The Illustrated Usk Observer and Raglan Herald

Hardy Fruit and Kitchen Garden. GET all spare ground deeply trenched and ridged up so as to expose it as much as possible to the weather putting m plenty of good rotten manure, especially where crops of an exhausting character are to be fitfoTatOTin™ PI'ARS. Gather these as they become Also examine those in the fruit room. i» order to alio,-of coLaerLe f°r™'r IS ,f Wed to rk, the ground should be prepared at the earliest con- venience. LETTUCES.—Brown and Bath cos, as well as Ham. mersmith casbage, for early spring work, should now f1 tF™2 ?ut' f0re f^ getting what is technically termed prond.—Gardener's Chronicle

SPORTS AND PASTIMES. --+- MR. R. RIDDELL, of North Devon. has received the appointment of Master of the Hounds of his Majesty the Emperor of the French. Of course, his Majesty is coming over at once, or contemplates that he may possibly at a future occasion come over to hunt. A GOOD deal has been said about the generous mag- nificence of the Count de Lagrange for giving £ 50 to ijoneaster charities on winning the St. Leger. When Mr. feavue s hsrse won the Grand Piix de Paris, that gentleman gave 10,000fr. to the poor of Paris: and when Mr. Najuor won the Derby, he gave < £ 1,000 to the poor of Liverpool. ,4 weess since the result of a cricket match which had been played at Finchdean between twenty- two females-married and single-was given in the I local papers. The return match was played last week, and it seems that the spirit of these crinolined cricketers is likely to be kept up; it is the intention, we understand, of the Finchdeaners to challenge an adjoining village. In the return mutch alluded to the maidens beat the matrons by forty-two runs. The following are the totals-Single, 39-24; married, 14—7. LORD RAVENSWORTH went out deer-stalking in Turleum, Perthshire, on Monday, for a short time, and killed one of the largest stags that has been taken out of that forest, weighing 2521bs. On Thurs- day Mr. Maitland and party shot over the Auchna- free runs, and killed 50 brace hares, 12 brace grouse, 3 brace ptarmigan, and 2 brace plovers. The rod- fishing in the lower part of the Spey has fallen off very much during the last fortnight. Mr. Gilmour and Col. Leslie had only four salmon and five grilse in eight days' fishing on the Rothes water. At Gordon Castle the fishing has not been very produc- tive to the angler. On the 13th Lord F. Lennox had a salmon of 201b., and a sea trout; on the 14th, a salmon, 171b., a grilse of 61b., and 3 finnocks.—Scots- man. MR. HORATIO Ross defends the Scotch landlords for converting their sheep runs into deer forests—He says: A deer forest, when fully stocked, will produce quite as great a weight of venison as it would of mut- ton. This venison is not wasted or thrown away-it is either sold, given away, or consumed by the establish- ment of the proprietor or tenant of the deer forest; and as people can only eat a certain quantity of animal food, it supplies the place of beef and mutton to the amount of its own weight. Where one shep- herd sufficed to attend to the sheep, fully three men are required in a deer forest. In addition, gillies for the season are employed, ponies engaged, and a great deal of money spent amongst the poor-not one farthing of which would ever have reached their pockets if their lands had been pastured by sheep. Besides, in almost all deer forests it is the habit to give away amongst the poor a good deal of venison. With regard to the weight of food in the shape of venison which may be got from a deer forest, I may mention that thirteen years ago I cleared the farms of Glendibidale and Corrie Valigan of sheep and converted the hills into a deer forest. There were 1,100 sheep on the ground when I took a lease of the grazings. Not being a practical sheep farmer, I do not like to make a positive statement as to the weight of mutton which this stock (it was a ewe stock) might be ex- pected on an average of years to supply to the public. I, however, doubt if it would have exceeded the weight of venison which the forest produced last season. We killed seventy stags—these deer averaged exactly 13 stone 21bs. each, or 920 stone of wholesome animal food. We left the forest in the middle of October. If we had remained until the 1st of December, we might have killed, in addition to the stags, fully thirty hinds, whose average weight would have been at least 7 stone 71bs. each, or 225 stone of venison. Of the seventy stags killed, I gave to my friends and distributed amongst the poor in the neighbourhood (by far the largest share went to the poor) fifty-five stags—equal to 722 stone3 of animal food; or, taking the weight of a blackfaced sheep at 561bs., equal to 180 sheep." "BELL'S LiFE," in commenting upon the pugilistic ring and the fight for the championship between Wormald and Bob Travers, says:—We regret to state that, after all, this match, which had been looked forward to with so much interest, has ended in a forfeit on the part of the youthful champion. There have been rumours for some weeks that there would be no fight, but the money was put down with such regularity that we were in hopes our suspicions were unfounded. On Friday, however, the murder was out, and it beeame clear to us that Joe's chance of fighting at present had long been a forlorn one. On that day Wormald called on us with the following certificate" St. Bartholomew's Hospital, September 23, 1865. — I do hereby certify that Joseph Wormald is under my care at St. Bartholo- mew's Hospital, as an out-patient, suffering with periostitis of the right humerus, consequent on an injury.