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Gossip from Old Wales.
Gossip from Old Wales. lB y ERNEST RHYs.] VIII,-THE LAST OF THE DRUIDS. Derlwyn. The Last of the Oaks. Old Tradi- tions and the Modem Spirit. Mona and the Last of the Druids. Davies's Mytho- logy and Rites of the British Druids." Taliesin and Merlin Again. Druidism and a Welsh Renaissance. The Quest of Welsh Tradition. Envoi. On one of the wildest parts of the Meri- oneth coast, where great hills, almost bareof trees, shoulder back the sea, you may find one small grove of immensely old gnarled oaks—Deriwyn in native term-sole sign of the oak forests that once flourished there. From Derlwyn it is an easy step to Der- wydd and from the last of the oaks to the last of the Druids. On some autumn or I winter's evening, when a curious light, red, suggesting storm, is left by the sunset, is the time to see these gnarled oaks, and to believe in every wildest tradition of the older Druids, who are said to have once haunted there. At other times, when the modern spirit and its works, railways, tourists, and what t not are all too palpable, you may be in- clined to join the sceptics, and disbelieve in both the primitive oak-groves and the Druids. But (pace Mr Nash and other critics of the kind) this is unworthy. In any case, as at other times in recalling the past of Wales, let us here be legendary and traditional, and not scientific and de- structively critical. And whenever and wherever we come on the Welsh mountain- Bides to the old oak-groves, or those mysterious circles of stones, which by old association are Druidic, let us pay our homage as imaginatively as did Lucian, to the Druids who take us back to the grey first beginnings of Welsh tradition. It is in Anglesea, "haunted Mona," and not in Merioneth, however, that, according to tradition, the last of the Druids, fighting a lost cause against what he deemed the effeminate heresy of Christianity, saw a younger generation desert him, and found himself with only the Druidic oaks for his companions. Into that sequestered scene, Mona," says Edward Davies, in his Mythology and < Rites of British. Druids, "the Druids, who detested warfare, had retired after the irruption of the Romans." Then he goes on to amplify this information, suo more-in the fashion that was so well calculated to raise the ire of critics like Nash, who found his magnificent assumptions only absurd. They had deserted," he says, their ancient magnificent seat at Aveury and their circular temple on Salis- bury Plain, in which the Hyperborean sages bad once chanted their hymns to Apollo." This is Davies, no doubt, on his mythical ^aigh horse again, with its Helio-Arkite and other fantastical trappings. And yet we should be unwise to dispose of the Druids acid their Mona traditions because Edward Davies was extravagant, as when he tells us, for instance, that we may place our last of the Druids as late as the close of the sixth century, and that the bards of that time 44 used all the means in their power to conceal their secrets from the knowledge of the populace, to guard them from the persecu- tion of Christian priests, and to transmit },hem safe and unblemished to future ages." Now, when one turns to Davies's authori- ties for his unhesitating statements of the kind, no doubt one is a little dismayed at first, and not a little inclined to doubt him altogether, and in disposing of his Helio- Arkite absurdities, dispose of the Druids with them. It is the same kind of effect as was produced by the irresponsible methods of iolo Morganwg about the same time as Davies—to say nothing of ,a recent noto- rious and painful instance of modern pseudo-Druidism. But as the subtlest Eng- lish critic of our generation, Matthew Arnold, who preserved ex- cellently the happy mean between the extremes of scepticism and credulity in Celtic matters, said there are worse provoca- tions to the genuine critic than the over- enthusmstic contentions of writers like Davies. They may rail for want of science and scholarly accuracy in making good their case but yet their sense of something pro- founder in old Welsh poetry and the writings of the Cynveirdd than lies on the surface — something primitive, august, mythological, Druidic in a word, arose out Df a sure instinct. But this brings us round 1 again to Taliesin, and some of the poems in |t the" Black Book of Carmarthen." t ——— 1 A not unfriendly critic, writing to this paper some weeks ago apropos of Taliesin, took me to task for not solving this difficult problem of Bardic Druidism in my previous gossip about Taliesin. As well indict an innocent gossip about Shakespeare, telling you how much he liked King Lear at the Lyceum, for not deciding the dramatic relationship betwixt Shakespeare and Seneca, and perpending the historical origins of the Elizabethan drama. However, I, for one, am quite pre- pared to believe in a Druidic residue, after you have stripped all that is mediaeval and Biblical from the poems called Taliesin. The same with Merlin". The more one reads of the traditional accounts of Merlin, the more one comes to believe in their having an origin in certain Druidic mythological ideas and superstitions, in particular, as well as in the Celtic romantic imagination in general. Take even the common tradition of Merlin's end, as you have in Welsh, or with a slight difference in the old Scottish verse— Mervelous Merlin is wasted away With a wicked woman, woe might; she be, For she has closed him in a craize On Cornwel coast! There is no doubt a mystic origin for this fabulous imprisonment, as there is for the grave of Merlin in Bardsey, or his enchanted sleep in Caledonia, or his sea-change in the famous House of Glass, or his birth, death, and burial near Carmarthen. But who of us now shall disen- tangle these intricate threads, and present them in exact terms of science ? It were easier, perhaps, to present them in terms of imaginative literature but that, too, 1 fear, is rather beyond our modern faculty, which is apt to be clever and accomplished, rather than strong and creative. Meanwhile, our Taliesin and Merlin, and our impalpable Last i"*1. of the Druids lie, as far as Ave modernly are concerned, securely locked in that magic sleep from which only the wand of the coming poet of Wales, that we look for, shall avail to wake them. This Is without prejudice, let it akonce be added, to the admirable work of many Welsh scholars and writers of to-day, who are doing so much to make Old Wales a possible subject for the rest of us, and who are teaching us to make its past minister to f its present in quite a new way. The signs, ) indeed, are not wanting (and altogether 1 apart from polities) of what we may deem to fl be an incipient Welsh Renaissance. They are to be read between the lines of every paper in Wales, whether dating from Cardiff, Carnarvon, or elsewhere, whether in Welsh or English, that one takes up. A copy of "Cymru" that reached me lately in a dull London February day fairly surprised me by its Cymric stimulus and its finer sense of the things (new and old) that make for national life and its full contemporary expression. The Oxford texts of such indis- pensable books as the Black Book of Carmarthen and the Mabinogion I have mentioned before and of London Celtic literary, as well as political, activity, we hardly need to be reminded on the morrow of St David's Day. If the "Last of the Druids" seem by this to have rather faded out of his place in our gossip, the disappearance is not perhaps altogether a loss where in truth, as various writers on Druidism have proved, it is better to say too little than too much. One may use him for a last word, however, or yet another argument for the pursuit of all his shadowy kith and kin in the fields > .d by lie firesides of rural Wales— vherever folk-lore and folk-tale have clieir favouring circumstance. To the same end may fairly be appropriated the following little apologue from a keen hunter after such elusive Celtic imaginations, M. de Ville- marque which may very well serve as envoi to this brief present series of papers It is related that St. Patrick, wishing to know the history of Ireland, went to consult a good old wife, who had seen several genera- tions pass. She had, in spite of her years, an eye still quick, a springing foot, a fine ear, a fresh voice, simple speech and ingenious, an inexhaustible memory, and a heart of fire under the snows of her white hair. The people loved her, followed her, believed in the truth of her tales, and listened to her with admiration. A Welsh shepherd of the Valley of Myvyr met her also wandering in the mountains of the North of Wales. Walter Scott tells us he followed her along the Scottish border. For myself, I have seen her more than once seated at the fire of a Breton peasant-her eye as quick, her ear as fine, her voice as fresh, her heart as warm as in St. Patrick's day. To whoever asked her name, she replied, "I am Celtic Tradition."
