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The Wingham Advance, 1905-08-03, Page 348000, lelefellettergerrege e obetlegge-44-41teetlefee-ellet,***11.4+4.-*-10+.4141-.11-ill BERTHINE. A Story of the reencomProssion War, joige I wits at Rethel that devilish winter during the Frauco-Prussian wer, detach- ed from my xegiment and Su charge of e trort o nhtaorganizetion which the people et the tewn hacl got itp. Rethel Is an out-of.tlieevay piece, but it ie an old town with tr Uit,oi d, fortifica- firms, and the eitieen$ had determined to resist the inveders ited to stand. A siege, if neeeseary. Of course, meet tri thew abledIedied 'nee Were away in the twiny; but they bought guns and seine old- fashioned artillery that happily never bed to be Bretj off, and they &Weil like good fellows, wider my commend -all ecn•ter and et/edit/lone of anee-buteliers and bakees and grocers awl lawyers end oretaides and carpenters, aria even apothe- c.aries. Oh, I tell yoe they numat t, too! %hey were only too anxious for the Pres- eienis to come. But the days and weeks went on and the Prussians did not come. They were in the neighborhood, Borne - times within eight or ten mike of the town, but en the other side of the barest. Several times they did enter ethe forest, but I suppose it wee only far wood, or perhaps for game. At any rate, an it turned out, they did uot want Rethel. We knew of all their movements, for we had the beet ,sentenel in the world, an old earaekeeper and forester,who lived in a little house in the very heart of the 41, wood, and who could hear a rabbit wag its tell as far off, my friend, as eye eould tee. "This old man was named Nic,holas Pichen, and Berthine was his daughter, She, :was a fine, strapping big gal -I think that she and her father were rath- er superior in every way, physically, mentally and morally, to the most of the peasants in that region. 'lam things sometimes happen in a country that has had a few eenturiat ef feudal rule, At any crate, she eras what yen might call a fine figure of a girl -tag, plump, rosy, as strong aa an cc and. atraid of neither wolves nor Prussians. Oe the night of which I speak -the night that, was so like this -the old, man had gone into town to notify us that a detachment of Prussian infantry had. passed near his house that day. Ile generally reported once or twice a week, and took previ- eions back with him when he returned. He lived in a small old. stone house eight mike from Bethel; and he made noth- ing of running the whole distance -run- ning, ramember-and back in the course of an evening. He took his two great bip., big hounds with him to defend him fro m1!' m the wolves, which were feroeions in the winter time; and the two women barte ceded themselves in the house lintel his return,. They were safe enough ttiere; the house had stood for centuries, and suppoee it is as strong to -day as it ever evaa. It frightened the old mother to be left in this way, and she sometimes complained. to me when I went out there, as we officers occasionally did, to get a shot at a deer or a bird, We dtd not live high ,that winter at Rethel, I can tell y.au! I never saw Berthine afraid, however. She simply laughed at the idea of harm coming her way. "On this particular evening, after the old man had -slipped off in the dark- ness, I3erthine split the wood for that night and the next day, drew the water, and, after she Lad fastened the door, to please her mother, she set about making soup in the kettle. That is pretty much the staple diet of those peasentee-thin soup for the poor days, cabbage soup for the rich -days. To -night they were to have cabbage soup, so that they might save something good for the father to refresh himself with when he got home. And let me tell you that old Mother Peahen and Berthine made a very good cabbage soup for a hungry man, It is not to be despised. tee "It wag, just about this time of night when the two women heard a :sound of men marehing close to the house. The old mother was .much alarmed, and she nearly fell off her chair with right when she heard a musket butt sapping on the door. But Berthing only took her father's heavy revolver tecrwn from, the chimney piece and slipped it into the pocket of her woolen petticoat, such as our peasants wear; then she listened at the door. She heard a deep bass voice graying, with a strong German accent, 'Open.' "Who are you?' she asked, "Oorporal and five privates,' said the German voice. '"What do you want?' Bertbine de- manded. "'There is no one here' she said, 'but my old. mother and myself.' "The officer was a decent sort, of fel- low -for a Prussian. '"We don't want to hurt you,' he said; give you my word we'll make you no trouble; but we've got to have something to eat and we've got to rest. My men are almost dead,' "Come in,' she Said, standing back from the door'and they filed in. They dragged their heavy feet as if they had A hardly strength enough to take another step, and they were almost too tired to shake off the snow that covered them. They sat down wearily on the two benches between which stood the table. "'You look worn out,' said Berthine, as she closed the door after them; make you some soup; it's the best I can do for you,' "She went about it as coolly and lin- concernedly as though they had not been present. She added hot water