RUSSIA IS CENTRAL ASIA.

Iho Transcasplan Railway.

'3o HUlo p,t(on(ion has been given by Brit ish Statesmen and tho British press to Russia's silent but rapid advance through 'Central Asia to tho gates of India, that most British journalists will probably bo adtonishci to learn that the great problem has at length b^on solved. General Anuen koff boasted yoars ago that ho could throw a hundred thousand troopa into Afghanis tan in a fortnight.; and that this was no empty boast will bo scon from tbo following marrafCvo of tho progress and completion of i'Jpjs gigantic undertaking.

The Paris " Illustration " said: "Tho ■year ISSU will havo seen

An Undertaking Accomplished which, for its boldness of conception and tho importance of its results, will tako a placo ih the history of ov.r century, in the sumo rani; with tho Suez Canal, transoceanic ■telegraphs, and tho Pacißa Kailway. In a fow days tho railway constructed by tho Russians across tho steppes of Central Asia will reach tho banks "of tho Araou Uaria, tho ruiciont Oxus, and will arrive r.t; the gates of India. Tho consequeneoa of tho opening of tho Transcaspian Kaihvay from political and economic >1 points of view will bo incalculablo. By this lino Buasia hus tho command of Herat and Candnhnr. She can transport in a fow days an entire army into Afghanistan or Pewit*, and invade the Hindoo peninsula; while Britain 13 sepa rated from her Asiatic possessions by v long .<jea royago of at least three weeks. The Commercial Importance of tho now lino is no less great than its strategical importance. Directly con nected with Bokhara and Samarcand, it will divert to Astrakhan all tho trado of Western China. Goods which were formerly conveyed in caravans through Orcnbourg, will now tako rho Caspian lro«to, and bo forwarded 0:1 by water to Nijni-Novgorod; and tho valley 05 tho Mourgab River, of incomparable fertility, in which two wheat harvests aio reaped annually, will become a new granary for Europe, This colossal undertaking has beon pursued noiselessly—for tho Kussians don't like publicity—and has been carried out with Prodigious Rapidity. Tho means employed are simple in propor tion with the results achieved. In a single year r. thousand workmen have constructed nearly two thousand kilometres of railway across waterless arid deserts. Wo qjo in possession of preciso and authentic clncu monta on this subject, which wo take the, more pleasure in publishing, ai thoy havo . not yet appeared anywhsro, cither abroad or in Franco. Tho honour of these grand results is due to one of tho most (distinguished olliccrs of the Russian army. When intrusted mmo years ago with tho construction of the Jabina- Pinsky railway t a strategical lino in Lithu ania, tho General performed his task with each success that ho was recommended to the Government as soon as tho construction of tho Transc!>r,nia.n line had boon decided on. It was in ISSO, at the time of General SkobolofTs famous expedition against the Tekks-Turcomtins, that the first sleepers of the now line wore laid. With the object of pushing forward hia base of operations, the General had had constructed by a battalion of sappers a lino starting from tho Gulf of Michailovek, on tho Caspian Sea, and ending at a poor Tekko vil lage called Kizil-Arvat, situated COO veiels in tho interior, which soon became a flourish- Ing town. This line contributed iv no small degree to tho success of Skobelofl's expedition, the capturo of Merv and the annexation of Pondjeh. After (ho cam paign against tho Afghan?, tho Ha?si:m Go vernment contemplated tho prolongation of the lino toward its new poraesfions, across still unknown regions n! Tuicomania. A railway battalion was formed on May ■—, ISSS, in Moscow. On Juue 13 this troop of

A Thousand Worlsiscn started for Kisdl-Arvot, where it arrived on July 3, and ton days afterwards tho works wore begun. la order to provide for the lodging and accommodation 01 his workmen, General Annenkoil' had had constructed an entire train of special carriage?, which advanced as tho rails wore laid down, and thus formed a veritable rolling camp. These carriages arc built with two stone*, heated by means of stoves, completely tor niahed, and communicating with each other by covered passage?. There arc sleeping carriages, office carriage?, cooking car.-n:;e-, and drinking carriage?, in which both otneers and men dine. Every day Una movable barrack advances farthur on tho newly-laid rails. Befora it a yet unexplored tract of country ; behind it as far as the oye can reach tho two iron ribbons which connect it with the civilised world. At certain distances are established stations of sur veillance, installed in kibitkas (a kind of circular tents in the form of a cupola), which contain a telegraph oihee, bod?, and necessary weapons of dofenco against robbers, fears, or leopards.

Convoys laden with rails and provisions rovictual constantly tho pioneer train. As they arrive rails and sleepers are laid down m advance of the cuttings of the previous day Thanks to General Annenkofl s excellent organisation, the work has been carried on uninterruptedly, and thus, in less than a year, he has been ablo to con struct tho 1,500 kilometres of railway between Kizil-Arvat and Merv, which station was opened on July 2 last. At first slow progress was made. On September 22, ISSS after over two mouths, only ol versts had been completed, "is true that it had been necessary to change the point of departure of the lino on tho Caspian. From luasnevodsk, where shallow bottoms rendered transhipment too difficult the terminus was altered from north to south of kind of metal jetty, supplying a smtable SkobeloSf bad such trouble in ««£«£)£> Ashabad, the residence of General Koma Toff From Ashabad the line goes in, a Houth-easterly direction as far as the Kaahry oasis, where it turns to the north west toward Watered by tho Mom-gab River, Morv■ is situated in the marv.-llous valley of the "low wtld. Every year after the March rliZ the plains aro covered with these flowed whose fragrance fills the air, and "hose thousand shades of colour are said to crane? the desert of Kara Koum, where

Tlie Sand Is Elacli. uXnomK 0..», the telß.a«. cb,»»l. fo^t wore moving about in oil direction foot, wore vi h wQg hvo , from

Floods,

marges filled the nir. tto»«» town EH/«r pxhfi.as 7 f SSthom ««?t had been ,«lerruphjd by there by the railway. Most of the houses are brick-built and one story high j^ larger buildings being in the course of co^"^ tion to the west of the town. The Trane caapian Railway is a great factor in

The Russo Indian Question.

At Sarakhs Russia will havo railway com munication to within two hundred and three miles of Herat; and, if the latter place were carried by a roup de mam, it would bo poitible, on the plan so successfully carried out by General AnnenkofT, to con nect Herat with tho Russian railway system in a fow months. The Quotta Railway, et tendod to tho Pishin IMatoau, is 460 miles from Herat. Indian opinion is strongly in 'avour of continuing tho line to Candahar— 100 miles farther on—and, in view of tho strategical importance of Herat aa a gato to India, it is thought that the Quotta and Candnhar lino should ultimately find a terminus at Herat.

PAWN SHOPS OF PARIS.

I 1&3 Official System Carried On la Fiance.

Ti[o«e ollicially guaranteed institutions, known here as monU-de-picte, or more

vulgarly as tho dun, whe.ro people in tem porary want offer their goods and chattel. aadopc^i'a for :x loan of money, aro popu larly supposed to be philanthropic establish ment.?, boini;, astheyave, under Government control. Tho hardships, tiotvevor, recently siillored by a workman at tho hands of tho officials of ono of tho mont,i-ile.-p!cte. lead to tho supposition that a good deal of usury is carried on in such places. Thamanfays that ho pawned jewels, which he had bought for .CS'2 on his marriage, receiving about £6 loan. When ho -.vent to renow his ticUet ho found that ho had to pay 20 francs in toicat. Ho had to take his children's money to complete tho amount, and wns so nngsrod that ho throw tho money in tho face of ono of the ollico clorks, whereupon ho was arrested, but afterward released. The story has caused an agitation against tho official pawn system, and it is hoped, in the Jerome's of tho working cla=?co, that tho authorities will look into the matter. I; is=, of course, a well-known fact that the moats dc-piefc, in Paris at loast, soom to exiet for tho benefit of >\ certain class of womoti, and that the interests of tho poor aro overloolcod. M. Laisant, a fow years ago, wanted tho (iovernment to redoem tho plodgos at pub lic co-it, as was done after tho war, but tho proposition was rejected. At tho pre sent moment tho interest claimed by the Commissioners ia simply disastrous for tho ordinary working-man, who is obliged to have recoureo to the Won whon out of em ployment.— I'aria Correspondence of Lon don " Telegraph."

MISERABLE MEN.

J Fear of Accidents Considered a Form

of Insanity.

