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Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1715, 22 May 1886, Page 4

An atmosphere of interest always surrounds those persons who have had any exceptional experience of life, or who have been witnesses to any striding occurence. How highly, then, must her neighbors esteem the society of that young severant girl at Szolnok, m Hungary, who recntly underwent tin* following ordeal and survivep it : — Her master, the Pi*o testatit miniver of the place, uiad^" her hold a candle while his wile wroi do* n v contention of her misconduc toward* him ; after which he shot th d,,v. her three children, and himself,* atvjng the poor girl the only persoue co the house alive. How leelile arr hlne persona! ad ventures," tiger sturies l'h and what not, we hear from ou ilterdinuer heroes m comparison witu such a record as this. When, Truth asks, will Royal personages have the good sense to abolish the ridiculous custom of making meaner mortals walk backwards be-» for« them? To ?e« General Gardiner, Lord Methuen, and sir Henry Ewart performing this difficult, absurd, and even dangerous feat up the steep staircase leading from the great porch to the Koyal retiring roo \ s at the Albert Hall, recently, would have been a sevice trial for the gravity of the lookers-on if the spectacle bad no) been so p.tinful. No doubt cert; inonial, as a rule, is important as serving to miantain the dignity of great office^ but any loss of prestige iuvol—'ved m abolishing . this senseless practice might easily be made up for m other ways. The backers might be absolved, for example, on condition of their lying prone on the ground at her Majesty's aupjoach. Tlik latter ceremonial knight n<;t be picturesque, bub it would at least h»* freo from the rick of sending an unfortunate old gentleman headlong down a staircase, carrying with him, mayhap, the highest personage m tho realm and a percentage of her ai;guvt party. Mr William Hoj !e died at Southport while .be conference on tp?nper_ anca legislation was taking place iv London, - So more will he contribute ""hirtfonnidable, bnt not always convincing, statist ice to f.lte London Press. He wa* m luauy rospeels a curious man. A total abstainer at fifteen, he oUsewed. when he became a mill owner, the simple habits of an operitive, ami it is paid- tl. at v,-hen he was ruuning a thousand looma his household exppnses for himself, ids wile, and two children did not exceed £100 a your. Waß not this carrying frugality too far ? If indulgence m costly luxuries does uot contribute to highthinkinjr, it seems to me fhat the duty of the well-to do is to enjoy 1 life, and to spciid a fair proportion of their money. Mr Boyle may have enjoyed life m his way ; but people who fancy that goiutr without com forts which they can afford is* a virtue, lire as mistaken «s the persons who confound hypocrisy with piety.