• At this distance it looks as though
Spain is suffering from a serious im
pediment in her pocketbook.
The fiag factories of the United
States find it impossible to keep up
■with their orders. This evidence of
accentuated patriotism cannot be very
encouraging to Spain.
The Austrian government has en
larged the boundaries of Vienna to
such an extent that the metropolitan
area is now half as large as London,
twice as large as Paris anil three times
larger than Berlin.
Since the Declaration of Independ
ence the United States has had six
wars, not counting the little differ
ences with the Indians. These were
the war of the revolution, the war of
1812, the war with theßarbary states,
the Mexican war and the civil war.
The war with Spain makes the sixth.
It is said that a big trade in Ameri
can bicycles will soon be opened up
in China. An American bicycle which
sells for SIOO here brings 3225 in Chi
nese silver. As the average China
man makes from 20 to 25 cents a day
it would be interesting to know how
long it will take him to save enough
money to buy a bicycle.
Naval experts are not going to see
so many disputed questions settled in
the "Yanko-Spanko" war as they
hoped. What modern ships can do
against modern forts,how great a role
destroyers will play in naval battles,
will still he debated after all the light
that can be had from the experience
of the preseut war. It is the person
al equation which vitiates the con
clusions. Spanish gunnery hns been
so bad that it has done little to de
termine the power of forts to resist
ironclads. Spanish mechanical skill
has been so poor that the ineffective
ness of torpedoboat destroyers in
Spanish hands proves little or noth-
A statistician has recently pub
lished in Paris, France, what purports
to be a horse census, and some of his
figures just at this time, when the
government is buying horses, are in
teresting. According to this expert,
Russia leads the world in the number
of horses. Her total is placed at 22,-
000,000 head, and the United States
comes second with 12,000,000 head.
The Argentine Republic is third, and
Austro-Hungary aud the German Em
pire are tied for fourth place, with
3,500,000 each. France is credited with
2,880,000, and the United Kingdom
with 2,790,000. This expert says that
England and France have the most
valuable horses, with the United
States aud Canada ranking next.
It is estimated that the steam pow
er of Great Britain is equal to the
united strength of 1,000,000,000 men.
The number of persons employed in
her coal mines is but 200,000, and of
these fully two-thirds dig coal for
other uses than for engines, leaving
66,666 men to mine the coal necessary
to do the work of 1,000,000,000. The
engines are made by 00,000 men, so
that 126,000 men furnish the means
of doing the work of 1,000,000,000
the strength of each being thus multi
plied nearly 8000 times. This gives
to each man, woman aud child of a pop
ulation of 35,000,000 some thirty will
ing slaves, born fully grown, exempt
from sickness, needing no clothes,
eating only fire and water,and costing
merely the work of one niau in 8000.
In mineral wealth Cuba is capable
of taking high rank. Gold and silver
have not been found in paying quan
tities. Copper was mined at Cobre
by the natives before Columbus dis
covered the island, and there is strong
proof that native copper was carried
ucross to Florida and used by the
Florida Indians huudreds of years
The mound-builders of that
Mate buried with their dead copper
ornaments and utensils hammered
from native copper, which always Las
an admixture of more or less foreign
matter. As no copper ore is found iu
Florida, or in tliat portion of the
United States, and, as that found in
the United States or in Mexico does
not correspond chemically with that
buried in the mounds, it occurred to
Professor K. H. Sanders, of the Acad
emy of Natural Sciences, in Philadel
phia, that it was possible that thes»
mound-builders had water communi
cation with Cuba. In the early part
of the present century some English
capitalists purchased these mines in
Cuba, which are nine miles from San
tiago. From 1828 to 1840 an average
of from $2,000,000t0 $3,000,000 worth
of copper ore was shipped annually to
the United States from these mines.
How much was shipped elsewhere ia
not known. Large quantities of cop
per still remain unmined in this lo
cality.
In China rue ttxpansion of irt-porta
of American goods has been over IZS
per cent, in the past ten years.
