County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

AN ARAB UNIVERSITY. I [ Sir Harry Johnston devotes a section of his new report on Tunis to an account of the measures taken there for educating the native population. In the course of this he gives a very interesting account of the Mosque of the Olive Tree (Jama-Ex-Zituna) at Tunis, one of the three great centres *f Mahomedan learning in North Africa, the others being El Azhar in Cairo and the Great Mosque at Fez, in Morocco. This Zituna still remains a great centre of teaching. It is an immense building with 161 porphyry columns, lit only by immense open doors. Outside the main building is a vast square, surrounded by a colonnade, at one end of which is an immense minaret. Within the main building, where porphyry columns are, is the sacred shine, and in this main building the professors teach and the students learn. The institution has a valuable library of Arab books and manuscripts, some of which are said to have come from the famous library of Alexandria destroyed by the first Mahomedan invader of Egypt. Sir Harry Johnston, however, asked a student at the mosque whether this was the case, but the student asserted that every document in the library was in Arabic, and either in Kufic or modern Arabic cha- racters. But a search in the library by a competent scholar weuld probably result in discoveries of interest. There is such a large proportion of old works inscribed in Kufic characters that there are one or more professors of Kufic, who teach students to master this style of writing, and enable them to read the old works. Over 400 students are usually taught at this University, while there are about 100 professors. The lectures begin at sunrise and con- tinue until sunset, 15 different lectures usually going on at the same time. Each professor sits cross- legged, with his back against one of the many columns of the mosque, his students grouped about him. The latter vary in age from 16 to 30, but occa- sionally are men of advanced middle age. They can choose their own professors, but are constrained, to some extent, as to the course of teaching it is con- sidered best for them to follow. They live near the mosque in medressahs, or lodgings, of which there are 22, each presided over by a sheikh, or elder. The instruction is chiefly in theology, rhetoric, logic, grammar, law, and medicine, and much obso- lete and useless teaching is given under these heads. Until recently there was but little method in the in- struction each professor rambled on in his dis- course, ranging over any topic on which he cared to impart information, and the students listened or not as they chose. To encourage a more practical educa- tion, the State offered the students exemption from military service and from certain taxes if they passed an elementary outside examination; but only four of 66 recently succeeded in doing this. In future it is intended to impress on the management of the mosque that each professor should keep to one sub- ject; that the students should be obliged to take notes and pass periodical examinations. Outside lectures on scientific subjects and on matters of pre- sent-day interest have also been established, and ) about 100 students from the mosque attend these, so that now Tunisians tell each other in Arabic, and without any interference from either French official or Arab theologian, the news of the world, and the nature of the great discoveries which are being made in Europe and America."

ON THE UPPER NILE. I EXTRAORDINARY REPORT. I The Times translates from the Belgique Militaire the following interesting letter, dated January 20, from a correspondent at the camp of Kero, which is also known as the post 5deg. 45min., the northern timit of the enclave of Lado. The journal named calls marked attention to "the assembling of the troops which are about to occupy the Bahr el Ghazal, or rather to reoccupy it, since we were there when the French arrived in 1894." The letter reads as follows: "The camp of Lado, a vast quadrilateral, strongly entrenched on the left bank of the Nile, will probably serve as the base and pivot for the troops effecting she occupation. Large supplies of every kind ire collected there waiting the moment to be sent to the north, where the second base will be camp Kero. The bulk of the troops uuder the command of Commandant Henry are concentrated there. They are composed of two battalions of four companies together, having as chefs de bataillon the Commandants Lequeux and Derclaye, and under them a large number of white officers and three black adjutants. Lieutenant Bertrand, command- ing the artillery and marine, has under his orders a company of artillerymen and another company of black rowers, a complete gunboat constructed on the spot while waiting for the steamer Vankerhoven, the sections of which are on the way. Kero is occu- pied altogether by 1010 troops ready to march, accompanied by two mitrailleuses and two Norden- felts. Their rear and communications are rendered secure by the garrison of 350 men and 10 guns left to defend Lado. The English Col. Martyr, arrived from the east coast after founding posts at Gondo- koro, Bedden, and Dufil4, has put his steamer Kenia together, and has since made in concert with the Belgians several reconnaissances on the river while waiting for the Belgians to make their general forward movement northwards. It is confirmed that Bor has been burned by the Dervishes, but before burying themselves in the west they pretended to make an offensive movement against the camp. They, however, did not attack, and after this feint they sank their steamer and disappeared." The Belgique Militaire adds the following comments:—" Our information stops there, but the succinct details given by our correspondent suffice to show the method with which the State is proceeding towarcs the occu- pation of its new province. Everything leads to the assumption that it will make it coincide with the resumption of the English operations in the Egyptian Soudan."

