Abergavenny Chronicle

The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies is organising a mass meeting in February to demand the inclusion of women in the electorate. Royal Dublin Society passed by 236 votes to 58 a motion calling upon Count Plunkett to resign membership. A proposal to place a war shrine in the churchyard of St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe, Quoen Victoria-6treet, London, has been abandoned, as the result of protests. Mrs. M. Turner has died at Northop, Flintshire, aged 101. Collections for the Hospital Saturday Fund for London increased £9,800 last year. Mr. William Abraham, M.P. (" Mabon"), is sufficiently recovered to resume his public duties. A live shell, about 12in. long, has been found in a shrubbery at Walton-on-Thames j and removed by the military authorities.

I NORTH SEA FIGHT. J 1 lEEBRUGE FLOTILLA CAUGHT BY BRITISH FORCES. ENEMY DESTROYER SUNS. I The Secretary of the Admiralty issued the following announcement on Tuesday night: "Last night, whilst our light forces were patrolling in the North Sea, not far fro.i the Dutch coast, they met a division of enemy torpedeo-boat destroyers. "A short engagement took place, during which one of the enemy torpedo-boat de- stroyers was sunk. "The rest scattered, having suffered con- siderable punishment. Darkness prevent('d I the full results of the action from being ob- served. "During this night there was also a short and sharp engagement between enemy tor- pedo-boat destroyers and our own destroyers in the vicinity of the Schouwen Bank. "During this engagement one of our tor- pedo-boat destroyers was struck by a tor- pedo, the explosion killing three officers and forty-four men of the crew. She was subse- quently sunk by our own ships. The rela- tives have been informed. "Our ships suffered no other casualties." I SEVEN GERMAN SHIPS SUNK. I According to news from Dutch sources the enemy would seem to have suffered much more -severely than is indicated by the above official report. Mr. Leonard Spray, the .Rotterdam correspondent of the "Daily Tele- graph," says that "seven at least of the pirate ships" are at the bottom of the sea, while "those still afloat at the moment of cabling are either .limping into neutral ports or trying to lurk along the coasts to Ger- many, some in a hopelessly battered con- dition." The correspondent continues: "At midday to-day (Tuesday) a shattered specimen of what can now be called the late Zeebrugge flotilla of large torpedo-boats was towed a hopeless wreck into Ymuiden, bring- ing with her a tragic burden of dead and wounded, and a report of how at least half the Zeebrugge fleet was sent to the bottom and the rest smashed. Briefly, the facts so far known are as fol- lows: "At midnight fourteen German torpedo- boats, forming Germany's much-vaunted Zeebrugge naval force, left that port in a dash for the Fatherland in order to escape being frozen into harbour. At four o'clock, unfortunately for them, and als.) apparently unexpectedly, whilst creeping along the Dutch coast northwards they encountered a Uritish squadron. In extraordinarily brief time our splendid gunners sent seven at least to the bottom, and hammered some of the others into caricatures of warships." The German vessel which was towed into Ymuiden is the V69, and her crew, the cor- respondent says, have made the wildest statements as to the number of British vessels with which the enemy flotilla was en- gaged. "What is certain, for I have it from German sources, is that seven of their vessels were sunk, whilst they make no single claim of having either sunk or dam- aged one British ship. The whole story, even as it comes from the Germans them- selves, is one of swift overwhelming disaster, of the swooping down of our squadron upon the enemy flotilla, which was destroyed so quickly and so thoroughly, that, according to the men of V69 its units had not a ghost of a chance to do anything." Some of the wounded men from the V69, describing the fight, said that the British squadron which intercepted the Zeebrugge flotilla consisted of from sixty to a hundred vessels, but one man, "more capable of mak- ing « cool estimate," said there were ten British cruisers, supported by a large num- ber of destroyers.

