SCIENTIFIC NOTES.

M. Favjs in a paper read before tho Academy ■of Sciences, Paris, on July 2nd, regarding "t,he tornadoes which swept over Kansas -on May 30, 1879, maintains that these meteorological phenomena, like other storms and hurricanes, are due to whirl winds, descending with vertical axes, and originating, not in the lower atmospheric strata, butintheuppercurrents, thedirection of which may bequitedifferentfrom the light winds which previously prevailed near tho surface of the earth and quite independent of them. This is a description in "Le Gonie Civil " of July Ist of a floating grain eleva tor : " The structure was made at Bordeaux and placed in the harbour to unload tho vessels arriving with cargoes of grain. It contains apparatus for weighing, cleaning, and sacking the grain. From the ship'» hold it can unload, weigh, clean, weigh again, put into sucks, and reload into trucks 150 tons of grain per "hour. The elevator is mounted on a barge, which is propelled by a screw worked by a compound surface-con densing steam engine that furnishes the motive power for all these operations. Professor G. Sormar.i has been examin ing the death-rate of children during the first and second years of their lives in the various provinces of Italy. During the ten years ending ISSO the average rate in the first year was 214.9 per 1,000, and in the second 114.6 per 1,000. Compared with the rest of Europe, these figures show that Italy occupies the lowest position on the scale, the death-rate being in excess even of either that of Croatia or Slavonia, 107.4, and of Russia, 102.7. In the gen eral comparative table, Ireland, notwith standing all that hat; been said about her ■distress, stands first, 34.5., while England occupies a medium position, with an over age rate of mortality of 59.1 per 1,000. Some recent improvements in gas engines are thought to secure more perfect as well as more economical working. The con struction of the cylinders and pistons, according to this plan, is such as to separate ■the part of the former in which the explosion 4akcs place from that in which the piston ■works. Zinc buckets are in such common use in this colony that the following fact should be made a note of: —It is ascertained by Limarck, the well-known German chemist, that water kept in zinc vessels dissolves zinc in proportion to the time it remains in contact with the metallic surface, and to the amount of chlorides—common salt, &c. -—contained in tho water : boiling, too, not only is found not to precipitate the zinc from such a solution, but even augments the sol vent power of the latter. Water containing zinc, and boiled in a zinc vessel to precipi tate it, would, in fact, actually absorb more zinc, and precipitate none. The amount of metal in one instancn—the water having been kept for a considerable time in a zinc reservoir—was found to be as high as 1.0104 grams to tho litre, or nearly fifteen grains to the qjjart. A3 a smaller quantity even than this would be very injurious if tho water were used for drinking or cooking, the security which presents itself consists in coating such reservoirs with good oil paint, containing not litharge, white lead, or zinc white, but iron ochre or asphaltum. In an nrti<:!e on iron plates, the London " Times" oalle attention to the advantages which have attended the construction of cylindrical boilers by putting the plates in their strongest direction round the boiler— that is, so that the transverse pressure, which is always the greatest, has the strongest direction of the plates. It is seldom found that boilers give in their longest direction. And a cylindrical boiler is calculated to have about double the strength in that direction to what it has transversely under a given uniform pressure of steam. The circular or cylindrical form of boiler, being thus the strongest, has superseded the rectangular form with flat surfaces. That such a form is the best for resisting uniform pressure is easily understood. As to the kind of metal preferable, the relative strengths of iron and steel are found to he iron, 50,000 pounds ; steel, 90,000 pounds. The new telescope at I'rinceton is said to give very satisfactory results. The diameter of tho object glass is twenty-three inches, and the focal longth nearly thirty feet. The lenses which compose the object glass are separated by a space of nearly seven inches, allowing a free circulation of air between them, and securing a rapid equalisation of temperature. This construction also pre vents tho appearances, or irregularities, formed by reflections between the lonses, which are very troublesome in home large instruments. The principal specialty to which it will for Borne time be applied is that of spectroscopic observations of the stars. The spectroscope, which is of tho direct vision form, is much larger and more powerful than anything ever before employed in this kind of work, being nearly six feot long, and admits through the prisms a beam two and one-fourth inches ie diameter. A four-horse power gas engine works the dome and shutters, and also 'drives a dynamo machine which furnishes a powerful current for the purposes of illumi na?s in and for producing spectra.

