THE GARDEN.

(By HoiiTUS.)

Calendar Operations, Jane 16th, 1883.

FIiOWEK GABDBM, — Calceolarias ana Cinerarias. ■ Plants that have fi led their small pots with routs must be shifted, according to thsir size and strougth, intu larger pots—tuo compost, if possible, to be composed of one part turfy luam, one part loaf mould, and one pare rotten horse dung. They delight iv a cool hjottom, and will thrive in a cold pit or fiame during the ■winter. Keep as uoar the glaaa as possible. LAWNS.—Dining the winter, all fjrass iv the pleasure t-'iounrts should b« kept short; the shorter it io kept the thicker and better sole there will ue next reason. If it id allowed to get lung it will be drawn, and a good portiou will got smothered ana killed out. During iamy weather all grass growing iwefls more or less with the wet. Contiuutil tolling in tbe wiuter wi;l reduce the swoJkig aud make the gr.isa grow better, All gmsa cd^inga shuuld bu cut with an edging Knife immediately after re ceiving their winter drying. Only take a slight paring off them; nicy will look better ail the winter. In panne;, see that, the line U properly kept. Continual puring of the edging.-' causes the walks iv time to get too bioud. 1 nave soniocnnes seen walks enlarged more tnan two tout, out ot all pio portion to what wus originally intended, by this pai ing. When suoii is the c*Se, reduce the walk by tuning; it will uot take uiuch, and brings the walKs to their original size again, Xhk Manuku Heai> should consist of cow aud staole inter, put dowu in a layer about a foot ile. p. «>u top of this throw all the debris of ihe gardeu, pacings ot edgings, weeds, leaves, soil, refuse of eveiy kind that will decay tpcodiiy. Cover wuh about one foot deep vi stable litter, then give a good dose ot com -c salt aud unslaked lime. Place iii alternate layers until tue heap is about four to live feet high. Allow the heap to sweat and rot before using. The lime and suit will kill all seedut weeds, also the ofigs ol insects lift in the haulm ot flowers or vegetables, thus making a splendid compost lot the production ot more HowerH aud vegetables, bHBLTKR.—uno of the most important considerations iv selecting a site for v house aud garden is shelter, Iv some situations it would b<! impusiiole to grow either fruit, llowtrn, ur vegetable*) without shelter or eouie sort beiui; provided, as the prevailing gales at certain aoasoaa swtep the place from cud to end. Tue first, consideration, thou, uiunr th.uc ciioumstanccs, must be the planting of shelter trees. Plant thum very closely togutut-r no as to gel up a little bholter as quickly .us possible. As they giow they shi.uld uj thinned out, taking > ate that the plantiu^ has bieu conaucteu iv a systematic manner. Plant good va rieties amoug-t tne shelter at certaiu aiatancoa apart, mixing up a lot ot cheap trees with them so as to procure shelter as soon as possible, i<nd arranging ttio-e trc< sinsu ha inauu< r that when the tbiuniug is lequuod all iho bent varieties will be lift. How ufteu do wo see two good trees standing on ground where there is ouly room for one?