Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-05
lence Of THE EVENING srm.

Correspondence Of The EVENING srm
LONDON, June Is.
D. HE RICHEST and most famous orphan
IA age in Ireland is that founded by the
late Dean kirwan in Dublin. Its pres
Btge and Its wealth are mainly due to
~1nW the circumstances connected with the
last sermon preached in its behalf by the dean,
who was slowly dying Of consumption at the
time. Upon this occasion the little fatherless
and motherless boys and girls, in their uni
form, sat in rows before the pulpit in st. Pat
rick's Cathedral, while behind them were the
flower OF fashionable Dublin. As the young
preacher moved into the pulpit mis- pale face,
wasted form and hacking cough told the sad
story OF the relentless disease that had seized
upon him. While giving out the text from
winch ne was to preach appeaiingy for the poor
children before him there was a moments
pause. The startled congregation saw the
dean press his white handkerchief to his mouth
as IN passing pain. In moment the dread
truth had been revealed to them. The end
had begun. As he dropped his hand the soft
linen was stained crimson with his life blood
With single mighty effort, born of the knowl-
edge or his approaching doom, he bent over
the pulpit, and. as the tears streamed down his
pale cheek, white with the pallor of death, he
stretched out his hands in a last gesture of
benediction over the heads Of the little ones,
words he ever spoke: ''Oh. my poor children,
my poor children Then he tainted
The scene that followed was indescribable.
Never did congregation become 80 thoroughly
aroused into charitable action. Never was
there such q collection in all the annals of
charity sermons. The men threw their purses
on the plates and the ladies not only gave all
they had with them in money, but tore the
gold bracelets from their arms. took the
sparkling jewels from their ears, the costly
49,
their necks and heaped them on the salvers
and poured them into the hands of the collec-
tors TO place on the altar. There was not
single dry eye in the sacred edifce. Men
silently wept, while women sobbed Historically.
And 50 it was that before be died that evening
Dean Kirwan knew that the orphanage he
loved was the richest in all Dublin town.
which it still is.
One of the European monarchs whose title to
the throne has been rehnquished was Gustavus
Nv OF Sweden. After his family was dispos-
sessed in favor of the Bernadottes. he told his
children that he really adopted son and
that his so-called father. Gustayns Ill never
had II natural heir. In few words, the present
reigning family Of Sweden is not OF royal
blood for Gen. Bernadotte, or Charles the XIV
OF Sweden. the father of the dynasty, was a
Frenchman of not too high birth, who had
been forced upon Gustavus " by Napoleon |,
who desired to place one of his creatures on
the Swedish throne. Thus was the royal fam
patrlmony by weak-minded Gustavus ~, who
was not. as he said in explanation of his cow
ardfy act, an adopted son. but was the son and
natural heir of his father. Gustavus ILL., A
baronet, who was an attache of the German
court at the time of Bernadottes death. gives
the following account OF the occurrences: When
his physicians considered bleeding from the
arm as absolutely necessary for his recovery.
Bernadotte. or Charles XIV refused TO be bled
alleging that Emperor Alexander had bed to
death under similar circumstances as those pro-
posed. The physicians urged that his COM
plant was an entirely different one from the
emperors, but it was no use and he died. His
reason for the refusal was then apparent His
arm was tattooed with ''Liberte," ..Egalte,"
''Fraternite," done i'll the days when he was an
enthusiastic young republican in Paris and an
ayowed enemy of royalty. The present king
of Sweden is, therefore. u descendant of Ber-
nadotte and not of the old reigning family.
Zola's latest novel, LA Bette Humane" con-
talns number of crimes which, if placed in a
tabulated form, would suggest report OF
prison statistics. N. lola has killed in the
pages OF this single story no less than twenty.
three persons, besides badly woundng thirty
two more. making in all grand total of fifty
five bloody deeds. Then. in addition to this
may be ment oned the fact that the author
closes his story with train OF eighteen car
riages filled with happy drunken carOusing
soldiers unconsclousy being carried at lightn-
ing speed to a fearful doom. For the engineer
engaged in a fierce fight and were ground to
pieces under the WI eels. A sequel will be
necessary in order to decide whether greater
number of deaths be contained in the pages of
La Bette Humane" for lola does not attempt
to relate the ultimate fate OF the loaded train.
but leaves it whirling through stations and
plunging madly over the track without a guild
ing hand ON the throttle.
Travelling from Wirbsllen along the German
frontier to St. Petersburg is truly one of the
Nor No
scaPe is monotonous in the extreme, with Its
endless plains and stunted fir woods, its weird
steppes and boulder-strewn hillocks. The car
riaSes. though comfortably fitted up, are over
heated i'll winter aud badly ventilated in
summer that 1t Is like occupying the center of
an old Egyptian oven to travel therein. All the
carriages are provided with handsome lamps
but these remain unlighted and q small candle
IN a lantern is used instead. because the reser-
voir of petroleum which is meant to feed the
lamp, having been cleverly placed right above
the flame which passes through the center, the
lighting of the latter would end in a Calamity
OF no small consequence to those sitting i'll its
neighborhood. Several more or less violent
explosions took place before this defect was
discovered, and many travellers were grievously
injured. 1t takes the Russians a long time to
make up their minds to any alteration Of exist
ing things, in spite of what has been said to the
contrary, and there is but little chance of this
polish lamp arrangement being remedied for
IEcstHt ~ 10 10 conceive how
even "a Russian mechanic could have contriyed
so inane lighting apparatus unless he had
nlhilistic tendencies and a sinister intention of
blowing to pieces all frst-class passengers
Some of the tricks played IN southern Russia.
to eyade the custom house duties, are curious
enough to amuse American readers. Some time
ago two large cases arrived simultaneously at
two Of the Russian frontiers, and remained
there unclaimed. After the regulation period
had elapsed they were opened and were found
TO contain gloves, which were ordered to be
sold by auction according to law. A dealer, on
looking at them. cried out that they were all
right hand gloves and of no possible use to any
one. Consequently they went for mel to moth.
ing, far less. in fact, than the tax would have
amounted to had the gloves been in pairs 1t is
needless to add that the case at the other from
tier contained nothing but left hand gloves
and that they were, of course, bought by a con-
federate. story OF a lady who was in great
distress, because she was dc stained at a frontier.
on account of formality of passport has
lately created great deal of amusement in
Russian society circles. Young Countess n
the lady in question, was accosted by a man
who offered to drive her across the frontier for
the sum Of thirty roubles, to which arrange
ment she gladly consented, in order to save
twenty-four hours delay. On approaching the
frontier line or road the man exclaimed lyon
must make it fifty roubles Barina.' mo. in
deed" laughed the grand dame. land If you do
not Drive on at once I'll inform Of you" In
protected females seem to know how to take
care OF themselves even in Russia, for the man.
thoroughly cowed by the countess threat.
drove her across the frontier without further