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Author of “ M'olly Baum, “Airy Fairy Lilian, SYNOPSIS OF PRECEEDING CHAPTERS. Phyllis, the heroine of the story, is a bright dashing tomboy of a girl just seven- teen. She is up to all sorts of mischief ably assisted by her young brother Billy. Mr. Carrington, aged about 30, is their landlord, near neighbor, Squire and very wealthy. Dora, Pliyllis’ sister, is the pink of perfec- tion, the beauty of the family, and is look- ed upon by them all as the one to captivate Mr. Carrington. They are comparatively poor, having only an income from some in- vestinents, bearly enough to support them comfortably. Phyllis is introduced to Mr. Carrington when he is calling on the family, as the story opens. A few days afterward she is playing in the woods on Mr. Carring- ton’s property anrlnvhile up a tree, Billy an~ nounces the approach of Carrington when Phyllis hastens to get down and is caught by a branch and suspended between heaven and earth, showing as Billy said,“only a few inches above her garters,” and finally after a good deal ofstruggling frees herself scratch- ing her arm severely. Carrington skillfully binds it up with his handkerchief and falls in love With Phyllis unknown to her. A few days after he takes Phyllis and Dora and anumber of their neighbors off fora long drive and a picnic. snowing marked attention to Dora. On the way home how- ever, Phyllis is invited to take the seat of honour by the side of Mr. Carrington who is driving and Phyllis gets a sort of misty notion that Carrington loves her. Next day Dora who is eommuning with herself in the woods accidently comes on Carrington unheard, and finds himfrantically kissing a miniature in his locket which turns out to be Phyllis. Dora returns home heartbroken, and Roland her, elder brother who happens to be home from college threatens to call Carrington out. Phyllis is always run on by the whole family who never suspect that he is in love with Phyllis, she has met Car- rinqton several times. and he at length de- clares himself and they are engaged to be married in one year. Phyllis cannot sustain courage enough to announce to the house- hold, the fact of the case for some days, when she does they all look upon her as having done Dora a great wrong, who goes around the house red-eyed and tearful. “If you admire her so much, why aon’t you marry her?” I, say sharply. Although I am not in love with Marmaduke, I strong- ly object to his expressing unlimited admirâ€" ation for my sister or any other woman. (I ' ' ' ' p0 yen 111(k)ch rapturously. “My own (lax-1mg ! “Shall I “tell you?” said he, suddenly, coming back to me to take me in his arms and surain me close to him, “Because in my eyes you are ten times lm'elier. Because your hair, though (lurker, pleases me more. Because your complexion. though browner, is to me more fair. Because your smile, though less uniformly sweet, is merrier and tenderer, and more lovable. There! have I given you enough reasons for the silly pre- ference I feel for a little girl who does not care astraw about me '2” “Yea,” I say, in a. thoroughly matter-of- fact tone, with a. View to bringing him back to earth again without any unnecessary de- lay. "But how can you be so fond of mo, Marmaduke, when you say I am so cross ‘3 Now, tell me this,” laying the first finger of my right hand upon his lips, and heating time therewith it to each of my words: “why did you first take a fancy to me?” “Oh, yes, 1'10: I like you very much,” I answer, greatly mollified. “I do reallyâ€" bettgr and betfiexxexery day.” _ “Just becauso you are Phyllls : 1 have-no other reason. If you were any one also, or changed in any way, I would not care in the least for you.” “At that rate we are likely to have a happy time of it,” 1 say,sm‘castically, “cow Sidcring 1 am never the same 101' two weeks runninw. And papa says every onc’s dis- position undergoes it complete alteration every seven years.” “l’ll risk that,” says he,lzmghing. “Seven years are a long way 0 . “But I shall change in less than seven years,” I say, persistently. “Don‘t you see? I have done so twice already, a seven and fourteen, and I shall (10 so again at twenty-one. Therefore, in