PASSING NOTEB.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7223, 11 April 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

PASSING NOTEB.

\ (From Ob go Witnoes.) I The foolifh fates, aa Unttnta oilla them, j I have not yet finally ■tfoftnlerraahdad their half executed 'order for a Russian war. L >rd \ f, liorne, we aro told tn ihe mail new*. " rid «uka the idea of » war," Sir Julius V-.flol ia pri- >, lately permar'eii that war ie !mpopaiV>)e, and ■ —last but not loaat in tisia trio—the D merlin j 'Evening Herald iu "really ashamed of the I 'funs the English tlovernment are ranking " on the subject, ind has known all along that ths * Afghan tSffioulty woold end in & fizzle. To thosa **ao can receive them, theae assurances «w« very reassuring. Ab a mattor o' fact, 'iSowevflr, the united opinions of Lord Lome, Sir Julius, and the Herald ara precisely equal ji in value to the opinion of tho man in th'o street. Tbe dsoision—peace or War —rests with tho Czar. What the mini! of the Czar ia ' on tho matter we shall know when ho chooses So toll us, not before. The ordinary rulea for guessing human motives are hardly trustworthy when applied to Czars. Sq unique and sublime a personage standsoutof the category of ordinary humanity, and is a law unto himself, Meanwhile it is worth noting that overtures in favour of pearo made to him from " tho highest quarters" have been "received Coldly." Thia remim'iß us that the Cz*r!a wife and the Prince of V^alos' wifo are eistors, and that the Duke of Edinburgh's wtio is the Czar'tt niater. Judged by ordinary rulen, a war betwenn England and Russia tyould be a very pretty dorflfw'tio imbraylio; but princes have never permitted fiwiiily relationships to obstruct the path of ■ thoir ambition. When personally remonstrated with from "the highest quarters" the Czar probably remarked to himself that business ia business, and that he didu't want any of your d d sentiment. Most likely it is essential %o a Csar'u peace of mind and to the 'glory of bin Seign that he should have at least one big *ar. For the present Czar, that is a luxury yet to come. Ho has hitherto found Biiffioient occupation in keepifig himself from being blown to pieces biy Vfle Nihilists. Until he has contrived to ge*» a million murders on hia soul, depend upoa it, an Autocrat of nil the Russiae !> -can nev&' sleep in peace.

The unexpected and mysterious arrival of a Russian squadron at Capo Town io not a healthy sign. " What's in the wind ?" ksks the Natal Mercury of January 20, " The Russian corvetta Skobeloff arrived at Cape Town yesterday, making three men of war of that nation at present in port. Two more Russian •ccrvettea aw shortly expected, and 'Das CapJand'haa authority to state that the harbour authorities have been notified of the expected ar/ivnl hare of a fleet of nine Rusman. men of 'war." Tiua was ten weeks ago, before the Afghan difficulty had disclosed itself. What wur a fliiet of nuch Btre&gth doing in Southern waters, so far aw£y from home ? It looks as though Russia had premeditated war, and threo months ago was getting her oruissrs into potsitic-R for a grand amp in these seas before Kokand the Unready could pull herself together. It is hardly a reproach to England that she is the Unready in an exigency like this. As iv.tr John Morley aptly remarked in the Fortnightly the other day, " People are always demanding that the British Lion should be prepared to 'put bis foot down1 wherever British interests are imperilled. But the British Lion is not a centipede. Ha can't put his foot down in a hundred places at once." It would bo interesting to know whole tho Cape Town squadron is now. htkai week it was reported in Melbourne that an Euglish Teasel recently arrived hf.d sighted on the voyage a Russian fleet of sixteen vessels— report not; trawableto any definite Bource, This phantom fleet Mr Damyo'n, Russian Consul ih Melbourne, denied—with some show of roagon) but be also denies the flout at Cape Top;u—a denial which, hi the light of evidence supplied by Cape n'lea, looks suspicious. Mr Damyon affirms that although ho is in constant and confidential communication with the Czar, be baa received no hint of the possibility of war {credat Judaeus /); and that if a Russian fleet were on its way to the Colonies tba O2ar would certainly havo informed liim. Yes, no doubt!—and would havo ituttugted hiin to notify the fact by advertisement;, in the Argus 1

—«.m niu <iu uuLuuiiunaujv yrucwont—sup— \ geation made by a naval officer in Sydney the other day respecting the Union Company'* steamers. The boats of the U.5.3. floet, he Baid, were admirably adapted to serve as rams. He referred in particular to tho Rotomahana, then lying at tba wharf. Thin vessel, in his opinion, could easily sink wj ironclad. If anything were wanting to the delights of the winter paßsaga between the Bluff and Melbourne, this suggestion supplies it, I give, prophetical);/, a specimen telegram from the Daily T/imes about six months hence:

