Abergavenny Chronicle

TALL AND SHORT. I The tallest people in the British Isles are i to be found in the district of Galloway, in { South Scotland, where records of the stature I give an average height of 5ft. lOin. The j shortest stature is found in Wales and South-We,st England. j

L QUAINT WAY OF PACKING EGGS. I  t '? In many Kor £ »ii towns one sees piles of J eggs outside the shops, done up iu. stra w rolls. This is the Korean niethod- uf pack- ing eggs. There are, as a rule, ten eggs in a roll, and the straw casing is so cleverly ,ly %voven ttiat it (--an twisted and so strongly woven that it can be moved without ar of the eggs falling out. A native will Hft up a roll, place it across his shoulder, and march away, and though' the roll may sway dangerously to and fro, its contents always remain intact.

nrSJ2s with three years' general training desirous of joining Queen Alexandra s Im- perial Military Nursing Service Reserve for duty in military hospitals should write at once to the Matron-in-Chief, Q.A.I.M.N S., War OtSce. Adastral House, Victoria Em- I bankment, EC. Mr. Thomas L. Welter, C B., has "ben opnointed clerk assistant to the House of Commons. • Black scab has hn discovered in the aotato crops at the. Ley ton allotments. Major Lord Pembroke, Household Cavalry, M cnxetted temp. ji"Cvt.-Cololiel while speedily ciHpJoyed.

HOME BRESSMAKINS. A SIMPLE FLANNEL PETTICOAT. I With the advent of October one begins tt I think Yery seriously about winter clothing. I and,, more especially, about warm under. clothing for the winter months. Importanl 5 as such underclothing always is, more par- ticularlv in the _C<1SQ of children, it promises to be of double importance during th< coming, winter, with its promised shortagt of • ooal, when warm underwear will have t( take "the place to a certain extent of fires and central heating. HI-is high time, there- fore, to set to work in earnest upon COS, undergarments for the family, if, indeed, we have not already -started upon the: tatik Our pattern this week shoSvs a particularly simple and well-shaped Princees petticoat [Refer to H. p. 235.1 ■ suitable for -a girl of from four to twelve years. This garment requires the least pos- sible amount of time to make, and, there- fore, should be ep-eeially popular with the? "busy mother. THIS MATEitlAt.t word, first, about t'he- best material to use for this design. if you can afford it there is nothing so good for winter wear as an all-wool flannel. But such flannel is not only very dear* at pre- sent, but it is net very estsy to get; s6, quite apart from a question of price, one often has to be content, with a substitute. Excellent material*! to use for a petticoat of 'V i ve',Ia, this type are Viyella, Aza, wincey, erepe- de-saute, pvjama, IJannel, union, or flan- neletie. All these, though they vary cn- siderably in price, wash admirably and arc. comfortably warm to wear. You U will want- two yards of 36in. wide material for a girl of from eight to ten yeal's. T HB PATTEILN.-TLc- pattern" consists' of two pieces only, so it could not well be simpler. In addition, you will need two strips of material about 2in. wide to face up the opening at the back. No pattern is given for these however, as they are merely straight bandts Before cutting out the petticoat lay the paper pattern agaiiust-* yonrj child so that you can make any little alteration that, may 130 needed. jI)o not forget that no turnings are allowed for is -t4t-a,, pa-Vup-vn. It is well to leave at least fchree-quartertj of an inch on all edges for geams, and *an ample turning- for any hemdf. u THE CTTTTIKG.—Fold the material so that bhe selvedges come together and lay the pattern upon it as shown in the diagram, that is to say, arranging the straight edgel; .-)f both front and back to come to the fold in the material. The front and back of this pattern are so much alike that it would be- wise to mark the back as soon as it is cut jut so that you cannot make a mistake. THE MAKING.—Run together the under- arm and shoulder seams, press them out; and, if an all-wool material, fell them down by a neat herring-bone stitch. If you prefer It you can join the seams by French sewing* but, though certainly quicker, this is bulkier and not so neat. Now cut open the centre back fold from the neck to a point about 4J-in. or 5in., below the waist. Face ap each side of the opening with one of. the 2in. wide strips of material. Next make the buttonholes and sew on the buttons^ Now stamp the edges of the neck, armholes, and bottom of the petticoat with a transfer scallop, pad them, and, embroider them. If you prefer it, you can bind the raw edges (vith narrow strips of material cut on the ,?ross, and you can hem up the bottom of the garment. Or you can face up the eÙgeB :){ neck and sleeve and trim them with lace. I HOW TO ORT AIN Paper Pattern of the above PETTICOAT. Fill in this form and send it, with remittance in stamps, to MISS LISLE. 