course of last Su inlay, pointed at the warn ing and lesson of ditch catastrophes. it may not be out of place hero to say t ha.t the rumours regarding an engageme nt be tween tho pastor's accomplished daughter and the late lamented Sheriff are utterly without foundation, as it lias been an on d'd for some time in all veil-informed circles that tin indefatigable Mr Brace, of Wells, Fargo h Co.'s Express, will shortly lead tlio lady to the hymeneal altar." Bkkt llartk.

Tub End.

JACKSON

Thk principal features of my connection with Jackson wore the peculiar way in which wo met and the peculiar way in which we parted. Between tho two events we only saw each other once, so that, al though I speak of my "connection" with him, in reality all my dealings with him might have been compressed into the space of half an hour.

It was in the old palmy days of Baden- Baden, before what we youngsters called "meddling official prudery" had stopped in and banished from that place of peerless natural attractions the artificial attraction wliieli did perhaps still more to throng her alley.-1 and squares with the boau-inonde of Europe. I was enjoying part of my holiday at Baden-Baden, blessed with a light heart, plenty of time before me, and a fairly-lined pursu -not that 1 was a wealthy man ; but I saved and saved up my money in those clays for my annual holiday, religiously spent it during my holiday, and set to work with redoubled vigour to make it up after the holiday. I could not afford to sitdown at the wicked tables from morning till night side by side with the haggard old habitues, the (lash ladies, and the titled foreign gentlemen with no possessions ; nor had I the inclina tion so to do, with the beautiful Black Forest at ray very door wooing me to far more rational and healthy enjoyment every sunny morning ; but I did occasionally risk a modest live-franc pieeo or so—when I say risk, I mean I laid them down —for, so far as I was concerned, there was no risk, aa I invariably lost. •

Well, I went in one afternoon, "311 st to have a look." The saloons woro crowded and the game was proceeding merrily—for somo people. 1 had put down a couple of five-franc pieces, had resignedly seen them swept off by the rake of the statuesque croupier, and was contenting myself with observing the curious scene. Sitting next to where 1 was standing was a miserable look ing individual, whose appearance, from its strango contrast with the brilliancy and gaiety^ of the scene around, arrested my attention. His face was sallow and tightly drawn over its cloarly defined bones ; his eyes were haggard and bloodshot; such whiskers as ho wore were ragged and un kempt, and his black hair strawed wildly over his forehead. His clothes had once been of fnshionable hue and out, but they were soiled, stained, and even patched in places, and the glitter of the paste diamond uponlu;|filthyfingerproclaimedanendeavour on the part of its owner to make a feeble appearance atone somewhat for a wretched actuality. He staked several times and lost as often ; then with a deep sigh he arose, and observing that my gaze was fixed steadily on him, took me by the sleeve and led me to a gilded alcove behind the ring of players. I don't know why I suffered him to do this, but I was interested in him. I felt that there was a history, possibly a romance, attaching to him, and I went.

"Sir," ho said, with a slight American intonation, "you are an Englishman, are you not ?"

1 sdmitted the soft impeachment. " And you come of a great, gallant, and generous race." I bowed my head on behalf of my nation.

" You see me here before you," he con tinued, " a wretched, wicked, ruined man. Listen : I have never been at these tables before ! I am an honest, sober, industrious father of a family, and I have been ordered by my doctor to come here and drink the waters with the alternative of dying. My employers in London" (naming a well known city firm) " generously pnid my ex penses here in consideration of my lon£ services. In an evil moment I was tempted to try my luck at the tables. You know what that means. One sip of Circe's cup, and the usual result. I lost; I played on in hopes of recouping myself ; I lost again. This cannot go on for ever, I thought, and put my last money on the table. That has just been swept away ; and here am I, a penni less beggar, with a fond wife and four young children at home praying that my sojourn may restore me to health and to them. I have not even the necessary funds to take me back to England, or uncurei as I am, I would hasten away from this sink of iniquity. There is a light in your eye, sjr, which tells me that there is pity in your heart. Can you, will you, lend me £20, £15, £10?"

