CHILD OF AND GREW INTO A WOMAN OF VAST ATTAINMENTS, NOTED AS A POET. The Life Story of Miss Barrett, Who Became The Bride of Mr. Browning--One of Mrs. Browning's Strongest Poems Was "The Cry of the Children." By Eugenia Blain in Living Church. In one of the luxurious country homes of England, early in the last century, a little maiden lived upon whom, in later years, the eyes of the world would be focused as the most inspired woman of her own or any time, the wife of a poet of renown. . She was very small, undersized, and exceedingly frail, nature haying apparently furnished only just enough of the material to enshrine the spiritual and confine it to earth. She was a dear child, gentle and affectionate, but painfully diffident, When she ventured to raise the reluctant eye- lids, the eyes that looked forth were seen to be large and beautifully expressive, and her smile was marvellous for sweetness. She had a wealth of hair, worn in long curls on either ie of her face, a style she retained through life. The genius of the little one was soon made manifest. Mr. Barrett, a West Indian planter, settled in England, a man without cultyre, unlike the parents of Robert Browning, Wes both proud and delighted to find a prodigy un- bestowed without stint every facility for h dévelopment. Tutors and books in abundance were provided and a system of cramming be- gan. But the severest study was no more than pastime for the gifted child. One of her poems portrayed a scene in which she read aloud in the ancient Greek tongue to a master well beloved, who was blind. Classical literature especially fired her im- agination, and she dwelt in a sort of dreamland peopled by gods and goddesses, the heroes and heroines whose deeds were recorded. therein, Yet her studies were not restricted to this period. The Essay on Mind, written in rhymes, displays 4n amount of erudition that would have done credit to an Oxford don of mature mind and enormous learning--and it was written by a girl in her teens, . The child of genius grew into a woman of vast attainments, noted as a scholar and a linguist as well as a poet. She studied Hebrew in order to read the Bible in the original, be- coming thus proficient in all the dead lan- guages, while she was equally at home in those ofs modern times. Every work of importance that was: Issued she read, in the tongue in which it was written. But thie learned lady was not less charming than the child had been. A literary friend writes of her: "She is so sweet and gentle and s pretty that one looks at her as if she were some bright flower." "A delightiul young creature, shy and timid and modest" This was in 1836, when Miss Barrett was nearly thirty years of age, Not long after she was seized with hemor- rhages of the lungs, and a period of ¢omplete physical prostration followed, which lasted ten years. Time and again the soul scemed flut- tering from the body. She lived ip complete seclusion; being carried from her bed to a couch for a few hours during the day, and not infrequently fainting during the transit. Yet she labored incessantly, reading and writing, nag only poetry but prose articles as well, and also wrote letters innumerable, charming for their naturalness and the brilliant wit that plays through them. One of her noblest poems, "Lady Geraldine's Courtship," consist- ing of 103 double verses, as perfect in rhythm as they are exquisite in sentiment, was done at this time, being completed in twelve hours from its beginning. It became famous not only for intrinsic beauty, but because in it occurs the appreciative allusion to Brown- ing's work which led him to seek an interview with the authoress. Their meeting was in reality but a culmination, since they had long! been approaching in spirit, each having great admiration for the other and being desirous of acquaintance. Miss Bafrett styled Browning the "King of Poets." i Many visits succeeded the first, and they were soon engaged. Browning was a large, robust, sunny, smiling, handsome man, radiat- ing magnetism; the clasp of his hand was said to be like an electric shock. Whereas nothing could be jmagined more cthiereal and unearth- ly "than Miss "Browning's ~ appearance, 'ema ciated to a skeleton, her brilliant eyes sect like stars in her wan and wasted face. Mr. Barrett was extremely jealous of an intruder within the realm where he had hither- to reigned supreme and where he fancied he possessed exclusive rights, Moreover, as a slave-holder, deriving his income from the labor of black men toiling under a tropical sun, he held in utter abhorrence the altruistic theories so strenuously advocated by Brown- ing; the engagement therefore remained a secret. But Miss Barrett was known to be hovering on the verge of the grave; she her- self believed the day of her death to be rapidly approaching. Action