—JOHN ASTLEY BLOXAM, house surgeon." He showed us his right arm, which is perfectly stiff at the elbow, and utterly useless and also exhibited a wound made for the purpose of injecting morphia twice a day, in order to deaden the pain; and he assured us that for several weeks he has been under this treatment, and has been compelled to lie up, suffering the greatest agony. He had hoped by care and rest to get round in time to do justice to his backers; but now, finding that there was no chance of his getting the use of his arm for months, he thought it his duty to delay no longer, but to come at once to us to prevent the match from going on, and his friends from being deceived. The poor fellow, who is reduced almost to a skeleton, seemed deeply mortified at the state of things, and expressed his regret that he had not come forward sooner to make known the real state of affairs; he did not, however, despair of yet having another tussle for the belt he so much coveted, and which, of course, now reverts to our hands; and he requested us to state that whoever may be fortunate enough to secure it during his retirement must leok forward to a challenge from him so soon as his state will justify it. On questioning Joe as to the cause of the in- jury, we ascertained that some weeks since he was performing with the dumb-bells at Bob Travers's, after making one of his deposits, when he contrived to strain his arm and to lacerate the membrane surrounding the bone; and inflammation coming on upon this had brought his arm to its present state. Jem Mace pockets the forfeits of X120 without a struggle. It is unfortunate for Jem that the affair has terminated in this way, as it has deprived him not only of all chance of once more wearing the Champion's Belt, but also of the possible eclat which a victory over Wormald would have shed over his intended visit to America.

AMERICA AFTER THE WAR. The following extracts from the Washington cor- respondence of the Times, will be read with in. terest "There are more traces here than in any other Northern city of the misery and distress occasioned by the late war. The place is full of persons from the South who come to make application for pardon, and almost every woman one meets is clad in deep black. It is a literal description of Washington that the mourners go about the streets.' The President's ante- rooms are crowded with ladies whose worn, thin, white faces tell a painful history of the suffering and wretchedness they have experienced. They wait there day after day, going early in the morning, and leaving only when the White House is closed to visitors, and returning next day, and so continuing the dreary round until their turn has come to see the President. The amount of labour which is accomplished every day by the President and his principal advisers is almost incredible. It must be remembered that, in addition to the severe routine work of the office, a crowd of persons flock all day to the chief public officials, and in America the heads of departments must not set up barricades of policemen, porters, or clerks round their doors. The frayed carpeting of the staircase which leads to the President's chamber gives some idea of the number of feet which are constantly ascending and descending. The pardoning business overworks all the officials, and no doubt it also causes great irritation to many who have to dawdle about in this stifling and uncomfortable city. There is no difficulty in obtaining these pardons: The system is purely one of routine, and I was assured that the Attorney-General now very seldom even reads the applications. The applicant takes the prescribed oaths, signs his acceptance of the conditions under which the pardon is given, and the whole affair is at an end. During my stay here, Mr. Seward kindly gave me the opportunity of meeting a large deputation of Southern gentlemen, who desired, as they said, to pay their respects to him.' They represented all the States lately in arms as the Con- federacy, and every man in the company—there were about sixty of them altogether—was a prominent and leading man in his State. Many of them belonged to the old Whig party,' and consequently were former friends of Mr. Seward's, and they were all former friends of Mr. Seward's, and they were all received with the dry pleasantry and plain speech which the Americans understand better than any other form of communication. Wo have come,' said the spokesman, 'to pay you our respects.' Well, gentlemen,' replied