Echoes of the Week.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 724, 21 January 1904, Page 15

Echoes of the Week.

(By

“Ithuriel.”)

“ The slump in poetry is a real thing,” observed the director of one of the largest circulating libraries in London. “Poetry is a drug in the market and a burden to our bookshelves. The decline, which commenced twenty-five years ago, is now at its lowest ebb.” And he indicated with a wave of the hand serried rows of poetry never disturbed by mortal hand, save that of the professional duster. (“Even for Tennyson, the mo't read of all poets, the demand has ceased,” the librarian contirued, “while the Brownings, who aforetime were the delight of our maiden aunts, are now a dead letter. In regard to contemporary minor poqjbs”—and the librarian shrugged h’s shouldersi disdainfullv—“we do not lumber the place with their ‘works’ unless some rara avis of a subscriber asks for them. Even Kipling’s ‘The Five Nations’ is less sought aft r than his previous poems. Alfred Austin, the laureate—well, people are asking for his works on gardening. He writes ver - well about gardening.” The chief of a Band-street circulating library said that he was never asked for more than two volumes of poetry in a week. The “slump” was unprecedented. He ascribed the cause to the fact that the average person of to-day declines to thin I '. “Consequently he deserts poetry for lat-ter-day fiction, which imposes no su?h tax upon his mental capacity.”

Some hotel burglaries in San Francisco induced the editor of one of the local papers (says “Quiz”) to say that he didn’t believe the Mayor was the leader of the gang. “I wish to state that I do not think it is a gang from the City Hall that is doing all these, hold-ups. There is nothing in the moral make-up of our city officers that would prever.C them going, masked and armed, into saloons and robbing proprietors visitors ; but they lack the nerve. Thev are a lot of peaceful theives, these office holders, and prefer to do their stealing through the offices they hold. The’ haven't time, anyway, to go skihooting around the town at night—-they are too busy spending what they have stolen from the taxpayers during the day.” A colonial editor who told the truth like that in this country would probably get into gaol.

It seems to me (remarks “Woomera,” in the “Australasian”) that the influence of a young man like Victor Trumper, of New South Wales, is all for. good. At one moment a cricketing crowd is suffering from the bluest of blues, groping in the very depths of pessimism, out of touch with everybody, ready to bite you, even if you stroked them in the most friendly way. By and by this pleasantfaced young man conies along, with his cheerful smile an»d his spring-handled bat, and except where flying cricket balls obscure the sun, and short-sighted scientific men see spots on it, everything brightens except the bowling average. That is a great gift in one so young.

When Trumper bats, it seems to me Things are not as they used to .’be;

The sights we see, the sounds we hear Are echoes from another sphere. And even the “Fitzroy Forties” clan Has honeyed words for that young

man. The boldest may not whisper “Rats” When Trumper bats.

When Trumper bats the ball is sent Rebounding off the firmament. The hum one hears beneath the trees Is as innumerable bees. “Just watch ’irn, Jim ; ain’t ’e a toff ; He’ll knock her bloomin’ corner off.” And then they scream and swing their hats, When Trumper bats.

An ingenuous London provision merchant, whose name is Myer S. Tabatchink, and who carries on business in Fair-clough-street, St. George’s, averred, with regard to some bad “ liquid eggs ” found in his shop, that his wife broke them to shampoo the children. “What!” cried the astonished magistrate, “ are bad eggs good for the hair?” “ Yes,” was the reply. “ Have you tried it?”—“ Yes.” “Do you often shampoo your children with these rotten eggs ?” —“ Yes, my wife used two or three of the eggs for that purpose, It makes the hair grow.” But, as 6749 bad eggs were found on Tabatchink’s premises, the magistrate came to the conclusion they were used for other purposes than shampooing, and sent the shopkeeper to gaol for a month.

The Medical Officer of Health for Stepney stated that “ liquid eggs ” were used in bakehouses, and when had were injurious to health, often resulting in death.