RANDOM NOTES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 18, 12 May 1876, Page 2

RANDOM NOTES.

•- : - " Aj'ehiel's amang je takin' notes,'*; An*faithhe'il prent'em." I am not of a religious turn of mind/ and there are many commands both in and beyond the Decalogue, to the non-observance of which I must/plsad guilty, but in the respect and ■wSeration I hold for hoary locks and aged limbs, I will yield to no man. This commendable trait was the outcome of a perusab in my juvenile days of the frightful fate allotted to some larrikins of by-gone ages in punishment for scoffing at an individual whose cranium was innocent of capillary covering, the said punishment consisting of the demolition of the three culprits by three .several Kings of the Forest, which very obligingly appeared on the scene. These, I say, were the sentiments impressed upon my youthful mind, and although sufficient time has not elapsed since theu to warrant my claim for veneration, I find the present generation hold very different ideas upon the question. Youthful gentlemen, who are lucky enough to possess fathers —the said fathers being allowed to have their sons' names—are particularly careful that no good deed of the junior shall be. attributed to the senior. This train of thought was brought about by reading an extract from the Wellington "Argus," anent a certain Mr. George Jones, jun. Although never having had the felicity of seeing the said Mr. G. J.; jun., in the flesh, his name is embalmed in my memory side by side with the immortal " Knocker " —long since retired into oblivion—rJWid it has been often a wonder to me why h. ~*' r l others of that ilk should be so puuctilious-rabout the juvenile affix, when the party claiming seniority was totally unknown. Indeed, it is somewhat remarkable that in proportion as the " juniors " acquire notoriety, -the unfortunate " seniors " become buried, beneath a mountain of obscurity. Everyone has heard of H. S. Fish and George Jones, junrs., but how many are aware of the existence or personality of Fish or Jones pere V Of course, one could easily understand it if either of the gentlemen were a Pitt, a Pliny, or a Dumas ; but as neither of the paternals seem to have startled the world by their brilliancy, it is scarcely filial to condemn the aged parties by* such inviting contrast. Think of it, George, and beware of retribution from the coining Joneses. By the way, I happened in the above to mate use of what, although unknown to Johnson, proves at times a most expressive term. I allude to the word "Larrikin." I dare say there are fev.' of your readers who have not heard ifc uses', but I question if many are aware of its origin. It is this : In the Melbourne Police Force there is a certain Constable Dalton, a gentleman of the Celtic persuasion, who, besides being a terror to evil-doers, is a perfect peripatetic calendar of criminal deeds. If a delinquent be.bronght up with whoso history the office-sergeant is unacquainted, the services of Dalton are brought info requisition as a Beoording Angel. On one occasion, however, he was called upon to testify to the character of one who, although the associate o: c imiuar.-, had lie e ■ been ensnared in the meshes. Dalton wished to convey to the Bench that tbe accused did not work for a living, and after beating about the bush for some time, said " Prisoner would not work, but was always ' larking.' " Had the constable pronounced the word as spelt his meaning would be apparent; but Mr. Dalton's patois transformed this into "larrikin," to understand which some explanation became necessary. In writing bis ''police" the reporter styled the delinquent "A Larrikin," a term which rapidly came into use all over the colonies, Constable Dalton having thus unconsciously given birth to what has since proved a most convenient term for a very inconvenient class. The sons of Neptune, I believe, enjoy the distinctive peculiarity of having a dwellingplace set apart for their especial accommodation in the other world, which has been euphoniously designated " Fiddler's Green." I am not aware if a similar provision has been made for printers, but if imprecations—loud and deep—were to avail, the quantity hurled upon the devoted class would certainly pive them a pre-emptive right to a Hades not such'as they would select. I have heard that sonic persons experience a cold thrill and shudder when their grave is being trod upon; the ears of others' become red and burning when they are the topic of conversation by persons, even at a distanced If such be the case, then, what limst be the writhing of the unfortunate typo, if awake, or the horrible nightmare experienced, when '•'The Flaneur" isi the '•'Vietualiers'Uazette" was enjoying (?) the following extract from his withering Philiipic in last week's issue : "A number of young men—they would call themselves gentlemen—apparently on their way home from drill, happened to make a call at the house where the meeting was held, and on learning who were the occupants of the room, assailed the door, which had to be 'licked' to keep the gentlemen out." It must be confessed it was rather a novel mode of preventing ingress, ami one would imagine the Flaneur himself had been called upon to perform the operation, and it had disagreed with him, so weighty are his anathemas against the offenders. I have no doubt he found it a much easier task, to lick the unoffending door than those outside of it, cheap as he seams to hold them. However, it must bo admitted that the door had a hard time of it between the foes without and the foes within.