•♦<'><>><>-*<>-*<>^<>^-o>o-»-o4<34k>'*<>-*<;4<i-*<>4k>'K>>^ DARE HE? OR, A A SAD LIFE STORY ' H ULVPTlin \1.â€" (ContinueJ). "But it would not be fair; it would be aikinji iuu to give up loo much. " Tlie jiicck abnc'ijation of her lalhcr worn voice brings his rtinorse upiJiir- ^,l.^^^^.^. most acam on tlie revolving! wliL't'l ol' jJainf..iiv his feelings. "Is not it my turn lo give up soine- thing?" he uska. teiidcriy; "and, be- sides, it Li time fcr nie to settle! 1 amâ€" I am tiiiid of waiiderint'!" As tills atn.'cious lie passes his lips, ho catches his brealli. lired of the iSierraa! Tired of the bivouacs aiin/nt! the dazzliny snow! Tired of the uuyust silence of the everlaslinj,' hills! Heaven foryive him for sayiny so! rerlir;is tliere is no great air of veracity in his assertion, for she looks at lii;u dislrust- Xully; so distrustfully that he reshapes his phrase. ".\t least if I am not I uught to be!"' Uut still she gazes at him with a wist- ful and doubting intenlness. "If 1 could only believe that that was true!" "It is true," replies he. evading her look; "at least true enough for all work- ing purposes; we all knuvv that life is a Series of compromises, a balancing of gain and loss. 1 .<hall lo.se something, I do not deny that, but 1 gain more, 1 gain you!' laugh. "I will not slay a minute, but I just wanted to say 'How do you do';' How well you are Ii;i)king! and how young!" â€" with an involuntary glance of comparison from him to her ^Uicr ; a of which they are both nillier l)ainrully conscious. "All!"' i-i;-iiiiij!) "with all your Hocky Mouiilai.'i .Nper- iences. il is evident Hunt you have l.eciv having ;in easier lime llian wc havol' "Are you alluding to i^ybilhi?" a.sks Jim. p-avely. "I have no doubt, from wiial I know of' her pnwei-s in that line, thai she lm.s been exlreinoly li-ying." "Ves, partly," replies the girl, dimbt- fuily; "but I have had tniubies of luy own. loo. I daresay that .\nielia has told you, or probably" (with a second and heavier sigh) "you have been more pleasanily employed." "AnioUa did hint nl .some disa.sler." rejilies Jim. struggling to conceal the rather grim .smile which is ctn-ving liis mouth, a feat the more dilhcult since lie has no moustache lo aid him; "but I have hocn wailing lo hear all the details from yourself." "That is such a niighly gain, is not it?" she says witii a' uielanchnly smile, OS (hat inluition of the trulii which .eomelinies comes to ciiloved or tepidly loved women Hashes u^on her. ".\ matter of tasteâ€" a mere mailer of lasle!" rejoins he. hurriedly; aware of the unreal ring in his own words, and trying, wiUi all his might, to fee! as well !ii. speak light-heartedly. She shake!»_her head in a way which tells him how poorly he has succeeded. In a desperate, if not very v. ell-judg(!d allempt lo convince her of" his sincerity, his ne.\t .speccli is uttered. "Why should not wo be married at once? to-morrow? the day after to-mor- row? at the Consulateâ€" of course there is a Consulate- or the English Church, I suppose there are half-a-dozen l^nglish churches. Why not?. We have nothing lo wail for, and we ore both of age!" He has had no unkindly intention in the last words, but Ihe moment that these .iT-e ogt of his Uiouth. a glance at undined. It is not Ihut .she ever shares tlie fatiiily dinner at their tuble a purl in the salle a manger, but ihe llioughl of their entertaining a guest with a conviviality far greater in tier iniaginu- lion than would be the case in reality, while she herself lies lonely on her coucli of sufferuig, preys upon her ajiir- ils so iniich that tier family have to abandon Ihe idea. So, towards sunset^ Jim is dismissed. lie has no opporlim- ily for any parlicular .'nilearnienls to his lady-love. :is Ihe wli^le family are in Iho room, and it is Cecilia, not .