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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1895-3-15, Page 2THE BBUSS1LS POST, MAlaii i , 1895 uNDER,. CLOUD A THRILLING TALE OF HUMAN LIFE. CHAPTER XXX II, p okloa was th ruatinto the keyhole agai RON TO RARTir,. and again."" Rusted up?" s, " "Ay,a eaten there hasn't been " the fake e does d all mesa? and away l whoa d n o t no . our e rtir volt t u a thought Guest woaderingly,ae he followed a key used in hint 1 u m ,p into Stratton's ambers, with a etran alBut stop a minute ; more ways of killing• 11 I a oat than hanging of her, Lets Ileus feeling of expeotanoy exciting him. Some. look" thing was going to invitee, itee, he felt Bute, and that something would bo connected with his friend. And now he began to regret bitterly having urged an the cued. It had had the effect of rousing Stratton for the moment, but he looked horrible now, and Guest asked himselfagain, what did it mean? The sergeant looked sharply round Surat' ton'e room, and noted where the chamber lay: but his attention was at once riveted upon the fireplace with its two doors, and he walked to the one on the right, seized the handle, and found it fast. "Yee," he said, "been open once, but closed, I should say, for many years." "Want it opened, pardner ?" said hie companion. "Not that one,"said the sergeant moaning. ly;and he went to the door on the Ieft,Strat ton watching him fixedly the while, and Gueat, in turn, watching his friend, with a sense of some great trouble looming over nim, as he wondered what was about to happen, "Hah ! yes," said the sergeant, who be. gan to show no little excitement now; "fel• low door sealed up, too." Guest starbed and glanced quickly at his friend, who remained drawn up, silent and stern, as a mac would look who was sub. milting to a scrutiny to whioh he has ob. footed. The sergeant shook the door, but ib was perfectly fast, and the handle immovable. " Some time since there was a way through here," he said confidently ; and, as hrospoke, Guest again gazed at St rat. ton, and thought of how short a time it was stave he had been in the habit of going to that closet to fetch out soda water, epirite, and cigars. What did it mean? What could it mean, and why did not Strattton speak out and He began to examine the :edge of the door, and then turned sharply round. Look hare," ha said; and then taking hold of the antique door knob, he lifted it and tpiece ofle of he front narrowhar of woodrail sixoame feet away—a F long. Split away from the tenons," he said •, and the eergnant uttered an ejaoulation, full of eager setistaotion. "There, gentleman," he said, pointing. " One—two—three—four' bright new screws. What do you say now l" There they were plain enough, close to the door frame, and Guest uttered a low sigh as he supported himself by the batik of a chair. " Out with 'em, Jim," cried the sergeant excitedly, and, a large earew•driver being produced from the tool bag, the screws were attacked, and turned easily, the mac rapidly withdrawing them and laying them one by one on the mantel shelf. " They haven't been in very long," he muttered, raising one to his nose. ' Been rubbed in paraffin candle, I should say." He began turning another, while the sergeant gave Guest the lantern to hold while he went and picked up the piece of candle they had found at first, " Not all teeth mark", gentlemen," he said ;" the candle was used to ease those screws." There was a pause then, for the man was at work on the tan screw, and as he turned, Guest arrived at the course he should put, sue. Stratton was ignoring the fact that the closet belonged to his room ; he must. for his own sake, do the same. Ile could not give evidence against hip friend; for there it was plain enough now, and if Stratton had been guilty of Brettison's death, he was beiug bitterly punished for his prime. The last screw fell on the floor, and wee picked up and planed with the others. Then the man stood with his screw -driver in his han " d. Prize it open?" he said. The sergeant nodded, and on forcing the edge of the screwdriver in the crack between the inner half of the bar and the jamb, it acted as a lever, and the door gays with a faint creak but as soon as it was a couple of inches open the mau drew back. " Your job now," he said. The sergeant stepped forward ; Stratton stood firm, as if carved in stone,and Guest oloeed hie eyes, feeling 'sick, and as if the room was turning round, till a sharp ejacu- lation made him open hie eyes again to see that the sergeant had entered with Ilia inn. tern, and was making it play over the pan- els of the inner side of the farther door. "'that's the old door leading into the place. I suppose, sir ?" he said. " Yes." Guest started again, the voice sounded so strange, but he was gaining courage, for there was the familiar dark