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WORKMEN'S TOPICS. ..
WORKMEN'S TOPICS. COAL MINES REGULATION ACT (1887) AMENDMENT. BY MABON, M.P. It is intended that this Bill, which we are pleased to observe- is the subject of nch witicism, favourable and otherwise, in the daily ress, shall be cited as the Coal ties Regula- tion Act, 1893, and to be construed as one with 4he Coat Mines Regulation Act, 1887, and both be cited together as the Coal Mines Regulation Aot, 1887 and 1893. It is intended also by and under some of the last clauses in this Act to constitute miners' and Snineowners' associations for the purposes sf the Act itself, especially the making and VJministering the special rules necessary for the protection of life and limb in the mines, as well as the protection of the miners them- selves. Provided that these associations be IIOnst ituted without any unnecessary delay, and It were possible to pass the Act this year, it is intended that the Act should come into operation 4n the first of next year, 1894. Clause 3 of the proposed Bill provides that no person under the age of 21 years shall be employed in or allowed to be for the purpose of employment in any mine below ground for more than eight hours during any consecutive twenty-four hours. This is a clause apparently to extend the nine-hours' protection clauses of the principal Act, of boys under 16 years of age, to 'oung persons up to 21 years under the new Act, ,ith a reduction of one hour to all persons forking under the latter age with, also, the addition that they cannot work more than one '.nft of eight hours in any one day of 24 hours. rhis, in ftact, is a proposal to apply the Eight flours' Bill to all young persons working n mines under 21 years of age. In this troposal we think that those making ■4 may have the co-operation of their Northern brethren to carry the same through parliament. If they are not precluded from fringing the one principle before the House in rwo Bills, evidently they mean to have two strings so their bow, especially with regard to the im- llOrtant question of reducing the hours of young persons to eight per day. Sub-section 2 of this clause provides that a %ook, to be called "The Hours of Work Book," Tihall be kept in the offices, in which the manager r4iall cause to be entered in such form as the Secretary of State may prescribe a record of the zime during which any person is employed fÐ the mine below ground. We have teen told that this will cause hundreds of pounds "additional cost each year, and that the thing is ,tone in a much b tter and in a more efficient way present. Well, if the thing is done already, ispeeially in an efficient way, one can hardly see therein the extra burden in cost is to come in. Clause 4, sub-uction 1, provides that no person »ho has not bben so employed before he has attained the age of 18 years shall be employed in, Or allowed to be for the purpose of employment, in any mine below ground. The object of %his clause is obviously plain, for if it passes there would be no impractical adults engaged under the Act. Our mines would soon become the hives of practical men, unskilled labour, with all its atttendant evils, having been swept away in a few years. However, what we are told by one of the pessimistic critics, that what would bappon wou!d not happen We think that Mr Overman tells us in the daily PN88 that the first thing that would happen after such an enactment would be to discharge all persons found in our mines under the age of eighteen. That cannot be, however, for nothing In the new Act can apply to persons who are already lawfully employed underground at present. It is not even proposed that the new Amendment Act should be retrospective. In section 8 of t q new Act it is proposed to amend section 15 of tne resent Act, by specify- ing that it shall be the duty of the inspector of weights and measures, after an inspection of any machines used on any pit bank or elsewhere for the purpose of determining the weight of minerals gotten by the workmen in the mine, to report the result of such in. spection in writing to the Secretary of State and to the clerk of the county council within the area of which the mine is situated. This has become necessary in conse- quence of the altered conditions under the County Government Act and the inspectors of weights and measures coming under the control of the county council. The obligation of reporting: is also a new one. Section 9 of the new Act also proposes to amend section 16 of the present Act by inserting the following words into sub-section 1 (a) thereof And where a seam extends formore than one mile there shall be at least two shafts or outlets in every mile of such seam for the time being in work." What we are told with regard to this accessary improvement is, not that it cannot be done, but simply that it will not be done. The employors will not bear the expense of doing it. We can well understand that few men of the present days' experience would care to say that such.. additional safeguards are not necessary as improved means of ventilation, when such distance is worked underground, and of means of escape in emergencies such as some of those that we have recently xperienced. In this case, then, it is not sufficient that mineowners should say we won't undertake he cost. Let the Legislature step in and tell hem "you will not be permitted to extend the workings of any one seam underground unless you will provide such workings with at least one -ibaft or outlet in every mile of the same." It is nigh time to put an end to the theory and secret belief that the cost sheets of any company is of greater value than the lives and the limbs of underground workmen, not forgetting, nor un- grateful for, the great and numerous improve- ments of recent years in the safety of underground working. Still, the mining communities of to-day are entitled to every additional improve- ment that science, knowledge, and practice can suggest in that direction. With this end in view it is suggested in section 10 of this new Bill that, with respect to the powers and duties of inspectors, it shall be the duty of the inspector making such inspection, examina- tion, or inquiry in any mine or part thereof, within six days, to enter in writing, in a book to be kept for the purpose in the mine, a report of such inspection, examination, or inquiry that had been made, so that all those interested may know the result thereof and profit thereby. It is with exactly the same object in view that iection 13 of the Bill provides that there shall be appointed in every mining district assisiant inspectors for every 10,000 persons em- ployed above or below ground in connec- tion with mines in the district; and also to making these appointments that preference ihall be given to persons having practical know- ledge of the working of mines, and especially to Juch of those that hold certificates of competency ander the present Act. It is proposed that these assistant inspectors should be generally under ihe control of the chief inspector of the district, and, so that the inspectorate may have the ad- 7antage of the theoretical and mechanical know- ledge of the one class combined with ihe practice and competency of the other, to that between them the distiict would have fuch a thorough staff of inspectors that it could lot be hurled against it in the future that it rrould be of no real value. We believe ourselves hat mineowners as well as the miners should hail the day when the inspectorate of any dis- trict were able to perform its duties to the entire satisfaction of all concerned.
The Household.
The Household. Some Simple Tests of Water. The water in some country districts is very im- pure. A few simple tests, whereby an opinion as to the quality of any water may be formed, may be useful. One of these has reference to the colour. Fill a bottle made of pure, clear, colourless glass; look through the water at some bright object; the water should appear perfectly colourless. A muddy or turbid appearance indicates the presence of soluble organic matter, or of solid matter in suspension. Odour.—Empty out some cf the water, cork up the bottle, and place it for a few hours in a warm place shako it, remove the cerk, and if the smell is the least repulsive the water should be rejected. By heating the water to boiling-point an cdour is evolved that other- wise does not appear. A test for sewage con- tamination is:—Take a clean pint bottle three- quarters full of water, dissolve a teaspoonful of loaf or granulated sugar, cork the bottle, and keep it in a warm place for two days. If the water becomes cloudy or muddy it is unfit for domestic use. If it remains perfectly clear it is probably safe to use. Another simple test is by means of the liquor-potash permanganates, a small quantity of which can be had from any chemist. Add a few drops to a tumbler of water until it turns a beautiful pink colour. Allow it to stand half-Ftn-honr if the pink colour still re- mains, the water is pure if it has changed to a rusty brown colour, it is slightly impure if the colour has disappeared, the water is impure. Influence. We do not often enough think of the great influ- ence one life and character has over another. We are apt to snm up good and bad in too general a sense, and to forget that we do good or evil, exercise a good or bad influence, in every detail of our life. By keeping strictly tc duty, we place before the negligent an example which may prove to them a help, and act as an incentive to diligence and adherence to duty on their part. Success as the reward of perseverance is often a stimulus to those of a less persevering nature, and the open straightforward character will shame, and sometimes cure, the close and deceitful one. Kindness beeets kindness even in the unkind and indifferent. The contented man shows the grumbler to disadvantage, and the un- selfish, generous nature will make the hard and selfish ashamed. A gentle, humble bearing puts down the proud and haughty, and a quiet, amiable disposition will calm the passionate, ill-tempered one.-Ottivai-d and Upward. Sickness among Children. One reason why there is so much sickness and death among children may be largely attributed to the fact that there is in many instances so little discipline and government, so little discip- linary judgment and control on the part of the parents. There is, in many instances, absolutely no governmental qualification on the part of the parents with regard to children. Children are allowed to eat what they please, and when they please, and as much as they please, of anything and everything. Children and young people are allowed to dress as they please, to wear what they please, and to throw off what they please. They are allowed to run here and there, day and night—and allowed to exert themselves-are allowed from this running here and there, "to over-exert their bodies and their physical capability. Some children will cry-are allowed to cry-till they get what they want; or, if older, they will pout and in other ways make themselves disagreeable till the parents yield. When yet quite young children must be taught to obey. Hints. RICE WITH CHEESK.—Boil half a pound of rice; drain and shake dry put a layer of this in a pudding-dish, season with salt and pepper, and dot with bits of butter. Grate quarter of a pound of cheese, and sprinkle each layer of rice with the cheese. Let the last layer be of rice. Whip one egg with a gill of milk, and pour over all sprinkle with crumbs, dot with butter, and brown in the oven. HALT ROA PAIN.—Salt, heated dry and applied to the outer surface over the seat of inflammation or congestion, will give almost instant relief, while application cf a strong hot solution of salt in water or vinegar acts like magic upon tcoth- ache, ear. ache, neuralgic headache, and all that brood of distressing ill*. CLEANING BOTTLES.—Vinegar bottles may be cleaned by crushed egg shells shaken in them with soap and warm water. Rinse in clear, cold water, and shake as dry as possible before using. A HINT ABOUT RECIPES.—Keep a note-book for tried recipes, and for any changes which you wish to make in the recipes which you are con- stantly using. By thought and observation one can learn something new in regard to cooking every day. At the time it will seem so important that you cannot forget it; but you will forget it if you do not write it down. BROWN CELERY SOUP.—Fry a sliced onion, with an ounce of butter, in a stewpan until brown add a large, thoroughly cleansed stick of celery, which must be cut into inch lengths, cover the pan with the lid, and allow the vegetables to cook in their own steam then mix with them a dessertspoonful of potato flour, add a pint of bone stock, stir till it boils, then simmer for half an hour; rub it through a hair sieve and return It to the stewpan with sufficient stock to make tlio desired quantity. Season with celary salt, and serve fried crotltons en a plate separately.
