THE GARDEN.

(BY HOR-rcs.)

\ options ftrDecember 10. 1 *0 CORRESPONDENTS. • vtveby, ETC. (Grapo-vine).-The _0_ _£?. is a very pood way to grow a d' TSre space is limited, or whero tie must l» taken into I'mßseian but Where thero is plenty of _«lder!___3oSt of a proper house is not too : mffl't Sby . irtheh est. The vines ! SfamfflSan under control, it is easier , jShonsf/P. lnmci.es, ro g,ilate tne shoots, _P? °1 .1 it Droduced is of better quality (2) '»»d < .. AUci'totisfiill report on vino culture W_s__m States has bren published by <iii tio ninnd Government, but I have not vsiJ(9_i_P ?*«» .£! frBBKS, PORTrr..\(?A (Amateur). ---.^ al. fcte'r lirt your tuber:; when ripe, as ; W_tt_ when lifted thoy ;-t a more cc. \^___m when left iii the bonier all ■j0 rM%,,der tlio influences of the soil. I I 00m. ipftin the borders last summer, und iii m succeed nearly so well t_ those I ft. ."I",? lifted. After lifting, store away ; vW ]i WS m You can still sow portulaca '$ __f_ li-hcopon border. If your seod is 1 *£__J5 a few seeds in each spot, as I i&Msw always look better when tho mm ___ best' altlloUsll A liavc seen sood ' Wftw. 6ERS^Amatour).~The stunted SSSfffifOUr cucumbers is due to the long i_S 'cold weather. Meh n? pumpkins, PEsS_id tomatoes arc nleo huttering from sffn^_ pause. I planted out a few eucum _____mnnm °£ tlli9 month, and ihey :I"Slvs'coiiio on, your plants wil soon ■ *3£___noro healthy and rapid growth, as .*? goJj ia pretty moist from tho late heavy ; uini __ . j Kitchen Garden. L Mather for the last few weeks has fcencoldand wefc, thus giving every chance hiJantor.sowall manner of vegetables, t b tender plants such as cucumbers, Ls etc., have been cut with the cold •to' but when more genial wo.m father sets in they will go away with a j, as there is plenty of moisture in _?- soil Cabbage and cauliflowers : y out a few more; earth up Scrops as are advancing. Peas : Earth ! and stake late planted crops. French Snuffling beans sow for succession; earth Ttie early sown crops ; stake the running ' Jffltlies. Continue the thinning out J: ill advancing crops, afterwards !L B . tbe surface soil between the rift "Celery : Continue planting out the 2 crop, settle well with water after rm. Prepare a few more trenches planting later. Leeks: Plant out «in wop where large plants are required. jjut in trenches the same as celery, also fpigplenty of manure in the ground, as feafc is a gross feeder. Rhubarb: Usrt good crops of this delicious vege tate required.fork over the surface 3oil, M the plants with grass, long straw, or f^stable manure if ib can be procured ; isPas'water heavily twice a weok illiquid manure. Soapsuds make lcapital liquid manuro for this plant. As .early potatoes come off the ground,have Hie soil dug deeply and heavily manured for planting out the main crops of broccoli, lule,Brussels sprouts, cabbage.etc. loraa tsestFix up to trellis and commence train bj 0e young plants. As the season be ns), diyer use plenty of liquid manure. Mtie soil well stirred between the rows ia|jrops, it greatly promotes tho growth iaiw_! being of such. All debris of spent Dtpsconvey to the rot heap at once. Sings cestill doing damage in damp shady situa mis.'. Lettuce: Prick out another batch, lj|9j,;?e. advanced plants for blanching ; nr another pinch of seed.

... _7. Flo wor Gar d on. JlplAllting cut ought now to bo finished itie'Sfiakffis unless where plants are well e!.bhs.sd and can be moved with large hi. Bedding plants will now require tntsUiil attention. They ought to be _raj* signs of strong growth. In the bHw ?tages strict attention ought to be fir. ..to tue pegging down and pinching kjyoast. give the plants a bushy habit, od it tie same time getting the space _M tfem regularly and properly (Sffflddo .n. In light dry soils,mulching iiotcomilderable benefit by retaining the _$ure_ or » longer period, and thus pro- Mgihe growing and flowering periods. k ihe mixed flower border thin out late mmannnak Gladiolus: Stake and tie up »|m show their flower spikes. Roses: !_>liquid manure with a liberal hand, $'.'_. blooms as soon as they are $t,Mr best; never allow seed pods 8 Mof* a? the ripening of seed, mm rofy^the later blooms. Dahlias: m plan! out; stake and pinch back fc&ll atafe advancing in growth ; give Iss rnSnpre, Chrysanthemums: Coft i)i|B putting out, water after planting. Eftwlearly spriug flowering bulbs as they ta^lheir foliage, dry and store past. Mrufe plight occasionally to be looked Wr«?as to. "cut out or pinch back any Hot stvfiggly shoots which might be Wig the others. Try and cause to assume a nice, hapd- Wj" natural shape, not allowing l«o to encroach on other objects. Attend |tkpinching and staking of tall-growing mty.jmy< a good spike of flowers is lost TOting broken hy, the wind. Climbers to their different supports, pinch out ™p .Jiejtfliibu. growth. The surface soil borders should bo fre wy stirred with the hoe, so as to keep it tafp lose. Lawn: Mow frequently ; *»> keep the roller going pretty often. *teeat wi6b weather would have the *9 M swelling tbe ground. Rolling mthe grwpd gets bard and dry will wle it properly again. Walks should at i| gone over once a week with the ffi. ?Mf vill keep them free of weeds, fj% Mi seedlings as soon as they germ-

