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 "•s^ia?.! rs tation. lal Reserve] SSOCIATK ::io3t rrosperons open worla-desirea active «. â- ent D, posit, and nnde/a^ iOiKite.t. Address "WELLS, General Mamip, King Street Eagt, To, ' • bTrthdaI itiful Imported BirthdayCiH aby whose mother will send i two or more other babies, udl addresses Also a handaomil re Sample Card to the doU uable information. bardaor. 4k Co., Kg IDE ST. e.. TORONTO. ework. Mfrs.ofPrintets'L rniture. Send tor prices, mOM ONT up,fi.rFo« IS 8- UMPTIOI edy for the above dlscam brlHl !â- Â» worst kind and of loodtalldll leed. BO stronic Is my Utilll 'i 1 WO BOTTLES FSSB, tontk. RRi' "SE on thla dlieut U lal «n.l p. o. «()rtre»». I T. A. SLOCT'!, I 377ongeSt.,Toniti| BROi JB XKCOBTXI' your threshing d« he Celebrated HH e SFiMRATOR. LOST. For cl« and fast work it| lit a rival. TheWH I' is the most po|i para tor among i rs and thresher lada, and uritb II Portable or« raotion Engine yij te " Team." r jR £ARIii* â€" "" strated Gatalopi' IS, MannfgCij PTON, ONT. er' f 'ILL DEAL*' rNTON," MMOTH," mmsm NY, O.T*" WINNir** ORDER OF THE LEAGUE jjasn^swfiat"wrf. f' "f^n^XJtK " JS'TISOD. 2iC. on Maxwell' "Do not e»1 CHAPTER XVL bv conflicting emotions and "'thousand hopes and fears. Max ^y 7 on Iiis journey to Rome. At set ofli' ^^ ^^ determined to commit rusted to time and his own rims. '" 'hg^. him a way out of the ^tlv which lay before him. All P'i^fmiiar country he paaaed through k)W '*°' est him now he saw nothing r n fate before his eyes and the r] r\tv wliic" had once been a place of P 1 delight to him, now looked to pO' *°J f^^cy like a tomb, every broken r^^'ivencing finger, and every fractur- Kn a Bolenm warning, could scorn. Ti v-*^***^***"** to 1. 17 lo°« » ^ve. I should sue for her protection, and wherever she may be she would come to me. Even now. tf she comes to Rome, see her if you can and lav youjr caaei t^tre her." 7 Aadshield myseU behind a woman 1 Ihat does not sound like the chivalrous Viwi of old. She is only a woman, after "One in a million," Visci answered calm- ly. "If she holds out her right hand to you, ding to it as a drowning desperate man does to a rock it is your only chance of salvation. And now it is late. I must go. " Despite his own better sense. Maxwell ht when he arrived and secured began to dwell upon the fact of gaining as- |«a5nig^"'^^--^j^^^j^^g jjg jjg_,2 occupied t""" '.l;,.vs. the happiest time in his student days as every ornament re- sistance from the mysterious Isodore. At meetings of the League in London, he had heard her name mentioned, and always with the utmost reverence and affection. If she could not absolutely relieve him from his .„^ ^. â€" â€" â€" undertaking, she could at anyrate shield op-iressive to hiiii so he put on him from non-compliance with the mandate. **' Iked out into the streets all Full of these cheerful thoughts, he fell L^-Tiie;it; voice or that forgotten me- r I 1) rill'"' in some corner of his brain. "Iwwtuotbins; the very air of the id v.-ai I th the citizens taking their evening asleep. ' „,,,. ^vith li«ht laughter over flirta- j He found his friend the following morn- 'nd cigarette smoke. He wandered long mg quite cheerful, but in the dayUght the f olar that it was late when he re- 1 ravages of disease were painfully apparent. "'i^d there, lying on the table, was a The dark rings under the eyes and the thin t, bearing the device of the ' features bespoke nights of racking pain and tIip corner two crossed daggers. I broken rest. led, and in t" ViscI noticed this and smiled gently. 'SomQ^ .J as he opened it, knowing full r h^oacket contained the tiated "ins true- 1**1 os, I have changed," he said. _. "us thev v^ere galled. He tofG them times after a bad nighty 1 hatdly know my- ' ad them hastily, and then looked j self. It ia cruel, weafy work lying awake f l\e window up to the silent stars. And ' ho«r after hour fighting with the grim King. " V'5c'i his old friend Carlo Visct, he^Bat I have been singularly free from pain hereâ€" to murder The whole thing lately, and I am looking much better than I 1 like a ghastly dream. Visci, the have been." end man ever had Viaci, the 1 " There might be a chance yet," Maxwell crenius, whose purse was ever replied with a cheerfulness wholly assumed, Tfor a fellow-creature in Max- fcst iri' lilsarae L'had satat his table times out of num the student who was in his secrets Imaawhohad saved. his life, snatched ifrom the very jiws of deathâ€" from the low waters of the Tiber. And this was fmend he was going to stab in the back ledark night A party of noisy, light- jjted students passed down the street, English voices amongst them, coming ^elv to Maxwell's ears, as he sat there feini on the fatal document, staring him lihe'face from the table. 