The Cardiff Times

SUNCLAD TOBACCO IS the Best. Try It

WORKMEN'S TOPICS. BY MABON, M.P. THE PARLIAMENTARY SESSION A Session of Parliament which is certain to be W1 interesting one, and which, in all probabil- ity will be a stormy one before the end, will be in f,;Il swing and the King's Speech adopted by the time this article appeal's, Th« reference in that si>eeoh to foreign and colonial affairs, with on exception, is somewhat unimportant. Nor can I see that that same speech tally justifies s-ir Henry Campbell- BaEnerrjQans clarion cry to his followers o muster ;n our full Parliamentary jtrength to consider matters of grave import- ance. There is, of course, a reference in the ipeech to the relations between the Lords and aha Commons, but it is pretty clear that a Nay" has as yet not been found- My Ministers have this important subject under •■'o&sideratioB with a view to the solution of the difficulty is what the King is made to liay. But one cannot help thinking how such »n absurd anomaly as the House of Lords, in ur Constitution, is to be removed without a lerio s and prolonged constitutional struggle. But the Prime Minister spoke no more than the cruth when he pointed out that the Consti- tution .of this country is inherently a repre- tentative one that it ceases to be so when the Leader of one party is able to remain directly or Indirectly in supreme control of our legislation; Mid that the present state of things is dscredit- &ble, dangerous, and demoralising." The friends of the House of Lords have taken ap, with gratitude apparently, with Mr Balfour's iint to sneer at the words Under consider- <iion in the paragraph in the King's Speech which declares that tho Government have a iolutioo of the deadlock between the two Souses of Parliament. This guarded allusion vould do very little indeed to satisfy the rank &-rd file of Labourites and Liberals were it, not tccompanied by the bold declaration of the Prime Minister. Mr Balfour suggested that the Government were thinking and doing nothing Else. His sneer is indeed a, compliment to them —let us hope that the Government will think very hard on the subject One should think that the Premier is not ashamed of being con- victed of thought by an expert iu political thoughtless ocas. The vice of some of our prominent, modern Balfourian politicians is their ability to talk Mid their inability to think. It is generally ':hought by all the chief Labour leaders that are not over-eojrrosssd by their own import- L-nee. that the Prime Minister outlined the case igainsfc the House of Lordc; very simply- and oJically. I am pretty sure that. he succeeded *n convincing his Tory as well as his Labour And Liberal hearers. A political brain can work without affecting his principles. He can throw out his partisan clutch for It few minutes. There is really no answer to the indictment, for the House ol Lords indicts itself. Tistands self. co-dejiaed. For its theoretical virtue as a j^atshdog is made ludicrous by its alternative I fits of somnolence and ferocity. When a Tory r Government is in power, it is like the burgiar's •lart-a. which fE-:1s occasionally to alarm when it should i the bells don't ring when Mr Balfour breaks in with his Education Bill and his Licensing Bill, etc. But the moment Sir Henry Carnpbell -Ban nernian steps down the corridor with his Education Bill. all the bells" are "et a-ringing." The fact is the whole paraphernalia is a farce as well as a tragedy—and the Prime Minister described the situation very pithily iideed when he said that Mr Balfour has not to look to the men elected to support him, because be can rely upon men born to support him. It does not matter an lota neither whether those born supporters of is are imbeciles, bankrupts or defaulters. or degenerates, they now are the bulwarks of Balfourism. It is nothing less than a. scandal that such persons as tbes< reinforced with money-b&gs, should be abfe to pass all Tory and to defeat all Liberal measures. Every Radical in the country is glad that the Prime Min ster is determined to destroy the power of the Peers to mangle and murder Liberal legis- lation, and that he is not going to embark on the perilous task of remodelling the Second Chamber. Its claws must be clipped first. The scheme for ..Local Self-Government in Ireland" may mean much or little but it must be fissentially controversial. Mr Balfour was right when he asserted that the British people will not approve any attempt to set up a half-way house between Home Rule and no Home RTile-- that is so; still the British public is generous itnough as a whole to grant to Ireland a generous jsystem of local self government, especially if S-like plan be applied to England, Scotland and Wales We were all pleasantly surprised .to bear the Irish leader, the other night, so warmly approving of Mr BirreJJ's speech, as he nnravc-Iled his intentions with regard to Ireland The Irish ripple, much less the Irish National Party in t: — House of Commons, are not greatly given to compromises of any kind—still they are wiser than a good many of our constitu- tional and social reformers, for they accept and make good use of all the smaller mercies received while on the road to their ultimate jfoal. Still one cannot help being a bit anxious OJJ their account, fat if I properly understand them they have made up theirmmds to oppose any measure of compromise that is intended to ultimately kil I Home Rule. For they have made tip their minds that nothing but a Parliament will remedy evils which arise from religious and economic causes in a far greater degree than from political (It-abilitie-, An attempt is to be made at establishing a Court of Criminal Appeal, a tr biinnl for which there is much to be said though there are associated with such a system dangers only less in degree than those of a system under which a man may be found inno- cent when it is too late. The state of our Patent Laws Is a disgrace to the country, and a measure dealing with this question would by no means be the least important achievement of the