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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1896-10-9, Page 2A TALE OF THE SEA �1 I A light westerly wind had crowded the spacious waters of the Downs with anchored vessels, The colour, the ap- parel, the quaint bravery of the ships and mariners of the last century, made a noble and sparkling show .ofthe ima- eine pageant. The hour was before sundown, and the gush warm, red glory past the giant Bead and �t nt in a tincture of dark gold to thhzeeatt- and thence pale as amber to ern sea•line, with a hot crimson head. of cloud here and there vaguely defin- ed e ed upon the delicate radiance, whilst the horizon ran with a lino as oleef as the though scared with the sweep leg of a pole of oompassee. month of It WAS an evening in the September. There were scarce fewer than three hundred sail of vessels gent- ly straining at their hemp cables to the easterly set of the water. They had come together as if by magic, for that morning the histories tract of waters had steeped bare to the white terraces of the Forelands; whilst now the mul- titudinous shipping showed like a for- est upon the sea, gay with a fluttering pennons, delicate as a bit of penciling with the wondrous intricacies a the rigging, brilliant with the red sheen of the waning luminary upon glass and brass; upon the writhing of gilt -work upon quarter -galleries and castellated sterns; upon innumerable figure -heads offantastic device; upon 'yellow spars where the expiring flames in the west trembled in veins of burnished brass. An old-world scene of this kind is not to be matched nowadays, The iron craft has entered the soul of the ma- rine, and all is dull, flat, prosaic. Ships of fifty fashions filled the Downs that evening. There was the towering three -decker, grand as a palace abaft, with handsome :galleries and spacious windows trembling to the lustre that rose to them from off the running wat- er, the red coats of marines dotting the white Lines that crowned her adaman- tine defences, shrouds as thick as cables soaring to huge round tops, from which, Ilsigher and higher yet, rose topmast and topgaLlant-mast and royal -mast into Miracles of airy delicacy, from whose central spire languidly floated the pen- non of the ship of the state, There was the East Indianian outward bond,neer- ly brought up, scarcely less regal in ',ser way than the first-rate, with John Company'shouse flag at the main un- der the dog -vane that glanced like a streak of fire to the raining of the splendour beyond the line of coast, the red flag at her peak, the grinning lips of cannon along her sides, the glitter of uniforms upon her quarter-deck„and rows of lively hearties aloft upon ber topsail yards snugging the spaces of white cloths into Lines of snow.' There were the little bilander bound to the Mediterranean, rigged with a long la- teen yard upon her mainmast; the high- sterned pink; the round -bowed sturdy snow; the galley of one hundred and fifty tons, whose long low hull, with ports for sweeps, gave her a most pir- atical look, with a malignant fancy to follow on of a breathless calm and a stagnated vessel, towards whioh this same galley is impelled by her huge oars, as though she were some vast 'deadly marine insect subtly though Swiftly stirring to the impulse of its antennae. The scene was full of light and life. Standing on Deal beach, so quiet was everything COTe, so still, this hour of sundown, you would have heard a blending of innumerable sounds soften- ed into musio by distance—the strains of fiddles in the nearer Graft, the voices of men singing, the pleasant noise of bells, the clank and rattle of winches and oapstans and windlasses the chor- usings of 'wags of leather stowing the canvas, the shrill chirpings of boat- swains' whistles./ Then on a. sudden broke the sudden harsh thunder of a gun from the line -of -battle ship. It evas instantly followed by the graceful drooping of the many -coloured bunting to right and left, denoting the hour of sunset; and now masthead, and gaff -end showed, bare of the bunting that had but a little before made the mass of shipping appear like a floating city of banners; and :high above the congrega- tion of masts the towering fabric of the three -decker loomed grim and for- bidding upon the darkness of the even- ing • f tealrbreeze outgo glike the east. dark i ! , Whilst the sullen explosion of the gun was echoing along the Sandwich plains, a large, exceedingly handsome brig, that had been quietly pushing her way into the heart of the shipping, helped rather by the tide than by the faint fanning aloft, hauled by her