THE GARDEN.

[By Hortus.]

Calender of Operations, January 21.

b&e^Th»Sta^ ubll0fttl0"-1

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

m,,iaTTirs (W.C.l—Those aro likoevery tß hui Scotch wuwi » The bßßt I thoy are hard to t thiatloa is to out kn ow »U 0 _g 6 p,v u i oO r adze undorneath the tlie m .^'VXnM they make fresh shoots gr t thn cuttin" till tlio roots die. Never Ti them to sScd. .13 ono or two plants in ?'V W n ™i would soon stock tho whole country, w or thoy have, got lirmly established it is W-i that they will <Sic out naturally in about paid uibi im> th ground vory , )iuch Proved But it is better to fight and kill gem out than lose tho use of tho K round for thatporiod. •■< -■'■■ "•* ■■' .--.. ---,.. sirii-n IM.D.)— Primula soeil should bo PB' Mf fl s soon as ripe. Sow in shallow pans. X lfttlo Plants Bhculd be pricked off when ««they arc larßO enough to handlo--tlmt is, "1 itavhara mndo their second leuvos— h0 i?nw on i" a cold frauio and shade till Ti /relaw encnU to pot. Tho best soil to theyifnno lmlf Kood llbrous loam, one-quarter ? SO, nnuld and-ono-lourth old stable raacuro, 'wlthTboutono-nfthsand added. l"w,ff^?!;m^ fhpsatno as tho othor celery, also pricked out in thnwrno manner and planto* out in rows iriit twclvo or fourteen inehea apart each way. t»Sp he aro not required for tho turnip- S celery, neither should tho plants bo SiS act in tho soil. The root should bo ■ dn3ed to "well above tho surface of tho ™?,ind like turnips. In tlio autumn when tho attained full srowth. it is better to 'I*™ ub thei bulbs with soil, in ordor to rendor Km whiter and more delicate than thoy otherwise would bo. It grows best. In light ■?fch sandy soils. Tho abovo should ho ■ vinaivrlv crown hore-lt would bo a wol- SSSSdltlon to every kitchen pardon. „ a (1 i v )_Tho vino will stand almost more nrnnini thnn any othor plant, both sunimor pr,i winter It is not from branches bniiu? Son off last sea«on that your ones are now ,'Sinff weakly shoots: there must bo some KJ o?r«8-nio3t pi-ohably poverty of soil. ?i voot soil woro Rood, tho nioro fact of part of tho vino bolaf,' taken away last year would hi™ caused tho shoots to como away thla v?ar with increased vigour. Are your vines ffir Blass or out in tho open ? If they X under rlms. Ret sojno Rard.wr with a know "ligo of tho vino to come and sco them ; It c wvn in tho open, it would be almost m- JSaihlß for you to got much fruit, but if Se 1 to eo/o"omc. object with tho foliage Jlvt winter when tho wood has properly rinonedoffcut them back to about afoot from fKromui: Give plenty of manure to tho rnotJ Tho next sprinß theso will nusli out a mfmber of strong shoots. Break off thoso not reqiurea, and train tho balance as you require them.

Kitchen Garden.

The main crop of celery and leeks ought to bo planted now. Give plonty of wator till they get established. Earth up the earlier planted crops, tie up tho stalks. Before earthing up take care not to tio too tiehtly, giving P^nty of room for the dantsi to swell. Keep up the successional sowing of French boans, also the running varieties. Earth up and stake thoso that bib erowin" Tomatoes: Continue the tieinE up and pinching back as they advance in growth. Give frequent water togs with liquid! manure. Cauliflowers ana cabbages: Sow a small patch for plant ing out early in the autumn: cauliflower, Vatche'sAutumn Giant; cabbago, Enneld Market is the best. Earth up thoso that are erowin". Clear away to tho rot-heap all debris of crops that are past. Give them nlenty of lime and salt, so as to kill all Bnimal and vogetable life. Cucumbers melons, pumpkins, etc. : Pinch back and rognlato. Givo cucumbers plenty of water. Melons aro better in flavour and firmer in flesh if grown in a moderately dry state. Attend to the usual fort nightly sowings of cros3, mustard, and" radisho3 for salndinga. Sow in moist situations, and water almost nightly. Where plenty of long straw and litter can bo obtained mulch all growing crops. All ground that has becomo vacant of crop have plenty of manure put over it, dig it in, leaving the top as rough as possible, no that the sun and atmosphere will pulverise it for the autumn cropping. Keep tho hoe constantly going between the rows of all growing crops, so as to keep weeds under.

Flower Garden. As thi3 promises to be a dry autumn, and where the flower garden is expected to be tot in a good succession of flowers, steps flught to be taken at once, if not already done, to get plenty of materials for mulch ing, as without this or a plentiful supply of water, the glories of tho flower borders will "«oon be past. Any long straw, fresh stable litter, or similar substauce, will suit. This, spread lightly over the ground, stops the rapid evaporation of the moisture from the ml, also keeping the roots of plants cool, and when wator is applied, retarding it longer in tho soil, thereby prolonging tho blooming period of the plant in the border. Bedding plants are greatly benefitted by it. In the flower borders pick off all dead blooms, spikes off flowers as they lose the flowers. Never allow seed pods to form, as thia robs the plant of the greater part of itsßtrength. Stake, tie, and pinch back all planta that may require tho abovo at tention. All strong growing plants, such as balsaniH, cockscombs, otc , should receive liberal quantities of liquid manure. A little mulch round each plant will greatly assist, In the bedding department eontjaued attention must b,o given to the pinching, pegging down, and regu lating of each series of plants. See that none off them are allowed to ex ceed the dimensions prescribed them. Allow no rank rapid growth, nip it out whenever it makes its appearance, Keep weeds under throughout the whole of this department, Clear away all debris of early sown annuals as soon as they are past flowering. Lawns: Whjro first-claes lawns are wanted, plenty of wator mußt be used, so as to keep them in a green crowing Btate, Water liberally in the evening, keep the grasa short,' and occasionally apply the roller. Walks: Keep the hoe and rake going so as to eradicate any weed that; may have become established; apply salt if they are vory bad. Greonbouse. See that no insect pests get established on any of tho plantsjwhenever any make their appearance, kill at once. Continue to re pat all growing plants.; give plenty of air jnd water. Mrnnro.

.; Farmyard manure, when noglacted, toses the greater part of its soluble matters, Now,- these ore tho most precious and at the same time contain a notable proportion of nitrogen under the form of carbonate of ammonia. Farm yard manure consists of oxcrements, urine, and litter. Urine decomposes the most rapidly when fresh, the nitrogen exists under the form of urea and hippuric acidj; there exists, also, a small quantity in the ammonia and in the colouring principles of the urine.. By the simple absorption of water the urea is rapidly changed into car bonate of ammonia. The hippuric acid is not slow, cither, in decomposing. Urine collected after a space of two day? contains Bono, and in that time loses about 50 per cent of its nitrogen.

Strawberry Ground. Whenever all the fruit is plucked off the ' plants on tho two-year-old plantation, it is -;M use keeping these; plants any longer, 'toy do not succeed well the third year. «»ve thorn trenched down at onco, and jwen trenching put plenty of manure in ™8 ground,Bo that some other crop may be Wted on the ground this autumn. Jjerer plant two successive planta ™>m of atrawborrios on the same piece w ground. Plants that have only been one j? at,s n *c ground and are past fruiting Mould have all the runners cut away, waving a few, so as to make a fresh planta- J*'n the autumn. Hoe and clear away all Weds and rubbish which havejaccumulated "out the plants during the season. If the »M?o is done now it will greatly lessen tho wtamn labour of the strawberry planta tion,

Mulching, Mature practises mulching on a moßt Sransive scale. Not only in the forests, wit on our fern, toe-toe scrub, etc., and wherever the materials for mulching are «WS or of poor quality, there we find we poorest soil and the weakest vegetation. JUie earth in pur forests is covered with a mulch composed of leaves, small tw<W, branches, and half-decomposed wood d iis ■of old trees, along with the Oflonaof thousands of ferns, under-scrub, ■** In the virgin bush, fern or scrub lands, "» work of Nature can [easily be seen, vnere this debris can be seen in all stages «t decay. This natural covering or mulch •"g w hoing constantly renewed, and as the >ower strata become fine mould, furnishing ifltriment tp the growing trees or shrubs, j>ew materials are being constantly added <J> the surface, acdthis operation of decay oepoait and furnishing food for plants is wnuuually going on, and has been going t w lor ages wherever the earth's surface I P adapted for the growth of vegotfttion. Ij^d the higher the order of plants that U^Voecayed upon the earth's surface, X" richer the soils has become during the Runs they have existed. Decidious" trees as rn^r. contribute more annual debris to the ■™ s covering than evergreens. Con

aequently, wherovor there havo been large natural deciduous forests estab lished for centuries, it is always safe to trust to the fertility of the soil. And that soil will .sustain a higher ordor of cul tivation than soil covered with pines or evergreen trees The hnavisr and denser either of. thoso natural forests, tho greater will be tho annual fall of debris to tho ground, leaving heavier deposits of decayed vegetablcmutterovery year, causing thoso soih to bocomo very rich in time. The destruction of this natural mulch found covoring all fertilo soils is necessary fit tho very commencement of all cultivation. The forest, fern, or scrub is cut down and all useless materials burned, thon thorp is an end to all natural additions of fertilising. Of course,the potash contained in the ashes adds something to the fertility of tho soil for some time, but this is soon exhausted in soils, (To be Continued.)

