STAGE AND STUDIO.

rgyEUTEBI'E-]

f»' S lively early age, waa a dis- y rom early youth lie as '^ewff*^* 0 be successf " l as I»d wrote bushels of .play, even read by the f ■ submitted them. Oc' **? Sir Charles would produce one of acting a principal part, the valuable assistance for the heroine. In this 5-acb drama called $ J » asd a comedy called « became public property. It till " Jim the Penman " ftm -7nne afternoon at the Haymar i*nZrt with such a 6o»a fida cordial £t the baronet really reaped the ftftL" years of patient work He 0 $ m Z» pO or by this time, and the Vnedl him in was most It did not, however, suffice to inroads which privation and hope ffy ma de on his constitution, and ffte future seemed more promising jfjj Uneb eickened and died— "a. the wonderful success of "King Minea "out of winch, I am told, W\7Co. * ade £ *' 000 in fchree %U that enterprising firm have been •ttlout for stirring tales of adven nTsimilar character. Last year, ifc (•emembered, they brought ont itfS Cily,-by William W«.tall Kifcomn great things are expected called "Dead Mans Hock," f author, who chooses to ilSentity under the pseudonym of f> Cassell's • reader declares "Dead A Bock-", will create quite as great a SiffiKder Hazard's masterpiece. Ksinff English "ballad-monger" of EJ is undoubtedly Hope Temple, in Old Garden" and "My Lady's Hi* are heard everywhere at Home £L Gounod's latest effort, "Until is also very popular, and ileTosiii's "Dreams of the Summer arlsidore de Lara's "Garden of £« ought also to become known out tain th 6' colpnies.' Paulus'a Boulanger 2 ''En Eerenant de la Itevac," bids "jj w j)i 6 ve a big success. Pantomime eiictrirers have with one accord cap- Jlt •'tteV London Gaiety folks an-

flMjjtlfillbe included in their Christ- Sβ'the jiooreand Burgess Minstrels *ofas. a "special English version " ■ ° l f a y ) and a person called the iMaopermotfc is earning large bs with it at the music halls. lately, the melody is an in3pirit sm, and stand a good deal BBieying. Most of the popular comic njfinenour savour of Buffalo Bill and itftil| West. Thus there is Rowley's Wild West of Kensington We'll 3ii the Buffalo " — commonplace words ito a jovial melody; Tom Squire's with a swinging chorus, BtJon't Buffalo Bill come homo gloving B.quaw and his mother-in-law ] Hie comes home his hair I'll comb. I;ion'tßuffalo Bill come home 1 IfjweatJfacDermott's "Wild, Wild lAojjdQn," an instructive ditty in fejtoisnow that girls and other luxuries sch tlje same in town as in Texas. kfprexamplo, referred to the bril iottames of the Indian squaws, he dc- W, ' ipier njajdens in their war paint you iif iU, Wild West of London, (jrtwprld at Home is all agog with mthat Mr W. P. Frith, R.A. (who i|tiifl"Pßrby Day " and other clever, fee, pictures), has written two <m of " reminiscences of men and pa , 'finch will be published nexb ■iiifßehtley. This work and Sir i, autobiography promise to j prmcjpal treats of the autumn. «lX of forfchcoming books for boys iwtapting as ever. G. A. Henty llurilleFenn are,of course,the leading to The former promises " The WiiTflls of the Fall of Jerusalem," Prinze Charlie : A Tale of Culloden," while Mr Fenn's jfotoMitled " Picfc o' the Fens : A •Hnlureat East Swamp," and pSCarey'e Chicken, Her Voyage to ifiknownlsle." wliteratnre improves rapidly. It is [JTOpg what good value one can WMip for 6d or 4Jd. Capital mm of Victor Hugo's "Toilers of and " Laughing W now obtainable for-6d, and in jjnadable type too. The best of Wldetective stories can also be pur ?WTOcbiii. The American detective >«WM series I cannot recommend. ("The Great Adams mmMt" b y Frank Pinkerton) »eKor stuff. A recent addition to |M|n|iieh Novels is " The Battle for ij JwteMoy Thomas, an exciting ? originally appeared in "Cassell's Render the title of " A Fight for i"4;W*s recently reprinted by Mm "Bow Bells." Some of the m 'lJeald'g" 3d favourite fiction deserve mention, notably of "Addie's Hus- JJjfcry," by the author of "A of M. de Ban | ■'luffldre " is the prettiest little P«i*ndon for a long time, and £g; The hero of the piece, feanand hungry poet or jPfS r > ?ho has the misfortune to g*Bs*lold days" of Louis XL |T|PQpalarity by giving expres- vague longings and . Wtthe people oppressed by that iS' mi ' itis tinted, has well rs, a . P?P«lar rising. One com- K B ." specially effective. It *KJP in the kin^'s ffl<fe^i ei?the "Ballade dcs |^{£- KinsKope -" Here i^Sfi 6, Batching: wide, feS**^'""™ , ■h'PlotapV,? ° s the gruesome scone, is led by »3hW Oliver le Faim, into Louis himself. S . the Mad-monger's SJeKing. B If, within an oT Gnn^olre is i)oor, J l * J I? enfc ? ™ ake him cut pi\ d f s ? tho young JpWfc "J le >' el > and, after a feS?rn eath t0 strivin f? t0 Only through the HBeWS g'rl herself and • T - ho 6tor y' vhich is «off ln lts teaching of a fe^fe r "^ a3 enthusiasti-

