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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1898-4-29, Page 66 TEE BRUSSELS POST. APRIL 2n, 1898 tdhatWA ANIM VY>*Jti1MN IM11lihMANtiiYWMAM Yrl FlOUSEHOLD. +�PPr1Dl4NNAAd1NlVlsJ4ti9141MNWtN41A1�1U4VIAlUtt?T�- YOUR OWN STANDA11;D. He was wise who wrote, "Half the (Sting of poverty or of small menus is gone when one keeps house for one's own comfort, and not for the comment of sae's neighbors." Deny it tie we will, few cif us have the moral force to set up n standard, of our 'own based upon our own incomes and our own particular home environment. says a writer in Truth. We commit the folly of regulating our expenses by the Income of seine one else. If the Bsowae across the etreet hang up ex- tensive lace curtains we are discon- tented until lace curtains hove gone up to our windows- no matter bow much smaller our income may be tban that of the Browns, it the Smiths put down a velvet carpet. oto' neat and pretty ingrain becomes an eyesore to its. We are extremely mindful of what our neighbors will think about many thiags that ought not to concern them Lw the least. We have no standards or our own. Our dress, and even our fairies, must be regulated by tbe stan- dards of others, We have not the courage nor the independence to tein- dtfferesL to the comment of our neigh- bors. This form of moral cowardice is causing many familia; to live beyond their incomes. They can face debt. and forfeit their self-respect easier than they can fare the unfavorable comment of their friends and neighbors. The eetent to which this imitation of others is car- ried would he ludicrous ,111 it not bring so much unhappiness in its train. It Is frequently the direst cattle of the discord, discontent and del t that have driven happinesss from the family hearth -stone. Let us have a standard of aur own, based upon our own tastes, our own incomes our own needs, and let us cheerfully and bravely adhere to this standard, heedless of thaat dread- ful hug ,:ear, "What tivill the neigh- bors say ?" A HOME el ADE SIDEBOARD. Every housekeeper cants a side- board for her dining -room and every gooi one can be made by utilizing a common bureau in the following way. Remove the mirror frame if there is one. and cover the top of the bureau with white oil-oloth• allowing it to come down one inch around the edge; tack it on here and there so it will not slip off. .If put on neatly the bur- eau will have the appearance of having a marble top. Pla'•e three shelves above the bureau' with side pieces attached, the lower ends of these pieces resting on the bur- I eau; the shelves should then le paint- ed the same color as the bureau and varnished. The (alae linen can very convenient- I ly Le kept in the drawers. The shelves .should le curtained to protect the dishes from dust, White Ince-scrim oloth makes a very dainty curtain; finish the curtain with a two inch hem, neatly feather -stitched with Asiatic outline silk of some bright color. Narrow white linen scarfs should le plas'ed over the oil -cloth. Embroider the ends with some pretty floral de - sigh in outline stitch, worked in their (lateral colors with Asiatio outline silk. If these directions are folinwed, the result will be a vertu ornamental and useful piece of furniture, a. tablespoonful of salt and half a salt - spoonful of pepper and tate salmon and when thoroughly hot 'it is ready to serve. Fried Fish—Fish is much hetterif fried. in deep fat, For large fish. skin and then bone the fish by Dotting a gash down the hack and pressiug the meat away from the lbones, or bone without skinning, lfse tooth -picks to secure pieces in compact form. Dip in dried crumbs, then in egg, and then in ortunbs again, and fry in smoking lint fat until well browned. Pried oysters—Select large oysters for frying, Put them in a colander and pour about one-half a cup of cold water over; remove the oysters one by one with the fingers to get rid of the pieces and dry on a towel, Season with salt and pepper. Dip is: egg and cracker crumbs and cook in the frying pan in a hot mixture of butter and lard the lard keeps the butter from burn - Ing. Ccok until the oysters are plump and brown. Fry slices of Boston brown bread in a similar mixture of butter and lard and serve the oysters on the fried brown bread. Recta l'leef—Select a tender piece from the loin or rib; wipe, trim and tie or skewer into shape. Dredge with pepper, salt and flour, lay on It rack in a dripping pan with no water and put on the grate of a hot oven, Watch closely and when well seared set an the floor of the oven. When the flour in the pan is brown. add a little water; taste with the dripping in the pan every fifteen minutes and dredge with salt and Linux. Roast about twelve minutes to the pound. If the water in the pan cooks away when the meat is done. make a brown sauce with part of I the fat, if, however, there