four years‘ time 1 shall he a different person altogether, and You will cease to care for me.” "I shall always adore you, l’hylhs," dc- clares my lover, earnestly, “whether we liVe together for four or fourteen 01' one hundred and fourteen years.” This leaves nothing more 101m said, so 1 am silent for a moment or two, and gaze at him with some degree of pride as he stands beside me, with his blue eyes, tender and impassioned~as handsome a. man as ever made vain love to a. gmceless maiden. Still, admirable as he is, 1 have no desire for him to grow demonstrativ) so soon again; tliei-elore continue the conversation hast' “Were you never in love before!" 1 ask, without motive. It occurs to me that like a flash a. faint change crosses his face. “All men have fancies,” 110 answers, and something tells me he )5 evading a strict 1'0- ply.‘ “I don’t mean (L fancy: I mean a real at- tuchmcnt. Uld you ever ask any woman except me to be your wife?” “\‘Vhy?’ he asked, with an attempt at laughter that ends in dismal failure beneath my remorseless eyes. “\Vill you throw me over if I say, ‘Yes‘Z’ ” “No, of course not. But I thiuk you might have told me before. Here you have been pretending all along you never loved any one but me, and now I discover acci- dentally that long before you knew me you had broken your heart over dozens of wo- men.” “I had not,” angrily. “\Vliy do you mis- construe my words?” “011, of course you had.” “I really wish, Phyllis, you would not give yourself the habit of contradicting peo- ple so rudely. I tell you I Ilia/d not." L V“\Vell, yéu were madly in love with one, at 1111 events.” 1 say, viciously. “I could CHAPTER XIV. â€"C02\‘TL\‘CED. PHYLLIS. BY THE DUCH ‘ ’ "The Baby .clc. A . . . . “If a man commits a fully once m Ins 1x10 he is not to be eternally condemned for it,I suppose 7" sac that by your eyes when I asked you the question.” , .. . . . ..,. “I never said it was folly f0 love any one; I only suggestcd‘it was deceitful of you not to have told about it before. I hate secrets of any kind.” My companion winces visi- bly. “There, don’t be uneasy,” 1 say, 10fti1y. “1 have no desire to pry into any of your affairs.” . . . n v | "v \Vepaccup and down in uncomfortable silence. Atlength: “I see you are angry, Phyllis,” he says “Oh, dear. no. \Vhy should such an in- significant thing, that (1005 not affect me in any way, make me ungry"” ‘ ‘ “My darling child, I think you are ; and, oh, Phyllis, for what? For a hateful passion that is dead and buried this many a year, and bore no faintest resemblance to the deep true affection I feel for you. Am I the worse in you eyes because 1 onceâ€"when 1 was a. boyâ€"fancied my heart was lost? Be reasonable, and be kind to me. You have been anything but that all this morning." “‘Vas she dark, or fair?” I ask, in a mild- er tone, not noticmg, however, the hand he holds out to me. "1)m'kfaboxninahly dark. ’ “And tall?” “Detestably so? “You need not abuse her now,” I say, rc- provingly, “You loved her once.” A “I Llidvnot," cries he, with some excite- ment. “1 could never have loved her. 1t was a mad, boyish infatuation. Let us for- get her, Phyllis; the subject is hateful to me. Oh, my darling. my pet, no one ever really crept into my heart except you~y0u small, cohl, cruel little child.” / I an) softened. 1 make up my mind I will not be cold during the remainder of our day, so I slip my ungluved hand into his, and bring myself close up to his side. “1 will forgive you this time,” I whisper ; but, Marmaduke, promise me that never 1n the future will you conceal anything from 3) Inc. “I promiscal swear.” says my betrothed, eagerly, and I receive, and graciously re- turn, the kiss of recouriliation he lays upon my lips. \Ve are unmistakably and remarkably late, but that is scarcely a matter for wonâ€" der, considering the animal we drove and the Vehicle in which we journeyed. \Ve have been bumped and jolted and saddened all the way from Summerleas,besides having endured agonies of shame and fear less any of the grander folk meeting us upon the road should look down upon us from their aristocratic equipages and scorn our dilapi- dated condition. By taking an {infrequent- ed route, however, we