The Cardiff Times

WORKMEN'S TOPICS. BY MABON. PROBLEM OF THE AGED POOR. ji 8ome timo past the various methods by !oh it is proposed to make honourable pro- is pr f 0,1 fur the aged poor have been discussed by ^a*joun people and in various ways, and the I seems to be one that is commanding creased interesb therein. Generally speaking, ere can be nothing fairer than the contention the men and women who in their prime have aft industrious and honest, should not in their Pjess age be left to the tender mercies of the ^*nkable, or the hard, graceless hospitality of the ^j>r Law Guardians. n8' »t the very time that the subject is cora- ls ^ing such sympathetic attention, Mr Geoffrey the secretary of the late Royal Labour mission, and the gentleman that was the tool it' the hands of the Bible and Beer" y in ousting Sir William Harcourt from the ^l^e,>tatiou of Derby, has just published °°ok which purports to present a summary ^the evidence tendered before the Aged Poor J^BOUesion, In this book Mr Drage's theory is H the great bulk of the old age pauperism in is the result of two causes, which he as intemperance and the want of back- If the validity of this theory could be ^j 'lshed by the more testimony of individuals, ?o' ^raKft's book would be pretty conclusive, is able to call a host of witnesses in its Pport, but they consist ohiefly of Local Govorn- jWit Board officials and Poor Law Guardians. there are among them some philanthropists. lines upon which the evidence adduced pro- are these:—" That the majority of Work- !oUaeinnaates 'iave nonB but themselves to blame r their misfortune." That not wanb of money. Want of character, is the chief cause of old £ «Perism." A certain Mr Dougall, of Man- a philanthropist, who for several years H en devotinp his private means to provide fer 1. dilrving,, oases, says that the real, deserving the city of Manchester only reckons ^tween 90 and 100. But, as he says, there may more that are never seen by the relieving cers, but after allowing for these it seems that all events, most of the aged pauperism *t does exist is duo to the bad character and j, Pro*ident habits of the paupers themselves." >pr"°'' 's of opinion that of every five ^'Cultural labourers in his part of the country '8 very good, one is very bad, and three art lki' ■^dhng. That of these, the orte who is very *nd the three that are middling could make ^vision for old age. Tho other fellow is J^ctibed as a "sort of never-do-well man, who all kinds of beer more than any kind of Itork, th We cannot after all but admit that in all this >s & modicum of truth, but when such a as this of the case is putt forward as --ining the whole truth, or anything like the truth, we can only believe it to be an Jr**Reous fallacy. Than the inmates of work- akj8*8' especially those that could be termed bodied people, are, as a rule, a worthless lot, admit. And it is one of the many «*«*» tho workhouse eystenfc^o* ;thia eounfery .t it provides a refuge too accessible and too ble to the idle and the dissolute and many j* this class live to become aged paupers. But it the fact) that the workhouse is h only te in old age of large portions of our vast Populations wbo spend their beat days, in fact, strength of their manhood, in honest and labour and at present there seems to be little hope of any change in tb circum- 2*jcea unless Parliament takes the matte and the matter by some echem of pensions. Mr Drage is bliged •I that there are a certain number j.. Reserving" poor who ought to to be v,ded for, and the provision which be suggests ^theee is private charity. lie believes that by charities being supplemented by private this could be efficiently done. This, in W;^Pmit>n' is rather a poor encouragement to as one of the deserving poor, which would a 'ong, patient, persevering life, ^q. ,0^ are practised the virtues of indasbry and P^anco. If this is the only way of solving blelD, the problem still stands unsolved. maintain that our now having so yjjJJ ^oilities for the investment of savings pro- tiQj ^0r «8, during the lsst twenty years, should considerably the solution of the question. *6 have the facilities cannot be denied but the facilities for savings is one thing, within our power to make ^u'te another. Hew is it possible for a who in the country earns 14s a week, or in 'a, bo11fl1s, large and small, who gets jBl a week keep a family to make provision for their It ace througb the savings bank 1 And how is If^T^ble for thousands of our colliers and ^Vhi enn> «»y> 30s a week, and who, with t° pay at least from five to six, sometimes tf "filings a week rent, with periods of want P«oymont and sickness, to make provisions for age ? The thing is simply impossible. it is high time that something should be improve the inelastio officialism of our ^oor Law methods. They require being h. 00d. being animated with sympathy and officialism. Our Poor Law system y*e»oer is a disgrace to our country. have had our attention called this week to N» r real hardship, and doubtless one of ^of where the law, as it is at present t| intolerable. An old lady, the mother family, and one that has been most r'rtoiw in the strength of hor days, is lIlate of a certain Poorhouse in Cardigan- t. Her eldest son is a collier working in one collieries of this valley. He has been Is 6d a week towards the maintenance of "tl toother for some years, but having a wife children to maintain that sum has been 'S; to sixpence a week—which a good many tag Would say is not much, and ought to bo Work at the collieries having been kft throughout the year, and especially so I colliery where he works, two or three con. Occidents having happened there. The 'ailed to pay the Cardigan Last week the bailiff, on behalf NiLr. tardians of the Poor in this parish in ^Dy^^hire, marked the goods of this poor H *nd there are reasons to believe that k time that that was done there was not of bread in the house to give the ther"'n* During the last three fort- Pays the father, who is the only bread- the family, had only 6vo, "seven, and *ysto draw for. Still had it not been | ? interference the household furniture of would have been sold; though is:k -!1" tearing the facts connected through an independent source, the have suspended proceedings pending a a lnvestigatiou. The system under which ^itl^ ^roceeding under such circumstances and SJL l^estigation is possible, stands doomed hnmane tribunal, and it is to be hoped People will demand the amelioration, by <4 beyond official option, of the hard I poor. We are doing more than Si he dependent children, and it is now *y to blot out from the life's vista of the *0*kh«. ttlis country the cruel but inevitable end.

HOW JUDGES LUNCH. Apropos of the City Assizes, the Birmingham Mail has been at pains to find out how her Majesty's judges lunch when engaged in the '•trying" business of their vocation. Justice Kennedy, we are told, has a chop and a glass ot seltzer Justice Charles takes a few cups of beef tea and a couple of biscuits Justice H^kins in the half-hour adjournment takes nothl" £ Baron Pollock contents himself with a large oup of chocolate and a biscuit. Justice Cave in- variably indulges in a mutton chop and a glass oi water. Justice Wills affeobs a similar luncheon. Justice Gaiusford Bruce always has a cup of tea between 3 and 4 o'clock. Justice Williams and Justice Mathew rejoice in a oup of beef prepara- tion No judge takes a substantial luncheon while engaged in Court. The rule is "to make a good breakfast suffice until dinner. Hardly any of the judges take aught but water with tneir luncheon, although there is one who takes an egg beaten up in wine, and another exception who drinks very weak whisky-aad-water as his beverage. =

MfLtidie, de&r, you should see the shocking Bcaxidal they print m this paper about you and I. And correot in every detail too.

WHY JOHNNY SURRBRKD.—" Well, Johnny, did you enj'/y yonnwlf v*'iy much at the Sunday .•ohool picnic?" "Naw, not much, K^ed Johnny. "Why, what was the matter! Were you sick? Naw, didn't get nuthin' ter eat but a sanwich, an' a coupleof dry cakes with red sand^ sprinkled on top. What became of the turkey, ud the pound cake, and the^ohroken Batad tha*I gave you to conteifantel^ ^SwwnH«a9a**8a. twttbWJ.flwbMed W!