During last year the United States
furnished over one-half of the im
ports of our Sister republic, while
England and France had one-sixth
and one-fifth respectively; Germany
one-tenth, while degenerate Spain only
had about one-fourteenth.
What would "Ben" Franklin, oni
first postmaster-general, think if he
were to see how our postal service is
making a war record nowadays ? With
special offices in every army camp,
one at Manila, six or eight thousand
miles away, and another with the army
iu Santiago de Cuba, all postal records
bid fair to be broken.
A San Francisco newspaper makes
a careful estimate of the wealth of
state forest reserves in Bavaria. It
says that at a three per cent, interest
rate the net income from them makes
them worth $130,01)0,000, or $65 an
acre, while the land without wood
would not be worth $lO. These fig
ures it makes the base of an appeal
for the care and preservation of Amer
ican forests. This is a good way to
goto work in a good cause, particu
larly in the states where vandalism
against trees has been rampant.
The war campaigns are likely to
prove to be extensive schools of cook
ery. Every private soldier is sup
posed to learn the rudiments of cook
ery. Of course, the style is hardly
that of a Delmonico, nor is it practi
cable for the campaigner to carry a
library of cook books in his knapsack.
One effect of the war will probably be
to train the men at the front to eat al
most anything. And whet) they come
back, there may be as a result less
criticism of the wife's cooking in fa
vor of the mother's. There is noth
ing like a season of adversity or hard
ship for knocking the critical nonsense
out of a man.
Exports of American corn for the
year ending with June amounted to
more than 200,000,000 bushels, for
which the farmers have received up
ward of $150,000,000. Sixty percent,
of this grain has been taken by Eng
land and Germany, the latter having
already purchased more than 30,000,-
000 bushels, asagainstless than 1,000,-
000 bushels in 1888. 'lhe develop
ment of the European demand for
American corn discloses one of the
most promising markets now opening
to the farmers of this country, aud
one from which they may coulideutly
expect a steadily increasing profit on
the products of their industry.
In the Franco-Prussian war Franco
lost as many as 136,000 men, of whom
some 80,000 died of wounds received
in battle, 36,000 by sickness,accident,
suicide, etc., aud about 20,000 in Ger
man prisons. A French statistician
estimates that his countrymen who
were wounded, but who survived,
numbered 138,000, those injured on
the march or byaccideut 11,421, those
who recovered from illness 328,000,
making a total of 477,421 direct suffer
ers. The German killed numbered
40,877; 17,255 died on the field aud
21,023 in the ambulances, makiug79,-
155 in all. The wounded who sur
vived numbered 18,543 men. From
first to last the German field artillery
fired 340,000 shots and the infantry
20,000,000. The booty of war con
sisted of 5526 fortress guns, 1915 field
guns aud rapid-firing cannon, 107 ea
gles and flags and 855,000 rifles, ex
clusive of what was captured at leis
ure on abandoned fields.
"The Rough Riders' battle," says
a despatch from the front, "is the
only occasion in which untried volun
teers ever fought as well as regulars."
In the first place, it would be hard to
find an "untried volunteer" in these
United States, comments the New
York World. We are in business as
a nation chiefly to teach men to think
and act intelligently and courageously,
and to be in all circumstances self-re
liant and self-respecting. And when
the circumstances are war and battle,
results of coolness and courage are as
natural as leaves on a tree. In the
second place, it is one of the com
monplaces of our history that our raw
recruits—which is a truer phrase than
"untried volunteers"—bebave like
regulars. As far back as Braddock's
campaign, when Washington with
Virginia recruits covered the route of
British regulars, or as the Revolution
ary days, when the "embattled farm
ers" whipped and chased British reg
ulars, or as the battle of New Orleans,
when Jackson's militia and woodsmen
did the same trick, or as late as the
fight in the brush near Sevilla, the
American citizen has again and again
proved that a democratic training
makes as good soldiers ns citizens—
that is to say, makes men I
IN MEMORY'S BOOK.
There are pages In memory's volume Fain would we pass them quickly—
Written in tears and sighs, These records of other years—
That gladly we'd fold together, Seeking some fairer writing.
