HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance, 1917-09-27, Page 6Tao Public. Bulletin of the 1 -cohabits
Life Aesuranee Society of the United
States aseerts that "ttu official news
elatenrent recently issued by the
'United States (lovermuent indicatee
that out of approxintately 1,300.000
men who volunteered Par the army and
navy for the four and oue-heit month
feiloWing tile declaration of way on
April 6, eut 448,80 were acceptable.
This ctaternent was issued officially
by the Cleverulnent and indicates a
rejection of 66 per cent, among a at
body of men who thought they were
physically fit or they would not have
appiled foe military service. In tile
Mee of this evidence, we will he Ire.
deea fortunate if half Of the ethereal -
mately 10,000,000 young men of draft
age, 21-31, are found fit for military
eerviee." Perlis es the physical test ia
too strict, lete would hate to think that
Canada's cohseripte would not make a
better showing.
The Philadelphia Record elieS the
case of a young men who withdrew an
exemption claim filecl on his behalf by
his parents. This young. man told
the local board before which be was
examined that he did not wish to claim
exemption. But his, parents toolc it
upon themselves to speak for hint,
making affidavit that they were de-
pendent upon him for support. When
he learned of this he wrote a manly
letter to the District Board setting
forth that he was desirous of serving;
that the statement of his parents as to
their dependency was erroneous, and
thet while he appreciated the feelings
which had prompted their action, he
did not feel that he could benefit by it,
for, notwithstanding his family ties,
"after all, patriotism comes first," The
slackers might make a note of this.
KORNILOFF AND .KERENSKY.
As Premier Kerensky holds the
wires in Russia, it is difficult to get
a true vision of the real state of af-
fairs over there. No word of a -con-
flict between the forces of Korniloff
and the Premier has come at this
writing, and It is probable that none
has yet -taken place. Korniloff has is-
sued a proclamation In which he calls
upon the people to say d Russia He de-
clares the workmen end soldiers eouro
cil to be composed of visionaries, anar
chists and Pro -Germans. Kerensky ante
Korniloff are both strong. men‚ But it
Is considered that the former has not
the strength of diameter necessary to
act with sufficient force to bring or-
der out of the confusion the country is
now in. A military dictator is appar-
ently needed and Korniloff may be the
man for the occasion. At the Moscow
convention the General announced
boldly that, there was anarchy in the
army and that it could not be suppres-
sed through any process of reasoning.
The most drastic measures were ne-
cessary to save Russia, he said, aid
regeneration of the army was the first
essential. His statement, "The meas-
ures taken at the front also must be
applied at the rear," brought a tre•
mendous buret of cheers.
Korniloff Influenced the convention
to restore the death penalty, but so
far Kerensky has not done so. With-
out it in the army, order cannot be
restored, and without it in the rear or
among the civilians mob rule is the
law. The two leaders cannot go on
as they are doing; one must go under.
We imagine that Korniloff is tete man
marked out to be the saviour of his
country.
• • ••
THE CHOIRMASTERS' CALL.
(J. E. M. In Toronto News)
TO ALL YOU gentle Married Men
This call we now indite.
The Omits are on the job again
Rehearsing Friday night.
But half the boys who used to sing.
Axe ranged against the Huns.
They wear the khaki of the King
And labor with the guns.
You Married Men in other days
Were in some singing troupe.
Perhaps the Girl, with loving ways,
Was in some Alto group.
But now In dull retirement you
Are all disposed to sit.
Ncw tell us if our words are true,
If you can feel the hit:
Come out. Re -taste the ancient sweets:
Too long you were bereft.
Come out .ard take the vacant seats
'Your gallant sons have left.
'You cannot fight for Church and IZIng
(Eighth Class or else unfit)
But you are not too old to sing,
.90 come, and Do Your Bit.
Mere Odds and Ends,
The population of the British Ern•
etre exceeds one-quarter that of the
world.
In Fiji and Samoa, the birth of eftell
child is registered by tattooing, on the
arm of the mother.
in some of the Italian towns. the re-
fuse gathered in the streets is sold at
auction.
lt is calculated that when a Man
walks it mile he takes an average of
2.263 steps; but when he rides a bi-
cycle with an average gear he covers
a mite with an equivalent of only 627
steps.
The average amount of eicknessi of
the human life Is estimated at ten days
per annum.
.644—
Care of Birds.
In an Englieh treatise on the "Hy-
giene of Bird Keeping" atteation is
varied to th t thotightlese praetice (.r
Lunging birth; in ogee jilat above the
level of the eaehee ot winlowe and to
the Mistakelt kindneee of hanging it
cage in edraer of a sitting ref= or
kitehen near the ceiling. In the one
ease the bird is subjected to &ate
and will in all probability develop
iettarrh and bronehitis, an:i in the
,the e it thee in a vislatel attiseephin e
•
NOW, bat the brave dear, e (lie
fair, but many fatilW woold rather
a1aneXeltIptleti,
“BEL
CHAPTER IV.
The girl turned an italifterent, walt
ei 41,0 toward the fire, 'efusing to
leek At any of the men. Iler beauty
grew upon them raomentarilY, Their
amazement knew no bounds that one
like tide ,shoulti have been Ted to their
door out of the night.
