The Cardiff Times

SUNCLAD TOBACCO IS the Best. Try It.

WORKMEN'S TOPICS. .W,ol By MABON, M.P. CONTINUED EXPANSION OF 1 TRADE. The Board of Trade returns for the month of lanuary render additional force to the conten- tion that the present time, at least.isnot, favourable to attempt to win over the people to the cause of Tariff Reform. The trade seems nornehi w or other determined to safeguard its reputation against, all the c.'uranies of Tariff Reformers. Our export trade in January was increased more than jM.OCO COO, on the corres- ponding figures of last year, and an increase of £ 10.000 00C on the figures of the year before that Moreover, in each case, more than four- fifths of the increase is under the heading of manufactured goods. If we turn to the other side of the account to the imi orts, which are Dot less important to our national well-being that- our exports, we find that nearly the whole of the increase in the month of January is due to the increased importation of raw materials, in particular most of materials which are specially required in our great textile trades and industries. The fact is that we are im- porting more hundred-weights of raw cotton, more pounds of raw wool and raw silk, and more tons of hemp anr, jute than we were a year ago. and in every case the increase is a substantial one. Our other industries also appear to be doing as well as the great textile group, and in view of such results as these Mr A J Balfour was right when he advi- ed his followers not to fix their minds on one idea, but to remember that the Unionist party has other duties besides the advocacy of Tariff Reform W ise Mr Balfour J The Distribution of eur Trade. The January issue of the Board of Trade returns is always very interesting, and more so than the returns of any other period of the year, because it includes quite a number of tables showing the geogtapLicaJ distribution of our trade during 'he previous twelve months, and it is j rom these tables that we are able to leara so very accurately how our trade with all other countries is progressii g It is indeed most interesting and very satisfactory to be able to took down that long list of foreign countries and British possessions and notice how in almost every case there is a substantial increase of 4ifferent trader—France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, and Spaij, besides a number of other less im- portant commercial countries in Europe, all of which bought more British goods than in the y».=ir beiore. The Unlled States followed the tjexcellent example, increasing as she did L r "purchases from £ 24,000,000 to £ 2Z,0ClQv0QGt Atnov.? pur own possessions India. naturally comes easily far and away our best customer- Ijtst year India to k from us of pure British gpods to the amount of £ 45,000,000, which iy Boosidei ably in excess of the total amount taken by Canada, Australia, and New Zealand all put together. Comparing foreign customers jrit-h those within the Empire, we find that the dPr -6s of British goods to foreign countries tea. -J year ft6 £ 'i: 1600,000, white the export to British posses- Si-«-? 0aiy ^121,900,000 And this proportion of twofu one will surprise only those who are unfamiliar wtth t! e general course of our over- saa trade and very strange to say this, shall we say. almost identical ratio between our exports to fore gu countries and those to our o potseesions has continued with that stra. -ge pert tuacit-v for the past fifty years, in spite of the great expansion of trade—this fiict ought to be nf particular mterest to our tariff relorming fr,ends when they are abusing the trade ol their country The Apparent Triumph of the Getman Kaiser. The final results, after the Second Ballot of the German elections, has made it fairly clear that the Kaiser and his Chancellor will have the majority fur external purposes in the new Reichstag but it is not at all certain that they will have it unreserved y for internal purposes. The possible combinations that have been previously hinted at between the various groups are possibly too intricate for myself to e tub ark upon with any authoritative criticism But it is worth while noting as g, possible set-off of the loss cf thirty-six seats by the Social democrats, thai the various groups which call themselves Radical and Independaufc Liberal, as distinguished from the National Liberal or Imperialist Party, have gained between them fifleen csats Opposition to the Social Demo- 1 trais had tended, doubtless, for the time being, to throw those groups in: o the hands of the Government in matters of Imperial policy, and the Chancellor apparently relie3 upon tl^pm to meet any temporary conditions between the Strong centre party and the otbes discontented groups. I am not quite sure after all that the weakening of the Socialists may weaken also the motive that has hitherto keptotdinary Liberals and Radicals with the Government on these issues, and under the new circumstances they may not prove a check upon the am- bitious schemes that are dreamt of by the Pan- Crermans as well as those of personal power by the Emperor There are alreaJy significant warnings sent forth to the Kaiser and his Chan- cellor from an shades of Liberalism—even the national Libera! journals, I a.m informed, are reminding them that it would be unwise to reckon only the results of the election in the Reichstag, behind these there are driving forces that are yet ta be reckoned with. Some surprise is feit even in Germany that the Emperor himself has gone into the fray and coi'jr^i rJated his people on the defeat of the Opposition. You know how to ride," he tells them, and ^oti will ride down whatever.places itself in our wa\ Now have we learned the art of beating the foemen, and are much minded to practise It again." This, one sup- poses, is what is called his triumph. One cannot help thinking that there is some ground for re- serve, even m that apparent, great triumph- the centie is still unshaken, and the Socialists, despite their revise, claim to have polled a quarter of a million moie votes at this Election than at the last. Last week J said that it would l-e impoitant to know whether their deieat has been brought about by de- fections in the r own ranks or by the awakening of previously downward politicians, anu\we are glad now to know that they we.e not tfcieated by defections of their own supporteis, but by the rally of the stay-at- homes who have responded to the appeal for patriotism, etc. The position is very much in Germany now as it was in this country six years ago, when every .good and honest man that dared to saj a word against the Khaki War was dubbed as a Little Englander, and would have despaired of his country if he took tibe wdfd seriously. So it is at present in Get- m&ny. If the whole Centre Party, and the three andquarter million Socialists really deserved the, title of-foemen," the friends of Germaoy^ytlld have "to take a, very gloomy View f-atu-e -or, in other words, if every German JsJDCiai Democrat is an enemy of his country and Kaiser then the number of enemies within the Fatherland, alrcadylarsre, is now larger tijan ever it was before Still, given the cotiditions, it must be ad- mitted that Le Kaiser's elation at the election was a veiy natural one. His Mrjasty has on man) pr¡:" ious occasions declared war against the !*)(« tat Democrats—Socialism to hfm, one comprehends to be much the same as clerical- isru was to Garnbetta, the enemy "—and the enemy has met with a singular defeat for the time being, and for the time being only- moreover it must not be forgotten that Prince Buclow declared war against the Blacks "— the Outre Party—as well ;il against the ■Reds." the Socialists, and that tbi! Blacks. instead of being "ridden down, have gore Vapk Ufctie stronger than before, and it is still V ) more numerous than any other party, and though there cad be no alliance between these two parties oc economic questions, there may be on other, and the success of Blacks "at the polls has proved that the policy of Prince Buelow and his Sovereign has nob been so como pleteas they desired—and the Socialists of Germany will rise again."

