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

BOOKING CLERK ATTACKED. I Ernest Budden, a booking clerk at Maidstone Barracks Station, was seriously assaulted while he was in charge of the station on Saturday night. Two strangers who had been loitering about the station for some time asked for change of a shilling, and while Budden was giving it to them one of them Seized him by the throat while the other hit him about the head with a stick. The men made oil at the sound of approaching footsteps, and have not since been traced. Budden had to be medically treated, and will not be able to resume duty foi pome time.

——————————.————————— BAD WEATHER AT SEA. Furious gales mi-, sweeping the North Atlantic in rapid succession. Extremely high seas are reported in the North of Scotland and in the Bay of Biscay. The westerly wind reached the hurricane force of sixty miles an hour in the Bay of Biscay on Monday morning. The Swan- age lifeboat was called on Monday morning to a small yacht anchored in Winspit Bay, on board of which the crew found one man, who gave the name of Jones. He stated that he had left Poyts- mouth alone on the previous Friday with the in- tention of making Guernsey. He left Poole on Sunday, and had been buffeted about in the Channel. all day. He endured a night of terri- fic weather, and when taken off had been eighteen hours in the breakers. On the arrival of the Ostend mail steamer at Dover on Monday, information was received that the mail steamer Prince Albert, which left Dover with passengers for Ostend shortly softer eleven o'clock: on Sunday night, went aslioro on the Belgian coast near Middlekerk, owing to the bad weather. A Marconigram was sent from the stranded vessel to Ostend, and a Government tug was sent to her assistance. The passengers and mails were cafely transferred to the tug and taken into Ostend, and the mail-boat was subsequently refloated. !=;=;

At the inquest at Pinxton, Derbyshire, on George Cookie, 29, who fell from a< pit cage to the bottom of a shaft, a verdict of "Accidental death" was returned. i Whilst walking across a girder at some Wecl- nesbury works, an ironworker fell on to a sharp edge, breaking his neck and fracturing his skull. Death was instantaneous. It was stated at the Bristol City Council that free fights took place for seats in the workmen's tram cars, and it was decided to ask the company to provide a frequent service.

A CAMBRIDGE "RAG." I For the fourth time in six days a "rag" took place at Cambridge on Thursday night. Apparently it was intended as a fitting memorial of the visit of the New Zealand team. Crowds of undergraduates, strengthened by the rougher element of the townsmen, started bonfires on Sheepe Green, Grange Road, King's and Clare Grounds, and Midsummer Common, the material being purloined from private property. The University Football Ground, where the numerous stands would have provided abundant fuel, was attacked, but the assault was success- fully repelled. The worst incidents occurred on the common, where the police and others who attempted1 to defend private property were assailed by a mob over a thousand strong. Brickbats and stones were rained on the defenders, and the police and proctors were alike mauled by the "raggers." A number of policemen were injured, and for fully an hour the neighbourhood was at the mercy of the crowd, who pulled down fences, gates, and ,anything that would burn, and started an enormous bonfire. Towards eleven o'clock the police were reinforced, and succeeded in clear- ing the common of the rowdy gathering. They then had to turn their attention to the streets, which were not quieted until after midnight. Six policemen sustained severe injuries. A number of charges against undergraduates and others came before the Cambridge magistrates on Friday morning. M. J. Khan, of Clare College, pleaded guilty, and, was fined 40s. for using obscene language, in-nd -C5 for assaulting the police on Market Hill. Cyril F. Martin, Pembroke College, was fined 40s. for discharging fireworks among the crowd, Arthur M:. Great-head, Clare College, was remanded on a charge of assaulting the police. John R. G. Stroud, of Fulbourn, charged with assaulting the police and inciting the crowd on Midsummer Common, denied both offences, but was convicted and fined 20s. The police witnesses appeared in court in a. very battered state. The Mayor said that the undergraduates Tiad been guilty of disgraceful conduct, and the magistrates were determinedJ to put down that sort of thing by every means within their power.

TO OUST THE FOREIGNER. I A new lease of prosperity for the British mer- cantile seaman, and a counterblast to the danger of the ever-increasing flow of. foreigners into our merchant service, has been inaugurated by the Marine Society. At their quarterly meeting at Clark's-place, Bishopsgate, the society accepted the offer of Messrs. Devitt and Moore, a firm of shipowners, to send 100 boys from the Warepite- the training-ship of the society-to their full rigged sailing ship Illawarra, to be trained as seamen. The Illawarra will probably sail early in January for Australia, returning the following autumn. Messrs Devitt and Moore will provide the ship and fit her up completely. The ship's company will include a chaplain, medical officer, and four instructors, carefully selected by the Marine Society and Messrs. Devitt and Moore. The boys will be properly instructed in all matters connected with the seaman's craft, and will assist in working the ship and handling the sails. On the return of the Illawarra Messrs. Devitt and Moore will use their best endeavours with the Shipping Federation, of which Mr. Devitt is chair- man, to obtain berths for the boys as ordinary seamen. All the boys intended for the Illawarra will be apprenticed to the superintendent of the Warspite for two years-a provision which will act as a deterrent to boys throwing up a promis- ing career before giving it a fair trial. The actual cost to the Marine Society will work out to about £ 2,700. One gentleman has promised £100 if nine others will do likewise, and two ladies have promised £500. Further, the society has been informed that Government aid could be relied upon if the public supported the society's scheme. The Marine Society was founded in the middle of the 18th century, and three weeks after its inception began its work of recruiting boys for the sea. Just 120 years ago the society obtained from the Admiralty the man-of-war Warspite, and from that time to the present has trained some 65:000 boys for the Royal Navy and merchant service.

