Barry Herald

LITERARY EXTRACTS. THE MALAY RACE.—The Malay is impassive, re- served, and even bashful, so that, until one knows the race better, one can scarcely credit their blood- thirsty reputation. The Malay is entirely unde- monstrative. If he has any feelings of surprise he never shows them. Perhaps he experiences none, no matter how wonderful is the sight which meets h.s gaze. He is slow and deliberate in speech, and cir- • nmlocutory in introducing a subject to be discussed. Even the children and women are timid, and scream at the sight of a European, while in the presence of 1 he men they are silent and taciturn, Even when aione the Malay neither talks nor sings, in this respect differing much from the Papuan, who has all i he negro traits of chattering and singing to himself for company. Overpay a Malay for some trifle, and his countenance betrays no sign of emotion; a Papuan will be grave for a moment out of perfect astonishment at the mistake made, and i hen burst into peals of grinning laughter, while he bends in two, and finally rolls on the ground in ecstacies of merriment. The Malays, when in ,(-.otitpany in a canoe, chant a plaintive, monoto- nous song; at other times they are silent. The Malay is cautious of giving offence to any one, Tld accordingly will hesitate to quarrel about money matters, and rather abandon a just debt due to him than run the risk of a feud with his equals. In his -ordinary life he is as impassive as the typical Scot, into whose head it does not require a surgical opera- t ion to insert a joke, and as fond of the nil admiiran line of conduct, as the American Indian, though, un- like him, the Malay does not dissemble his feelings or playa part. He has really little, if any, appreciation ,of humour, and does not understand a practical jest. To all breaches of etiquette he is very sensitive, and .equally jealous of any interference with his own or any- one else's liberty. To such an extent does he carry this idea, that a Malay,servant will hesitate to waken another, even his own master, though told to do so. The higher classes are exceeding polite, possessing all the repose and quiet dignity of the best-bred Euro- peans. There is, however, another side to the character of the Malay. He is reckless, cruel, and careless of human life; possesses but a poor intellect, and has neither taste for knowledge nor any in- digenous civilisation, whatever civilisation is found among them being confined to the Mohammedans and Brahmins.-Peoples of the World. THE PROCLAMATION OF "KAISER WILIIKLM."—On January 18th, the anniversary of the creation of the Prussian kingdom in 1701, the King was proclaimed German Emperor in the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles-a gallery built by Louis XIV., decorated by Lebrun, and containing a picture on the ceiling representing France triumphing over dis- comfited Germany. Detachments of various regi- ments were .present, drawn up on one side of the gallery and in the apartments leading to it; while the other side was occupied by Staff officers, courtiers, regimental officers, and Government officials. The German standards were grouped at the other end of the hall, and in the centre was an altar for religious -service. Before the altar stood the Emperor in full uniform, with the Crown Prince at ihis right hand, and the Princes of Germany in a semicircle behind him. Outside the circle, and some distance apart on the left, stood Count Bismarck, looking pale, but calm and self-posseseed, "elevated, as it were to adopt the description of Dr. Russell- by some internal force, which caused all eyes to turn on the great figure with that indomitable face. where the will seems to be master and lord of all." The service was accompanied by instrumental music, performed by a military band, and ringing; and the sermon touched on the existing political situation. The Imperial party afterwards moved to the end of the gallery, where the standards were arranged and here the King delivered a brief speech, at the close of which the Crown Prince made some observations, concluding with a loud cry of Long live Kaiser Wilhelm!" This was greeted with a tremendous -shout. Helmets and caps were waved in the air the band struck up the National Anthem, and the air throbbed with enthusiasm. The Emperor then received the congratulations of his court. He was greatly agitated, and frequently wiped the tears from his eyes. The rest of the day was spent in banquets, and rejoicings, and the Versaillese stood sullenly about, watching the military demonstrations of their .conq uerors.-Cas¡;cll'llluslrated Historyo.f thc J''ra{tC'o- German War. A HORRIBLE DEATH.—The aboriginal, in the pearl fishery on the Australian coast, though a skilful swimmer, does not always come back from the -ocean's bed to the waiting boat after his dive for jewels in the rough. Not long ago, a native diver, full of vigour and fearless, reached the bottom, and ffoami ng in quest of shells found his hand in the grip of a pearl oyster. The gaping mcuth closed like a vice on the diver's hand. Now the expert toiler in •the deep, however great his lung power, cannot, unless encased in diving-dress and helmet, remain tlive under water more than two rninutes or, in very rare cases, two and a half minutes. Many of the men are unable to hold their breath more than sixty or eighty seconds; and the entrapped diver knew that he must act quickly. He pulled with all his might, and wrestled madly for release; but the more frantically he fought the greater became the pearl oyster's tenacity. One, two, three four—the seconds flashed by, hurrying him in their swift inexorable fight into eternity. He brought of his home by the forest, of wife, and child; and with -every nerve at full tension, and his mind in a whirl of fear, he wrenched hisarm till itcracked as it threatened to spring from the socket. But the pearl oyster's lips had snapped together. No human effort without -weapon, could open them. Vainly, with brain on fire, 'with veins throbbing, and aching limbs, the driver made one last desperate struggle to get free. Then nature could no longer endure. His chest was at its ntmoat expansion, his breathing pent up till hie heart -ftuttered and his brain was on fire. He seemed to be floating in a crimson sea. Swiftly came the dread moment of inevitable inhalation but water instead of air surged into his mouth, and the man's lifeless form, head downward, swayed gently in the under- current, with his hand still in the pearl oyster's grip! --Peril and Patriotism. THE NEEDLES.—From Headon Hill it is but a short walk down to Alum Bay, whence is to be obtained by far the most picturesque view of the Needles. The chalk cliffs here are worn into capricious curves, hollowed into caverns, and rent into chasms by the action of the leaping waves, which in stormy weather dash against the coast with terrific violence, hiding the topmost pinnacle of the head- lands in showers of spray. When the level rays of sunset flash on the high crags that stand like immov- able sentinels guarding a lonely shore when their pale fronts glow with a hundred reflected hues when the dark shadows in their thousand crevices are warmed to a rich purple; and the spray-drops hanging on the rude jutting corbels gleam with liquid trans- parency, these huge rocks take a marvellous resem- blance to mountain peaks fretted with the frost of Centuries, or to icebergs rent and fractured by some sudden convulsion. When the moonlight shines on them through the warm haze of a summer night, and the harsh lines and shadows are softened to the semblance of man's handiwork, they might be the spires and pinnacles of somegrand cathedral cleaving the sky above the midnight mists of a slumbering southern city. In the calm of a summer day this buy is very .charming. The various tints on the diversified etrata of the eastern cliffs, the sparkle of the alkaline sands, the cold sheen of the iceberg-like Needles. and the changing colours of the sea, have a power of fascination for the lover 'of Nature that more beautiful scenes often lack. In such a place one will often lingerlistlessly. recardlessof passing time, while his fancy follows the flight of the sea-birds or the track of the swift-sailing ships, until daylight 'fades to twilight, twilight deepens into darkness, and on the farthermost, point of rock shines like.a star the light that, has served to Hash on many an eiile tit" iast farewell of Old England; and to many a weary -wanderer on the face of the earth the first welcome home.—Picturesque Europe. AN ANECDOTE OP LEWIS CARROLL.—My hair was a great trouble to me as a child, for it would tangle, and Mary was not. over and above patient as I twisted and turned when she wished to dress it. Sb one day I received a long, blue envelope addressed to myself ("letters are always so delightful to cliildren-tliev raise them almost to the ranks of the grown-ups "), it-nd there was a story-letter, all full of drawings, from Mr. Dodgson. The firrt picture was cf a little girl —hat off and tumbled hair very much en evidence,— asleep on a rustic bench under a big tree by the side of a river (supposed to be the dear old seat in the Botanical Gardens), and two birds holding an evidently most important conversation above in the branches, their heads on one side, eyeing the sleeping child. The next picture, fhe; two birds, flying with twigs and stf,aW'i fTeParing to build a nest; the child still s^^ng arid the birds chirping and, twittering with thw delight of building their nest Tii the tangled naif of the child. Next came the awakening. The work complete, the mother-bird on her nest, the father-bird njing round the frightened child. And then, lastly, hmdred of hirds-the air thick with them the child fleeing; small boys with tin trumpets raised to their lips, and Nurse Mary, with a basket of brushes and coinbs, bringing up the rear! All this, with the well-drawn- out story, cured me of this fault, and Mary, in after- life, told me she had no more trouble just to open the letter and show the unhappy child in the picture, and I was passive as a lamb. Sometimes father would say, patting my head, Anymore nests to-day, j Ducky ? Birds would not have a chance now with I this smooth little head."