prompt and decisive was necessary, and Browning determined on a coup d' etat; he resolved to carry her off bodily to a sunnier clime. The family" was then living in London. Miss Barrett was. taken to a neighboring" church and there they were pri- vately married, after which they departed at once for Italy. Mr. Barrett, in a tempest of rage when he discovered their flight, vowed he would see his daughter no more, and obstinate- ly held himself steadfast to his resolution. They never met again. : Escape from the severity of English winters had long been recommended for Miss Barrett. Browning wrote that her improvement was "wonderful"; a friend, that she was "complete- ly transformed." She was like a bird set free from captivity. It is easy to understand the joy of release from the sick room, where she had been for so long a prisoner. Browning was an ideal husband, tender and devoted, and they were entirely in sympathy on every sub- ject which each cared for most Mrs. Brown- ing wag deeply religious; Browning's firm and unswerving orthodoxy was the jest of 1 ary friends. Both were keenly alive to "tragedy of living" as it 1s experienced by the poor, the homeless, the oppressed. One of Mrs. Browning's strongest poems, "The Cry of the Children," was written in behalf of the little ones who toiled in coal mines and factor- ies, while her most important work, "Aurora Leigh," a beautiful romance in verge, deals largely with the miseries ( f the "submerged," and is from beginning to end, in effect, a expectedly dropped into his household, and of an inch. plea for redress. : The wedded life of the Brownings continued for fifteen years, without a cloud to mar its perfect happiness. A little son came to them, and Mrs. Browning was apparently restored to health. Then she began to droop and grad- ually faded away, until, ' with her husband's arm Jabout her and her hand clasped in his, she passed from earth. "It is beautiful," whispered, as the veil drogped from her eyes and some rapturous vision appeared to her {spiritual gaze. It is said that an author's work cannot be separated from his persomality; an obvious fact and equally true of every vocation. Mrs Browning's 'character shines forth clearly re vealed, silhouetted before us, in her poetry. No forma] introduction is needed, no personal acquaintance; we have a delightful sense of intimacy while we read. Her religious feeling, her sympathy, her tenderness, her entertaining wit, all move us to admiration and love, and we are not surprised at the devotion of her friends and that her husband idolized her. He elicited her most perfect work. The poems addressed to him, written before her marriage, and styled "Sonnets for the Portuguese," are regarded as unsurpassed in any language. The total result of Mrs. Browning's literary labors forms a vast amount, in view of the extreme delicacy of her physique. She was never de- pendent on spasmodic and occasional fits of inspiration. It flowed in a perennial stream, the facility with which she composed being quite as remarkable as the qaality of the pro- duction. : { a---------------------- Small Cause--Large Result. © Many laymen have wondered mightily at the miracle of engineering whereby a tunnel through a mountain, although begun at opr posite sides, meets in the centre to the fraction It is simply a matter of calcula tion, of course, which is. no mystery to en- rineers, and which offers little difficulty. Re- cently - however, a tunnel being constructed by the German state of Baden through the Black Forest mountains, failed to meet as the engineers had calculated, and the failure cost the state nearly one million dollars, besides much delay and annoyance. The state had been constructing a tunnel, as usual, from both sides, and it had been planned that the two workings would meet at the village of Forbach. The engineers had no fear that their calcula- tions would be found amiss when the critical moment arrived. So skilled have the projec tors of these great bores become that the dis- crepancy from an exact junction is rarely more than a fraction of an inh." What was the horror of the Black Forest engineers when they found that the two tunnels missed each other by twenty-six feet. Jt was necessary to go back a sufficient distance on both of them and change their course, a matter in volving great expense and exasperating delay The engineers went back over the figures again, and found them to be correct, greatly to their relief. A further investigation was made immediately, and it was found that the discrepancy arose from the fact that a survey- ing pin had been intentionally misplaced. The blame was placed, to the satisfaction of the investigators, upon a laborer who had been discharged during the progress of the work and who had wreaked a costly revenge in that