As I was not a city man, used to and hardened to appeals from ruined men and beggars of other descriptions, I had not the art of warding him off or the science of making excuses, but I murmured out some thing about being a poor artist myself, who had not much more cash than I knew what to do with. But when a tear gathered in the corner of one of his bloodshot eyes, I was done for. I went to my hotel, came back to the Conversation Hans, and gave him £10, receiving in exchange a dusky card, upon which was engraved, "Jack son, Belinda Villa, Brixton, Surrey," and a profusion of tearful thanks and promises to pay directly he should reach home.

My neighbour at the table d'liote that evening was a portly American citizen, who, in less than five minutes after we had taken onr seats, informed me that he was in the pork line at Chicago, and that he and his "gals " were " voy'ging around Europe jes' to open up their minds some." From a detailed account of the present state of business in the States in general, and Chicago in particular, he proceeded to dilate upon the rogueries practised upon innocent American travellers by hotel keepers and other harpies in Europe.

"And it's a circumstance, sir," he, con tinued, " but although I guess we're as spry as most folk, I opine I've been done in the eye since I've been in Baden-Baden. I ain't a gambler ! no, sir, but I do put a dollar down now aud again for the good of the place, and I was doing so this evening, when a miserable-looking cuss comes to me and spins a long yarn about his being a ruined man and having a larrje family in the States dependent on him, and asks" me if I'd loan him $50 to help him on his way home. Wai, I told him right away that I didn't believe nary a word he said; but when he begun to turn on his water works, sir, it was too much and I loaned him $2~>."

" Dear me," I said, " that's very strange, for the same thing occurred to me this afternoon. Did he give you an address?" " Wai," replied the American, " he pave me this bit of pasteboard, which I guess is one of his stock in trade, for he had a powerful lot of others in the same pocket." I took the card and read :

" Juliua H. Vincent, Montgomery-street, San Francisco, Cal."

" 1 beg your pardon for interposing in your convocation," said a lean Englishman from the opposite sido of the table, "but I could not ltlp hearing it and I was inter ested, for 1 think that the same individual must have addressed me at Homburg last week, only his addroes was somewhere in Brixton, Elg." '•And dil you give him anything?" I asked.

" Well, Jstuek out for a long time, but he looked si miserable, and told mo such a tale of woe and finally, as the American gcntlem.-vn raid, turned out his waterworks, so I gavohin ±'5."

" Wai," s^id the American, " I guess we may all three bet onv bottom dollars that we've seen t'» c ]| ls t of our money, and that's a fact."

I resolved to find out Mr Jackson without delay, but although during the whole of the next three dflys I wandered about the most likely places where I imagined he would ply his eallinj, not a trace of him could I hnd, so I face) my loss as contentedly as I could, and mcralised over the proverb that "experience taachoth fools, and he is a groat one whowill not learn by it." Two years afterward I was in Venice during tho mouh of Jnuuary, having, with true British eccentricity, cnoceii that sea son of the year to make the sea trip thither from the Tyne.

The carnival was at its height, and I, of course, was t frequent spectator (hereof. Every eveninj of tho week of its duration wo regularly landed as the gun from tho arsenal in fruit of San Ulorgia .Maggiore boomed the lour of 8 and made our wiiv to the centre i festivity, tho Place of"St. Mark, whicl was well-nigh impassable from the lomigiip, chattering, gesticulating, triek-playiiif crowd which surrounded tlio dancing stag! erected under the shadow of the gaunt, gave old Campanile.

We wore iot very much impressed with the eharactir of tho fun. Upper-class Venice cortanly did not condescend to play the fool in Jostnme, either because it was too chilly fir such exercise, or because it was moro dignified to patronise tho warm and brilliantly ■ lighted iwms of Olorian'e oi tho Quadri. But lower-class Venice cntq-cd into the affair with zest, and, like lover class anywhere clpe, marked their enthujasm and delight at tho tem porary escaje from order and decorum by horseplay anl practical joking of a substan tial rather turn a retined nature.

