eee in a T rf * ae = a eS ie RAT PS mL pee Pe Sl LT i. ae a oo “mt “for supplied them. PARDONED AT LAST. A THRILLING CHRISTMAS STORY BY “JACK FROST.” Arrived there, Mr. Dene paid the fare, al- though Molly protested that it was her turn d trea. Tocm a private door in the boundary wall, he led them up toa magnificent man- | sion, and strangest thing of all, admitted them by means of a private latch-key, Ushering them into the librery where there was a fire, he turned up the gas, and said : ‘« Make yourself at home, Myrtle, and you too, Molly ; this house belongs to a very old friend of mine. xcuse me for half an hour —_[ want to have a chat with my .riend about you. You'll see him presently.” When they were alone, Molly nudged Myrtle, and said in a tone of awe, as she looked round at the magnificence of the furn- iture and the valuable array of books : ‘¢ Would you mind giving me a pinch? I don’t believe I’m awake !” . “JTt’s very strange his bringing us here, certainly,” remarked Myrtle, “‘I hope there’s no mistake !” ‘‘T won't stand by and see your poor old father chucked out,” said Molly, stoutly. ‘‘ J’ye got a strong arm, and & big umbrel- la.” Molley’s awe was increased, and her eyes opened wider with astonishment, when a liveried strvant enterod with a silver salver laden with wine, fruiv, and biscuits. “ Young man, wou'd you mind telling us if this is for us !” she asked, eyeing the good things as if she expected to see them vanish instantly. The east bowed deferentially, and quitted too room, Pet ‘* Poor fellow, he ain’t bad-looking, said Molly ‘* but he’s as deaf as a post. I won- der what’s in them there decanters, Miss Myrtle ?” f Pour some out and try,’ laughed Myr- tle. much amused at Molly’s eccentricity. {Vhile she was following this advice, the door opened, and a handsome gentleman, in full evening dress, entered, his face beaming with welcome smiles. This was (the ,provervial last straw, for Molly dropped the decanter as if she had been caught in the acd of thieving, and blurt- ed out * ‘Please, deaf young man as told us we gon e sherry wine.” D.sregarding this laughable appzal, the new c.mer tuok Myrtle’s hand, and said : ‘Have I the pleasure of addressing Miss D.ne He ; . : ‘ Qaite right, sir,” put in the irrepressible Molly ; ‘she’s Miss Myrtle, and t am Molly Spriggins, her majid-of-all-work. “T’m very pleased to meet you, Miss Spriggins —how d’ye do?” he said, with grave politeness, that quite ‘‘ flabbergasted her, as she afterwards averred. : Bobbing a curtsey, Molly answered : “J don’t mind if I do have a glass of sherry wine, sir. I’m quite well, thank you, my lord.” : ‘ He helped her, and then seating himself beside Myrtle, said : “Your father, who is a very old and dear friend of mine, wished me to excuse his absence; he is rather tired, With your permission I will ring for the housekeeper, who will attend you all your wants; you must be tired after your long journey. Myrtle assented, and he bidding the pair good-night they were taken under the house 's.wi all.the heart could wish a ee sir, don’t scold me; it was that might have Before retiring to rest that night Molly looked under the bed, searched every cup- board, and finally placed her umbrella within handy reach of her. , The bedchamber Myrtle was allotted was @ perfect gem; no princess could have - wished for a better. The cost of upholstcring it must have been immense—in fact, its magnificence might well have formed a description in a fairy tale. 4 Amazement and speculation kept her awake for some hours, and just as she was sinking into repose came the sound of music under her window—Christmas waits singing carols, The fresh young voices of boys sounded angelic on the frosty midnight air, and the orchestral accompaniment added enchant. ment to it. In the morning, when she sprang out of her snowy nest, fresh surprises were in store for her. On the occasional table was quite a collection of presents: a superb lady’s dressing-case and a casket of jewels (dia- monds of the finest water), as well as other ifte from that mysterious Christmas visitor, ta Ciaus. Molly, too, had not been forgotten by that beneficent being ; when she drew on her right boot something hurt her. ‘‘ Drat the atone!” she cried, testily, put- ting her hand in and drawing out the offen- der. When, lo! she found ten sovereigns neatly rolled up in tiesue paper. ‘‘This house will be the death of me,” she muttered, as she attempted to draw on the left boot ; ** bless my heart alive if there isn’t something in this as well.” It was a large packet of delicious sweets, the sight of which proved too much for her, and forthwith she commenced to eat them. The same gentleman who had excused Mr, Dene’s absence overnight met Myrtle at breakfast, which was served in sumptuous style, ‘Is not my dear father well enongh to leave his room, sir?” she