The Cardiff Times

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WORKMEN'S TOPICS. BY MABON, M.P. LABOUR'S RECORD, According to the report issued by the Board of Trade the year 1900 witnessed-a, record in the Wages of labour. Confining itself to the industries for which obtainable trustworthy reports are possible, the Board of Trade find that no fewer than 1,112,684 workpeople, or somewhere about One-seventh of the whole number employed, re- ceived advances during the year amounting to M2,000 per week only 23,010 sustained de. treases to the unimportant amount, compara- tively speaking, of £ 2,800 a week. The net weekly rise of £ 209,000 compares with £91000 in 1S99, and XU,000 in 1898. Daring the year in question an increase in the miners' wages accounts for the larger amount of he general increase. These rose on an average nearly 4s 5d per week for each individual, and accounted for £ 168.000, or 80 per cent. of the toftd weekly increase of wages. The total sum disbursed in the increase of wages for the year is placed at £ 6,000,000. Towards the end of the 1ea.r that period seems to have ended, for during the first half of 1901 a fall of nearly £ 30,000 a week is noticeable. Of the above-named six millions it is estimated that 14,865,000 went to She mining and quarrying industry account. Briefly put, the following table shows which trades received the greatest increases Weekly aver- age iDcrease Total increase* per head of or tdecrease total number per week. employed. £ 8. d. REulng and Quarrying 168,362- 3 IOYA- Metal. Enpueermg, and Shipbuilding16,285* .———— 0 5 Binlding Trades 6,640* 0 2* Textile Trifles 6,010* 0 I7. Agricultural Labour -n 3,939* 0 1%4 Railway Servants 4.503t 0 2^t Seamen (A.B.'s and Fire. men) 38t 0 0V4* Other Trades- 12.C76* 0 0%* Out of every 100 persons whose wages were I changed only five were concerned with strikes and lock-outs. The changes preceded by strikel in 1900 were mainly in the building and pottery trades. Last year the aggregate reduction of working hours was also very great. This is ac- counted for by the change affecting 26,500 coal miners in Lanarkshire, whose hours of labour Were reduced by 6 per cent. Of other changes the most important were a reduction of two and Ob half hours per week affecting 8,000 cabinet- 7makers in London, and a decrease of six hours in the weekly hours of 1,510 tramway employees of the London County Council. The above report shows that inlast year wages in this country were advanced by a net weekly rise of E209,000, a rise considerably more than twice that recorded for the previous year, and that showed an in- crease of 10 per cent. upon the rise recorded in 1898. Moreover, the advance was not a fictitious one. It gave a tolerably good average. The gain was distributed among more than 1,100,OCO 1,)1 our workpeople. On the other hand., is this afterall not most fernaxkable and even distressing, that during one of the most progressive and prosperous years on record that only about one-seventh of our work- big population received any advance in their Wages at all, and even daring that same year we have to set against the rises somewhere ab t 23,000 that have received reduction in t r Sarnings ? The Sudden Jump in Wages IL8 compared with the steadier rises in 1898 and 1899 is of too striking a character to be dis- counted as obviously abnormal, and I daresay that no smaJl number will be greatly surprised to find that an ebb in that prosperous tide has already set in. Towards the end of the year there C8.1ne unmistakable signs that the boom was at an end. And during the first half of the present Tear there has been already a decline of XW,000 per week, though as yet, of course a. notable improvement is left npon 1899. No doubt the economic effect of the war contributed largely to the rise in wages, partly by reducing the number of workers in several trades, and partly by creat- ing or enormously increasing the business in tntdes concerned with war supplies. And it was toot without considerable effect on trades such as taining, which are more or less directly connected with them. And the great arrears of work left by the engineers* strike may have had & promi- nent share in making the. increase of wages pos- sible. In some respects the f genera,1 public may have not regarded the forementioned rise in the wages of the workmen with lamixed satisfaction. seeing that the mining and quarrying trades are responsible for so much of the] increase, there are a number of people who think the price which they have to pay for their coals is not uncon- nected with the fact. The consumer that had to pay the price as a rule comes down heavily on the colliery workers for the share that they have had in the matter, always forgetting that the ooor collier gets but a very small share indeed In the spoils of highiprices. This is more carious still when we consider the loud complaints made by our railway companies as to their wages bills ,Continually swelling, and at the same time the reports are recording a diminution, though not Very great yet, it is true, in the weekly wages fiaid to railway servants. But on the whole one mustTadmit that these statistics of steady increase of prosperity arc on g the working classes which they mark out, notwithstanding the small reductions that are made, are matter for hearty congratulations and Satisfaction. Again, another matter of great satisfaction is that in only 5 per cent. of the cases of change, fcither upwards or downwards, had there been a strike or a lockout. This is, indeed, a remarkable fact, and one heartily Wishes and trusts that both employer and employee will benefit by the fact; and to me it tends to show that a steady evolution of the modern conditions that one'untiringly'.endeavours to urge, is certainly, though slowly. taking place It is also an unmistakeable sign that these. %vise conditions—the spirit of friendliness and conciliation that seemingly is again recurring between employers and their workmen and between each and the respective representatives of the other—will do more for the advancement tlf general prosperity and comfort than any rash attempts at short-cut revolutions by industrial Warfare, and which is not only disastrously Expensive at the time, but, generally speaking, though there may be exceptions, of very little good to anybody in the end. The Trades Union Congress. One has already seen enough of this great Congress to learn and feel that one case that puts in the shade every [other in the Trades Union Movement at the present moment is the remark- able decision oftthe Law Lords given in con- nection with the Tall Vale picketing case on 3aly 22nd. During the last 30 years large sums of money have been spent and the deepest interest taken by Trades Unions with the object of keeping intact and safeguarding Trades Union funds especially has this been the case with the larger Unions. They feel the blow extremely, tntlch more so than their silence upon the matter bop till now justified one in thinking. All the lde:r Trades Union leaders that I have yet been "ble to see in Swansea, like myself, hold that the tOQ object and intention of the Trades Union Act was to give the fullest protection to these frtnds. This view has been held also by such trJen as Frederic Harrison, the late Mr Mundella, Crompton, Mr Justice Wright, Mr George Lowell, and also the present Master of the Rolls, "lid. strongly holding this opinion, it naturally llrne as a great surprise when the decision of the Law Lords was announced, upsetting as it did all the previous and weU-thought-out decisions given In the Law Courts upon this technical, yet im- Portarit, point of law. The judgment given in casein, in the opinion of all the older leaders, o important ajid far-reaching in its effects on the Trades Union ponition and Trades Union a.tion that no store should be left unturned to ^eixjstnd legislation concerning it, and restoring tbe law to its anginal position.

