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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1900-6-21, Page 2T NuriBER PART I. "187," shouted the =Wilt in (Marge of the division " Now then, there, 187, wiry don't you senile when you are ealled1" A Ming Man, who bad been croace- In in a. career by blmself, apart :froin the group of other prisoners, looked up wearily, as the moujik shook him rougbly by the shoulder. He evaa a very young man, almost a boy, not a tramp yet of moustache over bis finely -out Mouth, his great blue eyes was about to say, string straight in front of him, de- " Couut Wlatliosir," be said at last, epair-hopeless, abject despair, -writ- in mY Power Lo offer You an ten on every feature of the young attern a Li ye. Th ro ugh your rebellion face, The boy rose, and with weary against the. authority of the Tsar, steps followed the moujik across the Your crime against his sacred Imre wide hall, where 60/110 fourscore or so son, you have forfeited your liberty, mem of all ages, and apparently all your great wealth, your illustrious conditions, were huddled together, name. am prepared to offer You, They had all stood their trial -a , In the name of His Most Excellent mockery -and bad been condemned Majesty, whom may God continue to whblesale to the mercury mines in save, a new name, wealth that will Eastern Siberia, -the capital punish- Olaue you beyond ordinary needs, and ment practically; but a punishment the right to go freely among your that sometimes takes three years* to fellowmen, 18 —' complete ; a daily, hourly torture, a The effect of his Excellency's last fight against privations, disease, words on Count Wladmir. Rostop- nominy, with a felon's grave, as ul- chine was startling in its intensity; Umtata goal. They were all leaving hope that refused to be ()rushed strug- Moscow 011 the following day, to be- gled for mastery over the now van - gin their weary trudge across miles ishing look of des'pair ; all the young af arid plains, scantily fed, scant ily man's faculties seemed centred in the' elothed, perishing by dozens on the one urging intteaty to the Governor wayside thrbugh cold and hunger. 10 proceed. And young Count Wladimir Itostop- ! " If," resumed bis Excellency, "you chine WaS one of those poor wretches, will agree to the one condition, His Wealthy, high-born, the idol of st, Most Excellent Majesty the Tsar will Petersburg society, he saw himself transformed, after three months im- prisoroent, into No. 187, one of gang No. 2, en route for Irkutsk an the morrow. Eli 1 What would you? He had eon- sPired, at any rate had been sadlY mixed up in that last attempt against the life of the Tsar, therefore he must die Oh, yes 1 that is inevitable. but not for three years, Count \Vladimir not till you have brought to the sur- face enough mercury to pay for i his gracious prolongation of your exist- ence; after that you may pay your debt to Nature ; your death will lie together with a substantial portion at 'her door, not at that or the pater- of your confiscated wealtb. if you will nal Government of your country. undertake to go through Lhe vitro - The moujik, having reached the en- many of marriage with a lady whose Iran,', of tbe hall, handed over 187 reputation is spotless and will al- to four cosaques, who, having secured ways remain so:, the young 171:4 Willi o, And le that nu e, asked Count cuffs, led him through interminable Wiadimir, not daring to trust his stone pasmages, dimly light ed by00- senses. casional paraffin lamps, to a 0105- "No, not quite all," sate the 50, - sive oak door, over which hang a fine eraor, but pray' ically so ; you must wrought -iron bracket that bore the remember that henceforth Count sign: "His Excellency Lhe Governor's Wiatlimir Ilostopehine is de id; that Of Hee." Hardly had they led hide pri- after the ceremony is performed there soner before this door, when 11 was will be a widowed Countess Rostop- opened from the inside, and a voite chine, who will go into society, to said: Court. That lady you must never ap- "Have you brought 187, sergeant ?" proach, SlIP must never see or know Yes, your Excellency." him by whose side she will stand al "Bring him in, then, an'l wall out- the altar. To her you will be as dead side with your men, till you are re- as to the rest of the world." quired again." "Outside Russia you will be tree The sergeant of cosaques pushed to begin life anew, under whichever the young man within the room, ,and name or nationality, you may wish left him standing there, while he him- to select. You are young; all Europe self retired, closing the massive doors is open to you; you will still be cons - with a loud bang. partitively wealthy; you bare to the Count \Vladimir Rostopchine, whom hest of my belief no near kinsfolk, all these proceedings did not appear and your friends \vitt maitre you, as to interest in the least, waited pa_ they are 'lready doing, as one prat.