asked anxiously, ‘You will see him after breakfast,” he re- ied. ‘* Please do the honours, Miss Dene; take coffse, please.” Myrtle was too full of excitement to eat much, though her host plied her wita every delicacy, Artless girl though she was, it was plain to her that there waa @ mystery behind all this. Conducting her to the library, he placed her in a chair near the fire and began talk- ing of things of general interest, to which she replied in mono-syllables only. — * Exouse me, sir,” she said at last blush- ing at her own impetuosity, “ but let me intreat of you to take me to my father; he ill—wretched.” ‘* Myrtle, my own true-hearted darling, can you forgive me my deception? I am your father,” her companion said tenderly. “You?” was all she could say; the an- nouncement quite took her breath away. ‘Yes, I. A year ago | escaped from Si- beria, reached Paris, was seiz2d with a dan- us illness, but recovered, thanks to my old friend Pierre Verlon’s devotion.” ** Why did you not send for me, dear father ?” she asked, ina tene of gentle re- proof, **Because there was much to be done before I revealed myself, In Paris, too, I had anjim- placable enemy who would have recognised you from the striking resemblance of your- gelf to your mother.” “Jg she living? Pierre Verlon would never tell me anything about my parents.” He was wise ; thestory of our wrongs would have. age the springs of your young life, and made you pand or vengeance, ae longed for revenge as I lay in my dungeon cell, or toiled in the mines of Siberiaj” Such a vengefal look came into his face as made her shudder. She was sorry to hear hin say this on Christmas Day, whan from every pulpit throughout the length and breadth of the land peace and goodwill would be proclaimed. “My dear father, you have suffered,” she said gently. ‘‘L2> my love heal your wound do not talk of vengeance, on this day, at least.” ‘*] am fitly reproved, Myrtle ; but I, the escaped convict, condemned unjustly by suborned witnesses, would not change places with my enemy, his rank and wealth not- withstanding.” ‘Tell me of my mother.?” She pleaded. ‘‘Am [ like her?’ ‘*Yes, jadge for yourself,” placing in her hand an exquisitely-painted miniature, fram- ed in diamonds. Myrtle kissed it reverently, and gentle tears fell upon it from her gloriouly dark eyes. ‘Tt is my Christmas gift to you, my dar- ling Myrtle. Iam rich—a millionaire : the wealth I possessed when I was sent to Siberia, and which I made over to Pierre Verlon, has accumulated, thanks to his jadicious investments; but remember I am still only an escaped convict, though some day I hope to prove my innocence.” ‘* Your secret is safe with me,” she said, simply. ‘© Not a word must be breathed about my past, or I shall have to quic Eagland. You will meet the noblest, the most famous people of the land here in time, I hope; but let them only suspect whoand what I am, and I should be treated with scorn. You will help me, Myrtle ?” ‘*Yes—for your own and dear mother’s sake, I will.” Father and daughter embraced lovingly as the church bells clanged out Christmas greet- aie meszage of peace and good will to all, Bertram Dene and his daughter spent a happy, if not merry, Christmas. He hada fund of anecdote to tell her, and having mixed with the world of fashion freely be- fore his incarceration, gave her an idea of what her life would be when she launched on iv, A quiet joy filled their hearts when they knelt together in church and thanked the Giver of all good for His mercies to them— to him more especially. Fairlawn House was filled in every ava able space with holly and mistletoe, and on Boxing Day the servants had a ball and supper, to which they were permitted to in- vite their friends. Molly was in the seventh heaven of delight, and struck up quite a flirtation with the footman whom she had thought deaf, Myrtle and her father opened the ball, and stayed for a time to join in the merrymaking. Tne supper was a chef-d’s seuvrs—turkeys geese, duckseni green peas, fowls, every kind of meat and puddings, and a dessert fibfor aking, No expense had been spared to make it perfect. Christmas games tollowed—kissing under the mistletoe coming in for more than ite fair share of patronage. On Twelth Night there was a gigantic Christmas tree, to which all the poor children of the neighbourhood were invited by Mr. Dene. What mountains of cake,and piles of oranges, apples, nuts and fizs were consumed, and gallons of lemonade, wine negus, tea, and coffee drunk ! If anything could make the. host forget the dungeons of Siberia or the gloomy mines, it was a sightlike this. The happy voices of children have a con tagious ring, and hard must the heart be that is not touched by their fresh innocence and true abandon. Myrtle had a delightful time of it in shopping. Her father gave her carte blanche and