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WORKMEN'S TOPICS. . --.-
WORKMEN'S TOPICS. BY MABON, M.P. FOREIGN WORKMEN'S STRUGGLE FOR EMANCIPATION. Marseilles strike, which is not exactly a conflict, but a part of a Socialist move- the claim for an eight-hour day—has for time being collapsed, and the employers sed to consent to arbitration except on the Of the compact made last August, when laien- then agreed to a nine hours day. The °f this revolt was due simply to a M. Ier) a great manufacturer, having directed rg °Verseer to discharge 25 Italians and to ^viv56 ^era Frenchmen. The International if ,1lca'ie thereupon ordered the strike. M. ^k-Rousseau understood the Socialist Qahon, it is said, and frankly informed the £ *«Wen's deputation that the only thing to be e Was to accept the Affiche Rouge." This -jotifl- probability will be the last heard of this «« 0r confl'cts for the terms proposed till 2^ Affiche Rouge compact terminates. will doubtless hear of it again. The in^ratiorial Syndicate is steadfastly prosecut- *>a of reducing the hours of labour testablishing an eight hours day for all ses of xaen with vigour and determination |iv put their English compatriots here in ajjjf to shame. Really things are taking a | £ tarn. Previously it was the English *»ft6l.eS ^n^ons bad to make the pace, and drnw j$Ut tihem the never-to-be-moved foreigner. now it is going another way, and the word has 'tote. sent back across the waters. The workers, especially in France, are -e g to leave us all behind very shortly unless (JP1J.Sh ap a bit more rapidly. l^^l'General Hestslat gives a minute of the labour struggles that took place by several classes of workmen there *aSt ^ear' struggles of 1900 in this th, he says, were without precedent in 1>,1. lstory of Havre. The strikes that took "9 'tabl Were for various reasons at times regret- let 6' 011 the other hand, most of them were foot by irritating circumstances created )f tb. oae. that employed them. In consequence .1 failures of the year before a period of Of ,,aPPears to have reigned from the beginning Wov j ,^ear till June. Then the labourers em- lej|. 111 the construction of the new port there Vf^5 VVork. This strike, the Consul-General says, st^ P^^cipally due to the high price of food on Havre. Many of the labourers -corking by 0 P°rt were Bretons who had been engaged in Brittany. Those agents had ^°old m0n at; Havre they *^ich le°e'vc more than double the wages at^tg they conld earn at home, a t j., ent.which appeared to manfperfectly true, s<>8t 0f6|^ents ^ad omitted to mention that the tiiu^ tiviug at Havre was more than three ?vM2,0rh as in any small town in Brittany. its lasted for more than a month, and in o*tStf> stages it received pecuniary help from ^Ceijg^' It was also marked by regrettable Of violence, which culminated in the Sfost of8 private house of the Mayor. pj0e the original strikers were against such ta-ted But here again the men were irri- palijva^ annoyed 2>y the action of the munici- eolje ,ln forbidding their processions and street 'mto 0lls> and also by the entry of the police ^e Bourse do Travaie at the time the 111611 wcre engaged in discussing J^kji^^tion. Eventually the Ministry of'j ti0ll c ^orks appointed a tribunal of arbitra- met at Paria, and awarded the t&nen^ a sma*' advance in wages. Simul- with the strike of labourers on the *&d carpenier3 and joiners, both ship °1U^e carpenters, left their work. These AtthT higher wages and shorter hours. vfm exPiration of a fortnight a compromise legleted under which the ship carpenters e 411 increase of Ifr. a day and the house Gf an increase °f ifr- R day, the hours remaining the same. Coal Porters. ff tJi* ena of July there was a strike Cojlj e Porters employed in unloading the steam 3?^ rs atld in coaling outgoing vessels, fcitjg S^ke w^ile it lasted affected British ship. several colliers which were unable to their cargoes at Havre were ordered by 8trjj. 0wners to proceed to Dieppe or Rouen. The Co lagted only a week, and was settled by a °ttl*8e nnder which the men obtained an *v!°Urs working day at all seasons of the day being divided into two equal parts tlje botirs in the morning and four hours in to0j. ernoon. No alteration in rates of wages Q.II., ace, but the concession of an eight hours ° the coal porters had immediate and far- bl tit ng consequences, and was the direct cause more serious labour struggles that followed, the success of the coal porters, the strike became rampant, and strikes followed S seamen, firemen, stewards, boilermakers, Sojy ers, including women employed in coffee- °^er work; and in most of the cases, stUjj and Lug of parading of the military attitude of the Government^ a consider- 0? ainonnt of success in secx-j-jng shorter hours j?.°ro Pay has been attained. ^Id however, the workers at the ship- yards of the Forges et Chantiers de la Crranee and M. Agustin Normand's works j?114 on strike. The directors informed the at an increase of salary was impossible on ^Un80111^ commercial footing. Large tjje reinforcements were drawn into toWn of Havre. All approaches to the s affected by the strike were guarded by ^r^er was maintained by the troops for weeks at the docks, and at the landing- e of the Southampton Packet. This strike ll^st!ccessfu] on the whole, for the men re- to work by degrees on the same terms as 6 tbe strike, with one exception, those previ- ^Cef • receiving less than four francs a day an advance of 25 cents. Dirit POrt makes it perfectly clear that the 'mrest pervaded the ranks of labour in ^stri &s in other parts, and especially in- ^tt -French centres. Still it must be ad- • t*l.at the movement was in its conception lllCj'dentally connected with labour, the «ttt! P^Dgs of the movement being Socialistic. 8Wasmoreors0over t^e Continent. r -eSS ere long our Continental working ^S3on be able to give us an important *kj.0 °n the possible combination of labour and !lotq ratIon, co-operating under the guidance of *Vg}] Vell-te pered Socialistic spirit. We are tb.1tt a are that this is the most popular spirit I ^6lr,revs'^s among the workers of France and espccially. There is an opinion I Vjj that the result of the struggles I have to < of p.bove can scarcely be said \>iO:tk aVe tQrIninated satisfactorily to the ^i^ j^0- That may have been so, and most eil(^* altogether as successfully as the work- "Ic),Llld wish. But this, on the other hand, is 'itjsjf true, that they ended much more ^lQye^c -0Iily to the workers than to the em- ^isCl.e?.^at are endeavouring to discourage and them by circulating very freely this of the struggles on the whole were ^'leot'°US aD^ mmde an undoubted stride iB the %,Ozl Ion of ameliorating the conditions of the v 611 concerned, and will encourage all for 1 of the struggle when the matured V rt'' ore ftie c -veral of the disputes in question *ot6r- arbitration—arbitration, be it vio) pen rupture, after rioting and 1: the humiliating picture of the p j-ding the streets to preserve and 1 at work, and going back and fore Still, even the principle of 1 at work, and going back and fore Still, even the principle of itself wen a victory in this struggle though it came but late in the day ,p s* The question that suggests itself here | could not these same arbitration endeav- ours have been tried before and not after these struggles of Capital and Labour ? This case in Havre is about as reprehensible a piece of busi- ness as could take place in any country in the world—civilised or uncivilised. Those poor Bretons had been duped to leave their simple village homes by the employers' agents telling them half truths, and not until the riots and sufferings had become terrible and dangerous the Ministry of Public Works could be moved. But, truth to tell, when they did move and established a Court of Arbitration that Court awarded the men an advance in their wages. I cannot help being impressed by the inter- esting historical chapter in the Consul-General's report and the wholesome lesson it teaches how it shows the readiness, not to say eagerness, with which one section after another of the French workers came out on strike how inflammable the material, and how it burned and blazed with the first spark of fire. And it cannot fail, I hope, to impress upon the French Ministry the immense importance \of having a fixed tribunal before which both employers and workmen could have their grievances heard and adjusted without undergoing the hardships of strikes and lockouts nor the humiliation of military occupation of homes and villages. If such a tribunal could be made fairly compulsory in France there would be then perhaps a chance for us in Great Britain.
