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

LABOUR DAY IN LONDON. Hyde Park was the scene on Sunday of a May Day demonstration by labour men. Glorious weather had attracted a large number of people to the Park, and the entry of the procession excited their interest, but few took any notice of the subsequent proceedings. Six platforms were ranged in horseshoe fashion near the Marble Arch, and from these speeches were made by a number of members of the London Trades' Council, the Social Democratic Federa- tion, and various trades unions.

A MAJOR'S SAD DEATH. Major S. C. Townsend, of the Royal Artillery, attached to the Ordnance Department, and in charge of the Bullpoint Factory, was found dead in a field near Devonport on Sunday after- noon, shot through the heart. He went out shooting in the morning, but did not return for lunch, and his wife found him lying under a hedge with a rifle by his side. The waistcoat was singed, and bore the impression of the rifle barrel.

£ 4000 JEWEL ROBBERY. Dublin's principal hotel, the Shelburne, has been the scene of a sensational and mysterious robbery. Mrs. Conduit, of London, who had come over to Dublin with her husband for the royal visit, was preparing to attend the "command" per- formance at the Theatre Royal, and opened the locked case in which she kept her jewellery, valued at over £ 4,000. She had occasion to leave the room for a moment, and when she returned she was horror-stricken to find the jewels had gone. An examination of the room resulted in the finding of a piece of paper attached to the win- dow with the word Apples" written upon it. It is generally believed that the coup was the work of a gang.

ROYAL ACADEMY BANQUET. The Royal Academy held its annual banquet on Saturday evening at Burlington-house, in Pic- cadilly. The chair was occupied by the Presi- dent, Sir E. J. Poynter, and there was a large and distinguished company of guests. Lord Sel- borne, in responding for the Navy to the, toast of "The Navy, Army, and Reserve Forces," gave a humorous account of the manner in which the captains of a British and an American cruiser had rccently superintended the "annual revolu- tion" in a port which he would not name. Mr. Arnold-Forster, in responding for the Army, re- gretted the absence of accepted professional opinion in regard to the great military problems of the Empire, and welcomed what was being done towards the creation of such an opinion. It was time that we set our house in order and he believed they would find in the Army Council a body as devoted to the country's interests, and as single-minded in its endeavours to serve those interests, as even the Board of Admiralty. £ £ The Lord Chancellor acknowledged the toast of "His Majesty's Ministers," and dwelt on the conclu- sion of the Anglo-French Agreement as a hope- ful indication of the growth of a feeling through- out the world that there were better ways than war of settling international differences. Mr. John Hare responded to the tcast of "The Drama," the Lord Mayor to that of "The Lord Mayor and Corporation, and the Master of the Rolls to that of "The Guests," proposing "The Royal Academy," to which the President replied.

Mr. Kor-Ko-Ya, a Greenlander, who has nxoijo- polised the commerce of East Baffinsland, is a miniature Pierpont Morgan. I-le t ol L fourteen vessels and is worth £2,500, which is equal to a million in a less simple community. He lives in a wooden hut, and possesses the luxuries of a table and a paraffin lamp. He recently celebrated the fortieth anniversary of the foundation of his business, his employees drinking his health in cod-liver oil. The early parish register of West Kirby, on the Wirral Peninsula, which has been missing from the church safe for over 100 years, has been restored through a reader at the Wigan Free Library, who brought the important docu- ment to the librarian. The register covers the [period between 1561 and 1619, contains from 5 000 to 6,000 entries, and is written throughout on vellum. Curious entries include a complete list of all the victims of the plague which deci- mated the Wirral Penimula ixL iU4

I NELLIE FARREN'S FUNERAL. I The depressing weather of Monday in London did not prevent very liAge crowds of people, both at the house in Sinclair-road, West Kensington, where she lived and died, and at Brompton Cemetery, where her remains were buried, from assembling to pay a last tribute of respect and remembrance to the late Nellie Farren (Mrs. Soutar), for so many years the popular idol of London playgoers. From many eld friends and admirers came masses of beautiful flowers which filled two carriages and completely covered the coffin on its four-horsed hearse. Among those who sent wreaths were Mr. Toole and Mr. Edward Terry, who knew her from the beginning of her career on the stage; from the "gallery boys and gallery girls who had often applauded her in the old days of the Gaiety; from the director and staff of Drury Lane Theatre; from Sir Squire and Lady Bancroft, Mr. John Hare, Miss Florence St. John, and a host of others. The remains were first taken to the Church of St. Matthew, where the first portion of the service was conducted by the vicar, the Rev. J. S. Shtilds, and the funeral procession then proceeded to the cemetery. In the carriages following the hearse were Mrs. Soutar's two sons, Mr. H. and Mr. J. F. Soutar, Mr. Edward Terry, and others. At Brompton Cemetery an immense crowd was present. Undeterred by the rain and damp ground, the people lined the path leading to the grave in the centre of the cemetery, near the south-eastern colonnade. Mrs. Hollingshead represented Nellie Farren's famous manager, her husband, Mr. John Hollingshead, who was not well enough to attend at the grave-side with many other old friends. The coffin bore the inscription Ellen Soutar (Nellie Farren), born 1848, died 1904," and after it was lowered into the grave, lined with laurel, ivy, and forget-me-nots, and covered with flowers, many crowded round to get a last look at it.

