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The Brussels Post, 1898-12-30, Page 22 THE BRUSSELS POST, DEC, 30, 1898 Diamond Cut Diamond THE ROUT OF THE ENEMY. CHAPTER VIII.—(Continued) He met iter eyes gravely, almost re- proachfully; then, after a moment's silence, dropped his own and said quietly; "I don't think so." And of course she was glad because he said, it. 'What woman, with a wo- man's nature, would not have been glad? But for all that, she knew, at the very bottom of her heart, that it would probably be as she said—some day he would marry one of those girls. "When Matthew Dane makes up his mind to a thing, it generally takes place," she said, unconsciously speaking ber thoughts aloud. "Why, what do you know about Matthew Dane?" he inquired in sur- prise. "Oh, nothing.—except, of course, what you bane told me about him." Her face was partly shaded by her hand. After a pause, she added,' He must be a determined man, from what you say about him, and you tell me he sent you down to HaIlford? I only put two and two together, you know, it is a woman's faculty." He laughed a little uneasily; the idea oppressed him somewhat. And now he came to remember it, his uncle had told him only the day before that his partner's daughters were com- ing soon to stay with him in Lon- don, and that he should expect him to escort them about. \'hat if Rose were right? Not that it could matter, of course ; only it. might make disagree- able complications for him. "I have not seen them again," he said presently aloud. "No, but you will, I imagine — the uncle will take oars of that 1" He marvelled tit her shrewdness, but the subject was Leo dangerous to be pursued, and he changed it quickly. That conversatiou had taken place a week ago, and Rose thought of it now, as she waited for him under the beech tree, She was a woman wbo rarely deceived herself, or if she did, her de- oeit was of such a wilful nature that it resembled the deliberate walking in- to a river of a man who knows that he is unable to swim, and that he will probably be drowned. Sometimes she asked herself "How will it end?" and she was perfectly aware of the answer to her sell --ques- tion. She knew that this "friendship," as she chose to call it still, must end, for her, in utter misery, but, for the sake of the brief fleecing happiness which was so great and so real, she was content to shut her eyes to the future. All that she hoped was that she her- self might be the principal sufferer. "He is young," site would tell herself to quiet the reproaches of her consci- ence, "he will get over it easily—a lit- tle heart -soreness, and then he will be cured, ile will marry one of those girls, become a rich and prosperous man, and all this will be forgotten;' Even es she said it to herself, she perceived the brougham coming slow- ly up the hill, and a face at the win- dow looking out for her, As soon as he caught sight of her, he stopped the ca:riags and tet himself out, and carne eagerly up the slope to meet her, with outstretched hands, and if no love words had ever crossed his lips, there was nevertheless but little doubt concerning the love Iooks in those speaking brown eyes—absolute joy—the lover's joy in the delight of seeing that which he loves—that was what shone in his eyes as he grasped her hand. But Rose, woman-like controlledher- self better—she was gracious and friendly, but nothing more. There was no love -light in her eyes, and the gladness with which she had watched the line of white smoke in the distance had been carefully toned down into a look of discreet and temperate pleas- ure, "Your train is punctual to -day," she said as she returned the pressure of his hand. How good of you to come out and meet me," he answered, looking down at her with a sort of rapture, of which she seemed to be sublimely unconsci- ous. I thought we would have a walk— the days are so much longer. I have been up on the hills." "What in this wind.? Is it not too cold?" and he shivered a little. "No, it is healthy, and will do you good—more good than sitting over the fire." Possibly Geoffrey did nut agree with her, but he always did what she told him, and side by side they climbed the hillside together, and found shelter in one of the yawning white chalk ex- cavations with which the downs were indented. Here, beneath some stunt- ed juniper bushes, they turned and looked together over the wide, flat country, "It looks very wintry still," said Geoffrey. "I love it so much," she answered dreamily. "No place we have been to has ever become so dear to me. I shall be sorry to go away." "You will go away?" he repeated in dismay. "When?" Do you not know that we only took the house till May? Our time is up then," Geoffrey could pot conceal his distress. "But you can take it on, surely!" he cried. Hidden House has not so many admirers. Wright, the landlord, would be thankful if you took it on; you might' live on in it for years." "Oh, I know that. But we never stay long Ln one place, it is not our custom, My father-in-law