BUNYAN'S ANVIL FOUND. I Nearly two years ago it was announced that the J original warrant whereby six baronets and seven esquires clapped John Bunyan in Bedford Gaol, was to be sold at public auction. When it appeared it fetched £ 305. The news now comes that the wicked tinker's" anvil has been discovered, and it will forthwith be offered to collectors at Sotheby's. There seems to be no doubt about the genuineness of the find. It is in the shape of an inverted obelisk or cone, weighing about 601b., and is 2ft. in length. Stamped on its iron surface are the roughly seared words," J. Bun- yan, Hel'stow," and the date 1617." At that time Bunyan would be nineteen years of age, and would have returned home after seeing some months' active service with Fairfax. The relic was found in the following manner An ironmonger at St. Neots, in succeeding to an old business of one Carrington, turned out and sold a large quantity of iron implements and tools as old scrap iron. A marine store dealer bought some of the rubbish, and the anvil was amongst it. St. Neots is only a few miles from EIstow Bunyan's birth- place—which was formerly called Helenstow. When Bunyan was dreaming dreams and claiming the rights and gifts of a seer, he was exhorted by one of his more lenient judges to stick to his trade of tinker, as his real gift lay in ye repayring of olde kettles." Fortunately for English literature, Bunyan persisted in his mission. The ar\: has endured, and probably will endure, much longer than the copies of the first edition of The Pilgrim's Progress," but what its value may be must be left to the arbitrament of auction. Four years ago one of the few copies extant of the earliest imprint of The Pilgrim's Progress" fetched £ 1475.

CHEMISTS LIKE FOGS. I It has been satisfactorily proved that a London fog means a general toss to trade, but as it is an ill fog that brings nobody any good, there is one trader who benefits largely by a murky atmosphere. When he sees a fog the chemist positively rejoices. The moment the fog descends he illumines his glass bottles, summons all his assistants, rubs his hands, and waits. And he has not long to wait. You would be surprised," said the head of a Strand establishment to a customer "to know the difference that it makes to us. I suppose that if we have had one person in here this morn- ing asking for relief from the atmospheric effects, we have had fifty. We have been doling out cough lozenges and dispensing aromatic ointments for the nostrils just as hard as we can. This, of course, is only the beginning. To-morrow we shall be handing out asthma powders, steam kettles. linseed, cotton-wool and the like. Then we shall have the benefit of those who suffer from rheumatism in our sale of liniments and ban- dages."

Rather than incur the expense of a rate for lighting, the Council of Rhudulan, near Rhyl, has decided to call for voluntary subscriptions. Protest by the Board of Trade in London against the Quebec tax on commercial travellers has been forwarded by Mr. Lyttelton, Colonial Secretary, who says that so high a tax cannot fail to be detrimental to the interests, of British trade in Canada. River police were, patrolling near the Duke of Northumberland's residence at Isleworth when, it was alleged at Brentford, a shot fired by Robert Ay res, of Fulhasm, passed within two inches of a constable's head. A penalty of 40s. WSB inflicted. Commander Mael-rutahin and Lieutenant Kit- cat were both honourably acquitted at the Gib- raltar corurt .martial on the stranding of H.M.S. Assistance. Officers and crew were congratu- lated on their behaviour under trying circum- stances. Alexander Ewing, 36, grocer's assistant, sur- rendered to the Glasgow police, and said he had mwpdened hie wife. She was found in a pre- carious condition with a wound in her t&rc&t. .<

