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THE MIRROR IS THE MOST ANCIENT DECORATION Most ancient of all accessories la the mirror, that reflecting bit of vau- Ity which means BO much in our daily life, as well as in our scheme of decor- ation. Its origin Is shrouded in t twilight of mythology and our onlj?- real clews ar the fragments which mother earth and the tombs have ren- , dered back to us, sometimes in a fair state of preservation. We know that glass was made by the Egyptians, yet the only mirrors that have come down to us from them,] as well an from all other ancient sources, are of metal, very highly pol- ished, and often containing stiver and \ gold. The flrst form of the mirror j was the hand-glass, and it is the frag- j ments of this that remains to us. j \V know, however, that metal mlr- j rorx were made in sections so arrang- , ed in grooves in the wall that they > could slide up and down to show the figure at full length. Cleopatra is sup- posed to have possessed such a mir- ror, but its magnificence can only be Imagined, as no authentic description of It Is available. Glass mirrors coated with tin have been found in luly that were used In the days of Pompey, but Just when and where sllTerbacked glass was flrst ' employed has i erer been definitely established. As early as 1373 the Ger- man* had acquired a knowledge of > .- mirror work, and in the fifteenth | century they invented a curious form ; of mirror construction called the "bull's eye." In the sixteenth century the Vene- tians did much business in the manu- facture and exporting of glasses with quicksilver backs, and In 1665 the French Government Induced twenty of these glassworkers to come to Paris, where in the yar 1691 a method of making plate glass was perfected which made France thereafter the mir- ror market of the world. The history of mirror-making in England might be said to date from 1670. From this time on, rapid strides were made In the manufacture of looking-glasses, those of the Queen Anne and Georgian periods being par- ticularly notable. Mirror glass In Its early stages was "lilown," and beyond the length of three and one-half feet was too thin , to serve as mirrors. In case a greater; lorscth was desired. It was necessary to add a second piece, and thus the longer glasses of the early eighteenth century were made In two pieces, one overlapping the other, or finlslid with a molding to hide the Intersection. In the tatter part of the eighteenth century, Chippendale made mirrors of great charm were made, and It was during this time that Chinese designs Illume popular. Later, Hepplewhlte nnd the Brothers Adam designed mir- rors of rual worth, the former In shield and :il shapes, usually In pairs. During the earlier part of the Georgian period the revival of the Qin'nii Anne mirror began, and by ISOn Hie lines of this model were much In evidence. Previous to this, looking glasses were manufactured In largo numbers in this country, and from 18SO to 1790 the famous "Con- titutlon" glasses were made. This period also marked the vogue of the quaint Girandoles and Hull's Kyes. Mantel glasses were In great de- mand throughout the eighteenth cen- tury, but more especially after 1760, when both oval and oblong shapes be- gan to be popular. The chevul-gluRs, never at any time a common piece of furniture, enjoyed Its greatest favor bout 1830. Some excellent designs of this type bad been previously fash- ioned by the great English cabinet- makers, notably Sheraton, but com- paratively few have survived In this country. A Bright Blue Gown. The tide ran high, the tide ran low. (Oh, heave away, away, away!) We left our port at morning glow, Before the breeze began to blow. And said farewell to harbor tow. (Oh, heave away, my hearties!) The waves rolled up, the waves rolled down. (Let out more sail, more sail, morn We saw the last of our old town, Its chimneys rod, its roofs so brown. I saw but Nancy's bright blue gown! (Let out more sail, my hearties!) The gulls flew here, the gulls flew there. (Now port the helm, the helm, the helm!) The wind was fresh, the day was fair. Our vessel sailed with Jaunty air, And we had health and strength to spare. (Now port the helm, my hearties!) The ocean rose, the ocean fell. (Watch out ahead, ahead, ahead!) We bravely took each dip and swell, And loved to hear the wild wind yell In rigging where it whistled well. (Watch out ahead, my hearties!) We cast to left, we cast to right. (Let down the nets, the nets, the nets!) And when we hauled with all our might, It was, indeed, a goodly sight To find our nets no longer light. (Let down the nets, my hearties!) We cut the foam, we cut the spray. (Now head for home, for home, for home!) And every heart aboard was gay, Our harbor soon before us lay ! I saw but Nancy's gown, I say! ! (Now head for home, my hearties!) ' Blanche Elizabeth Wade. AND THE WORST IS YET TO COME /?= NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE. Plttsburgher: Cleanliness Is next to Godliness, my friend. Country Visitor (disgustedly): Next to Impossible in this town! THE JOLTS IN LIFE By John Blake. quite secure an long as -he depends entirely on the guiding brains of some other man. In the event of such, a failure the men who have shown unusual appli- cation and ability are the first to find nt'W places. Those who have not had any Jolts, but have rone on the theory that life would go on for ever as It had been going, will not do so well at flrst. But if the Jolt of unexpected un- employment i.s hard enough it will be good for them. Next time they get a Job they will do something better with it than merely holding it. We all long for serenity and an even course through life, but that Is the sure way to dry rot. So don't worry about Jolts. They are merely the little prods that keep us from sleeping on our feet. Unthinkable. The lawyer turned in his swivel chair and solemnly asked Mns. Yel- verton: "Do you sign this deed of your own free will?" "What do you moan by that?" de- manded the large, florid lady, fixing a look of menacing suspicion on the legal luminary. "I mean there has been no compul- sion on the part of your husband, has there?" "Him?" she ejaculated, turning to look at the little, meek man sitting behind her. "Henry? I'd like to see him compulse me." You have a disagreeable duty to perform at twelve o'clock. Do not blacken nine and ten and all between with the color of twelve. Do the work of each and reap your reward In peace. So, when the dreaded moment In the future becomes the pres- ent, you shall meet it walking In the light, and that light slum overcome it* darkness. George MacDonald. Lullaby. If, my dear, you seek to slumber, Count of stars and Infinite number; If you still continue wakeful, Count the drops that make a iakeful; Then, If vigilance yet above you Hover, count the times I love you; And if slumber still rebel you, Count the times I do not tell you. Too Much Arithmetic! Every schoolboy will raise his hat | to Professor Nunn, Principal of the | London Day Training College. Uni- : versity of London, for his outspoken comments on present-day education. "The irreducible minimum of arith- metic with which the average man and woman can live Is less than moat I people suppose," he said. "I do not ' mean that arithmetic Is of no use, , but in everyday life many things are of more utility." If it were not for the Jolts life would be rather monotonous. Also it would be considerably harder to sup- port. Man has always learnt by means of Jolts since anything has been writ- ten about him. It Is BO easy to fall Into a beaten path, to do the same kind of work for the same kind of pay, taking it for granted that work and pay will con- tinue for ever, that nothing but a Jolt will save a man from wearing a rut so deep that it will soon swallow him up. The world had begun to feel that wars were at an end and that every- body was going to live- in concord for all time when in 1914 it received a violent Jolt. It knows better now. As yet it bus not exactly discovered what ought to 1 be done, but it is earnestly trying to find out. | But more Jolts will be needed be- 1 fore peace can be made permanent. The business man or clerk who goes to and from his work with faith- 1 ful regularity day by day will con- tinue to do so without any appreciable results till he gets some kind of a Jo'.t. Then he will wake up to the fact thai ,!i.- must look ahead if he is to RO ill-.