Tho most beautiful bank notes issued
are those of France and Germany.
They are very difficult of imitation.
Between London and Paris the long
distance telephone lines have almost
supplanted tho telegraph, so much
more expeditious are they.
If financial disasters be a test of ac
tual condition, the boasted prosperity
of Australia seems, to the New York
Commercial Advertiser, to bo about tc
come to an end in the crash of banks.
A New York Judge has decided that
the practice of boycotting is not il
legal, but ho seems to tlio San Fran
cisco Chronicle to have based his deci
sion upon the fact that both employer
and employed had mutually engaged
in the business of harassing each other.
According to tho New York Inde
pendent ono of tho greatest literary
undertakings of late years in America
is the reprint in a somewhat revised
shape of Walch's edition of Luther's
works. This is being done by the book
concern of tho Lutheran Synod of
Missouri and other States. Twelve
volumes in largo quoto have already
appeared.
#
A Kentuckian who entered tha
august presenco of the United States
Supreme Court recently says there
were but two lawyers within the bar,
one of them making a prosy speech
and the other working mightily like a
inan who was expecting to answer his
opponent. "There was an air of solemn
dullness about the grave jurists which
seemingly was an appropriate atmos
phere for the enshrouding of brooding
Buddhas."
A reform movement seems to be
sweeping over our Southern neighbor
—Mexico, notes tho Independent.
States have passed laws abolishing
bull fighting, and it is expected that
tho National Congress will complete
the work by a genoral prohibitory bill.
This is a very gratifying indication of
the working of good influences in our
sister Republic. Mexico without bull
fights and without revolutions is Mex
ico under the control of the new civ
ilization.
Tho Railway Suspension Bridge at
Niagara, the first of its kind in this
country, and for many years regarded
as a wonder second only to the great
cataract, has outlived its capacity, de
clares the New York Mail and Express,
and probably will soon bo replaced by
another and greater structure. This
old bridge was the first of the marvel
ous triumphs of our engineers, who
have now progressed far beyond it, and
who have come to regard it as a very
ordinary affair.
Cftptain Molard, a professor nt St-
Cyr, Franc's West Point, who ought
to he good authority, has made a care
ful calculation of the force of soldiers
now under call in Europe. He puts
France at the head, with 2,500,000;
next, Russia with 2,451,000 ; close upon
her, Germany with 2,417,000; then,
after a long interval. Italy, with 1,514,-
000; while fifth among the armies
comes that of Austria-Hungary, with ,
1,050,000. A great drop brings us to
Turkey, with 700,000; to England,
with 1142,000; and to Spain, with 300,-
000. The lesser powers put. together
can muster 1,289,000, so that the ag
gregate would bo 12,563,000. It is a
tremendous aggregate for Europe to
maintain, comments tho New York
Sun. Howover, only a small part of
these forces are constantly with the
colors, forming what we should call
the regular or standing army, They
include the reserves of various grades,
and perhaps only a fourth or a fifth of
the whole body are always nnder arms.
These figures, nevertheless, as we un
derstand tho matter, shows us the
number on the rolls or in the calcula
tions for possible use in time of war,
and for which provision is made of
some sort in the military budgets.
But Captain Molard expects these num
bers to be far outdone seven years
hence. From various calculations and
surmises he concludes that in the year
1900 Germany will have 5,000,000 sol
diers: France, 4,350,000; Fvussia, 4,-
000,000; Italy, 2,230,000; Austria-
Hungary, 1,900,000; Turkey, 1,150,-
000; Spain, 800,000; England, GO2,
000, and the smaller powers 2,832,000.
Here would be a prodigious aggregate
of 22,420,000. This calculation for the
year 1900 supposes, therefore, RU ad
dition of nearly 10,000,000 to tho
crushing military establishments of to
day. It is not beyond the domain of
a reasonable possibility that before the
Twentieth Century arrives the huge
military fabric of Europe will tumble
of its own weight, and that, under a
general plan of disarmament, tho
armies of that period, instead of being
nearly double those of 1893, may
pe more than half as great,
LOVE'S FIRST KISS.
Sweetheart, 'twas but a while ago—lt scarce
seems yesterday,
Though now my locks are white as snow and
all your curls are gray—
When, walking in the twilight hose, ere stare
had smiled above,
I Whispered soft: "I love you," and you kissed
me for that love!
