The Brussels Post, 1891-12-4, Page 22
DA
`i
F ODILI
BY LOLAIi n, nht".NTON.
(CHAPTER
Hortense gave a deprecating look et Leila 1
and Clotilde, "She's going out," she said,
You see how it is. If ww ,lo not, do some. I
thing with her pretty soon she will—" she
shook her head. Laila looked alarmed,
1" cleat clean !
"What aro you sayin}, . You 1
our Daffodil is in danger of cliog•ateion the
family --what de sou mean, Ilorteeee
Hotenee tout ,to hoot liot lu:,k on her.
"Dtagrace ; Dear ale, Leila ! You must
think—well 1 eau't rue what y" do
think 1"
" Oh Laine don't mind her 1" h:ttlisll ,=ilial
out, coming to tic door atfterwa•d with the
comb nt her treses. " Sl,'o afoul I will
marry some one she aloeahi t like that's all,
Instead of sitting there, seoldiig and fuming
she'd better sec to re•arrangiug t hese raven
tresses of hers. Yon re going to have a cal.
ler this evening." With this shot she retir-
ed again,
" \Vho?" they all asked at once,
" Ayoung gentleman—from the hotel. In
fact Mr. John Dayeer, your correspondent
and niy suitor. If he would bring along
some more of the goodies he out up this
afternoon, I think 1'd be tempted to stay
home and help entertain him."
The girls gave a gasp and onoo more a
perplexed glance passed between them.
Then they proceeded to catechise her. By
the time she appeared in the doorway again
she had graciously told them all she knew
about the " young man across the way—"
how he bad been haunting her footsteps for
the last mouth, how she had seen hits buy
the bonbons she had had sent up to her a
little later per a boy, that afternoon, and
lastly how he had rescued their table cloth
from total destruction,
And, yet knowing he was coming there
that very evening for the express purpose of
seeing her, she had made a charming street
toilet and was putting on a love of a sailor
hat with white and Lillie ribbon bow at the
aide when she emerged into the sitting -
room once more.
" Daffodil 1" remonstrated Lafla.
" You are not going out oue step, Miss 1"
declared Hortense, almost pale with anger.
" Dear me 1" wailed Clotilde, turning a
pair of imploring eyes up to the young lady
as she passed on her way to the mirror near
the door to survey herself. The survey did
not suit her. Pretending the must provok-
ing inditference she retraced her steps to
the inner door where they heard her iamb•_
ling over bandboxes and trunks. Once more
she appeared, this time with a little bonnet
of black lace with creamy yellow roses m it.
Hortouse cried out at sight of it. " That
is where those roses have gone to, is it ? You
area very impudent girl to take them."
Daffodil only said, turning around slowly,
after putting it on " How foes it look 7"
Laila said " Very nine, Daffodil." But the
other two refused to speak.
The little narrow black velvet band that
went around the fair chin made the white
throat purer than ever while above it the
peachy cheeks glowed like faint, cool coral.
Her dress was black too and her wrap a pale
yellow silken stuff, looking salmon pink by
day light.
The dew will ruin that shawl" Clotilde
said, despairingly.
" It wasn't ruined the nights you wore it
to the Island" reminded Daffodil, drawing
it over her shoulders, "It's queer how when-
ever I wear it, it is going to be ruined and
when you wear it, the veriest tornado wouldn't
affect it. Never mind though, Clotilde,
when you get rid of Daffodil, yon need not
be worrying about your shawl all the time.
Well, sisters mine, be kind to Mr. Dayoer.
You may tell him I had an engagement this
'evening or I would have been delighted to
help you amuse him, there is Gus coming
now. I an ooming Mr. Howard," she called
opening the door. " Don't trouble to come
up these dark stairs. Adieu, girls."
And off she went.
The young gentleman at the toot of the
stairs waited silently till she had reached
him.
" Yon were so long" she exclaimed. " I
was afraid 1 should be cheated out of my
.evening in the Park."
The young man spoke then.
'" It is not Mr. Howard," he emit', "It
is—"
"Oh," cried Daffodil, starting back. "It
is Mr. Dayoer 1"
'" Yea," he said.
" Well where is Gus?" the girl exclaimed
impatiently, looking up the brilliant street.
Let's go and find him," suggested Mr,
Daffodil laughed. She knew he didn't
want to find the other gentleman. Well,
neither did she now. Mr. Dayoer was just
as nice an escort in every way and she
liked talking to new people. Besides she
knew he was deeply smitten and woman-
like wanted to taste more deeply the power
she had over him, for all women possess pow-
er over the men that love them. And
Daffodil was a thorough woman, she was
happiest in feeling she was all in all to
Bonne one.
