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The Exeter Advocate, 1890-10-2, Page 2Tho Old Melodeon. When .mother married father, thirty -Ave short year ago, 'Tvniz the days when dresses sorter fagged, they cut'em Gout eo low; Au' hair wuz parted mighty prim an' looped up on each oar, An' the men fence wore long beauty looks, so thick they couldn't hear ; An' folks wuzmighty koorful then, ez her weddia' Axis s shows— Every thread wuz spaded an' counted an' the stichin' set in rows, Wal, amongst their weddin' presents this old melodeon stood, All gallue with its ehinin' keys an' case o' bright rosewood. Ef ye worked the pedal etiddy au' still con - rived terplay, Sooh tunes ez these meandered an' gently riz away: " Lord Level" an' " Long, long ago" an' ' Roll on, silver moon) An' " Hours there were," an "old Tom Moore "— his wuz the kind er tune! Them wuz the days o' eentiutent an' " Roses o' Lucerne," " Old mistletoe -boughs" au' " Buy a broom" an "Jamie's return." But by an' by a sorter march Dome etealin' daown the keys, Mixed up with sad, heart-breakin'tunee that sorter went like these : °" Daown wber' the patriot army, wuz the ear- liest tune that grow, " Oh, Willie, we shall miss you" an' " The ragged coat o' blue,' " When this cruel war is over" an' the " Tramp, tramp, tramp"— The songs u' lonesome women an' the shontin's o' the camp ; But the soba an' groans grew fainter and it wuzn't very long Before the old melodeon sorter hummed a era- dle-song ; An' the yeare wa'n't vary many when ye'd hear it go, by chance, ,.�"•oWYy Jest ter play old-fashioned lancers for the Iittle feet ter danoo. Beian' by—there's jest one tune it's just a-aehin fer ter play, An' then I guess its music days is sorter passed away; It'll,brace ler one more effort like it knew old memories, When the weddin'-match '11 echo down its yel- ler, wheezy keys. Florence E. Pratt, in Judge. HON BY AN ENGLISHMAN A LOVE STORY. When he had left the room I read as followe "Mo sieun" (she might have called me Cher monsieur," I thought ; but this did not trouble me maoh, for knowing French ways, f reflected I would have been rather shocked than otherwise had she addressed me o fferently),—" As I feared, my father saw the Count de Maapert this morning, settled matters with him, and without even asking me any question, simply congratal• ated me on having found favor with so honoreele and worthy a gentleman. I was oalle.i to the drawing -room by my mother, where the ,bount, in a very polite manner, informed me of his delight at being per. mitt, -,t by my parents to pay hie addresses to ma ; and taking my ooneelet for granted, never condescended to ask me whether I ehared my parents' wiehee. " I owe it to your generosity to inform you of this, although you may blame me a second time for acting unlike a Frenoh girl ; but I will not have you reproach me again for doing that whioh is wrong, end I there- fore ask you to see my governess, who takes this letter to you, but who is not aware that our friendship—for I cannot pall it acqueintenoe, that being too cold a word to use under the circumstances—dates only f tom yesterday. " You may speak to ber freely, for I be- lieve her to be devoted to DIANE DE BRETEntrx,r. P. S.—" Look at the favor, and tell Mademoiselle Gerona whether it is not faded. The azure of my sky is, alas ! very olonly. Pity me." Hd e vein a blow, and how `to parry it with .ut mixing myself up in the intimate affairs of an honorable Frenoh family, who probsoly knew what they were about in the interest of their daughter's happiness, and bringing upon myself a load of responsibil- ity, I neither had the right nor a legitimate excuse to bear, I could not tell. At any rate, I would gee the governess and find out how the ground lay. I told the servant accordingly to show her in, and reflected meanwhile that I would asoertsin all I could from her as to Diane's sentiments in my regard, something as to the nature of the girl her- self in her own home, and whether I could enlist this governess on my side, if regnieite. At this junotnre a prim little woman, with the tiniest specks of eyes imaginable, entered the room. Ber eyes were only dis- cernable, because her face being small and her features thin and distinct, anything blank would have shown on her pallid com- plexion ; bat had ebe been stout, I was convinced she would have proved a phe- nomenon of nature, and have presented a fade without eyes. This was not enooareg- ing ; for when we prepare for an encounter, we rely upon our reading what is in our opponent's eye before we settle on a line of action. Mademoiselle Gerona's eyes, however, opened out a little more after awhile when the novelty of visiting a young man's rooms had somewhat worn off, and she had warmed to the conversation. It was a trying undertaking for a woman in her responsible position, and the Renee of this responsibility weighed upon her ; but in her little prim body the Frenoh governing treasured a Frenchwoman's ten. dernese of heart for the girl she had under her care, and