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How Much and What? In answer to a question from a corre spondent, in relation to fluids (drink) taken at meals and other times, w r e reply : The human body contains over sev enty per cent, of water. This water is received from the drink we take and the food we eat. It is found in all the fluids and tissues, in the blood, in the organs of secretion, as the nu merous follicles of the body. It is’not itself an ingredient of nutrition, but it dissolves the atoms of the food we take holds them in solution and transports them to every point in the structure. The growth and health of this struc ture depends largely upon the purity of the water we may drink. Vegeta bles and fruits contain over eighty per cent, of water and so help supply the means of growth. Water is an essential ingredient of mus ;les, tendrons, cartilages, bones, glands, skin and other membranes, as may be shown by evaporating the water they contain; they become comparatively light and are unable to execute their diflerent functions. Without water in abundance the nu tritious atoms could never enter the circulating fluid and penetrate the substance of the solid organs. It en ters the organs and membranes of the body and mingles with each other the organic and inorganic matter, that aids largely in raising the structures of the body. It enables them to act upon each other, produce changes of various sorts and so assume new relations and new duties. Water is, then, essential to the executing of absorption, combi nation and decomposition. It is worthy of note, that the different or- gaus and tissues of the body contain different percentages of water. The muscles contain 75 percent., the bones 13; the brain 89; and the various fluids vary in their percentages of water, as themilk contains88, bile, 88, blood, 80, pancreatic juice, 90, gastric, juice, 98 ; so that the various organs of secretion not only have the power secretion, but also of determining he per cent, of water each one contains. The blood also varies in the per cent, of water it contains. It conveys not only the elements of nutation to every point within the outer skin, and aids these several points to take from the blood as it passes its wonted rounds, those particles of nutrition it needs to build its structure ; the muscles in health do not need bony matter; the bones do not need muscular, the arte ries and veins have no need of osseous material. Water containing a large amount of lime does harm. It may be retained here and there and so injure the proper workings of the animal machinery. Water, like other elements we take passes the bowels but in part. The mucous membrane, or inner lining of the food and waste canal absorbs it and minute tubes convey it to the arteries, that are over on the move depositing means of growth and health. Its vulue is seen in various other ways. One cause of constipation is, that water sufficient to keep the bowels moist and pliable, has not been drank. Hence the proper means of curingthls annoying malady is freely drinking water, milk or other fluids, that may do no harm. Some times the kidneys cannot execute their proper duty, then give the suflerer as much water as he can drink, and the kidneys will soon be ]able to resume their duty. The water-cures are based upon the fact that the animal system needs a certain per cent of water. Some dis eases may be cured by freely drinking water. Does drinking water do no harm? It does only good if taken in proper quantities and at„proper times. Science teaches us that drinking a large amounQof this priceless fluid di lutes the gastric juice and so impairs digestion. This may be true, if the water drank is cold, and yet it may do no appreciable injury to those whose etomachs have not been long abused by taking stimulating drinks—or to those who, from any cause, are annoy ed by indigestion. No doubt so far as digestion is concerned, warm water— not hot—is always to be preferred to cold. Cold water, even in moderate quantities, reduces the temperature of the stomach, and so lessens its diges tive forces. A cup of warm water, or other simple fluid taken after eating promotes the solution of the food. It 1 should be drank after eating,especially by dyspeptics, and only a small pimount with meals, much less should 'any drink be taken before eating. The stomach does not secrete the digestive fluid before some food has stimulated the digestive surface to activity, and Irinklng before eating diminishes the trength of the gastric juice an freely as the system reeds to execute its functions. It stimulates the stom ach to do its duty and urges the food, that the stomach cannot digest, to move along into the duodenum, or second stomach, and there aid in di gesting those kinds of food that the stomach could not dissolve. The Yard Measure. Every one is acquainted with the nature and utility of the yard measure. It is the British standard of length, regulating all other measures, and consequently^ the foundation of busi ness transactions and professional operations of many different kinds. But its high utility is entirely depen- dend upon its fixed and uniform di mensions. It would be in the greatest degree inconvenient and unsatisfactory if a yard in one part of the kingdom meant something different to the meas ure which, passed under the same name in another, or if the least variation were found in the yard measure of dif ferent parts. Hence