The Carmarthen Journal and South Wales Weekly Advertiser

THE BABY BARBER. SHAVBD BY LITTLE FOUR-YEAR-OLD NELLIE WICK. Shaved by a baby! And one of the priettiest, most engagiag little babies in the world! A Pall Mall Gazette reporter thus apostrophizes little Nellie Wick, the baby barber, who on Wednesday evening shaved five men in twelve minutes and II never turned a hair." It was to see this prodigy that our representative wended his way yesterday afternoon to the further end of King's-road, Chelsea, and there, at No. 418, made the acquain- tance of Professor Teddy Wick and his talented family, the" Champion shavers of the World." Yes, for Mrs Wick and Mr Wick, Master Wick, and Miss Nellie Wick, all are professed shavers and Master Teddy Wick, a young shaver of three, is literally pining to become a barber too, and invariably insists upon lathering the customers who are about to sit under little Nellie's razor. Little Nellie is a sweet-faced mischievous-eyed little bird of four, with hair the colour of old gold and eyes as blue as the Neapolitan sky, and with a joyous laugh that charms the heart of all her acquaintances. Her father, "Professor" Teddy, is quite a young man, but he haa already made a name and earned fame by his shaving feats at the Royal Aquarium, and he proudly informed our representative that he had only been teaching Nellie to shave for six months. "Will sbe shave me?" asked our represen- tative. Oh yea, indeed." And won't cut me ? Certainly not. But you shall see her shave me first if you like. Here she is, Nellie will you shave this gentleman ? The sweet little face puckered up, the eyes looked the Pall MaU reporter fall in the face; then, with a little shy, impudent smile: II No!" Ob, yes, you will; do shave me," pleaded our reporter. L want to tell all the ladies and gentlemen how clever you are, and—I'll give you a silver penny to put in your money-box." "Your beard is to hard!" Oh, never mind that—come and try." So away ran the little one, and while her father was stropping a razor (for she is not quite up to that yet, although she possesses a pair of beautiful tortoise-shell handled razors, and strenuously objects to using any others) she put a chair along- side the shaving chair, clambered into it, put a towel around our reporter's neck, lathered him, and then struck an attitude while waiting for the razor. With wonderful dexterity, when she received the tool, she ran it over our represen- tative's face, stretching the skin tight with her tiny plump fingers, and rounding corners and getting along the edges of the jaws with all the facility of an old band. Only occasionally did her father say, "Keep it flat, Nellie," when the little hand had or seemed to have some difficulty in getting the razor over our reporter's stiff stubble. The little one's remarks, too, were funaily characteristic: Hold your head over, sir, please." Shave up, air P Thank you, sir." Powder ? That's right, sir, thank you." One expected to hear the tiny voice say "Next!" but it didn't. The operation over—and it certainly was a perfectly satisfactory shave-away the little fairy trotted, with a laugh, for a romp with the younger, and even more ambitious, brother. Do they like shaving?" was asked, to which Mr Wick replied that the children would cry if not allowed to use the razor. They have learnt their art upon Mr Wick's own face, and Nellie e3pecially used, with spontaneous humour, to cry whenever she happened to cut her father's face, It's only a pimple daddy! and so laugh away the pain of the wound But she is an accomplished barber now she has shaved five men inside of twelve minutes, and it is only real pimples that she ever cuts now.

DRESSING FOR BOOTS. Common cold-drawn castor oil renders shoe leather soft and impervious to water. Boots and shoes dressed with it should be worn during the winter season only ir. wet weather, or over marshy ground, as the oil renders them cold to the feet. The boots and shoes to be thus treated should be perfectly clean and dry, the oil put on hot, and gradually rubbed in with the hands until an over- flowing large spoonful has been rubbed into each boot. Pour the oil all round the welt, that the space between the soles and the upper leathers and the stitches be saturated with it. The oil is to be rubbed in alike on both soles and upper leathers; include also the tongues of shoes. The gelatinous property of the oil fills the pores of the leather, the soles become soft and pliable, conducting not only to the comfort of the wearer, but greatly increasing the durability of the boots.

POT POURRI. Paik half a peck of rose leaves in a bowl in layeis with salt, using a small handful of fine salt to three large handfuls of rose leaves. Keep the rose leaves for five days in this bowl, turning them very thoroughly twice a day. At the end of this time add three ounces of powdered allspice, one ounce of stick cinnamon, and let this mixture stand for a week longer, turning it daily. The mixture is now ready to be put into the permanent jar. Add to it an ounce of whole allspice, half a pound of dried lavender blossoms, one ounce of bruised cloves, one ounce of stick cinnamon, one nutmeg coarsely grated, half a cup of ginger root sliced fine, half an ounce of anise seed, ten grains of pure Canton musk, and two ounces of orris root. Mix all these ingredients together and close the jar till in use. Add from time to time a few drops of the essential extract of rose or other flowers. It is best to buy all of the ingredients of the pot-pourri at a druggist's in order to insure their being pure in quality- Select a pretty ornamental jar, such as is sold for this purpose by dealers in china. This is the "vase in which roses have once been distilled" to which the poet Moore alludes in the well- remembered lines "You may break, you may shatter the vase if you will But the scent of the roses will hang round it till."

