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MISCELLANEOUS. ) HOW A SERVANT WAS MADE TO REMEMBER. Mr B. had a. servant girl who was willing, active, and obedient, and gave her master and mistress every satisfaction. But Mary had one iault; she was very forgetful. Whenever the family sat down to dinner the bell hadlto be rung, as something was invariably missing-say a spoon, the bread, the salt, &c. All plans had been tried to cure her of this unhappy failing, but without effect. One day the family were seated at table, and the bell was rung as usual. The girl hurried to the dining-room. "Mary," said her master, "just run and fetch the big step-ladder down from the attic and bring it in here." Mary, who had been disturbed from her dinner, gave a prunt of dissatisfaction, but ran up the three flight of stairs to fetch down the heavy ladder. In about five minutes she returned to the room panting with her exertion. So now," said Mr B., put it up at that end of the room and climb to the top." Mary did a.s she was told, and when she was at the top Mr B. quietly observed. "Mary, you have now got a better view than we have just look round and tell us if you can see any salt on the table. My wife and I could not find it." That did the busineas. Mary never forgot the lesson. LEPROSY SCARE IN NEW YORK. A telegram from New York of Wednesday's date says :—This time New York has a genuine leprosy scare, much greater than the London affair of last year. The son of a rich Mexican has been attending the military school at Chester, Pennsylvania, and coming to New York with his parents last week has developed pronounced leprosy. He has been living in furnished apart- ments here, and, to the dismay of the occupants, a doctor who called in to prescribe for supposed ordinary illness announced the real nature of the disease. The scare was increased by the Health Inspector consulting physicians and the Health Board. All concurring, the Government authorities were consulted, and the patient removed to an island near New York. The curious point is that in Mexico and at school he was well. There were no cases of leprosy in Mexico near where the family lived, and it was not until he got to New York that the terrible eruptions began to break out. A MAN'S BREACH OF PROMISE ACTION. SOME INTERESTING LETTERS. In the Glasgow Sheriff Court, an action for breach of promise of marriage was raised by John Mitchies, 250, Hope-street, Glasgow, against Joanna Walker Simpson, residing at Glen Villa, Ravenscraig, by Greenock, in which E500 damages are claimed. The plaintiff states that he is a warehouseman, and that the defendant resides with her uncle at Glen Villa. The plaintiff and defendant became acquainted with each other about three years ago. At that time the defendant resided with her uncle at 303, St. Vincent-street, Glasgow. Immediately, or very shortly thereafter, a strong attachment sprung up between the parties, and the defendant professed a strong affection for the plaintiff. The plaintiff was recognised and approved by defendant's uncle and friends as her sweetheart, and was a constant visitor at her uncle's house at 303, St. Vincent-street, Glasgow. The defendant also frequently visited the plaintiff at his lodgings, cl and they passed among their friends and acquaintances as lovers. Sometime after the parties became acquainted the plaintiff proposed marriage to the defendant, and she consented to become his wife. The defendant's uncle and other friends approved of the plaintiff as the de- fendant's future husband. Shortly after the said engagement the plaintiff wrote a letter to the de- fendant asking her again to become his wife, and, in reply, the defendant wrote a letter from which the following is an extract 303, St. Vincent Street, Fr day. My Darling,—You dear, writing me such a sweet letter I was fast asleep when the post came, but I got it when I woke up. What a night last night was, the wind howling and the rain beating against the window. It was eerie, my darling. And you were tired last night, and yet you posted my letter. You should have gone to bed and posted it this morning. I would have got it about twelve o'clock, but you, darling, wanted me to have it early. I wish you could get an easier situation, not quite such hard work. With aitich love and great big kisses from your very own (Signed) JOAN, You ask me to marry you, I will whenever you can. What more can I say, my own darling? The following are extracts from letters which the defendant sent to the plaintiff:- My Darling Life,—You have just left me, and I have said I would explain to you. Do you want to marry me? Yoa say yes. I also say yes. I have all along, and you say I laughed at you. Never. I say it with all truth. I never had- what right have I to laugh at you, you that are a thousand times better than me. Do you know, John, I feel to-night as if my very heart strings would break. As a woman I have done wrong in asking you for your love; but oh, I have such trust in you I tboaght you were everything to me till I found out that you had told another you loved her. Forgive me for repeating here, but I was wild at the time. My temper got the better of me. No doubt she is better than me, and I should have crept back into my own little self, but my love got the better of me, and I could not help telling it. Forgive me for being rude to you or saying anything unkind. I have never meant to be unkiud to you in thought, word, or action, and after reading this, if you will think me worthy of your love, give it ine.-Yours for ever, (Signed) JOAN. My Dear John,—I have missed you, but I'll think all the more of you to-morrow when I see you. We have the Rev staying with us all night. He is a widower with five children. What do you think of me going in for that ? I am glad I am engaged to a single yjung man, or I might feel tempted, don't you think so ?