to in- crease the volume of liquid in the ket- tle and then made up its richness by the addition of potatoes, more cabbage and a great piece of salt pork. The soldiers koked on as though they could eat it, kettle and. all, and it must have seemed • long time to everyone before that soup was ready. When it was placed before them, at lett, they fell upon it liko half-starved creatures, taking it in with brutish noises, and swallowing the potatoes, *when they came to them, as though they were strawberries. The privates said nothing, but the corporal ittet grunted in his barbarous accent, 'Good, good!' Finally he found himself Buell- ciently fortified to begin to feel like himself again, and ho asked. Berthine if there was anything to drink in the house. "'I have only eider,' she answered hint. "'Give us some, there's a good. girl,' be said, "Moving thought fully and with some- thing in her manner that probably attracted the attention of the officer, Bettlible took a big, old-fashioned key from the wall, unlocked and opened the greet trap-door in the corner of the room and went (kWh the winding Stone steps into the teller. She was gone a long time; so long a time that the tor - Oral grew uneasy, and when a strabge, uncanny sound suddenly broke the still - mess, he drew his revolver nuiekly and looked stoogethe room at the old woman. ▪ .he rose trembling with affright. "It la only the wolves, sir, she Med. "Wolves-' repeated the corporal, In• .credulously; but he weut to the door, and, opening it cautiouely, looked out and tat?the gaunt, grey eliapel pruwl- Ir itheitt in thsr Ono% WeIV be fetid good-naturedly, as he bolted the door and returned to lila plaee, wouldn't have believed it, old 'woman.' ."Berthine came up from the cellar Wtth the cider, a generous big atone Nteherful, arid she gave it to her unlit- vrted guests with a pleasant smile upon her face. They bad it gulphea down in it, minute or two,. and twice she refilled, it for them, each time witli e still more pleasant smile upon her face; which/ let ine ateure you, my friend, Was a very peculiar thing for a French peasant woman giving away eider, "By the time they had finished the third pitcher, fatigue and their heavy drink bad so told as them that they began to fell asleep Wheys they sat. 'Stretch yourselves out in front of the fire there,' said Berthine, kindlY/ 'there's room enough for you all. Mr mother and will take our supper over here, anti when we are through we will go up to bed. You'd better put on another loge "The soldiers stretched themselves out on the stone floor; the two women made a hasty meal of what remained of the soup, first secretly setting aside a por- tion to be kept for the father; and then they climbed up the ladder to the gar- ret that served them as bed chamber, and left the lower story to their visitors. The flickering firelight played on six bearded Prussan faces; the oaken rafters thrilled with six different Wed of Prussian snores., "They bad slept long enough to be at sleep's beaviest, when a gunshot rang out on the air seemingly far off, yet so exaggerated. in loudness by the sounds of the night that it might have come from under the very eaves. The six soldiers leaped to their feet and stood gazing at each other in drowsy amaze- ' 'mint. Another shot followed at once, and then after a long interval, two more. Suddenly a form droppecl among them from the low ceiling. It was Berthine, who had swung herself down through the opening of the ladder. She had a lighted candle in her hand, and its yellow flame illuminated her fine figure. She 'was barefooted, bare•armecb and clad only ni her primitive peasant's night dress, a coarse linen chemise and a short pettieoat. 'Her eyes blazed wIth anxious excitement. "'For heaven's sake get out of the house," she cried; 'it's the French regi- ment from the town -five hundred of them -and if they find you here teey "its Equal is Unknown" From Ocean to Ocean Ceylon Tea "A Daily Treat," BLAo.K, MIXED OR SeAled Panients Only, NATURAL, GREEN I PoSitIVely Refuse Substitutes. tilUfIGST AWARD ST. LOUIS, 1904, thet tireless old man reached the gates of Rethel, where the outpost brought him in. In ten minutes the call to arms was sounding in every direction; the 'OWN rang and the whole town was topsy-turvy. "They really did very well, however. Had they been regulars they could hard- ly bave been meelt more prompt in get - tine off, and so we went inarchlog through the forest, singing and hurrah- ing, as though we were celebrating the defeat of the whole Prussian enny, in- stead bf the trapping of five privates and a corporal in a peasant girl's cel- lar, "When we reached the cottage all was still and silent. If it had not been for the smell of powder in the air I sheuld hardly have believed in the existence of the captive Prussians. Berthine open- ed the tloor and stood upon the sill, calm and unmoved, as though her fa- ther had not brought a delegation of 200 French soldiers home with him. I do not know how those long and trying hours of waiting had gone to her; but, if they had troubled her placid spirit, she gave no sign. Standing in the doorway, she repeated her warning to everyone who approacbed: "'Don't get in front of the grating!" "The soldiers were drawn up a couple of hundred feet from the house, and bonfires were lighted for warmth