The New York Herald looke for a
hot and humid summer favorable to
the spread of Asiatic cholera.
An English newspaper recently re
ferred to Monte Carlo, the gambling
resort, as the "poisoned paradise on
the shores of the Mediterranean."
The number of prisoners locked up
M fourteen of the Western and Middle
States is 110,538, and of this vast num
ber of offenders but one-sixth know
how to read.
Folk-lore is looking up, according to
Walter Besant. A book lately issued
by the society devoted to that science
shows that the Cinderella legend, so
dear to us all, is found in every part of
Europe, all over the Balkan Peninsula,
in Japan, South America, the West In
dies and Kaffirland.
To form some idea of the largeness
of this earth, suggests the Chicago
Herald, one may look upon the land
scape from the top of an ordinary
cbtiroh steeple ami then bear in mind
that one must view 900,000 similai
landscapes to get an approximately
correct idea of the size of the earth.
Caste prejudices in India are break
ing down. Sir William Hunter quotes
as an instance of this fact that a ship
load of Hindoos has, with the approval
of tho community and the Hindoo
press, chartered a steamer for the
Chicago Exhibition. Such an expedi
tion would have been regarded as an
impious impossibility five and-thirty
years ago, because the pilgrims will
have to break caste rules in eating un
hallowed food.
Says the New York Post: The dis
cussion of capital punishment aroused
by the action of the Michigan Legis
lature is bringing out the facts as to
the punishment of murderers in differ
ent States. Indiana has n law which
makes the penalty for murder hanging
or imprisonment for life, and gives the
jury the right to decide which shall bo
imposed. Under this system hanging
has become practically obsolete in the
Btate, juries uniformly choosing the
milder punishment of imprisonment,
with the chance of a pardon before
many years have passed. 4 'The re
sult," according to the Indianapolis
Journal, <4 is a steady increase of homi
cidal crime, with every now and then
a lynching as a protest against the in
efficient enforcement of law." The
Journal advocates a chango in the law
which wiTl leave the fixing of the pen
alty to the judge, as it believes that
the average judge has more nerve and
a higher sense of duty than the average
jury-
Harper's Weekly says of the Nica
ragua Canal: "In war or in peace the
exclusive control of thin canal will bo
to us of inestimable value. For at
tacking or defending the coasts of our
hemisphere, and the islands adjacent
thereto, it is more advantageously
situated than is Gibraltar for the
Mediterranean. As a means of uniting
the East and the West, it will be of
more value than is the Suez Canal for
uniting England with India. The
latter saves but 3010 miles, while the
Nicaragua Canal saves 9500 in the voy
age from tho Gulf ports to San Fran
cisco. If wo are to continue our
policy of protecting the smaller States
•f the two Americas against the larger
ones, and all of them against foreign
encroachment, we must control tho
canal. We must also defend our own
country. Our Pacific coast is nearly
defenceless. From New York to San
Francisco it is 13,000 miles by water
half the circumference of the globe.
Between the same points by the canal
it is only 5001 miles. From New Or
leans to San Francisco it is 13,500
miles. The canal will cut this distance
down to 4000 miles, a still greater sav
ing. Now England can hurl a fleet
against our western ports byway of
tho Suez Canal or from Australia,
while another fleet with abase at home
or at one of the numerous British
strongholds along our eastern coast, is
threatening tho ports on the Atlantic.
Not only in war, but also in compet
ing for the commerce of the worl l,aud
especially of the western hemisphere,
will tho Nation controlling the Nica
ragua Canal have an immense advan
tage. No trade will flourish unless
protected by the stnrng arm of mili
tary power, and no better example of
this can be cited than that of England.
Where all the great Nations of the
world meet in tho canal, and the Na
tions through whose territory it runs
are so miserably weak, the inevitable
result will be that it will fall into tho
hands of some great power. If that
power be not ourselves, then we may
safely bid farewell to military or com
mercial supremacy in America. The
golden moment is now here when pos
session is easy."
tuVE'S VOYAOE.
We are going with tho wind. Lovo.
Blowing fair and free,
Somehow tho breezo is nlways good
That blows for you and tne.
Behind us lies the dear old land,
Before us dreams the new,
Beneath us swells the joyous sea,
Above us bends the blue.
