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•——egg—a.j,1 Brighton Tragedy,…

NEW YORK TO PARI8 RACE.

FATHER IGNATIUS.

THE MUSICAL LEAGUE.

SURREPTITIOUS MILKING.

LLANBRADACH QUARREL

Y.M.C.A. LECTURE AT CARBIFF.

DURHAM PIT DISASTER.

. Maiden Lady's Burns.

Missionaries of Peace.

LATE SIR N. O'CONOR.

"SEEING LIFE."

USE OF PUBLIO BUILDINGS.

ALARMING FIRE AT CARDIFF.

MR THOS. STEPHENS,

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MR THOS. STEPHENS, Distinguished Welsh Litterateur. PROPOSED MEMORIAL. It is now thirty-four years since Thomas Stephens died at Merthyr Tydfil. The genera- tion that knew him is fast passing away. Soon his writings alone will remain to keep his memory alive in the place where he lived for nearly forty years. The author of The Liter- ature of the Kymry," by his studious labours won for himself a place of high honour among the Celtic scholars of his time. But there is to be found in Merthyr no single memorial by which the greatness of his career is brought to the public mind. The rising generation is in- spired to emulate his wonderful example by no visible suggestion of his association with the town. There is a shop in High-street bearing the legend, Chemist Stephens, Druggist," in gilt letters. It is the shop where Thomas Stephens carried on his business for many years, and above it his widow still resides. Inside the shop, on the left-hand side as one enters, is the desk at which Thomas Stephens did most of his writing and nearly all his read- ing. Little does the passer-by think what hard work was done in the long ago in the little parlour behind the counter that can be seen from the street. Little indeed does the passer- by know of the great man who abode there. and in suggesting that a memorial should be raised to his memory it may be timely to re- mind the reader of the manner of man Thomas Stephens was. Althogh his life was spent at Merthyr, he was born not in the centre of the iron industry, but at Pontneddfechan (the Pontneathvaughan of the English-speaking tripper). There on April 21st, 1821, be joined the family circle of the village shoemaker, for such his father was. Whilst applying himself with remarkable success to the work of his business, Stephens found time to read, and often read all through the night. He also wrote, and his essays on Welsh history and literature found their way into the columns of the local newspapers. lie THOMAS (STEPHENS Competed at Eisteddfodau, and in 1840 won a prize at the Liverpool Eisteddfod for A history of the life and times of Jestyn ap Gwrgant, the last native Lord of Glamorgan." In the following year he secured the prize at the Abergavenny Eisteddfod for a History of remarkable places in the county of Cardigan," and a further honour came to him in 1845 for an essay on The heraldic poetry of Wales." In 1848 he achieved his greatest Eisteddfodic success by winning a prize of JE25 offered in the name of the Prince of Wales at the Abergavenny Eisteddfod for an essay on the Literature of Wales during the 12th and succeeding centuries." This essay forms the basis of the Literature of the Kymry," which was Stephens's greatest pro- duction Fortunately, Stephens attracted the attention of Sir John Guest, who encouraged him in the publication of the Literature of the Kymry." It was published in 1849 by Mr Wm Rees, Llandovery, father of the present town clerk of Merthyr. The book immediately attracted much attention, won much honour for its author, and was translated into German by ProfessorSchultz. Thelbook was dedicated to the Prince of Wales, and through the in- fluence of Lady Charlotte Guest the Queen accepted a copy of it. The publication of this book established Stephens's reputation as A Celtic Scholar, not only at home, but upon the Continent; and it brought him into touch with well-known students in France and Germany, with whom, having an intimate knowledge of their language, he was able to -or? spond freely. The publica- tion of The Literature of the Kymry did not, however, prevent him from entering Eis- teddfodic competitions. At the Cardiff Eis- teddfod of 1851 he secured the prize for a History of Cardiff," and obtained a similar honour at Portmadoc in the following year for an essay on The Working Men of Wales." He took three essay prizes at the Abergavenny Eisteddfod of 1853.' The chief was for a His- tory of Trial by Jury in Wales," for which he obtained a prize of JE70. Stephens's last Eisteddfodic essay serves to illustrate a trait in his character which was noticeable throughout his life. He reached his conclusions after study and research had led him to them, and not before, or otherwise. A tradition exists in North Wales that Prince Madoc ap Owen Gwynedd sailed from a point between Colwyn Bav and Llandudno, in the 12th century, and discovered America of course, before Columbus. At the Llangollen Eis- teddfod of 1858 a prize of £ 9,0 and a silver star was offered for the best essay on the discovery of America by Prince Madoc. Stephens wrote an essay, and sent it in, contending that Madoc never left home. Five other essavs supporting the tradition were also sent in. The adjudica- tors, among whom was Silvan Evans, decided that Stephens's essay was the best. The com- mittee, however, declined to award the prize, on the around that the essay was contrary to the spirit in which the prize was offered. Stephens wrote no more for the Eisteddfod. The story of the The Llangollen Incident I is fully told by Mr Llywarch Reynolds (B.A.. Oxford) in a preface to the, essay which he edited when it was published in 1893. Thomas Stephens was a great believer in education and did much to promote it. He was a Radical in politics, but believed that the emancipation of the working classes was to be expected through education rather than through the franchise. He was one of those who, after advocating sanitary improvement in Mer- thyr for manv y-ars. secured the formation of a Local Board of Health. He filled the ancient office of High Constable of Caerphilly Higher in 1858. As an earnest Unitarian, Thomas Stephens devoted himself to Sunday school work, and taught a class for many years with the utmost regularity. He had a firm belief, in the advantages of widespread reading, and whf'Ti the Merthyr Express was established by Mr C. H. James and himself with others in 1861-, he became manager of the new journal. He was. too, one of those who started the Merthyr Library, and after serving as secretary for 25 years he resigned and was presented by his friends with a bust of himself executed by his friend Joseph Edwards. No place in Merthyr could be found for the bust, and it is now to be seen in the University College Library at Aberystwyth. _0__ When he died, after a long illness, in 18(D, Thomas Stephens left behind him a great deal of manuscript which is of considerable value but he left something more—the example of A Life of Strenuous Activity, of diligent study, and of unswerving upright- ness. He separated the true from the false in the history of Wales, and justified the claims of his country to a greatness that should be mde- pendent of imaginary glories. t> i Gwenogfryn-Evans says in the Black cook of Carmarthen -—" Stephens, in his Litera- ture of the Kymry,' was the first to introduce sanity into Welsh criticism, and his book,^ if somewhat out of date, is still worth reading. Stephens did his work when the matenalslor study were much more difficult to obtain than they are to-day. He persevered in spite of numerous disadvantages, and established a reputation which entitles him to a place among eminent Welshmen. His career should appeal to the local patriotism of those among whom he lived and worked so splendidly for many years, and opportunity should be taken to perpetuate his memory in some adequate form. What could be more a fitting means of keeping the example of his labours before the minds of those who are susceptible to inspiration such as his career affords than that a scholarship should l be founded at the Merthyr County School by means of a public subscription ?

WHAT 'QUAKES COST US.

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lSwanseaSchool Deadlock

NEW AND OLD THEOLOGY.

GLAMORGAN ADMINISTRATION.…

ON THE CANAL BANK.

FIFTY YEARS' POLICE SERVICE.

LIMITING SUNDAY LABOUR.

Carmarthen Officials.

1 THE ESTIMATES.

PARKS COMMITTEE.

HAIR SAMPLES IN COURT.

CARDIFF WOMEN LIBERALS,

FATAL FALL OVER QUARRY.

Woman's Skull Battered'

GUARDIANS ANNOYED.

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