Abergavenny Chronicle

I NOTES ON REWS. I Among the many indications that puMic I opinion in Germany with regard to the GERMAN PEACE TALK. war is changing, particu- lar interest attaches to I the speech which Herr Scheidemann, a Soeia- list leader, delivered in the Reichstag the other day. He says quite boldly that the nation wants peace. The members of the Reichstag have not been accustomed to hearing statements of that sort during the war. They have heard over and over again speeches declaring that Germany will go on nghting until she has beaten her enemies to her knees, bled tli,.#ln white, and all that kind of thing, but nobody hitherto has made the kind of speech de- livered by Herr Scheidemann. If similar sentiments have been uttered at all, the German Censor has taken care that they were never reported in the Ger*man papers, That he should have let this speech pass is in itself a significant circumstance. Herr Scheidemann went further; he said that only the French censorship prevents Frenchmen from knowing that they could have the liberation of their own country and of Belgium from the German troops to-day without losing a further drop of blood and without losing a foot of terri- tory. That is a notable declaration; it is a confession that the German dream cf conquest in the West has been shattered Before the German nation can have the peace it craves, its rulers will have to go a great deal further than Herr Scheidemann has gone, but the contrast between his speech and some others we can recall is cer- tainly remarkable. The fresh rise in the price of bread has rather dashed the hopes of those who as- THE PRICE OF BREAD. sumed that the taking I over by the Government cf the control of wheat and flour supplies would I be followed by a cheapening of bread to the consumer. As a matter of fact, the business of the new Royal Commission is not to keep down the price of wheat and Hour, but to take such steps as may be possible to ensure adequate and regular supplies of these commodities. It is, of course, more important that there should be plenty than that it should be cheap, and to ensure plenty will bo the task of the Royal Commission. No doubt if it can obtain supplies in greater abundance than at present, a fall in price wul result; but whether that is so or not, it is certain that a shortage would be disastrous. The hope of cheaper bread lies in the fact that Gov- ernment control of the imports will mean cheaper freights. Mr. Lloyd George has given an effective answer to those of his critics in the House THE NATION'S MAX-POWEH. of Commons who declare that the agitation for more men for the Army is a proof that the Mili- tary Service Acts have broken down. The Acts, he said, had pro- duced forces without which it would have been impossible to carry on the war. The events of the last few months have shown that to be true, and by what process of reasoning the critics reached their conclu- sion is best known to themselves. That we are now approaching the point when more men must be forthcoming is a fact, but it is clear enough that had not the Military Service Acts been in operation we should have got to that pass many months ago. The cause of the present position is not the breakdown of the Acts, but the fact that they contain so many loopholes by which men have been able to secure exemption from service. Yery many of those exemptions are only temporary, and sooner or later the men affected will be available for the Army. It may be also that exemptions have been granted on too wholesale a scale, while there is reason to believe that many of the Tribunals have taken too easy a view of their duties. These are things which the Government has to put right. If further legislation is necessary it will be brought forward, for the one determination of the Government is that, alt the power avatl&Mo in the country of wealth and man-power shall be utilised to the utmost to help to win the war. It Is for the Government to decide how the man-power of the country may be best apportioned between the e&sential in- dustries and the armies in the neld. Lest the cheerfulness and confidence in- duced by the excellent progress being made by the Allies should cause ECONOMY AXD EXAMPLE. us to forget the still I pressing need for eco- nomy, Mr. McKenna has I addressed a little homily to us through the medium of the National War Savings Committee. There seems to be, he says, a dangerous tendency at home to regard successes as an excuse for slackening the efforts for economy. "But "the war Is not over because Thiepval falls or a Zeppelin is brought down in names, and though the facts give ground for cheerfulness and conndence, so far from justifying new extravagance they should remind us of the immense efforts of our soldiers and sailors, of the value of ade- quate supplies of munitions, and of the impossibility of keeping up these supplies unless civilians do their part at home by avoiding all needless competition for the goods and services required by the nation. glack-enine, of effort at home may rob us of the full value of the sacrinces and achievements of the fighting forces, and jeopardise the completeness of our final victory." Mr. McKenna appeals particu- larly to the well-to-do to set a patriotic example to wage-earners, who cannot be expected to practise seif-denial while they see those who do not work indulging in htxury and extravagance. It may have been in response to Mr. McEenna's appeal that the WaIsaII Board NoPLUM- PCDDING! of Guardians decided that I there should be no Christ- I mas plum-pudding in the workhouse this year. The I tMnates are to be as joyiul as they can on suet-pudding and treacle. Perhaps, how- ever, the guardians do not wish the in- mates to be joyful; it may be that the paupers are not taking the war seriously enough, and that this step is to be taken as a means of "bringing it home to them." Anyhow, suet-pudding does mot sound very festive, even when one adds treacle. The workhouse master estimates that the change in the dietary wiH effect a saving of from JE15 to JE20. The economists ear- ried the day by one vote, though one guar- dian characterised the action aa con- tepiptibly mean. One doubts very mueh whether this was the kind of economy that Mr. McKenna had in mind. and it would be a pity if other Boards followed the ex- ample of that at WalsaH, unless, indeed, all Poor Law Guardians are prepared to eat suet-pud'ding and treaci f at Christmas themselves.

