ARMOUR PLATES. The earliest recorded proposal to employ armour for ships of war (for body armour, &c., see ) appears to have been made in England by Sir William Congreve in 1805. InThe Timesof the 20thDefence for ships.of February of that year reference is made to Congreve’s designs for an armoured, floating mortar battery which the inventor considered would be proof against artillery fire. Among... more...

The Columbian Abbey of Derry. One bright sunny day last summer I found myself in the city of Derry, with some hours to spare. I passed them in rambling aimlessly about whither fancy or accident led me,—now on the walls, endeavoring to recall the particulars of that siege so graphically described by Macaulay, now in the Protestant Cathedral musing on the proximity of luxuriously-cushioned pew and cold... more...

LEO PP XIII. Venerable Brethren, Health and Apostolic Benediction. The work of a merciful God, the Church looks essentially, and from the very nature of her being, to the salvation of souls and the winning for them of happiness in heaven, nevertheless, she also secures even in this world, advantages so many and so great that she could not do more, even if she had been founded primarily and specially to... more...

VOL. 37. No. 18. WEEKLY.DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING CO., ELGIN, ILLINOIS.GEORGE E. COOK. EDITOR.MAY 3, 1914. It was a warm May afternoon: all the little flowers were stretching up their heads to catch the rain that was falling patter-spatter everywhere. Francis stood by the window pouting. He had been playing lovely games outside, and now the rain had spoiled his fun. Mother was at her sewing machine. She... more...

VOL. 37. No. 17. WEEKLY.DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING CO., ELGIN, ILLINOIS.GEORGE E. COOK, EDITOR.APRIL 26, 1914. The tide was low, and a dark line of rocks showed up clearly in the still water. "I wonder what those rocks are really like," said Toby rising slowly from his seat. "It looks almost as if we could paddle out to them," said his twin sister Nancy, as she pushed her red curls under... more...

VOL. 37. No. 15. WEEKLY.DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING CO., ELGIN, ILLINOIS. GEORGE E. COOK, EDITOR.APRIL 12, 1914. "Why, Myra, what is the matter?" Mabel had found Myra crying in a little sheltered place where the little neighbors sometimes played together. Mabel lived in a big house and Myra in a little one, but they were neighbors, and loved each other just the same. "I don't mean to cry... more...

On the Primary Room wall was a beautiful picture of a shining river. Francie loved to count the fish that were swimming in it. Just fourteen there were, and every one stood for a new scholar someone had brought into the Primary Class. How Francie wished he could bring one and have Miss Florence pin a fish in the river and a red tag on his blouse to show that he had caught it. “How you s'pose I... more...

"May we go, mamma? Oh, do say yes. Please say yes." Lilian and her brother Earl were invited to a children's lawn party, and, as they were not different from most other children, they were very anxious to attend. "Lilian may go, but I am afraid to trust Earl," said mamma. "There will certainly be ice cream and berries, cake and lemonade, and you know what the doctor said, Earl.... more...

VOL. 37. NO. 8 WEEKLY.DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING CO., ELGIN, ILLINOIS.GEORGE E. COOK. EDITOR.FEBRUARY 22, 1914. "We're all such little girls, Miss Lee. We can't do things for people. They have to do things for us, all the time, don't you see? How can we do much helping?" Little Grace Mayne looked into her teacher's face with earnest eyes as she said this. The girls in the class... more...

VOL. 37. NO. 7. WEEKLY.DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING CO., ELGIN, ILLINOIS.GEORGE E. COOK, EDITOR.FEBRUARY 15, 1914.   Arthur had a box of paints given him for Christmas, and he had learned to color pictures very prettily; so just as he was finishing the dress of a gorgeous Japanese lady such a happy thought came to him that he nearly spilled some yellow paint all over Miss Matsuki's gay pink dress, in... more...