Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1896-11-13, Page 2• THE ;U' /$EIA§ 'OST, Nov, i1, MO ASTBURY'S BARGAIN. { ' CHAPTER I, f3ontintled, iAa she made tale declaration there Was edmething strangely, almost start- lingly beautiful In the fair faeo with the t'atio of impre'gnmble, undoubting love upon it.. To win WW1 a love as that whet would not any man gives --.to ue Worthy of it, what would net any man sacrifice? So thought Gilbert as he carefully tore into fragments the pa- per he awl taken from the packet, whilst he moved towards the fireplace. "Do not go yet—stay only a minute. 1 am going, and you era hot likely to see me again." He Was aro p1ng tale fragments of paper into the fire es he !poke, and they made a merry which seemed. to mock at his misery. (When the last bit had turned into a blank film and a draught from the Partly opened door had whisked it uP the chimney, he replaced the packet In his bag. 'There is 710 more to say. Good-bye." He was at the doox, mold- ing out his hand; but she the a la 'beck, startled by his abrupt manner, misunderstood the movement for one of refusal to take his bona. "Good-bye," he repeated hastily, "God bless you; and may you never have cause to be sorry for the answer you have given me to -day," The outer door ,sad mused. behind thine before the dazed girl could recover from the bewilderment caused by his words and conduct. The burning of that paper with so much care tad de- liberation bad perplexed her sorely; and rousing herself, she darted to the fireplace to see if any scrap remained on which might be found some legible words to give a clue to the meaning of his action. But the work of destruc- tion had been too thoroughly accom- plished to leave the faintest trace of what the paper had been, or what had been written ou it. Then the girl sat down and cried. Angry as she had been with her vis- itor, she was sorry for him, because she liked him. He had been a trusted friend and companion; and he had in- troduced Henry Dacon to her. Na- turally, too, she had a kindly regard for the man who had >vished to marry her, and who, until quite recently had borne his rejection pati- ently.: But she could not help bis ,lis - appointment when he discovered that she liked Daoon so much as to prefer before all others as the man to whom she was ready to entrust her fu- ture. It was not her fault that she should prefer him. Love was not a fault, and could nut be gut up to order. Can love be regulated in its growth to suit convenience, prudence, circum- stances, and climate? All history and fable answer—"No." But Gilbert had been a dear friend, and he was now under a very dark cloud. She would have liked to show her sympathy for him—would have been glad to speak any comforting words of ,hope at her command; but his conduct fn attempting to shield himself from blame, as she fancied, by accusing his friend had closed her mouth, and sup- pressed the sympathy she would willing- ly have given ami. And now, when he had vexed and worried her almost be- yond endurance she could not help feel- ing sorry for him—he looked so very ill when he said: "God bless you; and may you never have cause to be sorry for the answer you have given me to- b day„ The words, the burning of the letter, and his manner, bewildered and dis- tressed her exceediugly. So she could only find relief in tears, and wish that Henry would come soon to help to ex- plain Gilbert's mysterious behaviour. Of course, whilst speaking to him and in her rage it had :been all plain enough; a rejected lover was simply doing ms best and worst to oust his rival arum the first place in her regard.. But now that he was gone and she sou:d remem- ber the many traits of a breve, upright, generous nature disp;nyed by Giluart during years of friendly intercourse, in which, if there had been evil in his character, some sign of it must have been manifested—now, when she re- membered this and could think over it, she could only feel bewildered and sorry for him. The source of all the trouble lay in the recent discovery that a series o1' gigantic frauds had been perpetrated on the firm of Ellicott 8c Co., the extensive ship -brokers and setp-owners. No one had been yet directly necused of the crime; but invastigettotis were in pro- gress and suspicion pointed to one of two persons, because they alum seemed to have it m their power to perpetrate the frauds. Henry Dacon, nephew of Mr. Ellicott, the head of the firm, and a junior partner, and Gilbert Astbury, the confidential clerk, were the only persons in England who had the right of access to the documents and informa- tion, the possession of which rendered the frauds possible. The position of the first named seemed to place him beyond suspicion; and lit- tle doubt was entertained as