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BBBCR TD.^'V7-J<T. CHAPTER XXXIV. vv'hidi tho Miulaira strffts are paved, A mltlUte or two atUr the lM>at In ^'t"^ '^X'^i * **'''^^' '""^ 'V """"tt "" 1, . J » IK ly »" though lh.fy ran on ue. Ihe wWoh Arthur wa« bein« piloted to the „|,„riut, ss Art.hur a.lwu)s .ulled it af- «hii>r». uiKler the ifuidan.o of the man- tir^vard. was IjuilU of licautlful woods, itger ot Miles" I'lotel, heud left the aide ' ami lined and curtained throughout of tiie Te««ol, Mrs. Carr's steam-lauaoh | ^^'th satin, whlLst th« m<>tlve ijow«r wjB »wevwi, ...a. K.y> j ^^^ supplied )>y Lwx> splendidly harn- ahiot up a.le(ng,side of them, its "rasa- ^^^ whito oicq. Two native ser- worlc(fle««aiii'.< in the liunliulit like ix>l- j vants, hundscrme young fellows, dress- Iftbwi gtJld. On tlie det-k, neur the lit- ed ia a kind of White uuKorm. auomp- tilij wlieel, B.UK>i Mrs. Carr herself, and by lurtr Bide, h«r martial cloak around hT, lay Miss Terry, still as any log. "Mr. H'slg'hnm," said Mrs. Carr, in anied the Bledge, and tiuluted Arthur on his ap[)earane with mu<'b reverenre. It look Hdx, however, some time be- fore he could make up his mind to frml>;irk in * ccnveyamo, that remind- ^, . , , _ . n.„ ^„f._ ed him of the deatTiittion of Cleopatra's a vcce that sounied arn,s9 the water , ^^^^^ ^^^ ..uielled more sweet; hut Uke a »iU-ej Ijell, "I forgot that you fin;,|)j. ),f, got in, and off he started, will oot he able U> find your way to ' feeling that he wu3 the observed of all my place by yourtelf to-morrow, so I' oljservers, aiid followed by at least a will aeaid down a bullock-«ir to fetch y»u; you liave to travel about with bullocks htre, you ICnow. (iood-bye," luiid, bsfore he could Bn-iwer, the launtyh'u head was round, and sh* was teariag throUKh the swell at the rate o< fourte««i knot.''. "Thafs her private launth," saidthe manager of the hotel to Arthur, "It U bhp qul<-ke»t in the i.sland, and she al- ways goe.s at full stnam. She must hare come some way round to tell you that, too. That's her pltt<:«. over ttera." "Mr». Carr oom«a here every year. Aaia abe not T" "Oh, yes, every year ; but she is very early this year ; our season does not be«ia yet, you know. .She is a gr«ai bleaaiAg to Uie plat:e, she gives »l> much away to the poor pea-sants. At first •he uaed to oorae with old Mr. Carr, atnd a wi»ndjorfal nurse they say she made the old g«>ntl«mun till he died." "Dews she einl^Ttatu much f" "Not aa a rule, but .siAmetiuies she gives great ball.^, uplendid affairs, and a aeries of dlnopr i»rlie» that are the talk of tho L-'laftd. She hardly ever goes out ainywhere, whith makes the ladie.s in tlie plac* angry, but I believe tliat they all go to her l>all» and dia- aeni. Mostly, ah* sponJs her time up iin tlif hill.'*, colleclinK bulterflles and baetles. SJifl has got the most wonder- ful collection of Ivgyiliiin curioailies up at tht» lioutie there, tc>i>, though wliy slie ~ koeps tiii<m here instead ot In Kngtand, 1 am .'^ura 1 don't know. H'sr husband l>egan tlut collection when be wa4 a young man, and oolle<'ted all hU life, and the has g'.nu on witb It aimw." "I wcmidier that a>he has not married •gain." "UVIl. it ca/n'l I* for want of asking, if half of what they say is true; tor B«'cording U> that, every single gentle- man ub'Jer fifty, wtio boA heen at &Ia- deira during the Last five years lia.i had a try at hk\r, but .she wouldn't luok at nou of tliem. But of course that id gussip â€" and l^ijre we are at tho lanJ- Log-place. Sit steady, .tir; those fel- lowrt will pull