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W‘s W“ THE DEADLY MAGHETE- CUBA’S CRUDE BUT MOST EFFEC- TIVE WEAPON OF WAR. An Implement Equally llscful In Indus- trial Pursuitsâ€"Mode. or llslng the Machete, and the Bloody Work Which It Performs in the floods of a Cuban. Cuba has a terrible national weap- on. It is the deadly machete. One of the horrible features of a field of batâ€" tle where machetes are used is the num- ber of partly beheaded and fearfully mutilated bodies that are found lying all around, which present a ghastly night even to the sturdy soldiers who have survived the conflict. The machete has played no small part. in the history of all uprisings in the Spanish-speaking provinces, but in Cuba it has done such execution that. if the island should win her freedom the machete ought to be included in the coat-OI-arms of Cuba. libra. It is the tool of the Cuban workingman. With it he earns his living cutting the sugar cane. With it he cuts the fire- ~wood for his own use. Indeed. it is hatchet and knife combined for him. Every man in Cuba possesses a machete. no matter what else he does not own. In the conflict in progress in Cuba the insurgents have done such deadly executions with the machete that the Spaniards have decided to arm their own infantry with it in order to be able to meet the insurgents on more nearly equal terms. The rank and. file of the Cuban insurgents, who come from plantations, are not skilled in the use of firearms; but they make up for ilt by the forccity with which they engage in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS with Spanish soldier with the deadly machete. When t happens the Spaniard is likely to fare ba ly. The mode of using the machete is entirely different from that which is usual with the sword. The thrust is {gt employed at all. The aim with e machete is to cut and slash. The insurgents ordinarily our the weaâ€" n in a scabbard at the aft side of belt or dangling from a chain at- Eched to the right. wrist. In any case a wee. n is not held in position for use untl the lines are Within a few yards of each other. When the word is passed t e m? hete is pulled from the scabbar wi an upward stroke diagonally to the right, W'ith the long sharp edge toward the enemy. The stroke is aimed at the ab- domen of the person attacked, with the intent of Wcllnding' the body below the waist. Then. with the weapon raised to the full length of the right arm, the wrist is simply turned over; and and the machete makes a. stroke back the left, so as to lash the victim's neck, and, ‘ ssib e, partialy be- head him. ’it one more turn of the wrist the ed of the machete strikes downward, c eavin the body a sin. This is done wit wonderful exter- ity, and these strokes are the easiest to learfi'of all made with edged wea- Eons. n the hands of the insurgents, abituated to the use of the machete and who are very strong, these blows are FRIGHTFULLY EFFECTIVE Earl a machete wound is usually fatal. e battle of Baira, in which so many Spaniards were deca itated and which was the bloodiest in uban history, was won by the machetes against the best American Springfield rifles in the hands of the Spaniards. The Cubans, ficwever, have purchased a number of emington and Moser rifles, and are making every effort to encourage their countrymen in the use of guns. The machete used at present by the Cubans is very cheap, costing less than ' a dollar. The favorite, and the one hat has done most damage to the wish forces. has a 30-inch blade, a =t 3 inches Wide, long and nearly rai ht, with the and cut off diagon- a ly a pal t as a milliner cuts the ends off rib cm. The handle is of rough bone. There is no guard at. all, and the wielder of the machete often gets his {Jung rs wounded The officers' weapon is e 'orter and made of better material n that of the privates. Whe t e Cuban husbandman re- ceives is machete it is not at all sharp, halt he w’hets and sharpens it until it cuts like a razor. The great execu- tion of the machete lies in his wonderâ€" ful skill in handling it, An army of the most skillful fencing masters could not stand up before an equal number of Cuban cane cutters. STOPPED THE QUEEN. One of the most ardent wheelwoâ€" men in Italy is the Queen. She rides everywhere, followed only by a valet without livery, and frequently she has some amusing encounters. The other day for example]. she was “scorch- ing” through the Pore do Monza, ao- oeas to which is forbidden to the pub- lie. Suddenly a carabinier sprang into the pathandraisedhisguntobarthe way, crying loudly, " Hall: 1” The Queen Ind her attendant came to a sudden stop and alighted from their wheels. The soldier at once began to scold them roundly for daring to enter the