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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1907-5-30, Page 2NOTES AND COMMENT Tile two things which have atillaed Spain nmre than any other have been U e bull fleht and the lottery. The buil fight. IS a. demoralizing and disgusting epeehtele, unworthy of any oivilized tole Don. When pcxmle Moen Other countries witness it they go away with feelings of lentulyeed conteMpt. for the• nation that tolerates it. The poor bull, after he has been worried almost to death by pica- dors and banderilleros and Le scarcely able to stand on his feet from fatigue, Is dispatched by the matador, nem, if he aces on a 'great onesion M the capital, 18 thereupon hailed by the populace as one of the greatest heroes in Spain, Thc. poor old 'butt and the wretched horses which have been disembowelled at an earlier stage are dragged from the arena and !Mother fight begins. The people of Spain are able not merely to stomach this sort of thing but to enjoy,it. The bull fight is the great national pasttme. Fortunately there Is no other nation so degenerate as to tolerate such "sport." The next worst thing in Spain is•the lottery. While the principal prize, amounting perhaps to half a million dothars, can be drawn only on a full ticket, the price of which is about $200, ' there are infinitely small divisions of the tickets, so that the meanest beggar who walks the streets may have a chance in the lottery for 10 cents or even less. Next to the bull fight, the lottery is the chief national diversion of Spain. The shops where tickets are exposed for sale are always crowded, usually by people of the poorer class. Many a peseta that should find its way into the market place goes into the capacious pockets of the dealer in lottery tickets. The whole nation is impoverished by the lottery and 11 111 becomes the king to offer an additional $100,000 in prizes, or to give "a gala bull fight" on Sunday to celebrate the birth of his heir. If the prince recently born lives to manhood and succeeds his father and in the course of time is carried to his last resting place in the Escorial, he will have been more fortunate than any of Ins predecessors if it can bo recorded of him that he has had either a happy or prosperous reign or that he has made any substantial contribution to the wel- fare of his people. • We may be drinking lass alcohol than of yore, but we are using more. Increas- ing attention has lately been given the possibilities of obtaining power from al- cohol by means of the Internal combus- tion engine. From many peints of view the advantages of alcohol over petro- leum spirit, which hitherto has been in chief demand, are clear and pronounced. Of course, foremost among these is its comparative freedom from combustible vapors at ordinary temperatures and its great cleanliness. Moreover, it. does not to the same extent as peteoleum attack and impoverish rubber and metal ves- sels. Its relatively high price is proba- bly one of the main obstacles to its wider use, but it has often been shown that in point of price it ought to be able to compete on favorable terms with petroleum spirit. Alcohol can be made cheaply from residual molasses and cane crushing products, and three genets of refuse molasses will yield a gallon of alcohol. Some time ago there was a dis- cussion ol a projected manufacture of alcohol from sawdust. There are also many vegetable and plant productions, now of little or no value, which yield sugar or stain and that could, no doubt, be utilized for -making alcohol. In look- ing to agriculture for future sources of power it is to be remembered that the soli would be constantly In a position to provide fresh stores of raw material, the oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon of the alcohol being mainly derived from the almoephere, while the ashes and mineral products would return to fertilize the ground, CATS KILLING GAME, Partridges and Even Deer Destroyed by Them in Canadian Forests. Cats are doing great damage in the Canadian woods and the complaints on the subject, whin reached Quebec some time ago from the fereste of Maine are now being repented from every part of the Canadian forests adjecent to the bor. dering States. Partridges are being completely de- stroyed by these &lenge Mewls in some parts of ihe country, the cats pouncing upon them on the snow in winter and (Om devouring them while the eirds aro pitting on their neets In the rowing. Not only do they destroy birds of all kinds, but they are netually killing deer, especially In the forests of New Brune,. Win and Quebec. The eats grow to an enormous slze and are familiarly known hero as the Cenedian lynx. A wildcat will kill a fawn at any time, nod 'where other fawns et* lambs are plentiful they Will kill Many more lhrn they can possibly donsume. There has been an enormous increase in the nuree ber of these animals of late because their bee es