present Session and I understand that our r-ountryman, the President of the Board of Trade, has taken this matter in hand. Mr LJoyd George will, without a doubt, bring his department up- to-date. It is in his power to make the Board of Trade to mean shortly what Is implied n the services of a" Minister of Com- aeerce," and this, if I un not mistaken, he has set forth to do. And there are very few things that can higher for, and is easier of adiust ment, than the grossly injust Pa,tent Laws of this country. Lawg relating to the taxation of Land Values, for the better Hoitsing of the People, and, although women are not promised Parliamen- tary votes, they are to be enabled to serve zmlocal bodies," so saith the King's Speech- Bnt the fortune of the Hal lot has favoured Mr Dickinson, M.P., and Mr Dickinson has fkvoured the ladies by giving the first place on the nrst ^riJ iy available ior private members to the discussion of Women's Suffrage. The Government Bill to throw local authorities open to women is in itse f a vastly important reform, the effect o' which will be felt upon every municipality in thekingdom. But,should to this measure be added an extension of the franchise then ths reform revival of 1906 Is to mean to the United Kingdom more than the most sargume of us anticipated. And at last the ni'cr?' one desire for the shortening of hours In mines is tc have its proper chance. The measure is mentioned in the King's Speech for tho first time. and in addition the Labour membe have been fortunate in the ballot &Igo.. -Nlr Stephen Walsh, who himself was once < miner, got the seventh place in the ballot. The M!neF?'Fe<iera,tioa'sr';]s;ht.n ours Bil! in Its new form wil! be brought forward, and itias- j JKOVh U that will take place before.the Govern- ment will have had time to prepare a measure of its own on this subject we naturally expect that- the Government then will adopt the miners' measure aa its -own-and it is a coin- cidence of great ignificance and promise that both wings of the Labour party had given first place in their ballot for this measure. There can be but little opposition to the Bill on this occasion.—" Dyfal done a dyr 5 garreg

Welsh Tit-Bits. Neu Wreichion Oddiar yr Eingioir By CADRAWD. DEAN HOWELL ON WALES. Since the last revival I have heard it expressed by several Nonconformist ministers that the late Very Reverend Dean Howell. of Sti David's, personally had more to do with it than those who were privileged to enjoy it have ever thought, though he himself was called to his eternal rest before it broke out. Had he livsd, no one would have been more ready to lend a helping hand to conduct and carry on revival meetings amongst his countrymen, and I have often felt sorry that he did not live to see the late Welsh Revival. In the month of December, 1902, he sent a copy to every Welsh paper and magazine throughout Wales of his views upon the aspect of religion, some of the chief characteristics of the religious life in Wales—among all denomi- nations—formality, wordlinoss, and lethargy, together with some of the real needs of the Christian churches, which he termed—awaken- ing, revival, and reformation. This week I have just been looking through his letters to me before the above date, and the short time he was allowed to live with us, after he had expressed so forcibly his deep. earnest, and honest convictions regarding the things his dear countrymen were really in need of. and how to get them. Divisions. Pleldiaeth-yn yreglwys a thu ajlan o honi, yw yr unig beth sydd yn cynhyrfu ein cydgened. yn y dyddiau hyn. Math o areithyddiaeth yw lawer o'r pregethau, a cheir fod argyhoeddiad, treedigaeth, ac ailecedigaeth y pethau a fu. O am adfywiad i'r gwraidd. Yr wyf wedi a laru ar y ffwdau gnawdol sydd yn ffynu. Cof genyf y byddai yr hen bobl yn arfer gofyn i fy nhad, ar ei ddychweliad o bob cwrdd misol neu gymanfa: 4 Pa sawl un gadd ei ddwyn dan argyhoeddiad y, no?' Peth arall yw argyhoeidiad o bechod yn ein dyddiau ni Beth sydd yn lluddias ?—Beth sydd wrth wraidd yr atalfa ? Tuedd y do ieu- ainc o offeiriaid yw defodaeth, a dymuniad yr hen wraig o Rufain yw pleser 1 lawer o honynt. Ond ni fyn y Cirary B byddiaeth— Daw a gadwo ein hen wlad a'n cenedl anwyl yn ach yn y ffydd. It is impossIble to resist the evidence of in- creasing spiritual deadness, inertness, and earth lymindedness in the Church. Much out- ward activity is no disproof of this. Multiplied instrumentalities are sometimes an indication of weakness rather than of strength- The forced exertion of a consumptive patient betrays a consciousness of failing vitality. The Great Revival of the 18th Century. The great religious movement in Wales in the 18th century was largely due to the apostolic zeal of that greatest of Welsh clergymen since the days of St David, Griffith Jones of Llanddowror. Family worship with diligent catechising in public and private, were the two main pillars of his great life work, and his schools were means for the establishment of religion in the homes,, no less than its revival m the Church- Commenting on the homes of the gbet,, Dean Howell writes :—" Does it not al- most amount to profanity to call the hovels where many of the poor exist, by the sacred name of home ? Multitudes of our poorer brethren are existing-living it is not—in dwel- lings-homes they are not-in which no snorts- man would kennel his dogs. To associate reli- gion with such conditions of life is welLnigh mockery." In a little pamphlet published at the end f the year 1902, he dwelt upon the same sub- ject, and he implores his fellow-clergymen to use all their means to make the conditions of life of the poorer people worthy of the sweet and sacred name of home. Let as strive strenuously," writes he. to make decency, purity, propriety, health, and' homely comfort possible to the poorest among our people. God will bless the gospel of sani- tation, of ventilation, of light, of pure air, and sober living as much as the other, (have a deep conviction that there is a religion of i the body as well as of the soul.