to who the real culprit must be. But John Elli- cott, in his seventieth year, was still a clear-headed, strong-willed man, and sternly just. He would pronounce no opinion; he would accuse no one until the proofs of guilt had been fully col- lected. Therefore the investigation pro- ceeded without any arrest being made and the two suspected persons were pr'e- lamed to be giving their Mutest aid in its prosecution. The assistance of the police had not yet been called for, as Mr. Ellicott desired to avuid fuss and Scandal until he could say: "There is the forger—arrest him." He was the more strongly moved to this course as there was a bare possibility that third person might be levol'ed in the crime, awl that person was the most import - and and most trusted of Lim foreign ag- ents of the house. The pues,bility was so very remote, however, that this naive' Was not mentioned. At Cedar Cottage the terrible cloud which hung over tl.eru lin id been talked :about in confidence by Deem and Gil- liert. Naturally, it produ,;ed the great- est anxiety and excitement in the breasts of the three ihdies who had so far carefully preserved the :secret from their most intimate friends. Thera were, however utyster roue rumors in the City and mysterious paragraphs in the money articles of the leading dally pa- pers which at length so clearly indie- ated the house of Ellicott &. Co. that the oasts was et hand when the whole t t' t b bl' d Pees Leto the bands of the pollee, It. was at this junoture that Gilbert aid his hasty visit to the Cottage, and left it with that look of absolute dee opsit which oil appears when apman d ranla0 las-mus become pu e. an knows that bis oom is sealed, and that n0 earl;hly power can Save bin from ut- ter ren and dlagraoe, lie d not observe Daisy put down the watering -Pan and advance to meet him as he was walking blindly towards the gate. She was frightened by hie expression and clasped his arm with her sort hand. "You are very tut, Gilbert " she exolaimed, "What has happeued5" He smiled faintly as he took her hand, pvesslng it gratefully; for there, was 110 mistaking the depth of the girl's sol- icitude on psis account. 'Little more has happened thou'I expected, Daisy; and yet that little makes all the dif- ference in the world to me. You will not see me again—or if you do, it wilt only be to shun me and feel ashamed that you ever callled me your friend," "I. shall nevor feel that,' she respond- ed quietly; and you ought to know 11. Whatever misfortune may happen to you it oaanot alter my regard for you" "I believe yqu think so now,' he said with a melancholy movement of the head; "bub you do not know—you can- not guess what you will soon hear about me. All the same I wish I could thank you as I would like to do for the com- fort you• words give me." I won't believe anything I hear about you if it is bad " was her decisive comment, and with shrewd istinct she went straight to the point: "Ycu have persuaded tatty to see you, end she Ms been unkind to you. So you are in the dumps, and fanoy that all the world fs against you. You have been bother- ed and worried about this nasty business in. the City. You have got ill over it, and consequently you are looking at everything through a false glass which distorts the appearance and meaning of all that you see." He smiled again faintly. She was so much in earnest m her endeavor to cheer him that she helped him more than she could have imagined to bear the heavy burden he had resolved to take upon himself. They ware standing under the shadow of the cedar tree, and his voice was full of subdued emotion. "Thank you again, Daisy, for what you have said. f shall remember the words all my life—they will always be the most precious memories of this bit- ter day, Good-bye." Although he uttered the last word in the manner of one who is taking leaye of a dear friend fora long time, Daisy refused to accept it in that sense. So,, with affected confidence, she in- quired: "When are we to see yon again 9" I do not know—maybe you wilt nev- er see me again." "Are you going away anywhere 9" "Yes I start this afternoon on what will probably be a very losg journey. I do not yet know what my destination is to be." "But you will write and tell—aunt?" "There will be no letters," he answ- ered gloomily. I think you are trying to frighten me, Gilbert," she ejaculated with a shade of impatience, as they parted at the gate. She watched him hurrying down the green lane, and fancied that his steps were somewhat unsteady, as if from ex- haustion. At the old graveyard he halted, looked back, and seeing Daisy, waved his hand. Then he turned the corner and was out of sight. CHAPTER II. The latest editions of the evening pa- pers contained a brief paragraph un- der big headlines: "Great Frauds