\iiielin. w ho volunteers to walk aci-oss Ihe hotel court-yard with him, for tl»« advantage of a last word. What the last word is lie is not slow lo learn. "You will lake us some excursions, wit not you?" she says, with a pei-suasivo air. putting her arm tlirougli his. "Falher is so unenterprising, wo have really sivn scarcely any tiling; but you will lake us some e.vcursiuns now, will not you?" ^ "Are you .sure that your spirits are equal lo Ihein?' iii(|uires Jim unkindly. "I do not know aboi:t thai. 1 aiii, sure,"' replies she, gnnvin-x pink at his tone; "but one miisl make an exertion some lime, and I think a liltle distrac- tion would do me good, and so 1 am sure it would to poor .\mclia!" "Poor .'\niolia will .shortly have the distraction of being iiiarned,' rejoins the young man. who feels as if he could n<A repeal the -staleuieiit of this fact loo often lo himself and olhersi "And 1 think it would be only civil," continues Cecilia, persistently, "in fact, I do nol .see how you can avoid il, if you inviled your friend to join us." But Jim escapes without having com- mitted himself to this promise, and w.-mders about the town in the lovely, lowering light; finds himself on Ihe I.ung Anio. strolling along with tlio leisurely loitoiTrs, among wlmm. for there is a luud nielallic Anglo-Saxon one. He watches the carriages rolling back from their drive on Ihe Cascine; the river falling over the weir; the river yellow as Tiber ycslcrduy, and to-day shot with blue and green and silver. ;is it tumbles with a plens.int noise. The hou.sos on eilher side of the Arno. the domes and nnifs arc all ilolhed in a strange seren- ity of yellow light; a golden uir so Irans- 'â- perenl and line and crystal clear; so free i from Ihe soft blur of mistâ€" lovely, loo â€" i thnuigli which we .se,^ objects in our wA ! green home, that Jim feels a.s if ho could jslretch out hi.s hand ami touch the hill Unit backs gold towers and bridges, and st?e whether it really is made out of one whole amethyst, as il looks. The beauty I of the wi.rld has always be.>ii very much I lo Hurgoyne, though hitherto il has been Iremely sorry; tell me all about it.' C4imc lo see us off al roiKesu..ne, an'i i mmi; ;,„j ^yilli il a companion .sadness . ... ,, . , - Iho tears were in his eyes; "icy were' ^ j^^,,, Kroiu hencetorth the .sight of AmeUas unbloorning face and unyoulh-j realty, il was not my imngniation, was | ,,^^,.,,,.3 ,„;,. ,.,,„„.^ ,,.j|i ^,,_ f^,. „,(, „,„^i ful ligure lell him that they were not And at llist lie wrote all [ , ,„ ., . ., ,, , .. . . lit. Amelia? .\na ai him iie wioie au i ., foi-biddcn him. Ho. has always liappily chosen. ^ At Ihe l.r-jt inslanl Ihat Hghl, and .said all the usual thuig.s; but {.^.^j ^^ ,„„,, ..,„,, ,,j„,,, ;„ yi,,,„.^, ^^j " " ' "' 'â- '« '""'"•'^ "rad'.iallv uiew fewer | .,,„„^,. i,e„c#forlh lie will never have I the. right to be alone; lienceforth he will j never have the right to go anywhere without his wife. .'Strange and terrible graph to ask whether he was ill. and ^^.^„.,j i,, ^y|,i,.,, |,g (,.jj^,^ j„ vnin lo accus- yoM know how oxpen.sive foreign tcele. | ,,„„ ,^j^ hkmiIuI eai-s: and, thanks to Ihe grams arc, he sent mo a U\v lines, o'l. 1 „;,rrowiicss of their means, neillier of such cruel, lines, were nol I hey. .Aiiu'lia? the suggestion of an immediate marriage! Ua-n his letters gradually grew fewer reaches Ihe hearer's brain, il sends a j and fewer, and after I had written and dart of joy over her features. To be i telegraphed a great many times, 1 lio niaiTicxl al once! To put an end for-! ,iol\now how many liiiics I did lele- ever lo Ihe interminable waiting, to en ler al lastâ€" at last upon the po.s.se.s,siiin of the .so-liing deferred Caiman. Hut in a second