The fifth concert of the I'onaouby Ohoml an u y takes P l!lC0 on Montia y evening. All tho airs and recitatives of the flrflb par!) na-vQ been entrusted to Mrs Daore, while the second part consists of the overture to • Rosamunde" (Schubert), a madrigal, a part song for ladies, a chorus, a duet, by Mr and Mrs W. Prime, and the andante Minuet and trio from Mozart's Third Symphony. I understand that in consequence chiefly of mdUierent attendance on the part ot lady members the Amateur Opera Society have decided to put off sine die the produc tion or " Tho Pirates of Penzance." Ab any rate ifc could not have been «ot up in time tor successful presentation by Christmas. I here was too much delay in starting.

DRAUGHTS.

Problem No. 16.

Gamr No 47.—" Bristol." By H. Henderson, Auckland.

* In the supplement to the American draught player, yar. 103, this position is left as a win for White, but by continuing the play, Black can draw I think. What follows is the solution to problem No. 13 : — als-19 28-32 19-23 32-28 26-22 25-29 White wins.

The following is the sixth and deciding game in the match between G. Wilson and H. Henderson. The score at the finish of the sixth game was: Henderson wins 5, \\ ilson 0, drawn 1:—

Game No 48—"Bristol." Wilson's Move.

The following is one of the games lost by Mr J. Wyllie in New Zealand ; it was won by Mr Cleary, of Dunedin : — Game No. 49—"Bristol." Cleary's move.

DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Wright, of Boston, Mass., has accepted the challenge of Isaiah Barker, brother of the American champion, to a match of 16 frames, for a stake of 50 dols. Wright would have preferred a match of 30 games for 200 dols.

The Canadian Champion. — M> W' Fleming, the champion player of the Dominion, who defeated Mr Kelly m their labe contest, is a native of Canada, and is about 45 years of age. About 20 years ago he was a much valued contributor of games and positions to the " Turf," but his busi ness at that time prevented hie continuance and for the past 15 years he dropped out of eight of the players He has again • cpme to the fore," and having Avon the title of " champion," we trust he Wl ll keep himself conspicuously before the draught players of America —Turf, Field, and Farm. A ?EMelbourne "Leader," EjfffUnff of the champion's play, state? : " Mr \V ylhe s would play on when all hopes were gone on pprpose to see a beautiful finish, and in S cases they were not An old Glasgow expert, Mr J. Busby,, not of Bo3tonf n Ma SS ., P stin holds the New England Checker Association Medal. He was recently challepged for it fey MrC BurriH, and the Wt wa e a draw, with 8 games.

BARREN LABRADOR.

A Sad Tale ot tiuftsriae and Starvation,

The Chicago "Timos," Montreal spooial says:—Two families, named Russoll and Humboldt, have, after great exertional escaped semi-starvation in Labrador and reached Montreal. The story they tell of lifo in Labrador is very painful". The people are in a state of semi-starvation. They are slaves to the dealers, who never allow them to see a shilling, well knowing that if they had a little money they would fly from the country as a land of pestilence. Mrs Russell, a very intelligent woman, made the following .statement, to which two men lent their assent: "Wo are here because wo could live there no longer. We are almost starving. We often have been hungry. Fishing has fallen away and the people can't live, and they can't get away because they never receive a shilling in their lives. We are paid for our fish in goods and clothes,and we have to pay three prices for everything. Fishing lasts only threo months and we have to live the other nine months ont of the profit of the three. Fishing has so fallen away that there is scarcely enough made to keep us during the summer.

"Spring is the worst season, for then there is nothing at all. The Government pives a little assistance, but what m a little flour, peas, molasses and meat ? Lord bless you, I have not had fresh meat during the last twenty-five years. Such a thing is never thought of. We've often ground peas and made a sorb of tea out of thorn. Wβ have no such thing ap meat or potatoes or vegetables. The whole country is a barren rock. Wo have got salt meat, and not enough of that. When fishing was good we could manage to live, but instead of getting about 100 quintals, we can only get about thirty-five now, and on that we have to live nine months. There are now about 100 families in Bethel harbour, but all who can get away are going. It is a hard thing to see your family growing up around you and nothing for them to do and nothing for them to eat."

"And you never got any money for fish ?"

"Not a penny do we ever handle. Wo have just to take what they give us in clothes and food. We never would have got here but for my uncle, who jrave us a little money. This is the truth Fm tell ing you."

CRIME IN CHINA.

Ma-ssu Murders Ma Jon k'uel and Is

Sentenced to be Sliced.

