RANDOM SHOTS.

[By Zamiel.]

Some write, a neighbour's name to lash; Seme write*-vain thought!—for needful caßh; Borne write to please the country clash, And raise a din. For me, an aim I never fash— ■ I write for fun.

Merry Christmas is over once more, in this sunny southern clime, as well as in the wintry north; and yet how little has there been either here or there to accord with the season of peace on earth and goodwill to men ! This year it would seem that the reverse side of the character of the Prince °f Peace had been exhibited, and amid the threatenings of war which reach us from Europe we could almost think we heard His voice proclaiming in tones of unwonted sternness — "I came not to bring peace on earth, but a sword !" For their Christ mas message the Russian Generals received a summons to a War Conference at the Czar's palace of Gatschina, and at the Christmas season England's well-meant offers of mediation between Itaty and Abyssinia Avere rejected. Russia is the 'Power whose signal is only required to set the millions of armed men in Europe at 'each other's throats, and it seems plain tn'at she has made up her jnind to give that signal. Thus, ;the double year of Jubilee — the jubilee of the Queen of the greatest Chris tian Power, and the jubilee of the head of the greatest division of the Christian Church—is to all appearance to be followed by a year of deadly strife and bitter hatred. Well may people ask—Has Christianity lost its power, or is it changing its character, that such things should be possible ?

Casting the eye over New Zealand, what a particularly jolly Christmas we have been having, a la Mark Tapley! Parliament; dissolved in a vicious tem per, after having reduced their own "screw" and that of hundreds of Go vernment employes, with the prospect of soon reassembling to engage in a fierce fight over the tariff question. Everybody in the dumps of depression. Two particularly happy chaps down Otogo ■way so overjoyed that they hurriedly *' shuffled off "—one by blowing out his brains, and the other by squeezing 'in his windpipe. Four of our most promising youths, full of life and animal spirits, gone to the bottom of Rangitoto Channel— I" butchered to make an Auckland holiday " —and an old lady up Kaipara way, " full " of some other kind of " spirits," gone on an exploring expedition down among the fishes. And what a catalogue of fatal and serious casualties from every part of the colony! Men killed at Thames, at Taranaki, Wellington, Christchurch, Oamaru, and HokifSika. Even genial old Santa Claus has taken a livelier fit than usual, for a little boy at Ihvercargill, who got a squeaking toy as a Christmas gift, stuck it down his throat and was suf focated. Depression, Despair, Disaster, and Death—these are the four big D's with which we have been preparing to usher in a Happy New Year ! That New Zealanders can still be jolly under such circumstances entitles them to rank as a race of Mark Tapleys.

# # # . * f ** * -* I And have we not been making jolly* "Witness the thousands who went with the excursions on Monday aad Tuesday last, fie thousands who went 4g the races (not ifchotit a growl at the re^rn to tbjJftojd prices), the thousands more who enjoyed the twopenny sail to and from the North Shore, and the remaining thousands who had a still cheaper trip to the Domain—that place so hallowed by tender memories of '-.*' kiss in the ring" and other oeculatory games. Despite the depression —perhaps because of it—it seems to me that the kiss ing has been more than usually fervent at this season. "Can danger lurk within a ikies ?" aske the poet; but poets are very un reliable guides, I fear. Our Scotch cousins have a "pawky" way of referring to the pleasant custom of kissing, and one of their ancient bards gives expression to their sage ideas in verse thus :— Oh, if it wasna lawful. Lawyers wadna allow it; If it wasna holy. Ministers wadna do it. j *? If it wasna modest, i . Maidens wadna tak it; \ If it wasna plenty. Poor folk couldna get it. That last couplet explains the prevalence of the kissing habit at the present time; it is a cheap sort of entertainment, and therefore well suited for dull times. I might add that it is an exhilarating exercise and fitted to remove the depression; and like mercy "it is twice blest—it blesses him that gives and her that takes !" Wt ■ ■# • * • * *

That reminds me of having witnessed the other day a lot of very nice kissing games being indulged in by a goody-goody party of church folks in strawberry gardens nob a hundred miles from Auckland. How this holy party came to wander into the tents of sin I know not. Probably they all met there by accident—elders, matrons, young men and maidens, parson and all. At any rate, having met, they deemed it the proper thing to start proceedings with religious exercises, but they im mediatelyP proceeded to exercises of a more carnal character. Strawberries and cream were followed by " Jolly Miller " and other games, in the course of which all resigned themselves with tho^ most thorough abandonment to those SHcked pursuits. To my impartial judgment it seemed that the elders showed most zest;• bub the juniors were very apt to learn. The rule 3of Jolly Miller and Kiss in the Ring were not very strictly adhered to. The players were not particular as to how or where they made their " grab," and it occasionally happened that a spirited girl would lead her pursuer a fine dance into the adjacent shrub berry, whence she shortly afterwards emerged in a very heated and ruffled con dition. But those goods folks did not let things go tod^far. Whenever there was the slightest tendency to hoydenish,, be haviour, the master of ceremonies gave a signal, and all gathered together and de murely sang several hymns to soothe their excited nerves.

Those highlyreligious people—l was told they belonged to a very strict |s.&thei in the city—seemed to be aware that they wera " toying: with the deadly cobra ;" Jiut to give them a proper sense of the awful dan ger in which they placed themselves, I would quote from a law made by the old Puritans who landed at Plymouth Rock. ! That primitive statute reads thus :— " Whoever shall inveigle or draw the affec tions of any maide or maide-servant, either to himself or others, without first gaining : the consent of her parents, shall pay to the plantation for the first offence 40s, thp ! second £4, for the third shall be im-, ■prisoned or corporeously punished." An • old record was recently found showing that : tinder this law, Jacobeth Murline and Sarah . Tuttle got into|trouble by " setting down onachestle together, hia anne around her waiste and her anne upon his shoulder or iabout his neck, and continuing in that ' sinful posture about half - aft -hour, in ■ which time he kyssed her, and she kyssed him, or they kyssed one an other, as ye witnesses testified." l ( warn the Auckland church folks thafc tbey are treading on dangerous ground and that they have backslidden very seriously igrom th* higfl standard of pjety erected by "ieir godly forefathers.