" Yea, let's 1" she said, ohildishly hldif.
ferent to her form of assenting and they
went nut,
They found him, not ten 51505 011. He
was walking quickly towards them. Daf-
fodil bowed and maid "good evening 1" with
lifted eyes full of laughter. He half stopped,
then passed on quickly.
Mr. Dayoor noticed Daffodil's roguish
smile but pretended to have utterly missed
it all.
' Of cours:o," lie said, " you will tell me
when 'Gu.,': umes along so lean departbefore
he challene, s me. I am a very timid boy,
yon know and believe in the good old
adage,
' lf:> who lights and rens away
Lives to light another day.'
" Do sou?" mho replied idly and the
cmhversa.tien ran on in thou small
talk ch.mnels and pleasant ripples
of repert.co and :immense that serve
so well to pas tie time when out for
astroll in the Park where the musk: pulses
out sweetly over the promenaders.
Daffodil arrived home about ten "'clecit.
Her coin pinion bade her adieu at the door.
"Mr. Dayoer come?" she inquired, as
she entcr':d the rooms above,
Clotilde was asleep o1 the sofa, Hor-
tense was crocheting and Leila[ writing a
letter Daffodil had taken off her gloves before
she received an answer—as if she needed
one.
No 1" Leila told her, "Why—we do
not know," "I do 1" Daffodil informed
Wenn promptly, twirling iter bonnet arounl
on tho point of her hat pin, " the was at
the band consort --with: a girl too."
Hortense stopped crocheting and looked
intorestod. Mrs. Nyrieton's 'oyes opened
widely. •
1 wouldn't havo believed it of hint after
that letter. What was oho lilts, Dalrodil 1"
"Pretty 1" the beauty told Glom, un-
blushingly. "(Quite a lovely girl,"
" Well, I declare 1" Leila said biting the
point of her pen handle.
Hortense looked helplessly at Daffodil
who said to her. You see what a flirt
of a man you would have me marry 1 It
takes me creep to think what I have 05
taped. I tun going to bell. Don't ail 1110
50 early tomorrow morning'Tensio, I shall
be out late tognovrow night and I must
have rust sometime. And Saturday night I
am going to the Lilted to mea the Romany
stye."
And with wloin 7" inquired Hortense.
"Oh with the One I went to the Park
with to -night," she told them,
" And where go you to-norrow night ?"
Leila asked.
' To the Clarinet tableaux, But tableaux
are getting so tante 1 Whore did you put that
cake Hortense? I unlet 1500 a lunch before,
I retire,"
She was munching cake presently and
making disconnected remarks between
bites.
I mast have you sew moonlight beads
by the dozen, on my lace dress, Leila, to-
morrow. That girl with Mr. Dayoer to-
night had a bleak dress on, too. She had
a bonnet on. Yes and it had yellow roses
on it. \Vhat are you staring at, Hortense. ?
Do you suspect anything ?'
Then with a little ripple of tantalizing
mirth she left them alone, with just this last
remark firing beak over her shoulders. " You
see after all I am better acquainted with
Jack Dayoer than you are 1"
CHAPTER II.
Thus Beauty lures the fulpgrownchild
\\'nib hue as bright and wing as wild;
A chase of idle hopes and fears,
Begun in folly, closed In tears,
The atmosphere of the back room where
the elder :)lasses Marsbury, with their one
quiet assistant, sat during the day was very
peaceful and soundless save for the frequent
clipping of scissors and the breaking of
thread, or the occasional exchange of ques-
tion and answer concerning the work.
So when the click of Datlbdil'o little boots
were heard on the back stairs and she came
tripping into the room with a breath of
heliotrope and a melody from the " Mikado'
on her lips, a cloud settled on Hortense's
Grecian features and Clotilde looked up
tvitln an ahnostheseoohing expression on her
face.
" Shall I call at Glacor's and get that
pompon fringe for you 7" Daffodil asked,
falling into a chair and twirliug her long
handled parasol around and around. She
was all ready for an excnrsiou down to
Yonge street and certainly looked very
sweet in her snit of dark blue, her sailor
hat and her tie of rose and cream silk that
brought her loose turnover collar together
in front.
"Did you finish that shirring?" Hortense
asked in return.
" No," the girl informed her, " I will to•
night."
Yon cannot do it so well by lamp light,
yon know you can't, I did not think you
were going out today. What takes you?"
"The beautiful weather for one thing, my
now dress foranoth er,"waslanguidlyrespond•
ed. " By the way, Hortense, you didn't get
the right color of silk for these revers. I
,anted a deeper rose tint. When I saw it
I was awfully disappointed.
" The deeper tint Was too expensive."
Daffodil gave her head a little toss.
" Well," sho said expressively. "Some
day you'll see if I don't have just what I
want, lot it cost what it may."