The first kiss, dear! and then your hand—
your little hand so sweet,
And whiter than the white, whito sand that
twinkled 'noath your feet-
Laid tenderly within my own ! Have queens
such lovely handa?
No wonder that the whip-poor-wills made
sweet the autumn lands!
It seemed to mo that my poor heart would
beat to death and break,
While all the world, sweetheart! sweetheart!
seemed singing for your sake ;
And every rose that barred the way in glad
and dying grace,
Forgot its faded summer day and, leaning,
kissed your face !
I envied all tho rosc3 then, nnd all tho rosy
ways
Thnt blossomed for your sake are still my
life's bright yesterdays;
But thinking of thnt first sweet kiss and that
first clasp of hands,
Llfo's whip-poor-wills sing sweeter now
though all the winter lands !
—Frank L. Stanton, in Atlnnta Constitution.
AN UNPUNISHED CRIME.
DY LUCIA BURTOX MORSE.
T" E ROY, you were
ft well warned of this
* n ftmpl© timo to
prevent its occur
_ rence. A year ago,
when you left col
lege, I settled nil
jjj your debts, in
\F fjpwT- creased your allow
* *' ance, gave you a
good start in your chosen profession,
and told you decidedly then, or tried
to impress upon you, that all further
expenditures must come within the
limit of your personal income. Your
opportunities for making that income
a large amount were better than most
young men start out with, and if it has
failed to meet your expenses you must
settle the matter in the best way that
you can. The affair is yours alone."
Tho Hon. Amos Leonard turned
again to his papers, as though to dis
miss the matter, while his son, whose
affairs had been returned to himself
with so much decision, crossed the
room and stood looking out of the win
dow, whistling softly as he jingled the
coins in his pockets.
He had not expected this rebuff.
Never before had his indulgent father
refused to help him out in whatever
difficulties were brought to him for
consideration.
It may have been in one sense the
fault of this parent that his only son
had grown to manhood with a disre
gard for dollars, which led his gen
erous, happy-go-lucky nature into
wild nnd reckless extravagance.
Leroy Leonard had been a very lit
tle boy when his mother and older
sister died, leaving him alone to his
father's care.
So it was the most natural thing in
the world that, after the first paralysis
of grief had worn away with time, Sir.
Amos Leonard centered all his love,
and hope and pride in this lonely fel
low. Whatever happiness was left in
the world for his father was embodied
in Le Roy. What wonder is it that
the boy grew to a man with the idea
that all obstacles would be in some way
removed from the path of the courted
Le Roy Leonard.
Ho had gone through college
with every confirmation of this idea
and it was not until ho started out
in business, that his father realized
the utter lack of discipline or manage
ment in his adored son. Then with
his usual mixture of indulgence and in
consistency, he gave him a generouß
start and absolutely withdrew all further
aid,
It cost the Hon. Amos Leonard more
than his son dreamed to hold out in
this matter. He would deny himself
anything in reason, or out of it, to save
this bright nntured son of his one extra
care or trouble ; and this self-denial for
Le Roy's own good was hardest of all
because it brought its hardships to him
as well as to his father.
This idea of discipline had occurred
to Mr. Leonard rather late perhaps,
but he was determined to undo the
wrong of former years, at whatever cost
of self-sacrifice.
There aro many who will criticise
his judgment in this case—rightfully,
too, perhaps—but ho was doing what
he thought best. His motive was good,
indeed; it was only that he was a man
—a father, not a mother. Lc Roy
ptood whistling for more than half an
hour. Then he took his hat and started
toward the door.
"I shall dine with you fit home to
night, father," he said, pleasantly.
"Good-bye, sir."
"Good-bye, my son," his father re
plied, looking up as Le Roy left the
room. He looked at the door for some
minutes after his son had passed out.
"The boy is all right," he said, half
aloud. "It was only a little firmness
that he needed. I have never been
quite firm enough." So he turned and
went on writing.
Le Roy walked down the avenue
to Twenty-third street and stood for
a few moments in the porch of the
Fifth Avenue Hotel. His debts
were larger than usual, and two of
them were what is culled in a certain
circle "debts of honor." They must
bo paid to-morrow at tho latest, and
his entire income for several months
ahead was long ago consumed. His
profession was not yet paying divi
dends. He had been three times to his
father, and he realized now that ho
meant to refuse all aid.