Ibii bout up." Had it not bFAn for the preoccupied ant uii>'>nirortabl«t htulo of lus mind, thai took the flavor out of all Ihal be did, and [.ersLsU-ntly thrust a skele score of teggars, eacJi nffUcted with s<-mB pe<:uliar and dreadful deformity or diAca.se. Aini'l Ih'us. in triumphal guise, they slid down the quaint and narrow streets, squeezed in for the saka of .shade l>elwceni a double line of tall, greenrssibuttered himses, over tiha biidges that .sraitt the vast open drtiiuii; i>a«t the <x-h re-colored catbed ycm will frightern blm and if once he flies we Hhall never catch blui in this big ro m." Here, fortunately for Arthur, the .â- servant arrived witb the required Ijottle. int ) whii'h the ferocious inject was triumphantly utop|)ered by Misa Terry. "I am BO mut-h obliged to you, Mr. He-gham, you are a true ool'ector." "For the first and last time." mum- bled Arthur, who was suck.ing his fin- ger. "I am infinitely obliged to you, too. Mr, Ileighani, " >aid Mrs. Carr, as so n as she had rei-oveied from her fit of la.ughing; "the Ictle is really very rare ; it Is not even in the liritish Mu- seum. I?ut come, let us gu in to luncheon." After t'lat meal was over. Mrs. Carr asked her gu(«t which he would, like U> see, her collectijn of lieetlea or of mummies. "Thank you, Mrs. Carr. I have had enough <f l.eetles for one day. ho 1 vote f !r the nvummlea." 'Very well. W i 1 1 y ou ciime, Agatha?" "Now, Mililred, ycu know very well that I won't come. Just think, Mr. IIeig:hnm; 1 tmly 'aw the nasty things from the waters, whilst the Iiahe lie- longs t) a dynasty of whl<-h the his- tory was already iiiergii»« int. trad- ition when the great pyramid reared its head on Kgypi's fertile plains. Arthur («to.;d, awed at the wonder- ful sight. "Never liefore," Taid he. In that whis- per which we involuntarily u-^^ in the presenc*; of the deal, "did X leaiise my own in^igiii- ii^ante." The thought was ai^ruptly put, but t'l-! words represented nf'\ wb;it was ftassing in hia mind, what mufll pass in the mind oi any man <>f culture and seoaibiliLy when h- gazes on such a sight. For in such preaeni-*a the hum- an uiite of to-daj', fluttering in the sun and walking on tlie earthi that these have known and walked fuor thousand years agj must indeed learn how infinitely tjuall in the place that he occupies in tbs tale o£ things crea- ted; and yet. if to bu culture and sen- sibility he adds religion, a wurd of living hoi>6 h jvors on tho;»<! dumb lips. For where are the .spirits <if those tdiat lie Ijefore him in their eternal -silence! .\nswer. withered lipa, and t«ll us what judgment has Osiris given, and what has Thotb written in his once, and then th 'y gave me the creeiis | awful bo k ? B'our thou-^nd years I Old every night for a t' rtnight. Ah though thoHe h rrid Kgyptian 'fellahs' weren t ral; d<xwn thfi promenade, edged with "e'y enough when Ibtiy are alive with gr?at magni'lia tiees, that made the air hivivy with their perfume, and wlipre twice a week the l>and plays, and tho Portuguese officials march up and dmvn in all th* in>mp and panoply of offi'-e; onward through the dip. where th<) town s1o]«s downward to the Ma; thon up again thn>ugb more streets, anil pust a stretch of dead wall, after which the chariot wheels through .some ir 'n gates, and he is in fairy-land. On ,'.1 'li side oC tho carriage-way there .spr^-ads a garden calculated to make Kntclish Jiorticulturisti gnash their teeth with envy, through the bower* of wliich be cx>uld catch i.eei>s of green lurf an»t «>f th«s blue sea beyond. Hrfre the cabb.ige