The Editor's Leisure Hour.

Clutha Leader, Volume VIII, Issue 408, 5 August 1881, Page 7

The Editor's Leisure Hour.

A Sure Cure — * Don't }6u> know'it'sVfvy wrong to pmoke, my boy?' said* an eldvrly-lboking lady in\ h't'tiWaycarriage to young John Bull/ wjjp .persisted in punting i> cigarette, " much .to» the old lady's discomfort. ; , .jjO^V., I smoke for my health !' answered,. theboy, emitting a volume of. smoke, , from* his mouth which, almost choked the old lady. ' But you ; never r heawJ T of a< cure from smoking,' cputiuu^,d*the. >lady when she had regained con^cipusnesß. ' Oh, yes, I have !" declared theiboy, as*, he formed his mouth into a 'young Vesuvius. ' That's the way' they! '/pure* pigs.' 'Smoke on then,' : , quickly ,replied the old lady ; * there's sqibei hopefor you yet!' , ./.,/• .',* / .. The Administration of : Justice im Ireland is Evidently Improving.^- A tr the last Nenagh Assizes an r old" f woman, was charged with having imalicipiusly; 1 set fire to a Roman Catholic •• chapel:.. Observing that she was what is oilledt ' unrepresented .by counsel/ the'; judge said to her, * Have you ria,cpußseVr 'I have not, yer anner,' answered theold woman cheerfully. ' ButwL mustr. tell you what perhaps* you do not know^ that this is a very serious offence^ and* that you may be sent to prison for a* considerable time. Surely you have at--least an attorney to defend :O: ybu %V ' Sorra a one, yer anner,' said' tHe 61& woman j ' but,' she added, .with^ an, encouraging wink and a! Bmile,V;,i {l!l' ye- :- siveral good friends among- the juryl*>*x A Matrimonial Difficulty tGpt ; '6^er^. — Deafness is a distressing' infirmity,, and has not unfrequently given- occasion to unpleasant misunderstandings^ but not often to a more ludicrous onethan is recorded by a Shrewsbury.paper as having occurred in a church near*that town on a recent Sunday. Theclergyman had just announced that-a christening service would be held/Jh, the afternoon, and that parents mifst? bring their children before" three? o'clock, when up jumped the clerk, and J supplemented the announcement f with> the information that persons Who had* none l might be supplied in the vestry: at sixpence apiece.' It seena.thatrjtjie-. zealous functionary, had misunderstood^ the clergyman's notice as applying to a. new hymn book. " '■• '■ How Neddy's Owner Viewed >it.irrA»>. Paris paper tells of the good done-by* the Society for the Prevention 1 tjjf f Cruelty to Animals in that., city. A* peasant was ouce beating his ass with i great fury when a member of thesocietj^ passed. ' How now, friend ! Do you strike the companion of your labours ?'.' That is wrong. Humanity has certain imprescriptible rights which spread abroad throughout nature. Come,gqoo^ man, you should caress the unhappy creature, for thus much you owehim.r 'Yes, sir; yes, sir;' and the peasantstroked the ass's mane. The memberpassed on, congratulating himself 'thilfe, the day was not lost to him. Afterlifehad gone a few paces, he turned round, and saw the peasant, armed, with, alarger stick than ever, beating.the],asswith great fury and saying each stroke, ' Oho, you've got friends^ have you—ryou've got friends V ' ' i i Energy. — In the lives of most, petv sons there are periods in which'everything is at stake — home, honour,;, com : petency, and happiness all are in thebalance. Thoy may- be almost-ours^ or even be in our possession, while the events will shortly toll wile they they shall be ours for life or be lost' for ever. No matter how .dark, it. is. aht»af}, we* must go rito the contest, or 16'se aIU without a struggle. It is upon himseft that a man must depend in such emergencies. His friends have thejr oyvn* battles to fight or victories to enjoy.. The quality that will help hini most is» aggressive foree — the persisting randj indomitable energy that bears down alb opposition. The man filled with tbi&combative spirit is the hero, the masterspirit of the world in which he moves.. Impediments which would dishearten weaker men cause in him the' mostx vigorous exertions. Difficulties areswept out of his path, and, thought borne down time after time, he struggles on and wins. Intrusiveness, — There are some* duties, negative as well as ppsijt^vej. j which are too subtle and 1 , delicate *f|r* rules> or even for much analysis., .They.must be felt in order to be compres hended, and in proportion to the^keeiWness of perception and the Btirisitiv6ffe&6< of feeling will be the degree to' whi6h they are fulfiled. Prominerit r fimengr these is the duty of non^intrusion*. There ore other vights which we'Jitebound to^ respect besides, those *of' T fijfc,. liberty, and citizenship. The\ rjgjbt that a man has to himself, to his own* time, his thoughts, his epinip.n, ;,hjf individuality, is not so, thorAqajhjy^^di; milted as it deserves to be. Per^ojajwho would shrink with hoiror from tuV very thought of stealing a sbillmigifr.Qma a buisness acquaintance. will, without a. shadow of compunction, , rob. him-f oft" time that is perhaps worth to him*many shillings. We all kdoMr. how. dti*. intrusive visit at an unseasonable timewill sometimes compel us,.to choose between serious loss .ami inconvenifncaon the one hand and breach ofjiolireriH^s on the other. And, although goodi j.'ulgment.teuchfs us that the latter.. j*the right course, and' that tlibin'truilHr has forfeited his claim to cour'e'ouk treatmonf, it is still a pai fa f til position, to occupy, and one in which, be laid- uo> right to place us^ ■■'- -,'J.uu'i d