A FEW THOUGHTS ON CURRENT TOPICS.

Evening Star, Issue 3780, 6 April 1875, Page 2

A FEW THOUGHTS ON CURRENT TOPICS.

“ There is a daily beauty in their lives which makes his ugly.” The poet writes of good men. .In this age of political whirligigs and testimonials in general, it makes one feel well to think of a man like Wilson Gray, even in the sorrow at his death. There is something genuine in the regret at the departure of a worthy man. _ We may fill obituary columns and indulge in elaborate mourning, and make believe to grieve at the death of political spouters and pretentious goodness. We know, hypocrites that we are, that the regret is i° •°T‘ Pay, we would dance a jig over their bones five minutes after filling up the grave, and shaking the hand of the chief mourner.

Virtue is its own reward. He little thought when leaving a paltry four pounds with the hope of corrupting the incorruptible, that his filthy lucre would turn into good and be a source of benefit to the needy. So our evil ac tions at times serve a good end. Mr Sampson of the ‘Times,’ might be manipulated by Baron Grant; and according to the Melbourne City Councillors, in that distinguished shindy that has been such a joy to the reporters, the City editor of the ‘ Argus ’ is not,above being reminded of the good things of this world that complete the list of people open to conviction; but th«y little understood our worthy geological expert when they fancied that four pounds would find a way to the cockles of his heart. Perhaps the skunk was mean enough to mark them. Anyway he lost his fat trying to fry John Barnes, and remains a warning to his kind, like the kite nailed to the barn door. Talk about the French Assembly at its best, or, n mrer homo, the Christchurch City Council,, going beyond its average, they must take a back seat when that representative of all the intellect and energy of the Southern Hemisphere . , Melbourne City Council—is spoken Meats distinguished himself. I would like to have the thing complete by hearing the few remarks Mrs Hears made, should there be such a person, when she read the scene. I fancy poor Hears would re member that night. After that, he would be like the lapsed Good Templar whom his friend endeavored to get home. ‘*Ge-ge home,” the poor wretch stuttered; “get fine to say get home. Look here ! There’s a petticoat round that corner that I’d as soon think of facing as I would a mad dog.” Some weeks since, perhaps one month, you were promised by a gentleman possessing some of the qualifications of a Junius, a full and categorical account of a certain misunderstanding between himself and certain officials. I was pleased to see the promise, and expected something racy. It cannot be that we are to be disappointed, and not even apologised to. The offenders must have passed a dreadful time of suspense in expectation of the assault. With the facts so patent and a willing pen, it seems strange that the preparations for tne Ashantee campaign scarcely took much longer. The man in * Frasers,’ and his chum the pernpatetic, must feel proud at the amount of attention that has 'been paid them. One would almost believe they were worth it. The ambulatory tract man will feel inches taller, and the self-satisfied smirk will be in full play. He is not a bad tactician. No advertisement like abuse. Do you, my distinguished political luminary, and friend m general to mankind, in the abundance of yonr intellect, take? _ What an excellent bishop the worthy editor of the * North Otago Times’ would have made. A distinguished member of the Bench objected to a gentleman using the title On, account of his connection with the Wesleyan body; and another insists that an aged rector should resign because he breeds race horses. But I have not ; heard that to any has flashed the stroke of genius that a man should be deprived of the title because he lectured, and not only possessed humor, but enjoyed it iu others. The reply of Sydney Smith to a bishop suggesting such a question on account of his side-splitting fun, would, I think, have been woith .reading, and if Hr Spurgeon would only come out to Oamaru—what ? he has never heard of it! -the editor might have an opportunity of seeing before him a reverend gentleman and Christian, endowed with a little humor and not above using it, and, will he believe it? without so much as a vestige of the—prig. Humility.