OLLA PODRIDA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 957, 4 July 1890, Page 5

OLLA PODRIDA.

THE NAMI G OP NOVELS. Even the undaunted Dumas, who tackles history more directly and more at large than Scott ever chose to do, calls his famou? hock not after Richelieu, Mazarin, or Lewis tha fourteenth, but after the ‘Three Mus keteers.’ That is an admirable title hy the way, so mysterious and suggestive. There is always something fascinating about numbers in titles, and here the title is none the less admirable that the musketeers were in fact not three hut four, and that the fourth was the best of the bunch, the immortal d’Artagnan. If Constable did •Scott a bad turn over * Keni ! worth, - he made amends by getting ‘ Herries ’ changed to the bigh.eounding romantic name * Redgauntlet,’ ‘ Herries' would have served, but it is not the pleasant mouthful that ‘Redgauntlet’ is. Indeed, as the Waverley Novels are the best of all roman- ei, so their names are the b»»t of a’l nanirs. ‘ Waverley,' * Old Mortality.’ ‘ The Heat t of Midlothian ’ —they are perfect. Scott’s answer to Constable put the wisdom of the thing in a nutshell. His titlo3 arouse curiosity without discounting it j they are distinctive and appropriate, oome trippingly off the tongue and satisfy the ear, and have withal a twang of romance about them. Scott, of course, besides his genius, had the advantage of coming early in the day, and had no need to shout to make himself heard amid the din of a crowd. Miss Austen died only, a very few years after Scott turned

from poetry to prose romance, and Lytton was only beginning to write the wonderful Waverley series vere drawing to a close in stress and difficulty. Most novels naturally derive their point and priuoiple of unity from the character or career, the action or passion, of some one among the personages. And the name ot that person, as Constable urg'd rightly enough, supplies the natural name for the book. Accordingly among the myriads of works of fiction this form of title is out and away the moat common. With the exception of Jane Austen’s doublebarrelled alliterative titles * Pride and Prejudice,’ ‘Sense and Sensibility,’ which aIBO have not been without their influence, up to Scott’s time the chief mvels were named after the hero or heroine.—Macmillan’s Magazine.

ADVICE TO A LITERARY ASPIRANT. * H your story or poem makes a successful sensation, it may cause the papers to talk of you, and that you cannot help ; but if you cause the papers to talk, it will never make your story or poem a success, and can only east a reflection on your good Bense and good breeding.’ If the ‘ literary aspirant ’ would only remember this and act upon it, it would bo a good thing for him or her. A newspaper success iB not a real success. If you happen to belong to the Pegasus Club, which is largely composed of journalists, and if you are a pretty good fellow and—like Colonel Sellers —‘ love the newspaper boys,’ you will find your name constantly appearing in print. Indeed, you will read so much.shout your genius that you will wonder why the publishers are so slow to accept your manuscripts, and why the public which has seen so much in the papers about your ‘ cosy little flat,’ your ‘ bric-a-brac,’ and your manner of working, is so slow to buy your books. The reason for this apparent want of appreciation on the part of the publisher and the public, is that your success is only that of ‘puffing,’ Your work has no real merit, and your name would never be eeen in print if you were not on such good terms with the amiable hut undiscriaciaating young men who fill the columns of the daily papers.— Writer.

THE LAW OF THE STREET IS ‘MOVE ON.’ For the .travelling public the law of the street is motion ; a law not more strictly enforced by the London policeman ordering Jo to ‘move on,’ than it was in New York, when an enterprising dealer blocked the wiy hy exhibiting to curious crowds seven sisters in his show-window, combing their wonderful hair. The court considered suoh an exhibitiou highly seusatioual and condemned it, aud the consequent obstruction as a public nuisance. It was abated, and the pubiio procession resumed its movement. Bat it is not encroachments only that embarrass public travel. The opposite courses and cross currents of travel itself cause inconvenience, and have led to a variety of rules of' precedence and passage which, taken together, constitute our * law of the road.’ This law of the road is somewhat complex and uncertain, being stiil in the formative period. Pedestrians meeting each other may pass to the right or left, according to their whim. So may riders on horseback. So may vehicles proceeding along streets crossing at right angles, or passing each other in the same direction. In all four cases each is bound to exercise due oare not to injure the other. But vehicles moving in opposite directions must keep each other to the right. One attempting to pass or to keep to the left, even though in a loaded waggon meeting a light one, takes the risk of possible injury without chance of redress ; but his offence would not justify his adversary in wilfully running him down. For many years it was sought to establish that in the public streets, as on the highway of the sea, tho stronger must give way to the weaker ; that vehicles should yield t> the pedestrian ; but the struggle was in vain, and it is now settled that drivers and walkers must maintain mutual watchfulness and look out for each other. If, however, the driver goes at a reckless rate, especially if, as is irritatingly common, he dashes over a cross-walk, he is liable to a strict accountability at the complaint of any injured foot passenger.— Francis Lyude Stetson, in Scribner’s Magazine.