in the Cityl"—"Flight of the Suspected Crim- inaIl"—and so forth. The information given under these startling lines was somewhat meagre. Messrs. Ellicott & Co., the well-known ship -owners and ship -brokers of llenchureh Street, had recently discovered that a series of in- genious forgeries bad been perpetrated y some one in their employment. The sums obtained by these forgeries, so far as could be at present estimated. am- ounted to the enormous total of ninety thousand pounds. .A rigid investigat tion into the affair was in progress, and in the meanwhile it was discover- ed that' the confidential clerk of the firm, named Gilbert Astbury, had ab- sconded. He had been aware for sev- eral days that be was under suspicion, and his sudden flight seemed to justify it. The pollee were on his track, and no doubt of his speedy arrest was en: tertained., The news of Gilbert's disappearance was the MUSS of much excitement to the inmates of Cedar Cottage; but the views taken of It by each of the three women differear Iletty regarded it as an unquestionable proof of the inno- cence of Henry Dacon; and whilst she lamente3 the position of his and her former friend, she was glad that her lover was thus exonerated from all pos- sibility of doubt as to his complicity in the frau.!. Mrs. Silverton was pain- fully conscious of the injury which her acknowledged relationship with the criminal—she had at once accepted the theory that he was guilty, since he had fled from the investigation—would en- tail upon her and hers. To Daisy the views taken by her aunt and cousin were incomprehensible. She could part- ly understand Hetty; but she could not understand ber aunt. "If it is true that Gilbert hes gone away," she said with quiet confidence, it is not to save himself, but to shield some one else." "What nonsense you talk, child!" ex- claimed Mrs. Silverton, putting on her gold -mounted pincenez to examine the girl attentively, as if to discover 'whe- ther or not the defence was made seri- ously. "Gilbert is not a fool, and must, have been perfectly aware of what hie di=appearance at this moment meant to him. A.n innocent man never runs away wben such a dreadful charge as this is hanging over him. Poor fellow —it is terrible and most incomprehen- sible. Ile bad such a chance in life as few young men 'without fortune ever obtain." "That is just It, aunt," persisted Daisy in her low voice, but without .lift- pelf-suffloleney. 7Ietty 'teas too wel pleased to find tutee everyossible sus p10190 was oleerod away from Henry Lo pay muoh heed to the trifliag,pass. a between her mother and eounii. Mrs, Silverton was more astounded by the audacity of iter niece than by the assumed guilt of the fugitive, although that was mast offensive and, as sh0 fancied, derogatory Lo her; for she had been psis friend awl, Veneer, She hall -!when he seemed to be prospering.— even admitted thele there Wats a lis tent tenni), eelationsltlp between them' and the remembr'anee of that admission rankled in tiler mind now. Instead o experiencing any senseof pity for Cal - barb, the was angry with him, for hie defalcation was a diroot personal in- jury, She would have been relieved If there had been any way in which she could save her own reputation fol Perspicacity by hinting that she had al, ways had a misgiving about the young man. But sack consolation was denied her. ibis .success had been so rapid; the favorable impression be made upon every one to wheal be had been present- ed so marked, that she had not been able to resist the delight of playing the Pa- tron to the favorite of the hour. Ilius she had committed herself too definite- ly as voucher for his respectability to dare to shirk it now. Site could only exclaim that she was horrified -that she had never been so .deceived in all her life, and that it almost shattered her faith in the bonesty.of the whole human race. She had done so much for bin on acoountof his poor dear mother, who had been mercifully ,spared by Providence the epeotaele of its disgrace —that she could never forgive him, or. forget her own weakness in being led so far astray by misplaced confidence. Her imagination so far exaggerated the benefits she had conferred on the ungrateful creature, that it misled leer into the delusion that she had intro- duced. him to Henry Daoon. The feet was that GIlbert had brought his friend to Cedar Cottage, thereby earning the special approbation of the widow, who saw in the nephew of John Ellicott, of Overton Park a most desirable match for her dowerless daughter.She had thought of Gilbert as a possibly accept- able suitor; but she repudiated the bare idea of it as soon as Darvon frankly de- Glared ,his intentions and wasaccepted by Hetty. She pretended to• herself that she had never thought of such an