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HomeMy WebLinkAboutExeter Times, 1898-5-5, Page 2SXHIT'ER TIMBS• 'HE BEST ATC MAKER crivipaRX,oonttixtue. tat 'flat neomeut unforttmete bar - Met ware far Drone thinking anything • Tit all aboat the various incidents of • the War a Settessioni, taloa waging in . the United States. Bis oaltt thought • Was that aledearoiselle Blexidareauwas tbe Most beautllul woman> in ties woxId. •/loiterer, he must give her father scPme answer, or other, and so he embarked O s Eenenraltiee for a fall quarter of an hour, That day. which bad begun so hap- pily for Sim James eves. alas destined to terminate most mournfully. In the morang Aurelle 'had tacitly .confessed bar love for 1iini, and in the evening' he learned frenra AL Bla,naureen's own Zips that She was alireteay engaged, and would. he Rector's -wife before &month •was over. The retired naerobaut men - timed the fact in it casual way, and noticing the ba'ronet's surprise, not to say dismay, expresse,d: his wonder that f. Malest,rat had not aequainted "his lordship" with the eirourasteinces be- fore. , "Is it possitae?" groaced Sir Jornes. "IS it. possible'?" "Dear me 1" exeleimed, t. lalaindar- eau. at a loss to explain: las guest -'a suddenpaler and, emotion "aa'aluet is the inatter, my lord?" "Oh. I suffer," aeplied the baronet; "I suffer dreadfully: And rising from Ids seat he with- drew without =tieing Mademoiselle A,Urelie plainly share his eratitian, Ue returned borne in a dreadful state of mind. All his usual frigidity was gone. and he tramped Op and. down his woone gesticulating furiously and talkicng to himself aloud. "T am dectdedly cursed," he groaned, "I have brakes* my ward as a. gentle- man. I have forgotten Mademoiselle desamblettay, and my pant:else to marry her: end. I bave stolen the beart af the gica who was to ena.rry the only friend neve isi France. 1 shall appear a traitor in his eyes; and. yes, 1 am a vile.. cantenaptible being" ;set first he thought nt writing to Hector and. con - Tossing his involuntary creme, but on reflection another idea occurred. to him. What it was he did. not audibly explain; Mt he repeatedly murmured,: "Yes, tbat is my only course, my only cbance teft." •>Axel on the in,o,rrow he returned to Ville d'Avaay, as if :nothing wbatever had °marred. Thencefarward, howev- er, he led. a frightfol existe,nee. In the society of Mademoiselle A.uxelie he was transported. to the seventh .Heav- en; but as soon as he found himself alone againhe was nlunged, as tt a ere down into the bottomless pit. •CELA.PTER, X. Before long M. Blandurea.0 began to motioe that sonaetiting was going on, . Ilthhert.o he had aseribed Sir James' daily visits to the disarms of his own . delightful -conversation. and. the thought that the baronet might also come for his daughte.r seriously- wound- ed his self-esteem. Of coarse he would leave, been delighted ix> be able to mar- ry. AuTelie to the ,nephew at an Eng- lish, peex, bet then there was his sac - ret engagement with Hector, and. so he thought it best to hasten. the pro- • jeeted wedding and acquaint his chos- en, son-in-law with las suspicicais. Elector, however, had already- serial:Cs suspicions of his own One day while he was at Ville d' Avirey, where he came 'less frequently than ever, he espi- ed an English grammar and. a pock- et dictionary lying m a table. Their presence there had a veryasignificant !meaning, and in examining them be as- certabled that the leaves were cut and they had evidently been used, for a number of pencil naar'ks figured. on the rae.rgine of the pages. . "Oh 1 oh I" thought Hector, "Made- • nueiselIe Auxelle is far too sensible to • try, and learn Engliale without a mast- er, so I suppose tihat ray friend. James is acting in that capacity. Well I can only !hope that she will soon be able to talk as fluently as a Lancashire laser And. he thereupon took his de- parture far more joyful thee he had been for many a long week pag. I mustn't, disturb tihose young peolde," he said. "If AL 131andulreau wishes to see, me he can come and find me." It was tbis that happened. After waitiaag several days for his chosen son- in-law, Mr. 131andareau came one morn- ing to Paris. He seemed very distress- ed, and abruptly asked: ".Do you, love nay daughter ?" "Certainly T do," replied Hector; "like a sister," • "Well," resumed "Mr. Bla.naureau, "I must acquaint you with a very grave • itirreamsta,nce. Your. friend 'Lord' Wel- lesely is in bore with Aurelia" latiotor couldscarcely coneai his der light,.,3 Are you sure of iihat?" he asked. • "Well -yes -I ani; and so I think it would be best for you to hasten your preparetions and. get the marriage ov- er as soon as possible." an.ust tbauk you for warning me," eaia• Heotor. "I will see to the matter." • And as M. Blandeereau insisted on tale necessity of an early wedding. the young- fellow imitated lion Jun.n's ex- ample in reference to Monsieur Dine- en -the. Ea that the ex -merchant eventue • alla bad to retie without any deci- • satin being arrived. at. Fre was certainly surprised. be. Heat- er's