How Railway Materials Are Tested.

The iron rails used on the Indian State Railways Aveigh 60 lbs . per yard , and are specified to be made thus : —The rails must be rolled from a pile composed ( 1 ) of one slab 9 inches wide and 2-J inches thick for the top of the rail ; ( 2 ) of five bars | - of an

inch thick , 3 . J ,- inches wide , and five bars of the same thickness , but 5 ^ - inches wide , for the web of the rail ; and ( 3 ) of two angle irons 2 | inches wide on each side , and of an inch thick , of one bar 4-J- inches Avide , and tAvo bars 7- ^ - inches wide , all three beiug § of an inch thick for the flange of the rail .

The reader Avill see that ] the engineer has not only to test rails , but also specify in some cases how they are to be " p iled up " for rolling . The reading of the paper , which treated also of bricks ancl timber , Avas well illustrated with specimens tested by Mr .

David Kirkaldy ; and to those of our readers Avho study the testing and strength of materials used in construction we would refer them to the printed transactions of the society , which gives a long and interesting account of the subject .

T' Spellin' Bee.

T' SPELLIN' BEE .

J Rhyme to illustrate Ike JSorth X orh Dialect . BY FLOREXCE CLEVELAND . « Cum , Moll , git on the Sunda' hat , An' gan alang Avi' me ; They'll be sike fun- —Ah ' s gahin' te neet

Te see our Spellin' Bee . " "A Spellin' Bee !—now hod the noise—Thou can't walk owwer me ; Ah Aveea n't believe ' at onny man Can show a Spellin' Bee . A Bee te spell!—0 dear ! 0 dear !

, , Thou ' 11 swallow onny lee ! A Bee to spell!—Ah sucl be flay'd Te hear a Spellin' Bee . Our Bees mak hunney , an' tha buzz An' that ' s eneeaf fer me : Ah ' 11 stop at yaman' nut be hoax'd

, Aboot a Spellin' Bee . Tha say fooaks skeeats when ther ' s neea ice , An' that gits owwer me ;

T' Spellin' Bee.

Ah 'd like te see ' t—bud nivver say Tha hev a Spellin' Bee !" " Ha , ha !—ha , ha !—thou silly lass ! Cum on , an' then thou ' 11 see : It ' s fooaks 'at spells , te Avin a prahze , An' tha call't a Spellin' Bee .

Bees Avurk seea hard , an' diz ther best , An seeah it seeams te me Tha git a swarm te copy ' em , An' call ' t a Spellin' Bee . Tha all stand up , like bairns i' t' skeeal ,

Ah' then ther's quite a spree ; Lots maks mistaks , an' doon tha gan , At ivvery Spellin' Bee . An' what jaw-crackers tha g iA- out 1 'T wad puzzle thou an' me : Ah nivver knew ther Avere sike Avods

Tell Ah went tet' Spellin' Bee . T' best speller left gits t' biggest prahze , — Ther ' s meeastly tweea or three Te giv aAvay te them ' at Avins , When they ' ve a Spellin' Bee .

Ther ' s our Dick gahin te spell te neet—He ' s spruce as spruce can be ; When Ah ' ve seel that Ah think thou ' 11 gan Te see our Spellin' Bee . " "Thou ' s sed eneeaff !—Ah' 11 don me

hat—Fer yance Ah ' 11 gan an' see ; Ah nobbut Avish poor Dick ma' Avin Te neet at t' Spellin' Bee .

An knaw a wod ' at Ah cud spell , If Dick wad say ' t te me ! Weeah kuaws ?—he ' 11 mebby ax 't te neet , When we ' ve left t' Spellin' Bee . " Rose Cottage , Stokesley .

Du Role De La Francmaconnerie Dans L'Avenir.

DU ROLE DE LA FRANCMACONNERIE DANS L'AVENIR .

We publish this interesting address from the " Monde Maconnique " for April . English Brethren must of course make allowance for the French "point de vue " of the situation . We thought it better to g ive the article in Bro . Caubet ' s effective French , Avhich a translation would certainly weaken .