make every effort to prove that it was false, and only a made-up story sent by the newspaper correspondent to give his paper an interesting item.

These "interesting" items are so frequent that people are afraid to believe all they read in the papers.

It is for this very reason that we have warned our readers that it is not safe to say "such and such a thing has happened" until time enough has passed to prove or contradict a statement; and this is the reason why we so often say, "it is said that this or that has happened." We want to be quite sure that a thing is true before we assert it as a fact.

There may be some false report of this character at the bottom of the trouble in Siam, which we were speaking about last week.

The State Department has merely filed all the papers in relation to the outrage on Vice-Consul Kellet, and has decided to let the matter drop.

Consul-General Barrett sent word that the King of Siam had not taken any notice of his demand for an inquiry into the matter; and the only reply given him was a polite note saying that his letter had been received.

People who know, say that this means that the Government wishes to have the matter dropped. Otherwise word would have been sent to Bangkok that the Consul-General was to insist upon a proper explanation from the Siamese government.

Meanwhile, the commander of the gunboat which was sent to Siam, has received orders to make inquiries. He is not to do this as an official, or on the part of the Government, but merely to find out the facts, and let the Government know if it is necessary to take any further notice of the affair.

It seems that Mr. Olney thinks that Mr. Kellet may have been to blame, and that Mr. Barrett got excited, and made demands from the Siamese government without first stopping to find out the truth.

There is more trouble in Turkey, between the Turks and the Christians.

This time the trouble is in Crete.

Crete is a large island in the Grecian Archipelago, and lies just at the foot of Greece.

It is a very celebrated island, and played a most important part in the affairs of Europe when Greece was the famous empire of the world.

It has another claim for celebrity. It was the supposed birthplace of the heathen god Jupiter. Jupiter was a fabulous person, of course, but the Greeks believed in him, and declared that he was born on Mount Ida in the island of Crete. When you grow older and read your classics, you will learn a great deal about the heathen gods and goddesses whom the Greeks worshipped in the days before Christianity had come to enlighten the world.

Crete, in the days of Grecian glory, was one of the most famous parts of that wonderful empire. From its favorable geographical position, it was at one time the place through which all the arts and wonders of Asia and the East were made known to the then rough and uncultivated Europeans.

People from the East, and from the West, would meet on the island of Crete, and it became one of the most important points in Europe.

After many ups and downs—you should read all about them in your Grecian history—Crete fell, with the rest of Greece, into the hands of the Turks.

When the Greeks fought for and gained their freedom from the Turks in 1827, Crete struggled bravely for liberty too, but she was not as fortunate as her sister land, and had to submit to the hated rule of the Turk.

The Cretans are Greeks and Christians, and long to be under the rule of a Christian monarch.

In 1869 they made another struggle for freedom, and appealed to the powers of Europe to free them.

They asked to be allowed to join themselves to Greece, or else to be given liberty, under the protection of some Christian country.

But they got no help, and the Turks still ruled in Crete.

The present outbreak is but a renewal of the old feud. The recent murders of Christians in Armenia have made the Christians in Crete restless, and they are determined to make one more effort for freedom.

The Greeks are anxious to aid the Cretans, and at the first word of the revolt in Crete sent war-ships to Canea, the port at which the fighting has taken place.

The revolt appears to have been well planned, for the main cities of the island were soon in the possession of the Cretans, who only waited a signal from Greece to declare a union with that country, and to overthrow the rule of Turkey.

The signal seems not to have been long in coming, for, if the news can be believed, the union of Crete and Greece has already been proclaimed.

This will probably mean a war between Greece and Turkey; indeed, it seems impossible that war can be prevented, for Turkey is not going to sit quietly down and allow her possessions to be taken from her.

There is a report that a Greek ship entered Canea, the port of Crete, and did not salute the Turkish flag. This looks very like war.

It is the custom for every vessel on entering a foreign port to salute the flag of that port, and a failure to do so is considered a very grave insult.

The latest news seems very serious indeed, almost as if this Cretan matter were going to bring about the European war that has been so long feared.

Russia has suddenly become very indignant with England, declaring that she has stirred up this Cretan trouble, so that, in the confusion that will follow, she may be able to secure some important ports in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Russians have ranged themselves on the side of Turkey, and insist that the only way for peace to be restored in Crete is for Russian and French war-ships to occupy the ports, and force the people back into quiet.

England will not submit to anything of this sort, and if Russia and France take such action, war is bound to follow.

It must not be supposed that a war with Turkey is going to be an easy thing.

The Turkish soldiers are a fine, well-drilled body of men; indeed, the English Minister to Greece stated that the Turkish soldiers were the finest he had ever seen.

The Janizaries, the most famous regiment of soldiers in the world, are the body-guard of the Sultan of Turkey.

Not only are they well-drilled and powerful men, but they fight absolutely without fear. A Turkish soldier will never run away—he fights till he conquers or dies. This is due to his religion, which teaches him that what is to be will be, and that if it is his fate to be killed he will be killed, whether he runs away or stays in the battle.

So he stays—and does all the harm he can before his fate, whatever it may be, overtakes him.

It is also his belief that if he is killed in battle his sins are forgiven him, and he will go straight to Paradise; so he has no fear of the fight, and makes a very stubborn and dangerous foe.

In the mean while, the Sultan of Turkey has a little business of his own on hand.

He is very much annoyed at the length of the conference of the Powers about the reforms he is to be asked to make.

All the dead walls of Constantinople, where the Ambassadors are meeting, have been covered with placards and posters of a character to enrage the common people, and make them turn their thoughts to fresh massacres.

It is said on good authority, that the placards come from the Sultan, and have been posted by his orders.

It is also said that he hopes to provoke the people and cause fresh rioting, and so break up the conference which so much annoys him.

Another massacre may be expected any moment.

There is a movement on foot in New York, to prevent any more of the very high buildings being put up.

It seems that no one has any idea of the danger from high buildings.

The Board of Trade and Transportation, which is trying to get a bill passed in Albany, preventing any further work of this sort being done, asked the