"EVENING STAR" SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT ENTERTAINING READING.

No. 41.]

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 1876

[Price: ONE PENNY.

Poetry.

MOTHERS AND CHILDREN.

UI walked over the hills, one day, Tllßtened and heard a mother-sheep say: • In all the green world there Is nothing so sweat As my little lamb, with his nimble feet; With hli wo°l so wn'te, Aadhlaeye so bright, Oh he is my darling, my haart's delight I The robin, he that sings on tha tree, | pearly may dote on his nestlings four, ! Bat 1 love my one little lambkin more' i go the mother-sheep and her littlo one, ! Side by side, lay down ia the sun, And there let them lie on t'je hill-side warm, I While my little lwnb lies here on my arm. Hooked in the kitchen, and what did I see But the old gray cat and her kittens three ? Ihstfd her mnrrauringf soft ; said sha : 'My kittens, with tails all so cunningly curled. Are the prettiest thlng3l have sco In the world; The robin ho, And the old ewe, she. May love the'r babie3 exceedingly; Bat I love my kittens from mom to night, Ihe malty, the gray, and the black-and-white; ■ffhioh is the prettiest I cannot tell, Which of the three, for the life of me, IloYethem all so well. I'll take up my kitties, the kitties I love, And well lie down together beneath the warm stove.' Bo let them sleep under the stove so warm. While my little kitten lies hero on my arm, I went to the barn-yaTd, iindsawthe old hen Go ciuoking about with her chickens ten : 'The cat loves her kittens, the ewe lores her lambi Bnt they cannot know what a proud mother I am. You may hunt the full moon, and the stars, if you please; Ent you never will find ton such chickens as these. Ton dear, downy darlings, yon sweet yellow things, Comß neßtle now cozily under my wings.' 80 the hen said. And the chickens sped Aa fait as they could to thsir soft feather-bed. And there let them snnggle in their feathers so warm, } While my littlo chick nestles here on my arm. —[•'Songs for the L'ttle Ones.'

HOME.

[The following beautiful lines were written by | Junes Montgomery, the Ayrshire poet: I There is a land of every land the pride, i Baloyed by Heaven o'er the whole world beside ; Inhere brighter bids dispense serener light, And milder moons emptridise the night; A land of beauty, of v*lor, truth, Time tntored a?e, and love-exiHed youth. The wandering mariner, whose eyo explores The wealthiest isles, the most enchanting shores. Views not a realm so bountiful and fair, Nor breathes the spirit of a purer air ; In every climate the msgaet of his soul, Touched by remembrance, trembles to the pole; For in this land of Heaven's peculiar grace, The heritage of nature's noblest race, There is a spot of earth supremely blest, A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest, Where man, creation's tyrant, casts aside His sword and sceptre, pageantry, and pride, While in hla softened looks benignly blead jij The sire, the son, the husband, brother, friend. Here woman reigna ; the mother, daughter, wife ! Strew with fresh flowers the narrow way of life, la the clejr heaven of her delightful eye, An »ng6l-^nttrd of loves and graces He, Around her knees domestic duties meet, And fireside pleasures gambol at her feet Where shall that land, that spot of earth be found? Art thou a man ?—a patriot ?— look around ; Oh, thou shn.lt find, howo'er thy footsteps roam, Thatland.Jthy country—and that spot, thy home !

WOMAN'S LOVE.

; Unhappy Damon, say not so, For many happy husbands know That woman's love can not De sold For sparkling gems and heaps or gold ; ': Yet, if perchance her h*nd be firiincd, The gift with selfishness is stained. Bhe loves not, but accepts the gold, Herself, but not her love, is sold, jj Thine be the joy, ere long to know - The love, true woman can bestow, Thine each succeeding year to see If poorer thou, still kin dor she. Whon wearying care and trial bow. Thy lion heart, and cloud thy brow, Her sympathising heart shall prove, Strong to support is woman's love. 1 Damon, for shame, to say that gold Could purchss what was never sold ! | The truth is clearer every day, -i True woman gives her love away. But oh, how oft wo read the tale Of blighted hearts in cheeks grown pale, And pittying, sorrowing, we s*y Woman, thy love is thrown away 1' Aye, thrown away a3 pearl t) swine ; ? Pure sacrifice, unholy shrine; Tho fame soft shower which flower feeds, In other soil briDgs forth but weeds. —[Heath.

