Here and there

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 17, 27 April 1907, Page 25

Here and there

Ruined by a Lion. The fact that he was mauled by a lion in Somaliland and afterwards suffered from rheumatic fever was mentioned yesterday in the London Bankruptcy Court as one of the reasons for the extravagant living which led to the failure of Mr. G. 1). E. Chapman, of Sunning, near Reading. Mr. Chapman never mid any occupation. it was stated, an his income was about £l2OO a year under a marriage settlement. His debts were given as £13,886, and his assets as about £ 1503. Some of the items of his expenrnture were given as follow: — Lost on horse races £2.000 Lost at cards 11.(MM) Lost on Stock Exchange 463 Lost in oilfields speculation. . 1020 Household expenses (2 years) 3500 Interest to moneylenders 3500 His counsel declared that if he had not met with the adventure with the lion he would probably have acted with greater discretion. The reigstrar suspended the order of discharge for three years. Rotliscliild’s Receipt. It remained for the late Alphonse de Rothschild to put into epigrammatical form a statement of the elements upon which he based the success of his famous house. As being the utterance of this famous member of perhaps the richest family in the world, the following are well worthy of careful consideration: ‘’'Carefully examine every detail of your business.” “Be prompt in everything.” “Take time to consider, but decide positively.” “Dare to go forward. “Bear troubles patiently.” “Maintain your integrity as a sacred thing.” “Never tell business lies.*’ “Pay your debts promptly.” “Make no useless acquaintances.” —“Account ics.” <s><s>s> Golden Silence. A good many things are so that do not need to be. talked about. A man may properly have certain definite intentions as to what he purposes to do. but tha fact lays upon him no obligation to say so; on the contrary, the surest way to defeat his own purposes may be to talk about them. So as to what we know, or think we know, about others; we are not obliged to put it into words. We must act upon our belief, but we need not say what our belief is. We may know that a certain man is a liar, and we must govern all our dealings with him accordingly; but we need not tell him that he is a liar. Probably nothing would be gained, ami a great deal would lie lost, by frankly expressing ourselves on such a point. He is a w.ise man who knows what not to talk about; and he is a very foolish man who talks about everything that he-happens to know is a fact. “Saying it out*' acounts for a vast deal of waste and misery and lost efficiency in this world. Lady Freemasons. Recently an installation was being held in the city in connection with a eer tain lodge of Freemasons. The good wife of the W.AI. elect, not to he left out of the ceremony or dignity of the occasion, sent out invitations to her friends entreating them to a mock installation at her home, (hi arrival al the hostess’ house each lady was provided with a paper apron of the same mystic pattern as the ornament worn by the Masonic masculines. Large-sized square and compass wore also provided to adorn the wives of W.AL’s. The menu card, with a picture of the hostess, and bearing the names of fearsome dishes, was really one of Hie best outside “Punch.” The skit altogether was arranged and carried out cleverly, while the husbands took part a mile away in

a real institution, the ceremonial of which, no doubt their better halves considered was not any more sensible* or dignified than that facetiously executed by them. The Price of Novels. Book prices during the last four centuries is the subject of a painstaking article in the •‘Cornhill Magazine,” by Mr A. \V. Pollard. As regards novels, he gives a birdseye glimpse of the develop incuts in the ninteenth century, during which the novel really came to maturity. “Just as Scott raised the price of me fashionable quarto poem to its highest pitch, so ho ran up the price of novels, which was already, however, rising from other causes. In .1811 Miss Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility’ was published in three volumes at 15/; in 1813 her i’ridand Prejudice’ at 18/: iii 1814 Scott, though writing anonymously, came in at 1 he top of the market at 21/ for the three volumes of ‘Wavcrley.’ Guy Mininering’ was is .nod at the same price, ‘The Antiquary’ and ‘Rob Roy’ at 24/. Quickly Scott’s price went up to 31/6. and for one novel- I think it. was 'Peveril of ihe Peak.’ it rose to no h‘‘s than 48/, the book being issued in four v'-’-iimes at 12/ each. Other novelists followed as they dared, in the wake of the author of ’Wav'erley.’ When Scott's publisher was charging 8/ a volume for •Roh Roy.' Miss Ferrier priced her •Marriage* at 7/ (three volumes 21/, Peacock's his ‘Nightmare Abbey' in a single volume at (>/(>, Miss Austen's her ‘Northanger Abbey' at 6/ (four volumes 24/), while ’ Frankenstein’ cost, only 5/6 a volume (three volumes 16/6). All these prices were obviously artificial in the sense that they reste ratner on th* system of lending books for hiTc through the circulating libraries than on the probability of numerous sales to individual readers.” + + + South African Twins. In his Kaffir studies, entitled -Savage Childhood.” just published. Mr. Dudley Kidd expounds very fully the curious beliefs held in connection with twins. It is generally known (says the “ Athenaeum.” in reviewing this chapter), that twins are considered unlucky, and frequently killed, by mam African tribes. Sonic, however, as Hie llereros, and the JJaronga. think Lhem lucky, and AL Junod stated that certain ceremonies, intended to bring rain, or otherwise influence the heavens, ran only bp performed by the mother of twins. Among the Ba bomba of North-East Rhodesia, when twins are born, the father and mother “doctor” all the inhabitants of the village, their cattle and their crops, and the ceremony concludes by carrying (he children in a basket to the cross-roads, where they are taken out, and the basket left behind. It is obvious that both, views spring from the notion that multiple births are something abnormal; the aßrouga think that twins are sent by Tilo (“ Heaven ”) as a kind of supernatural portent the Zulus that "they are more animal (han human. . . It is natural,, so it was thought. for logs or pigs to have twin offspring in a litter. hut for human beings it is disgraceful.” 11 was formerly usual to kill one or both: and if a woman had twins twice, she was, says Mr. Kidd, ‘’killed as a monstrosity.” Twins are supposed to have no brains. yet are credited with a kind of prophetic power and prefer natural shrewdness, ami •’expected to make songs for.people.” Too Many Excuses. , A man who was convicted at the ( lerkeuwoll Sessions of defrauding boardinghoiise keepers, pleaded in excuse that he suffered from brain fag, eczema) bronchitis, influenza, curvature of the spine, rheumatism, liver complaint, abscesses, sciatica, diabetis, dropsy, heart disease, paralysis, consumption, and blood poisoning. ’The chairman prescribed 21 months’ hard labour as a cure.