I went to the display of fireworks last Saturday night, and in getting out had the misfortune to get into a real jam between lovely damsels, fat old men, fir trees, fences, old bottles and kerosene tins. Children were in danger of being crushed to death and their parents were handing them over the fence, through barbed wire, into the hands oi strangers whom they could not even see in the darkness. Just then I heard a sweet voice exclaim^" I wish old Zamiel was her! to give them a word about this I Well, Zamiel has been there, and he has said his say about it. Mr Pain, I believe, would not willingly cause inconvenience, and I hope he will make arrangements for a spacious exit for the thousands who patron ise his excellent show. ♦• Sweet is pleasure after pain;" but it is different when one has to endure pain after the pleasure of seeing Pain's pyrotechnics!

As for the races at Ellerslie, I don'fc.thmk any of the paraons acted on my suggestion to go out and place their impressiona of the Derby meeting on record; at all events, I am told that none of them has invited a Stak reporter to an interview. A corres pondent sends me anonymously slip containing a vigorous denunciation of races and their supposed concomitants and consequences, which are declared to be : — "(1) Betting (and gambling). (2) Un wholesome excitement; (mentalfever,) (3) Undesirable company; the usual popular" resort of the reckless. (4) The encouraging1 of professional idlers —leeches oh society. (5) Disappointment and self-disgust, sooner or later." I don't know if my correspond ent is the author of this tract, or if he speaks from the depth of his own bitter experience ; but this is plainly not the sort of thing that I wanted. What I conceive would interest the people would be a de liberate and candid expression of opinion by well - known leaders of religion and morality after a personal visit to the races. Now that the '? specters" have been frightened ooje of tho field, will not our parsons pay a visit to Ellerelie and see if they can " elevate the turf?"

Eemenyi is dead ; but musical genius still lives. A local bard thus eulogises " the genius of Master Joe Buchanan " ;— Joo is his mother's pride Ho pays her great devotion. • - * Ho contributes to the Band of Hope, For music is his notion. j.

None in tho history of mankind. Has shown such aptness bent of mind. Now to excel ho i 3 inclined, For him a compeer 'tis hard to find.

Four summers had scarcely waned, , When he burst forth like thunder, So brilliant, indeed, in intellect. Amongst tho groat masters ho will number.

Then persist, Joe, and you wilf attain To honour and glory the crown of famo, If the friends of genius will combine Your cultivation would cause you to shino.

I never heard this yduthful Mozart, and don't know whether he performs on tin pans or catgnt; but if his musical genius is worthy of tho poetic fire of tho above effusion, my readers will agree that a greater than Remenyi is amongßt us !

Captain McKenzie Wilson, tho Hospital Librarian, sends "Zamiel" the compli ments of the season in a long communica tion, which opens thus : —" Dear Mr Zamiol, —Confined to my bed since the 12th of September last, your • Random Phots' have often beguiled, cheered, and amused many a weary, dreary hour of suffering, with their racy and humorsome titbits. I have hoard something of this dear old captain, with a name and a history that many people might envy, and I deeply sympathise with him in his affliction, and trust that his New Year may be bright and joyous. The editor would make things lively for me, howevor, if I offered to insert the whole of the captain's letter, which deals exhaustively with the proposal to change the name of the colony of New South Wales. Here is the practical conclu sion arrived at by thewriter after a brief his toryof the "Soudan Contingent" episode:— "■ Hence, I opine, from these memorable national precedents, bo worthy of public commemoration, no name under tho sun should be associated, and conjoined, to that of ' Austral,' than that of ' Soudan;' and that, at the baptismal font, no other cognomen should be accepted for New South Wales, or recorded for it, than that of 'Austral-Soudan.'"

OSTRICH PLUMES.

Another Tarn In the Whirligig of

Fashion's Glass,

"Ake ladies again wearing ostrich plumes?" asked a reporter for the New York "Mail and Express."

" Yes," replied the manufacturer. " Os trich feathers will soon bo as fashionable among the fair sex as they were a few years ago." 11 When did the fashion drop out ?" " The decline in the use of ostrich feathers began about 1-383, and since then the fashion has steadily faded until last year, when scarcely any were used at all. But the revival has begun, and you will soon see the pretty plumes as plenty as ever."

•• Are the feathers imported in the con dition they are worn ?" ••' Oh, no. The tariff is too high to admit of that. The feathers are imported in the raw state, and prepared after they reach here. There are only eight manufactories of ostrich feathers in the United States, and seven are located in this city. The capital employed aggregates $1,000,000, and employment iB given to about 600 to 800 persons, 250 to 300 of whom are girls." ••What is the work done by the girls ?" "Curling, Wiring and preparing the feathers. The curling is done by a peculiar kind of knife made for that purpose, the blade of which is curved. As the work is of a delicate nature—for each feather or Slume has to be worked upon separately— i is necessary that only expert hands should be employed. Carelessness or wont of experience would soon cause heavy losses, for the beauty of plumes is heightened by the evenness of every feather. It takes about fhje years for a girl to become really expert/ffibßough many may become f/urly emciencfn a shorter time. They earn from $7 to $25 a Week, according to their qualifi cation. The dyers, who, of course, are niien, earn from $15 to $35 per week. "Are the leathers of wild ostriches used?" .„■*■

1| No, not now.« To pret the feathers of a wild bird it is necessary to kill Mm, and were that kept .up the species would soon become eXtincb. Ostriches are now reared on farms in §buth Africa, where the feathers are collected and sent to this coun try, via London.' * When they arrive they look very different from those you see in the sbore windows. They are dirty, draggled, and discoloured, and have to be cleaned. When first taken from the washing they look as bad as those on a wet goose. By the process of preparing they become the pretty plumes you see. Long and elegant plumes are prepared singly, while the smaller ones are made into bunches of three, like the emblem of the Prince of Wales. In order to prevent the feathers from break ing, it iS necessary at times to wire them, and this also requires experfcness, for a broken feather is of little value." "Wheft did ostrich feathers become fashionably as ornaments for women's bonnets?" ». "About ninety years ago. They were ibroughb into use by a man named De Pinna, TOLori^n. Prior to that the ladies wore Tss|sstt became a rage for bonnet frim ming^and the demand tor Ostrich feathers exceeded the supply."