,N:0 Wcddiag Preln.de.—Little Boy ? 1 say. savs you are going to take sister away. ^Saged Voting Man (soon to be married) Yes; lt1. a few weeks she's coining to my home 5 and tny tUBnma and papa will be her DJltmma. and See?—Little Boy: I eoe. Then shell yotir sister same of she was mino. But, I y, don't you do anything she doesn't like for u you. do, she'll bang you about awfully when mamma aud papa ain' t looking, >

Illustrated Fashions. At this particular season of the year everyone seems to be more or less on the move, whether on business or p leasura bent, and consequently one's wardrobe is a matter for most serious considera- tion. The days are now long reckoned among the annals of the past when the English women were noted for the shabbiness and unbecoming nature of their toilette when travelling, for with the advance of time ha scome a. corresponding stride in sartorial affairs with the result that many and exceedingly smart are the gowns to be encountered en route for the various watering places. Of course there aro some mistaken indi- viduals who will persist in appearing in finery from which all beauty is long since gone, and which acts as a somewhat depressing influence on all beholders. It must be confessed that in such instances the sense of ridicule possessed by most people gets full play, and many a weary wait of an hoar at one of the large railway ter- mini is beguiled by the entertainment obtained from the passengers who, in every-vaxiety of garb, hurry and scmry to and fro on the various plat- forms. • A Travelling Gown. J There is nothing so really satisfactory for travelling as a gown of ruddy brown homespun with a supicion of red in the flecks, made very simply so far as the costume is concerned, with a bright red leather belt and a red quill thrust through the trimming of a becoming felt hat. This charming tout ensemble has its advantages displayed in my illustration, one notable point of such a toilette depending on the fact that the bodice can be opened or even abandoned if neces- sary, should the day prove sultry and hot. There is this season an almost unlimited choice among the short or long cloaks, or the innumerable styles of long loose coats which are fashionable. These vary from the loose three- quarter coat of rainproof covert coating to the more elaborate and lengthy garments which, for the most part, show incrustations of lace some. where or other in their construction. There is a delightful fabric called mousseline taffettawhich is notably adapted for travelling wraps, as it is light and not easily crushed—two advantages not to be easily ignored for sojourn abroad. It is, perhaps not heavy enough for the require. ments of those who feel any atmospheric change readily, and for all such there is nothing to beat a. light all-wool fabric. Most of the newest I A Motor Coat. capes ajfld coats are made with Capuchin hoods, while a few others show a series of cape-like cellars round the shoulders. Many of the leaders of fashion have become enthusiastic motorists, and therefore there are innumerable coats de- signed for their comfort, and to cover a dainty toilette from the disastrous effects of a ride on a motor-car. A smart coat of this description is here depicted, made-of dust-coloured taffetta, the triple collars being each and all adorned with incrustations of lace of the exact tint of the material itself. It is utter folly to exploit a motor toilette in any shade save that of the dust which flies in clouds over the rapidly-moving carriage and obliges its inmates to adopt the hideous masks which one encounters every day. For such purposes nothing beats the various tones of deep cream, putty colour, or some shades of grey, as they show dust least, whereas a. dabrk coat becomes whitened in a very short time indeed. An item of a motor costnmo, the advantages of which were at once apparent to a Frenchwoman and have now been grasped by the most enlightened Englishwoman, consists of a white or grey veil tied round and almost cover- ing the hat, the ends being brought round again and tied in a big bow under the chin. This adds greatly to the neatness and pittrresqueness of the appearance. It is a fact particularly compli- mentary to us as a nation that the leading French tailors seek their inspirations from this side of the Channel, and English tailoring has made a name and a mark for itself among the French leaders of fashion. For outdoor sports a loose hanging cape of frieze or tweed has not its equal, and the one sketched here is of a style which has long received its due meed of appreciation from the athletic I A Useful Cape. f maiden of to-day, and notably the gtflfhig girl. It is no constructed as to allow free movement; of the arms, while the loosely-draped hood, lined with a contrasting material, ran be pulled over I the head and hat likewise should the weather prove showery. An exceedingly fashionable tra- I velling wrol) is the Newmarket or long sac- shaped coat, which provides the wearer = eagily- put-on garment, which keeps the whole body I warm and comfortable. Some of the up-to-date girls provide themselves with a toilette suited and restricted to each individual sport, though the purse of the ordinary everyday girl cannot withstand such a severe straiu as this involves, COQUETTE.

MUSIC IN WALES. t' BY D, EMLYN EVANS, THE MUSIC AND MUSICAlINSTRU. MENTS OF THE CYMRY, n. We-are indebted for our first printed collec- tion of Welsh airs to Blind Parry of Ruabon, who pablished.his Antient British Music in 1742, an which contained but 24 numbers. Other volumes by him followed, as also by Edward JonesBarddy Brenin), John Parry (Bardd Alaw), Miss Williams, Aberpergum, and others, and lastly, in our own days by our friend and neigh- bour, the late Mr Nicholas Bennett, -who had spent many years in a labour of love, gathering together the old melodies scattered about the country, and of which a selection of 500 was made for his" Alawon îy Ngwlad" (The Lays of my Land) so that we have now some 1,200 Welsh airs published, all told—rather more than less, if I remember well. It would not be possible for me now, and this would hardly be the proper place, to essay a minute description of our stock of national folk song. The more characteristic lines of our old melodies are sufficiently known not only to Welsh musicians, but to every intelligent and patriotic Welshman in any way acquainted with music. Their merits are acknowledged by all musical critics, and we know that no nation can show their superior at any rate—at least some-of us know a remark prompted by the fact that none have been, and are to a certain extent more blind and deaf to their many beauties than some of our own people. Fortunately, there aro signs that the state of things in this dhection is im- proving, and we may now hope that our old melodies will be heard oftener in our schools and homes in the years coming than they have been- for too long a period in tho past. I do not intend to deal specially with pen- nillion singing here it is a subject which stands apart, and a complex, which includes singing, poetry, and harp-playing, and one which would require an independent paper to itself to do it.