Dr. Nansen is not a man whose happiness depends much on the possession of luxuries, but there was at least one luxury which he confesses that he missed during his long tramp with Lieutenant Johansen after they left the _Fram_. The winter they spent in a hut passed comfortably, he says, and if they had had a little flour, a little sugar, and a few books they could have lived like lords. They did not complain at the absence of these things, however, but one thing they did long for was soap. "It was difficult enough," Dr. Nansen writes, "to get one's person clean, but that we managed to a certain extent by rubbing in bear's blood and fat, and then rubbing this off with moss." But this process was inapplicable to clothes, and they were very desirous of washing their under-clothes before beginning their spring journey. "After trying every other possible way, we found, to our despair, no better expedient than to boil them as best we could and then scrape them with a knife. In this way we got so much off of them that they did to travel with, though the thought of putting on clean clothes when we once got back to Norway was always in our minds as the greatest enjoyment that life could bestow." An analogy is traceable between this pleasure of anticipation and the glee of Dan Troop, as described in Kipling's _Captains Courageous_, at the prospect of getting back to Gloucester after five months on the Banks and sleeping in a clean boiled night-shirt. There is a picture in _Farthest North_ of Nansen at the end of his long ice journey, and still in the soapless state, meeting Captain Brown of the _Windward_, who brought him home. * * * * * A RESTLESS BOY'S REASON. "I'm going to be a minister," said Tommie, forcibly. "Why, Tommie dear?" asked his father. "So's I can talk in church," said Tommie. Postage Stamps, &c. [Illustration] 60 dif. U.S. $1, 100 dif. Foreign 8c., 125 dif. Canadian, Natal, etc. 25c., 150 dif. Cape Verde, O. F. States, etc. 50c. Agents wanted. 50 p.c. com. List free. =F. W. Miller, 904 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo.= [Illustration] =STAMPS!= 300 genuine mixed Victoria, Cape, India, Japan, Etc., with Stamp Album, only 10c. New 96-page price-list FREE. Approval Sheets, 50% com. Agents Wanted. We buy old U.S. & Conf. Stamps & Collections. =STANDARD STAMP CO., St. Louis, Mo., Established 1885.= [Illustration] =ALBUM AND LIST FREE!= Also 100 all diff. Venezuela, Bolivia, etc., only 10c. Agts. wanted at 50% Com. =C. A. Stegmann=, 5941 Cote Brilliant Ave., St. Louis, Mo. STAMPS Best in the market at 50% disc.; rare foreign at 33-1/3%; U.S. at 25%. Reference required. Give us a trial. BOSTON STAMP CO., Box 2789, Boston, Mass. 500 Mixed, Australian, etc., 10c.; =105 var.= Zululand, etc., and album, 10c.; 12 Africa, 10c.; 15 Asia, 10c. Bargain list free. F. P. VINCENT, Chatham, N.Y. =FREE!= Sample P'k (250) Stamp Hinges with New Stamp List. DOVER & CO., St. Louis, Mo.