BOATING ACCIDENT. FIVE LIVES LOST. A boating accident occurred on the Humber, near Hull, on Sunday, and resulted in the loss of five lives. Early in the afternoon eight men, all of Hull, set out in a sailing boat from Marfleet Creek for Paul!, up the river. There was a south-westerly breeze blowing. When about half-way the boat suddenly capsized, all the occu- pants being thrown into the water. A tug put out to their assistance, but only three men were rescued.

•« JB.-P." AND THE BOYS' BRIGADE On Saturday Major-General Baden-Powell visited Glasgow, and in the afternoon inspected the Boys Brigade on the drill-ground of the 1st Lanark Rifle Volunteers at Yorkhill. The members of the different companies assembled at their respective headquarters and marched to Yorkhill, where they were drawn up in battalions, which numbered ten in all, with an approximate strength of 7,000 officers and men. 'General Badefi-Powell rode on to the field, and was received with the general salute. After he had ridden round the ranks and made a minute inspection of the boys, the brigade under the command of Captain W. A. Smith, 1st Glas- gow Company, was moved into position for the march past.

WELL-KNOWN COMPOSER DEAD. M. Dvorak, the well-known composer, died at Prague on Sunday. Pan Antonin Dvorak was born at Muhlhausen, Bohemia, in September, 1841. He was a gifted musician, and for some time held the post of director of the New York Conservatoire. His compositions included the oratoria "St. Ludmila," a Symphony in D, "Jacobin," an opera?, and a cantata, "The Spectre's Bride."

I SOMALI CAMPAIGN. I ANOTHER FIGHT. According to despatches just received from Somaliland, dated April 4, the first brigade has been blocking all the passes from Sorl into the Nogal since March 16. The 2nd Brigade and Kenna's mounted infantry had been chasing the Mullah in the north, and found that the dervishes had fled from Jidali to Gebbi. The mounted infantry had had an encounter with a party of forty Dervishes, all of whom were killed. The Britisn captured 25 rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition. It is stated that, however much the Mullah's people may be temporarily scattered, he still has the bulk of his rifles, as only a small proportion were captured from him. Referring to the depar- ture of the troops, a private letter says The tribes will be glad to see the backs of the troops, but at the same time dread the consequences. Several big men have sold out their live stock and invested their money in Aden, and it seems clear that we shall have to organise the people in their own defence."

I IN STRANGE TIBET. I INHABITANTS WISH THE MISSION MAY STAT FOR EVER. In addition to the Gyangtse market being bodily removed from the town and located in front of the mission camps, hundreds of men and women driving laden asses reach the camp daily with fodder and country produce for sale. No resent- ment is shown at the presence of the mission, which the townspeople hope will stay there for ever. The purpose of the mission is well under- stood by the common people, of whom a larger percentage are able to read and write than in India, and who follow quite intelligently the pro- gress of the foreign policy of the Dalai Lama. They say they know we have no desire to annex their country.

