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The Sien ' «of the Four.

By A. Conan Doyle.

CHAPTER | | TITE SCIEN( () ) IUCTION, s k e trom t) nha ; : “ “ se } s W ” Vv s ‘ I l] ack f ‘ } some n I \ reste rhifully u ewy Wris and > ii Ww ! re 1 AS I \ < si the es \ ‘ “ k Hal Ww } t Y ea tis i Times a i\ I ¥ months ] witness s I ice, but ustom f I { mV Mind to %. OU itrary 2 cay to day i i be i I ta e at he sig I \ ‘ s nee swelled g \ m ! rht tha ] ed the « ig protes Ag nd aga had registered a s that I should deliver my soul upen the si bje t. but there was that in t cool, noncha r of my com- : on which made him the last man with whom on uld care to take ni ng approac! ng toa lil rt . His gre powers, his masterly manne}

‘ he exper nee which I had had of his many extraord , ities, al made me difiident and backward in cressing him

Yet upon that aftern was my

whether it the claret which I lL taken with 7 ?

lunch, or the additional exasp

Ta”

n produced by the extreme delibera- |

.}

he his m I i . Ss eniv i

t tthat ] could hold cut no long

asked.

from the old 1 i tter ¥ ne which he had o The . i 4.» . : s ref -

Wo td

“No, indeed,” I answered, brusguely. “My constitution has not got over tix Afczhan campaign yet. I cannot afford to throw any eXtra strain upon it.”

He smiled at: my vehcmenes. ‘Per- haps you are right, Watson,” idl. “I -uppose that its influence is phvsi- cally «a bad one. I find it, howi ver, so transcendently stimulating and clari- fying tothe miud that its ndary action is a matter of small momenr.”

. t consider!” I said, rics iy. ‘Count the cost! Your brain may, as you sey, be roused and excited, but it 1x t patholozical an! morbil pro-es;, which involvcs increas and may at last leave a permanent weakness. You know, what a biacx reaction « upon you. Surely the came is hardly we. th the e:

Why should you, fora me: passing pleasure, r sk the lo-s of those powers w thi dowed? R only a medical man to one for whose tution he is to som extcnt able.”

He did not s°em

contrary, | I s fi

i tissue-chang

too,

omes

aie,

grea which vou have been en- micm r that

com!

I speak not : . aso another, DUE aS

cousti-

answer-

off nded. On the inger-tips to- gr ther and leaned s clhows on the On who has a

arms of his ¢}

rel atic “My mind.” he sai nation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the mest al » eryp-

} bstrus he most intricate analysis,

togram, or th

“i sai for cGuvet

1. “rebels at stag-

and I am in my own proper atmos- phere. I can dispense then with arti- ticial stimulants. Eut I abhor the dull rouwline ‘ f existence. erave for mental exaltation. That is whv I have choscn my own particular pro- fession—or rather created it, fer l am fhe only one in the world.” < only unofficial det os said. rails nz my eyeb‘ows. ‘The only unofficial consulting de- tective.” he enswered, ‘I am the iast and highest court of appeat in detec-

tion. When Gregson, or Lestrade, or Athelney Jones are cut of thei: depths —which, by the way, is their normal! st«.te—the matter is laid before me.

examine the data,as an expert, and

prenounce a specialist’s opinion. elvyim no eredit in such cases. My pame figures im no newspaper, The work itself, the pleasure of finding a tield for my peculiar powers, is my highest reward, But you have your- self had some experience of my methods of work in the Jefferson Hepe case.” indeed,” said I, cordially, “T was never so struck by anything in my life. I even embodied it in a small brochure with the somewhat fantastic title of ‘A Study in Scarlet.’’

He shook his head sadly. ‘“‘I glanced over it,” said he. “Honestly I can not congratulate you upon it. Detec- tion is, or ought to be, an exact science, and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner. You have attempted to tinge it with romanticism, which produces much the same effect az if you worked a ! story or an

Yes,

love elopement into the fifth proposition of Enclid,”

But the romance was there,” I ye- monstrated, ‘| could pot tamper with the facts.”

