MODERN LUXURY.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 24, Issue 16, 28 February 1913, Page 6

MODERN LUXURY.

The extravagance of the ancients i.» hrown completely into the shade by the yxury of modern times, as the following nstance amply proves: An Englishman ol ;he name of Sheephead wrote a couple o; xagcdies, each of which was worth £IOO,OOO, jut never breathed a word to any one. The Manuscript of the one he gave to a young woman who could not read, to be used by Her as curl papers. The manuscript of th« .econd he out up into squills for lighting bis cigars. But as he had a good memory je was afraid lest he might betray certain ocautiful passages from his works when 1 sleep or in lufuor, and therefore went and langed himself, thus depriving the World oi :wo immdrial masterpieces. A HAPPY MATCH. There was once a comic picture in Punch, representing " The Last Match”—half-a-iozen yachtsmen some miles_ out at sea on a windy day. clustering anxiously around ;he man who has got the only wax match in ■he party. The comedy was converted into grim (arnest in the case of the crew oi the •* Holt Hill,” shipwrecked on St. Paul’s Island. The nights were so cold that to be without 1 fire meant certain death, and there was no dint and steel and only one match. Imagine the trembling anxiety with which (he three - and - thirty cold and starving wretches watched the kindling of that iucifer I Fortunately the operation was successrully performed; a blaze was made and the poor fellows were saved. But it was a (hrilling episode. ‘ * JJJ'A PERFECT CURE. There Is a story that a farmer who had lost some cows was fully persuaded that he bad himself been attacked by the epidemic. Forthwith he consulted his own medical man, who tried to laugh him out of the action, but to no purpose. The farmer then went off to an old well-known practitioner, who, being a bit of a wag, and seeing how matters were, entered minutely into the ietails of the case, expressed hi# con:urrence with the patient’s views, and told him he could cure him. He then wrote a prescription, sealed it up, and told the farmer to go to a certain druggist in the next pottery town. The farmer lost no time in joing with the prescription, but was somewhat startled when the druggist showed him ;he formula, which ran thus : “ This man ; ias got the cattle plague; take him into the back yard and shoot him, according to Act Df Parliament." There is no need of saying that this was a " perfect cure." v'

THE LATEST FREAK OF FASHION. "Poralunes” is the name given to a recent invention of the Paris makers of fashion. It is pretended by the inventors of these "moon umbrellas,” that the moon’s rays are as fatal' to beauty as those of the ;un, as they just as readily cause a persoi'. to become moon-struck, i.c., lunatic, as the hot sunbeams produce the sun-stroke. Whilst the sun turns the skin brown, the moon makes it dry and pale. These umbrellas are certainly recommended to visitors in the country, where moonlight walks during the bright clear nights are so much in favour. They are made in elegant shapes nut of gauze trimmed with red silk. At the same time cork shoes are worn, which .are in elegant imitation of the sabots or wooden ;hoes worn by the peasantry. The rustic ;ostume consists further of silk stockings with red and yellow stripes, a long skirt of line linen also striped red and yellow, a argc straw hat surmounted with a bunch of wheat ears, and a white muslin kerchief i hich is tied* over the breast.

WEDDED IN HASTE, ETC. A ladv of intelligence and observation if.s remarked, " I wish I could impress :pon the minds of the girls that the chief nd of woman is- not to marry young." If girls could be brought to believe that : ieir chances for a happy marriage were ctter after twenty-five than before, there vould be much less misery in the world linn there now is. To be sure, they ot have so many opportunities to marry ..fter that age as before, but as they do not ccd to marry but one at a time, it is necesary that one should be satisfactory. As a irl grows older, if she thinks at all, she P lainly becomes more capable of judging hat would make her happy than when

Hunger. How many girls of twenty would think r accepting the man they would gladly have r.-.nicd at sixteen? At thirty, a woman, lu> is somewhat independent, and not over ; d. us to marry, is much harder to please ,;d more careful in her choice than one at .only. There is good reason for this. Her ir-< 1 has improved with her years, and she looks beyond mere appearance in idling of men. She is apt to ask if this an. -,vlit is so very polite in company, is -all kind-hearted ?' Do his actions spring ' n happy, genial nature, or is it his i.liioi.tivr demeanour put on for the occasion, rl laid off at home as he lays off his coat / V very young girl takes it for grantee, ■ru men arc always as she sees them in ■k!v, polite, friendly, and on their good -.iiavionr. If she marries early in lilc the ,n \> ho happens to please her fancy, she ins lo her sorrow that in nine cases out I i, i: ,i m;.ii in society and a man at home , . u:,:dv diflcrenl beings. Five years at • pm imi ol life produce a great change ,j. 1; 11 1,.ns and feelings. We frequently ais' io detest at twenty-live what we ad-..,-,1 ,i.l si .Teen. ;.iiuiiar changes take place in the moral A spiritual nature. Why should wc feci same towards persons in after life, hen we have learned to distinguish he ween the false and true, the bad and good ~v more than we should like penny novel, lev wc have become acquainted with' Hckens, Thackeray, and Shakespeare ow lew comparatively of the school-gir midships extend into later hie. Considering this, how is it possible lm .. c to feel surprise when a couple wlk any in their teens grow to love eachothe years roll by ? When both grow alike, .hethar it be rapidly or slowly, backward ■ v onward, there is some hope of their eve ..t ing each other with the same eyes ; bu hcii one progresses and the other retro ■•nicies, a difference springs up betwee, ,;cm, and in time one looks down upon the ■ther' with a feeling of superiority, perhap' nconfessed, but still there ; while the other , ; , a ble to perceive the real cause ol th; rouble, grows at once to dislike what wa ■nice loved. And thus it happens that those ,ho loved at sixteen are often indifferent a? •.venty-five. One great cause of early marriages is th. .ernicious habit of calling a girl who re lains unmarried until twenty-five an "old maid.” This is done by many well-mean ,ng but thoughtless persons, who would be lorry to think that any act or expression o heirs had ever caused one an hour o( nisery; yet this very dread of being called an " old maid” has driven more women mtc marriage and lifelong misei)' than any jtlier tiling, excepting perhaps poverty. It s a mistake to think that single life is any ess noble than marriage, especially if th* pint of discord is permitted to inflict it» riui A upon a whole household.