THE LATE DR. THOMAS.
THE LATE DR. THOMAS. The Greatest Welsh Preacher of our Time In 1838 Dr. Thomas entered Bala Celtege, being one of its first students. From Bala he went to Edinburgh, there lie came under the influence of Dr. Chalmbrs and Sir William Hamilton. Want of funds prevented him taking his degree. An incident connected with his University life, and that of his fellow student, John Parry, is worthy of record. At the close of their first session, they found to their dismay that they had not sufficient money left to take them home. They, however, were able to pay their way to Glasgow, and there they resolved to throw themselves on the good nature of the cup- tain of the boat going to Liverpool. They told him that they were young Welshmen preparing for the ministry, but their funds were so low they had not sufficient to pay their fares. They asked if he would allow them to go by his boat, and on its arrival in Liverpool, one of them would remain on board with the joint luggage as security while the other went to procure the needful money. The shrowd but kind-hearted captain, a Scotch- man, consented, conditionally on their pro- mising to obey orders." The promise was given. Bv-and-bye the dinner-bell was rung. Much as they would have liked, the young Welsh- men could not respond to it. Soon the captain sent for them with a request to "obey orders by joining him at dinner. This they gladly did, and at the meals which followed. When Liverpool was reached they promptly prepared to carry out their bargain, but the captain re- leased them with, "Gentlemen, you can both go ashore, together with your luggage, for I think I can trust you to return with the money." When later they returned he refused to accept a penny-piece from them. With a kindly smile he said, Good-bye, genbliainf-n accept my hospitality, and may God bless you both." Dr. Thomas was ordained in 1844 at Bangor. His first pastorate was at Pwllheli, thence he removed to Newtown, and in 1851 to London. To the end of his life he was known in many parts of the Principality as Owen Thomas, London." In 1865 he left London for Liverpool, became minister of what is locally known as "The Welsh Cathedral," in Prinzes Park-road. While he held those important pastorates outside Wales, his intimate connection with the Principality lemained. He attended nearly all the great association meetings, where his wise counsels were most helpful, and he was rarely absent from a cvmanfa meeting.
LITTLE JOH NNlE;S--TREASU…
LITTLE JOH NNlE;S--TREASU RES. Mrs Wearie: "When you sweep little Johnnie's room, don't put the sweepings in the fire." New Girl: "Why not, mum?" Mrs Wearie: "The last time I did that the stove exploded."
FARM AND GARDEN. , ■ .11!…
FARM AND GARDEN. .11! SeeLsrnable Notes. Except in the northern counties, the rain which fell last week was too light to moisten the the parched soil for more than a few hours, and the drought might almost as well have remained unbroken. All hope of a first-rate bay crop has now been given up, and shortness of feed has already become a serious matter, as may be seen from the half-fat cattle and sheep in the markets. The wheats and the early-sown spring corn have stood the drought well; but there- are many irregular plants of barley ahd oats to be seen in all districts, especially where they were sown after turnips, or in other cases where the land had got hard and capped before it was broken up. The time has come for sowing mangels, and yet it is useless to put In the seed before rain has moistened the land, which is about as dry as an ash heap. A change in the weather may yet be in time to put quite a. different face upon farming prospects; but they are becoming mc-re disquiet- ing every day. The only prosperous outlook is in the fruit orchards and plantations, which have been, and still are, a glorious sight. Such a wealth of blossoms has rarely been seen as there has been on all kinds of fruit. Frost did a little damage, but generally only thinned what would have been a great profusion of fruit. Pears, plums, gooseberries, and currants appear to be setting well, and the general opinion is that cherries have net been seriously damaged, thoagrli there is some uncertainty upon that point in places. Apples were not forward enough to be hurt while the night frosts prevailed. The trees are now in their full beauty. -Standard,. Turnips. Turnips, like carrots, are nearly always in re- quest for flavouring, but the autumn is the time when turnips are at their best; the long, cool nights of autumn give rapidity to the growth and tenderness to the flesh. The site for the first sowing should be warm and sheltered, but not in the fulit blaze of the sun on the south border. An eastern or western aspect will be better. The early crtp may be helped by digging a wide trench and filling it with warm manure, placing six inches of nice light soil over it. Sow the seeds broadcast, thinning out the plants to six inches apart. The strap-leaved stone is a good kind for this work. Up to June small sow- ings and often should bo the rule. The land should be in good condition, well manured, and of fine tilth. In some places turnips are early in the season a difficult crop to establish. It is always best to rush the crop over the bad time by the use of stimulants in the shape of artificial m,,tnure. -Cottage Gardening. Window Gardening: Many are now beginning to make arrangements for the outside window display. Boxes are being repainted and new boxes made. If more effort was made to cover the boxes with foliage and flowers by planting creepers and other free-grow- ing plants along the front, the material with which the boxes are made or its colour will not much signify. I think a perfectly planted box should be completely hidden within a very short time of its being filled. Outdoor Garden. Pansies, roses, and most things which have had the spade or fork used among them during the late winter or early spring should be firmed by treading where light soils prevail Masses of wall- flowers are now very bright and sweet, and I find they always flower best in firn-i ground. The middle of May is quite time enough to sow wall- flowers for next year's blooming. Canterbury bells and other campanulas should be sown at once to get the plants strong for blooming next season. Flower seeds will not grow till rain comes unless they are watered, and in all cases watering should be combined with shading. Rhubarb leaves spread flat on the ground are better than most things for assisting the germination of seeds. In purchasing new hardy plants for the borders or rockery, what an advantage it is in a season like the present tc have them in pots; it makes transplanting a certainty. Ampelcpsia Veitchi, clematis, Passion-flowers, and other kinds of creepers may be planted now cut-of-doors to cover walls. Fruit Garden. At present the fruit prospects have not suffered materially; some of the blossoms will fall, as a matter of course, to the manifest benefit of the crop and the trees too. Very few people have the courage to thin fruit sufficiently, so that a cold night or two, which does the work for them, may be looked upon as a blessing in disguise. The sunshine has done wonders for fruit culture under glass. Peaches, grapes, figs, and melons never looked better, but though this glorious sunshine has gladdened the gardeners' heart, it has in- creased the work immensely. Melons have rushed up, requiring almost daily attention in tying and stopping. Vines havo demanded constant atten- tion in thinning, stopping, and tying down. Vegetable Garden. Early potatoes that were planted in February will now push through the soil, and must be sheltered in some way, or the frost will cut them off. Drawing a ridge of dry sail over them will save them for a time, but this is a kind of nega. tive protection some sort of covering would be better. I have saved a crop by sticking ever- green branches among the plants and leav- ing them there. No branch should be long enough to shelter the potatoes when they grow taller than they are new. Continue to prick out celery and see that a, suffi- cient stock of winter greens is grown. Even the early districts might sow now. Give liquid- manure to cauliflowers and lettuces. Asparagus beds in cutting will be benefited by a free and copious application of house sewage; if very strong dilute it with plain water. It has been a good time to wage successful war upon the weeds; the hoe in dry, sunny weather is a splendid tool. I am in favour of the Dutch hoe, because it leaves a free and open surface. The hoer that treads on his work sometimes plants the weeds again.- Gardening Illustrated. The Weather and the Crops. Crop prospects are not sufficiently discouraging to afford any strong or paramount reason for marked alarm. The wheat plant is notably drought resisting, and the rainfall of January and February seems to have been sufficient on the stronger lands to carry things forward into May. At the same time the lighter soils have also to be considered, and it is not likely that these can now give an average yield. Buyers of English wheat are much more concerned nowadays over quality than quantity, and a dry year is taken to mean quality, at least to the extent of fitness for milling and indeDendence of mixture with foreign wheat. The spring corn is badly in need of rain, and seeing how large an area has been sown with oats, it is especially to be regretted thjM that crop is of tha poorest promise of all cereals in England. Luckily the Scotch and Irish oat- fields are of fair appearance, somo mid-April rains having enabled them to hold on thus far, but even in Scotland and Ireland further rain is now an urgent need. With regard to trade the English wheat average tcr the entire country has picked up 7d per quarter, but in London it has fallen Is 4d per quarter. The foreign wheat trade showed an advancing tendency in the first four days of the week, and thus w,, have cut of 60 leading markets 51 in the seller's favour. The spring corn trade has been steady for maize, dull for barley, firm for rye and oats, disappointing for beans, but very steady for peas. The oilseed trade opened firm for all sorts of linseed, but closes with quietude. -Mark-lane Express.
