Abergavenny Chronicle

r CUB LOf)ON LETTER. [from OW Special Cor-reqpmdent.] It waa more or less true in Napoleon'e day that every private in the French Army carried a. fieki-ma.rshal's baton in hia kn.a.p- eack; but these are changed times, and what- ever may be the caBc in the French Army, caseg are not numerous in our own in which enlisted men have risen to high rank. The amnaJa of the British Array cannot show a career as remarkable as that of General Sir William Robert Robert&on, who ia no longer Chieff of the Imperial General Staff. There have been a few cases in which "rankers" have climbed to be major-genefraJa, but Sir William Robertson !ia8 gone two steps higher in actual rank, while for more than two veara hia has been the directing mind and brain, so far strategy is conoersed, of the British Armies in the greatest var in the world's history. 2Lnd he served ten years in the ranks before he got his commMsion, and was once beard to say, even after that, when promotion ooemed slow in coming, that he had a good TBind to throw up tke Army. Though such €ucceas as hie haa been hitherto rare in our Army, his career &hows that the way is open for exceptional ability and talE:!lt. even without in-auenc&. Sometimes, at any rate. The general public knows very little about Sir Henry Wilson, who haa succeeded Sir William Robertacm at Whitehall. I'nore aTe a few eminent soldiers who were well known before the present war. and many more whose names have become household words Mnce the tragic summer of 1914. Sir Henry Wilson is not one of these, and the man in the street was a good deal surprised when he was made British representative on the Allied War Council. The man in the street is apt to think that the men of whom lie knows nothing cannot ba of much ac- count. That is one of his many big mis- takes. It is not always the ablest soldiers who are the be<?t known. In Army circles Sir Henry Wilaon's record is very woU known, and it stamps him aa a man of great ability. Even before war broke out he had been charged with the duty of plan- ming the movementa of the Expeditionary Force in case of a Continental war. Hia Staff work during the war has been excel- lently spoken of, and he is on very cordia! terms with the French Staff, whose Ian- g,uage he speaks like a native. Mr. Lloyd George is understood to have a very high opinion of Sir Henry Wilton's gifts. Rather than have the trouble of dealing Tvith meat coupons a number of City caterers have decided to g'ive up supplying meat to customers. They forsee dimculties in connection with the working of the meat- <ajd scheme which, with their depleted etans, they declare they will be unable to cope. To put it shortly, they have come to the conclusion, without waiting to give the echeme a trial, that to go on supplying meat dishes will now not be worth the trouble. It is certain that the collection of a coupon for every mea.t dish supplied, or half a coupon for a half portion, and to be able to show the authorities that the coupons re- ceived correctly account for the quantity of meat supplied is going to add considerably to the work of the staffs and make prpprietora and managers old before their time. But I rather wonder how the regular customers will take the decision. Meat In the middle of the day is regarded as almost a necessity by many people, and eome of the meatless restaurants may find that rather than sub- mit to five meatless days a week their old customers will go elsewhere to lunch and dine. London is to have a chance to improve its Tank Bank record. As I said a week or two ago, that record makes a very poor show by the side of thc.e of towns in the Midlands and the North. There is this to be said, however, London didn't, really know it was going to be a competition. It did its bit, but it didn't do its—well, what the Tanks were asked to do at Cambrai. But next time it will, knowing what it has to beat. London's task is to beat the best, and it will have every opportunity to bank ita bottom dollar. There are to be six tanka, one in the City and one in the West-End, while the ethers will probably go lumbering through London and the suburbs, picking up everybody's money a.s they go. The National War Savings Committee is organi- sing a Business Man's Week, beginning on March 4, when every business man in the country is to be asked to put money into War Bonds, and to use his best powers of persuasion to induce other people to do so ae well. If the sale of War Bonds can be maintained at the present level, the neces- sity for issuing another War Loan will be avoided. Not long ago, in a paragraph on the work of Parliament for this year, I referred to a Bill for the establishment of a Ministry of Health as a measure of the Session. It may be that the statement went rather too far. The position is that while there is general agreement as to the need of such a Ministry, and that all obstacles, some of which not long ago aeemed very formidable, arc on the point of being cleared away, with the result that the cr&ation of a Ministry of Health may be regarded as a settled thing, it will depend entirely upon circumstances whether the introduction of the necessary Bill can be undertaken during this year. That is a matter up<m. which no man can prophesy at present; but the establishment of the Ministry is a matter of such vital import- ance to the nation tHat it is to be hoped time may be found to pass the measure. Dr. Addison states that on the main points of the scheme he has obtained a substantial measure of consent and agreement from doctors and insurance corporations, and that he anticipates no dimculty with the local authorities. With such genera! agreement among all parties concerned, and practical tmanjmity in the House of Commone, the passing of the Bill ought to be an easy matter. A. E. M. I

