ECHOES OF THE WEEK.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2181, 15 March 1880, Page 2

ECHOES OF THE WEEK.

TOWN EDITION.

Assaults ou women and children—assaults ot the worst and most degrading kind—are becoming frightfully prevalent in this colony. One can scarcely take up a newspaper without reading of fresh instances of the spread of this moral epidemic. It is true that offences of this nature, when they can he traced home, are invariably punished with the utmost severity which the law allows. Hut penalservitude itself, it would seem, fails to act as a deterrent iu these cases. Very many philanthrophic writers have expressed their abhorrence of the lash as a means of punishment, overlooking the fact that brutes must be dealt with brutally, and that there is no surer way of reaching the brute nature than through the physical sensibilities. Fifty stripes of the cat administered once a month for a year would have more terror for the cowardly scoundrels referred to than the longest terms of imprisonment or the heaviest fine. The lash, be it “remembered, was chiefly instrumental in suppressing the crime of wife kicking so common in some of the English Midland counties a few years hack, and also the cowardly garotte robberies at one time so prevalent in London.

A strange instance of a too litoral trust in Providence came to light in Nelson the other day. A well-known resident of the place was charged with driving through the streets of the town at night without lights. He admitted the offence, but pleaded that it was purely an act of Providence, a gush of wind having blown out both his lamps. Strange to say, the Bench could not see the matter in this light ; and they inflicted a line,being of. opinion that the driver, and not Providence, was to blame.

Of course I went to hear Sketchley, and be introduced to Mrs Brown, whom I thought even better fun than her books. By-the-bye, some people seem to have a firmly rooted idea that the worthy old lady actually exists in the flesh, and is to be seen at the Theatre Royal, anywhere, in company with Mr “ Scratchley.” For example, I went out during the interval on the first night to “ see a man,” whom I found oddly enough, in the bar of a certain hotel not many miles off. The attendant Hebe was all curiosity about the entertainment. What did we think of Mr Sketchley P ; and what was she like ? she inquired. Of course, we had to explain.

An individual referred to in a recent issue of the Waimate “ Times,” would seem to entertain some curious ideas respecting the married state. Being desirous of ridding himself of his better half, this Benedict, it seems, applied to the local sergeant of police, being distinctly under the impression that that functionary was empowerd by virtue of his office to untie the nuptial knot. Learning, much to his surprise, that the Sergeant was powerless to aid him in the matter, lie next inquired whether he was at liberty to submit the lady to auction, the same as any other chattel, and have her knocked down to the highest bidder !

“ There’s no friend is so unprofitable as whiskey friends," says Josh Billings, “ fur they air always reddy tew drink with you, but when you air reddy tew drink with them, then they ain’t dry !" Sueh would seem to have been the sad experience of an unfortunate inebriate referred to in an Australian paper the other day. Brought up before the bench of a certain diggings township, and pressed for an explanation of conduct which was certainly eccentric, to put it mildly, the unfortunate one pleaded hard to bo let off, promising to amend and “ take the pledge.” “ Those chaps I was shouting for last night, wouldn’t so much as shout a drink of soda-water for me this morning, your Worships,” be added. The appeal was not in vain ; he got otf with only f> s to pay. QUILP.