A solicitor stated at Clerkenwell County- oottrt that he was trustee for a mentally defective man. The man had been called up, but the authorities had not thought it wise to train him or trust him with a weapon. Mr. Hughee, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth has annulled many contracts with enemy firms for the supply of goods to Australia. The Franco-Canadian Artistic Entente has established in Paris a "Conservatoire of the AUies," to which al! French citizens and subjects of the Allied Powers resident in Franco w:H 00 admitted ag pupils free of charge. A rag and bone merchant who appealed at Lambeth said he was collecting fat and bcmes for munition firms, and the mayor re- marked that in these times such businesses werp of more Rational importance than many of tboæ in Recent-street. if I

HUMOUR OF THE WEEK. I so- FORTUNE OF WAR. A Liverpoot soldier 'has just sent home the I laconic. telegraphic message, HSafely wounded" HUSTLED. ) "I don't like being' hustled," was the only complaint (according to the "Liverpool Poc-t ") of a badly wounded soldier in a local hospital. "What do you mean?" he was aaked. The man displayed the comer of his sheet, which bore in large letters the word ":Mortuary." It appears that there was a temporary shortage of bed-linen. I NOT GUILTY, BUT——— t "The jury have found you Not gimty. Go away and don't do it again," said Sir Robert Wallace, E.G., to a man charged at the London Sessions with theft. I HIS COMPLAINT. I When a man was changed at WiHesdea Police-court with being drunk and assault- ing the police, an oSicer said that the de- fendant had been discharged from the Army ignominy. with i g nom,.n y with O'Shea protested, **it wasn't that N o, at all that I was suE-erin? from; it was I varicose veina." I YRIGHTFLLNESB.. I Nearly 5,000,000 yards of mosquito nets for the uae of our troopa in Egypt, Meso- potamia and Salonica have been ordered. In diplomatic c;rclcs it is understood that the 'skeetrs are about to protest against this unwarrantable interference with their food supply. I A HUN nfVEXTION. I "The id3. of a la lld cruiser was evolved long a-go by a Eonig'sberg' engineer," aaecrts the Berlin "Lokalanz-eiger." But this ctaim that a German invented the "Tank" is German invention. ) THE NEW SAMSON. I Chief Petty Oniccr Samson. V.C., who still I has thirt.e.en bullets in his body, is looking anxioudy forward to his rcadmission into the Navy. "Cassell's Saturday Journal" says one would like to see this strong and plucky hero operating on the Huns with the jaw- bone of-tho Crown Prmce! j WEATHER OR NO. j "Now tell us," sternly demanded the young legal lummary. addressing the cower- ing' witne-ss, "what was the weather, if any, upon the afternoon in question?" I SOMETHING SOULFUL. I "You are going to say something soulful." dcda.red the nance. I see it in your lovely yes. e '"What I was going to say is this," re- sponded the fiallCOO. "Won't you wear a rubber band around your head ajk niglit, so aa to tr..in your ears not to stick out?" I NOT HER FAULT. I "It is the duty of every man and woman to be marri<-d at the age of twenty-one," said the lecturer. "Well," said a woman of thirty, with some asperity, "you needn't tell me that. Talk to tha ma.n." I ONE LITTLE WORD. I Each one of eighteen telephone operators took on the average ten mesrsages each for one week. A florist entered a regular order on hia books. Two other noriRts sent salesmen to a cer- tain omce. One m miner, two dressmakers, one tailor. and fourteen dry goods emporiums entered up new accounts to be delivered 'on or be fore-" Eight motor-cars were demonstrated. Four silversmiths rejoiced. A jeweller's bookkeeper was kept half-an- hour later. A railroad, a steamship line, a taxi-cab company, a caterer, a clergyman, and a real estate dealer charged up certain pronto on their books. And a.ll because on a certain evening, between nine and ten o'clock, a rather prottv girl with worldly aYIrj- enee, no business instincts, nothing but a throbbing of the heart, dropped her pretty head and eaid: Yes." —"New York Life." I PICKINGS FROM "PUNCH." I Charles Horton, the oldest inhabitant of OthXm, Kent, has just attained his 102nd birthdav. He intends to see at least one Zeppelin before he dies, but rather thinks that it will compare unfavourably with some of the gooseberries that they grew down Maidstoue way when he was a lad. It is reported that a soldier at the Mili- tary Hospital at Hove regained the power of speech through dreaming that he was en- tangled on barbed wire. Elsewhere the mere thought of barbed wire has made some of our civilians extraordinarily eloquent in their pleas for exemption. One of the political dniM expropriated by the Government has to mourn the loss of its famous black cat, which refused to leave the old premises, and had to be painlessly de- stroyed. This is rightly described as "the real tr3.gedy' of the removal, since the members will be no longer able to indulge in their favourite pastime of watching how the cat would jump. "The nearest approach to peace to-day is to be attained on a canal-boat."—"Times." This is said to be also the opinion of the German High Sea Fleet. "A partner is sought to work up and take entire charge of a girls' school on the Derbyshire coast. No capital is required, but a lady who could introduce boarders would be preferred."—"The Lady." Some knowledge of geography might not be amiss cither. "Why do not all bee-keepers at home wake up? While they sleep the colonial and foreign bee-keepers are reaping a rich har- vest, and laughing up their sleeves. "British Bee Journal." Quite a ha-ha-harvest, in fact. I QUIPS FROM "LONDON OPINION." I Eaeex is chiefly noted for the importation of scrap aluminium from Germany. Austrian money, it is reported, has depre- ciated even more than German. We gathered that their finance were not quite up to the mark. In a recent air raid many windows were broken as a result of suction. Police-court proceedings often reveal a similar phenome- non. School children in Lancashire, it is urged, should be released for the potato harvest. In that case, of course their work will go to pot. The fact that a. famous author nrst sug- gested the idea of the Tanks is considered by I the Germane sumcient justification for poisoning our Wells. The "Daily Chronicle" observes, "During the last few months M. ProtopopoS's name has been frequently in the public eye." More frequently, we bet, than in the public mouth. Man" v of our wounded heroes are deriving beneSt from sea-angling. Although the bloater industry has sunered, ashing need not be wholly dissociated from the curing process.