. _.} 7\.' Greenhouse. 9jk ought now to be a strong active WW going on; give a liberal supply of SHffuicfcgrowing plants. Re-pot more pot room. All hardy Mawhich will grow out of doors during ■2sPff Months should now be taken 111 $&r pots plunged in the soil in W m steady place. This will give more I™; for the rapidly advancing summer 2v ?!ants. and will also cause less 3\tP, Shade every bright ____'■ Winge all plants not in flower M shutting up the house every even-

j, Mulohta? (Continued) j^otir. Sm a ii f ru ifc s% the strawberry ItT e*s mosfc fov lack of moistiu' e la w^ 1 *ud *or fcl"s reason mulching I^.Wo generally practised with _____{ ■wifcll an"yotlier in cnl,viva" i^ii* B*-8*--«S«ftlly with most excellent M%i\ ■ fc^ere are some cultivators S^^Jske the risk of securing a wW__ Wlfehout it. Sometimes they m ■. f f, u1' bufc oftcner riot. In cA#»SW. On strawberry beds the L%;»l only obtains as a rule \m__W>. bl?t the plants continue in Cfjrn^r' «nd the berries are not so MbX. bes Patfcered with dirt. Goose n^ «M Chrrafits also require a large i|f and a cool soil, and for «% B«cceed best in the southern "*"«_ F.Zealand, and very poorly or 4fc A r lll,fc^ North. But there $&___ Bardens ln bofch Micldle and Wi_ 1re tllese Plants would produce _t r ft _auch larger fruit than they *VtW_ fche . TO«nd about them T , c°nstai3tly covered with some Hoik. touleh; in fact, mulching. is the one great k» LT081 method of preventing loss from 89*^M^ughts'whidi prevail in '- QountVy almost evory year. fi cu.t or hoed up in a garden or VfibjJp li<l«rihg1i<l«rihg the Summer may be used nf| Bf»e kind of trees or plants, befcfcer use for Slich W!lsfce j^mwttitohui-n or throw them into thev COr.?, er °v out-of-the-way place, Nd, T^'Unly become a vei'uge lor -7

STAGE AND STUDIO.

[By Euteepe.]

The Dunedin Amateur Opera Company, which so successfully produced Gilbert and Sullivan's opera of "The Pirates" some few weeks ago, repeated the performance for two nights last week. Miss May Hume was 'n excellent voice, and acted tho part of Mabel in a pleasing manner.

cm! * vain has written a play entitled Ihe American Claimant," and melan xv to A ,record> ifc is a lightning failure. Miss Maggie Knight is playing success fully at Holt and Wilmofs Grand Threati _-, Islington, in " Held by the Enemy." Th. clever Raynor Brothers, who were here with Harry llickards, and wore a little bit 100 good for his show, have been woll received on their return to London, and are about to pilot a show of their own through lndta.

Ihe friends of Misa Jefferies Lewis, who was at latest dates playing a season in San Irancisco, will regret to learn that her stal ls not in the ascendant. One 'Frisco critic says :— '* The personal and professional decadence of this onco brilliant and fas cinating actress is one of tho saddest things in contemporary dramatic history." " Held by the Enemy," a new sensational piece lately brought to Australia by Mr Jselson Decker, and now being played at Her Majesty's, Sydney, with Miss Kate Bishop and Mr Geo. Rignold in the leading roles, is booked for a season in Adelaide shortly and will then be brought to New Zealand by our old friend, Mr W. A. Jinkin.. Mr Marius, the well-known English actor, has invented a means of rendering the auditorium of a theatre fireproof in three f;econd_s, and states his willingness to prove his claims by remaining in the auditorium of a specially built theatre whilo the stage is set on fire. Now, this is a practical offer. Who will build a special theatre for this excellent purpose ? The Napier Dramatic Operatic Society .inaugurated their season on Wednesday night last with the production of " The Sorcerer." There was only standing room in the house, and the press bestows much praise upon the performance, which is spoken of as greatly abovo the average. Music, costumes, and scenery, are all said to have been good. The Majeronis opened in Dunedin last night for a season of eight performances. Afterwards they play at Oamaru two nights, Timaru two, Ashburton one, and start a season of ten nights in Christchurch on Boxing Night. Should the smallpox scare hrve vanished, thoy will leave for Hobart, playing at Invercargill en route, and after Tasmania proceed to Queensland.

A cablegram to hand during the past week announced the death of Phil Day, the actor. He came out to Melbourne a few years ago, and at once made a hit as Jaikes in "The Silver King," a success ho fol lowed up with tlie Doge from " Estrella." He was one of the only two really good people Mr Garner secured when in London ; and poor Redwood, the other, is already dead. While Day was lying ill a subscrip tion fund of £320 was raised for him.

A good story comos from tho South anont a smoke concert down there. A rather uneducated bub highly aristocratic gentle man was" at the piano, and began his song " 'Appy land, 'appy land." "My dear fellow," says a friend who was turning the music for him, " don't you think you could sound your h's better?" "Eh," says tho singer with a chuckle, " shows bow much you know about music, no such note, only goes up to G," and then he continued, "'Appy land, 'appy land." Madame Marie Roze, the prima donna, and Signor Foli, tlie great bass singer, are said to be under engagement to Colonel Mapleson for a tour of the world, including the Australian colonies, where they arrive in August next. The Melbourne "Punch" states that a first-class opera company is to come with the well-known prima donna, among them Mr Barton McGuckin, who for several years has been one of the mainstays of the Carl Rosa company. The repertory, if the Melbourne journal is correctly in formed, will consist of the latest of the English composers, nnd matters will be managed with a liberal hand. The final performance of the Italian Opera Company was given at the Melbourne Theatre Royal towards the end of last month, "La Somnamhula" being selected to close the season with eclat. The house was crowded in evory part, and consider able enthusiasm w ras manifested. On the following evening, the company migrated to the Town Hall, and tendered a complimen tary benefit to Mr Simonson, which, also, was very largely attended. As might be anticipated, the benefeiaire played the in evitable violin solo. Mr Simonson is co well satisfied with the results of his ven ture in Melbourne that ho takes the Alex andra Theatre for the Christmas season.