arrive unseen, and are spared so much humiliation. \Ylien Mr. Carrington asked me a week ago if a garden-partyat Strangemore would give me any pleasureâ€"«so little are we ac- customed to gayeties of any kind my spirits rose to fever height, and I told him without hesitation nothing on earth he could do for me would occasion me greater delight than his ordering and regulating a file in which I might hear a part. Afterwards, when I ful- ly understood the consequences of my rash words, how heartily did I repent tliem‘! First came the battle with pa-pa about the necessary garments to be worn at itâ€"gowns we should have and gowns we had notâ€"~and a skirmish naturally followed. Mamma and Dom undertook to face the foe alone in this instance (it being unanimously decided in conclavc that my presence on the scene would only hinder any chance of success), and after a severe encounter Dom triumph- edâ€"as somehow Dora alwavs does triumph ithough I am bound to admit many tears were shed and many reproaches uttered beâ€" fore victory was declared in our favor. Then came the getting to Strangemore in the the disgraceful fossil that clings to us like a nightmare, and won’t fall to pieces from decay. Half an hour before we start, papa, cara- coles away on his sprightly man, got; up re- gardless of expense, leaving Brewster to drive us, with Billy seated beside him 011 the box-seat; while We three women sit in- side aud try to think our dresses are not crushed. while undergoing the hour and a half of anguish before described on our way. As we are fully alive to the fact that to [ace the hall-door at Strangeinore and the assembled country in 0111' shandrydan is more than we can endure, we enter the grounds by a hack way; and, having given Brewster strict orders to reach the yard without being seen, and if seen answer no inconvenient questions, we alight, and, shaking out ourtmins, proceed towards the gardene. u My dress is composed of a simple batiste, but is a wonderful mingling of palest pink and blue, impossible to Lieseribe; my hat is also pink and blue, my gloves delicately tinted. Marmaduke’s ear-rings and locket and bracelets and rings are scattered all over my person; and altogether, I flatter myself, 1 am looking as well as it is possible 101' Phyllis Vernon to look. Dom is in a ravishing costume. of which blue silk forms the principal part, and has put on a lmlfâ€"pouting,jlist-awakened expres- sion, that makes her appear a lovely grown- up baby. Mamma is looking, as she always looks in my eyes, perfectly beautiful. Bho and Dom march on in front, while Billy and I bring up the rear. To my cxv cited imagination it seems as if all the world were met together on thc"c1'oquet-lawn, 1 say, “Oh, Billy!" in an exhilarated tone,und give his arm a squeeze; but, as the (leaf fel- low thiuks it necessary to be morose on the occasion, he takes it badly, and tells me, angrily, to moderate my transports, or peo- ple will say I have never been at any enter~ Lainment beforeâ€"which if people did say would be unusually near the truth. Presently Marmaduke, seeing us, comes quickly up, and having welcomed mother and Dora,offers me his arm with the air of a proprietor, and carries me away from my family: I feel as though treading on air, and am deliciously far from shyness of any descrip- tion. Before we have gone vei‘y far my conâ€" versakional powers assert themselves. “Marmadhkm don’t you think I am look- ing very nice!” I say, naively. “Very, darling. You always look that.” This general praise disappoints me. What- ever an infatuated person may have chosen CHAPTER XV. to consider me in the past,I am satisfied that at the present xxxomcnt I really am worthy of admiration. “But you unmet have seen my dress,” I persist: "it came all the way from London; and we all think it is so pretty. Look at it Mzmnmlnke.” He turns his head willineg in my direc- tion, but his gaze gets little further than my inc-e. “It is charming,” he says, with enthusi- asm. "That pale green suits you tremend- ousl) ' “Pale green!” and I am all faintest azure. I break into a merry laugh, and give him an imperceptilfle shake. “Grain, you ridiculous hay! \Vhy, there is not uparticle of green about me. I