Both Germany and Great Britain are at their old tricks again, attempt ing to find some excuse for barring out American agricultural products. The competition is such that it hurts. Three autograph letters by Queen Victoria round their way recently into a London auction room. No special attention had been called to them, and, as a consequence, little or no competition took place. One, a letter to the King of Holland, was bought for $35; one to the Duches9 of Nemours, sl2, and the third only $L Baron von Riclitkoven says that at the present rate of consumption the ■world could draw its supplies of coal from southern Shensi alone for over a thousand years; and yet, in the very place referred to, it is not uncommon to find the Chinese storing up wood and millet-stalks for their firing in winter, while coal in untold quantities lies ready for use beneath their feet. Abyssinia is likely to be conquered peacefully by Italy, as over four thou sand soldiers taken prisoners by Men el ek are said to have settled in the conntry, refusing to go home. Mean while, their families are petitioning the Government either to get hack the men who disappeared after Adaua or to declare them dead officially, so that their affairs in Italy may be settled. In accordance with a treaty between the Japanese and,the Mexican Govern ments, ratified last year, Count Eno moto, ex-Minister of Agriculture and a wealthy Japanese landowner, has purchased 100,000 acres of land in Mexico, adjacent to the port of San Bonito. It is proposed to establish a Japanese colony there, and the enter prise is receiving the support of the Japanese Government. The entire acreage will be devoted to the cultiva tion of coffee. A line of steamships ■will be established between San Fran cisco and Acapulco, to connect with the new Japanese transpacific line. It has fallen to few literary per sons to receive such a letter as that krhich was sent to Mr. George Mere dith the other day on the occasion of his seventieth birthday, observes the New York Sun. "You have attained," said the signers of the document, "the first rank in literature after many years *)f inadequate recognition. From first to last you have been true to yourself and havo always aimed at the highest mark. We are rejoiced to know that merits once perceived by only a few are now appreciated by a wide and steadily growing circle. We wish you many years of life, during which you (may continue to do good work, cheered by the consciousness of good work al ready achieved and encouraged by the certainty of a hearty welcome from many sympathetic readers." This re markable letter was signed by every man and woman at present prominent in the English world of letters. The Baltimore Sun observes: Ths destruction of the Maine—a vessel costing $2,500,000 —by an explosion, raises the question of the wisdom of putting two and a half millions in one ship. If we aro not to take the offen sive at sea, why should we build ves sels of great size and cost? Smaller vessels costing not over $500,000 would be ample for harbor defense. The torpedo boat is cheap aud efficient for local defense. The torpedo boat de stroyer, which is eomewat larger, is vastly more efficient, and Admiral Coulomb, of the British navy, declares that it is the naval vessel of the future and will drive tho hugo battle ships and cruisers from tho seas. He makes the point that over twenty such boats may he built for the money that one battle ship costs, and economy and good sense call for tho abandonment of large battle ships and cruisers. It is unwise, he argues, to put all one's eg.53 in ono basket. Tho largest ship may he sunk by one torpedo, such as a small torpedo boat or "destroyer" may eject from her "tubes." Tho ordinary typo of torpedo is a long metallic cylinder, cigar-shaped, hav ing at its front end a jicrcussion cap and load of gun cotton and in its rear •ml] a reservoir of compressed air, which acts on its screw propellers to propel the whole through the water at high speed toward the enemy's vessel. It is commonly ejected by means of compressed air—sometimes by explo sives—from a tube in the how, side or stern of a ship, above or below water. The ship or torpedo boat is so turned that one of its "tubes" will bear on tho enemy's vessel and at that mo ment the torpado is ejected. The torpedo strikes the enemy's hull un der water and a single hit is sufficient to sink a $5,000,000 battle ship. The enemy's means of defense is to destroy Vho torpedo boat by rapid-firo guns before it can get within torpedo range, vhicli is not very great. THE AFTER TIME. O, lot ua he {Had that only the earth Beneath us lies frozen and cold; That still the days find beautiful birth. Through orient gates of gold; That still above U9 the fathomless blue, O'erarches the dazzling light; That still the stars shine tender and true. Through the infinite depths of night. | THE LOST LOUIS. I Sji By WILLIAM SAGE. ""HI"—*HE colonel, the pro i fessor and young / ffl Jack Hawley were sea * ei i around the v(iuMi£sBpoMl