Untitled

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2325, 4 June 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

Uncovering tii-k Sphinx —The famous Sphinx is again being uncovered, a process .which the ever-drifting sanile make necessary, if it is to be preserved to the ga//3 of tiie traveller. Eighteen years ago tliis work was done in honour of the opening .of the Sue , /, Canal, and the excavations then went down to tho level on which the paws reat. Now.a tramway has been laid down from this curious statue to the " pyramid plateau." Over this the sand is conveyed in trucks, loaded by a miscellaneous assortment of Arabs, young and old, and of both sexes. The disclosure made by the present excation is more extensive than anything of the kind that has been made within seventy years past. In addition to the exposure of the whole front of the statue, a flight of steps has been discovered between it and the pyramid plateau, a"d another flight, which is known to exist, will probably soon be laid bare.

A Tkjck in Four Acts.—Act 1.-A gentleman irreproachably dressed goea into a confectioner's shop in Paris, and says to the polite proprietor :—"I want a hundred and fifty of the uicest cream tarts'yon can make." "A hundred ami fifty ! That is a pretty large order. Do you want them at once?" " Within three hours at the latest." "lean have them ready at that time. \hem ! It is

eustomaiy to ask a deposit on such orders —sav 10 francs." " Certainly, my friend. Hero jarc your ten francs. ,: Act ll.—

About two hours later a gentleman, irreproachably dressed, goes into a tailor's shop across the way from the pastry cook's, and asks to be shown some overcoats. He selects one of the nicest and asks the price. "One hundred and twenty-five francs, sir." " Very well; I will take it. I have seme money to collect at the confectioner's across the way. I presume you have no objection to let one your young men come over with meto get it." "Certainly not. A worthy man is my friend, Mr Puff." Act lII.—To confectioner enter irreproachably dressed gentleman, now wearing an overcoat, and tailor's young man. The confectioner greets the former with the respectful friendliness due. a good customer, " Ah, Mr Putt', I've called round for that one hundred and fifty you promised to have ready for meat 12 30." "You shall have them in five minutes, sir." " Very well. I have to go rouud the corner to see a man. You will give this young gentleman one hundred and twent-five of the one hundred and fifty. I will return aud get the remaining twenty-five myself in a few moments." "With pleasure, sir." Act IV.—Five minutes-later the confectioner gives the tailor's young man 125 cream tarts, and a bill for balance thereon 21 f. 25 c. One minute thereafter a. confectioner and a tailor's young man are 1 scouring the neighborhood in search of an irreproachably, dressed gentlemaD with a new overcoat.—Tit Bits.

Tact.—" You talk of tact!" said an American reporter. " I remember a case of .tact that was as pi etty as anything I can im ia;itie. It was at the house of a governor of a Western State. His wife was one of the most refined and charming women I ever knew, and she was just chockfal of tact. The governor had to give receptions to influential ineu in the State, and you can fancy that some of them were very uncouth and uneducated. One evening there was a lT.rge dinnerparty, and a rather rough old fellow, a wealthy and importaut man, was the chief guest. The dinner went along very nicely. Beyond making a few rather gauche remarks, the old Western man behaved pretty well. But, when the llngor-bowls weres put on the table, he was rather knocked ever, and, like many other heroes of such stories, he took his up.and drank O'it of it. Nobody,happened to see him but the hostess, and quick as a wink she signalled to the servants. They removed every finger-bowl before anylody could touch them, and the old fellow doesn't know to-day, if he's living, what a mistake he made; Now that's tact !" " You call that tact said an Irishman sitting opposite to the stenographer. "I can beat, that myself. I got out of a scrape the other night at the theatre. I had a seat in the middle of a row, and there was a mighty pretty woman I had to pass to get there. I was squeezing my way along, and I couldn't help casting i squint at her as I went. While .J wa? doing that, I trod on her toe, and shegave a little scream. The fallow with her looked as if he was going to lick nn\ 'I beg your pardon, madam,' I said politely. 'I could not, judging by your hand, imagine your feet large. . There was tact ! What are you laughing at?" "Oh nothing." . :