manner. Appreciation Of Service. On a New Jersey farm a few weeks ago there was a celebration in honor of a remark- able woman. As maid, waitress, cook and nurse, she had been continuously in service to one family for fifty years, and the whole family, including.the grandchildren, gathered to commemorate the occasion. The master of the house led her to her scat at the head of the table, and the young women took turns in waiting on her. There are two unusual elements in this story. Probably there are few servants who have presided so*long over one kitchen, and there are probably few families which could be gathered together with such united enthusiasm to show their affection, their appreciation, their gratitude. One reason why Mary stayed so long is to be found in her faithful soul, the other in the goodness of her employers. If Americans have more difficulty with "the servant problem" than other people, it is noi only because they are not good servants; but because. they are not good employers of ser- vice. The two relations are one in any nation taken as a whole. Our democracy has become, if not perverted, at least inverted; we inter: pret equality to mean that we are all too good to be servants; whereas it cught to 'mean that nobody is too good to be a servant, that ser- vice is honorable and beautiful and dignified Ate His Large Flock. Startling was-a mistake made by a Queen of Denmark during a visit to the Danish colony of Iceland, where the good old bishop exerted himself to the utmost to entertain. The Queer paid many compliments to her host, and hav ing learned that he was a family man, gra- ciously inquired how many children he had. Now it happened that the Danish word for "children" was-slmost identical in sound with the Icelandic word for "sheep"; so the worthy bishop--whose knowledge of Danish was not complete--understotd Mr Majesty to ask how many sheep he owned, and promptly answered, "Two hundred." "Two hundred children!" cried the Queen, astounded. "How can you possibly maintdin such a number?" "Easily enough, please your Majesty," replied the hyperborean prelate, with a cheerful smile. "In the summer T turn them out upon the hills to graze, and when winter comes I kill and eat them!" i England's Generals Not English. There has not been an English general since Marlborough. Wellington was born at. Dangan Castle, Meath, of an old Irish family called Wesley, and, christened. in Dublin. Wolfe was born at Ferneaux Abbey, Kildare, aifd christened at Westerham. His grandfather defended Lim- erick against William IIL. Sir John Moore and the Ndipiers were Scotchmen; so was Abercrom- bie (Egypt); so were Napier of Magdala, Craw- ford and Clyde." Wolseley, Roberts--and Kit- chener are Irish. So was Gough.. The generals and statesmen who saved India to Great Britain were Neill, Nicholson, the two Lawrences (Irish) Edward (Welsh) add Rose (Scotch). The Reign Of Beasts. London Spectator. We have got to face the world, not as we should like it to be, but as it is--the world of blood and irc', controlled by men who are not humanitarians and philanthropists but persons intensely human on the other side of man's nature, persons who de not take what they would call a Sunday school view of the world, but. rather the view that man is still a wild beast, that the race is to the strong and not to the well-intentioned, that" victory belongs to the big battalions, not to thgse who say that they envy no man anything, and who can- not understand why nations should hate or be jealous of each other, she | Potlatching Among The Pacific Coast Indidns --What It Means. john Ross, Noomuckamus, B. C. The Potlatch was held in a large Siawash vouse, at one end of the rancherie. The build- ing was put up for that purpose, and is very suitable for a crowd of over two hundred In- dians such as are gathered there that night. The Indians were pleased to see us come, We were invited to sit up mear the centre of the building 'on one side, where we could see and ear all that was going on. Eight large cedar posts about sixteen feet high supported the roof. All around next the wall was a plat- form twelve inches high, by about five feet wide, Two square patches in the centre of the building about eight feet by eight feet were built up level with the floor of flat stones and covered with a thick layer of sand. [These were the fire places. Two large iron Kettles, such as are used on farms for boiling hog feed, were strung 'by heavy chains from the huge beams above. Everything was dealt out in liberal fashion. A sack of rice was opened and dumped into each pot and stirred with a canoe paddle. On two stoves at one side there was water boiling for tea, etc. Boxes of large round biscuits were opened with the edge of an axe and box after box of apples were ser- ved. The next part of the