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-A VISIT TO THE CHINESE.--."k"--'-'…
A VISIT TO THE CHINESE "k" EMPEROR A Berlin journal publishes the. following account from the gen of a. well-known Qerman kra*eller, *f an audience granted by the Emperor of China to the foreign Ambassadors at Peking. The writer (says the Globe) was the only non-diplomatic person present. Headed by the highest dignitaries of the Celes- tial Empire, our procession moved on between row? of Privy Councillors of. th$first class, bodyguards armed with bows and- airowfe, civic authorities hdld- ing valuable old swords under their; arms, and onarmed soldiers of the palace. We passed by the black tents with the little, pepping windows, in which the Ambassadors foregathered ,in former years before they were received by the Emperor. Silently and pompously we passed over the dark car- pet woven out of black camels' hair, and ascended some steps leading to the widely-opened1 folding doors of a builcfiftg, from the front wall of which the outside had peeled off, leaving the casing and timbers exposed to view, mouldy and worm-eaten Thus we reached the audience chamber, and wtere withip three paces of the Son of Heaven," Kouang Ban, the Ruler of the Middle Kingdom." He was seated upon a raised platform, approached (by five steps and three gangways, while from the right and feft two narrow paths also gave access to the dais. The latter and the balustrade were covered with red cloth and trimmed with yellow. On either sidel of the Emperor stood one of the Manchurian Princes, n^right, motionless, and with a stony stare,, as though he were keeping watch over a' bier. In this hall, the-" Hall of the Flowers of Litera- ture," the Son of Heaven sat before a table on the platform, so that only the upper portion ofhis body was visible. Upon the table lay a staff, frobablyJ of jasper, the Sceptre of Good Fortune. A small, square box, seemingly of very antiquecloisonné wok, was said to contahr the Imperial seal. There Svfere also upon the table the plate for preparing Chinese ink, a tray farMJtaused writing-br-asheo,,a,- rack for holding these brushes when in use, a box of Indian ink, and » vase of water for- making the writing fldid. All these articles were made out of precious stones of the second rank, such as jjasper, topaz, turquoise, and the like. It seemed as if the Emperor preferred to have these useful articles before him as the insignia of power, instead of the usual sword, sceptre, And orb. His Majesty looks older than-he really is. With sunken head and yellow face, he looked shyly at fche assembled diplomats, and his heavy eyes were lit.up for the occasion by opium or morphia. A sorrowful, weary, And rather childish smile played about ;his mouth; When his lips are parted, his Jpng, irregular yellow teeth appear, and there are great nollows in either cheek. His face is not entirely wanting, in sympathy; but rather betokens indifference, and from its features nothing of interest can "be read"; in fact, the Emperor impressed me as being eelf-restrainjed, cold,'apathetic, wanting in .capacity tworn out, and as though half-dead. I felt that whatever passed before his eyes had not the slightest interest for him, and that it mattered nQt in the least to him whether h6 understood the meaning of the cere- mony. I mAy, ^indeed, be wrong in-my judgment ahd it may be that the Emperor of China is a highly- intelligent monarch, educated, well-read, a keen student, and anxious for the welfare of his people. I may be entirely wrong,. but I cannot believe that I am. A man who wears a look as if life were a burden to him must surely he on the. downward grade; I must be bold enough to reproduce the V.Son of Hewren ".41>01 saw him-and as he struck me, and not as others would wish me totpicture him. For a quarter of an hour I stood only three paces from \.he Emperor of the Celestial Empire, and I watched him narrowly the whola^tinae- there, stole over me a feeling of. regretful sympathy, with this potentate, who governs more than 400 niillion4 of Eeople from the ruined chambers of fiis vast prison ouse. > After a deathly silence of some minutes, the Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps, Colonel Den^ Minister of the United States, read an address in English. Prince Kung had previously been made acquainted with the text of this address he inputted with difficulty the smaller staircase on the "right, bojh'ed very low, knelt before the'Ehiperor oh the left, touched the floor with his forehead, and trans- lated the address into th$Manchuriijn 'tongue. The "Son of Heaven ljsped' m JJlanchurian a few words, that could s'carcely be heard"; Prince Kung then interpreted these Imperial remarks to "the audience in Chinese, And finally the Dragoman of the Russian -Embassy gave1 them out iri very faulty "Prertcli. Prince Kung then shuffled backwards down the steps Df the throne. We drew back three paces, and, keeping our faces towards the Emperor, passed backwards in his presence through the front door, and tfaua quitted, the Hall of the Flowers of Literature." It may here be remarked that hitherto Ambassadors bad been obliged to leave this hall by a side door. The Emperor remained seated upon his throne. To have turned one's back upon him would Have lDeánt punishment by death.
