CORRESPONDENCE.

Colonist, Volume XV, Issue 1522, 26 April 1872, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the Colonist. Sir, —I am sorry to have to trouble you, but I must really beg you to refer to the M.S. of a letter published in the Colonist of the 16th inst., signed an " Anxious Enquirer," and see what the true signature is. How the simple monosyllable, " Vox," came to signify "Anxious Enquirer" is more than I can possibly divine. A more inappropriate —a moro hypocritical one could not well huve bean chosen. The mistake is much to be regretted, as it caused the Bishop of Nelson to pour forth an animated tirade ugainst a mere ignis fatuus. The writer of the letter in question, happy in having made " a stronger faith his own," has long ceased to inquire as to the truth or falsehood of mere dogmatism, and he here once more protests against the most unjust and injurious assertion of the Bishop, that the " parent of unbelief is sin." As, however, anything he might say on this subjfict would fail to convince his Lordship of his sincerity and honesty, ho commends to his special notice the following extract from an eloquent living Christian writer, trusting that by God's grace it may be the means of giving him that for which he so earnestly prayed, namely, charity : —" Lot it not be supposed that the conclusions here sought to be established have been arrived at eagerly, or without pain and reluctance. Tlie pursuit of truth is easy to a man who has no human Bympnthies, whose vision is impnired by no fond partialities, whose heart is torn by no divided allegiance. To him the renunciation of error presents few difficulties, for the moment that is recognized aa error the charm ceases. But the case is very different with the Searcher, whose affections are strong, whose associations are quick, and whose hold upon the past is clinging and tenacious. Ho may love truth with an earnest and paramount devotion.; bub lie loves muoh elite also* He lotea

errors which were once the cherished convictionß of his soul. He loves dogmas which were once full of strength aud beauty to his thoughts, though now perceived to be baseless and fallacious. He loves the church where he worshipped in his happy childhood ; where his friends and his family worship "still, where his grey-haired parents await the resurroetion of the just., but where lie can worship and await no more. He loves the simple old creed, which was once the creed of hia earlier and brighter days, which, is the creed of his wife and children still, but which enquiry has compelled him to abandon. The past and the familiar have chains and lalistnans which hold him back in his career, till every fresh step forward becomes an effort of agony ; every fresh error discovered is a fresh bond snapped asunder; every now glimpse of light is like a fresh flood of pain poured upon hia soul. To such a man, the pursuit of truth is a daily martyrdom ; —how bard and bitter let the martyr toll. Shame to those ivlio make it doubly so ; honor to those who encounter it saddened, weeping, trembling, but unflinching still." Those who flinch from enquiry because they dread the possible conclusiDn, who turn aside from the path as soon as they catch a glimpse of tho unwelcome goal; who hold thuir dearest hopes only on the tenure of a closed eye, and a repudiating mind—will, sooner or later, have to encounter that inevitable hour, when doubt will no longer be silenced, and inquiry can no longer be put by ; when the spectres of old misgivings, which have been rudely repulsed, and of questionings which have been sent empty away, will return to haunt, to startle, and to waylay, am) will then find their faith crumbling away at the moment of greatest need ; not because it is fake, but because they have wilfully and fearfully grounded it on false foundations. But the man who has survived enquiry, pursued with a " single eye," has attained a serenity of soul possible only to the fearloss and the just. For him the progress of science ia fraught with no dark possibilities of ruin; no dreaded discoveries lie in wait for him round the corner, for he is indebted for his short and simple creed, not to sheltering darkness, but to conquered light. I am, &c, Vox.