palm .shot its smooth Hiul lofty t runic high into the air, there the lj;imlK)o waved its leafy ostrich plum.'s, u.u 1 all arcund the soil was spread like an In liau shawl, with m.iny a gorgeous flciwer and many a siji'miid fruit. Arthur thought of the ganlt-'n of £<ien and live Isles of the massed, an<l whilst his eyes, at-custom- o'l to nothing letter than our poor Kmrlish rows, were si ill fixed upon the blaziiiK mnfi.'JPa of iH>niegranile flowers, iwiid bin M-nses were filled with the swi-et .scejit of orange and raaRnolia blooms, tho oxen halted before the por- tico of a state.ly building, white-walled and gru-en-shuttored Uke alt Madeira bou.se>s. ThBn the slaves of the chariot as- »iste<l him to desi-eiMl, whilst other slave-s o( iho <loor bowed him up tho HtaiKs, ami J;e stood in a great cool hall, dazzlijijf dark after tie brilliant-y of the fiunlighl. .\a\ here, no slave avvailed him, but tl-.e pria.'e.s.s of this fair domaLn>. none oilier than Mildred Carr herself, dud all in ,summer while, aad with a smile of welcome in her eyCiS. "I «m BO ^lacl that you have come. H'«v do you hk,: Madeira i Do you find il very hf>tf" "I huve not seen mu.'b of il yet; liut this place is lovely, ills like fairy-land, aivl 1 Uilieve that you," he added, with a lii>w, "are the fairy queen." "Ct^mplimiints again. Mr. Heigham. \y,'.ll, I waK ll.f slepiiug beauty last tiiu". so uiie may as well be called a qu-*u for a chun^e. I wonder what you shall call ui' next?" "ijt'l me see ; .shall we snyâ€" an angeU" "Mr. [I>>i(;hnm step talking nonsense, and rimve inti. the drawing-room." Hj followel lier, laughing, into an out going and making great .skin and bone d"lls of themâ€" pnh !" "Agatha persists in !elieving that my mummies are the Ijodies of people like she saw in Kgypt last year." "And so they are, Mildred. That [i^st _ ^ one you got !» just like th« ley «ho | tell" you, in geltiii'.? u.sed to drive my donkey at Cairo â€" j gather. It wils thi tho one that died, you knowâ€" I lelieve • they ju,st stuffed blm, and said he was an ancient kins Ancient kin^;. indeed !" And Miss Terry departed, in search for more l«etles. "Now, Mr. Ueigham. you must follow me. The mu-s»»uni i.s not in the h use. Wo It. I will get a hat." In a minute Hhe returned, and led the way acro»)S a strip of garden to a deta-hed building, with a broad ver- anda, facing the wea. Scarcely ten feet from this veranda, and on th« edge | of the sheer pre-ipice. was Iniill a liw i human husk, if thy dead carcass can last so h ng, what limit is there to tho life of the sjuI it hdd? "Did you o;>lle*a all these?" asked Arthur, when be had ma le a super- ficial examination A the almost count- less treasure's of the museum. "Ob, no; Mx. Carr spent half of hia long life, and m re money than I can this c^iUection to- pass'.on of his life, and he had this cave bolluw^d at enor- mous c St., Ijecause he thought that the air here would l)e le^i likely t > injure tliem than thi> Kngiish logs. I have added to it, h wever. I got those f>apyri and tJiat lieautiful bast of liere- nice, the one in black marble. Lid you ever see su<-h hair?" Artbui thought to h!nifielf that be bad at that uiument sme not far fium his heart that must le quiti as heauti- ful. Imt he did not say s â- . • Lo k her«- are seme cur oi^ thing: BRIMS OF MY MTIOBS BEVERAGES OF THE DIFFERENT NATIONS OF THE WORLD. <'«n*uiupllaa af Brrr, Wine and SplrUii la thi' Chier KarapeuB t'AHalrlci and the Inllrtl Mtales. Thft British Board of Trade has ctim- m'ljted the i)UblU:ili<^n of a series of useful official reiiorts