Tho best feature of the whole affair to our minds was the antic? of a- company of Pierrots, w'.o, we were told, were young gentlemen if position. Wherever they wont there was fun and merriment of the genuine eairival type, although a similar exhibition m the part, say, of Oxford or Cambridge indorgraduates, would, accord ing to our ileas, bo deemed childish and an anchronism

Au hour )r so, however, of pushing and squeezing anid a hot, tobacco-and-garlic imprcgnatei crowd was enough for us, so we adjournd to a German restaurant famous for iU beer. The place wag crowdad and was deno with smoke, so that we only gained the bjer by our exchango ; but were assured tha there would be some fun presently, scwe waited. Presently Ihe Pierrots came in, tipping off hats, gtmaeing at old ladies, smiling and profeesog ardent love to young and comely one:; swilling any beer that came handy, screening horribly through tin horns, undo, the guidance of a gorgeously dressed inividual, who carried a silk bannor. TJs man attracted general atten tion from la abßurd antics and his admir able burles«e acting; but he riveted mine in particulj', because under tho mask of rougo and .whitening I recognised a re juvenated dition of—Jackson. They vittcd every table in succession, offering clickers and confetti, jabbering the most abtird nonsense until they reached ours. Owjof the Perriots coming to me, 1 beseechednim in the best Italian I could muster to drop Momus for a minute, and to tell mewho the leader was.

"Oh/said he, " he's an American who lives at ac Hotel Daniel!—very rich, very rich."

"Thaks," I replied. Jacks* came prancing and piroueting up to dr table, and apparently not ob serving (ne, commenced a volly of uttor nonsenfi( in most villainous Italian in the ears of iy friend. " He.-not an Italian, or I'm a Dutch man," iad my friend to me in a whisper.

"No, said I, aloud, " his name's Jack son, anqhe lives at Brixton. Look out, or he'll asliyou for the loan of $20 to carry him baa to his starving wife and children." Jacksn started and dropped his bag of confettin utter amazement.

" Ye>" I continued, rising and holding him byshe lappel of his embroidered coat, " you're-a regular swindler, and I dare say you litje expected to find anyone who would rcognise you in such a guise at such a time «d place ; and I'm going to be even with yot"

By tin time he had recovered bis self possesaioij and, calling his troupe, pointed me out a an English lunatic who was call ing him i swindler. This effrontery stirred my blooc' up, and I rep3ated my accusa tions in ouder tones and with additional eoithete.

This semed to rouse some of the Pierrot?, who res&ted such an attack upon one who, for tie time being at least, was one of them, ancby their threatening gesticula tions andlerce jabberinge I saw a row im minent, 'he people in the restaurant, too, who had htherto imagined that the whole affair was inrt of the evening's entertain ment, wha they learned the real state of affairs, tha a gentlemen Pierrot had been called a swndler and a blackguard by an English stinger, came crowding around, and I belie? in another minute we should have been nek and crop out of the room, if not otherwise maltreated, had I not called out at the t«> of my voice : " Is there any Eu^iisliiiianbci'G who can speak Italian ?"' There was flenee for a moment, then a gruff voice fom a distant corner said :

" Yes, I fen speak the lingo: I ain't been here fo.'tcn years without larnin' it. What is it, sf,?"

I explained to the speaker, who was a big burly felow, attired as a sailor, how matters stood-

"Well, In Mowed,",he said, when I had finished, ' that's the worry same chap that did me' other day—just the same story, every lit on't. You're right, sir, and confoundthe mounseers, says I. Jes' let me get a hid on him and I'll—"

What he wald have done did not tran spire, for he junped up from his seat, el bowed his w.y through the crowd, and made to where Tackson had been standing. But Jackson hd gone. The next dayl went to the Hotel Danieli. "Does: anyone >f the name of Jackson, an Englishman, lie here':" I asked of the landlord.

