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TOMMY TALKS [IF THE WAR Ion Always Bflnx Led Inm new": Trnnaâ€" other: I'll-ed Ilse nrslâ€" ltlilus Knows All About, It. Too. Tommy Atkins is a silent fellow. He fligthits. he marches. and he hean all the hardships of along campaign and says nothing about it. Even in his private letters home he seldom gives expression ‘to more than an oc- casion-L11 grumble at the prilvutions he Is compelled to endure. His opinion. however, upon the mutual conduct of the war. apart from: strategy, in more valuable than that of any other man. lot it Ls the men in the ranks who feel the pinch. They pay for blun- diets and mismanagememt in pri- vatian and hardships. If food is short, it is Tommy who goes without; it the transport breaks down, it is Tammy who sleeps in \the mud. in the pouring rain, without any shel- bar to protect him; if there is a hitch in sending up new clothing, it is {Dummy who: goes in rags and marches with bootless feet. March and fight he Uni-Wt. no matter what blunders are committed. If his officer is young and humvanrt and Leads his men into ndeeth-trep, it is Tommy who pays flair that ignorance with his life. If the hospitals are mismanaged and overcrowded, it is Tummy who dies intho filthy words. He bears the brumt of the campaign. without a murmur. At its close he surely has a flight to express his opinion upon its management. FIGHTINGâ€"AND PLENTY OF IT. HE CRITICIZES THE CONDUCT OF THE COMMANDING OFFICERS. The other day. writes a represen- tative, I had an interesting talk with n nan-commissioned officer who re- oeutlzy returned from the fight'mg the. He had been in a dozen battles, and has had personal experience of bolth field and base hospitals as an enteric patient. He has served his time, and is no longer in the army. He was a nonâ€"commissioned officer in Ithe Guards, and is an educated man. who made careful notes of his experieneeg in adiary which he kept from, day to day. "W'ere you in all the fights in which the Guards took part?” "Fighting? Yw, we had plenty of it, Most of us had never been under fire before. You feel pretty bad the first time, but you soon get used to it. After the first fight or two we thought n'b more of a battle than of a parade day in England; It'rwas all in the day’s work. Sometimes we. really looked forward to a fight with pleasure, as a break in the dreadful monotony of the“conti.nuous marching day after day. As soon as we landed we joined Lord Methuen’s column. Our first bit of fighting was at Belmont. Modder River fight was by far the worst battle I was irn, and I went through a‘good {nany None of us thought we should have to fight that day. But from early morning till late at night we. had to lie flat on the veldt in a blazing sun, hardly daring to lift our heads, We could see nothing“ of the‘ enemy. We aimed at the puffs of white smoke iln‘the river bed. If the Boer shells had only burst there would have been very few. of us left alive and un- worundmd; but they seldom exploded. I often saw a shell bury itself im- medismtely Ln front'ofaman, so close that it raised him off the earth, but he would not be injured, for it failed to explode." “1)in the officers fare as badly as the man?" "No fear. They always looked out fiolr themselves. They could always find a flask of whiskey. Although there was not suificicnt tranSpurt for the needs of the army, many officers were allowed ahundred or two hunâ€" dred pounds of baggage in place of the thiirtypoluinds to which they were entitled. They expected everything to be the same as at home. Some of them were too fine gentlemen to speak to anon-commissioned officer. They would smoke their cigarettes and keep to themselves. The officers at the Naval Brigade were very dif- ferent. They were with us at Mod- der River with?) the 4.7 guns. They worked and talked with their men. and even messed with them. You had to be very careful how you spoke ta your ottimr, or it was the worse for you. Here is a. little thing which happened at Moddeir River. which will show you what Imean.A. nonâ€"com- missiane-d officer had been the. round of the outpost: one night. He was ranking- his report to the commanding off-Boer. who had asked him where duck and such (I. picket was. "Over ihere. air." the. man replied. In an- mmr to another guestmn, he said, NAVAL AND MILITARY OFFICERS of along- campaign about it. Even in 51 home he seLdom “Over there." Simply because he had omitted to repeat the ward “sir.” that man was oourt-marti‘alled. and Lost his stripes. ‘IDMMY ON HIS OFFICER. "What did Tommy think ofhis offi- cer as a leader?