insisted that she must have one of the most perfect wardrobes obtainable, Nor was Molly forgotten—she was amply provided with everything necessary for her position. Myrtle foresaw some trouble with the faithful Molly, to whom her father had taken a great liking, and meant to raise to a better position. ‘*Now, Molly dear,” Myrtle said, as they sat together sewing, ‘“‘I want you to attend to your education. You shall share my lessous if you like—my father has engaged a first-class governess.” ‘“‘Tcan read and write already, Miss Myrtle,” she answered, demnrely. **Yes, but there’s a great deal more to be learned, Molly, before you can hope to im- prove your position in the world, you know. It is not merely being able to read and write, or even ordinary accomplishments, that make a lady. You must consider there is such a thing as society ; there is such a thing as using your eccomplishments in the right way ; there is such a thing ae tact and judg. mentin meeting people, and suiting your conversation to their tastes—in fact, a thous- and and one little things you will have to learn before you can take a position.”’ “Ob, lor, Mies Myrtle, I’m afraid it can’t be done. I could never think of all that,” ‘* Well, at all events you promise to im- prove, don’t you, Molly ?”’ “In course I do, Miss Myrtle; but who’s this governess—what’s her name, if I may make so bold to ask ?’ **Mias Rebecea Pride,” “All right, PU take lessons of Besky Pride,” said Molly, with a deep sigh ef resignation. “You must not call her Becky,” Myrtle said, laughing; ‘‘she’s a lady.” **And I’m to be a lady ?” Myrtle nodded, when Molly pursued : ‘‘Ain’t I to read no tales, or kiss under the mistletoe, or box a chap’s ears when he’s imperent ?” “That wouldn’t be lady-like, would it now, Molly ?’ **it’s what I’ve been used to, Mies Myrtle, and, as parson reads out a Sundays, ‘Can the leopard clean his scales, or the serpent leave off piting his aunt’?—that’sme. I’m Molly Spriggins born, and Molly Sp ns Ili die. No, Miss Myrtle, that lady job is off, if you please,” ACT THE SECOND. For two whole years Myrtle led a very| happy life, free from all care, while her education was being completed under the most accomplished masters of the day. Her father never once referred to his unhappy pasé, or gave any sign that life for them was not to run on evenly andg un- brokenly. F That he had command of ample means | was self-evident, for the word *‘wealth” was written large on every detail of their resi- dence, Fairlawn House, situated between Putney and Richmond, on the banks of the es, Although the mansion stood between the highway and the river it was thoroughly Heavens thow I have prayed, 4 secluded from the vulgar gaze by high walls, within which were a miniature park and flower-garden, kept in perfect order at a vast expense, The house itself was in the Eliz bethan style, and protected at the back by conser- vatories, stocked with the choicest exotics. Like most houses of the class, it had a p-i- vate door abutting on the river. Me. Dane had not brought his daughter to this palatial home, which he had gurchased right out, until it was ia thorough order. He had superintended every detail him- self, and had every right to feel proud of the result. A magnificant lawn, as green and even as a billiard-table, skirted the back and sloped down toward the river. In the centre of this was a miniature lake, where equatic birds disported them- selves amid water-lilies. Oa the lawn itself pea-fow] strutted about; the gaudy plumage of the peacocks, when they spread their fan-like tails, looking like eun-kissed jswels, It was a terrestrial paradise, and in the summer—of which the English, it must be admitted, get a vory small share—looked quite Oriental in its blaze of colour. Mr. D2ane’s bsdroom was the only excsp- tion, in its severe simplicity, to the other- wise gorgeously-upholstered apartments. Like a famous duke, he slept on a straw paillasse supported on an iron kedstead. No carpet or curtains were there, and for furniture, only a couple of Windsor chairs, a deal-topped toilett:-table, a chest of drawers, and a plain wash-stand. | There isa story of a prisoner liberated when the Bastile was destroyed, who for years had slept on a spiked bedstead, having a similar thing made for him, because he could not rest on any ether, No doubt some snch experience as this, gained in Siberia, guided Mr. Dane’s choice in this instance, thus illustrating the old adage that ‘* Use is second nature.” The only other piece of eccentricity he could plead guilty to wasin the arrangement of his study or retreat, Originally that room had led off the bil- liard room ; but he had that blocked up, and an entrance made from the back of the man- sion, thus severing it from any intercommuni- cation. This apartment he jealously guarded, making it a kind of Bluebeard