FOUNDLING.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 522, 12 September 1871, Page 2

FOUNDLING.

The inhabitants of the house of J. JDilwortli, Esq , v.t Jicmuera, were rather surprised this morning, by finding, comfortably lying on the door-mat, a fine male child, apparently only a few hours' old. Whence it came, and how, and when deposited, is as yet mere matter of conjecture. The child, however, is alive and well, and has been taken charge of by Mr. Graham, the Relieving Officer.

THE MAKE rAGE OF MR. B-J STEVhNS.

It affords us great satisfaction to be able to exonerate the Hey. Dr. Wallis from every blame in connection with the recent ceremony performed in Symonds-street. It appears that so far from Mr. H. V. Stevens being intoxicated on the occasion, and''being-a reluctant party to the pro-ce-dinys, lie had come two days before and made tlie appointment with Dr. Wailis to come at nine in the forenoon of tlie 7th to Sir. Paul's residence and perform the ceremony. On the clergyman proceeding to the house, after a few minutes' conversation, it was found that no wedding-ring had been provided, and though there was no necessity for such an instrument according to the form of marriage observed, Mr. Stevens, who was perfectly sober and collected, and who acted the part of the kindly and considerate bridegroom to the life, insisted on proceeding down to town and purchasing a ring. The party, which was a very numerous one, waited till his return in a cab, and the ceremony proceeded. The usual declaration was made by Mr. Herbert V.. Stevens, that he was " Sydney Pope Stevens," the person described in the .Registrar's certificate or license, and there was nothing whatever to convey the faintest impression to the mind of the clergyman or the party assembled Lhat tho affair was otherwise than strictly en regie. More than this, there was no concealment whatever of the fact that they were going away by the Nevada, of which circumstance ttie clergyman was informed in the way of ordinary conversation. This explains the euquiry made by the clergyman the following day at the office of our evening contemporary ; aud the casual question as to whether they had got off all right, exhibits distinctly the bona fides of the cleryman at least, in tlie transaction ; for it is very patent that had he had the least suspicion of anything being wrong, he should have kept very carefully aloof from such expression of interest in tho proceedings of the newlywedded pair. It is very clear that it has , been one of the coolest and most remark-able-cases of personation that has occurred. Whether or not the young girl herself was aware of the nature of the transaction, it seems to be the fact that, however astounding, all others were completely blindfolded. As the acquaintanceship had extended over a considerable time, and Mr. Stevens and Miss Paul have been in the habit of frequent and lengthened walks together, it seems scarcely conceivable that she could have continued in ignorance of his being a married man, and it may be that knowing it she braved the consequences of flight with him rather than remain iv Auckland. Still it is possible, and it would be in accordance with the rest of the singular tale, if even she, in the very city where Mr. Stevens has been so long residing, as a married man, should also have been blindfolded. The coolness with which the passages were secured, and the departure effected, were perhaps the most remarkable portion of (he incident. Mr. H. V. Stevens first applied for return tickets for his brother and his bride, who were contemplating, he said, a bridal tour. Subsequently, on the alleged grounds that tlie discount on a return ticket was so small, single tickets were procured. Mr. 11. V. Stevens being familiarly known to tlie agents of the Nevada and all their clerks, had a difficult game to play, and, being seen on board, he represented himself as merely waiting to see his brother off. Tho marriage was freely talked of on board, aud " Have you seen tho bride P" was the familiar question among the various acquaintances of tho parties, previous to tlie departure of the Nevada. Tlie circumstance of Mr. Sydney Pope Stevens residing at North Shore, and having left at five o'clock, no doubt prevented an eclaircissenient which would have been embarrassing. In addition to Messrs. Stovin, Bennett, and Garlick, already mentioned by us as having reason to regret tlie too sudden departure of Mr. Herbert V. Stevens, we have now to add the name of Mr. JBracho, of the Thames, who feels sorrow to the extent of £250; and Mr. Osbourne, of Newmarket, has had his name forged to the transfer of ten Alburnians. Mr. Bartlett, the jeweller, had a narrow escape, having provided Mr. Stevens with a ring to the value of, we hear, £25, a wedding present to the bride. The cheque received in payment was in due lime returned from the bank, bearing the cabalistic letters N. 5.1?., which naturally exciting the indignation of the worthy jeweller, he bailed up the bridegreom in Queenstreet, shortly before his departure, aud received the amount in coin current. We are informed also that a respected knight of the hammer who wields the implement of his calling not far from our office, was : warmly solicited on the day of the espousals tq.commit, a large parcel of Waitenia tas to the hand of our lamented townsman, but not "seeming to see it," he has retained his Waiteinata's, and indulges in a pardonable chuckle as he speaks of the bird that has flown. Verily truth is stranger than fiction. :