The Brussels Post, 1909-9-2, Page 6SAINT BERNARD'S DOGS
(AVE WTI }'RFI IT IS DEEP SNOW
11111 1 Th BIER.
goroie Service of the Monks yilhose
Rouse is illgh in the
Alps.
Come with me in the alpine lili-
gence fora drive up the queer zig-
zag road that goes twistingand
climbing until it pierces the wet
and inisty elouds and reaches a re-
gion of eternalice and snow, Hero,
in a climate almost as cold as
Greenland; we shall find a band of
men who do a great and good work,
assisted by dogs, as Bernard de
Menthols did long years ago, says
a writer in St. Nicholas.
We start from the lovely Village
ef Chamonix at the very foot of
mighty Mont Blanc and drive to
11f:artigny. This "diligence" is the
road coach of the Alps, drawn by
five big horses, all deorred with bells
and fly -flickers. The air is like wine
for its bracing sweetness, and all
around us are roaring cataracts,
glistening glaciers, or moving ice
seas; gloomy ravines and towering
peaks, below whose topmost Drags
thin wisps of cloud float like
wreaths of gauze.
Round and round, up and up, It
grows colder as we ascend, and the
smiling landscape fades away. The
pretty flowers disappear too—the
anemone and gentian ; dark -leaved
saxifrage and sweet alpenrose. We
shiver, even in August, and put on
our wraps and furs.
THE VALLEY 071` DEATH.
Wo have passed from summer to
winter in a few hc,urs. Now we
enter the Valley of .Death, so called
from its manv fatal memories. here
at the most dangerous part of the
Sai t Bernard Pass a little shelter-
house has been built; and parties
climbing still higher to the famous
hospice or monastery can now tele-
phone their coming_ This has saved
hundreds of lives. For, now -a -days,
after such a message, the good
monks at the top look out for the
-travellers, and if they fail to ap-
pear after a certain time search
parties of dogs are sent out to look
for them. Here is deep snow even
in August. It is so bitterly cold
that we get off and walk to warm
our numbed limbs, and soon the
blare, bleak walls of the world's
a nnon's footsteps in the snow for
two or three days after he has
passed. It is a grand sight to see
the monks and their attendants go
forth in their big fur coats, high
rubber bootie, Helmets and swan's
down gloves, Behind then come
assistants with long aeh poles, lee-
axes, alpen-stooks, spades, wine
and provisions,
When the first snow Domes in
September the paths are marked
with posts twenty feet high. But
these soon disappear and other
posts aro fixed on top of them, and
so on, Soon the winter paths lead
indifferently over enormous rocks
and buried alpine buts. The groat
est danger comes from the furious
gales shifting the snow and 'mak-
ing return impossible. The rescue
parties are always led by the dogs,
whose intelligence is never ques-
tioned. Sometimes the dogs go
prospecting on .their own account,.
and each carries a supply of good
red wine in a flask about his neck.
Should he track and find some way-
farer in the snow, or fallen down
a precipice, he gallops back to the
hospicewith a message that is un-
mistakable. Then the rescue party
goes out,
RUBS THE FROZEN LIMBS
of the unfortunate with banclfuls of
snow and encourages hien to rise
and walk a little. If this be impos-
sible, or the victim be dead, ho is
borne back on the stalwart shoul-
ders of the monks' attendants.
I was most interested to learn
that the pure race of Saint Bernard
dogs cannot live away from the.
mountain they have been associated
with for so many centuries. In the
plains they degenerate in size and
strength, and their wonderful sa-
gacity grows duller. Under no cir-
cumstances will the hospice sell or
part with their dogs, although they
have had many tempting offers from
foreign travelers, who will pay a
high price.
Most notable among these four -
legged saviors is Oliver, with a re-
cord of 56 rescues. He is to be sent
to Martigny, where the monastery
has a kind of sanatorium in which
the dogs try to regain the health
and strength they have lost in the
service of strangers.