that lirsl bright llu.sh is clias d away and gives place lo a look of al- most humilialion. "You must be making fun of me. to suggest such a thing!' she says in a wounded voice; "you know how wildly impo.ssible it would be that I should leave Ihem allâ€" my father, .Sybilla, with- out any |)i'eparation." "Without any preparationT' replie.s Jim, raising his eyebrows, "Have not you been preparing Ihem for the last eight years?' lie feels a vague unjust irritation with her for opposing his proposition, though deep down in his heart lie knows that he would have fell a much greater an- noyance had she eagerly closed with it. A.s she does not answer a (iiiesliun, which the moment thai it is uttered he feels to have been rather brutal, he goes on. against his will, in the same sairas- lic key. "I am afraid Ihit you will have to leave thcni all some day; 1 am afraid thai our liayswater mansion â€" by-lhe-bye, 1 am sure u will not be a nuinsiiui, for I om sure il will nol have a back-door- will nol be likely lo contain all. Your father, .Svbillaâ€" Sybilla and her physic bollles lake up a good deal of room, do lliev nol?" It is fortunate for Amelia that .she is too preoccupied by Ihe Ih. 'light of her own next spceeli to take in Ihe full acerbity of the last remark. "If you would consent lo wait lill we gel home- father does nol mean to stay in Italy beyond Ihe end of next iiiontliâ€" we inight be married in June, thai" (with a pink Hush of happiucNs) "would not be so long lo wait." In a second a sum of Iho simplest de- scription executes itself in I'.urgoyne's head. It is now the secoml week of April; they are to be married in June, ho has then eight weeks left. It shocks hiiiLself lo lind that this is the way in which he'puts it. All the over action that he permits hini.self, h-jwever, is to Siiy with n shrug â€" "As you will, tlien." as you will!" add- ing, since he feels, that there is some- lliing discourleous even lo iincliivaliy in so bald an uci|uiiwcence in liis pid.--pec- tive bliss: "Of coui.se. dour, the sooner 1 gel you the better for me!" No^ lover could have been overheard (jiviiTg ullerance to a mme proper or! suitable senliiuenl; so thai H is lucky llial this is just Ihe momenv'that-fecilln choo.ses for enteriiiir. "Do QOt be ulruid," she says, with a to say. thai on relleclion, he feared thai the feeling he had for me wiis nol .such as lo justify his entering on so .sacred an engagement as marriage with me; but he ought to have llioughl of lli;.l be- fore, ought nol he?" "UndoubtcHlly!" "1 will never engage myself lo a clergyman again," says Cecilia, pen- .sively. Hurgoj no's thoughts have strayed al the mention of the doth of his sislcr-ln- luw elect's truant udminr, lo thai mem- ber of the same profession who has lately robbed him of his heritage, and he 'replies with a good deal of feeling: 'Ttioy do play one dirty turns now and then, do not they? Yes, Cis, slick lo laymen for the future!" Cecilia receives this counsel willi a melancholy sigh, fixing her large eyes im Ihe carpet, but presently resumes the conversation in a livelier key. "I.et us talk about sometliing plea- santer," .she .say.s. "Had you a good journey? Do you like your travelling companion? Wliy did not yuu bring iiiiii with you? Is he nice'.*'" ".\l all evi'iits, he is nol a clergy- man,"' replies Jim, with a rather iiiaii- eioiis smile; "l>ul, no, my dear, do not let ydur thoughts turn in that direction! You iiiiisl look at him as poor women 00k al diamonds!'' "1 am sure 1 do nol know what you mean!' replies C.ecilia. reddening. "I have not the siiybtesf wish to look nl him! I am nol in sjiirits to 'look,' us you call il. al any one!" A niomeiit later, she adds, with a suspicion of malice in her loiie: "\Vc are certainiy an unlucky family in our loves! I hearlle.ssly thrown over, and ,\miflia engaged for eight years!" Hurgoyne smiles. "Vmelia is nol go- ing to be engaged any longer." he .s:iys, pulling his arm round his lielrollicil. ".