County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

Wales has no less than 60 groups of ancient j sculptured stones; England has but 23, Scot- j land 3, and Ireland none at all. j In 1750 the Lord Mayor of London died of I gaol fever caught during the assizes at Newgate. S Gaol fever was a form of typhus.

GARDEN GOSSIP. I -qp- That splendid border plant Spirea Aruncus should (says "The Gardener") have a good supply of water when growing in a hot position, if it is to last in condition more than a day or two. It will be necessary to constantly trim and pinch plants in carpet beds to maintain the lines forming the various designs in proper order. Where it is desired to have Mignonette in flower at midwinter, seeds should now be sown. Budding, if not already done, may now be carried out. Grafts of apples or pears may have failed, and in these cases, provided young growths have been retained, the failures may be remedied. Bulb lovers who have hitherto not grown Ixias should give them a trial; seven or eight bulbs in a pot, treated much in the same manner as Freesias, make pretty greenhouse plants in spring. Do not be afraid to feed Allamandas in full flower; at this season these plants are lusty feeders. Give Coleuses all the sunshine possible to in- duce bright colouring; growth may be assisted by weak liquid manure at each. alternate water- ing. Anthuriums which were not repotted in the spring, and that have finished flowering, may now be safely dealt with. Early Rivers is one of the best Nectarines for pot culture or for a border of small dimen- sions. Dendrobiums should now receive every en- couragement to make growth, so that ripening may take place before the dull days of late autumn and winter. Do not allow early potatoes to remain in the ground after they are ready for lifting, or the quality of the tubers may be marred; besides this, the land will be needed for other crops. Tomatoes may, with advantage, receive a mulching of strawy litter in hot weather, especi- ally when grown in light, poor soils. MAPTFAISON CARNATIONS.—Old plants are now in fit condition to layer, the best method being to plant in frames, arrange the shoots over the surface, and preferably layer into small pots filled with a light compost. t Some good cultiva- tors, however, abstain from layering till later in the season, as they think the plants are less subject to check from becoming pot-bound. For- tunately Malmaisons may be potted on at any season, and consequently there is no danger in layering now. HERBACEOUS BORDERS.—It will be found necessary to examine all tied plants and re- arrange the strings; this more particularly in the case of late flowering Michaelmas Daisies. Late Pentstemons will be the better for a short stick to each, to which to secure the lower por- tion of the pushing flower spikes. Treat Gladioli in exactly the same manner, and also Montbretia rosea. On no account should sticks be used ex- cept in such cases as these. CELERY.—Plants growing freely and rooting near the surface as they are always apt to do, will be benefited by having about two inches of soil spread over the trenches. If this is effected subsequent to a fall of rain, the best results will follow. LEAF CUTTING IN TOMATOES.—This is not to be condemned, as plants in luxurious condition produce expansive foliage, and when it overlaps other leaves to the exclusion of light and air it is judicious to effect a reduction. At the same time, it is not uncommon to find truncated foli- age, and any quantity of young growths being manufactured. The latter should never be per- mitted to extend beyond an inch or two before its removal. MUSHROOMS.—It is now time to commence operations for another season. Manure is gene- rally rather difficult to secure at this season, and in such cases it must be gathered in small quantities and carefully preserved in good con- dition until there is sufficient to form a small bed. Meanwhile, see that the mushroom-house is thoroughly cleaned and put in order. LATE PEAS.—This crop sometimes suffers from drought about this period. If water is essential, apply it liberally so as to soak deeply into the soil. Pure water is of little value, therefore dis- solve a handful of superphosphate in every 4 gallons. THE ROSE ACACIA.—The popular name of Rose Acacia is given (writes "E. J. C." in "The Gardener") to a dwarf form of one of the False Acacias or Locust Trees, namely Robinia his- pida. When well grown and displayed to ad- vantage on a lawn, or in some other open and prominent position, the Rose Acacia makes one of the most beautiful flowering shrubs of early summer. Even when not in bloom, the foliage renders it an attractive shrub, but when, in May and June, it is covered with its handsome pen- dulous racemes of large, deep rose coloured flowers, it forms a lovely object. It is a native of North America, and grows to a height of six feet or more in favourable positions. Unfortu- nately the flowers are scentless, but they are so undeniably handsome as to atone for this failing. BUDDING ROSES.—To me the most interest- ing gardening operation in summer (remarks "R. E.") is rose budding. It is a pity lady ama- teurs do not attempt the art of budding. Their fingers are light and deft, while their natural expectancy would ensure success. Many ama- teurs would like to know whether it is best to get a bud into a lively condition at once, or whether "dormancy" is the best policy. Many argue that the finest blooms are cut from "dor- mant" buds, and that they stand winter better. My long experience sides for "dormancy." Then, why will buds remain dormant two years, then break out and make beautiful heads? I have several now that were budded in July, 1901, and they have commenced work this year. These "liers in wait" seldom send up a single stem, but always proceed to bushiness at once. Last year I budded a stock in the orthodox style, but as every bud failed I budded regain in an un- orthodox manner by inserting a bud of a strong growing variety above the place where the pre- vious bud had been, resulting in a, most promis- ing head. Has anyone tried this? A FEW GOOD IRISES.—With the magnificent Peonies come the Irises, with their frail, silky construction and their lovely marking and colourings. Every cottage garden contains a good clump or even two of the common type, which are seldom, if ever disturbed; they are cultivated along with the Potato, the notable feature being that they never fail to bloom. But apart from these, what a delightful picture is a vase of Princess of Wales, of the purest white, which comes early and lasts a long time, while later we have the handsome Victorine, white, netted with blue, and with falls of rich violet blue mottled with white. The dark violet purple Nepalenese is very beautiful, and the rosy lilac Queen of May should be in every collection. An early golden yellow is Monnierii, which possesses fragrance and is very attractive. The falls of the form of amena called Poiteau are a beautiful cream, netted and tipped with purple and brown while for stateliness in the border none exceeds the beauty of ochroleuca, the standard being a pure white, and" the falls white and yellow. For shady places the Gladwin Iris is most orna- mental it has bluish blossoms, many gardeners growing it for the production of the beautiful berries that reveal themselves in autumn. Florentina is attractive and invaluable, for cut- ting, while fulva, with its gold foundation, is equally good.