Songs for the People. Andrew Fletcher, of Saltoun, in a letter to ths Marquis of Montro«e, wrote "I know a very wise man that believed ti.at ;t a man werp permitted t > make all ths ballads he need not care who tbenld make the laws of the nation." A PARENTS" PLEA. My little boy is eight years old. He goes to school each day He doesn't mind the tasks they set— They seem to him but play, He heads his class at raffia work, And also takes the lead At making dinky paper boats— But I wish that he could read. They teach him physiology. And oh, it chills our hearts To hear our prattling innocent Mix up his inward parts. He also learns astronomy And names the stars by night— Of course he's very up-to-date. But I wish that he could write.. They teach him things botanical. They teach him how to draw. He babbles of mythologv And gravitation's law" And the discoveries of science With him are quite a fad, They tell me he's a clever boy. But I wish that he could add. -Life.

KEEPING A HEART. If one should give me a heart to keep, With love for the golden key, The giver mi<?ht live at ease or sleep ne'er know pain, be wearv, or weep. The heart watched over by me. I should keep that heart as a temple fair, No heathen should look therein Its chaste marmoreal beauty rare I only should know, and to enter there I must hold myself from sin. I would keep that heart as a casket hid, Where Precious jewels are ranged, A memory each as you raise the lid You think you love aguin as you did Of old. and nothing seems changed. How I should tremble, day after day. As I touch'd with the golden key, Lest augbt in that heart were changed, or say That another had stolen one thought away And it did not open to me. But, Ah I should know that hftart so well, AJI a. heart so Iftving And true As a heart that I held with a golden spell. That so long as I changed not f could foretell That heart would be changeless too I would keep that heart as the thought of heaven, To dwell in a life apart: My good should be done, my gift be given. In hope of the recompense there yea, even My life should be led in that heart. And so on the eve of some blissful day, From within we should close the door On glimmering splendours of love, and stay, In that heart shut up from the world away, Never to open it more. -By A. O'Shaughnessy.

In the Same Beat. A barrister, who is noted for his overbearing manner towards witnessps, was on one occasion browbeating an elderlv ladv caUed as a witness. Having badgered her into a state of utter rpeechlessness, the lawyer appealed to the judge to make her answer his questions. Why do you not answer, madam ?" asked ths judge. Because, my Lord, he frightens me so," replied the trembling woman. So does he me, madam," was the judge's quiet reply. Poet All I need is an opening, sir.—Editor What's the matter with the one you jnst. came through 1 Aunt. Jane: There, there, stop crying, Johnnie, and I'll kiss you again,—-Johnnie; That a what r» crying about, That a what rm crying about, # «

MUSIC IN WALES. By D. EMLYN EVANS THE EISTEDDFOD IN RELATION TO MUSIC,* T do not believe that very large money prizes are beneficial to anybody or anything—to the competitors or to the art, nor in a financial sense either in the end. T believe a chief prize of £100 is quite large enough to answer every good purpose, to which a valuable medal —something worth winning and wearinz-may be added for the conductor and a certificate signed by some of the chief officials of the Eis- teddfoj, and the judges in the competition the second prize to be £50, or at least £ 40 and the third prize (if any) JE25 or £20, My sugges- tions in regard to the other choral subjects would be on similar lines honourable prizes in all instances, contemptible prizes in none- I would also add sight-singing tests in connec- tion with the four contests-not compulsory, but at the competitors' choice, and which would carry special rewards and certificates for the winners. Or, if preferred, these sight- reading tests may, independent of the ordinary choral trials, and for various vocal combina- tions :—(1) mixed voices (2) female ditto, and (3) male ditto We have neglected this impor- tant study to such an extent that it has become a drag on our progress, and anything but com- plimentary to us who boast of being a musical people the testimony of our best trainers and conductors being that the evil is on the increase. That is odd someone may say, "in these days when every boy and g rl. every young man and maiden, have their hymn and tune-book." Just so, and because they can mumble the tune somehow—sometimes sol-fa- ing the notes in public worship—they evidently wish to convey the idea that what they do not know about music is not worth knowing Thus the simplicity and the comparative ease with wnich the tonic sol-fa system can bs learnt is turned to be more of a. stumbling block than a blessing through such culpable negligence and misuse. The selection of suitable test pieces is again a question of first importance- I have neither time, space, nor incl'nat ion to weary you with a disquisition on the haphazard manner (not to indulge in a. stronger term) in which some of this work is done the touting and wire- pulling, and the wrangling of sect. party, and even notation. But there is one matter, at least, outside all that and which is the nature and kind of music which is selected. For a long time it was heavy oratorio choruses where pon- derosity and lung power told—and ultimately I told with rather disastrous effect on our choirs, In order to try and counteract, if possible, the forcefulness and the samenesa resulting from rehearsing just that one kind of music, efforts were made to induce committees to include compositioos of a finer and lighter testure, ¡ such as the glee and partsong, and occasionally the operatic chorus, in their selections, and which was done with good results. Then the reformer—with the best intentions undoubtedly —thought