"Measter Member."
"Well, Mr. J?”

I reckon 'tis more'n thirty year that I have a-voted for you and your brether." "I think it must be, Mr. J—; and very highly flattered my family feels by your steady support, I assure you. I'm proud of your good opinion."

Like enough you be, sir. But do you know that in all that long time I can't recollect that I ever drink'd a glass at your expense, except to election times, when everybody could wet their clay? Now that's hardly reasonable."

"I think you must be mistaken,” answered the member. "I don't generally neglect my friends, especially such staunch friends as you; but, mistaken or not, I shall be very glad if you think proper to drink my health some evening soon at the Rising Sun."

seemed especially open to it. Strong men
were stricken and succumbed; delicate
men escaped or recovered. Almost every
one who had not been a patient in previ-
ous visitations suffered now. Convales-
cence was generally tedious; but after a
few months, all souvenirs of the fever in
the shape of bodily ailments disappeared.
I have reason to believe that scientific
opinion is much divided as to the origin
of, and the best method of dealing with,
this pestilence. There are a few instances
on record I know of two myself-of
patients having recovered after having
had black vomit, which is looked upon as
a fatal occurrence. As to the tendency of
reckless habits to induce or to intensify
the diseases incidental to warm climates,
I remember to have heard it said by a
military surgeon who had been long in
Jamaica, that he thought the intemperate
habits of soldiers warded off as much dis-
ease as they induced. Soldiers commit
such gross errors as to eating unwhole-sarve me."
some things, and as to going into and
even sleeping in marshes, thickets, and
other places known to be dangerous to
health, that the excitement of alcohol
probably often saves them from the ill
effects of poisons. The mention of thick-
ets reminds me of a case which I once
knew of, where a soldier, sleeping in the
bush, drew a fly of some sort into his nos-
trils, which bred with great rapidity in his
head. The doctors knew what was wrong,
but were altogether unable to check the
progress of the insects into his brain, by
penetrating to which they killed him in
great agony.

We are apt to connect intemperate habits with hot climates, but "we never need leave our own dear isle" for some pretty examples of what may be done in the way of consuming alcohol. As I have touched on the subject of hard drinking abroad, I will now give two examples (which I believe to be quite genuine) of home achievements. The hero of the first was an old yeoman whose first name was Steeve; his surname I need not mention. Old Steeve was at work one day, fork in hand, in a field overlooking a lane. Along the lane came, trotting on his pony, a county member who had lately been reelected, and in whose favor old Steeve always recorded a vote. Seeing and recognizing his faithful constituent, the legislator drew his bridle, inquired after the yeoman's health, remarked that it was a gloomy day, and having executed this piece of politeness, was about to trot on, when Steeve prolonged the parley.

"Thank 'ee, sir. Perhaps you'll be so good as to let 'em know that they may

"I will. I'm going by there now; and I won't forget to tell the landlord that he's to serve you with as much as you wish to take the first night you go down." "That's honorable, sir. Good-day."

About a week after this, the member, riding in that direction again, stopped at the Rising Sun, learned that old Steeve had "been and had his drop," and inquired what was to pay. A note was handed to him making him debtor to the establishment by thirty-seven glasses of grog served to Mr. Steeve J- The member was indignant.

"You've had plenty of my money," he said, "at this Rising Sun. There was no need of your laying it on in this way. I didn't want to stint the old man, and I told you so. But I didn't think you'd have taken this advantage."

"No advantage have been took, sir," the landlord replied. "That's the fair and honest account of what old Steeve drinked."

"Well, you'll allow me to ask him about it before I settle?"

"Sartainly, sir; and you'll find all cor rect."

So the debtor rode off towards old Steeve's acres, and found the yeoman much in the same spot, and occupied much in the same way, as at their former meeting.

"Mornin', measter," said Steeve, smiling benignantly.

"Good-morning, Mr. J. Glad to see you all right and at work."

"Me! Lord bless 'ee, I am always right

and hearty, I be! Much obliged for your little treat, sir. I enjoyed that drop, I did."

"It's a satisfaction if it made you happy; but, I say, Mr. Steeve, I didn't think that, when I gave you entire liberty for your own entertainment, you'd have gone and treated half the parish at my expense."

Me, sir? Me treat the parish at your honor's expense? No: that's a thing old Steeve 'ud scorn to do. Whoever says he got a thimbleful by my means out of your honor is a lying varmint, and if you'll gi' me his name, I'll tell 'n so, whoever he may be."