Stroud GreeTt resi4ent who tampered with the electric light fuse box in h:f- honse, with the result that the lights in thf dis- trict were aSected, was 6n"d .£5 at High- gate Police-court. I I r .>oir' 7 I -1. t

'!C* GIANT GUNS I I HOWITZER THAT THROWS NEARLY A TON OF METAL In a dirTpatch to the "Daily Mail de- scribing the latest fighting on the Somme, Mr. Beach Thomas says: The size as well as the quantity of guns leaves one aghast. The biggest I have is a howitzer of 18in. calibre throwing nearly a ton of metal. A mobile gun of 12in. calibre—iteelf big beyond the previous imagination of soldiers—hit a target clever miles away. Lesser monsters, especially 9.2 and 8in., crouched here, there, and everywhere. In front of them guns nlled the slope ir. diminishing scale. So close were they in places, you could scarcely pass between them. I had some thought of going forward to the whereabouts of a certain battery, but was strongly advised by an omcer to forbear —and on this strange ground: "You will not be able to get back through our guns," he said. It was not a joke or a conversa- tional exaggeration or a fantasy. To face batteries that are nring salvos is less bad than risking the enemy's bursts, but it is bad enough, and may be quite dangerous to pass through them. The German guns, too, multiply. They silt down from other parts of the line and new ones como up to supply the great wastage. But always we out-muftiply their multipli- cation, and all the while our gun birth-rate exceeds our death-rate by great figures. Guns &eom to spawn guns. The result is that after nve minutes or less of the bom- bardment which precedes attack little is visible anywhere of the battle itself. The only thing that penetrates the smoke and dust is the flame of the gun and the flash of the burst. The Held gunners are almost as much a. part of the medley of the nght as the in- fantry. They, too, seem to nght hand to hand, corps a corps. In one case two lucky shells knocked out the whole team of one of our batteries except the major and one man. The accident happened just at the moment fixed for the crescendo of the barrage, and the major was not going to have it said of his battery that it was silenced by Germans. So he himself took to "shell-slinging" and with his single hale man continued to serve one of the guns all through the period of intensity. Presently a reserve team came up and sorns of the more lightly wounded returned in a bandaged state. Before the day was over aH the guns of the battery were again in action. So do our gunners nght a hand- to-hand battle of their own miles behind the charging infantry.

I STILL MORE SHELLS. Dr. Addison, M.P., Parliamentary Secre- tary to the Ministry of Munitions, at a memorial celebration to Nurse Cavell at Shoieditch, said the harvest of munition workers' efForts has oly begun to be reaped during the past few months. "We must have these things, not for our- selves alone, but also to assMt those of our A.Uie<g, less happily circumstanced and with Icc.s manufacturing capacity than ourselves. When the oSensive had been going on for two months, notwithstanding the enormous daily expenditure, the stocks of heavy pro- jectiles—the most diincult of all to make and supply—were as great as they were at the beptnning. "I know that our heroic soldiers are daily offering their tribute of thanks," he added.

I OBJECTOR'S ALLEGATIONS. A court-martial at Birkenhead heard charges of disobedience on parade against Privates George Benson and Charles Dukes, conscientious objectors. Dukes, who is a- prominent Warringt..)u trades unionist, and was formerly organiser of the Gas Workers' Union, alleged ill- treatment, stating that he had slept on a plank bed with men drunk. He alleged that his hair was torn off with such force that the clippers were put out of order. Benson also alleged ill-treatment, sayinsr a rifle waa hung round his neck, the 6t I almost choking him, and he was kicked knocked about. ——————

I MISS ADA REEVE s ENCORE. '1 The singing of s eong, "I couldn't help being a lady," as an encore a-t the Victoria Palace, London, S.W., by Miss Ada Reeve led to an application being made to Mr. Jus- tice Eve in the Chancery Division to commit that lady to prison for alleged breach of an undertaking given to Miss Millie Hylton, the owner of the song, not to sing it in public. The defendant had filed an amdavit suggesting that she thought that as the pIaintiS had gone into comedy the song no longer interested her. The judge said the undertaking wis probably broken in the excitement of the encore, and made no order except that defendant should pay the costs.

I EXPECTED TRAIN TO TURN OVER. I An attempt by two boys to wreck an ex- press train from Waterloo was described at Wareham (Dorset) Police court, when Thomas Burden, aged eleven, and Alfred Hodge, aged ten, were charged with tres- passing on the South Western Railway. The driver said he saw the boys place & piece of wood on the line in front of the express. He managed to pull up within about six yarda of &e obstacle. A police-sergeant said the boye told him they expected to see the train turn over. The maximum penalty of 40a. was imposed on the parents.