AROUND THE OLD HEARTH-STONE.

I 'round the old hearth-stone. Without is heard the north-wind's moan, Within all is delight, "hile'gainst the panes the whispering rain Speaks of a starless night, Bicg the songs we used to sing, "tea youth was ours and pleasure king. Nor heed the angry storm, '°rkindly cheer makes bright the sphere Of home where her ts are warm, are told of that dear time, "hen life flowed on like smoothest rhyme la that far long ago, when cistles rare wero built: in air, To melt away like snow. Grandfather and grandmother tell «' olden days when love's sweet spell -^ Their hearts together drew, When hope was bright with tenderest light And sorrows were but few. good TJncle John .; nst home from xciii of fir dist»nt lands, while we Drink in his honeyed words ; as sweet they are, at sweet and fair, Aa sweetest songs of birds. *»4 thus with story,3langh and song-, We piss the stormy night and long, ,_ "ur hearts all free from care ; *nua:heaven for this-to-night there 1b At home no vacant chair,

ANOTHER'S

IBbe hag the most alluring erea Ahttle Grecian no<e ; one wears the most bewitching guise, And parti-colored hose! Her touch c*n thrill one strangely, when . «ne daßus her in the dance ; At least, thfiy tell me so—but then, l never had the chance! sta makes tha most superb redout,— •Knits stockings by the score ; aspws Latin, snd Italian, too, .week, French, and plenty more ! 006s just the girl to sweeten life,— Aflorabls!-divine! 111 short, B he is a perfect wlfo 1 out then she isn't mine ?

Why She Changed Her Church.

The facts in Mrs. Whistler's ease seem f,o have been these : —Mrs. Whistler has singular absence of mind, and on the last Sunday that she attended her own church Dr. Dunderby began to read from the Scriptures the account of the Deluge. Mrs. Whistler was deeply attentive, and when the doctor came the story of how it rained for so many days and nights, she was so much absorbed in the narrative and so strongly impressed with it, that she involuntarily put up her umbrella and held it over her head as she sat in the pew. It appeares that Mrs. Moody, who sits in the next pew in front, frequently brings her lap-dog to church with her, and when Mrs. Whistler raised her umbrella suddenly, the action affected the sensibilities of Mrs. Moody's dog in such a manner that he began to bark furiously.

Of conrse, the sexton came in for tbe purpose of removing the animal, but it dodged into a vacant pew on the other side of the aisle and defied him, barking vociferously all the time. The sexton became warm and indignant, and he flung a hymnbook at the dog, whereupon the dog flew out and bit his leg. The excitement in the church by this time, of course was simply dreadful. Not only was the story of the deluge interrupted, but the unregenerute Sunday-school scholars in the gallery actually hissed the dog at the sexton, and seemed to enjoy the contest exceedingly. Then Elder M'G-inn came after the dog with his cane, and as he pursued the animal it dashed down towards the pulpit, and ran up the steps in such a fierce manner that the doctor quickly^mounted a chair, and remarked with anger flashing through his spectacles, that if this disgraceful scene did not come to an end he would dismiss the congregation. Then the elder crept softly up the stairs, and after a short struggle he succeeded in grasping the dog by one of its hind legs. Then he walked down the aisle with it, the dog meantime yelling with supernatural energy, and the Sunday-school boys making facetious remarks.

Mrs. Whistler turned round, with other members of the congregation, to watch the retrea1 ing elder, and as she did so, she permitted her unconscious umbrella to drop over so that the end of one of the ribs caught Mrs. Moody's bonnet. A moment later, when she was straightening up her umbrella, the bonnet was wrenched off, and hung dangling from the umbrella. Mrs. Moody had becomo exceedingly warm at any rate, over the onslaught made upon her dog, but when Mrs. Whistler removed her bonnet she fairly boiled over, and turning around, white with rage, she screamed;

1 What'd you grab that bonnet for, you catamount ?' Haven't you made enough tuss in this sanctuary to-day, skeering a poor, innocent dog, without snatching off such bonnets as the likes of you can't afford to wear, no matter how mean you live at home, you red headed lunatic you ? You let my bon nets alone, or I'll warm you with this parasol, if it is in meeting; now mind me!'

