The Brecon Reporter and South Wales General Advertiser

BIBHOF CVLBMOB SECOND SUNDAY IN r xii0 tii&t ^ooiirred ii I.I_ J.T_ JJ I £ j~\ diocese of Natal ,n the sSe catliec5ralof S16 Colenso's arrival, h £ already day 3fu?,C80dmg On the second Sani-f ll-- ^en fully reported, services; and the first, if- 915V J** two morning the dean. The Church cZ'onici^ If* °ond™ted+ky Natal Mercury, says' SU,Plement to the The attendance was fair, tbont. t,hn 1 number of persons being presen-. The dl average from St. John xiv. 1, Ye bei„v^n also in me.' The address was shoit-, aT1 OT~> f, IQ the present troubles, warmly advocasno., PJ*xcaole_to of supporting the truth. The ssrviu i0.3&, when many of the congregation maay still re taammg to hear the bishop, 1 amved at a few minutes to eleven, entj;™^ vestry-rocm, and emerging thence robed, aoco^atZS i>y;his steward, Mr. Foster, withont any op^E being offered. The dean was seated in a corner of ,he church, immediately behind the pulpit, and kept his place during the whole time. Passive resistam8 to the exercise of the bishep's authority nov ssems to be the policy of the dean and his sup. posters. Although tie bell ropes were not removed, p*a?,05 indeed, we are informed inat the dean personally stopped some officious person iroin ringing them. No clerk, no assistant minister, was there to help the bishop. No one was in attend- ance except his lordship's steward (Mr. Foster). The congregation, though!considerably mctre numerous than at the fixsl; service, was not so large aa might have been. expected from last Sunday's demonstration. The building was only well filled-at the lower end somewhat, crowded. None of the excitement displayed oBrthe first occaelem of the bishop's appearance was shown. This, no doubt, was the result of the wiser cnuree now adopted of not opposing legal authority the serrim in his .S^AblemaZS Isaiah x»vi?i 14 <e4r £ and preached from the dp-fir,r f 0 m° &monS aa shall dwell with • Who among us shall dwell with a=a;.ig burnings ?' The serman was seemingly a continuation or supplement to the discourse of last Sunday marning, in the delivery of which his lordship carsorilyijadverted to the docUliio already advanced by him in his writings, as to the non-existence of eternal punishment." The following letter has been received by the Dean of N-atal from the Archbishop of Canterbiiy:- Addmgton-park, Croydon, October 8,1865. My dear Dean,—On my return from a short tour on the continent, I found your letter of the 1st August, accompanied by the resolutions agreed upon at the meeting of the clergy and representatives of the lay communicants of the diocese of Natal in the cathedral on St. Peter's Day. The Bishop of Cape- town has sent me his answers to the questions put to him by the assembled clergy and laity at Maritzburg, and I consider them to be judicious. I do not see how you can accept Dr. Colensoas your bishop without identifying yourself with his errors. The bishops of the Church of England I believe, with scarcely an exception, have_ either publioly prohibited Dr. Colenso from preaching in their dioceses, or have intimated their unwillingness to permit him to do so." At any rate he has not, so far as I am aware, preached in any diocese except on one occasion, so that the great majority of the bishops have with- drawn from all communication with him. As to the appointment of aBiahop of Natal, the Church in South Africa has been pronounced by the Judicial Com- mittee of the Privy Council to be just as independent as any of the Nonconformist communities: and under this view is, I conclude, competent to elect its own biahop, without reference to the authorities in Eng- land either civil or ecclesiastical. Nor, as I conceive, will such an act separate you from communion with the Church of England. The Scotch Episcopal Church is in communion with us, but elects its own bishops, 1 and is not obliged to submit to appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. May the irtwd bless and guide yourself and the Church of Natal your present trials.-Believe-me, dear Mr. Dean, SOURS very faithfully, "C. T. CANTCAR."