"Well," said Big Jack, breaking the
silence at lo.st. "It was a rough wet
-
come we give you, mice, We thought
you Was a epook or something like
that. But we're geed to aee you,"
She gave no- (sign of having beard
"Was it you whistled through the
keyhole and toseed a steno down the
chimney?" demanded HuGky.
No anewer was forthcoming.
..re sorry if we hurt you,' added
Jack.
He might aa well have been adarette-
lug a wooden woman.
"I eat', I'm sorry if we hurt you," he
repeated louder.
"Maybe she can't underataatd Eng-
lish," aUggeeted Sam.
"What I do then?" asked Jack
ho.
"Try her with sign lauguage."
"Sure," mad Jack, He looked
around for the table, "Oh, hell, it's
burnt upl 'We'll have to eat on the
4loor, Hey, look sister!" Ile went
through the motions of spreading a
table and eating.. The others watched
interestedly, "Will you?" he asked.
She gravely nodded her head, A
cheer went up from the circle.
"Hey, cookee!" cried Big Jack.
"Tose up a bag of bleeults and put
)'our coffee-pot on. You, Joe, chase
out to the etable and fetch a box for
her to sit on,"
For the next tew minutes the cabin
presented a scene ot great activity.
Every man, with ite tail of an eye
00 the guest, wee, anxious to contri-
bute a share to the preparations.
Husky went to the lake for water;
Shand cut bacon, and ground coffee for
the cook; Big Jack produced a clean,
or fairly clean, white blanket to serve
for a. tablecloth, and Get the table.
Yet their smiles upon their viaitor
had a shade of double meaning, A
glitter in each -man's eyes suggested
that his hospitality waa not entirely
dialutereated. They were inclined to
bristle at each other. Clearly a dan-
gerous amount of electricity was being
etored within the little shack. Only
Sam was as self-contained in his way
as the girl in here.
Big Jade continued his efforts to
eommuraicate with her. He was de-
luded by the idea that if he talked. a
Mad or pidgin -English and shouted
loud enough she must understand.
"Mee, Big Jack," he explained:
"him, Black Shand; him, Hueky; him,
Young Joe, You?" -He pointed to her
•queationlogly.
"Bela," she said.
It was the first word she had ut-
tered. Her voice was like a strain of
woods music. At the sound of it Sam
looked up from his flour. He quickly
dropped his eyes again.
When Joe brought her the box to
sit on, he lingered beside her. Good-
looking Young Joe was a boasted con-
queror of the sex. The leaat able of
them all to control hie emotionG, he
was now doing the outrageously mas-
culine. Hee strutted, Need, and
smirked in a way highly offensive to
the other men.
When _Bela sat down Joe put a hand
on her ehoulder. Inetantly Big Jack's
Dale face flamed like an aurora.
"Keep your distance!" he barked.
"Do you think the rest of us will
stand for that?"
"Ali! I've got the same show as
any of you, haven't I?" snarled Joe.
Big Jack dropped the knivee and
forks and rose. "Well, well decide
that right, now if you want," he wild
grimly. •
"And, by George, you'll have to
take me on after him!" growled
Shand from the other side of the fire.
Whatever tongue she spoke, any
woman should have understood the
purport of the scene. Yet this atrange
girl never raised an eyelid.
Joe retreated to the bed, creetfallen
and snarling, and things smoothed
down for the moment.
"Where do you live?" Jack asked
the girl, illuetrating with elaborate
pantomime.
She merely shook her head. They
might decide ea they chose whether
she did not understand or did net
mean to tell.
Husky came in with a pail of water.
The eanguine Husky was almost as
visibly ardent as Joe. He rummaged
in his bag at the far end of the cabin,
and reappeared in the firelight bear-
ing an orange eilk handkerchief. Hie
intention Was unmistakable.
"You put that up, Husky!" came
an angry voice from the head. "If
I've' got to stay away from her, you've
go to, too!"
Husky turned, snarling. "I guess,
this is mine, ain't it? I eau give it
away It I want,"
"Not if I know!" cried Joe, spring-
ing toward Irina. They faced each other
In the middle of the room with bared
teeth,
Big Jack rose again. "Put it away,
Husky," he tommandede "This is a
free field and no favor, If You want
to pueh yourself forward at our ex -
pewee, you got to settle with us first,
gee?"
The others loudly approved of this,
Hueky, disgruntled, thrust the hand-
kerehlet in his pocket.
After the two overweening spirite
had 'been rebuked, matters in the
shack went quietly for a white, The
four men watehed the girl, full of
wonder; meanwhile each kept an eye
oh hie mate,
It was their first experience at close
range with a girl of the country, and
they could 'not make her out at all,
Her eoie interest eeetned to be -upon
the fire. Thiel ,eir of indiffertnee itt
mice provoked and baffled them. They
could net reconcile it with the impish
tricke she had played.
They could not understand a girl
elone in a crowd of Men betraying no
stelf-consciousneect. Touch me at yoUr
Peril, she seemed to eay; but if that
Was the Way ch e felt, what had she
Come for?
Sam brought hie basin ot flour to
the hearth and, kneeling in the fire-
light, proceeded to mix the dough.