Ma-ssu and Ma Jen-k'uel were two brothers who lived in the Yun-ch'eng District. The elder, Ma Jen-k'uel, was a hot-tempered, good-for-nothing sort of fellow, who was continually borrowing money and articles from his younger brother, and either helped himself or made a row if he mot with any sign of refusal. Ono day he sent his son to Ma-ssu for the loan of some money, and being refused the young ster attempted to mako off with a cooking pan, but was stabbed by his uncle and obliged to go without it. The father vowed that he would have vengeance, if he should burn his younger brother's whole house hold. This made the latter determined to get rid of his elder brother as soon as an opportunity offered. Ma Jen-k'uol was

riding ono day on a donkey to a fair in the neighbourhood, and dismounting on the way sat down to have a smoke. The

younger brother, who had followed him, rushed up and dealt him several fatal thrusts with a knife. Ho then led away the donkey, sold it to somo unknown person, and returned home with the price wrappod up in the saddle-cloth. The authorities posted notices giving a description of the dress and appearanco of the deceased, and his married daughter having come across one of them came to the conclusion that the murdered man must be her father, and wont to see her uncle Mα on the subject. On being ques tioned Ma got flurried and gave contradic tory answers, but his niece had not evi dence enough to charge him with the crime, Being afraid that the saddlo-cloth would betray him he went to bury it in the family cemetery, and was detected by his niece, who happened at the , moment to bo sweeping the graves. The case was not considered to bo fully established at first, but after repeated trials the facts as given above have been clearly proved, and have been confirmed by the man's own con-, feesion. Ho has been sentenced to death by tho slicing process, in accordance with the law applicable to the caso of a person who murders a senior in years relating to him within the second degree of mourning.

THE TOAD AND ITS PREY.

Tho Wonderful Capacity for Swallowing Possessed by tho Nolsomo Reptile.

The accuracy of aim. in the young toad is similar to the accuracy with which the young quail or chicken picks up a grain. A young chicken, having only its head out of the shell, picked up a fly that, lighted near it. And said Mr Calthrop, wTieri you con sider the nice co-operation of norvons and muscular movements necessary to this feat, you will perceive that the chicken must have been practising fly-catching in the person of its ancestry for thousands or millions of years. But I once had curious proof that the toad is capable of improve ment by practice. Under a beehive I observed for several successive summers a toad watching for overloaded bees who failed to reach the threshold of the hive. No sooner did they fall on the ground than he snapped them up. But one day I saw that he had lost by some accident his right eye, and when he struck at a bee he lost his aim, and picked up dirt from one side of the bee. He wiped his mouth with his forepaw and tried again and again- The bee generally managed to climb to the top of some little prominence on the ground and fly away before the toad succeeded. The poor fellow was half starved and grew thin, but I observed be fore the summer was ended he had learned to aim as correctly with one eye as he used to with two, and had again recovered his plumpness.

Sway of the Danes.

(i According to the latest estimates," says the " Sfc James Gazette," " the land on the surface of the globe nas an area of about 53,000,000 square miles, and supports a population of 1,400,000,000 souls. Ifc is startling to reflect that there is a reason able probability that, before many years shall have elapsed, nearly one-third of the world's superficies, and considerably more than the one-quarter of the world's popula tion, will be ruled by the direct descen dants of the royal couple who are now en tertaining a family party at Copenhagen. King Christian of Denmark is at present sovereign of about 90,000 square miles of territory, and more than 2,000,000 people ; his eldest daughter's mother-in-law, Queen Victoria, has an empire of nearly 8,500,000 square miles,with about 365,000,000 inhabi tants ; his son-in-law, the Czar, is lord of some 8,000,000 square miles of territory, and about 108,000,000 people ; and his son, the King of the Hellenes, rules, dominions extending to about 25,000 square miles, with 2,000,000 inhabitants.- It is well with in the bounds of possibility that in the future, while King* Albert Victor reigns over Great) Britain, Nicholas will be Czar of Ruesia,Frederick will be King of Denmark, and Constantino will be King of the Hel lenes ; for princes bearing these names, and all grandchildren of King Christian IX., will, some day, in the ordinary course of events, succeed directly or indirectly to the sovereigns who ijoy occupy the thrones of the four 'monarchies in question."

THE WRITING TELEGRAPH.

A DesorlpHoa of a Marvellous English Invention,

Although automatic telegraphy has long been known, it has not, so far as we are aware, proved a commercial success, owing to the circumstance that the instruments uoed in conducting it are expensive, the system slow, and the synchronism unre liable. In this system the messages are first written with insulating ink on tinted paper, and fed into instruments whereby they are transmitted. At the other end they are re ceived on chemically prepared paper, but the messages soon fade. A very pronounced improvement upon this system was made by Mr E. A. Cowper, C. E., some few years I since in his writing telegraph. Here the i movement of a pen at the sending station introduced varying resistances into two electric circuits connected with the receiv ing station. The varying currents acted upon two electro-magnets at the latter station, and caused them to impart movements in two directions at an angle to each other to a receiving pen, which was made to reproduce tho writing formed by the sending pen. Mr Cowper, however, was not alone in his invention of the writing telegraph, for, as not unfrequently happens, another diligent worker was busy in the same direction and at the same time. This waa Mr J. Hart Robertson, an American electrician, who, without being aware of Mr Cowper's invention, produced an instru ment on the same plan. He found, how ever, that it involved heavy expense in operating, and, pushing his research further, he in course of time produced an_ improved instrument. This is the writing telegraph which wo recently saw in successful operation in the American Exhibition. Tho principle involved con sists in changing the strength of the elec tric currents by the movements of the pen when writing, varying tho pressure on a series of carbon disks included in

