HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1898-2-11, Page 2l'HE BRUSSELS POST.
Fun. 11, 1808
UNDER, THE LILAC
REE•
CHAPTER II. to warn you'. Love with caution."
"There need le no caution where
Tee old eeoverb states that h
t e Mark iie concerned, mailer," rejoie-
ed.
"1 are old," she continued, "1 have
seen a great deal of life, I do not
say—Hearth forted—that all men are
false, or all women; I do not, say that
one sex is more false than the other;
but I have seen love betrayed, trust ,
inietolaced. I have known the honest
heart of a mats broken because a wo- •
man deserted him, and I have known
a teethe and tender-hearted girl die
be:•ause le11 lover left her."
I raised my Mee to the stars shining
in their calm eternal beauty, Strung
in my youeli, ignorance, and. faith,
'ivied lightly):
"Nothing of that kind ran ever hap-
pen between Mark and me."
"Some loves," said my mother, "last
forever, oeme for a day; and oh, my
dear Nellie, it seems to me that this
last is, in these prosaic times, the
commonest form of love."
"Love for a dayl" I echoed. "AM
thank Heaven that is not Mark's loyel"
My mother looked at me anxiously.
f wonder how many metiers have giv-
en to their daughters just the same
sensible advice, and just as much in
vain?
Do you quite understand, Nellie,''
asked my gentle loving mother, "what
I mean, what 1 want you to do? Mark
is to be absent four years. I do not
say that this love will change or grow
less; but I beg or you to leave yourself
one chance. Do not give him such en-
tire love, that iC be should die or for-
get you, or any circumstances should
part, you, your whole life would be
ruined. Love with =talon, Nellie."
"There Is no need for caution with
Markt" cried my happy heart. To
Mark, my handsome lover, Imight
Riv6 in superabundance the lavish love
that filled my heart; and the words of
my mother's warning fell on heedless
ears.
I can remember a warm day in
June, when Mark and I sought the
shade of the tall trees that grew by
the river. A refreshing breeze Mille
over the water, and the birds were si-
lent in the great heat, We were talk-
ing of our marriage, of that bright fu -
hire, wheel, like the June sunshine,
had no shadow, Suddenly Mark asked
met
"Have you any relatives, Nellie? You
and your mother seem quite alone in
the world."
I told him that my father was an
only clead, my mother also, and that
was the. same. The only relatives I
had over heard a were some distant
ones in Anaerica; but I bad none in
England.
"It must have been lonely for you,
my darling. Wore T came," he said.
I told hen how my home -duties and
my love of nature. of flowers,. trees,
and birds had filled my life. I bad
lived then in the gray of the twilight;
I lived now. in the light of the glor-
ious sun.
"Haw little I dreamed that morn-
ing that fair May morning,' was to
meet my fate!" said Mark. "Nellie, I
shall never forget how your heir
gleamed in the suushine."
looked up at hixn with happy eyes;
his praise was so sweet to nie.
"We were talking about relatives,
Mark," T said, "Have you many?"
"Ours is a very peculiar family," he
said laughing. 'We have some rela-
tives on my mother's side who are very
ponr; they lice in London. On my fa-
ther's side we have some distant re-
latives who are very rich; but we do
not correspond with either. These
rich people have a title too, but I
shall never trouble them. If ever I
have a title it shall be through win-
ning it; if ever I bare a fortune I
shall have made it,"
My noble Markl dry whole heart bow-
ed down before here he was so brave,
KO gallant. so independent, as all true
Mee are.
I never recalled that conversation,
those few words until I knew who
Mark lepton's relatives were.
CHAPTER 111.
When the corn was cut down, and
the ripe fruit gathered in from the
orchards; when the "free and happy
Lesley" lay under the scythe, Mark had
gone.
When the hour of parting came,
ielieve Mark woulit have given up the
appointment, with all its advantages,
rather than leave me. Twenty Cines
he kissed me with despairing passion
and love, left me, and returned. He
could not lease me; I could not let
um go, my mother said it was use -
lees to prolong the ;teeny of parting.
Mark looked at her ith a white set
fem..
"I cannot, go." he said hoarsely.
He had to leave Gracedieu by the
last train that evening, and sail from
Landen on the morrow. Ile had stent
the -whole of the previous day with us,
and he was at the cottage early on this
morning of the last day. Outside the
very glory of manner lay over the
land. We stood watching the gold-
en eunabine with the chill of our pelt-
ing upon us. a chill more bitter than
the dill of deatb. Mark had loosened
lily hair, and bad cut off a
11(1 1(15.54.
tress.
"Thee shall lie next nty heart. Nell,
even when 1 am dead," he said, "Pre-
mise me that. no hand but mine shall
touch these golden curls of your while
f am away, Yon ars very Leautiful
Nell, although you do not seem to
know anything about 11; and poen will
admire you: but you inuet not listen
to them, You are mine, all mine—
mit on)y."