Way from our aching eyes. Undimmed by regretful tears.
Tfcere are pages where blissful moments But ever the book flies open,
Made life seem all complete; And Memory points again
But the lines are dashed with sadness - To scenes wo may never banish,
The bitter iniied with the sweet. Though fraught with bitterest pain.
—New Orleans Times-Democrat.
P GASPARD, L'IMBECILE. *"jf
BY JOHN I,*! BRETON F
Frvwwwwwwv w w w v w
j Ah! those were happy clays when
! Gaspard Meudon was a fisherman!
From the peaceful village of Bizon the
fishing fleet saileil, to return loaded
with the spoil of the sea which has
been provided for man. Silvery, lithe
mil gleaming, tbe fish came into the
boat only to pant their little lives
iway, for often the men were lucky,
and it was as much as they could do
to get in the nets and clear them.
When summer came and the sea,
(ike the skies, was flaunting its royal
tints of deepest, brightest blue and
the lazy wind would not lift the sails,
it seemed a dreamy life to Gaspard;
the older hands would tell the voung
ones tales of countries far away which
they hail seen when they had been
serving in the warships, as any of the
fishermen might be called upon to do.
But when winter came, and the great
waves threatened to swallow up the
little fisher-boats, there was no leisure
for recounting stories while at sea,for
each one had to strive and heed for
the safety of all.
They were a brave and generous
race, the fishers of Bizon,and courage
was born in every babe of thein;
through generations they had battled
with the sea, growing braver and har
dier, and so tlie government prized
them, and always some of the Bizon
men were away iu the warships.
And then a day came when Oaspard
had to leave home and kindred to join
the Marine Depot. Oaspard was to
join the marine soldiery, and after
some months of drill he was sent away
to the west coast of Africa, there to be
drafted into the Dialmath, one of the
small flotilla lying off Goree.
At that time Fiance, wishing to ex
tend her African dominions, had threat
ened the Darnel, or monarch of Gayor,
who reigned over a large territory, the
possession of which would enable her
to connect St. Louis and Goree,
Reinforcements had been sent from
Algeria, native volunteers were en
listed. and 380 marines were added to
give solidity to the expedition, which
was to start in two parties, one from
Goree aud the other from St. Louis.
The Senegal column, to which the
marines were attached—aud among
them Gaspard Meudon—set out for
Gaudiole on January 2, whence 1
it proceeded to Benon-M'bro on the
6th, the road lying.by fresh and briny
fakes and through marshes, by welcome
oases, where slender palm trees tow
ered up toward tbe brilliant blue of
the cloudless heavens aud clusters of
tiny huts lay scattered here aud
there.
As the column advanced the Darnel
Macodon retreated, and on January 1-
the French decided to march on Mek
hey, where was the king's palace. The
Darnel sent messengers asking for par
don and offering terms, but they were
sent back to him unanswered.
"When the kiug says he is willing
to give us whatever we ask for," sai 1
Gaspard to his comrade, Francois
Bearne, "why do we goon marching
through this terrible country, where
we lose so many of our brave fel
lows?"
"Why, man, we have had no fight
ing yet," said Francois; "we should
be laughed at if we returned without
defeating the enemy!"
"But what more can we gain by
fighting than the king oilers us free
ly?"
"Fame, glory, honor! What else
does a Frenchman ask for?" returned
Francois, and Gaspard marched on,
pondering over his comrade's words.
But Commandant Saprade was not
satisfied with this bloodless march
upon Mekhey, and so, on February 5,»
he left (ioree with a small tlotilla of
four dispatch ships, a cutter aud other
small vessels, and the marines, com
manded by Lieutenant Vallou of the
Dialmath, debarked on the 10th, op
posite Sedhion and marched immedi
ately on Sardiuieri.
The village was strongly held by
the natives; every mud hut was pierced
for the guns, and as the column ad
vanced a heavy fire was poured upon
it. The French commander sent ou
the native volunteers first, then the
Spahis from Algeria to see that the
volunteers did not rug away,and theu,
in reserve, came the marines.
