The Brussels Post, 1900-11-22, Page 2Ts-sVui. a
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S.S. NEPTUNE
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CHAPTER. /VIII. --Continued,
"So i have to pay the penalty of my
sister's eriete," 80.14 Carmela to lies-
self, on reading this letter. "Io order
to save her, I have to, eaorifice Pay -
Self l Oh, it le Wiwi, cruel 1 and yet
what Ma I de/ If she is innocent,
I am free to marry thio man I love;
but if sIe la guilty, God help mel I
oan do nothing but saorifipe myself to
eave her 1"
"Ronald Monteith to Carmela Coto -
Tier,
"Le it true? I ask you, is it true,
this rumor which I hear, thu t you are
engaged to your cousin, Vermeils? Ob,
Carmela, why have you trifled with me
in this way? You must have seen how
1 loved. you, how I worshipped the
very ground you trod on; and now you
coldlyt throw me on one side, and ac•
eept the hand of a man whom you do
not and cannot care about. Think of
how you are ruining two lives r yours
and •mine—before you take this fatal
step; once dope, it cannot be recalled.
I await your answer, and
hope you may be able to
deny this cruel life. RONALD."
"Poor Ronald," mused Carmela, "1
am cruel, but only to be kind. He can
never marry into a family like ours,
and the greatest kindness I can do
him is to refuse him. God knows, I
love him well enough, but he could
never trust me, once be knows the sec-
ret of Leopold Verschoyle's death, and
that he does know it I am convinced.
He may blame me now, but he will
bless ma in Lhe future; so I had bet-
ter write and tell him that it is true,
though my heart may break while I
pen the words."
"Carmela Cotener to Ronald Mon-
teith.
"It ie true I 1 am the fool of for-
tune, and this match is not of my own
making, Forget -that you have ever
seen me, and your life's happiness will
be the constant prayer of
"C.ARMl]LA."
"My life's happiness 1" said Ronald,
with a sob. "God I She breaks my
heart, ruins my life, and talks about
praying for my happiness—so like a
woman l" _—
CHAPTER, XIX.
Matteo Vasaalla was in his sitting -
room, walking to and fro with his
hands in his pockets. The Maltese
gentleman was very well satisfied with
himself, as all his plans seemed likely
to turn out as be wished. 'Carmela had
promised to marry him, and, as she
bad, plenty of money, this was very
satisfactory i;o the impecunious noble-
man. Sha did not love him, it was
true; but then he agreed with Roche-
fouoauld, that it is best to begin mar-
riage with a little aversion. And then
be had the pleasure of taking theorize
from under the very n050 of his rival;
the race had been•along one, and the
prize had been awarded, not to the
swiftest, but to the meat diplomatic.
Fate had played into Matteo's hands,
and secure in the certainty of his good
fortune, he strolled gaily up and down
the room, humming to himself.
The only thing that troubled him
was the coming interview with Mrs.
Verschoyle, for he knew that lady
loved him. and if she found out that
Carmela was engaged to him, would do
anything to atop the marriage, She
would fling money, character, even
life itself, to attain her ends, such was
her passionate temper, and Vaseallte
knew 0.120 wa8 a dangerous adversary;.
The only ehanee of getting the better
Of her, wee to keep cool, es elle in-
variably loot her head, and gave her
adversary time to espy the weak points
in her arraar, So the Marchese felt
tolerably certain of winning the game;
but still be had a bad quarter of an
hour beloro him, and did not relish the
prospect,
"Malediction on these womea," he
said, stopping in front of the mirror,
and admiring himself ; "why can't
they accept the inevitable, and own
themselves beaten? But no, thle jade
of a Bianca will fight to the last. I
rather admire such tenacity of par -
Pose myself, that is when I am not
the opponent in the game." .
Be went to his travelling writing -
desk, which Was lying on a side table,
and, having unlocked it, took out Oar-
mela's last letter, which he read care-
fully, the result of his reading being
anything but pleasant to him.
"Wants me to release her," he mut-
tered, throwing down the letter and
resuming his walk, "not I—give up the
quarry after it has been run to earth?