TENANTS' WAR SIGHTS. I —— —— LORD RHONDDA'S WARNING TO LANDLORDS. Attention is again drawn by the Local Government Board to the fact that the pro- visions of the Increase of Rent and Mort- gage Interest (War £ iestrietions) Act, 1915, are not being sufficiently observed by land- lords. Lord Rhondda has, therefore, issued a notice setting forth the principal provisions of the Act. It should be explained that the Act applies to a dwelling the rent or rate- able value of which did not, on August 3, 1914, exceed £ 35 a year (in the Metropoli tan Police District and the City of London), £ 30 in Scotland, and C26 elsewhere. The Local Government Board notice points out that a landlord cannot legally recover payment of rent above that payable on the date given, but rent may be raised to cover cost of improvement or structural altera- tions (not decorations or repairs), or in- crease in local rates paid by the landlord. Some landlords have improperly increased the rents and carried the increase forward as "arrears." These arrears cannot be re- covered. Subject to the ruling of a county court landlord must not transfer to a tenant any burden or liability (local rates., for instance) which he has previously borne. A tenant cannot be ejected so long as he pays; the proper rent and performs the other conditions of his tenancy. The only excep- tion. to tltiri rule are waste, annoyance to neighbours, or brooming a nuisance, reason- able need of the premises by the landlord, or other reason satisfactory to a court.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL I Colonel Pringle, of the Board of Trade. reporting on the collision on the Midland Railway near Bedford on November 20, when an up express train collided with the empty coaches of a military train, said he could not accept the statement that the signals were at safety when the express passed, and the pilot engineman, Joseph Richardson, must bear the greater part, and Driver William Catlow a minor share, of the re- i sponsihilitv. "The case," says Colonel Pringle, "is a further illustration of the necessity of. some form of automatic train control to safeguard neglect on the part of enginemen properly to observe the signals."

FINE FAMILY RECORD. I A splendid war record is held by the eons of Mr. and Mrs. Nasmith, of Weybridge. Decorations won by three of their sons are as follows: — V.C.—Captain Martin Nasmith, R.N., of E 11 fame. D.S.O.-Captain Arthur P. Nasmith, Bor- der Regiment, for "great courage and initiative in organising and leading a suc- cessful attack." Military Cross.—Major Reginald Nasmith, Highland Light Infantry. A fourth son, Lieutenant Sydney Nasmith, I is in India, and has not had an opportunity of gaining a war distinction. I — ♦ «

Worthing newsagents, on account of the later arrival of newspaper trains, have per- suaded the Education Committee to obtain sanction for opening the elementary schools at 9.30 instead of 9. George Powell, sixty-five, an inmate of Caerleon Infirmary, during the temporary absence of a nurse, placed his head under the hot-water tap and was so severely scalded that he succumbed to his injuries. Mr. Wynne Baxter, the East London coroner, held 999 inquests in 1916. Five of the inquests were held at the Tower of Lon- don, one of them on an executed spy. .— Mr. Justice Bailhache suggested at Pem- brokeshire Assizes the amalgamation of counties for assize purposes to save expenses. ."e C=nd jury disagreed with the ju ge.

OUR HOME DEFENCES. I i I VISCOUNT FRENCH ON ZEPPELIN I FAILURES. A dispatch from Field-Marshal Viscount French, reviewing his work as Commander-in- l it f of the Home Forces, is published as a "London Gazette" supplement.— "When I assumed command of the forces iu the United Kingdom," he says, "I was directed to review the situation as it affected home defence with a view to deciding whether defen- sive requirements were met by the system then 171. force. "According to these instructions I made an exhaustive study of the situation, and came to t,iw conclusion that modification was necessary, in view cf the most recent experiences we have gained in the conduct of war under existing conditions. "The Army Council agreed generally to the proposals submitted, and a reorganisation on the new lines haa since been carried into <?iTect." Lord French refers as follows to the measuree taken fer defence against air raids:— "On February 19 it was decided that the London defences should be handed over to me, and on February 26 it was further decided that I should be responsible for the whole of the anti-aircraft land defences of the United Kingdom. "Previous to this I had given considerable attention to the subject of anti-aircraft de- fence, and I submitted a scheme for considera- tion which was approved and has been carried out. "In all, nineteen raids have been made by German airshipe and seventeen attacks bave been made by aeroplanes. The damage done has been comparatively small, and nothing of any military importance has been effected. "Taken as a whole, the defensive measures have been successful. In very few cases have the enemy reached their objective. They have been turned, driven off, seriously damaged by gunfire, and attacked with great success by aeroplanes. Seven have been brought down, either as the result of gunfire or aeroplane attack, or of both combined." Lord French praises the work of the Royal I Flying Corps, R.N.A.S., and the tun and light detachments, including the Royal Naval Anti. Aircraft Corps. 40.

