'NEATH A MISTLETOE BOUGH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 43, 19 February 1908, Page 6

'NEATH A MISTLETOE BOUGH.

In a country o£ moonshine and shadow Dwelt a maid 'neath a mistletoe bough, And her hair went in {olds Of rich auburns and golds, Like a. sunset wound over her brow. Each night, as she tripped through the valley, The moon on the tip of the fir Wove itself a pale shroud Out of shimmering cloud, And left all the shining to her. The daisies all folded for slumber, Put back their white lingers to see, And the lilies looked round As the low, sliken sound Of her garments crept over the lea. Oh, the dusk might forget to bring starlight, The valley might cheat mc of flowers; But the light and the bloom Of her face would illume And make lovely the darkest of hours! —Arthur Upson, in "Pall Mall."

TO "CHESTPHONE." The latest "Ne-w York idea" is "chesttelephony." Kew Yorkers are rejoicing in the fact that they have discovered a new method of telephoning and, at the same time, an excellent way of amusing themselves. Instead of placing the transmitter to the mouth, they put it firmly against the chest and speak in a normal natural tone. Strange it is to record, the listener 'will hear what is being said nearly as well as if the mouth were placed near the transmitter in the usual way.

If the transmitter be placed firmly on the kneecap, the speaker will be heard just as well. Or again, should the transmitter be placed to the heel, the voice can still bo faintly heard. A London college professor of physics, when asked for an explanation, said> "Sound waves travel as well in some cases through substance as they do through the air. To prove this, place your ear against the chest of a speaking person, and the volume of sound will be greater than if the ear was placed quite near the speaker's mouth." To illustrate his point further, he performed a rudimentary experiment in "acoustics." Ho placed a musical-box inside a woollenlined case, and after having set the instrument going, he closed the lid. Hardly a sound could be heard. Placing a wooden rod through an aperture in the top of the, case, he pressed it against the musical-box with the result that the "sound waves" were transmitted through the wood into the air, and the music could be heard almost as well as if the box was uncased.

It was at a White House reception that Mark Twain first appeared in his wonderful white fhinnel suit for evening wear. During the last twelve months he has worn nothing else on State occasions. It is made of the best French flannel, and cost about £12. He claims that his white rig is more sanitary than black; but he always adds that the reason he wears it, though, is just because he wants it. Is there any man besides Mark Twain who would dare to appear at a fashionable dinner in such guise without becoming an outcast -or declared mad ?