um nothing but pink and blue. D0 look at me again, Mannadukc, 01' I shall die of cha- rin." “\Vcll, it was the blue I meant,” declares my lover, composedly. Then, “Come with me to the other side, Phyllis; I want to in- troduce you to Lady Alicia Slate-Gore.” “Lady Alicia!” l gasp, awestruck. “ls u is the duke here?” “No; he is in Scotland. Lady Alicia came herself. She is an old friend of mine, dar- ling, and I am very fond of her. I want you, therefore, to be particularly charming to her.” “now can you expect me to be thatâ€"un- der the circumstances?” I ask, lightly, glancing up at him from under my lashes with a sudden and altogether new touch of eoquetry born 01 the hour and my gay attire. “How can I be amiable, when you tell me in that bare-faced fashion of your adoration for her? Of course I shall be desperately jeal‘ 0113 and desperately disagreeable during the entire interview.” Marmaduke’s face betrays the intense de- lightallmen feel when receiving flattery from the beloved one. Perhaps, indeed, he ap- pears atrifle sillier than the generality of them, incense coming from me being so totally unexpected. I know by his eyes he would give anything to kiss me. were it; not for shaine’s sake and the gaping ero ' i. “Is your Lady Alicia very terrific?” I ask fearfully; and then, almost before he has time to answer my question, we are standing before a. tall, benevolent-looking woman of forty-five, with a hooked nose, and a scarlet feather in her bonnet, and I am bowingr and smirking at Lady Alicia Slate-Gore. “01d!” says my lady, with a rapid bird- like glance at me. “The world will soon be upside down. Am I to consider fourteen old?” “Indeed! indeed! Y V11 should give your friends your receipt, child. You have stol- en a, good five years from Father Time, and just when you least want it. Now, if you could only give us old people a written preâ€" scription,” etc., etc. She 13 more than civil~she is radiant. She taps me on the cheek with her fan, and calls me “my dear,” and asks me ahundred questions in a breath. She taps Marma- duke on the arm and asks him what he means by making love to a child who ought to he in her nursery dreaming fairy-tales. At this Marmadhke laugh§, and-says I am older than I lookâ€"for which I am grateful to him. “Phyllis will soon be nineteen,” says Marmaduke; for which I feel still more grateful, as it was only two months ago I attained my eighteenth year. Marmaduke leaves us to go and receive some other guests,and her ladyship chatters on to me; while I, catching the infection of her spirits, chatter back again to her, until she declares me vastly amusing, and is per- suaded Marmaduke has gained a prize in the life-lottery. Then Bobby De Vere comes up, a little later, and addresses me in his usual florid style; so does fat MLHastinqs; and present- ly Lady Alicia appears again, bringing with her a, tall, gaunt man with a. prickly board, who, she says, is desirous of being intro- duced. He is probably a well-intentional person, but he is very deaf, and has evidently mis‘ taken the whole affair. For example, after a moment or two he electrifics me by saying. “You are fortunate, Mrs, L‘arrington, in having so magnificent a. day for yourfctc.” I color painfully, stammer a good deal, and finally explain, rather la‘nely, 1 am not yet Mrs. Carrington, and that my proper name is Vernon. Upon which he too is covered with confusion and makes a hurried and very unintelligible apology. “Beg pardon, ’11] sure. Quite understood from Lady Aliciaâ€"quest awkward»inexcus- ably so. Only arrived at the castle late last night, and am a stranger to every one here. Pray pardon me.” lypfit an end to his misery by smiling and asking him if he would like to walk about a little~an invitation he accepts with cfl'u- sion. There 1ch dear little colored tents scatter 011 all over the place. Bands are playing; and so are fountains; and flowers are every- where. I drink iced Mosollc and eat straw- berries, and am‘supre‘mely happy. My emaciated cavalier eseoi€s_111‘: hither and thither, and (1063 all he knows how to entertain me. After an hour or so he leaves me, only shortly to return again, and it he» comes evident he is bent on studying hu- man