TEA TABLE TALK. I —-— Emma Goldman, anarchist, is now a ladies' hair- dresser. 0 0 When arranging the hair in any way, take care that it is not kept at tension, which is not only tiable to cause headache, but tends also to thin the hair. The. Princess of Wales recently crocheted a child's garment and sent it to the Newland Sailors' Orphan Homes, Hull, for sale by auction for the benefit of that institution. The little garment fetchedllfteen guineas. Kid gloves ornamented with fancy work of various kinds are often worn on the Continent, and have been introduced into this country, but Englishwomen seldom depart from the quite plain variety of glove. A sleeve has been invented that can be worn either as a long or a short one. To form the latter, the cuff Qf the long sleeve is pushed up above the elbow, thus creating a short sleeve closely puckered from shoulder to elbow. Mrs. Kendal], the stage favourite, says that to become a good actress, one "must have the temper of an angel, the figure of a Greek statue, the face of a goddess, and the skin of a rhinoceros." Elaborate jet trimming for dresses will be a feature of the winter's fashions. » • Sweets for the luncheon and dinner table, tinted to match the colour-scheme of the floral decora- tions, is an idea that is being adopted. tt • • Glass baths and bath tubs for household use, which are being made in Germany, are said to be cleaner and cheaper than those of enamelled metal. At a recent fashionable wedding in Derbyshire, the mother of the bridegroom met her eight sisters all together for the first time since their school- days. The mother of the bride had also six sisters present at the ceremony. Nearly one half of the women engaged in occupa- tions in London are domestic servants, of whom there is one to every 20 persons in the population. Tears aid greatly in destroying beauty, as they soon bring wrinkles to the face. Women who weep frequently lose their good looks very early. A smiling face and a cheerful, happy temper are the best preservatives of beauty known. < Nurseries for children, supplied with toys and with trained nurses in attendance, are found in many modern ocean liners. Chantilly, in France, has an invested fund, the dividend from which is presented annually to some girl or woman, born or domiciled in fcfc* town, as a reward for filial devotion. Mdlle. Kaufmann, a seamstress, who has for twenty years tended her infirm mother, has been the 1905 recipient of the prize. < The tailor-made is the gown of the moment. It is seen in every variety of cloth, tweed, and velvet. Some are kept severely plain, the skirt fitting like a suede glove to below the knees-this, of course, means that there are many gores, to ensure the perfect fit over the hips; then it flares out very full to the hem, and has a perfectly fitting under- skirt, with quantities of ruffles to keep it out. The gores are all strapped. • One of the most trying occupations for women is said to be that of the girl shorthand writers who, for the assistance of busy business people, are employed in some American long-distance railway trains. Continuous shorthand-writing in a rapidly-moving train becomes very fatiguing; but the girls have ample rest periods, and they are will paid. Diet and exercise will reduce your weight if you persist. Do yon exercise until you perspire pro- fusely? And do you abstain from all sweets, cereals, starchy vegetables, butter, cheese, milk, and chocolate, also pork, veal, salmon, and hearty soups. In general avoid fatty, starchy, and sweet foods. Don't be discouraged. You will succeed unless there is some serious reason for your stoutness. The German Empress, in addition to jewels worth £100,000 that are her own private property, has the right to use the splendid collection of gems that belong to the Prussian Treasury. The Empress is thus able to sometimes appear at court wearing jewellery roughly valued at £ 250,000. < Extraordinary care is used in the cultivation of the tea intended for the household of the Emperor of China. It is raised in a garden surrounded by a high wall, so that neither man nor beast can get near the plants. At harvest time those collecting the leaves must abstain from eating fish, that their breath may not taint the aroma of tbe tea; they must bathe three times a day, using svented soap, and, in addition, must wear gloves while picking the tea. The beguiling note of the dinner blouse just now is its little basque. On the blouse of lace, whether the belt be deep or narrow, this shaped piece hangs down below if of silk, there is a pleated, gathered, or plain addition below the waist, and if of velvet it is all the same. Well cut, well made, and on a pretty figure, it is diffi- cult to believe there was charm in a blouse that did not have it, and it is the slight English figure that it becomes so well. Miss May Lang, daughter of the Chinese Minister, is the most picturesque figure in Wash- ington society. She has returned to the Legation with her father after a summer spent in Massachu- setts, most of the time at Amherst, where the Minister has placed his sons, Arlee and Arlu, in school. Women in Canadian isolated homesteads find the installation of the telephone there a great boon, for, often not seeing a visitor for months at a time, they are now able, over perhaps intervening miles of wire. to chat with their neighbours after work each evening. < » t The deep rich tinting of autumn foliage is dis- played on some little toques, made up almost entirely of leaves. In form these toques are more like round turbans, the sharply-pointed torpedo style of last year being most conspicuous by its absence. A group of chrysanthemums or a bunch of vari-coloured grasses aare set wing-like at the li-ft side, or else a simple finish is made by folded tulle just rising above the edge of the upturned brim. » The proud place of peail and gem pins, which were formerly in such high favour, is being usurped by some charming novelties. Single and double rings, cubes, spearheads, and rough lumps com- prise the latest fashions in hat-pins. A lady-has also just invented an absolutely new hat-pin, which she specially destines for women who motor or pla), golf. The head is composed of coarse string, interwoven into a stout and serviceable bullet form. It will defy any amount of wear, and as every colour imaginable is to be obtained there is ample choice available. Among the Russian peasantry, if a girl sees no prospect of obtaining a husband, she leaves heme, goes to some distant district, and, returning after a time. announces that she is o widow, that she went away to be married, and that her husband has since died No embarrassing questions are put to her, for among the people it is considered rude to men- tion a dead man to bis widow.

