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Home My WebLink AboutThe Brussels Post, 1896-8-7, Page 214s POST, Auuvwr 7, 2896 FATE'S INSTRUENTS. Ci3AI'TEli,: VI, -(Continued,) "Gearoe," tail Lord Tottlebury, "I George's "eoinPaiilona"' were none fatbet' than the fussy cleric and the tat policeman, The fenaelo warder bad vanished; and although there were Male prison affioiele whose office dated from before Nelly Game's Nurse went, George felt that, unless his fats- two witnesses were favorable, it would be uselesa,to press the matter, and aid net at present enlist their services. Mr, Jennings, the 'Lincoln's Inn barrister, had proved utterly hopeless. George showed him the pliotograPh, 1 shouldn't have recognized it from Eve's," said Mr, ,leanings; and George felt that he might, without duplicity, ignore such a useless witness. Neaera laughed a little at the pro- posal when it was submitted to her, but expressed her willingness to con- sent to it. Gerald was almost angry with her for not being angry at the su3,ose you have explainet?" Yes," said"George. "'lir. donnings, can you say whether any, and which, of the persona present is Nelly Gemer Gerald turned round to watch the trial., "es the person suspected- supposed to be Nelly Game --in the room?'asked 11Ir, Jennings, with some surprise. He had expected to ave a group of maid- servants. "Certainly," said Lard 'Tottlebury, with a grim amnia, And Mr's, Poclr- lin ton ohuaklod. 'Then I certainly can't," Paid Mr. Jennings. And there was an end of that, ori end no other than what George hador^ppected, The fat police- man was his sheet -anchor. The fat policeman, or to give him his proper nems, Sergeant Stubbs, un - litre Mr, Jennings, wee en Dying hini- �is self. A. trip to London gra ex- penses on a liberal scale. and awith n identi- ficetion at the cud -ecoid the heart of mortal constable desire more? !;;now the girl/ Of course be would, among a thousand! It was his business to know people and he did not mean to indignity, fail, especully in the service of so con- rind does:" he muttered. received his nstructions with profes- sional imperturbability., The ladies stood and smiled at Stubbs, Stubbs sat and peered at the ladies, and, being a man at heart, thought. they were a set of as likely girls as he'd ever seen; so he told Mrs. im triumph. �IelIy Game? aid remarked in gr ph It lent t her in the middle," s "I supper Mr. Blodwell"s chambers "Ho g'oas too. far, upon my word he con - in confidently., aemployer. sat r.msSo he o down, wlked. tter "What does it matter, dear?" asked Neaera, "It will be rather fun." Lord Tottlebury raised a hand le grave protest. "My dear Neaera I" said he. "Not much fun for George," Gerald ; `cubits afterwards, But w•hueh was Stubbs, at last. will do?" asked Lord Tottlebury. "It "Then," said George, "we needn't ?cams convenient:' trouble Miss Bourne any longer" Isabel went and sat down, with a But here Neaera, rather to his sur- scornful toss of her head, and Laura prise, had her own views. She wasn't Pocklington and Neaera stood side by Gerald, all lawyers feel as if it were the judgment stared at -yes, of Paris," whsperd the latter audi- stared,-and taken for a beach -of -prom- lily, and Mrs. Pocklington and Gerald iso person, and generally besmirched tittered. Stubbs had once- been to what it had to do with the present me have Mr. George Neston's spies in her casion, unless indeed it were something house; nor would she put herself out about a previous conviction. the least about it. It isn't her," he said, after another "Thin it must be in my house," said pause, pointing a stumpy forefinger at Laura Pocklington. Lord Tottlebury. There was a little shiver of dismay. Neaera acquiesced, merely adding George rigidly repressed every indi- that the valuables had better be lock- cation of satisfaction. Neaera stood calm and smiling, bending a look of ed U. amused kindliness on Stubbs; but the "And. when? We bad better say some palm of the white hand on the mantle - afternoon, I suppose." piece grew pink as the white fingers "I am engaged every afternoon for ptesse against it. Would you like to see me a little a fortnight," 1 nearer 1" she asked, and, stepping for - "My dear," said Lord. Tottlebury, ward to where Stubbs sat, she stood "business must take precedence." right in front of him, Neaera did not see it; but at last she George felt inclined to cry "Brava!" a;s if he were at the play, made a suggestion. "I am dining with Stubbs was puzzled. here was a you en famille the day after to -mor- likeness, but there was so much unlike- ness too. It