Flintshire Observer Mining Journal and General Advertiser for the Counties of Flint Denbigh

A QUEER GliOST STORY. Itan?'t a verv pleasaat stc*y," said l^n^lord ot the Long Pack, which may for our purpose be. generally located out West," but I like to tell it: sometimes just to remind myself that the worst thing a man can have in this-world is a hot, obsti- nate temper. You see, I came to this coast soon after the gold fever broke out and settled down hi the Santa Bar- bara valley, below here, ranching. I was a widower even then, and bad brought with me from the States my only child, a daughter put seventeen. 6he was a pretty, girl, if I do say it, apd being as good as pretty yon can imagine I was quite wrapped up in her. Of course,. I was anxious to keep her with me, and if not that at least I looked for her to do aome:, thing better than fall in love with a peddler." > And did she ?" Yes. You see, in those days the countfy was full of young fellows who had struck out for themselves and, were trying to get a sturfc by carrying knick- knacks around from one mining camp to another. Some of them were lively chaps enough and well educated, but I was fresh from the States, with all the Eastern prejudices, and it almost drove me wiM when Nellie told me she wanted to marry a young fellow who brought his pack through our district a good deal oftener than the trade seemed to require. I was a hot-tempered fool in those days, so I stormed, threatened, locked Nellie up for a week, and sent word to her lover that I had loaded my gun for wild- cats and peddlers." "What did Nellie do?" You might have guessed it. One day when I came back from a cattle sale she was missing. I chased her a couple of days, but they had taken to the woods, and it was of no use. After awhile I got a letter from 'Frisco, and I wrote back saying that I disowned her, and that he had better keep out of the range of my rifle." What did you do then ?" Suffered, mister, just Buffered. I knew I was wrong, but I'd have died rather than give in. For five years I lived like a toad in a rock, hating the whole world. All the pleasure I had was in watch- ing for peddlers. The number I chased off ,the ranch during that time would astonish you. One evening after a terrible rainstorm a peddler came to my house and asked for a shelter "for the night. He was a thin, weak-looking fellow, with his face covered with a huge, ragged beard. He carried on his back an enormously long and heavy pack, and seemed so axhausted with his tramp through the mire that I hadn't the heart to do more than order him off the place." That was pretty hard," said the listener." I sHppose it was. The peddler seemed all broke up when he found I wouldn't even give him a bunch of straw in the stable, and no other house within twelve miles. Instead of complaining, however, he merely begged that I would let him leave his pack, which he said contained goods of value, under shelter, from the rain. I finally consented to this. So, as I bad sworn none of his trade should ever cross my threshold, I carried his pack inside, while^Jts owner limped off to crawl under some bush or other.' Didn't vpu feel mean ?" Yes, mean and bitter at the same time, for some- thing about the man reminded me of Nellie's husband a little. However, I locked and barred all the doors and windows as usual, for some road agents had been round those parts about that time and had stopped and robbed several ranches, and, as I told you, I was all alone. Somehow I couldn't go to sleep when after that I went to bed. After tossing around for awhile I got up and sat by the fire, brooding over my trouble and trying not to think of the poor chap shivering out there m the cold and rain somewhere. I looked' at his pack sitting up in the room and wondered ) what made it so long. As I watched it I fancied I saw it move." Saw it move?" Exactly. I wouldn't believe my own eyes at first., but after watching intently for awhile I distinctly saw the front of a hand pressed against the canvas from the inside. Like a flash then I understood the whole thing. The peddler was one of the road agents' gang, and, knowing I had considerable money about the house, they had adopted that plan for smuggling one of their crew inside the house. After I had gone to sleep the fellow inside could let in the rest and finish the job. J walked quietly across the room, took my gun from tbe antlers, knelt down a few feet from the pack, aimed square in the centre and pulled the trigger." Go on," murmured the listener, with a shudder. But the gun didn't go off," continued t9, land- lord, clearing his throat. The nipple was rusty and wouldn't work, so" I laid down- the ri fie and got an axe from the kitchen. It had been newly ground that day, and,, when I lifted it over my, head I counted i^pon cleaving that pack, robber and. all, clear to the ground. Just as I raised the axe and braced myself for the blow I saw a ghost. A ghost?" Yes, sir. The pack opened, and I saw sticking out of its top the curly yellow hair of my Nellie when she was a little tot of four. The shock staggered me so that I sank on my knees. I wiped my eyes and wondered if I had not gone crazy. I was almost certain of it when the ghost stretched out a pair of chubby white arms and said: How do, grandpa ?'" 11 Ab," silid the guest, with a relieved sigh, "I" begin to see. And what did you do then?" I don't exactly know," said the landlord, softly, but if there is anything that will bend a stiff, stubborn neck quicker than the arms of a little child I'd like to know what it is. I put the tired little prisoner down by the fire, opened the door, and held out my arms." "And the mother?" "Yes," nodded the landlord. They were both there, and, mister, I guess that's the end of my story." And the old man wiped his eyes. You must ex- I cuse me, but that was a wet evening, and somehow I haven't got quite dry since."