—Edith Alice Maitla.nd in J Childish Memories of Lewis Carroll," in The Quirtr. > KILLING TIME IN PRISON.—During the war between Spain and Cuba, a journalist of California WAR arrested and found himself in Morro Castle, without liberty to communicate with his friends. There Le remained for two days, and his mental experiences as a prisoner are thus set down by Mnrat, Halstead The window in his cell wan 10 feet above the ground, and leading to it were marks left. by the feet of man) prisoners. He, too, climbed np. The view was fine, but. a guard ran up from outside and poked at. him with his bayonet. As an amusement during all that day. he watched for chances to clamber up again and get down before the man with the bayonet could reach him. He counted the number of boards in the floor the number of beams in the ceiling, and the number of bars in the window. Thechanging of the guard was a sensational incident, and about noon they brought him a tin basin full of soldiers' soup and beans, with a coal-oil can full of water. The soup was strong and scummy," and the can had been so recently emptied of its original contents that there was a film of oil over the top. Before dark." he said, I was glad of the excitement of sitting very still and waiting breathlessly to see if an old rat, whose head I had caught peeping through a crack, would come out again. I spent the hours before I could go to sleep, in a vain endeavour to head that rat off from the hole, and when at last I closed my eyes, there on the floor, with my overcoat for bed and covering, it was the longest day I had ever spent. Of course I could not sleep the night through. The half hourly cry of Sentinela alerts was interesting: at first, but I got to hate it before morning, and morning was a long time in coming. In one sound sleep I was startled into wakefulness by what I thought was a hand upon my face. It was not a hand it was my old friend, the big grey rat, curious about my hair." A liberal use of silver had some effect, for at daylight came a cup of coffee, a rare favour. The next day it was the same thing. over and over. He inspected the cell, counted the boards, wished the guards would change oftener. took long walks around his cell. and tied wonderful knots with a piece of twine that had been wound about his breakfast. Scratching his name and the date with a rusty nail was another pleasureable em- ployment. So the two days passed, and they seemed an eternity. A NEW Boy AT RUGBY. The great delight of a Rugby boy in the old days was fishing, within bounds or without. Many a raid was made on the schools for the five large fire-shovels which were kept there. Boys dig worms with them," -says as writer pathetically, and leave them, and other take them. Hence these, and so also Tin Pots vanish —so knives vanish—with forks, plates, &c." The unlucky head-master was always bringing new ones. and always they silently vanished away. Armed with these lifted tin pots, full of worms dug by lifted shovels, knives, forks, &c., the boys sallied forth for their sport. Certain ponds along the D unchurch-road were known only to the elder boys, who used to hie thither in all secrecy and spend many an hour m the gentle craft. Walter Savage Landor was an expert in fishing, and of one day's sport we have an amusing re- cord from the pen of Charles Reade, which deserves quoting: My father, John Reade, of Ipsden, Oxon." he writes, was sent to Rugby at eight years of age. Next day, in the afternoon, a much bigger boy espied him, and said, Hy, you new boy, I want you.' It was to carry a casting-net. Young Re-ide found it rather heavy. Master Landor cast the net several times in a certain water, and caught nothing. There- upon he blamed his attendant. You are the cause of this,' said he. I begin to fear you are a boy of ill omen' (sic.). He cast again, and drew a blank. Decidedly,' said Master Landor, you are a boy of ill omen. However,says he, we won't lay it on the Fates till we have tried all mortal means. Sapiens dominabitur astris. We must poach a little.' Ac- cordingly he proceeded to a forbidden preserve. At the gate stood a butcher, contemplating heifers at feed, I say, butcher, let me fish the brook there. Well, sir, 'tain't mine.' Then what objection can you possibly have ?' Why, master, I ha'n't no objection; but, you see "Much obliged,say6 this smart boy, and entered the field directly, cast in the brook, but caught nothing. Reade,' said he, this is not to be borne. You are a boy of too ill oman. Now here is a favourite hole if I catch nothing in it I shall yield to your evil Destiny but, I warn you I shall make you carry the net home, and I shall flick you all the way with my handkerchief." Little Reade looked very rueful at that.. The net even when dry had seemed mortal heavy to him, and -he began to calculate how much more it would weijrh when wet and dirty. The net was cast—a good circle —drawn steadily to land, and lo! struggling in it meshes a pike of really unusual size. Master Landor raised a shout ot triumph; then instantly remember- ing his partner, he turned to Master Reade Wel- come to Rugby, sir, welcome! You are a boy of ex- cellent omen. I'll carry the net home. and yon shall sup off this fish; it is the joint production of my skill and your favourable £ta.r: Next day there was a complaint against him for fishing out of bounds. Mr. X. (the butcher) gave me leave,' said he quietly."—A History «f Rugby School, by W. ll. lJ. Bouse. HARROW SCHOOL IN OLD DAYS.—Life did not con- sist wholly of pains and penalties Wellington was winning victories in the Peninsula, and victories meant holidays for Harrow—as did the visits of dis- tinguished persons. There were seven holidays and two half-holidays in 15 days from Jtine 24 to ttily 8, 1813. It might, have been supposed that there was little need of extra relaxation when Tuesday was a weekly holiday, as were Saints' days, the King's birthday, Gunpowder and Accession days, four Speech days, and many others. Cricket was played on a steep bank, football aud rackets in the school- yard. But there were other pursuits w)th a flavour of illegality which increased their zest. A consider- able business was done in gunpowder and fireworks. Duck-puddle was used for testing cannon and sailing-boats; the unsavoury ponds which abound in that part part of Middlesex were dragged for fish and Jack-a-lantern long held its ground against hostile edicts. This most popular sport consisted of a chase by night, after a boy carrying a lantern, whose aim it was to lead his pursuers over the dirtiest ditches and most, impracticable hedges he could find. Nor were the fleshy appetites denied. A bill has been handed down from 1788 by which, even under the disguise of the pastry-cook's spelling, we get, a glimpse of the tastes of a youthful I" ,tell i iis-- one Daniell Griffitlis-who in six months expended ten pounds on veal poy and muck turtle, shery torte and glace ice. potte rasbury," and suchlike delicacies. '1 The cricket of early days partook of the nature of the ground ttfiQn which it was played. Its present scien- tific form dates from the advent on the scene of'- Bob" Grimston and Fred Ponsonby—names which will ever live in grateful remembrance. An estimate of the respective points of Eton, Winchester, and Harrow, while ascribing more showy qualities to the two first, credits Harrow with the very characteristics which it was the life-long aim of its two voluntary 11 y preceptors to impress upon it. It was on the rigour of the game that they insisted. But their teaching went far deeper. It was the spirit of unselfish devo- tion which they preached by their lives-siiiiiii)ed up in their familiar adage that it was the duty not only of a cricketer, but of a gentleman to play for his side and not for himself. In the days of Dr. Words- worth the grass was said to have grown in the streets of Harrow; but a former captain of the eleven makes the spirited retort that if it grew in the street it did not grow under their feet. The school numbered only (;9 when Dr. Wordsworth left, but in the two previous year-! they won the matches against both Eton and Winchester. This spirit has been maintained, and with far inferior numbers Harrow heads the list by tw.o in the matches against Eton-that. contest which was so harrowing to Robert Grimston that he could scarcely trust, himself to be an eye-witness. The modern schoolboy is said to be more staid than his father; but, in spite of the match having become a function of the London seaion. it still calls up, as few other things do, the memories of the past. Happy is the place which can fill up the gap of death from its own ranks. And on none could the mantle have fallen more fitly than on 1. D. Walker. Born of a family of Harrovians and, cricketers, he inherited the traditions of Ponsonby and Grimston, and proved himself pre-eminently worthy of them. Inlns successor, Mr. A. J. Webbe, Harrow has secured the services of a cricketer who, besides being a brilliant batsman and field, has established the reputation, wherever cricket is played, of never giving up a game till it is lost. Qitartei-ly Review. EMILY BnoKTE will, to many of us, always be the most interesting female figure in our literature, as she was assuredly the greatest of our women poets.— Clement Shorter. LET every dawn of morning be to you as the beginning of life, and every setting sun be to you as its close—then let everyone of these short lives leave its sure record of some kindly thing done for others —some goodly strength or knowledge gained for yourselves.—Buskin.