- justice. We may fairly assume that the style is very ancient, and it partakes to a considerable degree of the recitative form which I have pre- viously alluded to. I cannot find that it has had any particular influence upon our vocal song, nor our musical forms, but nevertheless in its connection with the harp—and there is not much hwyl with pennillion singing unless with the strings-it is a form that we should cultivate and perpetuate. I began my remarks with secular musio, not because I am of opinion that it should have precedence over the sacred branch, nor that I think that the former can claim priority in point of time—of necessity but because thesnm and substance of what we have in old sacred .music, or that we know concerning it, is, practically- nought. And in our whole musical history there is nothing to me more inexplicable than this. Leaving the Druids on one side, it is difficult to imagine what could have become of the music that undoubtedly must have been sung at our numerous churches when Christianity came to the land, and afterwards and if it was Latin, or Roman, it is extraordinary that some of it- should not have taken root and-iemamed here. We have seen that theCymry were a musical people from early times, and that they possessed musical instruments of the highest stage in musical development-instruments of string. Giraldns informs us that they entertained visitors with the harp, an instrument found in the houses generally and that they sang-in parts—in har- mony, and which, of coarse, was more-artistic, and denoted a higher degree of culture than the unisonal singing which prevailed amongst other nations. Thieory also ("Horm&a Conquest") states that the Welsh of the time of Llewelyn ap lorwerth (end of the 12th century), were the, most civilised and cultured people of that age. There-is a close connection between secnlar and sacred music in the history of nations, and it will be found as a. rule that both go together hand-in-hand, either to snccess or failure. And the same fact is to be deduced from a people's generrJ culture. Nevertheless, history is mute on this particular phase of our national life, and evidence there i3 none. In his Cywydd to Morfudd, beginning Y ferch dan yr aur N athrloyw,M ;„. Daiydd ab Gwilym alludes to her Yn gwrando ar Salm Balchnor, Yn nghor Bangor Ddeiniol ddor and the editors of the poet's works (Foulke3, Liverpool, edition), true to their kind, state that Balchnor was the 11 name of some eminent com- poser of sacred music," and out of this some writers—similarly true—have evolved a pretty little story concerning church music at that time. There is no record whatever, so far as I know, of any Balchnor, celebrated or otherwise, as a composer of any music, sacred or secular. Psalms are not necessarily sung, and the word choir has various meanings in matters eccle- siastical alone it may mean a body of singers, a particular part of the edifice, or a pew. But all this only exemplifies further the vagaries which one comes across in these matters. The first instance of published Welsh sacred music to be met with, I believe, is in Edmund Prys' Book of Psalms (" Llyfr Salmau Edmwnd Prys "), 1621. This contains the melodies only, and included in the number is the well-known common-metre tune St. Mary it is found here first, and with Ieuan Gwyllt—the ablest musical writer we have hitherto produced-I think we can lay claim to this brand saved from the bdrning at least as ours, although our English friends have at various times attributed itscomposition to Rathiel, Croft, Blowand others born many years after 1621. This grand old tune also partakes largely of what I consider the characteristics of the true Welsh style (" Arddull Gymreig "); combining the majestic and the sympathetic, and that ruggedness which is more or less a trait of the Celtic spirit, and of the land y mae rhyw arddunolrwydd yn uthredd ei chreigiau (which has sublimity in the awful- ness of its craggy mountains). I look with some affectionate sadness upon this old melody, as the only one preserved to us from the wreck; tier sisters, and which very possibly were as beautiful as 3he, swept away into oblivion. Although Cromwell himself was partial to music, and his soldiers given to the singing of psalms, his partisans as a body looked upon music as simply a part of that ultra- ritualism which they condemned and hated; whilst the Stuarts could scarcely take sacred music in connection with the sanctuary itself seriously, bnt merely as contributory to personal pleasure and amusement. As for the Georges, they cared not as a rule for music of any kind, -10. '1 -I _1.k__1- ill.. especially J^ntisa music auu Ð>H.LlUugn *• trech gwlad nag Arglwydd" (stronger people than Lord), royalty possesses much influence-as an example of which, in music as in other matters, one needs go no further than our late Queen, the venerated Victoria. Wales especially was in a hapless position, and one unfavourable to the development of sacred praise, as the Established Church, ruled by English bishops and dominated 1 by an English clergy and an Anglicising policy, was utterly neglectful of its dnties-and its opportunities whilst the great body of Noncon- formists, if not openly hostile, looked coldly upon music as a part of the religious service and even the great awakening "—the Method- ist revival-did but little for us in this direc- tion in any case, directly. However, the dawn of better days broke towards the middle of the 18th century, or in the course of its latter half, with the advent of John Wil- liams, Dolgelly; John Ellis, Llanrwst; D. Jenkin Morgan, Llechrydd, Cardiganshire, and others their contemporaries, or near successors. Probably it is to this period that wa may trace the majority of the fine old chorales that are Bllt] amongst us to-day, and which retain their flavour undiminished. Connected with another period, more rscent and flighty, ara those often imported productions, such as Diadem," Lingam," and their like, and it is a. libel upon the country and its music, to exhibit aueh as examples of the Welsh style." lint to draw towards the close. We have seen that tbe nation was in early possession of the harp. The next instrument of importance was the crwtb, the highest form of which possessed six strings—four to be played by the now, and two by the fingers. As wa have also seen, the country declined to adopt the bag-pipes and the pib-gorn (hornpipe) was simply a pastoral instrument. The three ascending stages in the musical development of a people are :— 1st.—Instruments of percussion, such as the drum, &c. Probably otir ancestors had instru- ments of this class, although I have no informa- tion beaxtfla upon the point. tion beaxtfla upon the point. I 2nd.-Wind instruments, such as the horn. This the old Cywry possessed, but they used the horn chiefly for purposes of war, and for drinking. 3rd and highest.—Stringed instruments, with which I have already dealt; and I believe that we-Me indebted for much of the melodic flow and charm of our national music to the fact that our forefathers adopted such instruments as the harp and crwth, and resolutely turned their backs on the noisy and unmusical bag-pipe. Although we are overtaken in the deluge of ¡ pianos, organs, and harmonimns-all good and proper in their places—I yet hope we shall not lose hold of the one national instrument still in our possession—" Hen Delyn fy Ngwlad,"

THE HOUSEHOLD. If there is an amateur photographer In the house there is sure to be a great collection of odds and ends in the way of spoilt photographs, and the mounting and framing of these will form a dainty occupation for leisure hours. When suit- ably mounted they can be used as birthday cards, which need be but very small when compared to the small size photograph plate known as quarter-plate, and that is why imperfect prints, if unmounted, will serve the purpose well. a little piece cut from this or that photograph being all that we require. The first thing to do is to straighten out the prints if they are curled up. This can be down by spreading them face down- wards on the table and pressing the left hand end with the sharp smooth edge of a piece of glass, or the back of a table knife. Draw the print steadily upwards with the left hand, hold- ing the glass or knife firmly with the right. Next cut in a piece of brown paper a rectangular opening the exact size of the photographs you propose to employ on your cards, or if several sizes are to be used then cut two L shaped pieces like carpenters' squares. The use of the brown paper is to temporarily frame the little piece of photograph to be used, and so help in its selec- tion. The use of this will be seen by the accom- panying illustration, in which the paper frames are shown lying on the photographs. Having thus found the little view which suits you best, "'Frame for securing good portion of a spoilt j photograph. j run a line round it with the fine point of a lead pencil, then place the print on a clean sheet of glass face lipwar S. and cut the print along the pencilled line with a sharp pen-knife. Then pro- ceed to mount your picture by means of flour paste. Eschew all glues and gums, and choose as a mount a plain grey card. Some suitable words of greeting can be neatly printed-at the top or bottom of the mount in gold ink. A very excellent way of cooking a loin of mut- ton is the following :-Bone it, scatter over it a little pepper, salt, and pounded mace, setting it aside until the following day.