HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Signal, 1898-3-11, Page 2i� PRODIGAL'S ESN.
"Yes, mother, be will come Of °oars•
be will comet" and the girl turned ber
drawn and anxious young face toward
the cottage door, just as if her blind
norther could awe the action It is prob-
able that tbe old woman divined the
longing gysace from the change in the
girl's teas, for ahe,too,halt turned to-
ward the door. it was •habit this
two women had, acquired They con-
stantly looked toward the door for the
Arrival of en. who never cams through
the long summer days, through tbe
ulet winter evenings; moreover, t)iey
rarely spoke of other things; this ar-
rival was the topic of their lives. And
now the old woman's life was drawing
to •ctose,as somos lives do, without its q
object She herself felt It, u1 her walk, such as is acquired by men lir-
daughter knew it There wan in both ing constantly in the open There was
of them •subtle sense of clinging. It a vaguely pained look In bis blue eyes,
was hard to die without touching the as if they had suddenly been opened
to his own shortcomings His attitude
reward ot • wondrous patience It was toward Joyce was distinctly apologetic,.
cruel to deprive the girl of this burden. i When be followed the girl across the
• for in moat burdens there is s safe- threshold of their mother's bedroom
guard, le all a duty, add in some thethe old lad, was fitting lap is bad,
holding out trembling arms toward the
greatest happiness allotted to human door Here Btepben Leach seemed to
existence. I know batter what to do. He held ht.
It esu no new thing,tbis amnia, tori mot her in his arms white abs sobbed
the erapegrace Moo; abs sial had geswat=nd mmrmnred out her joy He had
up to it, for she would not now berg th words, but hid arms meant more
than his lips could ever have told. It
brother should she meet him In the, would seem that the beet part ot hap -
her *agar eyes with a strange, mime
Honing wonder.
'Am I too later' be asked, in a
volo a which almost seamed to indicate
• hope that It might le so.
"No, Stepbea," she avwered. "But
neoth.r oansot live much longer Yon
are just in time."
Th• young mien mate at hesitating
little movement with fila right hand
and shuffled uneasily on the clean
stone step. He was Uke an actor Ball-
ed suddenly upon the stage, having no
knowledge of his part. The return of
thle prodigal was not a dramatic suc-
cess. No one seemed desirous of learn-
iqg whether be had lived olio& beaks
or otherwi.e, and with whom be bad
eaten. The quiet dignity of the girl,
who had remained 6ehlnd to do all the
burden, seemed In some subtle m
to deprive him of any romance that
might; ,paps attsehed Itself to him. She
ignored hisf-profDired band, and,
turning into tb. Uttt. passage, led the
way upstairs. Stephen Leach followed
silently. He was rather large for the
hours, and eloped/lily for the Moire
moreover,he had acertai burliness of
hitt Mee. Leah lived tbrau411-..
sight is the same semicomatose state.
The two watee.ra eat in ber room ■a-
ttl stepper Mme wisest they left their
mother In charge ot • hired ogres,
seho■•.aa+d•ss Joyce had been Coro -
ed to seek. Atter supper Stepb.■
Lech seemed at last to find his tongue,
and be talked in his quiet, almost
gentle voice, such as some wen poses,
Dot shout himself and the pest, but
about Joyce and the future. In • de-
liberate, business -like way be proceed-
ed to iuvestigate the affairs of the dy-
ing woman and the praspecie of her
daughter ; In • word, be asserted his
authority as a brother, and Joyos was
relieved and happy to obey him. It is
not in times of gayety that friendships
are formed, hut in sorrow or euspeass.
During that long evening this too-
ther and sister suddenly became in-
timate, more so than months of pros-
perous intercourse could have madp
them. At 10 o'clock Stephen quietly
insisted that Joyoe should go to bed,
while be lay down, all dressed. on tis
sofa in the dining -room
"/ &hall sleep perfectly ; It is not the
first time I have etept in may clothes,"
be said simply.
They went upstairs together and told
the nurse of this arrangement Joyce
remained for some moments by the
bedside watching her mother's peatetoi
aleep,and when she turned she found
that Stephen bad quietlyslipped away.
Wondering vaguely whether he had in-
tentionally solved ber difficulty se to
the fraterael good nigbt, she went t•
ber own room. The nett morning Ms's
Leech was fully conscious and ap-
peared to be stronger; oevertbetes she
knew that the end wee near She called
ber two children to her bedside end,
turning ber blind eyes toward them,
street. Since eight had left the old: pine is the sharing of it with some- spoke in broken sentences:
mother's eyes she had fed ber heart Ito- t one else. "Joyce" was the first oils i am read, now-[ am ready," she
o 1 timet word the old lady spoke. "Joyce, said. "Dears, I am going to your fath-
on this hope He had left them eigbt•s$ I, he has come at haat. He has come 1, er-and • • • thank God, I can tell
'ears before in a fit of passionate re-, Come here, dear. Kiss your broth-, him that I left you together. 1 always
aentment .Against his tstber,whose only ere This is my first born -my little` knew Stephen would come brick. I
$leve." I found it written everywhere in the
fault had been too great indulgence for The young man bad sunk upon his Bible. Stephen -kiss me, dear !"
the son of his old age. Nothing bed! knees at the bedaide,probably herauael The mast Maid over the bed and ktss-
teen too good for dear Stephen -hardly it waa tbe Most convenient position. ed her.
