HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1898-7-15, Page 2THE BRUSSELS POST.
JULY , 1888
SMASSSSSISIn.`I stip enk
ANTONIO DI CARARA
A PAOIIAN TALE
The Count's turn to remonstrate was broken into u thousand chasms of
mow Coma. Ilvt his friend's Zeal was flame." The range of pinnacles that
resistless. He pointed out so many ad- allot np round Lha horizon, sheeted
vantages to the final emcees of the with the snow, were fairy palaces,
attempt, his knowledge of the road, turreted castles of ivory, bowers of
his faeilitiee of approach to the •Em- amaranth, magic palaces of steel. A
poror, his personalhabits of court husi- last gleam of the sun, as he plunged
Hess, that, on the ground of justice down behind the Middle Alps, shot
to bis family, the Count found it im- through a chasm of hills, and swept
possible to refuse his asstatanoe, With- round the whole range. It was like
in the half hour they had passed the outpouring of a stream of solid
through the citythe gates, and the gold, 11, transmuted the whole land -
suburbs, had loft 'behind them the lazy settee instantly; the effect ou the
nobles, the dozing doctors, the insole scene was indescribable. Wherever the
ant governor, and the yawning copula- stream fell, itt turned the spot into ell
tion—seen the grey peaks of the Ver- the glorious lines of sky, flower, and
onese Alps turning into gold and st1- metal, Boundless sheets of purple and
ver, the clouds showering roses as rich rose seemed to have been suddenly
as ever Homer and Aurora together flung over the enormous sides of the
showered on the camp by tbe Scam- bills, Cataracts of gold burst down
ander; and with firm.steps, whatever their sides, long stripes of the most
,might be the heaviness of their hearts vivid green, like valleys of emerald,
wore vigorously advancing on the lay between ridges of chrysolite and
highroad to tbe Tyro]., silver. All was splendid, prism:111c,
The Hungarian's winter predietians magical, As the sun descended, every
bad not yet been realised, Even the
valley which Ieads to Botzen from the
south, and which is proverbially the
nest of the storm, exhibited no deep-
er vestiges of the coming season, than
a Lew• streams turned to solid crystal
as they trickled down the precipices,
or, from time to time, a larch routed
cut from the cliffs by the gale, and
strewed its leafy glories at full length t the fainter light, but the summit a
across the narrow road. Carara felt spire of living flame. He sank at last,
the mountain breeze breathing vigour but there was one spectacle left, as
into his frame—his travel was already lovely, and almost as brilliant, as the
riehest effects of the sunshine. The
dusk, which now gathered round the
mountains, rapidly Contracted their
horizon—the enormous crescent ap-
peared to round itself into a circle, in
the centre of which stood the admir-
ing travellers. Of that circle, the
only portion visible was soon the up-
per ride, and even that was pale; but
from it stood up the summits of the
pinnacles, now divested of all colour,
but still sparkling with light, the dia-
mond cusps of a mighty Drown.
Carara stood entranced with this
sight of unearthly beauty, when be was
startled from his vision by a sound as
if of remote thunder; he looked to the
clouds that still lowered on the Bren-
ner, but it was as laden and solid as
ever. No flash broke from its mighty
womb. If the thunder lay there, it
was still to be norm, The whole hemia-
phere lay in the same quietude. The
gusts had fallen, and the tempest
seemed to have gone to rest with the
sun. Again the sound rose, but it was
now not the low growl oe distant thun-
der, but the roar and dash of ocean,
heavy, hoarse, and continuous. IHe
turned to the Hungarian for an ex-
planation of the cause. "Probably some
new fall of snow among the hills,"
said be; "but at all events, let us
not stop where we are. The road de-
scends a few hundred yards forward,
and anywhere we shall be less expos-
ed than here." He started with the
words from the summit of the ridge,
and hastened down the steep, Carara
followed; but tvhen he found himself
in the spot thus selected for safety,
he could not conceal his surprise at
the selection. "I altogether give way.
M your knowledge in these matters,"
said he, as the Hungarian turned to
watch the progress of the storm; "but
this spot strikes me as exposing us to
be either buried in the first snowfall,
or to find our road totally closed up."
The Hungarian fixed on him a look
which, even in the twilight, he could
discover to be singularly different
from his usual calmness of philosophy.