and light. I entered the house, and going to the trap-door I addressed the silent cel- lar. "'Is there a Prussian officer there 1' • "There might have been no one at all there for any answer I got. Again and again I addressed the invisible'but no sound cane back through the floor. I offered that corporal all the blessings of an honorable surrender, but he gave no sign in answer. . "Meanwhile something was going on outside that I should net have approved of. My men, of course, were standing at ease. That is to say, they were run- ning, jumping and stamping to keep their feet warm. Finally someedaredevil had discovered that Infernal grating, and will burn the house over our heads, and ncrthing would do him but he must run perhaps kill my 'mother and me for giv- across its range as a boy might run , ing you shelter. efitke haste, there is across ehe danger space in the game no time to be lost.' And she moved toward the door. that we call barres in France -you call "The maids face reddened. it prisoner's base, I think, This struek same of the others as a attest amusing "'How can we go?' he asked, eullenly. 'My men would be shot down a sport, and the more fleet -footed kept it mente And even as he spoke two more in zno- up for a while, without drawing the et:- shots were hefted close at hand. Beeemy's fire. Then there came along a th- t inc cast her eyes about her, as if in des- little, fat, round baker, who was generally callcalled Malet, ed the Bun, on perate search of some way out of the aecount of his shape. They dared the difficulty. Bun to make the trial; and, of course 1 "'Get down in the cellar, then,' she he did it, with it funny little trot that cried, hurriedly, 'and keep quiet. Pli tell I made the men laugh. Ile had got nearly you when they are gone.' ; out of range, when it flash of fire shot "She raised the heavy trap-door. The from the grating, and Malet went over corporal grinned with delight, elapped on his back wirh a kick axle a howl, her cordially on the shoulder, called her throwing les own gun over his head. It a clever girl, and the six men with their struck it stone and went off. Its antizzle guns and overcoats, filed noiselessly pointed almost straight at tlie grating. down the , winding stone stairs. As the We conjectured that it bit somebody, spike of the last helmet disappeared ' for an .exclamation caine from the cellar,. from sight Berthine let down the trap- but eibether of rage or pain we could door quickly and silently, and. the mo- I not make out Millet crawled and rolled ment it was down she leaped upon it • out of danger, He was Wounded in hes 'with cat -like rapidity, and, leaning over,thigh; but net badly. IVIten I had re - gave the key two quick turns. Then, formed our lines and left Malet in the , surgeon's lands, I returned to the cot- tage for a council of war, and found Berthine still standing in the doorway, looking at the picturesque scene -the sol- diers, the snow, the great fires, the gleaming arms --with the indifferent cur- iosity of a well-fed cow. " Well, my girl,' said, `this is a pretty piece of business. You get your rnen in the cellar, but how are we to get them out?' "She answered me in her matter-of- f:tot way: "They drank up all our cider last night; why don't you give them a drink of water now?' "'What do you mean?' I asked. . "'There is the pump,' she said, point- ing to it; 'and there are gutters under all the eaves of tbe house. You can take them down and use them. But gee should put them back again.' "That was all the council of war. In ten minutes those gutters were down, stretehed, from an auger -hole which we th made in the trap-door, through e win- dow, to the nozzle of the big wooden pump. Three men ranged themselves on eaoh side of the long handle, and in o short time the current of clear, icy water was rushing down the ln line of woode troughs and pouring a steady stream into the cellar. "The cellar was small and sballow; but, as you know, it takes a long eiane to fill even the smallest of cellars through an auger -hole. Tee snow had stopped, and the east Wag red 'with morning before we heard from that cave of gloom :thy other sound than the steady fall of the water. B -r -r -rt but it was shivering cold, that water! Then wo heard the hoarsest Prussian voice that ever was dreamed of say through the grating: "'Mr. Officer!' "The corporal desired to Surrender, At my erders he passed the arms of the detachment up through the grating, sing ply remarldeg: "Make haste, I am dying, and. my .nren, are nearly drowned.' 