The following account of a mirage, recently witnessed in Otago, is from the Otago Daily Times : — " While traveliiug over the Silver Peak Kanges (rugged, precipitous mountains at the back of FJagBtaff), on Friday last, a gentleman connected with this office and two friends who had gone out for a few days' pig-hunting, had the gratification of witnessing a mirage—a phenomenon that is of a rare occurrence in these latitudes. ' The day was a beautilully fine on"},' writes our informant, ' although rather too warm to enable us to ascend the steep mountain ridges with any degree of comfort. As is often the case in the neighborhood of the Silver Peaks, the deep valleys and low-lying spurs were completely enveloped in a dense fog. For milea it stretched away to our right, almost like a sea of snowwhite carded wool. We had ascended the mountain to an altitude of about 2250 feet above the sea level, the sun being high in the heavens at the time, when one of my companions drew my attention to an extraordinary sight. Stalking along in the fog, and keeping pace with us as we proceeded up the steep ridge, each of us could see a gigantic phantom or reproduction of himself, each phantom having a bridle on his arm, and, as we were doing, dragging up a still more gigantic horse. To add to the effect, there also appeared, as a back-ground to this shadowy picture, a Bhadow sun, much larger than that luminary as it appaars from out* sphere, and with brilliant rainbow-like streaks of light radiating from its centre to the outer edge. Wishing to try the effect of various changes of position, we aounted our horse 3, elevated the guns we were carrying, stretched out the fingers of our hands, and were kept company in all our movements by the gigantic figures in the | fog with the most faithful exactness and promptitude. Our rather formidable looking travelling companions , kept us company for about twenty minutes, until we arrived at a point near the summit of the ridge, where they gradually became less and less distinct, and finally vanished. I believe this phenomenon has been observed before in the Province, but the distinctness and euormous size of tho figures on the present occasion wevo something remarkaWo.1" Small-pox in New Yohk.—The latest New York papers state : —" The reports of the increase of smallpox in this city begin to excite alarm. The cases have increased within the past week (January 18) from fi3 to 83, and the disease seems to be confined to no one section. Vaccination is rapidly progressing, but among the lower classes of the G-artnans, who object to vaccination, the contagion is making the most, marked ravages." There are said to be 80,000 vacant dwellings in Paris. About eight years ago, during the cotton famine, a man named G-eorge liyrom left Oldbam, in England, to seek a livelihood in America, leaving a wife and child behind. Upon his arrival-in America he opened a correspondence with his wife, which, however, he shortly after broke off, and nothing being heard of him for some time, it was thought he was dead. The other day, however, he returned, laden with presents for his wife and child, who he anticipated would be 'eady to receive him with open arms. To his chagrin, he found she had remarried, and was the mother of three children by her second husband. Af first she refused to recognise her former husband. The thiee subsequently met, talked the matter over in a " business-like manner," and agreed that the woman shoulc stay with her second husband, and the first husband should have his child. Australian boys are not so sharp as they are represented on paper. It was the business of a youth lately employed by a leading shipping firm to frequently visit the Telegraph Office, and take down the names of ships arriving and departing, which are thero periodically registered. Within a few days of his engagement his employer asked him in the evening if there were any ships in. Boy.—"Yes, sir. Four." Employer.— "What are their names?" Boy (briskly).—" All the same name, sir." Employer (surprised.)—" What name?" Boy.—"Nil, &ir. — Australasian. The building in which the International Exhibition is to be held at Vienna in 1873 is to be 3000 feet long, 660 feet wide, and is to have a cupola 330 feet iv diameter. A separate building will be provided for exhibiting machinery and another for works of art. A Female Oratob. —They have a female orator in San Francisco. Here is a portion of a speech she made recently:—" They say man was created first. Sponsin' he was. Ain't first experiments always failures ? If I was a betting man I'd bet two dollars and a-half they are. The only decent thing about him, anyhow, was a rib, and that went to make something better. And then they throw it in our fac& aboui Eve r taking the apple. I'll bet five dols. Adam hoisted her up in the tree, and then gave her only the core. And what did he do when he was found out ? Truo to his masculine instinct, he sneaked behind Eve's Grecian bend, and said, ''Twarn't me,'twas her.' Bring up your little daughters to love and caress the ballot, and when they are old and scrawny they will not depart from it. Teach them that man occupies no position that woman cannot fill, ecen to a pair of pants. We have plenty of ballet, girls, but what we want is ballot women." The great diamond, weighing 164 carats, which has been found at the Cape and is now on its way to England, is already furnished with its legenci. It is said to havo been found in the wall of one of the native huts, where a poor Irish adventurer had received hospitality for the night, and that being surprised by the ligtit shining amid tho darkness, he had, upon examination, found it to proceed from a clump of earth of which the wall was built. Of course the clump waß soon detatohed by t*»e visitor, and this new Koh-i-noor, with many other smaller diamonds was found within. The sums spent on the construction of the new Opera, in Paris, up to to the present time, including this year's grant, amount to 26,000,000 francs, 6,500,000 francs being still reqnirt d to complete it. The building, commenced in 1861, was to have been inaugurated in 1870, but when it will be completed lit is impossible to say, and depends entirely oa the funds allowed to the contractor.