MINERS CALLED UP. I The Government have decided that a large number of men are to be immediately released from the coal mines of the country for military service, and notices to this effect were received at every colliery in Great Britain on Tuesday. The men to be called up include the following class&,R: (1) Those who have entered the mines since August 14, 1915. (2) Surface workers, or officials supervising such workers, other than enginemen, .pumpmen, weighmen, electricians, fitters, and mechanics. (3) Workers of military age employed in the mines who during the last three months have tost on an average two or more shifts during a week for avoidable causes.

TITLES FOR NEW PEERS. I The foUowingr ti?es. chosen by recently- I created peers, were gazetted last night:- I Lord Sandhurst-Viscount Sandhurst of Sand- hurst. Mr. Lewis Harcourt—Baron Nuneham. of Nuneham Courtenay and Viscount Harcourt of Stanton Harcourt. Mr. Stuart Wortley-Baron Stuart of Wortley. Sir William Max Aitken-Baron Beaver- brook of Beaverbrook, New Brunswick. Mr. J. A. Pease—Baron Gainford of Head- lam.

VISCOUNT ON T.N.T. POISONING. I Viscount Chetwynd, managing director of a munitions factory in Nottinghamshire, speaking on T.N.T. poisoning at a meeting of the Royal Society of Medicine on Tuesday, said that the complete elimination of sickness among opera- tives in a filling factory was of even greater importance than production in view of the shortage of labour. To mitigate the effects of the fumea a ventilating scheme should be in- stalled which provided a constant current of fresh air. This system was in course of instal- lation at the factory with which he was con- nected. 4w

MUNITIONS FACTORY FIRE. I Shortly after seven o'clock on Tuesday morning a fire broke out at a munitions fac- tory. The fire occurred just after the day shift workers had arrived, and these fortu- nately were got out of the building without any casualties resulting. Three fire brigades were present, 38 well as the brigade of the factory, and the fire was extinguished shortly after nine o'clock. Happily the fire, which broke out on the ground floor, was confined to a small area of the building.

FATAL AEROPLANE ACCIDENT. I Two officers, Second-Lieutenant B. F. Pai- sons, of the R.F.C., and Second-Lieutenant C. B. Fenton. an Australian, flying over Charl- ton Park, near Malmesbury. on Tuesday, came down to inquire their way. They ascended again, and had only reached a height of about a hundred feet when the aeroplane crashed to earth. Lieutenant Parsons died three hours after ad. mission to Malmesbury Hospital, and Lieuten- ant Fenton lies in a precarious condition.

PIGS AND CUSHIONS IN WILL I Mr. Septimus Curtis, of Fletchwood, near Totton, Hants, who died on December 1, leav- ing estate valued at 913,181, bequeathed £1,750 in trust for his servant, John Joseph Boyce, for life. He left to him also £ 315 (unless he shall have given him such sum in his lifetime), his pigeon-house, a tin house erected on his land, the corner field facing his residence, his old armchair and cushions habitually used by him (the testator), his pigs, agricultural implements, dairy utensils, growing crops, and motor-car.

MORE COURAGEOUS THAN LIONS. I "Man is by far the most courageous animal God ever made, and compared with him lions are cowards." "This," said the Rev. T. C. Williams, a personal friend of the Prime Minister, speaking at Beaumaris, on Tuesday, "is what Mr. Lloyd George declared after he had visited the Britiab soldiers at the Front.

