AUSTRALIA.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 253, 20 December 1878, Page 2

AUSTRALIA.

(rbuteh's special to the pkbss AGENCY,) Sydney, Dec. 16. The English Eleven won the Adelade match by three wickets. It is stated that the Newcastle miners have decided to refuse to work for the Coal Companies' steamers. Dec. 17. Sir H. Parkes has given notice of a vote of want of confidence in the Farrell Ministry; Melbourne, Dec. 17. In the match Australian Eleven v. Victorians,, the former won by six wickets Mr Murdoch scored 153, and A. Bannerman 52, not out. Score, second innings, four wickets for. 263 runs.

[SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE.] Dec. 18. One of the Victorian towns is garrisoned with ten artillerymen against the Kelly's. The railway drivers, stokers, and guards are armed with rifles and revolvers. The gang threaten to raise the rails if they are unpardoned, or prevented from leaving the colony.

Above all things (says Professor Huxley) let my imaginary pupil have preserved freshness and vigor of youth in his mind as well as the body. The educational abomination of desolation of the present day is the stimulation of young people to work at high pressure by incessant competitive examinations. Some wise man (who probably was not an early riser) has said of early risers tbat they are conceited all the forenoon and stupid all the afternoon. Now, whether this is true of all early risers in tbe common acceptation or tbe "word-or not I will not pretend to say ; but it is too often true of tbe unhappy children who are forced to rise too early in their classes. They are conceited all the forenoon of life, and stupid all its afternoon. The vigor and freshness which should have been stored for existence in practical life, have been washed out of them by precocious mental debauchery— by book gluttony and lesson bibbing. Their faculties are worn out by the strain "upon their callow brains, and they are demoralised by worthless childish triumphs before the real work of life begins. I have no compassion for the sloth, but youth has more need for intellectual rest than age ; and tbe cheerfulness, the tenacity of purpose, the power of work which make many a successful man what he is must be placed to the credit, not of his hours of industry, but to that of his hours of idle ness in boyhood. Even the hardest worker of us all, if he has to deal with anything above mere details, will do well, now and again, to let his brain lie fallow for a space. The next crop of thought will certainly be all the fuller in the ear, and the weeds fewer. One evening when visiting the Dundee Advertiser office with some strangers, Mr Gilfillan got heartily merry over an amusing incident. In the absence of the entire literary 6taff he was shown into the editor's room by an occasional contributor. On seeing the system of electric bells arranged on the wall at the back of the editor's chair be asked an explanation, and finding that the editor could by a touch of his finger summon into his room all or any of the heads of the department from all parts of the establishment, above or below, Gilfillan exclaimed with a pass of his hand —" The editor here can therefore call tbe devils from the vasty deep or draw an angel down." Theg-uidehaving touched the devil's bell several times without tbat personage entering a: 1 appearance, Mr Gilfillan said, " The devil must surely be from home, or taking a nap." The guide having ae;am touched the bell, a sedate compositor entered and informed the astonished visitors that there were no devils there after six o'clock. The amusement of the visitors was still more heightened when, on being asked for the reason the grave com • positor explained " By Act of Parliament no devil is allowed to work on the night shift after six o'clock at night." The idea of the devil being under Act of Parliament caused roars of laughter.