NEWS FROM MANY LANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12074, 18 September 1902, Page 3

NEWS FROM MANY LANDS.

WINE BY THE HOUR.

Bomk, August 2. Is the province of Padua the price of wine is oapreoedeateeHy low, awing to the enormous overproduction.

In some districts the guests in the osterias, or inns,, pay by the hour for the wine consumed.

Wine is rarely sold for money, but usually bartered for milk, maize, and fowls.

A CARDINAL'S HEART.

Rome, August 2,

Cardinal Ledochowski. Prefect of the Propaganda, who died the other day, had often expressed the wish that his body should be interred in Rome, but that his heart should lie sent to his native town of Gorki, in Poland. After embalming the remains, Dr. Pclagaflo extracted the cardinal's heart, which wits found to be abnormally large. It will be forwarded to Gorki in a crystal urn. No fewer than 143 cardinals have now been buried by Leo XIII. Cardinal Ledochowski was one of the three only surviving cardinals created by Pius IX. The remaining two, Garocehi and oregalia, were too unwell to attend his funeral.

"BIRD CHARMING" IN PARKS.

Paris, August 4.

It is announced that during thw summer a competition will be organised among the bird charmers of Paris. in all the public gardens of the capital there are these who come every day to feed the sparrows with crumbs of bread, and some "of them know their feathered friends so well that they have given them names, to which the birds respond. It is therefore proposed, with a view of encouraging kindness to the feathered cornmunity," to form a jury, which shall deliver "rewards and diplomas to those who have attained the greatest perfection in bird charming.

SWEDISH DEATH MYSTERY.

OOFENHAOKJJ, August 6.

In a forest at Honefos,, in South Sweden, the dead bodies of an English mau and woman have been found. A revolver lay beside them, and a letter in English begging that they might be buried together. The bodies have not been identified.

THE WILES OF A WIDOW. Bttexos Aykes, July 5.

j On June 26 a poor widow told the priest of a church in the south of this oity that i she. had been robbed of a purse of £20 j while at the service. The priest, greatly shocked, announced the theft next day from < the pulpit, and promised absolution if the money were returned. After service a thickly-veiled woman came to the priest in the vestry and confessed with tears that, she was the penitent thief. She returned the puree, and was duly absolved. The widow was overjoyed at the recovery ; she burst into tears, and taking the £20 note from the purse asked the priest whether ho would accept £2 for candles for the saints' altar as a thankoiiering. This was gladly accepted, and the priest gave the poor lone widow £18 change for her bank-note. She hurried away, profuse in her thank?. Next day, when the priest. went to change the note, he found that it was a forgery.

A FORGETFUL THIEF.

Rome, July 31,

Mustapha Ali Bey was watching the sunset over the bay of Naples a couple of days ago, when his watch and chain were stolen. Yesterday he was again enjoying the breeze on the same spot when a shabbylooking man came up to him and offered to sell him his own watch.

Mustapha made an appointment at his hotel, and said that he might buy the watch, but be wanted a chain, too. The man promised to oring one. A few horn's later at the Hotel Royal the thief arrived with the Turk's watch and chain, and was promptly handed over to the police.

HOW REPORTS ARE SPREAD.

Paris, August 3.

It is explained that the import which was circulated yesterday to the effect that an attempt had been made to shoot President Loubet originated in a very simple way. M. Loubet, accompanied by General Paure Beguet and Command* l !' Laumy, was out walking. The last-named had a gun, aad seeing a 'wild duck, shot at it. Some of the pellets went near the President, who skipped aside as the sound of the shot was heard, .and the movement of the President being seen by some peasants, the story was at once set going that an attempt had been made to assassinate M. Loubet.—DalzieL MAN EATS EIGHTY DUCKS. New York, August ?>. The neighbours having complained of the quacking, the Sanitary Committee of the Board of Health of Newark, New Jersey, ordered Mr. Emil Quden to dispose of 80 duoks.

He proceeded to do so by eating one dally. ,He says that he needs an occasional change from beef and chicken, and fears that a man who eats a duck a day may turn into a goose, but he will try to comply with the order.