-and perhaps theee ar« the only varieties vhicn we have got planted ; — ana how loath ure wo to cut dowu or lose either, -he result is that generally both trees ;ire allowed io stand, both being spoiled us specimen trees; while on some oilui! poition vi me ground valuable staoo is occupied by a lot uf one variety which are not worthy ot im« half th^ room, thuy occupy. Pl.in.tini; ?iieltev Uoet, und goiiiug those iut i position which aic to form the permanent irees regains v liulo judgment nud experience. All suelter trees should be ot rapid growth, euch us pinus ineigcus, balcponsus, enpressua, ficus, arducaria, Oiicutai pluue, poplars, oak, etc. These ou«ht ail to bo plauud »o that they will have an irreguiur ami pictuietque appcai auco when tuey grow up. Planting to aKCUttt EFFKCr.- In .New Zualuud nj.-H' uf the i'nglish, American, a-i well assub-tn'iiical trees and tdirubsmccecd go well tD.atso.uc miy "limst be said to ievoi in the climate, tuey ■■ro .-«, proiuae iv tiicir growth aud llo«ei» when treated wiiu au> ■ fhiug like orauury attcutu v. Whcu about to plant a, place, always tiy uud luceraiu what kind of so.l you poises*, ai.d also what kiua of tw.« uu shrubs suit tue soil beat lueu p.amu tliat the colim..- of the diliereut varieties will blend tugctkei. Study not to p.uduce suddeu cjutiasts, but to blend tin; odours oy degrees from dark groc" to lijur, ,-r even to a yellow, which cuu be ol> a.ued by planting some i f the b»mbuo specii;-. Some of u.r native trees aud shruu-. vie ttdiukably suited fo this kind of planting. What .ooks better than the tall p.v • aiuid-shaped kauri! what bettor than a guud specimen of the riniu ? these, while >ouug, loimint; two of the handsomest ue « which couldbe piodaced. The daik glo«sy green ot the karaka, aud the lighur i;reoa of the puriri, pit oa porums, etc., intermixed with cypresses, pinei-, ac*cia«, ficug, etc., uiso produce a go»d clTect. Somo of the deciduous trecs-uucli us wa'mu, Spanish chestnut, Oriental plane, aud English lorest trees— such as oaK, ash, p:>plas etc., suc ceed here remaikably well, if planted in situations which «uit their growth. Tluy llouriah bc.t iv a «ood depth of rotentive soil, whuic their roots get deep inio ihn ground. The oak, and i-spiuially the ash, will do beat in moiso situations. A tree which I huvu alieiuly incutiomd ou^lit to be used :» gtui't deal-that is th ■ Oriental plane. TaUinj? »ll the iiecidu..ua trees, I do uot think thut »uy o£ them cames up to this one, combiuiug, aa it d> es, Quo form with pretty colour ot wood an■: folinge iv the summer, anil a large hnno.^otne leaf. AnotUerrecomuitn'latwu is theniiJidityof its growth when planted iv a good .-ltuatioa. For single specimen trees Btaudinß out in the landscape or the pork, the oak, walnut, Spanish chestnut, ai.U Oriunt.il plane, will make a i-pleudid appearance. For shrubberies, veronicas, juoaa, !auri> tinas, l>ampa sraliS. dracnenu, Hcuii, camellias, &0. f ara suitable; as also some small native shrubs, tri-e-ferns, and the nikau or naiivu palm tree. I have muny a time wondered at not seeinsj mure of tbe native climbeis (Which cover almost evoiy dead stump in the busii) introduced into the gardens. With a little trouble theso climbers (stumps and all) could be mistily removed ; and there aru few ganleaa but could lind s plaoo for thum, and one whoiii thoy would have a very elFcclive ap pearance. When planting either trees or shrubs, always plant plenty of thelter for them. They cannot bo too well sheltered for the first year or two uutil thoy get well established, after which commence cuttiug out the sholters, never allowing them to infringe upon the trees or shrubs they wore planted to nurse andpiotoct.

