MISCELLANEOUS.

Waikato Times, Volume V, Issue 271, 5 February 1874, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

The first Sunday in the new house it a notable day. There ii an entire absence of old landmarks, and itrange weird newness on everything, you can't find your shaving soap. You start for a, ncuttle of coal, and you don't see the ucuttle. It is in the bottom of a barrel m the garret. You take the di ipping-pan. When you change yosr shirt you look for it first. It is in one of the bureau drawers which you piled one upon another in the parlour, and you find you have got to lift half a ton of carpets and feather beds before you get down to the drawers. After you have lifted them down and searched them through, it is remombored by \our wife that the desired garment is in one of the barrels— the one in the •hed, she thinks, although it may be in the garret, and yet it would be just like that stupid carman to have carried that barrel down cellar. You attack one of those barrels, and are surprised at the result. A. bed quilt comes out first, then a pie tin, next a piece of cold ham, neatly done up in your vest and packed away in the mining scuttle. Below is an aiiortment of ironware and a length of itove-pipe, a half loaf of breal, a couple of tonuli, and a rolling-pui You begin to expect you will eventually come upon a coal mine, and perhaps some dead friends. Then you go down in the barrel *gain, and come back with a pleasing assortment of stockings and hall-emptied medicine bottles. The way you come up this time leads you to consider the barrel itself. It his caught in the back of your rest, and made the cloth let go ; it took o.F one hulf of oue sleeve, and created a sensation on the back of your hand as if a bonfire had raged there. It is quite evident the cooper that built that cask was called away before he commenced to clinch the nails. You involuntarily grasp the rolling pin oi if you half expected to see him. Then you call the girl to repack the bnrrel, and start up stairs to look after something that it eaiier to find, but finally change yo p ir raiud, and pass the balance of the day iv digging carpet tacks nnd worthless wood from the palms of your feet, and concocting lies about the wealth of your uncle; and the moon looks through the window at Eight, and touehei up with a glow of burnished silver several lengths oi stove pipe, a half dozen odd chairs, a sheet of dingy zinc, aiid a barrel with bed quilts framing over the top. — American paper. It is very noteworthy that, while Great Britain holds tho ! place of honour among the nations of the world, ehe has, I according to a Berlin official organ, the smallest standing I army of the " several Powerr that have hitherto ranked as of the first-class." According to this Berlin paper, the strongest military Power is Euasia, which has most battalions. Next tonics Gerniunj, then France, A UbUia, and Italy, m the order named, whilst England stands last. The writer concludes from this that several couutnes, hitherto ranked as of the first-class, will, in consequence of their military developement not having kept paco with that of other great Powers, be incapable of going to war in future unless thc\ bu\e allies Tins is especially the iute with Austria and England, and aUo Itah We hope the case with us is not quite so bad as our German critic makes it out to be. England in hardly yet a second-rate Power, though our weak foreign ]>uluy hu», it appears, satisfied many Continental writers that we are no longer to bo " ranked as of the first class." The Dunedin Branch of the H.A CB.S. lately gaie their surgeon three months' notice to quit, a proceeding which is explained by the following eilruct from a rpport of the society's transactions at a recent meeting :—": — " Brothor J. J. Connor proposed : — 'That in consequence of an adrertigement appearing mtho Evening Star for a servant by Drßakewell, in which Insli girls were prohibited from applying on account of their nationality, the secretary be inntvurted to write to inform Dr li.ikowell that the nun.beis diaire to cancel hit ngreement after the expiration of three months, the time I'ound to be given.' Bro. J. M. Halinan seconded the 1 (.'solution. Many mer bora »|tok<*, ••nrh, of them warmly tupportiug the resolution, and strongly condemning Dr Bakewell'a conduct The retoktion then put by the Puaiueiit »uiJ un»niuioa*iv, there su.t Sei::g o^e d:i co ti.^nt rut? " Why do you nr-ond »o much moroy or Your wiff'» iunetal'" npknl « v»n of n<jig'ibrur "Ah, sir," was th« reph , " aha \wo\M Uuve done \s much for me, and'moiv, too. w ith pli'tisurtj "