showing the pro- ductiua and cmisumption of alcoholic liquors, chiefly teer, wine and spirits, ia thA chief European countries and the t'nSte^l States, says the London Daily Mail. / Tb3 first striking fact ia the geo- graphical diBtril/uti<jm of alcoho'lo beverages. Ge<nerally ^speaking, spirits ar3 con^umed in the north, where cold ami wet cluuutes prevail, aul wine in t4ie south. Lu Russia spirits are almost tlsi I'inly drink. In Germany, the Baltic provinces drink little or no wine, but pivfer spirits with aume Ijeer; wbila the Boutbern prov^inces â€" Aisace-Lor- raijio, Bavaria and Badenâ€" con>ume a conliderat>le quantity of wine as well as much ijvir. In France the staple beverage of the provinces bordering on the Mediterraneaji h> wina, which is ciieap there, Imt the cohler depart- m\^nts of northern France drink far taon spirit.s. The sa.me different. e of taste dLatint^uisbas northern and southern Italy. Beer is, of course, the staple drink in Kugiand. and spirits im Scotbind and Ireland. From the taxatiou ot alcoholic bev- erages the Lnited Kiuicdom derives 35 par tent., of iU lolal revenue, the United States 80 per cent.. France 19 partem., and Germany 17 l--,i per cent., ami It is in Itc^e countries that the •luld am«uul of iirink coosom^jd is the larg- aud he opeiK'd an air-tight case that | est. I'lje aaiouoit lin.umed appears to wall, leaning over which Arthur iviuia j conta;ne<l s me discoiored grains and I vary with the prusterity and the hoar the waveleU lappuig against the | ^ i^^y [nuurs of shriveled sul«tan;e. j iip.-ii,iiai capacity of a nation; but a 'What are they?" i ParJam-'niary Commi.v^i..n leceutly ap- ' That is wheal taken from the in- | pcintAxl in Frame Iuls i-outcnded that side of a ^iiummy, and th. :se ara sup- no incriNUje tu the amount of bolliAv rock two hundred feet leneath I bi,m. Here they .stopiied fur a nioiiienl to Iwk at the vast exi>ans? of oean. | glittering in the sunlight like a. sea of mdten ssniphires and h»aving as gently as an infant's Insomi. "It is very lovely; th« sea m >vea just enough to nhow that it ia only asl«»p." "Yes; but I like it best when it is awake, when it blows a hurrii'aneâ€" it i.s magnificent. The whole cliff shakes with the sho.:k of the waves and some- times tlie spray drives over in sheets. That is when I like to sit here; it ex- posed t< i« hyacinth bullis. Th'y came from the niuiiniy-case of that l-aby- prince, and, I have been t.old that they would st:ll gr tv/ if planted." "I can smrix* lelieve that: the prin- ciple of life must l» extinct." "Wise teoijile Bay, you know, thati the inrinciple of life can never liecinie ex- tinct in anything that has ouoe lived, though it may change its firm; l-ut I dto not pretend to understand these I things. HoM-ever we will settle the hilaralc.s nie, ami makes me feel as . question, for we will plant one, and though I lieltinged to the storm, and was strong wit.h its strength. Cunie. let us go in." The entrance to the veranda was from the end that faced tho h use, and ' if it grOw-s. I will givQ the (lower to you. Cho.se one. " .