alliance, and was angry with Gilbert for having been so ambitious as to fancy she would ever have sanctioned it. lively, lady, still on the hitheras a ieplump, eair of fifty. She .had a great deal of van- ity, but it was carefully held in hand by a large measure of common-sense. She was good-natured to this extent— She would help anybody, if the help required did not tax her pocket, 'whilst it redounded to bar credit. She was blessed with unlimited faith in herself, in her own wisdom, foresight, charit- ableness, and all the other noblest qual- ities of humanity; and she had admirers enough of both sexes—sincere and sy- eo hantio—to sustain her in the creed which makes life most agreeable, It was only this faith which enabled her to bear with equanimity the open rebellion of Daisy in regard to Gilbert. As the bad forgotten the circumstance that it was be who had brought her in- to contact with the desirable son-in-law, so she had been long oblivious to the quarterly payment regularly received from the late Mr. Forester's executors which defrayed all Daisy's expenses, and was pleased to think of herself as the generous benefactor of the orphan niece. Moreover, but excusably, she ignored the item that the girl was quietly mak- ing a way for herself in authorship which might have permitted her—even without the settled provision made for ber—to adopt an independent position. Such a thought, however, never cross- ed Dais 's She ' had g rown up under the influence of her aunt, who naturally held the position of a pareet to her, and looked upon Cedar Cottage as her only home. She accepted so im- plieity the theory that her aunt's pro- tection was a necessity for which the submission of a daughter was due, that she had never dreamed of asserting in- dependence. The advent of Gilbert Astbury bad altered her views of everything. At first, it had brought new light and joy into her life; new strength., new hope inspired her vision of the future. I3e was poor, she knew; he was clever, she was sure; he was ambitious, she could easily divine. Might not she, somehow, belp him to win the goal of his ambition ? Then for the first time she had begun to consider her position, She found out what means were at her disposal; and with the sanguine ideas which the first cheque from a publisher Mepires in the budding author, she im- agined that with hard work and an av- erage continuance of the success her early efforts promised, she alight be able to do wonderful things en bely- ing forward the man she loved. The castles in the air thus built were very beautiful; end the dreams et bliss with which she filled them were very sweet. Then the castles and the dreams were alt blown into thin air by one soft breath of the man for whose sake they had been all created. Gilbert, attracted uy her quiet, thoughtful, and gentle nature, had lady accepted her as his friend, and he soon made her his confidant. When the ra- pid success he was making—and she was so proud of 1—was confirmed by the statements of his friend Harry Dacon as web as by his own cheerful humour, Gilbert gave her the bit of confidence which for the time turned day into night. He loved natty. He worked and Lived only for her. Daisy was silent, stunned. by the dis- astrous mistake aha had made, and the utter darkness into which the sudden discovery thrust her. The golden fan- cies which had made the world so beau- tiful to her were all gone; and it was the more misery to her to know that he, too, must presently step into the same dark region, unpenetrated by any ray of hope to save him from despair, She shrank from telling him that she knew he must undergo the sane pangs he had unconsciously and innocently in- flicted upon her. She loved him so much that he was at once exonerated from all blame In her mind; and she felt pity for him as keen es for herself. Hotty diad told her that she was en- gaged, to 'leery Dacon. Gilbert mitst finds, that out for himself. The bitter knowledge 'would come upon him soon enough, and, judging by her own Ben- ing her eyes to meet the glittering melons, he would be glad that she had glasses which were fixed upon her. "He ,eft hbn a few days—or, it might be, had the chance, and he was worthy of even a low hours—to revel in the para - it. Therefore his conduct is, as you dice of hope. ay, incomprehensible, and that is why He did learn the truth soon; and then 1 think he 18 innocent," had followed much unhappiness for the "Daisy!