THE EDITOR'S DRAWER.

CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE.

Homicidal Insanity.—On this Eubject S. S. Rogers writes asfollows :—"ln thousands of cases, wherein so far from there being any prior symptoms ot mania, conclusive evi dence has been forthcoming indicative of perfect mental equilibrium possessed by the monomaniac as a suicide, seemingly proved in countloES instances by the accuracy and acumen developed in the writt.n bequest and final adjustment of business affairs, yet, in spite of every evi dence to tho contrary, twelvo just men nnd true invariably assert that " deceased camo by his death whilst eufforing from temporary insanity. In the event, however, of the murderous weapon being turned against another, the question of such temporary madness is not considered, modioli enquiry being directed to possible hereditary taint or displayed aberration of intellect; yot, in tho latter case, as in the former, who shall maintain that latent insanity does not exist? The subtleties and intricacies of the human brain are even yet only a partially opened volume to medical ecienca and if occult insanity has oven tho shadow of possibility,'twore bettor it may be to err on the aide of humanity and mercy than to require the life for life penalty deemed duo by anciont Mosaic draconian code, and modern legislative want of forensic knowledge"

Breach op Promise. —T. B. Hannaford writes :—" It appears nothing can bo kept from the knowledge of tho Star. How you get your information on cerlain matters passes my understanding. Your paragraph re tho breach of promise case, under the bead ing 'The Settler and the Widow,' ia in the main correct, in Thursday's issue of your journal, but you aro in error when you say the widow consulted a solicitor and gave his: instructions to take proceedings against tbe man. I myself have taken tho matter up, engaged the services of a reapsctablo member of tho lognl profession, and intend to carry it out to the bitter end. Of course the matter being sub judicc it would be wrong on my part to enter into particular., but I can solemnly as.ort that in no one Instance during my long matrimr.mt-l a^oncy career havo I felt a. titho of tho pain this unfortunate affair has given me, I havo over felt a grqst repugnance against ponding brides to _e_ tlers, always urging them to como after the ladies, rorrke them their wives in Auckland, and then take them to their home. Ijfplt in this unfortunate instance a great di-in clination to do so, but I remembered jvith what respect and delicacy brides bad been met on their arrival at Fiji, Chatham Is lands, lavorc-argill, nnd other places by their present husbands, nnd consented to the lady's departure by steamer. Why, sir, the Maori ChieE at Whangarei, to whom I sent an English wife, treated her on arrival with tbe utmost deference, pro\ided the young woman with respectable lodging, and never camo near her until the wedding morn I"

How the Public are Victimised. —On the Bubject of short weight "PF." writes : " Your remarks re the above can not fail to meet the approval of everyone, whether engaged in business or not, who wishes to act fairly. It also recommends itaelf specially to Paterfamilias in every way, aa he is the greatest victim of this abomiueble system. Other articles - jams, fruit, sauces, picklea, candles and collars ali come within the same ca'f gory, and one other article which enters largely into expenses, viz., butter, is almost invariably short weight from two to three ounces in the half-pound. The sooner tbe Inspector haa power to chock this the batter.

Saving Life.—Aa the season for well cleaning accidents has arrived, F. E. Robertshaw gives the following directions for rescuing anyone who may be buried in a brick well: —"First Eaw out some wedges cay sin. x 3in., of good, eound wood-say kauri, and shape one end one inch thick. With these, key two or three of the lower standing rings of bricks. I mean drive in these wedges between tho ends of two bricks, so as to make the ring bigger. When a ring of bricks ia well keyed, it will Buppcrt a great weight. Now lot, a volun teer go to the top of the fallen bricks, form aa big a ring of brick aa he can in a true circle, or nearly so ; key it, build another two and key thsm; afterwards key every seventh riug. By this means the worker would nt the same time time be removiag tha bricks off the.buried man, and also making the woll secure. When a' few coureea are up, put a bit of timber across the centre of the well for another nam to sit on aud place the bricks the first man passe 3 to him ; a third and fourth man in like manner. If the ground b3low is worso than that above, a fresh belt of brick can be etarted in the same way as abovo. In this way I have known a man to be taken from under a thousanl of bricks in half an hour alive. Time is more than money in such a caae—it is life, because a man cannot live long with such a pressure on him."

The Totalisator —Three correspond ents havo written on this subject. "Pro Bono Publico" describes tho bolting machine as "the boss swindler," and ventures tho remark that tho totalisator ia keeping the working classes poor, for people who have lost money on it scrape nnd save, nnd neglect their "tradesmen'a billa, in the hope of making a recovery ; but they only get deeper and deeper into tho mire, T. Mossman, in the course of hia letter, saya : - Racing, unless in very few instances, is more or less a swindle, and betting im moral, but when the latter is permitted great and email should be treated alike, and from my own observation the latter on the A.R.C., grounds wero it anything more straight forward in their dealings with the publictban theothers. ThSclub assertsit ia to protect the public from wolshers that cash betting is disallowed; the general opinion is that it is done for the purpose of forcing all the money through the betting machine.

From a long and excellent letter by " Watchman " we extract the following : —

"Happily lived we, Mr Editor, free from gambling mania, till the serpent, taking the shape of a lunatic with an inventivo turn, evolved from the diseased bells of his brain that huge octopus—that worse ' hell' than any in Monaco or Monte Carlo —that ruiner of youth and age alike; male and female equally—that legalised inducement to forgery aad theft, the Totalisator!' Now, had the machine betting been dono reasonably and modestly, it might have gone on for years unchecked and almost unnoticed, Bat from the first the impost put upon a suffering public has b3en villainously high. Very few Beem to realise what your columns called attention to the otber day viz .—that on a programme of seven races thia ten per cent actually means seventy per cent. on the circulating capital invested Fancy it, ye investors I Apart from all this, there is the moral effect of this legalised gambling on the community. Every man and boy, woman and girl, jvho oan Ecrape up the means (no matter at what coat) be comes an investor, not once a year only, but at every meeting—big or little—they can possibly get to. They may go to the raoes as of old, to look on, to indulge, in the mild excitement of a small sweep ; but thoy see others investing, hear of nothing but divi dends and tickets, and Presto ! the spirit seizes upon them, and at one swoop they become gamblers also."

Our "General Depression. —On thia subject John C, McLeod writes:—" We read much of depression, deatitution, and pauperism with their long train of Buffer ing. The question is : Why such depression in a country like New Zealand, which, from the superior quality of its foil acd climate, is admittedly quite capable of supporting in comfort and plenty ten for every one of its present inhabitants? Unfortunately, the answer fs not far to eeek, which is simply this fact, that hitherto the people, no doubt in their simplicity, selected the very men to legislate for them whose para mount interest and study has been and is their own personal aggrandisement. First, in dividing this truly fine country among themselves and friends at a nominal- price; and then at once sinking the country over, ears in debt by borrowing money for constructing railways, so as to enhance the value of those extensive, suspicioualy secured estates. In place of. the present too well-founded wail for want of employment, with its consequent poverty, if our hitherto bogus legislators had allowed the iandto bo directly occupied by the people in suitable lots, every inciustrioua person in thia country ought to enjoy a life of comfort and plenty in place of the present artificial apology of existence caused by the zigzag policy of those having the management of the poli tical totalisator. It is fortunate and en couraging to know that the people have a fewwoithyof the name of representatives, guided by patriotic principles, who, let us hope, may soon be able to effect the urgent ond much-needed, change in the land lowb."

Gold.—Wm. Plumeridge, York Terrace, Upper Queen-street, writes—"l thank you for your kind insertion of the last letter I sent to you, Btating that there is gold at Ponsonby and other valuables likewise of 7 or S different kinds—gold, gum, coal, &c I am prepared to prove my statement that thore i_ gold in Mount Eden and at Avon dalo, and I am of opinion that there is Borne heavy metal not far fi om Mount Eden. I have about 1 cwt. specimens from Mount Eden, gold-bearing, and I am prepared to make one to start a Company to probe the Mount Eden mountain."

St. Barnabas' Church. — '"Viator" writes : "Upon visiting this place of worship la-3t Sunday, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself surrounded by such unmiatake ablo signs of real solid progress and ad vancement, as one little expects to meet with anywhere during the present seaeou of world-wide depression. Tbe large building, which had been doubled in sizo only some threo mouths since, was full to everflcwin. ', both morning end evening, and I was informed that notwithstanding tho heavy demands which had lately been made upon tho congregation to enlarge tho church and replace the old font and harmonium with more modern improvements., tho offertories had nearly doubled duriug the last few months. Tho question that suggested itself was thi3: Is this a natural and healthy growth, or merely the ephemeral re.ult ot temporary excitement, cauFed by sensational or revival preaching ? The first thing that struck me was that, con trary to the ordinary rule, tho seats wero all perfectly free, aud thus no invidious dis tinctions existed between rich and poor, or visitor., aud the old identity. Tho church officers also seemed to spare no pains to necommodato tho congregation, and raaUo all comers foel comfortable and at home. Then when the choir struck up it v.as at once evident that Mr T, H. Webb, the organist and conductor, had devoted himself eon amore to make tho musical portion of tho service ns cheerful and hearty a. pr_9.ib'o, and tho enuncia tion of the words, which is too often neglected, was so clear and distinct throughout that tho whole congregation joined in with such a will as fully showed how they appreciated his efforts. Their new minister, tho Key. T. H. Sprctt, preached such sermon, both in tho morning and evening as fully bore out tho vory high testimonials which ho brought with him from the Old Country, and several remarked that ho spoke at times with an earncatnets and depth of feolinu which reminded thorn forcibly of Bishop Selwyn."