**Some facts should be suppressed, or at least a just sense of proportion should ‘be observed in treating them. The only point in the case which de- served mention was the curious analyt- ical reasoning from effects to causes

by which I succeeded in unraveling it.” "T was apnoyed at this criticism of a svork which had been specially designed to please him. | confess, tog, that [ qvas irritated by the egotism which seemed to demand that every line o jay pamphlet shoyld be devoted to hig own special doings, More than once during the years that I had lived with him in Baker street I had observed that asmall vanity underlay my compan- jon’s quiet and didactic manner, | made no remark, however, but sat nursing my wounded leg. I had hada Jezail buliet through it some time be- fore, and though it did not prevent me from walking, it ached wearily at every change of the we ather. ‘My practice has extended recently ;o the Continent.” said Holmes. after a

R. B. NORTON &

Charloteown, December 10, 1895—25

| uses of plaster of paris as a preserver of

| unclaimed bodies, or in discovering the

——

_ sen

° ore Nae"

Whale, filling up his old brisir-root pipe | “I was consulted last week by Francois Le Villard, who, as you probably know, has come rather to the front lately in the French detective service. He has all the Celtic power of qu k intuition. but he is deficient in the wice range of exact knowledge which | is essential to the higher developments of his art. The case was concerned with a will, and possessed some fea- tures of interest. | was able to refer him to two parallel cases; the one at Riga id 1857, and the other at St. Louis S71, which have suggested to him , e true solution. Here is the letter | which | had this morning acknowledg- } ing my assistance.” He tossed over, as : he spoke, a crumpled sheet of foreign | ‘ note-paper. I glanced my eyes down

miration, with stray ‘‘magnifiques,” ‘“‘coup-de-maitres,” and *‘tours de force,” all testifying to the ardent admiration of the Frenchman.

‘*He speaks as a pupil to his master, said L.

it, catching a profusion of notes of ad- [

”

“Oh, he rates my assistance too highly.” said Sherlock Holmes, lightly. | **He has considerable gifts himself. He | possesses two out of the three qualities necessary for the ideal detective. He has the power of observation and that | of deduction. He is only wanting in | kuowledg and’ that may come in | time. He is now translating my small } works into French.” }

**Your works?” |

“Oh, didn’t you know 2?” he cried, | lauchine. “Yes, 1 have been guilty of | several monographs. They are all | upon technical subjects. Here, for ex- | ample, is one ‘Upon the Distinction |

Between the Ashes of the Various To- In it Tenumerate a hundred | and forty forms of cigar, cigarette and pipe tobacco, with colored plates illus- trating the differenc: heash. It is a point which is continually turning up in criminal trials, and which is ' sometimes of supreme importance asa, clue. If you can say definitely, for example, that some murder has been ! done by a man who was smoking an | Indian lunkah, it obviously narrows } your field of search, To the trained ¢ ye | there is as much difference between the | black ash of a Trinchinopely and the white tluff of bird’s-eye as there is be- tween a cabbage and a potato.”

**You have an extraordinary genius for minutiw,” I remarked.

I appreciate their importance, Here

is my monograph upon the tracing of footsteps, with some remarks upon the

baccos.’

a

impresses. Here, too, isa curious little work upon the infinence of a trade upon the form of the hand, with litho- types of the hands of slaters, sailors, cork-cutters, compositors, weavers and diamond-polishers. That is a matter of great practical interest to the scien- tifie detective—especiallv in cases of

antecedents of “riminals, you with my hobby.”

“Not at all,” I answered, earnestly. | “Tt is is of the greatest interest to me, ! especially since I have had the oppor-

But I weary |

tunity of observing your practical ap- plication of it. But you spoke just now of observation azd deduction. Surely

the other.