courses and let go on halliards' and a minute after, her anchor fell from the oathead and she swung quietly to the dragof her cable. Sho was from down Canel, a homeward -bounder: but those were the ambling days of trade; no fuss was made over what we now call prompt despatch. It was merely a question of how the wind sat; and a six weeks' detention in the Downs was accepted as a commonplace incident in a voyage from the Thames to foreign parts. A few minutes' after the brig's an- chor had been let go, a signal was made to the shore for a boat. The twilight was yet abroad; the line of the land dark against the rusty crimson of the west' the flag was to be readily do- weled,. there was a flutteringof Ede still to make a conspicuous ting of the bunting amid the congregation of colourless spars and masts, amid wbich, here and there, you already saw the twinkling of a cabin -lamp or of a lan- tern swinging pendulum -like from the forestay. A tall young fellow of some three or four ands wenty years of age stood in the gangway of the brig, impatiently gazing shorewards. He was distinctly handsome, spite of a certain haggard- ness and hollowness that seemed to be- token a considerable spell of illness. His eyes were dark, and lustrous, full of intelligence, and, as one should say, of softness also. Ile stood a little above eix feet, but with the stoop of a man Who had not yet been able to stiffen ihlmseLt out of a long term of pros- tratisig niekneee, His hair was long and abundant and curled plentifully Upon hie shoulders and back: =oddity in hen, to engage at least a shore -go- ing eye, accustomed to the perukes and bags and `tyes' of the streets. Ebo was habitad plainly in a that with last cuffs and pookets and metal buttons, crimson breeches, ooaree gray stookings, and ebovel-shaped chess heavy with large plate buckles, His hat was a three -cornered affair, and from timeto time he fanned his face with it, whilst he continued to watch steadfastly and aDaal nxiouslybeach. the approach of a boat from 'Here comes something that looks like a punt, at last, Mr, York,' er.- claimed the .skipper of the biig, PP - 'mooching bun—a broad -beamed, but- let-headed u - let -headed bit of a man, standing on oval shanks and carrying a face as red es the flag he sailed tender, Hope you'll pick up ashore, I do, Remember my words—if you'L1 feel able to ship along with me by the time I am ready to sail, and that's giving you from now to December, why, all that I can Say is, there's a berth ready for you." "I am heartily obliged to you, sir, for the offer," said the other; Wand I thank you from the dopths of my eoui for the kindness you've done me. - Indeed, Captain Settle, I shall paver forget you; and if I am equal to go- ing a-eailoring again by December, you may reckon me already, sir, as upon the ship's articles." They continued exchanging compli- ments ompliments after this pattern whilst the boat approached; presently it was alongside, hom the captain hadladaresssed as1low Mr. York prepared to descend. I shall endeavour to be in London the week after next," he exclaimed as he swung a moment by the man -ropes; and I trust, captain, you'll not for- get to put in a good word for me with the onwers of the Coelia. It will be a matter of twenty-eight pounds to mo, who am now in a condition to view even a sixpence as a very serious thing." Bust me, trust me, Mr. York," the captain exclaimed with a cheery wave of his hand, The tall young fellow, named Jeremy York, lowered himself into the boat; a small bundle—apparently all the luggage he had—was handeddown to him by the skipper ; he flourished his hat; the crew of the brig, some.of whom were at work upon the forecastle end some aloft, gave him a cheer ; and in a moment or two he was being swept shorewards by the vigorous arms of a brace of Deal boatmen. It was now dark; the western hectic was gone, the stars floated in a show- ering of brilliant points to the liquid desk, that hung g1i' nerless above the horizon, with here and there a round- browed cloud with a sheen upon it like the space of a snow -clad rise to obscure a narrow space of the sparkling dome. The Foreland soared wan and massive from the white wash of the water at its base, then swept darkly to the flat land upon which were grouped the houses of the town of Deal, whose fore- shore at this moment winked with its row of oil lamps, or a dim illumination in places of small lozenge -paved win- dows, and a brighter streak of light striking through an open door. High and dry upon the shingle rested groups of boats; and at intervals, as York ap- proached the beach, he would catch a noise