DON'T you think," said the soulful one, that re 0 t, special preparation is needed before listening to music, in order to fit one's self for a proper apprecia- tion of the divine art and to put one's self in arecep- five mood ?" I think it is quite likely," replied the other one, "although the matter never presented to me in that light before." "But you see iU Importance now, do you not?" Most assuredly.' Well, now, from your awakened ideas on the sub- ject, tell 1I1e, for example, what is your idea of the best way of listening to a violin recital." "0, I can tell you that without half trying." "Please do, then." "The very best way of listening to a violin recital it by proxy."

ART AND LITERATURE. THE commemoration of the approaching Millenary of Alfred the Great is not, of course, to pass without literary recognition. A book on his life and work, to be edited by Mr. Alfred Bowker, will be brought out during the spring. The introductory chapter will be a reproduction of Sir Walter Besant's address delivered at the first meeting held at Winchester in connection with the commemoration. Sir Frederick Pollock will write on the Saxon Laws, Mr. Frederic Harrison on Alfred as King, the Bishop of Bristol on the King's educational policy, Professor Oman on his military achievements, and Professor Earle on his literary performances. Messrs. A. and C. Black will publish the book. Doubtless the occasion will also be marked by another reissue of the study of "Alfred," by the author of "Tom Brown's School- days." IN Dean Goulburn's Life," just issued, there m a charming story of Dean Stanley. A very little girl on hearing from his own lips that he was 63, exclaimed, Oh, poor old man Then you have seen ,Lll your good days?" "No, dear child," said the Dean gently, I have yet days upon days to come brighter and better far and infinitely happier than any I have experienced." It was the simple faith of a great soul. THERE is said to be a probability of some action being taken by certain of the members of the late Select Committee on the Museums of the Science and Art Department with regard to the censure passed upon the report of that body by the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council on Education. At present the position of affairs is a little farcical. The Select Committee, sitting in judgment, disapproves of the administration of a certain official, and says so in its report. This report is accordingly handed to the official in question for comment and consider- ation, and as he naturally disapproves of the verdict of his judges he says so in his report. On this the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council censure the Select Committee for having censured the offi- cial. The entasglement is in the best South Kensington vein; but it is one that the House of Commons may fairly be asked to adjudicate upon. The one point that throughout this prolonged wrangle seems to be consistently missed (argues the Globe) is that the Science and Art Department is an extremely costly affair, and that it has the handling of a very large sum of money annually. If it is doing its work efficiently the money is well spent; but if, as a great many people contend, its system of education is a bad one, and its administration is faulty, then those who pay the bill have a right to insist upon proper economies and judicious reforms. That the operations of the department are, to say the least, incomplete, is proved by the rapid growth throughout the country of private and semi-private institutions which compete with it successfully, and do its work with much greater efficiency. If the officialsyetem were as sound as its apologists claim there would be no need for the waste of money which this duplication of teaching centres implies. LORD LBIGHTON'S bequest of £ 10,000 to the Academy is to be devoted to fostering sculpture on its monumental side. There is certainly much room for improvement in our two homes, the household and the churchyard in this respect. The Early Victorian chimney-piece has happily fallen upon evil days, but our tombstones are still as bleak and gloomy as can be. Cottage and small house archi- tecture, too, wants a good deal of enlightenment. A VERY remarkable book is "The Light: A Romance." The author is Bernard Hamilton, and the publishers Hurst and Biackett, and there are some striking illustrations by Maurice Grieftenhagen. As an artistic work of fiction, embodying the story of certain conspicuously fine characters, moving in an environment of typical if every-day personages, the work will well repay the attention of intelligent readers. It takes a wide scope of scene in the ancient world and the present time, and cleverly completes the elucidation of a lofty ideal. It is instinct with fervid sincerity on its ethical side, and it pleads in a masterly way for common-sense principles instead of dogmas in ireligion. Those who attach first interest to formality will reject its teaching, even if they are fascinated by its really notable literary excellencies but it may be mentioned that the book has been taken up strongly by the Broad Church party. It is pre- eminently a work for the handling of the discerning and the thoughtful. The Magazine of Art includes the second part of Mr. M. H. Spielmann's exhaustive account of the work of Mr. E. A. Abbey, and a further addition to the symposium, Is Photography among the Fine Arts ?" The chief literary contributions besides are The Work of Lawrence Housman," by the late Gleeson White, Anatomical Nature Casts," by H. W. Armstead, A Society of Landscape Painters," by Mr. Arthur Fish. "Rembrandt: Amsterdam and London," by Mr. Walter Armstrong, and Recent Books on Architecture." Several important full-page illustrations are given, among them reproductions of Mr. Abbey's picture The Bridge and a couple of his studies a wood engraving after the Portrait of a Young Lady," by Lucas Cranach, and a facsimile of a sketch by Constable. IT is, of course, one of the 4nomrnonplaces of the traditions of St. Paul's Cathedral that Sir Christo- pher Wren's designs included a somewhat lavish decoration of the interior by the handiwork of the sculptor and the painter. In this connection it is pertinent to say that the Hardwicke Collection of Papers and Manuscripts, which have just been ac- quired en bloc by the trustees of the British Museum, and which touch upon most things conceivable in- cludes a letter from Sir Joshna Reynolds to the second Lord Hardwicke, that curiously" adumbrates the scheme of ornamentation now being so strikingly carried on by Sir W. B. Richmond. Writing on the 16th October, 1773, Sir Joshua expresses his fear that our scheme of ornamenting St. Paul's with pictures is at an end. I have heard that it is disapproved of by the Archbishop of Canter- bury and by the Bishop of London. For the sake of the advantage which would accrue to the Arts by establishing a fashion of having pictures in churches, six painters agreed each of them to give a picture to I St. Paul's, which were to be, placed in that part of the building which supports the cupola, which was intended by Sir Christopher Wren to be ornamented either with pictures or bas-reliefs, as appears from his drawings." A NEW monthly publication is about to be issued under the title of the Photo-Miniature. Each issue is to be a monograph, or text-book on some photo- graphic subject. No. 1, on Modern Photographic Lenses," will be followed by Posing in Portraiture." Hand Camera and Hand Camera Work," Compo- sition in Landscape," Stereoscopic Photography," &c., &c. Each issue will be not less than 40 pages, printed on heavy art paper, and illustrations will be used when needed to elucidate the text.