of SO little value that very few hunters attempt, to take them, it is thought that the Goveremeat, if it evisbes to preserve the red deer and the portridge, will have ret offer a bounty for the killing alma,' +-444+++++++++++++ -rho ilfiglief James Casa got 1810111101 10 to tea after O stormy meetiug in the marketesquare, need and bad-tempered. For the. !lest limo in the (.V111%0 Of the SeVQ11-Wet418' strike of the Men of Mureay's Foundry he was obliged to admit to 1111101011 11101 his influence over the men 1V401 waning. Tho idea had occurred M him before, but 111 had brushed a 101ide 115 ridlculouS; now, however, the very meeting he had Galled lo demonstrate that the men were solidly following his leadership had con- vinced him of the contrary, and shovel hirn clearly that a big percentage, mostly men with large families whose spirit bad been broken by hunger, v'el'e "Old of hand," and anxious to accept the re- cently offered compromise, The only thing in the situation which was satisfactory to Cruff was the fact that Murray and Sons would have their buck stiffened by hearing that the men Were not of a mind lo continue the strike. They would argue that if they waited a little longer the men would accept their new terms without further inducements, and thee each side might go on hoping for the other to give way. This was what Gruff hoped for, for his personal Interest, was inthe duration of the strike, not in Its contingent issue, On -the other hand, the very fact which would stiften the back of the employers established the certainty that his ability lo persuade the men from giving in till they had got better terms was uneeliable. And this worried hini deeply, for the !tea - son that he had secretly pledged himself to Messrs, Heston, Williams, Limited, Murray's rivals, that the strike should not collapse unlit it should be too late for Murrays to tender for the large Gov- ernment contract which elestone Wil- liams, Limited, were moving heaven and earth to obtain; and if he failed to re. deem his pledge he would fail to handle the substantial cheque for the promise of which he sold his honor as leader of the strikers—and at a very fancy price indeed I Consequently the situation was disturbing tn him. Betty Gruff, his daughter, was quick to perceive that he was out of temper, and, as he threw hls hat upon the settle and look his seat at the teatable, she fetched 1110 last pot of jam out of the cupboard ad set it before him, She watched his facie furtively as she did Ibis, expecting to see the cloud lift from his brow, for a liking for home-made jam was one other father's weaknesses. Fie looked up at her and smiled. "That's better, father," she said, brightly. "I can't abide to see you look- ing so black." "Betty," he exclaimed, thumping the teble, "I do believe you're the only one that Cares two pins how I look or what I say, I do believe. They're an ungrate- ful lot, that's what they are." "Depends how you look at it," she said, soothingly, pouring out the tea. "Depends I" he retorted, with wither- ing scorn. "It doesn't depend on any- thing; ins a self -established, undeniable, Incontrovertible (act! For seven weeks I've worked for 'ern, talked for 'am, fought for 'em. Where would they have been without, me? That's what I ask you 1 Why, buck at work on the same old grinding terms." "Yes; but as Ben says, half a loaf's better than no beead," she returned, mildly. "Course he does I Just what he would say! I wouldn't expect Ben Stanton to say anything else; it's just such mean- spirited chaps who'll take half a loaf and prevent others getting a whole one thereby. And haven't I most emphati- cally and resolutely told you that I will not, have you mention that blackleg's name In my hearing, haven't I? He's been pulling against me a long time, reetmwhile coming hanging around here after you, 111 be bound. He's no fellow for you, Betty; he's an outcast, a trai- tor to the cause of Labor. Why, I do believe he'd go back to work on the old terms to -morrow 1" "He's got a widowed mother, poor soul, to think about," said Betty, soffly, looking deep into her ('up. "And hes getting neer the last shilling of his sav- ings—savings what—" She checked herself and blushed. "Savings?" snapped Ceuta putting down Ms cup suddenly. "What about the savings of better men—n? What about the savings of Jack Kenney, Pen - die, and Winder? How much had they "They drink, and Ben doesn't, which makes all the difference," she said, sharply, "How you talk, girl—how you talk I" said Cruff, protestingly. "For pily's sake let me forget the strike in my own home, 111 can ; 1110111' enough 0( 11. outside." A silence fell between them. They had been much to each other, this wifeless man and motherless girl • and If there WilS anything in the world Gruff loved better then money it was Belly, end she bad loved him as much because of his many Weaknesses as for las few good qualities. Betty reached across