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The Ontario Government Commissioners Make Their Report. The supply of teachers has been obtained in the past almost entirely (1) from the Public Schools within the counties, and (2) from various educational institutions in Ottawa and in the Province of Quebec. OE the sixty-nine teachers employed in the French Schools inspected by us, only three had attended a High School, and only two had received any training in either a Nor- malora Model School in Ontario. One had a second-class certificate, one had a third-class certificate, two had County Board certificates, forty-seven had district certificates and eighteen (of whom five were assistants) had permits granted by the Inspectors. Taking the proficiency of the French teachers in the use of the English language as the basis of classification, twenty-six may be classed as good, twenty as fair, and nineteen as not competent to teach English with any degree of efficiency. tion. '1 report : (2) That the teaching of little children in two languages necessarily amide to the Work of the teacher, and for a time renders the progress of the pupil slower than it would be in a school in which only one language is goght. The Commissioners appointed by the Minister cf Education to inquire into the teaching of English in the schools in the French districts in the counties of Pres- cott, Russell, ,Essex, Kent and Simone have completed their work and handed in their report to the Minister of. Educa- IBy resolution of the Council of Public Instruction, dated April 20th, 1868, the fol- lowing Frenoh text-books were authorized for use in French schools in Ontario : " Cours d’Arithmctique Commorciale.” “ Abrege de 18. Geographic Modernc.” “ La Geographie Moderne." “ Grammaire pretiquc de la. Lunguo Anglaisc." “ Traite Elementairo d‘Arithmetique." “ Le Premier Livre do l’Enfanco.” ” Cours do Versions Anglaises.” " Gmmmaire Francoise Elementaire.” " Traite de Calcul Mental." It does not appear that this continued use of French text-books arises from a desire on the part of the French to exclude the English language from the schools. We oonversed with all classes of the French people, am they invariably expressed themselves not only as willing, but as de- sirous that their children should learn the English language. They are also desirous that they shall learn to read and write in Frenchâ€"their mother tongue. TEACHERS. As already stated, French-speaking teachers are usually employed in schools where the majority of the pupils are French, and, although four English- speaking teachers are employed in such schools, yet these teachers speak French fluently. (1) That the schools in the several coun- ties were inspected at a. time of the year (May and June) when the attendance in rural schools consists chiefly of the younger Pupils; Witvh reference to the instructions conâ€" taipgadin your cir_cula_x_' jugt quotfad _we find: (1) Thu} some English is faught in every school. _-r-_v . Before speaking in detail of what are commonly known as the French schools in these oonntiee, it may not be out of place to speak of the immigration of the French people, and of the circumstances under which these schools were established. Total French popl’n. popl’n. 13,357 4,126 22.323 9,447 35,991 15,223 ..... 47,939 24,223 Increase pr c'nt. from 1851 to 1861. 67 129 “ “ “ 1861 to 1871. (31 61 " “ " 1871 to 1881‘ 33 60 I During the past twenty years many of the English-speaking people have removed to other parts of the country and very few of that class have moved into the counties. The result is that the increase of the Eng- lish population has been less than that of the French. While unoccupied lands could be ob- tained the immigration of French Cana- dians continued; but as nearly all these lands have now been purchased and brought under cultivation, this immigration has of late been very much reduced. Several of the old settlers told us that during the past four or five years it had almost en- tirely ceased. They also stated that many French settlers had recently sold their farms and removed to Manitoba or the Western States. FRENCH LANGUAGE IN THE SCHOOLS. As the French Canadian people and the English-speaking people, on coming into the district, settled in separate communi- ties, the school sections became, to a great extent, essentially French or essen- tially English. The boundary lines are not always distinctly drawn, yet, in most cases, the early distinctive racial character of neighborhoods still remains. As an evidence of this, we found that in no less than thirty schools every child whose name was entered on the roll was of French-speaking parents. As whole sections were settled by the French, or as a. majority of the people in a section became French, teachers who could speak French were employed. and French became the language of many schools, as it was already the language of the sections. The present English schools have always been English since they were first estab- lished, and most of the French schools have always been French, yet in a few cases schools which were formerly English and in which English teachers were employed are now taught by Frenchspeaking teachers. This is due to the greater increase of the French population. In all cases where English children attend French schools. inspectors and trustees make special efforts to secure the services of teachers who can speak both English and French. In this, however, they are sometimes not very suc- cessful, and many English parents complain that their children are imperfectly taught by French teachers, Whose knowledge of English is too limited to enable them to impart instruction properly in that lanâ€" guage. For this reason some have taken their children from their own school which is taught by a French teacher, and have sent them to an English school in another section. French ratepayers also contend that their children sometimes receive but scant justice from teachers who cannot speak French. OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF FRENCH LANGUAGE. We find that as far back as 1851 it was ordered by the Council of Public Instruc- tion “ In regard to teachers of French, that a knowledge of French grammar be substi- tuted for a knowledge of English grammar, and that the certificate to the teacher he expressly 1_imited accordingly.” nh'li' The