the circuits. By this means simpli city, greater speed, and the utmost accuracy in reproduction are secured. Both Mr Cowper's and Mr Robertson's in ventions have become the property of the Writing Telegraph Company of New York, In this apparatus the transmitter con sists of two series of carbon disks placed at right angles to each other in a hard rubber receptacle. Each pile of disk has a screw follower for adjusting the normal pressure of the disks on each other. A rod carrying the pen or stylus is pivoted at its lower end, and has pressure points opposite the piles of disks. The opei-ator manipulates the stylus or pen as in writing, al though he can only move the point of the stylus over a small circumacribed area. As the stylus describes the various letters the pressure points are pressed against the carbon disks, and as this pressure is increased or diminished, varied currents are sent into the lines to the roceiving magnets, which cause the receiv ing pen to reproduce every movement of the pen of the writer at the transmitting sta tion. The receiving instrument consists of two electro-magnets set at right angles to each other. At the point where the poles would reach if extended is a rod

for carrying the armatures. Neat , where the rod is pivoted afc the bottom a spring wire is inserted, so that its armatures can easily and quickly respond to the varying attraction of the electro-magnets. The ar mature rod extends above the table and carries tho recording pen. Each machine is both a sender and a receiver, and the work ing of the system is most simple. The operator afc the sending station uses the stylus as a pen to form imaginary letters, words and sentences—in short to write. Ho sees the writing produced by the re cording pen in ink en a slip of ordinary paper riband, which slowly passes before his eyes. At the receiving end the operator sees precisely the same thing going on, for the written message is being reproduced by the little pon, line for line, in perfect fac-similo, on a slip of paper passing before him. We thus have a really beautiful system of written messages and one which is .already working commercially in the United States, where ib is taking the place of the telephone with marked success. Instead of repeated shout ing and comparative publicity of the tele phone, the message is written by the sender and the visible answer received in perfect quiet! But should the surroundings be noisy it matters not, for the littlo pen silently writes away regardless of noise of any kind. The writing at both ends has all the characteristics of the writing of the sender, and the message constitutes a record which cannot be disputed, and is therefore invalu able to business men. There is a fac-simile record at each end, and neither of them can be altered without detection. The inven tion is at once ingenious and practical, and is the completed exprossion of the long cherished desire to produce a writing tele graph. .

PRECAUTIONS AT THE FRANCAIS.

The Rebuilt Theatre to Have Extra ordinary Flame-Proof Features.

The new iron curtain of the Theatre Francais is a gigantic affair. Ifc neither rolls up nor folds together, but ascends in a solid sheet into the tipper regions, which have had to be heightened to make room for it. The ascent occupies a minute and a quarter. It appears, too, that the new drop scene, with its colonnade and busts', is not an ordinary rolling canvas, but is glued to the iron curtain.

The, other structural alterations at the Theatre Francais have involved a sacrifice of seating space to the value of over $75 a night. As the theatre is open every night in tho year, and generally filled to over flowing, the annual loss involved in these changes may be reckoned at something like $25,000.

Suppressing a Rebellion with a Carpet Bag.

King Leopold's life was indeed " a history in itself." He was almost ostentatiously indifferent to his position—ever impressing on his subjects that he resigned in their interests rather than in his own. It has been said that he could always bring them to reason by threatening to abdicate. The sagacity and tact with which he prevented the Catholics and the Liberals in Belgium from coming to blows gave him greau influ ence in Europe. But that influence was enhanced by hie capacity for diplomatic intrigue, and tho opportunities for exer cising it which his curious family connec tions gave him. Though he began life as one of the obscurest of the petty Princes of Germany, he had married in suc cession the heiress of England and the daughter of the King of the French. By a double marriage, his child ren were allied to the Imperial House of Hapsburg. He was the uncle and mentor of the Queen and Prince Consort—indeed, he and Baron Stockmar had brought about tfyeir marriage. His position was supposed to be unassailable from the day when, on being threatened with a revolution, he calmly began to pack a carpet bag in pres ence of the popular leaders, who thereupon, in a paroxysm of fear, implored him not to leave the country. Yet, according to Lord Malmesbury, "the last years of his life were spent in perpetual terror of Louis Napoleon, and he was constantly alarming our Ministers and everybody on the sub ject."

A preacher was complaining of thelietless ness and inattention of his congregation, when an old' deacon spoke up and said: " Hungry sheep will look up to the rack if there is hay in it."

THE MISS OF DEATH.

Strange Superstition of Monterey Mexicans.

The Santa Cruz ghost which has been engrossing the attention of the citizens of that famous watering place by its midnight revelries recalls a legend of San Juan, in the adjoin ing country, told the writer many years ago by a narrator no less credible than a good old Spanish priest, with whom the writer happened to be staying on a few days' visit.

One morning after breakfast I expressed a wish to stroll into the ancient graveyard attached to the old adobe church of that quaint little Mexican town. The old padre, with tho kindness and courtesy character istic of the simple missionary fathers, at once acceded and accompanied the writer, relating , as we walked among the graves the brief history of some who lay quietly be neath. " Here," he observed, with a quiet smile as he pointed to a grave in the middle of the cemetery, " here is a grave which the simple old Mexican 'families around here look upon with unusual interest, if not with uctualawe." "A murder?" " No, no ! something much stranger. I have tried to combat the idea, and while I would be addressing the people they would say. "Si Si Padre." They would assent to all I said, but the belief remained and does remain indelible. " A spirit," he began, " is said to have appeared to everyone buried in that grave, and to warn the family whenever any of them is about to pass away." "Its appearance, which is generally made in the following manner, is believed to be uniformly fatal, being an omen of death to those who are so unhappy as to meet with it.

