Abergavenny Chronicle

OUR CHILDREN'S CORNER. BT UNCLE RALPH. FRIENDS OR FOES. "Those new children next door have taken •our very own playground in the wood!" cried Johnny. "And they are burning the twigs from OUT 1:rees in their camp fire!" added Jimmy. "They are playing at Indians," said Jack. -(¡'They have a lovely tent, and the boy that's as big as me is an Indian chief I wish we could play nice games like that." "We can," said Johnny, "but we will be Indians on the warpath, and we will drive those others away and take their camp. We can get some feathers like theirs to put in our caps, and I'll make a tomahawk from a piece of board. I watched the boy next door making his. We are the noble Blackfeet. Let us put on our war paint, my braves, and geek out our deadly enemies, the Ojibways." Like real Indians, they crept from tree to tree so quietly that their enemy did not hear them. At the Ojibway camp, the squaw, Day Dawn, had just gathered a bundle of sticks to mend the fire, and that brave warrior, Running Moose, waited to hft off the kettle with his pole while the wood was thrown into the fire. But as he lifted it., three terrifying yells rang out just behind him, and he gave such a start that down went the kettle with a crash. Away poured the water, putting out the blazing sticks with a great hissing and a cloud of steam that made the Indian's faithful hound leap yelping loudly. The seated chief jumped up in such a haste that he brought down the tent over him, and couldn't find his tomahawk. Day Dawn was the first to see the Black- feet. "Here are some more Indians!" she cried. caRow jolly! What fun we can have now! Do help us to light the fire again." So Jimmy gathered dry sticks, while Johnny comforted the faithful hound, and Jack helped the chief out from under his fallen tent. "Now we will have another game!" said ,Runniing Moose. "Shall we play at fighting, or shall we be friendly Indians?" The three boys looked at one another, then answered together: "Let us be friendly Indians!" THE FOOLISH GOOSEBERRIES. I ZL lot of stewed gooseb'ries were talking one I day, They all were as green as could be, The eldest cried, "Come, let's be up and away, Now, all of you just follow me!" The others all went where their big brother led; Hf; knew such a lot about pies And blackbirds and cooks, that they did what he said, For they thought him most wonderfully wise. They quickly climbed up to the top of the dish, A big bowl of cream stood near by, And one little srooseb'rv sighed: "Oh, how I wish That I had been put in that pie! "It isn't a pie; what a stupid you are!" A very big gooseb'ry replied, For he was the biggest and cros-sest by far, He pushed all the sugar aside! ""Of course, it's a cheese, that is easily seen. I'll jump on it; watch while I do." The others were jealous and, growing more green, Cried: "No, we will jump on it too!" Then, angry and hot, they all started to jump, Down, down—and they quickly got cool, For into the cream they all fell with a plump, And that was the first gooseb'rv fool. I THE DISOBEDIENCE OF BERTIE. I The big brother of Bertie had made a box- kite. On days when there was a fine breeze blowing from behind the back of the sky, Bertie's big brother would take the kite up oni the hill and fly it, to the great wonder and delight of Bertie. At the end of the holidays Bertie's brother went back to school. Before he went he made Bertie promise that he would not touch the kite. But what did my bold Bertie do? No sooner was his brother well out of the way than he took the kite out on the hill and began to fly it. At first it went beautifully, and Bertie was very pleased; but little by little the wind freshened, and the kite pulled more and more. And then all at once Bertie was jerked off his feet. Up and up he went, higher and higher. He saw the trees under him. He saw the fields and the cows-all dreadfully and hor- ribly below. He felt something graze his left leg. It was the vane on the spire of the village church. After that Bertie closed his eyes. Suddenly there was a snap, and Bertie felt himself falling at the rate of three hun- dred miles an hour. Bertie's brother, who happened to be looking out of the railway carriage window, saw something black drop right out of the sky on to the top of a haystack. It interested him very much; but if he had known it was Bertie he would have been interested still more. When he reached 'his school he found the other boys in great excitement over a large box-kite that had sailed down into the football field that very afternoon. And when he found it was his kite he guessed who had been sailing it, and spent ,uite a lot of time thinking of the things he would say to Bertie when they met again. Bertie went home to bed on the hay- stack-farmer's cart, badly bruised and very, very sorry for himself. HOW CISSIE GAINED A FRIEND. "Look! look, Cis! Two-year-old Tommy ulled the ragged sleeve of his little sister, who turned from the mirror, run- ning down the side of the toyshop by which they stood, while re-tying the ribbon round ,her hair. 0 Coming from the shop was a richly 'dressed lady, with a little boy and girl, ,their arms full of parcels; and as they -crossed the pavement to enter their waiting carriage two small dogs, held on leads by the smart footman at its door, began to bark and jump about delightedly. While the footman helped the children into the carriage, the lady picked up the little dogs, then got in herself; after which the foot- man sprang upon the box and they drove away. A minute later Cis, with a cry of surprise, bent to pick up a purse the lady had dropped from her muff when taking up the -dog. There were gold and silver coins in- .side, and some cards with a name and ad- Are. upon each. Cis read one of them carefully, then her face suddenly brigh- tened. "Come on, Tommie!" she said, catching her brother by the hand and hurrying him al on cr. Half an hour after they stood m the hall of a fine house, with the lady looking down -upon them, smiling very gently and sweetly. "Because you have brought me back my purse, dear child," she said, "I am going to do something for you in return. And indeed no honest act was ever better Tewarded than Cissie's that day; for the ladv not onlv sent them warm clothes, but she remained ever after their kind and generous friend.

