Flintshire Observer Mining Journal and General Advertiser for the Counties of Flint Denbigh

-(),U:t LONDON OORKESPONPKNT. Even in the midst of grave discussions as L,) the advisability of undertaking the reconquest of the Soudan, there are members of the House of Commons who are engaged in careful cogita- tion &s to the manner in which their personal comforts CFTII best be attended to. The First Commissioner of Works, to whatever Adminis- tration ho may belong, is subjected to a host of suggestions on this head and successive holders of the office csuld relate many n sin- gular story as to the plans which, in all seriousness, are laid before him. It is not often, however, that these are brought into the cold light of print in the form of a question put in the Houge of Commons; and, like the best ideas of the immortal Captain Cuttle, when found they are to be made a note of. This week, for instance, the First Commissioner of Works has been asked whether, considering the crowded state of the House of Commons Smoking Room at certain hours of the day, he would give his serious consideration to the advisability of covering in the space enclosed by the cloisters, and turniyg it into a winter garden for the use of members wishing to smoke. There is almost touch of sybaritism about this suggestion, which is at once so novel and so striking that it deserves a better fate than to be laughed at. For, if cl once our legislators arc accommodated with a winter garden, there seems no suffieient reason why an aqnarium and a menagerie should not follow; and Westminster would than be a much more interesting place to which to take a country visitor than it is to-day. Those who have esthetic or historical tastes, however, will scarcely relish even the bare suggestion that the cloisters would look out upon a winter garden, filled with cigar-smoking senators, for they form one of the very few re- maining portions of the original Palace of Westminster, destroyed in the great fire of October, 1834. They are the cloisters, indeed, of the original Chapel of St. Stephen, ia which the Commons assembled for three centuries, and in one portion of them, according to a strictly-held tradition, Cromwell and bis colleagues of the High Court of Justice si "Tied the death-warrant of Charles I. Sad to rslate, the authorities of Parliament have found ) o better use for this beautiful and venerable temnant of the ancient edifice than to turn it Into a cloak-room, where members hang their hats and coats and have their boots blacked; d this despite the fact that it contains the most superb carving to be seen on any stone at Westminster. The carving in the present build- ing was imitated from that in the cloisters, but, while the handiwork is there, the spirit has ileparted; and, if our legislators possessed a grain of true feeling for art, they would not allow so exquisite a portion of the palaco to be degraded to such a menial use. It is this kind of thing which provokes foreigners to taunt us frith being" a nation of shopkeepers," but even the least artistic shopkeeper would not dream of using his drawing-room as a coal-cellar. Remembrance continues keen in the Thames Valley of the great flood of 1894, when persons were driven to the upper storeys of their houses, and cut off from food, gas, and water supplies when the streets of Datchet were unnavigable by boats because of the rapidity of the stream when the distress at Windsor was so acute that the Queen was prompted, not only to organise daily relief, but to pay several visits to the Bcene of desolation and when, as the water- supply of Windsor Castle was interfered with by the floods, it nearly happened that her Majesty herself was numbered among those who had to leave their homes. It is because of this remembrance that the Thames Permanent Floods Committee has been sending a deputa- tion to the President of the Board of Trade, seeking advice and aid in the matter; and one of the suggestions which has been consequently put forward is of importance, not only to dwellers on the banks of the Thames, but to those who live by the side of any river which is subject to sudden and neavy floods. It is proposed that telegraphic or telephonic commu- nication should be established between all the looks and weirs, so that concentrated action might be taken and superfluous water thereby quickly got rid of; and the idea seems suffi- ciently practical to warrant it having an early trial. The measure which has been introduced by the Government in the House of Lords this week to amend the law with respect to loco- motives on highways does not arouse the slightest trace of party feeling, and, therefore, should stand a good chance of being fairly dis- cussed. It has been obvious for months that the rapid growth in the manufacture and use of "autocars" would force this question to the front, for scarcely a week has lately passed without somebody being mulcted in a nominal penalty, customarily accompanied by an amount of costs-altogether dis- proportionate to the fine-for having driven a motor-propelled vehicle along a road without having a man preceding it by a score of yards, bearing a red flag. It is, of course, a matter for careful consideration as to the speed at which such vehicles ought to be allowed to proceod along our high-roads, but the present legal rate of four miles an hour can probably be raised to that at which a horsed vehicle is permitted to travel, without any harm resulting. That being the case, there is little doubt that dispassionate consideration will on all sides be given to a measure which may in the end almost revo- lutionise our present system of road travelling. Hasten slowly is apparently the motto which has been taken for the telephone system in London, and it is by no means certain that the approaching transfer of the trunk lines to the Post Office will do much to brisker opera- tions. But the world moves for all that, and now that not only has telephonic communica- tion been established between Marl borough House and the general London system, and between Buckingham Palace and other parts of the metropolis, but different portions of these Royal residences have been placed in telephonic communication with each other, and even with Windsor Castle, some sort of fillip should be given to the system. Probably no civilised country uses the telephone so little as our own, and this, as far as London is concerned, may be largely attributed to the cost. It may be im- possible, under all the circumstances, to charge tess, but the consequence is that, in the metro- polis, a telephone is generally regarded as a luxury, rather than as the necessity it is con- sidered to be in the United States and various Continental countries. On the face of it the Zoological Gardens are not the most obvious place of resort for geolo- gists, but all scientific studies touch each other at some point. That will be found, in this rela- tion, to be the case two or three weeks hence, when the members of the Geologists' Associa- tion of London will visit the Zoological hardens, and when, having assembled at the Elephant House, Dr. Sclater will give an Account of the recent elephants and rhino- ceroses, and the president of the society will follow with some remarks on the fossil repre- sentatives of the same groups. There is little excuse in London, indeed, for anyone interested in a particular branch of scientific study not becoming acquainted wiih it. Societies attend iiim on every hand, with their officials ?nly too happy to give the neophyte ;he assistance of their information and the manner in which even the severest of such earned bodies contrive to combine pleasure vith business is well known to any who have Iver attended an annual meeting of the British Association. But the picnicking element, after rtl, is only a very small part of what is done by hese bodies. In various ways they stimulate aid sustain interest in studies which otherwise ralght IAug-uish tor want ot moral orpaaterial support; and if the stern savantg,occasionally unbend and give the idea that they can mingle social pleasure with scientific pursuit, there is no reason to think that it is the worse for either. A question which has excited very keen interest in tfce cycling world has, within the Past few days, come before the Council of the Rational Cyclists' Union, by which body it has been$,t last temporarily settled. The proposal was one fõr « mixed racing, which would have swept away the barrier now interposed between amateurs and professionals. It was thought before the gathering that there was more than of it being carried—though not by the two-thirds majority necessary to effect a change in the rules of the Union-becauso the Birmingham, Newcastle, and Nottingham its favour, but London, Bristol, TSorthanipton, Leicester, and the Eastern Counties were known to be against it; and, in the result, the motion was rejected. It is s hardly, of course, to be expected that this decision will finally dispose of a proposal which has the support of such influential centres as have been named but its promoters are likely now to recognise much more clearly than before the very great difficulties they will have to encounter before they secure success, even if they ever do so. There is much to be said upon both sides of the question, but it will need very strong arguments to persur.d most cyclist* that the barrier in question can be safely broken down. R