does not like it." How odd I' I should have thought that constant changes would have been ' very ba.d for his health; I should hiive imagined teat you--" "My friend,' she said, laying her Yazd softly for one instant upon his arm, "do not epeoulate about me— ever." Her gentle touch stopped him et once. But lie looked at her with a sort of hungry desperation In his eyes. 5It does hot matter ; wherever you go shall comm, gust tte I .do now." "Yes," she amid in a low voice., look - leg away from him with fixed, dull eyes over the wide grey -blue plain of leafless wood and wind-blown meadow. "Yes; that is if you know where I g '';.". there is no corner of the world where you could hide yourself that I I could not find you," he answered rath- , er huskily. I She put up her hand, "Hush! I you know if 1 told. you I did not wish it, that you, would not look for me." 'Is that how it is to be, then?" be answered bitterly, "Are you going to ' banish me already?" 'Perhaps it would be best,' she re- plied very gravely, and thea in a lighter voice she added, with a smile, i"I have not 'banished' you yet, as you call it! Come, let us go home, it is very cold." Yes," be assented dally, "it is very cold," and he followed her in silence, i end the wind seemed all at once to eat through him like ice; he had hardly noticed it before__ CHAPTER IX. "Can I speak to you, papa ?" Florence Dane stood at the door of her father's little study some two days later with a grave and preoccu- pied face, The Vicar did not look up from his writing. "Well, not, I think, just now, my dear, unless it is anything of import- ance. I am writing my sermon." "It is of importance, of very great importance," replied his daughter seri- ously. Mr. Dane laid down his pen with a little sigh of resignation. Flor- ence was the Parish Martinet, nothing escaped her vigilant eyes, and some- times the sins of his parishioners, to which she directed her father's notice with so much exactitude, were of a na- ture which in his secret heart the good man would sooner have never heard of. Nevertheless, she was so gond and so earnest, and worked so hard as his lieutenant in all things, tbat be was always bound. to give her a patient hearing. "Then, of course; 1 am et your or- ders, my love. Come in and shut the door. Now what is the matter? Hos Joe Barker beaten his wife again, or is it Tommy Stutt who has stolen more pennies? Has old Jenkins been drink- ing or has that disreputable girl of his got into fresh trouble?" and Mr. Dane looked pleasantly up at his daughter, smiling at her blandly over the top of his spectacles as he enumerated all these enormities, for he knew pretty well that the chances were that it was one or other of the delinquents he had named whose oft -repeated crimes had once again made some scandal in the community. Coddisham was 110 more depraved than its neighbors, but in every village there must always be a. certain number of black sheep, who defy order and morality, and live ap- parently only to be throne in the sides of their spiritual pastors, Mr. Dane bore with these chronic evildoers with a Christina and even a philosophical fortitude, but Florence frequently made herself desperately unhappy over them. It was, therefore, with some surprise that he listened as she answered with a deep sigh: "Indeed, papa, I only wish that it was anything so trivial that I have to tell you about. It's far worse, unfor- tunately. It is Geoffrey," "Geoffrey?" Mr. Dane pulled his spectacles her- rieclly off and laid them on the table by Lia side. He was grave enough now. "Go on, Florence." ""there have been some very unpleas- ant rumours about him for some time hack, which I have heard something of, but have always disbelieved." "What rumours?" The vicar's voice was short and hard. "That he has been down here very often." "What, to Coddisham 1" "Well, to the neighborhood. Some of the people have persisted in It that they have seen him. Mrs: Greaves told me long ago that she possed him walking late one evening in the Lil- minster Road; old Walker, the shep- herd, says he has seen him up on the Downs on more than one oecaston, and others have mentioned the same thing. All along I have pooh-poohed the idea, for you know how long it is since be has been home, and it seemen perfectly ridiculous to imagine that he could be down here and we know nothing about it, But now, I am sorry to say, it is quite beyond a doubt, for Amy and Grace have seen him quite plainly--" "Where—where'?" "Yesterday afternoon, es they were coming back from their walk with Miss Jones, and I am sorry to tell you that he was in that dreadful woman's carriage, going down to Wray Road Station. They saw his face quite plainly, and when they passed he sat back as if he did not want to be seen, and put up his band to screen his face, but both the girls sow him plainly, and, of course, they could not be mis- taken." "Is that all? Yes? Then please ex- plain yourself a little more clearly, Florence. Who, to begin with is that 'dreadful