— ■j With Hints an Poultry…
— ■ With Hints an Poultry and Stack. I By COUNTRY COUSIN. I Two Handsome Grasses. Hardy grasses are very conspicuous in the garden during the summer and winter months, and it is a great pity they do not receive more attention. Their season of beauty is not nearly so fleeting as some people seem to imagine, and it is equally as certain that they add more charm to the hardy garden than a great many of the clearer and rarer plants whose floral beauty is visible only for a week or so. Altogether, the hardy grasses may be regarded as exceptionally useful plants. Two very handsome varieties of hardy grasses are found in the Silvery Reed Grass (Arundo conspicua) and the Pampas Grass (Cynerium Argenteum). The great value of the former is in its early flowering, as it comes into bloom quite two months before the latter, and remains in good condition for some three or four months. It is much like the Pampas in growth, the gracefully-arching flower-spikes forming one of its distinctive features, and this, coupled with the fact that it flowers about midsummer, makes it a valuable subject for variety. This grass will suit any position for which the Pampas is ad- missible, and in selecting a place for it it should be remembered that it is quite as stately in character as the Pampas. This grass will thrive best in a moist, rich, and well-drained loam, but will also grow well in a dry soil with a little care. The Pampas grass, of which we give an illustration, is so well known that it is unneces- sary to give any lengthy account of it. Past experience proves that the cold east and north winds will do it far more injury than actual frost therefore, provide shelter from these ¡ quarters, and do not thoughtlessly expose plants by removing any shelter they may have had. The largest plants are much more likely to suffer than the smaller ones. The best time for planting this grass is at the latter end of April or early I May. Plants are easily raised from seed sown in pans of fine soil in March, and care- folly nursed on and hardened off in June. Early I Pampas Grass. I in July act out the plants in a piece of rich soil 1 in the open ground and allow them to remain until large enough to plant ont in their flowering quarters. Should only a few plants be required grow them in pots the first year in a cold frame, as by so doing they will make larger plants than those set out earlier in the open. It will in all cases be necessary to have a thoroughly deep and well manured soil to grow this grass to perfec- tion. Our tjianks are due to MM. Vilmorin, Andrieux et Cie, seedsmen, of Paris, France, for the use of the above illustration of Pampas grass. Young Canaries and Their Treatment. Those breeders who made an early start in pairing their birds will, in many cases, have gained very little. The recent cold winds have been against satisfactory hatching, and in addi- tion they have caused numerous hens to suffer from egg-binding. When this has happened— even if the bird does not lose her life-in most cases she is of veiy little use for several weeks after. If tha hen becomes egg-bound—and this is known by her gasping and sitting about the cage with drooping wings and puffed out feathers -she should be carefully canglit and held so that the vent is exposed to the steam of boiling water in a narrow-necked jug great care being taken not to scald her. After two or three minutes of this two drops of sweet oil should be dropped into the vent from the end of a knitting needle or something similar. Replace the bird in the nest, and the egg should soon be* forthcoming. Canaries will stand a much better chance in a warm room, and pairs mated in March ought soon to be hatching. If all has gone well the nestlings may be expected after incubation has lasted 13 days. The first nest of the season, however, is sometimes a day or more late. Supply the parent birds with fresh egg-food at least twice a day, also give them plenty of canary, rape, and hemp seed. Soaked seed is one of the best foods for young canaries. Equal parts of canary seed, rape, and hemp should be soaked for 24 hours before being given to the birds. If the chopped egg and breadcrumbs cannot conveniently dc prepared a t home, excellent food can be purchased ready made from the bird dealers. Give fresh green A Scotch Fancy Canary. t food daily, such as ripe chi elf/weed, watefcress, or young dandelion leaves, also plenty of gritty sand, and a piece of cut tIe fish. Ten days after the hatch give a fresh nest, and before transfer- ring the young birds to it well duet with insect powder. After four weeks remove the young brood into a nursery cage made for the purpose. This will hang on the wires of the breeding cage, and the old. birds are thus able to feed their young ones through the bars. If this is not done the hen will strip the young of their feathers in order to line her second nest. When the nestlings are able to fly and feed themselves, move them into a large flight cage. At first they will, re- quire the seed cracked for them, but it will only need to be just bruised. Continue the egg food but in gradually smaller quantities till by the time they are five weeks old it may be stopped altogether. Our illustration shows a Scotch fancy canary. Flewers for Bees, A good deal of pollen and some honey are ob- tained from the flowers of the crocus, and one of the earliest of all bee flowers is arabis alpina. The early variety of the yellow wallflower contri-»1 butes greatly to the support of bees drrriug early spring. Limnanthes Douglasi is not only very hardy, but is ono of the most valuable of all. honey-yielding plants. Borage, which is in bloom from May to late in the autumn, is constantly visited by bees, even in damp weather, the drop- ping flowers yielding nectar when other blossoms are charged with moisture. The following plants also produce large quantities of bee food, are easy to grow, wiilcourish luxuriantly almost in I any soil, and their appearance in masses is so pleasing as to render them worthy of a place in beds and borders, apart from their value as bee flowers :—Sweet sultan, candytuft, alyssnm maritimum, A. saxatilc, dwarf sunflowers, anchusa gigantea, honeyworts, trifolium suaveolens, pnlmonaria mollis, melilotus, phacelia congesta, and P. alba. The bees will visit the flowers of apple, pear, and plum trees most eagerly on every available opportunity, and also currant and gooseberry bushes when in flower. The various kind of willow will provide abundance of pollen in the early spring. Lime 0 trees yield an abundant supply of stores in July and in August and September the giant balsam comes into flower, affording the bees an excellent opportunity to replenish their cells for the winter, just at the time when many other plants have ceased to yield honey. Flowers of the turnip, cabbage, and, in fact, all the Brassica tribe are very much visited by bees, as also are the flowers of the field mustard, ketlock or charlock, a prolific weed in many districts, frequently cover- ing the cornfields with its yeliowflowers. Bees are unable to take long flights in spring with safety, owing to the variableness of our climate, and a unable to take long flights in spring with safety, owing to the variableness of our climate, and a I great many who leave the hive on early foraging expeditions never return. Consequently it will be good policy for bee-keepers to provide a plenti- ful supply of early bee flowers in the immediate neighbourhood of the hives.
