ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1195, 24 February 1880, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

1 saw by Monday's papers that the Rev. Charles Nelson had been making an exhibition of himself last Sunday evening, by stopping in the middle of his sermon and saying that someone was smoking in the vicinity of the church, and that he could not proceed with the aroma of the " fragrant weed " in his nostrils. I could hardly have believed that anyone with the smallest pretention to be called a man would have made such a sorry exhibition. The liish Famine Relief Fund still progresses. Of course, it is not light to allow people to starve, but very grave doubts are expressed, especially by Irishmen, as to whether it is really necessary for the Irish nation to beg — for that is what it really amounts to. The subscription lists published are quite a study. There you see working men contributing their crowns, half-sovereigns, and even sovereigns. Again, you see large firms contributing five, ten, or twenty pounds, as the case may be. One wealthy Irishman, who, I believe, really has relatives among those in distress, gave the magninificent sum of £1, though he could well have given £100 and hardly missed it. In one of the lists I saw " H.8.M., 10s." Surely that is not the 2JUI merchant, hiding his light under a bushel. It is not his wont to do things so very unobtrusively, and the amount of the subscription is not in proportion to the " large " style of the man. Shakespeare says, "Things ill-gotten had ever bad success ;" but this is not always so, as the following story will snow : — Two intimate friends owned adjoining stations near Ballarat, in the old days before the diggings broke out. Wool had fallen so low that sheep in that out-of-the-way district, as it was then, were not worth more than sixpence each. A., who owned the larger of the two mns, was in difficulties, and wished to get rid of them without losing his run ; so he went one day to his neighbor 8., and told him that he was going down to Melbourne to get "whitewashed," and would sell him his run and sheep for £500. No money was to be paid, and B. was to give back the run as soon as A. got through the Bankruptcy Court. A. gave B. a receipt for £500 for the run, sheep, &c, and then went down to Melbourne and went through the Court. While he was away the Ballarat goldfield was discovered, and, as a consequence, sheep were worth from £2 to £3 each, so B. sold a large number of A's sheep at these prices. After A. had got "whitewashed" he returned to his station, and went to B. and told him that it was all right, and that he might now give him back his run. B. said that A. had sold him the run for £500, and that ne would not give it back. He did not, and that dishonest action was the foundation of his fortune. He is now one of the wealthiest men in Australia. The Rev. Allan Webb stated on Sunday last that an attempt had been made to bum down the house in which he lives. I wonder if he blames any of the defenders of Dickens. Sam Coombes had better look out, as arson is a capital offence. Pastor Webb has a bible class in connection with his chapel, which meets on Friday evenings for the discussion of Dickens' works. No ! such profane writings are not fit to be mentioned at it; but last Friday evening the whole time of the class was spent in talking about valentines. "Tell it not in Gath ! Publish it not in the City of Aahelon '." I heard a story the other day which forcibly illustrates the ruling passion strong in death. A soldier of the legion lay dying in Algiers. No, that is the beginning of Mrs Heman's story, not of mine. The young man, of whom I tell, lay dying in Napier. Apparently in the enjoyment of good health, he had, a year, before, insured hia life for £1000 in the

Government Life Assurance Department, but appearances were deceitful ; he had inherited consumption, and now lay on his death bed. Though young, he was very fond of the "almighty dollar," and had been given to hoarding money. A friend, who was sitting beside him, heard him speaking as if talking to himself. He listened to what he was saying, which was, "There's one good thing! I have cheated the blessed Government out of a thousand pounds." Then he had a severe fit of coughing, and died. Thei-e has been a deal of excitement here, in Auckland, during the past week, about the arrival of a number of Frenchmen from New Caledonia, some of whom had been sent here for political offences, others for crime. Their sentences had expired, or the remainder had ben remitted, so the French authorities wished to get rid of them and sent them over here. We do not object to the political offenders, for they, in all probability were as good men as those who sentenced them to be transported, but we do object very strongly to having French criminals sent here. A paternal Government, with the ! assistance of emigration agents paid so much per head for every one sent to New Zealand, whether good, bad or indifferent, has supplied New Zealand with quite sufficient of the criminal classes of Great Britain and Ireland, so that we do not require the French contingent. Unfortunately, the law of the land provides no remedy, so we must just " grin and bear it." There was a general feeling of relief in the city and suburbs, when it became known that the Fijian, who committed such a cowardly assault on a litle girl last Saturday, had been captured. It is most revolting, the number of assaults upon women and children that have been committed lately. The general opiuion is that the undue publicity, given by the newspapei'S, of the details of these cases have a demoralising effect on the community. There was a nice little attempt to work a swindle on a number of business people the other day. A commission agent, who, I believe, acted in all good faith, went round to the creditors in a certain bankrupt's estate, and offered to pay them ss. in the pound. Almost all of them accepted the dividend, but in one case the principal was out when the agent called. The latter, however, saw the creditor's book-keeper, and told him his errand. Shortly after he went out, Mr Macfarlane, trustee in the estate in question went in. When the book-keeper mentioned the matter to him, lie told him that there was a dividend of 14s. in the pound. St. Mungo.