1101(1 eim—trulhfully—that all eth-
er men were to rne like shaciews,
"Fronde?, me, Nell," he said as he
kismet my lips again and again," "that
to one, shall kiss you while I am
avvay,"
"Dear !ware what fear!" 1. eried.
Then in my torn I Levin to exact a
promise, "You will love and think of
me. toe Mark?"
"1 shall think of no one else, Nell."
"And you will nut call any one else
beautiful, or--"
He interrupted me with a, laugh.
"Perhape 1 should be happier if
;meld think less of you, Nellie," he said,
"ely life will be one unceasing long-
ing for you,"
warm of true love never runa smooth.
Ours ran smoutbly enoug,h. The doc-
tor laugbed when Mark told him of
our ()emollient. My mother was de-
lighted; she had liked Mark from the
first, The one great drawbace was
that ho was compelled to go to India
for four years. Ile was a civil engin-
eer by profession. and a Iterative ap-
pointment had been offered to him
on a railway which \vas Loins extend-
ed. The advantages thatwould accrue
to him were great. Ile would gain im-
mensely in experience and knowle lee,
and be would make money.
But during the first few happy
weeks we dtd not think much of the
parting. 11 was a dark cloud ahead
of us, a cloud that had asilver lining;
for when the four years were ended
Mark was to return home and we were
to be married. I should, he promised
Me, always have a home in the coun-
try. He could never peek me to live
in the towo. It was in the month
of May that we met, and in Slily we
meted, but during the interval we
spent the greeter part of the time to-
getber. Other simmer days have
dawned for me, but none like those
On which my young lover came in the
early morning, while the dew sparkled
on the grass, wben we walked through
the woods and down by the river, not-
ing with loving eyes all that was so
fair and beautiful around us, return -
:rig from our long raxnbles, our hands
'tiled with wild flowers, to find um
mother waiting breakfast for us, the
table set out on the lawn. Then Mark
would linger and pass the morning
with Me. Ile came back in the after-
noon, and stayed with us until the
moon rose.
Bow I loved him! Then I saw only
the beauty of a great passion; now
Refs its pain and its pathos; now I
know that the mighty power of love
has not been given to us to be center-
ed in any creature. Then I had one
Idol, and alas, I worshipped it! Thad
J o life apart from my young lover's.
• never tired of looking at the dark
eminty of leis face. of listening to his
oice, and, when he was absent from
rte. of recalling every word he had
moken. 1 had no life, no love. no care
no thought apart from him. I read
the, love stories of others, written in
Poetry and prose; but no love was like
mine. Surely wise people whim they
lauglied, would bath wept over it! IC
le had asked for my life. I should have
given it to hen, as 1 had given my
eve. freely and. with a smile. I felt
something like pity for those he did
not love; I felt that every girl liv-
ing must envy me.
Mark Upton carea for me quite as
much as I loved hen. We spent thee
weeks in a land into which no care, no
sorrow came—the fairyland of love and
'hope. Every hour brought us closer
edgether, bound (11) by newer and
sweeter ties, while the summer
/lowers bloozned, the corn grew
up in the fields. and the lilars
withered. I do not know what comes
into other lives; but I hope that Hea-
ven give such 0 glimpse of happiness
es mite to all.
On one occasion I beard the doctor
laughing as he talked to my mother,
He asked her if she knew that in some
parts of England the beautiful frag-
rant: shrub known as southernwood
wascalled "lad's love." My mother re-
plied that the had never hoard it ao
called, and asked why was it named
"lad's love." I listened half ourious-
ly for the, answer. "Because," he said,
"it Mee in a year, as lad's love often
toes." He looked at ne as he spoke.
and I knew that he was thinking of
'dark's love whicb, after all, was a
tad's love, and might live for a year
or die in a day. lint he did not know.
Ile was old and immersed in the cares
of a grave profession. "Tow could he
u'nderstaud our love. loyalty, and con-
stancy?
One evening Mark had gone home;
hat the stars were so bright that I
remained out of doors, watching the
night sky. The dark blue vault waS
a name of shining, twinkling gold.
They were so bright and clear, and the
faint mystical light they threw upon
the earth was so dreamily beautiful,
that I was entranced.
"Nellie," cried my mother, "do come
int"
"Mamma," I answered, "you come
outl"
Almost to my surprise she cane, and
we stood together watching the far-
off wonderful orbs.
"How bright they are, those beauti-
ful stars!" said my mother. "Al Nell-
ie, how many thousand years have they
been sbining? What have they men?
And, me darling, how soon they will
be shining on our graves!"
But 1, with my • warm deep love -1
felt no tear of death, Not even the
stars in heaven shone so brightly or
were so trite as my love. I said to her
that I might die, hut that the love
that filled /nyx whole soul never could.