Suddenly, standing there ii\ the
bright winter engine, Lo Roy Leonard
grew very pale and started slightly.
After that he stared intently at the
square opposite for five minutes, and
then walked hurriedly off down Broad
way.
"What is this? I have no note of
such a sum."
1 'lt is quite correct, sir. The amount
is a large ono and tho check was pre
sented by your sou. You must recol
lect. "
The cashier of tho down town bank
placed in the Hon. Amos Leonard's
hands a check for exactly the amount
of Lo Boy's debts, not a cent more or
loss. It was signed with the Hon.
Amos Leonard's name, in his own
peculiar chirography, but not by his
hand. Only he knew thnt—ho and one
other.
"Ah yes! my memory must bo fail- i
ing a little, I—yes, of course." Mr.
Leonard forced a short, harsh laugh.
"I recall it now—yes, yes—perfectly.
It is all right, good day, good day,
perfectly indeed."
A young clerk, with his slim legs
twisted among the rounds of a high
stool, watched the stately old man, as
lie made his way out. When the heavy
door swung together, he dipped his
pen in the ink again but paused before
lie used it, to say with a shrewd,
malicious grin :
"Guess Beau Brummel Le Roy
might help him to remember it bet
ter."
"Go on with your books, sir?"
The cashier spoke in a quick, stern
voice, which admitted of no retort or
disobedience. Silence ensued, except
for the scratching of the pens.
Mr. Leonard's carried
him homeward unwittingly and he
sank into his deep chair before tho
library fire, conscious of a desire to
think it all over and a corresponding
dread of tho same. Perhaps it might
not be long before he ceased thinking
altogether. He felt that ho had grown
to be an old, old man in the last few
hours.
How brightly tho firo was burning.
The great library looked unusually
neat and well appointed. He re
membered that it had lately
been cleaned and renovated. He
hoped that Harry had mislaid none
of his books or papers. Ah 1 papers!
He must begin to think now about that
paper he had seen at the bank. When
ho had warmed his bloodless hands—
well, then ho would think about it.
Since Lo Roy had entered upon his
professional career, father and son had
rarely met during the day, but they
had by mutual, though tacit, agree
ment taken up the old habit of dining
together almost regularly, notwith
standing the demands of society upon
the time of each. To-night, Mr.
Leonard reasoned, Lo Roy would
probably not come home. Or perhaps
he was not aware of the fact that the
check had been shown to his father. It
would be better to wait in that case
until ho did know. It would also
afford Mr. Leonard more timo to think
tho matter over.
He stepped to n window to lower a
shade, where the sun blazed in too
glaringly in its red setting light.
Down the avenue he saw Le Roy com
ing home.
The father stood there watching his
son, as ho had dono a thousand times
before. Le Roy had grown into tho
habit of expecting him there, and now
just as he had always done, ho
snatched off his hat and waved it boy
ishly over his head. The Hon. Amos
Leonard nodded his white head and
then laughed aloud at tho mockery of
it. "Ho does not know yet," ho
mused. "I shall have moro time to
think."
He was waiting in the library when
Le Roy came down 6tairs dressed for
dinner. He sat down by his father
and read tho evening papers until the
meal was announced.
Then he arose, and just as ho had
done ever since he grew to his father's
height, offered his strong young arm
and led his father to his placo at the
head of the table.
Tho evening dinner had always been
a happy one to thttfjo two old friends
when they dined alone together. 80
it was to-night. There were no guests.
Le Roy's bright talk cheered tho lonely
home and his father joined in it with
more than usual vivacity. It was 110
time to think while "tho boy" was
present.
After dinner came a game of chess,
and that finished, Le Roy got out his
guitar and accompanied his rich, sweet,
baritone in the ballads his father loved
to hear.
Usually after this, Lo Roy wont out
some where. Occasionaliy tho Hon.
Amos Leonard went with him, bait to
night neither seemed inclined to leave
the luxury of home. Not until the
great hall clock chimed the hour of
midnight did Lo Roy rise and bid
good-night to his father in the old,
boyish and unusual, perhaps, but in
finitely sweet to the old mun, who had
no one else to bid him good-night in
any way.