RAID BY SEAGULLS. Deal fishermen were making a record haul of sprats on Tuesday when they were attacked by swarms of seagulls. The hard weather had made the birds so ravenous that as the nets were being hauled in they swooped down and attacked the fish. With considerable difficulty the ifshermen were able to keep the bird-a -t; bay with their oars. ♦

KNOWN AS "SOUND BLINDNESS." I Colour-blindness is by no means an un- common complaint, for many people, al- though they may possess perfect eyesight for reading or seeing long dist-indes, are quite unable to distinguish between green and red, and many other pairs of colours. It has been found that some suffer from au exactly similar affection of the hearing power-that is, an inability to distinguish particular shades of sound. One boy could not distinguish at all between the sounds of "very," "perry," and "Polly," and yet he could hear at as great a distance as any- body. Another youngster would spell "diffe- rent "drifent." He said that was how it sounded to him. Several others ran the letters "r," "n," and "I" together in a hopeless way, being unable to tell one from the other.

Hardy Edgings.—This is a good time to lift and replant permanent edgings to beds and borders, and make new ones. The pro- vision of these edgings to summer flower beds makes it unnecessary to take up space under glass in winter for the purpose.. Suit- able subjects are herniaria glabra, sedum pkiucmn, saxifraga hypnoides, thrift, oeras- tium biebersteinii, and pinks. it it • Rock Garden.—Some cleaning is necessary here: a few weeds to be pulled up and leaves cleared away which have gathered in shel- tered corners and nooks where early bulbs are pushing their growths through the ground. Here and there are a few pockets requiring pricking over with a handfork and top-dressing with rich soil or leafmould. Sweet Peas in Pots and Boxes.—In order to obtain early sweet peas a sowing should be made at once in pots or boxes. If in the former, sow singly in thumbs, sow four to six in a 48-sized pot or several at equal dis- tances around the rims of a larger-sized pot. If boxes are used, let these be deep in pre- ference to shallow ones, as not only does it give greater root space, but obviates dis- turbance largely when planting out. Insert the seeds about tin. deep and 3in. apart. Label each variety correctly and plainly, and when all is completed place the pots and boxes on a shelf in a cool greenhouse, or preferably a cool frame with a good bed of ashes beneath. Arrange to have them as near the glass as possible. Give air abun- dantly on all favourable occasions and do not coddle. Shasta Daisy.—Among hardy plants this is useful for cuttings and is indispensable to every garden. The plants are readily raised from seeds sown now in a heated greenhouse and planted outside in the beds or borders where they are to flower during May. Good sorts are Westralia, Mrs. C. Lothian Bell, and May Queen. From these an ample supply of flowers for cutting may be looked for from July to October. < It Winter-Flowering Heaths.—Erica Darley- ensis, or, as it is sometimes called, E. medi- terranea hybrida, is the best all-round winter-flowering heath. It blooms con- tinuously from November to May, and is often in very good condition in January, the flowers being reddish purple. Another useful winter-flowering heath is the Portuguese erica lusitanica. This often grows 8ft. or 10ft. high, and is very beautiful by reason of its rich green leaves and white flowers. It is not very hardy and is only suitable for the milder counties. E. carnea, a dwarf alpine heath, begins to bloom in February. Canna.—The seeds of the canna, or Indian s hot, germinate quicker if soaked in warm water for twelve hours previous to sowing. Place the pots of seeds in the warmest part of the greenhouse to get the young plants up early. Pot off singly when large enough in small pots, using rich soil, move into 5-inch-wide pots during April, and plant out- side in June. The foliage of the canna. is handsome and the blossoms richly coloured. < French Beans in Pots.