She looked at me with sad sweet eyes,
'Wien the stare shine in the night -sky
her look and her words come batik to
me,
"Nellie," she said, "you stionid never
give to a creature the love that isdue
to the creator. I have often thought.
116011 1111111," she entinued, "that you
'eve Mark too mime. It, LS not safs to
center all your happiness in 0010 per-
son. It anything happens to that one
your whole life le ebilevrecked."
"There can he ne shipwreck where
Mark le," 1 answered, strong in my
faith and love.
'My mother eighed.
"Nothing gives Me more pleasure,
Nellie. than to know how happy yea
are with Mark, 1 believe he is true
meal ree lee" '
neile as a Tata can be, mamma,
means infinitely true" 1 interrupted,
"Ah. no my dear Nellie! Men are but
mortal; their power of hiving ie net
infinite, I do not; wish tote/Aden you,
every flower was dead, but the greet*
leavies were there still,
"1 shalt leave you here, my aarlieg,"
said my lover in a low voice, "Isbell
be four year)) away front you, Nellie,
Promise me that Nvben I return you
will meet me here, in this eame place.
Here where I met the sweeteat love
ever given to man—here I shall re-
turn to elaina my wife Good -by, Nel-
"Good-by, Merit," wbispered,
For one brief moment be put his thee
on mine; be kissed iny brow and my
lips; for one moment. sweet and bit-
ter as death, I lay with my bead upon
bes breast and the 1 he .as no 'There
go .
THE FARril,
eitEATS FOR FAMILY USD.
Moat ahold be salted, as scene as it
is thoroughly cool after being dressed,
If ft number of hogs ere butoh-
ered at one time, it will be well to &eve
a &morale barrel each for suites; the
baras, sboulders and sides, The shout,
idere and hams, after baying limn dry
faulted for three days, says a writer,
should be removed :rpm the bareel, all
was a, blindine mist all around me. a, the salt falcon out, and repacked as
surging as cit great waters in my closely as possible. This may appear to
Bare. A share and bitter pain 00`'n1" incur a loss, but It does not, for you
ed. to pier)* my heart; I felt my whole
will be fully repaid in the quality of
frame tremble. Then the blue sky,
the green earth, the trees and the river the meat Per any loss of salt. For
were all one, and 1 reeled and fell lie- melt hundred pounds of pork take
on the grass. I could not Weep; I seven pounds of coarse silt, leak salt
could not cry out, No word mane to -
relieve my dumb anguish and despair. beingpreferable, two owices of salie
ther that evening, "be learned! 'You ear, diesel -ye au in water enough to
must not give to any creature the love
that Lelongs to One only."
"011, child, be learned," said my mo- peter, and three pounds of brown su-
ce°ovIderanthoeugmteapto,ubry ibtoiolvinerg, tehned. mwehaetn,
I lived through it—through the rest
of the long bright days, through the Care should. be taken to have the meet
sunny evening's, the moonlit nights. thoroughly covered with the brine. The
Por senie weeks I had no companion neat is weighted down with a heavy
save despair. I wept whenever i was
alone, but I dared not let my mother stone, It is small scraps of meat that
know how sorely I grieved. are permitted to float. on the sueface,
Four years, four long dreary years of the brine that causes what la known
must wait, but there was hope at
the end. He would come egain, my as rusty meat. Let the hams and.
bravo young lover. My another belp- Moulders stand six weeks and thesides
eel me by Eating me to work. Iceirld four for good results. Longer will
make so many beautiful things for not hurt it rnr keeping, bub a may
my future home in four years, she said.
I could paint; I could do a, hundred be a little too salt. After the moat
things thee would fill the time, and I ems been in the brie for some days
should know tied I was working for the latter will usually tin red,
him. caused by the bleed from the Iliad,
One whole year passed by. EN cry
brought uie a. letter, a glowing love This should be racked off and. hoiled,
letter, and I was growing happy again. skimmed and when cool returned to the
Only three years to wait now 'until meet wen.
I should see Mark under the lilacs er_at may ha thoroughly smoked la
agaial Then clouds began to gather, 14b
eat
• Upton, who, although be had two days, but it is muco better to be
laughed at us as young lovers, bad al- at least two weeks in the smoking.
I ways been very kind to me, died sud-111 smokin, two Maga) are important:
d f 11 d inth street,1
1 The meet must Le bung so far from
and WeJ carried hone senseless. He
never spoke again. He died these -tee the fire that it will not le affected.
evening, to the grief and distress of in the least by the heat this Is lin-
every one who knew him. tont, for if the meat gets too hot
Mark felt his father's death lamely. 1(01. •
time the outaide will get so rank and strong
He wrote to me more lovingly
Over. Ile said that I was all that be that a good. deal of •it. will have to be
had in the world now, and that he cue off marl thrown avety; the smoking
must, if he could, love nae even more. skald. be made from wood that is free
It was in May that the doctor died, ;
from badoc or w e use ea, An),
and for one year afterward every-
thing went on as of old. I bad but sound, bard 1t-ood will do, but hickory
' but two . years more to wait. Time and hard maple are considered best.