however distastfal any task might have been to her, she would have undertaken it for her sake. Withal, she preserved those stereotyped ways of e: Frenchwoman when addressing a man, and oonatantly looked to what she deemed "lee convenenoes," as if, poor soul, any one filled as I was with thoughts of a lovely girl, or ' indeed any one not no filled, would have had time and will to notice whether she had eat upright or courtesied low, whether her dress bid her feet, or whether her veil was down. It so happens that I did notice the veil down, and this only because I was so minions to hear what she had to nay that I thought its removal would have been an improvement; but when I indiscreetly Bug gested its being lifted, ebe gave so decided a look of horror that I reooiled from any further attempt. " Sir," she began, " I have oome on a painful errand, whioh yeti may readily believe I would never have undertaken k n had I not seen my poor Diane in tears, and known you to be a friend of the family-" I was realer confused by this speech, for I knew myself to be unacquainted with Diane's father, and acquainted only with her mother since a few hours, while, at the game time, the mention of Diane'° tears set. me into a fiery against these nnnatnrel and cruel., parents ; but I had to bear Diane's letter and caution in mind, and I merely rephed that I well understood her painful position, begging of her to take a °hair This at first the gr.vernese woiild not do, but she finally aocepted' a most unoomfort- able, high.baoked, olddaehioned, oak chair, whereon it was rather amusing, in the amidst of our mutual sorrowing refieotione,to gee her endeavor to preserve her ankles from the profane look of a man, and at the same time sit gracefully on a sant evidently too high far her, " You have read the letter she has sent you through me, and yeti know the cause of her grief. She tells We you are he friend, and implores you to see ber aunt as noon as+ possible. She believes Madame la Coastwise de Ohautelie to be omnipotent with her brother, and fannies that you bene great influence with her aunt." "T know," she continued, "that Monsieur le Marquis is very mnoh ettaohed to his slater, and I have often board of you from Madame la Comteese, bet T was not aware until yosterdeythat you had ever met Mademoiselle Diane." The sly rogue 1 I thought. Ah ! you want to find out, do you? but you shall not -- that I swear. Whereupon I asked, as if she had not spoken, " And who is M. de Man. pert ? He is a college friend of Monsieur le Marquis." "Hes he ever seen Mademoiselle Diane?" " Not till a couple of daye ago." " How is that ?' "He belongs to ' la noblesse de province,' and eeldom comes to Paris," " What part of Ftanoe does ho come from ? " Da Danphine," "Has the marquis any property in that departni at ?" " I believe so." "Th n it has been a, ranged between them." "So1 f%nay." I cared not in the leaet for these details, but it served my purpose of putting Mademoiselle Garoux off the dangerous topio she wanted to touch on, and to place ns+ on a oonversetional footing. "Mademoiselle Diane tells me in this letter that the feare she was good enough to confide to me yesterday have been realiz• ed this morning ; and without heing asked whether ebe wee willing or not by either her parents or M. de Maupert, she is at present as good as engaged to that gentle. men." " So I understand," said the demure governess. Under these oiraumstencea, mademoi- selle," I said, " it seems to me very diffioult for yon and me to interfere with the decision of her parents." " So I told mademoiselle." " And though difficult for yon, it seems almost impossible for me, does it not ?" "I made the same remark to mademoi- selle." And what did she reply 2" No, no—nothing is impossible for M. Verve, for I am sire he takes too real an interest in me to mind obstacles.' " I looked herd atthe governess. "Mademoiselle Garoux," I said, " are these the very words need by Diane ?" She Looked up surprised, both at my calling Diane by her Christian name only and at my tone of voice. " Certainly," she replied, " those were her words ; and if monsieur allows me to say so, judging by his last remark, I would guess Mademoiselle Diane to be right in her surmise." This was artiol, and I had half a doubt whether I should expose my real aentimente so Boon ; but the doubt was soon dismissed, for the poor governess, sobbing aloud, implored of me in accents of desperation to save her dear charge from this miserable situation if, as she felt I did, I loved Diane enough to do her bidding. I tried, however, one more prudent question, and asked Mademoiselle Gerona whether she had weighed all that her pleading on behalf of Diane entailed. " neve you measured," I asked, " the consequences of my interference ? Have you foreseen the duties of honor whioh enoh interference would impose upon me— duties towards Mademoiselle Diane herself, maybe, God knows, I would fill with alacrity, but whioh might require from her a response she may not be altogether