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â€"The salary of the British Mihister in Russia is £7,800 a year. â€"â€"At the presenf rate of increase of the Slnv race, Russia will have 300,000,000 of in- habitants in fifty years,- â€"A national bank is to be started in Egypt of which the Right Hon. Robert. Lowe, lormerly in Mr. Gladstone’s Cabinet, is to be Chairman. ' â€"â€"Mrs. John Jacob Astor, in ten years, has secured homes and the means of a. livelihood for about 450 homeless children at a cost of about $61000. â€"A Michigan editor advertises his paper for sale, saying that he desires to put many hundred miles more between himself and his mother-in-law. -â€"-In proportion to population San Francisco is said to be preeminent in suicide, which is due no doubt, to its being preemi- nent in gambling. â€"The American Consul at Florence in- forms Mr. Evarts that American manufactur. em could successfully furnish steel wheels to the Italian railways. â€"Eltham. England. has a. sewer six miles in length, ventilated by a tower sixty five feet high. Gas is burning in it to destroy noxious exhulations. â€"One night recently at Andover, Mass., a. woman gave birth to triplets, and one hour after, in the same house, her married daugh- ter followed with twins. â€"Four men accomplished the ascent of Mount Washington recently. but they were almost dead when they reached the signal station at the summlt. â€"The oak supposed to be the oldest, save Home’s,iu Windsor Forest, was burnt a. fort- night ago by some llghted straw being thrust into its trunk to drive a. ferret out. â€"â€"George Magrath of Brooklyn, when in short clothes. won Barnum's prize of $1,000 for the handsomest child. Recently he won applause in London as a pianist. â€"-Scotchmen with 12,000 miles of herring nets catch every year 843,250,000 herrings, while the gannet birds take 1.110,000,000, and the codfish eats 20,400,000,000. -â€"A fishing boat from Berck (Pas de Calais) lately encountered another boat driven abom helplessly by the winds. Ou boarding it the crew found eight corpses stiffened with cold . â€"â€"According to Dr. Hepworth. the Roman Catholic Church takes best care of its clergy. If a. man isn’t good in one position, it puts him in another. The next best ls the Dutch Reformed. â€"Opium eating is under consideration by the Chinese Government and Chin Lan Pin, the Chinese Minister at Washington. has been instructed to make a careful investiga- tion of the means used in the various institu- tions in this country for its cure. -â€"It is announced that 2,200 Roman Cath- olic ladies in the Rhine Province have ad- dressed a petition to the Emperor William against the suppression of the Ursuline cou~ vents of Nonnenworth and Ahreweilei'. -Cavaire is among the articles tabooed by the Russian authorities as a possible vehicle of plague, and the Berliners are avoiding 1t. oblivious of the fact that most of what; they get comes from no further than the Elbe or Danube. â€"The beautiful castle of Mimmar, near Trieste, which Maximilian built and lived in before his departure for Mexico, is still splen- didly kept up by the Emperor Francis Joseph's orders as a souvenir of his unfortu- nate brother. -â€"Mr. Jacob Bedell. a man of 65 at Bald- wins, Long Island, is said to have passed over eight weeks without sleeping a. moment. or feeling inclined to do so. The soporitics he has taken have had no effect on him. He enjoys good health. â€"-The funds raised in Germany as a me- morial of the Emperor’s escape amounts to over $400,000. It is to form the basis of a national insurance institution for the laboring classes and poor, of which the Prince Imperâ€" ial is named “High Protector." -'I‘he English agents in Asia, Minor are making rapid headway in the good graces of the natives, who are already inclined to ex- change the rule of the Sultan for the benefiâ€" cient new yoke. â€"-The rivalry between the Gray and Bell telephones is likely ti) be fought outin Boston, where each company has begun a. lawsuit to compel the other to cease the use of the dis- puted invention. â€"â€"A long existing dispute between Switz- erland and Baden has at length been settled by the acceptance by the Grand Duchy of the present frontier, the one to which he had previeusly made objection. â€"Mrs. Besant, now an established celeb- rityâ€"or notorietyâ€"has entered as a student for the London University degrees. So has Miss Hypnthia Bradlamgh, daughter of the freethinker and heiress of most of his opinions. One would imagine that a direct descend- ant from Geefirey Plantagonist, “ by Matilda. only daughter of King Henry 1., might be sufficiently well known to save the necessity of introducing the information in a. matri- monial notice. â€"Not many years ago the value of the silk manufacture of France was far in excess of that of worsted, but the latter is now of more value than the former. The total value of the worsted industry in France is $120,000,- 000, nearly half of Which is exported. â€"â€"A leading manufacturer of valentines says that the verses on the cheaper sort are ground out by one of his workmen, but those on the more pretentious ones are worked over from the productions of poets of more or less note. â€"There have been fourteen Englishmen who have filled the oflice of Poet Laureate. A majority of them have not been the first poets of their age by any means. If Tenny- son should live longer than next year he will he the only one who will have held the office for thirty years. â€"Owing to the melting of the mountain wow: and unusually heavy rainfalls, the Lake of Geneva reached a. higher level last month than it has been known to attain at this season in the forty-one years during which its functions have been noticed. â€"â€"-The Government of Uri have given final orders for the demolition of Tell‘s chapel, on the Lake of the four Cantons ; but the fres- coes will first be carefully p‘lotographed. and the walls on which they are painted removed and deposited in some public building. â€"The Shah of Persia. in recently ordering that no soldier should do anything but his military duties, has put an end to an ancient; custom by which private soldiers by acting as butchers, money changers, door-keepers, &c., have added to their pay, which is only about $10 a. year and three pounds of wheat per day. â€"The strength of the German Army for the year 1879-80 amounts to 19,222 officers, 401,659 men, 1,627 surgeons. 746 payx. as- ters, 621 doctors, 619 mastermrmorers. 