I lfoun young men recently entered a fashionable restaurant, secured a private room, and ordered an J excellent meal. After it had been served and eaten, each refused to pay for it, declaring that he was the guest of the others. The proprietor was called who insisted upon payment. Finally, one of the young men proposed a game of blindman's buff, with the restaurant man for the blindfolded individual, the agreement being that the diner whom he catight ihould pay the bill. The game began, but the caterer was unable to catch any of the four clever swindlers. Neither have the police. A FORBiGWBit m Japan cannot obtain a patent tor an invention except by fraud. If a patent were obtained by a false representation that a Japanese citizen was the inventor, and it was discovered that he was not, the patent would be at once cancelled. It is precisely the same with trade-marks and designs. The result is that all goods of foreign manufacture, the label of which is worth copying, can be bought all over Japan of Japanese manufacture, and con- siderably under the cost of the genuine foreign-made article. THE Earl of Mansfield, who is the only nona- genarian member of the Upper House, and is there- fore entitled—so far as age is concerned-to be called the Father of the Peers," is moreover, the doyeti of the House in point of "succession." He succeeded his father in 1840, and has thus worn the robes of a peer for 57 years. KOMI; titiie ago,- an American skipper who visited the Arctic regions presented the head man of an Esquimaux community with a Punch and Judy show he had on board, and gave the native instructions as to how to work the figures. The Eskimo's son is now said to be an expert at the business, and, in a hut, nightly throughout the long winter, makes the familiar marionettes dance about, to the intense delight of his fur-incased friends. The show is known among the Esquimaux by something like its English name, only they pronounce it Boontantoody." IN Berlin the firemen wear water-jackets, with a double skin, which they are able to fill with water from the hose. If the space between the two layers becomes over-filled, the water escapes through a valve at the top of the helmet, and flows down over the fireman,like a cascade, protecting him doubly. The smoke helmets, largely used in Germany, Austria, Holland, and Italy, enable the wearer to breathe, and see at his ease in a smoke-laden atmosphere. In some instances the apparatus includes a means of tele- phonic communication with the street below. MAJOR R. F. MOORE is experimenting with a fly- ing machine, or, at least, with a model, constructed on a somewhat novel principle. He discards the broad plane, and comes back to the wing. He has taken for his pattern the "flying fox" of India—a large species of bat--and reproduces the action of the pectoral muscles by spiral springs strong enough to keep the wings extended, the up and down motion to be accomplished by some suitable motor. Two or more pairs of winge of moderate size he finds-to be preferable to one large pair.

