HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16923, 23 December 1922, Page 8

HERE AND THERE.

AN EYE FOR EVERYTHING. NEW SIMPLON TUNNEL. “ The colossal work of the Simplon tunnel has been completed,” says the “ Express ” Geneva correspondent. “ The last rail was laid and the final electric connections made iu the second parallel tunnel. The new line is opened and international traffic henceforward will be greatly expedited. new tunnel was pierced simultaneousr* with the first tunnel, which was opened for traffic on June 1. 1906. It- remained a mere gallery cut through the rock until December. 1912, when the j work of converting it into a parallel railway tunnel and track was begun. | The tunnels are each twelve miles and a quarter in length, and the cost is j about £5,000,000.” THE POPE’S WARDROBE . The outward robe of the Pope is red. 1 and made from the wool of the lambs of the convent of St Agnes, near the Porta Pia. The cloak and cape are lined with purple, and trimmed with i gold lace; the sombrero, or hat, is red, and has a gold cord and tassel. Beneath the cloak is worn an rib. n - . also of the wool of lambs of St Agnes, and girt about the waist with a sash of white moire antique garnished wit a gold fringe. 'The Pope’s hands are covered with kid mittens, and his feet are burdened with a pair of slipper* worn over his ordinary shoes. The total value of his wardrobe is said to • be over £30,000. 1 BRITAIN'S LONELIEST ISLAND. I Britain’s loneliest and most romantic I island, St Kilda, has said good-bye to the last of the season’s tourists. From October till next May the tiny com- : munity, described by an'early traveller ix- “ one of the greatest curiosities of the moral world,” will be completely : cut off from the rest of the country, save for an occasional visit from a Fleetwood or Aberdeen trawler, writes 1 a correspondent in the ” Manchester Guardian.” No weather daunts the hardy fishermen, hue the Western f- iands steamers will not venture through the Sound of Harris and out ir.to the Atlantic after the end of the summer. The population of the island now numbers 73. and in spite of their isolation and rough life they have to !'ad. they are happy arid contented in their island home. It is certain that they will not leave it. and all euggesi tions for transplanting them, as it were, I to the islands of the Outer Hebrides have long since been abandoned. The ir.ost startling incident in St Kiida’s '.;m history was the appearance in the Fast Bay on May 15, 1916, of a German submarine, which destroyed the wire leas staticr. set np by the Government in November. 1914, for war signaling purposes. It has never been replaced, although the islanders would ! welcome it a; a means of communication with the tnamiand during the . “ dead months.” I-ITER AH Y SPOOK?*, s The forthcoming publication of a book supposed to have been dictated

by the spirit of the Professor William James is another symptom of the wave of literary activity which is agitating the spirit world, according to the Spiritualists (says a London paper). Already a volume of poem Ahas appeared in France which are claimed to be the spirit work of a dead poetess—Judith Gautier. According to the editress cf the hook, the spirit of Mile. Gautier appeared to her in a dream and recited verses which she immeditelv committed to paper. The vision occurred everv ■ night for a considerable time, and several hundred pages of verses were conimunciated. A Norwegian medium claims to he engaged on receiving, h : automatic writing, a work from the ; spirit of Henrik Tbsen. the dramatist The medium states that Tbsen’s spirit first made itself known to her bv * fantastic drawing which she made while experimenting in automatic writing The drawing was recognised as the counterpart of one of Ibsen’s boyhoo i sketches. WHEN TO WIND A WATCH. A member of the British Watch and Clock Makers’ Guild said, during a discussion at a meeting held some time ago, that he was often asked by his i customers whether it was better to j wind a watch at night or in the mornling. Several members were of the opm ion that it was better to wind it at night, as in the morning the mainspring would he colder than it would be after having been carried about in the i pocket all day. The vice-president of the guild, however, dissented from this | opinion. Tie said that during the day-

time the watch was carried about ami subjected*tc all kinds of irregular oon--1 ditions, and when it was fully wound it was able to withstand these abnormal conditions bettor than when it re quired winding. At night the watch was usually laid on one side in a horizontal position and was at rest, as it were: therefore the running down d»o not affect it so much. He believed it, therefore, to he a decided advantage to wind it up in the morning CUPID S CONSULTATION OFFICE. j The Court of Cupid, which (says an j American paper; was recently a nine j days’ wonder in a New Jersey town, is ! apparently to be emulated in Vienna. | where they are planning the establish* j ment jof a matrimonial consultation of* ' fice which shall have the right of giv- ! ing permits of marriage. First of all a physician will be engaged who will examine the marriage candidate applying to the office, and draw up for him or her a certificate of health, or advise a postponement or renunciation of the marriage. If the physician entertains scruples about deciding alone, then the marriage candidate is sent to a specialist or in the case of those without means to a hospital, that will give its opinion to the physician. In more complicated oases also a commission is in prospect. Strictest secrecy is taken for granted. Several such offices are expected to be established in various dis-

tricts. THE HIGHER LIFE. f ‘ Where conversion takes place it is always the victory of one half of a divided personality over the other. By the unification of character we achieve a new self. This new birth involves the whole man —will, intellect and emotion. Sometimes the motive force seems to work through the affections, sometimes through the will, and sometimes, more rarely, through the intellect. In cases where it is sudden the outward change consists usually iu giving up some definite bad habit. But as a rule, conviction of sin is less important fts an element of conversion than rs often supposed. The subject is conscious of unhappiness rather than of gun.., and what draws him on is the vision of a better and purer life, now seen to be within his reach. The new life must be loved and desired before it can be lived. The attraction of goodness is felt first; then comes tho will to realise it. The question as to where human effort leaves off and the grace of God. or the operation of the Holy. Spirit, begins is, I believe, quite im-i possible to answer.”-- Dean Tnge,