Items.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XX, Issue 6210, 20 March 1895, Page 4

Items.

Once upon a time there was a Dean so fond and proud of his cathedral, that he came by degrees to think and speak of it as though he were the sole proprietor; and one evening, just before the conclusion of a lecture on Thought Reading, at which he presided, he came upon the platform, with much dignity of demeanour, with his arms crossed upon his breast, and said : "Ladies and gentlemen, I have much pleasure in informing you that Mr Cumberland has intimated to me his most kind intention to devote any profits which may accrue from his lecture to the restoration of my western front." It is said that throughout the world there are 109 women to every 100 men. The late Mrs Bloomer, was a more sensible and clever woman than many people seem to suppose. She spoke in public excellently, and she conducted her newspaper. The Lily, with considerable acumen and consequent success. It is a mistake to imagine that she was insensible to the ridicule heaped upon her notorious costume. The contrary was the case, for after giving it a fair trial of seven or eight years she definitely it and admitted the justice of public criticism. Her philanthropic work was worthy of unstinted praise. A remarkable point in marital bankruptcy law cropped up in London. It was in the case of Florence Leybourne, a daughter of the great Leybourne, whom many remember. She was recently married to Mr Albert Chevalier. But she had divorced a previous husband, and the Official Receiver's opinion was that Mrs Chevalier could not now be made liable for debts contracted before she obtained her divorce. As the point is so interesting and novel a one, however, it was not definitely decided off-hand, but will be considered again. The name of Madame Henry, Lhe lady superintendent of the Paris Maternity, has been added to tho list of the Lady Knights of the Legion of Honor. This coveted distinction has been awarded to her for the excellent services rendered by her to the important and useful institution of which she is the guiding spirit, by educating maternity nurses of the first order. Apropos, it is worthy of note that the Women's Institute of Medicine in St. Petersburg, which had been closed by order of the Government some years ago, is about to be opened once more by command of the Czar. Former students, who have obtained their degree, will be allowed to practise as doctors—a privilege hitherto refused them. A novel way of selling sheep caused some amusement at the Mataura stock sale yesterday (reports the Ensign). A mob of sheep from Bushey Park, counted out as 294 were put up by Mr Stronacb. One dealer, instead of bidding at per head, made a sportiug offer of LlO for the mob. The auctioneer was evidently not disposed to insist on the orthodox method of doing business, and took the bid. The sheep were run up to Lls 17s, and at that- price were knocked down to Mr J. Templeton, of Wyndham. There has lately been a rebellion in the convent of Udine, a town in North Italy. The nuns even seized the abbess and locked her up in a cell, whence, after her flock had consumed much of the old ale and even some of the old wine of the convent, she was rescued by the bishop. And then she sent in her official report of the riot to the proper quarter, and attributed It, firstly, "to the direct agency of the Evil One," and, secondly, to the fact that " the convent had been short of fuel during tho cold weather."