[No title]
First Poet: Say, Sam, why is it yer alius has a new hat ?—Second Poet: Easy enough; whenever I see a better hat than mine in a restaurant I alius git through first. NEATLY PUT.-Here is a true story. Brown and Jones (not their real names) had quarrelled, and felt by no means in a charitable frame of mind towards each other. One day they chanced to meet in a quiet country lane. It was very muddy, and, to escape the slush on either side, both men were walking in a narrow rut made by the wheels of a wagon. Gradually they neared each other, but neither would move aside. They met. Brown glared savagely at Jones. Jones ditto at Brown. At last the latter, waxing im- patient,! exclaimed blusteringly, I never make way for a tool I do—sometimes," replied Jones, as he gracefully stepped to the right.
AN INTERESTING OPERATION.
AN INTERESTING OPERATION. Dr. Polaillon has just read to the Paris Aca- demy of Medicine a paper on a case of the suc- cessful graftmar of a piece of a dog's skull on to a human one. The operator was » young prachj- tiouer, DrfRicard. aud the patient a woman of 45, who had suffered from a tumour on the frontal bone. As it grew out of the bone, a part of the latter had to fee removed to get rid of the tumour. The brain thereby was laid bare, and cerebral hernia ensued. Dr. Ricard seeing this thought of removing a piece of living bone from a dog's skull and cutting it exactly to fit into the void in the woman'a forehead. He was careful in taking antiseptic precautions. The grafted piece has knit with the frontal bone, intc which it was inserted, and tho patient is now quite well. Dr. Polaillon speaks of this operation as the first successful one of the kind ever per- formed, and regards the success as due to the advauces latterly made in surgery and antiseptic scfeuce.
' Raising a Cheque.
Raising a Cheque. How is the soil in Kansas ?" asked one of the group as the traveller paused. Richest in the word, sir," was the reply. I know a New York State man who went to Kansas seven years ago with only 15 dols. ia cash, and he is now worth 20,000 dols." Whew What did he raise principally ?" I believe it was a cheque, sir they couldn't exactly prove it on him. Think of a soil that will raise a bank cheque for 190 dols. to 19,000 dols., and a backward season at that
HONEVMOONING IN THE,: ATLANTIC.…
HONEVMOONING IN THE ATLANTIC. Writiflg in'the Daily Graphic of his tdtir round the world, "Phil May" gives the following incident of life on hoard an Atlantic liner :—Only one lady ventures into the smoke-rooui, and she is a young bride whose devotion to her husband is of a depth which prompts her at times to sip his lager. The two are inseparable. They sorrowed side by .side in deck chairs when a day or so ago life looked a bilious blank, sharing one rug and halving a common trouble and now that the sun shines sbe reaches up to his arm and doubles the joy of the morning promenade.
:SoiigSffor the People.I .\'\--_..--t
:SoiigSffor the People. I t t_A>*<irew Fletcher, af Saltoun, in a. letter t the uis of Montrose, wrut. :—" I knew a. very wise manthat believed that if a, man were permitted to •tnajt» nil the ballads he need net care who should ■an the laws ef the nation."
f, MY FRIEND (AN IDEAL).
f, MY FRIEND (AN IDEAL). He must live on the hill-top of life, Very near to the sun and the blue, led hIs soul shall be clear as the light" I •Which the shadows of earth pierce thro'»; > And his heart must be strong for the right, And his aims must be earnest and true. HeishaU love all things lovely and pure, All his thoughts shall be lofty and sweet, But yet lowiy his heart as the tiower That, in silence, springs up at your feet, All unconscious of praise or of power, Growing fair 'midst the dust and the heM For the good he shall mightily Strive, Ever willing to speud and; wspent For the law of his hfe shall be love, That bends low for a noble intent. He will suffer to draw men above, ;■ And to urge them of sin to repent. In his heart there is room for the sad And the outcast of every degree For his jity all measure transcends," >'<■ And he asks only love for nis fee. o his kindness, like showers, descends, t And his sympathy's wide as the sea. For he trusts to a power not his own To uphold him 'mid conflict and strife, And he leans on an arm that is strong To protect 'gainst the perils of life; So all fearless he sings his glad song, ■" Tho' the shadows of darkness be rife. Yea, my friend, did I say ?—But not yet Have J found him of whom I have said But what time we shall joyfully greet, All thfe pale flowers of life shall turn red. Do you ask me where tarry his feet ? Ah I know not. Perchance—he is dead Great Thoughts. ANNIE E. LYDDON.
MOTHER'S LIGHT.
MOTHER'S LIGHT. A fisher boy went sailing out, The morn was fresh and fair; He bounded o'er the waters blue Without a thought of care. As sights along the shore grew dim, One tiny speck afar— His mother's cottage on the cliff Was like a guiding star. The morn was fair, but 'ere the night A storm came o'er the sea, And through the blind and chilling mist He drifted helplessly. The breakers roared, the darkness fell. The boy was filled with fear, No light, no voice, no arm to save •<- He felt that death was near. I f Then like a tiny star appears A far-off feeble light; Its faint, but steady, cheering beam Has pierced the gloomy night. "'Tis mother's light!" he cried, with joy, I'll steer my mother's light; 'Twill guide me safely to the shore, She's saved her boy to-night." Your boy sails out in life to-day, There many a storm to meet, And when the darkness settles down, And wild waves.'round him beat, Have you the power to guide him safe Tiirough sin's bewildering vj.ght? Can ho shout gladly through the storm: "I'll steer by mother's light ?" o parents, hold your lamps aloft. A word, a smile, a prayer 0. That lights the mem'ry of your child, ) May save from many a snare. Then trim with never-failing faith Your lamps of truth and right, So that your child through life, or death, Msy steer by mother's light. —Lanta W. Smith, in "JN.W. Christian Advo- cate."
----..-----WHAT WOMEN DO.
WHAT WOMEN DO. Home life and social life are made possible be- cause cf the tact and sympathy and consideration of women. It was a woman who smashed her own fragile teacup in her fingers because a clumsy guest had inadvertently done tho same thing. It was a woman who feigned a sudden illness because she saw a man in her drawing-room sob at a singer's music. It is women who bear having their toes and their trains trod on in the omni- busses, their hats hurled over their eyes, and their back hair torn from its moorings, and who meet every look of apology with a smile of pardon. It is women who keep alive the race of beggars that prey on passers-by in the streets. It is women who, in the retirement of home, serve their sons and husbands into a state of helpless- ness that cannot distinguish a hairbrush from a clean shirt at twenty paces. It is women Who go about day after day with a pain somewhere always, hidden under a smile so brave that men never suspect its presence. It is women who bear with their husbands when they talk—as men do talk, and think their own particular goose—or, rather, gander—the finest swan that ever breasted "the current of life.
