NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 92, 16 September 1874, Page 3

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Pbofessor Bickerton's Lectures.— The fifth of the series of lectures delivered by Professor Bickerton will take place tomorrow evening at the Oddfellows' Hall. Ltttelton Borough Council.—There was no meeting of the Lyttelton Borough Council on Monday night, as at 7,30 p.m. only his Worship the Mayor and Crs Graham and Buist were present. Trotting Match.—A trotting match for £5 a-side between the horses of Mr J. M Her and Mr S. Thomas, took place yesterday on the Ferry road. The distance was from the Steam wharf to the Caversham, and resulted in an easy victory for Mr Miller. The pace was good from start to finish. Entertainment.—The ladies and gentlemen taking part in the entertainments at Avonside and St. Luke's, have amalgamated their forces, and intend giving one in the New Oddfellows' Hall on Friday next. The first part will comprise vocal and instrumental music, and the second will be the trial scene Bardell v Pickwick, which was so successfully given recently. I.O.G.T.—The Hope of Christchurch Lodgi held its weekly session last evening, when several candidates were initiated. After the disposal of business a very successful entertainment took place. The programme was as follows :—Bro Williams, reading; Bro Calderwood, song ; Sister Anderson, piano solo ; Sister Cox, song (encoied) ; Bro Ness, recitation, admirably given; Bro Long, song (encored) ; Sister Linten, song ; Bro King, reading; Bro Pierce, recitation ; Bro Northam, reading; Bro Dorking, song; Bro Little, reading. The lodge then closed in due form. Theatre Koyal.—" Azael the Prodigal" produced last evening at the Theatre, was an immense improvement on the " Owing and Paid," and " Lucille " dramas with which the management of the present company have hitherto favored us. The scenery was good, as was also the acting—that of Mrs Walter Hill and Mr Steele—upon whom the weight of the piece devolved, being worthy of particular mention. The dancing incidental to the drama, by Miss Vivian and Miss Marion Willis, was specially worthy of commendation ; and it is to be regretted that the management have not heretofore found it expedient te give their patrons a more liberal share of this class of entertainment. The . farce of " Grimshaw and Bagshaw " concluded a very excellent bill. " Behind the Curtain " is announced for this evening.

Discovery.—Portion of two skeletons were found in a cedar-box on Monday, in digging out a yard in Oxford street, Lytteltou. They were found by a man named Kourke, and he immediately reported it to the police. They were removed to the police station and examined by Drs Donald and Rouse. It is probable that the place where they were found had originally been used as part of the cemetery before the limits were properly defined. The place at one time was used for making bricks, and no doubt some one at that time disinterred the bodies, and reburied them. This is n.;;u likely, from the fact that the smaller bones are missing. We hear that two skeletons have been previously discovered in the same locality.