After the manner of amateur toeite,
he liberally Muttered hie halide and
arms with the sticky Mee,
The girl vvatehed him with tteorn-
ful lip. Suddetely she dropped to her
kneeit beeide him, and without so
Muth ea be Yeur leave, took the haein
Out of hie halide, She allowed him how
it ought to be done, flouring her
heeds ee the better would not Miele,
and teasing up the mess With the
light dett toedi of long experience.
At the sight of $ani's dieeeltititUre a
oim.
roar0!laughter Went up from the
"Quees you're gut of a job now,
cookee,"'eaid Shand.
"Now we'll have something to eat
beeiace, teed sinkers," added Joe.
Sam laughed with the others, and
retiring a little, watched how she did
It, The girl affected him differently
from the rest, Diffidenee overcame
him, He scarcely ever raised hio eyes
to her faee.
All watched her delightedly, eaeh
Man showing it according to his na-
ture, In every move she was as grace-
ful as a kitten or a filly, or anything
young, natural, and unconecioua of it-
self.
In a remarkably ehort space of tirne
the three frying -pans were upended
before the fire, each with its loaf. NO
need to ask if it was going to be good
bread. It appeared that thee wonderful
girl had other recommendations be-
side her beauty,
She rose, dueting her hands, and
backed away from the fire, aa If to
cool off. Before they realized what
she was doing, ehe turned and quietly
walked out of the door, closing it af-
ter her,
They cried out in dismay, and of
one accord Wang up and made le
the door. Sam involuntarily ran wite
the others, filled, like they were, with
dleappointraent. It was now pitch
dark under the trees, and etreight
from the fire as they were, they could
not see a yard ahead,
They ecattered, beating the wooda,
loudly calling her name and making
naive promiees to the night, if ehe
would cnly corae back. They collided
with each other and, tripPing eve?
root, meaeured their lengths on the
giund.
Curse e began to be mixed with their
dulcet invitatio.ne to the vanished one
to return. Froni the sounds, one
would have been juatified in 'thinking
it part of bedlam had been let locate
In the pine -woods.
Sam was the first to take eober sec-
ond thought, He began to retract his
stew toward the cabin. Common
sense told him she would never be
caught by that noiay erew unleas she
wiehed to be. In any case, the bread
might as well be saved.
In his heart he approved ot her
retreat, Trouble in the shack could
not long have been averted if she had
stayed. Perhaps she had been better
aware of what was going on that she
seemed. What a strange visitation it
had been altogether! How beautiful
she was, and how mysterious! Much
too good for that lot. It pleased him
to think that she was honest. He had
not known what to think before.
Thus ruminating he came to the
cabin door, and was pulled up short
on the threshold by a fresh shock of
astonisluttent. There she was, kneel-
ing on the hearth as before!
She glanced indifferently at him
over her shoulder, and went on with
her work, Such hardihood in face of
all the . noise outside did not seem
human. Sam stared at her open-
mouthed. She had some birds that she
was skinning and cutting up. The
pungent, appetizing smell of wild
fowl greeted his nostrils.
"Well, I'll be damned!" he ex-
claimed, involuntarily. "'What does
this mean?"
She disdained any answer.
"You were foolish not to beat it
while you had a chance," he said,
forgetting she was supposed not to
understand. 'This is no place for a
woman!"
She glanced at him with a, subtle
smile. Sam flushed up. "Oh, very
well!" he Bald, hotly. Turning, he
called outside, "Boys, come back!
She's here!"
One by one they straggled in, grin-
ning delightedty, if somewhat sheep-
ishly. They shook their heads at each
other. We sure have a queer customee,
was the general feeling, It was useless
to bombard her with questions, The
language of signs was a feeble means
of communlcation when one side is
intractable.
Apparently she had merely gone to
some cache of her own to obtain a
contribution toward the feast. She
had brought half a dozen grouse. The
biscuit -loaves were now done sutfa
cicntly to stand alone, and the pans
were giving off delicious emanations
of frying grouse and bacon.
The four men who, for the past
week, had been sunk in utter boredom,
naturally reacted to the other extreetne
of hilarity. Loud laughter filled the
cabin. The potentialities for trouble
were not, however, lessened. On the
contrary, a look or a word was enough
at any moment to bring a snarling
pair face to face. Presently the in-
evitable sUggestion was brought forth,
"This is goin' to be it regular
party," cried Joe. "Jack be a sport;
get out -a bottle, and let's do it in
style!"
To save himself, Sam could not
keep back the protest* that sprang to
his lips, "For God's sake!" lie cried.
"What the hell is it to you, cook?"
cried Joe, curiously. There was old
bad blood between these two. Perhaps
because they were of the same age.
Mg Jack was bursar and commis-
sary of the expedition, He smiled and
gave his mouth a preliminary wipe.
"Well, I think we might stand one
bottle," he said.
Sam ehrugged and held his tongue.
Jack returned with one of the pre.
cious bottles they had contrived to
smuggle past the police at the Landing.
Ile °petted it with loving care, and the
four partners had an appetizer.
When the food was ready, the al-
ways unexpeeted girl refused ter sit
with them around the blanket‚ No
aniount of urging would move her. She
retired with her own plate to a plate
beside the tire.
Though she was the guest, she as-
sumed the duty of hostess, watchhig
their 'plates and keeping them filled.
