WAIFS AND STRAYS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume V, Issue 41, 11 October 1890, Page 9

WAIFS AND STRAYS.

A boyish old man is amusing ; but a girlish matron would make a wooden image tired.

A species of wild flower has been found in the Philippim Islands, which measures one yard in diameter.

A man never realises what perfect idiots women are until lie hears his best girl laughing at some other fellow's jokes. There are three species of creatures who when they seem coming are going, when they seem going they come diplomats, women, and crabs, A man who is advertising 1 Lodgings to let to early risers. ' at Banbury, adds 1 Cochin China fowls of unusual vocal powers are kept on the adjoining premises.’ • Other Times, Other Manners.’- In the reign of Charles I. a Mayor of Norwich sent a man to gaol for saying the Prince of Wales was born without a shirt. An umbrella-sheath is said to have been invented. It hangs at a lady's side, and the umbrella can be dropped into it after the manner of a sword. At Taunton recently a coroner kindly invited the jury to taste the poison by which the deceased had committed suicide.

I have brought myself, by long meditation, to the conviction (said Lord Beaconsfield) that a human being with a settled purpose, must accomplish it, ami that nothing can resist a will that will stake even existence for its fulfilment. Some one has. estimated that the time thrown away irt this world in courting the girl you want to marry, ami who is ready to marry you, would build all the railroads arrd" bridges and tunnels ami factories and public buildings. A man's best help is hintself, his own heart, his resolute purpose—it cannot be done by proxy, ire must mould his own char acter. What if a man fails in orte tiling? Let hint try again he must quarry his own nature. Let him’try hard, and try again, for he does not know what he cart do till he tries. The Desert of Sahara is slowly becoming inhabitable, with the aid of science. The LowerSahara is art immense basin of artesian waters, arrd the French are forrtting fresh oases with skill ami success, so that the number of cultivated tracts is increasing rapidly. After a period of thirty years, forty-three oases have 13,000 inhabitants. A woman of position irt London society recently resorted to an original device to decide who shall take whom to dinner. The male guests were put up at auction and went to the highest bidder, in imaginary sums, the description of the human wares being hit off wittily by the auctioneer. Some men may feel humiliated to find how cheaply they are held. Good Luck is the gayest of all gay girls. Long in one place she will not stay ; Back from your brow she strokes the curls. Kisses you quick and flies away. But Madam Bad Luck slowly comes And stays, no fancy has she for Hitting; Snatches of true love songs she sings. And sits by your bed and brings her knitting.

Hale Old Englishmen. In America the young man is the man of the hour. Precocity pays. In England the old man not only has a chance, but by common accord is master of the situation. It is the exception with us for a public man to be regarded as at his best before he is between fifty and sixty. In the professions the most eminent ami hardest working men will be found to be over sixty. The Right Sort of Petticoat. In Brittany a curious matrimonial custom prevails. (hi certain fete days the young ladies appear in red petticoats, with white or yellow borders around them. The number of borders denotes the portion the father is willing to give his daughter. Each white band, representing silver, denotes 100 francs per annum, ami each yellow band denotes gold and betokens 1,000 francs a year. Thus a young man who sees a face that pleases him has only to glance at the trimmings of the petticoats to learn what amount accompanies the wearer.