an explanation, was to try to kill somebody; so they opened fire with zeal. For me it was like charging a square. I actually all but rode over a man who was confronting me kneeling, with his )presumably empty) rifle held like a pike; and when I was pulled up abruptly inside the Russian straggling line by a strong jerk on my horse's bit that threw him back on his haunches, I found myself surrounded by a chevaux de frise of bayonet-points projecting from rifles held by angry, vociferating, and unintelligible persons of Sclavonic extraction. I never knew very much practicable Russian, and at that time three words was the sum of my acquaintance with that euphonious tongue. None of the three was at all applicable to the conditions of the moment, but I emitted them all in succession, making the best of my scanty stock in trade. They availed me nothing. Neither the officer nor any of his men knew a word of English, French, or German. In vain I looked for the Polish Jew who forms a considerable item in most Russian regiments, and who has always a smattering of abominable low German. Failing to make my captors understand anything concerning me, I was dismounted with considerable vigor, and promptly taken prisoner, one armed man on either side of me, and a third in a strategic position in the rear. As for my Turkish pursuers, two of them had turned when within a few yards of the Russian post; the third left his horse dead on the ground and himself limped back wounded. A sergeant and two men shortly marched me off in the direction of the headquar ters, while a third led my horse. It was a long tramp, and I was not allowed to choose my own pace. At length, on the plateau before the camp, the divisional flag was seen. The artillery firing was over, and Baron Driesen and his staff were standing behind the still hot guns. My appearance was greeted with a simultaneous roar of laughter, in which I tried to join, I confess, rather ruefully. "Well," said Driesen dryly, "can you believe now that Turkish Tcherkesses can ride grey horses as well as can Russian Hussars?" But as we walked back together to drink tea in his tent, there was genuine feeling in the quiet heartiness with which he congratulated me on my escape from this outpost adventure. From Temple Bar. TO THE NORTH CAPE. ALL day long we had been in the highest state of expectancy, and as midnight approached, with an intense eagerness we watched the sun, following for a while the line of the horizon, its circle appearing to become of enormous size as its lower rim touched the waves. The sky was now of a brilliant red gold, and the rough waters of the Polar Sea ruby-lit with its gleams, and then as we waited breathless, chameleon-like the tints of heaven and earth changed as the sun sank lower and lower. Midnight had come, and in a few moments the blazing orb half-sunk into the sea, rose again, and the lights, which for an instant had half-deadened, once more illuminated the whole scene with wonderful splendor. For the only time save one, while I was with the Russian army, did I produce my formal "pass" - my captors refused to give any heed to the badge on my arm, and probably had no conception what it meant. Now the "pass" consisted of a photograph of the correspondent, with a dab of With the new day a sudden squall arose, red wax on his chest, on which was im and somewhat doubtful as to the seafaring pressed the headquarters seal, while on qualities of our tiny steamer, descending the back were written certain cabalistic from the sublime to the ridiculous, we figures, which, I had been given to under- entreated our captain to bring us in all stand, instructed all and sundry to whom speed back to the smooth waters of the "these presents " might come to recog-fjord, though we were not without encounnize the bearer and assist him by all tering a very rough time first. means in their power. It happened that I had grown a beard since the photograph was taken which constituted my authentication; my captors failed to recognize any resemblance between my bearded countenance and the smooth face of the photograph, and there was thus an added element of suspicion. At length it was resolved to send me up to the camp, to be dealt with there by superior authority. On our return journey we called in at Hammerfest, where during the summer months the harbor, crowded with English, Russian, French, and other vessels, presents a most lively appearance. Very desolate and bare is the quaint little town itself, with not a leaf or flower to be seen. Here during a period of the winter there is scarcely an hour's day, but the sky is aglow with northern lights, at times like a curtain of fire, lifting and falling again, at others as a golden shower, and then again displaying all the prismatic colors, or stretching a white arch of light across the sky with a span as broad as a rainbow. The planets all cast a dim shadow, as the young moon does with us, whilst the great stars in their clear heavens shine like nothing we in England have ever seen. At Tromsöe, the sheltered capital of northern Norway, our steamer remained just long enough to allow us to visit an interesting encampment of Lapps, and their reindeer, in the neighborhood. The company we visited had pitched their tents on the side of the mountain, and about a dozen or more seemed to live comfortably enough in a space we might portion off for so many hens and chickens. Both men and women were remarkably short, seldom more than four feet high, with eyes wide apart, and flat, expressionless faces. They wore reindeer garments with leather boots up to the knee, and bright-colored hats in form of sou'-westers on their tangled locks. At our request the men called loudly to the Lapp in chief, who was waiting for a summons upon the hills to bring down his herd of reindeer, and very soon the cries of the dogs and the rattling of the horns of the deer were to be heard, as the beautiful creatures answered to the call of their master and bounded down the hillsides towards us. The patriarchal Lapp, after we had made a few vain attempts at exchanging courtesies, signified he expected a handsome donation for his trouble, and on saying "good-bye," we noticed that the Norwegian sailors who accompanied us each gave his coin in turn, it being considered unlucky to part with a Lapp without offering some small gift. After leaving Tromsöe we sailed onwards with all speed, stopping but rarely at the stations on the way, until we reached Molde, of which place we had heard such charming accounts, that we decided to rest there for a few days before proceeding to our journey's end. Here we bade the captain and officers adieu with many regrets, watching until the steamer, our pleasant home for three weeks, had become a mere speck in the distance. After passing so long through tracts of such sterile country, the contrast of the beautiful wooded scenery before us was striking indeed, and we could not but revel in the luxuriant beauty of the vegetation, both higher and lower mountains, rising behind the town, being richly clothed with woods, the dark green of the pines contrasting exquisitely with the delicate silver birches. The