'Ettn, Brute!'" Maxwell looked up swiftly. And there, 1 one trembling forefinger pointing to 1 documents, stood the figure of a man iia look of infinite sorrow on his face, as leazed mournfully down upon the table. Vwas young â€" not more than thirty, per- i his aquiline features bore the [rks of much physical suffering. The-e e something like tears in his eyes now. 'Carlo is it possible it is you?" **- 1 cried, springing to his feet. "Yes, Fred, it is I, Carlo Visci, who Jids before you. We are well met, old lend you have not far to seek to do your Wing now. Strike while I look the Eerway, for it is your task, I know." f'As there is a heaven above us, no 1" jwell faltered, " Never, my friend Do think I would have come for this Lis- nto me, Visci. You evidently know why J here buS sure as I am a man, never Lu my hand bo the one to do you hurt. Jhave sworn it I" " I had expected something like this," lisci replied mournfully. " Yes, I know Ihy you come. You had best comply with ly request. It would be a kindness to me kill me, as I stand here now." "Visci, I swear to you that when I join- ith« Brotherhood, I was in the blackest [jocanoe of its secret workings. When I las chosen for this mission, I did not even fcmjffehend what I had to do. Thoa they ild me Visci was a traitor. Even then I pd not know it was you. Standing there 1 tie rooE, I swore never to harm a iiair of Iwhead^ and, heaven help me, I never " Yes, I am a traitor, Uk« yoa,^' Visci iled mwirnfully. " Like you, I was de- ei^ed by claptrap talk of liberty and free- (w; like you, I was allotted to take ven- iBce oa a traitor and like you, I refus- Better the secret dagger than the crime i fratricide upon one's soul 1" "FratEcide I do not un^rstand. " " I do not understand either, Frederick, p man I was detailed to m«eder â€" for it is «lseâ€" is my only brother. â€" You *it But the League does not oocnten- [loe relutionships. Flesh and blood and Ml paltry ties are no thins; t« the f rieods of Pwty, who are at heart the sternest tyrants V»t ever the mouth of man execrated. â€" But PMt brings you here aou ean haive only "« object in coming here. I have told you 'aore it would be a kindness to eni my utence."' 'Bat why And yet, when I conae to pt at yot again, you have ehaaged." I ' li^^e changed," Visei edioed mo«m- fully-." changed in mind and body. My F«t IS affected, diseased beyond all t«pe remedy, i may die now, at any moment iciMot live four months." ,^ij«y sat down together, and Ml to dss- Ij?" *li times when they were hapf^^ l^fejew studeiits together, and Maxwell did leni I ** ^°^^^ ^^^ painful breathing utd lie-- u^" «pa8m8 of his friend, altered I »' beyond r-ecognition from the gfdlant j'f'i of other days? I- '^ilvarini advised need the man and thinking that this " looking better" was U â€" â€" ..=»- me to come here. |(fi ° f'?*'"'jer him he claims to be a true I., ?1 of yoara' Maxwell observed at length- ud it would gain time, and enable line* j^ ""y plans.â€" But tell me how you I'rtiTed"^** "1 Rome. I have only just liind^^n^ */" warning. It came from ' he '.y^^odore herself. ' »ili)oir»*J[*i^®*'"' ^^^^ of lier she seems IXe^U ^^^ thought she was too tminsei ^i^er to give you such friendly I *e is vo, u ^°^ ^^er seen her I hear r-*leW^'i^ ' *^® «**" I «"« told, and a '««n of t h %°™*° **^- S^e is a sort of ""fetwell ^^g^e; but she uses her ^* has a M r*' '"'g '^^ ^^^ side of mercy. »U Woman' 7' "^^P""^* saysâ€" the old story '^- PoorTi'^^"^^^ess and a man's de- " And sK' • ^«" " 'o led of roses 1" 1 **' 8ked K "' " yo^r guard ?» Max- ^ina»«-, '"®» t^ere must be some 1^"^4S ""**' though I cannot ' to 8e.T.- y, "ke your picture. I should ..t T«lier, *»Qoidd i?