Tne real reason tor the female infanticide foru.erly *> pro valent ml^' t. I > r» n yet •i ' enf o\j iuppreased, n sau to be the iu.au., -• « v » »tf hi , it on tho marriage o daughter- Itucm-J" »l»»n.e ■ for a woman to reman unmarrieu .>i [■ ia ■ id on thi »i er band, wedding feast costsomuoh' ifc]«. • c re im| oie-.> I »'l theirl" ibj what they -.p.- Ia: t -narriagi .t*.lu<» ter. ,!iri. • •• tion havn.c .-ueM •. &• whetl t . .t i- h tter i . »( daughters, or i. b< r\ tie tby tl.< ■ nr '•' {<>, " 'i^idec •gainst the e\i <?i.< of ihe A*u 0> '« , ■'»« "> " l mnn J tribes female m ( inuiMde »•<•' unc in ul< «. thorn iv >u>n, Iv England we iim. . i at rived quite »♦ lemale miv mcido but we doubt not that paronts of m« iy daughters not un frequently wish that the customs of tli- . ountry among ourselves were not so exacting and expensive as to the maltei of trousseaux and other lhmg». Why should yOU'ig woTipr requiiv snnh ijuautii \ca of clothing, half of which can hardlj be worn befou it is ou. of fashion? Why is it imperative to have eight or nine bridesmaids, and why muit they aIJ reeeivo locketß ? Why mist mi Mle-i Us* p« ope strive after having at much display an it they were enormously rich ? "VTiiy must everybody go >«w»y for a iiio if h or six weoki oi banlflliment on pretence of * honeymoon ? In a word, why do nil oeopk- a»e tho fashi->n> of thojf wlio m-e rie'ier than them-*>lvet, without even having regard t > whether these are sensible or not? Wc> hive hpnrd it rumoured that the hone} moon bauishmeut is gradually bein.j ahurlened, and we are "lal that \h\t should he thr nn«r>. W'mt good m Jit be do >c if A «■ c oty of ladies could be formt»d, who, during one seaion only, should steadily put down all extraragauoes eon iucteJ with man uigdj ! If iho aun jiiucoineut of the wedding wone followed Uy the «tatcni<Mit'onr brilpomiid ' in the cmp* of half I d*2>n ladies of rank and fashion what a change would be effected ! The innovation is so daring that it would le oerUlil to be et£.:tne ?Co woddwg bnvikfi«t —think of the relief, that would be to everybody, for no one like* the dreary cerrraonv ; nnd cake and wine handeil round to tue Cu"i;janj would serve all absolutely needful oecis oils of speech, nikmg — Q'teen The volcano of Msuma Loa (says the Hawaiian Gazette of the 2-Srcl -September* is burning *q brilliantly now as on the night when it burst foi h (IV\ .T.muaiy). On Wednesday night, 27th August, it light up the entire island, and it» gl»r* could lie B<ien Ly \tssels> pabdug nime tliau a htt>ldl«4-^loa distant Eaily iv August I)r 0. B Adams, Bur**6u c| t l^ Co»U Hie \, accompanied by his wife, visited thelk^af, atti lotted 10 m tuagmtitont .icLion. Tho weather wtuft&i'l iy fttid, water in thuir oont.iinerd fi eezuig solid during toe tMght. It va* impossible to induce the native guide* to remaiA at the summit, during nioie than one night, and the doctat was in uoubi ijociiie coiupelled make a shorter »tay there than lie had planned. Mm Adams is the thud Udy who has madt the ascent during the past 3'ear, and w« (loubt not feels amply repaid for the excursion. The columt of molten lav*, whi.h it. thrown out of the summit crater, vanei from 200 feet to 500 feet iv height, an. l assumes all the v.iimus forms of a gi and fountain of water It is singular that the eruption should continue with so little change f>u over several months, .is it ha j , at such a groat elevation, nearly 14,000 feet abu\e the sea The Auroia Ai.sti.ihs is described iv veij vivid colouring in the following extiact, iee«.ntly printed iv an Et glish journal, fiom a letter by Captain Iloueb, of the Sui'tTtern Cross:—"s :— " At about half-past 1," he says, "on the 2ud of lant iScpttmbcr, the rare phenomenon of the Aurora Australiß iniiiif sttil itself in a most magnificent manner Our ■hip was off Cape Horn, iv a violent gale, plunging furiously into a heavy sea, flooding her decks, and sometimes burying her whole hows beneath the waved. The he&vena were as black a« death ; not asbir wistirbf seen w hen the brilliant spectacle tint appeared. I cannot descube the awful grandeur of the scene; the luaveiw gralually changed from murky blackness till they became like vivid fire, reflecting a lurid, glowing brilliancj' ovoi everything The ocean appeared like a sea of vermilhon lashed into fury by the storm ; the waves dashing furiously over our side, ever and avon rushed to leeward in crimson torrents. Our whole ship — sails, spars, and all — aeem to parrake of the same ruddy hues. They Were as if lighted up by some terrible conflagration. Taking all Loge' her, the howling, ih.aeaing storm, the noble ship plunging fearlessly beneath the crim-son-creetc<l waves, the fuiious stjualla of hail, B'.ow, <*n<l sleet, driving over the vessel and f ilhng l o leeward in rudd> -showers, the mysterious bulls of eltitnc tire icstiag os our mpst-heads. yard arms, &c , and above all the «wfi.l sublimity of the heivens, thiough which corrußc^tuns of auioral light