THE GARDEN.

(Br Hoetus.)

Calendar of Operations, July

2Sth.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

"Hortus" is willing to answer any queries. Correspondents must give their full name and address, though not for publication.

Camellias (T.D.).—lf you wish your plants to grow more and gain strength pluck tho flowers off that are in bud; every bud plucked off will improve the quality o£ the flowers left and also promote a more vigorous growth in the proper season. Vines (D.0.).- It is time your vinos were pruned. If they aro not entirely ripened off, it will bo better to prune now, as the sap will soon bo in motion upwards again, and to wait till thou would simply be ruinous to all chances of a gcod crop owing to the excessive blooding. Rhododendrons (Cymbia).—These like a cool, moist situation, and plenty of deep soil, so that the roots can penetrate deeply to rho plants during dry weather. Tho situation you do scribe is exactly the reverse—a hot, dry ter race, sloping towards the nonh with poor dry soil. 1 oan scarcely believe that auy gar dener with a knowledge of the requirements o£ this class of plant could recommend such a site. Have them removed at once to a more suitable situation. Citrus Bergamot (J.S).-It has a pear-lifco fragrance. From the fruit tho perfumer ob tains tbe bergamot essences. Young plants should be obtainable in the nurseries. If not, it can be imported from Australia. Propaga tions graft on young stock raised from seed. Holly (F.T.)—The holly likes a strong, deep, well-drained, loamy soil. It will not thrive in any poor, light, or sand soils. It has been condemned here on many occasions, simply through being planted ia unsuitable situa tions. Will iv time make a solondid fenco if your soil is deep and strong; if poor and light don t use it. Dahlias (Publicus).—lf the haulm is properly ripened tho -tubers should be lifted during May and stored past for the winter. They should ne started into growth in SejitemQer ; then divided and planted out in October. Plant in break about rive feet apart in Dordor with other flowers. They should be allowed a space of three feot in diameter. Dalichos. Thin out and regulate ; will grow from cuttings; but soeds freely; is much easier grown from cuttings. Snails (Publicus)—Use lime, nnd pick them up and destroy. Ducks are good scavengers for this pest, nut should be watched when ad mitted into the garden.

MAXIMS.

Many kinds of vegetable seeds lose their vegetative powers if kept over the first year be sure, therefore, to sow none but new seeds Melons, cucumbers, and other plants oi tho gourd tribe, form an exception to this rule • tneir seeds should not be sown till they aro several years old as they will then produce plants with Bcant foliage but abundant fruit.

Leaves shaded from the light do not acquire depth of colour or strength of llavour. Gar deners, take advantage of this fact by tying lettuce and earthing up celery, etc., that they may blanch and become mild in flavour.

All plants absorb from the ground different juices ; a constant variation of crops is, there fore, indispensable.

KITCHEN GARDEN.

As spring is fast approaching, 1 would like to say a little about sowing seeds. Often the seedsman sets blamed for bad setds when the fault entirely lies with the party who sows not putting the seed deep enough or too deep, I will class sowing under three heads : —

Ist. Dew Sowing.—Such as the apple, pear, asparagus, beans, peas, seakale, lupin nostertrum, &c, should be buried from one inch to half aa inch below the surface of ihe ground.

2nd. Shallow.—Such vegetables as the carrot,^ oniou, cabbage, spinach, parsnip, &c Plowers : Aster, oiantnus, candylup, dalphinium, walflower, phlox, nemophila, <Sic, also, ah the piue tribe, hhould be buried from half an iuch to a quarter of an inch below the smface.

3rd. SuitFACs bowi.NG. — Under this class wiU come all ihe fine dust-like seed, whether they be tree, iljwer, surub, or vegetable, such as calceolaria, lobelia, celery, turnip, rhododtndium, azolia, thyme, aud most pot herbs, &c. The:o will require to be sown from a quarter of an inch to sprinkling them on the surface, and slightly pressing them, aiterwards keeping them slightly moist. Continue whenever the weather is favour able to prepare all vacant pieces of ground for cropping by digging It up roughly. Plant a few early potatoes oa light warm soils; the first few flue days sow one row of peas and beans, also a small patch of mustard and cress.