bathroom, viewed from the other end, with the cigar box on the shelf °'lose to the rloor In Qom-' pany with the spirit stand. Beneath the shelf there were three large tour•gallon tins, which were unfamiliar, and suggested petro• leum or crystal oil ; there was a mackintosh hung on a peg, looking very suggestive ; an alpenstock in a corner, with a salmon and trout rod. Guest saw all this at a glance, and his spirits rose, for there was no ghastly scene upon which to gaze. Then hie spirits sank to zero again, for there was the oblong of the inclosed bath occupying the left of the long,narrow place, and only just leaving room for anyone to pass. He shuddered, and at that moment the sergeant took hold of the edge of the mahogany lid to raise it, but without 51Oeess. " Fast," muttered the latter; and he held the light to the glistening Frenoh•polished mahogany oover,lcoking from plane to plane. " Here you are, Jem," he said, in a low tone; " four more surewe, and only just put The other man uttered a low growl, and entered with hie screwdriver' moistened his hands and the tool creaked on the top of a screw, and then entered the Dross slit with a loud snap, The next minute the first screw was being withdrawn. " Pretty badly put in," said the man. Didn't have a carpenter here." He worked away, making the old place vibrate a little with hie efforts, and to Guest the whole business was horribly euggestive of taking off the lid from a coffin •, but he was firmer now, as he stood behind Strut. too, who drew a deep breath, now and then like a heavy sigh, but neither stirred from his position by the door they had entered. nor spoke. All at ono, there was a sharp rap on the lid of the bath, which acted like asounding. board, and the man at work started batik in alarm. All right, Jam," said the sergeant ; "you jarred it down from theahelf.' As he spoke he enatnhed up what be evi- dently looked upon as evidence ; for it was a large gimlet, evidently quite new, and its long spiral glistened in the light of the lenbern. " Thought somebody throwed it," growl- ed the man, as he resumed his task of withdrawing the sorrows till the last wan out, and Placed Mose to the bath, on the floor. " Sure that's all ?" Bald the sergeant. The man ran his fingers along the edge of the bath lid, uttered a grunt, and drew hack towards the dont by whioh be had entered. " Lift up the ltd, man—lift up the lid," said the sergeant, dtreoting the lantern so that the grana of the new•looking wood glistened and seemed full of golden and ruddy brown depths of shadow, among whioh the light seemed to play. " Do you hear ?" he said. " Lift up the lid." The man made no sneerer, but ran hie hand over hismoist forehoad,and still back- ed towards the door, where Stratton and Guest were standing. Then, as they drew aside to let him pass: " Precious hot in there," he growled, ," Look here; Jem," said the sergoanb "don't leave a fellow in the lurch, Come on," Thus adjured the man turned book and held out hie hand. "It ain't my work," he said in a hoarse whisper;"i've dobe my bit, But I'll hold the light for you, if you like," The sergeant passed the lantern to his companion, who took it, and e( ravened its qquenbly, Stratton and Guest costa in the Shadow, out of which the latter peered forward with hie heart beating violently, end OS he leaned forward be touched ,Strati, ton'e arm, Be shuddered aud'ohrank back, being conscious 0140 Stratton grasped the reason,: for a low sigh escaped him; but lie did not stir, and, ineplte of his feeling of repulsion, Guest felt compelled to press forward again to witness the .horror about to be unveiled, "Turn the light more drown," whispered the sergeant ; and, in spite of the low tone in whioh they were uttered, the words sounded loudly in Gueefe ears. "Now foe it," muttered the officer; and as if forcing himself to act, he flung up the bath lits so that it struck aguinst the panelled aide of the plane with a sharp rap, and set.free a quantity of loose plaster and brickwork to fall behind the walnsoot with a peculiar, rustling sound that sent a shudder through the looker, on, say : " The closet belongs to this side of the suite." But no ; he was silent and rigid, while the sense of a coming calamity loomed broader to mingle with a cloud of regrets. He was trying to think out some means of retiring from the scrutiny, as the serge- ant turned to his companion and saida few words i„ a low tone—words which Guest felt certain meant orders to force open the closet door, which, for some reason, Stratton had fastened up when the ser- geant spoke out : "Now, gentlemen, please, we'll go back he other chambere. Guest drew a deep breath, full of relief, for the moment for the tension was, , at an end. He followed with Stratton, whose eyes now met his ; and there was such a look of helplessness and despair