it is nee ssary to have some authoritative standard by which the dimensions of the yard shall be accurately adjusted, and ac cording to which the legality or other wise of any measurement may be deter mined. Many curious particulas are connec ted with the formation of this author itative standard, of the country ; and few persons unacquainted with the facts would have any idea of the interest which thus attaches to so com mon an object as the yard measure. Iu our early history disputes often ar ise in the measurement of cloth, etc., and frauds were frequently commited. To check them Henry I. ordered a standard yard to be made and kept at Winchester, and decreed that it should be of the length of his own arm. This was a rough aud ready mode of settling the matter, which presents the greatest contrast to the formation of a standard measure to the present time. The disadvantage attending it was that in the event of the standard being lost or destroyed, it would be next to impossible to construct another of pre cisely the same dimensions. To avoid any such difficulty, a scientific basis has been taken in modern times for the formation of the standard yard measure. Plainly stated, this basis is the exact length of the clock pendulum which vibrates seconds of time in the latitude of London. This may appear to some to be a simple rule, by which the standard may be determined with comparative ease ; but on the contrary, it is a matter requiring the most mi nute and accurate research, which only astronomers and mathematicians of the highest attainments are com petent to undertake. Conscious Automatons. power of digestion. eating, d lessens Wait an hour In an insect’s body, says Mr. Grant Allen, there is no regular subordina tion of all the parts composing the nervous system to a siugle central organ, like the brain in man. The largest knot of nerve-matter, it is true, is generally to be found in the neigh borhood of sense organs, and it re ceives direct nerve-bundles from the eyes, antennae, mouth and other chief adjacent parts; but the wings and legs are moved by separate knots of nerve-cells, connected oy a sort ot spinal cord with the head, but capable of acting quite independently on their own account. Thus, if we cut ofl a wasp’s head and stick it on a needle in front of some sugar and water, the mouth will greedily begin to eat the swiet syrup,apparently unconscious of the fact that it has lost its stomach, and that the food is quietly dropping out of the gullet at the other end as fast as it is swallowed. So, too, if we decapitate that queer insect, the pray ing mantis, the headless body will stand catching flies with its out stretched arms, and fumbling about for its mouth when it has caught one, evidently much surprised to find that its head is unaccountably minting. In fact, whatever may be the case with man, the insect, at least, is really a conscious automaton. It sees or smells food, and it is at once impelled by its nervous constitution to eat it. It receives a sense-impression from the bright hue of a flower, and it is irre sistibly attracted toward it, as the moth is to the candle. It has no power of deliberation, no ability even to move its own limbs in unaccus tomed manners, It whole life is gov erned for it by its fixed nervous con stitution, and by the stimulations it receives from outside. Aud so, though the world probably appears much the same to a beetle us to us, the nature of its life is very different. It acts like a pieceof clock- work mechanism, wound up to perform a certain number of fixed movements, and incapable of Reaching Conclusions. Conclusions, indeed, are not often reached by talk, any more than by private thinking, that is not the profit; the profit is in the exercise, aud above all in the experience ; for when we reason at large on any subject, we re view our state and history in life. Here we may apply the fable of the father and his sous ; there is, after all, no hidden treasure, no sounding dis covery is made; but the soil is labored and oxygenated, and yields more freely of its natural products. From time to time, however, and especially, I think, in talking art, talk becomes effective, conquering like war, widen ing the boundaries of knowledge like an exploration. A pcint arises; the question takes a problematical, a baff ling, yet a lively air; the talkers begin to feel lively presentiments of some conclusion near at band ; toward this they strive with emulous ardor, each by his own path, and struggling for first utterance; and then one leaps upon the summit of that matter with a shout, and almost at the same mo ment the other is beside him, and be hold they are agreed. Like enough,the progress is illusory, a mere cat’s ciadle haviug been wound and unwound out of words. But the sense of joint dis covery is none the less giddy aud in spiriting. And iu the life of the talker such triumphs, though imaginary, are neither few nor far apart; they are attained witli speed and pleasure, in the hour of mirth ; and by the nature of the process, they are always worth ily shared. This emulous, rigut, progressive talking, the pick of common life, is most usually enjoyed in a duet. Three iu spite of the proverb, is often excel lent company, but the talk must run more gently. When we reach those breathless moments when there comes a difference to be resolved, the third party is either badgered by a coalition, or the two others address him as an audience