FLOWER GARDEN.

Finish the planting of trees and shrubs, as already recommended last week, when ever a favourable opportunity occurs. Fork over all the flower borders, giving them a good supply of well-rotted manure or plenty of bones. Borders that are early forked over and well manured will be iv better heart for planting or sowing the usual spring flowers towards the end of next month.

GREENHOUSE.

Still continue giving plenty of sir. Where a httle bottom heat can be had, start a few cuttings of the coleus.

Shrubberies: their 'treatment.

There are few things more neglected than the shrubbery. These are generally planted to act as a screen or for shelter. Certainly when planted they look well, but in a few yesrs, in most cases, they are allowed to become a mere entangled mass of ever greens—the most robust-growing shrubs over-growing those of a more moderate growth and eventually spoiling them ; some of the common and hardy shrubs which were planted for nurseries eventually killing the finer Bhrubs-all struggling upwards" the bottom branches dying out, and others forming long bite stems, devoid of folia«e for a considerable height, with the excep tion of a few of the outside plants. Now these shrubs, under judicious management in the way of pruning and thiuuiog out as It was required, would have become a feature of the place—fine banusome single specimens—each a beauty iv itself; but instead of that they are simply an eyesore These shrubs, ia a good number of in stances, have been planted alon« the curves ot a carriago drive, so as. in a measure, to conceal tne house from the public 'oad. The grounds, pei haps, only occupy a few acres at most. The curves are nut larr'e and in planting the shrubs have be^en brought forward at the convex part of the curve, so as to hide the corner part of the house or out-buildings. After the lapse of a few years they kill the grass or other edging which should form their boundary. They also soon encroach ou the carriage way, and are a source of perpetual annoy ance to passengers on wet evenings, shed ding their dripping load oa some passers by. Soon the proprietor must have an alteration. Perhaps after consideration it is determined to cut the intruder back perhaps thinning out is determined upon, which is the best plan if the shrubbery is large enough to admit of the thinning out of the plants without exposing the object they were plauted to hide. But whatever course is taken, a certain amount ot dis figurement must take place, which will look bad for some time. But still the work must be undertaken, for every season will only aggravate the evil. Some little judg ment is required to shorteuthepoiiodof this disfiguration, so as not to expose to view

no longer than can be helped any object which they wero planted to cover, and also to cover the shrubs with fresh foliage again as soon as possible. When a mass of shrubs have been growing together for a number of years without attention, the bottoms of most of them get denuded of their lower branches and leaves, and whatever foliage they possess is all at the top of the plant. Now, to cut back or thin ont in the beginning of the winter will cause these shrubs to look bad all winter till spriog causes fresh growth to clothe them with foliage again. To avoid this and make the unsightly period as short as possible, avoid cutting till the early spring—the beginning ot August or through August is the best time to cut them back. The growing period is on them, and they will soon be covered with foliage again, thus giving them only as short a period as possible with tbeir denuded stumps exposed to view. If the shrubs have been much cut back or thinned, introduce some flowering annuals or other flowering plants for the first season, which will greatly enhance the ap pearance of the shrubbery till the plants bave recovered tbeir appearance again, Nothing should be planted which will in terfere with the new growth of the shrubs, Now.all this disfigurement could have been avoided by judicious atteution while the shrubs were growing. Those which are planted for the permanent plant should re ceive periodical attention.soasto keep them iv a nice symmetrical, shape. Those'which are planted as nurses should always be cut back or taken out entirely whenever thoy interfere in the slightest with the permanent ones. In small places never plant tall or large growing shrubs, or if such, only those which will stand a tree use of the knife so as to keep them in con formity with the size of the place. Some times we see one large shrub monopolising the place where two or more small ones could have flourished, thus reducing the number of varieties in the place, and" also by these large plants diminishing the ap parent size of the place. It is by a judi cious arrangement ot the shrubs that you can increase the apparent size of the pleasure gronnd.