\rthur to.'k the biggest lump from the case, and examined it curiously. "I have not mu-h faith in y ur hya- to gain it they passed under the lnugba cint.b; 1 nm sure that it is dead. of a large magrodia-lree. Going through glass d 'ors that opened out- »vard into the veianda. Mrs. Carr en- tered a ro.iui luxuriously furni.shed as a lK>ud<)lr. This had apparently no other exit, and Arlhoi- was In-ginning to wonder where the museum ;ould he, when shi to k a tiny bramah key from her watcbcbain. and with il op- ened a do>r that was papered and painted to match the wall exactly H« followed her. and found himself in a .stone iNissage. dimly lighted tr^m aliove. and sloping downward, that led to a.duurway graven in the lo.k. on the model of lho.se to be seen at the en- uparlmenl tlut. from il.s ni>l>le pro- j trance of t^yptiau temples. l)ortions ani * .viuly, might fairly lie called magnifiient. Its c«<iling was Ion arnidat th» flowers of every land- j I "'a'^'ed with worked timtwr, and its acape, ArUiUr »h<»uld by rights have ^ ''"".â- " 'leaflifuHy Inlaid witb woods ot , ,,, ,, . Tm . . vanmis hue. whilst the walla were •njoiedMmsetf very mmdi at Madeira thickly covered with picture^s, chiefly a.n" ."« ,'"i '** ." .**''7 "'7, ^V" "' I ^"''-I'i*â„¢- and all by g«Kl masiers. He Mlle.s Hotel, protected by thick walls had, however, hut little lime t.. look and c.K>U green shut ers, to feel that I ,,,,^u,. ,,im, tor a door opened ni the you are enjoyiag al the advantages of j f„rther ^nd <rf the room, and ailmitted a w-arm climate wit lioul i I.s drawbacks, , t h,» portly person of Miss r«rrv, ar- oad that, too, however muc:h |*opln in ray*d in a gigumic sun-lml and i pair fcnaliind may be ahiivenng-wbich they , ^f green B|*ctaclas. ,'^1,„ seemed very Bl'»stly do all th« year round-is in hot, and h«ld in her hand a piece of bn»wmHi|x>r. inside of which something was violent ly scraUdiiag. "I've caughl him at last," she said, "IliMHigh he did avoid me all last year I've caught Jiijn." "Good graciousl caughl what?" ask- ed .Arthur, with gre.il intemsl. "Wlidt ! why, him that Miblred waut- e<l," she replied, regardless of gram- niar in liiar excilement. "Just look at liiiu, he's beautiful." ^. . , , ,,,..• ,1 '"^"** admonisbwl, Arthur carefully the shade of your ln,nHllord s vines, and j undid Ihc brow n iKiiier and next mom- contemplate the glowinn niiuss of green- ,snt sUirleil l«,k with aa exc.|amiili<m ery that in this heavenly island makes ,un,k |^g,,„ ,„ .(^i^.^ „,„„n ^yn,^ „„ ^^: a gardc^u \ on an do more Iban lliisi „rmou.s n-d leelle grinding its jaws in- iU;lf a luxury. And ho it is, if the day is hot, lo din« cbiefly off fish and fruit, and lU h fruit ! and then to ex- ohaime Uie dining-room for the cool portico, wiih the sea-lireeze sweeping through it, iijid, pipe in hand, to >ink into a sliimlier Ihal even the diaboli.-al shrieks of the parrots, tied by the leg In a line Jielow, are powerless to dis- turli. Or, if you be energetic â€" I .sjieak of Ma<icira energyâ€" you may slndl dowin the little terraced walk, under ewti ; for Jmving ix-iielraleil through th'> briliiaiil flower beds, and recruit- ed exlmiiHled icritlire under a fig-tree, toil ca« fngnge, in true Kiigli-li I'asli- na. in a gnmiA of lawn-tenni.s, which to bis fingiT. "Ob. keep mill, do, pray," called Miss IViry, im alnrni; "don't .shake him off on for Now, Mr. Ilcighaui, " she said, fling- ing oi>en an,.tber door, and stepping forward, "you are aUiut lo enter' The Hall of the Dead.'" He went in. and a strange sight met bis gaze. They were standing in the ivnter of one side of a va.sl rave that ran right and left at right angles to the pas.s<ige. Th- light (wured int â-  it in great rays froui skylights in the ro.if. and by it he couldi .see that it was hollowed out of the virgin ro.'k, and measured some sixty feet or more in length hy al>out forty wide, and thirty b'gh. Down tho length of ejich side of the great chaiulier ran a line i>f mx polished 8phiax.ea. w hi h had l>een hewn out of the surrounding granite, on