Olla Podrida.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume II, Issue 98, 6 April 1864, Page 6

Olla Podrida.

ON SITTING BESIDE A BEAUTIFUL LADY, AT THE THEATRE. She sate within that crowded hall, i Where all was life and light, i And many beauties around her beamed But none were so rare and bright. | No friend was near; she sate alone Amid that joyous throng ; | And blind was Ito all other sights | And deaf to mirth and song | Her hair a single rose enshrined, j Whiter than falling snow ; And glittered afar the cycle rare That spanned her marble brow. ! The morn of woman scarce had dawned Upon her youthful form ; I longed to shelter such a flower Throughout lift's troublous storm. Dead—dead was I to all around, Save her I leant beside; i With half closed eyes and blessed thoughts I wooed her for my bride. I revelled in self-created joys, And set imagination free, And never a clouc did rest upon The star of my happy destiny. ! Methcught her hand did touch my heart, And it thrilled with exquisite pain; At length I looked—the lady was gone—- | And so were my watch and chain. I Dying for Love.—A gallant Scotch officer was narrating the unfortunate history of an early friend who had been jilted by a fickle beauty in favor of the Duke of A , and he concluded his story thus, in a tone of much emotion : " Poor fellow! he never got over it. No, sir : it was the death of him." And then, after a pause of much pathos, he added, with a faltering voice, " He did not live above fifteen years after it." A Direct Answer.—A person crossing over the Severn, in a wherry, was asking the master of the boat whether there was ever any people lost on the passage? " No, sir," answered the Monmouthshire tar, " never; my brother was drowned here last week, but we found him again next day." A Good Customer.—A little urchin, whose head scarcely reached the counter, came in, and said, " Half-pint of beer in a clean pewter pot, aud you're to stick it up; and please will you give father a clean pipe, and lend him to-day's newspaper ; and let the beer-boy bring mother a can of your pump-water, and can you let her boil her 'kittle' on your kitchen fire?" The landlord is making a rapid fortune. A loin of mutton was on the table, and the gentleman opposite took the carver in his hand: —'• Shall I cut it saddle wise ?" quoth he. " You had better cut it bridlewise," replied his neighbor, " for then we shall all have a better chance to get a bit in our mouths!" An Irishman, who was very near-aighted, about to fight a duel, insisted that he should stand six paces nearer to his antagonist than the other did to him, and that they were both to fire at the same time. Excess of Caution.—An elderly single gentleman, travelling by railway, objected to go in the same carriage with his sister-in law's wet nurse, for fear of catching cold. Morgan Jones and the Devil.—" You must know that I had not seen his honor for a long time, and it was about two months ago from this that I went one evening along the brook, shooting wild-fowl, and as I was going whistling along, whom should I spy coming up but the devil himself. But you must know he was dressed mighty fine, like any grand gentleman, though 1 knew the old one well by the bit of his tail which hung out at the bottom of his trousers. Well, he came up, and says he, 'Morgan, how are ye ?' and says I, touching my hat, 1 Pretty well", your honor, I thank ye.' And then says he, ' Morgan, what are ye looking a'ter, and what's that long thing ye're carrying with ye ?' And says I, 'l'm only walking out by the brook this fine evening, and carrying my backey-pipe with me to smoke.' Well, you all know the old fellow is mighty fond of the backy; so says he, ' Morgan, let's have a smoke, and I'll thank ye.' And says I, 4 You're mighty welcome.' So I gave him the gun, and he put the muzzle in his mouth to smoke, and thinks T, ' I have you now, old boy,' 'cause you see I wanted to quarrd with him ; so I pulled the trigger, and otf went the gun bang in his mouth. 'Putf!' says he, when he pulled it out of his mouth, and he stopped a minute to think about it, and says he, 4 D—d strong backy, Morgan !' Then he gave me the gun, and looked huffed, and walked off, and sure enough I've never seen him since. And that's the way I got shut of the old gentleman, my boys !" Heenan and King.—The San Francisco Bulletin concludes the report of the celebrated prize fight between these two men, in the following words: —" As chroniclers of the current events of the day, we print an account of this disgraceful contest, just as we print reports of burglaries and murders, and with just as much indorsement for one as for the other. The excited and maddened multitude who have staked and lost a million upon the event deserve no sympathy—they are hardly less guilty than the principals and their immediate backers. The whole thing is a scandal and a disgrace to both nations, a stigma upon civilisation, and deserving of such reprobation as shall for ever hereafter render a repetition impossible."

Co-operative Mining in California.—As affording some idea of the extensive system of co-operative mining in California, we may mention that the San Francisco Bulletin of the 19th January, contains no less than 112 advertisements relating exclusively to mining companies.—Daily Times. Mr. G. V. Brooke recently appeared at the theatre in the character of Othello, but, being intoxicated, failed to recollect his part. The break down was so complete that the audience hissed; upon which Mr Brooke, whose back was to them as addressing the signiory, wheeled suddenly round, and exhibited a visage doubly disguised with paint and something else, and balancing himself for a second or two, exclaimed, "Oh ! good night," and made his exit. What was the matter was now obvious enough. lago came forward, and endeavored to apologise, and entreat the forbearance of the audience, when on came Othello again, and more in the manner of an Ethiopian serenader than of the Moor of Venice, said, " I s'pose I may say a word." " Hear him, order, order," was the cry all over the house; and silence was obtained. " Well," said Mr Brooke, balancing himself again, " here I am!" Nothing further apparently forthcoming, the hisses were renewed. "On my honor," resumed Mr Brooke, " 'strord'nary circumstance." The uproar was here renewed. For a few seconds Othello stood balaucmg himself, and then, repeating " I say good night," made his final exit. —Northampton Mercury. Price of Labor at the Dunstan.—From the great demand existing at the present time for labor, it may perhaps be useless to say that wages are necessarily very high, £4 10s. to £5 per week being freely given to working men, and in some cases as much as £1 a day.—Dunstan Times.