"HOW TO BE B FAiu rifu L. HINTS FOB THE LADIES. A Mrs Dean, an American lady, has just written a book called How to be Beautiful; Nature Un- masked." The printed synopsis of the contents of Mrs Dean's book is exceedingly striking. Here it is :—" How to have a beautiful complexion. How to remove and prevent wrinkles. How to grow thin. How to grow fleshy. How to preserve and strengthen the eyesight. How to improve the hands. How to have a beautiful form. How to wear corsets, and why they are not injurious. How to have a beautiful foot. How to be'sensible' How to be agreeable and fascinating.' How to be distingue and self-possessed. How to prepare cold creams, toilet water, and hair-washes." An APT ANECDOTE. In her first chapter, Mrs Dean dwells upon the tendency of married ladies, under pressure of house-hold concerns, to neglect the cultivation of their persona! charms. She illustrates her homily with a story. Thpre came once to the studio of the author, to sit for a portrait, a woman of society, who was beautiful without the reason being apparent They became intimate, and Mrs Dean learned the secret of her patron's beauty. The lady had married a law student in her youth. Her sole ambition was to make his home beautiful. In the pursuit of desirable law books and bric-a-brac, she neglected her own person. Her complexion became muddy, her hair and dresses did not harmonise, she wore common-sense shoes, the length of her sleeves were not regulated to show to a nicety the curve of her wrist and forearm, and she went so much without corsets that she was exceedingly uncomfortable when necessity obliged her to put a pair on. Her husband was elected to the United States Senate. In Washington she suffered poignant anguish by reason of his devotion to the numerous beautifal women who abound in that capital. After due weeping, she went to work to renovate herself. She took up bathing and exercise and studied dress and deportment. The upshot was that, in six'months, she was not only a social power, but the embodiment of health and beauty." MRS LANGTRY'S SECRET. We lbarn from Mrs Dean's informing pages that Mrs Langtry, to whose complexion all concede the palm takes a cold plunge every morning. After a thorough rubbing she wraps herself in blankets and rests twenty minutes, drinking her coffee or chocolate meanwhile." It seems to have be in Mrs Langtry who, first among the women of Christendom, took to wearing veal cutlets for tne complexion. It is said Mrs Langtry was heart- broken," Mrs Dean writes, under the head of wrinkles" at the ravages our severe climate made upon her exquisite skin and after hunting in vain for something to stay the progrese of the fine lines she saw making their appearance, she accidentally heard of a remedy used by the Persian women to ward off wrinkles-namely, to cover the face with thin slices of raw veal. She immediately sent for the veal, and was'not at home' for the following two hours. Since then she has been using veal twice a week, and finds it a very success- ful nourishment and tonic for the starved tissues. To PRESERVE FERNS. Clean blotting-paper, or even newspaper will do for pressing the leaves you wish to dry, or you can buy botanical paper for the purpose. The plants must' be carefully arranged between these sheets of paper, as far as possible in their nataral position and none over-lapping others; ther must then be put into a clothes press or under some heavy weights. They must be looked at at least once a day while drying, and arranged on fresh paper, out of the way of their own juices, or they aie apt to lose their colours and become mouldy.

MISCELLANEOUS. STRANGE RECOVERY OF A MISSING RING. The Berlin correspondent of the Daily Telegraph writes:—"It was not a jackdaw, like that of Rbeioas, that was the cause of all the servants in a certain household in this town being dismissed summarily some four years ago; but a valuable ring did disappear in an unaccountable way, and its losa gave rise to much shedding of tears and com- motion. The jewel has now been found, and all is explained, but in a marvellous manner. The Kardener was trimming some trees in the grounds of the house a few days ago, and discovered the missing trinket lyimj on a bough, where it had braved tha breeze, snow, and rain all these years. Here it would doubtless in time have grown into the tfee, to Lave been the subject in after years of scientific speculation, had not the eyes of the horticulturist been especially sharp on the morning in question. It is supposed that the little circle of goid adorned with precious atones bad been left on the breakfast table, and that the servant, in shaking the tablecloth out of the window, had unwittingly thrown it away with the crumbs. HEROIC DEEDS. Oue day last week some children were playing around a pond near Merthyr, when a little girl got beyond her depth. In response to the ecreams for help, Robert Sampson, a carpenter, who was passing by, gallantly jumped into the water. He failed, however, to rescue the child, and, becoming exhausted himself, be was drowned before assist- ance could be rendered. Both bodies have been recovered.—Miss Kate Watson, third daughter of Mr Watson, of the firm of Messrs. J. U. Y oun n and Co., shipbrokers, Glasgow, lost her life in an heroic attempt to save a boy from drowning on Saturday at North Berwick. Up to Tuesday evening the search for the body had been unsuccessful. Two boys and a girl (the sons and daughter of Mr Burle, solicitor, Melrose) were bathing at a spot where several fatal accidents have occurred in past years, when they were drawb in, apparently by an undercurrent. They were being carried away, when their perilons position was noticed by Miss Kate Watson and others from the shore. The yuung lady, who had been bathing, and had just finished dressing, at once {swam out to the rescue. Though the distance was considerable she reached one of the boys, Gerald. The boy was saved, but the young lady was either seized with cramp or became exhausted, for she immediately afterwards disappeared. The other boy and the girl were rescued. Miss Kate Watson was only about twenty years of age. A CHINESE GHOST STORY. Outside of the Ching Wen Gate in Peking there has been for a long time an empty house, which has had the name of being haunted. Nobody has dared to live in it for a great while. A man named Yang, knowing nothing about the ghost, recently moved his residence into that house. During the first two weeks, a ghost terrible in appearance made