Mr. Seward, you will not •jbject to my saying that it is pretty nearly time you d^d.' They all laughed, and confessed that it was. Mr. Seward said to them, 'When I told my son, Mr. rec-'erick Seward, that I was about to receive a dep-u- tation of rebels, he said that unless they came with a very different object from that which prompted the j last rebels we saw he would rather not be present.' I The 'last rebel' thus referred to was the man who nearly murdered Mr. Seward and his son, and whose i handiwork ia still seen in Mr. Sa^ard's disfigured face -< and in his son's still feeble health. We mean what we say, sir,' said a gentleman from Georgia; we in- tend to be loyal and good Union men.' These gentlemen had an audience with Mr. John- son yesterday, and from the President they heard a few home truths, but withal they were kindly received. He told them that it was not long ago they were battling against the principles he held, but that he bore nothing but good feeling towards the whole South. And he also said, in a passage which I quote from the reports:— 'The institution of slavery is gone. The former status of the negro had to be cianged, and we, as wise men, must recognise so potent a fact and adapt our- selves to circumstances as they surround us (voices- We are willing to do so.' Yes, sir, we are willing to do so'). I believe you are. I believe when your faith is pledged-when your consent has been given, as I have already said-I believe it will be maintained in good faith, and every pledge or promise fully carried out (cries 'It will'). All I ask or desire of the South or the North, the East or the West, is to be sustained in carrying out the principles of the Constitution. It is not to be denied that we have been great sufferers on both sides. Good men have fallen on both sides, and much misery is being endured as the necessary result of so gigantic a contest. Why, then, cannot we come together, and around the common altar of our country heal the wounds that have been made ? Deep wounds have been inflicted. Our country has been scarred all over. Then why cannot we approach each other upon principles which are right in themselves, and which will be productive of good to all ? Any one who supposes that Mr. Johnson or his advisers are going to play any risks in provoking a war with France on account of Mexico, or with England on account of anything, is foolishly mistaken. The Government can see its way better than that. It means to keep out of mischief abroad, and settle its difficulties at home. No doubt there will be for years many in the South who would gladly see the Govern- ment overthrown. But what can they do ? It does not matter what they say. As to England, there will never be war between America and her while Mr. Seward is alive. Strange as it may sound to some English ears, there is no man in America who under- stands better the necessity and advantages of keeping at peace with us, and who desires more earnestly to see the entente cordiale restored between the two countries than Mr. Seward at this moment. "Before closing this letter I must allude to a very serious cause of irritation which the English Govern- ment still gives to the Government and the people of the United States. Every week there come tidings of whole fleets of whalers destroyed by the Shenandoah— a 'British cruiser,' as the papers delight to impress upon the popular mind. These poor wretches of whalers find their boats taken from them, and all their means destroyed, months after the war is over, and no one can lay hold of the Shenandoah to stop her. Several of the captain's captives have told him the news of the fall of the Confederacy, but he says he 'refuses to believe it.' Only within the last fort- night another batch of ten or a dozen vessels are reported to have been destroyed by this craft, and thus the anger of the Northern people towards England is constantly being kept alive. What is specially complained of is this While Spain, France, and other Powers have with- drawn their recognition of the South as belligerents, England still gives 'Confederate' vessels the benefit of twenty-four hours' shelter in her ports so that,' as an officer of the Government said to' me even if our vessels followed the Shenandoah into any ot your ports, in any part of the world, we should not be allowed to take her.' I cannot exaggerate the ill- feeling which this occasions. If it be done in aocord- dance with international law (which of course is denied here), it is not the less to be regretted that this miser- able ship still stands between the English and the American Governments. I believe (and I do not speak without reason) that you would have heard no more about Alabama claims had the Government at had home withdrawn fully its recognition of belli- gerent rights, instead of keeping a twenty-four hours' sore running. It tends to defer the realisation of that hope which President Johnson expressed to me, that England would shortly understand the American Government and its objects better than it had done hitherto.

