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The Exeter Times, 1886-6-17, Page 6NEW PRIE , CHAPTER III, As may the reader au one, t was In fever - till expectation ef a summons to wait upon btesers. Banner, Wregga, and Carrowble— tlte-firm tor whioh D1r, S:ate was noting- hour by hour, almost minute by minute ; but the Malmo took a very different turn. Mr. Soete called one day, out of the time at which he usually paid hie visite, whioh was generals in the evening, and said that the firm would not trouble me to call; they were quite satisfied, he said, with what they had heard from him ; and not oaring to multiply the agents with whom they dealtdireotly,. preferred to consider my treneaotioue as a Waugh of hie own, This being the (ase, he would at once, if I were agreeable, com- mence our j ant work by either seeing people at my house himself, er making appointments to whioh I should attend. I could have no possible objection to this, beyond the grave one that I had no expert - ouzo in buying and selling, and did not even know what kind of goodie I was expected to examine. To all this he had oonolueive ane were. A man " with his head screwed en the right way," as mine wee, would have no difiionity in picking up such let ow- hedge ; while at first he would nee everything right or me, and when he was obliged to be away, would leave me instrucbione how far to go in any purchase. Bat there 1 it was snaking mountains of molehills to talk in 'that atraiu, Several interviews of this kind %sok place ; and I could not help thinking that Scat° took care never to hold them in the presence of Mr, Chelps ; and I some- times actually thought he must lie in wait In the neighbourhood to see the old gentle- man go out, so promptly did he look in di. Tacitly afterwards. Bat Mr, Cnelps was so interested in the matter, so anxious for east. nal work to begin, he said, that he generally extracted a pretty full account from me ; besides holding long conversations on his own proapecaive share with Mr. Soate, Among other preparations for the agenoy, Mr. Scate had some office furniture brought laa; eo that, what with a massive table and dezk, half•a-dozen heavy chairs, with varietal ranks and shelves fitted on the walls, my front parlous aesumod quite a solid, beak- ing, or life -assurance aspect, whioh met the approval not only of Mr, Soate, but of Mr, Chelps, The first transaction which was completed an the new office, took plane very suddenly —to me ; and was surprising by its brevity and various special features, common per- hape to my novel business, but altogether different from my previous experience, It was conducted thus, At twilight one even - tug, only a few days after the enbjeot was first broached, for Mr. Soate would lose no time in the matter, he came in, and repaired to the office. He bad not been there five minutes, when a man knocked at our door and asked for him. It so happened that I apened the door to this person, who, In the few words he spoke, seemed to have an un- pleasantly furtive way with him ; and al- though net dieguised in any partionler man- ner, his hat was so slouched over his brows, and the collar of hie coat so pulled np, that It was Impossible to distinguish his features clearly. I showed him into the cffioe, and went down -stairs. As I did so, I thought for an instant that I caught sight of Mr. Chelps'e face, in the dusky gloom of the retaireaoe, peering over the banisters. I veined to look again ; but ne one was there, and I went on. In a few minutes Mr. Soate called down the speaking tube which he had caused to be curled from the effice to our sitting -room, and asked me to step up. I complied, and found him with the stranger I had previous- ly admitted ; but their figures were barely eliscernible, as they were sitting without a light, and the twilight had now almost changed to darkness. I naturally noticed this, and ei ered to procure a light. " No, thank ye," returened Mr. Scate, Onr bneiness is finished, and I am going out directly. I wished to introduce you to 'tale gentleman, who will be here again to- morrow, or the next night, and will transact some business with you. Mr—a—a— lhfr. " " Jerry Wilkin, you know," said the other, as Soate hesitated. " To be sure l—of oonrae 1" exclaimed the litter. " Mr. Wilkins, this le our new agent, Mr. Matley, who will carry on the rbneinese at this branch for the present ; so you will know who to ask fer when I am not here." " Yee ; I shall know him," returned the stranger. Hie words were not a direct re- ply to Mr. Soate'e remark, and althengb I nonid scarcely see him in the darkness, I felt fah was eyeing me narrowly. However, there was little time for this or anything more, es Spate rose from his Beat, and ha a few words intimated that our business was concluded. opened the door for them, and they went out, not exactly together, for Mr. 'Wilkins left at onoe, while Spate lingered ger a couple of minutes on the threshold with me, although he seemed to have nothing. [particular to say, As I closed the door, again thought I saw Mr. Chelps, this time at the farther end of our little entrance hall; goat It was very dark there, and I might :easily have been mistaken. I at once light- ed the gas, and went down to our breakfast. noun where I found the old gentleman 'oalmly smoking his pipe in the dark, and. 