r FARMING NOTES. j 1) ) _l: I 4- H, (From the Rural World.") r JS' MARKETING FOU'LTRY. The birds should not nave food for 24 hours before killing. Killing is Dest done by running a sharp kniff through the root of the mouth, making a sufficient woupd to bring the blood freely. Hapg Ijy the feet ap and allow all the Mood to escape. Donotremovetbe head, feet, crop, or intestines. Pick the legs dry, and, molding by the legs and head, dip three times in water just belotf the boiling point. Keep the bead 3ut of the hot water. If the head is dipped it discolours the comb and shrinks the eyes, giving ouvers the impression that the bird has been liok. Bemore all the feathers, including pin fea- thei^B, at opce, taking care not to break the skin, indthen "plump" by dipping tor an instant into water almost boiling, and then into cold water. Hang up the fowl and allow it to get perfectly cold before .packing. Dry-picked poultry sells better if the pickiug is properly done, but it is more difficult to do well and takes more time. To dry pick properly, the work should be begun immediately after the bird is killed and while the blood is still flowing, as after the body gets cold it is almost impossible to avoid tearing the skin. The best method of picking ducks and geese is to steam them. If this is ipepracticable they may be dipped into very hot water the same as chickens and turkeys, but must be kept in a trifle longer, as the feathers are more difficult; to loosen. It does not, in my opinion, pay to pick them alive for the sake of I saving the feathers, as the small profit derived from them is more than lost on the sale of the birds, the result being so to inflame the skin as to greatly injure the sale. Leave the head and upper portion of the neck unpicked and the legs and feet intact. Some- times the feathers are left on the first jcint of the wing and on the tail. Never singe ducks and geese, as it leaves the skin oily and uninviting. Unless your birds look clean and attractive don't send either ducks or geese to market. If poorly prepared they are more than likely not to bring transportation charges. PASTURE. Prof. W. J. Beal advises farmers to sow a mixture of grass seeds as more productive than any one of the best kinds when sowed alone, and gives reasons for this advice as follows: 1. Because long experience and experiments in Great Britain, Germany, and France have demonstrated beyond question that larger yields of good forage can thus be secured. Many kinds will occupy the ground more completely than any one or two. The diverse habits of roots, stems, and leaves enable different plants to supplement each other in various kinds of soil. Each species has some special niche to fill; each one is better adopted for some purpose than any other. Some stand dry weather better, others stand continued rains better. r Then, too, the various tastes of cattle, sheep, horses, •nd swine are better subserved. From the nature of the ci"* we ought not to expect any one model grass or clover to be beat suited for all purposes. This is I' just as true of forage crops as it is with roses, apples, peaches, strawberries, or cabbages. In making selections for sowing, the farmer must be guided by the climate, the soils, whether wet or dry, light or heavy. He will be guided by the uses to which he puts the field, whether for meadow or pasture, or both, whether it is to remain seeded for some years or for one or two years. The location, markets, and supply of labour will also be considered. It will be the cheapest, counting fii-st cost only, to sow only seeds of grasses and clovers- which cost but little to seed an acre, but in the end this may not be true. Farmers who have a large area of meadow will find it better to have the grasses of different sorts in different meadows th it they may not all need cutting at the same tine, thus prolonging the season for aying. For meadows it is right to have grasses blossoming about the same time, but for pasture a succession is desirable. WORKING BUTTER. Butter should always be worked twice, but should not be overworked. The first working is done when the butter is salted, as previously described, and the second working is done sifter the butter has stood for four or five hours from salting. When brought to the worker for the second time, the butter should be worked just enough to make the colour uniform. Great care must be exercised in the working of butter, so as not to dèiltroj the granules. When it is worked past the granular stage its body is de- stroyed, ana the butter will be greasy, and its value u butter will be at least a penny per pound less than butter properly worked and the grain preserved. Butter that has a greasy texture will not keep nearly p 10 long as butter that has a granular, firm texture. The working should always be done by pressure and never by friction-that in.to say, the bar of the worker should be pressed into the butter, and should never be rolled over the surface of it. The mass of butter should be worked evenly and uniformly, so that the colour will be uniform and the body firm. The best guide the butter-maker has to know when the butter is worked enough is to cut through it with the butter- a, spade and see if the colour is even; and if the body is close and firm, with no white streaks through it, it is worked enough. Butter requires very little work- ing to accomplish this result'. Good butter when broken apart will dhow the grain like a piece of broken steel, and this should always be the case with all butter. The butter-maker must exercise great care at this point, as working the butter two or three strokes too many with the lever of the worker often will breaik the grain. The temperature of the butter, when being worked, should not be above 55deg. Fab., and, if at 50deg., it will be all the better. At this temperature the grain of the butter is less apt to be injured by excessive working. Batter should be thoroughly cooled before working. This is very important. The least, attempt at working it while it is warm will at once destroy the grain. COMPOSITION OF SOILS. The organic portion of