SOME RUSSIAN PROVERBS. It is not generally known that the Russian lan- guage, especially on the Polish borders, is peculiarly fertile in the way of proverbs. Some of the proverbs in popular currancy bear a striking family likeness to English proverbs, but a vast number of them are quite sui generis, and in brevity and terseness quite surpass either English or French specimens. Always stir the fire with another's hands," A wedge may be driven out by a wedge," "A bad peace is better than a good quarrel." "Seven shep- herds spoil a flock." Let a woman into Paradise, she'll want to bring her cow," Not long hurt the bumps from a loved one's thumps," God straightens the crooked arrow."

ONE of the most interesting carpets in the world was made by the Empress Frederick of Germany. It has figured in almost every important event in her family. Her husband's coffin rested on it, and all her children knelt or stood on it when they were confirmed and married. THAT form of handicap race dear to English dwellers in out-of-the-way parts of the East, in which various animals are pitted against each other, has just been emulated on a large scale in Brooklyn. The competitors were an elephant, a camel, a horse, a bicycle, and an auto-car. The elephant and camel, exhibition animals, were ridden by their keepers, the horse was ridden by a famous horseman, the bicylist was a sprint rider, and the auto-car was driven by an expert. The elephant and camel were both given a start of half a mile from the auto-car, which was given an eighth of a mile by the horse and bicycle, the course being three miles. The elephant proved the victor, winning in six minutes twenty seconds, with the bicycle second, and the auto-car third.

HOME HINTS. A DASH of black pepper greatly improves vanilla in cream. PUT a little sugar in the water used for washing meats of all kinds. It adds a flavour, especially to Teal. AFTER eating onions, take a sprig of parsley, dip it in vinegar, and eat it. This will remove all dis- agreeable taste and smell. A SMOKY lamp is often the result of a clogged nnd dirty wick. Steep the wick in a little strong washing soda and hot water; then dry thoroughly, and the lamp will burn much better. Moss AS FooD.-One of the many useful things which absolute privation has been the means of making known to the world is Irish moss. The poor inhabitants of the Irish coast were driven to its use by the pangs of hunger. When boiled, it produces a thick, nourishing, and not unpalatable jelly. It is most beneficial for diseases of the throat and lungs. REMOVING STAINS FROM MARBLE.—If the stains were made by grease, spread damp whiting or chlo- ride of lime on them. Let it remain for several hours, and then wash off. Washing-soda dissolved in hot water, mixed with enough whiting to form a paste, and left on the stains for several hours, is also a good remedy. Sometimes the stains are caused by rust or ink. A solution of nitric acid and water re- moves either of these. One part nitric acid to 25 parts water is the right proportion. Apply it to the spots only, and rince them immediately witk ammonia and water, or the acid will injure the marble. CHICKEN A LA TERRAPIN.—Mince one pint of cold boiled chicken, and mix with one hard-boiled egg rubbed through a sieve, a pinch each of salt, caycnne pepper, and mace. Melt in a stewpan a lump of butter the size of an egg, and to it add one table- spoonful of browned flour, one gill of gravy or stock, and one gill of cream. Put in the chicken, and cook for twenty minutes, then serve on hot toast. NEWMARKET PUDDING.—Stale bread, providing it is fairly thin, will do for this pudding. Slightly butter the bread and arrange in layers in a pie-dish, sprink- ling a few washed currants between-each layer. Make a custard with a pint of milk, two eggs, and a tea- spoonful of cornflour. Pour over the pudding, and bake in well-heated oven until the custard is set and the pudding slightly brown on the top. If the dish is large more than a pint of custard may be re- quired. To CLEAN KID GLOVES.—Every kind of kid glove will clean equal to new except black, and some of the very darkest colours. Get some camphine, put in a small piece of camphor, and gently wash the gloves in it till all the dirt is out. Put the gloves on a clean towel, then lift up one, and having previously got a wooden pin made round at the point to resemble the smaller fingers, put it into one, and rub down the glove, fingers, and other parts with a coarse towel till all the dirt appears to be rubbed out. Then repeat the opera- tion with the other fingers and the hand. It would be better if two different pins were used to repre- sent the large and small fingers. The pins should be about 2ft. long, 2in. in diameter, and taper at the point like a finger. If it is inconvenient to get pins, lay the glove on a table and rub out the dirt with a hard towel. Rub two or three times till all the dirt is out. Distend the fingers by blowing into the glove, and hang up in a warm room to dry. Be careful no damp or water touches the gloves. To DRESS COLLABS.