HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Gazette, 1893-09-28, Page 4net
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one side.
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e merely corn-
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coin was the
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up to a short
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Byzantine Em -
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the St. John
as well as the
n of the tidal
of the St, John
unswick. Here
tide a change of
complete as a
a drama ; the
nhanced by the
greatly to the
menon. Th is is
rsible falls," al -
would be more
St. John and its
an officer of the
atter is referred
re justly ranked
e world ; they
:ver, about one
d are navigable
✓ hours, which
, as only a few
es in safety.
wenty to twenty -
is six feet higher
elisions a fall in
is whole water of
Dass between two
!s is a beautiful
remote ages, the
ay. For twenty
d $god the river
)untain lake on a
sterak of white
Ind in a few min-
d by the turmoil
s. The reflections
d of the graceful
)n and c ntilever
Guth of the. gorge
ear had suddenly
verse to duels u
a blood would be -
h navigation laws
built ships to he
awned by British
ship of any nae
endise .to Britian
MINNIE GREY.
The . Batter Maker of Muskoka.
BY ERASTUS WImAN.
The house at Grey's Bridge, which we
reached after a long day's paddle in our
canoes, was the last in civilization. Between
it and the Hudson's Bay and Greenland
there were hunters' lodges, timber shanties
and .Hudson Bay posts, but it may be
doubted whether, at that time, there was
another habitable house in which a white
family could be found.
The group therein consisted of the moth-
er and eight children, the eldest of whom
was Minnie Grey, then fifteen. Visitors
were so scatce in that far•i,way place thata
number of the children had never seen a
stranger before, and as our party entered
the low door of the log hut, the little ones
scattered in all directions ; the youngest of
course, getting behind the mother's skirts.
It was a sight to see,. away back in this
wilderness, this group of turbulent young-
sters, so vigorous in limb, so strong in
muscle, and so daring in their advances, as
the acquaintance -proceeded. But aside
froth them, and of entirely different mould,
sat the eldest born—a sweet-faced girl of
mien so gentle, with movements sograceful,
and voice so soft and low,in contrast to the
others, that it was impossible to resist the
conviction that she had come fromheaven,
while the rest were of earth, earthy.
Old Zack Grey, the father, was one of the
roughest specimens of frontier life, and
looked like a swarthy buccaneer, with his
knife in his belt, and his pistol on. his hip.
He entered shortly after us and gave us
scant welcome, fearing we were excise
officers, with inteet to raid the private
whiskey still from which he sold the
Indians fire -water that was fiery indeed.
Unfortunately he himself imbibed far too
much of -this ingredient, and already had
become a terror in the region .round about
to the south, when ander the influence of
his own liquor. Notwithstanding this
infirmity, and by the aid of his energetic
wife and children, a fine clearing had been
hewn out,..of _ the wilderness, a large num-
ber of cattle had been raised, and it needed
only amarket for what they could produce,
in order that prosperity might dawn upon
them.
Strange to say, oar party of hunters
brought the news that seemed to make this
prosperity possible. This Pews was that the
timber limits, belonging to the Government,
in the vicinity, had been sold, and that the
great firm of Sage & Grant, (the senior
partner of which, Henry W. Sage, is the
present benefactor of Cornell University, at
Ithaoa,) would soon be spending a large -
amount of money in that country in the
then coming winter. The prospect, there-
fore, was that choppers, shanty -men, log-
gers and teamsters would pervade the
locality. This, of course, promised new
life to the hitherto isolated family, and as
the possibilities were described of sale of
produce, and employment for their boys
and horses in the winter months, a new
hope seemed to possess them all.
" Why, Minnie can sell her butter !" ex-
claimed the mother, and then she proceed-
ed to tell us that the delicate girl, on whose
lap a lively youngster had climbed, had
made over half a ton of butter with her
own han'd`s, im the season just closing, an'1
that the hope of sale or profit had- been
poor, because of the remoteness from a
market.
"A half ton of butter seems an enormous
quantity for a young girl to make," was
remarked by one of our party. How o n
earth do you keep it ?"
"Come and see," said Minnie and leading
the way, she took us to the milk -house or
cellar near by, and showed us, with woman-
ly pride, the firkins and rolls of butter
which she had worked into shape, after
weary weeks of churning and milking.
