gical allusion. Four figures of Atlas supporting the world were
to serve as the legs of this table, and around the sides of the top
were to be carved scenes illustrative of the progress of civilization
since the building of Solomon's temple. Upon the four edges of the top
were to be inlaid mosaic portraits of the most famous scientists,
including Aesculapius, Moses, Galileo, Darwin, Herschel, Mitchell,
Huxley, Harvey, Jenner, etc., and the top itself was to represent a
cunningly devised map of the world, in which my native town of
Biddeford, Maine, was to appear as the central and most conspicuous
figure.

I felt very grateful to my old friend Tinkle for his generosity, but I
said nothing of it to Alice. Recalling the experience with Colonel
Mullaly's yellow lamp, I suspected that if Alice were to hear of this
promised addition to our furniture she would surely change the whole
architectural scheme of our new home in order to adapt it to the new
centre table.

Mr. Tinkle's princely offer was but the beginning of a series of
handsome and useful gifts. It seemed as if our friends no sooner heard
of our purchase of a home than they became possessed of a desire to
contribute toward embellishing that home. Another Kansas City friend,
Colonel Gustave Gerton, late of the Bavarian Guards, telegraphed me
that a dozen young apple trees, carefully picked from his Nonpareil
Nursery, awaited my order. The Janowins, who have a prosperous farm in
Kentucky, duly apprised us that when we were ready to stock our place
they would send us a heifer and a litter of pigs. Cousin Jabez
Fothergill forwarded to us all the way from Maine a box which was found
to contain a pint of Hubbard squash seeds, a dozen daffodil sprouts,
and a goodly collection of catnip roots. Offers of dogs came from
numerous quarters--dogs representing the mastiff, bloodhound,
Newfoundland, beagle, setter, pointer, St. Bernard, terrier, bull,
Spitz, dachshund, spaniel, colly, pug, and poodle families. Had we
contemplated a perennial bench show, instead of a quiet home, we could
hardly have been more favored. With a discretion begotten of twenty
years' experience as a husband, I referred all these proffers of canine
gifts to Alice with power to act, and I dimly surmise that
consideration of them has been postponed indefinitely.

As soon as our neighbors realized what horticultural possibilities our
noble expanse of front yard offered they fairly overwhelmed u