NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3383, 23 December 1873, Page 3

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

COLONIAL TOPICS. Charles Dillon is leading man at tin Princess’s, London; and Julia Mathews is the Philharmonic. Grace Egerton is at Nap'ps. from which city she will proceed to jpdia, and then revisit her old fronds ii Australia.—Blondin has left for the Colo nies.—The arrival of few ships from A us tralia has been looked forward to with s« much of expectant inters st as that of the No- • fqlk. Even the London newspapers, from the * Times 1 downwards, were affected, an*' her telegraphed “sighted off Prawl Point," dply rpcprded by all of them, the record contaping a spepial yefcreppe to the meat on hoard, pnii pot, a 9 is usually the case, to tm gold oply. The arrival was first noted on Sptpjrday, and the pews ran round tht people interested with considerable rapidity. Saturday is an off-day in commercial circles in London, and this special Saturday was a dull and foggy one. Colonists and correspondents were active, however, and calculations as to the best point for catching the Norfolk inquired into. It was weary waiting through all the fog and mist of that Sunday, and the night came withoir news of the ship. Monday morning brought brighter weather, and every train running from Fenchurch streeet to the south West India Dock carried down people who«r only talk was on the subject of frozen beef Xs the Norfolk was being warped rouud tl.fr dpppgaW, it yyas e*sy fo see by the look of sqme of those who h*d gained the ship in the flyer, and who had taken a deep interest in the experiment, that something had gone wrong. (bp hastily "Ottered reply of Mi Harrison—"A partial failure, the tanka not ready, nothipg fit, and no means of making them so on board”—confirmed the worst forebodings. Nevrr was more perfect sym pathy expressed for a misfortune than by those who had gone down to the waterside to welcome a success. That the miscarriage was due to an accident —not to any defect in the principle—-was at once understood ; that the accident was of a preventable char- • acter by no means detracted from the gravity with which it was viewed Shirley Brooks, in the ‘ Illustrated London News,’ tersely tells the tale: —“The Port Philip artisans were idle, drunken, and insubordinate, and so the tanks were hurried together, and were really unfit for their purpose. The meat was spoiled by the waste of ice.’’—Mr B. L. Farjeon’s Christmas story, “Golden Grain,” is announced as being nearly ready. If, as I have heard it whinbetH the' heydine (tf fiis fiyst Christmas MOfy, V Bfa(le- dlGrasjj,’: is ye-iptroduced to hVreafiers, hp has chosen a most happy title ip “ Gplden Grain,” Our author is progressing with his new serial story, which will -be commenced in * Tinsley's Magazine in January or February, hot the title is not yet announced. I hoar rumors also of a very quaint and fanciful story which Mr Farjeon has on his desk, so that altogether it will he seen that his hands are full. Apropos of “Golden Grain,” orders have been given by the publishers for the printing of an unusually large first edition—between thirty and forty thousand. - Dr F'latherston has been making a tour in the North on emigration business and although the season is not propitious, there seems every chance of the full complement of emigrants being obtained for the vessels that have been laid on for next month. An arrangement has been effected by which it is hoped that at least 2,000 Germans and Scandiuavians, of the agricultural class, will be Spoprpd for New Zealand in the course of the next six months. After that the door will tardbably be closed, so far as Germany is conEarned, every hindrance being thrown in the way of emigration by the German Government, which is now contemplating prohibijjory legislation on the subject, Ihe reculations” in Sweden and Noyway are sufficiently stringent, but vender proper management the Xgpnt-Geneyal will not have any difficulty in obtaining the requisite number of larm laborers ’frotp those countries. Through the active co operation of Mr Kirchner, of Darmstadt, a selected party of vinegrowers hag been organised, whom it is intended to forward to Hawke’s Bay hy the next vessel. 'lhe men who compose this party have been trained to the business of vincigrowing from their infancy, and in their hands any experiment in this direction will at any rate have a fair trial. —Mr P. K. Dangar, of Sydney, committed suicide in London on October 12. He had been for some time engaged in the purchase of racehorses for Australia, and was well known upon the turf. In the possession of ampl# means, Mr Dangar moved in the best society, and, to all appearances was free from embarrassment of any kind Those who knew him best, however, noted that of late he was beset with a melancholy for which it was moat difficult to account, and when spoken to upon the subject, he c dined their fears by assuring them that there was no cause for alarm 1 hat his mind was seriously affected there can be no question, for on October 12 the worst fears of his

friends were realised by the announcement that ho had cat his throat. Death was almost instantaneous. —‘ huropeau Mail.’ extraordinary discovery or a tfiikf. Three years ago Mr John Taylor, of Wyke, near lira-1 ford, went to New Zealand, and left his furniture and household goods in the care ( f his housekeeper, an elderly woman, named Alice Whitesides. It was the other day discovered that 'A hitesides had pawned goods belonging to her master, of the value of between L6OO and L7OO, with various pawnbrokers iu Leeds, Halifax, and Bradford. 'I ho total amount realised by pledging was about L 126. Mrs Moore, the wife of a pawnbroker at Halifax, dreamed that a portion of the property pledged with her husband by the prisoner had been dishonestly obtained, and on this dream being reported to the police authorities it was discovered that the housekeeper had illegally disposed of property belonging to Mr Taylor. The prisoner was committed to the Bradford West Biding Court, and pleading guilty, was committed to prison on two charges of illegally pawning Mr • aylor’s property, for two periods of six mouths each, being twelve months altogether.