Tin.he nro some pooplo for whom tho ro

no interest. They would not rido on an elovatcd road if n tickot cost nothing, with a priz.i package thrown in. Thoy are tho people in whom fciv is abnormally do vetupod, and who live in constant terror of boini: injured by accident. Tho feeling seems to be constitutional, and no amount of oxpsrience will lessen its acuteness. Its injects misery into every pleasure. There is no place whore a person with this feeling can go in safety. On tho street there is constant danger of hoing run ever or struck on tho head with a falling brick, or of tumbling into holes. Ho matter what tho height of .1 building, an elevator c-mnot bo t;iken. Elovatora aro unsafe. Fond is eaten with tho iclo-i that it is poisonous, A gas jet awakes thoughts of asphyxia, and a lighted lamp send-* n thrill of agony into tho «ou!. A steam boiler is a tc«pedo with tha fuse burning brightly, and n ride on tho cars is a journey to iho grave. Everything that is looked at is viewed with tha possibility of accident and personal in jury.

Such ppr.plo are not numerous, but thoy exist. Ever)one has seen tho man who would not rido in an elevator if it was guaranteed to carry o million pounds, and who would cross tho street to tns? a build ing in courfo of erection. Dr. Bali, the French physician, tolls of a man who recently camo to see if something could not bo dono to conquer this rear of being hurt by accident. Tho patient was a young man, and was engaged to be married to a girl in a distant village. When tho marriiigo day arrived he went to the depot to take tho train for his sweetheart's homo, but could not overcome his droncl of riding on tho cars, and the marriage had to be postponed.

Dr. Ball considers this peculiar mani festation a form of insanity, in which an imaginary danger becomes real r.nd can no more bo overcome than any other kind uf delusion. This condition is thought to bo duo to nervous shocks given to children when young by sudden Irights, not from tho presonce of any real danger, but from attempts by older people to frighten them. • »

SCIENCE'S LATEST.

THE EXTRAORDINARY REPRO DUCING MIRROR A SUCCESS.

A Knto Spy Whoso Reflection is as

Immutable as Death.

I was informed the other day by a mambor of the Academy of Sciences, Paris, that ex periments which M, Pictet and Dr. liaoul Duvornay havo been making during the last five years havo bnen crowned with success, and that these two distinguished men of science aro now able to construct mirrors in which old impressions can nt any time bo reprcduced at will, and the mirrors bo forced to yield up the history of all that has taken place within a room sines ono of them has hung thoro in such a position as to command a fair view of the apartment. The full secrot of the process through which these toll-tale contrivances are constructed has not been fully made public, though it is pretty generally understood that the mirrora depend for their effect upon the peculiar action of light upon selenium, the metal by means of which, when fortified by the aid of electricity, it is now possible to reproduce in light and shade, at one end of a long wire, a photograph exposed at the other extremity. The latter contrivance has been perfecting for tho last ten years at least, but now, as I recently read in "La Nature," it has been brought so near to the end dosirod that it will come to work satisfactorily and cheaply when a little more ingenuity shall have been expended upon it. Both in the recording mirror and the reproduction of the photo graph the results are duo to the dynamics of that all-pervading substance which is commonly, though without any peculiar propriety, cilled'tha " luminiforous ether," or ".-ether," as Do Vnlsom Wood names it in bis recently published brochure, and indeed aa it ought always to bo named, since ths word—"ether" is already ap propriated by a common chemical, and " ;ether " is naarly akin to the Greek aitker, by which waa meant a substance very like what we understand the aether to be.

The uses to which this contrivance may ba put must readily suggest themselves to the reader. Tho instrument may be so constructed that no one can at eight dis tinguish it from an ordinary mirror, and in due timo it, can bo made to yield up its story, incidont after incident, of all that has taken place before it—crime, love, villainy, intrigue—all shall be resd in the open light of day.

A SINGULAR ACCIDENT.

Seven Feoplo Asphyxiated by Burn-

ing Powder.

One would have thought it impossible that there should be ai unprecedented accident; but it is said that tha catastrophe on Loch Fyne, by whioh seven persona lost their Viva recently, had never occurred before. It has beon the custom of tho bailies of Glas gow to attend the annual "monstsr blasts in the great Crarae quariea on the loch, and this year the custom was observed. Seven tons of powder were fired at once, dialodg inK it is believed, some 80,000 tons of era'nita, and after the stone bad fallen the visitors strolled into the quarries to ccc the result. Some 300 ladies and ganUenien were standing about talking when one after another wn3 observed to fall apparently dead, till nearly 100 bodies were atretched en tho stone. They were at once carried out by the quarrvmen, but it was found that seven were dead, andthat thirty more wore more ov loan injured, a few covcrely. The vipitera had teen asphyxiated by the sulpburou^ vapour caused hy the blast, me shortest among them feeling it first, and most severely One witness, who fainted, but recovered, testified that the sensation was "rather pleasant than painful." No blam9 attaches to any one, the vapour hav ing been retained longer than usual by the horseshoe shape of the quarry, which stops the breeze on three sides.

A Wonderful Dog.

Some Anecdotes of Herr Holecliclcs

Faithful Companion.

" Voct'vb often promised to toll me about your wonderful dog," I said to Horr Roi-

schok porno weeks ago, as I sat (swinging ray leg on the corner of a table at which that well known ornithologist was busily at work "eeting up " a epiendid specimen of a kiwi. "Ah! Caisar in a wonderful dog," answered tho naturalist, as ho glanced from his work towards that faithful friend of his, stretched out in one corner of the room who, on hearing his natao, had raised lis head from between his paws, and with duat awecping tail and smiling month, was watching his vnaater intently. " Yea, he's a wonderful dog, and if yon do care to hoar about him, I'll tell y.iu what hu ha? done. He ivas born in Christchurch, His father was a spk-ndid Newfoundland ami hi* mother 11 rotrievor, and he'd eight you a old now." Loaning on one elbow, and looking lovingly at the good dog, who now stood alongside of him, Herr Roischek em phasized his words by patting the animal's gro:if shaggy head. " I took him away when a pup, and taught him to retrieve, nor that ho wanted much teaching; ho understood everything. Ho knows what I'm talking about now." Tho dog wagged his tail as if to acknowledge the toft im peachment. "Uo won his "purs when lour months old It was thin : I was out with him one ilay shooting, when tho pup riirhjd into raupo and thoi-o waa v great noiso, and presently ho brings out nlivo n wonderful cream - coloured pultako. Ah! ho waa a hoauty, with purple spots. Ho wa»> a froak of nature, and I have never peon nno like him since, nor had anyono before mo. Wall, my dog kopt on learning .-inrl improving s.i fust that ha would do anything I told him when ho w.i 3 nitia months old ; and as 1 trained him only to obey mo, uinny people wero as toundoil when thoy hud borrowed him for a day to take out shooting, that I could koop such a brulo." Jla, ho," Heir Hoiaohok lnughod, •' I lont him to a Eriond once who was .shotting not far from my hou.-o in the bush. What do you think Cieaar did ? He got ovory bird my friend shot and brought thorn to my room without lny friend know ing what bad become of them. It was evening when tho two returned to my wharo. ' What sport?' paid I. 'Nothing.' replied my friend, ' but ono, and that Cii'Sar won't giro up,' and sure enough there was C;osar, who had boon naught seizing tho last bird, with it still in his mouth. Well, I took my friend indoors, and whon I told him about tho dog bring ing all his birds to mo ho was astounded. 'Why,' said ho, 'I thought I must havo tni«.=ed every time, and whon then in C.rsar's mouth, I thought ithardlino* not to bo ablo to get possession of that.' Oi'Sar ha* travelled with ma over almost every part of New Zealand, and his Inst important walk was through tho King Country in February, '82. Tho following will show you what a mind ho line : I was shooting and collecting in Dusky Sound in 'S-t, and I had startod ono evening in an old canoo with a heavy freight of tent, guns, and .so on : in tho bow was my one com panion, Caiaar. After wo had boon travel ling over tho dark waters of the Sound some time the dog got rentier, and moved nbout, and howled. I ought fes nova under stood at onco that lie had noticed something was the matter, but I didn't. I shouted to him to lie down, but ho wouldn't, and after a tiuio I bad to crawl forward to fee what it wm that alarmed him. Crawling along, I put my foot, down between some of the packages, and it was covered with wator ! My collections, representingmonths of work, my gun, my powder, even my life, were at; stake. v\ ell, to cut it short,'! reached tho sHoro safely, but 1 shouldn't have done so it" it hadn't boon for C;r?ar. How does ho manage to follow mo upar.ddoivn thoolittV? Oh, wellenough ; ho c'.imbs in fron', and it ho can't get on, he waits till 1 can lift or push him on to whero ho can continue his way. Sometimes I have to haul him up after mo by v rope round his miiidlo. Ho is invaluable to mo in camp. Uo always wakos ua up ab:iut livo every morning, and onco, when I had a Maori boy to cook for me, and who was lazy, ho would pull tho blankets ofV him to get him up. Well, ono day tho boy wouldn't rise. Ho had been out lato the night before nnd could not open hU eyes, he waa so sleepy. Ca'sar tried all the means ho could to rouse him, but they had no effect. Uo paused as if to think, and than he sprang on tho sleeper, and poizing his hair, be pulled him into tho middle of tho wharo. How I laughed for I had bscn watching t!io perform

