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II I I I â-  I I I â- â- ii ny 'i' " y»"^w^^^^i" â„¢t 'i...., ^,^mmimmmm^^ffm^ 51" "' â-  ' THE VERY LATEST FROM ALL THE WORLD OVER. Intereitlng Itemi About Our Own Country, Oreat Britain, the United Statca, and All Parta of the Uiobe, Condented and A>5orted (or t:aay KeadlOK. CANADA. • 'I'lic Ik>ar<l of Trade of Winnipeg is opposi'd li» Kruntiii); exclusive rights to til.' Uuitwin's Uaj Canal anil Naviga- tion Company. It is now rumored that "Sir Itonald Smith U likely to succeed Sir Charles Tupiier as Canadian Higli Cummission- er in England. The Italian colony in Montreal have «P|iointed a cumiuittp« to rabe funds to issist their countrymen who are light- ing in Al>yssinia. An Act res|H'cting hukeshops, intro- duced in the Ontario IjOgislalure by Mr. Dryden. propos<-s to pliu* all bakeries under Govermnent suiiervisiou. Mrs. Cynthia Hell , wa-s committed for trial at Ottawa on the charge of horrible cruellies committed on her grandchildren mimed Short. The Royal Victoria Hospital at Mon- treal bus received gifts from Lord Mountstephen and Sir Doni'.d Smith o| llO.OtX) each to cover the expenses of the hospital liial year. Mrs. M. C. A. Ilinman of Hamilton knil two young ludie« from 'i'oronto. wlio were visiting her were nearly B«pbyxiatcd with coal gas. The budget speech of Provincial Tre.usurer McMillan .showed that Mani- tolw'.s finances were never in a more prosp.Tous condition than at present. The surplus is $8t«,000. The returns of the traffic earnings of the Grand Trunk railway for the week ende<l February 29, lto6, wero f3:iU,8"J7. while for the same week in 18U3 they were «3I(),.0:J3, showing an ini-rease for February this year of »1,304. Lieut. Barret, Royal Naval Pleserve, late commander of the, SS. Mongolian, has U-en ap[>()inted to the Parisian, with the iKjsilion of Commodore of the Allan fleet, to succeed Captain Ilitehie, retiring Commodore. At the last meeting of the lown Coun- cil of Hro<.-kville. it was discovered that f 10,1)00 which had lieen voted to the Can- ada Carriage Company had lie<-n i I leg- have already liewj paid twice over.and the rem.iining $7,000 will also have to be repaid. While James Newham. aged 18, was at work in a saw mill at \Vo<»dlawn, Ont . on Thursday nii^bl, lie cfime in contact In Slime way with liie circular saw, whii-b cut his fool off. He then fell against the saw, which struck his hip, culling nearly half way through his Ix'd}. He fiied shorily afterwards. The report of Mr. James Mansergh, C.K.. of London. Kngland, on the water supply of Toronto, has U-en received at thai city, and created much interest in local and civic circles. .Mr. Man.sergh gives an exhaustive review of previous s<-hiTne,s for improving Ih'- water sup- |>ly, and after a careful examination of lb'- Lake Siiiir.«. .si-heme, rejects it in favour of a continuance of pumping from l,ake Ontario, the preoenl sourco of I he water service. Incidentally ihe repi.rt demolishes Ihe aqueduct "(low- er" si'heme, and recommemls atten- tion to the sewerage system. GRKAT BRITAIN. A resolution of symiJalhy with the Armenians was passed in the Uritish llous!' of Commons. Thi' (JIaagow Herald is authority for the stalenienl that Sir (Jeorge Newnes til' nillionaire piiblLsher, is having a yaiht l,uilt to compete for the America cup. Mr. Campliell-Itmnerman made a nioiion in the lin|»'rial rarliaui.^iit lo sink.' out of the eslimates the ill 8(H) spe.ril pension to the Duke of Cani- tinilgi-. Lord Liinsilowne, Secrelary of .State lor War, ha-s attached a niemoramlum to Ihe army estimates, staling that in view of recent events il will Ih" imiKis- «ilile to reiiuce the strength of the Kgyptian garris<jn in 18i)((. Mr. Uelil), the cliief l<Komotive engin- eer of the London and North- WcsKtm riiilnay,i)ri>dicts that a few years hen<-c eleriric trains will Ih> run to all Ihe gnat centres at a s|M-ed we can hard- ly mm realize. A cable despatch stat<\s that the Rrit- ish cheese importers dirsire that the Oo- niinion I'nrliament should p.iss legisla- tion re(|uiririg the branding of the mi.nlli of tb.- make on all ,lS exporl lo Ureal Hritjiin. 1 A (lespalch lias Ixien receive? don from Hombay, - saying xl Kingh, .