MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 912, 22 November 1864, Page 5

MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

An Austrian i ovb Story. An-w species of the truly inexhaustible I. enius of matrimonial suits has recently turned up in a case tried and decided in Vienna. In the hou-.e of one Herr Kuhne, a tfa her of languages. Dr KaDt. a younglawyer, happened to tua'ie the aquaintance of a lady, burdened with some property and thirty y<-ars Tlip lady, being unmarried, evinced particular interest in the younp, shy, and ratherabashed man of law. Hie talked a great deal with him in company, preferre 1 him in the dance, and ended with inviting him to her house. Dr. Kant, who, as the unhappy lover ot inotner girl, was not. particularly inclined to pay visit?, at first did not comply with the courfrous request of the fair, but, feeing her again at a friend's and her invitation beiutr repe <ted at length allowed himself to become a h <bitue of her and her mother's hospitable house. It appears that the lady waited for seve al months for him to " pop the question ;" ur:ti', gettingweary of his melancholy mem and indesciibable reservp, she re-olved to open a way for her retiring Adonis to proposp, or retreat, for ever. One evening when the doctor, accoiding to his wop% was sitting opposite her tabouret, conversation —accidentally, of course —turned on marriape,. and the happiness of harmonising souls. Dr Kant pictured the fetters of Hymen in rosy colors ; the faei of thd lady brightened, and with a palpitating liea-t she put. the question—" With your favorable idea ot matrimony, may I ask if you ever thought, of marryi'ig yourself?" Dr Kant sigheil, and, his eyes resting on the ground, hesitatingly muttered in reply—" X have already thought of m irryinp, and made my choice, but " "'" But '." the lady hastily interposed. " But," he cont nueJ, " the lady is rich, very rich, and Tarn poor. lam afraid I can hardly Rspire to her hand, and rather than allow myself to be taxed with sordid design?, 1 wid bury my passion in ray breast, and leave it unavowed lor ever." A short pause ensued. Both parties were embarrassed, and the doctor rose to take his hat and leave the lady at an u> usually early hour. Miss Martini hade him g-iod evening in a friendly ; ud cordial way, without, however, adding another word on thesut.ject of their conversation. At an early hour of the following day slip, however, batook herself to» solicitor, and, in legal form, declared her wish to present and hand over as his sole property the sum of 150,000 gulden (L 15,000) to Dr Kant. When the document had b<en signed, countersigned, and duly completed, she sat down in the office, and enclosing it in an elegant envelope, added a note to the following effect :— " Hear Sir— I have much pleasure in. enclosing a papell, which X hope will remove the obstacle in the way of ynur marriage._— Believe me &c, A hoe Martini." Ur Kant, far he and no other was the addressee, was the happiest man in the world on receiving this fienerous epistle. But alas ! that he should have put a different construction on it to that expected. Repairing- at once to the parents of Frail em Fischel, the lady of his love, he proposed for and received the hand of a girl who had long been fi lttered by his delicate thouah unavoTed attentions. His reply to Fr»iilein Martini, besides conveying- his fincerfst thanks, coutained two cartes de visite, linked together by the significant rose-colored ribbon. Miss Martini forthwith snetl the happy bridegroom for restitution; bur, as no promise of marriage had been made, the case was by two successive court? decided against her.

