Show CURRENT TOPICS IN EUROPE L The affairs of the Balkan provin provin- provinces provinces provinces ces at the present time deserve more than a passing notice At the close of the last Turkish Russia-Turkish war when they w were ere separated rk ey and formed into semi semi-ln semi independent prin prin- principalities principalities there were man many who be- be believed be believed liev d that the whole Eastern ques ques- question question question tion had found a solution The events of the passed year have con con- convinced convinced convinced vinced must most if not all that the erection erection erection tion of Servia Bervia Bulgaria Roumania and Montenegro into nominally in- in independent independent in independent dependent governments has s scar scarcely ely lessened the political entanglement entanglement glement The fact that the pop pop- population population population of these principalities belong to the Greek Church th the acknowledged ged head of which is the Emperor of Russia while at the same time the Russian government is striving ving for temporal as aa well we as spiritual dominion over them this them will ever make Russia a disturbing element in their th lr politics On theother the theother theother other hand Austria whose terri terri- territories territories territories tories are so near these sis s is push pushing ing her network of railways southward and controls already the commerce of the Balkan peninsula When ex Ki ex-Ki ug Milan resigned last year yel he no doubt believed that Aus- Aus Austrian Austrian trian commercial influence would predominate The intrigues of the Greek priests with the Servian or parliament by which they expected to restore the di- di divorced divorced di divorced Queen Natalie to the throne at ex length aroused the King ex-King Milan who has returned to Bel- Bel Belgrade Bel Belgrade grade Krade the capital and no doubt guided by Austrian influence hEt he demands to be mad made madd Commander in Chief of the Servian army Mean Mean- Meanwhile Meanwhile Meanwhile while Queen N Natalie threatens to return to Belgrade and take up her residence near her son the young prince As is in the throes J of a general election the present Ministry tried in vain tope to persuade QueEn Natalie to postpone her visit until next December when the new Ministry will have assumed control Her arrival at Belgrade on Sunday September was the occasion of ofa ofa a popular demonstration But when she arrived at the castle gates ates she found them barred so that she could not see her hu son Under these circumstances it is easy to perceive why Russia i ie is so anxious that Germany should detach herself from her Austrian alliance That t once accomplished the army of Austria however well well would be no match for the countless legions E of Russia while at the same the peasantry of the Balkan I principalities would no doubt under the influence of the priests welcome Russian supremacy Russia at this moment is not greatly in favor in German official as regards her treatment of speaking speaking population who largely predominate in the Baltic provinces of Russia 1 The he Russian government has officially announced announced announced ced that on and after the 1st of De De- December December December cember next all an pleadings in the courts must be done in Russian The Russian newspapers declare this Is isa isa f a virtual denial of justice to the speaking speaking German population who do donot donot not understand the Russian lan Ian lan language guage age The rhe Baltic Baltic provinces of Russia comprise an area equal to that of England and contain sever sever- several several several al millions of inhabitants Foss December 1st of this year no school church service or civil court will be permitted to be conducted or con con- considered considered considered valid except such service or pleading shall be performed in the Russian language The gay city of Paris is just now enjoying a British sport that com com- comparatively comparatively few rew Englishmen have ever witnessed By this is meant the visit of five hundred real High High- Highlanders Highlanders Highlanders landers dressed in their picturesque ue J garb of kilts bonnets and tartans and accompanied d by their pi pipers ers L who are now creating a 11 genuine sensation on un the banks of the Seine To the native Parisian sipping his bis R wine on the boulevards and indulging indulging indulging ing in politeness and attitudes al- al almost al almost I most bordering on effeminacy the sight of these stalwart sons BOilS of the ther r North in their national costume must be to say the least a little peculiar The Duke of Wellington f when viewing the th field sports of England was wont to exclaim that ISO So long as these continue Britain will never be i in n danger In I Inthe n the same manner the tho dan dau- dandy dandy dy little Frenchman with his perfumed locks and daintily a I polished boots may learn a lesson concerning the character of Scot Scot- Scotland's Scotland's Scotland's lands land's sons when he views the Caledonian games which the High High- Highlanders Highlanders Highlanders landers propose to exhibit For whether they most admire the toss toss- tossIng tossing tossing ing of the caber the