Rhondda Leader Maesteg Garw and Ogmore Telegraph

IN A SAVINGS BANK. Many a bit of humour and pathos is seen through the window of the bank cashier or teller. Mr. John F. Murray relates, In his "World of London," some examples which he Overheard as he stood in one of the city's savings institutions, sixty years ago. First came an Irish hodman, with something like the debris of a hat under his arm, and in his hand five shillings to deposit. He blundered place, and eternally praying God to bless their honours," although just why I could not make out. Next appeared a Welsh milkmaid with six sovereigns, the savings of half a year. Two of the coins were returned to her as light." Master shouldn't have given me light money," she said, as she took back her hard- earned sovereigns., for sure he always gave me the heaviest work." An aged man and woman tottered in, support- ing each other. Time had bowed their heads, but It had no'power over their afrection. They brought the accumulateëI hoard of years, which they wished to deposit to ensure them a decent buria). "We have Jived without the,parish, and wo hope to die without, it." they sa!d. "In who'cuamc shall I enter it? "said the clerk. The two h;oL<'<! at: ..a(o/i oth<'r in bewilder- ment. They h;.d t.ot of this contin- gency. put it in his mtm< saxi th<' old WOlllau. "Put it itt t).<*mc." the old man. "She can guide it better when I'm gone." "God forbid I should live to see the day!" cried the wife. The couple consulted for a few momenta Tten, turning to the clerk, they announced their AtfM)i<ML

STATE DINNERS IN CHINA. Curious, almost comical, are these MM. menials. Tables are spread in an immense pavi- lion, luic-d by columns of jaspers and adorned with bronze. and marble and tortoiseshell balustrades. In the background are two tabics of figLlr< shewing the a.s'M of the sun a-nd moon N4,"Ii,2ii have I)-eei. -6,-ouiided, the doors are thrown open. Surrounded by his guard, the Emperor wa.lks to a low golden throne, and the Court makes a deep obeisance. One of t')e Court omcia's announces that the Emperor has taken his seat bv cracking a wh'p three timCE, and the orchestra., hidden behind bamboo at once begins a festival march. After making nine prostrations and five gc-.m- Bexions, the ofacor.s entrusted with serving his Majesty at table brim In little table .?st with precious stones, end serve him with tea.. which is the first Chinese entree. Then the costly table a.nd the tables to be -used by the guests are covered with siik, and the orange dishes pecu- liar to Chinese cookery are handed round When the Emperor Is thirsty the scene is changed quickly. The chic-f cupbearer draws back his mantle embroidered with coats of a.rms, ana presents the goblet on his knees, then, while the Son of f raises it to his tips, ail the guest.- must look towards the west. It iscurious to learn that only the nun relations of the Emperor have the right of tast- ing the food. and the other guests have to con- sider that :hey h.c dined sumcicntly from the simple fact of having been honoured by an invi tation to see their Emr cror dine. In this respect. a comical fzct mu.-t be mentioned. The poultry diaphypd on the tables in the background are made of cardboard, or of piaster of Paris, and are thoati.'ical properties. After dessert gra.ce- fuid:).ncer;dance upon the terrace, lighted by yel'ow lanterns, while invisib'o choirs drone what are supposed to be languishing melodies.

THE END OF THE REAL TICHBORNE. Captain Oates was one of the few men who saw and conversed with the real Roger Tich- borne before his disappearance. In the course of a drive from Dover to Dungeness, says Mr. W.H.Lucy, in''Sixty Years in the Wilder- ness," in Corn II ill, he gave me a vivid account of the incident, which I transcribe from my diary of that date. It throws a ftood of light on the memorable story. "I was at the time," he in charge of file John Bibby, lying at, Rio, waiting for a cargo. The Bella lay along- side, and, as her owners and mine were connec- ted in business arrangements, Captain Birkett and I were often together, and used to talk our affairs over. One day, when he was ready to sail, he came to me and said, Oates, there is a young fellow been over to see me about taking & passage in the Bella, to New York.' Well,' I said, you have a berth, and may as well make a dollar or two for the ship.' 'Xactly,' said he; but the fact is the young fellow has got no money; he says he is well connected, has plenty of rich friends in England, and that a letter of credit is waiting for him at New York. But he has run through all his money here, is heavily in debt, and wants to get quietly away.' Well, I said, that's another sort of thing, Birkett,' I eays. You know well enough what the passage money to be paid at the other end usually comes to. However, br' fellow over to breakfast in the ,tf."fir ¡Ir1'æu :.M'' He's for ever prating about what his con*