toble in a hay win dow of the club 'S- v dining-room, over j their after-dinner S. J The dinner had 5 been excellent, and N* the old colonel, as J the guest of the evening, was feel- S ing particularly genial, as he drew a handful of change from out his trousers' pocket in order to reward the attentions of the waiter. As he did so the quick eye of the professor took note of a silver piece considerably larger than a dollar. "That's a curious coin, colonel," he remarked, leaning forward over the table. "That's a Louis," said the colonel, pickiug it out from the other coins in his hand and passing it over to the professor. "I always imagined that a 'Louis' was a gold piece," remarked young Jack Hawley. "They are generally gold," replied the colonel; "but evidently some sil ver Louis were coined, for here is one." "I have never seen nor heard of one before," said the professor, looking with interest at the large, clumsy coin, with the heavy countenance of Louis XVI., and under it the date 1776. "I suppose this must be both rare and valuable." "I prize it more highly because of the wonderful coincidence connected with it," replied the colonel. "Let's hear it," said young Hawley. "Well," when I was a lad," began the colonel, leaning hack in his chair and lighting a cigar. "Such a long time ago that your grandfather, Jack, was at school at the time and the pro fessor's father was probably wearing kilts." "Oh, hardly as long as that," inter rupted the professor, laughing, "I'm over forty-six myself; you'll make make yourself eighty at that rate." "Well, that would not he so far out of the way; I was seventy-four last month." And the old colonel stroked his white goatee complacently, for he did not look a day over sixty-five. "It was when I was a youth of eighteen, working in a jeweler's shop in Boston, that this coin first came into my pos session. At that time, as you know, a great many Spanish, Mexican and French coins were in circulation in this country, and I took this one in my wages. The face of the unfortun ate French monarch rather took my fancy, and I kept it for a pocket piece. But before I go any further I want to ask whether either of you geutlemeu Bee any marked peculiarity about this coin?" And the colonel tossed it upon the table. The professor examined it closely. "I notice that it hears the date of American independence," he said. "Well, that's hardly a peculiarity. There were doubtless others minted in the same year." "I don't see anything else." The colonel smiled. "Well, there is, and I'll lot you endeavor to find it out while I tell you the history. "In the year 1815 I went to Mex ico. Silver mining was what I went there for, but I did about everything before I left the country, and ended by going into Taylor's army when the war broke out. "One day I was seated in a gaming house at Saltillo. Oh, I was wild enough in those days, Jack Hawley, and hardly a week passed that Have Cranston and Pedro Blanco (they were my two partners), and I did not come into town for a little game of 'brisca.' "Well, 011 this day—ever to he remembered by me as the last tune I sat down to a game of chance where the stakes were money"—here the colonel took a long pull at his cigar and expelled the smoke slowly—"I was having a particularly hard run of luck and lost so rapidly that in le3s than an hour after first sitting down T was cleaued out. I had not had nearly enough excitement for my money, and wanted badly to keep 011 playing. Searching all my pockets in the hope of finding a stray coin I drew out this Louis, which I had carried for over four years. The thonght at once flashed through my mind that per haps on this piece my lnck would change, and I might retrieve my shat tered fortunes. So I tossed it on the table and took another hand at the game.'" "And not only won hack your los ings, but such a large sum iu addition that yon wisely resolved never to tempt your luck again," interrupted young Hawley. "Inside of five minutes," said the colonel impressively, "I arose from that table, having lost this piece and everything of value that I possessed, down to the silver mounting on my horse's bridle, and I would have staked the horse himself had not Dave Cranston and Pedro drngged mo awny from the table, and putting me on the animal's back, rode off with me be- O, let us be glad that only the snow Lies white as n winding sheet: That the heart of the earth has warmth and glow, And strongly her life-pulses beat; That soon shall her fires awaken and sot Each nerve of nature a-tbrlll, And brimming with beauty the earth shall forget That long she lay silent and chill. —Dart Fairthorne, in Vlck's Magazine. tween them to our enmp. I'm not go ing to read yon a lecture on the im morality of gambling, young Hawley, nor lengthen out this story with an ac count of my life in Mexico. Suffice it to say that I kept my resolution in re gard to gaming, and whatever fortune I havo made was not amassed in Mex ican mines." "I suppose you got this piece back by purchasing