- tiently itt hea.t• what his Excellency neatly dead. Do you aceept ?" wished to say to him. No doubt more " Yes, I aecept," said the young man examinations, mitre questions to an- with a tinge of bitterness. "You have ewer; be was used to these by now, shown me hell, hideous, terrible, and and bad ceased to fear or hope for now you give me a glimpse of earth them. again; ( would be a fool not to tmeept "Count \Vladimir Rostopehine 1" said his Excellently, blaudly, that you are fully aware of what awaits you to -morrow, nless---e " Unless 9" said Count Wladiealr,m amagemene "Is there an ueless?" His Excellency paused for some time. He was studying the young man's wan -looking face through his gold -rimmed opectaoles. Evideutly, experienced Man of the world as be was, he was somewhat at a lose as to the best way of wording what he ask you to fulfil in exchange." " And that condition ?" askedCount Wladimir breathlessly. " Is, that you will freely give that name, over which after io-day you will , hays o furter right, to such person as His Majesty will desig- nate." "And that person 9" "Is a lady." "You mean that the Tsar wishes me to 11111117 501115—" " His Majesty offers you any name you might choose, and complete lib- erty outside the frontier of Russia, the alternative. 1 son ready to ful- said his Excellency, after a slight fil His 'Majesty's ',auditions." pause, during whieb he bad been cou- "11 is well," said the Governorteutglaling, teroplating, the young man with "hut remember one thing," and hi. more curiosity than eompassion. Excellency's manner beeaxne solemn The boy started. It was tbree and emphatic:, he was pronouncing moaths since he had heard his name, Sentence of death: "Count; Wladirulr since he bad ceased to be a man and Rostopcbine is condemned for hie had become a number ".As you are fully aware,- added his Excellency, " you have been tried A FA for high treason and lese-mujeste, and condemned to tbo mercury mines of Eastern Siberia -that is to say, to of Mgh death " "I am aware of that fact, your Ex- cellency," and need not be reminded,'" said the boy bitterly. " To -morrow," resumed the Gover- nor, "Count Wladimir Rostopchine will cease to exist. His goods and moneys become the property of the Crown, bis talus is erased from the list of His Majeety's subjerts. The young Man gave a slight shud- der ad the old Governor paused for one moment, and, if possible, a look of still greater clespeir overspread his haggard features, but this time, be said nothing. " And to-morrow,"n conteued his Excellency Imperturably, "No. 187 will start from Moecow, together with two hundred more felons, on their way to Irkutsk, their ultimate destination treason and es Snob doomed to tor - Ogre and death; 11 at any time in the future, anyone -be he 01 5116 who they' May -should know that ho hue 50 Las' escaped that doom, then the Rim, sine pollee, whose arm is long, anti Whoa° eye is far-seeing, will know how to rearth and punish him,. even if he have built au empire, and set Min - self upon a tbrone. Ones more, do you accept 9" Count Wladlinir, who could not re- press a shudder and was eboking withemotion, emotion, dropped hie bead on hie breast and wilt:401'0d: ""Ido," That same night, at the hour of midnight,. the gloomy prison chapel prelented a curious appearance. The candles on the high altar threw an Intermit tent and flickering nett on two youug forms kneeling devoutly on a double prie-Dieu, their beads bent under the benediction of an old bearded pope who had just passed a gold ring on the third finger of the right band of each: " In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 511081." There were no flowers, no music, no incense, and there was no joy. There was one broken heart -a young man's, almost 11 boy's, who al Lhe foot of the throne of God bade adieu to home, kindred, name, The other fig- uee-an enigma -swathed in white, her face concealed beneath a white satin mask, through wbich a pair of dark eyes looked somewhat compas- siouately from time to time at the bent figure by her side. Once Lbe eyes of the twb met., as, the pope baying given the last benediction, their