SCISSORS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4295, 4 May 1885, Page 4

SCISSORS.

Two Buffalo women havo been made crazy by the stories told them by a fortuneteller.

Mrs A r alentine Baker, Avife of Baker Pasha, has just died at Assouan of typhoid foyer.

Mary Anderson, the actress, keeps a diary which she intends publishing on her return to America.

The large discoveries of diamonds of late years have reduced the price of those precious stones forty per cent. "The Mahdi" is the title of a drama which is to be produced very soon at one of the Paris theatres.

A number of farmers in Manitoba, are proposing to emigrate to Melbourne, and the subject is being Avidely discussed. A. Avomen named Elisabeth Evans who attained her 103 rd year a feAV months ago, has just died at Flynonfelin, in the Parish of Abergilly, Carmarthenshire. In most of the American States there aro no water rights. In Maine there is no private property in any sheet of Avator that exceeds ten acres in extent.

The iron badges for the messengers of the Reporters' Gallery of the House of Commons are to he Avorn on the arm, and are as big as those of a cabman or a market porter. The fund for the benefit of tho family of the lato Mr. A. M. Sullivan will shortly be closed. The amount subscribed up to the present date is £7700. A dinning and luncheon saloon, Avith sniokinjr-room and ladies' and gentlemen's lavatories, is now attached to the G. 15 p.m. train, King's Cross to Manchester (Sheffield route). The scarcity in portions of Madras and Mysore is increasing, and is causing considerable suffering. Relief works tire opening, are being made to alleviate distress.

"You don't look happy," said a man to a neighbor who Avas just coming doAvn the steps" of his house one cold morning. " No," replied the neighbor, with a shiver ; "it's cold Avithout, and scold within !"

It was very startling during tho hearing of the Earl of Durham's nullity suit, says the Echo, to learn that the noble petitioner could not dance. If earls are unable to dance what can they do ? It is probable that the bridesmaids of tho Princess Beatrice will be her nieces, the daughters of the Prince of Wales and of the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Princess Irene of Hesse.

Mr Smith (to Mrs Parvenue, avlio has been telling him about her iicav house) —"I suppose you will have dumb Avaiters in tho house ?" Mrs P.—" No, 1 shant! I had a deaf cook once, and I voAved then never to have another crippled servant."

American newspapers are much exercised just noAV AA'ith the Avium of an eccentric Englishman, Avho landed iv Ncav York one morning recently, and took a steamer for Liverpool the same afternoon. Ho said lie had seen enough. A singular circumstance occurred recently at Canterbury Cathedral, morning service having been commenced Avithout a single worshipper beyond those officially engaged. At the close the congregation numbered tavo

persons. "Scotland Yard" gets its name from being on the site of an old palace built for the accommodation of the old feudal kings of Scotland when they came to London to render homage to the English Kings for their English possessions.

So far as territorial area is concerned, Leeds is the largest provincial toAvn in Great Britain, covering 33i square miles. Sheffield folloAvs with 39j; and then como Birmingham Avith 13J; Manchester and Bradford, 10; NoAVcastlc-oii-Tyuc, S ; ]-; Liverpool, GlasgOAV, and Salford, 8 ; and Edinburgh, Gl-. The story is told of a plumber who presented a bill of £100 to a retired millionaire for repairing a pipe. The millionaire glances at it and hands out a sovereign, saying, " Receipt that bill " " But, sir " " Don't ' but' me !" interrupted the rich man. " I Iciioav Avhat I'm about. I used to be a plumber myself." Plumber smiles, receipts bi. l ', and returns ten shillings change. A feAV weeks ago a squire iv Savannah was called out to tie a couple together in the holy bonds of matrimony. Getting to the river he found it impossible to cross. Determined not to disappoint them, he summoned the couple to the Avater's edge on the other side of the stream, and having got the groom to tie a rock to the license and pitch it over, some GO yards, ho proceeded to tie the knot at the top of his voice.

Mr Samuel Smith, M.P., speaking at the annual meeting, of Liverpool Chamber of Commerce stated that the amended Manchester Ship Canal Scheme Avas not free from the dangers of the former project. They had no objection to Manchcstermaking a canal, but the scheme still threatened harm to the est\iary of the Mersey, and, therefore, they must renew their opposition to it.

The " first fiddle " in an amateur orchestra was passing along Booksellers Row, London, lately, and caught sight of a book which much interested him. "What is this 'Cicerone's Opera i l '" he asked the bookseller; "I never heard of any such Avork before; is tho music good? 7 ' "It isn't music," replied tho man, " it's ' Ciceronis Opera,' a Latin book." "Oh, the iubav notation, I suppose," said the musician, Avith an cxprcssson of infinite contempt, as ho passed on.—Globe.