*»y davf ^Trised « you did be- ^^a viola. '*°l,is the one to protect '^I'nee. With her sanction, yoa I the nearest approach to death be had ever seen. " An absence from Rome, a change of climate, has done wonders for people be- fore now." Visci shook his head. " Not when the main-sprintj of life is broken," he said " no human ingenuity, no miracle of surgery can mend that. Maxwell, if they had deferred their vengeance long, they would have been too late. Some inward monitor tolls me I shall fail them yet." "Y'ou will for me, Visci, you may depend upon that. Time is no object to me." " And if I should die and disappoint you of your revenge, how mad you would be " Visci laughed. " It is a dreadful tragedy to me it is a very serious thing for you and yet there is a comic ^de to it, as there is in all things. Ah me I cannot see the droll side of life as I used but when the bloodthirsty murderer sits down with his victim tete-a-tete, discussing the crime, there is something laughable in it after all." " I daresay there is," Maxwell answered grimly, " though I am dense enough not to notice it. To me, there is something hor- ribly, repulsively tragic about it, even to fciear you discussing death in that light way." " Familiarity breeds contempt. Is not that one of your English proverbs?" Visci said airily.â€" " But, my good Frederick," he continued, lowering his voice to a solemn key, "the white horseman will not find me unprepared, when he steals upon me, as he might at any moment. I am ready. I do not make a parade of ray religion, but I have tried to do what is right and honest and honourable. I have faced death so often, that I treat him lightly at times. But never tear that when he comes to me for the last tisae" Maxwell pressed his friend's hand in silent sympathy. " You always were a good fel- low, Visci," he said " and if this hour must come so speedily, tell me is there anything I can do 'for you when â€" when" " I am dead ' No reason to hesitate over the word. No Maxwell; my heuse is in order. I have no friends besides my brother and he, I hope, is far bqrond the vengeance ot the League now." "Then there is nothing I can do for you any way?" " No, I think not. But you are my prm- cipal care now your life is far more impor- tant than mine. I have written to Isodore, laying a statement of all the facte before her; and if she is the woman I take her for, she -is sure to lose no time in getting here. Once under her protection, you are safe; there will be no further cause for alarm. " " But Bt seems gather unmanly," Maxwell urged. "Unmanly!" echoed Visci soomfwUy. "What has manli»ese to do with fighting cowardly wndetti in the dark You must, you shall do it " he continued vehemently but the exertion wm too .much for him, and he swayod forward over the table as if he would falL PresMiay,^ a little colour crept into the pallid faee, and he continued: " You see even that is i»a much for me. Maxwell, if you contradict me and get me angry, my *blood wsU be upon your hsad after all. STow, do listen to reason. If my want of common-asnse hurts you «n.h Ao diat oertainly. But I do aot '^- :SlSCd'S^' H.Uy,ni..,y your ^es, IVed. Do not weep for me. Do notfowt Carlo Vimsi, when yon «» old 5? V \^f^ wheaymi niMkjiiMlp Genevieve TiJtf U'^S^^^r^^'^** "W friend Take hold of ny hand. Lrtae look in your honest f aoe «ioe more. It is not hai^ to die, Fred. TeU them that my last wordsâ€" â€" Jesu, mercy 1" "Speak to me. Carloâ€" «peak to me " Never again on this mde of the grave And so the noble-hearted Italian died and on the third day they buried him in a sbgle grave under the murmuring pines. No call to remain longer now. One last solitary evening ramble. Maxwell took out- side the city wall ere his departure. As he walked along wrapped in his own sad thoughte, he did not heed that his footeteps were being dogged. Then with a sudden mstmct of danger, he turned round. The feet that followed stopped. "Who is there?" he cried. A mufi3ed figure came towards him, and another stealthUy from bebind. A crash, a blow, a fierce struggle for a moment, a man's cry for help borne idly on the breeze, a mist rising before the eyes, a thousand stars dancing and tumbling, then deep, sleepy un- conscious'ness. (to be continued.) -^ SYMBOLS OP FATE. Profesalonal and Vwproresslonal Fortone Tellers. What to iearil/ The secrete of thexast, present or future. There is always some lucky hit lucky for the fortune teller. The most of people who have lived to any age have friends coming from a distance. Many have relatives who die