chamber ; no servant's brush or duster ever intruded, and at ia herself was tabooed, much as he loved er. In other respects, the household was on a princely» scale ; liveried footmen and others were there in almost prodigality. But, ag) yet, no ‘Open Sesame” had been found to! this magnificent house by the world of fashion, Crystal, silver, and gold services of plate were lavishly. placed on the table at each meal, and a profusion of edibles, enough to tempt theappctite of ananchorite, wasalways there, although the family circle consisted of only three persons—Mr, Dene himself, his daughter Myrtle, and her companion, a Miss Pride, who, to use a homely simile, was ‘fat, fair, and forty,” but essentially the lady for all that, In all macters of etiquette and deportment, she was a past-mistress of the art, her voice was-like the cooing of a dove, her still hand- some face wreathed in perpetual smiles like a cloudless, sunny Italian sky, Temper she had none ; in fact, she must have been born without one, or, if not, she kept it carefully locked out of sight, and succeeded in life in conse quence, In matters of dress, she was fauloless, and, had she been rich, might easily have become an acknowledged leader of the fashion, and, as auch, one of the most redoubtable. : But the time arrived at last when Myrtle’: her debut —her first bow on the world’s stage } of fashion after a rehearsal of two years’ duration. People’s curicsity had been whetted by ohe reports circulated by servants’ gossip of the magnificence that reigned in and about Fairlawn House. Following this came the most ridiculous assumptions. Dene was an exiled nobleman, a merchant orince, a successful speculator, a fortunate gold-seeker; in fact, there was no limit to the indulgence which people, especially those moving in fashionable society, gave way to in information, ‘‘ Bat, dear Miss Pride, we don’t know anyone,” said Myrtle, when she commenced to assist in writing out the invitatiour. ‘* Of course not, dear; but people will come for all that,” she rejoined, with one of her seraphic smiles. ‘¢ Why?’ asked Myrtle, in her innocence. ‘* Becauze rumour, I believe, has already credited your papa with being es rich as Croesus; and as wagnificent as Louis yclept ‘the grand’—they will come because they want to come, dear.” This was Myrtle’s first lesron in the ways of the world. Bafore the grand reception came off at that riparian residence—Fairlawn House— Myrtle was fated to meet with an adventure. “Twas a lovely summer evening, the brecz3 was sighing through the trees to the accompaniment of innumerable feathered musicians, and the sun was sinking to rest in a blaze of glory. | Glad to escapes from the house, where, even at this late hour, men were ai work preparing for the grand forthcoming event, Myrtle reclined in a boat which was moored to the bank, and read one of the latest fashionable novels, She became go absorbed that she did not notice that the boat had slipped from its moorings and was floating out towards the centre of the river. Boisterous laughter and shouts of ‘ Hi there, young ’ooman! get out of the way, can’t yer !” dispelled the charm of her book, and, to her horror, she saw a large boat pee ey with ‘* Arrys and Sarahs’ making straight for her tiny craft, seemingly intent upou running it down. ae So spellbound was she at the sight of her impending doom that she could not utter a single cry, or even offer np a mute prayer for safety. Near her wasa gentleman ina dingy, who, percsiving her danger, paddled to her side, and with a firm hand and ed eye pulled her aside, only justin time to avoid the impending collision. Instead of wasting his breath “in idle re- monstances on these rude Vandals and Goths, who kissed their hends and pocket- handkerchiefs, besides imitating cat-calls, Myrtle’s rescuer turned his attention to- wards reassuring her. ‘‘T trust they have not terrified you?’ he said, keeping one hand on the boat, and speaking in a tone of genuine sympathy that made his words sound all the sweeter. ‘* Thank you, I’m afraid 1 must own to being horribly frightened,” she replied, with asmile that won its way to his heart ina moment, “ Pray let me assist you farther!” he pleaded, greatly struck with her beauty and ae ow she got intc her present dilemma, for he saw, ata glauce, that not — was the boat oarless, but also rudder- ess, ‘* First, let me thank you sincerely for the great service you have already rendered novitiate was finished, and she was to make Mary, \ eat. righteousness around you which you ing to her face with deepening color. ‘‘Tam onl you in so trifl ly. ‘I see you are without oars,” yonder, at Fairlawn House.” ** With your permission, I will have much pleasure in towing your truant boat back to its moorings,” he said, with a frank smile, displaying a fine set of teeth under a blonde mous “Thank you, very much. I hope my father has not discovered my mishap ; he would be very upset,” she rejoined, with another of those heavenly smiles which formed one of her chiefest charms; they seemed to spring from the very soul itself. In the absence ofa rope, he made the boat fast to the dingy with his scarf, and in a short time—all too short for him— Myrtle was once more in absolute safety. ** Myrtle, Myrtle!” she heard her father call from the lawn. With a hasty farewell, and reiterated thanks, she sprang out of the boat and disappeared through the door, leaving him to dream of her beauty and that smile which was to haunt him for all life. Chancs meetings frequently have more to do in moulding our destiny than any formal introduction in scciety. Perhaps this one was of that character ! At all events, the handsome stranger might be met paddling his di-gy near Fairlawn House, and Myrtle never seemed tired of being in her pretty boat whenever the op- portunity offered of stealing down to the river, (TO BE CONTINUED.) - —— PEARLS OF TRUTH. No endeavor is in vain ; Its reward is in the doing ; And the rapture of pursuing Is the price the vanquished gain, —([ Longfellow. The pleasantest things in the world are pleasant thoughts, and the great art in life is to have as many of them as possible.— [Anon, Riches without charity are nothing worth; they are bletsings to him only who makes them a blessing to others,—[ Fielding. He doth good work whose heart can find The spirit ‘neath the letter ; Who makes his kind of happier mind, Leaves wiser men and better. ~ [J. R. Lowell. in all worldly things that a man pursues with the greatest eagerness imaginable, he finds not half the pleasure in the actual possession that he proposed to himself in the expectation of them.— (Johnson. Learn to give, and thou shalb bind Countless treasures to thy breast ; Learn to love, and thou shalt find Oaly they who love are blest. —[The Christian. True modesty avoids everything that is criminal, false modesty everything that is unfashionable. The latter is only a general undetermined instinct—the former ie that irnfstinct limited and circumscribed by the rules of prudencs.—[Swinburae. Ifa man be watchtul over his own ways, and the dealings of God with him, there is too pleased to have helped ng a way,” he replied, eager- “* Yes; I was reading, and did not notice that the boat had broken away from its moorings till I found myself here, I live certain amount of waterin the process of recrystallization. In substances are found to be comp?ratively rich in gold. — Settlers Arriving in Large Nambers at Johannesburg, ever experienced, Jain has no? fallen for a year in many very large tracts of land, and consequently there is an amo.ant of sufferi among cattle and of misery in the minds an hearts of prosperous farmers that can hardly be understood by the inhabitants of countries more favored in this respect. Prcf. Seeley, the geologist, who has just completed a tour of the country, says that the casee of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India, which, once the most fertile countries in the world, had become nothing but desert tracts through the ignorant destruction of timber and the neglect of re-planting, are warnings to South Africa, ° Allover the country vast tracts have been denuded of trees forthe sake of supplying fuel, and even for more trivial causes, Far up the country. and to 4 distance 200 miles north of Kimberly, the country has been ruthlessly stripped of ite trees, Prof, Seeley says that the land need not have been stripped of its trees for fuel had the knowledge of the farmer extended beyond the cattle, abovs which he is but a little elevated intellectually. There is COAL IN ABUNDANCE in South Africa, and if attention were devoted to its mining, there is no reason why industries which depend for their pros- perity on the supply of tuel should not also flourish here, Africa requires 2,000,000 blankets to supply the native population alone. Besides this, there is demand for wollen clothing for the ever increasing white population, The Professor says that he anticipates hereafter a larger development of coal than is ab present known. In refer- ence to gold he says that he believes that gold occurs in the C.p3 Colopy very much more widely than has hithertc been suspected especially in tha lava sheets which are so ex ensively developed in the central partof the Colony. I1t is quite a new thing to fiad gold asitis found here in thes; lava sheets. Agreat many of these contain a very large percentage of gold, Another fact of interest is that when these lava sheets come up they constantly joverflow or peue- trate into the fissures of the rock, expanding, and when left bare cracking, so that rain water catches the dissolved constitutions of the lava sheet, anda new mineral, which belongs