hands were joined for the first and only time. A look of inquiry was answered by one ofpity, ande mouth beneath the mask, smiled a trifle conteinetnously. He who bad been Count Wladintir Rostopchine looked at that mouth; it was finely chiselled, as teat of the Medici Venus, and on the left side, just above the upper lip, a little mole gave it an arch and childlike expression. The next moment the white figure had disappeaeed. His Excellency the Governor, who had assisted ea tlie marriage cere- mony in the capacity of witness, now touched the yoi,ng man on the shoul- der. He pulled himself together as if waking from a dream. "Tire blessing of God be with thee, my sou," said the old pope. " Ainen," said the young man rerv- ently, and followed Count Gulohoff through the dark chapel, at the door of which four cosaques stood in readi- ness to escort him out at Moscow, and then beyond the frontier. Count Wladimir Rostopchine was dead. PART. II. The year 1889 was, without doubt, the most brilliant that that gay lit- tle city laudapesth had known for some time. The exhibition was an nn - qualified success and the town was thronged with visitors of all nation- alities, thus realising the dreams of the worthy Loll ti councillors, which was to make Buclapesth the Paris of the East., As for the "Hotel Elungeria," it certainly became dazzling in its cos- mopolitan magnificence, when, after seven o'elock, Lhe ozigany band of Ra.cz Pali began playing in the din- ing -room, and a brilliant medley of notabilities of every clime and coun- try assembled to enjoy the best cui- sine and finest music in the world. Russiane, Turks, French and English, Germans and Chinese, Roumanians, and Albanians, elbowed each other to secure good tables, and till, past midnight, conversation in every civi- lised end moat barbaric. tongues near- ly drowned the lively csardas and pathetic love songs. His Excellency Prince Radoviteh, the Trausbalkanian ambassador, him- self attracted by the gay crowds, mostly dined downstairs. 'He knew ieacme tting-7," • "You need net 1811 MB more, your Exetallency," interrupted Lhe youug' man impetuously. "1 know what 'ewaits me there; I know of the hots rots, the privations, the agonies of a Siberian living Lomb, Is it to tell 018 01 thent you have Summoned MS 1/01.0 r "8 merely wished to 5551180 rayeelf," ^1 7 epthe. A Simla! Formula of a Creat Physician Is Or. CitaSe'S Nerve 110011 - The Great blood Hadar. There are imitators of Dr. At. W. Chime, butt none who dare to repro- duce his portrait and eiguature, which are found on' every box of hie gen- uine remedies. Nor are there any preparations that oan duplicate the marvellous cures brought about by thie great phymician of recipe book fame. Here 'ie example of the lettere daily received from grateful cured ones: - Mr. A. T. P. T,aleme, railway agent at Clarenceville. Que., writes:-" For twelve years I have been run down wlth nervoue debi I ty. Iauffnred much and oonsulted doctors, and used mod - benne in vain. Some months ago I )1eat ft et Dr. Chaetees elerv?eFootl, nsed t*5 hos'ondtj healt ai5 rapidly that I ordered twelve more, "I can say fronkly that this treat - talent hole no equal in the medial world. While eel ag Dr. Chaste; Nerve Food I eoum feel ray system being fella up until now I am strong and healthy. I cannot recommend it too highly, for Weak, nervous people," lkra. E. H. Yoram g of 214 Greenwood tiveminsf, Jaeloson, Mich., is a reaogniz- ed leader among the Lady efatembeea, Foresters and other fraternal. socie- ties and, is weli known throughout the State for her executive ability and apebel qualities. Mrs. Young has ra- t cently recovered from nervous disor- , dors, which she describes in Lhe fole lowing worths:- ; "My social and other duties in con- ' motion with severed iraternal Boole - 1 ties lead drewn 50 neuch upon my (strength that I found myaeaf all run down in health. I was very nervous, had no appetite, could get no real rest from &eels and was. tregbied very 1 much with palne in the Read and I back. I tried many eerie of tonics, tIot aetslel get no permanent :help un- tal 1 weed Dr, Cbeee's Nem Food, I ! took two Wee&aa dlieeted and found I a perfect euro for my trouble. Their eotion was yea, mild and effeetiva, and 1 believe 'bete to be the beet seedielne for nervous; troublee that knew e-eee Insist 011 bevitm the genuine and , yoU can be abeoltitely etre of great ; benefit. Dr. Chimed Nerve Food, 50 Genes a box, et all amine, or Edelen- eon, Bakee, & Co., Toronto, BRI7804L8 POST. tie many people, and