My (dear Carmela, you. must think me
a fool ; without your fortune you'd be
a pretty prize, but with it, my faith,
We killing two birds with one stone—
came in 1" as a knook Dame to the
door.
"Mrs. Verschoyle 1" annnounced the
waiter, showing in that lady, and
closed +the door atter him, leaving the
the two adversaries face to face with
with the feeling of battle in the air.
Mrs. Verschoyle, as she called her-
self, tbiough she had no claim to the
name, being divorced, was very like
Carmela, only, not quite so handsome,
while her expression was rather re-
pellent, and her lowering eyebrows
and firmly closed mouth warned Mat-
teo Vasaalla that she had oome with
hostile intentions. Matteo was the
fist to speak, and offered his visitor a
a ohair.
"You will be seated, my cousin?" he
asked, politely,
"When I choose," she said, harsh-
ly.
Vasaalla shrugged his shoulders and
produced a silver cigarette case.
"As you please," he said, carelessly
opening it; "you will smoker
"No I"
"Drink? — there is excellent wine
here."
' "No 1—I tell yon," she retorted
viciously„ "we can dispense with all
these formalities, Marchese."
"Eh!" with a sudden lifting of the
eyebrows, "why so precise, my cousin."
"Becaase you are a villain 1" re-
torted Mrs. Versohoyle, bringing her
fist down on the table.
"Sol" said Matteo, with a laugh,
"perhaps you will give me your
reasons for calling me such a name ?"
"The best of all possible reasons, you
deserve it l"
"Indeed—the world is not of your
opinion.
"Bab, l—the world does not know
you."
"Ah I so you are going to be
Madame Asmodeus, and unroof my
house for the benefit of my neigh-
bors?" And Vasaalla, having lighted a
cigarette, sat down and prepared to
listen. He bad not long to wait, for
Mrs. Verschoyle buret out into a per-
fect volley of imprecations in Italian,
to which Vassalia listened very quiet -
19
. "You're not improving," tin said,
�Vd
That Appeals to the Boat Judgment of the Lest
People and Gets Flight Down at the Cause
air Ctlsea.se is
Dr. Chases Kidney -Liver lr igiss
Why !s It that in nearly every
home en the load you find some of
Dr. Chase's family remedies? Why
[s 1.1 that Dr. Chase is honored and'
esteemed as a true phyaicis n of un- I
doubted skill? Why is 1.1 that Dr.
Chase's Kidney -Liver Pills are kept
gn the family medicine chest as indis-
pensable ear everyday ills which arise
kora constipation and sluggish motion
Of the liver and kidney.8
It in bemuse, Dr. Chase's remedies
are all honorable medicines. Medi -
eines that have been tried in the
severest eases and proven to be of
most unusual value, They are im-
mensely successful, because every-
body has learned to have confidence
in them and confidence in their dis-
coverer. Dr. Chase's Kidney -Liver
Fills have for nearly a quarter of a
aentuxy taken the lead es the ,rreat-
eat sellar which mel. Stec dealers
handle, and thin enarmona sale [s en-
tirely due to the downright merit
whloh they possess. They cure when
athelrs fail.
It is when there is a bitter taste
Los the swath, heaviness about the
■ tomaoh, headaches, pane in the
eheuldora and limbs, and depressed,
Languid feelings, that people tura to
lIr, Ohaee'a Kidney -Liver Pills. Torpid
liver, inactive kidneys and irregular
bewels'are the cause of at least seven
tenths ,of human ills, Dr. Chase's
)tininess-Livar Pidfa invigorate these
omen as no ether pre.perattea was
w ar kaaowsk is I1; and what is Meat
of all they not merely afford relief
but strike deeper and make Lborough
and lasting corm.
Mr. Walter Booth, Consecon, Prince
Edward County, Ont., states: "I was
troubled for some years with kidney
and liver disease and pains in my beak,
and my stomach was so bad 1 could not
eat hearty bead and had difficulty in
keeping any food in my stomach, I was
8o nervous thatloould scarcely take a
drink of water without spilling much
oe it, my hand trembled so, and I had
lost flesh until my weight.f°ll from 155
to 188 pounds.