really wasn't fair to dress "That'll do," said George. "Ten people up differently. How was a man 1to know them? min- utes after dinner will settle the whole going down to musty chambers to be side 1 with legal mire. No; nor she wouldn't ars on business but he did no see "Might I see the photograph again, business," sir?" he askedGeorge. Lord Tottlebury made no objection. "Certainly not," exclaimed Gerald George had suggested that a couple of angrily. George ignored him. other ladies should be present, to make 1 had rather," he said, "you told the trial fairer ; and it was decided to us what you think without it. invite Isabel Bourne, and Mss Laura George had sent Lord Tottlebury the Pooklington, daughter of the great Mrs. photograph, and everybody had look - Pocklington. Mrs. Pocklington would ed at it and declared it was not the came with her daughter, and it was least like Neaera, felt that her presence would add auth- Stubbs resumed his survey.' At last ority to the proceedings. Maud Nes- he said, pressing his hand over his eyes, ton was away; indeed, her absence had 'I can't swear to her. sir:' been thought desirable, pending the "Very well," said George. "That'll fttOomont ca the unpleasant affair: do." f Lord Tottlebury always made the But Neaera laughed, Most of his chances of solemnity, and, Swear to me, Mr. Stubbs!" said she. if left to his own bent, would have in- "But do you mean to think I'm like vested the present occasion with an this Nelly Games?" impressiveness not far short of a death "'Game, not 'Games,' bIrs. Witt," aentence. But he was power- said George, smiling again. less in face of the determined frivolity Well, then Game."' with which Neaera treated the whole "Yes, miss, ,you've a look of her." matter. Mrs. Pocklington found. her- "Of course she has," said Mrs. Pook- self, apparently, invited to assist at a lington, or Mr. George would never farce, instead of a melodrama, and have made the mistake," Mrs. Pock - with her famous tact at once recognise Iington liked George, and wanted to ed the situation; her elaborate play- let him down easily. fulness sanctioned.the hair -brained "That's all you can say l asked Lord chatter of the girls, and made Gerald's Tottlebury, fierce indignation seem disproportion- "Yes, sur ; I mean, my lord." ate to the subject. Dinner passed in "It comes to nothing," said Lord Tot- a whirl of jokes and gibes, George af- tlebury, decisively. fording ample material; and after- Nothing at all," said George. "Thank wards the ladies, flushed with past you, Stubbs. I'll join you and Mr. langhter, and constantly yielding to Jennings in a moment' afresh hilarity at Neaera's sallies, await- `Good-bye, Mr. Stubbs," said Neaera. Wel the coming of George and his peaty "I'm sure I should have known you if with no diminution of gaiety. I'd ever seen you before." A knock was heard at the door. Stubbs withdrew, believing himself "Here are the minions of the law, to have received a compliment, Mrs. Witt!" cried Laura, Pocklington. "Of course this ends the matter, "Then I must prepare for the dun- George," said Lord Tottlebury. geon," said Neaera, and rearranging I should hope so,' said Gerald. her hair before a mirror. George looked at Neaera; and as he "It quite reminds me," said Mrs. looked the conviction grew stronger on Pocklington, "of the dear Queen of him that she was Nelly Game. scats.,, Mr. George Neaten is not convinced," Lord Tottlebury was, in spite of his said she, mockingly, pre -occupation, begming to argue about It does not much matter whether the propriety of Mrs. Pocklington's epi- 1 am convinced or not," said George. phot, when George wasshown in. a There is no kind of evidence to prove lookedweary, bored, disgusted. After the identity," shaking hands with Lord Tottlebury, Gerald sprang up in indignation. "Do he bowed generally to the room, and you mean that you won't retract?" said, I You can state all the facts; I "I propose to bring Mr. Jennings, shall say nothing." the clerk, in first; then tbe policemen. "You shall apologise, or---" It will be better they should come "Gerald," said Lord Tottlebury, "this separately." is no use." Lord Tottlebury nodded. Gerald had There was a feeling that George was ostentatiously turned his beck on his behaving' very ,badly. Everybody cousin. Mrs. Pocklington fanned her- thought so, and said so; and all ex - self with an air of amused protest, Dept Neaera either exhorted or be - which the girls reproduced in a broad- sought him to confess himself the vic- er form. No one spoke, till Neaera her- tim of an absurd mistake. As the mat - self