anco without C&gar knowing. Odco. when travelling from Whatiwhatilioe to Te Kopuj, I liad a packhorpo, led by a Maori boy, mid was accompanied by Honuann Maiohn, the chief Maori of tho district. Something startled the horte and away it went in tho darkness, for it was evening, and there was high tupako and forn round the track wo were on. Wo could hear the various articles of which the pick wan composed knocking against tho overhanging branches and tumbling in tho road. Without n word from me, away wont Ca'aar, and when wo cauio up with him again ho was pitting down on tho bank of n vridj rlroam, across which tho horpc had to swim, with the reins la his mouth* Ho weighs 115 pounds, so he could easily prop the runaway. But this did not ttnlnh his work that night. All our provision, our powder, even the Maori chief's boots, brand-new, and with which he ii.tanded to .strike envy into tho hearts of his friends in the village, were gone. ' Get away and find,' I said to the dog, although, to toll the truth, I didn't expect he could do much for us in tho dark ness. Well, to cut matters short, ho brought everything, small onough for him to carry, back to ua, and such things as the pack eaddle and tho oamp-ovon ho howled over till we found whero they were. He brought back everything but ono of the aforesaid pair of boots. Old Honnana Maioha was in great distress. 'Cmsar, fetch boot,' I said, and he sot it after a couple of hours' search. Well, when we arrived in the village the natives were called together by the chief and told of tho wonder ful performance of Gcaar, and they wor shiped him noarly. I often,' continued Herr Reischek, 'see Honnana, and he always asks first after tho man-dog. For tha natives would never believe but what he wae a sort of supernatural animal, halE dog and half man. Once on the Little Barrier I was on tho top of the cliffs, and it was pitch dark. I must rloscend to get my specimen of the day's collecting, left below hisrb-wator mark on the beach boneath. I at first did not know what to do, but at last sont Csesar on in front, and he crept along showing mo the way down tho crags which I had ascended in the day time. Ho wont very cautiously, and in some places where I missad him, and it waa too narrow a ledge for him to turn round, he would walk, or rather climb backwards till I felt his rail brushing my face or legs. When we reached the bottom, away he went and left me. It appears he went round to my camp, having to swim two small bays on his way, and tried to get my man then to bring the boat round to me, but finding it useloss he came back to me, and accom panied me on my dreary tramp home. When I am out watching bird?, and have no gun, he takes no notice of them, and will bo as cautious a3 poseible not to dis turb my observations. When lam ill, as I have boon, all alone in tho forest, ho is everything to mo. I tell him, ; Go, fetch wood for fire,' and he will bring it, and that is not all, he will bring dry wood. Sometimes, also, when sick, I have wanted food ; ' Ciesar, fetch bird?,' and he will search and not come back until ho has got one or more Ah ! how grieved ho looked when he found 1 could not eat a cormorant which he had brought me, it waa so fi=hy. Ho used sometimes to go out hunting for live specimens on his own ac count, and I never could break him of doing this on Sundays, when I would bo in my tent resting. He came to me one day, and looking up at me with hia brown eyes, put his nose into my hand and opened his mouth. I did not understand what ho was about, and was" not prepared for the present he had brought me. In his mouth he had preserved alive a beauti ful little specimen of a. bush-robin, which, on his opening his mouth, flew away unharmed. Poor Gesar looked very dis appointed, and curled himself round at my feet with a sigh, a? if to cay, ' What a pity it is I can't spoak.' Numberless examples could I give similar to these, of his sairncity, but I would tiro you. If yon can ".iVi'OVHK' rome day with me I can sh-vw You KiUT than I can sell \ou, of hi? won derful seniu-." I said "Goodhye," and left the naturalist with his friend, pondering on the transmigration of souls theory, and thinking what, strong evidence such a dog a life would have brought to the disciples of Pythagoras. Herr Reischek and Crasar left Auckland for another exploring and collect ing expedition a few weeks ago. They will together travel from Dusky Sound to the Pwenga River in the South Island,

A BOX OF BONES.

Ghastly Discovery of a SUclctoa and

a Pickled Heart.

A cas* which may outrival tho fauioui trunk mystery at St. Louis was developo( recently in the dingy basement of fho ok building at tho south-west; cornor of Sovatitl and Sansoin street?. Tho placo is occupiec as tho main oflicoof the Copoland Local ICx pross Company. For soven montha pait c wo*den box, two feot high by threo long, lisa lain unclaimed in tho storago room bad; of thooiiice. It was received in May lasl by ono of tho clorks. but a3 tho employe! have been changed several times since then, Mr Oopeland h unable to say oxaetly whe received tho box Thoro arc no records at tho express company to show whore it came From or tho name of tho ownor. As far a? Mr Copelaud can recollect, an order camu to tho ollieo for tho removal of a box from a house in tha neighbourhood of Twenty. *econd and Berks, or Mostor-atreots. The expressman was sent there and roturncd with the box. It boro no mark upon it? aides, and thoy were at a loss to know whero to send it. Tho proprietor concluded to wait until tho ownor called and claimed aud plaood it in tho storayo room. When tho doors and windows wore shut an clVenßivo smell ponnoated tho basomont, but it was novor strong enough to lead to .in i:!vesti{.'ation. Last wook Mr Copeland de termined to rumma^o in the storage-room find to examine all tho unclaimed articles. Ho tackled tho big box first aud knocked off tho lid wilh a hatchot. Tlio odour was inmost sickening', but notVng could be soon bur, ii mouldy piueo of matting which covorod tho contents. Lifting this lio was liofrified to find a heap of human bono.-, from which tho llesli h>id been roughly removed. A portion of tho vortobni- and tho feet wore lai.-.hK'.butothcrwi-iithor-kclotmvvhiehwus that of a woman, ua* round to Im complete. Tha skull was porfoct, und part of (lio de cayed eye? romained in the .-■ocl-oia fteiuior tho nkull nor any of tho bones wore frac tured. A sealed tfluss jar stood i» ono corner of tho box, and in it was a human hourt preserved in alcohol. Several shreds of a woman a undorolothinir woio ' soattorod over tho bones. The Coronor was notihod ot tho tthiistly lind. and ho font Dr. I'onnad to investigate. Ho concluded that tho ro mains wore thoro of a young woman who must bavo died but a short time boiore the box came- into tuo po.--?e?iion of tho express company. It was at first thoußht that it was the work of a medical student, but tho rudo manner in which the llssh has been severed from the bones loads to a suspicion of foul play. Ur. Formad paid that it was hardly likely thnt a murderer would CaUo tho !rouble to pr< sorvo tho heart of liifl victim i'l ulcoiiol. nor does lio think it probnblo th'>t i. medical student would perform his work in sueli a bungling manner. Tho raoet cradited theory is that, tho remains wero stolon from a graveyard by thiaves, who wero actuated to commit tho crimo by tho articles of valuo which tho corpse ivor

A ROMANTIC STAR.

A Talo of Adventure Lovo anil

Marriage.

Wk arc indeb'ed to a Georgia pipe r for tlii=< talo from real life : About two years boforo the war, near a pretty and substantial re^i-

donee closo to a prosperous little town a beautiful young girl about 11 was" elooping in a hammock swung from t.vo stately oaks

in a grovo. She was a pretty picture of in nooonca and pjraco, and won tho admiration

of tha paeser«-by

l-i n meadow to tho rear, a fat, mnek-eyod coiv reclined in the shade, ruminating upon the food she had gathored in tho cool of tho morning. But whit hastho cow to do with tho stooping girl is ? propounded. Wait and 600. Across the road from (he house, tho girl and tho cow, in a meadow, a branch running through it, and coming up the branch wag ii bny with a gun. When within one hundred yard? of tho girl, and about one hundrod and lifty from tho cow, Lho boy tired at a bird, which lloiv oa unhurt, bui tho con- received n pretty strong dose of shot. !Sho immediately ro--e in fright, dashed through tho erove, caught tho girl and hammock om her horn*, and rushed with her shrieking victim about the lot.