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES.

January 2, 3-Auckland Racing Club Summer

January 2-Canterbury Jockey Club's Summer

Ja^uar^ and 26-Island Bay Racing Club February^, 4—Wellington Racing Club's Sum- February 23,24,26—Dunedin Autumn Meeting.

TURF GOSSIP.

[By Hippona.J

The first day's racing ab Ellerslie on Monday turned out to bo the tamest that has ever taken place at an A.R.C. Summer Meeting. All interest was taken out of the Derby when it became known that Maxim would not start, but as the colt had shown signs of unsoundness Mr Stead had no alter native, other than to run the pen through his name. Mr Stead informed me that he was never so sorry in his life to scratch a horse, as he had set his mind on winning our Derby with the son of Musket. The unfor tunate opcurrenceof thedaywaaNelson being left at the post in the Railway Plate. The vast majority attribute the whole blame to Mr Stephens, but I don't think that it should ail be heaped on his shoulders, for Brown was greatly in fault for the way he acted with Nelson previous to the flag falling.

Special reference to Monday's racing, and my anticipations of the results, will be found in the Stab, on page five.

Tho annual sale of the New Zoaland Stud Company, which takes place on Wednesday next, has been attracting a lot of attention during the past fortnight, and a large number of visitors have visited the Park to inspect tho youngsters. Despite the cry of bad times and the falling off of our New Zealand race meetings, I shall expeat to see as much competition as ever for the best of tho draft, and it is said that several Australians have sent commissions here to buy on their behalf. That well-informed Christchuroh scribe " Senex " thus to the sale in last Saturday's " Press " :—" There is sure to be some spirited bidding for tho Sylvia Park young thoroughbreds this year, as amongst those for sale are positively the 'last of the Muskets. The catalogue shows that in default of the defunct champion Hire tho Comi^ny had to fall back on Ingomur, Leolinus, and St. Logor. Tho iirat-immod has made a certain name as a progenitor of winners; tho second, a great performer on tho English turf, will, as surely as I write these lines, be the sire of ■% good one, if, which is hardly possible in the colonies, a trainer can be found who will not hurry up a young ono. What a nag, for instance, would Loos havo boon under judicious management, and that good maro Tigredia would havo won good stakes in England, whoro sho would not havo been galloped to death. St. Logor is perhaps the most fashionably-bred stallion tho Com pany have, and thoso buyors who go in for the quick early sort should bo suited by tho stock of this young siro, who perhaps might have had raoro chances. I may mention that tho sale commonccs at two o'clock, and luncheon will be provided."

Tho mail steamer Zoalandia,whicharrivoß here from Sydney to-morrcw aftornoon, will have on board the thoroughbred stallion Cheviot, by Traducer—ldalia, full brother to Sii' Moored and betrayer. The horse has been leased by Senator Hearst, of Cali fornia for two years.

I notice that Vinaigrette has succeeded ii« winning a email race in Victoria. This wan tho HotelUeepora' Handicap at the Hamilton Meeting, in which she had two opponents. Vinaigrette ran in tho name of Mr Taylor. In the Flying Stakes, though on the same day, the erst New Zealonder was beaten by Poor Hawk, who carried Bsb 21b, and ran the four furlongs la 60£secs. Green Mount badly wrenched life shoulder at the Thames races, and it will be some time before he is seen out again. Fancy Free, a daughter of Musket and Fancy, therefore full sister fco Tho Poet and Tennyson, won the Selling Race at the last Moonee Valley (Melbourne) Meeting. In the Jury Court, Sydney, a few days back, Richard Donovan, hotelkeeper at Flemington, Melbourne, part owner of tho racehorse Dunlop, and described as leader r»* choir at SS. Peter and Paul's, South Melbourne, was defendant in a Blander action. He was represented by Mr Piloher. Plaintiff, John McGregor, wholesale iron monger in George-street, for whom Mr Bruce Smith appeared, claimed £1,000 damages; first because plaintiff told him 11 to pay the money he owed him, or he wonla pull his long Jowißh nose." and .secondly for assault. He asserted he had been hurt in his reputation in consequence of the defendant's con duct, the words being made nao of in a public street in the presence of a number of persons. Ho denied owing plaintiff money, or using abusivo language to him. Defendant said he first made plaintiff's ac quaintance in connection with the choir, and lent him £8 to pay certain bookmakers. It was arranged that £4 should be paid on Sunday when they met at the choir, and balance to be sent from Sydney. Defen dant, however, did not show lip, and plain tiff failed to get money, though he wrote for it. Ho (defendant) admitted the assault, but pleaded that the plaintiff called him a blackguard, thief, etc. After hearing evi dence the jury gave the verdict for de fendant on both counts On tho following day Donovan obtained a verdict for £8 in the Water Police Court,McGregor failing to appear. Morok, who was formerly an inmate of the Hon. James White's stable, has joinod Joe Morrison's string at Flemington. A Victorian artist named Herr Kahler has just completed a picture representing the lawn at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day. The picture is to be exhibited in London and Paris, and will give people in the Old Country a faint idea of whab a Mel bourne Cup is like. The negotiations which have been going on for some time with regard to the pur chase of the late Mr M. Fennelly's racing stables, &c., at Rapdwick have concluded, the Hon. James White being the purchaser at a big figure. The English Jockey Club have given notice, in view of tho large increase of racing companies, that the following rule, made in 1886, will be enforced :—" The stewards of the Jockey Club, before grant ing a license for any new racecourse, will require plans and estimates, including pro posed scale of remuneration of officials, and, in case of a public company, the articles of association, &c, to bo submitted for their approval; and further, that no bonus or dividend exceeding 10 per cent, per annum be made amongst shareholders, and that the accounts and all financial arrangements of the undertaking be sub ject (at the expense of the management) to inspection from time to time by any per son appointed by the stewards of the Jockey Club." The force of the law to prohibit the pro motion of " sweeps " in the colony of New South Wales has again been exemplified. In the House of Assembly a few nights ago, the Attorney-General was questioned op the matter. He admitted that, although a fine of £25 had recently been imposed on a certain promoter, sweeps were still being carried on. He said the difficulty of obtain ing evidence to prosecute was great, and pending an appeal against the latesb con viction it was not thought advisable to in stitute further proceedings, The magis trate who made the conviction said he had no doubt whatever that the law was suffi cient. Ije had convicted, under sjinityr cir cumstances, and an appeal conviction had been upheld.