Welsh Tit-Bits. Neu Wreichion Oddiar yr Eingion By CADRAWD, THE FAIR LADIES OF LLANGOLLEN. The Vale of Llangollen has been universally allowed by tourists of distinguished taste and experience to rank in picturesque beauty with either Italy. Spain, or Switzerland and there have scarcely been any historians or poets of celebrity who have lived in or visited North Wales in any period, that have not paid a tribute of praise to this lovely valley. A German Prince who visited the VaJe in 1838. wrote of the impressions which his excursion in that vicinity excited in him: A spot which, in my opinion far surpasses all the beauties of the Rhine-land, and has, moreover, a character of its own from the uuu.«ual forms of the peaked tops and rugged declivities of the mountains. The Dee, a rapid stream, winds through the green valley in a thousand fantastic bendings, overhung with thick underwoood. The vege- tation is very rich, and the hills and Vales are filled with lofty trees, whose varied hues add infinitely to the beauty and picturesque effect of a landscape." The market town of Llangollen is situated about four miles from Chirk Ca- tie, and twelve from Oswestry, and the river is crossed by » beautiful bridge of five lr.rge pointed arches and accounted one of the seven wonders. and one of the three gems of Wales. This very ancient monument is ascribed to the Bishop of St. Asaph, John Trevor. about the year 1400, but went under substantial repairs in 1656. But with all its charms, it is perhaps for the lovers of artistic and romantic objects, The "Ptas Newydd," for the last century, have had the greatest attraction, the beautiful cottage of the Fair Maids of Llangollen," who chose to make this secluded spot their abod<. Two queer old fouls, who. when they were young, vowed—as violently attached ladies do vow—for celibacy and a cottage only, with this ditference-they ful- filled t heir vows Both were Irish ladies, of high birth their names were Lady Eleanor Butler and Misft Ponsonby. The first was tho daughter of the Earl of Ormonde, and was 16 years the senior of the Honourable Miss Pousonby It is said that both had refused tempting offers of mar- riage but were tired of the r?straint of being under guardianship th»y left clandestinely their home in the county of Carlow. for Dublin. Miss Ponsonby taking with her a favourite servant. Mary Carrvl- To escape detection they crossed the Channel. and lived together m a humble way at Denbigh but in their peregrinations they came to Llangollen, and were so much captivated with the locality that they determined to settle here and enjoy its extreme beauty and ,-uiet seclusion. They took a neatr little cottage called pen -y. niaes. containing only a kitchen, a sitting-room and two bedrooms and shortly purchased, the place with the land near. and improved the situa. ion to such an extent that they changed the name, and called it Plas Newydd (Now Hall). The estate altogether comprised a little more than four acres of land, to which t&tp refitted Soifte nine acres mofe. and Jjere here their favourite servant Miry Cdfryl lived and died. Nothing could induce them to leave this retreat, and they hardly ever slept a sitigle night away from home, and were never sepa- rated. Hence they were called the Ladies of Llangollen. "The Fair Recluses." Their first appearance at Llangollen, about the year 1778. was novel in the extreme. Lady Eleanor, who approached the age of 40, was still young-looking and Mourning Mary Carryl was attired as a servant, always dutiful and obedient, while Miss Ponsonby appeared in the guise of a footman with top- boots and buckskin breeches. Miss Seward, the English autltoresR and poet, the friend of Dr Johnson and Sir W. Scott. speaks of these curiosities of Llangollen about the end of the eighteenth century Never shall I forget the first burst yesterday upon entering the drawing-room, to find the dear antediluvian darlings attired for dinner in the same manified dress both ladies are highiy accomplished, particularly acquainted with the events of their own day. Lady Eleanor ex-, presses herself on almost any subject with equal fluency, enercy, and gracefuinesfI, Both the ladies read a. great deal. speak several lau- guages, and are great admirers of the Italian poets. Mr Charles Mathews, the comedian, having first seen them in the Oswestry theatre, and at a dinner p..H.ty at Porkington. describes them— Ob, such curiosities I was nearly convulsed, and could scarcely get on for the first ten minutes after my eye caught them. As they are seated, there is not one point to distinguish them from men, the dressing and powdering of the hair, their well-starched neckcloths, and the upper parts of their habits, which they al- ways wear even at a dinner party, are made precisely like men's coats, and Regular Black Beaver Hats." At first the villagers were much shocked at their behaviour, and there were a good many opinions concerning them, but they soon be- came understood, and once tbey had under- stood them tbey learnt to respect and admire them, for their kindness and charity to the poor won their love. In all their domestic arrangements they were thrifty and remarkably industrious their place was a model of neatness and careful management. Besides their servant Mary they kept each a lady's maid they also em- ployed constantly a carpenter, a cowman, and a man 01 all work, and every inch of the ground was made productive, as well as pleasing to the eye. Among the distinguished personages who visited the ladies at their charming retreat. may be mentioned the Duke of Wellington and Sir Walter Scott, The Duke was at Plas Newydd a few weeks after he had been created a Duke, and a year before the great Battle of Waterloo. The place where he lunched with the ladies is now called the Wellington Garden, a.nd a record of the event was placed on an oak mantelpiece, the ladies placing their initials' over the fireplace in the oak-room thus E.U. S.P. 1814. Sir Walter Scott saw Plas Newydd iu the year 1825. and describes the scene in a letter to his daughter. In religion they were Protestants, and were deeply attached to the Church of England, but were perfectly liberal in matters of