Tho terrified gi.l becnma silent, and tho crowd of relatives and liionda in puißuit thought that sho was dead. Tho wild fur,- of tho cow as sho rushed around r-o.m torii the netting loose, and tho girl dropped unconscious to tho ground, unhurt. Sho wa-> picked up and takon into tho houi-e, and on examination only a few minor bruiec.n wero found.

Tho boy, thinking ho was '"ho innocent cause of the killing of tho young jzirl, dis appeared. AH ve«tigo of him vanished. It was thought that ho had perished by hie own hand, but about six years after tho war a travel-?tained stranger was in town, in quiring for persons most of whom hsid been swept away by tho war. After a long search the stranger found an old man on a load of wood, and in conversation with him learned whore one of tho parties ho was in search of lived, a fov/ miles out of town. Ho wont tlifiro, made himself known, and proved to bo the boy of the gun. Tuo peoplo he found were his father and mother, who had mourned him dead for eight year*.

The boy had beon in South Amorici, gat rich, and, yearning for the love of the old folks, returned to the de»olaced homo of his childhood and made his loved ones comfort able. For tho first time, thon, hearing that tho girl was uninjured, ho called on her, found hor protty, good, and a first-cla»s homo woman. Ho put in with a will, got her heart aa his own and the old folks' con sent, and has been for the last twolve or fourteen years one of the loading men of hie Eection. This is a fact.

In Crowded Street Cars.

I have to-day made a study in street cars, elevated and surface. I riao to defend the men who keep their seats. Who knows that the man who site and compels a lady to stand is not the most wearied person in the whole car ? So many women expend their strength in a round of shopping, much of it unnecessary, and indulged iv to gratify a love of seeing pretty things and tho latest stylos. They count on pitting during the homeward ride, nnd thon, if ths car is crowded and no Peat relinquished for them, they grumble over the Bullishness of mon and bswail the dearth of old-time gallantry. I hope, gentlemen, when yen are tired you will keep your seats and reich ua a lesson not to use needlessly the last remnant of strength. I saw a graceful act in a Sixth Avenue car. A lady in delicate health entered and tcok hor place in the long line of slanders. A respectably dressod Irish woman in the row puc her arm about her

and said

" Lane on mo, mum ; it's a shame for the likes of yez to bo standin'." The lady gratefully accepted the strong arm of tho womanly woman, whoso homo.'y faco shone with kind feeling. I thought the act equally gracoful in both. Later in, tho day an old woman entered a oar that was so full sho could only get within tho door and lean against tha frame. A young lady rcso quickly and raid. "Take my seat, madam." Tho other refused, but she remained standing, insisting with co ranch sweetness that sho gratefully accepted tho saat. Tho faces of these two women linger in my memory, and thoir courteous actions brought somethiug iuto my lifo mo:e help ful than rest.

An episodo of a different kind came to my notico soon after. I was sitting next a well-dreeaed man whose hair and beard were quite groy. A pretty young giri, modest in look and manner, came in and stood quietly near the door. Tho seat the other side of the grey-haird man from me was soon vacated, and bo motioned the young girl to take it. Sho politely de clined ; ho rather officiously instated ; again she declined, and another lady com ing in took the seat. Other changes occur ring, I moved away, and tho man eagerly called tho girl's attention to the vacant place. I heard her say firmly :" I thank you, sir ; I prefer to stand ;" and this littlo by-play went on from timo to time, as oc casion offered, until the girl's annoyance was apparent tv all. It happened that eho ioft the cur rii: the same time 1 did, and I ventured to usk why she remuinod stand ing when sho couW haro been eeated. Tho toiirs caira to her modest oyos a3 she said : "1 bavo to work for my living, and I have to rido on tho ears every nigbt and morning. I have to decline every offer of kindness from gentlemen. I have found I must. They are not all gentlemen, and this one called rae ' My dear.'"

Sonic Reminiscences of Carlye.

(By A. J. SvMixcTii:-'.)

Cai-lylo and Koyalty. i Wni'.N Her Majosty first heard that lio WlB 1 n^agod on " Frederick," clio kindly bad ] intimation sent him that tho library at , rt'incbor was at Mis sorvieo. One day, when I there, the librarian i^ave him a hint that tho Q'letn would liUo to moot him, and would probably look in that Jay; but this had quite a dill'jront effect on Carlylo from that ' which tho librarian intended or expoctod. f Tho shy student at onco withdrew, i ; On another occasion Prince Albert, who, a>) ho atl.eriv.-ird found, had specially ro i! quested of the libratinn to be notilied of hie , i (Carlyle'?) prc«puco an surprised i him in tho library, and had a pleasant chat. Carlylo «iid iliut tho I'rincß ■woa dreH?od in a plain suic of tweed, and was a very well informed, sensible, tjHntlQtnanly mau ; uu afl'iictod, simple, Mouiily, uiid kindly in his mannei

Aversion to Socioty.

Kven during Mrs Carlylo's life, Carlyle oftenor than not refused invitations ; aud frequently, when they hod bcon accepted, apologies wero sent at tho eleventh hour. Formal dinners ho disliked. A talk over a quiet cup of tea had mure chance to lure him ; but ho cordially hated being lionised in any form. To MrFroudo, who was once urging him to meet sumo distinguished in dividual-(I think it was Lord Salisbury), who had a great desire to sco him, ho said : "If the Virgin Mary wero to ask mo to ilino with her, it c.mld do mo no gocil I" Knowing this, his aversion to go out, and also tho chance of bin forgetting all about such engagements, on tho day when ho was expected his friends would sometimes drop in or send him a reminder, to inako euro of him. Wo possess sueli a reminder, in tho shupo of ono of Lady Augutta Stanley's calling cirds, with v kindly message for him wiitton upon it by her, and which slio luft at his floor.

Oi" Koclaimlus land- Irish Lahourerg,

Of reclaiming land and bn!;.-! in tho High lands, Carlylo »-a:d to mo that, as far as ho could learn, it took nbout £)J per acre to clear out tho Htonosand malco it begin to be sorviccablo. That to bring in land was a true and lasting good ; but it needed real work. Not the kind of performance ho had onco seen in Ireland, whore n gang of labourers stood, each of them leisurely turnine up two ouncoe of r.nrth and throw ing it against heaven, with a littl<> shovel, into which was stuck a long pole instaad of i-.n ordinary sp.ide-handle ; and all these men, said ho, woro woll paid for doing nothing.

A Plan for WalUlnc; on tho Watoi-

Up (U.wlyle) then doFcribod a plan for walking on water of which he was cog nisant. ' It wns devised long ngo by v work ing man, who, just because ignorant, was conlidor.t of success. Accordingly ho invited hi? comrades to witness n perform ance which was to demonstrate man's power over the elomonts nrvl tho nun nar.o«pity in future of such a thing as death

by drowning. Tlio hour- arrived. Somo sort of clumsy apparatus was fastened to each foot, and when everything had boon adjusted entirely to his own satisfaction, he fr.id : "Now reo ! Hero ia tho thing ! 1 ook !" And like I'otcr, ho Meppod boldly on tho writer ; but, unlike I'otor, with arms extended, ho at ones uheolcil over, head down a"d corked feet up, in accordance, wii.li tho general laws of gravity, which did not choose in this particular c;:sn to make an execution in his favour. Thus, inverted and 'irretrievably perpondiculnr, ho would havn remained, without ol her help than his own. That, iiowevor, poon reachod him. and ho w:n ignominionsly ii;hed out, :i wetter if not :i wiser man.

Carlylo on Ills Own Proliio.

Sitting thoro, ho epoko of tho proliio por

rr:-.tt of hiin'olf, which \a engraved an a frontispiece in somo recent editions of hw work;*, that for which Wool nor, tho sculptor, whon on a visit to Scotland in 1888, told mv lie had po*od Garlylo, when tho photograph was being takon, in order that ho might got, the ear dono for modelling purposes. "Judge* consider it," said Carlylo, "tha perfection of a likeness of mo ; hut I, who for eomo forty years, more or Ices, daily performed a certain barbaroui operation, although that mmo is givun up now, and looked in a mirror on these occasions, would not know that 1 had over boforo looked upon that man." As two mirrors aro requisite for teeing ono'd own proliio, levy people luiow what it is like.