4•
YOUNG OLD PEOPLE.
Men and Women Who Retain Their
Youth in Old Age.
At forty-nine, Gladstone had not
yet got into his second volume.
Many interesting modern lives ex -
loftiest house of charity loom tend into the third and fourth vol -
through the damp mist. Winter umes of years and accomplishments.
lingers here for ten long months; Lord Gwydyr, who recently died in
and the few weeks of summer do his hundredth year, nob only at -
not suffice to melt the wilderness
of ice and snow. We are here
nearly 9,000 feet above the level of
the sea, and the slightest exertion
distresses our breathing apparatus,
so rarefied is the air. No sooner
are we at the door than a dozen
monstrous dogs come baying forth
to greet us. No questions are ask-
ed.
In the reception -room is a big • delivered an impressive message to
piano which King Edward, then his countrymen on the danger of
Prince of Wales, gave the monas- breaking with all tradition; and
tery nearly 50 years ago. The Em- Mr. Powell Frith of the Royal Aca-
peror -Frederick of Germany and demy, who recently celebrated his
his consort also passed the night
here, as also have a host of world-
famous celebrities. For nearly two
centuries, frorn generation to gen-
eration, some fourteen monks and
eight or nine attendants have oc-
cupied the monastery and helped
travelers crossing over the summit
of
THE GREAT SAINT BERNARD.
tended the debates in the House of
Lords until a few months of his' bequeathed £3,0u0 to the New
death, but also the meats of the 1 North United Free Church, Eelin-
hunt club on his estate in Suffolk. burgh, and £1,000 to the Royal In -
He was five years old at the time firmary, Edinburgh.
of the Battle of Waterloo, and four An extension of the premises of
when the British troops marched the Edinburgh and East of Seob-
into Washington. land College of Agriculture is CO 71 -
At the patriarchal age of ninety- templated and a committee has been
two, Sir Theodore Martin last year given powers to enter into negotia-
tions for property.
The farm of Athelstanefurd Mains,
near Drew, of which the late Mr.
W. Gillespie was for many years.
the tenant, has been let to Mr.
ninetieth year, declares he never, James Elder, seedsman, Hadding-
eas in better physical condition initial, at a slight increase of rent.
1,it; life.
Princess Pauline Metternich, now
nearly eighty years old, has rec-
ently given a superb fancy dress
party at her palace in Vienna. The
great salons were transformed to
represent a huge aquarium, with
rocks, coral and seaweed; while all
the guests came dressed as deni-
zens of the deep—lobsters, fishes,
oysters, and crabs which walked
only backward. Princess Metter-
nich has for the past forty years,
organized the leading charity balls
et Vienna, and her leadership has
been so successful that she has
raised for philanthropic purposes
ever two million dollars.
Another wonderful veteran is the
old yew -tree of Howth Castle, near
Dublin, which after the storm and
stress of centuries suecumbed a
few weeks ago to old, age. Its death
probably hastened that of the old
earl, Lord Howth, who fully be-
lieved the legend that the fortunes
of his house were identified with
the life and prosperity of the yew -
tree.
An Irish ehieftainess of the six-
teenth century once stopped at
Howth Castle for refreshment. She
found the gates closed for the din -
der -hour, and in revenge kidnap
ped the infant heir of Howth, whom
she met on the way back to her
ships. The child was not resttored
until its father bound himself and
bis successors by solemn oath never
again to close his gates at dinner-
time. This promiee has been liter-
ally fulfilled, and even accentuat-
ed by the great gates being solemn-
ly shut just before the dinner -hour.
and then flung wide open.
BULL FRIGHTENED TO DEATH
FROM DQNNIE SCOTLAND
NOTES OF 1N'TERI3.ST FROM
IIEII IIANIUS AND BRAES.
What is Going On In tbo iiigldauds
and Lowlands of Auld
Scotia.
A site of 8 acres for a dr .doolc
has been enuredin Burntisland.