Sure enough by weight marked here and
there, the accumulation reached theas-
tounding figures of 1-100 pounds of butter,
sweeter and fresher than which never orna-
mented a table. Brave little worker !
How proud she was to exhibit the results
of her labor, and you may be sure we were
not stinted in our praises at the efforts that
in this remote place had achieved so much.
The prospect of better times had already
cheered the family group; andas we sat at
the table and partook of their hospitality,
A . would seem ,that already some of the �
amenities of a larger life had already come, ISweet Bye and Bye," and others of kindred
for Minnie had placed at the plate of each I nature, that for years have so charmed and
of the guests a little bunch of yellow mari- delighted the plain people. We sang diem
golds and at mine there was, in addition, a I with a. fervency and pleasure never before
late wild rose, an especial attention that in experienced in those woods. Then our com-
a glauce between us was understood and Pan"' "-
a guest of the year, Mr. Theodore
appreciated. Leeds, of New York, read from a volume of
But the shadows were lengthening, and Robert Collyer's sermons, the most ap-
we found it necessary to depart,' telling prop este to the autumn tints about us, from
them we would certainly visit them again We all do fade as a leaf!"
next yeer. We learned they had never heard the
a sermon, or hardly knew what was meant It is a'superb piece of word painting,
by a religious service. We made them prom- this sermon ; full of simple meaning, quite
ise that if we camped at Ten Mile Creek, _within the grasp of the plain people who
five miles below them, a year hence, and heard it. Many of them had never heard
held a meetiugg on Sunday, they would all before such golden words, dropped from a
come to us:-. As -we left, the mother said : reader so trained and perfect in his work. none but those who have travelled over that
"Have you any needles or threads you can How intently they all listened, and how
road can
thejsbadesll flong,
she frclungom aro
spare? We are forty miles from a. store,and powerful was the lesson that in the fading light.night,
with such a family for wear and tear, it is : leaf was the promise of a higher resurrec this rough contrivance, and through the
hard to keep the clothes together."' tion in the spring hereafter, the fuller sum -
,mud, a foot deep, at times covered with
.water and slime, she. -trade her slow pro-
gress. The patient oxen with deliberate
tread make their weary way, while.the poor
mother trudged alongside, cheering her
child; and helping as best she could. x.
Was there ever such a road ; was there
ever a scene more plaintive, or more piti-
able, than this rude conveyance, and its
contents? Poor little one, • how she must
have struggled to hold on, and suffered ;
and how often must she have wished for
death for relief, in that long journey.
Towards night she was met within a mile
of the town,by a good Samaritan, who had
been a foreman of one of the lumber parties,
who had learned to love the little girl. He
had heard of her journey, and had gone out
to meet her, and taking her in his arms, re-
lieving her from the weary position she had
fished outhwas a copy o€Longfellow's poems `been: for the sale of Minnie's butter. The :.parting between the mother and daughter,
` it was handed to Minnie, the book open- lumbermen bought it all, and that saved -us. !parting
Journey was resumed, this time in
ed at random
, and I read her these words : She went on further to explain that now
" Lives of great mei all remind us the principal and interest were overdue,
We can make oar lives sublime, and that they expected a demand at any
.And, departing, leave behind us time which would compel them to give up
Foot -prints on the sands of time." their farm. She said it would only be by
" We can make our lives sublime !" Lit= their a r exertions in the making of butter
tie did it seem probable that this young
Lit -
girl so far away in` the wilderness could
make her life sublime, in circumstances so
circumscribed, with surroundings so un-
c uth. There seemed no fate in store for
her in which sublimity could form a part.