I "ENGLAND WOULD FIGHT ON." I The German newspaper "Dusseldorfer General-Anzeigcr," of October 1, says:— "Even if a.H the nine remaining mem bers of the Entente were to conclude peace with us England would nght on alone and con- tinue to bar to us the highways of the sea. If we beat England, however, the rest will also fall, and then even the most anxious among us heed no longer fear the mighty I Wilson."

I SIR W. ROBERTSQN'S ADVICE I The Bishop of London, addressing a meet- ing in Hydc Park, London, W., on Satur- day, said that he came to summon his felloe Churchmen and women to fight bravely M the greatest of all causes. He told the fotlowing story: A bishop said to Sir William Robcrtson the other day, "What can we of the Church do to heJp you?" He replied, "Make thé nation more religious, bishop."

¡ PARCELS FOR SOLDIERS. I  The War Office announces that all parcels, etc.. intended for troops serving with the forces in Egypt, Salonica, Mesopotamia, India, and East Africa, hitherto de&lt with at Devonport, must now be sent c/o the Mili- tary Forwarding Onicer, Avonmouth Docks, near Briatol. Parcel for the Army in France may still be sent to c/o the Military ) Forwarding Odeer, Southampton.

HIGH WIND TRAGEDY. I Owing to the high wind on Saturday an !ron casement window was blown down in the Brompton-road, London, W. Mr. Arthur Staveley, of 86, Cadogan-place, who was papsiug at the moment, was struck on the hpad, and died later in St. George's Hos- pital. The premi&es from which the window fell were void.

C. E. Kuthai! (Army Veterinary Service) and Liput.-CoIoue! H. W. Grun- tvadc (Aii.trilio, FicM Ar\.il!ery) arc g-azcttcd temporary brigadier-generals. Sccond-Lieut. Harold WHHnm Pitk. R.E.. gTandscn of the late Sir \iUiam Pink. of Portsmouth, is officially cotiiicd as having died of woucds.

ZEPPELIN STRAFER DECORATED I ÁII'IAN WEO BROUGHT DOWN RAIDER AT POTTERS BAR. The King has conferred the D.S.O. upon Second-Lieutenant Wulstan Joseph Tempest, of the Royal Flying Corps, "in recognition of conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in connection with the destruction of an enemy airship." The promotion of Lieutenant W. L. Robinson, V.C., and Second-Lieutenants A. de. B. Brandon, D.S.O., from flying omcers to Hight commanders and to be temporary captains whilst so employed, has been gazetted. Lieutenant Tempest is the fourth airman to have been honoured by his Majesty for bravery in nghting the Zeppelins. The airmen previously honoured by the King were Lieutenant Robinson, VjC., Lieu- tenant Brandon, D.S.O., M.C., and Lieu- tenant Sowrey, D.S.O. It is understood that Second Lieutenant Tempest brought down the last Zeppelin at Potters Bar. Lieutenant Wulstan Tempest has two brothers serving, while a third. Major Wilfrid F.. Tempest, was killed in action in September.

I LORD CLIVE DEAD. Lieutenant Viscount Clive, of the Welsh Guards, heir to the Earl of Powis, has died at the King Edward VII.'s Hospital, Gro<s- vcnor-gardcns, London. Lord Clive, who was in his twenty-third year, was severely wounded in the fighting on the Somme on September 11. The bullet which fractured hi. thigh wa6 extracted, and for a time he mado good progress towards recovery. Owing to a relapse he subsequently had to bo removed from his father's house in Berkeley-square to the hospital, where his death took place. Lieutenant Lord Clive was a grcat-grea.t- grcat grandson of the famous Clive of Pla/rtey, and was heir to nearly 60,000 acres in North Wales. He was educated at Eton and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was gazetted to the Scots Guards. He went to the Front with his regiment, but was after- ward.s invalided home and transferred to the Welsh Guards.

