MEN AND WOMEN, AND MATTERS AIL AROUND.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1265, 28 May 1896, Page 31

MEN AND WOMEN, AND MATTERS AIL AROUND.

With all my heart I give Lady Stout credit for one good poko at her opponents. “ With all its outcry against the Chinese,” she said at the Soutnern Cross Society mooting, “the Anti-Chinese League, which had boon in existence for more than a year, had a 3 yet not succeeded in growing even a two-penny cabbage.”

That is quite true and to the point. There are, I fear, many among us like the American Sand Lots orator, who, in the midst of a fiery denunciation of the “Heathen Chinee,” was interrupted by the question “ Col., who washed your collar — was if nob a Heathen Chinee ? ” The Colonel had to own up, but explained, " Oh, that’s all right. Like a sensible man of course I do not allow my political principles to interfere with my comfort or economy.”

I fear it i 3 the same with us. We damn the Chinaman, but buy his cabbages all the same, and will continue to do so as long as he gives them to us a halfpenny cheaper in the hundredweight.

While admiring a very flue book-case filled with handsomely-bound books tho other day, 1 remarked to tho mistress of tho house, “How well you keep your books.” " Yes,” s'no replied, with pride, “I take care of my books. I carry the key of that book-case mysolf, and it has not been opened in two years.” There was the careful housewife for you.

The world has been so busy with Mr Joseph Chamberlain as a politician that it has overlooked tho literary side of Joe’s character. Mr Chamberlain is almost as great a reader as Mr Gladstone. On ins book-shelves may bo found such historians as Macaulay, Fronde, : Leeky, Napior, Alison, Freeman, and others.

His collection of light literature is very extensive, showing great catholicity of taste. Several shelves aro devoted to Fronch and Italian literature, while tho poetic collection ranges over Chaucer, Spencer, Milton, Byron, Tennyson, and even Alfred Austin.

I do not think tho Czar of Russia cares much one way or tho othor about the immense preparations being made for his coronation, except perhaps that he may foel an uncomfortable dread that the Anarchists may make it tho occasion for an attempt on his life. Judging from tho private life of tho Czar, I am persuaded that these .£3,750,000 will bo wasted on what will bo a very idle show to him.

In private circles it is well known that tho present Czar did not want to succeed his father. Ho loved a beautiful Jewess much bettor than ho did empire, and had ho been allowed his own way wo might havo had tho story of Ahasuerus and Esther repeatod, for ho really did want to marry hor. Ho even offered to waive his right to tho throne in favour of his younger brother George.

But George is consumptive, and Nicholas had to givo up his dream of a quiet life with tho lovely Jewess to uphold tho “ divine right of Kings.” Nicholas’ inclinations loan more to beauty’s boudoir than to tho camp of Mars. It will bo remembered that when in Japan a native tried to cut his head open. The “ ollieial ” account was that the Japanese hate strangers so !

And by tho way it is remarkable how weak aro those “divine things tho royal rulers of Europe. Emperor William of Germany, credited with being a strict family man, was kept from attending tho fetes in Rome last year because lie is a very susceptible man, and Queen Margarito of Italy is a very beautiful woman. Ho has been quito fascinated by Margarito’s charms, and could not hido tho effects of that fascination even among courtiers, much to tho embarrassment of tho Queen.

And, then, tho late King of Holland was a wretched drunkard, ex-King Milan was devoted to wine and women, and only looked upon fie rvia as a place to support hi.; evil course. The King of Belgium ir, so notorious that cabmen in Brussels can point out tho house of his mistress, and all Paris knows the name of the Ca/c Clinulunt artist who enthralled him.

And then there are P.-inc s Rudolph of Austria, whoso mysterious do till was the sensation for weeks, and Prince Baldwin of Belgium, whoso funeral followed a weekafter a man discovered him paying improper addresses to his wife.

These are some of tho " divine ” things on whom millions of the people’s money aro spent in coronations and other relics of barbarism and tho dark ages. It makes mo vory tired to think tho world has not yet got beyond this.

I am sure tho following must bo an exceptional case, aud only the individual and not tho church could be blamed. Tho story, vouched for by roliablo persons, is that a young gentleman and lady, visitors to Wellington, went to a prominent church on Sunday evening. Being early, and no usher being in attendance, they walked forward to tho first ompty pew, and took seats.

A few minutes later a lady accompanied by a boy earns down the aisle, and entered the pew. As the service was about to begin, a lady and gentleman arrived. This would make six, while the pew could hold eight. Tho lady with the boy leant across the latter and asked of the

strange young lady, “ Who showed you in here ?” The lady addressed became confused, but managed to explain that seeing no usher and that pew ompty, she had entered with her escort.

Tho questioner, who evidently owned tho pew, seemed filled with indignation, and said out loud enough to be heard around, “ Well, you can’t sit here.” Of course tho visitor, covered with confusion, arose, and with her escort left the church. Tho young lady is to be excused if, when relating the incident to her friends, she animadverted severely on “the Christian spirit displayed by one woman toward another, and both members of the same Christian denomination.”

Some scientific man has said that a comet is composed mostly of gas. If this is so, what a galaxy of comets wo havo in this happy land. There is Dr Newman, Sir Robert Stout and the Nat. Ass.

Last week a question that has been long in my mind unsettled was definitely decided. The question was whether the dining-table or the multiplication table has been the greater benefit to mankind. Tho decision was in favour of the diningtable. And the dinner itself was a thing of beauty and a joy for ever. Tho vory memory of it makes tho pen drop —for the day.