TOILET NOTES. Glycerine, if used for the hands, ehouM ttwaya be diluted with rose-water or with pare distilled water, which may be acquired from any chemist One part of glycerine thould be mixed with three of the water, and the application bottled until it is re- quired. Dry talcum powder rubbed well into the ekin of the head is an excellent cleanser. The powder should, however, be left on the ttcalp after each application, and only brushed out in the course of an hour or two, t thorough brushing being then persevered in for aeveral minutes.

__n The Friend 7hat Failed. —0 — The frien I to this man always turned i': )n"))!H.'t;s of doubt was a book. Now fhttcla-t resource has faiiedhim. print makes his eyes t-d Iii., ;,clie That, may be yom'case, too. trending print has become atio"b!e it isti't because I you've lost yon) taste flir reading- I it's because you suiter ft on) weak vision. Cal! and let us te,t your i-ight free of charge. Ii Eyegiassts ,WrëIlJedy the I matter, and they generaHy do, we can put the inattcr right for you, at a moderate cost. -0- David Ceorge,M..R.P,S,, CHEMIST & OPTICIAN, Central Drug Sf ores PENTRE. 63S-t D For Cake and Pastry Making. FRYING AND COOKING PURPOSES. SIXPENCE PER POUND. In One Pound !'acke<s. DIIr ASK VOUK GROCER. -+- Wholesale of the Welsh Bacon Curing Co., LL A' D AFF. 4718. Glandvvr Hotet, VSTRAD.RHONDDA. 18 PEINTRE. Posting in all its Branches at odenate Chafges. MOURMtMu AND WEDDtNG COACHES &c. Proprietoi G. DAVIES. 4802 Boon to Mothers, I MOTHERS ARE WMMEO I ag:1inst giving their babies medecines which weaken their systems and stultify their but don't try to stop their Painful Cities by forcing them with food. Their crie3 indicate ailments which can be rapidly retieved aad cured by JOME8 a-14& Red Drops THE HEALTHFUL REMEDY FOR Wind, Gripes, Conuulsions. and aU kindred infantile complaints. Ø" One dose decides its unique value, I ensures heaithfat babies, and enables Mothers to have quiet days and restful niglits. Keep a Bottle Handy, 1!1 per bottle Ti be had from the following Agents- Pontypridd—from ?H Chemists. Forth—Mr. D. W. Davies, Oh? uiat. Porch—Messrs. Davies Brotti'r- Chemists. Forth—T. Divies, Bridge L"a#tacY. Tooypindy—J.Da.viea,CMut:3"0'fra.venSt:. Tonypsmdy—Mr. Emrya Richards, Chemist, Penvgraig—Mr. Uoyd, Chemist. ? Liwynypi?—Mr.J.W.Bichards.Chemiat. Ystra.d—Mr. S. S. James, Royai Stores. Ystrad—Mr. Dj.vid George, Chemist, Treo'chy—Mr. Prothero, Chemist. Trecrchy—Mr. Davies, Chemist. Treherbert?-Mr. Eva.na, Chemist. FerndUe—Mr. BurseM, Chemist. Ystrad—Mr. Dj.vid George, Chemist, Treo'chy—Mr. Prothero, Chemist. Trecrchy—Mr. Davies, Chemist. TreherbertMr. Eva.na, Chemist. FerndUe—Mr. BurseM, Chemist. Ynyshir—Mr. Lewis. Chemist. TyfoMtowa—Mr. Wtniama, Chemist., and from Chemists all over South Wales. If you fail to get it send 13 Stampa to the Proprietors for a bottle, post free. JTONE2S &: SONTS, Manutacturing- Chemists, LLAN1DLOES, MONT. 4587

