MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 30, 1 March 1878, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

Tho Now York correspondent of tho, Molbourno Argus says;:- Your readers will remembor tho death, somo months, sinco, of, Mr Alexander T. Stewnrt, tho wealthy dry Roods dealer, In his will he loft a largo amount of money for tho completion and nmintonanoo of an" hotel for wpmon," which had lonj^ been a

favorite project witb liim. It is now nonrly Ot^licd, and will be opened about Jan. 1. .Tbo motive of M> Stevyart, so fnr a.* it h'a.B oycr boon explained, was to pro vido nq e^collont hotol, at very modormo prices, for working womon Qf otood ohurao,tor: but tho wny in which this >daa bus booq carriod ont is certainly qatqnishing. Tho hotel \n an iron struoture, Qooupfiqa: about half a bloak in ft fine portion of the city. It cantnins about 500 rqoms, and is intended to aocoramodato donblo that number of women. Tho floors- afo oovorcd | with AKininstor and Wilton carpoM •, tho furniture is^ rich and sho«ry, and very abundant : thnro is hot and cold water in onoh room ; onoh roiyn connects by f>lcotrio flignnl* with tl^i\ olllrc, iho kitchon and iho laundry; the p.irl<ir»md reception rooms aro l»u,n>{ With expensive pioi^res, and provided \v\\\ a number, of piano^; | tho kifohon is provided ovor by a " chof " of tho highest distinction— a veritable prdyi blcyt,. In a word, it ia intended to \>\vo lo the boarder:) at this Aladdin'i nnlnco of charily all tho comforts and luxuries which our ho^ hotels provjdo at an avoraflfoof four dollnrs daily fof the modornto sum, of fou,r dollars por week. Certainly tho purpose in. a ncucrouv onn, bm it i 9 qi^ostionuble whethor tho maney spent ia,needlesly luxurious appointment* would not ho nioro wisely .«p-'?nt in providing limp' 0 comforts for a larger num.* hor of bonefictariflu. It is » quoiti.m. »l*«i how far tho «plondoi\r of our African hotels, is adapted to make Hewing-girls contented with tuflir Htation in life, or honv far it is likely to tempt them t,o gratify luxurious habits* at thp o*ponso of thii oh^rity. . . A gentleman, vn Auckland who is in tinjateJy acquainted with Maori mattcc aives tho following rS|ilanat.ion of tho throwing overboard by To Kooti of one of tho natives who escaped with him from tho Chatham Islands in the Rifleman — Te Kooti had been a sailor on board a coasting vessel, and hud acquired some knowledge of thoso si«n9 of tho weather which aro familiar to all old soilo/s. Wlmn the hoiid wind whioli obstructed the pro. gross of tho Riflj<?n\an bad oontinned lor Several days T« Kooti pcrceircd that a change was impending. Ho was anxious to increase his.aßoonda,ncy o»er tho natives and adopted the devico of throwing tho old mnn ovorUom:^ «« ordor, as bo ropresentod, to appease the. Maori atu,.i, and to acquiro »he reputation of a prophot. TU« result proved that ho had calculated well Soon after tho old Maori was drowned tho weather 'moderated, «nd o» course the change was attributed to Te Kjooti's conciliation of tho atua, nnd he acquired unquestioned authority nnd paramount uscendfinny over tho crew. I Tawhiao—we beg pardon— JJing Tnw,hioo—squints. Wo regret to.havotosny this of n personage of so esiltod rank, but thero is no blinkling tho fnct.^ The awkward think about his Majesty's obliquity of vision in that it involv'os his un,» tortunito subjects in nil manner ol absurd blunders. They can novor tell to a yard oi* two where ho is looking. TnwhaioN thrco WtA-s tiro constantly cutting up rough with tUo old m»n, and pulling tufts of his hair, booauso they luistako his tender glances for o^les at, somo other dusky 1 canty. tnau this, somn of tho vert young minxes mistaking thu uxorious lilances «f his Majesty lor unlawful oulos at themsrlres. assnmo airs o cr (he three wives, and convert tho ctnmejjio fireside into a 80*ifi-only to bo described by I)r Watt's oriournlet hyn\n for lillle children. It was « no iceuDle feature at lht>. ro.