CLIPTOMANIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4702, 26 May 1883, Page 3

CLIPTOMANIA.

Mr H. W. Luoy, in The Citizen, tells a humorous story of how a Sootoh reporter was hoaxed by some Dublin journalists. He says: — The Irish reporters, of whom there was a crowd in Dublin, taking note of the peouliar temperament of their Scotch colleague, arranged it all. He was one day confidentially approaohed and asked if he could keep a secret. The Scotchman, scenting " oopy," said he could. A rendezvous wub accordingly given to him at a quiet hotel in a remote street, where he duly arrived. He wai ushered into a room dimly lit with a oandle, and seated round the table boheld about a dozen men wearing masks. As soon as they entered, the friend who introduced him was seiztd, pressed down on his knees, a dagger flourished about his face, and a piatol presented at his bead, and he was aisked to swear to be responsible for the fidelity of the " new brother." This he swore with fantastic oath.

The new brother, who by this time was wishing his anxiety to aerro the publio had led him into more legitimate channels of information, was next approached, four men holding him down, whilst a terrible oath of seoreoy was administered (o him. He was then asked if he was ready to serve the sooiety. Feeling a considerable suspicion that if he said no he would be placed in a position in which he could not serve anybody, he assented. He was thereupon instructed to blow up the Central Police Court, was informed that the materials would arrive at hia hotel on the following morning, and that assistance would be forthcoming from various quarters. lie was then permitted to observe some other fearsome ceremonies, and listen to some blood-curdling talk, after wbioh, more dead than alive, he was led out by the man who had sworn to be responsible for him. The next morning the conspirators had delivered at the hotel, where the Scotch reporter was staying, a strong box, purchased at an ironmonger's, and jealously nailed down. In the meantime, an anonymous letter had been written to the landlord of the hotel, informing him that he had one of the Inner Cirole staying at his houso, and warning him to look out for mysterious packages arriving. On this being delivered, the loyal innkeeper went straight to the police, informed them of the circumstance, and two of them promptly waited upon the unha#py Scotoh reporter, who made a olean breast of the whole affair, greatly puzzling the polioc. The conspirators then reappeared on the loene and explained the joke, satisfactorily to the police, but not to the Bootohman, who forthwith took train to Belfast, and so back to Glasgow.

A r«oent issue of the Hereford Times oontains the following advertisement :— " Ann Jones wants to sell her child (a little girl) ; it is twelve months old ; shall be sold for £1 18s to Anyont who will be good to it— Address, Ann Jonas, Weitington, Bill field, near Leominster." It appaftrs by tha above that children are to be bought in Herefordshire for about the earn* prioe bb mutton, vis , one shilling per lb.

On Sunday, a clergyman gave notioe tbat baptism would be administered. Jest before ascending the pulpit the clerk— who was deaf —told him that the Sunday sobool books were ready for distribution, and he would have them ready to sell to thoße who wished to buy them, and wished to mention this himself. After the sermon the Minister began th» Baptismal notice thus: —"All those having children, and desiring thorn to be baptised, will brinu them this afternoen." At this point the dtaf clerk, hearing the word " children," and thinking it had referenoe to his books, rose and said, " And all those having none, and desiring them, will be mpplied by me for the sum of sixpence."

A clergyman at a London church recently made a man promise during a marriage ceremony that he would never kiss any other woman but the bride. Clergymen are the proper persons^ to exact such a promise, as they, in all probability, know of the danger attendant upon kissing another man's wife if anyone does.

Apropos of ladies' dress, Lady Paget says : " There are stays and stays, and the stays which all sensible women wear, are as light as a jersey and far more comfortable. Without this lint qua non of female attire, no woman can, by any possibility, appear neat and tidy, while no additional expense involved in strengthening the bodico would prevent it becoming shapeleos and wearing out very quickly. Stays must be acoepted as part of the inevitable destiny of every woman, but if they are the right kind of stays, made of the lightest material and delioate whalebone, and they are not laced too tight, imprisonment during all their waking hours within a corset is not a material addition to the penalties which life entails on the daughters of Eve."

This is how a new style of bonnet ig described : — They rise in an abrupt peak just above the forehead, and, as & bunch of flowers or a knot of ribbon or embroidery is tucked into the space beneath the weak, the effect rather resembles that of the Oliva cap. They are very beoemiDg. The newest bonnet trimmings are made of embroidery upon a kind of gold net or canvas. Ido not yet know its name.

The following is a deaciiption of a dress worn at a fancy ball at Nice :— A Bhort ekirt of puffed white tulle is thiokly embroidere I with Bprays of orange-bloßaom, roßos, and geraniums, and with tiny bouquets of violets. Over this is a seoond skirt of tulle, covered with tufts o* swansdown, and bordered all round with ewansdown ; this is caught up at the left side with a cluster of frosted silver leaves. The corsage of white satin haß a low neck and short sleeves, and is edged with swansdown. A garland of violetß, rosebuds, orange- blossom, and frosted leaves crosses the corsage from the right shoulder and meets the bouquet of leaves which loops up the skirt. The hair is to be powdered, and dressed a la Marie Antoinette, with a bouquet of rosebuds ancl violets, encircled with swansdown on one side. This coßtums is supposed to represent the Biviera in a snowstorm.