A pet wolf in Omaha was killed after a vain effort to masticate and swallow a couple of children who were petting him. Had it not been for a man who happened along and pelted the sweet creature with a baseball bat he would have succeeded, too. A wolf makes a delightful household favorite when it is fondled and cosseted with an ax, but treating it like a gazelle is usually a tactical mistake.

A plant grows in Mexteca, Mexico, which the natives call the “herb of prophecy.” A dose of it produces sleep similar in all respects to the hypnotic state. The subject answers with closed eyes all questions that are put to him, and is completely insensible. The pathologic state brings with it a kind of prophetic gift and double sight. Furthermore he loses his will and is completely under the control of another. On returning to himself he remembers nothing of what he has done.

Any American girl is possibly, and probably, going to need to fall back upon her own resources some time. The ups and downs of fortune are too certain, too conspicuous to need pointing out. To bring up a girl without any training in a useful occupation is not simply improvident and foolish, but it is wicked. Feminine character needs independence to make and keep it sweet and perfect. The darkest tragedies of life grow out of the ignorance, helplessness and dependence of women. Courage, training in work, independence of character and self-reliance—these, with high ideals of womanhood for inspiration, are what every girl needs. Only through intelligent work can the highest character bye attained, and the growth of character is the whole purpose of this school which we call “the world.”—American Queen

Certain gestures ar e absolutely identified with certain feelings. To shake one’s fist is to threaten; to hold up one’s finger is to warn. To indicate thought we place the tips of the fingers on the forehead; to show concentrated attention we apply the whole hand. To rub the hands is everywhere a sign of joy, and to clap them a sign of enthusiasm. It would be easy to multiply examples. Affirmation, negation, repulsion, are all indicated by motions that everyone understands. It is the same, in quite as great a degree, with nationalities, in spite of the original diversity of the races that make them up. The mimetic character results at once from race, from history and from climate, says London Answers.

The gesture of the Englishman is fierce and harsh. He speaks briefly, brusquely; he is cold, positive, forceful. His salutations is cold and accentuated, but his handshake is loyal. The gesture of Germany is heavy, good humored, and always ungraceful. Many of the Slav people are unwilling to look one in the face, and they have a false gesture. The Spaniard and the Portuguese, although dwelling in a southern land, gesticulate little; their language is rhythmic, slow, solemn; they are grave, their salutation is a little theatrical. The Italian is lively, mobile, intelligent, gay; his language is harmonious, sonorous, warm and luminous, like his country’s sky. The salutation of the Italian is quick and full of feeling, his gesture colored and exaggerated.

In view of the frequent deaths following the eating of some kinds of raw smoked fish, the Academy of St. Petersburg offers 7,500 rubles in prizes for the best treatise on fish poison.—Science

There is a considerable list of illustrious persons who have been content with the simplest pleasures of the table. It was not thought undignified at Windsor in Queen Victoria’s time to serve apple tart for luncheon, or the homeliest pudding. The apple tart was served on silver plate, but it remained apple tart for all that. In India, however, such unaffected dainties do not harmonize with vicergal splendor. It is related that the viceroy’s eye lighted one day upon a dish at which he gazed for a moment with incredulity. “What is this?” he demanded at last. A trembling retainer gasped that it was rice pudding. No less a personage than the viceroy’s consort had ordered the humble pudding which eminent statesmen may be seen eating at their clubs with undisguised enjoyment at any day of the parliamentary session. But the viceroy frowned. “Take it away,” he said. “Never let me see such a thing again.” This how the orient differs from the occident. Rice pudding might have ruined the dignity of the vicergal table in native opinion.—London Chronicle

“Want to learn how to increase your weight and gain strength and never force in the easiest possible way?” asked the plump little woman, as she settled into a corner of the divan for a comfortable chat. Her listeners were half a dozen women who go in for the strenuous life to a greater or less degree, and consequently any one of them can stand a few extra pounds without inconvenience.

“Of course,” was the reply, on chorus.

“Well, then, drink milk, nothing but milk, for moths,” said the plump one. “I’ve tried it, and I think I am a pretty good illustration of the effectiveness of the milk diet. Four months ago I was a nervous wreck. Couldn’t stand anything, wept if the least thing went wrong at home, jumped a foot every time the doorbell rang, and was fast becoming a nuisance to myself and all the rest of the family.

“Fortunately, I have a little common sense, and my doctor has more, so when I was ordered to drop everything and just ‘rust’ for awhile, I did it, with the result that I have gained 51 pounds in weight and health is completely restored.

“I lived on milk, as I told you, and rested according to directions, spending my time in a lovely old rest cure home up the state. The diet and the rest effected a cure without any medicine whatever; I might add, though, that the milk was not the ordinary decoction, served by the dealers of the metropolis, but a rich, creamy substance furnished by the finest breed of Jersey cows.

“How hard it was for an active body like me to ‘rust’ for 16 weeks, you strenuous folks may appreciate, but if you want to become plump and content with the world in general just try my remedy.”