^Then, after having pared off some of the fat, lay the jointon a. board, fat downwards, and beat it as you would a steak. Have some good hare stuffing ready, and spread a layer of it OVeT the meat. Then have a layer of sliced ham. Roll it up, bind tightly with tape, and sew- up the ends. Roast till about half cooked, and then let it drain free of fat. Place the meat in a saucepan with some gravy, and simmer it for one-and-a-half hours Dish the joint; take the fat off the gravy flavour with some hot sauce; thicken with a little butter tubbed into flour, and strain over the joint. A very pretty and useful cushion can be made of folded satin. You will require a quarter of a yard of pale blue satin, a quarter of a yard of cherry-coloured satin, one alnd R, lialf yards of silk cord, a reel of blue sewing cotton, some bran or wool for stuffing, and a piece of unbleached calico for the casing. Provided with these materials you can start your work. To begin with, the satin must be cut in strips the selvidge -way. two inches wide, and a quarter of a yard long. Each strip must be folded in the following manner First lengthways in half and crease open and fold edges to crease, and fold strip with edges inside. It is really best to make the creases with a bone flattener, such as is used for rubbing seams. The strip when folded will have both edges invisible, and will be half an inch in width. The work A Plaited Satin Cushion. cannot fray 'or get untidy if folded as directed, and what is more it can be turned when faded and used again. Then cut a square of brown paper, 9 by 9 inches, and pin the blue strip top ana bottom of the square. See that the folded edges all run the same way when fixing. Then interlace the cherry-coloured strips, passing them in with the double edges downwards, smoothing and pushing them up close each time. When finished it will have the appearance of the most exact patchwork of alternate coloured squares. When the interlacing has been done the edges must be tacked together and turned down half an inch, all the way round. Tack the square to a plain piece of satin of the same size sew on the wrong side, and with silk of the same colour. Then slip it over the calico, casing- which has been previously stuffed with bran, and sew over the seam the silk cord, making one or two twists at each corner. Tiny babies who have not much-hair should have a shawl or flannel over their heads when being carried along draughty passages. Later on when their heads are well covered with hair, it will do them good to run about without bats, excepting when the sun is very powerful. Cbildll who are accustomed to run about bare-headed, very seldom suffer from baldness in later life. If your nursery is at the top of the house, you should have the slates above it brushed over with a good thick coating of whitewash during the summer months; as it will keep the room far cooler than it otherwise would be. Ordinary cotton reels and an old slate frame do not sound a very happy combination, yet out of them can be made a most charming present for a child, namely, a doll's bedstead. Wash the frame and reels thoroughly in soda water, and when dry paint all with white enamel. Then drill quarter-inch pholes on all sides of the frame, about three-quarters of an inch apart. Take some red macrame ithread, tail's Bestead Made of Old Cotton Reels. and string in the centre, passing across from hole to hole, and then downwards in and out as you would darn. Having done this push a round stick through ths co-iner holes, allowing one third for the leg, and two thirds for the height. Gum or glne the reels together, thread therm on the sticks, and let tbe latter protrude from the top reels about three quarters of an inch. Slit each end, and into the" slits fasten the transverse-end ov reels to form the head of the bedstead. If you want your sewing nv.ehine to do satis- factory work, remember that it must be kept clean. After every twelve hours work, it needs oil, but all surplus oil must b&carefnlly wiped off afterwards. Always work it; steadily, and never start or stop it with a jerk. Olive oil or fresh butter rubbed immediately on to a. bruise will "prevent disfigurement and and swelling. If the bruise is very bad, a piece of raw meat (steak ior choice) should be laid upon it, and left for abont half-an-hour. STHEL. #

The Monkey House, the Snakes and Pythons, By C. J. CORNISH, F.Z.S., &c, (Author of Lifoat fhe Zoo." 0 Wild England of To-Day, Animals at Work andPlay," &c.) The monkeys ought to hold the same place in the world of beasts which the parrots do in the world of birds. Somehow they just seem to miss this. Some, like tho Capuchins and Diant monkeys, are really beautiful, but the greater number only succeed in being grotesque while though gifted, like the parrots, with powers of touch and taste superior to others of their kind, their brain seems to have gone wrong." The greater number are sham without [being clever, and in the end their lives are less satisfactory than those of far less gifted beasts. The baboon family should be excepted from this. They are more stable than the others, and equally gifted with brains, and, if their tempers were not so bad, might be made seful servants of man. At Uitenhage, one of the northern railway stations of Cape Colony, g, baboon was long employed to help shift the points." In the whole monkey honso there is only one family, the Capuchins, which can be thoroughly recommended to make pets of. The history and character of the rest can be judged by watching their ways. The only man the writer has ever met who seems able to like, understand, and control all monkeys is Carl Jungbluth, the head- keeper of the hose ut the Zoo. But he is gifted with a special insight into the minds of monkfiys and all animals. Monkey Ways, The inmates of the house die so frequently when the colds arret long of winter come on, that it is difficult to set clown with certainty that any animal referred to will be there at the reader's next visit.; ',butt the baboon should always be noted, and the curious apes of China and Japan, which live-ont of doors at the Zoo even in snowy weh a house at the back, and in some of the siá as are the beautiful little insect-eating monsfeyg of South America, the Marmosets, the jfltonirre#. Monkeys, and the Negro Tamarina, more like squirrels than monkeys -to their habits, and are quite as beautiful. In the Ape H-tose there is now a very large and ferocious chimpanzee. It is too savage to be allowed out in the large cage, and so strong that na keeper dare 'handle it. It spends most of its time in picking and stamp- ing like a refractory prisoner in the cells. It will stamp for an hour at A time, Only varying this amusement by stamping backwards against the eide of the cage instead of on the floor. Those who imagined' tbat all these large apes were as gentle as Sally" were rather surprised t, itg behaviour. Note also, in the larg<* i^monkcy house, the common lun^nr monkf rrojf India; the moustache monkeys, on which the" skin and parts of tbe hair are "powder blue the marmosets and any small South American species which the keeper happens to have at the time and if possible get leave to see the small lemurs and lorises, half-monkey, half-squirrel, and intensely noc- turnal, which are kept in the room at the back. Their fur is among the most beautiful in nature. Outside the house