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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1903-3-5, Page 7A F3Refee<e‹<EtE�<i C<ice,a4e&KCa:c ee<ei?e,Mrt<eneiecceFe-neo;<<ene‹<•E rte V W W ?►°, � � A Tale W Y V V r w 'y and T of the ✓ 111 T oY AA Yr m Rolling Wave � m ' ni :Iiack Arro CHAPTER V, This day appointed !or t10 depar- ture of the Queen of Night broke fair and sunny, and the hour of noon found us all in trim to, receive the passengers. A crew lit for a men - et -war had been. shipped, rho stew- ard's department was in full work- ing order under its permanent chief, and the storerooms were crammed with all the dtllicacies in and out of season, There was little of the bustle customary on the sailing of a big steamer—first because we car- ried no cargo, and secondly because there was no heavy baggage to be shipped. A cabin -trunk or two gen- erally sufficed each passenger for the six weeks' cruise, and these they brought with thorn, Wo wore not duo to warp out, of dock till throe, but the first -comers began to arrive in time for the luncheon that had been announced as ready for passengers and their friends at one o'clock in the grand saloon, As captain of the ship it was beneath my dignity to receive our guests in person as they caste aboard, but Doctor Zavertal was literally a "host in himself," wel- coming, assisting, and directing ev- ery one—a duty inewhich he was ably assisted by tho purser and stewards, This arrangement' suited me admirably. I had ascertained from the passenger list that Sir Simon Crawshey had not booked a passage for himsolf, Aline having for a travelling colttpanton a certain Mrs. Brinkworth, of whom I had never heard. But them was As. chance that the baronet would accompany his ward to tho steamer for the pur- pose of seeing her off, and my great fear was lest ho should take her ashore again and forfeit her passage on finding that 1 was in commnand of the ship. To obviate any such discovery I ]sept my own room while the passen- gers were arriving, and it was for- tunate that circumstances favored my doing so without attracting at- tention_ Apart from the fact that the doctor was making himself so useful, I had a reasonable excuse for remaining out of sight in the neces- sity of sticking to my desk for the signing of reports and orders, as well as of holding an interview with Nathan to receive final. -instructions. There would bo nothing to call me to the bridge till the bell rang "a11 clear." The windows of the captain's room gave a clear view of the quay -side and of the gangway, and you inay be surd that never of dark and dirty night did I keep a sharper look -out than I did for my girl's sweet face that day. Like most gond things she was "long o' tonin',' Troops of smart people thronged gaily over the plank to the gangway where our courteous purser stood to chock tho passenger list, tho popping of cham- pagne corks from the saloon told that tho farewell luncheon had be- gun, but as yot there was no ,sign of Aline, Presently Nathan's sham- bling footsteps were heard outside, and ho entered my cabin to furnish me with a list of places whore I was to coal and of the firms I was to Ileal with, -and I had hard work to give him my attention and to watch the gangway at rho sante Unto, Ile was sitting by my side at the cabin table with his papers befoto him, emphasising his instructions with the tip of a strong cigar, which served tho double purpose of a pointer. His ferrety eyes shifted from tho paper to my face and back again perpetually, noting. whether or no I understood his points. It was while hu was searching for some particulars relating to his agent at ]Yalta that my heart bounded at the sight of Aline coming across the gang -plank, followed by 0 good-look- ieg ladylike woman of about thirty, 1 had barely time to notice that my girl looked pale and sad, and to in- dulge the glad hope that, rather than to illness, it was clue to a rause which would soon be dissipat- h t f od, when a wheezing chuckle at my elbow recalled me to the desirability of concealing my emotions. I was half afraid that I had not done so, for Nathan was regarding me with a sardonic 1ear, "I see `that you aro an admirer of female beauty, my gay Captain," ho said, glancing signilieantly towards the gangway ; "or perhaps you have met that charming young creature before ?" "Reelitelo of each, sir," I replied, with assumed indiflot•ence, "I know a pretty face when 1 see one, and I think I have some slight acquaint- ance with the young hely who has just come , aboard, That is," I added, "if 1 am right In recognizing her as a Miss Challenor, the ward 0f Sir Simon Orawshay," Nathan