A Heart's Bitterness.

By BERTHA M, CLaY,

Author of "For Another's Sin," "A Fail

Mystery," &c,

CHAPTER XXVI.

" YOU AXE THE HAPI'IEST WOMAN IN THE

WOULD."

A URKY, eldorly man, bowed ag much with care as with ago, was walking along a lane of the village of Leigh, when he heard the sound of a Btep on the turf behind him, and turned to see a gracious figure in blue cambric, a wide faille hat, trimmed with grass and daisies, and carrying a littlo basket. Recognition was mutual. " Why, Adam !" cried the girl. " Miss Ambrose 1" faltered the old man. "Xou seemed in a brown study, Adam. 1 hope nothing is wrong with you." "It is the old story, Miss Ambrose worry for my master. You know how it was in Cornwall. 1 had the cure of a father rather than a sorvant. I've watched ull his life." " Yes ; I saw him tho other day, Adam." "Did you, madam?" said Adam, eagerly. "And told him how happy I hoped he would bo." Adam saw no shadow of regret on the lovely, tranquil face. Sweet peace lookod out of tho sunny blue eyes, framed in Qv wreath of golden hair. } " But he if* not, happy, Miss Ambrow said Adam. " I speak out to you bcej/f? of tho old time I hopad things \v? iC* go differently then, and ho would fln(1 Borne one to save him. But it i.-i n- "lv lady's fault: a sweoter, uioro iu jccn':> forgiving young creatuio never liv-J- ilu has gone to London alono for two1"" 8' "° Bays, and to bring back her ' Jlt "n" eoußins to see hor. But I hay neaco till I see him again. It is liko A tlluoß t0 moot you, trippinp; about witft onr htUe basket of pood things to sick/"* Poor> ac you <*"* In your fathor's parisr So Lord Leigh was absent This, then, was a time when Edna mi'1 * venture in his grounds and try to mea*1'" lonely littio wife! If they couH only .'o9t> e,ho trusted to their mutual youth ani*-" 5'05 '" common to bring them toeotbo Sdna Ambrose had never met anyone**" '"™ed coldly ' from her lovely faco md Btvcor, earnest manner, I

That very af ternoou»hfsot out for a walk in Leigh Woods, J'oa.ei" a»J nearer tho house she would dri'-v-purhaps eho would

find the deserted mfcti*'f> of the establish ment. ' Turning ibflt a little wooded knoll where a cluf'er^ of beech trees cast a goodly eha<?, Edna saw a scar let hammock swist'ng 'ow between two

trees, and beside sitting stitlly erect a great mastirt—oi» °f the famous dogs of Leigh; he hold-»a>self immovable, liko a cast-iron dog ep "P iQ a tjarden in gome excess of ill taM ; but as Edna came softly neir he waggd liis tail by way of reccg nition. All '"ga loved Miss Ambrose. In the laminock lay a slender figure, dressed io white pipue trimmed with Irish point and scarlet knots of ribbon. Violet was asle/P- Her long dark lashes swept her fltt*fld, dimpled cheek: the brown rings o her hair wero damp with tho dowe of slower, her pretty pathetic mouth, curve* now in a smile, now for a cigh- Erba.looking at her childlike beauty, lomed to gather her to her heart and i m »lore her to be happy. She felt singu la--iy drawn to this helpless, lovely creature. Sorely they could be friends, nnd she could Aelp her in her perilous, thorny way.

But a cloud moved across the face of the dreaming Violet: her red lips quivered. " You don't love me," she sobbed; "you never loved me !"

Edna drew back. She could not, a stran ger, intrude on these unconscious revela tions. Then Violat'a hands were holdout, as if searching for help, and she cried : '• I dare not see you —I love you too well, my " But Edna had stepped hastily beyond hearing those murmurs. She did not with to know of Violet more than the girl-wife voluntarily told her. As she withdrew into the wood, Kate, who bad been for work, or a book," hastily returned, and her rushing step rousod her mistre;e. Miss Ambrose, feeling that XaJo's pres ence would disturb the freedom of the in terview she desired with Violet, withdrew, determined to find the Httlo countees next day. But not the next day, nor for months af tor did those two meet. During those months Edna carried in her heart a memory of the pretty young creature, tossing, and mur muring of her troubles, in her sleep. In spite of the fears of Violet, and of old Adam, Lord Leigh returned homo safely, after two days, bringing with him Mrs Ainslie and four of her girls, their plan? for a lengthened stay on the continent having been abandoned in fear of an epidemic in Italy.

Violet had feared that vexation at bor re fusal to receive Misa Ambrose might, drive Norman back to hia gaming-table, and she received him in the relief of her feelinge with considerable affection.

"I knew you would bo a model couple," said Mrs Ainelie, beaming her joy, as Violet ran to embrace Lord Leigh.

Neither of them guessed that a fair face In a glory of golden hair, the hope of hear ing the melodious tones of a voice that had once spoken in love to him, of clapping a hand which voluntarily he had resigned, had brought Lord Leigh home. The very cool ness of Edna, and the frankness with which she condemned him, were added charms in the eyes of the young peer, whose love ad vances had never been more coldly met by any one.