i INFLUENZA AND ITS PREVENTION. Although the mortality from influenza and its collateral affections fortunately falls far short of that recorded in the great epidemic, says the British Medical Journal, the situation is not free from anxiety. It is probable that even now many people fail to realise the fact that influenza is a highly contagious disorder, and one of the most virulent of the acute specific diseases., When cholera breaks out in a community every possible precaution is taken to prevent its spread, but in the case of influenza little or nothing is done, and the patient is often unwilling to sacrifice his social engagements. It is the reckless exposure of the infected which makes the disease so difficult to eradicate. Everyone is ex- posed more or less to the danger of being invaded by the bacillus, and it is dilreult, to devise prophylactic measures on which absolute reliance can be placed. Much, however, may be done by attention to a few simple rules. When a person is ill with influenza, it is better not to visit him, or, if a visit is imperative, it is advisable to avoid unnecessary personal contact. After the interview, the hands should be thoroughly washed in an antiseptic solution, and the euter gar- ments should be aired by being exposed to a current of fresh air, or, better still, to the direct rays of the sun. The condition of the genera! health of those exposed to infection should be main- tained by plenty of outdoor exercise, by good food, and by the avoidance of indulgence in alcohol. On the onset of the initial symptoms the patient should remain in "bed, and should at once obtain medical advice. No reliance should be placed on popular remedies, for the complications are so grave that the best possible treatment is required. Ail articles such as sheets and pocket-handkerchiefs, which have been used in the sick room. should be put into a vessel containing an efficient disinfectant. That recommended by the Local Government Board is made by mixing half an ounce of corrosive subli- mate, 1 fluid ounce of hydrochloric acid, and 5gr. of commercial aniline blue, in 3 gallons (a bucketful) of water. It is poisonous but it is a good disinfectant, and it is cheap. Articles after being allowed to stand for some time in this mixture should be rinsed in clear water for three or four hours before being sent to wash. Clothini, may be disinfected in a suitable disinfecting apparatus by heat., and local sanitary authorities should be urged to give notice of their willingness to undertake this duty. After the patient has vacatedjhis room the furniture should be removed and cleansed, and the room disinfected, perhaps preferably with formalin. These may seem unnecessary precautions, but the disease is eo infec- tious and its consequences so fur-reaching, vhat it is wise to treat ja rigkp Acrious), v

