CLIPTOMANIA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 5465, 24 January 1885, Page 5

CLIPTOMANIA.

(WICIALLY SELECTED BY OUR LONDON

CORRESPONDENT.)

I'iiK iSuUaii nun given permission to sixteen ladies of hie harem to send their photoa to tlio Beauty Exhibition in Paris. It appears that the competitors need not all of them put in an appearance in the flesh, but that, under certain circumstances, ladies at any distance, and of all natione, will be allowed to compote her photograph, but not, of course, on an equality with those who put in an appearance. Blinking had been lecturing for a month, and the other evening he slipped out and called on his young lady without letting his friends know of it. The next day ona of them met him. "Good morning, Mr Blinkins,'1 he said ; " where did you lecture last night?" "In town," replied 8., innocently. "Had you 'a pleasant meeting?" " Yes very." " Did you hold your audience as usual?" "Well—ah—yes—that iR-no —of course I didn't. " I held her on my kp," blurted out Blinkins. " Truth " gathers from a report of Messrs Fouerheerd, the well-known wine merchants at Oporto, that the export of port wine from Portugal, far from diminishing, is on the increase. Between 1823-38 the export was 31,029 pipes; between 1858-68, 30,562 pipes; between 1569-7S, 49,997 pipes; and between 1878-83, 57,630 pipes. It would seam, therefore, that port, as a dinner wine, is coming into fashion again. The Mormons have very funny notions. Here is one. "My daar," said a Mormon wife to her husband, " 1 should think that you would be ashamed of yourself flirting with that Mies 8., as you did to-day." "Flirting with her?" he replied in astonishment. "Why, we have been engaged for more than three months. It's all over town." "Oh, I beg your pardon," said his wife, indifferently. "If you are engaged to her I suppose it is all richt. When does the happy event occur?",., " The Wsek," which is one of the most influential papers in Canada, suma up the dispute as to tho Hanlan-Beach race, which has excited so much interest in this country, as follows :—*'Hanlan is known to be a needy man, fond of money, given to gambling, and his only chance to make a considerable sum was to lose the race and lay against himself—a device which it i» only too apparent he resorted to." It is evident that the Canadians don't take the beating in good part. For a convict who learns that ho has just inherited a fortune of eighty thousand pounds and a splendid estate to resolve on tho spot that he will, on the expiration' of his term of imprisonment, live an honest life setms somewhat strange. To live dishonestly with such a fortune would be as difficult ns unnecessary. The Frenchman who recently made the above vow mußt have been a trifle excited over his good fortune.— " Society." (i' A curious fatality seems to attend the anna sclcolastica of colonial bishops. Every one remembers Bishop Barry's loss of all his books and sermons; and now I hear that it similar accident has befallen Bishop Anson, l who went out only a few months ago to a diocese in North-west Canada. A fire broke out in his "palace"—a wooden Bhanty, I presume—and all his manuscript sermons were amongst the things destroyed.— "Truth."

Mr John Hogben, the Kentish gentleman who tho other day attained his hundredth year, will hardly be testimonialised by the United Kingdom Alliance or the AntiTobacco Society. He has been all through his life, it is stated, both a moderate drinker and a smoker. It is really very inconsiderate ot men who indulge in those pernicious habits to go on living for a century, and to keep all their faculties in reasonable preservation, as Mr Hogben Beems to havo done.

I was says "Truth " amused to discover the other day that two of the corps of " experienced " voyageurs imported from Canada into Egypt at a vast expense were •-English youths who had recently emigrated to Canada. One of them had adopted no profession in particular during his short stay in the country, while the other had boen employed in a post-office, from whence he went straight to Egypt. I wonder if these two youths are a fair sample of the skilled navigators of the Nile Expedition. " Can you oblige me with a photograph of King Tawhiao?" "Sorry I can't» ma'am, for I have lost the niggertive,"

The engagement of one of Mr Jatnes Payn's daughters to Mr Buckle, the editor of the "Times," has been the subject of many congratulations from the wide circle of friends whose privilege it is to enjoy the acquaintance of the author of "Lost Sir Massingberd." Mr Fayn has a housefull of charming daughters, and it is the third one that js shortly to marry the editer of a journal in which many of her father's " Private Views" and other admirably witty articles have appeared.