programme was a very interesting object lesson on the mysteries of appetite. After the feast, came the opening ceremony of the potlatch. The visitors were congregated in one end of the building and the Ohiahts at the other. A Sheshaht tyee was the first to speak. He was smeared with red paint and trimmings of lamp black about the face and his dress was quite in fashion with his face. He spoke in a loud, jerky way, taking side jumps at short intervals and looking mighty fierce at one of the Ohiaht tyees, who stood like a painted statue of wood near the centre of the building. After he had tired himself he sat down. Soon a Sheshaht tuned up in loud song with a weird; plaintive air. At once the whole band of Sheshahts arose and took po- sitions in the dance. Only. drums were used for keeping time (which was perfect) and the music for the dance was rendered by all who took part. We could not make out well the meaning of the words set to the music; but the song had to do with the great doings of their daddies in the days of long ago. The Siawash, especially the older men, like to muse on the past and many, many of their songs tell of the days when they were a great people, when they were a strong, hardy race and performed wonderful deeds of daring. Some of the women danced very gracefully and showed rather good taste in dress. Most of them wore shawls of brilliant patterns, with a white band, from two to three inches wide, about the head.. Two large eagle's feathers were set inside the band just above the ears, pointing, straight up and fully twelve inches in length. It was a surprise to see some old "Klootchmen" (women) in the dance. Going about on other. cccasions they seemed to be as stiff as an old stage horse, as many of them have rheumatism. However, they appeared equal to the occasion and tripped the light fantastic quite as sprightly as "Maggie Lau- der," of Scottish fame. The leader in the dance wore an Indian mask representing the head of some mythical sea monster. He was attired in a blanket of various colors and was held much in reverence by his Tillicums. There are sets in a Siawash dance just as in our own, so that at a given signal from the leader they stop abruptly and yet on the stroke of time. To me, the Siawash dance apart from the paint; feathers and unsightly costume worn at times; is really a sensible way of dancing, as all take part in the song of the dance, and all dance separately,--none of the "swing your partners" style. The Ohiahts, in turn at the other end of the building, went over a similar perform- ance only not so well done--seemed to lack training. The dancing lasted for nedrly two hours. A Siawash orator took the floor and opened the potlatch by a long harangue on several topics. The principal one, of course, was on the good feeling of the Sheshahts with the Ohiahts that had existed through several generations. The speech was full of hypocrisy because the spirit of the potlatch is a momu- ment of selfishness. Two mer of each tribe are generally chosen to give out the goods. In turn they called out the names of over fifty men in the Ohiaht tribe, Beginning with the chief. Each man came forward to the front as his name was called out to receive his gift. The Indian who makes the presentation tells the name of the party who gave the gift. ach man as he receives the gift calls out to the "Cla-aks! cla-aks!" to mean, "thank you." On this occasion the gifts were in dollar bills. 1 could not tell you how much money was give away. I do not see much harm in the potlatch or giving of gifts, but it should be confined to each tribe without the universal practice of potlatching tribes sometimes over one hundred miles away. The potlatch is not so demoralizing as other Indian customs, such for instance as the "Wolfe dance," and "Klaquannah dance." Little wonder mission- aries: wish for boarding schools to separate the children from some of these ' heathen customs. In the wolfe dance especially the young see orgies shameful and demoralizing, and the old Siawash grins with savage delight to have a hand in the initiation of an Indian boy into the mysteries of this heathen dance. Progress towards civilization is slow indeed outside of the boarding school system and it stands to reason that an Indian child who spends only four hours with the missionary each day for about two hundred days in the year must fall away more to the Indian home life than the child in the boarding school. give ADDRESS BY A WOMAN. ---- ' On Canadian Womanhood, Given in Toronto by Miss Agnes Dean Cameron. Public-spirited and" suggestive was the ad- dress of Miss Agnes Dean Cameron at the banquet in her honor by the Medical Alumnae and Toronto Branch of the Canadian Woman's Suffrage Assbeiation. A truer patriotism, a far-spread knowledge of our tountry, a reali- zation of