WELSH GLEANINGS. Harlech Castle and its garrison held out for King Charles I. after all the English and Welsh fortresses bad surrendered. In the churoh of Sc. Ehan. Anglesea, an old black-letter Welsh Bible is preserved, and greatly venerated by the inhabitants. Mr Ffrangcon Davies is one of the artistes engaged for the promenade concerts at the Queen's Hall, in the Metropolis. Yr Ymofynydd for August contains an interest- ing article by the RAv, R. J. Jones, M.A., on Dr. Martineau's Five Points of Doctrine." Henry VIII., when Duke of Richmond, con- cealed himself for some time in a lonely valley near the mountain lake Rigia, between Conway and Llanrwstu Iu A.D. 1222 the exceptionally severe winter was succeeded by a summer of extreme drought, and many of the inhabitants of Glamorgan perished in the snow and others died of sunstroke. A marriage has been arranged, and will take place on the 3rd of October, between Blanche, second daughter of the late Lieut.-Cot. Wyatt, C.B., of Bryngwynant, Beddgelerb, and Wm. M. Preston, of Lleiniog Castle, Beaumaris. "Tim," the bugler in charge of Billy, which so proudly marches in front of the 41st Regiment, is an Aberdare boy. He is the son of the late Timothy Davies, of Harriet-street. Mill-street, who lived for many years near the London Ware. house in that locality. Near Aberlleiniog, Anglesea, in 1098, occurred the famous fight between the Earls of Shrews- bury and Chester and the Kiug or Norway, in which the former was shot through the eye and killed, as the annals say, Alter comes sagitta in facie precussus occubuit." Anne Neville, whose husband afterwards reigned as Richard III.. was the owner of and lived at St. Quintin's Castle, Llanblethian, near Cowbridge, and it is said that the beautiful arch. way still remaining was built at her command under the superintendence of the subsequently notorious Tyrell. Dewi Wyn, of E^ayllt, sang as follows of Hir- wain and Abernant when all the ironworks were in full operation Gwawr Hirwain sy'n goreuro Holl nef rudd gorllewin fro Ac uuwedd yw gogoniaut Wybr y nos o Aber Nant." Mr E. H. Davies, J.P., Pentre, has named his villa Brynheulog. We admire his taste, for the name is suitable and euphonious. ",Bryn is a hill, "beulo" IS to shine conspicuously as the sun, and "g," added to the vowel "o," represents what is in complete motion like a youth or the sun. Brynheulog, translated into English, is Sunny-hill. The ancient Welsh had a large number of games or feats, for according to Myfyrian archseology there were 24 feats, which were divided into three classes-10 gwrol eampau, manly feats 10 mabol gampau, juvenile feats and four gogampau, inferior feats, and of these 24 four were the chief, viz., running, jumping, wrestling, and swimming. The Rav. D. Oliver, Twrgwyu, a highly esteemed minister of the Corph, preaching a memorial sermon to tho late Rev. Dr. Saunders and Edward Matthews. some years ago, declared that the Calvinistio Methodists killed their fore- most preachers. Dr. Saunders, he instanced, had preached some 10,000 times during one period of 25 years of his career. The Llandudno Eisteddfod Committee, en- couraged by their lenient treatment at lianally, are bent on introducing yet another innovation into the 1896 eisteddfod. They now propose to hold a monstre religious service at one of the sessions. To further ensure the financial success of the eisteddfod, strenuous endeavours will be made to secure the attendance ot the Duke and Duchess of York. The Cambrian Archaeological Association is promoting the survey and the preservation of the pre-historic fortress city of Treceri, which is situated on one of the peaks ot the Rivals (Yr Eifl), in Carnarvonshire, and is the most impor- tant specimen of the kind in North Wales. An application for having it scheduled under the Ancient Monuments Act was some time ago refused by the Government on the ground of expense. There is a Welsh melody entitled Hob y deri dando." The definition of it runs thus:—" Hob," in English, is a swine. deri" an oak, and "dando" means under a roof. In byegone days, in Wales. oak beams were invariably used for roof protection in farmhouses and cottages alike, They were also utilised to hold a quantity of bacon. Without the latter a family was con- aidered scantily provided. Those upon whom fortune smiled would joyously sing Hob y deri dando." The congregation at Ebenezer Independent Chapel, Tonypandy, were on Sunday evening favoured by Mr Ivor Foster, the young baritone, who distinguished himself so brilliantly at the National Eisteddfod at Llanelly, with the solo, "Lead, kindly Light." the prize for which he carried away against 39 competitors. Mr Foster is a regular attendant at the above place of worship. Is there no one prepared to take the initiative step suggested by Maelgwyn so as to ensure proper musical trainiug for this very promising young star ? The Strand Musical Magazine" for this month contains a beautiful photo and biography of Miss Llewelia Davies, of Brecon. Miss Davies was educated at the North London Collegiate School for Girls. She further studied the art of musio with success ab the Royal Academy. While here she matriculated and passed the intermediate examination at the London University for the degree of Bachelor of Music. The same lady has been a sub-professor at the Academy for the past three years. Messrs Hutchinson and Co., 34, Paternoster. row, London, have just published another novel, by Mrs Marie Hutoheson, of Glanywys, Aberdaro. the widow of the late Dr. Hutcheson, entitled Bardossi's Daughter." The scene is laid in Florence, and like 11 Bruno the Conscript," which Mrs Hutcheson published last year, the features of Italian life and scenery are admirably depicted, and the various characters in the tale are drawn with the peDol a true artist. It is much to be wished that so clever a writer as Mrs Hutoheson has proved herself to be should give us a story in which Welsh soenery and Welsh character should be depicted with the same grace and art as are the Italian scenery and charaoWr in the book in question. Leland, writing in the reign of Henry VIII., calls Neath Abbey the fairest abbey in all Wales." It is described as a magnificent and splendid structure of the original extent of which no adequate idea can now be formed. It was founded in 1111 by Richard de Granvil and his wife Constance, who employed Lalys, a celebrated architect from the Holy Land. White stone from Margam was used for the ornamental parts. There were eight monks at the dissolution, when Henry VIII. granted the abbey to Sir Richard vVilliams or Cromwell, from whom the Lord Pro. tector Cromwell was descended. Writers speaic of the-effect produced by the ruins being much marred by dusky and disfiguring amoke from adjacent copperaqd iron works. Yr Ymofpnydd for Augosb contains a bio- graphy of Vavasor Powell from the pen of Gwernyfed, of Merthyr. Vavasor Powell was a native of Radnorshire, being born at Cawo, his father, Mr Richard Powell, being a county gentleman. He was trained at Jesus College, Oxford, whence he was appointed a curate to his uncle at Clune, Shrewsbury. In or about 1637, when 20 years of aRe, he became filled with the puritanical zeal, and commenced preaching throughout the whole of Wales. The article contains some interesting particulars of the troubles which he had to undergo under the Commonwealth, and the -persecution whioh he suffered on the restoration of Charles II. The artiole does not tonoh the 'qoeation raised in this oolumn a short time ago as'to whether VØllOr :0'" coaÛlluecl jo.preaob iA W of RON. >i