" When a funeral takes place the spirit is said to watch the person who remain? last in the graveyard, over whom it pos sesses a fascinating influence.

" If the person be a young man the spirit takes the shape of a fascinating female inpires him with a charmed passion and exacts a promise that ho will meet her at the graveyard a month from that day. The promise is sealed with a kiss that communicates a deadly taint to him who

complies. " The spirit then disappears. No sooner does the person from whom it received the promise and the kiss pass the boundary of the churchyard than he remembers the history of the spectre. He sink 3 into des pair and insanity, and dies. If, on the contrary, the spectre appears to a female, it assumes the form of a young man of ex ceeding elegance and "beauty." The padro showed me the grave of a young person about 18 years of age, who was said four months before to have fallen a victim to it. "Ten months ago," the father said, " a man gave the promise and the fatal kiss, and consequently looked upon himself as lost. He took a fever and died, and was buried on the day appointed for the meeting,which was exactly a month after the fatal interview*

" Incredible as it may appear, the friends of these two persons solemnly declared to me that the particulars of the interview were repeatedly detailed by the two per sons without the slightest variation. '•There are several cases of the same kind mentioned, but the two cases alluded to arc the only ones that came within my personal knowledge.

" It appears, however, that the spectre does not confine its operations to the grave yard only. There have been instances mentioned of its appearance at weddings and social parties, where it never failed to secure its victims by dancing them into pleuritic fevers." On being questioned as to what he might think of such possibleo ccurrences, the good father simply smiled and shook his head.

No Quarter.

After the execution of Charles 1., Jones, the Parliamentary general, proceeded to Droghecla, but was encountered by Lord Inchiquin and defeated. The Royalists being now in possession of the town, the 3rd of September, 1649, Cromwell appeared under the walls. He waited a week, ex pecting that Ormond would attempt a diversion, and give him an opportunity of forcing an action in the field. Ormond, trusting fco Ash ton's promise, did not move. The English guns were placed in position. On Monday, 9th of September, they opened fire, and a summons was sent in to the governor to deliver over the town to the Parliament. No answer was returned. The guns having broken a way on Tuesday at live in the afternoon the Parliament troops advanced to the assault. The garrison fought with extreme courage. Twice, after forcing their way into the town, the storming parties were beaten back through the breach. The third time, as the light was waning, Cromwell led them up in person, forced Ashton under his inner lines, stormed thd6e lines in turn, and before night fell was master of Drogheda. The summons to surrender having been refused, the order was to put every man found in arms to the sword. Ib was almost literally obeyed. A few score held out till the morning in two detached towers, and then surrendered ab discretion. Every tenth man was shot; the remainder were sent to the penal settlement at Barbadoes. The details of this siege are given by D'Alton at great length. He tells how Cromwe}! beat down the tower of St. Mary's Church, thundering on the tower for some hours, and being repulsed two or three times by the garrison ; how the Carmelites, devoting themselves to the aid of the military, dis played the most heroic intrepidity, com bined with such skill in the management of defensive operations as might not only do honour to more experienced soldiers, but actually struck the mind" of Cromwell with doubt as to the successful issue of his hos tilities. The Irish histories say there was "an indiscriminate slaughter of mep,

women, and children." "The scene that ensued," says Mr D'Alton, " paralysed all Ireland, and can never be mentioned with out a thrill of horror. The clergy, mingled with soldiery, as they fled before the ferocious conqueror, perished indiscrimi nately with them. — Cassell's " Our Own Country." •

Only One Want.

A destructive storm recently passed in the vicinity of Watertown, Dakato Territory, doing considerable damage. A number of settlers lost nearly everything, their houses being blown away and personal effects destroyed. A relief committee went out from Watertown the next morning to look up the sufferers. One of the worst cases they could learn was that of a woman who had had a small house directly in the path of the storm and who lost everything she had in the world, with the exception of a dress which she hurriedly slipped on when awakened by the storm. Some of the lady members of the Committee visited her at a neighbour's house. "So you lost everything?" one of them said.

" Everything I had in the world except the dress I have on."

" House and furniture all blown away ?" "Yes." "Your clothing all gone except that dress?"

" Everything—even my shoes and stock?

ings." "Well, we have come out to do some thing for you people who were so unfor tunate as to be struck by the cyclone. What will you want first in the way of clothing?"

" Wejl," replied the woman, who had lost everything, "I feel ..very gratefuj for your kindness, You just give pie a apd I think I can stir arqund and e§rn ifeq of the things I need mys6l£"

THE CRAZY ROMANOFFS.

A Disease Which Afflicts the Russian

Imperial Family.