" No, sir," b replied ; "we have but one guest in thehouse and his name is Vin cent, and ho is ai American—very rich, sir, very rich." " Is he in the louse now ?" I then asked, "for I have sone particular business with him."

"I'll see, sir,replied the landlord, ring ing the bell, "Is the American gentleman at home ?" he aiked of the waiter.

"No, sir," reil'ed theman ; "hecamein about midaightfrom the carnival, changed his dress, and vent away again, saying he would return."

I called two or three limes during the week, but Jackson, alias Vincent, hat? not turned up, and the landlord was in despair, as his visitor had not paid his bill for a fort night.

We left shortly after, but 1 very much doubt if Jackson was seen in Venice again. (Juito eight years afterward I took my pas sage one afternoon upon the good steamer Habakkuk E. Dodge, bound from St.Louigto New Orleans. 1 describe her as '' good "be cause she was so described in the " shodtllc" in tho hall of the Granite House, St. Louis ; but so far as my subsequent experience went, she turned out to be anything but good, although the skipper, a rank Ken tuekian, declared that he'd "fixed the voyage between St. Louis and New Orleans in five hours less time than any other boat, he had, and that's a fact."

As 1 stepped on board I saw another steamer lying alongside the quay, which had steam up, and was advertised to start with us; and the pilot, with whom I was already friends, guessed there'd be a race.

This was not comforting, for f had read in books of travel and; adventures of mid night races between the high-pressure boats of the Mississippi, and tho chief associations in my mind with these events were the bursting of boilers, blowings up, conllagra tions, and horrible collisions with snags.

However, I had taken my ticket, my baggage was aboard, uml the presence of two or three hundred other passengers solaced me with the idea that after all those were but travellers' yarns, or people would not travel so frequently by tho steamers. Little was I acquainted with the reckless ness of thn American people, whose mono poly of "big tilings'' in catastrophes, as in all else, makes them living exponents of the proverb that "familiarity breeds contempt,"

We started at midnight, and 1 was re lieved to see that the St. Louis, the opposi tion steamer, was still at her moorings, although her smoke-stacks were in full operation and her bell and whistle were going furiously. To retread old ground in the shape of describing a Mississippi steam boat voyage does noteoine within tlio scope of this paper. Suffice it, therefore, to say that we reached Memphis, which is about a third of tlie way, without mishap, am) without having even sighted the smoke of the St. Louis.

OIF Blues Point, however, some miles below Memphis, about midnight there was a visible excitement in the neighbourhood of the glass steering-house, anil 1, who was the only passenger awnko, went up to inquire the reason. " Look thar, sir, astern,1' said the skipper, pointing with the thumb of his right hand over his shoulder without turn ing his head. That thar's the St. Louis. We oughter be ten miles ahead of her, but them denied niggers were so powerfully slow in gettin' aboard thorn molasses at Memphis.'' I looked, and lioheld amid tho dense blackness of tho night what seemed to bo some unearthly fiery creature rounding the point wo had passed some live minutes previously—the two side lights representing the eyes, tho glare of her furnace a horrible mouth, and the distinctly audible beats of her huge paddles simulating her angry pantings to come up with US. " Keppius is spry, and that's a fact,"said the skipper, lighting a huge cigar; "and 1 reckon he won't spare an inch of timber to send the St. Louis along, but tho old 1 Lab she's got legs too, and of Koppins beats us, as ho oughter do, considcrin' his boat's new and this 'ere has been runnin' live years, it'll be by accident, I'm thinkinV

"Accident ! !> I thought with a tihuddor ; " that means to say that thin reckless fellow is going to send us along at full speed until we either blow up or catch li re " —the latter neeming to be the most probable to me when I thought that we were but a huge mass of dry woodwork heaped like spare fuel upon a seething, fiery furnace.