• T^4 QUEER MARRIED COUPLE. OrdinarS*f>of Todd v. Todd came on before the Judge lt »athe Divoree Court on Saturday for judg- Tjrasented petition for the dissolution of marriage Ground of &*»■ Josephine Marian Todd, on the was the daughwlf? aB<* adultery. The petitioner „n(i ^er marriasre commission agent named Black, of her par^h the respondent was against the ;Sl.tl.u.bSr%; She to India ^Wation • and her cb^8,3 a Partner m an Assam tea f for a few mo?,was> that after living with aim ther E land a^h8 her health failed and she returned to M^»na H and aftemarda to her telling her v ^a4 never loved hei and that he would never & her health waa restored fi rltu^ v0 him ^^eral times bagging to be ^owedt°he m nQt an8wer s?r letters. This was w«> comnla.inorl of Mr Marden, jun., a son ot PETITIONER'S solicitor', went, under the name 01 morant to g toVio_' ha heard that the respondent was gtraok up an acquaintance with him- x°6 Respondent in the course of a conversation, admitte(i thaf' >>» had a wife whom he detested, ,Mdin~ 4-V.J. nothing should ever induce him to live with.^ a The two friends afterwards proceeded t « ViZand took lodgings at an hotel in the Rue do la Ovlauas,j_ <TAntin. The next day they went to breakfast respondent's brother George's. George Todd wa,,A then in Paris, and they were entertained Ea- tress Louise. The respondent asked her if Lilie-^ whose real name was Gabrielle Boyt—was Ppis and Louise offered to send for her. Lilie accordingly came, and an appointment was made for a portie quarrie at a restaurant's. After that, Lilie went with the respondent to his lodgings and spent the night with him. The next morning the respondent, I, lie, and witness went to breakfast with Louise- The same kind of thing took place on another occa- sion. There was no defence; but as there were circum* stances which raised a suspicion that there might possibly be collusion, the inquiry proved a very pro- tracted though a very uninteresting one. The Judge Ordinary delivered judgment. He held that the collusion was manifest, and dismissed the peti- tion. As it was evident the husband intended to pay the cost of the petition if successful, he should make an order that he pay his wife's costs.

MORE SHIPPING DISASTERS. A Liverpool correspondent writes:-We have to re- cord another fearful disaster to a vessel which left the Mersey on the eventful 6th of January. The Prudhoe, a fine iron barque, under command of Captain Bart- lett, which sailed on the 6th inst., on a voyage to Shanghai, must have never cleared the Channel, as along the coast by Fleetwood and Glasson Dock, im- mense quantities of cargo and wreck have been washed ashore, and it is only too painfully evident that they belonged to the Prudhoe. An account book belonging to Captain Bartlett has been picked up, and also an album containing several photographs, amongst which are those of the captain his wife, and sisters, with their names written underneath, and the address, Captain Bartlett, 99, Duke-street, Liverpool;" also a policy of insurance on the captain's effects, together with a bundle of charts. Amongst the wreck was a head-board;with the name Prudhoe painted on it, and a portion of the cabin or deck-house, together with a piece of the mainmast, 16ft. long, three ventilators, a barrel of flour, with the letters "J. G. B." on it. There were also picked up on the coast, close to where the above articles werefound, the foremast—apparently carried clean away from the deck-with the topmast, topgallantmast, and all the rigging, blocks, stays, and yards, with foresail attached. One of the spars had also the name Prudhoe on it. A large quantity of cabin furniture, the same as that which had been fitted up on board the Prudhoe, has likewise been washed ashore, leaving no doubt whatever that the ill-fated vessel must have encountered one of the recent terrific gales, been drivenashorelsomewhere on the coast, and knocked to pieces before any of those on board could save themselves. As none of the bodies have as yet been found, it is possible that they have been carried in a different direction to that of the por- tions of the wreck discovered in the vicinity of Fleet- wood. The Prudhoe was built tit Shields in 1860 for Messrs. Hargrove, Fergusson, and Co., of Liverpool, and we ^believe she was originally intended for the west coast ef South America trade. She was about 430 tons register, and classed A 1 at Lloyd's. When she left the Mersey, we believe she had on board about eighteen persons including the captain and officers. Her cargo was a very valuable one, and consisted principally of fine goods. A telegram received at Liverpool confirms theprevious one from Lisbon, announcing the total wreck of the fine new steamer Herschel, while on her voyage from Liverpool to Montevideo. The disaster took place somewhere between Rio Janeiro and Monte Video, as at the former port she had previously called and landed some of her cargo and passengers. The tele- gram containing the news of the wreck is very brief, and absolutely silent as to the fate of the captain, officers, crew, and passengers. Full details, however, will no doubt come to hand, by the incosning Brazil mail. The Herschel was built in 1864, and was owned in Liverpool by Messrs. Lamport and Holt. As to the fate of the clipper ship Royal Albert and crew, there appears not the least shadow of a doubt but that the vessel has been wrecked in Bude Bay, on the Cornwall coast, and that the crew have perished with the ship. The ill-fated ship had on board a very valuable cargo — viz,, 2,623 bales jute, 250 bales cotton. 