DIARY OF GARDEN WORK.
DIARY OF GARDEN WORK. Week Ending April 27th. Flower Garden.-Those who have no glass may sow outdoors on a warm border now asters, stocks, phlox Drummondi, scabious, and Chinese Einks. These will bloom later than if sown in eat and afterwards pricked out, but will be robust and hardy. The seeds will soon ger- minate if a mat is laid over the bed at night, and taken off on warm days. Should the weather be warm and dry keep the seed bed moist. Orna- mental grasses such as agrostis nebuloso, briza maxima (quaking grass), eragrostis elegans (love ?;rass), bromus brizceformis, and coix lachryma Tob's tears), may be sown very thinly now. These will transplant well if carefully watered till established. Among hardy annuals for sowing now are Viscaria oculata, Lupinus nannc, L.N. alba, annual chrysanthemums, coreopsis in variety (useful for cutting), nas- turtiums in variety (the Tom Thumb section for borders, and the tall varieties as climbers and for window boxes), convolvulus major and minor, clarkia6 in variety, eutoca visolda, godetia in variety, sunflowers in variety, mathiola bieornis (night-scented stock), nigella damascena (love in a mist), shirley and other poppies, aanvita-lia, procumbens (dwarf, trailing yellow flowers), sweet sultan, and gentian. Sow hybrid colum- bines and antirrhinums. Plant groups of rose- mary and lavender. East Lowthian stocks whIch. have passed the winter in a cold frame may go out now. Divide early flowering .chrysanthe- mums, and plant in good soil, mulch and water. Plant violets for framing, and for cutting out- side. Plant lily of the valley. in deep, rich ground, in partially shaded position. Keep the hoe at work, and there will be no trouble with weeds, and the freely-stirred surface will encour- age growth. Vegetable Garden.—Cuttings of sage, thyme, and other herbs, if inserted now and kept moist, will soon root. Young plants are not so liable to die off during severe winters as old bushes. Earth up and place sticks of peas in good time. Sow dwarf French beans on warm Borders. Black Prince is a good kind. Plant marrow peas, Wind- sor beans, and sow long-rooted beet. Plant out lettuces, and sow again for succession. Move tomatoes to cold pits to harden off. Sow snowball turnips. Make the last sowing of broc-oli and Brussels sprouts. Sow a few celery seeds outside for late crops, and prick off in a frame, or, where shelter can oe given for a time, raise the plants in heat. Sow Autumn Giant and Walcheren cauliflowers. Prepare a mild bottom-heat bed for raising ridge cucumbers and vegetable marrows. Sow one or two rows of asparagus to raise young plants for setting out next season. A great deal more asparagus might easily be grown indeed, there is no reason why everyone with a garden shonld not have a supply of this delicious vege- table. A small plot of ground under good culture would produce a good many dishes. Hoe up every bare spot to kill weeds and encourage the plants to grow. Greenhouse.—Jast now the house will be full of plants, and careful management will be necessary to keep all things moving along in good condi- tion. Some, if not all, of the summer bedding plants tnay be moved into cold frames, or a tem- porary shelter may be provided for cauliflowers, lobelias, etc..Pricl;: off asters, stocks, and other annuals into boxes, or in a frame, if one is empty. Move on zonltl geraniums, begonias, and other plants needing more root spncc. Re-pot ferns and other foliage plants. Prune back acacias, genistas, epacrises, and winter-flowering heaths which have finished blooming, and when ths plants have broken about an inch or so re-pot them. Cuttings of chrysanthemums for late blooming may go into small pots. Many early struck plants may be stopped now the tops will form excellent cuttings. When they break, shift into larger pots. Tomatoes for fruiting in the greenhouse may go into lOin. pots now. Use rough, turfy compost, not too light, and pot firmly. For mildew on tea roses dust with sulphur or use a. mildew wash. Use water-pot and syringe more freely. Ventilate freely, but keep out cold winds. Fires may soon be discontinued. Window Garden.—Repot palms, ferns, and aspidistras if required, and most of these will do better in fresh, sweet soil. Plant baskets with campanulas and ivy-leaved geraniums. Allow plenty of air on all fine, bright days.
[No title]
Andrew Fletcher of Saltoiui. in a letter to the Marquis of Montrose, wrote I fcuow a very wise man that believed that if a nitu were permitted to make all the ballads he need not care who should m",ke the laws of the nation."
FORCE AND FREEDOM-
FORCE AND FREEDOM- Armed to o'erthrow, impatient to enchain, Making the year all winter, how shall ye Persuade the destined bondsman he is free, Or with a signal build the summer again ? Ob. yc can hold the rivulets of the plain A little while from nuptials with the sea, But the fierce mountain-stream of Liberty Not edicts and not hosts may long restrain. For this is of the heights and of the deeps. Born of the heights and in the deeps conceived. This, 'mid the lofty places of the mind Gushing pellucid, vehemently upheaved, Heart's tears and heart's blood hallow, as it sweeps Invincibly on, co-during with mankind. William Watson.
.._-ADDEO UP.
ADDEO UP. A little dreaming by the way, A little toiling day by day, A little pain, a little strife, A little joy—and that is life. A short-lived, fleeting summer's morn, When happiness seems newly born, When one day's sky is blue above, And one bird sings—and that is love. A little wearing of the years, The tribute of a few hot tears, Two folded hands, the fainting breath, And peace at last-and that is death. Just dreaming, loving, dying, so The actors in the drama, go A flitting picture on a wall, Love, death, the themes But is it all ?
THE DAY'S BEST HOUR.
THE DAY'S BEST HOUR. Sweet is the Morn that deepens to a blush Athwart each clear-cut ridge and mountain high, When, on the dewy twigs, the birds all vie In tuneful measures with the glorious thrush And deeply sweet is Noon, when every rush And nodding blade of grass seems full asleep; When scarce a whisper through the woods doth V creep, While distant scenes look hazy, in the hush. ifut, poet's hour, loved Eve, whose shadow folds, In peace, the deeper grasses by the mere Whose crimson flame gives glory to the near, And dapples every height the eye beholds, With fervent glory fringing cape and bay; Thou art the sweetest, lordliest hour of Day I —Wm. J. Gallagher in "Chambers's Journal."