the table and re- filled Cruff's cup from the brown len. p14; ancl teethe they watched the steam- ing liquor outpour they both heard someone tvhistby without. Ceuff picked up Ms spoon hastily, and the teapot jerked in liellySe hand. "Who's that?" asked Clear, sullenly. "Ben, I expect," elle said, passing him the milk and sugar. "Don't go," he said, authoritatively. "I must,' she replied, earnestly, "He wouldn't helm come if he hadn't wanted to see me," Croft sugared his (04 illriOdilY as she slipped out of the kitehen, pulling the door to after her. "Well, well," he murmured, comae- cently, "she'e a good gli1-11, good girl; and when the time comes 10 knock that nonsense o11 the bead she'll bend—she'll bend." Presently he drew his chair up to the fire, tilled and lit, his pipe, and pulling a Meal paper from his pocket, Settled down to enjoy half an hour's peace be- fore goleg out cal busin.ess again. Naturally, on opening the paper, he turned to the news abart the strike. He potineed eagerly on a• letter to the editor over the signature of Sir At•ther Murray, 1110 heed of the !Wm involved, It was Succinet end empleatie, retelling ee Iowa :— "Sire -11. has come to our knowledge that even since eur recent offer of leans more favorable to the strikers than those they originally ()emended, thee has been some, lull: of resorting to violence (the blowing -up 01 (110 foupdry, Indeed, is hintecl at I) in reeler to Induce my firm le grant the eltameale concessions• which Mr. Dunes Cruff now dernanes on be - ((1111 of the men. Will you afford Ine an inch of your epee in whicli 1 may 11141(0 l0111W11 10 all WI10111 4. may interest or 1'0111101'11 that if any violence is used neatest any member of Inv firm, oue families or properly, the Icen-out. will be continued, 110 neater whet 1110 cost or loss to our:wives, until the miscreants have been duly sentenced for their eds. —I run, your obedient eervant, Arthur Murray (tlurray and Sons, Ltd.)" wonaer how he got hold 01 11101 bit of newe?" Cruff muttered, solemnly. Betty came in and began to clear away the lea things, but, he was too absorbed in his consideration of the letter and the idea with which it bad inspired him lo he conscious of' her presence, Ile thought he saw a means to his end. "Father," said Betty suddenly paus- ing with the jam pot in ber hand. Cruff started guiltily, end looked around, blinking Ills small, dark eyes at her wonderingly. Who's been talking about blowing ttp the foundry?" "Lor' 1 who teed you of that?" he asked, stupidly, "Ben; he read It in the paper." "Then he knows as much about it as I do," answered Gruff, sharply, "for I've just done lhe same. And I don't believe "1314 you ought to know, father," she said, speaking ,slowly, "Isn't 11 101 much your business to keep the men from un- lawful acts as to lead them ; and if you don't know, how am you?" "Why, bless you, It's oonsense I It's a make-up, and (1 11 isn't it's mete gas on the part of one or two rougher men who wouldn't ever come to the sticking - point," he said, reassuringly. "But you ougbl to find out for certain whether it's make-up or serious," she urged, sitting down and regarding him seriously. "Sir Arthur means what he says, and If anything of the sort did happen it might be months before the dgiuyiltuypencoaduld.,, be punished and the ioun- "If `ifs' and 'ands' were pots and pans," he chuckled uneasily, rising and stretching himself, "I'm going out now, and I'll soon lenow how much truth there is in the tale. Dona wait up, dar- ling, for I may be late," be added, pull- ing on his overcoat. The girl watched him as he went out, thoughtfully, and when he had been gone some few minutes she went out and stood on the doorstep. Presently the figeu•e of a big, straight man emerged from the Inlay darkness and drew near to her. "He says he knows nothing, Ben, more than the letter In the paper," she said, leaning on the jamb of the door, "But— his nuumer wtts queer. And I wouldn't go to the foundry any more, dear." "Oh, but I must, Betty I've 'most finished, and if the machine is success- ful and Str Arthutell take It up, it'll bring us In a snug fortune." He spoke in a. low, eager tone, that had a note of anxiety in it. "Besides," he added, after a brief pause, "young Mr. Manton Murray gave me the keys to the little gate and the toolhouse specially so I could get on With the 111 (1011111e." "Yes, Ben; but suppose anything should happen, it raght be thought you, having the keys, had something to—" "Mr. Manton'd never think that of me after the help he's given me." "Then," she persisted, anxiously, "even if you were not hurt by the explo- sion they might flied you working secret- ly there, and—Shay would kill you, dear." "But Iarr not working for the firm, but for myself—and you." "They'd never believe it." "Oh, Betty, there's no •arguing with you I" he exclalmed, stooping and kiss- ing her. "You fin8 out all your father knows for me, and 