The Household. -.....
The Household. Wise Words. The three great stages of our being are birth, bridal, and burial. No principle is more noble, as there is none more holy, than that of a true obedience. There are few occasions when ceremony may not be easily dispensed with, kindness never. Let everyone sweep the drift from his own door, and not busy himself about the frost on his neigh- bour's tiles. Advice," says Coleridge, is like snow—the softer it falls the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind." Stitch by stitch, Minute by minute, Verse by verse. A reputation has been very aptly compared to a sheet of white paper; if it be once blotted, it can hardly ever be made to look as white as before. Everyone is forward to complain of the pre- judices that misled other men and parties, as if he were free, and had none of his own. Orange and Lemon Marmalade. Seville oranges must be sliced very thin and altogether, only taking out the seeds. To each pound of fruit add two pints of cold water. Let this stand 24 hours, then boil it until the chips are tender allow this to stand till next day, then weigh it, and to every pound of boiled fruit and water put 174 lb. of lump sugar. Boil the whole till the syrup jellies and the chips are transparent. This may take from half an hour to an hour. It depends on the state of the fire and the oranges. Add three lemons to one dozen oranges. Orange Wine. To 10 gallons of water add 24lbs. of loaf sugar beat the whites of six eggs well, and mix when the water is cold boil an hour, skim well, then take four dozens of the roughest and largest Seville oranges, pare very thin, put them into a tub. and pour the liquor on boiling hot, and, when cold enough, add three or four spoonfuls of good yeast with the juice of the oranges and half an ounce ot cochineal, beaten fine, and boiled in a. pint of wine stir all together. Ferment four days, put into casks, and in six weeks bottle for use. Raisin Wine. To every gallon of spring water put 8lbs. of fresh Smyrna raisins in a large tub stir it every day for a month then press the raisins in a horse- hair bag as dry as possible; put the liquor into a cask, and when it has done hissing, pour in a bottle of the best brandy stop it close for twelve months, then rack it off, but without the dregs fit ter them through a bag of flannel of three or four folds. Add the clear to the quantity, and pour one or two quarts of brandy, according to the size of the vessel. Stop it np, and at the end of three years you may either bottle it or drink it from the cast Raisin wine is much better for keeping. Hints. Vinegar is better than ice for keeping fish. By putting a little vinegar on the fish it will keep perfectly well, even in very hot weather. Fish is often improved in flavour under this treat- ment. Every housekeeper should have a blank book, in which to copy or paste useful hints or directions about cooking and other housework. This book should be kept in the kitchen. It is a good plan to keep a crock of fuller's earth in the kitchen for removing spots of grease from carpets, boards, marble, etc. If applied immediately, and well rubbed in, it will absorb the grease, and may then be brushed off dry without injuring the colour or fabric. CHESTER PUDDINGS.—Line a soup plate with short paste, then spread with apricot jam and bake. Whip the whites of four eggs to a stiff froth with 6 oz. of sugar, pounded and sifted, 1 oz. of sweet almonds, pounded with a little sugar, and three or four bitter ones. Put a band of paper round the tart. pour in this mixture, and bake in a slow oven. FKIKNDLY I? CODING.—Take a quart of milk and divide it into two parts, put one pint into the saucepan with two tablespoonfuls of ground rice and a dessertspoonful of sugar, stir over the fire until quite thick, and the rice is cooked. Take it off the fire, and stir into it; the white of two eggs, slightly beaten, and flavour it a little. Put it out into cups, and leave it to get cold. Take the other pint of milk and put it into a double sauce- pan with the yolks of the eggs and a little sugar, and stir it over the fire until thick. When all is cold, turn out the little puddings into a large glass dish. Put a spoonful of stiff jam or mar- malade on the top of each, and then pour the custard round.
SHE HAD NO USE FOR THAT.
SHE HAD NO USE FOR THAT. He told the clerk in a Boston book store that lie wanted to purchase something that would be a, suitable present for a young lady. The clerk brought out albums, books, gold pens and pencils, and card-cases, but nothing seemed to suit. As a. last resort he showed the young man an engage- ment calendar-a. beautiful little tablet on which to record the engagements for each day in the week. Quite a fad now," he explained as he displayed the calendar. All the young ladies feet the need of them, especially during the season." What is it ?" asked the young man. An engagement calendar," replied the clerk. She'll find it invaluable-" "You think she would like one?" asked the young man with forced calmness. I'm sure she would, if she hasn't one already," said the clerk. Well, I want to say to you that she wouldn't," exclaimed the young man, losing control of his temper. I know her and you don't, and I want you to understand, sir, that sfie has no use for any such calendar. She doesn't have to keep any records of her engagements. This is the only time that she has ever been engaged, and any man who says that she will ever bo engaged to anyone else or that she has to put it down on a tablet to remember has got to fight me. That's all there is to that." He ha.d left the store before the clerk had sum ciently recovered from his surpris9 to explain.
$I FARM AND GARDEN.
$I FARM AND GARDEN. Securing a Good Dairy. The starting point of success in dairying is the determination on the part of the owner to get a better dairy together, and to so manage matters that the feeding shall be yet more economical. If it is a hutter-dairy that is wanted, one may as well recognise the fact that it cannot be pur- chased at a paying return, and it will needs be raised on the farm where its breeding and development can be under the farmer's own guid- ance. There are, however, scores of farms where the guidance part has given the owners about as worthless a dairy as it is possible to imagine. In instance." where winter milk is the chief thing sought, and the cow must be an autumn calver, there may be much relying on the purchased cow to keep up the herd and milk supply, but here the purchase matter stops. If for the private butter-dairy, there must be a selection from the heifers raised on the farm. There are in all dairies a few good cows that will do for starting tho improvement, but first find out their value by careful tests. Find whether their milk is rich in f&ts or whether they are skim-milk cows, taking 331b. of their milk to make a pound of butter. Find out, by testing, which are the actual butter-makers, and then breed these few cows to the sire that has the best butter-producing dams and grand-dams possible, and from this cross raise the heifers. The result should give a better cow than the mother. Take good caro of these heifers, and see that they are not fattened during their growth, merely kept thrifty, and have them come into the dairy at about 26 months old, and the probability is that they will be paying cows. Do not get frightened about inbreeding. Keep this good- sire at least two generations. Some are even. intensifying this by risking a third cross with the same sire on his own offspring, which may do if the progeny shows no sign of weakness. Each cross intensifies the good qualities desired, and this course is now being quite extensively en- dorsed, as the in-crosses of the published pedi- grees indicate. Not the least of the things needed to secure a good dairy is a comfortable stable, with good stalls, and then an abundance of the best of food in variety, and judgment how to feed it to the best advantage. Bees. When breeding commences the brood at first occupies but a small circle in the centre of clusters this oircle is gradually enlarged, and brood circles appear on adjoining combs, and, if mild weather continues, all goes on well and the population rapidly increases. Should, however, cold weather return, much mischief is done, as the bees thereupon condense to a smaller compass and leave much brood unprotected, which, in consequence, perishes. It is, therefore, good policy for the present to encourage as little as possible the activity of the bees. The hives should be kept as quiet as the state of the weather will permit; but bright sun- shine will be sure to call the bees forth in search of spring flowers, and the store of honey and pollen obtained from them, al- though very limited, is sufficient to stimulate the bees to raise brood. Although syrup-feeding should not begin in quantity till the end of March or the beginning of April, yet, where it is found that breeding has commenced in a hive that is short of .stores, stimulative feeding must be carried on .IjjL. there is a sufficient natural supply. ThelRnulative food should be given slowly, beginniKt with about 3oz., and gradually increasing ut 1 per day, according to the in of the colony. This applies to colonies that are short of stores those having a good store of sealed food will not need stimulative feeding. The syrup should be made in the proportion of 31b. of sugar to two pints of water, boiled together for a few minutes, and a. tablespoonful of vinegar added.