MISCELLANEOUS.

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 851, 9 October 1872, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Two Wives within Eight Days.— An Irishman, named James Kelly, was charged, before the Durham County magistrates with the following curious bigamy ; —ln March last the prisoner was married to a person named Boyle, in Ireland. The bride was possessed of a little money, with which the bridegroom speedily got on to the '' spree," and after living with his newly-married wife three days he deserted her, and making his way to Seaham harbour, made the acquaintance of a young woman, named Oarlin, with whom he was united in the bonds of matrimony within eight days of his first marriage.—The prisoner was remanded.

The Dolly Varden does not seem to take. In England we hear this rustic headpiece is passing away. At the last race meeting; in Jerome Park, New York which was attended by over 2,000 of the most fashionable ladies of New York, not a single Dolly Varden could be seen. In Auckland this crumply hat may occasionally be seen shading a pretty face, but it is not worn generally, except by ladies who. do not study the latest fashions.

Miss B. __dwards has written an article in the "School Board Chronicle," on the Jiterarj taste of the people. The fair writer considers that by giving Education tor all, and at the _ame time withholding the means of utilising it, we are surely not making much head against this evil. The mere knowledge of readirig and writing does not humanise, and it seems fallacious as well as cruel to give so much and not give a little more. The question of Sunday recreations and their bearings upon general culture is, however, hardly more important than that of literary taste. We have so splendid a national literature that it is such a heritage to every man arid woman bearing the English name that too many efforts cannot be made to popularise the study of it. In what workman's cottage do we find a copy of Shakespere or Milton, Groldsmith orFieding? At what harvest homes are the songs of the reapers and their wives culled from the garden of English ballad poetry? Cur coachmen and ladies' maids do not spend their leisure in reading Miss Austin or Charles Dickens ; they prefer the highly-seasoned romance of tbe penny journal., the dream books and other unwholesome reading provided for them by a mysterious race of writer., who for aught we know, may live under ground, so entirely are they hidden from sight."

The Lancet says that Dr. Arlidge, one of the pottery inspectors io Staffordshire, has put forth a very sensible protest against a very pernicious custom which rarely receives suffioent attention either from the medical profession or the public. He says that the women of the working classes make tea a principal article of diet instead of an occasional beverage; they drink it several times a day, and the result is a lamentable amount of sickness. This is no doubt the case, and, as, Dr. Arlidge remarks, a portion of the reforming zeal which keeps up such a fierce and bitter agitation against intoxicating drinks, might advantageously be diverted to the repression of this very serious evil of tea-tippling among the poorer classes. Tea, in anything beyond moderate quantities, is as distinctly a narcotic poision as is opium or alcohol. It is capable of ruining the digestion, of enfeebling and disordering the heart's action, and of generally shattering tho nerves. And it must be remembered that not merely is it a question of narcotic excess, but the enormous quantity of hot water which teabibbers necessarily take is exceedingly prejudicial both to digestion and nutrition. In short, without pretending to place this kind of evil on a level, as to general effect, with those caused by alcoholic drinks, one inly well insist that our tee-total reformers have overlooked, and even to no small extent encouraged, aiform of animal indulgence which is a9 distinctly sensual, extravagant, and pernicious, as any beer-swilling or gin drinking in the world. " Shon, mine son," said a worthy German father to his hopeful hair of 10 years, whom he had overheard using profane language — "Shon, mine son, come here, and I Till dell you a liddle stories. Now mine son, shall it be •? drue storie or a makesbletve ? 4<Oh a ._ .c story of course,." answered John. " Ferry fell, den. Tere vas vonce a goot nice old shentleman (shoost like me). Andt yon day he heard his son shwearing like a young fillan as he vas. So he vent to the wihkie ( corner ), and took down a cowhidep, shoost as I am toing now, and he took ter liddle blackgaurd by de collar ( dis vay, you see ), and volloped him shoost so! Andt den, mine tear son, he bull his ears dis way, and smack his face dat vay, and tell him to go witout his supper, shcost as you vill do do dis efening."

Mosgiel Tweeds, of Otago manufacture, are now in demand in the London market. They are a decided novelty, and excellent quality; and yet at a distance of 1,600 mUes from the place twhere they are produced, and from the.people who-e interest and profit it is to prefer the home production to the imported article, their excellence is discerned and appreciated before we bestow even a passing notice on the child of our own industry. Truly a Prophet hath no honor in his own country; but it is not colonial" to " sneeze at" a profit. The time has come when the nether extro itiea of every Now Zealand man and, hoy

should be clothed in stuff of the home production. Samuel Coombes has just received a parcel of the above Tweeds from the manufactory, and not only hopes that they will be extensively sought for, but expects overy public spirited man tb "go in" for at east one pairjof Mosgiel Tweed Trousers.