first settlers, who were English- spenking people, settled chiefly upon the high lands, and left unoccupied the low or swamp lands, of which there were large areas that could be reclaimed only by very greetlabor,“ . n. 1. .n , ,,,,_L The first French Canadian settlers went into this part of the Province as lum- bermen, and finding the soil good, they purchased these unoccupied lands at a low price and settled upon them in large num- bers. The increase in the French-speaking opulation during the past thirty-eight or orty years has been very marked, as is shown by the following census returns for the years 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1881 : SCHOOLS. Before apesking of the work done in the schools. it should be mentioned: GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS. FRENCH IN THE SCHOOLS. EDIE; iailorvéing are extracts from the (2) That the Ontmio Readers have been introduced into evegy school. We}; the pupil; are usually Well sup- pligg ggthllgngllisy regd‘ing books. ,,I_ AL- (5) That in 24 sohoola more time is given to English than that prescribed in the cir- cular; in 6 the time prescribed is given and in 28 less than the time prescribed is given. . . 1 e ,,,m it ileast thalve schools the work done in English is much beyond the amorun_1:_ prescribed: In several schools only young children were present, and classes were therefore confined to pupils in the First Reader. It should be mentioned. however, that, when- ever the teacher was at all proficient in speaking English, and when the school con- tained pupils who had been attending some time, these pupils were almost invariably in the third or fourth class in English, showing that progress was being made in this subject. In 17 schools the results were very satisfactory indeed, and in several cases quite equal to the work done in good English schools. In 21 schools fair pro- gress was being made. and in 18 the pupils knew very little English. The backward condition of these last mentioned schools must be attributed, we believe, mainly to the inability of the teachers to speak Eng- lish freely. If the children are to learn to speak the English language their teachers must be able to speak it. The teacher who finds it difficult to express his thoughts in English, to pupils who know even less of English than himself, naturally uses the language which both he and they under- stand. There are thirty schools in the ccunty of Essex in which French is taught, and all were inspected by us. Many of these could scarcely be distinguished from English schools. In twelve schools Eng- lish is mainly the language of the school ; in fourteen, French and English are taught about equally ; and in four, French is the language of the school, the teaching in English being limited to reading and trans- lation. The work done in these schools is about equal to what is done in the ordi- nary English rural school. The school houses and grounds usually show neatnees and taste, and the schools are very well supplied with desks and other requisites. Taking the standing of the pupils in Eng- lish as the basis of classification, seventeen schools may be classed as good, six as fair and seven as poor and unsatisfactory. The practice referred to, in connection with the schools in Prescott and Russell, of teaching the children to acquire some proficiency in reading French before they begin to learn English, is the practice adopted in the County of Essex also. Teachers claim that the French childlearns to read English more readily after he has learned to read a. little in his own language. The schedule, in which the statistics are given for each school, shows a large num- ber of pupils who are not learning English, (6) That in very few schools has suffi- cient attention been given to colloquial exercises. Although racial identity is still distinctly marked, yet the English-speaking and the French~speaking people live side by side in harmony with each other. The French schools, with three exceptions are in North Essex, endure under the supervision of Mr. Girardot, Public School Inspector. From the testimony of persons occupying promi- nent positions in this county, and from our own observation, we believe that the pru- dent and impartial manner in which the school law and regulations have been ad- ministered by that gentleman for so many years has exerted a. beneficial influence in preventing race prejudice, and in further- ing the educational interests of all classes alike. The lack of progress is not, however, the result of this cause only. We found in two schools, in which English-speaking teachers were employed, that the standing of the pupils was quite below that of the French pupils in several schools Whose teachers could speak comparatively little English. In the one case the teachers had taught by good methods and had labored faithfully; in the other teaching of English had evidently been neglected. As many of the teachers have attended only the Public Schools in the district, and have received no profes- sional training, they are not proficient in approved methods of teaching, and the method usually followed in teaching the children to speak English is very defective. The method usually followed is to teach the children to read the first French book, and in some cases a part of the second book, before they learn any English. The first English book is then placed in their hands, and they are taught to read or rather to pronounce, as their first exercise in English. The teaoher gives the mean- ing of the words by translating into French, and as the pupils advance they are required to spell the words. and to translate regu- larly from English into French, and some- times from French into English. This is the method practised in a majority of the schools. The pupils are taught to read and translate in the hope that they will thereby learn to speak English. We need not say that the hope in most cases is still deferred. The pupils usually translate freely and correctly, and spelled nearly, if not quite, as well as the English pupils present in the schools ; but only those who had been taught orally. and who had been trained to give their answers directly in spoken Eng- lish, showed any readiness in speaking the language. _ .. ‘- - Total population...... 16,817 25,211 32,697 46,962 French population... 