was tienstantly exchanging haedeheltee and greeting With his various diplomatic+ friends, while his. seeretary, I%X. Andre Ett eilent c1 teolturn, p. usual, would sit and gaze absently rotted, a ead, almost yeareing, expression in his eyes. ait$ Excelleney Prince Ratio** tie kindliness. would from time to time attempt to drag him Into Dees versation, or offer to introduce him to some et his' younger friends, but M. Zaika aPpeared to be almost more laidly sensitive, and to abrin] from intercourse with his fellow -men; and yet his Excellency belcl Jahn in greal esteem gave him his fullest confid- enee, and consulted him in most mat- ters, both political and otherwise, for he knew Zaika's judgment was Meer, and his ootineele well worth follow- ing. ' 11 was now nearly Len years slime Andre came to Mm in Belgrade, with- out friends, without introductioes, but possessed of a face and bearing that invited confidence. and a na- ture Met was worthy of keeping R. He seldom spoke, and never smiled; true he never frowned either, Mo- tion seemed to have died. in! him. Once only did His Excellency see 11114 8101)1, and that was a day or two ago, when merry laughter sounded in the hall oL the "Hungaria," and the dining - room door being thrpwn open; there walked In a beautiful woman. She was a Russian apparently, for she spoke in Chet language to her oompaniono, whom his Excellency knew well, for they were diplomats mostly. Her face was peculiarly lovely, her expression sweet, almost ehildlike, and at the corner of her mouth,. just above the upper lip, there was a little mole that gave the face the most piquant ex- pression imaginable Zaika certainly turned pale then, and the glass he was holding smashed to pieces in his hand. The next mo- ment he had recovered himself, an I Lis Excellency, with Lhe discretion pe- culiar to his office, made no. remark' on the subject.. JUNE 21, 1000 WAR'S LITTLE HARDSHIPS VARIED MISERIES OE BRITISH TROOPS IN SOUTH AFRICA. Meek Tees Treat entrered ama VIlltill'i°1'0711Z(Llo1001'10,611116;01:1 114"-T" Julian lealph, who, in a oonelder- ably battered oondition has jest arriv- ed M Englandsgives u foreible deserip- Soath African warfare upon bis ntioernofves.E:e effect: of seven mouths 01 ;"13attered extereally, disorderedin- side, unable to digest feed for weeks, nursing bruises and ailments a half doze e at once, I look upon this war as having iti repaid me for the kindly jubilant tolbe ie which I have dealt with it, "And, 011.1 how sick of it I am - bow deadly ueutterably sick I am of itt "The long monthof sand diet and bard faring under Methuen took from me a stomach whieh an ostrion would have envied, and exchanged for it a seooted-hand, worn-out apparatus Which turns upside down at the ap- Proach of any food except diluted milk. "A piece of Boer shell which hit me on the chest made me faint and weary for many days, and then a model me- thod of alighting from a Cape east into a trench with the cart on top of me left me one -legged for five weeks, after which 1 ftnind myself with a low -class, no-a000unt limb in which I have no confidenee. Upon my recovering this inferior and make- shift other leg, my horse shot me in- to a high fences which Lore both arms into shreds, painted one thigh like an omelet, and the other like a South African sunset, and left me AN INTERNAL FRACTURE, which I must keep as a perpetual sou- venir of what we are all beginning to speak of as 'the bore war.' "Try to imagine the spirit of a man fashioned in the image of his creator "1 am going to Her :Majesty's little who finds himself thus gradually soiree to -night, Andre," said his Ex- changing into an exhibit for a medi- reliance, on the following day; "the cal museum, and you begin to obtain hotel seems' more crowded than ever, a glimpse of Lhe fatigue with weieh and I must impress upon you that I now view this war. His Majesty's draft of the secret treaty will remain in my bureau. I should be afraid to take it about with me at night." " Your Excellency need have no Lear," answered Andre Zaika; "1 shall "We alt feel that we have seen uy far the best and liveliest: of it. There can be no new scenes or surroundings what is to come. The Goer will hide, the veldt will reach away, the valiant Britain will endure -on and in all probability, sit and read in the on and on ; no one knows how far, no room until your return." one knows how long ! There may be "Ah, that. will be very kind of you. one more great battle, or there may Good -night, Andre 1" not be, And then we may see six