Weekly Mail

TIDE TABLE. FOR THE WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 10,1383. 13 I C =3 _•* T. *-«SA 88 « « X C-I £ U R; «-3 > 3 IS A »| AS 5 J O | J O | I MORNING 12 LFJL2 1 11 61 112 17 I 1 8 SATURDT -? EVENING 1 12 57 12 33 — "2 47 1 40 | HEIGHT. 121 II 25 S 25 9 2S 3 16 1 1 MORNING | 1 27 I 1 9 12 23 J 1 19 J 2 1"?» SUJRXTAT EVETIING [ 2 11 1 *8 12 53 1 54 I 2 55 I HEIGHT 1 21 5 25 0 23 11 25 7 15 5 FMC^NING z 45 2 24 I 1 31 [ 2 27 3 31 MOSDAT.^ EVENING 3 21 3 0 2 3 2 59 4 7 HEIGHT, 23 7 26 7(25 0 25 0 16 2 1 MORNING 3 ;/2 3 34 | 2 33 [ 3 29 4 41 TUKSDAT EVENING 4 22 4 4 3 0 3 5S 5 11 I HEIGHT, 24 7 27 1 26 6 127 5 13 3 Momlng t 4 45 T 4 31 T 3 26 (42: 5 08 FFLMTR.' EVENING B 10 4 58 3 51 4 47 6 3 I HEIGHT', 23 3 29 0 2S 1 29 4 20 7 J MORNING 5 35 5 29 4 15 5 11 J 6 27 THUMOV » EVENING 5 52 0 42 J 4 39 I 5 35 J 6 49 HEIGHT.. 2S 10 30 10 129 5 3L 6 | 12 6 JLSIORUIUG 6 15 6 3 5 1 } 5 57 J 7 10 FKIPAT. J EVENING [ G 3> 6 2^ I 5 3 ( 6 IS [ 7 31 I :JI»RHT 30 8 I 3; 9 30 23 32 6 | 23 10

S § 6 ial.,ipl2 jtiEu SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1896. Prize Competition. First Prize R50 Second Prize £ -5 Third PRIZE £ 1 o Competitors must fill up the blank spaces in each or the diagrams subjoined with any single numeral, from one to nine, in any order. The competitor whose diagram (transmitted upon the form supplied beiow) is identical with the nine figures entered in corresponding spaces on a test diagram which has been placed in the custody of Pen- dragon will be awarded the prize of £ 50, £ o, or £1 in e.ich instance. Com- petitions must be sent in, addressed to Pendragon," on or before Wednesday next:— THE £ 50 PlUZg DIAGRAM. | I 1 i ¡I' i I j I 1 I i i i _1_ THE JM PRIZK DIAGRAM. I I F J I I I r I t R R R" I THE ft P!:IZ^. DIAGRAM, I J -¡- I t

Notes by "Pendragon." I have ACCEPTED the position of editor of the Weekly Mail, and it is my hope that I may be able, with a. large and varied experience as a pressman, to make it ona of TIIFL bssfc wesfkly papers in the kingdom. Those old fimlliar and discursive "Jottings" of minfl which used to APPEAR in the TFTFTEI-N Mail will be contirnrod in this column, and I shrill be still at the beck and can of all who have A good cause to serve, a wrong to set rijrht, or a fair, round grumble to let off. I rely, in under- taking tJriil adventure, upnft the kind support I h,ll"e received from so many old friench antI corre- spondents, and I ask them to lend me their hands and their ears as they have done in the past, and I can assure them that it will always be my study, as it will be my duty and my pleasure, to please and serve them; The price of the >'V>.zk'y Mail has been reduced to one penny, and I HAVE now, therefore, the honour of being tho editor of the most expansive and the lowest priced penny weekly paper in the British Isles. I am going to put mv heart and aont into the work before me, and, if I do not produce a pennyworth of good reading matter, then you may call me any name you choose to put your tongues to. I must ask the indulgence of my readers this week, because I have otily been on the job for the last twenty-tour irours, and have, consequently, been unable to complete my arrangements. Under these circumstances I must apologise for the re- production here of notes and jottings which have alretvdy appeared in the Western Mail during the week. Tiiey will, I daresay, be new to many, and if they are stalu to others I must beg the con- sideration of old friends to an old fuiend. Next week I shan have on this page two or three columns of "Notes" relating to the current subjects of the weefr, and I shiitl deal with them without consideration of politics or sects. 1 shall, as I have iLIvriravA dope, according to my lights, endeavour to be strictly impartial in my criticisms. I shall spare no abases from fear, favour, or affection, nor ah'tH I set down AUGHT in Mai; Among the special features I iniend to introduce into the Weekly Mail wm be a figure puzale for which prizes OF £ 50, JES, and XI will be awarded. There will, in addition to my "Notes," be a Welsh article by that versatile writer Jlorieh Art and Literary Jottings," A lively column to be headed Grave and Gay "Football Notes and Anticipations by Touchstone scientific and other clippings special articles of local interest, illustrated; gossip from Paris; an interesting column for the ladies; chats on cookery and household affairs; several tales by authors of repute, &c. I also intend to offer prizes for the best short tales, having local reference, in English and Welsh, and FOR the best answers to a series of ten questions on historical and general subjects, which will be inserted every week. The conditions and amounts will be indicated bereafter; With this feast of fat thingi to recommend it, am I not justified in the anticipation that the Weekly Mail will be a welcome guest in every household in South Wales and Monmouthshire? Bra.vo, George—I beg pardon, Mr. Coun- j cillor — Hopkins, of Cardiff, you are deter- mined not to let the grass grow under your feet. And I want everybody who was prepared to look askance upon my advocacy of Mr. Hopkins to take note of the practical way in which he is setting to work. At his great meet- ing at the Phiiharmoniohail he promised that, if elected, he would do his level best to introduce and foster the sugar industry at the port of Cardiff. Now, how does he &et to work? Why, by collect- ing information, and as an inducement to obtain the information, he offers the handsome prize of jE50 for an esslyon the subject of sugar refining and the prospect of such an industry succeeding in Cardiff. Now, here's a chance for distinguishing i yourselves, and heipingon the good of the port. Essays must be in by January 31, 1887. A correspondent signing himseif "Nemo" writes :—" Dear Pendragon,' Respecting theadop- tion of Mr. Beavan's amendment concerning the age of possible candidates for the vacant coliector- ships of St. Mary's poor rates, a friend and myself were discussing your remarks in yesterday's Jot- tings' aneut the same. My friend remarked, One of the appointments is virtually made.' If this be so, I should like to have the names of the sixteen guardians who voted for the amendment. Proba- bly if ODe vacancy is filled up the second may also be in a fair way of being so—by backstairs influ- ence—to the exclusion of more eligible candidates who have passed the magic. 40' years of age. Is this more work for the Ratepayers' Association?" If these are the facts they form a strong additional argument for the inauguration of our Ratepayers' Association. But the time will not now be long before we get to work to clear away the cobwebs from odd corners of our municipal affairs. Coming down town in a tram-car on Tuesday, I overheard a conversation between a coupla of passengers. Said one to the other:—"The roads are very dirty this morning. j And they were, too, for I had the tribulation of getting up to my ankles in the inches of mud which had to be encountered in crossing the road.] "Yes," was the laconic reply, "as dirty as the Colin Campbell divorce suit." The Free Education faddists will have a hard nut to crack in the splendid lecture delivered by Vicar Thompson before the Cardiff Im- partial Society. Bearing in mind the name of thai I body, I scarcely know whether I am free to offer an opinion upon anything cropping up in the course of their deliberations. It is impos- sible, however, to let such a superb de- fence of our grand old voluntary system pass unnoticed. Facts are proverbially n^sty things to get over, and the array of figures Mr. Thompson put forward knocks every atom of sawdust out of the arguments of those who tidvocate that most costly of hobbies. Freo Education. Even Mr, ¡ Arthur Wiiiianis himself, I inngine, when he reads the reply to his last. Monday's address, will, in his inner consciousness, admit, that "tha pictures he urew of the distress, misery, and the like, caused by the exaction of school fees, are pure fictions of a melo-dramatic type,and may be consigned to the limbo of played-out imaginations." Those who are interested in the progress of the Deaf and Dumb Fund wili be glad to know that at j a meeting of the committee held on Tuesday | cash to the amount of £1131:3. lOd. wis received, whiCh, wit.