would often shoot in spii U streaks «id v/itii meteoric brilliancy, altogether presented a scene of grandeur and sublimity surpassing the wildest dreamt of fa i../ " The Bnn Francisco Baby Show wai the most olnborate thing of the kind that lias e\or taken phco. li. adaption to the usu.il pnzo for tin* ' handsomest b»by,' .he.v were pritee for the ' loudest hawler,' for the ' henvw&t haired,' (or thr 'fattest dark ejed,' for the ' fat t cut blue t-yed,' for the ' best dr<?9fied,' and for the ' swertvit smiling.' Oulylmcy the pride with which the parents of the ' loudest bawler ' must look upon and listen to t'te uiftpnug of their aifectiun ; and what a lilenimg and % comfort the intere«Ung child munt be to thr next dooi neighbours. Tuen there were prizes lor the ' youngest mother' (who was under fifteen), for the ' oldest mother ' (who was over fifty), and for the ' handsomettfc mother ' (v> ho, doubtless, wa* looked upon with scorn and indignation by nil th« other mothers present). Sut what about the fathers ? Surely their little services, if not their ages and. 1 heir looks, might have been recognised in some small way. ! % But no , the brutes of the creation were left oat in tho cold. Served them right, too ; and the husband of the ' haud>ouu*3i, mother ' will be served still further right by beinp nagged tn his lovulv spouse until the end of hit (hunted) existeuce — The Sjportsnian. Sir JfimoH Hanncn lia^ given jiulgment in the cause Greon v. Gieen. The petitioner, who it the wife of a medical man, obtained a decree ot judicial separation in November, 1868. on the ground ot her huabmri's misconduct, and of the adultery and cruelty which had been committed prior to tho judicial, separation. Sir James .Hannen at the time said that the point as to whether a person, having elected ' to proceed for a separation only vrhen tnev '»ad good grounds for a decree nisi, and theu come for the latter relief, was so nnnortant that he requested that the papers in the case should be laid before the Queen's Proctor. The case was accordingly argued againtt the petition by the AttorneyGeneral. His lordship now said that the wife had acted meritoriously in not getting a full divorce, as, to use her own words, ' I loved my husband, and hoped that his heart wouH change ' ; and that beiug so, she was entitled to the consideration of the court, unless there was some general principle of law to pievont it. Sir James Hannen had given great care to the c»s*, and had come ro the conclusion that theic wat- no such principle, and he would grant the decreo niri for a dissolution of the marriage, with costs against the husband. A Buffalo justice of the peace fined a poor-looking fellow 25d0l the other day, thinking that he would be uuable to piy it, and that it would be a chaiity to "send him up." To e\ er3'l>jdy's surprise, tlio man drew 147d01. from his pocket to pay it. The justice then proceeded to remonstrate with the prisoner on his recklessness in going about the streets drunk, with such a sum of money on his person, ending with the remark that it was a groat wonder lie had not been robbed. " Tho <leuce a bit difference can I see," quickly and spitefully replied he, " between being robbed in the s! rcet and being rob'>ed here!" It i« interesting to notice a man of tender corns on a croqnet ground. He will nttind around, always in the way, until tome tunny-haired maiden croquets on hin pet toe, and then he will throw his inallot among the pluyera, and go waltzing off on one leg among tho shiubbery, choking himself bltck in the fnre wit'i exclamations he dare not utter, while the maiden will sidilp eerenely, and murmur, 'Oh, Mr F , I did not me in to ' " U'lleßH yon give mo aid," said a beggar to a benevolent lady, "I am afraid I slinll have to resort to something which I greatly dislike to do " The lady handed him a shilling, and compassionately ask^d, "What is it, poor man, that I have saved you from*" "Work," was the mournful answer. The reputation of members ofthp Legislature for sobriety serms to be tatlior bad in Kentucky. Two of them wero rather noisily drunk on n railroad train thfi other day, nnd when the conductor r. nrnutrater?, one of them pompoush asked, 'Do you knnw.tir, that I am n m< > inbpr of the Legislature 9 ' The conductor quietly replied, ' You've got tho Bymptom*." A veiy wicked man in Hollidayaburgh, having recently been taken ill, and behoving he was abont to die, told a nei^hboui that he lelt noed of preparation for the next ■world, and would like to see Home proper person in repnr ' to it, whereupon the feeling friend sent for si fire insurance agent. A contemporary is sarcastic Tt says : — " The man who thought he could do bnmneSH without advertising has been compelled to give iv His fi.s, advertisement was headed • Sheriff.* Sale ' "