After that it was too late to think.
"To-morrow," said Amos Leonard to
himself, "he will know and he will not
j come."
"To-morrow" pascd slowly and yet
the father had not found time nor mind
to think. That dull old grief had come
upon him again just as it had when he
was first left with only Le Roy in the
world. Sometimes ho seemed to hear
the boy's childish prattle, aB he did in
the days past, when it was meaningless
to him, coming through his mist of
sorrow.
At fivo o'clock he rose and stood in
the window again, with the western
sun blazing in his face. And there,
indeed, came his son Lo Roy up the
street. Off came his liat again ; bob
went tho curly head, and what could
his father do but bow and smile as of
old? No one outside should know.
When Le Roy should come dowft to
dinney Ue speak.
Dinner was announced, however,
before the young man appeared, so
it must again be deferred.
If Le Roy knew that his father had
seen that cheek he was either a most
remarkable actor or a hardened villain.
There was in his manner not the slight
est trace of nervousness or fear. If
any change could be discerned it was a
slight increase of the respect and
tenderness in his manner toward his
father, which had withstood all indul
gence.
As they passed into the library after
dinner, Le Roy remained standing at
the table when his father was seated.
"I am going to tho opera to-night
with Mrs. Van Cruger's party," ho
said ; "but before Igo I want to say to
you, sir, that I have been thinking
things over for the past few days and I
begin to realize a little of what you
have done for me. I have never been
appreciative nor grateful, I know, and
a great deal of it all has l>een thrown
awny, but whatever I can do now to
make up for it I shall try to do faith
fully, nud—honestly. Good night,
sir."
And leaning down ho put his arms
around his father's neck—as ho had
done years ago—and kissed tho glow
ing, grand old faco with new reverence
and solemnity.
It was the only reference either man
every made to this one dishonesty in
Le Roy Leonard's brilliant and honor
ablo career.—Elmira (N. Y.) Argosy.
Bell Founding.
Tho art of bell founding is undoubt
edly of great antiquity. The Haxons
aro known to have used bells in their
churches, although probably but small
ones, for the Venerable Bede, writing
at tho end of tho Seventh Century, al
ludes to them in terms which seem to
show that they were not unfamiliar
things. The towers of the Saxon period
have belfries of considerable dimen
sions, in most cases; and at Crowland
Abbey, in South Lincolnshire, there
was a famous peal of seven bells many
years before the Norman Conquest.
Tho monks at that time, and for long
after, were tho chief practitioners of
the art of bell founding—which, in
deed, is one of tho many things those
well-abused men have handed down to
us. Their bells were rarely without
inscriptions, often in very bad Latin,
containing perhaps some obscure joke,
tho point of which is quite lost. More
often they were of a religious nature,
sometimes, wo fear, not unmixed with
a dash of superstition, as when the bell
declares that its sound drives away the
demons of the air who caused pestil
ence and famine, lightning and thun
derstorms. As a rule, unfortunately,
they put no dates on their bells, a de
feet which has been in some measuro
overcome by tho researches of many
enthusiastic campanologists, but which
is likely to keep the early history of
bells shrouded in darkness for a long
time to come.—Gentleman's Maga
zine.
The Boys' Festival in Japan.
The great event of May, in Japan, is
the celebration on the fifth day of the
month of the boys' festival. It is
called Nobori-no-sekku, festival of
flags, or Hhooy-no-sekku, festival of
reeds. Before the door of every abode
which lias been blessed by tho birth of
boys during tho past seven years, rises
a tall bamboo pole, from tho top of
which are flung to tho broezo gigantic
carp—koo—modo oi' paper or woven
stuffs in brilliant colors, one for every
son. This particular fish is chosen for
a symbol because it swims stoutly
against stream, and even up rapids,
leaping cascades to the higher waters.
This implies that tho boys in like man
ner must be sturdy and indomitable,
stemming courageously the stormy
currents of life's stream. Flags also
are raised before tho houses, bearing
pictures of the Chinese mythical hero
Shoki, as an example of strength and
bravery. Weapons, jirmor and pic
tures of heroes and horses aro chosen
for the decoration of tho tokonoma,
the slightly raised platform which is
tho placo of honor in every living
room.