Í1 the balance in the bank, makes | £ 214 3s. 2d. at present lying to the credit of tiie fund. Trie committee wo-iid feel obliged if per- sons holding collecting cards, boxes, or books would bring them to your humble servant as soon as p"9sibie, in ordsr Uw.t the accounts may be settled. I have before Ulù, with a kind letter, the eleventh anuual report of the vie trot) ha Parish Church of rft. John's, Cardiff. I propose to say a r few words about i!. not only out of the full appre- ciation I have of Mr. Thompson's continuous and never-daggi ng ttbours, but for the love and reverence I hava for (lie rausfl in which hr«. energies and his intellect arc engaged. Tne year which has parsed his not been a fcrtun.tte one for the parish. There w.ta a* its commencement the VRAIH IN CONNECT!,VI V, ;TU THE Cardiff SAVINGS' Hartk, which carried terror and dismiy into so j misny hearts and homes, and has been | especially disastrous to (lie parish of St. John's. In full o.miidencci, and following the rulo of the past,, parish moneys to the amount of £2,9fJ7 5" 2d. Wore deposited n the bank, ,y,n(1 accepting the dividends offered of 17s. and 17s. 81. in the JE. the loss sustained is no less than £548. This is very cruel, hut fortitude .mo courage will, I nm sure, in time rise superior to all the difficulties and gloom of the yeu- wiiicn is now hastening to its elose. Now for thi> silver lining to the cloud which has t overhung the parish for the past eight or nine months. The restoration of the sacred edifice is proceeding slowly, but surely, and befcre New ) Year's Day I hope to see the bulk of the grand and necessary Work completed. Help, sympathetic dlr and, more important still, pecuniarily* in needed, and the religiously benevolent will never have a better opportunity of showing their appreciation of the viear'a efforts to leave his important charge better than lie found it, and in every respect worthy of tho important place it, occupies in our midst, by sending—only out of the fninessof the healt, mind you!—on their (ribule, not to Cwsar, but to Him to whom it is due. And of youf charity, dearly beloved brethren, don't forget your mites towards the Christmas dinner to the poor, fir be sura of it that when the festive season cms round—and again it is on our threshold!—your roagt beef and plum pudding, the rare old English fare, will eat none the tesa sweetly from the reflection that you have, out of your abundance, or even out of what you could [ hardly spare, helped to provide similar generous refection for the poor. whom "Wit have always with u3Ameu! On Tuesday I have had the honour and pleasure of participating in one of the most cordial and enthusiastic Conservative gatherings it has ever been my pieasure to attend. The occasion was the annual dinner of the Ri»ca and District Conservative Working Men's Association, which was spread in the Public-hall, and WHS attended by between two and three hundred good men and true. The ever- popular Lord Tredegar was in the chair, and dis- charged his duties most admirably. The speeches rather long, but vigorous, and to the purpose. The noble lord quite roused his audience when he compared Conservatism and Radicalism, and said tho former was bent. upon making the people contented, while the creed of the latter was to make them discontented. Colonel tho Hon. F. C. Morgan, the member for the division, was present, and delivered a capital address iu response to the toast of his health. The report úf it will be found elsewhe're, and, therefore, I need only Say that it bristled with facts and arguments. Oil Irish matters he was particularly incisive, and he (le- ciared, amid vociferous appiause, that Ireland was entitled to 110 more special legislation than the other parts of the kingdom. While the lion, gentleman was discoursing upon this subject I eould not help reflecting that, if the Irish ftr6 going in for the cry nf Ireland for the Irish it will soon be time for England to declare for the English. Altogether, Misca and Abercarn Conserva tism is in a very healthy Condition, and those who had anything to do with this happy state of things are to be heartily congratulllted upon the success whinh has attended their efforts. They deserve to get on, for they have tried, and tried hard. SWANSEA people remain in the most perplexing uncertainty as to when their new Free Library is to be opened. 1 think the general desire amongst the authorities—especially that of the chief magis- trate-is to reserve the inauguration until the glgt of June in celebration of the jubilee, but the public v¡ouJ.d like to see the new quarters occupied without any such delay; A suggestion which would meet both views is that the reading rooms and lending library should be put into immediate Use, and that the central or reference library should remain unopened till the j full and public ceremonial takes place. I have had the pleasure of inspecting the new premises, and I can say that there is nothing of such magnificent proportions, splendid design, AND elegant furniture in this part of the country. The Swansea Corpo- ration have solved this Free Library problem in a fnagminimou* and liberal way: They will shortly have another "facer," with regard beet ADVICE I ean give them is to GO and do likewiw I and that, is the removal of the municipal buildings This matter was strongly and seriously agitated at the last, assizes by her Majesty's representative; but nothing has been heard of it since. The utterances of the judges at assize after assize can- not be regarded as otherwise than pressure of ai very serious kind, which must sooner or later make itself irresistible by the authorities. Martha Jones, Maty Davies, and E. J. Roes write from SwanseaMr. • Pendragon,'—You Cardiff folks are particular people, you are, to actually have a real inquiry before a Government official into a complaint against your parish doctor being uncivil to one in receipt of relief. Lord love your innocant souls, you are particular, you are. You surely don't know when you are well off. It would do you particular folks good to be here at one of tho vaccination meetings. If you don't think ther9 is anything in it come or send someone on tho quiet. The place to which mothers must bring their children, many in delicate health, is worse than a fairly-appointed stable or coach-house, and as for tho conduct of the attendants, it must be seen to be believed. It is coarse and uncivil in the ex- treme, and these are not paupers, bear that in mind, but wives and children of men who are the bone and sinew of the community, who are called on to pay very heavy rates for this boorish treatment. The medical officer is one of the three brothers who draw handy on £3,000 a year out of the rate* payers, and for this vaccination business gets about £700 a year. Coirie and eam the thanks of mothers." • That great engineering enterprise, the Severn Tunnel, after many long delays and much bitter disappointment, was opened for passenger traffic to-day. No one passing through it would, had they not known to the contrary, have dreamed that they were passing through anything but an ordinary cutting. The gradient at both ends is rather steep, but that matters not, for, although the fact is scientifically known, tho passengers are not, from any sign that is given forth, aware of it. There is not the slightest oscillation, and, if the truth is to be told, oao might imagine that he was passing, not through a long tunnel, but over ou9 of the easiest and most comfortable pieces of open plate-laying in the kingdom. The ventilation is perfect. I venturn to say that in the eighteen or twenty trains which passed through the gigantic barrel to-day no one could havo told, with their eyes shut and their thoughts directed in other directions, that they were in a tunnel at all. This goes for something, for, how- ever grateful we might be for having the journey between Cardiff and Bristol shortened by an hour, we should not like, I am sure, to have accom- plishod this object :).t the cost of being half choked or the foundation laid for a troublesome pul- monary complaint. There was not a fume to be detected from tha engines, for the smoke and steam appeared to be carried away by magic by the welt-devised air-shafts, and altogether the passengers were conveyed through this surprising piece of engineering skill with perfect comfort, Liut what the Old Harry, or anybody else, do the company mean by raising the fares ? I suppose I shall be told that the affair has nothing to do with me.

