INTER-COLONIAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1226, 6 November 1874, Page 4

INTER-COLONIAL NEWS.

The Ballarat correspondent of the Pleasant Creek News relates the following story : from England, a young woman, at present engaged as a domestic servant in the house of a well-known family, resident in the south ward of the city of Ballarat, received a somewhat officiallooking letter, which for some moments she almost dreaded to open; so different did the missive appear to anything in the shape of letters Miss Bessie had ever received before. However, the letter did not turn out to be so dreadful for it contained the very welcome, though startling, news that an old aunt of Bessie's had just bidden farewell to this wicked world, and left behind her a good - sized bundle of • pomps and vanities,' representing £25,000 of good and lawful money of the realm To ' Bessie' war. bequeathed £20,000, and to that young lady's ' pa' and ' ma' the odd £SOOO. So much for facts. Now Miss Bessie is, I believe, a very estimable young person of nineteen years of age, and has been fortunate enough to engage herself to a lady who has taken great pains to improve her, and render her as happy as possible. The fortunate young woman has not, I learn, ' lost her head' over the business, but intends doing just what she should do—to educate herself for a year or so with the best assistance possible, and then, when of age, to proceed home to enjoy the slice of luck bestowed upon her, The matter hits created quite a flutter of excitement in the south ward,

where the fortunate girl is well and favorably known to hosts of people." A foundling hospital has lately beeu established at Sydney and the honorary lady secretary, who has been most energetic in soliciting subscriptions for this fashionable charity, was naturally delighted the other day to receive a sympathetic letter and a cheque for £l5O. A meeting of the ladies' committee was convened, and the munificent donation duly announced. A little later it was discovered that congratulation was premature. The signature which had been taken for that of the firm of Young and Lark, proved to be " What a Lark," and not having been keenly scrutinised, the hoax was, for a time, undetected.