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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1894-1-19, Page 2COMEDY OF ERRORS CHAPTER TY, 0113: FINDING OF 0310 PIANO&, " Williams' whispered Jessica, as she and her friend took their places at dinner, "do you see at the far end of the table a said man with his mother 7 That ie John," " ll ow do you know ?" asked Fiore, cautiously adjusting her spyglass, " I am sure of it, The lady wears black, and the man is of papa's generation, and le exactly my idea of John," But, my dear nabob, that ratan is not• only of your father's generation but of your father's ago ; and, to be plain with you, it is not my idea of John at all." " I don't mind betting half a crown it is he," " Done 7" said Flora, At thin moment the vacant chair beside Jessica became occupied by the young officer who had danced attendance on Mrs, Cobbe. Tho latter, after the manner of strong-minded ladies, bad been gay enough during the rough passage, but had fallen soak epee landing, and now was not at the table, The gentleman had slipped into his chair and began his soup without looking at his neighbors. I3nt the father of a largo Irish family on his left leaned morose twin ruts to shake hands with him, saying in a hearty Irialt voice " Well, me dear bhoy, and I'm glad to see ye lok ,,gen. And how's the patient?" 01i, better, air, thank you," answered the new -censer. ' I wanted her to come down to dinner, but perhaps she is wieer not." And then, as if uadesirous of en- o,eraging the hearty gentleman, he opened a oonversation with Jessica of the usual colorless " table•d' tote" sort. " I saw you on the Hercules this after. ,Jessioa had lost her bet, Tho elderly man proved to be a German zoomed Althnas, and the betrothed maid paid up her Italf.crown with the greatest ehcorfuiness. Then they put on their hate, and furnished with a guide la handsome personage, dressed in a brown hooded blanket over 0white ono), they went out to 800 Tangier, But first, in the hall, they passed Mrs.. Cobbe, all alone and looking put out ; and then their dinner acquaintance of the previous even- ing, A lady was leaning on his arm—a frail, sweat:40, nd lady of fortyfive, dressed RS a widow. " Will you sit on the verandah, mother?" the young man wee saying very gently, "That is Mr. Cobbe," said Joeeioa Ob- stinately, us they pureed out ; "how hie wife frowns at her mother -in -hew, And, Williams, it is carious how muoh less nice he looks himself this morning. 1 thought him handeonte last night, Now I see he is plain, quite plain, and with a stupid sort of manlier. leoesn't it hang like this," said Flora, "if his name is Cobbs—or Smith or Robin- son—you admire him ; but you don't if his name 10-" "1 don't like him at all I" Dried Jessica, "no matter what his name is." In this she persisted. Several times in the course of the day they ran up against the young man, and always Jeeoiea found some hole to pink in him, His clothes. were rough ; his oyes were green; he was over -tali: he talked too muoh; he talked too little. He stared ; he was conceited; dull ; emptyheaded ; meek tied to his mother's apron•strings. Hourly she pro- fessed to dislike him more ; yet hourly, so Flora observed, she increased in cheer. fnlnass, noon," he said. " Nasty little cockle -shell, Then they made the mother's aoquaint- isn't she ? Have you been touring in ance,—a gentle, sad woman wrapped up Spain ?" And .Tessioa replied with bright. in her son. ening eyes, for she liked a young man to "Neither do I like her, Williams," said talk to, as what girl does not ? They had Jessica; "she is insipid. Just what all quite a pleasant chat ; and now and then married wonmen become. The mind never she glanced contemptuously at the steppes- grows after marriage. Some day, Williams, ed John Farquhar at time table•ond, and .1 shall be like that. And you will be eel - wished he would look at her and see how tivated, beautiful, and intellectual like agreeable she could be 1,0 a genial campers. dear Mies Snow." iou. Nevertheless Jessie& was very kind to the New the young gentleman had al. I poor, faded, married lady, and she sat on a ready nn the Hercules observed that stool talking to her, with bright eyes fixed his present neighbor and her friend l on the wan face, and such sweet tones that the sick woman revived under their infra. euce. The son, walking up and down the terrace with Flora, was listening to dexter- ous praise of Jessica, and now and then his ayes