11,412 maunds linseed, 16,380 maunds rape- seed, 5,458 maunds poppyseed, 74,1761h. tea, also 1 quantities of lao dye, shellac, and saffiowfer. From -ntelligence received at Liverpool, there appears to be m doubt but that the screw-steamer seen in distress a fe", days since off Toe Island by Captain Pendleton, 21 American ship Excelsior, was none other than the Wesv India and Pacific Steamship Company's steamer W"!st Indian, Captain Kiddle, homeward bound from, the West Indies. On Wednesday af ber- noon, at two -lock, the steamer was again spoken off the Fastnet, signviyng for ateasn tugs to be sent to her assistance from Several first-class steam tugs had therefora gone to W aaaiataaoe; and tirere is every reason to hopt, that she will reach Liverpool in a day or two quite oafe. One of her Majesty s steamers haq also gone out ih search of the disabled steamer. The ship Okalon^ Captain Thatcher, Liverpool to Baltimore, with a valuable cargo, is a total wreolc near Fayal. Fortunately, the crew are reported to have been saved and landed at Fayal,

SAD DEATH OF A GO VERNESS. The Birmingham lJaily Post has the following Miss Woods, the daughter of Mr. Woods, druggist, High-street, Worcestet. bo*-™a bto vsauai as -uroiuwJLOti, ana the circumstances attehdr ing her death are enveloped in mystery. Miss Woods was about twenty-one years of age, and left her home on Thursday morning as usual, with the intention, as was thought, of attending to her duties as governess at the residence of a gentleman living in Lansdowne- crescent. She appeared to be as cheerful as usual, and desired her younger sisters to meet her on the Rain- bow-hill, on her return in the afternoon. The young ladies consented, and went at the appointed time, but their sister did not come, and inquiries were made at the house of the gentleman, when it was found that Miss Woods had not been seen at all that day. Her absence was exceedingly mysterious, and no information could be obtained as to where she had. gone. It seems that, from some cause or other not yet ascertained, Miss Woods went to Droitwich, and that about four o'clock in the afternoon she was seen walking near to the canal leading towards Hanbury. A labourer, when going to his work, saw lying on the bank of the canal a crinoline and sealskin jacket and straw hat, and at once gave an alarm. In the pocket of the jacket was a purse containing a card, on which was written in pancH the name of the deceased's sister, and the address in Worcester and this gave a clue to the identification of the clothes. The frietidswere com- municated with by telegram, and a search was made in tha canal, when the body of Miss Woods was found. A few words written on the back of a printed piece of paper found with the card in the pocket, leads to the inference that the deceased was suffering at the time it was written under mental distraction from a love affair. — —r—

Poor old General Debility 1" exclaimed Mrs. Par- tington it is surprising how long he lives, and what excitement he creates. The papers are full of remedies for him." Metropolitan Typographical Widow and Orphan Fund.—The report presented at the annual meeting of this society on Saturday sets forth the following statistics of its present condition and its operations during the past year. The charity has- now invested as reserve capital the sum of 42,323 6s. 4d., after payment of all claims. The income last year was ±-500 13s. 2Jd. Twelve members died, to whose representatives were paid £ 240. The sum of £ 188 remains in the Farringdon Savings Bank, and the balance has been added to the reserve. Daring the twelve months thirty-two non-members were enrolled. There are now 676 members on the books. The China Challenge Cap.-It will be remem- bered, says the London and China Telegraph, that the selection of a design for this 500 guinea cup was i. deferred until the arrival of some drawings sent for by Major Brine, from Hongkong, as it was thought I. desirable to give the preference to a purely Chinese design should one be found worthy of adoption. Four drawings have lately been received, prepared by various Chinese silversmiths of Hongkong, all of them highly characteristic in treatment, and one of these has been finally selected by the committee. The vase is cup-shaped, supported by three dragons intertwined, on a pedestal of suitable form. Two dragons form the handles, and another, coucliant, surmounts the cover. The body of the cup ia divided into panels, each filled with scenes of Chinese life, and the general effect is bold and striking. This design, we believe, was originally intended to be used for the cup which is to be presented by the Hongkong Volunteers to Major Brine as a testimonial, in recognition of his Valuable services in organising and commanding that corps. The Hongkong community is, however, not ,the only one so indebted to Major Brine, as he also ganised the Volunteer corps at Hankow, Canton, I'd Yokohamp,. obiR^9, "^ac*e Beautiful for Ever."—As the inar a a^T?rtisinS? is publicity, we give the follow- ing ^opportunity of being very widely read, suppress- «rj0 the name and address of the advertiser :— 1 of)r). two dusting machines for colouring tea, very 1 ghafj.n.e hundredweight coffee-roasting cylinder 0310 portable iron copper.—To be seen at SS of 7—> tea colourer and improver»-A a o ^rf-o- ™prover is a shameless person who gets a y^ ivmg by disguising worthless goods for the purpo the public into the belief that they are genuine. In a less civilised country than England for crimes of a like kind, they nail the fellow 's ear to his own door-post.-The Grocer,