QUIt PARIS LtfTTEll, j PARIS, DECKMJSKS 1. It would be as easy to tell when the English will leave Egypt, or the French Tunisia, or Russia appointed guardian of the integrity of the Turkish Empire, or Jules Ferry re-elected premier, as to defifis the conditions for being the French work- man's member of parii ttnent. It appears to be all May when wooing, all December when wed, just like ordinary matrimony. After the collapse of the Second Empire, tho two burning and shining lights of the proletarian world were Messrs Tolain and Nadaud. THIY former was A stone- cutter till elected A Senator for Paris—and over the head, too, of Victor Hugo. M. Nadaud was a stone mason; WAS elected a deputy, and perhaps will live in history, as the author of the wet!- known teM, for lhe nation's prosperity, When the building trade is bri-;k, nil trades are sound." It was as good AS Rochffort'S. j, Wlisn butter is 4f. a pound, women are compelled to part with virtue to live." Messrs. Tola'n and Nadaud are still legislators ¡ and the four working men's deputies victofioua ¡ at the 1835 general elections—B isly and Co.—are ail repudiated as renegades. Tolain is the most obnoxious of traitors." lie managed till Sunday ¡ last to shirk appearing before his quondam I admirers; be presided over a lion and A lamb meeting of Republicans in the Tivoli Casino. In the twinkling of an eye the Anarchists cleared out } Senator Tolain, and his sympathisers executed him 'I as summarily as was Gam bet ta by his Jielleville constituents; In addition to lists, sticks, and I knives, the iron chairs were Hung at heads like a modern hailstorm. No revolvers were used these I seem reserved for the Clmtnper of Deputies. Unlike Gambetta, Senator Tolain did not threaten to go and find the dissidents in their dens; he promised to meet them Hgairt, at Philippi, but armed with H revolver, and so save the Republic. He merits a kiss from M. de Freycinet. In pres"nce of such coming events, assurance companies decline to accept a journalist's life, save at the same risk premium as for a governor of Tonquin. I saw Merlatti yesterday, being his thirtv-flfth day of fasting. Ho has no starred look, but rather the appearance of a young fellow exhausted after a hard spree. He was lying on a sofa beside hi« gl iss reservoir of water, which tie amuses himself in filtering, and drinks ad libitum. In his room are two immense beds, ail in red trappings, oupable of accommodating an entire hitppy family, or of .driving away" Nature's soft nurse. Perhaps they are intended to tempt iiirii to sleep. Merlatti is determined to starve till his fiftieth day, but, the medical committee will not tolerate the eJfp&ri- ment beyond. likely, a few days longer. His blood is becoming decomposed, and his breath is very offensive. By profession Merlatti is tin artist, and lias indulged in the star- vation Crank, sis others do in abstinence from dduk; or the pipe, for a fixed period, by sheer force of will, as one of the watch-doctor9 told me. Thefe is no trick in tho affair { he has no axe to grind. Sixteen of the fattest men in Paris intend entertaining him at a banquet when his stomach will be in working order, and the fatted calf will be killed for him. It vvill be an ád- ditional link in Castelar's Latin race union- perhaps. Is it evidence of retrograde or advanced taste— the patronage shown on wild-beast shows? The fact is they pay best, next a good blood and murder piece. It is no secret that the manager of i a well-known city theatre is only able to keep it I open by means of his sleeping partnership in a menagerie. Just now it is the fashion to Visit r Pezou's happy family oil the outskirts of the city. The best time is tiie rehear-ai. Then, parrots and cockatoos occupy the stands in the orchestra, dis- coursing eloquent discord; a eolony of tronkeye play hide and seek in the amphitheatre, and sun- dry learned dogs move to and fro. There are jnckfil?, hyenas, foxes, Pyrenfean bears-thc98 are only JUjuranU. Tile utilities consist of a pair of —democratic—Bengal tigers which cost 20,000f.; eight lionesses—place ctuv damts-tot1 lions Itod twelve cubs; thus the lion family comprises 30 members; two white bears, and one grizzly, yet So mild mannered as to embrace Pezon without squeezing him to death. General Kaulbar's would not do that with the three Hengentoft" of Hul- Igaria. One horse a day, costing 30 to 45f., is required to nourish all the intelligent foreigners that are not vegetarians. About 20ibs. of old horse daily is the ration for adult lions; twice a week they receive I three quarts of milk each fresh from the Cow; ,this beverage keeps the animals' coats shiny—as oats act on horses. If a lion gots mange, Pezon makes a pomatum of butter, sulphur, tobaceo and vitriol, which would cause haif to grow on a doll's head. The cubs are born in the cage, and gener- ally live, if the event comes off in summer. Pezon brings them op in his own b0droom--»in case the mother does not do her duty-till fiye months old on new milk thickened with brains; just, what many dairymen sell to citizens. Hercules got strong on Hon marrow bones. Pezon had a lion for 32 years, and when it died he covered the bars of the cage with black boards. White linen was tl onceroyal mourning in Franca—la Heine Blanche to \vit; the Napoleons preferred purple velvet. The King of tho forest in death was laid out as plain as A deceased sultan. The Government had a skin-of-the-teeth escape from defeat on the Tonquin estimates, but 29 of a majority voted the 30,000,000f. Only think, fifteen votes on the other side and the take would have to be abandoned. M. Raoul Duval de- clared nothing was ever to be made out of Ton- qain the Delta was pestiferous and its inhabi- tants unsubdued, while it was fringed by moun- ■foiaB 8ifID¡ formed the abiding city for armed Chinese to pounce upon the lowlands. Another deputy denounced as immoral the Government farming of gaming tables, making Tonquin a Monaco. Equally bad was farming the opium traffic-imitating, after blaming, the English. France has four protectorates Annam, Cambodiai Madagascar and Tunisia, ruled by an Emperor, a king, a queen, and a. bey respectively not a bad royal poultry yard for a Republic. The man of the moment is he who can write the most catching advertisement, or ingeniously illustrate it on the loudest coloured paper. We have had sandwich men; now Paiis has saudwich women. A tailor has dressed up a dozen of very pretty girls ia seamless Macfarlanes, and in showy letters on a gaudy ground sets forth the price of his suits, not omitting pantaloons. Men dressed as Arabs, Turks, negroes, from every land, as Normand farm boys in wooden shoes and cotton nightcaps, women on horseback in flowing riding habit, scarlet corsage, shining chimney pot hat, and silver handled whip, conducting » van with an Eiffel-tower structure covered with adver- tisements-all are being utilised. Not long ago an attempt was made to come to the aid of depressed ostrich farming. One of these biatis was led along the boulevards with an advertising card suspended from its neck. A rival fell back on a camel, till the Prefect de Police, fearing Noah's Ark was about being similarly utilised, or that the Zoo Gardens would suffer in attraction, suppressed the new departure. There is no good reason why milliners and dressmakers ought not to employ their girls to march in twos—boarding school rank and file-to display a duck of a bonnet, the cut of a robe, the fit of a corset, or the pose of a pouff. Mademoiselle Prospectus is an actuality, though she may not live longer than a rose, the address of an academician, or the plighted faith of a Russian not to Kaulbarise Bulgaria. The Saint Lazare prison, where Lord Colin Campbell intended to consign hia lady, were she caught, like Mrs Johnston, "sometimes taking a lover hrtme, is rarely patronised by high life. No summons or special permit is required to imprison therein A wife surprised by a police inspector