TonAcco Smoke as a Disinfectant.— "Anti-Tobacco" writes :—"As some desire to know if tobacco str.oko is a disinfectant, and you offer space, I -wish to aay a few norrta on such an important subject, Of course, doctors differ, so wo must expect various opinions, but I believo that some years ago this very test was mado in the Edinburgh University, among tho medical students, and it was found that thesmokera wero oftenor ill, and more liablo to infec tious diseases, than non-smokers. Of course, if what medical men tell ua ia true about the change tobacco smoke makes in the blood corpusclea of those who indulge in it, it follows as a certainty that smokers must suffer more and be moro likely to tako tho diseases that are prevalent, I have no doubt that if tobacco wore burnt like sulphur instead of by men, it might prove useful as a disinfectant; but, used as it ia, it causes more mischief to tho individual than ail its properties afterwards can undo. I would certainly like the question of tobacco smoking thoroughly ventilated, becauso if those who need it only knew the trouble they were caueingand accuuiulatingfor thefuture many of them would abandon the habit. I therefore believe that those who use it not havo better health, and waste less money." — G. O. Griffiths, writing on the same eub j .ct, quotes various medical authorities, and the late Professor Kirk, of Edinburgh, to tho effect that the use of tobacco ia decidedly injurious in every infectious disease, and especially so in typhoid fever.

Protection of local Industry.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—The industrial clas.es of New Zea land will road with satisfaction tho remarks ia your leader of January Bth re the indus tries of the country, and your statement that "we cannot afford to lose our popula tion " states a truth which cannot bo borne in mind too strongly if -we aro to avoid disaster. In reference to this statement, and also in connection with the united efforts that are now being mado in New South Wales to follow tho successful lines ol Victorian policy, I would place boforo your readers the following facta : —

Revenue Returns : Queensland, Brisbane, January sth, ISS7. The revenue for the quarter was £620,713, being a docrease of £21,47-1 compared with tho correap_nding quarter of last year. The revenue for the last half year shows a decrease of £18,000 com pared with the corresponding period of 18S5. New South Wales: according to a statement by .hoPremier in tlio Assembly on Wednesday night, tho condition of tho colony financially ia going from bad to worse. He estimates th&d.ficitattheend of theyearat £2,000,000. New Zealand : Results of this year show a deficiency oi £200,000 or £300,000 under all heads. Victoria (with a high Protective tariff): Increase of revenue for quarter end ing 30fh September, ISS6, £111,S08, as com pared with corresponding quarter of pre vious year, and an increase of £261,529 for the twelve months ending 30th September aa compared with the similar period of the preceding year. The railway receipts hav3 increased £60,119 (" Sydney Mail," Octobor 9th, ISSG). Tenders havo been accepted for 750 out of 1,000 good waggons on tho Victorian railways. Fresh tenders will be called for the remainder, which are divided into contracts of 50 each for tho bonofifc of small manufacturers (" Sydney Mail," Sep tember 25_h, 1S87). The Pbceoix Foundry Company, Ballarat, are the successful ten derers for the supply of 20 passenger loco motives for the Victorian Government.

Wo may cry down Protection a3 we will, but theae are plain, hard facts in tho ex porieuce of the colonies. Victoria, with a high Protective tariff, where 20 per cent. is levied on woollen goods imported, and 20 and 30 per cent, on other manufactured articles, is the only colony that can show an increase on revenue and railway returns. I have not the returns of Canada, but I quote from a recent communication to the "Sydney Morning Herald," Nov. 7th, 18S6, by Mr Ockelford, of B;itbane, in which the writer saya : "Previous to the advent of Sir John Maedonald's administration, the Dominion of Canada, under Free Trade, was in a state almost bordering upon national bankruptcy. Tho farmera had no home market for their produce — manufacturing industries were crushed out .of existence by, vast floods of importations from America and other foreign c untrios ; 500,000 sons of Canada had to cross the border into tho United States in order to get trades and occupations suited to their requirements, and who, while in Canada, were a burden to their parents and a nuisance to the State." In the Hon. A. W. McLellan's spoech of March 30th, 1886, he states : "*' The merchant failed, for want of customers during the free trade era; the merchant stood idle at the counter, waiting in vain for customers that did not coma—that could not come because thoy bad no money and no employment, and therefore ruin and bankruptcy fell upon the merchant, and the Official Assignee walked the land like a pestilence at noonday. But the adoption of the national policy of Protection by the Macdonald administration imparted new life and vigour te the terribly op pressed dominion." To prove this, I quote from Sir Leopold Tilley's speech in 1885 as follows :— " I may state that there was a large increase in the trade of the dominion during the laat five years. Tho increased products of our manufac tures must have diminished the valuo of the imnorts of manufactured goods for 5 years to tho extent of £20,000,000. When I say the increased wacea paid during tbe last year to tho men and women employed was f.3,000,000 you may fairiy infer that the interests on tho outlay on buildings and profits to manufacturers would bring it to £4,000,000. or for. the 5 years to £20,000,000." I do not desire to see the consumption of the people diminished, but while the Go vernment dosire to see it increased they prefer to see them consume articlea produced and manufactured in the country rather than that they should be imported from outside, and involve the necesaity of sending money out of the country to pay for them. There is nothing, perhaps, that can mark more clearly the increase in these industries thtln the increased .demand for machinery, and it is- v>'all known by every man engaged in tho manufacture of machinery that the orders he has receivoci since 1579 have been larg.ly in excess of those for the previous 5 year 3. Tho manu facture of cotton goods ia "shown by the following rosulta from one company—tbe Canadian Cotton Manufacturing Company. For the six months the percentage of hands between 1878 and 1885. shows an increase of 57J per cent. ; the wages paid an increase of 91f per cent,; increase in wages, 31 per

cent. In the last month of the year tho

increase of wages was 30 por cent, over that paid in 18;S, and with this increase of wages consumers are getting their sheetings now for 42J per cent, less than they paid in 1878— the free trade period. The pro tective duty on this class of goods is 35 per cent. This completely dieposes of the fallacy about Protection making manu factured articles dear, and what ia true in this case is the samo all over the dominion. Turn onoe more to Victoria. Mr Eishor, M H.K (N Z ), "Hansard" June 24, ISS6, says (of Victoria): " During last 5 years number of factories in Victoria has in creased 30 per cent, ; number of hands employed, buildings and machinery, by 50 per cent. There are now in tho colony (of Victoria) about 3,000 factories turning out 120 different kind of productions, with a capital of nearly £11,000,000, employing 50,000 hand? and paying wages of £5,000,000 per annum. Value of manufac tured goods in Victoria in ISSS reached fully £20,000,000." Tho principle is to keep within our own bouuds the moneys for which tho people aro taxed, It is they who have to produce tho money, and it is only fair it should be again distributed among them. People talk about tbe question of Free Trade and Protection being an ab struse question. I see no abstrusenees about it. It is one of the simplest problems I have over had to deal with, viz,, the problem whether we ehnll send our money out of tho country to be used in omploying largo numbers of people in othor eountrise, or whether wo shall keep it to maintain large numbers of peoplo in our midst. It aaiounta to nothing more than this.

What aro wo going to do in New Zealand ? Onr borrowing power has come to an end, our cities are full of unemployed artisans, farmer,-' pr duco is at its lowest figure — there is nothing will save us from disaster but tho employment of our people. Are we still to sond away our money for all wo want pa .s votes for emigration, and then cmp'oy our artisans on rolief works with pick and (.hovel? What is to be dono with our boys learning trao'es when tho indus tries, of the country ore at a standstill— workshop, empty and idle ? Is it surprising that parents are so anxious to get thoir boys into banks and offices, when it is plain that after a lad hti3 put in some years to a trade there is no employment in the country for him ?