A Negro Proacher on Scientific Scepticism.

Rev. James M. Ludlow, D.D., has con tributed an interesting report to the New York " Independent" of a sermon delivered by the coloured divine, Rev. John Jasper, in which his peculiar views on the form of the earth and the nature of the solar system are thus set forth : The discussion proper consisted chiefly of comments on passages of Scripture, such -as the following: '"From the rising of the sun unto tie going down of the same the Lord's name is to bo praised.' But if somebody says do sun don't rise an' go down, he robs de Lor' ■ob his praise, like all dis yer blasphemin' science. " * The sun hasteth to his place where he arose ;' but wat a fool to t'ir.k de sun could "be a hurryin' up to got ready to rise if de mn couldn't move ! "'The sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.' If de sun didn t move, poor Hezekiah would nebber got well, an' had no more hope in de name ob de Lor' dan dese modern scientifik ing fellows, whatarcgoin'tobe sunk deeper ■dan de Jehovah-fat Valley fur dar awful lyin." Brother Jasper's indignation was espe cially fiery against such men as " dat yar Mister Copper-nicus and Mr Snewtons, what tells us dat do arth am roun' an' a flotin' on nuffin, when de Bible says its got foundations. Guess I'ze bin as near the bottom ob do arth as any ob dem folkses : seben hunner and fifty feet in a mine shaft ■an' gib my word ob honor, dar was no sign ob gittin' through it; not a wink of day light from do udder side. O, de irreb'rince ob sayin' de arth am roun' when de Lor' say in the Reberiation dar am four angels a-stannin' on de four corners ob de arth a holdin' on to de four winds ! Dese scienti fiking men can lie so as to make black white ; but dey can't make what's got four corners onto it roun' ; dey can't make square de circle in dis yer respeck." Another modern falsehood which the learned orator was able to disprove with equal ease and thoroughness was that of the

sun's vast distance. *'I saw de biggest balloon what ebber -went up in old Varginny ; biggern a house ; an' she rose an' rose till she was no biggern a pea, an" yet she was only a mile an' an half or bo off. Now de sun looks a mighty sight biggern dat, an' you don't catch dis chile believin' dat it's 90,000,000 miles off I"

FASCINATED BY THE RAPIDS.

A Mania to Swim tne Niagara Torrent and Whirlpool. Niagara Falls, N. V., Aug. 18.—There is a regular mania—suicidal, some say—of men who have a desire to swim the whirlpool rapids, and even the apparently quiet mael strom itself. After brave Captain Webb's fatal attempt to buffet the torrent, the first imitator to appear here was "Dr." W. C. Richardson, of Washington. He ap peared at the International Hotel on Monday, Aug. 13, and asked for a room. He did not register. Soon after ward he returned and confined the fact to Jack Rogers, the clerk, that he should "go over the falls in a rubber balloon and swim through the whirlpool rapids, dive under the whirlpool and come up at Lewiston. Mr Rogers laughed at him. Richardson went out and indulged in some more con viviality, which he seemed to enjoy more than the scenery. On his return he said : "I've seen the rapids, and (hie) I'll swim them np stream." He was then requested to register, and he tried to do so. He was conducted to his room, but he left on the first train in the morning and has not been heard from since.