—Your own, with love. JOAN. P.S.—Remember to-morrow at half-past eleven, or half-past two, or I'll feel inclined to go for the widower. Besides the letters quoted, the defendant wrote nearly 200 letters to the plaintiff all breathing the same spirit of fondness and undying love and affection, twenty-two of which are produced. The first intimation the plaintiff had of the defendant's intention to break off the engagement was about six months ago, when defendant finally gave up, the plaintiff acting in a most heartless and offensive manner against him. In consequence of the defendant's refusal to carry out the engage- ment, the plaintiff had suffered greatly in his feelings and prospects in life, and is entitled to damages to the amount sued, viz., JE500. The defendant in her reply to the various assertions of the plaintiff admitted that the plaintiff proposed marriage and that she consented, but for good reasons she wished to be relieved of the engagement about the time stated. In a further statement by the defendant it is related that the plaintiff and defendant became acquainted through both taking part in religious work carried on in Cowcaddens Free Church, Glasgow. The defendant was drawn to the plain- tiff by the interest he showed in the work, and the kind attentions which he paid to her, but she was deceived by these as to his character. The plaintiff in courting the defendant had in view the obtaining of Mr Simpson s business. He supposed, as he now erroneously averred, that gentleman was her uncle, and that she would succeed to his estate. The defentlant is not related to Mr Simpson, but was brought up by him from her girlhood, and she acts as his servant. After the engagement the defendant discovered that the plaintiff had been courting, and was continu- ing to court another lady, to whom he carried childish and injurious st 'lies about the defendant. The plaintiff misled the defendant as to his circumstances, and the defendant has discovered that the plaintiff had, and has, no Hleans with which to support a wife in a proper manner. III time slic satisfied that there would he 110 happiness on either side in the proposed marriwe. He manifested the greatest rudeness towards her many time, and on several occasions struck her with his hands. The defendant was, and is possessed of no means of her own, and the plain- tiff has sustained no pecuniary loss through his failure to obtain her as his Neither hail he experienced any injury to his feelings. THE HADDOCK AND THE DEVIL. Among old-time fishermen a grim legend was current concerning a famous contest which once took place between the haddock and the devil. As the legend runs One day the devil, anxious to assert the same control over the denizens of the deep which he claimed to hold of dwellers on the land, went for Mr Haddock with both hands, and seizing him just behind the gills, between his thumb and forefinger, exclaimed, Now, haddock, I've got ye." Bat the agile fish proved more than a match for his sulphurous majesty, and dashing through his hand into the water, swam away in triumph. And thus it is to this day the two black stripes seen on the sides of every haddock are called the devil's finger-mark." COOKED WORMS—A QUEER DELICACY. The average tourist, a traveller remarks, does not take any too kindly, on first acquaintance, to the Mexican national dishes. Yet the things are eaten with a relish after but a short stay in Old Mexico, and this shows the great adaptability and the long snffering kindness of the average human organs of digestion. Yet I must confess I had never imagined that this theory could go as far as it does. The idea of eating flies, ants' eggs, and even woims of various sorts had never occurred to me. That is, I had read of the savage negro tribes in Central Africa committing such gastronomical outrage, but I had never for a moment supposed that people of the Caucasian race, while people, civilised beings, would do the like. And yet just that is done in Mexico, done by the natives, and done even by the resident foreigners. Not only that —they even deem these morsels great delicacies, and the small boy there dreams by night of worm fritters, just as he does here of strawberry shortcake. The first time I sat down to such a meal, the first worm I sent down into the alimentary canal by sheer force of will power, without the tongue having as much as attempted to exercise its functions. The second crisply-fried morsel, however, I ate in the thorough, old-fashioned manner. It tasted good. A third one I even found better, and so it went on in quick order until I had really chewed, swallowed, gulped a dozen—fried caterpillars, to my own astonish- ment. And they actually were nice. Will you take another little worm ? inquired the pretty daughter of my hostess, smiling at me in an encouraging manner. Thank you, yes-a few more," I said, and I ate these as well, and with great relish. A TERRIBLE PICTURE OF THE INSIDE OF A MACEDONIAN PRISON. A special correspondent of the Daily News has managed to get inside a Macedonian prison at Uskul—the largest prison of the province, which is called Kurschumla or the House of Lead. His interest was supposed to be antiquarian, but it wasn't. He wanted to see how the prisoners were treated. According to the book the Kurschumla contains 149 prison cells and 1,811 prisoners. Those on the first and second floors are sentenced for slight offences, and the time of detention varies from one to 10 years. I do not believe, says the correspondent, that any prisoner has ever outlived the fifth year