93 master-saddlera. and 79,893 horses. These figures are much the same as those given last year. â€"A valuabledog has come to its death, it is said, in Boston, by acting as newspaper carrier for its master. It; took his newspaper home to him daily and the fresh printer’s ink is thought to have poisoned the animal. It is hard to see what there is in printing ink to kill anybodyâ€"except bad politicians. â€"A huge atone, somewhat in the shape and the dimensions of a. mummy case, which was roughly hewn into the appearance of a female deity, probably an idol worshiped by the old pagan inhabitants of the island. was recently discovered in the Church of Sainte Marie du Caste], in the Isle of Guernsey. â€"In the Prince of Wales’s country house, near Norfolk, is a weighing machine. upon which his guests at dinner or tea are request- e<_1_to stand and be weighed. In a book close MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. by the guests regard their names and weigi t. and the costume worn at the time. The Prince likes whist and the Princess likes bowling. â€"â€"â€"R£Llph Disraeli, brother of Lord Beacons- field, is an old man, living in obscurity. He strolls about old gardens with a. book in his hand. He goes into no society, and is never among the list of guests at Beaconsfield’s house. He has a small public office but will give no information abolit himself or his mar- riage. -â€"The Telegraph says :â€"“ Here is a broad and simple fact. Sixty-four American locks have been fixed in the'Walsall hospital side by side with English locks, and within 9. stone’s throw of where locks are made : and it is also undeniable that the architeets pre- ferred the American locks to the sixteen pre- viously supplied." ~Michel Vincent, formerly famous in France and this country as the Iron man, died lately in San Francisco. His strength was enormous, one of his feats being to lift 800 from the floor to his shoulder; but he too often raised a glass of liquor from a. bar to his mouth, in finally died of intcm~ perance. â€"-During an operatic performance in Balti- more, a telephone was placed by the side of the prompter's box, the wire leading to a room several blocks distant, where several persons listened to the music. Every sound was clearly reproduced, even the audience’s applause and the prompter’s words being dis‘ tinctly given. â€"The efiorts of English vegetarians to in. troduce the lent]! as an article of food are not meeting Wiuh success, owing to the ignorance and prejudice on the subject. One cargo waited at Gloucester two years for a purchaser, and another was sold at Liverpool forpig feed. the purchaser not venturing to give the len- tlls to his horses. â€"-Rice Ferguson, the postal agentin Phila- delphia, was caught stealing money from let- ters. His reputation had been good. and the exposure was as surprising to his friends as it crushing to him. He wrote a letter saying than he did not desire to live disgraced, and swallowed an ounce of prussic acid, which killed him instantly. â€"At Edinburgh Lord Craighill has given a decision finding, in the case of the Glasgow enterprise sales, that such sales or lotteries were illegal. He imposed a penalty of £50 on two of the Glasgow salesmen, but he recommended the Treasury not to enforce the penalties. as no notice of the illegality had been given to the parties. â€"Oue-thir«l of Chicago’s population is Ger- man, and a nearly equal portion of the pub- lic School teaching is done in 'he German language. The board of education proposes to exclude all languages exr'ept English from the schools, unless taught simply as accom- plishments, and the Germans are holding public meetings in opposition to the measure. â€"â€"The Standard for Royal Artillery gunners in the British army has been missed to the height of 5 feet 10 inches, which has had the intended eflect of nearly stopping the supply of recruits in that line. The lowest infantry standard is 5 feet 6 inches, which shuts out a great number of applicants of 5 feet 5% inches or thereabouts, the average height of candi- dates. M. Jacob, a clever Paris detective, said that he could always recognize a man no matter what were his disguise. by the expression of his eyes. On one occasion, on a bet, he went to the jail of La Roquette, and from five hundred or more convicts a dozen were paraded in coverlets and hoods, so that only their eyes could be seen, He named each one as he passed. â€"A French jeweller in 1870 sold a. lady a. 5,000-francs set of jewellery, giving a. written promise to take the articles back if they were not approved. She wore them six years and. then asked to have them exchanged 'for some- thing of a. newer fashion. The courts have finally decided that he must do so. and a. London tribunal has rendered a similar judg- ment where the customer wore a. diamond ring three years before returning it. â€"â€"The inhabitants of Finland, Russia, bury the dead only on Sundays. To preserve the bodies for the day of funeral. they are put in the cellars where milk, butter, cheese, eggs, and other articles are kept. The doctors have taken ground against this custom and have given alarm by declaring it to be one of the surest ways of propagating such contag- ious diseases as cholera and typhoid fever. â€"In Mercurioua’ Astrological Almanac for 1878, under the head of " January,” was this prophecy:-â€"-“ Victor Emmanuel’s nativity is afieoted. Let him beware.” He died in that month. Under “ December” it said “ Saturn’s transit’s transits are evil for the Princess Alice of Hesse. illness or death in the family.” Her two children died in that month. The book was printed in the year before. -â€"-George Lee Gray, of the Vincent Dm- matic Company. which travels in the West, was assigned a new part to perform, and studied it until late at night. in the hotel at Dunkirk, 0; After tailing asleep, as is sup- posed, he got out of bed in a somnambulistic state, and began to act the new character, in which at a certain point he was to leap out of a window. His dead body was found under the Window in the morning. -â€"Levi Wagenseller of Philadelphia. while eating dinner. let his false teeth slip part way down his throat. A physician told him to drink a glass of gin, which might make the teeth and their rubber plate pass into the stomach, where they would remain until dis- solved ; but they only went a. little further down and lodged immnvabably, in such a way as to prevent anything passing into the atom- ach. He lived seven weeks without food,aud died ef starvation. â€"Mr. Frank Kennedy, in a saloon at Haverstraw the other day, said he would shoot the first man who laughed. Mr. William Kingsland. so far from being glum and solemn at the proposition. as any reason- able man would have been, promptly laughed and was as promptly shot. and will probably not recover. Mr. Kennedy is a, man who means what he says, and we hope to be able to my the some of the Sheriff who will pres- ently have him in charge. â€"â€"â€"The decree of the Congregation of Rites on the adoration of our Lady of Ln Salette states that the Holy See does