strayed to the slight, graceful mature who was talking so sweetly to his mother. But Miss Jessica, stealing an occasional peep at him, thought, or thought that she thought, his admiring glances all for Williams. "It is just what I expected," she said to herself rather angrily. "Of coarse any man in the world would fail in love with Flora !" "Don't you think my friend is very pretty?" she asked aloud, rather abru ptly of the invalid. "Very," said the lady sadly, watching her son; and then, parhape reading the thought iu the girl's mind, she sighed, and took occasion to mention that he was en- gaged to be married and that he deserved the best wife in the world, being the best of men ; and she sighed again, and hoped dreamily and doubtfully, that his mar- riage might turn out well. ' Please tell me your name," interrupt. ed Jessica, unable to bear suspense another moment. The lady smiled graciously. " Our name is Farquhar. My son is captain in the 509th, at Gibraltar, you know. He is getting on so well ; was so dies anguished in Egypt. We know your names, dear," she smiled again; " your friend is Williams and you are Talbot." "That is our Girton fashion," said Jessica supremely uncomfortable And she was off, catching Flora's hand and dragging her away too. Williams," she groaned, but with sparkling eyes, "itis all up with ane. Von were quite right. John is that odious young man who Was se attentive to Mrs. Cobbe that I thought him her husband." "Jessica," said Williams indignantly, "Yon are just one mass of humbug," "Never mention the word Jessica while you are under this roof, Flora ! but Will- iams, is it going to work? Will John fall in love with you ?" " I hope so," said Flora coolly," for I like him extremely." That is fortunate. Though I confess, Williams, you disappoint me, You are as frivolous as if you had never been to Gir- ton. Why am 1 the only woman in Eng- land capable of constancy to the ideal?" Flora evaded the question by asking another, "May I ask, Talbot, why you are putting on your best frock?" "Because I wish to look nice," said Jas. eiaa sharply. " Those Irish people all have their beat frocks on. ' " 01 I It isn't by any °hence Captain John's approval you aro seeking'!" " Yee. Did you Haver hear of Orators?"" Certainly not. But I don't wish him "0h yes. They wear blue stockings to disapprove mo. It io I who intend to share, don't they? Would it be indiscreet,disapprove him. After I have dismissed to inquire if you—and .hiss Talbot have , hint 1 may forgive hies partially ; enough to them on now?" "1 never could get a pair to fit me,' sighed Flora. "1 am a duffer—gat pluck- ed all round. But Miss Talbot is a real blue otockinv. She is going in for mural philosophy." The young officer stole a glance atJessiea, whe was very pink, and half amused, half annoyed, ' 1 am afraid you are not entirely to be treated," he said, smiling, John irritobl Dinner over, the gide escaped to their y rooms, for the salon was swarming with the " Two such sweet girls---' began Mrs. Irish fancily. They laughed, and laughed, Farquhar dreamily. Then she ()hacked and laughed, e.s only very young people herself. I don't know what their mothers can, and ,Iesaima wanted to write it can have boon about,' she went on iia all down in a journal, Then, still with different tone. dimpling cheeks, she heaved up a sigh and Oh," oiled John, "ladies of that pattern said : " f tell you, William, John as that will meet protectors everywhere. Only horrid -looking elderly man at the end of Englislm•epeak!ng girle could do it, of comae, the table." but it is splendid. Flora nearly closed her eyes, end gazed Mrs. I:lamellar had never seen him so through ker lids at the ceiling. outhnstestic before. It was very unsafe " I should sooner su pose him our an. under his circumstances, For Jeseloa Nevill's sake, she hoped these two formid- able young ladies would take themselves off. ere BS CONT1l0lJltD ) were extremely pretty girls ; and as ho talked to Jessica he looked at her very often, and noticed the pretty way her hair grew en her forehead, and the dainty droop of her eyelashes, end the fresh bloom on her smooth young cheeks. Orae Jessica, suddenly raising her eyes, caught him looking at her in0011 more directly and earnestly than was necessary, He turned away with the hurry of guilt and flushed a little ; and Jessica, seeing that, felt that she also had done something unnecessary, and blushed furiously ; and for a minute there were two red faces