A QUINTUPLE MURDER..

Awful Tragedy In Nobraska.-Story »f tho Affair.

(From Ouu Ow.n Correspondent),

London, Doc. 4,

You have probubly loavnt all about tho fearful quintuple murder in Nebraska long ago. If not, tho following version of tho story, communicated to the London papors by relatives of tho unfortunate familios, may bo of interest. There are few, says tho "Telegraph," to whom tho story wo are abouc to relate of a dismal tragody, re cently enaoted in tho United Statos, will not forcibly appeal. So closo, indeed, are tho ties of sympathy generated by con sanguinity and facility of intercourse which now bind the two groat Anglo-Saxon nations together, that crimes of a peculiarly ghastly typo seldom fail to reverberate through both countries alike, without regard to tho spot that happens to witness thoir com mission. There is, hovovor, one vital dif ference between tkio publicity attaching to an exceptionally horriblo English murder and that which attends upon a similar atrocity porpotrated on tho other eido of the Atlantic. Tho smallnoss of the United Kingdom, and the high civilisation pervad ing every portion of its surface, render it impossible that any crime of unusual turpi tudo should escapo tho public eye, and fail to be noticed by tho metropolitan journals. On the other hand, such is the immensity of the area over which tho Transatlantic Republic sp.eads that in the voiceless soli tudes of the South, or among the far distant and sparsely • settled States and Territories of the North-Wost, dark deeds of blood and violence aro constantly re curring, of which tho echo is so faint that it hardly reaches New York, and is seldom wafted across the Atlantic. Of this de scription is tho awful crime of which the young State of Nebraska was lately the scene. About throe years since a young English gentleman of good family, Mr Henry Baird by name, took his departure from this country in order to try his fortune in tho United States. Whon ho started upon the trip which has just ended so disastrously, Mr Baird was not much more than sixteen years old. His lather, Captain T. C. Baird, who is dead, was connected with Sir David Baird's family, and his mother—who is still alive, and resides at Deal—was a daughtor of tho Honourable and Keverend Robert Maude, a son of tho first Lord Hawarden. Mr Maudo, who was Dean of Clogher, Archdeacon of Dublin, and Rector of Enniskillen, died in 1861, leaving a widow, three sons, and five daughters, of whom the eldest married Major-General John M. Per coval, and the second Captain T. C. Baird. Mr Henry Baird was an omigrant of precisely the kind that our Transatlantic kinsmen are most disposod to weloome. In addition toashrowd Scotch brain, ho carried with him enough money to give him an ex cellent start in a now country, and, following Horaco Greeley's proverbial advice, ho resolved to "go West" and, in American phrase, to " pitch in " within the confines of a young and promising State whero money, being a raro commodity, might, if judiciously employed, to turned to great advantage. Young as ho wes, Mr Baird seems to have " had his head screwed on the right way." He bought some land at Fu'lorton, in Nance County, Nebraska, upon which he was about to build a house, and his letters to his widowed mother and to his sister spoke in enthusiastic terms of the new country in which he had made his home, and of the prospects of success that seemingly lay before him. Not long after his departure from England he was followed to Nebraska by his first cousin, Mr Perceval, and by the latter's young wife, both of whom, together with their baby, have now shared Mr Baird's untimely fate. Mr Perceval and his wife wore each of them less than twenty-four years old when they, their infant, Mr Baird, and Mr Mair were foully murdered. It appears that a small English colony, consisting of Mr H. A. G. Baird, Mr Hugh Mair, Mr and Mrs Henry Perceval and their one-year-old child, and finally a man named Georgs Furnival, lived togother or in close proximity to each other at or near Fullerton. On tho nignt of Sunday, September 28th, Furnival having returned to tho house which he occupied in conjunc tion with Mair, found that the latter had not come home, and had neglocted the duty which he ordinarily discharged of preparing supper for his companion. I£ has already been discovered by the small knot of friends that Furnival was a man of an extremely hot and impetuous temper, with whom his associates found it difficult to get along, and who had already fallen out upon many occa sions with Mrs Percevel. On the day in question Mair called at a house in which a family named Edraondson lived, and in quired whether Furnival had roturnod, Receiving an affirmative answer, Mair ox claimed, "George will be mad with me for not having cookod his supper ;" and with these v/ords upon hia lips he hurried homo. A violent quarrel between him and Furnival sprang up, when they mot at last, and, justly indignant at the lauguage em ployed towards him, Mair refused to cook supper for his friend and himself, and wont oft' supperless to bed. Scarcely had he gone to sleep before Furnival burst into tho room with a loaded gun in his hand, and blew out his comrades brains. It appears that overy evening Baird was in the habit of leaving tho house which he occupied jointly with the Perce vals, in order to bathe in the creek near Furnival and Mair's dwejling. It was his custom to call upon Mair. to hove a chat with him after bathing. On Sunday night, when Mair was murdered, it ia supposed that Baird went to visit him as usual, and that Furnival, in ordor to prevent his crime from being discovered, shot Baird down, on the principle that " dead men tell no tales," and throw his body into the oreok. Being aware that Baird would soon be missed by the Percevals, and having al ready committed two murders, Furnival dotormined to mako a clean job of it, and also to put Mr and Mrs Perceval out of the way With this object in view, the wretch awaited Perceval's return from Fullerton on the Monday evening, and shot him dead. He then turned towards the house of the murdered man, whero he killed Mrs Perceval and the baby in her arms. His next step was to break open the cash-box, und to rifle Mrs Perceval's pocket-book, securing altogether, as k supposed, about one hundred dollars, or twenty pounds. It was known that shortly before he had re ceived nlnty-eight dollara from an adjoin, mc bank, whero his note of hand had been discounted; and thus it seems probaole that the quintuple murderer had nearly two hundred dollars or about foity pounds in his possession when he took the train at Fullerton, in the early morning of Tuesday, the 30th of last Septem ber From that day to this nothing further has we believe, been heard of this inhuman monster. Early in Ootober an inquest was held upon the bodies of the five murdered victims, which lasted many days, while the reports of its proceedings filled some two hundred columns of print. At last the followltigverdiotwaareturned: "Webelieve that H. A. G. Baird, Hugh Mair, Henry Perceval and his wife, and their one-year-old child, oame to their death feloniously on Sunday evening, September 28th, and On Monday, September 29th, from wounds W flloted by weapons in the hands of George Furnivai:" In a journal published on October 17th, close by the scene where this ghastly crime was committed, we read that "mystory still surrounds the terrible muXat Fullerton, Nebraska in which our citizens are so deeply »*««*»• It is, of course, possible that before this some tidings may have been heard of the murderer; but.'in that case, they have not yet reached Mrs and Miss Baird or General and Mrs ferceval, the sorrowing English relations of the young victims who have'perished by the hand of their false friend Assuming that the /acts which we have stated are in the mam correct, and that Furnival is still at large, the United States authorities can hardly refuse to cause a vSgorous search to be made for the fugitive, so that the author of one of the foulest murders ever committed may be hunted down, and visited with the just penalty of his atrocious and inhuman crime.

A LADY'S LETTER FROM LONDON.

Feminine Facts, Fanoios, and Frivolities.

(BY ELISE.)

precis,

Ciiristmas Presents—The Ammoniaphone— Type Writers—"Bib and TacicKß"—Reve lations op an Infant—Furs—Sables—Tiik Finney-Garmoylb Cabe—Miss Finney in Court — Her Dress — Tns Adams-Colk uidqe Scandal—A Chief Justice and a FATnEn—Board Wages—Miss Coleridge— Disoust ok tiik Jury at the J imam's Parti ality—Judgment OvKii-aui.ED—Adams's Revknoe-A "Society Journal Lihel caße-damagkß £1,000 and costs—"the Candidate " at the Critkrion Theatre— Amubino Comedy — Description— "inn Grand Mogul "—Failukb—Live Serpents —Dresbes Wokn in Diplomacy.

London, December 4.

Dear Mr Editob,— Frost in the air, gaudy annuals on the bookstalls, and countless pretty things in tho shop window* sorro to remind us that Christmas, with its inovit nblo festivitins, is coining, and that, as a well-conducted family, wo must forthwith perpetrate the annual oxtravaganco of buy. ing presents for our kinsfolk. Thoro do not seem to bo many novoltios to chooso from this year. Tom says he moans to give all our friends who sing "ammoniaphones." You know what they aro? Dr. Carter Moffat's now machines for improving and increasing the volumo of tho voico. They are soiling by tens of thousands. Since tho experimental concertwasgivenin St. James's Hall, and peoplo discovered that, even after two or thrco inhalations, their compass per coptibly increased, almost all professional singers have invested in ammoniaphones. The coat is only ono giiinoa, bo that tho in vention seems worth a trial at least.