—For fruiting under glass, French or dwarf beans should now lie sown in pots. If only a few are forced the produce will prove extremely acceptable luter. Choose 9-in. pots, drain thoroughly, then half fill with good fibrous loam and old hotbed manure in equal proportions. Insert the beans about lin. deep, allowing five to each flower pot. When placed in a warm house on a shelf close to the glass germination is quickly accomplished. As soon as the plants are large enough top- ciress each with the came compost as pre- viously used. During growth, water freely and syringe frequently to prevent the plants from becoming a prey to red spider. By removal of the points at an early stage ;ood, bushy free-fruitiing plants result. The Week's Work.-Place a few clumps of spiraea, potted last autumn, under the stage and near the pipes. Syringe them daily, and in a short time new growth will appear then remove the pots to the stage. Manettia bic-olor has flowered freely in a warm green- house. It is useful to clothe a back wall, ugly painted pillars, or to trail up the rafters. Increase is easy by cuttings in a moist propagating frame in spring. As a potting compost, mix equal parts peat, oondy loam, leafmould, and coarse sand. Use the syringe freely on bright, sunny day, a warm, moist atmosphere suiting this trailing plant when growing freely in sum- mer. An early sowing may now be made of melons if ample heat can be provided in a proper structure. Choose an easily-grown sort, such as Hero of Lockinge for early work. This variety quickly matures and is of good quality. A top-dressing of loam, bone-meal, and horse droppings in tproper proportions may be applied now to fruit borders inside where help is needed for the trees. Remove all old soil down to the roots, and after making sure that the bor- ders are sufficiently moist, apply the new soil. For an outdoor tomato crop seeds should be sown at once in gentle heat. Prick off the young plants separately in 3-in. pots, and finally move them into the 6-in. size. Where fresh vegetables are scarce, in- troduce a few good-sized roots of swede tops into heat. A box half filled with soil will afford a convenient place. The resulting top6 are greatly appreciated at many tables. Where strong clumps of rhubarb were taken into warm quarters a month ago, the young shoots should have made considerable growth now, and it is at this stage that a good soaking of warm manure water will be most advantageous. If the condition of the soil allows, good strong cabbage plants loft in the seed-beds last September may now occupy the ground already cleared of some other winter crop. Plant not more than 1ft. apart, and make the soil firm about the roots. Early Lettuce.—This is highly valued in early spring, and steps should now be taken to secure plants for planting out in the open in March. To this end, prepare a garden frame by putting in it a good depth of leaves, manure" or a mixture of both. Cover with a few inches of finely sifted soil; if this is heavy, add a little finely sifted ashes. Sow the seed thinly. The frame thus prepared will be useful later on for the early crop of celery. Breaking Up Vacant Ground.—Break up all soil between the rows of raspberries, cur- rants, or strawberries, taking care not to disturb the roots. Afterwards thoroughly blacken the surface with soot. Later on these snug quarters will afford a capital place for the early radishes or planting lettuce. Jerusalem Artichoke.—Get a piece of ground well dug and manured for planting a double row of this. It forms an excellent wind screen where the gardens are exposed to north or easterly winds. The long top growth will often protect more tender crops, such as peas or potatoes, saving these from severe check, if not destruction, should frosta come unexpectedly during early June.

