ITEMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 4538, 29 November 1889, Page 4

ITEMS.

At one tima a woman could hardly tralk through tbe streets of San FraDciaco without haring everyone pause to gsza on her, and a child was so rare that once in a theatre in the same city where a woman had taken her infant, when it began to cry just as tho orche3tra began to play, a man in the pit cried out, "Stop those fiddles and let tho baby cry. I haven't beard aacb a soncd in 10 years." The audience applauded this aootiment, the orchestra stopped, and the baby continued its performaaca amid unboncded enthusiasm. A singular incident which happened when the procession, on its return, had reached Philpot street, E , may ba taken as a strong proof of the popularity of Mr Barns. Two babies,, bora a week ago, were brought Into the street for the strike leader to kis3. Mr Burns received the .iafaots from the nurses and bestowed the wished-for caress on esch child amid the most enthusiastic manifeslatiocs, especially among tho aaaemblsd women folk, who could not restrain their feelings while this "pathetic tceoe"—to use a phrase of Mr Barns himself —wra being enacted. The present Marquis of Aylesbury, notorious under his former title of Lord Savernake, but perhaps better knovru as "the Coster Doke," from his fancy for driving a co3termongec'a donkey cart arrayed in the "kicksies" and other "fakements" peculiar to tho class, in-

tends, it is said, to take np hia residence in Brighton, Eogland. I: will bo a curios study to watch the conduct of tbe Brightonians, as, though humanity deariv loves a lord, this is one who said " Why bo had been made a marquis he never could understand ! " whi'e the marchioness wai not unknown at the Brighton theatre before this scion of nobility wooed and won her.

Graham of Claverboure (commonly pronounced Clavers) was appointed Sheriff of Wigtonshire iti 1862. On odb occision when this violent persecutor hid been inveighing in Lidy Stair's presence against our illustrious reformer Bho said, " Why are yon so severe on the character of John Knox? Ton are both reformers; he gained his point by daven, you attempt to gain yours ty blocks." There is a revival of species of handembroidery known as "Soaring" in the North of Ireland. Formerly it wa3 practised largely, but "sweaters" or middlemen drova It out of the country by paying starvation wcgeß. Professor Loomls says that the amount of rain which falls while the barometer is detcendiog is, in Philadelphia, nearly three times as great as that which falls while the barometer la risins. It i 3 a curious fact that, in Central Europe, on the other hand, more rain falls with a rising than with a falling barometer. In Britain, where the essential conditions apparently nearly resemble those of the firstmentioned locality, the quantity of rain which falls with a descending barometer is twice as great oa that which falls at the time of a rising barometer. Lynx, in the Taemanian Mail, supplies the following spicy item :—A clergyman living not far from Hobart and noted for his geniality and respect for whisky toddy was "got at" some time since by a missionary of the Good Templar persuasion and induced to mount the bine ribbon. Some time afterwards hia health visibly declined, and hismedicaladviser was called in. loformed of tbe recant change cf habits, the medico informed him that the nervousness and sleeplessness from which he was suffering could only be cured by a resumption of the whisky toddy on retiring to rest. The paratn protested that it would be more than his reputation was worth to return to liquor so anon after bis public protestations and repudiation of it, but the doctor insisted, and suggested a way out of the difficulty. "When do you sbava yourself?" said he; "Every morning," said the parson ; *' Then," said Ihedoctor, "yon shave every night and get a good supply of water into your room, I'll supply the whisky." " Bight yon are," said the parson, and the bargain was struck. Some weeks afterwards a friend , called to Inquire after his reverence at his lodgings, and in auswer to iheusual "how Is Mr.——?" the landlady replied, 1 " Well, he's quite well in health, but his : mind is going." "Daar ran," said the visitor, " how is that." " Well I don't . know," raid tbe landlady, bnt be wants to ' shave himself four times a day." It is growing more and more pleasant for tho American woman, especially of tbe refined sort, to have a quid in her month. She keeps chewing away at it on the promenade, in tbo theatre, and in the 1 nursery ; and, after sufficient practice, the Inconvenience of extra salivary secretion la got over. But it is not a quid of tobacco. It is an inaiarubber. Nor ia it a dirty piece of any size, such as used to i be popped Into a schoolboy's mouth and chewed to cracker consistency. It ia a ' specially prepared caoutchouc lozange that the American lady chen?. And there are now 42 factories in the United State 3 ' devoted to tbe making of these quids. ( "lean," declares Mr Edison, "carry r the plan of any eity in my head by taking a good look at it. It is the same way with nucbtuery. If I have seen some new machine and want to remember it, I have only to shut my eyes, and there the whole thing ia working away ss larga as -] life." j