A N URSE'S FATAL MISTAKE. The Birmingham City Coroner on March 23 held an inquiry concerning the death of Frederick Weathuall, aged 39, who died in Birmingham Work- house Infirmary from morphia poisoning. Tne man became an inmate of the infirmary on the 11th inst. He was sufferint, from acute bronchitis and failure of the heart's action, and was attended every day by the, physicians of the institu- tion. An injection into the arm ofi a solu- tion consisting of one grain of strychnine to 100 drops of water was prescribed. The nurse filled a syringe with a solution which she believed to be the solution of strychnine and injected it into the patient's arm. She found, a few minutes later, however, that she had used a solution of morphia. She communicated her mistake to the physician on duty and antidotes were administered, but death resulted in two hours The jury returned a verdict of Death by misadven- ture," and suggested that all poisons injected should be given under the superintendence of a uiedica) officer.

DEATH OF ISABEL LADY BURTON. The death, at her house in London, of Isabel Lady Uiirton, the widow of the famous explorer and orientalist, Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton, K.C.M.G., the discoverer of Lake Tanganyika, the comrade of Speke in the discovery of the Victoria ftyanza, and the author of more than a score of works upon subjects connected with exploration and Eastern scholarship, has removed one of the most accomplished women of the latter end of the century. Lady Burton, who was the daughter of Henry Ray- mond Arundell, one of the Arundellsof Wardour, was, from her marriage in 1861, the companion of her hus- band upon several more or less dangerous journeys of exploration. Herself an author, she obtained from her experiences during his numerous consulships materials for several books, notably one upon the inner life of Syrin. Although the most enthusiastic of her husband's admirers and the most devoted of wives, she nevertheless took upon herself the duty of destroying at his death a translation of an Ar&bic romance entitled The Scented Garden," the contents of which were somewhat of the same nature as the greater portion of "The One Thousand and One Nights," which her husband first made accessible to students of Eastern life and character. Some sensa- tion was caused at the time by this act, a publisher having offered the sum of E6000 for the manuscript, and many persons were inclined to blame her for what they considered a too hasty act. It was, however, clearly shown that the manuscript was left by Sir Richard Burton to his wife with a request that she should either use or destroy it as she thought fit. Lady Barton belonged to the Roman Catholic Church, and will, no doubt, be buried according to its rites in the vacant space reserved for her in the mausoleum erected for her husband at Mortlake Cemetery.