IRVIN& AND "BECKET." Ifving had been playing "Becket" a few Houra before he died, and in the book c.Im- pressions of Henry Irving (Longmans ,Mr. Wal- ter Herriea Pollock says that when the play waa Srat produced the actor, "was sympathetically and generously enthusiastic over Tennyson's work, and, referri to the beautiful lines beginning, "There was a little fair-hair'd Norman maid'— tt Speech he always delivered as one rapt in it— he expressed a strong doubt if there was any- thing m Shakespeare to be preferred to it." The writer goes on to say that he was i about to protest when a light meaning touch i on his arm made him pause, and, turning, he I faced one of Irving's most trusted confidential marshals," who said, Don't. Of course, I understand your impulse, be¥¡ you don't know I how he feels about it." The protect was left un- uttered, and later Mr. Pollock had reason to feel glad that it was so. As regards Becket,' he adds, "I have said before that the play and the part had a strange influence over living. It was not to me, but to my wife, that he once said that no dramatic poetry and no character had ever so influenced him. And when asked if this excluded older and greater na,mce, he re- iterated his faith. You know,' my wife said, 'that people talk of your having "made" the play.' His reply was emphatic. No, no,' he Baid, the play made me. It changed my whole View of life.'

W. S. LANDOR'S YOUTH. From "A New Spirit of the Age," by R. H. Home (Frowde), recently reprinted, the follow- ing interesting anecdote I.s taken: Walter Landor. when a Rugby boy.was famous, among other feats of strength and skill, fot the wonderful precision with winch he used a cast-net; and he was not often disposed to ask permission of the owners of those ponds or etreams that suited his morning's fancy. One day a farmer suddenly came down upon him, and ordered him to desist, and give up his net. Whereupon Landor instantly cast his net over the farmer's head: caught him; entangled him; overthrew him; and when he was ex- hausted, addressed the enraged and discomfited face beneath the meshes, till the farmer pro- mised to behave discreetly. The pride that re- eented a show of intimidation, the prudence that instantly foresaw the only means of .super- seding punishment, and the promptitude of will and action, are sumciently conspicuous. The wil- ful energy and self-dependent force of character displayed bv Walter Landor as a boy, and ac- companied by physical power and activity, ail of which were continued through manhood, and probably have been so, to a great extent, even up to the present time, have exerted an influ- ence upon hie genius of a peculiar kind-a genius healthy, but the healthfulness not always well applied—resolute, in a lionlike sense, but not intellectually concentrated and continuous'; and seeming to be capable of mastering all things except its own wilful impulses.

HOW TO CURB A COLD. The primary object of My cure for a eeM h to open the porea of the akin. A warm bath icwt before retiring produoea thia effect, bat it tthouM be followed by a cold water douche dry rubbing with a rough towel, and plenty of friction with the bare hands. The hot-air bath is atill more effective, while the wet theet pack, the Turkish or vapour bath, are tlao e&ective. The great thing is to produce a free flow of perspiration. A pint to a quart of warm water on retiring to bed may be taken with advantage. Far better than sitting at home, "keeping the fire warm," as the phraee goes, remarks H ealtlb an Strength, te vigorous exercise in the open air. Exercise NhouM, in fact, be taken before and after a bath of any kind, so that the natural he&t of the body may be maintained.