" You had better say whether I inn to call
at Glacer's or not. I haven't time to wait
much longer far your decision," she added
rising to stand before the iniac' and try the
effect of a piece of pale pink plush on her
complexion by holding it under her white
chin.
"Have you an engagement with anyone?'
her sister asked with a side glance at her.
Daffodil surveyed the back of her dress
in the glass, critically.
" I da wish you had put another pleat on
this side," was tall the answer she gave.
"Yoe had better not go out in the street
in it if you tbink your dress is so badly
made," Hortense said sharply.
"Oh it'll deverywell, I'll Boon be having
my costumes made by a professional dress-
maker, yon know—or rather you don't
know 1" meeting her sisters quick look
laughingly,
She went through tho shop to the street
Hortansecalling after her to stop and got
the fringe and " don't be gone long," she
added, with not so much acidity in her voice
as just before.
" What did she mean?" Clotilde asked.
Her sister's softening face perplexed her.
Hortense gave her a quick look, and said
quietly "For once in her life she is going to
do what we want her to do." Mistaken
sister 1
Daffodil went up the city street with a
light hurrying step that aooentuated the
grace of her lithe figure. She knew
she was an object one would look at
more than once. She bore the gaze of
the passersby with seeming unconscious-
ness but really with secret delight. She
knew she was a piotere of Hobe, Vonus and
IDiana, ail in one, Knew it too well, since
it not only turned the heads of the other
55x to a dangerous extent, but her own also,
and to a dangerous extent too, for with her
knowledge of this power, ideas caro into
nor head that portended—happinoss untold,
she thought—destruction and trouble, in
truth. One of them ideas, the central ono
of all the rest, she was following now. And
her mind was very busy with visions of the
future am oho turned up ono street after
' another emerging into it locality at lab that
was strange to her. '.lint elm walked 011,
1' 1
I'
looking keenlyat the numbers on the houses
' as she passed
Suddenly the fairness of her face was
clouded by a frown. A young man on tic
other side of the street none over to speak
to her and oho was fnreed to slacken her
pear to allow hinh 10 resoh 1101' side,
"Good afternoon, i1iss Dallodil," he
said, raising ills lint very defemettielly.
" \\'shat a lovely day you have chosen fm' a
stroll, slat why tako such a dull street as
i this?"
Because I havo business ho'o," she in.
formed hien, ewingingher parasol antiglare.
Mg at hint to see if he would have to slave
a father hint 1101 to keep ler long.
� Tfe looked around him before replying,
Thee Ito repeated "Here 1" as if he
it strange, Daffodil flushed and straighten.
ed herself a little proudly. "(lave you
any objection to my having business hero 7'
,sho asked boldly.
' "No, ho," the young man said, hastily.
"I have nothing to say about it at all, I
:Sid not wino ao'oss to quarrel with you,
Daffodil 1" he added softy, i little plead.
ingly too. " How font 1001150(11' meet lately
without having a disagreement ? You are so
urtel to me Daffodil?"
TEI.11 BRUSSELS POST.
"'Tush, Gus 1" the girl said lightly, not
looking at blas. " You Morg o it, I am not
eines to any of my friends,
1''l•lendelast(411dwefdtouee," lis 10 MM.
watching fur one glance from the heanti•
fill oyes. "I had hoped 1 1000 more,
Though after rho night you promised to go
to the band eoneert with eta ants accost >ani•
cal that Darer lustcul, I have been douLaing
oven your friendship."
Daffodil laughed heartlessly, Now she
gave (lith a look bet soh a brief mocking
one 1 His heart sank, "Daffodil," hebogen,
"tell Ino if--"
011 goodness (sus ! Don't 1 Not right
here on the street 11' And the laughing ab-
joet of his adoration shoved away as if to
leave him.
' You will lot me see you 00011, then,
won't you 7 May I call this evening?"
"No 1"
"To -morrow thou?"
"Goodness eo ! The girls wont be hone."
"011, then expect ale. Just for a little
while, I must see you "
".iron two till a quarter after, then. Do
you think you on say it in fifteen minutes?"
demurely,
He made a reproachful gesture and raised
his bat in adieu as she walked away, but
said nothing. Daffodil however smiled to
herself amusedly and thought "I'll forestall
this little declaration, I'r1 receive pint in
the back room where Annie is. Before her
he will have to be dumb,"
She stopped presently at a house whore
she rang the cracked boll, gingerly, nerve),
ing her dainty gloved finger tips critically,
afterwards.
Tho slatternly woman who let her in, in
response to her wish to see Mrs. Dovey, took
her into the parlor whioh smelt horribly
musty and dirty end looped so, too.
Mrs. Dovey cane into the room present-
ly, with a weary step. Daffodil was shook -
ed at her deathlike face. The great oir-
cles under her sunken eyes made the black
orbs seem staring and expressionless. Her
cheeks were thiu end her frame attenuat-
ed.