— I A FAMOUS POLICEMAN, ,
— A FAMOUS POLICEMAN, CHIEF-INSPECTOR MARSHALL LEAVES SCOTLAND-YARD. Chief Detective-inspector Marshall, of New Scot- land-yard, who joined the Metropolitan Police in 1869, and has therefore had 28 years of active service, is now retiring after an exceptional career. During recent years in particular Mr. Marshall's name has been prominently before the public in connectr6n with such cases as the Camp murder case, the Mttlts ell- hill murder, the-, great mrAnimouilLI agdncy frauds, and the notorious Mrs. Gorpon Bailey. A reporter .called on Mr. Mars tall the other -night, and learned: that the unso ed Camp murder is the one thing Mr. Marshall regrets about his, career. It is as much si hopeless mystery to him as to -any one else. For one thing, he is con- vinced of the Reading suspect's innocence, and 4 ays that he was able to ascertain exactly where he was at the time the murder must have been committed. Mr. Marshall said lie was called up at four o'clock on the morning after the murder, and got to work on it at one?, It was a most mysterious crime, and no one was able to throw any light upon it. Probably the man who committed it was the one seen in the Alma public-house at Wandsworth but he was lost track of through the unreliability of the witnesses who saw him, and their semi-identification of the Reading man Marshall as the man they had seen on the night of the murder. Particular merit is to be accorded to Mr. Marshall fop his success in the case of the matrimonial agency frauds and the Gordon Bailey case, because in each case he took up an abuse that had be-on runzrMK for years, in spite of constant complaints, got • itj} the evi- dence and secured important convictions. In the case ofthe matrimonial agency frauds five persons were convicted through Mr. Marshall's Jefforts. In the case of Mrs. Gordon: Bailey the detective had to get up evidence against a daring and dashing woman who kept a private house in Westminster, as well as a flat in Victoria-street, with a" secretary, servants, and horses and carriages. So well- was the work done that this world-wide swindler received a sen- tence of five years' imprisonment. Another of Mr. Marshall's exploits was the cap- ture of Boschin, who committed! some famous jewel robberies in Belgium. He was followed ftito Charing-cross 'Post office, where Mr. Marshall watched him addressing a telegram form, and then asked him a casual question or two in order to keep his attention engaged while he (Mr. Marshall) managed to read the address on the message. By watching this address, which was in the Vulham road, the inspector obtained valuable information; and eventually arrested Boschin, who drew a revolver on him, and in! the hand-to-hand fight which ensued, fired several bullets, without, however, hitting the officer. This was only one of many dangerous adventures Mr. Marshall had in his long career. The terrible tussle with Fowler will not yet have been forgotten. Boschin, in the struggle with Mr. Marshall, threw over the fence into the hospital grounds, where it was afterwards found, a valuable wtch, once the pro- perty of the King of the Belgians.
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I THOUGHT that she and you had arranged to elofe, Chumpley." "We had, but I only figured railroad fare one way. Of course we must have round trip tickets. That necessarily deferred the happy event." COACHMAN (driving stout old laay on a lonely road in a very high wind): "Please, mum, will you 'old the 'orses while I run after my at, or will you run after my 'at while I old the orses 7 HEMS will I pledge thee, dearest one, sang the tenor, as he leit his wateli m «fe keeping i JJSKISB I thought you were a vegeUnan, but I bear you eat mutton. Gibbs: I am not a bigoted vegetarian. I oirty eat the meat of such «nmals as .0.
A GLIMPSE AT THE YOUTHFUL…
A GLIMPSE AT THE YOUTHFUL --d- GLADSTONE. The Bath Herald has heard a characteristic story of Mr. Gladstone, which is worth repeating. It was originally told some years ago by Major Hirlong, who at that time resided in Sydney-place, and*related an experience of his own while travelling north by stage coach. An accident, which might have been serious, but was fortunately unattended with injury to any of the occupants of the coach, left them no alternative but to walk to the next stage, and in' so doing Major Ftirlong found himself in company With a young student travelling from Oxford to spend the vacation in the north, and was at once struck with his renflirkable conversational powers, his well formed opinions, and singularly wide range of knowledge. Arriving at the inn, when all the passengers were assembled awaiting the coach in which they were to resume their journey, this young traveller addressed his companions with great earnestness and suggested that since they had just escaped unscathed from what might have involved loss of life or personal injury it would be appropriate if they addressed, themselves to the Almighty in terms of thankfulness. Greatly impressed, the travellers requested the young man to lead them in prayer, which he did.. Subsequently they became aware that the name of the young traveller was William Ewart-Gladstone,
MR. GLADSTONE AS SIGNALMAN.
MR. GLADSTONE AS SIGNALMAN. During,Mr. Gladstone's illness the Irish express going to Holyhead was several times stopped at Sandyford in order to put down the doctors. There is a Harwarden tradition, related by the special correspondent of the Daily Chronicle, to the effect that Mr. Gladstone once stopped this express by pulling the signal against it with his own hand. The narrative is that Mr. Gladstone had been hurriedly summoned south by the Queen. He drove over to Sandyford-the date is supposed to be years and years ago—and asked the official there to have the train stopped. "No, sir," was the timorous reply, I cannot stop the Irish express without orders, and as she is almost due, there is no time totelegraph for them." Well," quoth Mr. Gladstone, "I under- stand your position and appreciate it. But in the interests of the nation I must get to London with the least loss of time. Therefore I shall take the responsibility of stopping the train myself." With that he went to the lever and pulled it, saying, In the Queen's name."
MR. GLADSTONE IN PARLIAMENT.
MR. GLADSTONE IN PARLIAMENT. INCIDENTS AND HABITS. There has been perhaps no man of the present century about whom so many anecdotes can be told (observes the Globe) as about Mr. Gladstone. This is owing doubtless to the conspicuous and varied parts he played in public life during the greater part of the present century. Already contemporary bio- graphy and political literature are stnewn with in- cidents throwing light upon his character or upoa the public life of his time and now that his eventful career is closed, persons who had exceptional oppor- tunities of knowing him are placing on record their reminiscences of him. It is interesting at the pre- sent moment to recall the following inoidents in his Parliamentary career HIS FIRST SPEECH: A REMARKABLE PREDICTION. His first speech was delivered on the 17th May, 1833, just 65 years ago and it is w iu-known that the subject was the slave trade of West Indies. Among the auditors in the gallery tile that speech was being delivered was Sir Ear Wilmot; and later in the evening a relative of his, then a member of the House, came to him, and said: Yeung man, did you hear that speech made by that new member named Gladstone; if that young man lives, hell be Prime Minister some day." Mpre than half a cen- tury after that eventful day, Sir Eardley Wilmot, then a member of Parliament, told that story across the floor of the House to Mr. Gladstone as he sat' on the Treasury Bench, and Mr. Gladstone received it with a good-humoured laugh. The late statesman is the first man in Parliamentary history who has been four times Prime Minister of England.