Fruit Growing. STOCKS.

PEACH.—This is better worked on seed ling peach stock, which seed should be chosen from hardy varieties of the peach. NKCrAMNB—Worked on the same stock as the peach.

f-OQOATs.—The best varieties of these are best grafted on stock raised from seed Pkae STOCK.—When the pear is to be planted out onalldeepalluvial soils, thestock should be raised from pear seedlings, heed lings are much superior for stock purposes than when such is raised from root-cutting or rcot-g.afting. In raising pear stocks from seed, some of these will be of weak growth ; such should be discarded as unfit tor stock purposes, as a weak stock is sure to produce a weak tree. Some varieties of the pear do well or better on the quince especially if wanted for dwarf, or where the tiees are to be grown on warm dry situations. But such stock must be raised from tbe Portugal quince, and from seed not from root-cutting or root-graftinf The other varieties of the quince are uusuit-d for stock purposes, with perhaps the mam moth or evergreen, but I would not use this for a stock for the following reason • It is almost always in a perpetual state of growth. At the end of July I nave seen Vdung growths at the extremity of its shoots. Its roots seems to be c-.pable of always sending np sap to the branches, always keeping them in a perpetual state of activity, not allowing the tree properly to ripen off its wood in the autumn ; and trees to produce good crops must have as long a rest as possible. Now, the Portugal quince ripens off the wood much earlier in the autumn, and for this reason alone 1 would use it in preference to the mam. moth. We are troubled too much he>e with autumnal growth without propagating from a stock which, in my estimation" would still further increase it. Many fine pear trees are ruined every season from this cause. The other varieties of the quince are utterly useless for working the pear upon. Their annual growtb is not sufficient. Pears worked thereon will never be good annual croppers. Pears on quince stocks are better grafted than budded. The union is better, and a more vigorous growth is produced. Ihe Portugal quince ought also to be raised from seed? Plom Stocks.—For this I would use July greengage. This stock produces a mass of fibrous roots, propagates easily from root cuttings or root grafting. It is very early iv ripening off its roots. The wood grown thereon is not so rank as that grown on the South American woods. It is Bhorter jointed, and the fruit-spurs more thickly developed thereon. The South American I would not use for the same reason as I have already given tor tbe mammoth or evergreen. Cherky Stocks.-I would use the Belle Agathe. This stocK produces fine free growing fibrous roots, entirely free from suckers. There are others under experi ment, but I would not like to say much about them at present. I would not use the Kentish on any account, as it is too prolific of suckers, and suckers about a tree are troublesome, besides continually rob bing the tree.

(To be Continued.)

The Barrister and the Witness.

Thebe is a point beyond which human for bearance cannot go, and the most even of tempers will become rousad at times. An an assize held during the past year both3udgcand counsel had a deal of trouble to make the timid fitnesses upon a trial speak sufficiently loud to be heard by the jury ; and it is possible that the temper of the counsel may thereby have been turned from the even tenor of its way. After this gentleman had gone through the various stages of bar pleading, and had coaxed, threatened, and even bullied wit nesses, there was called into the box a young ostler who appeared to be simplicity personified. c J

Now, sir said the counsel, in a tone that would at any other time have boen de nounced as vulgarly loud, "I hope we shall have no difficulty in makingyouspeak out." I hope not, zur," was shouted or rather bellowed out by the witness, in tones which almost shook the building, and would cer. tamly have alarmed any timid or nervous

" How^dare you speak injthat way. air ? " said the counsel. ■" '

Please, zur, I can't speak any louder." said the astonished witness, attemptin" to speak louder than before, evidently think ftl *° be iQ hU sPeaWnfc.' too

Pray, have you been drinking this morning ? shouted the counsel, who had now thoioughly lost the last remnant of his temper.

" Yes, zur,1' was the reply, "And what have you been drinking '" " Coffee, zur."