the model -of those at Carnac. whilst the walla wer^ elalwrately iminted after the fashion of an Kgyptian »'\>- ulcher. Here Osiris bald his dreaditril)- unal on the apirit of tha de|>arted ; here the warrior sped onward in his <hargi,ng chariot; here the harper swept hia sounding chords ; and here, igain, crownttd wit.h lotus flowers, t!io.se wh 1 coriises lay around held iheir .joyous festivals. In the re.s|M-ctive centers of each end o;' the stone chamlier a colo.ssus low- ered in its silent and unearthly grand- That to the right wa'-i a .statue of doni-, you will again seek the shade ot I puu-e, as I did when be bil my thii creeping vm.-s or spreading Imn- ; tinger last year. It you'll keep liiiii an«H, and in n .springy linuimock take' quite still be w.m't leave g... and I'll yinir well-earncl repose, , .iiig for John to bring the chloroform ,\ll t li»'s<> llimg.s are I he qiiinte8.seiice l)<>|tie â- â€¢ ^ of luxury, «<> mucb so Ihal he. who has Arliiiir, feeling tliat the inleiesta on,w enjoyed tbem will long to (urn of .science were iiiatleia or a higher im- lUus-ealer, forg«a I lie paiiiniful and lab- ; ,«„(„,„.,. ,|,„„ , |,„ „,>|i_|,ei„„ ,( i,i» orioim past, iiwi live anl die at Miles' i fin«,.r, olieved liei injuncliin lo the Hotel. Oh. Madeira! gem (.f I be i.-ean, . lotler, hanging his arm' (an.l Ibeleel e) Ian I of jm.-ilad mountains t.lmt fool- I over the Iwk of a chair and looking Ish mem love U. dimb, valleys where! t|,e pi<'ture of silent misery wi-o <»nes miich prefer U> rest, and of i •â- guile still, if you please ,Mr Ileig- sm-l.ls thai lioth alike al.bi.r; Madeira , i„in, ,,uiu. „till; is not the, animal's of ll/.^ HiirJiy .sky and a/ure »«!a, land , |<.„a,.||y interesting'" flowing with milk an I honey, and over- j -No d^iuht, u, v„u, |„it I boiie your flowing with i«pulalii.n, if only you • ,,,t Iwtle is not" p i.sonous, for he is hHiKngeil to the coiinlry on which you|g„|,shing his pincers (ogelher inside ileiiemi for a (luvelilnmd, viiiat a per- I niy finger fi«-t place you would \», and bow peo- ' - tical one couM grow a,lHiiit you ! a con- summalima whioh, fortunately for my r<>ader», the recxl lection of the optvn drainn, the ill-favored priests, and Portuguese officiaLs effectually pre- cur .. - „.-. - ny accmiiil, or \v,\ shall lose him ()«iris. judge of thesmls of ih? ileiid. the waflt of a little pah- | s..ated on ULs judgment-seat, and hid- ing in bis hand tlw scourge and the lient-headed scepter. Kacing him al the otliier end of the luvll was the elfigy of the mighty Riiiiiesi's. his broad brow encircle<l by that kingly symbol which few in the world's history have worn .so proudly, and his noble features iiu- presNing tboae wh> gaze upon theiu from age to age with a .sense of siorn- ful i>OHer ajul melancholy calm, such as does n >t lieloiig to the: countenances of the men of their own time .Vnd all around, under this sdeiiin guardian- ship, each uiKMi a p.ilished slab ot marble, and inclosed in a case of thick glass, lay the C4iirpaes of thei Kgyptian dead, swathed in nuiuberleaa wrai»p- ings. as in their day Ihei true religion ,., . , .,, , , that thev held was swathed iiiaviubola Never mind we wi I treat you with „„,, i„ „,ummeries. caustic present ly. .Mildi.d .lon'l laugb } „^„, „.