When Florence Townsend, a young woman, was sentenced at Hastings for refractory eon- duct in the worl-,Iious-e-t-lie sixth time this year she has been charged with his offcncoehe gave vent to many oaths. For stealing a watch, Charlee Holt, 17, was at Clerkehwell Sesisionis ordered 12 months' hard labour. It was stated that a man named ikichard Daviison, ren-teneed to fivo years' penal lierviftude for the same offence, had keen released.

CURRENT SPORT. I NAVAL PRIZB-FIGHTS. ,_f There is talk of preventing the prijee-fights between sailors representing the British and American navies. It has been arranged that the chief middle-weights of each fleet, Kirby, of H.M.S. Bedford, and Collins, of the U.S.S. Kearmge, are to -box a match ef fifteen rounds, and that other contestis between men represent- ing the various ships shall follow. Opponents assert that the laws of the State of New York forbid thft holding of the contests. Admiral Evane said he hoped the fights between all weights would be held. "If they won't let us have the fights ashore," he added, "you ciii have the Maine for the purpose any time you like." LACROSSE. The slippery state of the ground at Cambridge made accurate play difficult in the match between Cambridge University and Willoughby on Saturday. Cambridge generally had the upper hand, and Willoughby were finally beaten by 7 goals to nil. On the whole the visitors' defence was weak. Wood, Spittle, and Eldirron were the best, but the 'Varsity attacks invariably proved too good for them. Manle and Jones were in excellent form for the winners, and Scott, last year's captain, gave a fine display in goal. MADRALI AND HACKENSCHMIDT. A letter received from Antonio Purr:, Madrali's manager, states that he is surprised at Hackenschmidt's statements, as he (Pier.-i) would: point out that Hackenschmidt signed articles and posted first money to wrestle Madrali. Pierri is agreeable to postpone the match to Christmas week, but adds: "L Hackenschmidt declines to live up to his promises I will taken Madrali to every music- hall he (Ha.ckenschmidt) appears at, and ask the public to force the alleged champion to take on the Turk." "ALL BLACKS" BEAT RICHMOND. At Richmond Athletic Ground on Saturday the New Zealainders won the eighteenth match of their tour, beating Richmond Club by one coal and four tries to nothing. The New Zea- landers were without Roberts, McGregor, Smith, and Gillet. On a damp grey afternoon there was a crowd of about eight thousand strong. Rich- mond gave the Colonials a good, hard fight for- ward for nearly half an hour; but when once -the New Zealanders scored the game was virtu- ally over, though at times in the second period Richmond attacked strongly. Richmond were (beaten outside the scrummage, for though their three-quarters and halvee often got the ball they rarely made much headway. They kept a poor position, and never dreamed of running ctraigiit. In the matter of tackling they were superb, and it was to this virtue that they owed the compara- tive smallness of their opponents' score. The Richmond forwards stuck to their game to the end. The New Zealandere. were very clever out- side the scrummage. Wallace, Hunter, and Stead were tremendous in their pace, their kick- ing, and their general resource, whether in at- tack or defence. HOCKEY. The most surprising result in Saturday's hockey was Oxford University's defeat of the hitherto unbeaten Hampstead eleven by five goals to three, at Oxford. The visitors began well, and Shoveller drew first blood. Church, however, equalised soon afterwards, and at the intervals the score stood at one all. In the second half the Oxford forwards showed capital form, Butterworth, Paulton, and Church being particularly good. Cambridge University had matters all their own way against WilLesden and Harrow, at Cambridge. After leading by five to one at the interval, the 'Varsity ran out easy winners. H. A. Goodwin played a bril- liant game at centre-forward for the winners, and was responsible for no fewer than fix goals. THE COLQUHOUN SCULLS. The draw took place at the Lady Margaret on Saturday with the following re- sult Tuesday, November 14; Heat A at 2.30. r First station, R. V. Powell, Third Trinity; se- cond station, B. M. Arnold, Jesus. Heat B at 3; First station: H. E. Blackbume-Da-niell, First Trinity; second station, D. C. R. Stuart, Trinity Hall. Wednesday Final heat: First station, winner of Heat A; second station, winner of Heat B. SATURDAY'S FOOTBALL. There were some remarkable results in the First League on Saturday. Newcastle Uni,te,d gained the biggest success of the day in bea.ting Wolverhampton Wanderers by 8-0, while Derby County, Manchester City, and Liverpool each won bv 5-1, and Sheffield United deftsated Bury by 5—2. Bristol Rovers created the surprise in the Southern League on Saturday in defeating Southampton by 5 goals to 1. Tottenham Hot- spur lost to Miliwall by 2-1, and Fulham played a drawn game with Watford. GOHEN WINS. At Wonderland, on Monday, "Pedlar" Palmer was knocked out by Cockney Cohen in the sixth round of a contest, that was intended to last for twenty two minute rounds. The meeting was the second. On the first occasion Palmer won, and Cohen exprelSBOO dissatisfac- tion at the result, attributing his defeat to nervousness. After both men had felt warily for an opening during three rounds they com- menced to box in great earnest until in the sixth Palmer, who was doing a lot of his boxing on the ropes, went there once too often, and Cohen, pinning his man, landed1 a short-arm jolt on the jaw. Palmer clutched his opponent round the neck, and fell on his knees. As Palmer fell Cohen delivered a stomach blow. Palmer rolled over, and being unable to rise in the ten seconds was counted out. ARMY FOOTBALL CUP. The Army Football Association committee met on Monday at Wellington Barracks, and drew the second round for the Cup. Captain Simpson presided. Among the best games are R. A. (Bordon) v. 1st Coldstreams; 1st Scots Guards v. 20th Brigade R.F.A,. or 1st Grenadiers; 2nd Bedfordshire v. Army Service Corps; 1st North Staffordshire Regiment v. let Yorkshire Regiment; 1st Arervll and Suther- land Highlanders v. 2nd Oxford-shire Regiment: 2nd Coldstreams v. 2nd Grenadiere; 2nd Scots v. Guards Depot. December 9 is the day appointed for the completion of the round. The Black Watch have been ruled out of the com- petition. AMATEUR ATHLETICS. The amateur athletic championships are next year due to be held in the Midlands, but there is no ground in the neighbourhood of Birming- ham with a. suitable cinder track. The Cam- bridge Athletic Club have offered to run the meeting, and they hold out, hopes of being able to get the free use of famous Fenner's. The en- closure is an ideal one, but. much will depend upon whether the undergraduates are in resi- dence on the firet Saturday in July, the date on which the meeting is always held. r MONDAY'S FATBALL. Swansea, defeated London Welsh at Queen's Club by thirteen points to none. In the Western League competition Plymouth Argvle drew at Fulham, and Brentford beat the "Hotspur at Tottenham. Aston Villa, by beating Stoke at Stoke, assume top position in the, First League. SKATING. The speed skating championship of Europe is to take place at Davos Platz this winter, the speed championship of the world at Helsingfore. and the figure championships of Europe and the world at Berlin and Copenhagen respectively.