Captain Paul Boynton was hero a year ago, and it was reported that he, too, "had been seized with the fever, but it is not so. After looking at the tumult of water he said : "No living man can pass through that torrent." Bubo, the English swimmer, who is said to be a better natationist than Captain Webb, has threatened to try to swim through the rapids, but it iB thought here that he simply says so for the sake of notoriety. W. S. Camp, of Lockport, made a very safe proposition. He said that if any party would take a boat and go down the rapids, and stake out a good, safe course, he would swim over it for ?1,000,000. Joseph Raven, another Lock port man, says that he will swim the rapids if somebody will raise a purse for him, to be given to his mother in case he meets with no better success than did Captain Webb. He claims to be familiar with the water. James Scott, of Suspension Bridge, threatened to emulate Webb until an un kind citizen said: "We wish you would; the community would be better off without you." Mcßride, the Buffalo badgeman, was going to swim the whirlpool with the help of a Dalloon on Sunday last, but he did not try it. James Duck, of Montreal, wrote to thepro prietors of a hotel here, saying that as he e'Wnmthe Lachine rapids, he thought he could safely pass through the whirlpool rapids. As a reward for his devotion to prospective suicide, he wanted $500, but neither it nor the man was forthcoming. Capt. Rhodes.of Salamanca,visited the falls this week. Going down the Canadian in clined railway to the water's edge, the ?uartet looked at the turbulent stream, t was evident that Captain Webb had a desperate fight for life, and that his death struggle should be a warming to all adventurous persons, that he whe undertakes to stem the torrent Is simply committing suicide. Great waves were thrown twelve feet into the air, break ing into masses of foam. There was such rapidity to the ever-changing surface of tha water that it seemed utterly impossible for mortal man to live more than a few minutes in the current. The correspondent turned to Captain Rhodes and said; "If you enter that water you will be committing suicide." " Why, I can play with those waters," he said. " You will have plenty of water to play with," said a bystander. Rhodes pointed out a spot opposite the American side elevator and said, " That is where Webb lost his life. He got a few drops of water in his lungs, coughed, and lost control of himself with the surf dashing in his face. The shock killed him then." Walking further down, Rhodes pointed out a sort of alcove on the American shore, beyond the first curve of the river, where in quiet water he could make a landing. Some of the tumult, he thought, was caused by sunken rocks, but so far below the surface as not to be dangerous. He studied the currents and sought to map out a course. His coolness was exasperating. At the whirlpool he watched a log which had escaped the eddies, and said he could even swim the pool successfully, although before that he had said that the maelstrom would engulf all the armours in the world. He thought he might swim down to Lewiston. Rhodes is at the International Hotel, and will stay until he makes the attempt. Monday he will send through a weighted suit of armour as an experi ment. Magistrate Hill, of Niagara Falls, Ont., repeats that Rhodes shall not start from the Canadian shore. Chief of Police Canfield here told the writer that he should arrest Rhodes as a lunatic if he tried to enter the water. " What will you do if he gets into the water before you can prevent him ?" was asked. "I'll not swim after him," said the officer. Suspension Bridge, therefore, is the only place from which the Captain can start. There are two police forces there — a day force and a night force. The day force i« James Madigan. He said: "Will 1 stop Rhodes? No, sir. If he is such a big fool, I will help him put his armour on. The night force, whose name is Jacob Pfeister, said he would not bother his head about Rhode 3. Capt. Rhodes and Herman Burkhardt, a Buffalo swimmer, swam five miles on tho Niagara River with the current this after noon. Rhodes's time was 37i minutes. Burkhardt was then 200 yards ahead and swam five minutes longer. The perform ance was good. Rhodes was sick before he entered the ;vater, vomiting freely. Capt. Rhodes, in an interview to-day, stated that he would surely swim the rapids, but would not give the date. He said that no one except his wife and brother should know the date when the attempt would be made. He added that his main object was to obtain the Government prize of .?50,000; and that, if successful in the attempt, he would build a monument to Capt. Webb's memory to cost 55,000, and give an equal amount to Capt. W ebb's widow.

" You are sad to-night, my darling Ange lina, " he said, as he Btrove to twist a hair of a struggling moustache, which made its first appearance this spring. "You are sad. What troubles my darling? Has your father played policy too often? Has the old man—" " Oh, no," she exclaimed, " the old man is all right, but Claude, dar ing, I have visited every dry goods store in town, and I cannot purchase a dress foi> myself to match the colour of my dog." There was a dull thud, and Claude lay on the carpet lifeless. Such a blow as that was too much.

GREAT DIAMOND ROBBERY.