\Lilia rajah of .lliaalavf preparing to iv^in a small \\ oiMi accouni a(/ainst Ihe liidih\ ment was deposed on Tuesday. ,'• |j. 'â- â€¢â- I'ortod I hat the llrilish Coloni- al Office has- called for furl her di'lails relative to t )/e assumjii iim by the Unit- ed States of three million acres of ter- ritory, nlleg.vl |„ 1«> liiilish, on the Pa- cific coast, 0[>|s)site Prince of Wales Is- land. The Prince of Wales has U'cn much depreH.sed since Kenry of Ila(leiiU'r(i's death. It seems iliat Allii'rl Kdward ind Menry had their fortunes told by a gypsy some years ago. J ho Prince' of Wales was informed that he svould jever Iw King of Fnglniid, and Henry that he would die seeking glory under a tropic sky. TTNITED STATES. The mills .Tnd factories estabHshed in the I'mted Slates by Ihe .Salvation Army give employment to 10.700 persons. A unman in Simpson county, Ky,,st!',; â- inns and weaves all Ihe doth fiir the clothing worn by her husband and children. I'resJdent Cleveland and his Cabinet are sirnngly o|iposed to Ihe present re- nognilliin of th.- U-liigerency of the Culi- an insurgents. Armour * Co., of Chicago, have iim- trncled (o furnish meat siipplinn to the llrilish North American squadron for three years, li, laliest Htandpi|i(> in New Eng- land i :! iM)mplet<'d III Kennebunk, Me., InsI -k. It is lO.'i feet high, and «oiii 1 ;')0 rivets wero uaed in its con- st ruei I •(). Lady lli'nrr Boinerset has sued Mr. WilliaD' Waldorf Ajitor for >25,000 damagt>s caused to her reputation by a remark in the I'all Mall Gazette not long ago. Coyotes have killed all the cats in the town of ValJey. Wiush., and in the neighboiirhcKid. They come tioldly into the town at night, and pick up every cat they come across. Agents of the Culian revolutionists, W'orking from St. J.ouis as a cumiiion cenlre, arc sending from fifty to sixty Dien a weiek to join the forces of Gen. Gomez on the island. Sir Julian I'auncefote.the Hrilish Am- bas.sador al. Washington, and the Vene- zuelan Minister in that city, have en- tered inlo direct communication for a settlement of the Yuruan incident. Andrew Werten, a gypsy horse-deal- er, 33 years old, and a native of Canada, iiiurdered his wife i^ouise on Thursday niglit in her room in a Hroadway lodg- ing house, St. Jvouis. He i ul her throat with a razor. A telepiione has iieen placcil on the preacher's desk in the Congregational <-liurcb at Norfolk. Conn., in order that iiieinljers of the church who are unable to attend the s«!rvices may hear the ser- mons as they sit at home. Promise of an early spring is noticed in Connecticut in the appearance last week, near Harlfonl, of a large fhs-k of wild geese, flying northward. As a rule the geese are not seen in that re- gion until about the middle of ALin-h. A reform wave has struck th«' citj' governmeni. of Wootlsiock, Vt., An anti- tobacco league ha.s lieen formecl among the memlx-rs of the governmeni. and already twelve of the town officials have Joined it, and given up tobacco in every form. A trapper of Morristfiwn, Vl., h.is just received from a fur dealer in Mont- real an order for 1,000 live skunks, the second order of the kiifd he has had. He filled the first order with compara- tive ease, ami thinks it will lie almost as easy to fill this one. In all the world there is but one man that can read the translation of the Hible into the language of the aliori- gines which was made by a Mr. Kliot in wiial is now Paxton, in 1619. That man i.s the well-known antiquarian and si-holar. Trumbull, of Hartfonl, Conn. Hiram Lester, who died at the isior farm in Henry county, Ga., a week ago last Friilay, was said lo l)e one hundred and twenty-nine years old. A son of his, living in the same poor-house, is ninety years old, and a daughter, who lives in Heard county, is ninety-five yi'ars old. Hrewers in (Jerniany have contr.icleil for 2 fiDO.OOd bushels of barley from iMon- Ijin-i next s-ason. This barley will conn- from Ihe famous Gallatin vallev, which lie.s alimg the Northern l*aeiflc Rail- way, eighty miles east of Helena, where enormous crops of finest quality are raised by irrigation. The barlKille for the I'nited Stales battleship Iowa was completed las! week. It is Ihe largest ever manufac- tured in America, and has lieen