"Hearing of aeimilar case that was
cured by Dr. Chase's Remedies, 1 com-
menced by taking Dr. Chase's Kidney -
Liver fills, six boxes of which entirely
cured my kidney and liver troubles. I
Men began; Dr. Ohase'e Nerve Food for
my nervousness. It strengthened my
stoenach and whole system, anal gain-
ed: in flesh. I cannot speak in terms
of too great praise for Dr. Chase's
Kidney -Liver Pills and Nerve Food,
for besides curing mo they did my
father, who is an old man, a great
deal of geed. 1 have everycanfidence
in recommending these remedies."
Mr. J. J. Ward, 7, P., certifies that
he ]snows Mr. Walter Booth, and that
this etatemeset of his cure is perfectly
correct."
The chances are that your neighbors
have used Dr. Chase'a Kidney -Liver
Pills. Ask them. One pill a dose, 25
cents e. box, at all dealers, or Edna*.
son, Bates sad Ce,, Tereitto.
°coils, wlio i she stopped Por want of
breath i "hut all this le talk. I want
s o
to know this enema of y ar visit.
Mrs, Verochoyle tee* aff her gloves,
eat down in a chair, and draggingit
uta' to the table, placed her elbows
theron, end began to talk rapidly,
"You llialtese dogs" she hissed bee
tweea her teeth; "I knew all—yea, all
—did I not meet Signer Clement at the
Strada Crietoforo, and did he not tell
nee that you were as the shadow of my
Sister Carmela, and that you wanted.
to become her busband 4 Speak, you
traitor—Ls it not true?"
"Before I answer that question,"
said Vasaalla, calmly, knocking the
ash, off his cigarette, 'efirat tell ane
wblo is this Signor Clement, that
knows so much of my affairs?"
"He came from England."
"Wheat"
"Shortly after your ship arrived in
London."
"Did he stop at the Signora Briffa's?"
"And asked question?"
"Be asked me none, but, ah 1 with
a.gesture. of impotent rage, "tbat
Dexter, she gave him all the lies of me,
I am certain."
"Exactly I and he told you that I
was making love to Carmela, and ad-
vised+ you to come to England."
"Howl did you know 1" asked Mrs.
Verschoyle, looking at him. with fiery
eyes.
"Because I have my suspicions that
this Clement is a spy."
"A spy—for what --on whom 8"
"For murder—on you."
Mrs. Verschoyle grew deathly pale,
she clenched her hands, and her two
black eyes glared like burning coals
at her 0000.10..
"Bah 1" she said, at length, making
a snatch at one of her gloves; "this es
a child's story."
"No, upon my honor, it's not. I
don't know for certain, but I could
swear this man is a spy. Why should
he go out to Valetta, lodge at the same
i house as you, and tell you this about
; me? Because he wanted you to Dome
!to England—because he is employed
by an Australian devil called Monteith
to hunt yoe down, and accuse you of
they murder of your husband, Leopold
Versoboyle."
Vasaalla arose to bis feet while
speaking, and went over to the wo-
man, who cowered in her chair like a
savage besot, subdued for the mom-
ent by a muster's eye.
"It's a lie—a he I" she teased, tear-
ing her glove viciously; "who can
prove I was on board!"
"Carmela."
"Camisole?" she bounded to ber
feet, her face working with fury. "she
would not dare C'
"She has done so, and told Mon-
teith."
"My God I my God 1" cried Mrs. Ver-
schoyle, stamping up and down the
room; "oh, that my fingers were
round her throat? She has taken my
lovers from me, and naw she'd take
, my ?fie. Bahl" with a sudden
change, "they can't prove anything.
You can save mel'
"Yes, but will Iit"
Mrs. Verschoyle stole round the
table, and latd her arm caressingly
round his neck.
"Yes, you will, my Matteo. Think
of the love I have for you. You will
disappoint this bloodhound, when he
thinks his game aura, and you will
marry' me. We will go back to our
beautiful Malta, and there be happy"
This woman wooed with all the car-
essing fierceness of the South; bar
harsh voice sank toaliquid murmur,
and her wonderful eyes last their
savage gleam, and became melting and
tender.