apparent indifference, bizt a yet greater surprise awaited him at home; • for Atatlemoiselle Amalie r.squestedbim to 'Kraut her the favor of a few min- utes' private conversation She was new really in love with Sir James, and was determialed to break tie the en- gagement with Hector at any price. Vie advantages of suolt a course were eximistalcalae. By intsairying the bar- • onet. :the woidd. become 'her ladyship," She would - leave France to reside hi England. wbere no one wauld be aorta- ainted with her plebeian origin Her • Nisbet:La's poverty would be no obetaele • whetever, for she was wealthy enough kr both of them. And finally, as we lege before Said, she redly loved Sir jetties.Artordittgly she resolutely '1'041 .13.sx' father that she would never sensent to roarr;v Hector. J. titan& rtreau's• •astoniatomerit and elver may Le more easily imagined than deserib- ed. • "Do you know whet, you are *ag- ing ?" ,he asked. "Dotre you knew that 1 •have giveh my wara?" • "Well, you aattetwithdraw it, filth - Otte T,hastans all," • 'Never, flevefl allandureittee word is worth its{ weight in gold'!" • "-Perhaps iso" %el alien 1 never gave Zn y wordand so I ,htuve into promitie to 1,..., -"Way, you untortunaite gala, lti. aittleatrat's preeence here alone implied, acceptance on your part. No doubt 1 direw up the promissory natty but you iiiidoesed it; and beeides, think of Hect- • or's despair 1 Da you went to matte i hiM miserable for life?" ' "-Do you 'really thiuk that he loxes : nate, father ?" I "If he loves you? Al 1 If you bail lonly beard in what a tone he eadd to ine an Jaounr ago, 'I tome Mad.eneoiselle • Maeda, as if she were my sister.'" 1 The young lady could not, refrela liamm. benelina. I "Arm do you thinkthat sufficient?" , she mired. I "Wba r ' replied ber father, "I don't ;mina telling you that I didn't at all 'love your ratither rhen we marriedand • yet you knew how happy we've been together." \e„ "Perhaps eteafeeher," retorted Made- raoiselle Auxeliei'vebut. I don't desire suleh 'happiness et 'any prime' And with an, air of deflanckshe added: sides, l'in net one of abase girls who are forced to marryirgainet their will." "Ham dare you, ?" exelaimed t -he .ine furiated merehant. "Weill- I swear that the earth shall cease to turn and the sun to shine before 1 retreat my tvord." And so saying. he left the room, han,ging the doer behind him. Mademoiselle Aurelia was. however, by no means alarraed. She was nut go- ing La abandon her hopes so easily, and. an hour later Hector received a note from her in which, without give bag lam ally particulars, she appeal- ed to him as a "raan of bowie' to withdraw froan his suit. Mace -couldnot do this without see- ing her and. talking with her.; and so M immediately hired a. vehicle and drove to Ville d'Avrity. A fortnight Md elapsed since he had last seen Aur - e -lie, and in the meaner -bile love had sti transfigured her that she could be scercely recognized. No doubt she -eats still statuesque, but the marble of her nature was animate, as it were. l'Y Cupid's electric spark. Witb, a mod- est. ale she briefly told him. the truth, saying that she had written to him because site was suxe of Sir James' love. Hector was quite touched. by the expression of anguish which her fea- tures assumed when. in conclusion, she renewed her previous request. "I will obey a= mademoiselle," he said; "and I hobs that in. default of winning your love my candela may naake me worthy of your friendship." Mad on the spot he asked for a priv- ate interview with, ISE l3landureau. Under any other circumstances, be would base dreaded the retired mer- chant's anger, but now he was so ful that he did not give it a thought. in point of feet, AL Blandureau rece- ived bira fairly badly. • Although he was inwardly quite as delighted as Hector ate thought that honor re- quired hira to assume an Indignant rinien. lie expostulated, tittered never to receive Sir James in his house again, proposed an inorea.se of dowry, and when he found. the young. fellow in- flexible, he overwhelmed him with re- proaches. "Your wareby father," he said at last, "would never have acted like this; • but as you positively refuse to marry my daughter. for the refusal comes from you, mind, and without the least pal- pable motive. you, must unite and sign me a declaration to that effeet." Heetor joyfally dicl as he WaS bid; it.nil then. after taking- leave of M. Blau- duxeau, be hurried to the nearest cafe and wrote to Ferdinand Manuel as follows a . "Everything is arranged. Come to Paris at once. I am waiting for you" That sante evening M. •Blandureau gave his consent to his daughter's max- riage with Sir James 'Wellesley, and profited of the change to take belt a million trance off kerelie's dowry. It was onli then th.a.t. the baronet learn- ed that his future father-in-law had made his fortune in commercial en- terprises, and he had some little dif- ficulty in silencing his aristocratic pre- judices. .However, he consoled himself by Tefleoting: . "After all, who will know it in Eng- land?" - . One morning a few days