God shall breathe once more 



Upon the chilled and ice bound land, 



A hidden world will spring to birth 



Beneath the warming of His hand. 



The ice shall vanish from the swamp, 



The length'ning day change gloom to light. 



The crusted snow will melt away. 

 The broolilets chatter with delight. 

 Through withered ranlis of stubbie sharp. 

 The corn shall thrust its blade of green. 

 Each bush and tree in gladsome garb 

 Shall verdant bloom with power unseen. 

 The sky shall throb with song of bird. 

 And where the rabbit scarcely stirred 

 No hint of death can there be seen, 

 Kor life is ever nature's queen — 

 The spectre death proclaims her reign. 

 — Richmond }I. Ocsnrr. 



THEORY vs. PRACTICE 



/^u^^C'f — 



MANUFACTURER: "It does seem as though I should be able to make this dinky little article at a profit out of this clear lumber 

 offal, in place of buying bolts and logs — but I can't — the labor cost kills the saving in material cost." 



Not 'What He Expected 



"Darling," he murmured, "whatever induced 

 you to care for a fellow like me." 



"I really don't know. George," she replied. 

 "Pa threatens to send me to a brain special- 

 ist." — Boston Evening Transcript. 



A Safe Delivery 



Jones — "Dear me ! You say you often lay 

 down the law to your wife. How do you go 

 about it." 



Bones — "Why, all you need is firmness. I 

 usually go into my study, lock the door and tell 

 her through the keyhole." 



Government Odds 



"Ollie" James, the big representative from 

 Kentucky, tells of an Irishman in the West who 

 had intended to take up a homestead claim, but, 

 not knowing how to go about it, sought informa- 

 tion from a friend. 



"Malachi," he said, "you know all about this 

 law. Tell me what I am to do." 



"Well," said the other. "I don't remember the 

 exact wording of the law, but I can give you the 

 meaning of it. It's this : The government is 

 willin' to bet you 160 acres of land against $14 

 that you can't live on it five years without starv- 

 ing to death." — Lippincott's. 



Altared and Altered 



At the Altar — "I thee with all my worldly 

 goods endow." Two years later: "More money? 

 Where's the dollar I gave you last week?" 



—25— 



