RANDOM NOTES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 45, 7 March 1874, Page 9

RANDOM NOTES.

" A ohiel's amaug ye takiu* notes. And faith he'll priut 'em." Thebe is a fund of humour in your Irishman that nothing can stamp out ; adversity sannot crush it, nor misfortune overcome it, and under all circumstances, and at all times — unconsciously, it may be — will it float to the surface. I remember some few months since seeing tho prospect of as pretty a fight as ever gladdened the heart of a Donnybrookian, spoiled by this under-current making itself visible at the wrong time. A countryman of mine, but one who had evidently arrived at maturity before the enaetn.ent of compulsory education, was holding forth successfully against the denominational system of education. I say successfully, for though Lindby Murray had been murdered, and Dr. Johnson strangled over and over again, Ins logic an 1 line of argument was of such a nature aa fairly to nonplus his more matter-of-fact adversary. Tho arguments on both sides, if not convincing, were decijedly forcible, and the probability was momentarily increasing of thero being a " striki g illustration " accompany iug them. The point under discussion was t .c compensation to be awarded to teachers, which Pat either could not or would not understand ; and vainly did his opponent strive to make him comprehend that payment was by results. The battle raged fiercely, and opinions more candid than complimentary were interchanged ; but just as the accommodating host was about to clear the decks for action, a change cauie over the complexion of affairs, and one for which Fat alone °va3 accountable, llis face, which a moment before had been the perfect index of the passion by which he had been swayed, suddenly underwent a change, and, with a smile and a wink which conveyed a world of meanin<* lie said : " Oh, begoiTa, I see now what your driving at; you mane'that they'll be paid according to their usefulariby !" This was too much ; and the hearty burst of laughter which greeted the birth of this stringer was taken by Put as a concession that he had floored his antagonist — as, indeed, he aompletely had — and tho contending parties callei tho " usefulanty " of the landlord into requisition by waving tribute to Bacchus. l J b

Not long since, in company with a brother scribe, I paid a visit tj a Lunatic Asylum, and in course of inspection wa9 brought to that class of unfortunates whose cases wero held to be hopeless. Thei were in the exercise yard, which was surrounde 1 by a high wall, on the outside of which a mound had been raised to enable visitors and others to see and converse with the patients without being compelled to mix with them. No soontr had wo made our appearance than we became the ceutre of attraction to the unhappy inmates, each onj re-

tailing a grievance, or preferring a request. One among the rest, however was most noticeable, not only by bis conduct, but also for the rational manner in which he conversed. After a conversation which we had entered into with him, extending ever some time, he aaked my friend for a small portion of " weed." This was duly thrown over, aud a silence of some moments ensued, during which he was- busily employed itanipulatirg it without the aid 1 of w knife. At length the madman looked up and said : " Well, look here, sir, you won't find me uugratefU. Some of those fellows here are like the wheat at the present time- afflicted with the disease called the « take all.' Now, you gave me a piece of tobacco just now, and I intend to give a box in return. So look out, as I shall throw it across." Of course my friend was thankful, and gratelully acknowledged his readiness to accept this souvenir of his visit, naturally concluding it would be some curious relic of byegone days. In due course the box landed at our feet ; and I admit we considered ourselves somewhat sold when the present \ turned out to be an ordinary wooden match-box, very much the worse for the wear. I happened to catch the donor's eye at the time and the peculiar twinkle by which it was agitated just then conveyed the idea that we were not alone in the opinion that we had been sold. We had a hearty laugh at our own expense, when we heard a voice from the other side call out; "I see, gentlemen, that you do not ac-m to ▼alue that boa at its proper worth ; so, if you do not care particularly for it, just fill it up with matches, and throw it back again," and the left optic twinkled even more vigorously than before. This request we also complied with, and I left the grounds profoundly impressed with ihe delicacy with which the negotiation had been carried on and paying a just tribute to the finesse which I had witnessed. And yet this man was mad ; hopelessly mad. Peter Possum.