The Nw South Wales wheat crop is offici- ally estimated at 42,817,000 bushels, and the hay crop at 918,600 tons. The wheat crop would have exceeded 55,000,000 bushels had the weather been normal. I Mr. George Church, of Chatham, almost the last surviving high constable of the 0 U -h, has died at the age of seventy- b?Z ht. He was one of the best known drapers in the South of Eoglan 1.

TEA TABLE TALK. I Queen Margaret of Italy is a grsat bo j lievsr in the importance of cookir.g as a solace to man. She holds such strong views on this subject that she is a frequent atten- i dant at one of the principal cookery schools, I of which there are many, in Italy. t It is said of Queen Margaret of Italy, wno throughout her life has been an interested student of the theatre, that she is the best dramatic critic in Italy. Her knowledge of stage matters is extraordinary. < Princess Mary has always been the pet of the Royal Family since she was a baby. It would be impossible to exaggerate how de- voted her parents are to her. After a long and often anxious day's work, the King will go up to his daughter's boudoir to have a chat and listen to her account of what she has been doing during the day. It is well known in the Royal Household that such a talk is the remedy the King finds most effi- cacious when he is feeling brain-weary or is suffering, as he sometimes does after a long day in his writing-room, from headache. Miss Julia Neilson, the distinguished actress, was the subject of the following out- burst which appeared in an American news- paper: "She is one of the most strikingly beautiful women that England has ever sent to these shores. She is like a Greek god- dess dressed in twentieth century costume. She has a handsome face, with burning black eyes and finely chiselled features. Quite clearly, too, she has as great an abundance of brains as of beauty." < Miss Ethel Levey, who is the wife of Mr. Grahame-White, tells a good story of a play she acted in some seasons ago, and in which a man had to say in answer to a suggestion, "I hae me doots." These four words were all he had to speak, but the proper mastery of the correct Scotch accent was utterly beyond the exceedingly limited elocutionary abilities of the Cockney super who was en- gaged for the part. Nearly every artist en- gaged in the piece, not to mention the author and the producer, tried coaching him, but all in vain; and at last the stage manager told him that he would have to find somebody else in his place. Turning his coat-collar up, and making for the stage- door, he fired a parting shot with an air of fine contempt. "Lumme!" he said. You want a Harry Lauder for your thirty bob a week I Princess Louise of Belgium, who is the mother-in-law of Duke Ernst, has had an eventful career. She was married at seven- teen to Prince Philip of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and lived so unhappily a life that she eloped with the Hungarian Count Mattachich, who was subsequently imprisoned, while the princess was secluded for five years as a lunatic. Miss Blanche Tomlin, the actress, is a comparatively new-comer to the London stage. Originally intended for a musical career, she took her L.R.A.M. when she was scarcely fourteen years of age. She re- lates an experience that happened during her visit to America: "At Florida a mem- ber of the party bought two tiny alligators, and indiscreetly put them, for the long railway journey, in an empty bunk just above mine. In the night I was rudely awakened and informed that the alligators had escaped. After waiting up for about two hours, I turned in again and went off to sleep. Imagine my surprise on awakening in the morning to find one of the little alli- gators sleeping peacefully on my pillow! The next day the posters of the daily papers read something like this: Heroic Girl's Death-Struggle with Alligator.' Miss Marie Corelli has time and again foiled the ardent snapshottist. On one oc- casion an enterprising journalist, learning that she was to be present at a fashionable ball, had the temerity to focus a camera carefully on the portico of the entrance hall, while an assistant stood by to manipulate the flashlight. But the wary novelist was on her guard. The carriage drove up, puff went the flashlight, but although the night was fine Miss Corelli had provided herself with an umbrella, which she had carefully raised before emerging from her conceal- ment. That journalist is still waiting for his picture. "When I am at work," says Madame Calve, the great opera singer, "I do not live. I want to have plenty of exercise, to see all the museums and picture galleries, and to read a lot; and I have to do without those things if I am to be in good voice in the evening. It is a life of constant sacri- fice, and sometimes I am heartily tired of it." < Lady Willingdon, 0 the wife of the Gover- nor of the Bombay Presidency, who has re- ceived the decoration of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India, is one of the most popular hostesses in our Eastern Empire. A beautiful, witty woman, she belongs to the Brassey family, and has inherited much of its individuality and cleverness. Her hus- band, who is better known as Mr. Freeman Thomas, has held the Governorship for nearly three years. His lordship is a keen sportsman, and his temperament has en- deared him to the sport-loving natives of Bombay. Although Lady Willingdon spends most of her time in India, she has a house in London and a beautiful place near East- bourne. Countess' Granville has been accustomed to the perils and delights of diplomacy throughout her life, for she is a daughter of the late Mr. Walter Baring, the Earl of Cromer's younger brother, who was for many years in the foreign service. He was for a time Charge d'Affaires in the capital of Montenegro, but his daughter was then at school. She married Lord Granville some sixteen years ago, not long before he went to Berlin. They have no children, and the Earl's brother, a naval officer, is the heir to the titles. Mme. Rejane, the celebrated French ac- tress (whose correct name, by the way, is Reju), was a telegraphic operator bef(,Ae she adopted the stage. Two of her most dis- tinguished contemporaries, Mme. Hading and the illustrious Italian tragedienne Sig- nora Duse, were on the eve of taking the veil, and burying their talents in the con- vent cloisters, when chance led them to the footlights. A journalist set out to interview Lady Mackworth, with a view to eliciting her views on some topic or other of the day. Lady Mackworth is, of course, Lord Rhondda's daughter, and a woman of im- mense business capability, whose pride and pleasure it is to assist her father in his many enterprises. The journalist hunted for her all over London, but in vain. Eventually he tried the office of Sanatogen, the patent food product, once German- owned, but now controlled by Lord Rhondda. "Is Lady Mackworth here?" he asked a boy in uniform. "No," was the reply. "Do you know where she is?" "No, I don't. But I can tell you this much," volunteered the lad, obviously recalling similar queries in the German days of the firm, "she isn't interned yet!" • » The Duchess of Sutherland is the elder daughter of Lord and Lady Londesborough, and as Lady Eileen Butler she went about a great deal .with her mother, and was much admired.