A correspondent sends me the following, whose significance will bo plain to most of my readers, when tho Ministry in power at the time of the purchase is ree filed : —“ The building bought by the Government Lite Insurance Department for £11,500 would probably not fetch £ISOO if sold to-morrow. It is all ‘ to let/ or was, a short time since. T. J. Maling is brother-in-law to Leonard Harper, wiio was member for Avon at the time (if the purchase, i believe.”

Somebody has sent mo a copy of Forward, a journal published “in tho cause of humanity,” in which I find another reason for tho exclusion of Chinese and other degraded labour. Forward says: “ The people of the white races aro at the present time engaged in a severe struggle for economic freedom against vested interests and monopoly. To admit people belonging to races of an inferior social standard is simply to put another formidable weapon into tho hands of monopoly—in fact to give the whole Ijattlo away.”

“ The bicycle built for two,” celebrated in London music hall songs, has been superseded by tho production of a “ sextupletto ” cycle, to carry six persons in tandem, which lias made its appearance on tho boulevards at Antwerp. It is of French manufacture, and its length is lift, tho weight being 1581 b. Wo must get some of those over hero. Then little parties of six, properly divided as to sex, can take little excursions into tho suburbs. It will bo real nice.

We aro the Empire City—of cotirso! AVo are tho seat of Government —of course! We are tho financial, geographical, commercial and industrial centre of New Zealand—of course! And we are enterprising—of course : And—

Just listen! Wc havo been all the time from noon on Saturday until 9 o’clock on Wednesday without having tho door of a bank opon! That is enterprise for you, and a duo regard to tho requirements of a commercial community. Here we will be a whole week with only three and a half short days in which one can do business.

Tho number of bank-holidays wo have in this Colony is simply absurd; and lam sure it is not that their work is so exhausting that they need them. On Monday tho banks celebrated the Queen’s birthday, which happened on Sunday, and on Tuesday they celebrated Whit Monday, which fell on Monday. Why not have celebrated thorn concurrently? Our bulk officials should havo brains cnoupi to be able to roll two commonplace holidays into one. And again, how ridiculous to celebrate Whit Monday on a Tuesday !

A.B. sends me a communication on what seems to bo a very mixed condition of affairs in the Bust Office Department. I am taking time to investigate, as I think if worth it. 1 have my own decide 1 opinion that the practical working of the pu.Til service is not a superlatively well managed one, and I think 1 shall get up an agitation. And, too, some of Lit** arrangem-mt ; for conveying the mail through country districts are well.

And now comes a matter ab:ul which I am profoundly serious, and at the conclusion I will ask —Aro mr children to have protection on the public roads from the Chinese moral lepers who are scattered around our suburbs? A prominent citizen of Wellington writes me that while returning from Seatoun about J. 30 o’clock on the Hist inst. be met two little girls, mo about 13 aud the other five years of age, near a Chinaman's garden.

Both children were in great distress, and were crying bitterly, The gentleman inquired the cause and was told t hat they were afraid to go past the Chinaman’s place, as these depraved Asiatics were in the habit of calling to them “ bad, rude words.” Seeing the children in such mortal terror, the gentleman rode back with them past tho garden, and then in full view of the Chinaman waited and watched the children until they had gained the top of the lull.

Tho gentleman made enquiries about the children, and found their father is dead and their mother lives in town, while they live with a relative near the .-signal Station. They attend school at Kiibivai;, and therefore have to pass the Chinaman’s garden twice each day.

“ I think,” the gentleman adds, “ that to havo children (or, in fact, anyone) molested on tho highway within three or four miles of Wellington in broad daylight is a disgrace to tho public authorities of tho city.” I think so, too, aud in the name of decency and childish purity and innocence I call upon this loathsome condition of affairs to bo stamped out. The world will be interested to learn that, according to Professor Lombroso, Dante, tho great Florentine, was a madman. Years ago Dr Durand Fardell saw in Dante’s visions of hell, heaven aud purgatory the results of a maniac’s dreams. Lambroso adds that Dante was subject to epileptic fits, and was given up to irascibility, inordinate vanity and violence. All right 1 only wish the world had more such madmen! The girl who sits in the parlour and sings “ Who will care for mother now ?” while the old lady is cleaning up the house will prove a great disappointment to a poor young man. We need not become discouraged if wo have not our water supply so perfect as to please everybody. Tho water supply is one of tho most troublesome questions in municipal government everywhere. Even London, big as she is, cannot boast as much as wo in this respect. In fact, London is in a most anomalous position, for, with all its millions of hum in lives and all its extraordinary accumulation of wealth, it has no control over it; water supply. Nor is there any prospect that it so m will have. But tho strangest part of it is that the people themselves whose lives and property are at stake are responsible lor this state of affairs. In I.SSO .Sir Richard Cross concluded a provisionary agreement with the walot companies to buy over their plants and rights for tho sum of £133,000,0)0. The people rose in arms claiming that this was a very improvident political scheme, and the agitation over it was a powerful contributory cause to the downfall of Lord Beaconsfiold’o administration. No political party lias since ventured to touch the subject. The people now find that the .£33,000,000 would havo been a good bargain, as they would now have to pay from 13 to 20 millions more if they purchased the water works. New Zealand might take a lesson, from this. Wo have too many people who object to investing money in great public works. But it properly expended such money is sure to bear a rich harvest for all time afterwards. Let us take tho lesson. Tun Fat Contributor.