What is there that can hinder love,
Or make our hearts afraid?
The ocean deep can never fail,
The sky can never fade.
You are my universe, and T,
Oh. I am yours, my sweet;
Then how can any cloud aris \
Or any tempest beat?
We are going with tho win 1, Love,
Blowing fair and free.
Somehow the breeze is always good
That blows for you and mo.
If we go down. the sea is low,
And holds us evermore ;
Our tide, whatever way it move,
Will reach a golden shore.
—M. Thompson, in New York Independent.
THE OLD CEDAR CUESf;
BY H. M. noEE.
yff HAD not returned
V"* f/J to ra home
\ B * nce the death of
m y parents, many
Y eArs before the
Li H,,mmer °f which I
USSsT]KV write. That sum
/' / mer ftR will he seen,
flrafl ' a powerful influence
WBfc. \ ■ drove me thence,
Jf ' from the activities
husiness. My
uncle, who had
taken charge of the place when my
father died, received me cordially at
tho spacious, old-fashioned farmhouse.
"Ralph," he paid, as wo smoked on
tho wide porch after supper, "you will
have a companion during your visit."
"A companion! Who?"
"Graco Northbrook."
"Grace," I cried, in astonishment.
"Yea, she will como to-morrow nt
the same time you came to-day," he
replied, rising. "I'm going to the
barn now. I hope you and she will
find it agreeable to renew your old ac
quaintance. "
"Grace coming here," I said to my- |
self after he had gone. "What does it
mean?" Striving for an explanation I
naturally fell to calling up the circum
stances which caused my astonishment.
The Northbrooks lmd in the old days
owned the farm adjoining ours, and
the families had been intimate. Grace
being an only child, and I the same, a
peculiarly close friendship sprang up ,
between us. Wo were inseparable play
mates, and it easily came to be the wish
and intention of our parents, so far as .
they could direct events, that we should
marry. Put conditions changed. My
father and mother died, and I soon left
home; and when I learned afterward
that Mr. Northbrook, moved by ambi
tion, had sold his farm and gone to
New York to live, ray belief was that
Grace and I were finally separated.
Having been young when I left
home, and whatever boyish liking I
had had for little Grace Northbrook
being quickly ground into forgetful
ness by business strife, the severing of
our youthful engagement caused me
little regret. But one evening, after
I had taken up my residence in New
York, I met her again at a friend's
home. Our surprise nnd pleasure I
were mutual. Walking together that
night on the broad piazza of my
friend's house, I soon found that her
temperament had brightened rather
than dimmed. In the daring way that
is so easily excused in merry people,
she lightly called up our old engage
ment. I met her in the same spirit,
and we had a hearty laugh over the
youthful declarations and promises,
but, charmed by her mature beauty,
I, even then, had a misgiving that,
with me, this spirit would soon settle
into seriousness. A few moments
after our promenade ended, I saw her in j
company with Mr. Frederick Adlow, the
eon of a wealthy banker, and in the
happiness of her face, and the de
votion of the young man, I found the
reason for her amusement over our
childish love-making and her freedom
in speaking of it.
I met her frequently .ifter that, and
imr chief topic was tins youthful at
tachment. She took particular de
light in jesting about it in her half
reckless, light-hearted way, and seemed
to think it equally delightful to me.
But, though I joined in her mirth,
the effort wns greater each time, and I
realized that the boyish liking I had
had for her as a little girl had risen
into a man's love for the beautiful,
"sweet-hearted, noble woman into
which she had grown. I saw, too,
with growing concern, that, in the joy
of her love for Adlow, she was per
fectly innocent of even a possibility of
seriousness on my part; and, wishing
more every day, as I did, for a revival
of our childhood engagement, the
danger into which we were drifting
grow plainer. We were setting up a
barrier of mirth, which, I feared,
would be difficult to overthrow.