'We opened the trap-door, and the corpora's heed appeared, pale and ghast- ly. Two of his men were eu,pporting him. Itlalet's fallen gun had actually shot him, and straight through the body. "When we had warmed our prisoner% 80 filet they could walk, we started back lot Bethel, carrying the wounded Bun on it stretcher. The wounded Prussian wo left behind us, as our surgeon re- portee him too daregerously hurt to be moved .at present. "This happened in the latter 'part el January; and it wee that very day, by chanee, that the Pruesian troops in our neighborhood were <Cared to Paris. This was fortunate for Berteine and her fam- ily, and was probably the only thing that sexed them from the vengeance of the intettlers; for when .the Prussians learned what bee become of their scout- ing expedition, they Were as wild with rage as we in Bethel Were with media- ti°11"he 1•1.little town went 'fairly mad with frensy of pride and mithusinsin, and the good people of Bethel were quite as slily Ana extravegant as -well, as any eommunity tiett had lost it head over a woman. They got up it popular substription and gave Berthine Inchon a sum of money; I have forgotten how much, but it was a large sunt for the time and plitee. The family with pre. ter, and notify the lieutenant." serried with tlie thanke of the town in a *- * "And so I was notified. It 'was tu1it silver casket, and Ilerthine receiyed from 4,Ire municipality..,a peak of:rate:old touch over an hour and a half later When wirriP**lieh, stippisiiisturitiretairi40 her own cider. The Pompiers-Fire De- partment, that is -- sent her a mantel- piece clock, with an alabaster pump on it and she had a medal or testimonial from every religioue society in the city. And when the war ended in February and, was ordered away from Rethel the Berthine fever had reached such a height that they were talking about es- tablishing an aunual festival le ber 11°•lar.was not it time for festivals, how- ever, and the absurd scheme was ebari- doned; but when I came back to Rethel early in April the excitement bed broken out in a new form, and I found a most curious dispute referred to me for de- eision. I could hardly believe my ears when I heard that the Mahe of the town, and my old friend Maid, the wounded baker, the Bun, were quarrel- ing aS to which should marry 13erthine Pichon a girl who could not read or *write, ventured to suggest that she was hardly a match for either of the !people, but they were quite indignant over it. "'She is of the Aristocracy of patriot- ism,' said Malet."She is another Joan of Arc,' said the Maire. "As ex -commandant I was forced to settle between them. I decided in favor of both, suggesting that they should make their offers in order of seniority and leave it to Berthine to express her personal preference, if she had any. My decision was regarded as novel. and original, but perfectly satisfactory. "But I did not knee- what I had let myself in for, until the Maire insisted that I should drive with him in state to demand of Nicholas Pichon the hand of his daughter. And, my friend, I Ead to go; and I must tell you how we went. "I have lived so long in America now that I can understand how impossibly ridiculous it must seem to you; but at the time I was only mildly amused when I found myself rolling through the for- est in a big open carriage, conducted by a liveried coachman and footman. I was in full uniform, and I sat by the side of the Maire, who was in evening dress -yes, in swallow tail coat and white kid gloves, at 11 o'clock in the morning. That's the way thy do it in France when they go to make a formal offer of marriage -not addressed to the young Indy herselt, you know but to the yOung lady's papa. On the front seat were two gorgeously caparisoned beadles, borrowed from the Cathedral to lend state and dignity to the occasion. When we came to the bistorio cottage, old Pichon was chopping wood before the door. He looked up at us sullenly and without saying a word went on with his task. The footman descended and announced the Mire of the City • of Bethel. Then the old man looked up, with insolent rage glaring out of his lit- tle eyes, "To the devil with your city of Bethel.. It has cost me my daughter; and ndw I must chop wood in my old age." "'Cost you your daughter," stammered the Moire, bewildered. "'Yes,' said the old miter 'you've set her crazy among you with your non- sense; and now she. and her clock and the silver box and the money you gave her -all the money -all the money, do you hear -they have all gone with that cursed hear,-they who was to have died and didn't.' "It woe true. The modern, Joan of Are had fallen in love with the captive who had been left with her to be nursed, and es she could never have dared marry him openly and face the wrath of her fellow citizens, she had slipped away with him by night, not forgetting to take with her the rewards of her pa- triotism. "We afterward heard that the corporal with her strong forefinger, she cleaned the dust and dirt of the floor out of two bolt heads at the sides of the trap and. shot the rusty bolts. "Berthine returned to her garret, slip- ped on her dress and came back to the lower room. In ellence she and her mo- ther began to warm up the soup they had secreted, for it was getting to be the time for the father's return. But it was not long before the sound of voices under their feet told them that the sus- picions of their captives had been awak- ened, Then the butt of a gun thwacked against the under side of the trap door, raid the corporal's guttural voice called upon them to open. Berthine deigned tin response to this command. She knew well that hammering clown a front door was one thing and striking up te heavy halt- ed trap another; and that there was no other opening ihio the cellar of thick masonry save one little grated slit made for ventilation, "'Open,' eame the muffled voice of the Prussian, 'or I'll break the door.' 