in the gaze that Guest caught his friend's arm. " What is it, old fellow?" he whispered ; but there was no reply, and, after closing the door, they followed into Brettisou'e room, where the sergeant stood ready for them with his companion. As they entered, the man closed the door and said sharply "You're right. gentlemen; there has been foul play." A cold sweat burst out over Guest's brow, and his hair began to sling to his temple,. He onoe more glanced at Strat- ton, but be did not move a muscle ; merely stood listening, as if surprised at the man's assertion. "There havealways been two cupboards here, made out of these two old passages, and this ons has been lately fastened up." " No, no," said Stratton, in a iow, deep tone. What, sir 1 Look here," cried the man, and he shook one of the great panels. iow down in the door, and the other higher. " What do you say to that? Both those have been out quite lately." Stratton bent forward, looking startled, and then stepped close up to the door, to sae for himself if the man was correct. The lower panel was certainly loose, and could be shaken about a quarter ot an inch each way, but that seemed to be all ; and looking relieved he drew back, " Nonsense I" he said. " Abeurd 1" Guest looked at him sharply, for the voice seemed to be that of a stranger. " Not very absurd, sir," replied the aergeaut. " This door was made two or three hundred years ago, I should say, and the old oak is shrunken and worm-eaten. I could easily shove that panel out, but there's no need. Here, Jam, try and open the lock the regular way." Stratton's lips parted, but he said no word ; and, as the second man etrode up to the door with his tools, the sergeant went on; "I thought it was a mare's neat, air, and even now I don't like to speak too fest ; but it looks to me as it the poor gentleman had been robbed and murdered, and whoever did it has hidden the body in here." A ourtoes cry escaped from Stratton's lip, and he ''That s it, air," "aid fiercely at the the �"It's a garbler for you, I know, living so close, but I'm afraid it's true. Well, Jem, whet do you make of .0 ?" Guest looked as if be had received a mental blow, ,aro idea after idea flashed through his mind. Stratton's manner suggested it—his acts of late, the disap. pearauce of Rretbison on the wadding day, the large aum of money on the table, the Mad horror and despair of the man ever einoe—it must be so ; and he felt that here was the real key to all his friends strange behavior. He wiped the cold moisture' from hie brow, and stared at Stratton, but his iriond wag ;tending rigid and determined, watch- ing the actions of the two mon, and Guest had hard work to suppress a groan, as he felt that his companion would owe to him the discovery" and the punishment that would follow. Jest then Stratton turned and saw that he was being watched; but, as if all at- tempts at ooneealment were hopeless, he smiled faintly at his friend and then Earned CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE BLIND LEAD. As that horrible, rustling sound behind the wainscot was hoard, the two hardened men in the old passage shrank away to door. end end,while a cold sweat bedewed Guest's face, and his . breath felt labored. Then there was a reaoblon. Old memories flash• ed through his brain, and he seized 'Strut ton'a arm. "Old friends," he muttered, "I can'b, forsake him now." The arm he gripped felt rigid and cold, but Stratton made no movement, no sign, and that moment they saw the sergeant aaeh the light down into the sarcophagus• like receptacle; for thanks to the manu- facturers, our baths are made as suggestive of a man's last resting -plane as they can be designed. There was utter silence then for a menu, Then the sergeant uttered a whistle and exclaimed: "Well, Ism blessed I" "Aint he there?" said the Workman, from the door. Come and look, .Tem." Jem went in slowly, looked down in the bath, whioh was lit up by the rays from the lantern, and then uttered a low, chuckling sound, while Guest tried to make out the meaning of the strange expression, dimly seen, on his friend's facFoe. r Stratton's eyes showed whits oiroles about the irises, as he now leaned forward to gaze into the bath, Guest was the last to look into the white enameled vessel, one third full of what seemed to be water, but from the peculiar odor which rose from the surface, evidently was not. Stratton was silent ; and in the strange exultation he felt on seeing that all the horrors he had imagined were vain and empty, Guest shouted : "Bah I What ,toot-and•bull stories you policemen hatoh I" The sergeant, who had been regularly taken aback, recovered, himself at this. "Come, sir," he cried ; "I like that. You Dome to us and say your friend's mis- sing, and you think that he is lying dead. in hie chambers." " Well," said Guest, with a forced