THE HOUSEHOLD. 0 far as can be judged, the oldest of ill European screens were without doubt draperies of heavy cloth or tapestry, hung on a pole or stretched on a wooden frame-work, in fact I very much deubt that the stretching process even oame into vogue much before travellers began to bring Oriental screens back with them from China and Japan. France very quickly copied these, and produced gorgeous imitations of Oriental birds, following on these with all kmds of Watteau scenes, and finally using pieces of needlework with excellent effect, but, naturally, they were brought into utility only as draught ex- cluders. so aptly described by their French name par-a-vent. Of course, in hot countries screens have to play a much more important part than that of merely decoratively breaking up the length of a room or acting as a temporary drausht excluder; iu Japan, for instance, the partitiou walls are for the most part made on the principle of screens, and can be folded up and tucked away, according to requirements of space. The last few years have seen many developments in the way of screens; they have made corners of room3 and suitable backgrounds, covered up the unornamental part of a fireplace, endeavouring to render the exceedingly undecorative backs of cottage pianos a thing possible to live with; indeed, I think there is hardly any article of furniture for which we have so much cause to be crrateful for as to screens. I doubt whether the cloak of charity itself covers up as many seams in quite so artistic a fashion. It is a joy of the ephemeral decorator, and is a great deterrent to the radical reformer when placed alongside of a couch a screen is of particular utility, a fully gathered vide pouthe of brocade, a little shelf to hold boxes, a hook on which the electric tight may rest, brings so many articles within reach of the occupant of the sofa then again, near the writing table, it may be fitted up with slanting slot-shaped pockets, which may contain notepaper, envelopes, photographs, invita- tion cards, and all manuer of odds and end?, which leaves the writing table freer for actual writing purposes. I saw small screen the other day very much like the one which I have illus- trated here, the part between the woodwork is filled in with soft drawn pink silk. This was placed in a strung light near the window, and in the centre was a beautiful bit of sonlpturo, over which it threw a rosy hue. with muoh the same effeot as seen on the fine statue of Andromeda on a lion at Frankfort. The little screen in my illustration merely serves the purpose at the moment of shutting off a window seat-cosily situated under the light of a standard lamp- from the rest of the room, and with its fretwork tops—easily in inexpensively to be procured—it affords an excellent design for any amateur carpenter. In doing up a bedroom it is as waltto remember that a large number of cretonne curtains may be matched in so-called art" muslin, costing from 4d to 5d a yard, and it washes exceedingly well. These are excellent for bhuds, toilet covers and small draperies generally, such as pin-cushion covers and for toilet accessories. Charming sofa cushiony may also be made by using this printed art muslin for the centre and a plain-tinted butter muslin floppy frill with which nowadays cushions are invariably finished off. It is this department of the household that serves as so great & criterion of the care and though tbronght to bear on the home comforts, and which is never neglected in a real home. Apropos of cushions, people are beginning to realise how admirably these take the place of the long deteated antimacassars when used for this purpose it is as well that the piUow should be btittoue(I or tied into the place that is desired it should keep, this end is excellently attained by tho little bolster kind which opens all the way down one side and fastens on the back of any chair with a mysterious click and a grip like that of an oyster claw. But to return to art mus. lin, in addition to these things there is another place it may occupy both ornamentally and use- fully. I have a great objection to the ordinary splasher, a term which is frequently used to describe a strip of American cloth, more or less hideously decorated, nailed to the wall at the back of the waabing-stand. Now, if a support be made in harmony with the general design of the washing-stand as will be seen in my second sketch all that will be required below it is a small brass rod, on which the art muslin may be run and allowed to hang rather below the top of the washing-sband at the back, when a complete and very artistic arrangement is the result. Just now we are glad to know of any way to rig up a covering for a tent or garden-ohair, so the idea of a practical friend ofmine may prove useful to many of my read- ers. She, in com- pany with many another when the hygienic craze with regard to bedrooms came in vogue. dispensed with the half- tester arrange- mflnfls with whICh all her beds were canopied. She still; sticks to the theory that if you keep a thing long enough it turns out useful, and the other day, much to my amusement, she ..I_A .It "1..56V" U.. tops of single beds on to the lawn; bub my wonder changed into admiration by the time she had finished what was in her mind. The abso- lutely complete result you oan note in my last sketch, and I assure you it is not *t all a difficult business to brace these tops on to the back of an ordinary wicker chair and decorate them with draperies until they assume a very artistic appearance and prove very useful shelters from tne sun. •^THIL'

A SATURDAY SERMON. No one can detach himself from his conneotion, There is no sequestered spot in the universe, n", dark niche along the diso of non-existence, tc which be can retreat from his relations to others, where he can withdraw the influence of his exist* ence upon the moral destiny of the world every* where his presence or absence will be felt; every- where he will have companions, who will be better or worse for his influence. It is au old saying, and one of fearful and fathomless import, that we are I forming characters for eternity. Forming characters Whose ? Our own or others ? Both —and in that momentous fact lies the peril and resiKinsibility of our existence. Who.is sufticittt* for the thought ? Thousands of my fellow-beings will yearly enter oternity, with clHuauter.s tlifter- ing from those they would have carried thither had I never lived. The sunlight of that world will reveal my finger-marks in their primary formations, and in their successive strata 01 Aboagh<><*Ad VJCBV „• I

V AMBER ALE, VfX PALE ALE, STOUT.; v £ vo\ IN CASE ^VlNG AGENTS\^ x> n'PTT TP Apply for BOTTLE MS, &e. TICWIY lor STORES AND OFFICES— PENARTH.ROAD Wear the Hatannah Training Ship) CARDIFF. • L- 15604 v

jJHfs r ^if ai,6try during her stage career has Qy tributes, but none so unconsciously i. hoJ" ^ab rendered by a Birmingham Cf n on Thursday. This gamin recently .i (°Qe °f tho horses run by Mrs ti> ''orsJ1 1 t,tr racing name of "Mr Jersey"). k btor Woil" arrived at the theatre at J th'f6- °' '3 best roses, with the H l&dv ,fc Ul'Kht be given to Mrs Langtry, 0°t only received the tribute with boy .i? satisfaction, but paid the Birming- w*e Wi". v compliment of carrying it on to the £ £ ?•»« favour refused to the bouquet n^^uionatte. In addition to this, the •• wo wy « pretty »aK«caph letter.