“ "They were always leading you inr-i to death traps. unless you kept your eyes very wide open. They did not‘ know what to do. I will give you a case that happened at Magersfontein. We were supporting the Highlanders, \Vhien they were shot down byseores we held the. ground. and formed that first firing line. There was agrent;I deal of barbed wire fencing about. Crouching on all fours. we managedI to get past one fence. The next could 1 not be passed, as the wires were ion i chose together. 'l‘hr- Boers were filing in front and on our flank. “'0 were. protecting a battery of guns by‘ firing volleys at the enemy. That's the only" thing that will keep them quiet. The lieutenant in command; of my section lost his head complete-I ly. Really.’ he kept on saying. ‘real-g 1y, Idon’t know what to do. Ithink, we shall be cut .0ffif we stay here. Really. I believe we had better re- t'ilre.‘ ‘I think, sir,’ I ventured to suggestâ€"they don’t like you to inâ€" terfere, so you must be carefulâ€"‘we‘ had better remain here.‘ He thought‘ better of it, and there we stayed. If we had retired, we should have lost some. more guns. Some of the officers cared very little for their men. They would speak to them as if they were dog's. At Magers‘fonteinl one of my men: was wounded in thei arm. \Ve hound it up as well as we could. He had‘tio lie out in the open all day long, for the Boers fired at the stretcher-bearers. At night, when we were about to retire, Iasked the officer in command of my company what we 8111th do with the wounded man. ‘Do.’ he said, 'wé must leave him behind. He will have to stay out all night.’ I knew that would mean eentain death, for he had lost aterrible amount of blood, and I ‘knew also that he had awife and i‘two children at home in England. I i therefore got four of my men to make. iastret-cher out of a blanket and] two rifles. \Vhile the Others were firing volleys at the Boers, we got hm safe into camp. Of course, you get no credit for- it. But the man’s Life was saved.” ' llavlng losl Ills Arm», "9 [Tses [he Brush Wllll Ills “mull. .Bartram Hiles. an armless artist, of London, England, is attracting much attention by his paintings in water lenders. When eight years of age, he lost both arms, .but having al- ready made a beginning in the study of art and having a strong natural taste for painting even this calamity did not close his career as an artist. He determined to 1earn to draw and paint by holding the brush in his mouth. He acquired such control over the muscles of his mouth that in two years after he began) his work in this way his work took a prize at a local exhibition. ' M’hem he was 16 Mr. Hiles exhibit- ed. a water color at the British F'me Arts Academy which elicited much admiration though the lfact that the painter was without [bands was not known by those wuo saw the picture. So far as his present work goes the ttechnique is in every way equal to [that of men who work with two 'hands. Irn fact Mr. Hiles in no way acknow- ledges that he is handicapped by his physical misfortunes. He. is wrapped up in his work and is bright, cheerâ€" fiu'l and happyâ€"neither oxpecting nor even admitting that ibis case calls for sympathy. He seems absolutely \to have found a substitute for his hands in working with the brush mixing the. colors skilfully and laying them on deftly. ‘Among the latest exhibits of Mr. [Among the latest exhibits of Mr. Hiles work have been pictures at the exhibitions of the Royal Sooiety of Bristol artists and at the Dudley Gal- lery. IMr. Hiles evidently looks forâ€" ward to seeing one of "his works hung at the Royal Academy. for he made a smiling remark to that effect not locng ago when talking of his work. He works in a little alcove in the south nave of the Crystal Palace, London, where he is surrounded by skntc‘nr‘q dn=irm< and artistic rlrnwâ€" imgskall products of his own art. His best effects-where ti-uts have been employed, have been secured by the use ml“. water wlurs.