GOSSIP BY THE MAIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1931, 14 October 1874, Page 2

GOSSIP BY THE MAIL.

A practical outcome of the lectures* on cookery, ' delivered' by ' Mr jßuckpdaster at the Lbndoh : Interpational:;Exh ! ii)ifciori, is the National Training School of Cookery, which has been established by a number of ladies, chiefly of high rank. Owing, probably, to this last circumstance, they have received every assistance. froin|the Exhibition Commissioners,' wTicnplaeea at their disposal the annexe' in /■which the cookery lectures^^were delivered. {TLady Barker (the- authoress ■; of "Station ; -Life in Ne w Zealand, " and other worksp which will .be i .^familiar to Otago f 'readerS) ( -was appointed superintendent, and- -pupils speedily- began" to be enrolled. These are of all ranks, but in the kitchen they are all -on the same footing,. and. have to conform to the same rules. The entrance fee is two guirieiaij.and before any pupil can pass on to the "higher art" of: cookery she must prove herself proficient in the humbler but more essential branches, such as laying arid lighting fires, scouring frying-pans, &c., &c. Pro? ficient pupils receive a certificate, and their eagerness to gain this is stated to produce the greatest diligence. Among the -pupils are married as well as, single women. The school will also train wbnien to instruct ;the poor how to cpokveconomi' cally and well, these instructors being taught gratuitously on condition of their placing themselves at the disposal of, the school authorities when' proficient. The institution appears to be a thoroughly practical one', y and as such ;to'l deserve every countenance and support. An unknown . stranger managed to aitartle the House on I S. recent/night. The individual iii questionwas^ fitting in the strangers' gallery listening a not very br^iantvdflba.te, • .w<he.n } & rjepartee, administered by Lord Frederick Cavendish

to an opponent, so pleased the listener that he could not refrain from clapping his hands with delight. At this outrageous conduct hon. members, accustomed as they are to hearing each other bellow like bulls, crow like cocks, and even occasionally bray like donkeys, for nature will out— stared aghast, while the usher stalked up to the offending individual and peremptorily removed him from the Chamber. As he did not re-ap-pear in charge of the sergeant-at-arms, it is to be presumed he was let off with a caution — a very moderate price to pay for the knowledge that none but honorable members are allowed to misbehave in the House of Commons. Seme Commissioners whom "Archbishop " Manning appointed several months ago to inquire into the history of certain bygone personages with a view to ascertaining whether they were holy enough to be added to the. calendar of Boman Catholic saints, have recommended for canonisation, among other persons, the celebrated Sir Thomas More. No doubt Sir Thomas deserves the distinction as much as many other saints on the roll, but it is a pity that it has taken the Infallible Church more than three centuries to discover his sanctity, as he may possibly be offended by ttie tardiness at the honor. By the way some, country schoolmaster may yet get into water for not informing Roman Catholic children in his school of Sir Thomas's holy character, or even for teaching the children to call him Sir Thomas More, instead of St. Thomas More. The magistrates of the town of Helensburgh, on the Clyde, were lately taken to task for their leniency to drunkards. It seems that eleven cases of drunkenness were beard there in a recent week, but that although all of them were proved, a penalty was inflicted in one case only. It was objected against this line of conduct that the revenues of the town suffered at the same time that the magistrates ceased to be a terror to the evil-doers. In explanation it was stated that the delinquents beirg strangers they were let off with admonitions. This explanation seems to have been regarded as satisfactory, for . no more was said on the subject. Strangers J ____^re therefore likely to be allowed to get in Helensburgh with impunity so long as the magistrates continue to ignore the maxim that "charity begins at home," and fine only those who have the misfortune to live in a town blessed with such hospitable magistrates. A sad cmitreUmps is reported to have occurred at a fashionable wedding in London the other day. There were two affairs of the kind to come off at the same fashionable church on the same morning. The first one was duly consummated, but as the carriages containing the persons who had witnessed it were leaving the church, they got mixed up with the carriages bringing the persons who were to witness and take part in the second ceremony. The consequence was a block and a scene of great confusion, so much so that by the time the second bride's marriage could reach the church twelve o'clock had struck, and the marriage had to be postponed for a day. The shagrin of the bridegroom, the vexation of the bride, and the general disappointment of the fashionable crowd which had been assembled for the occasion "may be better imagined than described." ; It is scarcely credible, but it is nevertheless a fact, that a British mother-in-law has devised a new way of harassing her daughter's husband. This is what happened recently at Westbury Leigh, WiltBhire. A mother-in-law gave her son-in-law a pot of beer, for which he sought to give her a kiss in return. This roused the jealousy of the father-in-law, who quarrelled with the mother-in-law, and assaulted" her. Finally, to vindicate her character she brought an action against her son-in-law for assaulting her by kissing her, and for this offence he was fined 10s and costs. In addition to which the unfortunate man had to stand a lecture from the Justices, who informed him that they considered kissing a mother-in-law to be a dangerous practice. The lady's name is Cheap, and if. her character was cleared by a ten-shilling fine she is certainly appropriately named. The " Mirror," a London japer, rev^lates that a certain princess was recently W' mtich taken with a smaii pair of bellow* she saw lying on a stall at a charity bazaar, and not knowing its use she applied to her husband to explain it. This he did, and the princess forthwith: purchased the article. From the manner in which the story is told, it would appear that the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are the persons indicated. If so, the Duchess could not have consulted a person more fit to explain the properties of anything used for " raising the 1 wind." " For some time past mention has occasionally been made of donations of LIOOO eaoh to several of the London charities by an anonymous donor. An English paper now states that it has reason to believe that the person who thus " does good by stealth, and blushes to find it fame," is no less a personage than Queen Victoria, and it adds that she must have given away upwards of LI 00,000 in this manner. Some heavy betting recently took place in Liverpool as to whether the stock of cotton in that port would reach an aggreegate of a million bales. The fluctuations were great, and at one time the stock reached 998,770 bales, causing great excitement, and then fell again. On the 24th July, however, the seven figures were reached, the total number of bales then in stock being 1,003,900. A large amount of money changed hands in consequence. The great moustache abruggle hi the "Weaji End drapers 1 shops in London has terminated in favor of the assistants — at least, for the present. As, however, the ladies are on the side of the masters, the men are certain to be compelled to give in sooner or later. The ladies say they do not like to be served by men " whose appearance rivals that of • a brigand in a pantomine;" After all, the assistants may now gracefully give in, without haying their valour impugned, Even Samson made acquaintance with the hair destroying steel when Delilah brought her influence to bear upon him, and the drapers' assistants are not Samsons, though dome of them may be Volunteers.