THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 39, 10 February 1876, Page 4

THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY.

Our story ..begins with tbo {death of our hero. The manner of it was decapitation, the> instrument, a mowing machine. A young son of the deceased, dumb with horror, seized the paternal bead and ran with.it to, the house. " There!" ejaculated the young man, bowling the gory pate across the threshold at his mother's feet, "look at that, will you ?" The old lady adjusted ber spectacles, lifted the dripping head into her lap, wiped the face of it with her apron, and gazed into ite fishy eyes witb tender curiosity. " John," said she thoughtfully, "is this yours?" "No, ma, it ain't none ©' mine." " John," continued ahe, with a oold unimpassioned earnestnesß, "where did you get tbis thing ?" " Why, ma, returned tbe hopeful, " that's Pa's." " John"— and there was just a touch of severity in her voice—-" when your mother asks you a question you should answer tbe question. Where did you get tbis ?" "Out in the medder, then, if you're so derned pertikeiler," retorted tbe youngster, somewhat piqued ; " the mowin' machine lopped it off" The old lady rose and restored the bead into the hands of the young roan. Then straightening with some difficulty her aged back, and assuming a matronly dignity of bearing aud feature, Bbe emitted the rebuke following : " My boo, tbe gentleman whom you hold in your hand — any more pointed allusion to whom would be painful to both of us — haß punished you a hundred times for meddliDg with things lying about the farm. Take that head back and put it down where you found it, or you will make your mother very angry."

breathless and silent expectation. The witnpss-box, in which 'stood; hfjr farmer husband, waa but a few feet behind her; and she was desired to raise her veil. ' Take of_ your veil.i and, if necessary, your hat, Mrs Silk,' said Sergeant Morton, wijh a |oliife amile/ * Mrs, Tqole, if you please,* was tbe prompt retort, as the person, addressed made nn imperious and Somewhat disdain ful bow to .he' little sergeant. i'NdW/ : _nid ; >' the Bench, • turn round and look at the witness.' The old lady complied, but instead of wincing undei* the withering glance of her old love, she gazed in his face in mute defiance. There was not even the slightest symptom of emotional , feeling; the pale features of Mrs Toole —the former Mrs Silk — were unmoved; the furrows never relaxed, and as the long-severed husband emphatically exclaimed— « Yes ! that's her I that's my missus,' not even the shadow of a blush overspread her countenance. In a word, no vegetable-marrow ; could . have preserved its color, under the trying circumstances, better than did the stolid old lady; and as for the longlost husband; he seemed just about as indifferent. Evidently both were satisfied with their altered circumstances, and if their severance had ever ocoa- - sioned any beartachings, tbey must j have been long repaired." With regard to a new form of disease developed amongst tbe Chinese at the Palmer — originating in a swelling at the; ankles — a correspondent of the Rockhampton Bulletin writes: — " This is another exemplification of the fact that the Chinese in Australia are subject . to diseases of a malignant type, from which the people of other countries aro free, and concerning which medical men in the colonies appear to liave no knowledge., In, t the Ovens district in 185 ija --i-i^eiUqg dis^aaf broker out amongst them oh the Backlnhd diggings, which swept away very great numbers in a short time. It was a, swelling of the whole body, and, so f»r as is known, every case resulted fatally, the progress of the disease being so rapid that death had taken place before the only medjcal^maD; in * t y§f% wide , distriot could- arrive; The exclamation of the Chinese messenger to announce another deadly seizure, was, as he rushed into the doctor's presence, 'Nudder Chinaman, him swell up!- and away he started, from camp to oamp, generally only to be in at the death."