I OUR SHORT STORY. A BIRTHDAY GIFT. "Of course your mother must hf,ve a home with us, Carrie. Widowed, and with no child but you, she naturally and rightly wishes to come to you. And, only think how nice it will be for us all to have her here. No more lonely hours for you while I am cooped up in that gloomy workshop of mine upstairs." So spoke John Royalton as he arose from the breakfast table and caught up his chubby-faced boy, adding, as he perched the little two-year- old on his shoulder: "And my little curly-head wants a grand- mamma's experienced eye upon him to cut short his mischievous pranks. Don't you, Master Chatterbox? And away the little fellow was borne to the little room which John had called his "work- shop. Technically speaking, it was a studio, for Royalton was a painter, and the domestic little wife was left alone to write a letter in- viting her widowed mother to her home. "How like the dear old times it will seem to have mother with me," murmured Mrs. Royalton, as she folded and sealed her letter. "A woman wants some one beside such a dig- nified, methodical person as dear John is to talk to, and I declare I don't see any one else in an age except now and then, when some sour-visaged dame or simpering miss comes to have her portrait painted." The Saturday following the posting of Mrs. Royalton's letter brought the expected guest to the little Royalton villa. Mrs. Perring was a very nervous, very lively, and evry eccentric old lady, who made it her boast that she was never idle a minute between daylight and bedtime. When she became settled with the Royaltons, she applied herself assiduously to "putting things to rights." Every drawer, every chest, every cupboard, was ransacked and the contents of each arranged in accordance with the old lady's ideas of order. Even John's desk was rummaged, and every letter and paper peered into, just to find out in what particular niche each one ought to be put. In about a fortnight Mrs. Perzing had the satisfaction of thinking that she had got things about the house in "good going order." "There's only that outlandish paint shop up- stairs—John's studio, Carrie calls it-but what's had a thorough ventilating, and the very first day John's away from home I'll make a new place of that." Fortune smiled on Mrs. Perring's plans. John and Carrie, and little Eddie were away, and the little old lady prepared herself for the onslaught. She donned her poorest dress, tied a napkin over her head to keep off the dust, rolled her sleeves above her elbows and went to work. All day long the furniture in the artist's room flew vigorously about. Many articles de- nounced as "worthless rubbish" were hurled through the window into the back garden, while others that "might come in for something, some day," were stowed away in the attic. A por- trait, on which the paint was yet wet, was energetically dusted with a coarse towel; paints were mixed incongruously and brushes put through a scouring process, till the old lady's back ached with the exercise, and copious streams of perspiration fell from her face. When everything in the room was considered "done," Mrs. Perring made a dash for an ad- joining closet, but she found the door securely locked. For a moment the worthy lady was in a quandary. How was she to straighten things in the closet? Do it she must and would, and very quickly Mrs. Perring bethought her of a bunch of keys which happily she had brought with her. The keys were produced, and in triumph Mrs. Perring unlocked the door. Seizing her broom, she rushed into the closet. She came out shortly, however, and closed the door after her with a jerk and a bang. John Royalton's mother-in-law had made a discovery! Collecting her utensils, she left the studio and went below in grim and dignified silence. She sat quietly knitting in the pleasant sitting-room when John and Carrie returned. The steel needles fled out and in very spitefully. The cold, grey eyes looked directly down over the elongated nose, and were never once raised, not even to greet little Eddie. When bedtime came the old lady arose in solemn silence and retired. The next morning, when John repaired as usual to his studio, he uttered vehement sen- tences not at all in praise of his wife's mother. While he was engaged undoing, so far as lay in his mortal power, the mischief she had un- consciously wrought, Mrs. Perring was closeted with Carrie. The young wife's face was colour- less, and her eyes wild with anger and indigna- tion, as she listened to her mother's words. "It's a beautiful face-the handsomest picture )f a real person I ever saw. Great dark eyes that seem to look you through, hair as black as night and hanging in ringlets all about her face and neck. The skin is just like alabaster, so white and clear, and the lips look like ripe cher- ries for all the world." Carrie sank back in a fainting condition, and her mother clasped her in her arms. "Oh, my poor lamb! that I should see you treated in this shameful manner. And John so dignified and proper seeming. The hypocrite! But