The Brussels Post, 1904-10-20, Page 60 0 0a 0 0 wo 0 0 0
cdists4-40+6+040404*-4.0404esnre
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I Love's Umbrella!
+ .4.
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tbne of hie last visit, and the chance
that be could have survived appeered
cornfortinglY reniote. consectioe
that at length the rne'stery of so
many years would be somehow re-
vealed to him penetrated the old
pewaraker's inind, and as the criti-
cal date approached lie telt an al-
most youthful eagerness of anticipa-
tion. As a rule, his visitor had
turned up a clay or two earlier than
Was neceasary, but thls year he bad
not appeared on the morning of the
final day.
By the terms of the Iona, the own-
er's rigbts expired at noon, and as
that hour approached Hicks took
down the umbrella with an unsteady
hand and deliberated upon a plan ot
investigation, ile had amply pro-
vided himself with tools, and only
awaited liberty to use them.
• One! Two! Three! Four! Five!
Six! Seven! Eight! Nine! Ten!
MOVent Twelve!
Hicks had seleeted a cold chisel
from his layout, and was poising- a
hammer to strike, when a shadow
fell upon his desk, and a familiar
voice said:
"Yes: you've beaten ma 1 haven't
tlie ineneYi I've tried hard, but
when one hasn't money for food even,
bigger things must go."
Miens mussed in his work and look-
ed at his visitor. He was pale and
emaciated, and could hardly stand
from weakness. What little life was
left him burneil M his eyes, with
which he eagerly deveared the article
the two had so long contended for.
"Let nie show you," he said.
"There is an easier way."
He took the umbrella from Encl.%
*and, inserting an awl in one eye of
the carved face on the umbrella -head,
with this leverage easily unscrewed
the top, to the pawnbroker's amaze-
ment and disgust. The cavity thus
discovered contained only a piece of
folded paper, yellow with age. Upon
this , Hicks pounced with a kind oi
titthonlir of animal greed and satisfac-
But the stranger's hand fell upon
his with an energy of which bis feeble
body scarcely seemed capable.
"Don't touch it!" he cried. "For
Heaven's sake don't1 It is nothing—
nothing to you; to nie it is so much!
No," he urged, as Hicks strove to
withdraw his prize; "not yet, at any
rate, Not until you have heard my
story."
. He sank into a chair, his hand still
grasping Hick's wrist, and went on
passionately:
"It belongeci to her father—tbis um-
brella. He was an employer, and a
rich man; and I loved his daughter,
anct she loved me. But lie found it
out, and forbade me his house—for-
bade me to thiuk of her, But I
wouldn't give her up, and she
wouldn't give me up, so we used to
write one another every day, and
send the letters back and forth in
this umbrella -handle. The old man
always carried it, wet or dry, and
used to watola my thance during the
day, and unscrew the top while he
was out of the ofnee, and put in my
letter, and she did the same at
home. It seemed a great joke, then,
to make him our postman. Great
Heaven, 'what a joke ft turned out!"
Hicks slowly withdrew his hand,
leaving the yellow paper between
them on the Sleek.
"Business went wrong," continued
the stranger, after a pause. "The
old man got in -volved worse and
worse, tried the wrong way out of
it, and had to skip. Ile realized ore
everything he had—even this, as it
turned out—and left between two
clays, taking her with him. They
sailed or South America on the
'Gleamed; you remember, she was
never heard from—never even spoken.
And never a word from her. It was
all so sudden, I lcnew that; but some-
thing might have been done. I
couldn't understand.
"I guess I went pretty near out
of my mind. My body just weet
round 'without me somehow for
months, doing the old things witli-
Dot my knowing anything about it,
when all at once I thought of the
old 'umbrella, route,' as We used to
call it. It was a chance. Perhaps
the didn't have any other. All their
things had been scattered by sale;
but I hunted and hunted. There
were a hundred chances that lie had
taken it with hien but I took the
ern that he liache't. By and by I
thought of the pawnshops, and Went
the retrials. I, think yours was about
the last, and when I got my oyes
on the old thiag it was nice coming
home, tut the ticket stuck me, and
I couldn't ten my story to such a
man as you were then. You've
changed a good deal in fifty-eight
years."
He paused nncl loolcen longingly al
the letter,
'That's' tvhat t wanted. 7 knew
It was there. Her last letter to
me—the last etc sbe ever wrote. It
made me .wild at first to think that
Si I could only get my hands on the
thing for a minute I could ha-ve it
out, Ilet, you never let me touch it,
Mat did you think it was—moncy?"
