PICKINGS AND CLEANINGS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 268, 2 March 1877, Page 2

PICKINGS AND CLEANINGS.

TOPSY-TUKVEY. Mr. E. L. B1 an chard, writing in the Birmingham Gazette, says : —" An odd story comes to me from the North. A regiment quartered at a certain city in Scotland had among them an expert gymnast who taught his brother subalterns how to walk across the barrack-room on their hands. While thus engaged the other evening, the door opened, and the colonel, a stern disciplinarian, entered the room, looked attentively at the inverted company, shook his head gravely, and departed without uttering a word. An order to be on parade next morning was the least punishment expected for this breach of discipline. Some days passed,_ however, and no notice being taken, it was thought an apology and explanation should be offered by the prime instigator of these unsoldierlike movements. A reference being made to the memorable night, the colonel amazed the intending apologist by exclaiming, ' Hush, sergeant, I would not have anybody know it for the world. The fact is, I had been dining out with an old brother officer, who had served with me in India, and 'pon my life I had no idea the wine could have had such an effect upon me, but when I came to see if you were all right in your quarters I could have sworn that I saw you all upside down." Should the old colonel see this he will know that his sobriety was not to be impeached on the occasion.