I say there ia no noed to argtio tiro merits of Froe Trade or Protection ; but simply to look at results in tho United States. Canada, and Victoria. I ccc the American Presi dent says in hia message, "Tho greater part of the revenue will still bo raised on impart duties." He haß aIEO wisely nnsworod the request from New Zealand Freo Traders through Mr Griffin that Now Zealand wools and woollen gooda might bo admitted into the States' on a reduced duty— that the United Statoa cannot deviate from their Protective policy. Ono more phase of Free Trade rcaulta to us : A foreign vessel on the coast of the United States ia not allowed to run from port to port save in ballast. Now, wo build first-cla-a vessels here, have plenty of good shipwrighta and young mon serving their time to the trade, and see the effect of foreign competition on our coast ! An Auckland merchant stated a few weeks back that twelvo months Bince he received a cargo in a colonial vessel from Lytelton, freight 153 per ton ; that just now a German vessel ia bringing a precisely similar c rgo for 8s per ton. 1 am informed it is a tact tha* a sawmill firm hero havo chartered German voeeela for cargoes, although the said firm own colonial vossels, which vessels they havo laid up. Now, how is tho ship building industry to progress under these circumstancos ? Such a thing could not be otherwise than ruinous to it. Ia it wonderful that tho country is dopreased when money that should employ our own people—our own flesh and blood—i 3 sent away to Aliens ? I ask your readers to consider thoso re sults of tho experience of other lands in Freo Trade and Protection, and remain, — Yours otc , H. W. T.

Sir George Grey's Rare Manu scripts.

In a recent iasuo we mentioned tho fact that the rareMSS'a of Sir George Grey's library had boen unpacked, and were in spected by representatives of tho press. YV o now append a brief descriptive list of the more notable MSS's and early black letter publications of tho collection : —

(1) A Gioek Lcctionary and Greek copies of tho four go.pels ; all of the 10th century, or probably still earlier- in capital preser vation.

(2) Hone B. M. Virginis, secundum usiim Surum. MB. ou vellum, by an Engliah Bcribo, in a large Gothic character of the 15th century, containing 2? largo minia tures, and illuminated in gold and colours (3) MS. copy (in black letter) of ■ Aris totle.. Mctaphysica, Pbyaiea ot de Moteoria. (4) A Roman Catholic missal—a superb MS. on vellum written in the 15th century in a large Gothic hand, with tho music of the chant.. Contains alao two large and highly-finished full-page miniature paint ings, and 63 vory delicately-painted minia tures. This>lS. is presumed to have boon executed for a bishop of Besancon. (5) Threo Coptic prayer books containing illustrations of a vory crude style of art, (6) A Coptic work in a crocodilo skin case, presented to Sir Ge.rge Grey by Cap tain Start, of tho Abyasiuian Expodition. (7) MS. copy in vellum of Boetius' "Da Consolatione, Etc." executed in 1300 by Johan de Meun for Philip tho Fair, and token from Sully's library. A black letter copy of "Tho Saxon Chronicle." profusely illustrated with woodcuts, and printed by Peter Schaffer in 1492.

(9) Commontarioa of Pope Gregory the Great onto. Book of Job.alarge square folio in vellum, and formerly the property of Henry V. of England ; about 400 yoara old.

(10) A copy of " Esop's Fables " in Greek, printed in 1488. (11) Nicholl'a English tranalation of Thucydides, printed in 1550. . (12) MS Psalter of the Bohemian Church, illustrated and. printed in Latin about J 500.

(13) Two copies of Barclay's "Ship of Fools," printed in black letter and illus trated with woodcuts (1509), and inscribed in Bishop Heber's handwriting. (14) Two large vole, of a black letter Bible, illustrated in initial letters; ele gantly bound in velvet, and with heavy brass mountings ; minted in vellum, a.d. 1620.

(15) Another large misßal, similar to No. 4.

There are, in all, some 39 or 40 old MSS., mostly theological works, and so far, be tween 3,000 and 4,000 bound'volume3 have come to hand, besides many more pamphlets and unbound volumes. All of these havo beon unpacked, ehelvod, and briefly catalogued. We notice among them a tolerably complete set of Bohn'a translations and most of tho classics in the original, besides a very largo array of philological works, euch aa dictionaries and grammar of African languages, as well as tha Chiucso and Assyrian tongues and Melanesian dialecte. There are also about 200 volumes of Bibles and parta of Bibles in various languages. Tho works relating to New Zoaland," of which thoro are a great number, have yot to come to hand, and when they and the balance of the library are received, the books will be permanently shelved, and Prof. Aldis will enter upon the compilation of a descriptive catalogue. 30 bundles of Maori carvings, etc , arrived by the s.s. Roße Casey last weok, and await proper arrangements. They will bo familiar te those who have been through Sir Geo. Grey's library at the Kawau.

"I Must Seep This Gate Shut."

An English former saw a number of hunts men coming on horseback. Ho did not want them to go over one of his fields, be cause the crop was in such a condition that it would be injured and perhaps destroyed by the tramp of tho horses. So he put hi 8 hired boy at the gate and told him not to open it. On camo the hunters and com manded him to open the gate. Ho refused. They offered him monoy. He would not take it. Then a noble-looking man rode up and said : _ " My boy. I am the Duke of Wellington, and I command you to cp?n tha gate."

The boy took off his hat and said : "I ara sure the Duke cf Wellington would not wish me to disobey orders. - I mu-t keep this gate*.shut ; no cr.e to pass through but with my Blaster's express per mission." The duko was pleased, and lifting his hat, aaid: "I honour the man or boy who can neither be talked, bribed nor frightened into doing wrong. With an army of such soldiers I could conquer the world."

SOCIETY LETTER FROM LONDON.

"Tho Sailor Prineo."-

Edlnburgh.

Tho Duke oi

[By a Peekes.-.]

His Early Career—Pit-NCI. Alfred—Sells Hia Mother's Letters for Five shillings Kach-Offered rat! Throne of Guhkcjs- His ivlarhi >ob With the Daughter of the Czar of Itus-i a—llkr Dowry, lot) .Dozen fiioirs-Stationed at Malta-The Prince Challenged to a Duel—lts iJhfohal—His Violin.

So the Duke of Edinburgh is to make Malta hia heudquartora again, and to stay thore, porhaps, for threo years. It cannot !bo without mixed feeling that ho returns onco moro to the Court of St. Antonio after an absence of some eight years. Hia previous stay in tho island waa marked by incidonts which, thanks to tho pains taken to hush thorn up, wero only known to a fow persons, and aro now beginning to be quite forgotten. Before I put them on rocoH here, a few words about the general caroer of tho, Queen's sailor son will not bo amiss.

In ISoS, it was decided that Prince Alfred should adopt tho navy as a profession j and ho was first entrusted to tho caro of Sir Walter Tarleton, in whose ship ho sorved in the Mediterranean and ol.ewhere. It was tho dosiro of tho Queon and of the Princo Consort that their second son should " rough it " like any of his fellow cadots ; and though he was a Princo, with only one liio botwoen him and succession to tho throne of England, he was in receipt of only a very modorato allowance, which ia perhaps the reason why ho was Always Willing To Sell for 5. tho affectionato letters bis Koyul mother indited to him. After a certain period of training tho Princo had an inter val of study and anmseinent at llolyrood, E.iinb-irgh, where .nine at least of the Scots became model- for hia eorious imitation. In 1573 ho passed for the rank of lieutenant, and in 1870, whon ho had boon for ton years Duko of Edinburgh, ho was promoted to tlio rank of captain, Early in the following year ho took command of the Galatea, a lino wooden frigate. ■ In Japan ha was received by tho Mikado, who loaded him with gorgeous presents, and probably received in exchange an electro plated teapot (emila to Newcastle). " A littlo later ho went to l-ocao and hod an audience with tho Pope, who presented him with the Kossary, which no doubt holms since sold. It ought not to be forgotten that ns long ayo a. tho year 1802 Princo Alfred was OHorcd tlio TUrono of Grcocc, an offer which he, perhaps prudently, declined. Considering the unsettled slaty of Groece at that time, His Royal High ness seemed birttor off with the lifteen thousand n year which Parliament granted him in 1800, and which was increased by another £10,00!) a year in 1874, whon he married the only daughter of tho late Emperor of Russia. Bosidoe being an only daughter, tho bride was tho favourite child of hor father, and tho dowry he gave hor waa on tho eamo scale aa her trosseau, one littlo item of which waß a hundred dozen pairs of shoes. With iheso articles the British market has boon flooded ever since.

