MISCELLANEOUS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 412, 15 February 1877, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

. On a hot evening in the month of July, in a meeting of Assembly, as d j member, thiich distinguished by his at- | titudinizihg and vehemence, closed his speech, with his gesticulation he was naturally warm, and largely used his handkerchief. A member, in replying, said, " Moderator, I never till now truly knew the meaning of that scripture which sayeth that ' bodily labor profiteth little ;' but when I saw the ■ speech just delivered, it minded me of a Btory of a Scotch wife home from kirk, who declared the sermon was the finest discoorse ever she heered. ' What was it about ?' ' How should I ken ?' ' But what was the subject ?' 'l'm no sure.' 'But what was the test, and how did he divide it?' 'I dmna mind the text, but oh, it was a grand discoorse; the best ever I ( heered; for first he dang wi' this - han/ and then he dang wi' that han'; and then he stamped wi' this foot, and then he stamped wi' that foot; and aboon a' he swat maist vicious !' " Spukgeon's Orrsnox "upon the Obgak Qukstli tt :—We should like to see all the pipes of the organs in our Nonconformist places of worship either ripped open or cqinpactly filled with concrete. The human voicois so transcendently superior to all that wind or strings can accomplish, that it is a shame to degrade its harmonies by association with blowing and scraping. It it is not better music which we .get from organs and viols, but inferior sounds, which unsophisticated ears judge to be harsh and meaningless when y compared with a melodious human voice. That the great Lord cares to be praised by bellows we very gravely, question ; we cannot see any connection between the glory of God and sounds produced by machinery. One broken note from a grateful heart must have more real' acceptable praise in it than all the wind which ever swept through whistling pipes. Instrumental music, with its flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, all kind of noise-makers, was no doubt well suited to the worship of the golden image which Nebxiehadnezzar the king had set up, and harps and trumpets served well the infant estate of the church under the law, but in the Gospel's spiritual domain these may well be let go with all the other beggarly elements. The ' Wanganui Chronicle ' gives its opinion of Mr. Keid's accession to the Government Benches thus :-^The labourer is worthy of his hire. Who I will dispute the applicability of the truism in the case of Mr* Donald Keid, who, as our telegrams late]y informed us, has joined the Ministry, as Minister of Lands and Immigration. He has received the reward of his tergiversation, as regards political principle and former professions to his constituents, and if he is himself satisfied after calm consideration with the course he has pursued, and can reflect With any degree of pleasurable retrospection on the past, as compared w:th the present and future, the public should receive the intimation without at least outward appearance of dissatisfaction. Mr Keid has either proved a trator to his convictions, or he has' given a most caudid and unreserved exposition of his opinions, embodying an.entire change of political sentiments. We almost give him credit for sincerity, and on that account regard with satisfaction the latest addition to the Ministerial ranks, which admittedly lacks, stamina, un ; on, and prestige. When shall we hear the last of the wreck of the Strath more ? It seems as though the papers had couspired to keep its evil memory green in the minds of their readers, for it is even yet continually cropping up in the public prints. The latest case of the kind is connection with what is called " A curious instance of physiological change wrought by eating a>; peculiar sort of food exclusively." It iaalleged that the perpetual diet of penguin's eggs caused even the dark members of

he shipwrecked party to become fair, their hair also turning light, even to their eyebrows. It is added that on the island all the birds where white, even lo the crows. The Pictorial world, which makes the above statements, which are curious enough if Irue, — "The Eock of the Twelve Apostles, in the Crozet group, would be a good place for negroes who wish to become white, if there are any such ; or it might pay to form a company and import penguin's eggs for use when the mania for blondines shall set in again."