It was a smile, but whether it wore
more of contempt or fear, more of re-
sentment at being thus questioned, or
of that embarrassment which the sight
of overwhelming danger sometimes
produces in the haughtier minds, was
difficult to define in the shade; but
the impression was there, and his re-
spect for the philosopher's firmness
stiuffered no slight diminution for the
me.
feature of this landscape of a hund-
red leagues assumed a new and love-
lier variety; azure followed by rose,
and purple, richer than the Tyrien
loom, mingled with azure. Until a mo-
ment before he set, the whole range
became a succession of volcanoes; the
base of every mountain buried in sol-
emn grey, the sides still tinged with
giving elasticity to his limbs— his
handsome countenance was rapidly
lasing the pallid hue which was essen-
tial to Italian elegance, and was ex-
changing it for the better gift of the
manly and florid healthfulness of open
air and active exercise, With his cloak
flung over his shoulder, his Alpine
staff in his hand, and bis vivid eye
darting around the immense horizon,
catching every color of the autumnal
forest, every passing, cloud, every
floating eagle that poised itself on its
pinions above the covers of the cham-
ois and deer, along the Taller, he
might be taken for aprince of the
mountaineers. But as they rested for
their mid-day meal at the toot of the
Ritter pyramids, and the Count's new-
ly -awakened cariosity was listening to
his fellow -traveller's account of this
singular phenomenon, and indulging
his fancy in discovering, as so many
wanderers had done before, temples
and palaces, pavilions and fouutains,
In their fretted and excavated masses,
a sudden gust of the most piercing
cold rushed down from the hills, carry-
ing before it a wvhole atmosphere et
sleet, withered leaves, and dried up
branches of trees. "The trumpet of
the winter is blowing, Count," said
the Hungarian, "and we must prepare
for the speedy commencement of the
campaign,"
Carara prepared for the encounter
)imply by girding his hunter's coat
tighter round him, fastening his broad
Alpine hat on his head by the clasp
usual among the peasantry, and loos-
ening the folds of his cloak, The Hun-
garian, conversant in the language of
the storm, looked to the various points
of the compass for those currents of
the clouds which so strikingly mark
the direction from which the force of
the tempest comes in the higher Alps.
Le rge masses of rolling clouds heavily
'burst up from the whole range of tbe
vast crescent of hills, which form the
central barrier of the Tyrol, and each
sent forth its gust; but in the north-
east ley ase lid leaden -coloured pyre -
maid of vapour, reaching from the
earth to the heavens, ou which the
Hungarian gazed. with evident. anxiety.
"The weight of the tempest," said he,
"is beyond lvlittenwald; but it is, I fear,
by this time, coming up through the
P»sterlbal, and the pass will, in that
case, be altogether blocked up before
night."
Then,' sold Carara, with a smile
which was far from an expression of
his feelings, "we must attempt it by
day tight. The ghosts of the Brenner Bat the time for those things was
will not stand sunsbine, if they are short. The darkness had suddenly be -
like our Italian ghosts. For Mitten- come complete, as ie a cloud had brood-
weld, then—onward." ed nu the little valley. The sound
companlon, answered only by which before arrested the ear, had now
following his stride, and they fought returned, but louder; the storm rap -
their way together manfully up the idly grew wilder, and more appaling
side of the mountain. Fierce gusts, still, 11: began with a broken and un -
that seemed to burst less from the usual report, like the roar of asignal-
elouds than from the eerily, frequently gun; it swelled in a few minutes to
caught them in their middle way, and the roar of battle; it was now the
forced them to cling to the shrubs peal of a hundred Dannon, of thousands
and branches of dwarf oak that sheeted together, of millions, The atmosphere
the glen. The valley, which had been shook; the earth heaved; Carara in-
breed and nearly level from 13rixen stinctively sprang to a reek which
now began to contract, and the gi- projected over the side of the valley,
gentle pines, that bung and rooted up- and as he sprang,seized his fellow -tree
on the huge blocks of granite, split veller's arm to drag him to the place
by Lime or thunder ages ago, gave a of sitfety; but, to his utter surprise
deeper sbade to the road. By this pass and dismay, the Hungarian was lin-
few travellers ever attempted to ent- movable, The grasp which he gave
or the mountains but in summer, and was even returned by a more stubborn
the Count and his companion, scarcely grasp. "Do you want to die here?" ex -
disturbed the falcons and wild -goals rlttimed the count, still attempting to
that through one half of the year, pos- shake him from his strange insansl-
sessed the unquestioned lordship of the bility—"Or do you want me to die
soil. They gazed on the strrggling along ivit.h you?" he Hungarian 'made
travellers as if they were of their own no answer; hut, as if paralysed by fear,
species, and seldom moved foot or way- still firmly clung to the arm that: he
ed wing, till they had passed, held, and his nonntenence exhibited chs
