HomeMy WebLinkAboutExeter Advocate, 1905-03-02, Page 3i
{•ia.0b.:•111.•:•••:•w ;•w ; w•:•8b•;•w .,•••j.w blustering night there seemed to
I come a etelden swift presentiment of
•;•evil. Why 1(as she going out after
!all? Why did sho cling to George
Another Man • She half
•gg• 1'I(•►ntl
• iolt hexitwted. Tum beside her
j I a as so strong and true and loyal, so
• .1.I Wi11ing to help her, so ready to
•; far away. and 0► spite of herself
, shield, her, and Australia seemed so
••.1".16'•••e►•••11d•�,~'~4w':•wt' 11•'•t►•.P I George's silence tens worrying her.
I She could nut understand him. Sho
It was a blustering wet night with was almost afraid, and yet she had
a gray sky above and muddy roads promised to go, and she would keep
under loot. The wind tore unsteadily : her word whatever came unless he.
between the trees and out across (1ee(1 he wrote to telt her he did not
the square, a cold, damp wind bring- want her. Ile (lid want. her. She as -
Ing with it heavy splashes of ruin.
Under one of the trees in the square
close against the railings stood a
man and a girl.
The girl looked pour and ill -clad,
with a white, thin fare that had in
it a look almost of desperation.
The roan Was telt and strong and
well dressed, with an eager, keen -
cut face, and he held out his hands
as he looked into the girl's eyes.
"11 yoo only would, Bessie," he
cried. "I'nt well off. 1 could lake care
of you, and I would -you know that.
I'd give you my Ise."
Bessie drew uway, but she smiled
up at him.
"Yes. I know, Ton." she said
softly, "and if I hadn't promised
Oeorge-"
Tom took a sudden step forward.
"Is it only because you promised7t
he cried eagerly. "Is it only because
you think it's your duty to go to
George that you won't marry me?
My goodness. Bessie, you're not go-
ing to marry hint just because you
Said you would, are sou?"
"No, no, but I must go out to
him," sho said. "He wants ale. 1f
'd had the money I should have
started two months ttgo. I promised
him 1'd go directly he sent for me.
Oh, it seems such a long time ago,
Tom, since he went. It's a year, but
It seems touch longer, and father
hadn't died then, and -and-"
Toni Standish looked down at her.
A year ago she had not been the
poor girl she was now. In twelve
'short months many changes had
taken place. She had become poor,
be had grown rich. Her father was
dead, and George Fleming, to whom
she had been engaged, was out in
Australia trying to make a living
so that she could go out to him.
Eighteen months before 'form stan-
dish and George Fleming had both
been in love with Bessie Leigh. In
those days her father was supposed
to he a rich man, and somehow,
while 'tom hesitated at the thought
of proposing to her while ho was
poor, George had stepped in and won
much against her father's wish. A
few months later he had gone to
Australia, and a short time after
that Itessie's father died suddenly,
leaving her, not rich, as everyone
expected, but absolutely and terribly
poor.
She would have been utterly adrift
if it had not been for 'Toni Standish,
and he managed somehow to get for
her a post as nursery governess to
sonde people he knew. If it had not
been for that she might have starv-
ed. She had been in the situation
for two months -it was only three
since her father died -and her solo
thought now was to get out to Aus-
tralia to George, who had begged
her to go to hint as soon as she
could.
That ictter was the last she had
received from hint. it was a long
letter. fell of what he tens going to
do, and somehow it filled Ton Stan-
dish with distrust.
"You haven't heard again, I sup-
pose?" he asked.
Bessie flinched n little.
"No," she said; "i haven't heard,
but Eve written telling 1 ' what
boat I ant going by, and -and the
date and all about it, so that I
shall probably get a letter in a day
or two. There's a marl on Wednes- went except the direction given him
day." by.a policeman, and when he reach -
"lint supposing you don't hear?" ed it at last he wailed impatiently
Tom cried abruptly. for some one to conte.
Bessie lifted her head bravely.
"1 shall go whether I hear or not,
she sni(1 Stendil.t'.
1'(4111 looked down ather hungrily.
If only she had given such faith to
-
him. If roif only he had Imam the an
who was wailing for her out. In Aus-
tralia.