A NIGHT IN A WORKHOUSE. In a former letter in the Pall-mall Gazette, it was shown how a gentleman alighted from his carriage and obtained admission as a pauper, dressed in rags, into the Lambeth Workhouse. After undergoing a dip in a bath like mutton broth, and being supplied with a dirty shake down," the author gses on to relate that it was about half-past nine when, having made myself as comfortable as circumstances permitted, I closed my eyes in the desperate hope that I might fall asleep, and so escape from the horrors with which I was surrounded. At seven to-morrow morning the bell will ring," Daddy had informed me, "and then you will give up your ticket and get back your bundle." Between that time and the present full nine long hours had to wear away. But I was speedily convinced that-at least, for the present-sleep was impossible. The young fellow (one of the three who lay in one bed, with their feet to my head) whom my bread had refreshed, presently swore with frightful imprecation, that he was now going to have a smoke, aad iulmediately put his threat into execution. Thereupon his bedfellows sat up and lit their pipes too. Bat oh if they had only smoked. If they had not takensuoh an unfortunate fancy to spit at the leg of a cranl distant a few inches from my head, how much misery and apprehension would have been spared me. # Tc make matters worse, they united with this American practice an Eastern one. As they smoked, they idated little autobio- graphical anecdotes-a:) abominable that three or four decent men who lay at the furtner end of the shed were so provoked that they threatened, unless the talk abated in filthiness, to ge; up and stop it by main force. Instantly the voic of every blackguard in the room was raised against tie decent ones. They were accused of loathsome afilitions, stigmatised as fighting men out of work (Vhieh must be some. thing very humiliating, I suppee), and invited to a round by boys young enough b be their grandsons. For several minutes there was iuch a storm of oaths, threats, and taunts—such a dehge of foul words raged in the room-that I could not mlp thinking of the fate of Sodom-as, indeed, I did sereral times during the night. Little by little the riotdied out, without even the slightest interference on tlø part of the officers. Soon afterwards the ruffian majority was strength- ened by the arrival of a Iankj boy of about fifteen, who evidently recognised maty acquaintances, and was recognised by them as 'Kay," or perhaps I should write "K." He was a vay remarkable-looking lad, and his appearance pleased me much. Short as his air was cropped, it still looted sofu and silky; he had large blue eyes set wide apart, and a mouth that would have been faultless but for its great width; and his voice was as soP and sweet as any woman's. Lightly as a woman, too, he picked his way over the stones towards theplace where the beds lay, carefully hugging his cap b<aeath his arm. "What cheer, Kay ? Oat again then,old son! What yer got in yer cap, Kar ? eried his friends; to which the sweet vioo rallied, "Who'll give me a part of his does (bed),,F my eyes and limbs if I ain't periamn't Who'll let me turn in with him for half my toke" (brAd) P I feared how it would be! The hungry yomg fellow who had so readily availed himself of htlf my" toke" snapped at Kay's offer, and aftel a liltle rearrangement and bed-making four young fellcws instead of three re- posed upon the hay-bags at ny heart Kay showed himself a phasant companion; what in a higher grade of society i! called quite an acqui- sition." He told stories o! thieves and thieving, and of a certain "silver cat" he aad been "put up to," and that he meant to tick i! 'afore the end of the week, if he got seven sketch (? seven years) for it. The cup was worth, ten qllid:? pounds), and he know where to melt it withii ten minutes of nicking it. He made this statement withalt any moderation of jhia sweat voioe, and tie "othrs received it as aajtious fact. Nor was there, avy ajaotation of aeonsay seiioua.fact. Nor was tbare any ajaotation of aeonsay in tM3otja.ey^ geotldaiftn, wiw aatwinoed, with applause, that he had stolen a tcrol from the bath- room: "And, s'help me, it's as god as new; never been washed more'n once! Tell us a 'rumm-.y,' story, Kay' said somebody; and Kay did. He told stories of a rummy" a cha- racter that the decent mm at theurther end of the 100m (soma of whom had their on little boys sleep. ing with them) Qausthavlain in sweat of horror as they listened. Indeed, when ,ay brGke into a "rummy" song with a,< roarmgihoirus, one of the decent men rose in hia bed and wore that he would smash Kay's head if 1;" didn't deist. Bat Kay sang ■j"- nil ne and his admirbrs,were ti-A of the entertain- men! "Now," said he, "lafi'a hve a swearing ehlb! you'll, all I be in it?", The principle of. this game seamd to rest on the impossibility of either of the young jentlemen making balf-a-dezen obaervafekma without iirodaeing a blas- phemous or obsoene word,; and eitlir the basis is a very sound one, or for the sake of kopiag the "club" alive the members purposely made shs. The penalty for swearing" was a punch on any art of the body, except a few which the club rules proicted. The game was highly successful Warming wit the sport, and indifferent to punches, the