Loading...
The Brussels Post, 1901-6-20, Page 2> I = 1 11XC i16 i tr 16, 5 1 Eii • THE WHITE ROSE. l f =al mit",-q' f5�ai'��Y:d W . SYNOPSIS OI PREC1'.,DING CHP- thought that valuing the! master wan taking the lady to the station." " Wo have inquired at the station," observed Lord Rhysworth, "but neith- er S1.1• Kart nor the lady wan ween there" ' 11 'ho was the lady, Tames?" ask• ea the Squire. "It wart madame's.dauglrt•eti,sir, the young French lady who lived at Beaulieu." TRS,-SirKarl Alianuioro is about towed Delores, Lady Rhysworth• Lola Ferree) has pressed her lava upon him but it Aar been leo joctod and she vows vongeanoe on the object of hili sitteo- tiond. Lola gees abroad, Two year pales happily when one eight he goes cut om mysterious business, CHAPTER fr.VIV,-Continued. "My dearest Dolores, some of it may he mere surmise, but what wo know to be true I will lay before you ; and, although it goes• to any basset to do la I must. First, do you remember, K letter received a lett yester- daythat r• i d ester- s day morning which seemed to distress bine very much t Ile declined to show it to ''you, although you asked him to do so, The reading of that letter com- pletely changed hint, if you remem- ber; he was not himself all day, he neither spoke tor smiled. I want you to bear all this ia1 mind; it is one link in the chain of evidence. Then, after looking miserably utf.ike b:m- self all day, he told us that be could not drive me home at night, because ho had an appointmeut. When we asked Bim about it, he seemed distress- ed and anxious. The intexonce that I daaw from all L•hls is, that the person who wrote the letter is the person bo went to see. I do not think there it any doubt about that; do you, •Rhysworth ?" , ' No, I do not " was the :reply. . ,Dolores raised her fair head with a look of Tolled. " That seems clear, papa. I wonder I did not think of it before. As you Say, that letter completely changed bin. 1 remember this face as be thrust the letter into Ina pookeL; he was not like himself after that. The note troubled him I am surd " " What we want to discover," con- • You are Waite surd 1" said Lord Rliyeworth. ' auIto sure, any lord. I have of- ten driven her home from Dooping Hurst to Beaulieu. I was !groom there any lord, before :'came here. That will do; you may go," said the Squire ; and the three were left alone again. They looked at one another for some moments in silence. Tle Squire was the fleet to speak. "1 um afraid," he said gravely, "that this ig a bad ease. I hate to sit in judgment upon any man, much less a man whom I loved so well as Sir Karl. Dolorec.i, your best plan 'will be to go to your husband's roam,, and see if those is any trace of that letter" "I have not the strength to walk up -stairs," she replied ; and her pallid face &halved how true the words were, " Then I will go for you," said the Squir e. He was not absent long; and he returned with the letter in his hand Ho had found it just as Sir Karl had thrust it into the pocket of his coat. He held it out to his daughter. "I have read it, Dolores," he said ; " and my dear, I am afraid the sim- ple but shameful truth is this, that Lola de Ferras bas persuaded your husband to go away with hex. Read the rse f letter ou 1 ." e y The Squire, watching her as sh a obeyed, thought that it would have been easier to see her die than to wit - nese such unutterable anguish creep into her face. " I will not believe it," sha "not from from any evidence, not from any person but him:.elf or her 1 :Why should ha tun away with her? He never loved her ; he loved me." And then she recollected Lola's threat - "When he has grown tired of you and tinned the Squire, "is the writer of of your washed out faded kind of the letter and the person that ho went beauty, his heart will turn to me, and to see. I am afraid, Dolores, that we tben I shall take my e,evenge." Great heaven, was this her revenge? have a clew. Whether it will pain you Witham terrible my she fell upon her or not, my child, I cannot tell; but knees. Did Lola's revenge then eon - e am afraid nay, I may say that I am quite eure that the person your husband went to meet was Lola de Farms." She sprung from his arms and cried out; but her words were unlntellig- stet in taking her husband from her? Yet Dolores felt convinced that Karl had not Ceased to lave bete, If ever any man had deemed devoted toa wo- man, he had appeared so to her on the very night of hie disappearance. Who could have been more kind or ible. Her ghastlyface �rlg= :cued more tender ? It wag improbable that he, so upright and honorable, should them. have gone away with Lola. She would "I will not believe it I" silo said, never believe it. Lola had written to after awhile. "My husband would not him. He had not told her the contents go to meet Lola de Fe=rran, the Ivo- of