'lby himself ; tor Susan was absent, mak- ing some trifling purchases In the neighbour - 'hood. I'apologised for his not having a Ilght ; but, in his usual cheerful manner, he said it was of no consequence, as he liked to sit and smoke in a half -dreamy state, to whioh twi- light, or even darkness, was very favorable. Be was chatty on other subjects, but, for a wonder, did not refer to busineea, whioh in- deed, was not spoken of until my wife re. earned, She had gone out pet after I had admitted Mr, Jairy Wilkins, and so natural- ly asked me who the vieitor was. Bat even while I told her, Ivlr. Chelps was too muoh engrossed by his pipe to pay any attention to the eni•.jeot, or at anyrate to join in the •sacraveraation. Though on various occasions Mr. Chelps :lnoulged in a glass or two of grog, it is only tight that I should say that he never, even at first, give no the idea that he was an in. temperate man, He certainly seemed led away a little by the example of Spate, who eccaslonally took,. we thought, a malicious pleasure In tempting the old gentleman. We did not and could not like Soate, while 'we both felt favourably disposed to our lodger wenn the beginning, The next day boats Dame early, and had a brief interview with me in the olBoe. enbjeot was to say that Mr. Wilkins would probably call that night,; and if se, would Boring a parcel, of which 1 was to take dharge. and for which I was to give him forty-five mounds. Thfe money he gave nie all in gold, "Am I to examine or cheek the geode ?" I• begot, . . ie0 no," he Bald; "It le all nettled about them, We knew Jerry, and have done many hits of buslneee with hien, no we can °rad hi en" " Will you give me a receipt for him to sign," I naked, " or will he drew one up 1' "Receipt don't signify between people who can trust eaah other," he replied, " Way, you do not mean to May you are going to pay all thio money without a re- ceipt 1' I exolelmed in amazement; for such a proceeding was horribly opposed to ell my experience. "Yes, with Jerry," he returned careless- ly ; 4418'e our way. You will get into it soon, old fellow, and when you oonie to know your onetomers, you will deal with thorn accordingly, By -the -by, you may let old Chelps know that you have begun boat - noes ; you may show him the money, to let him see that it's a real thing; but don't let him be In the room when you pay Wilkins. In fact, he had better not see Wilkins at all." All tits was odd ; but as I knew literally nothing of the busfnose as yet, or how the unseen firm oonduoted it, I could not any anything against It, Mr. Soate added one piece of information welcome, this da whioh was el me, He said that Y my engagement would be considered to com- mence from this date ; that a rent would be paid for the use of the office, the amount of which would depend upon hie report ; and upon his report also, to be sent in at the end of four weeks—when I should be introduoed to the firm—it would depend whether I was paid by salary or commission. "And you may rely upon my report saying the best it can for you, old fellow," he oontiaued. " 1 could have got Vale settled at once ; but I know what our principles are, and I am con- fident that to wait a bit will make a differ- ence of fifty pounde a year to you; so you can draw on me for five, or ten if you choose, while the month runs on, and pay me at your leisure," It was impossible not to feel grateful to a man who did so much fer a etrangor, and who was eo perfectly disinterested; yet—al- though I hated myself for allowing such a feeling to exist —I wasoonsoioue, even while I was thanking Soate, and thanking him sin- cerely—I was conscious, I say, that I was gradually growing almost to detest the man, my benefaotor though he was. Soate did not acme in again that day ; and I took the first opportunity of telling Mr, Chelps what my instructions were; showed him the money, as suggested; told him that I was now fairly in the employ of the firm ; that I was to be introduced to them in four weeks' time, and:that my pay would be set- tled on such a scale as the report of Mr, Scate justified, He asked me, after a mo- ment's reflection, what the address of the firm was. I told him that I had asked the same question of Seater who had replied, that 1 had better postpone all inquiries till the month was ever ; they would prefer it. " Ab, I see," said the old gentleman. " Until that time, you are, as one may say, on probation. Very cautious of them, very, not to allow Mr, Seats even to reveal his ad. arose until then.