8, La Belle Sauvate, LONDON, E:C. 4. 2^i £ clearly. Name —————— ——— ——— Address I Pattern No r PAER PATTERNS, Price 9d. eMh. post free. ? PATTERNS cut to Icial meagre. 1/4 eMh. I .MISS LISLE wiU be pleased to receive sn?gettioas 'i and to Hiustrate desire & of general use to the HOME,DRESSMAKER Men enrolled in the Indian Defence j Force, who hitherto have been liable to f;er- vice in India- only, will in future be liable for service abroad, and Europeans over fifty are now made eligible for .voluntary enrol-' ioent in the Defence Force. J-

CLUB WINDOW. èwn WINDOW. I sir George Askwith, the settler of tells, a story of an old profesnof wliose absent-mindedness was a great trial to his wife. One evening they were dining ont at a friend's house, and th& professor Forgot himself ae usual. Ho leaned O.Cr.!$-S i Le table to his wife and remarked, sadly, 'The soup is a failure again, my dear I" An amusing story concerning Sir Frederick Smith is told. One day while 'attending a meeting in New York during a visit to ilmerica, Sir Frederick got into an altercation with an Irish-American irrecon- cilable. The altercation—so the story goes —became very warm. Finally, one of Sir I Frederick's supporters said, with a sneer -ind a tofcs of the head toward the Irish- American, "Come away, Sir Frederick. Remember your rank." "Remember I'm what?" roared Sir Frederick fiercely. Sir Horace Marshall is a firm believer in athleticism as an incentive to business, and whenever opportunity permits indulges in Shooting, VoTfing., di-iving, and ridings "JBK teljs the following story. ",Pa,. doesn't prey fipitation mean the same as settling r" asked a youthful knowledge-seeker. "It does jn chemistry, my son," answered his father; "bitt in business you'll find that many per- sons don't show any precipitation at all." Major-General Sir G. M. :W. Macdonogh is fond of telling the story of an ofiicei- friend of his who, going the round of the trenches one afternoon, came unexpectedly on a group of soldiers busily engaged m petting and feeding a big, half-ta-nie rat. Aa this was quite contrary to trench cus- tom, which decrees the instant destruction of these vermin, the officer paused to make inquiries. At first the men were mightily: embarrassed, but at length one man in-- te" -up courage and replied, "We think more of this rat than anything in -the world, sir. It bit our regimental Provoct- Sergeant." General Sir Henry Rawlinson ha« always a friendly word for any private he recog- nises. One day he met a Black Watch man he had known in India. "Well, Jock," he said, "what have you been doing?" The Scot had just come from some trying ab- dominal exercisce. in which. his physical training instructor took a- fiendish delight. "Ob," 6ai., Jock, "just they abominable exercises again." "Abominable!" exclaimed the General. "Perhaps you' are not far wrong." o- General Milne, the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces at Salonica, was, in pro* war days, a keen follower' of the honnds, and he has. a good, stock of stories relating to that particular branch oL sport. One of the 'lx:f¡t concerns an Incident^ he wit- nessed once when out with a famous Wetst Country paek. The M.F.H. was a bit of a martinet, and his exasperation when he saw one of his field galloping off without wait- ing toO sliuf a. gate behind him. knew no bounds. "Here" he shoiited-at the top of his voice. "Here, you"—something, some. thing! Come hack and shut that gate. You fellows come out with inv hounds knowing nothing more of farming than wooden images, and caring less, leav- itic, gates open behind you so that the farmer's stock will get out, you ——! Here the culprit tried to speak, but was Overwhelmed. "Hold your tongue; f. won't have it, I tell you. Go back and shijfc that gate instantly." The culprit in a timid voice, "But it's my own gate, and I want it "open J Was the Master discomfited? Not in the least. Rising in his stirrups, lie glared even more ferociously at the offender. "That does not alte-r the principle of the thing in the least," he said, an d rode on. ■ "America is a resourceful nation," once remarked Mr. Henry Flrd I the famous juotor^car maker, "For example," he