LIVING BY RULE. There is nothing more likely either to create or to keep up disorder in any of the organs of the body, which usually act inde- pendently of the will, than continued, espe- cially anxious, attention directed to, them while in active operation. It is unquestion- able that in some disease, such as diabetes, dysentery, &c., the strictest regulation of diet and regimen is absolutely necessary, eaya J?ea?A/ neither can it be doubted thai in most ailments, even in those of a trivial character, some general regulations as to liv- ing are required. It is not against such aa these that these remarks are directed, but against the absurd living by rule," the worse than useless clockwork regulation of every action of daily life, eating, sleeping, walking, &c., which many dyspeptic and hy pochondriacal patients either adopt for them- selves or are advised into. In such cases, instead of a wholesome, varied diet, the nature of the food is confined within an un- wholesomely narrow compass, and its amount if not weighed physically, is at least so men- tally, by the trammelled invalid, who trembles lest, inadvertently, half-an-ounce more than the prescribed quantity should nnd its way into his stomach.

THE MANY USES OF GLYCERINE. For burns, glycerine and borax, mixed freely with linseed oil, Is a never-failing remedy. In cases of illness, when sugar is forbidden, glycerine is an invaluable substi- tute, and is also an excellent means of sweet- ening stowed fruit, custards, &c. In the laundry glycerine is useful in softening the water in which flannels are to be washed. A couple of teaspoonfuls to a small tubful of water is the amount required. In baking, the value of glycerine is not sufficiently recog- nised. In cake-making, a teaspoonful of glycerine to every lib. of Hour makes the dough light and feathery after it is baked.

ABOUT DAMP SHEETS. The peril of sleeping in a. damp bed is of the greatest, and it is almost ever present. The experienced traveller rarely hazards the riek of sleeping between sheets, which are very frequently damp, until they have been thoroughly aired under his personal super- vision at a nre in his bedroom. If this is im- practicable, he wraps his rugs round him, or pulls out the sheets and sleeps between the blankets—a disagreeable but often prudent expedient. Direct mischief may result from the contact of an imperfectly heated body with aheeta which retain moisture. The body heat, says the Family Doctor, is not sufS- cient to raise the temperature of the linen or calico to a safe point, and the result must be disastrous if, aa is sure to happen, the akin be cooled by contact with a surface colder than itself, and steadily contracting heat all the night through. There is no ex- cuae for the neglect of proper precaution to Maure dry beds..

THE OLIVE OIL CURE. MMy women exhaust their system by not taking daily care of their health. Those who are troubled to knov how to proceed should talee a taMespoonful of olive oil daily, says a medical writer. It is good for the skin. the digestion, and the liver, making them do their work well. Fill a wineglass partly with water, then put in the oil and more water, gulp it down, and you will not taste it. Get the best olive oil that is to be got. This is a treatment that may not suit everybody, but Mk your doctor, because he may know of some bodily peculiarity that might make it disagree. In nine cases out of ten, however, those who follow this advice will testify to its wisdom, and will be quite astonished at the result. It makes you vigorous, brisk, and not over-burdened.