pre- cincts of the park, and finally took out his notebook to make an entry of their names. "How do you call ourself 2" he demanded of t. e valet. " giero Mat« 121, a mechanic,’ responded the at- tendant, obeyin a sign from the Queen. " And youâ€"w at’s your name f" ask- ed the carabinier, after 0 had noted thy valet's response. " guerite de Savoie," answered the Queen, simply. The astounded soldier let fall his book and dropped to his knees at this, for he had heard that " Mar erite de Sav- Ole" was the title the ueen assumed ‘inhhefi egoursions about the city, Pale with of excuses for not. having recognized his sovereign in her bicycle costume. But the Queen, with a smile on her face. 0911M 1161' machine and. followed Ember grinning attendant, pedalled away out of si ht. The same at emoon one of the do- wn“ of the royal palace sought out too zealous oambinier. \‘Vhen the P right he stammea'edout a flood] soldier perceived him his first thought appeared to be of flight, but. be final- ly decided to sland his ground, and with trembling limbs awaited his sen- tence, which he had meanwhile con- cluded would be nothing less than im- prisonment for life. Instead of this the royal servant handed him. with the remark that it was a present from Her Royal High- ness, a photo in h of the. Queen. and 8. id coin o t e value of about two do lars, on which appears the head of Marguerite de SaVOie with that of her husband. "Her Majesty wishes me to say to you further," added the. domestic. "that she hopes these will enable you to re- cognize her in the future, and that she commends you for your zeal." BRITISH FEEDING HABITS. Tlme Out of Mliul John Bull "as Been a Great Enter. The old English had three meals a day, of which the chief meal was taken when the work of the day was finished. The first meal was at 9, dinner was about 3 and supper was taken just before bedtime. The Normans dined at the old English breakfast time or a little late, and supper at. 7 p.m. In Tudor times the higher classes dined at 11 and supped alt 5, but the merchants seldom took their meals before 12 and 6. The chief meals, dinner and supper. were taken in the hall both by the old English and the Normans, for the parâ€" lor did not. come into use until the reign of Elizabeth. Breakfast did not become a regular meal until quite lately, and Dr. Murray, in his Oxford Dictionary, gave 1463 as the date of the earliest quotation in which the word occurred. The meal did not become recognized until late in the seventeenth , century for Pepys habitually took his‘ draught of half a pint of Rhenish Wine or a. dram of strong waters in place of a morning meal. Dinner was always the great meal of the day, and from the accession of Henry IV. to the. death of Queen Elizabeth the dinners were as sumptuous and extravagant as any of those now served. Carving was then a fine art. Each guest brought his own knifcand spoon, 'or the small fork was not introduced into England until Thomas of Odcombe, published his "Crudities" In 1611. Pepys took his spoon and fork With him to the Lord Mayor’s feast in 1663. The absence of forks led to much stress being laid upon the act of washing the hands both before and after meals and lo the rule that the left hand alone should be dipped into the (xymmon dish, the right hand being occupied with the knife. The perfect dinner at the best. time of English cookery consisted of three each complete in itself. and terminated by a subtlet or device, the whole being rounded of with ypocras. after which the guests retired into an- other room, where pastry, sweetmeats and fruit were served with the choicest Wines. The English were essentially meat eaters, and it was not until the time of the Commonwealth that pud- ding attained its extraordinary popu- larity; indeed, the first. mention of pudding in the menus of the "Buck- east" at St. Bartholomew's Hospital didnot occur until 1710, and in 1712 is an item of 53 for ice. Coryate, GRAINS OF GOLD. __ Of knowledge there is no satietyâ€"s Bacon. \Vords of love are works of love.â€"W. R. Alger. Humanity is the equity of the heart. â€"Confuoius. Friendship is infinitier better than kindnessâ€"Cicero. Meddle not with him that flattereth with his lipsâ€"Bible. I did wed myself to things of light: from infancyâ€"Keats. Humanity is the first of virtuesâ€"for other peopleâ€"Holmes. Who gives a trifle meanly is mean- er than the trifle.â€"Lavater. No better relation than a prudent and faithful friendâ€"Franklin. Love’s voice doth sing as sweetly in a beggar as in a kingâ€"Decker. we can not do evil to others without Being it to ourselvesâ€"Desolahis. How did the atheist get his idea of that God whom he denies fâ€"Coleridge. The virtue of justice consists in mod- eration. as regulated by wisdom.