memberrtvied with each other in audacity, and in a few, miuuis Bedlam in its prime could scarcely have produced ich a spectacle as. was to be seen on the beds behind Ie. One rule of the clab was that any word to be fond in the Bible might, be used with impunity, and one member "punched" another for using such aford, the error was to be visited upon him/with a doule punching all round. This naturally led to much aament, for in vindicating the Bible: as his authoritia member be. came sometimes so much heated as t launch into a flood of "real swearing," which brouat the fists of the club upon his naked carcass as quik as hail. These and other pastimes beguiled tb time until, to my delight, the church chimes audiblitolled twelve. After this the noise gradually subsidednd it seemed as though everybody was goingto sleep elast. I should have mentioned that duringthe story-teing and eong- singing a few casuals" had dropped irbut they were not habitues, and^ cuddled down with aeir rugs over their heads withont a word to any one. In a little while all was quiet, save ir the flapping of the canvas curtain in the night bree" the snoring, and the horrible, indescribable sounc of impatient hands scratching skins thalu itched. Thee was another sound of very frequent oecutrence, an that was the clanking of the tin pannikin against he water pail. Whetker it is in the nature of workouse bread or skilley to provoke thirst is more thanny limited ex- perience entitles me to say, but it my be truthfully asserted that once at least in thecours of five minutes might be heard a rustling of straw, pttering of feet, and then the Doise ofwater dipping, nd then was to be seen at the pail the figure of a lan (sometimes stark naked) gulping down the icy wber as he stood upon the icy stones. And here I may remark that I can uraiah no solu- tion to this mystery of the shirt. only know that some of-my comrades were provided vith a shirt, and that to some the luxury was denwd. I may say this, however, that none of the little boy severe allowed one. Nearly one o'clock. Still quiet ard no fresh arrival for an hour or more. Then suddsnlp a loud noise of hobnailed boots kicking at a wooden gate, and soon after a tramping of feet, and a rapping at Daddy's door, which, it will be,rememberet, was only separated from our bedroom by an open pavjd court. Hallo cried Daddy. "Here's some more of 'am foi you—ten of 'em," answered the porter, whose voice Ireoogniaed at once. They'll have to find beds, then" Daddy grumbled as he opened his door. "I don't bdieve there are four beds empty. They must sleep dotMe, or something." This waa terrible news for me. 3ad enough, in all conscience, was it to lie aa I was binsr but the pros- poet of sharing my straw with sone dirty scoundrel of the Kay breed was altogether uneidurable. Perhaps, however, they were not dirty scoundrels, but peaceable and decent men, like those in the farther corner. Alas, for my hopes!' In the space of five minutes in they came at the rent in the canvas—great hulking ruffians, some with rugs and nothing else, and some with shirts and nothing else, tud all madly swearing because, coming in after eleven o'clock, there was no toke for them. As soon as these wrathful men had. advanced to the middle of the shed they made the discovery that there was an insufficient number of beds—only three, indeed, for ten competi- tors. i "Where's the beds? D'ye hear, Daddy P Yon blessed truth-telling old person, where'a the beds ? You'll find 'em. Some of 'em is lying on two, or got 'em as pillows. You'll find 'em." With a sudden rush our new friends plunged among the sleepers, trampling over them, cursing their eyes and limbs, dragging away their ruga; and if by øhanee 1 they found some poor wretch who had been tempted. to take two beds (or bags) instead of one, they coolly .hauled them out, and took possession. There, was no denying thees, and so use ia remoaatrasiftg. They I evidently knew that they were at liberty to do just as they liked, and they took full advantage of the pri. vilege. One of them came up to me, and shouting, I want that, you; /'snatched atmy bird's-eye," nighteap and earried it off. There was a bed clos* to mine which contained only one occupant, and into l,nis one of the new comers slipped without a word of waning, driving its lawful owner against the wall to uake room. Then he sat up in bed for a moment, savagtly venting his disappointment as to "toke," and declar. ing that never before in his life had he felt the need of it so much. This was my opportunity. Slipping my hand under my bed, I withdrew that judiciously- hoarded piece of bread, and respectfully offered it to him. He snapped at it with thanks. By the time the churches were chiming two, matters had onoe more adjusted themselves, and silence reigned, to be disturbed only by drinkers at the pail, or such, as otherwise prompted, stalked into the open yard. Kay, for one, visited it. I mention this unhappy young wretch particularly, because he went out with- out a siagle rag to his back. I looked out at the rent in the canvas, and saw the frosty moon shining on him. When he returned, and crept down between Punch and another, he muttered to himself, Warm again. Oh, my G-d, warm again," Whether there is a rule which closes the casual wards after a certain hour I do not know; but before one o'clock our number was made up, the last comer signalising his appearance with a grotesquèpas seul. His rug over his shoulders, he waltzed into the shed, waving his