con- tinued, "an American, girl in Paris once halted her millionaire father before a i jeweller's window in the Rue de la Paix, .jtjsd.. pointed, to a tiara surmounted by a coronet. "Pa, buy me that," she said. "Buy you that?" her father chuckled. "Why, girlie, you've got to be a duchess to wear that Thp girl tossed her head. Y01.t buy it," she said; "I'll'find,the duke' Captain Roald &miind-ieii, the famous Norwegian explorer, tella the following atory. On one of his Arctic expeditious, Amundsen lost several of his dogs, and, being unable to proceed, asked a native in iiis very best Eskimo to sell him one or tvw. To his surprise the request was promptly and rather indignantly refused, ,the native asserting very definitely that he had .never sold sufch a t-ilag, and. didn't in- tend to begin. He seemed to regard Amundsen'as a sort • of frea;ia dangerous .freak, in fact, who ought not to e encou- raged. "Nonsense!" etfplaimed Amundsen. "I have often bought dogs." The Eskimo looked his astonishment. Then,, after a very wordy argument, the explorer sud- denly discovered that all the time he had been using," not the- -Eskimo word for dogs," but. for. children. He no lenger blamed the Eskimo for being unwilling to aelt him any. The offer was not of a*, kind that any Christian man could accept! Sir Arthur Yapp tells the following good story. It concerns a man far-famed for dodging the tax-collector and the gas-in- spector, who,' however, had the letters y.H.C.A. outside his door. One day* a dun reproached him for his inconsistency. "Qh." jiaid he, "that doesn't mean what you think it means. It only. means You May Call Again." And bang went the door! One of the favourite stories of Miu. Neil Kenvon, the popular, comedian, concerns an old Scotswoman who lay very ill in London. Believing that her end was not far off, she said to her husband: "Sandy, where are ye gaen to bury me?" Weel, Jean," he a slowly, "I had thocht o' Kellsal GreeD," "Na, na," she said indignantly. "I iMidna lie in Hensal Green. Ye mUll take I rtfe back to Hirriemuir. I wudna like to be | buried in London." "Tut, Jean," exclaimed Sandy. "Think o' the expense o' takin' ye up to Kirriemuir." "I canna help it, Saqdy; -(111 hae tae take me there,' for I canria' lie Iniet in Kensal Green." Sandy thought for a moment in silence. "Weel, weel, lean," he said at last, "I'H tell ye what I m dae. I'll gie ye a trial in Kensal iireen, an' if ye dinna lie quiet there I'll take ye up tae Kirriemuir!" An amusing story is told by Mr. S. H. Nicholson, who succeeded Sir P. Bridge as organist at Westminster Abbey. It appears ■ that at a certain churek rvice one day the minister gave, out the welJ-known hymn beginning, "I love to steal away." The regular leader of the choir being absent, the duty devolved upon a young fellow of a Hmtd natdre. He commenced, "I love to steal," and then broke down. Raising his voice a little higher, he then Sang, "I love to steal." At length, after a desperatt- cough, he made a final demonstration, and roared out "*1 love to steal. The effort was too rauch: Everyone but 'the parson was laughing. He rose and with the utmost frailty Raid, "Seeing our brother's propen- let ve pray." .n

I OUR CHILDREN'S CORNER. I ANDY'S CHANCE. j Andy McPherson wanted to do eomcthing to help his IBother, who was very poor and worked very hard. So he went out one day when school was over, and walked into a great big office in the town and asked if, he might speak to the manager. When the manager came out' to see what was wanted, he wm, verv much astonished to see Andy but he listened to what Andy had to .say, and then he took his hand and spoke very kindly to him. He told him that he was not old enough to go into an office yet, but when he was, if he had dofte well at school ,he would take' him in and give him a chance Andy was rather disappointed, but ha wet back and told his mother all about it, and she. said the gentleman was quite ripht. So Andy worked very hard at his lessens, and at last, when he was OKI enough, he left school and iveiit aga.in to the ibig office. And then the manager took him in and I za-ve him a chance. A*d v- u may be sure that Andy made the most of it. II • .COUSIN OERAU], I MY Ooirsin Gerald &oes ,to sea,- is a midshipman t } I'd like to be one very much, But I don't think I can. For I'm a girl; I don't suppose They'd let me go to tsea. Or be a midshigwornan (if tSuch kind of things there be). He tells us where his good ship sails When he comes homo again He shows us where the icebergs are Amid the frozen main. He tells