' Good morning," she said, in a not un-
musical voice, " What can I do for 7 ou ?"
" I have come in answer to the advertise•
ntent of the ' Select Operetta Co.,'" Daffo-
dil said, not fooling very ambitious now.
" To take a part in their company ?" in-
quired Mrs. Dovey, slowly.
" Yes. t,
Mrs. Dovey looked at the girl from head
to foot. " You want to travel with a stage
company?" she said regretfully.
" les, if I can," Daffodil replied. "Do
you think I could seoare such a situation ?"
" Do you know what you aro ask ing for?" the
woman said. "Do you lisle bard work, long
hours of study, moments of gladness and
years of weariness? My dear child, I would
advise you to go home and stop dreaming of
being an mottoes."
Daffodil rose. Her lip trembled not with
sensitive sorrow, but with anger. " Yon do
not know what I am dreaming of," she said,
indignantly. "You haveno right to dismiss
me before you know more of me—'
"Excuse me, my dear child but I know
you are too young to be experienced in our
line, and too young to be very capable eith-
er. You are beautiful, child, very beautiful,
but the moat beautiful of women have failed
to be a success on the stage 0 that was all
they had. To speak plainly, you have not
the conceutrativeness, the indifference to
fatigue, the stamina, to make a bit on the
stage. You see what it has made me I And
yet I have not been half an successful as I
thought to be. And the hard work has worn
me out."
Daffodil moven out of the room. "I might
know a woman would discourage a woman
from asfliriug to something she has failed in.
But I will interview Mr. Carew e, at the Shak-
speare. I wish I had gone there first but I
thought it would be better to come to you."
" 1t was better, far better !" was answer-
ed, quietly. "'And it will only cacao you
humiliation if you still persist m seeking
further for this situation."
Daffodil would not answer, only went on
out to the hall door. •
"Good-bye 1" Mrs. Doveysaid as she pass-
ed out.' "And may God keep you from this
evil 1"
Daffodil [vent away feeling very angry.
She did not want to acknowledge that her
beauty was all she had to recommend her to
the profession of histrionic art, though secret-
ly she presumed wholly on that gift in cal-
culating on success. So she went on to the
Shakspeare hotel and asked for the other
whose name had been signed to the adver-
tisement, Mr. Carewe, confident of the
power her charms would have upon him, be
he, old, young, married or unmarried.
He did indeed greet her with admiring
eyes and speak very kindly to her and wish
her euoeese but he also told her, very firmly.
that she would not do for his company. He
wanted a woman, not a girl, and even if she
be homely,—tet could be remedied by the
art of "making up"—she would suit per•
feebly if she only had talent.
'• Yon could not take any heavy parts,
you know," the said ruthlessly. ' Your
style is not determined enough, not imperi•
one, dignified, I may say, impressive
enough."
(me nn aONTINIIDD.)
•
A Good Preventive of Moths.
After placing a two -ounce bottle of chloro•
form on top of tie clothing, but under the
sheet•, draw the cork quickly, and instantly
close the cover of the trunk. Be careful not
to inhale the chloroform, This is a more ex
pensive method than the naptha. '.l'wo
quarts of naptha cost only twenty
five cents, I have used naptha for
about ten years and I have never had a
woolen or fur garment injured by moths.
Whatever you use to preserve your goods
from the moths, it is important that the
articles should be thoroughly beaten and
brushed, that no eggs shall bo in them when
they are put away. It is often tho caro
that articles which are protootod in the
moat (utreful manner are ruined because
they were not brushed free from the eggs of
the miller before they wo'o put away. All
white gond should bo washed free l'i'ons
starch, rinsed thoroughly, dried in tie stn,
and put away h'ongh.dry. 1 know that
many gond housekeepers put away all
their white goods starched and ironed,
ready 1'or the following season, but white
garments, that have boor ironed, aye apt
to turn yellow when they lie for several
mouths,
A Flatterer £oiled,
Peddler -•-I vas glad to see you looking
ynua;;"r mud more poeutiful than ever. Dun t
y5r vent to puy some chowolry?
Old maid—:,o, get out of here,
Peddler—Outdo as ho goes)—She vas get.
Ling schtnarter every day pesides,
213,017,080 quarts of milk, 5,100,080
quarts of cream, and 0,020,440 quarts of
condoned milk were rocoived in New York
last your for 0olatrmption, Etch inhabitant
of the city, according to those flguros, used
on an average 162 quarts of intik, 13 quarts
of organ, ate12 quarts of condensed milk
last year,
BIG ANIMALS EEOOMINCr EXTINCT.
New rote :About tile mem tag Deerrltse or
Large Oa MO In -01'rlc',,.
An article by ;11,', liryden fu the last Pro.