I'---.....;;v; The Postmaster…
I' -v The Postmaster at the Zoo. The lawyer who evidently considers life one huge, continuous joke entered the clerk's office at the City Hall yesterday with an expression of extreme radiance overspreading his countenance. The clerks and others having business in the office at the time ceased their several pursuits Experience had taught them that the aforesaid- lawyer would say something of an entertaining character. Gather 'round, boys," he said. I have a dandy for you this morning. It's the best so far of the year 1901." I, The speaker paused. The others silently waited for what was coming. Now listen carefully," resumed the lawyer, and note the beauty of the connection between the three sections of this little conundrum. Here it is If the postmaster should visit the Zoo, and while there be eaten by the wild animals what o'clock would it be ?' There was another pause. Finally the clerk in charge of the dockets ventured the answer, It would be all day with the postmaster." Wrong, entirely wrong," commented the lawyer. I didn't ask what time I asked what o'clock it would be." I A third pause. Then by general consent the answer was requested. The lawyer gaily an- nounced, Ate P.M."
[No title]
Apprehensive.—Employer Yes, I know They claim that onr goods were not as repre- sented. Didn't we wri ie that our traveller would call on them about the matter ? —Clerk: Yes, but they don't want him to call. ,They{re afraid hell sell them more goods.
,Illustrated Humour. .
Illustrated Humour. It seems strange and yet it is quite possible to live next door to a, distant relative. A teacher of music in one of the public schools of the South desired to impress the pupils with the meaning of the signs "f" an ff [" in a song they were about to sing. After explaining that f meant forte, he said, Now, children, if f' means forte, what does 'ff' mean Silence reigned for amoment, and then he was astonished to hear a,bright little fellow shout, Eighty!" I The Doctor Knew. I O'Brien: Hello, Mike, an' how's yore fader this morning ? O'Connell: Shure, he's not dead yet, but the docthor says he'll die to-night, for he can't last till tnornin', and the docthor knows what he gave him t Phcebo (after hearing an account of a thrilling experience) Oh, how terrible! Did you faint ? Gracie No, I've only fainted once, and I hurt myself so much when I fell that I've never tried it since. Unnecessary. j Ec: And, darling, I will promise that I will let you have your own way in everything. She Oh, I don't require that. He You don't ? She: I meant the promise. "011, please, sir, Ive swallowed a, pin ex- claimed a servant- girl, running in upon her master as he was intent upon an interesting magazine article. "Never mind, Martha," he replied, absent-mindedly, here's another," draw- ing one from his waistcoat. Cruel. I Jelikins You see that prosperons-looking man Over there ? He robbed me of the best chance I ever had of becoming rich. Johnson: How did it happen ? Jenkins: He refused to let cie marry his daughter. Mrs Mitchell: When my husband stays out all n night I refuse to give him any breakfast. Mrs Layton: When my husband stays out all night he never wants any. Deteriorated. I Visitor: Does your village boast of a football club? Villager: No; we used to boast of one, but we have to apologise for it now. A gentleman recently visited a new district poiice station, and was shown over the building by the officer in charge. On his return home he related the circumstance of his visit in the hear- ing of his youngest son, a little fellow four years of age. A few weeks later father and son were travelling by rail to a. town some miles distant, when, just before reaching their destination, the train was pulled up within sight of a large, gloomy-looking bnilaing. The son inquired what place it was, and on being informed that it was the county gaol, he embarrassed the father and made the other occupants of the carriage look suspicious by asking, Is that the gaol you were in, father?" If the truth be told, the ordinary marriage is merely the result of a mutual misunderstanding. Made a Difference.—Father Where did you learn that new piece ?—Daughter It isn't anew Made a Differenee.—Father Where did you learn that new piece ?—Daughter It isn't anew piece. The piano has been tuned. Had His Price.—" He says that his employers always regarded him as a valuable man." Yes, they offered large reward fprima when he left.
WELSH GLEANINGS, .-..........---
WELSH GLEANINGS, The late Ryle Davies, when yet but a working quarryman, was a profound thinker and strong controversialist. In 1871, at the Birkenhead Eisteddfod, he won the prize for an essay on the Philosophy of Locke." though the late Vulcan and other Welshjarriiers of eminence were among the competitora. Though the Welsh Hospital in South Africa has been disbanded, Welsh doctors, as well as V elsh nurses, continue to do their duty nobly at the front. From letters recently received from South Africa, it appears that the Welsh doctors and nurses are among the meet popular members of every hospital staff to which they may be attached. The'partiality of Welsk ladies for the latest Parisian raiments has arot^ed the ire of a, homely Welsh bard, and he has found vent to his indignation in the following lines :— Yn awr mor rwysgfawr, mor hy'—am orchest Yw merchea y Cymry Rhaid cael gown a mown a phlu Yn y fonet i fynu Y fain ei gwasg, hyf yn ei gwyn—daw alllln I dwyllo rhyw lencvn Ond eto merch caiddtyn i Byd o'i hwyl be' ydi hya ? One of the most useful Progressive members of the new London County Council is Mr Robert Williams, F.R.I.B.A., a naiive of Cowbridge. He is an acknowledged authority on the problem of the housing of the working classes, and in this capacity is bound to render good public services in the overcrowded Metropolis. Mr Williams has the courage of his conviestions, and is an ex- cellent debater. > It is not a mere ingenious i3ea that the Welsh people have felt at times in their history that it had a very strange parallel jfc the history of the Jews. There is (writes MrEmest Rhys in the "Manchester Guardian "S even a spiritual affinity between the two ratses that lies deeper than we know and when a Welshman thinks of the Holy Land he is very jtst to think of it as another Wales in tha East. Mr J. Henry Silvan Evans, M.A., has become his father a assistant in the work of preparing the great Welsh Dictionary. Chancellor Silvan Evans is now an old man, and the work of com- piling the dictionary is of so large and detailed a character that it is hopeless to expect that he will see its completion. It is st&ted that Mr J. H. r Silvan Evans has so mastered his father's method and system as to be able to carry on the work to completion should he a.t any time be deprived of his father's guidance. Los Angeles, in far-off California, boasts of a Cymmrodorion Society of 200 members, and the Herald of that city, a copy of which has just come to hand, shows that the Welsh colony there celebrated the anniversary of the patron saint with a good deal of enthusiasm. First there was a Welsh dinner, at which 200 persons feasted, and after that came a programme replete with sweet music and pleasant addresses. The Los Angeles Cymmrodorion Society owes its existence mainly to the initiative of the Rev. D. Lloyd Jenkins, who years age held the pastorate of a Congregational Churclf. at Cardiff." At the Llangollen Easter vestry an item ap- peared on the churchwardens'accounts for repairs done to the organ. It was explained that some weeks ago, at his usual practice, the organist could get no response to his efforts on the key- board, beyond the mewing of acat. A communi- cation was hastily forwarded to the builders. When they arrived tfey found a cat inside the instrument. What is more, it fiercely resisted being removed, and the wor'c'in had to use con- siderable force and tact ta -èfl!ect his purpose. I How it found its way into the organ remains a mystery but it is a remarkable fact that it has since been observed, on several occasions, making attempts to return. Mr George Farren, whose death we referred to on Thursday, had on one occasion an amusing adventure while yachting on the coast of France. During a period when operations in his sett quarries on the Eifl mountains were suspended, he fitted up his steamer Lady Bessie—which plied between the quarries and Liverpool with setts— as a steam yacht, and a large party of friends accompanied him from Carnarvon, through the Menai Straits as far as Beaumaris, to give him a send-off. The next they heard of "the voyager was that he was under arrest in France. He and his party had gone ashore sketching,were arrested and detained, and the vessels laid under embargo. Representations to the English Consul and com- munications with the British Ambassador at Paris secured their release. The incident ever afterwards served as a humorous reminiscence. The typical Welsh preacher is essentially dramatic. Many of the great preachers of the past owed their success to the realism of their dramatic pulpit representations. Still, the Welsh pulpit can hardly be regarded (thinks the "Liverpool Mercury ") as favourable to the