H

The Itcaatifal Know.

0 th

e snow

the beautiful enow!

,1'illing the kr and tarth hlw

;ier the houwtoi., over the atreet

Dver the bead of the people you meet

wiicing, Dirting, skipping along,

jl'mutiful huow! It can do no wr

f. ...

Pf.nif

r iing to kiss a fair lady's cheek,

( linciiig to Una In frolicku.m fre.W

Keuiiiiful snow from the heaven above

i ure a an angel, gentle aa love!

O. the snow, the beautiful snnnrl

How the (lake gather and laugh as they

"

Whirling about In their maddening fun

It plsys In it glee with every one

t'hiising, laughing, hurrying by

II light on tho face, and it sparkles the

eye;

And playful dogs with a bark and a

iMiuud,

Simp at the crystala that eddy around;

The town Is alive, and Ita heart in a

glow

To welcome the coming of beautiful

snow.

How wildly the crowd goes swaying

along,

Hilling each other with humor and song".

How the gay sled like meteor flash by,

Uright for the moment, then lost to the

eye!

Kinging, swinging, dashing they go

Over the cruat of the beautiful snow

Fnow so pure, when It fall from the aky,

As to make one regret to e it lie

To be trampled and tracked by the thou­

sand feet

Till It blends with the filth In the horri­

ble street

Once I was pur as th snow, but I

fell­

Fell like the snowflakes from heaven to

hell;

Fell to be trampled as filth in the street;

Fi ll to be acoffed, to be spit on the beat;

Pleading, cursing, dreading to die:

Celling my soul to whoever would buy;

Healing in shame for a morsel of bread;

Hating the living and fearing the dead­

Merciful (Jod! Have I fallen so low?

And yet I was once like the beautiful

snow!

Once I was fair as the beautiful snow,

With an eye like Iu crystal, and heart

like its glow:

Once I was loved for my innocent grace.

Flattered and sought for the charms of

the face.

Father, mother, sister, all.

(Jod and myself I have lost by my fall!

The veriest wretch that goes shivering

by

Will make a wide sweep leat I wander

too nigh:

For all that is on or above me I know

There's nothing as pure as the beautiful

snow.

How strange It ahould be that this beau

tiful snow

Should fall on a sinner with nowhere to

go!

How strange It should be when night

conies again,

If the snow and the Ice struck my des­

perate brain!

Fainting, freezing, dying alone,

roo wicked for prayer, too weak for a

moan

To be heard in the streets of the craxy

town,

Gone mnd in the Joy of the snow coming

down;

To be and to die in my terrible woe.

With a bed and a shroud of the beautiful

snow.

Helpless and foul as the tramnled snow:

Sinner, despair not! Christ stoopevh low

ic rescue the soul that is lost lu Aa sin,

nd raise it to life and enjoyment aeain.

(Jroaning, bleeding, dying for thee,

The Crucified hung on the accursed tree;

His accents of mercy fell soft on thine

ear;

Is there mercy for me? Will he heed my

prayer?

0 God, in the stream that for sinners did

flow,

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than

snow.

BOUT GEN. PORFIRIO DIAZ.

Remarkable Career of the Many Time

Elected President of Mexico.

Students of the life of Porflrio Diaz

made the claim that history does not

hold, this side of the crusades, a per

sonal record so varied and eventful,

snys the San Antonio Express. The

man of Mexico is credited with the

most kaleidoscopic career since the

days of Richard the Lion-Hearted.

Hale and hearty at 70 years of age.

clear-eyed, and firm-footed, his life

spans half a century of incredible ad­

venture, and stands for political devel­

opment which probably is shown by

no other nation in the nineteenth cen­

tury. Within the memory of San Antn-

nlans M'exlco was the most revolution­

ary of countries; so Infested by ban­

dits, sj powerless to afford security to

life and property that parties In the

United States suggested this failure of

government as a pretext for assisting

Texas in her struggle for independ­

ence. To-day, outside of the United

States, Mexico is probably the best

governed country on the hemisphere.

Porflrio Diaz was born in the city of

Oaxaca Sept 15, 1830, the night before

the anniversary of Mexican Independ

ence day. . His great-grandfather, com­

ing from Spain, had married a woman

of the native race and to that extent

he is an Indian. "

He was left an orphan at 3 years of

age. When a mere boy he helped at a

country store. At 17 he cut himself off

from the help of friends by leaving the

theological seminary, but he gained

the friendship of Benito Juarez, the

great commoner- of Mexico, then Gov­

ernor of Oaxaca, who obtained for

him a librarlanship. At the age of 19

he was made a professor of Roman

Jaw.

In a plebiscite offered by Santa Ana

Dlas was one of two In Oaxaca who

dared openly to register a vote against

the dictator. II paid the penalty of

banishment, escaping narrowly with

hla life.