later Hec- tor was eugagecl at his toilet whet a servant of the betted he was staying at .in Paris announced the arrival of a. visitor, • "Let him come in," said Hector, feel- ing convinced that. it was Ferdinand, atom be was hourly expeeting. - Bunt. in lien of M. Aubenel, it was air James wino messed the threshold, look- ing extremely grave and pale, and. car- rying in one han:1 e little mahogany box, NNIhich be carefully laid an the table. "I (have to speak with you on serious matters," he said to Hector. "Are you sure no one can overhear' is "Oh, quite sure," replied Metier, whom this strange peramble greatly surprised. However, the Englishman went ton> svard ahe door and made sure that it was properly closed. Then returning to this friend he said: •" lhave come to tell you that I am it guilty scoundrel, quite undeserving of your friendship. I loathe myself, and my own conscience reproaches me quite as much as you couldedo. I was engaged to a young girl, I have jilt- • ed her, and yesterday I hadto write and cottess to her mother that I was it perjured villian. To -day 1 have Oonte to tell you that I bave deeeived you in the most infamous style, for f have robbed you of tbe heart of the girl you were going to marry. 1 love Au- relia and she loves Me, and her father • has, moreover, promised me her hand." "Ob, you are the beet and worthiest of men, interrupted • Hector, Pressing the baronet to his heart, "If you: ever need a safe friend, count, ot me. Whet cam I do for you Do you want all my fortune? Speak I" Sir James' fancied that Hector was losing his :mind and bis •remorse beestme yet more acute, " Return to yOureelf," he said 1 Mee not yet finished. What • I 'am. •about to ptopose tli you is to doubt iitit cuetomaxy in England, but it is customary in France and in France one must do ais the French do, 1 wishl to offer yeu ail the satisfaction ti, French - mail could cliam. I baves here &box of pistols, arid only one of the vee,ap- ortit is loaded: 'Youmay cbotate, aridway a aVhat, you want to fight a (Mel with me r evied Motor. " And why, prey ? Dora.eiet yottreelf out like that, , ..„ I wasn't in love wttb Mederaoissille • " Axt- Wixether you loved heror not," Sir JalaeS replied, " my cenduet, is none the less perfidione anti odious. But repent I have pistols here--"- " You are mad." retorted Hector' shruggliag his shoulders. " What I you take Mademoiselle A urelie away frcnn me, and now yoxx want to fight a duel With me in A.merittan style, and per- haps kill me into the bargain!" Sir jables was waxing wrathful. "It's too late to retreat," he said. "After apologizing to you in the way I've done, I could never support the sight of you afterward'. You refuse .the reparation I offered, Jet it be so; but now 1 demand eatisfaetion." The quarrel raight have ended in a tragical manner, if at this very mo- ment there had not come a knocleat •the door. The new -comer was Ferdin- and, who, on receiving. Heetwas note, had hastened. to Paris with all possible speed. As soon as the situation was explained to him, be- turned and ex- claimed: "You know that I >speak English like it cookney, so just retire and let me arrange this matter •with Sir. James Wellesley," • He did knew how to arrange, matters. The Best Matchmaker and no raietake, for assoonas Hec- tor had retreated into his bedroorn he bluntly told Sir James the whole story of his friend's passion fax Louisa d'Am- blecay. The baronet's furyknew no bounds, "I have been tricked," he cried; and he demanded satisfaction. in such • a, baughty, imperious voice that Hector precipitately returned. Then there was a final explanation, with the result that on the following morning tbe two adversaries met in the Bois de Vineennese, where Hector gratified Sir James with it pretty lit- tle sword thrust in the arm, which postponed his marriage for six weeks. The few drops of blood which the bar- onet lost, served, however, to re-cetnent their momentarily broken friendship. CHAPTER, XI. Ferdinand, was as proud as the hero of a R.outan triumph on the evening, when, after three weeks' abeence in Paris, he arrived at La Fresnaie, ac- companied by his friend, Hector. They were e.xpected, and the house had quite a festive appearance. Aladarae Aubitti- el, who bad been apprised by her hus- band of all that had occurred in Paris had prepared for Hector the Most de- lightful of all possible surprises. By dint of eloquence she had. prevailed an Madame d'Arablecay to come and dine at La Fremaie with her daughter. The baroness had leied to resist, bat what reason was there to refuse? Sir James had officially acquainted her -with the breaking off of bis engagement, aria she had written. to give him back his promise. Thus when Hector entered the drawing -room that evening the first person he perceived was Louise, and the long look which the two -lovers exchanged was quite a. poem, express- ing as it were all their past anguish anct present felicity. Hector had not expected -such happiness; he had fear- ed some fresh. obstacle, and to avoid falling he had to lean for a,moraent on his