laugh, OA he glanced uneasily at Stratton ; ' ft did look suspicious, and you worked it all up so theatrically that I was a little im. pressed." "Theatrical ! Impressed, sir I Why, it was all as real to me ; and I say again your friend ought to be lying there. What do you say, Jem?" " Cert'oly." "But he is not," said Guest sharply ; "and it has all been a false alarm, you see, and I'm very, very glad." "That's aperrits, sure enough, sir," said the man, dipping his finger in the bath again. "Open that there lantern, pard- uer." The sergeant obeyed, and his companion thrust in his finger, for it to be enveloped directly with a bluish flame. " Mind what you're doing," seed the sergeant hastily, "or we shall have the whole plane metre." " All right, pardner. Sperrits it is, and, I should say, come in them cans." He gave one of the great tins a tap with his toe, and it sent forth a dull, Metallic sound. "Very likely," said Guest. "Dur friend Is a naturalist, and uses epirite to preeerve things in." "Look ye here," said the workman or. acularly, and he worked one hand about ns he spoke. "I don't purfess to know no more than what's my trade, whioh is locks and odd. jobs 0' chat sort. My pardner here'II tell you, gents, that I'll face any- thing from a tup'ny padlock up to a strong room or a patent safe; bum I've got a thought here as may be a bright, un, or only a bit of a man's not'ral fog. You want to find thio gent don't you?" "Yea," said Guest ; and the tone of that "yea" suggested plainly enough, "no." "eVhat have you got in that wooden head of yours now, Jem 7" growled the sergeant. "Wait a minute, my lad, and you'll hear." "There's no oocaston for us to stop hero," said Guest hurriedly. "On'y a minute, sir, end then I'll screw down the lid. What I wanted to say, gents, is ; haven't we found the party after nil 7" What 1" cried Guest. " Where 7" "Hero, air. 1 don't understand &parries —beer's my liue ; but what I say is : mayn'b the sent be in there, after all, 111 elooshun—melted away in thesperrits, like a lump o' sugar in a men's teal" ' No, he mayn't," said the sergeant, closing the lid with a bang. "Don't you take nu notice of him, gentlemen; he's handled screws till he's a rog'lar screw himself." ' But what I say is—" " Hold your row, and don't make a fool of youbself, mate. Get your worst done, and then go home and try experiments wibh a pinto' paraffin and a rat." The man utterd a growl, and attaoked the bath lid angrily, sorewina it down as the light was held for hitn, and then going with the othereinto the sibtingroom, where he soon restored the old door to its former state, there being no sign, when he had finished, of its having been touched. Then, after a elane° round, with Bret• bison's portrait stiil seeming to watch them intently, the outer door was closed, and the little party returned. to Stratton's ohsnabors, whore oertain coine were passed from band to hand, evidently to the groat eatisfactfonof the two men, for ,Tom began to chuckle and shake his head. "Weil " said the sergeant; "what now?" "I was thinking, pardnor, about Mettle." "Yee, sir, I'm going ; but there's your gents as goes and breaks the i,e in the Serpentine, and them os goats to be cooked in Moven, and shambooed ; and you pull your stringe aid has it in showers, and your hob watore and cold waters; but thin gent seems to have liked his stronger than anyone I ever knowed afore. I say pardner that's having your lotion, and no shorn," mo. low it T, colt 1" sai� elle ees'ge bb, 0 1y d' Look here, said Guest vi k , an he slipped another sovereign into the Pier,seam a hand, " tide has all been a foolish mistake. I was too hasty," "Duly did your duty, sir," replied bhe'. It was quite right, and I'm glad, for all Qooeerned, that it was a mistake,' " Xou understand, then ; we don't want it to he talked abent iu the inn, or—or anywhere, in fact.'" ""Don't you be 'afraid about that, sir," said the man quietly, " I don't wonder at you, It did look suspicious, but that's all right, sir. Good night, gentlemen both, And he closed both doors ; and then, with a peculiar sensation of shrieking, turned to face Stratton where he stood by the fireplace. (TO BE 00NTINUED.) SOME. RECENT INVENTIONS That Somebody. Will Find Use For In Everyday Llfe. In the construction of bite rope ladder shown in the annexed out, advantage is v The workman had not made any reply, position, the rays from the bull's-eye being , and the sergeant spoke again as a largo directed toward the sergeant, and, (ons(•. taken of the ball-bearing principle now Largely employed in mechanics. The rung tip has the usual passage for the rope, and in addition a movq!ble ball, arranged to receive the pressure of the rope and hold in the rung firmly in any desired position. This arrangement of the party enables the ladder when not in nee to be packed