Bright cobs wilt make a good, sweet
missed more quickly. Only two yearal
smoke, but will require more atten-
My mother had ceased to warn me.
She said no more to me about caution
Itliepant itoesukrtsP M1Paya'besOteabtadyineSdin°15kye'smIte-
in love.
tag in a. good. smoke house, and this
Three years had passed. I remind-
ed myself every hour in the day that s jhould be done before flies can have
chance to do damage to the meat,
I had but one more year to wait. and. then one good smoke may be
Mark's letters were full of love fall built each clay for two weeks, and if
of eagerness and. hope. He bed been the meat is not sufficiently smoked at
prosperous beyond expeotation. Ile this time, it may be continued longer.
bad never missed. writing to me, until The smoking and the curing will Le of
a day econe whoa the Indian mail advantage to it, when it comes to
brought me nothing from him—not a
keeping it. I /eve adopted this plan
word., not a lino. It was the first time
of making and ceritie pork for many
mob a thing had occurred, and my
years, with an exception or two when
mother tried to comfort me. The next
an improvised smoking arrangement
mail brought me a letter, but the 0116 was used. found teat this was a
atter that did not, and my confidence
quick way to smoke meat, when, for
Wan gone—I no longer bit sure that
any reason butchering was delayed, un -
by every mail I should have newe
til. along towards spring. I have em -
from my lever. Like tbe sharp thrust
ployed an old cook stove for making
of a sword, an idea came to me one
a smoke. Tee old stove Woe discarded
day that the letters were shorter and became it smoked too much, and now
older. T bated myself fOr My Miser -
it can have dll the chance to smoke
able fancy. How dare& I think such
it wants to, and that, too, unhinder-
treason of iny lover Marla Then in
the month of October nay mother died, ed. Atter the meat is well smoked,
and after that the Indian mail brought ehe hams and shoulders are wrapped
. •
me no more news of Mark—not a sal(11 -
per, and sewed up in xt small muslin
gle line.
•
My mother never knew that a great seek. T.heee are hem; up in a cool,
dry place. Just before fly time a thick
cloud had overshadowed me. She did
heart was break_ whitewash is macle—as thick as ran
not know that my
be applied. with a brush, and the sacks
log because I had no newe thorn Mark.
Let me tell it quiekly. My dear are given a thorough whitewashing,
mother MILS buried, and I was alone ern-Ph:Ting care te get all the seams
sealed up with the lime. They are now
in the world, save for my lover so far
ready for summer, and will withstand
away—alone, save for him, and when
almost anything but a torrid temper -
Only of tee next year Omuta come
the four years would be ended, and eture, and they will even withstand
that as well as it is possible to make
ho would return.
them. I have never tried selling cur -
1 thought deeply over any plans. It
ed. meats on the market, or to private
seemed us2lees now ta lease the ottage;
11 was Lest for me tn remain there un- euetomers, but It seeMe to me that
good. nerket timid le built up in
lil Mark mine home agnin, Our old and e
(Thule, wee Ibis Way. A lot of flue hams ((0(1111 he
faithful her cant, Dorothy
had cured, and sold to influential citizens
sufficient protection for me.
of your town, with a request to glee
money enough for one year, and Iliad
them a trial, and if they are wbat
my little theme OE twenty pounds per
animal alao. I had thought once of they should be, you will have no troll -
going aw,y, but whether emoted Me in supplying them later on with
all the smoked. meats they 1110. A
what could I do? And 1 must be Imre
when Mark returned, reputation once established means a
When Christmas came 1 was still large trade in the future.
waiting, in dry-eyed, mute anguish, ---
for the. letter that I was never -be re-
cetve. I wondered often thee golden
hair of which triy lover had been so
proud had not turned gray. I was
helpless in ray great grief. I wrote to
Mark. told him that my mother
Was dead. arid that .T was alone in the
;mid age. waiting Mr him—that neither
hie silence nor elegance shook nay faith,
He might be ill; an aeoldent might
have happened to him—anything, ev-
erything ivould helleve, except that they frequently leads to such a scat-
he had forgotten me, I never thought tering of effort that very unsatisfam
of that; it never occurred to Ine Re a tory results itre obtathed, No doubt
solution of the mystery of his silence,
mere wee no one to elloto y mild hut if the energy and thought of the
appeal ter news of Mark. Histather farmers of this state Were concentrate
waS dead; the reciter of Gracedieu had 1 ed on the best twmthirds of. the land
not, heard tram him for many months;
the lawyere who had forwarded the now tilled. and the otter third allow -
money realized by tee eale of his fa- , ed. to go beck to woodland—from which
tber's property had net reeeived any it should never have been taken
ticantatinteetion from him mince he. had ' mad) better results would, he se_
sent the formal receipt for it. There !„„„ee
was no one in Gracedieu who knew e"eee"
his pmese t address At Cornell this idea. has leen Mee.
