Ladies fifty years ago, when going on a journey by stage coach, carried their cash in their under-pockets. There were no railways opened in Wales then, and people who had not a close carriage either went in the mail coach or in a post chaise. Farmers' wives and market women wore these large under-pock ets. I remember my Welsh nurse had one, wherein, if she took me out cowslip picking, or nutting, or blackberry gathering, she carried a bottle of milk and a lot of biscuits or a parcel of sandwiches, often a clean pinafore as well. Her pocket on these occasions was like a big bag. I was very proud when she stitched up a wee pocket for me to wear under my frock, out of some stuff like bed-ticking, similar to that of which she made her own big pockets.-Notes and Queries.

MAKING A MAN FROM HARDWARE.

There was once a hardwareman who was determined to set up an image of a human being in his store window. He looked about his stock, and, finding all the needed material, went to work, and his efforts were crowned with unquestioned success.

He took the legs of a stove, the teeth of a rake, the ears of a pail, the elbows of a stovepipe, the tongue of a wagon, the nails from a keg, the fingers of a cradle, the head of a hammer, the nose of a teakettle, the hands of a cyclometer. the hair of a brush, the eyes of a needle, the bottom of a tub, the neck of a bottle, the arms from his gun de

partment, the joints from a two-foot rule, from which he also stole the feet, the back of a refrigerator, the heel of a scythe and the cheek of his traveling man. He was a little uncertain as to the "skin," but after a moment's thought decided to give that part to the fellow next door.

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GREWSOME GOLD.

It was Oliver Wendell Holmes who said, "Some time in the future people would mine gold in graveyards," and this vividly suggests the amount of this precious metal in these ghastly places. Millions of dollars' worth of the yellow metal are annually packed and plugged into people's teeth, and many are peripatetic gold mines. Every graveyard is a Klondike on a small scale, but the difficulty would be to establish a claim. Apropos of this there is a good story, which may be true, where a humane Ian was rewarded for his good deeds by a kind and ever watchful providence, or by the chance of fortune. He was on his way to Klondike and found the body of a would-be miner on the road, who had died from cold and starvation. He thought to himself, "Perhaps I may fetch up in the same way, and I will give him a decent burial, as I hope for one myself." He began to dig a grave, but had scarcely reached a depth of two feet before he struck gold, solid and rich. He buried the miner in another hole, worked the first one, and was scon a rich man. All of which goes far to show that one good turn will bring another. if it is a strange one.

THE CAT'S SOCIAL STATUS.

What a

There is no denying it but London society is "queer." Here is the National Cat Club of Great Britain giving an exhibition at the Crystal Palace, under the management of Lord Marcus Beresford, the honorable secretary, with his wife Lady Marcus in constant attendance, and the inseparable companion of the young Countess of Dudley and the Duchesses of St. Albans and Bedford, who are as cat crazy as herself. A gossipy correspondent, who knows everything apparently, says that Lady Marcus Beresford is the heroine of two elopements and of three divorce cases! hond of social union is the cat. For all the ladies of light and leading in 1.ondon are flocking to the exhibition, and adoring Lady Marcus and her 200 cats, not to mention many other entrancing felines. It appears that these Beresford cats are kept at the lady's country place near Windsor, and it is one of the sights to see them fed in the afternoon. Three footmen bring trays of saucers and lay them out on the lawn in front of the house in rows, and every cat knows its cwn special place and keeps it without encroaching on its neighbor. They are all fed together, and make a splendid sight, being from all parts of the world, and of all colors, from terra cotta to Russian blue. When, pray, does our cat show come off. Bless 'em!

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THE KAISER'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

Many attempts have been made to enumerate the Kaiser's accomplishruents, but the undertaking is fruitless, because every day witnesses the addition of some fresh talent, natural or acquired, to the encyclopaedic list. During his recent visit to the Emperor of Austria. William II. is said to have revealed himself in quite a new light. After the state banquet, when the two Sovereigns and a few favored guests retired to enjoy a quiet cigar, his Ma

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Mr. Andrew Lang makes the philanthropic suggestion of a "Poets' Mutual Aid Society." When he himself, was young and tuneful, he used, he says,.dutifully to buy the works of other minor bards; but seeing that our poets are very numerous, and yet very limited editions of their books do not sell out, he is compelled to the distressing conclusion that nowadays the poets do not even read each other. How, then, he asks. should they expect politicians, workingmen and bimetallists to read them? His proposal is, therefore, that 10.000 poets subscribe a guinea a year to his Poets' Mutual Aid Society, and that there should be an annual ballot for the first hundred places for publication-the successful hundred to be published and to withdraw from the society, having had their chance. Were it not for the odious extradition laws, Mr. Lang would be happy to act as treasurer.

