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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1897-7-16, Page 22 A MAD RECKOAING, THE BRUSSELS POST;• JULY 1Ff,. 1897' 1"07'l. B AND COMAfENT$$. It s encouraging to have from an able ph'ysiesian the assurance that "the next and greatest advance iu medical science will be the mastery of the art of preventing disease," To keep well. ie so much bettor and easier than to get well! Dr. Charles W. Purdy, in the current North American Review. treats this important sulbject in a very enlightening and belpful way, His Maly on "Popular Errors in Living" could be summed up in the reply given by a wise doctor to a patient who asked hien for a rule to prevent recur-. rent attaoks of rheumatism, "It is quite simple," he said—"keep In con- dition." And he proceeded to indicate a regimen, including diet, exercise, fresh air, rest, proper clothing, etc„ which proved entirely efficacious to one who had the sense and the moral cour- age to follow it, Dr. Purdy insists that "if a man who is born of bealthy parents, and who is himself healthy at birth, becomes seriously disabled in health before the age of from sixty -Live to seventy, barring accidents or in- fectiaus dieeelse, it is solely because he has not lived properly.' Beginning with the s'ulbject of food, the writer says that "the greatest dietary sin ot the average is his meat - eating propensity." He declares, "ass matter of careful observation," that of the large, and inereasing number of cases of acquired Bright's disease 90 per cent. belonging to the class of peo- ple "robust in appearance, inclined to rather full habit of body, but sedentary in their habits. taking but little exer- cise," who eat freely of meat, frequently ' three times a day. It is this error, he says, whish explains the frequency of such diseases as rheumatism and gout. Next in order of the more serious die- tary errors common among our people Dr. Purdy mentions "the excessive use of sweets and starchy foods." These foods in excess not only promote de- posits of fat which are abnormal, but by overworking the organs of digestion, separation and expulsion cause the various diseases of the stomach, liver and kidneys that have become so com- mon among us. , ' Of course the "excessive quantity of food consuaned" by people who perform no enamel el labor is mentioned as a fruitful cause of disease. Dr. Frank- lin condensed this wisdom into a pro- verb in saying that many people "dig their graves with their teeth." The need of physioai exercise in the open air, of which the doctor says "bicycl- ing practised with ordinary intelli- gence and discretion furnishes an ideal type." is strongly enforced. So also is suitable clothing, which includes in our climate all -wool undergarments of different weight the year round. It is probably true that at forty years every man is a good deal of a fool or some-. thing of a physician in the matter of regulating his method of life so as to promote his health and well-being, If an athlete "gets in condition" to row a race, why should not a sensible man strive to "keep in condition" to do his life -work? THE RETIRED BURGLAR. CHASTER K. In less than a week after her inter- view with Picot, Mrs. Brooke, her hue - band. and Miss Primby were settled in their new home. The rooms recom- mended by the Frenchman had prov- ed more to Clare's liking than any she had seen elsewhere, and she at onc0 if by way of afterthought: Not bur engaged them. The furuiture and fit- what I have had several most eligible tinge were to a greet extent after the of" Lor at my nous n elf make you feel cheap and tawdry tyle so much af- all overfish like when they went flop on fected by the inferior class of French their knees and asked you to marry lodging -house keepers; but as the whole • 'em ?" Gentleman don't often go on their place was pervaded by an air of clean- Idoses nolvadaye, Still, T have had Chem liners, such little desagrements as ex- isted in other respects Clara was pro- member that when lvlr. Tubbins, the pared to overlook. eminent brewer, did so, he was so very No, 6 Pymm's Buildings was one of stithout out that hiastancecould not get up again a w ass," row of half -a -dozen houses similar to My 1 1'd have stuck a pin into him Itself in size and outward aspect, situ- that g woirl uld have nr de him Jump," range mo, cried ated in a quiet count abutting i At this 'tincture the door opened and a little while in silence, and then afar- gery said; "You -11 excuse me, mail, man wito once mado me as off= of for saying so, but I've often wondered marriage, Ile need to spealt just the