—Cottage Gardening. Window Gardening. Cacti and Mesembryanthemums which have been kept through the winter may have a little water occasionally to restore vigour. Lilies in growth must be placed in a light position but Arum Lilies will be best in a good position if they stand on a table a yard or so from the window. Spiraeas are now making growth, and will be best in the warmest room if early blooms are required, Outdoor Garden. Land which has been exposed some time is now working freely, and any anemones or ranunculi out of the ground should be got in at once. I am assuming all other bulbs are planted, except possibly hyacinthus candicans. which succeeds very well planted this season. This is a charming thing for backgrounds in rather wide borders; and should be planted in groups five or six in a cluster, about six inches or eight inches apart. This hyacinth also is very effective in a bed of salvia patens, dotted equally about the bed 18 inches apart. The two plants associate very well. Rose planting is still going on, but the sooner it is done now the better. All late- planted roses should be cut hard back towards the end of March. If roses are moved now it will be as well to shorten back any long shoots to ease the head a bit, and then later on head down to three buds. Sow sweet peas for early cutting, and make up a hot-bed for raising seedlings and striking cuttings, unless other means are available. Fruit Garden. Strawberries swelling off fruit may have size given by using liquid-manure; but I sometimes think this has in many instances been overdone, especially in the case of large-fruited kinds subject to mildew. Plants in blossom should be helped a little with the camel's-hair pencil, or a large feather drawn over the blossoms will answer the same purpose. Of course, in bright sunny weather, when the ventilators can be opened near the strawberries, the motion of the atmosphere will scatter the pollen and fertilise the blossoms, and artificial means may not be required. The thinning of early grapes will be in progress now. Where the vines are strong and vigorous do not be afraid to thin freely. In some cases three- fourths of the berries may be cut away, and still leave the bunches crowded when the berries swell up. I have never known a tree die through late planting if well oared for afterwards. Vegetable Garden. The busy time is at band. If any land is yet undug start upon it at once. Some cultivators I know prefer to put their seeds into newly-dug land they say it works drier and better. This is an exception to the general rule. Most soils work better in spring if exposed to the air for a month or two before cropping, and I always think the'seeds grow better and make stronger plants if the land has been sweetened and mellowed, by exposure. Hot-beds made now will feooto results^ if planted with potatoes, carrots, radishes, lettuces, asparagus, or sea-kale, and those who have no mushroom-house may grow them on an ordinary hot-bed if they have 6 inches of prepared manure in which to insert the spawn, when the temperature of the bed has settled down to 85 degs. or 90 degs. Cucumbers set out now in a warm house will grow rapidly and soon bear fruit. We all have our favourite varieties, but, according to my present knowledge, for cropping and quality I know nothing better than Lockie's Perfection it is handsomer than Telegraph, although perhaps not quiie so long but the fruits swell up better when oropped heavily. Peas sown in pots or in boxes or any other makeshift way should be well hardened before planting out, and must after- wards be protected by evergreen branches. Peas sown in autumn have not, where protected, suffered very much from frost. A little earth drawn up to the plants and the sticks placed to them will encourage growth. A little soil may be drawn up on each side of cabbages. Cauliflowers raised in heat should be pricked off and still helped on with warmth. If only a few hundred plants are required I find it better to pot them off singly. -Gardening Illustrated.
[No title]
SHE GAVE A WRONG IMPRESSION.—-An old maiden French lady, who had much difficulty with her English, employed a gardener to do some work in her grounds. When the work was finished and the man presented himself for his pay, he charged more than the amount agreed upon when the lady engaged him. She looked at him quite seriously, and remarked, Well, dc you know, sir, you are dearer to me now than when we first were engaged f'
Songs for the People.
Songs for the People. I Andrew Fletcher, of Saltoun, in a letter t* the Marquis of Montrose. wrote I knew a very wise man that believed that if a man were permitted t* make all the ballads he need net care who should make the laws of the nation." OUR FUTURE. It shall be so ;-for truth and right Must flourish o'er this world of ours, And wave their standards in the light, Triumphant, from earth's topmost towers. The powers of wrong shall fall beneath The light, Ithuriel lance of truth And, glorious as the soul from death, The world shall rise to second youth. The sun that shone on Paradise Shall light our changing paths once mor81; The air shall ring with melodies And knowledge stretch from shore to shore. Ideals that high dreamers sought Shall live amid the works of men And all the poetry of thought Shall blossom into action then. < God speed the time And all is well. (Doubt not, while He is throned above), Our earth's vast brotherhood shall dwell In peace, and unity, and love MARIE J. EWEN.
'. Welsh Tit-Bits, Neu Wreichion…
Welsh Tit-Bits, Neu Wreichion Oddiar yr Eingion. [BT CADRAWD ] Anecdotes. The old English" March" of the foot was formerly in high estimation, as well abroad as at home. Its characteristic was dignity and gravity, in which respect it differed from that of the French. Sir Roger Williams, a gallant Welsh soldier of Queen Elizabeth's time, had once a conversation on this subject with Marshal Biron, a French general. The Marshal observed that the English March, beaten on the drum, was slow, heavy, and sluggish. "That may be true," answered Sir Roger; "but, slow as it is, it has traversed your master's country from one end to the other." Gwaithvoed, Lord of Cibwyr and Cardigan, lived in the time of Edgar, King of England. This Edgar summoned all the Welsh Princes to Chester to row him in his Royal barge on the river Dee. Gwaithvoed said that he could not row, and that he would not if he could, except to save a person's life, whether King or vassal. Edgar sent a second and very imperious message, which Gwaithvoed did not seem at all to notice, until the messenger begged to know what reply he should deliver to the King, when Gwaithvoed answered thus:—"Say to him, Fear him who fears not death" (Ofner na ofno angau). When this stern reply was reported to Edgar, he, discovering the fearless, unbendable character he had to contend with, prudently changed his autocratic decree into a desire of mutual friend- ship, and to Gwaithvoed gave his band in pledge of his sincerity. Gwaithvoed and his descendants adopted thenceforth the maxim as a family motto. An Old Welsh Doctor. In Tlysau yr hen Oesoed