anything hafi.been good entrain/17 EMTH• did not amend his wether'..ass tro.f.abe”-nbaallilsaite=bow 1 wish i could
cited at a charity school himself, the a poral with much enthusiasm. Alto- ase you -just odes before I die. Joy-
gether he did not seem to have die l" she added, suddenly turning to
simple old clergyman held the mist•k-covered much sympathy with Ms his-: her daughter, who stood at the other
ter whom he had left in her cradle . side of the heed, 'tell ms what he is
Joyce came forward and leaned over like. But I know • • • I know - I
teed to kiss her brother while the test It Listen 1 He 1a tail and agora
lady's hands joined theirs Just like his father. His hair is black, like
her fresh young lips ams within his father's -it Wag black before he
sn view that no man can los educated
allp_v.9_bis station, There are annoys*.
pie who hold this view still, but - o-
tidy
cannot do so muck longer. Strikes, -Jae
bor troubles and this difficulties of doe reach he turned his face aside, no went away. fits eyes, I know, are dark
meattc eenies; so-called gentleman that the kiss fell on barren ground -almost dark. He is pale -like •
.'••-sbep-keeperaraietady seitikeese-..above neo his tanned cheek apse lard 1
"Jesyde," >`osCirrtied the std leant'' fore Joyce tooted across two cite with Blow
all, a few colonies peopled by univer- *riskily, "i am not afraid to die now, horror dawning in her face, looked in -
alt; failures -will teach .Y -la : time %S Stephen is here. Testy_ brother' to &pair of bine eyes beneath trlwny
that to educate our ions above their will take are of you, dear, when I am i iir.eut abort,as a soldier's hair should
gone." its. She looked upon • men big, broad,
^ej . g2SIIP•1!9-4COH t'.11"1-.S.tu ;iro,.4.it es.al�mas.be that 6bephen.bad t -.English from crows tot_ toe -and
the race for life. spoken yet. ywet oosaaaoee of his lip. and
Stephen Leach was one of the early well, because there are ocualons in life eyes made her soy :
victims to this craze. Hie father, ha• -1 Wbe° ° ° da w1oeiy to keep silent l." -"'Yes. morrhrr, yea"
lag risen bythe force of his own will i "lie le strong," the proud :losther For some moments theatre w
went on, "I an feet lt. Ilia baare •ace. Joyce stood pale sreath-
•nd the capabilities of hie own mind , large and steady and quiet and his less, wondering what flits might mean.
from the people to the church, held, as arms are big and very hard " I Then the dying woman .pokeagain :
young maknelt upright and' "Kiss me," she said. "I •
• am
such men do, that he had only to give sul,mltted gravely to this maternal:going.
Stephen first -my first torn!
bis roe •good education to insure his inventory. ; And now, Joyce •• •• •• and.aow kiss
career in life. 8o everything-sves,.to "Yes," the said, "1 knew be would sack+ other across the bed1 i want to
che old parson's wens of right soil gro.r to be a big man. His little ting-. bear it • • • I want • e • to
her „
of Stephen Leach at public school and kneW ou had Menge eoldiemr"Asand th: hands, last tefforrthoosissom.
wad Ler
t Hrat
,r wa rd,
fingers
at wan
university Here be met and selected skin oi' your face is brown and a little Joyce heeitated,then she 1
for his friends youths whose futures rough. What is thief what is this. and the old woman's ch
Stephen, dear 1 Is thin • wound t" pressed their ripe togethe
were Ind ono were only pave- ..Yes,•, answered the prodigal speak- the end.
fog through the formula of an educe -ling for the first time. "Tbat is a' Halt an hour afterwarOgfoyee and
tion so tbat.no one could say they were sword rut, I got that in the last warthis man stood facing :other in
unfit for theanug government appoint-
ment, thing or inheritance, of a mors
owlrtanti•l sort that might be wilt-
ing for them. Stephen acquired their
I am a colonel in the C ilian army, the ilttV. dining room ! F'hegan kis
or waa, before I resigned.' I explanation at ono*. i i
The old lady's eightl.me eyes were( -Stephen." he said, " sbotootit
fixed on his face as if Ilstening for there -as a traitori coat tell her
Rays of life without possessing their the mixt of another voice in his deep, ' that I I did not mean to le this, but
s.
idvantageand the consequence was quiet tones. what else °Guild I dor"
something very nearly approaching to"Your voice is deeper than your to- He p•ucei. moved town i the door
ruin for the little country rector Notther's ever was," she said, and all the with that strange•besttatiba which she
►1. At the
tismelt.
Ively, ••that
ni
baring been a university man him- while her trembling fingers moved lov- bad noticed upon his err
self. tee rector did not know that at ingly over his face, touching the deep floor be turned to justify:,
Oxford or Cambridge, as in the army, cut from cheek boos to jaw with oft "i still think," he said
ane may live according to one's tastes inquiry. "This meet have been very It was the beet thing to
Stephen Leach had expensive ta.tes,aod near your eye, Stephen. Promise me, Joyce made no answer. r The tsars
be unscrupulously traded on his fa- dsir, no more soldering." stood in her eyes "There mail something
ther's Ignorance. He was good -look- "1 promise that," he replied, with- very patheticc in the dld*•ss of Odle
leg, and had a certain brilliancy of out raising his eyesstrong man, facing. as Homers, en em -
manner whlob "goes down" well at tbe Such was the homecoming of the pro- *Moseyof which be fettle". delicacy
varsity. Everything was against him, digal. After all be arrived at the right to be yond his clevern to handle.
and at last the end ram.. At last the moment in the afternoon, when the "Last night," be weapon, "1 made
MACHU', FieRMI osa•
WINTZR EGOS. •
Fos egg production in winter and
early epring,proper food is of essential
importanoe.