- HI. or he will be likely to hit something. Often the failure of a firm which employed many men has been a good thing for all of them, although they did not think so at the time. It gave them the Jolt that cornea ! with the dibcovery that no man is How Do You Pronounce It? On yon and yours I like to dine, O Vltaiuine, my Vitamine; You keep me graceful, strong and thin. O Vitamine, my Vitamine; You're potent though you're never seen, O Vitamine, my Vitamine; By any name come live with me And Join your cousin Calory. Ellas Lieberman. Unreasonable. "What makes the snapping turtle so snappish and Ill-natured?" mused old Gaunton G-lffrni. "Nobody stops him when he is in a hurry and tells him funny stories that he has heard be- fore and which never were funny, anyhow." - * - Swallows in Palestine. In Palestine the swallows are al- lowed the freedom not only of the houses and living rooms, but of the mosques and sacred tombs, where they build their nests and rear their young. Harold's Progress. Harold Oh, Mother, I got one hun- dred in school to-day In two subjects! Fond Parent (kissing him) Well, well; In what subjects? Harold Fifty in reading and flfty In arithmetic. AT THE PICNIC. Mother: Your dress is Just full of Daughter: It's a lawn dress, mother, grass, my dear! don't you know? Breaking Trails in Canada's Northwest Wet Weather. It the English In me that loves the soft, wet we-ather - The cloud upon the mountain, the mist upon the sea, The > Kuil flying low and near with rain upon each feather, Tli icent. of deep, green wood- lands where the buds are break- ing free. A world all hot with Hunshtne, with u hot, white sky above it Oh then I feel an alien In a land I'd call my own; Thn rain Is llkn R friend's caress, I -."I to U and love it, Ti> like a finger on a nwrvit that tin-Ills for it alone! It 1)4 the secret kinship which each new life la given To link It by an age-long chalu to to those win .si- lives are through, Thit wherescevur he may go by fate or fancy driven, The home-star rises In hi* heart to keep the compass true! Isobel KccloUont* Mm-Kay. Rnceuraaed. "How much postage will thi re- quire?" Mked the young author. ' -Two cents," answered the P. O. <'irk "It's first-Claris nutter." Ob, thank you, sir." Book. Net Needed. Ys, rather, I've finally, after much consideration, decided to be a writer. I'm going to write a book." rather (aailouely): "Bat. Johst, do you believe It wilt payT Moat ererr- dy around here hti got a book." The lover of out-doors is constantly , looking for new experiences. No soonri is one area examined or ex- plored than he Is laying plans for the | next. Many plans are made and many j are discarded as additional Informa- tion renders thorn less attractive. Get- ting beyond what Dr. W. T. Hornaday terms "the last tin can" Is the ambi- tion of every nature enthusiast, and breaking new trails la a task worthy of the best. Reaching what has been the hlthor- to unknown brings a re.allty of man's utter Inslgnllicance as compared with the works of nature. Oazlng, an he oft times does, upon vast rivers, tre- mendous waterfuils, huge canons j carved by hurtling waters out of mas- < slve rock bodies, trees representing | many hundreds of years of growth, strange wild life local to the unin- habited regions, the traveller feels that he Is entering a region where he IH superfluous to the organization. For some years western Canada has been visited by many travellers, In search of new experiences, and many interesting stories have beon written us a result. Canadian Government ex- plorern are constantly breaking new ground, and the information thus gleaned Is made available to the pub- lic. A trip made by Mr. V. H. Kltto, ex- ploratory engineer of the Natural Re- sources Intelligence Branch of the De- partment of the Interior, Canada, through the north-western portion of the north west territories proved to be oue of considerable Interest. One of the striking features of this trip Is the fact that the route is practically all down aream, tlm eliminating much of the heavy labor. Leaving Edmonton, the Edmonton, Dun vegan and Peace River Hallway wus takon to I'rnce Itlver. whence by Htrainlinal and canoes tlm Hence River, Blavi> River, Great Slave Lake and MackonziA River were lu turn takon to Kort McPherson. This portion of the routn has been many times des- cribed, HO our description of th trip will commence at Kort McPherson und detail the lesser known and more In- teresting portion of Hi" trip. The Fort McPhersen-Fort Yukon Canoe Route. The canoe route connects thn Mac knii/in waterway with the Yukon by the Peel, HusklH and Kat Rivers, Mac- Dougall's Pass. Little Bell and Bell and Porcupine rivers. Except for the ascent of the Rat, the traverse of Mac- Dougall's Pass and a mile or two up the Yukon River from the mouth of the. Porcupine to the steamboat land- Ing at Kurt Yukon, the route Is all downstream The distance Is, ap- proximately, (00 miles, made up u fol- low* : P<>el, 15 mllee; Huskle. 