GARDENING GOSSIP. {From Gardening Illustrated.") HARDY FLOWER SEBDS FOR PRESENT SOWING. March and April (" E. H." writes) are the bout Bpring months for sowing hardy annuals. For early blooming a few of the hardiest annuals should b,. sown in September, not later than the first or second week, in rather poor sandy soil, as they transplant better when not started in rich soil. They can be transplanted to the beds and borders as soon as large enough. The Godetias are perfectly hardy, and il sown early in September, transplanted towards the end of October, not less than a foot apart each way, they make splendid masses early in the season, and if the seeds are picked off they continue flowering all the summer. Nemophilas may be treated in the same way. Silenes, Limnanthes Dcuglasi, Saponaria calabrica, Candytufts, and Cornflowers all attain a fuller development when sown in the autumn and transplanted. Though I have referred to the above as useful annuals for sowing in autumn, they are also equally good for sowing in spring, and of course the list for sowing at this season is much longer, even if one only makes a short selection of the best and showiest. Among the indispensable things may be mentioned Calliopsis Drummondi and C. tinctoria. I have good early masses of these by sowing in March in boxes, pricking off when large enough and planting out in May in masses. The points were taken out of the leaders to make them sturdy whilst in the boxes, and when planted out a foot apart or so they were pegged down till the ground was covered, and then permitted to flower. They make beautiful beds treated in this way, and will continue to bloom all the season. The flowers are light and elegant for cutting, and the more one cuts the freer they flower. Very sweet, in the evening after the sun goes down are the Night-scented Stocks Mathiola bicornis. The Leptosiphons are charming dwarf annuals for edgings to beds orfor small pin-cushion beds, where these are still retained. L. densiflorus albus is a lovely white dwarf annual. The Lupins are useful annuals for making broad patches in shrubbery borders, but should not be sown too early. L. subcarnosus, L. sulphureus superbus, and L. albo-coccineus are among the liest. Then among the Larkspurs are beautiful flowers. The branching variety may be naturalised in the shrubbery, and left to take care of itself. Nigella damaeeena (Love-in- a-Mist) is a pretty annual, and useful for cutting. Phacelia campanularia is one of the loveliest blue flowers for broad patches in the front of the border. The Sweet Sultans should be grown for cutting, as should also the annual Chrysanthemums. Virginian Stocks will flower in the hardest, and poorest ground. FORCING TUBEROSES. Now is a good time to commence the forcing and treatment of Tuberoses (" P. U." says), and the fol- lowing is a brief note upon their culture. Growers of these powerfully-scented flowers must not expect them to flower so fully and with such certainty as the majority of bulbs. Even the very largest and most experienced growers do not succeed in getting more than from 60 per cent. to 80 per oent. to flower, and this when they have the best conveniences and experience in selecting articles of first-class quality. Then, again, a well-developed spike may produce from two dozen to three dozen blooms, while another will only carry from six to 12 and these of inferior quality. Yet all were treated the same. So that my readers will see this popular flower is rather a lottery. Not even the best judges can be certain in their choice of selection of bulbs. Do not be persuaded to purchase cheap ■or second quality bulbs, as these seldom turn cut satisfactory. Carefully remove all side growths from the whole oonsignment of tubers as soon as received, even if it is intended to grow them in batches. A 4in. pot is ample, and the bulbs should be buried about two- thirds of their depth. As for compost, the best is a rich and somewhat stiff loam; but almost any will do so long as it is not very light. Stand them in a warm position, or plunge into a brisk bottom-heat at once, and do not be afraid to supply water freely. It is well to pot up a good-sized batch at one time, for, however carefully we treat them, it never happens that all throw their flower-spikes at the same time. Some few will start in a couple of weeks, and others be from a month until two months or more before a good start is made. A few, too, may throw the flower-spike at once, and without making many leaves others will grow on strongly for some considerable me before throwing up the spike. The strongest of these may be shifted into pots one size larger. The chief enemies of the Tuberose are thrips and red-spider. In fact, these bulbs must be kept growing in so humid an atmo- sphere as to be quite unsuitable for the majority of plants found in a house of mixed subjects, and the syringe can scarcely be used too freely. It will be seen from the above that Tuberoses are most erratic in their growth, and amateurs must not expect to always get the desired results. tilJ THE LILACS. It is in the springtide of the year, when the eye, amust,oitied for months to the monotonous colouring of winter, craves for bright tints and fragrant blos- soms, that the flowering shrubs come to fill the want, and doubly precious are they (" S. W. F." remarks) in the early months of the year before the gaze has become surfeited with the opulent display of summer. In the earliest days of spring the Almond's wands are studded with their delicate flesh-pink blossoms, to be followed by Cherries, Currants (Ribes), Apples, Pears, Hawtherns, Laburnum, Lilac, and all manner of other beautiful, if less common, flowering shrubs. Of all these, however, the Lilac, by reason of its exquisite perfume, holds the first place. In childhood's days the march of time was measured rather by the coming of the flowers and the birds than by the arbitrary calendar of the months. There was the time of the Snowdrops, of the double Daffo- dils (monster golden blooms they seemed in those far-off days), of the first swallow and of the cuckoo's introductory note, of the pink May, of the Lilac, and with the Lilac and the Laburnum's golden rain the return of the long-wished-for spring was assured. The Lilac is perfectly hardy, and grows into large bushes, which, as is testified by the accompanying cut, are of exceeding beauty when in full bloom, though it is to its delightful odour rather than to its appearance that this subject owes its widespread popularity. The Lilac is deservedly a favourite with the cottager, who, to his credit, evinced a partiality for sweet-smelling flowers, and in whose gardens may be found Pinks, Carnations, Rockets, Cabbage Roses. Bergamot. Madonna Lilies, Musk, Mignonette, and Myrtle. In some villages most gardens contain a Lilac, and in one in South Devon certain of these have grown considerably higher than the thatched eaves of the cottages. In the spring the wind- ing road is odorous with the perfume of the Lilacs, while Hawthorne, pink and white, and the yellow shower of the Laburnum's flower-tassels add to the beauty of the picture. The Lilac is frequenth grafted on the Privet, a baibar0118 procedure, which often costs "the life of the sfelon while leayfng the evtl- smelfing stock to usurp its ^plaoe. Lilac is, naturally, in great request for indoor decoration, and branch- ing boughs are very decorative when standing in talf vases, while the bushes soon replenish their losses, and are t he better rather than the wofse for the pruning. The Gardener is the title of a new pennv weekly journal to be sent out immediately by Messrs, Casseil and Company. It, will be conducted on new linos, and will contain features possessed by no other hor- ticultural publication. It will be essentially prac- tical and helpfu7 and contain sound guidance for amateurs, crisp chatty news ff" professionals, arid valuable information for t)nf"(' 'ho grow for protit. Notes will be tlv in various parts of the Kin^dcM" ]'}'f; Ot.rd.oirr wul be very fully illustrated. -=:=

BANKING AND RAILWAY STATISTICS. From a Return issued the other day it appears that the deposits and cash balances in Irish Joint-Stock Banks in December last stood at £ 39,438,000— exclusive of £ 1,992,000 Government and other public balances in the Bank of Inland—as compared with £ 39.300,000 in the corresponding period of 1897, being an increase of £ 138,000. On December 31 last the estimated balances in the Post Office Savings Banks amounted to E7,225,000, as compared with A:6,706,000 at the corresponding date in 1897, being an increase of £ 519,000. In the Trustee Savings Banks the deposits in -pecomber amounted to £ 2,275,000, being an increase of 09,000 all compared with December, 1897. During 37 weeks of 1898 the railway traffic returns exceeded those for the cor- responding weeks of 1897, -d during 15 weeks the receipts were below those for the corresponding periods, with the net result that ill the whole year there was an increase of £ 47,04- or 1*4 per cent., as contrasted with the amount in the preceding year.

ADMIRAL VON KNOBR. Uomnoander-in-Chief of the Navy, whose resignation ha« accepted by the Kaiser, was born in 1840, and entered the Navy in 1854. He fought against the Itiff pirates in 1859, and defeaited, when commanding the gunboat Meteor, the French despatch boat Bouvet, off Havana, in 1870. He also distinguished himself as commander of the corvette Hertha, in the Indian and South Sea Archipelagoes, from 1875 to 1877. He crushed the revolt of the Duallas in the German Cameroons in 1885, and was promoted to the rank of vice-admiral in 1889, and to that of admiral in 1893. He is cne of the ablest officers in the service, and a Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle. He will probably be ei)rjwAdAd hv Admiral Koster.