" And what did you have in your cofTee sir? shouted the exasperated counsel. ' "A spunc, zur.i" innocently bawled tho witness, in his highest key, amidst the roars of the whole court-excepdng only the now thoroughly wild counsel, who ilanh down his brief and rushed out of court.

A LADY'S LETTER FROM LONDON.

Gossip about J>resß, Fashions, Society, Music' and, the Theatres.

[WRITTEN BPBCIALLY POR THE. " STAB",]

By "ELISE."

London, June 14, Dkak Mb Eeitob,—i fear you will be terribly annoyed with me tor not writing to you for so long, but, to tell the truth, we took the children down to Eastbourne for a week at Whitsuntide, and ever since it has been such an unending round of receptions, bal.s, races, and routes, that I have feit quite unequal to doing anything that entailed even the smallest amount ot thinking.

Ascot and Sandowa are just now fresh in my mind. A cousin of ours took a cottage at Summinghill for what people call the " Koyal Week " and we went to the course every day. The weather was superb and the crowd of wonderfully dressed women folk quite surprising. I wa3i however sadly tired of it all before Friday afternoon' That tiresome husband of mine said be should oniy back the "favourites," but like all men—who never seem to know their own minds for two minutes together on racing matters-be, of course, changed about, and the more he lost the cros-er he became. I saw some grand costumes at Sundown. The prevailing colours weie crtatn, sulphur, tho new dove-slate com bination, and cherry-cardinal. Crushed strawberry has been suddenly sent to the rightabout by the Princess of Wales's veto Her Koyal Highness is understood to have condemned it in the most unqualified term* and those wuo were a few weeks ago seen wearing this peculiarly hideous shade everywhere now display their charms either in the far more becoming claret or in porcelain blue. My friend "Madge" who, as you probably know, often does the fashion notes for "Truth" and the " Queen," advises me to recommend gowns of uauste or veiling to my friends in the colonies. Artfully made up, the material certainly forms ideal costumes for a warm climate. At Sandown it was more like Meloourue on Cup day than chilly Knglaud. The ladies thus dressed looked extremely cool and comfortable. " Madge," I see, specially eulogises a crearZ coloured musiin, the flounces of which were trimmed with lace and ornamented with loops of mahogany velvets. The bonnet was also of the latter material and shade and the two "went" admirably together' The same writer says : "a salmon-coloured cashmere looked weli over a skirt made of mahogany velvet, cut out in lon» narrow tabs, which fell over a kilted flounce of salmon-coloured silk. Many of the tunic and polonaises were cut out in oblon" sec tions of the edge, and each of these was edged with lace, put on very full. Two charming girls wore black velvet with small Tani o'Shanter ha's, also of black velvet on tbeir fair hair. Two other sisteis looked as though they had stepped out of an old picture. Their black velvet gowns were made with perfect simplicity, the solo trimmiog consisting of a long piece of lovely lace reaching from the throat to the knees iv front, and fastened in with bars of black velvet. A pale-blue batiste, with white bonnet and white parasol, suited a charming blonde to perfection. The white open-work embroidery looks well at start ing, but crushes deplorably unless the wearer makes up her mind to stand all day A blue zephyr dress looked deliciously cool' It was worn with a bonnet of plaited grass in tints of brown and yellow, trimmed with wallflower, red velvet, and a bunch of wall flower and dried corn. Tbe velvet strings were fastened by a diamond broocb, which matched the earrings, the design bein" a Marguerite. There was a lovely grey dress the front being covered with rainbow tinted beans over silk and satio, while the bodice and drapery consisted of brocaded velved, also grey. A little grey bonnet had small red flowers dotted here and there under the brim. A shepherd's plaid was cut out in tabs aad edged with two or three rows of gold braid. I didn't much like it A very prominent garment was a casaque in the large black and whito check, edged with black marabout, and worn over a black lace skirt. A pretty parasol was edged with poppies aod buds, with a large bunch up near the top. Another had a tempting bunch of cher.ies on one of the panels. Several had lace draped prettily up each rib, or vandvksdupon the panels above the flounce ot lace that trimmed the edge."' So many men wear open waistcoats aud display ample shirt-fronts in the colonies nowadays that I fear your readers will scarcely be pleased to hear the custom has been initiated and promptly sat upon in London. I must say Ido thfok some of your "most respected citizens" might manage with less front. A dazzling white bosom, stiff as cardboard, and starched up to what Tom vulgarly calls •' the knocker," is a soothing spectacle on a hot summer day ; but woen (as, alas ! too often hap pens) the linen is not clean and the wearer per-pires—why, then-well, the ample shirt from is not altogether a thing of beauty.