Hicks nodded. '
"Money!" cried the other. "I've
wanted money pretty bad, but nevea
the way I wanteil that letter. Bet 7
coeldn't .Seern to tell at first, and by
• and by, when I got to know it was
there, waitin' for inn, it didn't seem
to matter roach, so that 1could keep
it safe. And 1 have!" he eried.
"And here it is!"
"Fifty-eight, years!" ekcl0 imacl
Hicks, 'Yod old fool! Wher didn't
you tell me this fifty-eight years
ago'?"
With a weak moan if eatisfection
•the stronger %elated the paper and
ddrettillY Opened it.
It may have been five minutes be-
fore the old pasvnbeeker ventured to
tarn aral look at him.
He eat just as he liad left him,
huddled together in hit their, the
letter bi Iiis hand, his dhin o0 his
bneast—ileacil—London AtsWere.
'
"What IS a cogent:fa, napa?"- she
asked as elle looked iip iroln
book, "A toeillette," replied the old
•palette.% "ha a girl Who gete tote
Of adMiratien, but never a husband,
In nil:sr-eight years the establish-
ment of .3. Hicks' licensed pawn-
broker, had suffered. matey changes—
generally for the worse. One thing
alone had chaogea Inc the better,
/licks himself had been modulated by
the great composer Time from a par-
ticularly vuister, self-assestive young
num of twenty into a veteran of a
singulax gentleness and benigenty of
asperd.
And it liad gradually come Stbout
through some resultant twist in the
old man's mind, that, in a general
way, he preferred his pledges to his
naoney, and that certain items upon
his shelves, representing money hope-
lessly lost to lihn, had become, nev-
ertheless, the source of profound set-
isfaction.
Sucli was No. 831, as it stood en-
tered upon his books.
Commercially regarded, No. 881
was a green silk umbrella, with a
heavy metal handle of considerable
intrinsic value; sentimentally, it
stood for Hick's oldest and dearest
friend.
It bad been pawned one morning in
the early years of his business life by
a respectable elderly gentleman, who,
alter scene haggling, accepted for it
the sunt of one pound.
Nearly a year from the date of
this transaction, and just before the
expiration of the term of the loan,
o young man had turned up and had
inquired with evident anxiety regard-
ing the pledged umbrella.
"It Is most important," said the
Young man, "for—for family reasons,
tbat this article be redeemed. There
is no objecting, X presume, to my
paying the lotin and interest on be-
half of my—my relative, and taking
the property out of your hands?"
"None whatever," said Inas, "pro-
vided you have the ticken't -
"But I haven't," said the young
man earnestly. "It is at the bottom
of the 'sea, with the man to whom
you gave it."
"How can you pl'ove that to me?"
said Miens. 'No, no. my friend; I
mist have my ticket,"
"But the thing is worthlessl 1 will
pay you ten times the loan to safe-
guard you against any claim—twenty
times! "Great heavens!" he cried,
excitedly, "I must have it, man!
More depends Upon it than you
know 1"
But Hicks Ives obdurate, and the
stranger, after having exhausted his
steak of argument, entreaty, and pe•
cuniary temptation, finally went
away.
When lie had gone, the hroknr took
down the umbrella, from its shelf and
examined it witli a new interest.
There was some mystery about it.
Well, in thirty days it might be
solved, for if, as the young man had
said, its owner and the ticket were
both at the bottom of the sea, the
umbrella, would become his when the
loan matured.
But the matter turned out by no
means so simply, Two days before
the loan matured the young man re-
turned, clearly fortified with a better
knowledge of the bu,siness, and of hes
powers and privilege:a, paid the inter-
est on the loan for another year, and
thus renewed tbe matter for that
pealed. Hicks accepted the money
with an odd sense of deafeat and dis-
comfiture.
In twelve months more, just as
Hicks's imagination was beginning to
hover in close circles about his mys-
terious pledge, the young man again
returned, and renewed the loan as be-
fore, after again trying vainly to ne-
gotiate its eurrender. In another
ttvolvernenth the same performance
tnok place, and again at the fourth
and fifth anniversaries of the trans-
action,
Between whiles the pawnbroker nev-
er saw him or heard from him: but
there was scarcely a day that he did
not think of him and of his pursuit,
and scarcely a week that, in an 00 -
Mese of bodied ceriosity and greed—
ier to his inflamed imagination the
simple game lied become the key to
treasures untold—he did not take
down the article end re-examine it,
rap it, sound it, rattle it, feel its
fabric inrh by inch, end, upon oc-
canion, muse its silent secretiveness
in good eet terms.