it from the winner," remarked the professor, dropping it on the table and putting down his ear to listen to the ring. "To my great chagrin he left Sal tillo that same afternoon, and I never set eyes on him again." "Indeed! Then how in the world did you regain possession of it?" "Forty years later," said col onel slowly. "Phew," whistled young Hawley, under his breath. "I was sojourning for a few days in a small town in Southern Spain. Passing through a narrow street one afternoon on my way back to the hotel, I chanced to stop, as any one might, to look into the window of a dealer iu curios, and the first object that caught my eye was this identical coin. Now, I know that this sounds incredible. I, myself, at first thought it was merely a coin of the same de nomination and date, but imagine my surprise when, upon going in and ex amining it closely I discovered that it was the very same Louis that I had lost at play in Saltillo so many years ago. I gladly paid the shopkeeper six pesos for it, aud I have carried it in my pocket ever since." Here the colonel stopped. "Is that all?" inquired young Hawley. "That is all, except that I will now proceed to show you " "Will you permit me to take a look at the coin?" The sjieaker who inter rupted them had risen from a table in the adjoining alcove and now stood at the professor's elbow. He looked some years older than the colonel, his hair was white and he leaned upon a heavy cane, one leg being decidedly lame, "I'm Major Tracer; I overheard part of your conversation as I sat at my table there, and I was so interested that I could not refrain from coming over aud, at the risk of intruding, tak ing a part in it." "No intrusion at all, sir. One old soldier is always glad to make the acquaintance of another, aud your name, major, is known to every veter an of the Mexican War. Permit ma to introduce my frieuds, Professor Langton aud Mr. Hawley." "The colonel has just been enter taining us with a remarkable account of the loss and subsequent recovery of this piece of money," said the pro fessor, handing the coin to the major. "Seventeen seventy-six—the same date," said the major half to himself. Then putting the coin on the table he took up a fruit knife aud, placing the dull point exactly over the letter "O" in the word Louis, a hair's breadth from the edge, he gave a sharp, quick pressure and the face of the coin flew open as though on a spring. With an exclamation of surprise the professor took it and inspected it closely. Some skilled workman had cut it open all around the milled edge aud fitted a spring inside, just under the letter "O." So nicely had the work been done that whou closed it was not ap parent to the naked eye. When opened, it was seen that a groove had been hollowed through the inside about an inch and a half long and one eighth of an inch wide. "By all the powers, how comes it that you knew thai secret?" cried the colonel, dumbfounded, as the major threw the fruit knife back 011 the table. Without answering the question di rectly, tho major took the other old soldier by tlio hand and, looking into his eyes with a pecnliar expression 011 his face, asked: "Were you tho man who did that delicate piece ofmechaui cal work?" "I was." "Tell me what 011 earth induced you to do it?" "For tho life of mo I can't say. What induces people to make baskets out of cherry pits, lockets out of hair and tho thousnud and one little gim cracks that are always being made? I was a skillful workman, nud in an idle hour I took up this coin, cut it open aud fitted it with a spring. There is just 0110 way to open it. You must have had the piece iu your possession at one time and stumbled upon the secret. I put something iu that cavity in the centre—did you take it out?" "I did." The major drew up a chair and stretched his stiff leg out under the table comfortably. "In 1847," ho began, looking fixedly at the colonel, "I was also in Mexico." The colonel nodded and handed the major a cigar. "Thanks. I was with Scott at Vera Cruz." "And I," said the colonel, giving him a light, "was with Taylor in the northern part of the country." "Having lived iu Mexico for a nrmber of years previous to the war," continued the major, lighting his cigar, "and speaking the language of the country, I was more valuable in the secret service than is the field, so I was," here he puffed on the cigar for a few seconds to get it well lighted "a scout." "I understand," and the colonel nodded again. "The American army took up quar ters at Jalapa, where I left them and made a detour towards the south, to discover a suitable route by which our forces could approach the City of Mexico, and avoid the fortifications and ambuscades which General Santa Anna had provided for their reception. I had been most successful, and had reached Molino del Key, a small town almost in the shedow of the walls of Mexico City, when I was captured by the Mexicans and thrown into the jail to await trial as a spy. Imagine my despair. I had every inch of the ground from