stage —though ii is no discredit to them to say that more than one preacher who looms largely in the public eye of Wales would have made at least as great a success on the stage as in the pulpit. Mr J. M. Barrie has shown how Scotch Noncon- formity can provide a new and rich field for dramatic representation, but it has been left for a Welshman to proceed himself direct from the pulpit to the stage. This is the Rev. Edward Davies, who emigrated a few years ago to Cali- fornia, and after holding a pastorate there for some time has now relinquished finally the preaching profession for that of the actor. Welshmen are found in remote corners of the world. Mr Foster Fraser, in bis "Hound the World on a Wheel," gives an interesting descrip- tion of a Welshman, an hotel keeper, who is quite a character at CawnpoTe, India. We were dusty and tired when we arrived," the writer says, and in the middle of our ablutions he burst upon us. Gentlemen, your hands. I am Joe Lee.' He was a tall man, white headed, broad-backed old fellow. You've heard of me, gentlemen, of course you have. Seventy-two years old next birthday, 56 inches round the chest. A soldier I just think I am a soldier. I WM right through the Mutiny, sir; got a sword cut across the arm and two bullets in the leg. Two hours and ten minutes after those devils had massacred the women I was there. I was in the first relief party to Lucknow. My father was 111 years and nine days old when he died. My mother was 103, and they had 20 chil- dren. I am a Welshman fromManafon, in Mont- gomeryshire. I didn't know a word of English when I ran away from the plough and 'listed. Never wrote home—never I went home after 40 years and found only two sisters alive. But I visited the graves of my father and mother, and all my brothers and sisters, and then I came back to India.' A Welsh novelist and a Welsh artist are among the Volunteers at the front in South Africa. The former is the gentleman who has written a series of Welsh historical novels unifier the nom de plume of" Owen Rhoscomyl," and whose spirit of adventure, not satiated with the experiences of the prairies of the Far West, sought greater ex- citement on the veldt. of South Africa. The Welsh artist is Mr Dyer Davies, a born genius with a chequered career. A native of the beautiful Vale of Towy, his early life was spent among some of the most romantic and picturesque scenery which even beautiful Wales can furnish. At the National School at Llandilo he paid more atten- tion to his slate than his book, whiling away the otherwise weary hours in drawing portraits of his classmates, much to their delight and his own un- doing when the master caught him. Young Daviea had his revenge the next day by carica- turing his master; and a lady visitor, Mrs Gwynne Hughes, of Tregib, happening to turn in, found so admirable a portraiture of the master on one of the slates that she made further inquiries. The result was that the lad was sent to a good art school, and thence to some of the best schools on the Continent, where he succeeded in winning not only the highest praise but the highest prizes. Returning to this country, he was commissioned to do some work for the illustrated magazines, in all of which he showed marked ability. To his fellow-countrymen, however, he is better known in his character of cartoonist, he having contri- buted most of the sketches to Mr Berioh Evans's Dafydd Dafis,"
THE HOUSEHOLD. ---------
THE HOUSEHOLD. We are slowly nearing the time when the.reign of washing dresses, both for big people and little foil, is approaching, and those who cannot rush out and buy what snits their fancy directly they feel the heat, should be sure to take Time by the forlock and supply that ornamentation to their gowns for whicn they camiot afford to pay. This is especially the case with children's dresses we all like to turn the little ones out as prettily and suitably dressed as we can, and it is very often only a question of management. Smocking is not a new form of ornamentation. I was shown a smocked frock for a boy, which had been in existence a hundred and fifty years, the other day But it is astonishing what a number of very fair workwomen cannot do it, and what a complicated undertaking they seem to thing it is. I give here a drawing showing how to make a chart for smocking, and the way you proceed is this Procure a piece of per- forated cardboard, pin it out on a board, rule lines across the cardboard at equal distances from one-third to three-quarters of an inch apart, according to the coarseness of the material you wish to work. Then rule another set of lines crossing these in proper proportion. Take an awl and pierce a hole by giving it a light tap j with a hammer at every place where the line3 cross. This chart can be easily made of plain ¡ Home-made Chaxt for Smocking. I cardboard by any who are accustomed tb much work with pencils. In this case a flat ^n\er marked with inches will be required, but it is, no doubt, easier to use perforated cardboard. You must remember that the distance between the lines from one side to the other of the chart must be considered according to the pattern yon are doing, and the deeper these gatherings are the fuller the material will be. Honeycomb pattern is very good for children's frocks, as the necessary fullness is easily obtained, and it washes well. When the chart is finished lay it on the material, keep it quite steady, and with a pencil or chalk mark through all the holes you cut in the cardboard. In moving it on be care- ful to put it in exactly the right place, or your smocking will be all wrong. Fig 2 shows the next process—the gathering. In each place between the dots make a complete stitch when each row is gathered draw up each thread and wind it round a thread stuck into the material. Fig. 3 is the honeycomb pattern. You commence with a needleful of silt at the left-hand top corner; put your needle through from back to front of the first pleat exactly over the gathering thread draw it out and put it in crosswise, pointing from right to left, and so on Your needle, in going from point to point, must always take the stitch lengthwise—never across, or there would not be sufficient elasticity when the drawing threads were taken out. I can never understand why people content themselves with dirty lampshades, when new ones are so easily and quickly made from the cretty, crinkled paper, which is bought in -roU, To make one like that sketched three of the rolls would be required. The paper is gathered by means of a fairly fine needle and cotton on to a tape band, to fit the neck of the lampshade A Pretty Lampshade of Crinkled Paper. I stand. The frill at the bottom, which looks very elaborate, is made by turning up about five inches of the paper, anil, with the thumbs, work- ing out the crinkle, which gives the fleffy appear- ance of the frill. Now is the time to make marmalade, and the following is the recipe from which my own is made every year with great success. This is, of course, for a small quantity :—Twelve Seville oranges, three lemons, water, sugar. Cut up the fruit into very thin slices, removing only the pips weigh it, and to every pound add one quart of wa,ter; let it stand all night; put the pips in a basin with boiling water, and next morning strain, and add to the rest; boil till tender- about two or three hours. Again let it stand all night, weigh it, and to every pound add one-and- a-quaxter pounds of sugar; boil for about an hour, until it jellies. To cure soft corns, procure a small piece of French chalk such as tailors use for marking al- terations on cloth. Rub the affected part hard with this night and morning, and during the day wear a small piece of tissue paper between the toes. In three or four days the corn will have entirely disappeared. If there is any sign of recurrence of the ill, resort to the same measures. With the winter in front of them, and the ex- perience of severe nights spent on the veldt, it is not wonderful that on all sides there are pleas for warm clothing for South Africa- There is nothing that" Tommy" appreciates more than a comfortable night-cap, and these are so simple that I can-ftt but hope that everyone of my readers will see her way to send a few like the one I have sketched, and which is very easy work, if she follows these instructions in fact, pieces cut to the right size would only require, say, one in six made up to convey the notion. Still they A Warm Nightcap for Tftmtny H at the Front. travel quite flatly, and I don't think we grudge a stitch or two to our men at the front." Take a 2ft. 4in. square of flannel—a 2ft. square will do, though the few extra inches make it more com- fortable—fold the square a third of the Way np as in fig. 1 marked C.D. Next take the corners E.F, and turn the square upside down ajid back to front then fold E ana F together till they meet in front as in fig. 2 Now take the corners A and B and roll the material up until the fold I and K is accomplished. This delightfully simple cap is now ready to be put on this is done by in- serting the head into the cavity made at I and K, as shown in fig. 3 It is a very cosy substitute for the knitted Balaclava cap.