shrugged his shoulders with an air of unconcern, but he still kept his oyes on mine as ho answered • "Montt likely that is her. A shentloman named Sir Simon Crawshay has booked passages for two ladies, I ]plow, Ah, well, Cap- tain," he continued, relaxing his gain at last, "you had bettor make hay while the sun shines. Sir Simon will not he on board to shpot]. shport." Ile evinced no curiosity as to where and when I hac7'ilrst met Miss Challonor, and we resumed our busi- ness. Now that I was assured of Sir Simon's absence I was able to give my owner an undivided atten- tion, with the result that the 02- maining matters were quickly dis- posed of and Nathan left the cabin. He had scarcely gone when tho chief officer, Mr, McIntyre, came to tell me that tho pilot was aboard. I gave orders rue the first boll to bo rung to begin to clear the Ship of passengers' friends, and then wont up on to the bridge to direct the preparations for warping out. After a few words with tha pilot and mates, I turned to scan the deck be- low for Aline. I was rewarded at once. She was standing with her back to the railing on the tide farthest from the quay, quite alone, and watching, with what 1 thought was a wistful interest, tha,ITrst de- partures for the shore. Telling the chief officer that 1 had caught sight of some friends and that I would be back directly, I hurried from the bridge and went alt to whore Aline stood. Never shall I forget the look of glad won - dor with which she started to 010 as I softly spoke her name and she realized by the smart uniform I was wearing that I was prdbably, as she naively put it, "going too." Let 100 be excused from recording the few words in which I confirmed that happy surmise, and those with which she received tho news, Most .of the people wore still down in rho saloon, doing justice to the farewell lun- cheon, and those on dock were busy with their own affairs, so that our mooting was moire private than might have been expected in such a place. "And now, dearest, what is this that Sir Sinton tells ane of your ill -health ?" I asked, where I had briefly explained my position oh the Queen of Night. "I thought you wero looking a little sad just now, but you do not by any meats justi- fy the poor account he gave of you," "Tlo'e is absolutely nothing tho matter with me. Cyril," she replied. "If I looked sad, the cause of it is all -gone now. 1 was regretting hav- ing to leave England without sexing you, but the last few minutes slava changed the prospect of the voyage into a dream of delight," "But your guardian must have had some grounds for making such a statement, surely ?" I persisted, though my un iety was nearly quel- led by the obvious truth of her own account of herself. Now that the sadness had left her face she was again tbo picture of radiant health. "Oh, 1 expect the wish was father to the thought," she said lightly, "Sir Sinton kept harping on my pal- hest al- Ei a� nchitis Tule dry, Ugh/ cough, the SOreJ OSS aggravated by ccthghing, all disappear With the USG of Dr. Chase's Syrup Of Liiriseed and TUrpeftt no. It is the tendency of every cold to niovelop into bronchitis, consump- tion or some fora, of lung trouble. Bronchitis is most dreaded, because it has a tendency to become oh001110 and return again and again, until the patient becomes worn out or falls an easy 000y to consumption or pneumonia. Only the most robust constitution stun throw ori bronchitis, Aged people, children, and all who aro in delicate health or have Weak lungs have every reason to fear this ailment, 31 the cough is dry and hard ; if there Is pain, soreness or tightneee in the chest ; 1f breathing is „difficult and causes pain in tho ehost, you have every reason to supitoso that you have broncltitts, and should promptly begin the use of Dr, Chase's Syrup of Linseed and 'Cur- i>enLine. Coegh mixtures thee May help an ordinary cold have no eltoct 0n bron- chills mad asthma, but, De, Chase's Syrup of Litman! anti nnrpentJne holt won its ettAJbtble reputation on "its•' count of its wonderfut 011,100ss curing thosealiments, It is far more than a mere cough medicine, an'cl acts on the whole system,, thor- oughly eradicating disease. Mr, John Clark, coachman, Port ITope, Ont., states ;—"Being exposed to all sorts of weather I frequently catch cold, Last winter i was so toad with a cold that 1 could not speak above a whisper and had great, pains in the chest, At last I feared 1t would develop into eon- sulnption if 1 slid trot succeed In got- ting proper treatment. "A friend advised mo to use Dr. Chase's Syrup of Linseed and Tur- pentine and I began to improve be- fore I had taken half a bottle, One bottle