His brow darkened a little as he
sure( herself almost fiercely that he
did na sho went back arl'OSS the wet
road. And yet before sho pulled the
bell she stood and looked back
across the square With a sudden
strange shrinking from the long
journey before her.
Tom still stood by the railings. Ile
was watching her, and perhaps it
would be the last glimpse they ever
heti of each other.
She turned again quickly with an
odd sob in her breath and leant
helplessly against the door.
The housemaid who opened it a
minute later thought sho looked
strange and shrunken and pitiful _as
she stepped Into the light.
1I.
Tout Standish stood on deck with
his eves turned to a little white
patch with the sun upon it in the
distance and with the salt spray
beating in his face.
It was a warm, bright morning,
and all the vessel was astir with
excitement, for they were nearing
the land at last, and the little white
far-off patch was Australia.
Tont stared out impatiently
through his glasses. blind and deaf
to everything around hint. Ho was
heartsick with disappointment and
long waiting, and somehow ho was
afraid.
When he had got on the boat at
Southampton his solo thought was
to avoid being seen until they were
some miles out. Ile did not want
Bessie to know that he was follow-
ing her lest she should he angry and
make him go back, and lie had gone
quietly, down to his cabin until they
were almost out of sight of land.
Then he began to search tho ship.
She had given hint the nante of the
boat and the date of starting, and
so surely there could have been no
mistake. Yet search as he might
among the crowd of passengers he
could catch no glimpse of Ilessie's
face. She was not there. Ile searched
everywhere -in the steerage among
tine third-class passengers, in every
hole and corner -and yet front the
day they sailed until now he had
not once seen her.
At the first place they had touched
he had both wired and written to
the lady whose children she had
taught, but the only reply utas a
telegram at the next stopping; place
saying that Bessie had left them on
the date she said, and that they had
supposed she was on her way to
Aust rutin.
After that the only thing left for
Tom to do 4.854 to wait with sicken-
ing impatience for their arrival at
Melbourne. When they did, and the
great boat ons drawn up alongside
the quay lie scan11el the faces of the
passengers as he had :scanned them
a hundrod times before, and still
failed to see Bessie's g then!.
fie hurried off, more worried and
anxious than he would have cared to
own. Had she started after all? Had
she ever meant to start?
Sometimes the thought forced it-
self upon him that she had not in-
tended to conte out after all. Yet it
ons not like lkssie, and where sho
was now he dare) notthink.
ile hurried along the Melbourne
streets town rd George. Fleming's
lodgings. Ile noted nothing as ho
'the woman who opened the door
stored at bind curiously . '!Dere was
no one mimed I'lemtog there, she
raid; he had left more than a month
ago. 'there were some letters for
hint and she did not know where r
e to
sendthem.
1'oiii asked to see them, and when
site brought them to hint his heart
remembered and doubled. For two sank, for they were Itessir'54 letters.
tnonths the maul whose wife she w•as, lin asked one other question -U
imigoing to be had not written. It was Bessie had called -and then turned
outrngeo'ls to 'font and full of ugh' away•
possibilities. ile remembered that. A minute later an idea occurred to
when George had smiled Bessi<' s hien. and he knocked at the door
father had been alive and -it was again,
suppn•e41-rich, and it, cnu1.1 have "(f anyone should come --especially
bayi hero only within the Inst three 11 it be a young la(ly-will you give
months that he tinct heard that he her this and toll her 1'n) here?
was not. Could than account for his 'i'here's a hotel nt the corner of the
Silence, 'foal wondered? Could the street. 1'n) putting up there. Will
poor Bessie Leigh. who was working you tell her?"
so hard for her living 1►e a different 'The woman nodded and took his
person to George Pleading because of, card end he went stool' down the
It" street to the hotel. Ile walked with
Almost unconsciously Tom's Inn-, bent heed and knit brons. Was 110
gees rlcnrhed, a fool after ell to have c '? Iliad
"But, Itessie," he cried, "you can't Bessie nrranged 10 male by a di?er-
o unless -you snout -unless he rent boat or for Fleming to meet her
knows and expects you." somewhere else: or had s 'thing
Bessie lifted her 11114(1. There were (ugly happened -had Fleming deserttel
Vuitton tears in her ey(m. lle could her?
t
1
Sot see theist in the dark night, but It Mak rot like H, and hr could not
►e could see how white her tact Was. ret. 11e went again to the lodgings
"lie will expect mc," she said late at night. and this tithe the wn-
luictly• "and even if 1 don't hear I nodded at him knowingly.
hall go " "So 1 suppose it's all right by
Tom stared at her. 1 this t' eh, sir?" she tusked. "i
"Bessie, Bessie," he cried sudden- rulgeusc 4 oil saw her?"