Hall's typo-writer is another " knowing " present either for a lady or gentleman. Till rocently " The Remington " (a machine liko a small piano and costing £21) has heon the only type-writer.in use. Now, how over, an American firm havo invented a neat little machino which fits into a box a foot long and a few inches high, can be conveniently carried in the hand anywhoro, and worked by a child aftor halfan-hour's practice Mr O'Donnel, Mr Herbert Glad stone, and other M.P.'s now do all their correspondence with Hall's typo-writer. You can make two admirablo press copios

from its work, or. if you use a hektograph, 50 to 60 copies. The cost of Hall's machino is £3.

Have you uny young—that is compara tively young—married couples amongst your acquaintance?? If so, expend one shilling on a tiny booK called "Bib and Tucker, tho Revelations of an Infant in Arms," and send it them. Nothing more doliciously humorous has boon written for a long timo. My attontion was drawn to it by seeing a gentleman buying a dozen copies at Glaisher's in the Strand tho othor day. " Who is that ?" I asked when he had disappeared. "Mr Walter Besant, the novelist," was the reply, "Hois so struck with ' Bib and Tuckor' that ho means to send several friends a copy."

It is not much use dovoting a groat deal of space to "chiffons" at this time of the year, for we are now wearing furs, seal skins, and heavy oloths, which would bo far too keavy for your climate, oven in the dead of winter. Sablos and sealskins aro extremely fashionable this year. I met Mrs Cornwallis West in Bond-street the othor afternoon. Sho woro a long sealskin coat that reached almost to tho edge of hor dark blue dress, and a seal-ikin bonnot with blue and rod feathers in it. Lady Dudloy'a sables are exquisito and priceless. Thoy aro of the rarest ahado, and match por fectty. Mr 3 Langtry wears a closo-litting costume of blackest-blue velvet, with ruff and cuffs of sable and toque to match, The Princess of Wales has a costume of dark green in tho same stylo, only rather plainor. Her sables are also a wonderful set.

" Tout eat Finney " was, I regret to say, the vilo punperpotrated by Tom as he put down the MG^obV' tho other evening aitor reading mo a report of Miss Ftnnoy 's breach of promise case against Lord Garmoyle. We wero not ablo to got into Court to vitness tho trial, but Cousin Horbort, who is a briefless barrister, was thoro, and declares ho enjoyed himself immensely. Miss Finney, accompanied by an elderly lady— probably hor mother—occupied a seat on tho bench, and was the observed of all observers. She wore a very becoming costume of much braided dark green cloth, and though partially veiled during tho Attorney- General's speech, seemed perfectly indif ferent and sell-possessed. Tastes differ, of course, but I cannot say I 'admire Miss Finney, or Fortescue, as sho profers to be called. The lady certainly possesses a sinuous languishing kind of beauty of a certain sort, but it requires careful dress to set it off. In servant's garb, for example, she looks positively plain. Scandal-loving Londoners have boen more than compensated for the partial collapse of the Fortescue-Garmoyle case by fhp astounding disclosures in Adams v. Coleridge. What family has not a skoleton in its closet nowadays? Fancy the Lord Chief Justice of England putting his daughter and servants on miserable board wages whilst he was feasting and being made much of in America! Fancy, too, the greatest of England's judges, the supposed embodiment of benignjustjco ftnd unswerv ing moral reotitudo, conspiring with his Eon to blacken the character of a poor and therefore unwelcome suitor for his daughter's hand ! Imagine, too, this ex ample to tho nation turning his only daughter out of doors, striking her out of his will, and gonorally playing the stern parent of fiction I Our sympathies (mine and Tom's) are altogether with Mr Adams. There can be no doubt ho had been verbally libelled continuously, and that tho great influonce of tho Lord Chief Justice had been strained to its utmost to injure and ruin him before ho availed him self of tho Hon. Bernard Coleridge's written attack to ventilate his wrongß. Tho scene in Court, too, was disgraceful Justico Manisty, who tried the ca6o, threw every possiblo impediment in the plaintiffs way, and exhibited a partisanship with the Cole ridges that, thank goodness I has drawn forth the sternest reprehensions, from tho pross. The jury wove disgusted, and al though imperatively ordered by the Judge to nonsuit Adams, indignantly declined to be over-awed by the power and position of the defendants. They found for the plain tiff damages £3,000, whioh is, of course, equivalent to saying that Bernard Coleridge and his father, the Lord Chief Justico, maliciously and knowingly libelled Mr Adams. Judge Manisty's attempt to over rule this verdict will probably succeed; but the fact remains that 12 good men and true have indirectly found Lord Coleridge guilty of a shameful act. In any case Adams's revenge ia complete. The idol has been smashed, and only very common clay remains. Lord_ Coleridge's prestige might have survived his treatment of Adams, but the picture of a great man's home, of the daughter on board wages, the cheap fish for lunch, the fuss about lighting the drawing-room fire, the son selling wine on commission, and the general atmosphere of parsimony and meanness, will never be forgotten. Miss Coleridge, the heroine of the story, is 36, and no beauty. She can, however, talk half-a dozen languages, and hasposeed the examination of "Musical Doctor." The friendship between herself and Adams was purely platonio, and would have re mained so, but for malicious acquaintances who talked scandal about the pair, fed co forced Adams into a proposal of marriage. The great success of the leading " sooiety^' journals has naturally raised up heaps of cheap imitations. Prominent amongat the least reputable of these Is a little paper called "Modern Society," whioh began life by calmly reproducing the greater part of "Truth," "The World," "Vanity Fair," and Life" for a penny, This was stopped after a time, and "Modern Sooioty" then had recourse to the London letters of the leading American papers, which are written by first-class men, and often contain matter too pungent for British nostrils. The system answered, and "Modern Society" has now a circula tion of 00,000 weekly according to the publishers' returns. A few months ago, however, it inserted sundry free and easy libels about Lady Colin Campbell's mother, a respectable old lady living quietly in a London suburb. Proceedings wbro taken civilly (a much safer and more certain means Of redress than criminal jit'osecution), and the other day a sovore jury mulcthed the worthy proprietor of "Modern Sviciety " one thousand pounds and costs. The paper has since been sold.

"We spent a very merry evening at the Criterion Theatre on Saturday week, when " The Candidate," a new 3-act comedy by a member of Parliament (name unknown), was produced. Like all such piece's, "The Candidate " deals with the troubles of a too much-married husband. In this case the hero is Lord George Oldacre, whoso life ia made miserable by his mother-in-law—a

strong-minded woman with a mission to "preserve the peers" and a penchant for Mr Goodevo, a fat oily missionary from tho Fijis. Oldacre has been asked to contest the borough of East Hampton in the Con servative interests against Mr Bradley, tho great Radical bugbear and atheist. He seizes this opportunity to enjoy a fortnight's holiday in London without his wife's know lodge, and persuades his privato secretary, Alaric Baffin, to assume hia name, and go and canvass at East Hampton in his stead. Thoro is no risk, he points out, for, of courso, the East Hampton Radicals will never return a Tory as Bradloy's confrere. Unfortunately, Baffin hiinaclf is an out-and out Radical, and when ho finds himself in the mid«t of an energetic mob of Bradley's adorers at East Hampton, with a water-butt conToniontly handy and angry voices omin ously asking which sovt of brick he likos best, he forgets all about his assumed r6le, and at once proclaims his genuine oonviction. Those are of tho extremost anti-Coneervative character; in faut, compared with them the viows of tho lato mombor, Mr Henry (meant, of course, for Labouchere), were 'flabby." Tho East Hampton men aro dolightod at his conversion, and return Lord Oldacre at tho top of the poll.

At tho end of tho fortnight {i.e., the day aftor tho declaration of tho poll at East Hampton), Oldncro cornea liome, and is pestered to givo tho result of tho election, but cannot, as Baffin hasn't returned. Ho getshimsolf into a fearful mess, from which, howover, tho Secretary's arrival with tho astounding news of his olection oxtricatos him. Preparations are boing made for rojoicings on a large scalo when tho post arrives and retribution sets in. Old acre l'ccoivos a post-card of congratula tion from Gladstono, and cordial letters from Bradley and Henry. Those, together with tho Tory newspapers containing articlos on the "Renegade Peer," "Extra ordinary Recantation of a Rich Conser vative," &c, fall into his mother-in-law's hands. Baffin, moreover, has made love to n protty widow whilst at East Hampton, and she writes to Lord Oldacro affootionatoly as " my darling popsy-wopsy," announcing her immediate arrival. The wretched nobleman finde himself obliged either to boar tho onus of all Baffin's misdoings or else confess his own, which, alas ! includo a flirtation made with a pretty actress in London. Complication folio .vs complica tion till at last Baffin confessos, and Qld acro turns on his mother-in-law and defies her, having first proved hor favourite mis sionary v humbug. Tho piece bristles with polltioal allusions and jokes, tho latter at tho oxponso of each party in turn. Thus, it is no soonor ob served that "Radicals will ba loyal-for a sovoroign " than someone rotorts "Consor v; iveß will do anything—for a crown," and thoso who might bo disturbed by play ful argumonts about abolishing tho House of Lords are soothed by heariug tho caucus doscribodas a "machino for turning out politics as thoy do Brummagom jowollery." Tho piece is capitally playod—Mr Charlos Wyndham as tho volatile OUacro, Mr Goddona as Baffin, and Mr Blakoloy as tho fat, unctuous old missionary who " superin tends tho salvation " of his " doar Fijians " from a distanoo—boing all inimitable

I saw Mr Labouchoro —to whom, as Mr Henry, froquont allusions woro mado— laughing heartily in the stalls, and tho groat Bradley (Bradlaugh) himsolf was said to bo lurking nomowherc ac tho back of ono of tho private boxes. The pioco, I need scarcely s;»y, mado a hit, and will run for many a month to como.