â€" Arishotle. _ ~ Nature can not be surprised in un- dress. Beauty breaks in everywhere. â€"â€"Emerson. People look at my six days in the week, to see what I mean on the sevâ€" awnâ€"Cecil. History makes haste to record great deeds, but often neglects good ones.â€" Hosca Ballou. It is heaven itself that points out an hereafter, and intimates eternity to mamâ€"Addison. It is not your posterity, but your actions that will perpetuate your mem- ory.-â€"Nap0leon. In such a world aslours the idle man: is not so much a biped as a bivalve. â€"Horaoe Mann. Clocks will go as they are set; but man, irregular man. is never constant, never certain.â€"0tway. Nothing, except what flows from the heart, can render external manners truly pleasingâ€"Blair. Ma gnanimity is the good sense of pride and the noblest way of acquiring ap~ plause.â€"Rochefoucauld. Our happiness in this world depends on the affectioins we are enabled to inspireâ€"Duchess tie Praslin. A '\VOMAN COBBLER. A pretty young French Canadian girl, Elsie Lamay, is tempting the inhabi- tants of Iewiston, Me, to have their shoes repaired quite as often as they need it. She is an expert cobbler and works at the window of her little store with apparent unconsciousness that there is anything unusual in her pro- fession. It is hinted, however. that pretty Miss Imay’s unusual success not be wholly due to her cobbling & - , ty. â€" VAIN HOPE. Waiterâ€"Anything wrong, sir? Customerâ€"Oh, no, I was only hoping I would live to be as old as this chick- en is mould, and I irice and cream, put in a . ‘pat‘k in a freezer several hours before A CAN OF SALMON. The. general preparation of the fish for all dishes is the same. The can should be opened and the fish turned out. to air. \thn rigid economy of food material is necessary the oily liquid in the can my be saved, otherwise it need not be used. Then remove every par- ticle of skin and bone, no matter if the latter are cooked until so soft that . The fish is then in con- i q they crumble. dition to use in any of the following dishes, all of which of course, are equal- ly suited to the use of odd bits of fresh salmon. Hard boiled eggs may be com- bined with the salmon in any case where there is not sufficient fish. Where the salmon is to be served with a rich sauce, boiling water may be pour- ed over it to remove more of the oil. Saladâ€"For this the fish requires no further cooking and should be well drained. Mix it with an equal bulk of shredded lettuce, or place the sections of fish on lettuce leaves. Cover with any good salad dressing. Jellied Saladâ€"Soak one level table- spoonful of granulated gelatine in one- fourth cupful of cold water, then disâ€" solve by warming it. Mix this with one cupful of boiled salad dressing and then with one can of salmon minced fine. Add more seasoning if desired and pack in moulds. Turn out on a border of lettuce leaves to serve. Salmon L0af.â€"M.in0e one can salmon. add one cupful stale bread crum.bs,two beaten eggs, oneâ€"half cupful milk. Sea- son to taste, with salt, pepper. parsley. and lemon 'uice. Put in a mould and .‘steam or ba 9 for thirty minutes. Turn from the mould and serve hot with a while or Ilollandaise sauce. Creamed Salmonâ€"Heat one cupful of milk in a double boiler, rub together- a tablespoonfui of flour and half as much butter and stir smoothly into the milk. Next put in one can of salmon. breaking it as little as possible, season to taste and serve as soon as heated throu h. Svafiopcd Salmonâ€"Prepare with the. cream sauce as above. dish or in scallop shells. Cover with cracker crumbs stirred into a small quantity of melted butter, and bake until the crumbs are brown. Croquettes or Cutletsâ€"Drain a can of ‘ salmon thoroughl , pressing out the li- quid. Minoe it inc and season with one leaspoonful of salt, one-half tea- spoonful of mustard, a speck of cay- enne pepper, one labiespoonful of lem- on juicv, and one teaspoonful of chop- ped parsley. Make a heavy while sauce. using two tablespoonfuls of butter, two generous tables oonfuls of corn starch and one pint oiy milk. Mix sauce and fish thoroughly and spread on 8. lat- ter to cool, and when well chilled s ape like croquettes or cutlets. crumbs, eggs and crumbs, and fry in smoking hot fat. 0r dip in melted but- ter and toast under the broiling burn- er in a. gas stove. Soupâ€"«Rub a half can of salmon through a strainer, season with salt, pepper and onion juice. Thicken one quart of milk with two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour, and the fish and serve immediately. Oinelet.