the letter. Lola had emit for hi,m man who hate,! me, and who bas sworn to meet hex unknown to his wife, vengeance against me. Papa, why do and he had gone. But, in spite of all you say that 1" that, she knew that he would never " My dear, it is true. As I was arty- leave her for Lola ; why should he ing home along the beeping Toad last when he loved her with all Itis heart ? night with dnmea. Ashford, I saw a " And the children "1 she eried aloud. lady walking, Her eyes were cast "Do you think that, even if Karl could The name came from his. lige with down, and She seemed buried in leave me, he would leave them. Ah, a long -drawn tsigh, as his head fell thought ; but I recognized ger in a never papa 1 There is same treachery, upon bid breast -the bitter sigh witb moment as Lola de Ferras. Wishing somemistakei Hebasmot left me, my which he had, .luring the long illness to be gore, I said to James, ' Who is darling, my hueband, my love! Oh, that 1' He looked and answered im- come back to me, Bari, or I shall mediately, "Miss de Ferras, sir.' But die" 1 noticed that the moment she aaw It was almost a relief to them, when my atteetion drawn to her she pull- at length insensibility deprived her for ed down her veil over her face and a time of all knowledge of the trouble walked on swiftly. She evidently did which had fallen upon her. • not want me to see her. I drove past "I could almost pray that she her and took no notice. I saw that might die in her unconsciousness," said she was going towards Soarsdale,and the Squire, with a heavy sigh. "Great I wondered at that, because I knew Heavens, how little did I'ever think you had not parted on good terms. that suoh n fate would overtake my Yon had told me so. Now Lord Rhys- Budd 1" worth will tell you what he saw." " Do you really believe that Sir Karl I do not know Miss de Ferras," hag bean foolish and wicked enougb acid his lordship. "But last evening to elope with that wretched girl 1" I went for a walk through the woods, asked Lord 1Ethyeworth. You know where the Deeping Hurst "Knonving what we do, I gee little The city of Florence lay. smiling woods join yours in A path branches -reason to doubt it," auewered the in the golden light of the setting sun. off there, ata leads to the palings Squire. "I would give my life to find On the banks of the Arno, not far that skirt your portion of the woods. that he Ivae innocent, to see him come from the city stood a house known I followed it, and wben I reached the hack the uprj:ght, honorable man I as the Villa Beira, surrounded by palings, I stood for some moments have hitherto believed him to be, I tall trees and brilliant flowers. leaning against them. Looking toward cannot help thinking him guilty. The grounds of that villa sloped down the further end, I Saw Sir Karl walk- There ie no doubt the girl loved him ; to the river. There was no wall or ing with a lady. She was crying,and and no ono know.5 what a woman can railing at the brink, and acme per - seemed to be pleading to 'him. I persuade even the most sensible of sots said it was not safe ; but the mis- could see that she was tail, with a men to do." tress of the house had an artist's graceful figure, and a dark,beauti- But Dolores, twee lay seriously ill, soul, and loved to see the water lave ful face, over which she, drew her still retained her faith in her has- the bank. Oddly enough, not a rose veil. She prerently said someth ng to band. was to be found 1n the gardens,neith- Sir Karl, and he turned and looked in „I shall never believe it," she said, er white, nor red. The mmistress of my direction. Whether he saw, me or "Ortel I hear it from his own 11 the place wan English, and bad a not I cannot tell; but as he turnedPs, strong repugnance to the odor of 1 walked away quickly, as I had no or from here." roses. If the surroundings of the wish to appear intrusive. That is all In the.nmeantime the news bad spread house were attractive, the interior I have to tell you, Lady Allanmore." that the Baronet had disappeared. was a marvel of comfort and luxury. She rated her despairing eyes to The whole neighbourhood was in a The rooms were large and lofty, the her father's face. commotion about it. No Due would windows wers• framed in passion-flow- "Tbere is one person more who can credit the story. at seemed utterly ens. The ceilings were painted, and give information," • said the Squire ; impossible that Six Karl, whose mar- the walla, either panelled or barmon- and that IS Ashford, the groom. Ile riaga had been a perfect lova-match, iously tinted. The furniture was Eng - I think, saw the last of. Sir Karl." who had bee,i laughed at for his ad- lish. There were Chippendale chairs He rang the bell, trying to hide oration of the two children, should and tablcg, leaperb marquetry work from his sight his daughter's color- have