ATHLETIC NOTES.

(By Action.)

FIXTURES.

Cricket. Senior Cup.

January 7 and W.-Auckland A. v. Gordon, Auckland By. l'arnell; Holland v. United. January 21 and 28.-Auckland ftJ. Holland, Auckland B v. Gordon ; Parnell v. United.

JUNIOR CUP. . January 14 and 21.-Auckland v. Onehunga, National v. Waitomata; Gordon V. Holland, JaVu^^^S- February 4-AucWand v. National; Gordon v. Alpha; Holland v. United; Onehunga v. Waitemata. SECOND JUNIOR CUP. • January 7 and 14.-Grammar School v. Ono: hunga; Standard v. Holland; Gordon v.

Jammrt a" and 28.-Grammar School v. Hoi land /standard v.Wanderers; Gordon v. One hunga.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Ckicketkk asks: A cricket match is started on ono Saturday, and one aide have only eight wiokets down at the finish of the day, one nlayer being not out 51. Tho next week he is unable to turn up through pressure of business and his side are all out. Should his club, in compiling his average enter his innings afi bi oat, or $1 not out ? Answer, 51 not out.

ATHLETICS.

I would remind all my readers who are members of the Amateur Athletic Club that a meeting is to be held in the Imperial Hotel next Friday night for the purpose of considering the proposed amalgamation with tho Waitemata Bicycle Club, and also to make several necessary alterations in the rules. It does not say much for the esprit de corps of tho Club when a meeting, which has been duly advertised, only brings to gether an attendance of twelve out of ji membership of over one hundred. It ia particularly requested that this meeting should be a largo and representative one, as the alterations proposed to be mado in tho rules are very important ones, andhavo special relation to the definition of an amateur, on which I wrote at some length a short time back. ' Such alterations should be discussed in a full general meeting bo foro being adopted, and trusting that tho members will bear this in mind, I hope to see a large attendance next Friday evening. By tho proposed new rules all amateurs who have unwittingly broken the club rules by run ning against professionals for trophies ia club or class races, provided they are other wise qualified, will be reinstated in their amateur status. The race for the championship last Satur day was a square enough one, but tho re sult lms damned professional running hero for some time to come. Tho public ore not likely to roll up to see another champion ship race, and it will bo a long time before one will bo held at which tho gute will be any consideration. Pickering's race last Saturday makes tho sixth match in which ho has left his opponents on his mark. It will be remembered thanvl^n ho ran Woods, of Wellington, liere some time back he did precisely the a&me thing, and in a fifty yards match in Queensland he gavo a man five yards and left him on his mark. There is no doubt ho isyAwuulor fully iimart in starting, while Gdodirae is very slow, but I do nob see how any blame can be attached to anyone, Air Gallagher, the starter, declarep thai? both men were on their marks, while Goodliffe states that, he .wall fully a yard behind, and Pidkoring beap him out in this. From where T stood I rffeughb the men wore ready, though Goodliffe certainly looked surprised when the pistol did go. It was a great pity that no race eventuated, for wo have as yet nothing by which wo can gauge tho comparative merits of the two men. While Pickering feels fit, he says he is willing to give Goouliffo a chance to win back his money, and will run him three distances, 100, 1126, and 150 yards, for £20 a side and the championship any time in tho next three weeks. One sport has sug gested that the match should be run on Steeplechase Day, on the Ellerslie Race course, as there is no hope of their getting a gate anywhere, and by having it afc that time it would do something towards im proving the position of professional racing. At a late meeting of the New York Athletic Club, H. H. Baxter cleared a height of lift sin at pole-vaulting, thus establishing a world's record, land beating Tom Ray's record of lift 4Jin. Tho other Saturday night, in Sydney, the onco eighth wonder of the world, Frank 8. Howitt, who made the half mile record for the world, ran L Smith, of Marrick ville, 50 yards for £10 a-side. Smith was in receipt of five yards, bub was easily beaten. The old Millwali champion can Btill teach them how to start.

P. Cannon, of Sterling, is credited with having lowered the three aid four miles running records to 14min. i$ 2-sth sec. and 19min. 11 l-stb sec. respectively at a series of sports held at the Strathmore Grounds, Forfar (Scotland)|On October 22nd. The pre vious records for these distances were 14min. 36aeo. for three miles, and 19min. 36soc. for four miles by J. White at Hack noy Wick on May llthj 1863. Wood, the English amateur (says an Eng lish exchange), meant to have beaten both the 200 yards and 600 yards records this season, and probably would have finished his racing Oareer by throwing down the gauntlet to the best pro at 300 yards, but there is very little probability of his wasting any more time in getting fit, as he intends settling down next spring. 'Tis an ill wind that blows nobody good, and this will leave Peiling and Le Maitre a chance of being placedon tho records roll. Should Wooa determine to train next year, it will be mainly to accomplish the above records, and to endeavour to improve his times at 250 and 440.

