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NOTI:S AND COMMENTS Bills to tax bttcheloi-g have for Borao time been a regular feature of the legislntivo year in lomt; oouDtrics. Originnliy such bills were treated as bits of airy comedy de- signed to relieve the high serious- noHs of th« sessions. They were put on the list of "crank" bills and addid temporarily to the gay- ety of the nation. To-day bachelor tax propositions are taken a little mere seriously, though no one ex- pects them to be enacted into law â€" as yet. What the third phase may be h another story. It may be rfcalled that Kaiser William hirrself not many months ago, in lightly discussing the heavy deficits in the imperial finances and the necessity of additional taxes, intimated that bachelors might be subjected to a fine or duty not only at a means of increasing the rev- enues but as a preventive of undue cultivation of single blessedness â€" or single misery. True, the states- man of the fatherland, when the time for action came, displayed weakness and left the bachelors severely alone. But the august royal sanction of the idea has tend- ed to make it respectable if not immediately practical, and doubt- le.'s henceforth the crop of bachelor tax bills will be richer and finer. Already the dispatches tell of bills to distribute the proceeds of such taxation among the needy spinsters, of bills to require bache- lors to propose at least once a year â€" provided there are eligible sub- jects to "pop" toâ€" of bills to C8- tabli.sh state bureaus to find suit- able wives for willing but unfortu- nate bachelors, to give first aid to the timid, and so on. There is logic or consistency in some of those bold propositions. If bache- lors are to be fined, it is but fair to help such as aio merely lacking in push or opportunity. As for the confirmed and contumacious speci- es one can only advise them to cir- culate Bernard Shaw literature among the benighted lawmakers and convert the would-bo taxers to the ultra-modern doctrine that in courtship and flirting wouian is really the aggressor, mev • .iim be- ing the unconscious vie'. .1 of fem- inine subtlety and his own vanity and obtuseness. From the modern viewpoint it would be utterly un fair to tax men whom no womau .would have on any terms. THEBE IS NOTilNJ} LIKE IT The Finest Sight on Earth Is Held to Be a Good Fight. And Benaiah, the .son of Jehoida, the son of a valiant man of Kab- zeeig, who had done mighty deeds • * * went down and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.â€" II. Samuel xxiii. 20. He was a valiant man, and the son of a valiant man and the grand- son of a man who had done mighty deeds. The valiant man loves such a fight. This is the attraction of the most violent forms of athletics. It is the element of conflict which constitutes so much of the attrac- tiveness of mountaineering. I never saw a mountain in ray life which I did not want to scale, and I un- derstand perfectly how it was that after some laments on the limited opportunities for climbing in Eng- land, a sporting paper announced that there were three or four places in the lake country where a man could comfortably break his neck. 1 was not in the least surprised to be told that the hotels in those places made a fortune within the next twelve months. It is the finest sight on earth â€" the very finest sight on earth â€" a good fight. Only, mind you, it must bo a good fight ! FIGHT THE FIGHT OF FAITH; there is nothing like it. They wrong man greatly who say that he is to bo seduced by case. Difficul- ty, abnegation, martyrdom, death, are the allurements that act on the heart of man. Some of us find the very first conflict of all hard enough â€"the fight with self. There is a passion which grips you, my loro- ther, with what soems a grip strong- er than death and hell, the pride of life, the desire of the eyes, the craving of the fleshâ€" you know its intensity. But I bid you fight ! You are a valiant man and the son of a valiant man and you arc too good a man to go down to destruction before a giant vice. There is that in you which is worth too much to man and God for failure now. 1 believe in you and good men will believe in you and God believes in you ; you shall slay your lion, too ! A big city is not an easy place for a man who has lions to kill. Its temptations aro many. Its cosmo- politonism