Its metal head was large and beavy
--solid, apparently, to all tests that
he dared make, and cast or carved
at the top into the semblance of a
grotesque head, with staring, deep-
set eyes. (bit or otherwise invade the
substance of stick or handle he dared
not, as a matter of professional
scruple; and finally, noting that his
frequent handling was causing signs
of wear, lie was forced, Inc the same
reason, to deny himself altogether the
futile pleasure of touching it, save
'upon rare and eagerly anticipated Oc-
casions, Iluthe hong It on the wall
above his desk, end there it stood
before Min dey bit day, a beacon and
a gaol, a beekoning hand. a bow 61
promise.
Ttvice lie wee sick to death, but
they brought the umbrella to his bed-
side, and he etraightevag got teen, Tde
came back foelornly from his wife's
nowly-ntade grave and sat cloven be-
fore hie talismara and was presently
consoled. Ille son tobbed and
shamed him; but be knew a Way to
be heartened arid uplifted, The in-,
finite poseibilitiee of the umbrella
•epread themselves above 111m, end
shielded him from the deem of dr-
cumsta,ncee,
IL
Thug more than holt a eentary went
by and as the fifty-eight annivereary
et( What had inn' eenie to be the
chid event of hie life approached,
31101ca felt a lineller hope than tuned
•etir within him, The annual 'visitor
had 'scented ontiscially feeble ot the
0.
ise
,„?
es.
10
Fashion
...Talk
ddstandadestateadeasedengetteesseasastegeng
SKIRTS,
All sensible women will rejoice in
the well-settled fad, that short, skirts
are hero to stay, even the Parisian.
wilio has been anything but practical
irx respect to the leegth of her skirts
• having capitelatecl. The butep-length
skirts are not only to be worn for
walking, but for reeeption gowns, and
those who look best in ekirts of that
length will wear them, and in many
instances esening gowns of round
length for dancing will be seen.
In the longer skirts, • those that
barely touch in the front and at the
,sides and lie on the floor in the back
'will be fashionable Inc dinner gowns
and general evening wear.
The skirts that lie on the ground
several inches all the way arounnl
end filet were as ungraceful and slov-
enly are taking their germ -laden folds
out of sight.
For women, especially those of mid-
dle age, or of too evident stoutness
or thinness—either being fatal to
grace—and also the short wornaa,
look better in skirts that just clear
the pavement than in the shorter or
instep length, but sucli skirts are
more or less a nuisance, for they are
just long enough to dip into every
puddle or other filth on the street
and yet too short to hold up, a, pe-
culiarly ungraceful effect being given.
by the lifting of skirts that manifest-
ly clear the ground. Perhaps the
compromise between this nnd an
instep length is best found in the
skirt that clears tie pavement an
inch all the way around.
It is to be hoped that all WOraen
adopting round skirts will see to it
that they are not only as long or a
shade longer in the front than the
back when first worn, but also after
being worn awhile. 71 a slcirt is not
cut properly there is a tendency Inc
it to ride up in the front, and this
tendency should be discovered and
remedied, for nothing is more fatal
to one's appearance than to have a
skirt tilting up at the front. Even
a properly cut skirt, if it is tight,
may have its hang ruined if its wear-
er is not careful how she sits and
stands in it.
The new skirts that clear tlie pave-
ment from present indications are to
be fuller, and all sorts of plaits used,
but it is hardly likely that in the
heavy winter cloths this fullness will
obtain irt walking gowns, as it would
snake them too cumbersome to be
otherwise than tiring, and American
35010e13, eSpeeially the younger ones,
are, despite their following of fash-
ions, not slaves to extreme modes,
and they prefer comfort to discom-
fort in walking gowns.
Coats fitted at the back and over
the hips but swinging a bit loose in
front to show vests of contracting
colors, are a feature of the new walk-
ing costumes, but the devotee of the
Eton coat need not be discouraged.
The Eton is a, case of the survival of
the fittest, and while many attempts
have been made to dethrone he it is
too comfortable and tote well suited
to the requirements of numberless wo-
men to be otherwise than fashionable
so long as coats are worn.
THE COLORS OF THE SEASON.
Apparently yellow and gold and
all those lovely autumnal tintn are
the colors of the season, in spite of
their already long reign. Width felt
hats, or beaver, or even velvet, svilit
orange ribbon, and feathers or flow-
ers of all shades between brown and
yellow—to say nothing of the dell-
sliacles—are particularly in vogue.
Possibly it is the naturally more vi-
vid coloring of beautiful continental
wothen that snakes theta appreentte
so fully th'e glory of bright colors,
•for scarlet and gold are important ire
every wardrobe. In England we have
given pastel shades 0, long vogne;
it will be delightful to light tbe
niurk and gloom of dull wintry tinys
with something cheerful and exhilar-
ating in our color schemes once more.