The: evening fell, and through the same strange smile. A. crash of the
centre of the valley, which was now trees, a scream of the eagles and fat -
narrowed to a ravine, Was still then- cons, an universal commotion of the
area, it was evident that the stain air, announced that some extraordin-
was making wild work above, At ary devastation wtis aL band. "It is an
length an abrupt ascent led to the avalenrhe," shouted Carara, labouring
summit of the road, and the whole at once to rush forward and rouse, his
range of the wild scene opened cm frozen friend. 13u.t he was evidently
them at a view. Nothing could be devoted to ruin—he grasped his band
mors magnificent or more fearful, As —only the more violently. "It is an
far as the eye reached, the whole heti- evelanrhe," he repeated, with a low,
son rues filled with snow, assuming internee voico,ant! with a laugh which
every fantastie form of the mountain could be attributed to saarctely less
tops, and shaping them into strange than sudden idiotism or insanity,
beauty. Carara's imagination dor- Ilut now all struggle was useless, for
maul: in Oris days or prosperity, had now came this terrible instrument of
been gradually awaking since his first destrer:tioe, From the side of the
step in these wild regions, But now mountain, some thousand feet above,
all tris eyes were opened at emote Ev- mune a dim and mighty mass, itself
ery trait., hue, and feature of the like a loosened mountain, rolling,
scenery, formed to him an inclispen- bounding, crashing, and at every bound
sable portion of the most glorious increasing in !speed and size. the
landscape that he bad ever gazed up- largest ireea snapped before it like
on, "Look there," he exclaimed, point- willow -wands; the solid crags, which
ing, to a boundless pile of snow-white had resisted the torrents and the
etouels that touched a distant moue- Chander of winters innumerable, were
twin 80 elosely, as to seem a continu- torn from their ancient fixtures like
84 mc,untain aecentling fete the heights feathers, and tvilirllci down into the
0f heaven,' --"There is Pelton upon Ossa, ravine. Tba light of the snow, Or the
and both in silver'!" Another otter- rapidity of its course, threw estrange
Mous hill, whose oovoring oL snow was and srlelanoboly gleam around, and
partially darkened by a thumder-storm Tendered 11 drearily visible es itrts&t
1 right. "There s If,L
ay to the :..here is an na„ ed along, The air was filled with the
hat Caen times its Milk,, pouring out roar, era -thing and ineeeeant; the vel-
fsnmessit;rahle volumes of smoke, .and lays went it back; Every surrounding
AN AMERICAN TORPEDO BOAT APPROACHIN
THE CUBAN COAST.
(From a sketch.)
mountain returned it., like the echo o
a thunderburst. At length an
manse cloud of mingled dust, stone
snow and wreaks of all kinds, rusbe
into the valley, heralding its wa
Carara, in blindness, and utterly be
wilderecl by the snow, still felt himsei
grasped with what he thought the con
vulsivc hold of death, by his cement
ion; but he felt, at the same instant
the ground quiver and heave under hi
feet; he in vain attempted to oling t melt; ck; he was caugbt by the whirl-
wind, and flung forward,' where h
knew not. A hollow roar still sounde
in his ears; he still felt Himself. Losse
and flung like a weed upon a wave
at length a blow,' a sensation of in
tolerable chill, and a sudden ()lung
as be thought, ten thousand fathom
deep, extinguished all sounds and
sensations together.
How long be lay in this state of in
sensibility, be could judge only by th
scene that presented itself to him who
he again opened his oyes, All was ail
ens, the storm had passed away, or
left its only traces in some scatters:
clouds that Iay on the remote sky 1ik
remnants of a routed army. The ava
lanche had run its Marini course.,
course which was still to be traced' in
the stripping of the mountain side o
every sign of vegetation, and plough-
ing it into immense rants and chasms
It lay with all its devastation quiet
in the valley, at an almost sightless
depth below. Not a sound disturbed
the expanse, all was virgin white, a
world of snow. The moon in her me-
ridian was pouring down floods of
glorious light upon the scene, from a
heaven as blue and solid as a vault
of lapis lazuli. Carara's feelings were
suspended in awe of this majesty of
night and nature. The sense of his
own extraordinary preservation too
came upon his heart with an influence
which surprised himself. If hs had
known in what words to pray, he
would almost have prayed; his original
habits had not taught him more than
the rest of his class, and supersti-
tion, which he was inclined to comply
with the ceremonial of the land, or
philosophy, as the beaux esprits ()ail-
ed it, when he was inclined to think
that ceremonial troublesome, had made
up the sum of his perceptions, on the
subject. But he was now, as any man
might be, at once appalled and grate-
fut—at once shaken by the conscious-
nessthat there was something more
tban this worldly creed had told him
concerned in the government of
'things; and awakened by the feeling
that he had been, however, unaccount-
ably, the object of its care. Ile had
obviously been saved by what, at an-
other time, he would have pronounc-
ed a most singular accident.