in flagrante delicto. She is marched off as a matter of course to St. Lazare, the only city prison for the fair sex in trouble, and detained till tried, not on a charge of adultery, but for offending against public morals. If proved, the prisoner, whether plebeian or patrician, must be sentenced to three months' incarceration, must have her hair cut, and associate with the vilest street hags, as there is no separation of prisoners. The buiiding occupies the site of the ancient St. Lazare monastery, and which was in the fourteenth century a lepers' hospital. Being situated outside the boulevards, it was several times sacked by the English—who then did not come as Cook's excursionists. The present building was erected by the famous St. Vincent de Paul, who died there, and was temporarily in- terred in its chapel. lit became a prison in- 1793, and it was from there the poet Andid Chenier was carted away with others to be guillotined, for the Convention declared it neither wanted poets nor chemists. A wing of the old monastery was set apart as a halting place for the kings bafore enter- ing Paris; it was also a half-way house on their quitting the capital—where they lay for twenty- four hours—for the necropolis of St. Denis, three miles further on. Two month? ago a policeman at Touion was married to a young woman aged nineteen. Lately, on entering her bedroom, her husband sent two bullets into her head and three into his own. He left a line that his wile was ruining him by her extravagant dressing. At Grenoble, one Comte, a banker, had for speciality to discount for trades- men "forged" bills; he found that these were nover dishonoured. A builder has been transported for killing Comte to obtain possession of three false bills. An Austrian archduke, out hunting a few dit.) s ago, descended from his horse to ascer- tain why the hounds kept barking, but not moving on, and ho fourid he was in the presence of two soldiers who had hanged themselves. In tho suburbs of Paris the police cut down a man suspended from a tree he was restored to life with difficulty, but could afford no clue, though willing to do sot as to HOW he earn" to bo placed in the position he was found ih. Since Jan- uary last 25 women are missing in Paris, and are wanted by their families. The actress, Mdlle. Granier, has been ordered to pay her little bit! of 3,000f. for siik pantaloons, and at Lyons one Snrrault has been sentenced to five years' jrtt- prisonmenfc for outraging his mother-in-law. An hospice is to be opened for divorced wives at Vincennes, where they will be boarded at a low FIGURE; It will be a kind of secular convent; French matches have become so bad that they wili only ignite when in contact with fire;

FEMTNINE FAN OXES, fOln FRS, AND FASHIONS, Bt A LADY: rAll Eights Heserned.f W¡; have got rid of the fog which last week hung over us like a meteorological wefc blanket, raking the life and PLEASURE out. of everything. It was really a serious inconvenience to those Whom professional obligations or social engagements compelled to go about. The streets were plunged in Cimmerian darkness, and on one iHeuHlfabJa evening the otnnibusses ceased running, whilst cabs, of course, required extra fare. Some persons prefer to trust to their own on tha-o very perilous occasions. I do so myself in those severe FROSTS in which we soe tha poor horses s1íppi!Jii np and slipping down in all directions, but a foghts AN awkward tendency to get down your throat, and MAY seriously affect anyone who is delicate in the chest. THE charac- teristic London fog is that most deadly of consumptive) or bronchial patients. Any London doctor will tell such invalids to avoid it at all costs. Country residents who hate never visited Landen in winter can Imrdlf realist whttta London fog is. I roihember when I waa » child How delightful I thought it to dowft to breakfast by artinciat Hght. and to look out at the black streets and soa tha Jink boys running wtth tlieir flaring torches. I need hardly SAY that I have outlived that feeling now. 1 have written too many weary days by gaslight, with the natural consequence of tired eyes and aching head, to hail the advent of King Fog with any enthusiasm whatever. I remember on one occasion, (then I and some others were engaged in heavy literary work that had to be finished by A given time, A fog came down upon us, and for tinea weary days WE never s'tw the daylight. That was Something to be re-called with a shudder, Nevertheless^ A thorough fog is a sight to SEE in its way, for the transtorrftauon which it EFFECTS in the out-door world is something surprising. Five or six years ago we had an exceptional wmtfer. Tho fogs were almost inctfssaht, AHD so dtfnae that one lost oiife'S way in the most familiar places, and fancied one was Walking north or south, as the case might be, when really one Was going in a diametrically opposite direction. Hut, bsforo 1 le;lve this loggy subject, let, ine give A word of caution to my readers. No lady who is at all Habla to chest or throat affections should attempt to brave u. fo". If SH £ is obliged to go out 8ht: should be out of doors as brief a time AS possible, and never forget to cover her mouth With a light silk handkerchief* or similar Covering. Indoors, CARE should bè exer- cised to see that all badroom and staircase window." bo kept closed. It is well, if possible, to havfa FIRI IN the bedroom on a Very foggy night.. People sometimes say, Oh, I Can't take that trouble," or "I can't afford such a superfluous expense," but they forget that both trouble and expense are at a minimum when compared with the anxiety, labour, and outlay entailed by even a short attack of definite illness. Notwithstanding the fogs, winter bus not. yet set in with sufficient thoroughness to make us regularly adopt our winter things. We are still oscillating with regard to colours and materials. Tweeds, serges, and various woollen cloths are showing themselves prominently in the windows, and I am glad to say that a great many ladies retain the determination to patronise English goods. Where these are really quite as AS GOOD ITS the foreign articles, if not better, it Is surfely not asking too much of our fair countrywomen to encourage native Industry. English woollens nriay fairly compete with nil others, and I do not believe that anybody who has tried the productions of a good firm has ever been disappointed. Ladies sometimes complain that they cannot, possibly know V^herfi the goods come imm which they put-chase at their drapers', since tha nameS given to the new materials are about as correct itidifcationS of their placfl of nativity as those of Misa Snivellichi or Mr. Horatio SPARKING. This difficulty tnay be EASILY Obviated, however, if a really good dress is WANTED, by writing to one of the wholesale manufacturers for patterns. There ARE several WELL-knOWn ftl rns who will readily supply these. by return of post, with a list of prices. Some of the bsst makers of SERGE do GO On quite a large scale. The Queen, whose sound sense And kind heart always urge her to practical methods of encourag- ing female industry, has just been giving AN ordfer for Irish decorative embroideries. These are hand- worked by the peasantry of Donegal, who have attained great skill in this kind of work. Irish- women are Very clever in many kinds of work. Limerick lace has a reputation of IFS own. Irish knitted socks and St&ckingS ar6 pre-eminent, and now the embroidfefed poplins and curtains which have been submitted to THE Queofi ARE much lidmired. Her MAJESTY has oi-dered a set of curtliinS < for Windsor Castle, &nd ? child's frock in embroi. dered poplin, which is probably intended for one of her many grandchildren. Of course, the Colonial and Indian Exhibition could not be suffered to pass away without some record in out toilette, and among the various new materials I see colintiin, a mixture of alternate stripes of silk and wool. I suppose the idea is to represent Indian silk