Mr Locko Richardson,the eminent Shake spearean reader, ha 3 gono to India, and the enterprising interviewer spoiled the few moments before the train started in his usual imperturbable manner., Mr Richard son stated helanded, unknown and unknow ing, in Auckland 15 months ago. For four evenings he gave recitals, his largest re ceipts being £9. Then he took a larger hall,' and for two or three nights the receipts were over £60. Since then he has been satisfied with the results, and admits that Melbourne paid tho best. He goes first to India, thence to London and America, re turning to these colonies by way of Japan, going from Sydney to New Zealand, and crossing from thence to Melbourr c. Mr J? J. Kennedy, the well-known low comedian, has been on a tour in JS Tew Eng land, the northorn parts of New South Wales, with a large company, playing "Called Back," Pygmalion" and "Gala tea," Bret Harte's "Mliss," and other pieces, among them, of course " O'Callag- Ln on His Last Legs." At Tarn worth Mr Kennedy met with a severe accident, which may result in the permanent loss of sight hi one of his eyes. •' Gent" Dick was Mr Kennedy's part in "Mliss," and bis rival the schoolmaster, when brandishing a pistol at him during a burst of passionate elo quence, suddenly discharged the weapon by accident. Mr Kennedy was blinded for the time, and went bravely through tho rest of the performance with a nasty wound in his forehead. It was uncertain when the mail left what would be the result ot the affair. , , .> , A peculiarly vigorous and muscular enter tainment was given at the Princess Theatre, Ihinedin, the other week by some. nwgera styling themselves the C.C.C. Minstrels. What this title signified no one could guess, and as the minstrels themselves not a soul knowetb whence they came or whither they .o Their names alone were good, and de moted lineage not to be sneezed at,—Mon- Lm, Melville. Stanley, De Lacy, Lawrence, Ha/elwood. an.d Clifford, all these have the flavour of a fine old crusted aristocracy. Sn* the bearers of these famous cog nolnsdicl not add much to the lustre nf their family escutcheons. As niggers they were a failure most rank, and he miserable handful of .people in the auStorium on Thursday night so far forgot Shelves in consequence as to groan and «S audibly. A select coterie in the circle ZZ^particularly forcible in their remarks, 1,1 this the Montagues, Stanleys, and Cliffords presented. They thereforerang £SS curtain during the $ge-rf£ more adroitness than they displayed m Klin_ the bones and tambourine. The haninn^ t • . , m sbo anc \ in the l a"hn_S,i>"Cnb^thaf followed claret exniiarawvji uncoufmed. __■._'% A M*.«•**< %* ___rib say, the C.C.C. «««d «">"' 8© asont

A Fight for a Mine.

Advices from Sante Fe, New Mexico, give the following tragical account of a battle for the possession of a mine :

One of the bloodiest tragedies known in the annals of South western crimo recently occurred at Meadville's mining camp near Good Hope, Rio Arriba country. The trouble originated about a mine. There were five men in the camp, and but one of them is alive to tell the story. The particulars are as follow :—Albert A. Mead came West from lowa some years ago, and located some mining claims near Good Hope, some 20 miles west of Tres Piedras station, on the Denver and Rio Grande railway. Fred and Harvey Meade, of Alcdo, Illinois, were kinsman of his, and from Santa Fe he opened a corres pondence which resulted in the organisa tion of the Los Tuces Milling and Mining Company, a corporation formed under the laws of Illinois with a capital of 100,000d015., the persons being Fred. E. Mead, of Aledo Illinois, Frank Riedle, a Chicago man, and E. Smith, of Chicago, President of a street railway com pany. Under an agreement with Albert A. Mead, the discoverer and locater of these mines, tho company was to erect a five stamp mill at Meadville, and when the pro fits from the mines would justify they were to put in five stamps more, and so the pro ceeds were to be expended until a twenty stamp mill was in operation, at which timo Albert Mead was to receive a deed for a one fourth interest in the entire property. It appears, however, that Albert Mead be came dissatisfied after the first two years had gone by and a ten-stamp mill was in operation. He accused the company of bad faith, extravagant management and desired