nature in a. new form as he listens with every appearance of the gravest interest to the ceaseless bubble that flows from my lips. L'l‘he day wears on, and I see' hardly any- thing of Marmaduke; it is already lmlfxpast five, and in another hour my joy must end. 1 stand at the door Ufa tent, framed in by blue and white canvas, with a crimson strawberry on its way to my lips, and am vaguely wondering at my 10ver’s absence, when I see him coming towards me, by de- grees, and with that guilty air that distill- gnishes most men when endeavoring secret- ly to achieve some cherished design. He looks slightly bored, but brightens as his eyes meet mine and hurries his footsteps. As he draws nearer I address to him some commonplace remark, upon which the two or three men who have been amusing meâ€" my gaunt companion includedâ€"sheer off from me as though I had the plague; it be- ing thorougth understood on all sides that in me they behold the “coming Queen” of Stmngemorc. 'l‘heir defection, however, (lisconcerts me not as all. I am too glad, too utterly guy on this glorious afternoon to let any trifles annoy me. “Did you miss me?” asks Mammduke, tendgrly. “Halftlly. You see, I have had scarcely time â€"I have been enjoying myself so much. It has been a delicious day altogether. Have you Enjoyed it, Marmaduke?” “N. [was away from you. There is a world of reproach in his tone. “True; I had forgotten that,” I say,wic1[- cdly. Then, “To tell the truth ’Duke, 1 was just beginning to wonder had you for- gotten my existence. How did you manage to keep away from me so long?” “What unbearable conceit? I could not come to you amoment sooner. 1f 1 had to get through as much hard work every day as was put on me this afternoon, 1 believe I should die of a decline. Don’t you feel as if you hated all these people, Phyllis? 1 do?" “No, indeed; I hear them nothing but good Will. Thcvlmwe all helped by their presence to make 11 p the sum of my enjoy- ment.” “I am so glad the day has been a success mto you at least. Are you looking at that old turret, darling? There is such a. beauti- ful View of the gardens from one of those windows!” This last suggestively. “Is there?”I answer, with careless ference. Then, good-natm-edly, “1 I would like to see it.” In his heart I know he is rejoiced at the prospect of a Imam-[etc alone with mcâ€"re- joiced, too, at the chance of getting rid for awhile of all the turmoil and elegant bustle of the crowd. “Would you?” much gratified. “Then come thh me. ” I go with him, down the garden path, through the shrubberies, up the stone steps, and into the large hall, past immodest sta- tues and up interminable stairs, until we reach the small round chamber of which he speaks. ‘ 7 I run to the wmdow and look down eager- ly upon the brilliant scene below; and cer- tainly what meets my eye rewards me tor the threadmill work I have undergone for the purpgse. Beneath me he the gardens, a. mass of glowing color, while far beyond them as the eye can reach stretches the wood in all its green and brown-tinged glory. Upon the right spreads the park soft and verdant. Below me the gayly-rohcd guests pass cease- lessly to and fro, and the sound of their rippling laughter climbs up the old ivy- covered walls and enters the wmdow where I stand. “Oh, how lovely it is!” I cry,(lcligl1te(lly, “Oh, I am so glad I came! How far away they all appear, and how small!” Marmaduke is watching me with open con- tent: he never seems to tire of my many ruptures. ‘ Q“ ,1 J" Suddenly I lean forward and, with flushâ€" ed cheeks, follow the movements of one of the guests, who hitherto has been unnoticed by me. “Of course I 110," I answer, gayly, cranâ€" ing my neck farther out of the window, the better to watch my new-old acquaintance; “that is, a, little. \Vhat a. handsome man he is ! How odd he should be here to- :‘I don’t see the oddness of it.” rather coldly. “I have known him intimately for many years. How did you become acquaint- edlvxliifihnhjm, Pliylli§?