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Reason to Know.—" There goes a man with a very interesting history," said the bookseller's assistant. You don't say ?" said a waiting cus- tomer how do you know ?" I just sold it to him." Merely That.—Friend (at art exhibition) Is that gentleman an art critic, too ?—Art Clitic Merely That. —Friend (at art exhibition) Is that gentleman an art critic, too ?—Art Clitic No, he's only an artist.
MUSIC IN WALES.
MUSIC IN WALES. BY D. EMLYN EVANS. WELSH FOLK SONG LEGENDS.. Tradition or legend may M, and undoubtedly is a flimsy basis npon which to build anything very substantial still egendary lore is not only entertaining, but often instructing also, if the necessary condition is observed to draw. the line between fiction and fact. One may, for instance, peruse the story of both the Arthur of history and the Arthur of romance with pleasure and pfofit, subject to the proviso just mentioned otherwise the result would scarcely be%atisfac- tory. And not dissimilarly with some of the traditional stories that have gathered around certain of our old national &irs. Their attrac- tiveness is such that one would not willingly wish their being demolished—as legends pure and simple. It is when the charlatan comes upon the scene and proceeds to attack them as authen- ticated history that less amiable feelings may possibly be aroused. The material at our hand is not very exten- sive, and is often but scrappy. Though we are in the home of the Mabinogion and the Tylwyth Teg, other influences have been at work, and have probably driven many a legend, fairy and otherwise, with other old wives' fables into oblivion, but leaving on record an example here and there, although it may be but in a dilapidated condi- tion. One of these stories is in connection with the three Welsh melodies known as "Pfarwol Die y Pibydd (Piper), Ffarwel Twm Bach," and Ffarwel Ned Paw." As one form of the narrative goes, Die, Twm, and Ned were seen entering a cave, the former playing a Ante while his companions carried lights. Soon the tune changed, Twm now being performer, he in his turn being followed by Ned with yet another melody, the sounds getting fainter and fainter as the players proceeded on their way. Neither of the three ever returned, but their memory sur- vives in the above Farewells," which were the airs played upon the occasion. The following version of the same tale, made none the less readable by its occasional Ranter- ing tone, is by Edward Llwyù, from the Cam- brian Journal," 1859 :—" I will leave these taJes aside whilst I go as far as the Ogo Ddu (the Black Cave), which is in the immediate vicinity of Crigcieth, and into which the musicians en- tered so far that they lost their way back. One of them was heard to play on his pipe, and an- other on his horn, about two miles from where they went in, and the place where the piper was heard was called Braich y Bib, and where the man with the horn was heard is called Braich y Comor. I do not believe that a single man doubts but that this is all true, and I know not how the airs called 1 Ffarwel Die y Pibydd (Die the Piper's Farewell) and Ffarwel Dwm Bach (Little Tom's Farewell) had those names unless it was from the musicians above mentioned. Nor do I know that Ned Puw may not have been the third, and that the air called Ffarwel Ned Puw Ned Pngh's Fare- well) may not have been the last he played before going into the cave. I cannot warrant this to be true, as I have only heard it said by one man, and he merely held it as a supposition, which had been suggested by this air of Ffar- wel Die y Pibydd.' Gweirglodd y Telynopion. Mr John Bees furnishes ns with the next excerpt in his monthly-published Celtic Folk- lore — Where the Serw joins the Conway there is a cave to which tradition asserts that a harpist was once allured by the 4 Tylwyth Teg (Fairies). He was, of course, not seen afterwards, but the echo of the music made by him and them on their harps is still to be heard a little lower down, under the field called to this day Gweir- glodd y Telynorion (The Harpers' Meadow)." Before turning from Mr Rhys's entertaining volumes it may be stated that they also contain references to the point already mentioned in these columns connected with Clychau Aber- dyfi," viz., the numbers nn, dau, tri (one, two, three), etc. We there learn that the count- ing capabilities of fairyland went no further than five, im, dau, tre, pedwar, pump," and if a greater number were needed the same process of computation had to be repeated as required. We have no record of there having been any bells -church bells—at Abcrdovey, and the learned author of "Celtic Folklore "suggests a fairy origin to the allnsion in the celebrated song. He very rightly pooh-poohs the attempts made by some to change the title into Clychan Abertawe (Bells of Swansea) and "ClycMu Aberteifi (Bells of Cardigan) in order to get out of the difficulty-a fair instance as we can- not help thinking of that charlatanism which raises the ire of even the genial Oxford professor of Celtic. One of the best known of our national airs is Toriad y Dydd (The Dawn of Day), apropos of which Ceiriog in his Alawon Cymreig (Welsh airs) gives the following from Richard Llwyd :—" In Wales, as in other pastoral districts, the fairy tales are not yet erased from the traditional tab- let, and age seldom neglects to inform youth that if, on retiring to rest, the hearth is made clean, the floor swept, and the pails left full of water the fairies will come at midnight, con- tinue their revels till daybreak, sing the well- known strain of Toriad y Dydd,' leave a piece of money upon the hob, and disappear the suggosfcions of intellect and the precautions of prudence are easily discernable under this fic- tion a safety from fire in the neatness of the hearth a provision for its extinction in replen- ished pails and a motive to perseverance in the promised boon." The plaintive air which has come down to us as Toriad y Dydd is hardly fairylike in either key, texture, or sentiment; and although it is known that some of our old melodies, secular and sacred, have changed key or mode in the process of time this melody is not one where such a metamorphisni would be feasible. Apparently, however, Toriad y Dydd" was held in high esteem in fairy circles, and in a. well-written article in the current number of Cymru," though composed so far back as 1850, the author states that he had heard some people saying that they had heard the strains of Toriad y Dydd sung by the fairies, and which they rendered dancing merrily upon the dawning of the day in the East." What befel the poor wight who at any time permitted himself to approach too near to the magic circle during these high revels is a matter that does not concern us here. But as a rule, and as will have been seen, mortal eye saw him no more if in the course of years he returned to his kind— like Taanhauser from the Hill of Venus-it would be but as a sadder man. Our remaining notes on this subject—and which will be in other directions than those of fairies—must be held over for another occasion.