And his Excellency stepped intohis months or a year of petty, piffling carriage, en route for Buda, +leaving guerrilla work -by little bands, all Zaika standing in the hall. It was a over the veldt -and this final pro - lovely, clear frosty night, with a brit- tracted stage will be attendeci by all Haut moon shining overhead. The the discomforts of campaigning in a Ming man watched the ambaSsador's desert which was introduced to us as carriage out of sight, then turned to a baked and dusty Sahara, but is now go in again, but the keen air tempt - to be a wet, soggy expanse, growing ed him. A walk along the embank - colder and colder, until, daily for ment seemed most enticing, and at weeks, the pickets shell be found froz- en to death at their posts. "What an outlook! Whet a pros- pect, for description by 0110 who has seen it all and endured it all -except the cold. ''And then the private sicknesses and aceidents, and the public cheeks and disasters. How all of it gets on one's nerves and grinds and tears them -until one loaths the break of a this early hour of the evening -it was not more than ten o'clock -with the keys of the rooms in his pocket, all within was quite safe. To be Continued. ODDS AND ENDS. Interesting teem4 ottosereit sewn vircions ben r Five men have at various times tried Lo murder the Queen. new day, the recurrence of meal Limes, Some of the mountable in the Orange the daily struggle with Lhe censor Free State rise to an. altitucleof over over the last petty sniping; yes, even 10,009 feet. the bugle calls for bed. Under British rule the cotton cross 1"We are all eiser. some are emit of 'Egypt has doubled, and now am- , with sickness, most are sick of the mints to over 500,000,000 lbs a year. war, and many are sick in both ways, At Queen Victoria's table an odd cu.stora, which originated ill the time of George II., is preserved. .As each I could forge thousands of signatures to.that statement, and you might pub- lish them. You would not hear a their eompleinte to make instead of My SIM 1 ahould.have been imam' and not atop uf the.wieltedt creel veldt. "And these were Guards, mind yott -the Best few thousandespread over the Bret few Grenadiers, Seete, Goldsteeame 1 'London pets' you have often called therm 'tin soldiers,' and you have laughed et them in yew' London Imams and newspapers. Well, they 111.4 saab complain at that, and they are net complaining at this. The officers were geed to take anything we could give them to read, and the men did eat opium small offermge of tobaceo, but It is only just to say that "Down the line Ivo came to a As, - tion and camp, which presented picture of misery as complete as any that I over saW in Chinese . slum, Whitechapel alley or negro barracks in New York, It was misery pared down to the raw, though none of its sufferers .seemed aware of it. The beastly veldt was a mosaics of little pools and sodden tufts of sage, There were three or four shellfire, One, the largest, was made by throwing a tar- paulin sheet over two pllee of boxes. It was only breast high and covered SOPPING WET GROUND, but it served as the mess room and retreat for the officers who name out, by the way, in their wringing wet Mothes to ask us the usual shopworn questions aboat the latest rumor that Mifeklag was relieved, and another that Buller had done something. "I could see. into their tent and no- ticed that they lived on bully beef, tinned milk, tea and jam -delicious things for a pienic-if the plonks does not last seven months on end. "Each of the other two shelters was made by throwing a porous blue army blanket over a pole and pinning down the sides so as to make a burrow two feet high and six feet. lung. It seem- ed to me that it raust be slightly wet- ter and a hundredfold more disagree- able in such a hutch than out on the veldt. It was out on the veldt that we saw the Tommies ; the poor, ne- glected, all -suffering, woe -begone looking, but none the less devil-may- eare.. "The Tommies were walking up and down in the rain. Their overcoats were not only solacing wetsbut, for some strange military reason. were split behind straight up to the small of each man's back so as to expose alt of each teg to the wet. A few had put blaukets over their coats and were also walking, walking, walking. One was seated on a box with an au- dience of three others on boxes and was singing a musio-hall ditty vigor- ously througb his nose. Several who walked about, were whistling.All seemed either very happy or reitson- ably so. They had been soaking wet and