A DOUBLE TRAGEDY. A detective-sergeant named Hambley, who belonged to the Derby Borough Police Force, and a young woman named Litchfield were found dead on the morning of March 23 in the bed-room of a tem- perance hotel at Nottingham, and eircuirstances go to suggest that they had committed suicide by poisoning themselves. A Derby correspondent states that Hambley held the rank of sergeant in the Derby Detective Force. He was a very smart officer, and had frequently been cqmrnended by the Bench for the lucidity with which he got up his cases and gave his evidence. Latterly he had given way to intemperance, and joined the woman, who came from Long Eaton, and was a barmaid. On Saturday Hambley was suspended by the Chief Con- stable, and instructed to appear before the Watch Committee on Tuesday. This fact appears to have preyed on his mind, and he left for Nottingham the same evening with the woman. He was a married man, and leaves a family of seven children.

JUDGE THOMAS HUGHES DEAD. Judge Thomas Hughes died suddenly and pain- lessly at the Crescent Hotel, Brighton, on Sunday. Judge Hughes had been suffering for some weeks from a severe cold and cough, and had been attended by Dr. Granger. As the unfavourable symptoms continued it was thought desirable that he should have a complete change, and a fortnight ago, in com- pany with Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Cousins, a married daughter, he left for Brighton, where he died. By the death, in his 73rd year, of Thomas Hughes, the second son of Mr. John Hughes, of Donnington Priory, near Newbury, Berkshire, the world has lost the author of what is probably the best, and certainly the most popular, of all boys' books. The author of Tom Brown's Schooldays was born in October, 1823, at U fthngton, Berkshire, and was edu- cated at Rugby under Dr. Arnold. In 1841 he entered Oriel College, Oxford, taking his degree of B.A. in 1843. He married in 1847 Anne Frances, the eldest daughter of the Rev. Thomas Ford, Pre- bendarv of Exeter, and leaves three sons and three daughters. In 1848 he became a member of .the Chancery Bar, and, like so many barristers, turned his spare attention to literature, publishing in 1856 the famous story of Rugby School life, and following it by "'The Scouring of the White Horse in 1858, and in 1861 by "Otll Brown at Oxford," a book which, though highly esteemed, never enjoyed the extraordinary popularity of the "Schooldays." Since then Mr. Hughes produced no more fiction, but published at various times a history of Alfred the Great, rcemoirs of his brother, George C. Hughes, and of Daniel Macmillan, and the Lives of Bishop Fraser and of Livingstone, besides a number of political and religious tracts. He also edited The Billow Paper8* and contributed prefaces to several well known books. Before entering political life be assisted much in social work among the poor as a co-worker with and fol- lower of the school of reform of Maurice and Kineslev In 1865 he was returned Liberal member for Lambeth which he represented until 1868, when he was returned for Frome, representing that borough until 1874. He was next nominated as candidate for 31irylebone, but retired on the day before the poll was taken. In 1869 Mr. Hughes was appointed a Queen's Counsel, and in 1882 Judge of I a the County Court Circuit No. 9, made vacant by the registration of &r'e Yates. Even after he had abandoned political life, Mr. Hughes was well-known as a public speaker upon co-operation, and also as an opponent of gambling, and has several times appeared on the platform. Upon the introduction by Mr. Gladstone of the Home Rule Bill, he joined the Unionist party-

T CLARK h'as resigned his office LORD RP fudges °F the Court of Sessions in Scot- as one of the J uu» Tif'AC%AV, labourer, was sentenced to RICHARD servitude at Liverpool on Monday three years P paramour, Caroline Sweeney. Tho for stabbing Ji consequence of his brutality, and woman left hiu her married sister's and stabbed e o .owed he back and breast that she lay in