and strive for victory ; and iu either case, the necessary temper and sincerity are lost. With any greater number than three, fighting talk be- cemes impossible ; aud you have either indolent, laughter-loving divigation, or the whole company breaks up into a preacher and an audience. It is odd but true, that I have never known a good brisk debate between persons of opposite sex. Between these it has always turned into that very different matter, a dispute. Instead of pushing forward and continually changing ground in quest of some agreement, the parties have instantly fortified their starting-point, and held that, as for a wager, against all odds and argu ments. To me, as a man, the cause seems to reside in the superior obsti nacy of woman ; but there is little question that the fault is shared ; for the prosperity of talk lies not in one or the other, but in both. There is a is a certai' attitude, combative at once and deferential, eager to tight yet most averse to quarrel, which marks out at once the talkable man. It is not elo quence, not fairness, not obstinacy, but a certain proportion of all these, that I love to encounter in my amia- cab’e adversaries, they must not b^ pontiffs holding doctrine, but hunts men questing alter elements of truth. Neither must they be boys to be in structed, but fellow-teachers with whom I may wrangle and agree on equal terms. Stories About the Queen. Some interesting stories are told of the early days, when the Queen was obliged to sign death-warrants, before she was releived from that odious duty, aud a sign inanuel substituted by Act of Parliament. On several oc casions the Queen may be said to have begged off 1 lie life of offenders. And on one occasiau, with a hand trem bling with eagerness and emotion, she wrote “pardoned” across the fatal scroll. A great degree of reticence is very rpoperly imposed on all con nected with the Court. Her Majesty, on principle, has always steadily dis- coutaged anything in the way of gos sip or trivial conversation respecting the affairs of the household. So many persons are brought into passing, aud somewhat intimate, connection with royalty,that it is obvious that the sane tity of the vie intime of the Court could not be obtained unless such a rule were carefully observed. We re member knowing a lady, who was credited with being a private corre spondent of her Majesty’s for years, from her youth ; but the most distant allusion to this interesting circum stance never escaped her. Others though not quite so reticent, always guarded and careful. A draft of a treaty of amity and commerce was sent out from England to Madagascar, aud on the margin these words were written : “ Queen Victoria asks, as a personal favor t- moud the reformer, clad iu the state robes of the sovereigns redresented, weighed do ,vn with jewels, witli large turbans bedecked with diamonds and weapons of priceless cost. Thus the dagger of the conqueror of Constanti nople has for hilt an emerald two inches long and nearly as thick. The last of the ser es alone appears in European costume, but with a plume of bird of paradise feathers fastened by au aigrette of diamonds. “There are antique arms and armor heavy with gold and jewels; innumerable horse trappings aud saddles, covered with plates of gold aud studded with emeralds, rubies, topazes, diamonds aud pearls, aud saddle-cloths embroi dered with precious ’stones.” As back-grounds to the articles in the various cabinets bang sofa covers of cloth of gold embroidered with seed- pearls, some of them worth $150,000. There arc golden bird cages, some with clocks at the bottom, face down ward, for the convenience of the dar- liugs of the harem lying lazily on the divans beneath; school satchels of velvet embroidered with diamonds, pearl and gold; “samplers” of red velvet, on which texts from the Koran have been worked in beads of dia- are j monds; amber mouthpieces for pipes, studded with diamonds and rubies; cofFee-sets and tea-sets oi all degrees of magnificence, and vases of crystal, agate and onyx, some of them pro fusely bejeweled. There are royal knives and forks herself, that the Queen of Madagascar | aud spoons of solid gold, with jewels Courage. A great deal of talent is lost to the world for the want of courage. Every day sends to the grave a number of obscure men, who have only remained in obscurity because their timidity has prevented their first eflort, and who, if they could have been induced to begin, would in all probability, have gone ^reat lengths in the career of fame. The lact is, in order to do any thing in this world that is worth doing we must not sfand shivering on the brink, and think of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble as we can. It will not do to be perpetu ually calculating risks and adjusting nice chances. It did very well before the flood when a man could consult his friends upon a republication for one hundred aud forty years, and then live to see It a success for six or seven centuries afterwards, but at present a man waits, and doubts and hesitates and consults his brother, and his uncle and ills particular friends, that he lias no time left to follow their advice.