ECHOES FROM THE CALENDAR.…
ECHOES FROM THE CALENDAR. v MAY. 7. SUNDAY—Bogation Sunday. 8. MONDAY—John Stuart Mill died, 1873. 9. TUESDAY—Half QUARTER Day. 10. WEDNESDAY—Local Government Bill passed, 1853. —Divorce Court opened, 1858. 11. THURSDAY—Ascension Day.—The Right Hon. Spencer Peiccval assassinated, 1812. B' ,ck Friday." 12. FRIDAY—Customs House opened, 1817. 13. SATURDAY--Johii resigned England, to the Pope, 1213. The Opening of the Divorce Court. It was in the first Session of the Parliament of 1857 that the two important measures were passed for the transfer of testamentary and matrimonial cases from the jurisdiction cf the ecclesiastical courts, and the establishment of new probate and divorce courts. Prior to this the law bad been one-sided in th,- extreme. While the principle that marriage might be dissolved had been adopted by the Legislature, practically the separation of husband and wife was a privilege reserved for the wealthy classes. Before a divorce could be obtained pro- ceedings had to be taken in the Ecclesiastical Court and after a verdict there was secured the facts were gone over again, at great cost, before the House of Lords. The bishops were divided in opinion on the new Bill, and in committee the Archbishop of Canterbury carried a clause restricting the person against whom the divorce was pronounced from marrying the companion in guilt. When the Bill went to the Commons the second reading was carried by a majority of 111, the vote being 208 to 97. After various amendments had been agreed to between the two Houses of Parliament, the Act was passed in the last week of August. On the 10th of May, 1858, a full court sat-the three judges being Lord Campbell, Chief Baron Pollock, and Sir Creswell Creswell. From the time of the Reformation down to the passing of this Act there had been 317 divorces by Act of Parliament, but in the 10 years from 1858 to 1868 more than 1,300 marriages were dissolved. Assassination of a Premier. As the Premier, Mr Spencer Perceval, was passing through the Lobby to the House of Com- mons, at about five o'clock on the afternoon of Monday, May 11th, 1812, a gentlemanly man presented a pistol at him and fired. The Minister fell mortally wounded and died within two minutes. In the excitement and confusion of the moment, it is said that the murderer might have escaped, but he walked quietly up to the fireplace, laid the pistol down on a bench, and calmly acknowledged that he fired the fatal shot. He expressed satis- faction at the deed, but said he should have been more pleased had it been Lord Leveson-Gower. Subsequent inquiries showed that his natT,e was r-ellingham, and that he had suffered severe losses while trading as a merchant between Liver- pool and Russia. Lord Leveson-Gower, who was Ambassador at St. Petersburg at the time, and the Premier bad incurred Bellingham's resentment because they declined to support his claims for redress against Russia. The murderer was tried and condemned on the Friday after the crime, and executed at the Old Bailey on the following Monday. Parliament voted £ 2.000 a year to the widow of Mr Perceval, and settled £ 50,000 on his children. As a states- man Spencer Perceval does not rank very high. He was the second son of the Earl of Egeoont, and being called to the Bar, became Solicitor- General, Attorney-General, and Chancellor of the Exchequer in quick succession. Twelve .P '1'8 after entering Parliament he, in 1809, gained the post of Premier, and held it till his death. A Great Monetary Crisis. "Black Friday" was the name given by common consent to the 11th of May, 1866. It was the' day after the stoppage of the limited liability company of Overend, Gurney, and Co. The liabilities were stated to be £ 11,000,000 and during the morning crowds of des- pairing investors and depositors collected round the door of the firm in Lombard- street, and discussed the situation. A severe run upon all the private banks set in every half-hour some well-known bank or firm suspended payment; and the reserve of the Bank of England was drawn upon to the extent of four millions, notwithstanding that 9 per cent. was charged for accommodation. The English Joint Stock Company was one of the first to go, and it dragged down with it 31 pro- vincial branches. Failure.# for less than half-a- million attracted little notice, but the climax of the gloomy day was reached when the great railway contractors, Peto, Betts and Co., stopped with liabilities exceeding £ 4,000,000. Late on Friday night Mr Gladstone an- nounced in the House of Commons that an authority would be sent to the Bank to continue discounting good bills at 10 per cent., even though the reserves should be brought below the limit allowed by law, and this served to partly allay the severe financial panic. It did not pass with- out one more gigantic failure, that of Agra and Masterman's bank, which had been converted into a limited liability concern. Previous to the stoppage the bank paid upwards of three millions over the counter during a run of four weeks, and yet could not avert the downfall.
.JHis Plea..-
J His Plea. The lftgislfttare cf the state of Maine has again and again passed a law offering a bounty forbears that havebeea killed, and repealed it every time. In the year 1873 over two thousand dollars were p- 'id in bounties by the state, and tho next year a member from a shore town introduced a bill for the law's repeal. He said that the hunters would undoubtedly kill the bears for the sake of the meat and pelt?, without the extra inducement of the bounty. i Upon this a stalwart backwoodsman rose in his might, and said,— The gentleman don't rightly know what he's ¡ talking about. sfMost of the b'ars are killed when they're nothing but cubs, when their meat and pelts are wuthless." 11 Let them grow until they are of value, then," said the member from the seacoast, sharply. "And I would like to ask the gentleman what them b'ara are to live on whilst they're growing?" inquired the. backwoodsman, in a tone of wither- ing scorn. Our sheep, I presume to say, and a baby now and then The bill for the repeal was not passed on -that occasion.