the weary mononony of practis- ing two or three pieces for months may he obviated, and the musical horizon of our choirs broadened, if a complete work, or a section of such a work—say Ilart-T. or II-were decided upon as a, field of study; Maes Ltalur;" the adjudicators to select what num- bers they chose, and to announce them at the time of competition. Included in the original plan also was thepropo3al that the competing choirs should unite in a performance of the selected work at one of the evening concerts. Anyone intimately acquainted with the circum- stances under which the majority of the Wftiah choirs compete, will appreciate theilifticulties connected with that 'propo. sition, while the limitation of the competitive selection, to one work, more or less, limits the style of music also. Heavy and light choruses you may have in an oratorio for example, but you can hardly select any one work in which may be found the fugue, the free chorus, the 1ee and partsong, and the madrigal. To my thinking, an ideal selection would be some such an.one as this :(1) a fuga. chorus from one of the standard oratorios; (2) a free chorus by a modern composer; (3)a. glee, partsong,or madri- gal unaccompanied, plus, of course, the sight- reading test (ad lib). In laying it down as a law of the Medes and Persians that Welsh music should be fairly represent 1 in these and other selections please note the adverb "fairly"-I am not in any way frightened at the prospect of the parrot cry of "Wales for the Welsh being raised. If the tribe of our Dick- John-David, or the flying English tourist who, after a. week or two. returns home to write a book on Wales and certifies that its language is chiefly composed of sesquipedalias such as Llanfair pwll gwyngyll Llandysilio gogo- goch/' and such like concocted conglomera. tions, like to amuse themselves in that wise, wed and good. Fortunately, the average Englishman now-a-days knows us as we ar2- And ho will moreover, pretty surely, endorse the statement that if the Eisteddfod is not to cultivate and encourage Welsh musical art amongst other subjects, one is at a, Joss to know the reason for its existence. Before we have done with the choirs. I should like to point out the necessity of every choir being constituted of bona-fide members only. The true object of ths Eisteddfod is to increase our knowledge and improve our culture—and to somewhat vary the words of Mr Haldane the other day—not knowledge and culture for the sake of any worldly advantage they may bring one, but knowledge and culture for the sake of knowledge and culture. Competitions and prizes are only means towards attaining that end. But altogether different, and infinitely below the high object just stated is the hunting up of ch rus singers from various localities, and some. times a number of different counties, in order to make up a scratch choir to compte, an ? if possible to beat other choirs and win the prize. Sometimes, indeed, the same hired singers are found in more than one choir taking part in the same competition It is such spirit as this which is responsible to a large degree for the challenge solos" and the champion concerts" of these latter days. that have already been so detrimental to more than one talented and promising vocalist, and so injurious to our musical progress-and foi which, it must be said, our religious bodies are not in all cases guiltless. It is full time for the Eisteddfod to devote cerious attention to its duties in connection with Instrumental Music. No doubt improvment is perceptible in this direction, but the subject is being more or les3 played with—not treated systematically and on ¡' intelligent lines. For instance, prizes were offered at Mountain Ash in connection with the majority, though not quite all, of the usual orchestral instruments while only the violin received attention at Carnarvon. At the la tter Eisteddfod the orchestral bonds were treated a little more liberally than at the former, as was also the stringed quartette. The prize offered at Mountai-n Ash was altogether too inade- quate, especially when one found that the sums offered in the braas bands classes totalled mare tbzn three time-* as much In the face of that. the Jess said the better concerning the patron- age and support meted out the orchestral competitions at some''of our chief Eistedd- fodau. Respecting reading at sight, I would make the same conditions with bands as with choirs, and with solos-both vocal and instru- mental. In the vocal solo classes, too, the feeling prevails that some better system should be adopted-if the present manner of proceed- ing can be cabled a system at all. It is plainly out of all order, and not to any good purpose whatever that the apprentice and the adept, the young and the middle aged, should contend against one another pell-mell. Every singer should be restricted to his or her proper voice while a rule should be made restraining winners from competing in the same class again the following year, and so on, possibly year after year. (To be Concluded). ".A paper road before the Welsh National Society. Liverpool, January 17th, 1907.

Wife Is there any difference between a fort and a fortress ?—Husband I should imagine that fortress would be harder to silence. How I Became a Judge is the title of book which has just appeared. This isM mys- ] tery however which still envelops more khan one I occqpantof the Bonch, (