Goats for milk are being provided for em- ployees' line-side allotments by the North- Eastern Railway, the cost to be repaid by convenient instalments. Fresh-water fish, swan, and venison, were the economy menu at a war charity dinner at Ux bridge. An action by the Crown in Edinburgh against Carl HaSgarth Petersen, of Glas- gow, who had incurred penalties of more than X7,000 for shipping borax and quilla bark to Gkristiania without receiving a declaration of their ultimate destination, was settled by Petersen agreeing to pay J! 1,000 and expenses.

-CW'r-  Ll!IR t. )..n r¡nq;, '????Ti????'D H AND HOME. ? To say that the wage-earning rc-nan i not menaced by harmful influences w: u'.d b- untrue. The dangers exist, and yet to plaCI lijidue emphasis upon them, or to argue tha a woniiin must inevitably suffer from them would be even more untrue. There is, ir {'act, no reason why the working wociaB < net be benefited by contact with tha onsiness world, instead of being coarsened, or made less womanly by its influence. Every position in life has its possibilities, and the wage-earning woman may, by her own resolute attitude of mind, determine what her experiences shall be, if she decides that nothing shall rob her of her refinement, and of that intrinsic charm—her womanli- ness. Every woman, by her own steadfast thought, may turn insult, discourtesy, and ■ danger from her path, and attract to herself the respect and consideration of her asso- ciates and employe-rs. LL.vnr> WATE3. Hard water for bathing is delightfully softened and perfumed by bath bags; to mshc them mix one pound of coarse rolled oats, quarter of a pound of powdered borax or bath powder, and quarter of a pound of olive oil soap (shaved), also quarter of a pound of pulverised orris root well together. CRITICISM. Many people hesitate to put forward new ideas and embark on new enterprise's for fear of adverse criticism. These people often fail to make a mark. Good, honest criticism is often of great benefit. When an idea strikes one, it is foolish to refrain from putting that notion forward for fear a rebuff. A fearless critic has often done a friend a very good turn. People who point out our faults do so, as a rule, with the kindly intention of doing us a good turn. It is really the moral coward who fears criticism. It is a blow to one's pride when some fearless, but well-meaning chum breaks in and edversely criticises some flaw in character. Happy is the man who does not fear adverse criticism, but knows how to benefit by it. Adverse criticism should be a spur to U everyone and should not be shirked. Character can grow stronger when one is constantly pulled up for doing or say- ing things that bring forth rebuffs. Those who fear to do new things, and refrain be- they fear they will be ridiculed or jumped upon, never get on. They stay where they are. THINGS THAT MATTER. The housewife who neglects her appear- ance, or the details of household manage- ment, on the ground that "It doesn't matter," is sadly at fault. Her attitude of mind is mistaken; first, because, if encou- raged, it means a slackening of character and self-respect; and, second, because many of the things she neglects really do matter. Spinsters rarely say "It doesn't matter," either in speaking of their looks or their surroundings. On the contrary, they are occupied in polishing and making the most of such things, and this enables them to keep young in appearance and in mind. When they begin to think that things don't matter, then they are labelled "old maids," and shelved. Mothers of families, who are inclined to become a cipher in a household, 6hould remember that even their children do not relish this self-effacement. Good eons and daughters like to feel that their mother takes a prominent and responsible place in affairs. TRY A SANDBAG WABMEB. A sandbag as a warmer is said to be greatly superior to a hot water bottle, which many people prize so highly. Get some clean, fine sand; dry it thoroughly; make a ba.g about eight inches square of flannel, fill it with the dry sand, sew the opening care- fully together, and cover the bag with cotton or linen cloth. This