to the family called zoolytes, has resulted. These z2o0lytes, are nothing but minerals like the felspar combined witha many cases these Concerning asbestos discoveries, the Pro- fessor said the specimens were the ficest he had ever seen, and in so far as he could judge by the ordinary method of twisting the fibre and getting some idea of its durability and elasticity, it seemed to be of considerable commercial value. Manganese is also found here in considerable quantity—a fact of im. portance in connection with the manufacture of steel. As to the diamonds, hoa had visited the mines of Kimberley, and he was strong y im pressed with the tact that MANY OF THE DIAMONDS were broken, and this process of breaking ] At present South Africa is passing through one of the severest periods of drought it has oe ag PR Ra ae SRE return.| THE TRANSVAAL GOLD FIELDS. |A ROMANCE OF ‘HE NORTAWEST A Pioncer in the Last Century Wedded. an Indian Girlto Save his Life, Quite a romantic story has been diaclosed: by vhe evidence given at Quebec in the Court: of Review inacase involving the ownership of: property valued at over a million dollars, and: including the seigniories of Temisconata andi Madawaske. One Beaulieu of R ver du Loup, who says heis the great-grandson of Col. Alexander Fraser, claims possession of share of the enormous estate ieft by that gen. tleman, ard now enjoyed by the defendant, Alexander Fraser. . Beaulieu’s claims rested upon the alleged legitimacy of the marriage of the late Col, Alexander Fraser, who sete tled in the Northwest in 1788, with an Indiaa girl rag IA F4 Meadows, through ont of those children the claimant contende? that he was heir to the disputed estates, Afver being with Angelique Meadows fo some years in the Northwest, Col. Fraser ir 1801 returned to Canada and acquired the seigniories of Temisconata and Madawaska Angelique followed him te Q tebec in 1808, and with her childreu lived with him for eome time at River du Loup, firstin the manor house which he himself ocoupied, and later in a small lodge some distance therer. from, built specially for her accommodation, The claimant produced a number of wit- nesses who had known the late Col, Fraser prior to his decease in 1836.and who tes- tified that he had freqaently described in their hearing the ceremonial which attended his marriage in the Northwest with his Ind- ian wife, the firat Protestant missionaries to the Northwest having only reached these. Indians in 118. Fraser told howhe saved his lite by his marriage with Angelique, which was celebrated iu accordance with the. formalities practised by the Northwest In- diang. The defendants contested the legality of this marriage, urging that, even if it had been celebrated in the then customary man- ner, it was only a forced alliance. . They produced a petition presented to the Cana. dian Parliament in 1862 by the present: claimant, in which it was alleged that Col,. Frazer was forced to contract an alliance in the Northwest with Angelique Meadows, who saved his life on an occasion when he would most certainly have perished withoud, her protection. Twoor three Judges com-. osing the court gave judgment for the. defendant on the ground that the marriage. had not been shown to have been contracted : according to the usages then prevailing in, the Northwest ; and that even if it had been, . the consent of Fraser thereto had not been free, since it was shown that he had been — forced to it in order to avoid certain death, Judge Piamondon dissentee from the decis- ion of the court, from which an appeal is to. be taken to the highest tribunal of the empire, _ — Mahone’s & achine. The Virginia correspondent of the Cincin- nati ‘‘Commercial” says :—There could not be anything nearer perfection of political organization than that of the Republicans of Virginia under Mahone. The organization of the coloured voters, who are all Republi- cans, and the white men who vote the. Republican ticket, is as perfect and compact av thatofanarmy division. .) . As Ihave said, the Republican voters of Virginia are as distinctively and perfectly organized as an has not occured in the washing or getting the aeldom a day but he may fiad some rod of effliction upon him ; but as through want of care and wetchfulness we lose the sight of | many mercies, so we do of many afflictions ; it is as great a partof a Christian’s skill to know e filictions as to know mercies, —[Joseph If you can not make the headway in pro- desire to make, car you not at the least suc ceed in holding the ground which has been won? You can maintain your high standard 0’ conduct, if you can do no mcra.