"You will marry me," she whispered
softly.
Vasaalla sneered tc himself, then ris-
ing suddenly, removed her arms from
around his neck.
"Impassible," the seed, coldly; "1 am
engaged to Carmela.,
Mrs. Versclroyle sprang back, her
eyes blazing with anger, and dasehed
the fragments of her g2Ove im his
face.
"Ingrate! Traitor: Scoundrel!
You shall suffer for this,"
"Not at your hands," with a soft
Iau.gh.
"Yen! at my hands. I have your let-
ters, written \viten you truly loved
me. Wheal yeti said you would kill—"
"Silence, devil!" and Matteo, his
face set and stern, cauglil her arm.
"I will not be silent!" screamed Mrs,
Versohoyle, straggling to get free.
"You shall pot marry Carmela."
"I shall; et is the price of your
safety."
"My safety?" and she suddenly graw
calm.
"Yes, Carmela would have married
the Austratliate I hated him, and
wanted hem•. He has been searching
far the person who k deed Leopold Ver-
sehoyl,e, and the evidence all pointe to
you. He asked me if YOU were 011
board that nighte I said 'No.' I
showed your letter. He asked Car-
metal She said 'Yea' "
"The foal!"
"I made her write a letter denying
[t. She will keep silent for your Sake.
Ague
Vasaeila reieeeed her, and west to
thea r
d o of bile room,
m,
" 2 a in w moments,"
I wall be Ra two.
he said, coldly, "If you cement, and
presentee not ta ti'ouble me, T will save
Yell; it not, you mint take the con-
aequonces," and be went into his bed-
room, and s!h'at the door,
12ra. Versohoyle recovered herself
by a strong effort, and going to the
mideboard, poured out 12a1,f a glees of
brandy, which she drank atf, This
seemed to do her good, for she pat her
bonnet etraight, smoothed her hair,
and prodeeing another pair of gloveu
from her pocket, pat them on, ¶L'hen
she went round the room looking at
Wage until obs sw/me to the table,
whereon Lay Vasealla's portfollo, She
No one but Icon prove it, 1 will keep
Went on condition that I marry Car-
mela. She has accepted me, and you
will not refuse your oonseni."
"I will."
"You wd111 nat.
"Dog, Jot me VII"
"Not till you oansent"
ART'S TREASIME-HOUJS
ALAORS
AG z co 'r X r
x>< NT Nil
mi z�ar u
Or? IINGLISR MAGNATES,
racy ,Are mala Solid- ly and far ,*1r 'rinw. •
!''ire 14 the ealy ruins 'rilup CAA Pe.
,u5Py Ticar,
Gibhou after. visiting Paris and Ver-
0a[llees, concluded that the "splendor of
the French nobles wae confined to
their town reselenee0." "'That 'of the
English," he remarks, "Is more ase -
fully dietribnted in their country
Beata; and we should be astonished at
our own riches if the labors of arch-
tecture and the 'polls of Italy and
Greene, which are now scattered from
Tnverary to Wilton, wore accumulated
In a few streets between 11larylebone
saw Carmehr's letter, and first glans- and; Westminster-" If one in four of
Ing toward the door to malts sore she these great houses stood on the area
vests sa'fu, snatched it up, and devour-
which Gibbon ugg`
n aesta, London would
ed every word of it. Then throwing not only he a city - of palaces, but of
down, she ransacked Lhe portfolio palaces not loss magnificent and morn
with •nimbi° fiugars, evidently 1b see richly stored with the triumphs of the
brush and the °Idea] than those of the
towns of modern Italy. If all the
Paintings in Paris and Florence were
destroyed (there would doll be enough
11 there were mere.
"It le herel it is hero!" she mutter-
ed, glancing rapidly over the papers.