Vie, "1 wish it was me you were go- Tum arms startled.
Ing to. I wish i could do soma "Vho7" e. cried. sharply, "not 111 feet from tip ' 1 tip of its ten -i
kiting to make certain that you wero Miss Leigh:',. (acnes. it is described as the large-st!"Ot course, sir, who etre? She that has ever been landed on the'
came just after you'd gone -and very South Afri^an const.
white and thin she looked, sir, and ----.♦___
she one that taken nhnck when she 11111'1'1~11 MINI NG ACCiDENTS.
heard Mr. Fleming wasn't here' i
thought it hest to take her in and There was a decrease of 21 in the
give her some ten. sir." number of fatal accidents In mines
"Yes, yes," cried Tom teapot !rally. in the United Kingdom last year.
"and then -what dill she do then?" the number being 1,012, as against
The woman looked at hint curious- 1,036 in 1903. The deaths caused
ly• by theme nccidents nnnrhered 1,018
"i►o you mean to so% ns you in 1901, and 1,'172 in 1903, In
haven't seen her?" she asked. quarries there were 110 fatal ncci-
"No, 1 haven't." cried 'Isom quick- dents, causing 112 (tenths lost year.
Iy. "But go on -what then?" as compared with 90 Accidents and
"Then," said the tt0nlan. "well, 9S deaths in 1903
when she was a 1'15 a ron)posed
like she begun to ask me about him, Alti: l'UU 11A1'i'V►
1 told her all 1 Vnew-the t he trent
tete 91) 011hs ace -and she told ale happy the man alio (art}' :earns
she'd !'(Ione Dye• as a st en ardl•ss n14 t11,' wide clh(snt that 1i.•e betwe^tl !lit
wishes anti his powers. --Goethe.
she said -and I 'sport that's it, for
it carte In this afternoon, so I
heard."
Ton started. It was
sho had been un it the
"%Pell, well," he
then?"
"Well, then 1 told her about you
and gave her your card, and she
just started up as of she had a
shock, and went without so much as
taking her letters."
"Went -gone?'' cried Tons.
"Shu went straight out." said the
woman. "A gveer little Mortal as
ever I see. She went without a
word!"
For a fortnight Tont searched tho
'city and hung about the docks, but
his efforts proved fruitless and ho
advertised in vain. Ikssie had been
swallowed up in the surging crowd
that filled the streets, and was ap-
parently lost to hint forever. Every
now and then he called at Fie llliag's
old address, but the woman had
heard nothing.
Ile had almost given up hope when
a strange thing happened. Lilo is
full of strange events, and the more
ono looks under the surface of
things the more dramatic we find it.
About three weeks after the arri-
val of the boat Tom was walking in
the direction of the docks when he
suddenly become aware that a man
and woman in front of him were
quarreling. They both seemed drunk
and he was about to pass on when
something in the appearance of the
man arrested his attention.
He stood still. It was Fleming!
Ifo was flushed and excited, and he
looked coarse, disheveled, and disso-
lute, and the woman with him was
evidently his wife. Tom stared at
her and felt a shock of thankful sur-
prise. It wan not Bessie.
The two began to quarrel violently
and Fleming suddenly doubled his
fists.
Then 'tont stepped forward. As ho
did so he was checked by the sight
of a girl on the pavement crouching
against a wall.
Ile looked at her, caught ihis
breath, and hurried toward her, plac-
ing himself between her and the two
who were beginning to scuffle.
"Itesr,ie," he cried, "Bessie, conte
away. Come along, darling. Come
away.-
He took her back to his hotel,
poor and half-stnrvea as she was,
heedless of the feelings of the out-
raged proprietress, and engaged a
private sitting -room. Ile cared for
nothing buf. Bessie, and when she
broke down sobbing in his amts an
odd thrill went through hire.
