HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1900-4-5, Page 2T lir
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A*lRfl4 5 1000
Nothing haPPoned II eleeeu ene
cloak, when the elderly enant of the
RUsleeeted prepaiiies came out of bib
doen and 'Walked dome be steps. he
heti not got hail-wity aowu, however,
When it became evident that he bad
diseoVered hie 1038, he paned in ap-
PaPant remsternation, and after Woke
.ng earnestly at the eidewalk for an
instant, ran bask with tinaecuatomed
sprightliness into the boogie. Present-
ly his wife came out with him, and to-
getbee tbey eardelly examined the
footway wbere the briok had been. If
ever two people appeared anxious and
alarmed it WAS this guilty looking
twain. All my old sespieions came batik
to um as 1 triumpbantly beheld the
manifest disquietude of the pair, who,
atter a brief search, and a hurried oon-
kultation, went quiekly bask into the
;house, from which neither emerged
;again that day. The next morning an-
lotber Waite brie* had been planted in
ilte usual position in front a Number
Seventeen.
Tim exaggerated alarm -which my ex-
operiment had mimed in my mysterious
!neighbors made ine a little uneasy as
t to the possible consequences of my act
to myself, and, as nothing definite bad
, resulted, I determined, after a day or
.etwo, to remove the borrowed briek,rov
"hioh, being farther up the street,
than its owner ever had occasion to
go, had remained unnoticed by him,
though it had begun to cause amus-
ed eomment among the neighbors. I
had planned to do this ou a certain
evening, after dark, but on my return
from the office that night I found
snywtfeln estate of great. doubt and
anxiety over a large box vebicli a team-
ster lead left at Dos' house just at
iduak.
She had first notioed him driving
down from tbe upper end of thestreet
looking inquiringle at, the houses on
our side. At tbe sight of our wbite
brick he hed pulled up suddenly, and
taking from his ova a large box had
rung our bell aud delivered it to our
• servant, without a word of explana-
tion, and then bad driven away. Our
roaid had rereived it as a matter of
course, and there it lay upon the en-
try floor, marked emphatically upon
its upper surface
THIS SIDE UP.
HANDLE WITH EXTREME CARE.
It was an ordinary rougb packing
rase, three feet long by two wide and
a foot deep, and was lettered in the
bold scwipt employed by commercial
packers. The corners of a tag which
had evidently borne an address were
still held down by four large tacks,
but the greater part of the middle bad
evidently been torn off in the process
of getting the box in at the door, and
could aowhere be found. There was no
doubt at all in my wife's mind, nor in
mine, that the case had been intended
for our mysterious neighbor, and
that the teamster had been led into
this blunder in its delivery by our du-
plicate white beick, winch was the first
he would encounter in coming down
the street from its upper end, and
which he had become accustomed, byi
• habit, or instruction, to recognize as
the sign of his destination. Ills mis-
take, had, perhaps, placed in my hands!
the clue to the seeret of Number Sev-i
enteen.
All my previous doubts and misgiv-I
ings vanished in the,faoe of this piece
of providential good fortune, and send -i
ing for a hammer I prepared to have .
a look at the contents of the box, My(
wife's tremulous promptings to be
careful and her scruplesi as to the pro-
priety of such (113 act were evidently ,
mere sops to her conscience, for she;
was inspired with quite as lively a
eurioeity as nay own. The idea of any
physical danger from an infernal ma-,
chine never entered our beads, so en-
tirely commonplace bad been all the
circumstances of the delivery of tbe
ease. So, adapting the usual loose-'
handled domestic hammer as well as
possible to the unequal task, 'finally
succeeded in getting the lid off. Upon ;
the folds of brown peeking paper which
covered its contents lay an envelope,
black and unaddressed.
From such a wrapper I felt no
seruples about taking the note which
It enelosed, and accordingly did so;
but ray Wife spared me the shame of
violating another person's letter by
snatching. it from my hand and read-
ing it aloud. It ran as follows:
Mr. James Milliecin,
Dear Sir ;'-The sample sent is a
great improvement over the last one,
and would„ no doubt, be effective
against the enemy. We must lake no
chances in this struggle, however, and
when we show our hand it must be to
deal a death blow to them. Therefore
carry out the improvement you sug-
gest. Do not worry about the cost -
at this stage of the garae money is
nothing. The loss you speak of might
be dangerous if the article fell into
the right hands, but that is unlikely.
We send the chemicals you ask for.
Do not take any unnecessary risks, We
mast guard above all things against
a premature explosion.
Yours truly,
• Sylveseer Daft.