Will snob a nice lady as you never got same delightful broken elerglisll—and married." tduen he had such greet black eyes, The spinster could not help bridling weal, weaned to p10100 right through a Hata'. Married 1 How ebsurd of you, you, arid. the loveliest waxed nnous- Margery," she exclaimed. "From what taches; so that widen he clasped his I have Been of married life, I'm sure 1 hands and turned up his eyes till notli- am for better off as I am," Then, as log bet the whites of thein were visi' ble, and murmured "Mon tinge," and called me his beautiful .Lngleesli mess," can you wend= that my heart used to thrill responsively r' Clara could not repress a smile, "'I tun by no means sure that I should have cored to call that count my un'• ol," "It was a mercy that leech hum about his business. He turned mit to be no nobleman at all, but only a hair- dresser's assistant. whose fatber had left hien a little money. But certainly he had remarkably find eyes.' Again these was a brief space of silence. This time it was broken by a knock w?lach sounded all the more startling because no one had beard the faintest sound of footsteps on the sitars. All three stowted to their feet and looked at each other. Then, at a sign from Clara Miss Primby crossed to the door and opened it. Framed by the doorway and ebone upon by 'tee lamplight from within, they beheld the blaok-clothed figure, the statuesque, colourless face and the statuesque, colourless face and the Ln- scrutable eyes of 'M. Karrovsky. ' •Rarovsky—you I" cried Gerald as be sprang forward. Yes, I—why root?" said the Russian with n senile as he raised his hat and came forward.—"Ladles your servant." Then to Gerald: "You scare at me, mon ami, as .E I end just Dema beak from Nudes, But Ibis is scarcely the band of a revenant, if I may be allowed an opinion in the matter:' "It seems incredible that you should hnv efound me out in this place," ans- wered Gerald as the tw oshook heads, 'Incredible? Penh! I had to see you; "Inexeclible? Penh! I bad need to see you ; and I am here. Will you not be seated?" As Karovsky drew up a chair, Clara made a sign to hes aunt, and the two ladies passed out through the folding doors into the room. beyond. Pardon," said the Russian as he glanced around, "but this place seems scarcely a fit home either for madame or yourself.' "You know that Z am in hiding; you doubtless also Mame that a large re- ward is offered for my capture?"— The ocher nodded.—"While such is the case. it is impossible for me to touch u Penny of my income. My wile's aunt bas lost hen property by_ a bank f- all- ure. We are very ,poor, Krarovaky tilers are worse ills ii life than pov- erty" Part of my errand to -night is to tell you that I have instructions to place certain funds at your disposal. You can Ieave this place to -morrow, if it please you so to do." Thanks, Karovaky; but I cannot ac- cept a penny of the money you offer me" How ! Not accept ! But thus s folly." "It may seem so to yon; but that does not alter tbie matter." "It is unaccountable," said the Rus- sian, with a lifting of his black eye- brows. "But wily remain in these wretched apartmments? Why not go abroad—on the Continent—to Ameri- ca—anywhere? The world is wide. and tlbere are places where you would be far safer than here." ' Idoubt it. One reason whey I am here is because I believe this spot—in the, heart of one of the most populous quarters of London—to he as safe a hiding -place as any I could find. My other reason is that were I to go abroad, I feel as if I should be throw- ing away my last faint lope of ever being able to prove my innocence to the world." Kerovsky stared at hien in wide-eyed amazement. "Bawl Yaur"— My innocence ot the, murder of Berme von Rosenberg." d., Pardon ; I fail to sakips" Shee ea tido down, toher!needleworl k, p�1n. clothrre to ell me that a es s on guard eoutsiden blue Miss Primby was tine first to break! Court, and that soother is stattaned the silence. 