and silence, and they ate their earamel•pudding diligently, with their eyes on their plates. After which both addressed themselves pointedly to Winfants. " Yes;" explanted Flora, "we have cone to Tangier 1.0 study the climate. Miss Tal- bot's mother wants to try this coast next winter. We told her Algiers was hack- neyed, so we have come here to pioneer. She tree been spending this winter in Rome." Jeasiea marvelled et Flora's mendacious glibness. "Tangier has a nice climate," seed the the young man. "I should think your friend would like it." He gleamed at Jessica again. "Your mother hs not an invalid, I hope?" he said a little bluntly, but with n softened voice, as if be liked talking to Jessica, and, moreover, as if he knew some. thing of invalids as well as of climates. "Not exactly," saki .Jessica, mustering up all Iter knowledge of Lady Monaster - even, 'rant her lungs are a little affected. She cannot live comfortably in the north," ":111!" He turned resolutely to Flora again. " But what travellers yutt Ameri- cana are !" ' Why must we be Americans??" asked she. "Are you not Americans?" said tho gentleman, covering hie oonfusion with a laugh, and meeting Flora's frank gaze adnurzi gly. ' Yen think us Americans;' sail ,Jos- eioa boldly, " because we are travelling alone." " I dare say that put it into my head first." ' Yon have not risen to the occa- sion," said Flora ; "you should have no ; but because you wear Parisian freaks and speak such pure English." " Williams 1" said Jessica expostulating. ly. The young man smiled, but felt rather afraid of Flora, and in his heart drew near- er to Jessica. "As for our travelling alone," continued Flora, " that is nothing. It is a way we Girton girls have." C;irtoi ?" TEE BRUSSELS BOSS'. JANUARY 19, 1894 GRANT ALLBN, A Aeeerlhtlon or the VelobratedC1nttrate l AnthRr, Mr, Frank Yeigh, of Toronto, writes to to the Detroit Free Press an interesting do. ecription of Grant Alien, the Kingetonien, who made hale mark in the world by liters. Lure. Ho ear :—A genial.looking old gentleman of eighty or over, with small bright oyes behind his spectacles aglow with kindliness, mental alertness, ane the divine spark of youthfulness, Dame into me otfioo the other day, carrying a favourite volume from the pen of hue favourit' author, and the author his brilliant eon "J, A, Allen" was the name on the card of my visitor, but not until Tread the title of the hook did I know that he was the father of the now famous author, scion - deb, lecturer, and novelist, Grant Allen. In the eyes of hie parent, Grant is a wonderfulboy,and indeed the lather's pride is a pardonable ono. Hie chief pleasure in hie early boyhood days was to tramp through the woods or morose the fields,and, peaseeeing a keen senile of observation un- usual in one so young, he knew when and whore the first flower of spring was to bo found, or wizen the first bird had arrived ; in fact, he knew about every bird and flower and animal, and could nob only name and locate thein but desoribe them in de- tail. Much of,hls 000000s as a writer on natural history and popular sciemo is rho doubt attributed to the development of this youthful habit of study by observation and analysis. Some of his best novele,too, contain delineations of character that show he can adapt this gift to men end women. Nor has his fondness for long walks in the country left hint. His present method of life is, after breakfasting and reading his mail to indulge in a walk in company with his favorite dog, either across a moor. through a wood, or by the sea, where the commonest objects—oommon,that is, to the uninitiated—attract his attention—an ant hill,a butterfly,a field uconse,an old mound, all of which will figure in a chapter or ref• erence in his next book or in a review or magazine article. Craut Allen remained at home until he was fourteen years of age. He was born in the historic old city of Kingston the homestead being at one time used as the government house in the olden days when Kingston was the capitol of Upper Canada. That ho made good use of the time after he left Kingston is evidenced by the fact that he was a professor of meu nal philosophy and logic at thirty-two in a college in the West Indies, while at nineteen ho won a soholar- ship of 8500 a year for five years at Oxford; indeed, his whole course at the university was a brilliant one, though not a little credit is due his father, who acted as itis tutor during his earlier years. It was while