a soil is very complex, and oonsisto of products of decomposition—products vary- ing between woody-fibre and the gases into which vegetable matter is ultimately converted when com- pletely decomposed. This organic matter is composed almost wholly of the four elements, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, in varying proportions. All fertile soils must have present more or less of this organic sub- stance. While all fertile soils must contain this material, it is not essential to fertility that any definite portion of it should be present. In soils known to be fertile, it is found to vary in quantity, all the way from one-half per cent., in the case of thin, sandy soils, to as high as 70 per cent. in peaty, or muck soils. A portion of the organic matter present in sOII exists in a form called "humus," which is a mixture of several of the intermediate stages of decay. In a large majority of instances it is to the presence of this humus that the dark colour of the soil is due. It is an exceedingly important constituent of soils because it furnishes, in a large measure, the nitrogen necessary for most growing crops. Formerly it was I supposed to be an absolutely necessary factor in the productivity of soils. It is now known that this is not true still, the value of this substance is recog- nised at the present time, not only as a source of nitrogen, but because it exercises a powerful solvent influence on the inactive phosphoric acid, potash and silica in the soil, and also on account of the excellent influence it exerts on its physical properties. INORGANIC SOIL CONSTITUENTS. The inorganic (mineral) portion of soil consists principally of the following metals: Potassium, ■odium, calcium, magnesium, iron and aluminium, and the following non-metals Silicon, chlorine, sulphur and phosphorus. All of these substances remain in the ash when either a soil or plant is burned. The mineral portion constitutes the greater part of the bulk and weight of all ordinary soils. In the case of muck or peaty soils, the organic portion frequently predominates. The mineral portion of any soil is of a complex character, but a knowledge of the intricate chemical composition of the several components would be of little value to the pract. cal agriculturist, and a discussion of this point is un- necessary at this time. FIGS. Farrows of pigs that come in this cold season need a good deal of care, and, given that, they will be likely to pay better than such as come at any ot her time of the year. As a matter of fact, the majority of farmers prefer to breed in spring and summer when there is ne rigorous weather to contend with; ■0 it transpires that 'at certain seasons our markets are glutted while at others there is a corresponding scarcity. It goes without saying that be who by his swine herds would thrive must bring them to market when the demand is brisk, and that is not when summer farrowe are offered. There is a and impression among pig-breeders that young JtuTOWS must necessarily dobeèly in the dead of winter, yet 1 know from experience that bad doing does riot necessarily follow. Give the mother and family a roomy, tolerably warm stye, plenty of whol- some food, and a good bed of litter, and the youngsters will grow and come along in December, January, and February, as well as at any other m-n-better often than they do in the sultry heat of July. And when reared, that is, after they have left the sow, they will make half as much more money as when they come into the world with the great number that appear on the scene in summer time.

GARDENING GOSSIP. (From Gardening Illustrated CONSERVATORY. Rearrange the plants as often as time can be found for the work; not only will changes add to the general effect, but the plants themselves, if they could speak, would approve of it. A cleaning down and a change of position is beneficial to health both under glass and outside. Plants growing in the border must not be allowed to suffer for want of water. Less water will be required during the short days, and as time moves so rapidly with the busy man, he is some- times apt to forget; and a dry spot in a bed or border is more difficult to moisten than in a pot or tub. In planting hard-wooded plants, such as Camellias, Acacias, &c., in a bed in the conservatory, do not plant too deep they have a tendency to get deeper in the soil, and the hard-wooded plants will not bear the earth above the collar. If any hard-wooded plant in the border has a sickly look the chances are they are too deep in the soil. The same thing occurs sometimes when plants are re- potted. A Fuchsia or Pelargonium may be dropped a little deeper in the soil, but not the plant with a hard woody stem. Naked walls should be covered with greenery, even if there are no flowers at this season. Acacias are good wall plants, and they may be useful in covering pillars, and Acacia Riceaua is a beautiful plant for training up the rafters loosely- i.e., the side shoots permitted to hang about. Acacia grandis and A. verticillata look well against the back wall, and will flower freely later, and that beautiful old-fashioned plant, the Double-blossomed Myrtle, is at home on the wall of a conservatory, and the green sprays are so sweet for cutting to mix with flowers. Of late there has been a demand for the long trailing growth of Smilax for table and other decorations. The plant is easily raised from seed and soon begins to run up. It has tuberous roots, and when cut down and rested a bit it shoots up again. FORCING HOUSII. This structure, in the moderate-sized garden, has to do much work, that in a large garden is carried out in separate structures. A good deal of the pro- pagating will be done here, and although the general wosk of propagating has not begun yet, there is always something demanding attention. New varie- ties of plants which one wants a stock of will not be allowed to rest long where the propagating instinct is strongly developed, and where there is plenty of genial warmth cuttings will strike any time. Besides, where early Cucumbers and Tomatoes are required, it will soon be time