All domestic and wild fowls have
oertain masons of the year for making
their nests and hatching their young.
This very definite business of their Ute
generally occurs but once a year, or 1f
oftener, in general under the game con-
ditions.
Io domesticated chickens, dunks and
geese, the hatching season has been
sonrwhat changed and prolonged, b. -
cause of the different conditions of
their Ines and °specially of the quan-
tity snd quality of their food. Cbtok-
ens ander ordinary circumstaaoss, If
left to tbemaslves, lay bat few eggs In
the winter when the weather is cold
and the ground covered or frozen; but
when they begin to feel the warmth of
the spring and can feed upon the in'
Mots and womb& they Clad In scratch-
ing the open ground, tbey'.aaketheir
neat• and legis to lay.
The poultryman has batched his
iekens early, by stimulating the hens
to early laying and then artificial
batching, if necessary, he bas early
ohicka,in order that this pallets may be
early layers in the winter. If this Is
to prove a encomia, the pullet must ea
far as possible have the food aad other
conditions dt the spring, when she is
expected to Irl is the winter. Bbs
must have • warm and well ventilated
yard. Bhs mast have access to the lare
ground to scratch, and she must have
the egwlvalent of the insects and worms
she would find in the spring in fre-
quent supplies of fresh meat. Besides,
she must have some green vegetable
food as an equivalent of the early grass
and tender roots which she finds in
the spring.
Like causes most produce like effects.
If fo.vls are to he improved by artifi-
cial rare and food, the artificial pro-
mise Jgoiust be in the line in which na-
ture hesiadi:.ated when the fowls were
in their aatosed eesditlos.
Farmers snd all poultrymen abonld,
therefore, provide themselves not only
with suitahle and well warmed quar-
ters for their psllets,whicb they expect
to lay in the winter, but slam with
suitable vegetable aad animal f
which cannot be obtained by the ben
herself, during the winter season.
There should be special vegetables
and roots and graaaasyqg� for the
eh/chess-for winter..lied sash net
or waste front the tah• lewd not be
forgotten.
hssu�.ari� ebulvalent of
a lime mast be furnished for shell
making. The proper conditions fur-
nished and the right kind of pallets
will prelims the egos.
,If the males are kept separate In lbs
winter and ted on the same kind of
food. and mated at the mason for
batching the eggs will prove to be fer-
tile, when feral ity is deeirahle.•
rector '• eyes were opened, and wheat house was ready. it sometimes does all,, the nesary ar
.n
a As/row-minded. masau
ayes ace -easel 'w
bsppar -so is rrat tits, gape ou o&y .4 �� tu'ture-.jwat as -
opened he usually hecomes stony at books. There is • great deal that nave made tbem-a& a
the heart. Stephen Leach left Reg- might ha altered In this world, but have done. 1 • • •
land. and before be landed in Aoierii- sometimes, by a mere chance, drags brother officers in a
ea bis father bad departed on a long- trams about rightly. And yet there was Your brother was no
or journey. The ne'er-do-well had the None of us were."
good grace to send lack the little aums
of money saved by his mother in her
widowhood, and gradually his letters
ceased. it wan known that he was in
Chili, and there was war going on
there, and yet the old lady's faith nev-
er wavered.
"He r Ill oosam', Joyce," she would say.
"he will surely come 1"
And simneh°.v it came to he an under-
stood thidg that he was to come in the
.iit.rnoon whim' they were all reedy
for him -when Joyce had clad :her
vretty young form in a dark dress and
when the old lad was up and seated
something Wrong. somethings suI tie,
which the dying women's dotter sense*
failed to detect. Her soar, "har'rtl'.pht-
en, was quiet and bad not much to say
for himself. He apparently had the
habit of taking things as they came.
There was no enthuafasni, but rather a
teetrsint, in hia manner, more es-
pecially toward Joyne. The girl no-
ticed it, but even her small experinnes
of human -kind had taught her that
large, fair -skinned mea are often tbua.
They go through life plarldly, leaving
unsaid and undone many things which
some think they ought to any and
do. Atter the tiret excitement of tis
la the chatt t.1_ tbe fire in winter, by return was over It lorsnn ariarintl,
the door In wormer. They had never apparent that Stephen had arrived just
Imagined Ma -rival at another tines. In time, His mother fell into a hap -
It wou]d sot be quite the name should py sleep before sunset, and ashes the
he make a mistake and come In the active young doctor came a little Itt-
morning, before, Joyce had got the er in the evening he shook his held
house fat right Yet he never tame, "Yes," he maid. "i see that she is
A greater Infirmity came instead, and asleep and quiet --too quiet. It 1+ a
foretaste of, a longer sleep. Some old
people have It."