"All" and with a cry of delight she
piokecl up a ]otter and slipped it in- is the Lnglish country houses to pre-
to her pocket. sent a full and brilliant eminence of
Just as she did this she beard Vas- the triumphs of Continental art. The
salsa's Loot, and knew he was return- best work of the English school, the
i.ng. Pushing all the papers book, abs ever-inereaeing{ money value of which
ran noiselessly to the mirror, leaving is a rough test of its worth, is found
the portfodlio in the same disorder as nowhere else. Nine-tentha of the
she had found it, and was•arranging paintings of Gainsborough, Romney,
ber bonnet strings, when Vasaalla, and Sir Joshua Reynolds, Orome and
dressed to go out, entered the room, Turner, are on the walls, A mere
puttiarg on hie gloves. sample of their store of Jfngliah paint -
"Your answer ?" hre said, sharply. ; inge shown at Paris this year astonish-
Mre. VersalsoyLe turned to him ed Continental visitors, whoseacquain-
w5t'h a smiling face.
"I am beaten, Yes."
Be Looked at her auspiciously.
"Yaw mean id"
tans with this class of paintings is
limited at most to a few rooms in Lhe
National Gallery. Ilut one collection
in a town, such as that at Hertford
"On condition that you etop the House, makes more stir than 500 soat-
bloodhoo•nd." teres in se many park -set country
"Agreed; and now let ua go out." houses, just as abroad the collections
"Where is Carmela?" she asked, as in one or two Dutch private houses at
he held the door open. The Hague or Amsterdam are better
"At Marlow, wlbh Sir Mark Trevor. known than the contents of the
Do you wane to see .her?" Escurial among its granite hills.
"No; that is, not at present," she Whet is often least appreciated
answered, going down the stairs. about the great oountry homes is the
"Where does the bloodhound liver" quality of the houses themselves. Their
"Why do you wnnrt bo know,?" he significance. as storehouses of art has
asked, sharply. been acknowledged, if not fully realize
"You needn't tell me unless you ed. Hut they have never had due
like," maid Mrs. Verschoyle, haughti- henor as works of the architect and
ly; "I only asked from Idle cariosity." builder. Whatever the changes in
"I believe he is stopping at the taste and style, the builders have
Tavistock Hetet, in Covent Garden." never fallen short of the highest: sten-
"Oh!" carelessly, as they stepped dard of material and work. Buildings
out to the street, "Wee la my cab, like Houghton, or Stowe, or Woburn,
Can I take you anywhere?" ( or IWentworth•Wodehouse are like
"No, thank you," said Matteo, help-, vast stone quarries, Cost has never
lag her in. "Good -by at present' been considered. The parapets, colon -
0,05 you again soon." nades, roof, pillars and pediments
"I hope so," replied Mrs. Versaboyle; were cut and joined to last for all
and Matteo walked away as the cab time. There is something rather ad -
drove. off. 1 mirable in the qualities of mind which
Mrs. Versohlayle lay back, and would! permit nothing unsound, no
smiled. ! memping of work or shirking of cost
"You teethe you have won," she in any one part or detail of their habi-
murmured, glancing at the stolen tation, Disraeli'® joke about the Duke
letter; "but there are always twos to
who was always afraid of "under -
a game, my dear Matteo! You for- building his position" bas another side
get that!" Ito its meaning. There is, and always
CHAPTER SS, h!ae been, among the leading English
Julian Roper, alias Signor Clement,
owners a very strong sense that the
had Dame to London 1.0. the same boat house is a reflection. of the man. Taste
as Mrs. Versainoyle, and had made might differ in design. But there
!were no two ways of looking at the
profitable use of his time by inflam-
ing that lady's anger. On the morn- execration. , That, they always insist-
ing atter hes arrival he went to ed, should 12e as good as it could be.
Boater's chambers, in order to make Many of these houses give the dmpres-
bes repeat, and there found h[s em -;sissy that they could never need ro-
player, Ronald Monteltb, in anything pairs.
