Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1909-9-23, Page 2+4#4+•44.4++h4 444, The Doctor. 444++++•+4+44.9 144+•441 I "go doesn't pare, Betty. Can't yau see that he doesn't eared A11 he thinks about feels about lives for, is himself and hes ambition, Be Wants to `get on,' Re works and studies and saves hie money like a very miser. He neglects you—I bell you he cares for nothing except hie work." "Rush, bush i Flow dare you (speak of him like this I" • I dare, Letty, -I dare, beoauee Z lo've you—heart and soul I love you, Lefty, and.I can't stand see- int neglected g You day after day neg ee ed an d. alone; Will you marry me instead of Robert Ashley/ I'll work for you, not for rnYeolf,,, 11e looked round at the bare room and book to Letty's white face. It had grown very white of late—white and thin and sad—and Jack Stephen, who never let a day pass wit out seeing her, had be- come desperate and let himself go to -night, Six months since her Aunt had died, believingthat Rob- ert Ashley ob-ert'Ashley would at once marry her. And instead of that Robert Ashley had put it off. Week after week went by, and day after day saw Letty neglected and alone. She looked at Jack Stephen now with sudden longing in her eyes. She could not understand why Rob- ert should always be kept at the Scapital when she wanted him. he could not understand why he worked -so hard—why he could not take her out to picture -galleries and concerts, as Jack did; and now for the first time the dull longing, that had been unrecognized in her heart, to be Jack's wife instead of Robert's grew suddenly into a des- perate pain.. "Oh, don't --don't," she cried, with a sob. "He says he will come hi to -night on his way back from the hospital, and I—I'11 speak to him then. I'll tell him what you have said," "Yes, tell him," he said hoarse- ly. "If he—if he cares at all he will see, and then he will look after you. But if he doesn't, Letty?" "If he doesn't, Jaek—•come back," His whole body trembled for a moment under the temptation that assailed him. He struggled hard with himself. It would have bean so easy to persuade her now, but her premise was given to another man. "Give him a chance, Letty," he said, huskily. "He doesn't mean it, perhaps. Perhaps he's a good ehap .after all—working hard be- cause of you." Letty turned away with her face hard. "Jack, Jack," she sobbed, "take me yourself 1 I don't want to mea- n him after all. I want to marry you,,, Jack slowly, gravely faced her. "Letty, I luno you 1" he cried. "I'vee temptedyou to -night. I've been wrong, 1 had no right to speak as 1 did; and you must tell Robert first. It made nie mad to see you left day by day as you are, with only your aunt's old housekeeper to are for you. Lefty, it drove me crazy; and you must forget all I said until you have spoken to Robert. Then—" "Then 1 Jack, Jack. you'll come back to morrow i" "Yes. Ili come back to -morrow," he said. foolish, deer, 1: will marry you as sawn at I can; only, Iaetty, if you would only understand how much auooeosmeans to mel I must get on, I must carve my way and make my name." He stopped abruptly, checked.by - I know, I know, and I hate it, she ericd. "It is all you think of your getting on,' and I'd rather —oh, I'd rather be the wife of a oouunon fisherman than the wife of you whoa you area big man. Oh, I want you to go—I want yon to go. I will never marry yon." He did not go. All thee' he knew just then wee that this pretty girl stood between him and his work, between him and his ambition. "But whet does it all mean 1" be asked. "Lesley, you oan't mean what you say. You are only a bit upset—a little out of sorts. Look here, dear; tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it. You can't really mean me to go." "I do mean it, she cried, and blew with that curious sound from look --hark I Do you know who this the north. The oarriage slowed up es coming upstairs' 1 I heard the hall door open a moment ago below and Mrs. Harkaway talking to him. Do you know who be is 1 He is the man 1 want to marry." Robert made uo reply. He was taken aback. He looked towards the door with a grave, set face, and when it opened and Jack en- tered he drew a sharp, rasping breath, "Very well, Lefty," he said, quietly. . And a little. while afterwards she did. A little while afterwards Rob- ert Ashley gave her away in earn- est, and when she and Jack set out gaily for their yachting and fisb- ing cruise ho went back to his lone ly road towards success and fame and riches. failed. Every experireent he had with a sailing -boat of nay