of whales and flying-fish (They haven't proper wings). And shipwrecks and of desert isles, Aud lots of lovely thiEgs. It is a pity I can't go To sea like him, but etill Whenever I go on a boat I'm always very ill SCHOOL. I Nellie was quit-e sure that it would not do at all. She was very comfortable at home, the told her mother she was going to begin to learn to read a-s soon as ever she had time: she really did not think that she could walk so far early in the morning, and then someone wonM have to fetch her; and the house couldn't get on without her and she would really rather not go; and please let lier wait until she was bigger; and she would ask Daddy. But Mother had a good aT.swer to all these objections., She th^ughtr it would."do very well a.nd she said .Nellie would be qu-it-a happy at school; and she: had better begin to Icarn lessons at once; and she didn't think it was too far, anid someone could easily fetch her; and the house would go oa very well, and she had better not wait any longH, and certainly D_ddy should decide. And when Daddy was asked, he said that Nellie was to go to school at once, and he would take her himself on the first day. After that there was nothing more to be said. and Nellie went to school; and to her great surprise she foursd that Mother was quite right; she was very happy—for they had splendid games, and the lessons were so interesting, and Nellie made friends with another little girl very" soon, and the teacher was very kind; and when Nellie had been to school for a week she only wondered why Mother had not let her go before.. THE GREEDY BOY.. I He took her into supper (It was a spendid one), He said "Excuse me a minute 1 And took a, currant bun. Et--af,e it up in front of her, Then said, "That's very nice!" Aud then he had some lemonade, And afterwards an ice. To sandwiches and custards, too, Hfe heli>ed himself with glee. At last he thou-ht he'd had enough, ,-Now let's go back," said be. S hk' i She looked at iim wit. great disgust, Ok bavf, you realiy "One. She? said, "Because, you* greedy boy, I Tiavent yet PIGGY-WIG'S TA:T-E. & I I "I wish you could talk, Piggy-wig!" said Harold, looking at the wooden pig in front of him. 1 "I can," said Piggy in a- funny, squeaky voice. "If you'd pay a ttention,. I'd tell you a tttovy Harold was too much surprised to say anything, and the pig went on "Once I lived with an' old woman." he said, "who kept me because of her sailor son, to whom I used to belong. iHe had gone away to sea, and everyone thought he was drowned. The old. woman was very poor, and she fell ill and otew worse and worse, and nobody came to look after her. I sat on a chair beside her bed, and it used to cheer her up to see me, because it re- minded her of her sailor boy. One day, when the pwr old woman was very bad ll- deed, tjiore came a knock at the door, and who should come in 'but the sailor himself! He had not been drowned, but had con:e home just in time to help his poor old mother. I was so glad that I very nearly squeaked aloud." Piggy-wig stopped speaking, the dcor opened, and Nurse came in. "Now, Master Harold," she said, "wbpt are you lvin,- on the floor for r" .1 was listening to Piggy-wig, Nurse," said Harold. "Fiddlesticks!" siid Nurse. "I believe you were asleep Eut Ho.Jdknew better. I HELPING. j ) "Patty! Patty!" said her mother. j "Yes, Mummy?" said Patty. Mrs. Pogson wants you to go over and help her this morning/' said Mother. "Will you go?" "Hüw can I help her, Iother" aid Patty. "She's so grown up and rather cross, isn't she?" "You'll see when you get there, Patty," said Mother. Patty went, but she did net feel very comfortable. MTS. Pogson certainly was old, and she looked rather cross., and when Patty ^knocked £ t the. door she said, "Come in!' in such a hard, severe tone that Patty felt inclined tQ turn round and run away home again. But she"* stayed and began to help, and then she found that Mrs. Pogaon was not so -ver' y dreadful after all; and Patty found that there were a great many things that she was able to do..She helped to fetch the water and wash up the cups and dishes — I she helped to make the bods and sweep tfcfe rooms.-she helped 14 get the dinner ready she took Mr. Pogson's dinner out to him in the field all by herself—she helped to feed, the chiokehs, and get.hc,- e& s. Indeed, at the end 8f the morning she was quite tired, she had .done such a lot! And Mrs. Pogson; was quite pleased and smiled and said she was a good little helper. Ar-,d wlien -qrs. Pogson smiled, oslie didn't1 look a bit cross, Patty thpught.