The match between Hutchena and Gent for £100 a-side,,and tho 120yda Sprint Championships, was decided at the Isling ton Park Grounds, Gateshead, England, on October 29. After the unfortunate fiasco at Lillio Bridge, the facts of which must now be well-known to our readers, afresh match was made, and brought off on the above mentioned date. Gent was the favourite. When the signal ■was given, both got very welt away together, Hutchensj however, was the quicker at his work, and he instantly showed with a half-yard ad vantage. Keeping up a lively rate of moving, ho mado strong play for about fifty yards, when Gent dashed alongside of him, and the struggle then began in real earnest. The favourite, however, was going with so much dash that in the next few strides be drew nicely clear, and looked atone time like winning very easily ; but Hutchens running with extraordinary gameness refused to be beaten, and coming in something like his old form again, they were just about level when eighty yards had been covered. It was all over then with the Putney champion, and Gent, forging ahead, won comparatively easily, by three-quarters of a. yard : time— llf ccc. The time occupied by the men in covering the distance was not so good as was expected, but it should be mentioned that they ran throughout against a heavy cross wind, which must have retarded their progress to some extent. Writing in the " Referee," Dagoneto (Mr G. E. Sims* the well-known dramatist and author) says :—"Three deaths were reported on Monday from injuries received in the football match on the previous Saturday. On that day 1 was present at a football match at Bradford. It was Bradford v. Batley, and by the attendance it might have been a great race-meeting. For a whole hour the roads leading to the field were black with people, and when the kick off took place gate-money had been received

from 12,530 people. lam nob a footballist, so the sight of that packed and jammed human mob took me by surprise. And the excitement, the howls, the shouts, the roars of applause, the yells, the waving of hats, the wild demonstration of disgust and delight—all these things,took me by sur. prise. The Spanish bull fight-1 saw in Madrid was nothing to this Yorkshire foot ball match. As 9ie various points were made by the competitors, 12.0Q0 throats screamed encouragement, and every man in the greatcrowd seemed to be an expert. But what struck me most w&s the entire lack of sympathy with the wounded and disabled. There was a scrummage, and it wa^ broken up; but ono man lay on his ba^k still. • There's one a-layfn'!' yelled fchecrowd, and tl*ere was dead silence. The man writhed—he was evidently in pain ;he was lifted up, and he staggered; he could hardly get off the field; and hevtseeen no more. Presently another man lajf help loss, and was taken off. Nobody adkedif hid injuries were severe or not; ip was enough that he was knocked out, and. that was a triumph to the other aide. O| that day, in various parts of the country, 'three men were killed at this very game, f nd I suppose their sufferings exciter no more sympathy than did those of the men I saw disabled. I don't offer an opinion op the game as it is played. It seems atn#ily, brave sort of a rough-and-tumble busines, jand very English, but I cannot help thinking what queer folks we arPin our ideas of cruelty and hard-heartedness. "■ To: be kicked to death at football is a mere matter of detail. It is an incident of a high-class pastime. But if either of these young r*en hud educated themselves to be scientific with their fists instead of *with .th»ir boots, society would have shuddered, there would hove been veils for tho police.Afd tho spectators would have fcteen denounced as blood-thirsty And brutal, and would ha\& been arrested and prosecuted as rogues and vagabonds. You may kick a man to deatjj —it ia nothing ; bub if you tap him on thp chest with your knuckle| it is everything*, After seoing a good respectable Yorkshire game at football, glove-fighting seems tome a very harmless and innocent amusement. I don't say a word against football; I only state the brain oi thought suggested to me by the casualties*of Saturday last. Those footballers in Yorkshire are the heroes of tho day. Some of them came to tea at my hotel. Immense crowds waited to»see them get out of their cabs, and cheered them as they went into the hotel. , There was ft denso throng all the evening in front of it shop whoro tho results of the different Yorkshire matches were stuck up as the telegrams came in. The street was like Fleot-street on the afternoon of the Leger. Tho Bradford .papers came out with a special edition, and two and ft-lialf columns wero given to this match. To understand what football means in Yorkshire must sco a match played there, and hear old and young, men and women, lisping children and garrulous old greybeards, talking about it-" * * a

CRICKET.

In writing about the probable personnel of the next Australian "Mid-on" in " ThoLeador>'stronglyurgeßtheiiiclußion of Worrall and. Trott in the team. The latter, ho says, 'is a " rou&h fnd ready fear lees batsman who hover goes to the "wicket allowing that the pitch mußt beat the bat, but on a bad wicket, which has been fatal to hie predecessors, he is seen at his best. He hits, I will admit, with a cross bab, but nevertheless ho hits hard and effectively, and sd far as perfection of style is, con coined, E. M. Grace, .Hornby, Thoritoft, and other giants of their day could never be accused of being •' orthodox." Oa certain wickets Worrall would prove a valuable bowler, and in the field would be appre ciated by the Englißh criWcw. He fa cram*' tially what is commonly known as a 'grafter,' ready to go forward point four or five yards in front of a man like Ulyett, and stay there for. a week if neces sary, and in the «sricke||»*iieid, as on the football ground, has.never been known to flajr- He evidently doesn't know what fear means, as aU will admit who have seen him field. 1 remember well Bonnor hitting one back to him that few men would have tried for. Coming to the left hand ib spun him clear round, but he stuck to it, and caught the good-tempered giant, who remarked*-' I don't mind getting out, but I Wsaa afraid I had killed him.' "

C. W. Rock, the Tasmanian, will pro bably form one of;, tha team selected to re present Australia against the Englishmen in the match to be commenced in Melbourne on January 2nd. It is rumoured that A. E. Stoddart, a member of Vernon's team, intends taking up his residence in New South Wales when the tour is completed. A Sydney paper says that Arthur Shrews bury is to be married to a Victorian lady before he returns to England. G. Palmer has been shaping well with the bat recently at practice, but his knee is still co stiff that he does not teel at home in moving his feet to cut or hit to leg.

AQUATICS.