From every hut came Hashes of
light aud puffs of smoke which hardly
floated away, but hnug about on the
still air and presently concealed the
village aud those nearest to it. The
marines were moved up neare: - , and
half of them were led round to the
rear, just in time to see issuing from
the huts the desperate natives, who
fir- d upon their advancing foes and
then turned aud fled. The marines
opened fire upon the fugitives, and
they, realizing that their retreat was
cut off,rushed back to the village only
to be met by the merciless black vol
unteers aud the Spahis.
The French officers, by dint of driv
ing back their allies with threats and
blows, even shooting a few of them,
managed to save the lives of a small
remnant of the gallant foe, but most
of them lay dead or desperately
wounded by the time the firing hail
ceased. Gaspard was sick at heart as
he marched past those groaning or si
lent bodies; his comrades cheered and
laughed, but it had come home to him
with appalling directness that he was
a murderer I
As night approached the women
came from the country outside and
tried to carry off the bodies of their
men, -wailing out their death-chants
with an awful, piteous monotony that
depressed the most exuberant of the
marines. Fascinated, yet horrified,
Gaspard watched their lithe dark
forrqpas they tore their hair ai d flung
their arms above their heads in ges
tures of wild grief and wept over
their dead. One of the women, who
was crouched beside the body of a tine
young warrior, turned upon Gaspard
as he passed and spat at him, uttering
words which from her manner of de
livering them, seeme 1 to be cu ses.
Gaspard looked at the woman; he
met the full gaze of her eyes of ha
tred, of savage agony and savage love,
and he flung down his rifle with a
clatter and marched on.
"Private Meudon, whatmeans this?"
shouted He:geant Croix, "Ho, pick
up your rifle!"
"I shall not use it again, sergeant.
Look at that woman!"
"What have the black cattle to do
with you V Yon have done your duty;
it is enough. Pick up your rifle!"
Gaspard strode on and never an
swered, and so the sergeant picked up
the rifle himself and reported Private
Mention to the lieutenant, and the
culprit was sent for.
"Do yon know what you deserve?"
asked Lieutenant Vallou, wlin was a
kindly man. although a severe disci
plinarian, and who ha 1 no wish to be
severe with a man who had fought his
tirst battle gallantly.
Gaspard was silent.
"Dea'.h is the punishment," haz
arded the lieutenant. Ho had no exact
knowledge of what the punishment
was for such unprecedented behavior.
Clearly, however, Gaspard had been
guilty of disob dience of orders while
in an enemy's country.
Gaspard was unmoved. It was evi
dent to the officer that this man was
no coward, aud to lie tried to reason
with him.
"You must have had some motive
for throwing away your rifle. Come,
out with it, my lad!"
"I have killed men." The words
caine out slowly,reluctantly,and Lieu
tenant Vallon laughed outright at the
answer.
"And what do you suppose y< n •
ritle was given to you, for? To light
a iirf with, eh?"
"'Th»y are murdered! Their wives
! anil oh ldrcn are broken-hearted. I
kuow it!"
"You kuow nothiug, yon fool!
These black pigs do not value your
life so much as you value your cigar.
If you hadn't killed thuin they'd have
killed yon."
"Then I would have died without
being a murderer. In taking the lives
of men I have lost my own soul."
"Toufl I'll absolve you, mon en
fant!"
"It is impossible, lieutenant!"
"What?"—the officer was angry at
the man's obstinacy now. "What?
Speak to your officer like that! Here,
sergeant, put this imbecile under ar
rest! We haven't any cells, but do
vour best to make him feel what a
fool he is."
The sergeant grinned intelligently
aud marched the prisoner off to a hut
and placed a guard at the door. The
hut was lifthy and the air foul, but
there Gaspard had to remain, thirsty
and restless and silent,until the guard
was relieved, aud then he asked for
water.
"Sergeant's orders are that you are
to have none until you recover your
senses, comrade. Come, be a man,"
was the sentinel's reply.
