ONE THING AND ANOTHER.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 265, 31 January 1879, Page 3

ONE THING AND ANOTHER.

(Collated , from bur Exchanges.) At a meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society lately, Dr Hector read a short paper on a tree which he discovered during hie recent visit to Mokau. It is a very local plant, being confined to an acre of ground on a spur of low sandy hills that extends along' the coast between the f Mokan and Mohakatina Eivers. The Natives said the tree had sprung from the skids and green boughs that were brought as to the great canoe Tainui, in which they came to New Zealand from Hawaiki. As the tree is not found in any other part of the colony Dr Hector thinks that if its proper habitat were discovered it might give a clue as to the mythical Hawaiki, orplace jfrom whence the Maori originally immigrated"to New Zealand. The Marylebone Cricke: Club has decided upon a rule which it may be hoped will put an end to a good deal of unpleasantness that has existed during the .last, few years among cricketers upon the subject of sham amateurs. A practice has grown up whereby a few celebrated players, while still playing as " gentlemen," received sums of money in return for their services in great matches far in excess of the amount which the best " professionals" can earn in the same way. This not tin-' naturally gave rise to much bitterness, not only among amateurs proper, who felt that these men held a false position, but among the professionals, who rightly held that in one match at least—Gentlemen v. Players—those who received payment ought to play on their side! It is now enacted that no gentleman ," ought to make a profit by his services in the cricketfield," and that anyone who does so cannot take part on the side of the Gentlemen against the players at Lord's. Assistance in the shape of expenses actually out of pocket maybe given and accepted without such disqualification. It seems a pity that this, which was really the old understanding jiniversally, ehould have been broken originally by the Marylebone Club itself in a very well-known instance! Now there can be no further doubt as to the law.

Lady Gooch, wife of. Sir Francis Gooch, Bart, of Benacre Hall, Suffolk,' appeared at Maryborough street on November 18, to answer a summons, obtained at the instance of her husband, charging her with conspiring with a woman named Walker, who is also in custody, to palm off-upon Sir Francis a child which was not his own. The only evidence taken was that of Miss Garrod, the housekeeper at Benacre, who stated that Lady Gooch had avowed to her the intention to procure a male child in order to prevent the property, which is worth £25,000 a year, from passing to the widow of Sir Francis's elder brother. Miss Garrod communicated everything tot Sir Francis, and Lady Gooch knew this ; notwithstanding which : she procured an infant, and tried to simulate an accouchment, at the Grosvenor Hotel, in October. The defendants were remanded and admitted to bail.

A very pretty Sunday school tune is the one entitled "Put your armour on, my boys." There is, however, a yciung lady in this town who doesn't like, to hear it. She says it sounds like " Put your arm around me, boys," and it makes her feel so lonesome.

Ladies generally shop in couples. When a lady has any money to spend, she dearly loves to. be able to take a friend with her to see her spend it.