said with a laugh,•ter had become public, nothing less "Arrange your effects as you please, could be accepted. Mr. Neston:' George wavered. "I will let you George looked at her. She was know to -morrow," he said."Mean- idressed with. extraordinary richness, while let mo return this document to considering the occasion. her neck !iris. Witt." Ile took out Mrs. Horne's and arms, disclosed by her evening letter and laid it on the table. I have gown, glittered with diamonds; a circ ventured to take a. cony," he said. "As let of the same atones adorned her the original is velua le, I tbought I golden hair, which was arranged in a had better give it back." lofty erection on her head. She mat Thank you," said Neaera, and moved his look with derisive defiance, stall- forward to take it. ing in response to the sarcastic smile Gerald hastened to fetch it to her. on his face. George's smile was called �, he took 11 up, his eye fell on the forth by the recognition of his mon- kbit agtfor George had laid it open on ent's tactics. Her choice of time and bb place had enabled her to call to her ha Wh'3itinceera," said he, "it's in your aid all the arts of millinery and the Geor estarted, S l resources ot wealth to dazzle and blind saw Neaera s ori and he thought he the eyes of those who nought to findjust perceptibly. in her the shabby draggle -tailed girl "Of: course," she said. That's only of eight years before. Old Mr. Jee - a hy' dear, you never told me so," hinge had come under strong pro said Lode To you He was, he re said, aufblind now ought yearsd never seen your handwriting." d I have ago, and more "Gerald and Maud have." seen hundreds of interesting young "But the ariminas and could no more recognise y never saw this," one from another than to -day's break- , "It was stupid of me," said Neaera, fast egg from yesterday weekknew there beintly g any mistak"but I e, thoughthilia for police photographs, everybody there does it melte?" they only darkened truth. Still he came, because George had constrained him. Neaera, Irabel, and Laura Poakling- ton took their places side by side, Nea- era on the right, leaning her arm on the chimney -piece, in her favorite pose of languid haughtiness; Isabel was next her. Lord Tottlebury met Mr. ;comings with cold rlvility, and gave him epecteclesaand The ethem on wiped pauuse eorge'a heart was hardened. He was sure she had, if not tried to pasa.,ple of the many awful results of care - off the copy as an original from tbe 1 Less watcbing. However, the eagle eye first, at any rate taken advantage of of the "sea bobby," helped by his bull's - "I won't bave it," Dried Gerald, "You 'sienna tapes-ewe/nine her with your lo' fermi insinuations, Do yeti mean teat she forged this?" Geor o raw stubborn, " I s1lou.3'd like to see the original," he said, "Then you can't;" retorted Gerald, angrily. George shrugged his shoulders, turn - ad and left the room, And they all comforted and cosset- ed Neaera, and abused George,' aye Houle up their, m!nds to let tee world know bow badly he wile believing. "It's our duty to !seemly," sale Lord Tottlebury, CRIAPTF.R VII, "1 should eat humble -pie, George," said Mr. Bodwell, tapping bus Dye-gleesee against his front teeth, "She's one too meny for you: ' "Do you think I'm wrong?" "On the whole, I incline to think you're right. But I should eat him - tole pie if 1 were you, all the same," The suggested diet is palatable to no- body, o- bod , and the power of consuming, it without contortion is rightly put high in the list of virtues, if virtue be pro- (ertionate to difficulty. To a man of orge Neston's temperament penance was hard, even when enforced by tbe consciousness of sin; to bend the knees in abasement, when the soul was erect in self -approval, came nigh impossl- bililter. Stull it was unquestionably necessary that he should assume the sheet and candle, or put up with an alternative har"Fourth Paragraph" Paragrapphh" bad appeared. It was called a paragraph for the sake of uniformity, but it was in reality a narrative, etretching to a couple of columns, and giving a detailed account of the attempted identification. For once, George implicitly believed the editor's statement that his information came to him on unimpeachable author- ity.. The story was clearly not only in- spired by, but actually written by the hand of Gerald himself, and it breathed a bitter hostility to himself that grieved George none the less because tt teas very natural. This hostility showed it- self, here and there, in direct attack ; more constantly in irony and ingen- ious ridicule. George's