Fruit Growing.

(Continual from Last Week)

KoOT-rnuNiNCi.—l will begin with root pruning, as I believe thut no systematic pruning of the branehca or limb.-* of a tree can be undertaken without a corresponding curtailing of tho trcos' powor to reproduce more wood tb.uu is wanted, Of course there

are exceptions, Old trees may want pmaing of some of their limbs, co as to cause a more active growth of wood. But under moat circumstances pruning is under taken on fruit trees for the purpose of in creasing their fruit-bearing capabilities, and the old system of cutting branches or limbs of a tree without cur tailing the power of the tree to reproduce more of those branches,was worse than use less. The more the upper branches of a tree are cut back the greater will be the power of the tree to produce new leaver aud wood the following season, and the less chance will there be of fruit. Whatever promotes an over-luxuriant pro duction of loaf-buds pioportionately dimin ishes the production of flower-buds, and the reason is obvious. A luxuriant folinge is over attendant upon an over-abundant supply of moist nourishment from tho roots; tbo consequent amount of sap generated is large, requiting a pioportionally increased surface of loaf for its elaboration, and for the transportation of the superfluous mois ture, and as the bud becomes a branch or a root, according as circumstances require, so does it produce as may be necessary for the plant's health either leaves or flower*. This is ascertained by the universal fact tint a tree or shrub.if headed down, throws out leaf-producing buds only, but never flower buds. I would like to ask all those who havo orchards whether they have not trees such as seem always luxuriant and healthy, and yet seldom ever bear any fruit ? Many a person has boeu sorely puzzled with sucli trees, not knowing what to do with them. Jo hasten the fructifica tion of such trees, we must have recourse to some expedient, and that will be found in cutting off the supplies by root pruning. It is now recognised by everybody, and1 has in the must legitimate way superseded ringing, and fuch little partial operation?, which as hobbies nrc oil very woll, But have little to do with the main question —how to manage the whole tree. It may bo inquired—How are the inex perienced to know how much to out? This is a matter moro easily con cdvi-d by thoso u«od to such things than, explained. But some ot our modern practitioners talK about biennial trans planting, which, of course, is derived from rout prunery, inasmuch as it is impossible to transplant without fracturing or cutting roots. All, however, depends on ihe habits of tho trees as to gro'rsness. For trees with stems of two inches diameter, t generally cut to within two and a-balf feet of the bole, and thus proceed according to tho sizu and character of tho free, The best time of the year to root prune is from tho «nd of April till tho end of May, because tho sooner after co *evero an operation the tree boats the wounded portions, and pro? duces tufts of fibres at the extremity of the rootH, tho bettor. Deep roofs, as a rulo, favour sterility; thoße which arc shallow, and skim along the puifnce, as it were, in n fine mass of fibrous rootlot*, favour fertility. And here I would point out that the character of Hit! soil lias a great influence upou the fertility of fruit trees ; if heavy, close, and wot, they will not prosper, hence the nocos aity to 'li'irouflrhly drain soils of this kind, and to do all that is possible to bring them into a five tiltb. The best soil is a dry, friable one. Mr Fish in an exceedingly suggestive article iv the " Farmer," under the head of " Horticulture," after showing how long and how uselessly gardenirs attempted to pain ft rtility by attention to thu head of the free, states that "thu heads ot plants aru led by tboir tnils, aud vice versa ; and thut this simple fact, once understood and laid hold of, would revolutionise the whole of the practice of fruit tree training and growing. Cut tho head ever ho severely, it jT tows tho moic ; cut the root ever so littlp, and there is an arrestment find a modifica tion of the head-growth inalanler." (To be Continued.)

Private Life of Royalty.

AN American lady who has been pasting tome time iv a circle very close to the Crown in England sends some curious and entertaining details of tbe private Ufa of ro>altytoafricndinthiHCOuntiy. Skowrites: The personal attendants of her IVitannic Majesty have a pretty hard life of it. They are not so badly treated as poor Miss Burney was when she went into boudnge us Second Keeper of the hobes to Queen Victoria's grandmother, bat. "tikuij; one consideration with another," their lot is a happy one. The Hon. Horatia Stopfnrcl, » cousin of tbe Earl Courtown, aud one of the Queen's bedchamber woman, is the Queen's favourite amauuoosu, writing most of her letters and taking down wh'i'iiver she dictates, aud as etiquette re quins Miss Stopford to stand while thus engaged, she passes whole hours sometimes writing at an upright desk when her Majesty happens to be in an epistolary mood. Oa the recent confinement of tho Dnchess of Albany, the Queen, who took a very particular interest in the ereni, never sat down from nine in tho morning till six in the evening, to the intense weariness and disgust of tbe unlucky maids of honour in attendance. The mother of the Duchess of Albany, tbe Princess of Waldeck fyrmont, wi.s equally provoked, -as she thought lier.-eif as much entitled as the Queen, if one may use such very low language in such a very high connection, to " boss the job ;" and the two mathcs-inlaw kept politely and persist ently inviting one another to take a rest tnd let the poor Duches-i enjoy a little quiet. When it w«a all over, and a little Princess ot Albany had couin into the world, it was the turn of 'he father. His tioyal Highness the Duke of -\lbany, on being informed of the result, quite lust his temper and stamped nn tho llaor with ruga that the child should not have been a Prince. As a general thiiif, however, the Duke of Albany gives Ir«s tio"ble th.iv any of the roy'l family. Hib elder bro'hor, tho I'rincß of Wales, ex> act" constant and as>iiluous attendance of his household, but he is personally conside rate of them, and changes l-i-t equerries once a mou'h in order to relieve thostraiu put 'ii tßflm. Ho never opens a book, or ho much ai glances at a newspaper, but his officers aif! all bright and clever, and keep him accurately informed of everything that is i oing on ia politics and society.—"Now York World."