himself visible in the night. Yang, being a young man of bravery, and having learned the professional ways of taming devils, did not care for it. One night, when he saw the spirit unusually rampant, and he undertook to drive it out, tin devil suddenly became a ray of red light, and entered into the ground. Yang was greatly surprised at this, and digging into the ground, found more than 10,000 taels of silver in the place where the spirit had entered. It is said that Yang, is a virtuous man; he has given money for charity many times, so that the large sum of money he obtained was the reward of Heaven. THE HEIGHT AND VELOCITY OF SEA WAVES. The Hon. Ralph Abercromby, the well-known authority on clouds, has been going round the world lately measuring sea waves by means of a floating sensitive aneroid barometer. The biggest wave he has yet encountered was in 55 degs. S. lat. and 105 degs. W. long. It was 46 feet high 765 feet from crest to crest, and had a velocity of 47 miles an hour. Admiral Fitzroy, however, who also spent a good deal of his time measuring the billows, states in one of his reports that, in ex- actly the same latitude and longitude as given above, he has 3een waves at least 60 feet in height. The land student, therefore, may with confidence strike a golden mean, and say that the highest ocean waves are between 50 and 55 feet high. AN ELOPEMENT AND ITS SEQUEL. A New York correspondent writes:—A shocking tragedy has occurred in a suburb of San Fracciac". Miss Eva Atkins was betrothed to Mr Raymond Bierce, an Englishman, and a writer on financial and other subjects. On Monday last, the wedding was to have taken place at the house of Miss Atkins, whose mother is a wealthy lady well-known in San Francisco society. On Sunday Eva obtained per- mission to pass the night with one of her brides- maids. Instead, she joined Mr Neil Hobbs, an intimate friend of her betrothed, and his grooms- man to be. The pair proceeded to Sacramento, where they were married. In a few days they returned to San Francisco, where young Bierce was raging like a madman over the treachery of which be was the victim. He went to the house of Eva's mother, and soon after the elopers entered. Bierce nroduced a revolver, and Hobbs. takinsr the situa- tion at a glance, pulled out his pistol. The two commenced firing shot for shot at each other, but Hobbs2 pistol contained one less charge. He fled from the room to secure more cartridges. Bierce, wounded and bleeding, locked the door. Then he turned to the fainting bride, and seizing her in his arms, passionately imprinted kiss after kiss on her pallid lips. He held her at arm's length, and mournfully exclaimed, How could you do so." He then placed the muzzle of another revolver at her temple, and fired. Bierce afterwards blew his own brains out. and Hobbs, who was mortally wounded, died on Saturday. The wounded girl will, however, recover. JUST SAVED FROM DEATH ON THE GALLOWS. The Australian papers just to hand are full of a case which has evidently excited a profound sen- sation in the colonies. Early in the spring a German, named Ernest Buttner, resident at I Sydney, was tried and convicted on a charge of criminal assault preferred against him by a young woman whom he employed in a boarding house. The man was convicted solely on the woman's evidence, though the skill of the advocates wove about the charge a chain of various subsidiary facts. The trial, closely watched by the public, lasted some time, and ended in a verdict of guilty. According to the Draconian law of New South Wales, Buttner was sentenced to death, and the date of his execution was fixed. There was a con. siderable portion of the community who disbelieved the woman's statements, and an agitation was got up for a reprieve; but the Execution Government, after consulting the Judge, found no grounds for interference, and preparations were made for carry- ing out the sentence. A few days before that fixed for the execution the police at Brisbane accident- ally came ui on some evidence which threw a flood of light on the character of the woman, who, according to the story told in Court, had been so jealous of her virtue that she knowing imperilled her life in the attempt to escape from Buttner. Learning of this discovery, and fearing other dis- closures, the woman confessed that the whole story was a baseless invention, and Buttner was just saved from the gallows. A SUICIDE'S LETTER. A young man named Charles Edward Eatch, aged 21, who committed suicide at Leeds, left be- hind him an extraordinary letter addressed to a young woman named Morley, in which be said, I am going to commit suicide on Friday morning, as I want to be buried on Bank Holiday Monday, so that I shall disappoint my cousin Annie, who is to be married on that day, so there will be a funeral instead of a wedding. I hope you will at- tend my fuueral. I will meet you in heaven. The jury found that the deceased committed suicide whilst of unsound mind. A CHARACTERISTIC LETTER OF CARLYLE. An interesting sale of autograph letters took place at Sotheby's last week. Among them was a love-letter of Keats to Fanny Browne. This was sold for JE21. There were also several autograph letters of Benjamin Franklin. The following characteristic letter written by Carlyle to the Rev W Maccall was sold for 15 10s. :— If Parker (which I hope will not be the case) do after all re- ject your first MS., you are by no means to be dis- couraged. Endeavour to gather from him what it is that he objects to in your paper. There is light for a wise man in every such rejection, even in a stupid one, which Parker's is by no means likely to be. He that would live in Rome, it will infallibly be good that he know what the Pope thinks of him. whatever he may think of the Pope Did you ever think of America as a field? A man has liberty to preach (I mean by word of mouth) much beyond what will be conceded to him in this country. I spoke with Emerson about you in that point of view. He did not seem to think it quite unhope- ful." THE BEST DOG STORY FROM AMERICA. i Last week we gave '1 the best fish story," which was, of course, of Transatlantic origin. Among the latest American mails comes an isssue of the New York Times, in which the following tale is gravely told: — One of the most remarkable dogs in point of inventive intelligence that has ever gamboled upon this mundane sphere is Bob, a small animal of shadowy pedigree and light yellow colour, who is owned by the senior member of a prosperous firm of plumbers