religion as in all others. They never interfered with the religion of their servants, believing that the realm of conscience to be the domain of the Almighty alone. On their way to Church on Sunday-, they acted religion in distributing qiipgogy pisces -'to deptirvjng. poor, and they were at all tunes kind and symp&thetie with 31ary Carryl 4100, many .years before the I^dy Eleanor, leaving all her savings to her. devoted, ladies and when Lady -Eldanor died June, 1829, in the 90th year of her age, she was buried in the same grave asMary, the servant. Miss Ponsonby followed her in a few years, and a pillar in Llangollen Chi rehyard marks the place of their repose, after living together for more than fifty years of uninterrupted friend- ship, deep.y lamented by a sorrowful commu- nity. Moreover, these trish ladies were not the only distinguished ladies of Llangollen, for we have the famed Myfatiwy Fechan," of Caaten, Dioas Br«n, who was loved by a poor poet; then there is the modern bpauty Jenny Jones, made immortal by the transcendent comedian, Mr C. Mathews (senior).

Theatre audiences of to-day are patient, long-suffering, and merciful. Patient before the curtain goes up. and merciful when it falls. To say nothing of the long weary wait outside before are-open* I

MUSIC IN WALES, By D. EMLYN EVANS IN MEMORIAM-MR WILLIAM DA\flE8 Ourlittle Welsh world of song is,in these days, deeply grieving over the early death of another of its talented sons, Mr William Davies, late of St. Paul's Cathedral. and the Guildhall School of Music, London. He was acknowledged as being one of the best song writers which his country had ever possessed; and those who had tin pleasuTeo-of being on terms of intimacy with bim knew him also as one of the most faithful oi friends and most amiable of natures. The writer hopej to be able some day to write of bim and his work more satisfactorily and at gleater length than he can at present. The Eisteddfod in Reiatien to Music.* (Continued.) Very likely some are alrtady impatient to re- mind me of the choral priies offei ed. a-s well as the number of others in solosinging, matrumen. tal playing, etc and to ask, What of them ?" But they are not by any means forgotten, and they have not been left unnoticed hitherto with the slightest intention to shirk that part of the subject. Such an attempt wouid be too silly, to say nothing stronger According to my opinion poetry, prose, and all kinds of composi- tion—musical or otherwise—form one class i while singirg, playing recitation, etc consti- tute another. The first cannot ;)e considered a profit-producing class, nor even one that is self-supporting, I do not know of a single poet, litterateur, or composer of music in Wales who has made he fortune—or his living—through his writings or,-compositions and it is from the performing sections of the Eisteddfod-includ- ing the concerts, of eourse-that the writers who compete in it, whether in music, prose and literature generally, or poetry, mainly derive their pay Some threatenings, possibly not loud though perhaps deep. are heard now and anon that the bards and literary men will thrust out their sister, Musk. unless she is more provident and reasonable in her demands in the future. It is not wise to threaten with no intention to strike, and without counting the cost if one were to strike. The real danger is that Music may shut the door upon the other subjects this is what has happened already in the great major- ity of JocalSouth Wales Eisteddfodau and more than likely, the process will spread still .further, and affect the country at large, in- cluding the National Eisteddfod itself ulti- mately. The leaven is in tLe meal, and a little may suffice to leaven the whole Jump. It is the du y of loyal eisteddfodists, therefore, to be united as one upon the fundamental question of preserving the Eisteddfod, and to hand it on to their successors in its purity and oomplete, ness. The smaller matters can take care of themselves, and work out their own salvation, subject to higher and more important claims In regard to adjudications I again distinguish between those dealing with composition— whether poetry, prose, or music—and with per- formance singing, instrumental performance. and recitation and that for a raason which appears to me as simple as it is convincing, vis/: that the competitors in the latter class arp. present, and that the public have heard their efforts* have been forming some opinion as tp their comparative merits, and are loGk.ng forward with, internet to the judges* observa- tions and award..Respecting the compositions submitted in manuscript some months prior to the fcjsteddiod,, it, is,possible the competitors may be but few"cmr any given subject, and itis quite possible also that the majority or indeed all of thAm may 1:¡e absent. Under such circnm- slances it is difficult to understand what utility or interest: to the thousands assembled jtogethec c$ja there be in a long and learned #<4uhtfefs"either thrr subject- or; the speaker may possess some exceptional attrac- tions. In this connection the bards are given great latitude with the chairing and crowning functions, there being scarcely any limit as to time or ceremonial. Some one has spoken of weary trifling with cynghanedd, and cnglyn- ion, and such like puerilities," a criticism whioh these bardic high jinks" may or may not deserve. But speaking lor myself, our Neo. druidical friends are full welcome to such liberty; not for two days, but for every day of the Eisteddfod for it grants a happy relief bo the poor musical adjudicator's mind. and possibly the opportunity for some refreshment to his weary pei«on, tied as he has been to the heavy work of the preliminary competitions in the morning, succeeded by that of the pavilion. Nevertheless, so tarns I have observed and my experience goes, a few minutes is all the time consumed by the judges in musical com- positions when announcing their awards. It was so at the last Carnarvon gathering for instance. My critical notes on the seven sub- jects in musical composition filled a large num- ber of pages, but the public remarks combined of my colleagues and myself on those competi- tions would