PERSONAL ANECDOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 305, 21 December 1912, Page 15

PERSONAL ANECDOTES.

LESSONS IN AESTHETICISM. The new weekly journal, " Everyman," gives a new story of Oscar Wilde. During his tour in America, the inhabitants of Griggsville, in Kansas, cent him a telegram asking him to come and give them a lecture on aesthetics. Oscar Wilde telegraphed back: " Begin by changing the name of your town." SAVED BY FIREWORKS. Sir Harry Johnston relates in the "Scout" how a display of fireworks helped him out of a tight corner in South Africa, when a friendly chief was attacked by a tribe called the Wa-kibosho, and asked the Englishman to help him. Sir Harry says:—"l made all necessary preparations for a grand display of fireworks, and when it was quite dark I blazed forth on the astonished savages with Bengal lighis, red fire, Roman candles, serpent squibs, and, lastly, a magnificent flight of rockets. The terrified Wa-kibosho scarcely waited to see the end of the show. When the first rocket rushod shrieking into the air and broke in a mass of 'blue and crimson falling meteors our astounded foes fled in dismay." j A MEREDITH STORY. ! George Meredith liked to see 'his guests enjoy their wine. Henry Murray relates that, when he was on a visit to Boxhill, one of the guests at dinner would drink nothing but mineral water, and Meredith warned him against that habit with an intense solemnity. He told a story of a fellow-student at Dusseldorf when he was studying medicine there who fell a victim to his unbridled thirst for mineral waters. lie died suddenly in agony, asking that the autopsy should be performed by his friend George Meredith. • "Wiren 1 made the first incision, the ' glitter of the stalactites in the poor fellow's gastric cavity positively blinded mc. I had to wear iblu-e glasses for months aiterJ " NO USE FOR IT. Judge Parry says in his book that the unoducatrd man in the street is a better witness of outdoor facts than a clerk or warehouseman, having a more retentive i memory. He tells a story of a blacki smith who went to the farriery classes held by the Manchester education authorities. The clerk in charge gave him a note-book and a pencil. " Wot's this 'ere for?" asked the black- , smith. " To take notes." replied the clerk. "Notes? Wot sort o' notes?" " Why, anything the lecturer say? which you think important and want to , remember you may make a note of it, , ' said the clerk. ! " Oh," was the scornful reply, " anything I wants to remember 1 must make ' a note of in his 'ere book, must I? Tliei what do you think my bloomin' ved's for?"