in West Harlem. Bob's full name is Robert L. Smear, so called from A way he has of smearing himself and the walls of the shop with the contents of the red-lead pots and other colour- holding utensils that belong to the place, but he is called by the shorter name' for various and obvious reasons. Bob is a bright dog in many ways, but his chief claim to notoriety is the following per- formance :—He reaches the shop every morning at an early hour with the senior partner, with whom be lodges, and begins operations by dipping his long, thin tail into a tin of pot-black and with it drawing a fresh target on a small bit of board that always stands at the end of the store and is sacred to his use. He then proceeds to the putty keg, bites of a big mouthful of the oily compound, and repairs to the front steps. There he sits facing the wind with extended jaws, and let the cool morning air pour down his throat until his bronchial tubes get in a state of wild irritation. Then he sits down on the floor at the end of the room facing the target, and proceeds to congh small putty balls with remarkable accuracy at the bull's-eye. He guides his aim bv ennintinc aloncr his extended risrht fore- leg, and has been known to make a score of 75 out of a possible 90. Bob often has an admiring audience during his daily target practice, and his owner would not part with him for a five-carat- diamond. REAL THOUGHT-READING." An interesting case of thought-reading came before the County-court of Buda-Pesth a few days ago. The accused, a lively little man, was known as "The Wizard Rabbi," or The Thought-Reader of Czernowitz." He was charged by a tradesman's assistant with cheating him out of a florin. On the table in front of the Judge were the corpora delicti, consisting of a number of papers covered with hieroglyphics, two volumes of the Babylonian Talmud, and a bundle of circulars, which ran thus: I can read the name, occupation, past and future, of any man in his face. I can read his thoughts and give him good advice, particularly in matters concerning love, conjugal happiness, different illnesses, and travelling." The first question put to the prisoner invited him to state precisely the nature of his profession. Prisoner-I am a thought-reader." There are no secrets for me. By means of mathematics I can read everybody's thoughts. That is the so-called "Talmudian art." Iam now writing an important work which will shortly be published. Judge—Is that the way you make your living? Prisoner-Yes, certainly. Judge—Can you give the Court a specimen of yonr art ? Prisoner—Why not ? Judge—Then tell me how many documents there are in this drawer where I have my hand. Prisoner-A little patience, please. Now, take part of the papers and put them on one side, and let me, then, cast a glance at the remainder. There—how many have you put aside ? Judge--Fifteen. Prisoner (without a moment's hesitation)—Then there are thirty-one altogether. Judge—Quite right; you have guessed correctly. Hereupon followed an altercation between the plaintiff and the prisoner, after which the Bench entered into a brief consultation. When the Judge was about to pronounce sentence the accused ex- claimed: I have read his thoughts again; be is going to send me to prison for four days!" Judge—Quite so. Right again. You will go to gaol for four days.. Call the next case. SANDRINGHAM. A correspondent who has recently visited Sand- ringbam writes as follows:—We went to the ken- nels. stables, and kitchen garden. At one end of the kitchen garden stands the pretty dairy and the room to which the royalties and'their visitors go for strawberries and cream and their five o'clock tea. The Princess is a good dairywoman, and all the newest improvements for dairy work she tries. There in her dairy you see the Jersey creamer and the separator, different sorts of churns, and curiosities in that line from Denmark and other foreign eountries. But there is so much to be seen everywhere about the estate that it is well worth knowing how, and being able to avail one's self of the order? for examining the different de- partments'separately. A short time ago we got an order to see the reserved stock of the Booth blood, and had the good luck to see at the same time the choicest of the Bates waiting there to be sent off from the Wolferton station for shipment to Buenos Ayres and elsewhere. It is quite easy to get an order for the different farms. The herds are kept separate according to their pedigrees. We were much pleased to Fee the lovely little Dexter Kerries—so friendly always the little cows and bulls are. It would have been very useful to ns had the Prince kept Kerries earlier. We bad the misfortune to make the great mistake of not consulting the home market first, and so were obliged to sell our Kerries at a loss. Rich milk giving, har<?y, small-eating little cows Kerries are, and especially profitable for small dairies, and they share with the shorthorn the quality that makes them soon ready for the butcher. But in England they are new comers, and not readily patronised. The Prince hopes to do good work with his hackney stud, only lately set up on real I business lines. The labour His Royal Highness expends is very considerable, and the ambition of I boys in the surrounding parishes is to get work under him. A former labourer of ours has told us anecdotes showing how sincerely amiable the Princess is towards the humblest worker on the estate, and as a patroness of the Girls' Friendly Society she takes very great pains to show her interest in the welfare of young servants. A DOG'S HEROISM. Lieutenant Franklin A. Shaw, of the 1st Rogi- ment of Infantry, was out walking at Greathead, with his little daughter Grace, the other afternoon. They were attended by a thoroughbred St. Bernard dog, the property of Lieutenant Shaw. While at the highest point of the cliff, Grace went close to the edge, and the dog, Reeing her danger, walked between the child and the precipice. The turf started, and the dog lost his footing. Realising his danger, he made a spring far over the cliff. The child, who was really out of danger, had turned to her father, when the dog sprang up in front of her, but the noble brute bad done bis duty in guarding her. He sprang clear of the rocks and landed on his feet on the beach, 120 feet below. It was, a remarkable escape, for the dog is extremely large, weighing 165 lb., and such a leap, without breaking limbs, seems impossible. Beyond a few cuts on his feet the dog was apparently unhurt.