However, here I was, so I quieted my fears as best 1 could, and even took sulli ciont interest in the race to take a quiet bet with the skipper that we would win. Our furnace roared, our stacks poured forth volumes of smoke and sparks, our huge paddles thrashed the waters until we shook and throbbed as if the boat herself ■was audibly expressing her interest in the race.

" See, sir, he's firing up," said the skipper. " Let her have it, boys," he roared down the tube communicating with the engine-room ; "four more revolutions a minute and So a head if we whip her."

Our craft seemed to bound over the sul len black waters; the irregular, fantastic outlines of the trees on the banks sped by us like affrighted phantoms ; still the fiery eyes and mouth of the St. Louis grew big ger and bigger, and the sound of her pant ings more and more distinct. Our skipper was almost beside himself. Cigar after cigar he smoked and threw away ; he pulled his broad hat over his eyes and flopped it back again ; he plunged his hands into his pockets and withdrew them with a jerk as if they had been stung, all the while muttering execrations and charitable wishes, any single one of which, if it had taken effect, would'certainly have sent the St. Louis and all on board of her to the bottom.

Suddenly, as the nose of the enemy was within a steamer's length of our stern in a parallel line about 300 yards away, there was a sharp click at our feet, followed by a rattling of chains. "Steering gear's snapped, sir," roared out a voice from somewhere amid the black recesses of our stern.

What the skipper said upon reception of this news I need not repeat, but he sub sequently roared down the communication tube in a voice of frenzy, " Stop her !"

Our paddles stopped, but our way on was considerable, and we drifted ahead for Mime yards ere it wns patent that the lla'nakkuk E. Dodge was out of the race. " Whipped yer this time,'' was wafted over the water to n< from the St. Louis, which was now directly abeam of us. Our skipper had not framed his stinging retort when a sheet of llame leaped into tho air from where the St. Louis wns, followed by an unearthly roar, then for a second or two a dead silence, then a confused cry of agony from many directions.

" Lower away the boats !" yelled our skipper: and although this was done smartly, enough their progress from our boat to the scene of the disaster was con siderably delayed by the frantic exertions of our passengers to get into them, for tho fearful roar and the blaze of light had awakened them, and nothing but the abso lute exertion of force could make them believe for some minutes that the accident had not happened to us. Horror-struck as I was, I could not resist the temptation of putting out with one of the boats on the errand of mercy. Our darkeys pulled with a will, and although the scene of tho disaster was now wrapped in the blackness of the night, the heartrending cries of the unfortunates still struggling for life in the waters were quite sufficient guides. We had pulled on board perhaps half a dozen men, women, and children, and as our craft was already almost gunwale deep in tho water, wo were turning her round for the steamer, when a faint voice, almost under where I was pulling, said : "Take us aboard—take »c aboard, for pity's sake !"

"Ain't jjot room," said Hio coxswain; but J, leaning over, caught hold of tlie poor fellow's an.,, and so .Im^iny him along, we went back as hard as the men could lay oars to water.

Jus*' oo'wo arrived at tlio foot of the ac commodation ladder 1 felt the hold of the man I hail saved relax ; however, 1 stuck to him with my other hand and ho was pulled up with the other poor wretches', some of whom seemed quite dazed and out of their minds at the reality of being *avcd. The skipper came below with a lantern and threw its glare on tlie face of him 1 hud saved.

" Gncm he's fixed," ho wiid. "Poor old Keppius! him and 1 hoy had many a high old time of it racin' alony this eio bit.'1 " Kojipins?"' I said, as I. looked at tlio face of the dead man. " When i last saw him his name wuh JncUson." "Alebbe," »aidthe skipper, "the old cum watt allus a-chriiitomn' of himsolf, anil be tween me and, you, sir, KoppiiiH uml 1 was allus good friends, but ho was a bit of a I'Ofine, and that's a fact."

Thus tragically'torminated my iMiineetion with Jackson.—-Frank Aboil in "liel"iavia."

FIELD SPORTS AND AQUATICS.

(BY ACTVKON.)