'fd,'J.t of the 1 hoologiotl Society
says the days of 1 lie giraffe aro numbered.
A few years ago herds of seventy or eighty
of thein were often mot in vedette parts of
Afrlea, Mr. lh'ydon says that nineteen
giraffes aro now a large sherd. They have
been hunted 50 mercilessly, both by natives
and foreign aporbonlon, that they aro rapid-
ly becoming extinct,
The Intelligent Afrioan Ring Khaira has,
however, taken the giraffe under his protein
tion and hopes to Neve it from oxtongue.
tion. He has forbidden the hunting of the
giraffe in his largo domain, and in this way
he (topes they will multiply 1n Itis country,
It is an in tooting fact that Russia snits
preserved the Europeans bison from extiuo
tion by setting apart a forest of Lithuania
for then[ and permitting no role to molest
them.
Iieceut explorers in southwest Africa say
that the Intent has changed greatly during
the last thirty or forty years. Dr. Henry
fichliohlar, 01 a paper he reed before the
Britislh Association a few weeps ago, says
that antetopos, lions, buflltluea, rbiuoecruses,
giraffes, and other largo animals which were
mot with in abundance when the country
was lirst explored are no longer to be food
in any part of southwest Africa on account
of their ceaseless slaughter by Lvuropeau
hunters, ns well as by the natives since the
latter boo possessed breech -loading guns.
The most important among these animals,
the elephant, has wholly disappeared from
this part of Africa, except in tho neighbor-
hood of Lake Ngami.
Anderson, one of the early explorers of
this region, said that 1,200 pounds of ivory
could bo bought at Lake Nganli for a musket.
According to Livingstone, in three years not
less than 000 elephants wore killed near the
little Zonga River alone. How much their
number has diminished ie shown by the
present very small ivory export from Wel.
fish Bay, which amounts to about 1,600
pounds per annum, while in 1376 it was as
huh as 37,000 pounds. The various kinds
of animals wolf" doubtless increase again if
some protective measures wore tako> in their
behalf, but there are not many Khans
among the important men of Afro who have
sufficient foresight to endeavor, in the inter.
este of their own people,to prevent the extor.
urination of these valuable auinals.
Woman's Intuition.
There is no doubt that a large percentage
of womankind aro averse to telling their
ages. The reason why they aro is not so ovi•
dent. But it is not in the matter of telling
ages alone that woman's ways, like those of
Providence, aro inscrutable. Many other
things which they do, or refuse to do, are
commonly supposed to be the result of a
lack of reason rather than its effect. It is
pretty universally considered that woman
is not a great success as a reasoner, and
most of her happiest inspirations are usually
ascribed to that uncertain something com-
monly known as " intuition." Is it not
quite likely, then, that the fact that many
women prefer to steep the number of their
years to themselves may not be based on
any reason, but be simply the result of in.
tutive feeling 7 If this be so, then it is fu-
tile to seek for what does not exist, and we
must simply say, " There is no reason." I
think this is worth considering. Women's
intnitione, moreover, are so often right that
one cannot help admiring this excellent, if
mysterious, power, and their iutuitions—
for it cannot be anything else—aro equally
correct do the case under discussion 1 The
desire to ascertain another person's age,
except in curtain special instances, is the
0010olne of nothing better than idle curios-
ity, and it is better that idle cariosity
should always be repressed. So that it
host be concluders, I think, that woman
feels intuitively that nothing is to be gained
by revealing her age, mid therefore usually
keeps it dark, It is true thee her intuitions
in this direction sometimes carry her too
far, but that isonly another case of a little
too much of a good thing,"
It Was Raining.
Tho other morning while the rain was
pouring down and everybody's umbrella' was
trickling water over everybody else, two
old friends met at the post office.
"Rwiniug, isn't it?" inquired Mr.
Thompson.
"What say?" asked Johnson, who was
hard of hearing.
" I say it's naming."
" 1 don't quite catch what you say,"
said Johnson putting his hand to his oar.
" I say," roared Thompson with full force,
"it's rauiiine 1—RAINY DAY 1 ? "
Johnson's face coloured with suppressed
rage as he passed on. Then, turning sudden
ly, he looked after his friend and shout-
ed :—
"Thompson, step in this doorway a
moment."
Thompson complied with this request,
and whilst the raindrops were falling ra-
pidly, the following conversation— mom -
peeled by wild gesticulttions—molt place,
"Mn, Thompson," said Johnson earn.
estly, " you have known mo for many
years?"
Yes,"
"I'm generally rated a pretty shrewd
business man, ain't I7"
" Yes ; you are."
"Well, you see the rain running off this
umbrella, don't you?"
"Of ooursel'a
" Your own feet tiro web?"
"Yes."
" Now, I don't carry this umbrella to keep
the sun off, do I?"