At the word " explosion " wife
turned pale and sat weakly down on
tbe edge of a their looking at rae
:with a frightened air. I, how-
ever, with a resolute air, but
with many internal misgivings, laid
hold of the paper which still oovered
contents of the box, and prepared to
wrip It off. As I turned leack the
first layer the hanamer which I had
left upon the edge of the case fell to
the floor with a orash, which served
Lo show me oonotusively tbe state of
my own nerves. I persisted, bowever,
in ray unpacking, and presently leild
bare the contents. The box was 1111,-
ad, apparently, with se, fine white pow-
der and nothing else. It was tasteless
and gritty between the teetb, and bore
every physleal sign of harmlessness. 1
1.etts greatly disappointed at this poor
ansever to my expectations and dis-
eontentedly plunged my band into the
yielding mase. As I did so my fingers
ellOeuntered a herd admit,
Carefully digging away the white
powder I presently dieelosed the neek
of a large bottie, whioh e' pulled care-
fully forth, The labet bore a Latin -
!zed name, quite meaningless to me,
but below it was the conspicuous le-
gend: "Dangeroae. Keep in a cool
plasm," X eemplled 0400 plaeln
the bottle se far ite paseible from MS
Self, and eantielisly eentineed ea
lieereb. There were four more not
tlee, tiontaining differentUsnlde, an
several Paeltagee Of inalthoivrt elleral
eels, inducting (MO of eeneraen I:01TX
Whiol. remisuized witn relief, as on
renetwal el these artielee left the cue
about balt bull oe the powder and gar
oer front parlor, where they atoo
about, the appearance:, a a ohemioa
labora ory, My wife end I could Melo
little out, of all Una and. after having d
votea the eveleing to vague end profit
lees disounsien, we opened the window
of tbe room in emollient.* with the de
Aland printed, on the first bottle an
eareitillY locking the door went' up-
stairs to bed.
But not to sleep. NVe tossed an
turned for several, hours, staetiag
every noise from below, until final'
I eould stand It no longer, and get
hug up again dressed and went dovv
stairs, All was quiet in the parlor
where the cheonewls still stood intaot
sat down for an instant in an eas
thair where I had them in full view
and there, of all places, eel] fast asiee
before, I had any idea of auth Oleg
When I mvoke it was half paet sev
en in the morning, and I was stiff with
the cold that bad poured in all nigh
at the open windows and had anothe
frightful sore throat. I rose with pain
and difficulty to shut out the chilling
draught, and 0.8 etood at tbe open
window °mon:Landing a view up the
street toward Number Seventeen: I
saw Mr. Minoan, as I now knew him
to be, eoming in my direction, which
had never before seen him take. He
• was waiking rapidly, his hands behind
;leint, his eyrie looking reflectively down
' upon the sidewalk.
1 A ems of apprehenalon crossed my
I mind. Ells route would take him past
, my house, where be had never, to my
, knowledge, passed before., and he would
'0erteitily see the stolen white brick.
What would happen? Would he face
nee, or would he take alarm and fleet
If he did face me, what.; should 1 do-
, resolutely pluck his seorat from him
' in the interests ot the oublio welfare,
or consult my own personal safety in
as plausible an explanation as I could
devisee
. Before I could decade he had reach-
ed my door. Without an instant's
hesitation or the .least appearance of
• surprise he turned and walked up my
steps, taking something from his poc-
ket as he did so. I heard a key rattle
for an instant in Lhe look, which
cheaply furnished artiele readily yield-
ed to the intruder, and in another in..
stant. Mr. Millican walked into the
room where I stood in frightened per..
; He looked first at ma in great
surprise, and then glancing hurriedly
abouL him, his eyes fell upon the open-
ed box, A look of utter consterna-
tion appeared on his face and the sat
' down in a frightened way upon the
, edge of the case, playing idly with the
white powder with his hand, and look-
ing at me with a baffled air.
Presently he oleaeed bea throat.
, "I see you are working on the same
I track," he said, in a dejected voice.
! "Well, I knew eomething war,' up
when my experimental brick was
' etolen, but I'd no idea you Were sO
near. How did you happen to loc.-
' ate here?"
. The harmless dejection of hes men -
nor and appearance had already re-
moved the worst of my suspicions,
and I had decided to make the best ex-
planation 1 could, but his °Inning
puzzled me.
"I ---I don't understand," I began.
"Then, you are not Babelon's man,"
he cried eagerly, rising, as he spoke.
"You are net working tot reflabelon
& Co., in this matter ?"
I neatened to explain that I Was
not working for Babelon & Co., in any
metier, but, was in the insurance busi-
ness; and then, taking advantage cie
the higb good-bumor with whiola this
confession seemed to fill him, I made
a very frank explanation of the whole
matter, to which he listened with
great amusement. I returned to him
his whit3 brick and the box oe chemL
cats, and during the next two months
was privileged to visit him in his
laboratory which, occupied the cellar
of Number Seventeen, where I spent
many pleasant evenings over a pipe in
his interesting company. At the end of
this period I received one morning
this circular:
MILLIGAN'S ENAMELED BRICK.
For Pavements, Warehouse Flooring
and all Building Purposes
Demanding
DURABILITY AND CLEANLINESS.
--
Indestructible by Wear or Fracture,
Acid Proof ancl Hygienically Per-
fect. The only Flooring tbat
tan be Permanently Kept.
i0 a State of
CHEMICAL PURITY.
