Here and There

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVII, Issue 14, 6 October 1906, Page 32

Here and There

The Burial of Sir John Moore. The London “< ritic makes the ’‘astonishing discovery” that “The Burial of Sir John Moore” was taken from the French of Lally-Tollendal. “The Rev, Charles Wolfe,” says the “Critic.” "is generally supposed to be the author of a single poem, ‘The Burial of Sir John Moore,’ which alone—the learned divine’s other literary efforts being but little, worth —Jias sufficed to perpetuate his memory and caused him lo lie numbered among the few. As a matter of fact, he only translated from the French, and however much we may admire the beauty of his interpretation, the extent of his indebtedness will be apparent to all who read the original lines from the appendix to 'Les Memoires de Lally Tollendal,’ published by his son. The poem was written in the following circumstances; In J74t» a Colonel de Beaumanoir, a native of Brittany, raised a regiment in his neighbourhood, and with it accompanied Lally-Tollmdal's ill fated expedition to India. The Colonel was killed in defending Pondicherry—the last stronghold of the French—against the forces of Coote. lie was liuried at dead of night by a few faithful followers on the north bastion of the fortress, and the next day the French fleet sailed for Europe with the remnants of the garrison. Latly-Tollendal was executed m 1766, but a worthy son made noble effort* to rehabilitate his father’s memory. The memoirs were widely circulated and must have come into tlie hands of the reverend gentleman, who, though he stoic, did not m*r in tire stealing.” We give four verses of the alleged original : Ni le son du lanibour. .... id la marctie funebre. . . . Ni le feu di>.« soldo ts ... no marqua soli depart.—« Mais du bravo, a id hate, a tracers 14s tenebres Mornes .... nous porlames 1c cadavre au reinprirt! De niiiiuit e'etait riu-urc, et solitaire et sombre.— t.a lune a peine oltyait mi debile rayop; La hnnci'ue luisait peuiblemeut dans rowlire, Quand de la baionneite on cieusa le gazon. I* inutile cereiieil do drap fnucrairc Nous ue dnigumues point entourer le heros; JI gisait dans les pits du mautean inilitaire, ('online un guerrler qui dort sou heure de rep.os. La priori' qu'on fit f«t de eonite duree: Nui lie parlu de deuil, bleu quo le eueur fut )>loill! Mais on iixait du niort la iigiirc adoree . . . Et avec aiuertuine on songeait au demnru. Mr Andrew Lang, the well known writer, has been looking into the matter, and he casts some suspicion upon this circunislantial aouount given by the “Critic.” Tie has searched in vain at the British Museum for any LallyTollendal memoirs by his son, and it will lie observed that the. writer in the “Critic” does not give tiny date of publication. <S>M> German Women. One of the United States Consuls draws attention to statistics published in Magdeburg, which shows a “steady increase in female suicides, due, no doubt, lo the increased activity of women in industrial pursuits.” In these circmnstances it is not surprising to find, the German Government taking steps to encourage the emigration of women to the colonies. The colonies themselves, moreover, are sadly in need of women, and Government policy is to send' out married officials to the African possessions. In a recent llciehstag debate an otlieial said it was asking a great deal of German women io accompany their husbands into the wihlerness, where there were but the crudest means of existence and hut little communication with tho outside world. Under the circuinslaiiees, however. no other oomw was open, if n beginning was ever to be made toward