"Then it must be as I suspected at first; the people at the inn have been down

on me."

a small sugar-loaf-shaped rock close to it, named Pigeon Island, and said, "That barren-looking cone will always have an interest for me; because, insignificant as it is, it was the scene of my first real separate responsibility." On being asked what the position was to which he alluded, he went on to say: "I am speaking of the day when we took the island-long enough ago now. I was a very small actor in the affair; but they considered it necessary to occupy Pigeon Island, and they had not at first troops immediately disposable to send thither. The consequence was, that I, with two or three boats' crews, was ordered to land there and hold the rock until I should be relieved of my charge by a military officer. Proud enough I was of my position. I was gov. ernor of an island for several hours. At length my government came to an end; for an ensign with a party came to relieve me. So I handed over my government to Mr. Somebody-or-other-I haven't the least recollection of his name or regiment - and retired once more into very subor

"Certainly, measter," answered Steeve, and he scratched his head as if in calcula-dinate life." tion. Then, after the pause, he added, "I can't recollict noan after the zix-andthirtieth."

Whereupon his representative said he thought he would pay the score without further taxing.

The next example was in a much higher walk of life—a gallant admiral who at his London club used to consume nightly eleven tumblers of whiskey toddy. On a certain day he learned that he had been appointed to an important command, and that evening, in honor of the event, he increased his whack by ten tumblers, making it twenty-one tumblers all told.

PERHAPS I have said too much about excessive drinking, which, as we may fairly hope, is becoming unpopular. If so, I will try to compensate for the error by saying something about another admiral who was certainly open to no reproach on the score of self-indulgence, but noted for good and gallant service of which he bore the marks on his person. This fine old sailor, having his flag flying on board a line-of-battle ship in the West Indies, was taking the general officer then commanding the land forces round the islands, that he might pleasantly and rapidly visit the different stations of his command. As they were passing the island of St. Lucia, the admiral pointed to

Whereupon the general, who had been listening to the story with much interest, sprang to his feet, brought his right hand down with emphasis on his left, and exclaimed,

"And, by G-, I was the man who came and relieved you!"

The remarkable thing was, that these two chiefs, who had now grown old and grey in the service, had never again seen each other since, as lads, they hastily exchanged duties, until they came together as commanders-and that, on this occasion of their second meeting, they should pass the scene of their first. Between the two meetings, each of them had served with much distinction in different parts of the world. It so chanced that I was on the deck of the flag-ship when the scene which I have described took place.

As I think of that voyage, I am impressed by the much closer acquaintance which we have formed with St. Lucia, and indeed with the West Indies in general, since those days — which, after all, are not so long ago. The snakes, the negroes, the flying-fish, and the sharks, used to be themes on which travellers could dilate for the amusement of their hometarrying friends; but now it is so easy and so short an expedition for a man to go and see that region for himself, and so many have seen and declared its wonders, that life in the Gulf of Mexico is as well comprehended at our firesides as life in Ken

sington. One must go to central Africa | to an even obscure acquaintance with life

in Jupiter and Saturn, so that it gives us no compensation for the joys which it takes away. If it would only land a few enterprising explorers in the moon, and bring them back to us after a sojourn there, imagination might transfer her regard to the satellite, and find there the pictures which she may no longer import from corners of the earth. But we are to have no twilight region henceforth nothing between prosaic accuracy and blank ignorance.

or to the interior of Tartary who wants to bring home anything fresh. The progress of science and art, which enables us thus to bring the ends of the earth to gether, is no doubt, on the whole, a great gain to humanity; but there are losses too, which must count as serious offsets. How are mankind ever to be compensated for the ignorance and darkness out of which glimmered the shadowy forms, the impossible adventures, the occult powers, the monsters animate and inanimate, of sovereign fiction, the materials of ever-to- On reading over what I wrote just now be-wept romance? I might parody Pis- about familiarity operating to the abatetol's fustian, and say, "Come we to plain ment of awe, I am reminded of how the facts here, and are charmed fables noth-country people often lose their regard for ing?" Alas, alas! advancement will be dearly paid for if it is to cost us our mystery and our myths!

judge, at the same time raising his clasped hands, and saying,

66

My lord, do you see my two hands?" "What does this mean?" said the judge. "Yes, I see your hands; but why don't you attend to the gentleman's question?