'Do you lcaow, my dear " ll1 id , ao teat no one can pass in or she said to ber olece 'that 'Monsieur out without beioag observed. Ho also Picot puts me greatly !al minx! of the t illls Ins that there ere two more con - Count de TlonnecJiose a l reneb noble- stables in =aroma patrolling the street o1iise by ;: nail that from what he Dene gamer, they are awaiting the, arrival of some one probably a superior offi- (er, 70 it possible, Brooke, that eon can be Ilia quarry on which they m- tand presently to ,swoop?" "There call be little doubt, of it," rentswesed Gerald Who had risen to his feet whale Ker vsky Was speaking. He bad tusked very pale; but inns lips wore firm -set, and the expression which; shone out of bis ayes was som.ethmg far removed from graven fear. Clara stood teeth one hand resting on the table, her frasmo trembling slightly. Was the blew she had dread- ed sp long about to• fall at last? Miss Primhy eat down with a gasp. "Well, let diem come," weed on Ger- ald after a• moment's pause. ' It will be better so, I aan tired of this life of hide-amd-seek, .Why not end it here vend now'?" No vol' eried his wife. "Even ab this, the eleventh' hoar, there must surely be same way of escape." "Even if I were eager to escape, wnioh I ami not, I know of none." "Madame is right," said the Russians in his Impressive tones, "There is still m' e." And th t of is?"" p ---said Gerald inter- rogetively. But before Karovsky could repply, Margery, breathless and dishevGelled, burst into the room. "0 Mus —0 mum," she exclaimed, "the polis is in. °oust—four or five of 'ems, and I believe they're coming here. But I shut and bolted the door at the bottom of the stairs ; and it'll take 'eel some time to hreek that cloven," added the girl with a chuckle. Picot who wee on his way down - evening; and 0, went an exquisite her words, and be could now be seen dimly outlined on hhe landing, his eyes piercing the obscurity like two points of flame; hut for the moment no of • bine one (served h M (To be continued-) main thoroughfare in the busy ulous district of Soho. All the houses In Pymm's Buildings accommodated a more or less numerous tribe of lodgers, the lower floors being generaely ar- ranged in suites of rooms for the con- venience of families, while the top floors were usually divided into separate sleeping apartments. ,And it was in this place and amid seeks sordid. sur- roundings that the whilom owner of Beechly Towers hoped to find for alit- tle time a secure shelter from the hue and cry of the ten thousand hounds of policedom, each and all of whom were doing their utmost to run him to earth. His idea had been to bury himself in the heart of some densely populated district where one man is but as a grain of sand among ten thousand others, and in so far it may be surmised that he had been successful. 1Vhen Mrs. Brooke quitted Beechly Towers secretly and by night to join her husband in London, Margery,faitb- ful Margery, was the only one who was made aware of her departure. The girl pleaded so hard to be allowed to ac- company her, that at last Clara was fain to make her a promise that she would send for ber as soon as she was settled in her new home. Thus it fell out that Margery was now here, and her mistress found the value of her ser- vices in a score different ways. For in- stance, Margery did all the marketing and did it for little more than half what it bad cost before her arrival, Poor simple-minded Clara, who believ- ed everybody to be as honest as her- self, had been imposed upon at every turn ; but the shopman or peripatetic vendor who succeeded in " besting" Margery, as she termed it, must have been very wide-awake indeed. The girl would haggle for half an hour over a penny, and her powers of vituperation always rose to the level of the occasion. What was Ma's. Brooke's surprise about the third day after her arrival at Pymm's Buildings as she was on her way down -stairs, to encounter 111. Picot on his way up 1 Then it came out that the mountebank rented a room at the top pf the house wbich be looked upon as a permanent home, and occu- pied as such when his avocations did not take .him elsewhere. Had Mrs. A Heeling with a 1165810 -Hearted 11'omtm Retied hr a Feroeloa4 Dog. "At the foot of the stairs in the front hall of a farmhouse one night," said the retired burglar, "I stumbled over something soft that turned out fo be a feather bed. 10 I bad had a grain of sense at all I should have suspicioned. something from that, but I didn't. It looked as though it had just been tumbled down stairs, and left there to be carried off in the morning, and I let it go at that, and stepped into it and over it to the first step of the stairs and on up. "Stepping up on bhe fourth step 1 kicked against a string stretched across the stairs and broke it. That made me suspicious, but I never connected the feather bed at the foot of the stairs with it. I looked up. I expected it to be connected with something there. And it was; and it was coming down the stairs at me, and filling up the whole stairway. It was a big feather bed. Even then I didn't see that the one coming down bad anything to do with the one down on the floor, and at the same time I couldn't understand mew anybody should roll anything like a feather bed down on anybody; bulky