A CURIOUS DISCOVERY IN THE SHIP CANAL WORKS. Some very peculiar discoveries have been made during the progress of the Ship Canal works, but perhaps the most curious, and to the scientist the most interesting, was made a few days ago. As the quarrymen on the Barton section were lifting with a crane a block of stone weighing ten tons they were amazed to find a live frog in a small pool of water which bad percolated through the red sandstone and settled in a cavity. Like the fly in amber, the thing was neither rich nor rare, and the wonder was how it got there. The frog was carefully tended and is now an object of curiosity at the offices of Mr W. L. Bourke, resident engineer for Barton. It was found on the 29th ult., and has changed colour since its exposure to the air. There is a film over its mouth. Its eyes also, which are large, are apparently sightless. How it has lived and grown in its prison-house is somewhat of a mystery. A plaster cast has been taken of the cavity, and the other day Mr J. Ambler, photographer, of Market-street, Manches- ter, took a photograph of the f""g. It sat still whilst the operation was performed, and then jumped on to tue floor.

A CURE FOR HYDROPHOBIA. A gelitleman has discovered a method of pre- venting rabies in dogs. Give them a vegetarian diet, with unlimited cherries and strawberries. We should like to know if the same regimen acts as a prophylactic or cure for hydrophobia. If so we know quite a number of people who are willing to undergo the treatment.

ELASTIC SHOES FOR HORSES. Mn A. M. Wood, the inventor of the well-known composition woodite, has been trying her inventive powers again, this time in horse-shoes, which she has desired and succeeded in making elastic. The new shoe is composed of an elastic composition called whaleite (also an invention of Mrs Wood). It wears well, prevents-the horse slipping on ice or very smooth or slippery streets, and does not jar the legs of the animal as the common iron shoe does. The whaleite shoe proves more advantageous in another way. It can be cut to fit the hoof, instead of the hoof being cut to fit it, and by its use the natural growth or expansion of the boof is scarcely in the slightest degree checked, as it always is to a very considerable extent when the iron shoe is worn.

ANIMALS AND MUSIC. Man is not alone in his appreciation of the charms of music. Animals which come under its influence often show their liking for it, though among them, as among the lords of creation, there are evidently some to whom the sweetest strains give n j pleasurable sensations. A visit to a circus is almost sure to show us that the noblest of all the inferior animals is not insensible to the power of music, and is able to discriminate between its varieties. HORSBS. Horses there may be seen trotting and galloping, advancing and retiring, in accordance with the strains of the orchestra, and even dancing to tunes. Mr Stephens, in his Book of the Farm," says:- There was a work-horse of my own which, even at its corn, would desist eating and listen atten- tively, with pricked and moving ears and steady eyes, the instant he heard the note low G sounded, and would continue so to listen as long as it was sustained and another was similarly affected by a particularly high note. The recognition of the sound of a bugle by a trooper, and the excitement occasioned in the hunter when the pack gives tongue, are familiar instances of the power of horses to discriminate between different sounds. They never mistake one sound for another." ELEPHANTS. Numerous experiments have shown it to be an undoubted fact that elephants are great lovers of music. It seems to have been pretty well established that simple melodies afford these intelligent beasts far more gratification than elaborate harmonies. CAMELS. More than one traveller in the East has noted among his impressions of that part of the world the surprise he felt on witnessing the cheering effect which music has upon camels. During long and tedious marches the conductors of caravans often comfort these patient creatures by playing to them, and the sound of music has such a good influence upon them that, however weary they may be of their heavy loads, they step out with renewed vigour, seeming literally refreshed by the melody. LIONS. It has been noticed that while lions appear to enjoy the high notes of a pianoforte, they are greatly disturbed by the low ones. A lion will lie gently waving its tail to and fro as long as the performer keeps his hands among the treble notes, giving every indication of pleasure at the sounds emitted from the instrument; but directly a bass chord is sounded its attitude changes completely. It springs up from the repose which it has main- tained during the playing of the higher notes, lashes its tail furiously, and dashing about its cage, gives utterance to the deepest yells. It is supposed that the low notes sound to this animal like the roar of some rival with whom it wishes to fight. SHEEP. The Arabs have a poetic saying that the song of the shepherd fattens the sheep more than the richest pastures of the plains; and no doubt the proverb has a foundation in fact. In the East shepherds may be often observed singing and piping to the flocks under their charge with a