The sad boating fatality last) Monday has cast quite a gloom over the Christmas holidays and has driven home to all boating men what they often forget, the necessity for caution. Of course a number of croakera have risen up and expressed their opinionsonthe subject—the reasons why the accident occurred have been gueßsed at, and the dangers of boating dilated on. One writer, in speaking about how the accident is supposed to nave happened, at tributes it to the practice of luffing in a squall. The writer was Evidently little acquainted with his subject from a practical point of view ; his ruling that when a boat is caupht in a squall it should pay off and run before it,however applicable to a square rigged vessel like a ship or a barque, is arrant nonsense as regards yachts or open sailing boats, and eyen in ships very few masters will Bquaro away with a squall, preferring to shako it out of her, and take in some of their after canvas, and attending to the man at the wheel, so that she will noc be taken aback. In a yacht if you luff your craft up in a squall you bring her to a stand stilljand you may take your sails in or keep her in the eye of the wind until the squall is over altogether, if you wjsh it. It needs a careful hand at the tiller," but is not subject to any danger worth apeaking of. A yacht is a handy craft and should answer her helm well, and it is preferable to place your boat in a position wliere if properly handled the squall can do her no harm to putting your tiller Up and running. Nob only ig this latter plan a great waste of time, but on a lee shore is altogether im practicable, and in the open is attended with dangers of its own which yachtsmen can appreciate. An old salt suggests that all "amateur" yachtsmen should wear the collar lifebuoy with straps running under the armpits to prevent its coming off. Hanlan (writes "Trident" in the " Syd ney Mail") is rather inclined to taunt Beach ,_ a:ad has said that the latter must not think he could nob get any, matches, as Teemer, Gaudaur, and another would row him for £500 a-side. Beach, asserta he has already beaten them, and haa definitely re tired. A well-known sporting man has offered to back Beach to row Hanlan for £5000. At present there is any quantity of talk, bub no money is at stoke. lam in clined to the opinion that the great rivals will meet again. Kemp and Clifford are matched to row on the Parramatta River on February 11th. Hanlan says that the expense of his pres ent visit! to Australia amounts to £250.

Even Banian now flaunts Beaches colours, and rows in a yellow and black jelreey. Tho New York "Star" maybe a very enterprising journal and a very popular one, but its criticisms on the defeat of the Thistle were far from being consistent with courtesy and good taste. The "£*»*"

jhich is the official organ of the democrats, leads its article "They Take the Cake/the following being the text:— '■*, Our joy at the Volunteer's victory is not tempered by the liast particle of pity for the Scotsmen, fl-om n'rst to last they have proyed them 4lves to be the worst possible specimens of iopkeepers who ever left the counter to |lay sportsmen. We have given them the iorst possible port of a beating; and we are jpghty glad of it. The first challenge they jent us was irregular. They built their loab in the most absurd secrecy.. The jaeasurements * they supplied were inac jurate. They called Burgess an amateur, a |yro. They laughed at his models, and bade sport of hie boats. They flooded the |ritieh papers with their own cleverness fed the certainty of their victory. They hissed large sums of money to bet on their |at. They forwarded a choice party of tfread-spinners and butchers to do the hanging and betting. They actually suc <f eded in persuading the wof Id that they were i|vincible. What next ? Why, from that noment in the first day's race,when the Vol unteer slipped past the Thistle and dropped hr astern like an old bucket, the whole 4nny crew of Scotsmen fell to abusing.the ojurse, the weather, the lead paint, and t(e crowds of good people who had come oit to do them honour; while their ring l|der looked over the side of their ship in hjjrror, and exclaimed, ' What's the i*,tter ? She don't eeem to go!' God bess the old fool! He'd never seen & fast j|cht sail before in Mb life. Then we were t wait for the outside raco and a rough sea aid a gale of wind and an unobstructed cmr.Bo ; for nothing but wind and weather aid an open sea would give the Scotsmen f(r play. So we waited. And now they've bjd their belly full of wind and . weather ad an open sea ;1 and the sooner they all gt back to their spindles and chop-blocks, a^ leave yachting to those who understand it the healthier it will be for their pocket b|>ks and honour of Bonnie Scotland. We hcLjjgome rather uninteresting specimens of Bftish sportsmen out here before. But j Wjjrepeat that for mystery, deceit, swagger, bd manners, ignorance, and conceit, tho d^gners and owners of the Thistle can tao the cake. We take the cup."

THE GARDEN.

[ByHobtus,]

Operations for December 31.

(HiTus is willing to answer any queries. Cofespondents must give their full names an|tddreusej, though not for publication.]

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

JjAlk-Q DOWNPEKMANENTPABTDBE(W. H. OJ. —,-rom my own knowledge I could nottellyou w|t it would cost to toy down pasture by the &<% You should send your communication to|e editor of the " New Zealand Farmer," wl will be able to pi ye line information. In QO|r so, tell him the quality of your soil, ■wl|ner it is light or heavy, as the prices foribotu and the kinds of grass seeds will, var according to the soil. Onxos, Goosbbkrkiks, Plums, Votes, etc. (J. I, Ponsonby).—(l) Do not cut the tops off you-onions; to do so would damage your croi when they swell and make bulba and ' any J them show signs of being thick-necked andiot inclined to bulb well, these should recce a sharp twist in the neck, whioh will caus the sap to descend and fill put the bulb] Bulbs treated to this twist will not keei o long, and should bo used first. (2) It i pot necessary to pinch gooseberries. Let t m grow on. In the beginning of next . win ft you should lift your plants with a good Ull and transplant again. This will caußetera to ripen the wood better. Prune ■ the to) about a month after lifting, (3) Your plum pea should be root pruned about tbe o§a oM.pril. When doing bo toy and get rid of (b roots which are producing suckers. (4) Via: Treat them to a weekly syringing with mmonia. One wineglassfal to three gallon&f water will do. Give each vise infectee. drenchinsr with the mixture. ■ . - HTBBIOjpST*DOw«ftB -iamttwsi^:—-ni»r Tjesr time tdiybrtdiso flowers is fiom. about B to 12 o'oloi in the forenoon. Double flowers do not preface seed pods, therefore you could not nyqdise thorn. If you procure a work on stru<ural botany yon will obtain suffi cient infijmfttion to be able to hybridise and oross pla|s. A great deal has been written on the iftjeot of hybridising by various writers. |t I do not know of any work specially bvoted to tho subject. Fbuit GftOtEßs' Association (Fruit Grower). —The toning of an fssooiation in Auckland for tin prjnotion iof a better knowledge of all matters cohected with cir orobard products would be t vast benefit, but the treatment tbe differenHorticultural Societiea haye re ceived frontimo to tune makes me fear failure. Snu country districts should form i associations «here they may meet weekly or monthly andpiscuss matters. If such dis cussions wot condensed and forwarded, I should only btoo happy to try and get them published whi[of a practical aature.