The first real satisfaction of her married life came to Violet when she acted the part of hostess to her aunt and cousins, arrived a few days before the other guests. Their abounded admiration of her splendid home, Mrs Ainelie's awed rapture in the gal lery, where many generations of Leighs looked from the walls wiled Violet from her sadness.

"But where is your portrait, Violet?" cried Mrs Ainelie; "it should be here, next to your husband's."

" There has not been time for that yet," said Violet.

"It shall be done, when we are in Lon don, next season," said Lord Leigh, with a sigh for that blonde face that might have been next his own.

The parks, the conservatories, the an cient eolumbanium, or dome-tower, with its hundreds of iris-plumaged doves, and stables with choice horses, the pheasants, peacocks, and other fancy birde, the silver, and tapestries, and furniture, modern and ancient, alike enchanted the Ainsließ. They (spent two or three days in looking at everything and exclaiming in admiration. " Violet," cried Anna Ainslie, "you are the happiest woman in the world ! When I come out next winter I shall look out for an earl. I should be perfectly satisfied with this life."

Then Kate spent hours in taking from antique presses and groat carved chests, heir-looms of Leigh garments that had clad the countesses of the past. Purple, and blue, and criraeon, and white Geneva vel vets ; Flanoers luce: Venetien gold and silver tissues ; Oriental scarfs and shawls : fans and jewelled combs, and_ lace mantillas from Spain ; robes of muslin fine as cob webs from India; shot and embroidered silks from China, all diffusing rare odours of sandal-wood, ambergris, and ottar of roees. Then there were Leigh jewels—diamonds, opals, rubies, pearls, a shivered rainbow of

choice delights, hoapod on the tablf in Violet's boudoir, whild over them bert tho heads of tho elder Ainslio girls ano' their mot ho;, and Mrs Ainslio turned nfl"* and again to embraco hor niece and s»U over and over : " Oh, Violet, 1 am so glad ; we f«rly m- Bisted on your marrying Lord Loit'i." None of them thought that, posseted of such eplondours, sho could brothenvise than happy. . "I could have bought all tne for my self," said Violot. " But not the title, and tio ancestors, and tho aatotof. and tho hcr-looms,'1 said her aunt. " You aro oi> of tho first poorosecs in England. I'l could match ci'en one of my daughte* as woll as you wero married, I think ' should die con ""Don't many them for anything but love," said Violot, 'They will find all else wearisome, Thif wlll caro no more for tlieso trinkets thiY I do." "Not care for them!' cnod Mabel Aiuslie, a littlo ronp- " C-h, then, Violot, do please give m this littlo silver mnn, with a basket on his buck, that stands on yonr toilat-tatfo.' , . , , , " Certainly," "al(1 iolct, carelessly, "whatever ■buliko." "So ? Ol> tlen' KIVC mo tnls Porcelain cry and stflcd " " Mam">V interrupted Anna, " do make Mabel l^hiu'e hersolf. See how sho is be'"u-inr novor acted that way whoii '° were littlo; wo woro not al n,'O?" said Mrs Ainslie, regarding her vo ~gest progeny, through her eye glassos, \ y j\ considerable interest. ' I ahull a»k Lord Leiuh for a pony," said

Violet shuddered : if. liar) norar ontoroci hor mind boforo what PUS should do if Ken noth, hor ono friond and rofugu, uaarriod. "I cannot ask them lioro ; thoy aro on car;oci ; thoy could not cjnio. You must wait until noxt season." "Tho freedom and charm of a placo like this is co conductive to lovo-makioj;," sighed Mrs Ainslie. One by ono tho visitors gathered at Loifrh Towers. Grnco Fan^lmw came, all eugempps to sco her favourite friend, and to find that theomona of tho wedding day had proved false. Tom Churchill came, Grace being bis lodestar, rnsolved to lay his heart and hand, and all that was hi!-, at her feot boforo thoy left the romantic environs of tho Towers. Colonel Hartington csmo, for tho first time in years. In fact, tho first timo sinco he had quarrelled with the late Lord Leigh, Hiirtinfjton accusing younjj Norman of cheating at billiards, andthrasli in X him t.horefor. " Hullo, Hartington, glad to see you," said Lei^h, civing him his hand, on tho terraco. 'Glad you accepted my invita tion."

CHAPTER XXVII

LCST IO HIM TOR KVICR MORE '"Oh, inr.\my; tender hearted. Oh. my A-.r.y, mine no more."