view to making them contented and docile. The Rev. J. G. Wood, whose death has left so wide a gap in the ranks of observers of the animal world, tells of a lamb which delighted in music, and showed a great deal of discrimination regarding it. Doos. Dogs are very differently influenced by music. Some will exhibit signs of the greatest uneasiness when any attempt at it is made in their presence, going so far as to howl in the most melancholy manner at such elementary forms of the divine art as the ringing of church bells. Others, on the contrary, evince the most lively satisfaction when any instrument is played in their hearing. A lady states that a dachshund of here would jump about, wagging its tan, ana snowing eveiy sign of joy when she opened the piano; and would lie at her feet while she played, however long she might continue, growling when she stopped, and eadea. vouring to keep her at the piano holding her dress in his teeth. A correspondent of a Sussex paper of some years ago says that he had a friend who lived at Rogate who possessed a favourite spaniel. This dog's master played on the violin, and would often sit practising on one side of the fire, while the dog lay on the other side. It would keep quite still and apparently asleep until Luc) Neal" was played, and then would jump up and howl in tbe most agonised manner, calming down again on tbe substitution of some other piece. No other tune had the same distressing effect upon this dog. CATS. Cats do not appear to be so often affected by music as dogs are, though sometimes they display a very decided taste for it. A cat that lived with a family, several members of which played the piano, was never so happy as when sitting on a chair by the side of one them who was practising. It always sat on the left-hand side of the performer, and would leave its chair and sit on the floor if an attempt was made to settle it opposite the treble notes. Its favourite attitude was to rest one paw upon the last note in the buss, and turn its heads towards the player. This animal would announce its desire for a little music by walking up and down the key-board, sounding a note here and there until someone came to gratify its wish. DEER. Deer are very fond of music. In the Highlands milkmaids often coax the cows by singing to them. French peasants sing to the oxen which labour in the fields as a matter of course, under the belief that they. thus encourage them to work their o hardest. BEARS. The performing bears which are often to be seen in the streets, and which dance to music, show that these stolid creatures are capable of distinguishing different tunes.

GRAND EISTEDDFOD AT LLANDILO. Few eistcddfodau in the Principality, except- ing the National, have created so much wide- spread interest as the one which took place at Llandilo on Monday. The spacious marquee (supplied by Mr T. Pugsley, Newport), was crammed to its very limits The weather in the morning turned out very inclement, but, despite this, the trains brought their thousands to the town, and, excepting showers at long intervals, the remainder of the day turned out moderately fine. The president of the day was Mr J. W. Gwynne-Hughes, J.P., Tregib; vice-presidents, I Messrs J. Lewis Thomas, J.P., T. Powell, and A. W. J. Stokes and the Rev. Lewis Price H Glanffrwd" acted as conductor, and Miss Williams, Medical-hall, undertook the duties of accompanist. The adjudicators were :— Mnsic, Mr John Thomas, Llanwrtyd, and Mr D. W. Lewis, F.T.S.C., Brynamman. Prose, "Glanftrwd." The arduous duties of the secretarial were carried out with great ability by Mr D. Morgan, jun., and Mr C. G. Phillips, of the National School. The President, who was enthusiastically re- ceived delivered a most patriotic address, in which he dwelt upon the claims of the eisteddfod upon all Welshmen. "Glanffrwd," the conductor, here invited the bards to address the meeting. In response to the call, Teilo came forward and repeated several englynion which were loudly applauded. Competition on the bass solo, "Presuming Slave 13 competitors came forward. It was won by Mr Evan Evans, of Morriston. Choral competition, Ir Goleuni." One choir competed, the Bethany Congregational (Ferry- side), conducted by Mr T. Jones (" Caeralaw,") and was awarded the prize of JE3. Soprano solo, "Heaven and Earth." Seven competitors. The prize was divided between Miss Annie Jones, Clydach, and Miss Anne Lewis, Morriston. Drum and fife band competition, March of the Men of Harlech prize 24. Two bands competed, the Cwmcoch and Swansea Naval Volunteer band. The latter, under the leader- ship of Mr W. H. James, came off victorious. The chief choral competition, Ye Nations offer to the Lord; prize 940. The following choirs competed -.