Thefre are many quaint old customs associ. sted with February 14, but they have no con- nection with St. Valentine (says a contempo- rary). At one time men and women uoed to draw !ots in February for partners for tha period of a month, during which time the man waa supposed to be the woman's cava- lier on a!I pleasure ja':nts. Married women were entered for the icb drawing' ii weH as single, and in the eve:tt of a a girl he did not care abc,nt, or one already married, he had to make her a nuitabie pre- sent, usually a silk dr(> Of course, if his choice felt on a likely y,¡¡¡ th ing, matters to end w)h a wedding. I diarv. co'j?ratu)a.tes himself upcn hlviu, chosen .a smaH gir!, l whom he could put oS with some simple, in- expensive gift, a.nd that his wife had faHeal to the lot of a wealthy man, as. she being -married, could claim a. rich s.)k dress. An old belief was that the first unmarried per- etfn of the opposite sex seen by youth or maiden on St. Valentine's Day would eTentu- aHy be-come their husha.nd or wife. Ro keen were some girls, who h;)J sonM special Mau in their eye, they wozilcl stay in bed if they thoug-ht he !ike!y to caH, rather than risk seeing someone who was not in the run- -Ding before him.

In succession to Captain J. Bland, who f died duri&g hi." erm of oSBce, Mr. H. T. TftLcy jhas been elected Lord Mayor of Brad- ford. Thieves who broke into St. Paul's Church, SbeSetd, and failed to find anything in the poor-boxes, vented their spite by smashing ueut decorative figure.