like to a rush of water upon shingle, and mark some little fabric newly launched, swiftly making off on a small buccaneering cruise of its own amongst the shipping or maybe to intercept some shadow bovering past the t;:oodwins with her hold full of silks, tobacco, tea, and spirits, to be run" before the morning, and un- der the noses, too, of the lookout aboard the first-rate, and the revenue people, trudging, solitary and austere, along the tall cliffs' edge or the long low line of beach'. Many people in Deal just now?" York inquired of one of the boatmen, "Town choke full of allow," was the answer. "Take them there ships," with a nod in the starlight towards the phantasmal huddle over the stern of the boat: 'One person from each craft'ad be more'n enough to over- flow us, and you'd say that one-third of every ship's company out yonder had come ashore." "A bother!" cried the young fellow, a little petulantly ; "small prospect of my hiring a bed, if it be as you say.— D'ye think there's a chance of my get- ting a night's rest in your town?" " Whoy not?" answered the other boatmen gruffly. "Ye're a seafaring man beloike, and there ought to be more'n soft plank proper for sailor's bones to be found vacant at DeaL" "No planking it for me, not if there's a mattress to be hired!" cried York. Suffer such a fever as bas kept me wasting for six months in Valpanaiso, and yoa'll wish your skeleton marrow - less, that it might give over aching." There are inns enough, anyway,"said one of the mem "Troy Mother Pith - dell's first. She keeps the sign of the Cat o' Nine Tails, Sandown way. There should be a chance there; and ot'll tell ye whoy: her liquor's eust bad., She's beknoivn for that, 'soides high terms. 'Taint that 1 name her 'cause I love her; but when a sick gent wants a bed, he ain't going to be hindered by a shil- ling too much, let alone a quality o' liquor there's no call for titin to drink." As the man spoke, the boat's keel grounded on the shingle, and the little craft swept broadside to the beach. York picking up his bundle, stepped out, and inquired the fare. The boatmen de- manded six shillings. "Sce here," :said he pulling out a halif i inea piece, this is all the money I possess, and I shall have no more until I can beg, borrow, or steal it. If I deduct six shillings from this, what does it leave me ?" "Give us foive," said the men. "Three," he answered; "for God's sake, don't take advantage of a sick sailor 1" An altercation followed; Yorz: was re- solved, the boatmen importunate and clamorous, and presently offensive. Other boatmen were attracted by the noise, and soon there was a crowd of Deal men listening to the shouts of their two brethren and the old deter- mined remonstrances of Mr. Jeremy York. At last the tall young fellow cried out, "Make it four shillings, then, and you shall be paid.." The others agreed; the half -guinea was changed into silver; and Yor kwolked away, followed curiously by the eyes of the groap of men who had assembled. Tall enough for a Maypole," said one of ahem, "What's bis sect?" exclaimed anoth- er. Looks as if his hair growed from a woman's bead." "Smite one," cried one of the two boatmen who had pulled the young fel- low ashore, "if ever I takes a job again without first agreeing with the Part as to terms. A dirty four shillvn'! But what's a man to dew? He outs with his half-gimes• piece,, and says 'tis all the money he's got in the world; and who's to know that it ain't a forg- ed bit tow ? But that's Billy Tucker's oonsern, who's got the coin." He seat with disgust and lurched off, on which the group broke up, and made in sever- ai detachments for the varioup public - houses or inns in Beach Street, (To Be Continued.) THE BRUSSELS POST, OOT, 9, 168O .AGRICULTURAL, CALF 1 i1A13ING, In the course or timer onthe sola jeot of the breeding of dairy cattle, read at the recent dairy conference h North Wales, Mr, .James T, Robbs,. Maisey Hampton, Fairford, Gloucester- shire, said: Ally ouatom is_ to allow the calf to suck its mother about a week or ten days after birth; it is then taught to drink from a buoket. A liberal allowance of milk at first being given, this is gradually decreased and a calf meal substituted. Many people prefer taking the calf from its mother immediately after birth; the calf at that time is taught to drink more easily and the process of weaning is more easi- ly accomplished. I do not think it makes much difference whether the calf sucks its mother or drinks from a bucket so long as it has a sufficient quantityof W'_i'�, Nothing will do for the young animal so well as pure milk, In the case of cow calves it