THE PRETENDED MAN CASE. Sarah Geats, aged forty-one, described in the calen- dar as being a spinster, was tried at the Central Criminal Court for feloniously attempting to shoot at one James Giles, with intent to kill and murder him. In a second count the allegation was that the intent was to do greivous bodily harm. The prisoner, who is stout, of short stature, and remarkably masculine ap- pearance, pleaded not guilty. Mr. Warner Sleigh (instructed by Mr. Mackay, from the office of Mr. Chalk, of Coleman-street) con- ducted the prosecution, and Mr. Ribton defended the prisoner. Mr. W. Sleigh, in opening the case to the ] jury, remarked upon its singular peculiarity. The prose- cutor was a boot and shoemaker, living in Tuiteries- street, Hackney-road, and the prisoner had been in his service for some years as a clicker or cutter out. The prisoner came to him ten or twelve years ago to ask for employment, and was then dressed like a man, and gave the name of William Smith, stating also that he was a married man, his wife's name being Caroline. The prisoner entered the em- ployment, and so continued for nine years. About January, 1862, the prosecutor's first wife was taken ill, and the supposed wife of the prisoner was engaged by the prosecutor to attend the invalid as nurse. The patient died, and then Caroline was employed by the prosecutor as housekeeper, and shortly afterwards she communicated to the prose- cutor the real sex of the prisoner, who was prevailed upon to assume thh attire of her real sex. He pro- vided her with female clothing, and established her at a shop at Bow, allowing her 20s. per week. Thus matters went on far about thirteen months, but in consequence of the business not answering, the prose- cutor closed it, but allowed the prisoner about 10s. per week to the amount of .£5. Before the closing of the shop at Bow, the prosecutor bad married the woman Caroline, whom he had taken as housekeeper, and who had formerly passed as the prisoner's wife. At the mar- riage the prisoner and her brother were present as wit- nesses. On the evening of the 17th July last the prisoner came to the proseoutor's establishment and asked the foreman if she could see him. The prosecutor went out to her in the passage, and seeing who it was, said Well, barah, what is your pleasure with me ?" The prisoner made no reply, bat at once presented a pistol to the cheek of the prosecutor and exclaimed That! and he immediately heard the explosion of the cap of the pistol, and felt a sensation in his left cheek bone. The prisoner then threw the pistol through a loop- hole into the shop, and ran away. She was pursued, taken into custody, and, when charged, said she was satisfied with what she had done. On the pistol being examined it was found to be loaded with powder paper, and four bullets. The facts were proved in evidence by the prosecutor by Mr. West, his foreman, by a lad named Close, and by the police constable who took prisoner, and saw the charge of the pistol (which he produced) drawn. Mr. Ribton addressed the jury on behalf of the pri- soner, remarking upon the extraordinary nature of this most remarkable case. He urged that there was an absence of satisfactory proof as to the felonious inten- tion of the prisoner at the time she drew the trigger of the pistol, the mode of loading which, according to the evidence for the prosecution, appeared to be doubtful. If it had been properly loaded it could not be doubted that the pistol would have gone °TI I ,n°t properly loaded, so as to carry out the alleged intention, then neither ef the counts of the mdlCtment could be sustained. He suggested that all the prisoner had done was done in order to alarm and frighten him, so as to induee him to make a better provision for her. Several respectable witnesses, who had always sup- posed the prisoner to be of the male sex for upwards of sixteen years, gave her an excellent character for humanity and kindness of disposition. Mr. Justice Montague Smith summed up the evi- dence to the jury, telling them that if they believed the pistol to have been properly loaded, the prisoner was equally amenable to the law though no discharge took place, provided they should be of opinion that she pulled the trigger with either of the intents mentioned in the indictment. The jury, after a brief consultation, found the prisoner guilty on the second count of the indict- ment, charging with intent to do grievous bodily narm. Mr. Justice M. Smith sentenced the prisoner to be kept in penal servitude for the term of five years.

