I 
V/ASH l t|Cr 
IRONING 
FRIENDSHIP 
CHRISTINE'S WEDDING CAKE, 
To Christine’s delight she was empowered to 
ask a few intimate iriunds; but when, in her 
enthusiasm, after she started forth to inform¬ 
ally bid thorn oome, she found, on thinking 
over the names she had invited, there were fifty 
guests to provide for. 
She was n little frightened, and went to Mr. 
Crawford with such penitent tears In her pretty 
blue eyes that he had not the heart to scold, 
although he sighed away down in his heart, 
and—we nro half afraid to confess it—ho did 
feel thankful that Susie was notone of the sort 
who wanted to be married. 
“Never mind," lie said, kindly, “we’ll see 
what we cau do." 
After that, for a few days, everything went 
Friendship needs no studied phrases, 
Polished face or winning wiles; 
Friendship deals no lavish praises, 
Friendship dons no surface smiles. 
Friendship follows Nature’s diction, 
Shuns the blandishments of art. 
Boldly severs truth from fiction. 
Speaks the language of the heart. 
Friendship cheers th • faint and weary. 
Makes the timid spirit brave. 
Warns the erring, lights the dreary. 
Smooths the passage to the grave. 
“ If I can’t have what 1 want, why—why—1 
won’i be married at all. Now!” 
Pretty Christine Crawford pouted her rosy lips, 
nodded her head, and then sat herself down 
with an air intended to impress all Mm family 
generally, and Charlie Yustin particularly, that 
she was a terrible creature when she wanted 
ar.d couldn't conveniently have her own way. 
Just now Christine thought, every head should 
bow and every knee bond - metaphorically 
speaking—because of her approaching mar¬ 
riage. 
It had always been a favorite Idea of hers—it 
was only one of the many curious ideas that 
j her the bill. “ Wc have some choice rtow cur¬ 
tains; they were got up to order, to match the 
j carpet. Mr. Jermyn has furnished all his win¬ 
dows with them, .lust step this way fora mo¬ 
ment, and allow me to show them." 
“ Ilut I do not want to purchase, Mr. Warp. 
There Is no-" 
“Certainly not, We take pleasure in show¬ 
ing our goods. I assure you. You must see 
' those whether you buy or not." 
The curtains were lovely without, a doubt, 
and Christine could hardly repress an expres¬ 
sion of envious delight. 
“ So cheap two pounds a pair to you ; a. fear¬ 
ful sacrifice, Mi.-., Crawford, but Mr. Jermyn 
has cleaned this pattern so nearly out that I 
shall let these go cheap the last pair, and no 
more to be had for love or money.'’ 
Curtains like Mrs. Jermyn’s, and only two 
pounds. It seemed nothing: and If she could 
pay for the carpet out of her house-woney after 
she was married, she surely could pay for these. 
Then, once started, Coristine found it so 
pleasant to buy t he curtains and order them to 
be hung on the twenty— ijoond, in the evening, 
when maand pnnnd Susie would bo out, and 
slic would coax Charley Into It. 
It wasn't the happiest family group in the 
•world that was assembled in the Crawfords’ 
parlor on the evi nlng of the twenty-second. 
Pa and ma and Hu-io had corno home, to bo ut¬ 
terly astonished to find, not only the carpet 
and curtains, lint Christine and Charley In mis¬ 
erable silence—Charley stern and pale, Chris¬ 
tine gobbing to hevscLf on the syfa. 
Of course Christine eagerly defended herself, 
and endeavored to oxplaln to tier parents as 
she had to Charley ; and, us Charley had done, 
they met It all with stern disapproval anil posi¬ 
tive displeasure. 
Then Christine cried more than over; and be- 
eauso sho wus n little terrllle i declared herself 
ill used, on her wedding eve, too. 
No one answered her storm of words ; then, 
j so slowly anti deliberately that oven Christine's 
curiosity was aroused, her father laid a sheet 
of paper on the table and took his pencil from 
j his pocket. 
“Christine, do you know what your wedding 
cake cost,?" 