the first attempt was made in Wales to launch a magazine, but it proved a failure. In this number we have a very extraordinary account of the manner in which an Anglesea physician treated the insane, the translation of which runs thus:—"In the county of Anglesea there lived a most remarkable physician, a slovenly stuff-gut, of a hang-dog Saxon type, unpatriotic; he was as regardless of a man's life as he would be of that of a flea. He was known as Doctor y Beivdro. This celebrated physician took upon himself the cure of every lunatic that was brought to him. His mode of treatment was as follows He 'had at the end of his house a large room, and in that room was a large pool filled with filthy water, and always stinking. He stripped his patient naked, and then he would place him in this pool, tying him fast to a pole over knee deep and some to the waist, and others still deeper, as the case may require, and according to the degree of the malady. The patients in this stage would receive no kind of nourishment, with the exception of three tablespoonfuls of turnip broth or gruel once in every 48 hours. While in this room they suffered much hunger from cold and the stench, till their memory and senses would recover, or till the patients died under the operation. Among the many brought to this doctor was one by the name of Gwion Gwag Sioi'—Gwion, the empty h-ead-wbo, after having been treatad by this doctor for two weeks, was cured of his lunacy." St. Fegla's Well. The water of this well is under the tutelage of the above saint, and to this day held by some to be extremely beneficial in the Clwyf Tegla (St. Tegla's disease), or the falling sickness. The patient washed his limbs in the well, made an offering into it of fourpence, walked round it three times, and thrice repeated theLord'sPrayer. These ceremonies were never begun till after sunset. It was also necessary for the male patient to take with him a cock, and if the fair sex, a hen, as an offering, carrying them in a buket with them in all their movements; first, round the well, after that into I the churchyard, then into the chtirch, aud laying themselves down under the altar table, covering themselves with a rug or a piece of carpet, with a large Bible under their heads, and remaining in that position until daybreak leaving the fowls in the church, and should they die, the cure was supposed to have been effected, and the disease transferred to the devoted victim. The Book of Baglan. [Continued from last week.] These are the issues of the Lord Rees bye his concubines: Maylgwyn ap Rees, his eldest son bye Gwirvil, the da. of Rees ap Meredith Vaughan, of Cylycwm, Morgan ap Rees, lo. of Llangybi Cadwaladr ap Rees, lo. of Llansadwrn; and the mother was the daughter of Sir Gru. Gwyn ap Gwalchmaye of Vryn y Baglan, in Llansadwrn, and the wife of ould Mailgwyn ap Rees was Gwenllian, the daughter of Madoc ap Meredith, lo. of Powis and she was the mother of young Mailgwyn, son of ould Mailgwyn. The wife of young Mailgwyn was Yngharad, the daughter of Llew. ap Ierwerth Drwyndwn, Prince of North Wales, by the daughter of John, King of England. Rees Vaughan ap Rees, his wife was Gwenllian the faire, the daughter of Gru. Mailor, and her mother was the daughter of Rees Vaughan, and the last Mailgwyu aforesaid was he that made the slaughter upon Gwenties men upon the falowe betwixt the Prior's mile and the river of Tywye. Cadwaladr, sone of the Lo. Rees, surnalned Lwgwr, his mother was Gwenllian, the da. of Meredith ap Gru. ap Rees, and she was also the mother of Einon ap Rees, and Gwallter ap Rees Howell ap Rees surnamed Says, was lo. of Castle Gwias Talylleche, and St. Cleare, and his mother was Eliza, da. to Cradoc ap Llawreid. The issue of Howell Says, sone to the Lo. Rees was Conan ap Howell, in whose tyme the Frenchmen first entered into Talacharne, and Yngharad, the da. of Howell Says, was the wife of ould Waller ap Meredith ap Heilin ap Llwarche ap Gwyn ap Tewdwr, and Meredith, sone to the Lo. Rees, was lo. of Cardigan, and Llanbeder, and his mother was the da. of David Brase apRyderch ap Cydifor ap Dynwal. ( To be continued. J
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OH ! WHAT A SURPRISE." j
OH WHAT A SURPRISE." SMALL BOX (to policeman, who has been stamp- ing his feet to promote the circulation): Hi you there Wot d'ye mean by kicking out them there boots ? We pays enougtyfor them fair wear and tear." ■
[No title]
"•You inherited quite a nice little fortune," said the lawyer. "Yes," replied the fortunate youth. I suppose you will pay a lob of your debts, now? "I had thought of it, but I con- cluded to make no change in my manner of living. I don't want to be accused of vulgar display." The flatterer's object is to please in everything he does; whereas the true friend always says what is right, and so often gives pleasure, often pain, not wishing the latter. but not shunning it, either, if he deems it best. "f,: y
I WELSH GLEANINGS. i
I WELSH GLEANINGS. i By Lloffwr. The Welsh University Scheme. Ceiriog, in his burlesque poem, The Assteddfod (Associal Science Section)"—on which certainly his title to immortality does not rest— satirised the petty jealousies which are the bane of Welsh life. Even then-at least, 10 years ago —Ceiriog foresaw that the Welsh University scheme, when it would be once formulated, would be shattered against the rock of religious animosities. With pungent irony, and with that pregnancy of wit which characterises his lighter poems he tells us how all the sectarians, Armen- ians and Arians, Welsh Unitarians. Welsh Presbyterians, and Welsh Nothingarians brayed their bray and said their say." For," says he, All of you know There is quite a diversity Of opinion just now On the Welsh University." There is in truth a wonderful diversity of opinion on the question just now, as one sees from the scores of conflicting articles which teem in the Welsh press. On the whole, however, the criticism is almost unequivocally hostile to the Draft Scheme. The members of the Shrewsbury Conference seem to be deliberately knocking their heads against the wall in persistently adhering to their original scheme. If there be an occasional note of approval it is so languid and half-hearted that the Conference may well say (again in Ceiriog's prophetic words):— I have heard effete praise and faint approbation, And received them myself, to my mortification. Even those who mast mercilessly condemn the Draft Charter will not go so far as to say, with Ceiriog, that:- The whole of this Welsh University Scheme Is naught but a raving-mad Bedlamite's dream. The Government and Wales. It is unfortunate that all the Welsh papers for last week had gone to press before the first reading of the Suspensory Bill, so that their criticisms on the conduct of the Government had been fulminated before the important debate on Thursday night. This must be borne in mind when one reads the caustic remarks of such papers as the Baner, the Tyst, the Celt, the Tarian, &c. The Baner is, or was in its last issue, still engaged as an iconoclast, and is very acrimonious with Mr Gladstone. It says: "No unprejudiced mind can deny the following stitewents-first, that Wales has a true claim to Disestablishment among Mr Gladstone's first measures; and secondly, that the Government have conclusively shown their intention to put the question on one side as long as they can. It is said that Mr Gladstone himself is the only obstacle. And more than that is said; for it is asserted that there would be no mention whatever of the Welsh question in the Queen's speech if he had had his way. This is a very serious fact to express and we would be very glad to be able to refrain from expressing it from the sincere respect we feel for Mr Glad- stone." The Goleuad says that the great point now will be to keep the Government to its promise. With a strong opposition from the Tories, and some lukewarmness on the part of the Government, there will be no deficiency of reasons for dilatoriness." The Cymro, winding up a singularly statesmanlike and eloquent article, says :—" Mr Gladstone and his Ministry have not behaved fairly towards Wales in this matter. They promised us a loaf, then they offered us a slice of it, and they now seem to deny us even that. That is not what we deserve." In the Genedl,Mr Lloyd George, M.P., in