own' -T-•'' conducted lied been sneeeesfel, t"But, good lieavena, you could Be took up a bag of instruments never live on that 1" which stood on a table and whole. Jack shrugged hie ehonldere, ed off the oleotyio light. "We managed," he said, "Letty "Over by the sea wall did you is a brick. She haa p tta kept y say she lived '1" ho asked. "Which Peart through the thickest miafor- bouser tunes. Her courage never failed "I don't know, air, But she said until Nellie fell i11. Then--" there was only one •cottage ab that "Then 'you came for me. Why end mod you couldn't mistake it, ' 'didn't you come before? Robert frowned. It was surely "Letty wouldn't lot me. She is impossible that oho could be living Proud, Silo did not want you to ihi that old, tumble-down ruin oe a know what we had Dons' to, and we plaee which had once been a fist* shouldu't have aline here if we had erman's hut, and which was now known you were here. We thought too damp and dilapidated and rot- Sou were in London, a big man, ten even for a fisherman 1 Ah I Rebore looked round. The Ele sat forward in his brougham, light was broadening on the sea, staring out as he roiled through the The stormy wind was drifting away, town- towards the cliffs, and the I might have been a big man, he poor ' end tyhere only fishermen said to himself, if 1 had married lived. Letty. Now--" He turned his head, and a soli,: The wind was blowing strong from the north, and .lbshermen'a wives =tart' 'horseman galloping over the lay awake o' nights when the wind rough road attracted hie attention. "Who hi that?" he asked. Jack, with heavy oyes that had had no sleep for nights, turned elowly, "Some madman out for a morn- ing ride," he began. "but," .ho turned again "you think—you are III. "There's a lady to see you, sir." His housekeeper stood holding open the door in a gingerly fash- icn, with a dubious look upon her face and a certain coldness in her grey eyes as Robert Ashley lifted his head. ".A. lady?" he asked. "Tell her I'm engaged, and that it's not like- ly that I shall be able to see her to- night. I might be sent for to the young Prince at any moment. Ask her her business." "Yes, sir." The woman with- drew. Robert returned to his case the case of the young Prince who was staying at the big hotel on the sea front. He had come there a few days ago, and it had seemed to Robert that the luck he had waited for all his life had come at last, when the Prince fell ill with diph- theria. A doctor had been sent for from town, and that very day there had ben a special consultation; but Robert had been the first to be called in. He was still attending daily, and it would give him the lift he wanted the little help he had 'waited for which would put him in a position to climb the ladder of fame. He had never got above the first rung or two. He had meant to be top of the tree. But luck had been against him. He was clever—far beyond the average, and he never wasted his time; but he was poor, and he never had a chance to rise, and now he was getting old. Now here, at his very doors, was the thing he wanted—a bit of good fortune. If he did well for the Prince he would make his name at last, He turned to his notes on the case—an ugly ease, and yet, if only be dared use the knowledge ho be- lieved he possessed, he might make England ring with his name. He drew a deep breath and sigh - ea impatiently. It was folly even to think of it ; the boy was a Prince, and a Prince could not be experi- mented upon. The other special- ists would be dead against such a "I couldn't come, Letty, and proceeding even if he suggested it. there's an end of it. There was a And yet if they did not the boy most bothering case at the hospital, must die: It baffled everybody, including old He turned sharply. Mrs. Free- Grigge, and I had to stay and see man was at the door again. 1t out. " "If von please, she won't go. She "But you promised me you said you would come—you said that no - says you'd see her if you knew; and her name's Stephen, sir; and thing should keep you. " it's about her child—a girl—dying "Yes, I know I did, but I cuouldn't "of diphtheria. sir, in a cottage over help it. It was a =est extraordtn- - the sea wall." are- case, Letty—a. ,shooting affair, eStephen; Diphtheria!" The a pistol accident, and the bullet had two names got jumbled up in his lodged in the left side just above thoughts. He stood staring at his the heart—half in. half out of housekeeper so sternly that she be- the--" gen to apologize at once. "Olt, don't tell me about such; "I did me best to get rid of