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W7 -s * . '/' /The kinc i 1 ^choni # ' ^ ii*"4 A NOVEL OF AMERICAN LIF r ^rta \ x D V MAURICE Copyrickt. i8J2 and 1893 ' CHAPTER XVI. CONTINUED. "I conldn't stay at home!" she exelaimed, casting aside her cloak aud rushing impetuously into Pauline's embrace. "I am so troubled, so ner vous! Papa says that the enemy will be in the city before the week is past." Paulino pulled her down iuto her :ap with girlish tenderness and fondness, soothing herself by caressing her !riend, Mrs. Vernon took Mademoiselle df Sezaunes's hand and stroked it. The three were drawn close together in a striking group near the center of the room whose windows were festooned inside with almost priceless tapestry ?nd outsido with blooming vines. Despite the chill of the December air, with its searching dampness, the perfume of roses and violets were sweetly prevalent throughout the house. "Why, you have lost the set of your ring!" Mrs. Vernon exclaimed, as her fingers touched the little circle of gold claws that had held a large diamond in place. "No!" "Yes. See!" Mademoiselle looked down and turned pale. "And it was the ring he gave me? my " i- ~ t>? "lour engagement riug: For the tim6 they forgot war and its terrors in their consternation over a lost bauble; but, then, the bauble stood for so much! They sprang to their feet, and the diamond set rolled, flashing, on the carpet. All three stooped to pick it up, and so pressed and crushed' themselves together in beautiful disorder, actually laughing . and ejaculating gayly. "Oh, I could riot?I could not lose this!" cried Mademoiselle de Sezanues. She kissed the stone and fondled it | gainst her cheek. "You know I lost the large ruby out of my fan on- the uight of your party," she went on to say. "I'm haviDg bad luck with my jewels." "Do you meac to say that you lost the Caribbean ruby, as you called it?" inquired Mrs. Vernon. "Yes, the buccaneer. Yon recollect, Pauline, that Air. Parker admired it, ?sn much that eveniner. I i was nearly heart broken when I found ^ that it was gone. Though I would rather lose a hundred like it than this darling set." And again she showered kisses on the diamond. . t It would have been a (rifle startling to the ladies could they have bean informed just then that Faiker, alias John A. Murrell, had sold the ruby in Memphis and made merry with friends in expending the money received for it. Mr. Vernon came in presently, wet (and chilled. He went directly to his own room to change his clothes and be tubbed by a servant. "When he appeared again it wa3 to f inform his wife and his daughter that they were to bo sent to the plantation to remain till after the impending battle had been fought. Preparations for the move would be made immediately. Lapjn, the overseer, had beeiv notified, and would come early on tl-' morrow with the proper vehicles fi0 taking suet things as would be nee:' The ladies would go in tlie famih' y carnage. / sosuaaen an announcemeny? time, added much to the/'suc^ dread and to the confused ng Bions, with which Mrs. i. aPPrehen* Pauline were alreadyVeiuon and had in it the terrible ^PP1*?3^. It diate and dire tirtr. ^ imiHobatfcle-smoke wafr^11^' of bouse could 110 through the startling ^ ^ave been more "Oh, if Jy cried Madeir/. coal(l &? with you!" will be awfi?018eII? de Sezannes. "It I "-But, y Mrs. Yeryou can So with us," said room in/011- "Wb-V not? There is m>. "AT 7/ carriage." Verno' dear, child> JeV added Mr. wouli/0' w a ser?0118 smile. "It be k0 so good cf you to go and ^yfompany for Pauline and Madame /ernon." Jf "But, papa and " / "Ob, there is no hurry. Yon can f go home and confer with your father. d It will be satest ior you 10 oe wuu my family, I am very sure. Tell your Either that I advise it aud insist upon it. The city will be no placo for us if the English defeat Jackson and come in." In some way, through a medium thought at the time to bo sufficiently authentic, the story had come to New Orleans that the British officers had promised their men the freedom of conscienceless conquerors should they capture the city. As the rumors of their approach and of the overwtielmi ing numbers they cpuld oppose t<} the little handful of Americans , wore t * coupieu wim u xcpuii ui 9ui.u wuj??. significance, the invaders were regarded as savages worse iu every respect than the red men who had been ao recently conquered by Jackson. A thrill of apprehension shot through tho heart of the city; but the