Mr. Henry Cranfield, J.P., has died at Bnckdcn, Huntingdonshire, from injuries 'su-stained through 0 being thrown from his horse. He was chairman of the War Agricul- tural Committee. in of tlie War Agricul- ,f :I

NEW REGULATIONS TO APPLY AS FROM MONDAY. A new list of regulations governing the exemption from military service of men in certain trades has just been issued. This in its turn is also subject to further revision. The original list relating to munition workers is withdrawn as from Monday, and the Ministry of Munitions will rely upon war service badges issued to individual men. Without these (except in certain conditions) a man automatically ceases to be exempt from service. A new definition of "married man," in the light of the revis-jd* list of certified occupations, states that a man is to be considered as unmarried "if on November 2, 1915, he was unmarried or was a widower without children dependent on him." This applies also to voluntarily at- tested men. Where a limitation of age is imposed it applies as upon April 4, 1916, the date of the new certificate of occupations except in the case of agricultural occupa- tions. New regulations governing these latter a.pply as from Monday Persons only occa- sionally employed in work of a kind similar to that of one of the occupations certified, but who do not follow it im any regular fashion, are no longer to be exempt. A number of occupations previously certified are removed from the list.

I FLYING OFFICERS KILLED. I Two flying officers were killed during the week-end. Sub-Lieut. Liddell, R.N.A.S., a young Canadian, fell while piloting a biplane over Edmonton on Sunday morning. When about a thousand feet up something went wrong—spectators say the petrol tank burst —and the biplane crashed nose down to earth, falling swift and straight like a stone. The machine fell between two sets of diverging railway lines just beyond the north side of the platforms of Angel-road Station, Edmonton, making a hole eighteen inches deep in the metalled permanent way and bursting a main, from which water spurted to a height of about ten feet. The airman's death was instantaneous. Lieut. A. Boag, of the 3-7th London Regi- ment, attached to the Royal Flying Corps, died from injuries received on Saturday by the sudden nose-dive of his machine when over Monkey Island, between Dorney and Bray, Bucks.

I VICTIMS OF SUBMARINES. I The crew of nineteen of the General I Steam Navigation Company's steamer Teal, of London, have been landed, their vessel having been sunk. The men were picked up from small boats by the trawler Rugby. The Teal, which was sunk by a German submarine, was unarmed. A Lloyd's telegram states that the Danish [ schooner Christian, with masts gone, and apparently floating on her cargo. was towed into the Tyne on Saturday night by a steamer. An official message issued through the Press Bureau on Saturday announced that the schooner had been sunk by a German. submarine fifteen miles from land. The crew escaped in their boats, and were picked up by another vessel.

THE SPIRIT OF DRAKE. I Mr. Hughes, the Australian Prime Minister, who returned to London on Mon- day, visited a portion of the Fleet during his tour in the north. In an interview Mr. Hughes said: "I have seen the mightiest instrument of power ever fashioned by man. I have spoken with and looked into the faces of the men into whose hands the Empire has entrusted the care of this embodiment of its power, this bulwark of its safety, and I am content. In them lives the spirit which led Drake and Nelson to victory, and we mav bend our every energy to the prosecution of this war with the certain assurmce that Britain's com- mand of the seas is safe in their hands."