not fill the one-twentieth part of paper. The competitors had to be satisfie 1 with the assurance that the derailed adjudica- tions would be published subsequently, a promise made to be kept, of course. In this matter again, it can scarcely be said that the musician as a composer is shown any favour But when all is said, I believe improvement is possible in more than one direction One would be to reduce the number of subjects, i commencing with the choral items I think that one choral contest a day would amply I suffice :-(1) the chief choral, (2) the second ditto, (3) male voice choirs, and (4) female ditto, four in all. It will be perceived that I omit congregational as well as children's choirs, without mentioning a number of others, such as boys' choirs and so on, which have been added to the already 07er crammed programme at one or two recent Eisteddfodau- I maintain that their proper place is the competitive meeting and the local Eisteddfod; just as the correct school for the child and the ignorant is the elementary educational establishment in tbe village, and not the university colleges of Aberystwyth, Bangor, or Cardiff, etc. Further, the eisteddfodic coach is already so heavily laden that it is in danger of cppling over unless care be taken. If I am not much mistaken the general feeling—and that a growing feeling- is that there are too many small subjects of all sorts, not in bhe musical section alone, but more or less throughout, so that the meetings of the Eisteddfod become a burden to the audience as well as the officials and the judges As is known, the" rnorninK" (sic) meeting sometimes continues until and after the time- the doors should be open for the evening concert. Upon occasion it also happens that the outgoing and the incoming audiences meet at the entrances and it is easily imagined what, confusion and discomfort—plus some little bad temper pos- sibly-ensue in consequence. This occurred once at Carnarvon last year, when the authorities were wise enough to direct, the respective crowds to different means of egress and ingress but it is not every Eisteddfod, even National, that possesses the facilities for such arrangements. But meetings of that length, where the work is so exhausting, which are continued without a break for six or sevenhours, are against all common sense and wystem And I have not in that estimate in- cluded the earliest, and nat the least exacting, work of all which falls to the lot of the musical adjudicators at the preliminary examinations, nor fcave J forgotten it—for too good reason There are two ways of correcting the-above evil, VM by dividing the Eisteddfod meeting proper, into two. andaliowing asfaort iEierva! ¡. between, or. to materially shorten the day's work and adhere to the-one,mseÜngrule Experience, however, has shown, that the first plan implies waste of valuable tune, and prob. ably the one-meeting will be most satis factory all-round, subject to that meeting being cup. tailed as already suggested. I am strongly of opinion that there should be at least two prizes in each choral competition, but not an extravagantly large first prize and a ridiculously small second. At Mountain Ash three prizes were offered-with which 1 agree— in the chief contest} a first of £150. a.second of £ 30fand a third of £ 20—and with which neither I, nor, 1 think, any of us will agree, there being no manner of reasonableness in a first prize of JB150 and a second of £30 a difference of JBI20 Two prizes were offered at Carnarvon..E160 and £25 respectively, a greater difference still, 1 although hardly so emphasised as at Mountain Ash, with its two excessively meagre second and tyued smeoiafts. I obwrre tbat eboirs generally run one another very closely, according to the pronouncements of these gentlemen who ad- judicate by marks or figures, the difference between a number being often but one raark.and sometimes even less. But be that as it may. I hardly think I ever found, during what may be termed now a somewhat lengthy experience, at any choral contest with which I have been con- nected that the relative position of the best and second best choir would be such as to justify a prize of JS150 or more for the former and but £ 30 or less for the latter. The regret as a rule is that thett are not two or three fairly liberal prizes so:adjusted as to be severally worthy of the comparative merits of the con- testants. (To be continued) A paper read before the Welsh National Society. Liverpool, January 17th, 1907,

Fashion and Things I Feminine. By MISS IDA MELLER. Early 3pi|pg Fashions. The early sprina faHtkms show no verystartl- ine changes from tR modes we are already accustomed to but Ve are threatened with a return of the small waist. This is but a natural sequence to the revruKl of the tight-fitting coat, which has brought iawts train a revolution n the fashion of figuresrahe waist once more being emphasised. Thedr<$|3rover lias been gradually disappearing, and ci||seie'fcs have been cut and stiffened in a manner that encourages them to fit closely to the figure and bring about much shapeliness in the contour of the waist So far,, so good. But a return to the very small, un- natural waist is a thing to be deplored, and while there are many women who are always willing to run to extremes where fashion is conccmed, and sacrifice comfort and health to a whim of modes, it is certain that there are many, also, who will against the diminutive waist and its obvious accompani- ment, ight-lacing. Duflog the paett season or two, the waist haa been mupb shifted about— now high, how low but excessive compression ha» nol been a demand of fashion for quite a long time "since the advent of the straight fronted effect, iu fact With, the attention th.,t now promises to be givep. to waists, belt3 are naturally an importau fe feature of warty spring fashions. The newest are fairly wide, and cf silk elastic in various colours, studded with cut steel or other ornaments, some of the most decorative belts having a border along the top in a deeper shade of contrasting colour. Among the new costume coats are .me smart little models of hip-leugth, lfttoukled to the figure, and severely simple