'Break all you want to, my lad,' said, Berthine pleasantly, as she stirred the soup. "Berthine was big, healthy and mag- nanimous. It was her little, old, wrink- led mother, who all these hours had cow- ered in silent fear, who now burst into a tempest of raging triumph. Crouch- ing over the trap, she laurled gross in- sults down at her daughters captives, calling them hoes and wolves and rob- bers, imitating their guttural accents and mocking their bad French. "She stopped exhausted as Berthine raised a warning hand. Afar in the woods sounded a strange note, like tire ecreech owl's, yet, to a forester's ear, unlike. The two women heard it, in spite of the hubbub that the prisoners made, beating on the atone ceiling and firing their guns through the grating to attract the attexttion of any comrades who might be in seitrch of therm Berth- ine put her head out of the door arta answered with the same cry. It came back again, and again she answered it. Two great dogs burst out of the dark- ness and leaped 'upon her, caressing her, and whining with pleasure. She held thent firixily by their broad leathelt col- lars ane called to her father, whose tall form could be seen emerging front The thicket. "'Don't pass in front of the grat- ing! The cellar is full of Prussialls! The old man changed his course and entered the house. He gave the two , women no further greeting than to xe- peat interrogatively: "The cellar is full of Prussians?' "'Yes,' said the daughter, calmly. "Ho sat down at the table; she placed his soup before lam, and he ate stead- ily on with the stoliki gravity of a pees - ant, while his daughter told her story, punetuatee by the blows of musket butts beneath the floor and the crash of shots fired through the grated slit. The smell of the powder smoke mingled with thet scent of the hot soup and the pungent aroma of the wood fire. The story tnd the soup were finished together. The )110:11 made no comment whatever. Ile merely said: 'What shall I do now?' and, as he 'Waited for his daughter's re- ply, wiped up the soup le the bottom of the kettle with crusts of rye bread, which he fed to his dogs. "Go back to town,' Said his (laugh - A WOMAN'S ORDEAL DREADS DOCTOR'S OUESTIONS Thousands Write to ItraPinkham,Lynn, Masa., and Rociive Valuable ii.dvice Absolutely Confidential and rree There can be tto more terrible ordeal to a delicate, soesitive' refined woman than to be obliged toanswer certain questions in regard to her private ills, even when those questions are asked by her family physician, and many continue to suffer rather than submit to examinations which so many physi- cians propose irt order to intelligently treat the disease; and this is the rea- son why so many physicians fail to cure female disease. This is also the reason why thousands upon thousands of women aro corre- sponding with Mrs. /Inkhorn, at Lynn, Mass. To her they can confide every detail of their illness, mad from her great knowledge, obtained from years of experienee in treating female ills, Mrs, l'inIchant can advise Women inore wisely than the keel physician. Dello Iiimereittietine Montreuil, of 114 Latottrelle St., Quebec, QUO., writes: Dow Mrs. Pinkhanti- " I suffered for eight menthe with what the doctors called prolapses, which caused great weakness nil over my system, with faint dizzy spells. X kept growing weaker rine weaker, tried several medicine; which they claimed would cure My trouble, but nothing was of the least benefit until I tried Lydia 11. Pink - hones Vegetable Cotnpoteid, and this helped me so rapidly that I could hardly believe ley good fortune. /would gladly have paid Wee/ for thee fleet bottle, for it started me on the road to health, mei nye bottles ured 1110. " I ain Most gritteful fol. my splendid, robust health, and shall certittnly recommend the Vegetable Con:potted lit glowing femme to all ray friernis rine nequelutanees, for it is de. gerving of all the prate° I can give it," Monntairre of proof establiali the feet that IVO medicine itt the world equals Lydia n. l'inkhant's Vegetable Cont - .pound for rentoting wornen'i hatalth. rejoined the Prussian Amy, and got his dieeharge and s present of money tor having turned the laugh on us; and that the married pair enugrated te Canada, and have done well for themselvee."-- . Translated for the Salt Vranelego Bulle- tin, ASSOIIAM DAX la STAKE, • Experta Say Fears That It May Give Way Are Without Foundation. Famine in Resole I Are there any moth luxuries of misery Wining to the Czar's gee great :meow that has Attended the on - oration et the ASSOUtin earn. JO Weeding the people? area of cultivable land in legypt recoritlY led - to th° °°°°14erati°° ef t" 44"41°4 01 raising s P40 height ot the dam by about eighteen feet With 126,000 bus-tierof fine wheat the -au addition 'which Would SreatlY increase Northwest should be able ec: enjoy the capacity ot Me reservoir . At tee request of the government Sir Oen- large leaf, lemln natter, who is respoesibie tor the de - 01E4 et tee earouan exectere, was requested Derimerk refuses to allow Greenland to znalie an investigation, in the course et. which the fact developed that the rtish of to be made a place for the treatment water passing under great head aail Wee ,# OVIlelt9ealtsVeries of cevities me bed. or the riv- :afraid that Ns polar bear* may exteh envie' the sitece gates had worn consumptives, Is Kin.), Christian er below the dam. The structure is built 14 pieces upon a rock ot a somewhat triable some gereia/ cearacter. AO la order to secure a perfectly - - broad table 9r beech of concrete Was Iwo. 1%foritreal Uouneil haa banished the in the river bottom, upon, which the mason- i.y of the dam was built up. hand organ and t rank piano men from At the time oZ Ite construction It was real- - trio that Lb: scour Otto the:1,e r 1,v,,,401, the city streets, on, the plea thee "the r u t ee e ;nue ro meg music was tee diverting to people who against, aud the concrete platform was ex- teudad for a certain distance forward of the ,-ehold4 have been going on with their 2rwnDeliaelutin ilelZst4A.ta.'