I A CLOSE CALL." v Vivid colouring is given to the operations in Tibet in a series of mail despatches from Brigadier-General Macdonald and Colonel Young- husband to the Government of India. which were Sublished in a White-paper by the India office on [onday night: The Tibetan fort at Phari was yielded up with laughter. When Macdonald and his force arrived the local headman asked him where he would be pleased to put up." Keen to see the advantage of the position. Mac- donald said, In the jong" (fort), and the head- man, looking troubled, said he would see about it. Then the officials came. These officials (writes Macdonald) "said there were no soldiers in the jong, but asked me not to enter it, as they would lose their heads if I did. I asked them whether their heads were not already forfeited owing to our having entered the Chumbi Valley, and they laughingly replied that it was so." And thereupon Macdonald took amicable possession of the strong- hold. The shelter was welcome, for the thermo- meter marked 40 degrees of frost. I A TIBETAN TEA PARTY. Colonel Younghusband notes as a curious and disquieting feature that all the people, including the Chinese, were firmly persuaded that the expedition was doomed to annihilation. The result was the desertion of camp followers, and the deliberate conclusion that we have not one ounce of prestige on this frontier." At Guru the Tibetan soldiers, instead of offering resistance, "all crowded out to look at us, laughing and smiling," while the four or five Tibetan Generals were" very polite and cordial." A pow-wow was held at Guru, in the course of which the monks brusquely disavowed any dealings with Russians :they dislike them as much as they did us." Nothing decisive was accomplished, and Colonel Younghusband prepared to take leave. He was not accompanied by a guard, and only two officers were with him. I AN EXCITING MOMENT. Thereupon the monks became suddenly angry, and the generals called the expedition "thieves and brigands" for occupying Phari fort. C, The monks, using forms of speech generally addressed to inferiors, loudly clamoured for me to name a date for our retirement from Tuna before I left the room; the atmosphere became elec- tric. a general left the room; trumpets out- side were sounded, and attendants closed round us." "It was necessary to keep extremely cool under these circumstances," is Colonel Younghusband's comment on the situation. He calmly told them he would report their demand to his Government, and was eventually allowed to depart. A week later the Lhasa General called on Younghusband at Tuna and told him all would be well if he would go back to the frontier. He said that there was an agreement of the whole people that no strangers should be admitted into Tibet. "I told him I could understand a disagreeable people wishing to keep to themselves. What was so aggravating was a pleasant and genial people like the Tibetans wishing to debar the rest of the world from the pleasure of their society." The Lhasa general had laughed a little while before whetlu r or not he winked at this point Colonel Younghusband dots not say. All he records is that the general looked very well bred but he is not clever." SONS OF THE CLERGY. I The 250th Festival of the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy, held in London on Monday at St. Paul's Cathedral. was attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales. There was a large con- gregation, including the Archbishops of Canter- bury and York, several bishops, and the Lord Mayor. At the dinner which took place in the evening, as usual, at Merchant Taylors' IIan. it was announced that the Festival had already re- sulted in a collection of more than ;EIO,(iOO, the list of stewards numbering more than 250, being the largest on record.

I MEN LESS VALUE THAN GOATS. I In the Congo State, men and women are being gold into slavery to pay the heavy taxes imposed on the natives. This is the statement of the Rev. I J. H. Weeks, a Baptist missionary, who instances twenty-one cases of persons being sold for a goat —this animal being the form in which taxes are paid.