"Bessie," he cried, "I atm going to
take care of you whether you like
it or not now. You can't take caro
of yourself, it seems, and you'll have
to accept me. if you want to go
back to Englund you shall go: if you
want to stop here you shell stop,
but at (east I'm going to see that
you don't starve."
Bessie looked at him with a thin,
woe -begone face.
"I'm ashamed of myself," she
cried. "i've been wicked 811(1 un-
grateful to you. Oh, Tom, forgive
me. I knew you were on the boat,
but I was working my way over as
stewardess, and I dreaded the
thought of your seeing rue. Oh,
Tom, forgive me."
"1'I1 forgive you anything if you'll
marry me," he said. She hesitated.
"I can't now -like this," she cried.
"It would be 80 easy -such a simple
way to provide for myself. Oh, Tom
1 can't. 1 st find some other way
of repaying you."
lie caught her to him passionately.
"'there is no other way'," lie cried.
"Bessie. 1ny darling, I've got you
and I mean to keep you. Only try
to care for one a little bit. and I
shall he content, seeetheart."
She did try, and succeeded so well
that they have both forgotten that
there ever was another man.
his boat, and
whole time.
cried, "and
IN GRASP OF A CUTTLE FISH.
Diver's Terrible Experience in
Cape Town Harbor.
Mr. i1. Palmer, a diver in the em-
ploy of the ('ape Town harbor
Board, was at cork recently under
water at the spot where the Dun-
vegnn Castle collided with the elbow
of the South Arm pier. iio was
engaged in attaching n chain to one
ef the seven ton concrete blocks
' dislodged by the liner. 'i'he water
was clear enough for hint to distin-
guish objets quite well, and as lie
was stooping over his duties a mon-
ster cultic fish, which had been lurk-
ing in a cavity underneath the
block, (tatted out a huge tentacle,
and in an instant had pinioned his
leg as in a time.
Another tentacle shot out, pinion-
ing his arm. Mr. Palmer describes
the horrible action of the suckers
upon his hand as like n severe elec-
Irlc shock, coupled with the terror
and nausea with which the appear-
nncc of this horrible mass of viscous
gelatine f ll.til him. iiowever, he
hastily pulled the signal curd, and
the men abuse commenced In haul
hint tip. NirBohner was literally
wreathed al t with tentacles. and
1 • exert ion anti terror of th
t c inci-
dent. had prnctic14113 exhausted blm.
!Willing hands drugged him up the
holder, but, rvrn then she ortlup118
would not release its prey. Knives
end hatchets had to be brought and
the strength of several Wren exerted
to tear away the mass. Spread o'ot
on the pier the octopus measured
ring (0 110 happy.'
Ile stopped. Bessie looker ftp
again.
"Het i an, Totn," she cried. "1
shall be happy."
Tom shook her hands
"I tt-is1) 1 could do something for
ryou." he repeated. "Are you sure
allont money? You tn't hind mo
pieIon and ifg lti couldnn old i should friend,ke
Bess, .
you to go first-class, oar. Shall -
could 1--.,
;the (row her hand away. !ler face
had vhiten(•d Again strangely.
'•(N, no, nn, 'I'"nl, ' she cried.
ease 're very good to ale, bet 1 nn)
All right-y'ee, yes. thunk yon, 'Tont.
i 5h .11 be nal right end happy."
Sic,, spoke brat t.13, but n11 the same
she shivered a butt. as she turned
away. and to her from out of the board a ship -the Amazon i think
LEADING MARKETS
The Ruling Prices In Live Stools
and Breadstuffs..
BIt1:ADAS'TUFI''S.
Toronto, Fele 21. -Wheat -'Mario
51.05 to $1.013 for red Gild white;
goose, 'Jac; Manitoba, No. 1 north-
ern, $1.10; No. 2 northern, $1.06;
No. 3 northern, =1.01, (:eol'gian Bay
ports; tic more grinding in transit.
Flouts --(lull; 90 per cent. patents.
11.30 to $4.45, buyers' sacks, cast
and utast; 15c to 20c higher for
choice. Manitoba, 15.50 to ;5.70
tut first patents, 85.10 to 45.40 for
&ecoid patents, and $5 to $5.30 for
bran exports.