— , «. Flue Million Franco WorUl ot Diamonds Stolen. Is March, 1850, there arrived at Constanti nople, by the Austrian Lloyd's steamer Vorwarts, a nobleman styling himself Count Steffano Perragi. He took a suite of rooms at Mesirie's fashionable hotel, in Pera, and, by his lavish style of living, soon became the centre of attraction. He said that he was a colonel of the Austrian Imperial Guards, and a member of the Diet. He had come to Turkey on private Govern ment affairs, and was furnished with numerous introdiv dons to thej different foreign ambassador ; and merchant princes. A month after his arrival he headed a subscription list with the sum of five thou sand piastres, in aid of "Madame Sophie Cartenagg, the widow of the late Monsieur Cartenagg, formerly banker of Berlin, who, by the sudden death of her husband, found herself in a strange land, with her three young children, destitute of all support." In some such manner ran the heading of the list. Count Perragi humanely took upon him self the task of soliciting subscriptions, and, incredible as it may seem, collected the sum of five thousand pounds in twenty days. One morning Perragi suddenly disap peared. Suspicions having arisen, the police authorities were instructed to find out Madame Cartenagg. But, alas for human credulity) the police swore by the bear of Mahomed that Madame was a myth, and the Crescent City knew hor not. Done, by Jove ! Done to the tune of five thousand pounds ! Thus ends the first act in this strange drama. Now for the second act. Not far from the Cafe de Paris stands the shop of MM. Degranti Brothers, diamond brokers to His Imperial Majesty the Sultan. Opposite to this extensive depot of precious stones stood the pharmacy of Doctor Jacob A ralpa?e. Five minutes' walk from these two establishments stands the Hotelde l'Europe. In the latter place, Madame Estelle Deorest and her sickly son Albert had hired a magnificent suite of rooms for the winter. She was a quiet, melancholy sort of lady, of about thirty. All her thoughts seemed centred in her boy. But, oh ! how surpass ingly lovely she was ! They say that the waiters at the "Europe" made quite a hand some thing out of her by allowing sundry "sparks" to peep at Madame through the keyhole as she sat in her elegant morning costume at breakfast. She paid all her bills regularly, saw no visitors, and received no letters. So much for Madame. M. Degranti, junior (the jeweller), was a rather fast young fellow, very rich, and very fond of horses. The elder brother at this time was absent in Paris. Doctor Jacob Valpass was a man of thirty two, and considered very clever. His father had left him some considerable property, but, as he was passionately devoted to his profession, he still continued in practice. We have now sufficiently described the four principal actors in the drama. It was after ten o'clock one night, and Doctor Valpass sat in his study. A person requested to see him. A tall, deeply-veiled lady entered. Dr. Valpass politely offered her a chair, and asked her the nature of her business. With a deep sigh, she threw back her veil, and the doctor's weaker human half surveyed that dazzling beauty in bewilderment. She told her story in a quiet, brief man ner. She had an only son, on whom she doted passionately. He was subject to fits of monomania. And, most extraordinary as it might seem, his desires lay in tho fact that nothing but diamonds placed about him would satisfy his cravings. She had consulted the best medical men in Europe, and they prescribed change of scene. She had travelled a great deal, but without any salutary effect upon her boy. She had been advised to consult Dr.'Valpass, and as her son had just recovered from one of these periodical fits, she earnestly requested him to visit her at the Hotel de l'Europe. Doctor Valpass took charge of this curious case, and soon became very intimate with Madame Deorest. To be brief, poor Valpass fell deeply in love, and a month after their acquaintance he proposed to her and was accepted. Thus stood matters in December, ISSI, and so closes the second act. The last scene opens on the 4th of January, 1852. Doctor Valpass was putting on his gloves preparatory to entering his carriage, when he saw his affianced bride rushing madly towards him. He ran out and met her. " What is the matter, Estelle ?" "Oh, he is worse! Oh, come to him! come to him !" cried the frantic mother. "One moment; step into the carriage, I will be with you immediately." He crossed over to the establishment of MM. Degranti. **Let me have that diamond r.eoklace, these bracelets, this brooch, and these rings. Quick, Degranti! lamina hurry. I only want them for an hour." "But, doctor, the3e arc worth millions, and-—■ —" returned the jeweller, rather at a loss what to do. "Give me pen, ink, and paper. Here is my note of hand for the articles. How much are they worth!" "At a rough calculation, five millions of francs." " Very well; here they are. Jyow quick, the articles !" Ten minutes after, thedoctorand Madame reached thehotel.andfound Albert in thearms of two domestics. The medical man took charge of the yelling boy, and dismissed the servants. He drew forth his treasures, and placed them abo*£ the boy. It was wonderful! The boy danced with glee, clapped his hands, and gradually became pacified. He then slowly left the room with downcast head. The enraptured mother flung herself into the arms of her saviour, and with tears in her bountiful eyes thanked him from her heart. Then followed one long, delicious kiss, and the doctor was in the seventh heaven of happiness ! Madame excused herself for a moment, and left Valpass. Half-an-hour elapsed ; an hour ; then the doctor became fidgety. He approached the door ;it was locked. For another hour did the doctor remain quietly in the room ; then a suspicion flashed like lightning across his brain. He thundered at "the door, the ser vants came running up, the door was forced open, Madame's sleeping room visited ; but lo ! the birds had flown ! Two yeais after Valpas3 received the following note: "I thank you for all your kindness ; and more so, because you were the victim. Kisses are dear : yet, the only one that ever I sold brought a fair price. It took us nearly two years to mature our plans. How well we had calculated on all thines is manifest by our ultimate success. My husband, Count Steffano Perragi, desires to be re membered to all his dear friends at Con stantinople, and hopes that this second sur prise may be of some value to them. Your diamonds brought me five millions of francs. Adieu." There was no signature or date. And this was the last of the "diamond robbery." The thieves were never captured,

