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South Canterbury Times, Issue 2241, 24 May 1880, Page 3

There is'nothinglike presence of mind after all. One dark rainy night last week old Dr Botts, who lives out on Van Necs avenue, was turning homeward when he discovered that he was being dogged by a hurley ruffian, evidently intent on robbery. They were in a lonely part of the town, and the man was just at his heels when the Doctor, buttoning bis coat, up to his chin, suddenly turned back and said to his pursuer. “Please, sir, give me a, dime to buy something to eat. I don’t want,to get whiskey, .indeed I don’t ; haven’t had anything to eat for two days.” “ Great Scott!” exclaimed the footpad, repocketing his slungshot with profound disgust, “to think here I’ve been piping off a d-r—ra ‘pauper for over a mile.” And he walked off cursing the infernal luck to blazes.

“May /They Hang Together.”—A Scotch paper tells a funny story concerning the crisis of the British Cabinet when . Lord Derby and tho Earl of Canarvon withdrew their support from the Beaconsfield policy. A Weslyan Minister who was an ardent admirer of Mr Gladstone prayed for Heaven’s blessing on the cx-Premicr in these somewhat ambiguous words, “ O Lord, at.this critical juncture of events be pleased to grant that Mr Gladstone and his fellow-redeemers of England may hang together.” On hearing this prayer a brother sitting below who was accustomed to “ Amen” in prayer-time, and who approved of Lord Beaconsfield’s policy on the Eastern question, exclaimed “Amen, amen, may they all hang together.” The radical parson felt that he was misunderstood and by way Of explanation exclaimed “ O Lord, I db;hot;mean ‘hang together’ in the wnse which our brother down below means it, I mean, may they in accord and concord hang together.” “ Amen, amen,” replied the Conservative worshipper. “I don’t mind what the * cord’ is so long as they hang by some cord.”