will prevent the sand from sifting out, and also enable any- one to heat the bag quickly by placing it in an oven or on top of a stove. The sand holds the heat for a long time. THEY Narm CHEESING. "There are some people," end » hospital nurse, "who should never be allowed to visit the sick. They take with them a depress- ing influence, and undo all the good wrought by the cheerfulness and patience of those whose care it is to nurse the patient back to health. All sick people are nervous and highly sensitive to the influence. of those around them. Therefore, if you cannot visit your sick friends and conver3e cheerfully and tactfully with them, it is far kinder to stay away. Visitors to the sick should leave behind them all their sorrows and forebodings. They should be bright and hopeful, but not talk too much. And they should leave when the patient shows signs of getting weary and fidgety. They should never whisper to the nurse or to anybody else in the room. Whispering racks the nerves of a sick person, and not only that, but to many patients it seems to have an unpleasant significance." To AVOID COLD FEET. Few people who suffer from cold feet, and consequent sleeplessness, realise that very often the remedy is even more simple than having recourse to an extra blanket or a hot bottle. They tell you their circulation is bad, but it never occurs to them that by adopting a "curled-up" attitude they are doing their best to check the circulation. Those who attend First Aid lectures are taught that "flexion," or bending the limb, is one of the methods adopted for checking the flow of blood in certain cases of haemorr- hage, and an equally simple illustration of tho principle is afforded by the kink in the garden hose, which suddenly checks the Supply of water. Next time your feet are cold in the night, try the experiment of a straight position, though you may be J tempted to think it will make them colder. CURl: FOR BLACKHEADS. li Blackheads can be easily cured at home. Begin by removing all the superfluous greasiness from the face. For this you ought to wash it well in very hot water, using a lather of good soap and your fin- gers. Rinse all the soap off with plenty of hot water, they dry the skin quickly, and while it is still warm rub in some of the fol- lowing ointment: Benzoinated lard, half-an- ounoe; sulphur hypochlorite, thirty grains; potassium carbonate, five grains; oil of verbena, one minim. You can have this made up at the chemist's, or you can get the ingredients and mix them yourself. When you have worked a little of the oint- ment in with your finger-tips, take off the superflous grease with a piece of cotton- wool. In the morning wash your face in warm water and a little oatmeal in place of soap. Take a little fine oatmeal and mix it into a paste with warm water in the palm of your hand, rub this over your face, and then rinse it off. Dry your face and then use the following lotion, which should be dabbed on with a pad of cotton-wool and allowed to dry on the face; boric acid, one drachm and a half; rectified spirits, five ounces. How Do You BREATHE? Few people breathe properly, a well- known doctor says, and this is especially the case with persons of sedentary, smupation- particularly clerks. Such people should rise from their seats at intervals, throw back the shoulders, and inhale the air deeply, holding the breath for a few seconds. When in the open air they should acquire the habit of taking deep, regular breaths, re- membering always that the nose is the proper channel for the passage of air, the mouth being kept closed. This exercise will not only strengthen the lungs and render them better fitted to resist disease, but will improve the physique generally.

The death is announced from wounds re- ceived in action of Captain A. Close Brooks, who rowed for Cambridge against Harvard in 1906 and against Oxford in 1907. Broadstairs old gasworks have been con- verted by the Y.M.C.A. into comfortable quarters for the troops. A debadged machinist at the Birmingham Tribunal said he had come into a legacy of Y.10,000 and had legal affairs to settle. He was granted a month.