hands, and singing in an affected voice, as he sidled along:— I like to be a, swell, a-roaming down Pall-mall, Or anywhere, I don't much care, so I can be a swell, a couplet whieh had an intensely-comical effect. This gentleman had just come from a pantomime (where he had learned his song, probably). Too poor to pay for a lodging, he could only muster means for a seat ia the gallery of the Vic. where he was well entertained, judging from the flattering manner in which he spoke of the clown. The columbine was less fortunate in his opinion, "She's werry dioký! Ain't got what I call move' about her." However, the wretched young woman was respited now from thescourge of his criti- cism; forthecriticandhislistenerswerefastasleep; and yet I doubt whether any one of the company slept very soundly. Every moment some one shifted uneasily; and, as the night wore on, the silence Was more and irritated by the sound of coughing. This was one of the most distressing things in the whole adventure. The conversation Was horrible, the tales that were told more horrible still, and Worse than either (though not by any means the most infamous things to be heard, I dare not even hint at them) was that song, with its bestial chorus shouted from a dozen throats; but, at any rate, they kept the blood warm with censtant hot flushes of anger; while, as for the coughing, to lie on the flagstones in what was nothing better than an open shed, and listen to that, hour after hour, chilled one's very heart with pity. At half-past two, every one being asleep, or at least lying still, Daddy- cami in and counted us: one, two, three, four, and so on, in a whisper. Then, finding the pail empty (it was nearly fall at half-past nine, when I entered), he considerately went and refilled it, and even took much trouble in searching for the tin pot which served as a drinking cup, and which the last comer had playfully thrown to the farther end of the shed. I ought to have mentioned that the pail stood close to my bed; so that I had peculiar opportunities of study as one after another of my comrades came to the fountain to drink: just as the brutes do in those books of African travel. The pail refilled, Daddy re- turned, and was seen no more till morning. It still wanted four hours and a half to seven o'clock—the hour of rising—and never before in my life did time appear to oreep so slowly. I eoald h^ar the ohimes of a. pari«fa bfauru'liy flEd of tile Far- Uas«oiit JETcmsoa, am well aa those of a wretched tinkling Dutch clock somewhere on the premises. The parish church was the first to announce the hour (a.n act of kindness I feel bound to acknow- ledge), Westminster came next, the lazy Dutchman I declining his consent to tha time o' day till full sixty seconds afterwards. And I declare I" thought that difference of sixty seconds an injury—if the officers of the house took their time from the Dutchman. It y seem a triSe, but a minute is something when a man is lying on a cold flagstone, and the wind of a winter night is blowing in your hair. Three o'clock, four o'clock struck, and still there waa nothing to beguile the time bat observation, under the one flaring gaslight, of the little heaps of outcast humanity strewn about the floor; and after a while, I find, one may even become accustomed to the sight of one's fellow-creatures lying around you like covered corpses in a railway shed; for most of the company were now bundled under the tugs in the ghastly way I have already desoribed though here and there a cropped head appeared, surmouated by a billy-cock like my own, or by a greasy cloth cap. Five o'clock, six o'clock chimed, and then I had news —most welcome-of the world without, and of the real beginning of day. Half-a-dozen factory bells announced that it was time for working men to go to labour; but my companions were not working men, and so snored on. Out through the gap in the canvas the stars were still to be seen shining on the black sky, but that did not alter the fact that it was six I o'clock in the morning. I snapped my fingers at the I Dutchman, with his sixty seaonds slow, for in another hour I fondly hoped to be relieved from duty. A little while, and doors were heard to open and shut; yet a little while, and the voice of Daddy was audible in conversation with another early bird; and then I distinctly caught the word bundles." Blessed sound! I longed for my bundle—for my pleasing brown coat-for the warm if unsightly" jersey," which I adopted as a judicious substitute for a waist- coat—for my corduroys and liberty. "Cla.ng!" went the workhouse clock. Now, then! wake 'cm up cried Daddy. I was already up-.itbi-S up, that is-being anxious to witness the resurrection of the ghastly figures rolled in their rugs. But nobody but myself rose at the summons. They knew what it meant well enough, and, in sleepy voices, cursed the bell and wished it in several dreadful places; but they did not move until there came in at the hole in the canvas two of the pauper inhabitants of the hoase, bearing bundles. "Thirty-two," twenty-eight!" they bawled, but not my number, which was 34. Neither 32 nor 28, however, seemed eager to accept his good fortune, in being first called. They were called upon three several times before they would answer; and then they replied with a savage Chuck it here, can't you Not before you chucks over your shirt and ticket," the bundle-holder answered, whereon "38" sat np, and, divesting himself of his borrowed shirt, fItLng it, with his wooden ticket; and