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224 BYE-GONES. Nov. 3, 1897. word is, perhaps, really, Baffell or Rafle, and may come from the French verb, rafler, to sweep away ; the trimminga and prunings being refuse that would be swept away. Shrewsbury. R.E.D. CURRENT NOTES. Mr T. J. Hughes, headmaster of the Caimg Schools, Corwen, died on Saturday week. He was for many years assistant master at Builth Endowed Schools. Mr Arthur Roberts, a member of the Cymmro- dorion Society, has been engaged at the Record Office, in examining documents relating to the history of the Principality. Mr Glynn Williams, headmaster of Friars School, intends publishing a Welsh version of JEsop's Fables, by his father the late Rev Morris Williams (Nicander). The marriage of Mr Franz Alexander Graesser, eldest son of Mr R. F. Graesser of Argoed Hall, to Miss Edith Rosamond Maddock, daughter of Mr R. F. Maddock, took place last month at Guelph, Ontario. Mr and Mrs Graesser arrived at A.rgoed Hall yesterday week, and had a hearty reception, arches, etc., being erected at the hall. Mr William Evans, the new County Court Judge for Mid-Wales, is a thorough Welshman, and an experienced lawyer. A native of Merthyr Tydfil, he was a contemporary of the late Judge Lewis at Llandovery, and Jesus College, Oxford, where he graduated in 1871. The new Judge, who w&3 called to the Bar twenty-three years ago, has acted for some time as the treasurer of the South Wales Bar Mess. He is the author of a legal work on " Landlord and Tenant," and of a volume of poetry dealing mainly with Welsh subjects. During the last week two memorial brasses of more tlun local interest have been placed in Pembrokeshire churches by Mr Henry Owen. One commemorates the connection of Archbishop Laud with the parish of Rudbaxton, which living he held in commendam while Bishop of St David's. The other, which has been placed in the parish church of Nevern, is in memory of George Owen, the Elizabethan historian of Pem¬ brokeshire, and "the patriarch of British geologists," whose numerous manuscript works are now being edited by Mr Henry Owen for the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion.— Athenceum. The annual collegiate meeting of the University of Wales was held at Cardiff, on Friday, Dr Isambard Owen, the senior Deputy Chancellor, presiding. — A congrega¬ tion was held at the Park Hall, Cardiff, in the afternoon, for the purpose of granting admission to degrees, this being the first degree-day of the University. The graduates in¬ clude:—B.A., Mr E. N. Jones, University Col¬ lege, Cardiff, and University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, with first-class honours in Hebrew; Mr J. R. Thomas, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, with second-class honours in Greek and third-class honours in Latin; Mr S. C. Wil¬ liams, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, with second class honours in philosophy; Mr T. Howat, University College, Cardiff, and Univer¬ sity College of Wales, with third class honours in philosophy; Mr H. E. Piggott, University Col¬ lege of Wales, with th-rd class honours in phil¬ osophy. B.Sc, Mr J. T. Jenkins, University College, Cardiff,and University College of Wales; Mr H. O. Jones, University College of Wales; and Mr C. E. Kemp, University College of Wales, and University College, Cardiff. IN THE FIELdTaND LANES. Wild Geese.—I was pleased to read the note of " J.H." in " Fields and Lanes " of last week. Unfortunately I had not the pleasure of seeing the wild geese fly over here, but two friends who observed them (one of them, a sportsman, has travelled much) again tell me they counted thirty-one. It is just possible there were two flocks migrating, if so, it is curious to find they were going in the sarao direction.- Thqs. Ruddy, The Gardens, Pale, Corwen. N0VE&BE3 3, 1897. NOTES. LESS LUCK.—I know, ot course, of the custom of returning money for luck when a purchase is made, but for the first time in my life I had a receipted bill the other day, for an animal which I had bought, with the words, " For luck, Is," the shilling being deducted from the purchase-money. W.O. THE SIGN OF THE CROSS.—It tvas for¬ merly the custom in North Wales, and it has not entirely disappeared even in our days, either in one form or the other, for people to make with their finger the sign of the cross on their own person or property. I will first of all men¬ tion cases that have come under my own ob¬ servation or were seen done by trustworthy people who told me of the circumstance. It was once common in the southern parts of Montgomeryshire for the wife, after the flour and barm had been placed before the fire the night before the baking, to make with the finger a cross over the baking, and then the barm was allowed to operate undisturbed. I remember a case of this kind which was told me by a fellow pupil in Llanidloes school. Making a Gross over a Batch.—My friend's mother was in the habit after the flour had been placed in the tub or trough, where it was to be lefttoheave,of making a cross over the whole. Her son told her it would get up just as well withoub the cross as with it, but the mother thought otherwise. She affirmed it would nob get up ab all without the cross. Much conversation took place aboub the matter, and at last my friend