FACTS AND FACETIAE. 0 Bones of contention.—Knuckle and jaw. As a man drinks he generally grows reckless; in, his case, the more drams the fewer scruples. It is always safe to learn, even from our enemies; seldom safe to instruct our friends. Every peacock is well convinced that the eyes of all the world are upon his tail. "I see you have your crook, shepherd," once said a gushing young lady on Brighton Downs; "but why have you not your pipe?" "Because I've got no baccy, marm," was the less poetic reply. Sam, asked one nigger from another, why am de hoggs de most intelligent folks in de world ? Because dey nose ebery ting. "Get ahead," said Mr. Smith's wife to him, while walking behind a party one evening.' Get a head! replied he, X think the one I have is good enough for you anyhow." An Irishman swearing the peace against his three sons, concluded thus :—" The only one of my children who shows me any real filial affection is my youngest son, Larry, for he never strikes me when I'm down." A husband on whom the memory of the honey- moon seems to have become powerless, wants to know why his wife is like a small pie. Do you give it up ? Because, says the unfeeling wretch, she is now a little tart. A young fellow, the son of an eminent dancing master, applying to a friend as to what trade or pro- fession it would be best for him to pursue, was answered, "I think you cannot do better than follow the steps of your father." It is customary for some churches in America for the men to be placed on the one side and the women on the other. A clergyman, in the midst of his sermon, found himself interrupted by the talking of some of his congregation, of which he was obliged to take notice. A woman immediately rose, and wishing <°>.i ear her own sex from the aspersion, said: Observe, at least, your reverence, it is not on our side." j* II SO much the better, good woman, so much the better, said the clergyman, it will be the sooner over. A very loquacious lady offered to bet her husband five pounds she would not speak a word for a week. Done, cried the delighted husband, instantly putting down the money, which the lady as soon took up and put in her pocket, observing naively, that she would secure it until the bet was decided. Why," said the husband, I have won it already," and required her to fork over. "Not at all," said the lady, "you are mistaken in the time-I mean the week after I am buried. The lady went shopping thesame afternoon. On the Ramsgate sands a nigger band was amusing a crowd of holiday seekers, when one of the company, as if he had discovered an impromptu joke, said to his fellow blackie, "I say, Sam, what be de difference between a swell on de ocean and a swell on de sands ? «w VT>nay;n gib it up," replied nigger No. two. Well, 111 tell you, den; the wind on de ocean make de swell, but de swell on de sand raise de wind Curious Signs.- Near the town of Ashby is the "Cock Inn," which has the following inviting lines to travellers stuck in front of the house Cock-a-doodle-doo, How do you do, A-m1 you hungry or thirsty to-day ? if you are, you will That to you we'll prove kind, If you stop, eat and drink, and then pay." At a barber's shop in a London suburb is the follow- ing concise invitation to persons who want shav- ing:— "Razor keen, Hand steady, Step in, I'm ready." Another barber had the following lines written with- out punctuation:— What do you think I shave you for nothing and give you a drink." The reader will see that if a note of interrogation is put after what, it bears a different interpretation. Half way up a long hill between Douglas and Castletown (Isle of Man) is a small public-house, kapt by Abraham Lowe, and the following rather witty lines appear on the sign-board:— My name is Abraham Lowe, Just half way up the hill; And when I'm higher up, What's funnier still, I yet am Lowe. So come in, take a swill Of rum, brandy, gin, or what you will, My prices, like myself, a,re low." On the London road, near Nottingham, is a tavern called The Ass," with these lines underneath the sign:— Pray traveller stay awhile, And look upon my sign; If I'm an ass, you need nofrpass This humble house of mine. Within I keep the best of fare, To eat, to drink, or smoke; So pray stop here, and try my cheer, And don't forget poor Moke.' Some years ago a rather eccentric physician, of the name of-Isaac Letsum, resided in a retired village not far from the metropolis. He lived entirely alone, and one day, returning from his round of professional visits, he found that some wag had stuck upon the window of his surgery "the following lines "Whenanypatientacomestol. I physicks, bleeds, and sweats 'em; If after that they choose to die, Why, then, of course, I LETSUM." Most persons would have been angry; not so Dr. Letsum. He allowed the lines to remain up for several days, and enjoyed the joke as well as his neigh- bours. °