The custom of throwing bouquets to popular actresses and prima donnas has probably received its death-blow. Kecently the folly bad grown to aprepoiterouspitch, the most incompetent beginners having ykat.tic baskets or wreaths of flowers handed up to them on the stage by the footmen of their adorers. Affairs how ever, came to a climax at one of the late Gaiety matinees. Tho friends of an incom petent schook'irl allowed her to flaunt her ignorance as Juliet one afternoon. She, of course, burlesqued the part appallingly • but when, at the conclusion of the third* act, the siliy young woman came curUey ing before the curtain, followed by a powricred fiunkey wheeling a gilt batrow tuil of bouquets, the few sight-seers present fairly screamed with laughter. The next night, at Miss Ellen Terry's benefit at the Lyceum, not a single flower was to be sren. Hundreds or notabilities, from tbe Prince and Princess of Wales downwards, brought bouquets, but by the actress's special re quest they were sent round to her dressing room quietly, instead of being presented in the usual way. If tho " stars "of the pro fession should resolve to decline to accept iloral tributes publicly, it will be a bad look out for the market gardeners.

I suppose you have not heard anything in JV.Z, vet about the " national Dress Movement." We have had several exhibi tions here, the most interesting of the re cent ones being managed by a lady toler ably well known in Australia—Mrs King My neighbour, Mr3 , who is a terrible " woman's-rights " sort of person, insisted on my accompanying her to this concern yesterday. After seeing it, lam bound to bay I prefer to be dressed as my mother and grandmother were before me, and I trust my children and grandchildren will be after me. Mrs King wore a sort of pepper and-salt cloth of very light make, aud fashioned thus :—A rather short kilted skirt, decided trousers, cut-away jacket with wide-awake hat, waistcoat, upright liven collar, scarf and pin. Truly mascu liue and very unwomanly : but then, con sideration must be taken that Mrs King

was born in Australia, and accustomed to spending her time in open air employments, and especially fond of horse exercise. One gets to understand how intolerant such a lady is to modes which seem to her con stricted. Thero is one good trait in the Rational Dress Association, and that is, the improvement they are desirous of mak ing in corsets. They have many specimens of entirely boneless ones. One pair of red flannel was trimmed with black lace. Other substitutes for ordinary stays ate found in quilted bodies of washiug silk, also In nainsook. The stiffening is ot the most yielding kind. An interesliug feature in the exhibition was a corset which was said to have been worn by Queen Eliza beth, and made apparently of buckram and steels, so that it looked like an iron cage.