HIS KNOWLEDGE OF FINANCE.
HIS KNOWLEDGE OF FINANCE. What continually surprised the closest observers of Parliamentary life was his minute and intimate knowledge of all departments of Government and of political history, A notable instance of this occurred when he was last in office. One evening, while the 0'0 Budget resolutions were under discussion^ a question arose as to the way the income-taxis levied in Ireland. Mr. A Balfour, then leader of the Opposition, rose and explained for Mr. Gladstone's information that the income-tax was levied in Ireland in a different way from the method employed in England, giving details of the Irish method. Thereupon up got Mr. Gladstone, and in an earnest, gracious manner thanked Mr. Balfoufr for his information observing that no doubt the right hon. gentleman had had later opportunities of mastering Irish finance than he en- joyed; but it so happens, he added, that it was I who introduced that method of levying the income tax in Ireland over 40 yearwa-,o." Mr. Balfour, who was then only 45 years of age, looked crestfallen; while Sir Wm. Harcourt, Mr. John Morley, and Mr. Asquith were radiant with elation. Apropos, the fact may be recalled that in later years he declared that ,when he was first at the Treasury he never worked harder at any subject than at a scheme to im- pose a graduated income-tax, and that he eventually gave it up as impracticable. Now, by an ingenious system of abatements, our income-tax has become practically a graduated -one.
HIS METHOD OF SPEECH-MAKING.
HIS METHOD OF SPEECH-MAKING. What seemed most to attract public attention was his volubility as a speech-maker, and he never seemed to speak so effectively and so fluently in the House as when he was unencumbered by notes. Like most great Parliamentarians, he could write, compose, and listen at the same time; and when he intended to wind up a great debate, it was often amusing to see him preparing his speech. While his opponent was speaking Mr. Gladstone seemed for a time wholly absorbed in jotting down the heads or catch words of his speech; and after he had got down fiye or six lines of this discription on a single sheet of notepaper he would sit pondering over them, and then rearrange them, sometimes by means of figures, sometimes by diagrammatic lines, sometimes by re-writing them. When at last he seemed satisfied with the final arrangement he would lay the sheet of paper on the table and attentively wait for his rival to sit down whereupon he would rise, and begin- ning with the last remark of the last speaker would talk for an hour or two. He seemed to remember every word said by previous speakers, though, curi- ously enough, did not always remember what he had himself previously said.
HIS LETTERS TO THE QUEEN.
HIS LETTERS TO THE QUEEN. It is the duty of the Leader of the House of Commons to write frequent letters to her Majesty, giving his impressions of the business of the House. These letters Mr. Gladstone often wrote on the Treasury Bench, generally after the dinner hour; and sometimes this work appeared to tax his mental "1 resources. He wrote in a small and not very legible I hand; and the composition of these letters was rather a slow process. Sometimes he would pause for a minute or two befoie finishing a half-written sentence; and he has sometimes been seen, after a considerable pause, to delete a word or two of what he had already written. He rarely showed such pain- staking care and premeditation as in the composition of these letters, leading keen observers to remark how much more easily he could deliver a speech than write to her Majesty.
HOME-MADE ELECTRICITY.
HOME-MADE ELECTRICITY. It is stated that a syndicate has been formed to acquire certain inventions for generating electricity by air. The discovery, if reports are to be relied upon, is one of .the most important and far-reaching of the century. With a small apparatus', weighing only a few pounds, and without the aid of gas, or steam power, or .dynamo, sufficient current can be generated for lighting any ordinary dwelling house. Experiments conducted over a period of some months are said to show that very striking results can be obtained, by this method, and that the current de- veloped remains quite constant. By means of this invention, it is expectfd that the supply of electric current will be brought within the reach of all with- out the necessity for taking it from corporation or company mains, and si a trifling cost as compared with the present charges for current.
[No title]
rI r.. THH power of, Niagara, according to Lord Kelvin, says an American interviewer,; even when wholly uthised, would barely suffice ,for; propelling 100 Atlantic liners by "electricity. This shows the great absorption of energy necessary for quick ocean travel, rather th--Ih-foobleness of the Yiviar' flow. i i i: „ flU:
AMERICA AND SPAIN.
AMERICA AND SPAIN. -p- CERVERA -FOUND. Very detailed reports have reached New Tori from various sources to the effect that Commodore Schley has seen some of the vessels of Admiral Cervera's fleet in the harbour of Santiago de Cuba, or that one of the cruisers attached to his squadron has reported their presence in the harbour but the Navy Department in Washington neither confirms nor denies tnese rumours, and, according to the latest advices from that city, there is still a pronounced feel- ing of uncertainty as to the actual whereabouts ofth« Spanish fleet. The Times New York correspondent Bays despatches arrive from Commodore Schley dated from Cienfuegos, and he cannot very well be in two Elaces at once. The same correspondent has the ighest authority for saying that rumours of actual negotiations for an alliance between Great Britain and the United States, which have been published in New York and elsewhere, have no foundation; there has been no diplomatic action whatever. The attitude of most influential Americans with regard to the per- manent annexation of the Philippines is one of caution and reserve. The Times Madrid correspon- dent says there is no war news there, but there are endless surmises as to the present position and future movements of Admiral Cervera's fleet. The Minister of Marine remains silent. A despatch from Hong Kong states that, according to advices received there from Manila, the American. have captured a Spanish gunboat which was attempting to run from Iloilo with despatches. A cargo of 6000 rifles is said to have been landed at Cavite for. the rebels. Amother Hong Kong corre- spondent says no serious fighting is-* anticipated in the Philippines till ithe end of June, when the American reinforcements will arrive.