Kauris Arrived, last night, Rotomabana, Carey, from Melbourne, Tho Rotuinahana rammed a Russian ironclad off the Solauders, sinking ber in five minutes. The steumor's bows being stove in and fore compartments full of water, was unable to ram a necond Uussiau vessel tljut came to the assistance of her cousort, Russian gave chase, but night coming on the Rotoinahana escaped into Fuveaux Straits, the Russian being afraid to follow in the dark. The Rotomahaua has one shot through bur funnel and another in her coal bunkers; dipt. Carey's pipe was whisked out of his mouth by tba wind of a shell. Beyond this no damage was done. Passengers behaved with utmost gallautry, the ladies insisting on being accommodated with seats on the bridge to see the ramming. The Russian is supposed to have gone round Stewart's Island, and may be expected off the Ocean Beach to morrow morning at daybreak.

When the Daily Times can enliven our breakfast tables with an item like that, life will begin to be really worth living,

The observing of days and months and times and years—except for racing purposes and the like—will soon be a thing of the post in Otago. On Good Friday tha Blueskin Presbyterians commemorated their Redeemar'o crucifixion by a picnic, and the Dunudiu Lyoaumites— not to be beaten in liberalism by the orthodox— celebrated tho Bamci event by a "concert |

farce, and ball," Tho theatres, it is true, had

the good taste to clone their doors, following the Snßlinh custom; but, after tbo example set by

tbe Lyceum, we may expect next Good Friday to have all places of amusomeut in full blast, In the City Council this week Councillor Barron recommended the running of Sunday

excursion trains on tbo Otago lines, and Bug-

gested a deputation to a Minister of the Crown on the subject. Councillor Munay, after this, challenged his brother muoioipalu to take their Bibles and accompany him from Matthew to Revolution, with the view of asceitaining whether there was any text against Volunteer bands playing in publio gardens on the

Sabbath Aay. The challenge was not accepted,

and the motion to sanction the band playing \ was lost only by the double voto of the Mayor, For anything I know, all theso things may bo tight and proper—(l used the quoation-begging phrase " good taflta" above, but that was a Blip)—Councillors Murray and Barrorj, iLe Lyceum, and the Blueekin Presbyterians may all ba quite correct, but the rapidity with which change is coming is a little bewildering. Evidently we eball soon be living in a new world. Mrs Oivia remarks that leave to do as

you like on holy days only makes plainer the distinction between the sheep and the goatsmakes them "come out in their true colours" la her exact expression, but that seonm a mixture of metaphors. Thin ie a view that had not occurred to me. I am now trying to sett's in my own mind whether I am n Eheep or a goat.

At a time wh'en the immoderate and oruel flogging of children is, greatly agitating the public mind in Dunedin, an effort ie being made elsewhere to abolish even moderate and stimulative floggings. A Mrs Crawshay (feminine philanthropist, of course) has come forward to suggest that the stick might be banished trom Bchoolß by tho substitution of rewards for good conduct. Mrs Crawsbny shows the artleesneßß of the dovo in asserting that all ohildren are more likely to be led t^an driven, and she also shows, to some extent, tho cunning of the serpent in suggesting that the proposed rewards should take tho form of some kind of extra food. This is certainly Bound eense. If children (boys especially) can be led at all it will be by the influence of " extra food " in perspective, and the more indigestible the "extra food," the knoner will be their yearning for it, and consequently the more ' ciranroßpect their conduot, They will hanker, f not exaotly after righteousness, at least after the reward of righteousness, and the result will be tbn fame. Thermin objection to Mrs Crawtbay's scheme (if its success could be insurei!) >a a concervalive objection. The biroh is hallowed by tradition wharnvpr boya are boys, and its banishment from Hchonla in a sentenoa not to be lightly pronoutictd. Many an urchin would mißa its restorative influencs in cold wpather, and many a pedagogue who ban after patient practice, acquired a free, finished, and really artistic touch, wruld find that the labour of many of bis bent year* had been practically wanted. The birch, like every other old-established institution, cannot be abbluihed. without) leavicg a diuaiy bl-sk

Bomewhere. Mrs Orawshay, and those who at a inclined to support her, should think of &U this.

