An Unrehearsed Situation.

Otago Witness, Issue 2202, 14 May 1896, Page 52

An Unrehearsed Situation.

Hf re is a little incident not related in the " Reminiscences of Mrs Keeley." Tyrone Power whb a good deal of a " swell," foud of horses as Sothecu was, rode as well as the ltvtteu, and was in jusb as good society. Robert Keeley, tnod?»b and unpretentious, was nevertheless proud, and a stickler for the stabus of tbe actor. One day Power, on a flue, showy steed, pulled up, seeing Keeley walking westward. " How do you do, Keeley ? " said Power with a flourish ; "a word with you, dear friend." Keeley stepped up to the curbsbone, Power slid from his sedd'e. ♦» One momenb, Keeley; just take hold of her head fora second." Power was making- & call^ He had been seen from the drawing-room window of the Grosvenor Square Mansion. The door was opened, and in he walked. " I won't be a momenb," he said, and left Keeley with the horse, whereupon Keeley became very nervous at bis unexpected and somewhat humiliating responsibility. Tho horse became a little restive, and Keeley in trepidation Jooksd up anxiously at the house to see the principal window filled with amused faces, and Power pointing to him and roaring with laughter. Poor Keeley, however, wait quickly relieved from his pmbAr- assment, and his place btiug taken b> a f<-i v< nt, he was induced to make the acqu&iiitaijce of his faslvonable audience and receive the apol gies of his friend.— Me Hatton, in the People. Coquetting with Poisons. Foelhardiness is responsible for many silly deeds, but perhaps its silliest form is that feeling of familiarity that teaches contempt for the dendly poisons of the chemist. *'£ eriukDS the worst worcy of mj life." BMfl ft

well-known professor of practical chemistry* attached to one of the largest London labors* tones, "is to prevent my students front deliberately poisoning themselves. 01 course, they know (no" one- tetter thwi tiiey) fcho terrible risks run by persons who are careless id handling arsenic, chloride of zinc, fee, ; bat fat the rneie sake of saving theouelvf s five minutes' work, they will openly court one of the moa& awful and speedy of deaths. •' I will give you an example that is of daily occurrence. An unknown powder, say, is given to a student for chemical analysis, and its composition demanded — this being the great test required by the Government examir erg for the Science and Art certificate. The reagents are being applied, and the examination arrives at a point when it suddenly dawns on the investigator that arsenic or aconite may be one of the constituents present, or perhaps the more violent and corrosive picric or nittiu acids, a drop of whioh will burn worse than a white-hot iron. Of courie, if the student knows his work, he has only to apply appropriate testa and find out what the poif on in. bufe it is much simpler to take .a little on the finger and get the characteristic taste. A grain or two more than is intended, the finger slightly too web may be fatal, but to save a few minutes' labour he laughingly runs the risk. "Some of tho students have quite a reputation for th'"s foolbarclineas, aud do no\ mind, out of sheer bravado, doing this tatting and testing for their more timid companions. -Of course mistakes occur now and again, and the stomach pump is wanted in a hurry ; bub although I have never heard, as yet, of a fatal case, I feel convinced in my own mind that ib will come some day."