\melia is going lo be inariied al once!" CH.Vl'TliH VII. It would .seem naturiil thai, aflor ,so long a separulioii, Hurgoyne .should dine and ^l>end Ihe evening with his I eti'Mili- .ed: '•"! such Is not Ihe case. Kor this, h'.v ,*viM-, ho is not to blame; ho is (pijle 1 '.uru-iif in slay wilhlier until .she turns liim out, Ilnd he not heller school hiiii- self lo dompslie hnblfs. 'Since he is' .so soon lo assume lliein for life? I'ul in consideralion for Sybilla he is disiiiLssed Ihal he has discovered how usele.ss, and also impossible il is lo be out of humor with IJyng. "1 had a good mind lo lell my fiacre man l<i follow them." continued IJyng, in an excited voice; "but. in Ihe liist place, 1 did not know how tu say ilâ€" really, Jim, wo must gel up a little of the lingo •â€"and, in the second place. I llinught it would be rather too muclr in lliu private detective line." "I lliink it would have been cxlremely ungentlenianlike!" rejoins Jim, se- verely. Byng reddens; hut still without lo.sii)g his temper. "That is coming il rathpr strong, is nol it? but, aiiyliow. 1 did nol do il." .\nd then, by tacit ugieenienl, llicy both drop Ihe subjecl. During-Hhe next three or four days il is not named betwei-n them. nor. in- deed, do they .see much of each other. Burgoyne spends ihe mealer |,arl of his days with .^ineiia. Wl;:ilever cause for the .iccnsation he may have given dur- ing the previims eight years, nobody can -say that he ncglecls her now. He pas.ses long hours al her side, on the same hard cliiiir that hail supjKiried him on their first interview, in the little dis- mal dining-i-ooni; going into calcnla- lions of hoii-sc-renl and taxes; ii,-awing up ii.sis of necessary fui-niture. He even makes a bid for Cecilia's drawiiig-rnoni grate; but that young lady whase fore- cnsling mind can look beyond present grief to future sunshine refu.ses lo pari with it. The lovers are not always, however, studying Maple's and Oetz- mann's lisls. Sometimes Jim varies Ihe diversion by taking his future wife to picture galleries and cliurches, to the Ullizi. the .\cademia. San Lnreazo. It is doublful whether .\nielia enjoys tlicso excursions as mucli as slie docs the .selm'linn of bedsteads and .saucepans, her pleasure being in some degree marred by a fe^erish anxiety tu say what she thinks her lover expects of her as they slanil before each immortal canvas. In her heart she IliinliS. Ihe great statues in the Medici (-hapel frigtilful. a hero.\V in which she is kept in countenance by no less a light than George Eliot, who in one of her letters dares to .say of them, "they remained to us as affected and exaggerated in the original, as in copies and casts." To Amelia many of the frescoes appear lamentably washed out. nor arc her efforts to hide these sentiments attended with any conspicuous success, since no- thing is more hopeless than for one utterly destitute of a fet-ling for works of art to feign il, without having the iinpaslure al once detected. Hnrgoyne's mind during these expe- ditions is a battle-ground for pily and rage; pity al the palhi">s of his poor love's endeavors; rage al their glaring failure. Cecilia sonietiines accompanies Ihe lovers, but liis does nol make mat- ters much better. Cecilia devotes but a very cursory notice to the pictuivs; her ullenlion ijeing almost wholly centred oil Ihe visitors, and on finding resem- blances ♦»• ihem among Ihe inhaliilanl.s of her own village at home, for the ac- ciiracN of which she apiH-als nl every moment lo her sister. Kvery day .