At the guillotining at Rome, a few days ago, of t(vo murdererc, a soldier pi-cented his bayonet to the crowd, while some persoD, in a i-tate of great a'arm, struck it up above the hea'is of the people. This act seems to have been misunderstood by fie wliol" body unler arm?, who presented bayonets to the mi's and endeavoured to force them, back, t.'n both si )e-. it would appear there was alarm and inistike —one fearing a bloody entente, tlm other a deadly charge. A ftarful pinic teott hoM of the crowd, who fled helter-skelter towards a low wall which separated the Piazza from the Velabrum. Just here there is a fall, and over this fall and this wall hundreds were precipitated. Some lives were lost, and not a few very severe injuries were inflicle'. The terror was more tragic even than at the execution, and the erics to the Ma'onna from the miutbs of even fullBwwn and hearty men are said to have been both afflicting and humiliating £ Wild Man. —Vluch excitement has prevailed in dwaledule, Arkendale, the borders of Westmoreland, as well aa at Barnard Castle anrl Richmond, by the proceedings of a man who lived in tbe woods and on the tutors. He was of middle height, and, though of slender build, possesse 1 considerable muscular power, as was evidenced by bis su prising activity. His clothing consisted of a fragment of an old dressing-gown, reaching from his waist to his knees, fastened round with a cord, and a f<;w rags clinging to his shoulders. His fep.t and le^s were covered with .iry black mud. His hair and beard were long and matted, faviug which there was nothingferocious in bis aspect, his ieatures being naturslly mild, and n"t unprepossing. Occasionally he had approached farm homes ; and at Sea-gill and other places kind-hearted people had given him food, which he hid eatan with avidity, but he had refused to accept the ciothes offered him. He ran with wonderful speed, sometimes leaping into tbe air, aad glancing behind him at nearly every He seemed to have no fixed route, but diverged, on each side of the way as h« rapi fly traversed the ground. :t is thought that he must in some degree have subsisted upon such game or vermin as he could catch ; and he has been observed eating tbe garbage lying in the vicinity of farmhouses. He was perfectly inoffensive, buc his siugular appearance, and his mode of running atul screaming, had terrified many women and children. It is related also that a man living at a farm ne^r Barnard Castle bad risen early to go to the coal pits, bui ha-l been so frightened by the sudd'n appearance of the ''wild man" that he hastily unyvked the horses, hurried back to the bouse, and barricaded the doors and windows. There is no doubt that tbe '• wild man" is a harmless lunatic who has escaped from confinement. The police have been on tlie look out for several weeks, but have failed to capture_ him. until tbe present week, when the police stationed at Urt.ta Bridge succeeded, after an exciting chase, in securing him. He stands remanded for lourt'en days to Northallerton G.ioj, in order that inquiries might be made concerning him. — Yorkshire Gazette.

C&utxih Sjsjimks on TirE Modern" Saii,ok. — "The modorti sailor lias greatly changed in character. He nowstickles for pay like a sharper, and seems tohave lost his recklessness and love ot adventure." However this latter proposition may be, the truth of the former was most amply proved on the day in question. Jack higgled and haggled, and'insisted pertinaciously on. the terms he felt his would-be captain's necessity enabled him to command; and, in the cud, Captain Semmes was fain to consent to the exorbitant rates of £4 10s a month for seamen, £5 and £G for petty officers, and £7 for firemen! " 1 was glad," he writes, " to set them even upon these terms, as I was atraid a large bounty, in a Iditiou, would be demanded of me." Very curious was the contrast, afforded by this scene with the enthusiasm that had preceded, and the gallant, dashing, reckless career that followed it. These men who thus stood out for the last sixpence they could hope to wring from their employer's necessity, were the same who dashed subsequently blindfolded into the action with the Hatteras, and, later yet, steamed quietly out of a safe harbour with a disabled ship, to meet an enemy in perfect trim, and of superior force; and, as their shattered vessel sauk beneath their feet, crowded round the very captain with whom the hard bargain luul teen driven, imploring him not to yield.— ! '"Crake of the Alabama and Sumpter:" by Captain Semmes. Tun Danukrous Properties of Zinc. —Tiie "Journal dcs Dcbats" says:—.l largo proportion of the public may not 1)3 aware that the use of zinc vessels for domestic purposes is extremely dangerous. Vinegar, ciOer, wine, and, in fact, nil acids which have remained ill zinc, 1k;----como poisons more or less violent; this is even the case with milk which contains a powerful acid, termed, acids laetir/ue. Various ease* of sickness and colic, and even many deaths of young children have occurred, the cause of which has been clearly traced to the use of milk that has. been in contact with this metal. MANSE STEEET.