smooth verdure of the meadows, carpet-like, was embroi dered with every wild flower that blows, and the fruit-trees in the little cottage gardens were heavy with their burden of crimson fruit. The calm lake reflected every surrounding beauty, every flash of the bright sun, until when the light had faded and darkness not yet descended, it gleamed cold and spectral, whilst the mists from the valley plains rose and wreathed the smiling scene of day in a thick white shroud. The morning after our arrival at Molde a wedding took place at one of the neighboring farmhouses, and a pretty sight it was, as the bridegroom, after helping to push off the boats, which were covered with flags and flowers, sprang in by the side of his lady-love, to be pelted with white roses by the bridesmaids all in their picturesque peasants' costume. The bride herself was in a beautiful silver crown, adorned with garnets, and hung with bright pendants and tufts of colored wool. As the boat glided across the waters towards a white-spired church among the hills, the voices of the wedding party joining in a chorale, rang out full and clear over the lake. An eight days' drive through the exquisite valley of the Romsdal is never to be forgotten, bringing to us the brightest recollections of all our Norwegian wanderings. We accomplished, on an average, between forty and fifty miles a day, stopping at each of the houses, built at the expense of the government, for the comfort of travellers along the road, where we could change our carioles and ponies, most willing and "old-fashioned "beasts, and order either luncheon or supper. Although the living in Norway is excellent, there is, it must be confessed, a certain sameness in the menus-always a beef-steak after the inevitable fried salmon, and then pancakes, and dishes of the amber-colored molte berre (many berries) served with huge jugs of cream, whipped to a froth with an appliance not unlike a broom. When our meal was over the servant of the house would ap pear with an always absurdly moderate bill, and on receiving the money would shake hands all round with us, and have been extremely surprised to find us wanting in readiness to return her hearty salute. As a rule, the Norwegian peasants speak English remarkably well, and only | and remaining an unconscionable time at quite in the interior did we come across every station. On the following day at those who were not able to chatter fluently noon, the church spires and white houses enough with us on most subjects. We of Christiania, backed by an amphitheatre were highly amused when we heard some of hills, appeared in sight, and as we British tourists trying hard to give their neared the town we were much struck by orders in Norwegian at one of the small its entirely unique aspect and by_the inns on the road. charm of the surrounding scenery. The warmth of the air and the clear brilliancy of the sky involuntarily recall southern latitudes, and although parallel with Shetland, which is treeless and bare, the forest environs of Christiania are green with spruce and pine, plane and sycamore, whilst apples and cherries, and even pears and apricots, ripen to perfection in the open air. 66 Oh, sir," exclaimed the landlady with great naïveté, "if only you would speak in English, how much better we should understand you!" The scenery through this wonderful valley, which is considered one of the finest in the world, defies all description: winding for miles between gigantic cliffs, through dropping streams and silvery cascades, with forests of dark firs towering on every side. In the distance rises a long, extended range of peaks and pinnacles, and here and there one range peeps out behind another until lost and fading with the white mists, like hanging cities and castles in the air. The valley itself is green, and smiling with flowery ways, and studded with cosy homesteads nestling among leafy gardens. The pretty farmeresses all work in the fields with the laborers, tossing the hay, and binding up the sheaves with much good-will and ardor. As travellers pass on the road, they pause in their work, nod and wave their hands, with a kindly greeting on their lips. On reaching the shores of the lake Mjösen once more we exchanged our delightful cariole-driving for steamer and railway. The Norwegian trains leave much yet to be desired, creeping onward at about the rate of a languid "four-wheeler," In the winter the lakes are often frozen over for weeks together, and many are the sledging and skating parties carried forward. The sun only shines for a few hours in the middle of the day, but then with dazzling beauty, and hundreds of yellow butterflies may be seen flitting over the ice, and amid the snow-laden boughs of the forest. "Our beautiful world," said the old peasant who was telling of these winter glories, "would win you English people as much when the whole earth is white and the aurora gleams in the sky, as when in summer the pastures are rich and green, and the fjords shine in the sunlight." And when the time arrived for us to return to the work-a-day world of London, it was with a longing desire to revisit these lovely and peaceful shores that we bade place and people a last far-vel. FOG IN PARLIAMENT. - The promoters of or a dozen chimneys the smoke which makes the movement in favor of smoke abatement London almost intolerable at this time of year. will rejoice to hear of the comparative failure Factories and workshops are required to conof the experiment tried in the House of Com-sume their own smoke, and, if the same armons of sifting the air through layers of cotton rangement cannot be made for every dwellingwool as it is pumped through the ventilating house, there is no reason why a group of houses chambers into the House. Although the at- should not be warmed from a common centre. mosphere of the House of Commons compared We cannot all have cotton-wool filters to enfavorably with that of the House of Lords, the sure the purity of the air contents of our constant opening and shutting of doors per- houses, and even if this were possible our mitted the fog to enter. The members, there- streets would be no better. The existence of fore, will be driven to the conclusion that, if a law which permitted a local authority to levy they determine to legislate in a clear atmo- a tax in regard to dwelling-houses which were sphere, they must provide for the prevention especially faulty in this respect would soon of fog in the whole of London, as well as in lead to the exercise of more ingenuity than has the legislative chamber itself. The recent fogs yet been displayed in the construction of have certainly demonstrated the necessity for smokeless grates. We are not afraid that local an improved method of warming houses. authorities would err by the too free exercise There is no inherent reason why every house of such a power; hitherto no one could accuse should be permitted to pour from half-a-dozen | them of any tendency to be over-zealous. Lancet. For EIGHT DOLLARS, remuted directly to the Publishers, the Living Age will be punctuaily forwarded for a year, free of postage. 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