The use, end, rt Bin of a newspaper cotreap 'ndeilt has never yet, ao far as I am aware, bdirtJ thoroughly explored. The average man who wriiea loiter* to tho papars doea not do no with any mercenaiy objiot in view, because uuthcontributions rucuiveno payment. Neither does he, us n iulo, writa tor lame k because his inmsivbß are genoritlly ngnod "Fairplay," or " Oae who knowe,1' i»nd there are so many lovers of fairplay in this free country, and eo inasy " who know," that identificf»tioa is really impossible under thess sifefjmatancos. The large olaa'a of prodtfacuous letter-writers may be roughly separated under two heads:—The ap£~y correspondent who writes because he is suffering from indigestion [ and tbe light sportive correspondent who skips airily into print because he honestly thinks that ho has something remarkably choica to say. The fetter writer is generally eloquent, teo, fc» a pinch, but he reserves this for the closing sentences of his deliverance. Kin peroration cornea like the corrective brandy after the palatable curacoa. One of this genus I notice favoured tho readers of the Daily Times last week, Hia communication was Bigned " Colonist," »ud dealt "frith tho "defenceless deputation," i.T.., Iho deputation who wished to ttelead Dunedin against tho RusaiaPßt dud proved not particularly happy in defending themselves against tbe tongue of the Colonial Treasurer. " ColoniBt" tripped along merrily enough through bio opening paragraph. He talltad of the " puray cits.j" of the gorgeous polished chief financier-, ftud of bitter alo of poor brew. FinigmaticsH perhaps' but light and frothy. T&ea **ma the corrective eloquence ;

" A'n bfecilre profundity," said " Colonist," n may be necessary to a faithless occult knowledge, but such dark seances are unworthy of the confidence of the freeholders of New Zealand. They need protection from the insidious, baneful, corrupting influences of such toysterious, obscure, and degrading communions, which tend to destroy all faith and hope in the future of this tho ' Britain of the South,'"

If such fervid sentences as these only had a meaning they would appeal irresistibly to our holiest emotions. As it is, few can read tho above Delphic sWarancea and remain wholly unmoved.

Aa a spiritist Mr Gerald Massey must be pronounced a failure, but as a jumping Jingo he is really by no means bad. His sob's in the New Zealand Times this v?eek'on "The Czar Nicholas and the Br.tioh Lion" iaone that the London rawie halls would be glad of: —

Ctiir Nicholas called to North and South, " Oomo see the world's great show 1 I'll thruat my head in the Lion's mouth," And bo laughed " Ha 1 ha 1 ho 1 ho 1"

Mr Massey's Czar is a music hall Czar from the point of his spiked helmet to the sole of his military booii. He "stands like ft fi-atUe of Satan," (ha, ha!) and "cnntfsbs a low-lying laagh " (ho, ho!) {.'i "lovr'lying laugh 'ia perhaps pooticfor a swampy smile], and his notion of bosMnsj the British Lion and " making the old brute quail," is to thrust hia head into the lion's mouth. At this remaikable proposal— The lion shook his incredulous head, And wageed his dubious tail, as well he might, Nioholaß, however, ia not to bo said nay ; the lion reluctantly opens his jaws, the Czar inserts his head, when, not unnaturally, tha ja'wa close upon it, and "the olenched teeth held him there." In this uncofiiiortable situation, the Czat makeß a short speech to the spectators, " with the voice of a spirit in bale "—which word ought probably to be spelt bail Apparently it is an allusion to the captive condition of a cow when " bailed up'' for milking purposes. With the voice of a spirit in bail the Czar exclaims —

Now God atnercy on my soul, Does the Lion wag his tail? The inquiry is cot bo irrelevant as it looks. According to the well-known Van Amburgh tradition, tbo lion always wags his tail before biting off the head of the lion-tamer, Tho peculiarity of this case, however, iB that the Czar is able to ask the question after the lion's teeth have clenched about his neck. With this we may bracket the physiological difficulty afewlinos later, where " the Uzar'sheart melts like snow in his mouth !" Czars are evidently not built on the same lines as other JSkaJion^ai brave anif magnanimous baas t^ whose heroic conduct iB beyond all praiße— bitea off the head so generously thrust into his jaws, and then—

The poor old Beast, at whose aspect mild The meanest thing dared rail, Shakes bis mann like a conqueror's bloody And—quietly wags his tail 1 [plume, This is a jumping Jingo's vision of the origin, history, and glorious termination of a Russian war 1 Unfortunately, lam not able to believe it, but my unboliuf shall not binder me from praying So mote it be I A friend bands me the following authentio fragment of a dialogue between two High School boys on the subject of Gerald Massey:— " Gerald Mas3ey was a poet, wasn't he ?" " No, he wasn't; he was a spiritualist." " Well, he was a poet too; he had it on his billa." " How oould he have it on bia bills! — (derisively). It stands to reason if he was a spiritual man he couldn't advertise as a poet!"

" Spiritual man " for spiritist—as old Polonma would say—iß good. So, too, is tbs confused notion that the terms "spiritist" and "poet" are mutually exolusive. After reading Mr ■tylasaey's lyrio on the British Lion, I mußt say that, on this point, I ngrse to a great extent with the High School boy Civis,