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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1924-12-11, Page 2t Forthe osand ,ir A FIGHT "WIT H111PIRATES: And all this while the rippling sea "This is a bad obi" i"sparkled in the sunlight, anad the I 1 fresh morning breezewhispered au - So said Captain Garnett, of the ong the green leaves and great bell -1 Cargo steamer Seagull, outward bound' shamed flowery .along the shore, and for Singapore, many years age, and the sky was cloudlessly blue overhead,I no one,an board could say that he was riud arything looked bright and, wrong, To run aground on a sand- beautiful around these black pirate bank, with no chance of getting off till the next tide, just when you are near your port and in a special hurry to reach it, is unpleasant enough at any time, but when this happens off the coast of Sumatra, where swarms of bloodthirsty savages are always ready. boats that were conning on swiftly and surely to destroy them. Well might the sturdy boatswain mutter discon- tentedly: "Well, it does seem hard to, be mur- dered oni'such a fine day!" "Say, cap'ni; I guess I've got an to pounce • upon any ship in distress, idee!" it is a very "bad job," indeed. The captain turned dtickly and While the captain wasspeaking, his found himself face to face with the keen eyes were wandering restlessly chief ,engineer—a long,gaunt, keen - to and fro „along the great mass of looking "Cape Codder," who whisper - dark -greet leaves that covered the ed a few words in his ear. s Whatever Joel Bradford ides n' inspecting a huge granite quarry at shore, and the first officer,. who was � "idee" Government officials. are shown standing beside him, saw his hands may have been, the captain's face Brookville, Manitoba, from where huge blocks of the stone are removed for clinch suddenly and his lips press brightened wonderfully as he listened, building purposes. themselves together, till they grew and his answering, "All right go white. • ahead," sounded surprisingly hopeful A .dark, fierce -eyed, wolfish counten- under the circumstances. once had just peered above the bushes for .a moment, and then vanished like. a ghost. "That's one," said the captain grim- ly, "and where there's one of these rascals there are always plenty more. They scent plunder as vultures scent carrion -bad luck to them! And we haven't so much as a pistol on board, except my old revolver yonder, that must' go and break its lock just at the wrong time!" And now the matted boughs of the thicket began to bend and quiver in all directions, showing that a large number of men must be in motion be- hind them, while three or four Ma- lays even ventured right out upon a low, sandy point fronting toward the shoal on which the steamer was to the bank under his leaky umbrella, his heart heavy and his body weary. For a moment or two there was a At • the office' there was ' nothing in bustle amidship, and then officersand partictilar noticeable, except the ab- men alike crouched down behind the renes .of M. Carafon, which at first barricade, which was now completed, remained unexplained: At 11.30 to await the .assault. o'clock, however, an 'astonishing re - On came the Malays, and presently pont got into circulation. M. Carafon;l a fierce shout and the crackle of half having suddenly inherited a fortune, a dozen matchlocks, followed by the had sent in his resignation. crash of the heavy bullets in the ship's "In that case," M. Pivoine thought planking, told that they had landed jubilantly; "In that ease, I will be the upon the sand -bank. In another mo- -assistant manager. 1 will have the ment they came swarming up over the 15,000 francs." bulwarks, yelling like hungry wolves. A brief conversation with the .man. But -they yelled to a very different ager brought confirmation` that this tune when their bare feet came plump prodigious metamorphosis was im- down upon the broken bottles that pending. For the first time in years strewed the deck, while three or four, M. Pivoine felt his heart filled with who . had missed their footing, fell unalloyed boy: sprawling all their length among the He left the bank with a springy step and in order to enjoy his happiness better he disdained the metro and the auto -bus. sharp -pointed glass, pricking them- stranded, and began to drag a large selves' from head to foot, as if they prau. (native boat) down to the were being tatooed. water's edge. Meanwhile, a shower of big atones "Weld, we'll have to fight for it, from the ballast -bags, , flung among anyhow!" cried the captain. "Better, them with unerring aim by the Eng - fight it out like men than be killed like lash sailors, knocked down four or five, shego. Here, my lads, be smart and' and considerably discouraged the rest. tumble up some casks and coal -sacks,) Just at that . moment, however, up and make a barricade along here. Un- ` came the crews of the other two boats, ship the capstan -bars. They're handy brandishing their krisses (curved things t0 knock