%enttiorig uPrilzfir. work." The Instrumental performances aescrete platform will .now be carried 'a far- were not held to come under the by-liew Alter dietance dewn stream so as to make sure, that the effects of scour can never work I. Vainnt. "unnecessary and disturbing bads toward the dam Iola enciangor it4stabil- ity, :emelt:I:mouse, with the investigation of the dam, there appeared in Bngland au academie discuselow by two college profes- sors er the question of the stability of dams ! forced parties from marrying again with- in general. They advanced a rather fanciful; in less theorr as to the probable line of failure et ' than a year after the divorce, and dains,. wbich was quite et variance with RC., prohibits the party divorced for infidel. eepted anti wen proved engineering teeory onTheeesprsoupbolsecalt. to increase the height of the yiteYarisr°aInfttl'ervtrheingdivIvoirtchie,nettepat r.Lthuattwao dant the cblet englueer's Investigation of the struCturet and the curious theories ot dam divorced couple eau remarry at any time. failure above referred to offered an attrac- This will prevent people in:axed/3g before tive coincidence for the reportorial Pulsation monger, gee seeeis to be getting -wonderfully theewh.lnakoifsten47theaenc their w011 acclimatized in the field ot London tshe.divothe papers, Journalism, end tee Braise nubile has been a. treated to whole columns of matter tending o prove that this costly engineering tin - prevenient M doomed to short lite, if indeed A. contemporary calls attention to tete it is not liable to be sweet down the Nile enormous number (if men lined up in the vediey without a moment's werning. AB'a matter of fact, the Assouan dam, so Russ -Jap. battles. In no beetle of the far from being in any danger of failure h a margla of stability so great as to render past, at least not until the outbreak of it possible to Red the eighteen feet of height the present war, have more than 50D,000 suggeste,d, and still leave the etructure proof gm boon. lined up in opposing at.inies. :gomaienst overturning or rupture for all time to "" 3-• The following were the totals engaged UMW COMPLAINTS. in some of the great historic battles, from which the colossal scale of the pres- The very best medicine in the world eat war can be understood: for summer complaints such as chol- era infantum, diarrhoea and dysen- try is Baby's Own Tablets. During the hot weather months no wise mother should be without a box of Tablets in the house. These troubles come suddenly, and unless promptly checked, too often prove fatal. Baby's Own Tablets act almost like xnagie in these cases, and speedily remove all cause of danger. Mrs. Alex. Pou- lin, Caraquet, N. B., says: " I think Baby's Own Tablets the best medi- cine in the world for children. I have used them for cholera infantum, teeth- ing and other troubles, and it is aston- ishing how quickly they relieve and cure these ailments." An occasional dose of Baby's Own Tablets will keep the stomach and bowels right and prevent summer complaints. No mother need be afraid of this medicine -it is guaranteed to contain no opiate or harmful drugt of the prosperity of the 'United States It always does good --it cannot pos- "consists of an overproduction of fraud sibly do harm. Be euro that every . ewe seenee box bears the full name Baby's Own • Many branches of financial Tablets and picture of four-leaf clov- er bus,i,ness had been, in one way or anoth- An7otnhintghe eitsverapisper a adraonugnedrousthe sub -. ydetcheeivintingsctrhue- stitute. Sold by all druggists or sent Pthsesepsusroseof obf perliioustakfeonr by mail at 25 cents a box by writ- ing the Dr, Williams' Medicine Co., Brockville, Ont. - The London Lancet quotes )Jr. George's MAN'S INORDINATE VANITY. Petit us saying that there is great dan- ger of tuberculosis being spread by balc- Universe May Hide Greater Intelligence cries. He says English bakers' laborers Than Ours. are affected with tuberculosis to the proportion of some 70 per cent., it is easy to see what feeilities there are for the entrance of tbe tubercle bacillus into the dough in the process of hand kneading. Moreover, when the bread is baked, it does not attain a tempera- ture of over 100 degrees centigrade in the middle of the loaf, and the slight portion of time which elapses between the baking of the bread and that of the consumption is favorable to the dissem- ination of the bacillus of tuberculosis. Experiments by Gaitier, Mare and him- self have shown that his fears are well grounded l The matter is one of great im- portance to the general public. - - Since 1896 the product of the world's gold mines has amounted to $2,526,000,- 000. Of this about $860,000,000 have gone into the vault% of the principal banks of Europe, while about $300,000,000 have