Aquatics.

llowinn Assnriiitinn liciralta Krbnmry Auckland ItiU-iToloniiil ItcKiUlii. January 2!l l.yu.'llon H^-aila Jiinuiu-}' 1 Kil wiinl Ihiiil.ui v. Klias llayiVn-i; iii- tlio next licsi, man ill Aiislraliu, .••.1.(100 aside, before Muivh HI

Bicycling.

KVmiiKaliai'iolioa'ili'." L'A°'lH Three Kiiik-s, via Mount ItOHkill.. Ducuiiiljcra'j W'.MTICMATi Ci.i:ji Uins ihi.n-liiii- lioiii i'ail; UttlUM, I'riurc.-is.rcfl). Sati'iihav l:iw-; at ;: r..v. To I'anniuiii, &c lie. cmbv,- 'J.i

Athletics.

Sixllays Welkin:; Mali-li Kilwiiriih' \7 iK-iuify (-'), iiiul Lluukslan '■'!•■» Dec. lv Mil Jim,

CRICKET.

Wellington v. Kelson Due.3l am! Jan. I

Tin-; Canterbury cricketers complete their inlorprovincial match again*! Auckland on Monday, play ayaiurt iwiiLliiU' scratch local team mi Tuesday and Wednesday, and leave for the South on Thumlny. Langdown won both bicycle races al Lan caster Park sporls last week. Tho one mile- occupied Sinina 'JTsec-, and (lie ten miles -lOinins. The Kaiapoi Regatta programme includes a double sculling ovont for ladies. Tho best, time for 100 miles ever done in Australia by an amateur bicyclist is !)hr :!(> mm, by T. I. Jenkins, no Painter's record of 114 miles in llhr Stalin is considerably behind the Australian time. A regatta club is being formed in Chrfct ehurch. Beach won tho final heat for the Hunt prizes at Sydney, beating E. Triekett by about live le.igths.

Edwards?, the Australian lnug-clistanuo champion, first arrived in Auckland in ISlii), coming heio from England, ilo re mained ill Auckland about ton months', and took part in the athletic; competitions held at that timo in Albeit KarrackK,

Uilchrist's bowling against West, End lust Saturday was really splendid, eight wicket* being taken at a cost of fourteen runs, mul tho lirst three falling before Wont End had scored.

Hero is a misty jar for Edwards, the walkist :—" J. liayuur, tho Australian pedestrian, sends tho following letter to a Utincdin journal :—Sir,—Will you kindly give publicity to the follow inf.', as I am desirous of informing tho public of New Zealand that Edwards is not •the champion longdistance walker of the colonies, as ho styles himself. Now, .Mr Editor, I would like to ask Mr Edwards where he gained tho titlo of' Champion of the Colonies,' as there had never been a six days ■ and - night*' walking match open tt* all coiners for tho championship un til October Bth, ISS.'f, when such a match took place in Adelaide, and was won by myself. In the last six-days and-nights that took place in Ueolong I fairly bent Edwards, making a record of live hundred miles. Since then Edwards has always carefully avoided me: and at the conclusion of the last match between Edwards and O'Leary, I challenged the former to a six-days and-niglita' walk for the sum r,f £200, a challenge which was left open for more, and I was at Clement's Cafd, in accordance with notification to that effect, to post any suitable deposit. But Mr Edwards failed to put in an appearance, his only excuse being by a bluff—viz., the offer to lay £1,250 to £1,000, knowing that 1 could not find that amount. I might mention, Mr Editor, that previous to this he had chal lenged any man in the world for £200a-side, and that the challenge was published in the Sydnoy papors. This challenge I accepted, Edwards thinking that I could not find the amount. But, rinding the money forth coming, he made all sorts of excuses by pro mising to make ono of a sweepstakes after his contest with O'Leary, but this he failed to do. And again, sir, I consider that lam justified in stating flint before Edwards claimed the titlo of champion, he should have, before taking his departure, issued a challenge to all-comers, and that would have settled all disputes as to who was champion. My reason for chal lenging Air Scott was on account of his defeating Edwards*, thinking him the better man. However, I wish Edwards to understand that my challenge is not con fined to Scott alone, as ho himself can have the same accommodation, which 1 would L'CCOmmond him to accept, and thus prove to the public ho is that which he style? him self—viz., champion.—l am, fee, J.OHS Rayskk, Champion Lung-distance Pedes trian of the Colonies.