"I am a man!" Gaspard said proud
ly, and he waited without complaint
until morning, when the sergeant
fetched him and marched him to the
lieutenant.
"Well, prisoner, are yon going to
do your duty?" asked the officer.
"I cannot kill," was the hoarse re
ply, and the swollen tongue and the
cracked purple lips told what agony of
thirst the man had endured.
"Very well," said the lieutenant,
"do with him as you suggest, ser
geant."
"Prisoner! Uight about face!
March!" cried the sergeant,and,joined
by the guard at the door, the}' marched
to a stake that had been set up in the
village street, ami Gaspard was bound
to it.
There, in the burning rays of the
sun, half-crazed with the heat and the
longing for water, Ga«pard remained
until late in .ne afternoon. Then the
sergeant approached him, bearing in
his liaiul a flask of water aud a cup,
into which ne poured some of the
cool liquid, raising the flask high so
that the water fell iut > the cup with
the sound that there is no forgetting.
Gaspard's eyes glared at it woltishly,
but his lips and tongue were so swollen
that ho could not utter a sound.
"Private Meudon, will you obey or
ders?" asked the sergeant.
The poor scorched head nodded as
sent, and the mouth moved feebly; the
sergeant poured a little of the water
between Gaspard's lips, aud he tried
to swallow it. Theu, in a moment,
his eyes brightene.l, aud lie opened
his month for more aud swallowed it
and mumbled that he wanted still
more.
So, having surrendered, he was cast
loose and carried to a hut, where he
lav for n week between life and death;
aud when three weeks had passed he
came again upon a parade, a hollow
cheeked, sunken-eyed wreck, hardly
able to stand.
Next day some of the soldiers went,
as was their daily custom, to bathe in
the river,and while there they were sur
prised by a body of Maudingoes, who
killed ten or twelve of them before
j help could arrive. There was .t fort
j just outside the village, and the gar
rison, 'JO in all, had rushed out to the
| rescue; but they, too, were so far out
; numbered that they could only show a
bold front aud retreat to their fortress
with the rescued men in their midst.
By the time they had rea-.-hed their
mud fort they were almost surrounded
by a ferocious horde, mad with the
lu%t for blood, and only one person at
a time could pass in through th» small
door to safety. The fort was pierced
for musketry above the line of the
door, and those who were within fired
; down into the black crowd, keeping
i them somewhat at bay.
Still the enemy fired and advanced,
! and Frenchmen fell dead and wound
ed, aud those who were able to stand
struggled among themselves to gain
access, until at last the inevitable re
sult arrived, and the door was blocked.
Gas-pard never looked at the door,
but faced the foe with a calm and res
olute courage that moved the sergeant,
who was near him, to admiration, so
that he cried out words of encourage
ment to him. Every time the foe
made a rush he pointed his rifle, and
they fell back before the determined
looking soldier and iired -at him in
stead. They were bad enough shots,
those dark-skinned warriors, aud vet
Gaspard was bleeding from half a
dozen wounds when the sergeant
shouted to him, "You've done your
share, mou brave! Run in."
Gaspard would not move, but stood
there a few paces in flout of the door
through which the last of his comrades
were retreating until only he and the
sei genut were left.
"Xow, Private Meudon, I'll cover
you," cried the sergeant.
"I wait for you, sergeant," and the
sergeant, seeing how determined lie
was, made a rush and got through the
door in safety.
Theu Gaspard turned his head
toward the door, but in that moment
the enemy rushed in upon him with
yells of triumph, and he was lost to
sight; only a struggling mass of black
warriors was to be seen, hacking aud
hewing at something in their midst.
Just an hour later reinforcements
came from the village, and the Man
dingoes were driven away with heavy
loss, and then they found what was
Gaspard.
The sergeant took up a rifle from
the clinched hand of a dead native; lie
knew it had belonged to Gaspard, aud
he looked into the barrel. It was
bright and had not been fired. The
sergeant mused for a moment.
"Ah! the poor Ga pard Meudon," |
he said; "he was a i imbecile, look |
you, but he was also a man aud a
brave man!"