in,cons^^jBSfors, fSeteiiiug with a'ilfigle row of buttons down thfe front, afra havitig, perhapsan ineh-wide band of strapping moning the length of- the coat on eit her side of the buttons. Ths slceves ate long and plain, and the neck is finished in the usual way, with a small revers-collar. Striped materials are going to be very fashionable, and the stripes are arranged to take different directions in the making up, so that one blouse or costume will sometimes display diagonal, perpendicular, and horizontal stripes Black and white striped silk is effectively used on some of the new spring blouses of flowered delaine and soft silk, as witness the blouse sketched, which is of pale blue foulard flowered with white and trimmed with revers and cuffs of striped black aud white silk, the revers having trills of Valenciennes lace and resting against a vest of spotted net overlaid at the top with floral guipure. The collar-band is hemmed with striped silk, and the corslet belt is of the same material. An Idea for a Renovation. Every change of season brings with ib an interestir.g show of new blouses, and just now there is much to admire in the e irlv spring models of twill silk and surah silk, which are taking the place of taffetas No doubt women inclined to hoard w 11 be able to bring forth pieces of surah silk which have lain by since it was last fashionable and turn them to account as blouses for the spring. A short length, in. sufficient for a complete blouse, might be eked out with lace and a deep yoke or chemisette of tucked net. The blouse skei ched, for instance, offers a suggestion for utilising, a, short length of silk or satin, or for renovating a, demode blouse. The model, it will be seen. is cut very low &t the neck, and is trimmed with two deep frills, of lace. These could conceal Miy skrm-- piness that might exist in the upper part of the sleeves. The top frill i-iieaded by a band of lace insertion, and draperws of ribbon, or of the-blouse material, cross the shoulders and are finished with rosettes. The deep yoke of tucked fnet is brought to a conclusion with a lace collar band, and the puffed sleeves are finished with tight-Siting bands or tucked net bordered with lace insertion. Made in this wav is a new blouse of palest blue soft satin with ecru lace. Another fashion in silk blouses shows sleeves arranged in double puffs, and braces of em- broidery framing a chemisette of lace, below which the blouse material is tucked to a band of velvet, ribbon. To Heal Facial Blemishes. The .disappearance of small, red eruptions that from time to time disturb the^smoothness of the skin of the face, is sometimes hastened by pressing the excrescences between tvrt- fingers to rid them of the accumulation within.. The pressing-out process is almost certain to cause temporary redness, and possibly a. crust •Kill form over the root, which will remain .sore^ fer a day or two. An excellent • and a simple treatment for wjch a case is the following -— At .night anoint, the spot bbemlly with lanc, line, arsome, such skin food, and then form it- intoa paste by adding some flour, so that th« spot is entirely covered with a healing" crust. This should remain undisturbed until the morn- ing and may then be bathed off. Repeat the treatment every night until healing is com plete. Thoughts for the Week. It is very certain that sincere and happy con- versation doubles our powers that, in the e -'ort to unfold our thought to a friend, we make it clearer to ourselves, and surround it with illust atioris that help and delight us It may happen that each hears from the other a better wisdom than anyone else will ever hear from either. If everyone recalled his experience, he might find the best in the spee h of sttpeiior women— which was better than song, and carried in- genuity, character, wise counsel, and affection, a-a easily as the wit with which it was adorned. No one can be a waster in conversation who has not learnt much from women- Manners arc the refeat^rs of secrets, the betrayers of any disproportion of want of .^ym- metry m udwiJ iBftd character,— £ mer»o«n ♦

TALKS ON HEALTH. 8y DR. ANDREW WILSON. Some Kidney Ailments. In the present, season of the year when the risks of chill and damp become materially increased, a word of warning regarding kidney complaints will not be deemed out of place. It so happens that from readers of this column I receive-l last week several letters suggesting this topic.which I had already marked down for treatment. My correspondents speak of the risk which apparently the cold season brought with it Oi incurring kidney ailments. and one or two of them were actually suffering from kidney trouble brought on, as they suppose, by undue exposure to chill. One point, which must strike us as important, refers to the duties of tbe kidney in he body. They exist one on each side of the spine in the lower region of the back, or in that part to which the name of the lumbar region or tois is usually applied. As the kidneys lie fairiy near the surface of the bcdy, even althorgh they are imbedded in a protecting bedding or cushion of fat, the are obviously easily affected by chill. This observation leads naturally to the advice that in the winter time we should protect this re- gion of the body, especially if we are in a.ny way exposed to the risks of cold. It has often struck me that a great many kidney troubles would be avoided-and aJ80 such ailments 88 lumbago and rheumatism—if the practice of wearing a flannel belt or binder were more frequently represented amongst us. Addi- tional warmth and protection is given to the region of the body in which the Kidneys are situated, so also in dealing with the subject of the prevention of such troubles, I m:ght remind my readers that a very admirable con- trivance by way of preventing chill, especially in the back of the chest, is to have a waist- coat line with flanne. or similar material. It must strike one that while the front of the cLcst is fairly well protected, tie back of the chcst is not so wet! provided with coverings, and a waistcoat lining, in my opinion, wrulS a most admiia.ble safeguar I, not merely against possible kidney troubles due to cold, but likewise against chill affecting the chest. Inflammation of the Kidney. Under the term inflammation of the kidney I severaJ diseases may be classified. The moat serious of these is acute inflammation, or what is called in medical language acute nephritis, which, in its turn, may be well designated Bright's Disease/' Many persons labour under the delusion that Bright-'s Disease is necessarily of a chronic or lasting character, and that it comes on gradually, the symptoms being the presence of albumen in the urine, associated with dropsy. But kidney inflamma- tion may come on suddenly, and an attack of an acute order may prove to be a very dan- gerous trouble indeed. Such acute inflamma- tion may arise from other causes than are re presented by cold and chill. Thus this trouble is not infrequent after an .