to sow a few seeds of each to grow a few in pots or boxes. We grow our first crop in boxes, and they are ranged along the sides of a span-roofed house, and trained under the roef, so that we have nearly all the bottom of the house for other plants, and by-and-bye when the days get longer and the sun warm the shade of the Tomatoes will do no harm. Young Cyclamens coming on for next season's flowering will require pricking off, and young Fuchsias struck in August, intended to make decent little specimens by midsummer, will soon be ready for 5in. pots, and will enjoy a little warmth. THE ROSE HOUSE. Roses under glass may either be planted out in beds of good soil or be grown in pots, or a conserva- tory, if the two methods can be adopted. But if the house is small and the plants are all grown in pots, if possible, plunge the pots in a bed of leaves. The genial atmosphere produced by the leaf-bed is of great value in bringing forth very fine blooms and plenty of them, and such plants are usually free from insects and mildew. Very little fire-heat will be required till some progress has been made. EARLY VINBRY. As soon as the eyes break tie the rods up which have been bent back. If the wood was well ripened the buds will break freely, but if there is a sluggish cane among them take it in the hand and twist it till the force applied extends to the bottom of the cane. This treatment will give liberty to the sap vessels, and the eyes will soon push. Night temperature about 60deg. till the bods break., May have a moist atmo- sphere by using the syringe. Very little ventilating will be required till the leaves begin to unfold, then advance the night temperature to 55deg. and ventilate when the thermometer runs up to 70deg. Close early in the afternoon and damp down. If the pots are plunged in a bed of leaves very little water will be required at first. WINDOW GARDENING. Berry-bearing plants have a cheerful effect at this season. Pernettya speciosa is full of berries now, and makes neat little specimens. It is quite bardy and will do in the window-boxes outside. Aucubui and Skimmias are also attractive when well berried. OUTDOOR GARDEN. The autumn has been very suitable for planting operations, and a good deal of Rose and herbaceous planting has been done. But it is useless to plant Roses or hardy plants of any kind without a thorough preparation of the soil. But in trenching up land where the surface i&Jbad better not bring up much of ¡ the bad soil. Even when manure can be used freelv, the inert snt from below requires exposure and I intermixing before plants of any kind will root freely in it. Especially avoid bringing up clay from below to the surface, unless the clay can be burnt or exposed to I sufficient heat to make it fall to pieces and mix with the soil. One of the best hardy plants for massing is Bcabiosa caucasica. The plants are still in flower, and it is one of the best hardy plants for cutting or for exhibition. 1 was watching fsays Mr. E. Hobday) an amateur gardener planting Roses tha other day, and in every hole was placed round the roots a peck of good mellow loam. This gives a little trouble, but it brings success above the average. Pull weeds out of Ferns and the lawns. Use the roller frequently. Do not worry about the worms-the work they do is I beneficial to the Grass. Miilions of tons of soil are I scattered over the lawns and pastures in the course of a generation that could not be done in any other way. Hardy plants in pots should be olunged in ashes to protect roots and pots. VEGETABLE GARDEN. Make a fresh plan of the kitchen garden, and mark out where the different crops are to be planted, and prepare the land accordingly. Root crops, for instance, do not require fresh manure, though early Potatoes produce the best crops in deep, rich land, and as they are usually cleared off early, the disease does not effect them much but late Potatoes are best from one field, where they can be given fresh land annually. All the sets of early Potatoes are now, or should be, laid out thinly to get the crown- eyes developed. Early kinds only require one stem, and when the sets are placed crown upwards the greater part of the strength of the sets will be in the crown-eyes, especially the White Kidney variety. There are various ways of forcing Potatoes, but none better than planting on a bed of fermenting leaves and stable-manure covered with a frame and lights. A good deal of work may be got out of a properly-made hot-bed. I have known (writes Mr. E. Hobday) three crops- taken bff one bed between November and June or July. First comes Asparagus and then Early Lettuccs or Potatoes, and then Cucumbers. Where there are plenty of leaves, beds mayjbe made up of Radishes and Hern Carrots. We shall soon be past the shortest day. and with the lengthening days forcing of vege- tables may begin in earnest. THB LARGE-FLOWERED MKZERKON. This variety of the Mezereon is noteworthy because it comes into bloom three or four months before the commoner form, and at a time when flowers out-of- doors are very scarce. It does not produce such an effective display as the ordinary Mezereon when in lower, for its blossoms, instead of expanding simul- taneously, are spread over two or three months, from October to the new year. Compared with those of the type they are considerably larger, measuring lometimes as much as three-quarters of an inch across, and they are also of a richer purple. They possess all the charming fragrance so characteristic of this ipecies. Besides this variety mention may be made of the variety alba, which nas milky-white flowers, and comes into bloom in spring at the same time as the ordinary red-purple one. Daphne Mezereum is found wild in Britain, although it has possibly become naturalised and is not strictly indigenous. It seems, under cultivation, to be a comparatively short-lived plant, but it fortunately Produces abun- dance of seed, so there need be no difficulty in keep- ing up the stock; yet, through neglect of this or for some other reason, it is by no means freely planted ia gardens in spite of its great beauty and charm.

