WAIFS AND STRAYS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 113, 26 June 1875, Page 15

WAIFS AND STRAYS.

Sheridan and Shakespeare. — When Sheridan's goods were taken in execution, in Hertford-street, May Fair, Postan, the Sheriff's officer, told Mm that if there was any particular article upon which he set an affectionate value, he might secrete it or carry it off from the premises. " Thank you, my generous fellow/* said Sheridan j " no, let all go— affections in my situation are out of the question. However," said he, recollecting himself, " there is one thing which I wish to save." "What is that?" said Postan, expecting him to. name some cabinet or piece of plate. "Don't be alarmed," said Sheridan, "it is only this old look, worth all others in the world, and to me of special value, because it belonged to my father, and was the favorite of my first wife." Postan looked into it, and it was a dog's-eared Firßt Edition of Shakespeare. Life in Manchester in the Good Oxd Days. — In the early decade of the eighteenth century, an " eminent manufacturer" in Manchester was at his warehouse at six in the morning. At seven, he and his children and apprentices took "a plain breakfast" together. In the centre of the group was " one large dish of water porridge, made of oatmeal, water, and a little salt, boiled thick and poured into a dish." At its side was a " pan or basin of milk," and each dipped his wooden spoon first into the one and then into the other, until Paterfamilias said, " Hold, enough." The other refections of the day harmonized with this their homely prelude. The veracious Aikin records of "an evening club of the most opulent manufacturers " of the same period, that " the expenses of each person were fixed at fourpence halfpenny, fourpence for ale and a halfpenny for tobacco ! "—"" — " Lancashire Worthies," by F. Espinasse. The Fbost of 1813-14. — Two days after Christmas there was a thick fog, followed by heavy falls of snow and a month's frost, during which the wind blew bitingly from the north or north-east with little interruption. The river was covered with masses of floating ice bearing huge heaps of snow, which no sooner became . compact towards the close of January, than. " City Road " made its appearance — a street of booths upon the congealed flood, occupied by various craftsmen. Among the doings of the time, sheep were roasted whole, and slices of the so-called " Lapland Mutton " were sold to the crowd. The printers, never backward to earn a penny, and very commendably so when their offering is worth it, issued invitations thus : — You that walk here, and do design to tell Your children's children what this year befell, Come, buy this print, and then it will be seen That such a year as this has seldom been. Amidst the arts which on the Thames appear To tell the wonders of this icy year, Printing claims prior place, which at one view, Erects a monument of that and you. " " Printed on the River Thames, Feb. 4th, in the 54th year of the reign of King George 111., a.d. 1814." The last document printed was njeudetnot to Madame Tabitha Thaw. Whether this was a skit upon the old lady, or a defiance, or »n invocation, we have not taken the trouble to ascertain. But sure it is that Madame Thaw arrived snddenly by an invisible express, in right melting mood, and with an all-subduing air. Printers, buyers, sellers, and idlers decamped instanter, and presses, booths, and stalls were left to their fate on the disrupting ice.— ' Mirror/ Love oe 1 the French fob Fine Wobds. — Word decoration is hung about everything, and ordinary and sometimes mean things have fine names. An eight-by-ten room is a salon ; a lobster is the cardinal of the sea — presumably after being boiled; stewed mutton is mouton ala paysanne ; a hairdresser is an artiste ; an editor is redactewr-en-chef ; the letter-writer closes his epistle with a string of magnificent words. The Gaul is always putting his best foot foremost. To have a decoration of the legion of Honour and not wear it would embitter his life. If he has ever held any position related to the Government, however remotely, he ever afterwards inscribes it below his name on cards and letters ', and. one not unfrequently sees printed on the cards of provincials, ''Aneiencapitaine des pompiers," " Ancien membre dv Conseil Municipal" &c., which are grotesquely pompous. Chinese Attractions. — By all accounts Cochin China is scarcely the place for nervous people ; for, besides the maladies incidental to an unhealthy climate, the lower order of animals take far more interest in human affairs than would be satisfactory to most people, and, if we may believe the ' Courrier de Saigon,' have it indeed pretty much their own way. Thus we are told that a caiman of extraordinary size and audacity is carrying desolation into the village of .Bentre. After having devoured a tolerable number of Annanites, this amphibious monster went to work to demolish the landing-stage, trying to ''overturn the barge moored for the purpose, in order to get at some boatmen who had taken refuge upon it. So serious was the damage inflicted, that Government was at last compelled to take, the steps necessary for the destruction of the beast. Again, in another part of the country tigers are so numerous, that during the month of last November alone the militia of Thudau-mot succeeded in killing three maneaters, and in capturing two others, the latter being such fine fellows that they have been forwarded to France by the first vessel,