At last I felt that I could no longer
endure this jesting upon what had be
come sacred to me, and, shrinking
from the possibility of her amused sur
prise at a revelation of iny love, I de
termined to go away. This determi
nation was fixed one evening when
Grace came to me with the announce
ment that she had been authorized to
invite me to accompany a party to
spend two weeks at Long Branch. She
mentioned the names, concluding with
Adlow's. The prospect of seeing their
joy day after day at the beach, showed
me that it would be far from a pleasure
trip to mo, and that I must decline. I
did so, assigning business reasons. She
looked at me oddly, half wonderingly ;
nnd she was so lovely in her party
dress, that I would have thrown our
jesting aside and told he? my love
there in the qniet corner behind the
people who were watching the danc
ers, had not Mr. Adlow came up and
claimed her for the waltz She left me
with a merry glance over her shoulder
and a joking entreaty for her "little
old-time lover" to change his mind.
Not many days after 1 made an excuse
that took me from New York, and I
went as I have stated, to visit my old
home.
| "And now," I said to myself while
sitting alone on the farm porch, "she
is coming here? What has changed
her plans? The party was to be at
Long Branch by this time. I cannot
understand it."
The next day was rainy, and I spent
it roaming over the old house to solve
the puzzle of Grace's coming. Of
course, she could not know that I was
there, because I had kept my destina
tion a secret, and because had she
known it, she would not have come. I
felt that I could not long remain with
her among those pleasant scenes of our
childhood without telling my love, and
the relations which she and Adlow uns
tained toward each other forbade such
a declaration.
Tn the old farmhouse was a room
which had irresistibly attracted me as
a boy. Tt was a long, narrow com
partment, in which were preserved
several ancient pieces of furniture,
some curious prints, quaint records
made by my grandfather while he had
been a squire, and many other inter
esting relics. One of the pieces of
furniture was a largo cedar chest
which had been, in ray childish eyes,
a veritable casket of wonders. Often
had little Grace and I played in this
room, and revelled in the curiosities
of the chest, which embraced several
old-fashioned playthings, a coat my
great-grandfather wore in an Indian
fight, with a bullet hole in its sleeve, a
number of arrow heads, several moc
casins, a tomahawk, some camp uten
sils, and four queer, little, half-con
structed inventions at which my great
grandfather had worked. Much of that
long gloomy day, so filled with my
heart's perplexity, I strovo to occupy
by re-exploring this curiosity chamber,
and once again examining the contents
of the old chost; and I discovered that
my interest in it, though of a different
kind, was as strong as it had been in
mv bovhood.
At train time I easily persuaded
Uncle John to let me drive alone to the
station. Grace came, and her sur
prise upon seeing me was unbounded.
"Whv, what nro you doing here,
Ralph?" she asked, walking toward the
carriage.
"Rusticating," I replied, evasively,
as T helped lier in.
After I had started the horses, I
turned to her and asked soberly :
"What has brought you here, Grace?
I though you were in Long Branch." :
"Excuse me, Ralph," slio answered
with a confusion which I pretended
not to notice, "but I don't wish to tell
you—nt least- not now?"
[ "Very well," I said, "I won't ask
you, but T will leave to-morrow, I can
not stay here with you—l—"
I I stooped the confession and she
i looked at me in that same odd, ques
tioning way.
44 Why not?" she asked, after ft short
silence, and regaining her jesting tone
with an effort, "I'm sure it will be very
amusing to run about our old play
grounds. We have been unexpectedly
thrown together here and might enjoy
recalling some of our—foolishness. I
don't see why you want to run away."
Her merriment and Adlow's relation
ship to hei made it impossible for me
to give my true reason; but it was woll
the rain had brought darkness early,-
for my face would else have betrayed
too much emotion. I was silent a mo
ment, and then said :
• 'l'll tell you why, Grace. I don't
think it is just to Mr. Adlow. Every
one knows how attentive ho has been
to you, nnd although your engagement
has not been announced, we have rea
son to believe it soon will be. I re
spect. Mr. Adlow and will not remain."
"Still the same careful* boy you al
ways were," she answered, laughing.
"Don't bother about Mr. Adlow. If I '
choose to foam once more through
these beloved scenes with such an old
friend as you, ho shouldn't object.
Now, you will stay until I say yon
should go, won't you?"
She looked at. me with such au op
peal, that I readily yielded.
Days passed—blissful days—anl
Grace was adorable. I loved her moro
and more, nnd saw more clearly that,
for the sake of my future happiness, I
should go away ; but she was so merry,
and still so unconscious of my true
, feeling, that I remained, and fearing
| to cloud her pleasure, feigned equal
| gayety. So surely, though, as the
days were passing, I felt that my re
straint could not last long.