chilled to the bone for days. They could cook nothing, boil nothing, heat nothing, for not a dry thing with which to make a flee could be found upon the soaking veldt. They doubt- less had plenty to eat, hut it was all tinned stuff, and must have been tak- en cold and eaten each thing by itself, without a chance of making 't tooth- some combination. Plenty were dy- ing, plenty were sickening, others must have felt. very uneomfortable; yet those who were of the mettle to survive were whistling, singing and eraelring jokes; They are welcome to crack one at me for speaking of my own tronbles, where men have to live, es I saw perhaps 2000e living between Bloemfontein and Norval's Pont." NATURAL LIGHTHOUSE • A. Volcano lined 10 for ;lore Inno Mlles. Stromboli, one of the Lipari Islands, Artificial yawning sbould be resort -1 protest f rom any. one." 1105 constantly and usefully pertorm- eft to in cases of sore throat, buzzing such was the frittne of mind in ed the function of a lighthouse for at of the ears, catarrh, and, like trouble. which he left Bloemfontein, "with its least 2,000 years. Circular tn. outline, The number of rooms In a housetof 2,500 enteric patients, its maddening the island oubninates in a eonleal windows or doors in a room, even of dull, routine of life." • shaped elevatiota due to past voluante runge on a ladder, in Siam, must al- But as the train pulled out on its agency, W1/1111 l'ISOS to the height of ways be odd. way to Norval's Pont he saw a sight 3,090 feet above sea level, and is vis- 'fhe amount of gold Coin in actual which seemed worse. :En his own One over an area having a radius of circulation in the world is estimated words it was, "nothing but an illimi- mere than 100 miles. During the day by the Bank of England °Metals to table apoagy, sLudgey bog, With t1 masses of vapor are seen issuing from be about 885 tone. driving cold rain beating upon it. And a point. high up the mountain Hide, ' During the present centuey, 400 hu- living upon it, without tents, were and al, night suceessive displays of man lives, 025,000,000, and 200 ships soldiere- I red light, envying in duration and in - have been lost in fruitless efforts to SOLDIERS EVERYWHERE. tensity, somewhat resemble those of find the North Pole, Mentally I asked forgiveness tor bay- I a gigealle flashlight on the 00118. 'Ube There are 00,000 polieemen in Great ing, during even one moment, thought flashes last from under one to bver Britain. Of theee England bas 41,832; of my own discomforts and worries. 1 twenty minutes, gradually ineeeasing Scotland, 4,744; Ireland, 12,105; Wales Some of those ineu had beau twee to 0 ruddy glow, and as gradually guarding the railway a. whole month. They had begun the Lask immediately at the end of the awful strain of the Field Marshal's programs 'from Gras Pan to Bloemfontein, when they marched as no Europeans ever march- ed before, and were starved as none ever should be again. "Now the bitterly cold driving rains had mime and turned the veldt into Stromboli note tte a "leading" light." a marsh. And here / found them To such an extent 10 this the ease like so many half -drowned rats, wet Itahria,lho dts nolttighieh TT:mold aierte: boirpianiemigrnoll aro o- marked by light helloes, nothing of the kind is plated.upo_.11 Stromboli.. ___ A SIMPLE PLAN. 1,283; the Isle 01 Man, 52. Riunaway horses are unknown in Russia. When an animal bolts, the cord is•poilled, and the horserstope.as soon as it feels the pressure on the winepipe. Before long the sandwich -mail will have a serious rival in the altraetive sandwich' -woman, Who le already mak- ing her uppeatanee in the streets of London. Switzerland, in proportion to the number of inhabitants, preducea more books than any °thee countey, the Proportion being one book to ewers, 8,000 Swiss. • Tim Ehedive a Egypt receives a eatery of £100,000 a year, and has, also a private fortune invested in produc- tive farms and cotton plantations in the Nile delte. fading Ilevey. 'CMS iSla0tt is referred to by several very anoient writers as the great natural Pharos of the West- ern Mediterranean, Now It serves the Same puemise, for the constant streamof traffic passing Lo and from the Preece and Italian ports in the Gulfs at Genoa and of 'Lyons, through the Straits of eleasina, for which as the veldt beneath them, wet as the air around them, shivering, playing drum tunes with their teeth, cough- ing, walking,. and stamping to keep Warm -doing everything except Isom - "I 9 My eoraplaintS? Why, beside those men, I was a dike with a palace 01 comforts. And if 1 had HoW. do You keep your losses 51 (1(0 recce from your getordia»is Oil. 