bedizened dens of vice aud infamy abated not one line or point of their cupidity, ceased not by night or by day their hideous carousals. There seemed to be as much danger within as without, in 1he event ofc such disorder as would follow the defeat of Jackson. What aggravated the danger was i the clash between Jackson and this ' very class, whose leaders were, in fact, the chief men of the State. The iron-hearted general, however, apparently paid not the slightest attention to any particular individuals of the would-be obstructionists, albeit his eye saw everything aud his hand vas heavy when it fell. He grasped i jae situation more intelligently than i ?Jid Governor Claiborne or any of his associates, and when the moment I ORk. zY ISLAND E DURING THE WAR OF 1812. THOMPSON. Vy Robert Bonner's Bona. took charge of everything with a suddenness and vigor that were irresistible. Even the vilest of the forbans and cut-throats were touched by the magnetic influence of his indomitable spirit and courage. Here was a general who was the fit leader of desperate men, and all these outlaws were ' -t are on rl IlOlUlUg 11 JLLUb UiiliUjj M?v. scoffers at danger and death. Mr. Vernon felt the doubtfulness of the outcome, and, moreover, in any event, the safer place for his wife and Pauline, he thought, would be at the secluded plantation house. As for I himself, he had determined that he | would report at once to General Jack| son. CHAPTER XVII. THE JACKSONIAN TEMPER. The plantation to which Mrs. Vernon and Pauline were sent lay near the Mississippi Eiver, a few miles below New Orleans. It was a lonely place, and the house, a very plain and simple structure, stood close to the edge of a dreary swamp. Hard by ran a narrow ditch or canal, which was now bankful of muddly-looking water. Mademoiselle de Sezannes, at the urgent request of the Vernons, accompanied them, although her own parents decided to remain in the city. One who is in the least familiar with the topography of the region round about New Orleans and with tiie plan oi attacK aeiermmeu upon by the British general will suspect that the refugees, in going to the plantation, were running almost directly toward the enemy instead of fleeing from him. This was so in fact, although Mr. Vernon did not for a moment suppose tl}at the final advance could be from any other direction than Lake Pontohartrain, which lies north of New Orleans. Lieutenant Ballanohe has not yet returned from his reconnaissance of the Bayou-Bienveuu region, nor had there como any definite report oi the enemy's movements on Borgne or up the Rigolets when Mr. Vernon took his long rifle and reported to General Jackson, desiring to fight as an independent private. It is always so in the case of an impending advance of an .army upon a city wholly unprepared for defense. The want of a^sufficient force to keep all the avenuesof approach well under observation results, generally speaking, in tr total ignorance of just what Lis most needful to know. Doubtless General Jackson was in possession off more facts regarding the whereaboi^ and purposes of the English thaj^e circumstances seem to indicate1. sjjjj the lack of troops and munijj^g an(j the confusing number and*- f?of the T.ttrwa^ andlt? by which itjGlw^possible for his foes tohimSnade everything i ? rogu military preparation and , action oj>his part well nigh impossi?".*iis memory was good, and fn Mr. Vernon presented.himself a,!H asked to be assigned at ^nce tf? a . , n-.i.T i'n 116 rfiooneuieu cvoi vnuug * ionneotion with their past interview ,8, Secretly he was glad to make amen for the brusqueness of those otfca" sions, and he was quick to unr?r* stand that Jiere was a chance for Aim to secure, perhaps, the adhesion r} a class of malcontents who ho urjlder" stood would accept Mr. Vernoi1 as their leader. He grasped the old man's hand with diplo ^**? warmth (for Jackson, despite his^ " fuluess, was born a politician) , antl pressed it. - {__ "I am glad yon have come,? Vernon," he said, with a strafj^ ? strong gaze of confidence and nre, "for I need you. You can ?erve me and the country to great a^yan" tage just now, sir?to great a an* tage, indeed. I want a comp*11^ of volunteers armed with rifles, ,or? or , tbat mstler, with guns of xi kind can bo had. You are ^U5tyflie man to raise and lead suc^i^company." The general was a magnetic man, and he knew how to direct his great personal power; but in an instant he felt the counter-thrust of an invulnerable individuality. Mr. Vernon's im? 1 -I 1 QnAIYkA/1 meiise puysicui jiru^viuuuu uuviuuu just then to ding out a spiritual and moral spell which, if it did not entangle Jackson's agile mind, wrought a singular effect upon his imagination. The two men stood facing each other in silence for a moment. "Sit dowu, sir," said Jackson, presently, pushing a chair toward his visitor, The room was a large, plain one, and simply furnished in the main.