—Bat I like them all the better for it, sir ; I do, indeed. Now if 1 get my money in a few days, I may hope— as Mr. Soate holds out the moat favourable expectations to me—to be introduced at the same time as yourself. I should like that, be- cause, of course, I should not Inveetwithout knowing something of the people, no mat- ter how high my opinion of Mr, Seats might be." I agreed with the old gentleman that he was quite right in this. into each compartment of the bar at the Three Bells, whioh wan a large dace, with- out seeing Wilkins or any one the I knew, On myNoma for the sod or third time foto the mist soled division, where I had naturally expected to find him, a big, square - built man, a easterner who was leaning against the her, sold civilly ; '" Are you looking for anybody, sir ?' It marred to me that tits after all might be the sender of the mesas a so at a ven• tura, I relied : " Yea • I am indeed for some one ; but the aakward dpart of :t is that I do not know who I am loking for, A lad name to my house, and said a gentleman wished to see me hero ; but I think there must have been some mistake," "' I am sure there is 1" exolalmed the stranger. " What a pity ib is you cannot get the eitnpleet thing done in a straightfor- ward manner. 1 sent a boy with that mes- sage to an old acquaintance,—May 1 ask where you live, sir ? " No, 9 Victoria Louisa Terrane," I re- plied, " The young Idiot 1" said the stranger. " I told him a totally different number. It is evidently through me you have been brought here, sir ; and though I did not come myself, I must epic for the utter stupidity of my messenger. You meet have a glass of eomething with m9," I tried to decline this ; but the stranger was clearly one of those who think nothing is complete until ratified by the wine -pledge, or what serves in modern life for the wine, pledge ; so I had to stay and assure him of my completely excusing him, and listen to his repeated apologies over a glass of ale, before I could get away. I found I1r. Chelps leaning over the gate, and smoking tranquilly. When I told him of my adventures, the old gentleman laugh- ed heartily. I thought bnliness was con- cluded for that evening ; but at the very last moment, just indeed as we were going to bed, Spate came In for the peroel left by Mr, Jerry Wilkins, I went with him into the cffioe, where I experienced a momentary " turn" by not being able to lay my hand upon the packet In the dark, whioh I made sure I could have done. On preouring a light, however, I faund I had merely made the mistake of supposing that the parcel was on a chair to the right of the door, when in reality it was upon one to the left. " I shall be round early to -morrow," said Mr, Spate, "as, since 1 saw you, I have had a foreign letter, which you must answer. It is from Belgium, and will lead to a great deal of baseness, Yoa understand French, I believe?" I said I had a fair knowledge of that language. •- That's a good jab," continued Soate. " It has been a staggerer to me over and over again, the not knowing anythlog of the parlyvoo jargon. This will be a big trans action, you will find.—And I say, Metley —this exclamation was uttered jest as he reached the door, as If it were a sudden thought—" jest sound old Chelps about his money. If he can get it in two or three days it will be j net in time to make ouch a profit for him as he never got in Atralia, or wherever he bas been. Tell him that ; tell him that afterwards it may be too late, I will Dome round and see him mysel well." He went rapidly away with the parcel ; and I had a long talk with my wife, be I went to sleep that night, upon the ei bar features of the employment on which had entered ; and we half decided that unless I saw the principals at the end of month, and liked them when I did them, I would not continue the engage na A man went by with plants in a barrow that afternoon, and Mr. Chelps declaring— rather to my surprise—that he was an en- thusiastic admirer of flowers, bought a num- ber, which he told Mrs. Matley—who really was fond of them—he would plant is the front garden after the sun went down. He was as good as his words too, or nearly ; for he went into the garden with spade and water -can, and slowly—for it was plain he was not an expert gardener—oommenced his work. 1 offered to help him ; but the old gentleman said that half his ploaeure in shrubs and flowers would be lost unitise he planted them himself ; so he went on until It was almost dark, making, however, but little progress. It was between twilight and dark when a cab stopped at our gate, and a knook follow- ing, I went to the Door, expeoting to fins'.— as it proved—Mr, Jerry Wilkins. 1 had lost no time in anowering the knock ; but Mr. Chelps wan already in conversation with the visitor, and inviting him, as I could hear, to admire some beautiful bnlbe he was holding out for his inspection. Mr. Wil - kine, who had struck me as being of a some• what morose turn when I admitted him on the previous evening, looked gloomier and sulkier now. He turned with a very uncivil grunt from the garrulous old gentleman, and came in the moment 1 opened the door. Mr. Chelps,, however, smiled with imperturbable good -humour, batt, as it was too dark to see any longer, gave ap his gardening for the night. " You are not an entbnsiaot In flowers, Mr. Wilkins," I began. " I am afraid you did not nee any particular beauty in tbo bulb whioh Mr. Chelps so greatly admires." " Beauty, no 1" said Mr. Wilkins, " What do I want with a thing as looks as if it was pulled out of a rope of onions ; and very likely was. He's an old fool. And yet Ned Spate is going to do business with him, isn't he ?" I could make no reply for the moment, the man's vulgar familiarity, and his know- ledge of Soate's plane, so thoroughly stagger- ed me. " But a regular fool will suit Ned Soate better than anything else, especially if he has a good opinion of himself," continued Mr. Wilkins, not heeediog my silence.