creates a certain atmos- phere â€" an atmosphcro always non- religious, often positively irrelig- ious. It loves pleasure only too well. And countless hosts within this city are drunk with A HIDEOUS LUST FOR GOLD. We are sot hero in this city for a purpose. We have to witness the power of the spirit of God over hu- man hearts, over evil passions, over sinister temptations, over the inducements and Reductions of ma- terial things, over all the facts and forces of sin. We have to keep a clear light shining in any dark place ; we have to keep the flag of righteousness and purity flying here ; we have to maintain the vis- ion of the ideal before us. It may be an awkward place and a bad day for the idealibt, for the visionary, for the puritan. But the place of valor is the place where j'ou livo and work. "Now" is the accepted time, the heroic time, the chivalrlo time; and I will trust you to slay a lion in a pit on a snowy day. "Arrest your knaves and das- tards" goes forth the old command. And to the question "How?" our modern prohpet has his answer ready : "Make yourself an honest man ; then there will be one rascal less in the woj-ld." Rev. Charles F. Aked, D. D. yidway Island, for shelter, and thus liecanio instrumental in effect- ing the rescue of three marooned Japanese sailors, saving them from .slow but certain death. Originally there were four men in the party, but one diedâ€" a fat© the others must have shared but for the providential arrival of the Florence Ward. This vessel, which carried supplies for the cable sta- tion, noticed signals of distress from Leo Hermes Island, and a boat was put off. The crew discovered, on reach- ing shore, three Japanese sailors, two of whom were suffering from scurvy, while the third was in a col- LOWTHER HOLDS THE KEY BRITISH AMBASSADOR POW- KiiFUL AT CONSTANTINOPLE. Has WoB the Confldcnre of the Sultan, the Youns Turks and the Populace. Sir Gerald Lowther, who during the last twelve months has receiv- ed Knighthood with the Star of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, besides being appoiated to lapsed condition and quite unable ; ^g^^ership in the Privy Council to walk. They were taken on board ^^j promoted from the post of the I'lorence Ward, and after re- U^i^j^t^^ Plenipotentiary at Tan- ceiving treatment related an ! -gj. ^^ ^^^^ ^f Ambassador at Con- astounding tale of their sufferings j^^ji 1 ^.j^^ emoluments of on the island. They stated that for l^^^^j ^^^ ^ ^ metropo- three months they had been w^ith- ! jj^^^ j^^^ ^„j ^ suburban coun- out food, except fish and the flesh ^ ^^^^ ^oth fully furnished and l,r„„^/':f" .L° '?.t ^ll'I.Hl e'l"iPP«d- .and a steam yacht, all obtained on the islet, and they were compelled to drink crudely dis- tilled sea water. They belonged to the Japanese schooner Kloso Maru, of Shiuagawa, Tokio, which land- ed them on July 1. The vessel had provided by the Government, is now slated for still further honors. He arrived at Stamboul at an ex- ceedingly critical junctur-^, and has played his cards so well that to cu vicm on j^uiy 1. xnc- .c»«. n«« ^ ^^ â-  ^^niittedly the most in- departed a few days later leaving ^^^^^^j^j ^^^ .^ece/sful of all th« P«nthH provisions for them ^^ j Ambassadors accredited to intending to return later and ^^^ gublime Porte. HE IS POPULAR. To-day, for the first time since the days of Sir William White, who POISON IX THE COFFEE. The Climax to a Lover's Quarrel in Pr.rifl. A wealthy young man named Ba- yard, and a girl in poorer circum- stances. Mile. There;-*' Glenisson, â- upped together one night recently at a ri^staurant in the Rue Fau- bourg Montmartre, Paris. The girl can tied the room they engaged to be filled with flowers. A quarrel had arisen owing to the girl's discovery that she had a rival in her lover's affection. A reconciliation had followed, and the waiter who served the meal remark- «d that the two were on the best of terms. No sound being hoard from the room when the time come for the closing of the restaurant, the man- ager entered and found the girl dead and the young man dying. In- vestigation showed that Mile. Glen- isson had put poison in her lover's coffee and afterwards committed suicide in a similar manner. LONDON'S CLOUD. From the point of view of efforts to diBsipate the London fog, an im- portant quo; tion is. How high does the fog e.xtciidl Dr. William J. Lockycr