NEWS NOTES. —■— A FIGURE of striking personal interest b a's passed away in the venerable Archdeacon Denison. Really a kindly hearted, and in mauy respects lovable man, he was a born con- troversialist, not only because he was a valiant fighter, but also because he could always win and keep the personal regard of his opponents His works were mainly controversial, and argu- ment seemed writ large on his strong face and yet strife never embittered him, marred his deep piety, or caused turn to neglect the simpler duties of his ministry. His country parishioners revered hini per- haps only dimly uaderstanding at times the stir their vicar "made in the world, yet honouring him for the qualities they could estimate better than others. That Denison— one of a group of Oxford contemporaries who made much mark in the world of thought— never attained to higher dignity than that of an Archdeacon was due to more than one thing. He was blunt and uncompromising in his independency of expression, he was too honest of soul to be in any way a self-seeker in worldly things, and he often championed ideas which the many had not learned to grasp. He ran ahead of his time, and therefore trod a stony road. Other men reaped the reward of his rough pioneering, and he repined not. APPLETON HALL, Norfolk, which is to be their future home, after the marriage of the Princess Maud of Wales and Prince Charles of Den- mark, and where possibly they will spend honeymoon in July next, is being alti 1, furnished, and adapted for a Royal residenuEo. The village, which is owned by the Prince of Wales, is pleasantly situated, and the hall is distant about a mile from Sandringham and less than that from York Cottage. The parish con- sists of 7700 acres, and the only habitations it possesses are a few cottages, and what were originally two farm houses, of which one is now designated the Hall." For years past this has been a well-known building to many people throughout the kingdom. Formerly it was tenanted byMrs.GerardCresswell>who, under tks signature Lady Farmer," wrote an interesting and plain-spoken disquisition on the county of Norfolk, its agriculture, clergy, farmers, and labourers, which created not a little stir. A few years since it became the residence of General Stanley Clarke, equerry to the Prince of Wales, for whom another place of abode upon the Sao- dringham estate has to be provided. It is anti- cipated that the wedding festivities iron the Prince's estate will be similar to those which accompanied the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of York, and already in Norwich, Lynn, and the country around Sandringham and Appleton, preparations are being made to duly celebrate the happy event. WE shall soon have cricket in swing. The Australian Eleven are now on their way to this country, and will, as usual of late years, make their debut on the fine private ground within the Earl of Sheffield's beautiful Sussex demesne, where it is said the Prince of Wales, who does not often honour cricket with hia presence, will be a spectator. Turner-once yclept the Terror "-was to have been one of the team, but in some unaccountable way was left behind, and his place will be probably filled by Albert Trott, who, though coming home," was not one of those actually chosen. Turner is a most useful bowler and a capable bat, but con- sidering the wonderful performance of Trott last year when playing against Mr. Stoddart's team the wonder is that, being available, he was not one of the first to be decided on. The Com- mittee of Selection probably know their own business best, but, judging by last year's form, it would almost seem that the lU,he strengthened by the abeence .;C\. \or Trott is a good bowler and an undoubtedly fine batsnwiri. Speaking of cricket we may note that the team under the commanctof Lord Hawke has not had altogether the' triumphal march through South Africa that would have been theirs a few years ago, and the country is still so essentially English that its improvement in this respect cannot be other than a pleasure to those at home. No doubt Lohmann did something to improve South African cricket during his stay there for the benefit of his health, and now that part of the English-speaking world will be benefited by the presence of that useful Warwickshire player, Shilton, who unfortunately has to go there for the same reason that Lohmann went, and it is to be hoped that he will meet with a like measure of success. THE Bill for the Amendment of the Joint Stock Companies Acts, which has baen intro- duced into the House of Lords, is certainly a step in the right direction. If the bill passes in its present form it will not be altogethar palatable to the promoter, for he will have to disclose what he gets out of the venture. Still, from the public point of view this is just one of 'the things most required, as it will tend to aheck undue plunder.' It is to be regretted (remarks a knowing annotator) that some proviso is not inserted stipulating that the working capital should bear a just pro- portion to the nominal capital of a com- pany. The cause of half the failures of joint stock enterprises is due to over capitalisation and the want of sufficient working capital. The bulk of the public money in many cases goes into the pockets of vendors and promoters, while the directors often find themselves crippled for want of money, which eventually ands in fresh borrowing or reconstructions. A fair proportion of working capital to the nominal capital of unproved ventures would be from 25 to 30 per cent., and many of the ven- tures lately issued have been more in this direction. A POTWALLOPER meant one qualified to be a voter because he was able to boil his own pot —a name given to electors in certain English boroughs prior to 1832. This franchise, which was in vogue at Preston, Taunton, Ponte- fract, and some other old English boroughs, is declared to have been one of tho most demo- cratic franchises ever invented. Every inha- bitant, whether housekeeper or lodger, who dresses his own victuals," is Defoe's description of the Taunton potwallopers. And now we learn that the very last of the potwal- loppers has died at Pomfret," in the person of Mr. Richard Atkinson, at the old age of 97. Though not far from being a centenarian, he voted at the last municipal and School Board elections in his borough. The Reform Act did not abolish the then existent pot wallopers, but prevented the creation of more. So their race has been allowed to run obscure and die out. It was the same with Scot-and-lot voters and freemen, but there are still some 25,000 of the latter left. The last of the pot- wallopers has, however, now joined the majority.

Mrss ROBE BRASSKV, who is one of the many fair maids to be wedded after Easter, is the second daughter of the Hon. Mrs. Albert Brassey and the lato Mr. Albert Brassey, M.P,' She is also a niece of Lord Clanmorris. Her marriage to Capt. Denfs St. George Daly, late 18th Hussars, will be the occasion of a great gathering of the Brassey and Gordon- Lennox claas, her two cousins having married into the last-named family. One of these, Miss Hilda Brassey, is now Lady Settrington, and the other, Mr. Henry Brassey, married Lady Violet Gordon-Lennox, daughter of the Earl of March, so that a brother and sister married a brother and sister. Heythrop, Mrs. Albert Brassey's seat near Chipping Norton, Oion, is delightfully situated and lavishly wooded. Miss Rose Brassey is an ardent sportswoman, and both she and her fiance regularly hunt with the Hevthrop and Warwickshire nacks. t