111 whistle for you on my way to the foundry to -morrow night," IteluctantSv she allowed him to turn the tide of talk into other channels, but he could not soothe her fears for him- self ; and when ho left her and she re- turned into the lonely little cottage, she settled herself in her father's chair be- fore the fire, and gave herself up to anxious thought. All through the evening she sat turn- ing the matter over in her mind, realiz- ing, in the light of Sir Arthur Murray's letter in the paper, to what further mis- ery and privation the act of a single evilly -disposed mare might plunge the ramilies of hundreds of others affected by the lock -out; and the rank injustice of the .possibility stirred her to anger. At ten o'clock she retired to bed. She was mounting the rickety stairs when she heard men talking outside the cot- tager. She paused, listening, and as the door opened she blew out her candle 1111(1 looked back, "Come In, but don't make a 110111," said. her frellier, entering. "I think—yes, the girl's gone to bed," Ile added, glancing inlo the kllehen. "Come in quietly," Two other men followed him, passing into the kitchen 80 quickly that Betty could not recognize them. When Gruff, speaking In an under - bine, shut the door, she crept epstairs to her room. She sat down cm the edge of het. little bed, listening to the hum of conversation emending from the room below. Ilurn I No; it °tottered to her like the Tumble or [bender in the dis- tal-we—low, spasmodic, • ominous. Then she arose and, creeping stealth - Ile down, went and took up her position sI the fool 0( 1110 stairs, with her ear to the crack of the kitchen door. Not thoughl or reason, but simply an Im- pulse of instinct bad kindled n. horrible suspicion in her min* The men were talking under their breath, :sullenly, with occasional notes of anger or excitement. Their sentences were short, their words indistineto they seemed lo be eshamed of what they had to say. No Mane complete sentence reached Belly's strained enrs ; but a i word here and there bore to her the put, 1 port 01 1110 conversation, and she felt her 1 awns grow bloodless, nld, and wet as she listened. "When?" she palettal Willy, on fest- drawn bre•alh, pressing her ear to the doorlaneb. "When?" There WaS a consklerable Pause, She heand one of the men strike 4 andel) and someone else air the flee ge011y. Then. her fatbee spoke in a rather louder tone than he had used before, ' el tell you what, 111 go up to my daughter's room peesently, and tell her you're here on impoteant business and will be some time; and I'll ask her snore I can filld 11001110P 11101P, as we've mules to do, ellen slip off, and when you've done it. end come be(et quietly111 go up nein and persuade her to come down and find the oll-can or something, so she'll See you Mill here. She'll never guess, and I'll swear to it, if need be." "Father 1" whispered Betty, through her cleaned teeth, "That'll do," answered one of the men, whose. voice the girl had previously re- cognizecl as Needle's. "An' when Pis awe (wee a bit, ar' we've got the clilys, Jack rued mall call out our intention o' cuttin this cussed town. DO 1111„' Wake the girl pow." "Not yet—too early," answered Cruff. "Don't want to till a minute or two be- fore tis Ude for you to go. See?" Betty brushed her face with het, hands and clenched bee teeth in an effort to stifle her fasi-coming breath; then, gid dily, she got to her feet and crept back to her room.. it was to be done to -night within a lhort time. Apparently everything was ready. How to prevent 11. What could she ? She could not get to the men as they sat tbere and threaten to denounce them if they carried out thole plan; they would know she could not for her father's sake. 'lhere was only ono thing she could do. She lit her candle and, taking a shab- by writingwase from the cupboard, sat down on the bed and wrote boldly in pencil on a single sheet of paper :— "Father,—I have heard all. I have gone to the foundry. I shall stop there till daylight. You NVIll not allow your own Betty to be destroyed." Quickly she threw a black skirt over the head 0( 1110 bed and laid the note In the centre a it, feelLng certain at the time that It could not escape her father's notice when lie came up presently to rouse her in pursuance of his scheme for concocting an alibi for his oat's -paws. Then she snatched a shawl from a peg behind the door, and stole downstairs and straight out into the dark, deserted road. She ran stumblingly, and in ten minutes stepped under Ilia high wall which bounded the foundry -yard on all sides but that which was skirled by the still and silent calla. There Ives no one in sight, and her sense of personal danger was enhanced by a feelMg, of loneliness with which the sight of the dark, desolate looking foun- dry endued her. But she only hesitated O moment, then hurried round to where tried it, and at flt•st ehe feared that, 11 was locked; but