Then Mrs. "Whistler first seemed to realise that her umbrella made her conspicuous; so she furled it and con cluded to escape from an embarrassing position by going home. And as she stepped into the aisle her enemy gave a parting salute: * Sneaking off before the collection, too! You'd better spend less for breast pins and give more to the poor heathen if you don't want to ketch it hereafter!' Then she began to fan herself furiously, and as Mrs Whistler emerged from the front door, and things became calmer, the Doctor resumed the story of the Elood. But Mrs. Whistler has given up her pew and gone over to the Presbyterians, and there are rumours that Mrs. Moody is going to seceds also, because Elder McGinn insists that she shall leave her dog at home.

A disappointed swain, in speaking of the language of flowers, said that he knew by experience that if any one wanted heart's ease, he should never look for it to mary gold.

A Life Of Adventure.

If the time in which we live is eminent ly practical, and the mechanical appliances of civilisation seem to in volve a certain monotony in the lives of men, as contrasted with those of a ruder age, there are even in. these degenerate days those who know how to extract from them the elements of adventure and excitement which specially pertain to them, and to invest 19th century life with a romance peculiarly its own. One such has just passed away from among us. There are many in all parta ot the world who, when they read of the death in the Al bany of Captain < harles Stewart Forbes, R.N., will recall with a sigh the daring and reckless seaman, the warm-hearted and generous friend and cheery companion, whoso eventful career has just closed. Fewnien have lived so much in so few years, or seen and done more with; so little noiae.

The first years of young; Forbes' service were passed as a midshipman in the North Star, with Sir Everard Home, on the Australian station; the Crimean war founi him in com mand of a gunboat in the Baltic ; and on the breaking out of hostilities in China, he proceeded to the scone of operation as lieutenant commanding the Algerine. Throughout the war he never lost a chance of distinguishing himself, and the Algerine soon became celebrated for her success in ' pirate pigeons.' Eeturning home just as G-aribaldi landed in Sscily, Forbes hurried out. and was the only English man who participated in the first action outside Palermo. Conspicuous from the beginning to the'ond of the cam paign, in his blue flannel suit, and al ways in the hottest of the fire, he soon attracted the notice, and ultimately the friendship of Garibaldi, finally reconnoitering Naples in a carriage in advance of the General, and receiving a triumphant welcome intended for the latter, which enabled him to report on his return that the Royal troops had evacuated the city. On his return to England Forbes published an account of the campanign, which is probably the most authentic record of ifc which exists. He next made a most interesting exploration in Iceland, giving us the result of his experience there in a graphic and interesting from. On receiving his promotion he went out to the Eiver Plate as commander of the Curfew, and completed his term of service in those always stirring regions, just in time to accept the command, under Captain Sherard Osborn, of one of the vessels of the expedition which was being fitted out for the Emperor of China. Taking his vessel along the "West Coast of Africa, and touching at several ports on his way, he arrived at his destination to find the project of a Chinese Imperial Fleet, commanded by British officers, abandoned, and returned to England the bearer of despatches from Captain Osborn to the English Government. On his arrival in England, Forbes found his love of adventure almost immediately gratified by the command which he obtained, without difficulty of ablockade runner, for the American war was then at its height, and he soon distinguished himself in his new vocation. His system of evading the enemy required that combination of skill, coolness, and courage which the habits of his life were so eminently calculated to develop. Steering his ship with his own hands, ke ran into port on the darkest nights on the bearing which he had taken during the day when first sighting land, and when the small vessel which he commanded was too far out to be visible to the blockading squad ron. The tclose of the war found him in the harbor of Galveston, and, unable to extricate his ship, he left her to join the fortunes of the ill-fated Maximilian in Mexico. Of his hairbreadth escapes and the varied perils he encountered during his blockade running and; Mexican experiences, we have, unfortunately, no published record. After a severe attack of yellow fever in one ot the West India Islands, where he narrowly escaped premature burial, he returned to England in shattered health. Scarcely, however allowing himself time to recruit, the year 1865 saw Captain Forbes once more en tho way to the East, for the purpose of obtaining from the French Government in Cochin China a telegraph concession, and thence he proceeded to Japan in order to negotiate a loan with the Government of that country. ±±c