— There is no time tor oversqutmishness at present, the opportunity so ^isily slips away, the very period of hVlfte at which man chooses to venture, if ever, is so confined, that it is no bud rule to preach up the necessity iu such will allow no persecution of the Christians.” A month afterward the treaty was signed in Madagascar with the insertion of the following words: In accordance with the wish of Queen Victoria, the Queen of Mada gascar engages there shall be no perse cution of the Christians in Mada gascar.” A pleasant little story went the round of Cambridge University illus trative of wonderful old AVheweli, who raised himself from the position of a sizar to be the Master, and subse quently the benefactor of bis college. When the Quoen was bis guest at Trinity Lodge, or rather took posses sion of it in her own right, the morn ing after her arrival Whewell saluted her with friendly but uncourtly warmth. “ Grod morning, your Ma jesty. How d’ye do? Hope your Majesty slept well. Fine morning.” The Queen returned a gracious answer —it would not be in her Majesty’s nature to do otherwise—but the lords and ladies in attendance were awe stricken at the frightful breach <»f eti quette that had commenced, but of which, probably, no one thought lees than did the Queen herself. A simi lar breach of etiquette is related by Lord Campbell of Lord Brougham. Brougham had quarrelled with all the world, and among the rest he was wrathful toward the blameless Prince. The Prince thought to appease him by asking him to diue with the Queen. He went and dined; but widened his breach with the Court by leaving the palace immediately after dinner, instead of going with the rest of the gentlemen into the gallery, into which the Queen had retired with the ladies, and where the habit of conversing with her guests. He afterward tried to make amends by attending the Queen’s drawing-room —a condescension he had not before practiped since her accession ; but here agaiu he was unfortunate (al though I really believe be wished to be civil and respectful) by speaking to the Queen ex merornotu as be passed her, and telling her that “ he was to cross over to Paris in a few days, where he should see Louis Philippe, and that if her Majesty had any let ters or messages for the King of the French, it would give him much plea sure to have the -honor of being Hie bearer of them.” Lord Brougham was certainly honored by no commis sion from the Queen on that occasion. on their handles, aud there is an im, mense array of clocks. Of toys th are many. For instance, there tea-set of tortoise-3hell as thin as per; a parasol of white silk exq sitely embroidered with gold and ha mg for its staff one single spray of r< coral, unique in the world ; there fans innumerable. “ After every coij ceivable use lias been made of jewel the surplus uumouuted stones ai gathered by handsful into eryst: bowls at one end of the cabinets in th second room,” among them such trifles as three uncut emeralds the largest as big as a man’s ti smallest larger than a hen’s Apart from the historic value treasures there collected, the intr wealth is almost incalculable, ing the last war with Russia th ernment borrowed $30,000,000 fronri bvnk, the officers of which took awa’y to their own vaults as many jewels as would secure the loan. They carried away three small boxes of precious stones, and yet no appreciable gap was left in the collection. Such is the treasure-house of the most hopelessly bankrupt ruler in the world. iuuvcuiouw ... — instances, of a little violence to feel- over coing beyond the narrow circle ings and to efforts made in defiance to or wS it i* desk— A 1 aMak anH Bohflr The Sultan’s Riches. • Our Miuister to Constantinople was recently permitted, with Mr. Phelps, the Austrian Minister, to visit the Sultan’s treasury at Constantinople. Guard^in black broad cl motion^s around the wall terval four or five fee heavily vaulted h stand t an in- In the d light- js the jasuinet, front rocl ed by ski"l grated window royal or: < J of solid gold,J and rockeij' the two ends, a foot high, connected by a golden bar on which to hang a cur'ain or veil. Every inch of it is crusted with rubies, diamonds aud efflglss. Women in Russia. In Russia, where in the midc classes the seclusion of women even a few years ago nearb^as grj as in a harem, the aavocj women’s rights would little to demand males aboy^^^f^^^Tihe peasai The moujifiTstill administers corpl chastisement to his wife as he wol to his child, and. his right to do si though denied by the written lawj tacitly acknowledged in practice. Tl girl, however, whose brother has bee described as going to the Lycee anj subsequently to the university, nearly as independent as her male re lations. %ike her brother, and from’ similar causes, she too often becomes disgusted with her home, aud deter mines to seek what she imagines to be the delights of the independent life led by the numerous female students who follow various university courses, and particularly that of medicine. Sometimes, when her parents refuse her pi emission to leave home, she simply runs away, and having passport, her position at once beoome illegal, and site naturally fmds li§ companions among those herself, have got into somel-roubT with the authorities. In some cases uthusiasts like SoloviefF, who fired he late Czar in April 1879, marry gin^with whom iliey have scarcely any t^kmintance,™d for whom they^ have ldl^Miugof^^Kion, merely free of. tabling a and their c< young huB gether to tlfe uurve there, having no particul each others’ society, they 1 arate immediately, aud even they would desire to luaintain mutual connections, the pressu erty and the difficulties o ition frequently oblige th company