woman?' and, even if Geoff were in it lady's carriage, what is the terrible iniquity you suspect him of ?" "1 simnel have thought you would see that plainly euoagh," replied his daughter, irritably; 'that Geoffrey should be constantly coming down bete without our knowledge, as it is evi- dent that be has been doing, surely argues that he is doing something un- derhand whieh he does not want us to hear about." "Softly, my girl! Don't be so ready to believe evil of others—ft is not sis- terly; it is, indeed, scarcely Christian." "Rut sorely, papa, you cannot over- look the fact of his being in that wo- man's brougham?" cried Fiorence in- dignantly, he must come down to stay with her; there must be some- thing very, very wrong in it, I am con- vinced," To begin wile, Florence," inter- rupted her father, in his cool, matter- of -fast voice, I must really request: you, once more, to inform me who it is you allude tp when you speak of that ' dreadful woman?' ' Why, that woman who lives at Bid- den house, Up on the Downs," " Madame de Bt'eeaur 1 Wly is she dreadful?" "Is sbe not a Papist—a foreigner ? A woman whom nobody visits; about whom tbere appears to be some un- pleasant mystery. People are never mysterious unless they are guilty," add- ed Miss Dane, angrily. "Florence you are very uncharit- able," said her father, sternly. " Even if this poor lady were all you suggest it is unbecoming of you to speak of ber like that. Toa, ought to think the hest, eat Lhe worst, of her." Florence Dane burst into tears. "Is this a time to think the best of a person who is, no doubt; leading Geoff to bis ruin?" she cried bitterly; "is it possible, papa, that you can see no danger to him in such an intimacy? A person whore nobody knows nny- thing about—don't you think it strange to her house, instead of to bis own and unnatural that he should go there father's? That he sbould bide his con- stant visits to ber from his own fam- ily ? There roust be something amiss with the whole thing, or else, why is it kept a secret from us? Why, she may be trying to convert trim,—or—or worse I" lir. Dane smiled quietly, " My dear, don't excite yourself so much. You were quite right to tell me, if this made you unhappy, but, if I were you, I should treat it all as quite a natural thing, both to the people and the girls. It is odd, I admit. But very likely Geoff bas very good reasons for what he is doing, and I for one am not go- ing to believe that my boy is guilty of any enormous iniquity," "But what are you going to do?' "Do ? Nothing 1" " Are you not going to write to him for an explanation?" " Certainly not. If Geoff has any confidences to make to me I shall bear them all in good time. Now, my dear, you must leave mato finish my sermon in peace. if you please." Nevertheless, after his daughter had left the room, )lir. Dane sat on, and pondered, pen in hand, over what he had heard, He was puzzled—he was even a little pained—but he bad his theories concerning Uta management of sons who are grown to man's estate; and to " let them alone," was the gist and the bank -bone of bis system con- cerning them. The Rev. Robert Dane, was, essentially, a broad-minded man. He had once been in the army, and had seen life, before he settled down in his country vicarage; and he knew that Injudicious interference with the ways of a young man who is buying his own experience, is only calculated to drive him further away from home sym- pathy and home influence. Amen who bad taken his place in the thick at the world's battle, was not, thought the vicar, to be treated like the village Sunday scholars—or lectured about his peccadillos, on the same level as the honest souls who meekly received their, admonitions from the lips of his en- ergetic daughter. Mr. Dane knew this, and was not prepared to take any sort of action upon the information concerning his son's movements which Florence had given him; but he was vaguely disturbed by that informa- tion, and 'found it in his heart to wish that she had kept her disooveries to herself. "She means well," he said to him- self, as he dipped his pen once more into the ink, and settled Itis spectacles back on his nose. "But that is the worst of women—they do very well with the poor people, but they can't rise above clothing clubs and provident so- cieties. An admirable curate, for a rural district is poor, dear Florence— and what I should do without her, I really cannot think ; but there is no breadth, either of tact or of charity, about her, As to Geoffrey, he is right enough. There is no harm In him," and then the Vicat' wrote a few more lines of his sermon, after whish he laid down bis pen again, and said aloud— "But, ns a match, it would be most undesirable,"—adding, after a pause, in a more decided voice—" But it will nev- er come to tbat—no fear of it I" And then, once more, he addressed himself with energy to his work. It was, how- ever, a noticeable fact, that the 'Vicar's Sermon, on tbat following Sunday morning, was not by any means, up to his usual