WHAT SHOULD CANADA DO? A correspondent of the Daily News writes as fol lows on the question of the separation of Canada from the mother countryNobody, he says, in these days believes that the greatness or the prosperity of England depends in tha slightest degree upon the fact A 9?nac*a *8 a British province. It appears to me that the only question with which a statesman has anything to do is the question—which is the most ad- vantageous course for the mother country and the colony to pursue—should the mutual connection between them be maintained, or should it be brought to a close? I hear a good deal said about loyalty and patriotism in Canada. It is but a few years ago I travelled through that province, and things must have changed very much since then if the mass of the Canadians are swayed by any such sentimental enthusiasm. It is true that in Lower Canada the French were vehe- mently opposed to annexation with the United States. Bat why ? Not because they loved the British. On the contrary, it was almost painful in society to observe the supercilious contempt which the French Canadians entertained for everything British, and the spiteful joy which they seemed to feel in giving a side-blow to anything English. The French Canadians cling to the connection with England, not only because they got more out of the English Exchequer than they hope to get out of the Yankee Exchequer, but because they fear if they were annexed to the United States the ascendancy of the Roman Catholic Church would be destroyed. In short, it is not love for England but hatred of Yankee Protestantism that keep the French Canadians true to the Union Jack. But I have little doubt that if their religion were secured, the Canadians would range themselves under the Stars and Stripes, perhaps with alacrity, certainly without regret. To England, Canada is not a source of strength on the contrary, she ia the source of weakness. She lies there the victim of the United States, whenever the Government of Washington chooses to attack her; and even if England were to succeed in driving back the invader, the reconquered province would be as barren a possession as it is at present. Canada is not a source of wealth. On the contrary, that province compels ngiand to maintain a much larger army than would e required if it were independent. And as for deriv- ing any sort of revenue from a province, the very thought would rouse Lord North from his grave. TT .j*0 defence of Canada against the power of the j united States is almost impracticable. The Canadian I country is so extensive from east to west, and so j narrow from north to south, that the military problem of defending this line is one of the utmost difficulty At all events, it is obvious that, as soon as the Americans succeed, in establishing 100,000 men on the north bank of the St. Lawrence, east of Montreal, the conquest of western Canada is complete. Is it I possible to prevent this catastrophe? I think not. Bat even if the defence were possible, is it worth the cost ? That the sum required will be enormous is certain. Is it right that either England or Canada. should incur this expense ? Is there anything to be gained by it ? Is it essential in order that the Cana- dians may continue to enjoy all the liberties which they now enjoy, and may spread themselves to the Pacific ? Would the blessings of civilisation and liberty be less secure under the President at Washing- ton than under Lord Monck ? So far as England is concerned it is a.dmitted'-ostelltatiously admitted- that she would gladly retire from the position which she now occupies. England only waits for the Cana- dians to declare themselves. There is, then, only one mode in which the Cana- dians can secure the advantage, which they now pos- sess without incurring burdens which must grievously oppress them and materially retard their improve- ment. That mode is by joining the United States. Assume that England is prepared to abandon Canada, and that Canada cannot stand alone. Would there' be any difficulty in Canada negotiating a treaty with the United States, stipulating that thev should enjoy their own separate institutions; but they should not be liable to the debt already contracted by the United States, whilst they remained liable to their own debt; that they should have the appointment of their own governor, and that they should furnish a certain num- ber of men to the United States army, and a certain sum towards the expense of the fleet ? I cannot doubt that the Government at Washington would gladly accept these proposals. It is true that Great Britain would relinquish a province, but she would also be relieved of the anxieties and dangers which the possession of such a province entails, Canada. would become a part of the United States instead of being part of the British empire. But with this change she would relieve herself from the danger to which she is now exposed, of being the first to suffer in any war between Great Britain and the United States. These are views which to some may seem extravagant and even pusillanimous, but I cannot doubt that they are dictated by common sense, and deserve ,at least, candid consideration.