There was nothing to be done bat anted and praetised for a number of
waitin, eatience as best I could. eiv- years, Rotate 'rapidly and keep the
my morning here revived 111 5117 heart; eel occupied by living Plante, hi the
every evening it died, :Every morn- -
ixig I rose, praying wildly to Heaven watchword. The early potato ground
that I might hear from Mark that is immediately sown to crimson elovee,
day; every night lay down to sleep,
with bitter tears beaciee a letter had the late potate ground. to rye, which
not mine. Every morning, week et- le ploughed. under in the spring 011 1(10111
tor week, month after month, %vent for a forage erop. Forage rye is fol -
up to the gate te meet the postman. Hs lowed by a crop of Etungarion :grass,
never had anything tor mo. He know also eat for forage, and the land sown
that 'yowled an Indian letter, and to oats and peas, which are left to go
he would took at me With a piteous down on the land for its improlminent.
shelve of the head., and peas on. But Cierneon olover rimy he sown in the
are Morning when the snow ley 011 00r/1 at the last working, or rye
the greeted and the tele) were ebbe- ! piedietely atter the Mem is out, It
'am the postman canoe hade Me is not necessary to eeplough well-
' no cheery "Geoderterning" as he plae- potnto 011 110110 land to fit it; foe
ed the latter in my hands and hastened crimson clover or rye. A, thorough
away. ne knew what bad. befellen '1150 of a, good apring-tooth berrole 15
Me, Inside the envelope WaS my lest suffieient,.
1 Teeter to entlia, reterned to Me through A falling meadow may be mown eam
the IDearletestier Office, and on it WO fy, immediately levitated and sown to
written in an offbeat hand, "Gene beekwhea,t, litingerian grates, or bar -
i
My dar Mark," heed my mother,
you are to vetch the eat o'cleek
train, it is time you went."
Me fare grow white and a dark shoe
dow came foto hie eyes,
"Nellie„just ocane e little luny with'
me" he said. "Let our lest farewell
RAPID ROTA.TION.
The high price of land in the old
countries has led to an effort to get
the greatest possible income frotn 11,
while in this (toiletry the cheap land
and coStly,lahor, result in a tend -
exam to try to farm a large area with
small expenditure of Libor. This tend -
to cloud your faith, to Men your love lie feeken where we first met,' away—left no address. ley and. pees, have
20
or loath you'.' trust; but I shauhau.kol Once more we atood by the lilac trees; To 13e Contemned. barley and peas are better for late sow-
,
itng than Oate and, peas, since the bar-
ley endures the late summer sun het -
ter than ()ate, and also is not so easily
killee by frost. Fiat tuenipa mien
in August, on an inverted newer
OT timothy sod, or on the early -potato
ground, will often give en abundant
bervest.
This system of rapidly tuning the
soil and keeping le oommed with mg-
orously growing plants, gives the
weeds no thane to gain the ascend -
they, the tillage aids in rendering
available the inert plant food, and it
gives opportunity to frequently turn
under a arop for green manure thus
adding to the stores of humus in the
soil. If the clovers are freely used, the
supply of nitrogen in the soil will be
steadily increased,
HIRING FARM HELP.
It is alwaye beet to employ only of-.
11010(11 help on the•farru, writes a eon'
respondent. A few dollars extra a
month will he repaid. many times over
in the course of the year by the dif-
ference in the work between a f irst-
elms hand and an inefficient one, and
it costs as =oh to board ono as the
other. A careful man who has judg-
ment and uses it in doing his work,
will save bis employer n. great+ deal
in the use of tools alone in a single
season. The careless, inexperienced
hand will break and injure the imple-
ments he uses far more than, a good
band will. It does not take many
breakages to come to as much as a
man's wages for a month.
There is also greet advantage in em-
ploying competent men, if the termer
wishes to leave home oceasioeally. He
can feel that the work will go on in
his absences the Kuno as if he were
there. If anything gives out his roan
will know how to repair the breakage.
