1000
Mixed Foreign Stamps, San Marino, etc., 25; 101 all dif., China, etc., 10c.; 10 U.S. Revenues, 10c.; 20 U.S. Revenues, 25c. Ag'ts w'td at 50% com. Monthly Bulletin free. Shaw Stamp & Coin Co., Jackson, Mich.
101 varieties, Venezuela, etc., 10c.; 118 var., many rare and unused, Asia, Africa, and Australia, also Hawaii, Newfoundland, Cuba, Venezuela, etc., only 18c. Scott's 1896 illustrated cat. only 25c. All post-free.
W. P. Todd, Morristown, N. J.
STAMPS! 100 all dif. Barbados, etc. Only 10c. Ag'ts w't'd at 50% com. List free. L. DOVER & CO., 1469 Hodiamont, St. Louis, Mo.
[THE DUKE OF ALVA'S HUMILIATION.]
THIRD-PRIZE STORY.
BY GEORGE C. HIRST.
The dining-hall of Rudolstadt Castle was the object of much interest one morning in the old war-wearied days of 1547. Behind its curtained doorways maids with straining ears and eyes whispered in consultation. In the kitchen and servants' quarters the guests of the Countess were critically discussed, from their features and dress to their overbearing haughtiness. Old Hans, the butler, was volleyed with questions upon each appearance from the dining-hall, his dignity more impenetrable than the choicest armor in the Netherlands. The Rudolstadt retainers, sitting in the court outside with Dutch sullenness, hated the Spanish masters as they hated sin, under the blankness of their features. One of them paced to and fro with blazing eyes and set jaws, savagely shaking his sword and repeatedly testing its shining point, in refreshing contrast to the calmness of his comrades.
In the hall the Countess of Swarzburg acted hostess to the generals of a victorious army, one of whom had terrorised Europe. Her calm dignity was unmoved by their great condescension and haughty arrogance, and eloquent of the fact that they were her quests and not her conquerors. She was a woman with the iron nerve of a warrior and the courage of the bravest Spaniard in her prostrate land, and she had need to be, with the Duke of Alva and Henry of Brunswick opposite her. They were taking her kindness very much as their due, and regarding the castle as a remarkably good inn. Cold constraint attended the breakfast.
Some months before, the Countess of Swarzburg, knowing that a Spanish army on its way to the Netherlands would pass through her territory, had secured a written promise from the Emperor Philip II. that her subjects should be unmolested by his soldiers. She agreed in return to sell him provisions. When the army arrived she promptly sent the supplies, and invited the Spanish generals to breakfast with her.
During the breakfast she skilfully reminded them of the Emperor's promise, but they apparently did not understand her. As the conversation progressed it became more apparent that they regarded her as a conquered ruler and her services as tribute. She grew more and more angry at their demeanor, and her breeding alone kept her outwardly courteous. She turned the conversation at last to trivial matters, and the breakfast went on smoothly, until a servant came and spoke to her. Then she calmly arose.
"Excuse me, gentlemen," she said. "I must leave you a few moments. Your wants shall have attention by my servants here," and without awaiting their reply she left the room.
In the court her manner changed. She closely questioned her servants, and then sent for her retainers and deliberately placed a number of them at each of the doors leading to the hall. "On no account," she instructed them, "permit either of the gentlemen within to leave the room." Then she went below.
A pitiful story awaited her. A number of her people were clustered in a group with looks of despair and misery. The Spanish soldiers had driven off their cattle, and they had seen the results of years of labor depart in a few brief moments. Cattle then represented far more than now, when life was a desperate struggle with the cold and hunger. Hard was the life of the peasant, and the poor Thuringians, who loved their motherly Countess, gathered around her as sheep around a shepherd in a winter storm. She felt their need of her and determined to help them, but despite her great indignation did not lose her presence of mind.
Ordering them all well provided with food, she told them to return to their homes, and there await the stolen cattle which she would see were returned. Then she noiselessly gathered her armed retainers about the several doorways leading to the breakfast-hall. The soldier who had restlessly paced the court and cursed the Spaniards was in advance, and his eyes were hungry and his breath came hard. The Countess entered the room, and calmly seated herself at the table, facing the Duke.