MOTHER AND HOME. I I(OTHER AND HOME. I Worrying is a habit to be a/voided in erery caae, but especially so in. the case of a mother. The mother who worriea not only jmpairs her own health, but &heda an in- fueiico that is mentally and physically bad for her growing children. The effect is hardest on young- children, for they cannot use- their reasoning powers a-s an antidote. They believe their mother has real ground for her repininge and forebodings, and t.hey are depressed by nameless fears, and theil minds darkened and sometimes warped. I CATERTh"G WITH ECONOMY. Economical marketing (as an experienced feminine caterer pointed out) does not mean buying inferior articles, or such as have been. parity spoiled by keeping The wise housewife buyø the minimum quantity of good materials and uses them to the best ad- vantage. Small, labour-saving contrivances are important in culinary economy. A meat- chopper or mincer coRts but a few shillings, and will in a. month save ita own cost in the utilisation of scraps. There is, indeed, plenty of scope for science in the kitchen, and: it pays handsomely. ) CABB O? TBB Stnx. After the vigour of winter winds you will find your complexion will be all the better for a. little attention. Warm rain water timt haa not been made too hot is best for washing' purposes, while if you keep a muslin bag filled with fine oatmeal on your dressing table, and let it lie in the water for a few minutes before washing-, you will find your skin. improving. The most obsti- nate caeo of rou?h red hands will yield to the treatment 'of sleeping' in gloves after having rubbed your hands with some g'ood cream, a.nd a preparation known, as glove paste, which iå to be obtained from any manicure establishment. t HiNT FOB DBES6MAKBBS. When making eeams in any thick mate- naj, tack up in the ueual way. thon rub a piece of soap down the seams on the wrong side. It win not only go through the ma- chine easier, but when pressed the seams will have that il&t-tailored effect not often obtained by the home dressmaker. Try the taoaping' &!ao for hems of skirts, and you will be delighted with the results. t WATERPROOFING BOOTS. Some of the preparations made for this purpose are bad from a sanitary point of view (saya a contemporary), as they make the Leather air-tight as well as water-ti&,ht. Dry feet are so very important as an item of national thrift that the following method wiU be found an excellent one for keeping out the wet without causing any inconveni- ence. Remove aH mud and dirt. Then tho- roughly waah the surface of tho boots, and dry them; then emcar the leather—soles and uppers—with benzine in which petroleum wax has been dissolved. They must then be hung up in the open-air for some time, until the benzine has entirely evaporated. The spirit carriea the wax well into tne pores of the leather, and the boots will then be plia.blo and quite waterproof. This treat- ment should be dona in the open-air in day- hg'ht, as benzine is volatile and highly in- nammable. I A. XURSERY HiNT. I If your children kick off their bedclothes, mnke' a square cover, which just iits the bed, of any ma.teria.1 you like—Sannetette, un- blea.ched calico, or an old Manket. Sow a ioop on to each corner. Then have tape ties to each poat.pf the bed, and when the child is tuck<;d in tie the tape through the loops. The little one cannot kick the clothes off then. Fo RESTORE CASHMERE, j A good mefino of cashmere ia always worth the trouble of cleaning and tc-making. Take three ta.b!'espoonfuls of extract of soap and two ta.blcepoon.fuls of ox gall; add to this about t.wo quafts of wa.rm water and wash the cashmere in it; rinse and wring it in cold watt'r. If the material is black it is better to add a smal! quantity of dissolved a.!um for rinsing purposes; any other coiour w..Mhcd by this process is rendered fast by tJ-¡ a,} urn. TO CLEAN WHITE VELVET, t To clean whit-e velvet, procure from the chemist a small square of pipeclay, and scrape a little off upon the material. Take !t. so ft, clean brush and lightly brush it off. This raises the pile and restores the bloom. To rame the pile on the parta of the plush t.hat have been cleaned, heat a flat-iron, p)ace it in a pan, and lay on it a wetclcth. rhLt causes the steam to rL-o rapidiy. HoM the right side of the plush over, and it will k>ok like new. CLEAXIKO A GEET RAINCOAT. { First moisten all the badly-stained parts with. a cloth wrung out in cold water, and then rub fuller's earth well into them. Now -<h.red a quarter of a pound of Castile eoap into a quart of water and bring the water to the boit. Keep boiling until all the soap has dissolved. Allow the liquid to cool, Mid then add to it five teaspoonfuls of mothytated spirits. Spread the coat on a table as before described, and scrub all over with a na.itbrush dipped in the solution. When the cleaning is completed, wipe free from soap with a cloth wrung' out of cloan cold water. Hang out of doors to dry. A. DON'T FO& MOTHER. -{ Don't be too certain that it is through in- attention that your child do€6 the wrong thing. Make sure that his hearing is all right. Infectious diMases, such as scarlet fever or diphtheria, often leave deafness due to inaammation of the throat, and the tube connecting it with the ear. Adenoids are also a common cause of deafness in children. MiLE STAINS ON SEBGE. I The most effective way of -removing stains left by milk on serge, which, of course, are nothing but grease stains, is with turpentine and water. Mix equal quantities of the turps and wate'r together, and, with a clean piece of rag dipped into this, sponge the marks left by the milk, rubbing one way only-the way of the grain of the material. A good deal of perseverance will bt, necessary, as the grease will not come away readily. Remem- ber, too, that turpentine Is highly inflam- mable. and that this op<u'ation should not be performed anywhere near a light or a nre. tNK STAINS, j 'Oxalic acid will ppmorc some ink-stains, but it muat bo employed cautiously. In using oxalic acid always foUoiv with a few dropa of Javelle water, which counteracts and neutra.liaea the oxalic acid. Then rinse with boiling water to remove both of these chemicaJs, eo that the iibrc will remain un- damaged. W ASIDNG FEATHERS. I For every gallon of water required take one pound of quicklime: mix well together, and then let the liquor stand until the un- diasolYed Hme sinks to the bottom. Put the fe&thers in a clean tub, draw oil the clean lime water, and pour it over Stir the feathers with a stick until they all sink to the bottom. They should bo 'covered to a depth of three inches. Let them eoak for three or four days; then wash and drain them on a sieve, aftcrwarda washing them with c!ea.r water. Dry them on nets having a mesh tbollt the same size as a cabbage net. Sha.ke the net occasion,-illy, and tho dry feathers will fall through. When they are all dry, bca-t them well, and they will r-aciv 'for uac. t

FIVE IS THE LIMIT, j No living representative of the animal kingdom has more than nre toes, digits, or clawa to each foot, hand, or limb. The horse is the typo of the oae-toed creation, 'the camel of the two-toed, the rhinoceros of the three-toed, and the hippopotamus of the four-toed animal life. The elephant and i hundreds of other animals of different orders t belong to the great nve-toed tribe.