“Why, hardly,” he answered, lean- ing back luxuriously in his arm-chair, and sending up thick blue wreaths | from his pipe. ‘For example, observa- | tion shows me that you have been to the Wigmore street Pos‘office this | morning, but deduction lets me know that when there you dispatched a tele- gram.”

“Right!” said I. “Right on both points! But I confess that I don’t see how you arrived at it. It was a sud- den impulse upon my part, and | have mentioned it to no one.”

“Tt is simplicity itself,” he remarked, chuckling at my surprise ; ‘“‘soabsurdly simple that an explanation is super- fluous; and yet it may serve to define the limits of observation and of deduc- tion. Observation tells me that you have a little reddish mold adhering to your instep. Just opposite the Sey- mour street office they have taken up the pavement and thrown up some earth which lies in such a way that it is difficult to avoid treading in it in entering. The earth is of this peculiar reddish tint which is found, so far as I know, nowhere else in the neighbor- hood. So much is obseryation. The rest is deduction.”

**How, then, did you deduce the tele- gram ?” :

“Why, of course I knew that you had not written a letter, since I sat op- posite to you all morning. I see also in vour open desk there that you have a sheet of etamps and a thick bundle of post-curds. What could you go into the postottice for. then, but to send a

one to some extent implies the

”

wire? Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.”

“In this case it certainiy is so,” I replied, after a little thought. ‘The thing, however, is, as you say, of the simplest. Would youthink me imper- tinent if I were to put your theories to a more severe test 7”

“On the contrary,” he answered, ‘it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine. I should be delighted to look into any problem which you might submit to me.”

“T have heard you say that it is difficult for a man to have any object in daily use without leaving the im- press of his individuality upon it in such a way that a trained observer might read it. Now, I have here a watch which has recently come into my possession. Wouid you have the kindness to let me have an opinion upon the character or habits of the late owner ?”

I handed him the watch with some skight feeling of amusement in my heart, for the test was, as I thought, an impossible one, and I intended it as a lesson against the somewhat dog- matic tone which he occasionally as- sumed. He balanced the watch in his hand, gazed hard at the dial, opened the back, and examined the works,

JEWEL STOV:S

RANGES.

tT

Begs,

0.

_

THE DAILY EXAMINER, MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1895.

first with his naked eyes and then with t poWertul convex tens. 1 could hardly keep from smiling at his crest-fallen tace when he finally snapped the case to and handed it back,

‘There are hardly any data,” he re- markod Che watch has been recently

leaned. which robs me of my most suzeestive facts.”

1 are right,” IT answered, “It was clean«d before being sent to me.”

In my heart Il aceused my companion of putting forward a most lame and iinpotent exeuse to cover his failure. What data could he expect from an uncleaned watch ?

‘’Pauough unsatisfactory, my research has not been entirely barren,” he ob- served, staring up at the ceiling with lreamy. lack-luster eves. ‘‘Subject to your correction, I should judge that the watch belonged to your elder brother, who inherited it from your father.”

‘That vou gather, no doubt, from the

It. W. upon the back ? “Quite so. The W. suggests your ownnam,.. The date of the watch is

nearly tifty vears back, and the initials are as old as the watch; so it was made for the last generation. Jewel- ery usuilly descends to the eldest son, and he is most likely to have the same name as the father. Your father has, if Lremember right, been dead many yoais It has, therefore, been in the »f your eldest brother.”

ht, so far.” saidI. ‘Anything ‘Ile was a man of untidy habits— very untidy and careless. He was left with good but he threw away his chances, l.wed for some time in poverty, with oceasional short inter- vals of prospority, and finally, taking to drink, he died. That is all I can

ia i ave grathe.

prospects,

| sprang from my chair and limped impatiently about the room with con- siderable bitterness in my heart.

‘This is unworthy of yeu, Holmes,” ?

LT sail. ‘I could not have believed that vou would have

‘ou have made inquiries into the his- tory of my unhappy brother, and you

now pret nd to deduce this know ledge in some iful way. e>pect me to believe that you have read all this from his old watch! It is unkind, and, to speak plainly, has a touch of charlatan'sm in it.”