"Gentlemen," she said, "a few moments ago I spoke of the promise of your Emperor, that my subjects should be unmolested by his soldiers. I have just learned that it has been broken. Your men have taken my people's cattle, which are necessary to them. Of course, you knew nothing of this, and my messenger here will carry your orders to return them." She was icily polite, and the command in her last words was more than a Spaniard could take.
"Your messenger is kind," the Duke observed.
"My dear Countess," said Henry of Brunswick, "do not allow the loss of a few cattle, peasants' cattle, to disturb you. How little a woman knows of war, to be sure! Why, soldiers are prone to roughness even in their own land, and a few such escapades cannot be prevented. The Duke and myself sincerely regret the occurrence, and will do our best to stop them in the future."
She looked from one to the other. "Am I to understand, then, that the Emperor's orders have no weight with you?" she asked, angrily.
"As you like," said Alva.
"And that you will not restore to my people their own?"
"It is impossible," explained Brunswick.
"Then, as God lives, princes' blood shall pay for oxen's!"
And from the doors the curtains parted, and the flashing of swords cut the light. The tramp of heavy feet resounded in the castle, and without a word a score of tall brawny warriors encircled the table and enclosed the generals. Behind the chair of Alva, unnoticed, stood the restless soldier, his face, his arms, his body, afire with hate. They say that gaunt, patient, hungry revenge is of the South, that the Northman never feels it, but when a man has lost wife, children, home, peace, liberty, and he sees the instrument of all before him—Heaven shall lightly judge his deed in such a moment!
"Say the word! say the word!" he muttered again and again, pressing hard on his sword.
THE PALE, DETERMINED FACE OF THE COUNTESS SHOWED FULL OF PURPOSE.
Drawn by Edmund F. Webber, Winner of Second Prize in Drawing Competition.
The Duke and Brunswick looked at each other in dismay. Beyond a doubt they were caught. Cut off from communication with their soldiers, they were powerless before the solid wall of men around them. Across the table the pale, determined face of the Countess showed full of purpose. For once a Spaniard's word was unsupported by an army, and Alva's nerve left him. There was a momentary, awkward pause, and then Brunswick came to the rescue.
He burst into a long laugh. "Upon my soul," he roared, "a good joke, an excellent piece of humor! You have surprised me, Countess. I was not aware you Northern people possessed our Spanish wit. What fine retainers! Duke, the messenger of the Countess is here, with an excellent guard to attend him. Do not keep him waiting for your messages."
The Duke hesitated a moment, and then joined Brunswick in what was the best way out of the matter. The Countess ordered her retainers from the room, but the intermittent clanks of armor from the court without were significant.
The Countess detained the generals until she received news that the cattle had been returned and that the Spaniards were marching from her dominions. She knew that they did not dare return and punish her, for they were urgently needed in the Netherlands. Then she politely sent her guests away, to curse her during all the long ride to their soldiers. But curses could not restore the broken self-satisfaction of Alva, nor hide the fact he had been conquered by a woman.
This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any Question on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor Stamp Department.
In compound perforated stamps the rule is to quote the perforations in the following order: top, bottom, left side, right side.
The Straits Budget, published in Singapore, states that the new Malay Federation scheme contemplates a further change in the colors of the postage-stamps, and it is not improbable that the new tiger's head will disappear for good.
The "Boris" stamps of Bulgaria are purely speculative. The Bulgarian Parliament wished to present the young Prince Boris, on the occasion of his baptism into the orthodox Greek Church, with a sum of money equal to $100,000, and, not having the money in the Treasury, devised the scheme of making a set of stamps for sale to collectors. It is very gratifying to hear that the scheme has not proved a success.
A report comes from Japan that the government will issue two new stamps, one bearing the portrait of Marshal Arisugawa, the other that of Prince Kitashirawika. Both Generals distinguished themselves in the late war with China.