" Tho Grand Mogul," Amdran's now comic opera at the Comody Thoatro, has failed miserably and deservedly. Tho libretto by Farnio is a lamo, hulting affiiir-—tne words of tho Bongs boing mostly impossible to sing—and tho seoro doesn't contain a singlo number worthy of the composer of tho " Mascotte" and " Olivette." Arthur Roborts, in the character of an Indian Fakir, "Juggins Lai," sings a funny song called "The Dotlotof My Eye," but that isn't by Audran at all, The snake-.charming disgustod us sadly. Tho spectacle of protty Miss Florence St. ifohn in a very (hcolletce dross, with two slimy snakes twining round hor arms and neck, and snuggling their heads into her pearl-powdered bosom, was any thing but nice. I promised to sond you a description of tho dresses worn by Mrs Bancroft and Miss Calhoun in "Diplomacy." Tho lattor have boen much canvassed. Thoy nro tlio work of the court milliner, Madamo Nicole, who describos them as follows in tho society papors : —" Mrs Bancroft wears two splondid drosses—ono of crimson coral rod velvet, with long train, and panols. at the sidoß of gold-coloured satin, covoretj with a network of iino rod and gold oords, ovory square fas^enod l^y a tiny pea-shaped gland of gold, heading a tassel of ruby-tinted beada. Tho sleeves aro simply buttoned across the top of the arm, but with diamonds. Tho second, quite as handsome, is a sort of surtout of seal-brown plußh over an inner dress of cream, the skirt boing of faille, draped with cream cashmoro. The plush jacket, fitting closo behi/.d, hangs like a Zouave, loose in f ronfc, and is adorned with tho richest pa,s.fio«ontorio ornaments in gold,, ft.s it wove splashed on, as well as dawn tho sides of the open fronts. This surtout is lined with rose dc Chine, giving such pretty riflets on to tho cream. Miss Calhoun's costumes are simply delicious. The robe tie chambre, in which she first ap pears, is a jaunty urrangemont of white serge and pale blue quilted satin, with a tiny hood at tb,e twefc. Then a beiirre frais satin tea-gown, shrouded in delicate valonciennos, is a triumph of elegance in its filmy draperies. Tho travelling dress is a kind of redingote of chamois coloured cloth, with rovers of seal-coloured plush, buttonod back with large steel buttons, showing a waistcoat covered with steol passementerie in leafy designs, somo of which oxtond like a gold find steol flower to the upright plush collar, and also head tho plush rovers at tho back. With this is worn a tall felt hat, exactly matching in colour, trimmed with a broad band of plush, into which chamois marabout feathers are fastenod by an aigrotto of sparkling steel drops. Tho ball-drosß is a trained robe of white satin, with pale salmon volvet stripes about throe inches broad. Tho pay sanne corsage is mado plain and pointed (the stripes beautifully adjuatod) and white satin puffed loosely across tlio chest to tho shoulders; then, aa if to bvoak tho hard white Uno next tho next, salmon tulle sprinkled with ti,ny tassels c,f pink poarls is carolessly draped ovor it, and caught up jat oaoh shoulder. The front of the skirt is ono mass of this beautiful tullo and pearls in bewildering draperies.

Sale of Actresses' Photographs.

According to a Now York paper, the profits attached to the sale of actresses' photographs is something enormous. The monia for buying those pictures bogau in 1866, and at the cartes of Mies Fanny Davenport, Clara Morris, and Adelaide Noilson wore most in demand. Madame Surah BernhardC and Mrs Lungtry, of recent times, were each paid £300, by a well known American photographer, for the privilege of permitting themselves to be taken. It is a singular fact in connection with this sale of photographs that in Europe as soon as a celebrity dies the orders for his orher piotures increase considerably whilst in the States it is exactly the re verse. Tons of thousands of likenesses of Miss Mary Anderson and Miss Maud Brans combe have been sold within the last three yaars, and the demand is on the ineraase. Among the men, Mr H. J. Montague was onco a favourite, as was George Rignold, who played Henery V. It waß with great difficulty the photographer could keep pace with orders, as ladies from all parts of the country wanted their piotures. Oscar Wilde was paid a percentage for some time, and his cartes sold with marvel lous rapidity.

Rival Opera Singers.

It teems that last spring Mr Mopleson took Madame Patti an to the stage of the Metro politan Opera House, New York, to pay her compliments to Madame Nilsaon, his special reason being that he " wanted to know how they felt towards each other." One knows how the dear domestio pussy cat feels when the other deir domestio pussy cat from a neighbouring establishment is introduced on to the first pussy's hearth rug; and Mr Mapleson wanted to see whether—if I may without rudeness'apply such t|miließ to two charming ladies—their baok& 'would begin to curlj whether an 6'minouß growl would be heard in their throats," and so on. Nothing, however, could have been more affectionate in their meeting. Jealousy 1 Not a bit of it. " They-both spoke of singing together in the same campany, and both seemed to be pleased at the notion that theY might do this in the future. Christine Nilieson said to Patti, ' You know, my dear, mt my parts are not your parts. Therefor ;■ why should we clash ?' Adelina said in reply, 'Why, of course1 my darling? why, we might even sing'in the same operas together.'" ' How much would this cost the impresario per open?—" Illustrated Sportingand Dramatic News.

How Freemasonry Saved my Life.

I BECAME a Mason before I obtained my majority ia tho —- regiment of loot, I hud joined a celebrated lodge in the Metropolis and although at first I took but languid interest in tho business, I soon became interested, and ondeavoured to make mysolf familiar with the teachings of the order.

My regiment was at this timo stationod at Chatham, but I always contrived to run up to town to attond lodge, and I usually found the Maaonic banquets much more enjoyable than the mess dinners. I had taken two or three degrees in the order, aud was looking forward in due time to filling some honourable office in the lodge, when war broke out between England and Russia,

We had been expecting hostilities, and immediately upon the publication of the Queen's proclamation my regiment re ceived orders to hold itself in readiness for activo sorvico. I had at onco to givo up all my dreams of Masonic advance, and pre pare mysolf for the stern duties of the held.

Many readers will doubtless remember tho stirring incidonts of tho period of which I am writing, and I need not dwell upon tho dotails connected with our doparturo for tho Crimoa. We were among tho first to embark, and with our luggage we wore crowded into one of those uncomfortable troopships of tho Urgent type, which were tho best moans of transport our Admiralty then possessed. . . . Some of tho rogimonts woro embarked on board hired transports, and others were accommodated en board the line-of-battle ships, which formed a portion of the fleet which was to attack tho forts of Sebastopol. The voyage was an unploasant ono, but we did not mind that.

Our follows were dolightod at tho thought of active sorvico in the field, and no one dreamed of tho hardship and suffering which we woro fated to endure. Our land ingatEupatoria.and thovietory of the Alma, are facts of history, too well known to need any reference hore. . . . Some of us wore san guine enough to beliovothat this victory had decided the fate of tho Russians, but wo soon discovered that our task was only beginning. When tho tranches woro opoued wo were among tho troops ordored to the front, and from first to last wo got more than our share of the fighting. We should not, how ovor, havo minded that if wo had been properly cared for. Wo were a fortnight without tents, and when wo got them they were a poor defence against the woathor — moro rags, in fact, which admitted every breath of wind. I and two or throe of the oilicors mossod and slept together in a small tout, to tho right of our position, and wo soon found that tho mess was a moro fiction. Hard broad and salt junk, with green coffee, woro indeed served out to us, but wo had no comforts, and our private stores, upon which wo had based our hopes, wore on board our sltip in Balaclava harbour, and wo had no chance of getting them.

Often havo I, after spending a night on tho damp ground, with no other sheltor than our flimpy tent and a blanket, risen to breakfast off biscuits and cold water. Tho m6h, of course, were no better off than oursolves, and us winter approached a groat many of them wero obliged to cut off their knapsacks into loggings, to defend thoir limbs from tho wot mid mud of tho tro>ches, What awful nights those were which wo spont on duty at tho front ! . . . Salt junk, or wilt horse, as the sailors call it, was boginnin^ to tell upon us, and our mess at least was suffering from that indosoribablo longing for freah moat which must bs felt to bo understood.