I've mistrusted that his loving ways were all put on ever since I cleaned his desk and found scraps of poetry about love and such- like nonsense." "Mother, don't; you will kill me by your sus- picions. I can't believe it. John cares for no one but me. He is too noble, too-" "Take my keys then, and go satisfy yourself. Go look at the siren's portrait in the closet. It isn't finished yet. I could see that, and I wish now I'd had presence of mind enough to give it two or three extra touches with the brush myself. No wonder you .found his room locked so many times of late, and had to wait your artist's pleasure before you could enter. And that deeply-veiled old woman that we've noticed going upstairs so many times of late isn't an old woman at all. I've made up my mind about her. She's the original of that portrait and no mistake. See, there she goes up the steps now! Mighty careful she is, too, not to show her face. There-did you ever see an old woman with such feet and ankles? She's the woman!" When the unknown woman had departed, and the unconscious John was quietly eating his din- ner, Carrie left the table under some pretext, and with the rusty key in her hand, she ascended the stairs and entered the studio closet, and stood before the painted form of a woman before whom her own charms sank into insignificance. What was this beautiful creature to her hus- band? Carrie's heart lay like a lump of lead in her bosom as she turned away and sought her mother. Shortly after John returned to his labours, the two women-the elder, filled with virtuous in- dignation, the younger too utterly wretched even for tears—left the house, taking little Eddie with them. Silently the poor wife followed her mother in quest of some quiet retreat wherein to pass the night. On the morrow Mrs. Perring had re- solved on taking her charges into the country. This- was Carrie's birthday, and always here- tofore, during the few years of their wedded life, John had remembered the day with a suitable gift; but to-day he seemed to have forgotten not only the present, but even that it was her birth- day. "Poor thing!" murmured Mrs. Perring, philo- sophically, as, in a lonely room, Carrie clasped her boy to her bosom, and wept passionately over her wrong. "Poor thing it's hard for her to bear at first. She loved him altogether better than. he de- served, even were he true to her. It's best she should see him no more. Let her have her cry out, and then she will be calm, and a different woman entirely; strong to resent the insult and injury which that wretch has heaped upon her." When the gloomy night was curtaining the earth in darkness, Carrie begged piteously to be permitted to look upon her old home once more. She would not enter the house-she might never again do that—but she could gaze a moment into the dear, familiar rooms. John might be in the pleasant sitting-room as of old. She had left a note for him, and she longed to know how he bore the separation whether he was rejoiced or sorry that she was gone. "It's nonsense," said Mrs. Perring, Ungrily; "but if you're determined to go, I shall go also to keep you from rushing right into the villain's arms." A cheerful light shone out from the uncur- tained windows of the Royalton villa as the two women stealthily approached near enough to Sain a view of the interior of the room where ohn, with bowed head, was walking to and fro over the carpet. Carrie could not catch the expression of his face, but she saw that ever and anon he turned his gaze upon a painting on the wall—one which had never before hung there. The young wife's face turned ghastly pale as, peeping close to the window, she saw that the painting was the one she had seen in the studio closet. Carrie was ready to faint, still she would Jlt., could not, leave the window. At length, John paused before the portrait, wad spoke aloud. Carrie heard his words, and stood still a mo- ment to gather in their meaning then, heedless of her mother's remonstrance, she rushed with Eddie into the house. Mrs. Perring, who had not heard a word of what had transformed Carrie from a breathing statue into her old joyous self, was too thoroughly provoked at what she considered her daughter's lack of spirit and self-respect to follow her im- mediately. When, however? she did so, she found husband and wife-the former with one arm supporting Eddie and the other encircling Carrie's waist-standing before the painting which, through Mrs. Perring's romantic suspi- tions, had wrought so much, though happily not irreparable mischief. A few words neatly written and pasted under the portrait—which, after all, was not a portrait, but purely the work of the artist's imagination- convinced Mrs. Perring that she was altogether wrong in her surmises, and that, after all, the deeply-veiled woman might be as venerable as her appearance indicated. "A Birthday Gift to My Wife." These were the words which Mrs. Perring read, and then she managed to slip unobserved from the room, and ever thereafter John Royal- ton's mother-in-law was a model one.