The French philatelic papers have lately given much attention to the "Balloon" letters sent out of Paris during the winter of 1870-71, when the German army was besieging the city. No special stamps were used, but a special post-mark was stamped on each envelope. Hence they are not stamps nor stamped envelopes; but they have a special interest of their own, and many philatelists admit them in their albums. Statistics show that 64 balloons were sent out, conveying 64 aeronauts, 91 passengers, 363 pigeons, 5 dogs, and about three million letters. Five of the balloons were captured, by the Germans, and two were driven to the ocean and lost.
In view of the disagreeable taste of the gum on the U.S. stamps, some wags have proposed to flavor the gum with liquorice, sassafras, etc. The only objections made so far is that the stamps, if made too agreeable, would be chewed up by the users.
The difficulty in seeing the water-marks on the current U.S. stamps has led to the suggestion that possibly the water-marks might be shown by Röntgen X rays. It is high time our government should either revert to the plain paper, or make paper showing the water-mark on each stamp.
The work of the S.S.S.S. has done something to reduce the number of such issues, but it seems to have resulted in some degree also in reducing the number of new collectors. A reaction is now taking place, and some philatelists advocate the abandonment of the committee, leaving each person free to collect or reject such stamps as he may prefer.
Old Greek gold coins are as eagerly sought for as ever, and very few new copies are found in excavations, tombs, etc. Mr. H. Montague for many years collected all the fine and rare copies he could purchase. His collection has just been sold, and the 816 coins brought $44,884. Among the highest prices were an Athenian gold stater, b.c. 88, with the head of Athene Parthenos wearing the triple-crested helmet, $830, only three of these staters being known; a tetradrachm of Nabis of Lacedæmon, $580; an old stater of the Arcadian League, with the head of Zeus Lykæos in high relief, $695; one of Tarentum, with the head of Demeter, $500: a silver stater of Croton, with a nude figure of Herakles on the reverse, $375; an oktadrachm of Alexander the Great, $450; a stater of Pheneus, with a naked running Hermes on the reverse, $575, and one of Alexander II., Zebena of Syria, $825. Very few specimens of these old Greek coins have been brought to America.
D. W. W.—Practically all the unperforated U. S. Revenues are on "old paper," but the paper varied in thickness and in color. The "silk" paper was used in some of the perforated stamps. They are quite scarce. The second and third issues of the U.S. Revenues and the Proprietary stamps were printed on "pink" paper, "violet" paper, and "green" paper. Unless a collector has lots of money to spend, I would advise him not to bother about papers, but take every stamp according to design only. Part perforated stamps are those which have perforations on two sides only. These are to be collected in unsevered pairs only.
L. H. B.—The 1837 dime is quoted by dealers at 35c. No dealer's address can be given in this column.
E. Friend, Columbus.—See answer to L. H. B.
F. Hamm, 4127 Mantua Ave., Philadelphia, Richard Starke, East Islip, New York, Edison B. Council, Council, N.C., wish to exchange stamps.
B. W. Leavitt.—You can buy a beautiful 1894 dollar from dealers for $1.50.
No. 1 and 2.
No. 3.
H. P. D.—Lithographed stamps are those printed from stones; engraved, those printed from steel-plates; wood-cuts, those printed from engraved wood blocks; typographed, those printed from relief plates. Your Mexican is a revenue stamp. The three triangles of 1894 U.S. 2c. stamps are all slightly different. In No. 1 the horizontal lines run across the ornaments. No. 2 is like No. 1 except that the lines running across the ornament are thinner than No. 1. In No. 3 the lines do not cross the frame.
W. T. McClintock.—See answer to H. P. D.
Philatus.
Babies whose mothers use common soaps, fret
Chafed and uneasy: but this little pet,
Thanks to pure Ivory, contentedly lies,
Soothed into slumber with soft lullabies.
Copyrighted, 1896, by The Procter & Gamble Co., Cin'ti.
Too simple to get out of order; too strong to break; hooks and unhooks easily—when you please—not before.
The DeLONG
Hook and Eye
See that