ART AND LITERATURE. THE following pictures have been acquired for the National Gallery By purchase—a portrait of Mise Elizabeth Close, by Geo. Romney. This portrait ia now hung in Room XVIII. By the bequest of Miss Martha Waterhaughs, of Ayrshire—a portrait, said to be of Queen Catherine Parr, by an unknown painter, probably of the English school. This will be placed in the Gallery shortly. By the gift of Mr. C. Knowles, through Mr. A. Legros- the full-sized cartoon of the Prophet Isaiah, done for the mosaic in St. Paul's Cathedral, by Alfred Stevens; and by the gift of Mr. E. Roman-two water-colour draw- ings, A Capri Boy and The Seaweed Boat," by the late Hamilton Macallum. The two water-colours are placed in the Water-Colour Room in the National Gallery of British Art, Millbank (Mr. Tate's gallery). The cartoon of Isaiah will be placed ulti- mately in the same room it is at present in process of being re-st rained. Mr. A. Legros has also pre- sented for the National Gallery of British Art a plaster cast of Lord Leightoa's original study for the bronze group of the Athlete with the Python, now in that gallery. ANOTHER of the earliest books of the coming year will be that in which Prince Henri d'Orl^ans describes his travels in 1895-96 From Tonkin to India." The author covered a distance of 2100 miles before he reachod the Valley of the Bramaputra, and a very large extent of the journey lay through un- explored country. Many mountain ranges were crossed at altitudes of over 11,000 feet, and Prince Henri claims to have discovered the hitherto unknown sources of the great Irrawady River. The book will be profusely illustrated by M. Gaston Vuillier, and will include also a number of appendices on the scien- tific results of the expedition. It will be published in the first week of January by Messrs. Methuen and Co. WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA (Cassell) pos- sesses the charm of a delightful romance, with the further merit of being an absolutely true record of facts in Nature, as seen by a very keen observer and depicted by the most accurate method of illustration that it is possible to obtain. Everything about the book is admirable, and above all else the enthusiasm, the perseverance, and the pluck which have enabled the joint authors to procure material for its delight- ful pages. It is one of the most remarkable works of the year. The pictures are simply wonderful. VERY early in the new year Mr. Grant Richards will publish an octavo volume bearing the title, H.B.H. the Prince of Wales: An Account, of his Career, including his Birth, Education, Travels, Marriage, and Home Life, and Philanthropic, Social, and Political Work." The book, which will include over 60 portraits and other illustrations, cannot at present be ascribed with certainty to any particular author. ROSA BONHEUR, the famous animal painter, before she took up the work which has made her known throughout the world, was apprenticed to a dress- maker. Then she began colouring kaleidoscopic views. Her first picture was a bunch of cherrieft Later on she copied canvases in the Louvre, where her strange costume and independent airs won hex the name of The Little Hussar." THOSE who do not follow the sage and venerable advice to read an old book whenever a new one appears-advice which even an atavist descendant of Argus, or an educated bee, would find it difficult to follow-have long since recognised the need of a new series of works of reference for the use of novel readers. Dictionaries for use respectively with Scot- tish, Irish, Welsh, Cornish, Dorsetshire, and Eut Anglian Dovels are highly desirable, and up to the present time an equally needful companion, espe- cially for the novels of Mr. Clark Russell and his imitators, has been a dictionary of nautical phraseo- logy. This last "long-felt want" has at length been supplied by Mr. A. A noted, who in A Dictionary of Sea Terms," published by Mr. Upcott Gill, has explained so many marine expressions that our course over the blue waters of nautical novels will in future be much less choppy. No longer need we puzzle our brains so frequently over such phrases as a sheering plunge shouldering a knoll of the blue brine," or sheeting through the sea under tall leaning heights." MR. JOHN MACWHIRTER, R.A., was born at Slate- ford, near Edinburgh, and, as a boy, was fonder of play and practical joking than of draughtsmanship. As a lad he was exceedingly light-hearted. The artist, as may be imagined, enjoys few pleasures more