CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIX, Issue 9993, 23 March 1893, Page 5

CURRENT TOPICS.

“ Greater in death than in life.” That such is sometimes the case is evidenced by the following, from the St James’ Budget :— “ It is reported from Brussels that a large buaoh of carnations was found on General Boulanger's grave, in the Ixelles Cemetery, with the following legend, ct, propos of the Panama scandals, inscribed on a card : * If thou hsdst net ‘made an end of thy days, now that the Republic has need of thee, thou hadst been Emperor of the French.’” Did‘‘le brave General" turn in his grave when that card was deposited thereon ?

In the St James ’ Budget appears an article on “Winter Ailments,” by a medical man. It tells us "the place where you catoh cold is the back.” * * * Therefore koep your back warm; and “ the way of nipping a cold in the bud, so to speak, is to sib down right in front of a fire with your back to it, and get thoroughly heated. If you are too late for that, a steam bath, followed by bed and a sudorific draught, such as nitre, will generally stop it. And there is another method, highly efficacious, but only to be mentioned with apologies to Sir Wilfrid Lawson; it is to imbibe a largo quantity of alcohol, enough to induce a disposition tar bed, and to go there.” The above is aot a bad receipt, nor a very unpalatable one, and may prove a useful hint for the coming winter. It has the ball mark of the faculty—or, at any rate, a member of it,

A propos of the interest which is now being shown in the nationality of the Highland regiments, that fine old Scottish officer Archibald Chisholm of Qlassbarn, late Captain in the Black Watch—of whom a memoir appears in The Celtic Monthly—tells an amusing story. When this famous regiment was stationed at Malta the officers and men were without exception all Scotsmen, and many of them Gaelicspeaking Highlanders. But before leaving Malta an English ensign was appointed. His reception was by no means effusive, several of the younger officers especially resenting bis presence. However, the difficulty was eventually overcome in the following humorous manner. Tho Englishman was compelled to swallow a Scotch thistle, prickles and all, and to wash it down with a glass of “mountain dew.” All then shook hands with him aa a brother Scotsman. The Highland costume, according to this gentleman's experience, is not invariably an advantage. In 1848, when he was sent in charge of a detachment to a great festival at Boston, United States, the Bostonian Scotsmen were enthusiastic in their welcome. But in the evening Captain Chisholm found that the picturesque dress of the Gael did not impress the ladies. He was present at the grand ball in the Mayor’s house, hut he could not get any of the Boston young ladies to dance with him. As he puts it, “ they felt so shy and nervous of the kilt.”

“ It shall be stopped out of your wages” is a threat not unfamiliar in households that are plagued with careless servants, though it is probably one more often heard than carried into effect. From a case tried in the Sheffield County Court it would seem that there are legal reasons in favour of this forbearance. Tbe plaintiff, a servant who had been employed by a Bric-a-brac and Ceramic Art Company to take charge of its property at the recent Sheffield Exhibition, sued for wages due and wrongful dismissal; but the defendants set up a counter-claim for 15s 9d for “breakages.” This counter-claim, however. Judge Ellison would in no 'vise allow. In a service liks that (he said), where the plaintiff would he continually handling articles of bric-a-brac, there must be a number of breakages, and it was so in tbe case of domestic servants, who had to deal with stronger material. “Here,” continued this considerate Judge, “after a week’s service, the defendants sought to charge the girl a sum for breakages which absorbed the whole of her week's earnings and half of the next week’s wage. It was not, however, necessary to consider the law, because, as a fact, there was no stipulation of the kind in the contract proved. The defendants had not given her tbe broken articles, nor did they charge her for them until after this action had been taken.” On these grounds, judgment _ was given for the plaintiff on all the points, with costs.

How strong drink is supplied to little children in defiance of the law is shown in a case heard in the Police Court at Liverpool. The first of the juvenile tipplers called to give evidence was Sarah M’Tickle, described as “ a poor stunted-looking girl, with a thin shawl over her shoulders and wearing a pinafore.” She said—“ So far as I know my own age I am about twelve. I went to tbe defendant’s house with two other companions, Mary Ann Burns and Amy Yose. Burns had half a rum, Vose had half a whiskey, and I had half a port wine. The rum was hot and in a glass.” Ten minutes later the little party returned to the same irresistible centre of attraction. Then Burns, says the same witness, “ had half a rum, Vose half a whiskey, and I had some port wine.” Yose, she added, “ paid for the whole lot.” This was confirmed by Burns, described as " a dwarfish, thin, shrunken girl, aged fourteen.” The other of tho trio was also in attendance, but was not called, the defence admitting the supply of the liquors, while they took their stand on the excuse that their tiny customers were not known to be under sixteen. With apparently unconscious pathos, counsel for the defendants drew attention to the fact that “ their appearance, owing to poverty or some other cause, had made them prematurely old.” The magistrate took a somewhat different view, and declared that he should “ take all the three children to bo under sixteen—two of them certainly without hesitation.” It was further urged that the girls were asked whether they were over sixteen; but the magistrate observed that This was practically suggesting to them to tell a falsehood. Ultimately fines were inflicted. The last incident of this little drama was the committal of Amy Vose to gaol for ten days, followed by five years in a reformatory, on the charge of robbing her father of the money with which tbe drink was purchased.