This was the first amenity she had
shown them. They were perplexed to
reeoricile It with her scornful air.
Only one did she relax. Dig Jack,
jumping up to put a Mick oh the fire,
did not mark where she set his plate.
On his return he stepped In it, The
others saw what was •coming, and their
laughter was ready.
Above the Masculine guffaws rang a
gleitah peal hike shaken bells. They
looked at her, surprised and delighted.
More than anything, the laughter
humanized her. She hastily drew the
'mask over her feee again, but they did
not soon forget the sound of lier
laughter,
Big jack kept control Of the bottle,
and doled It oat With Strict impartial.
ity, 'Under the spur of the fiery spirit,
tloleuir,
irtt4rdor and Weir jevialitY =anted
t
Sam was not offered the NMI°.
Sam wee likewise tacttlY Minded trim
the coateet for the girl') Weer. It did
not occur to any of the four to be jeals
ous ot little Sam. He accepted the
eltuatioe with equaelmity. Be had nQ
deeire te rival Went. Ilia feeling Was
that if that was the kind she wanted,
there was nothing itt it for him.
Like all primitive meals, it was over
In a few minutes, Stall gathered up
the dishes, while the other men filled
their pipes and befogged the atmos-
phere with a fragrant cloud of emoke.
goo d° alt t o 0.
aacdcYeitturers, they imitated on
The rapidly dirninithing bottle wee
circulated from haad to hand, the
hilartty eensibly increasing with each
passage. Their enterced abstention of
late made them more then usually
susceptible, Their face$ were flushed,
and their eyes began to be a little
bloodshot, They continually torgot
that the girl could not speak Englleh,
and their facetious remarks to %lob
other were in reality for her benefit.
A. rough respect or her still kept tisane
within bounds.
Bela, as a matter of course, set to
work ou the hearth to help Sam clean
up. This displeased Joe,
"Ah, let him do his work!" he cried.
"You come here, and I'll sing to yOu."
Hie partners howled in derision.
"Sing!" cried Husky. "You ain't got
no more voice than a bullbat!"
Joe trued on him furiously. "Well,
at that, I a.tn't no fat, redheaded lob-
ster!" he cried.
A violent wrangle resulted , into
which Shand was presently drawn,
making it a three -cornered affair. Big
Zack, commanding them to be silent,
made more noise than any. Pande-
monium filled the shack. The instinc-
tive knowledge that the first man to
strike a blow would have to fight all
three kept them apart, No man may
keep any dignity in a tongue-lashing
bout, Their flushed faces and rolling
eyes were hideous in anger,
Through it all the amazing girl
quietly went on washing dishes with
Sam, He stole a glance of compassion
at her, Was it possible she did not
realize the danger of her situation? he
wondered, She must know. How did
she expect to get out of it?
Yet, like a man, he had a strong
doubt of her, too. What had she come
for? That question was still unan-
swered. Either she was incredibly
naive or incredibly artful. He couldn't
make up his mind which.
Big Jack, having the loudest roar,
battered the ears of the disputants
until they were silenced, "You fools!"
he cried. "Are you going to waste the
night chewing the rag like a parcel ot
women?"
They looked at him sullenly. "Well,
what are we going to do? That's what
I'd like to know," said Shand.
A significant silence filled the cabin.
The men scowled and looked on the
floor. The same thought was in every
mind. .An impossible situation con-
fronted them. How could anyone
htborpeee?to prevail against the other
"Look here, you men," said .Jack at
last. "I've got a scheme. I'm a good
sport. Have you got the nerve to
match nae:?"
"What:; e are you getting at?" de-
manded Husky.
Jack put his hand in lits pocket.
"This ,shack ain't big enough to hold
the four ofus," he said, meaningly.
"Three has got to get out. I've got a
pair of dice here. Three rounds, see?
The low man to drop out on each
round. The winner to keep the shack,
and the other three camp on the shore.
What do you say to it?"
CHAPTER V,
The three stared at Blg Jack in a
dead silence while the underlying sig-
nificance of his words sunk in. They
began to breathe quickly. Sam, hear-
.ing the proposal,. flushed with indig-
nation. His heart 'melted in his
throat with apprehension for the girl.
How could he make her understand
what was going on? How could he
help her? I,Vould ehe thank him for
helping, her?
Shand was the first to speak. "It's
the only way," he muttered,
"How about the cook?" demanded
Husky, thickly.
"Hell, he ain't in this game!" said
Jack indifferently. "He sleeps outside
with the losers."
"I'm damned If I'll stand for it!"
cried Joe, excitedly, "It's only a
chance! It doesn't settle anything.
The best man's got to win!"
"You fools!' growled Shand. "How
will you settle it ---with guns? Is it
worth a triple killing?'
"With my bare fists!" said Joe,
boastfully.
"Are you man enough to take on
the three of us, one after the other?"
demanded Shand. You've got to
play fair in this. You take an equal
chance with the rest of us, or we'll all
jump pc k0tia nYd" Husky supported him in
no uneertain terms. Joe subsided .
"It's agreed, then," earld Jack.
Shand and Husky nodded.
"Let him come in, then, if he wants
his chance," said Jack, indifferently,
"The losers will take care of him."