The flower held in highest favor for
this festival is tho iris; but a kind of
early chrysanthemum, and a particular
variety of bamboo, called moso-chiku,
aro also used. Bundles of reeds and
mugwort aro fastened to the projecting
roofs of tho houses on this day.—
Demorest.
A Generous Cat.
A member of tho Zoological Society
says: ' T once had a cat which always
sat up to tho dinner table with me,
and had his napkin round his neck and
his plate and some fish. Ho used his
paw, of course, but he was very par
ticular and behaved with extraordi
nary decorum. When he had finished
his fish I sometimes gave him a piece
of mine. One day he was not to be
found when the dinner bell rang,
so we began without him. Just as
the plates were put round puss
came rushing upstairs and sprang
into his chair, with two mice in his
mouth. Before he could be stopped
he dropped a mouse on his own plate
and then one on mine. He had di
vided his dinner with me, as I had
often divided mine with him."—Lon
don Answers.
Courteous Bandits of China.
The robbers of China are banded to
gether, and form a terrible compact.
If a bank in the city wishes to send a
large amount of money to Pekin, tho
banker sends a gift to tho chief of the
banditti infesting the territory through
which tho money is about to pass, toll
ing him the time the silver will be sent,
and requesting that it bo not disturbed.
When such a request is made, ac
companied by a handsome present, it is
usually honored. These banditti i;ro
not tho only robbers. Tho Government
is engaged in tho same business.
Taxes aro very high, and every time
one comes in contact with the rulers it
costs something,— Brooklyn Citizeq,
BOYHOOD OF COLUMBUS
EVENTS THAT OCCURRED DUR
ING HIS YOUTH.
Famous Monuments that Were Herun In
Ills Youth—The Rore# War and the Turks
—Siege of Constantinople— Building of
the llastllo.
Childhood of Old ClirK
To realize how great have been tho
changes since the boyhood of tho dis
< overer of the now world is a matter of
no little difliculty to people of the pres
ent time. Columbus was born in 144 \
four and a half centuries ago, but sin ;o
(hat timo tho world has moved so fast
and gone 60 far that, in point of prog
ress, the time of Pericles Is not further
removed from our own. The boyhood
oi tho groat navigator is, therefore, of
Interest to us, since the scones he dally
beheld, the topics be heard constantly
discussed, tho events of his period, tho
customs of his contemporaries, are as
diverse as possible from those with
which we arc familiar, and, by compar
ison, the world of his youth is a world
with which tho general realer is as
little acquainted as he is with the pres
ent state of learning in Timbuctoo.
Yet thrilling history was being made
while Columbus was a child at his
mother's knee, and as tho boy
grow older, fond of books and im
mersed in study as ho was, ho
rould not fail to hear something of the
great events which were then, in default
of newspapers, passed from mouth to
jnouth along tho quays and through tho
streets of the bustling city of Genoa,
tn those days the fleets of Genoa cov
ered the Mediterranean, and daily arri
vals brought intelligence from all quar
ters of the known world. News spread
with wonderful rapidity, considering the
fiwt that newspapers, telegraphs, post
oftleos, were all lacking; news of the
batrde of Agincourt, fought thirty years
befo>o Columbus was born, was told in
=
r> V
AN ANTWERP IIOUSR—TIME OF COLUMBUS.
Rome, over a tnousam. miles away, be
fore tho end of a week; tho results of
Cresßy, a huudred years earlier, wero
known all over Europe within a fort
night. Sometimes, of course, exagger
ated, the accuraoy of this hastily trans
mitted intelligence was wonderful. A
gentleman in England, whose brother
was killed and whoso two sons were
woundod when Joan raised tho sioge of
Orleans in 1429, learned the fact In six
days, and started to the relief of his
boys on tho seventh. When intelligence
spread like this, a great eonter of busi
ness and population such ns Genoa was
must also havo boen a center of news,
and Columbus, when a lad of 0, may
havo heard tho news of the final expul
sion of tho English from Franco In 1451,
and when a little older he must have
heard newe of the war begun In 1453 in
England botween the rival housos of
York and Lancaster, in which roses
wero the emblems and the kingdom
the prize. No doubt, among his com
rades he had heard tales of the terrlblo
Turks and of tho still more terrible
Tamerlane, who, forty-three years be
fore the birth of Columbus, had defeat
ed and captured the Sultan Bajazot, and
imprisoned him in an iron cage for tho
amusomontof tho savago troopers who
composod tho conqueror'sarmy. Tales
liko tills fascinato the boys of every
century, and Columbus was probably no
exception to tho rule that boys delight
In stories of adventure. When Colum
bus was a boy the name of Turk was u
torror word throughout Europe. Moth
ers frightened their children into obedi
ence with tho threat that the "Turks
aro coming," and the story of the great
est Turk, who, at the time of his do
feat and rapture was besieging Con
stantinople, a city In close commercial
Intercourse with Columbus' birthplaco,
was doubtless told with many exagger
ations In tho streets and nurseries of
Genoa.