is much water, make a flour thickening for the gravy. -- TO PREPARE SUET To render suet for cooking purposes, cut it into small pieces while fresh and Dover wiLh cold water; let. stand 24 hour's, changing the water once during the time; this removes the tallowy taste. Drain well anti put the pieces into au iron kettle with a smooth hot - tofu surface and add half a teacupful 1 of milk to each; pound of suet, Let j cook very slowly at first and moderate- ly throughout until the fat is clear and light brown and all sound of cooking has ceased. Loosen the suet occasion- ally from the I:ottmu of the kettle, but moil. stirring. Let stand until partly cult, then Four oft into cups to become c. Id. This fax is as sweet and nice as bus ter and can be used in the place of hatter for cooking purposes. The fat in tate "scraps" may ,e pre -sed out and mat for frying. It is not, of course, quite as nice as the first. When malt- ing piecrust of suet, roll the crust with a l i'ge old-fashioned l:ottie filled with einem water. For mince, apple or pumpkin pies. wh1'11 ar'e warmed for the table. suet is a perfect shortening, It is very trice for frying cloughnuts if they are heated before being served. GRUELS FOR CHILDREN. Cornmeal gruel serves as a food ..ad • a medicine for the little ones, as It is recommended as the best relaxing diet !for babies, and better than the drugs that are often resorted to in .such in- stances. Wheat flour and corn -meal gruel is a preparation often recom- mended by pbysicians. Tie wheat flour and corn -meal (three parts wheat flour and oue part Born -meal) in a thick cot- ton teeth, and hall it three or four hours. Dry the lump, and it will be ready for grating, as required. When ready to make the gruel, put over the fire cream and water tune part cream to six parts water), and when it comes to a boil stir in same of the grated lump, sufficient to slightly thicken. After grating from the lump rub to e smooth paste. with a little water be- fore stirring in the boiling cream and water, and salt it very slightly, and boil only for a minute or two, just enough to mix thoroughly, as the areal and flour has already been cooked suf- ficiently. Judgment must be used as to the amount of thickening, E'or a young infant the preparation should be thin enough to be taken from the nursing bottle. If the vend. is older it may be taken thicker. 1.f the little one is troubled with constipation, the pro- portion of corn -meal should be great- er;.if with summer contplatint, it may be left out altogether, and only the flour boiled and dried and grated. Cream may be usedin greater proper tion as the child grows older, and after a time the water may le omitted and plain milk used. When the habitis suf- fer with weak digestive organs, oat- meal gruel may be used, but it meet he earefully prepared, and all the hulls and indigestible particles must be. re- moved, Add one teacupful of oatmeal to two quarts of boiling water, slight- ly salted., and let this cook for two hours and a half. (hen strain it through a sieve. When cold, add to ono gill of the gruel one gill of thin eree.n1 and one teaspoonfuul of sugar.. To this quantity add one pint of boil- ing water, and H. will be ready Inc use, TESTED R1ECIPI+S, Salmon Soup --Chop one-half a can of Minion very fine; put a slice of onton into a quart of milk and (heat in te double boiler; thielten with a table- slocinfnl of butter and a table apnenful of Mee cooked together, Add MARRIAGE A LA MODE, Story of n Russian Prinren Sentenced to Lirelong Imprisonment. Princess Eugalytohetf, nee Anna Don- itclt was recently sentenced at Moscow to lifelong interment in the Govern- ment of Olonetz foe the embezzlement of 110,000 rubles, forming part of the fortune left by a lately deceased staff Captain named Oseaoff. She was again hroughl before the Moscow Court the other day en the furrther charge of hating falsified her certificate of bap- tism causing it to appear that she was horn in 1807 instead of 1847, Through his counsel Prime Eugalyteheff, who teas cited as a witness by the Procue- ator, said that "whether his bride was. 20 years older or younger than her certified age was a matter of absolute indifference to him, All be bad to say was that he received the sum of 3,000 rubles for giving uhe woman his name; that immediately after the marriage ceremony he procured fox her a sep- aratepassport. and that since then he knew nothing more of his wife or her private affairs," The jury gallantly declined to ccn- virt the accused Princess on bbe added acrd "trivial charge about a wmnan's age," and she was sent back to her provincial exile. Unfortunately, such marriages, wholly and solely matters of matrimonial barter and sale, are quite romutrai in Russia„ and aptly il- lustrate the truth of some of the serial pictures so gral*hicelly drawn by Tol- stoi; but the purchase price of 3,000 