Joe made haste to join them, They
squatted in a circle around the blan-
ket. Under the strong excitemeAt of
the game, each nature revealed. itself,
Blade Shand became as pale as paper,
while Husky's fade tuened purple.
Young Joe's fade was drawn by the
strain, and his hand and tengtie
showed it disposition to tremble. Only
Big Jack exhibited the perfect control
of the born gambler. His steely blue
eyee sparkled With a strange pleasure.
"Let me see them?" demanded
Husky, rettching for elle diee.
Jack latighed scornfully. "What'e
the maitet with you? 'Tain't the first
time you've played with them. There's
only the owe pair. We've all got to use
them alike,"
"Let me see there!" peesisted
Huttly: showing his teeth. "It's my
rig
Jack shrugged, and the bone cubes
wete solemnly passed from hahd to
hand,
"You ean't shoot on a niat," atd
Joe. Jerking the blanket from the floor
he tossed it bellied him.
"Oct something to shake them in,"
said Shined. "No palming wanted.'
Iiveky reached behind hint and took
ft cup front Sant.
(To be continued.)
• • •
Planting Largo %Wee.
Cateful editelderation should be
given to the planting of large trees
and shrub, as plenting of -this kind
ishOuld be perntanent, Floeser beds
May be Changed Imre or less- every
yottr, but large shrUbe and trees re-
quire putts to develop fine speeimens,
a() they shreeld net be disturbed or
MOW after they are once lOcated.eee
New TOrk Suit,
LA
Tea is Delicious and Pure
Sealed Packets Only Never in Bulk
BLACK4 MIXED or NATIMAI4 GREEN E218
rAraux FRIENDS.
rine POod for Thought in a Be-
quest Made by justice Lamar.
In the will of the late Justice Lamar
of the UniteStates supreme court
there watt me very unusual legaeY.
He bequeathed his friendships te his
family.
"To my family," the will runs, "I
bequeath friendships many and numer-
ous In the hope that they will be cher,
!shed and continued. True friendshipst
are the most valuable of our earthly
pOS$618S1t)1113, more precious than gold,
more enduring than marble palaces,
More important than fame. * *
Aa Henry Drummond has well said,
'Frtendship is the nearest thing we
know to what religion is!' "
The family that inherits such wealth
is truly rich, But it is it legacy that
Must be used if it would be preserved.
Friendships cannot be locked away in
eafes or lent to bistorical exhibits and
museums. Like love and faith and
courage, they belong to that intangible
treasure ot the soul that must be kept
from aestruotion by constant service,
It is not alone material thing e that
"rust doth corrupt."
How many of us have let slip
through busy or careless fingers the
beautiful and glowing friendships of
our youth? We did not mean to do it.
Indeed, we have often regretted the
loss until, as the years pass, the regret
gradually fades away. And it that is
true of our own friends how far more
true of our father's friends? Yet there
have been families where friendships
have passed down from father to son
for several generations,
There is food fot• thought here. Hew
many fathers are building up fine and
loyal and serviceable friendships that
they can with pride and gratitude be-
queath to their sons? How many
mothers are storing up like treasures
fox' their daughters? The question
does not end there. How many young
people of to -day are fitting themselvea
to receive such legacies? How many
in all the varied and urgent calls of
life are heeding the challenge to make
themselves worthy of friendships by
being loyal and fine tempered and gen.
erous friends themselves
"A man that bath felenda," the old
book of wisdom declares, "must show
himself friendly," and again, "Thine
own friend and thy father's friend
forsake not." ---Youth's Companion.
Minard's Cinlment Cures elarget in
Cows.
PRESTER JOHN, '
Monarch of Fabulous Wealth and
Power Remains a. Myth.
The general opinion about Prester
John cannot perhaps ,be better sum-
med up than in the cataloguing phrase
"a fabulous medieval Christian mon-
arch of Asia." There can be little ques-
tion to -day as to hie fabulous char-
acter; but the peneistence of the leg-
end about hint is exceeded in remark-
ablenesa only by the astonishing num-
ber of its variants. It is hard to be-
lieve that the detailed history of Pres -
ter John, who occupied such it prom-
inent place in the thought of Europe
for nearly three centuries, ruling over
those valet tracts of country now once
again in dispute, hae not some founda-
tion in fact. When it comes, however,
to trying to determine juet what the
facts were, the teak is found to be one
well-nigh impossible,
Whoever he really was, however, hie
hiatory partakes of the nature of a
seriee of tableaux. With wonderful
stage management, the great charac-
ter does ndt appear at the beginning,
on the stage, He is talked about in the
streete of mediaeval Rome; a myster-
ious person., "John, the patriarch of
the Indians," move a rapidly across the
stage, aa it were, in the early Years
of the tevelftn century, and leaves all
Rome agog with storiee of •the ‚won-
ders that had beea performed at the
shrine of St. Thomas in India, Then,
after muth further talk of the great
Christian kingdom in the East, Pres -
ter John value hie appearanct. He is
"a king and a priest.," He &voila in
the "extreme Orient beyond Persia and
Armenia, a Christian, albeit a Nestor-
ian, who had set out ftom hie distant
kingdom to fight for the church at
Jerusalem, and was prevented from
achievittg his purpose only by lack of
transport to carry his army across
the Tigrla."