and leave them fortunes. Young people are iisually in love with some one of the opposite sex who is either dark or fair, and a journey is immi- nent in nearly all conditions. Crossing the water may mean going over a ferry or a runninsr brook, as well as an ocean. But the mystic quality lies in the faust that the person telling all these things is an an- nounced seer â€" ^born with a caul, like David Copperfield, and having intimsCte relations with the world of futurity and the powers of mystery. No matter how ignorant of the civilizing influences of this life the inspired fortune- teller may be, how cheaply gotten up, or with what sordid circumstances environed, professors of all the sciences are willing to kneel at her feet to learn the secrets of the past, present and future, from her occult knowledge. A new mythology would be a boon to soci- ety in its present condition when every oody is looking for a sign. The crowing of a cock was an omen of ill to Peter. It heralds a visitor in those days as well as a change in the weather. If you drop the scissors, a fork or a pen, and the point sticks in the floor, somebody is coming. If your nose itehes you are going to kiss a fool. If your left hand tickles you will handle a sum of money. If the right hand, you will shake hands with a friend. If you first see a visitor in the looking- glass it is a sign of misfortune. Two dpoons signify a wedding ea-spoons are understood. But these signs of necromancy are as old as the doings of Macbeth's witches, whose weird incantetions are practiced to this day. Indeed, a Shakespeare fortune-telling book would not be a bad enterprise. It would five a higher tone to the soothsayer's art. t might be called " Easy Lessons in the Horation Philosophy" and serve as a text- book in supernatural lore, with a motto by the second witeh "By the prlckiDg ol my thumbs Sometbint; wick»l this way comes. " as much as that, oertainly. see how this mysterious princess can help me." "Listen to me. „«,„ .~. â€" Visci said solemnly. The^hTlaidrflhk achoines before the otlier â€"his elaborate plans for his friend s safety, designs whose pare saocifioe •€ such were absolutely touching. .„„• Maxwell began to take heart Main. « You are very good," he said gratefully, " to take all this infinite pains for me. " In a like straityou would do the same for me, Fred." _,_ "Yes," Maxwell answered simply. « How Salvarini's words come baek to me now! Do you remember, when I want^ to tiiow my insignia out of the window that evening the hast we aU spent to- '^^rLollect. It was 5«^o days^^e Uttle Genevieve disapi«»red,» V»e^answer- ed sadly.-" Do you ^^f^J^J^^VJ^^ discovered any trac.« °^ ^^[, °i bonder Poor child, poor Uttle girl I I wonaer "^t?eStpsT-'may "« her again some ^*?^"lt has long been my dearest wish but it wai rever bl f ulfiUed now. Kever you do see her once more, say tnat i As^tiil 'Lt words fell f rom ^e Iteli|m' vow FOB SniEMES BBDKB. •r lee* Beverages V»iM tte â- â-  Gontae^ioQS- " Laws, Mrs. Jupe, what a-ailin' Mistah Jupe?" " Po' man got de lockjaw." "Whew! Is it ketchin " "Oh, yes, indeed keteh it from rus'y nails an' sich." a Glean Breast of It " Old Lady (when she heard Making ' Softhearted tJie story and assisted applicant)â€" Dear me I Ah, poor man You must indeed have gone through dreadful trials. Tramp â€" L b'lieve yer, mum An' what's still wus, mum, I was nearly al'ays con- vieted Tiie Serrant Qnestdon. Wife. " Bridget is absolutely worthless 1^ tries me from morning until night. I've a great mind to let her go." Hnshaad. " Well, how much do we owe her?" Wife. ** Only two months wages," Husbaad. " Oh, well, we had better ke^ ber." Tiie Old, Old Stoiy. " And will you let me go away without an answer, dear " he said, eently, though his heart was throbbing double throbs. " It is iJl so strange and unexpected, Geoi^e," â€" iho words came soft and low. " 1£ sometimes in my dreams the thought has oome that you might some day call me â€" Ah, dear, yoa must read your answer in my eyes." And the answer read, " I'll no t let you get away," Partly. Mrs. Buckram, " How's dat baby ob yon'n Ye' wife was a- say in' tndder day ez how she hadn't named it yit. Reckon she'll call it arter yo' ob course " Mr. Hodge Crabtree. "Wall, no'm, only partly. She's goin' call 'im Willyum Crabtree, Willyum arter her bmdder Bill, and