BRIEF MENTION.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4, 5 January 1900, Page 3

BRIEF MENTION.

A cold Bnap. Very deoided indications for frost this 'morning.

What's coming over the Maoriland climate I

It Is reported that some of the wheat oropß m the Wairarapa dißtriot are Blightly affected with Hessian fly.

The colonials exhibited considerable bravery at the Sut ; Jc engagement.

Military oritios m England are delighted that they Bbould have struok the first blow since the battle of Magersfontein.

The New Zealanders have taken part m intermittent fighting about Goletburg.

"The fate awaiting the Boer Republics after being gobbled np by the British," says the New York Times, "is not very terrible ; the only right tbey will loee will be the right to oppresß otherß."

Some very funny things happen at the Wellington oaa>p. For instanoe :—

One man who volunteered for service, when asked if be was a good rider, replied, " Ob, yes. I have ridden a bioyole for two yearß."

Another applicant had attained the reßpeotable age of sixty-five years, and felt quite disappointed when hie services were not aooepted.

Yet another went through the sword exeroiee with a stick to show the offioials that he was capable of representing the colony m the Tranßvaal.

He was persuaded to leave before he had done any damage other than knooking the telephone off the table.

Boers are very anxious to get news from prisoners of war aa to the defences of Kirn beiley. They Bee no way of entering till the Day of Judgment. They eland a much better ohanoe of entering — well, Hadeß !

Kruger aooording to Shakespeare. Further quotations :— War.— Maroh on, maroh on, since we are up m arms, it not to fight with foreign enemies, yet to beat down tbe rebeU here at home.—' Bichard 111., iv., 4, 529.

'Tis not tbe trial of a woman's war, tbe bitter olamour of two eager tongues, oan arbitrate this cause betwixt us twain ; tbe blood is hot that must be oooled for this.— 'Biohard 111.1, 1 i., 147.

Advice by Mr Morley.— Stay, my lord, and let your reason with your oholer question what 'tis you go about. . . . Not a man m England oan advise you like me. -• Henry V 111.,' i., 1, 130.

The blood of English shall manure the ground, and future ages groan for this foal act; and m this seat of peaoe tumultous wars shall kin with kin, and kind with kind confound.— ■ Biohard 11.,' iv., 1, 137.

Therefore take heed how you awake our sleeping dogs of war.—' Henry V.,' i., 2, 21.

Twenty-five years ago France was able to pat as many soldiers m tbe field as Geemany. To-day it falls short by about 1,000,000 men.

A sign of politeness m Tibet on meeting a person is to bold up the clasped band and stiok out the tongue.

The Matrimonial State.— Wagg: "lam about to enter the state of matrimony.', Wigg: " Who is the looby woman ?'• Wagg: " Ob, I'm simply going to take a trip to Utah."

A boy m America swallowed a steel nail. By means of the X-ray it was looated behind the breastbone. Ab it oould not be removed by an operation, the nail wbb drawn up by a magnet inserted m the throat.

The Agricultural Department is making inquiries with a view of leasing orobarda for the purpose of carrying ont experiments with inßeotioideß for the destruction of codlin moth and other frnit pests.

Their Limitations.—" Borne of those post offioe people are very clever. They oan read illegible writing and deliver letters when the address is worse than Chinese puzzle.,' " 7ob ; bat they oan't help oat the man who forgets to mail his wife's letter."

A oertain chimney sweep m a country town m Scotland north of the Tey got bii photograph taken by a travelling photographer while dressed m full uniform. On the following day tbe artist oalled with the pbcto and showed it to the sweeps wife, when she exclaimed : " Eh, that's like 'im." " YesPbut your husband hasn't paid for it yet," said the artist. " Eb, that's like 'im," she repeated.

The Natal Witness says; "When the terms of the victors oome to be formulated, it wiil be well for the Imperial Government to bear m mind that eaon of tbe selfgoverning colonies whiob have shared m the viotory will demand to be consulted as to the terms, and if the demand be not granted it needs not muoh of the prophet's nature to predict the result. "Kaon for himself will be ths key note. Canada would join the United States, and tbe Commonwealth of Australia would declare itself independent."

The war has left even dogs m need. A Wesleyan mission official has made arra gementß for feeding the dogs of Aldershot soldiera who have been Bent to the front These dogs'know the bugle call to dinner, and answered it with the Bstne regularity as the men, whose departure has left the plaoe deserted, and without a "mess" for the oanines. Lord Airlie's " Miok" misses the men's BBlutss, which he formerly aooepted with oonssious dignity, and Lord George Montagu Scott's obampion bulldog has been sent to Dalkeith Palace to await the fall of Pretoria and the return of the 10th Hussars.