I IN LIGHTER VEIN M I TMOMAS JAY. I I ILLUSTRATED BY J. H. LUKN. I One of the mast remarkable instances of the power of faith is the belief which the rcsidemta of Gillingham are showing in the existence of a ghoat—an undenned. uncanny entity which struts the earth at odd momenta. We are told that the children are being kept at home and people go about armed. Ghosts are based on superstition, and superstition in these days refuses to strike on the box. The residents declare that the apparition is that of a former resident. but the police take another view, as bent ting men who are accustomed to deal with mynterious things. They trace it to boys who have seen at the !oca.l cinema *'The Clutching Hand," and wo can foresee the time when another kind of clutching hand will interrupt these boya. It ia remarkable that in this age the Po<?tmaster-General should have had to warn practical jokers agaioat sending freak par- POST BASTE. c.ds through the post. I like the postman and the post Lady. They Me the only people in this world who do not put on side. You can ask them a question aud they will answer it. and I hope the stoppage of the freak paicel will bring him and her a crumb of comfort. It would he a very good thinj? if the au- thorities would in- eist on the practice! joker himself bemg sent through the post. I can picture the joy c'f the postal sorter when he claps the punch stamp over the ear of the cringing wretch. Kind, kind, and gentle is the Hun. Writing in the "Berliner Tageblatt," Pro- fessor Euno Mover says: "The average Briton ia a cringing, wizened, eagle-eyed monster of destruction, given to stealing from his neighbour. His greedy eye tooka across to our Colonies, and he strokes his bulky paunch as he thinks and dreams of conquest, with all the gloatings of blood lust rising within him." It would he well to read that over again. When you have done so you will gather that Professor Meyer ia hinting that he is annoyed with us. In poetry, as in art, I am easily pleaded. Indeed, nothing is easier. All 1 ask of poetry is that it shall rhyme at the ends, and so long as the poet does not split his infinitives at the gallop, then I care not whether it scans anything to speak of. I am a silent worshipper at the shrine of Pegasus, and it grieves me to think that anything 1 should have written could have given the impression that I am heaping ooals of fire on the head of the poet. Indeed, old Peg has no greater admirer- i am his willing slave until the lah1; trump. I shall admire him always until this old earth shall cease its cheap trips round the sun. Poetry is a great thing, but there does not seem to be any great demand for it to-day, unless the demand be for its suppression on the slightest provocation. One of these days we shall leam th:<t when poetry and music become the universal languages of mankind there will be evolved a higher lan. guage than either for the few to speak. So the temple of beauty nhall not be stormed like a Bastille, for the mob shall be led thither in humility and reverence by her pnesta who have gone before and looked upon her face. Chamber by chamber they &hall be led to her innermost shrine, and amidst all these manifestations there shall be no tyrant editor to send the gracious message, "The editor regrets his inability to use the enclosed poem, which is returned." Poetry is all a matter of the artistic ele- ment. For myself, I am no poet, but i like the poet. I cannot write Vt-rse on the joys of earth. I think as little of blatant Bohemianism as it does of itself. The poet is different frem the ordinary man. The poet sees in the busy street th'3 nerve &hock [}f the ultra-dynamic, and behind the clatter of the traffic the cemetery-like stillness of the abode of brotherly love. He sees the noise-breeding cars, and the congested streets that vibrate with the clang of toosely-iointed machinery and the multitude of jostling people, the hum of the vast manufactories, and the welter and crush of the times. That is what the poet sees in our busy streets. But what does the ordi- nary man see? He aces the price of pork hops. Just that. Poets, they say, are horn, not paid. I have never yet discovered why they are born. I can' only think that it is heredity, because their father? were born before them. So there seems to be some excuse but precious little explanation. The life of the average poet is full of cataleptic ennui and overdue bills. Strange though it may scorn, few poeta live any longer than is absolutely neccs&ary, and they generally insist on dying without being interrupted by any body. When a poet dies this great country suddenly realises it has lost a genius, and with a shocking lack of taste promptly erects a statue to him. And what sort of a way Is that to treat a man who has done the best he can for hia country? No statue ever erected ever yet did justice to a man. No statue can depict the poet. When I see a statue of a poet I suddenly lose mv appreciation for him. I do not eee in the high forehead of the statue anything of the poet. All I see is some- thing i n steel HIinga or amal- gam, and I think of the many good stonemasons who have been spoiled by taking up ecutpture as a grudge against mankind. A man in his lifetime may become a. great poet, but immediately they greet a statue to him you are pomg' to lose a lot of your T<* spect for him. Go and look at .L_.L_ _C GREATNESS, _M'. t any or me shames 01 g:,ULtl I u own town, and if you apree that they arc anything like the men they are supposed to represent, then you are going to a that our ancestors were a poor race, with solid whiskers, trousers like steamboat funnels. ajid silk hats which-if I am any judge of a statue-weigh at least a ion.

POSTMEN OF THE EAST. I A curioua-looking- figure is the postman of India. Eia dress is a short, white coittou coat, and a dhotee tied tightly -round hi& !oina, and coming nearly to his knees. JSe wears a red puggaree for a head-dre.s«, lu.d carries a spear with bells fixed on it, the sound of which is supposed to keep the prowl. ing tiger at a respectful distance. Some postmen, however, are mounted on cam&Ls, and in the tea districts, where the post omoes are often built on piles to get above the swamp, elephants are employed as Mail carriera. In a country subject to great con- vulsions of nature, and where wild b-emts abound, the Indian postman, hns ofben proved his ndelity with his life. The same lie in; the path of the postmen in the service of the Republic of the Congo. Every now and then a letter-carrier of the Congo Post Omce is eaten by a lion or a leoparcL Tha path of these bearers of the mai!.M through forests and swamps. Sometiidea they must camp at night in places where ferocious ajumala prowl around them in the darkness.