His judgment can be relied on as to
how much a team should do in a day,
and be will see that they do it. A.
man who is kind and careful in hand-
ling horses is worth more then one
who is the reverse. Very Lew farmers
care to hire a rough -talking, swear-
ing man. Good ones can be found who
will be choice in their language. Cer-
tainly we may expect that he weom
we are to have about the house, who
will eat at the same table as his em-
ployer's family, will nob be uncouth in
table manners. There are very many
farm bands who are so disgusting in
their table habits as to he repulsive
to a refined person. It is not a,t all
necessary to biro such. After years of
experience in managing a farm re-
quiring a great deal of bired help,
/ find. that it is net difficult to obtain
desirable help. IC inducements by way
of goad wages, fair treatment, and
not too long days in the field are 110 -
corded, which any intelligent farmer
is perfectly willing to give to the right
person, one will never have any trot,
ble in securing the class of help he
would like,
BRAN FUJI POULTRY,
Bran is excellent for poultry, and
the point in favor of bran is that it
contains a. much larger proportion of
lime than any oiler cheap fool derived
from grain, and as the shells of eggs
ere composed of lime, it is essential
that food. rich in lime be provided. It
may be urged that the use of oyster -
shells, will provide lime, but it will
be found, that it is the line ea the
food_ that is most serviceable, because
it is in a form that can be better di-
gested and assimilated than carbonate
of lime, Clover Is also rich in lime,
and. when a, mass of cue Mover and
bran is given the fowls they will need
no oyster -shells or other mineralmat-
ter as a. source from which to provide
lime for the shells of eggs. Do not
forget that in 50.01111811, however, the
use of all kinds of foods should be used
with judgment. IC the hens have a
free range, give no food as long as
they are laying, but if they begin to
fall off let bran' be a leading ingredi-
ent of the foods allowed. In: winter
the bran and clover is even more es-
sential, as the fowls rennet then secure
green food on the range.
DISEASES OF ,TEWELS.
Although it may seem odd it Is no
lees true that the mast precious gems
are subject to various diseases, which
frequently destroy their lustre and
beauty.,
One of the most common diseases of
jewels is en inclination to change their
original color, Although it is gener-
ally believed that ernerelds, sapphires
and rubies are not sibjeet to this
change, recent experiments Have es-
tehlished, the proof that these stones
are liable to fade. Garnets are found
to fade Very rapidly and faded garnets
null. ru.IjieS 5851.11110 a pale and misty
appearance.
'Many gems often without my ap-
parent carate suddenly became crook-
ed or eaectined, the damage being be-
yond. repair. Opals, known tie the ue-
lutikiest stones, are so sensitive that
their beauty is frequently destroyed
by their wectrees proximity to an 09430
fire. The lustre of this atone 13 -0014-
011 by the presence of myriads 01 111118
fissures which deflect the light into
the characteristic orismatio colors of
the gem. The tiniest; of thee fissures
is likely et any 11301110111 tO destroy the
stone,
Noels are subject to countless di-
em/es. A. moderale heat is sufficient
to lettnathon them a heap of ashes
and if they are moldnetally brought
into the proximity of an amid they th-
eme irretrievably ruined. They are
easily broken, and, when frequently
worn, some lose their lustre.
11 SIGNIFICANT ADVERTISEMENT,
A. notice (11591076d in a Brisbane
shop window throws some light 011 the
mixed character of tee unemployed ie
Queensland. It 11,100 111116 "Wanted,
some 1.11011 for a township, accustomed
to horses, Who are not afraid, of hard
work. Good wages. No Meters, jour-
neliater elericse Ong of English noble-
men, or larrikins need. :tepee."
COTJ,IISTS Te' WAS.
aeraintardi—lteow did that baby party
your Wats got up lest week turn oat?
Fergueow—It woe a howleng euecess.
• .„„.„. ,
BALLOT FOR THE MILITIA.
In REVIVAL IS CONTEMPLATED IN
GREAT BRITAIN.
Whet W011ieloy HAYS or I I-- Mr Teals.
,tog hivogorating Antigtoto Agelot411
11,11111iry Eireinlelkey.
There have been rumors) for some
time that the Government is abou1 to
revive the ballot for the militia, owing'
to the breakdown of recruiting, These
X'utnors vere Oren HOg.tiel.hwg of
V011erete form recently by the Louden
Globe, which is usually, well informed
upon militery matters. If the HI -
more are well &unclad, they point to
what is practically a mollified form of
conscription. That is to say, ano man
who does not belong to one. of the re-
gular forces, or to the volunteers, will
be liable to be balloted for to serve
In the militia. One effect, of course,
of any such scheme would be largely
to increase the number of the volun-
teer corps, as many WOU.1d. serve in one
of them rather than run the risk of
the ballot It is (11011 10 bear mind
in this connection that Lord Weise -
ley, the Commander -in -Chief, does not
think that conscreatIon is the uninit-
igated evil it Is generally Supposed, to
be. In a• lecture delivered before the
Edinburgh Philosophical Institution in
tion," he pointed out that thei train -
December last, on "War and Civilize-
ing involved in preparation for war,
is an invigorating antidote against
that luxury and effeminacy which de-
stroy nations as well as individuals.
This national training keeps robust
and healthy the manhood 01 11 State,
and, in saving it from degenera-
tion, nobly serves the cause of civiliza-
tion,
A CORRESPONDENT'S VIEWS.