Hardly had the exeltement occasion-
ed by his story, which is related in de-
tail in the chronicle of Otto, bishop
of Freisingen, subeided, when all of
Chrietendom was thrilled with the
news that the Emperor Manuel had
reeelved a long letter from the great
monarch of the Emit, It Was signed
"Presbyter Joannes," and the writer
who described himaelf as the greatest
king under heaven, declared that sev-
entY-two other kings, reigning over as
many kingdom, were hie tributariee,
and that, Within hie vast dominions,
were to be found all the wondero that
men had over dreamed of, all %batons
beaete and all the fablIlette races which
had ever been made the eubject et
+story, In hie kingdom were to be seen
the ruins of the Tower of Babel, the
Fountain of Youth, the Sea, of Sand
and the Stream of Precioue Stones.
When the king went to war, thirteen
great crosees of gold, were car-
ried in front of him; whilst in his
kingdom there was "no poor, so no
thiqf or robber, no flatterer or Miser,
no dissensions, no Iles, and no vices."
Even when all this lute been eald, the
nalf has not been told, For was he
not waited on by seven kings at a
time; sixty dukes, and 365 counts? Did
no twelve archblehops sit at his right
hand and twenty bishopat his left?
And yet this eo great a king remained
only a presbyter. If it were asked why,
it would be answered becamie of his
humility, and also because there wan
no title left under heaven great en-
ough to comprehend his gruttneeta. So
popular was this letter that many cop-
ies were made, of which no fewer than
forty-six are atilt extant,
he legend was so firmly establish-
ed, and although nobody ever saw the
great king, or really vieited his king-
dom, travellers were forever seeking
to identify him with thits or that one
amongst the potentates whose 'shad-
owy forme hele sway over the great
unknown vastness of the East. Thus,
about the year 1221, when Jenghlz
Khan began hie march west, and ru-
mors flow through every city of Eur-
ope that some great potentate was at-
tacking the dreaded Moslem powers in
the rear, Jenghlz was identified with
the son, or grandson of Preeter John.
Then there were the discoveries of
Marco Polo, who identified him with
Una Khan, the Prince of Keralt, or
again with the rulers over the Plain
of Kuku-Khotan, some 306 miles west
of Pekin.
By the clase of the fourteenth cen-
tury, the legend, as far as Asia was
concerned, had faded out; but it was
a perelatent legend, andwhen Asia had
obviously no further use for it, It re-
appeared in Africa. And here the pro-
babilities of a foundation in fact,
namely, in the person of one of the
kings of Abyseinia, are much more
in evidence, Indeed, by the fifteenth
century Preeter John had quite de-
finitely found his eeat in Abyssinia,
so that, when John II. of Portugal was
prosecuting inquiries as to access to
India, one of his first cares was to
seek to open communication with
"Prester John of the Indies," who
was understood to be a Christian Mon-
arch in Africa. It Is curious, however,
that right to the end, for shortly after
John IL's time the legend began to
bode its hold on popular though, Pres -
ter John remained a really mythical
character ‚Everybody had heard about
him; but nobody had ever seen him.
—Christian Monitor.
Minarchs Liniment Cures Diphtheria.
SKIRTS.
College Lecturer Says Short Ones
Cause Big .Food Bills.
Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 15.—"Short
skirts and silk stockings make it
,gtelmrIpeaerted.,,somuch that she'ibecomes bad
"An inch from the skirt equals a
pound of 'beefsteak inside,"
"High heeled shoes make a girl's
ankles •wallibly,"
"Two-thirde of the girls don't know
bow to drew for the street."
"Highly colored dresses are very
dangeroue and ma.ke a girl irritable."
"A calico (trues is better than imi-
tation silk."
"Woman's eirat duty is to make her-
self as beauttifui as she can,"
These are a few gems from tho
law of clothes laid fission- by MIES
Jane Newcomb, a state college ex-
tension lecturer, in a talk to a group
of women at the Friendee Central
achool.
'Mice Newcomlb gave first the warn-
ing that the IE8S a girl wears the
more she must eat in order to keep
warm. In the day of short skirts and
high living costa Miee Newcomb has
brought' her research work into the
"folly a fashions" to the conclusion
that eo lengthen the skirt is to shor-
ten the grocer's bill.
"The girl with money can get en-
ough food to keep her warm when she
undreeses for the street," Miss Now-
omib "but the working girl
who apende all elle earna on clothes
to imitate the heireen has so tittle
olenfituf:sr.,:food that she become weak-
ened and an easy victini for tuber-
,
• I.
How to Walk.
There is no virtue in a de,Wdling
saunter. The slow and languid drag-
ging of one foot after the other which
some people call walking would tire
an athlete. It Utterly exhausts a weak
person, and that is the reason why
many delicate women think they can-
not walk. To derive any benefit from
the exercise it is necessary to walk
with it light, elastic step which swings
tete veelght Of the body so easily from
one leg to the other that its weight is
not felt and which produees a healthy
glow, shoWing that the alugglah blood
is Stirred to eaten in the most renlote
veins.
Reducing—' Expenses
The war has so increased the cost of living, the
housewife must make her money go further.
By using Red Rose Tea, which chiefly consists of
strong, rich Aagatn teas, she tan keep her tea bills
down. The rich Assani
strength requires less tea in
the pot—and there's only
One tea with the rich Red
Rose flavor!'