For the first time Joyce's courage
seemed to give way. When she had
been alone she wag brave enough, but
now that her brother wax there,woman-
like she seemed to turn to him with a
sudden fear They stool side by side
noir the Iwd.aod the young doctor In-
voluntarily watched thorn f?tephen had
taken her hand in hia with that. silent
sympathy which was so natural and so
eloquent He said nothing, this lig,
Ns-staine.t youth. He did not even
glance down at his sister. who stood
mall, soft eyed and gentle at his side
The doctor knew something of the his-
tory of the small family thus momen-
tarily united, end he had &leges fear-
ed that if etephen Leach did return
It would only kill his mother. This,
indeed, awned to be the remelt about
to follow Presently the doctor took
Ids Wove. He was a young man en-
gaged in getting together a gorsd•pree-
tlee, oend in his own Fater et he had
►eh foremi to give sp wailing for bis
patients to Habib dying.
"I am glad you are bare," be said to
Stephea, who acr•mpa*led Mrs to the
door "it would mot do for your min-
ter to he aloes' this may ge as for
ainottple or days
it did not go ea few a remote of days,
at last Joyre suggested that her mo-
ther should not get . °p4 in bad wea-
ther. They both knew- what this meant
bat the episode passed as others' do,
sad Mrs. Leach wall bedridden Still
she said:
"He will corse, Joyce! He will surely
Carne 1"
And aha jfrTWoo1d go to the window
snd draw aside the curtains, looking
down the quiet country road toward
the village.
"Yat, mother, he will come," woe her
usual answer, and one day she gave
little exclamation of surprine and a1 -
most of tear.
"Mother," abs arclsimed, "there is
erenrone coming along the road."
The old lady waw already sitting up
la trod staring with her sightless orbs
toward the window Thus they waited
The man stopped opposita the rottoge
aad e two women el
men heed the later of
Use
tin gate. Then Joyce,turning,•aw that
fly uoth.r had fainted Hut it weeesely
tasametery isB the tires she reached
the bed it mother bard reeekered edis-
ciousuesls..k
"Gq" said the old lady, 1 thleasly;
'go an4 let him In yourself."
Dowastalrn on t!o doorstep the girl
'Dead *tall sans of or tbsreahoats
with a brwwr er tare than English muse
tiseld eeriest to He looked doen into
-1 -`--'`
..++T:
•
His hand wag oa t
He naked me to coves
be added. I shall go
They stood thus, be
tare with his honest,
she failing to meet his
May 1 come tack
suddenly
She Rave a little
answer.
"1 win cane back 1
be announced quietly, a
ed the door behind hi
A FEW Hil
A Perla of salt added
eggs will mwkw them
ant I ight.r.
.1 f reth maw laid
entente for
would
her might
and I were
wild army.
good moan
r.
tell you."
now.'
telling het
blue eyes,
ore.
t' he asked
liut made no
Illi
z months,"
then he dos -
the wilts of
tap quieter
will require
Longer to boil if you wad hew it of
the Immo .•omsdaten••y &idioms that has
beep laid some time.
A good' heodiul of '%iencia raisins
added to each portn.i of prunes. when
Wowing the latter. „ill greatly id -
prove them.
A g,.od way to improve a bum after
It in boiled is to wrap 1t to buttered
paper ani bake it for es hoar. It
adds greatly to the flavor.
A tiny pieta ant bicarbonate of sod•
mixers with tomatoes that are to be
rooked with milk or eresitn wije if add -
.d first, prevent the i'idlk from °mrd -
11 mg.
•
A (loryciewtioee WoMaie-Norah heel
hese told to gay at the gelato door that
hat ointress was not s& home when
senile mikes appeared upon the
scene. It evidently west much again-
st the train for ber to make herself
respotisMrit tet even so small a white
lie, bat ebe premised to do en, and,
with as rtlfn modifications, ahs kept
leer word. 1. Mrs. Blank at home/quer-
MI the roller. For this wan toime,
Mia. BtaitAen, she da't I said the
maid; bat Elvin bode beg if yes sabk se
again 1 I'hI not le( teslas ter saay-
body thin', epos me *Melt
FATTENING OLD COWS.
There is awidspread popular preju-
dims against cow beet, sad we enspect
that the doctors are very largely re-
sponsible for it. Yet we have so often
eaten tender and sweet row heed that
our ezperie■c• long ago taught us that
its quality was much more dependent
on the way it had hent fattened than
It was on the age of the cow. But it is
neverthelese trtts, says American Cul-
tivator, that it is more difficult to
fatten an obi row, or an old animal of
any kind, than it is to fatten young
animals. As the teeth begin to fail,
the food is not no well masticated as
1t used to be, and as • consequence
digestion is retarded. The eresenre
of undigested food in the stomach
creates fever, and 1n this diseared con-
dition not oaly does the stoma! fatten
farmers de not plough tbelr land the
muss depth er turn under their man-
ure In this same meaner. If the man-
ure is too deep, sums Elms must elst+es
before the recta of the yec.ag ideate
will get down to it. It will not be very
long before the pleats will find that
manor* sod utilise it. but early is the
year It is very important that *sob
& cropp as Dorn abould get a good start,
and the lane/ • week at the beginning
may have a etteot os the crop shogld
the enema come on dry. It the manure
is spread on the surface, and then
worked into the top soil with the har-
row, abs young planta will be enabl-
ed to w it from the stark and the
barrow will also render the soil tine,
Two objects will be a000ntyliahed by so
doing -first, the wooers Remit will be
made finer. and &Mead. the fineness
of the soil w111 result In betters disin-
tegration of thaw mineral elements ex-
isting therein, Independently of the
manure, and thus provide the Plants
with available foodat tb• beginn1ag
and also throughout tbs growing sea-
son. Manure that L ploughed under
will be very awful at the time the
plants ars maturing, but the more
rapid the growth of the plants wb.n
Young the greater their root power
and feeding capacity.