left them deliberately. and fine old china. Italian art and leas face. "Send James Ashford here," Tho excitement reacbcd its climax English ideas of taste and comfort he said, to the servant who answered wheel it began to be rumored that combined could scarcely fail to have the aluminises. Stir Karl bad not gone alone, that Lola a pleasing effect. In a few minutes the groom steed de Ferras had been seen in the neigh- On thin fair evening, a lady step - before theca, He looked pale and agile borhood, and -that it was with her he ped from the open drawing -room win- ated. was supposed to have eloped. At first dew, and pawned down the long vine- " Don't ask me, sir," he said, " to the accusation war mel with scorn and shaded path till elm reached a spot distress my lady. I cannot speak be- incredulity, and then with bewildered where the river rippled over the grass ford her.. I cannot distress my lady;" surprise. The newspapers took up the which was Mudded with violets, She but the Squire answered him stern- talo ; there beeroed to be no redeem- was a tall and beautiful woman with ly, !ng point about it, if such a thing a magnificent figure, full of grace and You must hp"'tk the teeth, 1t'hcro could be possible. Sir Karl bad a dignity, Time !had dealt gently with did you see Sir Karl last ?" beautiful .young wife who was devot- Dolores. Sixteen years had passed " My lady," tried the man fa great ad to him, and no one could understand since her father had died So suddenly, trouble, "I would rather be killed :he. motive whi' h had influaneed him, leaving her Wane in the wide world. than pain you 1" No one, in the tteigh'hourhoad could re- It had been a terrible shock to her. "Speak," rho said in a Lane voice; member tbat there hada ever bean any For many weeks they had feared for "I must know. Ito net be afraid. flirtation between Lola and himself;' hes reason as well as her life. Were olid you see Sir Karl last?" their names had never been mention 1 The Squire's death had been all the At the end of the wood, my lady, ed together ; so the • matter remained, more unexpected from the fact that at the white gate. I had put up the shrouded in mystery. for some time pieviouslyhe bad seem - ponies, and wan going, where I do go They tried to, keep the newspapers ed in such excellent health. Itis daugh- Sometimes to smoke my pipe, to the from Dolorea,but she insisted on see- ter always believed that the shock lodge, At the white gate I saw my nig them ; and every lino age road of finding her husband guilty of a *nosier standing ,tnlking to a leafy, I but t 1ded to the poignancy of her great wickedness bad killed him, al - could not kelp seeing that her hendd grief, tboasgh site also wandered if it !were clasped round his lam, as though Leta told 4n to remember tbat her brought back to his ;memory same Rho was begging of pian to do some- bead, wag always adding," she said! long -past sorrow of his own. From thing, IIe was talking vary earnest- to heaeelf "Gan it have ached worse that day, now sexleen years ago, Dol - Xy to her. After a time elm smiled then mine?' arms becutn•o an altered woman. She find looilod engaged; then they walker The .Squire took up hie abode at accepted the fact that her husband away together. Sc'arsdalo; it was quite impossible to had deserted her for Iola. There was " In what 1t im:alion?" caked the leave Dolores. The house too was be- no othee solution of the mystery ; no see e1 byvisiting, rsr old anti news ato rom him. He was of conrsaSqurC. "Toward to 3ieeping road; and 1 new friendg, same to console, seam to ashamed to write ; he could have noth- gratify their,ouriogity, Tile Squire re- oe1veii them with great dignity; he wonting/go Dolores in every wee Haat i power. 1a in hie e p Y I i' i C a tear d, smite of the detn Is ah h d cL of the gossip to wbiclf Site had been tial unveiling listener of the oruelncva- onpa 3o oate�Dolores still emlamt .m i dmn}ring hope that there might be same mistake. But, as day after dry palsed, and no news Dame of Sia• Karl, that hope grew loss, and eventually died out, One morning, wilful the Squire open- ed the lettewebag he found it conteined just suet) another thin square enve- lope as the ane which Sir Karl bad weeaived on that fatal day when he had disappeared,, On this occasion the letter was addressed to Lady Allan- moa•o, If be had followed his first im- pulse, he would have burned it on the spot, but he xsfleoted that it might have, elome oofeaeaico to the mat- ter ivhioh wag engrossing all their thoughts; so he took it up to Dol- ores, whose pale face grew paler as she !recognized the handwriting. " Thio hi from Lola!" oho eried, "Oh, papa, come to me while I a'cad 111" He sat by her aide while she opened IL, and all the light faded from her eyes as they traced the cruel words. I told you," the letter