LITERARY CHAT. I "The Heritage," a poem by Mr. Rudvardf Kipling in the vein of his famous Recessional." is to appear in a book which Mr. Murray an- nounces. This is a study of The Empire and the Century," written by a gronp of distinguished men, and edited by Mr. C. S. Goldman. Some of the friends of Mr. H. G. Wells think that perhaps his best work is contained in his new story, "Kipps," which Messrs. Macmillan have just published. Kipps, the hero, is a draper's apprentice who comes early into a fortune, and the story describes his struggles after a larger, fuller life. Material for the official and authorised life of Lord Leighton is now being prepared by Mrs. Russell Barrington. The work will be based on his diaries and letters, but the use of other papers and correspondence is desired. They should be sent to Mr. George Allen, at Ruskin House. Charing Cross-road, who will duly return them. Mr. Unwin has recently made public the result of his novel competition, of which, it will be remembered, the first announcement was made about a year ago. The main conditions were that anyone was eligible to compete who had never had a novel published; that Mr. Unwin was sole and absolute judge, and that the author of the winning novel should receive a prize of £100. In response to this invitation a large number of authors submitted novels, &mounting in the aggre- gate to 20,000,000 words, a pile of MS. which it needed Herculean labour to sift, especially as it was desirable to do so with as little delay as possible. The men and women writers—as far as can be ascertained—almost exactly balanced in numbers. 11 Scribner's Magazine" for November is a capital number. Theodore Roosevelt's Big Wolf Hunt" may be said to be the piece de resistance of the issue .whichalso includes the first instalment of a new serial story, The Tides of Barnegat," by F. Hopkinson Smith. This magazine, which is published in London by William Heinemann, will continue to maintain its high reputation so long as the quality of the November number is main- tained. Messrs. Hodden and Stoughton, 27, Paternoster- row, E.C., have just published another delightful romance from the pen of Mrs. L. T. Meade. Loveday" is the story of an heiress told in the author's best style. Mrs. Maade is as fresh as ever, and her many admirers will have no reason yet to bewail the loss of her peculiar charm. Some choice and useful little handbooks have been published by George Routledge and Sons, London, in handy form and beautifully bound- Those before us include a corcise dictionary of general biography, under the title Who Was He ? From this book we can get to know all one wants to know at the moment of any prominent personage, whether living or dead. Information equally valuable can be obtained from "Who Wrote That ? which gives well-known quotations from prose authors, while a third, under the same title, gives selections from the poets. Another gives the memorable utterances of kings, states- men. soldiers, &c., in alphabetical order. As books of reference for the reader we have never seen anything handier. The Man f rom America," by Mrs. Henry De la Pasture (London; Smith, Elder and Co. Price 6s.). Mrs. De la Pasture calls her new novel a sen- timental comedy," and that is perhaps as good a title as could be applied to it, for sentiment and comedy make up about equal parts of the story. "The Man from Ameiica" does not play so large a part in the plot as a certain frivolous old Franco- Irishman named Patrick O'Reilly, otherwise the Viseomte de Nauroy, who, after fighting the battles of France, returns to a pleasant spot in Devon wherein to spend the remaining years of his life. The old warrior is a charming character, and is most happily portrayed by the author. The other dramatis personm of the plot are convincingly delineated, and altogether the book is a very read- able one. In the writer of the winning novel, Mr. Unwin is confident that he has discovered a new novelist of distinct promise. This writer is a lady, Mrs. Baillie-Saunders, and Mr. Unwin has just pub- lished her book entitled" Saints in Society." Mrs. Baillie-Saunders is the wife of the Rev. F. Baillie- Saunders, Chaplain of Marylebone Old Parish Chapel, and before her marriage was for a time occupied with journalism in connection with The Lady." She is the author of a monograph on Dickens, and is particularly interested in social problems as existing in London, some phases of which are touched in her book. The story deals with the results of sudden success on two characters—those of a man and a woman. The working out of the plot brings the hero (a young printer and Christian Socialist) and his wife from a Walworth back street tc wealth, power, title, and social success; both are flattered, courted, and made much of by the great world, and both in turn meet with a perilous kindred soul" in that world's ranks. There are many subsidiary characters in the book, but the ambitions, the rapid rise, and the respective triumphs of Mark Hading and his wife, make a novel full of human interest and vivid character study. Mr. Edward Arnold (London: 41 and 43, Maddox-street, W.) has issued two further books of the Wallet series. u The Management of Babies," by Mrs. Leonard Hill, and Common Ailments and their Treatment," by M. H. Taylor, M.B., B.S. Both are admirable additions to the literature of the household-that increasing source of information that is beooming almost indispen- sable in a well-regulated domestic circle that is blessed by the presence of children. Much of Mrs. Hill's book is devoted to the popular feeding of babies-a subject about which there is a lamentable amount of ignorance in thousands of homes, especially among the poor. Dr. Naylor expresses the purpose of his book in one sentence in the preface. He has attempted to deal with ailments and accidents from the point of view of the person with no special knowledge, who yet has to face and cope with a difficulty pending the arrival of skilled help. "Old Beliefs and New Knowledge" (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 39, Paternoster-row. E.C.) Is a book for the times, when the faith of many is f seriously undermined by the fear that modern thought is out of sympathy with the theology in which we have been brought up. To the timorous souls who think that the old faith may possibly be undermined, Mr. Drawbridge's book will be read with profit. His object appears to be that there is no necessity for divorce between what wo believe and what we know. The Christmas Book of Carols and Songs (London: George Routledg*; and Sons). Mr. W. S. W. Anson, the editor of this beauti- fully-produced Christmas book, has done exceed- ingly well here. His choice of carols and songa leaves little, if anything, to bi desired, while the dozen coloured photos by Alan Wright and Vernon Stokes make the book still more valuable. We can scarcely imagine a more delightful Christmas gift. Parables From Natnre," by Mrs. Gatty (London George Routledge and Sons, Ltd.). This is a fascinating volume, issued as a member of Routledge's New Universal Library, and is worthy to be placed in that illustrious catalogue of names and books. The valuable lessons from Nature and the moral influence of the book com- bine to render the work a very desirable gift to the younger minds of the present generation. "Dick Pentreath," by Katharine Tynan, (London: Smith, Elder ahd Co., 15, Waterloo-place). Miss Tynan is a prolific author but it is clear from this latest work of hers that her powers are far from being on the wane. Dick Pentreath is an altogether delightful novel, its characters are natural and life-like, the plot is cleverly evolved, and the story is told with an easy fluency that reminds one of Thackeray or Anthony Trol- lope. At a time when so many books are published dealing with so many morbid subjects and un- wholesome phases of human life, it is a pleasure to come across a healthy, breezy novel such as this, which seems to exhale the pure fresh fra- grance of country hay-fields and flower gardenB.