more than a year under conslrucli«m. It consists of nine pl.ates. each weighing 9o,0O(l pounds, in a!ddition to a large tur- ret. The plaies are fifteen inches thick and 220 inches wide. Thi- barlwlle is to lie shipix-d lo Philadelphia, where the Iowa is building, on a train of cars Ituili for the purism-. There will lx> a great decrcise in the production of hups in Oregon luid Wash- ington this year. The hop industry in orevioiis years has Is'en one of the largest in tlie.se states, but overpnsluc- lion h.i.s brought the price down t^i an unprofil.ible figure, and in the last year or two insert pests have caused greni loss to Ihe growers. .\ great many hop fields in various parts of the two Stall's have been ploughed up, and it is re- ported thai this spring more will In' turned unifer. Coniinercial telegrams from New York as lo the business situation in the I'nit- ed .Statejt are nol at all of a sal isfaelory ralure. and this is pariiculirly noliee- able in what I hey leave unsaid. Kx- cept in the steel and iron industries prices are usually agiin lower; at pre- si-nl there is a light demand for .ill kinds of iinii. ))ut we are told thai "large striieliiral business is expecled in Ihe spring." while there is "hope- fulness" as lo exten.sive railway orders, as railroad earnings cimlinue lo im- prove. These small mercies are appar- ently the ln'St in sight. The boot and shfM- trade is nut up to a reasonible average; prices of wool have declined, and .sales are small, while .some mills are closing or laying off their hands. Con- cessiuns in price in various lines do not appear lo have produced a proportionate added demand. GENERAL. Gernmiiy is .said tx) he sup|>orling Italy's overtures t<i Kni^land for assist- ance in the present crisis. "" "-"•'J,-..* •• - • ->-nublic of Regent dence of sional hours. ng a so- i course .inecdotes for profes- The Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria is said to Is- Ijie strongest wo- nwin in the world outside of a, circus. .She can lift an ordinary man with one hand. Vicomte-sse Hous.snye, whose .salon is one of the mosi highly esteemed in Paris by men of intelleelual disliiiclion, was formerly an American girl. Miss Hitler, of California. A coal mine in Prussian .Silesia caught fire and only eighty of the im- prisoned miners were rescued. Twenty- .seven dead bodies wero taken out and I hirly-l hree more are missing. The Kmperor of Russia has invited the Prine and Priiiceas of Wales to visit .St. Petersburg in May for the Imperial coronation, v^^^ich ia to take place al Moscow towards the end of that month. A special desiiatch to the London "lines from Madrid says that Kranee will suiiporl S^)ain on the Cuban ipies- tion and negotiate a large loan for her in return for certain commercial and other concessions. < Tlie Italian Government has instruct- ed the .Military Advocate General to examine into ihe coniluct of the Abys- sinian campaign by Gen. Baratiori and deti^rmine whether or not the latter shall be arrangeil before a council of war, Pbrlugal, it Is rumored, will Iwck up .Spain In her attitude on the Culian qurslion. The Commercin, of l,islion, urges tlint all the nations of Kuropo should Join Spain in resisting the pre- tentions of Ihe United .Stales. 'The correspondant of the London Tiroes at Caracas. Venezuela, reports iliat a private despatch haa lieen re- ceived fit>m Curacoii, saying that the authorities there are advised thai, a Hri ish s(:u idron o"" five ships will short- ly arrive at that port. The Czar has Oelighted all clns-sej* of Russians by commanding tliat tor the future all petitions shall Is) presented to him lier.sfinally. The aide-de-camp on duty will accept them from the jieti- lioners and pl:u-e them liefore the mon- arch without del.ay. .Mahmoiul Bey, who has been arrested for his affiliation with the Young 'J'urk- isli p.'irty, is uliout thirty years old. As a iHiy he was extraordinarily nimble. He used then to chase a half-trained iiony aiiout the paddock of his father's house, mount it with a leap, and gallop alMjut without a .semblance of fear. Herr LiebknecJit, the veteran Socalist of the Reichstag, will have lx> serve four months' iniijri-o.im'ni for insupingihe l-^mperor, after the Reichstag