Tho idoa that the Duke of Edinburgh might havo te round on so profound a benefactor as ho discovered in hi. father-in law, was not a very pleasant one, and when ho waa in command at Malta -Oino throe or four yoars after his marriage, tho imminence of war botweon Britain und Russia gave ii_o to some very grave doubts aa to tho boasted advantages of matrimonial alliances between British princes and foreign princesses. There waa only ono man in tho island of Malta whoso sympathies wero not whollj with Turkoy in her dispute with tho Czar, and that man was the Czar's .ruin-law. Botweon him and hia fellow officers the groat political topics of tho timo became too delicato subjects to bo discusatd ; and though tho Duko Volunteered In the Handsomest Manner to go to tho front in tho event ef our de claring war, hia position as the husband of the Czar's daughter rendered hia offered eoi'vico a doubtful boon. But these high mattora of policy woro Hot the only thomo of burning discussion in Malta iv connection with the Duko. In fact, thero wore certain social occurrences before which graver problems paled, and theto finally resulted in hia departure from the pleasant littlo island to which, after eight yoara of rustica tion, ho has now returned. The Duko had ' a friend who, though ho possessed a pretty wife of his own, was not indisposed to show his admiration for the equally pretty wife of one of hia acquaintances who was etationod with hia rogiinont oa tho island. The lady was tho'recipicnt of a number of letters from the " Priaec'a friend " which eventually fell into hor husband's hands. Tho friendshio had gone on for a year, when the " Prince's friend " commuter! to paper a declaration of attachment, which brought the affair to A Crisis, and lod to a challenge from tho lady's hus band, which wea courteously declined. A second challenge promptly followed, where upon tho Duko of Edinburgh intervened, and at a mooting held ou bond the Sul tan, it waa arranged that the ," Priuco'a friend" should resign hia peat and retire from tho island. An agreement was sol emnly signed by nil parties, and it waa hoped that tho affair, which had seriously compromised no one but tho " Prince's friond," was at au end. On the day follow ing, however, the military man, to his utter amazement, received v challengo from tho Dako of Edinburgh. Tha recipient of this strange mi&sivo replied in respectful terms, regretting hia inability to meet hia Soveroign'a son. Tho reply of the Duko, dated at IS o'clock in tha morning, began " Dear ," and ended " Yours very truly, Alfred," but demanded an imm.diate com pliance with the terms of his former com muaication. Tho recipient of tJiia answered that, subject to certain conditions, ho should endeavour to reconcile it to bis conscience to give satisfaction to the Princo, but that for the moment he disclaimed all ground of quarrel with him. The Duko deigned to considor this reply satisfactory, n_d wrote back to cay that his " friend " would settle the affair for himself. Thereupon docu ments woro onco moro drawn up, tho " friond" agreeing t° "leave thei.land," and at the same timo adding an oath that the honour of the lady was untouched. The military man ou, his part, relinquished the erotic letters which tho "Prince's friond" had written, and these were duly burnod. A few daya later tho "friend " and his wife left the island. But hero.

Tho Interfering Femalo

arrived upon tho scone. Mrs. , an acquaintance of all tha parties to the quarrel, wrote to tho wife of the " Prince's friend" that she had heard the wholo story from the lips of the lady whom the " friend " so much admired. Tho exiles communicated with tha duko, who at once recalled them ; declaring that the military man's wife had virtually broken the pact by which it waa taken for granted that the whole business ehould bo buried in oblivion. From Palermo they sped back, in obedience to tho Royal command, but not without tho military man being warned of their untimely approach. The Cii-tom-house Quay at "Valetta bocatne a scene of singular animation when

A Horsewhipping waa publicly administered to the "Prince's friend", by the outraged husband. So public a scandal could not bo ignored. A court-martial was held, at which tho voluble Mrs gave hor evidence (but all in vain) to defend the return of the "Princo'e friond" to tho island. The court martial held that tho assault was co far warranted by the circumß_anc_3 ne to exonerate the military man from any blame. Tho papers contain ing tbo evidence and tho decision were for warded to tbo Duke of Cambridge, who fully concurred with tho finding - a fact of which he made no secret when ho shortly afterward visited tho island. Considering' the size of Valetto, it was obviously teo small a place to hold our Sailor Prince after these occurrences ; and now, when bo re turns there it ia no doubt a as sadder and a wiser man—at least, as far as the ebullitions of bis " friends " are concerned. Of late, tho daily papers havo teemed with paragraphs about tho Duko of Edin burgh's* visit to the Sultan ; and it has been hinted that the illness of the commander of the faithful was feigned in order to delay for threo days the reception which be had premised to accord to tho English Princ.. From what I havo already sad about the Philo-Rur siau proclivifci.s of the Duke, the story might be intelligible enough. But, as r. matter oi' fact, 1 believe that this catd ill neVa'was one of tbe few thing, which his Majesty has not feigned ; and that ho .was wily enough to be very willing to make tho most favourable impression upon the only one of our Princea who is unsympathetic to him—a nrocesa which he carried out in the most knowing manner by tho bestowal of j costly presenta. There is no charge for car riage in conveying these home j and. the

only rogrot attaching to tho possession o them in the Edinburghian eyes is that no insurance company will indemnify against fire without the paymont of a yearly pro mium.

When Dr. Camming challenged Cardinal Newman to a controversy on tho relative merits of Romanism and Protestantism, the Birmingham oratorian replied that he must decline the theological contest, but ho would bo happy to have a match with the Scottish Doctor on tho violin. And when it has been hinted to tho' Duko of Edin burgh that a subscription to this or that charity would bo welcome, he, too, has begged tho question by a roforonco to the instrument which Paganini mado his own. It is too ridiculous; but the Duke, until last spring, always

Imagined Himself a Violinist. Sir Arthur Sullivan has gravely assured him that he could "make a fortune" on tlio strings—tho most feeling formula in which a compliment can be convoyed to the Dako. Christine Nillsson has sat listening to his string-scraping by the hour with a fnco of pleasod gravity which belied tho mockery at her heart. Aud whon ho ap peared in public with his instrument the enthusiasm of the audience know no bounds. Why anybody should havo thou.ht it worth whilo to dispel so pleasant an illusion, I cannot imagine ; but certain it is that, a fow montlia ago, a prominent jonrnaliat mado it his mission to speak vory pluiu words about this musical imposture Tbo Duko did not challenge tho offouder; but bo vowed ho should never play in public again. Strange to say, tho public is not it'iconsolablo, though tho royal violinist may be. BISLTIiNEBIIOSA.

Clerical Ignorance in the Middle Ages.

The elate of letters throughout Christian Europe during tho seventh and tight cen turies wis so low that very few of the bishops could compose th.ir own discourses, und some of those Church dignitaries thought it no shame to publicly acknow ledge their inability to write thoir own names. Numerous instincts occur in the Acta of tho Councils of Eplioau. and Chalcodon of an inscription in tltc.se words "I, _— , havo subscrib-d by tho hand uf , because I cannot write ;" and such a bishop having confeaVcd that ho could uot write, thero followed— "I, whosa name is underwritten, have subscribed for him." A Sliap-eloa's Story, A young man going tc tho bishojj for ad mission into holy orders, to lost his learn ing, was asked by tho prelate, " Who waa the kthor of the Four Sons of Aymon?" and not knowing whit answer to make, thi.i promising candidate was refuted as in efficient. LeUtrnitrg homy, arul explaining why ho had nut b.ron ordained, his father told him that ho must bo an ass if he could not tell who was the -.ithor cf the four sons of Aymon. " See, I pray thee,'' quoth he, " yonder is Ore.it John, the smith, who had four eotiH ; if a man should ask thee who was their father, would'_t thou not say it was Great John, tho smith ?" " Ye.," said the brilliant youth ; " now I understand it." Thereupon bo went og-iiu before the i-ishop, aud being asked a second time, "Who waa tho father of the Four Sons of 'Aymon'." ho promptly replied, "Great John, tho smith." Ignorant Bishops. Among tho many numorous auecdcteß told in illustration of tho gross ignoranco of tho higher orders of the clergy in medi-e val times, tho two following are not the least amusing : — About tho year 13.10 Louia Beaumont was Bishop of Durham. He waa a very illiter ate French nobleman, so incapable of r.ading that he could not, although ho had studiud them, read tho bulla unnouticod to the people at hia consecration. During tho ceremony tho word " metropoliticte" oc curred ; the Bishop paused, and tried iv vain to repeat it, and at last remarked, "Supposo that said." Thon bo camo to " . Knigmate," which alao puzzled him. " By St Loui-i," ho exclaimed in indigna tion, "it could bo no gentleman who wrote that stuff!"

