GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8082, 24 September 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS.

A BASH BET.

Is the early part of the present century sporting men were fond of betting on the duration of the lives of celebrities. Napoleon I. was specially the subject of these wagers. It is related that, at a dinner-party in 1309, Sir Mark Sykes offered to pay anyone who would give him a hundred guineas down a guinea a day so long as Napoleon lived. The offer was taken by a clergyman present; and for three years Sir Ms.rk paid him three hundred and sixty-five guineas per annum. He then thought that be had thrown away enough money, and disputed lurthsr payment. The recipient, who was not at all disposed to lo«a his comfortable annuity, brought an action, which after lengthy litigation, was decidec in favour of the Baronet. MANIA FOB MALE ATTIRE. Georgina Goodall, aged 20, was charged at Bow-street with disorderly conduct in the Euston Road. Police-Constable Mellows stated that at a quarter to seven on Sunday morning his attention was drawn to the defendant. She was dressed in male attire, and was seen to accost several gentlemen, and aik them for tobaoco. Upon meeting with a refusal she became very abusive, and used disgusting language. The defendant's excuse was, " It's simply a mania for male attire." Mr. Bridge ordered her to find a surety in £5 for three months, or be im prisoned for fourteen days. LORD TENNTSON AND TIIK AUTOGRAPH: HUNTER. ' Here is a story about Lord Tennyson, who, it is well known, consistently refuses hit autograph. A collector, knowing the tact, thought to circumvent him by the shallow artifice of asking by letter, " Which do you think the best dictionary — Webster's or Ogilvie's ?'' a question which he believed tho poet's courtesy would compel him to answer. The return post brought a single sheet oi note paper, on which was neatly pasted the one word clipped from the writer's own letter, ; "Ogilvie's." OFF WITH HIS HEAD. The Ameer of Afghanistan is not a desirable patient, if the story of an Indian journal may be trusted. Lately he was very ill, with a boil at the back of his neck, and the doctor prescribed some lotion to bring the boil to a head. Naturally the pain was temporarily increased, and Abdurrahman was so enraged with his doctor that he sent for tho unlucky medico the first thing in the morning, and had him beheaded on the spot. A FAMOUS BALLET MASTER. Quite a public character has passed away from the stage both of life and of the choregraphic art in the person of M. Louis Merante, late ballet master at the Paris Grand Opera. By a remarkable fieries of hops, skips, and jumps M. Merante had arrived at the head of his calling, and few men knew better than he the mysteries of pirouettes and entrachats, of courses sur lea pointeg, and the bonds de jambes. He had been so | long at the Opera that pecple had come to regard him as an unalterable part of the institution, and his death was a surprise. Im his time he had danced with all the choregraphic stars of the Opera—with .La Kosatil and Sangalii, as well as with Rosita Mauti and Mdle. Subra, and had arranged all the dances in the ballets of the last twenty years,, Of late M. Merante, like Sir Walter Scott, Victor Hugo, and other great men, had built for himself a magnificent mansion at Cc>ur« bevoice, where he has ended his dancing days in peace, USELESS STUDIES FOR GIRLS. The other day a young lady of our quaintance, who is pursuing a selected course of study in one of the collegiate institutions of the city, was examining the printed curriculum with reference to deciding what study she would take up next term. While consulting about the matter, she read over the long list of textbooks of science, when suddenly she exclaimed, "I'll tell you what I would like to ntudy—l would like to study medicine. I don't mean that I want to be a physician and practice, but to know what to do at home if anybody is sick or anything happens. lam sure that it would be more useful to me' than"—and she turned to the I prescribed course of study—" than spherical trigonometry and navigation. But we can't run for a doctor every time anybody sneeze* or coughs, and I would like to know what to do for anyone who is a little sicic," Here is » matter concerning which young women need some simple but careful instruction. But who gives them any ? As daughters in the family they can repeat the dates of the Grecian and Roman Wars, work out an intricate problem in algebra, mud give the technical names of all the bones in the body; but if the baby brother left in their charge burns his hands or is seized with croup, how many of them know the best thing to do while waiting for the doctor ? And when, as wives and mothers, the duties of life increase, how many of them have any practical knowledge which will help them to meet calmly and intelligently the experience of accidents and illness which ara inevitable in every family 1 CHILDREN IN THEATRES. At a meeting of ladies, held in the drawing room of Mrs. Erank Morrison, at South Ken. sington, for the purpose of strengthening C movement tho object of which is to make it illegal for children under 10 years of age to be engaged in performances at theatres and pantomimes, a latter was read by Mr*. Henry Fawcefct, who denounced the system of employing young children at theatre? and in pantomimes as little less than a scandal. The moral atmosphere of places of the kind, she said, was most injurious. Mrs. Morrison, who occupied the chair, remarked that there was one practical way in which par ents could help this movement, and that was by refusing to go to any theatre where troops of young children were made a feature of the performance. Mrs. Ormiston Chant said there were known to be 10,000 children employed in connection with pantomimes throughout the country. The physical strain of this work on very little children was exceedingly heavy, and she had personally known cases in which it had led to fatal results. The promoters of the pantomimes told the public that the children were trained so as to develop the histrionic art and to secure a profession for them in the future, but she contended that the training was bound to bring about the very opposite* result. Miss Davenport Hill understood there was a clause in the Education Act which forbade the employment of children under 10 years of age, and she promised to do her best to get the members of the London School Board to put that clause into operation. GLADSTONE ANAGRAMS. "If we examine the name William Ewarfc Gladstone from an anagrammatio point of view," writes a correspondent of the Pal. Mall Gazette, " several appropriate words will be found illustrating his connection with affairs of State. For instance, we have minister, magistrate, witenagemot, senator, and legislator cropping out of the twenty-one letters embraced therein. These descriptive terms are readily discernible, as also Ireland, Erin, and Gael. In fulfilling the usual conditions it will be found that the command, ' Go ! administrate law well,' is <», pure rearrangement of the letters contained in William Ewart Gladstone. The new combination imports a fanciful colouring to the opinions of those who believe that the great Liberal leader is the Heaven-sent benefactor. His name famishes material for several appropriate phrases. If we recall to mind the extraordinary vigour with which Mr. Gladstone conducts an electioneering campaign, the appositencss of the statement, 1 I'll waste no more glad-war-time,'is at once evident, and the anagram is correct. ' We want a mild legislator' is a modest request from the Irish people, but the only eminen English publicist who possesses, the literal qualifications is William Ewart Gladstone. On his part, he iB quite willing to fall in with the Celt if the Tories relinquish the reins of Government. He is unfaithful to his name if the following exhortation cannot be constructed out of it—namely, 'Allow me, T— J Glad Erin waits.'"

women's wiles at the poll. A recent eletion in Rome, Georgia, say.' the Baltimore Sun, was the most exciting in the history of that city. The unusual speo tacle for a Southern city wos presented of a large number of women surrounding the pollat the opening of the election. Many of them were at the lunch tents making preparations to give drink and bread to those who voted and worked for prohibition. Others with tickets in their hands stationed themselves at the polling place and begged all who came up to vote against the sale of whisky. Young men who were known as prohibitionists were besieged, and attempts ware made to force tickets into their hands. Those who refused them were implored to shove in' a dry tioket. Suoh remarks as : " Oh, ha'a too nice a man to vote against prohibition, •* "If he does, I'll never speak to him again,* etc., were common, and some went eveoi so far as to say to some young men that if they, voted the wet-ticket they would ba o«toaoiik*4 from society* '