>1t is doubtful whether he will ever excel in oil. the heavy pressure of that sort qt work being perhaps _too much for one com~ pelled to secure results by such means as Mr. Hiles is forced. to adopt. AN ARMLESS ARTIST. There was ugrunt wire fencing about I fours‘ we managed fence. The next could a the wires werctoo Tho Boers were firing OfllI‘ flank. “'0 were s. It is doubtful oxpecting nor case calls for absolutely \to for his hands ‘yield of clover seed may be plaeed at from two to six bushels per acre. To Secure a good crop from the icommon red cloor. the first crop lshould be out near the middle of June, "allheugh it may be'rut earlier or later 1 with su-cess, if the Seusm is favorable. (Should 1h ~;e be bumble bees' nests in the field, tell the boys not to! disturb lthvm. as the seed crop will depend ilnrgcly on. their work later on in fer- ttilizatien. A boumiful Sted crop is certainly abundant cémpensation for :21 few bee stings. The popular belief ithar. 111.: first crop does not produce isced is erroneous. There will he a 'Sm'l“ amount of seed because of the imperfect pollinationi from the lack of bees and other insects so early' in the seisnn. ,v The secomlvcrop is cut for seed when all the heads have turned brown: or black. Perhaps the lnld self-rake reaper would be the bet implement! for this work, but as that has now gone with the sickle and the cradle, the mower or hinder will have to be substituted. If the mower is used the clover should be cut and raked when damp, to avoid ‘slha'ttering as much as possible. .Nevertheless there will be consider- able loss of seed in} this way. for hay luml shoes seem necessary at thuso times. A horse weighing 1,100 pounds !sh(uld gonerally' be shod with shoes inot weighing more than 12 to 15 ounces (each. If fem- ounces are added to each shun, the total diffegence in the animal’s shoes is 16 ounces. In plow- ing, ('ultivuting, mowing and reaping ’a [mm horse will walk from 10 to 20 ‘miles a day, If it takes about four lfeet, each} step the horse will liftl half a pound extra on its two feet or 600 pounds in every mile. If we make 1the average day’s work 15 miles, the home will lift 9:300 pounls extra a day, .or nearly five tons. The energy re- quired to lift this amount is wasted Mammoth clover produces but one crop! in‘a season, consequently can-not be grown for both hay‘ and seed When a seed crop is desired it should be mowed or pis‘iured in May. Other- wise it will be difficult to handle, on and serves no useful purpose. If it more certain oi a good seed crop than the common red, beciuse of the great- 81‘ number of insects in midsummer and therefore the perfect pollination. M'smmznh clover is less liable to in- jury from insects which prey upon thc emmon led, and in localities where much injury is done from this cause, it is preferred. The main. object of the shoe is to protect the hoof, and the higher it can be made and serve its purpose the bet- ter it- is [or the horse. 'A-v good part of the year horses on the farm-would be better off without shoes, and they: can do ploning and similar work in soft fields without in any way in- juring the feet. In winter, when the gsrunnl is frozen, it is ,quite different, and smrves no usuful purpose. If it could be expended in 'doing extra {vork that would pay, it would near- 1y ply the aan11's keep. Legâ€"weary horses are common on the farm, and leg-weary horses are apt to break down in time and have crooked and ailing limbs. In is not only a matter of humanity but one of profit to lightvn the horse‘s burden all we can, and this is one good way. i‘ (ilizers. l M at 1m; humus. is its effect in improving the \vaterholding power and texture of the soil. The» presence of decompmed‘ vegetable matter in large amounts: enables eve\ a loose, sandy soil,to satisfactorih1 sustain crops through a hug period of drought, which, if vegetable matter were absent, would practically ruin: the crop. )wing 1d YOUNG PIGS. After weaning, the pigs should be HINTS FOR THE FARMER. CLOVER AS A SEED CROP TO PROTECT TEE HOOE‘. Inc of clov )f sufficient rea But aside from value as a see no inconsiderable me of the fam nt of E UMU greater expense, the funvtions of and especially of ; in improving the my. able amount fert ilizer or son for this. it crop [he given bran. ground oats, and peas, to- gether with em clover if it is\ in win- ter. or they should be allowed nnl out- side rum if it is in summer. If out clover is ‘not available for winter feed then rootsj may take the place at the clover. and mangels are the best form of roots. In the beginning the .Vlm‘h Inllnz and Smoking Mark the Journeys of "11- \nllves. _EBEBdé=t delicate, the m‘qst sensible of all pleasures consists injpromoting ‘the pleasure of others.