Kitchen Garden.

Fos the last w£k we have had nice warm genial weather. Any operations that may have been negltted must now be carried on with vigour as growth is now very active. Hoe fch surface soil between the rows of all vegekbles, so as to kill weeds, which the lati ims and present warmfcj, are germinating n thousands. Weeds are got rid of quiß&asily if dealt with in a seedling state. A few hours' sun effectually disposes of thkfe. Earth up growing crops. Attend »the pinching and thin ning of overplti growth in cucumbers, melons, pumpkh, etc.; give a little liquid manure occasion ily. " Tomatoes are now making strong gbwth; tie up to support, pinch out supeiuous growth whenever necessary, stake tunning beans, sow an other row for supession. French beans : Makj^uccessionatowings, earth up earlier planned crops. Inish planting the main crop of celery and \aks, earth up the early planted crops, gre liberal supply of water. Make anther trench for later crops. If the am crop of brocoli, Brussels sprouts, Sfoy cabbages and cauli flower, has not yetbeen planted do so as soon as possible, iter planting,, give each a good soaking wh water to settle the soil well about the lots and give them a good start. From ihv till the end of the season a large quanta of water will be re quired bo as to kee\upia succession of vegetables. To mak&he watering a still greater success, liqui<Wnure should also be used. To have hfe always handy, a barrel or Borne otha| conveniancs into which a few shovelfta of horse or cow manure are put should c kept and filled up with water. When watting the vegetables, a little of the above 3hqM always be given with the water. All iwrce water from the house should be kept fd the same purpose. Flow«ir Gfien. The warm weatljw is itself felt In this department, §jfi3hii| 6) growth in an extraordinary njabner.' l{ost_planta are now showing blqqm frslyl\ Every en deavonr ought to be macb tokeep the dis play up. To aasiafc this, jhhe Vater should be used freely, fiso liqM ianure. All blooms, as soonij they ate p^t their beat, should be picked offi Bdddln| plants are now making rfipld. progress; pg down and pinch back tmf" regulate to vit the re quirements oj;pde plants. V^ere water can be procujj| } use freely. Idho mixed flower bordptthe soil shouldbe stirred frequently. Jj|ake all tall-grovog plants, tie and reA,te, pick off dcs blooms, thin out fite-sown annuals, later all plants lat<4l! planted out. lalq : Mow frequentlyMd roll. Walks shfald now be gone <|jt about onco a wee%ith the rake so keep them in go| order. During is usually the. M season for thd 9|m display of flowers, anno make them lopJpßtfcer the whole place enuld be kept as M possible. By the blinning of Feywy many plants Pegin | suffer from tWfeots of the usually dry s|9on. ml Greenlioaee. I t GrowJ3 very active now. Coleul etc./ pinch^i regulate, r§-pqt into Jarglpota as feß require more room, use pwid m^Woccasionally, Give plenty | ai? durij pc day, water when closing %WL theieyeiwDg. T

STAGE AND STUDIO.

