Miscellaneous Extracts.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1813, 29 March 1886, Page 3

Miscellaneous Extracts.

What agony, or what nefarious plot, lies behind the following, which appeared recently in the London rimes ?—To F. M. Do come and see me at Christmas. You shall be quite free to come and go as you like ; only come and see ME. I am so unhappy about you. If you cannot come here, arrange for me to meet you somewhere. I would come quite alone. Answer this in the Time s, or by letter. From the votqp that said, Stay at home. A Society has been formed in London lor the discontinuance of birds’, plumage as ornaments to a lady's costume. The slaughter of birds for this purpose is simply enormous, as at a single dealers in London there were sold between December, 1884, aud April, 1885, no less than 68z8 birds of paradise, 4774 Impeyan pheasants, 404,464 'AV.st Indian and Brazilian birds, and 356,389 East Indian birds of various kinds. One woman of fashion purchased the skins of 1000 humming birds for a ball dress. Another had a dress trimmed with the skins of 50J canaries. The taste that demands such adornments is a savage one, akin to that which revels in the spectacle of a bull tight. ROASTED TO DEATH. A Vienna correspondent states that a ■.hocking occurrence is reported from Lemberg, where an enormous haystack, the property of an army comtractor, which has oe -n nightly used as a shelter against the frost and snow, took fire. Out of about si\tv paupers, no less than twenty were killed, their charred remains being rescued with difficulty, and the rest were half suf located. PREACHING TO PLEASE. The following experience is reported to have befallen a candidate for the pulpit of a certain Independent chapel, who was visited on his arrival by several members of the congregation. One advised the candidate to say nothing in his sermon bn the drink question, as one of their wealthiest members was a publican ; a second warned him against talking about such things as honesty in trade, as some of the brethren were touchy on that point ; a third cautioned him against advocating foreign missions, as the congregation were against sending money out of the country ; a fourth begged him. not to attack the Roman Catholics ; and a fifth pleaded for tenderness towards the Church, “Then,'’ said the puzzled candidate, " what am 1 to ta k about ?" '■ Well," said his last adviser in a burst of confidence, give it to the Jews. They havn't a friend in the Chapel.” TEETOTAL RATS. At Leith, recently, the Excise officers seized an enormous quantity of whisky, on tne ground that it was adulterated with methylated spirit. Tins abominable stuff had been sold at cneap rates to, and drunk by. poor people. The authorities decided tl’.at all the whisky should be poured down < one of the pub.ic drams of the city. This | was done, and immediately the rats cleared I rut of their habitations in the drain, and I swarmed the houses all along its route. The [ rats had more sense than had many of the people. 1 MY MOTHER. i A great writer says:—“ Children, look I into those dear eyes, listen to that dear ; voice, notice the feeling of even a single 1 touch that is bestowed on you by that gentle | hand ! Make much of it while yet you I have that most precious of all good gifts— j a loving mother. Read the unfathomable I love of those eyes; the kind anxiety of that I tone and look, however slight your I pain. In after life you may have friends— I fond, dear, kind friends-but never will you ! have again tfie inexpressible love and gentleness lavished upon you, which none but a mother bestows. Often do I sigh in my struggle with the hard unfeeling world for the sweet, deep security I felt when of an evening, nestled in her bosom I listened to some quiet tale, suitable to my age, read in her tender aud untiring voice. Never cun I forget her sweet glances cast upon me when 1 appeared asleep ; never her kiss of peace at night. Years have passed since we laii her beside my father in the old churchyard, yet still her voice whispers from the grave, and her eyes watch over me as I visit spots long since hallowed to the memory of my mother.” TAXING THE TOTALISATOR. It is notorious, says the Otago Daily Times, that by the establishment of the totalisator the Legislature has done more to promote racing than its most ardent adherents ever dreamed of. Why should not the State share in the profits of the totalisator ? If the same amount is passed through as last year, over 114000, less the cost of working the machine, will be netted by the Jockey Club, at the rate of to per cent, on the total passing through. It seems to us that the State might very reasonably levy 4 or 5 per cent upon all moneyspassing through totalisators in the colony. Why should the drinkers be taxed so heavily and the gamblers be let off ? \Ve have made the suggestion regularly |..r the last three years ; but when times were better the £15,000 or so which such a tax would bring in was too small a trifle tor Treasurers to consider. Now. however, that the government are at their wits’ end to find fresh sources of revenue, such small mercies should be thankfully received. MARRIAGE CEREMONIES IN SCHOOLS. The country correspondent of a contemporary in a recent issue gave utterance to bitter wailing because the clergyman of the 1 lace had no church in which to conduct -en ice. bot must need be content with the, scho,,l building. After describing the terrible distraction of mind (lie person must endure 111 consequence ot the maps, globes, and , dher furniture of the school surrounding him. the waiter bewails the fact that a school is rot a good enough place in which to have bat.;-s baptised. But the climax is reached in tie- following As to marriages ! \W 11.d a girl like to get married insight of ir.c it sks and forms that had witnessed the -ins of 1 misioii ami commission generally fi'llowed by admonitions not to be tnenticT;'i 1 -if possible not to be remembeicd ?” Hilt ti w ale - lit tlic bn.'cgroom to whom the surroundings would be reminders of th 'Se blissful experiences lie once enjoyed when gracefully .recumbent upon one of 'the decks, and his lower garments somewhat disarranged, he received at the hand of the j ed.agogue that one portion of the scholastic '.•'■tem which is designed to educate the m-.ral system. j HOW Tty SPOIL VOLK CHILDREN, j .Make them as much afraid of you as pos j sib’.e on all occasions. Fly into a violent I I’ 1 ■.Sion with them several times a day. I Whip them soundly if they break some 1 trifle by accident. If they smash it pur- , r ose ' v do not pretend you see it. Don’t : be foolish enough to enter into their childish j sports. W hen they ask for information, tell ! tilem s * :ut U P Never take the least notice of their childish sorrows Give them to understand that it is pretty to say pert things Take their part against teachers, governesses, etc. Try to forget as much as possible that von were ever young yourself. When they amuse themselves tortur mg animals, look on and laugh. Always tell them to hit back when annoyed by neigh boring children. Tell them all the lies you like, and half kill them if thev tell you one Wheh thev tell you they won t do a thing I laugh at it and lat it go. When they fall! Ann hurt themselves, scold them for their awkwardness. Give them expensive trifles to play with, and raise Cain if they break one. iDress them in such style that they be afraid to play for fear of spoiling their clothes. Make religion such a longfaced, poky thing that they'll hate the name as long as they live. Tell them it is a sin to be dishonest, but if they bring you back too much change

I from the grocer's, keep it and tell them to | sav nothing about it. Threaten to tell their father and gel them severely punished for every blessed' thing they do, so that by degrees they will cum;: u-, the conclusion that a father is a sort of a whipping machine. If you feel a little hand trying to nestle in yours, or a little arm trying to twine itself around your neck, give a growl and snarl out something about wanting to be let alone.