â€"Bruyere. ‘ Cultivate forbearance till your heart yields a fine crop of it. Pray for a short memory to all unkinduess. â€"â€"Spurgeon. . They never taste who always drink They always talk who never think. â€"Matthew Prior. Hearts may be attracted by assum- ed qualities. but the affections are not to be fixed but by those that are rea1.-â€"De Moy. The sevond and third class railroad M_ carriages give the foreigner an op- Mr pnrtunily to study the life of the .the Japanese people. On entering the [am first thing one nonices is that while I lines are drawn across the glass win- Ste dows and upon inquiry the in’orma- w'o‘ lion is elicited that some of the peo- 00L- ple who travel in the cars are unused tuc to glass, which, perhaps, they have " "never seen before, and that they are w“ apt to put their heads through it there in is nothing to indicate that a sub- mg stance bars the way. 1M] In cold we'xther all Japanese trav- ellers carry rugs, for the cars are heated merely by long steel cylinders filled with hot water and laid on the floor. Since the passengers are al- ways pulling open the windows Jap- anese cars in midwinter are anuis- anese cars in midwinter are a menace to the health of every individual who has become used to an even tempera- ture within doors. The smallest incident of travel is enough to break the ice, and if a person has a wrong ticket or has lost anything it is a matter of interest and solicitude for everybody else. Many of the passengers are apt to behave with the same unrestrained freedom as in their own homes. If they are starting on a long journey they at once proceed to make them- selves as comfortable as possible. A rug is spread out on the seat, for they are very particular never to sit on anything that is not perfectly clean. Then they shake off their geta, or wooden clogs, and curl their feet up underneath; The next thing is asmoke in which both men and women in- dulge, lighting cigarette after cig- arette, but more often they use the tiny pipe, which never contains more tobacco than a wisp the size of a pee, and affords, sometimes, two puffs to the smoker. The ash is then knocked out on the floor, and another wisp stuffed in and lighted from the smol- dering ash which has just been thrown away. This is kept up, off and on, for hours. \Vhen not smoking, eating is going on. At every station there are ven- ders oi the little mandarin orangels. Every passenger buys a dozen or more and eats them in a short time, throw- ing the skins about the floor. Boys pass by with tea in tiny earthen pots, a cup placed over the top and this may be purchased. the three seal, a cent Be wisely worldly; but not world- ly wise.â€"Francis Quarles. Victory belongs to the most persev- ering.â€"Napoleon. , Wisdom is ofttimes nearer when we stoop than when we scanâ€"Words- worth. "Eerfsrecutiom is net wrong because in; is cruel, but cruel because it is wrongâ€"Whately. A duty is no sooner divined than from that very moment it becomes binding upon assâ€"Amie}. - 'Poverty is the test of civility and the touchstone of friendshipâ€"Haz- litt. There was such an outcry early in the season over the failure of the potato crop in Ireland, that it comes rather as a surprise to have a record given of a return valued at £100 per acre. This crop was grown at Tynan Abbey, county Armagh. The var- iety grown was the “Upâ€"toâ€"date,” and the yield was a_t the ‘rat‘e of 27 tons per acre, Irish. was no unusual re- turn; but the price was very low. ,_, g, per Irisâ€"h acre of sound table pot In years gone .by, before the failure of the potato in Ireland, 2 ngols should be pulpod, but in o. rt time the little ones may be left do their own pulping. They can it as well as you can-,p and they '9, more time to do it in. ON A JAPANESETXILWAY. PEARLS 0F TRUTH. H. 