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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 5, 6 January 1873, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald says :—Happy, thrice happy Wanganui! Mr John Pawson had a thought for( the "poor of Wanganui," and liberally set apart 150lbs. of meat to be distributed to the " deserviDg poor of Wanganui" on Christmas eve. But "the poor of Wanganui" is hereafter to be considered as nothing but the baseless fabric of a vision, for not a solitary application was made, not a person in »\\ our boundaries thought the term "poor" applied to him or her. We doubly thank Mr Pawson —he showed a proper consideration in making the offer; he provided a test which makes us plume ourselves on the thought that we are a happy community. The Ladies Benevolent Society has no longer a raison d'etre, and a conclusive argument has been afforded the Agent-General in his appeal to intendingemigrants. A MISAN THEOPIC-AL VIEW OF Christmas. —The "Loafer in the Street" writes to the Canterbury Press : —ln a journalistic point of view I hate Christmas. > The papers at this season are always the same. As a friend of mine observed after falling off his horse nine times in half-an-hour, there is a monotony about them that is simply depressing. I muchly love little boys and girls theoretically. I prefer them with pocket-handkerchiefs and clean noses, but I love them anyhow. But just now I can't meet a child under fifteen in the street without feeling that within the last few days he or she, as the case may be, has eaten some of the pound cakes, with medicine to follow, either got a prize or been held up as a model- of improvement and scholastic perfection, and made to feel for the time being like good Bittle Tommy,who once in a fit of depravity, stole a raisin and a half, repented, and was bappy and virtuous ever afterwards; or the dairyman's daughter who, to the best of my recollection, never did anything wrong at all. I don't think much of the festive season myself here ; of course I'm speaking of it strictly in a secular point'of view. I read in the Christmas periodicals of family meetings where Uncle John comes home and scatters untold wealth amongst his relatives; where the prodigal returns and lives happy for ever after; where people slap each other oa the back, and make up feuds of years standing; where, in fact, all is nuts and gingerbread, cakes and ale, beer and skittles, peace and pudding, comfort and cheer. This sort of festive season,' I have soever had an opportunity of taking part in.. I should like to, and if any one you know of ie in the habit of keeping up Christmas in this sort of style I should like to meet him. The festive season, according to my experience, means bills, and acting at dinner like an anaconda, which last is rather trying when you don't 'have many opportunities of rehearsing your part. We {Musical World) take the following from the Harvard Advocate, and recommend it as a college song :— The human lungs reverberate sometimes with great velocity. ' ' - - When windy individuals indulge in much ver- ' bbsity; ' . ' - -, They have to 'twirl the glottis sixty thousand times a minute, And gush and punch the'diaphragm as though V theduce.was inifc. - . ';■ ■':■'%■'■ '.' ;■ ' 'Chorus,; •■ ■ ''■.*'■'] \ The;pfcarynx now goesup ; the larynx with a Ejects ainote itom out? the throat, pushed by tlio ■■"■■'••■■•■ -diaphragm, ';.<". "';'■''' ''':;''■■•'■,"■'. ,'' '' '■' '' \: ■■'<■'[•

,A' Noisy Scene occurred in the Legislative Assembly of Victoria on December 11, while a bill to increase the salaries of the judges was be/ore the House. A large majority "were in favor of the measure, but the minority used all the forms of the , House to prevent its pasaing. The bill was got into Cocnmittep, and then ifs opponents commenced talking against time, taking divisions on motions for "reporting progress," and adopting the other " constitutional methods" of obstructing the bill usually resorted to in such cases. At 11 p.m. the galleries were cleared of strangers, but, it is needless to add, without preventing- the subsequent proceedings obtaining publicity. Hon. members, seeing they were in for a night of it, devised for themselves the most convenient substitutes for beds they could find. "In order that they might not be inconvenienced by moving across the House for the frequent divisions, the majority took up their quarters on the Opposition benches while the three opponents of the measure were ensconced on the Ministerial benches. By this means many of' the divisions were taken without, any alteration in position, but with a, view of preventing too much sleep being indulged in, a slight alteration was occasionally made in the phraseology of a motion to necessitate the ayes and noes changing sides. This was the most comical part of the whole affair, for then might be perceived a jovial Minister of the Crown crossing the floor of the Hou3e carefully carrying his boots in his hand, while an ex-Minister, shrouded in a red blanket, like an aboriginal chief, stalked solemnly across the floor and threw himself down- on the first vacant bench, to relapse into somnolence until called for the next division." Spukgeons Sekmons as a Panacea fok Disorders ov the Flesh. — Mr. Spurgeon is stated to have been considerably aggravated by a " printers error," which has jumped — crept is not the word for it — into his particular literary organ, ' The Sword and Trowel, ' known by the irreverent unfaithful in "the trade" as the ' Soap and Towel. " Among the regular advertisements in this pious print is one referring as follows to the reverend gentleman's sermons: — " Metro poll tian Tabernacle Pulpit, containing G. H. Spurgeon's sermons. The publishers call attention to the remarkable fact that they have now issued Mr Spargeon's sermons weekly for more that sixteen years, tmd that all this time the circulation has -not only been very large, but has steadily increased. This unparalleled fact unprecedented in the pulpit of any age or church, speaks for itself, and is a higher eulogium than the most friendly reviewer could pronounce. It is also noteworthy that an equally warm reception has been given to the American edition, and that Dutch, German, and Sweedish translations have commanded an extensive sale, and the sermons have been acceptably received in Welsh, Danish, and Italian." The advertiser's disquiet may be imagined when there followed, without any break except a colon, after " Italian " in the sentence just quoted, the words: "Entirely and effectually cures scurvy, ringworm, itch, redness, pimples, blotches, eruptions oezaraa, and every form of such disease; also, wounds and ulcers, with absolute and unfailing certainty. " Ad Irish paper last year by a similiar transposition gave the dress of the bridesmaids to the archbishop officiating at a fashionable wedding, " His Grace was attired in white tarlatan," etc.