Paupers Of Finland

A year ag-o, says the Ilelsinfors correspondent of the London News, I mentioned the peculiar njode Finland has of with its paupers and aged, and I am glad to be able to say that a great deal has since been done to get the inhuman practico of selling the poor creatures by auction abolished. The government has been awakened to the f act that the practice is barbarous and entirely out of aecord with the wise cultivated tnstitutions of Finland. An instanoe of the dreadful manner in which these auctions are held may be recorded. A vcry old woman, sick and weary of lifo, almost too feeble to exist longer, had been sold to a farmer. Her term was up last Wednesday, when she had to be resold. It was an exceedingly cold day and a fearfnl suowstorm was raging. The poor old creature knew that she could not live over the ni;rht, so she asked her owner if he wonld allow h-r to die in her corner, where she wonld be as quiet as possible and give no trouble and not eat anytbing-. She beg-g-ed hard, but her request was not granted, and she was sent out to the auction. The price paid for her was very low, poor thing, for every one knew that she could not last long. After the sale was orer and the buyers were preparing to take home their purchases the old woman was found dead. She had kept her word. She had been no trouble to anyone, but had died without a murmur.