APPLE -TREE PRIMING.
Winter pruning should he rases care-
fully, removing as few of the large
limbs sad as little bealtby wood as
pbssible; but do not fear to open the
tree so tbat se Umhe cross, and so that
daylight will flow freely through In
every direction. Three barrel& of first-
class fruit can be quickly gathered,
easily m&rketed, and wi11 bring more
money than twioe that number of in-
ferior stock. Do not fear to est. Then
scrape away all dead or weak, small
limbs, rough bark, and. as far as pox
sable, leave only healthy wood and an
occasional strong "sucker" to fill the
bead. Crisp, bright. sound fruit will
grow only on absolutely healthy wood,
no matter what amount of ground cul-
tivation, tree pruning, or spraying you
may do. ,•
THE IET FRUIT.
whilelselliglit ought not to be so,
yet appigygeas lia the first considera-
tion in at Iron. That is, it
must Ire 0t gbbd wise, shape and color.
Consumers will bay trait of this kind
that cam better 'quality blot not
ha good In appearance can be bought
• • Less Price. And as the differenoe
In pries means largely that much dlf-
I reneede profit in selecting varieties
Medi:ow for market, thle item should
001 hs IBverlooked.
Next to appearance comes produc-
dveoes.. To mare the most out of
fruit, a good yield is essential. To
some extent a rich soil, proper prun-
ing and care will effect the yield, bat
it is essential that the variety be na-
turally productive to give the test
reignite
Quality, which in reality ought to
he first, is placed last. Usually for
home [Ur, quality can be placed first,
but when growing anttbing, e.peei•!-
ly to sell, it is good economy -to gait
the taste of the commoner as fully as
poses
i I.k.
A good market fruit should he of
ped appearance, this including good
pass tied color, be of good growth, a
Oa -regular hearer, good keeping and
shipping qualities, and then of fairly
good quality for eating or cooking.
You want a variety that will sell
when fruit is plenty.
less rapidly, hat Neat (lash It puts
on la leas tender and sweet than it
should he. The common practice of
fattening rows with corn, and milking
them so long as they can be milked,
helps to make poor beef. The water
and fat that go Into the milk are both
much more ;seeded in the beef to make
it as good as it should he. A row pro-
perly fattened should he given as
much succulent food aa she will eat,
and at first be fed with grain or meal
rather a{.aringly. If she ie very thin
in flesh ber beef may be made all the
better, provided this rondition does not
show the impairment of her dignities
organs. When a cow 1. fattened,that
when you begin feeding bar is little'
more than skin and honce,witb enough
flesh to hold them togetber,it stands
to reason that most of- the flesh and,
fat you can put en ber by three or
four months good feeding will he new
flesh and fat, and just as good as it,
put bodily n eyebolt e . old Bing onstan�+
chanted by the small teethe which ran
tbroegh tbe flesh, and which are al -
Ways carry7ing oft wrote matter, sad
repl.ciog It with new. The old saying
used to los, that the living body is
wholly renewed every seven years. But.
scientists are now .greed that most'
parts of 11 are renewed mach
quicker than this, as any Dae may
see by the rapid baling of a out or
bruise wbeh air 'and the germs it
contains are excluded from It.
PREPARATION OF THE BOiL.
In proof of the fact tbat the (-mo-
th!
aretil preparation of the soil increases
the yWd,' it Is wall k■ewa that a gas•
den -plot w111 produce more than a
held, although the land of the field
may be Cully ak rich, to plant food u
the garden -plot, but the difference is
that the preparation of the sail for •
garde* Ie wally complete, aad whea
the field is treated l■ the name Mae -
mer It will not tail to skew the elf -
feats of the hatter preparation. The
toesdatloe upote whieh all good erops
are bdlt is the lead. aad the babl.-
else et the crop is wkso the lied 1.
ploughed.
Ploughi*g 1. the masat• le ono instll-
nd of working It into the snit, but all
TSB i9RITiSY ARMY.
Tao Gere or aim Was reser die IOC 11.0 , and
Slew "'bey Leave 11.
The determination of the War Of -
los to Improve the lot of the soldier
make. it ma Interesting matter to 000-
atder whoops we get our tigbti.g men
and whither they go, .says • London
morresteadsat. Great Britain has al-
ways been a militant country, and one
wqukl wtptross that iA eootained plen-
ty of good army duff still. And so
doubt. it done but the average Briton
of the present dy seems to prefer
the liberty of a deities, tboagh it is
often s000mp*nisd by rags and bus -
ger, to the disroipline and regularity of
gushy lite.
Agybow, fart too nonny of those who
offer themeabres for enlistment &re sot
awed specimens of the Britisher. 7be
report of the R.orulting Department
says that out of nearly 56,100 awn
r,icty to don the Queen's undone so
less tbao 2.6,000 were rejected on no -
count of phyutoal unfitness.