j NICE DISHES. DtCVILLED LOBSTEB.—Take the meat from a tobster and put on a little Nepaul pepper, chop it very finely, then add a dessertspoonful of chut- ney, a little oiled butter, and a tomato cut up Maall. These must be stewed over the nre, stir- ring till they boil, adding a little mixed mustard {French if available). Have ready some little tqnarea of fried bread and put some of the devilled lobster on each, and sprinkle a little nnoly-chopped parsley over. ROES AND MUSHROOMS ON TOAST. — Make the necessary number of round croutons of lightly- fried bread, and choose mushrooms the same size M the croutons. Peel the mushrooms, rinse them in warm water to remove any grit, and take off the stalks. Place them on a greased baking. theet, stalk side uppermost. Put some small pieoee of butter on each mushroom and a. little pepper and salt. Cover with buttered paper, and oopk in a moderate oven for ten to twenty minutes. Serve a mushroom on each crouton, and on each mushroom place a cooked bloater Me, corled round. BZBMTBAK (ITALIAN METHOD).—Stew thick, tender beefsteaks in a saucepan with two ounoea .of butter, two onions, one sprig of parsley, CM Carrot, and a large cupful of rich stock, until the gravy becomes thick and of a good colour.. Take half a pound of macaroni, put it in water with a little salt, and boil until quite tender. Drain it dry and put it in a saucepan with part of th<t gravy from the steaks, allowing it to simmer. Then put the steaks in a hot dish with the mac?- toni around them; pour the gravy over whole, and add some grated Parmesan cheese, or, other good cheeee, to the macaroni, or have it stewed separately. CANARY CREAM TARTLETS. A piece of shott crust, one ounce of getatine, one pint of water the juice of three oranges, the grated rind and the juice of one lemon, the yolks of four eggOL four ounces of caator sugar, and four ounces of freshty-grated cocoanut. Roll out the pastry to about the thickness of ti. quarter of au inch; line Burnt) patty-pans with this. Put a little raw rice &t tha bottom of each, and bake in a moderate oven. Then l'êiUO'Ve the rice. For the inside mixture put th& g'f!atine and watfr into a stew- pan, and stir ovfr a mitd heat until the gelatine B dissolved. Add to this the strained orange and le?non juice, the gr&ted lemon rind, the sugM c,nd cocoanut, and, lastly, the well-beaten yoEkt. Stir over a mild heat until the yolka thtoken. then pour the mixture into a bMin, and ttiF MM <old. Uee for filling the paetry tMi*.

?If ? ?JLr'——??? ? ?t??????r??nrs???? jL??L??Hir??? tHj?tULiJL <ttfk. to in" _e ? rm Puritan Soap, the only household Olive Oil ? ? .soap. Fm a heavy weight ?sixteen full ounces to ? 9 the hUi pounds—and there isn't an ounce of ? S me but is ma(.? to &?cr?. Work is my'delight, §j ? snd Fm resdy for work at any moment— JH ? y:c? if you li?e—and always come up smiling. gB ? Lots of my frieads have got the smile from me. jjj ? It's' ??'t;.ssnt to see them. with a heavy wash day ? ? before them—smiiia?'ail'the time. They smile ? ? because iiiey've got me, you understand. ? a p rm a. sturdy feiiow.' 'That's'because I'm. e..?. g ? heavy weight and well linedmside. It takes a lot— § ?? to wesr me out. Some fellows in my line—well, ? ? the less said about thenl the better. PoorfeHows, ? I've seen them done up? "washed out" is the g ? term I think, long' before washing day- was- ovjer,. ? S while I was just enjoying myseJi and as happy as ? ? could be. § ? Though I'm sturdy I am a harmless chap. My ? ? makers—Thomas, of Bristol—said to me when I g ? started out ?You're to be the'soap that cannot, ? ? ?0?'? harm the clothes, and to mske sure that' gj S you'll do what we want we're going to make'you ? ? different from ail the others—we're going to put a? ? olive oil into you." ?a g And they did, and still do—costly education for ?9 g me v?hen you think of it—for olive oil costs twice ? ? as nvuch as any other soap oii. ? ? But it's been the makmg of me. Sometimes I've ? ? fe!t a bit frolicsome-wanted to shrink that nice ? ? new woollen garment- j?§t for fun—but I couldn't igJ) ? —the olive oil wouldn't i?t me.. ? ? ? I'm making friends every day—let me be your ? ? friend—your heavy-weight clothes saver. ? ? 3?d. is the ma?ic wand thst brings me into your ? ? hands-open the box, take off the wrapper (save it St g carefully, they'll pay for it at Bristol) and behold, ? !N iTTTT T Y3?TTT?jr? Your humble servant, ? ? Jc'U-iL'i-? jr\J'UJL?i-.? PIimT??J ?OtAP S §8 ?1?' ??? soap that ? S <?2' CANNOT HARM ? ????????OM? Cotd Wedding 4!)NCS AND SPECIAL VALUE In JEWELLERY KEEPER. MINCS YOU SHOULD GO TO A.FUHRER 'i' 'C Privatè Rooms fOF* Ring ?r< Customers. ??/\ A Useful Present given with each Ring. ?n?r??7 A. ??mt\jt< ?S?' y Jeweller & Optician, ?s?.? ??? Treorchy and Pentre. 4547 -a }g be oc 0 1 0 's to PAS s OV%4 euti". Ø\P.8 E.S. Q rt V:of 03,a- d1,:ol\1\\ &ï .0'1. l' rt r8_ Í'>>

