What Everybody Says.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2509, 20 January 1877, Page 2

What Everybody Says.

" In multitude of counsellors there is safety." —OiiD Proverb Everybody knows that it is hard to get blood out of a stone, and. though the blood may be urgently wanted it is not often forthcoming. Many things are wanted as the columns of newspapers attest. Milk is often wanted, but to supply milk, at least of that kind generally used, it is necessary to have cows. These seem to be scarce in Auckland, perhaps owing to the recent sales at Ohinemuri and Parawai, for in an Auckland paper the startling announcement is made that there is wanted "a man to milk." It may be that the advertiser had heard of a man " milked " by swindlers ; that is, in plain English, swindled, or it may be that he considers many men but as asses, and had heard that donkeys' milk was good in certain cases. If the latter be the advertiser's idea he can easily be supplied from the Thames, if the remuneration be sufficient.

The term " bagging,'!Lwhen applied to the slaughter of game, is a very good word ; when meant to imply that somebody has taken what is not his own it implies dishonor. The term cribbing—for the meaning of which please see slang dictionarymay be applied equally with the latter meaning of the former word alluded to, to the Thames Advertiser. No allusion is here made to the piracy from the Otago Guardian, but simply to the fact that they seem to find the Star a convenient means of obtaining information. Unfortunately for them, the Star, like human beings, is liable to err, or rather its printers are, and one of them yesterday^ in setting up the figures for the customs returns, which should have been £8 cdd, prefixed the figure 9 thereto, making the amount received £98. Is it not strange that a printer at the Advertiser has made the same mistake, unless these returns, like the share lists, are " bagged " wholly from the Star without acknowledgement ?

One definition of a gentleman is, that it is a title of courtesy. It certainly would be very courteous in everybody to apply the epithet to a certain director of a mining company, judging from the reports that have been heard of his behaviour at a recent meeting ot the company of which he was a director. Luckily the secretary whom he insulted was possessed of a t good temper, or there might have been a case of assault, and everybody would have said it was justifiable.

The forthcoming match with the English Eleven is in the mouth of everybody. The English Eleven have not fared as well as it was said they anticipated in Australia; perhaps they may retrieve their laurels, if they ever had any, when they arrive in New Zealand. It appears, however, that they are a very dangerous lot, not only in the way of cricket, but in other respects, judging from the following paragraph that appeared in the Grey I River Argus :—"All England Eleven.— Wanted, a duly qualified surgeon with an ambulance wagon and trained assistants to attend the cricket match at Omotumoto on 26th, 27th, and 28th January. Copies of testimonials to be forwarded, in triplicate to the secretary." Everybody interested in cricket knows, probably, the story of the champion cricketer of his village, who was at one time elected to take part in a match of twentytwo against an All England Eleven, and who on his return with a black eye and bandaged arm was asked by a friend what fun he had had ? He replied " Oh, capital, I 'ad a hover from Jackson (a notorious fast bowler); the first ball'it me in the I heye, the second on the leg, and the third on the harm, and the fourth bowled me bout." This was his description of what he underwent in the pursuit of amusement, and yet he called it fun.