—Llanelly United Choir (165), conducted by Mr R. C. Jenkins, R. A.M. Accom- panists Harmonium, Mr Llewellyn Ivor Evans; piano, Mr Luther Owen. Carmarthen United Choir (185), conducted by Mr C. Videon Harding. Accompanists Piano, Mr Puddicombe; har- monium, Mr G. T. Smith. Swansea Valley United Choir (130), conducted by Mr J. Jones (" Ap Caradog.") Accompanists: Piano, Mr D. T. Williams; harmonium, Mr Luther Owen, who kindly undertook the duty. After a most exciting competition, which Mr John Thomas, one of the adjudicators, said was worth travelling a hundred miles to hear, the Llanelly choir, amid great enthusiasm, were announced victorious. Juvenile choir competition, Dysg i mi dy ddeddfau, 0 Arglwydd;" prize, £3. One choir only competed, that of the Vale of Towy, under the baton of Mr George Rees (Caradog Bach), and was awarded the prize. Competition on the tenor solo, Sound an alarm;" prize, 15s. Seven competed. The PrI prize was divided between Mr W. H. Prothero (Gowerton), and Mr Edward Vaughan (Llwyn- hendy). Choral competition, Ar Don o Flaen Gwyn- toedd prize, 215. Six choirs competed-Cor y graisc, Morrison (leader, Dr. Gape) Carmar- then (leader, iioinasi Jones, Caeralaw); Hebron Clydach (leader, David Alexander); Morriston Church United (leader, Rowlands) Bethania, Morriston (leader, D. Lewis) Calfaria, Clydach (leader, J. Arfon Davies). The prize was divided between Morriston Church United (English), and Calfaria Clydach choirs. Choral competition (male voices), "Nos Gan prize, £ 4. The competitors were Merlin Samlet, conducted by Mr Evan R. Sims Llandilo, con- ducted by Mr Geo. C. Cobner; Glanmorwyr, conducted by Mr James Thomas Llwynhendy, conducted by Mr D. P. Thomas; Llangadock and Brynamman United Party, conducted by Mr J. T. Morgans; Morriston, conducted by Mr Tom Morgans. The excellent singing of the Morristonians was declared the best. 0 There was no competition on the essay Y Gweithiwr, ei Sefyllfa, a'i Hawliau." The Rev. L. Price (Vicar), Glanffrwd," and Mr J. Thomas (Llanwrtyd), having proposed the usual votes of thanks, the proceedings were brought to a close. THE CONCERT. A grand concert was held in the Pavilion, which had been brilliantly lighted up with gas in the evening. The following artistes took a part Sopranos, Madame Williams Penn and Miss Marian Silas Evans contralto, Miss Eleanor Rees, R.A.M. tenor, Mr C. Videon Harding kindly took the place of Mr Maldwyn Humphreys, who was unable to attend owing to indisposition; bass, Mr R. C. Jenkins, R. A.M. Accompanist, Mr C. Videon Harding, assisted by Mr Puddi- combe. The singing of the National Anthem terminated the programme.

LAMPETER. THE COLLEGE SCHOOL.—Mr Llewelyn Bankes-, Price, B.A., has been appointed science master of the above school in succession to Mr Alfred Thomas, B.A., who is preparing for Holy Orders. Mr Price is a late scholar of Jesus College, Oxford, where he took his degree last month with honours in science- THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.—The result of the examinations recently conducted at the above school by the Department of Science and Art, South Kensington, are highly encouraging, and reflect great credit on both master and pupils, and augur well for the future. Mr D. O. Sydney Davies, 1st B.Sc., late Senior Scholar of the University College of Wales, Aberystwith, and Bangor, last year, while at the Llanybyther Grammar School, got eight first and seven second classes in mathematics out of the fifteen candi- dates sent in. This year's result records three first and six second classes out of the twelve who sat at the examination. TOWN COUNCIL.—A meeting of the Council was held on Saturday last, when there were pre- sent-Alderman Thos. Lloyd (presiding), Alder- men J. W. Evans, David Lloyd Councillors Thomas Owen, Timothy L. Davies, Morgan Jones, and T. H. R. Hughes. -Alderman J. W. Evans gave notice that at the next meeting of the Council he would move that some definite rule be adopted as to the entry on the minutes of divisions on motions.—Alderman T. Lloyd, on behalf of the main roads committee reported that they had agreed to adjourn the matter to see what other Boards would do, and that the motion of Councillor Roderick Evans should be adjourned to the next meeting.—The collector submitted a list of arrears of rates due, and he was instructed to enforce payment of same.—A letter was read from Mr J. C. Harford, the mayor, appointing the manager of the National Provincial Bank as his auditor, and the Clerk was directed to inform Mr Harford that only a member of the Town Council could be appointed as his auditor.—It was resolved, on the motion of Councillor Thomos Owen, that the accounts of the borough be printed every year after each audit.—Alderman David Lloyd proposed that the draft bye-laws be considered at the next meeting of the Council.—The motion of Alderman T. Edmunds, that the fire brigade be supplied with lamps, was adjourned to the next meeting.-The report of Mr Thomas Moore, the sanitary inspector, was read, and directions given thereon. SCHOOL BOARD. —A meeting of this Board was held on Tuesday last, at the Clerk's Office, there being present Rev Daniel Jones (chairman), Mr John Fowden, and Mr John Morris.—It was unanimously resolved that the salary of the schoolmaster (Mr Oliver Evans) should be JB40 fixed, with half the Government grant received for the previous year, and half the school pence for the current year.—It was resolved that Master Alfred J. Bevan be appointed monitor for St. Peter's School at a salary of 2s 6d per week, and Miss Mary Rees be appointed monitor for the infant school at the same salary, and each subject to a month's notice.—It was also resolved that all the cleaning and other necessary repairs to the schools and buildings be at once proceeded with.