Thio lett only 81.000 to coin [n and
replace the west. that ia always go-
ing on. Whence does the Britisb army
°ems f An might be expected. it de-
pends for its supplies largely upon the
unskilled labouring class, workers
whose worn in the beet of times are
very low : artisans join to a oonaider-
abde extent when trade is bad; shop
aa.btants and clerks send a few of
their number ; while stud/messed fail-
ures in the venom protasis Dor
tribute • smelt garenetage, surd tb*iw
by the wag: are
H]NiAH.T1LY WELCOMED
by tbe officers. for they act as • leave&
of refinement. The following table
shows how each thousand enlisted mss
le oomposed. and ezpleins when Tom-
my Lomts:-
Labou rers servants. etc. . . . . .008
Manufacturing artisans. such ee
cloth we hormeweown, etc. . .110
Mechanics, such as masons, arpen-
UNUSED ROOMS
In the old-fashioned brick palace at
Kensington. a little suite of roomed
carefully guarded from tbe public gaze
swept and garnished and tended as
though the occupants of long ago were
hourly expected to return. The early
years of England's aged sv rersign were
passed in these simple rams and by ber
orders they have been kept unchanged
the furniture and deoorati ns remain-
ing to -day as when :she lived inside
those walls. In one -corner is aasett-
bled a collection of dolls of all rises,
dressed in the qusist finery of 1816.
A set of miniature cooking etteaeile
and a rocking bores •toad near by. A
ohild's scrap books and solo: boxes lie
on the tibiae. In a ea 'runny chamber
stands the little white -draped bed
where the keine' to the grsatest crows
on earth dreata.4 her childish dream'
and from whirl line was hastily arous-
ed ons June morning to he told that
the was a Queen:- leo homelike sad 11v -
able an air pervades the place that
one almost expects to ase the Mealy
little girl of seventy years ago play-
ing about the unpretending chambers.
Affection tor the pest aad a rever-
ence for the memoryof the dead have
caused the royal wsad mother to
preserve with the same are souvenir.
of herpaasge in other royal residences.
The apartments that Altered the first
happy_poothe of ber wedded life. the
roves edgers ene knew the joys and
& a fetes of maternity. haus he'seme
for her eoneecrated sanctuaries, where
the widowed. broken old lady comes
ca certain anniversaries to evoke the
unforgntten pest. to meditate and to
pray.
Wbo demi not open in memories some
such sacred portals, and sit down 10
the familiar rolms to 11.. over again
the old h epee and fears, thrilling anew
wltb the )eye and temptation of other
/layer Yet es -h year these pilgrimages
Into the past must be more and more
lonely jour.eys, for tbe Mende whom
we oaa take by the hand and lead
through the antiquated halls beams
Sewn with earn dsesda.
SITING. TILE NAILS
A simple and very effective way to
ewe children of tbe had habit of bit-
ing their nails 1m tD wet the Raters
with gis■asia *Si and allow tient to
dry. When tasted it will in a bitter
reminsier to tease firs prattle*. If
thee are Me sore Omni on the tispr
tips. a very little esiocy■th prnn'gmr
wiMY le
ineemMly bdttarm
them. . ay be dust-
ed over ent. , hnwsver. dipping
tibia ?WSW ead. he MOM bitter nurture
fails r It dinipetIMMI w111. each finger
sed a gt* bbeiasa*s1 is a stall un -
tit able pregies./ty le eradicated.
8bopmem and clerks. .......71
Professional men and students . . 11
Bodin nader.aventeen years . . 80
If ell that entered remained in it
wouldn't take long to build up an ar-
my that would be aameriaally all we
mould with for.
Unfortunately Tommy Atkins has an
eztraordinery habit of melting away.
He dies, buys himself out. misconducts
himself and is discharged. deserts and
never Domes back, and goes off is all
mennw'r of wsya so that the army
Lore nearly fifty men every day, or
ethicist a regiment every two weeks.
Figures aloes can bring home to the
reader .bat this continue! " leakage "
really means. The next table shows
how arm army 211.500 strong on Janu-
ary 1st 1816. suffered during twelve
months a sheer loss of 17,0110 men. and
sent only 13.900 to the reserve• and lose
than
700 TO THE MiLITIA.
yeomanry, and volunteers: -
Discharged on completion of ser-
vice, twenty-one years or lees 1.911
Discharged an invalids . .. .. .3.579
Diacbarged for misconduct . . .1.717
Discharged as unlikely to become
efficient soldiers.... .. .. . 531
Discharged for false answer at
enl istmen t ..........155
Discharged for various other
tb i n gs. . . . . . . . ... 561
Set free by indulgence. . 36e
Bought tbemaeivee out et 410
eaab . . . . .. .
Bought themselves out at 418
each . . . . . . . . LIMO
Streak off as deserters.. .. . .3.167
eifor various reasons. .. . 1,076
Died
Total &beer 1 os. . . . . . .17.538
Transferred to army reserve . .13.1131
Transferred to militia, yeomanry,
and volunteers. . . _.. .. . MI
Total . .. . . .. .. . ....14.815
01 course. in some years the num-
ber of recruits is greater than in
otbers--it depende almost entirely on
the state of trade and agrlcultare-just
ea the number lost and sent to the re-
serve aim varies. Bat for a good
many years they have all been stead-
ily decreasing. Rix yearn ago. for in-
stance, nearly 42.000 recruits were re -
reeved. bet in the year under consid-
eration. 11136, atter making *11 allow-
ances, the number tell abort of 29,000.
Rix years ago, too. the number tbat
peened to the reserve was almost 1/1,-
000: in 1836 it was emir 14.030. Alto-
gether the problem of Tommy Atkins
to not an early one.
Probably ;t will only be solved when
the authorities recognise that. a good
article being wanted. it mn*t he paid
tor. and. having been obtained, must
be kept by some means or other yet
to be devised.