* The gannt frame of-the general, as roughly clad as if he had just arrived from the "farm, bristled with angles, and a stubble of wiry beard stood out stiffly on his grim, sunburnt face. "I prefer to fight as a private individual attached to any company that you may choose to assign me to," paid Mr. Vernon, without appearing to notice the proffered seat. "I um not seeking &z office, general." "Of course, yy:i are cot. But the j office seeks you, sn." , "No, there are offictr?j, and to spare | ^ ! as .you said the other cmy; ana, oei, j sides, I am not a military mi,^" "You are a leader of citizens; unj , : that's better." . ^ .Tackson could not help admiring | | the old man, standing there like a Hercules, grown gray iu doingmiracles' Oj.' Mowess. What limbs he had, -whai ^ shoulders, what a larg9 bead and' what bulging muscles! borne ruinoi; * of his past life, a vague but fascinatj, iug story of wanderings on the neni. and of stormy but successfal euces iu the wars of many Icu^- had come to tbo general's ears from this or that accidental source. Vejy few imaginations are proof agaiual such a tilm of romauce hovering cKrer an individual who emphasizes itafcllnrement with a personal uiptryjice al "I am too old, general, to think o taking command of even a company,' said Mr. Vernon after a moment. H( spoke with respectful thoughtfulness but behind his words was a reserve o something like conscious superiority or, at least, of absolute self-confidence He folded his arms across his immens< chest, his long rifle in the hollow o his left elbow, its butt on the floor be tween his feet. "No, Ipreter to figh as an individual rifleman; and, al though I am old, my eyes aro stil good?I shoot well." "Now, what is the use, Mr. Vernon, of your speaking like this!" demandec Jackson, with a hint of his stormy im patience in his voice. It was not ol his nature to brook resistance. "Ar( you not going ever to cease resenting ?.my refusal to appoint Loring? I assure you, sir, that had he been a gentleman insiead of a scoundrel, ] still had no place for him." "Ta! It is you who are fretted! Do you imagine that if I felt so greatlj aggrieved I should bo here now offer_ Tf l id ^ iiijoqii ua a pi imio di/iuici ; a.i j desired office, General Jackson, dc you feel that I could not have it without asking you?" There was nothing beneath the most superb dignity in Mr. Vernon'e way of saying this. It was propounded as a simple question without any ring of personal pique or of nndue assumption, and yet there was a sudden cold, hard gleam in his eyes. 'Oh, well," said Jackson, rather haughtily and as if dismissing ?ne matter once for all, "you must do as you please." "I will do this," -Mr. Vernon responded, without taking any Notice of the general's mood; "I will raise a company at my own expense and have it report to you, properly equipped and officered." Before there could'be any reply to his words, h,e saluted gravely and walked out of the room. The entrance at this moment of Governor Claiborne, General Villere and M. Tousard, the French consul, forced Jackson's attention into a new [channel; but during the interview, wMon was important, 1113 mouguc kept taming back to the singular conference with Mr. Vernon. Anil yet what bad there really been in it that should 'impress him? Certainly, the mere fact that a citizen of New Orleans had offered himself as a soldier was nothing peculiar or impressive; men were doing this every day. Moreover, what Mr. Vernon had said was feimple enough. Jackson found that it was the man's personally , the extraordinary presence, the suggestion of almost immeasurable experience and of incomparablev dignity, reserve, self-repression that lingered in his brain and appealed to him in> some obscure but wonderfully potent way. It ia credible that Jaokson who was a man of penetrating insight, felt that Mr. Vernon was a type embodying the strange spirit of this romantic creole civiliza ,tion?that io his stalwart, massive frame,there dwelt the composite soul of aTOl&'wild, free, untamable swarm u^j/ose niidst'thtfgeneral