look, manner, tones, and walk were all pressed into the service. In a word, the article certainly made him look an idiot ; he rather thought it made him look a malignant idiot. What can you do? demanded Mr. Blodwell again. You can't bring up any more people from Peckton. You chose your witnesses, and they let you LRGeorga nodded. , You went to Bournemouth, and you found -what? Not that Mrs What's - her -name -Horne -was a myth, as you expected, or conveniently -and, mind you, not unplausibly-dead, as I expected but an actual, existent, highly re- spectable, though somewhat doting, old lady. She had you badly there, George my boy l" Yes," admitted George. I won- der if she knew the woman was alive?" She chanced it • wished she might be dead, perhaps, but chanced it. That, George, is whore Mrs. Witt is great." Mrs. Horne doesn't remember her being there in March or indeed April." Perhaps not ; but she doesn't say the contrary." 013, no. She said that if the char- acter says March, of course it was Meath." Tho ' of course' betrays a lay mind. But still the character does say March -for what it's worth." The copy of it does." • "I know whet you mean. But think before you say that, George. It's pretty strong' and you haven't a tattle of evi- dence to support you." 1 don't want to my a word. I'll id them alone, if they'll let me alone. But that woman's Nelly Game, as sure as I'm-- An infernally obstinate chap," put in Mr. Blodwell. Probably what George meant by be- ing let alone," was the cessation of paragraphs in the Bulla -eye. If so, bis wish was not gratified.. Will Mr. George Neston"-George's name was no longer "withheld" -"retract?" took, in the cobamns of that publica- tion, much the position occupied by Do- lenda est Carthago in the speeches of Cato the Elder. It met the reader on the middle page; it lurked for him in the leading article; it appeared,i by way of playful reference, in the city n- telligence; one man declared he found it in an advertisement, but this no doubt was an oversight -or perhaps a lie. George was not more sensitive than other men, but the annoyance was ex- treme. The whole world seemed full of people reading the Bull's-eye, some with grave reprobation, some with offensive ch'uckling's'. But if the Bull's-eye would not leave him alone, a large number of people did. He wets not exactly out; but his invitations diminished, the greetings he received grew less cordial than of yore: he was not turned out of the houses he went to, but he wss not much pres- sed to come again. He was made to feel that right-mmded and reasonable peo- ple -a term everybody uses to describe themselves -were against hiul, and that, if he cashed to re-enter the good graces of society, he must do so by the strait and narrow gate of penitence and apology. (To be Continued.) THE SEA THEIR BEAT. Maritime Pollee \t'ho 1'rese,ae Order L, the North Sett. In the middle of the North Sem would perhaps seem a curious place to find a policeman on duty ; yet some bundreds are appointed to keep order there; and at other places where their services are likely to be required, Great Britain, Belgium, France, Germany, and 'Hol- land each keep a certain number of cruisers upon the high seas for the purpose, whilst that. are empowered to prosecute, or, if necessary, take into custody any vessel belonging to either of these countries. In addition each cruiser carries a judge, in the shape of the officer in charge, who canlaythe case and, inflict a penally -.providing the defendant consents to his trying the case beforehand -and whose decision tan only be alteredby the Court of Appeal. Allowing a ship to wander about the high seas without keeping proper con- trol over her is far more common than might be expected. The man whose watch it is may be asleep, andit may i safely be asserted, though it s often a (Miceli; matter to prove, that a large percentage of the collisions that occur are directly due to this cause. ,Che Elbe disaster is only one exam - 0 error. Have you the original ?" he asked. "No," said Neaera. I sent it to somebody ever so long ago, and never got it back." When did you make this copy?" "When I sent away the origina):" To whom 8" began George again, eye lantern --which in the case of the maritime policeman .is a 'powerful searchlight --is so keenly ou the alert for cases of this sort, and each a heavy fine is inflicted on conviction, that charges of wandering without proper control" are every year ben" 1 frequent, PRACTICAL FARMING SUMMER PLOUGHING. "A field properly ploughed is half tilled! 