and Australian wool. Velvet is still much worn, and unquestion- ably it makes a rich trimming. A nice velvet collar, with cuffs of the same, greatly improves an ordinary woollen dress, while in more expensive dresses velvet panels aud other additions are suitable. Hut I would caution my readers who want their dresses to wear, and look nice for a good while not to have them made with silk panels or silk fronts. The silk is sure to cut and fray long befora the rest of the dress is at allpame, and it makes it shabby before its time. It is one of the secrets of dressing well on a moderate income to avoid very noticeable fashions, which speedily become out of date, and methods of making which are in themselves ex- travagant. Fur ladies who can afford it, a velvet dress is very handsome and becoming for a dinner dress. Velveteens are now, however, tnado in such perfection that they make very good sub- stitutes. I tiave seen a nice ruby velveteen dress that would almost have passed for velvet, but it cost five or six shillings a yard. It is still de rigneur to preserve, as far as possible, harmony of colour throughout the toilet. The bows on the shoes, the fan, and the gloves must be of the same hue as the drees. Out of doors, the bonnet or bat should match the dress. When the dress, if an evening one, consists of two colours or two shades, both are used in tho etceteras. Lace ftounce9 look. very pretty on the front of an even- ing dress of siik or satin, and net ball dresses, trimmed with bead lace, are inexpensive and effective. White jet lace or white j'jt. net ia especially bright and pretty. It is more suitable to a young girl than a heavier material of much greater cost. The Princess Waldemarof Denmark, when passing through Paris, ordered for herself an elegant evening dress of white lace and white satin. The skirt had a double tunic, looped with satin bows, and the bodice wasaiso trimmed with sa.tin ribbon. I don't suppoae that this dress was very inexpensive, but it shows that the style of costume is highly fashionable, and may bo adapted to all purses. I confess that I did not know until I saw it men- i tioned in the columns of one of your conteinpo- raries, that Mrs. Craik, the delightful authoress of John Halifax," whom we used to know under her maiden name of Dinah Maria Muloch, was of her maiden name of Dinah Maria Muloch, was of Irish family. I thought she was of Scotch origin. It seems, however, that her father belonged to the family of Muloch, of Kilnagarna, King's County. Her grandfather, however, settled at Bath. Your readers wili remember the charming little stMY," M5 Mother and I," of which the scene is laid in Bath, and in which, curiously enough, the heroine's grandfather plays a prominent part. The authoress takes her Christian name from her mother, Miss Dinah Millard. In some touching verses, entitled" My Christian Name," she makes allusion to this :— Mother, Wh038 accents made m05t DS*» WHAT else L held in shame. Dost thou YET murmur up in Heaven MY poor. lost Christian n:\lne:> Miss Muloch's brothers both died young, and death has also deprived her of her husband, a loss she must have felt keenly, since no writer has a higher ideal of the strength of the niirriago tie. Both London and provincial shops are display- ing their Christmas novelties, the fancy repository windows being especially attractive. Articles are placed in prominent positions to allure the notice of pusters-by. Will you walk into my parlour,' said the spider to the fly ? and if we walk into a shop we shall assuredly fall captive to the wiles of the insinuating purveyor, who surrounds us with temptations, producing article after article, dwelling on their respective merits, until he succeeds in reducing the cont ents of our purses, and like the poor fly, we fall victims. An olectric present is a novel Christmas gift, and if it merits the eulogiums bestowed upon it, it will pfove a valuable souvenir to the recipient who is a martyr t;) facial neuralgia 01' nerVOU8 headaches. The article in question is a chloride of silver battery, ihtended to be worn in the hat or bonnet and even in the coils of the hair, tha present lofty arrangement of which facilitates the concealment of this ingenious con- trivance its small size—a square inch-and light weight, viz., three drachms, lJermits it to be Worn constantly without personal inconvenience. It is asserted that, besides its cUtMioje properties ill nervous diseases, it is equally efficacious in curing baldness, greyness, and decay of tliatiair. The electricity is conveyed to the Scalp by means of two thin silver sheet terminals, which can be pressed against any part of the head without the. weare; experiencing any unpleasant sensations. Flower receptacles are exceedingly numerous, many old favourite patterns Vicing in beauty and excellence with their newer ri vala, Rush and wicker work designs take the lead. It is difficult to decide upon the several respective merits of artistic skill displayed in their construction. Instead of green rushes,or, rather, twigs, being used in the customary shade with which we are SO familiar, an admixture of colours is occasionally employed to give a variegated appearance. Fancy wurk baskets in this style of work are to be seen. An ingenious artist has devised an easel of rushes, holding a tailor bird's nest, lined with silk, and tied at the top with ribbons to match the lining; to complete the whole, a bird is perched at the top, in a prepara- tory attitude foV flight. An eccentric work-table is to be seen at Lewis arid Allenby's; the top portion is designed to resemble a thatched cottage; tho walls are formed with plaited rush, with windows and doors complete. When the roof is lifted the cottage is metamorphosed into a deep work-basket. If "Queen Anne is dead," as the time-honoured repartee asserts, the fashions of her day are not .dsn defunct. We tire favouring the revival of almost everything belonging to her period. Th" stately minuet and gavotte, as danced in her time. are to be introduced in modern bail-rooms. Would-be imitators of Kate V iugiian must devote a considerable time to instruction ere they can rival thut graceful actress in her matchless l dancing of the minuet. It is rather a curious coincident that a descendant of the Duke of Marl- horol1gh, the greatest genelal in Queen Anne's reign, and whose wife, the great Sarah, was the Queen's favoured friend, should at tho present time be one of Queen Victoria's political advisers. We shall rejoice at the downfall of the pinnacle- shaped hnt. I bear from kilOwing ones that it" days are numbered. the wish may be father I to the thought." They have been true eye- sores to frequenters of places of amuse- ment. It is most aggravating to sit behind a lady wearing one of these Aggressive head coverings. I felt inclined one day to request a lady to change places with me or remove her hltt., for It was impossible to obtain a view of a performance that was taking place when seated behind lier. Yet., had the obnoxious head-gear I been removed my height would have been the same as hers. I admire the plan adopted abroad l was it in a German theatre?) of requesting ladies to remove their hats as weli us the men. LOBSTKB CUTLETS. — Take the meat of one or more boiled lobsters, chop it very finely, season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste, a little pow- dered inace, a dessert spoonful of anchovy sauce; mix ail up with a quarter of a pound of best butter. Add one egg and a little sifted flour, or a small quantity of cold boiled mashed potatoes. I Divide the mixture into portions of equal size, form each portion into a small cutlet, brush them all over with beaten egg, and cover with bread crumbs, after which fry to a light brown colour. They may be served hot or cold. 1C cold, garnish witii sprigs of fresh green parsley or watercress. If served up hot, pour over them a sauce composed of melted butter, anchovy sauce, and a pinch of cayenne.

