THE TWO BEST SAINTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4861, 5 June 1890, Page 4

THE TWO BEST SAINTS.

(Extract from an old eoldier's letter to his comrade.) Dear Harry — "• * * And now as to my health. Well, old fellow, you know that our nights m the trenohea during '65 and '66 were not calculated to lengthen our days, but at that time we did not mind it, as our sole object was to catch Kereopa, but he had too many faithful followers. Brave fellows those old Maoris were ! How m our maturer years we can admire them 1 Lord how I wander ! What I want to say is that I have been laid up with a fearful dose of Boiatica and lumbago, eight weeks m bed unable to turn. My poor wife had a time of it. After spending a good round sum m medicines, lotions, and God knows what, we got some St. Jacobs oil. I waa always a sooffer at patent medicines, but, by Jove, I shall be more cautious m future. It was the only thing that seemed to tackle the old enemy and clear him out. I have an occasional reminder, but St. Jacob always cornea to my aid. Indeed, next to St. Patrick, be is the best saint m the calendar. * • • Youra, 4c, 11 K. I. ODEA." Three years ago there waa a run near Walgett on the Darling ' starved out,' and the owner ruined by drought. On the same run this year 36,000 sheep have bees drowned. A large deputation connected with Canadian shipping had an [interview with several members of tbe Government, to urge tho deepening of the Beauharnois and Cornwall canals, which connect the lakes with tho St. Lawrence. Sir John Macdonald, m reply, said the work would commence this year, and would cost 12,000,000 dols. On its completion within three years the St. Lawrence oanal will have been deepened sufficiently to enable ocean steamers to reaoh Chicago and Duluth. Mr Henry Holiday, lecturing at Toynbee Hall, London, on " Looking Backward," said it was a mistake to suppose that' men's moral nature must be improved before the state of society pictured by Mr Bellamy could be realised. It was admitted that such a state of life would have a very wholesome effect udoii morals. But m order to bring about the change there mutt be a general conviction tbat it is desirable. Generous aspirations may snpply a lever, but there must be a basis of publio opinion to serve as a fulcrum from which to work. A prolific ewe, owned by Mr Blakeman, of Market Drayton, recently gave birth to tbe unprecedented number of seven lambi ; four were born alive, tbe other three being dead when lambed, and the ewe, which is a very fine and large Shropshire, is attending to the cares of maternity on behalf of three herself, while the fourth is given over to tho charge of a foster mother. This ewe was the tenth up to tbat date of the flock which had lambed, three of the others having brought triplets, and tbe remainder doubles ; the teu ewes having produced twenty-fire livo lambs, besides the three born dead out of the seven at a birth.