to be installed a.s manager, supplanting Fred Mead, under whom he worked as a labourer. The company declined to appointhimasamanager, and troubles began Ho brought a claim against the company to regain possession, and Fred Mead brought a counter suit to recover 1500 dollars loaned by him to Albert, and the cases were to be called at the approaching term of the District Court. Pending this litigation Albert, had been employed in Santa Fo as a carpenter. His conflict with the company appeared to worry him, and to many acquaintances ho said he intended to get possession of his mines again if he had to kill every man in tho Les Tuces Com pany. On Wednesday he left Santa Fe for Meadville Camp for tho purpose of securing certain papers which he had left in the company's bunk house, and which were needed in his suit. What followed is told by Fred Mead, the only surviving member ot the party at the camp— when Albert Mead first mado known his presence. Fred and Mr Hands were in Tres Piedras on Friday morning, and on re turning to camp, when their toam was within about 50 yards of the Company's cabin, Albert stepped out from behind the brush, Winchester in hand, and ordered a halt. Albert then called Hands and ordered him to call Harvey Mead and Joe Downing out of the cabin, saying he desired them to koop out of cabin until be (Albert) could search for some papors and money which ho had concealed therein. About this time Harvey Mead and Downing heard the commotion and both eamo out of bhecabin. Aath oyappcarcdAlbertfiredand Downing fell dead. A second shot from his Winchester killed Harvoy Mead, and turning towards tho waggon, Albert then opened fire on tho occupants thereof, his third shot fatally wounding Hands. By this time Fred Mead had secured a six-shooter which Hands had and attempted to fire at Albert A. Mead, but the weapon snapped and could not be discharged. Albort fired at Fred five times in rapid succession and while ho was thus engaged Fred Mead was running towards him. Finally the two desperate men clinched, and a struggle en sued for tho possession of tho weapon of death. At last Fred Mead got the Win chester from Albert, and with it knocked him down and shot him through tho heart. Hands died five hours later. Albert A. Mead's body was buried face downward, and the remains of the othei threo were in terred at Tres Piedras. Tlie coroner's in vestigation resulted in the acquittal of Fred kead. Al Mead has for many years been one of the best known miners in Colorado. He located the famous Ute and Ule mines, in ! Hinsdale county, and sold them two years later to the Crook Brothers, of Now York, for a princely sum. He also located the bob springs at Wagon Wheel Cap and built a handsome hotel there. Personally he was considered a noble man, and his fortune virtually melted away on account of his generosity. " He was what is generally known as a periodical drinker, and when he went out on a spree he paid no attention to business, but was never quarrelsome, noisy or boisterous. Late in 1879 Al. Mead went to Leadville to reside. He was always prospecting and leasing, but he was not very successful, and his fortue slowly mel ted away. Through the San Juan in the Carbonate Camp he was never known to an enemy, and his friends in Denver cannot understand how ib was thab he should think himself compelled to use the rifle so effec tually.

Convict Life in New Caledonia

Ax interesting account of the present status of notorious French criminals in New Caledonia, states the Paris cor respondent of the London "Daily Tele graph," ha 3 been furnished by an official who has just returned from that penal colony. The most respectable as well as the senior, of all the convicts is Berezovski the Pole who fired at the Emperoi Alex ander 11. during the Paris Exhibition of 1867. Frequent applications, have been made for the liberation of Berezovski, but they have all been refused. He is now in tho island of Nou, where he occupies a little room apart from all the bad characters, and haseven asmallgarden forhimsolf. He roams about the island, which is one-fourth of the size of Paris, at his own sweet will, and his conduct has always been irreproachable. He receives a large quantity of newspapers, bookd and pamphlets from different coun tries by every mail. Berezovski is now old and feeble to an extreme degree. Of a different class are Gilles and Abadie, the murderers of the Paris grocer, Lecercle. These worthies are employed as street scavengers at Noumea, and their occupation is looked upon by their companions in penal servitude as a good one, for it is easy, and also enables them to pick up bits of tobacco and various odds and ends, includ ing occasional alms. Pel, who poisoned his servant at Montreuil, and then burned her remains in a stove, died in the beginning of the year, as well as Moyaux, who murdered his own daughter. Guiehard, who murdered a bank messenger at Mar eilles, is doing well as a store clerk, and hopes one day, if not to get to Australia, at least to settle down in New Caledonia as a colonist. One of the most comfortable and thriving of the convicts is Fenayrou, the chemist of the Boulevard Malesherbes, who led the lover of his wife into an ambush at Chatou and then murdered him in a most atrocious manner. The criminal has passed through th 6 various categories until he ar rived among the first class convicts. He has a share in a farm which he and his wife superintend, and he has under his orders some of the lower class of criminals. His life - sentence has been commuted to one of twenty years. The doctor who was condemned last year for having sent poisoned game to a col league is giving satisfaction in the colony, and hopes to be able to attain the privileges accorded to Fenayrou. On the whole, the educated crimiuals, even those who are undergoing sentences for serious crimes, are highly spoken of by the Governor of Noumea, and tho most unmitigated rascals are tbe. Pws garni). and . *. bwtisti

peasants or labourers, most ofwhom are murderers. Every year a certain number of those has to be shot down by the warders. The officer who uses his revolver against the convicts is tried as a formalibyby a court martial, and acquitted. The number of convicts is 10,000 or more, and there are in addition 240 female convicts, who, however, were sent out to Noumea of their own accord from tho Maison Centrale, of Paris, for the purpose of marrying lirst class mismeanants. These women are supervised by nuns. There are on the island 600 warders. The number of first class convicts amounts to 1600, and somo of them, like Fenayrou, have been allowed to send for their wives. Tlie State furnishes them with agricultural implements, food, and even ti fow head of cattle, when they are permitted to begin farming, and they generally contrive to do well. An other class, apart from all the others, is composed of -skilled tradesmen and mechanics, musicians and even actors. Those have a savings bank of their own, a kind of club, and are almost two prosperous for convicts. The bands men are said to be as good as many regi mental performers, and they play program mes of select music before the Governor's mansion twice a week, besides giving oc casional concerts. From this ib will be seen that the life of many convicts is far better than that which is led by thousands in the slums of Paris, and it is no wonder that, such being the case numerous trans gressors against the law of tho land, includ ing tiiose who commit the most terrible crimes should view with longing and delight their despatch to New Caledonia by the clement mandate of the President of the Republic.

Two Brave Young Ladies.