I Fashion and Things I Feminine. By MISS IDA MELLER. A Danotng Frock. Since the dancing season has many weeks yet to run, atopic that continues to be of absorbing interest to girls is what to wear at a, dance. While brocades are for the grande dame" plain soft silks, spotted nets and muslins, and the softest of Oriental satins are fabrics that the young girl may wear with becoming grace, The nearest approach to brocade that she dares to adopt is figured taffetas silk, the design being a small rose-bud or some such flower but for the most part she confines her silk toilettes to plain taffetas or Japanese silk On the whole, there is nothing prettier than spotted muslin or esprit net for kirl!; wear. The dancing frock sketched might be made up in either of these materials, with a wide draped sash of taffetas silk or satin and three bpnds of the same on the skirt, the short, puffed sleeves being clasped just above the elbows with bands of silk or satin to match. At the neck is a double collar, the lower one matching the material at the waist, while the upper one is of muslin, and is perhaps bettor de^ciJaed as a frill than a collar. A filling in of chiffon heightens the bodice, and a couple of silk tassels are orna- i mental to the froot. A suggestion for the colour scheme is an underslip qf palest pink soft satin. veiled with ecru spotted nst or white spotted I muslin, the bands on the skirt and sleeves, the ee nt-ure and collar being of pale pink satin, and the tassels should also be pink Or pale blue silk might be substituted for pink satin throughout. The dancing skirt should clear the ground all round. It is advisible to somewhat weight the lower part of a. skirt of very light, flimsy material by adding fcwttsds or a deep hem of silk. satin, or velvet, or evten little frills of the skirt material, and the fajaedation slips should also be frilled at the. The gloves worn must long enough to slip under the owor edge of the sleeves, and it is st good plan to run an elastic along the edge of each gfove, so that the latter keeps a grip on the arm, and is not in danger of slipping down A space of bare arm showing between sleeve and alove is most unbecoming Silk stockings and satin or kid shoes, matching the colour ol the dancing jSpock, are imnortant accessories to the toilette. A Check Twtod Coat. For really hard wear, there is nothing like 1 tweed, which, with of spring, is mailing, usual, a fcr&ve show in alt sfta&es of grey. The paler shades w-e ev-er welcome at a period that dravvs the curtain on the dark- days of winter and signifies the dawn of the most refreshing season of the year. Tailor- made coat and skirt costumes in paie grey homespun, or in black and white mixtures, look very well turned up with velvet collars-either black or coloured velvet, Curiously enough, black and white dice-checks and shepherd's plaids hold their own among newer patterns, and always bear n distinguished air even among smarter modes. Stripes are more fashion- able than checks this season, but nevertheless the dice-check maintains its place in the front rank of fashion. A piping of velvet, and velvet buttons, rarely fail to improve the appearance of a tweed costume. Large checks are smart for travelling coats and others built on sac lines and failing to the knees or beyond, the check of pronounced size being, for the most part, reserved for wrap-coats. The model sketched is in black and white tweed, trimmed with straps and buttons and having the relief of black velvet on the collar. The straps could, of course, be piped with velvet. Some such overcoat is a necessity of the wardrobe. The full-length overcoat of the latest construction is cut on pelisse lines, with a, belt that ccasss on either side of the centre-front, the latter falling straight and plain from neck to foot. I Beauty and the Bath. Wearetoldt-hatthe wonderful complexions and smooth skins of many well-known beauties arc chiefly due to the practice of abjuring water anj soaps, and using, instead, pure cold cream, rubbing it into the pore3 of the skin and then removing the superfluous unguent with a soft cloth. This done. the skin is polished with other soft cloths until it obtains the smoothness of alabaster. The time was—if we are to believe gossip—when the late Empress of Austria bathed in a costly infusion of roses and it is said that the Queen of Roumania's bath is composed of distilled water perfumed with essence. French beauties in olden days bathed in warm milk and glycerine-—thao which nothing is more softening and nourishing to the skin. The same recipe is followed by certain modern belles. A more ordinary bath patron- ised by beauty is of pla in warm water, to which is added a spoonful or two of liquid ammonia, and the laying process is aidei by silken bags or sachets filled with fine powJered soap, well- ground almond meal, and scented roots grated to fineness. The effect of this is to turn the water into a soft, milky, odouroua fluid, in which friction results in a perfumed lather that leaves beauty's skin as pink and soft as the proverbial rose leaf. The basiness of the bath gone through, it is not unusual for the skin to be sponged with a perfumed tonic lotion. A favourite essence for the bath is bay rum, which, -stimulates the skin and helps to promotes, healthy glow. Eau de Cologne and lavender water are also much in favour for bath purr poses. Fricasseed Haddeck. A nice dish for breakfast or tea, that can be made in a Quarter of an hour, is fricassed had- dock. It is easily made thus :—Take a dried haddock, lay it in a deep dish and scald it with boiling water, leaving it In the bath for three or four minutes. Have ready, in a. saucepan, some white me;ted butter sauce, flake" the haddock from the bones, and put the flakes into the satiee. stirring all together while the sauce- pan remains ovei the fire for a lew minutes. Then turn out the fricassee and serve it on a hot dish. For the sauce, mix together half a pint of milk, and two tablespoonsful of flour, add £ oz. of butter, and flavour with pepper and salt. The fish and sauce must be stirred the whole time they are over the fire, in order to prevent the sauce from burning.

Beck (despondently) I said something my wife didn't like, and she- hasn't spoken to ine for two days.Pect (eagerrr); Can you "'e- member what it was you 2tid Cawker Wh!3u do babies begin to think W alker VI ell, mine began to think that I ought to walk the floor with him the swond nigm be was in the bovee.