ru- bles, plus the woman's happiness, for the princely title. is unusually low. It is only just to say that in the great majority of these unfortunate unions, the fault, or the nrineual rally, gener- ally lies with the pd.reOLs of the brides viotIms. THE BANKER'S MISTAKE. Smelt t Thing its Iteing 111 Too ,Thiel* of n (furry. How he managed to get into the in- ner office of the banker; will never be known. But when the busy man look- ed up and saw hint, the perfect type of a book agent, he lost, his temper at once. "WJiae is it?" he said curtly. "I have Here a—" "I thought so, (food day,," ' "But you ought to have it—"' "I .have no time to look after any- hing, said the banker, angrily, tak- ing up his pert and turning to his desk. 73ut .l'--' "Will you atop talking?" stormed the banker. "'Who lot you in, anyhow?" The man looked cowed, 'I—I-1 -don't know, but it will be to your advantage to hear rno--" "I'll hear nothing." rt i have aainething you ivanh. "I don't rare if I want it the worst way, I won't have it, Get out. ' Mralttt-mum-may I keep it?" stam- mered the man. You congenital idiot, 1.'11 give you more than that to keep if you don't get out with your book." "Well;" said the man with a happy smile, "Pm ranch obliged, for the Bonk I wanted to give yea is your pooketbook full of money rwhielt you dropped..." "Oh, hero 1 I say!" DUI the Man haul escaped YOUNG FOLKS. DOTTING THE I'S, Penmanship is more often than we think indicative of ebariactor, From even a oureory examination of a menu - tempt experts can frequently divine a number of sIgnificant things as to the author and his or her disposition, Viewed similarly es a matter of aesthe- tios, a slovenly style is to bo condemn- ed. T's that for lack of a oross-stroke look like languid. I's, and I's that for a want of a capping dot appear peril- ously like shriveled e's mar any manu- script, however fair otherwise. But more than this, although the clotting of an i mayseem an insignificant thing momentous consequences may some- times 'hang upon the correct placing of such a tiny sign. Little marks may make or mar great meanings, for weal or for woe, Very valuable advant- ages have sametimes gone to waste through the misplaoimg of a comma or a faidnre to inert a period after a car - tale sentence. And there is an Ori- ental tale wbioh forcibly illustrates the fact that more valuable treasures than silver or gold may at times be imperil- led by careless cbirography on the part of some welter. An Eastern governor, desiring to ob- taio respectful consideration and a cordial reception for a retainer of his, at the heads of a sub -official of a ,ueigbboring province, directed his sec - rotary to write a letter of introduc- tion for the man. The letter was mewnt to read "Receive him!" (kabiet, in the language of the East.) Now Lt happens that in the Arabia notation the letter answering to our "b" is dis- tinguished from "1" anly by baying one dot icnstead of two written under it. But Ln tbis case the scribe inadvert- ently inserted two dots under the word, so that the expression thea read, katlet, '1511 bink!" The sub-govera- or, receiving the letter of advice from Ins superior officer, forthwith put the bearer of the dispatch to death. An added flat cost ilio poor fellow his life. Inattention to small details may not always Have such a disastrous conse- quence as In this extreme case, but it is well to cultivate the habit of pre - mien, and thoroughness Ln so-onlled "trifling" ,matters, since one never knows what affairs of great moment may at atng time in the future turn upon the petty pivots of a single char- acter or figure or even on mere flour- ishes of stylish signatures. In the spelling out day by day, by means of the varied experiences of many people and places, of the "continued story" of existence, it is of great importance to spend care and thought and prayer upon the punctuation of life and labor tato proper paragraphs, on the right placing of the accents of affection, and upon the fine precise finishing of all God-given tasks. BRAVE BILLY SPOKE. Among the many stories of peril and sacrifice related by Sir William Wilson Hunter in his history of "The Thacke- rays Ln India," there is none more pa- thetic than that of the boyish hero- ism and filial devotion of a little mid- shipman:, who died in a Calcutta hos-' pita( just after JOogliah rule was es- tablished there. The record of the sad affair was gath- ered from the disjointed narrative of 1 the ship surgeon:, who told the tale with a sob is his voice. During the capture of Chandernagar, the English flag -ship, the Kent, under Admiral Watson, was riddled witb can- non -shot and swept with grape, Cap- tain Spoke and his son Billy, a lad of sixteen years, wore struck at the same moment. Dootor Ives, the surgeon, dressed the father's wounds, and then hurried to the lad; but the little midshipman' would not allow hie