Gleanings.

Kaikoura Star, Volume XVII, Issue 1849, 8 March 1898, Page 2

Gleanings.

A Cleric’s Conundrum.

Bishop Wilmer of Alabama was a very straight - forward man, with a faculty for saying good naturedly sharp things to, rather than about, people, and the Washington Post prints the following anecdote in this connection : Soon after the Civil War Bishop Wilmer went to a Northern city to ask aid for a Confederate orphans’ home in which he was interested.

There was a dinner in his honour, and after dinner the bishop was begged to tell a story. He replied that he hadn’t a story. ‘ But,’ he added, ‘ I’ve got a conundrum. Why are we Southerns like Lazarus ?’

The guests, who were ail Union men, suggested many answers. The Southerners were like Lazarus because they were poor, because they ate the crumbs from the rich man's table, because—because of everything anybody could guess. ‘ No,’ said the bishop, ‘ you’re all wrong. We’re like Lazarus because ’ —and he smiled blandly— ‘ because we’ve been licked by dogs.’ A roar of laughter went round at that, for the bishop’s utter unreconstructedness was always on of his charms. Everybody laughed but one man, who became indignant.

‘ Bishop,’ he said ‘ if you think we’re dogs, why have you come up here for our money—for the money of dogs ?’ The bishop chuckled, ‘ My friend,’ said he, ‘ the hair of the dog is good for the bite, That’s why I have come.’

Merely a Poet.

Lord Tennyson was frankly appreciative of his own poetic achievements; nevertheless, bis lively sense of humour enabled him occasionally to enjoy in others a lack of appreciation of the high vocation of the poet, even when coupled with a lessened respect ior himself. Delightful are two little anecdotes of Tennyson’s trip to Scotland recently related by Professor William Knight.

Tennyson had been staying at a little inn tn the Isle of Syke. After his departure another guest, who had recognised him, inquired of the landlord if he knew who had been staying with him, and gave the name of the poet Tennyson. ‘ Lor’!’ cried the landlord, in surprise, ‘to think o’ that ! And sure I thoucht he was a sheatieman !’

At another inn near Stirling a similar occurrence took place. ‘ Do you ken who you had wi’ you t’other night ?’ the innkeeper was asked.

‘Naa; but he was a pleasant shentleman.’

‘ It was Tennyson, the poet.’ • An’ wha may he be ?’ asked the landlord.

‘ Oh, he is a writer o’ verses, sich as ye see i’ the papers.’ ' Noo, to think o’ that! Jeest a public writer, an’ I gied him my best bedroom !’

However, there was consolation for this bestowal of too great distinction upon a mere poet in the fact that Lady Tennyson, who was not a public writer, and accompanied her husband, and had quite won the landlord’s admiration. After digesting his disappointment in the poet laureate tor a moment in sour silence, he was able to add : ‘ Oh, but she was an angel !’

Modern Science.

In a recent address on the achievements of hygiene, Professor Kober, a distinguished American scientist, quoted the following facts to illustrate what the introduction of germicides and anticeptic methods has accomplished :— During the Crimean War many more than half the amputations that were performed resulted in the death of the patieut, the exact percentage of mortality being 63.fi. During

the American Civil War the mortality from amputation was still 48.7 per cent. Then the new methods came to be more and more employed, and in 1890 the statistics of amputation showed that the mortality was but 6.9 per cent.

The Nugget ot Gold Ore.

That,’ said my friend, in reply to a question of mine, ‘is a very large and very rich nugget of gold ore. It was taken many years ago from a mine in Australia.’ ‘ How much is it worth ?’ I asked. He looked at me with a shrewd smile and replied : ‘lt is worth iust nothing a all.’

I thought that a queer thing for him to say, but asked no more questions. Two years later I again visited his house in London, and this time I missed the big nugget from the shelf where I had first seen it. But I asked no questions. Perhaps, recalling tbe incident of two years, before my friend said: ‘ I have something to show you,’ and, opening a closet, he produced a magnificent gold vase, remarking: ‘That nugget of gold ore has take this form. Exclusive of the labour involved in the transformation, the gold alone is now worth £lOO. What cutious similitudes there are between things essentially unlike. Here is one which it may be instructive t« follow up. It is suggested by the followsentence from a woman’s letter:—‘ln spite of all the nourishing food I took nothing seemed to give me strength ’ Now, why was that? Perhaps the history I the three years of her life may help to account for it. In January, 1890, she had an attack of influenza which, she says, left her low, weak, and languid. So far as we are able to ascertain, influenza is caused by a certain poison in the blood developed during peculiar conditions of the atmosphere. Its early symptoms are those of a fever; they are always sudden and often alarming. Yet, as in nearly all cases it ends in recovery in a week or two, it does not explain tbe mystery of Mrs Westall’s continued weakness aud prostration

She tells us that her appetite was poor, and that eating was immediately followed by great pain in the chest, back and sides. Hoping to overcome this state of things she took much nourishing food. That an increase of strength should .result from the eating of plenty good food would seem reasonable. How else can one ever gain strength? Yet, strange to say, no such result followed. On the contrary, the pains became worse, so that—to use her own words —she was ‘ completely racked with pain ’ all over her, and so weak she could scarcely put one foot before the other. Besides this, tbe condition of the stomach was far from encouraging. That organ is the source of all power in the human body, and should feel warm, comfortable and quiet. In this lady’s case it was full of uneasiness and pain. She speaks of a craving, gnawing, sinking sensation in it, which was not relieved either by food or by any medical treatment. Certainly, something quite different from a former attack ot influenza went to the making of that; we must look deeper to find the real trouble, Chemists often determine the character of a poison by observing the colour it creates when applied to litmus paper ; and —in addition to the general symptoms—it is sometimes possible to tell the nature of a disease by taking notice of what cures Now there is one universally known remedy which never fails to cure one subtle, comprehensive, aud yet deceptive disease. Happily it was finally employed, in Mrs Westall’s case. This remedy, as tbe public is well aware, is advertised to cure indigestion and dyspepsia aud its consequences—aud nothing else. Yet these consequences include nearly every ailment with which we are familiar. Even influenza seldom attacks any save those whose blood is first poisoned by indigestion aud dyspepsia. In concluding her letter, dated December Ist, 12, Ruckndge Avenue, VVillesden London, N.W., 1892 —she says : •At the time when my condition was very critical and my family very anxious, my son-in-raw, Mr Deacon, of Shepherd’s Bush load, tell me how, in an illness of his own, he had been cured by Mother Seigel’s Curative Syrup and advised me to begin using it at once. 1 did so, aud soon my appetite returned and my food digested; and by the time 1 bad consumed two bottles I was strong as ever, and nave kept in the best of health ever since.—(Signed > Yours truly, Mary Westall

And as that nugget o< gold ore ? Ah, yes.—Gold is worthless until it is manufactured. Food is useless until it is digested. Between the ore and the vase is the workman. Between food and strength also a workman—the stomach