'emend the. 30 1115 rake, I the rge thorn 119 to runineg expenees. HIE BUT UOMENDEES. VERY YOUNG 1,14ADERS OF RROI- NENTS IN BATTLE. • ey and laghteen wars PleallAt 1 lloo Peninsular War- lord Nelson Was 11 P1011 leanialu at TwenlY•eite. Military precoeity never hoe remelts ed the tage It assumed lea England years ago, For instence, it was quite a' common thing for en English boy at Eton of Hairow to he gezetted a Captain while bo wee atruggling with Lisa pone asinorute, and defying dis- cipline by' going oat of bound;s, .and when George III, was Eling many a young public; Bacot boy was tient etraight from tee oboe room to ,fight the Spaniards as a lull -blown Lieuten- ant 01 Cepialn, while even Colonels of 17 and 18 were plentiful almost: tie blackberriee. WELLINGTON AT TW.ENTY-FOUR. Even Wellington was Lae leen pre- cocious than these favored youngsters for he had to wait untie he was; 24 be. tome he was gazetted Lieutenant Col- onel, and Lord 11Volseley, in spite 01 his phenomenally rapid promotion, only reached the same rank at the age of 28, and Lord Roberts had to wait 10 years longer. In these slow - ea. -moving days an officer is fortun- fete if he blossoms into a Lieutenant Colonel naucb before 40. But white the boy Majors; and Coloes els of the last century were chiefly content to air their uniforms in Pell Mall or Piccadilly, many boys much younger even than themselves were fighting their country's battles at sea, which has ever been the great nursery 01 boy-fightera. . NELSON A POST CAPTAIN AT 21. Lord Nelson was taken away from the grammar school in Norfolk at 11, to serve on the Ralsonnabie, under kis uncle, Captain Suckling, and ac- quitted himself so well that he was made a Post Captain at 21, a very re- markable example of rapid promotion due entirely to raerit. Admiral Lord Collingwood, who was Nelson's second in command at Tra- falgar, left school at 11. to join his relative, Captain Braihwaite, on board the Shannon, but be had to wait 11 years for his Lieutenancy and five years more for his post Captaincy, and Admiral H'irdy, Nelson's Captain and friend, was a midshipman on board the Helena when be was a bay of 12. • i A. IVIIDSHIPMAN AT TEN. Even these marvelous rewords were, erupted by the son of the first Lord Gardner, W110 was a midshipman at 10, was wounded a year later and was. made a commander at 17. Admiral Rowley signalized his en- s trance into the teens by promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, and was Captain in (mainland of a frigate be- fore be reached his twentieth birth- day; hut even this precocious boy must yield place to Sir Fleetwood Pei- lew, who had ;sole charge of a war- ship at 10, tied at 18 was Captain of a seventy -10m' gun frigate. LORD LYONS, AGED ELEVEN, Lord Lyons, who in later life was in command of blue fleet delving the Crimean War went to awe on board the Royal Charlotte, at the age of 11, and a short time later was fighting under Admiral Duckworth in the Dar- danelles. Admiral Provo Wallis, who died a short time ago was able to look back on nearly 0 century of naval service, for he entered the navy before Tra- falgur was fought, when he eould not have hewn '111010 than seven." But there is at least one example of a boy who WAS appointed to a man-of- war when he was little more than 5, and some years before he left settee!. RECKLESSLY BRAVE AT 16, Of English Adminals now living Sir Nowell Selman was ansidehipman at 12 and Lord Clanwilliam et 13; while General. Sir Evelyn Wood, was v. "sea - dog" at 14, and was winning Lhe ap- plause of an army by deeds of reck- less bravery in the Crimea when be was only two 700.15 older. WHAM'S A MAIN TO DO Confidentially, said the undertak- er's wife, Mr. Smith hasn't paid the bill for his wife's funeral yet. Isn't that scandalous? exclaimed Mrs. Gabble. I should think he'd be ashamed to lel p001110 sea how little he thought of his wife, .nYes, and his brother John, when his wile was busted, paid the very next d:y. Hulet 'Petered like he was glad Le get rid of her. didn't it? nxcuss OF RESPECT. Office Boy. Say, the( new type- writer girl puts on a heap 0 airs! Elevator Boy. What does she do? °Mee Boy. Even' when th• boss ain't no/whores around she calls him Meter Janes.' --- CHILLY, BUT Yoteve got your linen milt Oil trifle early, Hopkine, 'Yes, but my folks are interteded in n. rummage mile; and when I rry tny clothes around with me I know where they are. 6.5