average—which shows, per- haps, that his mind was more disturb- ed during the writing of it than he would have cared to acknowledge. But, as to Florence, see went her way out of her father's study, in a very tumult of disturbance. She had gone to bim, deeply anxious, filled with a grave apprehension; and he had made light of her anxiety, and treated her fears as things of straw. Not only that, but be bad accused her of leak of sisterly feeling towards her brother, and of want of charity towards her neighbour. These things were hardly to be borne. A11 her life, Florence bad striven to d,o her duly in that posi- tion in whioh God had planed her. No joys o1 e,irly girlhood Ind been bars— no worldly pleasures had fallen to her lot—she had never murmured nor me- plained at the laok of them: She had token up the burden of her life with a brave energy, and had done that which it seemed to her that God bad appointed her to do cheerfully and without hope of reword. She had been her father right hand, at home, or- dering his huusehold with economy and justice, looking after her younger sister's, and oaring for thee comforts. Abroad, she bad tended the sick, taught the young, encouraged the faint hearted, and admonished the hackslid- ars. 0- was often weary and thankless work, but she hail never grumbled. at it. Now she felt That it was bard, af- ter all ber toll and service, to be called unchristian and uncharitable, by her own father. (To be Continued.) FATTENING FOODS, Buckwheat is very fattening and seems to have a whitening effect up- on the flesh. It is much fed by the Preece, who are quite successful tur- key growers, and It is thought by them that this grain imparts to the Clash a delirioua nutty flavor much liked by their epicures. Barley is also a fattening food, but sbould not be given in as large quan- titiee as corn, nor fed as often as it is not so easily digested, but 11 its very usefulto feed occasionally for a change. Sweet: potatoes 00110i11 sugar and are consequently fattening and are a val- uable addition to the fattening ration when fed in moderate quantities, When fed in large quentitiee it is said they will impart a yellow tinge to the Clash. - ......, Nl6_ a On the Farm. it j .. A FAR.AIER'S ICls'l-OUSB, To ereel a building 12 by 12 'ft„ 10 ft, in height, not including the roof, select a location somewhat sheltered from the direct rays of the sun. Build a strong stone foundation wall per- fectly Level for the sills to rest upon. The inside of Ibe wall must be solidly banked around the earth, The sills are 0 by 8 In strongly framed together. They may be either of sawed lumber or of timbers flattened upon two sides. The floor joists are 4 by 8 in. A strong support should be placed under the center of each joist, The studding are 2 by 11 in„ placed in edgewise, thus forming an inside space of 11 in. for sawdust. The outside is of boards, nail- ed to the studding crosswise instead of up and clown. The flooring is 2 in. boards. Use 12 ft. 2 in, boards for roof plates. Tbese should be placed across tee tops of the studding and strongly spiked to them. Rafters are of 2 by 4 in, material, spiked to the plates, The roof has a slope of 46 degrees and a ventilator 2 by 8 ft. The inside boards should be nailed to the studding cross- wise. Fill the 11 in, space with saw- dust when boarding it up. Place the door, which is 20, in. wide, upon the north side and let it extend from the bottom to the top of the building. This long door is to be divided into three separate doors, thus maktng it more convenient for putting in and taking out ice, '1}o fill with ice, first put 12 in. of sawdust on the floor, allowing a space of 6 ie, around the outside of the ice and next to the inside boarding for sawdust. There will then be remain- ing 9 by 9 ft of space ilor the toe: The ioe should be marked out into Oakes of 3 ft. by 1 ft. before sawing, This will fill the space intended for it. In placing the Oakes in position, put one layer lengthwise, the next crosswise, being particular to have the ice as lev- el as possible, It is also very necessary for the suc- cessful preservation of the ice that no crevices or holes remain unfilled. To prevent this have ready a pail of thick envy water, If there is no snow, use finely cracked ioe, also in water. With this fill all cracks, holes or rough pieties, so that the cakes of ice will fit smoothly and compactly together. Be' thus increasing its solidity it will keep much better than when packed in the usual way. When filled, put 20 in. or more sawdust on the top all over. An ioe-house built and filled in this manner has now- in it 4 ft, of solid ice of last year's tilling, which will re- main undisturbed when tba house is again filled. _— TILLAGE OF THE ORCHARD. Although there are different opin- ions as to the amount of tillage an orchard needs, I believe that thorough culture is the only satisfactory treat- ment, its it not only makes plant food available, but is the best conservator of moisture. The orchardist must se- lect a