FOR THE LADIES.

(;.;\ [Compiled by our London Cobresfoxdent Ip rooms are to be lighted by electricity . adies will have to alter their mode of mak ing UP their faces. Thi« new light show shows up the paint and the whitning terribly. Some otherwise pretty girls who wore •» 'andering about in maiden mcdi tatfon, mort" or less fancy free, at the Fisheries Fete were ghastly objects. The rouge on their cheeks, the white on their fore-beads, the bla.ck round tfceir eyes, and the pomade on their lips, which would not have been perceptible by candle or gas light, stood' out in awful prominence. At the Marlborough House garden party a white cambric worn with indigo-blu-© rib bons looked well. A white dress with yellow ribbons and yellow aigrette in thobon net was fresk and becoming. Grey gowns abounded. It is a pity that wrong shades of this pleasant colour should be worn fe> gether. Only too many people seem to fancy that so long ns gloves, dress, bonnet, parasol, and ribbons are grey, it matters nothing if each represents a different shade. A bonnet of grey pVush and silver was very much admired, and was exceedingly pretty. There was one lady there who was ex ceedingly noticeable — Lady Archibald Campbell, who wore a divided skirt and high-heeled red boots.. This is the first time such a dress has been seen at any "swell" party, and we should think it would be the last, for anything more ugly or awkward it wonld be impossible °to imagine. The curious hold superstition- has on the mind of the Japanese is very well illustrated by the proceedings taken by a Japanese damsel when a lover proves false to his vows. When the world is at rest, at two o'clock in the morning, the woman rises. She dons a white robe and high sandals or clogs. Her coif is a metal tripod, in which are thrust three lighted candles ; around her neck she hangs a mirror, which falls upon her bosom ;in her left hand she carries a small straw figure—the effigy of her faithless lover —and in her right she grasps a hammer and nails, with which she fastens the figure to one of the sacred trees that surround the shrine. Then she prays for the death of the traitor, vowing that, if Ber petition be lieard, she will herself pull out the nails which now offend thegod by wound ing the mystic tree. Night after night she ctomes to the shrine, and each night she strikes in two more naila, believing that every nail will shorten her lover's life, for the god, to save this tree, will surely strike him dead. The fan is an item of feminine attire which for ball-room use has grown in size out of all conscience. There seems to be a rivalry as to who shall carry'^the fan of greatest size. Not long since, at a ball, we remarked a young^ lady and her partner well hidden behind an enormousVed fan which she carried, thus provinj^it as useful as it was ornamental. The same fan we saw used ra little later as a support for as cending the stairs, but as an article for the purpose for which it was originally intended it is of little or no use. It is almost impossible nowadays, says a " Society " paper, to tell an old lady from a young girl from any difference in the manner of their dress. The old ladies go in, even more than the young ones do, for frills and furbelows, feathers, lace, and flowers. Some elderly ladies dress suitably, and yet Btylisbly ; these, however, are in a decided minority. As a general rule, they seem to think that to be fashionable they must dress sixty like sixteen. It is per fectly awful to see them at dances expose their poor scraggy old shoulders and arms far more than the young girls think of doing. A young doctor said the other night that " if their skin was not as tough as it looked, they would have died of cold long ago." He was alluding to two giddy ' 'girls" of about fifty-five or sixty respectively, who were disporting themselves in light blue satin dresses, with low bodices and short sleeves, trimmed with blush roses. There is also another " girl " who is known by the soubriquet of " the war-horse," because she snorts with disdain when anything vexes her. She has a second daughter, aged thirty, who was engaged to a miserable noodle of two and twenty. The boy went, about a week after the engagement, and asked to have the affair broken off, as he felt that the difference in their ages was on the wrong side. Of course, he was threatened with an action, but he calmly re plied that he had never asked the lady—she had asked him, as he could prove. The " war-horse " boxed his ears, and the snorts she gave during the interview were some thing to be remembered. The taste for what is odd and irregular showß itself in the manner in which large bows, rosettes, and cocades are sometimes strewn broadcast over a costume. We give as a specimen a dress in taffetas and satin broche. The under jupe, which is covered with narrow-pleited flounces, is of taffetas, the rest of the costume being in broche. The second jupe, draped with paniers and pouf, opens on the left side, and is fastened with a large cocade of the size of an ordi nary plate. Two similar ornaments, one at each corner of the upper jupe on the one side that opens, form with the one above a triangular effect. The corsage, with painted basque and elbow sleeves, is sur mounted by a cocade on the left shoulder. White and blue are decidedly the pre dominant colours; crushed strawberry is not so often seen forming a whole costume as it was a few months earlier, but it still appears in trimmings and ancessories. For instance, one dress of a very pretty and very young girl was of whito muslin and lace, the body made bebc fashion, and sash, gloves, parasols, and hat-trimming all of crushed strawberry sateen—an inexpensive but charming costume. The bathing season always brings -with it numerous inventions, which it is declared are indispensable to the fashionable world of beauty. One recently announced ia cosmetics that resist the effect of salt wator to wash them off or injure the delicacy of the bloom, so that the well-rouged will come out all rosy and blushing, or as if the bathing had put health and vigour into them, and the frozen yellow and blue tinges will be hidden from the mocking world. At Dieppe, "Society" says, the nightly balls at the Casino are very animated Dressed in tulle, muslin, or grenadine with many flowers and few jewels, ladies' take part in them who in the morning have been breasting the waves in mermaid fashion or perhaps walking for miles along the coast m bathing costume, with bare arms and lees. Fashion is especially fantastic at tins moment, and such birds as cocks and parrots may be seen painted life-size upon the panncaux of a lady's dre<?«i A™£ bonnets the "Anne de Bretagne^Tsi? favour, and among hats the " Pa" borough " and " Clarissa Harlowp >' >ru" large white hats trimmed with flowers and frmtaremuch worn, and especially,Xnlaee forms part of the rest of the costnmp <%t "Louis XV." boots, Iow*KSESid2S