—_lay clear, 1 said that an in- twa men and. for Betty; whilst Daisy nvecnc inn does not run sway." There looked on with. her own sorrow hidden was a degree of amazement in the tone and ansospealee, She the patiently a. of the e.urmiitiun, and a degree of and tenderly to help the others wile - reproach in the mild reminder of Mrs. eilvertou's infallibility, which indicat- ed that she was a lady quite unaccus- tomed to contradiction anywhere, and certainly not in her own immediate family circle - Daisy Ives silenced. As a rule, she submitted without a sign of rebellion to her aunt's verdict; but this time there was a slight flush on the pale cheeks and a compression of the lips out one of them guessing that she her- self stood in so much need of sympathy, The discovery of the forgeries in which the names of the accepted and the rejected lover were involved had caused a diversion of the anxieties of the five people most interested in the result of the investigations which had been instituted. But Daisy had not the faintest doubt that whatever the up- s hot might 1,t, GLhcrt would crone forth scath,ess. Sbe had no thought that i.1 would be So soon necessary 'for her to assort this faith eger31st the common- aliuot s judgments of .betionduat and d �0 WW1 0oneiaerabliy surprised that Betty did not attempt to speak one goodweedd for dints iill,+hnsaovavaas saoisd e to ca laus- nets, butto Hates anxiety for Daac- on s appearance. She too, began to wish for his arrival, so that some more light Might be thrown 00 the date to he Regales, She h had no dont that would come, from the way iu whioh Ratty listened to the sound of peeling wheels and her frequent visits to the window. (To be Centinued.) REGARDING DIVERS, About Their Dress and lint Metall 1u 99'ldeh '/'hey Stay Safely Werk. The drese of a fully equipped diver weighs 1691-2 lb., and costs about $60Q. First of all comes 81-2 lb. of thick un- derclothing, then follows the dress it- self, weighing 14 lb.; boots, 92 lb.; mon. strous things with leaden soles; breast and back weights, 80 1b.; and, lastly, the helmet, which weighs 36 lh, When the hull of the Great Eastern was cleaned by livors as she was being loade ed with the cable for the India sub- marine telegraph the contract price for the work was £1,800, and it was com- pleted in six weeks by twelve divers. The incrustation on her bottom was more than a foot thick, and after it was removed she lifted fully two inches. The greatest depth at which a diver may safely work is 150 feet. Thera have been, however, rare instances of diving to 204 feet, and sustaining a pressure of 881-2 lb. on every square mall on the body of the diver. Diving was first incepted by the action of the elephant in crossing a deep river, when he swims beneath the water, elevating his trunk, byivhioh method he breathes. The work of a diver consists in re- covering losetarticles, and slinging them in such a manner that they can be easi- ly hauled up, cleaning, and ooppering ships' bottoms, cleaning propellers, and communicating by slate and voice. When able to work at a depth of 120 feet a diver is considered fully quell lied. The Ping ships in the British navy carry eight divers, and the cruis- ers four oath, fully equipped. ELECTRIC LAUNCHES. 'Wetness Will Room When ilccller:Ung le Hare Easy. The proposed new departure in the propulsion of tugs by electricity on the River Spree, at Berlin, is assuming practical shape. The scheme is to es- tablish a service of tugs on the seven and a half miles of the river which passes tbrbugle the capital by connec- ting the boat to a trolley line. The present freight charge for covering the distance is $7.60, but it is estimat- ed that by the aid of electricity this charge will be reduced about one half. The success of such a scheme would be quickly reflected in this country, where the use of electric launches Lor both pleasure and commercial purposes has been retarded from the feet of the scarcity of charging stations for the renewal of the necessary storage bat- teries. As soon as people begin to find that they can be fairly sure of being able to recharge their batteries when- ever they are in the neighborhood of a trolley oar line, an extraordinary im- petus will be given to the summer bus- iness in electric launches. HE "BEAT_ HIS WAY. TLe Strange 0asseager (trough' lino Maw treat IMT 1111' P. 0. 11. There was an interesting squirrel hunt in the train shed of the Windsor sta- tion, Montreal, the other day. One of the incoming passenger trains bad through some peculiar accideatbrought along with it a big brown squirrel. The animal had net beep expressed, and was, so to speak, beating its way. It is supposed that while passing through wooded land the squirrel had dropped on a passing coach from an overhang- ing bough. Be that as it may, the trainmen, after the coaches had been shunted into the shed, sate Mr. Squir- rel jump from a car and scurry along the platform. Everything was for - and ottit in lltio theiiotpof tones the of the/ red caps, a boy named Macdonald, to cap- ture the little deadhead, In the cap- ture the squirrel bit his