,"I mih'os:-: this moans rrueo," said Hart ington, "and my laying down ray arm*, for , with a young countasa of Loigh, 1 foro-ee a i long troop of future Loigh?, and on end of ■my expectations.'' "Pshaw' you don't need expectation? — I you're rich," said Leigh. "It means not only truce, but nioro. 1 want to marry you, > man. What do you soy to an earl's daugh ter? We have asked Lady Claro Mont-" ressor, and mean to mako a match botweon you." But before many days the keen eyes of Colonel Hn.rtington and the motherly orbd of Mrs Ainslie saw that all was not right between tho young couple. So did others, j ■' If I thought Tom Churchill would caro no moro for me than Leigh does for Violot, I would say 'no' the minute he asked me," said Grace to her mamma. " Tom Churchill is a different man— mora frea-hearted. I oigh always was rather sour," eaid Lady Fanshaw. "No doubt he has his peculiar disposition from his mother, but tho Loigha have always been a very honoured lino." " And what about his mother ';" urged Grace. [ " Oh, 1 foar ehe was littlo bettor than : an adventures?. Had been married before, I 1 believe, and her father was a retired officer, living mostly on his wits. Lord Leigh ponMoned him. She gambled, so they said. She only lived five years after I marrying Leigh, and tho affair has boon j huehei up. She was in London tho season i I came out—a tall, dark, handsome woman j with black eye?, too near together, liko her ; son's, and features like his. You will see i her portrait in the gallery. This Lord j Leigh has done well for himself, marrying i a sweet creature like Violet." ! Colonel Uartington noticed tho coolness . of the married pair -tho shy sorrow of j Violet, the indifference of Leigh—and j hugged himself with the thought that he , might be Earl of Leigh yet. i "If this lady dies of chagrin, or fallfl in ! love and dopes, or my cousin Leigh dies | without heir—and what with late hours and ' brandy he is wearing himself out in a ghastly fanhion -my turn may come." ; ' But Mrs Aiasley, direct; of nature, went i straight to Leigh. j ' "You and Violet are not co happy as I ' ' thought you were. I'm afraid you don't ; ' understand the dear child. She looks cad ■ r and lonely. No one can make up to a j young woman for her husband. I fear you j r don't pet her enough. She is used to being ! 3 made much of," j * " Yes, I see she is a deal spoiled, and ! a fond of her own way. She set herself ! a against eooie visitors I wanted, for one thing, i f And I don't like these martyr airs, tor my I part. If a lady has dislikes, she should ! x keep them to herself. Perhaps you I ? had better speak to her, to have a little more aplomb or dash—something besides | those sudden starts and blushes, and wet eyes and longing looks." "Do you mean I am to find fault with Violet ? I would not, for the world. I never did in my life " t "Not if she deserved it?' v "Certainly not. To begin, I would not t believe she deserved it," said the loyal n aunt. a "A man must be master in his own home," g said Leigh. " I wanted to ask a Miss Am brose, and Violet flatly refused to have fa her." t " Why, that's odd. 1b she afraid of too many guosta ? Now I wanted Lady Burton and Keith, and sho refused me, too I v wantod to bring Keith and Anna together. You sco the entire responsibility of these a girls is on my hands. Mr Ainslie says he cannot take care of girls' affairs ;he only knows ledgers and markets." " See, now," eaid Lsigb, always fond of ", intriguing for what ho wanted. " I'll try -j and manage to bring Keith and his mother he,re, and you must do as much for Miss , Ambrose. Shea in the neighbourhood, and you'll make her acouaiotance. I sup- . pose the only trouble is a little jealousy." 81 "Violet's mother was rather sensitive and queer, but I laid it to her blue blood and I supposed you'd know how to manage such notions in Violet," said poor Mrs '* Ainslie. _ * g But while theae two were negotiating oi to betray her into receiving undesired V guests, Violet, surrounded by the bright ! „ faces of her friends, her lately lonely homo ye filled with laughter and song, returned X

herself to the smiles and choor of six months before. Each morning she came into tho breakfa3t-room fresh as a roso. Now dipped in Paphian wells of sleep, hor bloom returned, brightnosa lay in tho brown eves as sunbeams gloaming on dew ; and Violet's voice led tho rest in proposing some new sylvan pleasure. Yet now and then tho realisation that Leigh did not caro for her, that sho was not the one dearest to any ono of those about her, that she had no strong hoart on which to lean, overcame her, and drove her from the gay group, and brought the ready toara. Graco Fanshaw found her thus, in the conservatory, standing in the tropic warmth of the orchid house, the marvellous many coloured flowers bloaming about her, splendid but scentless, and forced as her own lifo. Graco clasped hor about tho waist. " Darlincr Violet, why are these tears in your oyes !" Violet broke from her, and ran into tho next compartment. Graco followed her, and knelt beforo her, clasping her arinß about hor again. " Violot, toll me—are you not happy ?" But Violet caught great clusters of Jacqueminot and Rothschild roses and showered tho vivid, fragrant petals over her kneeling friond, with a burstof laughter, thon ran into the music-room, and played Strauss's waltzes in a dashing, wild way, very dilleront from tho dreamy sweetness of her usual playing. And all that day she was very merry and bright among hor frionds. Graco li'anshaw forgot hor fears, and was tho liveliest of tho group. Aftor dinner she wont out into the* gardon to got lilies with dow on thorn, "to improvo hor beauty,"

■iibel ; " I'll toll him Violot says she does sho said ; "sho was such a lato sloepor, it iot care for any su>h things. ' was hopeless for hor to think of getting "If you do that, mis?," said Anna, "I'll morning dows." When sho came in, her give you a, sound whipping, whether mamma charming littlo Psycho head, with its rings rouse herself up to it or not." of yellow hair, was shining with dew. Mr9sAin»lie now turned hor admiration ''Oh, mamma." sho criod, " fael my to her oldest. hoid I" and bonding graciously, sho exten-