BRITISH CAPTAIN FOR SAMPSONS…
BRITISH CAPTAIN FOR SAMPSONS JFLErfV Captain Arthur Paget, of the Brjtisk. Navy, arrived at Key West bearing the credentials grantt»jf him by the President to Admiral Sampson, whose fleet he will join. He will wear the uniform of a captain in the Royal Navy together with hia medals gained in India and Egypt. A SURPRISE PARTY. The newspapers at Buenos Ayres publish a strange report that a party of about 50 American sailors have Bet out for Asuncion in Paraguay. The report adds that according to the general belief they will attempt to surprise and capture the Spanish gunboat Temerario, which has obtained authority to remain in Paraguayan waters to repair her machinery. BLANCO AND THE BLOCKADE. Havana despatches report that there is a con- siderable probability of the Captain-General sus- pending all coasting dues in order to encourage vessels to run the blockade.
¡ THE ARMY RESERVES.
¡ THE ARMY RESERVES. The suggestion published in some quarters that the Government intend to mobilise the army reserves is based on a misconception. There is no such in- tention. But under the new regulations for mobi- lising the army two cases are contemplated, one in whicn a portion of the reserves would be ordered to rejoin, the other iri which the whole would be Re- quired to do sor To meet these two eventualities two sets qf posters are being prepared, and the municipal and police authorities are being requested to co-operate with the military in arranging for their exhibition in case of need.
RIOT IN CALCUTTA.
RIOT IN CALCUTTA. A serious riot has occurred at a village near the Sunderbunds, according to a message from Calcutta. Suspecting the existence of an illicit salt trade the salt department sent a party to search the place. When they were observed the villagers raised the .cry of Inoculators and savagely attacked the Revenue officials. Details of the affair are not yet known, but it is reported that an inspector and two other officers were killed and their bodies thrown into the river. The police afterwards visited the locality and made 45 arrests.
SAVED BY A DOG.
SAVED BY A DOG. Late on Saturday night the shop of a Bristol out- fitter, named Hussey, took fire. The family were at the time-asleep in the apartments on .the third floor, but were roused by the barking of a collie dog. which was in the sitting-room below. Thanks to this alarm they were enabled to escape by an attio. but -they- were unable to rescue the dog, which after the subdual of the outbreak was found burned to death in the room where he had been shut Up foi the night. =
A HOLIDAY DISASTER.:
A HOLIDAY DISASTER. The Whit-Otfonday "festivities were marred at Yar- ploutil, by a distressing boat accident, which caused he loss of four lives. Five young men, residents of Yarmouth, named Ernest Powley, 19; Harry Blyth, 19; Ernest Payne, 19; Eustace Payne, .17; and Arthur Julier, 20 hired a small lug ail boat, and proceeded up the river as far as Reedham. There they stopped some time, and then started for home. The wind meanwhile had freshened, and when near the Seven Mile House the sail jibbed over, and, with- out.warning, the boat capsized, throwing the young men into the water about mid-stream. Jqlier was the only one who could swim, and he endeavoured to save the elder Payne, but finding himself exhausted, was compelled to leave his friend and make for the shore, which he reached with great difficulty. There was no assistance at hand, and when Julier gained the there he could see no signs of his companions.
LORD SALISBURY'S POLICY.
LORD SALISBURY'S POLICY. SIR EDWARD. CLARKE'S DFFENCK. A demonstration under the auspices of the Ply. mouth Conservative Association was held at Mount Edgcumbe-park on Whit-Monday. Sir E. Clarke. Q C M.P., was amongst the speakers, and in the course of a reference to the foreign policy of the Government he said a great attack had been made upon Lord Salisbury's policy in regard to Eastern waters and with regard to the advance. which Russia had been making. There were some incidents Con- nected with those events which were not very pleasant for us to read, but, on the whole, now that the papers were published, he thought that Lord Salisbury's policy and conduct of affairs had been amply jnstified to the people of this country. It \Val easy for those who made light of the difficulties to speak of a stronger policy," but a stronger policy would have meant a policy of war-war for a reason, and a cause which could not have been justified. Any advance of Russia in Europe would be a retrogression I' from European civilisation, but there was a far larger world beyond in which Russia might legi- mately and even usefully push forward its influence and its policy. That advance of Russia towards Eastern seas, and the obtaining by Russia of aD ice free port in the waters of those seas., was no disadvantage to this country. Fort Arthur and Ta-lien-wan were far from any sphere of commercial activity with which this country was interested. We had strongholds hearer to the sources of our wealth and the avenues of our commerce- strongholds which we could protect at any time against the forces of Russia. We need not be angry, passionate, or malicious, but we should at all event# be steadfast in the direction of our interests. If we steadily supported the Government in developing the naval forces of the country, we need not trouble to replace the old diplomacy by a new one, and need. not be concerned at the anxiety which from time to time swept across the world, disturbing and dis- tressing the statesmanship of Europe, because we should be safe not only m the prosperity cf oui people at home, but in their resolute deterniinatidil to uphold their right and authority abroad.