COSTUMES.
The very best tailors are using
plain broadcloths and unebtrueive
mixtures Inc Costumes, and plaid sllk
shirt waists will lend a :dated touelt
of color to the gown. The quieter
of the Scotch lartahe are prefevable,
the background ia dock green, navy
blue, or brown crossed with itarrow
stripes and small hlothe in comple-
mentary tones. And in marls, of
these new silks the hete.kgroilnd lo
darned or seeded With little stitebes
In white, making a pleasing relief in
the mixed colorings. And ilia wo-
man who views the field of fttsbion
has already noted the fact that the
eXtrernely long shoulder lige, whieli
inert° its appearance with the other
1830 fashions is now a thing of the
past, at least where the sbirt-waist
te concerned. It is the woman with
broad shoulders and hien, full chest
who rules the mode juet nciw; al-
though the shoulder etiarrt is still
long, it is no longer fashioned with a
downward 'droop. This is in aceord-
tame with the new figure which fash-
ion has declared for, which is that
the waist line moat itt distinctly cle-
ft/led, the blouse must set closely, and
while a little sagging is peraiitted in
front, it is not ithytliing nt all like
tho poach pi•eveiled for SO
long, Naturally these new' reqoire-
Inente Jana° Lite 0111: of (lie shirt waist
totally different from Whet it need in
be.
I
ence Queen .Alescandra has over shotert
for these tints, and will, tlierefree, be
extremely popular. It will ne more
than welcome if it serves to bring
those lovely gems, amethysts, into
favor once more, M obedience to the
fashion that decrees that Jostens Must
match the gowns.
4
A BOLT FROM THE BLUE
STRANGE FATE OF A BRIG-AN-
Tnqn IN MID.° CEAN.
A Thgory That Many Ships Have
Been Struck leY
Meteorites.
The Mexican Herald recently print-
ed an interceding account given by
Ifr. L. H. Wiathrop of the fall of a
largo meteor about 500 yards from a
ship in the Indian Ocean. After de-
scribing vividly the strano scene, the
narrator expressed Ids belief that of
the ships tbat disappear mysteriously
many may be hit by falling meteors
and sent to the bottom.
It is certain that a ship struck by
a meteoric mass as large as some
wbith have fallen on land would be
demolished suddenly. There is a me-
teoric stone in South America esti-
mated to weigh 80,000 pounds, one
in Mexico even larger, and Yale Col-
lege has a mere fragment weighing
1,740 pounds. A. meteor estimated
by astronomers to be a mile in dia-
meter passed over Europe on the
night of Aug. 18, 1788, and in 1808
one ot these celestial tramps burst
over Normandy and scattered more
than 2,000 fragmentover three
square leagues of geouncl.
Just fifty years ago this inontli a
very large meteor was seen over the
Eastern States. It burst iuto 'two
Pieces, one of which fell into the sea
eft Sandy Hook. In 1884, 'Captain
Swart, of the Dutch barque "J. P.
A.," reported the narrow escape of
his vessel from destruction by 0 me-
teoric stone, His log showed that on
March 19, in latitude 87.89 north and
longitude 57 west, at about 11
a barge meteor was seen to break in-
tO two parts, one of svbicli, having
appearance of a ban of fire, fell to-
ward the sea. Judging that the ball
would fall in the barque's course,
Captain eiwart 'hove to under storm
saint. Scarcely had lie ciono so when
the meteor fell close alongside, calm-
ing great commotion of the water
and cross seas, which
WASHED OFF THE DECK,
The heat from the•dery mass was in-
tense for a moment, and blistered the
paint on the ship's side, The baro-
meter for a few moments oscillated SO
violently that no reading could be
taken.
Some fifteen or more years ago, I
spoke of Capt. Swart's report to an
old Danish sailor in San Francisco,
and was moved to tell me of cut
experience of his own, for Which, of
course, there is only his teethrejnY%
The old man had been mate of the
barque "Antelope," which was burned
at sea on a voyage from San .l0000_
cisco to Liverpool in 1865, and he
had no log to show in verification of
his tale. I give it substantially in
his own weeds, from notes made at
the time:
'We were becalmed in the Pacific
about nine or ten degrees north of
the equator and somewhere near 128
west longitude. The 'Antelope' rolled
like a log, the sails flapped against
the masts, and made the only stir of
Or you could feel. it was the sec-
ond night of the calm and the port
watch was on deck. The moon was
shining Wear, and as there was »o -
thing to keep a lookout for, except
indications of a breeze, which didn't
seem likely to come along, the men
wore drowsing under the bulwarks
and the man at the wheel was Snor-
ing.