to be sure, but so light tbat it was an .easy thing to stop. 1 put u my bands to stop this one, but 1 might just as well have tried to stop a mountain. It was soft and squashy on the outside, but it weighed a tan. It just bowled me right over backward, and I fell on the other fea- ther bed at the foot of the stairs. Then I began to understand 'what that one was for, It was to save the bones of elite man tbat was tumbled over by the avalanche bed. I lay there nearly smothered by the bed on top, and working out from un- der it gradually. I hope you are not hurt?' I heard. somebody say from over the railing along the 'hall upstairs, and I said 'no, ma'am,' because it was a female voice, and 1 elm always, polite to the ladies; `but would you Mind tellung me what's !!aside the one that came down?" 'Oh,' she said, it's the summer range, with the flatirons inside, Can you lift it off? Or shall I let the dog come down' and help you?' "And with that I heard a dog scratebing upstairs. I supposed it started him up to hear himself spoken of, and I judged (roan Use sound of his claws on the carpet that he •must have been aloud the size of o. tiger, and of about the some kind of disposi- tion. No,' I says, 'I clan get clear of it,' and I decd, and stood up in the hall. You won't carry off the other one, eel II you?" shesaad. And ?rearing the dog still sorateh- ttpStairs, I said. `n'o, I wouldn't;' and 1 didn't. The lady appeared to be gen- tle -hearted enough, but 1 knew you couldn't trust 'the dog.' , Brooke been aware of this fact at the time, she might perhaps, have hesitated before deciding to take tho rooms. And tive feel; g of trust in thhe e mountebank- the same sort of trust, although in a lesser degree, that she had in Margery ; and after the first tremor of alarm which shot through her when she encountered him on the staircase, she never felt a moment's doubt that her secret, or as much of it as he might know or sus- pect, was safe in his keeping. It be- came, of course, necessary to explain h and her hus- band, him that it was she band, and not any one else, whose for- tunes ba.d changed sowoefully. But Pi- cot was one of the most incurious of mortals outside the range of his own affairs. Be only remembered Clara as ]a belle madame," who had kissed his boy and spoken kindly to him and had laden him with gifts, and about whom Henri often spoke when his father and he were alone. He had never thought of asking any one what her name was; and even now, when he understood from Clara bow terribly the circum- stances of herself and ber husband were changed, be expressed neither cur- iosity nor surprise in the matter. He was vreiment desole—ho was heart- broken to think that such should be the case; but that was all. He did, in - dead, a little later, ask the landlord the name of his new lodges; and when he was told that they were known as Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, he repeated the name to himself two or three times over, so as to impress it on his memory, and then went contentedly on his way. The furnished lodgings rented by Mr, and Mrs. ": Stewart " comprised three rooms on the first floor and two on the second. As it chanced, the 110om5 on the ground -floor were at present untenanted. The sitting -room bad two windows and was a tolerably sized apartment, In it about eight o'clock on a certain 'autumn evening, were seated Miss Primby and Margery. The former. as usual, was engaged on some kind of delicate embroidery ; while the latter was trying her handl at little plain sewing, the result being that on an average she pricked her finger once every three or four minutes. But, in- deed, the girl was somewhat nervous this evening, os what she herself would have termed " in a pucker." She had had the ill -fortune to break a cup while washing up the tea -things, Mrs. Brooke came in. She was plainly dressed in black, and was closely veiled. Since Margery's arrival she rarely ven- tured out of doors till dusk, and then only when she wanted to do a little shopping such as the girl could not do for her. Any one who had not seen her since that April evening when NI, Kar- ovsky's ill-omened shadow first dark- ened the terrace ea Beechly Towers, might have been excused for failing to recognise her again. It was not mere- ly that she looked older by more years than the months which had elapsed since that day—anguish, anxiety, and the dread which never ceased to haunt her of what the next hour might bring forth, had marked their cruel lines on her features in a way that Time's gen- tle if inexorable graver never does when left to labour alone. The clear