OTHER MEN'S MINDS. I Although the burden cast upon thie country is not tight, it is not so heavy a< that home by France.—LoRD HuGH CECIL. 1- PARSONS AND POLITICS. I It is TM part of the duty of ministers oi I tJie Gospe! to concern themselves with politi- ca.l questiona.—CANON WOODS. THE FALLING BIRTH-RATE. I Tto question of the fa.UIng' birth-rate wiU have to be tackled by tJbe Church and State in a vigorous manner.-DFAN o? LINCOLN. TWO POINTS OF VIEW. I The League of Nations is one of these org'aniaatioBa which I consider is not to bo trusted at the present time.—CANON BAn- NABO. The Church, ought cordially and enthu- siastically to welcome and sedulously to sup- port the idea of a League of NatioDa.— Bisnar op OxyoRN. THE FIRST LAW. I JLfter the war our first consideration must be work and vagea for our <rwn peiOple and to get control of raw materiala for ourae!vea and our Allies If Uio enemy euBered in thia respect it was only a just expiation of the greatest sin that history had known.— MR. G. H, RoBKBTS. BEAUTY OF COMMON SENSE. I The most sublime and beautiful thing the worLd has ever seen is the common sense ot the common men and women of the civilised nations of t<o-day.—MB. iBviNa BACHEH.EB* BACKBONE OF THE ARMY. I N.C.O-a are atiU the backbone of the British infantry and cavalry regimenta.— LtOBD DERBY. AMATEUR STRATEGY. } No war waa er waged in which groater weight had been conslatently allotted to the opinionB and advice of the soldiers. When the records come to be written, it will be found how surprisingly small a part ama- teur strategy haa played in the regulation of the operations of the war.—EABL CuEzoN, EARLY CLOSING. I It is my ambition not to retire from Hie Early Closing Assoc iation until it has assisted to place oti the Statute Book a com- pulsory Seven O'clock—and pcrlia,pa a Six O'clcc-k--Qosing Bill.—CATTAIN ALBERT LABKING. SMALL PROFITEERS. I The big pronteer, like the middle-man and a certain type of dealer or merchant who merely buys to sell again, Lave b.pen thrust aside, but there has sprung up scores of other smaller profiteers who manoeuvre in every way to get an extra copper or shilling out of the consuming public for any article, the price of which cannot yet be iixed.—ME. J. R. CLYNES, M.P. IN THE DAYS OF OUR RICHES. I l Before the war we were rich with an j t almost nauseating ostentation.—BisHor OF I t PETERBOROUGH. I STATE CONTROL OF INDUSTRIES. I The Labour Party's programme necessi- tates that the nation should take no step back from the policy of controlling the gTcat indus.triea and services it has taken in hand during the war.—MR. HENDEBSOM. I FARMERS IN THE MAKING. I I regard the holder cf the smallest allot- ment in the grimiest city as & farmer in the nuking.—Ma. LESLIE ScoTT, E.G., M.P. I TAKING NO RISKS. I Thcr.3 Is more food in the country than b€* fore the war because there needs to be. In peace we could live from hand to mouth; we cannot aoord to take risks now.—SiR &VLTli-CR YAPP. I MINERS AND PEACE. I I am nfr&id tlierc. is a rude awakening n store for those who believe that only a very small minority of miners are in favour of immediate peace negotiations.—MR. EoBEBT SM1LLIE. I NO GOOD FOR SALLY. I There are too many peopJe like the woman who wrote to her chil y,cople ll l ,,e the woni?in who wrote to her child's teacher saying, "1 dMi't want my girl Sally to be taught any- thing about her inside. It does her no good, nnd it is very rude.—PROFESSOR E. 11. GRIFFITHS. I THE TWO GOSPELS. ) Our working people have been startled again and again by hearing from the lips of clergy men, and sometimes clergymen in no humble sphere, <-tcntiments which have seemed more to echo the Imperialism of the Stock Exchange than the principlea of the gospel.—BiSHOr OF .HEREFORD. I A WARNING. I The war mnst not resolve itself into a stomach question or a nerve problem.— FATHER B. VAUGHAN. A BARRIER TO PROGRESS. I The nrst essential for the future is to break down the barrier which existed before the war between employers and employed. Cnless a good, working, progressive under- standing can be achieved between employers a-nd employed, no real progress Is possible; with such an understanding fie possibilities arc well-nigh Hmitless.—DR. ADDISON. THE VOLUNTEERS. I Whoever sneers at the Volunteers and ex- presses doubt as to their state of eSicieucy is either a knave or a foo!.—COLONEL NUGENT. THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE. I The Labour movement of tho futile wilt not accept a claim that the sword is the only title for private ownership in land, and organised La.bour must make it their busi- ness to restore the land to the people. Reconstruction in the future must he on those lines.—MR. ROBERT SMtLME. BEER RATIONS COMING. I It is clear that b<-fore long t-;ome scheme of rationing beer will have to be adopted.—CniEB CONSTABLE OF MiDDLESBROCGH. THE ECONOMIC WEAPON. I The people of Germany should be given to understand that for every month Germany continues the war by asking for preposteroua terms of peace they will be denied facilities to our raw materials and to our ports for a complete year after the war.—ADMIRAL. Sin B. MEUX.