One sunny afternoon, walking down
a quiet lane, shaded by the orchard
tr*>s on each side, I said :
4 'Grace, I must go away. You haven't
told mo yet to go, but I must. We
have been as candid and frank as true
friends should be, but there ft" one
point we must meet. If you are en
gaged to Mr. Adlow, I must leave at
once.- Tell me plainly."
She kept a steady look nt mo during
the words, wearing the odd expression
I had beforo noticed, but more intense.
I had schooled mysolf for the ordeal
and had assumed the half-bantering
tone in which we had always talked.
But she was now sober, and, after
drooping her head and walking on a
short distance, she answered :
"You are right, Ralph. I have kept
you here and you are entitled to know,
.fust before the party started for Long
Branch, Mr. Adlow usked me to be his
wife. I had thought I loved him, but
when he asked me I felt that I was not
sure. I know that if I should go witli
the party I coald not give his proposal
the serious thought that, it deserved,
so I came down here, never expecting
to find you ; and I have been thinking
seriously; though you may not believe
' it. To-morrow is the day I promised
Mr. Adlow to let him know. There it
all is, Ralph. Please don't think me
unwomanly in telling you this. Our
relations have been unusual, because
of those old—those dear old times, and
I feel towards you almost as I would
towards—towards a brother."
"And am I entitled to know how you
will answer?" I asked, with a thrill of
hope, for it was the first time J had
heard her speak tenderly of the "old
times."
Again she cast that strange, pene
trating look at me, and replied:
"I will write to him to-morrow, and
I will tell you how I have decided in
the evening."
All next day Grace kept her room,
and I strolled alone. Her action puz
zled me greatly. Why had she not ac
cepted Adlow at once ? Had she learned
something which made marriage with
him undesirable? Sometimes I felt
that I had been weak in not declaring
my love in spite of Adlow, but I could
not make myself believe that sho saw
anything but fun in our relations, I
roamed far, and without seeing Grace
again. I conld not face the ordeal of
hearing that she had accepted Adlow,
and if she should tell mo of a refusal,
I feared that sho would meet lightly
the confession that her boyish lover
was her lover still in manhood. I was
weak—cowardly, but could not help it.
Late in the afternoon I hurried back
to the house. Finding my uncle, I
told him untruthfully, but excusably,
perhaps—that I was called away by
business, and asked him to bid Grace
good-bye for mo. He was a man of few
words, and assented without comment.
I had previously obtained his permis
sion to take some article from the old
cedar chest as a memento, and I now
hurried up to the room to select one.
I sat down upon the chest, fighting
my desire to call Graco from her room,
to tell her that our laughter over the
old times had, with me, changed to
love, and to beseech her not to marry
Adlow. But I conquered. Grace was
too noble, too just, to accept anyone,
even though sue might lovo him, in
this underhand manner.
I raised the lid of the chest and re
moved the blanket, which was used as
a cover, when my eye caught sight of
an article which had not been there
before. It was a letter newly addressed
and stamped. I took it up curiously,
and instant ly was thrown into perplex
ity. It was in Grace's writing, and
was addressed to Frederick Adlow—
the letter giving him her decision. I
plainly saw how it had happened. Hav
ing written her acceptance, as I believed
it to be, she had come into this room
to look through the chest, which had
been as interesting to her as to me,
and had accidentally left the letter
there. It was unsealed, and I stood
still, crushing back, with violent self
scorn, a wild temptation to detain it.
I took a step toward the door, with in
tent to call Grace, when I heurd hasty
footsteps coming.
She came in, anxiously, and found
me with the unsealed letter in my
hand. She paused in sudden confusion,
and I, distracted by the natural suspi
cion to which the unsealed letter ex
posed me, could only say—
"Hero is your letter, Grace."
"Have you read it?" she said quick
ly—a question sho would not have asked
but for her confusion.
"Grace," I said reproachfully.
"Please forgive me," she cried, tak
ing it from me. "Of course you have
not. I left it here by mistake."
"And I have just found it. If you !
will seal it 1 will mail it as I go to the
train. lam called away on business, i
Mr. Adlow will be here soon."
She had raised the envelope to her
lips, but now stopped and looked at me
in that same peculiar manner.