leg to be touched until he had been assured upon the surgeons "honor" that his father had been attended to and tared well. After being satisfied upon this point, the noble hoy said: ":Chen pray, sir, look to and dress this poor man wbo is groaning so sadly beside neo." "I have dome what I can for him," replied the doctor, as he beat over the young fellow. "Now it is your turn." "Sir," said the wounded lad, "1. fear you must amputate above the joint," The old surgeon felt a lump fu Ilia throat as he answered, "My clear, 1 tear I must." But Billy Epeke uttered. net a word of fear or dismay. He simply clasped his hands together, and lifting his eyes toward heaven, w.hispered softly and distinctly, "Good God, do Thou enable me to behave worthy of my father'a son I" The petitiear was grantee( and throughout the long torture of ampu- tation the heroin boy did nob speak. The 'next morning father and son were taken to Calcutta, the father he- ing placed in a relative's house, while the son was lodged in the hospital un- der the doctor's eye. During the thirteen days of agony that followed, the midshipman's whole thought was for his father. In his de- lirium 'he faauiod that voices told -him that his father was dead, and this aug- mented his disease and increased his suiforing. At last lie could bear it: no late er. He begged for a scrap of paper and a pencil, and by the flicker- ing light of a rurib, and with almost the last effort of the boyish brain„ he sorawlel these incoherent: words to the doctor: "Lf Mr. Ives will consider tbe dis- order a son must be in when he is lelil he IS dying tend is yet: in doubt whether his father is bit as good health, If 'Mr. Ives is not too busy to honor this abort nota, which nothing but the greatest uneasiness could draw from mo. The boy awaits an answer," 'i'he'hoy did not "await an °newer" long, The good eurgeon harried to his dying charge, "And is he dead 1" asked the boy. "No, my dear, He is almost well." A smile illumined the fast glazing epos, Dbeek God! 2 are satisfied new, and ready to die I" and then the young martyr begged the dootor's pare don for having rlisturhed him at so early anhour—and died! Ile sleeps Ln brave company, and among all the graves in India there is none worthier the tribute of a tear than that of the hoy hero, brave Billy Spoke. --- TRAINING A DOG. Neter be too familiar with a young dog, He must have a certain re- spect, slot necessarily a fear of you; but he moat teem to obey. Any in- telligent puppy will learn his name ie a few lessons. Once you have given it to him, never change L1, Mind you this—wheat he has once recognized you as being his master, his one idea is to please you and deserve a pat an the head and a word of praise. Never tus- sle with biro with a stick, and never deceive him under any pretence. More dogs have been spoiled by their mas- ters ;not playing fair with them than one could reckon. Be honest with your dog, wad he will be honest with you, If you possess a gun, and your dog is of that kind which has inherited the meat for game, the first thing to teach him is to fetch and carry—that is, to retrieve—and this without chewing or mutilating the object which he brings. A way to break a dog of this is to take an old glove, put a few tacks with the points extending outward, and fill 11 full of cotton, He 'will find that by picking it up gently he can carry it without discomfort, white if he at- tempts to worry it the consequences are not agreeable. This lesson is much better for him than any amount of whipping, and he will remember it much longer. If you wish to shoot over your dog, the next thing i, to make him find the bird. To do this, the best way is to procure a live quail, which can easily be ;bad from any bird fancier ; put it In a small cage and. show it to the pup, I warning him not to touch it, Then':. conceal the oage in a copse of fern or ! grass, and bring him carefully in that direction, Never let him nearer than witbia four or five feet of it; then speak to him encouragingly. Under the influence of your words he will be- oome all attention, and a dog thus pro- perly broken will never . "flush a covey" unless he runs into them by accident or when he is carried away by excitemeat, under which dream- I stances he will show contrition. WORK NOW FASHIONABLE. Women are to adept a new method of beauty -seeking this season. In- stead of bathing, dressing, dieting for good Moles, 00 in addition to all these ways of becoming beautiful, they are to work for beauty's sake, and work bard, too. Sweeping, sarabbing, ironing, all these household tasks which have hitherto been severely shunned by the women who revere physical beauty are to be undertaken regularly, ener- getically, enthusiastically, and "work, work, and more work" is to be the daily rule of those eta are really earnest in desiring physical grace and loveliness above all other things.