is not nec- essary or at all advisable to make them fat, as in doing so you decrease their milking properties and make them more uncertain breeders. The cow - calves that are dropped in the autumn and early part of the year are turned into the grass fields the following sum- mer and given about two pounds of linseed or corn meal. I find the ani- mals so treated do far better the sec- ond year than those kept in all their first summer. The younger ootiv- oalves are turned into the orchard by day and taken into an open yard at night. Great care must be taken in keeping the young animals in a thriv- ing state, as nothms is more conducive to 'black leg" or murrain" than at one time stinting and at a later period overfeeding your calves. Avoid put- ting the calves on aftermath. By keeping them on the grass lawn that has not been mown, I consider you suffer less from hoose" or "husk." The end of September the calves should be taken in at night and given more dry food. Nothing is more wasteful than allowing animals to remain on the pastures late in the autumn without asaistanco, and losing much of the flesh they had gamed during the summer months. The second yeas the heifers are turned into the pastures and should thrive on fairly good land, if not kept too thick, without any artifi- cial rtificial assistance. SUCCESSFUL FEEDERS. We have never bean able to enumer- ate all the qualities that are necessary to make a successful feeder. At first sight it would appear that to give cat- tle sufficient food for a long time enough to make them fat should be simple enough, but as a matter of fact more than' this is required, and few men moire a study and uniform suc- cess uecess of it. There are, however, men who almost always make money at it. The reason is that few men are good judges of cattle, which is the main point. During these last few years it has been necessary to make cattle very thoroughly matured and finished to get anything like a respectable price. In fact, it is a hardship for feeders to be put to the expense of these finishing touches, for it costs a great deal and it seems to us that several dollars a head are often wasted for the sake of looks. The appearance o£ the cattle on the market, their uniformity of size and condition, cuts a great figure. Animals of fine quality showing plain- ly the points of the great breeds sell easily at the top, while what the stock yard people call old-fashioned cat- tle, short of body and with upright horns, are habitually murdered on the market even when very fat. These old-fashioned cattle, the common na- tives, do not dress well, and certainly are not attractive to look at; and it is in this that the westerns have an advantage, for they kill exceedingly well and yield a greater proportion of eatable flesh. • DRAINING PASTURE LANDS, "The impression is quite common that it will not pay to underdrain pas- ture land," says Drainage Journal, "There are pasture lands that it will not do to drain, but is also true that in many instances it will pay to under - drain in part at least land used for grazing purposes. In passing through the country we see many acres of pas- ture land which, if sufficiently under - drained, would be very valuable, As they are now they are practically worth- less, affording only wild and unnutri- tious grasses, worth but little for graz- ing purposes; in fact, such lands are disease breeders of the live stock whim have the rim of them. Pastures which need underdrainage may be cared for so as to present a good appearance to the casual observer, but when care- fully examined are found to grow gmusses of little value If they, have been seeded to tame grass there is such a mixture of water grasses with the tame that the pasture is poor. If a land owner is doubtful as to the benefits of nderdraining land let him put in one or more tile drains with good outlets and observe the result. The wild sour grasses will disappear and the tame grass sod will thicken and grow luxuriantly. The live stock are good judges. In grazing they will keep the gross near the drains cropped close- ly because it is more palatable to the taste and more nutritious. We are confident that the value of thousands of acres of pasture lands could be great- ly enhanced if underdrained, which aro, in their present condition, prac- tically worthless. Those who have given little attention to the real con- dition of their grazing lands will be surprised in a careful examination of their condition. It will soon become ap- parent to them that where there is one blade of gouo, nutritious grass, four or five may be made to grow by a well directed effort in