at last it gave to her, and running across the yard towards the machinery -house. She passed on from one building to anothee and another, breathlessly eager; but there was no light visible anywhere. Ben was not there I She realized this with a sickening sense of fear. Her heroic resolution had been made with the thought that Ben would be Shere to support her courage; she had not meant to tell him the rea- son of her coming, but merely to warn him and watch wale him as if she knew nothing for certain and was merely afraid. But she was alone, surrounded by bee great, grimy foundry buildings satnady ?the silent, black canal. Could she At the very moment she was strug- gling with this problem the two cat's- paws of her father were creeping 111:e shadows along the canal -bank towards the foundry, and Cruff himself, having followed her line of reasoning exactly, was entering ber room to rouse her and tell her the men were In the kitchen. Cruff approached the bed noisily, saw the black skirt, an8 whipping it off, per- ceit•ed that the bed was empty. At the same thne he caught, sight of a sheet of paper fluttering across the floor. With wonder he picked it up and read "Darling Belty,—I shall be along your way to -night, if you should happen to be looking out of window." It was written in Bete Stanton's hand, and, without glancing at the other side of the Sheet, 011 which the girl had Writ- ten, he &mewed it up in his hand with 80 exclamation of °ogee, and flung it into a corner'. He went down and out of the cottage in seaech of 1110 lovers; he had tolerated the affair too long, and now they were going too far. Only a few nights before he had thought ho heard Betty talking to Stanton at past eleven from her bed- room window. He'd stop it now for good and all. In his anger he almost forgot Pendle, Kritchey, and the alibi. But the cool night, air reminded hint of ell three, and lut stopped at the garden gate and stared into the darkness towards the invisible foundry, wondering, with a feeling of helplessness, . Betty stayed. She walked around the buildings, trembling with intense fear, strung up almost to the pitch of scrotum ing. Presently she sat down on a heap of scrap -iron and tried to overcome her physical weakness. In her excitement she fancied she could discern figures stealing about the yard. Once or twice she Marled up, 'hoping Abe paw Ben, but fell back faintly, realizing that he had probably had his sespicions roused and decided Jo keep away for that nidht. Restlessly she rose and wandered about, Wearily she sa down wain end listened. The silence of the place was awful, and if she were to be any use in the ma she must not merely listen but be watchful, ehe reflected. She rose and crept round nervously towards the canal, and passed between the wharf and the largesl of the foundry buildings, Seeklenly, in the darkness, a little point of brightness caught her eye ; end, starting fearfully, she glenced towards 1110 big building. where, low down be- low the level of Ihe ground, a flaneeless light spluttered weirdly. For an Instant she wrivered, her heart thumping egainst her ribs Ince a heevy hammer, then Mum Min g fortva rd , gn 114 for breath, end reaching .111e steeple - ng light, she saw it lseue, 'from acorner of a 1111 biscuit -box. Without thought or hesitation elle Ilfled it cleanly and slateeacsthenllerwiil:11, The ligh7epluttered and spudded mete iqi:uniethoreyes,adt06nienor saltpetre reached hee nose. Saran(' Ita- Would 11—? She heaved the box over into the canal, and it sank with It Mod splash as She staggered back tu 04110 herself ft•om febibng OM' 111101' it. Wall a stilled (try .0110 w teeltel mound and be- came conscious of rsorneone apiencinng. She broke Into a stumbling run, but the next moment was caught by a firm, strong hand. "Why, 13e113', girl I what are you do- ing here?" It was Ben's voice. "Oh, Ben, 130n, darling," she gasped, "(el. eretalts?°eI7v"e only just nine here." "1—I—" Should she toll him ? No, na note. Some day, perhaps, but not twee "I came to nod you s I was ahald and I warty NI into the canal." Ina she told her father, when 13e11 had taken her home, Cruff ILstened to 1101' outpour of (Anger and scorn, and cow- ered. Now tend then he tried abjectly to break in wale the story of his temptatMn, te voice his horror at elm 1110114111 that she might have fallen a Warn to his seo. l'Tic1111e's only one thing you can do," she concluded, fiercely. "Let the men cnn ifth;oustdroilneol, wand, they "Belly," he said, hoarsely, staggering 10 his feet, "I'll do (1 11 you'll keep si- lent, They shall go theie own way, netiliey, cll dadl,e intt" Tvery next day. But when Murray's fundry opened for work again there were three vacancies, for Pendle and Krachey lead bon the town and Cruff "stnll°81Plalilali Penelle0ritchey had returned lo the cottage scared by the (M them) mys- terious failure of their hurt•iectly-con- &elated infernal machine; and being re- fused Cuff's help to escape out of the town, they bad knocked him about. They would indeed leave killed him but for 13e1.19'5 sudden descent from her room. Then they bolted, and Ceuta was taken to the hospital, eventually being removed thence to end his days in a lunatic asylum.