Old Kilpatrick poor -rate )las been
increased froin 10d. to is. 2d. per
�1.
The search for Spanish gold in
the Armadahulk sit''robermory was
resumed recently, '
Kirkwall has resolved to offer its
freedom to Mr, Carnegie ' and Mr,
James Coats, junior, of Paisley,
Lady Dalkeith has given an im-
petus to the revival of an old fash-
ion by accepting a pair of diamond
earrings,
The Dundee whaler Scotia has
seoured five whales and the Bala-
ena four whales at the "Old. Green-
land" fishings.
Edinburgh is not to open its free,
library on Sundays;- so the Edin-
burgh man who desires to revel in
literature on Sundays will buy a
41/d. novel as heretofore.
A big inter -brigade sham fighs
was engaged in recently on ground
in the vicinity of the Dundonald
Hills, the action involving about
seven or eight thousand men.
A nine-year-old Fifeshlre laddie
has rescued an eight-year-old chum
from the river Eden, and the Car-
negie Hero Fund is thus to have
a chance of rewarding local talent.
Alloa's Parish Kirk bell is now
rung by electricity. The innovation
has been necessitated as the vibra-
tion caused by hand ringing was
endangering the beautiful tower.
The cura;ors of Edinburgh Uni-
versity un.-nimously appointed Pro-
fessor Robinson, of Birmingham, to
the Chair of knatomy, vacant
through the death of Professor Cun-
ningham.
Sir Hugh Shaw Stewart, Bart., of
Ardgowan, has intimated his inten-
tion of giving ground, extending to
eleven acres on Bridgend Farm, as
a public park for the East End of
Greenock.
The Countess of Glasgow on
Thursday opened the Ayr Deaf and
Dumb Girls' Home in Fort street,
Ayr, and Mrs. Hess presented her
ladyship with a golcl key in com-
memoration of the opening.
Miss Janet Ziegler, of Edinburgh,
who left estate valued .at £17,710,
It is sad to think that even these
helpers have to descend periodi-
cally in search of health, so terribly
trying is the climate, The dogs
themselves, even, suffer severely
from rheumatism.
At present the monastery costs
about $9,000 a year to keep up, and
this money is partly collected in
Switzerland and partly derived
from the revenue of the monastic
order. But in the middle ages the
monastery was stripped of all its
wealth, though it still continued
and continues to this day to carry
out the work of Saint Bernard.
Over 30,000 travelers pass this way
every year, and hundreds of these,
at least, would lose their lives were
it not for the guardians of the
mountain.
The poor emigrant laborers from
Switzerland are often found by
these faithful clogs, in the snow,
utterly exhausted from hunger and
fatigue, and often with badly fro-
zen limbs. These are tenderly nurs-
ed in the spotlessly clean infirmary
of the hospice, I visited this lofty
house of charity in the clouds. Of
course, the great attraction is the
kennels of the famous Saint Ber-
nard dogs. One is grieved to learn
that even these, hardy and intelli-
gent as they aro, often perish in
terrible storms. They are big, pow-
erful short -haired animals, most of
them --white, but with a few brown
patches. Last winter five magnia-
cent creatures were lost in
A.TURIOUS BLIZZARD.
I saw one or two aged veterans
over twenty years old; these are
now privileged tolie before th
kitchen fire, and each of ahemha
saved over twenty lives in the snowy
wastes, The monks are not now so
0
dependant on the dogs for news of
travelers 1n distress, because of the
telephone I have already mention-
ed. The scent of these clogs is set
wonderfulllyy keen they can track
A. curious story of a bull's death
from heart failure comes from Aus-
tralia. Mr. Frank Norman was
walking on the footpath on High
street, Korort, while some cattle
were being driven along the street.
Suddenly a bull broke away from
the others and rushed at him. There
being no means of escape, Mr. Nor-
man opened his umbrella in the ani-
mal s face,
ni-mal's.face, and it at once fell dead,
Mr. Norman being unhurt. It is
supposed that the, sudden appear-
arieo of the umbrella before the ani-
mal caused fright and heart failure.