Jalapa carefully photo graphed in my brain. Could furnish Scott with information of the greatest importance, and here I was jugged in that little, miserable Mexican jail with every prospect of being condemned to death, and no possible way of getting any part of my valuable information to the ears of the general. "You will, of course, surmise that the first thing I had done on being left alone in my cell was to examine every avenue of possible escape. My room was ten by twelve. There was in it a table, one chair and a pallet of straw. One small iron barred win dow, looking out on the prison yard beneath, furnished what light there was. The bars were half an inch in diameter, and firmly set in the masonry. Using all my strength I could not budge them. I was not, however, kept long in suspense. On the afternoon of the second day I was taken out, tried, found guilty, and condemned to be shot at sunrise on the day following—that is, within fif teen hours. "On my return to the hot, badly aired cell with the stunning effect of my sentence benumbing my brain, I sat listlessly down by the table and allowed my head to rest in the hollow of my hands. My attitude of dejec tion appealed to the sergeant who brought me in, for placing his hand on my shoulder he asked if there was nothing ho could do for me. I shook my head. 'There are some very nice grapes in the market place outside,' he said persuasively. The sound of the word 'grapes' recalled to my mind how parched the roof of my mouth was, so I thanked him, and said I should enjoy a few. I handed him a half eagle, which my captors had overlooked when they took everything else of value from me. In less than five minutes he was back with a basket of delicious-looking fruit, which he placed on the table at my elbow, and offered me the change. I motioned him to keep it, saying that he could spend it to better advantage than I. He pocketed it with an expression on his countenance intending to denote commiseration, but he was such a happy, smiling-faced fellow that the effect was rather comical. As he was putting the change in his pocket one of the larger coins slipped through his fingers and striking the floor on its edge it circled about the room aud ended by nestling on the straw at my feet. Actuated by a feeling of deli cacy the sergeant withdrew without stooping to pick it up, and hardly noticing the occurrence I remained seated at the table. After a short time I pulled myself together enough to eat some grapes, aud then com menced to write a few lines to my friends at home in the hopes that through the kindness of my jailer, who had also furnished mo with paper aud pencil,they wculd some day reach the hands for whom they were in tended. As I finished writing my eye caught the glitter of the coin atniy feet. I picked it up aud tossed it onto the table before me. On looking at it closer I noticed that it was a French coin, with the head of Louis XVI. stamped upon it. This sent me off into another train of thought, and as I mused I tapped mechanically on the coin with the point of my pencil, thus," and the major illustrated the action with the fruit knife. "I must have struck a sharp, quick blow right over the letter O, for all of a sudden the face of the coin flew open nud out popped a little objoct that fell on the table with a tinkling sound. I took it between my thumb and finger, and going to the light could hardly believe my eyes when I saw that I held a tiny file about an inch and a half in length, with delicate sawteeth, which were al most invisible to the naked eye. The next moment I was standing on my stool at the window, experimenting on the iron bar. The little instrument was made of the hardest steel, aud its tiny teeth made some impression on the iron. For hr.lf an hour I worked away persistently, aud by that time I had cut into the bar a little. Not much, to be sure, but still enough to raiso my hopes. It was only a ques tion of time and not being interrupted, and I should be through thnt window. I worked away like a beaver. Twelve hours to saw through two half-inch bars. I had read of men who, with files made with watch-springs, had cut their way to liberty through iron bolts and bars, or with no other tool than the blade of of a penknife had dug through a dozen feet of stone anil mortar to the daylight beyond; but these men had taken weeks and mouths to complete their task, while I had just one short summer night. Nearly two hours passed thus when the faint twittering of a bird warned me of approaching day. I had not finished the first bar. I seemed to be making no progress at all now. Once the little file had slipped from my fingers and fallen to the floor, where I had been obliged to grope for it, and the constant fear lest it should slip again aud fall outside made me doubly cautions and slow. As the first streaks of red tinged the eastern sky the roll of the chum in the guardroom beneath told me that the sentries were about to be changed. Exerting all my strength I wrenched the bar free