" \'iolot, what a spirit tho girl lias ! what ded tho pretty paro to tho matornal touch, authority ! Sho should ba ovor a large " Violet, fool my head, how wot it is. Mrs household." Then dropping her voico : Ainslio, I cannot loavo you out of sucli a "My clear, your friond Lady Burton's son treat." is not an earl, but he is a raro good match, sho was passing Lord Loijrh. and. full of an old family, groat fortune, and such a misHnV sho bowed the round rincod crown (i no, good young man-ho would make my boforo hioi, " You, too, my lord?" Anna so happy. Do, my love, ask them With a laugh, ho laid his lingers on the hero, and help uio mako a match botweon wet locks. His smile was full of admiration them." —as who could holp admiring this fantastic,

charming creature? Mrs Ainslie suddenly awnko to a foolish fear She wont to Violet'B room that night and said, nnxlously : '■ Why do you have that pretty, gny Grace? I believe sho is trying to flirt with your husband." " Nonsouso, aunt. ! She is almost ongaged to Tom Churchill." "I've boon watching him." suid fnolinh Mrs Amelia, in distress. " You iniwt look more to him, Violet. I'm sure he is getting in lovo with some ono. ■'Not ijcttiii'j !'r said Violet, turninp white; "i( is done, but it ia not (! race Fanshnu". There, aunt, nov>-r spe-ik of this az.iin. I can boar my own burden till it kills roe." Poor Mis Ainslio cried heartily most of tho night, and loft hoi' room Into next day. Instead of finding Violet and hor household shrouded in <rloom, the £ood woman in the corridor mot a "rabble rout," noarly a» motley 119 that in Corau.'. The entire party wore dressed in those ancient treasures of tho Towers—court and wedding suits of Lords and Dames of Loi C h. Violet's hair was done a In Pompadour, and she wore a short-wnisted, pillow sleoved. lon).' trained robo r.f purple velvet, trimmed in <;old lace. Grace Faashaw waa in tho dimmed trlorioß of a maid of honour

of Elizaboth. Lord Leigh woro the black velvet suit in which one of his lino went to weleomn William of Orange. And Tom Churchill strutted about in the guise of a Loigh who went to France to convoy over tho luckless Henrietta. Others had come out in garments of dill'erent ages, and a tronp of buttorHina could not bo brightor than they, as tho sunshino poured ovor them whon thoy rushed out on the terracos. A weak of this ma?qnorading and other entertainment, and ono day Vinlot chanced to wandor off alone toward tho grand en trance gates. Along that very walk came swinging with grent, nugor strides Kenneth Keith. Violot'a oyes wero downcast, her heart absorbed in musing. Kenneth saw her from afar in the fleching .sunshine. This slender shnpe, silken and slippered, the trailing iris robe held up in ono delicate hand, tho head drooping a little on ono side as a flower on its stem, soft perfumes stealing about her aa ehe came—this was she, his Violot ; but no, not his ; gone into other and such unworthy keeping. Lost to him for evermore. ( To be Continued,)

The Lost Bicycle.

i | J | "WiiAT'sthia?" saidthopoliceman incharge ,j I of tho Central Station, as ho took a pioco of n,' pnpor from a German citizen, who stood a i with hia hat off, wiping tho perspiration r ; from hia bald head. B ' " Dot irt a pill fur dor pizikle. Yon of j ! you detectives ho take it off my second _ I hand store ; zixty tollar," and tho German * i looked astonished that the money was not s | handed to him at once. £ j "I don't know anything about any j'■ bicycle. No detective has taken any bicycle 9 ' that I know of. What do you mean?" j " Veil," said tha German, a? he stood on j i one foot and pulled down his vest, "you 3 see n lcei.Ho man mit » light moustache nnid I ho vas a dotective, and ho see dot pizikle in ( front of my store, and he said der shief for , all der police and der detectives was goin' . j to puy a pizikle ; po doy get around quick already, and he said dot pizikle fit him ! pleaty, and I vos glad if I sell it, cause der '. , man vot leafs it of my store he do not ' ; redeem it any more. So dot detective be I take dot pizikle, and ride it around a plock ; may be two or tree ; and I said, veil, dot j was all right if he pring it pack some more. IHe get hia lex on both sides fonder pizikle, j and say if he dond't vos come pack dot vos | all right, und I pring de pill to het-quarters right away, and yen he go around de corner \ he sa, 'Ta-ta, Dutchy,' and by Bhimminy I i vait all day if he gome pack, and my vifa ■ say dot man vos a dead beat; and I dell I her pull her veet avay, and vipe off her skin, 'cause I know 'bout my own business. Dot detective not got back, and it vos yesterday he say to me, ' Ta-ta, Dutchy, how vos dot."" " Well, you have been licked. It was no detective that took your bicycle, but some tramp. We are not going to arm the police with bicycles. We might just as well give them hand car?, or ice wnsjgons. We have no dotective that answers your description at all, aud you'd better go back to tho store, or he will come back and steal your wife," and tho policeman handed the bill back to tho German. He looked down at tho Boor a moment, and then broke out: " Veil, I told my vife dot man vofl a swindler. He look liko a tief. But you vait. We got him yet. Yen you hear dot a man preak him leg on a bicycle that proko a veel yen it go over eomo stone, it vos dot man, and you pull him mitderbahol vagon, aDd I come here and kill him Dis vos a nize country, yen de tiefs look yoosh like detective, co you can't tell vich vos de one. I go pack and tell my vife it vos all right, and I got de monoy. Vait till you pee me fool my vifo," and the little second - hand man went away looking as though ho had sixty dollars in his pocket. FEANK J. " WIUSELWOKIiI) "

ON THE WELSH COAST.