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IN honour of the baptism of the four children of a Signori Rosa Zurio, all born on the same day, the Mayor of Fogia, Italy, recently granted a holiday to the villagers. The children have been named Dante, Petrarch, Tasso, and Ariosta. after the four great Italian poets. „ « BIGHEAD claims io be a self-made man." « It.8 B good thing he is. I don't know anyone els* who would cart to shoulder the responsibility. IT is well known that tome of the novels bearing Dumas's signature are not his own. Meeting his son one day, he asked him whether he had read his latest novel. No," said Dumas, junior, who was re- markable for his ready wit. Have you? WHY is a successful comic actor unlike a school- master fond of flogging y—Because the one makes a Furor (few roar) and the other makes a great many roar. I
THE WOMAN'S WORLD.
THE WOMAN'S WORLD. I Tms shirt blouse is truly a boon. We prefer (says a writer in the LzåieI',pome) unlined washing shirts for the sake Qf the laundries, and yet transparent shirts, cannot be worn merely over the petticoat bodice. I advised, therefore, last year, the making of a boned slip bodice, in batiste, saieen, or silk,; on to which the transparent shirt could be tacked. But the scheme has been improved upon by the shirt blouse. This is a fitted lining buttoning down the front. Then there is the usual loose shirt, which is joined to the lining at the neck band and armholes only. The lined sleeve (lining of the same shape or smaller) is mounted in the usual way. IT certainly looks odd to see a coloured piping on slippers, but the newest ones have a cord between the sole *nd upper jpart and threaded through the buckles, Just the shade of the house gown. Some of the heavier and higher shoes are decorated in the same way, but they will not appeal to the prac- tical girl A HEW design for a librae pillow is wonderfully effective:. It has a fleur de lis in a splendid shade of red connected with curves and lines of the same hue worked on dark blue denim. Two ruffles, very full at the corners, finish it-one of red, the other- nSurrower of dark blue. problem of what to do with your old veils has at last (says the Star) been solvent. Scores of women in the past have looked disappointedly at the quantity of veiling in their possession, conscious that it was past wearing in the ordinary way, and not see- ing what further use could possibly be made of it. But now it is the order of the day to waste nothing, land women clever with their needles and of artistic proclivities, have found a place for veils once cast aside. GIVKJT the know how," you can do almost any- thing in the way of decoration with a bit of a veil. Hats can be trimmed with it, and a veil draped cleverly on a hat makes without question an extra- ordinarily pretty effect. A hat adorned with a veil, besides, needs httle other ornament. Another use for old veils is ruming the bottoms of petticoats with them. This requires some skill, and the ruffling must be done daintily, but it is a famous effect for a petticoat.; Again, the front of ball-frocks can be decked with these, and rumes for the wrists of dresses are quite possible. Some girls make collarettes of their old veils, and yet others entire sleeves. A number of veils of the same sort make capital sleeves -sleeves of a generally fluffy and seductive effect. ORNAMENTS for the hair are much in vogue just now, and here is where the old veil comes in the most aptly. Cboux is the name the French give to the con- fections of hair dressing that every woman is enthu- siastic over just now, and a veil is as perfect raw material for one of these choux as could well be imagined. The puffed-up dantiness of these gives them their charm. They are worn in puffs or in bows, with ribbon aigrettes, and a great variety of styles is possible. This is the very latest fashion of the spring- time. r IF one is fortunate enough to own any of the Italian veils of white, it should be remembered that these are the most modish possible to deal with, and are the most fashionable to make over in any of the ways described. There is yet another use for old veils. They come into play finely in making work- bags. The foundation of these work-bags is of silk, over which the veiling is draped. Only coarse veil- ing should lio, used for this purpose. TIIJI newest covering for the arms is the mitten. This is very new; in fact, it may be spoken of as coming, hardly come as yet. It should be of lace. reaching right up the arm to within a couple of inches of tne shoulder strap, to which it is con- nected by a piece of jewelled ribbon. Dear mittenl somehow suggestive of quaint, old-world days, when things were less artificial and unreal than now, when our grandmothers' principles were as upright as their high-backed chairs. We can imagine them going out to tea, equipped with a mitten, on a long talk intent: we can picture them wearing the mitten when hey sailed into the garden to clip the roses, perhaps attended by our grandfathers. It was very pretty, not concealing a white arm as a glove, wonld, And allowftig full-display of sparkling rings. EVKBY house before it is furnished is alike in a general way. All have walls, doors, windows, ceilings, and floors. It is the decoration that makes your home unique and noticeable for its charm and cha- racter. Any olever woman can obtain this without professional assistance by simply constantly observ- ing the best and newest in the nouses of her frieods, or in an artistic decorator's shop, and then utilising the knowledge. Home-makers will find almost an unlimited field for their talent for decorative effects in the new spring draperies.^ Bright new beauties are here in plain or printid, denims; printed burlaps in heavy Oriental effects, for wall hangings or coverings, new tickings,, and cretonnes their bright colours absolutely fast in remarkably handsome effects, and glazen chintzes for wall covering, curtains, or slip coverings. Each will brighten and beautify, no matter for what purpose it is used. COTTOS-PBINTBD portieres with a border of turkey red or blue are novelties designed to replace during the warm weather the heavy, warm-looking winter ones. Nothing furnishes like drapery, and when the heavy hangings are removed one misses them so much, and such a bare look is given, while pretty substitutes that do not exclude air are hailed with ac- clamation. Those mentioned are very suitable. Dainrifail in the first place (says a lady writing in the Sun) to make a clear and comprehensive esti- mate, keeping it well within the limits of the sum you have to spend on fufntshing. It is advisable to allow an adequate amount for each room separately, as by this means you