An Ecclcfochan Tailor uiid his Loase.

A soventy-sevan or ninety-nine years lease reemeit to satisfy people in London ; but in Scotland, in Carlylo'fl young day?, folks liked to build on freehold t;round, un restrictedly their own. In illustration of this laudablo trait, ho narrated an amusing story cf an old tuilor who used to como to his parents' houso, situated i" Matthew Murray's Closo, at Eccolfechan, in order Co "make down" his father's clothes into i/uaxi new suits for his brothers and himself. Tno wages paid to tho tailor word a shilling a day nnd his victuals. Ho well remembered his arriving in the morning, and fetching with him a round sod of turf, about as .largo ai the top of a little lablo. This lie placed en the door, s-tuck a stick into it, with a slit split on tho top, which hold a candb like a vice, and there tho tailor sat on ths floor, from morning to night, barring meal times, and worked away. Tho man, by dint of great industry and saving, had amassed a little money, and bis epocia! ambition was to become a laird by purchasing tho houso in which he lived ; but it ho happened that tho owner of tho house, who had also made his money in tho same slow, sure way, wanted to drive a hard bargain and obtain a good price for it. So negotiations went on for four years, more or lcs?, between the two high con trading parties, a3 if it had been a treaty between two of tho great European Powers.

At longth the matter so far took shapo that v meeting waa held, at which each was repre3onted by a lawyer, and a draft deed was produced. On its being begun to bo read aloud, "I, John So-and-So (both tho names escaped my memory), hereby agroo to let, lease, etc., for 09!) years," tho tailor at once htruck in with, '■ What is that you say about letting and leasing? I tell you what it is, I'll hao naothing adae wi' tho transaction ava, unices I can buy the house utout and oto a' eternity !" The or.o lawyer, seeing they had got a character to deal with, gave a knowing look to the other who represented tho tailor, and anxious to expedite business, said, " Well, now, Mippoae, wo add a 9 figure to it, and then see how it. reads : ' I, John —horoay lot lease, &c, for 0909 years." " And, with great difficulty, after much persuasion said Carlyle, they at length got him to entertain and accept of the3o amended terms ! Carlylo's "Copy." I can sympathise with tho printers who had to eat Carlylo's MS., and who, on ac count of the numerous corrections and alterations which ho tnado on his proofs, sometimes found it easier to reset tho whole than correct them as they stood Dr. Carlyle told mo a story of a compositor in i this connection ; but, as it is also related by Mi?s Martinonu, I shall quote from her fuller version, substantinlly tho fame as the Doctor's, witfy this difference in tho da nouemont, that ttie latter represented the man as at onco putting on his hat and bolting from the otHce. "One day," said Mies Murtineau, " whilo in my study, I heard a prodigious sound of laughter on tho stairs, and in came Carlyle, laucbing aloud. Ho had been laugh ing in that mannor all the way from tho printing office in Charing Cross. As soon as ho could, he told me what it was about. Ho had been to tho oflico to urge on the printer, and the man said — ' Why, sir, you really are so very hard upon us with your corrections. They take co much time, you see.' After some romon strance, Carlylo observed that he had been accustomed to this sort of thing ; that he had got works printed in Scotland, and ' Yes, indeed, Bir,' interrupted the printer ; 'we ara aware of that. We have a man here from Edinburgh, and when ho took up a bit of your copy ho dropped it as if it had burnt his fingers, and cried out—Lord have mercy ! Have you got that man to print for? Lord knows when we shall get done all his corrduno.-i; I'"

A MINISTER SENT TO PRISON.

Painful Uiisc

A LIFE OF STARVATION.

Story of the Prisoner's Privations.

At the Manchester City Sessions, the Key. James Mackio, M.A., minister of the Blaonigberry Ch'ireh (National Church of Scotland), Manc.ioster, was charged with assaulting, with intent to do grievous bodily barm, Mr John Carswoll, an older of Ilia church. The evidenco rovealed a very pninful stato of affairs at tho church. For eomo months a dispute had been in progress aa to tho management of the finances. The defendant, on hi.i part, claimed tho right to manage tho funds, and M r Cnrs well resorted that ho had bean deputed by tho Synod to look after thorn. The result was that quarrels aroeo, and a fow months ago an unseemly squabble aroao in thg church on Sunday, in the course of which tho minister asaulted Mr Oarswell. For thU lio was summoned, and bound over to keep tho peuco. The rocogoisancoa expired a fihort timo nfo, and disturbances were ro newecl. At tho morning service on Sunday, the 19th ult., tho defendant and Mr Cara well had a dispute on tho subject of the collecting-boxes. On this occasion Mr Mackio threatened bis older oneomoro with personal violenco, and told him that if he at tempted to intorfero with tho collecting boxos at the afternoon service ho would huvo to bo carried out, In tho afternoon Mr Carswoll, in tho prosence of the minister, gavo some instructions about the collecting boxes, whereupon the defendant produced from his breatt pocket a butcher's steel, and attacked him with it. Mr Gars well received a wouml on the forehead, from which blood flowed freely, and tho defon da'it was dragged away before ho could inlliet further Injury. Mr CarewfiU w.m» treated at tho infirmary, and tho de fendant was on tho following day arrested on a warraut. Ho alleged that tho eider had no business in tho vestry, and that no ineroly acted in self-defence. Thoso 'acts having been proved in evi dence, the jury found the prisoner guilty, and the Ilocurdor said that if he had be lieved tho prisoner took tho Btool to church with the intention of inflicting tho injury ho would havo beon sent to penal sorvitudo without scruple. Ah it was ho had trans gressed tho law, and ho must go to prison for three months.

An application for tho redaction of the eontonco pasted upon the Rev. Jamos Mackio was made to the Manchester Recorder by Mr Sutton, who said thd prisoner committed the offence undor distressing circumstance?, and in tended nothing morothan to terrify persons jroin^r int-3 tho veetry. Me tooir tho ateol v.-ith him simply to open n. bottle of etida. TKo Recorder said lie had carefully recon eklero 1 tho sentence, but could not reduce

Much sympathy is exDieseod in Man chester with, tho Kov. J. Mackio. The scntenco of three months' hard labour in rojrardod as far too sovero. His known that Mr Mackio ha? bt-en Utterly provoked, aiii ho has great dilliculty in maintaining his largo family in the absence of any salary from tho church.

l'f> to Thursday it was estimated that 5,000 signatures had been attached to the petition")) for tho reload of tho liov. James Mackio. Nourly all tho raembor-i nf the Manchester City Council signed on Thurs-

duv morninf!

Mr William Birch, jnn., in the course of a letter published on Thursday, ways :— Mr Mnoltie nulled upon me Boon after the church vestry quarrel, begging mo to preach for and stand by him on the follow ing Sunday afternoon, under tho idea that his' opponents would not interfere. Mr Mankio lonkod like a man partially out of mental balance, such in I have several times soon to result, from long-continued privation. With tears running down his face ho paid that many a day ho had been without food, and had often kept away at dinner titio from the homo of his nine motherless children in order that the bairns miehfc each have a little. For a long time ho has had to act both ,ix mother and nureo to tho little ones. He raid ho had taken tlig steel to push in too m.irblo stoppor of a bottle of fiodawator, which, with a biscuit, wag hia only dinner that day, and that of this food ho partook in tho church, a? he dare not pro homo to take tho shiire flora any of his children. I also learned that ho has been in the habit of buy inir from ono of my congregation for his dinnor a halfpenny cake—sometimes tyro, when i-.o hnppODod to have v potmy—the phopkoir-er supposing ho bought it to give ro n child. Ho tolri mo he did not intend to ucp his soriawator opener ai v weapon, hut when his assailants approached him, tnenntto uso it only to frighten them. In reply to n telegram asking if the Home Secretary would receive a deputation to present tho memorial a«king for tho release of the Rev. James Mftckie, a telegram has been received from the Under Secretary, etcting that it is contrary to the practice of tha Homo Department to receive deputa tions in criminal cases, and that the moraorinls and other statements would ro ceivo attention and consideration if for v.-arded in tho usual manner by post. A meeting of the members of the church w«h called for Thursday by tho church otlicoi-fl who are antagonist to Mr Mackie. A number of the rev. gentleman's friends attonded, but the church officers planted themselves in the doorway, and refund to let anyono in who was not a member, although they might be attendants at tho church. This was taken exception to by Mr Mackio's friend?, and an angry dis cussion, which ended in eomo hustling, was carriod on for somo time on tho flags in front of the church. Seeing that an orderly meeting was impossible, tho church officers announced that the gathering was ad journed, and locked up tho place.