residing in Jamaiea that he saw how even the tradition of blank blood in a man was a bar sinister, though he were white in ep• pearance. This so aroused his indignation that he wrote "In Ali Shades" as a protest against time unfair dieoriminatiou. The fact that he wrote this novel in pactically four weeks—a three -volume novel at that—leads to the remark that he is a very rapid writer, as well as a prodigious worker. His Pathe' gave another interest• ing evidence of his quickness in composition by tolling me that he load seen his son write a fifty page book in two days, containing scores of references to biology, geology, comparative anatomy, botany, aud similar subjects, without consulting a single work; in fact, there were none at hand to eon - suit. "Yee, he loves England and the English people," continued Mr. Allen, sr., though poor health has made a traveller of him. He has thus spent many months at a time in the more salubrious parts of France and Italy, and even Algeria and E7ypb. All his experience in thisrespeothas been turned to good account in the laying of the scenes of his different novels in foreign countries. He 18 now building a hone in Surrey, at Hine Head, not far from Tennyson's old home, and in a rural paradise, where many of his warmest friends are his neighbors. Tyndall, for instance, lives close by, as floes Edward Clodd, " the literary backer ; " William \lorris, the so•oalled poet ; Bis, Bombe Gardiner, the painter and engraver ; and others. Herbert Spencer, whom he claims as his beet friend and chief inspira- tion, and whom he regards as the greatest mind living, is in the habit of spending months at a time with Grant, Allen in his home, Spencer being, as is well known, an old bachelor," Despite his great success in Iiterature,tho subject of this sketch concludes the whole matter of a literary career by saying:—"I would earnestly say to the aspiring—brain for brain, in no market can you sell your abilities to strati poor advantage. Don't take to literature if you've capital enough in hand to buy a good broom, and energy enough to annex a vacant crossing." let I:im merry you, Flora. I see," said Flora, pinching her friend's cheek. Meanwhile John Farquhar sat on with his mother. His eyes had followed the two lair girls as they fleeted away, and he emiletl and sighed unconsciously. His mother watched him anxiously, " Dearest," she said at last, laying her hands on his, "do take care." " What tin you mean, mother ? " returned WHERE SNOW LIES DEEPEST It is to the Bath of Canada. "The Reanllfnr," When It Ellis, Costs Some Ae'iotn 11n11n•ays 01111tfl17 J)curare,. Do you realize the fact that the line of greatest snowfall in North Amorioa is nob in Canada, but in the United States? Most people if aelced for an opinion would unhesitatinglydoclare that snow falls deep- est in the Polar regions, but in cooking 1,0 euoh a oonolusios they would be very ninth astray. It ie, however, easy enough to understand the popular fallaay upon this poinb, The public,aeaustomed vie they have been to read and hear Oa perpetual winter, vast ice floes, and huge 1eeberge in the far north, have always associated heavy snow. falls with mach ion. Reading of the sang - glee of Arctic explorers, and the habits of that hardy raoe,tho I!lsqumtaux,people have conjured up for themselves blinding snow- sbormo and impassable drifts as things inseparably as000iated with the frozen north. This is, however, very largely a misapprehension. Consider - queen lance at dinner," s e said, dryly, Up ,jumped Jessica, "sly dear girl ! That man fo Mr. (Itself. ray Cobbe! didn't you hear inn say iia wife Nae bettor, but not able for dinner? She was looking very green when we landed, I saw that." "1 heard nothing about a wife," said Flora, "and, Talbot, that man le ten years younger than MIs. Cobbe." " Then I suppose she was an heireee I" cried Jessica ; " men marry any sort of women for money, 1Villiams, dear, I don't want to annoy you, butyou did look too charming at Mr, Cobbe for the second half of dinner, I gave you leave to snuff me out for John Farquhar, but you needn't grudge me a married man like Mr. Cobho for five minutes, Ido tl I k," "1 am glad you liked Mr, Cobbe," said Flora calmly. succeed one another every two minutes at In rho morning it was discovered that the foot of the orators' tribune. Edison's laboratory costs him 5300,' 00 a year. IIe is the orighmator of over 400 pa- ten ts. a•tents. Good shorthand wrilera aro coarse in