The age-herald., 1898-05-09
STORIES OF THE DAY.

3stkh.
 STORIES OF THE DAY. How Parable Convinced the Boers to
 Spare Jameson.
 A most interesting account of the man. ner in which the lives of Jameson and his men were spared, after the surrender to the Boers, comes from the Nieuws Van den Dag, Amsterdam, by way of the Lit erary Digest:
 The stern old Boers, when they had Jameson and his fellow-officers in their hands, determined to execute the leaders of the band at daybreak. The meeting took place in President Kruger's house, twenty being present, of whom the great majority wild with indignation at the sud- den inroad into their territory. were for shooting the British officers at once.
 President Kruger opposed this summary plan, and used all his eloquence and all his influence on behalf of the prisoners. For a long time his efforts were vain. It was o'clock in the morning, and the presidents opponents were still for execution. The lives of the foreigners hung by a thread.
 At length General Joubert, one of the few who agreed with the president, had recourse to the old-time Boer method of convincing his hearers. He made use of a parable.
 .'Friends," he said, Twill you not listen to my voice once more? Suppose that close to my farm lives bad neighbor, who keeps fierce hounds in his house, worrying my sheep exceedingly, and also killing some. What, then, would you have me do? Should I kill the hounds to be free of this worry? Truly my neighbor would say unto me- Thou hast killed my hounds, yet their value is greater than the value of your sheep. Pay thou mel! Is it not better that I should take the hounds, and, going into my neighbours house, say: These are thine; now pay me for the harm they have done my fock?'"
 There was silence, and the general con- tinued: "We have caught the pack. Is it not better to send them to the British gov ernment with demands for reparation lest the British government send more hounds to worry us anew?"
 The old form of argument proved suc- cessful. The wisdom of moderation be- came apparent, and the council of war accepted the advice of their chiefs.
 One by the Speaker.
 Bright little punches of repartee often break the lazy monotony of dry legisla- tive proceedings in the house, and not a few of them originate with Speaker Reed. In fact, repartee seems to roll off the SDeaker 1lluStTlOuS tApdhoO oi oe'iNiie'S and disseminate itself over the house even al April rain drops would do likewise with a new tin roof. The other day yea and nay vote had been taken on some Dill or other of comparative unimportance, and the usual recapitulation had been concluded when Representative Lorimer arose to ex- nostulate. says the Washington Post.
 .It appears that am not recorded, ne complained 1T should be. I voted no twice"
 "The gentleman from Illinois will be re- corded no once," ordered Speaker Reed with accent upon "once," and floor ard galleries joined in the laugh This sort or thing tickles Reed immensely. He Is very fond of perpetrating a quiet joke now ana then. but when the smiling applause at his punning ripples over the assempiy ne en- ters into vigorous dispute with the gavei, and drawls with ostentatious severity: sThe house will please be in order
 Cannon Danced Jig.
 ..1u bet Representative Joe Cannon was a snrv fellow in his youth, and I'll bet even money, too. that his music was not so well developed as his muscles said farmer member of congress few days ago.
 "And on what do you base your propo- sition?" asked the Washington Star report CT with whom he was talking.
 "Well. don't mind telling you. One night in the early part of February was sitting in the lobby of the Cochran. Can- non and Representative Shattue, Of Ohio, came out from dinner and stood talking near the newsstand. Just then street piano on the outside struck up some slow and pathetic melody-I think 1t was Ben Bolt'-and instantly Uncle Joe began double shuttle. It was only for moment that he permitted his feet to work, but long enough to show that he must have been the pride of the country girls of his Illinois district in the days when he was young.
 1T think he would have danced trifie longer if Shattue hadn't whispered to him that the piece was not a jig but a touching melody. Tt was indeed too bad to break up Uncle Joe's frolic."
 Girard and His Clerk.
 Girard, the infidel millionaire of Phila- deIphia, one Saturday ordered all his clerks to come on the morrow to his wharf and help unload a newly arrived ship. One young man replied, quietly:
 sMr. Girard, I can't work on Sundays" "You know our rules'
 ssYes, know. I have a mother to sup- port, but can't work on Sundays"
 ssWell, step up to the desk and the cash- fer will settle with you"
 For three weeks the young man could find no work, but one day a banker came to Girard to ask if he could recommend man for cashier !n a new bank. This discharged S.pung man was at once named as a suitable person. "But," said the banker, "you dismissed him"