I TALKS ON HEALTH. 1 4 i By DR. ANDREW WILSON. Chronic Kidney Disease Following upon the information given !n a previous article regarding acute kidoev disease, it has been suggested by readers that I might supplement the information then given by saying something regarding the chronic or lasting form of such troubles. We have, of course, to consider that there are varied forms of kidney trouble represented in a chronic state, just as we find them illustrated by acute attacks, but that diseast- which undoubtedly partakes of the nature of a kidney complaint of more frequent occurrence than others is known as chronic Bright's Disease. In point of fre- quency I believe this ailment is much more commonly met with than any other form of lastinsr kidney trouble. The name of this affection is derived from the fact that Dr Bright was one of the first to point out its true nature. In order to understand in a more satis- factory fashion the precautions to be taken in I t, connection with this ailment, we must again remind ourselves that the kidney is a natural filter, destined to separate out from the con- stant blood flow passing through it various kinds of waste matters, these constituting in their bulk the urine, or kidney excretion. U hen we find amongst the matters filtered out from the blood by the kidney the special substance known as albumen, we then know that some alteration, more or less grave, of the kidneys' duties has occurred, Albumen, it may be here mentioned, represents when regarded as a food a body-building substance, and there is no doubt that this substance forms the basis of most of the living tissues and fluids in our frame. Hence when a substance which in its way repre- sents a valuable bodily asset, and which has I been derived from the digestion of food, is allowed to escape from the body, jwc can appreciate that some derangement ofthe kid- ney functions has taken place. Symptoms. The importance of Bright 's Disease or Albu- minaria. as it has also been termed, can be gathered from one fact alone namely, that when this condition has been discovered, the I person's life is not considered a good one from an insurance point of view. The main symp- I tom of the chronic form of the disease we are I considering has been already referred to. and the presence of albumen in the urine can be readilj ascertained by anyone accustomed to examine this fluid, the most common test being I that of heating a small quantity of tbf4 kidney secretion in a test tube. If albumen be present I the urine loses its clear character and becomes more or less muddy in anpearance. In order to be very certain that this latter appearance is not due to any other products than abumen, it is only necessary to add a drop or two of nitric I acid to the fluid. If albumen exists, the muddi- ness of the urine will not be cleared off by the I acid, whereas if the appearance is due to other causes the urine will become Clear when the acid is added to it. The sufferer from chronic I Bright's Disease may also exhibit a certain amo tst of pallor and paleness, and show a gen- eral appearance of enfeebled health. In typical cases, and more especially in those which have been neglected, headache will be common, with swelling of the feet and legs and a puffy appear- ance of the eyelids- The urine itself is of a palo character, and fairly large quantities may be passed. The heart is also liable to be affected in this disease and anaemia is often present Iron is therefore prescribed in such cases as a, blood tonic to correct the anasmic condition, whilst for tonics strychnine is also given by way of improving the heart's action. Treatment, As has already been indicated the general trond of the treatment of chronic Bright's Disease is that of guarding the patient care- fully against all exposure to cold and to chill. Physicians generally recommend a warm cli- mate as best suited, especially in winter, for ti e subjects of this complaint, but many cases live well, and in a fairly healthy fashion, even in our own changeable British climate, when proper precautions against old arc taken. The patient should be practically an abstainer as regards al ;ohol. Some physicians are inclined to allow small quantities of stimulants but- these should only be taken along with food The diet should be also carefully supervised. It should largely consist of fish, chicken, tripe,' tBeef is better to bie alto-~ gether left, out of count, but a little mutton I may be taken now a,nd then. For the rest 0'V2r exertion is to be deprecated, and in general a quifet life in so far as that is possible of attain- ment should be led by the patient. Diabetes. It is perhaps necessary that I should say a word here about another kidney trouble which; is apt to be confused with Bright's Dise;ise and regarding the nature of which many people are grievously at sea. T allude to the ailment known as diabetes. It is no uncommon thing to find persons talking about Eating Dia- betes and Drinking Diabetes," as it two distinct diseases characterised the one by demands for solid food and the other bydeman6- faT liquid were included under this term. It is only necessarv for me here to remark that there is only one disease known as diabetes of the ordinary kind. It is true that medical men recognise two varieties, but they in no way cor- respond to the popular classification to which I have just alluded. The typical characteristic of the ordinary form of diabetes is that sugar in large quantities is passed out from the kid- ney .this fact standing out in contradistinction to the giving forth of albumen, quite another and different product cf course, in the case of Bright's Disease. Probably it may be considered that diabetes is, of the two diseases, the more serious, seeing that it is an ailment which implies a considerably greater disturbance of the system and a liability the more readily to assume a serious aspect- Causes. Ibis an extremely difficult matter to speru- late with any degree of accuracy regarding the causes which contribute to the production of diabetes. Exposure to cold may be reckoned amongst them, and also the abuse of alcohol, whilst it is said, and apparently with ome degree of truth, that, persons of a fair order of complexion are more liable to be affected than those of dark hue. There i- no doubt. however, that a nervous ailment plays some part in the production of this disease. One inter-estling feature regarding it has been observed in the shape of the fact that express engine drivers, men whose lives necessitate a large amount of nervous strain, are liab!(' to suffer from dia. betes in the proportion of two to one of the general population. Frequently also we find in the case of diabetes the history of some men- tal worry or trouble preceding ihe attack. A characteristic symptom of diabetes is the fact that the patient grows rapidly thin and that he passes very large quantities of urine, this loss of fluid necessitating his drinking large quanti- ties of fluid to make good the waste. The appetite in this disease may also be much in. creased, a circumstanca which has no doubt given rise to the term Eating Diabetes." Even if large quantities of food be taken, the thinning of the patient still proceeds. The characteristic feature is a very dry mouth and a glazed tongue, whilst a sweet taste mav be experienced in the mouth, and the odour of the breath is very often compared to that cf the smell of a room in which apples have been stored. Treatment. In can be understood that a disease of this kind of highly serious nature is one necessi- tating the constant supervision of the doctor. The treatment is largely one of regulating the diet. In other words articles containing starch and sugar should as far as possible be avoided, whilst a diabetic patient has a fairly large list of food ranging from soup, beef, fish, cheese, cream, eggs, and like objects from which he may select the articles he desires. Onthe other band, bread, potatoes, rice, parsnips, carrots, and aU other foods containing starch or sugar must- be excluded. The information given concerning these two prominent diseases of the kidneys will, it is to be hoped, give some notion of the importance when their presence is suspected, of having a due examination of the --t%),te-of the body at once made by a physician.