Prance. The post of shorthand writer in the Chamber of Deputies is vacant. The work is exceedingly laborious, and within the poet few years four Monographers have become insane, two have lose their eyesight and many were knocked up through over- work or "writer's cramp, Some of the speakers in the Chamber are so rapid in their utterances as to he the despair of the shorthand writers. A dozen stenographers NORWAY AND SWEDEN, Their Differences Approaching a Crisis. RASIx1: .1 nn1OttADE"—TILE OLD SNOW ILUNUn AND 0110 NEW. able ignorance prevails in the popular mind, not only in this country, but on the other side of the line even, with regard to the snowfall in Caned&. Nino persons out of every ten would promptly declare, if appealed to, that as between the republic to the south and Caned& the line of maximum snowfall extends through this country. There ie every reason to believe, however, that it runs below the boundary line :livid. bng the United Stabs and Camila, strik- ing northward as ft reaches the foothills of the Rockies towards the Pacific coast, The evidence, in fact, goes to show that the deepest snowfall is peculiar not to the Arctio regions, but to the country south of us favored with a mere temperate climate. SNOW IN TEE .1031010 105101ON&. King William's Land, near the mouth of Backe Great Fish River, has been named as the coldest portion of the Arctic north of this continent. Frederick Sahwatka, the well-known explorer, spent parts of two winters in King William's land or vicinity, and his conclusion is that the snow does not fall there as deep as in a number of states near the northeru)boundary of the repnblio. So light indeed was the snowfall that he and his Darty had consider- able difficulty ingathering enough snow to make snow houses, or "igloos," as they are termed by time Esquimaux, in which to obtain shelter. In every direction from that part of time country, as the weather grew warmer, the depot of snowfall increas- ed, lessening the difficulty in respect to finding shelter. Tho snowfall in time Arctic occurs ember in the spring or fall, when it is neither very cold nor very warm. These Kine pacer'? Dilemma, A London special says :—The Tines to- day contains one of its series of articles on the situation In Sweden and Norway, the last of which appeared on Nov. 14, It says that 0 the coining elections in Norway re- sult in a large and militant Radical mnajor- ity,lhe Censerv&tkve ministry will be bound to retire. The king will find himself face 1.0 face with she necessity of accepting the Radko.l interpretation of the Aut of Unun, thereby surrendering the unity of foreign policy, upon which the alliance of the two kiugdoine eonsiste, or of enforcing the Swedish reading of the act, against the manifest determination of the Norwegian people. Sweden, it appears, is prepared to use force, The Swedes, who were at first apa- thetic, have been roused to such a pitch of exasperation that it will take little to goad then to action. The king is confidant of the support ' i the Swedes, and he will not surrender the Norwegian crown nor semi. fioe the union, which he believes to be in- dispensable to the safety of both Sweden anciNorway, The fleet shot fired by Swed- en will rally the Norwegian Radicals and Conservatives shoulder to shoulder in de. fence of their common nationality. Do - spite the superiority of her military re- sources, Sweden would find it a hard task to reduce Norway to subjection, and harder still to keep her in subjection, If the sentiment of the Swedes compels the king to uneheath the sword, the I1ura. /Man powers, who are the sponsors of the union, ought to intervene, armed with it European mandate, as in 1814, Sweden might act within limits, leading to an ar- rangement for the avoidance of a war crisis, Opinion In Norway ea, in time meantime, raised on only two issues—union end monarchy or separation and a repot). lie. But among the contingencies ware observers detect a third comae—the cram ation of a throne in Norway, with Prince Waldemar, youngest eon of the King of Denmark, en king. On the 'other Maud compare with thee° lines the record of the meet northern trans• continental road, our own Canadian Peoifio, Throughout the winter ite trams pane to and fro on their journey noroee the oountry, and If delays odour they are of a very trialing :diameter, Why iia tills' The rea- eon surely must be that the Amerioan rail- roads have to encounter a heavier snow. fall, True the Canadian Paoifla