He now tasted warfare In a guer­

rilla organization operating against

Kanta Ana, and within eight years had

risen from a captaincy to commander-in-chief

of the Mexican armies and to

a place In the government second in

Importance only to President Juarez.

During that time he won many sen­

sational victories and made a series

of hairbreadth escapes. At the

same time he evinced a remarkable

talent for civil administration. In the

mldat of the stress and rigor of war

be paused to establish girls' schools in

Oaxaca, which are now the models for

similar Institution all over the repub­

lic. At practically the same time he

gave Mexico one of her national holi­

day! by winning on the Clnco de Maya

the battle of Pucbla with raw Mexi­

can levies pitted against armtes train­

ed In France.

In April, 1877. he was elected Presi

dent and except for the Interregnum of

Gonzales from 18S0 to 1SS4 he has

been at the head of Mexico ever since.

The chaotic country experienced Us

first peace In seventy years.

Corruption In public service was re

formed, taxes were reduced and public

improvements begun and prosecuted

upon an elaborate scale. The country

was cleared of bandits. Laws favor

able to Investment were passed and

Industrial development Invited bv the

liberal spirit of granting concessions.

factories, libraries, telegraphs and

scientific commissions were all fos

tered and have been brought to a high

standard. The valley of Mexico has

been drained. Education has been

made free and equal to all.

Change In Mexico has progressed at

such leaps and bounds as to be almost

incredible and all has been wrought

by the "Orphan of Oaxaca, the savior,

unifier and father of the United States

of Mexico."

TACTIC8 OF "LITTLE JAP&"

Russian View of th Enemy Art of

war.

Yes, we were greatly mistaken when

we called them "little Japs." We have

never before had to deal with such

skillful opponents. They have included

In their tactics all modern methods,

strictly adapting them to their own

national peculiarities. For instance,

knowing the weakenss of their cav­

alry, they never allow it to go out un

supported. There is always infantry

behind it and our cavalry often runs

against it, not expecting its presence.

The Japanese reconnoissance Is ef

fected thus: A compact force of rifle­

men marches, sustained by screens,

and patrols move about five versts

ahead. At a distance of three versta

the scouts are preceded by a number

of Chinese. These last come to the

Russian lines, examine the camp and

make signals to the Japanese con

cerning the whereabouts of the cav

alry patrols. As the country is moun­

tainous, they advance at the rate of

seven versts a day, intrenching and

fortifying every step they take. Their

path is an uninterrupted row of forti

fications. Knowing the excitable, im­

pressionable temper of their soldiers,

they never pursue the enemy before

settling down in good order upon the

position occupied, because during a

pursuit troops often become disar­

ranged. Judging by their operations

one could Imagine they are the most

phlegmatic and methodical people in

the world so strong is their military

education and their knowledge of the

art of war. They very reasonably

avoid the bayonet Their leading ranks

run away to the right and left, open­

ing the front for the Are of the suc

ceeding lines. Running round these to

the rear, they again form their ranks,

thus taking the place of reserves.

If the troops uncovered are unable

to stop our attack by Are they repeat

the maneuver. What self-control.

what discipline are required in order

to do this, and what a consciousness

of strenirth! When they are on the

march it Is all but impossible for them

to meet with any surprises. In addi­

tion to the men detached for euard-

thcy surround their columns by chains

of scouts, who advance along the

crests of the elevations. Movement

under such conditions may be slow,

but It is sure. Russkoye Slovo.

Story Told by Ezra Kendall.

"I have had discouragements," ad­

mitted Ezra Kendall the other day.

"Once, just once, years ago, I was At­

tested. It was In a little Pennsylvania

town which we sought to elevate. But

it refused to be elevated. We rented

the hall for $20, and there was just

$19.40 gross in the house. The mana­

ger, or Janitor, or sexton I forget

which was a kindly looking old gen-

tlpmnn nnd vn had it nil frnnio1 on

, ' " - F .

to ask him to help us out of town. He .

. - J - Ml A. - 1 I I

came aruuuu mier uie suow.

" 'Boys,' he said, 'you're shy on the

rent. What are you going to do about

it?'

"We explained the situation, and he

seemed deeply touched. 'Well, boys,

It's too bad,' he said. 'You just wait

here about twenty minutes. About

three-quarters of an hour later he came

back.

44 'It's all right, boys.' he exclalmeed.

"I've fixed It You see I ain't got all

the say, and so I had to consult tha

trustees. It's all right They'll trusl

you for the 60 cents.' "

If we should marry a thin sort of

woman, and she should steadily in­

crease In weight we would leave her

as soon as she reached two hundred

and fifty pounds. That would be th

limit

A girl who looks good Isn't necessar

ily good-looking.

i