can see more clearly how your money is being spent. DON'T be penny-wise and peond-foolish. There- fore always give the preference to shops of known probity, whose goods-can be relied on for durability and all-round excellence. DON'T forget that it is extremely economical to buy as many carpets as possible of the same pattern. Consequently, when, in the distant future, they wear out, it is easy enough, by removing the threadbare parts and judiciously joining the remainder, to turn two carpets into one. DON'T purchase, on the impulse of the moment, anything that happens to take your fancy, thinking ,g that it will come in useful In nine cases out of ten these impulsive purchases are regretted when too late. —— DON'T, if you elect to make your curtains at home, buy them without taking the needful measurements beforehand. Be very accurate in this matter, re- membering to allow sufficient material for the hem and top turnings in. DON'T be of the opinion that anything will do for the servants' room. Those who serve you deserve to be made as comfortable as your circumstances permit, and will much appreciate the kindness if you provide a few niceties for their room as well as for your own. ..f DON'T buy china of an uncommon design, which you would find difficult to match when broken. Plain white ware is to be recommended for ordinary use, as it is easily replaced as occasion requires. DON'T try to do too much at once. No matter it ybur rooms are a trifle bare at first; as time goes on you will pick up any amount of pretty things. The intense homeliness of certain rooms with which we fall in love directly we enter them was not attained all at once, by any means. DON'T, if you cannot afford a good piano, be deluded into buying one of those inferior instrii- mentsmade to sell, and not to last. Put by the money you would have otherwise spent in this way to form a nest-egg, to which you can add by degrees the amount necessary to buy a piano which it will be a pleasure to possess. DOK'T fail to provide an easy chair, small table, and hanging bookcase for each bedroom. The cost of these articles is nothing compared to the comfort and convenience to be daily derived from their use. 4
ART AND LITERATURE.
ART AND LITERATURE. ME. ALFRED EAST is one of our most thoughtful and imaginative landscape painters—an artist who thoroughly understands tne importance of selection and observation in art—so that his remarks on land- scape photography, delivered recently at a gathering of the Camera Club, are (says the Globe) well worthy of attention. He drew quite an obvious distinction between the position of the painter and the photo- grapher, explaining that while the one need only go to nature to help him in the completion of an idea already formed, the other has to accept and set down exactly what is presented to him. As a consequence, the photographer is apt to record trivialities and commonplaces that the painter would avoid, or, at all events, modify very considerably. What Mr. East's lecture, however, really amounts to, if it is read between the lines, is a plea for more discrimination and greater knowledge on the part of photographers. The ease with which results of a sort can be got with a camera is demoralising to most operators, for they have not the same inclination to economise labour which leads the painter to avoid the waste of many hours upon an unworthy subject. When the photographer realises that in bis branch of art there is more need than in any other for exact discrimination and minutely careful selection, and will take the trouble assiduously to cultivate his powers of observation, he will be able to produce artistic results worthy of attention. At present he is more occupied in inventing mechanical devices to make his prints look like bad pencil or water-cclour drawings than in studying those essential principles of design which are just as applicable to photography as to pictorial art. MR. JOSEPH HOCKING has wrttten a new serial story, entited "Trevanion," for Casselfs Magazine, which will be commenced in the June part. AN historical and critical account of Vandyck's Pictures at Windsor Castle," by Mr. Ernest Law, illustrated by photographic plates produced by Mr. Franz Hanfstaengl, will be brought out shortly. By her Majesty's gracious permission the pictures were photographed in exceptionally favourable circum- stances, each work being detached from its frame and removed to a temporary studio in the Courtyard of the Castle. There the negatives were taken "with wet plates under long exposures, in full sun- light, by means of a platform turning on a pivot to follow the sun. For the compila- tion of the text the treasures of the Queen's Library at Windsor Castle, the archives of the Lord Chamberlain's Office, and the immense accumu- lations of the late Sir George Scharf's sketches and annotations on portraiture in the National Portrait Gallery, have been placed at the disposal of the author; from which sources, as well as from researches in the Record Office, the Print Room and Library of the British Museum, the House of Lords, the Bodleian, and other places, much new informa- tion has been gleaned, many curious facts discovered, and light thrown on many obscure points in the origin, history, and pedigree of these splendid works of art. Further, every picture has been subjected to a careful scrutiny, which has led to the discovery of many signatures of the artists, dates, and inscrip- tions hitherto unknown." THE first attempt at collecting in one volume the several statutes relating to the tenure of land in Ire- land from the memorable Act of 1860 to the latest of 1896 has just issued from the Dublin University Press. Mr. Richard I. Kelly, barrister-at-law, the author of this work on the agrarian code, is the author of the Law of Newspaper Libel," and of the Registration of Title (Ireland) Act and the Adultera- tion Acts. His present work is the most complete and comprehensive yet published on the subject of the Irish Land Laws, embracing a vast reach of matter in the way of laws, and the decisions upon those laws. It comprises 1370 pages, and reprints 21 Acts of Par- liament dealing with Irish land occupancy and pur- chase. Its index consists of 130 pages, in itself alone no small measure of an elaborate and exhaustive industry in investigation. A HISTORY OF LANDGUARD FORT IN SUFPOLK" has been prepared by Major J. H. Leslie, late of the Royal Artillery. The book, in addition to the story of the fort itself, will include biographical notices of all the Governors and Lieutenant-Governors from 1628 to the middle of the present century. Maps, portraits, and other illustrations will appear in the work, of which only 400 copies will be printed. Few