is a maw uifiooimely managed and well equipped road, the Amerioan roads aro equally well equip- ped for fighting a scow blockade. So admirable is the record of the Canadian Pacific in regard to snow blookados that experienced travellers who have travelled on this road award it the palm over its competitors, although, perhaps, the snow- fall theory lieu uaonered only to a very few, 110W 01i10 SNOW 010 tlrl'a IN OUTS, Alt the bloukades that occur so frequent- ly on the American north-weateen roads aro not altogether attributable to deep snowfalls. On the oonbrary, the name dif• floulty is met with on the railroads in this country, where the snow persistently is drifted by a high wind into deep "outs," The diagram herewith given will make this clear. Suppose that A A represents the ground, R R the railroad and 13 B the level of snow after the first light flurry, The tweak is at first easily cleared by the snow•plough, which deposits the snow on eanh side in banks, as represented by 0 0. The firet really strong wind which afterwards ensues muses the e11ow to drift until the "ant" is level to D 1), or in other words the top of the banks. Then cremes the snow plough's first wrestle with the "beautiful," which is piled up on the banks to E E. Once more the drifting commences until the "cut" is again made level. So the process goes on until the depth of snow is so great as to snake it a matter of impossibility for a single engine to get through. Other engines are added to overcome the blockade, and there work into the huge mass as far as practically, then retire and coo menoe a ram. ming" prones which cuts huge swaths at each movement. To illustrate the oharac• ter of these blockades it maybe mentioned that cu one occasion on the Yellowstone branch of the Northern Pacific, some half dozen powerful engines locked together were engaged for a week in cutting through the snow for a distance of lees than a hue- d red miles. OLEAnINC T1IE ooSlnacoroN. In the earlier days of railroading, of course, these difficulties wera muoh harder to overcome, and, in faot were almost in- superable. Tho introduction of snow fenoes and snow•ploughs was found of very material benefit. Snow fauces are con- structed where the physical features of the country do not favor the accumulation of very large drifts, and they serve admirably to prevent the snow from drifting into the cuts. At the deeper ants, and on the slopes of nmouutains, where the fences would afford but an imperfect protection, the railways have found it advisable to build snow sheds. They are more frequent. ly semi on the Northern Pacific, Union Pacific; and Pacific raiiroad than on the Can:Wien roads. The Canadian Pa- cific has the least number of fences and sheds of any tranerontiuental road. Tra- vellers on the Inberoolonial railway will have noticed a number of snow sheds on portions of the line where the greatest dan- ger from snow drifts is to be apprehended. There is a great difference in the quality of the snow that falls in the north,eonpared with that which descends in the more south ern country, ,vhiclt fact in also to be con. sidered when the obstruction,' are to be reckoned with. The more northern snow is hard, compact and brittle, and from its oharaoter it is easily adapted for use by the Esquhmaux in building his snow house for TIM SNOW S11ED AND SNOW PENCE. JCA110US QUI' CANADA'S CANALS New Xork State Legislature Aima a Blow. fleverno' *'Tower Thinks a Greater Fro- nereten of the t tree 'Prate Shonlq 1!a$s '1'I1rengii 1110 State—Uanadtl A0plree t0 190300 00 Il, An Albany spaniel says :--Tho oaual people of the northern territory of the State got Senator Bradley .bo introduce a bill providing for expending in the next few years about 590,000,000 on the canals. It authorized the Superintendent of Public Works, before the opening of canal naviga- tion in bho years 18£11 and 1896, to cause the Erie, Oswego, Champlain, Cayuga and, Senoea and Black River oanele, and the Oneida River improvement, to bo enlarged by deepening, widening, etraightening, lengthening certain looks and removing pier and abutment obstructions, as well as to clear out the choked -up feeders of the Brie and other canals. The work is to cause the Erie Canal to be deepened by excavation or the raising of its banks so as to provide for a uniform dopeh of not less than nine feet of water, throughout its entire length of 359 miles, from Albany to 13nfialo, and to widen its channel to a uniform width of not