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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 318, 29 June 1889, Page 4

An English correspondent writes:— "A sad case has been brought to tny notice during the last week, through *i applictf ’oi of a relieving officer to take a child, aged 8 years, to tho county pauper lunatic asylum. Ho reported that when the nurse had the child on her lap, soon after he was born, sitting in front of the bedroom fire, a tremendous thunderstorm was in progress, and the nurse declares the lightning came down the chimney and ashes and fire were throw’n out on to the floor. She herself felt perfectly dazed, and the child seemed kind of paralysed. The head of the child was towards the fire. The child has never spoken, and has developed a strong desire to bite and scratch everything, to catch and kill flies, birds, or anything alive, so that the poor parents have been obliged to tie the child by a rope for many years to a staple in the wall, until one day they had found he had gnawed the rope through, had seized on a young brother, put both hands to his throat and tried to strangle him, After this a chain was substituted for the rope. The asylum authorities could not take very young children, but now permission having been obtained the child will at once be sent there to the great relief of the parents and neigbours. Other children of these) parents are fine, strong, and healthy. Whether this identical child was injured by the lightning or not, the nurse, parents, and neighbours all firmly believe bo, and I can vouch for the state of the child and its peculiarities.”

A correspondent writes: —l remember going to the Metropolitan Tabernacle, more than twenty years ago, on a very hot summer night. When the eloquent preacher, C. H. Spurgeon, had proceeded some time with his sermon, be suddenly stopped, ard said, •and now for the second head of my discourse—but I fear I tire, as I al ready see some of my friends asleep. (There were two of them, and as one tat in a direct line behind the other, and as the front one’s head occasionally wont backward, aud the other one's forward, it teemed quite certain that they must come in contact soon,) A word of advice to those friend?- In the first place, it is very unhealthy to Bleep in a place of worship; in the second, it is setting the young a bad example, and, in third place, if we have people sleeping on the premises we shall become liable to pay poor rates.’ (Laughter.,) A very interesting relic of ancient times was purchased the other day by Mr P Patterson, of Bydenbam, at the sale of Mr Nuttall’s effects. This was pn old oak chair from the Manor House of Wingfield, Derbyshire, and it was in thechamberoccupied by Mary, Queen of Scots, when confined there. During the time of the commonwealth the Manor (which was held by the Royalists) was besieged by forces of Oliver Cromwell under the command of General Monk, taken, and partially destroyed. What was left of the furniture after fire and spoliation had done its worst was appropriated by the villagers, and it was from the descendants nf one nf thcafi that Mr Nuttall purchased tho chair in question. Mr Patterson intends forwarding the chair to tho Dunedin Exhibition, where it will no doubt be seen with interest.