of our coast defences are richer in associations with history and art than the old fort which stands on the extreme south-western point of Suffolk, opposite Harwich, and commands the estuary of the Orwell and Stour rivers, which unite just before they reach the German Ocean. The references to it in old newspapers and accounts of military pre- parations are numerous, and pictures of it by dis- tinguished painters are not uncommon. Landguard Fort was once a powerful stronghold, and, though no longer regarded as a position of the first impor- tance to our national security, it is still far from being left to the fate that has long since overtaken the'neighbouring fortification at Olacton, where the ancient guns lie half buried in the ground, and the curious visitor sits on the ruined battlements to muse over the changed conditions of warfare. One of the principals events recalled in the records of Landguard is the attack on it by the Dutch in 1667, when the enemy, who had landed in strong force at Felixstowe, were decisively beaten. MESSRS. CASSELL AND COMPANY are preparing a six- penny illustrated edition of Mr. Stevenson's well- known work Treasure Island," which will be issued duriner the month of June. MR. W. A. PICKERING, C.M.G., has written an account of his experiences when Pioneering in Formosa," and his volume so entitled will be pub- lished soon with 25 illustrations, some of their from' sketches by the author. In his preface Mr. Pickering discusses the present position of Great Britain in relation to the Chinese. A FURTHER development of the controversy con- cerning M. Rodin's statue of Balzac is to be noted. A subscription is being raised by ceitain admirers of' the artist's work, so that this remarkable example of his powers may be acquired and preserved as a national possession. The collector who bought the statue when the Society of Men pfLetters refused to accept it, is understood to be willing to sell it for the same sum that he has paid for if, if the committee of M. Rodin's admirers can secure proper con- sideration for it as a work of -art,. A BOOK devoted to the distinctly burning ques- tion of" Cuba, Past and Present," written by Mr. Richard Davey, will shortly be issued. MR. LIONEL TOLLEMACHE has kept records of a number of interesting conversations he was privi- leged to hold with Mr. Gladstone during recent years. The conversations took place for the most part at Biarritz between 1891 and 1896, and ranged over a variety of intellectual, religious, and political questions, on which Mr. Gladstone s opinions wore freely expressed. Mr. Tollemache has now put these conversations together in a small volume, which will be entitled Talks with Mr. Gladstone." FOR 60 years Mr. Gladstone was a const. nt habitue of the British Museum, visiting usually the library or the print department. For more than 30 years Mr. Gladstone was a trustee of the museum, where he did much good work in that capacity. When he was either First Lord of the Treasury o. Chancellor of the Exchequer, he ranked among the official trustees, who are the paramount authority at the museum, and by them are the elected trustees chosen. During many years, when Mr. Gladstone was not a member of the Ministry, he nevertheless still belonged to the governing body of the museum, as he was chosen to be an elected trustee in 1856, on the recommendation of Lord Palmerston. In 1881 Mr. Gladstone, being then an official trustee, re- signed his position as an elected trustee (which is a life post) in order that his friend the late Dr. Liddell, Dean of Christ Church, might fill his place. MR. BRET HARTE will contribute to Cassell's Maga- zine for June a complete story, entitled Salomy Jane's Kiss," and the same issue will contain the first of a new series of stories by Mr. E. W. Hornung. UNDER the editorship of Sir Wemyss Reid, a re,, and original Life of Mr. Gladstone has been for some time past in preparation, and will be issued by Messrs. Cassell and Company in 12 parts, the first of which is to appear on June 8. The contributors will include Mr. F. W. Hirst, B.A., the Rev. Canon Maccoll, Mr. Arthur J. Butler, Mr. A. F. Robbins, and other writers having special knowledge of the subject, and the work will contain many letters and documents never hitherto published. A large number of authentic -Ilujitrationo, specially prepared, will appear in the work.
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EPITOME OF NEWS.
EPITOME OF NEWS. THE entire collection of coins and medals in the British Museum coniiints of nearly 260,000 speci- mens. IN the year 1700 there was only one newspaper in the United States. Now there are more than in England, France, and Germany put together. GERMAN engine-drivers receive a gold medal and £ 100 for every 10 years of service without accident. THE palace of Li Hung Chang, Prime Minister of China, consists of a collection of nearly 100 build- ings, surrounded by a high wall. ONE of the latest quasi-scientific fads is the adop- tion of a non-starchy diet. The devotees restrict their foods to olive oil, fruits, eggs, and milk. A FRENCH professor is said to be the owner of a collection of 920 heads, representnig the various known races of people on the globe. MR. LoKo hopes he may be able very soon to relax the muzzling orders now in force in Kent. RUSSIA is negotiating with an American firm for the laying down of a complete shipbuilding plant and yard at Port Arthur. THE new underground telegraph cable from London to Birmingham is on the point of com- pletion. THE Orange Free State Raad has adopted the Customs Convention by an overwhelming maioritv. DR. TEMPLE, Archbishop of Canterbury, told soma working men a short time back that he was himself the son of a working man—a soldier, who afterwards became Governor of a colony. His father died when he was only 18, and from the age of 17 young Temple had to earn his own living. The a rchbishop knew in his youth what it was to do wi thout a fire in cold weather, because he could not affo rd one, and had to wear patched clothesand boots. He learned to plough is straight a furrow as any man, and could thrash equally well. IT is estimated that as much as between £ 40,000,000 and £ 50,000,000 sterling is lost yearly upon the Turf, our own country contributing its share to the extent of from £ 7,000,000 to 4:10,000,000. Australia is the largest loser, it being calculated that no less than £20,000,000 sterling changes hands there yearly. The French suffer most next to the Australian colonies, most of the remainder of the amount being contributed by other British colonies and the United States. THE Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock, from iie variety of weapons manufactured, is one of