began, "that T should have my revenge -and Ihave had it. You won sty lover from me, and I rivers to you the time would coma when you should suffer as you bad made me suffer. I have kept my vow; my xevengs fig complete, great as was the injury I received, I knew the time would come when Six Karl would tine of you. Women of your type, Dolores, but seldom retain love. The time for which I waited hes ar- rived, You have looked your last on the magi you atole farina me, It is my revenge, Dolores, What do you think of it ?" Lady Allanmore's face grew death'- ly pale, and her lips trembled as she gave the letter back to the Squire. " Let as keep that, papa," she said slowly, " with the other. They ma y be email]. some day." " Ho is with h•er then there is no mistake E" There can be no mistake; this is proof conclusive," she replied. "I wish," she continued sadly," that be bad written to me, even had it bean only to hay good -by." "It appears to me,•' said the. Squire gravely, ' that you are entitled to a divorce" " No," sha replied with a shudder, " there ie no need of a divorce. He is dead to me, he whom I loved so well; but I shall be true to him. Poly last faint hope is dead, papa, quite dead," i She lay back on the pillow, and a deathly Pallas• stole over her face, "Dolores," cried the Squire, "my darling, you have the children, you have me 1" But ahs only wailed- Oh, papa, if I might but diel Do you think that I can ever face life or the world again? Ob, dearest and beat, let me ,die 1 Papa," she whin pered, when title had grown calmer, , you may nhow Lord Rhysworth the Letter, but no one else. He ought to know the tenth." "1 wish I wens younger ; Lola's vengeance should be short-lived,' said the Squire. "I wonder if it be retribution ? Is this the penalty ? I wonder— Oh, Heaven! 011, Dolores, Dolores 1" of many years before, constantly reit- erated the name while hie unsuspect- ing wife knelt, by bis side and won- dered who Dolres was. Whether he now referred to ht daughter or not, who could nay ? When they went to hie assistance they found that the Squire was dead ,-dead, with the letter open in his hands. Was it retribution ? Had it brought back to his memory some long past sorrow of bis own ? Who should tell? Would time ever unfold the mystery? CHAPTER XXV. ing to gay to bid deserted wife, A eeu'tain terdneee and coldness that had boon foreign to Lady Alia;nmore's natmrogradually wrept into it. D er fettlar wast dead, and she made wp her mbod to go away fiwm the platso where she had suffered the most oruol indignity that could fell to wa- AMP'S. lot. She tv'ould go where none of herr c1d friends would be able to find her. She would leave Soaridale never to re-enter it, Sir Karl would. game back wheel 110 was tired of wall- doa'ines, She would not tough one farthing of his incomes --safe was riot enough without that-a:acl, fua•ther- moire, ole• would ruaouneo llis name. She would deep her title,' and call herself Aire. Cliefdem. She kept her .resole°.Everything at Saliradale was left just as elle had feumd it when Sir Karl had brought hew home, the happiest of wives, Yet more and more she svoudered when she dwelt on Lite evidence of his love for her, Ile had spared molting ; no lady an England bad a more eplendid homo, more oostly jewels, more mag- nifioent drelses. She put diem all nevay. T1ta jewels were sent to the tastily bankers, and Sir Karl's solici- tors were told to invest his income as best they could, for Lady Allen - mora wound never draw. upon it. Mrd. Pickering, with a amall staff of' aervants, was left in possession of the house. John Finodsbainr could mot be induced to remain ; wherever her ladyship went, he wgpldgotoo,wagee or no lvagelnothing could part old lroddhaan from his beloved mistress. Dolores had not intended to have one faanilear face near here which could recall the, unhappy, past, but she oould not eefuse Frodahanl; so she took him with hen. • To be Continued. EASTER EGGS IN RUSSIA. HOW THE GREAT YEARLY FESTIVAL IS CELEBRATED. Is Hold in That Country During 'caster Weelc-Some of the Customs Which Have Clung to the lauscovites. Although many nations have adopt- ed the egg-giviag custom, nowhere is it carried an with the lavish and pie- turesque zest that prevails in Russia where Easter Le the great festival- relegioue, national and social -of the Russian year. There both great and lowly are givers and recipients of Beater eggs, the Czar and Ozarima leading the merry -making by giving, under the acme of "a little red egg," contly presents to their attendants, The shops of Russian cities provide very dainty Easter novelties for the wealthy doctor -gold and silver eggs front Vienna, forming a match -box, a vinaigrette, or a bonbonniere ; oval coiner of ivory from. Paris, inlaid with a silver monogram and filled with gloves or rich lace ; exquisite crystal eggs made-ln'Moecow, a delicate de- sign cut upon them and containing a rare jewel. -hut whatever the gift may be, it i5 sent under the national title of "a little red egg." EGGS AND INDIGESTION. Russia is the earliest home of the Easter egg oudtom ; it can be traced back to reimoteat antiquity there. This may be attributed to the piety of the Muscovites, who fast rigidly dur- img Lent, refraining from eggs as well m ' as fromeat. Consequently eggs form a larcge part of the Easter meals. A. Russian physician recently re- marked to an English friend that in the doe:inion of the Czar a doctor has two harvests in the year. Butter week --the carnival which ushers in Lent -and Easter .week, which follows it ; forthetas two festivals never fail to bring fine their train indigestion and kindred ills. It iS difficult for ue to realize what - Easter means to the devout Russian who has faithfully observed a black fast of forty days, during which he has been weaned from all meat, di- vorced from milk, cheese, eggs and butter, and at dagger's points even with sugar, for the Russian fast is atrieter than tbat of any other nation, and is observed by the rural classes with a rigor to which old and young often auccumb. During the last' fortnight in Lent people begin to think of merry bells and to l'niff the fragrance of savory viands, for thus early the Russian housenvife'makes daring excursions beyond the pale of Lenten restrictions and begins to prepare delicacies for those near. and dear to her. There are TWO SPECIAL DISHES, called paakha and kooleeteh, which aro her pride. These must be made on Good Friday, of curds' pressed in a dainty manner, mixed with clotted cream, flavoured with butter, eggs, vanila, and engin.; they are eaten with a aline of hard-boiled, blessed egg at the beginning of every sneal every day in Easter week, On Easter Saturday evening, paakha and kooleeteb, are placed an plates decorated with flow - ore and carried to the church inclo- eure, there to be sprinkled with holy water and blessed by the priest after midnight•. in es a picturesque aoene-groups of lively peasant maids, in gowns of bright colours, Hitting on etones,lean- ing against trees or resting on the railing that surrounds( the churchyard chatting, singing ar praying while watching the decorated disbee in the fitful light of flickering candles. When the fireet part of the service isl over and the priests march in pro- cession round the grounds it is amus- ing to note the eagerness of the maid servants to ant their burdens blessed as quickly as possible and to hurry home to the toasts full of guests who are probably Seated at table waiting the arrival of the blessed food, with- out which it is not considered lucky to begin the, banquet that succeeds the long black fast, In Ituesian cities the paschal feast is celebrated with a great uproar ; bells peal from morning till night, aasuaons aro fired, rockets are sent up end grown people and children unite in making as much happy hubbub as pa9aible. After 10 o'clock in the morn- ing it beam a secisl eesemblancc to our Nene Year days as 11 is spent by man tri 110Ing visits, GOAD PASTURAGE, Ill' good pasture regions it le a noteworthy foot that most of 11)5 dairy cones !Mew better health than those kept 1'n regions where the grass is less luxuriant and plentiful, In some of the sections whore grass pas- tures were naturally good' Years ago, the cowls presented a far better ap- lsmarenoc than .they do to -day when other crops have crowded out the grass fielda or poor farming has per- initted them to degenerate, 'IIn- questionably the grana question has much to do with the health of our dairy Doug. A fine breed of dairy cowls was never yet' produced in re glans wber the grass was poor'and we cannot do better than to go bank to first prinoiplies in our efforts to improve the stool. The prime essen- tial is good grant', 'without that no amount of good feeding or caro will quite malas up for it. Good grass pastures mean good soli and well -wa- tered band. To obtain these there is needed good farming, general and dairy farming. One to a large ex- tent supplements the other. We can- not imagine a good dairy farmer ne- glecting Iiia ,,ol.1 and pastures, or for that matter any of the crops that are raised on the farm. Yet a great many who pretend to begood dairy farmers knew so Little about the, gen- eral nature of farm crops that it is surprising that they succeed at all. They do not succeed; they rather live upon the soft the accumulated rich - nese s of1>a atage s, when then the fertilitygives out they grow poor- er and poorer, complaining that there is no longer any money in the busi- ness. There 18 not, according to their ideas of farming. More than anything else our whole dairy .interestsrequire scene change in methods which will