[No title]
DIDN'T PRACTISE WHAT HE PRICACHRD- What's all that trouble about over there at the church ?" A Brooklyn minister has come up to lecture to-night on 'Grumbling,' and he's mad because the sexton is late in opening the doors." Mr Michael O'Svhaughnessy, an Irish athlete, got very much interested in the perusal of an expost of Chinese leprosy. He also got very in- dignant, but failed to comprehend the exact pur- port of the article. Lepers is it," he remarked. Lepers is it that the Chinese are ? It's an old man I am, begorra and I'll bet tvventy-foive dollars that I'll lep agin any Chinaman 111 the city. I was the foinest leper in County Cork in .'37, and I'll tread on the tail o' mv own coat if I can't leu a five-fut hurdle this same minnit,"
-""- n111 Welsh Tit-Bits.…
n 111 Welsh Tit-Bits. • Neu Wi-eichion Oddiap.yr, Eiiig'tgtl. [BY CADRAWD ] Surnames. Surnames are not of the greates antiquity. It is agreed by the best authors that surnames or double names of families, before the Conquest, were not known, the same as the armories of houses, both of which took their rise and origin. much about the same time. The fashion of affixing settled surnames to families here in this country may be safely dated from the Norman Conquest. Before surnames were settled in families, and became hereditary, men had their surnames from their heroic actions on the field of battle, or from their extensive dominions. Contrary to the general rule in the matter of adopting surnames, the Court followed the country, for the kings, as hath been observed by historians, were the last that took to themselves fixed surnames. Some were graced and adorned with these from their favourite diversions aad recreations, and Henry the First of Germany was surnamed Ancess (that is, Fowler), because he delighted much in that recreation; William the Second of England, surnamed Rufus, from the colour of his hair Henry the Second, surnamed Short Mantle, from a particular garment he wore. The Welsh had a peculiar way of forming surnames, in imitation of the English, and before Wales had been subdued, and made subject to the crown of England. The Welsh had a prince in the Conqueror's time called Tewdwr Mawr, or Theodore the Great. This Theodore had a son called Rhys ap Tewdwr, and this Rhys again hada son called Gruffydd ab Rhys, and if the Princes did so we may be sure the people followed suit with them. This was the universal method with the Cymry of forming surnames, and ob- served in Wales long before did so in imitation of the English. Everyone added his father's Christian name to his own, with the inter- position of the particle ab for a sirname. The Rev. Evan Evans (Ieuan Brydydd Hir) says that it had been the custom among the Welsh to name foundlings after the name of the place where found, which, he thinks, may be the origin also of so many English surnames which are met with; such as Barn, Field, Hay, Bank, Church, House, Marsh, Shore, etc., and that those who originally bore these names were born in such places respectively. Ieuan Fawr ab y Diwlith was a foundling, who, according to the lolo MSS, was found on Twmpath Diwlith, Margam Mountain. The bards of Tir laril having gone to the Dewless Hillock on one of the St. John's midsummer fes- tivals, to bold their chair of vocal song, he received the name of John, the Son of the Dew. less, as already mentioned, and because he was a large in&n was called Ieuan Fawr, or Big John. He is said to have flourished in the ninth century. This Dewless Hillock, which is designated as one of the seven wonders of Glamorganshire, is called most frequently at the present day by the inhabitants of the district, Twmpath Diwlith. It was on such hillocks that the Britons held their bardic and judicial gorseddau, or assemblies. On the high road between Bndgend and Cowbridge, on a place probably mis- translated the Golden Mile, is a farm called Twmpath, near which is a mound, wherein the victims of a battle fought near there were laid, and the faim therefrom had its name. But it would be the greatest wonder of Glamorgan, aye, of Great Britain itself, were it the case that the Twmpath on Margam mountain was Dewless. No doubt it should be Duw-lith, i.e., God's lesson. It was, and still is, the custom to peratn- bulate the bounds and limits of parishes. An exhortation was also given in many places by clergymen in this case it would indeed be a Duw-lith, and the two words Duw and llith, fis commonly spoken, give a most accurate idea as to how the word diwlith is pronounced by the people of the immediate neighbourhood. The Bodnoe stone, which locally is called Y Maen Llythyrog, is near the Twmpath, or Crug y Diwlith It is recorded that near that spot a great battle took place the slain were no doubt laid to rest under the mound, and a very cele- brated Welsh scholar suggests that the correct name might have been Twmpath Dylaitb, i.e., the mound of the dead. The inscription on the old lettered stone has never been satisfactorily understood, and the tra- dition of the neighbourhood is that whoever will be the one to read it correctly will die the same year. The Book of Baglan. THE KEfES OF NEWPORT.—William Kemes, of Newport, sone to Jevan Kemes, son to Jenkin Kemys. who had issue, William Kemys, bad issue Harrie Kemys, ma. da. to Lewis ap Richerd Gwyn; who had issue John Kernes, ma. Nest, da. to J ohn Morgene, of Tredegar; who had issue Gilles Kemes and John Kemes. CALICOTT.-Harrie Kemes, ef Calicott, sone to Jevan Kemes as aforesaid, had issue, Thomas Kemes, who had issue Thomas Kemes, who had issue Brigett Kemes, da. and h., ma. Harrie Lewis, of St. Peerre. John Kemes, 4th sone to Jevan Kernes, bad issue Roger Kemes ma. Alse, da. to William Arthir, of Bedminster, who had issue Jno. Kemes and Arthir Kemes the said Jno. had issue Hugh Kernes, who died without issue. The said Arthur Kernes ma. Jane, da. tc John Bum- ward, who had issue Thumas Kemes ma. to Jane, da. to Mansell, who had issue Roger Kemes, of Bedminster, Thomas Keines, and Eliz Eliza, ma. to Christopher Mappe; the said Roger Kernes rna. Isabell, da. to George Haddle, who had issue Arthur Kernes, Anne Kemes, Margaret Kemes, Margerie, and Eliza Kemes. The said Christopher Mappe had issue Foulkc Mappe, and Ffraunc Mappe. Sibel Kemes, da, to Wm. Kemes, of Newport, ma. Morgan ap Robert Math ewe. Caterin Kernes, da. to Wm. Kemes, of New- port, ma. first John Mathewe, of Llandaff, and aftere his death ma. John Gwilini Herbert.
THE POSTAGE STAMP MANIA.
THE POSTAGE STAMP MANIA. Collectors of postage stamps (says the Daily News) are finding just now comfort in the fact that though these cherished objects ara still rising in the market at home and abroad, they are believed by experts to have nearly reached their maximum. It is chiefly unused stamps of foreign countries that have gone up, especially those of the small German States. The reason given is their long and continued neglect by native collectors, who till lately would take nothing but used copies. Those who are inclined to make a plunge in stamp-collecting, however, are warned by The Philatelist that there is need to be very wary in these days, especially in regard to Americans. In the issues of the United States there is quite an epidemic of speculation, and prices are abnormally high. Hoarding goes on to what this writer considers ftn absura extent." It is not merely hoarding as understood and practised by the ordinary collector in the sense of putting aside u-eless duplicates in the hope that they may turn out prebic-lis son)e dav,but tioarding in the sense of depleting the market of certain issues so as to bring about a sort of corner" in in the postage-stamp market.. "The Philatelist," however, is of opinion that a rise will be unnatural and fleeting, and will result in the burning of some speculators' fingers.
COULDN'T PROMISE.
COULDN'T PROMISE. You will let me go to your wedding, will you not *?" said one girl to another companion. Upon my word I can't promise. My folks are in such a rage about my wedding that J an) not sure they will let me go to it myself." r t<
[No title]