her, things.' Leity roan:p>ea tar feet; air; but she says it's desperate; suddenly. "1 hat' there. I am she says tracheotomy was performed sick of them—of er:uhieg—of you on the child three beers ago and and your sill, h -nmtel awl I dont' that she's sinking fast. She came want tai marry c.:,u--I eaeit to give tr, ask you of your charity, sir—" you up." Robert Ashley stared at her for a moment dully, then 'sleety rose to his feet. "Do you mean that, Letty l" he to have the carriage ready at once. asked, in a still, quiet voice. Tell Mee. Stephen I am coming;" "You know I do, she cried, pas- The door closed silently and sionately. "You moat know that swiftly, and for a moment Robert do. Any woman would if the had been treated as I have been. Oh, yes, I'm tired of it all, and I don't want to marry You." He stood, feeling baffled and per - lewd. H i 1d dimly--; He res ze tui y - h , ehad "My charity !" Robert's voice was harsh and strained, and Mrs. Freeman wondered why he laugh- ed. "My charity 1 ... Tell Jones steed motionless. For a moment ho besiteted. Dared he go 1 Stephen! How the namo made his blood tin- gle. Dared he risk the life of Let- ty's child --if it was Letty, and somehow Ie d t h t seems o have no doubt of it. He had heard nothing and Robert looked out. A low Bela - entities but lay before them. One. light showed in a window, but it was not sufficient to' guide him to the door, and he stumbled forward, groping with his hands. f He knocked, and at the ;soundo a voice inside he lifted the latch and looked in. At first he saw only the confusion of a sick room, which was a living room as well. A lamp on a table threw a patch of light over a dirty floor and over a child lying across a couple of chairs beside it. Robert stepped in, blinkinga lit- tle at the light, and then suddenly he became aware that the tall fig- ure had risen and was facing him —tire figure and face of Jack Ste- phen. • Robert fell back. "Not your' he Dried. Jack came forward. "Thank God you've come," he Dried, in a husky whisper. "I was afraid of asking you, but Letty— Letty couldn't bear it any longer." He looked round at the child, and then stretched out bis hand to Rob- ert. "You'll help us 1" he said, simply. Robert stepped forward and sat down opposite the child. "Where is Letty l" he asked. "I didn't dream it was her—I didn't think—I must have left her behind on the road." He stopped; for even as he spoke a hand was on the latch, and Letty —breathless, dishevelled, desperate —rushed in. She gave one glance •at the child and tore off the. . hat from her head. "Thank God it's all right' Rob- ert will save her," she said. Robert east a quick glance at her worn face. How haggard it look- ed! And Jack—what brought them there like that/ But he had no time to spare to ask questions. He bent towards the child. "How long ago was tracheotomy performed, and who performed it?" Robert asked, whispering. "Three hours, and by Dr. Thomp- son, and—and he says there is no- thing else to be done." Jack's voice broke. Robert took his bag and opened ie in silence. He took out asmall instrument and a phial. Then with steady white hands he drew away the sheet from the child. Letty's child] And if he failed/ If what he intended to do did not succeed after all? Letty1 How her face came in between him and the child! His hand did not waver, his face did not change as lie stooped over the sick girl. She gave acry as he touched her and Letty caught her husband's arm. She gave a wilder, louder cry presently, and Jack, putting his hand on Letty's shoulder, held her hack, and in si- lence they stood. Robert put back the sheet and sat down again, An hour passed. No one moved, except every now and, then Robert to force something from a cup be- tween the child's lips. The night grew. Outside the washing sea wout on with a threatening sound. Robert started forward presently. A grey look had crept across the child's face. Some change was coming. Letty took a step forward and Robert locked up. "Keep still," he said, sternly. Letty went back to her husband. Her face was drawn. She threw out her hands, then suddenly stumbling to her knees buried her. taco in her arms across the table. Jack stood still, upright, rigid, hie face turned to the motionless doctor and the child -his darling child! For a little longer they re- mained, and then the dawn began tr. creep across the slay. Robert lifted his head and bent to the child again. She was stir- ring. Her head turned slowly, stiff- ly on the pillow. Robert held up his hand and beckoned. He stoop- ed and held a spoon to her lips. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Letty's egos 1 "How is it you are here --like ppthis?„ done so for some time that pretty Robert stood outside the cottage Letty Dayfield was not the wife for of her or her husband for years, looking into Jack's face. "Yon can- e hard-working doctor. Iter small and yet he somehow knew it to be not have lost your moneyl" erbito hands were always pushed her. "1 have --- every penny, ' said out to thrust him back, while his Iia trembled suddenly 10 every Tack, "I was ruined through a ace Whole heart burned and ached to limb, and then his brave grew stern: t faulting solieitnr, and you know I et on—to sucoeecd and become a Letty's child! Dared he? Yet was neves learnt a trade --I was gond But What of you, Letty 1 leihat oats you dol Oh, no, no, don't be ig man, be not !sortainof the result] Was. fur nothing. and se we drifted if' sure about Nellieii She'll be all right l" "Yes, yes, now," answered Rob• art, "I shall be back again in an hour or two to toe what—halloa "" The horseman, dashing up, loan' forward over his perspiring horsi. "Ter. Ashley?" he cried. "Yes—yes." "Then come to the Prince at onee. Sir Joseph Honnibrook has met with an accident, and no other doctor can be got from London For several hours, and you are to at- tend to the Prince. He is sinking fast." Robert sprang into. his-brough• am. s * * * * "And the, Prince did live, after. all—didn't he, uncle2" "Yea, darling," "And tthat's why you are Sir Robert, isn't its" "Yes, darling, I expect it is." "Well—and what did you get for saving me?" Robert turned to the child at his side and took her face between his hands. "I got," ho said, "what is worth more than fame or successor rich- es, if men only knew it—love l" Nellie nestled up to him. "You couldn't do without me, could you?" "Heaven knows I couldn't," nee answered. "And daddy and mother—well, they think a lot of won too. You know, mother said you saved me and her too because you put dadd,? on his feet. And I don't under- stand that at all. Wasn't he beta with feet, uncle?" Sir Robert Ashley laughed, awl patted the child's cheek. "Your mother's a goose," he said; "because if she hadn't fetch- ed me bo you that night I should nevere have dared to treat the Prince as I did; and then I shiuldn't have become famous, and 1 shouldn't have been able to in- troduce your father's invention to Lord Plower, who called me in im- mediately afterwards; and then your father wouldn't have been the big man he is either. It's all your mother's doings, girlie." "Well, mother's very clever," said the child, with a sigh. "She's better than that," said Sir Robert Ashley; "she's pod." —London Tit -Bits. EATING IN OLDEN DAYS. Guests Were Required to be Sober on Arrival at Feast. Even at so late a period as the restoration, 1660, it was the -custom for guests to take their own knives and forks to an English banquet. The London Chronicle remarks : - "Pepys records that he did this when he went to the Lord Mayor's feast in the Guildhall. In the pre- vious reign the lord chamiserlain. had found it necessary to issue re- gulations for the benefit of officers invited to dine at the royal table. They were required to wear clean boots, nob to be half-drunk on their arrival, nob to drink more than one goblet to every two.dish- es, not to throw the bones under. the table, nor to lick their fingers. "The Stuarts undoubtedly d much to refine English table man- ners for it was one of the points admired in Mary Queen of Scots that the customs she introduced from Franco made her court and royal banquets more exquisite and genteel than those of her rival, Queen Elizabeth, As forks came into use the old-time importance of the table napkin began to wane. From beinga necessity ib became a luxury, on the fastidious use of which etiquette has ab various times placed stnarg lir( 1 dad. -edam dated placed strange values. "Under the third empire in France St. Beeve brought disgrace upon himself because at breakfast: at the Tuilerieshe carelessly open- ed his napkin and placed it over his knees, ` To this he .added the crime of cutting lis egg in two at the twiddle. Court etiquette prescrib- ed that the half -folded napkin should lie on the left knee, and the top of the egg was to be merely broken with the edge of the spoon and drained with the Lip of the spoon. "For his faili'tgc in these respects he a fool to imagine, for a tnement' down - is' this, A11 1 am good for 101St. Beuve's name was, struck off that he wearer rail ETe had never to fish and