What did ho mean? Was he going to twit 
her with it? So, a little hauhgtily, she said : 
“Charley said live pound*.” 
“ No, it, has cost thirty pounds.’’ 
Christine laughed, not very musically. 
“That la nonsense.’’ 
“ T will show you. You say five. Very well; 
I will begin my argument, with a cake, for flvo 
pounds. On account of the cako you increased 
preparations to entertain a number of friends, 
the bill for which refreshment Is just ten 
pounds. Then, because of the few friends, the 
carpet, must needs be replaced for this—at ton 
pounds, you said? And the new carpet sham¬ 
ing the curtains, others were gotten for two 
pounds. Add the interest on this outrageous 
installment, plan and you find I am correct. 
Your wedding cake has cost thirty pounds, and" 
part of that—your part, not mine—in debt for.” 
Mr. Crawford loftkcd sternly at Christine, 
who, now the reactionary stage had arrived, 
was beginning as usual to repent rather late.’ 
Fora long while only her sobs broke the silence; 
then Charley took a paper from his pocket-book 
and handed It to Mr. Crawford. 
“ It is a. wedding present from my father. 
Please cUl to-morrow and pay for these things, 
and we will call them one of our gifts, f am 
sure Christine is so sorry she will never do so 
again." 
It was a check for fifty pounds; und when 
Christine crept up to Charley and wound her 
arms around his neck, and whispered words of 
penitent love and sweet promises she ever after 
kept faithfully, Charley thought if the lessons 
were profitable, perhaps the wedding cake was 
not s» dearly bought after ail. 
Friendship—pure, unselfish friendship. 
All through life’s allotted span. 
Nurtures, strengthens, widens, lengthens 
Man’s affinity with man. 
JOE AND DINAH 
AN EPISODE OF VALENTINE’S DAY 
BY MBS. M. D. BRINK 
Look at little black Dinah I She was busy 
with her mother Inside of that mite of a house 
finishing some ironing for the rich old bachelor 
who lived round the corner, when all of a. sud¬ 
den, rap, rap, said the door and Dinah flew to 
open it. But everything was dark outside save 
the light from the tallow candle which follow¬ 
ed Dinah and went a little way out onto the 
low stone step, showing her something white 
which was lying almost burled In the snow be¬ 
fore her door. If the snow had not. been rather 
brown ami dirty, I am afraid the little white 
valentine would have remained undiscovered, 
and darkey Jon, who war, .squeezing himself as 
flat ax possible against the side of the house, 
would have gone home rather chagrined. 
All that Valentine's Day the postmen hail 
dcca busy as bees delivering dainty little notes 
and fancy arrangements called Valentinos at 
the different houses ; and Joe, who was errand 
boy for the rich Dr.-, the bachelor for 
whom Di n An's mother washed and ironed, had 
taken it Into ids head to show his liking for 
little Din aii just as tho rich little white boys 
had been doing all day. He knew how It was, 
because he had seen some of the beautiful val¬ 
entines, not only in the stores but when he had 
token medicines to some of the grand houses 
for the Doctor, ho had seen valentines left by 
little fellows slyly at. the dour, for little misses 
who could appreciate such attentions as highly 
as their “ big sisters," of course. So Joe, who 
hadn’t a coni, of money, pondered the matter 
over In his curly black pate, and at last decided 
to confide In t he Doctor. That, gentleman kind¬ 
ly fell in with Joe’s plan, and as he liked his 
washerwoman's little girl himself, because she 
was a truthful, honest little thing, and always 
ijame with her ldack face shining merrily, and 
her great eyes twinkling with good nature, for 
his clothes, ho concluded to help Joe with his 
valentine. So a five dollar bill was inclosed in 
an envelope, and JOB/who had quite an idea of 
rhyming, was assisted in the following remark¬ 
able piece of literature: 
“ Lubly Dinah 
You’re much finer 
Than any gal 1 know. 
Opon.dls note 
An’ see whut I’ve wrote 
Jlst cos I lub you so.’’ 