adjourns, lie rannort l>e imprisoned while the se.s- .siou lasts, and as he expects to leave lor a visit to PIngland before the l'0<ly :uljourns he will not Im placed Ix-hind bars for some time. The general opinion in Spain, as ex- pressed by the press and the public, is one of indignation at the resolutions passed by the United Slate Congress granting the rights of lielligerency to the Cuban insurgents, ami a general <le- sire to resist su;'h meddlesome inter- ference to tlie uttermost. A despatch to the New York Herald from Car.acas, Venezuela, says: â€" Vene- zuela has refused the demand of Great Britain that the Yuruan incident be re- garded as a distinct issue, and that re- paration be made and an indemnity paid. The Governraeni declares that to grant England's demand would Ik" a virtual recognition of British righis in the territory in ilispule lielwe-n the two nations. It alsf) declares t ii.it the whole iiHsue must await the result of arbitration. Officials again express feAr that England will try to enforce pay- ment of damages. NEW THINGS IN TABLE LIITEN. Among the new designs in napcry which command attention Is the fleur- de-lis in Empire style. On a smooth satin damask surfai'e are woven the miniature fleur-de-lis forming a nar- row panel a yard wide through the ccnlrfe of the cloth. Around this is a border of '.^he soecies of lily known by that name.. This narrow Injrder rests on the table, and on that portion which PERSONAL POINTERS. lleuKi or Inlerrxl .ilwul Home al (he Vrral I'olks «r Ibr Wnrl«l. Mr. Oishi. managing editor of the leading Japanese newspaper of Tokio, arrived al San Francisco recently from Yokohama. He will make a tour of the world. Mr. Oishi in his youth spent eight years in the United States. Gladstone is an early ri.ser. ))Ui only by Ihe exertion of his will jiower. for he is fond of loitering in lied. He is fond also of afternoon lea, and of a game of liackgammon, and he can sleep whenever and wherever he pleases. Prof. Stickel, of Jena, the Arabic scholar, his died, al the age of ninety- three. He liad taught continuously at Jina from 1827 till last year. He was the lost of Ihe pupils of Si 1 vest re de Sacy and of the land of young schtdars iti whom Go.-the was inlerestu^l during his last years. Lady Parry, widow of Rear- Admiral Sir W. E. Parry, the distinguisbeil Arc- tic navigauir. died at liillingfurd Hall, East Doreham, recently, forty years after the death of hej husliand, and within a month of completing her eighty-eighth year. She was the daugh- ter of the Rev. Rolwrt Hankinson, of Waljiole, Norfolk. Sir John Millais had a patron and friend in Thackeray. L'jsm Millais' re- luniTrom a visit t,o Rome on one (x;ca- sion, Thackeray said lo him: â€""Jack, my lioy. 1 saw a young dog in Rome named Leighlou, and, if you don't look sharp, one of theae days he'll lie presi- dent of Ihe .\cailemy." 'Ihis prophecy was fulfilled to the letter. A fund is lieing raised in London to provide for the translation into Russian of the principal works of the late Ser- (liiis Slepniak. Siepniak has long cher- ished the wish that a Russian ettition of his tnoks might lie given to the world. Several prominent Englishmen have given countenance to the project, among them ludng Sir Charlia IJiIke, .lohn Burns, C. E. .Schwann, et al. Nothing pleased the late Prince Henry of Baltenlierg more than to go to a German concert and sup with the performers on onion soup, sauerkraut, and other homely delicacies. At one of these sup|)eis in Paris he met some old Ib'Ssian comrades with whom hi he had gone around Swabia when a youth on a pedestrian lour. When funds fell short they gave street con- certs in little German-liand style, and uLayed in inns in relurn for Uiard and lodging. Prince Henry spoke of this lour as giving him some of the hap- piest days he had ever kno%vn. An aniusing story apih'srs in a con- tenipoiary about one of the liesl-known English judges. His Lordship was re- cently sitting in cliamljers. In the course of the procwdings liefore him he had occasion lo refer lo some pajiers. Not finding them on his desk, be left his chair, and searched for them liehind a screen, during which operation he w^is of course hidden from tlie people in Ihe