a fellow down with.t daggers) and shouting like madmen.; "Assistant manager," he kept re- peating to himself. • . He seemed to hear the manager ro confirming the good news. But then he reoalled the manager's looks and could not help comparing the latter with himself. "He looks like a calf," 'he thought. "A calf—and he gets 30,000 francs a Sivelieu, a third, was an officer of the Legion of Honor, what was he, . Pi- voine. "If I only had .a real piece of luck! Nothing inarveleus—aa inheritance of 50,000 francs, for instance!" -He returned home full of melan- choly. His wife received him with an unusual expression on her face, and while he was announcing his promo- tion site, began to laugh and said: "Fortune never comes in driblets. Haven't you heard? We have won 50,000 francs in the lottery of the De- corative Arts." "What!" shouted Me.Pivoine, really carried away: "Did hhear you right?" She showed him the list, M. • Pivoine looked. He smiled broadly. But suddenly his •face was clouded. In a tone of regret and envy he murmured: aa "There is a lucky fellow there who won 1,000,000-1,000,0001" 4 Only the China. Teacher, (to littIe girl) — "Spell 'that:' " Little Girl—"T-h-a-t " Teacher—"Very good. Now, if the 't' is taken away, what remains?" Little Girl (promptly)—"The cups Here, you Jim!". (to the cabin boy),1 but all at once there came a :,hasp'' year. Thirty thousand francs! Ash, and'saucers." .� about e r• �' Good Variety. deck on the rt side ser tit followed b a screamin and Musing thus, gloom again envea d; po It'll astonish Pe , Y g at our "Do you lave much variety y boarding house?" "Well, we have three different -names for the meals." break a lot of bottles all bot the "whish," like the hies of an angry what luck! their bare feet a bit. And here, oar- howling from the Malays, to which. all M. Pivoine. At thirty:five, when,.x pentert bring the eridstone alongand .their previous: crys were as: nothing. ••schoolmate, Palatal, was sub-secre Y Q.- . „ e , e` , or Public Worki when Labours! _..- J�tutart: srrIed one end ea, , �a�,,-vn all. the heath knives Joel $radf�z+d ha —e,r smarte,, nioow.!" rthe fire hose down ;into the engine th -classmate Was a millionaire nd The men obeyed asgleefully as if, room, and was now flooding the bare - playing a game,. instead of preparing limbed savages with scalding water too fight for their lives, against an from the boiler. enemy who knew no mercy. But every; This new weapon turnued the day man knew well how fearfully the at once. The force of the jet' was suf- chances were against them. Four fieientto knock the pirates right off boats, crowded with armed men, could their feet, and between the broken now ha seen coming round the point glass and the boiling water they very to attack them, and all that the 1VIa- soon had enough of it. Roaring like lays would have to do would be to pull bulls, they.; tumbled headlong over the . up to the edge of the sand -bank, land ship's side into the sea, only too glad there and scramble right up into the to escape; and the deck was clear in Steamer, which had heeled over so less than two minutes. ltnuch when she struck as to be very; "Guess they won't want another eeasia hoarded. 1 dose of that air medicine," chuckled F - es the ho . of beingMr. Bradford,as he came upthe en- peable to go,, ale' and defend themselves in the gine room stair, flushed and breath - rigging, should the worst come to the, less, but triumphant. worst, was now taken away from , He was right, and two hours more them, for this would be only giving' saw them beyond the reach of danger; themselves to be picked off ,like spar-; � for the steamer floated again with the rows ;by the bullets of the matchlocks rising tide, while a fresh breeze, whose long, shining barrels could be springing up from the southwest, soon seen here and there- above the black carried them far away from that per- heads of their enemies. i ilous shore.—By David Ker. PIVOINE, THE UNAPPRECIATED ONE By J. H. Roany Alne Translated by William L. McPherson M. Pivoine had long been enlisted in the melancholy legion of the unap- preciated. Unappreciated at twenty, he remained still more unappreciated at thirty-five. When a patron of the Cafe Robes-pierre told him that he lookd like Pasteur, the .compliment was only gall and extreme bitterness to him. He wore a short beard, trimmed ex- aotly like that of the conqueror of rabies, and he could not understand why a man of his quality should be a simple bank clerk. For :a long time he had foilnd noth- ing to admire in what his contain -1 eateries were doing. ' If he read in a newspaper that one of his former � eehoclmates had been made a sub -1 secretary of state or *had received the Bross of the Legion of Honor or was , simply making a fortune, his heart wasas full of blackness es a box of shoe polish. "What luck!' he ,groaned. "Nothing but luck! At school he etood below me! Or else it was intrigue, some low intrigue! Ah! the Idiots" who believe in justice." At thirty-five, having married and acquired a male heir, now 'severe! znontlis old, he ^was leading a some- 'what harassed existence. Itis saiacy at the bank would not have sufficed. to Make elute meet if the houeeliolei' had not been Conducted with the strictest eeonomy. 