gone into the reserves of the na- tional banks of the United States, mak- ing a total of $1,160,000,000, which is re - Norsemen, awaken the harp from its slum- presented by the inerea.sel holdings of the hers.; Strike for old Norway, the land of the principal banks of Europe and the 'United Land of our fathers, wo strike it for thee, 000,000 was used in the arts and sciences, free! States. It may be etaimeted that $757,- High and heroic, in soul -stirring numbers, Old recollections, Wake one's affections this being based upon, an allowance of Bach time we Speak of the land of our birth, 30 per cent, of the verse production, Heart beating loudly, and cheeks glowing proud y, though perhaps 25 per cent, would be a closer estimate. This leaves about $600,- Plevna, September, 1877, 130,000. Sedan, September, 1870, 244,000. Gravelotte, August, 1870, 300,000. Sadowa, July, 1806, 435,000. Gettysburg, July, 1863, 220,000. SoIferino, June, 1859, 284,000. Waterloo, June, 1815, 217,000. Leipzig, October, 1813, 472,000. Borodino, September, 1812, 251,000. - James B. Dill, at the Oberlin Otillege commencement, gave a definition of "graft" in these words: "Graft is the advanced stage of the craze for unearned money. It is not only the desire to get something for nothing, but it is an attempt to get something for the grafter in considerAon of his parting with some- thing that does not belong to him." Fur- thermore, Mr. Dill said, that a large part Man's greatest vanity is the placing of the human r‘ace at the head of crea- tion. Prof. Oliver 3. Lodge points out that the universe is large enough to hide vastly superior intelligence, and that our imperial Caesar -or our Ameri- can, billionaire -is but a creeping dust atom upon one of the dark lumps at- tending one of the smaller of the five hundred million great suns. In it -recent illustration, T. E. Heath represented the distance traveled by light in a year by one mile. On this scale the sun is a dot 1-107 of an inel in diameter, the earth -to which buman activity is con- linece-is a microscopic particle 1 inee from it, ancl a table 5 feet long suffices for the entire solar system, the nearest fixed etas being nearly 41-2 miles away, Even on this .scale a circle thirty miles across would embrace only twenty-seven of the nearest stars, the millions being far outside. - • Sons of Norway. (This is an Unglish transIwtion of the old and popular Norwegian song that just now Is heard all over Norway, and breathes the spirit ot courage and independence that are conspicuous in the present national cri- sis.) Honor old Norway, the dearest on earth. Spirit, look back on her far -flashing glory, 000,000 unaccounted. for. A pert of this Gaze on the splendor that bursts on the gleam has gone into the vaults of banks other Chieftains aud vikings immortal in story than national in. the United. Ste/tee, and Gazeon, ethe splendor that bursts on the gmee other than the chief Government banks Chieftains and vielegs immortat in story in Europe. But these hoklings would, af• Pressed to the battle like maids to the (lance. ter all, represent only a part of the $600,- ea b Over the ocean they carry her fame, Chainpions enough, though, are left in the e :ot tire traYo, 13111ovvs clash o'er thorn, 131celd flows before them, mystery. 000,000. Where the remainder is is a -...........-41, - .- d bleed for her freedom and London is a., microcosm, a world in Pride of the Norsemen, the temple of free- Stande like a rock where the stormy wiod natty). dore itself, and a very strange one, too. It is it place of great figures, great activities and great people. Here are sone points breaks, fmn A book of statistics issued by the - Tempests howl around it, but little he 1i heed thenl. County Council lately; Freely be thitiks, and as freely he speaks, Birds In their motion, Greater London has 2,017 miles of pub - Waves of the ocean, lie bighway, and there are 74 public and Reny can rival his liberty's voice: Yet he obeys, with a. willing etivotion, private bodice which can open them at Laws or his making and Mims of his choice. their own sweet will. It lias 181 miles of Latd of the forest, the ford and the fount- tramway, besides about MAO cabs and ithe .. .. ,,.. Blessed with the wealth of the field and - ...._ the flood, Stewly and restful, the sons ef the mbulite paybiteheelglad price et thy rights with their Ocean With bound thee! Freedom bath found thee! Flourish, old Norway, thy flag be unfurled Free es tho breezes and 'breakers around thee. Pride of thy children, the first in the World; An Odd Epitaph. An old churehyard neer London is famous for the ieseriptions On 150 teltilwterieg. There is one on the me- morial of Susannah Buford, died 1052, aet. 10 years; and 13 weeks. The con- cluding lines beneath the skull and crossbones on her monument are: t A fair division is where we get the noes alai* emnilmees, era 225 utile* ot railway. has 200 miles of main *ewer*. The population of the administrative County of London in the middle of ls-st yearwaiS 'estimated at 4,013,403, Fifty year ago the marriage rate wars 22.3 per Uwe - and, among Londoners living, in 1002 it had fallen to 17.8. The birth rate in 1002 was 28.5 and the death rate 17.4 Landes geta annually 30 million telegrams and 760 million letters. It has fifty-three theatres, forty-three mu.sie