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THE COLBORNE EXPRESS, COLBORNE, ONT., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1927 OVER THE HEARTHSTONE Sitting back in a cozy arm chair with one's feet on the fender, it is interesting t0 muse during a quiet evening upon the history of the fireside. Coal was first burned in England in 1245, but Edward I believed very strongly in the good old-fashioned log-fires, and by Royal Proclamation forbade the use of coal on the ground that its smoke soiled the air. This king of prejudices had a short way with subjects who disobeyed his royal commands, and, according to a record found among the archives in the Tower, for more than a hundred years thereafter coal was in general use only in the North of England. The Crofter's Hearrt The first fires were made on the floor, within a small square of bricks, the smoke escaping -- eventually -- through a hole in the roof. To this day in certain parts of the highlands and north cf Scotland, where cuiy pea!s are burnt, this primitive meu;od la followed. The writer has been in the "but" and "ben" of an^ld thatch-* ed croft on the moors of Scotland, and spoken to the great-grandmother who has lived therein for more than seventy years( she is ninety-six year3 of age now, and a!ert ard active, and thiq delightful old resideuter has declared that only onco during the whole of that period has the kitchen fire (in the middle of the floor) required to be -lit afresh--and that was about forty-seven years ago after a snow storm. The fire had been lit for the "house-warming" when she entered with her bridegroom had been extinguished owing to the heavy snowfall through the hole in the roof! It is the custom in certain parts of the highlands to put cu a couple of peats every night before rct'r'.Up. Those smolder till the morning, unen tie peat ash is stirred up; more peats are then added, and soon there is a cheerful blaze to boil the big iron kettle which is over on the hob. No Need to Stretch It Very few tages left which still have the fire in the middle of the room. Generally in the crofter's Ttitchen in Email thatched cottages, and also on man," of the more substantial farm steads of the old type, ample hearth accommodation has been provided. It is not uncommon to see comfortably-sized recesses built inside the hearth and on either side of the fire where the "guid-wife" and her "man" sit after the day's work is done, surrounded by their "bairns," very much after the manner depicted hy Robbie Burns in his epic of Scottish country life--"The Cottar's Saturday Night." Blocks of hardened clay or Inches jed fro: eightee i above the ground, make cozy seats for hardy folk! At all hours of tie day and night it is the invincible rule that the large stockpot remains suspended over the fire. And no won-dei this rul« js su well observed, for It would be difficult to find a place elsewhere in the quaint abode to conveniently stow so cumbersome an object. Henry VIII and a Hlghbacked Chair In castles and in some of the very eld houses of quality, both in England and Ireland as well as in Scotland, a brick or stone dais at the hearth, rais-few inches above the floor, may still be seen. Chairs or stools were placed thereon, and there the gentry deavoring to warm themselves during the cold winter evenings. A large and clumsily constructed flue took off the smoke. The drafts t, appalling, and It was In order to and combat them that high-backed chairs and settees were devised, is related that so exquisite was Henry VIII's sense of values that he gave the revenue of a building which he had confiscated, to an attentive subject who placed a high-backed chair before the Are for him, at a house at which he was a guest, so skillfully that His Majesty was out of all drafts. Chimneys Prom the days of the Henrys, strict j laws were enforced to prevent ordinary people from attempting to "presume above their class"--by building cnimney! Only in a castle or a mane house was one allowed--and not more than one. Imagine chimneys being built of wood: Yet they were. | cording to the Liber Albus ("White j Book) of the city of London, it j found necessary in 1419 to enact '"that , no chimney be henceforth made, j cept of stone, tiles or plaster, and of timber, under pain of being pulled down." Owing to the restrictions the Statute Book, it was not till the time of Queen Elizabeth that chimneys had become commonplace. "Hearth-Money" "Hearth Money," levied between 1653 and 1690, was a tax on domestic ! fires, and had to be paid to the king. The clergy had their