"I was leaning over the mil, at
about six bells, looking at a brigan-
tine that had drifted into the cairn
about three miles aWay on the star-
board quarter. We had not spolcon
her cold did not know wbo she was
or where slie hailed from. By lier
tapering topmasts, I judged her to
shenererican, but that was all.
liowa
A TRIM LITTLE CRAFT,
and it was enough to break a sea-
man's heart the way she was wiped
oft the fan of the earth that night.
To he sure, the "Antelope" wasn't
treated much bettor a few tveciles lat-
er, but fire is one of the chances a.
sailor reckons on taking, and mailie.
a good ship is burned at sea. I
don't know of any other craft meet-
ing the fate of that beigantine, X
don't say it never happened before
or steed because strange things al-
ways are happening at sea, aed imam
of the strangest never get told; men
don't live to tell them.
"Well, I was leaning on the Ante-
lope's rail with iny cheek 111 my palm
looking away where the brigantine
lay in the moonfight. The roll of
She bark Waa laZY and soothing, ,and
had fallen into a dreamy doze When
I was startled broad awake by a
bright light in the aky. Looking up,
I SOW tt great ball of flee rushing
through the air on a slant. Ily the
time X had hauled in the slack of iny
wits enough to Remy that it was a
slieetitig star, the glare was so bright
that the light 01 1,110 moon wag of no
more account than a slush lairm, and
the eters were doused altogether.
'There was a rushing, Miffing
noise in the air as the thing came
cloWn. What it got pretty :man the
light almost blinded me, and I could
see hothing but the fiery gleans on
the Water. It witen't as long front
the tittle it hove in sight until it
struck as I have been le telling how
it looked. It inuet lia,vo been travel-
ling like a canon ball, or maybe 0.
good Many more knots o. Infinite, Ta
the glare 13 lea sight of the britme-
tine, and then 1 hoard
A CRASHING SOUND,
end the ball of fire diaapPeared, ktese.,
Ing eeerything black before my oyes
for a, Monstht,
"When13 had blinked the eight back
trite mat oyes esid got aeoci to the
010011113110, t &need Onen Cie star -
A IVONDERFTIL NEW d'OLOIl.
1311 Ifirigland they have a Wondoeful
tee Color for tide eeation's weer,
Wiled "ranineriee," attd is that curl -
Otis tirade et purple worn by cardin-
It ie Said to be the towing ord-
er for heavy gowns, and tuts through
the shadoe of Mauve, pendia end
deep viniot It bee probablY erePt
into faner titrotigli the great peelers
hoard quarter to where the brigan-
tine had both. Not a trace of her
was to be mode out. I could hard-
ly believe my own oyes, although
they were a good pair in those days,
before the sea -dust had :Jelled them,
end I thought. I must have been 0 03
dazed by what had :happened, and got
confused in my hearings. But in no
direction was so much as a spar In
sight, and off there on the quarter
there was a rising and fallieg of
short waves, their tops catching the
glint of the moonbeams that showed
where the shooting star had gone
down into the sea. 'That was wbere
the brigantine had been.
"The light and noise lied aroused
the watch on deck, and the men 'were
gathered in a group by the foremast,
blinking their eyes and wondering
what had happened. They hadn't
eeen all that I had, and didn't know
just what had made the great glare
of light, I told them to look for
the brigantine, end aent nt mot aloft
to see if he could =eke out anything
where she had been. They were just
about struck durnb when they saw
the sea clear of all craft int OUr
Own, and asked me if the brigantine
had blown up. The man aloft could
not inalco out anything. They were
all taken aback when X told what I
had seen, and of course their super-
stitious roan were 'excited.
"Thinking sonie poor fellow might
lsc floating where the brigantine went
down. I called hp the old man and
all hands, and a boat was sent out
to search. Tlie.second mate went in
the boat, and all he brought • back
was a bit of scorched deck planking
that he picked up adrift. lldiat was
the only trace of the brigantine left
and we never learned her name or
anything roore about her."
TOGO A JUDGE DP
The Admiral Rarely Xakes Mis-
takes in His Choice.
The world knows Admiral Togo
as a man of tile sword pure and sim-
ple. The world, as often, is mis-
takenlife is something greater than
a fighter; as a judge of men he ranks
much higher than as a soldier. His
men never eease to marvel at the ease
with which lie accomplishes the most
difficult tasks of a commander, and
at the rarity of mistakes that • lie
makes in the choice of his subordin-
ates. There is a saying among the
men of the Nippon navy tbat runs
something like this:
"There is only one commander who
uses his subordinates like his own
fingers, and the name of that mum is
Achniral Togo." •
The old time ideal of the &tunnel
was the welding of the soldier and
the scholar in one; and Admiral Togo
is not false to the ideal; he 10 13 stu-
dent as well as a fighter.