• Ellen Terry, who says that to "worle until you are tired, sleep until rested, bathe twice a day, and live on simple oo" is an infallible recipe for the scouring of that physical health and youth which produces loveliness, is credited with the commencement of the "wos'kiag for beauty" idea, Shir- ley Dare, with her earnest advocacy of 'housework for women, is responsible for its growth and present popularity, "Work wbile you work, and play while you play" would seem to be the motto adopted by the followers of the new fad, for their disciples are earnest- ly advised to work with swiftness and dispatch, and to alternate the periods of this thorough labor with intervals of complete .rest. Especially is this course advised in regard to the pump- ing exercise which is warranted to round out feminine throats, flatten Shoulders and fill the "sale cellars" which spoil the lines of so many fem- inine necks. To benefit by this exeroise a pump is needed. An hour of energetic pump- ing every day,. with ten-minute per- iods of complete rest Inc evary quart- er of it is the allowance prestiribed far the woman of ordinary strength, and the head during this time should be dampened tttith cold water, or bound with a wet towel. It is the quickened airoulatlon which makes this precaut- ion advisable, which benefits the health and complexion, and pats hard, 1h'm flesh upon the limbs. For the "sorting up" of a figur's grown limp and indefinable for lack of exercise, and for the clearing and freshening of sallow complexions, there is noth- ing like an hour or two of hard plrysi- cal work daily, with its purifying con- sequence of profuse perspiration, A Turkisb hath is nothing to it. The only caution necessary lies in the nec- essity of beginning with care and the sponging of the long -unused muscles with bot salt water after every period of work. Tlhe hands may be protect ad from undue hardening by gloves or mittens,. All the rest o.f the body will 'benefit and grow stronger with- out any' care of this kind. Just what effect the new Taney will bays upon the hired girl, and upper - flat questions tannins to be seen. There are those who declare that the first named' difficulty will be practic- ally racticeally solved if women take to doing the harder portios of their own housq- work Inc beauty's sake, and already several landlords have been found wbo state that they have recently been besieged with requests td put pumps in the houses under their obarge. The reasons given for these requests have been widely varied, but not a single one of them antedated the promulgation of the pumping-lor" beauty idea, AND FINE PLAY, TOO, Ho—What do you mean by saying that your intends work is all play? She--Luey, is a professional pian. fiat I AN APPALLING SILENCE, WHEN NIAGARA FALLS RAN DRY JUST FIFTY YEARS AGO. • «-n All Day Ilse Thauder of the Cataract. Trate Iln,lteil, the 6nat`ling Daplds Ceased to fielu', Chu 41i'ea1 lh'oelllle' Wag Darn 1'rvHn Mlcre ty1 M11ort', sad Pe,,ple WUit lied. "At 5 o'clock on the morning of March 81, 1848, just fifty years ago,' said nu old resident of Western New York, "I awoke with a some of some- thing exceedingly strange oppressing me. I was born twenty-five years be- fore with the roar of Niagara Palle in my ears, and bad lived over since then within a mile of the thundering catar- Iact. When 1 awoke that morning op- pressed by that strange feeling it was 'some aims before I discovered that it 1 tuts caused by the unmistakable and astounding feet that the rumble and : roar of Niagara was gone, I " When I realized this my first (thought was that I hand become deaf during the night, but the ticking o8 a clock that I board distinctly in ea ad- joining room proved that my hearing was all right. l'he tumult of Niagara was stilled, neverLheloas, and the un- wonted silence was something appal- ling, Certain that some unheard of catastrophe must be impending, 1: sprang out of bed, dressed hurriedly, and ran from the house, Early as floes I Lound scores of people had been awak- ened as I had been, and were hurrying pell well toward the falls to learn what was the reuse of the alarming quietude. It was soon learned, and a sight was witnessed at, the Falls of Niagara such as bad never been seen before, at least by people then on earth, and it. is not wtibin the bounds of prob- ability that such a sight will ever he witnessed again. Where had been the river that for untold ages had rushed impetuously on to form that stupen- daus cataract there was but a naked bed of jagged, meek and slimy rocks, bed of jagged, black and slimy rooks. and the precipice over which it had hi.ts mighty volume of thunder- ing and raging waters for all those agesurled ons BARE FROM SHORE TO SHORE 1 Niagara was dry, or, so nearly so, that the water that struggled ova' the great wall of rock was as but the, tinkle of a mountain brook where the roar of (prat