In the recently published memoirs of Count Vitzthum of Eckstadt, proofs are given of the hereditary character of the mental diseases which afflicted the imperial family of Russia. All the sons of Czar Paul 1., like that unhappy monarch himself, who was murdered in 1801, became Bubjects to fits of insanity. Paul I. bad four sons— Czar Alexander I. the Grand Duke Constan tino, Czar Nicolas I and the Grand duke Michael. Every one of them after his forty fifth year exhibited undoubted signs of mental derangement. This was hot fully discovered in the case of Nicolas I, until after the Czar's death. An English physi cian, however, the Count'says, noticed the appearance of the hereditary disease in the Czar as early as July, 1853, and he then predicted that the monarch had not more than two years of life before him. This he stated in a letter to Lord Palmerston. The Emperor Nicolas died in March, 1885, about four months earlier than the date predicted. The Count appears to have no doubt that the Crimean war, so far as it depended on Nicolas, was the rash act of a ruler "whose mental equipose was disturbed." None of the four sons of Paul I. lived to be 60 years of age, and every one of them suffered from concus sion of the brain after reaching his forty fifth year. Alexander died at 48, a miserable man, moody and despondent, as Prince Metiernich has painted him, "tired of existence." His brother, the Grand Duke Constantine, though not manifestly insane, gave frequent signs of mental disturbance, of which he was himself so plainly conscious that he did not think himself fit to be trusted with the reins of government. His conduct in the year 1830, ab the outbreak of the revolution in Warsaw, will remains to prove his mental unsoundness. He had to be intrusted to the care of his wife, the Princess Lowiez, who was cautioned the same way as if a physician in charge of a patient having intermittent fits of insanity. He died in his fifty-second year from con gestion of the brain. The Grand Duke Michael was killed by a fall from his horse at the age of 48. Some years before his death he had exhibited signs of undoubted mental disease, and his physicians de clared that he was on the road to certain insanity. The events of 1848-52 were not calculated to allay the hereditary disposi tions of the imperial family of Russia, but to excite and intensify them. There is something terrible in the contrast between the outward position of the Czar Nicolas. upon the bent of whose -w-ill the fate of millions in Europe was depending, and the alleged diseased inward condition of his mind.

WHY PEOPLE MARRY.

Car'ous Instances of the Causes Which Captured Husbands.

It would be an interesting and instructive lesson, says an English paper, if, in a com munity of married people representing various social grades, we could request the i.divid.ae both husbands and wives, to inform us clearly and truthfully of the reasons which induced them to select their respective partners for life. It would be found in many instances the most insignifi cant trifles had influenced many of them in this most delicate matter.

As an instance in point, take the case of the wealthy young Quaker who married his wife simply because she was the possessor of a pin-cushion ! Here is the story : He had been out, and his necktie became dis arranged, when, happening to meet two young ladies of his own persuasion with whom he was acquainted, he inquired whether either of them could give Trim a pin. One of the girls immediately pro duced from her pocket a natty little pin cushion full of pins, which she handed to hiir with a bewitching smile. It is more than probable that this smilo and the good looks of the fair donor had a good deal to dp with the young fellow's choice, as he pro posed to her and was accepted the next day. But he always sturdily maintained that he was influenced at the time by nothing more than the pinrcushion,. Another illustration from life: A well educated and intelligent gentleman,, on being asked bow he came to select the young woman who eventually became his wife, and whom he had first met in a well known drapery establishment,replied: ''Be cause I observed how pimbly, yet grace fully, she mounted a ladder." We once heard of a young man who re marked that he had chosen his wife—an amiable, highly accomplished girl and a splendid vocalist—" Just because ehe had eaten such a hearty dinner at a picnic." .

Hundreds of eimilar cases could be ad duced, but the foregoing examples will show what small matters may influence many in their choice of a life partner.

The Bridal Tour.

A damsel from Nevada had the good for tune to marry a young ranchmap, who had suddenly become rich. A bridal tour of all the large eastern cities was planned, and away they went, jubilantly happy. On their return the bride was asked if she enjoyed herself. " Well, I should smile," was her positive reply. " What did you think of Niagara Falls ?" ** Oh, they were real niGe, but I didn't care muoh for them."

" How did you like Washington ?" "Oh, just tol'able. The Capitol was prefcty fine, bub I don't take miieh stock in such things." " Did you go to New York ?" . " Yes, we dawdled round there a week, and got tired of it. Brooklyn Bridge was a good deal of a chow, but 1 didn't see any thing else I cared for much. " Well, now, do -tell me, what; did you see that you'd like most to see again? What pleased you more than anything else ?"

The young bride's face brightened visibly ; her eyes twinkled joyfully as she said, " Well, when we wae in Ghicago we went to a dime mueeum, and we see there a calf with two heads and two tails. It was born that way. I tell you, it beat anything we ever heard of. John and me, we've both said many a time since, that we'd ruther saw that calf agin than all Washington and New York and Niagry Falls put together. It jest beats all."

Mow Mrs Langtry Walks.

Fob a long time people would have it that Mrs Langbry could not have straight legs, that the peculiar swing in her gait was due to malformation of her dear limbs, but when she appeared in " As You Like It," the secret of the walk wag out. Mrs Langtry puts one foot, no matter how rapidly she walks, exactly in front of the other. In fact, her mode of locomotion is precisely that of walking a crack, She has footed it from Madison Square to the Bat tery, and if a chalk line had been drawn for her she would never have missed it by a single step. 16 is a gait that in a horse would be called racking, but she accom plishes it on two good straight legs with out haying tp wear bqots to prevent " inter fering."

Yes, We've Been There!

Teeeb are four " g's" in eggnogg, besides a lob of other ingredients, " Puck."

SPARED BY THE HAWK.

The Humble Maiden, the Embryo Stake

and the Canning Aunt.