captor's band quite severely, but the boy bore him no malice. and, depositing him in a box, took him home with him to make a household pet. COOT, BATHS FOR COUGHS. A physician advises cool sponge baths twice a week in winter and oftener In summer for the cure of the common "children's catarrh." The bathe should he given in a warm room and be fol- lowed by friction by rubbing to produce a glow. If they are not followed by u chilly feeling or lieadacbe, the re- action has been prompt and beneficial. The bath should he begun with warm water, changing gradually in succeed - Ing baths to tepid, then- cool water. It, is well, too, to begin this treatment In the spring, summer or early autumn, rather than in midwinter. ii7lety will stimulate the circulation, prevent colds and act upon the nasal membrane, as upon the rest of the body, to promote its healthy action. Mothers with ciuldren suffering from catarrh should guard them zealously from colds in every waypossible. .Every access of biflammatien upon such chronic eases is tt- old deal morn than a temporary step backward. .INTENSE LIGHT OF THE SUN, The ancon is a mirror which reflects the sungilht to us. The quality of the reflection is indicated in the announce- ment that it would take no fewer than 018.000 full moons to supply to its an amount of light equal to that which WO get from the sun, and there is only sky -room for, say, 75,000 of them. Sonne heat comes from the moon, •i,ut ordinary methods will not measure 11. however, it is estimated that it is about one eighty -thousand of rho amount which the sun supplies to us. SPAIN'S ROYAL FAMILY GUARDS. At 1:: o'clock every night the Mon - terve, who watch e'er the sleeping Ding of Spain, issue through secret pan- els in the wale; of the palace and take up their stations, each royal personage having at least ono of these men to guard him or her through the night. 'late Wren are clad. in nihil, and wear felt allots; and a body of them promenade the corridors regularly until 7.30 in the morning. When Lha royal family is awakened the watchers disappear tie telently, as they came, PRACTICAL FARMING, SOLD THE Pi ARD";, Our father has teeld the farm,. The hill ami the flowery Mead; The green where the chickens used to feed, And the barn where they nestled warm, The chambers resound at morn, But not to our father's voice; Another goes with his gleesome boys, To mould the rustling wee— Our father has sold the farm, The money Js counted and paid, The deed Is witnessed and sealed; And everything in each beautiful field, The wealth of .another Is made, The room' where the children were born, M Where iry and Benjamin died, The roses and flowery borders that sighed, When the hearts that loved them were Our father has sold his farm. 01 wily did our father selll Because on, a' beautiful day; The soul of our mother was carried away, In the home of the angels to dwell. But 1:::)1 there aro memories still, ' Tbat sigh in the wings of the breeze; That glide o'er the garden and filt by the trees And rest on the brow of the hill. Our father has sold his farm. CTT12INBACON. There are so many little essentials about the oaring of meats that we of- ten hesitate about giving any recipe un- less it has been tried and found relia- ble. We cannot say this for the fol- lowing, taken from a foreign exchange, but we give it for what it is worth: With'reference to outting up and sett- ing great care must be taken in outting the hams, as shapely hams always com- mand a better price than those badly. cut. The quantities of various condi- ments to the 100 pounds of meat are as follows: Two ounces of saltpetre well powdered, three pounds salt, two pounds black or dark brown sugar; one pound allspice, este ounce carbonate soda; mix well together. Rub the meat Brat with one pound of honey to the 100 pounds. Then rub with the mixture, us- ing about two-thirds of the preparation Then place it in a tub or vat with the fleshy side up. The vat or tub should be placed In a cool place, with plenty of fresh air. In twenty-four hours turn and rub again, adding a little (more of the unused mixture, after which turn and rub once every forty-eight hours for six times, using some of the mixture each time. It should be peek- ed closely in the vat, so as to raise the brute as high as possible. Always keep the hands and hams at the bot- tom of the vat. After remaining in pickle fortwenty-one days, take out and scrub with a scrubbing brush, us- ing hot water. After thoroughly clean- ing, soak in cold water for ten hours; then hang up in a dry place (not in the cellar) where there is a good draught. If flies are troublesome it is advisable to stop up any cracks or crevices with lard, then dust the hams over with a little pollard, which will stick to the oily substance and