CLOCK SLOW ONLY ONE WAY. 1 When three young men, notoriously bad timekeepers, were fined 10s. at the Metro- politan Munitions Tribunal, they pleaded that the clock at a coffee-house at which they had dinner was ten minutes slow. The timekeeper said he had known the clock for twenty years and that it had never been re- liable. The chairman pointed out that if the men had looked at the clock when they entered the coffee-house they must have seen that they had got there ten minutes before they left the works.

THE COUNCILLOR'S LIGHTS. I Noticing that lights were burning in the house of Councillor F. Cheeseman, at Wok- ingham, and the blinds undrawn, the police entered, and found the premises empty. They subsequently found the occupier at a neighbour's house and drew his attention to his breach of the lighting order. He re- plied that he left the house locked up and m total darkness. On returning he dis- covered that 460 sovereigns had been taken from a box and also some jewellery.

GENERAL SMUTS CAPTURES. I The Secretary of the War Office an- nounces:- "East Africa.—General Smuts telegraphs on April 29 that his mounted troops have captured in the vicinity of Kondoa-Irangi (100 miles from the central railway) various convoys and munitions. "These amount to 200 slaughter oxen, 80 rifles and a large aro)unt of ammunition, a herd of 600 mixed cattle and 210 donkevs with saddlery supplies." The Secretary of the War Office announces: General Smuts in a telegram on May 1 re- ports that the rainy season has set in with great violence. The enemy is holding a strong position in the hills to the south-east of Kondoa-Arangi. The movements of the Belgian forces in the Rauda have been delayed by heavy rains.

TOWN HALL'S CLOCK CHIMES. I Joseph Noblett, assistant-caretaker at Blackpool Town Hall, was fined ten shil- lings, under the Defence of the Realm Act, at Blackpool, for allowing the town hall clock bells to chime. It was stated that two bells rang out distinctly, and a third gave muffled sounds, shortly after midnight on April 23. Mr. J. W. P. Loftus, the Deputy Town Clerk, explained that the regular caretaker was away, and Noblett, who had not a thorough V knowledge of the working of the bells, thought he had stopped all of them when he retired for the night.

I THE ONE DAY BARMAN. I At London Sessions, on Tuesday, George Brooker, thirty-five, a member of a gang known as "The One Day Barmen," whose method was to obtain employment at public- houses and hotels and take the first oppor- tunity to steal, was sentenced to three years' penaf servitude for the theft of £150 from the Devonshire Arms, Westminster.

I BEER BOTTLER'S DEATH. I A verdict of "Accidental death" was re- turned at Lambeth at an inquest on Wm. Turner, fifty-six, a bottler, employed by Messrs. Plowman and Barratt, Vauxhall, who died from injuries resulting from the bursting of a beer barrel while it was under the pressure of carbonic acid gas. The Coroner (Mr. Ingleby Oddie) said that the accident was a very remarkable one, as one would hardly have expected a sound oak barrel to burst in such a manner.