—[Con gregationalist, What a blessing it is to beings with such limited powers as ours confessedly are to have God himself for our instructor in everything which it most concerns tous know! We are principally concerned in knowing— not the origin of arts, or the recondite depths of science ; but what will become of us) ofter death, and if we are to live again ; we are interested in pest Algae it be pos- sible for us to do avything while we live here which’ may render that future life a happy one.—[ Bishop Watson. Abont some lives a quiet broods, L'ke still days born of Sammer moods, Most blest are they, whose tranquil calm Gives to their days a spacious charm, Replete with rest, their solace Care. And their benign repose with others share. [Friends’ Intelligence and Jouraal, - “= aa ——_ WIRELETS. The London (Eng.) police authorities have decided to prohibit public boxing con- tests in the city. It is believed the new Peterborough mar- ket is unsafe owing to a sericus settling of the foundations. rock out of the mines, buo took place before contains them, and the scientific suggestion concerning the, occurrence of the diamonds as composed of pebbles found in the conglomer- ate of Zwartberg lower down in the Colony, conglomerate may have spread further north than even Kimberley. itis in connection with this that the coal bedsare found. If by the extraordinary pressure which produces heat the coal has been changed and crystal- lized, then volcanic action piercing these | beds may have brought up the diamonds to the surface, and diamond mines may yet be found in other parts of the Coleny than where they are now worked, The August output of gold has not proved so large as was expected, bat yet is suffi ciently large to satisfy all those interested in the mines, The total is 32,142 ounces ; that is, about 7000 ounces less than the May output. The fau't ot this de- crease in no way lies in a defisiency in the ore, but rather in the mode of working, August is known to be a dry month, and steps must be taken, by storage reservoirs or otherwise, to preserve the water against such emergencies if a high ayerage output is to be maintained. The ore becomes richer the deeper the workings are, but something must be done to provide against the running short of water in the future, as well as against flood. ing of the mines in the wet sezson, An unforeseen diffi:ulsy in mining has arisen this month in a strike among the iron workers of Johannesburg. The meu are not seeking increase of pay—with that they are satisfied, as they may well be, their pay ranging from £5 to £7 per week—but they wish a sh prtening of the hours of labor, which the employers are not likely to grant. The strike will soon collapse, as there are plenty of hands ready to agree to the masters’ The Trent Valley Commissioners will shortly meet to take evidence at Peterbor- ough. Mrs. Vincent, of Spencerville, Ont., died recently, aged 104 years. Her eldest living son is 80 years of age. Mr, Gladstone says he regards the princi- ple of loval option with much favour, and wishes to see it promptly tried. Archbishop Croke has written a letter wishing the Tenants Defence League God speed and enclosing a subscription of £50. It is generally believed in Kingston that sufficient capital will be raised in England to build the Kingston and Smith's Falls rail- way: There is a movement on foot in Montreal to start a Hebrew night school, and t Qaebec Government is to be asked for a grant, -_— — The great Paris Exhibition, which came to ae Pe been stir Ped suc- cessful, from a ary t w at least, of all the World's Fairs. The sub- scribers to the guarantee fund of 18 000,000 francs were paid off long ago, and the Director-General recently estimated that the net profits would be 8,000,000 francs or $1 600,000. This will be divided between the State and the city of Paris, and the former will also fall heir to some of the finest of the exhibition egeee which will be used for appropriate public purposes. But, aside from its financial results, the Fair has proved a great success a8 & foil to Boalangism, To what extent it contributed to the defeat of the ‘“‘brave General” at the recent elections and to the preservation of internal peace it would be hard to say, but there can be ne doubt that its influence in these directions was very great. It may even be that the Republic owes to it the new lease of life which it has apparent ly secured, 1 terms, Transvaal share markets have been in activity during the past week. Extensive Eoropean orders have come in, and such stock as Robinsons, Jumpers, Langlaagtes, Langlaagte Royals. No, 1 Heriot Deep Levels, Jumpers Deep Levels, Nooitge-. dachts, and others have been in good demand as wellas Da Beers diamoad mining shares, which are now looked on asa stock as good as consols, A good deal of discussion has arisen both in England and in the Oolony over the question of granting a royal charter to the company headed by the Hon. Cecil Rhodes, better known asthe Diamond King. This company intends to push its operations into Matabele- land