WOMAN'S WORLD. THE RULING PASSION. 'VI Expensive dress is not, as is too hastily assumed, the exclusive privilege of civilized womanhood. Not infrequently a semi-savage girl has a wardrobe consisting of furs which would be worth from one to two thousand pounds. Grundeman, the explorer, relates how one fair Greenlander wore a dress of sealskin with a hood of costly fur, and silver fox. The garment was lined with fur of a young seal-otter, and there was a fringe of wolverene tails. About one hundred and forty pounds is probably the average worth of the dress of Indian women on the Columbia and Fraser rivers. COSTLY FUR. The sea-otter's is the costliest of all fur. A skin that you might put in your hat or carry away in vour muff, has sold for £ 80; and, although this was a fancy"prices from £ 30 to £ 40 is nothing out of the way. The value is reckoned by thy depth of the black colour, studded with silver hairs, and the richness of the fur. Very seldom do any of the higher qualities come into the retail trade in England, so hungry for them are the Russians. The catching of the sea-otter is almost entirely confined to the coast of Alaska. WOMEN WARNED OFF. Maiwat'-hin, on the borders of Russia, is the only town in the world exclusively inhabited by men. The Chinese women are not allowed to live m this territory, and are even forbidden to pass the great wall of Kalkan and to enter Mongolia. All the Chinese of this border town are traders. < < WEDDING PCINGS. Wedding rings are supposed to be always the same, but still the fashion of them has altered lately among smart people. The newest brides are wearing plain gold circlets which are about two thirds narrower than those formerly worn. Jewellers are also showing a new ring. When worn it is exactly like any conven- tional wedding ring. In reality it consists of two separate gold bands, each made in a spiral. These fit so closely together as to form a perfect ring without visible join. This marriage ring is symbolical of the joining of two into one. JAPS AT TEA. The famous tea ceremonies, on which Japanese women spend so much of their time, were col- lected and arranged about a thousand years ago by a Japanese nobleman, who wished to revive the good old customs of an.earlier age. Many years are required to gain a real grasp of the ceremonies. Every gesture and action is symbolical, and whilst the host strives to honour his guest by every means in his power, the latter shows his humility by pointing to the cup as too magnificent for his unworthiness, and praising it in terms of extravagant eulogy. Allthi8 takes a long time, and meanwhile the guests are kept waiting for their tea. It is usual in Japan to have a quiet cup at home before setting out for one of these elaborate festivities, as people in England do before going to a big afternoon crush. Japanese women are not greatly interested in literature, but are fond of music, and occupy themselves with the arrangement of flowers. There is a section of advanced women who attend the female University at Tokio, and some of these are keen cyclists. WHO WAS CINDERELLA ? In theatrical performances of all sorts Cinderella generally appears dressed in the costume of the period or Charles 1. or of George II. Neither is suitable. Cinderella was an Egyp- tian beauty named Rhodope, who lived during the reign of one of the 12 kings of Egypt. One day as she was bathing an eagle swooped down and carried off one of her shoes, which she had left on the river's bank. In flying over Mephis, where the king was staying, the eagle dropped the shoe- which, by the way, was of fur, not of glass—and it fell right at his Majesty's feet. Now, Rhodope had remarkably small feet, and the diminutivesize of her shoe so struck the king that he immediately sent envoys to discover its owner. Their efforts were successful, and Rhodope was brought in triumph to Mephis, where she became the Queen of King Asammeticus. A QUAINT WRAP. Out of a Chinese coat and two celestial skirts a clever actress has designed an evening wrap that has no equal for beauty and comfort. The coat part is yellow satin embroidered in blue, and the wide sleeves show a lining of brighter blue which is repeated again in the skirt part. In addition to the Oriental fasten- ings, this young woman has given the cost a fuH hood which she wears over her head at night it the weather is cold. The coat is loose and long, and slips on; so easily that it possesses some advantages, especially in gorgeousness of decora- tion, over those of modern cut an.l fabric. < « CARE OF THE TEETH. If the teeth have got into a bad condition, and allowed to gather tartar, it is necessary (sayg Perla writing on the secrets of beauty in the Sunday Times") to go to a dentist, and have them scaled, and made tho- roughly smooth and clean, both inside and out. Everyone ought to have this done at least once a year. It is the spring cleaning of the mouth, and absolutely essential to those who want to look their best. After this has been done, it will be found comparatively easy to keep them in good order, and many people, who must have felt dissatisfied with the appearance of their mouth and teeth, without quite knowing how to set to work to remedy the defects of either, will be pleased with the results of this treatment. The teeth should always be cleaned after drinking coffee or claret. Indeed, this latter < wine should be avoided altogether in certain circumstances at a picnic, for instance, or a cricket match, where the friendly brush is out of reach, as it is apt not only to darken the teeth, but to blacken the lips unless they are very^carefully wiped, which,of course,ought always be done. Extremes of heat and cold are as bad for the teeth as they are for the skin. If moderation in everything is the secret of health it is also that of beauty. Strong acids attack the enamel of the teeth, softening it, and in time destroying it. This is the reason why some medicines turn the teeth black, and those that con- tain acids or iron should always be taken through a glass tube, and not allowed to touch the teeth. One often sees people whose front teeth are too wide apart, which is a very unbecoming thing almost as bad as the loss of a tooth. It is generally caused by a gap on ona side of the mouth, and the front teeth having too much room to disport them- selves have'strayed apart. There is a very simple way of rectifying this defect. The front teeth should be tied together every night with flax tht ead the kind used for mending linen, but it must not be too fine. Cut off a small piece and pass it behind the two teeth, having the end in front. Pass the lefb end over the right twice, which will keep it firm, and then complete the knot, drawing it up quickly so that it cannot slip. This is better than an elastic band, which is too severe, as the pressure on the teeth never relaxes, and it is apt to loosen them in time. This miniature bandage should be worn as much as possible during the day as well as night, and in a month or two the teeth will be much closer together and a little false tooth can be inserted in the gap at the side, which will gradually close the teeth up and render the thread unneces- sary. As the gap becomes larger through the front teeth being pressed together tho size of the c artificial tooth must be increased—in other words, the tooth mush be changed. This plan is not as extravagant as it Bounds, the great expense of arti- ficial teeth being'in the plate and the fitting. The actual tooth itself only costs about 6d., so vou will see that it is not a very serious matter to' have it changed. People should be • their teeth as a substitute for knives and scissors. I know (says "Perla") a woman, now no longer young, to whom Nature has given the most perfect set of teeth imaginable, snd they would be still as -good as when she was eighteen if she had not con- tracted the pernicious habit of biting off the ends of her cotton when at work, with the result that the two front teeth have got notches in them as j E they had been cut with a file, and, indeed, the con- stant biting of thread is just as bad in its effect* as a steel implement.