11 poorly ploughed or half ploughed no amount et after work will remedy the dofieioney,, The drier the weather and the more beekwarcl the season the more lemmatnt It that careful attention should bo given to every detail in ploughing," says a writ- er in Michigan Farmer. "If the plough is set to run deep, it should be so gauged for the width of the furrow that the furrow will be left cornerwla0, in - instead of flat, thus giving a largo por- tion of the higher surface soil where it can be made immediately available with the unproved implements of tillage which we have, snob as the Aere and Disc harrows; It is thus possible to re - dem even stiff sod to a very nice con- dition. It has been the practice to get everything into the bottom of the Ru- nny that was on the surface, and many times get an inch or two of yellow sub- soil just where it should not be. Time le money in all crops put at eater the middle of June, and often a week of time will be lost by those sends falling In poor and unfertilized soil. It should be remembered that it makes very lit- tle atrference to a sprouting kernel of :pillet or rye that there Is a mass of humus in the bottom of the furrow if the soil all around the little seed is yellow and barren, By leavitlg the furrow nearly edgeways and cutting thoroughly with a Disc or Aome, the trouble arising Irom too deep plough- ing. here and there is greatly discounted. By the way, I bave sometimes been puzzled to understand why some farm- ers are so partial to one style of tillage tools, while other equally good farmers are just as partial to another, I find upon investigation that the nature of the soil bas much to do with the kind of tool we should use or purchase, My own soil is light and in a good many places quite gravelly. -For this reason 1 fancy the plain discs and get very satisfactory results from the use of the tool. The Acme, which, as many of my readers know, is a series of curv- ed knives shaving and scarifying the surface, would do very poor work in soil full oC small stones, Perhaps in this connection I might give an instance of how careful ploughing a,nd still more careful fitting saves more than enough labor and after cultivation to pay for the extra work, besides as I be- lieve, largely increases the yield. A friend had three-fourths of an acre of ground, on one side of which he set three rows of strawberries, and the bal- ance, about 110 rods, he planted to po- tatoes. The ground, even after the planting, was as even and true as a piece of newly made lawn. This piece of ground was kept entirely clean with a weeder, going over the ground twice a week. Only one or two of the straw- berry plants were dug up and not a particle of hand hoeing was done the entire season ; the yield of potatoes was 170 bushels; it is, however, but fair to add that last year was so ,fry that this method of weeding was much more ef- fectual than it would probably have been in a wet season." HOW TO SALT BUTTER. W. C. Rockwood writes as follows: "Perhaps everyone who has ever made butter has been troubled with this at some time. The cause of the mottled condition wbicb is frequently seen in butter is a disputed one, yet it is sim- ple enough after all. As we all know, salt affects the color of butter. All butter takes on a deeper hue when it has been salted for a few hours. Take a lot of butter from the churn in a mass, salt it in streaks by cuttiug down tluough it with the ladle and scatter- ing salt freely where the ladle went, let it stand half a day before working and you. will see a good illustration of mottled butter. In a ,few words the explanation us this: Mottled butter is caused by uneven distribution of salt, nothing more or less. To avoid this the following plan, is an excellent one and one which s followed by many of our best butter makers to -day : Leave the butter in ,+ranulas, wash with water cold enough to preveut adhesion, drain and salt while still in the churn, then revolve the churn or tip from side to side until the butter globules mass somewhat and the saltis evenly distri- bute. By tipping the churn one way, then the other, tie salt may be very evenly sprinkled on or a wooden fork of suitable size may be used to stir it lt at up, time. £he ding only portion dissolves the moment it touches the grains of butters. and each grain is instantly coated with brine. Then when the but- ter is drained a few minutes remove it to the worker, press until moderately dry and pack away, No further work- ing* is necessary and there -'ill be no trace of streaks or a mottled condition to be found. Salting in Ole churn is sure to bo a favorite method with those who