Some Villages Worth Making a

Pilgrimage to See.

PkkstaWN is a small village on the north coast of Wales, near the mouth of the Dee, some four miles from Rhyl, a watering-place of some note, much in favour with the middle class of the North of England and midland counties. Preatatvn can scarcely aspire to this title, bat is one of thoae places to be found here and there about the coast, a few weeks, stay at which will prove very much more beneficial from a health point of viel", and little in ferior in its sources of pleasure. Although smail, it has yet had an existence much longer than its larger neighbour, being at least 'JOO years old. Its popula tion amounts to rather less than a thousand, divided into cottagers, shopkeepers, and a sprinkling of rotircd tradesmen and ludging houao-keepors. The one main street (with several small ofishaots) runs from the shore to nearly tho foot of the hills, which rise abruptly at about half-a-mile from the sen, skirting the coast of tho Deo Eatuary and turning off southward to form the oastorn division of the far-famed Vale of Ulwyd. Tho Ghestor and Holyhead mail train route cuts the villaeo in two, close to the .shore, and is kind enough to allow us a station at which we may stand about noon any day and see the celebrated " Wild Irishman" pass at a rate of fifty miles an hour on its eighty-five miles journey with out a stop. Our shoro is rather a weak point, not that we are at all deficient in this respect ; we have too much ; for when the tide is not in it is almost a day's journey to reach the water ; but for nearly tho whole distance the sands are firm and dry, to that there is a splendid natural promenade. We have some grand sand hills, too ; horo and there theso have boon broken through by the sen, and behind thotn lake." form nt high spring tidesl, gradually dry ing up in t>>o intervaU. Tho gran-1 foaturo of Prcatatyn and neighbourhood iB its walks; thoy are endless in number and in vorioty not to bo excelled. Mountain, wood, meadow and shore com bine to make it ono of the most favoured spots in this part of the world. Some of tho villages within an hour's walk are wortli making a pilgrimage to soe. Dysorth, with its beautiful waterfall, castle and stream running through tho village; Gronant, lying smugly hidden in n narrow valley loading to tho sea; Gwespyr, on the summit of a hill near the Point of Air, with its splendid view eastward up the Doe and wostward to tho great Orm enheacl at Liundudno ; Gwnenyegor, over tho hilla lying at the foot of an amphi the.itro of wild and imposing moun tains, ono of the latter called Gop, having lon its Bummit about tho largest cairn or artificial mound in Great Britain. Within n laiger radius, Holywoll, with its ancient religious spring ; St. Aeaph, the cathedral 1 city of the dietrict. Bodelwyddan Church, built of a native white limestone, which, if anything. lookß whiter than when built (some thirty years since); it has a spire of over 200 foot high. The interior of the building is extremely handsome, polished marble and granite forming tho prin cipal architectur.il decorations. Several of tho chief windows are of stained class, representing the Scriptural subjects, Tho cost of tho church was Dot less than £00,000. Khuddlan Castle, a tine ruin over grown with verdure, is close at hand. The natives of the Prestatyn District are by no mean" a tine race of people ; they aro rather under tho medium height, of dark com plexion, somewhat resembling their follow- Celts, the Irish, in some respects, and, like tho litter, are very warmhearted and kind to strangers.

A stay of a week or two al l'rentatyn, at almost any season of the yoar, will prove a source of delight to anyone with a taste for beautiful natural ecenory, coupled with tho purest and most bracing air that can bo imagined.

Women's Employment and Caste.

I Wnm.Ni: in thn "Contemporary KoWow " lon the Higher Education of Women, Mrs ' E. Lynn Linton, whoso papora on " The Girl I oftho I'oriod " attracted ngroatdeal of atten tion pome yoars ago, suggests that a great deal of difficulty Burroundiog women'a em ployment coald bo got over by women thomeohm If, instoad of degrading their own more natural work by the pooial os traciem of their worker?, they would raise it by reepoct and honour, large fields of productive usefulness would bo oponod, and much causo for heart-burnings would cease. The greater democracy of the pre sent age makes it possible for great ladies to earn money. Even a queen throws her books into the markot and eella them all tho samo as others. Certain tnilo'B and certain shopkeopora are received in London socioty as among its favourite and most honoured guestß. Why should not milliners or lady ehopkeepors be received there ? Thoro are plenty of millinors and dress makers who are well educated, pleasant mannered, honourable ladies: yet the countesses and damo* for whom they devise their dninty coetutnos will not meet them on equal terms at balls and dinners. The highest ladies in the land do not disdain to turn an honest penny if they can : and where is the ossorjtial difference between the clergyman's daughter who sells mantles or laces in a shop for her living, and the young duchess who cells pin cushions and buttonholes at a bazaar for her vanity, masked as charity V " If," adds Mrs Linton, " we could got rid of all caste feelintrs, aod judge of people by themselves and not by their work —if we would allow that a milliner could be a lady, and a shop girl on a level with her sister tho governess, and both on an equality with their brother the clergyman, and their aunt the physi cian's wife—we should have done more for the question of the employment of women than we have done by the establishment of college; and the creation of educational btandards, the attainments of which are inimical to the beet interests of society, be cause hurtful to women themselves.'