Kept Good by the
Sealed Package
PAPER Volta nom
Walls No Longer Enjoy a Nene.
poly of the rival)* Idea,
Three Oohs of strong, brown paper,
pasted together, With a top eovering
ot ordinary evalipaper, snake ttn excel-
lent, Mexpenelve, sanitary substitute
for linoleum.
After cleaning the noel', a sheet of
good, strong brown paper is pasted
down and alloyed to dry. Then a
awned sheet is laid and allowed to
dry thoroughly before laying a, third
elteet.
If a pattern floor covering ii$ de
sired, ordinary wallpaper servos the
purpose admirably. It is pasted to
the top sheets of brown paper already
laid. The whole, being thoroughly
dry, a coat of sieing is applied and
left to set, atter whicle a coat of good
varnish completes the pm:es% Thie
floor covering has all the advantagee
ot real linoleum and may be washed
lead polished in the ueual way,
es e.
BABY'S OWN TABLETS
ALWAYS IN THE HOME
donor woe.
Mrs, Eugene Vaillancourt, St. Ma-
thieu, gum, writes: "My baby suffered
greatly from constipation, so I began
using Baby's Own Tablets, I was sur-
prised (with the prompt relief they
gave him, and now I always keep them
In the house." Once a mother has used
Baby's Own Tabletfor her little ones
she always keeps a supply on hand
tor the first trial convinces her there
is nothing to equal them in keeping
her little ()Iles well. The Tablets ara
sold by medicine dealers or by mail
at 25 cents a box from The Dr. Wit -
llama Medicine Co., Brockville, Ont.
ONE WAY TO PAY.
How the Artist Raphael Settled
• His Bill at an Inn,
Raphael, the great Italian painter,
*whose celebreted biblical pictures are
worth fabulous slime of money, was
not a rich man when young, and en-
countered some of the vicissitudes of
life like many another genius,
Once when travelling he put up at
an inn and remained there, unable to
get away through lack of funds to
settle his bill, The landlord grew aus-
picious that such was the case, and his
requests for a settlement grew, more
and more pressing. Finally young
Raphael in desperation resorted to the
following device:
He carefully painted upon • a table
tem in his room a number of gold
coins, and, placing the table in a cer-
tain light that gave a startling etfect,
he packed his few belongings and sum-
moned his host.
"There,", he exclaimed, with a lordly
wave of his hand toward the table, "is
eneugh to settle my bill and more,
Now kindly show the Ivey to the
door."
Tho. innkeeper, with many smiles
and bows, ushered his guest out and
then hastened back to gather up his
gold. His rage and consternation when
he discovered the fraud knew no
bounds until a wealthy English tray -
eller, recognizing the value of the art
put In the work, gladly paid him $50
for the table.—Stray Stories.
HOW JAPS COOK RICE.
The quantity of water varies accord -
leg to the qualities of rice, but five
parts of water to four of rice, or SiX
Parts to fiye, by volume, will be com-
',non proportion.
Simply boll the water and then pour
the rice, previously washed, into thia
belling water, at the same them in-
creasing the flame. The pan cover
must fit the pan edge as tightly as
nossible and ale° must be a. heavy
one, enough to withstand the higa
steam pressure in the pan, and if it
is not heavy enough, put seine weights
on it. Keep tho fire strong. In three
or four nilniitai ,tbe. steam pushes out
of the pan; but let the fire be strong
for three or four minutes moee, awl
then, as quickly as possible, withdraw
the blazing fire (in case of wool fuel)
or make the; fire very mild (in MSG
of gas) and lot the pan stand on lit-
tle under fire or very mild flame for
20 or 30 minutes. Then remove the
pan from the furnace and let it stand
fourteen minutes more, This is all the
process.
Ptice thus cooked is very delicious to
taste and may be eaten by itself with-
out any milk or sugar.
I was Cured of painful Goitre by
MINARD'S LININVINT.
I3AYARD elcMULIN.
Chatham, Ont,
I was 'cured of Inflammation by
!AWARD'S LINIMENT.
MRS. W. A. JOHNSON.
Walsh, Ont.
I was cured of Facial Neuralgia by
MINARD'S LINIMENT,
J, H. BAILEY.
Parkdale, Ont.
Spanish Irishmen.
A recent writer drawl:, attention to
the connection which has long existed
between Ireland and Spain. In the
days of the "Wild Geese," when Irish-
men were carving out futures for
themselves as soldiers of fortune itt
many lauds, they went in large num-
bers to Spain. Then again large num-
bers of Irish men and women, many of
them belonging to well-known fam-
ilies, emigramted to Spain in the early
days of the nineteenth century, All
thee emigrants were adopted by the
country, and they adopted it whole-
heartedly—so whole-heartedly, indeed,
that as the Writer already referred to
pointed out, hardly any of their pres-
ent representatives speak English at
any rate, as "a native tongue," and
they have lost all teuele with Irish life.
They have retained their names, how-
ever, utialtered, and in the Spanish
army llst are to be found mahy such
names as O'Conuor, O'Neil, O'Donnell,
Shaw, and to on.—Christian Selene°
••
MADE SURE.'
