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Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 4994, 14 January 1885, Page 2

Mb 4. S. Kathbone, for some time associated with the Auckland Observer, but now in London, is preparing for publication a series of short sensational stories, the matn ideas of which are derived from the great criminal romances of Fortune dv Boisgobey. Thefint is called "The Omnibus Mystekj." A writer in a Southern paper says:— Here is an extract from the experiences of a.Queensland emigration lecturer. He is addressing a gathering of villagers in an alehouse club room in England:—" It is not till he comes to the gastronomic portion of his lecture that he arouse euv thusiatr,. When he speaks of meat at a few pence a pound, of grapes and pineapples for the poor man's'table, he arouses cheer after cheer. At the prospect of a meal of meat every day, of fruit for themselves and children, every tired face brightens, tongues roll within lank jaws, and lips water. In a pause in the leoture, one can faintly hear ihe strains of the military band from my Lord A •'* castle, where he is spending £1000 or so on an entertainment to (be gentry of. the country. Reindeer tongues, Bombay ducks, truffles, aud other delicious morsels costing about half a sovereign a mouthful are there in profusion. Women wear; on their backs, and priceless rings looped round their fingers, or bracelets sparkling with gems clasped on their arms, whilst over itf the little alehouse, Hodge and his scraggy, half-starved wife lick their chops at the though 1, of " meat everyday." All this may be reconcile-. able with the existence of fraternal goodwill between Hodge and the lord of the manor, but I confess I don't see how. My conviction is that the gormandising rich need converting to Christianity. The Paris Figaro asked this questions : " Given two widows, of the same age, same rank, same disposition, one of whom had a good husband, and the other a bad one; would both desire to re-marry, aud which would marry first?" Several answers were received. One began by stating that all widows desired to marry ar>ain, that it was impossible to say which would marry first, for she of the bad husband vrould want to get a better one, and she of the good husband because she was pleased with married iife. Another lady remarked that there was no doubt about the matter: she who had had the bad husband would be too happy in her deliverance to ever wish to tempt fate again. An ir» dividual signing himself «• A Bad ■ Hub. band" madethis ferocious reply: V She who had the good husband wonld be the first to marry again. Why ? Because sbo would forget him sooner,