Literary Genius in Youth.

It ie almost incredible, when one looka over the records of ' he past, to find at what early ages come of the world's greatest workers manifested literary genius and performed their moat important works. Shakespeare, for example, wrote " Hamlet" when but thirty-six years of age; Thomas Moore wrote poems at fourteen ; Bryant's " Thanatopsis " ! was written before the author had reached the age of twenty ; Henry Kirko White published a volume of poems at seventeen ; 1 Fitz-Greene Halleok'a best verses were penned when the author was between four teen and seventeen years of age ; Dickens produced his "Pickwick Papers" before he was twenty-five : Milton wrote poetry at the age of ten ; Bulwor-Lytton, Bayard Taylor, and the poet Keats were successfully writing for the magazines at eightoon ; Schiller wrote and published a poem on Moses in hia fourteenth year ; Santhy began to write verses before he was cloven ; poems by Chauceh and Leigh Hunt were knowr»' and read before the authors were tw'^e years of age; Klopstock bege" his " Meeeiah " at seventeen, and tH» might be cited a much longer list of illustrations of the mature development of authors at tonder ages.

Thefleniand for mo great American remedy, Hop Bitters, in"-'l'" part of the world hai be come so great 'hit the Hop Bitters Co., whose imßd-iiuartx'B are at Rochester, New York 0 S.A., flave been compelled to open a laboi-a^ry in Melbourne It ia in charge ot Mr HI. K. van Bi:r»rh. a irentlenian of several years' experience with this Company, and the trade may be assured of receiving goods equal to the ?.K rel& «OU^ O> a ud themoßioonrtoona treatment. Ihe H.B. Co. have establishments at London, Pans, Antwerp, Belsium. Breda, Holland, and loronto, and their American Bittern are urobablT the best known medicine In the world.

A Farmer Tarred and Feathered.

From Mansfield, Ohio, comes a singular

story of an outrage upon a farmer named Simon Dolph, against whom it was alleged that he had disseminated scandals about women tin the neighbourhood. It is said that whilst Dolph was going after his cows a sentinel on the road fired a snot, and at this signal four men rushed out from the corn field and tried to secure him. The farmer, however, proved too much for them, whereupon four more men appeared on the eceno and he was eocuroly bound. His wife was driven away at the muzzles of guns which wero pointed at he;. A ropo was placed around Dolph s neck, and he was dragged through the woods. The rope was then thrown ovor the limb of a tree, and ho was drawn up. When he recovered his senses ho was lying on a log, and a man was blowing into his mouth. He was taken thence to a graveyard, where ho was stripped. Tar was rubbed over his body, and he was commanded to roll in several bushels of feathers. The crowd padded feathers on him and put a mass in his hair, sticking feathers on his head to make him look like an Indian. He was then pulled with the rope around his neck over atones and bushes, and taken to the village of Home. There a bonfire was built, around which the men forced him to march to music. The inhabitants of the village turned out to soe the sight, but no effort was made to rescue the tortured man. He was punished with sticks, kicked, and terribly treated. He appealed to a constable and a justice of the peace, but they said they could do nothing. The men marched him around tho town, and then, each giving him a parting kick, started him for home, where ho arrived sover-il hours afterwards nearly dead, Beforo releasing him the captain of the gang told him to leave town within ten days or they would kill him and his family, and burn his house. Warnings had been given him to leave the country three days before tho outrage by two masked meu, and again the night before by two women in disguise. He refused to oboy- One man was shot in the riot. Many of the accused aro wealthy porsons. Several have already left the country, and others ar6 preparing to go, as Do'.ph has instituted proceedings againet them.

LITERARY MEN.

An Englishman Who Thinks They are

a Snubby Lot

Litkkakv men, I dare .say, have their morit*. I should be very eorry to deny all merita to any class of my fellow croaturos, but literary men have aldO their faults, whereof (sinco life i.s short, howfwor tedious art may bo) I will only mention one-viz., their intolerable and a"gres*ive .self-conceit. Hore Is some UTOtchnd little knock knoed, weak chefted leprecbauu of a follow, whoee back is bowod, and whoso eyes are (practically) blind, who can do nothing ia this world but write, and can'C do that if a child crieß in the next street or an organ grinds in tho next parish ; yet he gives hirosolf the airs of a com manderincliiof at tho very least. If you n»k him to dinner you and all your cuoeta must sit mun while he rolates enme interminable anecdote, or fires ofl'(ifthoy will go off, but they often mien) tho terrible "impromptus" which he haa (■pent the wholo afternoon constructing over hia study table. He has dono nothing in his life at all worth doing ; ho knows nothing in this world really worth knowing; ho has no science or skill, or art under heaven, ex cept tho art of ctrinfing words together, and ho can't oven do that at all decently, unless he is given plenty of tim-. Yet on ' the strength of having written half a dozen morbid and unnatural stories, or some poem? that nobody van read with ojit eoing to Bluepr.pt-.of haviDg to put together a bundle of ill-natured criti cisms or edited some wrong - headed newspaper or magazine, he spreads his wretched little jackdaw tail with all the , arrogance of a genuine peacock To hear him talk you would imagino that if ho did. not actually mako thn world, yet he was quite equal to taking it to pieces nod put ting it together again. I romembor a pic ture in an old number of" Punch," in which ; the belle of tho ovening is represented as . surrounded by a crowd of these young i creatures, " rising young geniuses',"-as they j are denominated. In the corner are two ! human beings, and one ot them cays to tho . other : " Rather a scrubby, grubby lot, the i rising young geniuses, eh !" Woll, I must j confess that a good many of the eminent ; literary men of my acquaintance peein to me to answer these adjectives " scrubby " and , " grubby." I should not like to be broupht , into terms of very fumiliar intercourse with | thorn, I should not care to go n long - voyage with them or spend a wot day in a | country house. i