not intervene in such matters on the question of facts, leaving this to the Bishop of the diocese. but that the cures and other favors obtained at L2» Salette prove it to he a spot divinely chosen for a. special and abundant bestowal of grace, The church is, therefore, to be miaed to the rank of a. minor basilica, and the Archbishop of Paris is authorized to crown the Virgin’s image. --A writer in the January number of the American Catholic Monthly Review raises the old question. “Was Slmkespeare a Catholic?” and cites the play of "Henry VIII,” in par’ Licular to illustrate his belief that he was. The writer finds that the character of Wolsey as drawn by Shakespeare. "affords presum- tive evidence not [I little convincing of his Catholic predilections,” and thinks no intelli- gent person who studies it can believe it was drawn by a party adherent of “ the schism originated by Henry VIII. and continued by Elizabeth." â€"-A Detroit husband of a month did not come home at night, and, as this was his first irregularity, his wife sat up until morn- ing waiting for him. Then, nervous and weakâ€"for she ate no breakfastâ€"she went to his oflice to look for him. There she was informed that he had been on a drunken trip with a woman. She found him at a hotel recovering from his intoxication, and pro- fessedly repentant. She forgave him, and returned quietly to her home, but soon he- came a raving maniac. and her disorder is thought to be incurable. â€"Near Ashland, Oregon, early one morn. ing recently, a forest of pine trees was seen bending down as though bowed by a terrific gala of Wind. At the same time not a breath of wind was in motion. During the night a furious storm had passed over the forest, ac. companied by rain and snow. and the steady force of the Wind had bent the trees and held them in that position until the falling snow and freezing rain had fastened them in un- yielding bonds of ice, and so they remained until the sun set them free. â€"Genealogy naturally does not play as great a part in Canadian marriage notices as in some across the ocean, of which latter the following, however, is rather an extra sample : On the 16th inst., by license. at St. Mary Magdalene Church, Brighton. by the Rev. N. Crispin, Frederick Francis, eldest son of the late Capt. J. F. Brome, direct descendant from Geoffrey Plantagenet, Earl of Anjou, by Matilda only daughter of King, Henry 1., to Laura Marie Langolie of Shepherd‘s Bush, London. . â€"-A railway employee in France. by way of a piece of bravado, lit his pipe with ticket No. 955,069 in the great French lottery, and that there might be no doubt upon the sub- ject, he chalked the figures on a. wall in the presence of several of his comrades, whe stood all agape at the sight. Now chance has so willed that the number in question has turned out a famous prize, and had the employee only been able to produce his ticket he would have received in exchange the sumâ€"to him a fortune â€"of 24,000 francs. â€"â€"Has a person the right to read a news- paper in the theatre instead of paying atten- tion to the performance ? While the Williamsons were playing “ The Chinese Question" in Toledo, a man in an orchestra seat occupied himself with a perusal of the news, and seemed oblivious of what was being done on the stage. Williamson stop- ped acting and asked him to put away the newspaper or quit the theatre. The offender granted the former favor, but revenged him- self by regarding the play with a. smile of great disdain. â€"Pacific coast Whalers set forth from their winter quarters early in the spring, provis- ioned for a cruise of at least six months. The crews number about thirtyâ€"five men. a force sufficient to man four or five boats, The number of boats curried depends upon the locality of the hunting ground and the nature of the whales to be captured. In the extreme north whales never attack a boat, but in the south they do so frequently. The boat of the weapons carried is the patent har- poon gun. which is darted from the hand. and explodes after striking the whale, cans- ing instant death when it enters a vital part. â€"-A correspondent of the Sheffield (Eng- land) lelagraph says: Agreat many Protes- tants are somewhat perplexed, if not scandal- ized, by Mr. Gladstone’s acceptance of the dedication of a work on “ Catholic Eschatol- ogy," by the Rev. H. N. 0xenham, which advocates very distinctly Roman Catholic dogmas. and especially the doctrine of purga- tory, and the inference is that if Mr. Glad- stone does not approve of everything contain- ed in the book, he at least sympathizes with the general drift of its ideas. More is likely to be heard of this matter, and it will cer- tainly net be overlooked when Mr Gladstone appears to seek the suffrage of a Scotch con- stituency. â€"The Russian newspapers complain that the fluctuation in the grain trade of Russia, and the rapid changes in prices, are caused by competition from the United States. As soon as American supplies are brought to market sale of the Russian grain decreases, and hence many Russian farmers are im- poverished and cannot pay taxes. As the prosperity of Russia depends largely upon the grain trade, it is important that full in- formation concerning the crop of American cereals should be obtained; and it is sugâ€" gested in St. Petersburg Journals that Rus- sian consuls in the United States be required to ascertain the state and prospects of the American crops, and to assist in promoting the grain trade of Russia. â€"-A grim story of life in a lighthousecomes from the Burmah coast, and is printed in the Rangoon Times. A telegram having an- noenced that the light on the Alguada Reef was not visible, a steamer was dispatched to ascertain the cause. The captain on landing discovered two of the men in the lighthouse dead, while a third was lying in a precarious state. The keeper stated that signals of dis- tress such as "1 Want immediate help ” and “ Man dying ” had been exhibited by him for about twenty days. As a last resort, all his Slgnals having failed to attract attention, he darkened the lights on the Bassien side, feel- certein that this step would not fail to attract attention to the lighthouse. And so, with the dead and dying, he Watched for relief, which came at last. ~Young Mr. French made his appearance in Stanstead, Canada, half a year ago. and took board in a village tavern. He seemed to have no business, and devoted consider- able of his time to courting Miss La Pete, much to the displeasure of her parents, who finally forbade him to see her. One day French informed Mr. La Pete that he had made up his mind to go away, and asked for the use of a horse and wagon with which to go to the railroad station, ten miles distant. La Pete delighted at the proposed departure. and readily lent the