Mrs. Cameron's house at Freshwater, the rendezvous of many distinguished men and women, was in some sort the refuge of many whose hearts' desire it was to know Tennyson. No one she could help was ever turned away; none willingly would she have left "out of the feast of life." With Tennyson she was on terms of friendly intimacy, being in her relationship with him, as in all other matters, a law unto herself. She could and did say anything to him, though always within the limits set by high bred feeling and a heart that was never at fault. One day some American acquaintances of hers, visitors at Freshwater, went up to Farringford in the

expectation of seeing Tennyson, but soon after they returned to Dimbola with a rueful tale of disappointment. "Oh, he won't see you?" she said. "Come with me!" and thereupon, hastily throwing on her shawl she took them to Farringford, entered into the open hall door and marched them into the drawingroom, where Mr. Tennyson and his wife were seated. "Alfred." she said, "these strangers come from a far country to see the lion of Freshwater, and"-waving her hand-"behold, a bear!"

Tennyson, ever gentle with his friends, caught her direct humor and broke into a hearty laugh, receiving his visitors in the kindliest manner.

The following story is said to have Leen related by Hon. James G. Blaine:

"A few years ago I attended a performance of Faust at a Dublin theatre. In the third act, Faust, the lost, is dragged down into the infernal regions in a glare of fire. On this occasion the actor impersonating Faust was an abnormally large man, and the trapdoor of the stage an unusually small one. At the proper time the door separated and a volume of blue and red flame shot forth. Faust was seen dragged by a hidden power, struggling through the opening. His legs went first, and he proceeded as far as his waist. Here he stuck. Those underneath tried to pull him through, while he endeavored to get out. He could move neither way, his portly body completely filling the aperture. There was an embarrassing pause. The audience was as silent as the tomb. Then an old Irishman back in the gallery arose, and, with his eyes fixed on the scene, raised his hand and fervently exclaimed: I thank God,

hell's full.'"

We take the following details in regard to Sir Edwin Arnold's recent marriage to the Japanese lady, Mrs. Watanaba, from "The Home Journal:" "The poet-journalist first met his pres

ent wife. his third, in Yokohama, in 1891, when he visited Japan with his daughter Edith. He was already, in a dilettante way, a believer in the mysteries and beauties of Buddhism. One morning Miss Edith Arnold went to the legation in great distress. She said her father had gone crazy. He claimed to have married the pretty widow of Col. Watanaba, of the Japanese Army, but, so far as she could discover, no ceremony had been performed, which shocked her European ideas greatly. Minister John F. Swift called on Arnold, who introduced him to his bride. and explained that they had been married by the Japanese method of drinking a cup of tea together. 'It is the custom of the country, and will be as binding on me as would a pompous ceremony in a cathedral,' said the poet, whereat his daughter and friends had to be satisfied."

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HOW THEY SETTLED THE CHURCH QUESTION.

A certain Governor of Rhode Island, who lived in Newport, and was a member of the Congregational Church, married a woman who was a Baptist, without any understanding as to the arrangements of religious matters. The first Sunday morning after the marriage the pair started out at churchtime together. They walked side by side as far as the corner of Church and Spring streets, where their accustomed ways to church diverged, and there they stopped. He stood with a little dogged leaning toward his church, she with the same leaning toward hers. "Well, wife," said the Governor, "which way shall we go?" She made no answer, nor did she make any sign of going his way. Governor looked up at the beautiful spire and cheery door of Trinity Church, under the shadow of which they stood. "Ha!" said the, Governor, "let's throw up both our churches and go in here!" And into Trinity they went, and were devoted Episcopalians ever after.

The