Shoot, and I thought—! the imperial vieiting list.,r CI.iINES'E NATIVE SOLDIERS Possess '1'i'enllerful Endurance --- .ti1,.rmy 4tlieee's Opinion, One of rho greatest assets pos- sessed by Chineee ae soldiers is in their marching pewee; another is their Ability to manage with the smallest amount of transport <M- ing to the hardy outdoor life and climate to which they are accustom- ed, and tai the feet that they live almost entirely en rice, writes Ma- jor C, D. Braes in the United Ser- vice Magazine. Two other points in their favor are that they have no oasts' prejudices, and have already learned the vietue of discipline be- fore they enlist. Drunkenness is praotically unknown among them, but they have the national failings of gambling and opium smoking. Illy own experience leads me to class most native soldiers as grown- up-childrenand perhaps the most childlike is the Chinaman. All the traits which have to be studied in dealing with children are so many keys to open the door to under- standing their nature. Most amene able to kindness, he is at tiniest quite capable of taking advantage of it, Firmness ho not only appreciates but prefers; that is, onee he rea- lizes, as boys say, that it is no use to "try on." Above all, he admires and will do 'anything for those whom he realizes are trying in- variably n variably to be just to him. Whe- ther he ther gratitude is to be set down as a -characteristic opinions may differ. My own is that lee has it, and would exhibit it more often did net the hide -bound conventions by which Chinese unwritten law aux- rounds him make it sometimesnear- ly impossible. Whatever feelings may remain. in the hearts of those whose fate it has to go through the. unique experience of serving bis. Gracious Majesty as soldiers in the late Chinese Regiment of Infantry, T feel that I am on sure ground in saying that the memories of those who trained them' will long retain the happiest recollections of the trials through which officers and. men passed together. LUCK IN A SNEEZE. Bridegroom WVho Sneezed was its'- garded happy. During the Middle Ages Italy was devastated by an epidemic which seemed to have sneezing as its fa- tal symptom. Straightway a. sneeze was considered evidence of approaching death. In somewhat earlier times the luck or ill luck of a sneeze was de- pendent upon the side toward which it was directed. The right side was considered lucky, the left unlucky. A sneeze was heard on the right on one of the ships be- fore the battle of Salamis and it was considered a lucky omen. Xenophon° considered a sneeze from one of his soldiers a signifi- cant prophecy of victory. Theocritus stated that a bride- groom who sneezed was sure to be happy and lucky, while Catul us declared it a good omen if two lov- ers sneezed. In the olden days if a man sneez- ed while dressing he went back to bed again before completing his toilet and the captain of a vessel would delay his voyage if one of his sailors sneezed while weighing an- chor. At the present time there seems to be a superstition to the effect that a sneeze before breakfast indi- cates the reception of a present be- fore the week is out. A sneeze on Sunday, it is said, is au assurance that you will meet your true love before the end of the week. On Monday ib means danger; on Tues- day that you will be introduced to a stranger; on Wednesday a letter and on Thursday something better, There is ;but one omen concerning snoozing that is undeniable, and that is that the sneezer either has a cold or is catching one. TOOTHBLAOK TWO CENTS. As we have bootblacks in this: country, so in the Sunda islands, they have toothblacks. These toothblacks are old women, with pots of black paint, books of gold - leaf, and vegetable -brushes. From but to hitt they pass, and for a small foe—a yam, a- bunch of bee nanas, three cocoanuts—they paint the Sunda islanders' teeth a glisten- ing black—all but two front teeth. These they gild. And the Sunda islander thereafter goes about with a self-conscious smile, revealing a symphony in black and gold 1 Col- oring teeth is a common trick among the semi -civilized. In Ma- cassar, dark brown is the popular hue, and in Japan, among the poor classes, the teeth of wives are painted black. MAN MEEK M N RETORTSS. "Fountainp ens," snapped the nagging wife, "remind me of Some husbands," "What is the resemblancel" ven. Lured the meek little man ."Expensive, can't be tiepog upon, won't work, and half time they aro broke." "That's pretty rough? Martha, but you wouldn't compare et faun. tain pen with some womee." "I