Our second anecdote ia probably pretty generally known. Andrew Forinan, Bishop of Moray and papal Legate for Scotlaud, lat an entertainment given by him at Homo to tho Pope and Cardinals, bluudored so in his Litiuity whon ho _ald graco that his Holiness and the cardinals lost thoir gravity. The disconcerted bishop concluded his blessing by giving '"Athofauso carles to the doil," to which tho company, not understanding hi. Scots Latinity, said " Amon." '•Bcnofit of Clorgy." Tho meaning of tho phraso " benefit of clergy" ia not perhaps very generally undoislood. The custom had ila origin in those dayn of intellectual dorknosa when tho state of letters w_k su low that anyono found guilty iv a court of justice of a crime which was punishable wilh death, if he could prove himself ablo to road a verse in a Latin Bible, was pardoned, ns bong a man of learning, and therefore like ly to he useful to the Stato; but if ho couli not road ho was euro to bo hanged — " without benefit of clergy " This privilogo, it is said, wae granted to nil offoncos, excepting high treason aud sacrilege, till after the year IMoO. At first it waa extended not only to the clergy, but to any person who could read, who, however, had to vow that ho would enter into holy orders ; but, with Iho iticroaso of learning this " bonefit of clot try" waa restricted by several Acts of Parliament, and waa finally abolished only bo late as tho roign of (joorgo IV. An Unluclty Slip. In "Mother Bunch's Jests," a book of [acetire very popular in tho risteen'-li cen tury, a story ia told of ti criminal at the Ox ford Assizes who " prayed his clergy," and n Bible was accordingly bunded to him that bo might read a verso. Ho could not read a word, however, which a scholar who , chane.d to bo present observing, he sluod behind and prompted him with the verse he waa to read ; but coming towards the end, the man's thumb happened to cover tho remaining word?, nnd so tho scholar, in a low voiced said, .-'Take away thy thuuib," which worda tho man, supposing them to j form port of tho verso he was reading, re peated aloud, "Take away thy thumb," whereupon the Judge ordered him te be taken away and hanged.—■ By W. A. Clou-ton, iv the " Glasgow Herald."

Unfit For His Position.

He was fat enough to start a boarding houso with, and as ho loanod up against a policeman, tho latter sighed, and wondered whero he'd get a waggon big enough to loud with him,

He had evidently been out with the boys, for his hat was cocked jauntily on one side, and his voice had knots iv it. " You're a perleecomau, ain't- you . - "Phwat?" said tho man in blue, as tonished at such assumption. " You're a porleocoman V "Be jabera I Oi'U show ye ef ye don't take a walk around yerself." . "Do you—that ia—do you know anner— annorsing 'bout civil service ?" "About phwat?" <• Civ —that is—civil service ?" " Ah, go drown yorself." "-Do you know difference 'tween diabetes aa' diaphragm 5" " Oi'll give yo a welt that'll brGak ye inter threo halves, if yo don't hist yor soif." "Do you know differenco 'tween phle botomy and phlthoadamy ?" ■ "G'nn now." " Know difference 'tween archplogy an' .esophagus ?" " Sco here, young man " "Tell difference 'tween truth i. mighty ns.d will prevail, aud cheese ie mitey au' will get svalo ?" " Oi want yo " "Could you 'form mo differences 'tween etymology an' a sardine sandwitch ?" " JFor wuns . moro Oi " " I'll bet you can't even dissect differenco 'tween Paradise an' pair o' dice 1" The policeman turned him round, mado him raise both liis coat tails, pinned them up, so that he had a full view of tho man's laundry, and then kicked until his toes woro sore. " That's the difference atune mo an' a . fu'o !" ho ejacu'atod, as he ran Iho man into the middle cf the street. " Glad I got an answer, but it's wrong. Geo' day. You're no more fit to be a perleeceman than a cat." Then ha moved onward, l.ft and right oblique.

Unreasonable Mr Maguire —Nobody out side lite p.,_-e...ir.i has any idea lu.-w di/ti cu'.t ir. is for an editor to please some oi hi-1 patrons. For instt._r.__, a weatern paper announces as follows: "Mr Maguire wilt wash himself before ho assumes the offico of shoiitf." Thia made Maguire mad, and he demanded a retraction, wbich the paper made thus : Mr Maguire requests us to deny that he will wash himself before he assumes the office of sheriff." Oddly enough, this only enraged Maguire more.

A CURIOUS LIBEL ACTION.

THE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE COLERIDGE ACCUSED OF FRAUD.

Tho Conscqu.nces of a Clerloal Error.

(FKOM OOK LONDON CORKKSPONDENT.)

London, November 26. In the lengthy eight days'trial of Adams v. Coleridge, which resulted yesterday in a verdict for tho defendants, the novel and edifying spectacle was witnessed of a Lord Chief Justice of England being badgered in his own Court by hia own fton-iu-Jaw, All who havo followed tho case carefully will, howover, gladly admit that fow living men could havo pulled -through a difficult and ridiculous situation with greater tact ond dignity than Lord Coleridge has dono, Tho World owo. him, intleed, the amende honorable. After the first libel action, in which Mr Adams was awarded such swingeing damnges by a een timontul jury, his lordship's reputation was distinctly smirched. Mr Adams had painted Lord Coleridge as n hard, unkind father, uncharitable in hi. disposition, nnd miserly aiid pareiinonioua in his habits, " Twelve good mon and true " apparently believed Mr Adams. But magna est Veritas, ct prevalebit, Adams, wo know, would gladly have draggod his father-in law's ermine still furthor in the mud.Strange to say.the very course ho took to effect this has, on tho contrary, entirely rehabilitated tho Lord Chief Justice's great namo and reputation.

A. the ond of the iir_t day of tho present trial it waa perfectly clear what Iho verdict would bo. Adams, tho plaintiff id, a. you know, the eon-iii-law of one defendant and brother-in-law of tho other. Ho charged them with having wilfully and maliciously

ennui;!.(.! a base fraud in secretly sending ductimcntsdefamatoryofhimtotheaibitraror who be alleged had done so wilh tho express purpose of unduly influencing tho arbitra tor's mind. Few moro disgraceful charges could be mado against any man. If it had been true, Lord Coleridge would be quite •unfit to administer justice, and Mr Cole ridge would bo unworthy of silting in the House of Commons, or of practising the honourable profeesbn of tho law. -Jut it wen not true, and Mr Adams hal no excuse lor milking it. He should havo known perfectly well, for ho b«d beon told on tbe ii-g-tL-it authority, Unit it was n more ini-tako of Lord Coloring.,.! solicitor, or rathor of tbo solicitor's dorr.... Lard Cole ridge, on behalf of him. oil ami hi. .on, sent iv Mr Adams through their solicitor a lull and frank apology to' iin error which was not. theirs, ond of .which thoy bad, and uotdd havo had, no knowledge whatever. Tho r'olicitur. Mi Chinles Harri-p.m, wrote htui ■-•eli lo Mr Adarn_, cxplaintiif. h_-»- tho niia -uko arose, taking the full responsibility upon his own shoulders, and completely exonerating his client.. The arbitrator, tho late Lord Monk.well, a gentleman of the highest honour and capacity, informed the plaiutiff that the letters and newspaper cuttings in question woro quite irrelevant; that no lawyer, much lose a Chief Justice, could have supposed them to be material ; aud that he had totally disregarded thoni in making hia award. Yet Mr Adam, per .if ted in pressing hi 3 claim boforo a jury, a claim in which he accused his wife's father and brother of almost incredible meanness, and quite incredible stupidity. Ko more frivolous and vexatious action was ever brought into Court. The jury appended to ihoir verdict a ridor in which they censurod Vlr Harrison for his carelessness, and "adopting his voluntary offer to accept all responsibility, woro oi opinion that tho plaintiff should bo held free fiem caste." Mr Adams, it must bo remembered, has suffered no injury whatever, except so far as his own character has suffered by his own proceedings. Ho brought, nearly two years ago, an action of libel against Mr Coleridge on a letter written to Mi_s Cole ridgo, now Mrs Adams. Tho jury found for tbo plaintiff, damages £3,000. Mr Justice Manisty ruled that the occasion ivas privileged, as it unquestionably was ; held that tbero was no evidence of malice, in which he was probably wrong ; and left tho caso in such a con dition that both parties appealed. Before the appoal was decided, the action was ro forrod to an arbitrator, selected by Mr Mr Adams, togothor with another suit which Mr Adams had commenced against Lord Coleridge. The arbitrator, Lord Monkswell, cut tho damages against" Mr Coleridge down to £500, and gave only nominal damages against Lord Coleridge. Wo do not for~a moment dispute the pro priety of Lord Monks well's nward. But many pooplo who regarded Mr Coleridge's letter to his .bier aa indefensible could not help fooling Bomowhat alarmed at the intiu siou of tho law of libel into strictly private and domestic corrospondeuco. Lord Cole ridge's letter was written in reply to ono from Mrs Bishop, an old friend of his family, who gave it to Mr Adams, apparently ia order that ho might make it tho subject of au action at law. Mrs Bishop's friends will probably be careful how they write to hor in future. Lord Monk.well wisely iecided to determine the points submitted to him on written evidence alone, und it was of course" arranged that each party should bo informed of tho documents handed in by tho other. lord Coleridge, however, had natural y sent to his solicitor every • crap of paper which could have any pos .ibl_ boaritig upon his defence in tho action which Mr Adams had instituted against him. Many of them were not meant to be seen by tiny ono but solicitor and counsel, and Mr Harrison, having selected each of them arj it was right that Lord Monk.well should road, soul copies to tho solicitors for tho plaintiff, Unfortunately, however, two of Mr Harrison's clerks, who were called,' failed to carry out their employer's instruc tion?, aud forwarded to tho arbitrator a number of documents, somo of thorn re flecting upon the plaintiff's character, which thoy ought to havo retained. Theso were oho libel- _.on_plamod of in tho action juat concluded, Rnd Jf they had been deliber ately sent by order of the defendants with out Mr Adams's knowledge no language could bo too strong in which to denounce such conduct. Lord Coleridge, however, his son, aud Mr Harrison all declared upon i their oaths that such waa not tho case ; that neither Mr Coleridge nor bis father know anything whatever about tho matter ; and that it was a puro mistake. The plaintiff could not produce ono shred of evidence in support, of his claims, and his c-.vn masterly cross - examination at tho hands of Sir Charles Russell put him completely out of Court. It did something more than that, however. It showed that Mr Adams had in bis possession since last January two letters from the arbitrator, iv one of which Lord Monkswoll said that tho letters objected to " were wholly immaterial, and " would in no case havo influenced his award," while in the other ho .aid ha was satisfied that they wore laid before him entirely through Mr Harrison's mistake, and without the know ledge of Lord Coloridgo, adding that "if thoy produced any effect, thoy would injure only the party using them." Yet Mr Adams never said one word about these letters, either to the othor side or to the jury. If Lord Monkswoll had not kept copies which were supplied by his executors after his death, Lord Coleiidge and his ad visers would never have heard of them. Mr Adams should remember that whon a man comes forward to cloar hie own character and to blacken tho characters of o.hers, he should scrupulously observe the dic tates of common fairnea3. Mr Adams's answer to this is that ho thought Lord Monkswell had sent copies of these letters to Mr Harrison. But whatever Mr Adams may have done for his own character, he has afc least con clusively vindicated the character of the Lord Chief Justice of England. The whole story of Mr Adams's relations with the Cole ridge family ha 3 now been laid bafcro the public, with the result that '.ord Coleridge is shown to have conducted himself throughout a long and painful contro vorey in a manner eminently worthy of his high position, his great reputation, his distinguished career, and tho famous name which ho bears, For months, nay, years, there have been vague and floating rumours imputing to the .Lord Chief Justice acts unbecoming to a father and a gentleman. Mr Adamß is entitled to the credit of having dispersed these mists of prejudice and error. Everybody now knows that Lord Coleridge has treated his daughter with sincere affection, and Mr Adams with dignified forbearance, He did indeed object to Mr Adams as a son-in law, and we must leavo it to those fathers who have waded through his trial to _ay whether ho was wrong. Ho objected still nv.-.re strongly te what .-.r Adams called his •' nominal .engagement" v.ith Miss Coleridge, woll "described by Mr Juotic. Dent-iaii _r3 " an agreemer.i: v huh would enable Mr Adams to have all the intimacy arid p.war of approach of an engaged suitor without their ever becoming man and wife." What kind and wise parent, what man of sense and of the.world, would not ? We decline to enter into Mr Adams's peculiar theories on this subject, or to discuss the taste and delicacy of a man who says