The Committee of the Royal Humane Society has just completed the investiga tion of a large number of cases of saving life from drowning, and has unanimously a warded the highest honour—the silver medal—to a young lady named Fanny Isa bel Rowe, only fifteen years of ago, daughter of the Rev. J. G. Rowe, vicar of Topcroft, Burgnay, for saving the life of a lad named Franchs, at Neuchatol, under circumstances of great gallantry. It ap pears from the documents forwarded to the society that tho lad was playing by the jetty with his brother, when, he felj int9 the deep wator of tlie lake. His brother jumped in to save him, but, not being able to swim, was soon in difficulties. A number of men ran about crying out, "Who can swim ?" but no ono attempted to rescue the lads until Miss Rowe came up, kicked off her shoes, but otherwise lully dressed, without a moment's hesitation rushed into the water and swam to the place, dived and Caught the younger brother, but could not keep her hold of him, his hair being so short. Sho dived again, and caught him this time by the ear, and brought him to the jetty, where ho was lifted out. The elder brother •was also saved by Miss Rowe, although the o.ipcumstances have not been reported to tho society. Tho bronze medal was also unanimously bestowed upon Miss M. Strachey, aged seventoen, daughter of hor Majesty's Charge d'Affaires at Dresden, for saving Miss Taylor at Sandy Island, Heli goland, on the 16th August. Miss Taylor was trying to swim, but got out of hor depth nnd sank, and wns being carried out by tho tide when Miss Strachey, with great pre sence of mind, swam to the rescue, and, seizing hold of Miss Taylor» brought her to tlie shore in a fainting condition. The heroic young lady is considered to have in curred very great risk, as she is very slight.

Slain by Absinthe.

Absinthe is used by nearly all moderate drinkers in Paris as an appetiser beforo dinner, and its opaline tint in tho tumblers set beforo Boulevardiers at tho "absintho hour" is pleasant enough to look upon ; but its immoderate use is productive of an untold evil as the chronicles of the hospitals can vouch for ; and its slaves are becoming more numerous eve.y day, particularly among tho poorer classes, who fly to it because it is cheap and soon intoxicates. A man known in the neighbourhood of the Military School as Piere Frederic, who was once an operatic " primorteiiore" of repute in tho provinces, has just died from the effects of the noxious decoction, thus adding one vjctim mope to tbo long list of perso. s called buvtrsd'absinthe.. Fredeviodestroyed his larynx by his favourito drink, but he managed to eke our a miserable existence by singing in third-class cafe concerts. He was engaged lately in one of these places, but the proprietor of the establishment be? came bankrupt,, and paid off bis tenor with " a bottlo of absinthe." The broken-down singer, who had no money for food, went home to his garret and poured the contents of his quart bottle down his throat. In the the morning he was dead as a door-nail."

Chinese Trickery.

On th.c steamship Belgio, which sailed for Yokohama and Hong Kong on Friday, says the "San Francisco Bulletin," of 22nd September, there were fully 500 Chinese passengers bound for their native, land. This is a large number of Chinese to be going honie this time, of the year. TherQp are different reasons assigned for the ih. crease. One reason is the usual one—the desire to reach home by tho Chinese-Ne>w Year celebration. The Now Year of the Celestial calendar, will not occur for six months or so, but it is explained that many of the returning Chinese live far in the in terior of their country, and owing to tbe. limited travelling resources much time is required to reach their destination. T But many of the returning Chinese are doubtless some of those who came here in large numbers in May, Juno and July last. During these months there, was,& gteat influx of Chinese. Every steamer, was crowded to its utmost capacity. All the Chinese, or nearly all, of course, brought roturn certificates. One steamer,, the City of Pekin, brought 1,100 Chinese, all it could carry. Tbe Custom House officials were puzzled to know why so many Chinese should be hastening here then. Some had only been a\Vay from here a short time. It now transpires, according to reliable information, that the rush was due to a clever dodge practised by unscrupulous man dealers in Hong Kong and their agents throughout the Cliitt.Se Empire. They made money in this Way : They would go to the steamer headqaartersl and pay in advance at the regular rate of 50 dol. a head for all the Chinese could carry on her homeward voyage. For the; capacity of the Pekin alone, 55,000 dol. was paid down. The agents of the dealers everywhere werelnstructd topecuj-epassen gers." Siories are industriously circulated through all China that after the " Middle months " of the year, no. return certificates would bo honoured in this coufitry. The visiting Chinese, with business interests here, became alarmed, and rushed in great numbers for Hong Kong to secure speedy passage to this country. jjV.fr steamer bead quarters they would be, tojd that all the steamer was engaged. Then the artful Chinese speculators would secure the appli cant, make him pay $7$ or more for what; they had paid only $50, and make him think himself lucky to get that. This prac tice, it is said, was worked systematically. It was regarded here as peculiar that every steamer was filled to just its capacity. Now, many of those who came then have found they were dupes, and are returning to conclude their business and tb^ir visit to their homes. . -

A Wonderful Discovery.

There is a homoeopathic doctor at Lyons who has discovered how to change at will the character- of any man; and, what is much more difficult, the character of any,woman either. It is all a matter of globules. An inconsiderate, thriftless hus band was transformed into his opposites in 48 hours by seven globules of cauaticam put into his soup. Exactly similar treatment was successful in the case of a gentleman who was too attentive to other people's wives. A husband who was so jealous that he would not, allow his wife to go out without him, after unconsciously swallowing seven globules of niks vomica in his food, was never satisfied unless madame were out visiting. Yet another husband, who was So ill-tempered that he frequently awakened his wife in the dead of night to have a " scene," was rendered Worse by lack, sis, but was quite cured by sacchdrum lactis. A young lady of 35, who was by far too timid and retiring for a brazen world, was given some doses Of carbo vegatalis, and in a few days she acquired (to the delight of her friends) " une inso lence sans egale." The doctor prides him self particularly upon this achievement ; but the development of a taste for mathe matics by administration of a few globules. calcareacarbonicdvrcts at least as remark able.