—For this purpose use the best starch, say two pounds, four ounces of wax, and six pints and a half of water first dissolve the wax in the boiling water, take the vessel off the fire and allow it to stand for five minutes during this time dissolve the starch in the smallest possible quantity of cold water, then pour it gradually into the vessel and boil for twenty-five minutes, keep stirring all the time; this starch can be used quite cold. Rub it well into the collars, wiing as tight as you can, finish by wringing in a cloth, then iron; thus you will have them stiff without being hard, and when well-dressed they will have that beautiful elastic finish so much admired in new collars. USING UP THE REMAINS OF COLD ROAST MUTTON. —Remove all bits of bone, fat, and skin, and cut into thin, small slices; roll each slice in flour. In a wide, shallow frying-pan put two cupfuls of water, two tablespoonfuls of fried mushroom, two spoonfuls of butter, and a third of a teaspoonful of salt. Boil ten minutes, then add the slices of mutton, and stew until the gravy thickens. Sprinkle with pepper before taking to the table. If dried mushrooms are not at hand, mushroom ketchup can be substituted. MACARONI SOUP. — Boil a pound of the best macaroni in a quart of stock till it is quite tender; then take out half, and put it into another stewpan. To the remainder add some more stock, and boil it till you can pulp all the macaroni through a fine sieve. Then put it to the two liquors, adding a pint I or more of boiling hot cream, the macaroni that was first taken out, and half a pound of grated Parmesan cheese; make it hot, but do not let it boil. Serve it with the crust of French roll, cut it into small pieces. A SIMPLE SUPPER DISH.—Take three large Spanish onions and remove the skins, put them in a sauce- pan, cover them with water, and stew them slowly until they are quite tender. Then drain, and put them into a vegetable dish. Melt an ounce of butter in a frying-pan when it is brown stir in an ounce of flour, and thin to the desired consistency with some of the stock in which the onions were boiled. Boil up, flavour with pepper and salt, pour over the onions, and serve hot. LEMON ROLy-POLY.-Put one ounce of butter, three ounces of castor sugar, and the juice and grated rind of one lemon in a small enamelled pan, stir in slowly a beaten egg, and work all together on the stove till the mixture thickens. Make some light suet crust and roll it out thin, spread with the mixture roll up; tie in a floured cloth and boil for three hours. Serve the pudding with a little sauce poured round. STUFFED LoiN OF MUTTON.—Take a quarter of a pound of mutton suet, one ounce of-breaderumbs, one ounce of sweet almonds, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, pepper, salt, and nutmeg, cayenne, lemon- peel, and two eggs. Bone and trim off fat, and flatten with a rolling-pin. Boil, blanch, and pound the sweet almonds; add the other ingredients, and mix with the two eggs. Layover the inner side of the mutton, roll up, fasten with skewers, and roast. How TO EXTINGUISH Fiiain.-Take twenty pounds of common salt and ten pounds of salammoniac (muriate of ammonia, to be had of any druggist), and dissolve in seven gallons of water. When dissolved it can be bottled, and kept in each room in the house, to be used in an emergency. In case of a fire occurr- ing, one or two bottles should be immediately thrown with force into the burning place so as to^break them' the fire will certainly be extinguished. LEMONADE.—Take four lemons, pare the rind as thin as possible squeeze them into a quart of water, add half a pound of fine sugar, and let it stand two or three hours, then pass it through a jelly bag into decanters. ApPLE TAPIOCA PUDDING.—Cover the bottom of a pudding dish with sliced apples. Put a little sugar and one teaspoonful of lemon extract. Add a little water and bake until tender. A cup of tapioca, soaked overnight, slightly salted, should be poured over the apples. Bake one hour, and serve with cream and sugar. _u MUFFINS.—To one quart of milk add two well- beaten eggs, a lump of butter half the size of an egg, and flour enough to make a stiff batter. Stir in half a-pint of yeast. Let them stand until perfectly light, and then bake on a griddle in tin rings made for the purpose. These are merely strips of tin three- quarters of an inch wide, and made into rings from two and a half to three inches in diameter, without bottom, the ring being placed on the griddle, and the batter poured into it. ASPARAGUS AND EGGS.—Beat six eggs lightly with a fork; add one-half teaspoonful of salt, one table- spoonful of milk and one tablespoonful of water. Have a skillet hot with lard and butter mixed, and turn your eggs into it. Cook quickly, stirring all the time. Add two dozen asparagus tips, that have been boiled, and as soon as the eggs are firm but soft turn into a hot dish and serve immediately. You will find this very nice and new.