dis- posed to give ?" Mademoiselle Gerona dried her tears, and holding out her hand to me, said, " Mon- sieur, vane etes an gentilhomme. Yon are quite right, we must think these matters over. I am bound to tell you that Madem- oiselle Diene has not spoken to me in the light which corresponds to your evident attachment for her ; and though it may be she returns your affeotion, I have no right to speak on that point, as I am wholly in the dark." " I will see her this evening," I said, " at dinner at her aunt's ; and I will endeavor for myself to make her understand the feelings that animate me." "No, monsieur, do not do that ; oar Frenoh girls cannot comprehend theee matters except through the intervention of a third party." "Pardon me, mademoiselle," I replied, " it is the love of interference on the part of the third party that prevents Frenoh girls appearing to understand what in common nature they comprehend unite as well as anybody else throughout the world." " Diane is very self-willed," observed Mademoiselle Gerona, " but," she (pinkly added, "she has an angel's heart." " So I believe ; and as evidently, made. =belle, you and I admire and love that heart, respect and wish to follow than will, let me tell you that her will will be my law whatever be the consequence, just as my heart belongs to her whatever may be the result." " I will console the poor girl by those kind words," said the governess. And I added, " Come sometimes and con- sole me with a message from her, whether of confidence or of hope or of sorrow or of expeotation; it will always be a boon to the second being M. ht&upert is making miserable, though probably without know- ing it." "I think," observed the governess, with a little mystery, " that he euspeote some. thing; for be hen asked to be exoused from dining with the countess this evening, and requested, that Diane should likewise be absent." " Impossible," I said. " On this point, however," added Madem- oiselle Garotte, "Mademoiselle Diane has been obdurate, and has pleaded that the events that have taken plane are so fresh and so sudden that she wants a little diver- sion to her thoughts. Her parents have naturally not been able to deny this request, and she has told me that I was to let you know." " Mademoiselle Gerona," 1 answered, "may I make a friend of you ? May I' ask you to be my friend and to answer me truly 2" " Certainly, moneienr." " Then you will find oat for me whether, in the struggle whioh is imposed upon me, I may hope for the return of that love whioh impels me to undertake it ? I want no absolute promise any more than a non• ditional one. I know Diane to be a mere girl, on whom, before her time, have fallen some of life's greatest diffibnities. I went' to help her through these; but with what a different feeling would I undertake the task were hope of winning her at stake, I leave you to guess. I simply adore her very name, let alone the portion herself. Think, then, what love would achieve where friendship is ready to do so mnoh 1" The poor governoes took to her tears again. " How well, monsieur, I enter into your feelings, and hew justified aro you in enter. teining them 1 If yon oniy knew Diane es I do, you world worehip her very tread ; for I, a woman, have never known any- thing nything go adorable, She is loyalty itself, years ; and her loving bear*, where ityields, is so gentle, eo feminine, s0 pure, eo good, that the reward of its bestowal is s prize noble men would have every right to pride I rose a'hundred per cent. inmy estiina• tion after this ; for had I not bean selected as the ohosen confidant ot this lovely para- gon of beauty and virtue ? " As I' told you before," the governess went on, I was not aware tient yon had laid any claim to Mademoiselle Diane's afieotions, and ea she told me nothing on the eubjeot, I can give you no encourage. went whatever; bat it is fair that yon should know how you stand, and I will let yon know, if I can, how matters are." " I thank you with all my heart," ; I said; though believe me, friend or lover, Diane has an ally in me." She was just going to leave the room, when, remembering the poatseript in Diane's letter, I said to Mademoiselle Carona, " Will you kinkly give Diane direct message from me, which though perhaps enigmatioal to yon, will, I think, be understood by her, as it refers to a little conversation we had last night, and say that the sky is always blue for me while I deserve her favor ?" "I will," said the governess, and left the room, out of which I acoompanied her. On my return I had eoaroely time to reflect upon the extraordinary position which in twenty•fonr hours I had created for myself, when the servant again came in, and in an airy way said, " Monsieur le many visitors this morning." " Who wants to nee me now ? " " A gentleman this time," he said, with a smile. " Give me hie card." " Here it ie." " Tee Comte de Maupert, Seneteur," was what I read. Good heavens 1 has he met the governess ? That was my first thought. I do not care, was the second. " Ask him to