‘“My dear doctor,” said he, kindly, “pray accept my apologies. Viewing the matter as an abstraet problem, I had forgotten how personal and pain- iula thingit mizht be to you, I assure vou, however, that [ never even knew that you had a: brother until you handed me the watch.”

‘Thon how in the name of all that is wonderful did you get all these facts ? They are absolutely correct in every particular.”

“Ah, that is good luck. I could only say what was the balance of probabil- ity. I did not at all expect to be so accurate

“Put it was not mere guess-work ?”

“N»>, no; [ never guess. It is a shocking habit — destructive to the logical faculty. What seems strange to you is only so because you do not follow my train of thought or observe the smali facts upon which ‘large in- ferenecs may depend. For example, I began by stating that your brother was carcless. When you observe the lower part of that watch-ease you notice that it is not only dented in two places, but it is cut and marked all over from the

fan

habit of keeping other hard objects, | such as coins or keys, in the same |

pocket. Surely it is no great feat to assume that a man who treats a fifty- guinea watch so cavalierly must be a careless man. Neither is it a very far- fetched inference that a man who in- herits one article of such value is pretty well provided for in other resp cts.”

I nodded to show that I followed his reasoning.

“It is very customary for pawn- brokers in England, when they take a watch, to scratch the number of the ticket with a pin-pyint upon the inside of the case, tt is more handy than a label, as there is no risk of the number being lost or transposed. There are no less than four such numbers visible to my lens on the inside of this case. In- ference—that your brother was often at low water. Secondary inference— that he had occasional bursts of pros- perity, or he could not heve redeemed the pledge. Finally, L ask you to look at the inner plate which contains the key-hole. Look at the thousands of scratches all around the hole—marks where the key has slipped. What sober man’s key could have scored those groovcs? But you will never see a drunkard’s watch without them. He winds it at night, and he leaves these traces of his unsteady hand. Where is the mystery in all this?”

“It is as clear as daylight.” I an- swered. ‘I regret the injustice which I did you. I should have had more faith in your marvelous faculty. May ask whether you have any pro- fessional inguiry on foot at present?”

‘None. tenke the cocaine. I can not live wlthout brain-work. What else is there tolive for? Stand at the window here. Was ever such a dreary, dismal. unprofitable world ? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across dun-colored houses, What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them ? Crime is commonplace, and existence is commonplace, and no qualities save those which are commonplace have any function upon earth.”

I had opened my mouth to reply to his tirade, when, with a crisp knock, our landlady entered, bearing a card upon the brass salver,

“A young lady for you, sir.” she said. addressing my companion.

‘Miss Mary Morstan,” he read.

“Hum! I have no recollection of that name. Ask the young lady to step up, Mrs. Hudson. Don’t go, doctor. I

shall prefer that you remain,” CHAPTER II.

THE STATEMENT OF THE CASE.

Miss Morstan entered the room with a firm step and an outward composure of manner. She was a blonde youn lady ; small, dainty, well gloved, and dressed in the most perfect taste. There was, however, a plainness and simplic- ity about her costume which bore with it a suggestion of limited means. The dress was a somber grayish beige, un- trimed and unbraided, and she wore a a small turban of the same dull hue, relieved ouly by a suspicion of white feather in the side. Her face had

| neither regularity of feature nor beauty

of complexion, but her expression was sweet and amiable, and her large blue eyes were singularly spiritual and sym- pathetic. In an experience of women

i '

descended to this. | London Times is

You can not, tous than the Vatican.”’

_consist of about 40 of the best student

| discovery,

' voyages.

_ lieve the oppressive warmth.

flavor and price.

We carry

lowest prices.

parts of the city.