the big Tcheli monkey from Peking always expects a visit. He is certain to be in a bad temper, but is pleased to-see visitors, in order to show his contempt for other people. If one spectator pretends to beat or seize another the monkev instantly flings at them what he happens to have in his hand, or if he has no missile he hurls a handful of sawdust. There is a record, perfectly true, that a monkey, of one of the reckless, light-hearted varieties, dropped down in a dead faint on being suddenly confronted with a snake. Monkeys are among the common victims of:the great pythons, just as birds are of the smaller snakes. It is no bad plan when at the Zoo to make the journey straight from the monkeys, the most nimble and volatile, to the house whichjharbourethe lethargic, but irresistible and deadly serpents. A Dangerous Place. Here you may see them in all varieties, from the coiled python and sleeping anaconda, to the young brood of the poisonous puff adder, deadly little monsters no bigger round than a quill. There is more killing power in a few of these glass-fronted compartments than in the whole of the lion houses. The great constrictors, though not able to kill with a touch, can outswim the fish, outclimb tbe monkey, and crush a deer. No wonder that the greater part of the animal world holds them in such horror that they are either paralysed or fly before them. Ii the size of the snake was greater, and their appetite for food commensurate with their bulk. they would ba the scourge of the animal world. Happily neither is the case. They are not of gigantic size, their appetite for food is dull and intermittent, and though equipped with weapons of destruction to which creation offers no parallel, their presence or absence in a-country makes very little differ- ence to the daily comfort of animal life. They are interesting, the poisonous species perhaps the most of any. These, unlike most other snakes, are quickly roused to anger and excitement. When a non-poisonous snake would fly, the poisonous snake assumes an attitude-of defence, and sounds the alarum of battle. Ask the keeper to disturb the rattlesnakes. They are instantly in a tremor of excitement. Through the glass comes a noise, not in the least like that of a rattle, but like a hail of small shot on ala,88, or the rush of water in a hydraulic pipe. It IS the rattles," and if these are looked at the bony portions-comprising them will be seen to be m a state of such rapid vibration that the intensity of the sounu is easily accounted for. Noxt to the rattlesnakes, which are not as fatally poisonous as is sometmes believed, are the deadly snake par excellen^e-of the two continents —the cobras of India and of Africa. These are even more excitable than the rattlesnakes. A big yellow Indian cobra, W'th a purple mask painted on the back of his head, shaped like a door- knocker, and his hood ll spread, is one of the quickest and most voracioug of snakes. When I striking he is, of course, limited by the length of body which is raised erect above the coils, con- sequently he pecks" down wards. That is whv he so seldom injures the booted and gaitered European. The only. Indian snake which is steadily credited by natives with acting on the aggressive against man lies next to the cobras.. It is a cobra itself, but four times the size of the ordinary kind, the Kin? Cobra. Fortunately its chosen food is other snakes. it is the snake- eating snaka, and this one ljves on common- ringed enakes collected by an old adder- catcher in the New forest, the last of that very specialised profession. Lovers of Music, 1 It has been found by experiment that the sovereign remedy against snake poison is to eat that poison in small quantities, by which the system gradually acquires immunity. It is an interesting question whether by eating other poisonous snakes the^^mg Cobra has gained immunity from their bites. In making experi- ments on the Zoo cobras with music the writer found them more sensitive than any other reptile. They reared themselves erect in an instant when they heard the first touch of the bow on the strings of the violin. 7 "^0 a lively tune was played they swayed their heads from side to side and when: a sudden discord was struck started violently and spread their hoods altogether a curious sight not to be -orgotten, for the snakes could not see the performer, who was behind the cage in the passage, but exhibited these .signs of emotion solely by an" through the musical sounds they heard. The greater part of the side is occupied by the great constrictors. Physically they are more interesting than any snases. When the skin it shed theinagnificent" fcl°om on their scales, soft Iss that on a plum, vet coi checking a brilliant iridescence of blue and ccpjjeiy red. is one of the most beautiful examples oi animal colouration in the gardens. If by good luck one of these big snakes is in motion, climbing up one of the trees in the cage, the visitor sees the most perfect form of movement conceivable. The creature ■ flows upwards, or horizontally, as if by a mere effort of the will. Some parts are at rest, others in motion, the body expands or contracts in independent sections. The largest of the group is a reticulated python deposited by the Hon. I Walter Rothschild. This is rather longer than that which lived for 23 Yeaxs in the gardens, and 0 waaior the last IS months or more fed by hand by the keeper. It would swallow mechanically when the food was put into its month, but would not seize the ducks or rabbits given it. A certain difference of habit is noted in these great snakes seen at the Zoo. The boaa prefer to lie coiled up in their tree, like the old pictures of the serpent tempting Eve, while the anaconda of the Amazons lies dozing in the water. Probably this is the largest of all snakes. Whether there are gigantic specimens, say of 30 feet, has never been proved. but there is no reason why near a. great river like the Amazon, with abundance of food on its tanks, a-creature of the aquatic habits of the anaconda, and with probably a very long natural life, should not attain to dimensions impossible for snakes living mainly on dryland. All the really giant beasts are water beasts, beginning with the whales, and there is no reason why this water snake should not take after them. Curious Creatures. The deadly, pnff adder, the colour of dirty sand, the tiny horned cerastes, Cleopatra's Asp," and a number of very beautiful harmless snakes, mainly living in trees and feeding on rats, mice, and small birds, should be looked at on the side nearest the entrance. Norare the lizards and the extraordinary frogs and toads less interesting. The poisonou9 heloderm lizard with its fat body and short tail looks as if covered with bead-work of black and pink. The little sand-skinks which hide under the sand like flat fish the palm lizards, which eat cabbage till their stomachs are as round as a cricket ball, and go on eating hard at the bit in their mouth when you pick them up and the big monitor which eats eggs are among the best worth making the acquaintance of. The frogs, except a few select varieties, do not live in the snake honse. They are the dwellers on the threshold." The most curious of all is a fat, flabby, green frog.from Argentina, which buries itself in loose earth and looks like a little damp puddle covered with m *>ss and duckweed. It has an enormous month, and when a mouse or small duckling comes that way it just opens this and swallows it whole. The Surinam toad, of which the female carries its eggs as they are turning into toadlings, in cells on its back, and the little tree frogs are among the curiosities of the reptile house. There are few greater anomalies in nature than the fact that frogs, dwellers in the water and the marsh, should have adapted themselves to a life in trees, like squirrels or opossums, and have developed a special apparatus on the feet, not foT swimming, but for sticking to vertical surfaces like a fly. Next Week *~— "THE ZEBRAS, DEER, AND WILD SHEEP."