"Ralph," she said, "Will you
never—"
She blushed and droppod her head,
but there was a tone in her voice
which came as an interpreter of the
over which I had so often puzzled.
1 made two hasty steps forward,
paused doubtfully and asked:
"Will I never what, Grace?"
Sho looked looked up and I saw tears
in her eyes, but a smile was breaking
behind them, and, drooping her head
again, she said softly and in her half
daring way •
i "Never bo anything but my boyish
lover." |
"Boyish," I repeated, a new glad
light dawning upon "my uncertainty.
I hurried to her and caught her hands
in mine. Sho let me have them and
yielded tremblingly as I drew her over
and sat down with her on the old
cedar chest. |
"Can it bo true," I cried, "that
your amusement was only meant to
hide—to hide—"
"Just what yours was meant to
hide, wasn't it, Ralph," she iuterrupt
! Ed coyly.
"Yes, Grace, my love, which came agai n
as soon as I saw you. But how easily
we might have missed each other." I
"Indeed wo might," she answered.
! Then, in a moment, "Oh, I'm so glad; I
I and to think that this dear old chest, !
j that we liked so in those happy days,
should he the means of making us un
derstand each other."
"It is glorious! And what a
treasure I selected from it," I said
merrily, taking the letter from her
hand and holding it up. "Shall wo
go out and mail it?"
"Yes," she replied.
And so we went out, along the gravel
path and through the lane that led to
the village street, she carrying the let
ter in her hand ; while . the stars came
out above us like the clusters of bright
hopes that were already shining in our
lives. —Yankee Blade.
Tlie railroad constructed by Stephen- j
son south of Liverpool and opened for
traffic in 1832 remained in use almost '
as the great inventor left it until a
few weeks ago, when a new line was
constructed.
A FAMOUS FORTRESS.
GIBRALTAR ROCK AND ITS FA
MOUS FORTIFICATIONS.
The Story of the Fort and the Town—The
Climate and the People—Caverns and
Passages llow the Great flatteries Are
Placed.
It's an Impressive Rlffht.
The famous rrck and fortress of
Gibraltar, when seen even from a
distance. Is very Impressive, writes
Illram Powers, in the Chicago Inter
Ocean. Three miles in length and
about three-quarters of a mile broad,
It stands out Into the blue sea as a
true "Pillar of Hercules," a monu
ment to the brave dead who fought
In Its defedse, and a mighty bulwark
for Its present Prltlsh rulers. The
roek Is connected with the Spanish
territory by a strip of land called
the "Neutral Land," so low that,
when seen f om the sea but a few
miles off, the rock has the appearance
of an island.
It was just as August was taking
Its place in the calendar of 1802 that
we approached It, after a pleasant
passage across the Atlantic on one of
the ocean greyhounds. It was about
10 o'clock in the morning; the ship's
orchestra struck up a lively air, while
all the passengers crowded the decks
to see this renowned fortress, and a
beautiful sight it was, Indeed. As
far as the eye could reach tljere were
countless sails, lit up to a dazzling
whiteness by the rays of the morning
sun. On either side of us the mount
ains of '-ipaln and Africa loomed up,
of a delicate pinkish purple co'or,
which blended easily into the pearly
tints of that southern sky. Put the
great rock ahead and a little to the
left of us was the cynosure of all eyes,
as we gradually approached the out
lines and details becoming more dis
tinct, until finally we found ourselves
gazing with wonder and awe at the
stupendous ideations and defenses
of the place, or in admirat cu at the
picturesque little town, lying at the
foot and upon the side of the mount
ain.
It would be impossible to describe
the scene that lay before us, frown
ing and smiling at one and the same
time. Ail were eager to set foot once
more on land, and many were disap
pointed when our captain announced
to us that we would only have three
quarters of an hour on shore, as the
vessel was already some twenty-four
hours behind her previous record, and
had to make it up between Gibraltar
and Genoa. All our sorrows were
Eoon drowned In thcpleasure of sail
ing to land on rakish little boats,
whose lateen sails made the trip but
a short one. At the wharf we were
greeted by a motley crowd of Arabs,
Spaniards and English soldiery, each
one staring at us in the peculiar fash
lon of his race, but as we had hut
little time to spare in gazing at them,
every curiosity shop was soon invaded
by an anxious, Jostling crowd of cus
tomers. The glimpse we had of the
place itself left us the Impression of
a very closely built but clean town,
with narrow, hot streets, rough cob
hie pavements, flat-roofed houses,
mules, Arabs, fruit In abundance, and
British soldieriwithout end.