5,424 3,706 10,539 14,658 From these figures it will be seen that the total pepulation and the French popu- lation have increased at about the same rate. From 1851 to 1881 the increase of the former was 179 per cent. and of the latter 172 per cent. The returns of the French for 1861 are evidently incorrect. Sur- rounded as the French people are in this county by English-speaking people, they are constantly brought in contact with the English language, and, in consequence of this, they usually understand English and speak it with some fluency, though French is the language of their homes. Their language, their religion and their love of nationality have been fully preserved. A child learhe first to speaka language, then to read it. We never teach him the spoken language through the written. He may learn from books to pronounce, and to translatefrom one language mto another, but he will learn to speak the language only by the practice of speaking. The general principle that we learn to do mainly by doing, holds true in this case as in all others. There is difference of opinion as to the time at which it is best for a pupil to enter upon the study of the English language, but the practice followed in the schools appears to commend itself to a majority of the teachere, and is in accord with the Wishes of the parents. What we have to recommend on this subject will be found under the heading of recommendations. COUNTY or ESSEX. About the year 1700, French Canadian pioneers from the Province of Quebec began to settle along the south side of Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River, in what is now the county of Essex. From the census returns since 1851, we find the population of the county and the French populationto be as follows : This aefeot in the system of teaching has become apparent to the French people themselves. Some parents complain that their children are making very slow prog- ress, and in many cases are learningto read words and sentences which they do not understand. At least 90 per cent. of the pupils re- ported as not learning English were in the first French reader, or had been recently promoted to the second class. Very few were found in higher classes who were not learning English. . .. . n PUPILS NOT LEARNING ENGLISH. SCHOOLS 1851. 1861. 1871. 1881‘ but these, with very few exceptions, are either in the First French Book or in the First Part of the Second Book. We believe, however, that the numbers are too large in many schools, and that some teachers are not so prompt as they should be in begin- ning to teach English to their pupils. The method usually followed in teaching English to the French children is the same as that practiced in Prescott and Russell, viz , reading, spelling and translation. Scarcer any attention has been given to colloquial exercises or oral instruction in the junior classes. As many of the pupils, however, had learned to speak English by associating with English children, this de- fect in the teaching was not so noticeable as it would be in schools entirely French. RELIGIOUS EXERCISES IN THE SCHOOLS. Your Commissioners found that religious exercises occupy a prominent place in the schools inspected by us. In 57 schools religious instruction is given during school hours, in 22 it is given eitherbefore or after school, and in 18 no religious instruction is given. This instruction is given by the teachers from a catechism prepared for children of the Roman Catholic Church, and it is to the teaching from this cate- chism that reference is made in the schedule and summary when religious in- struction is spoken of. In dealing with these schools, in order to raise them to a. higher standard, and to Secure a satisfactory teaching of the Eng- lieh language in them, time mn~t be al- lowed, and patience must be exercised. For many years, the French people were allowed to conduct their schools in their own way, no exception being taken either by the Education Department or by the public. Special provision was made to secure French teachers for them and There are some schools in which the time given to English and the use of that Ian- gnage in the school are too limited ; but, even in these, more attention is paid to English than formerly, and the use made of it in the work of instruction is greater than it was a few years ago. _ There can be no question as to the fact that in all the French schools in the several counties visited, notwithstanding particular cases of backwardness or inefficiency, an effort is being made to impart a knowledge of the English language; and not only so, but this work is receiving a larger amount of attention at present than‘in former years. There are some of the schools in which Eng- lish has been well taught for many years, so that they are practically English schools. There are also some, as will be seen from the statistical statement forming part of this report, in which the English language is largely used in the work of the school. This is the case more particularly in the counties of Essex and Kent. (V.) That the use of unauthorized text- books in these schools be discontinued. RELIGIOUS EXERCISES AND INSTRUCTIONS. (VL) That the attention of trustees and teachers be called to the provisions of the law governing religious instruction in Pub- lic Schools, as there seems to be a general lack of information on this subject. GENERAL REMARKS. The object aimed at in the Public Schools of the Province is to give to the youth at- tending them suoh an education in the com- mon branches or knowledge as Will fit them to occupy credit-ably the positions in life they may be called to fill, and this educa- tion should be imparted in the English language. Any departure from this rule should be only partial and in accommoda- tion to the peculiar circumstances of certain sections of the country, in order that the end sought may thereby be more fully at- tained. Under competent teachers, with such books, the pupil should, on completing the Second Book, be sufficiently familiar with English to enable him to receive instruc- tion in this language in the various sub- jects prescribed. We recognize the dim- culties inseparable from the introduction of another series of Readers, but we be- lieve they would be more than counter- balanced by the advantages to be derived therefrom. In some of the schools special instruction is given from this book, for a certain por- tion of the year, to children who are pre- paring for their first communion. [A L‘AA l.