A correspondent of the London
Giotto ;says: There is believed to be
00111e ground for the belief that the
Government are seriously contemp-
lating the revival of the ballot for
the militia. Semite this turn out; 1 o le
correct, the effect on the future of the
volunteer lore will be very great.
It is probable that every able-bodied
men not belonging to the navy, mar-
ines, army, yeomanry, or volunteers
would be liable to be dra.writ in the
ballot, and if draWrI 113 801160. Probably
the ages daring welch the liability
woulll last would be from eighteen! to
thirty. 11 18 needless to say that the
effect of all this wouldhe to drive into
the ranks of the volunteers all them
who would emcee being drawn by
to serve in the militia. Thecommis-
sioned ranks would be hill and the non-
commizeioned ranks also 1vould be coin-
posedof a highly Intelligent class, wbile
those who are now too selfish and un-
patriotic to serve in any shape or form
would lie compelled to eontrilinte to
the detente of the country. All the un-
certainty about the attendance at regi-
mental or brigade camps would cease.
Commanding officers and adjutants,
after worlring hard to induce as many
0.5 etesible to attend, would not be dis-
heartened by finding
ONLY A 1111 1(13 TERN UP.
The present uncertainty as to attend-
ance at company and. battalion parades
would disappear, The authorities
would impose their own thrills upon the
volunteers, and they would have to be
strictly carried out. Unpatriotic mas-
ters who now refuse leave to their men
and unpatriotic employers ot labor
who discourage volunteering, would
bave to change their tactics entirely.
Taken all round, the effect on the vol. -
mother forma of a. revival of the ballot
for the militia, would be inarvelous, It
would transform the three from iispre-
sent go -as -you -please style into a mag-
nificent boey of intelligent men, who
would he bound by certain regulations,
which would have the effect of render-
ing thef Oree l(Seffi('iOII1.a8aU irregular
volunteer force is capable of becoming.
41805 all know, the officers are a weak
spot in our present organization. The
three is not; popular with the class
which /supplies the Dithers of the army,
militia, and. yeomanry, with the result
that commanding volunteer officers
have had to take men who are quite
unfitted sweetly Lo he leaders of troops.
it is no use mincing matters,‘ and it
is n, fact; that large proportion
of the officers of the force use a whole
are
tnorrrEn FOle TIMM POSITIONS.
Al this tortunately will be remedied
by the introduelion of the ballot for
the militia. Gentlemen, of the required
education arid Social position to escape
being drawn for the militia will rush
to the volunteers, and it 111, 1101 likely
that they will serve in the ranke of our
force if they can hold commissions. We
tan only hope, adds, the correspondent,
that the. report with which Idle au-
thorities nee ceeditecl is true We shell
le told that English people will not
tolerate the introdection of any sys-
tem of compulsory 85(111110 (Well 011 a
mollified scale, This may be, hut the
puldh, have never yet harm teethe,
believe that, the sensible portion et the
voting public wilt anuniesee in the
scheme When 111 ts explainsitel 1t4ontoh4isen,
that th:M
e introeth») of
the only chance of the natiol.'s eseapthe
the much greater evils of conscription
or the regular army and. a rational
disaster.
PETTY LARCENY,
The wonderful segatity and ahnorew,
al development of the thieviah instinct
ire rats is illualrated by their stealing
liens' eggs; Elea remarkable perform -
Mee IS accomplished by one rat lying
on his back and grasping the t gg tight.
ly with his fore pews, white his rat
caceatupliees drag lani away lay the tail,
The eunning rodents will carry eggs
Prom the bottom to the Lop of It 110118O,
the first vet pushing with bit lege
and the seeped Dating the egg with his
fore legs, roternixig.for more tater one
is finally deposited In its biding piece.
These clever thieves will empty a leek
of Florence oil by dipping th.dr long
trails and repeating the trick Me
1,1.1 they have cionalened every deem
DEFIES LAWS OF NATURE,
A YOUNG MAN WHO HAS NOT SLRPT
FOR FIFTEEN YEARS.
end Plight or it rhIlildelplola Mon He. A
Able to Werk every Oily-- Alai Won the
53(3 *133 or Nci,VoiW g 11111010,
For fifteen years Kelly, e
young inachloist 55111)1070c1 In the Bald-
win„ Locomotive Works, has been de-
niect nature's commonest blesellig—
eleep. Physicians of note from, the die,
ferent medical centres—men who !neve
devoted yeare to the study of the
human nervous syetem-119110 examine11
this youtug anan and have agreed in
pronouncing bis affliction the most ex-
traordinary case of lemmata on rec-
ord.
Although somewhat discouraged at
the inabitillY a doctors to eive him
what be desires most at all in the world.
—sound and retreahing slutnier—Kelly
has deckled to go for treatment to the
•Unlyeraity of Pennsylvania llooPital,
The young man is twenty yeare old,
or slight, wiry build, and weighs about
lee pounces. He Is a skilled meter, but
when not at work employs his time
with books, being a. most assiduous
readier.
