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A Just and Glowing Tribute to
the Fair Sex.
Woman’s Influence.
"Frailty thy name is woman.”
Passed down to us through succ* s-
sive eras, caught from the parent to be
lisped by the child, this saying has
passed almost into an axiom. Like
hundreds of others of similar charac
ter, it has survived the obscurity
which should ever be the fate of falsi
ty ; because of that terseness to
which humanity ever ends a willing
ear, we are caught by the apparent
aptness of the sc-called axiom, and too
often we do not stop to anal\ ze its
truthfulness uutil by constant repiti-
tion we dually accept it as correct. It
is only when subjected to the severe
test of reason that these axioms
stand forth, stripped of their beauty of
expression, in all ttie true hideousness
of falsehood. Let us then see if
woman is as frail as she is repre
sented.
We, who are Christians, take the
Bible as a standard by which the
good and fitness of all things are to
be judged, and from its teachings we
learn that $11 created things have cer
tain uses to serve and ends to attain.
Mankind being the highest order of
the creation, there necessarily de
volved upon him certain duties ; these
are numerous and intricate, and it is
only here proposed to treat of one—
namely, the exercise of that influence
which woman exercises over man. In
the darkest ages of the world’s history,
woman was regarded more as a slave
than as a companion ; a willing ser-
vantto serve man’s purposes ; deficient
in intellect as in bodily strength.
Under such attending circumstances
her influence must necessarily have
been very limited ; and yet here and
there we find her bursting asunder
the chains of prejudice, and influenc
ing for good or ill the fate, not alone
of individuals, but of nations. Of
such, history, both inspired and pro
fane, furnishes numerous instances.
As each succeeding age brought with
it a higher civilization, elevating na
tions from a state of barbarity, to a
more and more enlightened society,
substituting the deductions of reason
and the truths of Christianity for the
true force which at first was almost
solely the standard of right and
wrong, so woman gradually emerged
from the degrading position of a do
mestic servant, to assume that of
man’s companion. With her new
dignity there came a new duty. Man
had accorded her a new sphere of ac
tion—had given her the right to direct
him in those things which by nature
she was best fitted to guide, and it
henceforth became incumbent upon
her to so exercise that influence to
which he so willingly yielded, as
would best benefit them both.
Take her first as a child, when rea
son has not as yet had time to come to
her aid in pointing out her little du
ties. Nature seems to rash to the res
cue and she unconsciously wields her
influence for the interest of society.
Take her surrounded by a troop of
wild, mischievous boys. Who can
deny but that she, by her very presence,
seems a great influence upon their
rough sports and uncouth ways ? She
seems to impart to them a poition of
that gentleness, that which makes her
so lovable, by being to them an object
to protect as well as love. She is their
sister, and to every manly heart the
word conveys a volume of meaning.
In their very watchfulness over her,
their solicitude for her pleasure and
wellfare, they learn many a true les
son of life, little thinking in after
years how much of that true manli
ness they boast of, is due to the little
frail being they call sister. Young as
she may be she still possesses an influ
ence, and she cannot be taught too
soon the duty of its proper exercise.
For boys are quick in forming their
opinions and are prone to judge others
by the standard of their own sisters.
Should she lose their respect, she
loses tbeir affections, and with it all
control over their young lives. As a
woman just emerging from her teens,
entering into a woman, her influence
becomes more and more extended. She
should begin to realize that the days of
yielding to every childish impulse are
past. That she owes society a duty,
be it in the ball-room, the parlor or
in every day life ; she should not for
get that it is hers to rtflue, soften,
and to elevate. This is not so diffi
cult, for at her age men are apt to
olothe her in all the imaginary charms
of a supreme being. How great, then,
is the necessity that she shoula regard
the temple she has erected, and the
influence she has created, with the
! bright eye of hope and the unclouded
b/ow of cheerfulness. The chamber
of the sick, the pillow of the dying,
the vigils of the dead, the altars of re
ligion, never missed the presence or
sympathies of woman. Timid though
she be, and so delicate that the
"winds of heaven may not too
roughly visit her,” on such occasions
she loses all sense of danger and as
sumes a preternatural courage which
knows not fear nor the conse
quences, for "Woman feels where
man thinks, acts where he deliber
ates, hopes where he despairs, tri
umphs where he falls.” As a wife
her task probably becomes more diffi
cult. Many of the day-dreams of her
youth will vanish, and she is brought
face to face with the sterner realities
of life. At the first outset she should,
and generally does, possess unbounded
influence over him, whom she has
promised to love, honor and obey. A
good wife they say makes, a good
mother. It is here that she occupies
the highest and proudest position of
womanhood. The little chargei en
trusted to her ca r e look up to her in
all things ; she forms their characters,
moulds their idea of right and wrong.