that his present wife waa offered to him "at three hundred ayear." When Mr Adams became engaged to Misa Coleridge he was uot making a sufficient income to support a wife, and he admitted in cross-examinstion that he was not making one now. Lord Coleridge accordingly wrote to him aa follows:—"If and when Mr Adams can show me that ho has the beginnings of a real income, or that he has even any tang ible and solid ground of one, I will meet it much moro than half-way, and at any rate will make possible a marriage which, with vout mv aid, might, be indefinitely post poned " It is ut'e.-ly untrce that Lord Coloridge turned his daughter out of his house. . She left of her own accord, and Lord Colerilge allowed her £300 a year. She now has £600 a year settled on hor, with tho usual provision for the benefit of her hus band, though Mr Adams maintains that he has accepted no pecuniary advantage from Lord Coleridge, because the deed would apnly to "any husband." Mr Adams has, in fact, done what Mr Stephen Coleridge claimed to have accomplished by his rather unwise interview with an American re porter. Ho found Lord Coleridge's " face black as ink " in the estimation of some people, and has " left it whito." In grant ing this interview, Mr Stephen Coleridgo allowed his zeal to run away with hia discretion, and perhaps, a 8 Baron Dowse said lately in another caso, his zeal had not a vory heavy burden to carry. But nobody will think much tho worse of a young man who committed an irregularity to clear hia father from wholly undeserved blame.

A Visit to a Chinese Theatre.

A comH-SPOHDKNT write., from HoDg Kong : Accompanied by a Chinese friend, who . hud before made known our propo3od visit to the manager, we presented ourselves at the ticlret-offi-e, a cage-like structure in which were (several Chinese dealing out tickets ns quickly a3 possible. We woro conducted upstairs into tho gallery, and passing along a passage found ourselves confronted by a wooden sliding door, which wae pushed back, and wo entered a square apace parlilioued off with wooden walls. The seats wero all.bamboo, like immense garden sea's, Iv front was the stage.a flat platfoim about two feo. from the ground ; no aide scenes or curtains; two entrances, b.fore which hung curtains so narrow that all the dressing and preparations "behind the scenes" wore open-to tbe public view ; coolies fat or squatted on both tides of the platform ; a mat was spread for the actors ou the stugo ; at the back of the stage the orchestra held forth, the instruments cau eistin-g of a drum, two banjo.., a Chinese fiddle, and sundry other heathen emitters of unmusical sounds. The uudience, aa far aa numbers were concerned, would have de lighted many a London actor—about 2,000 or 3.000 were seated. Down in the body of tho theatre the better-class Chinese were seated in thoir long whiteSgowns j the seats were much like ordinary pow.«, the book board serving as a table for tea, Bweatmeaia, and watei pipes. The gallery was filled with coolies, with the exception of closely Ecrceued-off portions reserved for ladies, ono of which being empty we occupied; Only women ct low character are ever seen in any other portion of the theatre than that reserved for them. Coolies went up and down between the seats with immense trays of sweetmeats aud tea, reminding one of the waiters at home, but as all the seats are on the level opera glasses are needless. The play was a popular one. A mandarin, noted for squeezing the people, has at tempted to levy a heavy tax on one family, who resist the oppression. The gaoler comes to bear them off to prison, and a most heartrending scene takes place ; the old grandfather and the mother of the prl.ouera appears, and after entreating and trying to bribe the gaoler, and finding all their endeavours useless, they take a weeping, sad farewell of each othor. Tho old gentleman, palling hia board out by the roots, an.l the mother screaming iv a shrill falsetto, the pri soners (husband and wife) finally are so overcome with grief and rage that they fall on to the ground. The gaoler here bun dles them off to the cell. This part is amusing, as the wholo of the characters remain on the stage, and tho imagination has to be brought in to fill fn the cell walls that aro wanting. Shortly before this abrupt and forcible parting the male prisoner had requested his grandfather to go and Beo a friendly sort of Rob Koy and try and enlist his services to release him from i piison. The local mandarin, being baffled , in his wishes to obtain money, had threat ened to accuso hia victims of being robbers, tho punishment of which crime is behead ing. The noxt scene is the interview , betweon Bob Roy and the grandfather. Rob agrees to attempt the release of the prisoner, and calling his daughter (d j Ghineso Amazon) and hia son, the three upparol themselves in war array and de part. Now tbe scone changes, and two Chinese night watchmen come on, holding ; their paper lanterns aud beating the watch, j They run up against each other in the dark —a practical joke much enjoyed by the aud ence. An explanation ensues, and. our Dogbcr'ies pursue their respective ways, passing round the back of the stage, and one reentering just aa Rob Roy enters by the other door. He watches Dogberry, and then, drawing his sword, smites him gently, whereupon Dogberry dies in true Btago form. Rob Koy divests himself of his own headgear, and places the dead man's on hia own bead, which operation is per formed carefully before a mirror hold up by a coolie. Thon, taking the dead man's lantern and tom-tom he gives the corpse a kick, which resuscitates, and flies off tho stage quite lively. Rob now, having beloro possessed himself of the watchman's keys, makes his way towards tbo piison, encountering on his way the other watchman, who, not beingsatiefied at thoaltered appearance of his comrade, makes iuqniries, which Rob with ready wit au.wers.aad proceeds. Beatingthe watch in true professional style he opens the prison doors, and releases the prisoner. Before Rob can get back to his home, an alarm is raised and soldiers appear. Rob's daughter and son rush to tbe rescue ; a right results, and Rob of course proves victorious. During the fight, and before and after, a coolie on i tbo stage snatches up a huge pair of cym bals and clashes them together, making a fearful deafening noise, which is thought necessary truly to represent a battle. Rob and his two children make- for their mountain home, which' they reach, closely pursued by the maudarin and his following A second fight ensues. Rob is again con queror, and tbe mandarin and his soldiers retire. The mountain is represented by tables and chairs piled on top of each othor, and held in position by two ar three coolies. Rob and his daughter and eon climb this impregnable height, and wait the coming of more soldiers, who soon appear in appalling numbers. Rob throws great stones at them, and tjien the attack commences. The soldiers storm the shaky wooden redoubt, and Rob and his children fly to the valley below, where a fight takes place. The soldiers kindly march between Rob and his daughter and son. and while Rob showers blows on tbeir heads, hia warlike daughter smites them hip and thigh, using her sword right soldierly. Rob gets wounded. The soidiers retire. Rob expiree, blessing his Sorrowing 'children, who vow to avenge their wrongs. The performance here ended, to be continued throughout the week, when it reaches its end. Thanks to our Chinese friond, we were told the ending of the tale. After many more hair-breadth escapes aud wonderful adventures, (about one a day) the local mandarin is killed, the fJHs.I son and daughter are rewarded and raised to high rank, and the oppressed fanily are en abled to live happily ever after. Tho costumes and tales are supposed to go back three hundred years. When tho actors got too warm they stopped for a respite, whilo a coolie stepped forward and handed them a basin and a cloth; after a wipe down the play proceeded. The -female characters were all represented by men and their parts wero really well taken— voice, dress, step, and all being perfect. In China women never appear on the stage. The actor who takes tho leading female character makes about 390f. a year, while the Becond, or tho one who takes the load ing male part, gets about 250_. a year. These sums are quite a fortune to a China; maD, whoso household expenses are never great; in fact, ten times these amounts would represent the same thing to a i European.