The whirlwind raises. by the ava-
lanche had swept him down some fa-
thoms of the mountain side; and when
he was on the point of being flung In-
to the valley, where he must have been
dashed Lo pieees,•the rough root of a
broken oak had checked his descent;
Antonio dI Carat's.
and tem violence or the shock, So hick
rendered 'him insensible at the mo-
ment, had tossed him like gossamer
under a huge projecting crag, which
fortunately lay a few paces beyond the
direct, descent of the snowfall. The
ground close to the spot where be lay
had been torn up; as if a bundred
thunderbolts had rlfted it; fragments
of the crag had been evidently splint-
ered off by the concussion; the whole
surface of the mountain above had
been hurled into the ravine. If he had
been flung but a few paces nearer,
he mull have been by this time in
eternity,
When his recollection had completely
returned, the state 10 which his friend
had been seen for the lust lime recur-
red to him, What must have become
of a man who had been palpably de-
prived of all power to help bimself,even
if he had not stood directly in the
road of a devastation that: might have
torn down a pyramid or buried a city?
ra
Caralooked round in vain, he was
nowhere 1,, be seen; he shouted his
name till the precipices re-echoed it
on every aide; it was equally in vain,
run
no voice of uanswered; be even
tried his way along the shivered and
falling masses left clinging on the
Looe of the precipice, to the spot where
they had lest stood together; but: all
maven was in vain. The whole aspect
of the hill was altered, a power beyond
man had been I here; end what was
man, in such contact, but the dust of
the balance? Curare, almost subdued.,
gave a final look to the spot which
must be considered as the grave of
his eceentrie, yet melees aucl sincere
friend, and dejectedly took his way up
the little ,mountain road,
The eosserne of Mittentvald, a post -
house and pleas of rest for travellers,
had been visible for some hours before
the fall of the avalanche, and it was
to tine spot that the Count now direct-
ed les steps,
The caserne had its occupants even
in that rough season; and three or four
stout: peasants from the Meltzer vale
lay, and a nondescript figure, wh'o, on
his own authority had the courage of
an Alexander, and every vbrtuo under
the suwhim a
'n besides, but whria t Fere
rarese sword, rusty pintols, aril wee..
Cher -beaten visage, strongly marked
bite for either the contrabandist of the
highwayman, or both as the (evasion
might serve, had taken up their quar-
ters with the old soldier and his olio
who were stationed in this winter-1>igf-.
feted dwelling. Carera's first propos-
al was, that they should go back with
him to loolt for his friend, alive or
dead, But the peasants declared. this
to be totally impossible, the veteran
acknowledged it to be next to hope -
leas, and the contrabandist pledged
bine by all the ghosts of the mountains
to be beyond the power of man or
fiend, if the avalanche bad but touch-
ed a hair of his unfortunate associate.
The project was on all bands pronounc-
ed utterly impracticable, and the Count
had no resource but to wait until day -
hislight should enable him to continue
search by himself.
Daylight came, but the attempt was
more bopeless than ever. The clouds,' ,
which bad lingered so long on the
nortbern range, had during the night
moved forward over the whole extent
of the hills, and flooded them with
snow. The oaserne was covered al-
most to the root, and all the rest, as .
hemountain-j
earsfares couldte reakechn, w1475as tlrlof oceanthe of white
surges. Another day passed in this
lofty dungeon. Still tbe tempest was ,
unabated. A week passed; and Car-
ara's impatience could suffer this con -1
einement no longer. He determined to
attempt the pass at all hazards. The
peasants doelined his largest offer for
their services as guides; and he proper-,
ed desperately to set out alone. Heb
felt that his anxiety was wearing l
away bis strength; that the Emperor
might be gone from Innspruok; that
his enemy might anticipate his appeal;
that chance, or barbarity, or subtlety,
might be 'exposing his family to the
last miseries, while he was lazily wast-
ing his days in the wretchedness of a
mountain hovel.
(Te be Continued.) i
ADVERTISED WEDDINGS.
Mouths before a well-known society
belle was married there appeared in
one or two popular papers an adver-
tisement whiob imparted to all and
sundry that Miss G— would wear
the family's famous lace on her wed-
cling
edding morning.
Whether this statement was respon-
sible for the multitudes which throng-
ed to see her we cannot say, but hun-
dreds of faehlonable people were un-
eble to obtain a seat. Tia wonderful
lace was piled upon its foundation of
pearly satin ; it hung in festoons from
the bride's shoulders; it swept the car-
pet in billowy triune; and snap -shot
cameras were much in evidence as the
bride left the church door. 'Certainly,
the fair wearer was a vision of lovli-
neas; but it was whispered abroad
that not one-fourth part of Lha Ince
was genuine—a cheap variety having
been cunningly introduced to make up
for defieienoies.