horse and wagon. which were to be sent back by a boy. Mr. and Mrs. La Pete waved French a joyful adieu as he drove off, and were glad that Miss LIL Pete was not there to show regret. They after- wards 1k erned that she was curled up under the wagon seat, thus eloping under their very noses. -An astounding case of imposition has taken place at Altringham, in England. A poorly-clad women Went to the house of a Miss Fairbank, representing that she was in an abject state of poverty and destitution,and that her husband was ]ying dead in the house, Miss Fairbank informedra‘e applicant that she was not in the habit of giving assistance without visiting the houses of those seeking it. The woman asked her to be good enough to do this, and she subsequently did so. She found every appearance of squalor and (les- titution, and to verify the truth of the “'0. man‘s statement. she went up stairs to see the corpse, which was scarcely covered with rags. On going down stairs she gave the W0- inan some money and went away, leaving her umbrella. in the house. She shortly after- wards returned for the umbrella, when she was horrified and disgusted to find the “corpse” and his wife dancing about the kitchen, apparently delighted with the suc- cess of their run. -â€"A Baltimore tea merchant is making the tour of the South making investigations in regard to tea culture. He thinks that Ameri- cans should not attempt to intimate the China green tea, with its coloring and fancy tWIsting but confine themselves to curing the leaf so as to obtain the best possible cup of tea withâ€" out regard to appearance. Besides the work of twisting that of sorting the tea according to shape and size can, he thinks, be dispens- ed with to advantage, simplifying greatly the process of pleparation, and as greatly dimin- ishing the cost. The cultivation of the tea- plant in Georgia, he declares from his ex- perience of several years in China and Japan, is perfectly practicable, and he offers $1 a pound for all leaves shipped to his firm (Messrs. Martin Gillet & 00., Baltimore), the firm engaging to do the curing and preparation till the producers are fairly on their feet. â€"A correspondent writes:â€"I can inform you that the original Saint Valentine was really an Irishman. who, in the fifth century lived in what is now known as the County Sligo, and was called Father Valentine. In moral life he was a priest whose only foihle was an exuberance of spirits that often so.le tempted him and interfered with his religious duties. But an indulgence having been granted him whereby upon one certain day of the year he. might commit every species of practical joke and allow his humor to fairly riot, and on condition that on every other day the strictest decorum should rule his mind and soul, he accordingly selected for that purpose his birthday, which happened to be the 14th day of February. Singularly enough, the good and humorous old priest died as he was born on the 14th of February. He was soon after canonized, and that day kept in his remembrance. The. cheapest, quickest, best and only one that I know oh, and I have tried many for 1 chicken cholera, is to cut the fowl’s heads ofl as soon as possible after they show the first symptoms of the disease. Then have a gen- , eral cleaning up of your poultry house. Make ‘a bucketful of white wash in the usual man- ner ; put in a pint of crude carbolic acid, and apply to the inside of the house. Cover the floor with fresh earth, and, if can get it, 'sprinkle refuse lime from gas works under the meets every day or two. Shut the doors ‘ and windows, stop up every crack and crevice , and then build up a hot fire in the house,3 and keep it as hot as you can for three hours; ‘ dry heat will burn the contagion. It would ; also be well to shut the fowls in the house. and fumigate them well by sprinkling sulphur on a pan of live coals ; this should be done at night. Keep plenty of charcoal where your fowls can get it. It is excelent for keep. ing chickens in good health. Until your are sure that the disease has disappeared, a few drops of carbolic acid toeach quart of drink- ing water will be beneficial. Several of my neighbors who have been troubled with cholera among their chickens followed the above course, and when they did the work thoroughly, crushed out the disease. I have never had a genuine case of chicken cholera among my own fowls, but 1 have for a long time been a diligent seeker after information concerning this disease. and when it attack- ed my neighbors fowls, I have generally taken a hand at the “doctoring.” I have tried nearly all of the wonderful compounds that have been advertised to “ prevent and cure chicken cholera," but I would not give a peck of sawdust for the whole lot. Don’t be deluded into buying them, it is a waste oi money; an ounce of prevention is worth a cartload of cure where chicken cholera is concerned. It is reasonable to hope that a “sure cure” may be found for this dreaded disease, and I trust that if any of the readers of the Srecrsros are fortunate enough to cure a number of fowlsâ€"-one cure don’t prove any- thingâ€"«they will “ let their light shine ” for the lnnefit of all. FANNY FIELD. CUBE FOR CHICKEN EHGLERA A Seducer Shot [II by his Victim and An- nnulled by her filother. OWEN SOUND, Feb. 28.â€"Considerable ex- citement was caused in the police court here a day or two ago by the attempted shooting in court of a young gallant named Walter Adair, by a girl, who alleged that he had seduced her. At the time, Mrs. Brown, moth- er oi the young woman, whose name is Eliza- beth Brown. was on trial tor assaulting Adair. The parties all resided in the township of Keppel. It would seem that some time ago the young man succeeded in enticing the young girl from the paths of virtue, and that in consequence of her disgrace she had since been living with her sister, at whose house she was occasionally visited by her mother. On Sunday, 16th inst., Mrs. Brown was on her way to see her daughters, when she met Adair. Incensed at his treatment of Eliza- beth, she struck at him, and he returned the blow with interest, blackening one of the wo- man‘s eyes, and making her nose bleed a stream. After the aflray, Adair, determined to have the first say of the magistrate, laid an information against Mrs. Brown. charging her with assault and battery. Mrs. Brown was accordingly arrested and arraigned at the police court the following morning. During the trial Miss Brown was present heavily veiled, and when the verdict had been render- ed against her mother, who was fined a dollar and costs, she sprang forward towards the prosecutor and presented a pistol full in his face and tried to shoot. Fortunately the weapon hung fire,and instead of a death-carry- ing shot only a. snap was heard. The young