SERIOCOMIC.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5552, 25 February 1886, Page 3

SERIOCOMIC.

A most "lamentable comedy," which casts a curious light on certain characteristics of French life, has, according to the Fyfc News, been recently enacted in one of the suburban cemeteries of Paris. On the occasion of the recent annual visit of the French people to the tombs of the dead, a young widow arrived at the monument erected to the memory of her dead husband, and she prepared to place some fresh flowers and coronals on his grave. Whilst engaged in this highly meritorious action, phe was suddenly surprised to see a young woman of about her own age, and of a very prepossessing appearance, whom she immediately recognised as one of the playmates of Her own and of her husband's infancy, approach the grave and also prepare to beßtrew it with winter flowers . The widow at once arose to the height of the situation, and indignantly cried, "Oh, you wore the woman, were you, that was the cause of all my trouble, and enticed my husband away P " and she) fell upon her rival like an enraged lioneßs. A desperate tooth and nail encounter raged between them for Boveral minutes before the tomb, during which the flowers and immortelles which each had brought to deck the grave with wore scattered to the four winds of heaven, and trampled beneath their feet. The piercing Bhrieka of the combatants, aB they warmed tip to their work, brought the keepen of the cemetery aud others to the spot, and the two rivals, who had in the meantime done a considerable amount of damage to each, other's faces and dreßsos, were separated with some difficulty. They shortly afterwards left the cemetery.

A number of Russian ironmasters are making great ofTorts to obtain Rn increase of the already excessive duties which, protect their industry, and the Metallurgical Conpreßß assembled at St Petersburg hns resolved by a large majority to propose the absoluto prohibition of foreign iron, or an enormous increase in> the duty