MISCELLANEA.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 211, 25 November 1873, Page 7

MISCELLANEA.

In an advertisement by a railway company nf some unclaimed goods, the letter "1" dropped from the word " lawful," and it reads now, "People to whom these packages are directed are requested to come forward and pay the awful charges of the same." The increase in the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, says .tire Foresters' Journal, for August, has been, during the past year, upwards of 11,000, and the Foresters, during the same period, have added upwards of £25,000 members to their muster roll. The combined strength of these two great affiliated societies at present exceeds 900,000 financial members. The following amusing resume of the descriptions of the Shah of Persia given by the German papers has been compiled by the Madras Athenmim:- " The Shah is corpulent, thin, of a noble, thoroughly vulgar mien ; tall, very short, and wears a black, remarkably variegated, entirely yellow uniform. His eyes are dim and fiery. He observes acutely, looks at everything with indifference, and wears gold spectacles- made of steel. He is almost entirely bald, and a conical cap of cloth constantly covers his luxuriant falling hair. He drinks madeira and champagne exclusively, and lets nothing pass his lips but water. Gentle as he is, he took great pleasure in the roaring of the beasts at the Zoological Gardens, and rejoiced with his native cruelty at the bouquets-pre-sented to him there. He likes nothing but a voluptuous table and the ballet, and came to Europe only in the interest of his people to learn civilisation. Towards the ladies he is generally very' gallant, severe, tender and wild. He is 42 years of age, born in 1843, and has been already a quarter of a century on the Persian throne, the ornament of which he has become in this short period of his reign, and in which it has been impossible for him to gain the love of his people." There is one thing no family pretends to do without—that is a hammer. And yet there, is nothing that goes to make up the equipment of a domestic establishment th.it causes one-half as much agony and profanity as a hammer. If, is always an old hammer, with a handle that is always bound to slip. The face is as round as a full moon and as S smooth as glass. When it strikes a nail full J and square, which it has been known to do, act will be found to result from a combi- | nation of pure accidents. The family ham- . mer is one of those rare articles we never profit by. When it glides off a nail head, and mashes down a couple of fingers, we unhesitatingly deposit it in the yard, and observe that we will never use it again. But the blood has hardly dried on the rag before we are out doors in search of that hammer, and ready to make another trial. The result rarely varies, but we never profit by it. The awful weapon.goes on knocking off nails and mashing whole joints, and slipping off "the handle to the confusion of mantel ornaments, ! and breaking the commandments, and cutting | up an assortment of astounding antics, without let or hindrance. And yet we put up with it, and put the handle in again, and lay it where it won't get lost, and do up our i mutilated and smarting fingers ; and yet, if | the outrageous thing should happen to dis- | appear, we kick up a regular hullabooloo until jit is found again. Talk about the tyrannising influence of a bad habit! It is not to be j compared to the family hammer.— Life in Daiibunj. The officers of the 10th Hussars, when quartered in Dublin iii the dandy days of 1832, or thereabouts, made themselves famous by their exclnsiveness, their puppyism, and their affected sublime horror of the Irish barbarians. Many stories have been recorded of their entire disregard of the feelings of the people, high and low, with whom they were placed. Most of these stories were unfounded, but some, and these the most harmless, have been preserved. Lord E. F., captain of the 10th Hussars, sauntered one day into the Royal Arcade, Dublin. After looking about him he walked into a glover's shop, and asked to see ,some gloves. Several samples were shown him, and he selected a pair. While trying them on he inquired of the old lady behind the counter what was to pay. " Two-and-ninepence, sir." " Two-and-ninepence," he exclaimed, lifting up his eyebrows. " how much is two-and-ninepence ?" " Three shillings all but threepence," replied the lady, smiling. "Aw," he said,' "three shillings, I see." He took out his purse, and placed three shillings on the counter. The shopwoman opened the till-drawer, took from it three penny pieces, folded them in a bit of paper, and handed them to the officer. "Your change, sir." "My change ! Oh! aw ! yeas. Verv good." He went on fitting his gloves. "Pray, have you a porter/" "There's a porter in the Arcade; shall I call him, sir.' "Oh, thank you, too much trouble, I'm sure; aw.'-' "No trouble at all, sir." The old lady went to the door, and beckoned to some one in the distance. A man in a faded blue and yellow livery entered the shop. " Here's the porter, sir," said the old lady. "Oh ! aw ! thanks, I'm sure," rejoined the officer. "My man," turning to the Arcadian official, "do you know the Portobello Barracks V "Portobell, sir? Sure, an' it's meself that does. Haven't I a cousin in No. 5 troop of the Tint-li Hussars ?" The officer, handing a card to him, pointed to the pence on the counter, and said, " Take that luggage to my servant at this address, and here's half-a-crown for your trouble."