I TEA TABLE TALK. The Dowager Queen Louise of Denmark is the tallest Royalty in Europe, being more than six feet in height. < Miss Colette O'Niel, the well-known actress, is in private life Lady Constance Malleson, half-sister of the late Lord Annes- ley. In 1915 she married Mr. Miles Malleson, the well-known author, and took up acting because she believes that every woman ought to be able to earn her own living. < < Queen Wilhelmina of Holland is fond of telling a delightful story about her mother, Queen Emma. The latter's husband, King William, owned a very valuable porcelain tea service, and he thought so much of it that he threatened to dismiss any servant who should be unlucky enough to break any part of it. One day a butler, who had been in the Royal service for many years, had the misfortune to smash one of the precious cups, and in an agony of fear he went to Queen Emma and told her what he had done. "Never mind!" said her Majesty. "Stick the cup together with cement and leave the rest to me." < This was accordingly done, and when the Royal Family sat down to tea the next day the mended cup was placed close to Queen Emma on the table. Suddenly her Majesty turned hastily round to speak to the King; and as she did so she swept the cup on to the floor with her arm. As it crashed into a dozen pieces she pretended to be deeply upset, and said timidly to the King, "There, see what an awkward servant I am You will have to dismiss me from your ser- vice." Seeing how grieved she was, the King buried his chagrin and made light of the matter, while the old butler who had broken the cup in the first instance stood tremblingly by, thanking his good fortune that he possesse d a mistress who, by her tact and kindness, had saved him his place. Princess Henry of Battenberg is the youngest child of the late Queen Victoria, and was her mother's constant companion, even after she married Prince Henry of Bat- tenberg. Queen Victoria's consent was easily gained to the marriage, and she was devoted to her son-in-law, who was allowed privileges denied to her own children, and could be late for a meal without dire results. Prin- cess Henry's three sons and her only daugh- ter, now Queen of Spain, did much °to brighten Queen Victoria's declining years. Princess Henry of Battenberg is very musi- cal and a finished pianist, and in Queen Vic- toria's life the mother and daughter often played piano quartets with the ladies-in- waiting. As Governor of the Isle of Wight, she is the only woman member of the Royal Yacht Squadron. She gave up her residence, Osborne Cottage, a few years ago, and romantic and picturesque Carisbrooke Castle is now her home in the island. » Not a little of Lord Chelmsford's popu- larity when he was in Australia was due to Lady Chelmsford, a hostess of rare tact and capacity, who, it is safe to affirm, will prove one of the most popular of V iceroys' wives India has ever known. Some idea of the popularity of Lord and Lady Chelmsford in Australia may be gathered from the remark of one Sydney paper which described them as "The friends of all and the enemy of none. In public and private life Lord and Lady Chelmsford have lived up to the highest ideals." ♦ Lady Hopwood is a daughter of General Black, C.S.I., who is so well remembered at Lahore. Sir Francis Hopwood, as a member of the Commission which visited South Africa to inquire as to the desirability of granting self-government to the two new northern colonies, had much to do with bringing about the state of feeling in the Union whiph has led up to such remarkable developments during the present war. Princess Mary is gifted with the sound common sense of her mother, and forms very decided views. Once some of her friends were having a friendly little argument as to which profession produces the bravest men. Some said the Army, others the Navy, others voted for the medical profession. The Princess listened very quietly to what they all had to say, and then remarked very deliberately, "I think you're all wrong. To my mind airmen are the bravest men that can be found." It is an open secret that it is the Princess's great ambition to take a trip in an aeroplane or an airship. Before the war her chief excitement and pleasure was that of watching the various flying dis- plays got up for the special benefit of the Royal family. And she never tires of talk- ing aeroplanes with her brother, Prince Albert, who, like all sailormen, is very keen on flying too. Lady Kathleen Hastings, eldest daughter of the Earl and Countess of Huntingdon, is an author of some distinction. Her play, "Clouds," was produced at the Court Theatre in 1914, and she contributes articles and" stories to the leading magazines. She brought out her first play when only four- teen, and acted in it herself. < Among leaders of society few ladies hold so popular and high a place as Lady Derby. A great friend of the Royal family, she was among the first ladies chosen to form Queen Mary's household after the accession, and ultimately became Woman of the Bed- chamber to Queen Alexandra. The secret of Lady Derby's popularity lies in the fact that she takes an interest in everyone and every- thing. She is a delightful hostess, a great lover of all the arts, and an enthusiastic devotee of outdoor life and sport. Lord and Lady Derby have three children, the eldest of whom, Lord Stanley, heir to the earldom, was appointed A.D.C. to Lord French at the beginning of the war. < One seems to detect a slightly ironical in- tonation in Lady Poore's references to Mr. Churchill in her book of "Recollections of an Admiral's Wife." A propos of his once calling upon her at tea-time at Chatham so hot and dishevelled that she wondered whether he could have been acquiring know- ledge by shovelling coal in the stokehold of a dockyard tug, she remarkes: "At no time has Mr. Churchill been considered a success- ful exponent of the sartorial art, but the story goes that once, at least, he arrayed himself on an occasion of importance in the uniform of an Elder Brother of Trinity House. This was during an official visit to France, and to the question of the puzzled French officer who inquired what rank and service the uniform represented, the First Lord is reported to have made the astound- ing reply: 'Je suis le Frere Air6 de la Trinite.' » Mrs. Gabrielle Enthoven, whose play, "Ellen Young," was produced by the Pioneer Players, possesses the finest collection of playbills of London theatres in existence. They number about 90,000, and date from 1735. One announces Mrs. Siddons' first appearance. Others mark the debuts of Edmund Kean and Ellen Terry. •» A pretty story is told about the Prince of the Asturias. the heir to the Spanish throne, -who when only a baby had a letter written to him. The widow of an officer killed in Cuba applied for a pension, but as she could not get a reply she wrote to the Prince of the Asturias. King Alfonso, the Prince's father, received the letter and made his way to the Royal nursery. "Well, what does the Prince say? asked his Majesty. "Really, your Majesty, his Highness appears to say nothing at all," was the nurse's reply. "Very good," said King Alfonso; "silence gives consent. Tell the woman that the Prince agrees, and a pension will be granted to her forthwith."