Russia possesses over 300 female doctors. Ten thousand lead toy soldiers are turned oat in Nuremberg every day. There will be no adjournment of the House of Commons for the Derby this year. A new adjustable thimble is announced, fag size of which can be altered to fit all fingers, Mr S. T Evans, M.P., bears a startling facial resemblance to Mr Pinero, the dramatist. Earl Spencer has returned to London from visiting the naval stations in the Mediterranean. Fruit imported from the Cape is very dear ia London. Pears at Is each cannot be called ch The Drapers' Company has again made a gtqm of A;1,000 for 100 scholarships, tenable for three years, at the People's Palace day technical schools. Since 1843 the Free Church of Scotland has raised no less than £ 22,000,000 by voluntary effort. It has now 1,100 ministers, 1,000 manaea, and an annual income of £ 630,000. During February last the quantity of petroleOtt and petroleum products exported from the United States amounted to 49,178,234 gallons, as compared with 52,853,768 gallons in February, 1892. One of the last acts of the Dowager Lady .It was to place the hospital and alinshonsfee at Saltaire in public management, together with trust fund of £ 30,000 towards their maintenance. Mr Healy says that he taught his little girl to read shorthand before she could read longhand, and has also taught all his children to epett phonetically before they could read anything. Shrewsbury, the famous Notts batsman, by met with an unfortunate accident on the very eye of the cricket season, a precipitate vrindow-sasb having trapped his right hand and braised it severely. A small piece of painted linen ekfth in Urn Egyptian section of the Vienna Art Museum hat been ascertained to be a very rare specimea of antique Theban purple cloth. It formed part of a mummy covering. Of the recruits in the British Army, 32.- were last year raised in England, 3,567 in Scat- land, and 3,860 in Ireland. One thousand fchrje hundred and five of these young soldiers WM under 17 years of age. This story does not come from Ameriov bat from Melbourne A fisherman at William. town recently caught an oyster of extraordinary size. It was nearly 2ft. in circumference, 17in. in diameter, and weighed 71b." Sir Frederick Leighton prepares his presideil* tial speeches with the same care that he painta his pictures. He is scrupulous about a word, and will trim a sentence almost as frequently u Brinsley Sheridan trimmed his epigrams. Mr H. J. G. Beech exhibited last year in the Cardiff Art Exhibition a pastel portrait of his wife, the youngest daughter of the late Mr Thomas Joseph, of Tydraw and The Buttrilla. This picture has been accepted this year at the Royal Academy. Quill toothpicks came first <of all from Franoe. Tne largest factory in the world is near Paris, where several million quills are dealt with yearly. The factory started to make quill pens, but when these went but of general use it was converted into a toothpick mill. On the 25th ult. Mr O. G. Jones, of the Alpine Club, succeeded in making from livolen?, in Val d' Elérens. the ascent of the Dent Blanche (14,318ft.). The expedition occu- pied 36 hours. Considering the season of tho year, the feat is a remarkable one. White, as the colour for painting the ships of the United States Navy, is to be abandoned, as it becomes soiled and grimy very quickly, and makes the vessels too conspicuous in the night, A return to the black in which they won formerly painted has beeiM decided upon. The ltev. Charles Gone, Principal of the Posey House, Oxford, is about to resign his positiop. He will take charge of t'ae little parish of Ridley, where he hopes to regain health. The Rev. R. fc. Otley, Fellow of Magdalen Collage, is spoken ot as Mr Gore's successor at the Pusey House. The Beilin Academy has just voted £ 175 tq Professor Selenka for a journey to Borneo aadf Malacca to investigate the development of apm- and especially that of the orang-outang—and 04 to Professor Keibel, ws a mark of their esteem# his researches on the d'evolopment of the pig. Mr Gladstone on Saturday visited HatchlandV Mr Stuart Rendel's charming house near GuiJ4. ford, and stayed ovar Sunday. The park, lying; on the northern slope of the Downs, is welf wooded and affords innumerable sylvan re Mr Rendel has spent large sums of money in i, proving the property, and recently has add4, another lodge and made a new carriage drive tt < the house. The latter was used for the first tigno by Mr Gladstone. I I Next to Paris, Lyons, and Marseilles, Bordfeaaa is the most populous town in France. Thoofth during the last ten years the population hM in- creased by about 30,000 persons, this increase hat been almost entirely due to the immigration from the neighbouring rural districts and from foreign countvies; for in late years the number of birthit in this town has been less than that of the deaths* At the last census the population of Bordeaua was 252,054. The Queen has always been preceded dttrinf her drives by an outrider, while on the box of hot Majesty's carriage rode itherthe "Higblantf attendant" or the "Highland servant," in fvw. Celtic garb. Then came a carriage in which '88'( the Munsbi and Indian Secretary in solitary state, arrayed in a splendid Oriental costume, and blazing with geld lace. On the box of the carriage was one of the Indian domestics, aad v the menial was always attired in a sumptUOOf native dress. Prince Bwmarck has put his foot down upott Anti-Semitism. He has discovered that, after all, the Jew is not the enemy most to be feared. The, statesmen whe occupy themselves in fighting tho Jews, while they allow "Free Traders, Clerical8. Poles, and Social Democrats to thrive and was fat," remind the Chancellor of the travellers whot while they were killing mosquitoes, suddenly found themselves surrounded with wild beasts. The paraWe (says the Globe) is not polite, but a", least the interpretation is plain. Lord Salisbury, in acknowledging the receipt of a copy of the laranaki Herald, containing the early history of that newspaper, in which refer- ence was made to his visit to New Plymouth ia 1852, says :—" I have a lively recollection of my arrival from the Manukau io the little vessel You mention, which, as far as I remember, was of 3S tons burden. The balf-deck fiMWl a VStyAJW and wet bed during the night's passage down the coast; but the beautiful view of Mount Egmont was move than compensation fpr tfyn comfort." »
A SATURDAY SERMON.
A SATURDAY SERMON. Between the period of national honour and complete degeneracy there is usually an interval of national vanity, during which examples of virtue are recounted and admired without being imitated. The Romans were never more proud of their ancestors than when they oeased to resemble them. From being the freest and most high-spirited people in the world, they suddenly fell into the tamest and most abjeet submission. Let not the name of Britons, my countrymen, too much elate you nor even think yourselves safe while you abate one jot of that holy jealousy by which your libertieo have hitherto bten secured. The richer tbo inheritance bequeathed you, the more it inherits your care for its preservation. The possession must be continued by that spirit with which it was first acquired; and as it was gained, by vigilance it will be lost by supineness. A degenerate race repos3 on the merits of theit forefathers the virtuous create a fund of theii OWn. The former look back to their ancestor8-- hide their shame; the latter look forward to posterity to levy a. tribute of admiration. It vain will you confide in the forms of a froe eon. stitution. Unless you reanimato these forma with fresh vigour, they will bo melancholy memorials of what you once were, and haunt yoa with the sbiwie of departed liberty. AGMT Ham l
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[No title]
A Yankee journal mentions James Clarke and Tife, who were born, died, and were buried on ¡.be same day." He and his wife must have been Awfully young. "I have got the best of this ould corporation for JIloo in me life.—" How is that, Pat?"—"I have nght a round-trip ticket to New York and back. 9d [in a whisper] I ain't coinin' back."
WELSH PICTURES AT THE: ROYAL…
WELSH PICTURES AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY. '-4 [BY OUR LONDON WELSH CORRESPONDENT.] Welsh scenes are conspicuously absent on the walls of the 125th exhibition of the Royal Academy, which is to be opened to the public next Monday. Artists last year evidently went other where than Wales for inspiration. Even the young hons of the Conway School, who many a time have found delicious bits in Clwydian Vale and Snowdonian Range, have hardly put in an appearance. Mr Shrubsole, who used success- fully to depict the mystery of the Idwal and the gloom cf the Glyders, has passed away, and as yet there is no successor. Newgtde and the Mumbles have attracted none, and the beauty of Tenby re- mains for this year unrecorded. In Gallery IV. (No. 270)—and, alas they near the sky—we find an admirable picture of Welsh mountain scenery, by Mr H. Clarence Whaite, the president of the Royal Cambrian Academy. A ftw figures in the foreground justify the title of the picture—" Cambrian Shepherds." In the next gallery (No. 380) wa have a satisfactory representation cf the Nun's Well," near St. David's, Pembrokeshire, by Mr Henry B. Wimbush. In the Black and White Room there is an excellent reproduction after Mr B. W. Leader, A.R.A.,of "Cambria's Coast," by Mr Theophile Chouvel. To the exhibition Mr Leader (whose painting name covers a well- known Welsh patronymic) sends (No.3) A Hillside Road; (No. 252) An Old Country Churchyard," showing the ancient edifice" with ivy mantle clad," and an important landscape (No. 499) which he calls "By Mead and Stream." Mr H. W. B. Davis, R.A., sends from his Welsh home, Glaslyn, near Rhayader, live pic- tures, all full of his characteristic work, but none of them Welsh in subject. His scenes from Picardy and the Pas-de-Calais are, however, delightful. It is amongst the portraits of the exhibition that Welsh interest centres this year. Place aux dames/ I will mention first