form an artificial skin. After hanging from fourteen to sixteen days they should be ready for the smoke -house. The wall of the house should be twelve feat high. The smoke should be conducted to the bacon as cool as possible. My tsmoke -house is thirteen feet high and en feet square. I hang the hams and bacon close to the top, in rows about six inches apart. it usually takes about ten days to smoke properly, mak- temg a smoke every other clay. After leaving the smoka•house it is well to glard and over the and stop uhianyy with that is likely to be attacked with flies. it is a good plan to place the hams and hands in muslin bags, taking care to tie them tightly at the top. Hang teem in a warm place. I hang my bacon in a kitchen. I have strips of 9x8 timber fixed to the eating with hooks screwed into them, and suspend the bacon there until the weather gets warm; then (pack it away in bran and sawdust, which must be dry. It should be taken out every six weeks and ex- amined, and if found to be getting mil- dewed or to be sweating, it should be rubbed dry with a cloth; then add a little chaff to the sawdust or bran. If you use brae be sure that it is free of mite. 1f possible, keep the hams and bacon in an even temperature, Too much heat will cause the fat to melt and turn rusty, and if too damp it will sweat and decay. By oaring and treat- ing your bacon by this process you will have an article that will always com nand. a good price, and \viii keep for many years. The fat remains sweet, and the lean soft and savory. This treat- ment Is based on 0. pig weighing 200 pounds, A smaller one does not: require to be kept let pickle or smoke -house so long. A heavier pig -would require to be kept longer. The longer you use the brine the better it is. It may require boiling occasionally. 1IAHE THE FARM ATTRACTIVEit If the farmer has a peer in any walk of life he has only himself to blame. The farm should and could be so cul- tivated, managed and improved, and mads so pleasant for the sons and daughters that they would be loath to leave it to follow other pursuits. There is no life which may be more happily spent than that passed in an intelligent farming community; none reelects more brightly the industry and Intelligence of the operator. In order that this may he done an established and contented disposition should be cultivated. The same amount of energy expended upon the maeageutent p5pf our farms and homes that is spent in changing loca- tions and other unprofitable pursuits, the energy, thrift, economy in the right direction and liberality in feeding the mind w'ouhl matte our farms blossom like the rose and be 'things of beauty an joy's forever',' Make improve- ments with a view to permanency. Cultivate the soil with a vow toward preserving its fertility. A gond subject tweet' gats old and tor,, much cannot be said. /,bout preserving the fertility of the soil. The dying admonition of an old Scotch farmer to his son was not to o in dela for anything but man- ure. "Save the manure," should be written in glaring letter's over every barn door and gate on the barn, and the admonition should be heeded to its fullest extent, Crops should not be cultivate:1 with the single desire for an immediate emit return. The purpose 01 an lnorea30(1 fertility should, and will, be /AO In the minds of all true farm- ers, Without this only mediocre suo,. cele can be expected; without this the farmer will waut a new loeatigo, but with it he will not. Rotation and a variety of crops are a seat help in thine way. My neighbor raised this, year forty acres of castor. beans, tee yield being eighteen bushels per acre, and the net price was $1.10 ger bushel, It is one of tbo best crops torr the land that can be raised thereon, The beans, whioh are planted and oil, tivatedl like core, are harvested with light but constant work at a small ex- pense. More of the residue oe this crop is lett upon the land where it is grown than is the case with any other crop, and what is left is very beneficial, Stook Gime are also a calueble crop to' tee E ptians," not 00 much on account of the cash value, whioh is not large, but for their universal feeding and fer- tilizing qualities. When planted early a crop of feed and a fair crop of green manure may be obtained; both' of these crops endure' drought and are bug proof.. IT 'IS A PRISON OF SCIENCE THE WAY IN WHICH PORTUGAL, TREATS ITS PRISONERS.. Most Ailserahie Alen on e;1,rtl1-11ae Serve eight Plot's hr Dungeons, 'l'hun Tran- 1 to l'rtuiionl folonlex in A1.1'11111—Very hew' Live '1'lu'ouglr the ➢light' i'e1 16 One need not waste any more ink and rhetoric on the cruelty of the Sul- tan of Turkey. In the way of diabolical torture Abdul Humid lihan has noth- ing in his entire territory that thin spares with a prison