LITERARY NOTES. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Paris, October 9.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2248, 4 December 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

LITERARY NOTES. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Paris, October 9.

There is much diversity of opinion respecting prison reforms. The absolute solitary system has failed as it induced insanity, provoked self destruction, allowing prisoners to associate in common in the work-room and refectory is tantamount to organising schools of crime. Isolated work seems to be the key for the solution of criminal reform, and for persistent misconduct, the solitary cell, deprivation of canteen luxuries, and an occasional application of the cat. These were not the questions which occupied the attention of M. des Houx, a French journalist, condemned to some months of imprisonment in Rome, for violation of the press laws, but which he felt to be as long as the captivity of a Silvio Pellico. The " new prison " at Rome, is an "old " edifice, rickety and filthy. There are priveleged cells for those who choose to pay 9 francs a month : they are situated on the fifth story, and have an area of 26 square feet. They are sufficently capacious, and the light enters by a ventilated opening 12 inches square, lined with intercrossing iron bars. The furniture was composed of a rheumatic deal table, a straw-seat chair, an iron candlestick, a night table and a jar. The bed consisted of two rotten planks on iron foot-rests, a repulsive straw paillaise and a revolting mattress. Both were the head quarters of the vermin world, that came out to take their walks abroad when darkness set in. To escape their attentions, safety lay in sitting in the chair till daylight. At two in the morning, warders came round, and with iron bars struck the railings of the window, to ascertain no bars were being sawn through. Daring promenade hours, M. des Houx made the acquaintance of the famous Baron Giacomo, once a Beau Brummel in Italy, who came to grief, forgetting the Decalogue when short of pocket money ; for this, the aisizes sent him to prison for swindling. He whiles away his captivity, writing a work which will solve the woman-puzzle. Modern man says the Bivron has improved or degenerated since the time of the Patriarchs, following the stand-point from which you view him. But women is to-day, he maintains, what she was at the time of the Serpent, Eve, and Suzanna. At 15 years, she feels ; at 20, she loves ; at 25, she wishes; at 30, she seeks ;at 35, she finds ; at 40, she demands ; at 45, she solicits ; and at 50, pays. Stambouloflf, the hero of the day in Bulgaria, is a man small in statue, but square and strongly built ; complexion, brown ; eyes very lively, his whole being expresses the most powerful energy, which he displays on all occasions. He is about 37 years of age. He was elected deputy for the fir&t time in 1879, and looked so young that the conservatives of the chamber contemplated quashing his election, on the ground of his being under age. This could not be done, as all the other deputies were unable to produce the certificates of their births. The majority yielded, but Stambouloff never forgave them, and always violently opposed them. As a rule, he always attacks his political or personal enemies with a rattling violence — Zankoff above all. His most intimate friend in Karaveloff. Since the microbes have made their appearanca in the field of science hygienic publications have become quite fashionable. M. Lemoigne, of Milan, deals with the subject of the health of peasants in its relation with farm stock. He does not dedicate the volume to the Italian peasants, as they are more illiterate oven than those of France, so he addresses it to the wealthy landed proprietors. The author condemns the practice of the family during winter uniting in the same compartment domestic animals, with the view to secure more warmth, and so economise fuel. This arrangement begets rheumatisms, cat \rrhs, &c. He suggests the founding of rustic clubs. This is like prescribing cakes to people who cannot obtain bread. It would be better to commence the reform by securing good housing for the rurals. In France the stable is often the best room in the peasants' cottages. They do not complain of catching any disease, at least not more so than when leaving an over-crowded apartment of human beings. But both should be avoided. The chief part of the volume, is that devoted to rabies and hydrophobia. Pasteur — who records all his vaccinations, while Rochefort undertakes to chronicle his failures— maintains there can be no hydrophobia save from the bite direct of a mad dog. M. Lemoigne adduces several circumstances, where rabies in a dog can be produced spontaneously ; several of these are known, but they labour under the disadvantage, of not having been controlled by direct experiment. Till Pasteur be contradicted by a series of patent scientific investigations, equal to his own, his results must be accepted as the latest word of science on