The third of the "Courant" Fund
trips for the poor children took
place from Edinburgh to Spring-
field House, Dolton. The children,
who numbered 1,200, were drawn
from the St. Leonard's district of
the city,
In Glasgow Sheriff Court on Sat-
urday James Milne wee fined £2,
with the option of 30 days' impris-
onment, for failing to give notice
to theGlasgow parish authorities
that he had an infant under his
care for reward.
A. BURGLAR BOLD.
Ills Residence Was Found Fitted
Up In Grand Style.
The remarkable career of an al-
leged burglar was related at the
Edinburgh (Scotland) Police Court
when Charles Williamson, alias Wil-
liams, was charged with house-
breaking.
While a soldier in India William
son is stated to have escaped from
prison awaiting trial on a charge
el stealing the company's pay and
sought refuge in the hills. .'tie was
pursued, but kept his pursuers at
bay with a rifle, IID was known
in the army as `the Silver King,"
and was ultimately discharged.
In Glasgow he is alleged to have
had a successful eareer as a safe
breaker, but an error of judgment
neatly cost him his life. While forc-
ing a safe he was blown throukh a
window, falling a distance of 30 feet
into a courtyard where he lay un-
conscious until found by the police.
Ile received sentence of eighteen
menthe' imprisonment, incl on his
release got other six months for
bigamy.
He afterwards made the acquaint-
ance of a woman of good education
and social position, a professional
vocalist, and she is now charged
with him as an aeeoniplic0. The as-
etsed's residence was found by the
police to be fitted up in grand style.
During the courtship a young
man usually thinks the girl in the
case is an angel, blit after marri
.age she sheds bar wings.
WANTS HIS yola t MJiN,
EssCx Squire's Efforts to Beep
Them on the Land,.
If all squires were like Mr. Cecil
Sebag-Montefiore, the squire of
Stisted hall in Essex, England, the
problem of the villages would be
an easier one.
Mr. Sebag-Montefiore, who is
the owner of every house in the vil-
lage, with the solitary exception of
the village inn, which is the pro-
perty of a brewery firm, is deter-
mined to do his best to stop the
steady flow of young men from the
district to the towns. Mr. Monte-
fiore has already bad waterworks
erected and a supply laid on, at bis
own expense, to every house in the
village, thus placing Sleeted far in
advance of other villages of its size
rn Essex,
Last week the village institute,
which the squire has had built for
Stisted, was formally opened by the
Lord Lieutenant of Essex, the Earl
of Warwick. This institution is of
the most up-to-date ]rind, for, in
addition to a more than usual pro-
vision for amusement, education
and recreation, hot and cold water
baths and wash -houses are provided
for the use of the inhabitants. Mr.
Montofioro, recognizing, apparent-
ly. that Godliness and cleanliness
go hand in hand, has further or-
dered that the baths are to be open
for use on Sunday mornings, the
day, be it noted, when men wee
are at work all the week have more
tune to indulge in such a luxury-
so far as village life is concerned—
as a bath.
4•
.'S3uivs raeim.mv BOG auAi
Symbols For Each, from Cotton to
Dhunond.
Just . why certain years wore
chosen for celebrating the anniver-
sary and others were skipped, or
what law dictated that certain
features should belong to each.
celebration is not exactly known.
It is surmised that cotton is
chosen as the symbol of the first an-
niversary, because gifts of cotton
stuffs for baby clothes may be very
appropriate. On the same prin-
ciple, leather symbolizes the third
anniversary, because baby will be
learning to walk by then and will
need shoes—which would appear.
to be celebrating baby more than
mother and father. However, as
the years roll on and one happy
anniversary treads on another's
heels the symbols grow precious
until the twenty-fifth year is reach-
ed, and this is commemorated with
gifts of silver. Another twenty-
five years and the silver becomes
gold. Not many couples live to
celeorate theix seventy-fifth anni-
versary, the day of diamonds,
which seem to be rather a guastly'
selection with which to honor this
unusual occasion.