has recently investigate-l the subject with the aid of a bal- loon. The great city being covered with its famous mantle of dusty vapor, he ascended, with frietids, in the balloon Valkyrie, from Bat- tersea. At the height of i!,500 feet they just topped tlie fog, which from their lofty point of observa- tion nnnearcd as a inngnificent sea of cloud. An interesting photograph of I/indon's chnuly double was made from an elevation of 3,000 feet above Hexley Heath. On this oc- casion the fog extended widely over the country round London, and Doctor I.,oekyer remarks that it is now important to examine from a balloon a fog whose lower parts are practically confined to the lim- its of the city. nCTURESQUE RESIGNATION. Boy (to tramp)â€" "Don't you get awful tired of doin' nothin', mis- ter 1" Trampâ€" "Terrible ! But I never oomjdains. Everybody lias their troubl«f^l" THE S. S. LESSON INTERNATIONAL LESSON, FEB. 7. Lesson YI. True and False Bro- therhood. Golden Text, Prov. 12.22. Ver.se 33. The multitude of them that believed â€" Now numbering many thousands in the city of Je- rusalem and its immediate vicinity. (f one heartâ€" Having a common nil pose in life, and interested .1 .0 each in the other's welfare. IjkI all things common â€" A real, I ugh entirely voluntary, coinmu- i.'iy of goods. ;'."i. Distribution was made â€" The .'! ninistration 0/ the ore common f. ..d was left to the apostles, and v.as no inconsiderable burden ad- ded to their many other responsi- bilities of leadership in so largo a community of believers. M. And Joseph â€" Having made a general statement concerning the disposition of lands and houses by those who believed, Luke proceeds to poi' t out certain notable indi- vidual!- who did not exempt them- selves from the general rule. Barnabas â€"The same who later became the companion of Saint Paul on the hitter's first mission- ary journi-y. He was a native of the island of (Cyprus and a member of the tribe of Levi. 37. Laid it at the apostles' feet â€" Turned thef money over to them to bo used for the best interests of the wholo Christian community. 5. 1. But a certain man â€" The following incident is cited by way of contrast with the general spirit which prevailed among the Jeru- salem believers, and for the r.akc of pointing out, as the author diK-s in the last verse of our lesson, the influence of the sad incident on the entire Christian coiumunity. Ananias, with Sapphiraâ€" Men- tioned only here in the Now Testa- ment narrative. 2. Kept back part of the price â€" The word "part," is left to bo sup- plied in the original. The context implies that the action of Ananias in thus withholding part of the money realized from tho sale of his possession was secret and covered up by an attempt at deception, his wife also being a porty to tho ac- tion. 3. But Peter saidâ€"The discern- ing apostle was quick to discover the hypocrisy of this man. To lie to- Or, "to deceive." The Holy Spiritâ€" Tho nmnifest presence of the Divine Kpirit in tho fellowship of the tJhrislian believ- ers made the crime of .Ananias ex- ceptionally grievous. 4. .\fter it was sold, was it not in thy power ? -Peter's question makes it clear that the surrender of private possessions for the coni- ;ucin good was entirely voluntary on tho part of each individual, no form of compulsion being resorted to. Conceived this thing in thy heort â€"Deliberately thought out the plan to deceive. It was not, therefore, a crime uomniitted under the strctis of a sudden impulse, but one prc- meditat-ed in its every detail. Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God â€" This earnest arraign- ment of the guilty man implies that the attempt to deceive God was, in this case as always, an utter fail- ure. Men may deceive their fel- low-men ; they cannot hide the truth from God. 6. Ananias hearing these words fell down â€" The words of Peter were both an arraignment and a condem- nation, implying impendinR judg- ment, the fulfillment of which was not long delayed. Gave up the ghostâ€" Tho word for "expired" here used is a technical medical ter'm of rare use, and as such one of the many littlo indica- tions found in the book of Acts supporting the inference that the author of the book was a physician. 0. Young â€" Or, younger. 