mired my cold, which I believe Would have proven'very serious if I had not used this medicine." It is necessary for you to be oar°- tul when buying DI'. Chase's Syrup Of Linseed and Tnrpontine, for there r. a o man sttbsi:itu fes and loll • ns y alio offered, 'Pio portrait and signature at De, A, W. Chao° are of every bot- Ue of the gonulne, 26 mita n bottle, family size (three times as much) 60 ciente: At all clearers, of Ldnteneooi Bates k Co, Termite. for and want of appetite—two utter fictions --so long that I almost began. to believe in then myself, Do you know what I think hie roup motive was in sending mo on Ole trip ?" "No • tell me," I said, "1 believe he suspected that there was something between us, and that he wanted to got me out of the way before your return," Aline said. "The steamer would haveale sailed d a tt'eolt ago, I am told if they had g Y found a new captain sooner. To think that it should be you 1" "Well, if that wars his game, Sir Simon has been ,fairly sold," I laughed, "And now, dearest, I must run away. The skipper of a boat of this size has plenty to do on leaving port, and I may not see much of you for the next twenty-four hours, One question, though, who is your companion ?" "Sho is a Mrs. Brinkworth—Ella her Christian name is, and I call her by it already," was the reply. "My guardian engaged her specially to chaperon me on this trip— through an advertisement, 1 believe. I have only known her three days, but I like her much. She has been unhappy in her married life "Ito you trust her well enough to tell her of our engagement ?" I ask- ed, with a keen appreciation of the value of a friendly chaperon during the voyage. "I have not told her yet, but I shall soon see," Aline said, as, nod- ding gaily, she dismissed moo to my duties, it was time to finally clear the ship of strangers, and as soon as 1 reached the bridge 1 gave orders for the last warning bell to be rung. The lingerers at the saloon cable came streaming up on deck, and the crowd quickly thinned as the friends and relatives of our passengers went streaming on to the quay. It was a festive scene, resembling more the close of some social function than the departure) of a great steamer, The sadness of farewell so noticeable when a regular liner starts for a distant port was entirely absent in the case of a six -weeks' pleasure - cruise. At last the chief olllcer reported "All clear," and I was about to or- der "In gang -plank," when the purser canis running to tho bridge ladder and announced that two pas- sengers w.ho had booked had not arrived. One was a Mr. Franklin ]:Cennard of the United States, and the other Itlr, Gaston Vizard, of Park Lane, Would: I wait for them 1 In the rush and bustle of the past week I had almost forgotten the American who had appeared while I was waiting in Nathan's office, and who had had the curious rencontro on the stairs with some unknown in- dividual as ho left, Vizard, of course I remembered as the man whom I had seen on two occasions—once in Leadenhall street. and again when I first camp to see the ship. I was too busy to be struck with tete coin- cidence that tho only two intending passengers, besides Aline, of whom I had any previous knowledge, and both so far as I know entirely un- connected with each other, should have failed to embark, All my mind was concentrated on getting the ship away as quickly as possible, and knoiving that Zavertal was practically in charge of the passen- gers, and wculcl bo aware whether any special circumstances caned on me to wait for the two truants, I ran clown to consult him, In the last few days while living on board. I had got very chummy with the doctor ; and, deciding to draw the "home cover" first, though hardly expecting to find him there, I did not hesitate inn my haste to open the door of his cabin without knock- ing. Judge then of my surprise when, crossing the threshold, I not only heard Zavertal's voice, but, as I thought, that of Mr. Vizard, who I had just been informed was not on tho shill. Opening the door smartly I was still more astonished to see the doctor, quite alone, engaged in unpaeking a parcel of drugs. "I thought I heard i\h•. Mead's voice," I said, looking round blank- ly. "Did you, Captain. 