A Parisian bride advertised her forth-
coming marriage by inserting a flow-
ery desert/Alan of the dress she in- I
tended to wear; while mention of one
er two fat:nous people, who hall Prove -
hied to attend, was also made. The nov-
elty of this advertisement was in the
very readable fashion in which it was
presented.
Mom like it society -letter than a paid
for announcement, it describsd•ths pe-
tite beauty of the bride-to-be, and
whetted the appetites of fair readers a
by a description of the dress she would I
don. This gown of triumph had be-
longed to a foreign princess, was lus-
trous with costly pearls, and valued
at :81000.
Fanmed for her pretty face and lovely
dresses, a young aota'ess advertised her
coming wedding by a suisposad Inter-
view. She Informed the fiotitlous re-
porter that she purposed to wear all ,1
her jewels, which on ,two occasions had b
been stolon under romantic conditions. ! t
I :Che interview was light and chatty,
but paid for at the .rate of so much
' per inch; and, in consequence, at-
Itracted hundreds of people to the Dere- p
'molly. A quantity of paste jewels . a
were worn to add further lustre to
' bJre display,
Crowds of eager individuals gather- b
ed to witness the wedding of a prom-
ent
anent tradesman's daugt
hter, whose f
marriage had been announced in every 0
original mentor. Weeks prior to the y
oecasi.on the grocer obtained special 0
d On the Farm. j
Oaw�►�+s.'oo.,.— 10,%'41.9
CLOVERFOR FOWLS.
Clover is not only more suitable for
summer food for poultry, owing to its
bulky nature, compared with corn, but
it is also m'or'e nutritious, es It contains
a greater quantity of the substances
required for the production of eggs.
The line for the shells is produced
when in a soluble Lorna in the food,
as it must pass through all the stages
and processes of digestion, and the
more soluabis the mineral elements the
easierand more completely they servo
the purposes of the hens, Clover hay
contains over 30 times more lime than
does cern or wheat, and the green elev-
en though oontainiug more water, is
comparatively as rich in lime as the
bay, Clover is also a nitrogenous
food, and supplies the elements nec-
essary' for the albumen of the egg.
When the hens have access to clover
they will eat a large quantity during
the day, and if insects are uulnerous
their wants will be fully supplied.
DIRT CAMPAIGN IN THE DAIRY.
The chief end of the bulk of dairy
work is to keep things clean in tbe
cowshed and in the dairy -room. In the
stable It is the cow that needs most
looking atter; in the dairy it is the milk
and its products, cream and butter—
pure air, clean water, olean food and
clean stalls for the cow; clean and
sweet vessels, pure air and the proper
tem/reenters In the dairy.
These essentials are within the reach
of the one -cow dairy es completely as
of the fancy dairy of the millionaire,
though they may cost soma more rub-
bing and scrubbing—a more vigilant
campaign against dirt.
TO MAKE FENCE POSTS DURABLE,The following is given as a good plan
to make fence posts last longer than
they ,generally do. In the first place
the timber should be out in midwinter,
split and allowed to season under Dover.
Now burn the lower end of the post so
that it will have a coal showing from
the lower end to six inches above the
ground when set. Then saturate the
burned part with hot coal tar. The
pasts are ready then to be set. If not
wanted immediately let them stand
under shelter with the black end down.
It is Maimed. that posts fixed in this
way will last twenty times as long as
those of the same timber cut and set
green and without being burned. The
extra Dost of fixing them will not be 2
cents a post.
\VERN' TO PICK FRUIT. .
All ripe fruit should be picked Olean
as pickers go down the row. Pick
oarefully with thumb and forefinger,
placing fruits in the basket, not a sack,
one at a time, to avoid bruising them.
Most fruits should be picked with the
stems on, as they keep better, and
if to be sold fresh should always be
gathered in baskets, To keep wall,
fruit must be picked at the proper time
when mature but not fully ripe. Fruit
is mature and should be gathered when
tba atom separates readily at its joint
with the branch. Naves leave it on
the tree too long, the flesh becoming
so sett that it is easily bruised and its
keeping qualities injured by slight tars
in handling.
In large orchards picking should be-
gin as son as fruit In sunniest portion
changes color, then as work proceeds
other fruit is maturteg and there will
be 'less from overripe fruit. The near-
er the market the riper the fruit should
be when pioked. Nevar pick green, de-
cayed or soiled fruit, Immature fruit,
unless for a distant market, should be
>ormitted to ripen, and all diseased or
rotting fruit removed and destroyed to
prevent the spread of fungous diseases.