Tom tooK us, the other evening, to see the first night of tke revival of the " Lyons Mall" at the Lyceum I heatre. The Prince and Princess of Wales, with thoirtwo boys, occupied the Koyal box, and of course the hou.-e was crammed with the usual mob of artistes, critics, aud society folk. I never saw Irving to greater advantage. It will certainly be very foolish of him if he does not make the "Lyons Mail" one of the special features of his American and Australian tour. Strong melodrama is Henry Irvin^s forte. His torrihie mannerisms are turgo ten when he has a really sympathetic part to play' Tstory of the "Lyons Mail" turns as many of you no doubt know), upon the complications arising outot an extraor dinary likeness between two ruen —le- surges, a Paris citizen of stainless repute, and Duposc the famous highwayman and robber. The Lyons mail coach is plundered near a lonely inu owned by an old man named Jerome Lesurges, who happens to be father to the philanthropist Lesurges, of Paris. Jerome, returning from an e»eoing walk, finds the coach staading at the door of his house, with the guard and coachman murdered, and a man riiliog the treasure boxes. Tbe robber turns quickly when he hears someone coming, and Jerome rtco". nises, or rather, thinks be recognises, h?s son Joseph. Au exclamation of horror breaks from the old man's iips. which, how ever, quickly turns to one of anguish as Dubosc (for of course it is he) fires a pistol at him and disappears. Iv the next act, as you may imagine, appalling complications arisi. Circumstantial evidence of the most convincing kind points to Lesurgea as the criminal, and he is eventually only saved from the scaffold by the maniacal behaviour of Dubosc himself, who in a drunken f tenzy insists on viewing his victim taken co execution from the balcony of a garret and is then accidentally recognised and arrested. Irving, of course, doubles the purts of Lesun/es and Duoosc, and draws a pair of wonderful character sketches. The two men have not a point 'alike. Dubosps voice is quite different to Le surges', and so is his manner. One scarcely knows in which part to admire the actor most. There is a great scene iv the second act, where the old father, believing his son to be guilty, urges him to commit suicide so as to avoid the dishonour of the scaffold. Lesurges, protesting his innocence of course, refuses to die by his own hand', on which the entanged old man, seizin" a pistol, determines himself to put an ena to the supposed coward and robber's worthless life. ahe pair are interrupted at this critical momenr, and the episode forges another link in the chain of evidence against Lesurges. It is, however, as the villian Dubosc in the last act that the great actor excels himself. A more loath some stage picture than the highwayman exalting iv a drunken frenzy over the murder of his prototype has seldom been seen. The final change, too, appears a marvellous instance of stage management. Dubosc hears the infuriated mob ascending the stairs. He barricades the d .or, but it gives way, and he is driven behind it. Of course, the soldiers fiud him, and there is a desperate fight, at the clo3e of which the robber falls wouuded. Exactly at the same moment Lesurges, cool, calm, col lected, and fully dressed, enters with his daughter. Ihe audience is quite dum founded. Apparently Irviug has never left the stage. In reality, however, when the dooi- opens upon him he slips through the scene, and a man similarly got upZakes his place. The fight seeuio to be conducted in an ordinary manner, but somehow, from the moment of the door opening, Dubosc's face is never visible. In other respects, too tbe " Lyons Mail " has been excellently mounted. The country inn, with the long dreary road stretching far back in perspective, amply satisfies the imagina tion, whilst the arrival of tbe c ach and its subsequent robbery is sufficiently realistic for even the most persistent seeker after such effects. 1 hope you will enjoy the " Lyons Mail " in New Zealand ere long. Poor Mrs or rather Miss Lingard (as she now prefers to be called) is having a very bad time of it in London. Both the " Cnmille " and " Colonel " ventures at the Imperial Theatre were failure.-, and now the much-talked-of drama by Wilkie Collins, in which the Australian actress takes the principal part, has also proved a complete fiasco. This piece, "Bank and Kiches," was produced at the Adelphi last Saturday evening. I could not go, but Tom did, and he declares he never in his life saw such a preposterous farrago of nonsense Miss Lingard ia the Lady Carlista, an earl s daughter, and a very eccentric per sonage. She falls in love with an hysteri cal lawyer's clerk named Casilis, ana visit" a low pablic-houae in order to clear his character of some unmentionable crime. To go into the details of the story would be waste of time and space. The play was unequivocally damned, and Miss i-ingard who felt sadly disappointed, ended the evening by fainting dead away in the green room.