An Anecdote of Louise.

On the dny before the reception tendered hirntSt. George's, Bermuda, the Princess Louito went on n sketching expedition along the shore nil alone, and after a time becom ing thirsty, went for a Hrink to the cottage of a tifißro iishnrman. No one was there but "auntie," nnd she was as busy as could be ironing a shirt for her "ole mau" to wear at the reception. The Princess asked for a drink. " I'se no time to bodder getting water fo' you," waa the reply ; " Iso fea'ful bußy, for I'se boune to see do Queen's chile to-morrow." " But if you'll get me a drink I'lliron while you do so," said the thirsty Princess. The olFor was accepted, the Prin cess finished the shirt nnd got her drink and then revealed her identity. " Fo' de Lo'd, honey!" exclaimed "auntie," when she recovered from her surprise, " ole man nor no one else ever wear dal skirt again, nohow ?"

RAMBLES ROUND THE WOULD.

[Fbom ihb "Star's" Wamdebiwgcon tributok.] NO. XII. A Visit to the Casino. As I had never Been ]a public gambling es tablishment, I determined one morning to visit the Casino. I encountered no obstaclein entering the spacious vestibule, at one end of which is a comfortable reading room, supplied with English and Continental newspapers and periodicals, a cloak-toom, lavatory, and other convonierjoes. But on approaching the entrance to the gamins;. Hiiloon at; 'ho opposite end, my further prosTetis was barred by a liveried door keeper. I was a stranger, and no one is admitted for the first time without a permit from the bureau. Bat the mire was easily obtained. I had but to produce my card, and name the hotel at which I was staying, and a pa^s was given mo. It purport-d to bo for (■hat day only; but 1 was given to understand that it would serve for any future time when once my personality was known. The dooi keepers Beem tt> be specially apt in recognising faces, for when a person has onco presented bin pass, h^ may outer day after day, if he chcoaes, ■without question The apartment, or ra'.her succession of apartments, in which play is carried on — for they lead from one to another without door or partition—ate large and lofty, and lavishly adorned. At night they are bril liantly lighted. Thorn are six roulotte tabloa, and several rouge et tioir, to whioh the deep players resort. Every table was crowded. It was a hv\ but impassive sight. The seats round the tables were atf occupied, and quite a throne of people stood round outside. Some low, like myself, *ere morely * spectators drawn thl'httr by curiosity ; but the majority were playing. It was a caution to watch the countenances of the gamblers. After .hey had stuked their money their eyes were fixed with a hungry aoxious look upon the revolving apparatus iv too centre of the t ihle, 1 In; expression changed to ono of selfish satisfuciion it fortune favoured them, and they clutched their winnings with exultation. But oh 1 tie careworn ex pression of their faces when the croupier called out a number into which the marble had rolled that placed them in the posi tion of losprs. Tin: evident disappointment and chagrin—iv some cases a. look that almost indicated a feeling of despair—of the unlucky oues as they saw then money rakod into tho bauk by tho unsywpathising crou piers, furnished matter tor distio*sing thought. Bow many of these playois wore on the brink of ruin 1 risking the remnants of thoir money in the hope of recovering former losses. It is an infatuation that is terribly demoralising. If a player wins at the outset, as is often the case, when a uovice, lured tiy i-xample, ventures a five franc piece, hw is incitodto try again. The auri savra fumes commence*. He doubles tiia ■tako, again ia fortunate perhaps, and gnee on venturing his money until he finds himself minus not merely of his ill-gotten gains, but of all tho coin that was pre viously »ufe in his purse, Thus, atop by st»p, many are lured, and become bankrupts b»tli iv money and iv morals. And I am sorry to say that women as well as man aro niiil't tho influence of the fat il passion for play. On the day I visittd the Cas-iuo, a Urge proportion of the gamblers were females — some of them probably re spectacle visitors tempted to hazard a few pi cos ; but many of them, lam sorry to say, evidently habitues of the table, and of doubtful character. While I stood watching tU« proceedings, a female—l will not say a lady—bogau to play with a pile of tou-frunc gold piices before her, at least sixty or seventy in number. With great cagerat ss she staked four or five on differ ent numbers at each game; and in less than ten miuutcß they were all raked into the bank. She muttered a few words, the meaning of which I did not understand, and roßd from the table and walked away with an expression of countenance I shall never forget. One young man, staying at the same hotel in which I had taken up my quarters, spent two whole days at the Casino, Lost £2,500, and ivas Beggared^ At the roulette tables a five-franc piece ia the lowest stake permitted, and twelve hundred francs the highest. At the rouge et uoir tables tho play is higher. Twenty francs ia the lowest venture allowed, and thousands nro often lost and won at each deal of tho cards. The gamee, in both case, are purely games of chance, and I was told that there ia no possi bility ot finesse or foul play on the part of the croupiers. But the odds are to much in favour of the bank that the general iss-ue is against individual players. if it were so the company could not sustain the heavy expenditure involved^ in the sub sides to tho Prince, and the maintenance of of the pleasure grounds, reading-room, free concert?, and other local amusements, A minute description of the tables, the the manner in which they ate marked, and the Taiious modes of betting, might interest some who have never seen the games. But it would take up much time and space, and bo of do practical use. I would rather ad vise my readers who may hereafter visit Mom c Carlo, to be satisfied with the uat ural beauties of the place, and the music they may hfar wjthont cost, and to shun tha reductions of tire gaming tables, sui cides the result of despair, sometimes occur. Th« week after I left I heard that a man in the frenzy caused by his lo^ch, attempted to tire the place, and that a women at tbe very table placed a pistol to bet temple, and was only prevonted from destroying herself by the timely interven tion of a by-stander. Many do depiiva themselves of life, but such occurrences are as far as possible studiously concealed from the public The scenes that aro enacted at the Casino from ten o'clock in tho morning until neor midnight, every day-of the week, Sunday not exceptcd—for gamblers regard not a tlav of rest-arc a scandal and a dis grace. ' hey transform a locality that might otherwise be called an earthly paradise into the presclnts of hell. Whilo at Monte Carlo I drove to the Palace of tho Prince. The site is lofty, and commands a view of Monaco and its environs. The immediate surroundings of the Palace are aro not attractive. A broad and barren explauade fronts tho main entrance, terminating at the opposite side in a labyrinth of houses separated by the narrow paved lanes peculiar to most French and Italian towns. But beyond these, and accessiblo from the other side of tho Palace, there are pleasant gardens tastefully laid out and adorned with a ereat variety of shrubs, When I arrived the Princo's stand ing army, consisting, I believe, of between two and three hundred meu, were exercising on thee sulanade. The officers seemed to assume as much importance as if they were commanding one of the great Napoleon's "big battalions." Passing through an arched gale way, I found myself in a spacious paved quad rangle, the walls of which were ornamented with vines, but more or less defaced and injured by exposure to the weather. A noble flight of marble steps lead to tho

