MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 378, 29 July 1884, Page 5

MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

Discouraging the Lover. It is alleged by the Canadian press that a Canadian father, wishing to discourage his daughter's lover, set a rat trap in his front yard — presumably near the front gate. The father's wife, but not the lover, was caught in the trap, and as the lover happened to arrive on the scene in time to release her, she became his warm supporter, and completely thwarted the opposing father. The story does no credit to anyone. It requires us to believe that the Canadian father was marvellou sl y stupid. Why did he not discourage the lover by taking oif the hinges of the front gate, or by removing all the rocking chairs without arms from the back parlour ? Or why did he not get rid of him for ever by borrowing money of him ? What good did he propose to accomplish by settingjja trap for the lover ? If the daughter had already caught the young man. why should the father want to catch him, and what would he have done with him if he had caught him ? A Startling Discovery. It is certainly a startling discovery for two persons, total strangers to each other, to find, on casually making acquaintance, that they are both married to the same woman. The mutual friend who recently at a New York cafe, introduced two gentlemen thus situated to each other, had not the slightest knowledge of this domestic incident, otherwise he would probably have acted differently. The men chatted pleasantly about Germany, to which country they belonged, about America, and other subjects, one of them alluding to his past, remarking that his greatest regret was an unfortunate marriage contracted 10 or 12 years back, conjugal felicity only lasting four months, after which his wife deserted him. His companion explained that three years ago he had married, his wife leaving him at tlie expiry of eight days. Talking over their common experiences of domestic misery led ultimately to the discovery that both the wives answered to the name of Sophie, that both were stout and short of stature and a suspicion of the truth crossing both men's minds, they drew portraits of the faithless matrons from their pockets, to find that they had been summing up the misdeeds of the same woman. They shook hands thereupon, condoled with each other, and decided to get Sophie punished for bigamy. Remarkable Devotion to Duty. A remarkable story of devotion to duty was told at an inquest held at Evesham a few weeks ago on the body of an old man aged 78 years, named John Hunting, who certainly deserves that the crowning act of his life of toil be placed on record. Hunting was accidentally knocked down and trampled upon by some colts belonging to his employer which he was leading home. A gentleman who happened to be driving along the road at the time, seeing that he was severely hurt and covered with blood, persuaded him with some difficulty to get into his carriage ; but the old man being anxious about his master's colts, took advantage of the horse slackening its pace at a hill to crawl out of the vehicle. He returned to the colts, though hardly able to stand, and succeeded in taking them to their destination. On reaching his home it was discovered by a doctor who was sent for that his shoulder was dislocated and that he had three ribs broken, one of which had penetrated his right lung, besides ' other frightful injuries to the head, face, and arms. He lingered in his agony a few days, aud then the humble old hero breathed his last. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, the coroner remarking that the deceased had carried fidelity in the discharge of his duties to a length rarely heard of in these days. This is certainly true enough. A Boy's Flying Machine. A boy in West Philadelphia who ha d made up his mind that a human being could fly as well as a bird if it was gone about in a right way, and who thought he knew the way, put his theories into practico on the 24th of a recent month. He persuaded his younger sister, who had great confidence in him, to become his assistant. Having laid his plans before her, and convinced her that flying was a very simple matter after all, she consented to make the first attempt. Ho took her up to the second story porch,and having brought out ja pair of big turkey wings, an old umbrella, and some stout cord, lie began to rig up the too-confiding victim for the great trial. He bound one wing to the outside of each of the /arms' and fastened the foutspread umbrella to her body by putting the handle behind her head and passing the cord just below her shoulders. The function of the old umbrella was to act as a parachute,about which he had read just enough to make his knowledge dangerous, and he quieted certain misgivings by the reflection that this arrangement would " let her down easy." When the little girl stood comEletely arrayed for the trip the boy told er that all she had to do was to jump off and flap her wings, and she wonld Ay like any bird. Five minutes later the family doctor was sent for. in great haste to mend a broken leg, and the youthful Daedalus when upbraided and punished for his cruel folly .insisted that the little goose wouldn't flap her wings as he told her to. Lincoln's ••■ Cash " Stockings. Abraham Lincoln, while a resident of NcwSalem,lll.,f ollowed various avocations With all the rest he was " storekeeper " and .Postmaster. On a certain occasion ono of his friends having learned that an agent of the Post Office Department, and a " drummer " were in the village — -the former to collect what was due to the Government from Lincoln, as Postmaster, the latter to receive from him, as trader, what he was owing the firm represented by himself — and knowing Lincoln Jwas never overburdened with spare funds, went to the store and offered to lend him a sum sufficient to meet the claims he was so soon to be called upon to settle. "You are very kind," said Lincolon, " but I do not think I shall require your assistance." Within a few minutes the agent entered their presence, and Lincoln took an old stocking from a drawer, out of which he poured a lot of copper and silver coin — the latter mostly in pieces of a small denomination. "There is the very money I have taken on account of the Post Office," he remarked to the agent, " and I think you will find it the exact amount due you." It was, to a cent. This business had hardly been concluded, Avhcn in came tho " drummer.' Lincoln had recourse ,to another old stocking, with a similar i'csu'lt. So soon as the two were again by themselves the . friend said — "I suppose, were a third creditor to present himself, a third stocking would enable you to settle with him.'\ smiling. " Yes," returned the future" President. " Look here," and he held up three stockings. "In each of these is the sum I severally owe to three parties, the only parties, the only persons in the l world to whom I am pecuniarily indebted. ! I see you are amused at my method of ; transacting business. I never allow myI self to use money that is not mine, however sorely pressed I may be, aud I in-

tend to be prepared to pay my bills when they become due without delay or inconvenience to those' to whom I owe. The simple system whicii I have adoptedusing a stocking to represent each creditor and placing in it the money, to be passed to the creditor himself at some future day — renders the former unnecessary and the latter possible.