BROKEN DISHES.

The Enormous Sums a Hotelkeepcr Loses by Careless Walters.

From 1,000 to 2,500 people dine daily at each of Boston's biff hotels. Of this vaafc ituss of hungry mortals thero are probably few who give a second thought to the matter of tableware, breakage?, a very im portant item in th 6 domestic economy of the Bonifaco. Sometimes a kindly-minded guest will pity the waiter who, in an unguarded moment, allows a prises or a dish to fall shivering to the Hoor, and when the head waiter, in brass buttons and white gloves, approaches in indignant majesty to tine the luckless servitor, the susceptible guest may posnbly observe that " it's a deuced shame to dock a fellow be cause he drops a tumbler. That's what I call downright tyranny—the oppression of capital,' 'and all the rest of it, and forthwith he slips a quarter into the hand of the " op pressed " fellow's palm, and goes away with the proud consciousness of having per formed a benevolent deed. But this matter of holding waiters re sponsible for thair own breakages is not co unjust as it may seem on first blush. Breakages incur on hotel men a heavy loss during a twelvemonth and if they did not impose a rigid system of fines, the employees would make a very sad hole in the profits. - " The hotel business is not all profit," said the proprietor of one of the largest caravan series within half a mile of th> City Hall. "The breakages in this establishment cost me from 57,000 to ?S,OOO every year, and most of this is a dead loss. Water glasses water bottles, plate?, , cups, saucers. njWr pitchers for the rooms ' upstairs, vinegar cruets, pepper castors bless your fwul, there's no end to the items. ■ I draw a cheque for §600 every month to pay i for a new supply of these things Why, I th»re are a hundred dozen of water glasses alone, at SI a dozen, and I sup pose every hotelkoeper has got to go through with the same experience. The ' waiters do not do all the smashing up ' that occurs. Perhaps the greatest part i of the damage comes from the washing I and handling, when the dishes get cracked I or chipped so badly that we cannot uee ' them longer. Half a dozen barrels of broken things are cirted away from here ; every month, and go toward filling up the Black Bay or the river park. If a dish be comes chipped it is of no further use to this establishment." i A French paper says : " The time has i come when England must either evacuate > or annex it; as they dare not annex it, I they must go." The answer of John Bull ] is : "I shall evacuate when I like."

SELECTED POETRY.

DEPARTURE.

Attjuc perpclnum, am, alquc Vale

A ninje. ror raptures left behind In summer dayß Bone by. dwell For ever id our heart and eir, Bid us tho last farewell. q % Hugo

SUNSET.

Asthebrißhtsun lncrimson splendour wanes,

T^s^ g !e^Sol^^^ce^ er

What variod tints iodame the glowing sky. An* shed their gleams o'er land and sea afar, T iltn hnrsta of glory to the reverent eye. L Forth-beamingfrom the gateaof heavensjar.

What wondrous calm o'«:rMls the (rrateful WhiUhODOH arlso as tlnlrs the crimson Bun. That; heaverl n"y grant us at our last long rest Such pcicef ul glorj' when our race is run! Helensville. A. W. Hurry.

BROKEN.

Do you remember In dayß long past How wa met and we said farewell. Ann hallowing all thepearofulscene. We heard the vesper bell ? Then ero we parted we padly gave A^rmi^h^foenkept^rough all these years, But yours is long since broken!

Do you remember tbe words we said A ti^ 0Z?ldr&?& m either heart ? Oh. no! they are forgot! For ere we purtsdii solemn vow Butweon us was sadly Si.okan— Ah ! mine has been Kept through all the t) ut yours is long since broken!

AM I MY BKOTHBH'3 KEEPER r

This is a question aiked In scorn And mnrmur'd time and time again ; Thoqueryth'own by giant men. And answered with a too or pain.

If you and I are brothers true. We'll work this problem to the end My strength to theß: thy I ' ovo, t? B m;f1 Kor God mado each to bo a friend.

'J'hn bravo is tunrrtinn of the meet: And duty soothes when Borrows preoß— The ttroDß is keeper of. the weaK.

It r hiva wealth I'll Rivethee wcrk, I'll Rive thee none .0 idly stand : Bat if I wrong thee. then 1111 I Tho veriest wretch in all the land

If thou art weak I'll be thy help. If thoii »rt blina I'll seu for taee; But if thy arms are strong as rniiig, To tuccour them wera lnlamy!