Tho year before Columbus was born
Ladlslns of Hungary was defeated and
slain at Varna by the Turks, and tho
memory of this great national disaster
was doubtless revived by the terrible
dofeat of the Turkish cavalry by Hun
niados when Columbus was G years old.
Whon ho was 8 tho city of Genoa was
stirred to Its depths by Intelligence that
alarmed the world. Constantinople, in
spite of the horoio resistance that for
months had excite ! the admiration of
Europe, had fallen lofore the victorious
arms of Amurath, and swift ships Hying
before tho souiheaotorn gales had
brought tho dismal news to Venice and
Genoi. The capital of tho East was
BAI.LV-I'ORT O/ ANTWISIIP FORT.
tho trading post for Eastern Europe and
Asia Minor, and thousands of merchants
(u Genoa, Ycnlco and otlior ports of tho
Medltcranoan saw their busfnoss swept
away at ono stroke. For a long timo
there had boen talk of Bonding aid to
the boloagurod Constantino TaUtologus,
and the last voseol that escaped from
Constantinople bore an urgent appeal
for help. "Come qui. kly, or we are lost,"
said tho letter dispatched from the un
iortunato monarch. In Genoa and
Yonlco flocte woro i ronaring to put to
6on; moroennrios. hlrod in Italy, Switz
erland, on tho banks of tho Rhine, gath
ered from tho strolling bands of frco
imccß, j-cciuited c vf u in far-aw^y
England and Scotland, were gathering
In both cities, ready to embark with the
first favorable wind; but before the
wind came the news arrived that the
Turkish cannoD,novel and much-droadod
weapons, had made a breach In tho
walls; that Constantino, sword In hand,
had fallen among his troops, and that
tho crescent had replaced tho cross on
tho giant dome of St. Sophia. When
A SPANISH GALLS*.
the future discoverer was 11 he no
doubt witnessed the illuminations that
were ordered in every city In Europe in
honor of tho brilliant vlotory of the
Hungarians over the Turks before the
walls of Belgrade, and, posaibly, a few
years later, may have stood among tho
crowds that gathered before the po -ted
proclamations of the reigning pontiff,
< ailing the world to arms against tho
cruel infidels.
Those were stirring times, for what
with the wars of Christendom against
the Turks in the East, the Moors in
Spain, the continual warfare that was
going on by sea and land against tho
merciloss corsairs of Morocco and Bar
bary, the wars of Christian kings
aga'nst each other and against their
own subjects, the never-ceasing con
tot t < between rival noblemen, the pri
vate feud* of free cities, tho ravages of
Ine plundering companies of knights
and retainers who hired their swords to
whomsoever could pay, and were ready,
at the promlee of h gher pay, to turn
their lances to-day against the era
p'oyers cf yestorday, and tho universal
desolation wrought by fnm'ne and the
Black Death, Europe had plenty of sub
jects to talk about and gossip was
plentiful.
'J he boyhood of Columbus antedated
even many of those monuments which
we arc accustomed to regard as memen
tos of n hoary antiquity, says the
Globe-Democrat. When Columbus was
5 years old, Pope Nicholas, after long
pondering the subject and gravely con
sidering the cost, determined on the
coristru 'tion of a grand church at Borne,
a church which should as much surpass
all the others of ( hristendou as Borne
In sanctity surpassed other cities. Ho
began by tearing away the ruins of tho
basilica of Constantino, but got out of
funds when the ground was leady for
the foundation, the work stopped, and
in the boyhood of Columbus Hie sito of
St. Teter's was a large excavation in
the center of Borne. Thus it romained
during the whole life of the discoverer,
and not until 1500, the year of his
death, was the work resumed by the
laying of the first stone by Julius 11.