dancing light had died out of her eyes long ago; they looked larger and shone with a deeper and more intense lustre than in the days gone by; but a sud- den knock at the door, an unusual foot- fall on the stairs. or the voices of strange men talking in the court below, would fill them on a sudden with a sort of startled terror, just as the eyes of a deer may till when first it bears the baying of the faraway hounds. She took off her bonnet with as air of weariness and sat down. " Has not Gerald returned yet?" she said to her ;runt. " What can have become of him?" The evening is so fine that he has probably gone for a longer walk than ordinary.' "It makes me wretched when he stays out longer than usual. And yet, poor fellow I what a life is his. To be shut up in one miserable room from morning till night; never to venture out till after dark, and then only with the haunting dread that he may be recognised and arrested at any mom- ent! How will it all end?" She sighed and went into the other room. Present - 1y she returned, and a few moments later a knock at the door made every one start. Margery hastened to open it. Outside stood Picot carrying a bunch of flowers. " Bon soh, madame." he said, addressing himself to Clara, with a low bow, and then favouring Miss Primby with another. "Bon sow. Monsieur Picot. Entrez sol vows plait." Marti, madame," he answered as he advanced into the room. " I have here a petit bouquet—a few flowers—which Henri has sent for madame, if she will have the bonte to accept them." "I shall be charmed to do so." ans- wered Clara as ahe took the flowers. "How fresh and sweet they smell l I am much obliged to Henri, and to you also, monsieur." The mountebank made another low sweeping bow.—" I hope that Henri is quite well?" Parfaitement been, madame." " The first time he has a holiday he must come and take tea with me; I will not forget to have a nice cake for the occasion." He will be enchants; madame. Ah I if madame could see him on the trapeze could but see him jumpez from one bar to another—it is splendid, magni- fique 1" T think I would rather not see Henri go through any of his perform- ances, monsieur.". Mair, madame I" with an expressive shrug; "there is no danger, nothings to be afraid of. Oh, the grand artiste that Henri will be one day l He is twice so desacs as I was at his age. He will be what you cell in England great man —big fellow." 1 am very glad to hear it. Mean- while, you will not forget that ho is to coma some afternoon and take tea with me." Ah, madame, he talk about you av- iary day.—But I go now. I hope that monsieur your husband finds himself quite well?" Quite well, thank you, monsieur." With that the mountebank made his adieus and bowed himself out. It here becomes needful to explain that just then Henri was engaged to a certain hippodrome as one of a troupe of juvenile acrobats who, under the pseudonym of " les freres Donati," and under the tuition of a celebrated "Pro- fessor," were performing a number of well-nigh incredible feats before crowd- ed and enthusiastic houses. ' Ain't he polite 1" said Margery as Picot closed the door. "But what a,pity the poor man talks saoh a lot of gib- berish." " 0 mum, do you think Mrs. Stewart will lot me stay when I tell her/ She won't turn me away, will she?" ' Why, of course not, Margery. 7t was en accident, it cannot be helped.' " Oh, thank you for saying that, nium. Sometimes my fingers seem as if they were all thumbs, and I lets evory- ihieg drop. But I wants no wagos,and L ain't a big eater—leastways, 1 think not; and I'll eat less than ever now, so as to help to pay, for the cup. A crust o' bread and drippin', a few cold titers, and the teapot eater everybody else has done with it—that'll do me.' You must not talk like that, Mar- gery • your mistress would not like it," Ola, but you don't know how sorry I am, mum, Mariar—her on the boat— always used to say es I was a great awk'ard lout of. it girl; and she was a gout right there. The two went on. with their work for , h sd What can have become of Gerald?" said Clara for the seoond time, as she wet to the window and drawing aside the ourtaie peered into the darkness. I never knew him to be so late before. I cannot help feeling dreadfully un- easy." Than turning to Margery she said: " here is a list of things I want you to fetch from the grocer's in Med- win Street, Do you think you can find your way in the dark?" Why, of course, mum. a never gots lost, I don't.' Half aminute latex she ran down -stairs, whistling as she went. The minutes dragged themselves slow- ly away, and Clara was working herself into a fever of