oome up," I said. I was too astonished to think of anything, or determine on any notion, before the door opened, and there entered a handsome, gentleman -like person, with the red rosette of a Commander of the Legion of Honor at his batton•hole, end it very long ebony stink in his hand. He was plainly dreesed in a tightly fitting frock -out buttoned up to the Dollar, and wore a black necktie in the shape of a bow, with the ends showing on each side of the out. Hie Bair had a tonoh of gray, and a small imperial gave his fade a longer cat than perhaps his square chin would otherwise have allowed ; and altogether hie expression was, if not positively amiable, that rather of a good.natured than of a bad-tempered man. I felt rather ae if I were in the presence of some hind male relative about to rebuke me than in that of a rival, and the person I at that moment hated more cordially than any other in the world. Standing at the door, hat in hand, he said, " It is very good of you to reoeiva me, monsieur, though I was sure you would not refuse me an interview, seeing that y r intimacy with several members of the family of Mademoiselle de Breteuille has probaby suggested to you already the' motives of my visit to you thie morning." I . made up my mind on hearing this to listen rather to the end then to melee any premature remarks, and begged the mint so take a oheir. When he had seated himself, and finding I preserved a discreet elienoe, he went " I have the honor of being engage.' to marry Mademoiselle de Breteuille. Happening to bear that a family dinner to whioh I was bidden, tint cannot unfortu- nately attend this evening ,at that young lady's aunt's, is to have the addition of your presence, I have oome perfectly frankly, and, as you see, with absolute con- fidence in an English gentleman's honor and high breeding to request a favor from yon." " But, sir," I quiokiy remarked, " this dinner was arranged before your engage- ment, whioh you now announce to me, was even thought of; I beg that you bear that in mind." " I am aware of it," he replied ; "but the young lady whom I hope to marry—" At this word I gave a frown the count looked at me, squared hie chin, and re- peated, "— whom I hope to marry does not find it in her power to forego the pleasure ebe antioipatee of dining there ; and as your acquaintance with our country may have told you, it is not usual for young persons who are affianced to go oat where their betrothed is not one of the company." I remained stolidly silent. " As, of course, I could not say ae much to Mademoiselle de Breteuille, I have come, very simply, as yon see, to ask you to make the eaorifloe whioh it would be wrong to urge on my fiancee, seeing how much she had set her heart on this outing." " Monsieur le Comte," I observed, " your visit does me great honor, and I assure you I appreciate the candor of your request ae much as I do your generoeity, in not de• priving a young girl of so modest a re. creation as a family dinner at her aunt's." I could not help this somewhat mantic thrust ; for indeed I felt digitated with the canning selfishness of this old sinner, as I considered him, wishing to deprive Diane of her evening's amusement, and maybe her last chance of seeing me. " Yoa mietake me," said the count, "nothing is farther from my thoughts. I have told you exactly whet I mean, and I mean every word I have said, neither more nor Iess." "And have you considered how rade my behavior would appear to Madame de Chantalis, who has purposely asked me to meet Mademoiselle Diane ?" " Do you know Mademoiselle de. Bret- enille so well," asked the count, "as to gall her by her ohristien name ? Her father tells me he has never met you. Her mother made your acquaintance last night, and, it. I remember well, Mademoiselle de Bret- euille made her entree dans le monde yester- day for the first time." This piqued me, for I certainly was not in the humor to stand lecturing, bat I Raid nothing. "I thought, moneienr," he continued, "that I had come here to ask a favor of a gentleman and a friend of my fiancee's relatives -no more. If you have another title, I must make my bow and retire." (To be Continued) A Rig Difference. " There is very little difference between yon and the ofd hen, Scribbler. You both scratch for living." " Yes, but the old hen soratohee for one and gets it."