‘"""’cl "* The prayers in use, in addition to the Lord’s Prayer, which is used in almost every school, are taken from the Roman Catholic books of devotion. These prayers are, in some schools, need at the opening and close of the school, both in the fore- noon and afternoon. In some of the French text books in use, which are else- where referred to in this report, the tenets peculiar to the Roman Catholic Church are more or less prominently introduced. In addition to these methods of incul- cating religion, there were found. in many of the schools in the county of Essex, pic- tures of a religious character, the crucifix and small statues or images of saints. In two instances in the county of Prescott altars were found in the schools. It was stated that these were erected during the month of May for services of a special nature for the people of the neighbor- hood, who assembled in the school houses for evening prayers, as the churches were at a considerable distance from these locali- ties. The prominence given to the Roman Ca- tholic religion in these schools is objection- able to the English-speaking Protestants generally. The regulations provided by law on this question are ample to give pro- tection to the religious convictions of all classes of people. They allow sufficient liberty to Protestant and Roman Catholic alike ior imparting religious instruction without infringing on the ordinary work of the school. In order, therefore to re- move all ground of complaint against the existing state of things, it is only necessary that the schools be brought into harmony with the la W. RECOMDIENDATIONS-uTRAINING CF TEACHERS. In the counties of Prescott and Russell the French candidates for teachers’ certifi- cates have, in most cases, only an imper- fect knowledge of Englishâ€"too imperfect to enable them to take with advantage the prescribed course as given in English in our High Schools and Model Schools. They do not, therefore, attend these schools to prepare for teachers’ examinations. m(f1i.‘) That the attention of the teachers be called at once to the necessity of making greater use of the oral or conversational method in teaching English. TEXT-BOOKS. (IV.) That a bi-lingual series of Readers â€"â€"Frenoh and Englishâ€"be provided for the French schools in Ontario. The work of both teachers and pupil would be simplified, and there would be placed in the hands of the pupils books that would aid them materially in acquiring a know- ledge of both languages. _ . To provide competent teachers of Eng- lish for the French schools, and to meet some of the difficulties mentioned in this report, we have to.recon§me‘nfi : Au‘-‘ 1 ' A a.) 'That a special school be established for the training of French teachers in the Egglish language.” . The school shall be placed under teach- ers who can speak bot-h English and French, and who are thoroughly competent to give instruction in thepe languages. It should provide the ordinary non-pro- fessional course, and should also furnish facilities for professional training as given in County Model Schools. If this were done parents woulfi be saved the expense of purchasing two sets of books, offlhich tpagy n9w complain. A Candidates on completing their course in this school should be prepared to take the regular examinations in English prescribed for teachers’ certifiostes; and only those who have passed such examinations should receive a license to teach. (filj {that special institutes be held for the immediate benefit of the teachers now amyleye‘lin m9 Fremmhoqls; French text-books were authorized for their schools. They have lived for a long period in the localities where they are found, enjoying the use of their native language. They are strongly attached to it. It is the language of their fathers, and the language used in their homes and spoken by their children. It is natural that they should cherish it with affection and desire their children to acquit-ea know- ledge of it. If the schools are dealt with justly, and with due consideration for the feelings of the people, and if the recomâ€" mendations made in this report are adopted, we believe these schools, within a. reasonable time, will be raised to a degree of efficiency that will be satisfactory to both the English and French people. Wifely Careâ€"John, do tie a knot in your handkerchief before you go to bed so as not to forget to get up to-morrow at 4 o'clock. Doing His Prettiast. Mt. Budworthyâ€"Rather clever fellow thggyougg DuQelong, don}: you thing? 7 __ Miés Téwsbulesâ€"T He uttered scarcely a he was here. Mr. Budworthyâ€"Sly dog 1 He knows when he is at his bashâ€"Puck. An item in the World states that the business of the Eiffel Tower turns out to be immense. M. Eiffel calculated that when everything was in working order the gate money would be $5,000 a day. Since the elevators have been in operation it is thought to have averaged more than this. On any of the ordinary full-price days more than twenty thousand people have paid admission, and, with the increased prices for those using the elevator. the entire receipts exceed $10,000. The original cost of the Eiffel Tower was a little less than $1,000,000. The proprietor has to keep it in repair, and hand over one-fourth of his gate-money to the Exhibition. It is estimated that it will behalf paid for when the Exhibition closes,andthen it will remain certainly three years more and perhaps ten. We have reason also to believe that whatever changes may be necessary to render these schools more efficient and to advance the children more rapidly Mid in- telligently in the knowledge of English, will be welcomed by the French people themselves. We have found that on the whole the people take a deep interest in the education of their children. In many of the rural sections in Prescott and Russell the school houses are inferior and poorly equipped and the salaries very small, yet in some sections and villages the people have manifested their appreciation of the importance of education by providing ex- cellent buildings and paying fairly liberal salaries to the teachers. It is very difficult to see why anyone who believes in his Bible should have much smypathy for characters of the Maybriok kind even when they come near the scaffold. Many along day has passed since the gooi book said, “ Be sure your sins will find you out.” Centuries have rolled away since it was announced that, “The way of trans- gressors is hard.” Why should there be any surprise when a noted and flagrant transgreesor finds the way hard? Why should not the Maybrioks find the way hard? If they always found it easy there would be grave reasons for doubting the truth of God's word. Indeed if a woman cf the Maybrick type found life as happy and pleasant as the best wives and mothers often find it, many people would doubt the very existence of God. Goa has said that the way of transgressors must always be hard and no transgressor has a right to ex- pect it otherwise. Why should people 0.1- ways raise a bowl when they merely see God’s word verified ?