1" said Zavor- tal, looking up with his usual friendly smile, "2 expect ho is somewhere around of deck then," "No," I answered ; "1 didn't see any one outside. I canto to say that the purser reports hint as not on board. Also another passenger who booked—a Mr. ICennord—has trot turned up, What is the custom in such cases ? Shall wo give them a little law 1" - "Well," said the doctor, in the confidentially respectful tone 01 a stibordinnte who desires to be really helpful, "that is for you to decide, it • but if I may advise s b c :,a u i o n Y in V Y private capacity, I shoved say not, Tho owners won't be Inclined to blame you for a couple of forfeited 1.oi passages, seeing that there will be > two mouths loss to fill, It has hal- In pelted before, anti tho last captain , never waited." "That settles it then," 1exclaim- ed, and returning to the bridge I gate the 'Wo•ri to close the gang- way and warp out of dock, 'So sun was I of having heard Vizard's voice that I suspected tho doctor of a practical joke, and I was strength- ened in the idea by having noticed a tremulous motion in the curtain that screened the heel -place front the sur- gery. I folly expected that Vizard, it not IConmrd as well, would put in an appearaneo the first time the gong sounded for meal, But it was not so. Owing to tho difficult navigation at the mouth of the raver I had to stick to the bridge that night, and was unable to join. the company 10 the saloon, After 1110 meal Was over, however, I sent for tho purser and iltquired if any. thing had been seen of either lit•. Mennarcl 0r Mr, Mord, "No, sir," Was tine reply ; "they are certainlynot in the ship. 1 Their n entities are unoccupied, and they wore not at dinner. I havo tacked theme MI as `forfeits,' " (To ilo Continued.) ul riot t° pap a of Arbroath at last censors Was 22,500, wON THE P� FAR\11 tV� cl. G`1 e;6%AYas'h90%000 STABLE MANURE. I oz n mousantith u q es of stable ma- nuro can be produced on every farm, That eyston of farming by which the greatest financial gains are 10 bo secured, must In future be an in- tensive one. ' Every square inch of the !arm must be made to produce to its utmost capacity and the pro- ducts convortod Into a salable form which when marketed will bring the greatest return and at the sante time leave the largest percoutage of fertilizing material to be. returned to the soil, writes Prof, lie S. Shaw, In order to accomplish this the produce of tho farm must all be con- vorlod into meats, .milk, work, etc through the use of live stock, th numbers of which now owned on th average farm could be greatly in creased. A variety of live stoc must needs be kept on our farms i order not only to utilize the staph crops, but to make the best use 0 all the by-products, as well as ther toward the flpttintenance of the fer- tility of the farm by giving more attention to the making', care and nee of stable manure and tho growth Of legumes, which should hold an important place in the rotation wherever possibly Amoriean Agri- culturist. FIGHTING I S G WEEDS, Where bore the land is not in meadow or pasture, wo got rid of the weeds by frequent cultivation. When pos- sible, before sowing or planting any crop, it is best to let the freshly plowed land lie long enough tor the weed seeds to come up. Wo then run thorn over with a strong harrow or weeder, while tho ground is dry, and got rid of most of them. Other seeds still may germinate, but these are usually ]tilled in cultivating the clop, or by snowing them off before the seeds ripon after the crop has been removed, It Is the worst sort of policy to allow a huge mass of Heeds to ripen seed and scatter broadcast. If they are annuals, of a course they cannot come up the fol- lowing year without seed, and peren- k ials will die if wo keep them shots e of their leaves, and it is the same with sprouts, LITTLE LEAKS. by prevent the enormous waste n such common occurrence. The ave age farm is so vat'iabie as regard soil composition, contour, pgsitio of water level, etc., that in follow ing an extensive system of crop pro duction there is bound to be mor or less of variety aside from th staple crops. This variety, as We as the by-products, is most advan- tageously converted into milk or meat only by the kind of live. stock to which. their use is best suited. PRESERVING STABLII MANURE, 1 Letting a dead tree stand in the 1'- orchard. s Allowing that littlo leak in the n roof of the barn to spoil a portion - of the hay, year after your. Cutting your shoestring instead of o untying it. O Losing the keys belonging to the 11 locks on the farm buildings. , Darning your shoes while warming your feet. Allowing Canada thistles to go to seed on the farm, Footling more hay or grain at one time than will bo eaten. Leaving rubbish piles near the sten house to harbor poultry enemies, Using the half -bushel or peck mea- sure out of which to feed grain or roots to the stock. Leaving the saw out in the rain or dew to become rust eaten, CROWS AND PING-PONG BALL. Took It for an Egg and Carried It Away. The Times of India gives an amus- ing account of some