" Why, no,"
" I carry it to beep off the rain, don't I?"
"Of course."
" \Vell, thea, it rains, You know it rains,
Everybody knows it rains. People are not
idiots, Now, whet reasons have you got
in pushing aside my umbrella and anymg
" raining, isn't it ?' "
" But—W--But—•-•"
" Now, that's all. Y on just lot ib rain,
She knows her business. Yon just ttttoma
to your own affairs and hot the weather
alone, If yon (loft know enough to know
when it's raining don't ask :no. Good day,
sir I"
And then Mr. Johnson shook the rain off
his umbrella, stopped into hie office, and
commenced opening his letters with an ah'
of Don tell 1111011 t.
Christmas Riots,
Already the little boy begins to insinuateabout Christmas.
" 1 dreamt last night that yoti gavo me
five -dollar gold piece for Christmas and that
pa gave ma. a ten•dollar bill."
" My little boy, don't yon know that
aroma go by contrartes. You will bo dump.poieted,'saki the mother,
" No I won't. 1f the dream goes by cern
trarics, then you will give ma the ton dollar
hill, and pa will give mo the five -dollar gold
piece. I am safe, anyhow."
OUT FROM TELE WILDS,
A nunage e for the liaison /Gly (bn1p1111Y at
a510 front for a fell' 1111,1.5.
A few days ago (here urril•eil ,tsnutll party
of man in the service of the Nucleoli Flay
Uo npany, They haat oome dawn to taste
whiskey and civilization. Their wonder ab
tho clectrio llghte, the horse ears, the state•
1y breweries, the glittering burs, the showy
;Mops, the fire aystenh, and several other
things that they had overseen before was
refreshing.
head of tbisparty is Bahvltral Camden,
once ah olliaa• in 1he British only and for a
long time on duty in India : 1101' chief facto
in the ll"ndseu Bay Qoinpaly'o service. Hu
has a post of clignity, fair emolument, but
not much fibs. Iso has a lake named for hint
in tho far north, but ho is out of the last
people in theworld to be taken for a Hudson
Bay man, for the most of the follows at the
northern poste ere big, stout, fierce calms
anis of uproariin a health, Mr, Canteen is
about 110 yrers oil, of average height, but
some loss because his stomach has caved in
and he has hollowed himself around it. Ile
wears a long, tangled, brown beard. Ile is
covered with flannel checks, Itis cap is soft
and double peaked, also British and checked.
He surveys the arctic: wllderneee through at
monocle, and he talks in so faint a voice
that from have nearly to touch your ear to
this month to hoar him, His pleasure at being
among people is almost patihetiu, and while
his companions go about in a daze of wonder,
almost afraid to touch anything unless it
collies 0111 of a bottle, Ile seems to he re-
newing, as with some puzzling difficulty of
memory, his acquaintance with the ways of
civilization.
" Don't stay over there," ho begged of
the writer, as they eat in a public room to.
gether. "Come over and be sociable, like
good follow." A wood for conversation was
011 him, and his part of the talk was full of
interest.
" I've just been in to dinner," said he, with
a wry face. " The boys insisted on it, and
I went in to keep then[ company and kill
time. It is surprising to me how this habit
of eating grows on people, and what ready
victinhm of victuals they make of themselves.
Why it's all imagination, this idea that
you've got to eat two or three times a day.
1f I eat came a clay 11 gives me dyspepsia
and all the ugly d's in the dictionary. At
home 0110e in four days is enough. Then I
have a cake. If I want to keep in good
trim and not over -load my stomeoll, 1 eat
my cake once in ten Clays. lana convinced
that is often enough. Of course my views
bring me in conflict with my mon at Toru
Simpson, or would if it were not for my
good nature in allowing them to keep up.
this absurd practice of eating.
" A winter or so ago I made a sledge
journey to one of the posts on ;,rent Slave
Lake. Owing to trouble with the dogs wo
wore late, and as we had victualled for only
the time commonly required for the trip,
the two lads with me contrived it so that wo
were left with nothing while about three
days from the cud of the journey. They
knew whoa to expect me at the other fort,
however, and sent a relief party over the
trail to meet us. Though these fellows
had been only fortyeight hours without
food, it was the first thing they asked for
when the relief party came up, although
they had only twenty-four lours of travel
before them. They begged so hard that I
oonsented to a further delay and they flew
at the rations like wolves.
"Do wo have enough to eat at Fort Si mp-
eon? Why, of coarse ; at least, usually,
It's only in latitude lis' north, up her" at
the junction of the Limd and _Mackenzie
rivers, and I raise all the garden stuff I
need for my own table and have some left
to give away. Some things. like cabbage,
cauliflower, cucumbers, and potatoes, d
start under glass, but they come up with a
run directly when warm weather opens, for
we hart it 36" in the shade th.re this SUM -
11101'.
