GLEANINGS FROM THE PAPERS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 77, 26 April 1879, Page 3

GLEANINGS FROM THE PAPERS.

There died, at 24, Middle Arthur Place, Edialiurgh, Margaret Anthony, at the advanced age of 101 yearn. Tho deceased was married early in life to Mr. Alexander Reid, Inyleston, and had twelve children, nix of whom aro Btill alive, the youngest wna over fifty years of ago. She lived to reckon her descendant* to the fifth generation, most of the great and groat-groat grandchildren heing in New Zealand and America. She enjoyed good health, and hod a retentive memory and considerable power of observation up to withiu the last fortnight. From the time she was thus laid up till she breathed her last, she never couipluiuod of any pain.—bailsman.

I'.ritaiu ii at tin's mdDMBI (IN'i.V in <>mv »yea the only military nation in Europe. All other nations aeedl to us to have military Government*, but not to be military themselves. As proof of the assertion, We up]»'al merely to the existence of imr militia. While other nations are employing conscription we have raised in twelve months a noble army, i every soul of which lias volunteered as n [freeman; and yet, forsooth, we are not n military nation. AVe are not ashamed to tell how, but the other day, standing I in the rear of those militia regiment*, no • matter where, a Hush of pride came over us at the sight of those lads, but a few months since helpless ami awkward country boon, now full of sturdy intelligence, cheerful obedience, and the manhood which can afford to be respectful to others, because it respects itself and knows that it is respected in turn. True, they had not the lightness, the older, the practical ease, the cunning self-helpful-ness of the splendid German legionaries, who stood beside them, the breast of every other private decorated with clasps mill medals lor service in the mire of .seven years since. As an invading body perhaps one would have preferred the I lemon*, but only because experience had taught them already what it would teach in twelve months to the Derksbhv "clail." There to us was the true test of England's military qualities; her young men had come by tens of thousands, of their own free will, to bo made soldiers of by her country gentlemen, and treated by them as men to be educated, not as things to be compelled. " What," we asked ourselves, "does England lack to make her a second Rome C What keeps her from (he dream which hired to their destruction, Babylon, Macedonia, Rome ?" This; that thank God, she has a conscience still; that feeling intensely the saciejncss of her own national life, she has learned to look on that of other people's as sacred also; and since in the fifteenth century she finally repented of that wild ami unrighteous dream of conquering France, she has discovered more ami more that true military greatness lies in the power of defence and not of attack; not in waging war but in being able to wage it; ami has gone on her true mission of replenishing the earth more peacefully on the whole than did ever nation before her; conquering only where it was necessary to put down the lawlessness of the savage few for the well-being of the civilised many.—Charles Kingsley. ' Ths lirst tiling colonists do on occupying new territory is to start a newspaper. One of the. pluckiest enterprises of the kind is the Samoa TIMBS, in the South Pacific. The Samoan group is situated 700 miles to the north-east of Fiji, and bos no steam communication whatever with the outer world. The white population —men, women, ami children—cannot, exceed three hundred. The paper was started just fifteen months ago by the Messrs. Griffiths, of Fiji. The Germans patronise it so long as it leaves German interests alone, but do not heartily support it; while many of the Americans oppose it because of its hostility to the atlventurers from California and elsewhore who have preyed upon the natives. The issue is weekly, the paper is printed upon a full-sized sheet in large clear type, anil is well supplied with information. With the paper is combined a post office. In another column we publish a return of the mails received and despatched during the first year of its existence. —Glasgow News, .Inn. I.'!. The issue of a patent to Sir. Edison for the electric light is opposed in lingland on the ground that he is not the first anil true inventor thereof. A movement is now on foot in Berlin fur building ii church to be called a

"Churchof Thanks," in grateful memory of Emperor William's happy escape from two assassins' hands. A voluntary subscription is now being made, and the amount subscribed up to the present time is about 78,000 marks—that is nearly £3900. The church is expected to cost £15,000 or more.

The London Missionary Society have received the gratifying intelligence of the arrival at 1 jiji of port of their Tanganyika expedition under the command of Mr. Thomson. In the earlier part of their journey, it will be remembered, they suffered much delay and trouble by the loss of their oxen; but the second and third stages were accomplished with remarkable celerity, aud the march from Urambo, the capital of I'nyuniwcsi, to Lake Tanganyika occupied but eighteen duvs.