GARDEN AND FIELD. With Hints en Poultryand Stock, By COUNTRY COUSIN. Starting an Aquarium. One of the most interesting of all iriluobr ptirsuits is that of managing an aquarium, and in the following note will be found a few hints on starting a hobby of this kind. Pish are generally kept in glass globes, but this is one of the worst forms of aquarium. Such a recep- tacle not only distorts the appearance of the inmates—as all vessels having curved sides will do—but as the mouth is contracted, the surface of water exposed to the air is email, that is if the globe is more than half filled. The best form of aquarium is undoubtedly that made in the form of a box, with flat sides and ends as shown in the accompanying sketch. A very useful and suitable size for a tank is 24 inches long, .12 inches broad and 13 inches deep; in sach a vessel the water may be 10 inches in depth. Having obtained the aquarium, the first tirst proceeding will be to cover the bottom with about an inch of rather coarse sand, and over this lay about another inch or so of shingle. Next a few aquatic plants should be.added, such as water millfoil, the water crowfoot, and the anacharis. The latter plant is very free growing, and will bear rough treatment a deal better than some others. To give these things a. start, after planting them place three or four stones around them so as to keep their roots in position in the sand. Everything being in position, fill with water to about two or three inches of the top. and, if possible, stand the tank in a window facing the Gorth-east, where it cin obtain the morning sun for a short time only. When filling ¡' the tank be careful to disturb the shingle, etc., as little as possible. The fish should not be introduced until bright bubbles of oxygen appear upon the stalks of the plants, which will be in a week or so, and soon after this a green confer- void growth will appear on the glass. By this time the water will have become beautifully clear, when a. fevrfish may be introduced, care being taken not to overstock. A few water snails may be added, and will be found very useful, as they perform the duties of scavengers I CThe Best Form of Aquarium. and clear away the green growth from the sides of the aquarium, and from the stems of the plant?. By taking this precaution the water will net require changing for some time, only needing a little added now and again to make up for that lost by evaporation. Regarding feeding, give a little vermicelli now and then broken very small, and occasionally a tiny worm or two, or a few ants' eggs, Lean beef dried (not cooked) shredded very fine is an excellent food for fish, as also are lambs' lungs dried and grated to a fine powder. With the above manage- ment the amateur will find his fish continue healthy and the aquarium success. Profitable Fruit Trees.-It. Following up-our notes on the above subiect, this week we will commence with pears. These are far more difficult things to give advice about than apples, in consequence of their being less reliable they have a shorter season, and, as one cannot always rely upon their keeping pro- perties, are naturally less profitable. Many may grow cooking kinds with advantage, as they find a ready sale and often crop freely. We give the names of the following dozen for dessert in their order of ripening, and selected for size and free-bearing :—Souvenir du Congres, Williams' Bon Chretien. Conference, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Durondeau, Pitmaston Duchess, Emile d' Heyst, Beurre Diel (if the soil is good), Dovenne dn Cornice, Josephine de Malines, Nouvelle Fulvie, and Easter Beurre. The best kinds for stewing are Grosse Calobasse, Verulam, Uvedale's St. Germa-in,. aud Catillac. Such varieties as Louise Bonne, Bon Cbretian, Pitmas- ton Duchess, Durondeau, Conference, and most of those named, thrive well either as bushes or pyramids. We would not advise our readers to grow pears on standard trees. With regard to peaches and nectarines, these arc very profitable if there are warm walls, and in certain locali- ties, so also are apricots. Both early and late fruits are in demand. Three profitable early peaches are Early Alexander, Hale's Early, and Dr. flagg. For mid-season choose Crimson Galande, Dymonde, and Sea Eagle, while for late supplies Bellegarde, Barrington, and Prin- cess of Wales are about the best. The best nectarines are River's Early, Pineapple, Lord Napier, and Humboldt. If apricots can be grown successfully, Laige Early and Hemskirk are, as a rule. reliable but unless the amateur is sure of their doing well, we would not advise their culture. If certain kinds of plums are grown they are a profitable crop. Early Orleans. Early Prolific, Victoria, Belgian Purple, Grand Duke and Jefferson are the best, either as pyra- mids, bushes or standards. If room can be spared the damson should certainly find a place the best croppers are th Crittenden (ind the Shropshire. Poultry A Remedy for Egg-eating. Probably every poultry-keeper has, experi- enced at some time or another the annoyance and loss brought about by hens eating their eggs. In a great many cases this is due to careless- ness, as often broken-up egg-shells are given to the fowls insteajd of lime or oyster-shells. When f.. Sket-cb of a Nest-box. this is the case the birds quickly acquire a posi- tive taste for eggs, and is very often productive of a habit which: is proof; against alnmst, every possible form of cure. If the hens addicted to the practice are not over valuable, it will be much the better plan to kill them straight off than to go to any trouble and expense about I them, but if .they.are of any-value and cannot well be'spared," the following plan, which we 1 have seennsed with a considerable amount of success, will prove an invariable remedy. The nest-box is made as shown in the accompanying illustration. On locking at the sketch it will be seen that the nest-box is fitted with a sloping board, A.B," which is covered with a piece of old carpet or felt. When the, egg is laid it I rolls down, and is directed by the board C.D. which is also covered with carpet or felt, to the bottom"* of the nest-box; here it is quite safe, as it is impossible for the hen to reach it. Another great point in favour-of this system is I that the eggs are always in a perfectly clean state. If this remedy is adopted in the case of prize birds? whose eggs are required for hatching purposes, it will be mnch the better plan to have a piece of caJivaa stretched in the corner at C.D. instead of a board. ft this is done-au- danger of impairing the vitality of the eggs by a sudden shock will be effectaally prevented. It will be a very simple matter to fix a nest- egg all that need be done is to first cut a little hollow in the board A.B." to receive it, and' then a little cement will prevent it rolling down into the bottom of the box. Although this method may sound cumbersome, it is really very simple, ana anyone handy with carpenter's tools can-a quickly fit up a. range of nests, while the results, if any egg-eating hens are about, willi quite justify the-ntra. trouble and expense, 1 Gardening Terms and their Explana- tions. Continuing our notes-on this subject we come to II Pruning." In its best meaning this is the thinning of "branches of fruit trees and bushes, so as to permit of the fruit attaining good size and good quality, When carried out in this manner it is useful, but in many cases when performed by thoughtless or ignorant persons, it means simply mutilating the tree without any proper aim or understanding. Taking the ma- jority of our hardy fruits the bestkindof pruning is the thinning of the shoots rather than the shortening back and pinching, but in theeaseof trees trained on wails it is absolutely necessary to prune correctly, in order to develope and preserve the best fruiting wood in the position in which it is required. Generally speaking, it is a mistake to pmne evergreen and other ornamental trees, as they would be much better let alone. The small shallow baskets in which small fruits such as mulberries, strawberries, and raspberries are sent to market in are termed "Punnets." They are-also used for vegetables such as radishes, seakale, saladings, etc. When fruit trees, bushes, etc., are planted in three rows, so that the trees or bashes in the middle row occupy the centre of the vacant spaces be- tweed,those:in the outer rows, in this manner;- they are said to ba planted Qainchns fashion. "Raceme" is a spike with stalked flowers examples may be seen in the flowers of wistaria, laburnam, etc. M Retarding," as its name implies, means the reverse of forcing, and consists in checking or arresting the growth of plants, in order to make them flower or fruit later than they would naturally do. This prac- tice is frequently resorted to when it is desired to obtain a succession of fruit or flowers. There are various methods of attaining this result; for instance, plants grown on the north side of a. wall will flower and fruit later than plants-of the same kind growing on the south side; while spinach and lettuce may be checked from bolting or running to seed too soon in hot weather by placing screens or raising banks of earth-on the south side between them and the sun. Some plants, such Boo strawberries and raspberries, are sometimes cut down in the spring, thereby forcing them to form fresh leaves and sterna which b bear fruit in the autumn instead of in summer. Diary of Garden Work. Week Ending September 14th -Flower Garden.