'I'he e-m- phasis on the age of those who car- ried the body of Ananias to its burial indicates a distinction ob- served ia the early Christian C/hurch in the division of respon- sibilities and forms of service, by which po.sitions of trust and re- sponsibility fell upon the older men, while the younger men were called upon to fill positions requir- ing active manual service of a less responsible character. Buried himâ€" Immediately, or at least upon the same day, accord- ing to the usual necessary custom in a semitropical climate. 7. Three hours after â€" After the burial referred to in tho preceding vorse. 8. Answered unto her â€" Respond- ing to her look of inquiry with his direct question, iiit<cnde<J no doubt to give Sapphira an opportunity to confess her participation in her husband's conspiracy, and thus es- cape tho fate which had befallen him. Yea, for so much â€" For so deliber- ate and overt a falsehood under tho circumstances there was no ex- cuse. 9. How is it that ye have agreed together? â€" Peter again emphasizes tho fact that the guilt of both hus- band and wife lay primarily in the prenieditated character of tho crime j which they had committed. 11. Great fear came upon the whole church â€" Tho effect of tho sad incident upon the community both expliiins Luke's purpose in includ- ing tho incident in his narrativo, oikI at tho same time suggests a reason and a justification for the severity of the punishment meted out to tho f>ffenders. In tho light of what had transpired others who might possibly have been tempte*! to like duplicity were restrained from yielding to the temptation. + MAROONED SAILORS. Speud Throe Wonry MontbH on a DoHprt Island. News of a thrilling adventuro of Japanese sailors marooned in the Pacific was rocoive<l recently at Liverpool. Btresn of weather eompelle<l the Commercial Pacific Cable Com- pany's schooner Florence Ward to deviate from her course. The ves- .sel WAS sailing from Honolulu to (he cable station at Midway Island, but had to run for Lee Hormos Is- land, UO miles to the south-east of one and intending lake them off. She never came back, and it is thought that she was over- whelmed and lost in a hurricane. Soon after the departure of the Kioso Maru, a terrifflc storm burst jj^j ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ over tho island; huge seas earned | q^^^^ ^^^^^-^ -^ ^„^^ ^^^^ ^^^ away the effects of the marooned , ^^^^^-^^^^ j^^^; ^^ ^^ nlen, as well as their supplies J ^-,^^^^^^^.^ , gj^ (j^^^,j y^^^.- they subsisted on what remained ccmpletelv displaced the German as lung as they could ; but eventu- ally one of the party succumbed as a result of exposure and impro- per food, and tho others were cri- .\mbas?ador, Baron Marschall von Bieberstein. Sir Gerald has man- aged to acquire the confidence not per oou anu ino oiner^ «..r,: ^r.- ^^j ^j ^^^ Turkish Government, tically 111 when found. They are to ^^^'^j^^ ^j ^^^ ,^^j^^^ ^f ^^^^ young be sent t o Honolulu . ^urks, and even of the Sultan him ♦ A LION HUNTER'S STORY now LIONS ARE SHOT IN THE WILDS OF AFEICi. F. C. Sclous, Famous Lion-Killer, Talks of Roosevelt's Hunting Expedition. Mr. F. C Selous, the famous lion-killer, explains that while he self; is acclaimed by the populace whenever he snows himself any- where in the street ; is serenaded about three times a week, while, although the junior of the other Ambassadors in date of appoint- ment, is nevertheless treated by them as their dean, since all the metings of the Ambassadors for any concerted diplomatic act-on as- semble under his roof. It is to Sir Gerald's restraining influence and to his advice that are ascribed the remarkable absence of bloodshed following the coup d'etat â€" bloodshed, which would certain- ly have occurred had the Young has collected in London th^ camp , ^urks carried out their original in- and other equipment for Mr. Roose- ' volt's hunting expedition and will go with him to Mombasa, where they arrive on April 22, they will not shoot together in East Africa and Uganda. "Mr. Roosevelt's party, compris- ing his son, Mr. Cunninghamo (an te.ition of wreaking vengeance up- on those at whose hands they had SUFFERED PERSECUTION. Much of tho regard accorded to him by his foreign colleagues is due to the conviction that they are all i. dcbted to him for the cxtraordin expert guicjc), and two American U^y maintenr.nce of law and of or- naturahsts. said Mr. Selous, who ^ ^^j. ^t Constantinople during tho was visited at