20 miles; Rat, U to Destruction City, with 4ft additional to summit; MaeOougall'e Pau, S miles; Little Hell, it miles; Bell, 65 miles to La Pierre House, with 40 additional to Porcupine; Porcupine, 90 miles to Crow River, 65 additional to Rampart House, and 235 additional to Fort Yukon. As this route has never been ac- curately surveyed, these distances are only approximate. The craft best suited to this route are canoes of large, sturdy design, Such as tha 18-foot cruiser or freight models, and light poling boats. Strong, serviceable paddlea, poles and track- ing lines are necessary. Camp equip- ment should be restricted to the mini- mum. Power boats are not practical on this route. Guides are necessary from Fort McPherson as far as Hell River. The Hell and Porcupine Rivers can be run by experienced canoomen though unacquainted with these waters. Condensed provisions should be used whero possible In order to eliminate unnecessary weight and bulk. Fort McPherson should not be depended upon as a source of supply. Staple sup- plies en route may be obtained at Crow River and at Rampart House. Fort McPherson. The establishments here comprise the Hudson's Bay Company, the North- ern Trading Company, Limited, Lam- son & Hubbard Canadian Company Limited, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Anglican mission and a small settlement of white traders and In- dians. In latitude between 67 and 68 deg. north, It Is located on the east bank of Peel River, about 12 or IS miles above the delta of the Peel and Mac- kenzie. Mackenzie Rlrer steamers from Fort Smith, operated by the three trading companies above enum- erated, call one a year to collect a cargo of fur and to leave a year's snp- ply of merchandise. The time of call Is usually between the first and fif- teenth of July. Th midnight sun is visible for over a month, and the sum- mers have perpetual daylight for about three mouths. To the south, east nnd north the country is flat, but the mountains can be seen rising in the west. A winter portage, about 25 or breeding ground for ducks. About . at a big bend of the latter. Salmon ten or twelve miles before reaching : Cache and Driftwood river are land- the Huskie it breaks up into two or i marks below the Bell, after which more channels, the main one being on this route. About one day's paddle, or, roughly speaking, fifteen miles, brings one to the rapids. Destruction City. This point is known as Destruction City, because the Klondike stampeders In the late 90's reached such serious obstacles to their progress In these rapids that they were forced to aban- 30 miles In length, runs easterly to don great quantlties o f supplies. From Mackenzie River, and another portage, Destruction City to MacDougall Pass Is between 75 and 100 mites in length, leads west through the mountains La Pierre House on Bell River. to the ascent Is very steep, being vari- ously estimated at from 1,000 to 1,200 feet In a distance of 40 miles or there- Peel River Is a large, wide, muddy abouts. There are almost uninterrupt- river, with a uniform, steady current, ! ed successions of rapids and small and IH navigable by lt>rge steamboats, falls to be overcome. Spruce woods line both banks, which i The most important landmarks on become low and flat at the delta. A ; the Rat are the canon and the Bar- channel running to the east at the rler River which enters from the head of the delta connects with the south. Above the cano there is more Crow River is reached. The Shulti trading post makes a welcome port of call at the Crow. If this point is reached in two weeks time good pro- gress is being made. It is roughly quoted at 300 miles, or one half way, but indicates by far the most difficult part of the Journey as being accom- plished. Below Crow river the ram- parts of the Porcupne extend 75 or 100 miles. Rampart House lies on the north bank, at the Yukon-Alaska boun- dary line. Cadzow's trading post is located here, also the Royal Canadian Mounted Police barracks and an