BREVITIES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6362, 9 November 1907, Page 11

BREVITIES.

Paris has been invaded by a Belgian band known as the? Cookery Academy, This bond, which is 40 strong, is not of cooks, but of philantnTon ists. It is a group of young men and girls who use their spare time in the collection of funds for charitable purposes. They wear a quaint mediaeval costume* and their instruments nave ail the form of vegetables of all kinds and immense knives, forks, and spoons. The academy has collected .£BOOO for charitable objects within the last few They paraded Paris -on behad of the ron- 1 scripts whose two years’ service is just beginning.

Possibly this Ar istotelian story was reinvented by Thackeray when he stood for Parliament at Oxford against Cardwell. As the two candidates stood upon the hustings. a dead rabbit struck Thackeray in the face. "I beg your pardon,” shouted the thrower, "I meant it for the other man.” Thackeray then made his single oratorical success. "I wish you had meant it flor me and struck Mr Cardwell.”

The Kalahari, in which Morenga, the persistent opponent of the Germane in South Africa, has just been killed, is a huge treeless < and sandy waste, forming part of British Bochuanaland and the vast central plateau of South Africa. It separates Nomaqnaland from the habit-■ able portions of British Bechuanaland. t Her© and there are to be found bushmen, the time aborigines of South Africa, and the only inhabitants of this dreary expanse of sand.

Among the wills recently proved in London is that of the Countess of Clancarty, who was formerly well known on the variety stage as Belle Bilton. The value of her personal estate in the United Kingdom was sworn at .£446.

The following is vouched for as a true story: Heir little Boy of seven years of ago sajd to her one day, "Mother, I know why it is that babies cannot speak until they are twelve months old. It is because they come straight from Heaven, and if they were able to talk as soon as they were born they would tell the secrets and eo God doesn't let them speak until they have forgotten them.”

American papers have been busily discussing whether it wonld be better to drop the Philippines than to keep them, and a canvas ha-s been made on the subject by tho "New York Herald.” That journal has been collecting the opinions of Congressmen and Senators, and out of the 138 who were consulted not more than 27 were in favour of keeping the islands. The rest. Republicans and Democrats alike, would all welcome any reasonable way out of the bargain.

In the past century tho Ward of Cripplogate, one of the largest and most highly rated wards of the city of London, haa possessed only throe aldermen, a remarkable instance of tbr* lonvcvltT of tho City Fathers. Sir Matthew Wood, after whoso daughter the famous City barge Maria Wood was named, held office from .1807 to 1843; Thomas Challis served from the latter year 1874; and his successor was . tho present aldermen. Sir Henry Knight, thoi second member of the Court of Aldermen in point of seniority.