She hardly knew the -meaning of the text
perhaps she had never heard it before. Yet
in her clear vision, She saw the drift of the-
lines, and as she Iooked up into my eyes, I
wonder now that I did not see in their blue
depths the real sublimity which this gentle
life would attain. How by a sweet and
noble influence she would mould the lives
of others ani save them, how by hard work
and unselfish devotion she would. save the
home for those whom. she loved, and keep
the family together, and how, by her suf-
fering, she would become a martyr, and guardian angel, and as I looked at her frail
wear a woods in this most
Yes, away off in form, it seemed impossible to resist the on.
the in this most remote home in the sacrifice,
that she was simply undergoing a
northern wilderness,makeher was a lequine heroine sacrifice, to the interests of others, and
who could lier..life sublime, ' those who should be able to take care of
the' cars. In those days there_ were no
sleeping cars oreven•easy chairs available,
but through an order received from head-
quarters;. by 'influence at Toronto, a oar
seat was removed, a hammock swung
between the two seats, and the little one
if, a sufficient sum could be realized to pay was then made comfortable for her long
the debt. But Minnie recently had been journey, and the city of 'Toronto safely
in ill health, and the: heavy burden she had- reached.
carried it seemed impossible for her to bear Here, in the beautiful hospital of that
longer. Her back was weak, her spine af- city, in a bright and cheerful room, pre.
fected.�- Besides this, the young man sitting pared by loving hands, with flowers and
beside her had' asked herein marriage, and fruit, and every attention that thoughtful
P.£1 she seemed to like him, it was expected wives and daughters of some of the hunting
they would be married in the spring, and party could provide, the little - one 'vas
she hardly knew, in. that case, what installed. The best medical attendance of
would become of :them, because Minnie, she the. city was, of course, available ; the
said, seemed to be the only element in the most nutritious food furnished, and every -
whole house that kept them together. She thing done that was possible to do, that
had the largest influence with the father in this flower from. the forest might survive.
keeping nim from sprees, while but for her, But it was too late. The exhaustion of
devotion to the boys they would have been long days of toil, of heavy burdens borne by
scattered long ago. By her unremitting the slender frame, of a too willing spirit,
toil and unselfish devotion, she was their and of unselfish devotion to the interests of
others, had had its effect. Wer patience and
the grateful sense of the heaven about her,
won all hearts, _ and if prayers, attention
and devotion could have saved her, she
would have lived.
But it was not to be. Her spirit had been
purified by suffering, and thus made fit for,
heaven. She gradually sank, and as the
sun one evening was setting, she passed
away, exclaiming, " We all do fade as a
leaf."
In the beautiful Mount Pleasant Cemetery
in Toronto, in a corner, where a certain
number of our hunting party always go at
least once a year, there -is a little shaft of
marble,- erected with the money that had
been contributed for the furniture and wed-
ding gown of our little friend, and on it are
these words chiselled : -
To the Sweet Memory of Minnie Gre'
this offer afforded her. I told her we feared "We Al: do Fade as a Leaf."
that 'work,
would only kill herself with hard PERILS Oz BOLL FIGBTING IN SPAIN.
'work:, and that she ,should make her prep -
Good -bye, every one," we said, as we themselves.
pushed off into the limpid stream. "Good Realizing that the rem�vai to a home of
bye, Minnie," I exclaimed, and wafting a her own was important, and that another -
kiss to her from the canoe, saw her press such season would certainly be her last, we
the little volume of Longfellow to her urged the mother to consent to an early
breast, and in her bright, upturned fare, in marriage, another ting that the young fel-
which the setting sun was shining, -there low was entirely worthy, and though poor
was sueh.a look of long+ - `aunt me would.make her agood living,- The neces-
sary 'amount for the furniture and the
wedding dress we would contribute, and
*
An interval of 't4Fo a ,before thus that difficulty would be got out of
we went away again oto ids, and the way.. b
camped at the head of Trad.n Lake. It Poor girl, how her eyes brightened, and
g at last some blood came and went to her
was in October, and in anticipation of vis. cheeks and lips, with the pleasure -which
itors for our ,Sunday meeting, invitations
for which had gone out in various directions,.
we had trimmed our tent with leaves,
grasses, berries and mosses, so that it was
a picture to behold. Our pleasant task had
hardly been completed, before, in the dis-
tance, we discerned the family of the Greys,
whom we had specially invited, approach
from the Cedar Narrows in a craft con-
taining the whole group. It was a huge
scow' or punt, which was propelled by four
oars,two boys on each side, while old Zack, happy home. But my first duty is to my
himself,swarthy. as ever, steered and sculled „a.,- nts and my family,' and they can only
arations to be married early next month, A Youth Gored. tolZeat:h.