at the bottom and bent it inward and upward like a book. The aperture thus made was small, but still I might squeeze through. The remembrance how, as a boy, I used to crawl into our barn at home through a small window from which a pane of glass had been knocked, came to my mind encouragingly. Snatching up the pistol I pushed the table under the window, and, jumping upon it, began, feet first, to work myself through the hole. I was about the same size all the way up in those days"—here the major looked rather regretfully at Jthe pres ent generous proportions of his waist coat—"but when I had gotten half way through I stuck fast. Just at this moment I heard voices at the door and a key grate in the lock. They had some difficulty in unlocking it, for I had left the key in the lock on my side. Meanwhile I struggled valiantly, bnt the more I wriggled the tighter I seemed to get wedged in the window, and the blood surged up into my head with splitting violence. There I was, caught in my own trap, waving my legs about and striking them against the wall on the outside. "Thb key on my side of the door fell to the floor, and the key on the other side turned in the lock. I called out as menacingly as my lack of breath would permit: 'The first who enters will be shot dead.' Here I gave a tremendous squirm. 'I have overpowered the sentry (wriggle), and have his pistol.' The click of my weapon carried conviction with it, for the men in the corridor paused. By a superhuman effort I drew myself a little toward the inside of the room, and getting one arm outside, managed to slide out of the window. Here I hung by one arm from the bar, my shirt, having caught on the ragged stump of iron, prevented me for a moment from dropping to the yard beneath. A sentry on the prison wall spied me at this juncture and fired his musket. It was his last shot, for as his ball struck the mortar from the wall near me I raised my pistol and picked him off his perch. I let go my hold. There was a soft burr of ripping flannel, and I fell to the ground. I was upon my feet and over the wall like a oat. As I leaped a volley of shot followed me, and the soldiers poured out of the jail in pur suit. There were Borne horses tied in front of the postofiice opposite, and breaking the tether of one of them I was on his back and away up the street in a flash. It was only an eighth of a mile long. You know how these little Mexioan towns are built. Pandemon ium reigned there for about ten sec onds, and then I was off towards the mountains. A dozen men were after me in full chase, but they never came within shooting distance ngaiu. You see, I knew the country even better than they, having been scouting in it for weeks. I made my way back to our lines with all possible dispatch, avoid ing any encounter with the natives. Once, however, urged by hunger, I stopped at a small habitation for pro visions. Tho Mexican who lived there was not inclined to be curious, and gave me an abundance of food, so to pay him for his kindness I gave him this piece of money, which was all I had. "When I finally reached the Ameri con army I found that Scott had given up all idea of seeing me again, and was preparing to press forward to tho at tack. "On tho 18th of August our forces were shelling the City of Mexico from the very town of Molino del Key, and on the 19th we took the city itself by assault. • "I wanted to have a hand at whip ping Santa Anna, so took part in the charge and received a wound in the leg which resulted in this." The major stuck out his left leg from un der the table. "Cork, sir! "That, gentlemen, is howl come to know how to open this remarkable coin." Then drawing a fat wallet from his inside vest pocket he fished out from its recesses something folded in what had once been white paper, now dark with age. Unwrapping it he disclosed a tiny file, with delicate saw-teeth. Fitting tho file into the cavity in the coin he handed it to the colonel, say ing, ns he did so: "Allow me to re store to you all your property." But the latter refused it. "No, major, I think it should belong to you." "Well, I should like to keep it as a memento, but in turn yon must permit me to celebrate my first meeting with the man to whom I am so deeply indebted, by ordering a bottle of champagne." "With all my heart," said the genial colonel. "And now," continued the major, after the arrival of the wine, as he filled the glasses around, "I want to ask you again: What induced you to put a file, of all things, into the contre of that coin after cutting it open?" "And I can only say," replied the colonel, "that it was because that lit tle file happened to be lying on my work table near a* hand. It was the merest chance." "It was a lucky chance for me," said the major, devoutly, as he raised his glass, "otherwise I should not have had the pleasure of drinking your very good health to-day."