and as far north as the Zambesi, where ge reefs and alluvial are said to abound, t will lay down railways from Kimberley through Bechuanaland; and will be the means of opening up to civilization a vast tract of territory from which the white man has been hitherto excluded. — ‘They Were Business Men. First tranger (burglar)—What is your business sir? Secor'd Ditto (counterfeiter)—Making stamps And yours? : First Stranger—Mine? Oh, I’ve just opened a savings bank. The new railway bridge across the Firth of Forth, one of the most marvellous pieces of engineerin of the century, is shortly to be put to tho test of carrying fifty locomo- tives hitched together and travelling back and forth at varying rates of speed, There is nothing which gives a woman a more ineffable charm than a deft manage- ment in draping, so that the costume a. geats the beauty of contour while it concea the form, thus letting the imagination have full sco A dash of French grace and oo- army corps, and their organizat’on goes even to amore Democratic extent than the army they reached their position in what is called |itself, b it reaches to ies of there ‘‘the blue,” The inference is that these instead eprint 92 1 100. aig Gone los. ae diamonds are much older than the rock which | of the Republicans are under the contro! of a captain of tens, who wears a large badge, an . ho gi ler — of thoy are (abil Nore by tliat; As the "bids “is | Som pitty: Seed ob ntioge bap eab repens aad" are beld responsible to a commander of hun- dreds, and the commanders of hundreds re- port and are held responsible to the colonel of thousands. Itis the business of each cap- tain of tens to see that his ten men are at the polls and cast their vote, and the same re- lative duty is imposed upon each commander up to the grand commander himself. All of these fficers and men are furnished with handsome badges and others emblems of authority, so that in the end every man be- comes an officer, for even the humble mem. bers of companies cf ten wear with great pride their own plain badges and gez» with awe and veneration upon the 6x4 badge of their captain, eS ——e SS — eer The last ocean race between the Teutonic and the City of New York, which the form- er won by half an hour, was an unusually exciting one, for the reason that the two vessels were in sight of each other during almost the whole passage, and often within hailing distance. Toe greatest day’s run of the ‘olan was 495 miles, which is equival- ent to an average speed of a little over twenty miles an hour, : The young English noblemen who pay aimless attentions, without intentions, to the ladies of the stage find it an expensive luxury nowadays. lord Garmoyle found it so in the case of Miss Fortescue, and Lord Dangan has jast bad to pay in hard cash the good round sum of two thousand five hundred pounds sterling and costs for not. fulfilling an engagement of marriage with Miss Phyllis Broughton. When the young lords go a-courting, they forget that the ladies can also do the same, but in a more costly way. = Uong hours and cruel treatment of em- poyees are not found exclusively in the effete civilisation of Earope, The Detroit — Free Press gives this account of a paper mill at Fort Edward :— BD Half the girla go on at 7 in the morning and work till noon. Then the other half go on and work till 7 p. m., at which time the girls who worked all the morning come on again and work till midnight. Then the afternoon girls take up the burden again and keep it up until 7a. m, The work is ‘very exhausting—the taking from the rolls of h:avy sheeta of manilla paper, councing and disposing of them. It involves constant activity and watchfulness, and imposes a severe strain on muscles and nerves. For the ten hours during which it continues working girl gets 62 cents, A dispatch from Sydney, N.S. W., says that Sir Henry Parkes has declared in a speech that the time had come for the for- mation of a distinct parliamentary executive to deal with national questions, It is pro- posed to hold a convention with delegates from the several colonies for the purpose of constructing a Federal Government on the basis of the Federal Parliament, This, a contemporary thinks, reads like a notice to England that the Australian colonies have so nearly reached their political majority that they contemplate the performance of the duties pertaining to maturity with con- fidence in their own ability to take care of themselves, The national questions, it is added, which the Federal Parliament wil} consider are precisely those which the Brit. ish Parliament has been considering for them. To all of which we beg to remark that just as confederation did not affect Canadian attachment to the empire, so there ; |quetry dress is becoming to all women, is no reason why it should have a damaging effect upon Australian loyalty, 3