The National Eisteddfod. (SY MAEWWTN.] The Injustice ef the Pit." If I were a preacher I should be inclined to take as my text for this week's communication the remark once made by a great man that we'are a nation of hypocrites. Whenever a particular horse loses a race that was regarded as a certain win a portion of the community cudgel their brains for a month or so in order to account for the defeat; when our political partisans are beateu at the polls we ascribe all sorts of motives -all more or less dishonourable to our opponents, and some of the more enterprising newspapers even go to the length of sending down a special correspondent to write up an article on Why we were beaten in Blanktown Boroughs." All this is not only permitted, but encouraged, and of course it is right that it should be so. Let us get at the truth at all costs. But the same measure of investigation is denied to anyone dealing with the Eisteddfod of Wales. However glaringly unfair an award is, however wretched the arrangements may bn, we are expected to be silent lest we be accused of seeking to stir up strife where there ought only to be heddweb. In order to put myself right with those good people who think that everyone who criticises an award or an arrangement is prompted by the worst motives, let me say at once that I do not question the justice of any award that was made at Llanelly. I do not claim that any prize should have been given to any choir or any soloist other than those who actually received them, nor do I question the ability of any of the adjudicators. Having cheerfully conceded aU this, have we a right to be satisfied with everything that was done at Llanelly ? Were the arrangements- particularly the innovations-so good that we should allow the promoters of future National Eisteddfodau to re-introduce them with our full approval? Most assuredly not. That arrange- ment by which men of the stamp of Sir Joseph Barnby were compelled to descend into the pit during the musical competitions was the most dismal mistake ever committed by the pro- moters of any eisteddfod. I do not question the wisdom of the Llanelly committee, for when they decided to screen the adjudicators they were, I know, prompted by the best of motives. They knew, as did everybody else who does not believe that the eisteddfoo is the one and only home of the strictest justice-thai the feeling was rife among theyoungei choirs that it would be hopeless for them to expect justice when com- peting against a certain big" choir, whose conductor was known to bf. on terms of intimacy with certain adjudicators; and they believed that by screening the adjudicators they would be ensuring justice for the young choirs referred to. Most people would have) come to the conclusion thai the better plan would have been to exclude all men who could not be absolutely trusted. The plan of screening was resorted to instead, and we know now that it was a most disastrous failure. It failed in the very object for which it was intended—that of keeping the adjudicators ignorant of the choirs' identities, for at the very time when the Dowlais Cboir was ascending the platform, even for several minutes after- wards, Dr. Parry remained on the platform. Of course, I make no charges, but it would be arrant nonsense to say that that gentleman did not know which choir would open the competition. Several times afterwards while the contest lasted some of the adjudicators came out of the pit, and their very presence in the audience proclaimed the failure of the "pit as a screen. Not only did the pit fail as a screen, but it actually prevented the adjudicators from hearing all tbatwas going on among the choirs. Everybody who was in the vicinity of the reporters' table heard one of the conductors shout out instruc- tions to his choir over and over, and over again while the test pieces were being rendered. Such cries as Now, boys, out with it," Mind that crescendo," iiark il, welli" and Your louder now, mind;" continually offended the ear of the listener, and I am old enough eisteddfodwr to that I placed the choir whese performance was thus being marred completely out of the com- petition. Fair play to the conductor referred to he gave his instructions in the most open manner, and he sang many of the leads, particularly in the Wagner chorus. When I asked Sir Joseph Barnby if he had heard this extraordinary out- burst he said he had not, and he went on to speak of the unsuitability of the pit as a place of hearing. He also said that if a conductor shouted out instructions during a performance it would detract very much from the merits of that performance. Besides, offending in the manner pointed out the pit inflicted yet another injustice upon some of the choirs, while on the other band it hid the faults of others. Sir Joseph Barnby was very emphatic upon this point. He said I should hae. infinitely preferred to see the various choirs as they rendered the test pieces. I should have liked to note how the conductors did their work- bow the singers opened their mouths and how much, if at all, they indulged in facial contortions. All this would have weighed very heavily with me in coming to a decision regarding the merits of the various choirs, but it was denied to us, and we were forced to come to our decision without it." 1 have said that the pit prevented the adjudi- cators from hearing all that was going forward on the platform. A little scientific knowledge would have established this fact even if Sir Joseph Bamby bad not admitted he could not hear a conductor shouting out instructions to his choir. The sound waves proceeding from the choirs or soloists on the platform were interrupted by the rail in front, and were carried over the pit. Had there been a sounding board near the pit, things would have been considerably improved. But there was not, and thus the pit, looked at from every possible point of view, was a huge blunder. Let us have no more of it, either in North or South Wales.

Tjyx PROKKSSOR'S SAKOASM,—A utedicat student who recently dropped a piece of paper, on which the word Monkey was written in large letters, in the cap of a professor against whom be bad a spite, told the joke to all his chums. The next day the professor said to the class, in bland and polite tones, Gentlemen, I have to thank one of vour number for the courtesy of dropping his wrd in my cap yesterday." awntatf 2-eTW

The Commonwealth in Breconshire. In Wales, the Royalist party was so strong that it was found impossible to secure the working of a sequestration committee to fine delinquents, and therefore an Act was pasted. first for South Wales, and later on for North Wales, imposing a general tax for delinquency on the counties of Wales, only excepting some of the wealthier nobility and gentry, whose estates were valuable enough to make them worth special prosecution. On 23rd Feb., 1649, was passed the Act concern- ing the Sequestration of South Wales and county of Monmouth, whereby fines were imposed on the respective counties for their delinquencies, viz. Pembroke, 23-500; Cardigan, £ 3,000; Carmar- then, 24,000; Glamorgan, £ 3,500; Brecon, £ 2,000; Monmouth, £ 3,000; Radnor. ZLSOO; total, £ 20,500. On 7th Feb., 1650. Thomas Evans, of Eglwys Extan, Wm. Morgan, of Neath, Major Jenkin Francklyn, Wm. Watkins, John Hughes, and Fras. Blethiu were constituted the new Sequestration Commissioners for South Wales, and Robert Jones, Thomas Evans, and Thomas Jones for Monmouthshire. Letters fram Brecon. 10 Nov., 1649.—Brecon. Edward Williams, sequestration solicitor for the County of Brecon., to the Commibtee for, Compounding, London,—I did not receive your order of 13th August for receiving and payin? m the rents and arrears of sequestered delinquents by the 10th of September till 20th of October. I sent to demand the same and being on my journey to attend you thereon on the 2nd November, William and Thomas Powell and other ill-affected persons dangerously wounded me, and I yet lie in peril of my life. The Army in 1647 brought a charge of treason against Sir William Lawis, Bart., M.P., of Llangoroe, one of the charges being that he bad appointed his kinsman, Edward Williams, to be solioitor for sequestration. 2 Oct., 1650.—Committee for South Wales to the same.—We have sent you £ 200, part of qhe half-year's rent, for the lordship of Criokhowell. county of Brecon and as we can get safe convey- ances we will send up the' whole arreais due to that lordship. Are all the sequestered tithes, which is a great part of that lordship, to be paid to the Commissioners for the Act for better propagation of the Gospel in Wales ? Pray send your orders by Mr Watking, one of our com- missioners, who is coming to you for advice in some doubtful matters. We cannot got accounts from many of the officers of the late committee, and therefore crave orders to compel them to it. With note that 220 apiece was to be levied upon such officers as did not furnish their accounts. (William Watkins made his fortune under the Commonwealth, And built himself a house at Penyworlodd, in Llanigon, Breconshire. He was elected M.P. for Monmouth in 1640, in a double return, but the election was declared void in 1644. (He seems to have been appointed by deed, 6th January, 1686, one of the trustees of the Rev. Bice Powel lof Boughrood's Charity, and to have, by his will, charged his Penyworlodd property with the payment of 10s a year for the poor of the parish ot Hay.) 25th Oct., 1651, Brecknock.—John Gunter and William Thomas, county commissioners for Brecon, to the same. We have received your commission for us to act in the county of Brecon, and your letter of discharge to the former com- mittee though they were detained by William Watkins, one of tho old commissioners, to retard our proceedings, and to enable him to receive the Michaelmas rents and to grant leases. We have sent to Watkins to deliver all papers, and account for rents received and what is in arrear, which be has not done. We also summoned the former solicitors, sequestrators, and agents to give in their accounts, but they have not done so. John Morgan, formerly chief sequestrator, contemptu- ously said he had nothing to do with us, and his. accounts were with ^Watkins. Shall we levy 220 on refuse to brmg in their accounts and jpapers ? Watkins dis- courages the tenants fromt,, paying rents to us and obstructs our proceedings, telling them be will quash this commission as soon as he comes to London. Nevertheless we summoned the tenants, on whose appearance and on inquiry of the value of the sequestered estates in this county it appeared that Watkins has made several leases thereof and discharged some sequestrations contrary to your instructions, and has let the same at extreme low rents and under values, particularly the lands-'jf Edw. Winter, worth £100, at 220 a year. Most part of the rents due at Miohaelmas have been received by Watkins, and he refuses to pay them to us. All of the ministers of this comity were ousted two years past by the Commissioners named in the Act for the Propagation of t the Gospel in Wales, since which none Irf these churches have been supplied, and yeb the rents and profits of ft' rectories, vioarages, donatives, glebe lands,? Ac., have been received by the said ConamiaMoners and their agents, whioh in this county amounts to about 94,000 or 25.OW a year. As wenave received no instruc- tions, we have foreborne intermeddling therein, although we conceive t&» Act only gives power to the Commissioners to? receive and dispose of the aforesaid rents for tb^ propagation of the Gospel, and not let, set, and gather, which we conceive to be our proper tmpl<05m<SDt- (There was a Wm. Thomas, bailiff of Brecon 1647 and 1659, and alderman 1648, 1660, and 1663.) 29th October, Brecfcoook-—County Committee for Brecon to the sames We have surveyed lands and tenements undervsequestration, doing our utmost to discover the teal value, and find that for the last two pIlIrs the late Commis- sioners for South Wales have let the sequestered estates extremely under values. The several tenantsf. being summoned, have satisfied us that they Pay the chief farmers far greater rents than are recounted for to the State, whereby the State is prejudiced, and a great advantage raised by private persons. We have summoned Wm. Watkins, Edward Games. formerly treasurer, John and David Morgan, and Howell, John, and mJiam Jones, the sequestra- tors, to deliver us their books and papers, and an account of their former proceedings, but they have refused, and purpose to conceal their accounts. We he&r.thst there remain vast sums in their hands unaccounted for. We have imposed the fine of jB20 a piece upon them for their contempt, and desirs-dirsctious as to levying for it. Watkins and his associates, contrary to your instructions, have let the lands in the survey enclosed for above year. We cannot bear that they :bstvs ever been posted, and several persons have already offered us the full value mentioned in our surveys. We desire your dirolions. We also bear that many Papists and delinquents are concealed their estates yet unsequestered others illegally discharged from sequestration several estates compounded for at ueder value others omitted out of their compasitoOOi and still enjoyed free from sequestration inhere has beena note pro. duced to us under ttwhanda of Mr Watkins only, discharging Alexsndwstone lands from sequestra- tion without yout permi?8'0?; Edward Games, of Bnek!and, Alderman of Brecon 1653, ana Bailiff 1654, and died during his year of office. He was Sheriff of the County 1647, and married Margaret, dau. of Howell John Powel Gwalter, of M»estna^r< ,n Llanddetty. 29 Nov.—Order aupowring Roger Havard, of Llandow (Llandow (Jilanddew); John Gunter, of Tredomen (in Llanvillo)» and William Thomas, of Brecknock, f°c Sequestration in the county of Brecon. 16 Dec.—Order of the Committee of Com- poundiug, London, that William Jones, James Watkins, of the Way (quaere Greenway, in Llan- hamlaoh), and Bartb Games, of Llanfrynach, be Commissioners for county of Brecon. (These three were appointed' instead of Havard, Gunter, and Thomas, who were superseded). 18 Deo. —Brecon. County Committee for Brecon to the Committee for Compounding. We have posted up ther estates under sequestration, and used the utmost to pay the rents. We enclose the contmop., deatrlng your confirmation. We have set out the lands to those who have offered the most, aid spared no care to improve to the full value,, although we believe that you have empowered others to act since if this be true, we shall be willingly superseded, and wish our successors may aim as much for the public good as we did, vrfciob was the chief end of our undertaking this employment, though to our private prejudice. 21 Jan., 1652.—Boecon. County Committee, for Brecon to tho ColiwniUeo for Compounding, London. Being appointed Commissioners for this county, we ii.iva required duplicates of proceedings from the late committee, but not got them. On perusing particulars of estates com- pounded for, wo find that some are undervalued, and we shall bring many to a new composition, which will be the most advantageous work in this oounty. The Michaelmas rents were reoeiTed >y lite gTrnm