hydrophobia. Sexarde, in Hungary, is celebrated for its wine its horses, and its pretty women. It has had its history, and coming events will likely add thereto. The Romans called the town Alisco. To-day the population is 31,000. The houses are chiefly those of well to-do peasants ; are of a frame-work and hammered mud construction, but look quito coquettish with their coloured outsidea. The schools are remarkable for the precocity of the pupils, and the plan of " paying for results'' consist, in telling off one boy, for » half-penny a week, to act as a coach for the dull comrade. The district is planted with mulberry trees and silk culture is making rapid progress. Itwas once a fruit region, us the abbot of St. Benoit ordered his monks always to sow the seed of some fruit tree or plant one when taking their walks abroad. When Louis 11, in 1520, was marching to the battle of Mohatch, he passed by the Monastery, and taking a fancy to the herculean appearance of the Abbot, made him an Aid-dc-camp, and the religieux was found on the battle field dead, among other heroes. The Turks occupied Scxarde during 150 years, when they retired ; the desolated country was occupied by Germans ; in time, these were absorbed into the Hungarian fold, sa\e in name. The men are beautiful and generally sought for aa Hussars. The labourers are chiefly vignerons, and work in the vine-yards either in slippers or barefooted. On Sundays they wear shoes ; their black vest is tightened to the waist, and their coat or toga of white linen falls in graceful folds over their highly polished boots. When in their cups, thpv ficrht, 'mt a" hot!) combatants are au«.o yuJahtfii— a* ia France— for fioUting

the law, that severity promote* order ; as a rule, the stronger of the disputant* is ever more heavily punished. Tho women have no special toilette; all the c >qnetiy lies in the graceful simplicity of dipping the jupon — a combination of pleats, ranged with mathematical liecuracy. A scarlet bodice and a roguish helm com pie to the costume. A large foulard envelope* the head, rising in front, like a tiara. In the centre of the town is a venerable elm, slightly mutilated : it wai under this tree that the Imperial iota took that bravest of the brave, General R/ikoczsy, prisoner and there cut off his head. In the vicinity is Castar, where Jean Hunyade won the first uf his victories. The celebrated vineyards produce red and white wines, very much sought after by foreign dealers, French purchasers especially, for blending purposes. The price varies from 20francs to 40francs the 22 gallons. The Jews have a monopoly of the sales, and make an annual income by comI missions of 12,000 francs. Every inhabi tant appears to possess a vineyard ; one noble, Baron Augus, hat a vineyard I 40,000 acres in extent. In the neighbourhood is the castle and estate of Comfce Alexandra Apponyi, the well-known patriot, and the arch enemy of Russia, although his mother is Russian. He now passes his time in forming a library and gallery of engravings of all that has ever beon written or engraved about Hungary. There is also in the vicinity the residence of the Pertsel family, whose head is renowned for having proverbally a father of 24 children, similarly to the Guises, whose dukes were said to be distinguished by a white lock in the centre of bunhy heads of black hair. The estate of Pertsel included a forest of Bondy or a Hounslow Heath. Like in other days crossing over the PontNnuf of Paris, the passage was not attempted till a dozen vehicles were ready to start together, and thus help to fight the robbers. When the laird of Pertsel set out to traverse the highway across his own domain his carriage opened the procession, generally of ten vehicles. It bristled with muskets. All money was concealed in the horses' tails, which were knotted up, as it was a point of honour with the Dick Turpins never to steal or injure a horse. Contiguous to Sexarde is Pecs, celebrated for its champagne wine, whose reputation was mado by a common labourer, who carved his way to fortune. He has for neighbour the famous porcelain factory of Taolnay, who discovered the means of imparting to his wares a milk-tint, or ivory shade, combined with the splendours of email. He, too, was a simple worker, a potter, who plodded Europe in 1806 with samples of his colouring. All his family are artists, and still work in the factory. Comte Lichy, Liszt's famous pupil, who plays only with one hand — all he has, comes every year to give a charitable concert, as a patriotic pilgrimage. There is an agriculturist at Pecs, M. Dori, who sits in his office, and by means of a field telephone, direct-* all the work on his vast estate. The "tiery Hun," like the "furious Frank," is abreast with the times. Russia is the nursery ground of sects. The latest is a sauve gui peut moral, which the intellectual classes of that Empire now indulge in, as the outcome of the writings of the romancier, Comte Folstoi. His novel, " Anna Kare*nine," is the missal of the now dogmas, applied to questions of the day. The purely theologic aspect of his ideas were treated in his " Religion and Confession." These the Greek Church put at once in its index. But the works not the less circulated to the number of millions in the auto- and lithographs form among the masses. The Comte Tolstoi even dramatised his doctrines, like Dumas Lon, and had the plays interpreted at tho Crummies class of theatres in St. Petersburg. 