MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 366, 12 November 1898, Page 1 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

" Wish to leave, Parkins ? Why you only came yesterday !" " Yes marm. When engaging I thought you were spar-rcr-grass gentry. But when I hear? from the cook last night that you eat pertaters, cabbages, carrots, and such like second hand vegetables, 1 see there ain't nothing besththetic in it and I resigns my hoffice, so to speak."

The percentage of illegitimate births to tbo total births for 1897 was lower in New Zealand than in any of tbe Australian colonies, except South Australia. This colony had also tho lowest birth rate, the lowest death rate, aud the high=st marriage rate, with the exception of Western Australia, where for some reason it was nearly double that of the other eolouies.

The new servant girjfeame to her mistress crying and holding on to her finger. " What's the matter ?" asked the lady of the house. "1 ran one of the forks into my hand, and if it is this plated stuff I'll get lockjaw. "Don't he alarmed," said the niistivss, "all my silver is geuuine, I don't keep any plated ware." Next morning tho servant was gone, and so was the silver.

A professional nurse once went to attend a patient in a very serious illness, which necessitated his being watched continually both day and night. After sitting up two consecutive nights, and having no rest during tho day, the nurse suggested that she should like to go to her room for a little while. " What for," asked the lady sweetly. "To sleep," replied the onreworn nurse. " I am tired" "Sleep! tired!" said tho lady, astonished. " Why, I thought you were a trained nurse.''

"Penalising matrimony " was the term applied by Mr A. W. Hogg at a meeting of the Wellington Laud Board (says the "Post") in connection with a statement made by the Commissioner of Crown Lauds (Mr Merchant) that a married woman had applied for a certain area, but, as the Act did not allow a married woman to take up more than 1000 acres, she would not have the desired area. An unmarried woman, it appears, is not so restricted.

A young woman who was about to be married recently attended a furniture sale at South Shields, and obtained a dowry in a most unexpected manner. Amongst goods purchased by her was a feather bed, for which she paid a trifling sum. She took the bed to her parents' home, and whilst turning out the feathers a package was found which contained no less than £2OO in sovereigns and halfsovereigns. Tho lucky purchaser was thus able not only to furnish her future home, but also to lay by a nest egg for a rainy day. • An excellent and never failing euro for nervous headach,' says an apostle of physical culture, ' is the simple act of walking backward. Just try it Eometimo if you have any doubt about it. Physicians say that it is probable because the reflex action of tbe body brings about a reflex action of the brain, aud thus drives away the pain that when induced by nervousness is the result of too much going forward. The relief is always certain and generally speedy. Ten minutes is the longest I have ever found necessary. An entry or a long narrow room makes tho best place for such a promendade. You should walk very slowly, letting the ball of the foot touch the floor first, and then the heel—just the way, in fact, that one should in theory walk forward, but which in practice is rarely done.'

A sensation was created in Edinburgh on August 13 by the fall of a three-story tenement in Nicholson Street —a leading thoroughfare on the south aide of the city. The house next to it had been demolished with a vitw to being rebuilt, and cellars were being excavated on the site. This disturbed the foundations of the house first-mentioned, and on the morning of the day named the inhabitants were warned that it was insecun, and were advised to leave it. Most but not all of them did so. Soon after 2 p.m., and while the burgh engineer's men wore examining it tho building suddenly sank and collapsed. Ths men saw what was comiug in time to make their escape, but a woman and her infant were carried down, from the third flat, by the falling mateiial. Wonderful to relate, they were but little hurt. The woman's husband and another child were left on a part of the house which did not fall, and an excited crowd called upon the man to jump down. He had the sense, not to do so, and ho and the child were soon brought down in safety by means of a fire escape. The ground floor was occupioi by a firm of pianoforto sellers, whose utoek was smashed to pieces, involving a loss of £IOOO. Nearly thirty persons were deprived of their homes, and as they belong to tbo poorer classes charitable exertions are being made of their behalf. Two days after a two-storey building in coarse of erection in West Bridge Street, Falkirk, fell, A workman was buried in the ruins but was rescued almost unhurt. Part of the building fell backwards into tbe bury-ing-ground of tho West United Presbyterian Church, and smashed a number of the tombstones.