room. Enter a noisy individual who, glancing toward the vacant .seat, ex- claimed in very audible txines, "WhatI Has the old tool gone to luncheonf" "No, he has not gone yet!" came fnmi the judge, as he rejippeared Lo (lublic view. "Hang Theology" Rogers, rector of St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate, who died recently at seventy-seven, Imd Iwen for over titty years at work in London, He was the pioneer at the philanthro- pic work in the East ejid where he was very popular. He got his nick- name from crying out at a .School Board meeting, where the discussion of I'coiiomic and religious questions prevented progress: "Hang economy! Hang theologyl Let us iKiginl" A chnraeterisliu story is tidd of him as a Ixiy by the late Lord Iddcsleigh. A nl^w lioy came to school dressed in a light blue jacket, faced with velvet, white trousers and waistcoat, and a turned-down collar and frills. Rogers went up to him and asked him his name. The. lioy replied:"! am Charles Stuart Vane, Viscount Seaham, and- my father is the Marquis of London- derry." Whereupon Rogers kioked him thre.e times, one ofor Vane, once fur .Seaham, and once for London- derry, SO«E FAIOnS PEOPLII,' â-  â- iia > ANECDOTES ABOUT PROMINENI MEN AND WOMEN. Presldeat Fwurc's rudâ€" Ex-Kinpreu •€ Cer* many .Way ttrslde la Kuslaad-tirra* Orchid tirowrrk-Mad KIhk Otto-Thf I'zar and the Poor UIri, Ac, Wlr. President Faure's particular fad is falls below the Ixxird arc "festoons of ; '*>e colle<;tion of autographs. He began* the flowers in a pattern dcs«.'ribu.g <.eep *"" collection some years ago end haa- scallops. Such a xUnner cloth is worth flatly added to its value since he. • ic 1 tu 1 â-  * „f„v, o.-^ «» became President. The collection cri- »16, and the napkins to match are «8 , ,,^00^3 the signatures of every living' a dozen. j sovereign, author, inventor and actor' The linens come in complete sets, ; of importance, consisting of breakfast, luncheon and ' The Prince of Monaco has just corn- dinner cloths, with napkins in three pleted a wonderful fishing machine of sizes. The more elaborate ones have his own devising. It is constructed of fringed doilies for the finger bowis and wire netting and iron and, while it is bread plates, and in these the same de- j very easy for the fish to enter the ma- siirns am reneated i p^'P^' '' '» n«^t t" impossilile for them signs are repeated. I j^ ^^.^^^ ,^ ^^ f^^^ ^. ^^^^ ^j, ^.j^jj What ranks as the newest pattern 01 to leave their trap, a skilful arrange- the season is that of a graceful plume ment of electric light completely daz- scattered promiscuously over a plaui • ^''"K tbem till they are drawn up from damask cloth the border of which is , ' -j ^i. » ,v t^ t:. formed of Prince of Wales feathers I â- â- Â« said that the Dowager Empress arranged in a garland. This UBique"^ Germany contemplates residing per- design merits popular approval becau.se "^'""â- ntly in England. As far as the of its novelty and elegance. Now scroll ^"'^''° Emperor is concerned the ar- wcves resemble undulating waves and , -^--^ - -^,^to^^ Ifu'r th'e ^e"?! form a panel through the cenire. A , man Chancellor has yet to give his con- Grecian border accentuates the idea of j sent, which is unlikely, unless Empress IhU odd conception and is consistently I;"rederick consents to give up part of .... . ~f ,. , . . [her German allowance. Queen Vic- arlistic. Another scroll dcsi«-n of con- , ^ria refuses to consent to such an ar- neclmg circles has a deep border of lace rangement, and so the matter remains work and is an equally pleasing conceit, in ^tatu quo. From England the Rnj- An e:.ceeduigly pretty dinner set comes prpj^ Frederick receives an allowance in a bow-knot design, adhering strictly of »40,00() a year. But from Germany HEB HAND. DOUBTLESS. Why, she faltered, did you hasten to pick up the glove I had dropped / Because, be answered, boldly, 1 thought then) might be something in it for me, some time. And his worst, suspicions were gubse- quently confirmed. lo the iMinel scheme, which character izes the most exclusive styles ofiiap«ry. Its beauty is further increased by the effective construction of the Ixjrder, which Ls a continuous vine of larger liow-knots caught at the four