friend's arm. Then bowing respect- fully to the baroness, he exclaimed in a voice trembling with emotion. • "If I dare to reappear before yon, madame, it is because the conditions you specified. have been or are being fulfiled." And at the. same time he banded her a folded paper. • This was the circular letter by which AL o,nd Madame Blandureau had " the honor of informing their friends and acquaintances of the approaching mar- riage of their daughter, Madetamselle Auntie Blandureau, with Sir James Wellesley " Bart." Madam d'Amblecity gave.. the document a careless glance, for. it told her nothing new, ands then, turning to her daughter, exclaimed, with an air oC affected sadness: " Well, nay poor Louise, here is Sir James Wellesley jilting you for an- other young lady." Although for the last fortnigbt or so, Madempiselle Louise had been real- ly rejoicing over the baronet's tree, son, she now did all she could to look surprised, and, like an artful young minx, she even tried. a, little pout of vexation; but. she was not skilled in the art of clissiraulation, and her beam- ing eyes belied the motion of her lips. 'And when is Sir James to be mar - Tied a- asked. the baroness. "On the third of Alay," answered Ferdiaand. " Thanks to my diplomacy, whieh rather hastened the wedding than otherwise. " Well, then," resumed: Madame ta- Ainblecay, "I think we can make our preparations fax the same date." And taking bold. of Louise's hand she placed it in Hector's, M. and Madame Hector Metestrat nowadays reside in Touraine, in -a pret- ty Muse they had built midway be- tween La Fresuaie and the Chateita d'Axublecay. Hector .never returned to Bordeaux, hut sold his house there, with all its furniture and appoint- ments..Mademoiselle Aurelia, now Lady Wellesley, reigns at Follinghitm her husband's mat in. Lincolnshire, which has been magnificently restored since i heir anarria.ge. Her paternal name havieg by thence beau mentioned am- ong the landed gentry and aristoeracy of tbe neighbourhood, she did not hes- itate to convey the impression that the Blandureaus were allied to the greatest families in lorance. larorsbip- ed 17 her husband, whose love she re- turns Aurelia is so happy that she has never even wished. for the death of that Imola whose demise will make her a peeress; and although both Hec- tor and Sir ,Tames have ebildren you. may be certain that they will never seek wives or husbands for them until they reach the proper age, for. Matra many. As worthy M. .Rlandureau of- ten remerks: "Promise of marriage made by par - elite in reference to their children are hills of exchange drawn on the /atm, which is the unsafest a all debtors," And he might add that ebance and will alwaya remain the most sue- cessful nattehmaker. (The end.) • A.NOTHER DISAPPOINTMENT. Rich 13(tehelor-What a woriderCally preeerved woxrtan yoa ere, Miss Elder- ly, Miss Elderly -Row dear of you Par- don the blushes, but lItielielor-I attale-er-speculat- ing tie to. whether yon might bemi youzger. Oster. SEOOND DELUGE OF BLOOD, THIS SUGGESTION PROMPTED IN CASE OF A wordos The Standing Amides of the armed Settees -Minedoiais would 'Volatile aver: Vast Cities Be Is Entine, nod bee World% Elnp Ise Chauttett, •• The war with Spain and the United States may be short, and peaoe may reign again in a few weeks, 11 may be prolorigad, mud in the latter event tbe nations that are at this time neutral. %vitt find their interests more or less interfered with. It will be to Great Britain's interests to see the war brought to a (sudden cloae, for war means a stoppage of commercial rela- tions with one of her best customers, abould great Britain unclertake to in- terfere in the fight between the Unit- ed States and Spain it will require slight ptovocation fax her wetcliful enemy, Russia, to take advantage of the fact' that the attention of English- men is temporarily distracted. from the E astern situation to commit Some act that will 'set a match to the train of gunpowder laid to the magazine in the Orient:. Under such cart:um-Asians:es it will be in keepirag with the present indica- tions for Japan to join farces with Great Britain., and. for Germany, Aus- tria and Italy to be forced into • ONE GIGANTIC WAR that will change the map and perbaiss sweep away kingdoms. Aimed Europe. Is a tremendous sight at present, Germany's stupend- ous army of 1,946380 men, officered by 22,672 men, with it cavalry of over 100,- 000 horsemen and en artillery compris- ing 2,964 guns, would be a tremendous aggregation of fighters,for Great Bri- tain to famowith her -little force of 215,281 soldiers, 4,918 officers, 29,812 cav- alrymen and 720 guns. All the. men Great Britain would have to help her through an alliance with Japan would be 56,237 infantry and 5,750 cavalry- men. The Jape are born fighters, and have 'proved their prowess as have their British' friends, but the odds would be tremendous, and individual courage does Mat count for much where men are pitted at a distance of two miles by a marksman with a magazine rifle: Wbat frightful -scenes would: result from, a general war sucti as that sug- gested, should France joinforces with G ermany's millions and swell her figbt- ing strength by putting over 2,000,000 men into the field, with 112,000 caval- ry and .3,400 guns! If the course of events should ever bring it to pass that France forgets her old gru.dge against Germany, and. makes an offea- ive alliance with -her, whax a tremen- dous army would, be ready within mo- bilization time after tbe declaration of war I Whatever the outcome of Great Bra tain'a efforts to 'obtain an ally, it can-, not be hoped that Russia will be any- thing 'out an enemy ot hers. To the co- alition against Great Britain, therefore, would be added the array, of the Czar, numbering. 