3Uill(eob-$14 to 114.50 for bran
in hulk, 416 to $16.50 for shorts,
cast and west; Manitoba, $19 to
$20 for shorts, .18 for bran ex-
ports.
Barley -116c to 47c for No. 2, 4lc
to 450 for No, 3 extra, and 12c ter
No. 3 malting, outside, 'Toronto
freights.
Itycr-'75c to 76c for No. 2 f o.b.
outside.
('ort( ---Canadian yellow, 431c to
44c; mixed, 421c to 43c f.o.b. Cha-
tham freights; American No. i yel-
low, 591c; nixed, 52c on track To-
ronto.
Oats -.tit ill scarce, with No. 2
quoted at 39c to 391c west and 40c
fast.
!tolled Oats$L15 for ears of Wigs
and $4.40 for barrels on track here;
25c more for broken lots here and
40c outside.
Peals -66c to 67c for No. 2 wet
and east.
Buckwheat -52c to 58c east and
west.
--
COUNTRY PRODUCE.
Butter -Creamery prints aro high-
er and other lines unchanged at the
recent advances.
Creamery, prints .... .... 21c 10 25c
Dairy tubs, good to choice 19c to 20c
do medium ... I(ic to 17c
do interior grades ... 14c to 15c
Dairy Its rolls, good to
choice 20c to 21c
do large rolls .... .... 19c to 20c
do medium .... 17c to 1Rc
('hmxa-Is fairly steady and gusted
unchanged at I1fc to 11#c for large
and 111c/to 12c for twins in seb
lots here.
1•:,;•gra-Nets laid are quoted un-
chnn_rd at 26c per doz. Fresh eggs
are in fair demand and steals( ut
1Re to 19e. Stocks of littled tree
large. and they are (quoted unchttig-
ed at 16c.
Poultry -Turkeys, 12c to 1.5c;
clucks, 13c to 14c; geese, 11c to 12c;
chickens, choice, 12c to 11c; old,
8c to 10c.
Potatoes-41uotnti')ns are unchang-
ed. (tntnrio, (I5c to 70c on track
and 75c to Roc out cf store; eastern,
75e to SOc on track and 90c to ('Sc
out of stop.
Baled Ilay-Car lots on track here
are quoted unchanged at 50 per ton
f►, No. 1 timothy and $6.25 to $0.-
50 for No. 2 anti mixed clover.
Baled Straw-ts quoted stca'Iv at.
$6 to 56.25 per ton for car tote on
track here.
MONTREAL MA1(KSITS
.
Montreal, Feb. 21,-(irailr--The de -
mend for Manitoba spring reheat
continues slow and no new hnsinoss
was reporterl either for willing pur-
pos. s or export account. A fnir
I►tisitiese was done 0n mils on local
and country account and prices rule
firm at 441c for N. 2 white s11•.I at
4:31c for No. :1 do per bushel, in car
lots ex store.
I'lorm-elLulitetha spring wheat pat-
ents, 55.8(1; strong Makers'. 55.50;
winter %'heat patents. 55 74) to 5,.-
80; 91 rail ht rollers, $5.311 to 45.10,
and in bags at 42.50 to $2.60.
Fool -Manitoba bran in hags, FIT:
shuns, $19 to 5241 per tent; Ontario
winter wheat bran in bulk, $17 to
$18: 'Beam. 519 to 5.20; mood:le,
1$21 to S;14 per tun, as to quality.
Meal -The le 1 one• 44 the market for
rolled oats sear firm at recent ad-
vance, but the demand still con-
tinues to he somewhiit. !unites! nt
$1.50 per (carrel awl at $2.121 per
ling. Cornmeal Is g11101, with prices
steady nt =1.35 to 41.11 p:•r heti.
!lay -Nu 1. $9 to 511.51); No. 2,
$8.25 to ?R.75: clover, nuxed, $7 to
$7,50, ;old pure clover. $(1.50 10
50.75 per Ion in car lots.
Iteans-Chu:ce 'tritium, $1.10 to
51.45 per teethe! and $1.35 to 41.-
374 in ear hits.
