NEWS ITEMS.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12455, 3 February 1909, Page 4

NEWS ITEMS.

Brigades of special constables, armed with revolvers, have been organised by special enterprise in Paris to aid the police in carrying war into the camp of the Parisian. Apaches. A story has been told td the "Alice (Cape Colony) Times" concerning the smallness of the Alice railway station. A local farmer, expecting a chickeiithouse to arrive, sent one of his native hands (a new-comer) to fetch it. On arriving there : the man saw the house, loaded it qn -his waggon and started for home. On his way back he met a man in uniform, with the word "Stationmaster" on 'his cap. "Hold on!" cried thai official, "what have yon got on that waggon ?" ' 'Master's chicken-house' was the reply. "Chicken-house be blowed !" exclaimed the ;'■ official. "That's 'the railway station." • k In a certain Native Land Court tbe Juclge" was growing -sveaxy of a long-drawn plaint. "Now, look •here," he said to defendant on a Friday morning,, "you'll have to finish, your case to-day— if only for the reason that my clerk here, and Mr Brown and niyself ".— naming the three white men in Court-^-have been • listening to you all -the week, and on Sunday we have to get home to Wellington to our wives." A. stout and elderly Maori rose to meet that little difficulty. "The judge never mind," she said, opening her- arms, "me mally the lot over again!" It, is not generally known that soon after he was married King Edward nearly lost his life by fire. An alarm broke out at Marlborougn House late one. night, and the Prince determined to lead those who were fighting .the flames. He was helping tho firemen with the hose on the upper storey, when the floor gave way under his feet, and lie was only . saved from falling into the heart of the burning house, by clinging to • the joists until he was rescued. . '■■•' 'A young woman recently murdered her paralytic aunt because, she said, "she. nagged the life out. of me, quarrelling,' quarrelling from morning . to .iiight. For years every mouthful of food she ate I fed her. I h^d to - undress . and put her to bed, and all I received was abuse. It drove •me crazy: . Goadefi to desperation, and not, realising" what I I killed her.',, ; The nagging spirit which we so often sco in households does more ;to! destroy domestic comfort and happiness than, any other evil. The husband nagging the wife, the wife the husband, and both the children,, shuts, oui sunshine,-^ and turns what should be a happy home into a hell. ... :.,: ■ . '■W