awful cataract had been. The Amerman channel of the riv- er had dwindled to the dimensions of a creek that one might easily step over, and the water that still ran in the Bri- tish channel resembled same inland riv- er affected by a severe August drought. Goat island was as big as two Goat Islands, as the water had. shrunk from every side of it, leaving a wide expanse of ragged, savage -looking rocks which no eye, so far as the records was, had ever seen before: The bed of the Can- adian rapids, far out into the stream, was dry, a swas the space between the lower end of Goat Island tend out be- yond the tower, that well -remembered old landmark, long since gene. " The rooks thus exposed were black and forbidding, giving the dry river bed the appearance of a tract of tim- ber through which fire had swept, leav- ing only a myriad of charred stumps standing. The Three Sisters looked forlorn in their enhanced dimensions. The great jet of water which had from time out of mind leaped into the air from the snarling rapids south of these islands, and is leaping there to -clay, was not leaping that morning, and there was not enough left of the rap- ids to snarl. " People on the Canada slice walked along the edge of the precipice, where only the day before a thousand -ton wall could not have sustained itself against the rush of waters, and made their way easily nearly to Goat Island on 'the American side WITHOUT WETTING THEIR FEET. The water in the river below the Falls had of enurae shrunk in proportion, be- ing no longer fed from above, revealing an array of irregular, pinnaclad rocks that gave spectators for the first time an idea of the hidden perils many of them had braved scores of times as pas- sengers on the little 01'aid of the Mist, the famous little vessel that daily forc- ed its way through those waters, over those threatening rooks, to the foot of the Falls. The entire scene was at once desolate, strange and awful to con- template, Ignorant of the cause of this inoredihle phenomenon, the people war filled with alarm and apprehension, as to its meaning. Nevertheless, they could not refrain from swarming over the dry bed, of the riven and about the great bared precipice itself, explor- ing caves, dark recesses, curious foun- dations in the rocks, and other remark- able features of the cataract and rap- ids, the existence of which they had. never dreamed of, and wheal no mortal eye had perhaps ever gazed upon be- fore, A number of ancient ganbarrels were found among the rooks of the river bed above the rapids. Thomas 0. Streeter, who bad a grist mill on the Canada side of the river, drove with:a horse and wagon across nearly to Goat Island, and a man named Holly drove with a buggy from the bend of (Goat Island clear to the spot where the leap- ing jet of water had always writhed and foamed. lie also out several sticks of timber mar the head of the Horse- shoe halls, had them hewed there, and hauled them away with four horses," hauled them away with four horses.• ' This extraordinary condition of af- lairs at Niagara continued all clay, and there was no sign of a ahango when the disturbed people,, weary of wait- ingfor one, went to bed late that night, r When we awoke the next morning, bowover, the o OLD FAMILIAR THUNDER of the Pails was shaking the earths as before, and the river and rapids were agree tits rushing, seething, whirling, irreslstiblo torrent as of old. Then we learned what had made Niagara run dry, The winter of 1848 had been one of the coldest on record. Such ice lad never been known there, I guess, as formed on Lake lune that steatite The broalr-up came earlier than usual, t.hotede Towa.rcl the end of Match a stiff north-easterly wind caane up, and Its form was su great that it moved the gnat fields of tae, thou entirely separated from the shutes, up the lake, piling the floor le great hanks :to,, they moved. Toward niglil on March 30 the wind changed suddenly to Lie opposite quarter end became a tremendous gale. The lake's surface was peeked with miniature icebergs, and talose were hurled hack by the storm with such force tha u great dant %vas fortn- enl by thein at the head of Niagara ltiv- er. This dam was for Um 11nul so im- pregnable and cunlplete that the cur- rent of water (lett finds its way from the lake in the rushing rlutnuel of that river, le be at last fleshed over the gig- antic precipice et the fettle of Niagara, was held in cheek, and only a very small portion of lbs usual volume could find a passage through the great: pack 1 of Ire, Consequently it was not long before the river above the Polls was drniiustl of its supply, nn•l, as l.ho ice (Slice wits sbron>r and st,uhliorn tinct held Lie pians, by the time the morning of the 31st mute the stream was virtually exhausted, and for twenty-four hours the thunderous seise of Niagara was hushed. Some time during the night of the 31st or the