Mr Herbert J. Draper's presentation portrait of "Lady Evans." This is the portrait presented to the late Lady Mayoress last December, as the inscription which it bears states:— In kind remembrance of the graceful help rendered during the mayoralty of her husband, Sir David Evans, K.C.M.G., and of the sincere regard cf their Welsh fellow-countrymen." The likeness. which is in profile, is admirable, and the portrait retains to a very marked degree the ideal charm of the face and expression of the original. As a picture it is beautifully posed and effectively harmonised. It finds an honourable place in Gallery V. (No. 388), and is happily balanced by a very striking portrait of Mrs Herbert Schmalz" painted by her husband. Mr Draper, who is one of the most promising young painters of the day, shows conspicuous talent in two other pictures, both of which are placed in Gallery IX. To one is appended as a title the following quota- tion from Waller :—" Go lovely Rose! Tell her that wastes her time and me." The other is entitled The Promise of May," and is a study of a maiden, a semi-nude figure dallying with May-blossoms. Lady Evans' portrait. I may add here, has been beautifully reproduced in phototype under the personal supervision of the artist. In the large room Gallery III. two of the corner panels are occu- pied by portraits of" M.R.H. the Prince of Wales, K.G. and" Field-Marshal H.R.H. the Dnke of Cambridge, K.G." A third panel (No. 123) is reserved for Marquess cf Bute, K.T. in his official robes as Mayor of Cardiff. The portrait is by Mr Hubert Herkomer, R.A. Viewed from the proper distance, it is no doubt a very striking and imposing picture. The gold- covered robe is perhaps too resplendent in point nf colour, but the figure stands forth nevertheless in full dignity of pose and with magnificent effect. The likeness, too, is excellent, but in the expression Prcfessar Herkomer, it appears to me, has failed to catch the intellectuality which with- out doubt to keen cbservers is a very marked characteristic of Lord Bute's face. Still the por- trait is a fine one, and if it is intended for Cardiff the corporation is to be cordially congratulated on possessing so noble a souvenir of a famous maycralty. Mr Herbert A. Olivier contributes (No. 95) a very effective portrait of "Theodore Williams, Esq., M.D. the son rf tho lato Charles Williams, a well-known and eminent Welshman, and himself one of the band of men connected with the Principality who occupy so distinguished a position in medical circles in London. Mr Phil R. Morris, A.R.A. whose connection with Wales I have noted on former occasions, is also a contributor of five pictures, most of them portraits. Under the Lilacs (No. 306) is a portrait of a lady with a lilac tree in full bloom for a background. The family group in Summer afternoon in Grey- friars" (No. 850) is too obviously posed to be either natural or pleasant; and No. 862 is a fairly- strong portrait of a Welsh Landowner, Ovvtn Evans, Esq." "Cynthia, fair Regent cf the Night," is an attractive, decorative picture show- ing Cynthia asleep upon her cloud with the fond stars in love, as an American would say, "crowd- ing around." The last painting (No. 902) depicts a May Day custom on the Dorsetshire coast, when garlands are thrcwn into the sea to bring luck to the mackerel fishing. Mr Ouless, R.A., sends a portrait of Sir Charles Tennant, Bart. and Mrs Stanley contributes a portrait of her distinguished husband, "Henry Morton Stanley, Esq." (No. 615). Mr Stanley is clad in a much be-corded white Zouave, and, with flashing eye. thinks out the great problem of East Africa with the aid of a compass a.nd a map. Mr W. Frank Calderon has chosen for his sub- ject the legend of Glertt and shows us (No. 614) the gallant hound fighting th& wolf, whose gore already stains the red-tiled floor of Llewelvn's hall. The overturned cradle occupies back- ground, and Llewelyn's heir is presumably safe under the wraps. The picture is extremely vivid and forcible. In Nc. 510 we have a charming Venetian picture by Mr Oliver Rhys, entitled A Floral Toilette." Children and flowers, with cool marble for a background, and a pecpofV lue sea beyond, make up a small but extremely bril- liant and effective canvas. Mr Reginald Arthur, a younger brother of Mr Rhys — both of them, by the way, sons of a well-known Welsh painter, repeats his Cloopatra success of last year with a fi!1:; Lucrec-s" (No. 890), in which we have quite a masterful study in the painting of heavy draperies with keen appre- ciation of female form. Mr Arthur has also a portrait (No. 650), entitled Poppies and Corn- flowers"—a child's head with brown hair gar- landed i..with these flowers. Mr E. Gustavo Girardot has in My Lady Greenslecves" a portrait of Mrs J. J. Foster, the wife cf Mr Foster, who, up to a recent date, acted as the honorary secretary of the Folk Lore Society. The water-colour rcom this year, so far as I was able to see, contains nothing of special Welsh interest, but amongst the miniatures there is a portrait of the late W. Mathew Williams, by Mr Alyn Williams, and one of Mrs William James, by Mr Henry C. Heath. In the 'architectural room are to be found drawings of St. Peter's Church at Pentre in the Greater Rhondda by Mr Frederick R. Kempson, of "Glangwna Mansion," near Carnarvon, by Messrs Douglas and Fordham, and of alterations to Mr Curre's mansion, Itton Court, near Chepstow, by Mr E. Guy Dawlecr. In tho'lecture-room one finds a memorial tablet, effective in its very simplicity, to "Evan Evans," the late master of Pembroke College, doue by Mr Frederick W. Pomeroy, and a head of Hypatia" modelled by Miss L. Gwendolen Williams. The catalogue closes with No. 1829. "A Girl binding her Hair," a full-sized statue in the nude, by Mr W. Goscombe John, formerly of Cardiff, a very fine example of Mr John's undoubted talents as a sculptor, to which the committee of selection have accorded a place of honour on the floor of the room.
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ANTICIPATING TROUBLE.—"Why do you order ten dozen handkerchiefs ? What use can you have for them all ?" asked a married ]ady of a young friend who was buying her trousseau. —" There is no telhng. Perhaps my husband will turn out bad, and then I'll need them all to wipe my weeping eyes. Men are so unreli- able nnw.n..davs," was the sad response.
Parliamentary i "'",,>;; of…
Parliamentary i ,,> of Cardiga > ''v, (BY W, R. WILLIAMS, SOLICJITOI^^V^IB^NI.J '1 1849, Feb.—Prysa Pryse, of Cri»^d4aS| iidei his father, Pryse Pryse, deceased. WlSJt frlfcford. again contested the seat, but was dialed 299 to 291, or a majority of eight was the eldest son of the precediÐæ}pimbere4W 1818), was born June, 1815, and^jjarried Segt tember, 1836, Margaretta Jane, seofljril daughter cf Major Walter Rice, of LlwynJn, OoutSky Carmarthen, and in 1849 assumed teafnr» &t Lovedsn in lieu cf Pryse. He vfc rkeleatid 1852, as Pryse Loveden, of Gogerdd^ij, defeating John Inglis Jones by 367 to 350 Totes, but died February, 1855. Kis enly son, Loved en, was born 1S38, and having in 186# assumed the name of Pryse in lieu of Lovedjp, was, as the representative of tho ancient f|tpily of Pryse, of Gogerddan, created a baronet,$866. 1855, Feb. John Lloyd Da. of Inaen- dyffryn and Alltyrodin, vice 5e Loveden, deceased. This member, was high sheriff of the county in 1845, married in 1825 the only surviving daughter of John Xloyd, of Allt- yrodin, whereby he acquired that-estate, and had an only son, Arthur, who died 1852, and who was tenth in descent from David Llwyd. M.P. for the county m 1541. In 1854 Mr Dalies van- quished John Evans, Q.C. ( Havefordwest, 1847) by 293 to 286, or a majority of 12 votes. Small majorities were quite the role in Cardigan in those days. 1857.-Col. Edward Lewis Prya^of Gogerddan and PeithylI, second son of t above Pryse Pryse (1818), and next brother to the member, 1849-54. He was born June, lsti. antf entered the army in 1836, but retired as !captain of 6th Dragoons (Carabineers) 1846. H" ,was M.P. for Cardigan 1857-68, and wa" appointed to the offices of Lord-Lieutenant and Cus. Rot, of the county in 1857, and was Hon. Colonel of the County Militia. 1868.—Sir Thomns Da vies LJd, Bart., of Bronwydd (see Co., 1869). 1374.—David Davies, of Llftndinam, co. Montgomery (see Co., 1885). Re-elected April, 1880, and was the last of the members for-Gacdi- gan, for on the dissolution ofr Parliament in November, 1885, the Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885, following the Reform Anttff 1884, came into force, and the borough was Merged in the county of Cardigan for the pulses of Parlia- mentary representation. CONTESTED KLECTIOJPj^ < 1774-Smytb, 148 Johnes, 98. pf 1812—Vaughan, 155 Evans, 142.;1 1841—Fryso, 305 Harford, 285. 'f- 1849-rys, 299 Harford, 291. 1852-Loveden, 367 Jones, 350- • A 1854—Davies, 298 Evans, 286. I The borough of Cardigan formed? iBcladed for Parliamentary purposes Cardigan; Aberystwyth, Adpar, and Lampeter. The number of voters on the register were 837 (including old free- man ") in 1858, and 2,076 (includi4 27 freemen) in 1875.