0.16,824 men, with -.a cav- alry force of 163,000, among whom would be the fierce. COSa.A.CES OF THE DON, and an. artillery force with 2,672 guns at its coramaud. Austria would be a mighty. ally, for her fighting strength is 862,300 men, and ishe can supplement this with a cavalry force numbering 163,000 horses, and an artillery with 1,572 guns. If Turkey came into the, general scrim- mage she would add to the total of fighting men an army of 180,000 coin- batsuats, with a caviry form of 30,400 men, and 69a guns, Not by any means a force to be despised, for most of Turkey's soldiers are veterans of one war. These figures are appalling when it is considered that they represent men under arms, trained in the use if mod- ern weapons, which are the deadliest used in any war since the world began, ands men who are thoroughly educated in the art of war, with nothing left un- done that thoughtful trainers can sug- gest to harden their physique and make perfect the fighting qualities of the troops. But wbat becomes of the sug- gestion of even these millions fight- ing, wben it is remembered that they comprise merely the active armies of the countries referred to? In war times the number of fight- ers that each nation would put into the field would multiply in some in- stances by two the forces quoted above. Thus, a million nten would bave to be Added to Germany's army if THE- FIRST RISSERVE41 be fielded to the number given above. If the second reserve is to be includ- ed, it will be necessary. to add. nearly ti million more. If the grand total of fighting men capable of being put in- to the field when the entire resources of Germany are drawn upon be added together, it will swelrl he German ar- my to 5,098,180 l'aen. All the other na- tions would be able to send to battle vastly augmented forces, should the .reserves be called upon, so that utters in past wars armies of 70,000, 80,000 or 100,000 men were considered a large and powerful force, in a modern fight between great nations such an army would not be considered more than a small (section of the force 'required to do battle on a scale that emir:teed. sue - cess. With millions of men against her, Great Britain has shown that she does not consider her strength puny. She boants of her " splendid Isolation" and talks confidently of her ability to cope with urinate numbering millions by the simple process of bottling them up in their own fortified harbors and com- pelling them to stay there until they tire of the imprisonment ana sue for peace. With her vast navy Britain feele (dissolutely confident that she can set- tle Germany in ft vas, short time, Ger- itenide lhnited latabOard would make the illataantallieof her meet tatens, say the Britisher% it matter of the greatest me% imit then, says john Rull, what would be the um of ber millions of trained men n' There is truth in the ar- gument when Tit% CONIVABATIVE SIZE of the German anti Britis,h ;levy is wa- ndered, fax Britain's navy possesses no less than 989 ships of war of all °lessee and faze% while Germany posseses on- ly 334 It would be aakifferent story should France join Germany, for in that event she would bring her navy of 673 ebipe to join those °a (4ermany. Italy has a fairly good navy, anti 133 -a- te -in, should she find an ally in this netion, would secure the help of 830 warships of all kinds, bat in Russia She would hem another formidable en- emy, with a navy of 467 ships. TarkeY has 211 warships of one kind, and an- other, but they are not very formid- able craft, and would not inake a very serious impression in a naval fight with modern boats. Japan has a fine little navy of 217 ships of all classes, and would do effective work in the Orient' but she would searcely bo an ally upon whom England could count to balance the force on her side with that of a combination of continental Powers. ' I3ut it is the awful carnage that would result from such a combination • of forces aa that suggested that makes men stop appalled at the very thought of general intereational war, like that whieh has been so calmly discussed many times recently. It would be a world at war Not a few thousand fighting men pitted against mob other but the flower of the manhood of na- tions taking opposing sides, every man capable of bearing arms being impress- ed hito the fight for bome and father- land.; a deluge of blood as there was once a deluge of