HERE AND THERE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17524, 29 April 1925, Page 6

HERE AND THERE

AN EYE FOR EVERYTHING. ■DHAR.MA The Indian custom of "dltarma.” centuries old, is difficult to explain. YY hen a debtor fails to pay his debts, his creditor goes and sits before hi« door, and remains there, refusing to eat a morsel until he is paid. If the debtor does not pay, the creditor will actually starve himself to death. It would seem at first sight that a really heartless debtor might not be moved in this manner: but the usefulness of the custom becomes at once apparent when it is known that if the creditor actually does die of starvation in front of the debtor’s door, the debtor is held guilty of murder, and the family of the dead man are entitled to kill him at once. 150 A-SIDE FOOTBALL. Football with the goals—only 4ft wide—a quarter of a mile apart, with 150 players on each side, was played at Alnwick, Northumberland, on February 24. There the Shrove Tuesday toobtall match between the parishes of St Michael’s and St Paul's has been played from time immemorial. Great crowds lined the “pitch” to see St Paul’s win by the only goal scored. Then oante the wild scramble for possession of the ball. It was driven into the River Ain by the crowd and retrieved by Lewis Proudl’ock, who plunged through the water to the far bank to secure his trophy. NICKNAMES OF THE GREAT. William Morris, artist, Socialist, and poet, was known to his intimates as “Scald” or “Topsy.” Botli names were given to him by his fellow-artist. Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Morris paid a visit to Iceland, and an Icelandic paper which he sent to Rossetti described him as William Morris. Scald. Morris was thenceforward known a* the Scald- the Scandinavian name for a maker of sagas, a poet, and singer of the mighty doings of vikings and heroes! It was the robust build of the poet, liis fine head with its great crown ol shaggy hair, which made him sometimes called the “Viking” and also ‘ Topsy.” Many poets seem to have bad nicknames, and sometimes whole schools of poetry have been rhe Lake School, for instance, comprising Wordsworth, Southey. and others, was held up to contempt by some of the critics as the “Lakers” : I hey live in the Lakes —an appropriate quarter. For poems diluted with pieniy .f water. Sir Y\ alter Scott was for years referred to as “The Great Unknown.” on account of the mystery surrounding the author of the Waverley Novels. Robert Burns was faiuiliarFy known as “Rantin’ Rovin' Robin,” and Shakespeare was known to his friends as “Gentle Willie. ’’ Dr Johnson was “Sulky Sam.” or the “Great Cham of Literature.” Peel's nickname of “Spinning Jenny” was evolved from the .jealousy with which aristocracy regarded the new men in politics. To the same feeling may be assigned the “Apothecary” with which Addington was labelled, in token of bis father’s practice in medicine. YYHY BEES WORK AT NIGHT Bees go out all day gathering honey, and work at night in the hive, building their combs as perfectly as if au electric light shone there all the timeWhy do they prefer to work in the dark? Everyone know that honey is a liquid, with no solid sugar in it. After standing, it gradually assumes i crystalline appearance, or granulates and ultimately becomes a solid mass. Honey has been experimentally enclosed in well-corked flasks, some of which were kept in darkness, while the others were exposed to the light. The portion exposed to the light, soon crystallised. while that kept in the dark remained unchanged. Hence, we see 'by the bees are so careful to obscure, the glass windows which are often placed in the hives. The existence of Ihe young depends on the liquidity of the saccharine food presented to them. Tf liHit were allowed access, it would, in all prohabilitv. nrov € fatal to tlio inmates of ilie hive. king WHO COULDN'T WRITE Thousands of cyclists and motorists pass aluug the excellent road by the side of the Thames which leads from Staines to Windsor with no thought that they are traversing perhaps the most memorable piece of land in England. Quite recently it has been under water owing to the flooded condition of the Thames. Runnyinede is .i meadow by the tide of the road, from which one catches a- glimpse of Windsor Castle. Magna Charta Island lies iu the midst of the stream. The Barons arc said to have been camped on the meadow and the King on the north side of the river, and the delegates of the contending parties met on the island to discuss the " protocol.'’ It is generally believed that the King placed his seal on the document which is usually regarded as the foundation of our liberties in a pavilion erected on Runnymede. It is a mistake to say that he signed it. for he could not write liis own name. What is believed to be the original document- »« preserved in the British Museum.