"Well, my lord judge, what I've got to say is this: I hope those hands may never uncleb [i.e., unfasten] no more, if I don't tell the whole truth. I wouldn't say that to a lie."

the solemnity of an oath. This may arise from the irreverent administration of oaths in justice-rooms, or from the profane Of all the countries of the earth, Egypt swearing concerning unimportant matters was, perhaps, the most mystic and most which is too common among them. I relegendary. Even while we breathe to- collect the case of one old witness in an day, our public servants, civil and mili- assize court, who evidently did not contary, and our press, are sedulously at sider the oath which he had just sworn to work secularizing Egypt; so that the be a sufficient security that he would time cannot be far distant when the Pyra- speak the truth; for, as counsel commids will be known as well as Paul's-menced to examine him, he turned to the when the shoe-brigade, while awaiting customers, will season their discourse with slang drawn from the labyrinth, and tame crocodiles will waddle at the heels of butchers' lads. These, however, are the material, real wonders of the land: cannot all the imaginary spells of it remain as great as ever, though the gross, palpable objects become intimately known? I say, no. The sanctity of the Nile has passed away, now that that "exulting and abounding river" can be profaned by groups of personally conducted Cockneys from its mouths to its ruthlessly exposed source -now that its nakedness has been uncovered, and the fountain which had been kept secret since the foundation of the world revealed. The Thebes in whose gates "a 'undred 'Arrys" daily imbibe their Bass must it not be commonplace and vulgar as Brummagen itself? Even the memory of Cleopatra descends to the lowest level of interest since the scenes in which she bloomed and charmed became common tracks. Familiarity and awe cannot away together; gnomes and afrites, marvels and dreams, flee before accurate topography and every-day intimacy. Unfortunately, the science which is turning Egypt and other strongholds of fable into material for facts and figures, and forbids them any longer to furnish such stuff as dreams are made of, does not take us much nearer

PRICES OF FOOD - DITTO OF MEN.

RUSTIC simplicity is fast disappearing, now that communication is so easy, and men of all classes contrive to see a little of the world. And, unfortunately, the same transport which can move men about, moves also food and other necessaries, much of which have greatly risen in price since they can be so easily transferred. Such fish as that old witness whom I mentioned consumed, would cost now four times what he paid for it, because it can be taken to the London markets. Vegetables also have become very dear to this generation, and I think many of the peas. ants would say they had gained but little by the march of improvement.

It is a hard thing that, with employment so precarious as it is, and with wages so low, provisions should be high-priced in all the great towns. Butcher's meat, poultry, fish, and bread are certainly much

Nothing could look more hopeless than the high price of household coal did in the south of England a few years ago. Now it has become, rather suddenly, more moderate the means having been found, after long waiting, of outflanking the destructive army of middlemen, and of bringing the colliery owner and the consumer into direct relation. An intermediate business, which for long enriched a few tradesmen, has been, or soon will be, eliminated; on the other hand, the popu lation at large experience a marked relief in regard to an indispensable commodity. To the poor in winter, the boon of moderately priced coal must be inexpressibly welcome.

dearer than they ought to be. If graziers, hope that right will some day triumph in fishermen, and farmers received large respect of provisions. payments for these commodities, it might be supposed that the cost of breeding, taking, or growing them was so great that only a long price could remunerate those who occupy themselves therewith. But it is notorious that the first vendors of them get by no means large profits for their pains, although the consumers the retail buyers have to pay exorbitantly. The great profits, no doubt, go into the pockets of butchers, bakers, poulterers, and fishmongers, and probably of other middlemen who stand between the eater and the producer. The rules of the political economists seem to be at fault here, and might fairly be threatened with banishment to Jupiter or Saturn; for spite of the immense commerce in these necessaries of life, competition does not aid the consumer at all. Rather there is no healthy competition, for the retail sellers are able to combine and overbear all attempts to offer the goods at a lower rate. It was for a time hoped that the co-operative societies might prevail to break the power of what are really great conspiracies against the interests of the public; but they have hitherto accomplished little as regards fresh provisions.

The evil is one very difficult to contend with, notwithstanding that we are able to see pretty clearly where the unsound place is. Catches of fish are parted with by the toilers of the sea for extremely mod erate considerations; foreign grain and foreign carcasses are brought hither and sold at decidedly cheap rates, and yet the buyer for his own table finds his retail purchase singularly dear. Now that these facts are known, it is probable that in time we may see the obstacles to fair dealing in the food of the people cleared away. So far, even though they are known, the facts obtain much less attention than they deserve. Compare the protests made by the public against the conspirators who keep up the retail prices of food, with the indignation which clamors so loudly if one only hints at such a thing as a protective duty; and yet the duty would enhance the price very far less than these combinations do. The duties are made odious to serve political objects; but it benefits no party to denounce the action of middlemen and retailers, and so their overthrow is left to time. Time, probably, will not fail us. After long waiting the public has at length had some right done it in the article of household fuel, and this gives ground for

The word price has formed a link between ideas which, at first view, have little in common. I pass from the price of commodities to the price of men.