CRUEL SWINDLE AT OXFORD. During the past week the adage, as applied to marriage, "There's many a slip'twixt the cup and the lip," has been remarkably verified by an event which has afforded much gossip amongst all classes at Oxford, and elicited no little amount of commiseration for those who have unfortunately been victimised. The chief personage in this romance is a certain individual who adopts the name of Wade-Chater, who some two months since, took up his abode in that city, and professed to be an engineer in connection with the carriage works of the Great Western Railway. He obtained a lodging in Thames-street, St. Aldate's, with a respectable widow, and, shortly after he had resided in the house, it appears he made overtures of marriage to the daughter, which were accepted, and it was arranged that the wedding should come off at an early day. Having thus far succeeded in one object his efforts next appear to have been directed to raising the necessary funds for com- pleting the happy event, and an extraordinary stroke of good fortune came opportunely to the fellow's aid, by, as he alleged, the decease of his godfather, a gentle- man of the name uf Wa.3o, yviio loft him as he repre- sented, a rent-roll of < £ 8,000 or < £ 10,000 a-'year, derived from Datchet-park, near Windsor, exclusive of personal property estimated at £ 25,000. This circumstance was duly communicated to the family, and the young lady's good fortune was looked on with no little amount of envy by the fair sex. No doubt seems to have entered the minds of any one, and the idea of the genuineness of the story was further strengthened by the fact that a considerable amount of correspondence was carried on and telegraphic messages were continually arriving, and ultimately a bill was pro- duced, purporting to be executed by Mr. Wade, be- queathing the estate to Chater. Thus it was that matters progressed until the happy day drew near, which was fixed for Thursday, Sept. 14th, but there was some hitch in the legal arrangements, and the affair was postponed, and Tuesday last, the 19th instant, was named for the consummation of the happiness of the affianced pair, and immense num- bers congregated in the High-street, curious to witness thecortege, which was to be of a splendid character. But, alas! another hitch occurred, which entirely altered the current of the proceedings; the bride- groom was not forthcoming, and there were ugly rumours that his career had been one of gross decep- tion. Extensive preparations had been in progress for some time in anticipation of the event. A sub- urban villa at Summerstown had been taken on a> lease for several years, orders were given to a large upholstery firm, and the house was furnished in splen- did style; a wedding trousseau, of an elaborate cha- racter, was prepared; Mr. Boffin was engaged to provide a wedding breakfast and cake suitable for the occasion, with wines, &c. of choice vintage; and Mr. Stroud's stud of horses and car- riages were to be brought into requisition, that gentleman's instructions being to prepare ten pairs^ of greys — a work of no little difficulty — which, however, was fully accomplished. The cere- mony was to be performed at St. John the Baptist Church (Merton College Chapel), the service was to be choral, and the choirmen and choristers were to be made participators in the festivities on the occasion. Every member of the family was to share in the fel- low s good fortune, a settlement was to be made on one and another, and the bride was also to be allowed a handsome jointure. But all were doomed to disap- pointment; the bridegroom failed to put in an ap. pearance, and has not since been heard of. It would appear that he alleged that it was necessary he should visit Datchet for the purpose of arranging for the spending of the honeymoon, and also for doing some legal business in London, and on JSunday he departed by the Great Western Railway for that purpose ap- pointing to meet the brothers of the young lady at Slough, in order that they mieht ac- company hie. to his estate at Datchefc. They ac- cordingly went to Slough, and after waiting in vain at the station some hours for the arrival of the young heir they proceeded to Datchet, where they ascertained that no persons of the names of Wade or Chater were ever known in the locality, and that there was no such place as Datchet-park. For the I first time misgivings began to flash upon them that they, their sister, and the whole family had been made the victims of a cruel deception. They then proceeded to London to an address given by Chater, which proved fictitious, and after consulting a directory a person of the name was discovered. Thither they hastened, but no clue to the missing one was found. tlx? ™?eir mission ended, and they became the bearers or the the ill ne ws to their friends. There, of course, was consternation, and the effect upon the young lady can be readily imagined; and as it is said ill news travels fast, it came to the ears of the various tradesmen who had been so liberally patronised. The upholsterer lost no time in convey ing the furniture back to his warehouse; the wed- ding-cake, breakfast, and wines weretreated in the same manner, though the latter had considerably diminished in bulk, and, worst of all, it transpired that the poor widow, who was to have resided with her daughter in their new residence at Summerstown, had broken ul), Her home, and the fellow had succeeded in obtaining not only the value of, most of her furniture, but her savings, amounting to about £ 30. Another member of the family was induced to part with £ 10. A female friend, the dressmaker, also suffered to the extent of .£40. The dresses, &c., as well as the suits of clothes were not paid for, and it is said that he obtained the greater portion of the young lady's clothing under pretence of conveying it to Datchet-park in readiness for their arrival. The attair has createa an amount of excitement in Oxford, which has not existed since the time Dick Swallow, the then messenger of New College, was transformed and introduced by the fellows of that society as feir George Bayswater," to the ball at the Star Assembly Room, given in honour of Mr. Donald Maclean's return as member of Parliament for Oxford. The bride cake, which was of the most costly character, was exhibited in the shop window of Mr. Boffin, and was an object of attraction to admiring crowds. Cards of admission to the church were 13^ u' an<* Merton-street, long before the hour at which the ceremony was fixed to take place, was crowded by persons of both sexes, who were anxious to get a sight of the wedding party. The whole female population seemed to be on the qui vive, and some time elapsed before they could be persuaded that the affair was a swindle.