but a joyful frame of mined. Poor 1 Fire is the only thing which destroys
trees -
Ronald was vary much cast dawn by ; them and their irreplaceable art the maws of Oarmela's engagement to' ores. But they generally rico anew,
the Marchese, th:augh Foster tried to overs more splendid than of old. All
Voomwale brine to the bolt of his abilit
undea eoom:' through this reign stars of the first,
y, second and third magnitude have con -
"She is meting asa slantly been added to the country
-
my dear boy," maid Gerald. "'Vasaalla
house firmament, Those built early
has been telling her that Mrs. Ver -
in the "Ms" and "'S0.s' were more re-
scheyle a the assassin of her husband,
and has demanded her hand as the pnarkable for size and a weak and un-
intelligent endeavor to reproduce
"Gothic" architecture, of which the
designers understood neither the
fiercely."We 'beige proved nothing! principles nor its place in domestic
architecture. It is not yet abandoned,
She may be as innocent as you or I perhaps because Pugin and others
for all we know!" mastered its meaning and use and
"My dear lad," said Boater, shrug- made it live again. But though Eaton
51015 ,bis shoulders, "we can only go Hall, a house of the first magnitude,
by circumstantial evidence in this represents the vitality of this style,
the, greater number of the more
modern English palaces are either
"Ohs why did I ever start trying purely Renaissance or very much in-
fluenced by the Italian feeling. Here
price of lets silence."
"How does be know that Mrs. Ver-
scshoyle is guilty?" asked ,Ronald,
finite variety. But through all de not
rtes to tbo first rank .of design, very
cow fall Uelaw .bat in all internation-
al
gnuti
an-
al oomlwtillc
0. wnu0.d
be considered
a
very sufficient Standard OR merit,
Size, one of the postulates of architec-
tural success, they all have, and the
structural .excellence, as we have
said! before, is beyond cavil,
The maxim that houses were built to
live in, not to look at, suggests falsely
that a building ,which is imposing
without Is a'noamfortable !within,
Thera °oalld be no greater error,
judged by t'he 7.ngkish country palaces,
The interiors are heaitiful,
habitable and, unlike the palaces
of any other country, are furnished.
Hinge like Henry VIII., and Queens
like Elizabeth were not above being
proud of their furniture, their tapestry
and even their beds, and had all these
things duly entered in their records.
nerd is as, much possible art in
Eorsian, carpets and hangings as In
glees or mosaipe; but though these
things do make a great difference to
the Interiors of hoaxes, and a high
standard is valuable evidence of Lhe
national' taste, it is not greatly more
in evidence in the palaces of England
1)20n in the general average of smaller
houses, But the size of the rooms
and, thegeneral settle of the interior
do preserve 0020. ranch of domestic
arohitoeture which wowed otherwise
disappear. The permanent decora-
tion of the rooms and galleries is dif-
ferent -from that used in a "house." It
is far more brilliant in Dolor. Pure
colors, sobered by gold, can be used,
and, are used, with most admirable
effect, • So pan sculpture and reliefs.
It is only in these house's that the
more magnificent style of decoration
is found. When combined, as it often
is;, with the effect of the canvases of
tho finest colorist, covering wall
after wall and hanging in gallery aft-
er gallery, it gives a union of the arts
of architecture and painting, with
statuary added also in its right sur-
roundings, which nothing else in
Britain does give.
case, and you must acknowledge
things do look very blank against Mrs.
Verschoylel"
to find out the murderess of Leopold and there we find a huge French
chateau like Waddesdon, or a Plan-
tagenet fortress reproduced, like Lord
Penrhyn's caustic of Bangor, or a mix-
ture of ecclesiaetical styles, lilte this
spires and cloisters of Ashbridge,
built Leone the profits of the Bridge-
water Canal. But in the vast major-
ity of eases the very wealthy English,
whether landed proprietors or mag-
nates of °ommeroe or trade, have been
firer and faithful to the lessons
brought from beyond the Alias. Our
country gentlemen looked, in truth,
not to the mem, but to the style, or to
what) had been lane elsewhere, and
trusted; to the style and [ta models
to keep the mon up to the mark. The
result ie that the country is covered
with these Italian or Italianiehig
palaces, nearly all good and imposing
Versc+hoyle?" groaned Ronald, laying
his head on the table.
"Rather, why did you fall [n love
with Carmelo. Cotenert" said Foster,
not unkindly.
"We'll talk m° move of this," said
Ronald, hasilly rising to his feet, "till
we (see Raper, and hear what he has
to say."
To be Continued.