" The Hudson Bay Co i pony gives ns all
that the amen need, except whiskey, and
they have that in small luatnties once a year,
besides sugar, boor at all times ; but my
theory is that they should learn to live on
the resources of tho country. Now there's
game and fish,and raspberries, and, asI told
you, lots of vegetables to bo had for the
raising. I think most of the grace will
grow there, and I hate to send in big re-
quisitions to the company when there's so
much to eat just at our doors. \V a did have
a haul time there three years ago. It was a
long cold winter, forest fires had driven the
deer to eastward tend they had not conte
bank and I had thoughtlessly agreed to taste
a number of half-breed women Iron another
fort. There were about thirty of us, Along in
January the stores ran down and there was
a great clamor, but I sent the men out to
hunt and to fish along the ricer, and they
got through. Unfortunately, I could not
do tuna same with the women, though my
wife corned her own living most of that
winter by fishing than ,h holes in the ice.
The greatest trouble wo had was with the
hahf•breed women, some of thein fat as
butter, who went aboutwr'ingiug their hands
and declaring that we were all gain to die
of starvation before the spring set in. They
cane at me every morning, crying for more
to eat, and there was I with any one cake
every for days. Finally I said,
"' It seems to mo that you are making
entirely too loch talk about a trifle like
this. Now 1'11 tell you what I propose to
do. My weight 105 pounds, oun de and that's
g is
enough for anybody. I ant going to put all
of you. on one Wheal a (hay until you come
down to my weight." You should have
heated the outcry. I got onn and event fish-
ing. I put the plan partly into operation,
but of course whenever tho men brought in
a fat buck ora good string of fish l let them
have whet they wanted.'
Mr, Conseil, by the way is the ono who
started Lord Lonsdale on his alleged journey
into the Arctic the dtntaile of which his lord.
ship had bon industriously pouring into
tho ears of the marinas and he denonnaes the
obleman es a humbug a
u " 1fo fitted out, et Isom Simpson and claims
that ho went to Banks Land," said Air, Coln.
soli. "Apert from the facie that ba dill not
know haw to walk nit snowshoes which is
worth thinking about when yon hear hie
Obey, he simply oouldn't havo made the
time. \Vhy, if his account wo>'u true, ile
would have boon obliged to make 200 miles
a (lay\V.
hat do wo le up at the fort? Well, we
aro there to week, and we have some worst
to do. Wo go around among rho Indiana, to
sae what they havo fu the way of fin's, mid
got it away from them ; we )hive snppli50
to store and break out aucd 1501>0 ; IVO I•avo
goods to pack and send away; wo have
men and dogs to food; wo havo meet to
cure, wood Lo out, gardens to tend, reports
to write repairs to make hunting, fishing,
sledge burnous for winter, told cart and
olio journeys for 5000sler and wo woo
ourselves occasionally with games end read.
ing, and especially with races, Besides,
there's to fiddler and the ,parson,"
In the Solomon Islands the market quo.
Wien on a "good quality" wife is ton
thousand e000ants,
I)IB'. 4, 18Ot
k'AMINE THREATENS CHINA.
1111'lll'111e or L01'11514 .ire Iia ti ug tap livery
(seen Thing.
LL addition to the cholera plague now do.
vllsla1img China, famine NOOliha iia the staring
the people in the free throughout the larger
part, of the empire, says a letter from Shang.
lint, This probability of faulino la calmed
by the ill111he>I50 swln'illa of lneusts, which
eat up every green thing growing, Stoamere
conning from t he interior river punts report
passing through swarm Blinn swarms of these
moots, which obstruct the view so that at
times oven the sun is hidden from sight.
The effect of a visit of those pests is 5110 -
ply itppalling. The entire expanse of fertile
country, which at this season of the year
aetmlly woare sash a green appeeraneo, is
almost reuderod like a desert, The rite and
corn appear to be utterly destroyed, and of
the gi Esa (the sole dependence of the cattle
and sheep) :mg *5 vestige remains after a
swarm passes over it.
To make untttere worse, the astrologers
and local dhpfas tell the common people that
the visitation of the locusts is hoevon's way
of expressing its wrath againnt tbu present
ruling d)vasty in China, and shat mo long as
they willingly submit to be governed by
their presets ruder each year, heaven will
scud a scourge equally dreadful, The pea -
eau is readily believe this, and the cry of ro-
be lion and overthrow of the present dynasty
and the establishment of one of real Chinese,
ILS the astrologers claim heaven wishes, is
fast gaining recruits throughout the dovast•
015(1 districto.
Should rho effects of the locusts bo olio'
as reported, then the famine will bo very
general throughout central China, and in
case of a rebellion the entire populace in
the famine districts would probably engage
in it, on one side or the other, and the re-
sults would be too horrible to anticipate.