MILITARY MATTERS. The extent of the, operations in which wehare been engaged in Egypt from 1882 may (says the able military correspondteat of the Globe) be- gathered from the fact that some officers have as many as five, and even six, clasps to their Egyptian medals. And it is a very curious thing in connection with the medal that you can- see in Egypt English officers. with the medal and clasp for "Tel-eI-Kebir," andperhapa in the same regiment native officers against whom we fought at Tel-el-Xebir wearing exactly the same medal, but witfe clasps for the operations- in, the Soudan. The idea among military men is that, if the forth- eoming expedition is. to be conducted on a large scale, fair proportion of British troops will have to be sent. Knowing what the Egyptian army wasinl882, when it had been trained by American officers, and knowing how much it has improved since its re- organisation commenced under Sir Evelyn Wood in; December of that year, I can well understand the faith put in it by the English officers serving in Egypt. But there is a very great difference, even now, between the trustworthiness of the Egyptian soldier proper and the black or Soudanese soldier; for the army is composed of both. It is difficult to. forget that Hicks Pasha's army of 10.000 Egyptians was annihilated at Shekan in 1883 by the Mahdists, and how their gallant leader and his officers died fighting like lions. And it is not for- gotten how Valentine Baker's force of 3700" which went to the relief of Tokar in the following year, suffered an equally disastrous fate. On that occasion the Egyptian soldiers were seized with a panic, threw down their arms and fled, while others, huddled together in a surging mass with camels, horses, and mules, were massacred without even making an attempt to resist. I am bound, however, to admit that tne Egyptian soldier has gained much confidence since those days, and that the dervishes against whom we shall have to fight are scarcely comparable with our splendid opponents of 1884 and 1885. The first of the Soudanese battalions was formed on May, 1884, for service at Souakim, and Hallam Parr was its first commander. I believe it is the present 9th Soudanese Battalion, and I know, from its earliest formation to the present time, the confidence placed in it by its British officers has never once wavered. It was the pioneer regiment of the Soudanese Brigade which has since proved itself to be the backbone which the fellaheen battalions so much require. The men are volunteers direct from the Soudan, and it is upon them that reliance must be plaoed in the absence of British soldiers. The 1st Battalion North Staffordshire, the old 64th, which has been selected to proceed from Cairo to Wady Haifa, was originally raised in 1756 as the 2nd Battalion of the 11th Foot, and was two years later formed into a separate corps as the 64th. It has since had a varied career all over the world. After the Indian Mutiny it spent sevenj'ears at home, and was at Malta from 1867 to 1872. In 1884 it went to the West Indies, and on to South Africa two years later. In 1890 it went to the Mauritius, in 1892 to Malta, and shortly afterwards to Egypt. Neither Lieutenant-Colonel Beale nor any of his field officers have yet seen active service. life report of the Commandant of the School of Musketry on the musketry training of the Militia in 1895 is, I consider, a very satisfactory one, consider- ing the circumstances under which the instruction was conducted. Colonel Paton says that "great credit is due to all concerned." The individual firing Has been generally satisfactory, and the sectional practices far in advance of what was considered suffi- cient a few yeaas ago. The results of the rapid fire, introduced for recruits and trained sol- diers for the first time, are decidedly encourag- ing. It is still remarkable that, though recruits do judging distance practice, the trained soldiers receive no training whatever in it. But it is not more extraordinary than the fact that only one permanent staff sergeant of the 3rd Battalion Border Regiment is in possession of a Hytbe certificate, while in the 4th Cheshire there are none. In the former regiment, it may be added, npt one officer has a Hythe certificate either. The two best shooting battalions in individual practice are the 4th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers and the 4th Battalion Shrop- shire Light-Infantry. The two best in field practices are the 4th Battalion South Wales Borderers and the 4th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

AN ESSEX SAMARITAN. The Woodbridge Reporter publishes an interestiny account of "The Essex Samaritan," more exactlg known as Mr. George Edwards, of Little Bealinge, near Ipswich, who, though a quiet and retiring person, is noted locally for the good he has done to people who have had the benefit of his advice, which we now give to our readers. It appears that Mr. Edward's lore is the result of his own experience When I was a boy," said he, I had a bad attack of rheumatic fever, and another about eleven years ago, when I was laid up for twenty-one weeks." And up to two years ago, interrupted his wife, if he got a cold or the weather was changeable he suffered most excruciating pains in all his limbs. He could get no rest night nor day, for he could not sleep at night nor rest in the day- time." Yes," continued Mr. Edwards, it was about two years ago, just before Christmas, when I was suffering dreadfully with rheumatism in my legs, so that I could not get my stockings on, nor walk. Nothing did me any good. One day I was looking at the newspaper, and saw what wonderful things Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People had done, and I said, I'll have a try at them.' So I sent right away to Dr. Williams' place for a box." Mrs. Edwards again interposed here: Yes," she said, and after he had taken that one box he felt great relief, and so he sent again and got another." I had only three boxes altogether," continued the husband. "And that properly cured him," the wife chimed in emphatically. I have never had a rheumatic pain since, and I tell everybody how much good they have done me and this has been the means, as you have heard, of great benefit to many people who have been led to use Dr. Williams' Pink Pills by my example." Mr. Edwards' disinterested story carries convic- tion on the surface, and confirms reports from all quarters of the remarkable cures effected by Dr. Wil- liams' Pink Pills, not only in cases of rheumatism, but in all the many disorders which follow influenza and rheumatic fever, or arise from an impoverished state of the blood and nerves, such as anrumia, pale and sallow complexion, general muscular weakness loss of appetite, shortness of breath, pains in the back, nervous headache, early decay, all forms "01 female weakness, hysteria, paralysis, locomotor ataxy, sciatica, palpitations, low vitality, and wasting" strength from any cause. These Pills are genuine tnly with the Jull name, Dr. Williams' Pink Pilli for Pale People, and are sold by chemists and b, Dr. Williams' Medicine" Company, Holborn-viaduct London, E.C., at 2s. 9d. a box, or six for 13s. 9d They are unrivalled as a tonic and strengtheninj medicine for both sexes.