of imprisonment in these loathsome dark cells. In this respect the prison officials confirmed my suspicions by saying that the mortality was very great, and that very few prisoners lived to the end of their time. In a cell certainly not larger than two-and- a-half yards square, and of about the same height, between 15 and 20 prisoners are confined. All they can do by being friendly and making room for each other is to stand up and lie down again, and they are allowed half an hour's walk in the courtyard once in the day. But how shall I describe the pitiable aspect of these poor creatures ? With hollow cheeks, the pallor of death upon their faces, and terrible protruding eyes, they writhe in continual agony on the floor, not only panting for air, but suffering from want of food. They receive absolutely nothing but bread and water, even if their sentence be for life. If their friends send them money, they are allowed to buy meat twice a week, but the prison officials brutally cheat them out of three- fourths of what is sent to them- The greater number of the prisoners were naked from head to foot, with heavy iron rings and chains on their wrists and ankles. As I passed some of the cells, after looking through the loopholes in the doors, the prisoners within pushed through a stick to which a little leather was attached. I placed a franc piece in each, but I had my doubts as to whether the prisoners would benefit by my almsgiving, and thought it more likely that the greedy guard would take the money from them. The cells on the first and second floors are all alike. The degree of sickness and misery of the inmates alone varies. The cells in the under- ground prisons, where the worst offenders expiate their crimes, are, however, far more horrible even than those I have described. Here every ray of light is excluded. In utter darkness the unhappy wretches lie chained to the reeking floor of the cell. They are totally unable to change their position, and are released from their chains for two hours each day, lest death should afford them an escape from this Inferno. The official who conducted me told me with a cynical smile how this class of offenders is brought to confess. Hands and feet are bound together, and the man is placed at a pillar, to which his head is fastened. The victim is thus absolutely unable to move. There is always a stock of large ants kept ready in little boxes, and of these about 50 are placed upon the body of the poor wretch The tortures he endures from the bites of these insects seldom fail to make him confess, no matter whether guilty or innocent. Upon others the same effect is produced by chaining them to the pavement of the court yard and exposing them for a whole day:to the scorching rays of the sun, without the power of moving a limb. STRANGE FAD OF A WEALTHY AMERICAN. Mr Ernest Grammont i& staying at Providence, Rhode Island, endeavouring to purchase suitable 11 land for the erection of a feudal castle, in which he proposes to lead the life and follow the pursuits of a baron of the Middle Ages. He wants a commanding position, as high above the sea level as possible, with good approaches, and with land enough to dig a moat. He intends to play the feudal baron to the top of his bent, and will have in his service a body of retainers in the capacity of knights, esquires, pages, men-at-arms, &c. The Castle will be turreted and pierced for archers, after the style of the twelfth century, with sally- ports, posterns, portcullis, battlements, keep, and thtt rest. The banquet hall will be similar to those in which feudal barons dined with all their servants and vassals, and if Mr Grammont is as good as his word the welkin will ring as often as his neighbours choose to lay siege to his fortress, for he will be as hospitable as those whom he will imitate but he will not replenish his larder by incursions among the fat beeves and bucks of his brother barons. His establishment will contain troubadors for the revival of minstrelsy. The men-at-arms will be uniformed according to the style that prevailed during the time of Charles the Bold, the Burgundian costume being the most picturesque, according to Mr Grammont's thinking. What land remains I? unused lie will divide into holdings and distribute among the knights, who will hold them in fief from him, subject to forfeiture for any unknightly deed or transgression of the laws of chivalry. I The knight's fee will be a dollar a day, but he will have his spurs hacked from his heels if he is caught wassailing when on duty. PROFESSION AND LENGTH OF LIFE. The average life of a clerk is but 34 years, and this is also the average among teachers. Machin- ists ar outlived by printers, the average of the former being but 38 years, while that of the latter is :m. Musicians live a year longer. The years of life of an editor are 40, and of manufacturers, brokers, painters, shoemakers, A. mechanics, 43..Judges live to be <>5 years of age on an average, and farmers to be o4 Hank officers also live to be 64 on an average. The duration of life of coopers is 58, of public officers 57, of clergymen 50, of shipwrights 55, of hatters 54, of lawyers and ropemakers 54, of blacksmiths 51, of merchants, calico printers, and physicians 51, of butchers 50, of carpenters 59, I -s of masons 48, of traders 46, of tailors and jewellers 44.

GLAMORGANSHIRE SUMMER! ASSIZES.I

TRADE REPORT.

TRADE OF CARDIFF.

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LAUGHARNE ECHOES.

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----PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL.

PRINCIPAL EDWARDS ON SABBATH…

REVIEW OF THE BRITISH CORN…

LLANDYSSUL.

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