AT THE CORNER.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4833, 5 July 1884, Page 2

AT THE CORNER.

[BY NEMO.]

Homo turn, humani nihila me alienutn jndo,

Old Diogenes, the cynic, who centuries ago gave utterance to the fords'' Habit is second nature," spoke what is daily, and in some cases most ludicrously^ exemplified. A rather good tale comes to me about a one-sided Harmy officer in support of this theory. Of course from his position he is " sanctified," but his old nature is not dead yet, and now and then shows up most unexpectedly. On a, recent occasion he was announcing some' approaching meetings, and in doing so said V" I suppose, my friends, you will bare seen by the play bills that we are going to hare big meetings," <tc. A titter of laughter at once ran round the room, the cause of which the speaker soon discovered, to his confusion, but he apologised, and said he would not use the word again, '

Hit mistake,; trifling though it may seem, raises the question as to whether the term is not really, applicable, and whether the Army meetings do not really partake more of the nature of a "play " in which all the audience are at times the actors, than of a religious meeting. Such is undoubtly the case with many people, and as I daily wander to and fro I hear many an expression to the effect "I was at the Army last night; fine fun; why don't you go; its as good as a play, and nothing to pay either." But Nemo isn't on; he's got something better to do. However, let those go who like; and if (hey get away good so much the better; or if they are amused—why it's cheaper than going to the theatre, at any rate.

-: The politicel atmosphere is thickening. In a small place like this, fiercer strife goes on than in the larger centres. There is so little for our natural curiosity to feed on, that an election, if only for a Borough Councillor, affords a grand feast for all bar would be politicians; and now a general election is at hand, and we, " the important Thames," hare to choose— think of this, ye lovers of MagnaCharta I —a man of three, to hold our axes while they are being ground. ■ Which shall it be, F—, S-, or Br-*P \, -U: .-S - ■;■■■

The proprietor of the Farawai sale yards will have to prohibit lads from visiting and hanging about the show pens during a sale. A lad had a,yery narrow escape-recently of being seriously-injured by a bullock which, maddened with the pain of a broken horn, succeeded in jumping over the enclosure, and knocking the lad down; and had not a bystander pulled him aside, the beast must have trampled and perhaps gored him to death. Parents should take warning by this, and forbid their children to attend the sale yards. -; = |

" I've nothing to wear.' f This is the reply so frequently heard when ladies are not. quite disposed to attend a danoe. I should like to hear what the husband, or papa, would have to say about the cost of the last ball. Methinks it is only one way of getting out of a dilemma, that oftrepeated excuse, " I've nothing to wear." Apropos of this a friend asked me the other evening why ladies place so much more ornamentation en arriere than in front of their dresses ? I gave it up, when he replied' " Because they expect gentlemen to look after them.'' This! vile at* tempt at wit shows to what low depths a man can go. ••'•■••.•:" ':''.;: :''v■'':.:.V "■.'•'■■.'■'■

; A Vagary ot,r Peck's Bad Boy " would hardly make a " circumstance," as a " States "man would iay, to the action of a young and unsophisticated member of the genua Burdelia, which has recently come under my ken. Bridget—l beg her pardon/ Burdelia—was entrusted with the administration of certain drops of an ex* tract of a homcepathic nature to an invalid of mature years, and not- bar* ing, perhaps, ai keen of the Talue or effects of) the j decoction, she was not over careful, in relation to one dose, at * any rate, in measuring the nostrum out.vßrid-^I Vbtm Burdelia; happened to allow two or three drops oTer the dole to escape from the phial, and ■ some time after their administration it struck her that this shouldn't be. The horrible faot;remained that the old lady had been dosed with too much of this medicine, and the girl's conscience smote her. With tearful eyes the confession was made, that an orerdose had been given, arid every•; effort; was put forth to arert the threatened danger qf death by poisoning. The victim was put to bed, ■ gruelised, and /thanks to the treatment she underwent, or the harmleisness of the potion, the lady!still lives. .This example should be valuable to partakers of Homoepatbic, patent, and old women's medicines generally. for aome time to come,

The unfortunate bank clerk is, like Bnnthorne in " Patience," crushed again. They are going; to introduce the 1 canine race in the matter of banking, and won't the bank look upon these as "dog days." A contributor to • Melbourne paper writes that "Sir John Lubbock, the eminent banker, is teaching bis dog to

read. So well dog advanced in its literary education that its master now intends to teach it simple arithmetic. Doubtless we shall presently hear of the; animal's promotion to a bank stool, And <rt^tj in turn; may lea_d to some reduction of the enormous salaries forced upon back clerks by lavish boardsxof directors/ iWon't ., this bring down those princely salaries. :Why^ oh why! will parents spoil the ■ future of their bflPspring." by allowing them to waste their time in such employment, - with only a bare chance of eTer—even under the most favorable circumstances—reaching any gratifying position. •'.':•:' '"■ '' ...■.:'•;---;■; ;'■■ -'■'■'.'/..■: '"■ '■'•:;'■:r"4 .-

The people in the neighborhood of Snake Kiver, about 45 miles frorii prayipn,. Or., tLS.A^ who held the belief that the infernal regions were situated in the bowels of the; earth, must, ifthej'also held to (he doctrine of hell fire, hare had all their faith in such ideas rudely dispelled, when, in boring for water recently, a stratum of frozen earth was encountered at a depth 0f55 feet. Passing thisfor fife feet, numerous cavities were found, from which the cold air came in gusts. The escaping air at the bottom, of the well can be heard roaring aJ; some distance; It is not possible for anyone to hold his hand over the well for any length of time without freezing it, and a bucket of water let down into; the well was frozen brer in a few minutes. Work oh the well has been abandoned on account of the cold. _"'■;,.

Loyalty can be ; carried fob far, and, doubtless, in the minds of many old world thinkers it would be deemed high treason to qnestion the propriety or justice of any action on the part of Royalty. I certainly am not timorous in this respect. It is not probable (writes "Atlas," in the World) that Prince Edwafd will be made a Peer directly he comes pf^age; and when he does enter the House of Lords he certainly will not take tbe title of Duke of Dublin, as the Prince of Wales is Earl of Dublin, and it is not in accordance with the usual practice to use the same place for titles for two different personages, and on such points the Queen and Prince of Wales {are very particular. The young Prince will most likely be created Duke of Kent, but not for the next two or three years. It is expected that Parliament will be applied to for an allowance for the Prince before the close of the present ■'.'■■ session." This kind of royal pauperism isassuming a.some what alarming shape in the Mother Country. It appears that the National Debt is not large enough, and every hew arrival, born under royal auspices, must be pro Tided for by that long-suffering individual,, the ''!B|ritißhVtaxpayet.-'' i'R;'wbuld-;'Beem;/ironr. derful that the members ofa Nation which gains the name of shopkeepers (from their fondness for the coin of the realm) should not" jib "on this semi-royal business;