According to the training they re
ceive from her in youth, so will be the
course of their af.er-iife. Deprived of
any equal voice iu the governments
and councils of nations, and of the
chances to reveal physical power and
heroism on the battlefield, still
woman’s influence over the fate of
mankind Is very great, she is infe
rior to man only in physical power,
in all else she is his equal, if not his
superior. Viewed in whatever light
you place her, woman wields a magic
influence. Let her but confine it to
the path which both God and nature
has marked out for her ; let her prop
erly exercise it at the fireside, in so
ciety or in every-day life, and she
becomes the most glorious of all God’s
creatures—a noble woman. "Nature
has made thee to temper man; we
had been brutes without you ; angels
are painted fair to look like you.
There is in you all that we believe of
heaven ; amazing brightness, purity
and love, eternal joy and eveilasting
love.”—[Reaux, In Phila. National
Union.
Elephants All Cowards.
I once had a grand scrimmage with
a tigress. She had mauled my own
tusker badly, had crunched the ma
hout’s foot into a jelly, while she had
caused mo to be thrown off, and, after
mauling two other elephants, not
badly, she had forced us to retreat for
the time, as it got dark, and not an
animal would go near her ; we had no
howdahs. Next morning we found
her dead and took her into camp. As
an experiment, we had ail the tuskers
brought to the front. My own beast,
which was badly mauled about the
head and jowl, and had its back fear
fully cut by the charah ropes, went up
to her at once when told, and struck
the carcass with its trunk and stood
by unconcernedly ; but none of the
other five tuskers would go near her.
They were theu jammed together and
driven forward. They advanced with
heads lowered until their tusks
ploughed up the ground, ut tering most
pitiful cries. When within a yard or
so of the dead tigress, they jerked up
their heads, scattering earth upon the
body, and, notwithstanding the pun
ishment they received from their
mahouts, broke away and ran for
their lives. It was the most absurd
sight I ever saw. They next day, al
though the place where we were en
camped was as bare of vegetation aud
level as a billiard table, not an ele-
plaut would advance alone to drink
water or be bathed. The bheel was
not 100 yards off; so the mahouts,
holding on to a tip of the t^r of an
elephant, led them in a body down to
ward the water. Suddenly a young
tusker, Jerry, which had been born in
captivity and was of a most uncertain
temper, trumpeted aud bolted, follow
ed by every animal iu camp; and it
gave us a great deal of trouble to re
capture them; one tusker, who had
waudered upward of fifty miles, uot
being recovered for a week, i'here
was not the slightest cause for this
stampede. It interfered with our sport
considerably; but iu a few days the
elephants appeared to have get over
their panic and allowed us to kill gaur,
buffaloes and other game off them
without any undue fear. I have al
ways found elephants born in captiv
ity most uncertain in their tempers.
They lose all fear of man, while, from
not being accustomed to wild beast,
they dread them, and ure thus useless
for sport.
The War in Egypt.
Admiral Seymour and Arabi Bey—Alexan
dria and the Suez Canal.