A SATURDAY SERMON.
A SATURDAY SERMON. Labour, a mighty magician, walks forth into a. region uninhabited and waste; he looks earnestly at the scene so quiet in its desolation; then, wav- ing his wonder-working wandvthose dreary valleys smile with golden harvests those barren moun- tain slopes are clothed with foliage; the furnace blazes, the anvil rings the busy wheels whirl round the town appears the mart of commerce, the hall of science, the temple of religion, rear high their lofty fronts a forest of masts, gay with varied pennons, rises from the harbour the quays are crowded with commercial spoils—the peaceful spoils which enrich both him who receives and him who yields repre- sentatives of far-off regions make it their resort Science enlists the elements of earth and heaven in its services Art, h making, clothes its strength with beauty Literature, new born, re- doubles and perpetuates its praise Civilisation smiles Liberty is glad Humanity rejoices Piety exults—for the voice of industry and glad- ness is heard on every hand. And who, con- templating such achievements, will deny that there is dignity in labour ? Rev. Newman Hall, D.D.
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How.—Old Gentleman Here, sir, how is it that I caught you kissing my daughter ?—The Lover By creeping in on us, sir. Limited to One.—Mrs Mulligan Poor Pat has had a leg amputated. 'Twas an explosion. — Mrs O'Ronrke Dear, dear. An' he is resigned to his fate ?—Mrs Mulligan His fate, it is ? Shore, be has only one.
Illustrated Fashions. 4.---
Illustrated Fashions. 4. Easter seems to have been the time for the majority of people to emerge from the outward signs of deep mourning into the lighter tones of maove and grey suited to half mourning. These delicate colours could have been worn some weeks previously, and would have been, I fancy, had it not been for the severe and wintry weather which prevailed, and also the indisput- able fact that many women having had to invest in a new black costume naturally enough wished to get a reasonable amount of wea-ront of it, and 80 continued to put it on when no longer de rigueor. Easter is always a season associated with joy and brightness, coming as it does as a forerunner of the warm days of summer which this year will be more than ever looked forward to with glad anticipation after the prolonged winter we have had. Violet in all tones, and grey in every variation of shade, are colours mnch in request at present, both in the world of dress and millinery. Mauve, however, is not a colour which should be adopted by anyone indiscrimi- nately, as it is only becoming to some, and but serves to accentuate in others a muddy com- plexion and lustreless hair. Therefore it is a point requiring personal careful consideration to determine whether or not to select this colour for our Spring toilette, as, naturally enough, thongh every girl aims at being fashionable and up-to- date in her dress, she a. the same time wishes to appear at her best. My sketch shows a pretty toque formed alone of swathings of accordion-pleated mauve chiffon arranged in folds over a wire frame and trimmed in front by an aigrette and jewelled buckle. There are also some vary charming models A Pretty Toque. I designed very much after the style illustrated. but expressed in crinkled silk, and in some instances altogether devoid of trimming save a doll gold buckle of considerable dimensions. The aigrette has always held its place as a favourite finish to a hat or toque, and this year the stiff upright military kind is the most favoured, while the long, waving, bird of paradise plumes are of no account at all, and viewed by the best milli- ners as demode. One of the most sensible depar- tures in the world of millinery is to be found in a small hat or toque of fancy straw, particularly well adapted to cycling or morning wear with a. tailor-made costume. This simple little cbapeau depends solely for trimming upon a smart bow made of the straw itself, and held in place by a buckle. The favourite colour of straw for such a hat is that soft becoming shade of brownish yellow usually termed burnt straw, with either a black or plain gold buckle. All the newest toques are wide and flat, thereby rendering it almost a necessity that the coiffure is dressed low at the back of the iiead. These is, however, almost a necessity that the coiffure is dressed low at the back of the iiead. These is, however, no set rule in regard to this arrangement of the hair, and the wisest plan is to be guided by whatever mode is most becoming to the face, and to keep steadily to such. There is one very great advnatage about the latest hat, and that lies in the fact that it may be pinched into any shape to suit any style of face. The French maiden finds the brim bent well down over the face the most becoming, while the English girl affects exactly the reverse, and arranges the front of her hat in an upward curve off the hair on the forehead. Most of the smartest hats of the moment have their brims lined either with chiffon or tulle tucked or gathered, while others again ha.e one of these diaphonons materials arranged in a series of puffs, separated by lines of narrow A Shepherdess Bow. j black velvet ribbon. A pretty lining greatly enhances the charming curves and soft colouring of a pretty face, and the general effect to any face whatever is softening and becoming. The upward tilt at the side is still a prominent feature of every description of millinery, as it gives a style otherwise unpro- curable. The bandeau which rests on the hair is concealed from view usually by clusters of roses and leaves, or by large chouxof chiffon or ribbon. An exceedingly pretty hat I recently saw was of black velvet, with the brim lined inside with closely-packed tiny pink roses, while another, of the same style, had violets instead. The draw- ing is devoted to portraying the charms of a Shepherdess bow, with the ends falling on the hair behind. This style is very much worn at Eresent, and ie extremely becoming to a certain ind of face, but necessitates, of course, that the coiffure should not be dressed low. There are some very smart little cloth toques much en evidence with plainly-made tailor cos- tumes, and pretty colours thrust through with one or two black or white quills, or finished by a large bunch of Parma violets, are the styles I most to bo recommended in these. Floral hats and toques will be much in request later on, while the hat composed entirely of foliage is very chic. Sometimes in the case of the former the brim is entirely lined with rose petals, shad'o from cream to cheap pink. A Silk Fat. I The illustration shows a pretty, kilted silk j hat, something similar in design to those which The illustration shows a pretty, kilted silk hat, something similar in design to those which last season expressed in muslin were so popular. It is made of a light shade of violet silk, and trimmed by a scarf of lace arranged in a careless bow in front. COQUETTE.