woman was at once disarmed, and the revol- ver, which was loaded, sequestrated. Sub- sequently Adair was placed on trial for as- saulting Mrs. Brown, and was fined $132 and costs. The young woman, Elizabeth Brown, was taken into custody and now lies in jail waiting trial. All the parties are in fair cir- cumstances and considered respectable. â€"F,"1:0nin,g Tatey/ram:â€"" Abroad, ladies never think of decorating themselves with gems when walking on the king's highway. ButAmericau women. especially New York women, appear to have diamonds, pearls, rubies, snpphires and emeralds in their blood. These break out with them upon all occasions, and the wonder is that they do not oftener pay the penalty of being robbed. Another fault, not so glaring as a. matter of ill taste, but equally indefensible, is that which most women have of carrying their portemennaries in their hands." (London Globe.) The cup that cheers but not inebriates is threatened with a rival possessing properties which must render it first favorite among the fair sex. The produce of the H ex Paraguay- cnsis. mate, or Paraguay tea. has often been suggested as a substitute for the more or- thodoxiniusion of the leaves of the tea, or tea plant, but this would stand no chance in competition with the new candidate for pub- lic favor. Paris, it is said, has just awoke to the virtues of “a new kind of tea," called Serkys tea, “ which has the virtues of pre- serving the brilliancy and beauty of early youth up to the ripest age ;” it is composed “ of exquisitely refreshing and balsamic plants”-â€"the leaves of the plants are probably intendedâ€"" growing on the foot of the moun- tains of Mecca and Libanus.” The beverage in question claims antiquity greater than that of the modern tea, whose name it borrows. It is said to have been discovered in the time of Osman 1., who introduced it to the ladies of the seraglio, and it has ever since remained the favorite beverage of the Sultans. In outward application its effects are marvellous as when takeninternally, and the leaves stewed down after infusion. if thrown into the bath, will contribute to pre- serve the freshness of the complexion in a manner which Mme. Rachel’s preparations could not equal. Serkys, whatever it may be, will no doubt become the rage in Paris, where its virtues are. we are told, devouth believed in. There is only one little difficul- ty in the matter, and that is that the won- derful properties of the drink should ever have been forgotten when once known, as Serkys is said to have been once to the ladies of the French Court. “ In France it was known during the reign of Louis XIV.. and perhaps it was owing to this preparation that all the women of that period were young and beautiful." A Girl of 16 Burned lo Denlll “’ilh Her Lillie Brother. Wmnson. Ont., March 4,â€"Yesterday morn- ing news was received here that a terrible calamity befell a family at Sandwich West, seven miles down the river, at a late hour on Saturday night. by which a girl of 15 or 16 and her brother, a. lad of 7, lost their lives. About 11 o’clock Saturday night Simon Duryeau was awakened by the smell of smoke and unusual heat in the house. Pushing open his chamber door, which was on the lower floor of the house, he dis- covered the whole rear portion of his dwelling was in flamenan that the staircase leading to the second story,where his little son and daugh- ter were sleeping. had already fallen 9. prey to the flames, Mr. Duryeau had barely time to arouse his wife and get her out of the burning building when he heard the agonizing screams of his daughter and the next moment the roof fell in and the son and daughter were buried in the blazing ruins. The neighbors and country people for some dis- tance hurried to the scene, but too late to be of service. The loss of the house and furni- ture was but little compared with the lives of the two children, who awoke from a peaceful sleep only to meet a death too horrible to con- template. The details of the horrible aflair are very meagre, but it is thought that the dwelling caught fire from an ash barrel at the rear. DISTRESSIN G CAL AMITY. BEAU'I‘Y-PREHEI‘VING TEA AN (DUTIIAGED FAflllLY. Infants Must Sup Flirting Refore They Come onge, or Suller [or it. A breach of promise case. interesting for the points raised in it, has just been decided in England before the Lord Chief Baron. It is reported by the Landon Telegraph as follows : The plaintiff was a. daughter of Major Mc- Gregor and is not yet of age. The defendant was the son of a. gentleman of considerable property and the proprietor of the publication called the Christian. The plaintiff and de- fendant first become acquainted while the former was living at Wood Green and the latter at Crouch End. in the north of London. The families were also upon very friendly terms. Miss Florence McGregor, the plaintiff, said: I am a. daughter of Major McGregor, and in 1873 was living with him at Wood Green, in the north of London. The defendant was living at Crouch End, in the same neighbor- hood. In J une, 1876, the defendant came to see my father. who was a major in the Seventy-eighth Regiment. He was then re- tired. The defendant’s father was the pro- prietor of the Christian. Three or four days afterwards the defendant spoke to me, saying. “ Do you consider yourself engaged to me. as I consider myself engaged to you r" I said that to him. I first knew the defendant in 1873. In the month of August, 1875, the defendant went to Germany and Switzerland; in Sep- tember, 1876, to New York. and in January, 1877, to Canada. Before the defendant went to CanadaI saw him very often, and an in- timacy continued as if we were engaged to each other. I received a letter from the. de- fendant in January, 1877, while he was in Canada. He returned trom Canada, I believe, at the end of February. From that time until July, 1877, we constantly met. We were living at the same places as we had done in June, 1876. I had written to the de- fendant on February 8, saying I was very much surprised that he had decided to remain in Canada. On March 8, 1877, I received a letter from the defendant, in which he said 2â€"- The Lord Chief Baron. in summing up, said that the jury would have to say whether, if the parties had never met before Septem- ber, 1877, when the defendant came of age, that there was not ample evidence of a dis- tinct and substantial promise from the de- fendant. The plaintifi then asked to award such just and temperate damages as they considered she was entitled to, and in doing so to remember that the defendant, although perhaps unable to pay the amount at the present moment. would be able to do in the future by earning his own livelihood and ob- taining a sufficient sum to compensate the plaintiff for the manner in which he had