innings also, by levying a tax known as that of "Smoke Farthings." The First Fire-Irons It is less than one hundred and fifty yeads ago Bince stoves were first used on a lar§e scale. The only flre-iron in the time of Henry VIII was the fire fork, a two-pronged implement for stirring and shifting the logs. The development of the tongs, poker and shovel came along with the eventual general use of coal. Crude strips of bent sheet-iron were, in the beginning, used as fenders. TWKurfew Bell The line in Gray's "Elegy"--"The curfew tolls the knell of parting day" --applies even yet in certain remote villages in Britain. As far back as the time of Alfred the Great, the curfew bell, in many western and southern countries of Europe, gave the signal for all fires to be put out and for people to go to bed. This precautionary measure was very sensible in these early times when so many people lived in wooden houses, and it had an appreciable effect in greatly diminishing the number of houses burned down. The couvre-feu was In regular use at that time. It was something like a Dutch oven with a handle. Glowing 'embers were pushed t0 the back of the hearth and then covered with it. In this manner the fire was effectually stifled. THE ANTIPODES ATTRACT THE ANGLER The northern coast of New Zealand is now the Mecca of the world's monster fishermen. Swordfish, sharks and threshers abound. These three giants were caught by Zane Grey, the well-known author. Novomber amity which he expects to fall upon Israel as a punishment for its sins, and in his prophetic vision he sees it as already present, and the land fallen into ruin and decay. The prophet's messages of warning and of exhortation were spoken as early as B. •C. 750, and in 722, after a long period of civil strife, and a long siege of the Lesson VI--Amos' capital city of Samaria by Assyrian Pleads for Justice, Amos 5: 1, 2, | armies the kingdom of Israel came to m ik 91 oa. r„rt.n Text^-Let an end, and many of her people were 0-15, 21-24. Golden Text-Let ^ 2 judgment run down as waters, ana j R 15:8-81 and 17:1-23. The pre-rlghteousness as a miBhty stream. ■ diction &f Amog wftg fulfilled. --Amos 5: 24. In v. 3 the prophet describes the a it at yoio I condition to which the country will AWALibib. |be redtlce<} ag th6 resuit 0f internal a dirge and an exhortation, B:!gtrife and invasion by foreign ene-1-17. mies. Only one-tenth of the men able '. a solemn warning, 5:18-27. to bear arms will be left in the cities III. visions of intercessions AND A of Israel. priest's opposition, chap. 7. Nevertheless he believes in the Introduction--Like the true pro- mercy of God andi urges repentance hets of Israel in every age, Amos and the seeking of his favor vf by any ■eld that the mere formalities >f \ meansjns anger against them may religion were not in themselves ing to God. He saw in Israel. Consult Women on All Questions Dr. Fairfield Points Out Great Changes in England "If. would be impossible to pass any legislation in England without the approval of the women of Eng-' land," Dr. Letitia Fairfield, O.B.E., told the Montreal Women's Club when she reviewed the changes which have taken place in the lives of professional women in England and women interested in public work., in Montreal recently. "in every political party," she continued, "women are taking an increasingly active and important part. They have to be consulted on any question that affects the country at large or women and children 4n particular." Dr. Fairfield is a physician and a barrister. She was appointed woman niedical director of the Royel Air ?orce Medical Service in 1911, and is now divisional medical offcer of the London County Council. She has held several notable hospital and asylum appointments, and is now in Montreal en route to the United States-, in order to make a study of mental h;?giene methods there. Tho big change in the, lives of professional women and women interested in public affairs was the coming of tb.e vote. Dr. Fairfield maintained, politicians did everything they could jto remove women's grievances, thus trying to kill the measure by kind-jteEs. They gave them increased con-sidivu-ion in politics in order to keep them quiet, she said. "There has been no confirmation Of the alarming prophecy that women would band together to put men in their places," Dr. Fairfield asserted. *There is no distinct women's political party of any importance in England. We have, of course, groups like Lady Rhondda's Six-Point group that make a point of questions politi cal and social that particularly affect women