Crabtree arter me." "Mr. Clara asked A Firm ClutcL Feathwly," said Bobby, "Sister ked pa but night if yoa were a young man who kenw the Sabbath." " I hope, Bobby," relied Featherly, anx- iously, " tiiat he told her tiiat I do." " Yes he said that yoa keep everything yoa get a hold oL With the advent of waos weather the demand for liquids to â- apply" the wants of the body becomes vastly increased. A medical writer in St Louis, treating of this subject, sa]^s The heat «citefl the skin to exalted action, for it is mostly by means of the perspiration that the temperatoce of the body is kept down to ito natural level, 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit. When the snpply of liquids is scanty, or much below the actual demands, the greatest dangers are in- curred. These are from accumulation of waste materials, which are naturally re- moved by way of the skin and kidneys, besides the still graver (imnnediate) risks of sunstroke and heat exhaustion. Bever- ages of some kind must be taken, and we may with some advantage study the claims of those offered from which to make a se- lection. The heat of the body may be modified to some extent by the use of fluids cooled to any degree from that of the normal standard to the freezing point, the ice itself may be swallowed when necessary to hasten the reduction of temperature. When beverages arc taken cooled in this way the amount needed is reduced. Hence the instinctive craving for refrigerating drinks in summer. The amount necessary for keeping down the temperature being less, makes such drinks advantageous in many ways. Too great bulk is avoided this lessens desten- sion of the stomach and consequent weaken- ing of digestion. Profuse perspiration is apt to irritate a sensitive skin and cooling beverages lessen the necessity for such in- creased work of the sweat apparatus. OBJECTIONS AGAINST ICED DRINKS. Many objections have been raised against ice- water and cold drinks generally. Most of these have no real foundation. A few ot them may be noticed for the purpose of showing their weakness. Thus' the bad teeth observed so often among Americans, which has made dentistry in that country an art that has nearly reached perfection, are often attributed to the use of iced beverages. But the dental imperfection is to be noticed in every village and farm-house, where such drinks are practically unknown. If the universal use of the frying-pan, hot bread and the American fire were blamed for their results the truth would be much nearer approached. Bad cookery is the main cause of dental imperfection. That dyspepsia â€" the American disease â€" is due to defective cooking and imperiect chewing of the food and too great haste in eating, is undoubtedly the case in most in- stances.; still there are many who believe that iced drinks are responsible for almost every variety of indigestion. When di- gestion is in progress there is a large flow of blood towards the stomach. The lining of that organ is in a state of congestion. The presence of a little ice-water or the like can scarcely be felt for a moment when millions of blood vessels are carrying the blood to and from it at a tremendous speed and that at a temperature of IlO degrees Fahrenheit. The effect of a moderate amount of ice-water would be simply a little stimulation, increasing rather than retard- ing the digestive process. Of course no one advocates the filling of the stomach with ice -water or other fluid at any tempera- ture during the digestive process, but a moderate amount of the former can do no harm â€" in^ fact, is rather beneficial. This cannot be said of alcoholics in any formj or of hot or very warm beverages. All these interfere more or less seriously with diges- tion, as experimente have abundantly dem- onstrated. THE BENEFITS OF WATER DRINKING. • That water promotes appetite and diges- tion when taken with meals is shown by the fact that no " anti-fat" system of diet is so remarkably successful as that in which no drinks are permitted to be taken with meals or until two hours after them. When it is an object to' reduce the amount of the blood, as in certain heart affections, the dry diet system is of great service, but the kidneys must be in excellent working order or this system must prove injurious. As a matter of fact, however, a considerable number of