HARKING BACK. Remarkable stories are told from time to time by medical men. One of the most curious is narrated by "Health." A young man who had come direct from Amsterdam married an English girl, and for fifty years spoke nothing but English. So completely had he forgotten his native tongue that he was unable to understand a word spoken in it. A few weeks ago, what was said to be a hardening of a portion of the brain affected his mind, and the most peculiar feature of his illness was that he could not undersand one work spoken to him in English, and he returned to the fluent use of Dutch, speaking it easily, and readily answering any questions put to him in that tongue. When ad- dressed in English he merely looked at the speaker with an expression of utter incompre- hension on his face. From his "speech, he evi- dently fancied himself a boy at home again, and he several times escaped from his nurse and started, as he declared, to walk to Amsterdam.

THE ONLY ENGLISH POPE. Adrian IV., the only Englishman ever attain- ing to the rank of Roman Pontiff, was born at Abbotts Langley, a parish now on the London and North-Western Railway, as it runs just be- yond Watford to the North. His father, a menial servant at St. Albans Monastery, got his boy admitted to the charity school conducted by the monks but he made little progress in his studies, and was plucked when he applied for Holy Orders. But the neophyte worked his passage on a boat to the French coast, entered a Paris monastery, and became bishop and car- dinal. He was elected Pope in 1154, under the title of Adrian IV. He proved "a harbitary old gent," according to accounts, and left his mother to live on the charity of the Chapter of Canterbury.

NETHER LOCHABER." I Many Scots will be pleased to learn that a memorial has just been unveiled in memory of the late Rev. Dr. Stewart ("Nether Lochaber"). It takes the form of a graceful Celtic cross, somewhat after the style of the famous St. Mar- tin's Cross, Iona. It is of silver grey granite, twenty feet in height, and is richly decorated with Celtic laced work. It has been placed, not in the churchyard, but on a knoll by the road- side at Onich, not far from the manse, which was long occupied by a gifted pastor and writer in whose honour it has been erected. A suit- able inscription has been chiselled on the monu- ment, and in Gaelic is the singularly apt quota- tion "And he spake of trees from tho cedar tree that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spake also of beasts and of fowl and of creeping things, and of fishes."

