Life — December 24, 1896 — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A WHEEL OF FATE. The shadowy night was falling To evening, many starred, When a young and lovely maiden Rode down tne Boulevard. And a thrill ran through the people, The thrill all good folk feel When they watch a charming novice Learning to ride a wheel. A lady, peacefully crossing, Sat down ere the wheel was gone, And wondered what had hit her, For the maiden wobbled on. A man was leisurely riding Through the rapt, admiring throng, When he heard a shout that echoed Full many a block along. He turned and saw her coming, Her face one anxious frown, And he fied for his life, but unerringly She followed and rode him down, Then all men turned to follow That bike, and pressed it hard, While for several blocks she wobbled on O’er a desolate Boulevard. Till a pile of stones loomed nearer, Stacked up beside the street, And helplessly she rode for them With automatic feet. With a face of fate she landed, And scattered the stones up-piled, Then sat in the midst of the débris, And smiled like a yearling child. And when they hurried to lift her, “Don’t you think I'm doing well?" She said, ‘I rode for seven blocks That time, before I fell!” —Florence E. Pratt, in New York Herald, Bustness" is the watchword of the day, and the small boy is developing on that line with a rapidity which astonishes the previous generation. But the prac- tical side of his naturehas not obscured the poetry of childhood. The fairy tale is as potent as ever, and there was a smile of pleasure on the face of the lad who re- marked at breakfast: “Thad a beautiful dream last night.” “What was it?” hisfatherasked. | “TL thought I was out in the woods and I saw a most gorgeously dressed lady coming toward me." “That is a good deal like some of the stories that you have been reading.” “Yes, It doesn’t get very different until theend. I knew by her looks that she was the fairy queen, and I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to lose chances, like some of the boys in the story books, who didn't know a good chance when they saw it.” ‘* Did she offer you three wishes?" “Yes. And I called to mind how she sometimes took advantage of a mortal’s being excited and nervous when he wished, in order to make him waste his opportunities and have agood laugh athim. So when she said, ‘ Little G. P, PUTNAM'S SONS, NEW YORK AND Loxpox, Princetonian, By James Barnes. = The Substance of His House. Frye. _Msnieipat Reform in the United States, By Thor - Devlin By Prosser i in My Lady's Name. Compiled by Charles We Moulton. Old Dorset. By Robert Cameron Rogers. On the Trail of Don Quixote. By August F. Illustrated by Daniel Vierge. New York Scribner's Sons. Clubmen of New York. Life the Accuser. By E. F. Brooke. New Yor Edwin Arnold. The Quest of the Golden Girl. By Richard Le lienne.~ London and New York: John Lane In Childhood's Country. By Louise Chan ton. Pictures by Ethel ‘eed. Boston: ay. boy, I'll give you three wishes,’ I didn’t ju chance. I said, ‘ Will you give me whatever 1 ask for] She answered, ‘ Yes, you may have three wishes.’" “What did you do?” “| wished for four.""— Washington Star. A MENTAL AFFLICTION. “I7's a sad thing,” said the sympathetic maa, Blykins has become a veritable miser.” “ Impossible!” “It's true. The last I heard of him he didn't get pleasure out of anything except sitting down is} cellar counting his hoard of anthracite coal over over again.”"— Washington Star. For eale oy all Newsdealers in Great Britain. The Inter deve Building, Chancery Lane, ees Bream's national London, E Germany, Agente for Germany, Al Eonorea Aoncre— Mestre 37 Avenue de YOpera, Paris; Saarbach’s New: a Mayeace, ‘and Switeerland. IVORY SOA There is a “comfortable feeling” that DRINK. Hunters. P Palmore Rye, The American Gentleman's FOR CLUB, FAMILY AND MEDICINAL USE. | THE) i— i oe) ee comes after a bath with Ivory Soap. 0 YEARS Te Paocter & Gawait Co., Cont, Oto. BEST} WHISKEY | Who ean think ct IN AMERICA|| Endorsed by leading Physicians To ladies obliged to use astimulant {tls recommended because of ite £ Absolute Purity, Tues, Thi vel ~s and Wed. Matinee, jentis lellowne: Titk GEISHA. (bee wf 100tb performance. | Great Age. —— Sold at all first-class Cafés ‘and by Jobsers. Patronize American Industries WM. LANAHAN & SON, Baltimore, Md. | | | M y st do in al Wear KNOX HATS. while, “Abbotts oor oencyein —— runs them'up again. At druggists, grocers and| |wine merchants. WANTED—AN IDEA. thing to patent! Protect your id bring you wealth. Write JOHN CO., Patent Attorneys, Dept. C. 11, Washingto: for their $1,800 prize offer and list of 290 inven: tions wanted rors Barton All you have guessed about life insurance may E be If you wish PAY crow the wath, send tor = Why,” issued POST > iy ine Pessiivroat |ACE LIFE, 921-3-5 Chestnut a HAMILTON, BERMUDA. Open December until May: MEAD & BROOKS, Managers. Street, Philadelphia.