MISCELLANEOUS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 605, 21 November 1873, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

It is becoming customary in some of the churches in Auckland to hold what is called a service of song, wliich consists entirely of singing. The newest style of bonnet is graphically described as a cross between a locomotive smoke stack and a custard pie. Definition of a gentleman. There have been many definitions of a gentleman, but the prettiest and roost pathetic is that given by a young lady, who says, “ A genwoman’s tenderness with a man’s courage.” The soft goods house of Farmer and Co., of Sydney, have just erected new premises, which occupy a room floor of an area of three and a half acres, one acre of which space is devoted solely to work rooms. The firm employs sis hundred girls. It was mentioned one day to a knowing old gentleman, that two young ladies of his acquaintance had quarreled, and loaded each other with abuse. " “ Have thev called each other ugly?” said he. “No, sir.” “ Very good ; then I will undertake to reconcile them.” It will be novel information for many to hear for the first time that the first suggestion for colonising New Zealand was made by an American—the famous Benjamin Franklin. So states Mr. Alex. Mackay in his interesting report on the New Zealand Company's tenets. A coroner’s jury, empanelled to ascertain the cause of the death of a notorious drunkard, brought in a verdict of “ Dea'h hy hanging—around a gin shop. ” In California a coroner’s jury, under similar circumstances, rendered a more courteous verdict. —“ Accidental death while unpacking a glass.” Maine husbands have a trick wi‘h talkative wives. A man tells his wife ho is going to Ausanguatanosgpwmongotongo to fish. He then requests all his friends to call at the house and inquire as to his whereabouts. When he returns, the poor woman is exhausted, and dosen’t speak for a month. As some lady visitors were recently going through a penitentiary, under the escort of the superintendent, they came to a room in which three women were sewing. “Dear mo 1” one of the visitors whispered, “what vicious-looking creatures ! Pray, what are they here for ?” “ Because they have no other home. This is our sitting-room, and they are my wife and twi daughters,” blandly answered the superintendent. Says the Ballarat Star, here issovnathing for the curious. One day last week a son of Mr. W. Ritchie, of the Linlithgow hotel, Warrcnheip, having emptied a duck’s egg, took the shell in his hand and broke it, and in doing so something pricked his hand. On .his father examining the shell, he found a needle located between the hard substance and the skin on the inside of the shell. How it got there is a mystery, but there it was sure enough. Here is what a correspondent has to say of the Vienna girls “In fact, under 25 there are no ugly ones ; while for every third young lady one meets, one’s heart jumps down into one’s hoots. They are mostly fair, with the clearest complexions, beautiful hair, and killing. eyes ; and the same remarks apply equally to the servants. I have been in many capitals, hut I never was so completely prostrated by appearances as I am here.” A short time since at Hokitika, says the Westland Register, a dead body was seen floating in the river hy Constables Macdotvnell and O'Malley. With considerable promptitude these officers obtained a boat and were rapidly pulled towards the object. Aided hy the cook of a veseel a large dog, was brought to the surface, and immediately ro-consigned to the water. The “force” retired, proud in the consciousness of having done its duty. At a dinner party one of the guests used his knife improperly in eating- At length someone asked aloud ; “ Have you heard of poor L ’s sad affair ? I met him at at party yesterday, when, to our great horror, he suddenly took up hia knife, and —“ Good heavens !” interrupted one of the ladies, “and did he cut his throat.” “Why, no,” answered the relator, “lie did not cut his throat with the knife ; hut we all expected he would, for he actually put it into his mouth.” “ Who blacked your eye?” asked Mr. Frank Stephen of a witness named Ellen Beasley, in the Melbourne Police Court, in the case of a man named Mannix, charged with robbery from a store. “ You did.” was the prompt reply. This discomfited counsel, convulsed the crowded Court with laughter, and made even the Bench simper. “ I did ? Is that as true as your other evidence?” exclaimed the solicitor. “Well’, promptly, retorted the witness, “I got it when I was drunk, and I don’t know who did it—you might as well as anyone else, I suppose.” Laurence Smith, a blind man, was executed on the 16th of August, in Cavan Gaol, for the murder of a farmer named Bynoh. He was twice tried for the crime. On the first occasion the jury disagreed ; but at the last Assizes he was convicted, and sentenced to “ death.” An effort was made to procure a remission of the sentence, the fact of his blindness exciting some sympathy for him ; hut, in the opinion of the Government, the case was not one which would justify the extension of the Royal clemency. The scene at the execution was rendered more painful hy a mishap. After the drop fell the man received a great check, and came to the ground on his feet. Mis rope being too long. His neck was broken hy the fall, and for some seconds he writhed convulsively, until one of the Roman Catholic clergymen who attended him, with great presence of mind, directed the executioner to pull Up the rope. He was raised a few feet, and died immediately.