eiuit LpNDGN LEITER. [From Ottr Sped til Ccrrespondeixl.'] The calmness with which people have ceirfd the news of Germany's appeal foi ce is remarkable. This is the first dcfi- nite nnd official confession of defeat that 11 ccne from Germany, and most people her- abouts feem to be no more excited about it than if the Kaieer had merely made anotier rf 111.5 Me-und-Gott speeches. For that t-rje, Coram Note to President T7i!t=on is a con- fession of defeat is quite certain. One hat, r'ny to compare it and the t:C, new Chancellor with the speeches. tao articles of the Pan-Germans no longer ago than last Spring to realise what a change has come over the spirit of the GerinciJ dream. It seems clear that Germany hrw; come to the point' that it was always ocrtaMi she must come to, though sometimes :n these long years it' has seamed Very far -aw,iv, She sees defeat and disavster coiBise:, swift and more swiftly; "he knows that with; each day that pas&ns her .»position grow* and- rather than, fight, ou to utter ruin she will save what she car. and try tc Eiake the best terms possible. V*hatevor m iy happen with regard to the Geraian Note, the fact of its being -eilt out. -if m fignificant evidence of the pitch of despera- tion to which Germany has come. That bright genius who hit upon the id:a of having all the anti-aircraft guns of I-cn- ion fired simultaneously as a send off to new War Bonds campaign ought to recei~e recognition in fcome form or ether. Perhaps ■his name, or hers, will appear in the neT. list of O.B.E.'s. It was a brilliant idea, one to touch the imagination, to make everyone realise there was a war on,. and that we ail had to do our best to help to win it. Att the guns were to be fired 'precisely at nooa, sud -everybody was tQ stop wcrk for 6 minute or so to listen to the mighty -cc. The po;iceEian was to haltwn hk beat, the Engine-driver to stop his train (I suppose), the stockbroker is to stop ^tockbroknig, ai.-J all clerks in Government offices to tt'-p clerking. There are many guns in London. We have all heard them; but whether ail of then? tred together would have made such a tremendous row as the org:uatjr of the idea seemed to think is perhaps doubtful. And now we shall never knew, for the proposal was promptly qua«hed. It was pointed orrt, that the people of London had had enough af gun fift., aid wouldn't care if they never heard anothef bang till the peace. It Wd¡-' al-o iiroed-aiid this certainly ought not trf*. Lave been overlooked—that there are in t,i-c hospitals many sick people and many soldiers suffering from F, who might be seriousty affected by the firing ef he guns. Also—and this might have oc- iiirred to;) a department which preaches to as the necessity c.f saying-that io Uaro iway in the manner suggested would be » wicked waste of -animunit-ioT-, and ruoncti. 'o the War Bonds campaign had to get tseif started without the big bang. I hove ao doubt it will be just as successful. There had been rumours in Fleet-street cbout the "Chronicle" for some time,but very few people in the newspaper world really thought the Lloyd family would, part with the papar and with "LJr,'d's. Sir Henry Daleiel, M.P., who. adlIg for a syndicate, has purchased the papers for a. ■price said to be over a million and a half, wtvs already the principal proprietor of another famous Sunday paper, "Reynold's," which used to scandalise the orthodox jn inid-Victoriaft days. Sir Henry s other papers are the "Pall Mall Gazette, HEra," "Country World," and the "Sunday Even- ing Telegram." It is announced that the policy of the "Chronicle" vrill remain UD- changed, but it is to be n&fed that Six Henry-Dalziel is a strong supporter of My, Lloyd George, whe lately the "Chronicle has on occasions, criticised the* Govevr.merit pretty severely. afT. Robert Donald, wbo- has edited the par with sig4bal ability, tor foul teen years, has resigned. t was a little premature last week in say- ing that the agitation for a General Elec* tion had died down. It has burst out aazti more energetically than ever. I find ncV that many men who two or three we-eks ago Were quite convinced that there would "be ao General Election this year are now j11.'t as certain the other way. It seems now: quite on the cards that an election may take place next month. Parliament will' reas- semble in a few days, and a statement oD: the subject cannot long be delayed. It ie not ea-sy to get evidtence of the public desire for an election about which certain leader., writers discourse. Indeed, the evident seems to be nearly all the other way. The people do not Want a General Election, but it seeaus that somebody else does, and a General Election we shall probably have very soon. The date for the coming into operation 'of the new Register was October 1, and the date stands, though in some divisions tbû Register had not been complet-ed by that day. Labour difficulties have been respon- sible for much of the delay, and the neces- sity of getting on the lists the names of "absent voters," or those on service, has caused delay. Most of the men ked.sent in applications in perfetTt- order for ha.llot. papers, but the mistake or carelessness û a minority causes a lot of extra work. The total electorate will show an enormous in- crease, most constituencies having about treble the number of voters they had before.- Parents should be interested in the re- port of the Corporal Correction League. It advocates a return to the old-fashioned form of whipping, but not with instruments. A good, large, useful hand, laid on well ard truly, is what the League believes in, evi- lently. Presumably it would regard K .»:tr*p or the heel of a slipper as "instruments." Speaking from memory, I think in the days< when this subject held a painful interest for me., I too used to prefer the hand. The League gives advice to mothers "with par- ticularly wayward children," and it h"s the support of "clergymen and prominent offi- cials." Parents even write testimonials to he league, and one lady, a grpndi'nother. having thrashed one generation, now under- > takes to thrash another, and wished to knew if she could improve on her previous methods. "So," she says, "I have begvm much earlier with his whippings." Another lady. writes, "Nothing upsets l-ly sons incro than for me to give them a gd. whipping just as.they are getting into tttd." I can lbelleve 'it. 1. A. E. M.