the nderdrainage of the land." CARE OF SWINE". The cheapest winter food for swine is roots, They may not have so much nutriment in themselves, but they cause the hog to get more oat of his other food, just as good clover pasture causes the hog to get more out of grain. Tur' nips and rutabagas may be grown on the land front which early potatoes or sweet corn has been removed, or a piece of clover sod may be broken up after the hay is harvested. Don't lean over the fence to pour the .atop in the digs' trough, soya the Farm Journal. The fighting pigs Will cause Yeti to spill a good part of the elop, anal resting year weight en yolir air domen, supported by a rail, is not healthful exoroiss, Bass a trough through the pen into the other treeggh. And tf yea nail a beard over the CO of the first trough the pigs can ,not stop it with their noses and waste the slopwhen it is pou't'ed in.' Phe eld„ fashioned way is to dip the buckets in the slop barrel, lift them out with a hard, high lift, all dripping end over- flowing with grew stuff and so carry them. Cif course the man that does that gets greasy, dirty olotbee. The new way is Co set the barrel upon blocks and dish out a place for the buoket to at, and then put a big feu- cet in the barrel. This way there Is no hard lifting, no drip or overflow. A little pains to sun scald the troughs if they get sour under cover will pay. If it be damp and cloudy, scald them out with boiling water and feed a1ew handfuls of powdered cbarooal to cor- rect acidity in the hog's stomach. CATCHING A SHARK. 5 monster 15 Vent thong raped en Peek— us Thirteen Siuirlclet8. "On a recent trip," said a traveling man, "that I made to Central Ameri- ca, the Drew and passengers had quite an experience with a shark. We were on board the Andes, ono of the Atlas line of steamers. She broke some im- portant part of her machinery and was entirely nncnaworthy. It required twen- ty-four hours to put her in condition to proceed on our way. The accident happened before daybreak, when wo were within two days' of New York. During all that time we were floating about on the ocean, and fortunately for us the ocean was perfectly calm. When the first daylight came we discovered that we were completely surrounded by sharks. Some one suggested that we catch a shark. "The idea was no more than hatched before the captain, who was a young man making his first trip, took the matter up and proceeded to work. He secured a large hook, attached it to the end of several plies of telegraph wire, and then fastened it to the end of a rope, leaving about 5 feet of wire to prevent the shark from biting it off. On the hook he placed a large piece of bacon, then he dropped his line. It had barely struck the water when he got a bite. The captain made a des- perate jerk. So did the shark, and the hook was BENT PERFECTLY STRAIGHT. A number of such attempts were made, but each time with the same result. An old tar who had been a witness to the attempts to hook the monster, pro- duced an old-fashioned, half -round steel file, and proceeded to make a hook that he said would hold. After quite a long wait the hook was finished and attached to the line, but before going any further the old sailor gave in- structions as to how he wanted the work done. He made a loop on the end of another rope, passed the hook and line through the loop and the latter was held on deck. The hook was baited and thrown into the water, and in an instant a mighty rush of sharks was made to get the bacon. The crowd of sailors pulled on the rope and fastenedthe hook m the upper jaw of what proved to be a 15 -foot shark. The old tar yelled Drop your loop.' It dropped down the line and passed over the shark's head, when it was tightened up. Then began the most desperate struggle I ever saw for freedom. It took all on board to pull the marine monster on deck. After much time and patience, as it required both, to give it gime to exhaust itself, the shark was landed. At this time the passengers made themselves oonspicu- ous by their absence. The shark lash- ed the deck with its tail and body un- til the vessel almost trembled. It was the most exciting scone I ever witness- ed. The shark would open its mouth showing a cavity that a man coup{ easily crawl into, and teeth as sharp as needles. One of the sailors, after a long wait, succeeded in getting close enough to cut the monster's throat with an ex. After a post-mortem ex- amination it was discovered to be a fe- male, and the mother of thirteen young sharklets. An effort was made to bring soma of the young ones to New York, but they all died in a short time. Each of them was