state apartment?,, sumptuously mmishcil anri decorated. Bat all this grandeur gave me but little pleasure when I remembered the main source of the owner's wealth, Vieiv from a liotnan Main. ■ I made another excursion, the enjoyment of which was not marred by unpleaaant associations. I visited the hutte remains of a Koman tower or fortress, standing on the heights at Monte Carlo, Thnge ruins are now called Turbia, a coemption, I presume, of "Tropaea Angnsti." i"he Eoraan oon quorer ereclvd the tow«r to commemorate his victories, and tha subjugation of the Ugurian tribar. From the site if this interesting ruin, a panoramic view h olj tainsd, ot vaat extent and raried beauty. Ou the east, Mountainous ranger, m it were joatling »och other in wild oonfonion, and on the l»tt tin. indented onaat line from Vlolimodia, ob tka boarders of Italy, to Bordighera, washeJ by the blna waters of the Mediterranean. Lookiug west tbe broad expanse ot th« mn is befoie you, tha distant island of Bt. Marjueritii, mid tha hills of Mentayate de 1' Ktiirol, on lh« Fruueh coast lino tow^ids Antibes. With an scure sky, scarcely a cloud to be fieen, anil at a season of they «ar» lien tboaun's ravsare b-i^ht and warm, but not oppressive, it in a glorious vision. But, to rt>aoh tbe sipot, it is Heeeneary to make a de;our of several mile*. There ie a shorter and nioro direct road or pathway, but it is only suit able tor goats, or for bipods who are equally tute-footed, and have similar climbing pro ttiivitirg. Bat. not being a member of iiu Alpiue club, or having any ot the pre tensions of art athlete, 1 preferred the more circuitous route, and, as the road is good, and affords some charming views by tha way, I very much enjoyed the ride; A village has sprung up on tbe heights round Turbia, and I had an oppoitunity of seeing ode aspect of village life in France to advantage. It w*s v festival day; the villagers were assembled in an open place —tbe men In various picturesque costumes, and the women in dresses adorued with bits of ribbon and such iinoiy as they possessed, dancing in joyous measure to the music of a band composed of a cornet, violin, and trombone. The eldets of the village formed a circle round the dancers, looking on with evident satisfaction, now and then interchanging remarks, apparently critical^ compariug the performances of the rieing generation with their own when they were young.