—London OUT - OF - WORK PARADE MEN OP WOOLWICH ARSENAL MARCH ON LONDON. Scenes Along the Route—Flags of all Parties—Deputation See the Premier. One of the most remarkable scenes in England in recent times was the march of four thousand men from Woolwich Arsenal to Westminster, as a protest against the government policy of dis- charging employes in reducing the war expenditures. The march is thus re- ported In London papers. The men formed up outside the Arsen- al gates as they left work just before six, (ho procession reaching from Beres- ford Square out of sight down the road towards London. 00110130U5 13ANNERS floated above 11 at intervals, with bands inteaspersed here and there. At a glance it could be seen that tilts was no "out -of -work" procession, but a proces- sion of the best kited of British workmen, sturdy men respectably :Messed, bearing, it is true, the marks of labor, but carey- ing with them an air of energy and self- respect never to be observed in the "un- employed." They marched out of Woolwich in fours like a miniature army. Crowds cheered them on their way; hundreds of women with children—some with babies in their arms—lining the pavements and crying encouragement to their husbands and brothers. The men waved theft' hats in response and shouted cheery good- byes. And so, with banners flying and bands playing, the little army left Wool - fetich and entered the foreign land of Greenwich, where waiting thousands of sympathetic residents cheered them again and again. ALL PARTIES MARCH. The wonderful nature of the proces- sion became more apparent us it ntarched along. It contained sections of Socialists, Conservatives, and Liberals, each flying their banners and their mot- toes, each singing their own songs, and yet all bound together by a strenuous common endeavor. Somewhat, near the head of 'the procession the Liberals were singing "John Brown's 13083' ;" farther back Unionist woning men were sing- ing "Rule Britannia," and near the eed Independent Labor Parly adherents were chanting the "Marseillaise." In the forefront of the IlltIV011eltU 11/115 carried a blg white banner, wInch bore, In black letters, the words : "Woolwich Arsenal Demencls a Fair Share of the Nation's 'Work." Midway there was a man carrying a tiny gee on his shoulder, and above (ACM was reared a banner with the inscription, "Can Wo Let These Stareer At nee and twenty minutes to len the leaders reached St. George's Circus, where Mounted police 'were waiting. Here came the stop. IL was as near to ihe IMuses of Parliament as the authorities would allow the procession to go. So, amid the shouts and elleers ann songs of 10,000 people, TWENTY OF THE PROCESSION, aeleated es a :Mout/0.10n to .see ale Prime Minister, separated themeelvas fecen their comrades and, escorted by police, made their way to a pair -horse brake in waiting, whin was le cottony them to the llogee of Commons. The • deputation dashed up to the liouso of Conniwris escorted by mounted polie,emen, end was met it St. Stephen's entrance by Mr. Will Crooks, M.P. Thee' credentials were keenly • scruti- nized by the police, who swept ban everyhody whom they suspected to be unconnected with the party. The Premier, 11,110 WRS en:imperiled by Mr. Haldane and Lord Tweedmouth (First Lord of the Admiralty) receivccl the deputation in his private room, Mr. Will Crooks introduced the dele- gntee and dclablcd the circumetances under whieh the men had marched from Woolwich. They asked 1110 Bovertiment, he said; to do something tw prorent a Is nether decrease in the number of nem • a 9111111 HIND CANNOT 00, Admission to the House a C0111111013$ 1$ Denied to lite SoYeretun, The ICtrig of Eitgland labors under olle curious disability. Ile may not listen to a debate in the House of C001- 110115. Ad111ISS1011 (1) the legislate() chamber, Which is Open to illslawIlesl' si iffsa U1)(11111 to1 he gueliie ..15(1tiiritceti iiIggiatatetiiy; es head of parliament. A:wording do the si itlitnQuiiMilael 11)1(11(1'1 laminleltitttlitolithtine10111$ 1(1\1 11.