‘ Charlottetown, June 19, 1895—135 w

of delicious TEA are satisfied when supplied wthi our lines of English Breakfist Congou, India, China, Oolong and Ceylon Teas. We believe our 22c. Blend to be the best on the market for quality, strength The public realize a good article

when they use it, and to-day our sales on this Tea are larger than ever before.

a full line of Canned Goods, Jams and Jellies, Fish, Boned and Skinned Dried Cod fish Flour, Meal, etc., which we will sell at the very

which extends over many nations and thre> separate continents I have never jooked upon a face which gave a clearer promise of a refined and sensitive nature. I could not but observe that, as she took the seat which Sherlock

Holmesgplaced for her, her lip trem- bled, her hand gquivered, and she

showed every sign of intense inward agitation.

“IT have come to you, Mr. Holmes,” she said, “‘because you once enabled my employer, Mrs. Cecil Forrester, to samuual a little domestic complication. She was much impressed by your kind- ness and skill.”

‘‘Mrs. Cecil Forrester,” he repeated, thoughtfully. I believe that I was of | some slight service to her. The case, however, as | remember it was a very simple one.”

‘She did not think so. But, at least, you cannot say the same of mine. I can hardly imagine anything more strange, more utterly inexplicable, than the situation in which I find myself.”

(To be Continued. )

Chunks of Information.

A postage stamp of Mauritius issue, two-penny blue, unused, sold in London a few days ago for $700.

Our exports of manufactures of iron

and steel for the eight months ended on August 41, 1895, were valued at $21,952, - 642--an increase as compared with the corresponding months of last year of $3, 200, 431.

A novel feature at recent receptions and afternoon teas at Springfleld, Mass., has } been the appearance of six colored boys as waiters, dressed in Nubian costume of white turbans and baggy trousers.

Diphtheria serum is about to be manu- factured on a commercial scale by a dye- ing establishment at Hochst, near Frank- fort-on-the-Main. It will be much con- centrated and five tlines as strong as that hitherto used.

A recent magazine writer

sa

says the the most arrogant the most unbribable thing in Europe, sober, serene, exasperatingly honest, more Brit- ish than Queen Victoria,and more ubiqu-

‘rhe Yale faculty has voted a special appropriation of $1.500 to aid the organ- izaton of a symphony orchestra in the musical department of the university, to

musicians. This is said to be the first organization of the kind ever attempted in this country.

The Geographical Society of Florence will celebrate, in 1898, the 400th anniver- sary of Americus Vespucius’s voyage of and will invite ali the geo- graphical societies in the world to take part in the festivities. here is to be an exhibition of objects relating to these and at the same time the un- veiling of a monument.

In almost every country there is an idea thet the salamander lives, or can live, in the tire. There is s strange pecu- liarlty about this creature, which has given rise to the superstition. When placed in a very warm situation, the salamander throws out, from orifie:s in his side, small quantities of fluid to re-

RESUKG,

——————.

fi OLD SONG

* fy

fing a song of sixpence, A pocketfu? of gold, ’ i 2

Four-and-twenty secrets : Waiting to te told.

Wait till Christmas morning, out,

Sceercts will be

Isn't that a jolly time . 3% To hear the ch ldren shout? , oe

Children in the parlor * 44 Pulling out their toys; ._ . Parents in the doorwav 1413 Laugh‘ng at their noise; La!

Postman on the doorsteh i“ Handing up the mail—

Isn't ths a merry tire? Pia ke Pleasures never fail! ~ di

-~Our Little Ones

Oar aim is to bay the most reliable good and sell them at the lowest prices. change for cash or goods.

WILLIAM GRANT & CO.

QUEEN STREET.

Eggs taken in ex Goods delivered to all

“THOUGHTFUL JIM.” His Part in

a Gold Mine Boom of an Earlier Day.

For a week or more *‘ Thoughtful Jim”’ of Strawberry Hill, had been unusually thoughtful. He was a quiet, thoughtful man when he came to us. Even when working the hardest he iad a far-away look in his eyes and his mind seemed to be somewhere else. A dozen or more of us had a talk about him one night, and after an hour's disoussion Elder Watkins arose and said—:

*‘ While I'd ruther hev a feller around

who breaks out and cusser and cracks bis | I hain't agin

heels together occasionally, athortful man. If Jim wants to sot and think instead of talkin’ let him think and be hanged to him.’’