Our Country Column. Profitable Flowers. lb is sometimes asked what kind of dowers are the best to grew for sale. Speaking generally, the following list will, I think, enable the grower to secure a fair return for the capital and labour invested. The whole of the flowers mentioned below way be grown in the open air. There is also a demand for cloves and carnations. Layer these now in a gritty soil, and when well rooted taken them out and plant in beds in order that they may have a good start before the frost begins. Lily of the valley is a favourite everywhere, and a well-established bed is a sure return for labour bestowed. Another good, old-fashioned garden favourite is laveudur. This is easy of cultivation, as it roots freely from large pieces firmly planted during autumn, aud when once well established, will lasb for years. It commands a ready salfk if cut! when the heads are in bloom. Another flower easy of cultivation is the wallflower. Sow in spring, and as soon as the plants are large enough set them out singly where they can receive a little shelter, and they will be in bloom in early spring. Another popular cut-flower is the chrys- anthemum, coming when other flowers are dying off. For out-of-door blooming the later kinds do not do well, as the frost prevents them expand- ing. Both the white and yellow marguerites are in great request. Planted in the open duting May they continue to blootfl until all other out- door plants are done. For roses there is always a great demand. Those who intend growing them for market should make the hybrid per- petuals and the other hardy varieties it strong point. The Souvenir de la Malmaison, blooming as it does in the ati! uriti, is a capital variety to grow. A Perfect Pig. The following points of a perfect pig have been frequently defined for the public, and there is reason to believe that they have been accepted pretty generally by breeders, bacon curers, etc., as nearly right:—(1) Neat in the bead (2) light in the neck and shoulders (3) deep in the heart and round in the rib; (4) thick in the loin (5) stout in the thighs (6) shorb in the legs; (7) long and silky hair. This type of animal should be aimed at whether thoroughbred, half-bred, or common-bied pigs are kept. The geoieral run of bacon for the London and other English markets is obtained from hogs weighing lewt. lqt". 14ibs., and lewt. 2qrs. 141bs, dead weight, and the curing trade regards all pigs over the hundred- weight as an inferior class of stuff. Now, as it costs much more to make one pound of bone and muscle thau one pound of flesh in building the framework of a pig capable of carrying 2 cwfc, to 4 cwt. of flesh, the farmer wastes his substance in riotous recklessness. This improvidence is, moreover, unnecessary on au animal that for lOOlbs. of dry food will give an increase of 231be, whereas a sheep gives but 10lbsi and an ox 9ibs. thab is to say, pigs can increase in weight twice as much as sheep and nearly thrice as much as cattle. Selecting and Preparing Hives. Anyone about to commence bee-keeping with a view to profit must give some amount of thought to the selection of the hive. He will usually have the alternative of starting with a straw skep or a movable comb hive—that is, he can adopt the simplest or the most difficult system of bee- culture. There is now before the bee-keeping world a middle system, which all those who wish for the maximum returns with the mmirnurn out- lay of time and money will do well to adopt. The hive is termed the Ivo after the nom-de-plume of the designer. The parts of the hive are floor- board, brood-ohamber, supers, lift, and roof. No hive should ba provided with less than two supers, for a third and sometimes a fourth will be found necessary, bub by having two one may be emptied and returned. I advise no one to com- mence with a straw skep. for at a little extra cost an Ivo may be purchased or made, and the results will be more gratifying, while the manage- ment is comparatively easy. In order to assist bees in furnish iug their hives with oombs, sheets of wax pressed with tho shapes of worker cells are fitted into saw-cuts whioh run nearly from end to end of the bars or frames. These sheets of wax, known as foundations, Are converted into perfect combs iu a few hours, and prove of great advan- tage to the bee-keeper, not only in the saving of time, which, during the honey flow, is of great importance, but of stores, inasmuch as much of the honey is carried into the super which would other- wise be converted by the bees into wax with which to build their combs. If a start is made with a movable-comb hive it should have accommodation in the brood-chamber for 10 standard frames, and ba so arranged that the supers are placed upon the brood-chamber. Such a hive, known as a tiering hive, may be used for the produotion of either extracted or sectional honey, or both., Rabbit Keeping. In order to make rabbit keeping a successful undertaking, the first important consideration is the butch. This should be kept clean and dry and well ventilated, and also placed where the rabbits can obtain plenty of fresh air, at the same time being kept free from draughts. The floor of the hutch should invariably slope from front to back, A channel with an outlet to carry away urine should a'so be provided. Previous to placing any animals in the hutch the inside w should be wet! lime-washed, care being taken not to use them until they are thoroughly dry. The best covering for the flobr is emwduav, which should be renewed daily. The breeder cannot bo too careful in feeding, particularly as regards the green food for the yuuug stock. Many are the stockt of young lest through carelessues in the supply of green food. A plan which is followed by some breeders is to gather all green food one day before being wanted, spreading it out in the air in order to take the grosser quali- ties away. Two meals a day are sufficient For the morning meal give bran and oats (crushed), and green stuff such as carrots, beet, parsley, or lettuce in the evening sweet hay and a orust of bread, some oats or bran, and a small quantity of green food. Carefully remove the remnants left from one meal before giving the next. With a little care the waste from this cause will be very small. As regards varieties for keeping, if they are for killing it will be best to have does of the larger kinds, Flemish Giants or Belgian Hares. for instance. If for show, Angoras, Dutch, or Silvers will be found the best. By mating these with a small compact buck of robust breed, the young will be ready for killing earlier than if both parents are of smaller size. Remove the young from the doe at six weeks, and place in separate hutches at three months. Barn-rioer Fowls. There arc thousands of persons owning common poultry who may be induced to improve them by the plan we are abouc to suggest, but who would hesitate, and justly so, before investing iu a number of birds of pure breed. Before the breeding season comes round, the proper course to adopt: would be to thoroughly oxstmilie the whole of the birds in the hen-house, rejecting all but those which are young, large, healthy, and strong those retained for stock should be as lusty as possible, and the coarser they are in the comb and wattle the better we should like them for the purpose. The objeot is to improve these birds and, in order to do so, we should recommend the introduction of a cock of one of the breeds we bave mentioned below. If the hens are really large. the Minorca might suffice; if not so large and wanting in ooarseness, we should recommend the Langshan: if too coarse in quality the La Flèche would correct the defect and improve the quality of the meat. Ab the end of the first year the old birds might be rejeoted and sold, and a male bird exchanged for one of another breed. Assuming that the Minorca had been introduced in the first instance, the La Fieche might follow. :\nd the result, which would be seen at the end of the second breeding season, would considerably astonish the owner by the character which had been infused into the birds, "and by the general improvement. It would be well to fix upon a type at which to aim in the first instance rather than to indiscriminately use male birds of a variety Of breeds, which, adding perhaps con- stitution, would detract from the character and beauty of the flock. As m crossing for meat, the alternate use of the Dorldng and g&me-oock resaite moBb beneficially; so we think ra tottding beauty of the flock. As 10 crossing for meat, the alternate use of the Dorldng and g&me-oock resaite moBb beneficially; so we think ra tottding for, op. tut the sitm-ow ulqgt.*O! i the Black Hamburg and the La Flfeehe results in almost all that the breeder would require, unless it be in the perfection of birds for the table. Answers to Correspondents. A correspondent wants to know the compara- tive eating qualities of different breeds of fowls." I suppose he means the breeds that eat most food and least ? Buff cochins eat the most food of any fowls, lay the smallest sized eggs, and put on the least weight of flesh in return Langshans make the greatest gain in weight tor the food they consume; while Hambnrgs lay the greatest weight and number of eggs. A pig fancier asks me *'To name a good breed of pigs to keep for quick profit on a small. holding." If he means for pork at eight months old, I should say he would do well with middle white Yorkshires. For a pedigree boar write to Mr Sanders Spencer, Holywell Manor, St. Ives, Hunts.