On the side of the rock stand the
magnificent ruins of an old Moorish
castle, built just below the fame us
rock galleries, which, by the way,
face the land, and, with the excep
tion of being the means of commutii
tlon from fort to fort, are of no use
whatever In modern warfare. In the
town, which Is inhabited by a motley
population of from 20,000 to 30,000
EASTERN FRONT OF THR THICK.
English, Spaniards, Jews and Moors,
there arc three principal parallel
streets on which stand some very re
spectable English residences, a Cath
olic cathc Iral, three Jewish syna
gogues, and a great many small
shops. Although there Is no natural
water supply on fhe peninsula, an
Immense water tank and sewerage
system, lately established, would
make the town quite pleasant to live
In were It not fo the extreme heat.
The climate of Gibraltar is not un
healthy, with the exc pti >n, perhaps,
of a period between July and Novem
ber, when it Is dangerous for north
ern forclgnots.
Of tie rock itself there was little
to learn, except that the Sugar Loaf,
the highest point, rises to a height
of 1,4,1t) feet above the waters In the
Bay of Algesiras. The p'ans of the
Immense system of fortifications,
whose bristling guns and gaping em
brasures frowned down upon us. we
were unable to get, owing to military
policy, but this we could easily see.
that the approaches, both from the
sea and from the neutral land, are
commanded by a great number ol
very powerful batteries, and by forts
so strong In themselves and in then
connection with each other, as to
make the rock fairly Impregnihle
with a sufficient garrison and store of
provisions.
There Is little dang-r, however,
that either of these will be wanting
lor Gibraltar is garrisoned with a
thoroughly efficient fotce of about
5,000 infantry, with 1,000 artillery,
and a large number of engineers.
Immense stores of provisions, water,
and munitions of war art sonstautly
maintained. The rock galleries, be
fore mentioned, with which the great
rock is fairly honeycombed, are a se
ries of caverns and passages, the
largest of which, called the "Halls of
St. Michael," have an entrance 1,000
feet above the sea. From these there
are passages, some being quite roomy,
others being narrow, through which
it is barely jKissihle to creep. These
descend to a depth of 500 feet below
the entrance, at which point foul air
bars further ingress, but tho faint
roar of the sea is plainly audible,
which goes to show that these gloomy
caverns have communication with
the waves beneath. There is a legend
which, if true, confirms tills theory:
A party of tourists were being taken
through these caverns, when one of
their party, a beautiful English girl,
In some way was separated from
them, and her absence was not no-
HIDE VIEW OP THE nOCK.
ticcd until some time had elapsed.
A thorough search was instituted, but
without success, and In about a
week's time her lifeless body was dis
covered floating in the hay. She had
probably wandered In the darkness
into some cavity, from which she was
dashed into the sea beneath. It is
a's > rumored that these cat ems were
once the abode of a gigantic
race of men whose bodies were
covered with thick hair, but it
Is barely possible that the Barbary
apes, living in a wild state on the
upper portion of tho peninsula, gave
rise to this fancy.
Gibraltar has a remarkable history.
The terrible sieges It has withstood
and the heroism of those whose fluty
ft wos to defend it aro well known
and w.ll never be forgotlen.
The rock was known to the world
at a very early period, and the name
originated in the following manner:
The Bh'pnlclans ca led It "Alube,"
and the Greeks corrupted this name
to "Calpe,'' making It also one of tho
famous Hilars of Hercules, beyond
wh'ch the worl 1 was thought to end.
In the year 711 A. D. the Saracens
under Tarif ben Tarca fortified It as
a 1 ase of operations "in heir passage
into Spain; the rock being ,a ready
point of access from tho Barbary
coast. Gibraltar took the name of
"Gcbcl-Tartf" (hill of Tarif) from
this le ider. and of which name It Is
a corruption.