apprehension, when a well-known footfall on the stales caus- ed a ery of gladness to burst from her lips. ' At last 1" she exclaimed as she started to her feet end berried to the door. "How glee I aim that you are safely bank," she added, as her 'husband entered the rooan. You were away so long that I grew quite frightened,' "The evening was so pleasant that erged from tem other room. article she affects. ahe unconscious I extended my walk eaxtlber than I in- That summons is intended fox me," kieptomappiaes often make no effoet to tended. I roust be a Med bird now said Karoveky quickly as he rose and conceal the article stolen. This condi- for the next four-and-twouty hours. opened! the door, tion is frequently the symptom of the Heigh-ho I" Then those inside saw that a mat., a beginning of a mortal organic affec- 'Will you not mase something to stranger, was standing on the landing, tion. eat?" Nvivo seemed to retire further into the "When we parted lust, I told you clearly and emphatically that, let the cansequonoes to myself be whatever they might, mime should not be the hand to strike the fatal blow; but when you left me, you, evidently did so ia the belief that in a little while I should change my mind, and that of the two alternatives you had placed be- fore me, I should choose the one which you yourself would in all probability have chosen had you been in my place. Time went on, and, within the period you had prescribed, Von Rosenberg was fouatd dead, shot through the heart. Such being the case, it was perhaps a not uneaten! conclusion dor you to arrive at that it was I, Gerald Brooke, who was the assassin,.—But I aslt you, Karovsky, to believe in the truth of What I am now going to tell you, I had no more to do with the death of Von Rosenberg than you, yourself had." Es-il possible!" exalalmed the Rus- sian in a voice scarcely raised above a whisper. For a few rnomeants he set staring silently at Gerald; then he wont on: "Not often am I astonished. at anything I hear; but you Gerald Brooks, have astonished me to -night. Tlhe evidence against you seemed so conclusive., that I never doubted Von Rosenberg fell by your hand. Yet more then once I said to myself: "What an imbecile Brooke must have been to leave behind ?aim sash a condom- natexy piece of evidence as the weapon with which he did the decal"— But who, than, was the individual who SO kindly spared you a necessity so painful?„ That I know tvo more than you de, "C'est un vrai mystere." YOUNG. FOLKS.' THE GLORY OF RAT PORTAGE. IN -Mayor !Barnes Tells Bels the Town 001 110 Nome nail Why the citizens Love H. In tho mining convention recently held at Rat Portage, Prof. Goodwin of Kington advised that the. town change its name from Rat Portage to scam one of the many mustcal Indian names so plentiful there. The audience plain- ly showed its disapproval of the idea. Before the close of the session ex - Mayor George Barnes secured the floor. He s a tall, lank, bony fellow. droll and humorous to a high degree. Ile said that in times past movements had been started to change the name of the town, but for good reasons the people were so attached to it that they defeated all such movements. "I will "From; day.to day T live in lova that the real criminal will be discovered and brought to justice; but with each day that pauses that hope grows fainter ev'ithtn me." know not what tosay.—\Wean Ire - member the past, and when I fool[ and an overpowering desire, but the round and think that this is now the medical ex; girls and others apply an bane of you and madame" --He spread infallible teat. The professional takes all she can lay hex hands on and seeks to dispose of of ; the pregnant woman always teals the same thing, end, hoe- ing stolen it, and satisfied her °raving, makes no attempt to profit by the theft, Frequently,, as ;h the case of men's cravats, it is a useless or absurd COMIC 1)111715 A 11 ANIMALS; Pigs, es,peelally happy pigs, when not too fat,. but only "well lilting" and free. to ;wander in, a big yard and forage for themselves,. and almost the most condo of animals: Almost all the nee, essary elements- are present—fat bodies and fat celestite, twinkling eyes, tight- ly curling tails, short, turned up noses, voices capable of expressing Ina grunt intense greedy selasatisfacation, curios- ity and all forma• of squeaks and squeals far surprise, fear and panic. The writer re°ently watched a family of young pigs, about eighteen inches• long, just turned out to spend the morning In a mead.cw and returned convinced that therm was not mo- meat at which their appearance and be- havior was not too commal for