need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the Tempter's power?
Who like thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me!

I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless:
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee:
In life and death, O Lord, abide with me!

FROM THE LIPS OF ANANIAS.

A Collection of Tales for Which Belief is Respectfully Solicited, But
Which Sophisticated Readers are Likely to Cite as Evidence of the Fact
That Truth Has Lost Much of Her Youthful Charm and Many Admirers.

SPEAKING OF FLOODS.

An old soldier, whose cherished name was that of two of our presidents,
died here in Washington recently, and his passing reminds me of a story I
once heard him tell. Veteran of '61 as he was, he had listened patiently
to the very long story a youthful veteran of the Spanish War told. The
account of hardships left him unmoved.

"Just after the Johnstown flood, my boy," said he, "there was a man in the
next world who went about telling everybody how that Johnstown affair had
sent him where he was.

"His listeners hung on his words--all of them, that is, except a quiet
looking little man who seemed so little impressed that every time the
Johnstown man got through he merely looked bored and said, 'Oh, shucks!'

"The Johnstown man got tired of it after a while. It got on his nerves to
have anybody act as if what happened at Johnstown wasn't of any
importance. No matter how he told his story, the quiet looking little man
merely said, 'Oh, shucks.'

"At last the Johnstown man spoke to a fellow who had been there a long
time about it.

"'Say,' said he, 'who is that little man who keeps saying "shucks?"'

"'Who?' said the man who had been there a long time. 'Do you mean the
fellow over there? Why his name's Noah.'"--_Washington Post._

STRONG WATER.

Mr. Edison was once asked to send a phonographic cylinder to a fair. He
sent this reply:

"You ask me to send you a phonographic cylinder and to say a few words to
the audience. I do not think the audience would take any interest in dry
scientific subjects, but perhaps they might be interested in a little
st