First year, cotton; second year,
paper; third year, leather ; fifth
year, wooden ; seventh year, wool-
len; tenth year, tin; twelfth year,
silk and fine linen; fifteenth year,
crystals; twentieth year, china;
twenty -fifty year, silver; 'thirtieth,
pearl; fortieth, ruby; fiftieth,
golden; seventy-fifth, diamond.
AT THE CLOVE HARVEST.
Trees are Beaten with Bamboo
Sticks Until Fruit Falls.
Cloves are not cultivated in many
of the tropical regions of the earth.
A clove tree begins to bear at the
age of ten years and continues un -
tit it reaches the age of scvonty-
five years.. There are two crops a
year, one in Juno and one in De-
cember. The tree is an evergreen
and grows from forty to fifty feet
high, with large oblong leaves and
crimson flowers at the end of small
branches in clusters of from ten
to twenty. The tree belongs to
the same botanical order as the
guava. The cloves, which are the
undeveloped buds, are at first
white, then light green and at the
time of gathering bright red. Pieces
of white cloth are spread under
the trees at harvesting time, and
the branches are beaten gently with
bamboo sticks until the cloves
drop. They are dried in the sun,
being tossed about daily until they
attain the rich Clark color which
proclaims them ready for shipment.
ANIMAL LEARNING,
Dr. T. Zell, a German naturalist,
than collected many instances to
prove that animals learn by experi-
ence, and thug become wiser than
their uninstructed parents. Game
animals of all kinds, he avers, have
learned the range of modern rifles.
Geryhounds quickly learn to let
rabbits alone, and foxhounds pay
nc• attention to either rabbits or
hares. Killer whales and gullsfol-
low whaling -vessels, just as vul-
tures follow an army. Crows be-
gin to accompany the chamois -hun-
ter as soon as they have seen the
result of his first successful shot,
and rough -legged` buzzards follow
the sportsman after winged 'game.
The number of birds that kill or
injure themselves by flying against
telegraph -wires is much smaller
than it used to be, Doetor Zell
also refees to the foot that birds
and quadrupeds have learned to
disregard passing railway -trains,
at horses quickly caaee to be fright-
ened by automobiles, His instanc-
0s of the intelligent selection ex-
ereised by sheep -dogs aro familiar
to all.
ALDERiIII;N'ROO SLOW. WHEN WRI'TING BEGAN.
„
tended to by Government. `
St. T"etersburg Water Supply At. Chinese Wore First to Ilave NOV*
able 'Type for Pleating.
The continuation of the obolera
epidemic has provoked an extraor-
dmary collision between the Rue -
skit Government and the St. Pot,
orsburg municipality.
The Government sent through the
Ministry ef the Interior urgent ad-
viee to the municipality to eon-
struot colloctor•s of waste from the
abattoirs which is thrown into the
Neva, and to renew the great sand
filter through whieh the Neva water
flowst0 the city reservoir,
The City Council held two sittings
without being able to decide to
spend the necessary $200,000,
Now the work has been begun by
Government engineers under the
order of the Ministry of the Inter,
ior•, and the members of the Coun-
cil have been notified that the bill
will be sent to them.
Refusal to pay will entail the
same punishment as is accorded or-
dinary lawbreakers.
The aldermen attempted to hold
an indignation meeting, but the
chief of police handed them a Gov-
ernment notification that the ques-
tion of the water supply for the ca-
pital bad been taken out of their
hands and therefore the purpose of
the meeting was illegal..
LONDON'S DEATH RATE.. -
Lowest of Any Week in Past Fifty
Years.