wounded and outraged her feelings. The 'yry gave “a verdict for {he plaintiff with g damages. My Darling :-â€"Will you accept the inclosed as a token of the real love? I wish you very many happy returns of your birthday, and may your future be brighter by far than the last has been is the wish of yours ever, HARRY. On September 1, 1877, the defendant came of age, and a few days afterward he gave me the ring which his mother gave him on his birthday. He told me to wear it until he gave me an engaged one. The defendant was then learning farming at Mill Hall, near Alton. Hants. In January, 1878. I saw the defendant while I was staying with his mother at Crouch End. On January 11 went With the defendant to London, and he said to me : “I want to buy you an engaged ring. but I have not suflicient money in my ‘pocket to buy one now." I was then wearing the ring he had given me. He left Crouch End on January 3 for Mill Hall, and more letters passed between them. Among them were the following: Mr. Murphy aSked that a. noté of his ob- jection might be taken. He decided to call no evidence in support of the defendant’s ease. The Lord Chief Baron said he considered there was abundant evidence before the Court of 9. promise of marriage after the de- fendant came of age ; and that whether the promise had been ratified or not had, therefore, nothing to do with the present case. PUMP House, LLANDBINDOD, Runes, March, 12, 1878. My Darling F'lo : I have just come in from a nice walk with Louis Morgen, so have got very little time before post, but perhaps you would rather have little than none. You need not be jealous of the bar-maid, my duck, although she is a nice girl, and above the position she is in at present ; but she is en- gaged to a. captain in the merchant service, and is as anxious to see him as you say you are to see me. Ihope that happy day will soon come for us. * " ' I expect I shall be home next week. and my darling, I hope I shall see you. Give my love to Sister Emily, and remember me to your father and mother. Believe me your ever loving 5 CASTLE TERRACE, Bun Rom, Houusnow. March 18, 1878. } My Dearest Harry : Although your last letter was very short, I was delighted to see your handwriting once more. I think you have been very lazy in writing to me since you have been at Llandrindod. I am sure if the bar-maid is not the attraction there must be something else. I am not jealous of her, and I am only sorry, as she is such a nice girl. she is in such a position. * ‘ * When do you return ? You did not tell me in your last letter what day. Sister Emmie sends her love. I really have no news to tell you, dearest.‘ Hoping you will write me a long letter next time. Pope and mamma wish to be remembered to you. With fond love, your ever loving FLORENCE. P. S. Gertie wishes me to send her love to dear Harry. PUMP HOUSE,LLANDBINDOD, meon, March 19, 1878. My Darling Flo: I am very sorry to hear that your foot is so bad. In it worse than it has been before? My poor little darling, it must be a great trouble to you. though not greater to you than to me. But cheer up, we must hope for the beat. and be thankful that your health is good otherwise. * * " §emember me very kindly to Major and Mrs.. and give brother Harry’s love to dear Emily. Believe me, your ever-loving HARRY. A few days later, defendant wrote giving up the engagement. and asked witness to do so: Witness. however, would not consent. In crossâ€"examination by Mr. Murphy the plaintiff said: .I first knew the defendant in 1874. The defendant used to see my sister and myself home, and upon one occasion a frind said to the defendant and myself. “You two seem to love each other.” I said, “I do, for my part." My sister said, “I‘ll see she does not flirt until you come back.” I was then fourteen and the defendant fifteen and a-half. I did not consider myself en- gaged until J une, 1876. when my parents gave their consent. When the defendant came of age I considered there was NO NEED TO OBTAIN A FRESH PROMISE from him, because I was already engaged to him. I looked upon it as one continual en- gagement. My father, in June. 1876, said, "I have no objection to your being engaged, and matters may go on as they are.” I told the defendant that I consideredI was engaged to him. I looked upon it as one continual engagement. I understood my father to have given his consent. Mr. Murphy submitted. upon the conclu- sion of the plaintiff’s case, that there was no case to go to the jury, as it had been decided in the Common Pleas Division that a. promise made in infancy and ratified afterwards was not a. promise of marriage in the eye of the law. The case he referred to was that of “ Coxhead v. Mullis” (C. P}. Div., “ Law Journal,’ 10. 761). A Lesson to Young Lovers. I CONSIDERED MYSELF ENGAGED CHICKEN COURTSHIP. PRETTY LETTERS . g, I hope to Sister 1r father 91' loving HARRY. I‘lr. BeechchI-flnes ll er Position Among the Ancient Hebrews. Mr. Beecher preached recently upon the condition of woman and the household among the ancient Hebrews. In the course of his remarks he said : â€"In the churchyard of Childwell, England, there is this epitaph : Here lies the remains of Thomas Woodhen, The most amiable of husbands and excellent of men. The condition of any people might be ascer- tained by the position of woman. There never was a nation where woman was de- pressed that rose to eminence. Was she in chose early days a plaything, a recluse, a nun cf the kitchen, or was she honored? Her tondition then among the Hebrews, though not so good as among us now. was immensely in advance of any nation in the Orient at that time. The primitive law was power. The august power of nature suggested deities First muscular power, then cunning as an ele- ment of power, then pomp. Woman was dis esteemed because of her weakness, and all the way down the weakness of sex had been trodden under foot. Among the Hebrews that was evident, but woman was still greatly in advance there. She was a servant. She was saleable. The father could send his daughter to market, not as we did, but actu- ally. It was only at a late day that men understood that property meant inanimate things. A father had absolute control of a. daughter‘s liberty and life. She had no choice as to matrimony and her father gave her away for a consideration. She inherited no- ‘thing unless the estate was likely to go out of the family, and then she was a Jack at a ,pinch. Among the Hebrews woman was not ‘ a laborer, but remained at home and did housework. She was unveiled and ate with her husband. A Greek woman was not allowed to do that. A Hebrew woman was the companion of her husband if she was his slave. She took part with him in all the ‘great religious services. There was this re- markable peculiarity also, the Hebrew never stood in the way of genius either in man or woman. If Miriam could sing she was to sing. If Deborah could rule she was to rule. Huldah was sought unto as a prophetess, and there were many things in whicha man could better consult a woman than a man. Sam- uel’s mother, Elizabeth, Mary, Martha, the women who accompanied Christ, and who afterward consorted with the apostles and were organic members of the first church. exhibited the spirit which brought honor on women among the Hebrews. N. B.