LOST MBMOR1.a.NDUM.
A young lady was acting tempor-
arily as hostess, and Was match mum -
pied. One of her admirers, a ner-
vous and absent-minded lover, had,
determined to bring affairs to a
point that evening. Flo didn't gat a
chance, •Afterward, says the object
of his 111 -starred devotion, I Emend and full of true proportion and often
this memorandum on the floor, where meet beautiful. Between the elegance
ho had dropped it in his agitation. It of Lord Ebury's wbite palace at Moor
read thsls; Mon'tian rleb in 8019171 Park and the gray freeetone porticoes
MelinMntio- of jBrodsworththTheil'
, e uaaons
aro
ntion im herlonenness. ciety. Meentdann pleas]rtes- Yorkshire house or the colonnades of
petite from Uncle Jim. Never loved ]llecnlleim'or Oodles Howard, or the
before, Propose. •towers of Menlmoi•e there is an in-
s
"HABITUAL PERSONAL ERROR."
"The point of exactitude to which
astronomical observations are carri-
ed is almost inconceivable to the un-
trained mind;" remarked one of the
staff of a wall -known University,
speaking, the other day, of some re-
cent discoveries.
"In making de2Ucate measurements,
for example, astronomers always take
tato consideration a factor known as
'habitual personal error.' In other
words, no two observers see things
exactly the same through their tele-
scope. To one a star well appear a
little smaller and to another a little
larger than it really is, and the only
way to correct these deviations le to
check a•number of different observa-
tions against each other. A calcula-
tion
alculation is never accepted as final until
it is certain that it is u.naffeoted by
personal idiosyncrasy. I mention Chia
es merely one instance oat of thou-
sands illustrative of the marvellous
accuracy of the science. There is no
other profession in the world, by the
way, for which a mon makes such a
complete sacrifice of self. I have
Seen it stated somewhere in explana-
tion of their extremely high wagee.
that certain expert workmen in roll -
Ing mills 'wear out,' on an average, in
about she years. The active life of
an astronomical observer is certainly
no longer. The terrific wear and Lear
.on the optic nerve soon exhaust its
vitality, and meanwhile the general
exposure incident to the occupation
is almost certain to break down u
man's constitution.
"In obtaining successful results, al-
mos1 everything depends upon the
clearness of the atmosphere and the
oonditions in that respooL are rnuah
more apt to be favorable in winter
than in summer. An observatory
must not be heated, because a t'aria-
Uonin the inside and outside tempera-
ture wou5d create a distortion of the
sensitive lens and, the consequence is
that the astronomer is frequently half
frozen at his post. Many an observer
has oontracLed a fatal case of pneu-
monia while seated at the eyepiece of
hie telescope, and nearly all the older
men are shattered in health. It is a
fine evidence of their courage, their
devotion and their single-heurcednese
that we hear so Little about these
thdags.
WAIT OFFICE OH EliYikeEl.
Laf 11e.1 ARIAS prsem° the f1PleetY
9f
Me queue.
Interrogated 00 to what becomes of
arms taken Rroan prisoners of war-, .
Day, the Boews--se respongible official
at the War Office said:
"It depends entirely on , oironut-
stances . and upon the decision the
provost -marshal on the field may eo22'2e
to, A. kbwovost-marshal, .You may like
to know, is an officer, usually of the
rank' of captain, w,hb is selected by
the general to eat as ohietC of the
military police on the field, who are
all soldiers, and WS Powers usually
extend to two, or it may he in some
cases three, divisions of an array,
"Well, then, that officer reccivea all
Pmisomer8 of war, and when these are
captured in fairly large numbers
they are made to file past a certain
given point, ander guard, where each
man lays down his arms.
"What becomes of the arms? In
the majority of instances, perhaps, I
may say generally in all instances,
they are 'destroyed. The particular
farm of destruction rests with the
pattern of the rifle. Some are brok-
en in two like sticks, as the Martini
foe Inetanoe, while the newer Bort are
treated less brutally. Their 'breeohes
are pdeked,
" A11 arms taken from prisoners of
wear become at once the property of
the Queen, and although there .is no
doubt that aide -alma, and possibly
many rifles too, and other weapons
taken from the enemy, are kept by
o:nr men as trophlies, yet the oustone
is opposed to official sanction, except
where permission is given.