Never pick fruit when wet with rain
or dew', as this impairs the flavor and
ssppea.ranoe. Fruit picked in the heat
of the day is apt to look wilted and
does not sell well, To prevent this,
and partially restore the fresh appear-
ance when wilted, place crates de soon
a filled in a cool, moist, well venti-
abed plaoe until sent to market. The
laver of cherries and some small fruits
depends on the time of picking, being
best when they are gathered just after
the dew is off in the morning.
INDUCEMENTS Ole DAIRYING.
To the young man who is just start -
ng out for himself upon a farm, no
ranch of agriculture at the present
ima offers such inducements as dairy -
ng, according to a correspondent,
Dairy farmers as a rule are more pros -
tutees and complain less of hard times
nd low prices than any other plass.
Their butter always brings cash, the
y -products furnish nourishing food
or young stock, pigs, calves, etc., the
ertillty of the soil Is constantly in -
mimed, and being In operation the
ear around, it brings irate the farm
is puree at all seasons the ever ready,
paper printed with a omtrait
of the bride, a notion of the marriage
foliowing. An offer to distribute same d
anti ever useful coin.
The first requisite for a sueoessfut
airyman is that he have a natural al
ples of his wares to all who were at t
ng for the work. 'This may be an -
the church gates proved an enormous
attraction. I n
Three men with well-filled carte were w
intrusted with the distribution, and n
were soon at work disseminating the t
free packages. Meanwhile the bride' i
drove away, annul the cheers and cot-
glured, yet where one bas inborn fond -
ens for cattle, for the cow and the
ork of easing turner in the best n un-
er it is certainly oneinrportant teeter
owned the euoce,ssfulcarrying out of
ha enterprise. This will inspire a cer-
ai.n enthusiasm for the work without
which no labor is intelligently per-
formed.
This disease among poultry is menet.-
ally confined to young ohiokens, and
due to the presence of small, thread-
ke worms In the windpipe. The entre
should be dieeeted to the removal of
fro pests, for eo long as the worms re-
ala In peeeeetion the gaping will con -
nue, Thorn are three or four ways
Which this May be done, Pilrst,.
feeti of the grateful recipients.
Mtn, IN IIDUCATION.
Beer's place in German edeeaelon is
being recognised in Munich, as tour of
the student corps are erectisog $40,000 is
lubho u adpining the new o uses Hofbrau-
haus. At the opening of thL year's 11
11lb hrau beok beeresason nearly 10,000
quarts of beer ware drunk an a Sunday
forenoon, the beer having Mien tested
the days before by 800 ntficlals, hooded
by the Governor Of 'Upper ,Bavaria and td
the I'inapce Miiititorw in
.t stout feather is stripped of Its down
t0 within a short distance of the end,
and this is passed down the throat of
the bird into the windpipe, and with-
drawn after being turned two or three
times, the operation, es a rule, causing
some of the worms to adhere to the
feathers and to be withdrawn with it.
if the feather be In'eviouely dipped In
Lobaeeo water or turpentine it will be
more effeetivo. S000ndly, soma people
Administer doses of rue, garlic, 0b etlm-
phor, the object being t0 kill the worms
by the strong odor inhaled with the
medbcinee in question. Thirdly, the
inhalation of lime dust, sulphur, end
carbolic acid fumes or chlorine gee,
This is certainly the moat effective cure
but needs extreme care, or the chickens
will be sacrificed as well as the pest
that it is sought to kill. The opera-
tion consists in placing the chicks in
a box, and making them inhale the
turves thrown off. The gas may be
generated by pouring sulphuric acid
over some salt, on wbiob a little black
oxide of manganese has been sprinkled,
in a saucer. The birds must be re-
moved immediately after they are ob-
served to stagger or fall over; two or
three minutes are usually sufficient.
The gets may be administered again in
a couple of days if necessary. Car -
belie field fumes are rendered by pour-
ing some of the crude acid over hot
cinders, In each case the vessel con-
taining the agent employed must be
protected so that the birds shall not,
get into it. It may be well that
"Chick" should know gapes can be pre-
vented 'by the adoption of a proper sys-
tem of rearing. It is generally ad-
mitted that the disease breaks out
every year in situations where it has
found a foothold, and nowhere is the
epidemic more severely felt than in
those yards where the chicks are reared
among the ordinary adult stock. The
real preventive Is to rear only on land
which is not fouled by the old birds;
If this plan were regularly followed
gapes would soon disappear altogeth-
er,
JOYCE'S LITTLE ROMANCE,.