our opportunities as a nation, and the gblving of the problem of true and lasting nationhood, were emphasized. Her simplicity of word and dress, her quiet humor, and her mannerisms, free from affectation, show her worthy of the honor. : "I speak as a Canadian to Canadians. My work has lately called me below that imaginary line on which the cagle roosts, casting amor- ous eyes at the beaver. General Shernian, of that country, once, in a moment of pique, called this the Empire of the Great Beyond. Last summer as we entered the Arctic circle on the Mackenzie River, our pilot stood looking at a fort which clings to the precipitous bank like scholars wrote essays on the question, "Is it a Indian and Fort Good Hope was his home. 'Do you like Fort Good Hope? I asked. 'It's God's country,' he answered. One thing should be remedied. The Esquimo use the Stars and Stripes .as decorations on their canoes and possessions. And they are Canadians. We asked them why this was, and they said that the flags were given to them by the whalers from the United States ships. Thé govern- ment should send ont agents with Unio Jacks to these men, and these agents should sit about their fires, and tell them of their land. These men are not the short, dirty, squalid people that we read of. They are tall, finely built, intelligent men. They want schools, and al- though they are not so keen after preachers, they want teachers. A missionary wandered down to one of their villages from a ship to convert them. Isn't it funny that we start in to convert some people without first inquiring whether they haven't really progressed. Weil, this missionary started in to tell the men of heaven and all its beauties. That was all right, but he then gave a lurid picture of the un- quenchable fires of hell. They listened joy- fully and at the conclusion asked eagerly how they might®each this place of warmth. 'It's the very place we have been looking for," said they. * "Don't you think that as a nation we are rather neglectful of the people that change our geography and make history? I have stood on the ground on which Sir Alexander Mackenzie | built his last fort before starting on his won- derful trip across Canada by land. It is in a potato field and the man that owns the ground has ploughed all around the outline of stones that remains. Perhaps the next man who plants potatoes there will not be so careful: On the other side, last year, they held an ex- position in honor of Clarke and Lewis, who forced their way overland to the Pacific. Yet Sir Alexander Mackenzie arrived there before they did. Some historical society, or the gov- ernment, might mark the spot of this old fort with a tablet, at least. We hear little of the Mackenzie River, the Great Slave and Lesser Slave Lakes now, but some day they are going to be the great trade routes. You don't need me to tell you that Canada is a rich country. But I see her menace. It is that she has too much. Let us learn in time what too great prosperity did for the nations of old. The ideals that we put in the minds of the little ones, the children of the foreigners flocking here, will make this country a lasting nation." nation." WOMEN'S QUINQUENNIAL CONGRESS. It Will be a Great Gathering in Toronto in June Next. Great are the expectations of the work to be accomplished by the Quinquennial Congress of Women in Toronto in June. When the National Council was formed in Canada, many grnmbled, and with apparent reason, over the multiplicity of societies and questioned the unifying power of the new organization. How- ever, doubts are far in the past, so long has it seemed since the National Council made itself a---power- in-the land. -- Now;-women-of many lands, forming a great International Council, are to mcet in our own fortunate Dominion, to discuss the movements, philanthropic, liter- ary and everything else under the sun in which women are concerned. The Cotntess of Aber- deen, who took an interest in all matters per- taining to feminine welfare when she was mn Canada as chatelaine of Rideau Hall, is the president of this large assembly and will prob- ably come to Canada earlier than most of the delegates. Among the representatives from foreign countries there will be twenty-five from Germany, eleven from Holland, two from India, three from Tasmania and four from New South Wales. The party from Europe will arrive in Mon- treal in the second week of June and will re- main there for two days as the guests of the Montreal Local Council. Special cars will carry the party to. Ottawa on Monday, June 14; the Ottawa Local Council will provide for their entertainment until they leave for Tor- onto by the night train. It is grobable that fifty or more will come from Great Britain, the official delegates being Mrs. Edwin Gray, President of the British Council, who