â€" Canada Presbyterian. While many of the teachers, as already stated, do not speak the English language fluently, we know that teachers may give instruction in languages in which they can- not converse. At the some time it is necessary that all the teachers of our Public Schools should be familiar with the English language, and be able to speak it fluently. And it is found generally that in those schools in which teachers are able to use that language with freedom, they have brought their schools to a very creditable degree of proficiency. English teachers say that they find their inability to speak French a serious hind- rance in teaching French children who do not understand English. The teachers employed in these French schools should be able to speak French as well as English. A sufficient supply of English students Willing to undergo the labor and expense necessary to fit themselves for teaching in these French schools, could not be obtained for the small salaries paid. Hence the necessity for providing such means as are recommended in this report, by which French-speaking students can be trained both in the knowledge of English and in the theory and practice of their profession. Before leaving the subject of these schools it is only just to teachers and pupils to state that your Commissioners were much pleased with the politeness and good con- duct of the children, both in and out of school. We have also to thank teachers, trustees and inspectors for their uniform courtesy and for the valuable assistance rendered us in conducting this investige‘ tion. We have pleasure also in recogniz- ing the kindness with which we were received by the people in the districts visited. Allof which is respectfully sub- mitted. It must be remembered also that the teachers in these French schools have to carry on their work in the face of difficul- ties not met with in an exclusively English school. Especially is this the case in those districts which are wholly French, or in which there are only a few English-speak- ing residents. The pupils hear no language out of school but French. They have no occasion to make use of the English 19.n- guage, and their progress in learning it is necessarily slow. It will be observed that this report bears exclusively on the schools among the French people and in which the French language is used, It has to do with the progress of the English language in French districts. There has not, therefore, been any special reference made to the English minority. Their situation is, in not a few cases, one of difficulty. The schools as now conducted are not satisfactory to them. Their children come in contact with views of religious and national ques- tions with which they are not in sympathy. The question should, therefore, be consid- ered with special reference to these diffi- culties. Whatever text-books are used should be such as Protestants can put with satisfaction into the hands of their chil- dren, and whatever in any Public School prevents or renders undesirable the attend- ance of those children should be removed. Interviews were had with many oi the older residents in the districts visited, and with those interested in thequestions under investigation. It was found that while there were complaints made by the English- speaking minority in some sections, on the grounds already referred to, yet in other sections people similarly situated had no complaints to make. Some of the people spoken with seemed to thinkthat there had been in recent years an increased deter- mination on the part of the French people to give prominence to their language to the exclusion of the English. They believe they see evidence of this in the social and educational tendencies in their localities. While this may be the case in some places, residents in other districts had observed no tendency in that direction. ALFRED H. REYNAR, M. A., D. D. MCLEOD, J. J. TILLEY. Toronto, Aug. 22nd, 1889. The Business of the Eiffel Tower. A Hard Road to Travel. really' couldn’t tell. word the whole time Enormous Amounts of Coal Consumed by the Big Stehmships. “ The big steamship business is being overdone,” said Superintendent Charles G. West, of the French line, recently. " The size and number 01'. the steamers are increasing out of all proportion to the increase in travel. This year the lines will get along all right on account of the Expo- sition, but next year they will have trouble. Either the big racers will have to be with- drawn, some of them, or rates will go down. You see, they are built for passengers, and they‘ve got to run full, or nearly so, or they won’t pay expenses. And as to laying them off, except in the rush of the season, Why, it would be like laying millions of dollars idle in a safe deposit vault ten months out 0! the twelve. The interest in the investment in these boats is too big an itemto be thrown away. . “ Can’t tefl yet,” said Mr. Brown, rising from his knees. ” I’ve got to third, and I haven’t had an answer from the other two yet.” â€"News comes imm Berlin that Count Von Moltke’s brother Louis, an ex-Post- master of Denmark, is dead, aged 85 years An old lady who imagined the sea. must b3 very dirty because so many people bathed in it, was consoled on being informed that it was washed upon the beach every morning. The Baseball Maiden. “No, Mr. Brown, I cannot marry you. Youiscoxe a gooserflthis time.” A citizen of this place was presiding some years ago, over the deliberations of a Democratic meeting, and things were not going to suit him. He finally delivered the following opinion : “ According to parlia- mentary law, it requires a two-thirds vote to carry that motion, and the chair decides that there are not that many here.” The meeting at once adjourned. That settled it.