A movement for a State subsidy for Irish railway employees is being pressed forward by the National Union of Railwaymen and the Railway Clerks' Association. Having built a neet in an old can in a garden at St. Ives .dHnt8), a robin re- mained on its six eggs while the can was moved twice to allow of digging operations. Record prices for herrings have been obtained at Port Mallaig, Inverness-shire, X10 per cran being paid at auction.

IN LIGHTER VEIN. I im THOMAS JAY. I lU.VSTRATED By J. H. LUNN. What a wealth of philosophy nay some- times lie hidden in a news paragraph Most af you must have read the other morning about this sinister plot of the Central Control Board, whose experts have been sit- ting up late at xight hard at work invent- ing various things to make life more complicated. Their latest invention is a new non-intoxicating beer, which looks like beer, tastes like beer, and does a number of little tricks that this beverage has ever been blamed for. I take it that; you read the account of the discovery—read it, turned a little pale, and gripped the table. But that was all. You did not give it a moment's thought afterwards. It is sup- posed to be made from a secret recipe, and my objection is that some people cannot keep a secret for any length of time. If this beverage becomes habitually used-at the time of writing I really cannot say what it is to be used for-then I maintain that it will be useless for anybody to go out and worship at the feet of the wine god and then come home and lie at the foot of the stairs. The Central Control Board might have been more explicit, and stated for what the new liquid is to be used. Is it to be used for watering the garden? Can it be used as a distemper paint for the greenh )use? Will it kill insects on plants, or what not? If I am to believe all that has been said for it, then it can be used for everything-no home will be oomplete without it. You can take it in your bath; I A GREAT DISCOVERY. as a weed-killer it has no rival; cats simply won't come near it; it can be used to wash the dog; it won't wash clothes. In short, I am told it can be used for almost everything except corns, and it must not be taken internally. It is claimed for the new beverage that "it does not inebriat e," and while this is rather more in the nature of an apology than a claim, I beg to point out to readers that they should let nothing them dismay, for a very enterprising company, aware of this failing of the new beverage, have an- nounced their intention of rectifying matters." The Convivial Combine, Limited, beg to announce that at their works in Great Drinkington their chemists are now engaged on the new discovery, a tasteless pellet which considerably enhances the value of the new beverage, and will aft?r all make life worth living. The No. 1 Pellet (half strength), to be taken in one glass of the new beverage, ensures that delightful morn- ing after feeling. Refuse all worthless imitations. Our No. 1 Pellets are worth a guinea a ton. Do you wake up feeling fit and fine in the morning? Use our No. 1 Pellet. We can cure all that. If ever we get mixed up in a war again, and you want to know all about the coun- try's secrets, you will have to become a member of Parliament. You will then have access to the nation's secrets, the Lobby, four hundred a year, and tea on the Terrace. In these days, when Parliament has secret sessions, it must be jolly hard work being a war expert or a Parliamentary writer, be- cause the reader expects him to say some- thing, and yet if he does say anything about a secret session he is threatened with all sorts of punishments, including a prolonged holiday at Dartmoor, Portland, or one of the other health resorts, to say nothing of torture by the rack, the thumbscrew, or the tax-collector. You can well imagine the diffi- culties of such men as they alight in Fleet- street, dismiss their Rolls-Royce, and climb up the stairs to the editorial den, there to be told to write an article about Parliament. Owing to the shortage of paper, magazine editors are anxious that nothing of super- fluous character shall creep into their pages, so that space can be saved, to say nothing of the time and temper of the reader. The following hints to contributors might have been drawn up by magazine editors: 1. That it is not now necessary for the villain to be H rivetd to the spot." He should either kick it aside or file away the rivet. Failing this, he can take it with him. 2. That every hero having "jumped from a railway train, thrown him- self off a bridge, stepped into an aeroplane, and then by a mishap fallen to the earth two thou- sand feet below, need not in these davg of paper stress be found THE HERO OF FICTION. I "calmly smoking a cigarette." 3. It is also not necessary for the hero to brush her hair with his lips." The old method of a real brush is still the best. 4. "He blew smoke rings with half-closed eyes." We have seen it done with the mouth, but never with the half-closed eye. 5. Contributors should remember that old clothes are fashionable to-day, and though a girl may be "divinely tall and fair, there is no need to devote half a page to details of dress. According to a weekly paper we are driving ourselves insane by the colour of our dining-room wall-paper. This accounts for the spread of lunacy, for the decay of domes- ticity, the popularity of the cheap novel, and "the Cabinet crisis. The offending colour appears to be red, and it only goes to prove that one generation may have a liking for that which will be positively dangerous to another generation. Our forefathers used to like red, but it appears now that red is an irritant. Certainly nothing irritates me more than the red nose of the music-hall comedian; but it appears that to have red wall-paper in one's dining-room now is nothing short of laying one's self and one's family open to battery, assault, and murder. If this 6ort of thing lasts very long we shall read of verdicts of "Suicide during tem- porary wall-paper insanity," or headlines such as "Dastardly Deeds of a Dado." I have been reading some Answers to Correspondents in a woman's weekly paper, and feel that I, too, might do likewise. Ap- pended is the list: perplexed.—You say you are a con- scientious objector, that you hate taking life, object to fighting, like the music-hall, are fond of the modern revues, can sing rag- time beautifully, and would like to know wh.t vou can do. See a doctor. A piece of bone may be pressing on the brain. Slort.-Yes, you can always tell when it rairts. It says so in the papers. Prompt.—No, sir. You are not the first man who has paid his gas bill on the (Dty it became due. But care should be taken. If you do this too often the con.pany will send a man to test the meter to see if there is anything wrong. Handy Maia.-Our advice to you is to leave the burst bath-pipe alone In any case, stamp-edging is a poor affair. do not on any account send for a plumber. It is generally cheaper to look cut for another house and move. Curious.—You are right. Only one man in two thousand i6 cut CUlt for a Parliamen- tary career. But he does jjot take it up. He generally drifts ints some useful occupation. Garden,er.-To prevent cats in the garden, spray with a few half-bricks, and plant out in clay soil.