Andrew Fletcher, ot Saltoun, in a letter te the Marquis of Montrose, wrote I know a very wise man that believed that if a man were permitted to -make all the ballads he need not care who should mate the laws of the nation."

AFTER. After the shower, the tranquil sun Silver stars when the day is done. After the snow, the emerald leaves After the harvest, golden sheaves. After the clouds the violet sky Quiet woods when the wind goes by. After the tempest, the lull of the waves After the battle, peaceful graves. After the knell, the wedding bells Joyful greetings from sad farewells. After the bud. the radiant rose After our weeping, sweet repose. After the burden, the blissful meed After the furrow, the waking seed. After the flight, the downy uest; After the shadowy river-rest.

TO hiGHER DESTINIES. SAint Augustine has truly said -Ic That of our vices we can frame A ladder, if we will but tread Beneath our feet each deed of shame. All common things—each day's events That with the hour begin and end Our pleasures aurl our discontents Ate steps by which we may ascend. The longing for ignoble things, The strife for triumph more than truth; The bard'ning of the heart that brings Iriev'rence tor the dreams of youth All these must first be trampled down Beneath our feet, if we would gain In the bright fields of fair renown The right of eminent domain. The heights by great men reached and kept, Were not attained by sudden flight; But they, while their companions slept. Were toiling upwards in the night. Standing on what too long we bore With shoulders bent and down-cast eyes, We may discern, unseen before, A path to higher destinies. HENRY WADSWOUTH LONGFELLOW.

A STONE-WALL PHILOSOPHER. We love the clear, blue mountains. With the graceful, rounding domes, And the lake with its frmAèc1 islands And its circle of summer homes. But the dearest summer pleasure Which our happy thoughts recall Is our gay little friend the chipmunk. Who lived in the old atone wall. All days were good to the chipmunk, He knew neither pain nor care, He basked in the summer sunsbine And frisked in the pleasant air But rain never caused him trouble. Nor made his spirits fall He smiled on the heaviest downpour From a niche m the safe stone wall. He worked every hour of the morning As if winter were coming soon, And he took not a moment's respite Through the long, hot afternoon. His wishes were never consulted, And his rights were counted small; He had realiy but one sure refuge- His home in the grey stone wall. S Whatever misfortunes befell him His shrewd little eyes were bright. His stout little heart was merry, And his cheerfnl footsteps light. A,n,d'*t flilltgh- with the lHtle chipmuuk, '1'is a good world after all, And we toss a kiss to our neighbour, Who sits on the old stone wall. HBLBK MARSH FLETCHER.

MR GLADSTONE'S HANDS. A lady chirologist describes in the Palmist her impression of Mr Gladstone's hands, gained from half an hour's close observation of them whilst his luggage was being transferred from the Tantallon Castle to the special train at Tilbury. He was part of the time in animated conversation, so that: I saw the wonderful gestures and the immense power and individuality of the Jupiter linger. That Jupiter finger is short, but very heavy. But wha seemed to me most remarkable was the very long ApoHo finger, not half a nail's length shorter than the Saturn, and the Mercury, very pointed the same length from the tip of the Apollo, so that the Mercury was really only a nail's length shorter than Saturn. The nails of both hands were very bright and clear and pale in colour, and the hands very white. 1 could not, of course, see the Lines or Mounts, excepting Luna, which was very large from the percussion." Chirologists musb find out for themselves what all that means.