1 Comte Tolstoi is immensely rich, and of noble descent. He has not renounced his social positions as is reported. He splits wood, Mr Gladstone fells trees, he makos boots, Louis XVI. made locks, and the Kron Prinz of Germany sets type merely as hygienic exercises. The Count's panacea for helping your neighbour is«, give no money, but aid him in his work with your own hands. But how do so in the case, say of frozen gardeners, when they " have got no work to do?" He ranks intellectual labour as an iniquity and an inutilifcy. "Scientific science" for him is the antipodes of common sense. Ignorance is bliss ; only manual labour is righteousness. In one of his " Tracts for the Times," which he publishes for tho masses, a king of the scientists is sent to board and lodge with swine. In the second allegory Hades swallows up the intellectual worker. The author urges that the wicked should be allowed to always have their own way. Comte Tolstoi asks the Russian peasants "why desire land when at any moment they may die?" they should only seek for seven feet of soil — just the length of a grave. Suppose Lord Salisbury tried this new gospel of Holy Russia with the Irish ? As a set off to this sociology of Comte Tolstoi's, the Russian peasant has a passion for land and a profound sympathy with educated people.

A contemporary relates the following story as having occurred at Wellington. The scene is laid in Bellamy's. A new member had just finished his dinner, and asked the waiter for the bill. Surprised at the smallness of the charge, having expected that with such aristocratic surroundings a fancy price would have been demanded, he asked if a mistake had not been made. Being assurad it was all right, the new member thus delivered himself :— Ci By Jove ! I'll have another dinner — for the good of the house." The Academy of Medicine in Paris has just been listening to a report from M. Polaillon on an unusual surgical operation, which ended successfully. The case was that of a young man who out of bravado had swallowed a fork. It was extracted by an incision in the stomach. For several days after the patient confined himself strictly to a diet of soup and icad champagne. Later on he took some milk, and on the twelfth day was allowed a cutlet. He is now quite well. The other day a gentleman ate a lobster salad. He died shortly afterwards in agony. At a subsequent investigation the lobster (which was tinned) was found " not guilty," but the report of the analyst is not likely to increase the derrand for tinned goods. There was, indeed, no trace any poisonous metal or of any poisou, but the lobster was crowded with bacteria— in other M'ords, it was rapidly decomposing. Potted fish, it seems, unless it is preserved in oil, is liable to speedy putrefaction in warm weather, and, should not be eaten after the day the tin is opened. The Kokstadt Advertiser says : — Some of the plums from the Transvaal Gold Fields are coming this way. Prior to the Fransvaal war Messrs A. and J. King were farming there, but on the retrocession of the countary they sold out and came to East Griqualand to farm. There was one farm at De Kaap, however, which they were unable to sell or even give away at the time, and there was no prospect of turning it to account in any way. The other day some rich reefs were found upon the farm, and an offer for it of £15,000 was immediately made to the proprietors which was declined. The Messrs King have since been requested to proceed to the Transvaal for the purpose of negotiating a sale. There is a six -storied tenemented house known as the Big Flat in Elizabethstreet, New York, which is occupied by 1500 persons. The Big Flat was originally intended for a working girls' home, but this not proving a success it was changed into a house for coloured people. At present, although almost every race on the globe lives there, not one coloured person can be found in the building. A list of the different nationalities that tenant the building comprises Irish, Germans, Spaniards, Cubans, Swedes, Italians, Russians, Huns, Poles, Japanese, Chinese, and Turks. No other tenement in the country contains such a diversity of races, nor probably any other in the world. Tkkhk is a certain noble pride through which merits shine brighter than through modesty. — Richter. A fashionable lady and her daughter have returned from a foreign tour. A friend of the family called, and the following conversation took place : — "Were you in Italy?" " Oh, yes, we spent some time in Italy." " And how did you like Rome?" " Rome? Let me see" (turning to her daughter) : " I •ay, Emily, wasn't Rome the town where we had to pay so much for them glovei that didn't last no time ? '