London (England) death -rate last.
week was 10 per 1,000, the lowest
recorded in any week during the.
past years, according to the offi-
cial return of the Registrar -Gener-
al,
The deaths in London last week
numbered 926, . which is 209 below
the average of the corresponding
weeks of the previous weeks
of the year. Previous weeks
the death -rates were 10.6 tad 12 0
per 1,000. The figures last week
for some of the other great towns
are as follows: Edinburgh, 11.2;
Glasgow, 12.4; Li'erpool, 14.4;
Manchester, 12.6; Birmingham,
10,9.
"I ascribe the abnormally low
death -rate to the wet weather."
writes a medical practitioner. "The
rain has thoroughly damped down
the germ -laden London dust, and
for weeks past there has been prac-
tically no dust blowing in the
streets. People have, therefore,
escaped the illnesses they catch
from the dust. There has—I jud?e
this from my own practice -been
Writing, as we know today, can
bo traeed' back .only to about one
thousand years before the Chris -
elan ere. The Chinese certainly
had movable printing type about
6013. 0., but as their language does
not admit even now, of conueoted
writing, they have never learned
the tort as moderns know it.
As Ohristianaty spread westward
the art of writing moved with it,
and the Boman style, merged with
the Alfredio or• Saxon, subsisted till
the Middle Ages in England under
the name of Anglo-Saxon,The Nor-
man style with Lombardia additions
then succeeded and lasted till the
reign of Edward VI„ being known
as the English court band, or the
Gothic Style of writing common in
public reeords,
Writing was really introduced to
the western nations from Carthage
ef the early Phoenician era. From
the Phoenicians the Greek Ionians
learned alphabet, as indeed did all
other nations of the world. The
Phoenicians themselves had varied
the Egyptian hieratic, or priestly
style, which differed from the hiero-
glyphic and the popular styles, and
was need for official and sacred do-
cuments. The very word alphabet
eomes from the Phoenician "ala -
fa" and "beth," meaning "a" and
(rear
Ideographic, as opposed to pho-
netic writing, still, to some extent,
prevails in the Chinese, who also
use the phonetic method common
to .the Hebrews and the Mexicans.
In the Chinese the signs are read
from the top to the bottom, in col-
umns; in the Mexican, from bot-
tom to top; in the Hebrew, from
right to left; in Latin, Greek, San-
skrit and all European languages,
from left to right.
The alphabets of different nations
vary in the number of their letters.
Arabic has 28 letters, Armenian 38,
Coptic 32, Dutch,, German and Eng-
fish, 26; French 25, Georgian
(Transcaucasian) 39, Greek 24, He-
brew 22, Italian 21, Latin 23, Per-
sian 45, Russian 33, Sanskrit 49,
Slavonic 40, Spanish 27, and Syriac
22, The Chinese have no alphabet,
but they have 20,000 syllabic signs
-their phonetic alphabet,
BRAINS AND HOUSEKEEPING.
Housework Need Not Degenerate
In to Drudgery.•
As a receipt for a happy home
there is none better than brains
very little pneumonia; affections of and good housekeeping. The more
the throat and chest generally have a woman knows the more easily
been wanting. This is always so she achieves. Housework un -
when we get a wet summer. With directed bybrains spells drudgery.
rain the death -rate sinks." The housewife with brains knows
r" "i-�— • the val ;e of system, of disregard-
SUPERSTITIONS OF SINGERS ing traditions if they mean a waste
of higher powers, of making life
Caruso's Observations of the Ways more simple if following the fashion
of Prima Donnas. means strained purse:
"We of the opera," writes Care -The brain shows the futility of
to in the Gentlewoman, "are often scrubbing, stitching and dusting
inclined to be superstitious. One as home making malities, whits the
roman,a distinguished and most other half vitt never let culture rtin
intelligent artist, crosses herself re- rampant while "stockings are un-
peatedly before taking her cue, darned aid meals are better skel-
and a prima donna who is a, fav- ter.