Tho whole per.ormanco in a Chinese theatre appears ridiculous to a European unless ho allows his imagination to run freely, for walls have to be built, rivers imagined—in fact, all that which at home the scanery would supply, in China the im agination must conjure up. During the play a hideous din is kept up, so that it strikes one as wonderful that the audience can make out the words spoken.

FASHIONABLE EXILES.

Life In tho Amorlcan Colony In

Canada,

A cobeesponkent writing from Montreal says that the necessity for a new extradi tion treaty between the Dominion and the United States is becoming more apparent every day. In the city of Montreal alone at prt-ont thore ore upwurds of thirty refu gees from across the Hdo who dare not set foot on American territory. These em brace New York " boodlers" Alderman, Damp.c-y, Da Lacy, Saylos and Kirk; John Keenan, the " Bismarck "■ of New York politics, who is known to have sup plied the "boodle;" ex-Reading Clerk Moloney, who placed tho "stuff;" Hoe'xter, the notorious New York insolvent, who reached Canada with ..150,000 of his creditors' monoy, which he has since lost in bucket shops; Charles Walters, the Baltimore bank clerk, who is wanted for forgery ; tho McMahon brothers of Lynn, Mass,, the fraudulent debtors; Goldstein, the run away jeweller of Albany, N.Y.; Bartholo mew, tho Now England Bank Presi dent, whose frauds were the sensation of a few weeks ago, but not least John C. Eno, who haa been staying at Windsor for the last two weeks, evidently having became bored with the" churchyard silence" of his adopted home (Quebec), the ancient capital of this province. None of those men mako' any secret of their whereabouts, they ueo no endeavor to conceal their identity, and they may bo aeon daily sunning themselves on St James street, reading the ticker quotations on the " street "or smoking a cigar on the rotuuda of the Windsor, tho fashionable uptown hotel. Their stealings alone aggregate millions of dollars ; mill they walk our streets free aa air, aud when tbe word "ex tradition" is meutioned to them they jauntily reply that they cannot bo "taken over "on a misdemeanour. Neeld had the cool effrontery to seek an asylum hero in tho vicinity where the headquarters of one of the banks he had victimised to the extent of §97,000 was situated, and, in fact, was first seen in company with his wife survey ing tbe handsome building from the etreet. The Now York boodlers continue to live iv princely Btylo. Keenan has a suite of six rooms at tho Windsor. He drives a fast team, which he keeps at Morey'a livery atablo near by, baa a governess for rii3 girls, and a McGill Collogo professor to coach his boya every day. Le Lacy live,-' at tho same house, r.nd whilo not so grand iv his man ner of living spends not IsSB than $10 a week. At the St. Lawrence Ball " Billy " Maloocy wilh hia buxom wife and bis pretty blonde daughter is quartered. His two boys havo entered the Jesuit t'olleg-, while his youngest daughter is a boarder at Villa Mario Convent, ono of the moat expensive educational institutions iv tbe province. Dempsey, Saylea and Kirk are also guests in tho " Boll," and many ia the bottle of wino they make away with. The same house boards floexter and Goldstein, while at the Bichalieu, iv tho French quarters, ape feet colony of smaller *boodlsra " are found keeping company with the actresses of the second-class theatres.

But whilo Canada is full of American refugees, it must not be supposed that the United States ia freo from its contingent of Canadian scoundrels. Boston possesses Hunter, the defaulting Montreal notary, who swindled his clients here out of 8400,000, while Chicago gives a refuge to his son, who aided and abetted his father's frauds. New York harbors Craig, the ab sconding President of the Exchange Bank of Canada,' who ruined tho institution and overdrew his account to the tune of $200,000, while his brother, the ex-Treasurer of the Montreal Loan and Mortgage Company, finds au asylum in Detroit. Three default ing corporation officials are now located in New York-O'Meara, the ex-City Clerk; DeCouicey Harnett, the ex-colleotor attor ney, and Merrill, the ex cashier. It also harbors the absconding Montreal lawyer, F. J. Keller, who is now a practising attor ney of Gotham; two defaulting notaries Alfred Isaacson and J. P. Houle, and nu merous commercial swindlers. Philadel phia has a guest, Nathan Isaacs, whoa few months ago abaconded from here after swindling tbe banks and hia creditors to the tune of 170,000 dol. by means of false uvoices. • . .

ASSYRIAN LITERATURE.

One Hundred Chests or it Stored Away In tho British Museum.

The gem of Assyrian finds is the library of Sardanapalus (Assurbauipal), the remnants of which fill upwards of one hundred chests in the British Museum, The vol umes of thiß library were tables of baked - clay, finely inscribed, or rather stumped, with cuneiform characters on both sides. Each tablet was numbered aud titled, and, if one of a series, contained at the bottom of the reverse side the first words of the next tablet in the series. Only mutilated . fragments of these tablets remain ; and the greatest ingenuity was required so to piece them together as to obtain any results at Ull. As it ia, while much is still dark, we have a fair general knowledge of the. contents ot a large part of thfc li brary. It is curious to see what branches of knowledge were represented in the col lections of such an early period. Mathe matics is represented by tables of square and cube roots, lists of weights and measures aud textbooks -for the library was also, in •■ a, Eense, the royal university. Dictionaries are to be fouud there, and grammars and commentaries on,works in Sumerian or Akkadian tongue, the classics of the age of Sardanapalus. Geography is represented by Hats of mountains, rivers, cities, countries and their products ; while natural history appears in similar lists of mammals, birds, reptiles, fishea, inaects and plants, as also in more entertaining, if less instructive; animal. fableß. Among the latter is a discussion, be tween the bull and the horse on the advan tages of their relative positions in life. It ia interesting to meet the jackal in another ' fable as tbe personification of cunning, in substantial agreement with our own use of the fox. ' ' ■ History, with legal, political, and social Bcience and statistics, is represented^ by books of law, reporta of judicial decisions, contracts of sale or loan, property lists, records of taxes, names of officers and trades, copies of inscriptions recording the doings of ancient kings, histories.of deal- ings with foreign countries, accounts of military expeditions, treaties, letters, pro clamations, reports of various officials on the condition of the kingdom, or the army, or buildings. In this general class may be in cluded precepts for the conduct of man in the different relations of life—how he shall sow his fields, how conduct trading transactions, and bow his domestic affairs shall be ordered. The son muet be', brought up in absolute obedience. We are told that he should be taught td read inscriptions; and at the proper time we find, the father select ing for him a suitable wife, after which he in turn becomes a house-lather, and, pre sumably, master of his own actions. Dis obedience to a father was punished by shaving the son's head or cutting his nails and selling him into slavery. Similar prescriptions govern the relations of master I and slave, and man and wife. With regard to the latter the law seems to have directed that in caso of infidelity oh tbe woman'spartsheshould be "cast into the river ;" but a man might repudiate his wife on payment of a half mana of -silyer; pin other respects we find woman's position more enviable. Sho could hold property or conduct business, and she also had rights of dower. Another interesting point of family life revealed to us the custom which* seems to have prevailed in case of tho failure of male issue of adopting a son, who also became a son-in-law by marriage with the daughter of the houso, thus perpetuating the family both in name and fact.—"Lip pincott's Magazine."

A Heart Crushed Widow.