and children. "Women are now admitted fessiens from which hitherto they were excluded, for instance, that of chartered accountancy. The big step of barristers and solicitors, licitors have to be the most cautious of individuals. Women are finding practising at the Bar, very slow going. But it must not be thought that they are not doing well. We have some exremely able women pleading at the Bar." A Law Unto Herself Buenos Aires Standard (English).: The things which all sensible Amerl-; recognize with regret and indignation is that, though the riches of their country augment rapidly, accumulation of wealth is not so r as the rise of the world's wrath against America. More than once Americans have admonished England that her resentment was resented. But how can a country, a people, half world, be kept from feeling and voicing their thoughts? . . . Ameri-insist upon their divine right to what they please when and how they please, but in her Joblike misery Europe must not cry out as the patriarch did, or "curse God and die." . . . The only hope for the future is that the vast number of Americans actively striving to cultivate and bring to perfection a better understanding will in time succeed in getting the Middle West to recognize that it is not a good thing for it t like Peter Bell: "Full twenty* times was Peter feared for once that Peter was respected." : tho < , of 1 i the Bar." Dr. Fairfield, who is a barrister of j the Middle Temple, explained some of the difficulties which beset the Eng- Communism and the Soviets Echo de Paris: The seizures made in Pekin, and afterwards in London in the Soviet headquarters, showed clearly that they were centres of espionage and social disintegration. Why should they be anything else in other countries? We know that they are not. The Communist idea, faithfully and ardently represented by every Soviet agent, cannot be reconciled with the spirit of patriotism and national feeling. It is therefore useless for us to struggle against Communism, unless we commence by breaking relations with the Soviets. Communism is part of the Soviet Socialist machine. "Don't get up from the feast of lit without paying for your share of it. --Dean Inge. Brown--"I'm trying to find some on who knows me to go security on m note." Sykes--"Don't you think, m| boy, you_'d better look for some on who doesn't know you?" , a tithe. paid i sful to observe the ancient forms, but to him it was not worship, but father transgression against God. He knew the lives which these people lived, their many acts of injustice, their cruel conduct toward the poor, their greed, their self-indulgence, their deeds of violence, and their disloyalty to Jehovah in the recognition and worship of other gods. He saw doom coming upon a wicked nation end declared that Jehovah would not turn it away. He reminds the people of the warnings which they have had, drought ard famine, blight and locust swarm, plague and a recent earthquake, yet they have not repented. In the greater calamity that is coming upon them they will meet an offended God whose laws of justice and human kindness they have not obeyed. And yet Amos, true prophet of a merciful God, hoping against hope that a way of deliverance may yet be found, exhorts this sinful people to repentance, and intercedes for them with God that they may be forgiven. a dirge and an exhortation, 5: 1-17, The lamentation, or dirge (v. 1) is cast in the form of a verse of poetry (v. 2) with a peculiarly mournful rhythm, which may be imitated in gnglish as follows: 'Fallen, no more to ripe, the virgin of Israel; appeased and he may yet deliver them. Jehovah is to be sought, he declares, iw not in the gorgeous and corrupt ritual ,jJ^^tlK- meat sanctuaries at Bethelj ,B„. and Beersheba, but in just anj upright dtealkig, by putting away their manifold transgressions and their weighty sins (v. 12), by loving and doing good and not evil. For Jehovah is not only the great God, the Lord, maker of the starry heavens and ruler of light and darkness, of sea and land, but he is able to read the innermost thoughts of men's hearts, and he is the defender of the spoiled against the strong (vs. 8-9, compare 4:13). The Gate was both the entrance to a walied city and the broad square within. The latter was the market place and the place of public concourse, where the judges of the city held daily session. An upright judge who rebuked evil-doers was hated. The prophet indignantly denounces the rich who oppress the poor, who pesed as feudal lords over their poorer neighbors, exacting from ,them gifts of the produce