corners liy a ribbon band tied with loops and long cuds. Round and oblong cloths with circu- l.ar Itorders come in various sizes for the dining-tables, so shaped. Floral designs obtain largely in these, the clover-leaf, the pansy and chrysantliemiini taking she receives, "all told," a larger allow- ance than comes into the coffers of Queen Victoria as reigning sovereign of England. It ia said to require 34,000 a year to keep Blenheim Palace in putty alone. This extraordinary statement was made by the late Uuko of Marlborough. The Duke of York's collection of post- age-stamps, which he recently sold to one of the Rothschilds, bore an insur- Lhe leiid as favorites. However, the hand- , '^U'^* p' $600,000. somest ones of the kind are of plain 1 It is commonly supposed that Mr. linen, known as ' butchers' lii. en," and chamlierlain ia the greatest amateur are ornamented by a three-inch-wide m- ... ., . , i . .v.- • serticm of renaLs,sance lace, a hemstitch- '"^'=*>"1 grower in the world, but thus is cd strip and an edging eorrcisponding far from being the case. His collection with the renaissance. Others are tasie- U worth from |7.'),000 lo 81OO.00O. The fully, decorated with bauds of Cl.uny , ,.o„g^.ji„„ „f ^^^ Dowager Empress .;f lace m linen alternating with Mexiran y^^^^ however, is worth nearly drawn work in fanciful designs. These . double that of Mr. Chamberlain. Mi.4 arc difficult to construct. Alice Rothschild is a most enthusiastic Hemstitched <=1">-^ 'Jâ„¢^n«J«r 9"-"' horticulturist, her collection of r.ses style and grow more div-ersified in de- k, ,,,.i , , ^^ ,50,000. The sign and mode of embellishment e^h Archduke Joseph of Austria iwns $20(),- year Several 8ucc«i.sive rows of hem-' , ^.^^^^^ ^, fLv.^^. W. W. Astor ci- sliU-hing which form the ^P^"*' »'. » cent ly paid 10.000 to an English grower dinner cloth are done ma stitch in- i f^^ the stock of a single variety of rose- dicaiing a lattu* wwk Under this a ^^ee. Baron .Schroedir, of Egham, pos- suitable nbbon for »•»». P â- Â»^J-««' ,|,^ , sesses the distin-tion of owning the or the chrysanthe- I n^^^j valuable garden in the world. If his orchids alone were put up<m the the: violet luncheon mum dinner," may be placed to advan- tage. Centre nieoes and carving cloths con- forming to the shape of cloth of the same texture and design are included as part of the outfit. Napkins for din- ner use are three-«iuarters of a yard sijuarc, and breakfast and luncheon ser- viettes are a trifle smaller and always fringed. l''rcquently handsome tablecloths are richly exubroidere<l in white silk or tint- mi fluas in all sorts uf elaborate designs, but this U done by the skilful needle- woman of the |>arisii church, or else in the leisur>v liours of the mistress of the mansion. Such a one is produced only on st:^te occasions and is the treasure of the linen closet. The selections of plain damask denotes a taste for quiet elegance. It is consid- ered chic, and no weave in this resjicct can supplant it. The floral detsigns are not conventional, and mosaic patterns are seen in tea cloths, either supplying the entire decorative scheme or lumiah- ing the bonier for polka-dot panels. Irish linen damask is the most dura- ble; that of an e<'ru sliade is unbleached ami is considered even a moie advan- tageous buy. Shrewd shoppers purchase the out-of-date designs ir a heavy qual- ity of linen for the same price that an inferior grade in novelty patterns will bring. No fixed rule as to what coinstitutes a linen outfit has been established, and the number of pieces used in laying the tiUile dejH'.nda largely upon the resources of tlie iiidiviilmil and the stylo kept up by the hostess. An ordinary set may be bought for 920. and an extxaordluary one may cost $500 at least. Flax has been at a preiiuuni for the (Xist year, and the Irisli [Hiasant and the &otch agriculturist faile<i to pro- duce the expected crop last year, hence there i» a rise in the price uf linen BLACK RAIN, The meteorlogical records ot the world chronicle several instances lit this phenomenon. One would always like to see the.se things for oneself, how- ever, before accepting them as gospel truth. ITie most historical fall ot black rain t(H)k place in Ireland, extending altogether over an area ot about 400 square miles.' The mindrops which fell w<re as black u.: ink. The shower took place in broad daylight. Il was preceded 'oy a darkness so dense that it was impo,ssible to read without the aid oC artificial light. After the dark- ness had continued for some time a terrific hailstorm .set in attended by lightning, but without the least re- .seinblance of thunder. Then the Mack rain liegan to fall. This rain had an evil smell. Thaso who tasted it repent- ed their riushness.