bring our ferns buck to the old, rich pasture- production period wallah made tbom originally so profitable for dairying. Let grass rich and succulent pastur- age, be made the foundation of the `chole matter. Devote more time to increasing the grass yield of every acre of land, and there will be requir- ed then less knowledge about animal ailments and diseases. Because we do not have su•ffiniant pasturage of the right kind for our dairy coves wo have to conelder, ways and means to feed them so they will keep in health and yield the greatest amount of milk. We have to mix foods in dif- ferent proportions to increase the butter fats or richness of milk and Dream. All th1s le attended to by nature when the pasture is rich and luooulent. That is the foundation of the whole system of dairying. Lot us have bet- ter grass, better pastures, and then we will have better dairy cows. POULTRY POINTERS. Fifty birds kept well are more pro-' 1Liabie than one hundred that take care' of themselves. Sunflower coeds fed in small quan- tities impart a beautiful glace to the plumage of show birds. Avoid those who advertise "the best and only good Moak Gal 1be coun- try," and offer it at very low prices The poultry keeper who succeeds the beet is he who exercises the moat judicious care of lets birds, allowing natural proclivities to take their course. SUhI;MNR SOILING. The chief objection ' to grow- ing of summer forage crops is the time and labor consumed in their production. It becomes necessary to prepare numerous small pieces of land at fndqucnt intervals and to cut and draw. small 'quantities of fodder to the barn every two or three days. Work of the character is time con- suming and frequently interferes with mere extended •farm operations. For this reason some fanners prefer to supplement pasturage with hay and grain, believing it to be more econo- mical. No definite rules cgn be laid down concernieg the most suitable method to follow. 11 to certainly de- sirable that animals ghoul$ receive at least a portion of their daily ration in the form of green feed during the growing season. Each farmer must study hes own conditions and follow the. system beet adapted to his parti- cular needs, Corn ensilage is quite often used as a substitute for pasture grass and green forage, especially in those sec- tions where frequent and long con- tinued 'droughts are prevalent. The silo should be so constructed as to render a less surface area en silage exposed than during the winter months. The writer does not favor silage as a summer feed whenever other for- age can be economically supplied. The corn as is well known, undergoes fermentation in the silo, and among other products, a considerable amount of acetic acid is formed. It is this acid which renders the ensilage hour, and it is decidedly objectionable as a food ingredient, especially if fed continuously. It %s therefore prefer- able from the standpoint of lumith, to: supply the animals during the Huth - neer, with freshly grown green forage and leave the fermented material for the long period during which other mora cleelrable green feed . is not to be obtained. HINTS TO FRUIT GROWERS, The dangerous nature of blight is not a•1'ways appreciated by apple and pear grolwors unlit it is too late to remedy it, Cut it out at once when- ever a twig shows its presenee. The peach tree barer reaches full grolwLh in June, The worts then leave their hurt* l5 and spin brown eol3oons at the base of the tree, usu- abiy near the Monaco of the ground, Late he June the maths begin to ap' car find leye' F u their a out isi?f g.. g g and daytrew these miens during the next few w.ecka. Every one destroy~• idv may non Dave the work' nocosaaa'y to di out 1iu g u a nda'ed or more later, The prevention of black rot in grapes fa espaeially diffloult' under normal ()auditions. Bordeaux mix- ture should be used In normal solu- tion That spraying as buds are Swiellingi woad, just before bloa- Doaning, and third, after the blossoms' fall. 9'hie treanneet applies to all varieties. It is not desirable to ap- ply Bordeaux after July 1, on account of clanger of •staining fruit. The. steamier spraying of plume; . es-. ptoiUlly Japanese este/Olsten, and peaches, should be done very ogres fully. The weaker solutions of bomdeaux only should be used, The Rumple formula so secoeesful on Pooch is as follows: 0 lbs•blue vitriol, 8 lbs good stone lime and Sb gala wa- ter. D,efollation from tho attacks of peed' loaf curl usually oocurs in June. Be on the lookout for it. The entire loss of leaves does not necessar- ily mean the death 0f the . tree; but such trees should have special atten- tion to force now growth. FLEETS 0' THE NATION'S, THE LEYLAND LINE RANKS SEVENTH IN TONNAGE. 