guess not," "No; a fountain pen will dry up and some wives wort t, And n �def A d the he ma or the weeds, i; o ds. RAGE 01' mammas. Australia !ta Mules Her Boys PHI Olds Fit, Before embarking upon any, of,bho projeots for modified oonseriptlon, or univorsal training for the de, fenoe of the Commonwealth, the Australian Cioverninent, says a oorrospondont of The London Chronicle, is wisely eoneidering the foundation of all national defence the physical training of all the ehildren of titin young Dominion. The Labor Governmentbegan, and its suooeseors are to carry to fruition, a' groat scheme which will pub every girl and boy in Au- stralia up to the ago of twelve or fourteen through a course of oath - fully graded physical training, In the ease of girls this training is in- tended to wafer the ordinary be- pefits of health, sound develop- ment and a hardiness which in bhe. eyes of an older generation-inigltt be unattractive. In the case of boys, however, it is intended to form the basis upon which more technical training in senior cadet cops, and, later inn militia, infant- ry and light horsecorps can be built. The scheme has received the gen- eral approval of the Deakin-Oook Government. For au expenditure of 24,000, spread over three years, it will provide Australia with a body of physical training teachers and experts, working under Feder- al ooutrol, and capable of instruc- ting hundreds of thousands of Au- stralian children oath week. The machinery is to include per- manent training centres for instruc- tors and school teachers in each of of the six States.' The co-ordinatiirn: of the system of medical inspection of .children now being introduced into Government schools, with -the national physical training systole, is also proposed. The scheme is well received by the Teeple. ' WHALE SRTANGLED ITSELF. Cause of the" Trouble to the Tele- graph Cable. From Seattle comes a remarkable story, brought into port by the cable repair ship Burnside, The Burnside had been sent north along the coast of Alaska 'to 'repair the cable, because during the last win- ter difficulty had been experienced in sending and receiving messages: The vessel picked up the cable connecting Valdez and Sitka a few utiles off Cook Inlet not far horn Sitka. The craw never had such a time hauling a cable on board as they did that day on the Alaska coast. Finally the cause of the great weight was found. . Some time during the winter a whale, feeding on the bottom of the ocean, with wide-open mouth col - listed with the wire rope. Unable to shake the big wire from the mass of whalebone rn its jaws, the big fish "turned turtle," rolled over once, turned round, rolled again and dived. In these few moments the fish proved himself his own hangman, fur the cable was twisted tighter about the head of the whale than any mortal could have twisted it with the most powerful machinery, The whale, drowned and the car- cass was devoured on the bottom of the ocean by other fish. The Brew of the Burnside hauled up an immense load of whalebone, and found a great twist in the govern- ment cable that had been the cause of the unusual difficulty in sending messages to and from Dither end of the rope. ONLY MADE THE FIRE. An Irish lawyer who used to have an extensive practice in the crim- inal courts. was once engaged to de- fend a Jew charged with setting fire to his shop. He felt so confident of being able to hays his client ac- quitted that be put him in the wit- ness box. "Now, my good man," he began, ""remember you are on your. oath.. You stand here charged with a ter- rible grime, I want you to look the jurymen in the face and tell thein you are not guilty of this cowardly deed. Are you or are you not guil- ty -of this charge of arson? The Jew, who had never heard the word arson used before, and thinking it was ,soma now charge, tried to save himself. Ina thor- mighly frightened tone he answer ed : "No, your honor, I am not guilty of arson. All I done vos to make der fire," BLACK IRISH BULLS. An Irishman excused himself from going to church by saying lie had such an excellent telescope that with it lie could bring the church so wear he, could hear the organ playing. ]t was Pat who observed, after watching two men shoot at air eagle and kill it, that they alight have saved the powder and shob, as the fall alone would have killed the bird, And it was Pat again, who telling a story as., ori - genal and being informed by one of his auditors that he had read it in the translation of the Latin work, pried out: "Confound those nelents 1 They are always