"IF you don't do something on this bill before the 15th I intend to sue you." "Ah. And will you permit me to recommend Sharp and Steele? I receive a percentage on all they get out of me." "You see, I was engaged to my wife without ever having seen her." les that is quite evident." DOCTOR (to brother physician): Yes sir, the sovereign remedy for all this is fresh air and plenty of it. People don't let enough air into their houses. Well, I must hurry off I'm on an errand." Brother physician Going far ?" No, only down to the hardware store to get half a mile of weather-strips." THEY were seated in the parlour conversing on the uncertainty of life. She: The future is a vast, un- fathomable mystery to us, isn't it ?" He: "Yes; all we know is that we have to go some time." Voice from the library It would suit the convenience of this household if you'd make it a little sooner than that."

THE FATE OF CAPTAIN PREYFUff, Dreyfus is undergoing his sentenca-os the He 6n) Dibble, an arid, desolate rock, one of & group ot three small islands, situated 15 miles- sortli-eao of CavMtM, in French Guyana. The isksd is about half a mile long by 300 yardi wide, the last exile there having been Delescluze, the French Com- rncmist. I am told (writes a correspondent) that who is the only prisoner on the island, will not ing survive the rigid discipline and terrible monotony of his captivity. He is permitted to see no one blot a prison doctor from the mainland, and while he is never for a moment out of sight (by night or day) of one at least of his warders, all are ex- nres&ly forbidden, under pain of imprisonment, to converse with him. Escape is impossible, for Dreyfus is kept under lock and key when not at exercise, pacing up and down a measured 100 yards bv word of command. Supphes are brought daily from the adjacent lie Royale, where there is a large eoavict establishment, but it '8 only in very fine weather that a landing on the 1ft du Biable can be effected. To further guard against escape, any boat mot flying the cypher flag is at once fired upon, while » telephone now connects Dreyfus a place of exile with the neighbouring islands. A swimmer would stand no earthly chance, "for the sea swarms with sharks. Dreyfus is much changed in appearance, and has grown old and careworn, almost beyond ve' recognition. Mdme. Dreyfus still firmly believes in her husband's innocence, and the report that she had takezaanother name is absolutely unfounded.

NOVELISTS AND SCHOOLMASTERS. How uncharitable novelists have been and are,, as a rule towards schoolmasters Mr. Macnamara com- plains in the Young Man that during the past 50 years they have done a good deal to disparage the profes- sion. Dickens did so wholesale, so did Thackeray and to-day Besant, Quiller Couch, Kipling, and Baring-Gould are doing the same. The only novelists Mr. Macnamara could call to mind who are generally sympathetic to teachers are Thomas Hardy and Ian Maclaren." This attitude has tended to keep down the status of teachers. Besides, English people have no great sentiment in favour of education. But with an improved estimate of the value of education there is bound to come, Mr. Macnamara thinks, an im- proved treatment of the teacher. John Knox taught the Scotch people the value of education. "Every scholar made," he said, is an addition to the wealth of the community.

A CHANCE FOR STAMP-COLLECTORS. The stamp-collecting enthusiast should be on the alert to secure early specimens of the postage-stamps of the Republic of Cuba. It is true that as the Cuban Republic is not yet definitely constituted, or accepted into the fraternity of legitimate States, its postage-stamps do not enjoy at present a recognised international currency. A correspondent, however, assures the Westminster Gazette that they are ready for circulation all over the world. They have been printed, as might perhaps be expected, in the United State3. The postage-stamp of the Cuban Republic (in spe) is tall and narrow. In the centre there is an oval space containing the upstanding banner of the new Commonwealth. (The banner, by the way, is blue, with two white stripes, between which is a white star in a red triangle.) Above the picture of the banner are inscribed the words "Republica de Cuba," and below it Cuba Libre." The colour of the central oval differs according to the value of the stamp. The 1-centavo stamp is orange-yellow, the 5-centavos green, the 10-oentavos blue, and the 20-centavoq black.

A CURIOUS SPECTACLE. A carious spectacle was seen at Mat-heran, Bom- bay, the other day, when a procession carried, with all the pomp and panoply of these religious func- tions in India, the deities ShreeRamchanderji, Lux- monji, and Sittaji, for installation in the ne v temple recently erected through the energy and influence of Mr. Sadasive Vaman Dane. The ceremony was performed by learned Hindu Brah- mins, and the deities were presented by the muhiflcence of Bai Ruttonbai, wife of a well-known merchant of Bombay, and Mr. Tribhowandas Yur- jeeandasF Madhowandass. A remarkable feature of the function was that the assembly included Parsees, Mohammedans, and Hindus, who mixed with each other apparently in the most fr;endly spirit. It is A little significant when the various religious elements in India show signs of -rowing together in this fraternal way.