I COURT OF ESCHEAT. An extremely rare judicial function, a Court of Escheat, was held at Ashford, Middlesex, on Saturday, respecting- the ,;m-.11 property known as Berswood, with a bunga- IoN-, attached, which was valued at X100p and was formerly owned and occupied by Frank Berry, who died intestate in February, 1915, at the age of ninety-four. Mr. Roland Burrows conducted the inquiry. as Commissioner for the Crown, with a jury of twelve. Berry was a bachelor whose twin sister, a spinster, predeceased him in 1902. He left no will and no heir-at-law has been traced. A verdict for the Crown was returned, and each juryman received a fee of half a guinea.

I FATAL SEAPLANE ACCIDENT. A verdict of "Accidental death" was re- I turned on Saturday a,t the inquest at Chat- ham on William Herbert HodgsoN, a petty .gib.cer mechanic of the Royal Flying Corps, drowned in the Medway through a seaplane accident. At heiJrht pf nearly 100ft. the E<i:aplane ¡:;ide slipped and nose-<H\-eu, anQ at. .t reached the water turned right over. The nilot. Flight Sub-Lieutenant Mostyn Lewis, ,vis thrown out, and fell clear of the sea- plane, but the observer, Hodgson, fell with the machine. The pilot swam searching for him till rescued by a boat. When the machine was raised from the water Hodgson wM found across his seat entangled in the wreckage.

I LORD ROTHES WOUNDED. Lieut.-Colonel the Earl of Rothes, Cyclist Battalion, attached Highland Light In- fantry, is ofncially reported wounded. Lord Rothes, who is thirty-nine years old, is the 'nineteenth holder of his ancient earl- dom. During the past two centuries there have been five Countesses of Bothes in their own right, and the present peer succeeded hLs grandmother, who had inherited the peerage from her niece. Lord Rothes married Miss Ncel Edwardcs in 1900, and they have two sons. Lady Rothes was one of the survivors of the Titanic disaster. She is an expert oars- wmnan, and took command of the boat in which eh -e was saved.

CINEMA INDISPENSABLES. At WaIton-on-Thamee it was stated that th. Hepworth Cinematograph Company's turnover of .860,000 yearly practically rested on the only three skilled employees remain- ing. a trio of single young men. The firm were keeping out foreign films, and export- ing English pictures amounting to .630,000 yearly. The firm was appealing to the Cen- tral Appeal Tribuna.1 for two men, and made a strong fight for the third at Walton, a single man aged twenty-one. The Chairman said it was impossible to retain a single young man in a bui3ines4s of that character under the present conditions, and the cla,im was dismissed.

LUGGAGE IN HIS LEG. A lance-corporal of the Kensington Bat- talion, London Regiment, who had his right leg amputated in France, and later attended Roehampton Hospital for the purpose of having an artincial leg Stted, met a friend who asked him, "How do you get on with the leg?" "Quite well, thanks," said the soldier. "I am just going away for the week-end. I have my luggage with me." The friend looked puzzled, and suggested that he had sent his bag on by train. "Oh. no, it is unnecessary for me to carry a bag when I go away now," the man remarked, giving hia new limb a emack. "I have packed all the luggage required in my arti- ficial leg. It holds a hair brush, bottle of hair oil, and shaving requisites very well."

CHURCH AND COMMON SENSE. I The Bishop of Oxford, preaching at West- minster Abbey on Sunday afternoon, re- ferred to the necessity of Church reform, He said that in a democratic age no par- ticular reform would ever be won by com- plaining of the Hiehops, but only by the action of Church people themselves. "There is such a thing in the Church as common sense." added Dr. Gore. "When is th? common sense of our old Church of Eng- land going to express itself and say, Hero are plain necessities; they shall be pro- vided'? That will never happen unless the multitude of professing Churchmen are pre- pared to take an interest in the Church." m ——————

A resident of Bangor has just received a Pretoria! postcard which was ported in Livcrpool in August, 1904. It bears only two postmarks, Liverpool and Baagor. A working bak<'r found a wallet at Sur- f biton Railway Station which contained 1:115 in nct€$ and cash and a ch<-qu<* for t43, and he at once returned it to the owm-r, a hdy, residing in tht- district, who for hia hù.a(.'ty Tfwarded him wjth one shilling. ?. ? — >