QUAINT AND CURIOUS.
Transparent leather is made in
France.
There are 10,000 camels at work iu
Australia.
Savages, on the whole, live longer
thau civilized people.
As a a man's hair turns gray
five years sooner than a woman's.
The most wonderful bridge in the
world is one of solid agate in Arizona.
A pen carrying a small electric lamp
to prevent shadows when writing has
been patented in Germany.
It is estimated that since the begin
ning of the historical era 13,000,000
persons have perished in earthquakes.
The Tartars have a quaint custom
of taking a guest by the ear when in
viting him to eat or drink with them.
Under the laws of China the man
who loses his temper in a discussion
is sent to jail for five days to cool
down.
Chileans never enter or leave a
coach, street car or other public vehi
cle without bowing to all its occu
pants.
Ornithologists have discovered that
crows have no less than twenty-seven
cries, each distinctly referable to a
different action.
The uests of the termites, or white
ant, are, proportioned to the size aiul
weight of the builders, the greatest
structures in the world.
In Sweden there are floating can
jeries. They are small vessels, which
follow fishing fleets, aud men on them
can the fish while they are fresh.
It was once customary in France
when a guest had remained too long
for the host to serve a cold shoulder
of mnttou instead of a hot roast. This
was the origin of the phrase "to give
the cold shoulder."
Cats can swim if they only care to
exert themselves sufficiently. The
ancient Egyptians used to tish with
thim on the Nile, according to the
representations on walls and so forth
that have come down to us.
Hull-Fighting in France.
Bull-tights are now becoming popu
lar in the north aud west, as well as
in the south of France. At Alencon,
in the orne,4ooo people assembled in
order to witness a real light on Span
ish lines between toros aud toreadors.
Robert, a burly bull-fighter from the
south, was practically crowned with
laurels after he had despatched two
animals by his sword in what was con
sidered a masterly manner. The po
lice summoned the organizers of the
show and the toreador. Another fight
was to take place on the following
Sunday, but the prefect of the depart
ment declined to be present at th*
spectacle.—London Telegraph.
A TEMPERANCE COLUMN.
THE DRINK EVIL MADE MANIFEST
IN MANY WAYS.
The Decanter—A Shocking; Sight Tha t
Can Be Witnessed at the Very Gate
way to the Nation—Setting; Prospec
tive Citizens a Bad Kzample.
There was an old decanter
and Its mouth was gaping
wide; the rosy wine
had ebbed away
and left its
crystal side;
and the wind
went humming
humming, up and
down the sides it flew,
and through its
reed-like hol
low neck the
wildest notes
it blew. I placed it in
the window where the
blast was blow
ing free, and
landed that its
pala mouth sang
the queerest strains to
me. "They tell me—
puny conquerors! tha
Plague has slain his ten,
and War his huudred thou
sand of the very best of men:
but I"—'twas thus the bottle
spake: But I have conquered
more than all your famous con
querors, so feared and famed of yore.
Then come, ye youths and maidens all,
come drink from out my cup, the bever
age that dulls the brain and burn
the spirits up; that puts to shame
your conquerors that slay
their scores below; for this
has deluged millions with
the lava tide of woe.
Though in the path of bat
tle darkest waves of blood
may roll; yet while I killed
the body, I have damned
the very soul. Thecholera,
the plagues, the sword such
ruin never wrought, as 1 in
mirth or malice, on the inno
cent have brought. And still
I breathe upon them, and they
shrink before my breath; and
year by year my thousands
tread the dismal road of Death.
In >"ce(l of Keform.
