rising through the metal-bearing rocks which had been shattered by earthquake movements, dissolved out the ores and redeposited them with other melted matter in the fissures. 38. Q. Where is iron found? A. Disseminated almost universally as a constituent through rocks and minerals. 39. Q. What has been suggested as a reason for the fact that the mean specific gravity of the whole earth is twice as great as that of the heaviest rocks? A. The probability that the earth's central mass is a vast ocean of molten iron. 40. Q. What processes of the present time are fully described as illustrating the method of accumulation of the great salt formations of geologic times? A. Those taking place on the borders of the Caspian Sea. "CLASSIC FRENCH COURSE IN ENGLISH.” 1. Q. Before all else what constitutes the charm of French literature? A. Its incomparable clearness and precision. the pages of this historian? A. Kings, nobles, knights, and squires. II. Q. What great English writer drew largely from the pages of Froissart? A. Sir Walter Scott. 12. Q. On what grounds is the conclusion reached that Froissart was nearly destitute of the sentiment of humanity? A. The common people did not exist to him, and war was chiefly a game, and a spectacle. 13. Q. What was the character of the work which made Rabelais famous? A. It was a grotesque and nondescript production founded probably on some tradition of giants. 14. Q. How must Coleridge have regarded Rabelais' works if he spoke truly in his praise of them? A. As allegories hidden beneath a mass of buffoonery. 15. Q. Of what English writer did Voltaire say that he was "Rabelais in his senses"? A. Dean Swift. 16. Q. For what did the imaginative representation of the Abbey of Thélème form a sheath? 2. Q. In what important field is this litera- A. A keen satire on monastic establishments. ture weak? A. Poetry. 3. Q. Notwithstanding this fact what is true of French literature? A. That it took its rise in verse instead of in prose. 4. Q. Into what two forms was early French verse divided? A. Songs of exploit and fables. 5. Q. How came the two ancient languages existing in France to receive their names? A. From their distinctive manner of saying yes. 6. Q. From which of the two forms of speech was the French language developed? A. The one spoken in the northern part of the country. 7. Q. Five striking points in French literature are specified, what are they? A. Its continuity, its independence, the quickening influence upon it of foreign literature, its persistent efforts toward improvement and elevation, its power over the nation. 8. Q. How is Froissart, the first author introduced, presented to the reader? A. As a picturesque and romantic historian who chronicled the glories of the world of chivalry. 9. Q. Why did his countrymen accuse Froissart of being unpatriotic? A. Because he took as much pleasure in recounting English victories as he did those of France. 17. Q. How is Montaigne signalized? A. By his essays. 18. Q. Under what character does he reveal himself in these writings? A. As a pure and perfect egotist. 19. Q. Why is Montaigne an immortal and a universal writer? A. Because in so freely revealing himself, he holds the mirror up to all mankind. 20. Q. Of what is Montaigne the consummate expression? A. The spirit and wisdom of the world. 21. Q. In what other French writer is there found an eminent example of the author of one book? A. La Rochefoucauld. 22. Q. According to this author, what forms the mainspring and motive of human thought and action? A. Self-love. 23. Q. How did Voltaire regard the "Maxims" of La Rochefoucauld? A. As "one of the works which has most contributed to form the national taste." 24. Q. In what did La Bruyère in his one book show himself a complete master? A. Style. 25. Q. Who forms the third member of this group of French proverb-writers? A. Vauve IO Q. Who are the characters that figure in nargues. THE QUESTION TABLE. ANSWERS IN NEXT NUMBER. WORLD OF TO-DAY.-THE SWISS GOVERNMENT. 13. Where should we look for Coma Berenicis? 14. What legend gives it a place in mythology? 15. What forms the constellation of Cancer? THE QUEEN'S ENGLISH.-VII. 1. Pronounce such words as aged and learned 3. When was the act introducing the Refer- in two syllables when used as adjectives and in endum as now practiced, passed? one when used as verbs. The learned man 4. What two leading principles form the aged rapidly. ground work of the Referendum? 