Crossing the frontier,'

I could have lingered amid the natural beautios of Carlo, tor a longer period ; but after a voiy pleasant sogoum of four days was constrained to resume my journey. I did nut stop at Mm tone. It is a growing settlement, aud on uccouni ot the salubity of its climate a favourite resort of invalids. Ventimiglia is the boundary of tbo liollan Kingdom; and there traveilors rau«t submit so have their luggage txamined, Toe town is a kind of frontier strong hold, pictures quely situated on rising ground above a stream called Kojs, of breadetoucy channel, but gballow depth of wutsr. The Uu-fcom House offloers were very particular in their scrutiny, but at tha samo time, civil. I was amused at their perpltxity ot« one article they fouud on txauining ray portmuntenu, I had purchased a graphoeeopi at Paw, and it wat carefully paeksd in a small wood on box. This tnay opened. Whither they were ignorant of the uature and use of tha inatiuuient, ar debating (he question of its being tubjeot to d»ty 1 coaUl not det»r miuo. But tiiey j*bb«red aud gertlenlated with great animation, addressing questions to m« which loould only answer oy shrugg ing my shoulders and smiling, nt lii-it they bent for a superior officer. He »<n mod to be a little more iut-olli^ eat then his sub ordinates,; aud after glancing at the contents of thu lii x, said a few words to them and my packagea wore passed without further trouble. Shortly after leaving Ventimiglia I got a glimpse of the Maritime Alps, an. a tow miles further on the train pulhd up at ISordigherji. TLia is a town of some time thousand inhabitants, who occupy what are sailed the upper and lower quartan of tbe settlement. A climb xu> the hill to the terrace of the Caie Cadama .requires some muscular exertion, but the vi«w obtained from the elevation well repays tee efFmt. Groves of palm trees wave in the i rs ground, and the wide sweep takes iv thu bays of Viotimiglia, Mentouo, and Moute Cv 10, stretohiau away to the Esterels. I was told that palm branches formed a con siderable article of ttivde at Bordighera, but for «hat purpose,l ooold not make out, as Palm Sunday occurs but once iv a year. Tha fruit rarely is edible, as it does sot ripen sufficiently. In tae neighbourhood of Bordighora Is a chateau celebrated as the anoestrai resi dence of the Dorias, a Genoese family of historio renown. Kesuming my jour«ey, I passed Ospe dalletti, a Battlement that bids fair to become an important plaoe. Some enterprising man from Lyons have formud -themselves into a company, and have laid out a great deal of money in projecting and completing various work* and improvements, by which they hope to raise ÜBpedalletti into the position of an attraotive wateriufj-place. But 1 question If their enterprise will suc ceed. Monte Carlo and Men lone are too near and too well established in publio favour. The aspiring rival will have but little chanoa in competing with them, even though it pomssses one attraction tbey cannot boost: a picture gallery in the Town Hall ot La Cotta, In due time tha train rolled into the tation at San Borao, and I found comfort able quarters in the Victoria Hotel: After dining at th« Tabled' Hote, I repaired to the Salle llccreazioiie ; or, as we should say, to the drawing-room. There I had the op portunity of seeing A Peculiar Phase of Italian Mfc % A man dressed as a gentleman in black coat and white kid glevas proposed to en tertain the <!»ostß by an exhibition of his powers as musician, poet, and improvisators. Ho was accompanied by a female, rather showily dressed, whom I presumed to be his wife. There was a good piano in the room, and several songs and duets were credit ably rendered. Some of the latter were comic. The sentiment was concealed by reason of my ignorance of the language; but the significant pantomime of the per formers was ludicrous in the extreme. My sides ached with laughter as I saw the man at intervals capering about the room like a monkey, and imitating with hand and voice the music of a guitar with wonderful pre cision, After the songs came the more serious part of the performance. The itn provisatore asked some one to give him a theme. " San Kemo" was suggested. He bowed and wrote dowa the word. He then requested each individual of the company in succession to give him a word to constitute the last in each line -A the p.icm to be composed, the only condition being that the words were to be rhythmical. When he had obtained these he sat down, and for the space of ten minutes was busy with his pencil, occasionally pausing foi a moment or two as if in thought. He then stood up and read what he had composed. I could not understand the purport of the verses, though I could perceive that he had brought in evory word tbat had been sug gested ; and from the applause tbat followed, I gathered that the com- j position was one of considerable merit. I