crows and a ping-pong ball. The ball had been driven out of a window and sent While, -therefore, too much atten- tion cannot be given to tate produce tion of a large amount of stable ma- ture on the farm, the questions of handling, preservation and applica- tion are of primo importance. The value of stablo manure must depend primarily on the quality of the food used and the class and age of the is -nine -Ms to which it 1s fed, Its value will also depend much'bn tho conditions under which it is made. The old practice of removing the ma- nure from stall fed cattle twice each day, to be thrown into an open yard, draining into nearest stream there to lie for months, was not a economical method. The litter solid and liquid excrements, did no become well intermixed and gro losses from leaching, ovaporatio and oxidation occurred before th manure was applied to the soil, MANUREMANURFROM BOX STALLS. Tho most favorable conditions fo the slaking of manure of good qual ity aro those in which the animal aro fed loose fn pens or sheds. I this way tho solid and liquid exero are well intermixed with les loss and the texture of the whol mass is reduced to fineness by th tramping of the stock except it ma bo in the case of sheep. The bed ding in such cases should bo applied frequently in moderate quantity; largo quantities applied less often prevent .the mixing of tho manure, allowing it to form in luyere. This reduction in the texture of coarse, strawy material without pil- ing and rotting is a decided advant age, more especially so when the ma- nure is applied to a loose, open porous soil where tbo rainfall is scant during tho growing season. In such cases encase manure holds the soil particles apart and during dry seasons permits the soil moisture to escape and tho crop sutlers, Tho open spaces in the sail, caused by the presence of coarse ntauuro, pre- vent the extension of the plant root systems. It is frequently advant- ageous, however, to apply coarse manures to heavy, soggy clays to render theca more porous and permit of aeration, OTHER ADVANTAGES, n i; some distance out on the green. A at vigilant crow espied it, and, taking it for an egg, swooped down upon it, e seized it in its powerful beak, and bore it off in triumph. The crow having secured the prize, the next thing for him to do was to ✓ break it open; so he flew from the - bamboo -tree, where ho had alighted, s to a stone post, which he assumed n rias •well adapted to ifs purpose, o- On this he deposited the ball and. be - s gats to peck at it. Instead of break- • ing; the resilient ball hopped to the to ground; the crow retrieved it, and Y again had a peck at it, with the - same result, When he had repeated this process half a dozen times the crow resorted to other tactics. He tackled the ball on the ground, but with no better success, The elusive thing would neither "stay put" nor break, Suddenly a happy thought seized - him. He took the "egg" in his) beak and flew to the branch of a . tree and then let it fall; but it sur- vived even this shock intact, This was too notch for a second Grow which had ,been attentively watching the first bird. IIo made a , swoop at rho ball •' and missed it, 1 for the first crow was in hot pur- suit. Then followed a quarrel in mid-air between the two birds, which resulted in the defeat and de- parture of one of theta. Tho other attacked the egg again. At every peck tho ball bounded away, In vain the crow juntpecl up- on it. Then a third crow arrived on t the scene and gaily tackled the egg without protest or intorfecneo ft'oni the other bird. Defoe ho bad quite exhausted his energy two more ar- rived and forthwith attacked the boli, It was a sort of a game of ping- pong they had. The elusive sphere bounded and rebounded at every peck; it tvhs here, there and aw'ny again. Finally they gave it up in disgust, flew to a ireo, and joined the other crows who bud had a try at It, Then the matter was ther- t I mighty cawed over. There are other advantages to be derived front shed feeding in addi- tion to improving the quality of the manure. By this system loss capital is required to provide shel- ter and the work of feeding and care are reduced to a minimum, Breeding stocks can be kept in bet- ter constitutional condition and fat- tening animals will give equally as good results in shad feeding as those which are stalled. When sheds aro used the manere need not bo removed from these oftener than two or three times each month, at which times it ten be drawn clhrect to the lana and spread upon it. The practice of ]caving mamma on tho ileitis in piles for days, and often weeks, is waste- ful and costly, METHODS OF APPLICATION, As