Patented June, 1819, by
JAMES MILLIGAN.
t SIDELIGHTS OF THE WAR
a XTRACTS VRON LETTERS OF Tait
SOLDIERS . AT 'air( FRONT,
Touching Mine Story -11e Atebiltolt te
e '
.0eitee-upeere steneulue Stabi-alee
d ambulance nen .
04* the 00,100010,_ itiver-Ferei-
big Triva-Fielitline Moe
BEER, TWO SHILLINGS A PINT.
- One Solalee writiag from Iteteourt,
Inakee11 emaplaint coneerniug the
e price Of beer to that town. He sum:
'We went into the town, and were
paying two bob for ft pint of beer, but
d there is not any to be got now. Had
4
t a 1= -holiday yeeterday, and went out
the towa again, but mold not get
se anything to drink -only ginger -beer
at a tanner a bottle, and fags tbe
same price- What bol Roll on the
time whoa we oan get them cheaper.°
, TOUCHING LITTLE STORY.
I went into one house, wrItee 005'-
. poral with the North:wantons at Vied-
cler River, and found a nice, comfort-
able house completely ehattered. Evi.
✓ dully well-to-do people had lived
here. One room in perticular took
roa eye, and Ulla was what lied eivie
(Maly been n, little child's room. There
were a lot of toys and small cups und
mutters, dolls, eto., and 1 fouad an en-
velope with this on it -"This is my
dear grandmamma's hair," and inside
there was a look of hair, now trodden
under foot. All tbese things, I
thought, were a trifle touching. In
the ;rout room was a dead Boer
stretched out on the table.
"A PARADISE FOB WASHERWO:
MEN,"
Sergi. .Wilsen, of the howitzer Bat-
tery, writes from Modder River tohis
parents at Northampton: "We bathe
now every day and wash our own
elothe.s. Like the poor lodger Diek-
ens wrote about, we go half naked
while we swill our shirts. This would
be a paradise for -Washerwomen with
the sun shining and wind blowing
nearly every day. Oar things are
dry to put on a tew minutes after they
are washed. That is the one remark-
able th;ng about the climate. You
may get soaked to the skin and go to
sleep in the mien air all night, but
in the morning you may wake up as
fresh as a daisy."
Manufaetured by
SY-LW:1877ER DMT & GO..
Dealers ill Beilder& BlIpplieS and Hy-
gienic Appliances,
Mr. Millieen's brick hadundergone
the praeLical test of actual wear and
tear in the sidewalk of Figg Street, to
the consternation of its inhabitants,
before it was offered to the public, and
so was put upon the maa'ket in such a
state 01 perfection aa to defy all com-
petition. At any rate, Measree Babe -
ion & Co., near, to my knowledge, ad-
vertised the competing article which
had foreed 'upon Minium so much
secrecy in hie experiments.
THE SOURCES 013' TIN.
During the closing half of ibe nine-
teenth century, Cornwall, which from
ancient times had been the world's
greatest mum of aupply for tin, has
Io-[ that distinction. Even as late
aa 1859, Cornwall supplied one-half
of all the tin produced, but now the
Malay Peninsula stands at the head,
having in 1898 turned out more than
66 per cent, of the world's total! pro-
din:lion, The Dutch Best Indies straw'
next, with 19 per cent., while Cornwell
turned mit only about 5,000 tens, not
quite seven per cett, of the whole.)
INFECTED WITH PLAGUE.
A despatch frora Sydney, Says: -
capital of New South NVeles,
and .Adelaide, capital of SouthAus-
tralia, have been deelared infeeted
With the bubonic plague.
11E REFUSED TO SURRENDER.
email. S. Miller, 2nd Devons, writing
to friends in the Isle of Wight after
the Tugela battle, Says: "Our regi-
ment went down close to the river, but
It was impussibie to get across under
such a beavy fire. The bullets were
failing around us like a hailstorm, and
It is miraculous how a man of us lived
to tell the tate. There was a bat-
tery of artillery on our right, and I
believe nearly every man and horse
were shot. They had to leave the
guns to which we were the support.
Our colonel, Col. Bullook, a major, and
about 20 of our mere were made pris-
oners, and the Boers hit the colonel
down with a Hite because lee refused
to surrender. We did not get the or-
der to retire too soon, as our men
were falling fast. Our casualties in
killed, wounded ana m•issing number
113, and there Were someother regi-
ments with heamier losses, espeoially
the Dublins."
PLAYING 'POSSUM WITH THE
BOERS,
Surgeon -Lieut. 'Briscoe, describing
his experience at the battle of Colen-
so, when attached to a mounted regi-
ment formed of Imperial Ligbt Horse,
Natal Carbiniers, King's Royal Rifles,
and Natal Police, says: "We were told
off to take a kopje held by the Boers
on this side of the elver, a mile or
two below Calms°. I had no business
in the firing line, but I thought I
could drop back at any time, if ne-
cessary. We got a heavy volley from
a rise to the right, and another imme-
diately from the top 500 yards off, and
from the slopes. We all dropped flat.