ctfRliENT AGRICV LTUIIATI TOPICS. ["Br ASHICOLA." OF TICK "FISLB. We have arrived at the period of the year tvhen the pt-imest outcomes of grazing meet the public eyo at the fat cattle shows. These itaveacertain value in showing to what an extent well-bred animals wj11 load themselves with flesh and fat compared to what ordinary candidates for the shambles carry. Nevertheless, the fact cannot be gainsaid that it very serious evil underlies the enfcouragehient given to over-ripening by Smitlifield Club, Bingiey-hall, &nd other Christmas fat cattle shows. The handsome prizes given at these exhibitions afford sufficient inducements for very prime animals, when already sufficiently fattened, to be kept on year after year for show purposes, and very frequently a great deal of waste reosul8. The animals get overloaded with fat which is not wholesome eating, and which, in general,finds its way tothechandlei'sshop,and there is consequently serious Waste in two ways. All the food the animals have consumed during their last year of fattening is found practically to have been converted to very ill account, and a large propor- tion of the meat itself, when utilised, is- found to be unfit for the human stomach, however enticing it may be to some palates. This is an old evil which has frequently been denounced, but it still exists, and the Christmas fat show syaterh tends to perpetuate it. I do not desire to be mistaken, and, therefore, will freely admit that much has been done to abate the evil. Only last year the Smitlifield Club passod a resolution that no animal should take prises more than two years in succession at its shows. Previously it Was a common occurrence for steers to carry off leading premiums three years in succession. But there are a great many who think that every aninlal which has been grazed so as to be able to take a prize at a fat stock show is very unlikely to get better for human food afterwards, even although his age may ba under two years. So fat as the utilitarian argu- ment is concerned, this can scarcely be contra- dieted; but, on the other hand, it must certainly be admitted that a fully-ripened, fat ox is a crea- ture of beauty, and that #h3 value of pure blood can scarcely be displayed in a better way than by these practical exemplifications of how very thick they will lay on flesh and fat when allowed to do 80 to the utmost extent. Perhaps an illustration may be of value in elucidation of this point. Mr. Hugh Gorringe won first prite last year at Isling- ton in tho young Shorthorn steer class with an animal quite fat enough for human consumption, but still not thoroughly ripe for show purposes. Mr. R. Wortley saw this, and purchased the steer to undergo another year's feeding, and it has come out great as one of the cracks or leading show beasts this season. Now, inasmuch as the beast is some 6cwt. heavier than last year, there is great utility in some respects, if not in others, served by this prolonged grazing. Some other prize animals which were fed on from last year's shows do not come out so well. For in- stance, tho champion ox at Norwich was much better in quality, although not quite so weighty, as when it was exhibited last year AT the Smitlifield Club Show. The novel feature About to be introduced from America by the Smithfteld Club, of offering prizes for dressed carcases, will ba sure to illustrate far better than anything else possibly could do the folly of laying on tallow on the frames of beasts already sufficiently fattened. At least, this ha9 been the result in the United States, where news- paper writers havo taken up the early maturity question and argued in its favour much more warmly than they did beforo prizes for dressed carcases wore given at Chicago. A young steer at from 16 to 24 months old may be brought to dovalop quite as much fat in conjunction with lean as is good for the human stomach, or even grateful to tha palate. I mean, of course, when the animal has been kept fast thriving from birth, banking its baby flesh at compound interest, and forced still more rapidly onwards at each fresh IItep..As only pure-blood animals will do this, or, at least, those having a considerable proportion of pure blood, the cattle classes under two years of age at fat stock shows actually afford better advertise- ments of the utility or pedigree than the older ones, although the argument is so much used that we cannot abolish the latter because, in their per- fectly ripened and grand developments, they are a standing memento, or, rather, a practical exempli ligation, of having the right sort of material for grazing purposes. There is a strange anomaly just now in ordinary grazing which is partly connected with the above subject, inasmuch as it shows the paramount im- portance of adopting the early maturity system in ordinary farming no less than in preparing animals for fat cattle shows. Young store beasts are cheaper than they have been for years, and msy be bought so low that the prices cannot possibly pay their breeders. Yet there is a general com- plaint among graziers that at the present rates of beef and mutton in the wholesale market their business of meat-making is unremunerative. What is the practical conclusion to be formed here? Evidently the prices of store stock must drop lower stiil or the wholesale rates of meat must advance, to give the bulk of grazing farmers the profits they desire, and everyone studying the subject must admit that neither the one thing nor the other is likely to occur. In the first place, if young store Cattie fall any lower in value, breeding will be abandoned by a great many who now pursue it, and this, by shorten- ing tho supply, would tend to enchance the prices of those on offer. Already the Agricultural Returns show that this has taken place to some extent, the numbers of cattle under two years old being less at the last census than they were the year pre- viously. On the other hand, the immense ship- loads of cattle from Canada and of frozen mutton from the Antipodes show an indication to depre- ciate the mest market more and more. The lesson to be learnt from the above is that the British grazier's occupation is irretrievably gone unless he can be brought to adopt the early matu- rity system in its entirety, and to do that he must breed his uwn stock, unless he can form an agree- ment with the dairy farmer to rear calves for him until they are tit to wean. At all events, young stock fattened from birth, whotlier calves, lambs, or pigs, and sold just at the right .ages when they pay best for feeding, can stilt be made to give satisfactory returns even at present prices, while the older system of one man rearing a young 1 animal in very lean condition and another to subsequently buy the lean frame and clothe it with fat has utterly broken down. I have now to announce something which ought to be of great interest to all dairy farmers who make butter. As is tolerably well known, the Continental makers have the chief advantage over home producers in being able to send here an article better adapted to the palate; and it has often been said that the only way to compete with the best French and Scandinavian butters is to manufacture from sweet cream. When the cream separators were introduced it was supposed that this would be made easy. Only large farmers have hitherto, however, been able to afford to uee them, because they have required steam power in thf: working. The improvements recently made in the Laval separator will entirely obviate this evil. In the first place, for large dairies the full-sized I Laval, which has been sold for jE35, will now sepa- rate 90 gallons per hour, and has been fitted with a turbine underneath calculated to actuate the machine by merely having steam forced in. This can bo generated by one of Hindley's steam boilers. costing £28. The addition of the turbine to the separator costs £10, so that the whole, boilor in- cluded, would cost £73, The hand Laval cream separators are, however, what, in my opinion, will produce a revolution in butter-making, as the smaller one, occupying no more room than a Churn, will separate 23 gallons per hour, and costs only J619, and there is A larger one, calculated to separate 35 gallons per hour. costing £2,)'; Both turn remarkably easy, which I can vouch for, having tried them myself. I should say a strong lad or a woman would actuate one of t hem without the slightest distress. By turning tho main wheel 40 revolutions per minute the in termediate gearing gets up tht speed to 6,500 revolutions.