"I am no scholar," he is reported
to have said. "From sny early
youtli„however, my masters have
compelled me to examine and follow
carefully the teachings of the school
of Yomei. It seems to nie that a
soldier can derive a gdeaCileal of
benefit from the study of Yornei."
-The Admiral is certainlynot the
first or the only soldier of Nippon
who has acknowledged his debt to
the teachings of the Chinese philoso-
pher whom our people know under
the name of, Yomei. The school of
Yomei emphasizes a perfect poise of
the soul. The students of Vernet
value more than anything else the
quiet balance of nerve, the equilibri-
um whicli cannot be distributed by a
little thing like a bursting shell with-
in a few feet of a man or a sword
gleam a few inches before the eyes.
The first lesson that a master of
sword or a master of jitie;iitsu tries
to instil into the mind of a Samurai
youth is the haportance of attaining
coolness of nerve and pitied poiee
of the soul. In the eyes of the Nip,,
Pon lighting men these qualities are
much more important than the clever
handling of sword or gun. '
TEBR, AND CLOCKIVIAICER.
'—
Lord Grimthorre Bas Designed
Another Timepiece.
Lord Clrimthorpo, lawyer, church
restorer • and horologist, and very
nearly a monogenarian has just de-
signet1 a new clock Inc,the tower of
Worethorno ahurcla, in Lancashire,
England. '
Lord Gelintborpe's greatest ac-
hievements, apart from his enormous
practice at the parliarneatary bar,
have been the designing of the cloelt.
eli tbe Houses of 'Parliament, a,nd the
restoration, at his own charges, '
St. 'Alban's Abbey.
When the clock waS projected Vul-
liainy, and other famoue clock -
makers, wao were aeleed to tender,
demurred to a stipulation that it
thould be guaranteed not to Navy
more than a minute o. week. But
Mr. Beckett -Denison., 310 Lord Grad:,
thelTe then was, WAN adamant, and
the conteact was given to Mr. Dent,
who worked from Lord OrlinthoeOe's
designs after the Astronomer Royal
had withdrawrl from the whole af-
fair,
A mirtous sego& was the action
brought by the founclers of Big lien
agaiest lanai Grimthorpe, who had
declared that the bell was a disgrace
to the country.
It fell to the lot of the neat who
afterwerde became Lord Russel/ Of
Eillowen to crost-exambie Lord
Grimthorpe, and the exeiteMent WaS
intense over What was expected to
be a battle of the giants.
But the men 'knew one nnother'e
powers, and the encomiter was ottiv
distinguished by urbanity and a ten-
der regard for Welt other's feelings,
Lord Grinithoepe, howeVer, had te
Pay 81,000 claznages.
• A COOD 11)11A..
Thei'e Is in a eubtaris of Vienna, a
unique herticultuerd institution
Which might he advaritageouely 003.,
led in this eolfetrn. The idea on
which it is founded is to encotnage
Children to take an fitterest, it) flow -
018 ortd troon, 'About 7150 children
attend regularly, and tide year they
bane planted 2,000 trees and plalete,
At the ead et the year prigee are
Clietribilted te the Children W1)edle,15 ueed for Makieg furriittleo, vaeees
photts hetet been best cared fon, in,leture-fraMea, etc,
JOHN BURNS IN LONDON
11 T.A.IdES A vnny opxxxxs.
TIC VIEW.
Improvement in the Poor Guar-
ters—What Better Education
Has Done.
John Burns, the British labor
eader, has been visiting London
highways and byways, and gives Ids
opinion in an interview in the Daily
Newe
"X have been through London's
markets and into its hospitals," lie
said. "I have watched at its fires,
been a merry' witness at its wedd-
ings a weleouu partner at a chris-
tening, an observer of its funerals, a
student in its slums—Yes, and a
wrathful onlooker of its betting,
whose agents laugh at the police, in
their recrultiug of the vassals of vieo
at every street corner."
"And you still find London love-
ly?''
"Lovelier every 'clay. Olf, yes, . 13
have read the morbid literature of
the mean streets, and I am shocked
at the sensational and corybantie
vaPorings of Transatlantic yellow
journalists, who, after a drive in a
cab, conceive dirt to be immortality,
untidiness to 3nefin crime, and pov-
erty to mean bestiality."
Ides, sir," cried Mr. Burns, 'Mean
lies from mean souls. Only a mean
seta count talk about a spawn of
Children cluteered the slimy 'pave-
ment like tadpoles on the bottom of
O dry. pond,' "
PHYSICAL DETERIORATION.