halls, and two hundred and forty-five other plates of entertainment. Its charities income is 47,000,000 a year. Ito hospi- tals cost 47n5,285 yearly surd, treat ne 959 in -patients end 1,290,038 out -pa. tieuts. About 140,000 receive help from the rates; 30,000 dwell in lodging bowies. There were elle and ene-half millions of usere of the public baths anct *wash. houses last year. London, too, sends 704,028 aildren to school, and, provides 17,000 teachers to look after them. There are ever a million books in the multi* pal libraries, and the issue last year WI* about six millions. In these times *ten we hear so much about microbes, end when a war aaginst spitting is being actively waged, it is somewhat reassuring to find that there Ls aomething to be said for sunlight, air,, and even dust, as germicide:: . Dr. Cas- sidy, of the Provincial Board, of Health, writing in the Sanitary Journal, combats the alarmiee views that have prevailed in some quarters. He does not deny the possibility of the spread of tuberculosis by germeaden dust inhalation, but he thinks the wight of evidence goes to show that the germs are dangeous only in proportion to the extent to Which teeter have been shielded from air and sunlight. He conetnds that the street dust has really a strong disinfectant power on the sputa of scarlet fever, diphtheria, meas- les, whooping cough, influenza., etc, de- stroying instead of enhancing its viru.- Ience. Germs in a closed room will re- tain their virulence for a c,onsiderable time, while they are seen destroyed. by fresh air and sunlight. This view finds support from no less an authority than the New York Medical Record. The anti -spitting campaign is geed as a mat- ter of cleanliness; it is vile to spit on the sitiewalkg and floors; but es it matter of sanibation it is no less bad -it may even be worse -to spit in the grass. Cast into the sunlight of the paved streets there is reason to think the life of the germ of tuberculosis is likely to be short. Sun- light is a great purifier; if we lived more in the sunlight and inhaled more pure air tie should have less consumption. - An Actor's Subterfuges. "Every actor prides himself most upon his ability to 'fake' when it is neces- sary," said James Fulton. "I remenaber once, when I was young in the business, we were playing fly-by-nights and the heroine was supposed to kill the heavy. The audience was primed up th the cli- max, as only the one -show -every -three months -town audience can be. 'Now die!' she cried, and pulled the trigger. Snap went the hammer against a dead cartridge, and the villain lived. Snap went the gun again - the heavy still stood waiting the re- port. Snap for the third time, but no flash of powder followed. The heavy threw up his hands, and doing the stage fall, cried, 'My God! I've been shot with an"ainroteguhll; Atime we Were putting on one of those English melodramas dealing with the coal mines of England. The scene was laid at the bottom of tbe pit, 700 feet below the surface, The heavy was destined to die in this act by the bullet of one of his treacherous cohorts, the shot being fired from behind the scenes, supposed to come from one of the subterranean passages. Ile gave his cue for the shot, but the report failed, Props was evidently busy. Again he gave the cue, but failed to get the reply. Sud- denly he wheeled, and, falling to the stage, cried: 'My God, I've been. struck by lightning' -700 feet below the ground too, see," explained Fulton. -Kansas City chewan. The unparalleled increast in the Journal. As to the Eagle. r.3.; He mates for life. He makes eetraordinary flights. He has strength, size and grace. He bee aways been considered kiug of birds. Eages' nests are built in lofty fast- nesses. For swiftness, his flight is not ap- proached. As an emblem we share the eagle with many nations The eagles lives and retains his vigor to a great age. No bird soars so high nor so rapidly and impetuously. On July 4 uo one noticed the slightest elation among the eagles• at the Zoo. Eagles are solitary. Though found throughqut the word, no two pairs evet occupy the same neighborhood. The golden eagle was the egerign of the Persian monarchs long before it wes adopted by the Romans. The Persians borrowed the symbol from the Assyrians. —gee, Elephant Delays it Train. A circus train was pulling out of Spo- kane, Wash., it few days ago whet bud - &My the injector "broke" and persiet- ently refused to take up water. After working with it a few minuteit the Ow gineer ordered an examination made, of the tank; it was found nearly empty, although filled at the water trane but ahort time before. No explanetion of this mystifying con- dition was apparent until water in tug meroug streams was seen running from the elephant car next to the tender, and then the ettuse was found. Jumbo had amused himself by reaching his trunk through the open one of kis ear into the manhole of the tender and sucking up the water, with whieb he hail delugett the other tininxals in the car. They looked like drowned rate, and, needlies to say, had enjoyed their in- voluntary bath no more than the train - Inch had the delay. "—gee/etre- Cure Us villa It. ' (Detroit Free Prem.) lloch-t knew a man ono who hed never met with a dIseppolntreent in hie Mo. Josh -110W Was that? Boall-He *tag weer Mokins ter minis* Int% Muhl*,