"Ouida" Cleverly Dissected.

The September number of the " North Amorican Roviuw " contained a remarkably bitter article on " Female Suffrage " by tho well-known novelist, Ouida. The October number of tho " Review " has a very plain though dignified paper on tho same subject by Mrs Mary A. Livermore, in which she answers Ouida and criticises her writing. Mrs Livormore says:

" It cannot bo denied that Ouida's books phow cleverness, Sho has a keen sense of beauty, and i 3 richly endowed with idea! imagination. Hor general knowledge is extensive and varied, nnd eho has a wide outlook upon nature But. hor stories are coarso and unnatural in detail, oxaggor nto-1 in incident, vulgar in their worship of limitless wealth, and immoral in tend oncy. I far heroines aro always spangled, bodii-.oned r.nd unroal creatures. Her pre posterous horoes, whom she proseuts as types of the aristocracy of our day, aro of the same dazzling and unlikely sort. Like Dieraeli, she gives us a surfeit of splendour and fatigues us with gorgeousness. But the worst feauturo of her novels is their coarseness. Her dainty puppets have an inordinate appstito for the grossest forma of sensuality. When Ouida attempts the role of the essayist sho betrays, according to Mr 3 Livev more, "tha samo litorary characteristics and moral tendencies that have made her books and hor namo an offence." Her article anainsit woman suffrage is merely a "tirade," directed mainly against repub lican government and woman. But "we easily forgive her attack on this reform, t.hu alphabet of which she fails to compre hend, from sheer gratitude that tho whim did not seize her to advocate it."

"Not believing in the people—or the mob, uneducated and unwashed, as Ouida calls them—she has no faith in government by the peoplo, and so levels her first blow at democratic institutions. She regards the whole syßtem of electoral power all over tho world as absurd, and condemns a re public because it does not carry out the doctrine of the supremacy of the fittest. What form of government does ? Imperfec tion inheres in everything human. Mon archical governments, which begin in usurpation, are perpetuated by the laws of hereditary descent, and supported by small aristocracies and standing armies have very rarely been administered by those fit to rule. It is a hazardous business to change the ruling king or emperor, even when he is

ir-tly detested by hia r-übjecb>. But in n government of the peoplfi, which raainljii h its permanence by constitutional provisions, the rulers may be changed at the will of the majority when they are dissatisfied."

Mrs Livermoro observes "it was necessary that Ouida should first dispose of ropublica tion government and its electoral system, for she sees very clearly the absurdity of ■withholding the suffrage from woman if manhood Buffrage is universal." Even Ouida concedes this, " rabid as she is at the prospect of woman suffrage,"

A LUDICROUS MISTAKE.

Mark Twain Uses Human Ashea for

TootU-Powder.

A hatiibk amusing stoiy U tolil at the oxpenso of Mark Twain—and tho eamo etory is already a standing juke in socioty. ISiot long ago. tho humoiu-t win travel ling in tho country anr] stopped ono evening at a honse presided over by an elderly woman. Uo was shown to a room somewhat baro of ornament aud furnitu-e, yet slept peacefully until morning. When the morning came and ha arose, ho became mindful of the fact that although he had provided himself with a toothbrush he had forgotten his tooth-powder. He consoled himself with the thought that there must be tooth-powder lying somewhere about. After a briet search ho discovered something in a small box on tho mantel, which certainly resembled tooth-powder. At any rato, he ufioi it vigorously on his teeth and found it satisfactory. When iio got downstairs he apologised to his hostess for using _ her tooth powder. She appeared surprised. "What tooth-powdar V" she inquired, blandly. ''It waa on the mantel," Mark replied. "On tho mantel V Sho repeated. " I'es, in a small box. 1c whs oxcellont," hodeclared. " Good gracious!" shoojucu luted. " That wasn't tooth-powder. " What was it 1" asked Mark, now slightly alarmed, "Why, that was auntio," said sho. (It seems that "auntie" had baen creuiatod).

A Bloody Domestic Tragedy at Valparaiso.

A Vali'asaiso correspondent, undor date of November let, sends the following story of a domestic tragedy : "Home two months ago a young Italian doctor arrived in tho country and went to live with nis brother, who had a houso in Santiago. The new arrival, Don Emiiio de Meo, foil in love with hib brother's wife, who appears to havo returned his illiait affliction. Thoy were discovered by tho husband, who in aiated on lighting a duel to the donth witii hi.* brother. Tho latter, however, got out of it by declaring that he would leave the country. On October i)th ho turned up in a Santiago hotel, mid on tho following day he was seated in his room with a friend, when his uncle, Don Esteban de Meo, who had previously sent him a threatening letter, appeared. Ho sat down on one side of the table, his nuphew nn tho other, helped himself to a glasa of water, and then inquired why he had not yet left Chile. Tho nephew answered that ho was only waiting until he could raise sufficient money to do co. Don Este ban, tho nnolo, then remarked that he would hurry him up on his journey, on saying which, ho knocked down the table, and eeizing his nephew by the collar, stubbed him two or three times. As the murdered man fell, his assassin knelt upon him, bin knes on hia etcmacb, aud kept stabbing; away, keeping count all the tirce of the number of thrusto, which were found afterwards to amount to twenty-rive. He then coolly washed h\i blood-stained hands, and uith the cheerful air of a man inviting a friend tc take a drink, requsstcd a bottle of charnpugno in honour of what ho had jest done. Ir. is noodloss to say that ha did not get it. >lo nover mado any attempt at escaping, and when the police came to take him to exclaimed: "I have stabbod him twenty-five times ! 1 don't care if I havo to die, for X have killed a tiger and freed humanity from a criminal!" Tno affair has caused an immense sensa tion in Santiago, and would doubtless base caused more but for the fact that Sara Bernhardt is playing there just now."

A NEW TORPEDO BOAT.

A Formidable Aggressor for Naval

Warfare.

A I'OR.M IDA OLE-LOOKING monster in tho shape of a submarine torpedo boat on an entirely novel principle wan tried in the West India Pocks November 15th. The boat is cigar-shaped, built of steel three eighths of an inch thick, sixty feet long, with eight feet beam. She is driven by electricity developing forty - five horse power, and is to be provided with an ex chamber similar to Jules Verne's in his boob, "Twenty Ttousand leagues Under the Sea," bo that ehe should be valuable fo? mining and countermining, besides carrying torpedoes.

Tho principle on which she acts wo are not at liberty to divulge at present, and it is porfectly impossible for any outsider to nviko out why she rises and falls at will whon she is on tho water, for only about ton inches of her upper deck can bo eeen. Wo can only cay that she does not sink by meaua of taking in water or by screws re quiring a full of head of steam to work them, for she can be lying peacefully on top, when, by merely turning a wheel in side, ehe will disappear almost instantan eously on an even keol.

The three gentlemen interested in her, with three engineers, went down in her to the bottom of the docks—about seventeen feet—and rose and fell at pleasure. Onca they stayed down about three quartsrs of an nour und tried a number of experiments, all of which were very satisfactory, and tbey discovered they had a far greater re servo of riamg power than they imagined. The invention can be adopted to larger vessels. »

A STINGY MAN.

Worth a Fortune, but Buys a Ton Dollar Coffln for His Mother.

Lincoln, 111., can boast of the stingiest man ever known in American history. His name is A. B. Roberts, and he ia estimated to be worth at least IOO.OOOdoIe. A few days ago he swore in open court that J. F. Danley owed him 25,000d01a. Ho and his aged mother lived in a small cottage in the west end of the town. She was 74 years old, and very feeble. There was do fire in her bedroom, and Koberte says she died Tues day night. No doctor was called in. Her body has just been found on the bed, frozen stiff, by some of the neighbours, who had missed her. Koborts says she died in the bed which stood in the kitchen, and he carried her into the little bedroom co as to get her out of the way. Ho says she died Tuesday night, but from appearances it is thought Sunday night is nearer the truth. Koberts went to an undertaker nDd asked : " What is the price of your cheapest coffin ?" He was told that a hospital flat-top with handles would cost lSdols., but a shellacked poplar box without handles could be bought tor lOdols. Tho man who is worth IOO.OOOdoIs. bought the lOdol. coffin to bury his mother in. The case is exciting intense feeling among the people of the town.

Persian Self-respect.

