LADIES' COLUMN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 115, 21 April 1870, Page 7

LADIES' COLUMN.

" When I was first married 1 was on my knees before my husband from morning till night. It was a perpetual adoration, an incessant delirium, an inexpressible bliss. I showered caresses upon him ; I could have eaten him." "And now?" asked a friend. " I'm sorry I didn't," was the reply. Throughout the whole of a recent Passion week, a lovely and not unprotected creature was disconsolate because her dearest friend — she had no husband — was mean enough to refuse her a charming carriage, brilliant harness, and perfect pair of cream-coloured horses, on which she had set her feminine mind. "Cc que femme veut, Dieu le veut." Sympathy blunts the edge of sorrow. So she confided her griefs to a friend of her friend. Whether they mingled their tears we know not. But the consequence was that he sent her, in an Easter egg, the means of procuring the equipage in question. It was an extravagant but not an extraordinary egg The lady, not to be outdone, contrived a monster egg some five feet long and three feet deep. When finished, it was taken to her friend's apartments, like a sedan chair, by a couple of porters, only reclining on its side. He eagerly opened it, and discovered — not a magnificent Newfoundland dog with a jewel collar, nor a Lilliputian tiger to ride behind his cab, but — sweetly sleeping on a bed of roses, the lady's pretty, precious, and pretentious self. — " London Society." The " New York Tribune " of August 9th says : — The Rev. Lizzie Garrison, late of Bockford, 111., a Methodist minister, preached yesterday in Dod worth Hall. The congregation was small. Miss Grarrison is plain and unassuming in her manners, but earnest, and deeply imbued with the religious spirit. She speaks with almost childlike simplicity in urging upon her audience the importance of adopting a Christian life. She proposes to conduct religious services in Dodworth Hall, morning and evening, each Sunday, for some time. Her text yesterday was taken from John, chapter x., 18th verse — " No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again." The speaker, in her discourse, dwelt upon the love and condescension of the Son of Grod in assuming the nature of man, and suffering a life of poverty and persecution, and finally dying the most disreputable death that His enemies could in (lit upon Him. Christ made himself of no account, and though really the Son of God, became as a servant that He might save His people from their sins. No man in the world ever bumbled himself as Jesus Christ. In this He should be our example. We should be willing to humble ourselves whenever we could thereby benefit others. True happiness and perfect rest for the soul could only be found by following the example of our blessed Saviour.

The fisherwoinen of Granville are famed for their beauty, industry, and courage ; we certainly have not seen such eyes, excepting at Cadiz, and never have we seen so many active,, hard-working old women. The women seem to do everything- here — the " boatmen " are women, and the fishermen young girls. We may well admire some of these handsome Granvillaises, living their free lives by the sea, earning less in- the day, generally, than our Staffordshire pit girls, but living much more enviable lives. Here they are by hundreds, scattered over the beach in the early morning, and afterwards crowding into the marketplace ; driving hard bargains for the produce of their sea-farms, and — with rather shrill and unpronounceableejaculations, and many most winning smiles — handing over their shilling wares. _ It is all for the Paris market, they will tell you, and they may also tell you (if you win. their confidence) that they, too, are one day for Paris. Let us leave the old women to do the best bargaining, and picture to the reader a bright figure that we once saw upon; this shining shore, a Norman maiden, about 1& years of age, without shoes or stockings, a picture of health and beauty bronzed by the sun. This young creature, who. had spent her life by the sea and amongst her own people, was literally overflowing with happiness ; she could not contain the half of it, she imparted it to everyone about her (unconsciously, and that was its sweetness) ; she could not strictly be called handsome, and she might be considered very ignorant ; but she bloomed with freshness, she knew nsither ill-health nor ennui, and happiness was a part of her nature. This charming "A.phrodite piscatrix " is stalwart and strong (she can swim a mile with ease) : she has carried her baskets and nets sincesuurise, and now. at eight o'clock this summer's morning, sits down on the rocks, makes a quick breakfast of pottage, plumes herself a little, and commences knitting. She-does not stay long on the beach, but before leaving makes a slight acquaintance with- the strangers, and evinces- a curious desire to hear anything they, may have to tell her about the great world. It is too bright a picture to last; she, too, it would seem, has day-dreams- of cities,, she would give up her freedom, she would join the crowd- and enter the " great city ;" she would have a stall at "les halles," and see the world. Day-dreams but too often fulfilled—^ the old story of centralisation, doing, its Work»-=»" Nomandy Picturesque,"