Ok Wellington-street, just off the Strand*-' in London, there lived, about twelve yeard ago, a little elderly widow who carried on a small business left by her husband, and found happiness in caring for an only and> beautiful girl, the daughter of a dead eieter. • Edith was studying art at the school W, Kensington, and every day she went to and-t fro unattended. On one of theee excursions some little accident made her acquainted with a gentleman who was connected with I the Botanical Gardens atKew, somewhere* in Kensington. She was for ever meeting; this friend, and finally she took him to Wellington-street and introduced him to \ her aunt. "George Church" began to be a great favourite in the little shop. Hβ i took Edith and her aunt to Kew, he filled., the house with flowers, and he sent a dener to fix up a ten-foot roof with a veri- > table bower of roses. Tender passages 1 were occurring between Edith and George, but Edith was prudent, and aunty was watchful.

In the meantime a young man, connected with the mechanical part of Drury Lane Theatre, took lodgings with the aunt Manager George Conquest was getting up a pantomime, but young Roberts found time, from the busy scene of preparation, to fall in love with Edith. On the opening night he got two places for his landlady and. her beautiful niece, and bade them bo in no hurry about getting out, as he would join them and take them borne. So the two women stood on the stairs and watched the occupants oi the boxes as they came out after the performance. All of a sudden; the sharp-eyed old lady saw a couple of aristocratic-looking women, attended by a , gentleman, emerge from Box 21 on the , grand tier. There was no mistaking the gentleman. He waa George Church, her niece's admirer. She glanced at Edith. That young lady was watching a party in an opposite direction. Aunty kept her counsel, but she went direct to Mr Roberts when she got him.' alone and set him about learning who had occupied Box 21. Roberts learned, that the Marquis of Blandford, now Duke of Marlborough,had occupied it with his sisters : Ladies Curson and Majoriebanks. Lord. Blandford, so the directory said, had rooms' in South Audley-street, and one morning the little widow went quietly around and asked for an audience with the prospective duke. As she expected, " George Church " sauntered into the room, and was rather' surprised when he confronted Edith's aunt. She told him how she had discovered his name and rank, and begged him to forbear doing her innocent.niece the great wrong of a further deception. To his credit, be it related, he treated the woman's appeal with sympathy. " I wouldn't hurt a hair of your girl's head,"he said ; "the world is full of fair women who know me and have nothing to lose. Edith is bright and amusing, and her ignorance of my condition in life has made her a charming companion ; but I will see her no more, and I give you my word on it." He kept it. Edith mourned her losfc admirer and wondered what had esti'anged him, but time dulled her interest and she came to think favourably of her aunt's lodger. Five years ago she married him. That the old lost friendship was not quite forgotten she showed when she named a bouncing boy " George." "It was such a lovely name." That old aunt had an eye to business, for she sat down and wrote to her noble friend that Edith was happily married and naming little Roberts' after him. Amid all the divorce cases, with their sentimental complications and legal excite ments, that hedged him round t the wicked nobleman seemsd to rejoice, in possessing one good woman among his acquaintances, for he sent a congratultory letter with a cheque for $500 to his godchild ; and Edith heard for the first time that the lost. (t George Church " could be found in the Duke of Marlborough.

MIDGET'S LOVE PUZZLE.

Showing How " Heaven Lies About Us In

Our Infancy."

How a tot with pleasing ingenuity told her love is related in the " Christian Weekly." The little story is enough to warm the cold cockles of a cynic's heart:

Mrs Blanchard was entertaining some friends in the parlopr one evening, when she heard a small -oice she knew so well say ing: "Please 'sense me, mamma." Then she saw a little figure standing in the door way in a white nightgown, with tangled curie and bright eyes, too bright for 10 o'clock at night, thought Mrs Blancbard. Midget ran across the room tp the refuge that had never failed her—mother's arms " Mamma, dear," pleaded the little night owl, "I have just learned to-day how to tell you I love you in such a beautiful new way. Please, may I show you ? I'm so 'fraid I'll forget by morning." Midget held up her dimpled fingers. " Now,everybodydo jusb as I do,','she said, gleefully. "Hold your thumbs together so, now the next fingers the same way, but the next to that you must double in tight." She held her chubby fingers in this position, the palms together, the thumbs lightly touching, also the fore fingers, but the second fingers folded so that her rosy nails and the dimples that stood for knuckles touched, then the third and fourth fingers met at the tips as the thumbs and forefingers did. " Now," cried Midgeb id great'delight, how far can you go from niirse ?" and she parted the thumbs as far as they would go. " Now how far from cook ?" and the forefingers went apart.

Then in suppressed glee she carefully ex plained, "You must skip the folded fingers and go to the next. Now, how far can you go from your dear, sweet mamma ?" she cried in great triumph. And odd it was that those queer little fingers would hob separate, and the more you tried the closer they were, not Midget's tiny fingers, bub papa's strong ones and Judge Mills's wrinkled ones. And as long as the second fingers are held in bondage the third ones wiU not separate. Try it.

An Awkward Mistake.

A London correspondent tells a good story, concerning the affable Liberal whip, Mr Marjoribanks. A few nights ago an hon. member brought into the lobby a lady new *o Parliament and its men, asking Mr Marjoribanks to use his authority to find his fair charge a seat in the Ladies' Gallery. The whip accepted the responsibility, con veyed the gentle visitor upstairs, and found her a capital corner. The lady, not know ing Mr Marjoribanks, mistook him for an attendant, and gave the hon. gentleman half-a-crown. Mr Marjoribanks accepted, the money, and the joke was greatly en-i joyed in the lobby afterwards. .