"Poor Sir Roger."

"Sir Roger" has found his level at last Ho is employed in a low American hotel. The proprietor of tho hotel advertises in tho following way :—" It is a Fact! The Real, Original Claimant, Sir Roger Tich borno, whose Life, History, and Trial in England are without paralled, has been en gaged by—as a Bar-tender, where he can bo interviewed any day." The advertise ment goes on to say that the proprietor of the botel "is open to give five hundred dollars to any one who can prove that he is not the veritable ' Sir Roger.'" Ah interviewer says:-"The Claimant entertained us, between sips of his beer, with tho story of his life, in very bad English. He said he had not given up the fight for the Tiohborne Estate, but in tended to go into business in New York to make monoy enough to again begin the suit." We venture a suggestion. Why does not " Sir Roger write a true and par ticular account of the story of his life, from the time he left his home in Wapping. Let him imitate Barnum. The book would sell well."

Lord Cairn's Fiance.

Apropos of weddings. Lord Cairns is a lucky man in his ultimate choice of a bride. Miss Olive Borens's beauty is equal to that of either of the lovely ladies to whom his hand was previously offered. Miss Fortes cue and Miss Adele Grant, fair as they were, were no lovelier than the lady who is now about to secure the prize they rejected. Miss Berens is a niece of Sir Herbert Stewart, the hero of Abu Klea, and has inhorited the good looks of the Herberts of Muckross. Her other uncle, old Mr M'Calmont, is said to be fabu lously rich, so tho bride may find herself well portioned ; and her parents are people of groat talent, and in high favour at Court. Mrs Berens is well known in literary circles, and Berens pere is one of the great authorities on navigation as well as photography, so that Gumboil may be said to have secured a decidedly brilliant match this time. "Tho third time is lucky." says the popular axiom. The Earl has loft Scotland, and no doubt comes south ward rejoicing over his good fortune.

Some Modern Goliaths.

The Chinese giant, Chang, is 8 feet 3 inches. Garpolus tells of a young giantess who was 10 feet high. A giant 8 feet high was exhibited at Rouen in 1755. Lecat speaks of a Scotch giant 11 feet 6 inches in. height. The Grecian giant Amanab, now 18 years old, is 7 feet 8 inches tall. The Gillie de Trent, in the Tyrol, and one of the guards of the Duke of Bruns wick, was moro than 8 feet 4 inches in height. The Austrian giant, Winkelmeier, who was recently exhibited in Paris, measuring 8_ feet, may bo regarded as a specimen of the highest stature attained by the human species. A Swedish peasant, cited by Buffon, was 8 feet and 8 lines- in height, and the stature of the Finnish giant Cujanus was the same, while Frederick William, King of Prussia, had a guard of nearly equal stature. At the opposite extremes may be_ found , numerous dwarfs not more than 20 inches, and some even a3 little as 16 and even 12 inches in height; but such dwarfs are only monsters with atrophied limbs or twisted backbones, or stunted infants whose age is usually exaggerated by their Barnums.

Habits of the Czar.

A correspondent, writing from St. Peters burg to an American paper, says :— "Strenuous efforts have been made to keep the terrible weakness of Alexander 111. for liquor from the public, but it has been ex tensively whispered ever since he had his first fit of delirium tremens. Alexander 111., shortly after the assassination of his father, had recourse to stimulants in order to nerve himself sufficiently to meet the real and imaginary dangers which beset him, and the habit rapidly became one of necessity rather than choice. From this point began what would have been to a man in private life his downward career, but the divinity that erects and maintains a well'kept and evergreen hedge around a sovereign also dulls the senses of his subject to indifference as to whether he is a drunkard or not.

"This, however, the Czar of Russia is : A hopeless and oft times helpless sot. Among those nearest to him it is well known, but never mentioned except in whispers, that he had several times suffered from that most frightful of all species of insanity, delirium tremens, and, the nar rator alleges, his cruelty to those who were so unfortunate as to come under his hand upon these occasions would have appealed to the finer sensibilities of the King of Dahomey, and caused the fiendish monarch to shed tears of compassion. In his lucid intervals he is even sagacious; but when under the influence of champagne or brandy, which two liquors are most delightful to the imperial palate, not even his . Ministers, and, least of all, his wife and children, can restrain his tendency to imperil his per sonal safety by exposing himself to the attacks of his secret foes in his ungovern able recklessness. It is told of this im perial manaic that, oh one occasion, M. de Giers was driven from the Czar's presence with language unfit to be heard in the lowest haunts of infamy, after having been summoned by his sovereign to report upon some matter aflfecting Russia's foreign policy, and that the Czar's conduct so out raged him that he was only induced to re tain his office at the earnest entreaty of friends and upon the Czar's subsequent apology.

LITTLE FOLKS' COLUMN.

The baby believes in the motto, "Aplace for everything, and everything in its place," and her place for everything is her mouth.

Scene—Doctor's house. Little boy at the frontdoor: "Is the doctor in? 'Cause, if he is, I want to sco him at once.' Ser vant : " He's not in." " Well, justas soon as he gets home, you tell him to come over to our house and'take that baby away he left last week. It's in the way." Pa and the Children.—A small boy, Tommy Peterby, who is one of a family of ten, was taken out in the family carriage with his mother. As they drove past a small cottage of three rooms, Mrs Peterby remarked how pretty it looked. " Yes, it looks very nice," said Tommy; "and it wouldn't be a bit too big for our family if it wasn't for pa and the children." Removing Temptation.—Young heiress to her lover : " There is one thing that must be positively understood between us before wo marry. Her ardent lover : " Name it dearest. No matter what bhe conditions, I accept them in advance." Young heiress : "Under no circumstances will I ever make a Will in your favour, and you must never even hint at such a thing." Her ardent lover : "I do not seek you for your wealth, dearest, but why do you make such a condition ?" Young heiress : " Be cause, my love, you are a doctor, and might possibly be called on to treat me, I do not want to put temptation in your way."