people in evety community take too little fluids of any kind. They are afraid to drink when warm, do not desire it when oool, will not take it before or with meals, fearing to weaken digestion, and avoid drinking after meals, fearing an uncomfort- able sensation of fullness. Liver and ki ^. ney troubles, headaches, neuralgia, c., ^^^^ often to be traced to tha unnatural a ^cid- ance of fluids. It is probable that b large proportion of the benefits deriv^ from mineral springs Is to be attribu^'^ed to the taking of unusual quantities of Water. Hence the reputation of many a health re- sort is based upon drinking water, not upon any real virtue resident in any special quantity of that imbibed. Enough, perhaps, has been said of the dangers of well water, of impure ice, and that obtained from defective cisterns. The purity of drinking water cannot be too carefully watched. The ordinary filter only makes matters worse. The materials through which the water flows soon become a breeding place for the lower orders of vegetable life, while they strain out the coarser particles of dirt and give it a delus- ive appearance of purity. The nnglazed porcelain filter is mostly free from such objections. This takes out all organized bodies, and when the ice is not brought into contact with water thus filtered it gives all the security that can be required against taking into the system the germs of disease. There is no security agtSbst the producte of putrefaction passing through such a filter. In fact, the only way to guard against these is to wateh the source of water supply with unceasing vigilance. LEMONADE. Water as a beverage, iced or at the ordi- nary temperature, b frequently modified to render it more agreeable to the palate or stomach, or slightly nourishing or stimula- ting. The addition of a vegetable acid, such as lemon or lime juice or vinegar, usually with sugar in some form, makes the drink agreeable to the taste, more digestible and slightly nourishing. Suok liquids satisfy thirst in smaller amounts than would Ilain water at ordinary temperature. Some- times a mineral acid â€" sulphuric, muriatic or phosphoricâ€" give the requisite sour to the "lemonade." Of these the dilute phos- phoric acid is the least harmfnl. When taken in large quantities it is pretty sore to impair digestion. Muriatic and sulphuric acids have no place in beverages except in certain fevers and other conditions of actual dJMMse. They slwnld never be used as habitual drfaiks. Because phosphorus is an wwnlis] iagredieBt. in brain, aerve aadl- bone, it has been tiioaght tliat it might btt- well to increase the amount in the body by OQHtiDBaUy tnkjig jgM B0Miiw4k.«on*»in- iog it into tin stomadi. iSore n an im- mense amoniUr.Jmiabng in tUii which the enterprising auMofMlvrw «^^*fc 'low to utilize. 3n^ ^MMfAialM,'alHf #ith the different forms of; pkofhonc ^add, do not add to Ihe phM^imnas in 4hw body which can be used to advantage in building up- new bone, n^e or. brain. It has alnady become nsed'np as much as the ashes and cindera after poal and wood has been burned. Combined with iron it makes an el^^ant, palpable preparation of that useful tonic but no better than many other preparationa. of th«9 metaL It certainly possesses no marvelous restorative properties by reason, of the phosphorus present in this used-up condition. OATMEAL WATER AND COLD TEA. The addition Of oatmeal to drinking water makes it nutritive, satisfying and agreeable to the stomach. For laborers it makes a useful addition to the diet, costs but little and repays the small outlay in the form of increased ability to perform labor, either ». physical or mental. .Diluted cold tea has long been known as an agreeable, slightly stimiilat in j l;cvaragt_ For this, or any other purpose, ths tea- leaves must not be boiled. If they are, r large amount of tannin is cxfiacteV. siioag, with the aromatic and stimulating princi- ples, and this sadlyiinterferes with digestion in many individuals. A pinch of soda bicarbonate â€" ordinary "baking-soda" â€" add- ed to the leave) at the time boiling water is poured over them, and the "steeping" pro- cess limited to six or seven minutes, will- remove almost all objections from cold or- iced tea as an agreeable, stimulating summer drink. Coffee treated in a* similar way may be used instead, bnt it contains much, less