MISCELLANEOUS.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 364, 12 September 1874, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

The following is about the most pleasant griev-^ and that we ever void; it is extracted from the Deni'iquin journal : — " The salt bush people are grumbling at the amount of fat attached to the beef A and mutton in these districts. Throe or four inches of fat upon our steaks, and half that quantity on t our chops, are very objectionable to the saving housekeeper. At Boiu-ke there is a general outcry against the butchers, and at Deniliquin, the latter^ are blamed for ' cutting it fat.' A saltbush ' round ' " is now something to look at, and a sirloin would make Jack Falstalf' s mouth water if he were living. We have an idea that we shall yet pay for this excess of ' obesity ' in our sheep and cattle. However, t we shall not go to meet drought half way, but must fight it when it comes to our doors. We are sanguine enough to think that we shall never again have such dry seasons as we once had, for the imrnsnse artificial reservoirs that abound in Riverina must have a good eilect in making the seasons more temperate." Havre is feasting and offering " punches of honor " to ft small detachment of English Volunteers who have run over to the picturesque old Norman seaport to try their skill nnd their luck at rille-shooting with the Frene'i tirailleurs. At 300 yards the Englishmen seem to haw mndo pood scores ; but at short ranges tho lively Gauls hud the best of the contest. The conditions of shooting vnn widely fromtbose observed at Wimbledon and other Ei «lish tourn^flfl nienta ; and how is a fellow to mute a centre," asked an in^n dignant English rifleman, " when he is expected to fire out M of » window, down n. back yard, at a water-butt ? " ™ It is not generally known that in London, there is an institution for the instruction of the deaf and dumb, by movements of the mouth. Up to the present lime the system of teaching the deaf and dumb to commumcato by means of signs has usually obtained . In the last centuary, however, Ainmen, a Swiss physician, then living in Holland, taught his pupils to watch closely with their eye 3 the changes which came over his face and lips when he uttered words, and then to imit.ite thos>e changes befoie a mirror. Perfected in Holland and Germany, this sj stem is now taught by Mr V r an Praagh, assisted by three ladies, at 12, Fitzroy -square. There are now 36 children on the 4 books, the entries on which began at Midsummer, 187'<j^ with the names of four. The school is entirely a day' school, and those children whose parents do not reside in the neighborhood are leceived into families neai Filzroy square. The school is not confined to any clnss in paiticular, and all the children contnbute to the cost of lustiuction. It is not a charity. But in order to disseminate its advantages, and more particularly to make it available as a normal school for teachers, subscriptions are asked for. Lord Granvillo at the annual meeting in April last remarked that at one tune the deaf and dumb were treated like fools and idiots, and left to pass a miserable existence almost in the manner of dumb animals. The Sj stein Sicard did much to relieve tin in had become pre\alent, but the gu-at 'advantage of the sj stem so succeosfully introduced at their ow n institution was that whereas other methods put the learneM| in communication only with those who know the same sys-^ tern, this method restores the pupil to conversation with* society in general. There is no comparison bcifcfc *the effect of this system and that carried on by signs in fctiinu« lating tho faculties. Visiting the school some months before, ho bad found it most interesting to note not only the progiesa made by the children, but especially the zest and pleasure wqich they showed in learning) their cliecilul and healthful bearing. They now look for general support in carrying out an experiment which has by tlu3 time been tried long enough to make sure of success. Dr Dasent explained that the childien taught by tue association are not without the organ of speech, but are, like the vast majority of the so-called deaf and dumb, deficient in tho sense of bearing alone. By the System those undeveloped organs are called into pley, and the olnldnn sent ml o tho world capablo of conversing with their felluvta Mr Yon Prtiagh afterwaids briefly explained t lie plan of tuition, and invited visitors to come to the school during the time when its ordinary work is gouig on. The children now being called before him by then* elates, the little ones tepeated whatever ho said, although they wire bom and sire now aA Bolutely deaf. The trnchcr coughed and asked a little boy what was that, who said "A cough." Another said "How do you do" after bim, und wrote the words down upon a blnek board. " Give me u picture," &iid the speaker, and a little bop ran and brought a painting of a larm jard^ Asked the attributes of the several auimuls there ieprcA sentetl, tho children chanted out in their slow and foieign accents, " The cow giws milk," "The ducks swim m the water," •' The bees gives h >nej ." A higher class repeated and wrote down strings of liguics, like 20,000,003, nnd worked sums in "bills of pmcel?." Home good w oik was exhibited in drawing, a pursuit , for which the deaf and dumb often display tnueli tnste In answenng questions some of them displayed remarkable intelligence. One described a visit to Wales will) her si'-rtr, unatlier child, being asked for what Oxford and Cambudgc were famous, rephedjg with unconscious sat lie, "The bout nice." ™ A " first warning " of gieat significance is ghen to all Englishmen in the figures of our trade lttums for May. Masters and woikmen may be more directly concerned, but tbere is no person lesident in these islands, or denying his income fiom a national source, who will not find it hial business to look the facts in the face and to take note, says the Daily Telegraph (June 9), of the new charactenstics. The tide of prospeiity —of increasing trade, of augmented pi ofits — that has flowed so steadily for j ears, aii<i that of late rolled in upjn us with vast volume and acceleiated speed, has at length begun to ebb. We have received our first check. There have been foimer occasions, no doubt, when financial panic or monetaiy deiangeroents have thrown us suddenly back ; but without any such startl ing or obvious cause the trade of the United Kingdom now ejA hibits a serious decline. Intheiiist five months of 18^^ we exported produce to the extent of one hundred and six millions; while in the corresponding period of 1871 our exports amounted only to ninety-eight millions. JN T or is the decline for twelve months only; we have fallen one million below the total foi che tame months of 1874. A pretty mantle piece ornament may be obtained by suspending an acorn, by a piece of thread tied round it, within half an inch of tho surface of some water contained in a vase, tumbler, or saucer, and allowing it to remain undistuibed for seFernl weeks. It will soon burst open, and email roots will seek the water; a straight and tapering stem, with beautiful ghissj green leaves, will shoo: upward, and present a very pU-usant appearance. Chestnut trees may ba#own in the s imc manner, but their le»ves are not so bej^^ful ns thoso of the oak. The water should be changed "once a month, taking care to supply water of the same warmth; bit? of charcoal added to it will prevent tho water from souring. If the little leaves turn yellow, add one drop of ammonia to (he water, and they will renew their luxuriance. Ano f h p r pretty ornament is made by wetting a sponge and sprinkling it with hemp, grass, canary, and other seeds. Tho spongo should be refreshed with water daily so as to keepjte moist. In a few dins the seeds will germinate, and tt^ spongo will soon be covered with musses of green foliage. Alluding to chignons, Mrs Cleaver said, "a gnl now seems all head." '*Yes, until you talk to her," answered Mr Cleaver. * A birth extraoidinary is recorded in the English papers. The wife of a Somersetshire labouier named Overend, living at the village of Wick, near Langporl, Somerset, gave birth to three boys in one day and a fourth on tho following day. The great clock of the British House of Parliament has been stopped for cleaning on account of having lost a second in one month. The average variation of the clock does not amount to a quarter of a second in the year.