When Diok Tremayne, lieul.snaut et'
lite 120th Queen's Own Resell Rov-
ers, wept down to Stratton on leave,
ho was about the unlikeliest. man pos-
sible, in Clio opinion of his friends, .to
fall in lure at first sight;
The whole affair was absurd, he
knew. The mors idea that be, Diok
Tremayne, heir to his brother's title
and un acknowledged eligible in the
matrimonial market, should ever give
a serious thought to bis sister-in-law's.
pretty governess was, in itself, ridicul-
ous. Nevertheless, it was a very pleas-
ant pastime, in the dusky evenings out
on :the moonlit terrace, to saunter
along with the prettiest girl lee had
ever mot,
One evening, when the scant of the
roses filled the cool air with frag
rands, and the night breeze sighed in
J the poplars on the lawn, he came very
'near to destruction, He spoke sudden -
1y and with vehemence. Taking her
band in his inloxi to b' love-
liness and the strange inflie cetof the
stillness, he murmured words which
brought a bright flood of color to tor
cheeks and a glad light into her
eyes—then—
'Joyeel are you there? Can you.
write those few notes for me?" said
Lady Tremayne, not noticing the girl's
brilliant eyes and the unusual color
in her soft cheeks, and Joyce, writing
at the table in the library, her heart
stili beating tfast and light still in her
sweet eyes, lived over agct,in those few
dangerously sweet momenta,
Presently voices on the terrace caus-
ed her to start; it was his voice and
Lhaship's othcousin,er? l:toger Temple, her lady -
"Pretty 1 I should think so, indeed!"
said Temple's voice. 'Are you cutting
in at the last moment, old fellow?" •
"Not 1" said Dick's voice, with a
laugh, "though 1 nearly did for my-
self just now; she looked so confound-
edly pretty, don't you know, and good-
ness only knows what 1 was saying—
what 1 might have said-- if Grace
hadn't come out just in Lite nick of
time, Uncommon name, Joyce. isn't it?
After all, one must amuse oneself in a
place like this, and lit petite does
charmingly pour passer le temps, Let
us go in."
Joyce sat still and cold; the pile oT
finished notes before her. The candle
burnt down and went out with a splut-
ter, and still she sat on in The dark,
where tater on Ludy Tremayne found
her, and alarmed at the sight of her
pale, tired face and heavy eyes, sent
her to bed, whilst down stairs Diok
was inquiring the whereabouts of
pretty Mas Cardew.
Three years hays passed, Diok Tre-
mayne las received hie promotion and
is on his way home. During bis voy-
age his thoughts turn again 11,5 they
have done many times before, to Joyce
anndEbisnglalonnd.g-remembered last evening
i
It is a dull, dreary November after-
noon when he arrives at the manor
house, and he feels an agreeable sense
of expectancy as he alights at the fa-
miliar door. A vapory fog envelope
everything and the thought of the
ant
warmtoththim.
within and Joyce is very pleas -
Lady Tremavnte is out," says the
old butler, "anti no intimation of Cap-
tain Fromayne's arrival bas been re-
cing-rooeived, m"
but Lady Carew is in the draw-
l/lett wonders who she may be as h.e
goes into the cozy drawing-room,whiw
is illuminated only by the denote(
fire light, As be advances out of the
shadow a fiery tongue of flame leaps:
ftp and lights upon the sweet, fair faoe,
and a great joy falls upon the man..
It is Joyce. He starts forward with'
outstretched hands, and eager, glad
words rise tumultuously to his lips..
"Don't you know rne, Joyce?" be -
cried, and then a Moe. of recognition
cornea into her eyes, but he does not
notice the little frown that wrinkles.
her forehead. for a moment.
"Of course 1 remember you, Captain
Tremayne," she says, and to his ears
her voice seems to have become sweet-
er. He had load no idea that she would
have developed in three years into the
lovely worn= who now stands before
him,
L am evidently an unexpected
guest," he says, laughing, as they sit
down in the pleasant glow al the
bright fire; "but 1 do not regret tbat,
as 1 have met you—first,'
A smile crosses her lips, and she
looks into the glowing fire.
"You did not expect to see me here
still,.. darn say. Are you, home for
tong 1"
"Yes, I hope so; and then when I
go out, again I do not intend to go
alone, Joyce," he continues, softly,
'hays you never guessed that I love
yea, dear? Do you remember that ev-
ening we spent in the garden here
before I went away? I have never
ceased to think of you, and now, ah!
Joyce, I love you, Move you, Forgive
ny long silence and make me happy
al last."
Her sweet, time voice strikes bim
ZS almost: cruel when she speaks.
"There is nothing to forgive," she
ays, coldly, "We are both quite
aware that that past you speak of was
urely a matter of amusement. One
must amuse oneself in a place like this,
Yoh know, And, after all, it was simp-
y pour passer le temps,"
"Joyce," he Dries, desperately, "is
his all you, ran say to me after years
1 devotion ?"
