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New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 178, 25 August 1876, Page 15

A singular little 'boy turned up at the Bow street Police-court the other day — a boy -who pleaded that he had "no regular father and mother." The police found him a neglected urchin of nine — he appeared to be younger. He was not without good parts, however, and the police, to test his powers, gave him the " shipping intelligence" of the daily paper to read, which he did very well. The boy, named John Cronin, moreover, boasted that he could do " summing," and told the magistrate that he could draw, ■what he could draw, he said "a mug of beer," and evidently did not mean it in the "bar" sense. The mug of beer, being a familiar object, was apparent in his mind as something he had drawn, possibly in chalk, on the park palings. John Cronin's explanation about not having "a regular father and mother" was simple enough. His father died, and his mother married again. Then his mother died, and his stepfather took to himself another wife. John Cronin was thus unclaimed property, and goes to the union. A sharp little fellow who will pay for looking after, but not as " a young workus." John Cronin has become a public chaiaeter. He will probably get into some home and be put on a fair course. There are a multitude like hini with "no regular parents," but plenty of wits. The«e are the boys who should be trained for our army and navy. — ' Overland Mail.' The Yew trees of Britain are of wonderful longevity. One lived at Fountain's Abbey, Eipon, for 1,200 years ; there are some yews at Crowhurst, in Surrey, 1,450 ; a yew at Fontigal, Perthshire, 2,500 to 2,600 ; a yew at Bradburn, Kent, 3,000 ; aud a yew at Hedso, Bucks, tirenty.seveu feet in diameter, 2,300 years.