'on atoes FROM ERIN'S GREEN ISLE. INTERESTING NEWS FROM THE LAND OF THE SHAMROCK. Bu~y People of Ilu- Lnneruld Isleâ€"Occur» rem-n Tlml “'Ill lnu‘resl Irish-Cuna- A customer of the Cork, when making a attention diverted :11 were stolen. The YWilIinm \Voods, 60, was sentenci to death, at Ulster assizes for the murder of Bridget M’Givern, at Bush- mills, county Antrim. Mr. T. W. Russell says Scotch Tory' M. P33 are sound on temperance. Mr. Russell says if he had not left the Government nbnuf land he would about drink. about drink. Patrick VVoIfe. convicted at Mun-- star assizes at having fired at and w'ounded in the’ breast Mrs. Irons, county Clare, was sent to penal servi- tude for life. "I see men walking the street! without their limbs,” said Mr. Healy, im the South African debate. meanâ€" ing to be impressive. The House laughed uproariously. Considerable damage is being caused in County Tyrone by a. bog slide. It is advancing towards the small town of Casllefimn, and as the moving slime covers an area of forty acres, and is believed in places to 'be 30 or 40 feet deep, the inhabitants have removed their goods in a panic. [1311 County Clare there are 120 evicted farms, 47’ of which are derelict which means abandoned by landlord and tenant, the former being unable to stock them. In) County Limerick there are 90 evicted farms, 14 being- dereliot. lln County Kerry there are 241 evidted farms, 25 being derelict. The condition of the Province of Oomnaught is very serious. Judge Kenny, in opening the winter assizes in Sligo, spoke strongly with regard to the amount of intimidation which goes on there. Over forty cases of intimidation with regard to the let- ting of grazing and meadowing lands had been reported in the past six months. nvay The massive gold cup presented to the city of Dublin by Queen Victoria, in commemoration of her recent visit, is of gold throughout, .weighs 160 ounces, and stands two feet three inches in height. The pedestal is of black marble, inlaid with gold. The depth of the cup itself is 18 inches, and the circumference of the rim three feet. By a fire at a dwelling house in Betaslt two women lost their lives. One of the women was burned to death' within the house, and the other died in the hospital from injuries received by falling from a window. Several pemsons were much injured by leap- ing from windows, and others in at- tempting to escape by means of a ladder, which broke. ’A remarkable birthday was cele- bvrated when the Dowager Lady Carew entered her 103rd year, She is the grandmother of Lord Carew, and lives at Woodstown, County \Vater- ford, leading of late a very retired life, though her health is tolerably good. It is noteworthy that on Jan. let the Dowager Lady Carew had lived in three centuries. Michael Davitt, relates the follow- ing story of General DeWet, with whom he discussed the campaign: :DeWext spoke well of the British sol- diers, yet not so well of the generals and officers. But one compliment he did pay. After hearing many causâ€" tic opinions, Mr. Davitt asked him what he thought of General French. "Ah," said DeWet, with a. change of tome, “ he is the one Boer general in the British army." Lord Magheramorne, who was late- ly adjudged a bankrupt, seems to have misspent his “talents.” His fatherâ€"the first Lord Magheramorne better known as SirJames McGarel Hogg, chairman for many years of the Metropolitan Board of Worksâ€"â€" left close upon £230,000 at his death in 1890. The present peer, who was born in 1861, was formerly a captain in the lst Life Guards, and married a daughter of the Earl of Shaftesâ€" bury. Lord O‘Brien, Chief Justice, opened the Munster assizcs of Clare, Limer- ick, Kerry, Tipperary, and Cork. He found 561 evicted farms, 127 being wholly abandoned by landlord and ten- ant. There are 171 persons under police protection. Indictable offences, which include incendiary fires, mal- icious majming of animals, and firing into dwellings, number 173, compared with 180 last 'year. Except in Tipper- ary the statistics indicated no im- provement in the country. dim“. the Provincial Bank ing a deposit. had his .ed and £50 in notes The thief got clear