What Everybody Says.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1908, 13 February 1875, Page 3

What Everybody Says.

" In multitude of counsellors there is safety." i . —Old. Proverb Our friends the shootists are gone. During their latter; stay they u were given to " awfu dissipation." Hot in the sense offsetting " fou," bufc m dissipation of a Ifcmlder sort—dancing and such like. of them could get'? fou," too ; and some people say it took an awful quantity to make them fou, but that's a downright libel, as everybody can testifiy who witnessed their self-denial undej the most trying circumstances, of partial fnends prescrimrig for the southerners the kind of beverage most conducive, or supposed to be most conducive to good shooting^ It t^e Southerners clon't have <s sat - out of their northern compeers next year it will be their own fault. And if they fail to commend the virtues of the distillerf 'company's drinks, _or the peculiar properties of Marshall and Coupland they will be sadly deficient in courtesy There is a great lesson to be learnt from the habits of these nomadic shootists.: they seldom are heard to complain of suffering from "a confusion of mixed drinks.". They are real old soldiers. Having arrived at a conviction as to what suits their peculiar complaints they stick to that; as regularly as diggers take their Holloway or their Cockle when out of sorts. ;- , , , „ " The ball was extremely select, > say they who were present; "a very jolly dance, but supper .execrable -.drinks cood." "Very mixed affair—all sorts there," is the verdict of those who from motives of economy or otherwiso were npt present. Neither is correct, says everybody. For a public ball r a miscellaneous kind of hop at which you would expect to see a miscellaneous crowd, and jostle with a miscellaneous cl . eW r_itwas an immense success, a perfect success, in fact, as the theatrical critics say. But as a select ball—an exclusive gathering, it was a failure. But everybody deprecated exclusiveness. Public money was expended, and those who had the least claims to selectness possibly had the largest claims toa.share in whatever was going as the result ot thepublic expenditure, Everybody doesn t

appear to understand public balls. Some imagine that where they pay money to go to a public entertainment they have a right to some say in choosing the company they are to meet. Very good premises no doubt, but partaking of the impossible. In affairs of the kind individuals may feel aggrieved, but the best thing under the circumstances is to smother personal feelings and make the best of circumstances. They say that one black sheep corrupts a flock, but that adage applies only to sheep, and they who imagine it applies to dancing assemblies have had but little experience; in euch matters. If everybody should get the measles there will be in the columns of this journal seme fine day a hiatus —a disease far more troublesome than the measles; as everybody can testify. It is not sciaticaworse than that even; and to avoid this dreadful scourge and measles and other disorders, everybody recommends that everybody else commerce forthwith a morning dose of Epsom salts and senna tea in equal quantities ; or if this beverage be not exactly according to taste (a perverted taste it would be that liked it), then substitute a teacup-full of rhubarb and magnesia with ag. pu. accoi'ding to taste ; or, to give variety, (its all a matter of taste) adopt the regimen ot Do-tbe-boys Hall, and swallow two table-spoonfuls of sulphur and treacle. The latter is preferred, as it furnishes a wholesome meai in itself and is an effective preventive against anything like appetite, especially amongst youngsters whose noimal condition is known by the amomnt of bread and butter consumed at each meal, the ordinary allowance of which would be in the proportion of two pounds^of bread to half-a pound of butter,.; and, a pint of coffee (or tea, to"taste),' At spring and fall the above can be recommended as: a Highly healthy and cheap regulationin, families, though not recommended "by the faculty." Measles will fly, or Bit lightly, and other,infantile.disorders will cease to be. a trouble to anxious mothers.

It would appear, that mining reporters are not above suspicion,: although f as a class everybody has been, accustomed. to elevate them to the standard Jot' Ceasar's wife, who was supposed^ to be—that is-r* above suspicion. A. certain gentleman, who has recently succeeded another gentleman in bossing o certain "wofksr got rather jealous that himself and his works were not noticed as frequently as his predecessor and his works had been in the public press. There was irid diminution of the public interest in the Tvbrlrs, but it happened that they had been left in such ap^le-piebr^e^; thai there 1 was' really nothing new to say concerning them, except what would have reflected credit on the predecessor before mentioned. No slight was intended to the amiable "chief who succeeded, but he fancied such was the case, and he was betrayed into an expression which did him no credit, but which showed how smal! men can be in moments of irritation. He said it was easy enough to get " notices" ,(& term, it is, affirmed understood amongst mining reporters) if the j blank reporters were tipped.five boB on each visit, as' he believed had been the case formerly. As 'everybody can't be mining reporters, everybody can't be expected to repudiate this slander, but mining reports would possess little value in public estimation if it were even suspected that " notices " could be : had for tips at five shillings a piece ; and mining reporters ought to send to Coventry, or Jericho, or elsewhere all such ""-bosses "u?asi gratuitously) insult predecessors: and ■ mining;' reporters .-bysuch "bage " assertions; A/fellow;fcel* ing makes; us wondrous kindi'and-that'^ why everybody-coines to the- rescue !of the mining reporters. .