introducing those rational and natural principles of colonisation without which the German possessions would remain sterile of any civilising factors so indispensably necessary if any lasting bond of connection was to be fostered between the colonies and the mother country. The sending out of married officials, accompanied by their wives, is stated to lie but tlie beginning of a comprehensive plan looking forward to the eventuality of iuducing farmers, mechanics, and tradesmen, with their wives, to follow suit. According to the latest census there arc in all the German colonies only 1343 white women, namely, thirtytwo in Togo, ninety in Cameroon, 420 ill East Africa, 221 in the South Sea Islands, and 1000 in South-West Africa. Among' this number are included many Greek and Italian women. Sankey Reminiscences. The newly published volume by Mr Ira- D. .Sankey, descr-ibing "his own career and the origin ®f his sacred songs has considerable interest for those who remember the great i-evival of the seventies. He tells of the masterful manner iu which IXvigbt L. Moody captured him in IS7O, “I am in Government employ,” objected Sankey. “You will have to give that up,” responded Moody, “I have been looking for you for eight years.” Among the stories attaching to tlie Sankey hymns one of the most curious is that abopt Miss E. C, Clephane's: “There were ninety and nine who safely lay In the shelter of tlie fold; But one there was on the liills away, Far off from the gates of gold.” This hymn was first published iu the “poets’ corner” of a newspaper, and there met the eye of Mr Sankey. He was struck with it. and read it to his coadjutor, who happened, however, to be so absorbed in a letter from home that he paid no attention to it. A day or two afterwards at a meeting where “The Good Shepherd” bad been the subject of the day, a hymn was wanted. Mr Sankey thought of the 23rd Psalm, but it had been sung more than onee, and it was out of the question as a solo, as the whole audience would certainly join in. The singer sat down at the organ and improvised the tune as he sang —“note by note the tune wa« given, which has not been changed from that day to this.” Perhaps the most effective stanza is—- “ But none of the ransomed ever knew How deep were the waters crossed. Nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed through. Ere he found the sheep that was lost.” Tragedy of AleokoL Mr. Halt Caine iu his new booklet, “Drink,” following Emile Zola, has written ’th® tragedy of alcphol, but his is a tragedy with a happy ending. Luey Cloudesdale is young, beautiful, rich and good. But she is a dipsomaniac; the. victim of an hereditary disease. Her grandfather was a cruel, hard master, and one of his victims cursed him with a curse worthy of Kehama. “It’s yourself that will go to bell; but liefore you go you will have the tire of hell in your body, and feel a thirst that can never lie quenched. You will drink and drink till you die, and your children will drink, and your children’s children, and your, gieat-grandchildren, for ever and ever.” The curse comes true, and Uucy is engaged when it falls on her. A doctor hud ordered her to take brandy. “Within a fortnight Luey had become the slave of her medicine. She took it, not twice daily, but. four times, six times, ten times. An unquenchable thirst possessed her. a burning fever, an insatiable ciaving. Her lover deterniiues to cure her, and against the wish of her clergyman and her doctor calls in a hypnotist, who for tlie time being works a cure.

But byjmolwfii w too dungerous; he fears to go on with it. Then he has * happy idea. He manages to »afu*e her with hope, to fill the girl’s mind with a possibility of a bright and not a black futiwe, and a be- b> saved- ■' In «n apfiendK Mr. Hall Gaine writes:' “If 1 were a doctor I should giro, myself no peace in tire presence of the world-wide curse of drink, and the claims «I hypnotism to Qire it, until I had satisfied myself on the subject. Not being a doctor, I liavo only attempted to deal with the moral aspect of ‘suggestion’ as a means of cure, and my conclusion has been that, great and precious as the human inheritance of free will must always be, the world has recognised the right, not only of the doctor, but also of the priest, the teacher, the orator, and the writer to influence and control it.’’ Mr. Hall (‘nine’s book is published by Messis. Newnes at sixpence. Agile at Eighty-five. (Mr. IV. tV. Duffield, who is known as the “Grand Old Man” of Chelmsford, England, is a wonderful person in many ways. Although nearly Bf> years of age, he does physical exercises night and morning—he learned them at the grammar school three-quarters of a century ago —walks at least five miles every day, and fills numerous public appointments. For nearly 50 years he has Ix-en clerk to the Chelmsford Hoard of Guardians, and he is clerk to the Bench, registrar of the County and Bankruptcy Courts, chairman of the Chelmsford Grammar (School and of several companies, and senior aiderman of the borough. He comes of a long-lived family. His brother James, who lives at Great, Baddow, near Chelmsford, is nearly 113, and three other members lived to be over 80. Mr. Duffield told an “Express” representative how he maintains his strength and suppleness of limb. “I’m fond of walking,” he said. “Forty-five years ago, after my doctor had recommended me to do plenty of walking, 1 complained of the amount of time it took up, and he said: ‘Never mind about the time; you can put it all on at the end with interest.’ 1 attribute my health largely to the continuance of these exercises and to restricting my food and varying it as much as possible. I eat most things, but I believe in a moderate diet. I never was a big eater, and I never give my stomach the work which my teeth should do. I believe in a variety of food—-as much variety as possible. I take meat, but not much salt meat, and I have plenty of vegetables and cooked fruit. I have a good luncheon, and dine at 7.30, after which I have nothing but a glass of whisky and soda and a smoke before going to be,d. 1 always go to bed directly 1 hear the clock strike 12.” Shrewd Ead. There is a good story told of a man who has become a most successful merchant. When a lad he was employed as an office-boy and messenger for a large firm. He was sent to collect an account from a film which was considered very “shaky,” and was told to get the money at all hazards. The debtors gave the lad a cheque for £5O. He wont to the bank at once to cash it, and was told by the cashier that there were not enough funds to meet it. “How much short’’’ asked the lad. “£1 10/,” was the answer. It lacked but a minute or two of the time for the bank to close. The boy felt in bis pockets, took out thirty shillings, and, pushing it through the window. said, “Put that to the credit of Blank and Co.” The cashier did so. whereupon the boy presented the cheque and got the moneyBlank and Co. failed the next day, and their chagrin can Ire better imagined than described when they found out the triek that bad been played upon them.