I'rm•isiona--lfrav'' Pnnndian short
rut port., '4:10.50 t o 517.50; light
short cut, 510.50 to t{17; American
clear cut int back, 520; compound
In1•(t, file to 7c; Canadian lard, 610
In 71c, kettle ren(lered, AV to 9.',e,
accor(Iin: to quality: hams. 12c to
1:te: becou, 12c to tic; fr.•sh killc•(1
abattoir i40gs, 54 10 $'t.25; 1'•e:a%'y
fat sows, $4.75 to SS; mixed lots,
$5.60 t.e 45.7 5. selene, $5.75 t o
$e.85, off (ars, country ,Ir.•4%'(I, $7
to $7.25.
Cheese -Ontario fell Il-hite, 10;c to
10:c; colored, 10;c to Uric; Qnrlac,
inc to 10ic.
Iletter•-I'itia•t eratkw, 2(ie so ''2' ';
ordinary fin sl. 2:;c to 21e; western
(lair., 21c to 211r. dairy lolls. 21.1c
to '21
Etegn-Mtraight °rage docks
nt 171c to 19c, No. 2 at I(jc to
171c and Montreal limed at 19e to
1!410.
1l1'I't•'A1.0 MARKETS.
Iluffalo, 1`nl►. 211. -Flour -- firm.
Wlii 1'-Nuthing done. ('orrr. tilrong-
Ir. No. '2 sellotc, 51c: No. :l corn.
Sac. Onto --Stronger. No. 2 white,
36c; No '2 mixed, 34tc. Barley -
Weste'rn, 44 to 55e In More. Rye -
No 1, 8.ic.
CATTLE MAitKET.
Toronto, Feb. 21.
very brisk trade at.
Market to -flay for a
•". Ir,'. thi,ig ttnt s .141
run being light.
lbit''h.rrs'-t'heir's
$1.65, fair to good,
-'l'u're was a
the city Cattle
few hours, het
Mit early, the
picked. 111 to
$i to $1,35;
medium. 53.50 to $3.65; cows, $2.35
to $3.25.
Export -Prices steady, at $4.50 to
•
IN MERRY OLD ENGLAND
umomme
15: export bulls, $3.25 to 43.75, NEWS BY MAIL ABOUT JOHN
Stockorv-=There is a fair market BULL AND HIS PEOPLE.
tor stockers and short -keep feeders;
market steady at $3.25 to $3.50; Occurrences in the Land That
feeders. short -keep, at $4 to 41.20.
here and Lambs -Market steady Reigns Supreme in the Com -
to firm; prospects steady, h:xport mereial World.
ewes, 4.1.50 to 44.75; bucks, 43.50 London has 51 inhabitants por
to 51: lun.hs, $5.75 to $6.50. acro: Paris 115,
]logs -Market steady at recent de- Fifty thuusnmd fus ut coal are
cline: selects, 55.411; lights and fats, bo'a'st! (taih' iu Loudonn.
$5.15. '1'he British Museum contains 2,-
_.` ♦ 700 complete Bibles in all langu-
ages,
In Austrian hotels it is still cus-
tomary to charge extra for candles.
The famous house at Highgate.
London, whore Coleridge lived. is to
he torn down.
The nation a drink bill amounted
to L174,445,273 last year, against
.C179,499,817 In 1902.
It is estimated that eighty mil-
lions of British treasure Iio sunk
along the route from England to
India.
London is the great receiving
house and distributing centre of all
the finest skins and furs of the
world.
Tho Iiritish Empire is 10 times
larger than all the French detain -
ions. and 40 times greater than tho
German Empire.
The secretary of tho London Mon-
dlcity Society says ho has nover
known a single deserving case .of
street begging.
Two centenarians, named Richard
I'hill►l,i, aged 107, anti Mary Ann
Gibbons, aged 104, dial at Liver-
pool on the let ult.
'it is a downright sin to preach
dull and dry sermons," said the Rev.
C. 11. Kelly, a Wesleyan minister,
preaching at Plymouth.
Steam halt not made sailing
vessels obsolete. The total number
of them in the world is still 65,934,
as against 30,561 steamers.
Lord Itadstock has built a hotel
In the Clapham road, London, in
which working girls will bo able to
live for a shilling a clay.