That was the general feeling for some months, but when it came to pass that ‘Thoughtful Jim’’ spent nine-tenths of his time sitting around on the rocks with his chin on his hands, while his partner was joing all the work, that partner felt he had a right to complain. He did com- plain, and as a result a committee waited on the delinquent and the chairman said:

“Jim Bailey, this aint’ no country fura thortful man.”’

‘“*No”’ queries Jim, looking off down the valley in a dreamy way.

**When a feller has so many thinks to think of that he has to sit down and let

his partner do all the work it looks bad.’’ ,

**Yes?’’ says Jim, never raising his eyos to look around him,

“The boys is apt to suspect that he kill- ed his mother, burned an orphan asylum or tore down a meetin’ house back in the States. Mebbe he’s stole hosses or robbed banks, cr went around murderin’ inner- cent babies, and his mind can’t rest.’’

**Mebbe so,’’ whispers Jim, though he didn’t appear to realize he was speaking.

*“*And them same boys,’’ continued the chairman,’’ is also apt to remark that the aforesaid thortful critter, who has did all these crimes, had better stop his thinks and go to work to pack his dyds and dig out! There ar’ thorts and thorts. We don’t know what your thorts ar,’ but I’ve tried to make It plain that we don’t like the rituashun.’’

if Jim heard the words he did not reply ©

to them. He sat there for an hour or more, never turning his gaze away from the valley leading down to San Francisco At length he rose up, walked over to his shanty and packed his stuff, and presently he started off without a word to any of us, and without stopping to ask for his share of the dust under the stones of the fire place. He went off down the valley, bead and eyes dewn and looking neither to the right nor the left, and after watching him for a while Elder Watkins shook his head in a solemn way and s®lemniy observed:

‘*Boys, I’m glad on it! When a critter jumps up and duwn and yells and hollers and cusses, it’s plain English and ye kin understand it, but when he sots down and looks way off and thinks and thinks and keeps his thorts to hisself how on airth ar’ ye goin’ to size him up?’

We were in touch with ‘Frisco. We knew all about mining stock and had more or less dealingsinthem, One day, aymontk after “Thoughtful Jim’’ left us, shares in thef‘Golconda’’ appeared in the mar- ke*. It was reported to be a mountain of gold. ‘Frisco went wild over it. Shares of the face value of $25 jumped to $70, $0, $90 and $100 inside of a week. Men fought to buy them at any price, and out at Strawberry Hill we raked and scraped and gathered up our last dollar to buy at $120. We could have sold at $138, but we wanted more. One day we were offered $1504 share by achap who said he wanted to get a controlling interest, but Elder Watking solemnly shook his head and replied;

‘Stranger, it would be flyin’ in the face of Providence to take less than $300 a sheer, and I hope you won't offer that,’’

Next day those shares couldn’t have been sold for a cent a piece. ‘‘Golconda’’ had busted. It was only a mine on paper. We sent a man down to ’ Frisco to investi- gate. Kverybody had been bitten, for the

-thing had Leen beautifully worked. The man at the head of it was our ‘* Thoughtful Jim,’’ and the day before the crash camo he took passage for New York and carried half a million dollars with him. When our man returned and reported a public meeting was called. It was attended by ““many tax payers,’’ every one of whoin wia dead broke and hungry. Nobody knew just what ought to be said or done on sucha sorrowful occasion, Some want- ed to‘* Whereas’’ and some wanted to ‘‘ Re- solve,’’ but Kider Watkins got up on the head of a barrel and waved his hands for silence and said:

“It don’t seem necessary to string out this funeral purceshun more’n half a mile, nor to stand around the grave more'n half an hour! We hev been did up and busted, We hev bin cut down as a flower. We had a thoriful man in this camp, which his name was‘ *Thortful Jim.’’ Wedriv him out because we argued thata thortfal man was no good. While we was workin’ with our hands he was workin’ with his head. While we was a-thinkin’ he had killed his mother he was a-thinkin’ how to mako a scoop. We orter knowed better, but we didn’t. Weorter knowed that when 4 critter sots down and thinks and thinks and thorts sunthin’ has to bust, but we took the wrong trail. Wear’ busted. We ar’ redooced. We ar’ flat-broke. Thar’ hain’t nuthin’ mere to be said. Let's ad- jeurn the meetin’ and hunt fur mysh: rooms and roots !’’—Detroit Free Press,

liow Statues are Made,

Charles Caverley, N. A., the sculptor, stood in his studio the other day. Before him was a skeleton, a gruesome-looking object but one faithfully produced.

‘*What’'s that?’’ asked a visitor, point- ing to the clay.

*That,’’ said Mr. Caverley, *‘is to bea statue of Burns.”’

‘But why don't you make the poct?’ inquired the vis'tor. ‘‘What’s the use of making skeletons?’ Mr. Calverley said,

‘all statues are built up that way. First the skeleton is modelled, then the muscles are put on, and lastly the

elothes?”’

Tne visitor apologized for his ignorance, and incidentally remarked that he’d bet that nine men out of ten would think ag he did,

And perhaps he was right.

Comments of Her Relatives, Penelope—Sharley called last night, Justine—That’s twice in a week, isn’t

it? Pene'ope— Yes. Justine—I suppose he'll come three times in the next week? Penleepe—That’s what hrother says. Justine—And five times the next? Penelope—That's what sister says, Justine—And six times the next? Penelope—That's what aunty says. ustine—And seyer times the next? Penelope—That's wiiat papa says. Justiae—And then what? Penelope—Then we'jll get married; that’s what everybody suys. Justine—And then what? Penelope—Then I won’t seo him any more of an evening; that’s what mamma says. —Brooklyn Life.

with no impurities whatever,”

THE BEST DIPLOMATISTS.

They Are Usually Men of Whom the Pub- lie Hears Nothing.

Sir <dward Malet, in his recent speech ‘at the dinner given in his honor by the British colony in Berlin, dwelt as follows | upon the qualities which go to make up &

good diplomatist :

When it became known that I was about to retire from the service, much specula-

| tion arose as to who was likely to be my successor, and the names of mez who are zreat inother branches of the service of the Queen were suggested. For a reason which I will attempt to explain it was ad- vanced that it would be better to fill the place with an outsider of distinction than with one belonging to the permanent dip- lomatic service. It is a very peculiar thing about that service that the greatest ability may be concealed beneath a bushel

It is our duty to proceed noiselessly in our course. diplomatist is that heis not heard of. The mowent a fuss is made about him you may be pretty sure that something is wrong, for so long as he can keep every- thing smooth, which is the object and es- sence of his calling, he can attract no at- tention. It isa question whether a very brilliant man can ever be fitted for diplo- ‘macy. The very keenness of his intellect will impel him to dazzle the public by suc- cesses great and small,

But the victories of diplomacy must be achieved in silence,or their spoils are often lost. I remember many years ago a dis- tinguishca outsider being sent to repre- sent us at « distant post. He was resolved upon success, but he was also resolved that his successes should be known, So he telegraphe 1 them to one of the most in- fluential of the daily papers—I will not say which—and I can assure you that we ! were ali duly impressed with the records of them, and dwelt, not perhaps without envy, on the picture which was presented to us of the potentate to whom he was ac- credited writhing in the iron grasp of our representative. But when these reports came to be translated into the foreign press the vigilance and the jealousies of foreign nations were aronsed. Reprisals were threatened in other quarters of the globe, and in the end our Minister was re- _ quested to come home. The diplomatic service heard of him ne more. Yet this man wonld have been a useful agent if he had acquired the habits of seif-negation and reticence which training alone can give. In another case a brilliant lawyer was ap- pointed. He went to his post determined to uphold the flag as it had never been up- held before, and succeeded, Within a short space he had quarreled with a ma- jority of his colleagues to that extent that when he gave an official dinner on the oc- | casion of the Queen’s birthday, they neither

