Page 2 Advertisements Column 3

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3161, 5 April 1879, Page 2

The captain of the Engliih cricketers has come out in a new character:—" A somewhat interesting letter," the Sydney Evening News states, "has been for* warded to one of the promoters of a recent flower festival, under the auspices of the Order of Good Templars. Lord. Harris had been invited to attend the festival, and the letter of invitation was headed with a motto bearing the words, ' Total abstinence, the .only preventative of in* temperance.' The following is a copy of the letter sent in reply:—'Exchange Hotel, February 7.—Sir,—From what I have seen in England, I have come to the conclusion that total abstinence is not the only preventative to intemperance; and, furthermore, far from being the most effectual. I have taken considerable in* terest in the question, and am doing my best at Home to fight against this vice in this way—by erecting club houses in all I important villages and country towns for the labouring classes. These club houses are conducted era much the same principle as any club fertile higher classes would be, except that no spirits are sold, and the amount of beer to be drunk by one member in one day is limited generally to two or three pints. Each member pays a small entrance fee and a small weekly subscription (about 2d). Papers and games are supplied out of this, and we find that they are not only in great favor among the working classes, but once built they are self-supporting. I have so often spoken on the subject at Home, and expressed my opinion that total absti* nence is not the right way to go to work, that I must ask you to excuse my patronising the festival; but I Bhould esteem it a favor if you would expend the small sum I enclose, in flowers for the patients, as a sign that I thoroughly appreciate the object of the festival.— Faithfully yours, Harris."

What to him was lore or hope ? What to him was joy or care ? He stepped on a plug of soap the girl had left on the topmost atair ; And his feet flew out like wild, fierce things, And he struck each stair with a sound like a drum ; And the girl below, with the scrubbing things, Laughed like a fiend to see him come. Every once in a while we hear of a California woman killing a bear. This is all right. But we challenge the world to ransack the pages of history and show us where a woman has over got away with a mouse.