throwing of the heavy weight or the sword dance by moonlight of one thing they may be certain and that is the warlike appearance of the clans If The aspect of a regiment of High High- Highlanders Highlanders r landers in their native costume Is decidedly martial and of all nations the e French delight in military die dis- dis t r I play But if the sight of the High High- Highlanders landers Janders creates a sensation what may not be said of the music A genuine enuine Highland pibroch played with the full strength of the lungs of say a dozen pipers pi can hardly tail fail to make an Impression even on ears ac- ac accustomed accustomed ac accustomed to the debates and uproar of a French Chamber of Deputies But apart from the sensation caused by the strange and picturesque garb of the High High- Highlanders Highlanders Highlanders landers and the wild or at least primitive style of their music there are other considerations that ought to gi give ve success to this visit of the Scots to beautiful France Scotland and France as everybody knows are old time friends In the days of Mary Stuart and aud long before Scot Scot- Scotland Scotland Scotland land imported manners ideas and royal consorts from France and gave in turn many a gallant knight and brave soldier to the kin kingdom dom of the Bourbons Even at the present day the works of Sir Walter Scott are perhaps more frequently trans trans- translated translated translated and read in the French capi capi- capital capital capital tal than those of any other foreign author But however many Frenchmen have read of Rob Roy and Marmion and the Lady of the Lake but comparatively few have had till tiJI now the opportunity of see see- seeing seeing ing a company of live kilted High High- Highlanders Highlanders landers Janders The order received by an English company to manufacture a large number of steel rails for China has drawn the attention of Europeans tans to the fact that the tile sleeping giant of the East is at length awaking The peopled empire of the risingsun rising many t- t its lethar- lethar lethargy lethargy L 14 sun Bun is rousing itself from gy and the world will soon have a chance of forming an idea of what it will do when it has completely shaken itself free from its drowsiness drowsiness I ness The young Emperor of China has decreed that a railway shall shaH be construe constructed from Pekin to This first line will dou doubtless be fol- fol followed followed fol followed lowed by longer lines and as the Spectator says Chi China China na in ten years may have ten thousand miles of railway in full fun work The effect of this new enterprise will be far reaching Most if not all the engineers will have to be supplied hy by Britain and America The steel rails raUs will likely be sent hy by England and capitalists will find a new field for Investments The influence of the new railway system however will be most deeply felt in China itsel Usel The world will wear a new aspect and life will present new possibilities to those who for the first time will hear the shriek of the steam whistle and the snort of the iron horse The taste for travel will be fostered The rhe people will go out and learn from other people In commerce in science in the arts of war there will willbe willbe be great changes but judging from the ci civilization of western nations it is doubtful if China will make an advance in morality To many people the announce announce- announcement announcement ment that Eliza Cook is dead will seem as superfluous i MS HS s the intelli intelli- intelligence intelligence gence of a simile accident to Queen Elizabeth So very few were con con- conscious conscious conscious that she was alive Yet so 80 it was She di died d suddenly at Wim Wim- Wimbled Wimbledon Wimbledon bled on on the of Septem Septem- 4 I e ber Her reputation as a poetess passed away many years ago She lived Jived an invalid for many years ye JL Her Ci Civil vii List pension of one hund hund- hundred hundred hundred red pounds a year kept her from want Eliza Cook was born about 1818 the date of her hr greatest larity popularity was en 1840 the d date te of her first volume and 1864 the date of her last Her simple lines re- re required required re required no profound learning no Do- protracted no-protracted protracted thought to understand their meaning She wrote for the million and the millions sang her songs sometimes with elegance al- al always al always ways with pathos Her themes were such as the common peo people could comprehend and relish and she Rhe poetized those themes bY U Ua a hundred lyrics How many of our parlor singers of today recognize the author of The Old Arm ArmChair ArmChair Chair and Sweet Hour of Pray Pray- Prayer Prayer er ei er In the golden days of prosper prosper- r rity ity prosperity she edited a paper Eliza Cooks Cook's Journal and the name was in itself a talisman of suc sue success success cess The Weekly Dispatch would as soon thought of appearing without its title without page as one e u- u of her poems The writings of an authoress so widely perused and so 80 sincere in her mission could not hut but have exercised a beneficent in- in influence in influence fluen fluence e on the great middle claw class c of England J H WARD EUROPE Oct 7 1889 I |