H011K WATS. Never neglect small repairs—a stitch in time eaves not only nine, but 90! Don't let buttons hang by their last thread, darn small holes, never wear dirty or tumbled lace, brush off mud and bind frayed skirts. Ink stains on linen should be soaked out in milk, and the sooner this is done the better, for. though wet ink comes out readily, it takes a good deal of soaking to move it if it has been allowed to dry in. After washing silk lace should be allowed to lie for half an hour in a little warm milk. to which » very little gum water has been added. Then squeeze nearly dry and iron on the wrong side on a board covered with several thicknesses of clean flannel. To keep butter fill a bowl with cold water. Put the butter on a plate and put on top of the bowl; then take a piece of butter muslin and put over the butter, and let both ends drop into the water. You can easily get the butter for use, and you will find it quite solid and cool. Silk blouses retain their freshness much longer when the sleeves are stuffed with tissue paper before putting them away (this is an excellent plan for dress sleeves as well), and boots last twice as long if they are put on "trees" when taken off. The shape is kept and the leather doesn't crinkle. Boot trees are so inexpensive nowadays that they can be indulged in by girls with quite moderate dress allowances. The Japs excel in cooking rice, and their method is Exceedingly simple. Put one cup of rice, which has been thoroughly washed, over the fire with five of fast boiling water. Add salt, and when it has boiled fast for 15 minutes set the saucepan un- covered in a moderate oven. In 15 minutes the water will have completely evaporated, and every grain be distinct and fluffy. Not a grain will stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Rice cooked this way is a revelation. Hermit's kisses.—Beat together 4oz. of butter, tt>z. of powdered sugar, two eggs, two teaspoonful s if milk, and 10 drops of vanilla essence. Gradu- ally sift in lOoz. of flour in which a teaspoonful of baking powder has been mixed. Work together, then dip out the dough by teaspoonfuls, and drop on a buttered tin. Sprinkle with sugar, ana bake for 10 minutes. Lobster sandwiches.—Take the meat of one Small lobster, one small potato, two ounces of butter, and one tablespoonful of whipped cream. Put the lobster, butter, and tomato into a mortar, And pound until quite smooth. Pass, the mixture through a hair sieve, and season with a few drops of lemon juice, pepper, salt, and a pinch of mace Lastly, add the whipped cream and spread between thin slices of bread and butter. Salmon sanawicbes.-r-ound sorra boiled or canned salmon in a mortar, and pass it through a sieve. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Mix to a fairly thick paste with stiff mayonnaise sauce. Spread white bread with the salmon mixture, and scatter over it pickled beans 0' cucumbers which have been cut into small pieces Serve with parsley garnish. Frozen rice puclcling.-Make a poor man's pud- ding by cooking slowly in the oven for two hours one quart of milk and two even teaspoonfuls of rice with lOoz. of sugar. When cool flavour with vanilla; remove all traces of crust and freeze. Banana custard.—Make a cup custard with one quart of milk, six eggs and 12oz. of sugar; strain and add the pulp of six bananas pressed through a sieve, and when cool freeze. Mock ice cream.—Soak for 15 minutes two tea- spoonfuls of gelatin in half a pint of milk; whip a pint of cream sweetened with half a cupful of powdered sugar and season with four tablespoon- fuls of Madeira wine and half a teaspoonful of bitter almond extract; dissolve the gelatin over the tea-kettle, then strain it into the whipped cream; stir until the mixture begins to thicken; turn into a mould, and set on ice until hard take out of the mould and sprinkle thickly with pista- chio nuts chopped fine garnish with candied violets or rose leaves. 