(11a'''isht•Yr that 11 11114111 advise hint be the goyim - mean of the realm. Indeed, he is sup• posed theoretically, 10 111.0SIde (Wel' HS deliberallens. Yet a has come to miss that Ilin aolual presence ef the soveete" Ign in parliament, eNeept 011 ceremonial mansions, would 1100' be regerded as un- oenslitullonal. Ile only attends id 118 lIOUS0 of Lords to open parliament, te give the Royal assent to bine 10111011 IleVe passed both Houses, or to proro- gue parliamen bnl the end 01 (he seesion Does it not seem an extreordinary flame te see that Queen Victoria, during the couree of her long reign of sbeiy-three yew's, was never In the House el Com - Mons? Not once was it given to her to see "her faithful Commons" ra work. In conneetion with this the sinne mag- agerianpeill:eas the following Intereeting para - The library at Buckingham Pattie() amines all the reports, bound In vol. tunes, which Queen Victoria received from the leaders of the House of Com• mons durIng her reign. The macre et the reports were great parliamentariens and slalesmen—Lord John Russell, SIc Robert Peel, Lord Pithnerslon, Sir Stafford Northeole, Gindstone, Lord llandolph Churchill, NV. 1-1, Smith, Sir Wilbbain Harcourt, and Arthur Balfeur. What interesting reading they must make, these descriptions of 1111111y 111011) - arable. nights in the House of Commons from the pens of the leaders of the as semblyl The writers would naturally; aim al making tbelr reports bright and descriptive, and conveying to Her Ma - leafy incidents winch she would look few in yea in the newspapers. At any rale, the few glimpses we have been given of the contents of these volumes show that Lord Palmeraton and Mr. Disraeli, at least, sent pictorial sketches Q! ecenes in the House. PUTTING HIS FOOT IN IT. Some people are perpetually giving offence in the most unconscious way. "Now, do let me propose you as a member of the club," says Smith. "But suppose they blackmail me?" re- plies Brown. "Pooh! Absurd! Why, my dear fel- low, there's not a man in the club who knows.. you, even!" A lady, very desirous of concealing the awful fact that she is the same age as her husband, obeerved to a visitor:— "My husband is forty; there are just five years between us." "Is it possible?" NW'S the unguarded reply of her friend. "I give you myr word, you look as young as he does." As unexpected must have been the reply 0( 1110 husband whose wife saki:— "You have never taken Inc to the ee- met"eleorY,''d'ear," he answered; "that is a pleasure I have yet in anticipalMnI" It is related of a portrait painter thee having recently painted the portrait of a lady, a critic who had just dropped In to see what was going on in the StLICIP/Svery je eX'e°Tlairnried "Ie17, Painted; but why do you take such an ugly model?" "It is my mother!" calmly replied the artist. "Oh, pardon, a thousand ttmest" from the critic, in great confusion. "I ought lo have pertelved it. She re- seonubileas yaolemi ctioatrnploecleclayall'a' rl a facetious friend, inspecting a portrait, said to the artist:— "And this is Torn Evans, is it? Dear, dear! And I remember him. Such a handsome, jolly -looking chap a month ago. Dear, dear!" RETURNED WITH THANKS. "I couldn't helpit, papa." She looked up into Ms face with her frank blue eyes, and it was impossible to doubt her. "But you didn't seem to be proWst- ing very much," said the old gentle- man. "But it ems so suddan that I couldn t," she insisted. "Tell me about it," he said. "Welt, he adopted a wry clover ruse, you sec. He got me to look ilw other way, and then, before I knew II, he had kissed me on ihe "The scoundrel!" "it was wrong of him, of course." "What ad you do then?' "I tons very ungry; I told him it eves an insult." "Indeed it was'end you should have ordered him to leave the house. Did you?" "N -no; oot exactly." "Well, what did you do?" "I told him It was an 11151111, and that he must lake IL back." "And then?" "lie was taking it beck when you came in end sew him." A SHArrsnu ILLUSION. "Ole, (Merles," said the, sweet girl, 'Iulimore teneler channels; but the sweet a'vreleshliaddinuttredhathirti a clunic't'an Mafact, c and tried lo turn the conveesation into girl turned away and sighed. "I wish you hadn't had it out, Carries," sho said. "You leave destroy- ed an illusion," *ore my hair long 1 Was a poet or an "Why, my darling," he said, in sur- prise, "did you 1111111: that because I ed?" • artist?" "Oh, 11)0,"She murmured. "11100 what illuslen have I She was was silent for s moment, "Pertallm 1 sholeld say, she said sad- ly "that you hove revealed to me a feel I never befere suspected. One of 00('0 lo *Tee than 111e other." The ,nakeenta tree is a native of Bril- l; Guinn. The kernel of Owl Mil, bears marvellous resemblance to 0. coiled employed ta the Arsenal. smoke. LANGUAGE OF TUE SEA SOMR SPIAFAIRING TERMS -AND T1111113 1.3a1AL MEANINGS. Teem are Many Popular Teems Derived From the Ohl Hoye of British Seaming. Many of our terms fur the technicall• bes of seafaring have lung been evevon into the 01)14..011 tuel lhought uf Brit. lel. nallun, as it Ls to Le expeeted when thew is not a single hilinhilaut of the 'Hellish Isles living over hundred 1111185 ham salt teeter.. Though our sea lingo Is our very 01811, 8111111tIV In some caters to the Dutch, and with borrowings front the Portuguese and eleellterranean netions, few of the landsmen who USG them 50 freely have (my Wee as le their true meaning and derivation, says a London paper. For example, "nest rate." How many of thoso using the term know that It was