and have the -rest a,nd leisure of a home of
her own for the winter. The popular pastime of bull fighting is
" I cannot go away this autumn,". she constantly the source of friction between
said. " The mortgage must be paid, and the authorities and the' people in Spain.
the home saved: If Tom will wait for me, Quite' recently the Civil Governor in Madrid
in the spring I will go - to him, and with had to despatch mounted civic guards to
your kind help will be glad to make him a Vicalvaro, an important military station
nearMadrid, in order to preserve the peace,
which was threatened in consequence of his
refusal to permit the employment of strong
bulls, with bare horns, at the annual rustic
bull fights at that place. In view of the
attitude of the people, the Governor eventu-
ally had to give way, and to limit his action
to preventing unqualified amateurs from
entering the ring. That these precautions
were wise has just been illustrated at the
village of Leganes, where, in spite of orders
to the contrary, strong four-year-old bulls
were used in the fight. Thirteen animals
were brought into the ring, and a number
of amateur toreadors were tossed or tram-
pled upon,ebut none of them seriously hurt.
The fourteenth buil, . however, a very for-
midable beast, chased his assailants round
the ring, and gored one youth to death. In
spite of this . tragic occurrence the fight
continued ; several fresh bulls were brought
out, and the fighters were tossed or thrown
to the ground, nobody, however, being
killed.
One of the Light Brigade.
Maley of our old:artilitary readers wi!1 be
interested in this item : One of the veteran
"Death or Glory Boys "—the old bugler of
the 17th Lancers. Harry Joy—will give no
more trumpet calls, nor answer any until
the great roll -call summons all regiments to-
gether. He died at Chiswick in his 75th
year. Joy came from an . old Yorkshire
family, joined the 17th Lahcers as a boy,
and served the whole of his time (2S years)
in that regiment. When the Russian war
broke out he was trumpet -major of the
regiment, went out to the Crimea with it,was
present at every action where cavalry was
employed, and was trumpeter to the Staffof
General the Earl of Lucan, in command of
the cavalry brigades, at Balaklava. His
was the bugle from which the regimental
trumpeters received the order for the cele-
brated Light Brigade charge, and he him-
self was close behind Major Nolan when
that officer was killed at the commencement
of the charge. The bugle is still in posses-
sion of the family. After Joy left the army
the Duke of Cambridge, the colonel of the
17th, gave him a position in the War Office.
Finally he retired on account of age,obtain-
ing a civil pension in addition to the mili-
tary one he enjoyed by right of his long ser-
vice. He possessed four medals and four
clasps. His death takes away one more of
the famous Light Brigade.
with a huge piece of timber. ,In the center
sat the mother, like some CIeopatra in her
barge, surrounded with her progeny, big
and little. Beside her sat a 'fair young
woman whom it was impossible to believe
was Minnie, the child whom we had parted
with two years before. Paddling along on
Minnie's side was a separate canoe, con-
taining a good-looking young fellow, with
a flaring blue tie, who seemed devoting
himself most assiduously to her. The boys
had grown to be young giants, ar.d the lit-
tle ones had made a stride forward. But
of all the changes that had oc urred, that
in Minnie was the most marked. The
gracefulness of womanhood seemed to have.
come over her, and her appearance, both in
dress, in manner and in looks, wee -extreme-
ly attractive, except that she was extreme-
ly pale, and worn and thin. Too frail to
carry the inevitable baby, which she held
in her arms, is she rose her slight frame
seemed to bend under the load. Surround-
ed as she was, she Iooked even more than
be saved by keeping them together, with
the house and the farm for them.
In vain did we urge that it was simply
selt-sacrifice ; that others could be got to
take her place, and: that she owed it to her.-
self
er-
self to save her strength and life for her
future husband and; her own happiness.
But gentle as she was in all things else,
she was immovable in this. She was to go
back alone in the canoe with her beau, and
we trusted to his eloquence to gain. her con-
sent. Conducting her to the canoe, we bade
her good-bye, telling her we would at mice
order the furniture for her little home, and
that the wedding dress we would send to
her the moment she sent ns word.