"'I" GARDENING NOTES. rBv MR. J. MOIR, MAHHAM."] CHRYSANfUKStOMS AFTeR FLOWERING.—Unfor* tnnateiy, chrysanthemums are nearly over. They have been wonderfully attractive of tate.and thej will he sadly missed, as no other class of plantg will produce such a gay mass of fl'wer until we are well into the Spring or summer of 1887. Chrysanthemums have been vastly improved during the last dozen years or 80, so far as size, form, and colour go. but very late flowering varieties are as scarce Mover, and anyone wishing to make a fortune has only to produce a new class which wili bloom as freely in December and January as our present varieties do in October and November, as this is the greatest improvement which could possibly be worked amongst them. We have a few varieties which bloom in December, hut they are far too scarce, and January ones are unknown. Those still in bloom should be kept in » very dry atmosphere, as tney are so much inclined to damp at this time, and all that have done blooming should be cut over about one foot from the surtace, and then placed in a cold frame, or somewhere to be sheltered from severe frosts or cutting winds. They are quite hardy and need not be pampered, but a little shelter is beneficial to them, as it is a greatadvantage to securea good lot of strong, free-growing cuttings in February, aud these come best when the plants < are not. Wholly neglected after flowering. When the PLANTS have been in a greenhouse 01 conservatory the young growths at the bottom become somewhat tender, and care should be taken that these are not checked when the plants are taken out. When they cannot be put in frames they may be placed behind a hedge or amongst some bushes, where the wind cannot reach them In its strength but do not put them in a dark or shady place to blanch the young growths, as the sole aim in dealing with them is to keep them robust for cuttings. An exceptional time of taking cuttings is Decem- ber, but propagation it done, as a rule, in February or March, and blossoms of the greatest excellency may be secured from the latter plants. Chrysan- ( themums in the open air should also be cut over as soon as their flowers wither, as a gale may blow them so much about as to uproot thetll, and they will not do well afterwards. Very choice sorts in TIIE open may be surroundad by A little manure as protection. CCFRONEASTE6S.—These are a useful class of ever- green shrubs that merit general culture on account of the free and unfailing WAY they produce red borries in winter. Hollies and some other kinds of berry-bearing trees are very uncertain in their CROPS; "for instance, holly berries are remarkably scarce this year, but cotoneasters never fail to truit witii tbe greatest freedom. The best of them are Hookerinna, Simondsii, Microphylla, and Wheelerii. They may be planted to climb up a house front, fence, or wall of any kind, or they may be allowed to scramble about the ground, and in all cases their numerous deep scarlet, purple and yellow berries will be con- spicuous at this season. C, Microphylla is perhaps the best, known and most gensrally grown, but the others are equally useful. When planted against a house and trained to its walls it is generally clipped close in to a smooth surface, but the berries appear to the greatest advantage when no clipping i" done. THE WISTARIA.—Pretty flowering climbers óf a gracefully growing and hardy character are always in demand by those who wish to embellish the fronts of their houses, and amongst all climbing plants few can equal the wistaria for this purpose. It grows very rapidly, the shoots running out A distance of 12ft. or more in one season, and when it produces its drooping clusters of pale blue, sweet-smelling flowers IN the early summer it is pleasing beyond measure; when it becomes large and covers A large space, as we sometimes SEE IT on old fashioned liOuseS, it is charming in the highest degree. The present is A Rood tune to plant it; and if every one of your readers ordered and introduced one or more, they would be none too humerous. It is not peculiar in its habits* and will grow in almost any kind of soil and situa- tion. WSITUS ELEPHANT POTATO.—This potato is note- worthy as a very heavy cropper. A writer in A contemporary says that from two tubers of 16 planted in 1884, planted again in 1835, and re- planted in 1886, he has now secured 112 bushels, or about three tons, of excellent potatoes, No special preparation was made for them, and trom the time of planting the two tubers and digging the three tons was about two and a liali years. Surely this is the "poor man's potato,' but we have found it sometimes deteriorate in a garden, while I know of some farmers who are charmed with it as a field crop. I daresay, how. ever, it is like all other varieties of potatoes, good in one place and indifferent in another, but it is, undoubtedly, a hea.vy-cropping variety every- where. CARNATIONS IS WINTER.—Most of the varieties of the carnation are hardy at least, severe weather will not kill them outright, but many of them ara injured by it, and although many growers could not keep them under glass in winter, they may protect them. If a layer of half-decayed "leaves is put round the plants at present, any frost or severe weather which may come will do them little or no harm. Where leaves or short manure cannot be had for the purpose, a layer of ashes will do. Whatever is put on should be packed round the collars of the plants, as it is here they are most liable to suffer. Sand may also be used, and where snails and slugs are plentiful it may be better to use sand or ashes than leaves, all these sometimes afford too much shelter to vermin. Two GOOD Rosts.—There are many good roses, only some do not succeed everywhere, but the two I write of do not belong to this class. They are Gloire de Dijon and Cheshunt Hybrid. They are both exceedingly free in growth, and will succeed as dwarfs, standards, or climbers. They are the most useful of all roses for clothing the front of a house, twining round a pillar, or scrambling up a treliis. They make shoots many feet in length in one year, and bst, but not least, they bloom with the greatest pro- lusion from the first genial spring days to the very last of the autumn. Indeed, they often blossom in winter, as 1 found some blooms on A south wall on the 1st of December, and this IS not uncommon. The Gloire pro- duces a full buff-coloured bloom, which is delightfully fragrant, and the Cheshunt Hybrid has large flowers of a clear carmine colour. They are all of fine form, and capable of giving tha highest satisfaction as seen growing, arranged in vases, or on the exhibition table. Roses should never be planted in quantity without including both of them, and where only a brace are planted, these should be the ones. They delight in a rich soil, and this should always be suppiiod them from the first, as, if once stunted, they may not do well for a long time. WINDOW PLANTS. — The fuchsias, geraniums, musk, and such like, which made the windows gay in summer, have failed now, as, although some of them have still foliage on, the flowers have gone, and no more need be expected until the spring or early summer. The plants should be kept very dry at the root, and, so long as frost or damp does not injure them, they may be kept in any odd corner, but it too much water is given them when there is growth they will not keep well, and many of them may be dead by the end of March. Ferns in pots and ca-.ea should also have a rest now, and very little water must be given them. The tender green fronds may shrivel if they are kept dust dry at. the root, but the next thing to this will be found to agree with them admirably for the next three months. Damp and cold do not go well together with ferns in winter. LILY OF THE VALLEY.— This charming white flower is admired at all seasons, so much so, II; fact, that the úesire to possess it in winter is very general, and many attempts are made to force it into flower by Christmas, but the majority of them are a failure, as no one who cannot com- mand a bottom heat of 90 degrees and a top heat of 75 degrees will ever have it in bloom in Decem- lmr, and it takes the same heat, very good roots and crowns, and A great deal of attention to have it in bloom in January.