I THE WOMAN'S WORLD. WHltN every now and then we cone upon SPTR sweet, modest girl, whose beauty is enhanced by her bashfulness, and whose sweetness of con,piiar!ce speaks eloquently of her domestic training: whfn "e find her capable, industrious, thoughtful for others, courteous, well-bred bow (exclaims "Janet." writing in the Evening News) our whole heart goes out to her, how we love her and respec t her! And again, when we have a group of little children, brim- ming over with health and animal spirits, but in due subordination to the dear mother who loves them too well to spoil them, and who thinks that. till they enn walk (morally) alone, they are best guided into good ways, we thank Heaven for the remnant still left among us—the remnant of wise parents who brinir tip their children for charm in the present and n in the future, and who are the good sea-walls stand- ing between the surging tide of folly and the fertile lands of wisdom and delight. IN Cleveland the possibility of a girl being mar- ried or no is settled in the following manner: The girl in question has to take a tumbler of water from a stream which flows in a southerly direction she then borrows the ring of some wife, and suspends it by a hair of her head over the glass of water, holding the hair between her finger and thumb. If the ring hits against the side of the glass, the girl will die an old maid if it turns quickly round she will he mar- ried once if slowly, twice. If the ring strikes the side of the glass more than three times after she has pronounced the name of her lover, there will be a long courtship and nothing more: and if it strikes th<^ side less frequently, the affair will be broken oit. In Hull, instead of the usual piece of wedding-cake under the p,llow, a blade-bone of a rr:bbit is some- times still chosen, nine pins are sti *(-Ii into it. and then it is placed beneath the pillow, when the object of the sleeper's affection is sure to appear. At Burnley, a wedding-ring is put into the posset during a marriage feast, and the first unmnrried person whose cup it is found in will be married before manv weeks are past. A girl who has immy loyprs. and wishes to iind out which of them she will marry, lakes a rose-leaf for each of them. and. naming each leai after one of the lovers, she watches them float down a stream, till one after another sinks. The one which disappears last will be her future husband. WASH your face in this way (ó. SyhiiJa." of the San advises) once a week. Get your chemist to mix two ounces oil of sweet almonds, four drops oil of bitter almonds, one tablespoonful camphor-watrr, and one ounce white wax. Stand a basin in a saucepan of boiling water, put the cream into this, and stir till melted. Then add quarter of a teaspoonful of salt, take the basin out of the water, and continue beating the mixture with a wooden spoon till cold. Sponge the face for five minutes with clean warm water, then apply this cream, rubbing it well into the skin. Continue this treatment for five minutes, and then wipe all the oil off with a soft rag or towel. After this wash the face in the usual way, first in warm water and then in co!d, and dry very thoroughly. THE mirror is a libellous deceiver. It reflects the hair incorrect in colour, the complexion lacking in bloom, and the eyes devoid of expression, or tli, wrong colour. There is one comfort, however, no matter how plain one may be, she may rest assured that she is by no means as plain as her mirror would have her believe. Of course, there are mirrors and mirrors, and all of us have observed how very much better we appear in some mirrors than in others. Again, few people can look at themselves in a mirror without putting on an unnatural expression, or as- suming an unnatural position. For instance, the eye must of necessity be in a certain position before one can see at all, and the eye controls the entire expres- sion of the face. The result of this is that one can only see certain expressions in the glass, and the habitual expression of the face, as one is known to one's friends, can never be ascertained through the mirror. THEME are many ways (remarks "Lady Char- lotte," writing in the Daily Mail) of accounting for the fact that orange-blossoms aTO considered to be the bride's special flowers. Among other stories is tbefollowing legend from Spain An African king pre- eented a Spanish king with a magnificent orange- tree, whose creamy, waxy blossoms and wonderful fragrance excited the admiration of the whole Court. Many begged in vain for a branch of the plant, but a foreign ambassador was tormented by the desire to introduce so great a curiosity to his native land. He used every possible means, fair or foul, to accom- plish his purpose, yet all his efforts came to naught, and be gave up in despair. The fair daughter of the Court gardener was loved by a young artisan, but lacked the dot which the family considered necessary in a bride. One day, chancing to break oil a spray of orange blossoms, the gardener thought- lessly gave it to this daughter. Seeing the coveted prize in the girl's hair, the wily ambassador offered her a sum sufficient for the desired dowry, provided she gave him the branch and said nothing about it. Her marriage was soon celebrated, and on her way to the altar, in grateful resemblance of the source of all her happiness, she secretly broke off another bit of the lucky tree to adorn her hair. Whether the poor Court gardener lost his head in consequence of his daughter's treachery the legend does not state. but many Jands now know the wonderful tree. and ever since that wedding day orange blossoms have been considered a fitting adornment for a bride. I TEA is rather out of fashion as a pick-me-up except among women disposed to embonpoint. Coffee, too, they like, and take it sugarless and creamless. Thin women, on the other hand, call chocolate the king of beverages. It is recommended to those who de- vote to brain work the hours they should pnss in bed to every wit who finds she has become suddenly dull; to all who find the air damp, the time long, L and the atmosphere unsupportable, and, above all. to those who. tormented with n fixed idea, have lost their freedom of thought. The ladies of the old Court days loved their dish of chocolate in the morn- ing before rising, but now it is tea that is usually ordered for eight o'clock a.m. IT is essential (" Lady Qharlotte" says) to con- sider your furniture when you are ready to face the problem of a new wall-paper. In furnishing, say the decorators, the prevailing idea now is harmony throughout, the leading characteristics of both up- holstering fabrics and wall-papers being boldness in design and strength in colouring. Brilliant colours in wall-papers predominate—the red, greens, and blties-in marked contrast to the soft, subdued tones of last season. When "period" furnishing is desire, the Louis XVI., Louis XIV., or the Empire, in an appropriate combination for wall, frieze, and ceiling, is furnished by the manufacturer. Broca- telles are in demand for hangings, furniture cover- lftgs^fend walls. EVERYBODY eats, drinks, breathes, and sleeps, and everybody who has the due allowance of legs and feet walks. Yet not one person in a hundred does either of these things properly. That is the verdict; of a writer in a French scientific publication, who furthermore gives instructions as to how tlie errors should be corrected. As to sleeping, his specifica- tions apply more to France and the continent of Europe generally than to this country. In this country few beds are enclosed in the absurd heavy curtains which are so common in France—curtains which cut off the supply of oxygen. It has long been axiomatic with us that bed- room windows should be open at night, that the bed should be without curtains and in the middle of the room, and that the room in the daytime should be exposed to all the sunlight possible. As to walking. the errors are confined to no particular nation People of all countries walk badly, and their chief mistake is in regard to the centre of gravity of the body. It should be kept as nearly as possible, in locomotion, at an even distance from the ground Most people wobble, lurch, or hop in their gait, thus alternately raising, lowering, and throwing first tc one side and then to the other the gravity centre. This greatly increases the fatigue of "walkin«. Furthermore, care should be taken not to walk on either the toes, the heels, or the side of the feet. The foot should be placed flat on the ground, and the knee, ankle, and hip joints should be moved evenly, and each assigned to its just allowance, and no more, of the work. As to eating, drinking, and breathing, the common errors are generally well-known, and as of the work. As to eating, drinking, and breathing, the common errors are generally well-known, and as generally prevalent. Everybody knows that it, is bad I to drink in great gulps, just as everybody knows it is bad to gobble food without proper mastication. Both induce dyspepsia and other ills. And in the same way breathing through the mouth instead of the nose leads to annoying and often deadly bronchial ailments. ^==

BLESSING THE ANIMALS. One of the most picturesque customs in Mexico is that of blessing animals, called the blessing of San Antonio. The poorer class take their domestic animals of all kinds, dogs, cats, parrots, sheep, horses, burros, &c., to be sprinklsd with holy water, and to receive through the priest St. Anthony s blessing. It is the custom of the common class to clean and bedeck their animals specially for this blessing. Dogs are gaily decorated with ribbons tied around their necks. Sheep are washed thoroughly until their fleece is white as snow, and then taken to the father to be blessed. The beaks of the parrots arc gilded j Horses and burros are adorned with garlands.