What Walpole said about every man having his price, seems to be in these days applicable to persons in the employ of the State, who are intrusted with information or documents which it is their duty to keep secret. Every now and then occasions come about when it is worth the while of certain persons to pay highly for such information or documents, in order that they may make the same public; and it too often happens that public servants, who have not the excuse of necessity or low wages to plead, yield to the temptation of a heavy bribe. It is no unusual thing for us to read in print some of the proceedings of councils and committees, which every one officially aware of them has been bound to keep secret; this remark applies to times when such proceedings may not be the subjects of great public curiosity or interest. But again, there are times when very much anxiety is felt concerning secret documents or opinions, when it is most inconvenient (to use a moderate word) to cabinets or councils that their proceedings should be known, and yet when means can be found of overcoming somebody's honor, honesty, or sense of duty, and of obtaining surreptitiously what official prescription has anxiously endeavored to veil from public view.

I am led to these reflections by the premature disclosure, which occurred last autumn, of the heads of a Redistribution Bill which had been drawn up by a committee of the Cabinet. But I soon look back to the earlier betrayal of the proceedings of the Berlin Conference in 1878.

And then I return still farther into the past, and think of the mysterious publication (in 1848, as I think) of the letter addressed by the first Duke of Wellington to Sir John Burgoyne, then inspectorgeneral of fortifications, on the subject of our defences. Burgoyne was the last man in the world to make an improper use of a public document; and it may be assumed, without argument, that he had no idea that the document was in dishonest hands, until after it was in anybody's hands who was willing to pay sixpence for it. He probably could not avoid com municating to the master-general of the ordnance and others that he had received such a letter. Some artful person, by theft or cunning, got possession of the paper, copied it, and sold the copy to a newspaper. The story current was, that a lady of some notoriety, by gross misrep. resentation, and by a solemn promise that no improper use should be made of it, obtained possession of the letter for an hour from a member of Burgoyne's family, who took it from his desk. One may imagine the state of mind of Sir John when he had to go to the duke, who had always thought highly of him, and to try to make his peace after such an unhappy occurrence. "Take damned good care you never let another letter of mine to you find its way into print!" were said to have been his Grace's words which ended the interview.

affairs of State are now and then confided to employés who prove to be corruptible. If the same kind of treachery was not complained of in earlier days, that probably was because there was then no ready market for stolen papers. That there were always weak natures ready to sacrifice duty for pelf, I am afraid we have only too much warrant for saying. In old days it was a very lucrative commission to bring home a freight of specie from abroad. The senders of such valuable cargo were always especially glad if it could be confided to the captain of a man-of-war. Hence at those foreign stations whence we received the precious metals, there was always a chance of a captain being sent to England with a treasure in the hold of his ship, for conveying which he would receive very substantial reward. When this could be done in due order that is to say, when the captain could take his rich freight by command of his superior he was simply a fortunate individual. But such things used to be known as captains intriguing to get the offer of bullion freights; and then, forgetful of their duty and honor, leaving their sta tions without orders or permission, and not caring for the dereliction of their duty as long as they could secure the dues for transporting the freight. Of course any man so acting had to face the decision of a court-martial on his conduct. But, unfortunately, the gain to be made by one voyage was sometimes so great as to tempt a commander to risk his commission to secure it. I remember an old captain who had done this, and contrived to escape punishment for his act. Unless he was most unwarrantably misrepresented, he used to be fond of bragging to his familiars of this achievement, and of saying, “You see I put my commission in one hand and the freight-money in the other, and found the latter a devilish deal the better worth having of the two." Such venality in a post-captain was quite as bad as any traffic in documents of which we have had to complain in later days.

The Berlin Treaty disclosure was known to have been made by a temporarily em. ployed clerk in the English Foreign Office. It seems to be a sad reproach to us of the nineteenth century, that we cannot secure the inviolability of our State papers and transactions. Richelieus, Fredericks, Metternichs, could avoid such exposure, to say nothing of the older cabinets of the Escurial under Philip II., or of Venice in the days of our Tudor sovereigns. Yet we moderns, in the great age of invention, with all appliances and means at our dis posal, cannot guard ourselves against the curious who will pay. Probably our ina bility in this respect may be traced to the manner of making government appointments, to which our Parliamentary system forces us. Had our ministers the power To turn now from men who not only of arbitrarily appointing and dismissing had their price, but who did not scruple the secretaries, clerks, and others in their to ticket themselves as open to a bid, it departments, they might find means of is pleasant to be reminded of one whose keeping these assistants faithful to their conscience was of a far severer order. trusts. But with the mode of appoint. Only a very few months since, it was ment now in fashion, and with the diffi- notified to English-speaking men that culties that lie in the way of getting rid of Samuel Johnson had been dead a hundred a public servant though he may be griev-years; and there was a proposal to mark ously suspected, it can hardly be but that the epoch by pilgrimages to Lichfield and

MEN ABOVE PRICE.