Well, no one gave us orders, and we
lay on. 13y -and -by Capt. Bottomley,
L. L. H., passed the word, 'How are
Thorneyeroft'a getting on on the
right?' I tried to pass it along, but
Gould get no answer. Vdidn't realize
Lor the moment why; 1 hadn't heard
groans. Then a man in the rear said,
'Doc, you're wanted. There's a man
bit on your right.' 1 rose up to move
and looked around: but whiz, whiz,
whiz I -now by my head, now all
round, one almoin grazing mmy left
oalf -and plunging into the ground -
and I saw I could do nothing. So
I flung 'myself forward, and 'played
possum.' so suocessfully that tte Boers
left •me alone, and some of our own
men reported me hit."
BOERS DON'T LIKE LANCES.
One of the 12th Lancers, writing
from Madder Rimer, says: "The 13oere
won't give us a chance to get a pro-
per serape with them; directly they
see us they gel on their horses. We
caught aome the other day, and one
said: 'IL is not fair to fight with long
sticks with steel on the end l' "
"HEART -SICKENING SIGHT,"
"IL was a hearl-sickening sight,"
continues Miller, "tp see them curry-
ing away the wounded, Some ininus
arms, others legs; and the Boers even
fired shells at our ambulance and
wounded some of the poor fellows a
second Lime. Our naval guns blew up
the Tu.gela bridge, eo that Lhe enemy
cannot get away those guns we ware
obliged to leave on the field on Fri-
day."
FALLING ASLEEP UNDER FIRE.
Writing home from Madder River, a
private in the 2ad Coldstream Guards
says: "I have been through three bat-
tles up to now without a scratch.
. , . . Nobody has any idea of a
battlefield, only those who go through
It. IL Is something awful to see the
dead and Wounded. You might not
credit it, but it's as true, as I'm alive
Hera at Modder River I saw men fall
asleep in the firing line, fairly worn
out. We were lying in the hot sand
for twelve hours without drink Or
food and the beat was unbearable. My
company got lost at night, and we had
to sleep in laager among rooks and
stories, and amongst the dead till
ng 1 often thought of home
and the thildrea,"
BOW AMBULANCE NEN WORK,
Mr. Charlee Boson Caple, late at
Cardiff, neer Of the Volenteer Ambu-
leOce Coupe, eereing isa Natal, writee
to hie berther at Tugela and after. he
says: "Tim boop • tents wene etion
isp readY for the wounded, By thin
time the battle of 'Tagela had Qom"
mimed, It was ma long before the
ambuictoce waves Muted, and in
two td a hall. or three houre tbe,y
returned leaded with Wounded, follow-
ed by men who were able' to come in
by themselves, as they were weuncled
only slightly. Other woended were
brought in on stretchers, mid more
were Carried le OA the nlasped hands
and arms Of tWO Ograratlee. Theee
bearers were dote up, but they kept
on, bravely; they were nelptag their
comrades, After a while about a aciz-
ell of us started out and went to the
top of the hill, Tbe Boerne opened it
terrible rine fire Mimi thnin than, and
the men began falling by the dozen, In
the midst of tnis my section was call-
ed upon. We started to go forward,
and moil eame aeroSs lole of wounded.
Some who were so badly hit that they
eould bardly stand were helning oth-
ers, and when we offered to help,
plied, 'No, no, my lads. Lower down
you'll find hundreds wito cannot
move.'"
THE PRICE Ole LUXURIES.
The following are extracts from a
letter, which Mrs. Carter, of 4 Comp-
ton Terrace, Taddington Road, •Hest -
bourne, lut,s received front her son, Ser -
genet William Carter, of the Scott;
Guavas, who was reoently promoted
for bravery et Magersiontein:
No doubt there is a big move
afoot here. We are not lying idle fol
notbing. Probably, before you gel
tbis, you will have heard of another big
fight -not another check, 1 bope; but
a, grand victory. And please look out
for our howitzers. The Boers oan't sties
our shells.. . But our 'old man
hras got his head, &wowed on the right
way, and they will nave a lot more
of our eough lozenges before we are
finished.
'We leave got here what has never
been before; that ts a 'Soldiers' home
an the battlefield.' There is a general
store Where, we can bay a few thinge
but instead of the prices the same as
at home, it Is more like buying dia-
monds here. Penny tins of bloater -
paste are sold for ninepenee; butter is
as a pound; snulk Is 6d; small tins
of jam, is and; ls 6d. It doesn't do to
live too high. Three paetkets of eigar-
ettes cost 2s."
BULLER MOVED TO TEA.13.S.
