RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 118, 12 February 1940, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights On Current Events (By Kickshaws.) A hair ou the head is worth two on the brush. It is the natural desire of youth, it is said, to look spie and span. After 40, of course, it's a case of all span. * * A groucher is one who umpbasize* everything he says. » » * A Scotsman, leaving his friend’s house, where he had been visiting, held out to his host’s small boy a throe penny-bit and a penny, saying: “Now, Sandy, whicli one will ye Bae?” Young Sandy, being a cute wee beggar, said: “Ocb, Mr. MeTavisli. J was always taught no’ to be greedy, so i’ll have the wee one.” MeTavisli. not to be outdone, replied: “Weel, Sandy, for being a good boy, and not being greedy, I'll gie the big one to ye.”

Many people who have seen tlie film version of Mr. James Hiltons book, “Goodbye Mr. Chips,” will probably appreciate this thanksgiving service contributed by him to the Loudon “Star” in June, 1938:— “Let us give thanks: “For love that offers us escape from the unquiet world into the universe of private happiness. “For youth that makes us, desire things, and for age that gives us contentment without them. “For the freedom that growing older gives us from the puzzles and problems of youth, so that we have more big things to care about and fewer little things to worry about. “For health, if we have it: and. if not, for the chance of health; and, if not’ that, for the hope of health; and, if not that, then for the power of medicine and surgery to relieve ultimate suffering. “For the gift of sleep that comes unawaited; and for the first faint ebb of the tide of a physical pain. “For pleasures of all kinds —waking to sunshine, the smell of farmland, string quartets, the whack of a dog’s tail on the carpet. “For the ease with which a healthy memory remembers good and forgets evil.

“For the man who is honest even when he knows it is not the best policy. “For the man who does not do good in hope of reward or avoid evil in fear of punishment; and for the increasing millions of people all over the worldteachers, preachers, doctors, etc—who prove by their lives that greed for gain is not the only human incentive to good work. “For the unflagging mirth of the poor. “For good intentions, which are not enough, but are better than bad intentions. “For great art, which is a finger point of meaning in the vast randomness of events. “For the curiosity of children, ana for the faithfulness of animals. “For the glory of knowing oneself necessary to someone or something near to one’s heart. “For the twilight of the wise, whicu is brighter than the noonday of the blind. “For the powerlessness of action to control thought—which is the ultimate victory of wise men over fools.”

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“Does the earth travel round the sun in a circle, or ellipse?” asks “J.H.K.” “Also, how much sunlight do we get at the North and South Poles?” [The earth travels round the sun m an elliptical path. Actually, as the world travels along this iiath, it and the moon revolve round a common centre between the two, causing the path traced to be elliptical with a wavy edge. As regards the sun at the Poles, within a few days it may be taken to shiue for six months and to be dark for six months. The sun does not set at the Poles after the manner that it does elsewhere. It revolves parallel to the horizon, merely going round and round without setting. Each 24 hours it gets higher in the sky, uutil after three months of rising it is revolving at its maximum height, still parallel to the horizon. The sun then starts to descend for three months until it is revolving round the horizon. Hour by hour it sinks lower and lower until there comes a time when only the tip of the sun may be seen revolving every 24 hours above the horizon. Slowly the tip sinks until it is no longer visible and the long dreary night of six months has started. There is, therefore, no definite marking of night and day at the Poles such as we have here, due to the rising and setting of the sun.]

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“The fighting on the Western Front north-west of Weissenburg, in the early stages of the war, recalls tlie first serious battles in the very early stages of the Franco-German war of 187071,” says "J.A.W.” “The French were posted ill the vicinity of Weissenburg, where they were suddenly surprised by a vastly superior force of Prussians under the Crown Prince of Germany, variously estimated from 50,000 to 100,000 men. The French did not number more tbau 10,000. A desperate battle ensued, the French putting up a magnificent resistance against overwhelming odds, the heroic stand of the French even evoking the admiration of the enemy. Fourteen men of the 74th were all that were left of that regiment at the close of the day. The Frankfort correspondent of tlie 'Dally News,' writing at the time, said: 'But this little band fighting desperately at the point of the bayonet refused to surrender, until the Prussians, not liking to kill’t item, ruSlied upon them in a body and threw them down, wrestling.' It was at Weissenburg that General Douay fell. Watching the last hopeless struggles of his men. lie gave .some orders to his oflicers. He then drew a pistol, 'killed his charger (like Roland at the Battle of Roneesvalles) and. sword in hand, advanced all alone towards the enemy.' No persuasion eotud stop him. In a few minutes he was riddled with bullets.”

HISTORY REPEATED. Oil. bloodiest picture in the book of Time I Poor Poland fell, unwept, without a ' crime I Found not: a generous friend, a pitying foe. Strength in her arms, nor mercy in lier woe! Dropped from her nerveless grasp the shattered spear. Closed her bright age, and curbed her high career: Hope, for a season, bade the world farewell. And Freedom shrieked —as Kosciusko fell! —Thomas Campbell, 1W