1er10fili commutes 0. the Lend -Of the Tn•elYe Largest Steamship Llilari 111 the World, Sever Fly the British Flag. Th'e statement !made in connection with the announaomont of thepur- ohaso of the Leyland Line by J. Pier - pont Morgan that it was one of Great Britain's greatest shipping institu- tions came es a surprise to many peo- ple. The Halms was an fa • fur n un mil o e, The Leyland ,Line is only one of rev- eral•great fleets which have been mo- bilized to meet the demands of com- merce. The fleet of the Leyland Line, 00- carding to Whitaker, ranksseventh in point of tonnage, that of th,e Ham- burg -American Lire 'being /fret. The Hapnburg-American Line fleet in- cludes 202 vessels, with a total ten - nage of 541,083 tons. 01 these, how- ever, a large number are river steam- ers, tugs, and lighters, The steaan- ships number ninety-five, with a cap- acity of mere than half a million tons. She second fleet Ln point of capacity; also flies the German flag. It is the North German Lloyd Ling, !with nine- ty -ono ocean steamers, having a ton- nage of about half a011111on. Tdv^gee British connpanies rank next -the Bri,tielh Indian Stearn Navigation Com- pany, which 1105 mare than one hun- dred vessels and a capacity. of nearly 400,000 tone; the Peninsular and Ori- ental, with a fleet of more than nix ty vessels, witb a capacity of ever 800,000 tons, and the fleet of Tllder- Deonpeter & Co„ ranking fifth tot only in tonnage, but also in number of vessels. FRENCH AND ITALIAN LINES. A breach line, the Messngeries Maritimes, occupies, the sixth place, altb,ough he point of tonnage, it does not gaeatly exceed the Leyland fleet, their respective capacities, being giv- en as 247,338 and 245,000 tong. ' A line flying the Italian flag,tbe Navigazione Generale Italiana, is placed• next,with a tonnage of 233,000 and a fleet of more than a hundred steamers. /The Union Cantle, with tela thousand less tonnage, hag forty-one steamers. Tole' next place in the list la accorded to a flag 'that one would not expect to filed among the number, the Japan - ole. The Japan Mail Steamship Com- pany, with its head office at Tokio, hag sixty-eight sbeamea•s in its fleet. Then follow the White Stair and Wil- son lines, the farmer with twenty-four steamers and the latter with eighty- sevienvessels, and with aespectiveton- nn;geo of 010,000 and 190,000 in round figural. BRITANNIA RULES •TIiE WAVES. Of the twelve fleets in this list genet fly the English flag. It as said that of the four hundred odd steam- ships of mere thee five thousand tons bu,rtlen in exietencc snore than three hundred are under the British flag. Of theslc eighteen are in the Ley- land fleet, which Mr. Mongan L's • to control. Should he also get possession of the Atlantic Draneport Company,'a fleet the uembea• would be increased by several first-class ships, two of which-theMie mehaha and the Minne- apoli3-axe listed among the hall-doz- en alldoz-en biggest Hhips in the world. The groes tannageof the seventeen ships owned by the Atlantic Transport Company 10 90,741. Six ships, includ- img two of 13,401 tona each, now building, will add 59,000 tons to the total capacity of this fleet. One. is Hurprised to find that only tbreo of the big transatlantic pas- semgex carrying line aro in the list of big fleets. It will be observed that the White Star Lime'a fleet in pro - oration to its tonnage 15 small in nuenbewe. Eleven of its twenty-four steamers have capacities of above ten thousand toms. It mac the Oceanic, the biggest steamship in the world, and is building the Celtic, launched a few flays ago, which will have a groat tannage age more than three thousand ons greater than that of the Oceanic. Steamship men say that a, big steaopship is mush more profit- able than a small Dile to operate as It c0,n be handled by a crew much smaller in proportion to its size, TIIE KING'S MACES. The Icing had ten maces, which are kept in the Tower of London. They aro all of different degree and nil Win bo used at the Coronation. The Lords have their own mace, and will not allow the Ilousc of Comments' mace to enter their House, it ac- companies the Commons to the door of their lordships' Douse, but, is al- ways left outside. The word goon, usually employed to hoar a precious stone, really im- plies ono of those minerals which is hard e0•*ugh to scratch quartz, DOWN WITH J`YE&YTHING, I L I' ALL THE, f'118I40 SpC,IF,TxE$ HAD THEIR WAYS,' •4i8 A ()creat N1.tubea' oi7'lietu Ie (rent iltltal5 -•hilt Oc" 1►1Maets (he 011ier sljzd-xtt MMlirti. Desalts, There aro public societies to abole lsh practically every lclrud of pracs Um. 1 ce a1 d ltmstitlrLioti wo have, and ix each case there is generally anothol society to 013011811the generally says a ,writer in London Answers, In :the: first place there are ten inn portant Anti -Royalty societies In Britain, the 'biggest of which -the Republican League --includes about four thousand people. If these lied