â€"â€"Atchison (Kan) Champion. “ You see, the trouble about the racing boats is that to get a comparatively small increase in speed and power, a terrible amount of room must be sacrificed and a great increase made in running expenses. Look at the fast Cunarders, burning some 350 tons of coal a day to get across in six days. I believe some of the other racers eat up even more fuel, especially at this season of the year, when they have to be in racing trim all the time. I went over to see the Columbia when she was on inspec- tion after her maiden passage, and I found that not only were the bunkers full of coal but some of the steerage compartment- ments had also been closed up and filled with coal. They were bound, you see, to get every possible pound of power out of the engines. It isn’t the cost of the coal alone, though that will average 35 a ten, but it’s the room the extra coal takes up, and the extra men necessary to handle it, and the room they take up. It takes a regiment of stokers to shovel 400 tons of coal a day into furnaces. Every man costs from 90 cents to all aday,besides his board and lodging. Porrldn c all the Rage. According to the Sun the keeper of a large and stylish boarding-house in Lexington avenue, New York, has oatmeal porridge put on the table for all the boarders at Breakfast every morning, and he says it is regularly eaten by every boarder of both sexes in the house. A very large number of the boarding-houses of the city now pro. vide oatmeal porridge as a. breakfast dish, and find that it is favored by all hands, young and old. Yet it would have been a curiosity for most of the boarders 20 years ago. The Omaha Onion Game. The Omaha onion game is not intricate nor hard to learn. Six young ladies stand inarow. The hostess gives a. “silver- skinned ” onion to the head of the row, who passes it along the line. Someone takes a bite and then the young men, who heve been rigidly excluded from the draw- ing room and imprisoned somewhere in the vicinity of the front hall hat rack, are called upon to guess who bit the onion. The young man who guesses correctly is allowed to kiss the fair bit-er of the tender vegetable.â€"Omaha Herald. In the House of a Rich Japanese. The wealthy Japanese make no display either in the architecture of their houses or in the display of ornaments. In the way of furnishing, their pride is in the delicacy of their mats and the richness of the satin cushions. The chief room in the house of a rich Japanese is thus described: “ The salon was about 25 feet long by 15 wide. At one end, in the corner, was a small raised platform in a little niche and on it afine Imari vase three feet high, holding flowering branches of the cherry tree. Behind, upon the wall, hung a very valuable but very ugly kakamono of a god. Twelve blue satin foutons lay in two rows upon the floor and three standing lamps stood in a line between. A folding screen was placed to protect us from draughtâ€"- and that was the entire furniture of the millionaire’s drawing room. The ‘ mats ’ upon the floor were of the whitest and finest straw. The screen was a gorgeous one, with a battle scene painted upon a gold background." The Japanese keep their bric-a-brao in fire proof buildings, to be taken out one at a time and admired, and then replaced by womenâ€"Chicago Times. “When it comes to freight the racers don‘t get in. After the Cufio sails there's no transatlantic freight to speak of left here, anyhow. The Cufic burns, they say, only 135 tons of coal a day, and she makes the passage in 10 days or so. You can imagine the profit there is! in a boat like that. Then the old Adriatic of the same line gets along with 85 tons a day and makes the passage plenty fast enough for freight. She‘s a regular gold mine beside these new racers.” Sometimes our young people, who are drifting into some form of conformity to the world, excuse themselves by saying that they have seen members of other churches dance, play cards, attend the theatre and drink wine, without losing religious caste because of so doing. This seems to us a very weak plea. We are certainly not justified in sssuming that it is right for us to do everything which members of other churches may do. We should go to the Bible and the Discipline of our own Church to learn What we should doâ€"not to the example of others, whom it may not be safe to follow. We are not their judges ; but it may be that the people who are held up as a proof that certain worldly amuse ments are innocent, are doing wrong and losing ground religiously in doing these very things. One thing is certain, it is not dancing, card-playing Christians that are successfully working and witnessing for Christ. It is equally certain that the spirit that circulates in connection with these practices is not helpful to growth in holi- ness. Among Methodists such practices are signs of religious declension. It is not wise to try how near we can drive to the edge of the precipiceâ€"Christian Guardian. All the same, Mr. West‘s own line is go- ing to have its twin-screw boat. “ Our new vessel will be ready next season," Mr. West said. “ We’ve been waiting until the other lines had showed what they could do, and now we’re going to take our turn. Will she be a racer ? Well, we’re not saying anything about that yet, you know ; we don’t want to boast prematurely. I don‘t mind saying, thcngh. that personally I shsn’t be a bit disappointed if she slides through the water just a little faster than anything else afloatâ€"New York Sun. Methodist Dancing and Card Playing. A Parliamentary Ruling. By the Bomnlng Sea. OCEAN RACERS. â€"At Orchard Beach, Me., they have a sea serpent six feet long. That isn’t very long, but it is getting late in the season and most of the first class serpents have signed. Released From an Obligation to Marry or Lose an Inheritance. The court this morning removed an incubus from three pretty, intelligent and amiable young ladies who reside on the north side of Barr street, between Cutter and Linn, says the Cincinnati Times-Star. The young women are known as the Courtney sisters, Jane, Julia and Anna, daughters of good old Mrs. Mary Courtney, who died some time ago. The obligation