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. The motion of Mr Candy, Q.C. in the Hardwioke Society, to the effect ‘that, having regard to past experience, and to the way in which garrotting was put down, this House is of opinion that the cat is the only effective method of dealing with armed burglars and other criminals guilty of violence and brutality,’ was carried by a majority of nine to five in a hous6 of about thirty members, many of whom had quitted before the close of an exhausting but interesting debate. It may he mentioned in connection with the subject of flogging, which will shortly come before the House of Commons upon the discussion of Lord Milltown’s bill, wki h has pa sed the House of Lords by a large majority, that there was in 1874 ‘a ciamour’ (the words are those of a learned author unfriendly to corporal punishment) * for an extension of the punishment to persons suiltv of offences designated brutal assaults. The judges, chairmen of quarter sessions, and stipendiary magistrates were invited by the Home Secretary to give their opinions oa the pubjeot. The majority of them were in favour of that extension which the popular outcry had demanded. Many referred to the cessation of garrotting as evidence of the effioaoy of the lash, aud a com'tii.-B'oner of metropolitan police gave a hesitating support to tins rnisoniug.’ See P Ite'H * History of Oiimes,’ vol. li. pp. 574 SSO, where.the whole subject is carefully discussed, an an opiuion pronounced in favour of perpetual imprisonment of the irreclaimable offender.’—Law Journal.

THE HINDOO LAW OF ADOPTION. The Full Bench of the N.W.t*. High Court delivered au extremely lengthy and exhaustive judgment upon a point which is of the nearest interest to the Hindoo community. The value of the property ia

dispute in the particular case under decision wu comparatively small, but the Court's unanimous decision will elfeotually govern a large number of distinct cases, affecting interests that might be measured by lakhs of rnpees. The main point left to the deoision of the full bench was whether an essential condition, precedent to the making of a valid adoption by a Hindoo widow, is an authority from her deceased husband to make it; and Mr Justice Mabmood covered forty-five printed pages in his judgment on the matter, his investigation into every conceivable authority on the subject, both ancient- and modern, being laborious in the extreme. The other judges contented themselves with agreeing with the conclusions of their colleague, which are put briefly by Mr Justioe Mahmood as follows :—‘l hold that, according to the Benares School of Hindoo BtW j UU isuuj;mvu y»u w .SgSiiJf » widow without the express permission of her husband ; that where she makes an adoption without suob permission the doctrine of factum valet, as understood in the Hindoo law or in other systems of jurisprudence, cannot cover the case, because it affects the very essence of the competency to take a child in adoption ; that therefore such adoptions, though actually made, are wholly illegal and invalid, null and void, under the Benares School of Hindoo law prevalent in the territories within the jurisdiction of the Court.’— Pioneer. '

MIXED FUEL FOE STEAMERS. Some experiments have recently been made at Spezzia on the Italian man-of-war Meßsaggiero, with a view to ascertaining the speed attainable with coal and petroleam mixed for fuel, and they seem to have resulted in producing a high speed at a given moment. The Messaggiero, which never before surpassed fifteen knots an hour, reaohed almost seventeen with the new process of combustion, so that the increased speed supplies a very valuable assistance to a ship imperfectly defended. It is stated, however, that the immense heat generated affects the boilers injuriously, but arrange, ments are being made for obviating- this in the future.—lndustries.

THE ARMAMENTS OF BATTLESHIPS.

Opinion of naval officers seems to be veer* ing too far in tbe direction of a lighter armament of our battle-shipw. While there is no doubt that no more 110 ton guns are wanted in the navy, it is recognised by those who have most carefully studied the subject that to limit the weight of guns to fifty tons, as many propose, would be erring far too much in the opposite d reqtion. In some oases it would be positively necessary to attack a strongly fortified position from the sea, and heavy guns would be absolutely required in such a case, a 3 they also would frequently be during naval engagements.— United Service Gazette.