"Many of these trophies are kept
'by military authorities in some In-
stances for distribution among tech-
nical museums. I am, however, quot-
ing exceptions to the general rule.
"Captured arms are never •at any
time used by our own forces in the
field: Every particular rifle has its
own particular kind of bullet, and as
the standard rifle of the British Army
is the Lee -Melford, the bullet used
for that weapon would not be prao-
tioable, for, say, the 111ousor rifle of
the Boer army.
"Do we ever sell captured rifles sec.
and -hand? No. The military author-
ities would never sanction that step
for we might be selling such weapons
to people who might in the near or
distant future be directing them
against us. Again, there arises the
contingency—remote but possible—if
the Government undertook to sell cap-
tured rifles, of these falling into the
hands of some Indian hill tribes, with
wham we are at peace only at the
point of the bayonet—the Afridis, for
example ; for, of course, none of the
Great Powers would purchase second-
hand captured rifles.
" The several thousand rifles taken
from Cronje's army at his surrender
al Paardeberg are safely deposited at
Oapetow,n, and not until the war is
over will any definite decision be come
to with respect to their fate. Allmay
be destroyed.
"If rifle -clubs were este.blishod all
over the cauutry, as is suggested, for
the purpose of making an ideal marks-
man of every willing Britisher, would
the military authorities in these cir-
cumstances change the fate of cap -
Lured rifles, and hand them over to
such clubs for practising with ? No,
the Government' *would do 0.0 such
thing. You must not forget that ev-
ery type of rifle is captured in war-
fare, and if all and sundry were hand-
ed over to your rifle clubs it would
Lend to promote the wildest and grav-
est confusion, for, speaking general-
ly, different' rifles want different
handling and different ammunition.
"1 may tell you Lhat if it were re-
quired and the necessity arose for War
Office action in the matter, the mill -
'Lary authorities are to -day in such a
pesthole as would enable them to put
the British standard rifle into the
hands of every available man in the
country.
" Yea, there is always a certain
amount of danger accompanying cap-
tured rifles. Just after the battle of
Tama[, Egypt 1834, for example, amen
of the Carnaronians was busy break-
ing up some of the captured rifles on
the field by smashing them on the
wheel of a gun, when taking 0.p one
by the muzzle and wielding it against
the gun, the rifle, which was loaded,
want. off, 'and killed the poor fellow, •
The usual way to to take a rifle by
the butt -and, and then clash the wea-
pon against a cannon wheel whenever
such mode of procedure has to bo car-
ried out.
HOW NAITURE WARNS.
Seaweed us a Lost far sewage—this
is the, discovery made by Dr. Letts,
professor of chemistry in the Belfast
college, and 1110 coadjutor, Mr. 1law'
thaine, of the same colleges Thrir
attention had ;bean called to large
quantities of putrefying seaweed
outside Belfast and Dublin. Invosti-
gatiom proved tint the growth of the
weed depended • largely on the sew -
alga pollution of the water, and that,
in feet, at only floasrisbed'in localities
where such pollution existed. The
remits of Prof. Letts' experiments
were recently .communicated to the
chemical ovation of the British as-
sociation.
A story first heard at a mother's
knee is seldom forgotten, and the same
may be said of other things received
at mother's knee which will read-
ily r...ear to the reader.
FIREPROOF DWELLINGS.
Porolk'hovstctlkow, wbo some
time, ago published an important
worst dealing exhaustively with the
system to bo adopted for the sanita-
tion of St. Petersburg and Moscow,
has recently been among the rural
papa—Wilco, advising the adoption of
incombustible wood for village duel:-
Inge. Ho 4>.us bu1l1 in the environs of
Moscow a fireproof "village," whir.lt
a government official has boon sent
to cermet upon, If tltq result of the
oxparinient proves satisfactory there
will be a great future for the fire-
proof wood in the villages of Russia,
Slow living and high thinking Will
make better hien that hidgl2 living and
slow thinking