imposed upon the girls by their mother was to get married if they would derive certain privileges on her estate. Evi- dently she believed it is not good tolive alone, but as her daughters never manifested any desire to enter matrimony, she, on her death bed, devised this unique way of bringing about the wish of her heart. She called a lawyer to her bedside and dictated to him a will he would never have allowed had he not been in his cups. The prop- erty, real and personal, she left in equal parts to the girls; but provided thatneither or all jointly should be able to give a title to any part or the entirety unless all were married. In case of any marriage the re- maining one or two could enjoy all the privileges of the home and remain in it. ‘The will was contradictory and showed >uneteady heads of the testator and the scrivener. The court construed the will by giving a fee simple title to the young ladies, and now they may pass a title whether unmarried or married. Father Quinn wit- nessed the will, but he did not read it. A queer fact is that originally the property belonged to the girls, and they deeded it to their mother, so in case of their demise she would be provided for. Bad the paper held good as the old lady intended. the queer fact would have been presented of young ladies being obliged to marry to gain their own estate. WHY is it that in our courts of justice we cling to the old custom of swearing witnesses on the Bible? Does the fact of kissing the sacred volume add to the solemnity of the oath? Would not the raising of the right hand he just as binding as kissing the dirty covers of a book that has done service in our court rooms from time immemcrial? Drop into our Police Court any morning and see the motley crew that handle the Bible and press it to their lips, and then think of a respectatla man or woman having to follow a vagrant on the witness stand and kissing the same book on which the foul breath of some dis- eased wretch still hangs like a vapor. Who would think of pressing to their lips the cover of a book that had just been handled by one afflicted with a loathsome disease? a‘nd yet it is done every day in our Police Courts. Reform is necessary. This would be a good subject for a physician to discuss. â€"The Russian Punch abounds in comic pictures, printed in gorgeous colors. â€"Of the English Bench of Bishops twelve are pledged abstainers. â€"â€"“Oh, I am the flower that blooms in the spring," sang an intoxicated indivifiual, as he lay on the sidewalk. “ You don’t seem to possess the self-raising qualities," said the cop who gathered him in. R. A. GUNN, M. D., Dean and Professor of Surgery, of the United States Medical College, said : “ I am willing to acknow- ledge and commend thus frankly the value of Warner’s Safe Cure.” The lete Dr. Dio Lewis, writing to the proprietors of Warner’s Safe Cure, said, over his own signature : “ If I found myself the victim of a. serious kidney trouble, I would use Warner’s Safe Cure." Billingsâ€"A11 right. Hang it up in the closet. I won’t; need it until fall. Because the Groom Overslept Himself and Didn’t Turn up. Considerable interest was manifest early yesterday morning at St. Jean Baptiste Church on Primrose hill, where a. young couple whose names are Joseph Potvin and Mary Arnesu respectively, the former from Mechanicsville and the letter from Roches- torville. were to have been united in matri- mony. The bride and all her friends were on hand punctually, and so was the priest. but the groom did not present himself. This put all the parties concerned in a flutter, and the greatest anxiety prevailed. A delegation was afterwards sent to the residence of the groom to inquire into his mysterious nonâ€"appearance. They were received by Potvin, who was as cool as a cucumber, and who met their queries by ssying “he had slept it out.” The marriage, the supper and the dance in the evening were all consequently postponedâ€"Ottawa Free Press. “ Can you lend me 35 ?” “ Can’t do it.” “ Why not ‘2” “ I never lent you any money, so I don’t knoxzwhether ygu woulgi pay_me or not.” “ Well, great? Scott ! ish’€ it worth $5 to find out what kinfl of a. man I am ? I might strike you for a hundred some day.” They All Do It. Billings (to his tailor)â€"I must have that suit to-night. Can’t possibly get along Without ifi. Don’t fail me now. Tailor (wearily)â€"You’ll have it, sir, if I hayp togg§pn 3g ex’gm map. Rumor in England leads to the conclu- sion that Princess Mary of Teck, daughter of the popular Princess Mary of Cambridge, is about to be married to the heir of a wealthy English peer. It is said that the Hon. John Baring is the bridegroom ex- pectant. The Princess Mary is more gen- erally known as the Princess Victoria of Took. She is nearly of the age of the Princess Louise of Wales, who was mar- ried to the Duke of Fife the other day. She was 22 last May. The Hon. John Baring,i£ he be the the suitor for her hand, is not yet 26. He is the son of Lord Revelstoke, the head of the great firm of Baring. So far as wealth goes, the match is of the most promising kind. Lord Revelstoke is immensely wealthy, and uses his riches admirably. The parish church he built at Nos is probably as complete a specimen of ecclesiastical architecture as can be shown amongst any of our modern country churches. The Hon. John Baring is said to be of his father‘s generous and and thoughtful disposition, and though he has exhibited no signs of great genius, he is described as being intellectually of great promise. The steel pen trade at Birmingham is re- ported as buoyant, the average weekly pro- duction exceeding 160,000 gross, something that would give an aggregate annual product of 1,198,080,000 afieel pens. In Her Majesty’s stationery office, one year, the consumption of steel pens was about two millions, as against half a million of quill ones. In the London clubs the proportion of quill pens used is larger than that. in the Government offices. Fannyâ€"The Browns are still lovers, al- though married ten years. Frankâ€"Oh, don’t talk that kind of rot ! Fanny (indignantiy)â€"Bot, indeed! I saw her run down the steps last night and kiss Mr. Brown when he came home. Frankâ€"Pshawl She wanted to find out what he’d been drinking. Mrs. Billings (five hours later at home)â€" Yoiugrguit hasrjustr qomeLdear. V A WEDDING POSTPONED, THREE HAPPY GIRLS. Semi-Royal