As the pair pushed away from the shore,
and as they were lost in- the bend of the
river, the most sombre of our party said to
us, "Never more will we see this child
again. The work is too much for her, and
she will sink under it unless she yields to
the persuasions of her sweetheart, sad we
ever unlike theist, and an etherealized far; most hope for the best.','
away Iona seemed to possess her. As I But what was best came sooner than we
her from her burden, in helping expected. Within a month after paying
her from the scow, she looked up into my
face and said:
"How we have longed for this time !
Two years have been so long, we have had
such trouble, and it seemed as if we could
get some advice when you would come, to
principal and interest by the sale of 2500
pounds of butter poor Minnie Grey was
prostrate with a most serious affection of
the spine. Word coining to us in Toronto
and New York that there seemed no escape
from death if she'were left in the woods,
help us with your wisdom, and some cop- without attendance, it was determined, it
fort from the religious service you promised P°ssihIe, to bring her to the hospital at
Toronto. True, it was likely to be a terrible
journey, yet it was determined to make it,
as easily as possible, because it was the only
hope. The journey of forty miles in- the
canoe, was easy enough, attended as it was
us. But from the little book which you
lett with me, we have "learned to labor and
to wait !"
As she stepped from the boat, the young
fellow from the 'canoe who had accom-
panied the scow, and whom she introduced by the faithful Tom, who paddled the light
to us as Tom Lyons, took her hand, and in craft himself all the way, accompanied by
a familiar way, which seemed to please her, the mother and one of the boys in another
led her to a seat beside him .in the camp. canoe.
Here then was a suitor, and here then was But the journey from Baysville to Brace -
another explanation of the new look of bridge was the moat terrible to contemplate
womanliness that pervaded her. It was a distance of eighteen miles, through
Soon other settlers arrived, and the bean -
over
roads up to the hubs of the wheels,
tiful Church of England service was read. over rocks and stones, that would seem
We found the hymns with which they were simple death to the poor patient. So it
familiar such as "Beautiful River," " The was concluded that instead of the ordinary
Iumber waggon, our little girl should be
drawn through the mud in what was known
as a atone boat. This is simply the crotch
of a tree, perhaps four feet long and three
feet wide, with the butt of the crotch point-
ed, and the two limbs, like wings, turned
so as to go through the mud with the least
resistance possible. A yoke of oxen and a
stone boat were provided, and•on some straw
and a quilt and pillow the little heroine
was tenderly laid. Parting here with her
faithful sweetheart, and saying something
to cheer him, with the hope of her early re-
turn to inake him the happiest of men, she
commenced her weary journey,
How dreadful that undertaking was,
Forty miles from the store,and the mend- mer, end in te death of winter the life to
bag for eight children ! No wonder needles come.
and thread were in -demand. We gladly I could not keep my eyes from wander.
emptied our store of small wares prepared ing towards Minnie. Her whole soul was en-.
for our convenience by our dear ones at tranced id the new thought; to her eyes a
home, and divided them with this mother new vision opened. Literally, they glistened
inneed, and she seemed to regard this sup- with tears, her pale lips were parted, and
ply as a special gift of Providence in adds- one.eoald see how intense her interest was
tion to her slender stock. _ by the action of her slender throat, by the
The whole family accompanied us to the quick, nervous swallows with which every
shore, where our flotilla of canoes excited now and then she seemed literally drinking
their admiration. As we started, Minnie - in the words. Never was there an audience
.lifted a sturdy little boy; who clung to her more intent,—never did a preacher seem so
skirts, and with an expression of pain occa- certain to bear fruit, as did my friend Rob
sinned by his weight, put him on her hip. ert Collyer that day, as interpreted by my
I saw there was something on her mind, as other friend Theodore Leeds,
she said : After more singing, in which every one,
"I hope you won't think we are beggars, old and young, joined, we closed the ser-
- but have you'Something that we could read? vices, and dispensed our hospitality as beet occupied, he literally carried her on his
Everything in the house has been read again we could. - - shoulder, a full mile, and gently laid_ her
and again, and if you could spare us some Soon the other , settlers started on their on a bed, prepared for her in his own home,
papersrs, or a. -book or two,4they could be re- homeward journey, and we were left alone where for the mother and daughter ample
turned to you when you conic next year." with the Grey family, when we learned, for provision had deen made for a day's rest.