early morning of Ap- ril 1, the ice puck gave way under the great pressure from above, and the tong -restrained valunle 01 Witter rush - el down and reclaimed its own." HERE AND THERE. Interesting Ifendptg ,thea! Affairs in. all Parts of the World. The Czar of Russia owns over a mil- lion square miles of private property, It is twenty-one years since Queen Victoria was proclaimed &eines of India. A one -legged knife -grinder in Phila- delphia }las Laugh, a Newfuuntilaud dog to turn his grindstone, A beggar who had for many years haunted the doors of Ronan churches died the other day, Leaving to his heirs a fortune of 8100,000. The syndicate operating the street railways in Mexico are introducing el- eotrieity as a motive ower. The com- pany owns 140 miles of road. A return shows that the railways conveyed 112,000 birvcies from Coven- try, England, in 1b97, compared with 210,000 in the previous year. Among the 3,000,000 inhabitants of Switzerland, these are 11,000 Germans, Among the 68,000,000 inhabitants of Germany there are 40,000 Swiss. Ilow great a havoc is created in E'rr o e among birds is shown by the fact that during Christmas week. at the central market, 114,0011 larks were sold. For three years past the number of pupils in the Massachusetts public, schools has been increasing, relatively, faster than the number in private schools, A carrier -pigeon club has been form- ed on the Haswaiian Islands for the rap- id conveyance of lettere. More than fif- ty stations have been established al- ready. A Norton County, Kan„ man has hale vested 3,000 pounds of honey from his sixty-three stands of bees the past year. The flees' range was an alfalfa field. Electric traotion is making headway rapidly in Russian cities, To -day Mos- cow bas hardly any, horse -cars left, and otexamherple. cities are rapidly following its Ought a schoolmistress to go to her school on a bicycle? This is the ques- tion the Paris Municipal Council has ne hagad toU,vdecidee, , and its decision is in the The consumption of horseflesh as hu- man food has slightly decreased during the year in Paris, being 4,472 tons. This was derived from 20,878 horses, 53 mules and 232 donkeys. Meet of the foreign students at Ger- main universities, prefer Berlin, which has 780, Loipsic has 381, Munich 236, Hello 102, Heidelberg 150, Gottingen 83, etc., the total number being 2,350. Dr. Morrow believes that, iu addition to the 1,200 ,Hawaiian lepers at Molo- kai, there are probably two or three times as many at large in whom the disease islatent or in the incubative sta, In ge,the Bettie Sea there is an island of Denmark called Bornholm, which consists almost entirely of magnetite. 11 is much dreaded by navigators, lie - cause it renders steering a ship by moans 61 a needle impossible. in Russia spirits are almost the on- ly drink, though it is stated that there is an increasing amount of wile i, o- dticed in lbe south, and the production of beer is also increasing, but witty w re- gard hating, to both of thews statistics aro At Eton School, Engtanii any ono who is so minded may at " Tap" essay the feat of drinking a yard of ale. This is only a pint in liquid, brit a yard, in linear measure, being contained in a long, horn -shaped glass, so constructed that• unless the drinker drinks with' care most of the contents are spilled. over him. A physician writes to the Lancet that the other day he came across a patient in London who had leprosy in its worst form. The patient. although Living for the last seven year`s in the middle of. London, and, no' doubt, euffe.ring from the disease for a long time, hast been refused admission by several hospitals end homes for inourablee. 'f be first thing an orthodox Siamese does in the morning is to scare away the family ghosts who may have gath- ered about the old place in the night. Letting off crackers is au etteetual means. set the New Year all the ghosts come trooping to their former dwellings. Tor three days they have their fun. At the said of the time the priests and their (looks fire grins and We other devices for getting rid of thein. A Siamese is oof£jned tape down- wards, so that the ghost rutty not sneak bank through the dead man's mouth. The coffin is taken out through a bole in tite wall, and noticed several times retina the house, in order that the ghost may be put off the stent, alitl not return to vex his family, HEALTH. LOTS OF BUTTER/ AND 01UTAM. One of the favorite remedies of phy- sicians is cod-liver oil, acrd wby le one of the mysteries of the world of medi- cine, when all there is about it Is an 011 or fatty substance is wanted that is easily digested and quite as easily assimilated, fish oil home appropriated with a small outlay of digestive power. Why cod -livor alt, a product of the de- composition of fish refuse, should ever Mee been chanced aeon, schen hut- ter and cream are nature's supply, end at once the