location and soil adapted to the fruits he wishes to grow and put this in best condition before setting, by thorough plowing and fining. To ob- tain best results, orchards need both moisture and fertilizers, but more of- ten moisture. tla the beeriest rainfall usually occurs when it is least needed, every effort sbould be made to preserve it for future use. A finely divided soil is capable of holding an immense quantity of wa- ter. If the soil is left in its natural condition, this moisture will soon pass away, but by breaking up the surface at regular intervals, evaporation will be prevented and the moisture largely retained. Plow deeply in spring ' as soon as possible, teen stir thereafter with spring tooth harrows, smoothing harrows, olad crushers or any imple- ment which is adapted to the peoul.ar soil, In the loose soils, shallow cul- tivation is preferred, while in those that are heavier, deeper stirring is ad- visable. Weeds should never be al- lowed to become established. Stir the whole surface of the orchard thorough- ly about three inahes deep every Iwo weeks. The drier the season Ibe of- tener stirring should lake place. Plow- ing Lar the first two years wilt tend to send the roots deeper, where they will escape injury in Lime of drouth. The whole surface of the orchard should be tilled, A careful man oan plow within two feet of the trees and not injure them. If catch crops are grown in the or- chards, plow them under early, so that they will decay as quickly as possible. The chief value of these crops is for fall and winter proleotion and not spring growth. Old orchard trees stop growing before midsummer. Vigorous tillage from then on cease so that new growth will ripen suffioiently'to with- stand cold weather. Fall plowing can- not be recommended for May soils, as these will puddle and become hard and stiff. Hoed crops can, be grown to ad- vantage in young orchards, but even these sbould not be planted close to the trees, and the distances should be- come greater every year, After six or eight years all vigorous cropping should cease, _' COVEI"iNG FOR WOUNDS. In pruning fruit trees, the untreat- ed wounds often heal quite as Well as chose that are treated with some cov- ering, but this is dens at the expense at checking the growth and vigor of the tree or plant. Tbis point seems to have become well established. Prof- it() have become well established, Prof, Card says;—" Taking all things togeth- er, nothing seems to be better for cov- ering the wounds made in pruning than common lead paint, which is closely followed by grafting wax. The wax is superior to paint in the matter of healing, but does not last as well and' Is nob so convenient to apply, al- though in warm weather, when it works well, there little t" oub a to this regard Coal tar is useful in pra- vcnting the wood from checking, but appeara to be a positive hindranoe to healing, so that, in spite of the rapt that it stays well, there is little to recommend it. Pine tar is no aid to healing, being apparently a trifle de- trimental, while it helps only slightly in tete matter of °Leaking arid does not est well, therefore it has nothing to recommend it. Shellac is a failure, It does not last and neither aids tee wound in healing nor to may appre- Sinlle extent prevents It. from check- ing,' WHAT WAR WOULD MEAN. Paul Howie illseuases lite selects or 1''IVe11/10 111.111S1111'1101110. 11. Paul Roche, writing in the Paris Gaulois, discusses the results of ewer between England and Fina.nea, whiob was threatened for some time, he says, but whiob uow seems, for the present, At any rate, to have been avoided by Lord Salisbury's speech, which was awaited with great anxiety not only in France, but throughout the world. It announced an bonounable solution of the diffioultles,—honourable alike to bath countries: There is no doubt that from an economical point of view, Eng- land. and France are the two leading nations of the world. These two na- tions have in their hands what may be styled the international oredit. Thus international oredit means, to a certain extent the productive businese of the world. Credit to -day plays an immense Part in the industry, manufacturing and general commerce of the world, The 'two foremost representatives of credit are the Bank of England and the Bank of France. Franca and Eng- land feel that this is so mush the case that they are applied to for tbeir nuclal negotiations by lbs other na- tions, Russia, Italy, Spain, and Port- ugal are tributaries of France, while Germany, the South American Repub- lic and the United States themselves are tributary to England. The Bank of France and the Bank of England are the wickets of the world. This is so much the case that at the time of the Baring crash it was to Franco that England. applied for a hundred mil- lion, and not to Germany or the United States, but to her equal, France, or, better, ber partner from A MORAL STANDPOINT. Let France and hngland go to war and the wickets are closed what then will become of tba