his weekly letter, says :—" A few days ago it was evident that the Government contemplated -I will not say a betrayal, but—injustice towards Wales. I believe, however, that the unbending resolution of a section of the Welsh members have caused them to change their plans. They see the unwisdom of offending a large number of their supporters for the sake of throwing on one side a woik which they had bound themselves to fulfil. Things are improving." Eynon in the Celt speaks rather harshly of Mr Gladstone: "I know," says he, that the G.O.M. is a High Churchman. He is a Churchman, too, that belongs to the same school as the late Dr Pusey, John Keble, and Canon Liddon, and it is evident that he will not voluntarily lay even his little finger to touch ths Church. Mr Gladstone is great, but justice is greater." These opinions, culled from a mass of others, will show the attitude of the Welsh news- papers before the important event of last Thurs- day night, which will doubtless materially alter their views. Welshmen have been charged with a blind obedience to Mr Gladstone, whose sur- passing radiance, by attracting the gaze exclu- sively to itself, served to make them insensible to the no less real splendour of his humble com- panions. But it can hardly be said that the Baner and Eynon," at any rate, are blind followers even of his splendidly endowed genius, to which, indeed, many will think they are want- ing in respect, How will Home Rule Affect Wales P This question is exciting keen interest in the Welsh Press, and great anxiety is felt as to the possible results to Wales of the passing of the Home Rule Bill. By the measure of 1886," the Genedl points out, Ireland was not to send representatives to Westminster. By the present measure Ireland will be represented by 80 mem- bers instead of 103. It is provided, 'moreover, that these 80 are not to vote on questions which are connected with England, Scotland, and Wales by themselves." Mr T. E. Ellis believes that the passing of the Irish Home Rule Bill will be the best preparation for a similar measure all round but the Baner controverts this view, and doubts if its results will be beneficial to Wales. We would like to know from him," it states, how are we to have Disestablishment without the aid of the Irish members ? We admit that the difficulty of passing the Suspensory measure will not be insuperable, for the' support of the Irish patriots will be forthcoming for that object. But suppose that their wish is conceded, and as a consequence their right to vote on all matters affecting Great Britain exclusively is taken away, what hope have we that our innocent little 'lamb' will not be mercilessly slaughtered by the numerous English Tory representatives? This is the difficulty we foresee. We cannot but regard the future as beitig full of dfci-kness and gloom. Is Disestablishment thrown from us into the far, far distant future?" Many papers dis- cuss the same question, but, some (likp ,the Gwyliedydd) consider Home Rule only in its general aspects, without: regarding Wales. The Cymro, in an unusually powerful article, takes the same view as the Baner. Wales is quite willing that Irishmen should have Home Rule. But what will become of Wales after this measure is passed ? Her cause will be as unhopeful as it was a quarter of a century ago. She will be deprived entirely of the Irish votes. Wales is ready to help Ireland, but Ireland will have no opportunity to repay the debt. The fact is that it would be better for the Liberals of Wales without such a measure. Under the present dispensation we have some chance for justice; under the new one there would be little, if any. But we must get rid of this obstinate question (? Disestablishment) which paralyses our powers as a nation, which creates a bad feeling between neighbours, and which is certain before long to convert our peaceful country into a mass of discontent and lawlessness." These pessi- mistic views will no doubt have vanished from this week's papers, which will probably be in jubilation over the first reading of the Suspensory Bill.
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FIRE AT WEDDINGS.—Fire is an essential in some wedding celebrations. In Persia the service is read in front of a fire. In Nicaragua the priest, taking the couple each by the little fingers, leads them to an apartment where a fire is lighted, and there instructs the bride in her duties, extinguish- ing it by way of conclusion. In Japan the woman kindles a torch, and the bridegroom lights one from it, the playthings of the wife being burnt then and there. If you whip a boy, he will hate you; if you don't whip him, you will hate him.
Parliamentary History of Pembrokeshire.
Parliamentary History of Pembrokeshire. tBY W. R. WILLIAMS, SOLICITOR, TALYBONT.] 1861, Jan.—George Lort Philipps, vice Lord Emlyn, called to the Upper House. Eldest son of John Lort Philipps, of Lawrenny Park and Dumpledale, born July, 1811;educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge; married March, 1841, Isabella Georgina, only daughter of John Heusleigh Allen (MP. for Pembroke, 1818), of Cresselly; was a J.P. and D.L. for the county, high sheriff 1843, and member in 1861 till his death, November, 1866. Mr Philipps defeated Sir Hugh Gwen Owen in 1861. 1866, Nov.—James Bevan Bowen, of Llwyn- gwair, vice Philipps, deceased. Son of George Bowen, of Llwynsrwair (who died in 1856), born May, 1828 educated at King's College, London, and graduated B.A. 1849, M.A. 1851, Worcester College, Oxford, and was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple 1856, and in May, 1857, married Harriette, youngest daughter of the Rev John Standby, of Southoe, Hants. Mr Bowen was a J.P. and D.L. for the counties of Carmarthen and Pembroke, high sheriff of the latter county 1862, and J.P. for the county of Cardigan, and served as Mayor of Newport, Pem., 1870-1. He was elected Vice-Chairman of Quarter Sessions for the county 1870, and was its member 1866-8, and again 1876-80. He was a member of the United University Club. 1868—John Henry Scourfield, of Williamston and The Motee, son of Col. Owen Philipps, of Williamston (by Elizabeth Anne, daughter of Henry Scourfield, of The Mote), born January, 1808, educated at Harrow, graduated B.A. 1828, M.A., 1832, Oriel Coll., Oxon. was High Sheriff of the County 1833, and married May, 1845, Augusta Lort, second daughter of John Lort Philipps, of Lawrenny, and sister to the member 1861-6. He succeeded to the estates of bis uncle William Henry Scourfield (M.P. for Haverfordwest 1818), and took the surname and arms of Scourfield by Royal licence September, 1862, and was for many years chairman of the County Quarter Sessions. He was created a baronet February, 1873, and sat in Parlia- ment for 24 years, being M.P. for Haverfordwest 1852-68, and for the county 1868 till his death, June, 1876. Sir John's sister married in 1826 David Arthur Saunders Davies, of Pentre, M.P, Carmarthenshire, 1842. The present baronet, Sir Owen Henry Phillips Scour field, M.A., was born 1847, aud married, 1877, the daughter of Seymour Phillips Allen, of Cresselly. 1876, June.—James Bevan Bowen, vice Sir John Scourfield, deceased. 1880.-William Davies, of Scoveston, son of Thomas Davies, of Haverfordwest, born 1824* was admitted an attorney-at-law and solicitor in Chancery 1848, and practised at Haverfordwest, of which borough he was J.P. and alderman. He married, 1859, Martha Rees, eldest daughter of Thomas Morgan, of Haverfordwest, and is a D.L. for the county, for which he sat 1880 92. In 1874 he contested Haverford- west, but was defeated by Lord Kensington, and although he unseated his rival on petition, yet his lordship was afterwards returned unopposed. 1892, William Rees Davies, of the South Wales Circuit, barrister-at-law, eldest son of the preced- ing member. 8ir Charles Edward Gregg Philipps, of Picton Castle, who married the niece of the last Lord Milford, and was created a baronet, 1886, has fought four contested elections for the county in recent years, but each time unsuccess- fully, as the following figures show :— 1880—WiIIia.mDa.vies, 2,185; C. E. G. Philipps, 1737. 1885—Davies, 4,999; Philipps, 3,738. 1886-Davies, 4,099; Philipps, 3,983. 1892—W. R. Davies; Sir C. E. G. Philipps. THE END. NEXT WEEK —PEMBROKE
AN INTERVIEW WITH BLONDIN.