â€"Make an omelet as usual, addin one tablespoonful of minced sal- mon for each egg used. Mix the sal- mon with the beaten eggs before pour- ing into the omelet pan. or sprinkle it over the surface before the egg is firm, 01; fold it in after the omelet is cookâ€" e( . Souffleâ€"Prepare the salmon as for croquettes but use less corn starchl in the sauce. Add the. yolks of three or four eggs to the mixture and beat thoroughly, then fold in the stiffly beat- en whites. Pour into individual cases and bake in a moderate over for ten minutes. CURTAIN' POLES SUBSTITUTE. A cheap and neat substitute for or- dinary curtain poles is a flat, inch-wide stick of wood, such as usually comes in one end of the Holland shades. For thin, light curtains, these are much daintier than the large, heavy poles. The tops of the curtains are hemmed wide enou h to allow the stick to be inserted, or w at is very pretty, an inch wide heading is left at the top and the full- ness is evenly distributed, leaving a lit- tle of the ends of the stick protruding. The sticks can then be nailed to the casement on each side, not fastening them too securely, however, in order that they may easily be removed when the curtains need washing. This idea is especially good for bedrooms. FOR HOUSE PLANTS. To make house plants grow, Prof. Boo- Bof says: Saturate the earth around them every day with the coffee left over at breakfast. Five or six drops of ammonia to every pint of water once a'week will make them flourish. To make bulbous flowers blossom, fill a flower pot half full of quicklime and the remainder with good earth, plant bulbs, and keep the earth (lamp. The heat of the lime, tempered by pass- ing through the earth, will cause the bulb to send forth shoots to blossom. The colors of red and violet flowers are rendered extremely brilliant by cover- ing the earth in their pots with about one-half inch of pulverized charcoal. Charcoal does not affect yellow flowers at all in this way. DESSERTS FOR \VARM DAYS. \Vhen certain tropical vagaries on the part of the weather have made or- dinary dishes seem unpalatable, the housewife will find that the simplest way to reconcile her family to the din- ner table is by providing dainty des- serts. There are hundreds of simple combinations that may be effectively revived at this season of the year. One of the most delicious is a simple rice pudding, frozen. Only a halfcup- ful of rice is required, but this should be boiled until tender. Then whip to a froth one and one-half cupfuls of sweet cream, add a quarter of a cupful of powdered sugar and flavor with .uherrv inertial-hint) or vanilla. Mix the put in a. shallow : Roll in ‘ serving. Cooks who know the phasibilities of ilhe often despised rhubarb make use of it for an excellent siiii'imer dessert. ,\\'ash and cut in small pieces a pound of rhubarb. Cook until tender, sweet-i lening meanwhile wilh eight ounces of sugar. Then add one-fourth of a box of gelalim- that has been soaked in a fourlh of a cupful of cold water. \Vhis the mixture well. turn into a moiil and when cold serve with a yellow cus- l“i‘ult desserts are not only popular. but healthful, and should be served freâ€" uenlly in warm weather. Oranges are available in a variety of ways. orange prepare the sponge. squeeze the juice anti pulp of three oranges into a bowl. and the juice of half a lemon, three ounces of sugar, one and one-half pints of cold water. After this has boiled. strain it, add two labiespoonfuls of corn starch dissolved in cold water. and boil fifteeif minutes more. Then set the mixture aside for a time, and afterâ€" cold. Beat to a foam‘lhe whites of three eggs, whip this into the corn starch and then serve in fancy cases. i , l tard sauce. 1 . l . sponge being particularly delicious. To; wards place it in the iceâ€"box until quite ,_ ‘ my dear. OUR VENERABLE QUEEN. Fads and lim- Collections. in pcrstll Ion K. Income. Figures for fifty-seven years of the Queen’s reign show that the British people have given her under the name of civil list expenditures $110,275,000. In addition to this vast. total, $48,676,765 has been expended for the maintenance of seventeen royal residences, and the like. The total.dlrect expen- 765, or over $1,800,000 3. year. at this date an annual expenditure in There is ‘ PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES. Mr. Dovehplke l'rcpurml to (‘lr- cunivent tlu- Kimble Min-0hr. [low "I have been reading a great deal lately aboui the deadly germs \\lll\'li ill- fest the water we drink," said 311‘. 