An interesting allusion to General
Buller after the Tugela retreat is con.
tained in a letter received at Newcas-
tle from a private ill the BOYal Weal)
Fusiliers serving with the Natal Field
Force. in tbe letter he says:
"You know I told you in my last
latter that a big fight was coming off
Well, so it did, and the Boers came oft
best. They played the very devil witl
us, and in our retirement there were
more killed than there were in the re-
gular engagement. . . . When Uwe
all over the Boers took the boots and
clothing of the dead, and cut the rings
off the fingers of some of the officers
and men. It was a horrible sight. .
NVhen tbe engagement was over, Gen-
eral Buller went round and to show
hoev ne felt it, big tears rolled down
his face to see such is lot of killed and
wounded. . . . Colenso is surround-
ed withbig mountains and hills. The
Boers are behind tbem and we might
just as well try and shoot the imoon as
try to get theme out OT it.
FIGHTING MAC,
General Hector Macdonald went
through ..Ruslim Caunp tbe other age
to take the cabman -a of the Higbland
Brigade, in the place of the late Gen-
eral Wauchope. The "Scots" who were
with us says the correspondent of the
Daily Telegraph, lined up and gave the
General a thrilling welcome, whilst
our fellows who are not usually demon-
strative, crowded around the railway
line to get a look at the brilliant sol-
dier who by sheer merit, dauntless
pluck, and iron resolution, forced his
way from the ranks to the high place
he holds. The Australians had expect-
ed to see a gaunt, prematurely aged
man, war -worn, and baLtle-broken, and
were surprised to see a dashing, gal-
lant -looking man, who might in ap-
pearance eomfortably bave passed for
five -and -thirty. The gray -clad men In
soft sleuth hats, from the land of the
Southern Cross, lounging about with
pipes in their teeth, did not breakin-
to hysterical cheering -they are not
built that way; they simply looked at
the man whose full history every one
of them knew as; well as he 'mew the
way into the front door of a
but their flashing eyes, and clenched
hands told in language more eloquent
than a slavo of cheers that this was
their ideal man, the mau they would
follow rifle in hand up the brimstone
heights of hell itself if need be ; eye
and stand sentry there until the day
of judgment, if Heel or Mac:don/ad gave
the order.
CORPORAL'S PREDICTION.
Ur. Simpson Self, of headingley,
Leeds, has received from his son. Carpi.
Thomas Self, of the 2nel West York-
shire Regiment, a letter, &Led 12 Jan-
uary, from the Camp, Springfield, In
the course of which the writer says:
" I have been in plenty of this war,
and 1 can tell you it is a marvel how
I got out of the hist engagement: at
a place they call Glen Bellahill, Est-
ee:tart. Bullets came down on 1154 like
rein; it was borrible to see the poor
fellows fall right and left, shouting
for their wives and mothers. As for
myself, I never expeoted to see Leeds
again, but when 2 came out without
a scratch I shook hands with myself; f
but I can tell you we have plenty to c
do end a lot to go through yet before
we reach Ladysmith, although we are
only 20 miles away. There will be some
horrible cutting up before we get
there. . . . We nee all determined
to give the Boors ' socks' before the
noble British flag shall be dishonour.
ed, and your son Tom Will be in it to
do his best."
a hill int StOreaberg, in Spite Of the
WANT Boer flee. '1111012 the Ordee neme
to retire. "03' oolitase We could not
Domaine there witbeut: being taken So
we began kb look for it tray down. We
could net get (Iowa tne sane° way 101
we naline OP se the 13eere Q0M1nanded
With their fire, There WM netning
else eXeept a 4rOP Of about 14 It,
Id rfaeilgl h ntniretilinligltebrfaikere tilts° nook;
Usa
next got allot dead, and, the Ultra was
sheet in the hand. I made js JunIP for
it, and 1 was surprised I had not Ureic-
en any of my lirabs, end 1 can assure
you I beet no time in getting amen.
Well, there woe a barbed Wire fano;
in the pa.tb, and got tied up in tha
Math tWO more fellcievs. A bullet came
and brolee the wire and released ue
Several men were elurt in tbus fence."
• COOKS FACING EIRE.
Som'e mowing stories of oui
poseible IrSehenen at the front are
releetea in a letter bY Sergt. Medland
alsevehain, D.LL., to his parents et
Northampton. He writes: "In the
Colonel? Tight one of the officers of
the Dublins went down all the lines
and slaw the ohlef 000k there fight-
ing and firing away with the beat of
them. He naked him what he was do-
ing Mere. He said, 'Foightia sorr
Can't help it -couldn't resiet then:nolo
any longer.' The officer asked him
where the other coolm were, "They're
foiglitint too, sorr.' The officer told.
him to get the cook -pots and make
mane coffee for the men. They went
back three ralloo, got the pots, and
started boiling them, when a shell
blew all their oonstructions to Pieees.
The poor "Dubs' got no coffee that
day. They have been out up badly,
but 'are as full as fight as ever. They
were the first in action at Talana,
and have been fighting practically ever
since."
" SIT.TQNT FRENCH."