A young widow relates tbe sad accident which bereaved her of her dear partner.in lifo : " We wore on onr way to Batigonile a A street car'collided with our 'bus on tho Boulevard do Clichy ; a wheel came off. Wo were sittiijg outside. With a loud scream we both fell to the ground. When; they came to pick ua up they found my husband crushed to death and my : watch broken all to pieces." Tbe'fady then adds pathetically, "And it was quite a new one!"

A respectable country couple, were ex amining Wilkio's picture, " The pistraint for Kent," in the. Art Treasures" Exhibition the other day. While the husband was O-tj; plaining, the wife's attention waß fixed npon; the infant in the cradle ia the foreground, and she exclaimed, with true motherly feels ing, .'! I hope,thy love, tljpy "won't take the baby." -r ' ,_ v

A Strange Ceremony.

At tbe obsequies of Alfonso a singular and mposing ceremony took place, which ia always observed at the interment of the kings of Spain. When the religious rites had bcea c.l.bratad, the body of the monarch was borne'on a magnificent cata falque, and followed by tbe officers of state, the grandees of Spain, and the princes of all the provinces, out of the palace of the Escurial to the monastery, in whose vaults all the Caetilian kings are entombed.. The gate was locked. The High Chamberlain knocked throe times._ The face of a monk appeared in the opening. " Who seeks to enter ." be said. •'AlfonsoXll., King of Spain,".waa tbe

reply. ' . "Is the king dead?" The chief physicians and tho principal officers then "presented their certificates that ho was 'dead, and the gates rolled slowly back to admit the king who came to join the eternal sleep of his ancestors. When the final prayers of the church had been said, the coffin was borne to the vault, ond laid upon a stono- table. The lid was removed, and tho face of the king un covered. The principal hidalgo in tho king dom, who was also a-favourite of the king, and who had loved him bb a brother, thoa went down into the vault, and kneeling, put hia mouth to the ear of the corpse, call ing aloud: , ~ v "Senor!" The grief of the Bummoner gave to hw voice, it is said, a pain and despair which wrung the heart of all who heard, lb.was not only a king, but a dear friend whom ho demanded back from death. "Senor! Senor.!" -- Alter the third day ho-rcs6 aud said: . "There ia no reply.; The king is dead. Ho will return no more. Tbe#aeeu Mer cedes reigns:" _■ ,j In ho country but Spain, we are told, could so significant a ceiemouial have been observod with such fit and sombre splen dour. - __ iiii - -

Two Ways of Looking.

One man eujoya. what he' has; , another suffers for. what he has not. . • Ono man makes up his accounts fromhis wants; another from his assets. One man is thankful for his blessing. ; another is morose for his-miafortunes. A- Whon it rains ono man says; " This will make mud;" another, "This will lay tbe dußt." . One sajs: "Our good is mixed with evil;" another says, «,' Our evil is mixed with good,"' . - Try to be like those happy-tempered peo ple who always view things on their brighter side: Two boys, examining a bush,, one obser ved that it had a thorn ; the other ihat it: had a rose.

Two boy a, looking at some skaters, one said, "See how they fall;" tho other "Sea how they, glide t" '. One man complains that there is evil in tbe world; another rejoices that there is good in the world. •'-_' Two children were looking through col oured glasses.. One said,"The-world is blue;" the other said, "It is bright."" Two men, being convalescent, were asked how they were. One said, 'M am better to-day." , The other said, " I was worse yesterday,".'; ~.,.' A Two boys were eating their dinner. One said, "I would rather have somethi_tg bet ter than this;" the other.said, "This is better than nothing." When two -boys were hunting grapes, one was bappy because they found the grapeß.; the other was unhappy because the grapes had seeds in them.. One man thinks be is entitled to a better world, and is dissatisfied because he hasn't got it; another thinks he is not justly entitled to any, and is satisfied, with this.— " Detroit Advertiser." , ,-,.-■

Fun For All.

Stka_jgb as it may seem, when money ia olose it is difficult to "get near it. An exchange has an article on " Why Bees Make Honey." They moke it to ce11..-'- ■ ,;- '..:'... ■- ■

"It is the little things that tell," says an old adage. Yes, especially-the little - brothers. The meanest girl in the. world lives in Philadelphia. " Pa," die said, "I do wish you,would-lend me your lovelyredinoseto paint my cheeks ?ith."r In Nashua society" the greatest-offence a gentleman can commit toward a lady is to hide the cho^ing-gum that she has laid aside when asked to sing. A despatch from East Saginaw, Mich., announces that the lumber firms of that State havo agreed to dress their own lumber before sending it East. This ia a kindly concession to the modesty of tho people of theEaet. ■. •' "Missde Jauns is a very self -possessed young lady, isn't she ?" remarked Jackson. "Ye?, she ought to, be*,'.' replied.Dickson. ' -■• Why so?" • < Becauae 1 have askeai her to . be mine three times, and she said 'no' each time," .*".'• Omaha Paterfamilias—lt-is. remarkable what a large number of doctors claim that - diseases are transferred .by kissing, and:—- Mies Ethel—What kind of doctors, pa _ : P.—Why, the "allopathic -doctors. Miss E.—But,, pa, you know we're '■ hbtneo- . paths. ■ ''.-■■. -..-;.:. ' ' '.- * A Fair Apology. r-A Western editor once . apologised to hia readers somewhat after this fashion : "'We intended having a dearth and a marriige this. week, but a violent storm prevented the wedding; and the doctor being taken sick himself, the patient "recovered; and we are accordingly cheated out Of both." • ; "~, ■•'■ - Catharine Owens has published a book . called. ''Ten Dollars Enough.'' She-may think so now, but by tbe tune she gate all the jet trimming and stuff for the overakirt she will find that about lOdol. more is neces sary, not including the dressmaker's bill.!. Ten dollars is enough for the material, but tho trimming and making cost like sixty. -"Did father injure, yd. feelings last night when he BBkedjyou out in : the -.hall?" 'said a fair damsel of G street to a clerk in a Seventh-street dry goods atore. "Yes," herepliecl, in bitter, revenge fultones,'1 but.; I. can forgive him for,.ypur. sake, dear." "Then yon will,come again? she. asked, hopefully andbrightly.":''Yes, love; I will" comer again." " When,- Ha.ry, - when?"' " Wheu your pa is in the cold, cold ground,. Annie-!', " No sooner than that ?" she asked, with tears in her eyes. "Well," he Bald, forgivingly,' "for your sake, I might be in '■- duced to come to his funeral.":

Scraps for"the Crazy-Quilt.

Queen Victoria's dessert service of old. Sevres—the finest in tho world—is valued at ' £50,000/ 7„ .7 . Among the orange trees of Versailles is. one more than four centuries old,'which was' planted by Eleanor of Castile; Queen of Charles 111. - ' ' .One'reason why there are not more mar- "• riagesin Tennessee is because: the;young fellows are expected to do their courting in the presence of the old folks, The maximum salary of the superintend ents of female clerks in the -'Clearing-house branch, the postal-order branch, and the savings bank branch of the Post office, Eng- : land;Tlas.beenTaised from £300 to £400 a I year.' : A"" .- 'V.:'V: • .'. "■ What women may do is aptly shown by Signora Enfernia Barlani Dini, the well known contralto singer, who has by diligent training converted her" voice foTa perfect tenor, and is singing tenor roles in St. Petersburg,' . ". '; '■ _ Mrs Procter, the widow of Barry Corn- ,

wall, is still, as for the last half century, one of the most charming women in London. She'perfectly well remembers the national jubilee in England on account of King . George entering the fiftieth year of bis reign, wbfch.took place October 25, 1809, The Princess of Wales lately got from Paris a winter costume trimmed with a fine, dark grey fui; which she greatly admired. I "You are. a sportsman," sho shortly after-. , ward remarked to her husband, " tell mo what kind of fur this is." , "Idon't hunt rats andmice," he replied,l laughing ; ".I leave that sport to the sewer-men." . And , - now the Princess doesn't like the cOßtumo . as well as she did. ' .' Miss Eva Rhodes has founded an ideal school in Gothenburg to teach woodcarvinr.: : and joinery to children between tbe ages of 4 and 10. The school, which.by the Way, is famous,, is divided- into three'departments. First; class for children between 4 and ftr'second, throe claaaea preparatory to the official board schools, where children: 'get the usual elementary'knowledge, be- ' sides their exercise in handicraft; and third, a Sloyd class for siich as have no other portonity toJe|i,Tawbod-c-itting,turniog__n_i joinery." MresJßhodes sjys. that the good effects of the lcss'jns are— first, a satisfac tion of the tende-icy of every child to exer cise ita.haods ; secondly, the. rousibfj of-an interest and love for work ; thirdly, tho in : culcation of habits of diligence, attention and otdor ; fourthly, tho development of eolfcontidonco.: and fifthly, a general train -1 *ing 6f^"e eye t_n(J.Tstrenjg-hf_i_-Jg-:of th§ body.

3

THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAR, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1887