regards methods of applica- tion, s nn ca- tion, in general, the best results ave been secured from incorporating to Manure with the soil as soon as ossibie after it is made but in any instances this cattitot be done, The great benefits to be derived from the incorporation of farmyard manure with Um surface soil does not seem to be fully appreciated. The old method of top dressing was generally condemned as being waste- ful, but top dressing followed by such cultivating machinery as will incorporate the manure with rho two or three surface inches of soil, is an ideal method of application for malty crops, providing tho manure is fine of texture This method forms ideal conditions for the catch Of clover and grass seeds; provides immediate aid for tho young plants, and greatly reduces the evaporation of soil moisture by acting as a mulch, The productiveness of our common grass pastures can' bo greatly increased by light top dross- ings of mantnb incl their period of usefulness extended throughoutthe growing season. In this last Baso tho manure spreader only will 1011110 a proper ctistt'ibntiot, ',Pita exact method of application can only bo decided upon by the in- dividual and will require much care- ful plattnittg of the rotation in order to provide the proper conditions un- der which stable lttafture can be ape plied at least expense With greatest benefit,, In morel We can do mull SOH CURIOUS SHOWERS, THE STORY OF THE LLOYDS BUTTERFLIES, LOCUSTS, PISH, METHODS OF A REIVIAl1ICA$I4k4 BIRDS, ACORNS, TOADS, INSTITUTION, Strange Experience of the Barque Movements Rioted of Every Brio Antioch — Causes of tislt Vessel in Any fart of Red Rain, the World. The skipper o f tho Boston barque I or many ec oxations past, where Aotioch, which two months since ar- mer the adventurous ships of DMA, rived at New York from Buenos tain's merchant Iloct have penetrate Ayres, related a strange experience ed they have carried with them the that lie and his crew had undergone fame of Lloyd's, The development) when some 500 utiles northeast of during two centuries of tho famous Puerto Rico, Tho day was clear, Institution which performs so 0850n - when on a sudden a largo cloud was tial and noteworthy a part in aur, observed to windward rapidly ap- mal'itime eomme'ce has, indeed, in proaelting the vessel. It broke al- the natural order of things, coineid- ed'vith the growth of our mercantile marine. To -day, all hough practically any, risk may be covered at Lloyd's, ma- rine insurance is the only variety, that receives official recognition. The members, like those of the Stock Exchange, are divided into two classes — brokers, tsho act for cli- enis and underwrites, who do bust - otos es prir.cipa!s. But while a dealer in Capel-cburt may not per- form the functions of a broker, an urtcicrwriter at Lloyd's has the right to do so. Admission to member- ship is not easily obtained. In or- der to secure election a candidate has to be proposed by six members, and bo is required to deposit at least a sttm of 4.6,000 in the hands of trustees, one of whom is the sec- retary of Lloyd's. The scene in tho "Room" at LIoyd's during office hours is full of animation. At ta- bles sit the underwriters ready for business, while brokers aro con- stantly coming in to submit risks to be covered for their clients. Por - haps the visitor may be privileged to hear the tolling of the great ship's bell which is hung near the entrance door. When the deep notes of the bell ring out silence falls on the room, for the tolling its followed by the good news that a missing ship has been spoken, or the intelli- gence that another ship has boon added to tho long record of British vessels that the sea has most directly overhead, and dis- charged a vast number of gorgeous- ly -hued butterflies, locusts, uttd small birds that fell upon and completely covered the deck. The red rain which a year or so since excited so much curiosity in Southern and Central Europe was due, so scientists tell us, to the pow- dered sand of tate Sahara being borne across tho aleditorraiiean by a sirocco. It is by no means an un- common phenomenon, and from the earliest times, when it was const& - erect to portend disaster, has fre- quently been observed. Such rain is, however, attributable to other causes than the above, as when, in the seventeenth century, the citizens of Aix-la-Chapelle wore terrified to behold one morning the streets of their town sprinkled, apparently, with blood. The walls of one church wore entirely covered, and fear was rapidly rising to panic when an ob- servant naturalist opportunely trac- ed the cause to an immense swarm of butterflies, that in cltangnxg