MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1189, 30 October 1882, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

— — ♦ i Count de Lesseps became a widower at sixty-five, with a numerous family. A few" years latter he was in the habit of visiting a family in ]Javis which comprised five sisters. <ne day he observed lie had undergone great difficulties among the Arabs because they could not conceive how a man could live without a wife. The prettiest of the sisters innocently asked, " Why, then do you not marry again ? " Because I am too old. Besides if I were to fall in love with a youDg girl it would be absurd to think she would fall in Jove with me." "Who knows 1" observed his questioner. Lesseps told his young listners about the rose of Jericho, which, after being dried and placed in water, again bursts out into bloom. Soon afterwards he obtained one of these rosed and presented it to the young gixl. In a few days she appeared with the re-blossomed rose in her hand, which she gave to the Count, saying, " See what a miracle the water has effected upon the rose ; it is the blossoming of love in old age." Their eyes met ; and he, believing she had a meaning in what she did, said, " If you really dare venture to share the remaining years of an old man, here is my hand." But for this marriage it is very uncertain whether the Count de Lesseps would have undertaken I

fchft labourious task at Panama. The Countess is always at his side, and has been his chief help and support throughout his arduous conflicts with politicians, money lenders, engineers, labourers, and many others. We note in the South Australian Advertiser of the 28th ult. that the Rev. T. B. Stephenson, L.I.D. of the Children's Home, London, Las arrived in South Australia, and may be shoitly expected in New Zealand. He lectured to a crowded audience in Adeliade upon "How to Save the Children," and stated that of 1300 children-. who had been under his care, 700 had goneout in the world, and 600 still remained in his various " homes." Of these 700 children the report was so satisfactory that only 3 per cent were registered as "criminal." Seeing that nearly all these children were gathered from London streets and gutters, such a result is certainly a remarkable evidence of- what Christian philanthropy may accomplish when well directed. The Dubbo correspondent of a Sydney paper, writing of the ravages of the drought of last autumn, says : — " One paddock, in which 23,000, sheep were placed after last shearing, produces now only 1600 sheep, and the remainder must be looked for in tho heaps of bleached bonos scattered around, and the skeletons to be observed at every step. Another station, which had in September, 1881, 90,000 sheep, now can only muster 5000 ; and these two instances whijh are given by way of example are only illustrative of the losses on nearly every station within 100 miles of Dubbo." Hanfi Pasha, who dared to dispute with Arabi Pasha, was speedily put out of the way. He was poisoned. A thousand roubels (£150) per head for a dinner seems rather a high price for even a Russian to pay, yet such is the sum which twenty-six cavalry officers each paid for their banquet at a hotel at Warsaw, a short time ago. They had determined to organise a dinner that, as nearly as j possible, should imitate those of Roman Emperors who paid enormously for their luxuries, aud preferred them out of season ; and, to a certain ex. tent, they succeeded. For eight hours they ate plate after plate, and amongst the courses appeared a ragout of African turtle, and another of stewed nightingales. And, to make the thing appear more real, these martial savages sat at the table each with a fillet of roses round his head. Some considerable amusement was caused in the Synod on Tuesday last, by the notice of motion given by the Dean of Christchurch. Under the regulation of Synod of last session the fee for a marriage by license in the Cathedral is fixed at £10. The Dean's notice of motion provides for excepting cortain person from this rule, and charging them only the usual fee. Amongst the exempted persons' were the members of the Cathedral Chapter. As these gentlemen are all, or nearly all, in the sere and yellow leaf, the idea of their contracting matrimonial engagaments seemed to amuse the Synod highly and it was some seconds before the Dean could proceed with the reading of hia notice of motion, thelaughter, in which be himself joined, being general and hearty. A very curious document has recently been discovered in the State archives of Hesse-Darmstadt It is the official tariff of Darmstadt and Bessungen, in the latte.r part of the fourteenth century, to the executioners of these towns for the performance of their duties. To boil a criminal in oil brought the executioners 24 florins, while bieaking a man on the wheel gave but five florins 30 kreutzors. Criminals were hung alive for 14fl. To apply the torture of the rack brought but five florins, and branding on the back or forehead or cutting off nose and ears were the same price. An English paper states : — Chinese servants are to be at once, and in. large numbers, imported into London. " Servantgalism" has reached such a "pitch" that, short of the family waiting hand and foot on Matilda Ann, Matilda Ann has bound everybody in the house to her chariot wheels and is virtually master of the situation. She kindly condescends to accept " wages " for permitting people to enjoy the pleasure of her company, and she further will oblige by eating oi tha best your table affords. There Jier duties end, unless the family fiit, up to have the happiness of welcoming her home, on a return from one of the innumerable holidays she claims an a right John Chinaman, good temr pered, amiable if ugly, master of cook-, ing and laundry work, able to nurse baby, and make an omelette, will find himself engaged the moment he steps foot on our shores. Gallant i ides are evidently the fashion, not only with officers, but, with those nondescripts, the war correspond

dents, who share all the risks and dangers of a campaign, and yet are classed as non-combatants. Archibald Forbes will have to look to his laurels. His most dashing exploits are nearly rivaled by the adventurous journey made by J. 0. Cameron, the correspondent of the c Standard,' who rode through the desert from Kassassin to Ismalm, alone and in the middle of the night, with the news of our sue cess. He had ■ already been in the saddle all day, and had accompanied the cavalry in their long flank march and final charge ; but he saw his duty, and did it like a man. The British Association held a successful meeting in Southampton. The papers read were exceptionally good. Professor Siemens's inaugural address contained startling theories in practical applications. He was not hopeful of electricity becoming cheap, and believed in gas for heating purposes. He advocated the disuse of coals as wasteful and injurious to health. He showed that the waste products are more valuable then coal itself by three millions.