Colonel Sir Afthur Boscawen, M.P., of I the West Hente, has been appointed to the I command of a new battalion of the Hamp- || shire Regiment.

I OTHER MEN'S MINDS. We want to govern ourselves, well or ill. And we shall. Nothing can stop the evolu- tion of democracy, and experts may as well reconcile themselves to the service of demo. cracy.)IR. AANOLD BENNETT. A NEW BRITAIN. I If we would come to a simpler standard of living and discard for ever the old love of comfort, a new Britain could save the world.-BisHop OF LONDON. THE DANGER OF SECRECY. I Most of us think that secrecy has been earned too far, and that the Government have run a certain risk of losing the confi- dence of the country by not taking the country into their own confidence.—MABQUIS OF SALISBURY. I THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION. I am not one of those who think our present system of primary education is en- tirely wrong. The magnificent voluntary response of our citizens has shown that the Board of Education's description that the aim of the schools is "to make our children worthy sons and daughters of the country to which they belong" is of sufficiently wide connotation, and that teachers have inter- preted its meaning in its deepest and truest sense.-M-ia. C. W. CROOK. I THE VOLUNTEER SPIRIT. The spirit of the volunteer and not of the conscript was wanted in all sections of in. duistry.)IR. F. MADDISON. IF GERMANY WON. A German victory would mean that all the, efforts, gradual, persistent and heroic, which have been made to develop human freedom throughout many centuries, would be thrown into the scrap heap, and that the world would be thrust back into the dark days of despotic coiatrol.-MR. BONAR LAW. TO THE CEMETERY. We are a nation travelling to the ceme- tery. Never was the marriage rate so high, never the birth-rate so low, and that at a time when the cry is to replace the men we are losing.—FATHER BERNARD VAUGHAN. GENIUS AND BUSINESS. There have been men of genius who have proved unequal to life's normal responsi- bilities, men of genius who have been un- able to make a livelihood, or at any rate have been unable for long together to keep a balance on the right side at their bankers. Yet if we look closelv into literary history at home and abroad we shall find that the majority of the great men of genius have proved themselves capable men of business. --SIR SIDNEY LEE. THE BARKING DOGS. When men are doing their best, it is a cruel shame that so many dogs should be barking at their heels.-SIR GEORGE REID, m. P. THE FALL OF GERMANY. I am confident of victory. Why? Because Germany is shorn of her locks Samson shorn of his locks, the symbol of his faith, was powerless, and Germany has become gross. She has become material. We thank God, on the other hand, that we and our Allies a.re realising our soul.-BISHOP OF CHELMSFORD. r, THE PROMISED LAND. Though now we pass through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, yet shall we be lifted to heights where, illumined by the spirit of self-sacriifce, we shall see a land more glorious than tie have ever known into which, if we prove ourselves worthy, we may enter.-)-IR. W. M. HUGHES. TRUE. The life of the country is far more valu- able than the life of the Government.-Lop.D BERESFORD. STAY-AT-HOME PATRIOTS. I We are all called upon to suffer hardship and make sacriifces for the benefit of the State, but it is nothing short of canting hypocrisy to assert that those who stay at home are making equal sacrifices or running equal risks to those on the battlefield.—MR. ROBERT YOUNG. NO QUARRELLING. I used to have the reputation of fighting for fighting's sake; now I have the reputa- tion of having no fight left in me at all. I do not know which view is the right one, but I am sure of this, that so long as we are at war we ought not to quarrel among our- selves any more than we can help. and when the time for reconstruction comes we ought not to quarrel any more than we can help then.—MR. BONAR LAW. NO PEACE. I There can be no peace until this hypo- critical, treacherous, and barbarous nation pf Germany has been beaten to ite knees.— MR. W. M. HUGHES. SOUL-POWER WILL WIN. England will never be saved by Conscrip- tion, by munitions, by wealth. These things may help if used by a nation full of soul, but England will only be saved by her soul- power. It is soul-power that dominates the world.-BISHOP OF CHELMSFORD. EQUALITY OF SACRIFICE. I am afraid that equality of sacrifice is an unattainable ideal. You may have equality of treatment, but in view -of the great variety of human circumstance it is not possible that, however equal the treatment of the individual by the State may be. there should not be an infinite variety of degrees of sacrifice in consequence. But that is no reason why you should not have equality of obligation, equality of duty, and why the State should not have the same claim upon everybody that it ought tc have.—VISCOUNT MILNER. A STRAIGHT QUESTION. I Is it not right and proper for conscien- tious objectors and all classes of subjects to undertake some form of sacrifice for their country?—MR. TENNANT. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE I COUNTRY. Depend upon it, if the Government will lead the country strongly there is nothing the country will not grant. That is what I am certain is the truth of the situation. There is nothing they will not grant to win the war.-LoRD SALISBURY. I HARD FACT. 1 I wish we could leave all this grocery aeide and talk only of Shakespeare or Mere- dith. But the fact is we have to live on bread, if not on bread alone.—M. PHILLIPPE MILLET.