-he asks IJurgoyne lo fuiril his prnmisv- a promise which lie lus punctually a.ssures her Hint he never madeâ€" lo inlrodiice his friend to her. He has a strangely strong reluclance lo comply with this simple refjuest, which yet. he knows, will have lo be complitHl with .some day. When .\nielia is his wife. Byng will have to know Cecilia, for she will pni- bably .spend a great d>NU of her time with them- make their house a second hOTiie. in fact. .\iid meanwhile Jim is keenly, and for some reason sorely, conscious of Ihe fact that, during the hours in which he is stooping bis weary head over cala- logues of fenders and tireirons, carving knives and lUh slices, blankets and ticking. Uyua is .searching Florence through her length and breadth tor their two countrywoinen. It is not indeed nece.s.sary to credit his frieriil willi any spe<ial (pie--l to nccoiiiil for his wan- derings through the "adoralilc lillle city." us Henry James most truly calls it, since ho is a young man of a wide and alert curiosity, willi- a large appi> lite for pleasure bolh inlellocluiil and Iho reverse. Jim. whose aeiiuaiiilniice with him has chielly been wiili his rowdy undergraiiiiule side. Iieiir-llght- ing. and proclor-iiefying. is astonished at his almost tremulous appivciulion of the Cihirlandajiis, the Lorenzo di Crodis, the Ciiollos, Ihal , in a hundred chapels, from u hundred walls, shine down in their mixed glory of iiiiive piety and bliiidiii;; color upon liiiii. One (lay Ihe elder man is silting in his His only answer. liowe\er. is an j ),(>,|,.,),,m " with a despatch-box and a Oh!" whose tmie is rallier niore eager- I .ji,^>,'l of paper before him. He is em- I ly inleresied than he could !iave wished, j |,,,,.i;,.,| „],,„, n weary calculation ;is to "1 th'iught thai Ihey could not. slny ,^^.|,.|^ 1,,^ »u!i- will fetch. He has made,, more than another day in Ceiio:!." con- , „j, j,;^ ,„j,„j 10 .sell .Ihinl. Of what fur- tinues Byng. al length becoming .iware | n,^,. „^(, cn„ (hey be to t|ini? He will nol of Ihe menu al his elbow; luil only ln!|,^. ullowed lo 'slmul ^ul Ihe I'.nyswaler wave it iiiiijatienlly awny. So 1 1 ,^,„„j||,|sos, which will be Ihe only game thought I wouio jiisl run down lo the ! l,^.,„.,,fol•||l within his reach. While he slalion lo incel l!ie evening train, the i j.; (ims emploved upon an oceii|)atioii one we cume by lasl night; however. ilj„i^jn to. and about as cheerful as llial of nnisl have been more punctual than : |.„^vdon Crawley befoi-e Wulerloo, Byng ye.slenlay. tor, before 1 rcncliod Ihe ^la- ,,ni,.|.;; "I know that you are ajd lo think I fancy things,' says Cecilia, silling d'nvn j ;.ve,.;ruvn soft Tuscan voice on a Ihir^l hard chair, "but here onild be no fancy in this ciuse; I am sure 1 was us much engaged us any girl ever was. I had cho.sen tin: drav. ingruom paper and bought Ib.e dining-ioum grate!" "That is further than we ever got, is not il. .Xmelia"?' says Jim. lireuking. al the relaliuii of this pro.-u.o fr.ctl into Ihe laugh he has Ix-'u with dilliculty swallowing: "but. Cis. if 1 were you, I should keep the gra'e; one does nol know how soon its services may be reiiiiired again!" "11 is all very well for you lo joke." returns Cecilia, with uii offended uir; "il may be play lo you. but il is " ".Not death, not quite death lo yuu !" inleiTupIs Uiirgoyne, glancing with an expressive smile at her buxom outline. "I lliiiik you will live to light unti'lier 1 .,.j,,„y- j,; ,^g aiLslerilv of her high and day. will nol yon? Bui 1 really am c.x- 1 ,,,,^,,,.i „;;„.,,s ihal he has bowed the desert places knee before Ihe Univer.