TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 3958, 25 January 1900, Page 5

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

THE IUA.I* <Jl<’ LIFE."

i’;"K:n philoMipher observed I bat it v.;!:; I In 1 desire -if :>il man lo lie happy. I’mho h most is’.i’ti pursue lu*ppiu iu their ouii wav. even if they fail to al fain il. Tlie hi-tonan Air W. -E. .1!, Lceky km just issued a book in wliieli i;c Inis mapped o11f; for his readers a- i nurse of life tliaf lie considers will enable them In obtain a eert’iiu degree of In;;'].niie-s. Conduct ami character in their relal ion to happiness is IhenTm’e- the theme of Mr Lcckv’s booh. Starting Fom the einieeption (hat. iinVn’.-i v.ill is Ivor, he puts forward happiness as Hie aim of conduct. Though in ;islin;.; on tile view that' happiness is a. eomli! uni of niiml which .is eften, ea'il used with the means of attaining il , lie points out that the tendency is lo si ek ha.n|tuies-s without, ruiimi limn within. Kmrlivh ciiiinietor is, he maintains, an eminently objective one, a character iu which flumuiit.s. interests, ami einolions am mask habitually thrown on lliit which is wiihoul. ■ Improved condiici and improied eimimstances are to the English mind the chief and almost I lie only measure of progress. I’rec' edim;; lo a. wider discussion on rite relation o) morals to happiness, Mr Feeky d; Unitely severs himself from Hint sell".,' wJiicti lulio l '-’-; that • virtue finds its nit imale reason in the happiness of I I hove who practise it. Yet while lie believes if to be impossible to identity virtue with happiness, lie maintains (hat: ihe relation between morals and h.anpjness is sufficiently close and intimate to he well ivori hy of investigation. I seles.s si li-saeriliee and .suffering have ceased to have, any moral value attached lo I hem, and as time- goes on there will, he believes, he a, steadily increasing (c!idene,v to judge moral qualities T v 'a 11 -' degree iu widen they promote er diminish human happiness. Enthusnem ami sell-sac. ilice tor some object v- inch lias no real hearing on i 11-.; wellarc of man will laroni'c rarer, and will I’!’ respected, while the comlommition that- is pa;,.-,ai on acts that are recognised as wrung will he much more |)i opeu t ioued than at present to the injury that they .afflict.

:•) A DAM 1-; MELBA'S SUCCKSSEB. (v our cablegrams announced th- the Australian prhna donna (i ,-.i achieved at Berlin, Madame Mel- ",! -b !l ‘ « letter b her sister, Mrs T. I’a-U'i-sim. of Melbourne, writes m lid- peiiormamv before tho German EmIHTOI' as loHov.'i : ---"I must tell you about my wonderful success hero. ' I ’.liueia’ hist Monday. December 4th, aii'l I verdy believe I have never had mm b, a, ii'iiiroph. I M ont on to tho siaso it cling very nervous, hot v.'heu i jrot ti" re 4 found my voice was beau--1 ij a I and supple, and that I could do "■’ml i liked with it. 1 never had s uc!i applause. Hoy vi'eauied aad went mu !. '.Hie Emperor and (impress were present, and aUer ihe perdu maneo tnev bar me. _ They vrevo both most pracioiis and kind, Tho Emperor thank* e«, in • for Income to Berlin, and said ho had never seen .such enthusiasm 1 " | - aea \ cry happy, for 1 have •••!ii<|ueret! _ mmiher country—l had never sun:; in Germany before in pubhe- i 1 am crazy a hunt Frits: (Muller), lie is so like Beethoven in (he lace, •i"“ , . '’'- -levo ho na.s the same brain. • loae.iim and t toe!: him in the circus last nnrnt. and Imw he did enjoy it!” i \i\ s [i '. It K its I' JdOUR. l or the purpose probably ei encouraging I be ehickeu-heavt ed ppiviot '."bn imapii’,(treat, i/ritain L in a light ple.ee av the proem lime through I icing at war with the Transvaal, and die object ol papular resold ment on the Continent of Europe, Mr Sidney Low

writes an article in. the “Fortnightly Revif.v - ' in which lie describes_ a time i when i.!m. Old Cocntry was icutly in I had way. Air how choosem to point Ins imjr.d. the sprin;., of too year lV*-i7, exactly a cc.itnry boforo the Diamond did,He". llimi tiic ICn-lisii h per cents, had in Hen from 03 to 45. Irc'-’rni led milv .in-,t heen saved, by a pro virion I ial spell of had weather. I om_ invasion Irom a J'h'cridi army nmior Gonr al I toeho, ami a filibuxtcrinf; experion had actually landed upon the -imi'e-. r,;' tO'inhrokcshh'e. Tlic comit-y V a . drainerl of gold, tho war had added '.'di.h jtt.t'fi-'i forjuivak-nt to at 'cv-at h Ihd.liOii.OOO in our own. day) to ti;c led'Dir-J debt, and the Bank of iillgiami had suspended payment. AH our old allies, had gone over to Napoleon, ami France, Spain and Holland, the three me" maritime Powers to liiiglaml, were combined, on the seas against Iter. Austria, the only possible ally. _was reciing exhans'.ed after the, campaigns of Areola. aml Jtivoli. and, on the top of all l Ills, caina ti;c news that the seamen ol Ihe navy had. brolien into open revolt i roit lirsd and at the Nore. j Ci, or, the testimony cf a. foreign observer, ‘■tin-, hngilsh remained undaunted in the presence of such a revolt, and did not withdraw one vessel from the blockade of Brest, Cadiz or the Toxcl.” And it was in the darkest year that Jervis won the battle ol Capo St. A iuccnl. driving a Spanish fleet double tne she of his own back into Cadi'//, and Annina! Dim can, with the _ mutinous seamien, v, on the splendid victory oi Camperdowu over the Dutch. NEW /KAi,ANI) CONTINGENT NUMBER. \Vo would remind our readers that the Special Contingent Number of tho ■■'■iew Ntidaml Alaii” is published tills. t'l hinwday) 'morning. In addition to li ogiliy ami detail'd reports of the Ici ■,well, denumsiratian and of information generally as to the equipment, l raining ami tiespat.ch of tho second rule t iiigenm it, contains an illustrated supplement, including nearly forty splendid photographs of the, contingent in camp, Iho .sham-light, the church parade, tho ( ievoi mil’s inspection, the inarch to the garden 'party, etc., with hue views el iho jer vois - epiay farewell, scenes on the wharf, and of tlic Waiwcra and escort slciMiicrs. No more accurate and interesting record of a great event in our history could bo imagined, mid it will bo found specially valuable lor posting to Irieiuls in Australia, and tlic Old Country. Special • reports of tlic ga.rtlcn party and tho Government House reception, ami of the handsome dresses worn on those occasions, will be of ixirticulur interest to tho lair sex. Tim price is, as usual, sixpence, and it is desirable that orders should bo given as early as possible, in. order to prevent disappoint.il'cut.