Owing to a fall through stepping on a piece of orange-peel. Police-constable James Brown, of the Yarmouth force, has died. The Chief Constable described him as "a man of enormous strength, and fearlet- as a lion. A boy accidentally shot at Rocli-e-t.r i.v the Keeper of the Castle, who was firing at an injured pigeon, has been awarded £7u compensation. The "London Gazette" announces that a receiving order has been made against Chris- tian Arthur Wellesley-—commonly called Viscount Dangan—of Claremont House. Horsham, Surrey.

MOTHER AND HOME. The question a bride should ask herself is: "How can I best help my husband in his career ?" The answer depends very m uch upon her husband's character. Some need all the encouragement a wife can give, their belief in themselves being slight. Others trust so implicitly in their own capacity that they refuse advice from anyone. The wife sees the mistakes, and she alone can point them out. Often the process is ex- tremely difficult. Many a woman evades the responsibility for fear of making things unpleasant. She is too weak to put on the brake that will prevent her husband drift- ing towards failure. Many wives have fought battles for their husbands against petty meanness, lavish expenditure, lack of sociability, over confidence, or an inclina- tion to be discouraged by difficulties, and by so doing have helped them to achieve a success they otherwise could never have attained. To WIN ESTEEM. You will not win other people's esteem if you are wilful and self-seeking; continually complain of your lot; think good manners are too much trouble; fail to be polite and to be thoughtful; never do a kind or gene- rous act; neglect to thank those who have done you a service; take everything for granted that is done to make you happy; take away the good name of a neighbour through spite or malice; live only for your- self and think of no one else; quarrel with your neighbours over trifles instead of liv- ing peacefully and trying to see their point of view; refuse to help anyone when your assistance is desired and will be useful; tell untruths and practise deceit in business; never stop to hear a tale of sorrow or dis- tress; pretend to be better off than you actually are. DRESSING FOR WOUNDS. The extended hospital practice of severa1. surgeons has shown that .a simple dressing of castor oil is most excellent for abrasions, bruises and contusions, and for incised and lacerated wounds and burns and scalds. The part is first thoroughly washed with a warm antiseptic lotion, and then an oil soaked piece of lint, or a pad of, sterile gauze, is applied directly to the injury. Over this is placed a piece of rubber tissue, or of paraffin paper, and the whole wrapped with an ordinary bandage. Healing gene- rally follows by first intention, and there is hardly ever any suppuration. VALU*. ot FRESH AIR. Never do we hear of a centenarian who shut out of his or her life the air and the life infusing sunshine, says "Health Hints for Middle Life." Invariably, centenarians revel in the air and sunshine, and have done so from childhood. It is because of this love of the elements of Nature that their physical energies are so long sustained; that their mental faculties remain clear and active for so long a period. Let us make no mistake upon this point. It is one worth remembering. The lungs well supplied with air, the body magnetised with sun- shine, the blood is pure. Consequently it is more active. Being in a live, active condi- tion, broken-down tissue is quickly repaired, waste products are considerably diminished; those generated are readily and effectually disposed of, and the body is maintained at a high level of perfection not possible by means of any other equalising agent. Pure air, therefore, we must have day and night. from birth, through youth, when journey- ing through the middle pass and during old age; not now and again, when we feel the atmosphere has become close and sultry, but, as a daily necessity as the bread we eat, the fluid we drink. » THIN HOUSE SHOES. %N hen beginning to wear, or after they are WQfn, make