Bracing a Jury. As I was plodding along the highway I was overtaken by a farm wagon with eight men in it, all armed with rifles and pistols. Thedriver kindly pulled up and asked me to ride into town with them, and after I was seated I inquired of one of the men- Are you people out on a hunting expedition No, we ar' not buutin' anything," he replied. After a horse thief 1" No, not after a horse thief." Perhaps it's a shooting match ¥' I persisted. No, not a shootin' match." I didn't like to ask further questions, but after a silence of five minutes the driver turned and explained- It's nuthin' but a lawsuit of mine which comes off in town to-day." And these are your friends ?" These ar'my friends." I didn't like to ask why they were armed from head to heel to attend a lawsuit, but he saw me looking at the weapons and added— The vardict in this lawsuit orter be in my favour without question, and there ar' two or three weak-kneed critters on the jury." And your object is to brace them up ?" Exactly. That's the word I was trym' to think of. Yes. when they see the eight of us walk in and take front seats the jury will brace right up, and the vardict will ba according to law and evidence, and I'll git my boss back. Couldn't think of that word brace to save my life. I knew it wasn't I intimidate,' but I couldn't think of brace.' Glad we picked ye up. Yes, we're a braoin' party, and we'll either brace that jury or somebody 'll get badly hurt!

SHE i I love football, I think it's jolly HBB HDSBAND Do you think football is a proper game for women, Frank, old fellow ? FRAME: Just the thinp; for some women. THE HUSBAND Would you allow your wife to play it ? FRANK: No, but I'd encourage her mother to go in for it.

Spring Peet Here is a poem, sir.—Editor (meeringly) Where did yon find it ?-Spring Poet (loftily): I found it, air, m the dreamland of my braiu.-Editor Then you may keep it for your honesty. ALMOST AN INSINUATION. -TepAher If your father gives you 40 cents and your brother 30 cents how much will you both have 1—Tommy Humph! I guess iron dont know-much nttjpy; M not kind of wimrmxt--

Welsh Tit-Bits. Neu YVreichlon Oddiar yr Emgion. [BY CADRAWD.] The Royal Welsh Fusiliers. This regiment was originally formed of men raised in Wales and the adjacent counties. King James II., being assisted by the King of France with men and money and a fleet, the exiled Monarch also having the sympathy of the Roman Catholics in Ireland, embarked from France and landed at Kmsale early in 1689, and afterwards made his public entry into Dublin. This rendered it necessary to augment the British Army and on the 17th March, 1689, King William III. authorised Henry Lord Herbert to raise a regiment of infantry, the recruiting of which was attended with much success, and in a very few months was brought into a state of fitness and strength for active duty. The colonelcy was conferred on Charles Herbert, relative of Lord Herbert, and the regiment consisted of thirteen companies, of three sergeants, two drummers, three corporals, and sixty private soldiers each, the headquarters being fixed at Ludlow, bearing the title of The Twenty Third," or the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. This newly-raised regiment embarked tor Ire- land on he 12th August, 1689, and landed at Carrickfergus, after which the siege of that place was commenced, and before the end of the month the garrison had to surrender. The battle of Aghrim was fought on July 13ch, 1691, the Twenty Third suffering most severely, their colonel, Charles Herbert, taken prisoner, and inhumanly murdered by the Irish when they saw he was going to be rescued by his own men. Lieutenant-Colonel Toby Parcell was pro- moted to the colonelcy of the regiment. The 23rd was one of the regiments selected to take possession of Galway on the surrender of that town, and after remaining there some months, they were ordered to embark to England. Sir John Morgan, Bart., was appointed to the colonely in succession to Colonel Toby Purcel 1 in 1692, but died in less than a year after his promotion. The Royal Welsh Fusiliers have on their regimental colour for distinguished services at the battles of "Blenheim," 1704 "Ramillios," 1708; "Oudenarde" and "Malpaquet," 1709; Dettingen," 1743 Minden," 1759; Egypt," 1801; Martinique," 1809; Corunna," 1809-; "Albuera, "Badajoz," "Salamanca," "Vi t- toria," "Pyrenees," "Nevelle," "Orthes," "Toulouse," and Pouinsular," from 1610 to 1814; "Waterloo," 18th June, 1815; "Alma," Inkerman," and Sebastopol," 1854-56 "Luck- now," 1857; and Ashantte," 1873 74. The Welsh Billy-geat. In Grose's Military Antiquities" we have the following reference to the regimental goat "The Royal Regiment of Welsh Fusiliers has the privileged honour of passing in review preceded by a goat with gilded horns and adorned with ringlets of flowers. And although this may not come immediately under the denomination of a reward for bravery, yet the corps prides itself much on the ancientness of the custom. Every 1st of March, being the anniversary of their titular saint, David, the officers give a splendid entertainment to all their Welsh brethren and, after the cloth is taken away, a bumper is filled round to his Royal Highness the Princo of Wales, whose health is always drunk to first on that day, the band playing the old tune of The Noble Race of Shenkin,' when a handsome drummer-boy, elegantly dressed, mounted on the goat, richly caparisoned for the occasion, is led thrice round the table in procession by tho drum-major. It happened in 1775, in Boston, that the animal gave such a spring from the floor that he dropped the rider upon the table, and then, bounding over the heads of some officers, he ran to the barracks with all his trappings, to the uo small joy of the garrison. This same goat accompanied the regiment into ncfcion at Bunker's Hill, feoin which only one officer ot the Fusiliers retllmedto tell the tale." Carrying the Wren. This was an old custom in Pembrokeshiie up till about 15 years ago. The wren, carried in a box, which was an imitation of an ordinary cottage, was a living bird. The following is tti4 rhyme sung on going round THE VILLAGE OF MARLOK8. Joy, health, love, and peace were here in this place, By your leave, here we sing concerning our Queen. Our Queen is well dressed in silk of the best. And the ribbands so rare, no Queen can compare. Over hedges and stiles we have travelled many miles We were four foot men in taking this Wren, We were four at watch, and were nigh of a match Now Christmas is past, Twelfth-day is the last- From the old bids adieu, great joy to the new I Spoken—" Please to turn the Queen in Will some of our Pembrokeshire friends tell us what the origin and purpose of this old custom was, and if other rhymes were sung besides the above—if so, what were they ? Principal Rhys at Newquay. I was sorry to see Prinoipal Rhys at bay the other day at Newquay in trying to quote Brutus's once popular verses to the Jack pen 'stol. Jack is still with us in the church now as well as out- side its walls, but few at present can remember the description given of him by Brutus over 40 years ago in the Haul. Following are the verses JACK FROM THE TOP OF THE STOOL- Jackyddiaith mwy i mi, Mwy gwerthfawr ydyn hi, Nit chaib a rhaw Hi leinw'm Cylla gwan, A chig a bara oan Hi 'in cododd i i'r Ian 0 tros y claw. Jack having fallen from the stool, regrets his misfortune— With gofio'r amser fu. Pan gerddwn mown cot ddu; Fy hiraeth gwvd :— Pan i bregcthu'r awn Fy nhalu'n wych a gawn, A chael fy mol yn Hawn 0 Eitha bwyd. Jnolcyddiaeth er mor fawr, Mi caraf ar y llawr, Hi aeth o'm llaw:— Yn awr nid oes i'm rhan Na chig na bara can, Yr wyf gn Eitha gwao, Yn ffos y claw. Judge Jenkins of Hensel. This eminent Welsh lawyer was termed "Heart of Oak" aud "Pillar of the Law." He was a barrister of Gray's Inn, and was made one of the judges of South Wales. Judge Jenkins was a staunch Loyalist and was a prisoner in the Tower. Refusing to kneel at the bar of the House of Commons, he incurred a fine of ;el,ooo from that Republican body. On the Restoration he returned to his restored estates in Glamorgan. Buried in Cowbridge 4th December, 1663. He wrote several powerful tracts, legal and politioal. Under his portrait arc the follow- ing lines :— Here Jenkins stands, who, thundering from the Tower, Shook the bold Senate's legislative power, Six of whose words whole reams of votes oxceed, As mountains moved by grains of mustard seed Thus gasping laws wete rescued from the snare; He who would save in Crown. must know-tld dare. Birkenhead. Richard Jenkins, Esq., of Hensol, grandson of the judge, commonly called Captaiu Jenkins, was a very good performer on the harp, and seems to have inherited undiminished that affection for Welsh poetry and musio which had distinguished the Jenkins's of Hensol from time immemorial. He is said to have made his own harps, and was the lasb J enkins of Hen so L