MAJOR-UENIMRAL THE J-ION. INEI'ILLE JJYTTELTON, C.B., will take over the command of the 2nd Infantry I Brigade at Aldershot in succession to Major-General Barnard, and give up the office of Assistant Military Secretary at headquarters. He is a brother of Vis- count Cobham, and married Miss Katherine Stuart Wortley. A TRADESMAN, aged 38, died at Poplar, and a coroner's jury returned a verdict that he was killed by excessive tea-drinking." A doctor said the deceased's nervous system bad been nearly destroyed by tea poisoning." He would drink eight cups of tea before leaving home in the morninc.

THE WOMAJV'S WORLD. THE origin of the fan in China is said to hM sprung from the following incident: "A roval princess, very beautiful, was assisting at the feast lanterns, her face covered with a mast, as usual. Tht excessive heat compelled her to remove it, and is order to guard her features from the common cam she moved it quickly to and fro in front of her faoe. thus simultaneously hiding her charms and cooling y°Z' V u at °nce adoPted the kingdom Catherine de Medici carried the first of LouS x}VVZTain FraT' and in the tim< C0TOed "ith THE trimming for hats (observes" Parlsette writing in the Rural World) is very voluminous; enormous flowers, as gigantic roses, ornament the- whole side of a hat. Feathers and upright sprigs of flowers are less general than they were last year. They are rolls of gauze and garlands of flowers that garnish hats at present. Toques are very much in vogue; they are large, raised at the side by the trim- ming, which is brought so as to fall on the hair one rose or two alone ornaments the side. Very great taste is displayed in matching colours. Myosotis is a very popular flower this season; it is to be en- countered side by side with violets, glycine, roses, and lilac. But blue is a very fashionable colour, it has such a variety of attractive tones with mauve all the admired shades can be obtained. What a diversity of tints in mauve, from the dark violet up to pale lilac! The milliners appear to be carried away by the two colours, blue and mauve; thus one day their showrooms will have only hats in the lightest sky blue or ultramarire: the next day all the headgear will be in violet or ibis rose. Not con- tent with building hats, the milliners make boas, fichus, and ruches even petit collets of the same tints join in the harmony. However, what can be more delicate, more innocent, and soft to the view than flax flower, lavender, periwinkle blue, &c. ? The ibis rose is accepted as the smartest colour patronised. Bear in mind, all these shades are made to harmonise with the tulle of the toques. There is a spotted tulle patronised covered with white dots, suggesting that it has received a shower of confetti. It is a fragile pattern, and perhaps plain tulle will be found a more serviceable material. Tulle will triumph for all hats; the strings also are in tulle, then turn round the neck and gracefully fall behind. Of course, ladies like to have a white and uniform coloured skin have two veils, and on that under- neath sprinkle some impalpable rice powder. White Italian straw in being largely patronised for hats. There being a decided taste for the Empire costumes, it would not be surprising to witness the return of the cabriolet hat, large in front, narrow behind, and leaving the back of the neck uncovered. Youthful features will not take kindly to that change. As the season advances mousseline de soie will likely become a favourite material for hats. There is no reason why the shape of the hat ought to undergo any change it suits all features if care be taken in the matter of selection. Coarse straw is not to be disdained for hats, provided it be supple and light so as not to be heavy for the head. The large Directoire hat has also its faithful admirers; it is not unfashionable, only its ornamentation must be ostrich feather, never flowers. THE tight-fitting skirt is (" Parisette contends) standing the attacks upon it well. After all, the adopting of that shape is essentially dependent upon figure. The lady of full habit need not attempt era- ploying it; she has plenty of excellent combinations upon which to draw. Between the two extremes a lady can select her gown, characterised by plainness, graceful folds, and harmonious lines. Great variety is made in the skirts the double skirt or tunic cuts the platitude of gowns too plain. Despite the general adoption of varied trimmings, the best made toilettes are simple what is loud or showy is avoided. Many fringe the upper part of the tight skirt, especially behind, allowing it to fall straight without stiffness, and above all destitute of a tram, to almost touch the ground without collecting mud or dust. That trends, perhaps by