Some country cousins of ours have been to the Strand this week, and praise up the burlesque on the famous " ailver King," which is aptly named "silver Gilt." We are going to the Avenue to-night to see Offenbach's " Lurette," before it is with drawn. Next .-Saturday, Floronca St. John (the prima donna assolula of opora-bouffe) plays cchnieder's great role of Bonlotte in •'Barte ftleue "at this house. People are booking seats by the score. Luscombe Searelle's " Kstrella " has replaced "Prince Methusalem " as the principal attraction at the luckless Folies Dramatiques Theatre. I fear it will not last much longer than the ill-fated "Wreck of tho .Pinafore." The papers soy the plot is as old as the hills and the music a rechauffe of half-forgotton nothings. Mr Searelle deserves some credit for perseverance. Not many men would have cared to face London again after the tremendous castigation he got from the critics last autumn.

Whilst we were at the seaside I got through quite a number of novels. Are you reading William Black's "Yolaude" in the "Illustrated London News?' I must say I consider it one of his poorest works. Thomas Hardy iB writing the summer number for this journal, The story will be the length of a one-volumo novel, and deals with the "Strange ad ventures of a Milkmaid." Girls who enjoy a fresh, breezy tale, all about salt water, should ask at the libraries for Clark Bus sell's "_A Sea Queen." I began and finished it one sunshiny day at Kastbourne, sitting under the trees, but within sound of the waves rippling on the beach, and the book has left a very pleasant impres

won on my mind. A friend of Tom's talking to me about sensational novels the other day, said he had greatly enjoytd,. some of the extraordinary romances of Gaboreau, the French Wilkie Collins, ihey are published in Knglish at one shilling a volume, and the best is said to be In Peril of his Life." Unfortunately, % tra l nslator has not aone his work weft, and the language is extremely shilted. Those, who care only for plot, may, how ever, be able to forgive that. A very pleasant novel, with a singularly infelicit ous title, is "Mongrels." by a lady who * ?. U4?e^S Mcl, 1. nnder tne *»» de plume ot I. Wilton." I ca n ao cort )j a f; y re . commend "Dr. Claudius," by Mr Craw ford, whose "Mr Isaacs " was such a hit not long ago. Poor "Ouida" has re ceived terrible castigations from the Athenajum" and "Saturday Ktview" for 'Wanda." The criticisms of the formor must have struck home, for Miss de la Ramee was constrained to address a protest to the editor, iri course, she came off worst in the end. now foolish even the cleverest women are at times 1 Fancy arguing with a person who can moke certain of having the last word ! There will be more sixpenny than s" ing magazines shortly. The "Cornhill" (as you know) comes out at tbat price next month, and so do "Time 'and '' Tinsleys." Ihe alter have long beeu mo*t feeble periodicals ; indeed, I can't think who .cads

There are three songs which I s< c hiehlv praised in "Truth." One is " Ben the S»" >V Michael Watson; another, Ihluk of Me;" and the ihird, "Sweet Lavender,' by Molloy. The HangariLu Band again nue supreme this season at all great balls and receptions. They play Bucalossiss new waltz, "Mia Cara* divinely. You ought to get this to try over. I don't kno* how it goes on the piano, but should imagine tbe eilect would be fairly good. Another wallz, played at tbe State Ball the other nu-bt, and con stantly since, is Fullerton's "Wote Lilies " Have you heard Alfred Scott Gatty'* sonL* 'a Days Ride?" I suppose it must be pretty popular, for Caroline Lowthian whose "Myosotis " used to be ao much the rage, has embodied tbe melody in * wa ltz of the same name. There do not seem to be many attractive morceaux in the new grand opera, " La. Gioconda" Oul> three excerpts have been published, which I take to be a bad sign, and yet the cities are almost unanimous in praisin" it to the skies. une of the principal" features appears to be a pretty ballet, representing the changing hours ot tbe day. A comic scng, the property of a notable artiste, known as the "Vital Spark " and describing the habits and appearance of a London Arry, is whistled about the .streets night and day at present. 'J he tuue pos sesses some cood points, but to hear the butcher's boy and the milkman, and the postman, each bawling the chorus under one s window five times per diem, is terrible I never cau quite make out what the fir a t lines are, but 1 know tbe last is —

" Where aro yer going on Sunday, 'Arry now you've got 'em on V J,uow for it is invariably shouted at the tip-top of the singer's voice.