4., Creamed sausage—Cut into short lengths any pieces of cold cooked sausages. If the supplv is limited each piece may be split in the middle, making twice as many pieces as though they were left round in shape. Make a drawn butter sauce by blending together one tablespoon butter with one spoonful and a half of flour, and pour over the mixture one and one-half cups boiling milk. Throw the bits of sausage into this, beat all up together over the fire, taking care not to break or crumble the sausage, and serve hot with baked potato. Light Biscuit Sandwiches.—No refreshment is more dainty than a light biscuit sandwich, and the following is a most desirable recipe: Put a quarter of a pound of flour, which has been dried and sifted, into a basin. Season With salt and pepper and rub two ounces of butter. Then mix to a paste with the yolk of an egg and a little cold water. Turn the paste on to a floured board and roll it out so that it is very thin. Then cut out with a round cutter. Prick the biscuits to prevent them blistering, and bake in a moderately quick oven until they are a pale fawn colour. A few minutes before they are ready brush the tops over quickly with some white of an egg to give them a glazed appearance. The biscuits may be made thn and two utilised for each sandwich, or a thicker biscuit may be split to admit the filling. Chicken 5, la creole.—To cook chicken a la Creole select a tender young chicken, cut it into the usual friccasee pieces, roll it in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper and fry it in fat until it is brown and tender. Keep the chicken hot whi!e the sauce is making. For the sauce, frv a,minced slice of onion in two tablespoonfuls of butter and stir in a tablespoonful of flour. When all are. nicely browned add one of the Spanish red peppers which come in cans (they are known as pimentos), two cupfuls of tomatoes, a bit of bay leaf nnda plcce of thyme. Stir until the sauce thickens; Then odd the chicken and simmer very slowly for a few minutes. Apple Roll.—Make a crust by placing in a large "bowl two cups of flour, measured before it is sifted. Add to the flour two teaspoonfuls of baking powder and a pinch of salt. Mix a piece of butter the size of an egg with the dry ingredients, rubbing them together with the fingers until the butter is thoroughly mixed with the flour. Moisten with one eup of milk, and make it into a smooth dough. Place it on the moulding board, and roll it out to the thickness of one-quarter of an inch. Spread tvi*> ffaftlespoonfnls of butter on the dough, and spMnMe with a. small cupful of sugar. Meanwhile, have tart apples chopped fine and spread them thickly ovcir the sugar. It will require about half a dozen eupfuia. Flavour with a little cinnamon or mace. Roll the dough up as you would a Jlly roll, and with a, sharp knife cut it into small pieces lfin. thick. Place them upright in a buttered baking pan leaving 8paoe between them so that all sides will brown. Bake in a moderate oven for half an hour, and serve with the following sauce Sauce-Gradually stir one gill of water into a tablespoonful of cornstarch. Put into a dish over If cups of Water When it is boiling add the starch mixture and let it cook three minutes- then efcr m one cup of sugar and the juice and rind of one lemon. When the sauce is again boiling slowtv turn it over two well-beaten eggs, stirring all th while. Return to the fire long enough to heat and serve. Peaches with sherry. Select largo luscious peaches. Place peach or other leaves on a glass dish with a glass nappie by it containing cherry syrup. The peaches are to be peared and cut in sections, and dipped into the syrup from the points of silver toothpicks or dropped into the syrup and "den with a spoon. To make the cherry syrup put a pound of best lump sugar and one dozen ptiaeh seeds in a glass jar, cover an inch deep with £ ood sherry and set in the sun, stirring aceosisa- an* iintil the sugar disgolves.

