MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 285, 28 July 1888, Page 4

MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

THE RUSSIAN SCARE. Tnu lafco war-scare hero in Melbourne has done some good at all events, even though at the cost of a good deal of foolishness, togother with waste of public funds. As to the foolishness, it is patent enough, and might here bo diagnosed as an acute attack of " Russophobia." Melbourne folks arc sane enough on most points, but on one matter they hold ineradicable views— and that is, that tho sole end and aim of Russia fcho Terrible is to swoop down on her fatness and rob and plunder and make havoc of her wealth. Hence, by a natural correlation ot ideas, the severed cables and Russian machinations were closely connecttsd. This view of tho case was iostored. or at all events given countenance to, by such alarmists as the "Ago " and tho "Herald." The "Ai'gus," true to itself, took, from the first-, a matter-of-fact view ot the case, whilst tho " Telegraph " went for a kind of " there's no knowing what io ib " policy. Of courso now the whole thing is forgotten, and all we have to face is the great allliction of the stoppage ot all home intelligence. A couple of days will doubtless put thin light, and then, no doubt, the Czar of all the Russias will tremble in his boots (if 'he weais any} when he hears of Victoria's mighty military prepauitiorih to repulse hie. Taitar hoides. ' And now for the good done. First of all it shows that our navy (s>a\e the mark !) is no navy at all, and that our defences are anything hut reliable. Then it demonstrate** the tact clearly enough that in case ol any sudden emergency wo should at the outset have to rely solely upon oursehes, and should prcpaie for it. And lastly, ie ought altogether to be a good precedent to our uuthoiitics how to act in case a real crisis aiObC. As it is, borne \ery laughable thingb took place, the chiet fund ot humour being supplied by the torpedo corps. It seems that a. number of torpedoes got adrift, and, picsunuibly enjoying their freedom, ha 1 buch a crood time by themselves that thoy refuse to be iound. They ;uo still at large, thouuh all the toipedo boats and two gun-bo<its ha\o been looking for them Ot com so such little things as torpedoes may easily bo lost, but our na^al men must remember that if the Russians did come they would baldly wait for them to find the mic-siles again. However, the lost torpedoes may blow something else up (say, 11 l\ and O. boat, or a Tasmanian steamei), and then of cour.se it will be all right, and we shall know that oui torpedoes will go oft, \\ Inch is something at all events, and a point rather doubtful ;il prenont

THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBI- § TJON. I am in a. condition of absolute wondc l ' why the Exhibition Cotnmi.s&ion dii nob agiee to the postponement of tho opening da), tot it seems to me pe.fcotly impossible that the place can be got lead) by the Ist August. 1 paid u visit to the Exhibition building last Saturday, and was dismayed to see how backwatd all the preparations are. The (icim.m Court is the only one at all forward in its work : a& to others they seem as yet to ha\c done nothing or next to nothing. The British Court i& in a fearful state ot chaos : the United States, people ra\e not yet unpacked a single case, and the Jielgian, Tasmanian and Queensland Couits, with all the minor onet., arc only just starting. Unices the mo«b extraordinary energy is used the arrangement of the Courts ■« ill not, I could swear, be done by the time for opening, so I suppose wo shall have a kind of half-heaited opening with cases and workmen, and timber, and general untidiness all over the place.

FLOATING OF THE STOCK EXCHANGE. The (hnomment of the floating of [the Melbourne Stock Exchange has been maclo public. The issue Mas thousand shmcs. The applications iecei\ed were for one million two hundred thousand — that is, the applications cariied the number of shaves exactly twenty times. Js it not marvellous ? Already bet ore shaves are allotted they are at a pi.emi.um of two pounds, whilst the chance of getting tome has men a pecuniary value. Ot couisc the Exchange people are jubilant on it. It is the gieatcsb success in the way of companyfloating Melbourne has e\ or seen.

THE LEVIATHAN BOOKMAKER. It is said that we arc scon to lose cm 1 levia han booitmaker, Mr Joe. Thompson > who Hunks ot trying to .settle down per" manontly in London. Ho says the book" making bn.-ine.ss is played out in Australia* though tlic exact leason of this 1 can't see, for theie seems to be more betting: than evei going on. lTo\ve\er, as a pre> .imnary s-tep "Joe" has been belling all ri-. town and suburban piopeity, which ai • lepoitcd to have biought him in Ull,0()0, Don Juan Hou.se fetching £11,000. He hns a dimming daughter has Joe — a young Jady named Leah, who smg^> \cry nicely. aHd my private opinion ib that lie wants to have hei educated on the Continent, so that she can pursue her ringing undoi pi o per tuition. This with a view ot her eventually taking to the Operatic Stage. However, one way or the other, the le\ iathan is a jolly good fellow, and a> ho ha*> made a tortuno O'ifc of Australia, I wish him the tame luck in England.

Little (tlrls ami thlir Doliv-. — Mbs Willanl is a good woman, f-ays an American contemporary, we feel inclined ip suggest a Society for the Reiorm of Reformer^ w lien she speaks in reprobation of childhood's cherished dolls. She thinks dolls aie 'heathenish,' and is of the opinion that they are anything 1 but beneiicial to giils. [ While deeply respecting Miss Willard, we must diflor emphatically fiom thLs' opinion. In iacb, we always feel a pang oi giie\ ed surprise when we hear amatiuo young lady of ton or twelve declare that she doesn't caro for dolls, 'it's too babyish. ' So far from being babyish, it is simply an expression of the maternal fooling, which every real woman possesses ; without which she is simply a monstrosity. The sight of a little make believe mother soothing to sleep a refractory infant of muslin and •-awdufet, is only less beautiful than the same child come to woman's estate, hushing her living and breathing babe in her arms. A little girl taking caro of a large family of these inanimate pets to dress and care for ib taking excel lon b lest-ons in the art and mystery of needle-work. Tf she has to duplicate hei own garments in miniatme ib is the first step towards the construction of her own waidrobe. She learns economy, too, in cutting 1 limited quantities of material, as well as gaining ideas of taste and suitability. Then look at the moral effect dolls exert ! Does this sound very absurd? But we think that girl's who are interested in dolls, who do not think themselves too big to fuss with such playthings, even %\hen they have attained the mature age of thirteen or fourteen, are not likely to have many of the silly, mock-romantic notions some of our school-girls hold. They are most apt to practice housewifely virtues in caring for their numerous brood, and sinco so many j writes doploro the distaste for domestic life so many girls display, a reaction in . favour of the doll-baby should take place.