Finally, we are informed that a French merchant, walking in the vicinity of Canhum one dull evening in December last, had his footsteps dogged by an evil-minded rhinoceros, whose bloodthirsty intentions were not however realized. The Mbanij&o op the Court ob Coat Cabds. — The four kings, David, Alexander, Csesar, and Charles, which names are still on the French cards, represent the four celebrated monarchs of the. Jews, Greeks, Romans, and Franks, under Charlemagne. The consorts of those illustrious personages are named, Angine, Esther, Judith, and Pallas, typical of birth, piety, fortitude, and wisdom. Angine is an anagram of " Regina," queen by descent. By the knave were designed the servants or valets of the kings, for knave originally meant servant. The thirteen in a suit represents the number of ■weeks in a quarter ; and the amount of cards in the pack, the number of weeks in the year. When to Get Up. — The Duke of Wellington always slept on an iron camp bedstead eighteen inches wide. " When a man wants to turn over," he said, "it is time for him to turn out." The Emperor Nicholas did the same. The principle is well enough, but the detail is wrong. Sleep itself is far too important to be made uncomfortable. My old friend Rossiter fixed his alarm so that at the fore-ordained moment, the bedclothes were dragged from the bed, and Rossiter lay shivering. I have the drawings and specifications for a patent which arranges a set of wheelworks under the bedstead, which, at the moment appointed, lift the pillow end six feet and deliver the sleeper on his feet on the now horizontal footboard. He is rot apt to sleep long after that. Rossiter, however, found a better contrivanco. The alarm clock struck a light, which lighted a lamp, which boiled the water for shaving. If Uossiter stands in bed,too long, the water boils over upon his razor and clean Bhirt, and tlie.prayer book his mother gave him, and Coleridge's autography, and his open pocket-book, and all the other precious things he could put iii a basin underneath when he went to bed ; so he had to get up before that moment came. — • Old and New.'

Easteen Mode of Extracting. Gold. — On returning to our quarters, we found the miners ready with their implements and a small stock of quartz to show us the process by which they extracted the gold. The process appeared very simple and efficacious. The bits of quartz, ascertained by "the eyesight to contain particles of gold, are • first coarsely pounded between stones, and then reduced to powder in an ordinary Imnd-mill. The powder is next placed on a reed winnowing tray, and shaken so as to separate the particles of gold and finer dust from the grit. From the latter the larger bits of gold are pickedout and thrown into a crucible, and melted with the aid of a few grains of borax flua. When melted it is poured into an iron trough, previously greased, or rather smearen with oil, and at once cools into an ■* ingot of bright gold. The fine dust left on the winnow is thrown into an earthern jar furnished with a wide mouth. The jar is then half filled with water and shaken about a little while. The whole is then stirred with the hand and the turbid water poured off. This process is repeated four or five times, till the water ceases to. become turbid. A small quantity of quicksilver is next added to the residue of sand, some fresh water is poured on, and the whole stirred with the hand. The water and particles of Band suspended in it are then poured off, and the quicksilver amalgam left at that bottom of the vessel is removed to a strong piece of cloth, and twisted tightly till the quicksilver is expressed as much as thus can be. The mass of gold alloy is then put into a crucible with a few grains of borax, and melted over a charcoal fire. The molten mass is finally poured into the iron trough mentioned, and at once solidifies into a small bar of bright gold. Such was the process gone through in our presence. Even in this there was a good deal of waste, owing to the rejection of the coarser grit. With proper crushing machinery there is no doubt the yield would be considerably increased. — ' From the Indus to the Tigris,' by Henry Walter Bellew, C.S.I. ( The fashionable scarf pin for Parisian ladies and gentlemen — for the former wear now also shirb fronts and coat tails — it a model of the blue five-sous postage stamps.