Miscellaneous.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1031, 27 April 1894, Page 7

Miscellaneous.

The tower which is being erected by the Russians on the higest point of the Mount of Olives, at Jerusalem, is already several storeys high, but on« more is to be added; It is to be so high that both the Mediterranean and J the Dead Sea can be seen from the top. | An amusing incident was narrated | by one of the speakers at a Home Mission meeting in Adelaide recently. A while ago a good brother, who had evidently not been touched with the democratic spirit of the age, thus publicly addressed the Supreme Being: ' 0 Lord, we thank Thee for the men of infinence in political and social life that Thou has given to our. Church — the Hon John Colton, and the Hon John Carr, and the Hon Alfred Catt. We thank Thee for them ;' and then, thinking that that was not specific enough, and wishing perhaps to convey a little information of interest to his fellow-worshippers, he- added, 'We know them, Lord, for we have dined with them.' In one of the great public schools in England a master, known to successive generations of his pupils for fifty years as 'Old Biggus,' delighted in surprising his boys with strange sayings and doings. On one occasion, desirous of practically illustrating a question in the arithmetic lesson, he said to a boy : ' I am a tripe merchant, and this platform is my shop. You will come here and buy a pound of tripe. Now begin.' 'Please, I want a pound of tripe,' said the boy, sauntering up. 'Where's your money V demanded Old Biggus, hoping to put the boy out of countenance. 1 Where's your tripe V was the ready r< tort ] but it gained for its unfortunate author four hours' detention on the next holiday. So far (writes the Press) there seems every probability that a lady will be the first successful candidate to obtain the Degree of Bachelor of Music in the New Zealand University, Mrs Donald M'Lean of Lagmhor Station, Ashburton, having lately passed the second examination, and has therefore only one more to pass before obtaining the degree. The examiner was Professor Bridge, organist of Westminster Abbey, the subjpets being harmony and counterpoint. Mrs M'Lean was a student attending the music lectures at Canterbury College, but owing to her residence at some distance from Christchurch has of late been a. private pupil of Mr Tendall. The new explosive, Schnebelite — so called from the name of the genial Alsatian and his brother abbe, its inventors — which has already achieved such interesting results at the South London rifle butts atNunhead, was tried before a critical company at Argenteuill on Jan. 24, and gave (says a London paper) remarkable results. Mining experts were chiefly interested in the fact that it gave off little smell. Though the base of the Schnebelite, which can be manufactured in less than half an hour, is chlorate of potash, the inventors have so turned that most dangerous explosive that their powder seems to be less dangerous than any other. After putting it on an anvil they struck it with a heavy hammer, ground it in a coffee-mill, made it roll over iron plates, subjected it to intense heat, and moistened it with water. The powder thus wetted was used afterwards in the experiments, and proved not to have deteriorated. At the Liverpool Lay Magistrates' Court, recently, an incident of a novel character arose. In the course of the proceedings, over which Mr G. Behrund presided, a number of persons were summoned for allowing their chimneys to be on fire, among which the magistrate's name appeared. He being the only magistrate present he asksd the clerk of the court (Mr Ellis) if he could fine himself, to which that gentleman replied, ' that he thought if he would inflict double the usual penalty justice would be met." Mr Behrund promptly fined himself 2s and 2s costs — the usual penalty being l*s and Is costs — and paid over the money to the clerk. A minute later he asked a defendant to be moi'e careful in future and get the chimney swept oftener, and those present in court could not possibly refrain from smiling. ; The following from Tasmania is i worth republishing : — A high school girl, class A, being told by her teacher to parse tha sentence, ' He kissed me,' consented reluctantly, because opposed to speaking of private affairs in. public. ' He,' she commenced with unnecessary emphasis, and a fond lingering over the word that brought the crimson to her cheeks, 'is a pronoun, third person, singular number, masculine gender, a gentleman, pretty well off, universally considered a good catch. Kissed is a verb, transitive — too much so ; regular — every evening ) indicative mood — indicating affection j first person and third person, plural number, governed by circumstance. Me — Oh, everybody knows me !' and down she went.' The old adage that history repeats itself is again illustrated in the latest fad ■of having glass cups on the tables of those who desire to be in the fashion. We understand that the proper thing now at the tea-table is to have the cups made of glass of different bright colors, with plain white saucers* This certainly does brighten up the table, and adds greatly to its attractiveness.— House Furnishing Keview,