Select Poetry.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1114, 7 September 1871, Page 2

Select Poetry.

JE S OB NO? It is the morn of Valentine, The breakfast-cups are set, And round the snowy tablecloth A merry group are met, With pleasant jest and laughter, Discussing tea and toast; When hark! a knock announces 'flie -arrival of the post. Plenty for cousin Charlie, And others great and small, But only one for Ellen, The tiniest of them all. Outside, all fringe and lacework. Within, a single line—- " Your heart will tell you who it is. That sends this Valentine." I could not see her clearly, ller face was somewhat hid ; But she said she " didn't know the hand," I wonder if she did? It's ten o'clock, and Ellen Is dressing for the ball, All satin, lace, and muslin, Jewels, and Cashmere shawl. And now she is entwining A camellia in her hair. When pit-a-pat two little feet Come dancing up the stair, " 0, Ellie, sister Ellie! This basket's come for you ; And I know its something pretty, Let me unpack it—do?" Within a wreath lies nestling Red rosebuds mixed with white, And all with violets interlaced; In sooth a pretty sight. Attached —" Wear this, dear Ellen, That jou-know-who may guess, Tho' you would not speak this morning, That the answer meant was—' Yes,'" Fair Ellen shut the brisket, And turned from red to white, "I've half a mind to send it back—"f would really serve him right; And yet" . She opened it again, And then she closed the lid, , And thought she wouldn't wear it, I wonder if she did? A year has passed, an I Ellen Graces a happy home ; And round again in order ller wedding-day lias come. Quoth Ellen to her husband, " Do put your book away, And come and see my treasures, On this our wedding day." Lightly she tripped before him, With—" IS'ow, sir, follow me! " And led him to her cabinet, And bade him turn the key. Within are chains and bracelets, And pearls and jewels rare ; A tiny lacework envelope, And a lock of curly hair; In the midst a little casket, She gently raised the lid—"Do you know those roses, Charlie?" I wonder if he did ? W. G.

The Evening Star, August 28, says : One of the neatest and most useful specimens of Auckland industry is now to be seen at the workshop of Mr H. H- Smith, of High street. Ic u a kitchen range, constructed entirely of •wrought iron, and therefore not liable to the breakage incidental to those formed of cast iron Tt has every convenience for culinary operations; and ai} this artizai: urm supply similar ones for something like £8 10s—a considerable reduction on what the imported ones can be purchase. I for—we can safely recommend their adoption. It is seldom that a prisoner, after effecting his escape from a penal establishment, and enjoyinsj several years of freedom., is found to yield himself up to the authorities with the intention of performing the portion of his sentence which remained unexpired at the time of his escape, but a case of the kind has occurred within the last few days. On the 14th August, 1866, a man named Charles Court, who was undergoining a sentence of five years' penal servitude at St. Helena, for horse-stealing, contrived to escape in a boat with a fellov.prisoner and got clear away. Court (states the Brisbane Courier), made his way to New South Wales, and from all accounts he appears to have behaved well during the last live years, and to so far raise himself in the estimation of a well-to-do relative that the latter promised to make him his heir on condition that he returned lo Queensland and fulfilled his term of imprisonment. The wisdom of this proceeding is selfapparent, for should Court be discovered at any future time, his arrest would follow as a matter of course, and the disgrace might then be more severely felt. Acting, therefore, on the Advice of his friends, he travelled overland to "Warwick, and surrendered him Felt to the police there He has four years and one month of his sentence to serve. He parted from his companion in the escape shortly after they landed, and the latter is still at large. The Daily Southern Cro>-s says : The notable case of Mohi v. Craig, with the various actions arising out ol it, has developed a new phase. A summary of the proceedings has I >een published in the form of a pamphlet, and in which a hope is expressed that it may prove a timely warning to the bona fide settler against " some of the legal snares to which he may he exposed." A general summary of the case is given, with copies of the agreements entered into at various times It is stated that Mr Craig spent .£IO,OOO in the erection of mill, machinery, &c, on the faith of hi:? agreement with the natives which has caused so much litigation. The number of logs in dispute was 2,500 ; and the value of the logs put into the creek by Craig, and which he is restrained from cutting, is v £6,000. The c-ise has been one of the most remark able that have ever come before a New Zealand Court, and the pamphlet will he found by those who read it to be very interesting. The most important part of the work, however*, is an ap pendix, signed by the twelve special jurymen who Iried the case, and who therein express their conviction of Craig's right to the property. The passage recently made by the clipper ship Elizabeth Kiehol.-on, from Poocboo, China, to New York, was accomplished in 100 days, which is the fastest time on record, and her log shows that during the voyage she made 4,800 miles in 20 days, logging as high as-320 miles in one day. On a previous voyage she made the run in 104 days, and has made the passage from Shanghai in Jo clays. She has also made the run from Foo choo to London in 89 days, and from Loudon to Sydney in 65 days, and is undoubtedly one of the vessels afloat, having beaten on one of her voyages from China several of the tea-clippers more than 30 days on the run. This remarkable vessel was buiit inlBG3 at Auan, in Scotland, and is of yOi tons register, although her carrying capacity is of about 2,000 tons ; she is 204 fem i n length, 32 feet beam, and 21J ieet depth of hold. The hull is built of English oak and teak ; her lower masts, topmasts and yards are made of steel, and her appearance is more like a trim and elegant war ve;> W than a merchant craft.