than rambles through Scottish country scenery, and has been known to stand an hour at a time in admiration of some tree. Mr. MacWhirter used to delight in being out in the most tempestuous weather, observing the effect of the storm upon forest and loch. COUNT TOLSTOI, as is well known, always wears boots of his own making—which boots are the admi- ration of the shoemaker who taught him the trade; but the latter was certain that the count would starve did he endeavour to earn a living by boot- manufacturing, as the work put into each pair was ¡ too excellent and slow to prove profitable. Some time ago Count Tolstoi tried to persuade two of his diøciDles-young men of education and culture-to turn shoemakers, but they declined. "ANTHONY HOPE" HAWKINS is a cousin of Mr. Justice Hawkins. This circumstance had its influence when he chose the Bar for his profession instead of II following in the footsteps of his father, who is vicar of St. Bride's, Fleet-street, London. The novelist has always taken more interest in politics than in I either law, literature, or theology. At Oxford he succeeded Lord Robert Cecil as President of the Union, and his literary success has not caused him to abandon altogether the Parliamentary ambition which led him to undertake an unsuccessful Liberal candi- dature in 1892. THERE is in the exhibition of water-cdlour draw- ings by Mr. Wake Cook, which is now open in the galleries of the Fine Art Society, the interest that always belongs to sincere and thoughtful work. He is not, perhaps, to be reckoned as an artist who marks any epoch, nor can he be said to rank as a leader of any school; but at all events he deserves attention as an agreeable exponent of a point of view which is always pleasant and sometimes definitely original. He understands composition, and is not wanting in imagination, so that in his more fancifut productions he reaches a higher level than in his realistic studies. If his work fails to reach the greater heights, it will certainly not excite contro- versy. THE invitation of the trustees of the New South Wales Art Gallery, in connection with the proposed exhibition at the Grafton Gallery, in London, next April, has met with a large response, several hundred pictures having been submitted. AMONG recent items of art news, it is announced that Sir Wolfe Barry, the engineer of the Tower- bridge, has commissioned Mr. W. L. Wyllie to paint a picture in oils of that structure, and Mr. Arthur Severn to represent it in water colours that a marble |. bust of Mr. Gladstone, copied by Mr. G. Q. Adams from a work by Sir Edgar Boehm, has been presented to Eton School by Old Etonian members of the two Houses of Parliament; and that Mr. Byam Shaw has undertaken to execute an important series of stained glass designs for Messrs. Powell, of White- friars. The exceptional decorative capacity of this young artist should enable him to produce some quite remarkable results in this class of work. KJIILLY'S" Big Book," the monstre London red-bound directory, is out for 1898, and its get-up and contents transcend all precedent, a point beyond which praise could not farther go. Everything is concise and well-arranged on the old plan, and as to the up-to- date correction, it should be noted that Justices Big- ham, Darling, and Channel, who received the honour of knighthood on November 25, appear with their new rank throughout the book. The various Colonial appointments consequent upon the retirement of Sir William Robinson, G.C.M.G., Governor and :Jom- mander-in-Chief of Hong Kong, which were announced on November 30, have been noticed under the Colonial Office in the official division. The new School Board elected November 25, with Lord Reay and the Hon, Lyulph Stanley, who ^ere elected Chairman and Vice- Chairman respectively on December 2, is inserted. Lord Justice Collins and Lord Justice Vaughan Williams, who were sworn in members of the Privy Council on November 26, are included in the list of Privy Councillors. The appointment of Sir Walter G. F. Phillimore, Bart., as a judge of the High Court, in the room of the late Baron Pollock, an- nounced on November 30, will be found recorded in the Law Division. The Directory has again increased in size, the addition to the present edition being 45 pages, bringing the total number of pages np to 3099, exclusive of advertiesepytta.. Theissne for 1897 showed an increase cf 62 pagce* and that for 1896 of 29 pages. The map has bem.Wiwted vv18 ^a4^ *nd is strengthened st anal hy being °* linen. I