from the pupae to the perfect insects had left behind them A CRIMSON STAIN, Another meteorological anomaly, which doubtless nowadays would at onto receive a feasible solution, was an acorn stor>tt which visited Mor - ;Mix, a small town In Brittany, in 1729, linin, which had been threat- ening all the morning, began to fall about two o'clock with unexpected severity, accompanied by a perfect fusillade of acorns, which came with such force as to break the windows and in seine cases to wound the passers-by. An extraordinary caterpillar show- er that caused much inconvenience to the good people of Bonn in 1783 was likewise, so far as we know, subjected• to the test of scientific oh - servation. A contemporary local re - (porter, however, assures us that the larvae fell in such quantities as to 'cover the streets in some instances to the depth of two inches, and to lnecessitato the formation of a regu- lar service to clear them away. Frogs have more than once des- cended from the skies. The Leeds Mercury, for June, 1844, neports such a shower, when the inhabitants of Selby were surprised by tho dos• cent of a multitude of these little reptiles, which they were able to catch in their hats ns tltek came down. They are described as 'hav- ing been about the size of a horse - bean and of remarkable sprightliness after their aerial flight. Many places on the Continent can boast of having Koen visited by SHOWERS OI TOADS, which have not only been observed in abundance upon the ground, but have even been seen to strike the roofs of houses in their descent and to bound thence into the streets be- low. Such, too, as have been out CLAIMED HER AS HER OWN,. The intelligence system of Lloyd's is as perfect as it can be made. The coasts of the world aro divided into districts, • which are covered by, Lloyd's agents. The news they sup- ply is supplemented by that tele- graphed from the ,signal stations erected by Lloyd's. The registers available to members are a marvel of completness, Near, the door of "the Room" is the huge casualty board, which records the fate of many a gallant ship, In a sot of special volumes are set out the movements of every British ves- sel. Those are entered up as tho telegraphic news arrives, and here may be found the actual position of the vessel or the name of the place at which site was last spoken. fret another register contains the biography of every skipper in the British mercantile marine, the place and date of his birth, the name of the ship in which ho served his ap- prenticeship, the names of the ves- sels he has commaudcd, the casual- ties that have befallen then, and Much other information calculated to help tho unelerwriter to form an opinion when he is asked to under- take orrisic. Many an honest mer- chant -captain when .visiting Lloyd's Inas been astonished to find his his- tory accurately, if briefly, outlined in the wonderful "limo's Who.". Skippers with a bad record can in these storms have returned Monte han,ly appreciate the attention they liberally besprinkled with minute receive from ilte biographer at specimens of these ungainly reptiles. J Lloyd's. I,n spite of all precait- Tito Valley of Ahherdare, South tions, 1t is inevitable that the un - Wales, was some years since visited de'w'riters should at times be vic- by asharp fish shower, One observ- timizod, But while relentless with er, who happened to ba caught in wrongdoers, the ntcmbers of Lloyd's tho thick of tho "rain," succeeded decline to quibble over genuine rids - afterwards in picking up over 11 083'08. bucketful of small fish, a quantity of The practice of sending ships to which he forwarded to the late Pro- destruction for the purpose of secur- ing the insurance money has greatly declined since telegraphic connmtnt- cation. has been established with all parts of the civilizcd globe. But it is still necessary for underwriters to bo keenly on the alert. The ad- vance of civilization does not bring universal morality, and cunning &ebonies of insurance fraud have tak- en. tho place of the cruder methods of AN EARLIER DAY. Dut with. all the scientific achieve- ments of the age, man ]las not yet conquered the deep, And the sad- dest of the duties that fall to the oflieials of Lloyd's is the posting of a missing ship, The formula is brief, yet ftdt of sigtilflcance, for it means that all hope has gone, and that captain and crew are dead in the eyes of the law. The brief yet significant terns "Al." has passed intq a colloquialism, and many use it in eottersation to express excel - Mace without a full appreciation of its origin. The classification of ships, however, is not the work of the committee of Lloyd's, but of a separate executive. Tito body known as Lloyel's Register of Bri- tish Shipping, which is responsible for the famous register, was estab- listhed in 18114, though, of course, there were registers of a kind in ex- istenco long before that time; in- deed oldest logy of a register of shipping extant is dated tor the years 1764-65-36, It is interesting to riot° that h steamer first Mepear- ed on a Lloyd's register in 1822, when the ,Tames Watt of 284 tons, • built at 0000,101k: in the previous Year, was classed "Al," There is a striking contrast between this little paddle -boat of 80 years ago and the great White Star liner of 21,000 • tots Mrs. 