THE NAVAL REVIEW. The Review, in honour of the German Emperor, ordered for Saturday last was post- poned in conbequence of the gale that pre- vailed on that day. On Monday the day broke dark and threatening, but befoie eleven o'clock the clouds had rolled away, and given place to a bright sun and fresh breeze, that curled the water cheerfully. The torpedo boats who bad taken refuge in the harbour, returned to their moorings at Spithead in the early morning, and the fleet dressed ships" their flags streaming out upon the breeze, each ship flying the German as well as the English ensign. The ships lay moored in three lines extending from over two miles; the torpedo boats forniing a separate flotilla. At 2.30 the Emperor accompanied by the Prince of Wales, Prince Henry of Prussia, Prince George of Wales, and the Commander- in-Chief, embarked on board the Alberta, from which yacht they went on board the Victoria and Albert, where they were re- ceived by the Lords of the Admiralty. A Royal salute from the German fleet announced that the inspection had begun. Preceeded by the Trinity yacht Galatea, the Victoria and Albert moved slowly towards the westward extremity of the great line of ironclad monsters, followed by the Hohenzollern, the Osborne, the Enchantress, and the Magdalena. As the column of yachts entered between the lines there broke forth the smoke and noise of a Royal salute, and the wind was too strong to allow of manning the yards with safety. The crews of iach ship manned the rigging, and cheered in succession as the Emperor I passed, while the marines on deck presented arms. The fleet was moored in three lines-the central comprising the' A squadron-to the south lay the B squadron, and to the north C D E F and G squadrons of lighter ships, while further in shore and nearer the harbour lay the torpedo boats. The Victoria and Albert steamed slowly to the eastward be- tween the A squadron and the light squadrons, and then turning passed between A and B squadrons. The first ships the Emperor saw were the Spider and Sandfly gunboats, sister ships to the Grasshopper and Rattlesnake, powerful vessels capable of steaming over 3,000 miles without replenishing their coal stores, and have cost some L40,000 apiece. Then came the Mohawk, sister ship to the Tartar, Racoon and Serpent, steel unprotected cruisers capable of steaming 7,000 miles with 475 tons of coal. The Medea, a sister ship to the Medusa. The Marathon and Melpomene twin screw cruisers built of steel and sheathed in wood. The Thames and Forth deck protected twin screw cruisers. The Aurora, built at Pembroke in 1886, with 10 inch armour. The Narcissus, Galatea and Undaunted, sister ships to the Aurora. The Rupert, a coast defence turret ship, with 12 inch plating. The Howe bearing the flag of the Commander-in-Chief; one of our most powerful vessels of the Admiral class, with armour 18 inch thick, and a steel deck of three inch plates. The Shannon, a three masted armoured cruiser, built at Pembroke in 1875. The Conqueror, sister ship to the Hero, and both very powerful vessels. The Warspite, a barbetted twin screw cruiser, with armour 12 inch thick. The Hercules, a handsome fully rigged vessel, with a broad- side battery. The Black Prince, the most beautiful of our ships, but somewhat out of date; she is one of the oldest ironclads, and in appearance is like one of the heavy wooden frigates of 30 years ago. The Northampton, a broadside armoured cruiser. The Invincible, a broadside ironclad, with 8 inch armour. The Ajax, a double turret vessel, the turrets protected by 16 inch plates. The Neptune, a double turret ship, built from South America, and the Rodney, a barbette vessel of the Admiral class, carrying 18 inch armour, and having cost three quarters of a million. These vessels comprised the A squadron. The Royal yacht, turning round the leading ship, re-entered the line passing between the A and B squadron, which was composed of the Anson, bearing the flag of Admiral D'Arcy Irvine, C.B. — a powerful vessel built at Pembroke in 1886, and carry- ing four 67 ton guns. The Collingwood, a sister ship to the Inflexible, armoured over the central portion with 24 inch plates, and carry- ing four 80 ton guns in turrets. The Monarch, turret ship, the Iron Duke, the Northumberland, the longest vessel we possess, carrying 5! inch armour, and the flag of Admiral Baird. The Camperdown, sister ship to the Auson. The Devastation, a re- markably ugly, but powerful, useful vessel, built by Sir E. Reid, at Pembroke in 1875. The Hero, a vessel that may be classed with the Devastation in point of ugliness and of power. The Immortality and AustraHA, ships of the Galatea class, and the Calypso, a beatitiful partly armoured cruiser, and sister ship to the Calliope, who distinguished her- self, the other day at Samoa. The Royal yacht when between the Calypso and Howe, dropped her anchor, the command- ing officers of all the vessels were called on board, and had the honour of being pre- sented to the Emperor. The ceremony over the yacht proceeded on her course to Osborne, where the Royal party landed amidst a part- ing salute from the fleet.

The Irish Constabulary Vote occupied the entire sitting of the House of Commons on Mon- day, and during the progress of the discussion some exciting scenes occurred. Ultimately the vote was carried by a majority of 40, and the House adjourned at 6.10. p.m.