steal- ing one's good thoughts," —di-- A di A dead beat always gets more credit than he deserves, And occasionally a man throws oft trouble by putting on a bold front. GATE OF AFGHANISTAN farm II/STORY 011' 911114 I111Y11B1l PASS, alt is the Cbiol Caravan and 'Trade Route Between milia autl Afghanistan. The history of the Khyber Pass is practically the story of Anglo - Afghan relations, and it has been the scene of some of the most thril- ling scenes in the history of tho British Empire. Great Britain commenced seri- ous interference ire.. Afghanistan about eighty years :ago, when she took Shah Sujalt under her' wing. Almost immediately the Khyber tribes began to give trouble, they were dissatisfied with the amount of annual blackmail paid them for the right of way through the Pass. It appeared that when the Shah -was a fugitive they had concealed. and protected him, and in return • he promised them a subsidy. Their demands not being satisfied, the tribes rose, and there was a good deal of fighting round Ali Musjid, a fort that was regarded as the key of the gloomy defile. From that time onward it is a,tale of British poli- tical missions, murder, guerilla warfare, . and punitive expeditions. By the end of 1841 the British oe- oupatior of Afghanistan had re- sulted in the murder of Sir Alex- ander Burnes, Sir William Mao- naghten, and a number of other British officials. It was decided. that the country MUST BE EVACUATED. The evacuation began on a dreary winter morning in January, 1842, The snow lay deep on the ground when the troops, with their wivea and children, set off- on their jour- ney. It was related afterwards that the Afghan ohiefs had sworn to an- nihilate every soldier of the Brit- iali army with.tho exception of one who was to be spared that he migbt tell the story of the massacre of all his comrades.: The oath was ful filled with relentless fidelity. 01 nearly four thousand •soldiers and twelve thousand camp followers, only. Dr. Brydono'.and four or five natives escaped massacre. The details of the retreat are horrifying. Baggage abandoned to the pursuing Afghans; soldiers slaughtered and plundered as they fell from the ranks; babies desert- ed in the snow. by their mothers, themselves dying, Relief expeditions were sent from India across the Khyber. That led by Wild, owing to the desertion of some of bis native troops, failed to cross the pass, and it was not un- til April that Sir George Pollock forced his way across at the head of a British fore; defeated the Af- ghans, and rescued Lady Sale and others who had been kept prison - iris in Kabul. After inflicting punishment on the Afghans, General Pollock again left Afghanistan to its fate. Dur- ing the years .that followed, Rus- sian agents began to have .too much influence in the eountry, and it was decided to ,send another British Mission to the Ameer, Sir Neville Chamberlain started from Peshawar, but half -way across the pass, at the fort of Ali Musjid; he was stopped, and COMPELLED TO RETIRE. A few months later he attacked and occupied the fort. Then he march, td into Afghanistan. A treaty was made with the Af- ghans in May, 1879, and in June Chamberlain and his army retired,. Next month Sir Louis Cavagnarf and a.Britieh escort were honorab- ly received at Kabul, but by the middle of August the mission had been massacred. Puniishment was again inflicted, and the Bretish tools possession of the Pass, But to this day those who use the .pass in travelling be- tween India and Afghanistan are at the mercy of innumerable war- like hill tribes. The Viceroy, Lord Lansdowne, rode through the Pass -in 1889; and 10 thefollowingyearitwas visited by Prince Albert Victor of Wales (the late Duke of Clarence), Tho lastRoyalvisitors to the Pass were the Dtike and Duchess cf Con- naught, NOW THEY DON'T SPEAR. Sanderson was on a visit to Simp- kins, and, in due course, natural- ly, lie was shown the family album, "Yes," said 'Simpkins, as he turned the leaves, "that's my wife's second cousin's Atint Susan. Poor old soul I She had the most remark- able nose I ever saw, It was the. shape of a note of interrogation., And that's Cousin James; and thate,pp a friend of ours; and that- A,h (now, who do you think that ' ts4 "Don't know,' said sSanderson. "Well, that's my wily, s first hus- band, nny boy]" e nc l ljiiin- t what' a c, t cJ l less -looking ass l n a But, excuse nuc, old fellow, I didn't know your wife was a widow when you married iter," - "She asu't1" said Simpkins stiff- ly, "That, sir, is a portrait of my sell at +Jho aga of ttvent,Y.