During the day the boy was pretty busy with 
the Doctor’s work, but when night came he was 
free to attend to hla valentine business. So he 
dropped the note on the little stone step, and 
rapped loudly—then hid himsoir at tho side of 
tho house round the corner. He knew how- 
surprised little Dinah would bo when she found 
something aidressed to “ Miss Dinah Wood 
and, oh ! didn’t he wish he could take a peep at 
her face and her mother’s when the bill drop¬ 
ped out I He knew they would never suspect 
him-, because he didn't own so much money in 
the world, and yet maybe Dinah would know 
■who “ writ the po’try.” It would be a puzzler, 
any way, he thought, and wasn't the Doctor a 
“jolly old brick!” Joe's phrase was intended 
as a pure compliment, so we will excuse the 
apparent Inelegance of tho expression. Pres¬ 
ently the door opened and a small, Avooliy pate 
peeped out. Just as Dinah began, In a vexed 
tone, “I clar to goodness — dem boys "-she 
spied the note at her feet and stooped to read 
the address before picking It up. JOk wax roll¬ 
ing Ids eyes almost out of their sockets in his 
vain endeavor to catch a glimpse of the little 
girl’s face. But he only heard her call out, 
“ HI, hi, mother, here's a valentine for jus my 
own ael!’’ and then the door closed and Joe 
was shut out In the darkness. 
Neither Dinah nor her mother knew where 
tho note came from for n long time, and Joe 
began to fear that his poem had been wasted 
after all, since he obtained no credit for it. But 
one day the Doctor told tho secret, and when 
Dinah met Joe afterwards, she bashfully in¬ 
formed him that Ms “po'try was the most 
beautiful thing she had ever read," and Imme¬ 
diately invested part of her five dollars In a 
stick of peppermint candy for a present to her 
sable admirer. The rest of the Doctor's gift her 
mother prudently took charge of, but, Dinah is 
consoled by Joe’s assurance that when he is a 
doctor, and llveo In a big house, she shall wash 
hit clothes and he’ll send her another five dol¬ 
lar bill In a Valentine. 
she got Into her pretty little curly-haired head 
-that a bridc-oleet’s opinion and Avishes should, 
on every question raised pertaining to her wed¬ 
ding, not only be consulted but obeyed. 
Now there was a question at Issue among 
them—I mean Mr. and Mrs. Crawford, Chris¬ 
tine, her sister Susie, and Charley Austin and 
Christine had violently opposed her lover’s 
suggestion of a quiet, family wedding, with no 
guests but the minister and his wife, 
“ The idea of a wedding without, a cake! The 
very idea of my getting married without one of 
my girl friends having a piece of it,, not to men¬ 
tion a half-dozen young married ladles whose 
cakes and cards, too, I received." 
Charley looked a little grave ; but what bride¬ 
groom, only six weeks* travel from the State of 
Matrimony, over dared or desired to thwart 
“ her " wishes ? 
Mrs. Crawford and Susie held a consultation. 
In the corner, while Charley and Christine’s 
father listened to her. 
“ I want you to buy me one of those large 
frosted cakes, papa, with’stylish ornaments, 
you know a temple or fairy for the apex." 
“ My child, I really think It is a useless ex¬ 
pense to think of. Ono of mother’s best Iced 
fruit-cakes—" 
“ 'Veil, I won’t be married if I can’t, have any¬ 
thing docent.” 
Mrs. Crawford sighed as she thought of the 
dresses up-stairs, and the three trunks full 
of dainty linen, and realized how thoughtless 
Christine was. 
Charley looked uneasy; then, with an assur¬ 
ing smile at Christine, spoke to Mr. Crawford : 
“Let her have it. as a gift froai mo. YVc can 
only be married once, you know.” 
Then how repaid ho felt to see Christine’s 
face aglow with smiles again. 
“ You dear fellow! I knew you couldn't en¬ 
dure to see mo disappointed." 
And so Christine’s cake was ordered. The 
next day she came home so discouraged and 
down-hearted that. Susie instantly asked her 
what was the trublc. 
“Oh, it’s that cake! I declare, Sue, it is a 
shame to waste that elegant cake on our oiahi 
folks.” 