—White and-other pinka whieh are grown for cutting should be divided-and replanted now. These. rnbj er-ts form very neat edgings or division lines about the garden, where one may cut and come again. A special bed should be prepared for laced pinks for exhi- bition. Work in some good loam and a little old cow manure, with a sprinkling of soot to keep away insects. Early planting is necessary if perfectly-laced flowers are required. Early planting means not later than the :n lclle of October, earlier if possible. Get the- beds ready for carnations, and plant out the layers early in October, so as to get them well established before winter sets in. In some soils carnations-, fail. Where this is the case. some road scrap- I ings and road sifting?, mixed with some old cow j manure, should bs trenched in, and intermixed thoroughly with the soil. 'Add a little-soot at the last, and fork it in lightly. In a number of gardens there is still propagating to bo done either by layering or striking cuttings. Layering makes the surest work, especially with trees or shrubs. Anyone thinking of planting beds or borders with hardy herbaceous plants should prepare the ground by trenching or deep digging and well manuring it. In the event. of another hot, dry summer next year the growth of the plants will prove an object lesson in the value of deep cnlture and liberal manuring. Any gardener who grows good flowers, no matter whether he be amateur or professional,, must carefully study their wants, and give them proper attention. Where things fail it is due. either to errors of cultivation or to neglect. Crops which have had a mnlch of manure laid over their roots this dry-season have wel? repaid the little extra trouble involved. Vegetable Garden.-MRI-c a free nse of the hoe among growing crops such as turnips, onions, lettuce, spinach, etc. Weeds quickly run to seed if allowed to remain standing. "All seedling weeds should be pulled "p and burned if placed among other rubbish the seeds will ripen and be carried back on the land again with the manure. As soon as the cabbages for spring are enough plant them out. The small early kinds may go in closer together than the large sorts. A good cabbage for small gardens is EIlam's Early and 15 Inches apart will be space enough for this. Where the old cabbage stems are left for a second crop. lay a mulch of manure between the rows. Cabbages are very gross feeders, and if starved they are certain to be attacked with various kinds of insects such as caterpillars, aphides, etc. Vegetables that are well nourished are not so liable to insect attacks as those half-starved for want of food and water. Set out plenty of salad plants, particularly endivo and lettuce. Thin late sown parsley to six inches and encourage growth by stirring the surface. Previous to earthing up celery, give it a good soaking with water, if possible, with a, little stimulant in it. Lift early potatoes, in fa::t take up all potatoes whose skins are set. Greenhouse,—Give liquid manure to chrysan- themums, but not the same thing each time. If the plants are at all crowded open them out. Pot up arum lilies allow them enough pot room and a fairly rich compost. Take them indoors before the frost comes. Continue striking cut- tings of bedding ami other plants each dav s delay now means more failures. Pot Roman hyacinths, doable daffodils, and freesias for early flowering. The double daffodils will force well Pot early tulips for flowering at Christ- 111M for cutting; they may also be planted thickly in boxes. Zonal geraniums intended for winter flowering must have all blossom buds picked off. The winter flowering begonias, such such as semperflorens, insignis, and others of the fibrous-rooted section should now be placed in their flowering pots. Seedlings Taised'last spring should make nice flowering stuff in 5-inch pots. Frames.—After the melons are ripe ilt&soi in the beds should be nicely levelled and made firm, and one or two of the frames planted with vIolets for winter blooming. If available another frame may be planted with cuttings oLii&rdy plants, such as pentstemons, etc. Window Garden. Just now window boxe3 are oftentimes ruined through want of water. If the plants are to be kept in condition plenty of water must be given, with some kind of stimnlant in it if possible. Get all plants potted up-wthout any further delay.

Songs for the People. J Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun, in a letter-to-thal Biarqms of Montrose, wrote I-know a very wise man that believed that if & toau were permitted to make all the ballads he need not caro who should make the laws of the nation." A REVERIE. I saw within the roseate, drooping twilight, An island cradled on the waters blue; j A. purple cloud Bhot throngh with flam^-cf daylight, Soft canopied theisle with wondrous hue, IThen each desire of mine became a flower Upon its vernal hanks; methought to cull Those fragrant petals would assuage the power' Of secret sorrows, while tbeirscent would lull. But ever as my ship strove yearning shoreward, t The island fled and faded in the night; *» it.h anxious eye I gazed and leaning forward, I. Ab, who han ,teermeto my bean's delight?" G. Constant Lotinsberv,

IN THE HEART OF THE WOODS. Sneh beautiful things in the heart of the woods j Flowers and ferns, and the soft greeu n-io. Such love of the birds in the solitudes. Where the swift wing"; glance and the treetops toss; Spaces of silence swept with song, Which nobody hears bnt the God above—* Spaces where myriad creatures throng, Sunning themselves in His guarding lova. -Srich safety and peace in the heart of the woods. Far from the-citv's dust and din, Where passion nor hats-of man intrudes, Nor fashion nor folly has entered in. Deeper than hunter's trail hath gone, Glimmers the tarn where the wild deer drink; And fearless and free comes the gentle fawn To look at herself o'er the grassy brink. Margaret E. Sangster.

"Illustrated Humour A missis as^ood as amile-cf"old maidai Afe is called a husband's better half-ilnd some-husbands ara-so mean they don't care how the other half lives. They both made protestations thai Were most hard to believe Bnt he was talking through hishat, While she laughed in her sleeve. Face. I Captions Old Lady (at the Post-office): Would you mind putting this stamp on for me? Clerk Why, madam? -C. O. L.: I'm afraid. I read of a dreadful case of poisoning from the gum of a stamp only yesterday. Jones: He seems to have a, cast in his eye, jSmith: Yes; he's a, theitrical manager. A public library in a London district has a custodian who is devoted to purple patches in literature—but not to fine, white linen. "This library will be 11 closed next week for cleaning. The Librarian." That notice was put up the other day. In a few hours the stop between cleanrng'^ and librarian had been deftly expunged. expunged. Discreet. ) Mrs OTooTe: Arrah, Docthor, an* may th' saints bless ye for yer koindness to my sick b y! Shure he'd be as dead as a shillalay if it brant fer ye. Doctor Don't mention it, my good woman. Don't mention.it. Mrs-O'Toolo: Shure, Doetbor,Oi'll mever till, a-Eoul. Nothing worries a girl more than to discover 4h&t the man after her own heart isn't after it tt- alL "'What's that you have in your hand, Henry?" asked Mrs Pry, as he brought home a roll of manuscript. "Brains, my dear," replied Mr Pry, pompously. Are you surprised at the fa.ct?" "Not in the least," she retorted, "I knewyott didn't carry them in your head." l Unkind. J < f Marie i You know, I want a lhusbancl vbft i!s, ea.sily pleased. Mabel: Dont worry, dear. That's the kind -you'll get. Sandv; And will ye talc' a drap o' whusky afore ye gang hame, Tammas Tammas Ah, weel. just a wee drappie. Sandy: Then say when, laddie. SC a trim as: Nav mon, the glass will say when, "If X boy twelve buns for threepence, what tTOnld they each be?" asked the school inspector. Stale, sir," promptly replied a small boy, who probably spoke from experience. Too Bad. t Stcbbs •('who has been hauled out of the water I jttst in time"to save his life) It was simply j marvellous! As I sank for the third time all the incidents of my past life came vividly before me. I Grabbes (brntsily) I say, old chap, did you remember that fiver I lent you last January ? I A little girl of three or four years, who Jtrad been lost and was crying most bitterly, would not tell any of those who asked her what was her name or address. Seeing the position of affairs a benevolent old gentleman said kindly to her, •' My dear, won't you tell me your name ? Do try to recollect. It can't be so very long §ince yotrwere baptised."