SISTER ROSE GERTRUDE ON THE MOLOKAI LEPERS. A letter received at New York from the Sandwich Islands says that Sister Rose Gertrude is doubly disappointed at not being allowed to labour among the lepers at Molokai, because she belc/Dge to a different order of Sisters to those in charge of the hospital at that place, and because sbe finds matters far better there than had been represented. In fact, she says, admirable order and discipline exists at the hospital at Molokai, and the government' are probably taking better care of tbe lepers than is the case in any other country. The Government has spent over a million dollars in providing for their requirements.—English Church, man. SOCIALISTS AND SOLDIERS. The military authorities on the Continent have had their hands pretty full recently. The precautions taken in connection with the Socialist agitations must have caused an amount of worry and anxiety, only a fraction of which has been apparent to outsiders. How different from the insouciant fashion in which our military precautions are taken under similar circumstances ! And yet the English rough is quite as formidable a rioter as the German, French, or Austrian specimen. Perhaps the reason is that the English soldier is of ali soldiers most to be relied npon in the repression of a tumult, bis sympathies being beautilully adapted to working at the word of command. At any rate, we should indeed be surprised to .find in our service a regiment in which there could with impunity be disseminated puch a manifesto as was distributed during the w> "k to the soldiers hanging about the barrack- in Paris, St. Germain, and Versailles. 'Wien the workman is emancipated the soldier will be free l’ ‘Turn against your officers t' c barrels of your guns, and let them receive the balls destined for us.’ ‘lf you prefer t. > serve our common tyrants, come slay us vsi h our wives and ohildren. Come, massacre tbe old men who, relying on sympathetic attitude, will expose to vour poignarda ’ (‘ poignards ’ is good) ‘ their hfti od breasts*.’ This is the class of appeal which the French Socialist thinks will sir the French Soldier to revolt and murder. Wo should Ilka to hear an average English Socialist advising an average English soldier to shoot fcis captain in the sacred name of -freedom or anything else. Tbe suggestion might resuit in someone be : ng hurt, but it w.uld not be the captain.—Broad Arrow.

A TALE OF THE SEAWilliam Grimes, captain of tbs sloop Herald of Dublin, * hich arrived at Bei wiea from Hamburg with a carrm nf salt, tells a terrible tale of the sea The Heial i left Cuxhaven on October 2f> of last year for Berwick, and with favourable weather should have made the passage in six days or so, After leaving Cuxhaven, however, the craw of three men experienced terrifio gales for twenty days. The vessel behaved admirably. Twice she got within thirty-five miles of the Longstono Light off the Northumberland coast, but was driven back. On tho second oooasion the mainsail was torn, and tho vessel drifted helplessly for 250-miles. A.

barque was sighted, and the oaptaiu of this vessel said he 'would willingly ®l?9 the Herald provisions, but he oould aot manage it because of the heavy sea*. After~wards a steamer was sighted,, and the Herald eent up signals of distress, which, Captain ‘Grimes says, those on board the Bteamer must have seen. The steamer, however, •crossed his bows east-south-east. At this tune the crow of she Herald had been living on potatoes alone for four days, and were worn cat for want of rest. They were also famishing. Ultimately Bergen, in Norway, was reached, and Captain Grimes reported to the British Consul the conduct of those on the passing steamer, which, he says, could have him and his crew from the • iflf’- ke was then prepared to leave TD™ “is m oo. Having taken in provision the Herald left Bergen again for Berwick, •^ Waa r * ven * n t° Shetland by adverse winds, p.od yesterday she reached Berwick, having been six months on her voyage.

NATURAL GAS FREAKS. A singular misfortune has overtaken the ■family, of William Schenk, a farmer living five miles eaßt of Kokomo (Indiana), in consequenoe of the finding of natural gas. A short time ago (says Iron) the Diamond Plate Glass Company leased Sohank’s farm for gas and put down a well. On reaohing the .depth of 800 feet a big flow of the clastic fluid was secured, which shot out the tools with tremendous force, followed by a stream of water which reached the height of at least 125 feet, and continued without cessation for more than a week, despite all efforts by the owners of the veil to' get it stopped. Schenk’s farm was flooded, so that he was compelled to dig trenches to prevent it.from destroying his wheat crop ana otherwise doing great injury to his land. Bnt the water was finally shut off, and the gas and water separated, and the gas-well was considered one of the best producers in the vicinity. Lately, however, the gas has taken an entirely new freak, and is sow coming out of the ground all over the farm, and it is easy to light it la hundreds of places by simply applying a match.. 'Even the water in the farmer's drive well is forced out by the gas, and the family iB contemplating a removal from their residence to avoid being blown up. Schank considers that his farm is entirely mined, and will doubtless abandon it altogether, unless some way can be devised to control the escaping clement.

AN AUTOMATIC CARD SHUFFLER. Mechanical inventiveness has devised a great many labour-saving appliances, bat it waß reserved to an English inventor, Mr Booth, to devise an automatic card shuffling table which will shuffle a pack of cards to perfection. This antomatio shuffler naturally prevents auy cheating in the operation. The action of the shuffler is as follows :—A sharp turn to the right of either of the two handles places the machine in working order. The cards are then dropped into the slot. The machine works by itself, and the cards gradually disappear. When the whole have passed into the maobine the handle is turned again in the same direction, and the cards will be brought back to the surface of the table. Another pack should then be placed into the slot, and the Bbnffling process repeats itself while the players are dealing pack No. 1. When the hand has been played out a turn of the handle brings up pack No. 2 ready sbufflled, and the used pack, No. 1, is then placed in the slot in place of pack No. 2. This process is repeated indefinitely. The cards should be wide, thin, bright, and smooth, roundcornered being preferred. By this arrangement every card changes its position, making when passed twice through the machine, in twenty seconds, a change of fifty-two ont of the total number of fifty-two, thus Droving the perfection with whioh the appliance acts through its ingenious mechanism.—Court Journal.