And still in legendary lore is told unto this day, How, far beyond King Oswald's power, the gods bore them away, Shall some day find his work receive the touch of the Divine. A QUIET EVENING AT CARDS. “SMITH MITH was asking me to-day," said Mr. Bowser, as he laid down his evening paper, "if we wouldn't drop over some evening and have a four-handed game of euchre with them.” "Why, I should like to go over any evening," replied Mrs. Bowser. “He and his wife play 'most every evening." "Yes!" "If you only knew how to play we might have a game now and then." 66 "I have been told that I play fairly well," she quietly replied. "Have, eh! I suppose we might have a game or two, though, of course, I can play my cards with my eyes shut. Have you got a pack around?" "Mr. Bowser, I am perfectly willing to play, but you must promise me not to get mad if you are beaten. "Mad! What are you talking about? The idea of me getting mad over a game of cards!" "Do you promise?" 66 My dear woman, in about ten minutes from now you will begin to turn red and white, and get so mad that a yoke of oxen can't hold you. You are the one to make promises. Get the cards, and if you win one game out of ten I'll buy you a $20 hat.” "If I win more games than you do-you won't-you won't feel put out?” she asked, as they sat down to the table. "Good lands! but what is the woman talking about? Mrs. Bowser, I've played more games of euchre than you've got hairs in your head, and no one ever knew me to feel anything but serene. A husband who can't play a game of cards with his wife without getting mad had better hang up. Go ahead and deal. The poorest player always has the deal. Hearts are trumps, eh? Ah, ha! I will proceed to lead this." Mr. Bowser had a good hand, and scored a march, and after counting up he leaned back and laughed, and asked : "Any other little game that you can play better than this, Mrs. Bowser?" He dealt and scored another point and chuckled some more, and when the game was finished she had scored only one point. "Beginning to get red in the face already-ha! ha! ha!" he laughed. "You have promised not to get mad, though, and I shall hold you to it." She had nothing to say, but scored a march on the new game. Mr. Bowser tried hard to laugh, but three or four minutes later, when the game was finished and she clapped her hands and shouted "Chicago!" there wasn't a sign of a smile on his face as he replied: You "Do you want to wake up the whole town? Perhaps you don't know that I gave you that game just to encourage you. looked ready to cry." "Please don't give me any more." "Don't you worry! You don't get another single point tonight!" She did, though. She got the first point on the new game, and he began to look very sober. He brightened up a little when he scored one, but that was all he got on the game. "That's even games, and I'm a Chicago ahead!" she exclaimed. "Oh, it is, eh? It's a wonder you didn't get the other game as well! Swindling and cheating at cards don't seem to trouble some people's consciences!" "But I didn't cheat!" "Um! Don't try it again, Mrs. Bowser! Spades are trumps, and what do you do?" "I order you up.” "Order me up! What's that for?" "Because it's the best I've got." "You can't do it! You have got to pass!" “No, I haven't. If I think I can make a point I can order you up, of course." "I don't believe it; but, rather than have a great fuss over it, I'll take it up. What are you leading the right bower for ?" "I want to take all the tricks. can't I?" I can lead any way I want to, “Oh, well, go ahead and see how you'll come out !” She came out by winning the game, while Mr. Bowser had scored only two points. "That's a game and a Chicago ahead, Mr. Bowser! Instead of one game out of ten, I've won two out of three!" "Yes, but how did you win 'em? If you'd played honestly you wouldn't have scored two points on a game! There's the trump. What do you do?" "I order you up," said Mrs. Bowser. "Order me up! You can't do it!" "Of course, I can." "Not much! No one ever heard of such a thing!" "Hoyle says that if you have a strong hand and think 66 Hoyle! Hoyle! Who is Hoyle? Does Hoyle run this family? Is Hoyle playing this game of cards or are we?" "But, my dear, Hoyle is authority on cards." "Never! I allow no man to make rules for me! You either say you'll pass, or I don't play any more." To preserve the peace Mrs. Bowser passed, and he turned it down. She then made the trump hearts. "But you can't do it," he protested. diamonds how can you make it hearts ?" "Can't I make it what I wish ?" "When I turn down "No, ma'am, you can't—not in this game! If you were playing with some two-year-old baby you might play a baby game, but you've either got to play a straight game or quit !” "Mr. Bowser, Hoyle says that when your opponent "Hoyle again!, I tell you Hoyle has nothing to do with it! There we don't play any more! I knew how it would end when we sat down.” "I'm afraid, dear, that you don't really understand the game of euchre." "I don't, eh? I, who was playing euchre forty years before you were born, don't understand the game! That settles it, Mrs. Bowser-settles it forever! If I should live to be ten thousand years old, I'd never play another game with you! I see now why so many husbands are driven from home-why so many go to destruction. It's because they can't find any comfort at home!" "Mr. Bowser, you promised me before we sat down that" "And who raised this row? Who set out to deliberately swindle and cheat? But it's no use to say more. I ought to have known better. Every husband ought to know better. I'm going to bed!" GRANDMA'S WEDDING-DAY. T. C. HARBAUGH. WHEN HEN we were merry children, eyes of blue and hair of gold, Yes, in the twilight of her life, when she was old and gray, There was a lack of bridal gifts—no gold and silver fine, There was no surpliced minister, no bell above them hung, A cabin in the forest stood to welcome home the pair, And happy birds among the trees made music in the air; Thus life began for grandma, in the forest dim and old, The cradle was an oaken trough, untrimmed with costly lace, I cherish now a lock of hair-'tis not of silver-gray- On yonder hill, this golden morn, she takes her dreamless rest; LITTLE PAUL'S THANKSGIVING. THEY HEY tossed him and they squeezed him and they kissed him, one and all; They said, "You blessed, blessed boy!" and "Darling little Paul!" But they didn't give him turkey, nor any pumpkin pie, And when the nuts and grapes went round they slyly passed him by. But he didn't seem to mind it, for in the sweetest way |