_” â€" “Surelyâ€"surely,”l cry" with considera- qu gxcitemeut, “that is Sir M ark Gore.” MarmadukeIstar’cs. “Sir Mark is here," he says. “Do you know him?” day V! “Oh,” I say, laughing, “our first meeting was avery romantic affairâ€"almost as re- mantic as my second interview with you.” I say this w1th a glance half shy, half mer- rv; but Mr. Carrington does not seem as much alive to my drollery as usual. “Billy and I had ridden into Carstonâ€"I on the old white pony, you knowâ€"and just as we came to the middle of the High street, Madge shied at a dead sheep, my saddle turned, and but for Sir Mark (w‘ore, who happened to be passing at the moment, I would cer- tainly have fallen ofl”. He rushed to the rescue, caught me in his arms, and deposit- ed me safely on the ground. \Vas it not near being atragedy? Afterwards he was even condescending enough to tighten the girths himself, though Billy was well able, and to speed us on our homeward journey. \\'as it not well he was there?" “Very well, indeed. And was that all you saw of 111m ‘3” “Oh, dear, no; we became great friends after that. I found him \xondcrfully good natured and kind." As I speak 1 am ignorant of the favt that Sir Mark has the reputation of being the fastest man about town. “I havenodoubt you did,” says my be- trothed, sal'castxcally. “And where did you meet him again?” “At a, bazaar, a week later. He got Mrs. Leslie, with whom ho was staying, to introâ€" duce him to me, And then he called with the Leslios, and 1 think took a fancy to Dora, he was continually coming to Sunmierleas afterthat. Not that he ever came to the point, you know ; he did not propose to her 01' that; which disappointed us all very much, as Mrs. Leslie told mamma he was enormously rich and a. good match." “You seemto think a great deal of a good match,” says Marmaduke, very bitterly. “Are you so extremely fond of money?” “Awfully,” I say, with charmile (:alnlor. “\Vhat can there be better than a lot of it? I shall have plenty when I marry you, Mar» mmluke, shall I not?” "As much as ever you want." replies he; but there Is no warmth in his tones. “Don’t make rash promises. Perhaps I shall want ever so much. Do you know I never had more than two pounds a.ll togeth- er at a time in my life, and that only once ? My godfather gave it to me the year before last, and it took Billy and me a whole week to decide how we should spend it.” “Well?” absently. “\Vell”â€"â€"utterly unabashed“‘fiually we divided it into four halfvsovereigns. \Vith one we bought a present for mother, and were going to do the same for Dom, only she said she would rather have the money itself than anything we could select. Then Billy bought a puppy he had been longing for for a month with the third, besides elot of white ratsâ€"odious little things with no hair on their tailsâ€"wild a squirrel; andm and that’s all,” I wind up, abruptly, “\Vhab (lid you do with the other half- sovel'eign‘l” asks ’Dukc, more from want of something to say than from any overpower ing curiosity. “Oh, nothingâ€"nothing,” I answerjeeling slightly confused, I don’t know why. “I cannot remember, it is so long ago.” yu (TO BE CONTINUED.) indif- thin NEWS IN A NUTSHELL. Five Minutes Select ReadingiSummary of Foreign, Domestic and War Items -- Concise, Plthy and Pointed. \Vinnipcg hotels are filled to over-flow- ing. The C. 1’. 12,. shops are not to he move-l from Prescott. The creditors of the Montreal abattoir have gunth the company six months’ 6):- tension. The value of last year's output of coal f1 om Nova Scotia mines was $80,000 in exuusr; of that of 1880. Mrs. Ellen Collins, an lx'ishwomun, long resident in St. John, N. Ii, (lied recently in her 104th year. A farm of 160 acres adjoining Brandon has been sold for $110,000 to an Ontario gem tleman for a market garden. The body of a now-born infant was found at the back door of a house in St. John, N. 1}. The infant had been frozen to death. In consequence of the scarcity of snow lumbering operations in the district on the south side of the Ottawa are almost entirely suspended. A reward of $1,400 is offered for inforâ€" mation respecting Maggie McVey who (118- appeared from Yarmouth township, county Elgin in 1878. Hector McNeil, aged 36, ‘of I‘mldeck, C. 13., perished in the snow~storm recently. within two miles of his home, when return~ ing from Christmas Island. On Tuesday evening a. serious lire occurred at. Peter McLaren’s shanties, back