The British have been unmolested
1n Gibraltar since 178.1, and at the
present day, as can he easily seen,
England guards this spot, with great
care and constant vigilance. Batter
ies, in from the solid rock, bristle
with artillery, and in every sjot
there is a sentinel. It, however, ap
pears to I e more a point of honor
with the Briti-h that it be preserved
to the crown than a matter of na
tional importance, H9 the harbor is of
lltt'c value, an'l, contrary to common
belief, the fortress by no means com
mands the straits, which at their
narrowest point are fully fifteen
miles across. However, in case of
war. a licet of British battle-ships
could effectually bar the passage of
the straits with the aid of this im
mense fortress.
We were told that everyone of (he
b itteries on the rock lias a secret
passage below the surface, through
whii h tro >ps can piss to a.most any
portion of the rot k in romplcto se
curity from the fire of an enemy.
By til's means force: con be rapidly
concentrated in any part cular spot,
and a hostile storming party would
mi et with a very unexpected resist
ance. .
Tie harbor lias a netting of sub
marine torpedoes and mines, which
would also m ike it very w.irm for an
enemy's icoe s were they to venture
within its limits.
At the highest point of the rock
there Is a small watch tower, from
which a magnificent view Is said to
be lia I We counted forty-three Brit
ish flags floating (n the breeze from
different fortifications, and tho town
nestling below these seemed to have
an air of confident security, with lis
i.tieer streets and buildings. Tho
shops in Gibraltar were very unique,
being small and having rao tly Span
ish sl.n boards. VVe bought In one of
them sonic beautiful lillgiee brai e
lets In which various colored stones
were set also some spoons and fans
on which the e were pictures of ihe
rock or similar desig s They make
bracelets out of finely carved hits of
the rock, which Is. by tlie way, com-,
posed mostly of a kind of giay mar
i le. We had 11 be very tautinus in
making our purchases, for we soon
found out that the shop-keepers wdl
cheat fo elgners if they are given half
a chance.
On every street we saw quaint lit
tle stands, shaded by gaudy umbrel
las, at which la r gc quantities of tire
most delicious fruit were on sale, and
which seemed to keep fresh, notwith
standing the blazing heat of the sun.
As Glliialtar is a free port, tobacco
and In fact, almost eve ythlng is
very (heap. It Is said that the
pla.o swarms with Spanish smug
glers, who pass their contraband
goods Into Spain dor ng the n'gt.t
tlmc, o ten hiving de perato en
counters with the Spanish (oast
guards We were pointed out a
number of small, dirty sailboats,
having a very peculiar shape and ty-
Ing close to the dock. The word
"contraband Ista" (smuggler) was mys
teriously whispered into our ears.
The speed of these boats In a good
wind is very great. We saw several
of tire same build go by, and they
glided swiftly along, apparen tlj
scarcely touching the water. Glose
to our steamer lay an Italian war
ves el, on which numberless pieces
of linen flapped in the breeze, giving
it more the appearance of a laundry
yard than a nian-of war.
In the harbor were to bo seen th
great ships of almost every nation,
contrasting by their more somber ap
pearance with the brightly colored
sails of the lighter Spanish craft
which plied to and fro over the blus
surface of the hay. It was finally
time for us to tear ourselves awaj
from this Interesting sceno, and aftei
an exciting race between our boat
and another, also laden with the
ship's passengers, and after being
fairly bathed in glittering spray, we
reached the side of our great ocean
monster. It was none too soon, for
hardly had we bundled ourselves and
our purchases on board than out
whistle began to blow, and the ship
slowly steamed out of the harbor.
lu order to begin our voyage on the
Mediterranean we had to make al
most a complete circuit of the mount
ain, thus giving us an ample view of
It from all sides. On the portion
which faces the Mediterranean it is
evident that a huge landslide once
took place, for the top is very sharp
and ragged, and It slopes but little
until It reaches the sea. On this
side, however, it is not solid rock,
but earth or fragments of stone.
The light of the sun and the ethereal
gray mists around the mountain
made some exquisite effects of light
and shade as we gradually left this
wonderful spot far behind us on the
horizon.
Th Number Seven In Scripture.