water, thet would threaten the same dire results of the world. •The peace -at -any -price party' may be excused for their utterahces when such a result is contemplated as that which would ensue from a gen- eral conflict of the nations. • • THE DEADLY MAXIM GUN. Recent Traproventents is, That Terrible Engine or War. Many important Improvements have been made in tbe celebrated Maxim rifle calibre gm, one of the most mur- derous implements of modern tv-arfare, Huge rifle cannon drive their massive projectile's through plates b'f steel and thick fortres.s walls, but the business of this rapid. fire machine gun is to mow down men in the ranks. TO action of the Maxim grin is en- tirely automatic whea once it isastart- ed.. Tete cartridges are placed in a belt and axe fed into the gun -with almost incredible repidity by meolianisin adul- ate:1 by the recoil of the successive dis- charges. The gunner has but to press a battan and the weapon itself does • the rest, though ley releasing the bbut- ton at the proper moment the action can be limited to it. single discharge. This terrible engine is capable of bel - cling forth froni six to seven hundred rounds per minute, sweeping the field before it withan annihilating blast of bullets before ' which nothing human can stand. This barrel is ordinarily encased in a water jacket to prevent excessive heating, though this jacket is in some cases omitted fax greater ease of transportation. • The only appreciable pauee in this tempest of death is -when. one belt of cartridges is exhausted and another must be inserted. Even to accomplish this it is only necessary to turn a crank, push, in the end of the new belt from the right and pull it throughto the left as far as it, will go, and re- lease the crank. Then another turn, pull and release, and the gun is again ready fax its dreadful work. To mese an:trebly protect -the aunner (luring this operation. a shield of steel plate is sometimes provided. MOUNTED ON TRICYCLES, One 01 the most interesting; of the new featuxes is the mounting of en- gines of this description upon, a tri- eyele. Of course such a device is avail- able only where the roads are fairly good. Two ,guas are used together weighing fiCty-feur pounds. TM weight of the tripod is seventeen aadi *WO poundsand of the necessary spare parts eight pounds more. The tricycle itself weighs 121 pounds. • ,To this must be added eighty-seven and one half pounds for a thousand rounds of ammunition carried in boxes, making a total of 288 pounds --no trifl- ing load, Nevertheless, two vigorous riders vo,n drive the apparatus at a very good pace over favorable ground. When a steep hill iss encountered the men dismount and. push the Machine up the elope, using itas a band carriage. In an open country this mode of niounting a Maxim may prove of con- siderable value, Another form of th-e gun bas been el- aborated, designed to be transported by a mule o11 aepecially constructed pack saddle, This is likely to be partioular- ly serviceable in a mountainous dis- trict. By the omission ofs the water jacket- the weapon may be made so light that it can lie carried bby a cav- alryman in a bolster, or eVea by; a foot soldier in a -knapsackin the latter case the weight is reamed. to fifty-sev- en and one-half pounds all told. WISDOM BEYOND HIS YEARS. His mother found him in the jam and reprimanded him. A little later she caught him teasing his baby sister and reprimanded him again. 1 don't see what's got into you, Wil- lie, she said. You're astiallY the good little boy, but to -day you're up to all kinds of raischief. Dm tired of being good, he return- ed with -juvenile frankness. Tired of being good! she >foe:Jaime& Whet do you mean by that? Well, broiler Bob is naughty most 6f the time, and you're always giving him things to get lam to be good, and guess I'll be naughty for awhile aad see if I &wit 'get something too, Sometimes u, youngster seems to have wisdom beyond his years. ' .141...4.1.464.4.00.4100.1.0•1400....1.111.4•1•44 AND THE FASTEST, TOO. I wonder how I can make my wort ay go the farthest. Have you, ever bought a converse: tiOrt Over the longaliatence teleplatide THE INVINCIBLE ARMADA, SOffie• Meterleal tint ;t Wrg,elsed Fleet 4. earreellOndent recalls the biatory of the "havineible .ertneela" wiaich Railed from Lisbon, Spain, against Eng- land. in 1588, ' That fle,et was eauposed of 129 large veseels, (tarrying 19,295 eolaiers, 8,460 sailors and, about 2,000 slaves as roWera. 