-ttack of scarlet fever, and in some cases expectant mother? suffer horn the ailment. Taking, however, the case of an ordinary attack in th* adult, brought on by cold and chill, we find that a greater, liability exists for attack in those who have been accustomed to indulge in alcohol drinking. The kidney, which in its way acts as a kind of filter, separating waste matters from the blood, is certain sooner or later to feel the strain of alcoholism. Hence kidney inflammation is by nomEoariS an un- common trouble in the case of fuse who ex- ceeding their potations, have caught chill. Symptoms. I A certain amount of fever exists in tbt: first place, whilst pain is complained of over the region of the kidneys. Occasionally attacks of vomjting come on, a,nd headache is also a I frequent symptom Previously to the attack, and after it, dropsj will frequently be found to exist, this being specially marked in the face whilst below the eyrs and in the eyelids themselves swelling may also ba seen- The dropsy later .on may affect every part of the body. and most notably th« feet and armies. One very important sign is the da.rk or smoky colo r of the urine, this symptom being due to the fa.ct that a. certain amount of blood is passed with the excretion of the kidney, this sign being the resuJt of the inflammation from which the organ is suffering. The danger of acute inflammation of the kidney fs that cfie" function* or duties oi the IlifltyiYJMg Iff g^tiieiL suppcesaea, Ja jsucn. a esse-pc&oom# of the body results, with unconsciousness, I and unless such a. case is at once seen to and promptly treat. d by a medical man, a fa tat I result may almost surely be predtcted. Pend- ing the arrivaJ of a doctor in the case of tbe kind mentioned, the sufferer should be placed in bed between blankets, the room should be kept warm, but not unnaturally close, and all risk of chill should "be avoided. Hot fomenta- tions may be applied to the region of the kid- neys whilst large draughts of hot water should also be given by way of inducing the kidneys to continue their duties. Milk will form the only articlc of diet for a certain number of days, and the urine will be fre- number of days, and the urine will be fre- quently examined by the doctor, in order to enable him to form a.n opinion regarding the progress of the case. No meat must be given or any solid food: whilst thirst may be as. suaged by large draughts of water or of a home-made lemonade, the formula for which is represented by two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar dissolved in a pint of boiling water. This may he flavoured with lemon juice and sugar, and the patient may drink freely of it when it is cooled. The main point which readers should be quick to apprehend in the case under discussion is the propriety of in- stantly sending the patient to bed when there is any symptom of dropsy associated with .1 fever, headache, and the passing from the kidney of dark coloured twine Lumbago. Turning to another trouble of which men- tion has just been mads, and one which is only too common in the winter months, we J may deal with lumhege Here pre have an affection of the muscle:? of the loins, a.!ld par-. ticularly of those which tie the body," as it were, down upon the hanneh. As these muscles are constantly in use, it can be readily understocd that when they are affected, as in the case of lumbago, tbe slighted move- ment may cause excruciating pain, especially if the ailment is represented in ite acute stage. The most commonly entertained view of the nature of lumbago is that it represents a form of acute rheumatism, and some auth >rities are given to attribute its onset to the same cause which gives origin to rheumatism namely, to an excess of lactic acid in tbe blood- It is diffi ckilt to enumerate the circumstances under which ?uch an excess of acid'may be repre- which ?uch an excess of acid'may be repre- sented iD the body, but possibly somè error of feeding and over-indulgence in meats and other rich foods may be held most frequently to represent the came of the disorder. Cold and chill wm act here in simply exaggerating or intensifying an ailment which is already repre- sented by the particular state of the system. Treatment. In the case of lumbago we find that men a.re much more subjectto this ailment than women, probably for the reason that women are more thickly clothed across the lower part of tbe back than are the members of the opposite ssx. Be this as it may, the proper treatment for this trouble is to take rest at once. For the pain, flannels wrung out of hot water an sprinkled with turpentine, and frequently renewed, w ill be found serviceable. Thereafter-the buck may he painted with the liniment of belladonna. Having regard to the idea that lumbago repre- sents ja itself an affection that is nrobably of the rheumatic order, a dose of from ten to twenty grains of salicin may be given, and re- peated if necessary in four or five hours. By some, salicylate of soda in ten grain doses every four hours is preferred. Another mode of treat- ment is that of encouraging profuse sweatit g, and this should be dime by putting the patieut between the bedclothes, giving him a hot bath, followed by the administration of ten grains of Dover's powder. Note that if profuse perspiration occurs, all risk of chill must be guarded against, and a change of undergar- ments provided.