To the theological student the fre
quent recurrence of tho number seven
16 well ascertained, or easily ascartain
able. The first to'at of which we read
in Holy AVrit is seven. A ltttle farther
on in Genesis sevenfold vengeance Is
denounced on the slayor of Cain, if
such a one should bo found. Pharaoh's
dream of the kino and the ears of corn
Is familiar to the least biblical of read
ers. JBulaam, a?ain. demands seven
altars, and, lor victims, seven bullocks
and seven rams. Seven years did Jacob
serve for Rachel; and seven tlmos, in
his nervous apprehension, he bows him
self before the outraged Esau. Nebu
chadnezzar's furnaoo was heated "one
s ven times more than it was wont to
be heated" for the fAithful three. Seven
priests with seven trumpets marched
round the doomed Jericho. Seven times
did Elijah's servant look, at his master' 9
bidding, seawatd. Seven was the
chosen number of deacons. The very
first chapter in the Book of Revelation
introduces us to the Seven Churches oi
Asia, the golden candlesticks and the
eeven stars; and throughout the book
the same numerical identity is con*
s antly meeting us The Bible, in
short, in both Old and New Testaments,
and in Apocrypha to boot, is full of slm
i'ar Instances: flora the seven "of every
clean beast" taken Into the ark to the
sluggard who Is wiser in his own con
ceit than "seven men that can render a
ro son. " from Jetli o's seven daughters
to Sceva's seven sons.
Trapped by lllfltnnrck.
Two ill-mannered Livonian ladies
were once seated at a table d'hote din
ner in a German hotel, and, feeling
confident that no one else at the tabln
was acquainted with the Livonian
tongue, they convers 'd quite freely,
< rit clsing iheir neighbors. Bismarck
happen©l to bo stated opposite to them,
and ho soon became aware that he was
the special • bjeot of the r attention; he
knew that they we e speaking Livonian.
Among his friends at the university had
been Count Kaiserlingk, of Livonia,
from wh m lie had picked up a few
words of h s native tongue, to which he
had added throe or four more when he
was once making a hasty trip through
1 1 von la. Turning to a gentleman be
side him, he said in a low tone: "If you
hear mo speak to you in a language
which you do not understand, express
no . u prise, but just hand mo a key."
'J he gentleman nodded in assent. Des
sert was now on the table, and, hav ng
appeased their appetite, the Livonian
ladies were lalklng and laughing more
recklessly than ever, when suddenly
they heard the grim-looking gentleman
who was seated opposite to them say to
his neighbor in Livonian, "Dodh man to
Azkle,' which, being interpreted,
means, "Give mo tho key." This was
too much for them, and without waiting
to see whether the key was given or
not, they rose from the table and fled
from the room.
To M ikf Cloth Waterproof.
Ordinary cloth may be made water
proof by tho following treatment: Put.
half a found of sugar of lead and half a
I mind of alum in n pall of water; stli
(Ida nt intervals until It becomes clean,
then | our It off Into another pall, put
the i loth or garments Into it, and let it
s'andan • ntlro day—twenty-four hours.
Tht n hang up to dry without wringing.
Garments tro tod thus, it Is said, osn
l>e worn in the wildest storm of wind
ami ran without I lie water gett ng even
dump. Tho rain hangs In globules up
on the clo'h and cloth that is water-
I roof is bettor and more healthy than
i übf cr goods.
•|: P'ln'n VHfft Conl Supply.
Forogri ulturlsts tho Japanese island
of lezo, though nearly the slzo of Ire
land, does not appear to offer much at
tin tlon, but its IOUI mines seem likely
to prove of more and more Importance.
Fifteen ycais ago It was estimated by
the American engineers who made tho
firs, surveys tor the Government that
the workable coal beds of Vozo con
tained 1 to,000,!)!!!, All!) tons, or about
tw i-thirds as mu -h as the coal fields ol
Great Britain. This startling estimate
lias just been more than confirmed by
tho ifiiclal government surveys.
ri.iytlitny* on a Univ..
In the cemetery at Marietta. Ga.,
there is an infant's grave that attracts
attention of visitors to that place.
The. e Is no headstone, but resting on
top of the g'ave is a glass box contaln
ing the playthings the little one had
before its death. There are dolls, rub
ber and ihina, rubber tall, rattler,
china cup and other toys. On the sides
of the grave are three bottles of medi
cine, that which was In use, presum
ably, during its last sickness.