THE KING'S FIRST YISIT TO IRELAND. The King's first visit to Ireland is not often referred to. It took place in August, 1849, when the young Prince accompanied his parents tu Cork, and afterwards to Dublin and Belfast. The Channel was tempestuous, and the Royal children were very sea-sick on the voyage to Dublin. While staying at the Viceregal Lodge the future King was put through his school lessons by Queen Victoria. Lord Bandon was Lord-Lieutenant of Cork in 1849, and received the Royal party. Another Lord Bandon-a grandson of the first-named, and, like him, a representative peer-is Lord- Lieutenant of Cork to-day, and will receive the King in that capacity, and also as the President of the Cork Exhibition. It was on the occasion of the visit in 1849 that Queenstown was so named, the former name having been Cove. The Earl of Kenmare is amongst the survivors of those who took a leading part in welcoming the Royal family, including the then Prince of Wales, to Ireland in 1861. As Lord Castlerosse he steered the Royal barge on the Lakes of Killarney. One great change has occurred at Killarney in the intervening forty years. The old Herberts of Muckross, who welcomed the Royal visitors, have disappeared, and Muckross House is now in the possession of Lord Ardilaun.

350 MILES AN HouR.-Asked by a representa- tive of Household Words what are the sensa- tions of travelling at 350 miles an hour, Miss Moto, the lady who Motors the Hoop at Earl's Court, replied that they are quite different from those of the fastest road travel. Do you never think. when your are at the top of the hoop, whether the gates which are to let you out on to the straight will be open in time ?" I asked. Never," declared Miss Moto. "I have no time to. I know nothing from the time I am let go at the top until I find myself against the net on the other side of the hoop. "I should like to know, Miss Moto, whether you hear a noise which we hear, that oi the banging of the first gate after you have entered ?" She informed me that she did, but she seemed to hear it after rather than when it happened. She told me she liked the work, and looked forward to her three performances every day with the keenest delight. It never affects her in the least, and her nerves seem as strong as iron.

t m gw »> ■» ■■■— —— ■■■' ■■■ — I NEW LABOUR M.P. The result of the polling for the election of a 6 representative of the Barnard Castle division of Durham in the room of the late Sir Joseph Pease was declared on Saturday afternoon as follows Mr. Arthur Henderson, J.P. (Lab.) 3,370 Colonel Vane (Con.) 3,323 Mr. Beaumont (Lib.) 2,809 The result was something of a surprise locally as the supporters of the Conservative candidate had been confident of his election owing to the split between the official and Labour sections of the Liberal party in the division. But in the heaviest local poll on record the Conservative candidate was unable to gain a victory. It was Colonel Vane's third unsuccessful at- tempt upon the constituency. The accompany- ing table shows how since the 1895 election Colonel Vane's poll at Barnard Castle has steadily declined while the Liberal vote having slightly increased in 1900 has on the present oc- casion with the introduction of the fiscal ques- tion made an enormous advance: — 1892. 1895. 1900. 1903. Total poll 8,261 8,772 8,581 -0,502 Liberal votes 5,337 4,924 5,036 J,179 Conservative votes. 2,924 3,848 3,545 3,323 Liberal majority 2,413 1,076 1,491 2,856 Lib. p.c. of tot. poll 64.6 56.0 58.7 65.0