welsh Tit-Bits, Tiayn 0 Dlpynau Cymrerg. CADRAWB* Our Gwat Caractacus. w "When the Romans had subdued this IftUoJi and conquered the united forces which so gat" lantly engaged the best disciplined army in th* world at that time, theBiluxes, or inhabitants ofL South Wales, would not "ndure the Roman yok*, and relying upon tho-courage and the ability of their prince who commanded them, they resisted Coosax's legions for nine long years, when Caractacns was at last treacherously delivered into the hands of the conquerors. His fame aa a great general had long reached Rome before he was brought a captive to the City of the Sevan Hills. His speech before the EmpeBor is the best delivered, and his boldness at that critical moment gained him his personal liberty. This took place in the year A.D. 52. In the W-elsh triads-Caractacus is ranked withCynvelyn and Arthur, under the appellation of the three brave sovereigns of Great Britain. He is also classed with Caswallon and Gweirydd as the three leaders of battles. Another triad styles him one of the three conventional princes, 00 account of "being invested with thewar sovereignty of Britain to oppose- the progress of the Romans. It is uncertain where the last batile between Ostorius and Caractacus was fought. Camden thought it was a hill known to this day as Caer Caradoc. Others presume it to be CcxwaJI Knoll, about three miles from the Caer. But4, whether it took place where Camden says, or in the-other, we have the few words he addressed to his men before the last combat, which an worth repeating:— ^Remember, Britons," said he, "this day is to decide whether we shall be slaves or freal Recollect and imitate the achievements of our ancestors, whose valour expelled Julius Cassar from oar coasts, rescued their country from pay- ing tribute to foreigners, and saved their wives and their daughters from infamy and violation." To commemorate "the virtues of Caractacus, a society of gentlemen met annually on Caer Cara- doc, near theton Church, SaJop, where they recited the praise of this British patriot in prose and verse. The Rector of Kingsland, Dr. Sneyd Davies, in 1757, wrote soma excellent verses, which were read afterwards at one of these annual meetings, and concluded with lowing lines :— Bravo Caradoc, applauded by thy foes, Whatfchall thy friends, the grateful Britons, s«y? What columns and what altars rear of fame? Thrice told five hundred courses of the sun. Thy age is green, thy laurels freshly bloom; Yet on thy well-fought hill, whose etony brow O'erlooks the subject plains, the generous youths Gladly repair, with annual flowers and song, And festal music to record thy praise. This brave Welsh commander stands second to none in name and fame amongst the world's military heroes of ancient or modern times, and none have-engraved their names more deeply on the pages of.,history and their deeds more -extolled. maeRhufain gain ogonedd ?-«*syrthifc| Yn sorth i pwll llygredd: Mae'n drnan gwan ei gwedd, n brwyniaw heb wirionedd. £ isteddfodau y Feuni. The first of "the^eries of Eisteddfodaotelchal Abergavenny, patronised by Sir Benjamin and Lady Hall, of Llanover, and supported by a strong body of patriots known as Cymreigyddkm y Fenni, was |held in_1833. The number in the procession to that Eisteddfod is said to have been only 27, and the subscription list only amounted 00.£13. The Abergavenny Eisteddfod grew into great prominence, until the annual subscription had reached £350; and the sum of £Z, ",70 was in all giwn at thess Eistw'dfods m prizes t besides 37 Welsh triple harps, which were annually offered as prizes to players on the national instrument whp had not taken; a prize before. These harps were only offered as prizes for the best renderrug of a series of Welsh airs on the triple harp. It was at these Eisteddfods Mr Stephens, of Merthyr, was awarded a prize for his "Literature of the Cymru," and Carnhuanawc, for his scholarly essay wOn tbe Influence which Welsh Tradt- tions have had on the Literature otEarope. The latter author also took a prize of £81 3s, in 1845, for an essay "On the Comparative Merita of the Remains of An. cient Literature in the Welsb" Irish, and Gaelic Languages." We should have said that tha present Jaang'Of England, then Prince of Wales, gave the prize which was won by Mr Stephens, in '1848, when Carnhuanawc was awarded the prize given by Lady Parry, of Madryn, for the best Historical Account of the Statutes of Rhuddlan." There was aiso a prize offered at these Eisteddfods by the Tredegar Family to the young lady who would give the best rendering on the harp, who did not make it a profession. This prize waa a gold medal, in the shape oi a harp, value £ 1010g, and called Te)yn Aur Xro*. degar." Peculiar Old Welsh Hymns..> (Fourteenth Instalment.) The following hymns were composed f69 m special occasion. The first two were given out for singing at the opening of new chapels. At the opening of Bethania, the Welsh BaptUr chapel, Cardigan, the minister at one f thy meetings-gave the following-^— 01ewn i'r muriau hytl Pregether Iesu gwyn, o oes i oes AM loes ar ben y bryn; Boed yma dy bob pryd i DdilW. A phorth i'r Net, man hynod A noddaf i eneidiau, Yn nghlwyfau'r Meichiau gwiw. When Ebenezer, the Independent chapel at ES" Iwys-Cymun, near St. Clears, was ready to be opened for Divine worship, about the year 1862, some member of the fraternity composed thit hymn to be given out at the opening service« JBoed Dnw yn Ebenoror, Yn llwyr fendithio'r plØ1 Boed Duw yn Ebenezer, Yn achub llawer cant, Boed hefyd Ebenezer Yn lie addoliad Ner j Boed cof am Ebenezer, Tra byddo haul a set. The following were written for singing at closing up of an old Baptist chapel which had got too small for the congregation. The 11- chapel was to be opened the next day>— Cyfodwn, awn oddivma, O'r hen Fethania'n lltr; Cyfodwn. awn oddiyma, Mae r lle'n rhy fach i ni. Poed i Fethania newydd Ein Harglwydd yn ei A boed Ei bresenoldeb Bob pryd yn llanw'r ty. Caw'd yma gyrddau nefor, Wrth son am farwol glwy*; Ond yno boed y mwyniant A'r moliant iawer mwy. tyred, Aglwydd, tyrea, Yn dy weniadau eu, t'r adeiladaeth newydd, Ac aros gyda ni.

_Jf' A" Difference.—Mrs Bland: How gOOd yMtt little boy is, and how much he resembles his father I-Mrs Testy Yes but I brought np the boy. I didn't bring up his father! Sit Doon, Man !"—A former Duke of Hamil- ton invited one of his neighbours, a plain-spoken laird, to stay at the palace for luncheon after the conclusion of a business transaction. The laird waa not used to the luxuries of life, and watched with an impatient eye the flittings about, of the liveried servant, who seemed to be every- where at once, anticipating the laird's wants in a wav that struck the rustic as positively n u- caniiy. At last the guest turned deliberate) y about in his chair, and addressed the servant' in a tone of considerable irritation. u What > are ye dance, dr.nee. dancing about the room for, N man ?" he demanded. Can ye no draw in your chair and sit doon? j'm g^re there!# enough on the table for three. The following <' bull ia-craBtwl to, a well. known member of the Parnelltta party. The latter, in the course of conversation with an English friend, was talking abont the trials off travel. U I dread the jonmev," said ho, cvery time I come to England—especially the train, ,■> when I have to travel with-mybackto the-ongine,. It always, makes mo seasick. The last timoX came-over I suffered agonies all the way fmna" Holvhead to Enstonron thafc"accojmt.M*«« BaWmy dear fehow," replied the friend he vnus talkinie-j with, you should have got Romeono to change seats with you." Faith, retorted the Xrinh- man, with evident convlctlOn." how could'I .-■change seats withanyone when I .mws"