HUMOROUS.

"Now," , said a Sunday-school teacliw, "our lesaon to-day is about the bafctle be tween David and Goliath. Why did they fight ?" Little towhead—For the gate re ceipts and points. • "-"■■■'■■"•' •■ ■•

Mrs Pompano—Heard about the roWat Bagley's house? Pompano—No; whatr •Was it? The Sheriff—Mrs Ppmpano— \ Nonsense ! Air Bagley kioked out three' suitors in one night. Pompano (excitedly) j —Kicked out three! Good heavens,; woman, where were you that you didn'b catch one of them for Amelia? Another' milliner's bill like the last and Pll lasso the first man I meet and make him marry her. •

THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAB, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1887.

3



11-16 24-20 16-19 23-16 12-19 22-13 9-14 18- 9 5-14 25-22 8-11 22-17 4 8 27-24 11-15 2016 0 -11 24-20

6- 9 18-25 29-25 19-15 22-25 17-13 27-11 1-17-14 4-25-21 6-10 1- 5 10-14 25-22 18-22 25-22 13- 6 11- 8 14-10 17-13 10- 6 2- 9 15-19 20-24 22-25 22-25 29-25" 8- 4 10- 6 31-26 14-10 9-13 19-24 24-20 25-30 11- 7 16-12 4- 8 2-6-1 26-22 17-14 19-24 24-28 20-24 30-25 7- 2 28-19 8-11 1- 6 22-17 6- 9 15-24 28-32 24-20 25-22 25-22 25-22 11-15 6-105- 6- 1 10- 6 11-15 32-28 22-18 15-11 22-17 20-16 *15-10 30-25 17-14 6- 1 14-18 25-29 20-24 11- 7 17-10 16-11 10-17 10- 6 1- 6 Drawn 7-16 13-22 24-19 7-11 32-27 26-17 3-2117 21-17



30-26 28-24 1- 6 18-15 25-22 10- 6 24-20 c26-23 17-14 24-20 b21-17 24-20 22-18 6- 1 20-24 (131-27 14-10 20-24 17-13 20-16

27-24 18-23 16-11 19-16 23-19 11-15 15-18 Drawn 24-20

b

31-27 26-23 27-24 16-20 20-16 13-22

24-19 22-26 Drawn.

c

26-22 18-22 10- 6 15-11 24-19 17-14 19-15 27-24 22-17 22-17 6- 2 11-15 15-18 14-10 14-10 2- 6 6- 1 17-14 31-27 10-14

6- 9 15-11 14-10 6- 2 9- 6 14-16 10-14 Drawn 24-20

d

31-26 24-27 18-14 23-26 20-24 23-18 27-23 22-17 26-22 15-19 640 26-22

10- 6 25-21 22 25 10- 7 14-10 21-14 Drawn.

2

31-27 16-20 6-10 18-22 20-16 1- 6 22-18 27-23 6- 1 20-16 10- 6 16-20

6-10 24-20 20-24 23-18 10-15 5- 9 Drawn

3 31-27 12- 8 8-3 3-7 3- 7 7-11 11-16 16-20

7-10 19-24 Drawn

4

17-13 14-10 g31-26 18-15 18-14 f6- 2 15-18 9- 6 C25-21 10-14 13- 9 14-18

6- 1 19-16 15-19 °2- 6 Drawn

* If 1-6, 19-16, etc., draws.

31-26 5-9 1-6 15- 6 14-17 6- 1 14-18 22-15 25-22 9-14 6-10 17-14

26-23 3- 7 Drayvn

f.

6- 1 31-26 13- 9 9-6 15-18 10-14 14-10 10-15

6- 2 15-19 Drawn

31-27 27-24 24-20 20-16 15-10 14-18 18-15 10-14

2 6 14-10 Drawn

5

6- 2 17-14 21-17 2- 7 15-11 11-15 22-25 3-10

14- 7 15-10 Drawn



11-16 23-18 8-11 22-17 9-13 17-14 10-17 21-14

6- 9 26-23 1- 6 24-19 13-17 31-26 6-10 28-24

11-15 18-11 9-18 23-14 16-23 27-18 7-16 14- 7

3-10 25-21 2- 7 21-14 10-17 18-14 16-20 24-19

20-24 15-18 19-15 26-22 17-21 18-25 15-10 29-22 7-11 White 10- 7 wins. 11-15 7- 2



11-16 22-18 8-11 18-14 9-18 23-14 10-17 21-14 4- 8 25-21

16-19 24-15 11-18 29-25 8-11 28-24 6- 9 26-22 1115 24-19

15-24 27-20 3- 8 22-15 9-18 21-17 1- 6 31-26 7-10 26-22

10-19 22-15 19-24 25-22 2- 7 17-14 24-28 22-18 7-11 14-10

6- 9 12-1* 10- 7 3-1 2 , 9-14 18-2 2 18- 9 12-1$ 5-14 19-2 3 15-10 16-li 14-18 15-l9 7- 3 ll-l 5 11-15 Cleary 20-16 won.