THE COPYRIGHT ACTION AGAINST MESSRS. DUNCAN & SONS. PAYMENT BY DEPENDANTS OF MLIJSAUS. DANIEL OWEN AND CO.'KS COST. It will be remembered that in the month of August last an action brought by Messrs. Daniei Owen and Company, proprietors of the Western Mail, against .MESSRS. Duncan and Sons, of the SOltth Wales Daily lYezcs, for damages sustained by au infringement of the copyright of the programme of the Aberdare National iustedd- fod, was heard before Mr. Martin Scale (under-sheriff) and a special jury, sitting at Cardiff. Doth parties to the action, it then transpired, had, in the ordinary course of business, been. invited, amongst others, to tender to the Eisteddfod Com- mittee tor the sole right to publish the programme of the week's proceedings. The Messrs. Daniel Uwen and Co. were the successful competitors, the copyright being sold to them for the sum of twenty guineas, thus making them its absolute owners. Then ensued a course of action on the parti of the defendants charac- terised at the trial as mean and despicable to the last degree. Obtaining, by some means, an advanco copy of the book, they, on the morning of the first day of the Kisteddfod, when the greatest sale was expected, published in their paper, the South H ales Daily News, some tifteen out oftheeanre eighteen pages which went to make up the programme, and when asked for an explana- tion, ooolly replied by seating that, though the book was copyright, they bad "taken the precaution to ascertain beforehand it had not been registered." As was pointed out at the trial, however, the registration could be made at any time during the following twelve- month, and this the defendants did ascer- tain," but not tiH after the piracy had been committed and the damage done. Peing advised, presumably, of the illegality, not to speak of the dishonesty, of the act, in the suit which the plaintiffs at once commenced judgment was allowed to go by default, and at the hearing before the Under-yherilf the only question was the assessment of damages. The amount awarded by the jury was £ O os. with costs, but, though the latter fact was distinctly stated in the inquisition and certified by Mr. tkJale, the defendants in tbeir papers, in order to throw dust in the eyes of the public, and minimise the seriousness of the offence and the extent of the reparation exacted from them, headed the reports of the trial with the misleading announcement, set in type of tae largest, that the verdict was without coats," and went oat of their way to interpolate words to the same effect in the body of the report. It was, we presume, also by their instructions that their learned counsel, Mr. Abel lhomas, "staked his reputation" on the assertion that the verdict did not carry costs. The fact that the costs in the action came before the Taxing Master last week, when the Messrs, Duncan were ordered to pay the plaintiffs' costs, taxed and allowed at or about £8498. 8d., is A very significant commentary on Messrs. Duncan's conduct and Mr. Abel Thomas's legal acumen. This amount has now been received by Messrs. Morgan and Scott, the plaintiffs' solicitors. What the amount of Messrs. Duncan and Sons' untaxed costs (which they have to pay in addition to Messrs. Daniel Owen and Co.'s taxed costs) will be it is impossible for us to say.

-SUICIDE OF MRS. CROSS AT R1SCA. Mr. E. H. Davies, deputy-coroner, held an inquest it the Exchange Hotel, Risca, on Monday after- noon touching the sad death of Mrs. Ada Harriette Cross, wife of Mr. William Cross, brewer, who died AN Friday afternoon after having been shot with a. revolver.—The husband, Mr. W. Cross, stated that tiis wife was 22 years of age. They had been married only twelve months. On Friday she com- plained of shooting pains in her head, and was my low spirited. They were taking dinner toge- ther about one o'clock, when deceased rose sud- denly and made for a passage towards the back of I he house. She said nothing, and he went IN with his dinner taking NO notice. AS Ids wife did not return, he sent the ser- vant for her, but she returned, saying her mistress was crying or sobbing. He went out and found the door bolted. Thinking she was in a fit, lie climbed over the trellis and gained entrance by another door. He then found her lying in the water-closet on her right side, with a pool of blood in front of her. He thought she had burst a blood vessel, but on raising HER up lie saw a revolver close to her mouth. She was carried into the dining-room, and doctors were called to attend to her. The revolver was one which was usually kept over the chimney-piece. It had been sent on the previous day to the coach-house to be cleaned, and was afterwards restored to the chimney-piece. Witness added that he kept cartridges in a cabinet in his bedroom. His wife had suffered a good deal from neuralgia. He did not know what could have made her low-spirited, as she was perfectly happv.—Mr. Thomas Clifford Cross said on the Friday he saw deceased pick up the revolver off the table, and she remarked that it was a nice one. He advised her to have nothing to do with it, she, however, asked him how in should be loaded, and witness showed ner. She said nothing about shooting herself.—Deceased's husband, re-called, said his wife seemed greatly affected by the death of Fred. Archer, and had not been the same since.—Dr. Robathau spoke to having seen the deceased when she was carried into the dining-room. She was not then dead, but from her condition he thought she would not live long. After her death, which occurred about five p.m lie found a small hole at the back of the throat, which be, concluded had been caused by the bullet being discharged from the revolver in her mouth.—The jury, in the result, fouhd that" Deceased committed suicide while temporarily insane."

On Friday a fatal accident occurred at the Glamorgan Coal Company's colliery. The deceased, John Ludlow, aged 18, had taken a journey ot trams from a heading. Alarmed at his not return- ing, his fellow workmen sought him, and found him under a tram dead. The cause of death is Dot exactly understood, as there was not a bruise (,tU the body.