(Boston Transcript)
etre, CaSeY—Me slater writes me that
every bettle in that box We sent her WWI
broken. And ye stlre yez printed 'This
side up, with care' on It!
Casey --01 am. And for tear they
shoudn't See it on the top, 01 printed oil
the bottom, es well.
"Whet'si the difference betweete a
Socialist and it epeclittiet?" "A geed
deal. A Socialist wants half of all yoa
pOESSeee, and a epeelalist wants it ea"
eettelfe,
'MITE NO, t9, 1917
HELP WANTED.
emANTDD PROBATIONERS T
es train ter nurses. Apply. wellimara
Hospltel, Mt. Catharines, Ont.
ANTBI) MONFOR GIONEllAle Mir.te
*work:. previous experience not es,
eentlei. 0094 openings and udvaneee
:tient to steady men. For faU parties*
htra, apply "Slingsby Co,., Ltd..
Brentford, One"
MONEY ORDERS,
AVI-1411 ORDERING GOODS BY 74,07.4,
11 send a Dominion Bxpreas Money
Order.
SALESMEN WANTED.
utAlsTTED SPECIA,LTY SALESMAN
T" In every city and town, te sell
fast selling, 26 cent to $3,00 articles; no
competition In these articles. An at.
tractive and hig money maker for agents
for whole or spare time. NO aellitig eX'
parlance necessary. Write to -day for
full information. The Britannia. Spec-
ialty Ce., Box 102, Hamilton, mt.
The Gordian Knot.
Ati the old legend goes, the father
of ,Greek King lvlidas, once King of
Phrygia, was originally a poor pea-
so,nt. The people of Phrygla being
much disturbed, an oracle had inform-
ed them that a wagon, would bring
them a king who would put an end to
all their troubles, Not long after this
saying, Gordius (Midas' father) sud-
denly arrived in the midat of an aa-
serubly of the people, hiding in his
wagon, At once, to the great surprete
of Gordius, they made him king. In
his gratitude Gordius dedicated the
wagon to the god Zeue, and it was
Plueed in the aeropolle at Gorclium.
The pole of the wagon was tied to the
yoke by a knot of bark, and a second
oracle declared that whoever untied
that knot should reign over all AQUI,
It TM Alexander who untied the knot
win) his sword, time .assuming him'
self to be the man referred to by the
oracle—Brooklyn "Eagle."
• • se
Minard's Liniment cures Distempen!
RESPECT PROMISES.
Therefore Do Not Make Any 'LTD,
less You Can Keep Them.
Keep your promises, so don't make
any you cannot fill,
Don't make any in conflict with
agreements.
Neglecting the exact terms of a
definite promise is after it very
serious •thing,
The keeping of promisee In busineeS
transactions is the "sheet anchor" ite
the establishing of credit among one'a
business associates.
The world of business places greed
value on Promises.
Not only in all business transaction
but in everyday life, the keeping ot
promises should be looked after with
care.
Whatever you do, keep your word,
for the man who breaks las promiees
even in little things is sure to break
them in the more important ones.
It is a good plan when making a
promise as to appointments to jot
down • in a memorandum book the
man's name, so that no mistakes can
be made.
It is a question cTfebligation that is
not cancelled until it Is Paid.
The man whose promise or word can
be relied upon is the one whose inflm
ence is far-reaching in any community
or in any business,
Keep your promises, so don't make
any you can't fill,—New •York Mail.
Minard's Liniment cures Colds, etc.
Father of the American Navy.
A native born Irishman that the
members of his race are particularly
proud of is Commodore John Barr/
the "Father of the American Navy."
He was born in Wexford, Ireland, in
1745. His father put him on a mer•
chant ship before he was twelve years
old, and at fourteen he was employed
on a ship sailing from Philadelphia.
He was a master of ships before he
was twenty-one years old. When the
Revolution began Barry was employ-
ed by Congress to fit for sea the first
fleet which sailed from Philadelphia.
Barry commanded the Lexington,
which captured the first British war
vestael taken by a regular cruiser,
Blockaded by a superior British fleet
in the Delaireepe, lee landed with his
sailorand marines And joined Wash.
ington's army. ---Detroit Free Press,
High Cost of Living Problem.
Every legislative body would do welt
to consider ways and means of in.
creasing agricultural production and of
utilizing farm products which now go
to waste a step toward solving ths
high cost of living. Science alone can
solve the problem, and ho thne should
be lost in setting science at the task.
Seme ot the best brains in the country
are studying agricultural economics.
More should be employed in the same
manner at once. We must find soies
way to increase the yield of food Pro-.
ducts, not only per acre, but per man,
and we must try to utilize material
which now goes to waste.--Chleaga
Journal.
ee•
Before writing of the dynamic en•
ergy of a great business man, the wise
interviewer always gives him advance
notice so he ean get his feet off the
Vico desk,---eVashington Post.
Join the Whole.Wheat
Club for food conservation
—substitute whole wheat
foods for meat. More real
body-building nutriment for
less money, Shredded
Wheat Biscuit is 100 per
cent, whole wheat in a diges-
tible form. Nothing wasted,
nothing thrown away. Deli-
ciously nourishing for any
meal with milk or (*.ream and
sliced peaches, bananas or
other fruits.
IVIttclo in Canada,