Widnes Examiner. — 1900-01-05 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

WOMEN'S CHAT."  The German Emperor having decided that the new century begins with this year toe Post Office at,Berlin has issued five millions of " Century postcards." The enterprise seems to have te en a profir,eele one for the State, and still mere prefitatee for the dealers who bought the cards,and sold them an hour liter for five time.;.. their face value. Toe coil/ ctors who bought the cares do not appear however to have made a very good bargain, for we are told that the Postmaeter General has ordered some millions more to be printed. The appointment of toe Duke of Connaught to the post recently filled by Lord Roberts, will, in some measure, make up for the want of a Royal Residence in Ireland, of which se much has teen ewe at one time and enother. The duties attached to the office of the Commander-in-Chief in Ireland, are as neuce of a social as a military character, and in this respect the Duke will have the assistance of his wife wlei is a popular and accomplished hostess. The Duchi S 3 of Connaught as is wellknown, is a German Princess, tieing the daughter of Prince Frederick Charles, " the Red Prince," one of the ablest of the German Gener tls in the France-Prussian War. Born in 1860, she is not set forty, being ten ye els younger than her husband. She was married in 1879, at the age of 19. She is tall and dignified locking, awe comr s of a right Royal stuck. Duriog the absence of the Duke of Marlborough in Srth Africa. tbe Duchess remains with her two little sons, at Blenheim, and never mere the affeire of an estate left in more capable hands. The Duchess is a thorough business woman, and rules her vast establishment with a firmness surprising in one so young. Great changes have taken place at Blenheim eince the Duchess's reign commenced, but much remains yet to be done, ere it reaches its former magnificence. In and about her private apartments, the Duchess's favourite hower abounds, great masses of bright pink geraniums being en evidence everywhere. is is well known,there Is an intimate relation between the weather and crime, and the conduct of grown up people and children. Statibtics prove this beyond dispute, but the connection is not always in the direction which appearances would suggest. 'fbus, the favourite time for suicides is during the summer months, arid not, as might be supposed, in the winter, which in many ways, would seem to be much more conducive to the causes of suicide. Other observations show that exceptionally hot days tend to increase the number of violent assaults by men, and it is usually the cese that the largest number of brutal attacks and murders nowadays occur also in the summer months. Professor Dexter of Colorado has been pursuing simile: investigations with regard to the behaviour of school children. Be finds that the general conduct in tee public echools in New York is at its be3t on cold calm and clear days, and that on dull and muggy onee, boils department and diligence are at their worst. There rs, however, much less in this that is seemingly ceutradictory, as the conclusion Professor Dexter arrives at is meetly the experience of those who have anything to do with children. A remarkable 1:14 oircumstvitial story, which feeirm to bear the stamp of truth, aas published the other day by a London paper in reference to the disaster at Amalfi. The narrative comes in the form of a letter from an English visitor to the Italian town, and it states that en the night before the landslip, a lady who is described as " E" woke absolutely possessed with the idea that the roof was falling in and suffocating her. In the morning, as she still felt the same terror, r" E " and the writer left the hotel,and shortly afterwards the building was in great part destroyed. There are many similar stories, but perhaps the best known incident of the kind is that recorded by the grandson of Spencer Perceive', in a biography et that etateunan. Mr. Perceval, as everybody knows, was assassinated in the lobby of the Hntlee of Commons on May llth, 1812, by one John Bellingham. Mr. John Williams. Bart., wrote in reference to the murder the following statement :—"About the 2nd or 3rd May, I dreamed I war in the lobby of the House of Commons, a place well known to me. A small man dressed in a blue coat and white waistcoat entered, and immediately I eaw a person whom I had observed on my first entrarice, dressea in a snuff coloured coat with yellow metal huttons,take a pistol from his coat, and present it at the little man above mentioned. The pistol was cEccoarged and the ball entered under the left breast of the pet sea at whom it was directed. I saw bloi-d issue from the place where the ball had struck him, his ceuntienance ireitantly altered and he fell to the ground. Upon inquiry who the sufferer might be, I was informed that he Was the Chancellor. I further saw the muiderer laid hold of by several gentlemen who were in the room. Upon waking I told the particulars to my wife. She tie aced the matter lightly, t was only a dream."  WO