Varieties.

Auckland Examiner, Volume IV, Issue 273, 16 June 1860, Page 3

Varieties.

An Obnoxious Bonnet.—A servant girl, named Maxwell, brought an action in the Liverpool County' Court, to recover £1 of her mistress, the amount of one months wages, in lieu of notice. The plaintiff stated that she

was going out one Sunday evening, -when her mistress called her back, and told her to put

on another bonnet, or to take the artificial

flowers out of the one she had on. She refused to do either, and she was then told that if she went out in that bonnet she need not return. She did go out in the obnoxious bonnet, and did not return, and she now claimed a month's wages for the wrongful dismissal. For the defence it was proved that there was a stipulation made at the time the plaintiff was engaged that she should not wear artificial flowers in her bonnet; and his honor therefore gave judgment for the defendant.

A Glimpse op war. —On the crest of the position at Magenta there must have been about seven hundred dead, among whom were many officers, distinguished by their white hands and feet, rather than their dress, which is made to assimilate as much as possible to that of the men. Most of the bodies appeared to have undergone a hasty search, the chief part of the contents of the knapsack being removed. In other respects they remained as they had fallen. I picked up a letter lying beside the body of a fine young soldier, wl.ohad been a volunteer from Genoa. It was from his wife, beautifully and touchingly written, with all the fervor of her impassioned native tongue. It drew a little domestic picture for the comfort of him who was the light of their dwelling ; there were the sayings and doings of Felicia and Brigida; that a pretty dress was being secretly made for his dear mother; I pray for you night and day; that you may be restored to live in health and ; peace ; I have no consolation but in your dear letters. I send you embraces and kisses from Imy innermost heart. Alas, poor wife I a Tyrolese bullet had stilled for ever the throbbings of that which should have been the reply. It was noticable among these young soldiers of freedom how fondly the recollection of the mother seemed to be cherished. In their letters and on their tongues “la mia madre’’ was always the prominent theme. One poor fellow, who was severely wounded in the side and head, had come from the neighbourhood of Padua, and had, consequently, been separated from his family during the whole time of his service—thirteen years; he talked incessantly of his mother, rejoicing that, if he lived, he should see her and present himself to her a captain I — All the Year Round.

In 1853 the sum of .£5OO was subscribed in Sydney to purchase a testimonial to Mr. Hargraves, the gold discoverer. Mr. 11. subsequently had the goblet melted at the Mint, and since then rumours have been circulated that two-thirds of it were lead. Mr. Hale, under whose superintendence it was made, now writes to the Empire to state that after loss in melting, and the Mint charges, the net proceeds of the gold were within a fraction of £450.

A certain fashionable countess has long used a wash of her own making, by which she retained her complexion until long after three score years and ten. A firm has given the sum of £3OOO for the recipe, and the celebrated bloom is to be forthwith at the service of the less aristocratic portion of society.—Court Circular.

All England Eleven.—The All England Eleven are prepared to make a voyage to the Antipodes, with a view to competing with Anstralian cricketers. Private letters have been received in Melbourne from England, and stating that, upon certain terms, the Eleven will take so long an ocean voyage, en the understanding that they are to play a series of matches against the best teams the Australian continent can produce. The subject was to be very shortly brought before .the public, and if the response be favourable negociations will be at once entered into. The Name of New Zealand.—Might not New Zealand easily have a much moae appropriate and beautiful name ? The present name reminds us of the dull Dutch, and of the luxury iu which the native New Zealanders once indulged of eating each other. New Holland has become Australia; Vsn Dieman’s Land, Tasmania a great gain there is surely here iu euphony, if in nothing more. The natives of New Zealand call England Ingarani. This word has a noble sound. As New Zealand is about the same size as the British islands, find is expected to be for the southern what England is for the northern hemisdbere, why, with a slight change of the word, should not Now Zealand be called Ingarania —the England of the Pacific ? The retention of the name New Zealand is productive of considerable confusion Sometimes it means a region where the people once were cannibais, and sometimes Englands most delightful colony. But Ingarania would vanish the confusion and would have no disagreeable ass'oeiationa, it would simply be the prophecy of a glory and a grandeur yet to be. WI an pronounced, Ingarania would melt in the mouth like Australia and Tasmania- The foolish habit lias arisen of calling Euglithmen Anglo-Saxons, though not a tenth, if so march, of the inhabitanss are of Anglo-Saxon descent. But if we called New Zealand Ingarania, w’c should be doing something much wiser; we should inspire the Ingaranians to dwell on England’s heroic memories, and to be prouder and prouder of the land of their fathers the more they loved the land of their children.— [New Zealand Examiner]