of their labor in return for their patronage, who took bribes and perverted justice, a particularly despicable kind of sinners (v. 11-12). The day of calamity, J so of wailing, for such is surely ing, when the cry of distress and of mourning will be heard in street and " Ighway, in farm and vineyard (vs. 16, 17). i: 18-27. Cast down upon her land, none to lift! There . a solemn warn The prophet rebukes those who de-re the day of the Lord, vs. J8-20. her up.' .nticipating the cal expectation :al- ' Jehovah \v to hav< that in some | ould lead the Israel to victory over their and to wealth and power. Amos turns this desired day into a day of judgment upon the evil nation. Jehovah will Indeed come, but in wrath and not with favor, and his instruments cf doom will be these very foes whom they hope tojeonquer. It will be a day of defeat and not o\ -nctory, of humiliation and not of triumvh. in which there will be no safety and no .escape for those who have sinned against their God. The feast days, solemn assemblies, and offering? are not acceptable, because they have in them no content of true worship. For the same high emphasis upon righteousness and justice, and upon pure worship, see Isa. 1:10-17; Jer. 7:1-15; Hos. 6:6; Micah 6:6-8. The question of verse 25 seems to imply that such forms of worship were not used in the wilderness period, but that is quite inconceivable. The intention seems to be to introduce a comparison between the simpler and purer worship of that early period, and the ornate and idolatrous rites of Amos time (compare Jer. 7:21-24). III. visions of intercession and a priest's opposition, chap. 7. In a series of dream visions Amos prays for the people of Israel, beseeching the mercy of God upon this little nation of Israel. In the third of these he predicts the fall of the royal house of Israel. The king mentioned is Jeroboam II. a short account of whose reign will be found in 2 Kings 14:23-29. This declaration made at Bethel, a sanctuary under royal patronage, aroused the wrath of the chief priest, who ordered Amos to return at once to his own country of judah. The prophet's simple defence of his divine commission and statement of his call to the prophetic office (vs. 14-15), is very impressive. Agriculture to Observe Jubilee Hon. W .R. Motherwell Tells of Comprehensive Exhibition Plans Ottawa.--"Every branch of the Federal Department of Agriculture will be represented in the celebration of 'Canada's Agricultural Jubilee'," declared Hon. W. R. Motherwell, Minister of Agriculture, recently, "and they are altogether aside from the provincial education and livestock displays which will be a part and parcel of this presentation of the greatest of all of the Dominion's basic industries." The Minister explained the ramifications of the Federal Department of Agriculture, which has under its wing a great number of branches affiliated or immediately connected with agriculture. They include the „perimental farms, live stock branch, health of animals branch, biological laboratories, seed branch, horticulture, dairy and cold storage, entomological, fruit, national live stock records and the various extension and other incidentals arising out of the ib-departments. Alberta, which has had its banner crop year, has notified the Minister that its exhibit will comprise grains from this year's yield, and that its display will be most comprehensive, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Ontario are putting forward special efforts while Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan will be well to the In addition to the Agriculture Jubilee which will be staged at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto from Nov. 16 to Nov. 24, Canada' national apple week is also to be r< cognized in the Eastern Provinces with the "Royal" as its Eastern while in the Western Provinces, Oct. 24 to Oct. 31 has been set as "aples for health" week. War Guilt Berlin Lokal Anzeiger: It is hoped that the Government of the Reich will not abandon its campaign to have the innocence of the German people recognized, even though the conquerors, in fear of the truth, may refuse to- submit the question or responsibility to an impartial tribunal, whose verdTH would completely des troy the whole system of propagand; built up on lies and violence. Ontario Comes Third "Miracle" L. H. Newman, Dominior Cerealist, Showe that this Wheat is More a Promoters Variety Than Farmers Friend There has appeared recent y in a im\,er of leading agricultural papers i article entitled "King Tut's Wheat rown in the West." The