■ 'MMfa, ' ***2.\m | ■;_} M^ritana ag rte^". .„' Siinonsen'a OneS?CL" w %:»u: : successful in £l& aay *5d *S The marriage ofit^iti. w -:: i' ' I Miss Docy Sfc ni^W&lm | Mr Harwood baaft w^ elbo »rne, W> Mis ß Jfellie loCf^^W li Cellar returned % ua t rftl^lr Alfred m the same steafer whs% %knd| Muagrove back. § U"P>^ MJ Mr W. Hughosf e fce\ {« Xi li i < tour. with^dTthme^^ai pmniste. Their^ ve i ß wft !*& ■pA i Melbourne, Syd%, AdelattfSiN J ■ TheMelbouraeiiilharnioSoVV i and Monday, M m be r fc S-SW&I I ' wn^rs en ga ged|e:-Mrß'ft^^N: Rosina Carandinaißonrano.? mSRW* tian, contralto),MrS<?^S& Wi ' tenor; and Mcl Gord&SoSr* ' Lamble, basses. 1 Gooch aa<* X The tendency jßtudy piano orsin . ' ' ■ has become aW a manVhl AmerSSi ! the colomes, to $ exclusion^*olW strumenta Whjnot aUo#reaLSf.^ natureatostudyoieebranlSLa generally? fflL t fol lo * the & fashion, and hi the' string \2£ m our homes, w$ possible ? «r o™*. 1 ,h? ve «*£ WiJy of fourKS I all studying tjhejfcno, when a foSS I distribution wou| have given thfS! I a concerted muagwhich would hay- ; XJeVef^f^^Poßß^ Gounod, befor4cidingupbn the m^J; profession, studif or the priesthoo-iS' fccole dcs Canned amonghis colleggM^ was the present fhbishop of feheitafcS? • dmal Langemetf The la%r inffi:. Gounod to compel a grand ma?s in hdnilf oli° Tn!° i Pf'W 1 was Performed bn» 24th July last unfr his condiictorship :anlf on which occisn more v than" miMuT people aesemblef) listeh to tHis coaS tion. Besides tiintroduc^ionVthefe; dictus with orgf and harp 'acconM. ment, also violMsolo is spoken.of as :a3' ' divine conception! ' -• ,•""•'"■ ';.'.";". ";■: [ Th 3 funeral p|he late' Mr PbiUpDay^ i comedian, was Ifely attended, morepfiy'! I titjularly by memlrs of the theatrical pro fession, by whcßfthe decefjfi^ jmlu^fvl esteemed. The Surial service was per-1 formed by the |\r M. H. A±e. The* grave was surrquijed by a great number of! r Friends of the dejased. The {-lall-liearers' ■ were Messrs A. Dion feoudcault i juti., E. W. R|ce, George Darrell, A*! Mayne, T. M, frown, |uMan^:-fh O maßJ: ("The Vagabond'),A. G. Mclntyre.and T. Kennedy. Me^rs G. Copph, M.L.A.,1. a»d H. B. Harwp| were alj!OjainoEgtb.oße I present. The tragic fafee |KingLudwig of Bavanai I has furnishedJWfmibiecti of a '.p'lpod raSll thunder dranp <a|e^ VKing't^wfe ll. 'W^ ''"'■ Bavaria," which Was r^gw^ p^cfenedM« the Saxon villagqof Deiibe^vThe six acWl* are respectively entitled .^^yShefvß^mM ,~-i • Lohengrin' Perf c rcnancg in Mtpc^ i f t hkM Mothers Warninj; Voieei" W^R- "Ste^^i^ in the King's Boudoir," " E|ng;- Ltio^if f^ Engagement," 'JThe Kiiig'H'aVo^M'^ w.-x$ (the actor Joseph1 Kainzj,' "!fc|B|m'pr^)nTl ■'■« ment in the Castle of SchwSeteiii;"- a^i: m £ "The Catasteoplie of.;^e^%mbm?,4 ■-'M Finally there is an " iilummaw >r;emiqpcy: m II " King Ludwig tying in Staw ■ " y wmV, At a recent performance M^.CaijsiDe^" m>l in v/'hich Miss Grace* Hawthilb Bij^^ed M * the part of the heroine, she \n|interruptes(i' ■ in the midst of bar pathetic apt scene 6; R-r some gipsy fellcnr iniihe ' B| r ' 'jSbufc up!" Thei dying, woniflpMipls re. B1 * he? cbubh and coining down fjPfcottighjta S ' with plenty of vigour in her»e and watt. ■I exclaimed, " I slall not dieipl that) a^ii ■ l| < has been turned but." Sdpos esydled; ■[ with the utmolj promptiife, and'with' ■! very little ceretflmy, and GggUethereupon ■' returned to her deathbed, aH&vent through ■ the final agony ap if nothi^iiad happened to interrupt'theprotracteJpsms. , Marie Roze, fit i>ublupately made a firm stand, agiinfit tJIBiBch - %6useii 1 practice of ibouqueiWrowing. tt; i must have oftea occur^ to people to '■ .wonder.what a fjivouriteSno dtormodop^ with the hundrenweighjP flowers which' 1 reach her. Ma|ame W sends liets to hospitals, sistops of m^Kand charita,bi9 I, institutions. %\ Djabj^pe begged tha¥ ' none might bephrowmp the sta^Q in future, bnt be sektrou^p the stage'dpQii; In the first place| she sjithey are alway^a | damaged in theit fiigl^nd her chaiiby is ' \ tarnished; in the se^ittd, the draciatic p action of the pijce iramdered w|ten* she1. 11-'I1-' has, however eliglitly^^ ack.nowleil^j'^ the /: offering. ' m"' ' •"'* ''■'""'".' -^l The^ajeronycongpd their seasona^ ;| Duncdin on Sa4rda|||eeki when ac^ni" plimentary benefib w||bendered to Mr BL '■ R. Jewebt. .At |he|B $ theßecond,a^i Mr Jewett, in ■ fes|§§ to a hearty call, appeared befo© '%m curtaipi and ' de livered himself of j^ little speech. Jit was a singular i ffiicidence, he said, that by the kinlTijl'of Signor Majeroni, the fireb benciif he >M taken during his sefen years' coaiw^on with the stage wa3 taken in Dual | bis native city, and he thanked from |# bottom of his heart) ■ , those old Men sPo had raped round him to make iW^air a success, and show, as he toll their approbation of his efjbrte to. g<» in the p'rofesßion he had chosen. A3 |gh it was majjy years :t 1 since he had hew'to uphold the honour f of Otago in thl fa? it was unspeakably gratifying to hi & find that &■*&:***! Forgotten as a ffl *&cr > hut that his foofc-f ball friends' W MUe^ J» ghre-him^ friendly kick I W^ and «peourflge ,hiffl| in -the attend ' ™ makin| J? |TOS; ; coal This l®6mar^ wa^ • a ve^ ceab toul 6 the part of Mr Je^| and moved tfiarge contingent of ? foo> ballersintheg f to enthusiastic «£^gl amidst whichWewetb saidnpt «s*&& aurevoir, *n»Quteda strategiel^t intothewin* . . ■ -^ I •WritinginllCQntemporaryMaga^j, li Mr Sneneo®urwen says :—"Bf^Jg vl J the insults WJical training in ??&&, • M Germany' Slpriand, Austria, W.4if&: f I Sv^tSpltoGi-eat Britain. InMgl*, sieging espf »y England is to tijj even of gSJPY- This. S.^SS^ first, to the#va^Jice °^ tbo W^r\ % § f method, anfoxt to the 11 Jj^jJffiJ wlnVb the eiilcb gets from the WMrW tal musio, fwnter *»**&* %, W£ OldCountr;dMiwgthela S bdecad| gg^- , redtals h#fcome geiieraL J^ -j_ | hftS eXmeslre now&ed on]3ufld^; | m,? nychKheS SaQ recital is g^ve< ' af? noSßS^Subeither Be«sono| ; and ora#s^J|g during f u.^ = pra^l&SS Play, ch^rs|pf monts sjSrS; the fields on Sunday after ™o*^mt3'thl quiet English..«, 2 oon -' Owanoel;awoke to; the ?- as>l"& of sacved mttsic, fgr. Me MS, 3 the following k& u rn l ?nu «mcc "of recent d>te:- «Wf rectory ara tt^-JPg gro^ Itagera on Sunday evenings m to the th lisfcen to bymns sung b/ direction of the rector a acho| p People waU: fivepr ;-tfo J**J : dawgl «arde& and listen to the village °hoiliir houses and Uttje onw, # V w» ( -. Sqkltateidi>g. n

*'IHB AUCKLAND EVENING STAB, ""SATURDAY 'DECEMBEfttfi, 1687.

2