— " Well, governor, there's the stuff, and I want five and -forty pounds of you." " Yea," I said ; " 111r, Saabs told me I was to give yon forty-five pounds ; and as for a reoelpt"-- " Well, then, band over the cash, and let me step it," interrupted the man. " What's the use of keeping the cab at the door ? Ned Scute never told you to ask for a re- ceipt, 1 know." A moment's pause here, while he rapidly ran over the gold, " All right, governor. Will you Dome to the cor- ner and have a glees ?—You won't ? Well, that's your buaineas. Mine le to clear out ; so good night," Saying this, ho went, team ing me with a growing feeling of dislike to the " agency," with which indeed I had never been greatly enamoured, Mr. Chelps, who, an he explained, had gone out for a short stroll, returned soon after Wilkins left, and j Dining Mrs, Matley and myself, began what promised to be a long, as it was certainly an unconnected no. count of his gardening experiencesin the country ; but ere ho was fairly in the midst of his narrative, a,knook at the street doer was heard ; and, to my astonishment, -Lizzie brought down a message to the effect that a gentleman writhed to see me at the Three Belts, a tavern in the next street, It imme- diately 000brred to me that it must be that dreadful Wilkins, who wiehod to transact eolith fresh piece of the most irregular been. noon in whioh I was engaged, and this was perhaps his way of managing it. I hurried offacoordingly, Mr, Chelps saying he would smoke a pipe in the front garden until 1 came back, so that he should be out of the way while Mre, Mottcy and Lizzie prepared the supper, I hastened away, as I have told, and went and f as fore I the nee meet, I spoke to Mr. Chelps in the morning, as desired about his investment; and the old gentleman seemed anxious not to lose the promised chance, and said that perhaps, by sacrificing a trifle of interest, he might get his money a day or two earlier than agreed, which would be in about a week later. Per- haps Mr. Soate would show him a way out of the difficulty. But it was not likely that he would give up all this money without an in- troduotion to the firm, and being well satis- fied of their stability, or. In lien of this, some tangible security meanwhile. As soon as Mr. Spate came, I told him this. He declared he greatly applauded the old gentleman's caution, and asked me to call him down, that we might talk things over. I did so ; and Mr. Chelpe Dame at once. " You are naturally deelrous of knowing were you put your money, and what it is for, Mr. Chelps"-- began Saate. "1 am, sir, naturally ancients, as you say," interposed the oh' gentleman, feeling for his eyeglass, as he always did when business was thltopio of conversation. Securing it at last, he fixed it to his eyes, and looked earnestly, yet with an expression which was ridiculously helpless, at Mr. Spate, " No offence, I hope," he continued ; " but you see a thousand pounds, or eleven hundred, is a great deal to me ; and although I have every conlidepce in yen, yet"-- " No apology, my doer air," exclaimed Soate; "your conduct le etrictly business• like, and I will satisfy you. Oae of my principals, if not two of them, shall wait upon you here, in the first place," "` Oh, I'm sure I would not trouble them so far," said Mr, Chelps. Bat Scate interrupted him, and went on with the same boastful swaggering air : " They ahall come, sir ; and you shall ar- range then, if you like each other, for a final interview at headquarters. Their reference, I may remark, will be to three tolerably well-known establishments—the Bank of England, sir; Baring's, sir; and Rethechild's, air, Are they good enough ? " Splendid 1 Oh 1 I'm sure," commenced Mr. Chelps ; but here his eyeglass fell down, and the interruption gave Scate an opportun- ity of going en. "It is possible, Mr, Chelps," he said, that the Belgian traneaotlon I have spoken of may be finished before you oan arrange with my erinoipals, nnlese yon oan have your money atenoe, In fact, I know this will be the case. Mr, Matley, who is luckily a capital French scholar, has written this morning a formal acceptance of these foreign- ers' terms. They will telegraph to their agent, who will be here on the third day from this with the dook-notes of the goods, whioh are lying here, I have already seen my principals to -day, and took upon me to say—being anxloue to forward your wishes -that I could have your money by that time. Aoaordingly, as the total required will bo sixteen hundred pounds, they nand - ed me five hundred pounds in notes. Here they are." He pulled out a bulky pocket- book as he sold this. "They aro strictly readymoney people, as Itold you." What 1 the Belgians ? exclaimed Chelps, whose eyes sparkled at the sight of the ruatl• Ing notes, " And what are their names?" "I did not meanthem exactly,' returned Soate. " I meant .that my people were ready -money men; but so for the matter of that, are Belgians, especially when they are sellhfg anything. Their names are Delroi, Vianet, and Company,' Yen may have heard of them?" "Yes„; I think I have heard of them,” said,Cfheips "And are all those bank- notes?" Hid: interest hi theBelk ian firm was evidently small compared with his In- terest in banknotes, from whioh he had never taken hit eyes 'Woe Beate produced them, •" X`et ; fifty tens, Look at 'em 1" replied the latter, passing the notes towards the old gentleman, end once again shaking down the eye -glass, "Well, air," oontinned Soateat' ter a moment's pause, during whioh the notee had been handed back again, "you obeli have the delivery -order of these geode as security, until you are quite satisfied about my prinolpele; and that le exactly equal to giving you five hundred pounds of their money to hold without any secarity at all," "So it is—so it is 1" ohuokled Chelps. "Nothing could be better, I will go into the City, air, and sell out to -day. My broker will let ine have tee money in ad- vanoe if I like, Oh, I can manage all •that; and I shall be quite eatisfled, especially if I can see one of the Oran ; I must own I should like that," "You shall do en, sir," answered Spate, " One of them shall be hole to see the com- pletion of the traaseotlon. He will like to do so, being Mr. Motley's first piece of bust - nese on their account. Then, sir, in hie pres encs, I will give you the dook•warrante, and you will give me eleven hundred pounds, I may say, as between friends, that these things are already as good as sold for two thousand pounds, There's buaineas, sir. Our firri knows were to plant the articles. ' "M dear sir, ' exe'almed Chelps, "it's au good es done. If I had any doubts bo - fore, what you now say, and the sight of thoee notes, have gaito removed them, and I shall not be easy now until I have had the pteasureof eeeing you and your friends to- gether. Mr. Spate shook his hand heartly, rester - ed the notes to his pocketbook,, to ,k the letter I had written; and then, after a most expreseive wink at me, whioh implied any- thing but respect for his new partner, ne left, (To BE 00NTINUED,) A Palatial Indian Railroad. Station. The Great Indian 1'.nlnsnlar Railroad terminus at Borne Builder, Bombay, now nearly completed, is one of the finest build - Inge in India, and is surpassed by few rail- road stations in the world. The buildings contain over forty large offines for the ad- ministrative staff of the railroad, including the freight superintendent and olerks, the police, psetal, andlt, traffi a, engineers,' agents' and provident fund departments. The agent, it may be explained, is the re- presentative in India of the board of direct- ors in Englsnd, and has, therefore, the pow- ers of a general manager. These offices vary in size from the agent's chief clerk's effice 23 feet by 12 feet to the agent's general clerk's cffioe 61 feet by 43 feet. Ment' of the effioes have private aressing and bath rooms attached, a very welcome laxary in the hot climate of India. The accommodation for paseongors is also veru complete, including a central hall 82 ft. x 76 ft. ; two refreshment rooms, 52 ft, x47 it., and 47 ft. x 25 ft. respectively; four waiting rooms, first and second clews, for ladies and gentlemen, with lavatories, etc., attached, Passengers arriving from up country and wlshing to embark on the steamer, oan find all their wants well attend- ed to without going to a hotel The build- ing is handsomely deoorated throughout and great pains have been taken to secure good ventilation, and the best sanitary appliances. The main stairoase to the office3 is 8 ft. 6 in. vide, and is surmounted by a Gothic atone dome, 40 ft. diameter. The mein cor- ridors average 12 ft. wide. The main build- ing forme three aides of a quadrangle in - closing a garden with fountain, eta. The style of architecture is Italian Mediaeval Gothic, which is said to be well suited to the climate, the massive stonework giving effectual protection from the sun. Work was curled oat partly by European and partly by native contractors and workmen, under the direction of Mr. F. W. Stevens, chief engineer and architect ; Mr. S. K .un. raeras, assistant engineer, and Mr, Madharas Janardban, surveyor and overseer, The work has been in continuous progress since 1879, and the total cost of the station and offices will bs about $1.250,000, Oanght in the Storm, Mr, J. E. Dawson, late assistent superin- tendent of the Great Western division, G. T. R, was in Kansas City, when the plane was visited by a terrible hurricane that carried with it ruin, devastation, and death, and he gives an interesting and thrilling account of the occurrence whioh he witnessed. He himeelf experienced a very narrow escape from being caught in the furious gale. When the storm descended upen the city he was hastening along the street, and im- mediately sought shelter in the most con- venient place, whioh proved to be a drug store. He was about to enter the plane when he received a fearful blow upon the side of the face and head. The force of the blow was so great that he was dszeland stunned for a few moments, Involuntarily