1i,h!nrl the wicket at Which he wee monotonously occupied he experienced nawthga ofi spirit sharper than these. of the author of Ecclesiastes. •)i`rom morning till evening people appeared armed with checks, bank notes and securities. Fortune, in these tantaliz- ing forms, passed continually under M. Pivoine's nose without ever smil- ing at that unappreciated gentleman. HE KED CRSS MAKES TSE STRANGER FEEL AT 11051E A Leaf from a Traveller's Diary at Quebec By Mrs. M. IL Conquest, After seen days tossing on the sea, er with my friends around me, and we when we were rocked on the cradle were all enjoying an excellent cup of 'Of the deep by every wind that blew, comfort and biscuits. It was Inter - it was good to see the sight of "the I.esting to watch the streams of people daughter's house" once .again. happy , pouring in, to notice the glad surprise indeed bad the holiday been in "the on the faces' of the young mothers and Mother's house" of our native land, fathers when they saw they could butwhen all is said and done, therels leaye the babies in bed for a little something about the young new' land while. The smaller boys and girls that beckons with such power that we were delighted with the tiny red are unable to resist her, and we feel tables and chairs where their milk anew the hire, the call of the West. and biscuits • were waiting for them. Quebec was our landingstage. Here An invalid lady, white-haired and pale we were, from all quarters of the with the tedious sea -journey, was globe—returning Canadians like my- wheeled in in her chair, and soon the self whohad been home to see the old nurses were in charge of her, making,. folk and take in Wembley, --new set- her comfortable in every way. . tiers with the look of hope, determine- A big husky -looking lad was telling tion, and wonderment that bespeaks his story shyly and timidly. The Red the immigrant—all together. with our Cross handed him a large box with parcels, and our little people.bread and provisions for his, journey led to the Immigra- l on to Saskatchewan, where he was 'go- 1 o- - Long passages ins to join his brother on a farm. The tion shedswhere uniformed officials ; lad was alone, and without suffi'eient and Red Tape met us at every turn. means ire buy the necessary foodstuff, Finally, after the. official examinations and the Red Cross had beon' specially and questionings we were free . from : requested to look after him. I can see the,law and ready for the last lap a'his shining eyes'now, as he 'looked"his our journey i thanks and shuffled along with his box To see the peoplefrom-ether-lands. under -his aria: In one earner of the travelling is a liberaleducation" and room I noticed some first aid supplies, ari insight worth having. We under- a selection . of the well-known health stand to the utmost that . one-half of beak for women, "The . Canadian the world does not know how the Mother," also the Little Blue. Books. other half lives. The men and Wadand the familiar "Care Before Birth" men of Southern Europe with their : series of the Red Cross. babies,.. and their bundles, with their - In an armchair a young woman sat "no, Engieesh; were indeed a study in weeping as i2 en e bottom had fallen human nature. There was a patience out of 'her world. A kindly, sympa- in their tiredness born of long years thetic conversation with the 'Red of oppression, causing one to spew- Cross sister, with the sound, sane ads'• late whether the new life in the greatvice which the girl stood in need of, free spaces, would evolve another and , helped to dry her tears and impressed prouder look. one- with the fact that there is still With much joy we hailed the , ap- need for the -Red Cross, and that after pearance of a Red Cross worker who • all there is a type of help given at had a cup ors -steaming hot tea in her such times that is more psychic than hand.. Here was a haven of rest for 1 physical, and who better fitted. for this the travel -stained people. In less } delicate task than the kindly -faced sis- time than it takes to write this I was ! ter in the uniform of mercy, humanity sitting at peace in a comfortable rock- ! and goodwill. Not Easily Caught. Husband (returning from angling trip)—"What do you think of these beauties?" - Wife -"Don't try : to , deceive me. Mrs. Naybor saw you in the fish sho "Of course she did. Why, I caught so many I simply had to try to sell some." The dye fluorescein will change the color of ultra -violet light to yel- lowish green. The Brotherhood: of Britons, Where the Sons of theEmpire Waiting for The greatest Exhibition ever known has brought to London such crowds of visitors as the metropolis has never. seen before. They have come from all the world over, travelling thousands of miles by land and sea, to witness the peaceful might of the British Em- pire, as itwasshown at Wembley. Every nation has been represented in these vast swarms, every tongue has been spoken. But the Empire Ex- hibition xhibition has perhaps made its widest • appeal to those sons of the Mother- land whose work has taken them over - Grey Skies of Home. They have returned here, hurrying with glad hearts to the land from which they sprung, longing to hear again. the English tongue on every side, to . see the soft grey skies after the dazzling blue dome of the tropics, One day, however, there was ari un and to feel again the handclasp of usual agitation at the bank. 