their way, wo should have no more sovereigns; but, on the other band,) there is a huge society, called the Throne' League, to counteract it, rand do away with Republicanism, and this really has the nation at its back. Then there is the Legitimist So- ciety, which wants to bring the Stuarts bade to the throne and apolisb the present line of menarche; and against it the United Loyalists,. who make it their bushuess to throw wet blankets over all. Stuartslovers'• manifestations and echomos, Then there is the .Vegetarian Se- slaty, which wants to do away With all meat -eating`, and oven hopes in the future to make illegal the slaugh- ter of any animal and its consump- tion as food. This, though quite a young society, is a vary large and busy one. It has an extreme fac- tion who believe that oven eggs should not be oaten, Tho Main doc- trine of this society is that meat- eating eateating is unwholesome and unneces- sary, and that the slaughter of ani- ►; meals for food is AS -MUCH A annul AS MURDER, So pushing has this propaganda beconfe, that of late years a counter. society, called, the Natural Food So - cietY, has sprungup, and already, numbds so sue n s mo 3 000 members. a c s It lights against the neamliaigus of the , vegetarians, and advocates the t wholesomeness and strength -giving properties of meat. Tho vegetarians too have offended some people into ,raising small societies which violent- ly oppose the anti -meat people, in- terrupting their meetings, and up- holding the right of everybody to eat what they litre. The principal and most earnest of these leagues has a satirical title -tile "Anti -Cab- bage Brotherhood." There is a. "down -with -cricket" so- ciety, called the "Association for the Discouragement of Cricket and Foot- ball," which claims that the time and money of the nation are wasted by its fondness for these sports, and does all it cies to hinder them. The "Barefoot League," one of the most eccentric of "abolishing" bod- ies, wishes , to do away with the wearing of boots or stockings, which, it claims, is an unhygienic habit. There are over a thousand members of the asscinbly, and they really work very hard to get people to go without boots in all weathers, and wear Open leather "moccasins". instead. The members aro all bound to conform to this rule, and some go as far as to wear wooden sandals. THE "HAT CRUSADERS" seek to abolish hats, and believt that everybody should go barehead- ed. As soon as they become more powerful, no doubt n "Hat -Wearers' League" will arise and oppose them., The "Worse -Traction Abolition So- ciety" is a well-known and really strong body at agitators. It wants to do away with the horse and don- key as beasts of draught and burden, advocating the use of electricity and motor -cars instead, and firmly be- lieves -or, at any rate, assorts -that within the next fifty years it will get parliament to forbid the harnessing of a horse to any vehicle. Only, horse -back riding is to be allowed, and that discouraged as much as possible, except in the Army. As a set-off to this agitation, the "So- ciety for the improvement and En- couragement of horse -Traction" is a body quite able to take care of it - sell. It contains some 2,000 mem- bers, The "Anti -Tobacco League" is a very wide -spread and 'coon institu- tion, counting over 100,000 members on its roll, nearly half of them of the fair sex. It works very hard to abolish the naughty pipe and the wicked cigarette, but somehow does not seem to have much effect on the smoking world. On the other hand, there is a small but energetic body of about 1,000 ' persons, called the 'Smokes' Protection Society," which makes it its business to fight' all interference with smokers, and to agitate against any fresh taxes on tobacco. S1TE TOLD THE DOCTOR. Tho following story is told of a precocious little girl of ten. She is the daughter of a well-known lady, of considerable charms, whom the family doctor was visiting for in- fluenza. Ho felt the pulse, gravely and tenderly, holding hoe wrist after the orthodox manner of a ladies' doctor as he sat beside her in the drawing -room. As he diel so he be - Mine aware that the child had her great grave eyes, full of inquiry, ex - ed upon him. You. don't know what I stn doing? said the medical man lightly, to the young lady. Yes -I clo, was portentously solemn reply. You aro mnalrltig love to my mother! Ivor the last 1,700 nlurlmers come nut•tod in the Untied Kingdom, only 57 criminals were executed. 21)10 Were sentencer) to death, but 14:2 wore found insane., Mrs. Nowlywod--That is our mita burglar alarm, You see If a burglar should get into the lower part of the lioti,..,, that would ring, iter Mother and scare them oft? Mrs, New- lywed, (doubtfully) -Well lb might, but it would give Clarence rind 1110 plenty of time to hide 111 1' t aft=i e, anyway.