Miscellaneous.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2098, 29 July 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Miscellaneous.

A Fair Florentine.

She hath eyes that shame the night, Deep and mystic, dark with doom, Hich in thought, alive with light When the passion flowers bloom. And her lips are scarlet red, Mute, and motionless, and calm, Tilt a score of kisses shed Love's elixir on their balm, Soft and silky is her breast, Tranquil as a virgin rose. Now to rock in wild unrest, Like an ocean in its throes, Bella, Bella, Graziella, Queen where Arno’s river flows. She hath locks of darkest dark, Brow of snow, and face of fire { Tuneless is the singing lark When she strikes her silver lyre} Arno's speech is not as sweet As the music of her voice When she runs to meet and greet The Bernardo of her choice. Myrrh and oleander dells Bloom with beauties rare to see | Yet within their shadows dwells Not a fairer nymph than she j Bella, Bella, Graziella, Heart and Heaven throb for thee, Florence hath more stately dames Garbed in silk and decked with lace, But they lack the living flames Sweeping o’er her cherub face. Plain-robed lassies often are Each a more bewitching prise Than the blue-vained proudest star Gleaming from palatial skies. Vita Sacco! Tap the cask! We will drink this health of thine With a bumper from a flask Of the ruddy Tuscan wine, Bella, Bella, Graziella, Maid of maidens, Florentine I

The First Ice-Palace-— ln the construction of this work, built by theiEmpress Anna Ivanovna, on the Neva, 1739, the simplest means were used. First, the purest and most transparent ice was selected. This was cut into large blocks, squared with rule and compass, and carved with all the regular architectural embellishments. No cement was used. Each block, when ready, was raised to its destined place by cranes and pulleys, and just before it was let down upon tbe block which was to support it, water was poured between the two ; the upper block was immediately lowered, and as the water froze almost instantly, in that intensely cold cliraute, the two blocks became literally one. In fact, the whole building appeared tube, and really was, a single mass of ice. The effect {(produced must have been infinitely more beautiful than if it had been of the most costly marble—its transparency and bluish tint giving it rather the appearance of a precious stone.

In dimensions, the structure was fifty-six feet long, eighteen feet wide, twenty-one feet high, and with walls three feet in thickness, At each corner of the palace was a pyramid of tbe same height as tbe roof, of course built of ice, and around tbe whole was a low palisade of the same material. Tbe actual length of the front view, including the pyramids was one hundred and fourteen feet.

The palace was built in tbe usual style of of Russian architecture. The facade was plain, being merely divided into compartments by pilasters. There was a window in each division, which was painted in imitation of green marble. The window panes were formed of slabs of ice, as transparent and smooth as sheets of plate glass. At night, when tbe palace was lighted, the windows were curtained by canvas screens, on which grotesque figures were painted. Owing to the transparency of the whole material, tbe general effect of the illumination must have have been fine, the palace seemingly being filled with a delicate pearly light. The central division projected, aflpppeared to be a door, but was, in fact, a lalge window, and was illuminated like the others. Surmounting tbe facade of tbe building was an ornamental balustrade, and at each end of the sloping roof was a huge chimney. The entrance was at the rear. At each side of the door stood ice-imitations of orange trees, in leaf and flower, with ice-birds perched on the branches.

The Rival Partners.— A gentleman of mature age waited upon the head master of a commercial school, with the object of taking private lessons in book-keeping by double entry. He stated that he bad reason to suspect his partner in business of manipulating the accounts to his disadvantage, and therefore desired to extend his knowledge of bookkeeping in order to have a sharp look out. The new pupil took his scat in a separate room, and was soon absorbed in the mysteries of the ledger, day-book, cash-book, bills payable, petty cash, etc., etc., A few days later another elderly gentleman, anxious to learn, called upon the schoolmaster. He, too, declared that he was not satisfied with the way his partner kept his books, and that he wished to obtain the necessary qualifications to enable him to ascertain the reason why the profits were not so large as he expected. His request take lessons in a private room could not be complied with just then, for want of accommodation, and he at last consented to join the first gentleman. “ Hello 1” he ejaclated in a tone of great surprise on entering the room, for he recognized in his fellow pupil his own partner in propria persona. “ What, you here 1” stammered out the latter in a faint voice. A mutual explanation followed, and, full of shame and contrition, the two principals of the firm walked home, vowing to trust each other better in future. The course of lessons was brought to an abrupt close.

Glass Neckties— ln the Liverpool Shipperios Exhibition there is shown a novel and very beautiful application of glass in the manufacture of neckties, and so forth. The manufacture of flexible glass has long been a mystery, though it is a very simple matter, for many of the lower form's of life in the sponge family weave beautiful threads of glass wherewith to build their homes. There have been many schemes for working glass in a practical way as thread, but not one has ever amounted to anything more than making pretty ornaments. In this case the operator takes a piece of glass rod, and, applying a blowpipe, reduces it speedily to a pliant, red mass. An end of this is carried to a revolving metal wheel, and the hot, silky looking thread of glass is rapidly drawn out to an astonishing fineness. When taken off the wheel it is altered by some chemical process and made so soft and flexible that it forms elegant neckties and articles of like character, which as novelties seecm to command a fair sale. There is no reason why this process should not be carried much further, and it is quite within the bounds of possibility that the last and •• sweetest ” thing in mantles or dresses may be made of glass. An Old chap in Ballarat who lends small sums to curbstone brokers suddenly raised his rate of interest the other day, and a would-be borrower indignantly demanded the reason.

“Hank o£ England has raised the rate of discount,” was the calm reply. “ But what hare yon to do with the Bank of England ?’’

“ Nothing, no more than I don’t propose to play second fiddle to no darned foreigner, i’ll even show them that 1 can’t be blnffed."

There was no more borrowing until rates took a drop.

A New Paper Stereotype— A Hungarian printer is said to have discovered a treatment of paper enabling him to paper stereotype which will yield 8,000 to 10,000 imprsssisas, 584