maintalued by 5. stecelled civilized country of Europe. Entombed in a grim castle, an the outskirts of Lisbon, hoping for death to, release them, are the most miser- able men on earth. They are the in- mates of a prison of perpetual sil- ence; their prison garb is a shroud;. their coffins face them in their cells; they know that everything is being done to deprive them of reason, and they wait, from day to day, wondering if their release will come by death or insanity. The unfortunates have been sentence ed to penal servitude in the Portuguese criminal colonies of Africa. But before they, are allowed to go they are forced to serve eight years in the Lisbon for- tress. It Ls doubtful if one of these prisoners has ever lived through the alloted eight years. Two, or at most three, is the limit. At the end of that time they go mad and disappear. The deportation at the end of eight years is therefore a joke—a grim lit- tle pleasantry on the part of the judge. The construction of the fortress, which is built in the form of a Wheel; the un- broken silence of the prison life ; the stealthy tread of the attendants, who creep about in felt slippers, all work together, to deprive the unfortunate of his reason. A GRUESOME PARADE. The, ingenuity of man in the torture of his fellow -creature has reached LIS limit in the construction of this build - bag. The corridors, piled tier ou tier, Live stories high, extend out from the centre like the spokes of a wheel. With- al the cells, like sentry -boxes, stands a coffin for each prisoner. There is always an average of five hundred pH - :sorters in the fortress. Once a day, at a certain hour, the cell doors are un- locked and the half thousand hopeless wretches in different degrees of mad- ness march out. They are clad in shrouds, once white, but now begrimed with prison dirt. Their faces are con- cealed by masks, for it is part ' of the hideous punishment that they may not look upon the faces of theirfel- lowaprisoners. Once they are outside their cells an attendant closes the doors with a resounding click. This deity clicking o1 the locks is the only sound that intrudes upon their lives of unbroken silence. They may not exchange one glance of sympathy at their daily meeting. All that the convict sees is a throng of shrouded creatures, like himself hor- ribly grotesque, noiselessly snaking their way over the prison stones. The click of door after door is the only sound. The tread of their naked feet Wong the corridors gives back no sound ae they make their way to the 'lexer- clse triangles," which are a unique fea- ture of this prison. they take the place of a prison yard, as a convict here never draws a breath of pure air. Clad in shrouds and masks, the lonely men are marched out under the escort of guards to the "triangles," six or seven prisoners at a time, and left to pace up and down them for one hour. This march must continue unin- terrimted till the hour is up, no halts being permitted. Should two of these miseraule ones draw near each other they would be waned apart by the sharp ears. oracle of a bullet, perilously near their The Sultan of Turkey, the Shah of Persia, the Ameer of Afghanistan and all the other Oriental potentates who hegui.le their leisure hours in devising tortures for political offenders cannot boast of reducing their enemies to such pitiable human wrecks as Icing Carlos of Portugal does. flow most of them look the world will never know, but the few who have, by spacial favor been allowed to take off their masks before travellers were ghastly wrecks of men, pallid and shrunken, hollow-eyed and twisted of mouth. About a year ago ling Charles vis- ited the principal countries of :Europe witle a view to bringing a Lew modern ideas into his little dilapidated 308 by 100 mile kingdolu. ,Thine prison of sil- ence hos been holding its average of five hundred unfortunates ever since. 80 much of the imperial and Royal kissing that punctuated Doan Carlos's visits to his brother sovereigns failed in its ennobling effects. It is probable that Portugal is rank- ed with the civilized countries of the world., despite the tact that she still retains a mnerit:meal prison, has acrown worth 38,000,000, and no highways. Queen Amelia prides Herself on be•• ing a highpriestess of new woman - hoed. Slits studied medicine to make professions the thing among the ladies of the court circle at Lisbon, She look X-ray photographs of the laclies- in-waiting to show them the errors of tight -lacing. And she took Iaang Car- loo's corpulence in brand and Under. 1ouIo to establish bus waist -line, a thing Dealt all the linings doctors end all the King's tailors hall failed to cio, 'Yet the grim, gray fortress on the outskirts 01 the capital has never ap- p7eeled to lree mesons for retarnr,