TRAIN THE BOY.

Tlie simple matter of a boy being trained to be orderly may seem of very slight moment in determining the happiness or unhappiness of his future home, but at least every housewife with a careless husband will appreciate its importance in practical living. A lad accustomed to have his sisters or the sorvants pick up what ever he chooses to leave about will some day be a constant vexation to the tidy soul of his spouse, when he might almost as easily have been taught to aid rather than to destroy the neatness and order of his home. The mother who allows her son always to consider his own interests and never to feel that the comfort and wishes of those about him are his affair, is preparing a husband who will some day render miserable through sheer thought lessness any sensitive woman who links her destiny with his.

A PARROT STORY.

A few years ago I was steaming down the Garonne, between Bordeaux and Pauil lac, to stay with some English friends (who were on board at the time) at their chateau in Medoc. Every two or three miles down the river the vessel stopped to take on board or land passengers, when the customary short command " Stop her !" was given (in English) by the skipper After this' had taken place some three or four times, and the steamer was well on her way to the next landing-place, a voice from amidships suddenly sang out, _ Stop her !" The vessel was stopped accordingly, and the two seamen ran to the side to receive the expected passengers, but no passengers appeared ; and the order was given to " Go ahead !" A few miles further on " Stop her!" again resounded from the same quarter, and the vessel was again stopped, Avith the same futile result. This absurd scene wns enacted several times during the passage, amid sundry maledictions from the captain and crew at being so often " made fools of ;" till at last the true culprit was betrayed by an " eld ritch laugh " from an old gray parrot, be longing to my English friends, wdiose cage had been placed close by the engine-room. His quick ear had caught the word of com mand, which he reproduced in tbe tanta lising manner I have described ; and the best of it was that the wretch seemed thoroughly to enjoy the confusion he had created as if he understood all about it!

NELSONS PREPARATIONS FOR THE LAST BATTLE.

The wind was from the west, and the breezes were light, with a long, rolling swell upon the sea. Nelson signalled to bear down on the enemy, and then, retiring to hi 3 cabin, penned that fervent and weli known prayer in which he committed the justice of his cause and his own safety to the overruling providence of God. He next, in writing, bequeathed Lady Hamilton,- whom he loved with a devotion so singular and his daughter Horatia to the generiosity of the nation. " These are the only favours," concludes this remarkable document, "I ask of my king and country at the moment, when I am going to fight their battle. May God bless my king and country, and all those I hold dear. My relations it is needlesstomen tion; they will, of course, be amply provided for. He had passed a restless night, and was evidently impressed by the conviction, by a presentiment not uncommon to soldiers and to sailors, tbat he was to fall. He put on the full uniform that he had worn at Copenhagen. Upon his breast were the many decorations he had won, and among them was the Star of the Bath. "In honour I gained them," said he, when remonstrated with on the peril of this display, "and in honour I will die with them." Next his heart he placed a miniature of Lady Hamilton, his romantic passion for whom amounted to superstition. On leaving his cabin, he went over the different decks, conversed with the seamen with his usual affability; and as he de cended the quarter-deck ladder, three cheers burst spontaneously from the lips of the crew. "I was walking with him on the poop," says Captain Black wood in his interesting memoirs, "when he said, * I'll now amuse the fleet with a signal;' and he asked me if I did not think there was one yet wanting. I answered that I thought the whole of the fleet seemed clearly to understand, and to vie with each other who should first get nearest to the Victory or Royal Sovereign. These words were Scarcely uttered, when his last well known signal was made, ' England expects overy man to do his duty.' "

ELECTRICITY ON THE JUM.

Receiving Messages on a Fast Running Train.

A large party of prominent electricians took the 1.15 o'clock train from the Penn sylvania railroad depot in Jersey City recently to witness au exhibition given by the Consolidated Railway Telegraph Com pany of its new system of communication between moving trains.

Special cars with metal roofs were used in the experiments. An operator sat in one of the cars on the train with a small keyboard in his lap. A telephone was fastened to his ear and a small battery was conveniently near. Attached to the keyboard and the telephone were coils of wiro, one leading to the roof ot tbe car and the other to the wheels and thence to the ground, forming a ground wire. The roof wires pass to a brass clamp, where they are securely fastened.

Along the line of the road telegraph poles had been erected, and by a seemingly im possible jump of fifteen feet the electricity was transmitted from the roof of the car to the wireson these poles. The exhibition was a success in every respect. Some fifty or sixty messages were received and sent while the train moved at the rate of fifty miles an hour, anions: them a dispatch from Dr. Charles E. Crowell to Thomas A. Edison, who was on-the train, congratulating him on the success of the invention. At 3.10 o'clock a dispatch Containing the closing quotations on the New Yoik Stock Ex change for all the. active stocks was ro ceived.

POETRY.

APOLOGUE.

For the People.

Fair knowledge dwelt within the land, Her temples graced a thousand hills, And science held aloft her hand To strike the root of human ills. Tho world wa3 shaking off her gyves. Her children grew in wisdom s way. And men were teaching " Noble lives Shall be the gods to bear the sway.