Got It at Last. He prilled himself up at the hotel table, tucked his napkin under his chin, picked up the hill of fare, and began to study it intently. Everything was in restaurant Freiichi and he didn't like it "Here, waiter," he said sternly. "theree nothing on this I want. Ain't there nothin' you woold Bko for dinner, air ?" inquired the waiter, politely." Have you any sine qua nan 1" The waiter gasped. No, sir," he replied-' Got any bona fide ?" N-no, sir." Got any semper idem ?" No, sir, we haven't." Got any jeu d'esprits ?" No, sir, not one." Got any tempus fugit ?" I think not, sir." Got auy soirees dansantes 1" No, air." The waiter was edging off. Got any sine die ?" We ain't, sir." Got any pluribus unurn J" The waiter's face showed some signs of in. Seems to me I heard of that, sir," and he rushed out to the kitchen, only to return empty-handed. Maybe > ou've got some beef and cabbage and a gooseebrry tart ?" Sure we have, sir," exclaimed the waiter iu a tone of the utmost- relief, and he fairlv new out to the kinclien. Critic A bcau'itul picture, my dear fellow. The introduction of the snake at the foot is a touch of genius. I assure you. —Artist (testily): Wha6 make That"s my signature VVIat, wasko MmVs my signature

j Illustrated Humour. I Quite Distinct, Sergeaaifc Bnzfuz, E.C. Are you a single -man ? Witness No, sir, I am a twin- Impossible. Browae I bet you can't tell me why Moses I could not have smoked in the ark ? Green Obvious, He had no tobacco ? Browne: No. I Green Well, then, he had not a pipe Browne o, Green He had no matches ? Browne No. Give it up Green Yes Browne When was Moses in the ark ? Johnny's Impression? The Nlinister Well, Johnny, and how are you getting on at school! Joiinnv I have teft the echule noo, sir, I'm 13 vast. ye ken. The Minister (impressively); Oh. but you know, Johnny, I didn't finish my education till I was 23, Johnny Did ye nos sir ? Te arm ha' been an awfu' thickheid. Absent-minded The champion absent-minded man lives at Ealham- On one occasion he called upon his friend the family physician. After a chat of a couple of hours the^doctor saw him to the door and bade him good-night. saying—" Come again. Family all well, I suppose ?' Good gracious t" exclaimed the absent- minded beggar, that reminds me of my errand. My wife is in a fit," ÍmmoTble. j HAve you heard about little Jramav Dix r* I No do tell me." tpi Why, the poor child swallowed a teaspoon | this morning. and now he can't stir. Nct G-uiltr, Lawyer: You say you left home on the 20th. Wjtness Yes, sir. j Lawyer And you came back OR the 25th Witness: Yes, sir. j Lawyer (severely) What were you doing in the interim ? Witness Never was in such a place. i I An Error in Location. Judge The complainant says you struck I' him in the ninth precinct. Prisoner: He's mistaken, yer Honour. It was in the Tenderloin disttict. Retaliation ) Mamma: After the naughty little boYhit you on the nose, Tommy, did you hit him back ? Tommy (sobbing): N-no,m-mamma. J. b.bit him b-back f-first. Hard Lines. When charged with trespassing in search of game, a notorious poacher declared that he had only been hunting for primroses. Primroses said the prosecuting lawyer. Was your dog looking for primroses when the gamekeeper caught him with a live rabbit in his mouth No. lie worn't. That poor rabbit waa lame, and t'dorg had just nipped it up, in a friendly I way to carry t back to its warren, when along came t' old gamekeeper- It's a pity if one animal can't do another a good turn wi'out somebody makin' a crime of it I" Great Days in Sbore. Mother Is my boy improving at all ? Professor He is getting worse. His writ- ing is now so bad that no living aoul can read it. Mother How lovely The darling He'll be a great author some day. Was not a Mind Reader. What do you mean by using such language before me ?" How the deuce was I to know you wanted to use it fi^pt ?" He wad probably the smallest middy in bis Majesty's navy, and one evening he was invited to attend a large party in the saloon, He was such a little nipper that the ladies had no idea that he was a midshipman at all. but took him for somebody's dear little boy 'in a 7s I ld Royal Nary all-wool serge. At last one of them on whose lap he had been sitting. and who had jufft kissed him, asked And lrow old is oo little dear Twenty-two, PUSS. he said in a voice like a foghorn- But the lady hadawoomed. I

WELSH GLEANINGS, News and Views in Lighter Vain, Cardiff cannot claim to be the only possetsoe of a Canon Beck, Canon E. J. Beck has just I resiened the living of Rothcrhithe, where the I eminent Welsh scholar, the Rev, Robert Jonet, reswed for many yeal"- I What has become of ail the members of the Cardiff City Council that used to habitually I congregate in the old members room ? The t new members'room in theCathays Park palace is a perpetual desert. Some say that the fine I old fireplace and its warmth is sadly missed in the new building, I A hundred years ago two enterprising Welsh- I men rettied in the then centre of fashion the I city of Bath, and siugiog and harp-playing to the gentle folk of the select centre. The de. scendants of these brothers, Robert and William Owen, are 51tillliving at Bath, The latest movement in the Welsh Metropolis is to revive the manufacture and playing of the Welsh triple harp. Anoiiier instance of nistory repeating itself, for it was Mr Bassett Joaee, of Cardiff, wno made this instrument availablo two generations ago. A specimen of his harp is to be seen in the Welsh Museum, Cardiff. The Revs. W. Wynne Davies. of Bangor, and Thomas E. Phillips, M.A., of Aberystwyth, to represent the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists at this year's assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland. and the Revs. Evan Jones, of Carnarvon, and Maurice Griffith, M.A., of I Llanelly. at the General Assembly of thu United Free Church of acotland. There is a