11 Me a most formidable fleet one a the mot formideble fleets a the tame, • A storm ‘in Spanish waters destroy- ed several vessels of the "Invincible Armada" and the rest Pal int° 1)"t 101 repairs When everything wee in madiness again the fleet stertea and entered. tae English Channel, sailing along In the form of a hall moon, neat- ly seven mile,s broad. They were raet by the English fleet, consisting of 30 ships, which bed been. increased by the addition a merchantmen and Kiva- teees to • Telenet 189 vessels, under Lord Howard, of Effiogham, Drake and others. They fought. And it soon appeared that the, great Armada was anything but "invineible," for Drake sent eight blazing fireships into the midst of the Spanish fleet. In terrible constants - tion the Spaniards tried to get out to sea, and so became dispersed. The English permed, a, storm came on and drove the Spanish ve,ssels among the rocks •and. shoals. The "invincible" fleet, with a loss of 30.gmat ships and 10000 men, defeated and disgraced sail- ed home again. KING OF SIAM'S GIFT. rrraelitg the Royal • Hospital for Clifldrea at Edinburgh "Wbh u Dolrellout The King of Siaxa has a passion for children. It is not xestricted to the little Siameast tots of his own land, but is• universal. , ;During his globe trot- ting tour lest yeag the children of the venoms -nations interested him as much as anything he saw. • The hospitals for children never escaped his attention, and It was in these places of suffering that the Xing laid aside his royal dig- nity and, showed that one touch of na- Lure makes the whole 'world. kin. ' While in Edinburgh he visited the Rival Hospital for Children. His heart was towel:tea with a great pity for the afflicted little ones, ane,recently the hospital authorities xeceived a gift from His Majesty in the form of a beau.- tiful doll's house. It WaS made at a cost of $259, and is probably the finest doll'si house opens both hack and front, • Nothing the Ring could have thought of would have given so much joy to the unfortunate little invalids. The doll's house opens both baokaxid front, COLOR IN DRESSING. - French dressing is considered the gayeet in the world, bat this statement: requires & reservatidn. Gayety is mo- dified, by a refined taste and. by a cur- ious conservatism which gives French women- so much of their charm. For a long time after the Franco- Prussian war it was the fashion for Frenchwomen of position to wear black; many of them do so still, long after the prescribedperiod of mourning for fall- en relatives. This may be subtly inter- preted as 'a conventional badge of the grief Parisian women still feel at the loss of French primacy in Europe. For the test Frenchwomen are Much restricted in their use of colors in their costumes. And use of yellow or of cer- tain bright shades of red in her dress would in the French capital subject a respectable woman to annoying mis- conceptions. TM red handkerchief, the red petti- coat coquettishly displayed at street crossings, yellow. in the- costume are all considered as badges of a certain plane in the half-worldaShopgirls, mil- liners- helpers, •and laundresses wear always black. A, rmpectajile crowd in Paris is a rather soberly dressed one. There is an exception, On a bonnet ev- erything goes, or Paris would not be Paris, BE Dm IT. • • '1'he helpfulness of a good man, when it mines to assistance in domestic af- fairs, is apt to be very mu& like that of the Mt. Barker whose exploit is narrated below: His wife bad asked. hiaa to hang a pic- ture she had purchased for the parlor, and ha had said that he would do it " in a Atty." " Yoa just get me the cord and a pic- ture -hook," he said to his wife, " and tell the servant -girl to run down cel- lar and. bringup the step -ladder and carry it into the parlor; and where's those two little sorew thing -a -ma -jigs that go -into tbe listek of the frarae at the sides to put the cord. through? Look them up for Inc, and 111 need the • gimlet to bore a little hole for the screws,. Somebody get the gimlet, or restyle) I can drive thein in with a ham - mar. ;Johnny, you run down cellar and get the hammer. " I don't •know but a chair will be better than the step -ladder for me to stand. on. Somebody go out into the kitchen and get nee, e eheire I don't want to stana--011.011e a the parler chairs. "Got that cord? Just measure off -about, the right length and fasten i in those little things at the side. " There, now, there's your picture all hung hp irt 'good shape, nina no fuse about it. The difference between as men and you women is that when we have anything to do we go right ahead and do it, aad no talk about it WITTY SAYINGS. • The time to work and the time ta Ping are synonyinous with the organ,. grinder, - Justice is probably represe n t ed am 0, weman because it is something a max is always after: , • Ago and a little brother tall on e girl. The man who> abesn't advertise get more (lust oh late goods than in We ea sled rawer. Mirrors teflmt without speaking, and women often ispeak will:oat, re- flecting. • After a man has had oteasion to em- ploy e firet-clese 'stayer 11 it Useiess tO tel.) hira tbsit talk ie cheap, "aa—al------"t PHRASEOLOGY OF TRZ SEA. .