—Neto York World. Tae United States orop of young men appears to be deteriorating. Daring the last ten days of August eixty.eight young men appliedto enliet in the Marines at the New York reoraiting depot, of whom only eight were aocepted, and oni of forty. five who presented themeelvee during the Bret ten days of 'thief month only three passed. Those refused did not come up to the physioal standard. Miss Barrnndiawbo tried to kill Minister Mizner has been exiled and an exchange invites her to come to this country and Her sense of duty and jusitloe is beyond her • leant°. OUR MRIHND$ ON *ARS. M. Piamuu rion Take • f Reoeat Xenark- able Dlecovertoo of the Telescope. M. Flammarion, the eminent Parielen astronomer, Faye ; "I have jaet received some new observations concerning the planet Mare made this Bummer at some of the prinoipal observatories of our own planet, They teaoh us+ some very strange things. It seems that at certain seeecns of the year the oceans of the planet Mars are divided into two parts, just ae it a gigantic bridge or bank of sand bad been thrown across them from one shore to the other. For instance, there is, among other seas in the planet Mars, one situated at the 90th degree longitude east of the meridian 0.25 degrees longitude on the theastral tropia. Oa a000unt of the . isolation as well as the superfioial area, this sea resembles our Blank Sea. Hitherto this sea has alwaya been observed as uniform and almost circular, but last June Mr. Sohiaparelii, of Milan Observa- tory discovered that this sea was oat in two by a yellow band which divides it into unequal parts. A lake eomewhet eimilar to°oar Lake Teohed, was also noticed to have been divided into two parts at the same time. An excellent and very minute observer in England discovered that five immense innate were also divided into two parts by two straight lines, absolutely par- allel to eaoh other, in the same manner that a certain number of enigmatic canals ere noticed to have been divided some years ago. , What can these seas, lakes, canals, that divide themselves up in this manner be ? As inhabitants of this earth we hen only our observatories and our terrestrial idea° in our mind. These are insufficient to divine what takes place in another world, but each discoveries are none the lees worthy of all our attention. She Was Crazy. New York Weekly : Housekeeper (to pleasant -faded girl at employmemt agenay) —Have you any objections to the country ? Girl (politely)—None at all, madam. Housekeeper—I have quite a large family. Girl—The more the merrier. Housekeeper—Seven children, two of them quite young. Girl—I love little obildren. Housekeeper—It will be neoessary for you to bake bread, wash and get the meals. I attend to the pastry and ohamber work myself. Girl—I will also make the pastry and do the rest, it yon will allow me. Housekeeper—I oennot give you more than three afternoons off. Girl—Two will be sufficient, perhaps more than I will want, as my plan is so give strict attention to my household duties and thus get the work done up promptly every day so ae to have plenty of opportu- nities to rest between times. Housekeeper -I am delighted— Stranger (suddenly entering)—Sorry to interrupt you, madam, but you are con- versing with one of my patients who has just esoapedfrom the Hopelessly Inoureble Lunatic. Asylum. An Everlasting Chimney. To build a ohimney that will drew for- ever and not fill up with soot you must build it large enough, sixteen inches square ; use good brink and olay,instead of lime, up to the comb ; plaeter it inside with Olay mixed with salt ; for chimney tops rise the ry best of brick, wet them and lay them i onment mortar. The chimney should not be built tight to beams and refine there is where the cracks in your obimneye come, and where most of the fires originate, as the ohimney sometimes gets red hot. A ohimney built from the cellar np is better and lese dangerous than one hong on the well. Do not get your stovepipe hole too close to the ceiling, but about eighteen inches from it.—New York Journal. Dr. Wild and the Bed -whiskered Man. In his sermon last evening Rev. Dr. Wild dwelt at length on the Oka Indiana question, and criticized the letter of Hon. Mr. Dewdney very harshly. Pert of the audience applauded. A comical incident 000nrred. While the doctor was in the midst of his exordium the door next to the pulpit opened, a taoe surrounded with red hair and red whiskers appeared, a man's voice shouted, " How about the Jes•n-ites ?" the fade dieeppeared and the door shat. The audience was electrified.—Empire. Recently very trustworthy oaleuletions of the population of the Chinese Empire by Russian authorities reckon it at 382,- 000,000, and the anneal increase at 4,000,- 000. Not one in 10,000 ever heard of the religion of Jesus Christ. Dlt, BABNABDO'a description of the honoree of London slums is doubtless not over. drawn. His work is beneficial to the thousands of children whom be pioks up from the streets and Bends to Canada, whether is is good for Canada or not. But is the remedy adequate to the disease, or is his scheme like trying to empty Lake Ontario with a tin dipper ? England is not regarded as+ a poor country. Wealth ie prodaoed there in abundance, and a great deal more might be produced it labor could get at the land now reserved by the nobility for parks, pastures and °hooting grounds. The statistioiens say that, of the 1,200 million pounds worth annually produoed, the landlords and °apiteliots take 800 millions and the other people scramble for the remaining 400 millions. Under the oironmetencee, it seems that there is missionary work to be done in England. A change of Tawe is required that would turn all the ground rent in for