try it. The amount of butter can be very closely estimated, as the amount from a given quantity of cream sloes not vary very materially from time to time. Nor is it essential to weigh out the salt each time. Measture out a pound of salt -usually a full pint of salt will weigh a pound, and it is more quickly measured than weighed oath time. Some adhere very tena- ciously to the old way of twice working their butter, but once is a great plenty. If the salt is evenly distributed and the excess of moisture pressed out, that is sufficient and can as well be done at one operation as sat two." GETTING RID OF STUMPS. We take the following from Hard- wood: "It often occurs in logging op- erations and in laying out lumber yards that troublesome stumps have to be removed, often at the expense of a good deal of time and money. To dig and chop them out is a tedious process, and to use a stump puller is not always practicable, and rn any event costly, besides leaving large holes to fill and grade over. The English and French have commenced using a method not only cheap, but exceedingly simple and effective. "The only appliances necessary are a shovel, a little dry kindling and a sheet -iron cylinder large enough to slip . clown over the larger stumps, the top cone shaped and terminating in a collar in which one or more lengths of six or eight -inch commou stovepipe may be fitted. A bole is dug between the roots on one side of the stump and par- tially under it, large enough to start a fire with the kindhngs. After the fire is once fairly started the iron 03,1 - leder is slipped over the stump, the stovepipe is added, and the whole ar- rangereent nets as a stove, burning the stump out completely'. "I1 is said that if the stumps aro old and af3'way dry, and the weather is dry, they will blirn easily without the cone shaped top and stovepipe. it is also elalmod that lettere the stumps are green, a half gallon - of kerosene or erode petroleum poured 0941' the stump an hour or 50before lighting the fire wall facilitate matters groat!i'1 but in this case the top and pipe Ilo vastly more, making, as they will, a strong. draught that will burn well down into the roots, It is claimed that one man with three or four cylinders, largeand medium, to tit over differ- ent sized stumps, van do more arta bet- ter work in a day than a dozen man with axes alone.' IMPROVEMENT IN MINING. Bettering tilt tuote fan nr the 4011111,'-- femi ,11190,' 1nexAaestlble. At the general meeting of the Fed- erated Institution of Mining Engi- neers, held recently in London, the pre- sidential address delivered by Mr. G. A. Mitchell, reviewed the improvements and changes which had taken ple.ee in mining, especially during the last fifty years. He observed that many Omura - stances had'bad an influence in bring- ing about these changes, and among them, largely the following: Govern- ment legislation accompanied with the appointment of inspectors of mines, Lae spread of education and knowledge among those engaged in mining. and the establishment ot mining societies with the facilities afforded thereby for the publication of information and for !Lull; discussion of matters affecting min - in its different branches, There was nothing more important about a colliery than the eentilation of the workings, and yet forty years ago this was scarcely realized. SERVICE OF THE SAFETY LAMP. To the improvements in ventilation,. in conjunction with the improvement in safety lamps, was largely due the decrease in fatal accidents from explo- sions. The death rate per 1,000 per- sons due to explosions of firedamp was 1,280 in 1851-5, and 0.281 in 1891-4. Tae speaker looked forward to the time when such disasters would be unknown. To the improvement in ventilation was traceable a great improvement in the health of the miners. The census returns In 1851 showed that the aver- age number of years during which agricultural labourers of Great Britain continued to -work was forty-two, and of colliers twenty-eight. This had been changed, and mining, instead of being as it was then, one of the most un- healthy of occupations, was now one of the most healthy. As a matter of fact, the air in coal mines was better than it was in many factories. OTHER IMPROVEMENTS. In the various details of the convey- ance of coat from the working face to the surface there had been great pro- gress since the middle of the century. There had been a gradual evolution ]n the winding arrangement for shafts, and the improvements bad been largely called forth by the necessity for greater facilities to cope with the increasing