CONTRADICTING A LADY. Good manners is Mr. Hubert Eland's theme in his book "The Happy Moralist" (Werner Laurie). In the following way he discusses the ethics of contradiction: I suppose we have most of us been taught in our youth that it is rude to contradict a, lady. Why, a,nd so it is if the contradiction be roughly, brusquely, or Hat-footedly done. To that extent It is' equally rude to contradict a gentleman or a coal-heaver, or a waiirp- in an A. B. C. shop. If anyone, of whatever .sex or station, says to you that it Is a fine day, and you reply. No. it isn't! you mark your-elf down a cad who deserves to be kicked. But to refrain from expressing to a woman a d inference of view that you honestly fee), to sit and smirk in timulated acquicsence white she makes state- ments that you know to be wide of the mark, what docs that mean but that you hold her Opinions to be not worth considering, or that you believe disagreement will cause her to lose her temper, or that you feel her to be so enor- mously your superior that you take her utter- ances as infallible? Now that last, of .ourse. is nonsense. Therefore, you must accept one of the other alternatives; and what is either of them but contempt?

THE ART OF LETTER WRITING. Constance Evan Jones, in her volume of plea- sant essays, Fancies in Prose" (Nisbet), haa tome clever and pointed remarks on what she caJJa a dying art: Women, aa a rule, make better letter-writers than men; they write more naturally, and here- fore with an easier pen, and the frivolous gossip with grace. If their temperaments are not so clearly indicated in their epistles.. it is because I woman, from time immemorial, has never been completely open with her-eit or other'. She de- ceives herself, and in all good faith she deceives I Other people. She will play round a subject w'th admirable sprightliness: her wit is like summer lightning illuminating a dark uight. But when the fta?h is over it is dark night again: one has got no nearer to the he.art or mmd of her. Yet she can seldom ke<'p herself for iong out, of ar.y subject; she Is nothing if not per-ona!. The love- letters of women an a div i)(' upon one string'. "Do you love me: me: Me? How much do you love me? How long wilt you )ove me? Why do you love me?" A woman will weary a man out with these questions. She will risk wearing his love out, but—she will go on { ut- ting them to him. He ?ays once: I love you if he be demonstrative he may perhaps say it rest silence, by her voice. The of men who are not are generally affectionately concise. The poet glows and burns with adoration, but it M adora- tion of the poetry of love rather than of the woman to whom he is virtually addressing him- eelf.

science tells him. What does his conscjence tell him, any way?" "Apparently it usually tells him what awful sinners his neighbours are." She (making up): ''And you .will admit you were wrong? He (a younn' lawyer), f), but I'll admit that nnx'imt.'nifonal error might. have unkno\v!ng)y (rfpf into my assertion." ''Is vont'c!imat.'r:u'ne!-ci);.(ngea.blp?" asked t.he tourist. "N'\ h ??'am?.'rt-d the old s'ttlt'r, who it was, don't you suppose we'd ?.\ech;<ngt'<! it for !)ometh!ng else year-: ago? Neighbour: "And what did the doctor Ray?" Old Man: E said no more medicine, but if ye take a little walk of a marnin' on the common a-n' get the air, mebbcou'U live to be Oxv.s'enAria.n."