AGRICULTURE. --+-- The Hop Harvest and the Markets. KENT. The weather during the past week has "been less sultry and scorching than during the previous iortnigjit. The hops have not, in consequence, gone off so fast as they othorwise would have done. Picking will be completed in this county in another week. In the hops still hanging on the poles there is a decrease of vermin. Though very brown the hops are mostly sound at the core, and will suit very well for the bre,ving of porter and common ales. The reports confirm the opinion expressed last week, that though the crop is a heavy one, the proportion of bright colour7 hops is comparatively small. In Mid and West Kent the planters have suffered from want of pickers, but as some grounds become cleared the hands set free are available for otners, and the work is now goir,^ on rapidiv, WORCESTER — The picking here is f^st drawing to a close, and a large proportion of the year's produce has been brought to market. Easiness has been brisk all the week, and a considerable bulk of the crop has already changed hands at good remunerating prices when the large crop is taken into consideration. The c.ess <3one maybe gathered from the tl J~a^.e num oer of pockets that have been weighed at the official scales since the great fair last week have been 4,483. The value of good bright samples has in- creased since the fair from 5s. to 10s. per cwt. but low are not inquired for, and at present find no pur- brewers samPles beiEg first bought up by the • 3isHTBE.—•The hop harvest is concluded m .A orfcn Notts, and the yield is a very satisfactory „ season throughout has been favourable Doth tor the growth and maturing of the plant, and the fruit has been harvested under most favourable circumstances. The colon- of the fruit is hardly so fine as was expected a few weeks since. The hops are, however, thick and good. In the district around 1Valesby the yield is good and the samples decidedly fine. Around Behmore and Clarborough the crops have been we 1 housed, and the reports are favourable both as to yield and quality. At Olleston and Rufford the harvest has been a satisfactory one, and some ex- cellent samples are gathered. Upon the whole, there- tore, there has not been so good a hop harvest in this district for a number of years. HEREFORD.-The annual hop fair for Hereford was held last week; but, although fixed for the day after Worcester hop fair, there was comparatively but a small attendance of dealers. In fact, although the bulk or so-called "Worcester" hops are grown in Herefordshire, custom has sent them to Worcester for sale. Thus, while Worcester fair on the previous day was crowded with hops branded as Navingbeen grown in Hereforashire, comparatively few were brought to their county town. Formerly, when Herefordshire had no railways, the reason for sending Herefordshire hops to Worcester market was quite intelligible, but this reason no longer exists. What transactions have taken place at Hereford, however, have been in favour of the seller as compared with Worcester rates. Best samples realised as much as £ 6 5s.. and from that the price ranged to X4 10s. per cwt. 5o^INEYT'7;0ar reP°rts GOme down to the 1 Jth and 20th mst. Picking is generally completed on the continent and the trade, which is fully set in, is steady. As the extent and quality of the crops at various districts become fully understood, there is less of the rapid fluctuation in prices observed some weeks ago. The reports from England have modified the expectations which the growers based on the shortness of their own crops. At Prague business was rather slow, but some transactions were reported in hops with Saatz brands at from about .£14 10s. to .£15 17s. 6d. per cwt. Auschen brands ranged from about .£6 to £ 7 for green, to from ,£10 to X12 10s. for prime coloury samples. In the Saatz district a moderate business was reported, at prices ranging from £ 12 to ^15 10s. per cwt. At Nuremberg there had been a further downward movement in prices, and thoujh a few sa' es had taken place, business generally was heavy. Belgian hops were quoted nominally at £ 4 10s ™ P@r Cwt'' and B°kemian brands from < £ 610s. to ft'D per cwt. In other countries the demand was limited, and there was a disposition manifested by growers to slightly modify the prices asked.