-.al Mother, this He was perteclly rrght when we left j ,in,^. j,y,j ^.v,;,;,,^ cilv. sunset clad in England." says Cecilia. moUilied nl the colors of the .New Jeru.salem. lifting once, and apparently reheve<l by Iho in- , ^^.,. |,eavenly campanile lo as heavenly vilalion lo iinbo.soin hei---elf of her woes:Lj .,,^^. j^. ,,, j,;,,, „ „^,^^, ^^j wonderful "nobody could have been more so; M ,|u;ig. Her loveliness sinks into his us off al Koikestoiie, uiid Ihciii will be able lo stir from the strait precincts of their pinched home. lie conies back to his hotel. Ihroi'igh Ihe piaw.a of the Duomo. .Ml the inllnilo richness of cupola and arch, high up, are still wrapped in Ihe fiery rose cloak of .sun.sel. while below the body of the great church with all its marbles and traceries, and carved wonders, is clad in the .sobriely of Iwilighl. On reach- ing Ihe Minerva, he liiids that Byng has nol yet returned, or nillier that he has been in and gone out again. He waits dinner liuli-aii-hour for him. and liien dines willioiil him: dines in solitude, since il is not till his cup of coffee is be- fore him. and his cigurello between his lips, thai his young (lieiid appears. It is evidiiitly no unpleusuni errand Ihal has diluiiii'd him. for he arrives beum- ing. and loo excited even l^ perceive till- menu which a wuiter offers him. "They have arrived'.' lie cries. Oddly enough il never occurs io IJurgoyne lo iiupiire who "Ihey " iimy be; il seems as much a maller-ol-coiii-.se to him us lo the haiulsome i>ink and while boy be- f(ue hioi. that the pronoun musi relate to I''.li7.ubelh le Murchanl and her mother. SHOULD DOCTORS SHAVE A >VniTK» \MI0 CLAi.MS IT LS AB-SO- LLTKLY .\ECivSSAnV. For II They Ulay €arr>' Iiifcrlion From Uuuse lo House in Tlieir Beards. lion. I met Ihciii: I mean Ihey passed nio in a llaere. 1 only caught a glunpse of her face, but I saw Iter h.uul; il was King on the corriage-door like a snow- fluke.' "Like vny grandmolliei!" cries IJur- goyne in a rnge. for which he cannot ipiile account lo himself, al Ihis ingen- ious and novel simile. Byng laughs; llie laugh of a Ihorough- ly sweol-nutured per.son, who, in addi- tion lias some 'Special cause f.ir good- hunior. "1 do ;iol Unow wha!- color \our ginndmothcr" Nvns; but sho noisl have been vca'v unlike most pecijdc if she was like a snowllake." Jim's cross mouth unbeiHls into 11 rc- luclanl siuilc you (To be continued). THE.\TMI-NT. don't believe In th> failli "So cure?" ".Nol tnllrfly. It iiwnys I mkivi lo le .1 liille like trying lo regul.'ite Ihe !em- peralure by pulling Ihe lherii:oineler in III.- refrit'Ci-aUir.' WHKN Till'. \.\l.UI-: CBO.WS. "We ne,er P«:.Tli?.e Ihe fHll value of a Ih >!!i until we lisi! il," reiiiaikod the ni.' U w:ho was toud of nripnli/.ing. 'Tiiiifs Kghl.' r.'plieil Ihe |irir!ieil I :nn >. "is;!OCial!;. If Iho iiiiii; lost was il is nol liic liisl time ins.noil." is a fact that many of Ihe most famous surgeons and physicians of to- liuy wear beards and iiiouslaches. It is also a fact thai many hundreds if Ideal pruclitionei's allow their lips and cilia t'l Ix; covered with what they lenn 'hirsute adornments." But is it hialihy/ Is it safe for the patient to be visited by a doctor who may be currving from tlic last p.<,'r.son he visited the" germs of SI, me more or less virulent disease in lii- board? asks a writer in rearbon's Weekly. Medical men are SLpp<vsed lo bo the ap.istlcs of health and hygiene. .Surely Ihe wi'iiring of beards and moustaches is a d'r<x.-l conlrudiction lo their pre- copls. II is not lint doctors can be ac- cused in the slightest degree of imclean- liness. 111- that Ihey do not lake the givalest care, in most things, of 1 -event- ing the sjToad of dis^'ose. It is liHic. of course, that Ihe mora siikni'ss that prevails, the greater will hi' Iffe number of their patients, and thai the oulla-eak of a grievous disease in Ihe neighborhuod may be a verilablo gold mine lo them. But the profes.sion, from lop io botluni, is a honorable one. .N'.i cerlirieated practiliiner would wiV fiilly s|)i-end disen.M; among his patients. That may be taken ffir gnintod. Thus the practice of wearing bcartls and in iust:ichcs by medical ukmi is all Ihe more astonishing. The danger lo which such men expo.se Ihcir palienis is Al.ABMI.NTd.Y OBVTOU.S. Ill Ihe Wg ho.si)ilnIs the .