It consisted of twenty w^hj^riT^!^ ho read his production withmaX^W5 and evidem stttoomplacinby^^ =?*?W» he was too proud to aak.duectly {~*%»• neratioo, but it became apparent &„***&• followed that he intendedl to U' Z? 'ty" proposed a lottery. The tickeliS" ' & francs, and each person prosentwase* to tako at least oue. Soiao percWr** or three. The prizes whea drawffljj: of triflos th&t could noi ia the .sT™ have coat much more thau the DtK^ single ticket—one priz* h -ing a veit3< * was won by a lady ! Whan the 4,,J* was cuodudeif, the well rewaitoPSv fo.mers-for they carried offbetwtflujift and forty francs, made their coogej^j [?■ company and withd ew. Ihe Felto'^ taiuly displayed tileut; but that ■$&' rendered the exhibition i-omowbat Jlnff ful i o me was his a,sumptio« of gtflfijfi; la Kuglaud or the colonies we do nol2| to bn umustd; but we do not '•lil^iS*',.. in;/ act <rs putting on airs of social t»|8" with Stjost; whom thty entertain, "?*? A Walls Ihrough San Re/em': The mxt day I took a stroll tnrotrt,. town, a walk up and down th»Mffii:i por'ion of K. mo is qoite a iSc under awng. It sth < quaere tplaffß Buw-such alabyrintu or narrow, dirt; I? savoury lace 3 1 Some of taem nijl|i than six or eight feet wide, and ssjiaS i tho hill side at an ang'.o of thirtyjfk^ degrees. At intervals flights of atoo*M> supply the p'acd of tho OrdinarylS/ oau'eway, and serve as an aid to lbcomol and tho numer-ua muUa and donkevirt'! the visitor meets ascending and dee&r" may prompt him to exclaim, "as? Rettiug up stairs I ntver did see!" -'" - Th,-. houses on each side of the ooifW thoroughfares are very lofty, and arehaZ fluently throwa across as if to keepttS trom encroaching on the narrow %? \ between them, l was told, Ccl *S5 the realpmport of these irffiTto fil the reuses from tophng over, as manfS:: them are out of the perpendicular, anjl' euard against the efrect of ewtrWh, Theee sombre dwelh nkß rfae tierabov«S. the only light and ventilation tho Si tanta can enjoy must be obtkioed1 (res h back, as the front of the boildingiiS blank, moulderiig surfaces ot naSw . Vines, having their roots under theS* causeway, are trained up, on till stem? i the flat roof-, wl'ere, out of jteht^rf! branches and tendrUs may enjoyiirhiS? of the ran, and be allowed t, ,ZT and fructify. Tne qdouts of the «rt«S abominable. Some of the lo»er Z^ ments of the houses «ra occupied bvS and donkeys, and humaß beings hi«jj together like rabbits In a warren It him possible to walk any distance without «£ ---countering flights of step* »om, Mcending and others descending towards mveieiioni depths which I had no dciin toCllrT As I toiled up towards % Church tf- Madonra della Coata, I «» »v **' oasioDally. to protest my nasal ojgwjftT • a hanrikcrch'ef sprinkled with Mg ' j. Cologne. liiKe most of the churehea I fejra seen, the interior of tbe Mafoati della Coata U gandily adorned. I ou^nethsM • to qualify tho word " gaudily" iaijtrtU. ■ oi tbe frescoes on the dome-shape! toot They are truly artistic and beantihllj ekeeuted. Statues of patrwrelu, prcphete evangelists,.and saints are raidedalcnsftj sides, and in one of the «h»pelstt«reue some pictures of ancient dale, Right in front of the church, Wt oa a lower level, is a large hospital for Jsbejs, The view /rom the platform awMd tie "church is chiming, and at th«'tame tjuc locally characteristic, The . qwltt old town seen from this standpoint looks aaiiift were running down the hill towwisilietu, Villas and one or tivo saburhao!«iiwjli(j. peep from, amidst ihe olive trees iWjfjj^ in the distance sonthward the Wtta iffl lines of the Island 61 Corsica may biv^oj, The modern portion of San Bcmp, rtn European visitors mostry congregate, k & the level ground that tans parr.dlelw Ron beach, and consists mainly of OMkj street of good width, bordered witii bat, and lined with decent shops and tami ar fe e hot?la. Altogether, I much tnjiyed my tojna! at San JKemo, I felt as it I werd ia a j^t that had scarcely been touched bytij. transforming wand of modern innofi^ The people were picturesque bota in petiH: aud costume. Round-eyed little childjij stood in doorways staring at me as IpasaJ^ nturdy-framud womeu witk oli*e cm. plexions and dark flashing eyes, eaijy&g , such heavy loads of firewood, or ffHH wtariug apparel on their heads, as «au& me to wonder how their necks oosJd Imb the strain ; mule-drivers and vellerrimsk dresses that artists love to paint, craekdi their whip s, and shouted to . ca™fc pedestrians to clear the way; while ,o»«. head tne deep blue firmament, fleaked tug; and there by little clcuds of pale goM» hue, formed a fitting canopy to a wen?: novel in its liviog features, and ia iti natural varieties beautiful beyond da»«i^ tion. ~^