--,. Some or die Most ranoitar Tities a11141 'MeltOrigin. ' In the early da ye ea 'Ex:40411h Itavel exganization, yeesele a w&T hell amble orgies, a military one for fightieg pax- Poecs tool enother of mariners for nev- igeting duties, In consequeace, e large number oa English sea terms have a, military origia. eat that time the wank a aarnixo was unkuown, and the ehiei officer of the squadxon is celled gomistable ar , justive, The term a -Mama as now used --1 is derived from the Arable "emir" or "enar," a commander, 'as in 'An:lir-el- Beier' co/rune/under of the sea. The early English on was "a,rairal" and: is still preserved a -s suchby the Erenell The tttle captain. is not a naval, but a militaxy one. Originally,, the real captain of a ship was a "master." A' military officer was placed on Mar though he knew nothing a nau matters. Gradually his importa oreasedt while that of the mast iniehed. proportionately 411 a sent (lay the raaster's affice ly beaming obsolete. comes front the Spanieh "e • The title ot lieutepecat i dixectla from the French a as a, place holder, or one ieh place of tlie captain> wher: a foenter days there were no ead volunteers, but with the gradu trance of politeness, the term cede appropriate1 from the Frenr.sh. BOATSWAIN L9 derived from the 80,N:ow "Swain." a, seivant. The term quartermaster, ite used in .both the sia:ray tied navy, ap- pears to be confusimg and anainalouso In the erray it is tih,e title of a come stoned office.): who performs import).* ant, and. resacaisible duties. In the navy he is simply a warrant officer>. I directing subordinate duties. • In old) I ships anil in olden times ibis pesition was a more important one; so muttli so that he was consiaered to be the . foarth part. of the rxixister-hence the term quartermaster. 1 The ship's mak was oaee, a great! Elan, and there ere instances onrecordi of his beine promoted. for efficient pre- paration of food. The slap's steward was originally the caterer. . Mho teams larboard and starboard come from the Italian "tpuesta barilaa an,(1. "quella borda," which by rapid de- livei7 hecame starboard and larboard,' but) owing to the strong similarity or somi they were clangecl into star- boa,rd and port, Latin part° to carry, the use of the terms in the original: form having been the cause at mewl accidents. ' Gangway has bem handed. down from! the days of the aneient galley ot thia Phoenician% Carthaginians and Rom- ans, it leasing been a board it-hicli ran' along the whole length serving as a: passage for the eattars to and. fir= their seats. It NillS also used as ar est- ing place for the !nest and sail ittatin n.ot in use. •t THE COCKPIT , is the lovvest park or the vessel. ielow- water, used during an action, fo the hretrtment a the wounded is derived' from the old days of tle English sport of cock fighting; but this Ita.s been mod- ernized end is now known a as the "flats"-arby, no one cart explain. 'gibber is from -tbe Dutoh, meaning a lazy, cowardly fellow. Anchor comes from tbe Latin "an- . ehora" or "aware," which up to '600 B.C. consisted simply Ott a large stone with a laole through it. The peculiarity of so many • port - of a slhip's rigging bearing name rived from the trappings of a lior? . only lie accotmated for froni the': that the early warships were lea bysoldiers as well as afalors, tb ural consequences being that bht. soldiers adapted some of their a e to meet their fancy. Among th ious ropes, etc., will M fou,ndelexaa wbips, bits, stirrups, and tao like. The old and well known sea tem: grog was originated as a term. of deta mica and disgust when Admiral Ver- non in 1745 intinaucecl the wise innova- tion of making his (new drink their spirit ratiom dilated. with water instead of neat, as they tad hitherto done: The sailors did net like the watery business awl, in revenge nicknamed the admiral "Old Grog" and his diluted. mixture as grogfrom the fact that he ge,nerally, were am overcoat of a color then known as grogram, gray. CANADA'S MINERAL PRODUCTION. The Geological Survey of Canada has just issued a summary of the Mineral production of Canada fax 1897, whiehi without being final -some of the fig- ures not being obtainable just at ()Mee ent-is based on a general knowledge of the progress made in the variousin-' dustries, and is sufficiently. Metialte for all practical purposes. 'the report shows that the value of the gold. pro.> duced amounted to $6,190,000; of cop- per, 13,300,802 pounds were produced, value, $1,501,060; of lead, 39,018,219 pounds, value, $1,396,853; (if nickel, 3- 997,047 pounds, value, $1,399,176; silver, 5,558,416 (maces, value, $3,322;- 905; a iron are, 71,451'. tons of two thousand pounds, value, 40.18,716; of Mercarte 688 pounds, valtie, $a24, and of platinum a value of $6,600. ISLANDS. Lake Huron contains 3,000 islet:els. Loth Erne, in frelend, has 365. The Lake of the Thousand %les is only ab expansion of the at, Lau re,nce River, and has 1,700. l'OU'lltittle REASON I NG. Tonony does a great deat of think- ing on hie own responsibility and he broke out the lathe rday -with: Pepe, I gness Oat Father Times kind, of a' back number, lethal: ho? What rnalces you think So, ',fotorny •'Oeuse if he ryas right up to date heal have a mew in' ,inersheen 'steed of that scythe he carries 'round,' OUT OF THE QUESTION, Yes, meditated the StRtan of Turkey, it is quite otit of the question fax rile to become a Chrinetia,a, I tinge been reading of the obseawattee of Easter. Just think of my lifting to proVhle new Easter toggery for tt harem. tine size a mine. Asia les ordered another reakoore,