FOST "FltEE. -> '"J Of neglecting your health. Egpecialiy so, if you t-uiferfromany NERVOUS DISEASE. You may be assured that your condition will not iiupiove. am; rli.M ou will go from bad to worse if you do not have your ailmenTs prorivriy trended to. If y< suffer from Lost Manhood, Youthful Imnra.ience, Exhausted Vir-ilhy, Lk-spoitdency, Loss of Energy, Premature i>>c -v, Varicocele! gf&S lh Weakness, Dimness of I the Skin, I Loss e mory I Noires in tile l,iver ?ting 1))e tt) write for particulars of EL "lor your n. ;.<fy. | sanc!s_ of" Sufferers l.vm-fsUe- y :his means of cure, and ttie 1 h;a<- Send a-1 "><sed envelope, which must be £ ;nn!y Henry Davis, Copforcf Lodge, Chichester I 5a.oo, AJC3CX, ErjgtiiJ*. i and name this paper.

"THE WALTER FAMILY." An old story, which is worth republitthing. ro in the Chronicle: The obituary notice of the death of Mr. John Marriott, which appeared in the TinlN. recalls a curious printer's blunder to re- collection. Mr. Marriott is stated to have served three generations of "the Walter family;" and it was a reference to this family which produced the blunder to which we refer. At a certain conferci (e of the Institute of Journalists, one speaker spoke of the obligations of the Press to the Walter family but in a published report of his speech the journalist, in question was represented as having declared that the Press owned much to the water famine."

THE QUEEN'S DIAMOND JUBILEE. A GREAT FICITRE. We have little doubt (remarks the Daily yews) that one of the popular canvasses of the year will be the Queen's Jubilee picture, which Mr. John Charlton is just finishing. It stands in the centre of a rather sombre studio, representing the brilliant pageant, never to be forgotten, in the open space before St. Paul's Cathedral. One is filled with wonder at the multitude of figures to which the artist has con- trived to give individuality, for the canvas is only 9ft. by 9ft. However, being a com- mission from the Queen, and the historical record of a great historical scene, it is scarcely necessary to say that Mr. Charlton has had no difficulty in persuading Princes. peers, and the great of the earth who were favoured ,h seats on the steps of St. Paul's on that day. to Lr ve him sittings. Yet it requires no small amoui.t of | patience and perseverance to transfer such a s< e.ie to canvas, but Mr. Charlton says that his interest in it is as fresh as when he began on Jubilee l>;>v. Many will wonder how such a picture is )>:i:ii'< d. Something in this manner. This artist had h;s place on the steps he makes a few rapid noies in his sketch-books, mere scratches, of course, so swiftly do pageants form and melt awav he dabs a few splashes of colour just to get the general effect; but most of the notes are in writing— the sign-posts on the road. So much for the founda- tion. When he set to work in earnest he sketched out three rough cartoons, and then schemed out the picture before one. It assumes one to be at the ex- treme southern corner of the Churchyard, and thus the eye has before it the whole pageant. The Indian body-guard on their chargers occupy the foreground, and very fine they look in the splendidly picturesque uniforms. To the left of them is one of the golden coachmen, in whose carriage is Mr. Read, the American Envoy. Then the clittcring line of Princes extends in semi-circular fashion up to the Queen's carriage and the eight cream ponies. Queen Anne's statue breaks up the brilliant mass of colour the colonial troops are easy to be dis- cernedbehind it; and the rather ignoble background of shops and stands crammed with sightseers towers above all. But in such a case it has to give masts and all though we feel sure that in years to come, when colours are subdued by time, posterity will be startled by the meanness of our street architecture. All these dazzling groups are, as we have said, portraits, most of them from actual sittings. So, too, are hundreds of the figures who crowd the cathedral steps, Ministers, Ambassadors, clergy. Mr. Charlton tells an amusing story of one of the Indian officers. They sat to him (at first very reluctantly) at Norwood, where they were lodeing. This gentleman could not speak any English, though, like his comrades, he knew two words well-namely, Queen Empress. He was very anxious that Mr. Charlton should give him the rough portrait-sketch he had made. "But if I do so," said the artist, I shall have to give to all." Upon which the officer pointed pathetically to a clean page of the sketch-book. So with great good- nature Mr. Charlton made a replica, and gratified him. Besides the great of the earth, all sorts and conditions of men have found their way to the Btudio—beefeaters, coachmen, postilions, heralds*, and others, without whose magnificent clothes the pageaat would have lost so much of its effect. You see studies of them reared up in various corners, mingling with halberds, swords, saddles, boots, helmets, cuirasses, and many properties. Mr. Charlton, however, does not allow horsps to visit him at his studio. He prefers to go to them. Not even the famous eight cream-coloured ponies, which, he says, are not ponies at all, but decided horses of 15 or 16 hands high. Those who see the picture may like to hear that they may accept the uniforms as being absolutely accurate, many and various though they are. One foreign Prince, for instance, who departed before Mr. Charlton got to work, took the trouble to send him a water- colour sketch of his dress. The picture has been twice to Windsor during its painting. On the second occasion the Queen expressed to the artist in person her gratification at the result of his Ions labours; and her Majesty, we believe, is a most dis- cerning critic. However, Mr. Charlton. has executed other commissions for her-a water-colour of the Jubilee Review at Aldershot, in 1S87, for instance. In conclusion we may say that the picture will be re- produced in photogravure.

MORE INSPECTORS OF FACTORIES. It appears from the Civil Service Estimates (Class 2, for salaries and expenses of Civil Departments) that the number of factery inspectors is to be in- creased in the coming year from III to 140; and that the extra expense that this will entail on the estimates for the yearwill be £ 8456. The additions to the existing staff are to be three first-class in- spectors, two second-class, 10 juniors. 10 assistants, one assistant examiner, and two lady inspectors. Although the estimate for the Home Office is swollen by these additions to the staff of inspectors and by the grant, of £10,000 to certified inebriate reforma- tories, the total increase being E18,712, yet the t ual estim-ites for Class 2-;C2,160,715-show a decrease of £J!J,651. This is not owing to cheeseparing in other votes, but to the reduction of the vote for the Irish Local Government Board by £ 07.294, owing to the transfer of certain grants in aid from that Board to the new County Councils. But for that fact the total estimates for Class 2 would show an increase of about £ 100,000. One small item of increase will probably give rise to some discussion. The amount asked for reports of Parliamentary Debates is £ 4720, as compared with £ 3150 in the past year, an increase of E1570, which presumably has some connection with the rumour that in future members are to have free copies of the Parliamentary report*.

VICTOR HUGO MEMORIAL. The president of a literary society in America wrote recently to a correspondent in Paris asking for a list of the towns in France in which statues had been erected to Victor Hugo. The answer made was that no statue had been erected to the poet. No monument to him exists even in his native town of Besancon, though a committee was formed there on the poet's death in 1885 for the purpose of erecting one. Dur- ing the fourteen years that have since elapsed the committee has received only £ 800 in subscriptions.