—Short Stories. Foggier Titan London. Esquiiiialt is tho only place in the British empire, according to a recent climatologicul report, that exceeds London in cloudiness. Esquimalt is also the dampest place in the empire, while Adelaide, in Australia, is the dryest. Ceylon is the hottest, and Northwest Canada the coldest pos session that the flag of England floats over. The loftiest active volcanfi is Coto* paxi. It is 18,880 feet high, and its last great eruption was in 1855. IBlcvcle Taps Meainm. The latest trinket for a bicycle wo man is a tape measure. The silken tape is inclosed in a little brass disk. A bicycle about half an inch high, but perfectly made, with rubber tires, etc., surmounts this pedestal. When one wishes to wind'upthe tape, the bicycle is twisted round and round, and the tape flies back to its reel. The First Woman Aeronaut. The first American woman aeronaut, Mrs. Lucretia B. Hubbell of Norwich, Conn., is still living, and has a thrill ing story to tell of her adventure at Easton, Penu., forty-three years ago, witnessed by several thousand people. Mrs. Hubbell was then unmarried, and n lecturer on phrenology. She de cided on an aerial flight "for pleasure and expansion of the lungs," to say nothing of a good advertisement. The balloon was a fine and large one of silk, and shot up so rapidly into the cold air that the aeronaut's hands were benumbed. While she was opening the bags of ballast with her teeth the balloon burst. By a strange chance the fragments formed a perfect parachute and drifted eleven miles further, landing with a hard bump in a New Jersey clover field. The dar ing young woman escaped without a scratch and had an immense audience at her lecture that night. Children of Fusltlon. For the children the world of fash ion has pretty blouse front in reefers. The full front with the short skirt below the waist, which is belted in, suggests a "cut-to-short" appearance if shown off the form, but when ad justed it assumes a natty air and ought to become popular. "Princess of Wales" is the name given to a little girl's suit made of red serge. This also has the blouse waist, although one-half of the front shows a pure white lawn tucked guimpe. Another frock designed for an out ing suit is made of blue serge with a full blouse waist; the front is inlaid with plaits of white broadcloth. The revers are also of the white cloth, but are embroidered in blue stars, which makes it truly a costume for the sea shore. Quaker-gray serge servos to fashion most acceptably a child's frock. Cream broadcloth!lined with silver braid decorates the bodice, which is the prevailing blouse mode. There is an attempt to revive silver and gilt braid as a mode of ornamentation. The skirt falls in overlapping folds and is attached to the bodice by a sash of white broadcloth, which is fringed and braided with silver cord. The shimmer of silver and gray is very soft and pretty. Empress a Samaritan. No publio character in all Germany is half so popular nnd none so genu inely beloved as the Empress. While the Kaiser is mapping out elaborate plans of warfare or designing new bat tle ships, his royal wife is visiting the homes of the sick and poor. She is a real flesh-and-blood saint to thousands of Germany's poor families. The Kaiser is too busy to think of the welfare, physical or mental, of his people. He is a-brim with schemes for killing men and capturing nations; the Empress is absorbed with plans for relieving the destitute and dying. She cares very little for the pomp of court or the military pageants in which her fiery othor half finds so much to amuse him. She is first a wifo and mother, then a queen. Tales of the Empress visiting incog families of whose poverty she had heard, but could not believe, are told 011 all sides in Berlin nnd other largo cities of "The Fatherland." The Empress has spent thousands out of her private purse to make happy the homes of her unfortunate subjects. Unknown to her, she was photo graphed by a member of tho royal household during ouo of her recent errands of mercy. The pioture has been suppressed by tho Kaiser and no explanations givonof his action.—New York Journal. Why n Woman Can't Drive a Null. Dr. I. N. Love, a St. Louis physi cian, expresses his sentiments regard ing women as nail drivers as follows: "Nature never intended that women should drive nails, but that they should have husbauds to attend to such work for them. Women are to bo housekeepers; not house builders. Thoy are too emotional. That is as a rule, they are deficient in all things mechanical. When a woman is of a mathematical tnrn of mind it is an argument that her brain is more masculine than feminine. "Woman is anything but practical. From childhood her training is all in another direction. For this reason it is rarely wo see a woman who can drive a nail without great effort or probable injury to heivtelf. The at tempt almost invariably ends in a bruised finger. The very fact that she cannot drive a nail is prima facie evidence that she is a womanly woman. "Man can acquire the ability to adapt himself to any condition by which he may be confronted. Most women, I believe, are deficient in this respect, but there is no telling what energies, mental and physical, she might not bring to bear in case of emergency if she were thrown wholly upon her own resources. "But one thing is certain. What ever may come, lroman will never be able to adapt herself to conditions as gracefully as man. She must be able to control her emotional centres; ami the power of control does not rest en tirely with her intellectual Belf. It is something higher—something which can hardly be explained."