article ro-rs to certain results obtained by a Soldier Settler living near Edmonton, Alta., and gives the impress! m that the wheat in question was discovered )22 in the tomb of King Tit-ankh-i. As a matter of fact the records show that this wheat was known as far back as 18-10 when one enterpris-gentleman offered heads at $5 The above variety belongs to the Poulard subspecies of wheat, being somewhat intermediate between the: common and durum wheatfi. It has erous aliases, the most common of which are Egyptian, Eldorudo„ Many Headed, Miracle, Mummy, Seven Headed and Alaska, It has always been easy to interest people In this wheat owing to its branched head. If an unbranchc-d head will yield so much surely a branched head will yield much more. While head for head this may be true, yet experiments have not shown that it holds good acre for acre. This wheat was probably introduced Into North America from Europe or Egypt in Colonial days. It was received by the Philadelphia Society for promoting Agriculture In 1807, since which time It has appeared periodically under one ime or another. In 1908 the United States Department of Agriculture began an exten-ve investigation of this wheat, . hich investigation continued for several years. In the meantime it has been tried by farmers al over the United States, but it is not now grown anywhere as a commercial crop. The fact tha tt ihas never become established in spite of the remarkable advertising it has received i3 a good indication of its inferiority. Promoters, however, resurrect it periodically, and owing to its striking and unusual appearance, manage to sell it to the unsuspecting farmer at exorbitant The essential facts concerning Alaska wheat have been summed up very* nicely in a bulletin published by tho United States Department of Agriculture--Bulletin No. 357, 1916, P. 27--at the conclusion of extensive tests conducted at many points in the U.S., as follows: (1) That it has been used in this country very often as a means of deceiving people and very seldom a, farm crop; (2) that it has failed produce even fair yields when tried in many parts of the country, and has never been known to produce extraordinary yields; (3) that it is not a good milling wheals (4) that the branched head is not a sign of superior yielding power. Planning Battle Liberals in Britain Preparing to Stage Dramatic Comeback London.--The Liberals are preparing to stage a dramatic comeback at the next election, according to Liberal headquarters, and recent events they assert have given them the greatest hopes for a spectacular revival in spite of the sneers of the Tories, and of Joynson Hicks' prediction that the next election will see the extinction of the Liberal party, they believe they will capture many seats both from Labor and the Tories. Filled with such optimism, Liberal speakers throughout the country are explaining their agricultural and industrial policy and are holding up Lloyd George as the model statesman. Sir Herbert Samuel now intends contesting a seat in the next election, probably in Lancashire, and everywhere throughout the country there is the greatest Liberal activity. The Liberal program includes a return to freo trade, and reorganization of industry, and particularly mining, also the encouragement of small holdings in agriculture and efficiency in marketing products. The liberals believe there is a definite turn towards the policy founded on Liberal prin- Pictured Business and trade in Great Britain are not in the serious condition that has frequently been reported in this country. The Tory party makes its mistakes, but Britain is steadily pulling out of its difficulties. It has lost some of its foreign trade, but the figures are showing improvement. One important fact is that with all the "lost" trade tho "poor rates" are coming down, only holding stationary in localities where the guardians of the poor are mostly representatives of the always extravagant Lavor-Social-lst party. There could be no better test, because the reduction in pauperism clearly demonstrates that the m-employment figures arc not so r-erl-ous as they seem. British busiuess moves slowly, but is backed by char-! acter and intelligence, with the result j that when gains are made they are ! k«pt. Tho Mexico's-boy on Washington, D.C. I m and Frederick P. Hotso rencb. champion, at the lef >n, ciampion of England. CANADA'S CHAMPION AND HIS , Arthuro Garcia Fermenti, won the lute is at the right, above, with Miss Doroth; tson. Canadian champion, who took third left in the b:'ck row, took recond place. easily.