QUEEN ALEXANDRA'S FAVOURITE ROSE. Our own dearly-beloved Queen A)cxandra is passionately fond of roses, says a. writer in the (lirl's Oie-ii Paper. A few veeks since I paid a hasty vi'ittoherMajesty'sown garden at Sand- rmgham, and therclhadthepieasure of seeing her ro?e garden, an interesting wee plot of gar- den ei.c'cs&l by an exquisitely-designed iron fence, with beds inside nlledwithjust the simple sor:s of ro-es that everybody admu'es. It is only a sma)) garden—a few square yards—not the huge :u.-a one might expect, that satisfies our cracinu- Queen's admiration for roses. Her Majesty's rose garden, indeed, is just that mode-); pstch which is so characteristic of our modest, gentle, and beloved Queen. I dare say some of you—I hope all—woutd like to know which is her Majesty's favourite rose. Well, it is one of the old-time sorts known as Hermosa, a lovely, free-flowering pink rose, which yields a rich harvest of beautiful fra.gra.nt blossoms. So fond is the Queen of this rose, that she causes it to bs thrown by thousands in hug'e borders near }¡, favoul'itedairy, as well as in the gar- dens.-iu'rounding her home. Soifyouwantto gr!)'Majesty'sfavourite rose, and a.t the !;¡¡mi'tÎ!'¡é to have an abundance of fragrant to cull and decorate your bondoir or sitting-rooms from summer to autumn, by all means plant a few hushes of Hermosa rOBe in your very own gardens this autumn.

LIGHTNING AT SEA. Some of the most, :ve-inspiriilg displays of electric storms are witnessed at sea. In former days it \[13 not a rare event for ships to b<. struck jJ¡:;Iltning, and sometimes with serious Tesnits. is said that the foremast was tha favourite point of attack, the mainmast came next, and mizzen was struck least of the three In July, 1802, as thirteen ships of the East India Company were rounding the Cape of Good Hope two were struck by lightning. The fore- mast in each was soon enveloped in names, and the masts had to be cut away to save the ships. Since iron and steel have come into such general use in buHding ships and stca.mere casualties from lightning are much lessfrequent. The standing rigging made of steel wire rope and set up with turn-buckles forms a complete lightning conductor leading the electric current to the ship's hull, whence it is at once diffused in the water. Many ships have now the best type of lightning conductors, lest the wire rig- ging should for any reason fail to carry oS the electric current. Lightning which fails to Injure a ship may yet play tricks with the compass. In May, 1896, the Peninsular and Oriental steamship Victoria, after a severe thunderstorm, found both the standard and the wl'pelhouse compasses affected with a sudden Increase of deviation amounting to 6deg. As the lightning conductor ou the foremast had fused, it was evident that the ship had been struck by lightning, and thus became, it may be. a temporary magnet, affecting the compasses.

ORIGIN OF THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. The Japanese have an interesting legend in connection with the origin of the chrysanthe- mum. In a garden bathed in the soft moon- light a young girl plucked a Sower and com- menced to strip the petalstosee if herfiance ioved her truly. Of a,udden a little god ap- peared before her and a,sui,e,(i her that her 6a.nce loved her passionately. Your husband wi'' live, he'added, a,s many years as the newer, wh'c!. I will let you choose, has petals. With these words he disappeared. The young girl hastened to search the garden for a flower which should have an abundance of petals, but each one ap peared to promise but a brief future for her be" loved. At length she plucked a Persian car, nation, and with the aid of a gold pin taken from her hair she separated each of the petals of thv Sower, so as to increase the number of folioles and of the number of years accorded by the God to her nance. Soon, under her deft hngers, one, two, three hundred petals, thin, pliant, and beautifully curved, had been evolved, and the young girl cried for joy to think of the happy future which her ruse had assured her 6a.nce. So, runs the legend, was.the chrysanthe- mum created one moonlit night in a Japanese garden, where silvery brooks murmured softly aa they ran beneath the little bamboo bridges.