descrip- tion. Each flower and weed was taste ed by the little pigs with the air of is connoisseur trying a new•dish and when they found a horse lying asleep taking its &unday rest the whole lit- ter le round its. head stood as ifln a grouped i to sing in a panto- mime. Pigs are so funny and everyone so thoroughly recognizes the fact now, that it seems rather odd that the dis- covery should be so recent. There is. plenty of allusion to the peg as a filthy, ugly creature in the east, and many olrl English anecdotes of their cunning and knowing ways about weather and food, but except the R selling scene in the Aeharnians, whitish is sadly wanting in humor, there is hardly any early recog- nition of the comicality of pigs. The reason is that it is only the modern improved British pig that le comical. His alone are the round stern, the curly tail, the short nose, the dumpling cheeks and the fine high sspfirits. The evretnhed gray -hound pig of the east or of the unimproved breeds of Europe, has not an atom of humor in him. Even a young wild boar is a glum little fel- low, only growing li�raly us ho grows hungry. We owe the 'combo pig' to the encouragement of the Smithfield show and the Royal Agricultural So- ciety. But there is room for diCferentse as to the humourous side of animal lite in creatures whdah are not domesticated and have never changed. The owl is a case In point. The Greeks looked upon him as a grave and wise bird and assigned him to Athens. We think his appearance comic, and in comic talk the owl represents se be- wildered, rather dense person, who cannot see the obvious. Though the Greek revered the owl, Hindoo feel- ing is exactly the same as owe. To call a servant "ooloo"—you owl! would convey exaptly the same mean- ing in India as it• would bare. A ,physi- eal explanation is just possible. Ws and the Hindoos think of the night owl, a bird bewildered by light. Athena's. owl's, which are now sold in large num- bers in London as pats, aro little, wideawake ground owls, able to sea by day as well as by night. Most. [people who have watched penguins hopping on the ground will own, that when. mov- ing they are irresistibly funning., Their little wings, like fat hands without arms, round whiter waistcoats, short necks, and short legs with. little flat. black feet make teem a bird edition of Mr. Pickwick. Their only movement is a series of hops„ with. the head bent nervously forward,, as if tbey were afraid of falling—which, they are—and their little wings stuck out on.each side to balance them. Of course the pen- guin has not the least notion that it is funny or amusing, and is as uncom- fortable as a C'hineae lady trying to walk across a rice field. Puffins rank high among the comic birds. Their make-up,' wtbiah is that of a city waiter, is enha.maed by the big red and yellow bill, which, is set on, like a Guy Fawkes mask. Young puffins, which have not developed this. adjunct to "fa- cial expression,' are far less ludicrous, to look upon, and hewer none, of the ex- aggerated inspector -like air 00 their seniors. The Japanese• artists, who have a fine sense of the ludicrous, in nature but usually reads in. some por- tion of nature, wi.t into their studied. Of alnima1 life, show a proper apprecia- tion, of the comicality of the crab. They cast bronze crabs int all attitudes, the most effective being the enraged mole sticking up his pinehdig claws in a,. position of defense. If their mechani- cal skill also. dowel! of a clock -work movement, by which the. crab could bee depicted retreating sideways, with hist claws raised and snapping these works of art would' be perfect illustrations of the' comic side of submarine life. tell you how the town got its nano." saki Barnes, dad. he kept hes word. "Lon'g years ago, ages ago In fact, around Rat Portage there were num- erous water bodies connected by nar- row necks of rock. 'These bodies of water fairlyswarmed with countless nusbers 01 muskrats. When they passed from me lake to another they bad to ane these rooky necks as port- ages. Now a muskrat has a long, rough, scaly tail, which drags behind. Year after year, and age, after age, those rats. dragged thea tails over those port- ages until deep creases were worn in the hard rod. In time, water com- menced to run through those creases, and it kept running through until a deep broad channels was formed. In that way we secured the falls and water power between the head of the lake•and What le now the Winnipeg River. "The rats kept portaging, the patba kept deepening, and, in time, there•was lots of time im those days, our second water power was formed. The thing