his bundle was flung back in return. Jt was some time before bundle No. 34 turned up, so that I had a fair opportunity to observe my neigh- bours. The decent men slipped into their rags as soon as they got them, but the blackguards were in no hurry. Some indulged in a morning pipe to prepare themselves for the fatigue of dressing, while others, loosening their bundles as they squatted naked, com- menced an investigation for certain little animals which shall be nameless. At last my turn came; and "chucking over" my shirt and ticket, I quickly attired myself in clothes which, ragged as they were, were cleaner than looked. In less than two minutes I wa.s out or the shed and in the yard, where a few of .the more decent fellows were crowding round a water, and scrambling after something that nnght p-isg for a "wash "-finding their own soap, so far as I could ob- serve, and drying their faces on any bit of rag they might happen to have about them, or upon the canvas curtain of the shed. By this time it was about nait-past seven, and the majority of the casuals were up and dressed, I ob- served, however, that none of the younger boys were as yet up, and it presently appeared that there existed some rule against their dressing in the shed; for Daddy came out of the bath-room, where tiie bundles were deposited, a»<* called out, "Now four boys!" and instantlf. four poor little wretches, some with their rugs trajtf11? aoout their shoulders and some quite bare, came shijenng over the stones and across ttia bleak yard, and were admitted to the bathroom to dress. "Now tour more boys," cried Daddy; and so on. When all were up and dressed, the boys carried the bed rugs into Daddy's room, and the pauper inmates made a heap of the "beds," stacking them against the wall. As before mentioned, the shed served the treble purpose of bed-chamber, workroom, and break- fast-room; it was impossible to get fairly at the cranks and set them going until, the bedding was stowed away. Breakfast before work, however; but it was a weary while to some of us before it made its appearance. For my own part, I had little appetite, but about sM were about a dozen poor wretches who obviously had a very great one: they had come in overnight too lat for bread, and perhaps may not have broken fast since the morning of the previous day. The deoent ones suffered most, The blackguard majority were quite cheerful—smoking, swearing, and playing their pretty horse play, the prime end of which-wai pain or dis- comfiture for somebody else. One casual there Wis with only one leg. When he came in overnight he wore a black hat, which added a certain look of j rspectability to a worn suit of black. All tog," 1er his clothes had been delivered up to him by Daddy wit now he was hopping disconsolately about the pltce on his crutch, for the hat was missing. He was a tiaid man, with a mild voice; and whenever he askea.some rnffian I whether he has seen such a i ag as a back hat," and got his answer, he invar;bly said _5 foank you," which was regarded as ary amusing. &.t last one sidled up to him with a tTrin, and showing about three square inches of some f: -.ffy substance, Bai?.*—Ia this anything like wot you've Ist, giav'nor?" Tus. cripple inspected it. "That's tha aa1^" a shame! and hobbled off with tears in hia <syas. Full, three-quarters of an hour of loitering aid shivering, and then cam& the taskmaster-a. soldie^ y- looking msts over six fwt high, with quick, gray eyes, in which "No trifling" appeared as distinctly as a notice against trespassmg on a wayside board. as a notice against trespassmg on a wayside board. I He came out amongst us, and the grey eyes made out our number in a moment. "Oat into the yard, all of you!" he cried; and we wellt out in a mob. ¡. There we shivered for some twenty minutes longer, and then a baker's man appeared with a great wooden tray piled up with just such slices of btead as we had received overnight. The tray was consigned to an able-bodied casual, who took his place with the taskmaster at the shed-door; and then in single file we re-entered the shed, each man and boy receiving a slice as he passed in- Pitying, as I suppose, my unaccustomed look, Mr. Taskmaster gave me a slice and a large piece over. The bread devoured, a clamour for "skilley" began, The rumour got abroad that this morning, and on all future mornings, there would be skilley at breakfast, and akilley, skilley," resounded through the shed. No one had hinted that it was not forthcoming, but sfeiiley seara-3 to be thought an extraordinary conces- sion, and after waiting only a few minutes for it, they attached the taskmaster in the fiercest manner. They called him thief, sneak, and "crawler." Little boys blackguarded him in gutter language, and looking him in the face, consigned him to hell without flinching. He never uttered a word in reply, or showed a sign of impatience; and whenever he was obliged to speak it was quite without temper. There was a loud "hooray!" when the longed-for skilley appeared in two pails, in one of which floated a small tin saucepan, with a stick thrust into its handle, by way of a ladle. Yellow pint basins were provided for our use, and large iron spoons. "Range round the walls," the taskmaster shouted. We obeyed with the utmost alacrity; and then what I should judge to be about three-fourths of a pint of gruel was handed to each of us as we stood. I was glad to get mine, because the basin that contained it was warm and my hands were numb with cold. I tasted