^re to l« found t be high-priest and Uiok al him ; „f the mysterifH of Lsis, tho a.stronomer "Ah! but many lb ng.s that seem more dead than that huve the strang- est way of suddenly tireaking intj life," she Huid. with a littlt* sigh. "Give it to mrt; I wilJ have it planti^d ;" and then, with a quick glamxi upward. "I wonder it you will 1« h?re to see it hlo m." "I ilon't think that either of ua will «â- Â« it bio 111 in this \Vorld,' In an- swered, laughing, and t.o 'k his leave. (To â- Â« Coirtinued.) ONLY THE CLOCK STOPPED Mrs. â- tllUp'K Brief CoBiMrBt aud Mr. Blli; tap'* KIsboral* Kiarl4lnilea. "Don't you suppose it's the weather, HJzra {" said Mrs. Billtoi>s, looking up from her sewing at Mr. Killlops, who had just started up the clock that stood on the mantelpiece, and who had Won- dered as lie shoo!< it why it bad stop- ped. The Miiuule she syi>ke Mr. Bill- tops wonilered why he hadn't thought of thai himself, and be proiveded to say that lie thought U was very like- ly; that the cloi^k need»d oiling any- way; that it had got kind o' gummy and sticky, and the fall in the teni- lierature was just enough to harden TAXATION ON DRINK will have the effect of iienuanently dimiiiisliing th« consumption. With few- rxcepti^ias. each country proiluctis muii of ti.e drink which it most larg..'ly <\<n-iutiies. so that the im- I>.<rlatioa of its favorit.^ beverage Is cumjiaraiively uaimportant. Knuu-e is tI.e country where the coo- suinptijia of »i.Qj is largest, and also, generally speaking, the country where It.' pnxluctii'n is largest too. al- though of lata jeirs the productiom in Italy has .sc<m.'limes exceeded it. In U>» I'nited Kiug.liuu the consuuiptiun of wioe in 1896 rea.ilied 15,77C,U0U gal- IcJjia, but this was comparatively little when ant ratted with last year's con- I sumptii'n of Ixer. which exceeded l.- \ -'(iO.UDO.tKK) gallofts, or thirty gallons for j oiery member ot the i>opulali(/n. The jieople of Baviria are the world's uhampion drinkers, I'.eir i-onsuuiptiun of heer amiouuts to fifty gallons per hkvii oC the iH>pulation in a year. Bel- gium ranks neiX'n.l. w/ere more than torty-lhree galloa-i ot h-er per head are ouiisumed. li is tLe proud privilege ol th/» I uited Kingdom lo oixmpy third platM. With over thirty gallons per head, relatively to population, we heat GctrmKiiiy at t^.e game, anl drink more l«er. l>olh in the total an, I jier bead, thaA Fi^einchmea drink wine. To give each nati^'n iUs proper .status in tlie legion of drinkers, we compile from thip ofti. ill returns the consump- tion par hcuid of beer. wine, and spirits in four C4.>untrias: B««r WiiK, SpiriU Ojkllm^ (l.ilioiu. Oalloiu. United Kingdom . 30.7 .40 1. 01 France 5.2 29.50 1.K9 t'^man'v . . 25.5 i.m United States . li.7 O.a 0.83 ThieooukumptioQ of s|.iiiis,il api«ai'a, has not vari<.vl greatly in the It uited Ki'iicdom, durittif i\m last t«u yc irs. but BEER-DRINKING Mas lii.^ii on tlie increase. Moat of tlip .spirits drunk in the Uui- teil Kingsicin are made here; thiw out that gummy stuff around, the l*arings „( ^ ^„^^^ coasumption of ' 40.000,000 and slop it Mrs. llillto|is didn't say anything to this; she just lei him go on and talk; in fart, »!ie rathsr liked to h-ar hiiu talk; and as for herself, she was .sat- isfied to l>e one that ma<le the wheels go 'round without insisting on l*in« .seen at the crank Hut after the talk wa* all over she wound the clock ASKKD TOO MUCH. galldtnn laat year .nly t<.2W),000 gallona wi?re imi>i»rted. Alcohol made in France from wine or fruit has been aluaost replaced by alciVhol made from other vegetable s»»l)- st.iinres; l-t-nre French brandy has suf- fered much iji lublic estimalii n. Tha B'rwiu'h divide their alcohol into four cUixses â€" alcohol etbylique. made fi-ou» the graie ; alcoliol pro|>hylique, made froia the retusn i>t wine or from other fniit; alcxKhol butvliqus, from molasses l«Bet ,"nt«. On it* follow ing morning, at twelve pum^tually, Art.hur was informed that tl,.