the most interesting places in the kingdom. Every arm jsed by the soldier, with the exception of artillery, is made here; the 2500 hands employed, in return for ¡he weekly £ 6000 distributed between them in the shape of wages, turning out, under the eye of Mr. Henry F. Donaldson, the Deputy Director of Ordnance, over 2000 rifles, 1000 bayonets, 200 swords and cutlasses, and 50 lances and boarding- pikes, not to mention numerous revolvers, and four machine guns. AUSTRALIA has always been prone to follow American examples, and now, according to the Mayor of Melbourne, there is some fear of Australia cultivating a twang of its own. Addressing a meeting of school teachers recently, the Mayor impressed on his hearers the necessity for inculcating in children the habit of clear and correct pronuncia- tion. Already a distinct twang could be detected in the speech of the school children of Victoria and New South Wales, and if not attended to it would lead in time to something like the American twang, THE droughts and bush-fires in Victoria have caused a great decrease in the colony's export of butter during the past season, the quantity shipped only amounting to 6000 tons. Last year the con- signments reached 7895 tons, but in 189,1-95 the butter exported totalled 11,584 tons, or nearly double what was shipped this year. The Victorian butter brings in the London market about £ 90 or EIOO a ton, so the colony lost by this decline in pro- duction upwards of £ 500,000. A NATURAL pug-mill feed is stated to spring into intermittent operation from a boring made originally to provide an artesian water well, at Lower Brule Agency, Omaha. From the opening at the top of the bore, instead of water a stream of wet sand pours out from time to time, and, again, this is varied by a blue clay sausage." Specimens of the sausage measuring several hundred feet without breakage have been obtained and preserved as curios. The dependence of the phenomena upon meteorological conditions is shown by the fact that an ejection is asually followed by windy and stormy weather. THE death of Signor Brin, the Italian Minister of Marine, was quite unexpected. He was no politician, but served all Cabinets alike, being respected by all as the most competent naval authority in Italy. He has teen in office almost continuously since 1876, and has every right to be considered the founder of the modern Italian Navy. The Duilio, the Dandolo, and the Italia were all built from his designs. THE question of cos] supply has been so much in evidence lately in all discussions upon naval supre- macy, that a special interest attaches to the annual return of the production of coal in the principal countries of the world. This return is always a year late and the figures now issued are not for last .yea,r, but for 1896. They show that we can still beat ill the rest of Europe put together in coal production. Leavingouttheodd figures, ouroutputwas 196,000,000 tons. Our nearest competitor, Germany, does not reach half that figure. Its output was 85,000.000 tons. Next comes France with 28,000,000, and Bel- gium with 21,000,000. To turn such ves3els as the Teutonic and Majestic tonnage 9984, into naval cruisers costs £ 30,000 • to build them £ 200,000. The British Admiralty has some 30 of the subsidised liners at its disposal, and the necessary fittings required for the change are y stored at every dockyard and coaling station. It would take about a week to get them into fighting trim. They have some advantages over the proper naval cruisers. They have more storage room for arms, and can carry enough coal to steam 3000 miles at 19 knots an hour. They carry two nine-inch 22-ton guns as bow and stern chasers, with number of quick-firing guns and six torpedo hibes. AT present the gross debt of the United States is in English money about 4370,(M,000, and deducting &he Treasury reserve on the basis of its intrinsic palue, the debt, is not more than £ 263,000,000. This s equal to £8 10s. per head of the population, and compares most favourably with the positions of other ^ountries. Great Britain has a public debt of nearly 340 millions, which works out at zEI6 4s. per head; 4 -he debt of France is LI,083,409,858, or £28 5s. 2d. per head; Germany's debt is £ 110,062,407, or E2 4s. lOd. per head; while the debt of Spain is E257,101,703, being equal to E14 12s. lOd. per head of population. ONE of the richest dairying districts in Australia is that on the southern coast of New South Wales, where both soil and climate are admirably adapted for dairy-farming purposes. A considerable portion of the country is in direct communication with Sydney, to which place large quantities of milkand butter are daily forwarded. The whole district is dotted with seaside townships and villages, picturesque home- steads, and broad, luxuriant meads, in which sleek and healthful dairy cows are continually grazing. The dairy farms vary considerably in size, but are each efficiently managed by their respective owners. THE difficulties of newspaper production in the remote districts of Australia are many, and one of the greatest is that of obtaining materials. The Mundie Miner, a Queensland journal, recently appeared printed on dark brown wrapping paper, the supply of white paper having given out. The editor apologised to his readers in the following words: A bale of white paper has been lying on the Western bank of the Gilbert for nearly three months, but the state of the river and the road keeps it there. This makes the third time we have been similarly fixed, but as the fault is not ours we ask the forbearance of our readers." THE Philippines have three seasons, a cold (from November to March), which is pleasant and bracing for Europeans; a hot (March to June), with violent thunderstorms; and a wet-(June to November), when the rain falls in torrents and the lowlands are flooded. The population is about eight millions, the capital having 154,000 of these. Sugar, hemp, coffee, indigo, and tobacco are the principal exports. There are 70 miles of railway and 720 miles of telegrapjis in the island. The number of Spaniards there is a very small fraction of the whole population. TIIB discoveries just made in the famous sanctuary of Artemis, in Lusoi, Arcadia, are likely to give Austrian archaeological students some trouble before the inscriptions can all be deciphered. This temple is situated some 4500ft. above the level of the sea, in a beautiful mountain country. Flanked on the right by Mount Chelmos, below it are to be found the wenders of the Styse waterfalls. Besides the frag- mentary hieroglyphics which -were discovered, srtiall bronzes, including a splendid patina, and terra-cotta figures used for Totive purposes were also fmInd.