of the Mississippi. A stable and seven teams of horses were burned. Capt. Campbell, of St. Hilaire, late of H. M. 92nd Highlanders, has been induced to accept the command of the Royal Scots Fusiliers of Montreal. Small-pox has broken out at Hamilton. A boarder in a. house on Cameron-street was first stricken down. After his removal the keeper of the hoarding-house and his wife and child fell victims to this loathsome dis- ease. One thousand colored people are starving in the State of Mississippi. A boiler burst in the Vulcan \Vorks, N. Y, , and several men were killed. Over three hundred Russian Jews have ar- rived in Philadelphia. They say that when the riots occurred at “'arsaw some of their number were driven out of the city at the point of the bayonet, and forced to fly with their families. The report that mechanics cannot obtain employment; in \Vinnipeg is absurdly false. About $4,000,000 is projected to be épent in “’innipeg in buildings and other public works this year, and that amount of capital will require more labour than it is feared will reach the city. A boiler burst at New Cm-lisle, Ohio, kin» ing five men. An appropriation of $100, 000 for tlierelief of sufferers by the Mississippi flood has been recommended to Congress. The Congress Committee on the expenses of Garfield’s illness have agreed to recom. mend the payment of$15,000 each to Agnew and Hamilton, $10,000 to Bliss, and $5,000 each to Reyburn and Boynton. Barnes and “'oodwanl will be compensated otherwise. GENKRAL. ]n the French Chamber of Deputies Du Freyeinet said that England had proposed to submit the Egyptian question to the Powers. The steamship Gallia, on Wednesday took out five hundred thousand dollars in gold from New York. Bradlungli has met with another reverse, the latest being the decision of the Court of Appeal. reversing the decision of the Court of Queen’s Bench, g'unting a new trial in Clark v. Bradlangh. In the French Chamber of Deputies the Minister of Commons has introduced a bill fixing the system to 1‘0 adopted in regard to English articles imported into France. A meeting of Scotch iron-masters at Glas- gow agreed, subject to the approval of the English masters, to prolong for six months the agreement restricting the manufacture of iron. The delegates of the Bolton operative spinners overwhelmingly decided at a great meeting to take a. ballot of the entire body of operatives as to the advisability of strik- ing for an increase of 5 per cent. wages. The I'Iungarian Government objected to the delivery of 100,000 rifles ordered by Sonia, because it apprehends a change in the government of Scrvia would bring into power 1L party sympathising with the Bos- nian i1 :mrgents. - 111 the treaty of commerce between France and Spain, Spain consents that French vesâ€" sels slmll llc treated exactly like native vessels asregards regulations and duties on entering or leaving‘ or during their stay in Spanish and colonial ports. M r .«OO4->>OQ»â€"â€"â€"‘ An 0:? Hand Way to Measure an Acre. Few farmers know the size of their fields or how many acres they contain. A field of the writer’s, before it came into his posses- sion, had been plowed and reaped by con- tract for fifteen acres. 011 measuring,r it was found to have but twelve acres. It is (le- sirable, in fact, indispensible for good work. theta farmer should know how many acres each field contains, for otherwise he cannot apportion seed or manure for it. nor can he tell how much time it would require to be plowed. A measuring cord should be part of the furniture on every farm. To make one procure sixty-seven feet of strong rope, oueinch round; make a loop or fasten a ring or a. bar at each end, and make these precisely sixty-six feet apart. This is four rods. Then tie a piece of red rag in the centre. One acre of ground will be a piece four of the cords (chains) long and two and one-half wide, equal to sixteen by ten rods, making 160 square rods to one acre. The advantage of the ring or loop is that one person can measure alone by driving astake in the ground to hold the rope while he stretches it out. The rope should be soaked in tar and dried, which will prevent it from shrinking when wet. UNITED STATES DOM TIC.