An ex -Dragoon writes: "Raving (serv-
ed under 'Silent French ' I was not
in the least surprised to find that he
'ban relieved Kimberley. He is an ex-
ample of still waters running deep,
a man of few words, but one of the
most ' business' wenerals In the Ar-
my, and a rigid diseiplinarian. 2 heard
hem summed up by a trooper whom he
heel aentenced in a woad or two to
fourteen days' confinement to bar-
racks: 'Old French don't bark a bit;
but,, crikey, don't he blocoann' ivall
bite 1"
LADYSMITH'S GREAT DAY,
SCENES AND INCIDENTS WHEN THE
RELIEF CAME.
Correspondent Tells About the Great Fa.
eltesuent In the Town When lise BritIolt
Force Arrived,
Joseph H. Donn, in amble to the
New York Journal, gives the following
account of the relief of Ladysenithe-
The relief of Ladysmith was vir-
tually; aecomplisned on Wednasdey,
February 28, when we knew than Gen.
Buller had driven, the enemy from
Pieter's Hill. Amid scenes of tumult-
ous enthusiasm General White pre-
pared for what we all felt would be
the final attack, half-starved,fever-
strielten though we were, every bodily
ill was forgotten in the ,almost cer-
tainty of immediate relief. Hundreds
chmlemb Observation Hill to watch for
the first sight oa the; men, en khaki,
The advance posts reported that the
Boers were making active prepara-
tions to remove their "Long Tom"
from Bulwana Hill,
TUGGING AT. "LONG TOM."
A derrick erected hecaane plalarY
visible, and quick the open fire of
every gun wae ni order. In &moment
tbe big =gal gums in the hove redoubt
tend Caesar's Camp got to work.
Fast as tbey could be served they
rarned projectiles on Bulwana, ,and 00
five minutes the derrick was smashed
by a well directed shell. How W8
cheered! Theo the Boere dodged
along the ridge, trying to drag their
"Long Tom," but the naval .gunners
followed them, planting their shells
with deadly precision. Our guns
worked with alm;ost ceramess roar
while- We watched aged cheered every
shot.
Suddenly tJae dazzling sun was, ob-
scured, by heavy black, clouds, whtch
broke loose isa a treniendp,us thunder
atorni. Torrents of yam, volleys of,
thunder and vivid lightning broke over
Lhe whole region, checking the opera-
tion of our guns. Half echoer leiter
the storm passed andour no vw, guns
broke out again, sweeping the ridge
between Ilulwana and Caesar's Camp,
where the Boers were still struggling
with their Long Tom,
TEN ANXIOUS MINUTES.
• By this time our cavalry seouts
brought ha the neWle that the Boers
were in lull retreat in all directions,
Buller 8.180 nellographed the news,
with the first glint of sunlight after
the atorm, that they were retreating
north along the Colenso road, passing
beltin.d Bulwanu, wham great num-
bers of waggons veere seen:, some con-
veying. their mention. Long columns
were aLso visible on, the other stele of
tbe town, moving rapidly over. the
plata toward the .11rakehabery passes
as the afternoon waned.
Then we kiiew we were Iree at last.
But wait a momenti A ory comes
rora, Caesar's Camp': "Cavalry is
riming from tlie south!"
ae; ones the town i in a terrilio
hubbub, Troops hastily gather; guns
trai.n to light till theinst man, drops,
11 11 proves to he the chanty. /t 15 an
anxttroS ten rainutos.
As the column gallops nearer over
the flats, straight toward the fort at
Caesar's hill, every held glom es
strained to nuke them out. Thai'
reach the river. Our gnns arc ready,
identry, and cavalry waiting, too,
They nitinge tato the Over, and hilt
couple of namatee are up the bank on
A TIMELY BUILET,
W. Weinecke, a Itotherhern, rosary
2nel Northuinberland husiliers, wee
among Omen wbo ' got to the top of
thia Ode. NoW we eee the Wield.. They
an aural saved. at Met, thank Geal
SAVED AT I.,AST,
Dat ot the trenches, over, tbe plain
we ellen, (withers, sailere,;01reeMarie
dents, eitizene, wonlen end children
tei weimMe Mir deliverere, Cheering,
crying, waving their bets, gene and
OWende, on( cenlel the med in *halts
galloping their foreleg haw at
tuilt epeed, On they ruele toward us,
ceeered With duet and Israel with their
daening ride, hat the' hoefft of their
Imam beat the pinto Illre a reveille of
victory.
The Natal Carbipeere are in the lead,
with Major Gough et thmr neadehext
wane Natal Mounted Pollee. They are
truly 300, but they seemed thoesands
to Uu. They elackened the Pave of
their tired horses, while crowds of
the besieged ree alongside, ohdering,
shaking halide indiscriminately and
staging, Time the motley peonession
marched into town,
GOMM'S ;OASTS INTO TOWN.
