SCINTILLATIONS.

"Bo brief; tor v is w eh words as with the beams: the morj they aro condensed, the deeper they burn."—SouTHicr.

Tho two-storey house in Karangahape Road between the Jewish cametery and Mr Belcher's, fetched £320 at Mr Binncy's salo yesterday.

Mr James O'Connor was admitted to the hospital yesterday, having suffered injury to hm eyes by the discharging of a shot of powder at Tairua.

A cablegram dated London, January 24th, received in Dunedin, says :—" Trade shows no improvement. Prospects not good."

New Plymouth harbour works arc to begin at last, tho 7th of February being fixed for laying the foundation stono. When will it be finished ?

Tho Christchurch Property Reviewers are sitting in private.

The Taukau school children had afgrand annual treat and sport?. Messrs Harris, M.H.R., and family were present. Dancing was one of the amusements at the soiree to celebrate tho opening of the handsome Presbyterian Church at Kaukapaknpa. The Key. Messrs Bruce, Sommervillo, and Smeaton were present. All Presbyterian parsons, therefore, cannot entertain the same scruples on the subject as the pastor of St. James.

A large hotel is to be erected at once at Messrs McLean's new township of Oxford, on the Kotorua Road, Mr Madigan is the contractor.

The fruit-srealers from Uol. DeQuincey's garden, Hamilton, were fined 17s 9d each with a warning that similar offences in future would be treated with imprisonment. The steamer Delta leaves Hamilton on Saturday for an excursion to tho Waikato Heads, extending over Monday should sufficient inducement offer.

A meeting of officers of the Waikato Volunteer Cavalry held at Ohanpo resolved to hold a review at Te Awamutu at Easter, and to invite Volunteers from all parts of the Provincial District. It was also agreed to ask the Government for tents for an encampment of 1,000 men expected. The total winnings of Robert the Devil during his turf career amount in the aggregate to £20,920. Mr Brewer gave 2500 guineas for him at the close of his two-year-old career. As a three-year-old he has won £18,647, so that the owners of the horse made a good investment.

A wealthy manufacturer of Connecticut having built an elegant mansion, and wishing to take a second wife, said to his architect," Which agrees best with brick and brown stone, a brunette, or a blonde 1" A Wellington rat saw a mussel on the Whßrf, with its shells open, and, expecting no doubt to get a dainty morsel, thrust his paw in, whereupon the mussel instantly closed hard and fast, Dot only making the rat a prisoner but causing him to "sing out" in a way that soon attracted notice and led to his destruction.

That favourite vocalist Miss Alice May is now at the Globe, playing with much success Simone in the new and very popular comic opera called "The Mousquetaires." It is a capital opera, full of fun, and teeming with bright and cheerful music.