"But what about physical deters
Mention?" .
"On that point X give the testi-
Inony of my OWn eye 1 ibul the
People better clothed, cleaner, and
certainly less drunken. Tho children
are better booted, arid tvear cleaner
pinaforee, and I think they are bet-
ter, because more cheaply fed. But
the regiment that in last autumn
manoeuvres had the most lads fall
out through bad feet name from
the worse distiects I visited. X need
hardly point out the moral.
"Here and there in large blocks of
houses'and people I teas often sur-
prised by the tidy homes ,and the
clean children, representing patient
love and care on. the part of the
mothers."
"The municipal bodies have not
been ploughing the sand. Roads aro
better paved. The streets are broad-
er and cleaner. Drainage is sweeter
and there is a complete absence oC
offensive smells. The efforts of the
London County, Colinell loomed up
wherever one svent, and Imre arid
there the local authorities were keep-
ing stride and pace with central au-
thority,"
"Have you any flgeres to illustrate
all this?"
• Mr Burns glanced umaningly at. his
hookslielvee and memoranda.
"Figures? Well, here are a few—
just se mere sprinkling. London has
been brightemal everywhere by 4.80
separate road and street svidenings,
whieb—I Duty mention incidentally—
have swept away over 100 liquor sa-
loons. The parks and open spaces
under the L.C.O. have jumped in fif-
teen years from forty to 106. Apart
from these the Borough Councils
have another 120 under their charge
—all better kept than
IN THE OLD DAYS.
Beyond these, again, i find that
100 churthyards haVo been thrown
open and open spaces where Lon-
doners, Old and Yining, can gather
for leisure and pleasure, see (bo play
of water, the sight of flowers, mad
hear the gay solace to a tired in-
dustrial of goy music.
• "Then," itdded Mr. Burns, still
turning over hiS accumulation of care
fully arranged Jottings, "you must
not forget the other agencies of
sweetnes's and light in the 500 school
play -grounds which have been opened
during the laet 80 years—the 60 lib-
raries, 50 baths, 12 polytechnics,
and an eqoal number of clean and
handsome L.0.0. or newton lodging
houses. In the small districts, es-
'pecially, the great increase of ptiblic
institutions has spread ,a new abates-
phere
TOWELS AS SITN-PROTECTORS,
Tho refusal of the British War
Office to issue sunehats, bus had a
somewhat remarkable sequel. A
battalion. of the 2nd Grenadiee
Guards went out to exercise ender
General Paget on the Fox !leis,
near 'Aldershot, nod the sun being
exceedingly hot the officers orderea
the Guardsmen to take theM towels
tvith them and wrap them round
their heads. So extraordinary a
speetaele has never been aeon in the
streets or lanes of Alderehot as the
long column of Guards swinging
along with their heals wrapped in
white towels, and their flat "Brod-
ricks" perched on top.
TIM CZAR'S BOD,YGUARD.
The Czar'e body-geard eoneists of
fifteen Ciscaesians noted for their
keenness mid courage. They accom-
pany the Emperor everywhere'002110-
(1010s,, in disguise, sometimes in uni-
form, mod on occasions as private
gentlemen of the Court. They keep
a. special watch on the kitchen, and
examine everything that is cooked
before it is placed on the imperial
table, The wine is, 'tasted thveeal
time!! a Clay by thine persoth, for
fear that it should be drugged.
11+10101.4r++++444-101014-101+
E NETERIEVOli
+.14+++++4444+144444+4.4444
It certainly MIS puzzlieg. We
had watched, him go in any number
of tifileS. Together we had watched
him, from behind closely-cuistainedi
windows pull out a bunch of keys,
and, after easefully selecting one,
open the door.
But where was the keyhole? Wo
could not discover any signs of elle.
It began to prey on our minds. I
lost all intereet in everything else.
It was in a very uneasy and nerv-
ous state of mind that I decided to
can upon niy old friond wheel
O'Hara, chief of police. He laughed
heartily at my story, but asked in
what way he could serve me, I could
think of no better plan than to Mier*
a mart pot on watch.
With the ehlef's promise of the de-
tee:live that afternoon, I tools leave,
determined to have a closer look at
the mysterious premises on my way
home. As I approadliecl the house,
And obtained a near view of the
doorknob, 'I stattted with terror, tote
nOW there waa no knob at alas
thbugih I moialt, dietinetlY saW 0key,-
holos
3 etered like me bereft!, and then
ran aceoss the street and into my
osvn house.
"Thekeyhole is gone! No, the
doorknob is gone! 011, noi. don't ,
know tvliicli is gone!" '
"011, is it the door .opposite Glad
has caused you to lose control of
yourself?" exclaimed my wife. "What
is the matter now?"