now found t-mgp1f, with no efficient means of react 8 ^eir natures aE<^ warming theif sympathies. i/What did Vernon want?" Claiborne ventured, in his Bmootli way, to jn/iuire, after the immediate business the interview was over. /'"He offered his services," said Jackion, evasively. f "He did 2 That is fortunate just at Ithis juncture. Do you know, general, that he is the most important man in Louisiana?" "I have been told that he has influence." "It is unbounded," said the French oonsul. "Yes," added General Villere, with quick interest, lighting a cigar meantime, "we can count upon everything if hiaL hearty support can be secured at once." "I asked him to raise and lead a company," said General Jackson. VWhy, ge.ieral,"", flaict Villere, "I must say that you hij^ blundered? unwittingly, of couifo. j/.aise and lead a company! You^houlr-l ^ave 'fken him close,to once an<^ made him a confidential adviser." ^ "It was campi with Faval, some timflg0f and a3j^ed me to take fVtof onr i i /v.i { T.orinor nn rnv """" ^rounarei, uoiuuert ? ol ? ?j stafly> jactson repjiec* dryly and with "Ravage shrug of the/?k?u'<iers. ' "He a3ked that? ,-^6 favored Loring!" exclaimed Vill?re> an astonished tone. "Incre<"hle!"' In his excitemo0^ he spoke in French, and Jacks00 did not understand his words; bu^ kis gestures and expression told o3 much as his language. (TO BE continued.) The Oo',dolft '* Doomed. Who ever *aought of Venice without thinking gondolas? Probably eight out often pe?pla could tell you nothing mrre 'he most pioturesqua city in Ita'^ than that its inhabitants ride in gondolas rather than in cable cars, ysvertheleas, like many other in^titr.MOns hesutiful to the eye and dear t<! sentiment, gondolas are disappeaIDS* , XbJ substitute for these beautiful, swaj"^^e boats is almost too shock* J jnfrlo tbe sensibilities to appear in prj-ifc. A "SteamTransportation Com* ly" Las been orgaDized and is scathing the seeds of nervous prostrajon among the Venetians by estabishing a system of shrieking, puffiug, loisily obtrusive littla steamboats to run even on the smallest canals. Of bourse there have been for many years boats running on the grand canal. Sow the servica is to be extended as to embrace the entire city. "For the love of tradition," protest the Venetian.!, "/or the love of beauty, [or the lov-j of quiet, leave us our gun- j .lolaa and spare us this smoking j jhriakiug horror." Swoet-Pert Colo)?ra1lotr. The sweet-pea is to have an international bi centenary celebration this pear. It was introduced into British gardens from its home in Eastern Euope just 200 years ago. The line ilooms and erclcnMve range of colorng whicli are now obtained are, howker, of comparatively recent dato, been produced duiitig the last quartet a century or so. Nc,RCity has 20ci votcrans of tha lfei cau nr. sovea o^ tho Indi ; arftwwi ^J? j | Aerial Navigat: : 1 Von Sep] : jiii? I The second trial of Count Zeppe lin's colossal airship is described it I press reports from Friedrichsliafen af being a notable success. After rising > to a height of about two thousand feet I the vessel remained^ poised at thai level for three-quarters of an hour. Ii ' then made a series of tacks, and weni '.through certain turning maneuvers ! afterward traveling with the wind 11 what is described as "a generally cir ; cular direction" for about six miles the velocity of the wind at this tim< being about eight miles an hour. It ii !; said that later, in a freshening breeze ' the air ship turned and "made heat ; way" against the wind. Eventually the vessel descended with "great eas< and steadiness to the lake." and wai towed to it3 shelter. The stability ant steering powers of the airship are de I I tviriKnil na l\f>inf? pxrpllpnt. 1 If the above reports are correct, still know as little about the actua practical value of Count Zeppelin'! machines as we did before. It hai been proved merely that an airshij of this kind can ascend, maintain it: equilibrium, and be navigated in an: I desired direction, provided the win< dees not much exceed the strength o a gentle bteeze. It has yet to hi shown that in stronger winds/say i from twenty to fifty miles an hour this airship can perform the same evo lutions. If it should show that it i: able to maintain a speed of, say, onl] twenty miles an hour against a stron; wind, aerial navigation by the ballooi type of airship will have an enormou stride In these closing days of the cen tury. Enough' has been accomplishe* to render foe further .trials of Coun Z2ppelin'8.