Then, from the lowest depths of hell A fiend of evil stalked abroad, And cunning words of wisdom fell From his vilo lips, as from a God. He saw fair maidens growing wise, • And manly youth shun evil s way; , He knew the age of error dies ... When knowledge lights the dawn of day. ,

He roamed about with pious fraud And gathered friends ne lov d so dear, And like a saint—full oft he'd laud The reign of Christ—that draweth near, So o'er the laud he travelled round To stir up buried strife and hate, As when the zealots erstwhile bound Men's souls, and made earth desolate t

From cross and tower his banner flics, From altar step and pulpit stair; From town to town this demon hies To stir up envy every where ! Yet think, oh world, if this be right , Is evil true whon preaching good i Do foenien in their armoured might Teach love and holy brotherhood l i

Do we expect to pluck the grape From thistles growing by the way * Or do wo wear sad mourning crape When pleasure rules our festal day i _ There's something wrong when devils sign For Holy Writ and treasured lore; Perchance they know when errors die The days of fraud and hate are o er.

But knowledge grows, and grows apace, It rears Its throne, ana rules us well; ( 'Twill drive the fiends who wrong pur race ; Back, back into their native hell! So be ye wise—keep to your schools, Build altars for the living good- Let creeds and schisms be for fools! , Your cry be, " Knowledge -Brotherhood. , W. R. Wills.

FOR EVER THINE.

For ever thine, wh'ale'er this heart betide, Fore ever thine, where'er our lot be cast; Fate, that may rob us of all wealth beside, Shall leave us lovo till life itself be past.

The world may wrong us-wo will brave ita hate, Falso friend 3 may change, and falser hopes decline. ~, ~ ' Though bowed by cankering cares we il smile at fate, .___.___.' Since thou art mine, belov'd, and I am thine* For ever thine! At evening's dewy hour. When gentle hearts to tenderest thoughts in cline. _,' :, '. ■__ When balmiest odours from each closing flower Aro breathing round me— thine, for ever; thine, _ Fidelis,

A VISION.

Day follows day; years perish; still mine eyea Are opened on the selfsame round of space; Yon fateless forests in their Titan grace, _ And the large splendours of the opulent skies. I watch unwearied the miraculous dyes , Of dawn or sunset; the soft boughs which

lace Round some coy dryad in a lonely place. Thrilled with low whispering and strange

sylvan sighs; Weary ? the poet's mind is fresh as dew, And oft refilled as fountains of the light. His clear child's soul finds something sweet

aud new Even in a weed's heart, the curved leaves o£

corn, . . The spear-like grass, the silvery rime of room, A cloud rose-edged, and fleeting stars at night. Paul Hamilton Hayne.

OLD SAWS IN RHYME.

Action speaks louder than words ever do; You can't eat your cake and hold on to it, too. When the cat is away, then the little mice _\af9 Where there is a will there is always a way. ] One's deep ih the mud as the other in mire; Don't jump from the frying-pan into the fire. There's no use crying o'er milk that is spilt; No accuser is needed by conscience of guilt. There must be some fire wherever is smoke; The pitcher goes oft to the well till it's broke. By rogues falling out honest men get their due; Whoever it fits he must put on the shoe. All work and no play will make Jack a dull boy J. A thing Of much beauty is ever a joy. A half loaf is hetter than no bread at all; And pride always goeth before a sad fall. Fast bind and fast find, have two strings to your bow; Contentment is better than riches we iinow. The Devil finds work for hands idle to do; A miss is as good as a mile is to you. You speak of the Devil he's sure to appear; You can't make a silk purse from out a sow*. ; ear.

A man by his company always is known; Who lives in a glass houso should not throw a stone.

When the blind leads the blind both will fall in

the ditch; It's better bom lucky than being born rich.

Little pitchers have big ears; burnt child dreads the fire; Though speaking the truth no one credits a liar.

Speech may be silver, hut silence is gold; There's never a fool like the fool who is old.

ALLEGED WIT.

Head-quarters—A pillow. Vegetable philosophy—Sage advice. Sic transit —A ride in an ambulance. Forced politeness—Bowing to necessity. A motto of a liveryman reads —. Whip light, drive slow ; cash down or no go." The great trouble with some people i 8 that their upper and lower lips are stranger 3 to each other.

Politics make strange bedfellows. And the bedfellows do not sleep. They lie awake watching one another.

"Why do leaves fall to the ground?" asks a poet. It is because they can't fall anywhere else. They have got to fall somewhere.

It was an expressive remark of a practical man regarding a women of the period recently—" She don't know enough, sir, to boil water."

A new comet has been discovered, but it is too small to ever come into active use for anything except an excuse for lovers to walk out to the front gate. Prince Bismarck keeps a diary. The first entry on January 1 reads :—" I have resolved to drink not more than sixty glasses of soul-destroying beer a day during the present year." P.S.—Save on Schuetzenfest days. The following was a speech by a success ful competitor for the prize in a footrace: "Gentlemen, I have won this cup by the use of my legs. I trust I may never lose the use of my legs by the use of this cup." " Cast-iron sinks " is the announcement) on the sign of a suburban plumber. " Well, who said it didn't?" was the inquiry of a countryman, who read it over three or four times, and chuckled when he saw tlie. ! point.

A poetess had begun a poem in uncom promising blank verse on the degeneracy of man :—" Man was a noble being once y bub he " And there she was Compelled td leave it. A degenerate one came in and took the liberty of helping her forward a little : " Would probably have remained so ; but she "

A writer in "Old Paths," in a noto on absence of mind, says that its effect is well exemplified in an incident which happened some time since to a well-known gentleman of Magdalen College, Cambridge. He had taken his watch from his pocket to mark ■ the time he intended to boil an egg for his! breakfast, when a. friend, entering his room found him absor bed in some abstruse calcula-! tion with the egg in his hand, upon which he was looking intently and the watch sup plying its plac? in the s^nceipan of boiling water. B

THE AUC^ANB^ m 7.

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