"'Mere is no cloornob, but there is
a keyhole," I answered.
",That is very strange," sstiO my
wife. "Aro you sure?"
She walked to -Vie window, and I
followed, in a dosed condition.Wo
1 0 okod out logether, and there,
where I could have sworn I had a
few minutes before seen a keyhole,
there Was nothing* but a knob!
Tliat aftgrnoon the detective call-
ed'. He asked me a number of ques-
tions, to which I gave slight heed,
for I was revolving a plan that
would carry nu into the enemy's
eanafitaY, I would oael 1311 hinl that
very day, as soon ne he retuthed. I
felt that X could not get a night's •
sleep after what I had seen tbat day.
We sat smoking and talking for
ntieirly two hours, :when the watchful
detective euddenly premed' lily arra.
Following his glance, I saw the oc-
cupant of the opposite house ascend-
ing the steps.
We started immediately, but our
man had entered and closed hi:3 door
when we readied the street. I
mounted the steps and rapped sharp-
ly.
In response to a polite impliry as
to the nature of our call, I intro-
duced myself tie an opposite neighbor.
and said that I had a twofold reraeon
for calling. The first WEIS to make
his acquaintance, and the secon,d —
but here 13 tammered and hesitated,
for 3 found it extremely difficult to
explain. But here the detective came
to my rosette, seeing the embarrasle-
ment I was in.
"Mr. Iferwin," lie said, for as
swat out hoot had introduced him-
eelf, "I know you will pardon us, but
it la your front door that has caused
us to intrude dpon you,"
"My front door!" exclaimed Mr.
Merwin,
"To be snore. explicit, the knob on
your front door," ancavereti tlio
teciave, "for it seems to have a
kneel( of appearing and disappear -
"Weil, well!" exclaimed 1/fr. Mer -
win, and we really thought he would
explode with heighter. "X kind 110
idea X was being watched," he said,
aftes this outburst; "but as it can,
make no difference now, as to -day I
have secured the patent 13 have been
working for, I will explain. Here is
a working model," lie said, going to
a cabinet and bringing forth a mina -
thee door, "that will' show what I
moan., You eee here a knob. No-
tice tlint I raise iidso, and I diselose
the keyhole. 7 insert the key thus,
unlock the catch, remove the key,
drop the blob so, and there you have
the door with no ugly defacement of
O keyhole. To -day I removed tiie
one on my front door to make a
slight s a 1 terat i on . That, gentlemen,
is what 13 call rather a, neat inven-
tion."
LI'PTI,131 JAPAN NOT SO SlidALL,
Mott, of ow' mots of Asia are
drawn to a entail scale, and on such
snaps the Japenese archipelago fills
little space, But she ie le.rger thee
England and more populous. She
has 6,000,000 motet Peoria than
France; She sent SIX aviniea °Vey
803 within eix nionthe, every one of
'which woe es big CO alther army that
Met at Waterloo, She hes sent to
Manclunia twice as niany soldiers in
siX »torahs ea England sent to Sotttli
Africa fit 'two 700r0..
Udine". 15 the bathe of a netv sub-
stance Made of telnpraseacl 311
S'Uld'S CORONA. WEIGHED.
Atmosphere, Temperature and Tel-
escope 'Used as Scales.
The astronomers. of the I.,ick Ob-
servatory haVe ,issued a report giv-
ing the results of investigations
made by Professor Arrhenius, the
great Swedish scientist, who has
been spending two menths in the ob-
vervatory. • Ile weighed the sun's
corona, rind saysi that it scales about
twenty -Ave million tons. The scales
used were the atmosphere, the tem-
perature and the teleseope.
Although occupying a space extend-
ing over several million miles Ito
percentage of matter is very small,
Profeseoe Atrlienius eetinutting that
there is oily one minute dust particle
for oath fifteen cubic yards of 0110Ce.
Besides weighing the corona, the
professor bellovee that lle lute ;mined
severat other disputed points, inclild-
ing the SOUree of the ecironal 1 igh t.
In neother report the astronomers
state that the diratance of Alpha Cen-
tauri from the earth has boot adore
Mined spectroseoPically. It 1$ ap-
proximately 24,929,208,000,000
trines awa,y, 111111 (10 the nearest known,
star to the eastii. Its light recpaires
leer and a quarter years to reach
our plated,
The epeettoerile ebservatiolie agree
with those Medd by the teleseepe.
111, ie thEetilt for a, man to cliirib
to the top of the ladder, lett it is
deed ettey for bint to slide dereati
agairt,