his home at Worp Icsdon, England, "will gj one way. Mr. Wni. McMillan will join mo in striking out in another. No doubt, however, we may como into touch more than once with the President's party. HOW LIONS ARE SHOT. "Nearly 150 native bearers will carry tho President's equipment. They will travel for a week or ten days, making for somo point where garao is found ; there they will halt for a week, or oven a month at a time. In East Africa they should find plenty of giraffes, antelopes, buffaloes and lions. Elephants will bo encountered more in Ugan- da. Sinall-boro rifles will be car- ried for antelopes and giraffes ; these, with expanding bullets, will be used for lions; and for killing elephants a heavy gun carrjiug a cordite-loaded cartridge will be taken. "Lions you either como across accidentally, risking a shot at close quarters, or you go out on horse- back very early in tho morning on a high plateau in the hope of catch- ing a lion which has delayed too long in feeding and cannot get back to cover. When you are overtaking tho beast he genOrally conios to a halt and faces you, growling. That is tho moment when you slip oft your horse and shoot him. Some- times tho lion will charge at you. If he does, you gallop out of tho way and wait for another oppor- tunity. If he charges while you are off your lioi'so, and you fail to hit him as he comes at you, it may be awkward. VICIOUS ELEPHANTS. "The party will find antelopes all over tho {plains. Giraffes, which feed on tho boughs of tho trees, will have to bo tracked in the well- wooded localities. The party should bo able to learn from the natives the hauiita of the elephant herds in tho Uganda forests. When you wound an elephant it will often make a savage rush at you. While you are shooting one of a herd, too, you may not noticO another among the trees, which may make a sudden dash at you. Old female elephants are notably vicious. "Probably Mr. McMillan and myself will not hunt for more than three months. Tho President, how- over, will prolong his expedition for nearly a year. One of his chief objects is to hand over to American museums specimens of the animals ho shoots." last few months. He is likewise believed to have been instrumental in averting war between Turkey and Kulgaria, resulting from tho latter's declaration of independ- ence, and from her seizure of the Rumelian branch of the Orient Railroad, and it is understood that at the present moment he is devot- ing his efforts to the prevention of any hostilities between the Otto- man Empire and Austria. It is no exaggeration to assert that Lowther holds the key to the crisis now existing between Vien- na and Stamboul in connection with tho Turkish boycott of Austrian imports, which is inflicting such in- caloulablo damage upju the trade and industry of the Dual Monarchy. You may guess what a woman is, but that's your limit. And it sc)inotimcs happens that a man it married to hit boss. CRRISTIANS OF THE NILE. Interesting Relics Discovered in Upper Egypt. An interesting discovery of Early Christian remains has recently been made at Wad-el-Hadad on the Hhio Nile, a few miles north of Sennar, while the foundations of a rest house for the Irrigation Depart- ment were being dug. A number of graves were found containing skele- tons, with feet to the east. Round the head of each was a quantity of pottery. On one of them is tho Cop- tic processional cross and tho same emblem is scratched inside tho lips of tho jars, where it is associated with two other Christian emblems â€" the fish and the palm-branch. On the neck of one of tho jars is a ma- son's mark, and another of the jars, which are of red ware, has a spout as well as a handle. A com- parison of the pottery with that found on Nubian sites between the first and second Cataracts makes it probable that it should bo dated in tho seventh or eighth century A. I). The pottery has been sent to the Khartoum Museum. At present very little is known of the history of Christianity in these regions, and wo must look to exca- vation to throw light upon it. A quarter of on hour's walK from the graves aro two mounds called by the natives Beyt-cl-Anak, "The House of Anak" (or pre-Mahomme- dan people), which doubtless, mark tho site of an old Christian church and monastery. Excavation would probably bring to light Early Chris- tian inscriptions. A poor complexion