ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1191, 14 February 1880, Page 2

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

There has been a great row at James's Hall, Wellington-street, not Piccadilly ; or rather there have been two rows with a sermon in between, a la — I have forgotten the French word for Bandwich, but it does not matter, as most of the readers of the v\ aik&to Times probably understand English better than French— about the prop iety of allowing dancing and linking in the hall. At both congregational meetings the majority wpre in favour of allowing dancing and rinking, but the Rev. R. F. McNicol and the majority of the ' irk session were opposed to it, and put their veto on it. i here was a vtry nice exhibition of Christian charity, especially on the part of one " gentleman " (save the mark) who accused his pastor of having " disgracefully misused his pulpit." The Rev. All.in Webb, of Wellesleystreet Baptist i hurch, has drawn a hornet's neat about his ears by impugning the late Charles Dickens' s belief in Christianity. Ihe first English paper which came by the English mail on Tuesday last, which I opened, was the Illustrated London News of 6th December. It contains a critique oa the " letters of Charles Dickens," edited by his daughter, and ju-t published in London. After mentioning that he used to reply mo-^t courteously to any correspondents who wrote to him in a reasonable way about any of his opinions or works, the article proceeds thus : — " He was very much hurt as well as surprised by the notion of one or two co-respondents that he could ever have meant to show a blight on the profession of the Christian faith. All out the last private letter he wrote, a few days before his unexpected death, was in answer to this imputation, and was an earnest expression of his reverence for ' the life and lessons of our Saviour.' He had, indeed, long before prepared for the instruction of his younger child en a summary o + the historical and religious truths of the New Testament. In a farewell letter to his bou Fdward, who was going to Australia, and likewise in one to his Bon Henry, about to enter on a student's life at Cambridge, he solemnly impressed on them 'the study of that Book as the one unfailing guide of life, and the habit of saying a Christian prayer every night and morning. " ' 0n Thursday week Sir George Grey formally opened the new building" erected for tho uckland College and Grammar School. He read what was evidently a carefully prepared address, but almost everyone who heard it was disappointed with it. Kven those who do not admire Sir George Grey expected to hear some fine oratory, but " ble>sed are they who expect nothing 1 , for they shall not be disappointed." One remark, which the Herald- credits him with, strikes me as rather peculiar. It is, " life if we will it, is a beneficent immorality." What does he mean ? or is this another freak of the printer's "devil?'' I saw by the newspapers that he re -commenced the "stump" business last {Saturday at the i Thames, when he talked about the better classes in the colony as the " swell mob," ' whereas he and his followers are the mob who wor v hard, live exemplary lives and obey the laws, • f course, the very people who applauded him must, in their calmer moments, condemn such clap -trap as he talked. Some time ago a gentleman went into the office of the Union Steamship Company in Wellington on the morning of the day on which the Rotomahana was to sail for the North and enquired when she would arrive at Napier, tie was told it would be 4 o'olook the next morning. "Why," ho said, "there won't bo a

d — d soul about at that hour of the morning." " No," said a Kolemn-visaged clerk, they don't travel by our boats. I suppose that the charitably-disposed folks in Waikato arc waited on for subscriptions to the Irian Famine Eelief l ? und. The collectors are progressing fairly well in Auctilend, though hardly a Jday passes without a subscription list for some church or charity, and I believe we give as liberally as we can afford to do. One gentleman, an Iribhman, who was collecting for the Famine Fund, and who had subscribed to it himself with even more than his usual liberality, was chaffed by a friend, who remarked that he would not have contributed so liberally had the famine been in England or Scotland. " v^ell, ye see," was his reply, "there are a lot of my own relatives among them " A gentleman recently sent his fair cnamorata a handsome gold locket containing his portrait. You may imagine her surprise when, on looking at the reverse of the locket, she saw the words "In memory of" in black enamel. I suppose the next thing we will hear about will be Rome one sending a tombstone as a present. Happy thought! Ihe next time I want to send a really handsome wedding present l will send a fine large marble tombstone. Talkinsr of rinking in the earlier part of the " Echoes" reminds me of a story which corner from — Melbourne will do, as it is a large place and far enough away to be safe — A. B. went to the rint one evening, after embibing rather too freely, and fell down and broke his leg. Shortly after the accident, Miss B. met a friend of the family, who inquired if they were all well. She replied that they Trere, with the exception of \, " What i- the matter with him?" asked the friend. " Oh ! did you not hear about it ? He was rinking, and fell and broke his leg." ".Ah!" said the friwid, "That horrid ! drink again." (VTi«s B. blushed crimson, and said, " [ said rinking, not drinking." 'he friend apologised, not knowimg that he had inadvertently hit the tight nail on the head. Well done, Waikato ! I saw by the Waik\t» Times that Mr Douglas, of Waikato, gave 76 guineas for one of the imported rams, fold by Mr A. Buckland, on Tuesday last. This reminds me that Captain I ogan, of the 8.8. Hero is entitled to the gratitude ef all those who take an interest in improving the breeds of stook in the Provincial District of Auckland. On his last voyage he brought over a number of firstrate cattle and horses. He was late, owing to adverse winds, but he might have arrived sooner than he did had he put on steam and pushed ahead, but that might have proved injurious to the cattle, so he did not do it. Three cheers for Captain Logan ! St. Mungo.