he reeled baokward toward the street, and would in- evitably have been launohed into the centre of the raging hurricane had it not been for the preaenoe of mind of a strarger, who, ob- served his predicament, and who, reaching out his arm, firmly grasped Mr. Damon by the coat, and after a severe struggle man- aged to drag him into the store. There he was, for this time being at least, safe from the fury of the elements, bat for some min- utes he remained leaning against the count. or, almost unoonsoioas, unable to move, and Completely dazed. Finally he fully recover- ed his senses, but does not know, and pro- bably oan never realize from what flying missile he sustained the fearful blow, al- though he believes he must have been struck by the corner et a heavy shutter or by some sign teat was journeying along the thorough- fare, The store was crowded to its utmost oapacity with a terror-stricken throng of men, women and children, who huddled to- gether In a compact mass, while to add to their fear the entire place was enveloped in impenetrable darkness, and the wild Dries of the female portion of the crowd, an fly - leg objects crashed against the baildings, smashing the windows and breaking every- thing but the solid walls from their fasten- ings, imparted a still further degree of dread to the already panio-striken mass of people. Mr, Dawson says he has mingled with many crowds, but never before had he occasion to seek shelter with enoh a fear - stricken throng, and he strongly hopes that he may never again be called upon toundor go muoh an ordeal, The Medical Boarder's Ohop. "What elle year chop?" asked the land- lady of the medical boarder, who seemed to be absorbed in studying the anatemy of hie, dinner, " I think ossification has Met in," was the reply. " Well, it's pretty hard eoratohing," sighed the hostess. " 1 have' to pinch and sorub and matceuvre to make the ends Meet." '" Ah, well, ' replied the boarder, holding the ohop on his fingerfor elegem inepeotion, " now you epeak of it I suppose that the end" are meat, but the rouble Is that the thing is nearly all mid- , dle," . Babies and ECot Weather. Babies often duffer intolerably In the bot menthe, either from too muoh or too little olothtug. We remember ono dear baby we owe naw clothed in a doable woolen dress- ing, gown and with woolen aoeke on hie feet a hot July day, The drops of perspiration stood thickly over hie little bead, and what wonder that he cried from sheer discomfort? The little fest needed no covering, and the woolen wrap phonic' have been replaced by a thin cotton or linen garment during the warm portion of the day, the dressing -gown being at hand to slip on as soon as the air grew bold at night, Uaderolothtug pinned tightly about us in warm weather would be Insufferable. Why should we suppose it Is easier for baby to endure it ? Physicians are advising giving babies oold water at least 0110e an hour, or ratheroffering it for their aooeptanoe. A bit of ice pinked from a lump with a pin may be put on baby's a d hot gums with goad r(sults ,, b per- haps n eel haps of all, when the little toreatures grow peevish and fussy, when they are a burden to themeelvea and everybody else, is the plan adopted 'by wine mothers, big sisters, and auntlee, of partially undressing the little body, wiping away the heat and dust with a soft, 000l sponge or cloth, in a cool, shaded room, and with pleasant cheerful talk soothing away the "tired" and coax- ing the pilgrim to take a nap by the way. " Come now, you've got to have a nap," will rouse rebellion in almost any baby soul, but to be induced into something Moe be- fore oneknows it, ah, how we big folks en- joy it, and why aheuldu'tbabyd There is another than a hot side to the baby question, however. It ie the taking cold. Cribs are lett in draughte; baby is left asleep in a room where windows are open ; the wind changes and nobody remem- bers the helpless little viotim of our cap- rices and thoughtleesnese. There is one case on record where a baby was fergr teen and left out on a piazza through a heavy thunder- storm, but there are few houses where that could hi►ppen, happily. There are homes, however, where baby really suffers from lack of clothing. The infant mortality in a mountain town, where there was always a chill in the air night and morning, was something frightful,,, Long-sleeved dreeses ( which most babies now wear), with the feet and bowels kept warm, migat have saved some of these precious lives. The babies' illness to ilk the term of bowel trouble, some- times the result ef a mummer cold. There e nothing, everybody knows, that will re- lieve the stomach of bowel pain like a hot application. Indeed, some people who have a tendency to each c amplaints, are seldom without their flume' bandage, aad In case of any disturbance of the organs mentioned know that the fleunel bag with smartweod or tanaey quilted Into its fold will aot as a charm. S..me phyaioians say everybody should wear flannel next to the skin the year round ; others may flannel eheuld never tonoh the skin. The truth will be found to lie between the two extremes ; wear flannel when it is needed, leave it off when it does