I BISLEY. WINNER OF THE KING'S PRIZE. The Bisley meeting was brought to a close on Saturday with the shooting by the hundred men left to compete in the final stage for the King's Prize. This coveted distinction was gained by Colour-sergeant T. Davies, of the 3rd Glamorgan Volunteers, who won the Queen's Prize ten years ago. Mr. Davies had an aggregate of 311. The second prize was won by Private J. McCallum, of the Stirling Volunteers, who made 310, and the third by Sergeant Farr, of the 2nd Wor- cester Volunteers, whose full score was 303, while Colour-sergeant Galloway, of the 2nd Vol. Batt. Royal Scots Fusiliers, was with the same aggregate. Private W. Gr. J the London Scottish, winner of both the Bronze and Silver Medals, fell seriously away in the final stages, and finished only 44th in the "Hundred" with 288 points. The Welsh competitors displayed much enthusiasm over the victory of their cham- pion, who was carried in triumph round the camp. The St. George's Challenge Vase was secured by Captain Johnson, of the London Rifle Brigade, and the second prize by Lieutenant Collier, of the same corps. Lord Roberts wit- nessed the finish for the Commander-in-Chief's Challenge Cup, which was won for the second time by the London Rifle Brigade. The prizes were afterwards distributed by Lord and Lady Cheylesmore. Some excitement was caused by the announcement that two north country volunteers, members of a battalion that is affiliated with one of the most distinguished regiments of the King's Line, had been "for ever disqualified from com- peting at any prize meeting of the National Rifle Association. It was further announced that they would not be entitled to have any prizes won by them at the current meeting presented to them at the distribution of prizes." Inquiry re- vealed the fact that both the men against whom the fiat of disqualification had been issued, one of whom is a non-commissioned officer, had gained places entitling them to shoot in the final stage for the St. George's Challenge Vase, and that one of them was also of the hundred left in for the King's Prize. It appears that the miscon- duct alleged against them did not occur during the course of the Bisley meeting.

IN HONOUR OF LI HUNG CHANG The memorial temple erected in honour of Li Hung Chang at CManfu was recently dedicated with some ceremony. All the local officials took part. First came boards carried in the proces- sion and bearing the official ranks of the de- ceased, then soldiers and a band of foreign mili- tary music, followed by officials and merchants —all on foot-while finally came three pavilions, carrying the tablets of Li and the others. After the tablets had been put in their shrines the Governor and his subordinates bowed down to them and offered tea and flowers. At the same time an essay was read while the officials were performing the ceremony of prostration, the essay being somewhat in the nature of a prayer. After all was over the officials of high rank had a feast in the temple!

SELLING A MOUNTAIN. I It is a new idea to think of Swiss mountains as saleable articles, but M. Russel, who lives at Portallier, and who is one of those capitalists who dream of turning everything into gold, is having a good try. He has advertised as for sale Mount Baulles, in the Canton of Vaud, and he is willing to hand it over to a purchaser for the food round sum of £ 5,000. But how is he to and it over, and what is the purchaser to do with it when he gets it? For Mount Baulles is no toy mountain that you can keep at your home under a glass case; it is a regulation peak with rocks and caves and ravines, in fact, you might as well bring an elephant to your back garden as attempt to make any use of this peak. But then there is no end to the commercial activity of these latter days

JOHN BULL'S BILLS. I Some startling figures appear in the report just issued by the Select Committee of the House oi Commons appointed fourteen months ago to con- sider the best methods of controlling national expenditure. They show that John Bull's bills for his Army, Navy, and Civil Service Departments have increased to an alarming extent during the last twenty years. Take, for example, the Army, where the account has jumped up from 16 millions to 33-L millions. Similarly, the Navy bill has grown 2 from 10-L millions to 38t millions and the Civil Service from 21t millions to nearly 42 millions. Included in this amount is the cost of education, which has grown from C4,462,000 to £ 14,156,000. These figures do not include the following items of war expenditure:—In 1883-4, Army, £ 209,000; Navy, £ 173,000; in 1903-4, Army, £ 4,500,000 (South African special expenditure, China, and Somaliland). The Committee in their report urge that there is a large field for the vigilance of the House. "The Committee is impressed with the advantages enjoyed by Select Committees, whose proceedings are usually devoid of party feeling, who may obtain accurate knowledge collected for them by trained officials, and recommends that the powers of the Comptroller and Auditor- General and of the Public Accounts Committee should also be extended. An Estimate Committee is also suggested as a preliminary to the discussion of Votes in Com- mittee of Supply.