Welsh Tit-Bits. "----
Welsh Tit-Bits. Ticyn o Dipynau Cymreig, I By CADRAWB. lolo Morganwg's Dream. One night lolo had been sleeping aa nstul is his chair (he for many years was troubled witk asthma, and could not lie in bed), when he thought he was awake, and on a sudden beheld three females standing before him, one of whom bad a sort of mantle thrown over her head. He gazed at them with some curiosity, and was con- sidering who they were and why they stood there, when one of the figures dropped down covered I with blood, and at the same instant a load report like that of a gun startled hirx, and he awoke. He conld not go to sleep again, so went ont to walk off his n a com fort able feelings. First he walk off his nncomfortabie feelings. First he went to Cowbridge, and then thought he would go some miles further, to a. farm house where he had heard one of the inmates was ill. Arrived at the house, be found the family at breakfast* He was at once struck with the resemblance of three females in the sompany—particularly one, who being an invalid wore a large shawl over her head—to the figures which he had so recently seen in his dream. A young man of the family, who had been out with the gun, entered the apartment, and placed the gun on the table whilst he took off his snot belt. The muzzle of the gun pointed directly at one of the young women. At once the full force of his dream came to his mind, and he entreated the young man to remove the gun. The yonng man did so, remarking that he was careless in placing it where it was as the lock was a very ticklish one." The conclusion the old bard came to was that he had been directed through his dream to visit I this particular family on this particular morning to prevent a most serious accident. Origin of Church Ales. Church ales were derived from the Agapaa of the early Christians, and were so named from the churchwardens buying and laying in a large quantity of malt, which they brewed into beer and sold out in the church or churchyard. The profits, as well as those derived from the games, were given to the poor, there being no poor-rates at that time. Account of an Old Welsh Colliery, In the Philosophical Transactions," vol. xii., p. 895, is seen a most interesting article sent to that excellent journal by Mr Roger Mostyn^ of the Inner Temple London, dated <j £ arch 31st, 1677. The paper is of considerable length, and of much value to the Welsh historian. It is full of vigour in its description of a coal mine in operation two hundred and more years ago, and one feels, by reading the article, a wish to thank the writer for his minuteness of detail. We can only afford space for short extracts which must serve as a specimen of the whole:— "The cole work at Mostyn lies in a large parcel of woodland that from the countries side which lies to the south hath a great fall to the seaside, which is direct north. The pits sunk af the seaside be some sixty, some fifty, and the ebbest forty yards under the level of the sea. In driving a witchet, after they had gone a con- siderable way under ground, and were scanted of wind did (the damp) little by little begin to breed. This was the first knowledge of it in this work, which the workmen made but « sport of and so partly neglected it till it had gotten some strength, which upon the morning the first collier that went down going forward in the witchet with his candle in his hand, the damp darted out violently at his candle, that it struck the man clean down, singed all his hair, and disabled him from working a while after" Some other small warnings it gave. and so they resolved to emplby a man of purpose more resolute than the rest to chase it from place tp place, and so to weaken it. His usual manner wap to put on the worst rags he had and to wet them with water, and as soon as he came within th« sign of it then he fell grovelling down on bin belly and went so forward, holding in one hand a long wand or pole, at the end whereof he tied;' candles burning. Then the damp would fly at them, and if it missed putting them ouft would quench itself with a blast, leaving an ill- scented smoke behind it. This was the fiv< yards cole.' They had discovered a seam ov reach of cole, yards thick at a depth of H, yards. Finding that things would not allay it. they adventured to bind some candles at a hook hanging at the rope's end that was used up and down the pit. When they had lowered these down a little way into the shaft of the pit, up comes the damp in a full body, blows out the candles, disperseth itself about the eye of the pit, and burnetii a great part of the men's hair, beards, and clothes, and striked down one of them, in the meantime making a noise like thr roaring of a bull, but lowder, and in the end leaving a smell behind it worse than of a carrion. Upon this discouragement the meIl came up; after this the water that came up at the otheft pit was found to be blood-warm, if not warmer. and the crevices of the rocks where thtf damp kept were all about fire-red Candlemas Daj following." Then we have a further account of the subsar quent working of this same pit, which resulted it a terrific explosion, very strikingly related, whiclJ happened on the 3rd day of February, 1675- We may inform our readers that the information about the strange phenomena and curions effect; in coal mining at this period was obtained by Mr Mostyn from his father's agent. < We find that in coal pits in the neighbonrhood oflhe Mendip Hills, early in the 18th century, firI, damps almost continually happened, and great numbers being killed by it. The pits wert worked notwithstanding, only using the precau- tion of renewing their air very quickly,and using candles with one wick only, and these candles or sixty or seventy to the pound, taking ca.r. of using the light far behind them, and nevee presenting the candle to the breast of the work. When any person was burnt, and that occurred very often in those days, they instantly went ta where there was a good fire, and sending for r qrantity of cow's milk bathed the burnt places with this while warm. The word damp," whicJ1* is very familiar to us in Sonth Wales, signifies vapour and exhalation. Curious Old Welsh Hymns. I have received a few more this week, from. Rev. Garibaldi Thomas, Ferryside, which I hvn £ pleasure in adding to those already given in tht,, column. I only hope that more will follow, as (t- have a strong idea that quite allnmber exist. 0, Graig yr Oesoedd, cadarn yw, Lie caf l galch tra byddaf byw; Os dal tyniadwr mwnci pren. Mi af a llwyth i'r lan ïr nen. In a hymnbook published at Aberystwyth, it.: 1811, the following may be found, which we/; much in evidence the early part of last century: Yn wir fe fydd hon Yn ddncien hardd Ion, Mewn mantell cyfiawnder yn byw; Yn eistedd i lawr Mewn cadair wen fawr, Yn ochr ei Brenin a'i Dnw. Mr Thomas says that he heard the foUowiftf hymn by Benjamin Francis being given ont afc i prayer meeting :— 0, caned gweision Duw Yr udgorn arian mawr, Gan ddwyn i bawb sy'n byw Rhagorol newi'n awr Blwyddyn y Jiwbili a ddaeth Ceir rhyddid ci i ened catli. lu the Traethodydd," for tho year 1850, a write declares that some persons had made the follow- ing important changes in the well-known hyaar of Dr. Watts, which was translated hv Davit Jones o Gayo:— Melus "fiW dydd 1 Sabbath Bon, Na flined gofal byd mo m bron Ond boed fy nghaten i mewn hwyl Fel telyn Dafydd f>v yr wyl. This is bow it was improved upon in the last t. lines :— Ond boed fy ngfcaJteti ¡-r pryu hyn Fel Dafydd gynt a'i violm. Also:—- Ond boed fy nghalos nidd'e, diddle, Fel Dafyda bach yn cana'r fiddle.
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Seif-Evident.—Lawyer (to burglar cEeulh Now, tell me honestly, did yen rob that house > Barglar (in disgust) Of course I did. Do yet s'pose I should be able to engage yer if I hadn t S In Explanation. — Little George (to debj collector) Father isn't in, bnt he told me to aoi you to call to-morrow.—Collector He will be af home then, will he ?—George No, sir he'll be out. That's why he tcid me to tell you to cab then.