* Cattle refu.sed to drink it, or even eat tlie gra.ss tui w hieh il had fallen, until, fortunately, an- other shower came and washed the un- pleasant traces away. There is no doubt that the rain was black for this reason, that all light-colored animals and all articles of clothing exposed to the storm wve stained. A GENEROUS LANDLORD. Tenantâ€" That chandelier in the par- k>r is so shaky I'm afraid some time, when the iiliildren are romping under it, the whole thing will fall. Landlordâ€" Well, that chandelier ain't worth more than its price for old tirass anyhow. II doesn't matter whether it guts broken or not. market they would unquestionably rea- lize S.'iOO.OOO. King Olio, the insane monarch of Bavaria, recently celebrated hia forty- seventh birthdayâ€" or rather it was celebrated for him. Since his acce«.°iun to the thrniu! the mad sovereign hus never left the Castle of Fuerslenreiu. Once a year nis Prime Minister pays him an official visit in accordance with a certain l*w. His latest report says His Majesty's |ihysical condition leaves nothing to Im- desired, but thai his men- tal condition is simply pitiable. It seems lo be, a new fad among wo- men artists to bate a certain city. Di'se hates Chicago and C Jve bates London. "No, no, no," says the famous imper- .sonator of Carmen, "not fur the crown of England and all the wealth the coun- try I'lintains would I consent to live in London. Ten times rather would I Iw a [M'a.sunt, with a little cottage on the slope of the Apennines and the iM-autitul sunshine of Italy all aliout me." The Pope, it is said, intends to come to the rescue of the bankrupt King Humliert with a gcxxl, sulistantial loan. Italy's little tmsiness with Abyssinia well nigh emptie.l her already depleted coffers, as is »ulislantiaily proved by the King's entertaining for a moment the prospect of a loan from the Vati- can. Mr. Dickens, Q. C, the son of the famous novelist, seems destined to en- counter in the law courts the names m,ide famous by his father in fiction. He has several times appeared for a Mr. Pickwick. Mr. Samue! Weller he also met in a professional way. And a recent client was a memlier of the firm of Doinbeiy & Son, a large tailor- ing firm in the Strand. Mrs. Gamp and her mysterious friend, Mrs. Harris, he has yet to meet. A kind-hearted act of the Czar at a recent charily bazaar at the Winter Palace has excited much comment in St. Petersburg. On a certain day ~the achooi children for whose benefit the bazaar was held were permitted to see the works of art and each child was presented with a lottery ticket as a present. One of these tickets happened lo ilraw a valuable prize, the picture of "Charity," by Ihe French artist Ber- tliier. And the happy winner was a Utile girl lielonging to one of thep<ior- est families in the city. The Czar had greatly admired the picture and made iiKiuiries as to who had won it. Hear- ing that it had fallen to the share of a |ioor little girl in humble life, the Czar offered to buy it, and the sale was closed for $4,000. The money will bo invested in a marriage portion for the child, who alreiidy finds herself an object ot miicli juvenile attention. Cecil Rhodes has such decided anti- mutriuionial views that he will not have any but bachelors as uiemliers of his private staff. He recently made the announcement that "marriage is a more difficult game than ixilitics." Within a year Lady Henry Somerset has attended 115 meetings and 27 con- ferences, traveled over 8,000 miles and s])oken in twenty different countries to over 200,000 people. Queen Victoria will wear none but black gloves since her widowhood, and those of only the two-buttoued length. Her Majesty's glove bill for an entire year is less >^%xi $100.