Tho regiment which was quartered near us was French, and tho mon possessod a brute of a dog, which somehow or othor manngod to keop a little flosh on its bones. Wo longed to shoot and dino off tho rascal, which was continually prowling about our tent, but honour forbade us to attempt such an outrage. Gaston was known to bo a great thief, and wo strongly suspested that ho mado froo with our scanty rations ; but wo could nover catch him in tho act, until, ono memorable night, tho rogue, forgetting his usual caution, Blipped into our tent, and snatched a piece of pork before our very oyos. O'Jt'lannigan of ours had been cleaning-his revolver, and as the brute rushed past with the moat, be struck him a tromondous blow on tho head with tho butt ond of tho weapon. Poor Gaston rolled ovor, with a cry which was a cross botwoon a howl and a shriek, droppod the meat, turned up the whites of his eyos, and gavo up tho ghost. Wo were not long in disposing of the body, and I must con fess that roast dog is an excellent dish.

. We had to pay for Gaston through tho noso. His comrados in the regiment bqod cleared up the mystery of his disappearance, and O'Flannigun and I had to oxchange shots with a couple of fire eaters who felt bound in honour to burn powder over the affair. But this little incident keeps mo from the pith of my story. I have to tell how Froe masonry saved my life, and I hasten at once to the denouement. Our lines had beon steadily pushed forward towards tho Russian batteries, and wo wore almost every day expecting a sortie, when, o»o evening, as I was looking ovor the eaithen parapet in tho direction of tho battery, which had beon playing upon us all day, I thought I saw a dark and moving mass advancing upon our left. I hinted my suspicions to Major L., and wo both watched carefully. Presently wo saw tho glitter of steel. " That waa the sword of an officor," said L. " The fool has beon using the flat of it upon tho back of a laggard. lam satisfied nowthat a largo force isadvancinguponus." Afewminwtossufficed to mako our few preparations to rocoivo the enemy, and we awaited the attack in sullen silence. Tho moment tho hend of tho at tacking column waa plainly visible, wo com menced playing upon it with grape and canister. Tho Russians rushed forward with a loud shout, aud we roplicd with a volloy of musketry. The enemy wiw truly in great force, and had soon readied tho parapet of our -works, when a dosporato attack on our part with the bayonot drove them back in groat confusion. Wo rushed out of tho trenches, and a hand-to-hand conflict took place in the darkness, tho like of which I have nevor seen since, and hope I shall nevor see again. The Russians were ably supported by reinforcements from the rear, and wo wore assisted by a brigade of French Infantry, which came up as soon as the firing was beard. We had driven tho enemy to the counterscarp of hia own works, when he rallied and made a desperate charge, under which our mon reeled and retreated for a moment. In the struggle I received a bayonet wound in tho side, and fell. A fresh column of Russians had cotno out to relieve their comrades, and these fellows covered the retreat in a most masterly «tyle. I expected every moment to receive tho coup de grace, for the retreating Russians cruelly bayoneted our wounded as thoy lay helpless on tho ground. A bruto of a fellow had, indeed, brought his bayonet to tho charge, with the intention of finishing me, when, with a sudden inspiration, I sprang to my feet, seized the hand of an offioer who stood near and gave him the sign. Fortunately he was a Mason. He, of course, instantly returned it, while, with his sabre, he thrust baok the deadly point which was levelled at my breast. My brotherly foe immediately gave an order for my removal, and I was carried into shelter of the battery by the very men who, but for my happy thought, would have given me a happy dospatch to the other world. My wound was instantly attended to, and the next morning I received a visit from my preser ver, who brought with him a surgeon, whosoon made me as comfortable as circum stances would admit. The story of my miraculous escape soon spread through the division, and I received many kind visits from Masons, who proved themsalves" to be brothers in word/ and deed. : Many little comforts were contributed :by these gocd fellows, with the view of making my captivity as pleasant as possible, I was, of course, hors de combat for the re mainder of the campaign. I was taken into the interior as soon as I could be moved, but my story went with me, and I every where received the kindest treatment from the Russian officers. My oaptivity waa not of long duration, and I need not dwell upon the subsequent events of the war. The death of the Caar hastened tho peace, and I was among the first of the prisotiers who returned to England. % need scarcely add that I have ever since been a zealous Arla3on, and shall cherish the principles of the order as long as I live. When I hear people railing against Masonry, or when captious critics demand to know what practical good the order has achieved," I usuallytellmy story, andl am temptedtore late it once again in the e'ndjimng 'form of ; letterpross, in;the hope thai; the moral of the incident may compel conviction in the mind of those who are too ready tio believe \ that Masonry is merely' humbug in dis-' : guise.—" Prize Tit-BH.': ■ ■>' '" """

The Mad Marksman.

I had just taken a turn, in company with Doctor Noirot, through the vast gardens that, surrounded his hospital, ami wjir ad vancing with him towards the entrance of hia own special dwelling. The celebrated physician, whoso particular field was insanity, was explaining to me the case of one of his patients whom we had met in an alley, and who had saluted us with a patronising air. At that moment an explosion resounded a few paces from us. I grasped my host's arm.

" What's that?" I asked. "Has ono of your patients shot himself f' Doctor Noirot smiled.

"No," eaid he. "Reassure yourself. It's still ano.ther very peculiar case I want you to see." And turning obliquely to the left,he drew mo toward a small pavilion hidden behind a grove of trees. He unlocked the door, lea me across tho narrow vestibule, and we found ourselves in a sort of long court surrounded by walls. A man was there, of lofty stature, clad in a strange hunting costume. He had his back against ttre wall of the pavilion, aud at tho moment wo entered raised his right hand, armed with a pistol. Our arrival did not disturb him. He aimed slowly with a sure hand. I fol lowed the direction of the weapon, and saw at about twenty paces distant, at the foot of the opposite wall, a white face, with a dark hole in the centre of the forehead. It was, as well as 1 could judge at that dis tance, the plaster mask of a Greok head, in which I thought I recognised the classic type of Diana the huntress. The pistol was discharged. Tho heap did not move, and not oven a fragment flew from it.

"Look I" said the doctor to me in a low voice. "It's very curious. Ho never misses his mark."

" No. All tho balls are lodged in tho eamo placo, in that dark hole, smaller than a sixpenny piece." Tho man had drawn another pistol from his belt. He fired. As before, the mask re mained intact. The weapon being loaded with several balls, the marksman suc cessively discharged five more balls, Not one of them cut tho forehead of the white face.

The doctor laid his hands upon the shoulder of tho marksman, who wheeled about. His visage, though enframed by a strong beard, had an expression at onco onergotic and sad. " Stop or instant, pleoso," Baid the doctor to him.

Tho man made a sign of consent with his head. Then the doctor led me to tho other end of the court, and behind the plaster mask showed mo a plate of blackened iron that protected the wall. In the centre of the plate a round spot glistened with re flection of lead produced by tho flattening of the balls.

"You see," said ho, showing me the exact correspondence of the brilliant spot with the hole that pierced the plaster mask, "you soo that all tho balls pass through there.' You will not find ono of thorn elsewhere."

"It is marvellous," answered I. "But what strange history is associated with this man 1"

"Come," said the doctor to me, "I will tell you on the outside." We again crossed the court and the vestibule of the pavilion. And this is what Doctor Noirot told me, while behind us the detonations commonced. with regular in tervaU betweon them.

"This unfortunate man/ said my host, "calls himielf Guido Vontgwa. Is he an Italian, a Spaniard, or Ainoriuiu? That's what we don't exactly know. Probably ho fa an American, for it is the New World that particularly sends these virtuosos of the revolver and rifle.

"Guido Ventura, when ho came to Paris, was accompaniod by a young woman named Miss Arabella. She was a superb creature, scarcely twenty years of ago, with tho head of a goddess and the figure of a statue. Admirers wore not lacking, and in less than a weok it became the fashion to go to see tho splendid Miss Arabella aid in bis exercises the celebrated marksman, Guido Ventura. She stood proudly, her arms folded, her visage impassable, fifteen paces from Guido Ventura, who directed upon her the vain menace of his pistol, the infallihlo ball of which cut a card potween her fingers, broke the bowl of a pipe two inches from her lips, and crushed the shell of a nut on her head.

A slight trembling of the marksman's hand,and all would have beon over with the supurb Arabella. But the hand of Guido Ventura never trombled.

"Evidently Guido Ventura loved his creature like an idol. To bo convinced of it, it sufficed to surprise one of those glances that shot from his oyes each time when in the foyer of tho theatre, whore he was awaiting his turn to go upon the stage, when some gallant was unusually attentive to tho handsome girl. Was he jealous also? Certainly. And he must have suffered atrociously.for his companion, so coquettish and beautiful, seemed to dolight in exasperating his jealousy. "On one occasion tho manager of the Alcazar d'Automme stopped hor in the winga as sho was escaping with a laugh from a circle of -vine-excited coxcombs.

" 'See here, my little one,' he whispered in hor ear, 'you had bettor take caro. Every evening that man holds your lifo at his mercy!' " Arabella burst out laughing. " ' Ho kill me !' cried she, shrugging hor shoulders. ' Got along with you, he thinks too much of mo to harm a hair of my head !'