^killed surgcnn, l)f:."ai;.s,' of his high fee and his lack of I'ine. iisuully periorms .so many opera- tions nt a lime. In an hour a dozen p. rsoiis. S'-'Hie siiffcriog from an iiifi'C- linus disordi'r may have passed under hi.s k'life. If the surgeon he a bearded man. it is impossible for liim to avoid nuikioR a rolleclion of (li.sea.sc eernis. He may be in the habit of sterilizing his heard nnd moiLslache. and so preventing the disease a I tacking his own system; but the proe(>s,s lakes linu'. He would not sli rili/.e his beard a dozen times tor a do7. n nperil'ons. The oafieni under tlio ana^slhetic l.s nnlurally in a verv weak condilion â€" a rine I'nmnd. in fad. for anv disen.so gei-nis lo rapidly dev.lon Ihein.s.^lvia aiiil nea'e a coinolv'Hiion of di.s.n-der*. Munv a mvsleriniis "luse" in the liosnI» Inls lius been Iniced evenluully to th« OPERATING SURGEON'S BEARD. Njw lake the cii.se of Ihe local prtic- ti'ioner. I'pun his daily rounds he goes from sick !•' om lo sick room. Kroni 0110 patient suffering with. .say. inllueiiza h: pa.~scs lo anollii'r whose only Iniubl* is a weak and feverish condition in- iliiced by overwork. The overworked mull, htiwovor, one day develops symp- toms iif inlhien/a, but his bcai-ded doc- loi is never for a moment suspecloil of iutroJucing the disea.se. 11 is unnecessary lo enlarge upon sinii- Ifir uislancos. Considering Ihe luiilli- tude of palieiiLs a Inisy medical man visits eviry day. Ihe -mixed and often iiifeclious nature of their aihih'iils. anil the iiimibcr of surgeons and jjliysicians who are nol clean-shaven, it is simply astonishing that an .Vcl of Parliament lius nol been pu.ssed prohibiling beard* and moiistiiclies among medical men. .Such laws ari' in exislonce in other ci'iinlries. In .MIcghuiiy, Penn.sylvania, they go even furtlier than this. I'.very niuii in Iho town niust imdiM'lake "a kiep his beard disioftxilod, or his "hir- sute adoinmenl'' will b-e I'OBCIBLY SIERILIZEn f-'OB Hl\f. Tj prevent tlie spread of infectious dis- ease the .Vllegiiaiiy Board of Health de- ciiled tv distnbule a .soluUon of bichlor- ide of mercury lo every man in the town with a Iwird. Thvise- living in hou.se> where theie is contagious di^'iLse iiio kept under oKs;Mvalion by iii.-;pcc- tui's, and if Uiey neglect lo use the lluid, Ihey are forcibly shown tlw way lo uso il. Kroiii the [loint of view of mihlieul men, n iiiouslaclie ^icls as a microlMJ Imp, and reslraius bacleria from eiiler- ing Ihe nostrils ami lungs. "Not only Ihal," said Ihe dislingiiiNhed siiriTc-n lo whom this qiieslinn was ))ul, "il lillers, ns it were, Ihe air as il enters the nos- trils. .\ inous'aelie is nol only a manly oniunioul, but one of Nature's most hy- gieiiio provisiuns."" T!!e matter. Ilierefore. amoimls to this: .\ iiiotislacli • and bea:d may bo beiiellciul lo a medical ninn, liil a gravo Source of danger lo his palicnls. NOl' DOl.NG A Tlil.S'f";. "Yes, lady,"' .siiid Hungry lliggiivs, "1 lelice perseeiilion r.:iiied inv life. Why w'licn I wi;z lirsl uiresled. years ago, I liMdii'l luen iloin' a blessed Ihiiig." "P' ii:' uiaii.'' sail Ihe kind olil lady; "here's a dime for you. .-Viiil what oharg,' did tli-^y trump up against you?" "\agraney, ma'am." iKiME, swEKi' iiom;:. Newly (proudly)-! rlwavN make il .1 pn -it to tell my -wile evc.vihing that luippons. ." â- ' ' • â- • ltd .Sportâ€" Pooh! Ihal's nolhirig. I Irll my wife lots of thing, that iievcf I'.appen nt all.