l -I IAJZ BIGHTS RESBUVED.] A FACTORY LASS I «••• • ] THE STRANGE ;;ORY OF VIE I BY I MARION WARD, ) Author of Love's Thorny Pith," His Fair I Lacly, &c-s CHAPTER VIII.. I EUSIS IS SLACE.. I Violet's pursuer cause up to hoi? just as the reached the great gate which divided Dar lev's from the b tfutside world, and she saw to Tier surprise that it was the pay-clerk, Johns, who had so lately witnessed her humiliation. "I wantoo to, speak to you, he pant. "Look here, Mi.sa Mason, I'm real sorry this should have happened. It's not Mr. Drum- mold's fault: he's lust been taken in bv the tool-maker, Sam Thorne. who's regularly got his knife into you. Well, what 1 wanted "to say waf; this: If yon C ',I r. End a billet, Prestoanear Barclay H?I, are short oi handa; theirs is & smallish factory com- pared w?h cura, and ths p?y is cut very l?e. I wc,uln aaVlSC)'on to go there, on?y it *> ? ?? t?? to be ch?n?ing, and, ii YOll <?'? get anything better quic?y, Pros toc'? coi?h? t? yon over the s.ack ss?so?." Poor Vielet. tried to t-ha.rh- the well-mean- ing clerk, but a Fob chokcd I;er voice. Hit- kind words had broken down her self-com- .ma.ud more than any harshness could have done. "There, there," said the good-natured Johns, "doa'i take or., Mies Mae«n; there'll be a better time corain?- for you soon, I hope. You know, it's a iong ° lane that hss no turning. Violet went straight back to H'inton Street, to the house where she and her aunt Jittd lived long. Mrs. Jones, the fellow-lodger who had already been p0 kind to Violet., met her on the stairs, and, surprised to see her at horns -,i he,, what had happened, insisting 011 the girl's coming into her kitchen and drinking a cup of tea while she told her story. "Ihat Sam Thorfie ie a brute," was her comment. Violet, I've heard of his goings on. It'll be a good day for the -hands as Barley's when he's off to Aston. Now, my girl,- I'll make you a fair offer, aad yoa can fake it or leave it, just as suits you. We'd a latter from our Torn this morn- ing, and his job at OldlJalu'll last. till well after Christinas, even if it's not permanent, so why .shouldn't you have his room whil4 J he's away 7 I'll let it- to you just, as" it is for three i'jhilÜ a week. Then, if you want a bit of money to carry you cu while you are 'out,' what's to hinder you from selling- your aunt's few bits of furniture, un- ices you've any feeling you'd like to stick to them for h-or sake." Violet Maeon had no affection for the ticlietty table and well-worn chairs, the Harrow Bed -and .other necessary articles, and Raid so frankly. Mrs,. Jones replied that if Violet had made up her. mind ohe'd get a broker• in to • buy the "-sticks." This was uecofcdingly done, and before night the poor little factory lass had taken possession of her new quarters. Mrs. Jones was a good-natured, kindly woman, with a. middle-aged husband in etendjr work, and no children except "Tom," who bad gone to work at Oldliam, and Violet felt thankful to have found such a shelter. It meant a great deal to her to be still close, to 'Nora Smith, and, though she ,kep.t, tbia. last thought to herself, she felt '/that, if her aunt had really hidden the t. papers and money to which she had alluded on her doath-bed anywhere in hcr poor home, remaining in the same house would give her a. chance of finding them. i Wle-n, the broker had removed his pur- chases, and Violet's own few belongings were safe in her new quarters, the girl had one last cardulsearch through the attics. The cupboard by .the bod in her a tint's room and the one in the parlour which had served as larder and pantry were the most likely Iiiding-l>iacec,, b,,lt Violet had'searelied- I them both through and through already. Now, before giving up the key of the attic, she Iodised carefully in the chimney of Miss Mrjsou's bedroom, and eVen lifted up a loose beard in the parlour to see if anything -had been hidden beneath it; but all in vain. • Violet did ootlike to oall in Mrs. Smith's now she was in such disgrace with her, but she contrived to be at the corner of Hint-on Street