"At the immigration station of New
fori;," suys a well known temperance
workor, "beer has been sold to the immi
grants (or the past live years, who can buy
! when they like and as much as they choose,
so loug as they have the monoy to pay for
it. It is a common sight for young men,
! who land in the morning bright and sober,
to be very much the worse for liquor in the
afternoon, and have not been out of the
j building, and upon being questioned as to
| where they obtained their drinks and who
j took their money point to the bar run by
the United States Government. The first
money spent by them in this country the
first day of their arrival is to the United
States for that which steals away their
brains and makes them unfit to care for
themselves or those dependent upon them,
and an easy prey to the vultures who
swarm about ready to pounce upon their
victim and fleece liim, leaving him like the
stranger in the Bible on his way to Jeri
cho. who fell among thieves and was left
to die. The parties having the monopoly
of selling provisions at the Barge Office, In
spite of promises which they have made
again and again, are selling no tea, coffee
or milk, although hundreds of thousand;
of women and children are kept there foi
hours. Think of these people, after being
huddled together like sheep in the steer
age for days, mothers with their little
children, sick, faint, weary, wanting a cup
! of tea, but nothing but beer to be had.
I think of these little children needing, crav
! lug a cup of milk, and nothing but beei
j for them! Yes, plenty of that! What
j wonder that nine-tenths of the 250,00 C
saloon keepers in this country are foreign
ers, for Uncle Sam taught them at the very
entrance of this New World how easy it it
to make money selling the drink. Shame
upon us—and we a Christian nation!"
Intemperate Women.
One of the most pitiful and ruinous
I phases of the alcoholic wave that has been
passing over Greenock and Port-Glasgow
for some months, says the Greenock Tele
graph. is the over-indulgence of women in
strong drink. In this year of plentiful
work and high wages men spend far too
much of their earnings in drink. But they
I work, less or more, and the great majority
of them keep their wives and families well.
It is when the mother and child-rearer ot
the house gives way to dissipation that
misery, wretchedness, and not infrequently
crime, wreck what otherwise might be
happy homes. There are men in Greenock
and Port-Glasgow making two, and in
many eases three, pounds a week, whose
families are about as needy the day before
the pay as if the parents were paupers in
Smithston. Too often the reason is the
feminine drink crave. Many a married
woman, instead of keeping her fireside
bright and attractive for her husband and
tending his children, setting the latter an
example in sobriety and industry, Idles the
time gossipping and dramming—aye, and
pawning—while the father and husband is
working. How true it Is that ctany work
ingmen are just what their wives make
them. The man who has a good wife and
family to be proud of will hardly ever
descend to the lowest depths. But when a
i woman goes wrong she is a grief to her
husband, a misfortune to her family; and
a nuisance to the public.
Why Tnrlcicli Soldiers are Effective.
Major-General Nelson A. Miles, in Mo-
Clure's Magazine, writing of the Turkish
nrmy, says: "What 1 saw of the Turkish
soldiers in Constantinople convinced mo
that they are among the most effective in
the world. There are many reasons foi
this fact They are all Moslems,
and their religion has three elements
which contribute largely to their soldier
ly qualities. ... It enforces simplicity
o'f life and strict temperance."
Two Point* of View.
Iu the course of a conversation between
two worklngmen's wives, one happened to
remark that her husband always put on a
clean white shirt bn Sunday morning.
The other replied: "Well, I never care so
much about Sundays; but I always see that
he has a clean shirt every Saturday after
noon, because that's the time he generally
drinks, and if he should take off his coat
to light I like him to look clean and de
cent."—Scottish Reformer.
Temperance Wln« a BrltUH Victory.
An English paper claims the battle of At
bara as a great victory for temperance as
well as for the English arms. Sir Herbert
Kitchener, at the commencement of the ad
vance, sent back all the beer that had been
ordered to the front. As a result of this
policy, and of the excellent discipline main
tained, the health of the urmy was superb,
and the wounded are now rapidly recover
ing.
Notes About the Cruaade.
Encourage the boys in the total absti
nence ranks.
Is not the desire for unearned felieitvthe
jecret of much of the craze for alcoholic
rtimulants?
A total abstainer Is good. A total absti
nence society is better. Little is gained
without organization.
During the summer vacation the neces
sity of guarding against the use of intoxi
cating drinks Is greater than ever.
Fifty or a hundred men united in the
cause of temperance can certainly do much
more good than If they tried to work sim
ply, as Individuals.