What The Grand Duke Heard

The Grand Duke Alexis was at Kiel. He ia a full Rnssian admiral now, aud the head of the Russiau navy. He was a frequent visitor to the Americana, and, like all the other notables, talked with the utmost frankness to our offlcers. One day, watching the Columbia as she rode Ihe waves as lightly and with the easy grace of a blue wing teal, the grand duke said toacaptain: "I'm glad you Americans are rebuilding your Heet. Do you know what most impressed me wben I visited yonr country? Let me teil you. The first thing was your wonderful uational wealth ; the second, the absolntely inadequate means at yonr disposal for national defenEe. You were like a drnnken man with pocketsfull of money and two or three hungry ruffiana on the dark side of the street waiting a chance to attack him. " "Why, do you mean to say" - began the somewhat startled captain, when the Russian put his hand on the other's arm and said:"Twice in my career I have heard the project of capturing one or two of your great cities and holding them for ransom deliberately discussed by offlcers of European fleets whose countries had hard work to make enda meefc. And they meant it too. I once made a sensation when, after listening to a conversation of this kind, in which the offlcers of four different fleets took part, I said: 'Gentlemen, the United States and Russia are friends. Should she be unjustly attacked, Russia would help to see that the wrong was righted. ' Ah, I can't teil you where or who it ■was. Corue over to the Kurik [the Russian flagshipj and have a glass of wine. "