when Nora passed on her ,w4y homo, and the two girls started off. together for St. Paul's Square, which seemed the nearest place where they. could have a long, quiet talk. It was Mora 'who began -the conversation. "Violet, it is perfectly shameful ox Sam Thome, nd I do think old Drumraond need rot have turned you off just for him. Now what are you going to d»; ? ■ IHorry as I was coming home, taud he says Parfleet's, Where he. works, is the next best factory to n¥IY'b, but ?he ii't think they want any pTesa g-iris just now "]Dr -1 f I gø to a fresh fae- "t<Ty, thby will want a \tcrence from Daflcy'6? ?sked her friend .nx}ously. "No, you've been at Barley's five years, that's a reference in itadf, 'and you're UÓ Otl- the Black List." "What in the world is that? I never heard of it," said Violet in a troubled tone. "Nor did I till to-day," rejoined Nora. ■ "Horry- told me that some of the second- • rate .factories have what they Kali a Bl?ck rate 'it,r, a. sort of circular with the names of the hands. they sack and the reason for their getting rid of them. They send this list round to the heaid overseers of other factories, and they never take on any worker whose name's on it. It's a sort of combine among the masters to keep their- workpeople down, for you see, if the hands thought they could get taken on at a better factory, they'd not mind getting the sack. Mind you, -Violet, Barley's and ffrriis^ like thetn are above that sort of tiling." "Is Preston's above it?" Proton's Iv Nora's voice was full of horror. "Surely you'd not think of going there, V; "But what is there wrong about Pres- ton's?" demanded Violet. "1 don't think Mr. Johns would have advised me to go there if it wasn't respectable." It'# resOOctable enough, but they do a cutting trade; that 'means they undersell other factories and make up the difference Ü',pTioo; by all sorts of dodges—low wages, lots- oi fines, and "neglecting the things the inspector orders. Why, I did hear that Preston's dodged the factory laws more than any factory" in Birmingham." "Well, I hope I shall get taken on some- where else," said Violet with a sigh, "but if I don't it'll have to be Preston's, Nora. 1 can't starve." "I wish I was married," said her friend, you could come and live with me. "I couldn't live on charity, even yours, dear," said. Violet.. "Noras" she added eag-erly, "do you think your- mother will ever lorgive me for not taking the money "which Major Munro offered me? a bit angr,y with) on now," ad- mitted Nora, "but it will blow over in time, and she isn't put out so much about Major munilo about your aunt's savings. Vi, Ila You know I don't doubt you, but mothers got it into her head that Miss Mason left you a lot of money and you are keeping it secret. But, Nora, asked the younger girl eagerly, W does your mother doubt met ea g er l y, J. never told a he in my life." "Of course you didn't." Nora took .Viokit'fc hand and squeezed it affectionately. 1 8. <¡¡, 1 "And mother "knows .i.t i. n her heart, but it's like this, deary. All the street knows that, i Miss Mason earned good money and didn't | s,>end half, nor a quarter of it, and she'd no I one in the world to think of but you, so I 5 suppose mother argued that you must have got her Savings. "Then somehow mother's found out that you- itafused Sam Thori),c, and she thinks you must have a goodish. bit of money to throw away such a. chance as that." Violet hesitated a moment, and Own t deaided to trust her friend: with her secret. I "Nora, there's something I'm going-co I tell you. Maybe I should have told it be- fore, but it seemed such a wild r,tery I j thought no one would believe it. J-u-st before t she died Aunt Hannah told me I should find i her bit of money in an old pocket-book in j the cupboard by her bed. I !oo?.cd for it  th&t very night, but f found no trace of a pcckot-book or money." Nora nodded. "Hü you suppose anyone came in and stole her hoard?" because she was ooDscious to the and I knew that no one even went into the room after she was dead till I slipped in myself to look in the cupboard." "Then