#ostly and carefully though out design*'a. matter of world-wide in terest. ' r, - ' The idea upon w^iich Count Von' Zep pelln's successr^?o far attained, ap pears to be based, is that the envelopi or outer portion of the balloon shouh be of such material as to hold the con talued gas for as^Iong a period as pos Bible. The Mflfetflty has. not been tin making of gas'in great,quantities 1101 the buoyant power of-.large volume; suitably contained, but its retention ir the envelope or receiver! Acting upoi this idea, .the Count.h^s produced i material which would hold'the hydro gen, the buoyant element being tb< lightest substcnce known,, for ilv( ^ iks without appreciate .loss. ^ 'he cigar-shaped envelope has a ca pacity of 13,000 cubic metres,of tliif gas (one metre equal to 39.37 iiiches) The exterior of the'balloon Is covered with a protective surface of pegaiuold and silk. The total weight of the ship and crew is estimated not to exceed i 20,000 pounds. The ship when comI pleted resembles a huge .cigar, made | chiefly of aluminium. It is 41o feet long, and the eylinden proper is forly feet in diameter. The" total depth, including the gondolas in which the passengers sit. is about eighty feet^ The framework of 4his huge cylinder consists of aluminium bands, twenty-four in number. The interior of the cigar is divided by sixteen ver? j tical ribs into seventeen compartments, each of which contains an independent balloon, made of a material which the manufacturer calls "ballonin." The first ascent was to have f n T~M COUNT VON ZEPPELIN. taken i)lace in October, 1S00. but the balloons supplied did not Ull the retirements, and the first ascent did 1 not take place until July 2, l'JOO. when It was seen that it was more )hau likely to be a success, i The motive power of the big airship ; is furnished by four screws or proI nellers attached to the sides of the cigar, actuated by two Daimler rnoI tors of fifteen horse-power each, and ! capable of turning at the rate of 1200 revolutions per minute. These propellers are made with blades of aluiui inium. The action of such propellers 1 on air not being sufficiently well TBE AIRSHIP AT i known to the inventor afori liis fri.onds. various experiments liaj to be carrii d out witli them. was U> . * v y ' ' . , . ion a Fact-- | pelin's Ship Plies. I j'](? it ra rw ^vwu.^S^\rv\ u water of Lake.Constance and set then: i in motion against the air in order tc t see whether they would drive the boai ; forwards and backwards in spite ol , the extra resistance of the water. This t experiment was eminently successful t the boat being driven in either direc L tion at the rate of nearly ten miles ar , hour. 1 The cost of the device to Count Zep i- pelin before the first flight was some , thing like $10(K000. Even one c-harg< ? of hydrogen gas for the balloon costs 3 in the neighborhood of .$2500. Tlx . Count is now a man of seventy, an< 1 lives at the castle of Ebersberg, neai Constance, on the German side. [J 3 ? ? 9 " DESIGN OF ZEP ' A A Aluminium points; length, from J 3 to A, 415 feet. B 13 A ring with spokes similar to thos< ? of a bicycle wheel. C C Compartments or balloons. ' D 1) Tortious of the outer covering, lie served in the German army dur ' ing tbe French war and it is said tha' " no small part of his inspiration in bal s looniug was derived from bis experl [ ence as a scout on a dangerous trij ' during that war, and by the desire tc see better methods of obtaining infor s mationr It is believed that'a ballooi j which can be directed at will?cat t maintain fts equilibrium and descen t together without danger to the life of occupants or to the structure?ha: been last attained. ' Cpuut von Zeppelin is satisfied witl the performance of his airship. ' ' In a conversation with a New Yorl " -t- r THE AIRSHIP BEGINNING ITS FLIGHT. Herald corespondent he said it had been proved that Jt was absolutely under the control of the steering apparatus. This apparatus, by the "way, was not in most perfect order on the first ascent. One of the two rijdders below the machine, at the^tern, would not work freely. Thus, instead of moving parallel with each other, the rudders frequently formed an angle. This 'defcct hampered Count von Zeppelin very much indped. It is to this fault that lie attributes the general movement noticed in the trial toward the left, for at no time did the machine make a decided flight . . to the right. i The Count alsc remarked that his descent happened