project on foot to have the free- I dom of the City of London ccnierred upon Mr George Meredith- it is intended that this honour should mark a special celebration of his eightieth birthday. Why cannot the Welsh I Metropolis more in a similar direction in order to do honour to this distinguished VVelshman Mr Meredith's first book was published in the I year 1851. I Judge Owen has vary pronounced views on I the important question of imprisonment for debt. It is a very old grievance in ihis country. There is a quaint old tract, published in 1714. which might have been written by the witty judge himself. It is called Piercing Cries of the Poor and Miserable Prisoners for Debt in All Parts of England, Showing the Unreason* ableness and Folly of Imprisoning the Body for Debt. The following is the HIT a thoddaid-r- Beddargraph to be placed on the tombstone of the late Mr Robert Isaac Jones (Alltud Eifion), who waf associated with the late Rev. Dr. Silvan Evans in the publication of the old Brython." It was the pot-m which was awarded the prize at Tremadog the other day. and is the work of Mr Eiizeus Williams (Eifion Wyn), of Portmadoc. t-h" weh-known lyric poet— Hybarch hen oeswr, burwych ELanesydd. A'r harddaf, hvnaf, o Feirdd Eifionydd; Trist. yw, a daenant trosot adenvdd— Cwsg a wdwr eurddawn. cvrsg wedi'r hirddydd. Am dy fiawd a gryrn dy flydd--ry.s son Tra. cyrrau Bioa yn gartre Crefydd, A wen-known Welsh Congregational minister, writing to the" British on The New Theology," says that Whilst very in the Principality seem to agree with some of the views announced from leading London polpits, number are evidently in sym' pa.thy with the progressive thought movement. Though the battle for the freedom of thought was tought and rron in Wales over sixty years ago by such men as Williams, of Wern John Roberts, of Lisnbrynmawr; .dJd. waladr Jones, of DofgelJy; J ohn J ones, of Taiy- sarn, and though the Confessions have been dead letters since, still they have not been changed or modified in any way. Those Welsh denominations who subscribe to theological creeds, subscribe to Calrinistic doctrines oi the strict est and narrowest, forms." Pontypool Japan. The last maker of the once famous Polity pool japan was Mary Ailgood. of the Cross, Pontypool. She was a great-granddaughter of the original inventor of the Fontyoooi ware, and she carefully guarded the secret till her death. Bid5 making the Japan, she aisc managed her own business of an ironmonger and tallOW chandler, and was also postmistress At her shop all letters for the post waggon wert left and forwarded to Newport- each day at half-past 3 in the afternoon. Newport's First Printer. It has in the past a much disputed point as to who first established a printing press in the Uskside town 11 has now beer proved that. Edward Nicholas was the firs* printer. He came to the town about 181S, anê; soon after established his printing press there. Previous to this time all printing ior the town was done by Bird. the Cardiff printer. Nicholas's most celebrate;; work was his reprint of Edmund Jones's History of the Parish of Aberystwyth. Submerged Cities. Othet' nations besides the Welsh have their ti Cantre'r Gwaelod." Professor ll. H. John- son, who is so well known in Wales, and who, by the way, is no stranger to the Cymric tongue, commences In the January "Celtiç Review" a series of articles OIl ubmergeØ cities- Whilst reserving the city now pop larly placed in Cardigan Bay to the last, Pro fessor Johnson writes pleasantly of towns under water in Russia and Prussia. Lake Leman, in Guatemala and Brittany, and even in Haiti. The stories tol-lol these old tradi- tions are deligutful, and the continuation of the articles will be looked forward to with deep interest. A Weil-founded Allegation. Alderman David Jones has earned the sym- pathetic notice of The Loca: Government Journal. Tn its current number it states :— Alderman David Jones, Cardiff, is not the only person in the Principality, and in England also, who is puzzled over the personnel oi the Local Government Board. At a recen meet- ing of the City Council he (the alderman) asked Is there puch a thing ss the Local Govern ment Board ?' HE remarked further I ha*» been up several times, but have never seen any- one but three officials It might have beer, added that even some of these were beardless youths. Desirable Lenten Penances. Tha.t everyone who mentions the Hottie o5 Lords before Easter should be compelled te read nothing but Burke's Peerage for the rest of the year. That everyone ^ho mentions thw Welsh education question should be exiled to the top of Plinlimmon for the rest ofttw winter. That everyone who mentions the Welsh Church Commission again before it ha? issued its report should be muzzled until the Welsh Disestablishment Bill be passed. Thafc whoever attempt to add to the present political and semi-political organisations of Water should be incarcerated in Duke Robert's tower. Cardiff, until he has made the most abied apology for his indiscretion. Canu Cwn8«ila. The old custom of singing with the Ma*: Lwvd at Christmastide is known in Glamor ganshire as Canu Cwnseila. Is this a cor- ruption of the English word Wassail A wassail song is a drinking song, and the litera- ture of the Mari Lwyd singers abounds wi drinking verses, one of the best known bei petition to a presumably favourable host viz. :— O tapweh y faril, Na fyddwch gynfl R'nos beno In the same country Canu Cwnseila" refers to a Punch and Judy performance which ivay affected by older children, the singing being the same as that with Y Mari Lwyd," but without the decorated horse's head, and the first objective of Judy, when access had been ob- tained to R household, was to exercise bel broom in raking down the fire, much to annoyance of many a cleanly and econonjica* housekeeper. It is time tha.t some one shooK bring up to date the late Nefydd's history øI the Mari Lwyd, 3