â€"â€"His name was Woodoh‘ck, but it Womfi nut cums in rhyme. â€"â€"London World :â€"“ Marriage has probe. bly dealt the death blow to quite as many honest friendships as debt. The most amia- ble of women are naturally uncharitable to their own sex, and when wives are professed rivals passive hostilities are tolerany sure to be generated between the husbands. Person- ally the two men may entertain mutual sen- timents of liking and respect; but the feeling, as such feelings are for the most part. is probably negative, and Damon is too much the creature of habit. too readily and iresist- ably succumbs to the social influences immeâ€" diately exercised on him, at his hearthside, by Mrs. Damon, to insist en retainingPythias as his friend at all hazards.” London World :â€"“ The hostess who has desired to secure the presence of a. profes- sional dmer-out has in times past felt it only decent to include in the proffered hospitality the commonplace little wife, who would a. thousand times sooner have been at home with her children and her tea.” London World :â€"“ There are {ladies of all ages. and of every variety of personal at- traction, of whose husbands the polite world sees infinetly less than it does of their maids. He is one of the impedimvnta of traveling. and he is left at home whenever practicable, on the principle that those journeys are the easiest on which least luggage is taken. So- ciety at large only knows of him as an asth- matic encumbrance, who lives principally in the back dining room and has no taste for London hours. it is astonishing how soon the husband, from those being in the back ground. mdes into the absolutely mythical: and indeed it is only when the world hears of his death that it first clearly realizes the fact of his existence. One of the most singular cases of mistaken identity has come before the Lord Mayor of London. A policeman made a. charge of picking pocket against a gentleman in busi- ness in the city. He said he had often seen him at work trying people’s pockets, but, as he knew his good social position, he dared not make a. charge, fearing his simple evi- dence would not be believed. He, therefore. got another ofiicer to join him, and they to- gether both swore that they had over and ova again seen defendant picking pockets. The prisoner, in defence, said he would not impute wilful perjury to the witnesses, but they were under a. serious mistake. The police, however, said they knew prisoner well, and could not be mistaken. A mem- ber of the firm of John Morley & Co. and other geutlemen having deposed to prisoner’s character and respectability. the Lord Mayor dismissed tee charge as founded on a mistake. A Scotch settler, inst returned home from South Africa, said, at an entertainment given him by a number of his friends, he was not afraid of the Zulus, with whom he had mixed for many years, and had found them honest, hard working. grateful people. Knowing, as he well did, their bravery and endurance. he was not surprised at the result of the care- less generalship displayed by Lord Chelms- ford. The Daily News says the troops at Malta. suffer much from the drinking shops. and adds :â€"“ The stufi sold our gallant defenders is, it would seem, of a very fiery character ; indeed, when they have got into prison or into hospitals through yielding to habits of intoxication, they often qualify the grog- shop wares as so much ‘ maddening poison. One especially ardent desoriptlon of alcohol is known among the military as ‘ fixed bay- onets.’ A precisely similar term was ap- plied to the execrable American whiskey of which our Guardsmen and our Rifle Brigade drank a great deal too much in Canada. six- teen years ago.” pLondon LTmth :â€"“ We are told that the > . Great Britain. . A verdict given at the Glamorgan ageizes affirms asa. principle that a railway pas- senger who leans against an unfastened carriage door, and through such act falls out of the carriage, is not guilty of contri- butory negligence. Mr. Hauler), a commis- sion agent at Pontypriad, was awarded £1,- 500 compensation in an action. In a case at the Derby aseizes, where two domestic servants were charged with theft, the J udge, having said the case would be ad- journed. the jury objected. saying they had made up their minds. and that neither the summing up of the Judge or the speeches of counsel would alter their verdict. The Judge said that in these circumstances it would be e. “ solemn farce” to admurn, and, after conâ€" sultiug with Lord Coleridge. agreed to accept heir verdict of ” not guilty.” rice of meat is likely to increase, as the United States will be ‘proclaimed’ as an in- fected country. This will be adding insult to injury, as so far the cost of meat has not been reduced one penny a pound, notwith- standing all the tons that have come from America.” The deceaseis announced, at the extraor- dinary age of 102. of the Rev. William Tranter, of Salisbury. He entered the Wesleyan ministry in the year 1803, at the age of 26. Since that time he has laboured almost incessantly in difl'ereut circuits. A few yeais since, on account of his great age, the Wesleyan Conference allowed him to become a supernumel‘nry. and he 19.- brim-ed in that capacity at Salisbury till he died. THE SUPREMACY 0F “’ONIAN. OLD WORLD NEWS. â€"â€"Old Mrs. Stack sold two glasses of cider to the neighbors in Northfield, Vt., thus vio- lating tLe Probibitorv Liquor Law of that State. A spy had her arrested, his motive being to get his legal share of the fine, which was, in this case, @120. Mrs. Stack could not pay, being very poor, and a. heartless con- stable carried her to jail on a cold day in an open sleigh, although she was thinly dressed and seIiuusly ill, Her daughter borrowed the money to pay the fine. but Mrs. Stacy died a few hours after release, her death being the direct result of the cruelty to which she had been subjected. â€"â€"The number of Greeks in all Turkey is about 2,500,000, while the number in Greeb‘e is Unln 1,400,000 “ In the case of the Algomu writ and its effect on the life of the Ontario Parliament lawyers differ and laymen must not pretend to decide. But there is one thing which even alnyman may safely sayâ€"the legisla- tive power ought not to be exercised with- out an unimpenchuble title both legal and moral. The legal