-i-nt Native mfteting-* that Tawhino stood sideways before Sir Gcorgo Grey and psirty, nnd never appeared to deijfii so inueh ns ulanee upon them. JJut tho mnn wl o would infer from his ntti • tude that, tho Mnori King had not oi.«> weather eye intently screwed round liken ]) >w-nli-isi>r upon tho Premier, while the olF*is'i'»l organ was winking «t To Kooti, would be j'ist tho sort of person who would hopo to CMtch a wenzel asleep, Tho fact ih his majesty, like the slirowd mnn he is, had placed himself in the best position for seeing Inth sides, which gnvo him sn immense advnntago over every one ehe. It is doubtless owing to this peculiar circumstance that Tawhiao bus arquirod such a high reputation a« a shrewd observer o! men, nnd thing*. Thus there is some virtue in squinting niter all.— Auckland Star. The Melbourne Leader says :— Tho adrentnro* of Mr Samuel Pickwick in a lady's bedrooms, which in the dark ho had mistaken for his own, had something liko a practical repetition a short, time ainoo at Toorak. A largo party of both sotes had assembled to celebrate the Christmas festivities One young lady who possessed a kcon relish for practice L, jokes, determined quietly on enacting tho part of tho ghost. Seeing an opportunity when good niuhts wero being exchanged, my fair friend slipped away to her own room, and after disrobing herself, nnd assuming the robo do nuit, betook herself to a neighbouring room, in which she anticipated another fair damsel would bo located. Pending the anticipated arrival concealment was sought beneath tho bed. J<udgo of tho damsel's horror when, after some quarter, of an hour's wailing, a crcaturo in whiskers Appeared, with his lied candle, evidently intout on passing tho night in tho chamber. Tho horrors endured by tho dapiscl under the bod may bo understood. After four hours' convenient sho managed to creop out and regain her own ropm, trombling for fear tho creature should awako. This is no roinanqe, and tho. lossou has had, wn'ro glad to say, rathpr a quictimng oflce,t. Fcmalq.prcaohors aro, says tho Christian Beyjow, evidently on thp increase in Amorica, It is. however, npiong the Methodises that they mostly abound, bcoouso hero they enjoy not only a fair , field, but perhaps o, little favour,, Sotno. of tho^o lad:cs'.' undertake ' duty alone, while others aro accompanied, by their botto,r ha|vcs, who aqt in, tho capacity of nssistapts. Hero, is a oaap in, point. A correspondent writipg from ' Indinnopolis, tells how, a Methodist lady preached there night for a month, to crowded congregations. Exhausted na^urp at length, gavo way, and, tho husband was brought in to assist. Tho lady wou|d, addresß.tbo. people at. somo. length; and then turning to her husband, exclaim— •'Now, doar, you, prQnounco tho bencdiotiop." On a rcoo.nt Sundny, wo nro told that no loss. than sormons. were preached m Indianopolis by women, but wo arc not told whether, they had their " dear" with them to pronounced tho benediction. 7 ho world is responsible for tho following^statement regarding Mr Clarke, who.;

Utely gave £'20<)0 to tbo Radian Famine Fang, md whioh. hy tho-hyo was tha lnr««'st privn>o donntion, Mr Clarke's said to he a native of Hridgowator, whoM in tho pftri»h flh«t«h is a magnificent; picturo of tha " Dosccnt from tho Cross," supposed to b« a Guido. Sonio 25 yoara n«o it ttm pfoposo.l to anil it. and tho National Qnllery Commiggianors offirsd £^0,000 for it. J]rid«owrtt«r people elected <o kooo \t, but now they want to dUposo of it. nntl nf» the ComtttitsioncrH tt".li not roptcit their former ol{<n % , thn fownspooplo wish Mr Olarito to r«m.rn\ber his allc^od birth pluco, com>» forward I liberaUy, pay £U),0<)0 for tho pin^w. and hand it ovor to »ho eollcctiou in, Trafalgar scjuarc,