credit of tate world? Let these two nations keep their gold for themselves and then the world will at once see the result. Why, the very rumour of trouble set the Bank of France thinking whether she should not issue silver in place of gold in ex- change for 20 inane notes. A crisis of that pature would not only affect the outside world itself, but every indus- try in France would be paralyzed, be- cause Frames lives, so to say, on the rental of ber gold. Most French, as well as English enterprises, rest up- on credit, There would not only be a French, but English bankruptcies as well. Then the family gold would have to be melted down. France and Eng- land clot as intermediaries for univer- sal trade. This trade is carried on by their merchant marines. Just think of these two navies starting to destroy with other. Aboukir, and Trafalgar were but simple naval battles as Mar- engo and Austerlitz were land bat- tles, between two armies. The economic situation of the world has changed since that time, and the world is tributary to these two' nations, A war between these two nations would stir the world on its very foundations. A war with Germany would be but a war between two nations. A war with England would bring about a general perturb- ation, and a ruin for both peoples, the victor being no better off than the vanquished. Never was there a more serious oomplication presented to the world, and such a war would have pro- duced a universal catastrophe and France and England , would have as- sumed a terrible responsibility in the eyea of the world. and of humanity. .m. STOGGLEBY ON DESPONDENCY. Neelel fnq,reselatie 'Mat are sllsteneli tar 11—A Praelleat Cute Suggested. "'There is never any really sound rea- son fur despondency," said Mr, SLoggle- by, "and the most substantial reason that, we edn discover fur it is likely to be utterly unsubstantial one found in some slight variation from a condition of perfect health. It does not seem as though intelligent peraons would mis- take for true despondency the mental depression caused. by a disordered stomach, but no doubt we often do. The cure for this, and indeed for practically every other form of despondency, is t0 be found in good health. "We can preserve our natural ela- tion of spirits ahvays by keeping our physical edge; the whole saoret, or so large a pea'contage of It that the rest doesn't count, lies there. To do this requires the steady exercise of some measure of self-control, but that alone is worth more to a man than a liberal education without it. It gives him moral as well as pbysival strength, and with these two combined a man can set despondency at defiance. lie can laugh at every skinny spectre flat stalks the earth." SAVED HIS TIME, I:ve come to see your husband in the interests of the Knights of Labor, Mrs. Reagan, said a bland, elderly man, as the mistress of the Reagan household answered his ring. Ela ain't to home, said Mrs. Reagan, with arms akimbo ; but Y San prom- ise you one tilling, sorr, and that is, you'll git never it night o' labor out tie Tim Reagan, and it's no use tryin' I Sure arid he'd knock off work in the daytime, if it wasn't for me keepin' at him till I'm tbat wore oat there no siren th left in mei A LIIJSSON IN PUNCTUATION. Thus spoke the teacher to his °lase, Now tell me went are pauses? Atel tate small boy at the feet replled, They're things to hide cats' elawses, HEM Tli. POINTS OF BEAUTY. A graceful ourr'lage of the bead and an arca figure are polars of beatify which no woman can afford to over- look. Unlike earthen other features, suth as tea shape of tee face, the color of tee hair, and the size of the hands and feet, these peoularilies are with- in the power of every woman Lo con- trol as the pleases. One sometimes sees an otherwise beautiful young wo- man who goes along with heed hent forward in a' manner suggesting a turtle looking out of its obeli, and pro- voking the thought at once that she has lost and is searching for some- thing. Nothing 1s less pleasing than an awkward carriage of the fraud. Every girl should cultivate the habit of holding up Jier chin, A flat back, a, well -poised head, and a graceful way of walking make the difference bet wean a girl who has style and her friend who is olumsy and awktvar'd. One should! not overlook Ibe advantages of drill. It. is only necessary to think of the soldier in the uw'kwerd squad and compare hint with the man wbo has undergone some months of rigid train- ing,) to be convinced that freedom end grace of movement are to be had by those who are willing to work for them. Where a girl eon daily lake exercise hi a gymnasium, she may train her muscles se that they will obey her will; but even better than this in -door train- ing is that whioh one bas who walks a, greatdeal in the open air, plays golf and 'tennis, or often revs a boat across it pond or river. Another point of beauty, needless to say is a. good complexion, ;this, too,is within the reach of every girl who, first of all, endeavors to maintain tt high