- <siMivey«toiM( h«d arrived lo fetch him. He weiot down, and was quite appalle^l at its magtnificence. It was •ledge-like Ia form, built, to Iwdd four, and mounted on wooden runner* that VMded over ttw round pebhisa wltU so much, 1ml c inie and Uiok al him he's lovely, dohn. please be quick with that chloroform but tie." "If this sort of lliiiig hai>i>en8 often. I don't think thai I sh uld collect iM-etbs from choice al least not large ones." groanexl Arthur. "Oh. dear," laught<d Mrs. Cuir ; "I never saw anything so aosurd, I d. n't know which l.ioks most savage, you or tha Iwetle." "Don't make all that n •imi. Mildred, whose lore could read the piopheciee tlvat are written in the .stars, the dark magician, the renowned warrior, the musician with his cymbals hy his side th« fair maiden who had â€" so said her cedar coffin-l>oHrdsâ€" died of love and sorrow, and the royal l>al>e. all sleep- iivg the same sleep, and waiting' the same awakening. This princess must have lieen well known to Joseph, that may have lie<>n her who re^iie'l Moses or lieet root; and alcohol amylique, l^une time agi a man entered an ''""â- Â» potato*^ or cora. All e.xcept tha optician's s'hip with a view to purchas- [ â- ""*' *"* progre.-sivoly nc\iou» in Uie ilia H lair of gla-stss After the usual i ' I'ler untoed. indeed. i>*>Ls.inous =u soma qiieslioim as to age, etc.. the would-be i *«ree. Uie last luvmed being most s<». purchaser staged that he â-  wanted a ! .t'^ xuSff^sHiVn is nuule that these var- l>air he could ieu,.l with." ' '*"*â- * "^ *>raudy .slwmld be stamiwid or A travful of spe.'ta»de» was piodui-ed. | '*'»*"<' l tor exjiort. so as lo distiur ami one i«iir handed over, which the K"ish tli»^m. and thus recover «>me of would-lie purcJia'ed affixed t . his cran- ''"' reputation win h French brandies iuiu. at tho same time scanning a nnws- pai>er. "Kindly hold the (Mxper at arm's length." This ww done. "IXi they suit you ?" "No," w«is the reply. "Try thiose. We have plenty to se- le<"t from." The seoond pair was tried with like at oijie time enji>yed. riw> fact.s adduced in relatiin t,oth» rnil»«l Staler are .sciuewlwl remark' ably. It oaiiMot he c<.>a-videred. the ra.. l»>rl Htatej«. a large lieer driakin^ na- tion any TOon- thnn it can l« considered a large wine drinking nation. The pro- ductioa and consuaki>tion of .spirits has Iwen for some years \huH decreasing; some time, till at lest the o)>tician'd stook was exhausied, fhen an idea struck the opliiian. "Can you read at all, my' good man T" asked the optician. 'Nb! DiiUi't 1 <uk j\-Vk for'a pair that I could read with ?" result. The oi»ratii»n continued for | '" '"^â- '^' '*• '"''.^' 'k' said generally that ot Im^ three alcoholic t)everage». the TOiisumption of wine and .spirits is dis- tiatlj- dimiuishing, while lli* consum|>- tion of liver has only kept pace with tb,« iiurease of (opulation. These circumsiaiiccs are certainly worth invest ij;a I iiiK. so aa to dis'-over wlieiber they an- <lue lo tha spread of llMuierain-e priniples or to the trade depiv^s-siou w hi h, has existed for some liw. TI.e United States fisi-al author- ities attribute it to the latter cause, and slate that they loo-k forward to iiupritved I'eieipts if ti\e prorai-e I im- provement in husinesa o niUV.>v'A< ia even i>artially realizwd. tu;r ruling passion. Ur Hones â€" \m. my good ni.in ; you are dying fast. Hikerâ€" iHUrry. then, and give ma m.v cyoUiuietec I'll inake a record, or die trying } i * i