St. Paul's, in was a homely
building, whose aisles were used as tho
most convenient | assageway a-ros a
public square, and whoso walls ro
soundod to the voices of the
buyer and seller, while the greater
portion of Paris was contained in
the limits of tho island whore
now stands tho Calhedral of Notre
Dame. The grand Cathedral of St.
Albans. England, whose gAtes and doors
have for ages been the admiration of
architects and builders, was not then in
existence. A roomy and well-filled
monastery stood hard by, the rich and
comfortable abbot of which had more
than onco received a sharp jemon
stranco from the King for not erecting
a church propotiloned to the wealth of
the community. At last, unable to re
sist longer the King's wishes, he, with
much reluctance and some grumbling at
tho cost, laid tho founda'ions when Co
lumbus was 0 years old, and then the
gates were luilt round which, when
Columbus was 10. the Yorkists and
TUB ATE OR ST. ALDANA.
Lancastrians fought the first battle of
tho Hopes war.
Whon the explorer was 12 ho, no
doubt, saw many of tho Cologne Jews
who at that time were expelled from tho
German capital, and as we know
little of his early travels he may
even havo been at Co'ogne, and there
have seen the foundations of tho Cathe
dral which is now ono of the wonders of
the Christian world. Its first 6tones
were laid 200 years bofore ho was born,
but tho work went on slowly, and In his
youth the walls wero scarcely ten feet
high, while a small roofed inclosure in
ouo corner served to shield worshipers
from the weather. Three years after
his death the work ceased altogether,
and was not resumed until 1842, nor was
It until 1880 that the grand pile was fin
ished, over 600 years from the com
mencement of tho enterprise, which thus
ooveroi in its construction nearly half
Middle Ages und tho wholo of modern
times.
In the travels of his early days It is
no.. impossible that Columbus may have
\ 'sited Antwerp and there have beheld
in their prime the fortresses which, now
in decay, wero then just finished and
tlie pride of tho stout Dutch city that
hoped by moans of them long to j re
serve its independen e. Tho Antwerp
forts, however, dwindled into insig
nificance in comparison with another
fortreß3 which Columbus may have
Boen, and which had then just been
completed, the famous Bastile of Paris.
Ereoted as the cltatel of Paris, it was
tho principal dofenso of the city, and
was then des med ono of the strongest
tho giant structures that tho barons of
William the Conqueror had erected in
England to hold in awo the vanquished
Baxons. Nearly 100 years after the
death of Columbus Henry IV. and his
vctornns assailed it in vain, its thick
walls and loftv battlements defying
every attack. In Columbus' boyhood
it was known only as a castle, not hav
ing thon boon put to tho vile uses of
tyranny that afterward made it infa
m us in tho eyes of the French na
tion and brought about its demolition
at tho hands of the infurlatoi
rabble. Bu*. Columbus did not need to
travel U) Paris to 800 a model pottos. I
for In his native city there was an es
tabllshment of this kind which, in his
day, rivaled the later reputation of the
i Bastile. The men of tho fifteenth cen
l tury had little of comfort In their dally
| lives, and, not knowing what it was,
i never missed it. Even tho palaces of
I thoso times were built without the
| slightest care for what the moderns
consider comfort; and in the royal resi
dence less regard was shown for th-3
convenience of its occupants than is
now displayed in the cottago of the la
borer. Even in tho Tuileries, begun
over 100 years after the birth of Colum
bus, no systems of sewerage or drain
ago was provided, and the slops of every
description wero thrown into the court
yard, through which tho palace attend
ants constantly passed and repassed.
When roj*al dwellings were of this de
fcrlption little regard would naturally
bo shown for the com'ort of prisoners,
and no more cheerless place of abode
can bo imagined than the huge State
Prison of Genoa. Its forbidding ex
terior was indicative of the internal ar
range men's. No provision was made
cithi r for heat, light or ventilation, and
many of the cells wero FO far under
ground that no ray of daylight ever il
luminated their interior.