The Edwards, Hucksiop, and Hendry walking match commences in the Theatre Royal at 1 a.m. on Monday. Probably there will be a large attendance to witness the start.

It is estimated that tho short laps in the Theatre Koyal will make a dill'erence of 20 odd miles in Edwards's total at the match.

Logan has finished Messrs Stone and White's yacht which I referred to previously. She will very probably take part in the Auckland Regatta.

Clare is still pushing ahead with work on his small cutter, on the chance that the ob jections urged against her entry may he overcome, as she will be "eleven tons" according to builders' measurement, and although going out of tho colony, is, cor rectly speaking, a " coastal trading vessel."

The 20-feet open railing boat Madge has again changed hands, having during the week become the property of Messrs Fernandez and Vickery. Tho Madge will have a large number of smart craft to sail

against this season, including t!n now boats built by Warbriek and lli^h, ~ im.ljwr hnjw n new one from Wayniijull, •■• -h ''i "0 thatlicr owners will Jo well tv plau her in first-class trim. The question has frequently bcon a*ked recently whether there is to be a I'oneuuby Regatta tliis .season, as no movement has yet, been made in that direction. The Committee, however, consider that, tiieio is yet plenty of time, and that an advantage will bu gained by postponing Iho election of now officers, &c, until a near a{ijnoach of tJie imual date, whon mine public interest will be taken in the work than if commenced at once.

The pinnace that Bailey is building for the Naval Brigade is fast, approaching com pletion.

The next, regatta in connection with the Rowing Association will take place on Saturday afternoon of .March, 188-1.

A raco for Kob Hoy Cannes luis been added to the Auckland Regatta programme. The numlier of conipetilors shoulcl be con siderably over those at ii«iy previous regatta here,

Tho Nelson liottatta on Wednesday vvae very Miiceen«fid. The Iris won the yacht race. The Wellington crown won Hie senior and maiden inrijtKC'l joins. The Nelson r.rew won the senior ontripger Race; tho Wellington orow mainlained '.he lead, but on nearinjr the winninj; poi-t jrot into lumpy wator. The other evwiln were locally contested.

The Way to Look Young.

f'I.ARA JIKIXK Riiys ill 11110 Cl in I' lUXIlfc lottom : " (liven a small, .-li-ai'.ld, I!,it figure, with a face dulicnte ii. ils features, mid the problem hi milking n girl look iiltc l"i until she is altogether pa,;( her teens ix not exceedingly dillieull, h. can liv /uy /■imply worked iiy tufiiHing to lei her p'.Ui- COlll'H gIOW '" ll IlltlLlll-l- lull"lh, I•■chewing nil devices of bodice tlml, produce aililidul undulation, anil enjoining an inn,..rut ►simplicity ol carriage and nimuier. Th.it was wlint liail liitii doiiu wiili tin: bcide whom I have mentioned. '1 h.-n- v..i- in llOl' family the usual incentive I'm Mms I'ctiiiilin^ her :i|ipaiint (.'rowtli I'l'iini child hood to womanhood. Twu older sinters wUhed to uiiitriinonially place lliein-clvtfc I boforo fchoir ligcn were' e.nph.si.-,d by ihc youngest daiiKhlcr becoming an itdult. Why, 1 rotnumbur tlial, one evening at a recuplioil the (Iran1 (,'iil came downiutho purloui1 in ;i beiiutilnl coHtunie of wliite tullu, a^ simple and infantile us :i cluiHten in^' robe, and with a hell) no lower than the tops of her high bootw; but nliu had presumed to givo a wli^lit loundncsji to her i cormigc. 'That was an umondmeiit to the family resolution which was immediately voted down, though slio pleaded haul to cany it. " ' I'm a woman, and 1 want to look like one,' flhc pleaded. " ' You may be a woman, but you've j^ot. to look like child a.s lonjr v.< nature will let you," was the maternal mandate. "Sho hod to j^o back to fcho room find llatteu tho bonom in which indignation was swelling. "Til develop all of a sudden, the first tiling they know—see if I don't,' she .said to me on that, occasion. "And she did it on her wedding day, for certain. The digniliod little creature who dragged ii train up the central oifle of a fashionable church was no longer childUh, Her liabyish braids of hair had become an elaborate ooill'ure ; tho ankles wore out of si^'bt, and instead of their stockinged ills play there wan n disclosure of bare arms that were far more plump find tapering than anybody had expected, and as far as eighteen years' seclusion could make them : hor bodice, for tho first time, wassha^ly —by exactly what moan*?, is tuinu of tho public's business. Improved? I bhonlJ say »o. If the bridegroom had fallen in love with her former aspect, he had every reason to augment his passion as he behtld her in bridal robes."