SHOCKING VILLAGE TRAGEDY. FAMILY FOUND DEAD. Getting no answer to his knock at the door of a labourer's house abHeslington Village, near York, on Monday, an insurance agent opened the window of the front room, but seeing the labourer's wife, Mrs. Pinkney, lying on the floor, he called a constable. Entering the house by the window, a terrible spectani*. met their gaze. Mrs. Pinkney had A)nB. abild clasped in her arms, ■while near by lay a little girl in a pool of blood, and ail were apparently dead. Mr. Pinkney was found lying behind with his head nearly severed from his body, and a razor lay near by. On going upstairs a little boy was found lying across the bed with terrible wounds on his head, while on the floor near the hearth lay another little girl with her head battered in. Not far away lay a bloodstained hatchet. Three children were dead, but the child in the mother's arms was alive, and was subsequently conveyed to York County Hospital. The mother was also alive when first found, but died a few minutes afterwards.

KILLED BY A TREE. DOUBLE TRAGEDY NEAR BIRMINGHAM. A sad accident happened near Birmingham on Monday, resulting in the instantaneous death of two ladies. M'ies Ediith Roberts, aged twenty- nine, and Mies Dorothy Roberts, aged thirteen, two daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, of RaGe- hill, Rednal, were driving from the Lickeys to Rednal along the South-road, Northfield, in a governess cart, when a large beech tree, whieh was very much decayed, suddenly fell acrosB the road, striking both ladies and killing them on the epot. A gardener found that the trap had been crushed flait, while the elder lady's head had been smashed. Her younger sister had ap- parently had her neck broken. The pony was still standing attached to the broken trap, being quite uninjured, while railed up in a shawl on the lap of the younger lady was a little dog, which was also unhurt.

ANCIENT LOVE LETTER. I While carrying out restoration work at the ancient parish church of St. Pierre at Montmartre, Paris, the architect has discovered a love-letter 700 years old in a niche of one of the bottom stones of the first pillar on the north side of the church. The letter is written on parchment in Gothic characters. With it were a withered branch of box- wood and a piece of enamelled glass. It has been deciphered with some difficulty, and the following is the modern translation: "Jean, of tiisorn. pays respectful greeting to Mistress Alice de Lisle, as the lady in the wide world whom he most does love, although he has no right to give expression to these sentiments. And know in truth that he loves you as his own sister, and you can confido in him as to your own brother concerning the love you bear to Philippe and the love he bears you and know that this letter is written on the ramparts in the breach, and that he writes it. Though he worships you he has never received the alightest favour from you. He swears it before God. May God guard you." It is to be placed in the Paris Museum, and was probably written in the 13th century by a knight who was defending the ramparts, and who, when his life was in danger, was desirous of giving written attestation to a lady about whom there had evidently been some defamation in connection with himself.

AFTER THE WAR. I The Japanese Mail Steamship Company, Limited, having contracted to convey home the Japanese soldiers now prisoners of war in Russia, have char- tered two Liverpool liners to assist in the work. These are the Cambroman, 5672 tons, and the Vancouver, 5232 tons, both belonging to the Dominion Line. The vessels are now being fitted up as troopships in the Birkenhead Docks. The Japanese officers and men in Russia. are said to number about two thousand, and they will embark at a German port and be conveyed to Japan by way of the Suez Canal. The St. Petersburg cor- respondent of the Paris Temps telegraphs that the Russian Admiralty has decided to maintain at Vladivostock for the present only two cruisers of small size and armament and the division of 16 torpedo craft at present anchored at that port. The other Russian warships now in Far Eastern waters will be concentrated at Saigon, whence they will proceed to Europe in two divisions, not, how- ever, together. It is not proposed to increase the Far Eastern fleet for two years at least.

The Hamburg-American liner Graf Walder- see, eaysa; Lloyd's telegram from New York, grounded on the Red Hook Flats. Travelling between Darlington and Richmond on Sunday night, a Government mail motor-car skidded and overturned, the driver sustaining two fractured ribs. 1 0