But those were merciless days, and
the prisoner was fortunate If he escaped
with only a term of imprisonment, for
In the lower tiers were torture cham
bers where evidence was oxtracted from
luckless wretches-by savage torture.
Executions wero then public, and one of
the worst features wero the insults
' heaped on tho condemned by the rabble
I that always attended an exqoution.
i These outrages were not only not dls
-1 couraged by the authorities, but on oc
casions when it was anticipated that \
public sympathy would be extended to
the condemned, bands of ruffians were
hired to attend tho execution and curse
and maltreat the unfortunate victim.
Hanging, burning, drawing and quar
tering wero then accepted modes of ex
ecution, and on more than one occasion
the young Christopher no doubt saw in
tho street before the great Genoa
prison the carts containing the tnangled
remains of state prisoners, while before
tho ghastly tokens walked tho masked
A QUBKN'B CARRIAGE
executioner i, bearing on poles tho heads
of the condemned.
The days of Columbus' youth were
days when the highest ladles of the land
rode In rude carts drawn by two horses,
as shown in the illustration, a convey
ance then considered tho height of re
spectability; indeed, so select was It
that ere his boyhood ended royal edicts
in France and Spain forbade the ÜBO of
su?h vehicles to any but members of tho
royal family and of tho highest ranks
of nobility. They were days when la
dies who from fatigue or overexertion
fainted were bled at onco until they
fainted again, and were then sent home
on a cot placed on a big horse and a
little horse side by side, so that the im
provised bed was in a reclining position.
They were days when kings wore their
crowns all day long and every day,
the most gorgeous costumes, made JiL
•the most extravagant styles, and of the
most glaring colors were worn. They
were days when the ontralls of serpents
were considered an infallible cure for
alimentary diseases, and when the hair
and hide of a fox, burnt under the nose
of a patient, was regarded as nn excel
lent specific for rheumatism, because
the fox was fleet, and burning his hair
in the presence of the slow-paced rheu
matic was conjectured to quicken his
steps. They were days when feuds
were settled by private battle, and
when the adjudication of a lawsuit
was determined by singlo com
bat, under tho idea that provi
dence would surely fight for
the right. They were days when Eu
rope was ruled by a horde of petty des
pots, each in his own little castle op
pressing Lhe poor and robbing tho
stranger They wore days when no
pro| o.ty was securo If either tho noble
or tho king wanted it for his service
when the king owned the property of
the nation and disposed o' it as th< kh
it were his own. They wero days
when science was not yol lorn und
whon ecclesiastics solemnly confuted
the statement that the earth was round
with the assertion that it must be
square, for the Bible spoke of tho four
coiners of the earth With tho story
how the boy outgrew the ideas and
prejudices of his youth—ideas and prej
udices which were the common prop
erty of his time—and by the sheer
force of reason solved the problem of a
new route to the east by the way of tho
west, tho pages of history are filled.
But the old narrative gives us little idea
of the struggle that he must have
undergone before he finally succeeded
In bringing others to a belief in his own
sentiments, nor does It picture for us
tho curious evolut on of the man from
tho unfavorable circumstances which
surrounded his boyhood.
Imperial Telephone Etiquette.
Emperor William 11. has his own
imperial way of using tha telephone.
Despite mistakes caused by the En>
peror's refusal to name himself at the
opening of the conversation, as othei
people do, he Invariably Intidduccs
his telephoned orders mcreljWiyith
the words: "1 command that," and
so forth. As soon as the chief of de
partment hears these words he mo
tions that his subordinates must at
once leave the room. The
cance of this arrangement is suppose
to be that the chief is having some
thing like an audience with his Maj
esty and that it would be presumpt
uous for a person not summoned to
hear the imperial voice to occupy the
room into which its tones are con
veyed. At the end of the converse-*
tion the Emperor walks away with
out saying "good-by," and the chief
with whom ho has conversed must
listen for five or 9lx minutes after
ward to make sure that the imperial
ordeis have been completed. Then
ho calls back his assistants and the
usual etiquette Is resumed.
MAUD —"GoodnessgraciousiJlavcn't
you an overcoat on this bit to if d av
Mr. Mutphy?" Murphy—"No;
a pepperiulut every five minutes \,f
stead-"—Ally Sloper.