Woman never undertakes the tasks of the sterner sex without introducing therein some livelier touch of her own gentle fancy. The adult male burglar, for instance, is a rough methodical villain -afe the best, and slouches from his task as un. picturesquely as he entered upon it. Three girls at Leicester, on the other hand, averaging thirteen summers apiece, were no(s content with such bare burglary. They broke into a house, stole all kinds of things, and got very, very drunk upon the premises. Dull men would never have dome so. much.

Almost all the rich and famous men in New York beganlife as "nobodies." C&arles P. Daly was an apprentice to a quill pen cutter. Roswell P. Flower was a farm labourer at Idol, a day. August Belmont was an apprentice at nothing a year, and boarded himself. Grover Cleveland was a clerk in New York city at 4dol.Vweek. Cliirk Bell was a blacksmith apprentice, and could scarcely lift the hammer. Henry S, Abbey failed in the jewellery business. A. B. Cornell was a telegraph operator for Morse. George William Curtis was a clerk at 3dol. a week. Charles A. Dana was a. farm-boy. Chauncey Depew, like Thurlow Weed, was a cabin-boy on the-North River, and was in the line of promotion to a skipper. Edison was a newsboy. Gould and Grant were tanners. John Kelly was a gratesetter. Dan Sickles was a type-setter; aridi Rufus Hatch and Russel Saga were farm hands.—" The Hour."

Tho following is a little, incident which took place a year before Patti's appearance on the stage :-She and hersister, Carlotta, were present at a party one evening. By some mistake, it had been neglected to order a carriage to take the young ladies home. It had been snowing heavily all day; the: Musses Patti were in evening attire their feet protected only by white satin slippers. It was two o'clock in themoraingj no «onvonient way of getting a conveyance; the greater part of the guests had left What could bo done ? Finally, a gentleman had the ingenious idea of procuring a sleigh which stood before a grocery store at tho corner. Tho Misses. Patti. well trapped in. shawls, and covered with blankets, got in it; the olothjes-lioes wore fetched, fastened to tb,a sleigh, ;■ a number of gentlemen placed thpniselve3 in front ofit, auddrewtheladieK to, their homes in Twenty-second-street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues. This, was probably the diva's first triumphal car. and afforded her and thosetaking part in theoccasion great funand pleasure. "Never."' she said afterwards, "-will I forget thia incident, which I look upon as a good ome» for my future career." *~Aj -.! retearsal > when the stalls are filled With, critics, and tho gas suddenly goes oufc, means a painful experience for thp. management. But at th© Grand Exhibition of Electric Town Lightimr at Temesvar, in Hungary, the situation wa» still more painful. Just when the court of foreign experts had assembled to see thel triumph of. olectricity over gas, the dynamos got out of order, there was total darkness and. no gas. to turn on. In street HplibW it is well to b« on with the new lov* "before you are off with the old. However criminal we must all feel tha shooting of Morm by Madauje Hugues to be, one thing is certain. With tEe firsC pistol shot that reverberated around tha &lle, de Justice, there colloid mst of £ unwholesome tyranny that Parisian detect trees have long wielded over the reputatiofl of honourable men and women, the dis" closures that will be forthcoming on tKa head at the trial will be the ruin It mm a blood-sucking rogue.—" Globe." y It is said that one of the foremost of American managers ba*. the intention o calhng a meeting of managers to abolish diamonds w the. theatrical and operatic profession. This young Mr Hopefufmaintoins that managers are ruined by diamond He says- diamonds make women and mvlZ crazy, and send up salaries a hundrwfner cent. Ho asserts that diamonds are- under mi?V1g^Manag.f8' bank «R accounts,' and that things will, never coma to a de cent head again till real diamonds are forbidden on the stage, and. only stage diamonds are allowed whon. the character SW^T* n ventlJres°™ enough To