2. To form the plural of the possessive of 5. In whose hands is the power of veto nouns that ends in s, x, or ce, some persons preplaced in Switzerland? fer to add's, others add the apostrophe only; but 6. In what measures is the right to exercise if the plural is formed by adding 's, pronounce the Referendum denied? it the same as if only the apostrophe were ad 7. What action must be taken upon a bill be- ded: Jones' hat and Jones's hat, pronounce the fore the Referendum can be exercised? 8. What prerogatives are preserved to the Federal government under the constitution of 1874? 9. What act proposed in the year 1884 by the Federal Assembly and rejected by a Referendum, caused Col. Frey, Swiss minister to the United States, to resign his position? 10. Why are Swiss elections held on Sunday? 11. Into what two houses is the legislative department of government divided ? 12. Does the president of Switzerland occupy a position similar to that of the president of the United States? THE STARS OF APRIL. 1. What is the position of Ursa Major in regard to Polaris? 2. What remarkable fact about the naming of the Great Bear? same. 3. Distinguish between affect and effect; principal and principle; stationary and stationery; compliment and complement; foment and ferment; Francis and Frances. 4. Can I speak to the editor? say may as you are asking permission. 5. You look something like your mother; use somewhat, which is an adverb expressing degree. 6. Nine times aught is? Observe the difference in the meanings of aught and naught. 7. It is better to say many persons think so than to say many people. 8. The constant use of such words as nice, gorgeous, splendid, distingué, shows a limited vocabulary. 9. Say bad or ungrammatical English instead of bad grammar. 10. Prof. Peabody says, "To use the objective case instead of the nominative is a vulgar er 3. What planet joins Venus as morning star, ror; to use the nominative instead of the oband where to be found? 4. How does it compare with the other planets as to its distance from the sun and to its magnitude? 5. How far is it from the sun? How does it compare in brilliancy with the other planets? 6. When is Mercury to be seen with the naked eye? At such time how does it look? 7. When is Mercury brightest? 8. What interesting trio in the East about April 5? 9. With what constellation does the full moon rise? 10. What and where is "The Triangles"? 11. What is the Egyptian X? jective is a genteel error. Between you and I is a fault as gross as that of the more ignorant person who says, Him and me are going to town." II. I shall go and lay down. Lay down what? Study the use of the active transitive verb to lay and the neuter verb to lie. 12. If I am not mistaken, you gave me the wrong change; say If I mistake not. 13. I hate such weather. Never use such an intense word as hate to express dislike. 14. Take care not to be exclaiming oh! ah! to be sure you know, yes, yes; this habit spoils conversation. 15. Richard Grant White says that the vul12. What is called the "Diamond of Virgo"? garism in our midst is continually heard in prayer-meetings and from the lips of Doctors of thought it ought to go; he named a man who Divinity. The possessive pronoun can properly fought at the battle of Waterloo; who was he? be used only to indicate possession or appurtenance. "The midst" of a company or society ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS IN THE CHAUTAUQUAN is not a thing belonging or appurtenant to the company, or to the individuals composing it. Would any one say in our middle? ENGLISH PHRASE AND FABLE. I. Whom does Skelton ridicule in his satirical poem, "Speake Parot," under the names of Bo-ho and Hough-no, both characters being represented as dogs? 2. An English lord named Collingborne is said to have been put to death in 1484 for having written the following couplet: "The Rat, the Cat, and Lovel the Dog, FOR MARCH. WORLD OF TO-DAY.-GERMAN SOCIALISM. I. From the accession of Bismarck as prime minister. 2. Nihilism, Communism, Fenianism. 3. The two attempts made on the life of Emperor William I. by socialists. 4. That the societies of the socialists should be dissolved; their meetings were forbidden; their publications suppressed; and numbers were expelled from their homes. 5. October 1, 1890. 6. One known as State socialism, which sought to alleviate the condition of the working people. 7. Prince Bismarck and Emperor William I. 8. In 1883. 