His absolute selfishness startles her,
Ind words rise to her lips which might
ava tarn the veil somewhat roughly
ram his eyes, but: she cheeks them,
nd. rises from her Seat,
"What more can I say?" she Bays,
weotly. "We are all fools at some
mac or our lives, and we Waca 00 0)1-
851511008 to that rule. Ale Ted, is
hat you?"
The door 01)5.155 and a mars enters
nyce laya'her hound on his Near: He is
Mall, Slue looking man, broad should-
ered and stalwart, "Captain Tremay-
ne," she says, turning bo .Diok, with a
smile, "I most introduce ley husband,
Sir Edward Carew, Ted, this is Sir
John's brother'."
THE HEIGHT OF SOLDIERS.
A Decline In the Average Stature et right-
ing Men as European Armies Are In.
creases.
As the size of modern e,mies is in-
creased the average height of fighting
men is diminished.. The Tageblatt of
Berlin ascribes the reduction to the
average stature of soldiers ha modern
armies to conscription, and says that
in the German, army it is now only
60.63 inches. In the British Army the
height is 64.86 inches, showing the tall-
ness of the average Englishman and
Scotchman. Frenchmen and Spaniards
are taken at 1.54 metres, ltaliars at 1.85
metres, 61 inches, and the same mini-
mum measurement is the rule in Aus-
tria. The Russian minimum is 1.54
Metres, and in the United States it is
1.610 metres, 68.78 inches. In 1860, be-
fore the beginning of the American
civil war and before the general arm-
ing of .Europe, the average height of
men serving in the various European
armies was as follows, given in hash"'
Italian, 65; Spaniard, 65.5; French, 66;
Hungarian, 66.1; Austrian, 8.5; Bel -
Irish, 6 8i; Scotch, a68.5, andnNory egian
69,
Although the average height of sol-
diers leas decreased during tie last few
years considerably, in those countries
in which conscription is the rule, it
is found generally that in ,countries
in which peaceful conditions prevail
so great standing army is maintain-
ed, the stature of new soldiers is
gradually increasing. This is shown
conspicuously in the ease of Sweden,
where the average height of new sol-
diers between 1840 and 1850 was 60 in-
ches, 60,2 between 1850 and 1860, 66.0
between 1860 and 1870, 86.8, between
1870 and 1880, and 69 between 1880 and
1850.'1`he proportion of rejected soldiers
in Prance has decreased from 37 per
sent. in the decade beginning 1840, 55
per cent in the decade beginning 1860,
and 33 per cent, in the decade .begin-
ning in 1880, to 30 per cent. at pre-
sent. The number of conscripts now
rejected ons account of height is less
every year, 131 consequence, perhaps, of
the fact that the minimum height
limit of the I!rencb Array has been
steadily decreased. American soldiers
have preserved during many years the
sante height substantially, though the
fact is well known that soldiers from
the Western and Southwestern States
are, as a .rule, taller than those from
the Past and from the Southern At-
lantic States.
SPIRAL WIRE CORDS, '
The elimination of interlinings and
stiffonings in dress skirts and the
new drop skirt made separate from
the outside make it necessary to have
full petticoats of some sort, The
crinolines are not only threatened, but
are already here. But not every one
will wear them, although they desire
the effect.. Many muslin skirts are
not only warm butt heavy in warm
weather, and 'so the patent novelty
skirt, stiffened and shaped by escien-
tette application of a spiral wire cord,
will probably be popular with the great
snajorit'y.
It is an immense improvement over
the heavy and unoomfortable steels,
whelebomes, featherbones, or reeds,
which formed a prominent part in all
those instruments of torture called
hustles, limners, titters, eto.1 in the
long ago," Besides this, it cannot
break.
This evire is emptied by a patent pro-
cess in a tapvcasing to all skirts cut
aeaording to the prevailing teahion of
the moment as to shape and size, and J.
the desired effect is produced by wiring a
the £romtt and back horizontally to hold
them out and away from the feet, and
the side gores diagonally, giving a
fctmling tolatter appearance;
presegtly, otherwise one
would look like a, balloon ready for aa -
which is probably what we are
�IIt5 POSITION.
Then you are entirely opposed, L0
ardi.s?
Notorit atspalltil, replied the Prohibition -
lets 'ohoarily, I don't object to a than
being in ardent spirits, but; I hate to
see a man who line ardent spirits
hint.
BOW SHE LOOKED AT IT,
iiia. Short --.bey dear bliss Kate, I
have a very serious question .I wish
to ask yon,
plias Long—What: is it, pray 1
Mo', Short—Will you. merry 1015?
Man Long (seorlsfltlly)—Do you cell
that. sennas, 141r, Short? ,Why L don't.
think I ever heard anything sa ridi-
cul nuc,