'M. La- friendship. pomme, one of the assistant managers, ' And now they are going back to had diedthe night before, and that cis-, their outposts of Empire, sorry to go, cunistance secretly delighted a con- perhaps, but .gladdened by the thought siderable percentage of his colleagnes.1 that the Old Country has not forgotten An old employee, M. Carafon, iirst of them, - all, since he by right of seniority In a stately old mansion in the West would succeed to M. Lapommes' place, End of London, close under the .shad then Pivoine, who would advance a ow of London's old Royal home, St. step and receive fifty francs more a ,James's Palace, is established the month, finally some other clerks, who Overseas League, a society willcli would rise similarly one grade in tile aims to include all Britons the world establishment's salary scale. 1 over in one great brotherhood, regard - For a brief period M. Pivoine's sat- less of Harty or sect. That a man or isfaction was keen. Then it fell some woman is a British subject is the only degrees and sank below the freezing qualification needed to enter the point League, "Fifty francs! he groaned. "Fifty Started in 1910 as the Overseas And :r _ francs to a nisi like me! A,id lha,t,Club, the first-pubiic meeting of what at hnbe•cile out there (be was 'speaking i was destined to become the strongest of a customer) is going to draw a of all "Imperial movements saw '300 Cheque for 10,000 franca. He is an ; members gathered together. Now it imbecile; you have, only to look at has 80,000 subscribing members, an him." 1 annual income of nearly $150,000, a M. Pivoine's attention was then at : chain of some 600 honorary corres- tracted to the w•oodeielike visage of panting secretaries Around the globe, M. Carafon, who was walking about , and tens of thousands of "associates" the office. He said to himself, inward- ' iii all parts of the British Common- ly raging:' wealth, "That Idiot is going to be assistant To Vernon House, Park Place, St. manager! Fifteon thousand francs a 7anles's Street,. Seeal, the Landon Year! And l Must be contented with headquarters, opine membei;g from all having my salary raised to 9,000," parts of the world. They know that At the end.of the day M. Pivoine: felt there they will be welcomed and made bitterer and mere unappreciated than to feel at home in this Old CauntrY, usual. Destiny presented itself. now ± whieit is yet new to many of them, only `under the form of, Oteriifoti,' at They: can ask for end receive ixforma 15,000, and himself, Pivoine, at 0000, 1 tion On a hundred pointe—Where to He spent a wearisome ;tight, tiaras-; stay, what achoois to choose for their sedby xlgbtinai-as, and evoke more children, what prospects other parts cheerless t11en the wintry day whidli of the Empire offer them if they wish Coverkd Pari,. with clouds. Ile 'went to bhanpe their home. Overseas League , Coming to London from the Them the Glad Hand and the These others who cannot visit Eng- land can write to. Vernon House, be- ing sure of receving a fully considered answer to their questions. The honor- ary ;corresponding secretaries scatter- ed all over the Emipre also serve as links between members, putting them in touch with one another, and helping them in a'score TO different ways. Vernon House and its three smaller neighbors in Park Place form at once the central meeting -place of the Em- pire and the cosiest residential club in the world, where members may stay at charges which are lower than the mast modest hotel. There they will meet the Honorary Controller, Lady des Voeux, who has. given ten years of ` devoted and en- thusiastic service to the League, and who treasures as her proudest posses- sion the gold chain bag presented to her as a mark of appreciation by the members, Lady des Voeux is in charge of :the correspondence of the League, and deals every day with letters from the Solomon. Islands and Saskatcbe- wan, from Shanghai and Bermuda. Far From the.Madding :Crowd When the writer was shown over Vernon House by Mr. Evelyn Wrench, C.M.G., the Founder and Secretary of the League, he was taken. into the din- ing -room, once the drawing -room of this great house, and still decorated Far Corners of the World, Find Open Door. in the richly subdued style of pre -War days. To replace the gold used in the decoration of that one room would