Hoiloway's Prats.—When inclement weather checks to a considerable extent the natural exhalations of the skin, an alterative is required to expel them entirely from the body through some other channel. Holloway's Pills can be confidently recommended a 8 the easiest,, burest, and safest means of attaining this desirable end without weakening the most delicate or incommoding the most feeble. When from frequent chills or impure air the blood becomes foul and the secretions vitiated, these pills present a ready and efficient means of cleansing tbe former and correcting the latter. By this salutary proceeding disease is arrested at its outset, its pain and inconveniences averted, and the nervous structures saved from the depressing effects entailed upon them by an illness.— Advt.

way's Pills have the great merit of restoring any suspended or diminished secretions, and of relievind any inflammation or congestion in the spleen, kidneys, or other subsidiary organs. Disorders of the Heart, with irregular circulation. The tight, suffocating, anxious feeling, caused by derangement of the heart, makes the sufferer look on present death as imminent. Holloway's Pills prove an efficient and ready remedy when the disturbed circulation depends on indigestion, flatulency, or debilitated nervous vigor. Persons suffering from disturbance of the heart, should take about six of these Pills two or three times a week.^according to circumstances, to arrest the too active action of the heart. Gout, Rheumatism, and Paralysis. Gout and Itheumatism arise from inflammation in the parts effected, —to effect a permanent cure, adopt a cooling diet, drink plenty of water, take six of these famous Pills night and morning, and rub the Ointment most effectually twice a day into the suffering parts and a cure is certain. The paralytic patient should take about three Pills twice a week and let the Ointment be well rubbed into the paralysed limb, which will, in a very little time, be greatly benefitted,— indeed many cures have been effected by thistreatmei t Gout, Rheumatism, and Paralysis, Gout and Rheumatism arise from inflammation in the parts effected,—to effect a permanent cure, adopt a cooling diet, drink plenty of water, take six of thece farnoii9 Pills night and morning, and rub the Ointment most effectually twice a day into the suffering parts and a cure is certain. The paralytic patient should take about three Pills twice a week and let the Ointment be well rubbed into the paralysed limb, which will, in a very little time, be greatly benefitted— indeed many cures have been effected by this Ointment. Blood to the Head with Giddiness. Copy of a Letter from Mrs. Mary Foster, Half Moon street, Totnes, dated March 16th, 1861. To I'rofessor Holloway— Sir, — For many years I suffered periodically from headache, and giddiness in the head, to such a degree, that at times I have scarcely been able to walk ; after obtaining the best medical advice without effect, I tried your Pills, and in less than a week, I wag completely cured. Mrs. Dorinal, Chemist, of Totnes can vouch for the truth of the above statement. Accidental injuries, Infantile ailments In cuts, braises, sprains, burns, and scalds, it will ba * found cooling, sedative, and healing. The part affected should be fomented in warm water, dried,. gently, and the Ointment should be ins-tantly applied, This purifying Ointment may be safely used in all eruptions, chafings, and other cutaneous affoctiuns to which children are liable. J2<jllotoat/'s Pills are the iest remedy known in th» world for the following Diseases: — Ague Inflammation Asthma Jaundice Bilious Complaints Liver Complaint Blotches on the Skin Lumbago Bowel Complaints Piles Colios Rheumatism Constipation of the Retention of Urine Bowels Scrofula, or King's Evil Consumption Sore Throats Debility Stone and Gravel1 Dropsy Secondary Symptoms Dysentery Tic-DoulourAiut Erysipelas Tumours Female Irregularities Ulcers Fevers of all kinds Worms of all kinds) Fits Venereal Affections ,Goufc Weakness, from wnak Headaches ever cause, &c, &c. Indigestion Sold at the Establishment of Professor Hollow at 244 Strand, (near Temple Bar,) London; also by all respectable Druggists and Dealers in Medicines throughout the civilised world, at the following prices:—ls. lid,, 2s. 9d., 4s 6d., lls., 225., and 23t each Box. W, WILKIE, Agent. >