1).:â€" verspike to his wife. "\Vell, if the germs can stand it. I ~think we should be able to," replLed Mrs. Doverspike. “\Ve are cons-literal» 1y bigger than they are, I take it." "That isn't the way the doctors talk, The germs may be little, but they get there just the same," the husband went on, with an attempt at gayety. "The germs never hurt me." "Don’t you remember when you had typhoid fever, Mandy?" “Of course, I remember. If didn't destroy my memory, 1 should hopel” "That was caused by germs." "Oii, lawsl \Vas it?" "It was, most assuredly." '_'I suppose you are telling me all this as an excuse for not drinking wa- tcr. but guzzling down some other :liquid, which, of course, has no germs 1 in it!" ‘our marriage. stables ‘ ditures of the Queen alone is $154,951,- iWhOleSOme by Stalking l addition for other members of the roy- ‘ al family of $1,300,000. Of course the money has been voted to enable her to keep up the ornamental state conâ€" sidered necessary for a royal position. Victoria, besides valuable continental property, is the owner of three estates in the United Kingdom. They are Balmoral, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland; Osborne House, Isle of Vl'ight, Hamp- shire, and Charlemont, Surrey. They embrace 5561 acres, With a rental value a year of $27,805. At twenty years' purâ€" chase that would be $556,100. they are worth double that amount. Queen Victoria, they say, has her lit- tle superstitions. She believes that ar- ticles made by blind rsons bring good luck; that spilling sa t brings bad luck; and she would probably not give six- pence for her kingdom if by any un- toward chanoe thirteen persons happen- ed to sit at the re al dining table. She has her pet disli es, too, and among these is a hearty deteslation of nick- names; another is an antipathy as to the smell of furs, particularly seal- skins. i She wears three rings which she has never removedâ€"her wedding ring, a little enamel ring with a small dia- mond center. which the Prince Consort gave her when she was only 16 years ,old, and her engagement ring, which is in the form of a serpent of emerâ€" lalds. She wears also a bracelet from which is suspended at great many lit- tle lockets. How many grand great-grandchildren has she: Well, the and the lockets keep increasing. A collection of photographs which is probably the largest in Europe, and unâ€" doubtedly the most interesting, is posâ€" sessed by the Queen, and distributed ,among her various homes. Her Majes- several castles for public exhibition. If herphotographic collection could be exâ€" hibited it would attract widespread atâ€" interesting features of a London sea- son. The collection dates back from the very birth of photography. and it com- ppsvs portraits, landscapes, views of historical landmarks, and of most of the principal events of the Victoria era. It is a collection that will in future be of imlmense utility, as it is now of great va ue. MINERAL PRODUCTIONS OF CANADA. _. What the Mines of the Dominion Pro- duced in 1895. ble of the mineral production of Canada, prepared by the Division of Mineral Statistics and Mines of the Canadian lished, says the Iron Age. It shows the value of the total production in 1895 of minerals, both metallic and non-me- tallic, at $22,500,000. of which $6,370,146 1 was metallic and $15,875,197 was non- metallic, with $254,657 as the estimated value of mineral products not returned. The total production in 1894 was 820.- 900,000; that in 1893, $19,250,000; that in 1892, $19,600,000; that in 1891, 920,â€" 500,000; that in 1890, $18,000,000; that in 1889, $14,500,000; that in 1888. $13,- 500,000; that in 1887, $12,500,000; and that in 1886, $12,000,000. From thislast it will be seen that the production of last year was the hair est in any one year, during the past ecade, and that there was an increase of $10,500,000 from 1886 to 1896. The metallic productions last year consisted of copper of the val- ue $949,229; gold. $1,910,921; iron ore, $238,070; lead, fine in ore, etc., $749,966: $1,360,984; and silver, fine in ore, etc, $1,158,633. The nonâ€"metallic produc- tions, were: Asbestos. $368,175; liar'ta. $108; chromite, $41,301; coal, $7, 74,- 178; coke, $143,047; fire clay, $3,492; graphite, $6,150; grindstones, $31,532; gypsum, $202,608; limestone for flux, $32,916; manganese ore, $65,000; others, 914.600; mineral water. $111,048; moulding sand, 813,530; natâ€" phosphate, apatite, 89,506; precious stones. $1.650; pyrites. $102,594; salt, $180,417 ; soapstone, $2,138. The produc- tion of last year exceeded that of the highest amount in any previous year by $2,000,000. the highest amount in anv previous year being $20,500,000, which was reached in 1891. It is expected that the returns for the current year will show a still further increase. as the deâ€" velopment of the mineral resources of British Columbia is exhibiting great progress. ty has often lent paintings from her, “Mandy, you misjudge me severely and, what is much worse, you have misjudged me in this way ever since ' I am tempted to say nothing whatever of the plan I had in mind to circumvent these germs, and thus save you from ever having ty- phoidor any other sort of fever again." "Oh, well, I didn’t mean to offend you. Go on.