failed in this, but established such rela tions as enabled him to return to England in the capacity of agent for the Chinese and Japanese for the purchase of armß and vessels of war. Before leaving Japan he made a most interesting exploration of the then almost unknownlisland of Yesso, the results of which he embodied in a paper for the Royal Geographical Society. He now for a short timo devoted himself to mercantile pursuits connected with this agency in London, but was once more temptod out to China by the offer from the Imperial Government of the appoint ment of Marine Commissioner and In spector of Chinese Lighthouses. This novel and interesting position ho hold for about two year?, when ho again returned to England ; this time by way of Califor nia, lie was so much struck with the resources of that rapidly developing por tion of the Western Hemisphere that he determined to extend his financial opera tions—which had now become considerable —in that direction. His usual shrewdness and good luck, did not desert him in this now field of enterprise, and as the result of two expeditions to the mineral regions of Nevada, he drew as a prizo, a share of the Comstock Mine, and about a year ago returned to his own country in possession of a vory large fortune. Unhappily it came too late. A typhu3 fever, during which he remained for seventoen days delirious in San Francisco, shattered a constitution which much exposuro to bad climates had undermined, and thus prema turely terminated a life of incident and adventuro of which wo have been only able to give a brief sketch, at the compara tively early age of 47. Had ho lived in a more exciting period of the world's history ho would have made himself a great name. As it is, his death has caused a gap in a very wide and varied circle'of society, and many men the most dissimilar in race, religion, and position, will sigh when they hoar that Charlea Forbes is dead.

Colonel Bangs in Court.

Colonel Bangs is very bald, and in order to induce his hair to grow again he is using a very excellent article of ' Hair Vigor' upon his scalp. A week or two ago he was summoned as a juryman upon a case in the Circuit Court, and, upon the day of the trial just befere tho hour at which the court mot, he remembered he had not ap plied the Vigor to his head that morning, fie had only a few minutes to spare, but he flew up stairs into the dark closet where he kept the bottle, and pouring some fluid upon a sponge he rubbed his head energetically. By some mishap the colonel got hold of the wrong bottle, and the substance he inundated his scapl with was not Vigor, but black varnish with which Mrs. Bangs decorated her shoes.

However, Bangs didn't perceivo tho mistake, but darted downstairs, put on his hat, and walked off to the court-room, It was a very cold morning, and by the time he reached his destination the varnish was as stiff as a stone. Ho felt a little uncom fortable about tho head, and heendavoured to remove his hat to discover tho cause of the difficulty, but to his dismay it was immovable It was glued fast to tho skin, and his efforts to take it off gave him frightful pain. Just then ho heard his name called by tho crier, and ho had to go into tho court to answer. He was wild with apprehension of coming trouble ; but ho took his seat in the jury-box and deter mined to explain the situation at the earl iest possible moment. As he sat there with a guilty feeling on his soul, it seemed to him that the high hat was getting bigger and bigger, until ie appeared to him to be as large as a medium-sized shottower. Then he was conscious that the lawyers were staring at him. Then the clerk looked hard at him and screamed :

' Hats off in court!' and the colonel grew crimson in the face- 'Hats off!' yelled the clerk again, and the colonel was about to reply, when the judge came in, and, as his eye rested on Bangs, he said : • Persons in the court-room must remove their hats.'

Bangs : May it pleaso your honor, I kept my hat on because ' Judge : Well, sir, you must tako it off now.'