9. Compulsory insurance against Who were the three persons besides Lovel rep- accident was established. 10. Those whom old resented by the animals named? 3. Formerly a yearly ceremony was observed in Berkshire known as "The Scouring of the White Horse"; what gave rise to its observance? 4. What English writer was called the "Great Unknown," and why? 5. Of whom did Robert Greene write in his "Groat's Worth of Wit" the following abusive sentence: "There is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tygers heart wrapt in a Players hide, supposes he is as well able to bumbast out a blanke verse as the best of you; and being the only absolute Johannes fac totum, is in his own conceit the only Shakescene in a county"? 6. What English author was called the "Interrogation Point," and why? 7. What English humorist mentions the following as two irresistibly absurd images-an elephant in a coach office gravely coming to have his trunk booked; a mermaid over a fishkettle cooking her own tail? 8. Who was styled Dr. Mirabilis ? 9. What literary production was known as the "Smectymnuus"? 10. To what does Sir Walter Scott refer in the following selection taken from "Fortunes of Nigel," chapter XXVII.: "Vera true. We'll have a' to pay. . a sort of penny-wedding it will prove, where all men contribute to the young folks' maintenance"? II. One explanation of the origin of the saying, "Mind your P's and Q's," connects it with the tally kept at the bar of public houses; what is it? 12. The Rev. Mr. Narcross willed, it is said, five hundred pounds to "the bravest man in England." The Duke of Wellington was asked by the executors of the estate, to whom he age or premature infirmity disables from earning their own living. 11. The employers. 12. In the sickness-insurance act one-fourth of the amount is met by the state, one-fourth by the employers, and one-half is taken from the wages of the workmen; the accident insurance is organized on a system of mutual insurance among the employers, they paying all the expenses; in the new pension system of May 1890, the burden is shared in equal parts by the workmen, the employers, and the government. 13. They are. 14. The poor rates. 15. He regards them with high favor; he himself now takes the position of leader in all these progressive movements. THE STARS OF MARCH. 1. Leo (the Lion). 2. Just below the zenith. 3. Regulus. 4. East of Regulus, not in the figure of the sickle but in the tail of the imaginary lion. 5. Regulus is white, Denebola (Beta) is tinged with blue, and Gamma is deep yellow. 6. The "Lion of Judah." 7. "Zone of Animals," a belt 16° wide, 8° on each side of the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the apparent path of the sun in the heavens. 8. Because the moon and the principal planets always keep within these boundaries. 9. Next Twins, and Crab, and Lion, shine, The Virgin and the Scales; 1. Neither. It is better to say, The building was burned. 2. There is no hard and fast rule for the use of these words. In the name of the society, folks probably is used because it is a shorter word, and people is used to avoid repetition. The word folks is not colloquial when used as in this sentence. 3. No rule can be given for this. The change of words was, perhaps, for the same reason as in the preceding sentence; as the word woman is more dignified and carries with it the idea of maturity it naturally became the name of the older class. 4. (1) You and I think the same omit unnecessary words. (2) It doesn't make any difference to me; drop anyhow; it is one of those senseless words which illiterate people tack on the end of a sentence. (3) A person whose name I will not give was there; the use of party for person is called a vulgarism. (4) She is an invalid conveys the same idea. (5) My son's prospects are good; prospects implies future. (6) By simply saying, Mr. Jones is dead, (7) Come into the sitting room; this use of setting for sitting is a common mistake, it comes under the head of vulgarisms. (8) John is very sick; real is an adjective meaning genuine, etc. (9) Are you really angry with me? or Are you very angry with me? Whether really or very should be used depends upon the meaning to be conveyed. (10) He is an alumnus of our college; the singular form of the word should be used. (11) Miss Cary called on mother and me; prepositions govern the objective case. (12) Try to correct these sentences. ENGLISH PHRASE AND FABLE.