REPOSE, BUT NOT SLEEP.
"I RAI perfectly willing," he said, "to
State on oath that I have not slept—,
that le to say, as every one else does
—far 'lite% years, and that this in-
somnia remits from a nervous eke -
tion. I do not go to bed, as a rule, 1121 -
tit between twelve and one o'clock In
the Morning.
"Until ball -past five In the morning
I lie very still, in order to give any
muscles a thane to get thoroughly
reeled. I Mose my eyes simply to give
the ;nerves an opportunity of being re-
lieved ot the strain of the day, but ev-
en this does not prevent the 1.tds from
painlaig ane and tieing very heavy at
them, After moraine- ablations 1eat
a bearty breakfast, Lt tieing to me one
of the best meals of the day, althongh
1 have not a very strong appetite. Tlien,
I go to work,
"All day loug I ply the hammer in
the riveting department, only getting
a fele minutes at a time for rest, .As
you can imagine, I am thoroughly tired
out when I reach my boarding bouse
in the evening, and am ready to do
justice to a hearty meal. The evening
I spend in reading and in playing games
with the other lodgers."
SUFFEB,E.1.) PROM CHILDHOOD.
Kelly is a native of il,ocktord, Obio,
When eleven years old he became a
victim. to nervous prostration, and as
u result spent Si X mouths 111.1 baspital .
at Cleveland. This left hint in a very
Nevelt condition, but he. recovered rap-
idly and soon became strong and heae.
thy agate 1)215)118 1101111)1 11181 11
nerves bad become unstrung again, and
he complained. that he voted not sleep.
He condition went from bad to worse,
and within a few weeks ha was rumble
to sleep at all. This, of course, fright-
ened Mina and his friends, but he soon
becairne accustomed to his inability to
sleep, a,ed was able to do a hard day's
work with any one.
The only reminder of his trouble wim
the shooting pain 1102.0,98 the eye. Treat.:
ment., the mining /111121 says, saems to
1.11(11e little or no effete ou him. For
many years he has imaufged in the, tob-
acco thewiaig habit, and the use of eof-
fee as a nerve stimulant, both of width
eminent specialists say, are in 0 meas-
ure. responsibk for hes inability, to
el eep.
Under ;medical instructions, Kelly
has abstained from tee 118e of 110111 cot -
156 and tobacco for months at a time.
TOUR OF DANGER.
King *31141 queen o1 Way WM V1511 Lawlelio
King Humbert and Queen hlarghorba
are eliout to undertake a royal progress
through the island of &Lily with the
object of reviving the loyalty, to the
throne ln that neglected eortion of the
dominion's, Ana at the same time en-
ereesiag Imola the minds of the heal
officials teat there 5 n ower Olive
them ready Lu re ar ' goacl. service and
to punieli dishoneete. 1). Is kite to tieny
that the tour le) attended with a
certain degree of eauger. Nowhere in
the kingdom is crime more ran -mane
or has misery reduced the messes to
/mob a stale of reckless desperation as
in this beeutiful island, where mole -
over the 'Letitia reigns supreme. and
where neither the JCing nor Queen
ever can feel assured whether the heel
anognates, gont n.obles ana dignitaries,
who welcome and surroutel (110111, are
not prominent members of the inest
dreaded brotherhood of crime in the
civilized world,
Of /mune, elaborate measuree will be
taken for the wrotecticin of the King
and Queen, and possibly Mrs. Mackay,
the bonanza queen, who is to visit Seely
at the (16 (111 time, may benefit/ by the
rrocautions adopted for the eatety of
the royal amy, 'While the 15.1 1(1)' Mute.;
leace will 110 500(118 from any kid ne ming
attempts, there is 00 knowing whether
the King may not before hie return to
ltome receive a Mai) between the stem-
tclers from One Of 1.110e long knives
0111 11 wheal the Sicilians frau Obits out
of mind have leen so 1 andy,
Sociinlient, lore is rine 111 'Sicily, anal
there is no mentos:Meal e01.1 ry in Eer-
ie*, where so many nohlemen ere 'Me-
taled ea the 1 ivl.eect, the
lawlessness of Seely is such that 11(1-
111 (1 short 111101 aro martial law erevail-
ed. There is only one portion of Italy
1 Lett Is more neglected by the 'royal
house an(1 hy the Goverment 5111 more
.).rairely lawless, and 1 hat is the Miami
theelinia, which never hap: !leen ViP,
itrd thle King ea, Queen 'Ono) they
ille011.10 1 he throne. Yet King Entre
eerie) fa t her and gra lid father hefore
elms bozo the title of Rine' of eardinte,
ehich only after tie War Of IBM was
ransformed into that of liimv of Italy,
The city clerk's office aod posi-office
at titanic, Vermont, have heel dest('oy)
ad by fire,