IN response to the numerous inquiries which are constantly being made, both in person and by letter, the British South Africa Company can entertain no further applications on the part of either officers or men to join the company's police force. results of the recent public examinations as (jegards the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys, »how that in the Cambridge Local examinations G8 Jertificates with nine honours and four distinctions jrere gained, eiglit being in the "senior" flection, acne of those coir noting having failed. MR. C IARLKS CHAMBERS, F.R.S., superintendent of the Government Observatory nt Colaba, Bombay, was a Yorkshireman of but 62 years, who was regarded all an authoritative personage on manyastrouomic.il points at Kew Observatory in the early sixties. He went out to India in 1865, and in the 31 years which have elapsed be, by his devotion to astronoiniciii .research and the intelligence of his observations, has placed the scientific world unpter a debt of which, perhaps, it has not been too appreciative. He placed the results of his endeavours before the public in a cicar, pellucid style, and for this purpose he generally resorted to the "Pbiksuphical Transactions." TUERE is considerable amusement and some indig- nation in Dublin at Lord Iveagh's older brother pro- testing against his promise of giving a new peal of 10 bells to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which Lord ArJilaiin seems to consider derogatory to the memory of their father, who so munificently restored iL AT the instance of the French Minister of Agri- culture, President Faure has signed a decree directing that all imported cattle not destined.for immediate slaugl ter shall be examined with a 'view to ascertaining whether they are free from tuberculosis. .■^•Nokke will leave on his projected balloon expedition to the North Pole on June 7th next. Tlie members 0f the expedition will first of all proceed roru Goteborg to Tromso, in Norway, where tho equipment will be completed, ice pilots and carrier I pigeons being taken on board the steamer. M. Andree expects to reach Spitzbergen probably about June IS Sk"^HH Direct°ry of Directors for 1896," by Thomas inner, has just made its appearance, and is the seventeenth yearly issue. This work now contains neary 14,500 names, and the number of p^g^B e.en increased to 74^ as compared with 072 last year's issue. The compiler's name is BU cient guarantee for the reliable character PF t ie information given. n„R- G- K. lUu,, Premier of New South Wales, has announced that, when the New South Wal^ 1'^ba- ment meets on May 2nd his programme will include effort to settle people on the soil in preference to using fortjIe acres for o-razing sheep. This end is to be achieved bv means of extensive irrigation, with i'g^t ra,KVay8 jn- the 0ut.lying 7,0r so me inscrutable reason the Post Office authorities limit to 48 words the length of a prepaid eply to an inland telegram. Mr. Ilenniker lleaton, in pursuit of his crusade against similar anomalies, the nia,Ue:r under 'he notice, of the Post- mnv nnt ,cnera^> M'^h inquiry whether the restriction mily nor,

TTN™ ilNE for the SOUTH u (rom >!»» »n^ inUrmsdia, JCAlf Union » £ [* Co. Ud Cftuute Bd.. Southampton jawQft fcafaowntust. Within. Loafa.?' I TPN BUILDINGS AND ROOFliiT • CbnroUM, Chapels, Mission. vail Sehani "> If* ■ Lawn Teani», QolC, tad CriokM KMH I tacMt 8table*. Farm Buildings. S at IT OB Buildiota. S at IT OB Buildiota. ftt South W. HAftBROWy WUBKS. LOSVOV, "R D A WD BAGATE^r= TftWMM-, A LARGE STOCK Of »SW AKq iiiii- TIll Fet 8k11 AP (for Delicate Mm), {".P:"BM./It CREAM (for Itching, Face Spots, &<), l/i« POWDER (for Redness, Boagfenett, TOOTH-ACHr BT BUMTER'S-^pS^ ■tartlglr n«4«h„ HI Kerr* U C Dlil III* fcjk'vi^ya Chea^lll^ gjfeltWtllE