AN INTERVIEW WITH BLONDIN. "Perhaps, however," he went on-I am Angli- cising his broken utterances—" the most difficult performance was crossing the rope in the Red Sea. I was on my way to Melbourne on one of the P. and O. boats. There were other profes- sionals on board, and these all contributed in turn to the amusement of the passengers. Singers sang and players played and jugglers juggled. One day the captain came to me and said—' Mr Biondin, all the others do what they can to enter- tain us, but you do nothing. Can't you do some- thing in your line?' 'How can I yo I said; 'I have no rope, no pole, no nothing. All my apparatus is at the bottom of the ship.' How- ever, the captain promised to fix up a rope, and I said I would do what I could. This was on a Tuesday. So the captain said—' To-morrow we have a concert, on Thursday we have a ball, on Friday we have nothing; so we'll have yon on Friday.' Friday came and proved to be very boisterous. The ship rolled and pitched and, you know, I'm a very bad sailor. The rope was put up—one of the ship's ropes—from the main to the mizen mast. It was tightened by steam power, and to keep it steady literally it was tied by guy-lines to the railings round the deck. You know that if you were to go on a tight rope unless it were held on each side, it would wriggle, and the more you tried to balance yourself the more it would wriggle and throw you off. Well, the time came for my performance. All the crew were dressed in their Sunday clothes and stationed on the deck. It looked very tine. They had canvass stretched along under the rope for me to fall mto. I went alott; but oh it was not tight rope walking. I walked this way "—and Blondin bent his knees till he was almost sitting on the floor- "then I was thrown that way, and then this way, and I would take hold of the rope with my hands. There was the smoke from the funnel, too, coming into my eyes. However, I went for- ward and came back again, and when I got down I was as black as a sweep. The missionaries— there was a lot of missionaries on board—said it was disgraceful." At this stage Blondin's attendant broke in again—"The guv'nor wants to go to sleep, I can see." I took the hint, and prepared to go; so after learning that Biondin has earned as much as £ 200 a day, and that £ 100 has earned as much as £ 200 a day, and that j6100 is his ordinary fee, I asked him if he had any thought of retiring. He answered me more deliberately and plainly than he had done all through our interview; and I am thus enabled to give his exact words. They were—" So long as I can perform, I perform. That my health. That my recreation. "-From Chums.
NO, THANK YOU.
NO, THANK YOU. MRS MANNERLY (to her daughter, who has just returned from tea. with friends): I hope you said No, thank you," oftener than you did Yes, thank you." MABEL Yes, I did. I hadn't been eating more'n half an hour before they began say- ing, Don't you think you've eaten enough ? Aren't you afraid you'll make yourself sick?" and I said, '"No. thank you," every time.
The Weather and the Crops.…
The Weather and the Crops. Farmers have been busy sowing oats, but the ground is mostly too wet for barley, and there seems to be little encouragement to sow beans. The price of English wheat has not ^varied at any large number of markets, but London con. tinues to quote a very respectable average as com- pared with the rest of the country, and to attract a very fair pick of samples. The value of foreign wheat has slightly appreciated on the week. The spring corn trade during the past week has been depressed for maize. Of thirty leading markets for barley, twenty-one have favoured buyers, but oats have been slightly dearer at sixteen exchanges cheaper at four only, and firm at the remainder. Beans and peas dull. Linseed made up to 46s for the old-crop Indian, but the price for new is 5s under spot values, and therefore purchasers are endeavouring to tide over with minimum quality. Rapeseed and cotton seed unchanged.
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He: My income is small, and perhaps it is cruel of me to take you from your father's roof.— She: I don't live on the roof.
WOULD YOU BE YOUNG AGAIN.
WOULD YOU BE YOUNG AGAIN. Would you be young again ? So would not l- One tear to memory given, Onward I'd hie. Life's dark flood forded o'er, All .but at rest on shore, Say, would you plunge once more, With home so nigh If vou might, would you now Retrace your way ? Wander through thorny wilds. Faint and astray ? Night's gloomy watches fled, Morning all beaming red, Hope's smiles around us shed, Heavenward away. Where are they gone of yore, My best delight ? Dear and more dear, tho' now Hidden from sight. Where they rejoice to be, There is the Jand for me Fly, time, fly speedily, Come life and light. CAROLINA, LADY NAIBNE.
AN EVENING SCENE.
AN EVENING SCENE. Up up my friend, and quit your books, Or surely you'll grow double Up up my friend, and clear your looks Why all this toil and trouble ? The sur, above the mountain's head, A freshening lustre mellow Through all the long green fields has spread His first sweet evening yellow. Books 'tis a dull and endless strife Come, hear the woodland linnet, How sweet his music on my life, There's more of wisdom in it; < And hark how blithe the throstle sings t He, too, is no mean preacher Come forth into the light of things, Let Nature be your teacher. She has a world of ready wealth, Our minds and hearts to bless- Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health, Truth breathed by cheerfulness. One impulse from a vernal wood May teach you more of man, Of moral evil and of good, Than all the sages can. Sweet is the lore which Nature brief's Our meddling intellect Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things- We murder to dissect. Enough of science and of art; Close up those barren leaves COllie forth, and bring with you a heart That watches and receives. WILLTAM WOBDSWOBTH.
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According to M. Violle's researches, recently communicated to the French Academy of Sciences, the luminosity of the crater of the arc is sensibly constant. We may, therefore, hope that the standard of light proposed last year by Mr Swinburne may be adopted and come into general use. —Industries. The municipal authorities of St Petersburg decided some time ago to replace the old Troitsky Bridge by one of modern design. Designs were accordingly invited, to which a large response was made. The jury appointed to decide upon the merits of the designs submitted has awarded the first prize to Messrs Eiffel and Co., the well- known engineers in Paris. An instrument has been invented for communicating between vessels at sea, for lighthouses, lightships, and for general em- ployment in the United States signal service. The apparatus consists of 106 incandescent lamps, which are operated by a keyboard something In the manner of a typewriter. A code of signals founded on the Morse telegraph alphabet is used, and experiments are said to have shown that signals can be read for a distance of 15 miles. It is the invention of a Buffalo man, who calls it ths "Telephotus." A set of paper teeth are said to have been made by an ingenious dentist, who guarantees that they will last a lifetime. The strange part of it is that such an inventive genius should be un- known. His nationality is disputed. Three nations contend for him, as eight cities contend for the honour ot having given birth to Homer. He is variously said to be a Swede, a German, and an American. Meanwhile, where are his paper teeth ? Let him bring his teeth forward, and then we will see whether his nationality is worth fighting about.-Invent.ion. A SAFETY LAMP.—A capital miners' safety lamp for burning paraffin and other mineral oils has just been perfected by Messrs Johnson, Claph am and Morris, of Manchester. The great charm of the lamp lies in the excel- lence of the light it gives, this being due to the dome-shaped plate, which is of nickel plate, well- polished, and is-situated just below the flame, and consequently acting as a strong reflector. The wick passes through this plate, either a flat or round wick being used. As far as the lamp has been tried at present, we have heard only good' accounts. If Australia could be rid of her plethora of rabbits what a boon it would be to her. Mr Pate- man has patented an exterminator which he claims has overcome previous difficulties. Into the burrows he places a slowly burning cartridge, which produces a poisonous gas; the apertures are at once closed, and in a few minutes the rabbits are destroyed by the power of the poison in the smoke. Of course, the cartridges are of a special kind, the secret Of which belongs to Mr Pateman, who has evolved them. New South Wales and Victoria will exult if a remedy has really been found for ridding them of this nuisance.-Invention. Many have been the experiments for improving the method of making gas, but one recently worked out by Mr Gallaher, of Belfast, is deserv- ing of notice. In his process he has two chambers, one termed the producing cupola and the other the regenerative chamber. Coal is put into the cupola mechanically from this the volatile mat- ter passes off. Then, with jets of superheated steam and a blast of heated air, the coal is turned into gas. An advantage of this method is that no by-products of tar appear. Mr Gallaher terms his method the Harris" system. He claims that 101b of coal produoe 70'J cubic feet of gas by his mode of treatment. If he adds to the coal two gallons of crude oil, the amount of gas produced is over 1,000 cubic feet. The Ameri- cans have already adopted the Harris system in several places.
OVERHEARD IN THE CITY.