“ So pa said when—" 
Christine cut her short by her impulsive 
speech. 
" I have a notion to ask ma to have some 
other light refreshments and ask in a few of 
the girls. I think she might when Charley 
TiAlirtlil Hi A n n 1 • o ** 
merrily as possible, and Charlie laughed when 
Christine told him, with such arch seriousness, 
how her list had grown. 
"It is amusing in ono sense,” he said; but 
again, dear, you will forgive me for saying so, 
but do you think a party of fifty wedding 
guests, dressed as such people uaipiliy are, will 
make this dear, cozy little room appear as good 
as it really is?” 
“Oh, dear! f never thought of that. Oh, 
Charley, the carpet does look awful!" 
“ No, tho carpet la no more awful than it was 
yesterday. Rut such young ladles as Miss (Jar- 
land and Nellie Ralston are accustomed to far 
better, dear. ftoAvcvcr, my Christine will be 
such a bonny bride that no one will want to 
look at anything else." 
But for alt his tender compliment when be 
was gone Christine began to worry herself over 
the “ old carpet," that had always looked well 
enough until Charley’s unlucky speech, which 
he meant very different ly from what sho took It. 
“It’s a fearfully faded old thing; and what 
on earth will Nell Ralston’s pink silk trailed 
dress make It look like? Well," and she com¬ 
pressed -her lips in that stubborn way that 
spoiled her beauty so, “ father must get it new 
carpet or—" 
<**♦♦♦♦* 
“ I like this beat, I think, only it will cost so 
much.” 
Christine Crawford sat meditatively on a roll 
of carpeting In the large sale-room of Warp and 
Woof’s carpet establishment, her face blushing, 
not so much from the pleasant excitement of a 
new parlor carpet in placo of that “awlul" 
ono at home that would not bear comparison 
with the bright pink silk dress Netl.'e Ralston 
would wear as from t curious way In which 
Chrlstino was buying it. 
For Christine waB buying It herself; that is, 
she thought she wus; for Mr. Crawford had 
been so obdurate regarding the hints—She did 
net. dare more sho had thrown out, that she 
resolved to take it in her own hands. 
“The price is not so much, Miss Crawford, 
when you have tho privilege of paying it all in 
monthly installments." 
Mr. Warp lilmsclf was waiting on Miss Chris¬ 
tine, and sho thought he was so pleasant,, espe¬ 
cially as he continued: 
“ Y'ou have exhibited remarkable taste hi se¬ 
lecting this sliver-gray ground, with the dark 
green moss, and an occasional light pink rose 
with buds. Mrs. Hewlette ordered fifty yards 
of It this morning for her parlors.” 
Christine crimsoned with delight. What could 
anybody say to find fault if It was good enough 
for Mrs. Hewlette? 
“ I’ll cut it off. Make It and lay it, by; twenty- 
second, you said ?” 
“Yes, the twenty-second, without fail." 
And before Christine bad time to make the 
last demur her conscience urged upon her Mr. 
Warp’s scissors had cut off the carpet. 
A WITTY FRENCHMAN 
Some of the Maxims of Chamfort. 
It was Chamfort, the French writer, who first 
divided our friends into “those rvho love us, 
those who are Indifferent to us, and those who 
hat.■> us.” It was he, not, Talleyrand, who said, 
“Revolutions are not made with rose water.” 
It was ho who gave to the French armies, as 
they marched Into Belgium, the motto, “ War 
to the Castle; peace to the Cottage.” It was 
Chamfort, too, who furnished the Abbe Sieyos 
! with the memorable closing words of his pam- 
| phlet; "What is the third estate? All. What 
j has it? Nothing." Chamfort was accustomed 
I to write out dally, on little, bits of paper, the 
results of his observations and reflections con¬ 
densed into maxima rand these notes, carefully 
i polished and sharpened, with tho anecdote* ho 
had picked up In the great world'among pro¬ 
fessional men, artists and men of letters, form 
the most brilliant and attractive part of his 
writings. The following, selected almost at 
