ALL FOOLS’ DAY IN ITALY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 269, 3 July 1880, Page 2

ALL FOOLS’ DAY IN ITALY.

The oust »m of making April fool* is kept up by tho Italians with greater energy than by any other people. The newspapers are honxed freely, and this year they sec.n to have proved themselves even more than usually gullible. Some roman journals announced; that Lieutenant Bove, of the Nordenskjold expedition, was going to' address a meeting on the advisability of ah expedition to the South Pole, at the Roman University, admission tree. This was only « “ peace ” ; but the porter had hard work to persuade the hundreds' of people who wanted to gain admittance that it was ao. A mandoline concert such as are often given in the Forum in the summer months, was advertised for the evening, and parties of confiding tourists «nd natives flocked in to the toliseum, to find only silence and darkness. A telegram from Bolonga stated that the Torre degli AsinelH, °ue °f the two famous brick towers had developed a crack, and portion fallen and craatod the neighboring houses besides the passers by. Another tale was that of a respectable citizen of Mondovi, who was attacted by four ruffians while returning home, wrapped in a large cloak and hurried off to the Foundling Hospital, were bis captors forced him into the wheel, made only of course for infants, rang the bell and scandalised the sisters of charity very much by introducing a man into the convent precints. he paper that inserted this item of news was very indignant when it found it had been hoaxed, and put the matter in tho hands of the public prosecutor. But the best of ah was a trick plajed on the Aurora the pet organ of the Vatican. As the paper waa going to press, au official-looking note was delivered, desiring the insertion of the names of sundry promotions among prelates, of a change of nuncios, and appointment of bishops. I'he document was drawn up on official paper and signed and sealed apparently by the usual authority. When the newspaper arrived in the Vatican there was great wrath. His Holiness sent for the editor, and rated him soundly ; and when he produced tha document he received to justify himself, the Pope ordered it to be submitted to experts, that if possibly forgery might be traced home. The from the names it contained, was considered especially offensive, and the Pope thought himself personally insulted, while of course all the papers of the oppos te party were delighted at seeing tho Aurora get into trouble.

GIVE ME THREE GRAINS OF CORN* MOTHER Give me three grains of corn, mother. Only three grains of corn; It will keep the little life I have Till the coming of the moi n, I am dying of hunger and cold, mother. Dying of hunger and cold, And half the agony of such a death My lips have never told How could I look to you, mother, How could I look to you, For bread to give your starving boy. When you were starving, too ! For I read the famine in your cheek, And in your eye so wild, And I felt it in your bony hand, As you laid it on your child The Queen has lands and gold mothei, . v The Queen has lands and gold, While you are forced with youi empty breast A skeleton babe to hold A bab that is dying of want, mother. As I am dying now, With a ghastly look in its sunkt n eye, And famine upon its brow. What has poor Ir'dand done, mother, What has poor Ireland done, That the world looks on and sees ue star «e, Perishing one by one. Do the men of EngLmd care not, mother, Tho groat men and the high, For the suffering sous of Erin’s Isle, Whether they live or die I There is many a brave heart, hero, mother, Dying of want and cold, While only across the channel mother, Are many that roll infold. There aro rich and proud men there.

moiln-r, With woudorous w alth in view, And the bread thvy fling to their dogs tonight Woould give life to me or You. Come nearer to my Hide, mother. Come nearer to my side, And hold me fondly, a« you held My father when hk died nick, for I cannot see you, mother, My breath is almost gone ; ther ! dear mother 1 ere I die Give me three grams of corn