Dover town councillors have joined tin Army. Liverpool rat'cs are to be raised by Is. 6d. A 411-lb. salmon has been taken in the Ham psh ire Avon. Mr. W. K. Macdooald, who 19 eighty years of age. and who has filled the office of Town Clerk of Arbroath for Sfty years, has retired.

BRITISH DAYLIGHT RAID ON TREVES AND THIONVILLE. On Monday night Sir Douglas Haig re- ported as follows — The weather was again fine on the 17th inst., and enabled our aeroplanes to proceed with their work in conjunction with the artillery, and to take photog-rapha of the enemy's aerodromes and back areaa. Bombing, which had been carried out in- oessantly throughout ,the previous thirty-six houra, was continued, and over six tons of bomba were dropped by us on various tar- induding- hostilo acTodromes in the neighbourhood of Tournai and Lille, a large ammunition dump near Courtrai, and numerous billeta. Fightinf,, in the air was ag'ain most eevere, 'the cnemy'H acouto making determined, but unsucce?shil, a-ttaeks agadnat our bombing machines. Ten hostile aeroplanes were brought down and six others driven down out of control. Three of our machines are missing'. On the night of the 17-18th inst. further bombing raids were ca.rried out againi3t hoa- tile aerodromes south of Ghent and west of Tourna.i, as well as against many of the enemy's biUcta. Another meet successful radd waa cajried out on the railway station aad sidings at Connana (west of Me-tz). A ton of bombs was dropped, and burata were observed on sheda at the edge ol the sidings, where a large fire was started. Other bursta were clearly seen on the aiding and near the rail- way station. In spite of the exceptionally heavy Sro of the enemy's anti-aircraft g'uns, all our machines returned. On the 18th our bombing squadrons raided the barracks and railway station at Treves, on the Moselle, and the sted works and rail- way station at ThionviHe. The raid was carried out in broad daylight, and &rcd!ent resuH.a were obtained. At Treves bombs were seen to burst. in the ga.work.,s, near the barracka. and alao in the town, where two large nres were burn- ing when our aviatona lefft. At Thionville direct hita were obtained on the railway. Anti-aircraft gunfire was again consider- able a.ud accurate, but all our machinea ie* turned safely.

t POSED AS AN EARL At Ipswich Police-court on Monday, Ro!!o Hall, an elderly man, described as a journalist, was eent'eTiced to six tnoaUm' ?a?d labour for obtaining money by fa!se pret,ences. Accused posed as an earl, and said he wae entitled to vast estates which he would inherit shortly. He also said he waa a retired general. On the strength of these statements a retired railwaymen lent him X100 and & widow -E50, accused promising J¡er a lodge on one of his estates.

BURGLARIES DURING RAIDS. I Sir George Cave states in a written par. Jiamentary reply that on the occasion of the last two air raids twenty-three oases of larceny from shops or dwelling-bouses in the Metropolitan Police district w€Pe reported. Six arrests were made. "Such offences can scarcely be prevented if premisea are left, with no protection what- ever," he adds. "I have no reason to think that the powers possessed by the courts are inadequate."

SOHO GAMBLING RAID. At Marlborough-etrcet Police-court, on Monday, Etienne Roncari was lined .645 and costs, and Italo Graziolo and Nei!e Christen- aep .620 and costs each. on charges of keep- ing the "Roman Club," Soho, as a gamine house. A number of other foreignpTs found on the premises by the police after a mid- night raid wore fined £3 each and bound <nrer. The three principala weTe a!sQ sum- moned for selling liquor duri-n- prohibited hours.

A DISGRACEFUL SUGGESTION. I Mr. Hodge, replying to Mr. Pennefather in the House of Commons on Monday, gave a most emphatic deuin.1 to the suggestion that when a soldier was killed in battle the price of the blanket in which he was buried was deducted from the widow's pension. The idea, he said, was a shocking one, and ita circulation was disgraceful to those who made it.