Box-Office Autocrat Tamed. A theatre box-office man, whose seats were all sold days ahead, was turning away disap- pointed patrons more than gruffly, when a man who bad watched the process with grojving ire reached the window; setting any more tickets this season 1" he began..The ticke.t.seller answered with a stare. The questions, quietly but firmly repea.ted.. finally rsceived an affirmative answer. Give me two." When ?"' growled the seller, Ore. covering. Any time," s&id the man. The seller was almost crashed to ask Where .Anywherey! replied tha man How much ?'5 whispered the seller, his voice deserting him. Any price," said the tnan. The tickets were transferred:in an. awed silence, and thelmeof pnrchasats who had overheard smiled benevo- lentty ak the noticeably tamed man in the cMf.

Very Much So. 10 I your pardon," said the youth who had knocked at the door, I thought this was Mr Miller's house." I am Mr Miller-" Then I am glad to find that when I thought I was mistaken I was mistaken in thinking I was mistaken." What 1" ;• I say when I thought I was mistaken I was mistaken in thinking I was mistaken, and being mistaken in thinking I was mistaken when 1 wasn't mistaken, j was glad to find 1 was mis- taken when I thought I was mistaken, because r wasn't mistaken-or, rat bee, I was mistaken when I thought f mistaken, and so J; couldn't have been mistaken—well, at any rate, i I'm glad. Looks as it w« w^re«oinc to have j jam, doenrt fea!* |

Illustrated Humour. I Bag and Baggage. Vohmteer Major (excitedly): Have yon sen my baggage anywhere, Higgins ? Private Hiegins Yes, sir. I seed her five minutes ago walking with Parson G-assaway. Consoling. I Wife At Last my eyes are open to the fact that you married me for my money. Husband: Well, that ought to be consola- tion, my dear. Wife Some consolafon Husband Yes. You now realise that I am not as big a fool as you thought I was. Not to be Had. You're a man after my own heart." Oh, so glad Yes, but you won't got it. The Stamp to Blame. Yes, madam, I remember very well your buying a stamp." Well, I put it on a very important letter and posted it. It has not been received. I want you to understand that I shall buy my stamps elsewhere if this occurs again." Nearly Lynched. Hix An acquaintance of mine patented an app iance to enable a girl to play two pianos at one time Dix Did he make anything out of it ? His Well, he made a move out of thL4 town. His neighbours threatened to mob him. A Physical Impossibility. I Old Resident: Yes, I'm eighty years old and ¡ J -wnlkwt tw<tnty griie3st-*gttoeit «ljvjL Ootftd you do f &at ? Youngster c Noo, not yet; I'm only 14. Difficult. Ah your language Eet ees so difficult.' What's the matter, Count "First, zis novel eet zav ze man was un- horsed." I Yes." Zen it sav he was cowed." Xot Having Some. Old Gentleman fs mi ably): My boy, I never had a nice red sled like yours when I—— The Kid Well, if you're hintin' fer me to give yon mine, dere's nuthin' doin'. Volumes. Lady Gushington So your soil is a real author. How distractinglv interesting And does he write for money ? Practical Dad Yes, I get his applications about once a week. Real Economy "Mywitoisvery economicat" "In what way ?" Well, she wears laeed instead of but. toned shoes on account of the saving it effects in hairpins." Very Lucky. I hear you and Jones have been out shoot- ing" Yes just got back." "Did you have any luel, I should say I did Jones only hit me once. Thsn it was Dark. .Artist aSister My: dear Harold, I like your picture very "much, only 1 fancy the original doesn't look quite so red as you have, painted him. He hasn't a ruddy-complexion*; quite thereverw." Impressionist Ajtfct; „ Who on earth are you talki g-about? Artist's Sis'er hy, your uncle, of course. Impressionist Artist:7 CracMue, bat that isn't my uncle-it's a, sunset! Too Sure. Is t bat horse surefooted ?" asked the pro- spective purchaser. Wet), I sh ut<! think so," replied the owner, J "He kicked the stableman three times in the same spo. yesterday." 'L. A man who bore all the^ppearance of belowt- ing to the criminal clause* burst into a police station the other -light. I ghe myself up," he cried Why, what have you been doing V' asked the inspector. Doing groaned the culprit. For the last half-hour I've been in an office in the High-street trying every dodge II I knew to open a patent safe, and after Grill- ing it nearly full of holes with my new electrical apparatus, blest if I didn't discover that the j door wam open and the atafe empty* Please j •end me to prison at once." j

WELSH GLEANINGS. f News and Views in Lighter Vein, :f ;j, A new edition of the Welsh Bible is at present I in course of preparation at the Oxford Uraver- sity Press. Wild geese make the night hideous with their noises at Porthcawl itt-racted by the lights, they fly about the town for hours. Lord Dynevor, of Dyrtevor Castle. LIa-ndilo. who recently celebrated his 71st birthday, has just started for his usual spring trip abroad. One of the queerest place-namas in Wales is (hat of Cefntrefornwr. It is a farmhouse in Merionethsb ire. A Glamorganshire tipp!er has adopted the qujer custom of past ng his summonses for drunkenness on the partition* of his bedroom. He has now been asked to seek new lodgings. Councillor Lewis Morgan is by means of pie. ture postcards keeping his colleagues of the Cardiff City Council well informed of his move- ments during his trip in the Mediterranean. There was quite a batch of them awaiting the members when they assembled at Thursday morning's meeting of the Council. Sir Frederick Br dge is an admirer of Welsh sieging. It is a fact," he once said In a lec- ture, that the modern vocaLst and instru- mentalist aie shocking sight -readers What about Wales ?" someone in the audience called out. To this, sajs P.T.O. Sir Frederick made reply. The Welsh have marvellous sing- ing they not only breathe together, but