—St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Gossip. Japanese women take a three years* course in arranging flowers. In Venice ladies wear glass bonnets and Paris has caught tho craze. Little live tortoise studded with jewels and fastened to the bodice by a gold chain are the latest Paris craze. It is understood in Washington that Mme. Pak Ye, wife of the Korean Minister, has expressed herself as be ing converted to Christianity and is desirous of espousing the faith. An interesting dispute between the Oswestry guardians and the Local Government Board in London as to the legality of the appointment of a woman as relieving officer has ended in favor of the guardians. Women in France have just secured a slight addition to their legal rights. They may henceforth be valid wit nesses to registration of births, mar riages and deaths and to the signa tures in legal documents. There is a Chicago nurse who may be called very lucky. Her name is Mrs. Minnie Haughawout. She nursed a rich New Orleans man through a dangerous illness and he gave her 840,000 for doing it. Miss Kosa Leech, the young lowa school teacher who some time ago at tracted considerable attention by set ting in motion a "chain" for collecting pennies to pay for her college educa tion, has now received enough money to study abroad. Mrs. Draper, the wife of the Ameri can Ambassador at the Italian Court, uses at her formal dinners a gold table service which was used by her father, William M. Preston, of Ken tucky, when ho was Minister to Spain many years ago, Tho Queen of Eoumania, more poetically known as "Carmen Sylvo," is probably the only living author who has written books in four languages. Sho can write fluently and correctly in Boumauiau, French, German and Swedish, and has an adequate knowl edge of English und Italian. Lady Craven, the daughter' of tho Bradley-Martins, has just had pub lished for private circulation a book dealing with English and American society, especially with their methods and diil'erences of etiquette. She is rapidly acquiring the reputation of being a clever young woman. Caroline Bartlett Crane is a young womnn who for ten years has devoted herself to the pastorate of tho Peo ple's Church at Kalamazoo, Mich. She has been well-known under the title of the Bev. Miss Crane. Be cently she was married, and, it is said, is now purposing to take up the study of sociology at the Chicago University. A number of important duties are fulfilled by Mrs. Estelle Beel, State Superintendent of Public Instruction for Wyoming, and president of the State Land Board. She is'also secre tary of the Wyoming Board of Chari ties, and recently made an arrange ment with the Colorado Stato Home, at Pueblo, to take charge of Wyom ing's feeble-minded children. Fashion Notes. Beautiful evening capes of satin in opera shades are covered with narrow alternating rutlles of white lace and black mousseline. Pretty satin waists for evening wear are covered with alternate ruches of jet and mousseline bands, embroidered in black silk and small jet beads. Novel designs in girdles and chate laines are shown among the new gold and silver ornaments. The Cleopatra < giidles are set with real gems and their price is excessively high. Leather caps, hats and leggings for little boys are much seen and give serviceable wear. The leather is usu ally in tan and brown shads, though black, dark blue and dark green may be had. Black is exceedingly popular for millinery, blouses, street gowns and wraps. A handsome black net gown seen recently was trimmed elaborately with jet. a beautiful jet fringe ten inches deep falling from the waist line from a narrow black velvet belt. Apart from its usefulness, an artis tically constructed silver chatelaine makes an effective break in the plain ness of the dress skirt, more espe cially when it is tailor-made. The genuine solid silver chatelaines worn at tho waist of women in feudal times are heirlooms greatly prized, seldom seen and really beyond prioe. Oxidized metal, whioh at first gives one an impression of silver work of very antique design, soon gets rubbed and the good effect is destroyed, so that nickel silver chatelaines, which pretend to be nothing but the honest articles they are, are largely sold in place of oxidized goods. Occasional cleaning with whiting will keep nickel bright and the attachments, whilo loss fanciful, are certainly stronger and therefore more likely to stand the wear and tear of frequent US'
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers