MISCELLANEOUS.

Evening Star, Issue 3661, 16 November 1874, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

The framework of Blondin’s enclosure in Melbourne will cost for ereetion f 500. The framework is 50 feet high, and encloses a space of 250 feet in length by 200 feet in Width. Learnedly ; Anyone who desires to speak of the Siamese twins learnedly will call them Xiphogages of the class of Tcratana catodidyma—or, for short, Ophelophagus Xiphod id y mils. As showing the dulness of times at Rand hirst, a cdrrespondenfc writes to a Victorian paper, out of eleven properties owned by an unfortunate friend of his ten were unoccupied. and he was compelled to pay city rates the other day to the amount of i 21 9 i. The ‘lllustrated London News’ states that a donation of L2OO out of the Royal Bounty Fund has been given to the widow of the late Mr Howard Staunton, the eminent chessplayer and Shakspearian. Speaking of the death of James Speight, the child violinist, at Boston, the London * Era ’ says t —“ This was the poor, overtasked, precocious genius, whose last words, overheard by his father in the darkness of night, are among the most touching ever spoken—‘Father in heaven, make room for a little fellow.’ In the morning the child was dead,” A teleg r am published in the London papers, from Kingston, Jamaica, date August 26, says :—“Thismorning there was a fnchtful earthquake at Porto Pico. The shocks extended over a period of two minifies, during which the bouses rocked to and fro, causing the inhabitants to rush into the streets in the wildest consternation The amount of damage sustained has not yet been estimated, but will prove to he considerable. It is rather a, pity to spoil the romance of Marshal Bazaine’s escape from the Isle of St Marguerite, but official investigations have jirpvcd that the Marshal made his escape by limply pacing thibugh apbbtern gatb opened

by accomplices, and quietly stepping on board a boat, which conducted him to a steamer lying off and on a short distance away. The blood-spired rope and' torn girments hid been left on the cliff to produce an effect and mislead ir.quirits. A sweet story of filial affection comes Tom f nglaud Nine brothers, varying in age from twenty to forty years, were sum i cored at the heeds Police Court for neglecting to support their mother, an old woman sixty years of age. Two of the brothers were single, and the other seven married. One brother, who is in receipt of the highest wages of the 10t—25 < per week—had offered to con'ribute 2s per week towards his mother 3 support, and one in rece nt of LI per week offered to contribute ]g, The others, who weie earning from 16s to 18s per week each, refused to contribute 6d a-picce, on the ground that they had enough to do to support their wives and families. The case was ultimately settled by one of the brothers b ing ordered to pay 2s per week towards h ; s mother’s mainfainance, another Is, and the rest sixpence each. This decision caused a quarrel amongst the brothers themselves.

In a biographical notice of the late Bishop Sumner, the ‘Times’ gives the following account of an important event in bis life : A lmost immediately after taking his degree Charles Sumner travel 1 eel abroad with the present Marquis of ('onyngham as his private tutor; and it said that it was an act of sound discretion iu this capacity which placed him on the first step of the ladder of clerical promotion, His pupil became attached to a beautiful Swiss lady, whose youthf .1 charms were not coupled with the art vantages of great we.fith or high rank. The tutor communicfied the fact to Lord and lady Conynghiru, who had more ambitious views for their son, anel who promised him that if he would only solve the difficulty by marrying the young lady himself, his future interests should not be disregarded or forgotten. Such promises are often made only to he broken ; but wdien the tutor married the lady in question r the gratitude of i.ord and Lady Coayngham did not end iu mere words. He was introduced by them at court ; the Prince Regent appointed him one his chaplains, and afterwards, on coming to the t v one, gave him a post, in his household as librarian and historiographer, to which post were add'd iu succession the incumbency of r one of the churches in Abingdon & nd a canonry in Worcester and Canterbury Cathedrals.” ’