stockings, bare arms, largo hate, an* pamors growing moro bouffants every day are among the features of the moment. The hair is still worn high on the howl, a la. Viane, and adorned with stars, crescents arrows, and daggers, as taste may suggest.

Dresses of white serge .ore being worn at tlie seaside, and no exception can be taken to this mode of costume, which is simple, pleasing and becoming, the faint tinge of yellow belonging to the material allowing it to harmonise with any Ehade of complexion. These dresses are made with simple jupo and tunic. Sometimes the waist is round ■with band to match tho deep sailor collar of black, dark brown, or navy blue velvet. The bodice may have slight fulling back and front, or it may fit plainly and open over a vest of striped or checked linen. The Jersey bodice is revived. Its enemies have much to say against it, and those who speak in its favour can make but a pens case. The Princess of Wales pronounced igainst it long ago. Others high in social ife have pronovneed for it by wearing it. That it suits bui few is evident, and these "ew must be mocfelleil with a justness of pro portions which Nature does not always be stow upon the specimens of anatomy which she produces. Moreover, even these, to wear the Jersey with becoming grace, must neither )econie thin or grow stout, but remain at :he just mean of combined roundness and slimness. How few, then, if we except children and very young- girls, can safely encase themselves in this much-discussed, garment, which to be seen in perfection must fit closely as a skin<_

From all accounts it is- not likely the re vival of the " Jersey " bodice will be wel comed warmly by the leaders and followers of fashion, although it has received an im petus in certain quarters calculated to jring it into notice. Not long ago the young Marquis de Belbceuf appeared at a fete iv a "Jersey" with her crest embroi dered in gold on the front.