The Cult of Clothe*. Mrs John Laue writes amusingly in the ••Fortnightly Review” on the tyranny of clothes. It- is tyranny that usually finds ready victims and but few rebels. " The top hat,” says Mrs Lane, “represents the universal language of attire.'* She once met a silk hat, ‘probably rescued from some benevolent dustbin, milking a cow in a London park ’The hat nearly caused a riot .... Then,too, there is the bowler hat! I shall never forget the bowler hats tilted back against an ancient yew tree, so old that it is mentioned in the Doomsday Book, while the well meaning gentlemen under the hats smoked huge cigars, and were quite unconscious cf what <i blight they were on the quiet English seelie. Really, one owes a duty to the landscape!” Commenting upon Mrs Lanes utter ances, a writer in an Englisii newspaper says that to him the meat triumphant tyranny of the silk hat was revealed iluring a night journey between Geneva ami Paris. On the opposite seat wa* a Dutchman in a tophat. This writei changed into a cap, stnrk up his legs, and went, to sleep. But at each waking he saw the conscientious I hitchman sit ting boli, upright., lest Ihe silk hat should be marred. So he tiavt*i’cd through the long night, ami in the morn ing the Dutchman boarded the boat tor Dover, with hat immaculate, with head, no doubt, as Henley -ing “bloody, bvt unbowed.” Unpopular Books. Twins, or 100 Many by Half. Bachelor's-Buttons, or Lost in tbe Wash. All in a Garden Fair, or Adam and Eve. Happy Days, or When We Were A Crving Evil, or My Neighbour's Baby. Memoirs of an Ohl Maid, or a Miss Spent Life. A Bolt, from the Blue, or Outrunning the Cop. Crossing the Amazon, or Firing the ('ook. His 'Three Wives, or Trebly D <l.— “News.” Aii» Nails.” If he can tmn an. expert witnessinside out, so to sovak. counsel may generally ic.kon on av. easy victory over--Ihe inexp et. But it son'times happens that the horicst, slow-witted one is a match even for the nimble mind of his. professional adversary. Sir Archibald Geikie cites a delicious instance. A. serious case turned upon the identity of a hex, and a Highland blacksmith was called to prove that, its nails were o* his making. Counsel on the other side ridiculed the evidence. How could a man swear to nails? 'Were not those nails like all other nails used for the same purpose? How b-.ro he swear to such a statement? ”•!>» pt or fellow leaned at last across the witness-box and picked up a sheet of ' •> : paper ly ing befoic counsel. “Is ul.it your hand o' vrite? ’ ho asked, and was answered in the aflirmative. * But hoo can ye prove it’s yours? Could s oar to it anywhere?” he insisted. “Of course 1 conld,” said tn-» otlrr. Wool, then.” answered Vulcan, “if you > u swear to your hand o’ vrite. hoo si.-mH I no swear to my a»n nails?’' Nollo’jg in consequent could possibly be moie eon elusive, and counsel gave it up. Gilbortian. William S. Gilbert's |>um t iliousnestv in the matter of good English is well known. The famous composer was one day standing outside l.is club whore he was met by a man who said: "1 beg your pardon, sir, hut do you know a gentleman, a member of this club with one eye called Matthew ?” “1 can’t say 1 do,” responded Mi. Gilbert. “W hat is the name of his other eye?’’