H.A.B. Society's Entertainment.—An entertainment to commemorate the first anniversary of the Christchurch branch of this society, was given last evening in St Patrick's Hall, Barbadoes street. There was a very large attendance, over 300 persons being present. Mr I, B. Sheath presided. The entertainment, which consisted of overtures by Mr Bonnington's band, played in a very excellent manner ; songs, readings, and recitations, contributed by Mesdames Hornbrook, C. Oakes, and Palairet; the Misses Hornbrook and Sheath, and Messrs A. Sheath, J. Knox, H. Loughnan, C. E. Paget, Anthony, J. D. Kimbell, Poore, C. Sexton, J. Barrett, E. Mallinson, and J. Taafe, were very pleasantly rendered, encores being demanded in several instances. At the termination of the entertainment, Mr J. Taafe, president of the society, in moving a vote of thanks to Mr P. Weber, for his kindness in presiding at the pianoforte, and to those ladies and gentlemen who had taken part in the entertainment, stated that very great success had attended the society since its formation. The society opened with thirty-six members and now numbered over 100 good on the books. The benefits received by members were similar to those obtained from Oddfellowship and Forestry ; the only difference being that the H.A.CJ3. Society was confined to members of the Catholic persuasion. £3Bl had been received for subscriptions alone during the past year; £l4l 16s 8d had been expended in doctor's fees, regalia, books, furniture, and working expenses; onl> one sick member was on the books, and a credit balance of £240 Is 4d was now in the Bank. The vote of thanks was carried by acclamation. The proceedings terminated with the National Anthem. Fine Arts.—There are now on view at Mr 11. Fisher's picture establishment in Hereford street, a series of oil paintings, which, alike from the fact that they are by a local artist—a new competitor for public favor—and also, that they possess very high artistic merit in themselves, deserve more than a passing notice. They are of small size, and the subjects are various, mostly, however, being selected from that almost inexhaustible mine of artistic wealth, the West Coast. All bear marks of artistic taste and careful study of the natural appearance of the scenes depicted; hence, there is an absence of that unreality so often seen in water color and other paintings of local scenery. Of those now on view—though all are good—there is one more particularly worth looking at. It is called •' A stormy day in the Teremakau Valley." In the distance are the snow-clad hills, seen dimly through the driving mist which is sweeping over the plain, the treatment of the sky, which wears that peculiar leaden colour so common here during stormy weather, being very good. In the foreground is the stream, and the effect of the wind rushing down from the hills with considerable force is shown by the surface of the stream being flecked with mimic waves. Altogether, this picture is well worth two or three minutes' careful study, as indeed are all of them. The others include a morning and evening scene on one of the West Coast lakes, in which the effects of foliage and water combined are prettily brought out; and a waterfall rushing over a bluff of rocks covered with a mass of vegetation and undergrowth. We are glad to welcome an addition to our local artists of so much promise, and hope to have the pleasure of seeing other productions from his pencil. Philosophical Institute.—A special meeting of the institute was held last evening at the Public Library. Present—Dr Haast (president), Drs Powell and Coward, Revs W. J. Habens and Stack, his Honor the Judge, Professor Bickerton, Messrs Wilkin, Fereday, Tancred, J. Anderson, G. W. Hall, G. Hart, Wakefield, Inglis, and Condell. Messrs Malet and Parker were proposed as new members of the institute. Tbe following papers were read, viz, " Description of a new Crustacea, Phronima Nova Zealandia," by Dr Powell; and "On the occurrence of Leptocephalus longirostris (Kraup) on the coasts of New Zealand," by Dr Haast. The president then proceeded to read his paper upon the recent discoveries in the cave at Moa Bone Point, Sumner. The paper was illustrated by sections, and a very large and most interesting collection of fossils, the whole of the table space being occupied for their exhibition. A conversation ensued at the close of the paper. In answer to the Rev W.J. Stock, Dr Haast said that he had found no moa bones in the shell heaps. The skull of the dog exhibited had been found with the moa bones. The conclusion he had arrived at was that the moa hunters had no domesticated dog, but that they were wild and were hunted like the moa. It was also a singular thing that the bones did not exhibit the marks of dogs' teeth, though carefully examined. The bones showed marks of the teeth of rats, but not of dogs. The meeting then adjourned. " Don't be tempted into purchasing a drawing-room suite of walnut," says a friend. " The very name is ominous ; for what would you expect of walnut but that it should crack ?" A curious law point has arisen in New York. A man, his wife, and daughter all perished in a fire recently, and now before the property of the deceased can be divided according to the law of entail, it is necessary to decide whether the wife or daughter died first. Love-letters ! There are women whom the world call single who are as truly wedded to a tear-stained package as if it really were the being that it represents to them —who lived in the old sweet time these missives once belonged to, and who will keep their hearts apart from the dull reality that makes up their present world. Years may have passed, and nothing may have remained the same, jave the dear dream that never knew reality; yet, held in their love life by their fragile paper bond, they dwell in that fair, unsubstantial spring time, while autumn fades, and winter cold reigns abroad in all the i world.

" I'm not in mourning," said a young French lady, frankly, to a querist ; "but, as the widows are getting al! !hc offers now-a-days, we poor girls have to resort to artifice." The original MS. of Dickens's " Our Mutual Friend," which belonged to Mr George Child, the Philadelphia journalist, has lately been sold by Messrs Scribner. It is composed of blue paper and written in blue ink. The sheets are pasted upon white paper, and bound up into two thick quarto volumes. This is said to be. the only oue of Dickens's MSS. not in the hands of his literary executors. It fetched £3lO.