The recording • angel stood by when this
deed -was done. It was prompted by the
kindliest sympathy ; it was performed
"Where did you learn ° to read ?" was the first time, that misfortunes hadover-
asked, • taken them, and that things were generally
- "Oil; mother taught me," was the reply, in a bad way.-
1 have . nibt the„boys, . I.read out to - "You' see, the Government seized' the with the greatest and most effective gocd-
} b2sannot read,: andsto the -rest of whiskey still, the mother exclaimed, "and will; and when, at the great day, the books
• $he fru iE ',:everything=we can get, and itis put a heavy- fine on Zack. To pay this we of the hereafter are opened, this kindly act
great comivrt.,when ,we get-swnething ! had to mortgage the house and farm .for to the suffering ,child and_the. footsore
' ws two years, and as the crops failed, and two mother will stand. out as among the most
Zo mit-rubber bag, in the canoe,,of the horses died, we would not have been blessed of good deeds.
reat g'ood?fort�e, th*•itgolsnae shin : tt..Pay .even the' inter es:t _' had ;It not l After a couple - of night's -rest, and a
An Awkward Telegraphic Blunder.
A peculiar telegraphic blunderis described
in the Bombay Gazette. In a certain Presi-
dency two men were under sentence of death
for murder in jails in different parts of the
country, and both appealed for mercy. It
was finally decided that one of the men
should undergo the dread penalty, and that
the other should be reprieved. Telegrams
to this effect were despatched to the super-
intendents ofthe respective jails. The tele-
graph superintendent forwarded the mes-
sages. The result was that the wrong man
was banged, and that the murderer whom
it was the intention of the authorities to
leave to his fate was reprieved. The tele-
graph superintendent explains that the error
was due to the fact that the difference be-
tween the names was so slight—only an "n"
and an "m."
Nebuchadnezzar's Hanging Gardens.
The "hanging gardens of Babylon" were
built by Nebuchadnezzar to gratify his
wife Amyitis, a native of Media, who
longed for something in this flat co ;try to
remind her of her mountain home. -They
consisted of an artificial mountain, fleet
on each aide, rising by successive terr`�`
to a length which overtopped the walls OY
the city. The terraces themselves were
formed of a succession of piers, the tops of
which were covered by fiat stones sixteen
feet long and four feet wide. Upon these
were spread beds of matting; then a thick
layer of bitumen, covered with sheets of
lead. Upon this solid pavement earth was
heaped, some of the piles being hollow so as
to afford depth for the roots of the larger
trees. Water was drawn , from the river
so as to irrigate, these gardens, which thus
presented to the eye the appearance of a
mountain clothed in verdure.
Glories, like glow-worms afar off, shine
bright, but looked at near have neither heat
nor light.
LARGEST OF DIAMONDS,
The "ExoeIsior," Just Discovered =Beats
Them All in Size.
The fomanee Connected :Pith Its Finding
A Naked liafr Saw it and' Stood on 1t
Till the Overseer Went Away—Then he
Took it to the blahs ger-of the Mine and
Was Richly Rewarded.
Is the "Jagersfontein Excelsior," recent-
ly discovered in the Orange Free State, the
largest diamond in the world ? The extra-
ordinary gem is said to have already reach-
ed England, and it is stated that it is the `
most perfect large diamond ever seen, its
color being blue -white, and its weight 971
carats. It is true that the luster of the
"Excelsior" is dimmed by one black spot,
but this defect, so the owners of the Jewel
declare, can easily be eradicated.
A big diem end is naught withoutsome spice
of romance attaching to it, says the London
Daily Telegraph, and the account of, the
finding of the "Excelsior,." if not highly
picturesque, is at least startling.