Sir Frederick Beauchamp Paget
Seymour sprang from a collateral
branch of the Marquis of Hertford’s
family, and both by tradition and pro
fession is identified with the Royal
Navy. His father was the late Colo
nel Sir Horace Beauchamp Seymour,
K C. B., M. P., aud Sir Frederick,
the present Vice Admiral, was born
in 1821. After having been educated
at Eton College he entered the Royal
Navy in 1834 as a cadet. In two j ears
time he passed as midshipman, and
then having passed through the inter
mediate grades of mate, lieutenant
and commander In 1847, obtained the
rank of post captain in 1854. Mean
while he had served with distinction
in Burmah, as well as in the New
Zealand wars in 1852 53, and that of
1860-61, being severely wounded in the
last while commanding a naval bri
gade, and invalided for a time. For
his services he was created a Compan
ion of the Bath in 1861. From 1860-2
he Mas Commodore in command of
the Australian Btation. He held the
office of Naval Aide-de-Camp to her
M jesty from 1866 70. From 1872 to
1874 he was Lord of the Admiralty
under Mr. Gladstone’s auspices, re
signing tho tffice on being appointed
to the command of the Channel fleet.
This important position he filled lill
1877, when he *as created a Kuight
C ommander of the Bath. Ia 1880 he
was appointed to the command of the
Mediterranean squadron, in virtue of
which he is now in command before
Alexandria. He w'as promoted to flag
rank is Rear Admiral in 1870, becom
ing Vice Admiral iu 1876.
Arabi Pacha, or Ourabi Bey, as the
Arabs call him, is the son of a promi
nent personage in the province of
Charkirch, in Lower Egypt, and is
about 45 years old. He received an
excellent education in a military
school. He early imbibed progressive
ideas, which he has never failed to
propagate among his countrymen.
After leaving the military school he
entered the army and remained for
some time in the ranks. Although
Ismail Pacha paironized him he did
not advance above the rank of major
under that ruler. On three different
occasions he endeavored to obtain the
rank of bey or colonel, but Ismail le-
plied to the person advocating his
cause : " If I create him a colonel he
will create a revolt in the regiment
unaer his command in less than six
months.” The truth ot Ismail’s
words was soon made apparent to his
son and successor, Tewfik, who
shortly after his accession gizetted
Arabi a colonel. Prior to the*2d of
February, 1881, the date of themil -
tary troubles which have resulted in
the present conflict, he commanded
the Fourth Regiment of the Infantry
of the Guard. That Arabi is a man of
great determination is evinced by
what be has accomplished ever since
the neginning of the year. Then he
was considered to be the most impor
tant factor in Egypt,-but not even his
warmest partisans would have prophe
sied that in a few months he woul<$
venture to defy openly the whole of
Europe and carry on his work of dis
organization under the very guns of a
hostile fleet, especially dispatched lor
the purpose of overawing him. Not a
little of his power ii due to his oratori
cal ability. He is a scholar and is
learned in the arts of war. He is
loved by his soldiers as a bold and
fearless leader, and has the good will
of the Moslem priesthood, which ac
counts for the Sultan’s hesitancy to
take active measures against him,
even if he Ir e inclined to do so.
The city of Alexandria was founded
by Alexander the Great in 332 B. C.
It was btauti ful'y and regularly laid
out and in the height of its prosperity
comprehended a circumference of fif
teen miles and contained 300,000 free
inhabitants and as many slaves. The
city lies low, and the approach from
the Mediterranean is the reverse of
picturesque. But few remains of the
ancient city, which stood on the n-est-
ern mainland shore, opposite the
island of Pharos, since converted into
a peninsula, are now extant; its ex
tent from east to west seems to have
beeu four miles, traversed by two
grand streets, each 100 feet wide. The
Catacombs, tire public cisterns and
column erected in honor of Diocletian,
which ia called Porupey’s Pillar, with
some portions of the Roman city wall,
still remain to attest traditions of clas
sical antiquity. Alexandria owed its
wealth and prosperity to the con
formation of the seashore, with the
shelter afforded by the small Pharos
islet, providing a commodious harbor,
called by the Greeks Eunostos, with
good anchorage in deep water on the
western side. The eastern harbor,
though it is called the New Harbor,
has been little used, being exposed to
the north winds, much clogged with
sand and having a foul and rocky bot
tom. These two harbors are separa
ted from each other by a broad cause
way or artificial isthmus, now joining
Pharos to the mainland of Egypt.