title of the Parliament of Ontario to sit alter Febuary 2 can hardly be said to have been unimpeachable : there is an objection which evidently makes some impression on legal minds; and it is at least conceivable that a court not anxious to postpone the Ontario elections might refuse to put upon any statute. or jumble of statutes, the construction for which the Government contend, and which would leave the Province possibly for six or eight months without any legislative power whatever the emergency might be; since, pending the return of the Algorna, writ, there would be a Parliament still in course of election, and capable neither of sitting nor of being dissolved. But be the legal title what in may, it is certain that the moral title is utterly wanting. The period for which the members of the Parliament of Ontario were entrusted by the people with the legislative power has unquestionably expired; and their present exercise of the power is redeemed from the character of bsrefaced usurpation only by a technical quirk. A dis- solution and an immediate election would have set all right and cleared legislation from the cloud which now rests upon it.” A couple may set up for themselves with very few utensils, scarcely any provisions, and next to no knowledge of cookery. A gas or oil stove takes the place of a costly and cumbrous cooking range. Coffee is bought not only parched but ground. Spices and pepper come all prepared for use. Every kind of bread,cake and pastry can be purchased at a slight advance on the cost of the materials they contain. If one Wishes the sport of making them, selfrising flour may be had in any grocery. Fruit of all kinds all ready for the table can be purchased about as cheaply as that which must be prepared. Not only lobsters and other shell fish, but salmon may be bought cooked and ready to be served at a price but little above what the crude articles cost ; and cooked corn beef,tongue, pigs’ feet and ham have long been on the market. There are also canned soups, that only need to be diluted; mince meat, all ready to be put between picâ€"crusts ; and roast meats and fowls of all descriptions. Some groceries keep mush prepared for frying. Boston baked beans. put up in cans, have had a great run during the past few years. English plum- pudding is also on the market. Last winter witnessed the advent of fried potatoes as an article of commerce. Cans of cooked green corn. beans, peas, tomatoes. cauliflower and asparagus are found on the shelves of every corner grocery. It is no longer necessary to have a cook, or to be a cook in order to keep house. It requires scarcely any cooking utensils to provide a warm meal. A can- opener, a frying pan and a coffee-pot are the principal requisites. Even the last is not ab- solutely necessary, since a mixture of pre pared coffee. sugar and cream may readily be obtained. 1t is even practicable, now, for the novice to despense with a cook-book, as the label on every can tells how to treat the con- tents. A German named Jacob Wurtzel, who had lived in the Township of Stanley for a number of years, was presented with a me- mento and an address the other evening, previous to his return to his friends in Waterloo county. The donors of this hand- some memento proceeded in a body to his house, and were warmly received. The object of their visit flashed upon J acob’s mind. and his face worked spasmodically with delig but when the chief spokesman had read the address his face grew pensive and he turned away his head, and his eyes were noticed to fill with tears. The majority of those pre- sent supposed that his feelings had overcome him, and stood quietly awaiting the “ turn of the tide.” But one, more inquisitive than the rest, quietly tapped him on the arm and inquired the cause of his disturbed feelings. “ I fell awful bed,” he said. “ Ivas af de obinions dot you fellas voud do somedir:z;s grendâ€"dot you vould show your respeckt for me, and make me feel happy,” but here he relapsed for a few minutes, and on recover- ing, continued, “ but ven I lisden to dot address, I can’t keep beck dose veeps. Now vat you shpose dose beeples down by Vuterloo vill say ven dey saw dot biece of buper. eh ? Dey vill told me I vas sold. dot it vas a schnide. Nodings aboud ‘ doken at eshteem,’ nodings aboud ‘ entronsic value.’ nodings aboud somedings at all 1 Von I tink aboud dose dings I feel awful bad,"â€"and he imme- diately fell back upon the red handkerchief again. and the crowd filed slowly out feeling that they had unwittingly and unintention- ally injured the feelings of a neighbor and friend. New YORK,Feb. 22.â€"At the regular weekly meeting of the New York Polytechnic Society. last evening, in room No. 24 of the Copper Institute, Ernst Schoenrock explained a new system of gas lighting. The system was in- vented by Julius Pintsch, of Berlin. and is adapted especially to the lighting of railway carriages. large buildings and floating buoys. The gas is distilled from fat or petroleum re- fuse, is very rich and brilliant. and the cost is far below that of coal gas. The advmtrges claimed for it are due to the particular method of manufacture by the furnaces de- signed by Mr. Pintsch. The gas is dry and permanent. without moisture or sediment, and it suffers no less by condensation in the pipes. It has been used for several years in Europe, on the principal railroads in Eng- land, Russia and Germany. Between 6,000 and 8,000 cars on these railways have been provided with the gas, and it is used also in the saloon carriages of the Emperors of Russia and Germany, and in that of the Prince of Wales. It has been adopted on the whole line by the directors of the Metropoli- tan Underground Railway of London. It is used in acompressed form. and on railroad cars it is contained in iron tanks or cylinders attached to the bottom of the cars. Its use is not dangerous.the gas being subjected only to a pressure of 90 pounds to the square inch, and is not explosive. The supply is control- led by a delicate regulator, which maintains a. steady and regular flame in the lamp. The gas has been used also in lighting buoys to mark the entrances of harbors, and for that purpose has received the approval of Trinity House, London. Permission has been receiv- ed from Secretary Sherman to admit, free of duty. a buoy to be exhib.ted in this harbor. The arrival of a buoy is expected within a few weeks. It is said to be probable that the gas will be adopted for use on the Metropolitan Elevated Railroad in this city, which would save. it is said, $50 a day in the lighting of its cars. “ Bystander,” in the Canadian Monthly for March, has the following on the Algoma quesjioq : HOW EASY IT ISTO KEEPEIOU s N0‘V-A-DA1’S DISTILLING lJGll'l‘ [TRON] FAT. THE L" (Li L LEG ISLA'I‘URE \VIIY [IE WEPT‘