The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-01-07

the children force us to keep, some
sort OF theory of existence furnished
up.
A Cats htskers.
Nature is an economical dame, and
never INDUCES in useless gifts. If she
gives an animal orplant all appendage
OF any kind, we may be sure that it
serves some wise purpose.
Lake a cats whiskers, for instance
which may seem to you to be merely
ornamental. They are organs OF
touch, attached to a bed offne glands
under the skin, and each of these long
hairs is connected with the nerves Of
the lip. The slightest contact OF these
Whlskers with any surrounding object
is thus felt most distinctly by the ami
NAL, although the hairs themselves
are insensibie.
They stand out on one side of the
lion as we'll as the common cat. From
point to point they are equal to the
width of the animals body.
Ii we imagine, therefore, lion steal.
ing through a. covert OF wood in an
imperfect light, we shall at once see
the use OF these long hairs. They indi-
cate to him, through the incest feel
ing, any obstacle which may present
itself to the passage of his body; they
prevent the rustling Of boughs and
leaves, which would give warming to
his prey if he were to attempt to pass
too close to a bush; and thus, in con-
junction with the soft cushions of his
feet and the fur upon which he treads
the claws never coming in contact
with the ground-they enable him to
move toward his victim with IL still.
ness equal to that of the snake.
Trade for Boys.
If had my way would insist that
every boy should learn trade, writes
Foster Coates in the Ladies' Home
Journal. It was so in the olden times,
and it should be so now. The man
who has a trade is a thousand times
better equipped than the man who
has none. Let every boy select the
trade that best suits his ability, and
promises the highest remuneration
When he has mastered his trade, if he
disliSes it Or it is not profitable, he
can begin to study a profession, Or
enter upon a commercial life. If he
should fail in both of these, he is
still master of good trade some
thing that no one can take from him,
no matter what exigencies may arise
The man who is master OF a good
trade is DIS independent as a million.
| alre. He need never want; he can find
profitable work in any corner of the
| world. lido not say one word against
| a professional career. But l do say
emphatically that the man who has a
trade and a profession as well, need
have no fear OF the future. The boy
who wants to can master a trade be-
tween sixteen and twenty, and if he
dislikes it, he still has time to study
medicine, the law, or any other OF the
learned professions. But if he waits
until he is twenty, Or over, he may
not have an opportunity or feel in
clined to learn either.
s... Fire-Crackers.
The reason why the smell of burnt
powder and smoke from fre-cracker
stumps is so grateful to boys is not
far to seek. 1t is the sudden force
shown in the explosion and the little
spice of danger as we'll as the noise
that pleases the youth. The origin of
frecrackers, according to Mr.. w.
Woodville Rockhill, the Thibetan ex-
plorer, is as follows:
Firecrackers were originally Joints
of bamboo. They are made OF paper
q h.
''bamboo gum" shows what they were.
The bamboo crackers made a very
loud noise like our cannon crackers.''
Perhaps the fragments of bamboo
flew about when they exploded, MAX
ing them dangerous, so that paper was
substituted. In making bamboo
crackers the partitions in the joints of
the bamboo were pierced, powder sift-
ed in and a fuse introduced. It is in
teresting to see the way the present
fire crackers, with their partitions of
clay, follow the old bamboo pattern
g Jacks Answer.
The chaplain of man of-war was
fond of catechising the young sailors,
much to their disgust.
"What is your name?" he asked
new arrival one day.
''Why, Jack Bowling, sir, to be
sure"
'Who gave you that name?" pro-
ceeded the chaplain.
''My godfathers and godmothers,"
replied the man, going on to answer
the question correctly.
What have Your godfathers and
godmothers further done for YOUR
"Well, sir" replied Jack, getting
tired Of the lesson, "they promised to
do a great deal, and it's precious lit
tie they We done yet
A Quiet Dog.