OVERHEARD IN THE CITY. MR AVSON 11 Shllp me, Mishter Moses, I ain't telling you no lies. I give you my vord of honour." Mr Moses looks incredulous. MR AARON Look 'ere, Mr Moses, ven I give you my vord of honour, you can nearly always believe me
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Irish bulls are famous. Perhaps for concen- trated inaccuracy of statement nothing can surpass the following sentence, which occurred m an account of a burglary given in an Irish news- paper After a fruitless search, all the money .was recovered, except one pair of boots."
ECHOES FROM THE CALENDAR.
ECHOES FROM THE CALENDAR. MAECH. 5. SUNnAT—3rd Sunday in Lent. Menai Bridge opened, 1850. 6. MONDAY—Artemus Ward died, 1867. 7. TUESDAY -Lord Collingwood died, 1810. 8. WEDNESDAY—William III. died, 1702. Earthquake in London, 1750. 9. THURSDAY-William 1. of Germany died, 1888. 10. FRIDAY—Prince of Wales married, 1863. 11. SATURDAY—First London Daily Paper, 1709. The Menai Bridge. This wonder of the world constituted one of Stephenson's great engineering triumphs. Upon it depended the success of the Chester and Holyhead Railway, it being absolutely necessary to cross the Menai Strait. The point selected was opposite the Britannia Rock, rising a few feet above the level of the water near the middle of the strait, which there was eleven hundred feet wide. It was resolved to construct gigantic tubes to serve as tunnels. These were formed of sheet iron. rivetted together, being built up piece by piece on platforms ranged along the Carnarvon shore. Simultaneously a tower of masonry more than two hnndred feet high was erected on the rock, and when the tubes were ready the first was raised by a combination of chains, pulleys, hydraulic machines, and steam power inch by inch to the required height. This WAS effected in one long day of eighteen hours, bnt months of hard work were needed to perfect the line after ad- justing the tubes end to end. All was ready by the beginning of March, 1850, and the fifth of the month was fixed for the supreme test. Three. gigantic engines adorned with the flags of every nation were linked together, and, with Robert Stephenson as driver, they entered the tunnel. Near the centre of the tube the dead weight of 90 tons was allowed to rest for a few minutes, both going and returning but the plates and rivets bore the test triumphantly, and also other' more severe ones that were shortly after applied. The success of the tubular system of building was clearly demonstrated by the Menai bridge, which was completed in less than five years at a cost of very little over £ 600,000. William III. The reign of William III., which extended over 13 years, was brought to an abrupt close by an accident to his Majesty whilst riding to Hampton Court. His horse fell and fractured his collar- bone, besides doing him other injury. The extent of the internal mischief was not at first known, but a post-mortem examination revealed that he had had an adhesion of the lungs, which being torn by the shock of the fall caused death in little more than a fortnight. The scene at Kensing- ton palace during the monarch's last days shocked even so worldly a Court dame as Lady Marl- borough. When the King came to die," she wrote, I felt nothing of the satisfaction which I once thought I should have had on the occasion and my Lord and Lady Jersey's writing and sending perpetually to give an account (to the Princess Anne) as his breath grew shorter and shorter, filled me with horror." Bills were rushed ,through Parliament, and when the hand could no longer hold a pen, the Royal signature was affixed by a stamp made for the purpose. It has been truly said that William III. never liked Englishmen and they never liked him, largely on account of his repellent manner and the lavish wealth which he heaped on his favourite Dutchmen. It must not be forgotten, however, that England is greatly indebted to this Sovereign for his noble efforts on behalf of civil and religious liberty. On the other hand, his interference in the affairs of Continental nations led to the commencement of a long series of wars that pressed so heavily upon the country. His first war to settle the balance of power," fruitless though it was, caused the sacrifice of 80,000 Englishmen, and we are still paying an enormous sum as interest on the millions of debt that were incurred. Earthquake Shocks in London. In connection with the earthquake in London in 1750 some remarkable coincidences have been noticed. Shocks were felt on the same date, Feb. 8, in three different years, 1750, 1756, and 1761. On the 8th of March in both 1750 and 1761, more violent disturbances took place, aud concerning the former Horace Walpole wrote, "In the night, between Wednesday and Thursday last (exactly a month since the first shock), the earth had a shivering fit between one and two, but so slight that if no more bad followed I don't believe it would have been noticed. I had been awake, and had scarce dozed again, when on a sudden I felt my bolster lift up my head; I thought somebody was getting from under my bed, but soon found it was a strong earthquakes that lasted near half a minute, with a violent vibration and great roaring. I rang my bell, my servant came in frightened out of his senses in an instant we heard all the windows in the neighbourhood flung up. I got up and found people running into the streets, but saw no mischief done there has been some-two old houses flung down, several chimneys, and much china ware. The bells rang in several houses." The motion was from E. to W., and houses near the Thames were most shaken. Flashes of lightning were ohserved in the clear sky, and the loud sounds preceding the concus- sions resembled the discharge of several cannon or distant thunder in the air, and not a subter- ranean explosion.
THE LINING.
THE LINING. Mrs Vokes: "Mrs Crummer has a terrible cold just now." Mrs GIHeland How did she contract it ?" Mrs Vokes: By wearing a fur-lined jacket." Mrs Gilleland Impossible Mrs Vokes: "Not at all. She bad to wear it open so that people could see the lining."
Eloquence.
Eloquence. The proprietor of a large buildifii in Ottt ot the eastern cities, which contains several "flats" or living apartments on the upper floors, says that he never succeded in renting these apartments readily until he employed a very eloquent Irish woman as janitress or agent for the care and letting of them. (Several times the graceful "blarney of this excellent woman ha.s secured a customer where a. less gifted agent would probably have failed. Kinvayniences, is it ?" says she to applicants for the rooms. Sure, its hot an' could wather at all hours of the day an' noight agrayable to yer tashte, an' set toobs that would make a washer- woman o' the Quane of England by prifference Are the rooms comfortably warmed ?" asked an inquirer. Are they wahrmed with a surprised air. Sure, wid a sloight turn o' yer wrisht yer have anny degray o' timperature known to the theri- meter." But the staircase is that easy to go up ?" Now, thin," says the eloquent agent, as if she were reaching the climax of all the wonderful ad- vantages of the building, the staircase is that aisy that whin ye're goin' opp, ye would well belave that ye're comin' down The intending tenant usually capitulates at this point.
A Considerate Boy.
A Considerate Boy. Little Johnny Pa, did you read in the paper bow a parent was fined 25 dollars because his little boy hung on a street car on Third-avenue. Mr Harlem Bridge Well, what of it! Little Johnny Oh, nuthin' except I thought may be you wanted to give me some nickels to buy car tickets. When I have car tickets I don't swing on the street cars.
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In giving the devil his due you are apt to give yourself tway.
HE WAS A CHICAGO DENTIST.
HE WAS A CHICAGO DENTIST. Stuttering Old Gentleman (entering dentist's office) I wu-wu-would like a tut-tut-- Young Dentist: Quite right (Seizes visitor, shoves him into operating-chair and grabs for- ceps) Which is—Ah, I see Out she comes (Pulls tooth.) One dollar, please Old Gentleman: Hut, cuc-cuc-confound you, sir, I dud-dud—I dud-didn't want a tut-tut-tooth pulled Dentist: Well, what did you want then ? Old Gentleman I am Mum-Mum-Miss Brisk's fuf-fuf-I'm her father, just re-tut-tut-returned from abroad. Sh-sh-she has tut-told me abub-bub- bout your pup-proposal of mum-mum-marriage, and I came up to huh-have a tut-tut—a ten minutes' chat with you about it. Dentist (regretfully) Then, I suppose this settles it. I love her, but can hardly expect you to give your consent after —— Old Gentleman Wu-wu-well, I don't know about that. It was pup-pup—it was pretty rough on me, But I gug-gug-guess yon'll be able to su-su-support her in gug-good style. You are a hu-hu-hustler. Take her, mum-mum-my boy.
