CURIOUS CONSOLATION.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXVII, Issue 6593, 29 October 1889, Page 4

CURIOUS CONSOLATION.

A Home. Rule M.P., with some sense of humor, tells a characteristic story about Colonel Saundersoa, on whose Irish estates there have been " ructions" lately. The row was of the usual sort — unpaid rents — pressure — evictions — and the order of the gun issued to the unfortunate agnnt. The latter wrote with a good deal of feeling to the colonel on the subject, declaring that he expected every hour to be Bhot at. The gallant Orangeman replied pormptly : " Dear sir, you m»y say to the tenants that any threats to shoot you will not intimidate me." Consolatory, wasn't it 1 Another somewhat B'milar yarn relates how a cultured Bostonian, who turned cow-boy and went out West, consoled himself for a rather unfortunate mistake. Riding one afternoon in a reputedly wild and lawless part of the country, the young man came across a stranger, who after talking for a bit, suddenly made a very suspicious movement towards his revolver pocket. Thinking to be beforehand with the rascal the Bostonian whisked out his own pistol and shot him. The man fell off his horse like a log. " I think I had i better confirm my suspicions," said the Bostonian, and dismounted. On turning the body over, however, he found the man's hand on a half-extracted whisky flask. "Dear me I" quoth he, "I'm afraid I've made a sad mistake. The fellow was not a robber, but a gentleman ; and he was not goinpr to shoot me, but to offer me a drink. Well, well" (here he drew his sleeve suggestively across his mouth and took up the flask), " the last wishes of the deceased Bhall be respected" (along pull)— "indeed I may say haye k been respected!" 1

The occasion of the 50th anniversary of the landiug of Colonial William Wakefield in New Zealand formed the theme for a eulogistic article on the Colony in a recent issue of the Morning Poat. In another issue the same journal publishes a long article on the petroleum deposits of INew Zealand' ■- ' •