I be- lieve they wink together." I The He". T. Charles Williams, M.A., of Menai Bridge, in the Goleuad," gfves a read- able account of an afternoon he recently spent with the Rev John Roberts, of Ta&en Anglesey, an ex-Mod. rafor of the Calvinistic Methodist Gecera! Assembly, who for many years has been confined to his room. Mr Roberts, among other things, expressed the opinion that the late Principal Edwards s Daves's Lecture on The God Man is in some respects oae of the most unsatisfactory books he ever read. It seemed as if it made the whole of the plan of salvation to rest on the meaning of words. Perhaps the most remarkable medley of Welsh and Latin in Welsh literature ie the "Ode to Mary" in the manuscript of Llevwelyn Sion of Uanegwydd, written towards the close of the sixteenth cectury. Such lines as these occur, where Latin and Welsh are strangely mingled in cynghanedd." vocabulary and spelling as. mav be seen in the Iolo MSS. :— nsync Tidamu3, et p'cramus adora^rir?, ( aoar nrrrnau et codamus, ut vida ans te lawdamus tal di amman These, in the words oi Milton, <- would haft made Quintuianstatre and gasp." Practical Coal Mining. Under the editorship of Professor W. S. Boul- toa, F.G.S., Professor cf Geci' gj- at the University College,.Cardiff, the Gresham Pub. lishing Co. are prerar-ng for immediate pub licatioa a great work on Practical Coal Mic ing," to be issaod b six voturaes For this groat work Professor Boulton has gathered around him a sf ail of the first experts on the subject from the whole Kingdom. Among the local contributors will be Proiessor Galloway. Mr S. W. Price, Professor Hamilton, and others. Th* PwetpMship ^Breoon, QeveraJHaBoes a.re mentioned in oo^snec^io'" with the vacant Principalship of the Brecon Memorial College. The governing body, how- over, are in no hurry to make an appointment. In order to meet the requirements of the Uni- versity of Wales a tutor has been appointed to take charge of some of the classes until Mid. summer, but it is understood that he will not be a candidak. for the PrineipaUhip. Mean- time, a special committee, consisting ofrepre- sentatives of each of the county Unions of the denomination in Wales, ol the Welsh Chamber in England, and of the Congregational Fund Board, will meet to consider the situation, anj its recommendations will be brought before the College Committee early in the summer. Snowballing. If our readers think this paragraph refers tc the present wirtry weather they had better past on It is concerned with The Saowball Prayer.' Persons who are otherwise considered ievel- h.aded in Cardiff have fallen into the hands 01 the believers in this craze. The evidence for ths statement- is contained on the envelopes that have been received aad containing th« prayer, for they bear only the Cardiff postmark and have been posted at tie Central Post. Office. The threats the end of the missile is rank blasphemy, and everyone who has any respect for sanity ivil] p.&ce these documents in the fire.

Songs for the People. Andrew Fletcher, of Saltoun, in » letter to tht Marquis of Montrose, wrote :—"I know r very vrise man that believed that i a mac wert- permitted ta make all the ba.ladi he need not care who sboald make the laws of the nation.' SOMEBODY'S MOTHER. The woman was old arsd ragged and grey, And bent with the chill of the winter's day, The street was wet with a recent snow, And the woman's foe were aged and slow. She stood at the crossi g ana waited long. Alone, uncarei for, amid .he throng Of human beir gs -who passed her by, Nor beed. d ihe glance of her anxious eye. Down the street, with laughter and shout, Glad in the free-iom of school let out, Come the boys, like a flock of sheep, Hailing the snawpiled white and aeep Past the woman so old and grey, Hastene 1 the children on ti.eir way. Nor offered a helping hand to her. So meek, so timid, afraid to stir Lest the carriage wheels or horses' feet Should crowd her down in the slippery stresfc At last came one of the merp- troop. The gayest laddie of aU the group. He paued beside her and whispered low, I'll help \ou across if you ish to go Her ageo hand on his strong young ami She placed. And so without hurt or barm He glided her trembling feet along. Proud that his own were firm and strong. Then back again to his friends he went, His young heart happy and well content, She's somebodv's mol he bovs. voa know. For all she's aged and poor and slow And 1 hope som* fellow will lend a hand To belp my mother you understand, If ever she's poof and old and g' cy. When her own dear son is far away." And" somebody's mother "bowed low her head In her h..me thatn ght-and the prayer she said Was, God be kind to that noble boy Who is somebody's son, and pride, and joy." —J. E. Brooks; in Oklahoma Workman.

LOVE. Unless you can think when the song is done, No other is sweet in tbe rhythm Unless you can feel, when left by one. That all men also go with him Unlessvou can know when upraised by hir. breath < That your beauty itself wants proving- __o ;r Unless you can swear. For life, tor de* £ te Oh, fear to call it laving Unless you can mase in a crowd all day Of the absent fare that fixed you Unless you can love as the angels may. With the breath otheaven betwixt yon r Unless you can dream that his faith "s faafe," .Though behooving and un'-ebooving Unles3 you can die when the dream is past— Oo, never caH it loving. -Elizabeth Barrett > 9 —

THE SiGN OF THE SMILE. We're wtary a-walkmg lhe highwav ot life We're Letted and flustered with worry and strife, 110 Let U3 drop by the wayside the> heavy old load. And rest at the inn by the turn of the road- Let us tarry awhile At the • Sign of the Smile. Let U3 tarry awhile at the Sign of the Smile Forget all our griefs in the joys that beguile Let us pleasure the noon till it ehauges to light, Then up with cur loads and well find they arf light— Let us tarry awhile At the Sign of the