Handkerchiefs are now made to match each toilet. If the dress is of apple-green and dark green combined, the handkerchiet must have a centre of light-green linen, and a border of the olive-greon. Somo new handkerchiefs are cut in an octagon, and have the days of the week in each of tha seven corners, and the name of the owner in the eighth.

"lima" says: " I was at the last afternoon 'At Home ' of the season of one of my moat fashionable friends at Queen's Gate, and was served, in a leaf-shaped majolica plate, with some strawberries that had rum poured over them. It gave quite a new flavour to the fruit, and there was much less danger of soiling gloves or bonnet strings by a possible little accident than there is with cream; but what would a Blue Ribbonite have done 1 The hostess wore a gown of greyish-green cashmere, made a la lVatteau, with long ends of golden brown plush extending from the shoulder to the bottom of the pouffe, and with high epaulettes of the same plush, and a deep-pointed collar of Irish guipure. The prettiest costume among many pretty ones in the room was one with a skirt and elbow sleeves of mouse-coloured plush, with an amazon jacket (i.e., a sleeveless jacket of black lace, beaded like a cuirass), and a grey hat with long black feather, and black, silk elbow gloves.

A Friend in Need.

A kpxattve of the well-known comedian, William J. Florence, tells the following many years ago:—While Florence was under an engagement at the Winter Garden Theatre, New York, he formed the acquaint ance of, a girl who played in minor parts ia. the dramas then represented. One day, after a rehearsal, he invited her to dine at a Broadway restaurant. Both were hungry, and they ordered a plentiful supply of food. When their appetites were satisfied* Florence called for the bill, and, to his utter dismay, discovered he had no money. In changing his clothing in the morning he had neglected to take the money from his discarded pantaloons. He told the girl the fix he was in, and asked her for a loan. Mortified and chagrined, she answered that all she had was just sufficient to pay her way home. Then the actor called the restaurant keeper, and told him the truth about the money, The quickly-excited man raved and stormed at Florence, saying that he had resolved not to be swindled by anyone, and that he should send for the police. At this time a short, stout old gentleman steppedj up to the proprietor, arid firmly said, " how dare you speak to a gentleman the "way you have done '! His" mistake is a perfectly natiu-al one, and such a,- might occur to any man. lam ashamed of you. I'll dine no more in your house, nor permit my friends to do so in future. Here, take this," and the old gentleman took a fifty-dollar note from a fat wallet, and handed it to the discomfited landlord, saying, "Deduct me the amount of the young man's bill, and return me the change." The proprietor's apology was unheeded. He handed the old gentleman 47-50 dols., and again essayed "apologies. When in 4ihe street Florence handed his benefactor his professional card and ad dress, adding that he would certainly reim burse him. The old gentleman's indigna tion quickly passed away, and, beginning to smile, he added, "That's all rin-ht, young man, I've been trying to pass that counterfeit bank note all day."

Forgiveness.

A soldier whose regiment lay in a garrison town in England was about to be brought before his commanding officer for some offence. He -was an old offender, and had been often punished. "Here ho is again," said the officer on ftis name being mentioned. " Flogging disgrace— Bolitary confinement—everything has been tried with him." Whereupon the sergeant stepped forward, ■ i aP^?gisil?g for the liberty he took, said : There is one thing which has never been done with him yet, sir." "What is that ?" said the officer. 'Well, sir," said the sergeant, "lie has neve* been forgiven."' "Forgiven!" exclaimed the colonel, surprised at the suggestion. He reßectxL for a few minutes, ordered the culprit to be brought in, and asked him what ho had to say to the charge 1 "Nothing, air," was his reply ; "only I am sony for what I have Honn." , Turning a kind and pitiful look oil the man, who expected nothing- else than that his punishment would be increased with the repetition of his offenro. the colonel addressed him, saying "Well, we have tried everything with you, and now we are resolved to—forgive you!" ■ . ... The soldier was struck dumb witb amazement. The tears started to ms °yes, and he wept like a child. He was humbled to the dust; and thankinrr his °ff:c. or > ht.e.re tired—to be the old, refractor}', incorrigi ble man? No ! from that day forward ha was a new man. , , , . ' He who told us the story had him for years under his eye, and a bettor conducted man never wore the Queen's colours In him kindness bent ono whom harshness could not break. The man was conquered by mercy, and melted by *ove-

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, SEPTEMBER 29, 188 S.

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