PICKINGS AND GLEANINGS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 282, 19 March 1877, Page 3

PICKINGS AND GLEANINGS.

ETTEr-'TS. OT PK.STfcoVINO- FORESTS'. Russia, by cutting away it.* woods, has made its winters colder, and its stimm'.'R dryer. Or* the -Ist December last Lord Beaeoustield completed his 71ft year, having boen born on December 21, 1805 ; and Mr. Ufadstotte completed Eds Gfsh year, his. birthday being December 2.>, 180 J. mum me path. .MaTattUT Pattt'.v btmetit at Moscow wns a trtitmphan« success. She rcc ived GO trails to the front, and more than 300 bouquets were thrown to her. She was likewise presented with a beautiful pair of diamond and sapphire earrings. tkb «,*cnaro link. ft is an extraordinary fact that neither life nor tetter intrusted to their care hr*s been list through shipwreck, collision. tire, or any of the too frequent ranges of titsasr.fr, during the nmueroin voyages made by the Canard steamers across the Atlantic. KF.KSTOMANtA. At the Liverpool Sessions a man of resp\ etable appearance, nncned Joint Daniel lilliott, dyer, was cotivteted «»f stealing two poeket-hautikerehiefs from t!ie shop nf a draper. It was urged :u defence that the prlsmier, wr.n was »»vvner i>f p-,-«ip-rty wortlt ;L*-">o<> or £»>();.);» yvAi% sutieivd from kleptomania, and was itrospottsible for h:s aetinfts. Two previous convictions were recufded agatttst him, nnt\ t!te deferred sentence in order to communicate- with the Hume Secretary. IN" ItUnKADO. It wa.i evi'ning. Threa of them were kilting a cat. «>ne « f them held a lantern, another b-lt the cal' r an.l t!ie third jammed the pistol in the cat's car, and t'tivd, shooting the man in the hand wh<> held the cat. avid the one with the laut-ern was wiHtuded in tife arm. The cat left when it save how matters stood, and that iibteeting was being engendered.—l\>ir-t;r,T".-rvo nou. The tittle dan-,'".ter of a very wealthy XeW Vovker (in ppetred not lotfeT ago to hear hersinatl --e'.iootmares congratulating themsetvt s and one anotfter »'H the regularity with v. hte't their fathers satd grace at tatile. H-r fatlier did not say grace, and. oppr-SK'd by a wine of inferiority, cae lltt'.e one w» or that, evening, and bes..it ; .t. him to d.o it. lit; said he thought it was frrit _• he fieg.-n. an t asked a hh sdng v, ita-ait [iroper teetirt;- tite nest morning at hr akfe-s l '. A younger sister of t'ue t'.nnulisf. a yotrrig !::. lysdil in the nursery, who he.u unt ie;v.-u f. .e previtnts c >nvtt>atioii. I.K-k:d u;>. surprise!. thi.-n her face ci ei-ed. -- f know wltat you d-vs 'at for. l-'aoa," she said : "it's 'dude gettin' poor." Ttir. t'A-Uff'NS. Fashion In France, Kftgls.ud. an 1 America requires a lady to wear iu-r bonnet at all reception.-", lunch partt-s. and afternoon te:is. 'l'he afterno-Tt t .-a is af'er the I*>:t,'iis'i. and is situplv a small reeentiojt. with a cup of tea handed in fie most informal manner, and UMtatly takes place betwet'ii :? and ."> o'clock. Uentk.nten may aee.»mpe.ny the ladies. t:ek t:r<.':t::.vr man en amskica. Couim-.Mh.re VanderUlt (s i.ys a c..nteinfioiaiy), afff r wearing our. the reporters with "bis ohj.t.Urate- vitality, is dead at last. lb- is believed to have b en t..e wealthiest man in America, and was certainly one •>£ its ruo;,t succ'. ssftil tnoftey-makers. dying. we Iflieve. tuvtitf of at least three great lie was a born administrator, who first applied his great faeutty to business, as an owner of steamboats—whence his nickname of "Commodore" —and then of railways, managing great multitudes of men with, unfailing success. Though a •great speculator and a bitterly herd man, he had" one good quality in business, —he always trtwd'"to make his enterprises succeed and tett't-t* lafg-r dividends, which, in America, is not considered the ejuiekesl way to a great fortune. The speculation there is to tnake your own shares risa and fall, and then deal in them—to play, in fae\ with loaded dice. It is probable that Mr. Vanderbiit died worth L 15,000,000 sterling, muelt of it, however, in very ttuetnating property. A SAD STORY. A sad slory comes, from the villagi of WaltoH-ou-Trent. One Sunday afternoon, when the village children came out of school, otic little fellow, aged eleven. named James Mewts, was teasing a girl named Charlotte fJnteher, and pulling her dress. Site told him to be quiet, and pushing at him with an umbrella, the paint accidentally enured his eye, and he fell unconscious to the ground. He was taken home, and the eilect of the shock upon the father was so great that he was shzed with a tit, and died shortly after'wards. The little Im»v died about seven the same evening, and his mother has since been confined to the house, owing to the influence of the sudden double bereavement.