some strong. thick glue in the usual way, warm the sole, and dab on the glue thickly. If necessary, do it again after a minute or two till the worn part is entirely covered. Put the shoes, soles up- ward, in the air for a day or two to dry and harden, and it will be a long time before you need buy a new pair. MANNERS WHEN DINING. There are a good many small don'ts of the dinner table, which we may call the et ceteras of table manners. Let us go over a few of them. When your hostess hands you a plate, don't offer to pass it on to another person. Take what your hostess intended for you. She knows best the rules of pre- cedence at her own table. And, when you have your food, don't hesitate about begin- ning to eat. Old-fashioned people wait until all are served before eating, but it isn't strictly correct to do this. Of course, if you happen to be one of a homely party, where you are passing vegetables to others, you would naturally see that you had done your part before beginning to enjoy your own share of the meal. Don't take a second helping of soup or fish if you are going through a meal of several courses. Use the silvered knife and fork for fish, but, if only forks should be provided, take a piece of bread in your left hand to help you with your fork. Never cut your bread. It should be broken on the cloth, or the plate that may be provided, and broken without raising it from the table. If it is a stub- born crust with which you are dealing, then both hands may be used. INSTEAD OF COD-LIVER OIL. Children nearly all dislike taking cod-liver oil and, in fact, some of them really can- not take this form of medicine. So, instead of trying to force it down them. give them something else instead. Cream is an excel- lent substitute, but young children must not have too much. A teaspoonful in their por- ridge at breakfast-time and a little with some stewed fruit at dinner-time will be sufficient for a small child. Bread fried in bacon fat is simply splendid for the little ones, and children who cannot eat fat bacon will enjoy this, and it will do them just ae much good. Milk puddings, especially made of ground or whole boiled rice. should appear on the table several times a week. Suet puddings, provided they are well boiled, are also excel- lent. Eggs, particularly the yolk, contain a fair proportion of fat, but be careful not to give them to the children if at all hard boiled, as they will not be able to digest 'them. The yolk of an egg. beaten up with some milk and a teaspoonful of fresh cream. and sweetened with a little sugar, makes a nutritious lunch for a delicate child. SCALP MASSAGE. Much benefit can be derived from this when properly and regularly carried out. The movement should be always in a circular- direction, the tips of the fingers being used. Ten minutes a day devoted to scalp ma.*ace> means ten minutes well spent. The morning- is the best time, when the scalp is fresh and rested. Those troubled with excessive dry- ness of hair should appiy during massage a little of this brilliantine: White petroleum oil, 4oz. otto of rose, 2 drops; oil of rose- geranium, 3 drops. SILVER. Do not neglect your tilver. A!wav(,- wash it in a,, hot water as possible, and dry it quickly, but occasionally give it extra atten- tion in this way Make a lather with flaked soap and absolutely boiling water. Put all the silver (not anything having handles, of course) into this and let it stay for a minuto or so. then rinse in very hot water, dry on a cloth and polish while still hot with a. clean polishing leather. The silver will look like new.

We are not sufficiently alive to the need for making food attractive for growing children.—Sir Thomas Barlow. A professorship, state the Advisory Com- mitte on University Grants, should carry with it a salary of at least £400 a year. Mr. Percy Wallace, a well-known jour- nalist and father of Miss Ray Wallace, ihe musical entertainer, has died at Westcliff-on- Sea. Saying she could not live without her dead sister, Mary Gwen Jones, aged sixteen, a Breconshire farmer's daughter, fatally shot. herself with a gun.