next season, to have no more tight skirts. Very careful attention ought to be given to colours, or rather to the matching of their shades. Blue and mauve are the two main colours is vogue, but the difficulty is to match the tones in each. Upon muslin and tulle dresses much of the trimming is of no particular style; the embroidery is of one shade matched to the material of the robe, white upon whize, beige upon beige. That uniformity of colours i., after all, more pleasing than the fantastic combina- tions so frequently to be encountered. At the picture show the tailor costume was most general, and the dressmakers have made it acceptable to ladies who view it as too dry a model by fantastic additions. Black cloth is much patronised for the tailor costume, and at the expense of grey and beige, so much pre- ferred till at present. It is piqua or striped with white silk, thus imparting a very distinguished air. Indeed, cloths and cashmeres will be only more ap- preciated as the season advances. Toile will also be patronised for summer dresses, and trimmed with ecru shades of embroidery. Tunics continue to ap- pear more and more upon the majority of jupes, which they wholly cover, or to the extent of one-half or two-thirds. Of course, the tendency of that taste is right towards the double skirt. DRESS to be ch&rming should (" X and Z," the fashion authorities of the Globe, insist) be suitable. That is all that man demands of woman. It is women who drive each other into vulgar display of many costumes in a kind of unacknowledged com- petition which is far from elevating. Extremes in all things are repulsive. As extremes in nastiness seems to be purging the drama so may we hope that extremes in extravagance will reform dress, and make it to women more a pleasure than a pain, save them from the deterioration of a too absorbing studj of it and from the destructive coils of debt. This small moral reflection is caused by the hope held out by fewer Ascot dresses being ordered, that women will not hold themselves degraded and lowered by wearing one nice frock on several occasions. The greatest ladies of the land set an ex- ample in this matter, they are, however, above the vulgar effort to outdress an equal since they have none in position. There are so many little addenda to dress now that changes sufficient to prevent mono- tony can be effected with little expense and not too much trouble. What fascinating fronts can be effected with the aid of some delicate silk and pretty lace! What imposing little neck arrangements witn tulle and lace and chiffon and neat little paste orna- ments, for there is no stigma now attaching to the wearing of paste—indeed, it is quite fashionable. We saw the other day a tie with a turquoise and brilliant butterfly fastened to a bar of turquoises and diamonds by a slender chain. The bar was in the knot of the cravat and the butterfly in one of the loops. It was one of those dainty little ornaments which can be used for many purposes, and always effectively. Combs for the hair, too, are much more frequently set with imitation diamonds than with costly gems, because the fashion of wearing them is liable to change, and then the cost of a very lovely design exe- cuted in real stones would seem to a decree wasted. The paste designs are quite as effective, and if fashion decrees that combs disappear from our coiffure they can be laid aside with no more than a sigh of re- gret. THE necktie is as much (says a writer in the Morning Herald) a feature of feminine attire nowa- days, as it is of masculine apparel. Not that we an simply content to copy the neckties of the modem young man. For our tennis and river shirts we may wear rather masculine ties, but all appearance of mannishness is destroyed by the softness and dainti- ness of the material and design of those shirts. Bat to gain an idea of the real importance of the necktie we must turn to more dressy costumes, even to our best gowns. Why the plain collar hand of the same material as the rest of the gown, and made up on a foundation of buckram, is rarely to be seen. But lace ties, silk ties, crepe-de-chine ties, and chiffon ties there are galore, worn with more or lees success as individual smartness may determine.

An," he cried, kneeling at her feet, say you will marry me, and I will be your devoted slave for life." "Arise, Henry," she answered," you will not do That was what my first husband said, end before we had got fairly out of the church he began tolling me how he wanted me to wear my hair." A WITNESS the other day gave a novel reason for declining to be cross-examined. He said that all his life he had protested against the growing habit of being interviewed, and he didn't intend to pandei to the modern in a court of law.