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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 128, 29 January 1874, Page 2

The Otago Antimony Company says an exchange, have got about seven tons of stuff lying at the foot of Smith’s Gully, ready for sending off by the first wagon which can conveniently be got. It is intended to send it to London, via Port Chalmers.

The manners of the young men who go to balls are not as good as they were or as they ought to be. In the first place, men have lately adopted a habit of not appearing at balls till twelve o’clock or even later. It was not at all an uncommon thing last year in London to see a large number of girls assembled in a ball-room and waiting for the arrival of men before they could begin dancing. This habit is a bad and selfish one. To appear very late at a ball is in itself a discourtesy. If the lateness is simply occasioned by the attractions of a cigar or a rubber, the discourtesy is more marked. Last year the evil reached such a pitch that on more than one occasion the ‘ girls ’ commenced dancing with one another. Not many years ago it was held to be extremely bad manners for a man to smoke before going to a ball, without changing his clothes, Now, not only are cigarettes smoked up to the very door of the host, but men sit smoking strong cigars, and appear in a ball-room with the aroma of the tobacco clinging strongly to them. There is a want of consideration and a regard for self alone, in this, which is not consistent with courtesy. In the ball-room, too, men show far too little regard for the comfort and convenience of ladies. They swagger about as if their presence was a favor, and nothing more was expected of them than to talk loudly on the staircase, eat a great deal of supper, and dance as few dances as possible. They valse as though the sole object Was to get round the room as quickly as possible, and a certain incomprehensible step, which is a jumble of deux temps and trois temps is held quite sufficient, and they whirl their unfortunate partners round and round in total disregard of smoothness and grace. — Macmillan s Magazine.