Miscellaneous,;extracts.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2176, 7 March 1865, Page 5

Miscellaneous,;extracts.

% An Appropriate Dish fob John Bright — PeaceiPadding. The Duchess of H— — 's housekeeper was once engaging a Scotch lassie as housemaid, when, as was her usual custom, she said to the girl, "If ever the duchess speaks to you, you must always say, ' Your Grace.' " One day the duchess ha?ing occasion to speak to the maid, the girl dropped a very low curtsey, and stammered out, " For what we have received may the Lord make us truly thankful !" The young Prince, son of the Prince Boyal of Prussia, was baptised a few days back at Berlin, the names giveu to him being Francis Fredsrick Sigismund. " Miss," said a gentleman proffering his alia and umbrella to a lady in a shower, "permit me to be yourbeau." " Thauk you for your politeness," was .the reply, "and as I hare plenty of fair weather beaux, I will call you my ram-bow. A Brigand Story.— The followiag appears in the Home News of the 26th December:— " Brigand stories are always more or less interesting, especially when a woman is the heroine. Amongst the Neapolitan provinces which have to contend with the dreadful scourge of brigandage, there is that of Cattanzaro, which possesses the advantage of having a band which is led by Maria Oliviera, an exceedingly handsome woman, not yet 30 years of age. Barbarity is her chief characteristic, and the sight of blood renders her as excited as a wild beast. She was the wife of the famous brigand Monaco, of the Albanian village of Spezzano, who was killed in au encounter with the Italian troops near Rossano. Iv this very encounter ! Maria was also wounded, but she continued to discharge her musket kneeling on the dead body of her husband, with a firmness and a courage which even commanded the admiration of her opponents. Having at last beea struck in the right leg, she fell into the hands of the troops, and, brought before a court-mar-tial at Cattanzaro, was condemned to be shot. The sentence was, however, commuted to 30 years of penal servitude. While she was expiating her crimes in the prison of Cattanzar© the gaoler fell desperately in love with her. 1 he cunning woman pretended to feel an equal affection for him, and one day she told him that white she was with her husband she had concealed in a certaiu place near Rossano a largo sum of money which had been paid for the ransom of a rich farmer. The gaoler went quickly to the spot and found the money. This .act had naturally the effect of making his lore tor Maria still more ardent, so that she had not the least difficulty in convincing him that tender affections are better manifested in freedom tbau within the four walls of a dungeon. Before, however, making their escape, Maria succeeded in sending word to her brothers, who are brigands, that on a certain evening she would be at an appointed spot, not far from Oattonzaro, attired in man's clothes, with her deliverer. Maria was punctual at the rendezvous, and her brothers also. The unfaithful turnkey was killed out of hand and the money he had found replaced in Maria's pocket. Once free this woman oganised a band of brigands and began her operations in that tract of mountains which lie between the river Crati and Cattanzaro. The barbarities since perpetrated by Maria are incredible. The village of Spinelli, Cotzenei, and Belvedere have been literally sacked by the band she commands. The dread which the name of Maria Oliviera inspires among tb< rural population of Cattanzaro is so great tba the Italian government has been obliged t< send two battalions of the line to pursue thi cruel fury. Whilst the band led by this womat is desolating the country of Cattanzaro, w< hear from Rionero that the bersaglieri havi succeeded at last in capturing the famous bri gand Sacchitiello, together with the two stil 'more famous mistresses of the brigands Croce and Shiavone. The strangest thing about th capture of Sacchitiello and of the two womei is, that they were taken in the house of th captain of the National Guard of the village where they had been concealed since the mont of July! This fact shows how difficult it is t get rid of the Neapolitan brigands, since in eel tain cases the commanders of the Natiom Guard give them safe shelter in their ver, houses.