INFORMATION WANTED.
And now•, said the lecturer, at the
close of a discourse on Theosophy, to
'which his andienre had listened with
the deepest attention. i& accordance+
with no: usual cuetoril I shall extend
to any person present who cares to do
so tee opportunity to ask whatever
question may he in hie mind. I wish to
leave no point obscured if it is In np
power to make it clear,
There's one thing I've &leays wanted
to know, .gid an earnest looking was
in the audie*ee, rising as be spoke. Pee
Iaskee a greatmany mea and none M
teem retold ever 1.11 new. Why ie It
that you always find s virtue* et a
goat nn a track hoer sign
HAD HIS.ItEhsloM.
That's a queer nate for a agate re-
irtarked the lequisitive mal; why de
you call him ' Nearly r
asthma, replied the other moa, heli
all butt.
AT THE SHOW.
Mamas -isn't be s wonderful oos-
beetiedat r
Papa --Yea; f 'nab i reale do that.
Manias- W f
Pap. -.-1 tbbk It might annus the
baby.
A Royal Housekeeper.
I boys thought a taw gsosr. r..
marks .8kidil, .1,10 . lateen's !amoebae(
would he iaMr•Miat thks week. Qu•se
Victale botasabsid •zpenss. Inc
ism times Maros whish generally
omen tbb delipaelso of houss-
keepidg, emcee' to 3M.400 is year, ase.
enormous as this sum may even, It 1e
about a fifth od what used to be Meet
whoa George III. weskltag, la spite ed
tbo feed that worn artloio eat food,
tabby moot poultry sad so on. Oen
Moo lem then half what they do nee,
11 is but falx to add that out of the
qussts's "housekeeping money" beg
to scree all toe expeemes ooansot•d wltt
tin royal •tablas, and is teat wp„rt.
nest atoms over two /Roared mea ars
•uaDimyed-
Qssso victoria talcs a more actino
part he her bovssbdd than is the ce..
Witt many ladles of high degree. 5h
by no insane leaves everything W ber
housekeeper. wises* position. as m.iy a
easily dg..hm1l11MIs vy lm.
portentisadli4, respooafbbl1 ow.l.Th;r sal•
wry 1. oomparatively modest, being gets
a year ; but this housekeeper eat Windsor
Castle has tido apartments le the cs.•
tie sad bier perquisites and privileges
brings her la, quite isgitim•tely, a eery
much larger sum each year time ties
actual &mount of ber salary.
Thus. to take but ons iastene., whoa
the grandfatber o[ the premed Tsar
v W ted W I54.or he heft s' glut whisk
practically amounted to • present of
S.I00 to the then bousekdeper, and
•le royal and imperial visitor act. la
a more or las generous manner woes
ieaviog a royal pathos.
As may be easily Imagined. the dell.
Date question at "veils" plays a very
important part 1s the royal bonsahold,
but still save in *streordlstory cases,
the queen's domestic cannot count ua
reoeivigg a tenth part of what their
predecesaors did _
Tbts le owing to varyIs days Isaacs,go&o bypartly
bemuse many of ber majesty's visitors
ars really "poor relations" wbo natur-
ally unseat afford to spend • year's i0 -
corns la "tipping" a number of domes-
tics who are probably richer flea
themselves and then again. the prince
consort. who thoroughly disapproved of
gratuities on principle mads a very
vigorous effort after the 'tett of the
Emperor Nichdas I.. exactly fifty-two
yearsago last spring, fro Visit
amount gives by .soh royal visitorth* u
something like resaomable proportions.
for the "Buperb Tsar." as he was 'al-
ways called. left 3100.000 for the royal
sensate and LW* eater • week's visit
white Napoleos 1II., wbo camas to
W isdsor anoompaaled by his beet 1 f u1
empresoe tea yesr. ar
later. g. ,
a very sa slmimler miner.
Atter tibias gsas it le cot a-
derfal tbgt the/naar'ds■t 3500 or so•glwoves
by s°eosdhag sovereigas after selling
oo their sister gooses aroused • good
deal of iadigts*tioo among these who
had lima taught to expect at least fifty
theses that gam. The last really !mad-
man. windfall which beds! her majesty's
kauwkoid ca badfrom the lab of
HotI*M. who had Usamy rug&! Ideas os
amen matters. As for Riolas II., be
followed fir more grsoefsl custom
of giving gifts rather than mosey, to
boss 1. sad abogt Baineer*l even then.
the few days be and his wits spent with
their ``rawdmntbsr *4
imporlal tremsnry claw:otoolositasestrygrabsta;ktbet
deed,tb•t$.oesotwas
at Aberdeen in order to meet the em-
peror's requirements.
Few people are aware that so ser-
vasrt is ewer dismissed from a royal
palace. This Is probably the reason
why we hear so little g'o.mlp of any
kind shout her majesty's boassbold ar-
raqsposprstn. The queen earls foame
up her esied that much of ber oeillort
and peace dep.ad.4ec ire atltlt'pds tak-
es bT Ise toward th°sewith whom she
mould ort hat be brought contently
into ottetrsict.