in mall space. RTC.. , ,A�l UI,TURAT., Convenient Feed Rack for Sheep, The usual method of feeding sheep heti a number of disadvantages. When fed from the floor adjacent to their pen, the lambs are quite sure to be found walking all ever the hay and grain, and making thetaeelves generally at home in the uttermost parte of the barn, The sheep, moreover, wear off the wool from their 'leeks and disfigure themselves when feeding through openings in the side of their pan. Where the fodder is thrown down from the floor above the pen an arrangemontsuoh as is shown in the A SIMPLE FORM OF PIN TIORET. There appears to be no limit to the uses to which fine wire may be put, the latest novelty of this char - eater being shown in the accompanying. B 9 cut. Itis intended as a pin ticket, the prongs of the staple being passed through the card and bent over to form a loop', on its face. In this way there le formed a cross -stay on the face of the card, and a double thickness of wire on the bottom and top surface of greater strength and firmness. AN AID TO FISHERMEN. Here fro another article made from wire whioh appeals to the followers of Izaak Walton. How often, when the fleh are not biting with their • accustomed avidity, the patient fisher- man has wished for some means to sup port his rod in posi- tion while partaking of lunch or resting. upon the bank. An English in has devised such an ar- rangement,asshown 11suttGr0LESUPPORT,in e d gravinthg.annexeTheboarden- to which the wire is attached is pointed so that it can be driven into the ground, white hinges contribute to its greater porta- bility. The eimplioity of the device is the greatest recommendation. BOTH FUNNEL AND MEASURE, Among the recent household novelties is the combination funnel and measuring vessel here illustrated. A valve controls the outlet orifice, and is connected with a and he Sotponi Y the price that l faulty ult Y WOK bringm, There is no sympathy with such mapufaeturers, for they are steadily injuring the reputation of American butter Mita at home and abroud, Moet of the trouble comes direct from fending, Every, one fa trying to economize in feeding at this time of the year, Frosty feed le the moat prolific cause of slightly' defective butter, The taint shows itself early and develops rapidly, deteriorating the butter so that it cannot .endure storage very long, Creameries for self protection must insisb upon farmers feeding only good feed to their sows, A little independent invesbti,align Would moon weed out the far. mere who feed any and every thing'bo their egwe from those who are partioular to teed only good fodder, Ia this way the right ones will suffer the loes,and not the helpless censtltners or the Innocent oreomeries. Thera are many other things besides defers. tive food that (muse trouble in the butter, sad one in the way in which the cream is handled in cold weather. Some dairymen' think that the cold weather will keep the cream all right without any special care on their part, In the summer time they know deterioration is rapid,and they have to use cold storage and the beeb methods for aerating the milk. Bub frequently in the fall and winter no attention ie paid to aerating or cooling the milk, and it in sim- ply poured into the deep delivery cane over eight and left there until morning, The milk is affected in this way and the butter ie inferior,' The milk and cream must be kept sweet, pure, and clean in winter as well ail In summer. I If more attention was paid to winter keeping of cream and; milk, and better feed given to the cows, we would have less defective and faultyflavored butter in the market, BANGING' FRED RAAO& illustration may be found serviceable. It is a.hanging rack with slats all around 5, and made narrow at the bottom so that the Hook van reach even the last spear of hay. There will be no crowding. with such an arrangement. The feed will nob bo eosled, and the pen van be kept eloped so that the Iambs vaunt escape from it. Even when the fodder is not thrown down from the floor above such a rack may be hung near the side of the pen, and the hay thrown over into it from the feeding floor, giving much more feeding space to the flock than would a raok nailed against the side of the pen. - • One Value of Rotation. A student of first causes would doubtless find that many things whioh are now en- grafted as porta of our most common agri• cultural practice, owe their origin to au obaervaace ways the way s of nature. In the rotation of (rope we but follow nature in her habitual methods as Thoreau long ago pointed out,when an oak forest ie out away the earth ie speedilyreolethed with pines; clover, if left to itself, will soon die out and grasses take its place. Experimenta- tion has shown that a soil may be so barren of certain elements of plant food that some one crop will make but the