a spoonful, as in duty bound, and wondered more than ever at the esteem in which it was held by my confreres. It was a weak decoction of oatmeal and water, bitter, and without even a pinch of salt to flavour it-that I could dis- cover. But it was hot; and on that account, perhaps, was so highly relished, that I had no difficulty in persuading one of the decent men to accept my share. It was now past eight o'clock, and as I knew that a certain amount of labour had to be performed by each man before he was allowed to go his way, I was anxious to begin. The labour was to be "crank" labour. The cranks are a series of iron bars ex- teticimK width r>f the shed penetrating through the wall, and working a noui. u*M on the other side. Turning the crank is like turning a windlass. The task is not a severe one. Four measures of corn (bushels they were called, but that is doubtful) have to be ground every morning by the night's batch of casuals. Close up by the ceiling hangs a bell con- nested with the machinery; and as each measure is ground the bell rings, so that the grinders may know how they are going on. But the grinders were as lazy as obscene. We were no sooner set to work than the taskmaster left us to our own sweet will, with nothing to restrain its exercise but an occasional visit from the miller, a weakly expostulating man. Once or twice he came in, and said mildly, "Now, then, my men, why don't you stick to it ? and so went out again." The result of this laxity of overseeing would have disgusted me at any time, and was intensely disgusting thou. At least one half the gang kept their hands from the crank" whenever the miller was absent, and betook themselves to their private amusements and pursuits. Some sprawled upon the beds and smoked; some engaged themselves and their friends in tailoring, and one turned hair-cutter for the benefit of a gentle- man who, unlike Kay, had not just comeeut of prison. There were three tailors—two of them on the beds mending their coats, and the other operating on a recumbent friend in the rearward part of his clothing. Where the needles came from I do not know, but for thread they used a strand of the oakum (evidently easy to deal with) which the boys were picking in the corners. Other loungers strolled about with their hands in their pockets, discussing the topics of the day, and playing practical jokes on the industrious few—a favourite joke being to take a bit of rag, anoint it with grease from the crank axles, and clap it unex- pectedly over somebody's eye. The consequence of all this was that the cranks went round at a very slow rate and now and then stopped altogether. Then the miller came in; the loungers rose from their couches, the tailors ceased stitching, the smokers dropped their pipes, and evety fellow was x at his post. The cranks spun round furiously agai* the miller's expostulation being dro* Annnt, of "Slaa bang, here we are -c, temporised chorus: — We'll hang up the mille. We']l hang up the millei We'll hang up the miliar And then go grinding Glory, glo By such ditties, the rnffiar spell of work. Short indeed and within a minute afterwar pied, pipes lit, and tailoring re continued-the honest fellows sw and anxious to get the work doiu for more profitable labo-, and th,, sion taking matters quite easy. i\ had the work been properly superin. measures of corn ulig.!lt have been grol of an hour and a balf. As it was, when had tinkled for the fourth time, and the y, opened and were free to depart, the struok eleven- T I had tne show—gladly I escaped into t streets. The Bun shone brightly on my ragged reputable figure, and showed its squalor dearth distinctness; but within all waa rej A fàv. yards, and then I was blessed with the sieht of that same vehicle—waiting for me in the spot where I had. parted from it fourteen weary hours before. Did you ? observe, Mr. Editor, with what alacrity I jumped in ? i I I have a vivid recollection of you, sir-sitting there with an easy patience, lounging through your Times, and oh! so detestably clean to look at! But, though I resented your ooliar, I was grateful for the sight of a familiar face, and for that draught of sherry which you considerately brought for me, a welcome refresh- ment after so many weary waking hours of fasting.— Pall-rtiall Gazette. i

-• .j. The "Quiver" Lifeboats.—The proprietors of The Quiver," in the Deoember part of that publica- tion, made an appeal to their subscribers for contribu- tions in aid of a new lifeboat, to bo placed at the dis- posal of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The response has been of so liberal a character, that the subscriptions already amoant to a sum equivalent to the cost of three lifeboats, sncl additional sums are flowing in daily. Messrs. Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, in acknowledging the marked success which haa at* tended their appeal, now beg to intimate that, as the subscription list must be shortly closed, they will feel obliged by c0*leeting papers being sent m at thte earliest moment. John G-ibson, P,. A.-Several papers of Monday give a sketch 01 the career of this distinguished sculptor, and introduce it by saying that he died at Borne on the 14th inst. A later account says:-h We are glacl to learn, by letters from Rome of the 19th inst., that this eminent sculptor is gradually recovering from his late attack, and that hopes are entertained of his restoration to health. There 1S good reason to* believe that tho last account is the true one. S.