kept on, until, the third all, tbs Dick & Banning site, was formed. Bot just then the white mea came and caught almost all the rats and thein' great work came tis a stop. If the white man! had not come, undoubt- edly other water powers around Isere would have been formed. and no one knows where the good work would have ended. Now that s how this place came toe be called Rat Portage. One of our chief glories is our water power here, and tha.t's why the people here love the name of their town." Barnes then sat down, add the packed house with thunderous applause show- ed that it indorsed leis statement of the case. DEGREES OF KLEPTOMANIA Divided Into Three 1:12,5403 by at Ports Coml. A Paris court has recently acquitted a young married woman arrested for stealing nearly 200 btadt silic cravats, for men. In the course of the trial kleptomania was discussed and shop thieves divided into three classes—con- scious. semi-conscious and unconscious, Conscious then, it was declared, may be premeditated or unpremeditated; type of the farmer the professioaaal shoplifter with her big pocket; of the latter the woman who suddenly yields toan irresistible temptation. Semi-con- scious thefts are the result of " tem- porary modifications in the intellect with momentary diminution of themor- al sense." and these see frequently com- mitted by most respectable women, under determined conditions of san- itary trouble." Parisian shoplifters have of late taken to pleading pregnancy out his Stands with a gesture more ex- pressive then words. Before more could be said, there came a peculiar koock et the door—three taps in quick sueemeion, followed by a fourth, after a longer interval, At the sound, Clara and Miss Primby em- ''J!haaiits; teething at present," he shaata the moment the light fell on him. answered as he proceeded to day n,sid.e He said eomethin'g rapidly in a low his slouched hat, h1s overcoat, end the voice to Karovsky, to ovibeeh the Iat110 muffler which had ebroud,edl the lower rreplied. in the same languagg•e. Then the pert of his face, Then he took up a Russian gave a noel as of disralssal, and book and sat down in an oast' -chair. . closing` the door, darned and confront - near the fire. ed Gerald with a grave face and dis- His wife's eyes brtmamed with tears tendon eyes. "Tint nae is ono of us," fie they rested an hen. 111Y 1001 hey;" hie said. "When I entered the house, s p id softly to herself, '!this life is I let bibs on watch outside, Ito now ONE OF TOieIMY'S GOOD DAYS, Father --Well, what has Tommy been doinll to-clay1 Mother—Ile e.ttt off a piece of the cat's tall, broke, three windows, bleak - (Mod the cook's eye., and built a bon - flee iia the cedar, Father—ls that an? Tommy must have been a good. boy to -day. , , A LIE'S A LIE. Mr. Tones was a man who always told the exact truths and the same re - sed him.- gard self hedemanded ofthosee whom ho employed. When Henry Leitb, secured a posi- tion in his offitre,, every one said it was. a splendid chane fox a boy. 10 he suited Mr. Jones. h's was sure to work bis way up to some responsible posi- tion in time. His father cautioned hum about his coaduest before be began Work, "Remember, ' ho said, " that Mr. Braes is very particular about truth- fulness. lie is. as particular about it in small matters as. in large ones. Koen chis ahvays in mind." Mr. Leith was anxious to impress the importance of absolute vercwity on his son, because he knew that he was inclined to be somewhat lax in this re- spect, ls'or a time Henry profited by hie father's advice. Then he began to get careless. It was not long before Mr. Jones satisfied himself that Henry's statements could not be imislicitly re- lded on, Then he said to ham: "Wo must part company. I have no use for a boy whose word I cannot have entire confidence in. Do you mean to say T have lied to youl" asked Henry indignantly. "You may not call it lying," was the reply. "Some people smooth it over with their conscience by calling such things 'white lies,' I don't. I consid- er a lio a lie, no matter what it's de- gree. I'm sorry we cannot get aloe together, but We cannot—for I cannot trust you." So Henry lost has"splendidohance," 'Remember, boys, whether you call it black or white, a lie's a lie;' COULDN'T TELL. Stepfather is Counted for two words and grandmother its one by the Bri- tish postal telegl'aph authorities. When• asked why, i11 Parliament, the Postman- tar General was unable to reply. , BUSINESS FAULTS, Have you noticed how Stebbins re- peats bimesel11 . Yes; it is ten atrocious habit—rester- day hh'aetri d toleollecb a bill of Me Which as collected Wee before, , t