Mb Benjamin', in his book, " Persia and the Porsians," gives the following anec dote, which illustrates how destitute the Persians are of self-respect:

A prominent official at Tabreez, in tho course of an altorcation with an English gentleman, called his adversary a liar. The result was a challenge, which Beemed to tho Persian preposterous: "I fight!'' said he; "what shall I fight for ? I only called him a liar, and now ho wants me to fight htm ; never was anything more absurd."

" Well," Paid the gentleman who took the note to him, " he says you will have to fight him ; there is no way of gettinc out of it. It will never do to call an English gentleman a liar." " But I say I won't fight," replied the other.

" Then you must apologise." " Apolociso! what does ho mean by apologising ?" " Why, take it back, Bnd say that you are sorry that you called him a liar. That is what it means."

"Is that all?" replied the Persian. "Of course I'll apologise ; I'll say whatever ha wishes me to say. I lied when I called him a liar. 1 am a liar, the son of a liar, and the grandson of liars. What more does ha want me to say ?"

A Study in Phrenology.

Some time ago an English gentleman found a large turnip in bis field of the shape of a man's head, and with the resemblance of the features of a man. Struck with curiosity, be had a cast made of it, and sent the cast to a phrenologist, stating that it was taken from the head of a celebrated professor, and requested an opinion thereon. After sitting in judgment it was reported that it denoted a man of acite mind and deep research ; that ho had the organ of quick perception, and also of perseverance, with another thai indicated credulity. The opinion was trans mitted to the owner of the caat, with a letter requoating, ao a particular favour, that he would Bend him the head. To this he politely replied that he would willingly do so, but he was prevented, as he and his family had eaten it the day before with their mutton at dinner.

A DESPERATE STRUGGLE.

All Experience In the Slums of New York.

" What Lecomos of the people who rre re ported as missing?" an old detective was asked by a " Mail and Express " reporter recently at police headquarters,

" Well, that is a hard question toarswer. Soino leavo tlie country to escape their families, and others are killed in dives about the city." " Do many return after several years ? ?I " Yes, I have known cases where people have been missing for twenty years, where their wives have married again, and they have returned to surprise, much more than delight, those who at first mourned their loss. How some people disappear was en plained to me several years ago in a case which never became public. A young man, who was studying for the clergy, wns standing one night in front of Wallack'a Theatre waitiag for the time when the parformanne should begin, when a young girl, shivering in a thin dress and a ehawl, which Ecarcoly covered her fehoulders. touched him on the arm and begged him for God's sake to give her some money, as her mother was starving, and Bhe had no means by which to obtain food for her. The gentleman told tho girl that it was against a rule be had made ever to give money to people on the street. The girl looked at him with a pitiful ex pression, and begged him, if he did not bsliavo her etory, to come to the honee where she lived, which was not far away, and see for himself if the story she had told him of the starvation and want of her family was not true. Touched by the girl's pathetic look, the youne man decided to follow her. Sho took him around tho corner of Thirteeath - street, nearly to Avenue A, to a house with no blinds in the windows, with shutters tumbling from their fastenings, and with a battered front door. She took him up one flight of stairs to a room which waa utterly bare of furniture, except one broken-down bed, which stood in a corner. On a mantel-piece sputtered a tallow candle, which only gave light enough to show the deap darkness of the corners.

A Struggle for Life,

"She told him she would go into the next room and tell her mother that a kind stranger had come to see her. While she was going ehe asked him to sit on the bed, which was the only Heat sho had to offer. The young man, horrified at such poverty and never thinking of any evil results to himself, seated himself on the edge of the bed. Scarcely had he done so when two arms reached out from under it and seized him by the legs. With all his force he could not keep himself from beina dragged under. Ho drew himself back and attompted to grasp the edge of the bed, bub in tho position in which fa© was he could do nothing. Slowly but surely he felt himself dragged downward by the powerful arms. As his bands slipped from ono hold in the bed to the other they happened to touch tho heavy walking stick which ho carried. As a last resort he seized tlio cane and with all his strength ttirurt it under tho bed. Tho heavy iron ferule with which the end of the cane was loaded came in contact with something soft. A horrid curse filled the room. With do3porate energy the young man again and again thrust the cano into the darkness underthe bed. Slowly the vice-like grip of the hands which held his legs re laxed. He made ono final and desperate effort and found himself free. Ho rushed down stairs and from the house. When he reached the corner ho thought that, dis hevelled and hatlessaH he was, it was impos sible r or him to go homo. Seeing a policeman on the next block, he went to him and told him of tho experience ho had had. The officer laughed at him, and insinuated that he had better go home and take nothing more to drink. But when he found the young man was really in earnest he called for help and at once returned to the house where he had been assaulted. When they knocked at the door it was opened by a man who had every appearance of just having been awakened from a sound sleep. The young man insisted ou going upstairs, and followed by the police he rushed up and into the room which he had lately left. In it there was nothing that he could recognise or identify. A carpet covered the floor; pictures wera hanging on the walls ; a piano stood in one corner, and everything looked as if it had recently been occupied by a woman of refined tastes. The young man was astounded by the change and tried to explain that he must have got into the wrong house. The police returned to their original theory chat the young man had been drinking, and again advised him to go home.

A Sequel to tho Story. There is no question in my mind that if the young? man had not bean successful in breaking away from the grip of the man who held him from under the bed, another unknown body with nothing to identify it would have been found floating in the river, and would have been buried in Potter's Field, unknown aud uncared for, while another one of the mysterious disappearances which so often thrill the New York public would have had its nine-days' run of wonder and then have been forgotten."

" Did you ever hear anything more of this case?"

" Yes. Only a few days ago the same young man who bad told me of his ex perience of four years ago met me, and I asked him if he bad ever, while wandering through the streets of New York, seen anybody whom bo could recognise as the poorly-clad girl who had led him into the house. Once, he said, only a few weeks ago, while walking up Broadway, he had seen a girl beautifully dressed and with every appearance of wealth about her, but with the same unmistakable pathetic look in her eyes. He started when he saw her, and he thought that an imperceptible change came over her face. With her was a man, handsome, well-dressed, but with a horribly scarred forehead. Deep grooves ran from the edge of his hat down into one eye, which was evidently a glass one. The couple passed him, and with them passed the last vestige of an incident which nearly cost the young man his life and the city one of its ablest clergymen. I could recall a dozen other instances," said the old detective, "of men who have not beenso lucky in escaping the traps that were laid for them. I have no doubt that the young Yale divinity student whose body was found some three months ago floating in the river met his death in much the same way as the young man whose story I have told you, and that the tough clothes in which he was found were put on him after his death. I know of a dozen other cases of people who have been caught in such traps in New York. Come round again some time and I'll tell you about them,"

A New Sheep Dip. —Experiments have recently been made in this colony with a new dip to destroy the parasites that are liable to infest sheep. In one of the trials, the dipping composition was placed in an ordinary fiuft dip, about 3ffc in depth, and 800 hoggets were put through it. Lice were to bo seen on the animals, one or two of which seemed to have been infected some what badly. As the sheep emerged from their bath they were examined by those present, who were at once satisfied with the efficacy of the composition by the death of the parasites. A more careful examination afterward with a magnifying glasa of high power gave complete evidence of the result of the trial. The composition of the dip is said to consist of carbolic acid and arsenic dissolved in potash, the latter reducing the acrid agency of the former without alfect ing the potency, and incorporated there with is a large proportion of soft soap. The elFeet of the latter mainly assists the thorough incorporation of the other proper ties of the dip with the water, and the complete impregnation of the fleece, bo that no part of it escapee the action of those properties in the liquid which prove fatal to the insect. It is claimed that the wool is improved, and the constitution of tho sheep is in no wise injuriously affected. There was no sense of smell left by tho dipping composition, and the experts pre sent reported that the fleeces were nowise discoloured. It is also said that the dip in question is most lasting in its effects.

SELECTED POETRY.

A DREAM.

Last night, while in a soa of dreams, my fancy A v?fOoii nof°thopaEt returned on wtaga as fair, A .eirif oon2i.th whose witohing smile forgotten weretimo'arancour. . ... Tho travail of the city, and the turmoil of the street. Odcb more, mathouglit, those angel eyea, those lip? where rapture poses, x. * Came back across the yawning breach 01 rugged years and rough; Ah, me I could I but tread anew with love among the rosea." I'd trust n«rain a woman's word, and ba sprain amUff! A.W.HUBKY.

THE MODEL EDITOR.