about 9 feet long. As they were thrown overboard, they were gobbled up by other large ones." WONDERFUL FIGURE. Some men are hard to please, espe- cially in their flustered and ill-natured moods. One day, when nothing had gone to suit him, he broke out suddenly to one of the clerks in a tone like a thun- der -clap: "Look here, Jones, this won't dol These figures aro a perfect disgrace. An office -boy could to better. If he couldn't I'd discharge him, Look at that Live; will you? It looks just like a three. Nobody would take it for any- thing else. Look at it,, I say." I—er—I beg pardon, so," began the trembling clerk, I beg pardon; but—er —well you see, sir it is a three." "A threel" roared the manager; "a three! Why, you idiot, it looks just like a fivel" And the subject dropped. PECULIARITY OF TDB J3LIND. A peculiarity of the blind is that there is seldom one of them who smokes. Soldiers and sailors, acc'ustomed to smoking, and who have lost thels sight in action, • continue to smoke for a short while, but soon give up the prac- tice. raytice. They say it gives them no plea- sure when they cannot see smoke, and some have said they, cannot taste the smoke unless they see it. Ex -Premier •Crispi is undergoing a course of mud baths near Padua, Be- sides suffering from gout, ho is afflict- ed. with weakness of the spine, and is likewise almost entirely blind. THE BUSIEST CONSUL. The busiest Consul in the world is the British Consul al: New York. The British shipping at New York aggre- gates about 4,000,000 tons annually,anct from '25,000 to 30,000 seamen are paid off and shipped each year, involving the handling of about $800,000 for seamen's Wages. The second busiest Consul in the world is the British Consul at Con- stantinople, which involves three times the work of the Consul Generals of all other countries in the United States, and more than three times the busi- ness of all other Consuls at New York conabioed. I Fate'sInstruments The Marquis, after taking tea With Nesera and satisfying himself that the lady was not .planning immediate flight, strolled bank to his hotel iu a thoughtful mood, He enjeyed a little triumph over Mr, Blodwell and Sid- mouth Vane at diener; but Ibis .did not satisfy hire. For almost the first time, in his life, lie felt the need of an adviser and con- fident: ho was afraid that he was go- ing to make a fool of himself. Mr. Blodwell withdrew. after dinner, 10 grapple with somo papers which had pursued him, and the Marquis sot smoking a cigar on a seat with Vane, struggling against the impulse to trust that young man with his thoughts. Vane was placidly happy; the distant, hypothetical relations between himself and Neaera, the like of which his busy idle brain constructed around every at- tractive marriageable woman he met, had no power to disturb either- his soul or his digestion, If it so fell out, it would be. well; but he was conscious that the object would wring from him so very active exertions. "Mrs. Witt expected to find George here, I suppose?" ho asked, Making the ash from his cigar. "Yes, I think so." "Anything on there?" "Nothing at all, my dear fellow," re- plied the Marquis, with more conf1- frightened, dente than he would have shown twelve hours before. "She knows he's °nal language. mad about little Laura Pocklington." Then Mrs. Pocklington came round, "I'll call o.n her to -morrow," said and took a cup of tea, and, still un - Vane, with his usual air of gracious condascens;.on, "She's living very quietly," remark- ed the Marquis, Vane turned toward him with a smile and almost a wink, ' Oho l" he said. "Be respectful to your elders, you young dog," said the Marquis. "You make us forget your claims in that respect. You must be more ven- erable," answered Vane. After a moment's silent' smoking, "Why don't you marry ?" asked the Marquis. It is a question which often means that the questioner's own thoughts are trending in that direction. eom'ersation with Sidmontb Vane, and °merged therefrom, laughing, biush- ing, oral riotously happy, though the only visible .outcome 0 the talk was 00 invitation for her mother and here self to jobs in the mild ontertalnment of afternoon tea at Vane's ruoms the next day. Now, Sidmouth Vettewag very deceitful ; he, eo to say, appropriat- ed to his own use and credit Laura's blushes and Laura's laughter, and, when the invitations came, innocent Airs, Pocklington, ,without eommitting her- self to an a roval of Mr. Vane, re - tjoked to to It: pleased Laura to take ea with any young man other then George Neston,' and walked into the trap with graeiious urbanity. Vane received his guests, 11 . Illod- well