Miscellaneous.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2073, 27 May 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Miscellaneous.

“Ah «o.»!” Vot vas id mine baby vas tryiMg to fay, Ven I goes to bees crib at dor preak of der day ? Und oudt vrom der planket peeps ten Iccdle toes, So pink und so shveet as der fresh plooming rose, Und twisting und curling dhemsclres all aboudt, Shust like dhey vas saying: “Ve vant to get oudt 1" Vhile dot baby looks onp, mit dbose bright eyes so plue, Und don’d could say noding; shust only ; “ Ah-Qoo I” Vot vas id mine baby was dinking about, Vben dot thumb goes so quick in bis achveet leedle mout, Und he looks right avay like he no understandt Der reason he don'd could quite shTallow i bees bandt; Und he digs mit dbose fingers rigbdt into bees eyes, Vich fills bees oldt fader mit fear and snrbrise; Und ven mit dbose shimnasdic dricks he vas droo, He lay back and crow, and say nil budt : 11 Ah-Qoo I" Vot makes dot shmall baby sbmile Then he’s asbieep; Does he dink he Tas blaying mit some Ton, “ boo-peep /” Der nurse say dbose shmiles Tas der sign be haf colic— Mure like dot he dhrcams he tbs bating some frolic ; I feeds dot oldt nurse mit creen abbles some day, Und dhen eef she shmiles, I pelief Tot she say; Vben dot baby got'era tups he find someding to do Oxcept sbmile, and blay, und keep oup bees '• Ah-Qoo 1" I ask me, soraedimes, vben I looks in dot crib : “ Vhill der shirdt-frond, von day, dake dor blace off dot bib ? Vbill dot plue-eyed baby dot’s pooling mine bair, Know all vot I knows aboudt drouble und care ?” Dhen I dink off der vorldt, mit its pride und its sius, Und I wish dot mineself und dot baby tbs tvins. Und all der day long I hafe nodings to do Budt shust laugh and crow, udd keep saying : “ Ah-Goo I” In Winter.—A winter evening is the time of all others forborne enjoyment. When our tasks are done, the fireside is the pleasant world to which we return, and by cheerfulness wo there make sunshine in the most gloomy weather, like the man who by magic pot summer fruits in ttie depth of winter. We trim the lump, and sit down to read or talk, and oven though the wind makes the house tremble and the windows shake like the teeth of someone perishing of cold, wc are comfortable. •' Though bleak winds confine us home, Our fancies round the world shall roam,” What a charming picture of a winter even* tug is given by Cowper : " Vow stir the fire and close the shutters fast, Let fall the curtains, wheel the sofa round, And while the bubbling and loud-hissing urn Throws up a steamy column, and the cups that cheer but not inebriate, wait on each, So let us welcome peaceful evening in.”

You. ynung folk, who .ire in the springtime of life, may think .you have little to do with winter; but you have really an important duty, and that duty is to furnish cheerfulness. You are like those birds who, whilst the rest fly to the country, kindly stay all winter and enliven us with their chirping. The old have in many cases exhausted their stock of cheerfulness, and need a new supply provided for them. That is your work ;to make the old forget calamities and feel quite young again. In winter we see pictured the time when old age will have “ clawed us in his clutch," when there will be wounds in onr hearts wrinkles on our faces, and we shall be clafted amongst things no longer of use and value. As Thomson, the poet, puts it:— 11 .Sec here thy pictured life ; pass some few years Thy flowery spring, thy summer's ardent strength, Thy sober autumn, fading into age, And pale concluding winter comes at last And shuts the scene.” Look as we may, toward the silent tomb we go, and one generation passes away to make room for another, “ The race of man is like the race of leaves upon the tree; One crop the blast hath rudely cast upon the frosted lea, Another clothes with green the woods, when the soft spring breeses blow, Even thus the race of mortal man bloometh and fadeth so.” But winter is not really the end, which is a great blessing, It goes at last and mskss room for spring, and by easy stages we arrive at the Land of Flowers. His Style Changed with His WifeA Paris journalist got mairicd some three months ago. A few days after the ceremony he met a friend who asked, — Well, what think you of your new position ?” ‘‘My friend. 1 am perfectly intoxicated. When I work my wife is always at my side, and we embrace at every paragraph. (Treat heaven, yes, at evciy paragraph 1" "Ah !” replied his friend, smiling “that accounts for your style of writing being somewhat disjointed lately.” This conversation was repeated, and the journalist's articles where henceforth consulted by his intimate friends as a kind of matrimonial thermometer. For about six week the articles were characterized by smbnccs even shorter than tlmsa of the late Emile do Oirardiu, and the ladies of the joci-uali-t's acquaintance were rapidly getting jealous of the bride. Then they became longer; the periods were constructed more in the English style; and the paragraphs wore spun out to greater length. The honeymoon was evidently nearing its termination. The other day Mmc, X ,on opening the paper and glancing at the article bearing her journalistic friend’s name, made a discovery. ■■ Oh 1" she exclaimed, “there is only one paragraph. Poor little woman 1 She' will soon want aseparation."

Prehistoric Sewing- -The art of sewing lias b-.-L-ii known from a very remote period, as is shown liy the fact that bone needles have boon found among the oldest remains of the Swiss lake dwellings and in the eaves of Franco and ttreat llritain which were freejuented by man during the reindeer age. Some of these early noodles were perforated in the middle—which was the thickest part —and others were pierced at the larger end. A French cavern, has yielded needles much superior to those of the ancient Hauls and to the ivory needles of the modern Esquimaux especial skill having been applied to the boring of the eyes, which must have been done with a fine flint drill. The Swiss lakedwellers used linen thread or bark fibre for sewing, and made garments from woven fabrics of linen and berk as wcdl a- from the skins of animals. The cave people employed a tbread made from split tendons md perhaps strings of gut. an i ihe lin less „f some •■f Heir ue,-His hao sueg’-slrd lie,', probably limy performed s -me nim.- -Plji-ate work I Inn the sewin-' of skins.