"And ovory night sho stood before the muzzle of the pistol with the same tran quillity, fascinating tho rebellion of her lovor, as the eye of tho tamer fascinates that of a wild beast.

" One ovening, when the name of Guido Ventura and that of Arabella had been shining scarcely a week upon tho bills of the Alcazar d'Autommo, a gontleman of fine ap poarance entered the foyer, went straight to woman, who uttered a slight cry of surprise, and, taking her hands, kissed the tips of her fingers. Guido Ventura, who had beon talk ing with tho manager, turned and suddenly grow vory pale. The man who had just en tered waa a rich Yankee, whoso attentions to Miss Arabella had made Bomo noise in Now York. It was because of him particularly that tho marksman had made his engage ment in Paris and hastened his depar ture from Amorica. But this man now had taken a notion to follow them, for it was on aocount of Arabella that ho had oomo to Paris. As soon as he ascertained where she had gone, ho had taken passage on the next steamer. That night, as sho was returning to her dressing-room, Guido Ventura made a terrible sceno with his companion. " But the most terrible scene took placo some nights later. For a week the Ameri can had hung about Arabella's footsteps. Guido Vontura had striven to exact that the managor of the Alcazar d'Autommo should prohibit him from entering the coulisse. But, having made his way into the managerial office with his hat in his hand, tho American emerged rattling his wallet back into his pocket, and there was no longer question of his exile. 11 That night when Arabella waa prepar ing to assume her page's dress for the performance, Guido Ventura saw n paper fall from her corsage. He picked it up and read it. It was a love lotter, proposing to the young girl an elopement 1 and marriage the next day. When he came down into the foyer the marksman had knitted browa and a quivering lip. He | took a pistol and aimed at his own image in mirror, and his own hand did not tremble. " Five minutes afterwards he was on the stage, commencing his exercises. As he turned, he saw behind him in the coulisse the American leaning against a flap. Just at that instant M,iss Arabella planted herself in front 6f him, her arms folded, her nutshell placed upon her head. She smiled. On whom was she smiling? On the man who vas there behind them. Guido Ventura saw it dearly from the di rection of her glance I Suddenly, h.6r eyes having moved, she eoased to smile, and a shadow pas3ed aoross her visage Standing before her, Guido Ventura took aim full at her forehead. The report rang out, and, Miss Arabella fell dead upon tlje boards. "When they tore from his arms tha corpse that he had desperately clasped to his bosom, Guido Ventura was a madman. ' " Was it a crime ? Was it an accident? They thought only of stifling the affair. In Paris the dead are speedily out of mind. The first excitement over, people forgot the two hero'o» of this bloody -drama. " Since that Guido Ventua has been here in m/ establishment, passing half his days aiming at "his plaster mask. Once he ch'ahcedto break it and for a week after wards' he was delirious. But he is in offensive as yon can see.". ' We returned to the pavilipn and found; the marksman loading his weapons. "Not a snot m'isseoVtne mark! eh?" said; the doctor to him, in an affable.'tone/ _ The'man'raised 'his heatf/and, pointing with 'Ms finger 'to " tlje' plaster mask, lahWereot in a follow voice— "Not one ! Always in the centre of tho forehead!"

The Whisky Smugglers of the Highlands.

I knew George Smith (who in his younger days had boen a small tenant on tho (Jlenlivat esfate of the Ihi!;o of Gordon) well in his old age, and many a yarn have I heard him tell of the old smuggling times. He is dead now years ago, and his son reigns in his stead over bhat Glonlivat distillery which, beginning with a precarious output of 100 gallons a week, now regularly distils about 2,000 gallons within the same period. I used to enjoy sittiug opposite the old gentleman by his own fireside, and listening to the stories that poured from him as ho gat in the big arm-chair. His breadth of shoulder and depth of chest were immense, and if in old age he had grown somewhat ponderous, in the days of his prime, when ho had to old his distillery by his stout arm against the smuggling gangs who were the " rattenera" of that day, his muscular development must have been tremendous The father of licensed Highland whisky dis tillation had a strong curt fashion of narra tive. I find the following scrap in an old note book, taken down from his lips, and describingtho situation when he commenced operations, " The outlook was an ugly one. I waa warned before I began by my neigh bours that they meant to burn the now distillery to the ground, and me in the heart of it. The Laird of Aberlour presented me with a pair of hair-trigged pistols, and they were never out of my belt for years. I got together throe or four stout fellows for servants, armed them with pistols, and let it bo known everywhere that I would fight for my place till the last shot. I had a pretty good character as » man of my word, and, through watching by turns every night for years, wo con trived to save tho distillery from tho fate so freely predicted for it. But I often, both at kirk and market, had rough times uf it among the glen people, and if it had not been for tho Laird of Aberlour's pistols, 1 don't think I should have been telling you this story now. In '25 and '26 three more small distilleries woro started in tho glen ; but the smugglers succeeded very soon in frightening away their occupants, none of whom ventured to hang on a einglo year in the face of the threats uttered against them. Threats wero not the only weapons' used. In 1825 a distillery which had just been started at the head of Aberdeenshire, near the banks o' Dee, was burned to the ground with all its outbuildings and appliances, and tho distiller had a very narrow escape of being roasted in his own kiln. Tho country was in a dosperately lawless state at this timo, Tho riding officers of the revenue were the mere sport of the smug glers, and nothing was more common than for them to be shown a still at work, and then coolly defied to make a seizure." ' A few of the smuggling stories I gathered in my early days, told me by George Smith and others, I still remember, and they may bear narrating. A man named Shaw, who kept a sort of public-house, or rather she been, on the Shea water, in the district of Mar, was a noted character among the smugglers for many years. He was a man of gigantic stature, and was by no means scrupulous as many a gauger know to hie cost, whilst he had a keen senso of rough good humour which redeemed him from being wantonly cruol. His house was a notod haunt of smugglers. Ono night Smith was on his way down into the South Country, and, being ovortaken by a storm, was compelled to take refuge in Shaw's establishment. An acquaintance had ex isted between tho two in tho olden time, when as yet Smith had not gone over to the enomy, and Mrs Shaw and Smith had been old cronies. She—Shaw himself was not at homo—treated tho guost with all tho old time friendship, and when ready for bed he was shown to the bost room in tho house, with tho promise that should any chance band of smugglers drop in they should not be allowed to molest him. In the dead of the night there invaded the establishment a party of drunken smugglers, with big Shaw nt their head. Hearing that Smith was an inmate, he determined that he would give tho traitor who had betaken himself to lawful distillation a fright he would remember; and the rost of the band were quiet willing to lend him their co operation. The foremost man carrying a torch, they defiled in doep silence into Smith's bedroom, where ho was lying awake. Tho door having been carefully locked, tho conspirators took up positions all round the four-poster, and Shaw, pro ducing a hugo-bladod butcher's knife barkened with dried blood, brandished it over the prostrate man, exclaiming in a voice of thunder that " this gully was for hispowels." The Laird of Aberlour's pis tols were Smith's staunch allies. He had one in each hand under the bedclothes. The one in his right hand he levelled at Shaw's head, swearing he would shoot him if he and his party did not evacuate the room immediately ; with his left hand he Btealthily;fired the other on the great caver nous chimney across which stood the bed stead. This discharge made a report as if the whole structure was coming down by the run, and the smugglers bolted in pre cipitous fright—all except Shaw, who had detected the little stratagem, and who stood his ground and laughed at the whole affair as a joke. Smith was quite contont, real ising that the joke, if it were one, was rather in his favour.

This same Shaw was the hero of an oxploit which made a doughty gauger look very foolish. A party of smugglers were conveying two hundred barrels of whisky down to Perth ono winter when the snow lay deep on tho ground. Being a strong force and well-armed, they marched in day light, and without any regard for conceal ment. A squadron of the Scots Groys was lying in Perth, with a detachment of six men stationed at out-quarters in Coupar- Angus. A revenue supervisor, who had got tidings of tho smuggling expedition' ordered out this detachment, and pressed on with it through the snow until tho party mot the smugglers at Glonshee, under tho leadership of Shaw, with the whisky casks hung across the backs of ponies. "Gang off back up the Spittal quietly, Shaw," said the gauger, "and leave tho seizure in our hands." "Na, faith," replied Shaw with tho utmost coolness, "yo'llonly get just what we liko to gio !" "I'll have it alii" swore'the doughty excisemen. "By ," retorted Shaw, his Highland blood rising, " I'll shoot every pauger here before you will have a drop now!" " Fire!" roared tho little exciseman to his attendant dragoons ; and at the same time grappling Shaw by the collar, criod, "You've escaped mo often enough, Shaw I Give in now. I've a pistol in each breoclies pocket I" "An 4 it's there they'll no be lang," was the quiet remark of the giant, who made a clutch at each breeches pocket, where the bulge of tho pistol made itself apparent, lifted him clean out of the saddle, tore pistols and pockets clean out, and contemptuously chucked the tattered gaugor into tho nearest snow wreath. Tho dragoons, hampered in the deep snow, and greatly outnumbered, thought it wisest to disregard tho exciseman's order to fire ; and the final issue was that Shaw permitted the 6eizuro of four casks, ".just out of civility," and marched op in, triumph with the remainder of the consignment. There linger in the glens numbers of stories of similar indignities heaped upon the excisemen by the bold smugglers. On ono occasion two smugglers were travolling southwards with a cartload of "sma' still," wheu they # met a solitary gauger, who valiantly aspired to make the seizure single-handed. It was not long before h« was sorry he had been so foolhardy, they did not beat or maltreat him actively ; they merely seized him and bound him in a sitting poßture with his hana^s tied to gether over his knees, and a stiok inserted in the bend of the latter. At first they placed him thus helpless in the middle of the road, butin compliance with his earnest representations that he might be run over in the dark, they moved him to the road side, and took their leave with the grim prognostication that he would probably starve before he was found.