If thou art meek and cannot stand To face thy foe I'll bs thy sliloid. And if hard pressed thy hand in mine Tho foe may press, we'll never yield.

Ah! ye?, tho time is coming fa?t— Old frLsndSfatin the golden wrest: We'll stand nach brother's keeper yet. With heat to hoirt and breaßt to breast!

W 111. Wills.

The Burgler Skare.

9 Founded on Fact. y _^ — ___ 6 To make this narativ deer, espishully to t those of dull compreonshun, I must feret t giv wot is generaly called tha argertrent, 8 I had orter take scene feret I know, but it . was wen the burgler skare was on this hap . penod. Our house is a too-story wun, an 1 | beta it ia a seller wot is ueed for stawing i wood and other stuf, and whar enny neffer r ouely dispozed person might easily conceal " .hißßelf. Thar v also a copper in this seller goneraly u/.od for bilin close, but on this 1 chazion full of hot watter coz ma was ill oi 5 jondiss. I hay also yot what pore retch 3 ! haesunt a verry nervous i-i?Fter, who both c, in and out of soason is continerly hering of burglere. 000 other littel fakt and I coma ' to tho egritin part. I went to skool as most " I byos do, ard wen tharo nnd altho nateraly ' prety clewer 1 cade more atenshum to the 1 ' devellopment of my body than of my brains ' ' and evon in those younp days used to long ' j lor a chanse to immolato the deeds of ' j the Ancient nit's wot 1 red of: Well 1; it kum at last. One nite wo had all ' ! retired to our beds and woar soon ■' loked !' in the arms of Morphua " (that is a quota i j tion as I put converted aposstrufHes to mark ' ! it). 1 had been asleep about too hours ! when my pore sister - she sleeps in the ■ room next to me —started stcratching the ' | wall. 1 woak and asked " Wot's the [ 'matter?" " Hish," said she, "there's a man downstairs," I whispered back "All I rite, keep quite, I'll fix him ; and seezin an Injian club two of which I kept in my room, I went and hid myself in an allcoat wot j abuts oil' the hall. By and by, by the lite of the moon dimli flickorin threw the hall kurtins I saw a man kum up the stairs. I was shure it was a burgler for ' I kudnce that ho had on a white belment to i proteckt his hid. Nuthin else struck me az ■ , funni in that moment of egsitment save . that he was drest in wite, an unusbal culler for bursters. As the man kame neer a funni feelin'—a croepi crawli sensachun > : kum over me. A minnit maw and he wud |be passed, an' then the blud of a long lind of a Valopias rozo in me and a soit of demonikle longing for his gore took poseshun of me. I longed to crash threw . his hellmit and fell him as she nite of old ' craehedthrothestial casks wot used to be worn instid of hats in those grand old daye. One ' moment maw he past with slo and stelthy ' j step, as if unnertin of his way and—then— I razed my good rite arm and—to tell truth , I don't klerely rember wot took place, but az neer az I can it was thus : No sooner had I emote him than about forty hot bullets struck ! me, so, with amazin' courage and presence of mind, I run for it to my bed room, bavin1 the satisfackshun of heerin' him drop thud as I went. When I got back, my sister in bated breath asked where he was, lan I told b«r I'd finished him. I ; couldn't get no sleep that nite for lissnin of i him tho 'i was so cold as I had to keep the 1 cloee o'er my head, so I was up erli, and upo<" goin down to mi surprize saw by a | stommin in front of the fire, warniin hiseelf j and looking verry much as if he had been 1 biled about the head an about six inches of 1 Ktickid plaster on his hed. He sed he'd had a terrible nite of it and wo'd tell me wen ma kum down. By an by, ma an us kum an he started. He sed as how hed bin I down for water for ma in the warming pan an was kumin up wen he was met by a powerful man who presented a pistol and ! told him to be quitt or hed bio his branes out, but how he didn't but kicked his wind ; (abdimen is the tennikleterm) and then the feller after strikin a bio wot, but for tho i j warmin pan, wud hay kild pore pa jumped thru the winder and disappeerd. Ma neerly fainted an so did I, but from another caws. I was so bustin with larfter that I could hardli kik sisi-es leg under the table for she was a hitching to let on. Of caurse I understood it all then. Pore pa bad been for water for ma's feet an cummin up with the warmin pan ful of bilen watter had put it on Jiis hed to keep it warm, for it waa literaly cold, an he was gropin along atryin to kep of tax, wen I kum behind and smote him. It was the spe'tin watter wot I thawt was bullets. When I kud get away and larf-I split it out lor about half-an" hour, an' then—then —the disgrace of the thing kum over me. I had compared myself to an anshint nite hackin' thru the steal casket, an' all I had duu was to oowardli asault pore pa from behind and brake the warmin' pan. I won't get out of bed ia futer won sis calls burglars. A. VAjEj/U.

THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAR, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 1887

4



Remedy fob Hard Times.—Stop spend/ (ng so much on fine clothea, rich food, and 3tyln Buy good food, cheaper and better clothinsr. and stop the habit of using expensive or quack doctors, orhumbau medicine that does you only harm, but put your trust in the Kreste* of all siniDle, pure remedies, American Co'a poo Bitters, that cure always at a trifling cos1* ana you will sea better times and good flealth. Read.



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