RANDOM READINGS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 428, 22 November 1918, Page 4

RANDOM READINGS.

WALKING-STICKS. j Of all people, perhaps none are j tnore fond of canes or more skilled | in their use than the inhabitants of ! Porto Rico The walking-stick in ' that island would seem to mark social [ 'distinctions among men as fans do ; among women. Every Spaniard ha», ■ a cane; the well-to-do own several, ! and he gilded youth often bave a j small arsenal of walking-sticks. The j term "arsenal" is used advisedly, as the Porto Kicans, like the Spaniards, have quite a fondnc-.-s for sword i canes am! dagger canes, and they make these with remarkable skill The blades of 'he liner, specimens J come from the smiths in Toledo and other Spanish ciiies. and are forged from the finer steel. Some are damascened and others are inlaid with silver and gold, some have worked upon them the name of the owner, and others the name of a patron saint. OUR PATRON SAINT. Were ninety-nine people out of a hundred asked who was the Patron Saint of England they would probably answer St. Geortre, and iliey would never admit that any other had held the title. The fact, however, remains that St. George was not always England's Patron Saint; if we go back Io the time of the Norman Conquest In 1066 we shall find that up to 1220 the honour of England's patronage was allotted to St. Edward the Confessor. The circumstances under which St. George took the place of bis rival are thus set forth by the •lironicler; '•When Robert, Duke oi Normandy, was prosecuting his vie :o;ies against the Turks, and laying -iege to the famous city of An loch, which was like to be relieved ay a mighty army of the Saracens. 3t. George appeared with an innuni -rable army coming down from tie aills, all in white with a red cros n his banner, to reinforce the Chris Jans, which occasioned the infid. iiuiy to fly, and 'be Christians io io sess themselves of the town.' This story appears to bear a remark ible resemblance to ihe now famous earn concerning the "Angels Vfona." WHAT MONARCHIES COST. It. is hardly possible to compan ;he expenses of the upkeep of a mon itchy and of a republic on general grounds, as. so many considerations ?mer into each individual case. Compiling Ureal Briiain and ihe United stales, the Civil List of the former (mounts io about £601.1.000, but this ■.mount is more than offset by the tvenues of estates which have reverted from Ihe fiown 10 ihe Slate. The salary of the President of the t'nited States is fixed by Congress ■a £15,000 a year, with a travelling •Ihwanee of £SOOO. In addition a arao sum has to be provided to pay '(■: his numerous secretaries, the up •■op of White Hon.-'-. co.-i of enic 1 ining, etc. Germany, a monarch;. .- apposed 10 spend £7-17 437 a wen: , 1 her Civil List, while the Empero l-,i receives a d.:fi;:i sum as Kin. !' Prussia, bul 'here is also a va. ,I.i am of privalo properly, castb r .'!.st-, and estates, oui of which ih< .our' and royal family are paid. : ranee, a republic, pays io hei 11. td'tii t:M.oi.n.i a year. '! he que: ,i, ;i! may be debated from various •.; id points, bin there is probably \ i • little to choose between the expenses of a monarchy and a republic. as in- Ministeis of the Crown or of ltie Siate. as the case may be, are abor. the same in both cases. If should also be borne in mind that the tremendous periodical cost of presidential elections is one that is . avoided by a monarchy. "LORNA DOON'E." - 'Lorna Doone to a Devonshire man is as good as clotted cream, al- , most." 'ijlis was a saying that delighted ihe heat', of Blackmore, and since his time ha? been taken up and echoed throughout the English speaking world. 'Hiis wonderful romance of Devonshire, which has run through ..ome foiiy edi'ions, has just passed out of copyright, and the story of its first publication reeaiis ihe proverbial blindness of publishers to literary merit, which has so often hardened ihe hearts of the greatest authors. h'or weary weeks and months -Lorna Doom-" wa> hawked round for sale, ami could not find a pur- ■ ■Laser. As a forlorn hope Blaekmore then i applied Io Mr. Marsion. and on March 30th, 186». a bargain was .-truck by which the publishers agreed to pay £IOO for '.he right io print and .-ell -300 copies. At the end of a year only three hundred bad been sold, and b looked as ihough the remaining ones were destined to till the j second band scrap heaps. But Devonshire men know a good thing when they see it. Not a nupwnt too -eon the word went round ; thaldottii ; o the Woi ncm wcte telling their boot= to buy a copy of ' "Lorna," and in the end the critics of London began to rub their eyes, and confess thai a pearl of great ' price had all but slipped through , Iheii fingers. Henceforth interest in the book haa jnevei flagged.