THE ROMAN IN SCOTLAND. I Some interesting discoveries have been made in connection with the explorations which are being carried out at the Roman camp on Barhill, near Kilsyth. The camp was large and very strongly entrenched, the space within the enclosure being about 350 feet square. In the middle of the west and east sides were found the foundations of circular towers-two in each set, as if they were used to flank a gateway, or as iL°Ut ^owfrs* Towards the centre of the «°uthern section of the camp the lines of several buildings have been traced, and sections of the paved ways or "streets" running through the camp exposed. Perhaps the most important dis- covery yet made was the well situated in the southern portion of the camp. It is 43 feet in depth, and in diameter about a yard. For its whole depth it is lined with masonry-which to-day looks as good as ever-not a stone out of place nor any sign of weakness. This well had been filled to the top and covered over with a few feet of earth, but in process of cleaning it out it was found to be the hiding-place of a large number of ornamented pillars and some sculptured stones. At the bottonf the vessel used in drawing the water and a portion of the windlass were recovered. The pillars, stones, etc., were all lying huddled together in the well, as if they had been hastily thrown in and then covered with earth to hide them from view.

STATISTICS OF SUICIDE. I The study of statistics brings some strange surprises. In the first place it teaches us the fallibility of human inference, for different, and even opposed conclusions can be drawn from the same set of figures; and, in the second place, it almost tempts us to disbelieve in human free wiY, for you can almost express all human actions in a strictly mathematical form. According to some statistics of this latter kind recently issued 10,000 suicides occurred in the United Statpq between 1897 and 1901. Of these,$81 were males. The favourite age was between thirty and forty, married people being in the majority Monday, between 9 and 12 p.m., ths day on which most suicides took place.