Bangs : ' But I say I keep it because I

Judge: •We don't want arguments upon the subject sir. Take your hat off instantly !' Bangs : But you won't let me Judge : ' Remove that hat this moment sir! Are you going to bandy words with me, sir ? Uncover your head at once.' Bangs : ' Judge, if you would only give me a chance to •' Judge : ' This i 8 intolerable. Do you mean to insult the court, sir ? Do you mean of profane this temple of justice with un timely levity ? Take your hat off, sir, or I will fine you for contempt. Do you hear i me ?' I Bangs: * Well, it's very hard that I ! can't say a word by way of ex- ' Judge (warmly) : ' This is too much ! This is just a little too much. Perhaps

you'd like to come upon this bench here and run the court, and sentence a few convicts ? You've got more audacity than a mule, Mr. Clerk, fine that man 50 dol ? Now, sir, remove your hat.' Bangs: • Judge, this is rough on me. I

Judge (ma funous rage) : « Won't do it yet f Why, you impudent scoundrel! Ive a notion to—Mr Clerk fine him 100 dols. more, and Mr Jones take that hat oft by force. Then the tipstaff approached Bangs, who was by this time half crazed with wra J,, and hit the hat with his stick. It didntmove. Then he struck again, and it caved in the crown ; but it remained on Bangs' head. Then ho picked up a volume of 'Brown on Evidence,' and smashed the crown in flat.

Then Bangs sprang at him, and shaking his fist under tho nose of Jones he shrieked • lou mutton-headed scullion! If that jackass on bench the had any sense, he could see that the hat is glued on. I can't take it oil it I wanted to.'

Then the judge removed tbe fines, and excused him, and Bangs went home He slept in that hat for a week, and even when it did como off, the top of his head lookedasif mortification had set in.—fMax Adeler, in the New York Weekly

The Marquis and the Cabby.

From «Final Belies of Father Prout' we derive a good anecdote of a masquerade in clericals :—

Your glonous countryman, Jack said he (to me) and your's reverendissime, (to Proul) The Marquis of Waterfordwas driven home one night very late, or rather very early inthemorning, by a stalwart and swclhsh-looking cabman. He occupied at the time the Archbishop Armagh's home in Charles street, St. James's Square, during his temporary absence from town. Jumping from tho hansom, he was soon admitted by tho hall porter, who had wait ed up for him, and whom he ordered to give tbe driver half-a-sovereign and dis miss him.

Cabby, so far from being satisfied, expressed himself abusively to the servant flinging him back the half-sovereign. Al though it appeared that he had been only engaged by the Marquis for something under an hour, and telling him that in offering him less than a sovereign his master was anything but a nobleman and a gentleman. Finally he declared in a loud voice outside the hall door that he should not think of taking less thau a sov ereign, and that he'd have it too, so help him so and so, &c.

The insolent bully then waited for a moment or two to see what effect he pro duced inside the house.

The marquis, who had fust turned into the morning-room of the hall heard all that the cabman had said. and. being rather partial to polishing off bullies in those days, made up his mind on the spot to giro this particular one a prime taste of his quality. Perceiving his uncle's House of Lords costume hanging up in the morning room, he instantly donned it, three docker, wig, gown, lawn sleeves, and all, and turned out to the cabman, who was then rcccomencing his abuse, and swearing more fiercely than before

' Hallo, sir !' cried the marquis, coming out before the porch of the great house and tucking up the lawn sleeves as well as the tailof the gown for action, ' is that the sort of language to make use of within hearing of an archbishop? If you're not off like a shot this moment, you profane scoundrel. I'll give you the rights of the Church with my clerical knuckles, and plant such a Sc?rmon on your os font's as will make you keep a civil tongue in your mouth for the rest of your life P' The cabman did not want pluck. Moreover he never thought for a moment that he had the marquis to deal with, and was much t; ckled at tlie idea of having a turn up with an Episcopal swell. Squar ing up to his man, he showed fight accordingly. The result was thnfc he was weil thrashed after a couple of fair standup rounds, rattled off in Waterford's very best style, and very much at the cabman's expense as regarded bis head and face in all directions, so much so that, after a third round had been commenced, which promised to be even hotter than either of proceeding ones, the fellow, who had been beaten back to the square turned and ran round the railings as fast as his legs could carry him. When he got back into Charles Street he mounted his cab again, and drove off. at full gallop, the terriblo wag nf a marquis still following him, crying out ' Won't you wait for the half sovereign s l'

A pbysicim replied o]i lady querist, who wished to kiiuw something ot hi* experience ia tho matter of tha tender passian—' We'], I never did know a man to die of love, cer tainly ; but I have known a twelve stone man go down to nine atone firo under a dis appointed passion, so that was pretty nearly a quarter of him may be said to hay« perished,'