less than 90 feet on the bottom of the same, exeopt through populousoities where a width of not less than 60 feet shall be provided. In his message to the Lsgis• laturo on its assembling" yesterday, Gov - :senor Flower overnorFlower said : "To•tlay Canada aspires to contest with us for the traffic of the great lakes. She has already spent upwards of 560,000,000 in improving and building donate and in deepening ohannele. She is constructing a now canal through her territory at the Sault Ste. Marie, and ie making a channel fourteen feet deep all time way from Lake Superior through the Welland Canal and St, Lawrence River to the sea. When that is completed a two -thousand -ton boat can go from Duluth to Montreal Halifax or Liverpool. To meet this con petition the United States Government i making a twenty -feet channel through the lakes to Buffalo. When that is completed n three•bltousand-ton boat. CAN 0030E ,1S FAR AS nr ri•ALO and fron that point freight meat find cheap and easy outlet to the seaboard. Her is where New York's interest lies, and where the necessity of utilizing the advan. tage of the Erie Canal is vital. Think for a moment of the vast wealth centred now in the territory surrounding the Great Lakee, Here, in these states, is already nearly half the population of the country. There has been no parallel in history to the rapid de- velopment of this region. Its industrial and commercial possibilities are almost unlimited, The great wheat fields of the world are there, great areas of timbered land, immense deposits of iron, copper, and the preoiotts metals. The cities of this re gion must eventually be the greatest den ares of wealth and population in the errantry and time natural pathway of their products and those of the vast country beyond them. must over be through the Great lakes to the East, Railroads alone cannot carry all the products of this region ; development would bo checked if dependence was alone upon them. But railways and waterways together, not antagonistic but mutually eseential, will, year by year, carry iucroas fug burdens Froin these treasuries of wealth to the seaboard, and take back the products which our industries or commerce supply in return. The figures of time lake com- merce are already startling, In 1889 the tonnage is said to have been ten milioone greater than the combined entries and clearances of ail the seaports of the United States and three millions greeter than the combined entries and clearances of Liver- pool and London, Statesmanship would be short-sighted which would fail to take consideration of these facts inoutlining or establishing a policy of state develop- ment. How to attract to and through our own state this enormous traffic should bo the subject of careful solicitude. To establish a ship canal is, in the opinion of most persons who have given the sugges• bion careful consideration, both imprectic. able and unwise. The most practical sug- gestions aro contained in plans for inereas' tag the tonnage of time Erie Canal." seasons are very muoh shorter in compari• son with ours, and the 6wt that during these periods descends the greatest amount of snowfall leads to the belief that the in- tensely cold country is not attended with the greater depth of snow. Tun SNOW ID.0tst,tDE5. But there aro other fonts that go to bear out this view. In the depth of winter how common it is to hear of vexatious blockades on the Northern Pachtiu and Union Pacific —perhaps not so muoh on the former as on the latter—and consequent delay to trav- ellers of days and weeks. she winter. Further south the snow ie. more adhesive and plastic. Considering all things, therefore, the northern snow offers less difficulty in handling than that which falls in a more temperate clime, and he will be the wise man who, journeying through a region, visited by frequent snowfalls, takes the more northern road, In dealing with the snowfall it moat not bo forgotten that in the warmer climate the fall disappears many limes,and at the period of calculating the depth one is not able to make as exact an estimate, as in the older north where thawing does not intervene to melt the do pasha.