standard of health. Pure blend bas everytb.ng to da with a clear skin; therefore one should he careful of her diet, avoiding unwholesome and indi- gestible food, but taking care to eat as due proportion of meal, nut °mil ting a little fat every tiny, end regularly making Trait a part of her diet. Tea and coffee should be sparingly used by the young woman who would have a beautiful shin, 'Every day very thorough bathing and rubbing with a crash towel are essential, and the face once a day should be washed w'lth hot water and a lather made of a delicate toilet soap, Tbis should be thor- oughly rubbed into lbs skin, cleansing the pores of the fine dose which clogs their fnrelike texture. The face should be carefully rinsed, and wiped with a soft. Lc,wel, The best. time to oto this is at; night before retiring. Given suffi- cient exercise, good food, regular barb- ing, and plenty of sleep, there is no rea- son why a womnn should not preserve the, freshness of her skin unimpaired from childhood to old age. Not nnly tee beauty of the, skin, but also the gloss and abundance of the hair, the brightness of the eyes, and the sheen of the teeth, all are dependent on Ibe circulation, whiob is promoted by healthy living. Well -shaped hands and feet have al- ways been regarded as distinctive marks of betnity. While one cannot re- gulate the size of these members, she can always have her hands and nails well bared far and her feet becomingly dressed. A woman who is well gloved and well shod makes a creditable ap- pearance even if the rest of her dross be somewhat shabby, If 0110 has not much money to spend on ber costume, let her not invest so much in hergown, and, wrap comparatively as she does in tine, well -fitting shoes, in gloves of good quality and color to suit her dress, and in a tasteful hat. The ex- tremities give tone to the toilette. Solid, ill-fitting, or worn-out gloves, with yawning holes at the finger end and buttons off, will rein any cos- tume, and detract from the impression of beauty which a woman sbould make upon the eye of the beholder. CHAPPED HANDS: Tb'ere are three common causes of chapped hands—constant exposure to water or to cold, or to the action of some alkali, such as is usually found in the strong soaps used in laundry work and washing dishes. House- keepers win expose their hands wet with damp soapsuds to the cold win- ter's air are especially liable. to this affliction. The dust of sweeping and other housework frequently pene- trates into the cracks of the chapped hands and renders it difficult to Beal them, and a painful operation to wash them thoroughly with a band or flesh brush, as they should be washed, The only remedy for this is, to wasb Ibe hands tboroughly, in spite of the pain, and rub them will- some soothing cream, until they are healed, wearing gloves at night. Whenever the hands are exposed to dishwater or coarse soapsuds, some acid preparation soft- ened by glycerine or cream should be used to counteract the alkali In the soap. The hands should never be ex- posed to the cold air when damp. As soon as you are through using common soap, rinse your hands thoroughly in warm water and apply the acid prepar- ation. Tbt simplest ono likely to be convenient is a mixture of equal parts of vinegar and cream. A better pt'epnx'aliun, which ought to be kept in a bottle or some convenient place in the kitchen, le composed of ow part citric acid in solution and two parts of glycerine, Equal parts of lemon juice and glyeetene may also be used, Any of these p'eparattons will keep the akin soft and free from chapping, provided the bands are always thor- oughly dried before they are exposed to the cold nit', LORD KELVIN'S LATEST INVEN- TION. Lord Kelvin, now more than eevenly- five years old, bas just taken out a patent on an improved device for mak- ing soundings at: sea, Although his life work has been philosophical rath- er than meehnnical, a.nd has .related mainly to the theories that underlie physical pneumonia, Lord Kelvin is the author of a number of useful in- struments, among them the siphon .re- corder for registering cable messages, and the quadrant electroxnettr, THE CZAR OF RUSSIA. IIs has a'tVlrl of RIs ewe, 1,1111111 Cannot be ge tYn rind, Since the issue of the Peace Resaript from Moscow, the azar has been the most interesting figure on the Eur- opean stage. Unlike the German Em" peror, he does not have tits theatrioal a'Ir of playing a groat part, 7115 stage presence is not impressive, He is alit- tle under ordinary stature, slight in build, nervous In movement and gee - tare, and modest in bearing. :Pts azar bear's close inspection well. He bets an honest pair of blue eyes, a thoughtful free, and a quiet intensity of manner betokening wilt power and persistence. Ile is simple and unaf- feoied, and has the stamp of sincerity. When the young sovereign ascended the Russian throne, be took a most ser- ious view of his business as it ruler. He began like the new superintendent of a large factory. He looked over the ground, found