public revenue, would permit the repeal of the heavy taxes now paid on hones and goods, wonid set the noble° and princes at some productive labor, and would increase the supply of general employment. Leek of opportunity to work causes poverty and poverty causes orime and drunkenness. A change that would cause a better distribution of the products of labor -giving to toilers all they earn and leaving to idlers no more than they earn —would goon make Dr. Bernardo's philanthropic efforts unnecessary. The masses can take Dare of themselves if *the clams will get off their banks. Entre:N WliAlr has had a Bill introduced into the United States Congress and Senate to authorise the conotrnotion of a tunnel under New York Bay. between Staten Island and Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Acoord• ing to Mr. Wiman, the oost ofthe tunnel proper—whioh will be two and a half miles long—will be about 81,250,000 a mile, according to an estimate made by Heenan Clark, or about 86,000,000 in all.; and the capital will be forthooming when neoessary, end in three years after beginning opera- tions the tunnel will be ready for use. He figures the interest on the investment to be 000,000 a year, and says that, as 2,000,000 tons of coal are delivered in Brooklyn eaoh year, and all of it hoisted in buokets at least 50 conte a ton on half of tho coal will be saved. In connection with the rumored division of the diocese of Montreal, it in said to be intended to have only the Inland of Mon. treat in the diocese of Montreal, and t0 place the remainder under the ohergo of Mgr. Labelle as Bishop of St. Jerome. LOVE TURNED HIS BEAD.. 4 'Young Farmer, Struck by a Pretty Pace Goes Orazy. Frank Evane,,a young farmer from the townehip of Oegoode, while in the city of Ottawa about a month ago, eaw a -girl drive by in a vehiole who at once took his fancy. He declared to his brother, who was with him, that ehewas the bandsmen woman he had ever seen. The brother said he knew the girl's lane and that she lived in the township of Oegoode. When Evens returned home he evinced no desire to work, and took to wandering about the townehip in the hope of again seeing the lady who had so completely taken posses Won of his young heart. About a week ago be showed unmistakable symptoms of in- sanity. He grew rapidly worse, and was at length put under restraint. He was taken to Manotiok to be arraigned before a J0etioe of the Peace, but managed to escape from the constables. Being pursued he swam the river and soaped into the bush. He ie still at large, and mull trepidation is felt by the people in the neighborhood, ae hie aberrations have taken a violent form. Beautiful Epitaphs. Kingston Whig : A number of men were sitting in a shop the other night and the conversation turned to epitaphs. " I shall never forget one," said a citizen. "It is grand and was recited to me by the late William Martin, ship carpenter. He copied it from the tombstone over the grave of a British admiral et Aberdeen, Scotland " Though Boreaa' blasts and Neptune's waves Rath tossed me to and fro, Yet spite of all, by God's decree, I'm anchored here below. Here, at an anchor I do lie, With many of my fleet, And hope once more for to set sail Our admiral, Christ, to meet." Another man, in a quiet way, said hie sympathies were never so stirred as when he read upon a little stone, in a quiet spot in a graveyard, these words : " Mother. She made home happy." There used to be this verse over the rest. ing place of a soldier in the old English burying ground " Billeted here by death, And here I must remain, Until the last trumpet sounds When I'll rise and march again." The Chinese In Australia. Some interesting figures relating to the number of Chinese in Australia have been published by the Government statist of Victoria. In 1881 there were 43,706 Chinese in the different colonies ; the number now is 47,423, or an inorease of 3,727. The Chinese population in Victoria during that period decreased from 12,218 to 11,290, in Queensland from 11,220 to 7,691, and in New Zealand from 5,004 to 4,515. On the other hand the number of Chinese in New South Wales has iuoreased from 10,025 to 10,521, in South Australia from 4,151 to 6,660, in Western Australia from 145 to 625, and in Tasmania from 844 to 1,000. A Voice From the Boudoir. " What a foolish man ?" said Mies Grace. " All men ere foolish, my deer," re. marked Mies Trim. " To what partioular one do you refer ?" " It says here in the paper that a Phila. delphian has just offered to sell himself to a Coroner for 875." " Really 1" exolaimed-' Mies Sour. " I am delighted to know that there is one man ,who fully appreciates himself."— Chicago Times. Had to be Eating All the Time. American Grocer : " Hallo, Jim, how are you coming on with your new diet scheme 2 " Oh, I've quit. I was doing first rate until I oame to that part of the book whioh Gaye ' never eat on an empty stomach,' and (sorrowfully) I had to give up." The Proper Notice. Dr. Thirdly (of Ohioago)—Brother Laker, I have just married two couples who have been divorced and then fell in love with eaoh other again. Laker—Why don't you hang on* a sign, " Repairing Done "? She Was Always Late. Terre Hants Express : Mrs. Wiokwire— If you go first you will wait for me on the other shore, won't you, dear ? Mr. 