BREACH OF PROMISE CA CLAIM BY A JBWBSS. At the London Sheriff's Court on the 20th before^Mr. Under Sheriff Burchell and a WIn?*- case of Goldmg v. Kraft was heard. This w 'tbe action remitted from the High Court for the I!8 naenfc of damages, in which Rachael Qol^88" tailoress, sougbt to recover £ 500 for breach of mise of marriage from Lewis Kraft, a cabin?" maker. In opening the case, Mr. Moses saifl parties first became acquainted through working t the same establishment, and defendant was intitlrl by plaintiffs brother to visit him. Defendant did 80 and having taken a fancy to plaintiff, began to wnlt out with her on March 12, 1892. Matters had so far advanced that on Aug. 1 of the same year the be, trothal party," in accordance with the Jewish custom was held at 16, Green-street, Spitalfields, to which friends on both sides were invited. The couple were from that time looked upon as engaged, and subsequently opened an aCdonnt at the Provident In- stitution, Moorfields, both agreeing to deposit their I eir savings to prepare for the wedding and providino a home. After a lapse of time defendant thought that he might do better in American than in England and accordingly intimated to plaintiff his intention of proceeding to the States. It happen that plaintiff had friends in New York and decided to go with her lover. After a brief stay in the States defendant thought England the best place after all, and accordingly returned home, leaving his sweetheart behind. Again in London he appeared to find ,ork more plentiful for his letters to plaint iff nrged her to return. lIe addressfed plaintiff as "My dear Rachael," u My beloved Rachael,"and signed himself, "Your ever loving and devoted Lewis," and Your beloved Lewie When plaintiff returned to London the actual date of the marriage was fixed. Plaintiff went to consider- able expense in providing her trousseau, but ulti- mately, without the slightest reason, defendant harshly broke off the engagement, going so far as to remark to a friend of both parties: Olh there's plenty of time to get married in ten years to come." It afterwards transpired that, although the savings which had been deposited in the bank belonged to both parties, defendant drew out nearly the whole sum. Judgment was eventually given for 940 with cost"

CARTER'S LITTL6 LIVER PILLS. I Fcrely Ve3«t*b!k Cnr» Torpi.l T.ircr, Btl« galiow Couipieji.sn, and EeaJachen promptly: »)1(j mure ihem to MIOIM* oared, f.*™ 1* 1>A BEAU T IFUL TEETH for All who dally oa th* ta?Ik briuu a few aropi ol SOZGDJDNT tb* ilwiitut daatitrlc* IB 1M world. Cleanses the teeth and spaoM between them as nuthing else will. Sound and pearly whit* teeth, rosy lips, and tragnut breath ensured, Ask for SOZODONT. Mf

MEMORIAL TO THE LATE PRINCE HENRY. The Queen h^s sanctioned the naming of a new block of houses in extension of the Royal National Hospital for Consumption at Ventnor, In memory of his Royal Highness Colonel Prince Henry of Bat- tenberg, ¡{.G., Governor of the Isle of Wright." Princeps Beatrice has expressed her warm sympathy with the proposal, adding that the late Prince Henry always took great interest in the hospital. The board of management of the hospital are most anxious to see the accommodation enlarged, in view of the fact that there are upwards of 150 applicants constantly iag for many weeks their turns for admission, while every bed is occupied. The general funds being needed for maintenance, it is hoped benevolent donors will offer to bear the cost of the Battenberg Memorial block of three houses to accommodate 18 additional patients. Each house may bear the donor's name, an will cost about E2000.

DEATH OF THE ORAHG AT TITO zoo.. Visitors to the Apes' House at the ZoologI D gardens, in London, the other day, must bwve surprised to find that the large compartment lately tenanted by the orang and two black apes was empty » for, though its most important occupant had be Beriously unwell, she had shown signs of impr°VE~ ment, and it was confidently hoped that was past. The hopes have been frustrated. died ultimately from liver complaint. animal was the property of the Hon. Walter 1101120 scbild, and her skin will be set up in the Museum t Tring. Her death is the more to be regretted L'sit makes a break m the series of anthropoid apes 0 exhibition. Till recently she had done woU. in- coø; finement, and her temper was good. She liv«4 ° excellent terms with the black ape9 whiph her cage—a state of affairs that seldom existe fcny of the smaller monkeys are kept with anthropoids, for these usually tyrannise over ano rarely ill-treat their companions. 'For about a the orang had not been seen *>y visitors, for she 0 placed in a box, the front of which was turned to wall, and presented a gruesome resemblance screen round the bed of a dying hospital This comparison occurred to more than one Nor was it aJtogether inapt, for in sickness and fueY these great seem much more human than t do in 18 as known to savage i». to Europeans who have watched these creat 'A in C&P 1^, Many people will recall account of his shooting a gibbon, and the remar r, ,y that the creature died saperti o *an# just like a man.

THE Court of Honour at JBuda-Festh h»s dep* agatnst Herr Daniel, who was charged.wlth che,sti lag o cards, and challenged his four accusers. The 1 1J.fI.Ø will therefore not be fought, and Herr Danle been expelled from the club. IN certain districts of New Zealand other small birds are almost as great a pest to f&y^ as rabbits are in Australia. At a late meeting oI 0H Temuka Road Board the overseer reported tb3 t;.l1o. the previous Saturday he had received no les« f tt* j 1650 dozen eggs and heads of birds. The boys district collect the eggs, and are paid for all they Dyer to the overseeer. {'

THE BURNS EXHIBITION. Every effort is being made to secure thaC the forthcoming Burns Exhibition to be held in Glasgow during the summer months shall be a success. A sum of upwards of £ 2500 has already been subscribed to the guarantee fnnd. The committee, of which Lord Kosebery and Lord Provost Bell are respectively *r«wident and vice-president, desire, however, that jke guarantee fund should amount to £ 5000, and they now appeal for further subscriptions, and also. I for loans of pictures, MSS., relics, books, and other articles likely to enhance the interest and the value of the exhibition. What, one wonders, would the bard himself think of it all ?