Threatening a Priest.

A Koman Catholic priest, the Rer. Father' Strickland, who last week publicly.lmpl demaod the perpetration of outragu^^K Ireland, said, ia a sermon at St. Bristol, that he had received two letter^^gS written in a spirit of justice, and the other \n a threatening tone; but he should not step back through tear, He had his dtst§jßJ perform as a citizen and a priest, and jjjfflffi tha direction of his superior ha should per- v form that duty in spite of any threat |H 1 might be used. The following is thetem^p 4he threatening letter: "Rev. Father-jjBB Irish National League, eyer mindiul of |BH| necessity of keeping alive .an active Injißg feeling, deem it their duty, at this critiou||| period, to appeal for funds fiH tbeir starriDg kith and •: kin • -«R home, and, in doing so, ate met with rathßi|s violent opposition by members of tiral Catholic Club, inspired, no doubt, by yojgg hostility, to the movement. Be assureoHß rev. father, the feeling that actuates me ta write you thus is to warn you that, if tliffi line of conduct is persisted in, intenwg bitternnss will be the result, which yoaandK I would deplore. I therefore respectfuljra| beg you to withdraw your opposition to on^p movement; and permit me torematk atth^Si same time that Irish nationality is as deep-*Sj*' rooted in the hearts of the people as tholr .: holy religion, and whoever he may be—lay. or cleric-who I rifles.with either, is far, verf ..7 far.'removed from being wise."

, , . .■■■:■■'■ ■ —■ — ■ ■ ■■■;;;^1 Flotow's place in the Paris "Acadeinie dcs Beaux Arts" has been filled up by the || appointment of M, Limnander, whoj has,;_; been elected from amongst finch difltin- |. guished composers as Verdi, Liszt, Brahms, sa and others. He is a Belgian, aad has ;; written several operas and oratorios. All our actions are either for or against | onr fellow pilgrims in the world. No man, | be he ever so selfiah, can work for himself,. I atone. If he labour at all, the world shares with him the result. Why is a member of Parliament like a shrimp? -Because he has M.P. at the end •• I of his name.

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, JUNE 10, 1885.

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