most readily obtainable, is anexplainable. While any cue can take cream or butter, the consuming of ftsh' oil, requires the fortitude of a saint, and the haroisnt of a martyr; and as we know, the oil does not agree with Malty, and is hard. of digestion In oth- ers. Now, it has been demonstrated that fresb, u.nsaltod butter, is rather more digestible than oil, and is pleas- ant to take on thinly -cut slime of bread and as high as 4 ouneee a day of this butter, can be eaten with Impunity by even delicate persons, and cream can be taken to the full desi.re of the pat- ient. Where one is recovering from prostrating sickness and the body needs nourishment, this fresh butter, it is now asserted bas no equal, in building, up the wasted tissues et the body, and as a stimulant, very hot, fresh milk ie without a rival, outside sf tbo use of alcoliol, which last is better left: aloins. when possible. Growing children may bo greatly benefited by indulging in generous amounts of butter, though Lt may seem expensive, but it may prove the cheapest in the end. Either of I these remedies can be taken without a doctor's prescription, and is outside' of the " k611 or cure " warrant, A GOOD COSMETIC. With many French and German lad- ies the cucumber is a sovereign cosme- tic. They buy cold cream, beat it in' a plate until soft, and drop in the juice of a boiled cucumber. Milk is a very valuable cosmetic, and may be used freely to bathe the face in. Lanoline cream, which is considered excellent as an eotoilient for the skin. may be made as follows: Obtain half a pint of lanoline and half a pint of pure oil of sweet almonds. Then, putting a tablespoonful on a china plate, add, an equal quantity of abnnnd. 011; min thor- oughly and addfrom half a teaspoon- ful of tincture of benzoin, until the paste drips from the knife,—a steel caseknife is best for the mixing pro- cess—in about the consistency of very thick cream. All three of these ingredi- ents are absolutely harmless. It sh,rtld he rubbed in at night. HOW TO SLEEP WELL. Sleeplessness is a moat distressing complaint, and ono which ages a woman very fast; thereof, "insomnia," as it is called, should be attended to at once. When, night after night, a person lies awake for hours together, serious re- sults are sure to follow, It may be caused by various reasons. A disordered liver will often cause sleeplessness, When this is the case, the patient feels heavy and drowsy af- ter meals, and may fall asleep at once on going to bed, only to awaken soon after and Ito awake for hours, perbaps just dropping to sleep a few minutes before dawn, and waking again, feel- ing tired and irritable. In sucha case treat yourself much as you would for a bilious attack. Take some aperient medicine, be very careful in your diet, take gentle exorcise in the open air and avoid all worry and excitement. Make It a rule when you retire to throw off all the cares of the day and try, and concentrate your mind upon some one thing. Irregularity in the hour of retiring, will cause restlessness and should be avoided if possible. Regular hours are much the best. An afternoon nap is a luxury that not all are able to indulge in, but if late Hours have been kept the night before, and the requisite number of hours of sleep have been curtailed, it is well totake a short rest during the day. The corsets and shoes should be taken aft before lying down, A cloth dipped in cold water a.nd bound around the beak of the neck, just at the base of the brain, will often pre, duce sleep when all else fails, "EATING ONE'S WORDS." A Citizen of 1111: Czar Compelled to do It Llleraliy. They take things much too literally in Russia, A book was published some tune ago in that country asserting the rights of the snbjeot, and censuring the action of the Czar. The writer was condemned " to eat his own words," The expression is generally described as figurative; bat apparently it is not so understood in Russia. A traveller says was induced to see this, singular sentence put into ex- ecution. A scaffold was erected in one of the most public streets of the city; the Imperial Provost, the magistrate, the physician and surgeon of the Ozer, attended, The Look was separated from its binding, the margin out off, and every leaf rolled up. The author was then served( with them, leaf by leaf, by the provost, who pot them into his mouth, to the nu small diversion of the spectators, end was obliged to sw'itllow this unpalatable food on pain of the knout, a punishment more dreaded than death. When the Medical gonttle- mon were of opinion that he had re- ceived enough into his stomach—as muoh' as was at ono time consistent with safe( —the transgressor was sent batik to prison, cud the business resmn, ed the two following days. After three very homey, bei, unpleasant meals, 2. ate aonvinoed by ocular proof,that ev ouv loaf of the lock was lection„ula stvai- lowed.”