outputs. An invention of great import- ance in this respect was the wire rope, and yet the miners at first resented the innovation, Improvements in screen- ing and picking arrangements and of washing machinery were of a com- paratively recent date. The difference between the systems of underground workings now and fifty" years ago was not so great as might be antieipated, and Mr. Mitchell be- lieved there was still room for con- siderable improvement. Coal cutting by machinery had not yet achieved much success in England, but in America it had made great headway. NOT BEING EXHAUSTED. Ludicrous mistakes had been made in the past as to the supposed approach- ing exhaustion of the coal fields. As far back as 1555 there was an alarm that the coal in Scotland would be quickly exhausted, and an act was pass- ed in 1503 restraining the export, and the same provision was repeated in sub- sequent years on more than one occa- 8100. In 1009, the reason given for con- firming a former act was " the haill coill within this kingdome sell in a eerie schorte tyme be waistd and con- sumed." The trouble at the present moment, both for Scotland and England and Wales, was that too much coal was be- ing produced, and that there was a depression in the coal trade in conse- quence. It was unfortunate that the present time should be chosen for an agitation for a minimum wage. Colliers scarcely realized how vastly the conditions of labour had improved. It was difficult to realize that less than 100 years ago miners in Scotland were practically slaves, No Collier was per- mitted to remove from one place to another without special permission from his employer, and 310 person was al- lowd to engage a collier without a certificate from his previous employer showing a reasonable cause for the change. If the collier deserted, his em- ployer could claim him within a year and a day, and he had to be given back at once, under pain of penalty of £100. The deserters were liable to be punisbed as thieves. THE EYE A CAMERA. Some 1xpCrliuento in Which Plctnre 'Were 'Taken Erma the ttelllui. That an image of the object seen is formed on the retina of the eye is cer- tain, but whether the impression is evanescent or remains for an apprecia- able time after the object is removed was the subject of doubt. ' A photo- grapher is reported to have made some experiments recently by way of test- ing this, with a remarkable result. He gazed for fully a minute at a shilling placed In a strong, while light; then in a yellow -screened room, looked fix- edly for 40 minutes at a sensitive plate. On developing the plate an outline of the coin was distinctly visible. He next, in the presence oC a witness, repeated the experiment, but substitu- ting a postage stainp for the shilling. He looked at the stamp for a minute, and then at a photographic plate for over 110 minutes, and development brought out a faint, but recognizable imag a of the stamp, This may be thought to lend some coun- tenance to the suggestion that a mur- dered man's eye may retain an Mimes - mon of the 'murderer's face which a pho- grapbic lens might be able to see and reveal , , VANDALISM AT 'WATERLOO, 4,4.* HOW THE HISTORIC FIELD NAS BEEN DESECRATED, '3111' amtle1'n Mammary Sblrll analog Nail Mayne el' 3111, tUstol'le j'lace-.Who! It hi Owing 'dere; In an artaele published an the last anniversary of Waterloo the Pali Mall Gazette says: -"To -day is the miniver - eery or Waterloo. Next year the day le to be celebrated in a rashion which. one reale would have been peculiarly distasteful to the austere hero of the fight, A 'grand collation' is to be spread on the historic hill, and to the' Duke of Wellington there -'as t0 bave eucoeeded Cola North, 13y the time, however, the ohltmpagne corks are pop- ping, the field of battle will have been improved beyond recognition, and the returning guests will be able to book their places from Mount let, Jean vias, Warm or Braine 1'Alleud, DEPLORABLE INNOVATIONS, "It is no doubt desirable that the. study of art and history should be ren- dered easy to the public, but it is be- yond question that an appreciation of li'a Angelico is to be obtained by be- ing hustled through the P1tti, nor a. grasp of Napoleonic strategy from a. railway embankment in Flanders. How- ever, it is the hour of the "personally conducted," if he has not 'stabled his. horses in. Peter's' he bas at least de- posited his sandwich papers in Notre. Dame, and if he has not climbed the Alps on an elephant he has achieved the Rigi behind a steam engine. "It is true that the hurrying of many feet past the masterpieces