worries a woman more than a poor intellect. But a man who leads a double life never does two men's work. The man who is loi>kiug for trou- ble always finds it â€" and thou some. FROM ERIN'S GREEN ISLE NEWS BT BIAIL FR03I IRE. L.iND'£ SHORES. Happenings ia Iha Euicruld Isle of Interest (0 Irish* men. The Castlestrange estate, Co. Roscommon, was purchased by the congested districts board. Damages at £70 were awarded to Henry Tottcn, Belfast, against the corporation, for street car in- juries. A fierce gale on the County Dov/n coast swept over Newcastle, drove a vessel ashore and caused serious damage to many buildings. Thomas Smith, a postman of the Greenlaw district, is retiring after a service of 33 years, during which he travelled upwards of 200,000 miles. A blind man, Andrew Hamilton, aged 75 years, and his wife, died within a week of each other at Kyle's Brae, Coleraine, from heirt disease. There are now about IOC persona under bail in the County Galway district for participating in cattle drives. Mr. Carnegie has given $5,000 for the training home for orphan girh opened at Culmore, Derry, through the exertions of the Duchess of Ab- ercorn. A crowd of 1,500 people assemb- led to prevent an estate bailiff serv- ing notices for rent on several fa- milies at Ballinaglera, Co. Leitrim. At Dublin, the jury disagreed in tho trial of Matthew Purcell, for' the murder of a 7-year-old boy, Ar- thur Fox, who was found dead in an alley. Lord Dunraven has given a gen- erous donation towards the cost of renovating the Adare Methodist church, which will be re-opened free of debt. Kilrush Guardians are consider- ing the advisability of sending the workhouse children to board out- side, and have them attend the schools in the town. During the year ending March last the number of men, women and children in receipt of poor law re- lief was 219,220. This is one-six- teenth of the entire population of Ireland. The death occurred at Belfast recently of George Herbert Brown, one of the best-known linen manu- facturers, a former high sherifi of County Down, and a prominent yachtsman. The Wicklow fire brigade is now, says the Wicklow People, thorough- ly organized, and an up-to-date set of appliances have been procured by the urban council at a cost of about $1,000. Arthur Prothcroe, 14 years of age, while delivering goods on a hand truck in Neath, was struck violently under the chin by the truck handles swinging around. His neck was dislocated and death instantly followed. King Edward has awarded bronze medals for gallantry for saving life at sea to eight-con fishermen of Va- lentia, Co. Kerry. Medals have also been given to two coast guards- men and two civilians for bravery at Ballydavid Head, in September last. HIS SUPPER COST $1,600. Enslishmau is Robbed of that Sum iu Pariiji. An unfortunate experience has befallen a London visitor to Paris, who has been roblHKl of $1,600. While in a restaurant in the Place Pigallo, some people, one an Itali- an, entered into conversation with him, and the chance acquaintance- ship ended in the party having sup- per together. After supper the Englishman lost consciousness, and when he recov- ered he found himself in a cab, which had stopped opposite his ho- tel. His new-found friends, how- ever, had vanished, and he missed his purse containing $1,G00, his watch and other personal jewelry. In his perplexity he turned to the cabman, who could only say that some wcll-dresse<l men had placed the Englishman iu his vehicle, and told the cabman to drive to his ho- tol, which they named. The victim has placed the matter in the hands of the police. IRISH ARE THRUTV. Deposits in Joint Stock Banks Con- stantly (irowiuj;. Oflicial statistics made up to the end of June last show that the de- posits and cash 'balances in Irish joint stock banks have increased every year since 1888, with the ex- ception of 1897, and in some years by large figures. In 1888 the amount was i'30,310,000, in 1907 £4H,0<)7,000, and in 1903 £50,596,- 000. The PostofBcp Savings Bank fig- ures have risen from £3,128,000 in 18S8 to £10,637,000 in 1907; the to- tal for 1908 is £10,000 loss, but this is the only decrease iu the twenty years. There is now a total of £38,210,- 000 of Guaranteed Land stock, Guaranteed 2'i per cent, stock (land purchase act, 1903), and War stock. Oil whieli dividends are pay. able at tho Bank of Ireland.