Mr Ross O'Connell states in Notes and Queries that a letter Avritten in IGO2 mentions a " Desdcmona in llio flesh " at Venice Avho had been murdered by her husband in a fit of jealousy, which the peojile believed to bo Avithout cause. Like the Moor, he sent his Avife to confession before slaying her. Mr O'Connell suggests that this murder would be knoAvn to tho Venetian Ambassador in London, and that thus Shakespeare may haA'C heard of it. "What is tho meaning of that red line above tho fourth storey of your house?'' asked a strauger of a farmer near Pittsburg. " That is- a water mark. That mark slioaa'S lioav high the water was during tho great OA-erfioAV about a year ago." " Lnpossible. If the Avater had been that high the whole toAvu would havo been swept aAvay." " The Avater Avas never that high. It only came up to the first storey window, but the cursed boys rubbed it out three or four times, so I put it up there where they can't get at it. It takes a smart man to circumvent these boys."

Mr Spurgeon has an amusing personal note in his magazine this month founded on a letter he litis received from a gentleman in NeAV Zealand, who implores the great preacher to use his influence in finding him a Avife, preferably a Avidow. He says that they need " shiploads of widows " out there. Mr Spurgcon does not feel that ho can enter into the match-trade; but ho says it has occurred to him to be a miserable circumstance that thousands of good AA'omcn should be starving in this country Avhilc in many of the colonies their price would literally be " above rubies." In the present distress, ho adds, he dare not keep back even an amusing incident if it may put pooplo in mind of one of tho feAV real remedies for London's ills. Emigration would be a great aid at this time, and some Avho cannot be useful at home must nerve themselves to go abroad.

A child beginning to read becomes delighted with a nCAVspaper because ho reads of names and things AA'hich are familiar, and he -will progress accordingly. A newspaper in one year is AA'orth a quarter's schooling to a child. Every father must consider that information is connected with advancement. The mother of a family, bsing one of its heads and having a more immediate charge of children, should herself be instructed. A mind occupied becomes fortified against the ills of life, and is braced foxemergency. Children amused by reading or study are, of course, more considerate and easily governed. Hoav many thoughtless young men have spent their earnings iv j

a tavern or grog-shop Avho ought to have been reading ! Hoav many parents who have not spent five pounds for books for their families Avould havo given hundreds to reclaim a son or daughter who had ignorantly, thoughtlessly fallen into temptation ! The sea freightage and railway rate asitation. As an instance of the injustice that at present exists in regard to the carriage of goods at home and abroad, we may remark that it costs more to send grain from the Scottish Borders to London than to bring it from the distant colonies; it costs more to send hops from Kent to London than to bring them from the Continent ; it costs less to send goods from Liverpool to London via Ncav York. American meat is carried from Glasgow to London by rail at 45s per ton, Avhile Scotch beef or mutton going by tho same train is charged at the rate of 77s Gd per ton. This, it must bo admitted by all, is neither free nor fair trade. Who, it may be asked, pays the 32s Gd per ton of extra charge on home meat ? Is it tho butcher or dealer ? Directly it may be, but indirectly there can be no doubt it is the farmer or Scotch feeder. He would get more for his cattle, sheep, and pigs than he noAV obtains if homo meat were convoyed as cheaply to London from Scotland as American is.

If any historical painter Avould occupy himself Avith placing on caiiA-as a sceno in the life of one of the most illustrious British statesmen, here is a subject:—Scene, diA-ision lobby of the Houso of Commons ; date, 12th April, 1878 ; time, 9.30 p.m. Gladstone is walking along the lobby, having recorded his vote against a hasty proposal to conduct the business of Parliament iv secret. The Conservative majority in the other lobby observe him thiough the glass door, and suddenly set up a yell of execration Avhich could scarcely bo more violent if the murderer of Lord Leitrim, flying from sanctuary to Westminster, wero discovered skulking in the lobby. The crowd increases till it reaches the proportions of forty or fifty English gentlemen, all avcll educated, many of good birth, Avho, Avith hand held to mouth to make the sound shriller, howl and groan, Avhilst somo even shake their fists. Gladstone, startled at tbe cry, looks up and sees the ctoavcl. He pauses a moment, and then, advancing close up to the glass door, calmly surveys the yelling mob. On the one side tho slight figure draAvn to its full height, and the pale, stern face steadfastly turned towards the crowd. On the other the jeering, mocking, gesticulating mob. Between them the' glass door, and tho infinite space that separates a statesman from a partisan, —Lucy's "Diary of Tavo Parliaments.