of the Pitti will not detract from their value, and that if the side of the Rigi has, been seared Nvith Iron you may still watch the sunrise from its summit; in- deed, by taking thought, man, by the. aid of a wooden platform, has even - added a cubit to the mountain's stet - ore. and so extended the horizon by perhaps pelf an inch, but from the point. of view, aimed. at, the innovations at Waterloo are deplorable. MAKING NEW LANDMARKS. "After all, most people visit a bat- tlefield with a view to picturing [Hore• vividly to themselves the scenes which. took place there, but that is precisely what the future pilgrim to Waterloo, svlll never succeed in. Ile will, on the contrary, only obscure his vision. Some- where, here, no doubt, Picton thunder- ed out his last order, 'A volley and then charge!' Somewhere else Napoleon sat motionless on his horse, pointing with. bis hat to the English Imes, as the Guard strode past, with a roar of 'Viva l'Empereurl'-but the pick and the shovel have done more than obliter- ate the old landmarks, they have sub- stituted new ones. Tho construction of the 'Lion Mount' had already seriously affected the original contour of the ground, and that without any compensating ad- vantage. The natural point from which view the field was, it miht have been imagined , the hill from se -latch Welling- ton surveyed it, and not the summit of a preposterous sugar loaf, the very height of which reduces the historic valley at the foot to the apparent level of a plain. Even if there were any vir- tue m mere inches, the erection of a Vendome column would have sup- plied all thatt was necessary without in- terfering with the formation of the ground. THE IRON HORSE GETS LN. "Now to the mount there is succeed- ing the railway. Last week the ragged end of the embankment hung over the Charleroi road close to the Gordon mon- ument; in another month or so it will have stretched itself across the field and the face of the country will be hopelessly changed. Nor is this the only alteration. The Charleroi road has been thoughtfully widened to meet the requirements of a non-oxstent traffic, and. the quaint ppaved causeway strag- gles disconsolately along through a bed of deep sand. `The curious avenue of trees which swept the walls of La Haye Sainte, and rolled up the opposite hill past the houses of La Belle Alliance, has bean cut down, though, with unspeakable solicitude for future generations of hero worshippers, a new avenue has been planted on the edge of the broad- ened road. The hedges through which the Forty-fourth burst, as they rushed down behind Picton on Ney's columns have disappeared, and so hove the beech trees which once surrounded Hougoumont. PAY FOR EVERYTHING. "It must not, however, for moment be supposed . at all these iniprove- ments are viewed for nothing. The modern 1 fan peasant. attacks e g ' it to at ,'loo with immoder- ation, visitor � e s m ation, and demands English silver most persistently. The conductor ot the char - a -bane, which conveys you to the field,. sturdily claims backsheeah for the sole service of having relieved you of your fare. From the moment you leave the station until the moment you return you are pursued by a Droved of ragged urchins howling,"Charite" at the tops of their ugly voices or insisting on the purchase of the most ridiculous memen- o At the gates of La Hayo Sainte, where the brave Germans fell to amen after having exhausted their ammuni- tion, a farm girl invites you to enter, and then bars your exit with a belat- ed demand for' half a franc a visitor. At Hoegomont they have learned to improve even upon this, A lady makes terms with you while you ars in the gate for admission at the rata of half a franc each, but this, you learn, to your disgust, on your departure, does not include an additional charge of half a franc each for the service of the guide to the farm from whose clamour you have vainly endeavored to escape during the entire length of your stay. "Such, in sober truth, is the condi- tion ondition of the (field of Waterloo to -day. What it will be when the railway is opened, and the dejected battalions of the 'personally conducted' are poured out on it, is ono of those things it is better to suspect than know." THE VASTNESS OF SIBERIA. A graphic idea of the immense size of Siberia may be gleaned from the fol- lowing comparison:, A11 of the States, kingdoms, principalities, empires, etc., of Europe (except Russia), and all of the United States, including Alaska, could be plated side by side in Siberia and yet but little more than cover that: immense country. . , ,