slightest growth This would lead one who knew nothing of the conetituente of the soil, how varied spring•retracted rod, extending to the top of the vessel. Hinged legs are adapted to extend below the lower end of the veseel, their surfaces beingdished to fold against and conform to the circumference of body ot the funnel when not in use. ADJUSTABLE SIGIiT FOR SMALL ARMS. With an experience gained from a long service in the use of small arms, a member Of the motive force ot the. United States Navy has devised the rear eight for these weapons shown in the accompanying illus. tration. It consiato of a slight leaf pivoted to the gun, and provided with a sight notch and a bright etrlp, in the same verti- cal plane with the line of eight. Means are provided for raising and lowering the leaf, notches serving to hold it at any desired elevation. • Winding it Up. Stookholder--You aro the receiver ap• pointed to wind upthe affairs of the BuehalICompany, I believe. Lawyer—Yes, sir. What are the prospeota? Well, things Molted very gloomy for a while, bat they aro brightening up now. Ah t I am glad to hear Mutt. Yes, make yourself easy. There ie little doubt now that we can realize enough out eE it to pay my salary, TWO BACHELORS THE HOSTS. Two of New Tories Ended Tenths give a Brilliant dull at•the UoleL Waldorf -- A Beautiful Scene. New York Society was treated to an ideal ball Friday evening. The hosts were Center Hitchcock and Edward Bulkley, and the scene of the ball was the choicest rooms of the Hotel Waldorf. A banquet opened the evening. Then came a cotillon in which were to be seen only familiar aces, Later all the (meats sat down to upptr. Fifty rooms were used, and long corridors, full of the fragrance of roses tempted promenaders. The gentlemen smoked in the Toho Jacob Astor dining roan; and each party oladies had a separ- ate boudoir and the attention of Special maids, The guests of'the two bachelors entered the hotel through the main door and went up the lift one floor. They 'found two buodred feet of corridor lined with South- ern clematis, studded with hundreds of eleetria bulbs and few oonedwith thousands of American Beauty roses. In the distance the visite camp to a point in a mound of deep red roses. Opening to the left were a aeries of exquisitely furnished 'apartments for the ladies. The suite of rooms, fur- bished in richly carved walnut and known as the John Jacob Astor apartment, was turned over to the gentlemen for smoking and cheating. The stairoasee from the smoking rooms and the boudoirs met at the head of a flight of stairs leading to the gallery over the ballroom. Bunches of red and pink rosea were tied to the railway with deep red silk ribbons. The gallery resembled a drawing room of the time of the fireb French empire. The stairs, winding down to the Lallroom floor, led through longings of clematis, asparagus, and alus- ters of roses. In theants-room,at the foot of the stairs, the guests were met by Airs. Prescott Law- rence and Mrs. Thomas Hitchcock, who received for the bachelor hosts. The voati- bola to the ballroom had lost its usual character and resembled a conservatory, with walla and ceiling of olematie and a dads ofbrideemaid roses. Beyond the ball- room was another conservatory, where was a spring of lemonade, and a corridor hung in pink led into the cafe witha marvellous buffet in the ventre. The buffet was round. and large enough to aoeomtuodtte a set for the lancers. Three steeds in wax, with Irons feet aloft, draw a chariot, in which stood a waxers warrior clad as a /irecian. About this were the finest examples of the art of the Waldorf's chef. The supper,whioh was served at 2 o'clock, divided the ootillon into two parts. Center Hitchcock and Richard Peters lod the cotillona, the favors for which were of rare beauty and variety The 250 guests formed a brilliant procession as they marched into the supper room. Only a few of the guests failed to respond to the request to come with powdered hair. Perrequioro had been in great demand since Lite invitations wore sent out, as many of the ladies preferred to wear white wigs rather than undergo the discomfort of powdering. Certain of the gentlemen belonging to the various hunting clubs added to the pioturoequeness of the scene by wearing pink conte, they are and how different are the require- ments of diderent planta, to exclaim that the soil itself was barren. But the intelli gent farmer known this is not true, and he varies,the uses to which he puts the land, bringing into play, in successive seasons, its moat varied capabilities. This necessity of rotation, in order to make the cultivation of the land contig- uously profitable, is so well understood that we need hardly dwell upon it here. But there is one result from rotati'm, per• haps as valuable as that of bringing out the different food elements, that