WAIFS AND STRAYS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIV, Issue VIII, 23 February 1895, Page 176

WAIFS AND STRAYS.

The bright side is not always the right side. An onnce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.—Spanish Proverb

One clars of men must have their faith hammered in, like a nail, by authority. Another class mnst have it worked in, like a screw, by argument.—Holmes.

The experience of humanity in life is very like men in a crowd. Some elbow their way to the front, others are pushed to the front, and others again are forced to the rear. Every human being is individualised by a new arrangement of elements. His mind is a safe with a lock to which only certain letters are the key. His ideas follow in an order of their own.—Emerson.

The habit of committing onr thoughts to writing is a powerful means of expanding the mind and producing a logical and systematic arrangement of our views and opinir ns. It is this which gives the writer a vast superiority as to the accuracy and extent of his conceptions over the mere talker. No one can ever hope to know the principles of any art or science thoroughly who does not write as well as read npod the subject.—Blakey.

A Diving Cat.—An extraordinary cat story reaches us from Birmingham (says the Stock keeper). According to an evening contemporary of that city, a gentleman living there possesses a cat which frequently accompanies him on a short walk. The other Sunday, whilst strolling along the banks of the river, the cat followed him, and was ordered home, but instead of obeying the order, as it usually did, it raced along the river bank, sniffing the whole way. The owner watched it with considerable interest, and saw it suddenly dive right under the water, and return with a rat in its mouth. It is the first instance we know of, a cat diving under water to fetch ont a rat.

Carnivorous Plants.—That carnivorous plants exist is a very well-known fact. Insects which alight on these plants are immediately canght in a net of sticky tentacles, and are soon reduced to a pulp and digested. Yes ; digested is the exact expression, although it sounds peculiar. There is some reason for this. It is the plant’s way of procuring a supply of nitrogen. But a learned botanist tells us that in Canada he has found a certain kind of asclepias, or swallow-wort, which kills insects not for food, but apparently oat of sheer cruelty. It is a climbing plant, which people train over arbours and similar places. It begins to bloom in August, and its perfume attracts crowds of insects of the most varied species. No sooner have they plunged their proboscisiinto the sweet-scented corolla than they are seized by the. hard-toothed stamens of the plant, and held in a vice-like grip until they are dead. A few of the larger insects manage to escape in a somewhat mutilated condition, bnt the more feeble insects invariably succumb. There is apparently no reason for this conduct. Evolutionists tell us that the scent of flowers is generally to attract insects in order to insure fertilisation, and this makes the plant’s action all the more difficult of explanation.

Value of Royal Crowns —One of the most costly crowns in existence is that of the King of Portugal. The jewels which ornament it are valued at £1,600,000. The crown which the Czar of Russia wears on special occasions is also one of the most precious in the world. The cross which surmounts the crown is composed of five magnificent diamonds resting on a large uncut bnt polished ruby. The small crown of the Czarina contains, according to authorities, the finest stones ever strung. The crown of the Queen of England, which is valued at £36.000, contains a great ruby, a large sapphire, sixteen small sapphires, eight emeralds, four small rubies, 1,360 brilliants, 1,273 rose diamonds, four pear-formed pearls, and 269 of other shapes. In his state clothes, including the crown, the Sultan of Johore wears diamonds worth £2,400,000. His collar, his epaulets, his girdle, and his cuffs sparkle with the precious stones. His racelets are of massive gold, and his fingers are covered with rings which are almost priceless. The handle and the blade of his sword are covered with precious stones. The most costly insignia of princely dignity, however, are those of the Sultan o - Maharajah of Baroda, in India. The ch’ef ornament is a necklace of five strings containing 500 d a monds, some of which are as large as hazel nuts. The upper and lower rows consist of emeralds of the same size. Moslem Peculiarities at the Table.—The Moslem customs of eating are entirely different from those of Western life. A white cloth is spread upon the floor, whereon the dishes are placed. Before beginning the meal the guests are invited to wash their bands, mouth, and nose. The host then raises his hand and supplicates the blessing of the Almighty by saying— * Bismillah ’(‘ in the name of God ’). The guests then dip their fingers into the same dish with the host, but they must not eat with more than three fingers, nor open their months wide, nor take large mouthfuls, nor swallow hastily. If the guest has occasion to drink in the course of the meal he must do so softly. When the repast is over, the host again raises his hands, and exclaims, * Praise be to God.’ The staple dish of all Mahometan dimers is a plain meat cooked in a large quantity of rice. The dish is usually placed in the centre, and curries, preserved fruits, and other toothsome flavours are added at discretion. In the economy of the household it is very necessary that the Moslem wife should be able to cook, for she is held responsible for the entertainment of the guests. Where there is more than one wife the cooking is taken by turns,, one week at a time. Although among the poorer classes the women are not veiled it is usual for those of good family to go forth covered with what is called in Asia a bourka, or in Egypt a habarah. The concealment of the face of a woman was strictly ordered by the prophet, and Mahomet must be held responsible for the exceedingly ugly covering which is used by the Moslem won en who tiavel abroad. In Moslem households thi 2 mol he aid not the wife is the he r d of the hsrem, and the is looked up to with respect by the wives. In the event of her death the mother of thee'deit son claims the rule of the household. It is not Mahomet whom we must blame for the degradation of women in the East, for it would not be difficult to show that bis ideas about women were somewhat in advance of his contemporaries. He used -to sav, • Woman was made from a crooked rib, and if you try to bend it straight it will break ; therefore, treat your wives kindly.'