supporting Juin, airs. Pocklington and her daughter were the first ar- rivals, and Vane apologised for the latene',ss of the others. "Lord Mapledurhem is coming" he Said "and he's been very busy lately," I thought be was out of town," said Mrs. Pocklington. "He only came book yoslerday." The door opened, and Vane's servant announced with math pomp, "The Marquis and Marchioness of .Maple- durham." The Marquis advanced striiigbt to Mrs, Pookiington; then he took Nes- era's hand, and said, "You have 'al- weys been good to mo, Mrs, Poekling- ton. I hope you'll be as good to my wife." It web hushed up as far ss possible, but still it leaked out that, on this sole occasion, Mrs. Pocitlinggtom was at a loss --was, in fact, if the word be al- lowable, flabbergasted. Vane mallei- ously hinted at burnt feathers and other extreme remedies, and there was really no doabt at all that Laura untied her mother's bonnet -strings. Neaera stood looking on, half proud, half fri , till Laura ram to her and kissed her, and called her the best friend she had, with much other emoti- "I'm waiting for that heiress." Tben he added, perhaps out of good nature, "If it comes to that, why don't you?" I'm not anxious to have people point- ing Oli me for an old fool." not old." hang people! Besides, you're "Fifty-six," "That's nothing nowadays." "You're laughing 1" said the Marquis, suspiciously. The Marquis' laughed too, and put his cigar back in his mouth. He took it out again almost at once, "It wouldn't be bad to have a son," he said. I mean an heir, you know." "The first step is a wife then, no doubt," Most women are so tedious. Still, you understand my feeling?" "I might in your position. For my- self, I hate brats." "Ah, you will feel it some day." Vane thought this lather barefaced. "When did it attack you?" he asked with a smile. This afternoon," answered the Mar- quis, gravely. Vane's cynical humor was tickled by the denoument this admission sug- gested. "Gad! I should like to see Gerald Neston's face!" he chuckled, forgetting his own design in his grati- fication. 1 "OE course she's—well, the deuce of a flirt," said the Marquis. Vane risked a philosophical general- isation. All nice women are farts," he said. That's what you mean when you call them nice." "Very pretty and attractive, though." "And the shoes?" "Damn the shoes 1" said the Mar- quis. The next morning, Mr. Blodwell and Sidmouth Van went to London; but the society papers recorded that the Marquis of Mapledurham prolonged his stay at Brighton. CHAPTER XX. Summer and autumn came and went. The season died lingeringly and suffer- ed its slow resurrection. Grouse and partridges, autumn scares and vacs ion speeches, the yield of the crops and, the beginning of the season each had their turn of public favour, and the great Neston sensation died away, gal- vanised now and again into a fitful Kamm of life by Mr. Espion's persever ing battery. His efforts were m vain. All the cats were out of all the bags, and the interest of the public was sati- ated. The actors in the drama, re- turning to town, as most of them did in the winter, found themselves restor- ed to obscurity ; their story, once so eagerly dished un as the latest gossip, was now the stale stock of bores, use- ful only to regale the very young or the very provincial palate. All at once there was a revival. A rumour, a piquant rumour, began to be whispered at the clubs. Men again looked at Gerald Neston, wondering if he had heard it, and at George, asking how he would take it. Mr. Blodwell had to protest ignorance twenty times a day, and Sidmouth Vane entrenched himself in the safe seclusion of his official apartment. If it were true, it was magnificent. Who knew? Mr. iocklington heard .the rumor, but, eommuniug with his own heart, held his tongue. He would not dis- turb the peace that seemed again to have settled on his house. Laura, having asserted her independence, had allowed the subject to drop" she had been bright, cheerful, and docile, had seen sights, and gone to entertainments, and made herself agreeable; and Mrs. Pocklington hoped, against n secretean- viction, that the rebellion was not only sleeping but dead. She could not ban- ish herself from London; so, with out- ward confidence and inward fear, she brought her daughter home in Novem- ber, praying that George Neston might not cross her path, praying too, in her kind heart, that time might remove the silent barrier between her and her daughter, against which she fretted in vain. But certain other people bad no idea of leaving the matter to the slow and uncertain hand of time, There was a plot afoot, George was