1. Nicholas II. Emperor of Russia, began his reign by inaugurating the International Peace Conference at the Hague, and then ended up by being the spark which kindled the war between Russia and Japan. The world formed its own conclusions on this glaring inconsistency, and severely criticized His Majesty as a hypocrite. I will not say that some of the recent (1905) criticisms were not deserved: only, when we allow ourselves to make criticisms of this kind, we must not forget that possibly the cap may fit our own heads also.
2. I get up early in the morning, open my window, and look out. The sky is one expanse of clear sapphire blue, without a cloud to be seen anywhere. The light of early day spreads along the horizon like a rain-bow beam against the purple sky, the whole world seems to be tranquilly resting, and a solemn feeling of peace broods over the whole scene. You would never think, at a first glance, that the wind could ever blow, or the rain-storms descend, on such a peaceful world. You could not imagine that, over