harm. To be well, however, a peroon must be warm, If not warm naturally there Is probably something wrong in the person's system, but until a natural circulation and warmth can be secured artificial moans must be ueed. Of one thing be sure, babies' feet, arms, and bowels must be taken care of, and the oare of the outer part of the etomaoh is quite as important as attention to the inner wants. In conclusion, let us say no garment worn during the day should be worn at night by old or young. Cleanli- ness, if not splendor, is possible to all and necessary to health. How to Disinfect. Clothing which requires disinfecting should be submitted for about three hours to a temperature of 250 degrees In a chamber charged with sulphur fumes from a large quantity of sulphur. The chamber should be so constructed as to prevent the fumes from passing off. No germs oan stand this, After a room has been used by a person stole with any oontagioce disease, It becomes necessary to disinfect it before it is used again. This is done by removing and burn• ing the paper on the wall, rem Doing the bed -stead and other furniture, and exposing them to air and wind, and giving them a fresh ooatrof varnish ; by having the mat- tress made over new and the hair boiled ; by burning in the room three pounds of sul- phur, and by whitewashing, palating and papering the room anew. Now that it is generally conceded that consumption is canoed by germs which mul- tiply in the lungs, a method of disinfecting them, which shall be harmless has been sought for, but as yet without avail, Tue vapor creosote, the oil of the eucalyptus and carbolic acid have been tried, and, to some extent, they may paralyze or stun the germs and prevent their rapid increase ; but as the pongee of the lungs are delicate, and the vapor cannot be brought very near to them without injury, the good effects are slight. But there Is one method whioh cannot fail to prove beneficial, and that is the inhalation of large quantities of freoh pure air. This is worth more than any dia- infootant for the lungs, and oan do no harm. What the Reporter Wrote. A reporter, having dined with mime friends, attended a lecture afterwards, and favoured the world with the following re- port : " The lecture last evening was a brit. tient affelr. The hall ought to have been filled, but, we are sorry to say, only forty persons were present: The apeaker com- menced by saying that= he was by birth an eoclesiastloal dednotton; gave a learned de- soription of Satan, and hie skill in sawing trees, Among other things, he stated that the patriarch Abraham taught Ceorops ar- ithmetic. We trust that the eloquent di- vine may be induced to repeat that lecture some day," This is what the lecturer maid to the reporter : "Dear sir,—In a report of my lecture in your beautiful pity, you made some mistakes whioh Iwiah to co:aeot, You have made me speak of myself as by birth an "eocieeiaetical'dednotion,' What I said was that I was not by birth, but oely eooleslastloally, a Datohman. Instead of Sea tan sawing trees, 1 spoke of his sowing tares. I maid nothing of Abraham, bat epoke of the Arabians an being nomads of patriarchal simplicity. 1 said that Ceorepa was the founder of Athens,• and inatruoted the peo- ple in agriculture," "" Oh, did I tell you about little He a- ry, Grandma ?" He's got a bicycle 1" Lend alive 1 Wail, don't get exalted about It, Jest you put a big poultice of seap and sugar on le, and change it "every morning, an it'll be gone in three days, Your grand- father used to have 'em, every bayin' time, reg'lar as Sane. They ain't nothin' ; they'll do him good," A verymodest lady sent her very,modest daughter -La pretty young damsel-ut one morning for some articles. Among the many she informed a Clerk in one, of our stores " that her mother wanted to "get three yards of cloth for primitive triangular apfendagea for her infant," A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING, A Beaton paper recently printed a Suring pc��ern. signed With. these ,strange initials, The aedaolous F,ngllah sparrow apparent- ly tears nothing, A pair of these birds are aotuaily housekeeping In , the hood of an oleotric etreet lamp in Portland, Maine, A Lookhaven, Pennelyvnnia, man asserts that be owes a locket containing a look of George Washington's hair, The man never heard the story or he would poetess the hatchet also, A society has been formed in Switzerland for the cultivation of amfab;lty, Ite mem- bers are to be good natured, polite and agree. able always and under all oiroumetanoos, The test will be when they get the tooth- ache or neuralgia, or when their Dorn -toe le stepped on in a street oar. New Jersey folks aro extremely ausoepti- bte to hydrophobia. A mad dog ie not a ne- eeeeory adjonot, A boy, who sister was bitten, worried about it so 'oh that he malady 1r mm th aotuell took the ma a r a and put the dootore to their wits' end, It took four men to hold the lad during his paroxysms. In Wyoming territory the settlers grow their fuel by the acre. Sunflowers are used instead of coal, The etalks when dry are as hard ae maple wood and make a hot fire, and the seed hearth with the seeds are said to burn