is much interested in questions of public health, hous- ing of the poor, and like topics; Mrs. George Cadbury, of Northfield Manor, Birmingham, whose interest in the soéial betterment of the people is well known; Miss E. M. Eaton, editor of the Council paper; Hon. Mrs. Franklin, whose special interest is education, she being Secretary of the Parents' National Educational Union; Miss Olga Hertz, a Poor Law Guardian of Manchester; Mrs. W. S. Johnston, an earn- est worker in the "Mothers' Union"; Miss F. H. Melville, head of the Scottish Girtop; Dr. Mary Murdock, a clever woman physician; Miss Janes and Miss Green, the hard-working secretaries of the British Council. Miss Con- stance Smith, whose addresses in the Albert Hall during the Pan Anglican Congress on the Housing of the Poor, and the Sweating System, were earnest and eloquent; Miss Wil- kinson, principal of Swanley Horticultural College for Women, accompanied by a party from the college. Mrs. Ogilvie Gordon, the corresponding secretary of the International Council; who will also be here, is entitled to the letters "D.Sc, Ph. D, F.L.S." after her name, a distinction won by few women. Mrs. Gordon is much interested in the formation of Educational Bureaus, so that boys and girls on leaving school may have help and guidance in choos- ing their future vocation. It may readily be seen that these women are not visionaries, but are practical citizens, engaged in' work for the physical and mental betterment of the race. Business In The Middle Ages. During these ages in England three things were held as offenses against the law which to} the business world of to-day sum up its whole purpose and means of being: "They were: First, to engage in trade for gain; second, to take in- terest on the loan of money; third, to &peculate; It was tanght- that trade was very sinful. * The right to buy cheap and sell dear?" "He who buys a thing in order to sell it, unaltered, for gain, is the merchant driven from the temple." "Lend, hoping for nothing gain," had the force of a divine prohibition of any payment for the use of money. The "usury" of the Bible was "interest," not, as we use the word to-day, ex- orbitant interest. He who took interest was a heretic. But toward the end of the middle ages, when men began to venture into larger trade, they were eager to pay interest for the loan of capital, and the laws against interest gradually were set aside. For six centuries England made laws" against speculation, and it was not until the middle of the last century that the 'restrictions were finally removed. In Germany and some of the Am- erican states are still - foundngeminders of these swallow's nest to the cliffside. He was an : You can buy as little asa 7 pound cotton bag pound sacks. Also in barrels and half-barrels or in 14, 24, 49, and 98 does not prove entirely satisfactory in the baking. ON'T simply buy flour from the dollar and cent side of it. Buy high- quality flonr. That means PURITY FLOUR. The first little extra | cost is more than made up by the extra number of loaves of bread it makes-- by the superiority of the bread ishing qualities. Buying Purity Flour is a safe investment. You get large. returns, not only oh account of Purity's ability to produae mare, but because Purity contains the greater nutriment and the vim of a strong hard wheat flour. Food made from Purity Flour gives the consumer health, snap and force, which cannot be gained from the use of the weaker soft wheat flour. «MORE BREAD AND BETTER BREAD" WESTERN CANADA FLOUR MILLS CO., LIMITED Mills at Winnipeg, Goderich, Brandon For young and old alike, it is the best spring tonic. EX and pastry in sweetness 'of flavor and nour- FLOUR Purity may cost a little more than some flours but you'll find its more than worth the differ. ence. To be genuine, must bear the Purity trade mark. . | Granulated Sugar of Manufactured by The. Canada Sugar Refining Co., Ld, MONTREAL, QUE. ns ibis in, ee: Famous in Song and Story In introducing Mr. Samuel Wellerto the readers of «Pickwick Papers," Dickens mentions that the "aforesaid S. Weller Esq." was engaged in blacking boots, and remarks that they used "Day & Martin's at the Great White House Inn." Day & Martin's Polishes are almost as well known as the Tower of Loncon or West- minster Abbey. : «JUST OUT'" is the newest and best of Day & Martins famous polishes, Ask your dealer for it. : CHAS. GYDE 23 St. Prs. Xavier St, Montreal. Agent for Canada. 4 Ask your dealer you may test one English laws of the middle aes. RT Le The about our perpetual | of these razors for without Firm of A. L. SILBERSTEIN,~ 41 \ " With Ordinary Care Will Last a re TEE. hE Always Ready For Use J Lifetime Kn No'matter_ how tender your skin, over the face shaving clean and leaving no' soreness, irrita~ "tion or scraped warface Jol - -- .