the money must be lost," said Nora. "What a pity, Vi, when you want it so badly." And though the two girls had been rhums for years, and Violet trusted Nora through end through, sho neve told hev that the kst pocket-book had held something more precious even than gold—the papers that v.ould have told her her own name and story. The next day Violet Mason went out early and visited half-a-dozen of the leading button factories, from, the largest of all, em- ploying over a thousand hands, to the quiet, ..small ones run by private individuals and 1 uot boasting more than eighty workpeople, And -.ila,s the same result awaited her at 1urc No 0110 wanted her sen/ices, so as a last resource she niade her way to Preston's, and was allowed bv the man who sat in a little wooden hut and acted as janitor, to pass in- F;d,c the big courtyard and speak to a clerk in the office. "Yes, we can do with a few more press 1 girls," he said carelessly. "You'd start at pight-and-sixpence a week and have to sign tthe rules. Where have yaii worked before?" t "I was at Darley's for five years." f ?Why did Vou leave?" "The aunt I lived with died last week, and I it unsettled me a bit; the tool-maker coin-* plained of my work, and I was dismissed. r "That sounds sharp practice after being there five years," said the man. "Well, those are the rules. You can begin on MQQ- f Kiay if you like." When she read -the rules, it seemed to Violet that at Preston's there were fines for I so many various offences that it would need the greatest possible caTe if she was to re- l ceive her eight-atrd-sixpenjce in full on Satur- days, and even tlien. she would be more thin a shilling /ft week poorer than she had been ¡ at DarleyIS. "You needn't make up your mind now," said, the clerk civilly, "but you must, let me f know to-morrow if you mean to, come, so that | I can send in' your name to th& doorkeeper." Another fruitless search that afternoon, a |[ few more hopeless calls on Saturday morn- mg, and then Violet went -i.gain,. to the • clerk at Preston's-and meekly accepted nit offer of"eight-and-sispence a' week. ■ [ /To -be Continued.) |

I | NAVAL, .SECKETS. ) On board the ships of our Na -y there arc | conadential volumes on wireless signal- JI codes, books on gunnery and torpedo mat- I ters, all of which are "kept securely under lock and key. The safegmwding of the I Navy's secret" library on a. battleship is a special little c(:i:ei)iou-v in ?t?If. Every  officer who kcep? -n-?Lch Das to &itisfy lini sdf when going on dnty a?d w??R ?"g I ?.i,t-lieved that the b(okB arc in their y-esp? t I- -ri?lat i n g to them tivc chests. Special keys rf-Iating to tbe? t chcsfa are retained by the commanding •officer and his second-in-command. The keys are tested frequently by the stoies- officer in dockyard to see that they are cor- rect, and have not been tampered with. Sometimes it is necessary to destroy a refer- ence book. Two ofifcers then burn the book until it is reduced to ashes. Before destroy- mg it, the number and title .must be accu- rately recorded and its fate entered in -the ship's register. 1/ — -o • •

THE ORIGIN OF "FOOLSCAP."  Several explanations hav? ToccH given o! the meaning of the word "foo?caj?" as applied to a certain class of paper. One of the explanatiens is that when Charles, the First found his revenue short he granted P r rew, -tiiie he Ir certain privileges, amounting to KionoTjOuce. and among these was the manufacture of paper, the exclusive right to which was sold to certain parties, who grew rich and cn- rielied the Government at the expense of b ?, -d to e t ,those who were obliged to use the paper. At this time all English paper bore, in I wakrmarks, the Royal Arms. The Parlia- mlZnt under Cromwell made a jest of thie law, and, among other indignities to the memory of Charles, it was ordered that the Royal Arms be Tcmoved from, the paper and a fool's c,P.a nd bells be substituted. These were in tbctr turn removed when the R?mp Parliament ?as dis?i'?-ed, but paper for the size of the Parliament's journal still beare the uamo of