cost to -day about $25,000. The windows look out over the Green Park. There is only a faint rumble of traffic to re- mind one that this house Isin the very heart of London -. and not set amid miles of rolling country. There are also writing and smoking - rooms, and others devoted to oards eaatenese • Fethl Bey New Premier of Turkey,' He x'ecen'tl eond'ucteci the Irak negotiations witl Lord rarteodr .of Britain: and niiilares, and eveiywhen spirit of fellowship and brotherhood which is the soul of the League. "Overseas," the official magazine of the League, is an exceedingly bright monthly periodical, which is, posted. free to every member. It contains in-- teresting articles and photographs con i tributed by members from every cor- ner of the Empire, as well as the Mem- bers' Exchange and announcements of the Overseas Employment Bureau. 1 The patron of the League is H. M. the King, with H.R.H. the Prince of Wales and 11.11.11. the Duke of Con- naught as -Vice-Patrons, and H.R.H. the Duke of York as President. Here are two instances of the League at work, which show the touch of kinship which makes the world a better place. The League Spirit. A few months ago a lonely Britoil, eettled in the United States, had to r go to a New 1, or k hospital, suffering from a. fatal malady. He knew no one in the city, but remembered that he had crossed the Atlantic with mem- ber of the League. To this man he wrote, describing his lonely plight. His friend wrote at once to the New York branch of the society, and from the day that letter was received until the end Came, seven months'later, the sufferer never lacked 'kindly friends to chat with him and bring Bim little presents of fruit, flowers, and paper. In the Second instance, a South Afri- can lady brought her fourteen -year-old daughter to London to be fitted with aa'tificial limbs atter a severe illness. For several days the clistressed Mother was alone in a London hotel, witleaut a friendly face or a cheering voice to help her in her sadness. Then a letter from . one of the League's .ropresenta- tives in. South Africa carie to head- gitartei'3 ;commending tho str'angere to the sympathy of the League. Within a couple of Monis inothor and daugh» y ter bad received a welcofne, ala never i again Wanted for- friends during their time in London, A Poem You Ought to. Know. "She Dwelt Among Untrodden Ways." Had William Wordsworth, one of our greatest poets, written only the following three' stanzas, lovers and critics of poetry would have :been able to discern in them all the qualities we associate with his genius. The devotion of his sister Dorothy, and the happiness of his married life, find their reflection in his :transparent respect for and high praise of women: She dwelt among the untrodden ways Beside the springs of Dove, A Maid whom there . were none to praise, - Andvery few to love. A violet by, a mossy stone Half -hidden from the eye! —Fair as a star, when only one Is shining in- the sky. She lived unknown, , and few.: could know When Lucy ceased to be; But she is in her grave, and, oh, The difference to me! Where There's a Will. It is a tradition of the navy that a" sailor always rises to the occasion, and jack Tar's abilities as a handy man have become proverbial. About the .year 1755 the whole of England was amused by the way in which a naval officer overcame the difficulties placed :in his way by the authorities of the day, This enterprising officer was. Cap- tain the Honorable William Montague, who was known throughout the navy by the naive of "Mad Montague," from the pranks in which he indulged. • The ship under his •command was at Portsmouth, and he applied for leave to proceed to London. This was refused, but, as a compromise, he was told that he might "proceed from his ;0111P ai tar. as his barge could take hint." Montague did not want 'to give up his jaunt to taws, so he had his barge mounted upon wheels. After attach- iing horses to the outfit, he proceeded to "Pow" his way from Portsmouth to Lo i'h re of h t eo r don w th w t o ba r n g. oontplete- Yl'radition does not say whether 11Iad • Montague was brought to• task for his escapade, but the sight of the boat be Ing "rowed" along the highwa-s must have taus,ed some sensation. Celebrities of the Sands. If you are a woman, it always gives .you a thrill to find you are r'tibbiit$' shoulders with some man or woioait who matters: Till quite recently Queen Alexaficlra tiled to pay regular visits to Bitckli;ng Hall, . en old baronial mansion net very far ,from Cromer and Sandririg- hem', Many excurstone used tO be taken in the hope of seeing the Queen. in such a charming setting and in such .an unconventional way; Tho there is a bungalow on the marshland at Rye that used 'to house Davie Clara mutt, while in the little' village of Wincholsea, not many luiles away, 'wile Ellen -Terry, whose avender gOWnd.and iniac lace ruin wenn: quite a feature cattle village. The use of core. for .jewelry dates back to the third cc.istiiry B.C.