On the way Major Gougle widths, he
bad beeecOnting ahead ot Builer's
army, and finding no opposition they
made a dash toward Ladysmith and
Mel come throngwithout, getting:. a
single abot,
In the main street: Generalt White
and staff awaited the aPProaeh of
the °heeling erowd tvbith led the hors-
es of tate rescurers by 'lain bridles to
where the brave general stood. Gough
and 33,1c13enzie jumped out of their
saddles; and saliatud and then wrung
ins hands d White, Hunter and
others of the staff; while the .throng
cheered iteelf hoarse, White muted
his hand, Implored. silence' and made
enrol speech in a voice full of emotion.
Ho thanked all in Ladysmith, civilians
ale well as military, for the fortitude
they had displayed durtng the, pro-
,
onge siege, also for the support af-
fordedhim in bearing their priva-
tions without a.munnur, never think-
eng; of surreender.
CHEERING AND SINGING,
Then, svith It011eh of that humour
which' had Agee served to keep' up
our opiritsenWhite added that be had
been obliged to cut down our ratione
ea the past, but be promised not to do
so any more. Men raising his hat
en his hand, the general. called for
three cheers for the Queen, .m14 the
lunge of all Leayamith roared three
as heautfelt oheers for her Gramme
Majesty as ever Britons uttered. Tben
we cheered Wale.s,13uller, White, Lady
White, the garrison, not forgetting,
the sink and woltanded in our rejoic-
eng. During all this brave Wbite,
wora and weary with days and nights
of ceaseless vigilance, joined with us
W.hcee he spoke he was. Much moved
by, emotion, and though there was a
smile on ins faze hie voice was broken,
and tears glistened In his eyes, as we
gave hios cheer alter cheer. Than,
foll'owtog his lead with. every head
uncovered, we eamg "God Same the
Queen." To close we sang "He's
a Jolly Good Felton'," to which White
laughingly acknowledged hi thanks.
THEN ENTER DUNDONALD. ,
It was then 7 o'clock in the even-
ing. The sky was rapidly °veiniest
mid another thunderstorm with ter-
rine rain broke, lasting half the night.
In the midst of this Lord Dundonald
with &large force of cavalry enter-
ed the town.
The whole taght was spent In re-
joicing. Our limited stores were open-
ed freely arid we ate our fill, while
our rescuers divided flasks and tobac-
co generously. The rotreethig Boers
mueit have suffered much during that
terrific night, dragging their guns
and waggons toward the mountain
passes.
Early on Thursday' morning 41000
men of all arms started in pursuit
to the northward. Adatacbmaot ot
Impena/ Melt Horse ocoupied But -
wane, bat then "Long Tom' was gone,
and all the sick and wounded in
thimble Ca.mp, Ware brOtrgili tato
town.
Major Crawford arrived during the
morming with a waggon train of sup-
plies, including Lady White's Christ-
mas, presents to the troops. By noon
General Buller rode in with his staff
and was geven a rousing reception,
And, thus ended the great siege of
Laclyismit3i.
WHY 11E GOT IT,
--
Hew Gen. Buller Secured Assistance for
Ills Soldiers.
There is a sentiment common to
the most of mankind which makes
one's ,own home and neighbors the
best there are in the world, and even
a stranger who hails from the home
town the most welcome friend to be
met away from there. Nevertheless,
such an illustration of it as the fol-
lowing told by Gen. Sir Redvers Bull-
er, Is rare:
The story was told the Rev. 5: Bar-
ing -Gould by General Buller himself
and is narrated in the author's words
as far as possible.
Sir Redvers wan on Ills way, with a
regiment ol soldiers, to Canada, Off
the entranoe of the St. Lawrence,
the vessel was enveloped in fogs and
delayed, so that provisions ran short,
Now Lhere was a station on an 'Met
with supplies for shipwrecked marin-
ers, so Sir Reclvors went ashore in
a boat, to visit the store and ask
Los' assistance.
When he applied, he found a woman
only in charge.
"No.," said she; "the impieties are
for thyme who are shipwrecked - not
for such as you."
"But this is a government depot,
and wo are servants of the crown."
"Can't help it; you're not ship..
Wrecked."
There was a very recognizable in-
tonation in Lhe womitn's voice. Sir
Redvers at once (lammed the Cornish
accent, and said: "What, not for
clear old One ana All, end T is Buller?"
"What, front Cornwell, and a Bull -
ere Take tataryibing there is in the
Dime; you're heartily weleomel"
A SERIOUS DRAWBACK
Bramble -Do you believe that hon-
est iS IIP best polloye
Thorne -It may be ihe safest, but
there burn much money in R.
he Home
.0101411,112Weanw%
oll asnm 1 us y
remil4Oticrlik 130, XrDsehCollid01104.01inS.
a
destroy the hearing Ulm spilled In
the 'meaty of the ear or destroy the
eyesight it it toilettes a delicate part
of the eye, It is valuable as a Waal],
ing fluid, and is used, in the bath to
Often water. It s'hould be mind, howl -
ever, veay moderately, as it renders
the skin dry and eough when used too
freely in the water. The same thing
may be said of most oe the washing
powdere and other compounde which
mishit in washing. Soap powciere are
a fruitful mum of chapped heads.