“ , "\Vell, the germs in water can be killed and the water made perfectly it." "What is that, I‘d like to know?" "Osdinaiiiy the apparatus for ster- lizing liquids is very expensive; but I read a cheap and effective method in the newspaper a day or two ago." “What was it?" "\Vell, you simply put the water which you wish to sterilize in beer bot- tles, close them with the mechanical stoppers, and then put the bottles so filled with water in a big kettle of water. and boil them for awhile. That kills the germs." "I'd like to know where we’d get any beer bottles from to do the steriliz- . ing with?" and , number is the number of the lockers, In fact, , this afternoon. .ed at dark. “\Vell, I have solved that problem, too, in the interest of wholesome was ter. I ordered a few cases of beer They will be deliver- . As soon as I have drunk five or six lottles you can preceed to sterilize the water for family oonsum» tion.” â€"â€"â€".â€"â€"â€"â€"- EXHIBITING AHAREM. A Bankrupt Pasha Becomes a Domestle Barnum. A genuine oriental harem is now be- ing exhibited throughout Europe. The manager of the Berlin Panopticum has persuaded a pasha living in the holy city of Kayroman to exhibit his harem to the unfaithful. This is the first time a Mohammedan has ever dared to dis- regard lhe very strict laws of his creed in such a way. The story of how it all came about is quite curious. The pasha, the proprietor of the harem, be- came bankrupt, and worried much aboi. his inability to keep up in due style his very numerous family. The mana-. ger, who happened to be in Egypt to engage attractions for the side shows ‘ of the coming Exposition in Beriin,heard tention, and would be one of the most 1 The annual preliminary statistical taâ€" ' Geological Survey, has just been pub-‘ mercury, $2,343; nickel, fine in ore, etc, ‘ $8,464; mica, ‘ ural gas, $423,032; petroleum, $1,201,184 , of the pasha's difficulities, and prevailâ€" ed upon him to accept a magnificont sum for a six months' contract to exâ€" hibit himself and family in Europe. The Dasha, who had to choose between a certain fortune among the unbelievers or absolute ruin staring him in the face at home. was persuaded to acce t the manager's offer, and thus his ouse- hcid is now to be seen. for 50 pfennigs (120) a head at, Berlin. Sure enough, the pasha showed exâ€" cellent taste in the selection of his wives, all of whom are very good-look- ing, and are considered great beauties from an oriental standpomt. There are .a number of very handsome children from 6 to 16 years of age, and some 'twenty female slaves attend to all the duties of the household in full VieW‘ of 'the onlookers. The most interesting part of the show is not the persons I themselves, but the life they lead in the harem, about which much has been written. but very little known. Several {of the pasha’s wives have extraordin- ary accomplishments in _the way of singing, playing musical instruments, ‘and dancing. hey are very clever .handwmkers, and while away much of ltheir time with embroidery and other . similar occupations. There are, all told. l fortyâ€"seven persons in this household. l __â€""-â€"â€"â€"â€"- A QUEEN’S LOVE FOR M'USIC. Queen Marguerite of Italy is of all i the royal and imperial ladies of Europe isaid to be the. one who is the most en- ,thusiastic disciple of W'agner, and is inever so happy as when] at her piano. i Indeed, music, it, is averred, is the sur- iest way to her good will, and that is l why several of the great powers of Eur- ~ope make a point of choosing for their ‘ ambassadin at Rome diplomats who are ‘ more conspicuous for their musical tenâ€" dency than for their statecraft. Thus the former German ambamador, Bar- ‘01] von Keudell. used to spend the igi‘eater days in playing duets with her majesty, and his successor is that Bar. on von Bulow who is known through.- out Germany as one of the oleverest of amateur performers on the piano. 2 Queen Marguerite's devotion to VVafi- nerlan music, which is attributed to t e fact that she received her education in Germany. is a source of sorrow to her husband, who, like King Leopoldof Bel- gium, sim iy abominates music, for which he no car whatsoever, and which has the effect of putting his teeth on ed, 8. As he is extremely fond of ; his WE , he. submits to the infliction as {long as he can. But when the strain ‘ becomes too great to bear, he threatens 'Lhe queen to sing. and even goes so far as to chant a few bars, in an an ,cruciatlngly flat and raspinig voice. i That always has the desired effect, and causes her majesty’s piano to close with a bang.