out what was going on in every department, asked many ques- tions, and became an expert in the business of state, His ministers soon learned that they had a master with a will of his own, which could not be thwarted: Veteran servants of the crown have found it ne- cessary to support his disarmament Policy. His most influential advisors are heartily in favor of it. ' Chief amongst them is Count Mourav- ieff, who was transferred to the Min- istry of Foreign Affairs from the Russian embassy at Copenhagen, the most peel CM of the minor European cap- itals. Another is Count Lamsdorff, who, by virtue of his Jong aervioe, rn the Foreign OLfiee, has convinced him- self that a standing army is Jess im- portant than a flexible diplomacy. An- other is the Finance Minister, Mon- sieur de Witte, who has undertaken a series of great internal reforms relating to the currency, liquor traf- fic and public works, and insists that Russia must have relief from military burdens and the, menace of war. These ministers neike no pretence of managing or influenotng the czar. The impulse has come from the superior will of an earnest and thoughtful sov- ereign, who is convineed that he bas a great work to do for the world's pease. The personal qualities of the czar are of supreme importance, because the policy of permanently checking the mil- itary spirit and partially disarming the hostile camps of the European nations depends in large measure upon them, He is not' an amiable weakling, but e sovereign with foree of character and real enthusiasm, for a great pause, THE "LITTLi1 EXTRAS." It is the "little extras" that tell. Who does not know of housvkeeing who will get up a great dinner, ex- pensive anti elaborate in comparison with the usual style of living, and the dinner will be both well -cooked and well -served, yet it all will have nut a bit more special interest or value than any average full dinner at a good hotel. Another mother of a family, at half the cost, will contrive so to en- large and emphasize the special home gratifications as to make everybody happy. This is the true feast, It de- serves, and is aura to win, a tong and delightful remembrance. What is the secret of the difference? It often seems to depend chiefly upon very lit- tle things. ' The small, appropriate touches that have regard to individual traits and likings go far toward giv- ing that "homey" flavor which every- body loves. A special and cementer - est be quality ought always to pertain to the home festivity, whatever may be the "day we celebrate." Be it Christ- mas eve, or the Christmas dinner, a child's birthday, a marriage anniver- sary, or what not—an individual char- acter may be given, and this largely by the accent placed on little details. If you have a special gift for any cue thing, even in cooking, stake the most of that specialty. Do not exert your- self to do something rare and unex- pected, .n attempting which it is ten to one you will have only a very mod- erate success at the utmost. Rather do your very best at the one thing in which you know that you excel. If 'mother's mince pies" are well known by children and grandchildren to be the best in the world, dant think this a good time to leave out mince pies for the sake of an English plum - pudding. Anticipation, pitched high, end fully realized, gives more plea.s- tu'e than all the novelty in the world; This is the peculiar privilege of fam- ily gatherings. Let the 'little ex- tras" be used to heighten the effect of the dear and familiar excellenec. Some actual 111 tle extras, of the kind that embellish a feast day without creating additional burdens, lie in the direction of extra, finish, If there is s daughter whose artistic taste has had the benefit of training, let her show the value of an eye for color and form in the arrangement and garn- ishing of the table. Initials, dates, mottoes, and family jokea, are among the easily available means of giving speedal significance to the occasion Modes of coloring and lettering are now so numerena and so easily man- aged as to give ample room for little inganui(ies of tbia kind, A dish of meoaroni, for instance, may hnve. its golden surface of cheese neatly tun - blazoned with "Christmas Day 1891" or any pi'eferred motto, by the simple use of the assorted lei ters stamped out of macaroni paste, wbieb are sold at every good grocer's for use in soup. 'rimy need only me preliminary soaking in (epic] water before arranging. The fondant, or hand -kneaded cream used in cltndymaking and often described in these columns, is one of the best ma- terials for ornamenting cakes anti fancy desserts. It is so easily colored and varied almost at will as in stimu- lnte the fancy to produce pretty acrd 'novel effects, almost" for the sake of the amusement it affords the worker, There ,u.r fete 'things more benuiitul thin fruit, end theeffective arrange - meet of this adds much to the delight of the eye et table, These are all lit- I:le points of advantage in getting the Most from a, home festival,