LEGAL ASSASSINATION.
LEGAL ASSASSINATION. I DR BONESKT Why are you so anxious to play in the coming football game? I thought you didn't Intend to." HAFFBAK: That was before I knew Mullins was going to play on the other side. I owe him a large-sized grudge."
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MOTHEB ToNGpE.—Teacher What is meant by theexpression Mother tongue ?"—Boy It means Chit the old man doesn't have ranch to at home. <„ >
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The French Academy, on March 23rd, will fill up the seats of Renan and Lemoinne. The herring season promises to be remarkably prolific. The size of the fish is much larger than usual. Arrangements are being made to hold a great Nonconformist Conference on the subject of the spiritual needs of London. Mr and Mrs Clifford Cory will arrive at the Burlington Hotel, Cork-street, Bond-street, in the first week in March from Italy. The Liberal ship has got rid of its barnaolee." This is Sir Walter Foster's happy method of describing the secession of the Liberal Unionists. Dr Mullin informed a meeting of Irish Nation. alists at Cardiff that Mr Johnston, of Ballykil* beg, has seven sons, every one of whom is a 1 staunch Nationalist and Home Ruler. 1 The Welsh Regiment, 41st and 69tb, the 1st battalion, which was to have been brought home J from Malta this year, after 13 years' foreign ser- j vice, is to be retained there for the present. Mr Archibald Forbes, in the Nineteenth Century, contributes a paper on the inner history j of the Waterloo campaign. It is based on a work 1 by Mr Ropes, an American gentleman, who has made a special study of the subject. The blushing Globe dolefully asks Is there a Welsh vernacular paper devoted to the interests of Conservatism and honesty ? If there is not there ought to be and if there is, it might pat itself a little more in evidence. It is reported from Windsor that in response to the memorial to the Queen, signed by 15,000 landowners, farmers, and followers of the Queen's Buckhounds" against the abolition of the bunt, it has been decided to continue the pack. • A marriage has been arranged between Me J. Herbert Roberts, M.P.. eldest son of John j Roberts, J.P., Brycgwenallt, Abergele, and Wes J Dingle, Liverpool, and Hannah, eldest daugbte. of Mr W. S. Caine, MP., North-side, Clapham Common. Railways seem likely a. last to become estab- lished in China. The line from Teintsin to Taka has now been extended to the River Lan, a total distance of 130 miles, and is being rapidly pushed northward, a considerable section being already opened for passenger traffic. It is not generally known that Mr H. EL I Champion, of whom little has been heard in the 1 region of politics since his defeat at Aberdeen, has now taken seriously to literary work. He acts, we understand, as assistant to Mr Knowles j in the editorship of the Nineteenth Century. j Whilst Quakerism is almost stationary in Great 9 Britain it increases in America. Another yearly meeting is to be inaugurated in a few months for Oregon, where the number of Friends had quad- rupled in a few years, and where a large extension of the college of the Society is about to be"made. | Mr R. W. Duff has many of the physical and | personal attributes required for a Vioeroy, and when the New South Wales people come to know him he will probably be a success. He is lucky j also in being married to an amiable, charming, and sympathetic lady, destined to become quite as popular as Lady Carrington was. It is reported that Mr Irving's eldest son is occupied in writing a life of Judge Jeffreys, to be entitled "The Wicked Judge." According tothe Bookman he has deserted the stage after a brief career in Mr Hare's company, and returned to hi* original intention of studying the law, which is likely to leave him gieatai lblfcuru »ov -,is Lterarv pursuits. v Thus Dr Parker:—It was mean of you to give a thousand pounds for the conversion of the heathen, when you were not giving your own young men in the warehouse enough to marry on. If they commit sin, I hold you responsible fot- their guilt. Never save a black man at the risk of damning a white one. First evangelise yoitt own warehouse, and then draw a cheque for China. The new member for Gateshead, Mr William Allan, has had a career of stirring adventure. arduous struggle, and remarkable success. Mt Allan was born in Dundee a little over 55 years ago, his father being James Allan, of the See Braes Foundry there. From his father he evidently inherits his stalwart personal appear- ance, for in his Life Pursuit," one of the most ambitious of his many poetical efforts, he spealn of him as— —— A man of goodly height and form, Famed for endurance, strong in limb and arm, A massive head, o'ercrowned with locks of jet, In forceful grace was on his shoulders set. A French contemporary reminds us (Globe) ot the legend current in Normandy to explain tbe- fact of February only having 28 days. It seemt, that in his youth February was an incorrigible' gambler. He always lost, and yet could not bt persuaded to swear off. Finally, on one occasion he was playing with his comrades, January and March, and, though already cleaned out, ventured on another throw and lost. Having nothing else to pay his debts with, he presented them each with a day. And that is the reason why January and March have each 31. A memorial brass to the late Canon Liddon has just been placed on the north choir wall of Salisbury Cathedral. The inscription records that the late Canon of St. Paul's in the exercise of his great gift as a preacher, always remembered his responsibility as a teacher and defender of the faith, and loyally surrendered all his powers to the service of Christ and His Church. His writings will in part reveal to those who come after his subtle genius, his ready wit, his graoe, and his learning, but only those who mourn him and miss his help know the brightness of his living presence." Congregationalists are making preparations to celebrate the tercentenary of the martyrdom of Penry, Greenwood, and Barrowe, who were executed in London in the early part of 1593 for adherence to the principle of freedom of worship which was an article of faith with the old Inde- pendents. Greenwood and Barrowe were hanged at Tyburn, after having been once carted to the gallows and then reprieved for one day, while John Penry-who declared, at the mockery of a trial given him, If my blood were an ocean sea, and every drop thereof were a life to me, I would give them all, by the help of the Lord, for the maintenance of my confession "-was executed at' Seuthwark.
A SATURDAY SERMON.
A SATURDAY SERMON. The religious tone in any nation was the ap* growth of many generations, bad been gradually formed, and was the offspring of old traditidat conveyed by teaching and by early habits and if a community was found which had had no religious habits, no thought beyond the grave, it would be a much more difficult thing to convert that population than it would be to convert a community which had some idea of religion and some belief. Again, religious workers in all directions should be most careful in destroying the religious tone of any nation, however supersti- tious, without being ready to replace it. and from that it followed they ought to do their utmost to understand the religions with which they had to deal. These religions embodied the best thoughts, and feelings, and aspirations of man through many ages, and it was not true that they were wicked except by contrast. There were, as they knew, great wickednesses in connection with all reli- gions, and there had been such things in Christi- anity. In the Christian Church itself had beeft vice and wickedness which had gone for to make Christianity intolerable to students and observers. He deprecated very much Christian people set- ting to work-and he did not believe they would ever succeed if they did set to work-in tIM belief that all the religions which God had allowed to grow up apart from the Christian. Church until Christianity was ready to approach them ministered to pride and lust and cruelty. It would be just as reasonable to impute to the Gospel the sins of London. They knew what the sins of Mohammedanism were, but they did not know what the sins of Europe and the sins of London were, and of other places where the Gospel was professed most earnestly and prac- tised by many most sedulously t To ABCBBISBOF Of Castebvcvt.