doctor or one's lawyer. One of the cleverest
and busiest literary men in all London said to me last night that he
thought the neglect of astrological counsel a great mistake. 'I have
looked into the subject rather deeply,' he said, 'and the more I
search, the more convincing proof I find of the influence of the stars
upon our lives; and now I never begin a new book, or take a journey,
or, in short, do anything of any importance without consulting my
astrologer.' And then he went on to tell me the year in which the
cholera devastated Naples he had thought of going there. Happily, he
consulted his astrologer and was warned against it. In accordance with
the astrologer's advice, he gave up the journey; and just about the
time he would otherwise have gone, news came of the cholera
visitation. Last year he was warned against a certain journey--told
that if he took it he would be ill. For once he defied the stars, and,
in consequence, he was taken seriously ill with the very symptoms the
astrologer had predicted. But, alas, his astrologer is fat and
old--and what shipwreck may not my friend make of his life when the
stars have reclaimed their prophet, and the poor fellow has to
struggle on uncounselled!"

PRIMOGENITURE ABOLISHED.--"By a majority of eleven the House of Lords
has abolished primogeniture in cases of intestacy. Thus, unless it is
formally specified by will, property will henceforth be divided
equally among heirs, as in this country. No longer will the eldest
son, by the mere fact of the death of his father, come into possession
of the estate to the exclusion of his brothers and sisters. Of course,
entailed estates will not be affected, and property can be transmitted
by will at the testator's pleasure, but the notable point is that
primogeniture cannot henceforth be looked upon as an institution so
characteristic and time-honored that departure from it would be a
really questionable proceeding."

MEDICAL INTOLERANCE AND CUNNING.--The proscriptive medical law of Iowa
does not seem to be very effective, as it is believed to be
unconstitutional, and its friends have been challenged to make test
cases, but have not yet begun to enforce it. In Illinois they have a
law that is imperative enough against practitioners without diplomas;
but as this did not reach those who used no medicines, they have
succeeded in procuring a law to reach them also by a new definition of
"practicing medicine," which the new statute