A blast had just taken place in a mine in
the Jagersfontein diamond fields when a
Kaffir workman who 'was talking to his.
overseer saw something shine and put his
foot over the luminous object until his
" boss " had gone away. Had the overseer
remained and detected the treasure the
Kaffir's share of the profits might possibly
not have exceeded that of Pantaloon when
he and Mr. Clown sit down to discuss a
basin of soup. The clown gets than -soap and
Pantaloon is fain to be content with licking
the spoc-i. The cautious Kaffir, however,
who for nis shrewdness might claim kindred
with Bishop Colenso's intelligent Zulu,.
handed over the immense diamond to the
manager of the mine, who gave him £150, a
horse, saddle, and bridle, and the .Kaffir, it
is stated, has gone home to his kraal in a
state of unmingled happiness. Of course,
in the case of a diamond mine findings are
not keepings, and the " Excelsior " would
obviously be den property of the proprietors
of the diamond field ; . so there will be no
need in the case of the gem found by the
Kaffir to spread ill-natured reports anal-
ogous to that which Pope enshrined in a
cruel and unveracious couplet on the
Pitt diamond : " Asleep and naked as the
Indian lay, an honest factor stole the gem
away."
It would be practically useless to discuss
the value of the "Excelsior" diamond, which
is described .as having the form of a sloping
cone, flattened on two sides and standing
on an oval base so flush as almost -to wear
the appearance of having been cut. Its
height is about three inches, and its width
about two, while the flat base measures
nearly two inches by one auda quarter.
Not till the lapidaries have worked their
will upon the prodigious stone will it be
possible to ascertain the precise amount of
"fire" and "show" which it may possess.
Only to a very small extent are the trans-
cendent brilliancy of the diamond, its trans-
parency, and its powers of refraction dis-
played in rough stones. In order to render
them available as personal ornaments they
must undergo the elaborate process of cut-
ting and polishing, which will bring out
their latent beauty in its fullest light ; sand,
indeed, the value of the stone depends al-
most as much on the regularity of the
facets and the perfection of the polish as on
the original material ; since although no
ingenuity of craftsmanship can render a
yellow brilliant white, the purest stone cut
by unskilful hands remains comparatively
speaking, a dull mass. This is particularly
the case with the famous Koh-i-noor, or
"Mountain of Light," wbieh is among the
crown jewels of England, and - is occasional-
ly worn by her majesty the queen.
EVENTS BEYOND THE OCEAN
Emperor William Says Lorraine Will be
Forever German -
Her People Are Thoroughly Loyal and
Appreciate German Unity.
A Metz special says :—Emperor William
was entertained last evening at a banquet
by the municipal authorities of Metz and
the high officials of Lorraine. In his speech
he thanked the people of Lorraine for the
cordial welcome which they had given him
and for the repeated demonstrations of
loyalty which they had made daily during
his sojourn at Urville. itietz, he said, had
shown herself to be especially devoted to
the Emperor and empire. By their enthus-
iasm in the last few days the people of Lore
raine had given proof that they were happy
in belonging to Germany. They had learn-
ed to appreciate German unity and the
greatness of the empire. They now declared
themselves to be thoroughly loyal and desir-
ous of laboring in peace and enjoying unmo-
lested what had been earned for them. The
unity of Germany ensured the keeping of the
peace. Lorraine would forever remain Ger
man, protected by God and the German sword
An unexpected incident was the saluta-
tion of the Emperor by the Bishop of Metz
at Kurzel. On behalf of his clergy and
himself the Bishop expressed joy that the
Emperor had decided to reside in Lorraine.
He begged the Emperor to judge them not
by the reports of hostile newspapers, but
by their actions. It was above all,he said,
their endeavor to maintain among the peo-
ple a religious spirit and respect for mor-
tality and to protect them from subversive
doctrines which threatened the existence of
society. ,
The Emperor replied in a long speech. He
expressed heartfelt thanks and gratitude
for the exertions of the clergy, a subject
which, he said, formed one of the topics of
his conversation with the Pope on his recent
visit to Rome.
The Bishop, interposing, said that the
Pope bad informed him of the subject of the
interview referred to by the Emperor, and
added that he was delighted to ' find that
the Emperor's views agreed with his own.
The Emperor then referred to the im-
proved health of the Pope.
In departing he shook hands with the
Bishop, saying. "I am grateful to all who
snpport me in this work."
The health of the troops engaged in the -
maneeuvres is beginning to be affected.
Many of the intantry soldiers fainted to-
day, a circumstance attributed variously to
the heat, lack of water, and bad. food. ,
We can not control the evil -tongues of
others, but a good life enables us to clesptik
them.
rra-
413