earlier than he intended. . "My aim," he said, "was to return to the floating pontoon whence we stdrted. I had steered the airship around and was heading directly for this pontoon,- when, in coming down Homewhat from the elevation we had been floating at, the gas began to escape from one of the balloons. "This threw the point of the airship much lower than I wai; prepared for, and our descent became too rapid. "I threw out some ballast and worked the rudder that changes the air ship's plane and direction, but it was of no use. The machine had too great an impetus, and the descent was unavoidable." Opinion in general is somewhat un settled. Of course, the decisive trial has not yet been made, for the machine is still in the experimental stage, though an -undoubted step toward the achievement of aerial flight has been made. Ilow characteristic of this lighting age it is that the moment it seems I likely that the upper air has been made accessible to mankind tiie nrsr questions asked arc: IIow cau we get up there and lipriit? Shall we be able to 1 FULL SPEED. | drop dynamite and lyddite from tin: i skies- upon th- ships and <*ities <d" our enemies? France with new hopes and England with new fears. An invasion of Britain by airships appears as a distinct possibility. The battle of Dorking may be fought in the clouds, and "perfidious Albion" may cease to "rule the waves" by reason of her failure to rulo the atmosphere. On the other hand, a second successful siege of Paris may be mape impossible by the airship's aid i in bringing new supplies of food to > its defenders. t f The Modern Scientist. ; In the olden times, said Professot , Ithys in a recent address before the - British Association, a scientist, after i once printing his views on a given subject, stuck to them through thick and thiu, or, at most, limited himself - to changing the place of a comma or ? replacing an occasional and by a but. ? "In this way not a few great questions 5 affecting no inconsiderable portions of 3 the universe "had been forever set at r rest," and a large portion of the remainder of the scientist's life was frePELIN'S AIRSHIP. l E E Propellers* F F Foremost rudders, turning on axle i (i G. II Gondolas of aluminium plates, rigid Iv attached to the cigar. J J Motors. - quently devoted to defending his theot ries. "All that has been changed and - what now happens is somewhat as fol lows: A B mates an experiment or ) propounds what he calls a working > 'hypothesis; but no rooner has A B done, so that O D, who is engaged in i the same sort of research, proceeds to i improve on A. B. This, instead of imt polling A B to rush after C D with all C kinds of epithets and insinuations that 3 his character is' deficient in all the ordinary virtues of man, only makes i him go to work agjjlin and see whether he cannot^ improve" on C D's results, ; and njpst likely he succeedg, for one discovery leads td another. It is a severe discipline, in which all display of feeling is. considered ba<f form. Of course ev6ry now and then a spirit of the rud^r kind discards' the rules of the game and attracts attention by having fits of bad! temper. But generally epfeaking, the rivalry goes on quietly enough to .the verge of monotony, ypith the neft result that the stock of knowledge is increased." The Dust of Ocean* A "dusty" ocean highway sounds almost incredible. Yet those who are familiar with-sailing ships know that, no matter how carefully the decks may be washed down in the morning, and how little work of any kind may be done during the day, nevertheless, if the decks-are not swept at nightfall, an enormous quantity of dust will quickly .collect Of course, on ihe modern "liner" the burning of hundreds of tons of coal every twenty-four ' hours, and the myriads of footfalls dally, would account for a eonslfterabl3 accumulation of dust, a "wind-jammer," manual witJb a/.dbzgu hands or less, no suctadu^-pj^tilyng agencies are at work. And yet?"the records of sailing ships show that the J " collect more sea dust than does a steamer, which is probably accounted for by the fact that while the dustladen, smoke blows clear of the steam' ei\ the large area of canvas spread !