This tract of land, however, op the
main, is of no great width, lying be
tween Lake Marcotist, to the west,
and the Bay of Aboukir eastward;
while the Canopic mouth of the Nile
is to the east fourteen miles distant.
There is a connection with the Nile
by the Mahmoudieh canal, which ex
tends from Alexandria to Fouah, a
distance of forty-eight miles. The
distance to Cairo is about one hundred
aud thirty miles by railway, but it is a
iourney of live hours. The ancient
Pharos lighthouse is at one extremity
of the islhmus and the modern light
house at the other. The Khedive’s
palace of Ras El Tin is situated on the
island, next the modern lighthouse
and fort. The arsenal is at the inner
harbor ; the catacombs, on the south
ern shore, marking the site of the
ancient city. The interior of the
town itself presents no features of in
teres-t. There are the quays, with
old-fashioned, rather squalid houses
on the shore of the Old Ports; the
Arab quarters, to the south, consisting
of mud hovels ; ihe cotton market, the
canal wharves, the railway station
and barracks on the same Bide; to the
east, facing the New Port, beyond
Fort Napoleon, is the Grand Square,
the Place < es Consuls, or Frank
Squaie, formerly called the Place
Mahomet Ali, which has, with several
adjacent streets, come to be chiefly
inhabited by European residents. It
was in the Rue des Sceurs " Sikket el
Binaat,” in this quarter of the city,
that the frightful riots of Sunday,
June 11, began, and simultaneously in
two other places, and along the ms-
rina. These parts of Alexandria seem
to have been quite out of sight, as well
as out of reach, of the British naval
squadron lying in the harbor or in the
outer roadstead.
The great waterway between the
Mediterranean and the Red Sea, ow
ing to the war in Egypt, has of late
again been brought prominently be
fore the public. A short sketch of its
history, will, therefore, not be without
interest at the present moment. In
almost prehistorical times the eastern
branch of the Nile and the Red Sea
were united by a canal, made under
Necho and Ptolemy Philadelphus.
Traces of it are still visible, but It is
not known when it ceased to be a
navigable communication. In mod
ern times Napoleon I., during his so.
journ in Egypt, conceived the idea to
re-open the canal between Cairo and
Sutz, and instructed the engineer Le-
pere to study the question. Lrpere
found a difference of 30 feet m the
level of the two seas, and, although
his measurement turned cut wrong
afterward, the plan was abandoned.
In 1840, M. Linaut df Bellefands; in
1846, Enfantin ; in 1847, M. Talabot
and M. Barrault again proposed pierc
ing the Isthmus, but could not find
any one to listen to their projects. It
was in December, 1854, when M. de
Lesseps first explored the desert along
the Isthmus, and found the establish
ment of a canal feasible. To his in
domitable energy it is due that the
works were commenced in I860 and
the new M T ater-way opened for traffic
nine years later. During this time
the harbor of Port Said, on the Medi
terranean end, was constructed be
tween two jetties of two and three
thousand yards in length respectively.
At Sutz the Red Sea was sufficiently
protected from adverse winds to dis
pense with jetties and ta enclo-e the
canal between two quaye. The tract
of low-lying land connecting Africa
witli Asia extends about seventy-four
miles from north to south, aud is com
posed of shell limestone rocks, mixed
with stratus of siliceous limestone, and
partly covered with sand or salt
marshes. The deepest cuttings had to
be made near Ei Guisre, near Sera-
ptum and Chaiouf. Equidistant from
Port Said and Suez a new t)wn,
Ismallia, was built on tlm shores of
Lake Tlmsah, to protect the outlet of
a second canal, which carries the fresh
water supply from the Nile, near
Cairo, to the Isthmus, distributing the
same in two branches to Bin z and
Port Said. This supply of trash water
was of the utmost imj o tanoe when
more than twenty thousand laborers
were employed in the construction of
the canal, and is still a necessary of
life for the town of Port Said, Ismallia
and Suez, as well as to the engineer
ing staff which keeps the canal in
repair, and for the convenience of the
shipping, considering that a supply of
drinkiDg water from wells can beob-
tained at one or two places oiiy.