°rite on two continents and who A woman was once asked to do -
is always escorted to the theatre fine her ideal housekeeping. "It
by her mother invariably goes is that," she said, "where the wo-
through tho very solemn ceremony man keeps the house and not the
of kissing her mother good-bye and house the woman. Houses have a
receiving her blessing before go- way of not only keeping the moo-
ing on to sing. The young woman' man, but binding ber with chains
feels that she could not possibly impossible to break unless brains
sing a note if the mother's eyes form more than "half the mixture
were not on her every moment from used in that house's running."
the wings.
"Another famous singer wears a STRANGE ELECTRIC STORM
small bracelet that was given to her
'hen an infant by Conned. She On the night bntweexn the 17th
1 -as grown somewhat stout of "late and 18th of ebr Bary 1$ st, in south
years and the hoop of gold has been latitude 33 eg a s, w st to g Cuda
re -enforced so often that there is 38 degrees, the sailing ship Ville -
hardly any of the great composer's du -Havre encountered a most re
original gift left. Still, she feels markable storm. The rain fell.in
that it is a charm which has made torrents, and the ship appeared to
her success, and whether she singe be electrified, the mastheads flam-
the part of a lowly peasant or m ing like giant candles. Strange
princess the bracelet is always vis- and lightsaftterravelledevery eflash ver toile lightning rigging,
ible.
"These little customs are not a Part of the vessel, which had
confined to the women. singers ei- been newly pained, remained for
cher, for the men are equally fond several seconds glowing with phos-
of observing some little tradition phorescenoe. The lightning, which
to cheer them in their perform- was very frequentinstead of dfs-
ance." playing itself in zigzag lines; tools
*__,� the form of flying bombs, which ex -
REAL TRAGEDY ON STAGE. jiloded with outbursts of light that
_ illuminated the whole sky, Before
Russian Actor Shoots Two Players and after •the more violent explo-
and Then Himself.' Bions of thunder fierce gusts of wind
swept the ship. This terrifying ex-
A terrible tragedy was witnessed perienee lasted for five hours with
ab the National Theatre in Sara- 00 respite.
toff, Russia, recently,
In the third act of the play, ANCIENT BANQUETS.
which was being given, the hero All the banquets and larks of
me is shot by a rejected suitor and London and Now York in a ear
dies in the arms of her sweetheart,9
who arrives on the scene soon el. would not
coat as much as a single
terwards. On a recent night, to feast give by Nero or Lucullus,
the astonishment of the audience, Did not Cleopatra give n, city of
141, Tashnakoff, who was acting ,the 35,000 inhabitants to the chef who
villain, made no attempt to shoot cooked a meal that pleased Mark
the girl, but put a bullet through Antony. Even Henry VIII presented
filo heart of her lover, who was a manor to the cook who prepared
waiting for his cue to appear, then him.a pleasing dish, Caesar, during
shot the girl, and anally turned one of his feasts, while under the
the revolver against himself and influence of wine, gave Eutychus,
fired, his, eharioteor, a tip amounting to
Several women in the audience 080,000, This is the largest money
fainted, and a great many other tip on record, Ho fed his charger
spectators sustained injuries in the on barley mixed with wine in a
panic which ensued while endeavor- golden vase, One of Iris suppers
ing to ' force their way out of the cost nearly half a million dollars,
theatre. An melte table setting of our Pres -
The motive of the erime appears
to have been jealousy, , the actors
having really represented the parts
they played.. i
•
4-f•++++++++4++4 )-$•++44 flw
On the Track
±-e-t-4-++++++++++++++++40
Tho train came to a standstill
outside my cabin, for the Signa a
were against it, and I stood on the
landing at e top of the steps,
basket ithe
hand, waiting for the ar-
rival of the man who was to relieve
mo, said the signalman,
"That you, Dick'i" I called, as d
figure emerged from the darkness.
`Yes," replied my mate, "Going,
onI
"Rather," I responded. "There's
the ball, You can peg her oil now.
Good -night, Dick 1"
I ran down the steps, and jumped,
cn to the footboard of the rear'
coach, just as the Drain, with a pre-
liminary snort, started off again.