'Wiok- wire—I suppose so. I never went any- where yet without having to weft for you at least half an hour. —t— Ir there were many Mayors in Canada like the Mayor of Leavenworth, Kansas, perhaps the Methodist Conference would not have to grieve over the popularity of progressive euchre in Toronto and Mon- treal. He has announced that he will arrest all persons in that city who attend progressive euchre parties and play for prizes. Henry George got around immediately on his return to the office of his journal, the Standard. He took a good look at the circulation figuaes and seemed a great deal surprised at what he saw there. The figures had climbed up 3,000 while he was at the other end of the world. He says he has readers in every country on the globe. He has several readers in Africa • and half a dozen in India, his publisher says. Wno would have thought that electric light would prove nmefnl as et bug -destroyer ? Professor Lintner made a microscopic examination of the insect collections .of a Bingle electric light, and estimates that the debris whioh he inspected represented 33,000 innate. As many of the smaller forms of insect life probably constituted the larger portion of those attracted to destruotion by the light, he believes that the average number of ineeote destroyed in a night by a single eleotrio light is nearly 100,000. The larger portion of Pro- fessor Lintner's specimen oolleotion from one light coneieted of minute gnats, midges, crane flies and similar small two -winged ineeote. No mosquitoes were discovered among the victims. There were, however, large numbers of plant bugs, which are Injurious to vegetation. A. number of the moths, and one of the leaf-rollere whioh have made each havoo in the fruit trees this season, were found, as well as other species of the same family. Professor Lintner, in speaking of his examination, said: " The eleotrio light will undoubtedly prove an motive agent in the redaction of insect pests, and also furnish ontomolo- gists with many rare epeoimens and with many'epeoies never before seen." It was SirRobert Peel who instituted u ed the British' Police system -hence the popular terms, "bobby" and "peeler." —"Can you decline love?" ho asked the pretty little sohool mistress. " N.no," she whispered, hiding her head upon his shoulder. The editor of the Paris Cbcarde, the BOA - 'engin organ, has been imprisoned for: in- fringing on the piens law. Ganebetta's heart is missing: When he died it was taken out and ,reserved by Peal Bert ,N Now Paul Bert Is dead and the heart cannot be found. MUNICIPAL CONTROL OF LIOI TEIOS AND T1t&NBFORTATIOH. Sylvester Baxter, in an eahanefive'ar!};. ole in the Herald on " The Government of Boston," Saye that the whole tendenoy ot good municipal government is towards en- larging the , ephore of government ; in the assumption of functions thatbaveformerly► been left to the admioistration df private interests. " Experience everywhere shows that the more a muuioipal government ---or.' any government, for that matter -has to do, the better it doge it. The beet governed; oitiee of the world are those that have the largest range of responsibility." It ie be-. Doming more and more apparent, he pro, ceede to say, " that the question of good government -vitally hinges upon whether administration to the necessities and wel- fare of the community is intrusted to pub lin or private hands. Every new private{ corporation that is permitted to enter the field of municipal eervioe, every never privilege granted to an old corporation in - omens by so mule the danger of municipal corruption, and deprives the public, of portion of its right of self-government. Eta the other hand, every function of this kind that the pity assumes plaices, by so much. its government upon a firmer and mare bndneselike basis, and makes more and more necessary a good civil service. " The leasing of the ferriee'to a company would create one more corporation to work upon the city government and intrigue int its affairs. Let me cite s comparatively reoent instance of the noxious influence of these corporations : Something over a year ago it was ascertained that the lighting of the group of city buildings formed by the City Hall, the court house, the registry et deeds and the police station was coating eomewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000: This sum was paid to an electrio light company for the service. Investigation showed that by placing a dynamo in thea basement of the City Hall, the same light- ing could be done at a out of about $3,000. making a saving to the city of about 87,000. An order for doing this was passed by the Common Council, bat the eleotrio light company brought such a pressure to bear upon the Board of Aldermen that the measure