England, who at first opposed the on-
struction of the canal, has since be
come fully alive to its political *Qd 4
commercial value as the shortest rolte
to India, the distance between Baa-
bay and London having been reduod
—compared with the route round tie ,
Cape—by about 7000 miles. The num
ber of vessels, the greater part Eop
Jish, rose from 1477 in 1879 to 2727 1
1881. It is, therefore, a matter (
grave anxiety whether the safety 0
the passage can be depended upon
a crisis like the present one.
Electric Lights in Sea-Fishing.
A French paper reports a trial by
Government permission of an electric
lure for sea fish. It consists of an
electric light in a glass globe with a
device for sinking it to tbe desired
depth. As soon as the light is turned
on the stain its vicinity is illuminated
brilliantly, and the fish, over whom
light is well known to exercise an
irresistible influence at night, come
eagerly, and sometimes in large
schools, within the rays. They may
be seen from above disporting them
selves in the unaccasiomed brightness,
and litlle dreaming of the sinister pur
pose with which the little fete is or
ganized for them. It is then that
other fishing boats, armed with nets,
come lip and set to work at the uncon
scious victims, which they surround
as well as they can without interfering
with the apparatus connected with
the lighted globe. It may be supposed
that this device is calculated to oper
ate with much deadly effect when
ever it is used ; and there seems to be
much doubt whether it will ever be
allowed as a recogn 'zed kind of fishing
within territorial waters. Indeed, the
license granted by the Government is
said to be merely provisional, and for
th e purpose of testing the new ma
chine.
Bertha’s Indignation*
"I should smile.” _
As Bertha R^dington spoke these
words she lay ccquettishly in a barn-
meek that bad been swung between
two giant oaks that reared their tall
heads aloft in the lawn, at the edge of
which stood her father’s stately resi
dence. A little foot enmeshed in a
silken stocking, whose delicate tex ure
displayed to advantage the trim ankle
within, peeped out from beneath a
fleecy white drees, while the laughing
eyes and fair forehead of the girl were
surmounted by a coronal of sunnily-
golden tresses of which any hair store
might have been proud.
"S > you like ice-cream?” said Har
old McIntyre, bending over the ham
mock and looking tenderly into Ber
tha’s blue eyes.
"I should smile,” said theq^rl again,
getting ready to put on her slipper and
start.
"You are right,” said Harold. "Ice
cream is a good thing. Perhaps some
day next week I will buy you some.”
The loofcof happy expectancy faded
fjrom the girl’s face. "What time is
it?” she asked.
"Ten minutes to six,” replied Har
old.
"Then,” said Bertha, "if you start
right away you will get home in time
for supper.”
• ™ ■
The New War Vessels.
Tne Senate bill reported to-day au
thorizing the construction of a number
of vessels ot war for the nfiyy, appro
priating $10,000,000 for the purpose.
The bill provides for th* construction
of six open hearth steel ciuistrs,
of them to be not less than 6,000 nor
more than 6,000 tons displacement,
and to be armed with four breech
loading rifled cannon, of not less than
eight-inch calibre, and twenty-one
breech-loading cannon of not less than
six-inch calii.re; the remaining four
to be of not less than 4,300 nor more
than 4,700 tons displacemenl, and to
be armed with four breech-loading
rifled cannon, of not less than eight-
inch calibre, and fifteen breech loading
rifled oannon of not less than six inch
calibre. Tbe bill also authorizes the
construction of one steel ram of not
more than 2 000 tons displacement,
four sipam cruising boats and four
steam harbor torpedo-boats. It fur
ther provides that the steel used in
tbeir construction shall be of domestic
manufacture, and that one-half of the
number of vts-els, including the en
gines and boilers, shall Du built in the
navy yards of the United States, and
that the others shall be built in whole
or in part by contract.