is not so well known. The destruction of crops with the consequent loss to farmers from fun• gouts diseases appears to be increasing each year. It would be difficult to mention a orop that had not its especial enemy of this kind, whioh either lays .it waste wholly in certain seasons or keeps up a slighter,but continuous attack upon it, depreciating the value 01 every harvest. Potato scab, and rot, the smut of oats, the rust of wheat, mildews and blights are among the things we speak of. These diseases are propagated by minute seeds oc grains, called spores; many of which have the curious property of not being able to exist upon other than the plants whioh it particularly affects. Thus while the spores will remain in a certain field, awaiting and ready to attack the crop as Boon as it than be planted again, if another crop is substituted the spores perish because they have not that .upon whioh they can eulogist. If deprived of their proper food for a whole year, most of,these armee will perish; although ft has been ascertained that the germs of certain plant diseases have the power to retain their vitality for two or more seasons. This oharecteristio, of fastening only upon the certain crop, indicates vary clearly the value of a rotation where fields have become thus iufeeted. If the rotation is thorough, and if seed of the diseasedcrops are not fed, and if the crops themselves are not fed, and the manure resulting therefrom returned to the land; it fa com- paratively easy to hold them in check. It is mainly because of negligence, and ignore mice of their charactcristioe, that they are allowed to spread, and to become so formidable. It is important to know that the spores are not destroyed by passing through' the digestive organs of cattle, and therefore manure which could possibly contain them had better be burned rather than used to further contaminate the soil. Certain ot the states have recognized that the dieesees of fruit areas and plants could be held in cheek to some degree by proper mobilods of preventing spread and contagion, and have legislated to that sffeot, While too much agricultural legislation ie to be avoid- ed, we think like attention might properly be given the matter as adeobiug general farm crops. Tainted' Butter. In the fall and winter slightly tainted butter is very common in the market, and makers can not be too particular in keep ing their stook perfectly free from alt faulty, flavor. The butter that le only slightly taint ed often oauseethe greatestlossto the maker. This butter may be otherwise firstobas , and if sold ea bhe market at ono. might he Marked as prime or fancy, says EX. Smith. But a slight taint deVelops rapidly, and by the time the batter reaches the market there is a faulty flavor ettffioieut to mark the butter as mond or third alas; This causes too great a loss to be endured with equanimity, and yet butter must be mold upon its merits. There is•other butter ab this time of the, year that fs so distinctly out of flavor that one Mint conclude that the manufacturer knew whahe was doing, lie intended to more in feedbag and make inferler butter, Soldiers Poor Cooks. In those Crimean days our soldiers had no knowledge of cooking, being in this respeot far behind the French and Turks, ,aye Sir Evelyn Woods, But oven had our men been perfect cooks, they would have had but little opportunity of exercising their skill. Camp kettles were issued at 'Calamity, Bay when the troops lauded, in the proportiou of ono to five mon. Now the kettle would nook fresh but not, salt meat for five mea,asmore water is required to extract the brine b om salt meat than the kettle could hold, and, moreover,' this number, five, ropreeented nothing then,nor does it now, in our regimental systems. Most of the kettles had been dropped' at the Alma, or in the subsequent march, and the soldiers were reduced for all cooking purposes to the moss tin which ea0u man carried ou his back. Those were inadequate. The 5d, perhaps was moat prized, for when the body is wet, and cold there is a craving fot a hot drink, and it tool, 1505 time and fuel to roast thegreen coffee berries in the lid than to boil the salb meet in the body of. the tin. It had not-oonured to any one in the department thenresponetble for our commissariat that to make a mug of.00fl'ee out of green berries, roasting and grinding apparatus was esaontial, and till January, when some roasted coffee was landed, our men might bo daily seen pounding, with stones or round shot, the berries,in lrag. meet of exploded sLelh A Long Step forward. Mr, Bink,—In spite of all Miss Mae, mind's talk about advanced woman and higher education, she is just as fond of a 000 as any other old maid. Mien Binks•..'Yoe, but she speaks of it as "a domesticated oarnivorous quadruped of the family riolidat and genus F. domed.. on,"'