of the stimulating principles. iiM ^1 I !j 1 1 iotfd STATISTICS. The total number of bales of Australian wool received in England in 188d was as followsâ€" New South Wales,, 279.510; Vic toria, 349,034; South Australia, 131,400; New Zealand, 253,830 Queensland, West- ern Australia, and Tasmania, 117,454 or a total of over 1,131,000, against 1,022,00' in 1885. Of Cape wools there were 1,3;}4,X)0 bales, against 1,202,000. Railways in India are in their infancy.. If India were as well supplied with railways as England is, it would have 365,000 miles, instead of the 12,376 miles it now has. If the Indian Government continues the con- struction of railways at the same rate that it has been doing during the last thirty years, it will take more than 900 years to give India for its area the equivalent mile- age of England. In 1886 London imported from different parts of the country, by sea, 4,671,127 tons of coal, as against 4,563,966 tons in 1885 and by railway and canal, 7,128,380 tons in 1886, as against 7,081.488 tons in 1885. After making due allowance for exports, there has been a total increase in the coal trade within the London district during the pEist year of 150,043 tons. The price has been low, the average, including the dues of the London market, being only 16s. 2d. per ton. Next to the annual expenditure for and drink of the people of the U Kingdom comes that on articles of principally consisting in cotto* â-  '^^ess, linen, and silks, in boots, shoes, â- â€¢Â»^ wool, as well as in gold and silver • *®' hats, and jewelry, involving an on â-  ornaments nigh £148,000,000 gross, c «»^ "L^®^^" liet or real value. The h £123,000,000 comprises about £72,000 Jâ„¢^ expenditure- some £11,000,000 for f' )w»«or acuse-rent the value of annuals" ^raitore, estimating OOOforcoal, £14,000 .;ff?»°'"' £15.000,000 000 for water, maV ^^or gas, and £2,000- Then then ther "^^m aU £114.000.000. tobacco, amou *»^ thfe^-expenditure in gjogg AtBig to- some £13,000,000 ' In 1855 th in Englan" « nu»ber of telegraph messafrgT'-^ pensetof " ** â„¢ one shilling and six-* ' was 88? "'" shillings, with free addreas^ tariff ' /iSBO. In 1860, under the same undei -aey had risen to 1,863.839. In 1865 shir .*' reduced rate of from, one to two* la- 'â„¢g*' and a sixpenny rate in certain ^Ige towns, the total rose to 4,650.231. Jn .8ra the number of messages was estimated at 7,500,000. Subsequently, under a tariff of one shilling for twenty words, the re- turn for 1870 was ».850,17.7 for 1873 it was 19,253,120; for 1880 it was 26,547,137 Mid for 1885 it was 33,493.224. From October, 1885, to October 1886, under the sixpenny tariff for twelve words, the ad- dress being counted, the total mounted up to 47,508,509 messages. By separating the mland messages in the last two returns the great immediate increase by the change of tariff becomes more evident, as these figures mve 24,615,395 messages in J88485 at the shUlmg, and 37,692,249 in 1885 86 at the sixpenny rate. I I- A M onstrouB Cabbage and flnge Caldron. Howell tells a tale of a traveller who re- ported that he had seen a cabbage under whose leaves a regiment of soldiers' were sheltered from a shower of rain. An- other who was no traveller, yet the wiser man, said he had passed by a place where there were four hundred braziers making up a caldron two hundred within and two hundred without beating the nails in. The traveller asking for what use that huge cal- dron was, he told him,â€"" Sir, it was to boil your cabbage. Too Poetical Lady (to husband in the background). " Isn't it exquisite, George Notice how delicately and harmoniously the tones of the colors are blended. That pale turquoise blue catehes so beautifully the shell pink plush of the brocaded flower. What do you think of it, George Is it not a veritable poem. And only sixteen dollars a yard " Husband. " Yes dear, it is a poem but I think something in simple prose will wear as long and won't cost so much money." w\ i|*:i i â-  'i To Sir Walter Scott. " Who loves not mora the night of June Than cold December's gloomy noon ' Well, he who hath but flannels thick, With ne'er a chaaoe to live on tick The man who owns toboggan ofaotea The vender of the rubber boots; ' nie mortal who by selling dutes Hta btck of lucre mitigafaw â€" All find yoor sesSment at fault. Sir Walt, Anddubitiot, Chest Soott!