Where ana Sileh article as an alkali
or is soap powder is lifted there should
ble a simple aold toilet weak used al-
terward correct its 011001 on the
hands. A proportion of one-fifth citric
aold, two-mill:he of gl,yoerine, and two-
rosewuter makes a very good
and a perfectly safe preparation to
Use on the hands. This should be rub-
bed over the hands after they have
been subject to dishwater or laundry
suds in which alkali soaps or soap
powders or washing fluids have been
used. Ammonia le not' so good as a
little alcohol in washing windows, ker-
osene lamp chimneys 01' any glass
about the house, Annnonia is apt to
leave a ;blur over the glass which it
is diffieult to clean off. 8trong am-
monia eats into the glass, so that a
permanent blur is created..
Salsoda is a chemiloal that mast be
used very carefully, As a vvashinig
fluid it injures delloate goods, and to-
tally destroys the ogler or most ool-
ored goods. Borax is a safer article
to usa, as it is comparatively mild in
its effects.
Galvanized and polished iron sinks
and cooking utensils of polished sheet -
iron are cleaned byl the use oi boiling
bot vinegar and salt. Let spiders soak
on the back et the stove with a hot
solution of strong vinegar and salt in
them. When all signs of black are
gone,polish Lhe spiders well and wash
and wipe them dry. Slnks may be
very successfully cleaned with turpen-
tine and boiling water. Turpentine Is
a very useful chemical to keep In the
closet.
--
ie. COOKING STAY.
The simple wooden skewers that
have served the housewife for so manY
yetra in pinning together boneless
meats while cooking them have at last
been diepinced by an elaborate 000k-
ing stay. This is preferably made of
paralell strips a any flexible fabric,
aa, for instance, canvas, each of which
marries on its ends hieing hooks, moll
as are usually found on men's shoes,
This atay is held in position on the
meat by a flexible lace engaging with
the lacing hooka in the familiar man-
ner. In order tci render the striew
composing the weemper taut while in
use, springs are provided on one side,
and the constant tension of these, in
oompination with the lacking, holda
the wrapper snug and tight all the
time, and enables it to be made to
fit pieces of meat of different shapee
and sizes. The use of bands instead
of ow continuous piece of fabrics per-
mits of more rapid and effective cook-
ing. NO doubt, the head of the fam-
ily, who has to do the carving, will
be one of tbe newt enthusitistle sup-
porters of this novelty, since it %rill
do away with those ubiquitoas skew -
0'58.
TO MAKE A PICTURE FRAME.
A very inexpensive and pretty p5 -
tare frame may be made If you will
follow these instructions. Make a
frame of the size andshape desired
of some light wood, and screw it ao-
gether strongly. Than procure some
cork chips. They can be hail of al-
most any fruit susflen, aa they are used
to pack grapes in, but th,ey must. be
well sifted, before using to get the tine
dust from it. Over your wooden
frame brash some thin glue and tben
sprinkle the oork chips on thickly, and
and set it to one side to dry. When
sthnilraoughly dry, paint over the whole
ueo
with o good gold paint, or
some pretty shade of enamel if you
prefer. Or, if you wish to preserve
the cork appearance of the frame,
just go over it with a good quality of
varnish.
MIRROR FOR A PIANO BACK.
One of the hardest things in a room
to arrange artistically is the piano,
now that faohion has decreed that it
sb.all be dragged away fronn the wall,
Many an otherwise portent apartment
bets been spoiled by the inartistic: ar-
rangonaent of the piano back. A great:
aid in overcoming this is a mirror,
made ilea exact width of the piano, and
placed flat. against its back. On each
side narrovv curtains may be plaoed,
and the mirror used either as A re-
flector, or with painting on frame and
glass. Pain5s may be prettily arrang-
ed, at the foot, to be repeated in the
glees surface, or a tiny seat placed
there, with cushions of quaint shape
and\'irimihaleilektl'
ralirror as a starting point
one may have endless varieties of de -
wren ion.
BEAUT.E. AND CHARM.
"Ai•e handsome women generally
agreeable?" is a question that we have
hoard debated. The word " handsome"
was taken to mean loveliness of fea-
ture, apart from expreeeion, glace
many women are handaome without
being beautiful. George Eliot wrote,
"There is a charin of eye and lip that
mimes with ,every little phrase that
certifies delicate perception or fine
judgment, with every unoetentallous
vvord or smile that shows n heart
awake to others," Ta, it not true that
the agreeableness of a woman, dons tot
depend, even in the slightest degree,
upon her beitig handsome, but (Mee da -
on ber being " clean, tidy and
good -I empered," as we write of our •
eervantel .At " ill-kenipt " girl will
inspire feelings at repulsion, be sbo as
osssitally• hondeoMe as a Greek sta-
tha •