Miscellaneous.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1033, 11 May 1894, Page 4

Miscellaneous.

Sometimes one meets with instances I of a delicate courtesy in the b'ush which puts our superfical town refinement to the blush. At a certain tourist's resort \ there is. a noble yellow torn oaf, now known as Mick, but previously rejoicing in the name 'Ginger.' 'I was obliged to change it, you know,' says the landlady plaintively, 'for the Rf ; v. Mr came to stay -with us, and he has red hair,' The Post of April 25 says : The Premier's edict as to (he exclusion of Evening Post representatives has been a source of very great concern to the messengers at the Departmental Buildings, An officer of- one of the departments, who bears an unfortunate resemblance to one of our staff, narrowly escaped forcible ejection. He was surrounded by a posse of messengers, and had to hurriedly give his name and department. Yesterday morning an individual entered the Buildings and went into one of the Ministers' rooms, passing unseen the messengers at the doorway. Tl e individual made things unpleasant for the Minister, who promptly had two of the messengers suspended for allowing him into the Buildings. He was understood to be one ' of the unemployed. After this the doors, were kept locked, and admission could only be secured by mysterious knocks and passwords, when a messenger wou'd look out and see if the incomer was of suspicious -appearance. This morning the suspended messengers were sent for, and after a solemn warning, forgiven. Max O'Rell was interviewed by a reporter of the Torquay Directory. Following is an^ extract: 'Next to j Torquay ,' I observed which do you consider the prettiest place you have visited V Max O'Rell smiled. ' T see you have no doubt that -Torquay is the most beautiful spot on earth,' he remarked. ' For scenery,' he added. • the "grandest country in the world is New Zealand. There You have a lovely blending of the Norwegian aud the Swiss scenery. As in Norway, there are on the West Coast of the islands a number of magnificent fjords, with mountains rising perpendicularly on either side to a height of about 5000ft. Now snd again you come upon a beautiful lake. Then, as in Switzer land there aro grpat snow covered mountains frow 8000 to 10,000ft in height. But what adds to the charm of the country are its native elements — the Maoris and the bush. The Maoris are fine, intelligent fellows, four of whom occupy seats in the New Zealand Parliament. Like ourselves they belong to the Aryan family, and they have helped themsplves liberally to civilisation. j The other day in Melbourne the Rev, A. R. Marshall, at , the Scots Church, in the course of an address on ' A pulpit view of popular literature ' gave expression to thefollowing views: — 'The old and somewhat puritanic objections to novels, just because they are novels, has almost completely died out and the Church not only now recognises that Che novel has a legitimate place in literature, but is quite ready to utilise it as a t ready means of bringing its own sacred influence to bear on the life and thought of the people. If the great function of the newspaper is to hold up the mirror to show us our everyday life as it is, the great function o£_the novel, viewed from the pulpit standpoint, should be to hold up the ideal of life, to remind us what we should be, and to inspire us to strive after it.' The Empress of Japan — being that sweetest of all sweet creatures, a womanly woman— has upon many occasions, openly evinced her deep interest in the wee ones of Japan, giving freely to all institutions that exist to benefit them in any way, even practising all sorts of little economies that she may be able to swell her contributions to certain charities that most interest her. Some years ago when the Imperial palace was burned, the Empress, amid all the excitement and discomfort she was for the nonce called upon to endure in a hasty flight to a comfortless old yashiki,.- thinking first of her • subjects' natural concern for her comfort, sat down and wrote them a dainty little rhyme, which proclaimed as erroneons the report that she had changed her residence. It coyly asserted that her home had always been in the hearts of her people, and that she sincerely, hoped that neither by flame nor; by cold could she be driven from that dear abode. A. Herald's' representative having interviewed . Mrs - , Yates, Mayor of Onehungaj says Mrs Yates is a firstclass hand at making butter, and had, when prices were high, made her own and her husband's clothes — a striking commentary upon what is often said as to the inability of women who may .choose public careers' to- attend to household matters. Yet he found her a womanly woman in every respect, and by no means a. usurper of men's prerogatives. She and . : hpr:..husbandare pictured as an ideal conjugal pair. .'lt was Captain Yates who proudly showed the huge pile of letters, in all languages, congratulating his wife on her appointmen t. It was he who 1 said no other .woman in ten thousand do -as Mrs Yates who < frankly ; confessed' that she did nothing until, she had^ consultedher husband, arid that to his assistance and advice she owed &IK'