An- glican mission. Old Rampart House, now nearly de- serted, is on the left or south bank, several miles below the boundary, and at the end of the ramparts. Beyond this the river U wide and in places broken Into several channels and the Mackenzie. Another channel turns to sand and gravel and the boulders are ' banks are low an d fl at an d covered the li'fi and then runs north and Is known locally as the Huskie River. Huskie River is the name locally ap- less troublesome; the scenery also Improves, as the upper part of thle river lies right among the mountains. piled to the most westerly channel of The forks of the Rat consist of three the Mackenzie delta. The current branches, the centre one of which here Is steady and the water muddy, leads to MacDougall's pass. It Is not The banks are low and covered with the main river, being only a large small spruce and willows. The chan- ' stream. A small fall at its mouth nel Is crooked, but Is navigable for ' makes a short portage necessary, the ordinary type of river boat. The Rat River enters the Huskie from the west. Its mouth Is not pro- minent, the banks being low and bor- dered by willows and apruce. The lower part of the Rat Is very crooked, MacDougall'e Paes. The small lake at the head of the with spruce woods. The Porcupine enters the Yukon a short distance below Fort Yukon, the buildings of which are not at once vis- ible. The waters of the Yukon may readily be recognized as they are much more muddy than the Porcupine waters. , Fort Yukon. A mile or two of stiff paddling . against a strong current U required to _ ' has a sluggish current and Is overhung by large willows. It is a TOJUHW Rat river Is flrst crossed. Next comes : reach the Fort. There is a trail lead- a short portage to a small stream. ; )ng from the mouth of the Porcupine, which is ascended for a mile or so. I which may be used as an alternative After skirting the edge of a small lake There are three trading posts at thit favorite and crosstn * anotn " e a short port- point, a United States wireless sta age Is made to a narrow stream, tion, hospital, church, school and two which is followed a little distance. An- restaurants. Sleeping accommodation other short portage to a miniature ig very limited. lake precedes the main portage, not) port Yukon lies Just north of the over half a mile, however, to a very | Arctic Circle, and the entire route be pretty little lake on the summit. The ' tween this point and MePhcrson is In scenery la wonderfully flue here, and there is excellent Ashing, grayling trout being very- plentiful. From the summit lake a short portage brings one to Little Bell river. Little Bell river hn.-i a deep, narrow and crooknd channel, -overhung by wit- lows and small spruce trees. The cur- rent is sluggish throughout the great er part of the distance. The mountains overhanging this river hive grand appearance. The Bell river is quite wide, and at good stages of water would be navig- able for motor boati. In shallow water several bars appear and it Is necea- sary to drag the canoe over them at i times. This river also : very crooked. ! a very the Arctic zone. Travel on it is pruc tlcally limited to the months of Jnl> and \ugust. Commodious river steamboat? pi.' between Duwson and Fairbanks, call ing en route at Fort Yukon. A boat for Dawson Is thus available practical ly once i week. The sailing time be tween Fort ukou and Dawsoa I* from three to four days. From Fort Yukon the return wa made by the Yukon river and th 'ass and Yukon railway to th of navigation on Lynn Canal. thence by Pacific coastal steamers to Vancouver Tliih trip is one which once taken The ruins of La Pierre Hoiiso are to wl " n * T * r be forgotten. It Is not an be *en on the right bank The port- Mi5> one> but wiu wel1 r * p * y th * tlm * age now used, however actually Md n r K r required to coer the die starts from a point a tew miles down- ! Unc *' . A von * considering making utreatn from La Plerro House Some ' tbu trlp> or other trlp " luto th * mor * swift water but no raplda of danger- r * mote P rtlon * ' <*<. ' M' 1 ** 1 ous proportions may be encountered to cet turther !** regarding before the Porcupine Is reached equipment, etc., from the Natural R- r a Porcupine sourcee Intelligence Service, Depart- meot of the Interior, Ottaw*,- evil) la Tte BU rifer enter* the Ivriuplne M dvnc*.