But all the smugglers were not rough, men like Shaw and his fellows. Some of them werehiahlyrespectaisjo law-breakers, who lived decenij and oleinly lives, and smug gled, just beoause it was their trade. One of those Worthies was wont to come down on business into the Aberdoenshire low lands, and his invariable head-quartexa-w&re the manse of Udny. While ha stayed he made a point of conducting the family worship' morning and evening. A busy body remonstrated with the minister for allowing a notorious smuggler to lead the worship of a clergyman's house. "501iti tout," replied the honest parson, "ife pleases him, weel 1 am sure it disna hurt me !"— Archibald Forbes, ia. <f Belgravia."

Sir George Grove remarked recently to jm interviewer, "The English, aw the best chorus singers in the ygpild, and have good, ears, but we v^ant to be taught t« de pend on oureeive,?. How citn we be oalled; c, r«usical nation when, we spend nyUteps a yea? to. hear German and Italian; m,ujuc played and- sung by Oewnan, ofld Italian, rhusioiflns ;. and i£ one is asked, as I was asked the ether, day at Pontresina, 'Who is your best English pianoforte player?' there is Kterally no answer to make i"

EDMUND YATES'S REMINIS CENCES.

' Tuf following are n few extracts from the ntwl.y ■ ptibliuheiJ Kcniiniscencej ot Mr Edmund Yates, the editor of the " World " :— A PORTRAIT AT ONE SITTING. Ono day I took Dickens—who had never seen Edwin James—to call on the latter. James luid himself out to be specially agreeable ; Dickens was quietly obsorvant. About four months after appeared the early numbers of "ATule of Two Cities," in which a prominent part was played by Mr Stryver. After reading the descrip tion, I said to Dickens, " Stryver is a good likeness." He smiled. "Not bad, I think," he aaid, " especially after only one Bitting." FOKER AND THACKERAY.

Mr Andrew Arcedeckne was the original of Harry Foker in "Pendennis." Arce deckne, however, had his revenge. On the night after Thackeray's delivery of hii first lecture on tlie " Humorists" at Willis's Rooms, where he had a very aristocratic audience, the great cynic was preening him self under a mass of congratulations at the Cider Cellars Club, when Arcedeckne entered and walked up to him. "How are you, Thack V ho said, buttoning his coat across in his usual fashion. "I was at jour show to-day at Willis's. What a lot of swells you hud there !—yes. But I thought it was dull—devilish dull! I'll tell you what it is, Thack ; you want a piano !" . WHO SHOT THE KEEPER?

Bir Richard Bethell, being the Attornoy- Goneral, and Sir Alexander Cockburn, being Solicitor-General, had occasion to discuss some important legal reform which wus to be brought before Parliament; and tho former suggested that it should be talked ovor at his seat, Hackwook Park, near Basingstokc. There, accordingly, Cockburn visited him, and on the first morning they and Dick Bothell, the eldest son, went out shooting. There were very few pheasants, but after they had been out a little time a terrific howl was heard from one of the keepers, who had been badly shot. A warm altercation, carried on in strong language, occurred between the two Buthells, father and son, each accusing the other of having shot the man. Cockburn took an opportunity of asking the keeper by which of his masters he had been shot, and got tho reply, "D 'em ! both of 'em !" Next term time there was a meet ing of legal dignitaries about this question of reform. Sir Kiehard Bethell opened the proceedings by Baying that he had given tho question careful attention, and was glad to say that his learned friend, the Solicitor-General, to whom he had ex plained his views, was of his way of think ing. On Cookburn's demurring gently, and saying he did not recollect the discus sion having taken place, Sir Richard said, in his moat mincing and affected tones, "You must recollect it, my dear friend ; it occurred the morning you shot my keeper 1" TENIHTSON. The first time I met Lord Tennyson was in Mr Tupper's company, at the house of Mr J. Bertram Payne, the then representa tive of Moxan & Co., where a few literary men were gathered together. It was the first time that the two poota had met, and it was amusing to watch their bearing to each other. The proofs of Mr Hughes's recently finished drawings for the illustrated edition of " Enoch Arden " were submitted to the Laureate, who approved of them all with ono exception. " That is not right," he said, in his deep voice. " ' There came so loud a calling of the sea.' The man can not have lived by the sea; he does not i know what a ' calling' means. It is any thing but a great upheaval such as is here represented." THE LATE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.

Mr Samuel Warren, Queen's Counsel, of " Ten Thousand a Year " fame, was not unaccustomed to adroit flatteries. One day, talking with the late Duke of Welling ton, he said, "What a% thousand pities it is, Duke, that you were not brought up to political life ! If you had been you would have far excelled your contemporaries, and been the first statesman of the day -nay, even now there is no reason, if you applied yourßelf, why you should not achieve that position." The Duke listened, and then said, " Mr Warren, I am very glad there is no one hero but ourselves to hear you say this." " Why, your Grace, why J" asked Warren. " Because," said the Duke, "they might fancy 1 was such a fool as to be lieve what you say I"

A LETTER PROM HATWABD. "8, St. James's-street, January 19.— Dear Mr Yates, —I do not know who wrote the article on Wilberforce, but I agree with you that to call him a ' truly delightful' person is an absurdity. I saw a great deal of him, and to me all his agreeability was spoiled by his palpable insincerity. He was a coarse-minded man. The Committee of the Athenaeum were frequently obliged to write to him about his selfish irregularities. He lodged in Pall Mall, and quite lived at the club. After breakfast it was his cus tom to sit upon two newspapers while read • ing a third, or to retire with a whole bundle. The article on ' Plain Whig Principles' is a bit of Reevism tout pur. It is not authorised by the Whig leaders, nor by Lord Granville nor Lord Harting ton, nor, to the best of my belief, by any Whig of note.—Faithfully yours, A. Hay ward."

SIR ROWLAND HILL. A deputation of Post-office " surveyors " was received, while I was still in the service in tho secretary's office, by Sir Rowland Hill. I knew from bis snort of defiance &i he listened, and from the battle-light gloaming behind his spectacles, that he probably meant mischief. He got his first shot at Trollope early in the discussion. Anthony burst in with an interruption : but Hill, pointing at him with his pencil, said at once: " One at a time, Mr Trollope, one at a time, if you please; anothergentlo man ia speaking now." And later on, when some one had been talking o.f "official phraseology," the old gentleman made 1 a great hit. " One of you gentlemen," he said, "has used tho words (official phrase ology.' Now, offloial phraseology is a good thing in its way, but very often it by no means describes the actually existing state of affairs. For instance, in writing to you, gentlemen, I am accustomed to describe myself in official phraseology as ' Your obedient humble servant,' whereas,"—and here he sat up and glared round through his glasses— "whereas Fm w>thw\g. of, the sort I"

SHIRLEY B^OffiKS, Brooks'sreadiness waaas great as Jerrold's, but his humouv. with a strong sub-acid flavour, was peculiarly his own. They : wore talking onoe, at my table, of the horrors of catalepsy, andbeingburiedalivo, and I was mentioning the Frankfort custom of deposit ing the bodies in the dead-hou=o for twenty four hours before burial, with a bell-rope attached to the wrist, that a signal mjgh,t be given in an instant in the event of itetuin ing animation. " Ah," said Brooks, " tha,t custom evidently suggested T, ennyson's line —' Many a morning on tho moorland did I hear the corpses ring !'■"■ Thorouehly his own, too, andj uttered with his usual curl of the nostril ana lip, was his remark on look ing round on my bookshelves, and seeing !my old school Homer, which Simpson, after patching and mending its back, had labelled "Homer's Lliad." " Homer's^ Lliad," said Brooks, with an inflection, on the name—" yes, I believe it is tha best." In his youth Shirley Brooks was a singularly handsome and thoroughly English-looking man,, with well-ou,t features, fresh com plexion, and. bright eyes. Even at last, when Us hair was silvery white and his, beard grizzled, he retained his freahnew, which, combined with his hearty genial 'manner, his appreciation of and prompti-. tude to enter into fun, made him look con siderably younger than his real age. He was hearty ajwthospitable, fond of dining at the diapers of rich city companies, where he would make excellent speeches; fond of enjoying the company of a friend at the GarriokOlub, or.at a corner'table in a coffee' idom at one of the, old hotels in Covent Garden. It w.OB. Me special delight to gather together at his. house in Kent Terrace, Regents Park, a score of intinaate ac ' quftjntances on the last night of tho old year, and in a few kindly words, as midnight chimed, to wish them happiness and prosperity in the coming season. Sb'jr ley Brooks, never, took any exercise, and livedl far too well, consequoutly his originally tine constitution w,as uad^rmined^by a complication of; disorders. He hated being away from London, and when in the country orattheeea for his annual holiday looked thoroughly wretohod and out of place, wore London otothosand a tall hat, and occupied his entire time in reading newspapers. He died on the 23rd of February, 1874. On the day previous he was told that a newspaper reporter had called to inquire after him. * 'There is no need for him to do that,"' Brooks said feebly ; "he shall haw his paragraph at the proper time,"-

CLIPTOMANIA.