Foreign Naval Notes
Owing to the terribly destructive effect
produced by the bursting of shells, whose
bursting charge is dynamite or cordite,
much effort has bean made to adapt thorn
for use in highs -power guns, but it has been
form" by Prof, Abel that it is highly unsafe
to subject nitro-glycerine mixtures to a
temperature exceeding 100 degrees conse-
quently shells containing such bursting
charge are very apt to be dangerous to carry
from one part of the world to another whore
rho temperature varies nmol.
A new way of propelling vessels has been
invented by an English:nag in Queensland.
The inventor places the propellor at the
bow instead of the stern and makes it coni-
cal with a diameter nearly equal to the
beans of the ship. The blades of the pro.
pollen are gin d at right angles to the surfaoo
and arranged spirally, thus giving a boring
or auger action. This method is to be tried
on a large vessel.
A torpedo net cutter has been devised
and is in use by at least three European
powers, which, affixed to the stem of a tor.
pedo, would mut through any net at present
made. The apparatus consists of a 3012501e
arrangement of knives which sever the wire
meshes and make a hole for tho torpedo to
enter. A shipprotocted by a strong plastic
steel net has hitherto been taken to be fairly
well protected, but this nutter calla for more
protection and this (las been supplied by a
new arrangement of heavy booms which a
torpedo boat could not get over. The Eng.
lish sam'ifieed a torpedo boat in making this
experiment several days ago, resulting in
leaving the booths unimpaired, while the
torpedo boat sank,
Soot the old Gina honored "boxing the
compass " will be a thing of the past for it
is proposed to nark the compass card only
in degrees and not by compass points.
Navigators have been giving their courses
and steering by degrees for some time and
points on compass cards will undoubtedly
0
111 sensational report of the landing at
Sigri which startled the world not long ego
with runlolea of war iu the ENO, has been
dissipatedoy the report of Lord Walter Kerr,
0 command the British fonts, The opera-
tions were carried nut with the consent and
cogulzanoe of the Turkish authorities, and
consisted of a moak defense and attack on
five English men-of•war lying on a harbor
off Sigri. Twelve submarine alines were
planted at the mouth of the harbor and
eight guns were landed on Sigri and Phanoe
Islands. Two electric search lights were
planed at favorable points on shorn and the
five men•of•war wore thus sheltered within
the harbor. A night attack was made by
torpedo and picket boats endeavoring to pass
across the imine field and attack the ships in
the harbor. They were not suaaessful. The
mana;uvres were of great value and interest
and the sensational reports were no doubt
duo to political claptrap or to a desire to
influence the stock market.
IT WAS ONLY A FAKE.
Strange scheme Adopted by the HUH.
gnrlar. Governnnent.
A fearful railroad disaster was reported
by telegraph as having occurred at a depot
not far from the city of Posth, Hungary.
Greatoxeitementseized upon thepopnlabion,'
and there being no communication by rail,
all the buggies, coaches and carts that could
be found in the city were soon upon the
road to the none of the mishap, Wlsen they
arrived no traa o of a smash could he seen
and the depot was in wonted order. The
telegraph was set to work to find out where
the smash really had occurred, in which, it
had been said, thirty mon had boon killed
,old as many wounded. There was a good
deal of tologriphing to and fro until the ex-
cursionists worn finally snide to understand
that they bad boon the victims of a fake.
The Hungarian administration of railroads
wanted to 0ni1 out in what condition the
oliioiml and private rooieties for shall hog the
wounded, and tie arrangements for clearing
the track wore at the time. Tho first sec -
rotary took a train, no nee knowing to what
place, Itn(l auddeoly scuta telegram couched
in the most serious terms, reporting a smash,
up and asking for help, Twenty minutes
ago the receipt of rho telegram to first
relief wagon started, An hour and ton
minutes later train of soveu care, with
fifty 10011 unrees, lnodicod men and every lap-
pet Otis necessary for the occasion, started
for the 800110 of the imaginary disaster.
m1n05'rwt0r (10)1POT1i.
The chestnuts should bo roasted before
pooling, Press them a little of the edge
of the tabic. Neo that they aro clean, then
put thorn into sirup prepared as for apple
ot'r
oom o, and warm h,
them gently on the e
By so doing the sirup will permeate or soap
into tho obeenuts. .Add thejuioe of a lemon
aol a few 10In011 chips. Put the chestnuts
iflt0 glass dishus, oprinlrle sumo powdered
saga' over terns, get your salttnalder and
glaze them.
The popula„ion of Pomo has decreased
nearly 30,000 daring the past foto' years.
'rho h had-nrgan industry in this country lee
bloroasedperooptibly during that period,
1