SELECTED POETRY.

IN' MKMORIAM.

Ifcrtcrt //arris, accidentally killed, JulyO,

""lSSga ofaTi„^ Lif°roiis °n- in ** »>«>«>• Butnt h» e.^f gn.Her w' avo of Duatl' sweeps o'or like a blast from an icy c'ime. ' Th0 B odlemn^a^ dOHr3 °£ lhc *kr ~"»> on in onWb^^ r f Oe ntlm^. deeP P«*K"«l-bri«ht em-

lD Dcfu'<f r ro ßrp easliin^b Cy eaßeleS9 marCh' "k0 * c°- Vi|4 BsThl re f t h rv kanfe<Si f?}e d8' °'°r thC In tt!a 3e.?so^rto dth"o 0- rDfU! wUde™^ ««■ out I,roiutur di'ty? nVeiled ' lhj m *3U:r ™- thou dim

Through darkest a'slca of untold years thy blighting wings have passed : J Tbydo^o"^ ne^ £ tP °WCr UPraibCd ta lh' J CO"!- Wit sht a M^i^i a„ n h e em3' bi"°Wy SWel1' with In __%b_%2? »roclai™ •

A blank hath fallen in ono bright homo, where his days of boyhood flew; iJJSSh °.'t r f^ voiceß "ngering there-tho loved, the kind, and trne. hosflod' 88 °' °ld melodieß 'sehangod-alas ! ott2Z _fdeiT c to haum them wilh muaic

Deep nestled in tho stricken heart will lie the memory ""• °' hui\r^° In a far ofrßrave lles sleeping tran. A hope in heaven, a solaco there, for sorrowing eyes that weep -"—is °'eZ 0i n r.e,„n ho. B.°T 4 s' wo,rd3 whispered were, so painfully. Let me sleep.

W.R.

Auckland, July 23,1E8&

THE MAN LAY AT DEATH'S DOOR.

Tbe man lay at death's door, but two strong angels took him, " And swung hlra In a hammock made of cloud: With an undulating motion and from west to coot they shook him, Lying plastic and in mist as in a shroud.

They tpwored above tho earth as do elms abovo the grasses. „A? d <"'onhanded swung him to and fro: He felt the vibrant life and tho sharp, contend ing passes ~«uw.—i Of streams of air which grappio as they flow.

Tho angels swung him over seas whose sound jng-druma did thrill him, ThJl took ttb^- vo th" nomes of sleeping men ; They swung him over mountains that their pinoy breath might till him : J. hoy swept an arc from stars to stars again.

The man lay at death's door : now tho cradle of nereattor Rocked slowly .-slowly settled from its Bwoep. lie has caught tho broader life." said the an gels with soft laughter ; • Now cover up his face; be is oslecp." —Xorma Oakwood.

A Flea and Bug Exhibition.

Ouit Gallic neighbours, in their pursuit of natural history, are not without a certain sense of humour, and the idea of an exhi bition ol insects is a peculiarly French notion. fcuch an exhibition has been oponod in the Tuileries Gardens, and it is highly entertaining to.read.tbe accounts of " Sir C. Stewart's bugs," aud ot the fleas of fcaron Roy dcs Essants." One would have thought that these dis agreeable insects would have been sought for in other sections of society than that ornamented by the exhibitors in question. How would it bo-horrible thought !-if an accident occurred and the bugs and fleas got loose ? These domestic animals are no great favourites with the poets, but are coupled in one lyric of recent date, which used to run—

Tho animals wont in three by three, „,. . , Hurrah, hurrah I lho animals wont in three by three, „,. . ~ . Hurrah, hurrah I lho bounding bug and tho lively flea, Hurrah, hurrah I

Nothing is politically right which is morally wrong.— Daniel O'Connell. The true grandeur of humanity is in moral elevation, sustained, enlightened, and decorated by the intellect of man.— Svmncr.

STATES, SATUBDAY S UPPIA-MENT, JCXTc* 38, 188&.

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