M. PIERRE LOTL „ Loti is not, after all, to leave the French i- 6 of Marine placed him on the retired list, but. another has sent him back to active service. It is even said that he has been the victim of an official blunder, and that a special credit will have to be voted by the Chamber to provide for his Pay. The Paris correspondent of the Morning Post says this decision of the Naval authorities will necessitate an entire change of M. Pierre Loti's plans. The Academician, who, though he has never displayed any great enthusiasm for his profession, is of a roving disposition, was on the eve of starting on a long journey through Persia and Afghanistan. He will now be obliged to give up this expedition, which would, of course, have resulted in a book of travels. (

SIGXOR MARTINO, the Italian Minister at Pekin, bas addressed another Note to the Yamen, requesting that body to take back and reconsider his previous Note, which contained the demand for the lease of j Sanmun Bay. This is regarded by the Chinese Government as an ultimatum, and it is thought pro- bable that they will give way.

THE BRITISH COAL OUTPUT. Dr. Clement Le Neve Foster, the inspector of metalliferous mines to the Home Office, states, in his annual report, that though the United Kingdom is at present the most important producer of coal, the rapid growth of coal-mining in various parts of the United States, and the knowledge of its enormous resources, lead to the belief that the Mother Country will eventually have to yield its position to the younger branch of the Anglo-Saxon race but the British Empire, as a whole. produces more than two- fifths of all the coal raised in the world.

UNIVERSITY FOR BIRMINGHAM. The leading Birmingham Manufacturing Companies are responding in a liberal spirit to the appeal mads by Mr. Chamberlain on behalf of the new University Endowment fund. Following the munificent donam. tions by the Patent Nut and Bolt Company of E5000 and the Birmingham Small Arms Company of £2500. Messrs. John Wilkes, Sons. and Mapplebeck (Limited) have voted lOOOgs. and Messrs. O. C. Hawkes (Limited) £ 500. Messrs. Wilkinson and Riddell (Limited) have voted £ 1000 to the awns object.

PRICKING THE SHERIFFS. An interesting innovation was introduced last week into the ancient ceremony known as pricking the Sheriffs. From time immemorial it has been the practice of the Sovereign to prick the names of cer- tain of the eligible candidates for the Shrieval inscribed on a large sheet of parchment, the size of which made it very difficult to handle. Under the new system the parchment is attached to a couple of rollers, so that, as soon as her Majesty, with a gold- headed pin, has duly marked all the names visible, the roller is wound up, and a fresh list of candidates appears in view. The new arrangement worked with perfect success, and a considerable saving of time was effected in the performance of this somewhat monotonous function.

AIDS TO SUCCESS. Replying to an interviewer, Mr. Andrew Carnegie. the Scottish-American millionaire, declared his firm conviction that no man ought to die rich, but should dispose of his wealth in a useful way during his life. time. He told the following story of his boyhood, ill explanation of his preference for free libraries over all other institutions: When I was a hard-working lad down there in Allegheny, Pennsylvania there was a Col. Anderson who announced one day that he would be in his office every Saturday to lend books from his private library to working boys and men. I was one of the boys who took advanuage of his generous offer. He had only about 400 volumes in his library, but they were valuable books, and I shall never for- get the enjoyment and the instruction I gained from them when I was too poor to buy books myself. Is it any wonder that I decided then and there that if ever I had any surplus wealth I would use it in lend- ing books to others ?"

AN EMPEROR'S AMUSEMENTS. The Emperor of China (says a Pekin correspondent.) is still in close confinement on an island, made a peninsula by day by the letting down of a drawbridge in the south-west corner of the palace. His chief amusement is the training of goats and monkeys. The former he has, by dint of much patience, taught to do tricks of every kind. One is to jump through the paper windows which are found everywhere ia China, from the palace to the cottage. It was said that the Empress Dowager complained of the expense of having daily to replace the breakages.

NATIVE RISING IN THE TRANS- VAAL. The news that further trouble has broken outia Magatoland is confirmed by the officials. Reports have been received stating that the rebel natives are concentrating, and have already attacked a native patrol near the Crocodile River, killing 30 men.

LIVERPOOL TO MANCHESTER IN EIGHTEEN MINUTES. The Lord Mayors of Manchester and Liverpool have consented to join a committee, which is being formed among representative men of both them cities, for the purpose of investigating the engineer- ing and commercial possibilities of the Lightning Express Single Rail Railway between Liverpool and Manchester, at a speed of 90 miles an hour, which has been proposed by Mr.' F. B. Behr, who built the lingle rail railway near Brussels, on which cars were last year run at a speed of 90 miles an hour.

PAVONIA'S HOME-COMING. The Chnard steamer Pavonia, whose terrible ex- periences are still fresh in everyone's mind, arrived in the Mersey at nine o'clock on Saturday morning two Owe u in tow of two erful seagoing tugs, the Sarah Joliffe and the William Joliffe. On arriving in Mersey the now famous vessel remained in midfe river, opposite the Langton Dock entrance, until high water, about eleven o'clock, the ttflre holding heg up against a strong flood tide. She looked anything but a Cunarder, with part of the port rail and galley carried away, the bakehouse stove in, ami< £ •hips, on the port side, the wreckage of a couple of boats lying in a heap under the crushed davits, and the canvas protection round the bridge a desolate ruin.

Jt tijy Paris is announced the death of M. Secret an, at one time well known as the CoppeS King." FATHER BRIXDLE was consecrated on Sunday Titular Bishop of Hermopolis and Coadjutor to the Archbishop of Westminster. THE Castillian, belonging to the Alian Line, atfoe new vessel, has run aground at Yarmouth, ia Canada, and is expected to become a total wreck- The passengers and crew were saved. The British steamer Oswestry, on her way to Manchester from Newport (Virginia), has met a similar fete near the M zen Head on the Irish coast. SOIE important judgments were delivered in the Court of Appeal on Saturday last in cases arising out of the Workmen's Compensation Act. In one suit, it was argued that the parents of a la,d. who was killed while shunting trucks, were not entitled to claim compensation, because they were not der- pendent upon his wages. The Court, however, held otherwise. TITr. annual cable chess match between the repre- ser.'r.tivos of the British Isles and America ended in a victory for the latter by six PO"nts to four Air Biackbiirne, the English champion defeated Mr. PilJ bnrv AFTER a splendid game at the 62nd move TTIR. battleship Glory, built by Messrs T^d p^nhead. was floated out of the building-dock on Saturday. ° MAJOR MAECHAND and HIE I5o:ireh. about 20 day6 l0l enrlv in February, and wer^ ^T Adis Abe^ lew ..1-t-c .v, V e expected to arrive at tho latter pUfe at the begmning of March. I..X( LSS ALEXANDRINE, wife of Prince Christian, res -:rnptive to the Danish throne, gave birth to a son at a quarter past seven on Saturday mornrg.