'rho population of the Unite 'King-
dom is estimated at 41,961,199 -
Englanl and Wales, 32,997,626;
acotlnnd, 4,5:11,299; and Ireland,
4,4:12,274.
During the last five years the im-
port of cotton into Liverpool docks
has been 74 to 78 por cent. of the
%%hide of the imports of the United
Klugdorn.
It is said that the King is taking
a keen personal interest in the pre-
paration
ro-puration of Queen Victoria's corre-
spondence during the earlier years
of her reign.
There are about 13,000 acres of
shouting belonging to or rented by
the King on the Sandringham! es-
tates. The Prince of Wales rents
about 10,000 acres.
David Shepherd, accountant, Car-
diff, has been convicted of misappro-
priating surae of money aggregating
514,800, and was sentenced to live
years' penal servitude,
iiirkenhead municipal authorities
have. nccepl((l Mr. Carnegie's offer
to give 1:15,000 for a central lib-
rary in that town, end £5,000 to-
wards the cost of two branch librar-
ies.
The Bishop of London has publish-
ed a balance sheet which brings out
the fact that since ho entered the
duties of the bishopric, two or three
years ago, he has been 2:5,000 out
of pocket.
'Ettore is still living nt Gateshead,
11'illiatn Smith, who is said to 1)e
the oldest engine -driver in the world.
iio was acquainted with George
Steph 'nson and i'dwnrd Pease, the
fathers of the world's railways.
A statistician has arrived at the
conclusion that £5,000,000 is spent
yearly by the public of London on
cabs. Ile also has worked it out
that of that greet sum perhaps a
million and 8 half represent over-
chargi s. ,
Notwithstanding the growth of
spinning mills al road -in America.
In Japan, and in India-(lrelt Bri-
tain still uw•n,i More than two-fifths
of the total number of spindles in
the world -47,000,04)0 out of 112,-
000, 000.
Saturday is considered an unlucky
day for the British Royal family.
William 111.. Queen Anne, George
1.. George 1f., George ill., George
IV., the Duchess of Kent, the Prince
Consort, and Princess Alice died on
Saturdays,'
!Britain, with 42,000,000 people,
harvests nearly L10,000,000 wort ►
of fish annually, while the United
Mtntes, with twice the population,
has an annual fishery product of but
I:6,000,000, including the deep sea,
inshore, oytter. and lake and ricer
fisheriev.
Under n new rule women inspec-
tors visit the I'iA't'• schools in lam -
don and inspect the pupils. 'Those
that me not clone are sent home.
ilut nlre'Iy it hos beets found that
sone of the children smear them-
selves with nod before entering
school nt hope that an insfector
will pay a visit.
THE MISTAKES OF NATURE
DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING
ABOUT THE DODO?
This Remarkable Bird Was a Pre-
posterous Waddling
Monster.
One of Nature's worst mistakes
was the dodo; but two others,
equally bad, were a huge, nameless
bird which once existed on the Is -
I land of rte- 'inion, and tho gigantic,
flightless pigeon of tho Island of
Rodriguez, known as the "solitaire."
All three are extinct, as was inevit-
able, because, in their evolution, Na-
ture had had 110 fore -thought of tho
appearance of man upon the scono--a
creature who can cross the sea with-
out wings -with his wcaknesa for
killing everything which cannot es-
cape from hint.
And the dodo, it must be admitt-
ed, invited killing. It was the au-
tocrat of the Island of Mauritus,
rather larger than a swan, with a
remarkably plump and heavy body
wings which were of no more use
than feathered epaulettes, a huge
hooked beak, short thick legs, and
an absurd tuft of curly feathers for
a tail. To sailors from Northern
lands, accustomed to such birds as
sparrows and rooks, this preposter-
ous, waddling monster seemed a
practical Joko dressed up in feathers.
A "NOAH'S AIIK" MRD.
Tho faro of sailors in those days
urns hard and stale and salt. So,
though the dodo may not have been
particularly good eating, who could
help -iii those days, two hundred
years ago -walking after it and hit-
ting it on the head with a stick?