hi -•> ..eam.i f EPITOME OF NEWS. There are about 3,120,000 cyclists in Germany each of whom must pay a yearly tax of 2s. 2d. The United Kingdom has now 22,000 miles of railway—just double the mileage of 1861. A sow belonging to Mr. J. Bingley, the Far Windmill, Potternewton-lane, Leeds, has a litter of seventeen pigs, which is regarded as a record'. The memorial of the late Dean Farrar will take the form of carrying into effect his design for filling tho west window of the chapter house of Canterbury Cathedral. The Canadian railways are obliged, by th. terms of the new Railway Company Bill, to carry members of the Canadian Senate and House of Commons free. In preparing some photographs a boy of thir- teen named Saunders, living in King's-road, Chelsea, an enthusiastic amateur photographer, ignited a tray of methylated spirit, which set tire to his clothing. He was burned to death. A most singular death befell the baby of Mr. Sauer, road official, in Reinerzau, near Freuden- stadt, Wurtemberg. The baby had been left alone in a room, when a hen flew through the open win- dow, and settling upon the baby's throat killed it. Sir Thomas Lipton recently declared that the cost of the present attempt to win the Cup would amount to £ 200,000, including the cost of build- ing the yacht, which was £ 100,000. His three attempts would altogether account for 4OO,OOO. Of all the big guns used in the navy, the 6in. quick-firer has been proved by recent experiments to be the most effective. With it fourteen 1001b. shells can be discharged in a minute. Such missiles made a clean hole through the plates of the Belleisle at 1,000 yards. Mr. Henry Labouchere, M.P., has just dis- posed of his picturesque Thames-side residence, Pope's Villa, Twickenham, where he has resided for the past thirty years. The residence possesses historic associations, having been formerly oc- cupied by the poet Pope. Mr. J. E. Madden's stables in Kentucky, U.S.A., have been completely destroyed by lightning. The famous stallion, Mirthful, which was imported from England, and is the sire of Acefull, who ran in the last Derby, was killed, together with several, noted American race- horses. A peasant woman, returning from the fair of Pettau (Styria), observed a hare caught in a wire- trap. While attempting to strangle it with a handkerchief the animal got away. It took with it the handkerchief, in which the woman had knotted £ 210. Sir Tatton Sykea is one of the wealthiest baronets in the kingdom, the rent-roll of his Yorkshire estates falling not far short of £ 80,000 per annum. He has some singular clothing fads, and never wears fewer than four or five coats; whilst in winter he has been known to don as many as a baker's dozen. An interesting Indian ceremony was recently cl witnessed in Oklahoma. White Eagle, the aged chief of the Poncas, has. reined, and his title and dignity have been confessed on his son Tahdy. In honour of the new clsLef 700 ponies were given away as presents, and 2,000 Indians participated in the sun dance. Thousands of whites witnessed the celebration. Mr. Humphrie Berkeley, an English barrister resident in Fiji, has brought to England a peti- tion signed by 10,000 natives praying for an alteration in the laws governing the islands. A meeting of M.P.'s the other night resolved to ad- dress a series of questions to Mr. Chamberlain* In Boston, Mass., there is an Armenian revo- lutionary society, formerly composed of thirteen members. Turkish agents have warned them of their impending death, and two members have been already killed. A third was shot in the open street recently, but he is not expected to die. His assailant was captured, but refuses to speak. A solid marble memorial cross, with halo, and standing 6ft. in height, is to be placed over Miss Holland's grave at Saffron Walden. Th" halo will be centred with the figure of an angel receiving a woman into its arms, which will be carved from a drawing executed by Miss Holland when a young woman. The new method of masking a battery by paint- ing guns rainbow fashion, with streaks of red, yellow, and blue, rendering them indistinguish- able against any background, has stood a very remarkable test at Aldershot. A section of Horse Artillery sent to engage the guns did not locate them until within a distance of 1,000 yards. This method is the invention of a mili- tary officer. Antonio Vega Hinojo, a shepherd, near Xeua de la Frontera (Spain), broke into the cottage of Jose Castillo Moreno, another shepherd, in order to steal the few shillings he knew the other had realised from the sale of a kid. Finding More- no's wife and two children at home, Hinojo killed them, and, in order to hide his crime, set the house on fire. Several little urchins in a small village near Mons (Belgium) were playing in the road, when a stranger, wearing blue eye-glasses, came along. They began to tease him and to throw pebbles at him. The stranger caught one of the boys, and, taking a rope out of his own pocket, hanged the child on the branch of a tree and departed. In his annual report on the health of the borough of Poplar, Dr. Alexander, the medical officer of health, draws attention to the large number of persons who during the year were at- tacked by typhoid fever. No less than sixteen contracted the disease through eating shell-fish, and of these eight traced their illness to eating cockles at Southend. A unique gathering was held in New Cumnock (Ayrshire) the other week, the host being a gentleman of eighty-six years of age, who had! just built himself a villa. Guests were restricted to the male friends of his early youth, and no one under seventy-five was admitted. The gathering numbered thirteen, and the aggregate age of those assembled was 1,051 years. Five of the old gentlemen had lived under five British Sovereigns, and the youngest of the company had played marbles in the days when George the Fourth was King. Mr. Gully, the Speaker of the House of Com- mons, has one great hobby, and that is to know more thoroughly than anyone else the geography of his own country, and his knowledge in this direction is really wonderful. He was one day, some few years ago, and before he came to his present high position, travelling from Carlisle to London, and on the way was able to tell a. companion the name of every stream they crossed, even down to the smallest brooks. It one day occurred to Professor Goldberg that. considering how often chess is played blind- folded, there ought to be no difficulty in teaching the game to the really blind. He communicated his idea to M. De la Zeranne, who took it up with enthusiasm, with the result that at the Vallen- tin Hady Association headquarters there haa K?-61^ inau^ed a special chess class for the blind. The boards are influted in smooth squares, and one set of pieces is rounded at the top, while the other is pointed. Charitable in- dividuals and the National Institute for the Blind are interesting themselves in the subject. A pretty story is being told of the Rev. H. Bramley, sub-dean of Exeter Cathedral, who has just died in the fiftieth year of his ministry. One cold winter's day he stopped to say a few kindly words to a man breaking stones, who re- plied "It's all very well for you with that top- coat and comforter and those gloves to talk to the likes of us, shivering to death." In a mo- ment Mr. Bramley had pulled off these clothes, and in the next he had pressed them on the man and disappeared, leaving him lost in amazement at such a practical and unwonted application of Apostolic precept. The first tubular lifeboat was built at Wey- mouth in 1832. The Russian village of Michranoff, in the Ural district, has been destroyed by fire. About 450 tons of gold are yearly dug by man in various parts of the' earth. Sprats are our cheapest fish, being worth only £ 4 2s. 6d. a ton.