originally purely naval, represent - mg, In the days of wooden walls, a 51114 of a hundred guns and upivittert Of slap teems now passed into collogulal use there is a °tepee] example in "There's the devil to pay," and "No pitch hot" completes the saying. The "d.evli" in this case does not refer to his Satanic ntajesty, nor does "pay" refer to any pa.ymea. The devil is, or W44, 140 nTlefixrit0 l iiteSe(Nlvat, 1):,,rsu nI our qlohopdaeye,k ases narInt good seamen know, Is to pour ha pita) into a calked scans "HAND OVERHAND" is another phrase that had its birth in the days when quick -footed tars climbed iblvreigrer glidge aimarly popular terms, pithy and sinewy, clerking front the old days of British seafaring. When we penis° a man for his honesty, We say that he le "above board" '• Mr his general worth, that be is "Al"; for his smallness, that he "knows the ropes," There are cer- tain eea terms that are very expressive even to the landsman. If uitexpected trouble comes, ha Is "taken all aback," like a ship in full sal by a sudden change of the wind. When MI 18 past remedy., he Is "on hls beam ends," just as the unfortunate vessel is thrust down on her leeward side by the fury or the storm. Tee man in misfortune may have friends who are in "the sarno boat" wItir him, and if he has saved nothing at all "out of the wreck" of his fortune Ile is "all at sea." Indeed, it Is ,ellSy to write a graphic story of a catastrophe in public or private 'He tn language all borrowed from the sea, yectiLnow wholly assimilated byr lands - fa . THOM ARE OTHER TERMS.' that are 110e1 by the well-educated more (r 1055 consciously. If the company which e man is in Is not to his liking he per- haps will "sheer off"—that is, leaves the ed course for a new one, or "haul offo' whin in sea lingo means flattening in the sheets in order to lie closer to the wield, and thus shake orf the chase; bttt if he cannot do this he may "cut and run"—that is, the vessel cuts her cable and run before the wind. Perhaps lee will 1101 do 1111S till he is absolutely cempelled, and then he'll "never sayr die while thel,e'S 11 51101 in the locker." if WO pride ourselves for our nation, it is because we keep our weather eye lifting," and consider the person we are dealing with "by the cal of his jib." Perhaps the object. of 0111' suspicions mey show 111111-0,011 1)1 Wee "true colors"— that is, the vessel shows her nationality by flying leer onston at the peak. Tho sailor et the pest cerelut•y was full of strange sayings. If 0 piece of beef appeared in leis mess ka rather more gristly and unappetizing then usu.. al, he swore tt teas "the bit Iwiween the horns." Tle compared a clumsy fellow to a "cow handling a musket," and a man doing anything reckleesly, without judgment, was Eke a "bull at O gate." One ef the old stmilea is very expressive. Of one of those men who jump about, eminently doing their work smartly, 901 In reality effecting bet little Jack says he is "ALL HELL AND NO elOTION." Pursers, as is only lo be expected, CaMe 111 for small praise from him "0111 BincleCut," "Old Nip -Cheese," are names that in themselves explain the reason of the pursers' unpopularity in the navy. 11, used to be said of them that they chose their assistants for the size a their Ilitunbs, for these inserted in the panelkins greatened his ill-gotten gains in proportion as they leesened the sea- men's grog. "Purser's thumb" is the synonym for 11 curtailed allowanceand pumer's grin" ie the term denoting the sneers and gibes end flouting with whic11 the cent - plaints WPM 1181111.11y answered. Foe the serious sieges of being 111 liquor, Jed: Salomon has a large and expressive Yravnbulory. You iney begin by "spec- ine the main learn" This lends • to ho. Mg "light," which crews° of folly being poalsted in, ends in your being "stewed" --that is. healing over like a vessel go - Mg about. W1111 "three sheets le the wind" you stagger ahota Ilbo a ShIll gyrating with her three chief sells fly- ing loose; end (Lewdly yell ere brought en by the "round lurn"—that ts, the grip of a constable's hand on youe shoulder. THE C0N1F0RT OF CHEERFULNESS. Tient a single bitter weed may (118. quiet en entire frunity few a whole day is well knoYvii. One early glenee rests a glom over the household. while Amite of sunshine rimy light up the don - est end weariest home. Like unoxperted flowers whin spring up along our footpath, full of freshness, fragrance, and bandy, so kind words and gentle eels rind sweet dispositiens maice glad the sncred spot nailed home. No mailer how lunnble the abode, if it 114 sweetened with kindness 51111 smiles, the hurt will turn longingly' 10- ward11 from all the tumult of the world, and home, if it be ovto' so hoinC- ly, whlb be the deavest spot 1101100111 1110, cheat of the sum. Customer (In a ('eStretee ..)—"Snit: here, wetter, I've found e nolton In tale soled." Waiter --"There all )'ight, he It's a part of the. dressing,"