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION. I Colony 3ohn Buchan is to be the chair- man of the departments of the new Ministry of Information. Brigadier-General A. D. .McEae, C.B., Quartermaater-GeTiera! of tho Over--e,a. Military Forces of Canada, Laa been released from hrs military duties, and will be in charce of administration. Sir William Jury will be in charge of cinemnto- graph propaganda.

I BOMBS ON HUN AERODROME. I Admiralty, Monday. Navat aircraft carried out a bomb raid on I Cytkerko Aerodrome at about noon on the 17th. Macy bombs were dropped on the objeo. tive. One enemy aircraft was shot down out of control. All our machines returned safely.

I A SOLDIER'S THEFT. I Henry Wm. Montague, twenty-thre, a private in the Lancashire Fusiliers, was at Bow-street Police-court on Monday sen- tenced to six months' hard labour on the charge of being concerned in the theft of a horse and van and whisky and wine T&iucd at .6220. ————— —————

MAILS LOST. I The rostmsLster-Genersd announces the loss &t rea, owing to enemy action, cf mails from Egypt containing correspondence posted in. Egypt about January 15 and 16. —————

JUDGE DIES IN COURT. J Judge William Evans, of the Mid-WaIca County, Courts, died suddenly during a sit- ting of the Oswpstry County Court. Born in 1847, he was the author of works on the Law of Principal and Agent, Remuneration of Commissioned Agents, and several volumes of poems.

POILUS. France ca!!s her soldiers Hpoilus," That means hairy, and M a term of praise as we]! us M cndcarme-nt. Time waa when the Frenchman's chief glory was his beard—the more whiskers he had the more competent, he felt to till an echoing' ptacc in the wortd. Although the ri,ilig French g(>l\0rat1011 no )onp'er favour this facial adurnnl<ot, the old name sticks to them. ————— .—————

IMPROVED COOLING FAM. I In r..(W tYl ('If C!cct! j(' nf:, tb.p w:níl b!ad< arc r(p:,c(.d by c<uis of 'otic cvlii-tklc-r v.'i.thin another. Wbcn n<i.r gently sucks up the cool Hir j)par tlt<' floor, a.nd rapidiy circulatc.-i it throLghc'ut the rooms. Its action is .strikingly difTercnt froju that of the propeHfr fnn, which drives violently downward the heated air near the top of the roorr!. The ventilating effect is claimed to he greatly increased, while the gentle draught though cooling so eU'ec- 'tively is and raises no dust from the noor.

Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm McGregor, Arden Cottage, Arden, LoçhJ..omondside, who are both ninety years of age, and have lived sixty years in one house, have celebrated the seventy-Rret anniversary of thej/r nmrhagc.