>j the sailer acts as a oust collector.? The Mariner. Kite nn<l Balloon. A feature of the recent German maneuvers was the use of the signal balloon for the transmission of orders. A Flag OP. vthg /A \ signal //y\\ BAILCON f yvH ? I * y ..Of / *.' Q f?ETREA>r SIGNAL BALLOON USED AT THE RECENT GERMAN MANEUVERS. The device is sbovu herewith. It has the feature of the balloon and the kite, and, it is said, can be sent up or [ brought in for the changing of the signals iii quick order. Tact the Lubricator of Life. Tact is one of the cardinal virtues, particularly when it is absent from a Washington society leader's list of attributes. Beauty, wealth, position are as nothing whore tact is lacking. And wh;it is tact? Why, the hanpincss of f doing and saying the right thing at She right moment is on; detinitiou.?Boston nerald. New Implement For Soldier*. An implement to lie added to tlit soldier's kil, which can be used as :? spade, pick-axe or saw and also as a shield for protection from bullets, has been invented by the Earl of Wemyss. It is wiid that the contrivance is te be adopted by the British army. Huroeft am) liiopraj?heii<. She?"Tell you the truth,' Alfred, ) do not believe in heroes." He?"That's funny. If you had said you didn't believe the people who write their biograpifies, I should have thought nothing of it."?Boston Transcript. Trying to Fool the Bachelor*. "When there is .-i party all < ! th? married men get together si> tlioy 'an ' fon! liieold bachelr-rs and pretend haw jolly they are.-Xew York I'ress. '/'ho using woman vrho proposes 1 marriage is only trying to make a 1 A POWERFUL ICE BREAKER. A New Nose Han Been Put on the Unique Russian Craft. The Ice-breaker Ermaek, whlcli was-'" " built last year by Messrs. Armstrong, | Wliltworth & Co., from the designs of ^1 Admiral Makaroff, for the Russian -'-'.'Ja *navy, was recently returned to New- &i castle, In order that the hull might %!Sm be lengthened, and the form of her i THE BfllliM tCI BBXAX2B. ^ v bow aTTertd. The vessel ba?, therefore,. ' been cut in two, as much'Of the bow: being removed as possible without^ 9 placing the boat in dry dock. The sec-' rm ond stage in the operations has just J been reached, and the launching of the- QijM new bow successfully carried out. The- J new DOW IS Ol SUCI1 ?l Sliupe luai, uuLAUNCHING THE NEW BOW FOB IBS EBMACK. . <3 aided, tlie structure would have beeiXvfajH unable to maintain an upright posl-.^^H tion, and therefore a large' steel pon>.$$sM toon was built, and securely riveted the sides -of the bow. Ballast was carefully p'lnceci, to prevent any tcn-;9^H dency of the bow to tip during the ',Jm S5S? 71?f! . fiill jl THE NEW BOW OF THE EBMACX IN THfc launching, end special precaution* ill; the way of shoring and timbering V were carried out. Th' curious-looking^ structure went inti the water wlthoufr-v?ffiBra lae slightest difficulty, and floated within an inch of the calculated: > draught. The length of the new 6o<r ,1? is seventy-five feet, and'the launching , 1 weight was nearly 500 tous. AI J An Epoch-Making Invention. J^TWfl 'There seems to be a likelihooGthat' IH before long movable types for printing:.' will be done away with altogether,^ i&mM and their function, hitherto r egarded^MHl ns indispensable in the art. nerforr.ied by ingenious photographic processes. .'S The books of the near future, it is aredieted, will be made by photography,. ty SBUu and it is not improbable that cvea[ newspapers will be issued by method* 1 in which the camera and dry >platewill take the place of the font and , jjfl metal letters and the stereotype from /. ^Sjj a paper matrix. Tha prediction Isbased upon recently patented invefltions of a practical character.' The-<;. ?/. '|H| originator of the idea proposes to ply to the reproduction of letter pre/^/'j^SB a process not very diflferent from already used in the mechanical plication of pictures.?Saturday Even , [f AN HONORED SCOTSMAN. ' jM r JH9 Donald Gordon, the Queen's New Higlu land Attendant. The London Graphic says: Constiible Donald Gordon, of Motherwell, bajj - /mm just been appointed to the post'of Highland Attendant to the Queen;. wn? siimmnnpfl bpfnre H*?r Majesty, at Balmoral, on Thursday Jmgfl last, and receiving the appointment left * JH Motherwell to take up his duties. He twenty-eight years of age, and has been dsH connected with the Lanarkshire Constabulary in Motherwell for the past four years. It may be mentioned-.that ' 'ofi m m DONALD GORDON. JBM Ooriu.n lias previously been in the service of the Queen, having been for it considerable time mounted iuessen- %H| >:<>: in Her Majesty. His father has gH ;:!so been for a long period in the v. Queen's private service. Gordon's fel- flHRj low constables presented him before leaving with a dressing case and other -^B0 ^