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Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 981, 8 January 1883, Page 2

Talking about, swagger, too much of this commodity has lately brought; to grief a certain member of a well-known good thirdrate London club. This'• gentleman. is not only a continued “ tuft hunter,” but one who, so far from even admitting that any member of the “ Upper Ten ” could by any accident he unknown to him, is always ready to boast of clo.se and intimate friendship with every one who happens to have either rank or position. J[is failing is notorious, and throe humorists determined to give him a lesson. Accordingly, in the club billiard room, one of their number, Mr C., casually said, “ Are you going to Lady L.’s to-night I” “ No,” replied (lie victim ; her ladyship will never forgive me ; hut fhe fact is I’m lagged out, and good people arc scarce, 1 think, “ Quite right ; J’ll make your apologies,” said Mr C. Aghast at this unlocked for proposition, hut .unable now to retreat from the position lie had taken up, the only rejoinder of Mr J. was a feeble, “ Thanks, J wish you would.” Half an hour later, just as the trio wcrcabout to leave (he club, unhappy Mr ,1. drew Mr (J. aside, and. after some beat ing about the hush, was at last obliged to confess that he did not know Lady L., and begged Mr C. not to mention his name to her. “All right” said his triumphant tormentor. “ I won’t ; you may depend upon that, for I don't happen to know her myself.”—London letter.

in one of the lower wards of the Auckland hospital is a patient named Holm. This (says the Herald) is the worst case of rheumatism that has ever come under the knowledge of Iho hospital stall', ilc has also been seen by English and American’ doctors who have visited the hospital, and they admit that a worse cam never came under their notice. The poor fellow is unable 'to move and can scarcely speak. He has been two years in the hospital. He can only be raised in bed by means of a pulley attached to the bedding, and his hands have to be suspended in slings. His legs have dropped down from 11 io knee sockets, his hands and arms are fearfully deformed, and even the bedclothes have to be suspended over him in such a way as to prevent their weight resting on him. It is curious to sec the different classes of people in the hospital who are victims to Ibis malady—young, old. and middle aged, stout, thin, and robust-looking men arc alike stricken down by this terrible disease.