I MOTHER AND HOME. I There ia no face, howerpr plain, that is not improved by a smile. Smiles have a!go a wonderful magic of their own for turning aside wrath. Many a pretty face is dIs.- figured by a fwn, who-re a sTnile lights up and makes its beautiful. Smiles have an artistic value of their own. Look at the portraits of pretty women one sees on all eides, and you will soon discover that both the artist and the photographer prefer to portray a smiling face to a perils one. Smile at life. and life is sure to smite back at you. SEIZE OrpoRTu:-rnTES. ) People who complain that they never have a real opportunity to distinguish them- selves, either in small things dt in great, arc only deceiving themselves. Everyone has opportunities every day, if they would only recognise them when they come. The chance to do a thing better than your busi- ne&a companion frequently occurs, but it is passed by because you are mentally and .physically blind. Folk will not think and look about them when sorn<; unforeseen chance turns up and presents a chance which they never dreamt was possible. They only see in that new phase which has cropped up. something that bores, that means a greater effort. or that is too much trouble to d«. What about that opportunity of he) ping your neighbour, which so unexpectedly turned up, but which was allowed to pass by? AVhat about that chance for assisting that business pal, but, alas! it was too much trouble? Look around you. watch vigi. lantly, and try to see the chance when it comes along. If you do &ee it, you will be grasping your opportunity. I DOX'TBEDULL. I There is nothing more tiresome or boring than a dull woman, who lives in a. world of her own and has no conversation beyond her own personal concerns. If you live alone tn a narrow groove, do vour best to get your- self out of it, by gettmg in touch with some larger organisation. There is plenty of work waiting to be done, and you wili find that if you devote but a portion of your time to helping others and throwing yourseif into their lires, you will be more than re- paid by the benent you derive from being roused to take an interest in someone save j yourself. I CHOOSING A COMUB. I I CHOOEING A COLOUR. When you are having new clothes do not force yourself to wear a certain colour be- cause it is your favourite. Rather, make a practice never to indulge in any colour but what falls in with your hair, your eyes, or your complexion. You will generally iird a certain colour suits you best. stick to it more or less. If you are not sure which it is, then the following may help you to de- cide. Dark blue sets off a blonde com- plexion, whereas light blue has the reverse effect. Blue is unbecomin g to a brunette unlesa her cheeks be norid. Bed and pink enhance the effect of pale brunette beauty. Green is becoming to a fair complexion, giv- ing the checks a delicate pink tint. Brown eyes naturally give favour to a like colour, especially if the hair be brown as well. Yellow can be worn successfully with an olive complexion, giving it a soft relief. With the sallow skin, white should not be r worn unless a touch of colour 18 also intro- duced. I A PETTICOAT HiNT. t Flannel petticoats have a knack of catch- ing round one's leg's when the wearer walks. This is most uncomfortable, but it may be remedied in quite a simple way. Stitch a piece of narrow elastic (a. little wider than that used for hats) on to the edge of the centre of the front of the petticoat, and the other end stitch on to the centre of the back. The elastic should be about six inches in length. If this is done the petticoat will not ruck up and it will be found quite comfort- able. j WORM-HOLES IN A PlAXO. I About the best method of destroying the insects which bore into furniture, making small, circular holes, and in time turning the wood into a veritable honeycomb, is by UMBS? in?'