A Wonderful Story.

Mr ButfNKii, tho celebrated engineer, liad stveval narrow escapes of his life, but the most extraordinary accident which befol him was that which occurcd while one day playing with his children, and i astonishing them by pretending to pass a half-sovereign through his month and out at his oar. Un fortunately, lie swallowed the coin, and dropped it into his windpipe. The accident occurred on the .ird April, 1843, and it was followed by frequent fits of coughing and great uneasiness on the right nide of the chest. Hut so slight was tho disturbance of breathing- that it was for some time doubted whether the coin liad really fallen into tho windpipe. After the lapse of fifteen days Sir Benjamin Brodie met Mr Key in consultation, and they con curred in tho opinion that most probably the half-sovereign was lodged at tho bottom of the right bronchus. The day after, Mr Brunei placed himself in a prone position, face downward upon some chairs, and bend ing his head and neck downwards, he dis tinctly felt tho coin drop towards the glottis. A violent cough ensued, and on resuming the erect posture he felt as if the object again moved downward into tho chest. Here was an engineering difficulty the liko of which Mr Brunei had never beforo en countered. The mischief was purely mechanical. A foreign body had got into hi* breathing apparatus, and must bo re moved, if at all, by mechanical means.

Mr Hrunol was, however, equal to the oc casion. He had an apparatus constructed consisting of a platform which moved upon a hinge in tho centre. Upon tliis he had himself strapped, and his body was then inverted, in order that the coin nikjlit drop downward by its own weight, and so bo expelled." At the tirst ex periment tho coin again slipped to wards the glottis, but it caused such an alarming lit of convulsive Conghing tint danger.was apprehended, and the experi ment discontinued.

Two days after, on the 25th. tlio opera tion of tracheotomy (ranking a hole in the windpipe) was performed by .Sir Benji:, Brodie and Mr Key with the inteng tion of extracting tlie coin by tlio forceps if possible. Two attempts to do co .were made without success. The introduc tion of the forceps into the windpipe was attended with such an excessive degree of irritation that it was felt tho experiment could not be continued without, imminent danger to life. The incision in the windpipe was, however, kept open by means of a quill or tube until the 13th of May, by which time Mr Brunei's (ttrength had sufficiently recovered .to enable {the original experiment to be repeated. Ho was again strapped to his apparatus. His body was inverted, and his back gently struck, and ho distinctly felt the coin quit its place on the right side of the chest. The opening in tho windpipe allowed him to breathe while the throat was stopped by the coin, and it thus had the eil'eet of pre venting the spasmodic action of tho glottis. After a few coughs the coin dropped into his mouth. Mr Brunei used after wards to say that the moment lie felt the gold piece strike against his front teeth was tho most exquisite of his whole life. The half-sovereign had been in his wind pipe for not less than six weeks.

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, DECEMBER 29, 1883.

3