Vinegar, diluted, applied to furniture be- fore poliahing, ensures a brilliant polish, To clean a furred kettle, boil a handful of whitening in it for a few hours. A naeful cement for mending' delicate china may be made by mixing rice flour with cold 'water, and simmering' it gentry over a fire unti it becomes thick. Do not wrap up a.ny article that is t9 be put &way in white paper, as the cliloride of lime in it will destroy the colour of the material. Instead use brown or blue paper. An eaay way to clean plas-< globes when one is in a hurry is to hold them over the steam from a kettle, when they may be polished <tt once. This does them quickly aaid welL If keya or locks get ruaty, lay them in am old veesel, and cover with p-araHin oil. Lesvo for a few days, the oil will loose2i the rustj and the articles can then bo easily cleaned. Copper and brass articlea may be cleaiMd by dipping a cut lemon in salt and rubbing the stained surface of the mEta I briak!y. Rinse in soapy water, and. dry with a e&ft cloth. THing should be cleaned by wiping with a cloth wrung out of soapy water. Much scrubbing and use of water will in time loo&en the cement of tiUng and dislodge the sections. t A PAEfT TtB. Get & two-pound tin of ordinary paint and a pennyworth of size. Dissolve the size in a pint of boiling water, and mix in th,paint while hot This will ahine like enamel, Mti will dry aa you are putting it on. ) HOLE8 IN ENAMELLED BOWLS. I Take a piece of lead (from tea packets t will do) aad melt it over a ciear Ure in the lid of a tin. P!a.ce the hole to be ft Lied over a piece of iron, or some hard substance, ajldt pour in the lead. Be sure the vessel is dry. I POCKETS IN ArBONS. Aprons containing pockets at the eidea frequently catch in door-handles, et«., but to prevent this have a pocket in the centre of the apron, where it can bo reached by either hand. iBONHfO. Ironing with an open nrcp'ncc is not a very easy matter, as a coal lire makes the irons hopelessly smoked. The fire in such circumstances is made by a mixture of coal, wood, aTld coke, or cinders. Rake out the duat from the bottom of the grate, and arrange on the hot coals a few dry sticks. Over the wood arrange a layer of lumps of coal the size of walnuts. Fill up the rest of the g'ra.te with sma!] coke, and place a few lumpa of coal at the back. In a very short timo there will be a glowing, smokeless fire, and all that need be done to keep it in thia condition is to replenish it with smal! coke,. with just a few lumps of coal at the back. BlNT9 ABOUT EGGS. Break eggs one at a time into a sauoer, so that any one can be rejected if necessary. When separating whitea from yolks not a speck of yellow must get into the whites, or they will not whip welL A pinch of salt sprinkled over the eggs makes them whip better to a etin froth. Always stand jn a cool, ajry place when whipping e??s. Add a tablespoonful of cold water to raw egg th&t is to be used for egg and crumbing pur- poses, in order to remove t!te stringiness. How TO GLAZE LiNEK. Here is an excellent method of gIazJng linen: Having washed and dried the linen, immerse it in cold (-.larch, and iron while damp. Now dip a piece of nanuel in som? powdered French cba.Ik? and rub it smoothly over ea?h article; then rub a piece of white curd soap over the chalked linen. Iron the articles on the light side only with a mode- rately hot iron. When finished they will have the appearance of polL:hed white china. SOME USEFUL RECIPES. ROLLED OAT PuDDixo.—Well grease a pie- dish, put in four tab le.9110011 fills rolled oats, oprinkle over a little <sugar, ail up the dish with equal parts of milk and water. Add one tablespoonful of very finely chopped suet, juat a pinch of salt. Cook if. a moder- ate oven about forty-five minuter. SMALL SEED CAKES.—Dry half-pound of Sour, rub into it a very little pounded sugar. one ounce of butter, one egg, a few cara- ways, and a.s much milk a<s will make a paste. Roll out thin and cut it with a wine glasa. Bake upon tin platea in a moder- a.tely-hea.ted oven. STUFFED CABBAGK.—This makes a chea;> and tasty dinner. Soak half a pound of stale bread in cold water till soft, then squeeze as dry as possible. Parboil and chop one large enion, and mince a rasher of bacon; mix all together, season with pepper, salt, and mixed herbs, and hind with a little milk. Take a ca bbage with a nice heart, remove some of the centra leaves, and fill with the mixture. Tie in a. cloth and plunge in boiling water, to which has been added a pinch of )?oda and a little nalt, and boil for three-quartera of an hour. Serve with brown gravy. OATMEAL AND TREACLE PUDDTNG.-Takoa four ounces of line Scotch oatmeal, four ounces of 0our, two ounces of n.ncly- shrcdded suet, a gill of milk, three table- spoonfuls of treacle, and a quarter of a tea- spoonful of carbonate of soda. Mix together the nour, oatmeal, and suet. Warm th& treacle and dissolve the soda in the milk. Mix all the ingredients very thoroughly- together, then turn them into a greased basin, cover it with greased paper, and etc am for two hours. VEGETABLE Ct-TLETS.—Boil one carrot, uno turnip, and one onion till tender, then ma,a and mix in half a pint of cooked lentilB which have been made as dry as possib)e. Flavour with curry-powder, and minced parsby, add salt to taste, and bind v.-ith a beaten egg. If too moist, add breadcrumbs until the paste will mould to cutlets. Brufth over with egg, dip in breadcrumbs, and iry in boiling fat. Serve very hot, garnished with parsley. SAUSA.GB FniTTERS.—Make a nice, smooth frying batter. The ingredients are four ounces of nour, one gill of warm water (not hot), a little salt, and one tablespoonful of melted dripping (or 6plad oil or butter). Mix the dripping in the water, and add to the flour and salt to make a batter in the usual way. Cut each sausage in half, and dip into the batter, so that it is evenly coated. Fry in deep fat, and f.crve on a hot dieh with fried parsley. PiCKLKD SJ.>RATS.- '\V ash and draw the' fMh. Place in a pickel composed of one- third vinegar, two-thirds water, with one and two or three bay-leaves to a quart of vinegar and water. Bake in the ovcu in this pickle, then allow to get cold. Eaten with a little oil and pepper, they make a cheap and tasty break- fast or supper dish. OATMEAL PORRIDGE.—To one pint of boil- ing water add three tablespoontuls of meal, shaking slowly in (through the fingers or a sieve), stirring constantly, and boil for thirty minutes. Eat with milk or cream. In boiling, milk may be used instead of water. The porridge may be made thicker cr thinner, aa desired, by changing the propor- FOll8 of meal and water.