—(Nat, in the Empipe. Leprosy an the United States. Or. Wyman, surgeon -general of the Ma rine IIospital service, has said that there are indications that leprosy is spreading in the United States. Ho has noted the ex- l istence of a. number of cases in various cities and country diatriole, and also the uuwill' ingness of the local authorities to properly deal with such CMOS, often because the lepore, if their existence were generally known, would become a terror and a bur- den to the community. He has recom- mended that a national leper hospital be established, to which lepers could he sent from all parts of the union, and whore they would be properly cared for, and thereby the safety of the whole people would be guard, I)r.deW ymalm said, in a recent report, that rho feats in his possession concerning the dread diooase compelled him to the opinion that docieiva steps should immediately be taken to prevent, not along its introduction from the countries to the south, but its spread from cases now here, and he did not thing 0 the part of wisdom to await for any larger development of the disease to denonstrato the necessity for its suppres- More Perhaps a prospect of being entirely rid of their lepers by their removal to a national hospital might interest the people of Lonisanna in Da Wyman' a scheme, At any rate, in view of the experience of other and neighboring countries, it would seen that the segregatisnet sufferers from leprosy should be made a matter of grave and reasonable public cooaern.—[New York Fun. I war's Ficin Generation to Generat:on Colonel A. 7'. Fraser hes trent ns an inter- esting note from Bellary with regard to two Hindu dwarfs which he photographed in the Kuruoul district of the Msdras lereokdency, tint fax south of the Sever Kistna. In spout' and intelligence the dwarfs were iudtetknguishebls frmu ordin- ary natives of India. From an leterroga. tion of one of theta ib appeared that he belonged to a family all the male members of which have been dwarfs for amend gen• oration. They marry ordinary native girls and the fetnale children grow up Tike those of otherpeeple. The males, however, though they develop at the normal rate until they reach the age of 0, then cease to grow and b000me dwarfs', These shunted epeoimons of humanity are almost helpless, and aro unable to walk more than a few yards. --[Nature. Worse Than Drinking. Thee are many people who,whilo regard- ingi e as vulgar to tipple spirits or otheralco- holic drinks, do not hesitate to acquire vie Mous habits of indulgence in stimulants in other forme. Ether drinking prevails very largely, especially in Ireland, and the use of narcotic's and anodyne such as opium in various forme, antipyrines, and cocaine appears to be on the Increase. In addition to secret indulgence in the drugs named, there exists great danger in an article of apparentlyinn °con t nature—eaudo Cologne. Anyone can buy as much of this article as is wanted. 1t is in common use and it stands on the dressing table of every lady in the land. But it is used for other pm poses than simply as a perfume, and ladies are rapidly acquiring the habit of tippling with the stuff, It is not difhouit to fall into practice, for many ladies when their toilet is complete, are apt to take a sip of the fragrant liquid, to sweeten their breath, and the stimulus it gives encourages frequent reooerses to its use. But it its au extremely pernicious fluid to drink. Whis- Icy, brandy, gin or rum is loss harmful and lase intoxicating. Whtaky only contains from 40 to 60 per cent. of alcohol, brandy very little more, but eau do Cologne has from 80 to 00 per cent. Itis, in fact, bare- ly anything else than pure alcohol, deo. dorized with a little rose water and a few drape of essential oil added. Its fiery nature is physically dostt•native, and its habitual use demoralizing, yet many wom- en swallow it without the least compune. The use of this spirit as misgiving. 1 tion orp a drink is largely on the increase, and many who regard ordinary tippling with horror and destestation have become victims of its seductive inifuenees,—[Soiontlfio 5, ftinge. -*- Wellington and the Inventor. The invention of a bulletproof uniform by a Westphalian tailor recalls an anecdote of the great Duke of Wellington. A stranger gained admittance to the War Office one busy morning and urged the Deka to introduee into the army a belleleproef jacket which he had invented. He produced a specimen. " Bullet-proof ?" said the Duke. Very good. Put it on, will 70051 The man did so. The Duke rang the boll : an olfi ear appeared, "Tell Captain So'ancl-So to send two of hie mon hero ; and let them lead with hall. Cartridge." When the Duke looked up from his writing presently, the inventor had dis- appeared, It took nearly seven years to build Lon - con Bridge.