was promptly rdjeoted by that body. Whether it was merely political or social inflnenoee, or oonsiderations of an even more reprehensible ohmmeter, the aldermen who thus subjected the oity to am expense which it was clearly shown could be avoided, were false to their trusts and unfit for their positions. " These greet corporations, constantly seeking privileges from the oity, are one off the most formidable menaces to good goy. ernment and to public security. The f us- nishing of eleotrio light by private oorpora- tione, instead of by the pity, ie the vote cause of the disfigurement of oar street, and buildings by overhead wires, and their attendant danger to life and property. Chicago, which does its own electric light- ing, avoids this danger by running its wires underground—which our eleotrio light people nay cannot be done (because they went to avoid the expense). Chicago gets its street lights for 854 a year, and the cod will Boon be reduced to 850, while Boston still pays private oorporatione for ite had service 8146, or nearly three timee eamoo%. end was, until lately, gouged to the tuna of 8237.25 !. " The influence of great corporations upon municipal politics is es extensive as it is pernicious. The stook objection to the public administration of such matters ie that politics are liable to enter into theta, and corruption follow. Bat politics of the worst kind exists in the relations of Shwa private corporations with the mnnioipal government—a concrete sample of whin* we have just seen. Whatever corruptions or extravagance there might occur under municipal management is a flea bite in comparison with that ceased by the cor- porations, with their constant pressure around the City Hall, and their high charges to the pnblio, demanded to met the interest and dividends+ upon their in- flated oaptalization. If there is any abase, in a municipal department the remedy is at hand. The public loan at any time demand an investigation, and the accounts are open to examination. With the case of the private corporation the remedy is not at hand. The acooants are kept secret. and any demand to see them is resented net an interference with private righi,. while the secret workings, the ramifies. tions of hidden methods, are past unrav- elling. " Attention has frequently bean called. of late, to the way in whioh the city hasp long been throwing away and giving away valuable franchises that might, properly managed, bring in a large and =oh -needed revenue. When the city has not done this itself, the Legislature has done it for the oity—a good illustration of fraternal: government,' in contredistinotion to what has been falsely termed ' paternal, but which is really fraternal—the prinoiple of mutual self-help on the part of a commun- ity, whioh renders for the benefit of its members those eervioes which can better be performed by united action than when, left to private or individual effort." We oannot call to mind a place in Amer- ica in which the street railways are owned and managed by a oity corporation. Ia several countries the great railways are owned and operated by the Government, and in some countries this is done very successfully. A recent article in the Now York Ledger says that " in Viotoria—the most progressive of the Australian colonies —telegraphs, railway and irrigation works,. which in the United States are in private hands, ere owned end managed by the state. So far as telegraphs are concerned. this is true of England also, but the rates are much lower in Viotoria than ie the mother country. " The Victoria railways now pay four and one•half per cent. on the capital ex- pended, and would make much larger returns were it not the policy of the colony to continually lower the fares and freights so as to encourage indnetriee and render service to the people. This purpose ie carried so far in New South Wales than school children are conveyed free of charge on colonial railways, while in Victoria, remissions of fare are made to certain classes of students. "The low fares of the Victorian railways are the more surprising because the wages of labor are about twice as high as thoyare in England, and coal' costs nearly twine ae ranch. Vile should add, the street railroads in Victoria belong not to private corpora- tions, but to the 'municipalities. The, eight-hour labor day has been observed throughout Viotoria since 1856, eo far as+ artisans are concerned, end fn 1886 snarly closing law went into operation whereby male and female clerks in !hops are re- lieved from duty at 7 p.m. on five night: of the week, and 10 p.m. on Saturdays Altogether Victoria is a worker's peradit e, high wages being combined with cheap food, cheap transportation and leisure for culture and amusement" Charles Dickens, son of the great novelle ist, is now on his way anon the United States,coming from Australia to his h°. mea thie in Lodon. ' - . I#e is ravelling with Riifel and child. Ladies who paint their faces Uy on rinting of opalk first, p whioh is prima fads ovldently of their art.