A000rdiegly so domestic `is ever en.
ga�.d without the strictest tat airy
treleg spade into hlior her private ghee -
atter wad general qualifications for the
post abent to he filled. sad. abosld a
iaiatek& appear to have bees Made, the
parson is 3uesetion is not sent sway
with a more or hes good character. as
would be the cede in moot establish,
moats, but Ire or am is simply moved
dow•lr • stop .&d given a position of
lensOn rethe epoosiothtterility.hand, Queen Vfeterio 1*
exceedingly kind to every member at
ber boadoheia. +ad they ani sgfl
vkI0id by` rtes d Ib,s wary phyMr1aoIisrly
attached to the court.
Matrimonial .ag•gemente ars not
discouraged, providing the coatraeting
parties are osmeld.red tboroogbiy r•-
epectabls. Wben a marriage is hre-
mtoent the queen sends for the young
women. Anel after a few kindly worts
of •deice, preset& ber with a larwv
Bible. which It seed hardly he said.
g oes becomes what Ls generally called
a family IMO*. Also If the pec'
tive bride Ire been in the royal service
some time, sod has bean distitpgmlahed
by good conduct, bet trousseau is pro-
vided, sed who k often `ranted some
smell post carrying with It a redldsn''e•
Ment of the royal lodges are oerupied
b soupier .ho were vase h service at
' e (!ea be."
W k ass oyp of ber -d•jsty!s senanb
assn whet 1a mantra° It' milled " hsyo&d
work." be er she retiree cep a pension.
end 1.1 aiarert tnvattahly awarded s.
anri11 .shite rat ruche m one cit 1.1. dsrp.n-
desriss of Kesaingtoa Palm. Holy
rood, or any ether' royal ridlderre
`testis there ire --sweetens ~sat
•para 4*'. !lops der tats 1)14*: a I01
bar salt jetty'• pSNeus l attsdaste
be Written. w very intereatiag It yid
pr°v4
TARES THS OLDEST:
An saki 1 11i 1H•kien. wbenr age
said tobeIli yeay Warr . , Pe
Tied to a ntN tilt M. Mu bas
riled several tides, aad
hn&Mtnd Bas des ober has
his annesas.r the eddeet
s.lghhoe rttoad.
a
NE NEWS tit
ttl3 VLII Y LATEST
WOR
wt•rt•ttaa humus Alma
arse* tarttaf.. the
All parts •a the as
Assorted ate awry Re
l'ommercW falluri
week number 27 N
ago.
Sir Seaford Flemi
elected Chamoellor o
slay. Kiagato■•
Tax, Cit Cottooil
i. urging i n
improve the harbor
Manitoba provt■ol
►(kelt' take p4* * •
month's . loo of t
Jacquot LePage•
oRd1ouski
baptized. county, he
Old.
r
l4und•Y nkbt'• C.
Cap'• by Yhndslimds
tory.
Oen. Gsacolgne, C
et the throes in
1 Washington, ac'eoml
coigne
The utast dot
fiord, of Hartw7. 1
riday fro Ion .1
morpbiDl 1
fbe Canadian 1
6ingntes. has cloy
tax Minster of R•
structmn of neer
taboo -Monist Bali°
Then •re now c
of whet fa slevat'
and Fort William.
over 1,014636 ba■b'
general Mar*4er
beads • syndicate .
ernmemt at Ottaw
bridge the Detroit 1
nor and Detroit.
PP. lead sale
armpits 81,000 acre
was realised. a s
lariat. 'ler nkat ' seowt
month last year.
bIr, lt.okiatoeh
Governor of theNe
Re tesd•red his r
effent on January
yet been accepted.
thc,'irnu,T*t'mthor
ltw.arMinise
bs
1i�thltihW.r mtdy p1
1s
beenarsbsg386tstGeologal Our.
ITa9600tioscowerdoo.,l
The Ylaetdik.
trt
effect oro 'b■s
Lrt:me at V■
reached 341,184ni. tens
ss cowered with
Alfred Gerson.
9Qpeered tram Doc
l pper l;lipmean.
•,nae the "big sn
feared he has pc
to t bra Lower Towi
Mr. G. C. Ocoee.
* nombee at Gras
and alar offish
f ram Losdw to 8
of tb• Wahaab se
en oxer the AI
A plebiscite ir wa
upon the qu•wtice
cense should he
Hall. Eight huh
votes were polled
and only tour ba
or of it.
Hon. P. dishy,
from the pcukia
Oammi mmiss a .t
office bas baso cat
Indiumneratfae.
(agbtts
Indian eth �.ib.to
hold booffices
na�
Major-General
Mounted Police.
flag at Summit
e rlcan territory,
er on Friday tie
pease'
eas t mmlgt L•
ti
✓ ide of the anon
Tb. comm
mitre 1.to tba 1
the Crow's Neel
Wordage, B. C.
macaws for comp
of the employer
anted the most
there is an aha
mince.
0 'Law
Tba Mercies*
neea suftertng
Influsnsa, is na
'Ms cattiest
of the prisolps
t'orelli's book,
ams just died
Ilfracombe, Del
the pariah char
James Norman
Tb• question
ernor-0eseraL
(ictal circles is
formers are ar
made from flan
nen without b
Hon. lir. Cars
Cher are meal
UNI•
A ntenber d
Brad Co■greme
lhi.in.as tails
lest week nun
year ego
More than 0
the York Corp
have gams. 1.
The Chicago
resolu;tioas a
:fain lied Moll
The fTnited
lief esp.Mtion
ave n�dpnned r
ecial fig
the Iyer et tl
writer a Heat
terse.
1.orenso
enmbridg..
m 411