'Climbor "My deaf', Ilrns, Malmo has had her portrait paintedby a celebratedartist, and I Haven't a thing but a 0mmnmt, ordinary, everyday photograph to show." Hue - band (a wise Iran) .- "The idea of advertising to rho whole world that her complexion i 1& so • bad that it Wott't stated tho cameral" Climber -- "'Well, tlutt'v trite." lessor Owren, who ce'ti10d them to consist mainly of minnows and smooth -tailed stickbebacks. In many parts of the Past fish - rain ]las been often noticed, and Sir E. Tennant relates that while driv- ing one morning near Colombo he noticed an exceedingly violent, though partial, shower descend at a short distance front him, and that on gaining Oho spot he found the ground covered with smolt silver fish, about two inches in length, that were leaping about in all direc- ions,—L' ondon Tit -Bits, THE GP,IP IN NEWTYORIC, The Ixospitals Are Now Crowded With Cases. A despatch from New York says: Dy reason of tho changeable weath- er of the last fete weeks tha grip has become prevalent until it is assum- ing the proportions of a serious epi- demic. All rho hospitals are receiv- ing many cases, and at St. Vin- cent's one side of the institution is given over to the treatment of those in n dangerous condition. So far the disease has not shown itself in the virulent type with which the years 1889, 1890 and 1891 wore marked, and because of this it is be - Hood it will not become so wide- spread, Dr, Guilfoyle, registrar of the Health Department, mad that there had beott a steady increaso "ht tho death rate from the disease in the three weeks just ended, more titan four times the number dying during the week ending Fob. 14 than for two tveelcs precious. Pneumo- nia, broncho-pltountouia, and acute bronchitis also mane a heavy in- crease, and from the first named dis- ease there were 155, 210 and 100 deaths respectively in the three 'roks just closed, "Evey ono Who els the first symptoms of ittflttottza and they are umtdstakable—shoJld ousttlt a physician," said Dr, CGull- oyio. 1omp0 to Parent — "UM.- alt — yes '—you say you love my daugh- tor; but, you see, I know nothing of you at present, 'Phe question is; Can yon keep her 01 thb—cr--•etylq to tw1 ielt eft Inas been aloustom1d?" Walther Anita-* "Leonid if I lilted 0.40I/d b . ((tato ashatnlldi," tr ROYAL PEDIGREES, According to a • Fretnch" student who has been treeing the descent of the Royal Houses of Europe, the crowned ]reads possess fete claims to race relationship with the people whoa. they govern, For instance, King Alfonso of Spain is four -(liths Austrian, !Ging Victor Eunitanuol is more Austrian than Italian, the Emperor Francis Joseph and his pro- suntptivc heir are for a largo part Ilavarian and Italian, rho Ring of Sweden and Norway is of DOarnaiso and French source, tho King of Greece is a Dane, the Xing of Ser. Via is half Russian, the Prince of Bulgaria .has no Bulgarian blood, in hint, the Entporoe of Russia is very much Danish or German, the Icing of the Delgians has no Belgian blood in hill), and the Ming of lenghtnd is tiiaxe-Coburg-ilanover, Norman, and Frettcli, r 11htTcs—„ lou're putting your boy. early to work,” Jinks.— "Yes, he's a clover lad, for lie's learnt every- thing the teacher knows," "HO has?' "Ile Inas that, The teachersaid, 'I can't hautme' anything more into that tread of his,' " ipty t TO t?Mve to qou that Ain fe 0 t 1 es apaaaabsol Lo4leaoerl}1p tl°te clue fora 8 0. anti jog 4xr 1>rol of iia, ital. , bto100 t{ndrroOdlt. t�51 i rhe leant aOttnrahl laY0 tla eti >b t v pp r tskre rnet , or,$ whet *3 thin c 0 if..BYee re 1180 nee to tte�or E(,t� jdi 8 Wltlttf,4e tit n O if. Y' rem nil o Y It bee Yee A b burnt'- h ki tii� oera , �n e �0� a bo 3. tapper qt1 ill wedges tlY' H1D x s� p s tl d+' M M it,AAra $; t%o.e` O'1'o'r♦ Arrangements have been made 100 the appearance in Kirkcaldy of Spix sa"s 1hue 'less — "She's traveling tinder art aseunlocl name now." less — "You don't sayl Wltat is it? "Pass --- "Iter ' husband's, Scot Was tuftt'1'led yostukk*,t' ..