better than the best hard coal. An mare of sunflowers will furnish fuel for one stove for a year. Jonesville has a very absent-minded citizen, Two mornings in succession, after milking the cow, he set the pail of milk in a corner and carried the milking stool into the house. Oa the third morning he took a basket of turnips to the cow, emptied them before her, and then began to milk in the basket. He had presence of mind enough to stop when about half through milking. A correspondent in Montana, telling of the forauitous disoovsry of silver mine, re- lates this inoident : A prospector in New Mexico with the honored name of John treArmy Adams. found hts haversack on fire, his prospeotor'e glass having focused the sun's rays upon it. As the haversaok con- tained about a dozen pounds of pawdar, he dropped it and got out ef the way in a hurry. It fail into a orevioe, and a large mass off rook was thrown up. Adams returned mournfully to gather up what might be left of hie effects, and found an exceedingly rich vein of ore, which the explosion had ex- posed to view. He sold a third interest in his find for $16,000, and very consistently named the mind, " The Nick of rime." MEOHANICAL ITEMS. Italy has three locomotive factories and three railway repair shops, Thirty expert Japanese ivory carvers are to be brought over to introduoe the art in this country. The experiment is made by an American who has lived a long time in Japan. It is said that ahingles can be made fire- proof by setting the butte -Petra trough of water into which half a bushel of eaoh of lime and salt and six paunds of potash have been dissolved. A Pittsburgh man has invented a telephone that transmits a written message in the iden- tioal chirography and no hello about it. A company has been organized to operate the new marvel of electricity. In 1840 one operative working thirteen er fourteen hours a day, turned off 9,600 yards of standard aheetiug a year ; to 1386 an operative in the same mill tarns off nearly or quite 30,000 yards per an a . In 1886 the mill's hours are ten. In 1 wages were $175 per year ; in 1886 1 sr a e $285 per year. A brink being porous, as a Iump of sugar, and having six aides, needs careful filling for water -tight work is cesspools, oto„ and a thin grout of porridge of cement is com- monly need. Heating the brick and soaking beforehand in a thick ooai tar has been re- commended. A man may lay common wall all his life without learning how to make brick water -tight. A Look Haven blaokemith the other day performed the marvellous teat of knocking himself down. He and a helper, the latter using a sledge hammer, were welding a piece of Iron, when, by a miscalculation, he struck the helper's hammer, which flew up and hit him in the face knocking him sense - lees, He recovered consciousness in two hours but his beauty is spoiled. Cast iron pulleys can be lagged or faced with leather, without the use of rivets, in the following manner : First, brush over the face of the pulley with acetic acid; whioh will in a short time rust it and give it a veru rough surface ; then attach the leather to the face of the pulley with a Dement com- posed of ono pound of fish glue and one-half pen ad of common glue. A Tribute to the Press. A flowery editor, a friend of eura, who is impressed with the dignity and awful re sponsibility of his calling, thus delivers his impassioned soul :—" Compare the orator, one of the noblest vehicles for the diffnsion of thought, with the newspaper, and you may gain a faint glimpse of the ubiquitous powers of the latter, The orator speaks to but a few hundred, the newepaper addresses millions ; the words of the orator may die in the air, the language of the newspaper le stamped on tables imperishable as marble ; arguments of the orator may follow eaoh other so rapidly that the majority of the audience may struggle in a net of ratiooina- tien, the reasoning of the news err or may bs scanned at leisure without af'ae of per- plexity ; the passion of the orator iafluencea an assembly, the feeling of a newepaper electrifies a continent; the orator Is for an edifioe, the newspaper for the world—the one shines for an hour, the other gleam for all time the orator may be compared to lightning, whioh flashes over a valley for a moment, but leaves it again in darkness, the newspaper to a sun blazing steadily over the whole earth, and fixed on the basis of its own eternity. Printing has been happily defined the art that preaorvea all arts, It catches up dying words and breathes Into, them the breath of life, It is the gallery through which the orator thunders in the ears of egos, He lean° from the tomb over the cradle of the rising genortions." Too Early in the Season. Young Feathorlywas a guest at Sunday dinner, and was aomowhat amused because Bobby complained of there being ne ice Dream for desert, " The weather is rather gold for Ice cream, Bobby," he said. "Ice eream Is only nice when the weather is hot," " You like it in cold weather," grunted Bobby, "Oh, no, I don't." " said Bobby, is if dismissing the enbjeot, "all I know is that sister Clara says it's a cold day when you buy any, Ma, can't I have another piece of pie 2"