MISCELLANEOUS.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 927, 15 February 1872, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Alexander Dumas, the elder, is to have a public funeral; the Society of Authors claim that his remains bo interred at Pere Lachaise, Paris, among the illustrious dead. I have heard a good story of the deceased, whom it is well known was ever in pecuniary difficulties, owing to his keeping rather a seraglio. He had ever anticipated his account with his publisher. One day he was arrested for 600 francs, and the bailiffs refused to grant his prayer for liberty, but he was tree to go where he pleased till sunset, accompanied of course with his " companions." The trio drove to the publisher's; the latter refused to advance a sou, but would pay Dumas forty francs for every written page presented. Dumas returned home, set his visitors to eat, drink, and smoke, and, throwing off his work wrote page after page, receiving forty francs after forty francs, till the pile of 600 francs was made up> before sunset, and the bailiffs dis, missed ; but to whose obstinacy we are indebted for the " Three Musketeers." Men eat too much, fret too much exercise too little, sleep too and then drink whiskey. Let them turn themselves into the fresh air, eat simple food, sleep enough, and they will bo more healthy. Says Dr Guthrie • " If you want to keep a dead man, put him in whiskey ; if you want to kill a living man, put the whiskey into him." Alcohol was fir*t invented, and used to stain the cheeks of the ladies of Arabia, 920 years ago. It still reddens portions of the human face. The following quaint inscription is placed high up on the Berlin Town Hall, in anticipation of the coming illuminations : —' : Peace brings wealth ; wealth brings pride ; pride brings war; war brings poverty ; poverty brings humility ; humility brings peace." There are about 400 building societies in Great Britain, with an estimated membership of 1,000,000. Locally manufactured knives are driving those of Sheffield out of the American market. The " Lancet " concludes a severe animadversion on Sir Charles Dilke'a coarse remarks on the Queen's domestic arrangements thus : —" We Cannot regard Sir Charles Dilke as consistent, so long as he retains his title. Let him drop this and his remarks may then have weight." The King of Burmah has sent Queen Victoria a gold necklace weighing between 91b and 101b. In Madras, <£so is this year voted for deporting monkeys from the city, and £2OOO for deporting European loafers, another growing nuisance. A simple and successful treatment ofdiptheria may be found in the use of lemon juice. Gargle the throat freely with it, so as to reach all the affected parts. A French physician claims that he saved his own life with this pleasant remedy. The loss sustained by the Liverpool, London, and Globe Insurance Company alone by the Great American fire, was about half-a-million, yet so little did this affect the Company, that their agent was instructed to draw on London at sight for all claims, and not use a dollar of the American funds.

A correspondent of the Sporting Gazette says it is rumoured that Lord Walter Campbell, brother of the Marquis of Lome, ia about to marry a wealthy American heiress, the daughter of an extensive hotel proprietor. A Yankee economist, who has worn tbe same hat forty-three years, says it bas been in fashion seven times. Why is Indian corn the best thing to keep starvation away ? Because ,one can always make a good meal of it.

A curious match at billiards came off lately in London between two men named Izar and Stammers. The latter, who is a professional, plaved with tbe cue, and the former with his fingers. The match was one of 250 eannons, Stammers receiving 50 points. The game, which caused a great deal of amusement to the spectators, proved a very close affair, Izar winning by six points only. It is said that some of his manipulations were simply wonderful. Josh Billings says, that having spent six weeks at Long Branch, frolicking in the water, he has gone to Saratoga to let the water frolic in him. A gentleman whose love of order was largely developed, had a clerk in his employ whose habits about the office were anything but orderly. Nothing under his hand had a fixed locality, and everything was at odds and ends, This carelessness brought out a reproof from the employer, who quoted the old precept, and said—"Sir, you should have a place for everything." " I have, sir," replied the junior, " a great many places for everything."