(WICIALLY SELECTED BY OUR LONDON

CORRESPONDENT.)

I'iiK iSuUaii nun given permission to sixteen ladies of hie harem to send their photoa to tlio Beauty Exhibition in Paris. It appears that the competitors need not all of them put in an appearance in the flesh, but that, under certain circumstances, ladies at any distance, and of all natione, will be allowed to compote her photograph, but not, of course, on an equality with those who put in an appearance. Blinking had been lecturing for a month, and the other evening he slipped out and called on his young lady without letting his friends know of it. The next day ona of them met him. "Good morning, Mr Blinkins,'1 he said ; " where did you lecture last night?" "In town," replied 8., inno cently. "Had you 'a pleasant meeting?" " Yes very." " Did you hold your audience as usual?" "Well—ah—yes—that iR-no —of course I didn't. " I held her on my kp," blurted out Blinkins. " Truth " gathers from a report of Messrs Fouerheerd, the well-known wine merchants at Oporto, that the export of port wine from Portugal, far from diminishing, is on the increase. Between 1823-38 the export was 31,029 pipes; between 1858-68, 30,562 pipes; between 1569-7S, 49,997 pipes; and between 1878-83, 57,630 pipes. It would seam, therefore, that port, as a dinner wine, is coming into fashion again. The Mormons have very funny notions. Here is one. "My daar," said a Mormon wife to her husband, " 1 should think that you would be ashamed of yourself flirting with that Mies 8., as you did to-day." "Flirting with her?" he replied in astonishment. "Why, we have been en gaged for more than three months. It's all over town." "Oh, I beg your pardon," said his wife, indifferently. "If you are engaged to her I suppose it is all richt. When does the happy event occur?",., " The Wsek," which is one of the most influential papers in Canada, suma up the dispute as to tho Hanlan-Beach race, which has excited so much interest in this country, as follows :—*'Hanlan is known to be a needy man, fond of money, given to gambling, and his only chance to make a considerable sum was to lose the race and lay against himself—a device which it i» only too apparent he resorted to." It is evident that the Canadians don't take the beating in good part. For a convict who learns that ho has just inherited a fortune of eighty thousand pounds and a splendid estate to resolve on tho spot that he will, on the expiration' of his term of imprisonment, live an honest life setms somewhat strange. To live dis honestly with such a fortune would be as difficult ns unnecessary. The Frenchman who recently made the above vow mußt have been a trifle excited over his good fortune.— " Society." (i' A curious fatality seems to attend the anna sclcolastica of colonial bishops. Every one remembers Bishop Barry's loss of all his books and sermons; and now I hear that it similar accident has befallen Bishop Anson, l who went out only a few months ago to a diocese in North-west Canada. A fire broke out in his "palace"—a wooden Bhanty, I presume—and all his manuscript sermons were amongst the things destroyed.— "Truth."

Mr John Hogben, the Kentish gentleman who tho other day attained his hundredth year, will hardly be testimonialised by the United Kingdom Alliance or the Anti- Tobacco Society. He has been all through his life, it is stated, both a moderate drinker and a smoker. It is really very incon siderate ot men who indulge in those per nicious habits to go on living for a century, and to keep all their faculties in reasonable preservation, as Mr Hogben Beems to havo done.

I was says "Truth " amused to discover the other day that two of the corps of " experienced " voyageurs imported from Canada into Egypt at a vast expense were •-English youths who had recently emigrated to Canada. One of them had adopted no profession in particular during his short stay in the country, while the other had boen employed in a post-office, from whence he went straight to Egypt. I wonder if these two youths are a fair sample of the skilled navigators of the Nile Ex pedition. " Can you oblige me with a photograph of King Tawhiao?" "Sorry I can't» ma'am, for I have lost the niggertive,"

The engagement of one of Mr Jatnes Payn's daughters to Mr Buckle, the editor of the "Times," has been the subject of many congratulations from the wide circle of friends whose privilege it is to enjoy the acquaintance of the author of "Lost Sir Massingberd." Mr Fayn has a housefull of charming daughters, and it is the third one that js shortly to marry the editer of a journal in which many of her father's " Private Views" and other admirably witty articles have appeared.

Woman never undertakes the tasks of the sterner sex without introducing therein some livelier touch of her own gen tle fancy. The adult male burglar, for instance, is a rough methodical villain -afe the best, and slouches from his task as un. picturesquely as he entered upon it. Three girls at Leicester, on the other hand, aver aging thirteen summers apiece, were no(s content with such bare burglary. They broke into a house, stole all kinds of things, and got very, very drunk upon the pre mises. Dull men would never have dome so. much.

Almost all the rich and famous men in New York beganlife as "nobodies." C&ar les P. Daly was an apprentice to a quill pen cutter. Roswell P. Flower was a farm labourer at Idol, a day. August Belmont was an apprentice at nothing a year, and boarded himself. Grover Cleveland was a clerk in New York city at 4dol.Vweek. Cliirk Bell was a blacksmith apprentice, and could scarcely lift the hammer. Henry S, Abbey failed in the jewellery business. A. B. Cornell was a telegraph operator for Morse. George William Curtis was a clerk at 3dol. a week. Charles A. Dana was a. farm-boy. Chauncey Depew, like Thurlow Weed, was a cabin-boy on the-North River, and was in the line of promotion to a skipper. Edison was a newsboy. Gould and Grant were tanners. John Kelly was a grate setter. Dan Sickles was a type-setter; aridi Rufus Hatch and Russel Saga were farm hands.—" The Hour."

Tho following is a little, incident which took place a year before Patti's appearance on the stage :-She and hersister, Carlotta, were present at a party one evening. By some mistake, it had been neglected to order a carriage to take the young ladies home. It had been snowing heavily all day; the: Musses Patti were in evening attire their feet protected only by white satin slippers. It was two o'clock in themoraingj no «onvonient way of getting a conveyance; the greater part of the guests had left What could bo done ? Finally, a gentleman had the ingenious idea of procuring a sleigh which stood before a grocery store at tho corner. Tho Misses. Patti. well trapped in. shawls, and covered with blankets, got in it; the olothjes-lioes wore fetched, fastened to tb,a sleigh, ;■ a number of gentlemen placed thpniselve3 in front ofit, auddrewtheladieK to, their homes in Twenty-second-street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues. This, was probably the diva's first triumphal car. and afforded her and thosetaking part in the occasion great funand pleasure. "Never."' she said afterwards, "-will I forget thia incident, which I look upon as a good ome» for my future career." *~Aj -.! retearsal > when the stalls are filled With, critics, and tho gas suddenly goes oufc, means a painful experience for thp. management. But at th© Grand Ex hibition of Electric Town Lightimr at Temesvar, in Hungary, the situation wa» still more painful. Just when the court of foreign experts had assembled to see thel triumph of. olectricity over gas, the dynamos got out of order, there was total darkness and. no gas. to turn on. In street HplibW it is well to b« on with the new lov* "before you are off with the old. However criminal we must all feel tha shooting of Morm by Madauje Hugues to be, one thing is certain. With tEe firsC pistol shot that reverberated around tha &lle, de Justice, there colloid mst of £ unwholesome tyranny that Parisian detect trees have long wielded over the reputatiofl of honourable men and women, the dis" closures that will be forthcoming on tKa head at the trial will be the ruin It mm a blood-sucking rogue.—" Globe." y It is said that one of the foremost of American managers ba*. the intention o calhng a meeting of managers to abolish diamonds w the. theatrical and operatic profession. This young Mr Hopefufmain toins that managers are ruined by diamond He says- diamonds make women and mvlZ crazy, and send up salaries a hundrwfner cent. Ho asserts that diamonds are- under mi?V1g^Manag.f8' bank «R accounts,' and that things will, never coma to a de cent head again till real diamonds are for bidden on the stage, and. only stage dia monds are allowed whon. the character SW^T* n ventlJres°™ enough To

THE. AUCKLAND kVENHNo tflAli, SATCRDA*, JANUARY 24, 1»»5

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" BUCHU PAIB A.'.UonHl, coutbte cure. M ru.Huirtin Kidney, Bladder Mid Urll.«rt flLiiiiei "Al DnitfsLl.. K»lij *L'u,. AlMlla. lilUJkluud