GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9064, 26 May 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS.

AN OCEAN YACHT RACE. The Atlantis, yawl, Mr. Ames, and «, Bridesmaid, ketch, Captain BuU er t yachts which took part in the last year, started from Southampton wT* at noon on April 4 on an ocean rJ" 7" Madeira for £1000 a side. The «f 7 not an exciting one, as a light north breeze was hardly strong enough to • the yachts steering way. Both vaoht. glv ° under all light fore and aft Atlantis went drawing so steadilv ° that after the beat down SoutKL** 8 * Water she had fully a mile lead 2°° windward, of the Bridesmaid. The were started under Yacht Rachv a tion rules, and Mr. W. Courtney? 1 * represented Mr. Buller, and Mr H t? n,, the owner of the Atlantis in regard to °£ n time of the respective boats crossiny ti line. ° l " e

COLONIAL INVESTMENT COMPAXIFs A table of figures relating to Scottish ami fome English and colonial investment i mortgage companies, compiled by M e « Thomas Miller and Sons, of the Edinb H Stock Exchange, includes thirty-one com panies which lend on the security of m gages in the colonies or the United Staff'' and it contains eleven columns offi 2ur es. These companies have a paid sharp oTi loan capital of £24,469,819, which r-W on an average 6 per cent. The net r " is 1"74 times the amount required to ml interest on the borrowed capital. The t- hi" is of much interest to holder.-! of shares » debentures of companies of this claaa. *°* A HEROIC SUKGEOK.

A memorial window has been placed in the Bristol Royal Infirmary to commemorate the heroic deed of a young surgeon Mr c Lysaght, medical officer, who lost his life in a noble but unsuccessful effort to save poor patient who had undergone the opera* tion of tracheotomy while suffering t r diphtheria. Afalse membrane having formed in the throat, and the patient bein" j imminent danger of his life throuc>-h D t,h breath passage being clogged, the°you ni , surgeon, with heroic self-abnegation, apply his own lips to the throat tube and mo ceeded in moving the obstruction which had prevented the patient breathing. FRENCH NOVELIST'S VICISSITUDES.

The distinguished French novelist who. calls herself Henri Greville told an American correspondent some interesting facts respecting Emile Zola's early life. Zola left the Lycee St. Louis without a degree and sought his fortune in Paris. He wrote verses, stories, anything that would help him to get bread, and sometimes had nothing to eat for days together. For the greater part of one winter Tie lived on bread aud oil the latter being sent to him from home' Sometimes he had to pawn his clothes to buy bread, and was onco obliged to stay in bed for a week because his clothes were in pawn and he could not redeem them. After two years of this kind of existence hesecured n situation at Hachette's, the publishers his salary being small, but just enough to keep him from want. "The dreadful experiences of these two years," Bays Henri Greville, " has coloured, or rather discoloured, Zola's whole life ; the sin, misery and degradation with which he was then brought in contact have darkened his views of the world and made him a misanthrope." woman's affections.

We cannot too'carefully remind ourselves that the noblest and mojt effective of woman's endowments are found in the domain of the affections. She awakens chivalry and reverence, because her greatness moves in other lines than those of the intellect. Yes, the glory of woman is the pathos of her sympathy, the strength that lies in her affections, the endurance that springs from fortitude, and the patience that perfects. But the intellectual training which ignores the spiritual may starve these highest distinctions of woman, and may dwarf and enfeeble her most ennobling and loftiest qualities. THE REVISED VERSIOX. We have been astounded to hear (says the Methodist Times) that at «i certain quarterly meeting in the North, a trustee objected to the superintendent because he occasionally read the lessons oat of the Revised Version of the Bible! Another member of the meeting positiva/y would not vote for the superintendent to remain a third year for the same reason. Talk about the superstition of Roman Catholics ! Here are two Methodists who actually prefer the English version to thf word of God. But perhaps the poor fellowi imagine that prophets and apostles wrot* in English, and that revision means de parture from the truth. The sooner everybody reads from the Revised Version the better, if only for the purpose of preventing superstition.

NEW CHINESE REVENUE CRUISERS. Three new revenue cruisers, built by Armstrong for the Chinese Government, have been despatched to China. The names which they have received are somewhat peculiar. They are Chuan-teaou ("Additional Article"), Li-kin ("Inland Transit Dues"), and Kai-pan (" Put in Force"), and are intended to commemorate the convention signed by Lord Salisbury and the Marquis Tseng in July, 1886, by which an additional article, regulating the collection of the inland transit dues on opium, was affixed to the Chefoo Convention of 1877, and by which also the latter instrument was put in force. The three names, therefore, record the completion of an important transaction between Great Britain and China.

SCENE IN A CHUitCH. An extraordinary scene was witnessed at a vestry meeting for the parish of St. Andrew, Northampton, lately. The meeting was held in the nave of the church. The vicar, the Rev. George Whitehead, objected to a gentleman nominated for the office of parish warden, and would not put his name to the meeting. Insinuations of dishonesty and bad conduct were made on both sides. After a noisy altercation, tne doors opened, and a wedding party entered the church, arrangements having been made for the marriage at that hour. The vicar left the chair, and putting on his robes, proceeded to the altar to unite the bride and bridegroom. The vestry meanwhile elected a new chairman, and proceeded to pass a resolution censuring the vicar. The two ceremonies were continued in the churea simultaneously.

A LAROE BAPTISMAL PARTY. An extra effort has been made in one of tho poorest parts of London to encourage parents to have their offsprings christenedThe result has been most successful, as tne Rev. A. Styleman Herring, on Easter Thursday, baptised the large number oi 257 children and adults. The oight extra efforts (with an interval of two years botween each) has added 1757 to the Church of England in connection with St. rault, Clerkenwell.

A DEATH AFTER TOOTH EXTRACTION The Sheffield Telegraph gives an account of an inquest held at Starybridge up™»* child aged five years. The child w suffered from toothache and went to a ntrbalist, who extracted the tooth, was a good deal of hemorrhage, and suoU7 after the child died "from debility trom the loss of blood." Whether the " el . ba ';n was in any way to blame for wantots* or carelessness during the operation aw not appear in this report, but it is n be expected that his " profession qua"" him to deal with the more serious a** l * 1 , and complications which unfortunate!) i sometimes occur during or after the ex tion of teeth. Surely such a sad case as h should have some influence in deterring «• public from patronising unqualified pu*tioners.

THE CLOSE OF LITE. It is a great mistake to suppose that usefulness of life ceases with thei pov« active service. When the tired han* , " folded in the repose which their ton rightly earned for them, when brain in relieved from the burden «•; and perplexities which it has nobly wn, there should be a season rich in blessing in influence which no one would * l \ l r*£ forego. Then should come the » vainly longed for in past years, ana opportunity to attend to many sm"f5 m "f ; ib i e . to enjoy much that was before | nl P"~ b i 9 If the busy life has also been an ho "Scd one, there are sweet memories, en t(io friendships, the devotion of ch»w«. . respect of society, the power oi > e others through the accumulated eM* and intelligence of many years. * b presence of a venerable and belied i a blessing to those who look apoi« it, ° ing suggestions of well-earned pe< catm to the busy toiler, and taj» - • emotions of tender reverence in tne and buovant youth.