-VI. 1. He turned to a bystander and coolly inquired, "Who's your fat friend, Alvemey?" 2. "Yes, madam, I once ate a pea.” 3. Sydney Smith. 4. Robert Burns. 5. Carlyle. 6. The rose was anciently an emblem of silence and secrecy and was often sculptured on the ceilings of banqueting rooms as a sign that what was said in free conversation there must not be told afterward. It came very generally to indicate an obligation of secrecy. 7. Sir Walter Scott. 8. Byron. 9. A slang language used by medical students in English hospitals. 10. That of the poet Keats. It was placed there by his own request. II. "The men who borrow and the men who lend." 12. That of the Second William Pitt. BLAISE PASCAL DAY-May 14. SPECIAL SUNDAY-May, second Sunday. ST. PAUL'S DAY-August, second Saturday af.er first RECOGNITION DAY-August, third Wednesday after the first Tuesday. "How I envy you," said an omnivorous reader to the Scribe, the other day, "you are just beginning to read Thackeray. You have one of the greatest delights of life before you." So for you it will be with these French writers. They are much less familiar than the English writers with whom so far we have been engaged. The subjects they treat, the history and influences which surround them, the spirit which animates them, is unfamiliar. It is very different, too, from the English. It is foreign and something of the experience which a traveler in a strange country enjoys, awaits readers in a strange literature. Circles which would get the best from this new study must approach it with a determination to get into human relations with the authors. Strive to understand the lives, the surroundings, the ambitions of these friends. Talk them over informally. Analyze their characters and their motives. Make them honorary members, so to speak, of the circle. Much more vivid impressions will be obtained if the French writers are placed side by side with their English contemporaries. Thus in reading Froissart, place him in juxtaposition with Chaucer and imagine the talk of the two at their meeting. Study Montaigne's contemporaries in the Elizabethan age, for Montaigne saw the first twelve years of that period. Use all the knowledge you have gained of English history and literature this year to form a frame in which to place each writer. By this method you will review your English studies, will gain a broader idea of the world's thought at each period, and fit your new French friend into his proper place in the present stores of your mind. It will be well if any one in the circle becomes especially interested in a character to ask him to keep that author as his “special friend" throughout the study, and to allow him each evening a few moments to relate whatever of interest he may have picked up concerning his new friend. Perhaps each member will naturally select an author for his companion and will become an amateur specialist in his life and work. At all events some fresh plans should be adopted to give to the French literature the importance which it deserves and to secure to the circle the great benefits possible from an acquaintance with a new literature. The following Royal Rhyme dedicated to the Cicero Club of Hastings, Nebraska, by Miss Hattie Snodgrass, one of the members, is reproduced for the benefit of circles which are having difficulty in remembering the royal line. I. Now list, my hearers one and all, II. First, William, "Conqueror" of all, VIII. Fifth Henry, "Hal" the gay young prince IX. Vile Richard Third, whom Shakspere drew Then Henry Seventh of Tudors first, A tyrant, too, but not the worst. X. Now "Bluff King Hal," Eighth Henry came, XI. Elizabeth, the good "Queen Bess," 3346 XVI. Then William Fourth, well known to all. Now hark! a dearer name we call Victoria-beloved queen Whose many virtues we have seen, XV. Now close your eyes, and memorize, UNION WORK. FROM Brooklyn where so much good union work is done comes a report of a novel Chautauquan entertainment recently held at the suggestion of the president of the Strong Place Circle. This circle invited the Ad Astra and Adriel Circles to join with it in giving a union meeting. The president arranged the matter with her usual thoughtfulness and system. She appointed a committee from the Baptist, Congregational, Methodist, and Presbyterian neighboring churches. This committee distributed one thousand cards of invitation to the adult classes in their respective Sunday-schools. This |