OLD PARLIAMENTARY HANDS, t…
OLD PARLIAMENTARY HANDS, t A How old a Parliamentary 'or instance, is Mr Gladstone can wStJfe iSaJised when itis recalled that he is the onl^jsljpbwt'of the House of Commons who has sat ip Chapel—a dingy, contracted apartmifrfti 4s it has been described, the sido3 of had been drawn in by wainscoting to hide the old Roman Catholic times, an height lessened by a floor above and a cjuing^olbw the original ones. This anoieut anO: incon- venient meeting place, the Palaoe of Westminster continiis,»lloquially to be referred to as S& lafcepliente," was destroyed by fire three Tp^pfiths .before Mr Villiers was earliest choseWr:for ifaslqr ment; but, if a gallant 6#^ ;had d 4 successful is'sue, that the game chicken by a bantering opponent- would have sat therein more than six years before Mr Gladstone. The imagination almost reels before the fact that there is in the House of Commons, elected in July, 1892, one who fought a keen contest in June, 1826, when George IV. had still some years to reign, when Canning led the Commons, and when Catholic Emancipation, Parliamentary Reform, and the Repeal of the Corn Laws, three of tho great landmarks in modern party history, were causes which were either undreamed of or regarded as hopeless. But, if we leave the stormy surroundings of the House of Commons for the serene air of the House of Lords, there will be found on the roll of that assembly another illustrious candidate at this same General Ejection of over sixty-six years since, when the Queen was a girl of seven, and when Lord Salisbury, the Duke of Devonshire, Sir William Harcourt, Mr Chamber- lain, and every man, save Mr Gladstone, who to-day is a leading figure in politics, were yet unborn. Earl Grey, as Viscount Howick, and then little more than twenty-three, stood unsuc- cessfully for Northumberland (though returned for the now disenfranchised borough of Winchil- sea), and Charles, Earl Grey, his most illus- trious father, so far departed from his usual attitude of haughty reserve as to speak at Alnwick in his son's favour. He recalled the fact that it was in 1786 that he himself had first been chosen for the county, and in stateiy periods affirmed My first counsel to my son has been, and I am proud to say that it found a ready acceptance in his natural disposition, to throw away all disguise and concealment, to resort to no unworthy arts, to hold no ambiguous language, to plac9 himself before you in all the plainness and sincerity cf truth, to be explicit in the declaration of his opinions, firm in the asser- tion of bis principles, and, standing on the high ground cf private and public independence, to look to that free and honourable spirit by which the county of Northumberland has long been distinguished, as the only source from which he can hope or wish for supjx)rt." Simultaneously, Mr Villiers, who was nearly a twelvemonth older tban Lord Howick, was telling the freemen of Hull that I am not anxious to go to Parliament to lounge in and out of the House, as many do, whenever it may suit their convenience, but to contribute my influence in supporting the happi- ness of my fellow-countrymen." How the Lord Howick of 1826 has profited by his father's sonorous advice, how Charles Villiers has kept his earliest electoral pledge, should be known to all."—From "Cassell's Family Magazine."
A NEW USE FOR "JOHNNIES.",
A NEW USE FOR "JOHNNIES. A way has at last been found to utilise the Johnnies who hang around the stage doors in New York. No ingenuity could, of course, provide berths for all of them, but some have been used lately as "cutters-out." This is a new profession. The duties of the cutter-out are few, simple, and agreeable. He has merely to make love and to get away. Thus, put a case that some one's daughter, niece, or it may be, favourite cousin, has become engaged to a man who is not liked or approved of by the family. To resist her choice is futile. Opposition merely fans the flame of passion. So you solid a note or telegram to the central office of the "Society for the Utilisation of Johnnies," and they despatch a cutter-out. He is young, handsome, agreeable, perhaps a foreign lord or and English honourable. His duty may be ex- plained in a wo?d—he is to cut out the young lady's affianced lover, to make her out of con- ceit with that disagreeable person, and then to retire gracefully, carrying with him the respectful homage Of tbefamily whom he hats rescued. -=
PERSISTENT TOMTITS.
PERSISTENT TOMTITS. At the house in course of erection for the Marquis of Sligo, at St. Catherine's, near Guild- ford, a pair of tomtits have bmii: their nest in the letter-box in the contractor's office. Tho foreman endeavoured to prevent their operations on several occasions by driving them away, but they persistently returned again and again, and now they have ten eggs in a cosy little dwelimg in the aperture. To assist 111 making the nest the birds tore a letter they found in the box into small pieces. They will now be allowed to remain in possession and rear their family. Their per- severance deserves tho success which has attended them. In fact, young people may draw an admirable lesson from the persistency of the tomtits against superior force, though it may be as well not to commence their future greatness by purloining a letter which does not belong to them.
THE AGE OF THE EARTH.
THE AGE OF THE EARTH. In the introductory address, by Sir Archibald Geikie, president of the British Association, the question of the antiquity of the globe was raised. division theoretical geologists into Uni- fofrmitafiareff-and Catastrophists succeeded to battles of Htonians" and Wernenans. 4lir Charles Lyen, admirable in descriptive details, carried to extremity the theory that the changes now proceeding on the earth's surface were the same as had always been witnessed. When Darwin first proposed his theories of evolution, Lyell accepted them entirely, and it was affirmed that every phe- nomenon now existing was the natural effect of operations proceeding apparently without any break or interruption from the begmning. Indeed Hutton said, as Laplace had done, that there was no proof of any beginning, but that we could only conjecture continuous movement from eternity. Among the debts which science owes to the geologist is the first well-founded conception of the high antiquity of the globe. Some six thousand years," says Sir Archibald Geikie, had previously been believed to comprise the whole life of the planc-t, and indeed of the entire universe." This may have been true of older writers, but it is an unworthy charge to make in regard to geologists of later times. In the dis- cussion between the Uniformitafrian and Gatas- trophist schools, men of the highest eminence, such as Professor Sedgwick and Hugh Miller, had recognised the high antiquity of the earth and they had also pointed out the right method of reconciling this fact with the Mosaic record, as first stated by Dr. Chalmers. The opening verse of the book of Genesis states that" III the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Between that verse and subsequent records there is rome for unlimited duration, such as geologists require for the suc- cessive developments of animated existence or of structure on the earth's surface; there is ample scope for all the time that the extreme Unifornu- tarians may demand. But at this point a higher science than that of geology ente. s a protest against the unlimited or infinite periods of which evolutionists talk. The Physicists, of whom Lord Kelvin is one cf the most distinguished, bring in the question of the earth as a planetary body, or a small part of the solar system. The system of nature itself puts a limit to the infinite requirements of geological theory. If hundreds of millions of years are de- manded for the gradual development at the exist- ing system, the number of millions must be limited by the secular loss of heat, both in the earth and the sun, which physical science can demonstrate. This interference is not only with the absolute age of the planet, but also with the rate of past as compared with present changes. In long- distant ages the intensity of action may have far exceeded the slow and measured rate of the gentle and unitorm operations of which Sir C. Lyell made so much use in theory. Sir A. Geikie agrues that the processes cf deposition or denuda- tion may have required six or seven hundred millions of year?. But this is only by assumingtliat the same uniform)! y existed in remote ages as in the existing state of the planet, a supposition not supported by physical science. After all, the subject of highest importance is not that of the age of the earth, but the time of the appearance of man upon its surface. Here comes in the question as to the origin of man whether developed in infinite time from lower orders pf animal life, or his appearance at a. com- paratively late epoch, by Divine creation, as be- liever in Revelation hold.
A HUGE TELEPHONE CENTRE.
A HUGE TELEPHONE CENTRE. The largest centre of telephonic communica- tion in the United Xingdom and one of the longest in Europe is tha of ^Liverpool, where the National Telephone Company have just com- pleted their new switch room. This is a hall 90 feet in length, and is fittad in a way which com- pletes nearly a million of telephonic connections, whereby each subscriber on the Exchange may be placed immediately in connection with any other throughout the country. Already there are worked from the Liverpool centre 9,600 miles of line, of which more than 7,000 are exchange and £ rivate wires. In 1882 the mileage of wires in liverpool was only 463 miles in February last it was 7,019. From the last published statistics it appears that the number of cpils" in the Liverpool centre is 42.800 per day, representing a daily communication between 95,600 persons.
---------GLADSTONE AND TENNYSON,
GLADSTONE AND TENNYSON, An Interesting Contrast. In'the May number of The Century" maga- zine is an article by the late Mr John Addington Symonds, containing his recollections of an even- ing with Tennyson at Mr Woclner's in 1865. Tho two great mon, as they appeared to Mr Symonds then, are thus contrasted—"Gladstone with his rich, flexible voice, Tennyson with his deep drawl rising into an impatient falsetto when put out; Gladstone arguing, Tennyson putting in a prejudice; Gladstone asserting rashly, Tennyson denying with a bald negative Gladstone full of facts, Tennyson relying (in impressions both cf them humorous, but the one polished and delicate in repartee, the ether bread and coarse and grotesque. Gladstone's hands are white and not remarkable, Tennyson's arc huge, unwieldy, fit for moulding clay or dough. Gladstone is in some sort a man of the world Tennyson a child, and treated by Glad- stone like a child." The conversation was partly abontJ amaica affairs, Mr Gladstone bearing hard cn Li yre,Te-,iiiyson excusing any cruelty in the case of putting down a savage mob. Gladstone, just before we parted, said he always slept well. He had only twice been kept awake by the exer- tion of a great speech 111 the House. On both occasion the recollection that he had made a mis- quotation haunted him. At about one we broke up. Gladstone went off first. My father and I walked about the studio, then shaok hands with Tennyson, and got home."