in 1t and Stdnnouth Vane, and Mr. Blodwell ; so was the Iltarquis, and another, whose present name it would ruin our clean mystery to disclose -if it bo guessed, there isno help for it. And lust when Laura was growing sad, and a little hurt and angry at hearing nothing from George, she chanced, to have a consciojs she w to do, drifouslytdeding intoust thse balconyasmeant with the 112arquis, and had a long cower - "But with him, When she came back slits found Vane ordering a fresh pot of tea, "But we must really be going, " she saaidd, 'MpattedustnLt.'t we, Laura 0" And as she spoke she took her daughter's hand salted Do 11fr. you oiBloddiecwell.t nay one else, Vane 1" Well, I did, but he's very late." "Where can he have got to f" asked Neaera, smiling. . Oh, I know where ,he is," said Vane. "He's—he's only in the next room." Everybody looked at Mrs. Pockling- ton and smiled. She looked at them alleag,• and last at her daughter. Laura was smilingitoo, but her eyes were er and mploring, If he wants any tea, he had better come in," said Mrs. Pocklington. So the pair of shoes wrought out their work, giving society yet another sen- sation, making Neaera Witt a great lady, and Laura Pocklington a happy woman, and confirming all Mrs. Bort's darkest views on the immorality of the aristocracy. And the Marquis and George Neston put their heads to- gether, and caused to be fashioned two dainty little shoes in gold and dia- monds, and gave them to their wives, as a sign and remembrance of the ways of destiny. And Neaera wears the shoe, Peoktand woillu. tGaalkol. to you quite freely about The whole affair, however, shocked Lord Tottlebury, very deeply, and Gerald, Nestor is still a bachelor. Whether this fate be a reward for the merits he displayed, or a punishment for the faults he fell into, let each, according to his prejudices or his ex- periences, decide.(The NonEnd.) rn nostruest tan - les componere lites. INSURANCE AGAINST PRISON. SeCtu•ta:t Tnl'yex Immunity Against ' Re- ceiving, Their Leeeete. "Thieves are hardly a provident class ns a rule," said a London detective to the writer, "yet it may surprise you to kuow that there aro a large number both of burglars and pickpockets who habitually insure themselves against capture and imprisonment. There are two or three men in the east end who do an extensive business insuring thieves. These pay a small weekly premium, varying according to prev- ious 'laggings,' and every conviction raises the rate, very old and 'unlucky' offenders being often refused altogeth- er., When a thief gets nabbed his in- surance money usually goes to pay a 'mouthpiece' (or solicitor) to defend him. One of these fellows, a man of much their own class, has over 23117 thieves insured with him for sums varying from £1 upward. He bas a carefully com- piled list of their convictions, and ac- tually keeps books, inn primitive style, and be has found the money toward de- fending several eriminaL, we've put in the dock. Not long ago a notorious rascal was enabled by hien to engage one of the sharpest police court solicitors, and was actually acquitted on a purely technical point; undefended he'd have 15ot a heavy sentence., When a case is so black that no so- licitor will defend it, the thief draws his Insurance money on coming out of prison. A burglar I once caught in Hackney was insured with four differ- ent men, and after` his sentence expired he drew from them in ail about £45. He was nabbed ag.ain the next night on another 'job,' end had hardly a penny in his possession." A BRAVE MAN Itenoiuicen lits night Int at Throne fro Ito Slum Missionary Wavle. There is something bravo about a man who will give up his rights lo a throne in order to don the robes of a clergyman and do missionary work in the sterns of a great city. There are those, of course, who will say that such action is only the result of an er- ratic mentality, but wbo shall say that he may not accomplish great good, not- withstanding? Prince Max of Saxony lies begun his labors as a Catholic priest in the Church of St. Boniface, Union street, . Whitechapel, London. Tho prince is ai' nephew of the King, being, the third son of Prince George, the heir apparent to the throne. Born in 1870 he was trained for the army, and became a Lieutenant in the ducal regiment of Grenadiers. In 1808 ho left his regi- ment at Eisenach, renouncing all his rights of succession ere he took orders. Despite bis' youth the Popo almost im- mediately appointed him Apostolic Vi - dor of Saxony. The Prmco, who has guile to London to work, in the Haat End, speaks English fluently, and is likely to be popular in the district.