Marriage. With Little A fl'cction. A Good Investment. The Steel Pen. The l’ardoning Power in Britainâ€"An American Tribute. In England the pardoning power is seldom used and never abused. The authorities take no thought of the convict except to keep him fast. The protection of the community is the governing influence with them. Punishment being imposed as a deterrent, they work on the theory that. in lessening its terrors, you impair its power to restrain. In the grim old days, when many offences now lightly punished were capital crimes. a poor wretch who was about to be sentenced to the gallows com- plained that it was hard to be hanged merely for stealing a duck off a common. “ Prisoner,” said the judge, “ you are not to be hanged for stealing a duck, but that ducks may not be stolen.” Since then, in England, the law has become more merci- ful in its penalties, but the theory that the protection of the community is the para- mount consideration still survives in full force. Mrs. Maybrick, having been con- victed of poisoning her husband, and sen- tenced in commutation to penal servitude for life, passes inside of prison doors, and nothing but evidence of her innocence will ever unbar them for her releaseâ€"Boston Herald. £1 with us. Send 200. for terms. Acolored rug pattern and 50 colored designs. W. &F' BUSH. St. Thomas, Ont. â€"The best horse is made to lose a race by being pulled; but the best boat only wins by it. â€"The Duchess of Portland has promised a ton of toys to the children of an English village. FREDERICK T. ROBERTS, M.D., Professor in University College, London, Eng., Ex- aminer in Medicines. Royal College of Surgeons, says, in reference to advanced kidney disease: “Complications are met, such as consumption, heart disease, morbid conditions, liver affections. Warner‘s Safe Cure cures these affections by putting the kidneys in a healty condition. thereby en- abling them to expel the waste or poisonous matter from the system. Looking at: the matter from a philoaoe phioal point of view, what an easy thing it is for other people to be mistaken! Ho Co uldn’t Enthnse. Branchâ€"Tree, congratulate me, and come right along and take something. Yes, you’ve got to. It's a ten-pound boy. My first, you know; Treeâ€"Really, Branch, you must excuse me this morning, for I cannot enter into the spirit of the occasion. Do not insist now. I am in no mood for it. Branchâ€"What’s the matter, old man? Treeâ€"It’s 1:. boy at our house, too. My eighth, you know. E- Viotoria Morosini, the daughterzot the millionaire, who married her father’s ooaoh- man several years ago and starred on the stage, has done satisfactory penance for her social sin, and is again with her father as a modest but attractive belle at Sara- toga. Gen. Russell A. Alger has been elected National Commander-in-Ghief of the Grand Army of Republic. THE 080K”S BEST FRIEND Van Setmeup (peré);My dear boy, 00n= Bidet. If you go on spending at this rate you'll be as poor as I am before long. Van Setmeup (HMâ€"Come, father, be generous. Let me have a thousand and I’ll make ialast a mo.ntl1,_’pqn_ hoAnor._ Mr. Nuwed (tenderly, but inflexibly)â€"It seems to me that “Lovey” and “ Sweetie" and “ Dearie ” ought to afford you scope enough. It makes a. man blush to be called “ Darling ” at every other word, par- ticularly in the presence of strangers. But I draw the line at “Duokey.” I won’t be called “ Duekey_” by any one!" ‘ __ $500 Reward. For many years the manufacturers of Dr. Sage’a Catarrh Remedy have offered. in good faith, a standing reward of $5500 for a case of chronic nasal ante.th which they cannot cure. No matter how bad the dis- ease has become, or of how many years standing, it yields, in due time, to their skill. This famous remedy is sold by drug- gists at 50 cents. She was as pretty as a picture and so animated and lively that it did one good to look at her. She was all this but she is not now. Poor soul, the roses linger no more in her cheeks, the former luster of her eyes is gone. She is a. woe-begone looking piece of humanity now. She has one of those troubles so common to women and needs Dr. Pierce‘s Favorite Prescription. It re- cuperates the wasted strength, puts the whole system right. restores the roses and the luster, and makes the woman what she once was, bright, well and happy. “ Favor- ite Prescription ” is the only medicine for women, sold by druggists, under a positive guarantee, from the manufacturers, that it will give satisfaction in every case, or money will be refunded. This guarantee has been printed on the bottle-wrapper, and faithfully carried out for many years. Mrs. Nuwed (tearfully)â€"â€"All righ Birdie,” I wont. But I love you so much Dolly,” that it's hard not to. Don’t you understand, “ Baby”? The origin of the expression “It is all 0. K.”is thus told: An ignorant eflicial endorsed each account that he audited and found oorrectâ€"O.K~â€"meaning to intimate that the bill was all correct, or as be pro- nounced and spelt it, Oll Krect. Whatever the origin, the expression is used in a variety of connections, as for instance, when Robson teld Tomkins that his wife’s health had been O.K. ever since she used a few bottles of Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Pres- cription. It is the great cure for all the painful and distressing ailments and weaknesses peculiar to women. It is the only guaranteed cure for these ailments, sold by druggists. Money paid for it will be promptly returned if it don’t give satis- faction. See guarantee printed on the bottle-wrapper. Rev. Mr. 11â€"1 don’t understand you, my chili.“ Try what ‘I ” Why, hm says you can put anybody to sleep in five minutes.” (Tableau.)â€"- Grip. Experiments first made in London with Garbo-dynamite, ope of the latest explos- ives, would seem to show that it possesses some important advantages over ordinary dynamite, among others that of consider- ably greater power, and the generation of much less noxious vapor when exploded in confined places. It is composed of nitro- glycerine absorbed by ten parts of avariety of carbon, and is claimed to be entirely unaffected by water.â€"New York Telegram. Tommy-.8355 Mr. Dryleigh, you can try it 911 mg_if ion 11kg. V BEL-DOM USED, NEVER ABUSE!) GENTS MAKE $100 A MONTH Her Face was Her Fortune. “7111 Be Goosey, Next. Superlor to Dynamite. DONE. 3789. A Strong Appeal. That Boy Again.