He Obeyed Instructions. A solemn-looking fellow, with a certain air of dry humour nbout the corners of his mouth, stepped quietly one dny into the tailoring estab- lishment of Call and Snigger," and remarked to the clerk in attendance— I witnt tr. snigger." What do you sir ?" Well, I should like t(, It.:gg,r. I noticed the invit.atiou ovtr your door, so called, and now I think I'll snigger." He was ordered to leave the establishment, which he did with a look of angry wonder, grumbling to himself— If they doh'b want strangers to call and wanimr, Wbi,do they put up. gig* Miking then to ao it r,

GOSSIPS' CORNER. Two cyclists have started for Milan en route fd the North Pole. It is proposed to mount the policemen ot Nuremburg on cycles. A Maid of Honour, on being married, reeeivw a wedding gift of £ 1,000. Experiments with the electric light are being made in Westminster Abbey. Some more works of the Belgian Shakspero* are to be translated into English. Mr Bayard, the American Ambassador, is a capital shot and an enthusiastic golfer. It is a curious fact that during the war at 1870-71, on the German side, 1,871 officers were kiiled. Mr Lang is to follow up his edition of tJhi "Waverlev Novels" with a new edition oi Lockhart." Mr John Murray announces a new work by the Duke of Argyll, entitled "Law in Christian Theology." Sir Redvers Buller is six years junior to Lord Wolseley, and has never had supreme command of an army in the field. Australia has a population of less than 5,000,000, but economists declare that it could support 100,000,000 with ease. The fourth volume in the new issue of Mat Miiller's Chips from a German Workshop will be ready in the autumn. Saint Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary, if held in great honour in Rome, nearly half the women there being called Anna. The Prime Minister is a wretched sailor, and be had a very bad time of it when he crossed the Solent the other afternoon on his way to Osborne. The American Ambassador will spend a large portion of his autumn holiday in the Highlands. He was there last year, and proved himself a capital shot. The Royal Irish Constabulary have a missionary union with 1,200 subscribers, and pay £100 a yeal towards the support of a lady missionary in Africa. The Queen the other day sent a five-pound note to a local tradesman who had the misfortune to lose his horse, which fell suddenly and died because of the beat. It took Disraeli ten years to gain the ear of the House; it was secured for Mr Asquith, as fol Mr George Curzon, from the day he took his seat. -Satui-day Review. At the present time the Bank of France has id its coffers nob only the largest stock of gold and silver in the world, but the amouut has never been paralleled in the history cf finance. Professor Stickel, of Jena, who has reached the great age of 91, has arranged to lecture next winter on the Song of Songs, the Chaldaie language and authors, the Syrian language and ditto, and on Arabic writers and grammar. Dvorak has chosen Longfellow's poem Hiawatha as the libretto of an opera. The subject appears a difficult one. but the composer is satisfied with the progress he has made, and believes "Hiawatha will do him oredit. The estimated population cf Victoiia on 31d March was 1,179,029, or a decrease of 74 corn. pared with the population at the end of 1894, notwithstanding that during the quarter there were 8,252 births and 25,056 arrivals by sea. The race for the Queen's Cup at Cowes wat remarkable for one thing, and that was the faot that it was the first time the Princess of Walel had sailed on her husband's famous boat, the Britannia, ,.§he enjoyed the cruise very muck indeed. A marriage is to take place'which will interest the literary world nob a little. It is that of Me George Moore, the author of "Esther Waters," and Mrs Craigie, better known as John Olivet Hobbes." Mrs Craigie has recently divorced has husband. Some 2,400 Belgium five franc postage stimpg .vare recently discovered stowed away in a cup- board in a post-office ab Cureghem. All werw obsolete and, therefore, valuable and the Pott Office Department put them up at auction and sold tlieui for 36,000f. An interesting social event has to be recorded in the marriage at New Ybrk on Wednesday of Mrs P. T. Barnutn (widow of the celebrated showman) aud Demetrius Caliias Bey. The wholi affair has been very quietly planned, and wit carried out with marked privacy. Berlin ladies have taken to cycling and to it regulation cycling costume, and, curiously enough, the majority of theso "advanced, womeu belong to the Court circles. At a forth- coming official garden party there is to be < quadrille on cycles, executed by ladies and gentlemen in costume. Among the original articles appearing in the forthcoming issue of the Religious Review t4 Rtvitws will be an important character sketch ot Archdeacon Denison by the Rev. A. Finlayson, of Weston-super-Mare, and an article upon the Church and the General Election based upot official examination of the returns. The late Mr John Dunn undoubtedly shot mote hippos than any other man in Africa. He onOf killed 23 before breakfast. He has been known to kill five rhinoceros in a day, and the lions, buffaloes, elephants, elands, and other South African game slain by him were innumerable. He was a fine shot, and a man of iron nerve an6 ready resource. Mrs Ormiston Chant really should be careful in choosing her phrases. Apologising for the absence of Lady Henry Somerset at a woman'* meeting the other day, she said Dear Lady Heury has been overwcrked, and we must. of course, be careful not to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs." The goose will hardly feet complimented by the allusion. A great amount of intprest is manifested by the crowds who daily gather round the band- stand in Temple-gardens, London, during tho dinner-hour in the appearance of a young white sparrow which has lately taken up its residence in the vicinity, aud is generally to bo seen on the grass plots sui-rolindiiig the bandstand or there- about?. The Executive Committee of the Berlin In. dustrial Exposition has acquired about 15 aores more ground in the neighbourhood of the theatres and Old Berhn for exhibition purposes. The intentiou is to transform a part of this new territory into a lake on which models of all typei of the men-of-war of the German Navy in tb< proportion of 1.25 are to demonstrate the evolu- tions made in peace and war. This will be con- structed under the supervision of distinguishe4 naval officers. A correspondent writes to the Daily Teleqrao on the Sunday clothes question. F-e says :—Thi< matter is a very serious one. Men,find that thej can, without being considered insane and without losing their means of livelihood, escape from these odious clothes of civilisation on one day in tht week, provided they do not go to church. Is tioi the remedy in the hands of the clergy 1 Whycac they not have an early service at which they announce that people in cool, loose, beautiful flannel clothing will be welcome, and even offioitjU in such themselves ?