?-?'Y! ?niribi. G? ?w.-? mactunc or evele oiling-can, and? having scaldod it in hot water to remove all tra<'es of grcxsq, iiti it with the spirit. Insert the nozzle of the can into one of the holes, and squirt in a little spirit; repeat to each hole successively. In thia way the ineecta are de- stroyed. Later, however, should fresh holes be noticed, dose these in the same way. ) BEAUTY DON'TS. t Don't use too much powder, or you will clog up the pores of your skin. Powder should bo merely dusted over the face. Don't forget that neat glovce and shoes make amends to a great extent for a shabby dress. Don't always part your hair in the same place if you are getting on in years. If you do, the hair ie apt to wear thin at the parting. Don't wear your hair pushed straight back from the forehead if your forehead is high. Don't forget that a black lining to a hat hae a most softening enect. Don't wear shoes that are the least bit down at heel. They are fatal to a well-dreaeed appearance. YOUR HANDS. As oftem aa possible use soft water for washing the hands; to cleave them thoroughly it should be very warm. Rub I them well together, massaging carefully thn.e parts that get dirtiest. Rinse them well, and nna.IIy dtp into cold water, or hold them under the cold-water tap. This closes up the pores f the skin opened by the warm water. Dry them very thoroughly, and if they are to be exposed to cold air imme- diat<Iy, rub them with a little powdered oat- n)cn!. A cut lemon should be kept on the v;i,hstand, and rubbed into the hands at le:st once a day. It helps to remove stains, to whiten the ha&ds, and to make them &oft. LITTLE AlDS. Both hot and cold water, without any medicinal additions, possess powers for relieving pain. For neuralgia, wring out cloths in water as hot as you can bear it, and hold them to the a-nected part. The acute pain of appendicitis and other forms of inflammation will quickly yield to con- tinued treatment. Hot and cold water applied alternately have a strengthening efk'ct, and, combined with massage, consti- tute the celebrated Aix-Iee-Bains treatment for weak ankles and sprains.. A tumbler of hot water often cures indigestion, and also helps to reduce nesh. If loss of avoirdupois is your object, add the juice of a lemon to ycur water and take the "cure" nrst thing in the morning and before you go to bed at night. To CLEAN WALLS. When pictures are taken down from the walls it is a good plan to clean the walls from all dust and dirt. Once a month will be often enough, A soft broom should be kept for the purpose, but if this cannot be spared an ordinary broom should be tied round with a. clean soft duster and the wallt swept with this. Cobwebs and dust will thue be removed, and if the walls are rubbed with a large piece of crumb of bread they wiH look much frceher and cleaner. PREVENTING COLDS. I A cold in the head is usually a disease in itself, but may be the onset of merles or in- Suenza. The symptoms are too familiar to need description. The old saying, "Three days coming, three at its height, and three going," is an accurate description, and should it ,Iast much longer medical advice should be sought, as neglected colds may be the onset of consumption. The prevention of colds may be effected with some success by an open-a,ir life, cold baths in the morning, plain diet, and by suitable clothing and sound boots; the stuffy room is the place in which the cold is caught. Among the methods of meeting an attach is the in- haling of menthol or eucalyptus.