came nor sent an excuse. He afterward contributed in a slashing style to a rup- ture of relations, and this really showed much talent, for the nation was both a peaceful and a friendly one. He came away in a whirl of fireworks which left him in the dark, and the diplomatic ser- vice saw him ro more. No, we do not want coruscating diamonds; the homely button is much more useful,

I will push this simile further. The world is a huge body clad in a garment of state. The diplomatists, studded all over the earth, are the unobtrusive buttons

{ which hold the garments together. As long as we perform this function satisfac- torily we pass unnoticed because the gar- ments continue to fit properly. It is only when we break loose or come off that we become an object of attention and discus- sion. For instance, I am going te come off, and on that account alone I have re- cently been more written about in the papers—I say it with pride than during all the eleven years that I have been Km- bassador. I have thus fairly outlined the causes which might lead it to be supposed that when a high post falls vacant it can be filled trom outside the pale of service. Believe me that within its ranks there are mep whe can fill all the diplomatic posts we possess with ability and distinction, and that these posts can not be so filled except hy persons who have behind them a long diplomatic training. You will not, therefore, be surprised that I should have hailed the selection of Sir Frank Lascelles as my successor with great satisfaction, a sentiment whic’ was increased by a long- standing friendship between us, We were together at the Paris Embassy during the trying time of the Commune, and it is under such a strain that one learns best the metal that a man is made of. He has mounted step by step, the rungs of the diplomatic ladder. He 1s versed in all the traditions and possesses all the qualities which combine to produce distinction in a diplomatist. He will, I am sure, within a short time gain your suffrages to such an extent as to make me pleasurably jeal- ous in my retirement,

Precious Ink Bottles,

Four ink bottles, from which some of the greatest literary works of the century issued, are to be on view, says our Paris correspondent, at an approachiog exhibi-. tion of relics. They were used severally by Victor Hugo, Lamartine, the elder Dumas and George Sand. Mme. Victor Hugo collected them to sell at a charity bagar in Guernsey. To this end she had them set in a frame of oak that could be used as a table. With each is a letter at. testing its authenticity. Victor Huge said: ‘‘I did not buy or choose this ink bottle, but fell on it by chance and used it for months. It was asked of me fora work of charity, and here it is.—Haute- ville House, June, 1860’’ Lamartine wrote: ‘‘Presented by Lamartine to a master of the pen.’’ Dumas the elder thus certified: ‘‘I certify that this is the ink bottle I used in writing my Isst fifteen works.—A. Dumas, 10 April, 1860.’ George Sand, in a letter of three pages, begs Mme. Hugo to excuse the ugliness of her box ink bottle, which shuts with a spring. She used it in all her tours and wandaings, and could only part with it for the sake of Mme, Hugo's charity.—London News.

A Modern Knight,

The following, as told by an exchange, proves that the spirit of the knights af old is not yet gone;

It was a cold morning in March, in Chicago. A _ little old man stood on the corner of Clark end Randolph Streets, selling newspapers.

He was thinly clad, and kept ctrotting ap and down, trying to keep warm. and his voice was hoarse from, cold, and pas- sers-by could hardly hear him,

Some boys jeered and laughed at him, but one, about thirteon years old, rather better dressed than the rest, after looking at him for a few moments, walked up to him and said: ‘‘I will shout for you.”’

The old man thought the boy was mak- ing fun of him, but the boy began to gal} out: ‘*Times, Herald, Tribune, News!’ in a clear voice, which attracged so many castomers that in 4 little while the old man had sold his stock. He offered to pay his youthful partner, but he would take nothing, and went off with a smil-