A man who runs a paper

Should know every human caper, And hold up the torch ol knowledge like a gleam . Ing midnight taper. Ha clioulil be profound ss Plato, Pliant ss a boiled potato, And as humblo to his patrons as a street ma crossing scraper. He bhuulu honour In his journal ]£very cptain. crank, and colonel. And dish up i sir proud achievements in a hodaepodm cored diurnal. Ho should putf-tne hardened liar— Uluba and concerts, church and choir, With long aitieoti 13". sonorous, sweet, sempuic, and supernal. He must. »rrite the funny column That makes all the readers solemn, With the fashions, frilli and flounces, Inrbelowfl. and—" what d'ye call "em ?' Quell tho copy fiend's wild revel, Bquelch and massacre the devil. And put on a hrow or thunder that shall potsify and appal 'em. He must baa news reflected Of the schoolroom and the lectur'. And raio down his snrjjary torrents on the veteran Milk Insp :ctor.' He must be a prompt adviser To eaoh foreign king and fcatuer. And keep out hia keyhole teieaco»9 to dcdno the bill collector.

THE YOUNG FOLKS.

TO MY BABY.

Sleep, my lone darling! thy mother is near In dreams she is watching the coach o£ thy AncpKisscs-the dew o£ the beautiful dream- Are fallmz in showers upon thy pure breast .

Thy dear tiny flngors now link with soft prae- Arid 1 cheering the emile that illumes like the Ah, Bdtti'llng! sweot dreamer! my cup in lull la Dounty of loving, Is truly o'errun.

Oeiso! ceasa! the wild throb ot my heart's ex- The°vold of the future none living may trioa! God grant this sweet Dua ot rich piomiaa may And Jfve to toe world its true mission of grace! ,

MINISTERING ANGELS.

What a long word ! " Angel" was easy enough, for Elsie was in the Second Reader. But ■"ministering" puzzled her sadly. She puckered her lips and wrinkled her forehead as she bent over the book which she and her sister Pearl were looking

Thero was a picture of two little girls, ene carrying a basket the other a large bunch of flowers. Their bright, happy faces seemed to tell that they were going on some pleasant errand. "Oh, I know!" said Elsie at length. "It's 'ministering angels.' Mamma says ' ministering' moans doing something for some ono. So I guess these little girls must be taking flowers and thiDgs to Borne one who wants them." " Perhaps to come one that's aick, said Pearl. " But I thought that the angels all lived in heaven." _ " Yes, they do, I know," said Elsie. " I think they call these angels because they are doing such sweet and lovely things." " I'd like to," said Pearl, " only wa don't know any sick people to take things to." "But," went on Elsie, "mamma says 'ministering' means anything we can do for each other or for any one Here at home trying how many kind and pleasant things we can do." " There would be a great many things if we looked out for them," said Pearl. " Yes. Running to pick up grandma's ball when it rolls away, without waiting for her to tell us." "Shutting the door gently, so w not to disturb her." " Stroking mamma's head when she has a headache." " Booking baby when we want to go and play croquet." - ... " Trying to keep our aprone clean, so that Nora won't have such a big wash on hot days." " Leading baby very gently when he goes out of doors, and petting him whet he cries." ■

" Never pouting when mamma tella us to do things." Mamma was sitting in the window, and had heard most of the chat.

" My darlings," she said, coming near to give each dear little face a kits, "if you do all that you will susely be ministering aDgels."—" Sunbeam."

NED'S BUTTERCUP.

Ned picked in the garden, one morning bright, A buttercup, (roan and yellow,; And his warm, chubby fingers held it tight, For it pleased the little fellow.

But eood it drooped its satiny head. (inch a sorry tricfe to aerva us!) " Oh, give it some water, mamma!" cried Ned; "I think it's getting nervous 1" —Bessie Chandler In " St. Nicholas."

WHAT ENOCH DID.

A Story Aunt Kitty Told tno Children

Under the Fear Tree.

"Tell us a story, Aunt Kitty, please,"' and little Hittie and Nat Sawyer seized Aunt Kitty's skirts, and drew her almost in spite of herself to the rough chair beneath the big pear tree. "Tell us about when you's a little girl,' * pleaded Hittie. "And please begin with 'once upon a time,' " said Nat. "It sounds ao long ago, you know." "I think you must have been born a hundred years behind time, Nat, you love the Longagos so well." " I s'poct I was, Aunt Kitty. Anyway I can't help it." '■ No, dear. Well, then, once upon a time, that is, when I was a little girl, ther» was an old man called Sampson, who travelled about the country in a cart drawn by a spotted, cow with, a crumpled horn-—" •

" That tossed the dog, that worried the cat," began Nat. " 0 Nat, do hush I" cried Hittio, putting her hand over her brother's mouth.

" Not that one," laughed Aunt Kitty ; "but I guess she was a sister to her, for aha would toes her head even at children, and was dreadfully cross! And I don't wonder, either, for beside her master, there was a long-nosed and hungry-looking pig, named Enoch, which the had to draw in the cart over the stony hills. "Sampson sometimes stopped for food at houses along the way, but when he had' • little money to buy meal he would camp by the roadside, let the cow feed on the grass, and making a fire, he would hang orer it a little smutty kettle and stir up a pudding Then he would milk the cow and eat his supper. If there were any padding left, he gave it to Enoch. " I forgot to say that Sampson carried a fiddle—some people call it a violin, dears, but we'll call it a fiddle.

" One day at noon he stopped not far from my father's house, and after eating hia dinner the old man was co tired he fell asleep. Just inside the roadside fence was a email bed of beets that my sister Becky and I had planted and taken care of all the long summer, and we ware going- to veil them in the fall to buy us some ribbons.

"Well, that pig got unhitched and in some way tumbled out of the cart. He bad not had half dinner enough. He smelt the green sweet beets, and crawling under the fence he routed out every one of them. He was just finishing the last one when Pocky and I saw him and drove him ont. Then we leaned oar heads on the toD rail of the fence and cried. "The old man felt real sorry for us. tie whipped the pig with a blackberry briar, making him squeal so loudly that we begged him to stop. '■ He said he couldn't put the beets back, but if we wouldn't cry any more he would pVv us some tunes. And he did—such I ~oly ones and so many that bis elbows must have ached.

" And we both got so merry that we for got the beets, and skipped and danced about in the sandy' road to the mMMare of the tunoa."—" Yoath's Companion."

THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAR, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1887

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Tnor'pw.;.r Su:1 the ffroat American remedy, ■\ii, !>;i.ti;.-?, in thi- part of tlio world lias be .■■.;n:s so irrent that the Hop Bittcrß Co., whoso ri .:.ii-,jar.riera nro at Kochesror, New York, J .-; A., havn linen compelled to open a lutarutory in Melbourne, Tt is in ehargo or M> :.l. if. Van Jv-.ivli, a. i.-erit'.enifinof several years' oxporienca with this Company, and the trade may bo assured of receiving goods equal to the i>uimir, hou"o, uud tho most courteous treatmont. The H. 13. Co. have establishments at London, Paris Antwerp, Belgium, Breda, Holland, and Toronto and their American Bitters are l>ro!mS!j tho bsot known medlcius Id the world.



Beware of packages of injurious stuff pur, porting 10 nmke nenuiu* Hop Sitters ; also preparations and fluius »airt lo contain all the properties of American Hop Bittern. They 3i<rin£V.p on acouuiiioftho groat popularity of tin) K<.-:iiiiiie. which is oolv put ua in large M)nix/.-uiuitJ ainiiercyloortd bottles, wlih tha uutiios" L-i-. Scuur'NiiUv'Hu;) Blttors" Mown iv it-.o glaw, andisthe'UettoaniUy uiedicincever made. Ituad.



"You Don't Know TheirValee."—"They cured me of bilousness and Kidney complaint, oa recommended. I bad a half-botuo loft, which 1 used for my two little girls, who the doctors and neighbours Bald could not bo cured. lam con fident I should have lost both of them one night if X nad not had the American Co.'s Hop Bittera In my house to use. That is why I Bay you do not know half the value of American Hop Bittera, anddtf not recommend them highly enough," See.



Good Resolutions.—At the commencement of every new year hundreds and thousands of our young men—and old as well—form r,enoln tions for their guidance for the coming year. Many keep them, while others break them. % Bach w.e wish to give a word qfadvlce. In order to sustain your determination of leading* better life in the future, you should use Hop Bitters. The Judicious use ot Hop Bittern strengthens, cleanses, and purifies th c atomaon, bowels, blood, liver, nerves, and kidneys, and If