Count Schulenburg, the German military governor of the province of Liece, has rc- Mgned. The Montenegrin Government wiH shortly take up its quarters at NeuiHy-sur-Seine, where the King already resides. r.- J .A.. i

Boys attending the gardening classes arranged by the Wimbledon Education Com- mittee have forwarded the greater portion of the produce from their plots to the Nelson Hospital for the use of the soldier patients. Employees in the Royal Parks, including the park-keepers, have just been granted A war bonus of 4s. per week., to date from. July 31. Declaration was made at Bow street Police-court that the expenses of Dr. Arthur TurnbuU, Independent candidate at the re"nt by-election at Macclesiield, were .81,710 12s. Mr. E. Moffia, chairman of the M'tamouth Gas and Water Company, was di!ScoveM<l dead in bed recently. The secretary and. manager of the same company, Mr. T. Brace, whilst on his way to church on the eame day, fell to the ground and exi)irect- Both were prominent men in Monmouth. -o

I ROSE FOR NAVAL HEROES. The Secretary of the Admiralty announces that the King has approved of the award of a bar to au omcer or man possessing the Distinguished Service Cross, Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, or Distinguished Service Medal, if he should again perform such ser- vice as would render him eligible for the award of the particular decoration or medal had he not already received it. In cases in which such bars are awarded the King has been pleased to approve of a small silver rose, one or more according to the numbf-r of bars awarded, being worn on the ribands when worn on undress and ser- vice dress uniform.