Museums may niourn that they
have not a single stuffed dodo, nor
a solitaire, nor a specimen of the
giant bird of Rodriguez; and, of
course, we should all like to see ono
of these -the Most ridiculous birds
that Nature has created -again alive.
ilut who can blame the sailors'? It
was Nature's mistake
Away up in the North, she had
procured, side by side, races of hun-
gry, clever 111011, struggling against
difficulties for bare existence, and
races of swift and active birds, cun-
ning to dodge a missile or avoid a
trap. Away down in the soft and
sunny South sho had, at the same
time, in the absence of man, 01104Y -
el the birds to fall into easy habits.
The dodo, with his huge, hooked
beak, would have made short work
of a wandering bird of prey. So he
grew heavy and slow a11(1 fat. Ile
never had occasion to fly, so his
wings and tail dwindled to mere or-
namental appendages. His life was
ell banquets; and 111130ne might have
foreseen what would happen when
the men front the North began to
visit these sleepy islands of the
South.
Because the dodo W118 so enormous
and so ridiculous, there are enough
of old drawings in existence to give
us a very fair Idea of his appear-
ance; although, if the drawings did
not confirm each other, ace might
suspect each to he the draughsn►an's
clumsy idea of some impossible
"Noah's Ark bird.
BLIND, BLUNDERING NA'1'UIti:.
There were doubtless tunny small-
er, less conspicuous creature.., equal-
ly Interesting In their way, which
have totall', disappeared, and loft
no trace of their existence behind.
'!'tft is the worst of Nature's mis-
takes; they are irreparable. ily de-
grees.
o-grees, so slow that within the period
b ' human covered o nn 1 tiston nu► ►
nl 1 re-
ciable change has been recorded In
any wild creature, she builds up her
species to stilt their surroundings,
until, niter• thousands of years, she!
produces, from rho sante stock whi(f1
has provided our sparrows anti crows
a huge, heavy-footed bird, that.
etsolls (Omit its island in the i'aci-
lie, monarch of all it surveys. Then.'
in a single day, nt it were, another
of Nature's creatures, developed on
different Ii11es elsewhere, appears.
.
upon the scone and wipes the dodo of
a trillion years out of existence.
There is nu hope whatever that
Nature will ever be able to make
another dodo, even if man could at -
ford to ieave jluuritus uninhabited
for a million years in order to give
her a free lined with the experiment.
'Ilse original pigeon -like bird bigger
than n swan, and 811101101. than a
crow, from which the dodo - was
evolve,!, no tenger inlets; so Nature
would not have the raw material to
work upon.
MANY 8111114 LOST.
()!Mehl returns of casualties to
vessels of 501 tons gross register
and upwards during last year show
that '225 vessels were totally lost
from various causes, of which num-
ber S7 were British steamers, with
an Aggregate tonnage of 138,06.4,
011(1 29 were Britlsh sailing ships,
totalling 11,862 tons.
1N 111•:N0111AM.
Admirers of Mark Twnin believe
he has m•ver written anything more
effective than the little verse he had
cut in the modest block of merl►lo
which marks the resting -place of his
wife in Woodl,lw n 'e►netery. t•auiiru,
N. Y,:
Warm. S'1tinner silty,
thine kindly here.
Warm. southern wind.
Blow softly here.
Green mod above,
l.io I1►eh(, 1441 111,11*.
(in. 1 night. 11ar, hoar!,
Geoid night, gun.i night.
T
TlI1 t1'i1.Y SULTAN.
The Sultan of Turkey wns contor-
ring with his grand vizier on a :nat-
ter of state.
"See to it that the manifesto is
given the widest publicity," he said.
"Shall 1 give it to the correspon-
dents of the foreign papers?" quer-
ied the grand vizier.
The Sultan ni"dilated for n mo-
ment. "No," he said, with a
slirua "(:o tell it to tour wife "
•Jnhnnv-"Pope. whet does it
mean to he apprenticed?" Pnpa--
"14 moans the Unsling one person to
another by ngr.'(mtent. Thr person
so bo.'nd has to tench the other (111
11,' (41 11 e1 his 11n(Ie nr profession,
whilst the other hes to welch and
lenrn hew thinks are done and to
'nuke himself useful 111 every way
Pos•<ihle." .4o 11)9)4 -•"•Then I srtp-
p's • 3 ou'r's apprenticed to ma,
nin't on, stud."'