It was not booked to ,stop at
Hinton ,junction, where my home
lae
thyai b whent ever I haderience . taught
the.
, tp
signals against it outside my ca-
bin, they would also be set against
it at the junction, and the ride—
which, against all rules I had taken.
scores of times before --saved me a
walk of over two miles along the -
desolate track.
It was a cold and dark night, and.
my thoughts. as I clung to the hand-
rail, centred pleasantly around the
steaming hot eupper which awaited
my home -coming. .
After a while, however, it dawned.
upon me that, the -ugh we were ap-
proaehing the junetion, the driver
bad not shut off steam,. and I bung
out over the track till I could see
the light of the signal ahead.
It showed green, and I realized
that for once the exceptional had
happened.The train was not go-
ing to be pulled up.
What should I dol Beyond Hin-
ton there wouldbe a clear ran of
twenty miles, and even if I could
manage to retain my position for
that distance, with a hand which
was fast becoming numbed with the
cold, it would take me at least two
hours to get back again.
I was still pondering the matter
when the lights of the station
sprang up out of the night and
flashed by; but a momentary check
in the speed of the train, which oc-
curred a little way beyond, decided=
me.
I would drop off.
No sooner determined upon than
done. I released my hold, and.
dropped down into the. darkness.
The next instantsomething grip-
ped my left foot, and, before I could
utter a cry, I felt myself flung vio-
lently forward, my head seemed to,
split open against some hard sub-
stance, and—I lost consciousness,
When I came to, I was too dazed
at first to understand what had.
happened. All I knew was that I
was lying across the six-foot way, .
with my head upon the inner rail
of the up -track, and that both my
forehead and my foot were aching
and burning.
A familiar whiz and rattle close
by aroused nie to a sense of danger
and, with an instinctive effort,.I
flung my head and shoulders clear
of the rail, just as a mail train
roared by on its way to London.
"That was a near thing!" I gasp-
ed with a shudc'. er, and struggled
to get up. But I found that my
left foot was immovable.
What held ill I was still too
muddled to guess, but, gritting my
teeth, I dug my hands into the bal-
last and tugged like grim death to
free it. I tugged till the bones ie
my toes seemed to snap, but all to
no purpose.
I screwed. myself awkwardly
round upon the ground, and got on
to one knee. Then I stretched out
my hand, tquched my foot touched .
the rail, and knew what had hap-
pened. .
I had jumped from the train just
ar it was crossing some points, my
foot had caught in one of them,
and it was looked in 1
How long I struggled to extricate.
myself before I thought of cutting
the laces of my boot I cannot say,
but even when I hat dont it, the
thing availed me nothing.
Exhausted at last with my effortsI
Jlay there biting my lips and
gnashing my teeth with agony and
helplessness, till an indistinct rum•
Me in the distance seared me into
activity again, The Scottish exp
press was bearing down upon my
imprisoned foot!
Nearer and nearer it Dame. The
tumble became a roar ; .I easy the
lights from the earriage windows -
patterned upon the ground. I fop)
the rail quivering beneath the ap-
proaching weight; the shriek of the
whistle was in my ears. Then, with
the yell of . a maniac, I gave ono
last supremo jerk—and rolled, a
senseless heap, into the safety of
the six-foot way. �-Pearson s Week-
ly.
A black pastor in a church 31
Texas got a present of an urnbrel•
la from his congregation, but the
following Sunday' someone stole
The pastor did not know who stole
it, but when addressing the eongre--
gation be said lie knew who took it,
but he did not with to expose the
thief before the eongregafien, and
if the culprit would throw it: ever
garden wa11 that niaft he tvonld
ent-day millionaires would scarce- say no more about le, He wee sur`
ly amount to the value. of one of theprised the following poireine when
tiny and fragile murrn,no wine he could not open Ms hack tieor
cups of Rome. for umbrellas.