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Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1848, 4 December 1874, Page 2

HOME GOSSIP

FOE THE EVENING STAB

(via torbes steaits)

London, Sept. 9th, 1874.

Such of UvS as hare not been improving our minds at the meetings of learned Associations and Societies, or improving our health at English watering places, or our morals at foreign ditto, or improving our spiritual condition by pilgrimages, have been, and are still, mildly recreating ourselve* at autumn exhibitions. There are the fruit and flower shows, for instance, of which that at the Crystal Palace is pronounced one of the finest which has been seen for many seasons ; and there is tMs year—a'so at the Crystal Palace—for the first time a Bee Sbow. We are all now quite familiar with the sight of working bees in active employment. The inside of a hive is not an uaexplored mystery any longer; but in this Exhibition we have not only the latest improvements in hives or bee houses (we wonder, by the way, who first invented the original straw hive, and how that ingenious individual arrived at the conclusion that such a residence was the most desirable to the bees) but wo have the individual bees displayed, and their beauties and powers commented on, by expositors as knowing in the points of a bee as others are in the points of a horse or a bull. The various sorts and qualities of honey are, of course, represented ; but the main attraction is the display of the favorite bees, which really appear to enjoy being thus brought forward and given the opportunity of refuting the old slander, against them, namely, that they would not work except in darkness and mystery, and would resent, even unto stinging, any attempt made towards observing their proceedings. Only in a very few cases, indeed, have they used their weapons, although submitted to the gaze and touch of hundreds of humans. Would that it could be said the humans themselves exhibited equal good manners and good fee* lgs ; for io I heir shame it must be said more than one harmless and even amiable bee has been crushed under foot by the rude crowding of individuals who would be offended at hearing themselves called roughs. Sir John Lubbock, who a few years ago exhibited a tame wasp at the meetings of the British Association, is the President of this new " Bee and Honey Society " holding its first Exhibition.

This controversy concerning the disposal of our dead is being carried on among us with that moderation and good sense which distinguishes controversies and controversialists in general. The other day a meeting being held in West Hartlepobl by the Town Improvement Commissioners for considering the question of enlarging a cemetery, one Mr Turnbull, a solicitor, judiciously selected it as an admirable opportunity for airing his opinions on cremation, he being a violent cremationisfc. Notice of his intention to " take the sense of the meeting " on the subject having been giyen, the good taste and discretion of the worthy gentleman were brought into collision with the good feeling and consistency of a number of his townspeople. About 2000 of these, of which more than one half were women, displayed their zeal for what they called " Christian burial ' by proposing to burn Mr Turnbull himself alive. The ladies in the crowd first read a resolution to the effect " that cremation" (the word limited, no doubt, in their ideas to the cremation of dead bodies) " was revolting to modern civilization," and then proceeded, as aforesaid, to demand as a sacrifice to such civilization, the immediate cremation of Mr Turnbull. We are happy to say that the experiment was not tried, thaugb, no doubt, it must be at some loss to the Christian ty and civilization of West Hartlepools that Mr Turnbull still lives. May we venture to recommend that next time he offends, these zealous Christians should propose to bury him alive, as a more intelligible exposition of their principles As for Mr Turnbull himself, tat him take a hint that a meeting for the purpose of utilizing or improving existing legal institutions or means is not the best occasion for introducing an innovation. While some anti-cremationists have been thus displaying their religious feelings and civilized manners, the cremationists have been staggering us by some most wonderful

utterances on their side of the question In this Babylon of .ours exists a society called " The Dialectical Society," which professes—and, indeed, strictly carries out its promise—to allow everyone to say his or her say, on any and every subject, exactly as he or she pleases. I have not assisted at any of the meetings myself, but I have no doubt there is always a great deal of very pretty talking ; the prettier because the main principle of the Society is that the talking—as a whole— shall be directed to no particular purpose. Well, the other night, a lady member gave her ideas on cremation, and illustrated her argument (?) in favour of it by,the old story of the woman who was buried alive, and restored to consciousness by the efforts of a dishonest sexton to steal a ring from her finger. It must be admitted that—supposing the object of cremation be merely the effectual destruction of a body, dead or alive—this argument was conclusive; but it really must be conceded also that the revived woman might have had something to say in favor of the burial which allowed of her being revived. She has been long as dead*as Queen Anne, however, and. could not therefore come in the flesh to say anything for herself or her ring; and notwithstanding the wonderful spryneas of ghosts in these spiritual days, her ghost gave no answer to the Dialectical lady; neither did anyone else. A sale of the materials of Northumberland House has been going on for soms aays, but it has produced little excitement or competition. It was said some months ago that the great marble staircase had been purchased by Baron Albert Grant for his new mansion at Kensington, but it appears now to have been included in the catalogue of articles submitted to bidding at this present sale. The Duke, it is said on good authority, has declared Ms intention of spending a considerable amount of the sum received from the Board of Wcrfrs in the improvement of Trafalgar Square. It is to be planted and enclosed, but free access allowed, at the same time, to the public. If these improvements be finished by the time the new approach to the Thames Embankment is opened, the expression wlrch has been used with, regard to the square, "the finest site in the world," will no longer be so ridiculous to the hearers. In the teeth of The Public Worship Regulation Bill, a new church has just been opened in Brighton, in Anne street, London Koad, dedicated to St. Bartholomew ; in which we are told, there is "a figure of the crucifixion hewn out of the solid chalk, just over the alter," and " also a small crucifixion painted on one of the seven gold covered panels of which the alter front is composed'" and at the consecration of which, by the Bishop of Chichester, we read of 'celebrations" and "processions ;" and morning service is designated " matins," and so forth; the Bishop himself directing the whole of his consecration sermon against "persecution."

Everyone who has even a little sympathy with those who—

" Wherever nature needs, Wherever labour callg, STo job will shirk of the hardest work Te shun the workkouse walls,"

must hare been pleased on reading an unobtrusive paragraph in some of our papers to-day. It wai to the effect that in one of our hop districts " the rural sanitary authorities, acting on the advice of their officer of health, had issued a notice to owners and managers of hop gardens in which they recommend all employed within the union to provide the hop pickers with certain accommodation, sanitary aids, and convenience* during the season." Such a recommendation might be of small use were it not backed, as "it is, with the warning that "every inspector of nuisances shall report to the sanitary authorities any nuisance contrary to the Public Health Act, and that then proceedings will immediately he taken." Among the " accommodations " specified are "dry, clean, decent, and sufficient huts or tents ; " " new straw mats, or new straw for each person to lie on," " a sufficient quantity of water, cooking, and washine," and " a supply of proper choking utensils." If we may encourage a hope that these " recommendations " will be attended to. and that sanitary inspectors will do their duty—which is not invariably the case —our consciences will be relieved from the ghost 3of fever-stricken hop pickers, from visions of the vice, tbe disease, and the wretchedness which have been hitherto the invariable accompaniments of hop picking, while we are " brewing our peck o' malt," next month. Yesteiday evening the new Pastors' College to the rear of the Metropolitan Tabernacle was opened by Mr Spurgeon. The new building has on the ground floor a college common room and class rooms, and curator's room ; and on the first floor a hall, library, lecture room, and four class rooms. There are already "78 students entirely kept, boarded, and lodged in it, and there are 120 students in the evening classes." Since the Pastors' Colleee was established " it has sent out 801 ministers, and established 48 new churches. The whole cost of the new building has been £14,000, towards which £12,000 has been already collected." A noble work this to have originated with one man ; that that man's work is as popular as ever is testified by the fact the money subscribed at this " opening " celebration amounted to £265 i2s 6d.