The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-08-27 00:00:00

alistettantoits aintettigentc,

HOME, FOAEIGN, AND COLONIAL,

AID TO SOLDIER'S Fewatte.—The object of
the Ladies' Association in aid of the Victoria lnetitu-
' lion, founded by the Crown Princess of Pruseia,
Princess Royal of England, is to provide for the wives
and children of the absent soldiers. The following is
au extract from the appeal made by her Royal High.
flees :
'The whole nation—for we have no other army—flies to its
well-tried arms to protect our homes and hearths. Thou-
sands of women and children ere bereft of their bread-
Sinner.. From the sof row, of their hearts we c arrant save
them, but we can prevent them suffering from material
needs. Let us all unite again In the labour of love to pro-
trot from want the families of those who are ready to give
health mat life for us. Let us sive qui.tkly awl empty, that
the soldiers who light for our Fatherland's sacred rughis may
so to the hAt tie field with the comforting 8611111 CH Vint the
fate of CIL ir beloved ones is confided to faithful hands."
Contributions may he paid to Messrs. Ramson,
Bruverie, and Co., 1, Pall-mall, for the "Victoria
Stiftung," &c., &c.
Remo WlT.—Mta. karnebotham was told of a
Hat which is constructed with an "air chamber." Ifer
Latent imuark was, "I thoeght all ats was hair
chambers leastwise unless the Party were bald which
the moral ii the same."—Punch.
LET us 111501 Nit A Cam—At this time, when
Germany and France are engaged in a death.grapple
on the banks of the Moselle, there is one thouoht
which must be ever present in the minds of English-
men (remarks the Standard) We cannot exclude it if
we would. It overpowers all other cares for the mo-
ment. It is superior to every political concern. It In-
trudes into every domestic circle, "and comes home to
mesas business and bosoms." Watching the course of
this terrib'e war, we cannot help asking ourselves one
very momentous question. What if the case of either
combatant was cries? What if we had to maintain
our national honour as the Germans are doing? What
if we had to defend fur country's s il as Frenchmen
are deteurring theirs? Have we realised for ourselvee
the full meaning of those brief but pregnant lines
which tell from day to day the tale of blood? Do we
know what enn such day's fighting means? Searcely
four hundred miles from London, a 3 the crow fi es, is
the war. The nations who are battling are as civi-
lised as our own, and by nature notices fond of pea,.
Their lives are as precious to them, and their homes
as dear, as curs to ourselves. Two months ago be would
have been rietiou'ed as a madman who obould have
ventured to predict that on the next Imperial fete.
'lay Nancy would be laid under contribution by a troop
of Wilans ; that Lorraine would have a German
overnor ; that Paris would be preparing to resist a
battle army.
Molitfov CRUITB. On the 2nd of August a
party of abant 300, who had arrived at New York by
the sfeamshrp Milmoota, took their departure from
Castle Garden for Salt Lake to krin the Mormon com-
munity. They were principally from Denmark,
Sweden, and Norway. but there was. besides a c
siderable sprinkling of English and Welah. They are
desert:Med as a healthy-looking body of peoole, but with
a physiognomy not indicating a very high order of in-
tellect. There were no more women in the party than
is usual on immigrant vesuls. There were for the
most part, young and rather good looking. There
were plenty of children.
PRATER DURING THE WAF.—The following
notice is, at the suggestion of the Bishop of the diocese,
used in Gloucester Cathedral before the Litany and
Prayer for all conditi Ars of men, and is a useful for-
mule. hobo adopted elsewere, bring really a prayer in
the form of a notice:—" It is desired that the prayer.
of the c naregatiwi may be humbly offered to
Almighty God for the wounded and dying in the War
now raging in Europe, and for the epee ty restoration
to the notions now at war of the blessing and gift of
peace."

"Now LET'S DANCE, AR SOT, AllnYffT."—Pl( fiat
was much comforted at reading on the placards Edmond
About Safe. But he was still more delighted on find-
ing next day that Eilunind was guile safe, and enlight-
ening be Soir with his vivid sketches. Edmond'a
health !—Punthe
EXTRAORDINARY WATERE POUTS IN THE STRAITS
OF DOVER—On Saturday evening, between nix and
seven o'clock, a singular phenomenon was witnessed by
a large number of persons at Celan,. From the edge of
a thick black thundercloud two funnel-shaped pr..jer-
tions were seen to depend, until they gradually k'
the surface of the sea, on which they create a
disturbance, masses of foam rising up to a con ruble
height around the foot of each waterspout. I. • -al-
culated that the long streamers hanging down
C1.1(1 to the sea were nearly a mile in lem . --
wind caused them to wave about gently, and alt,
their form slightly from time to time. One of the
waterepouts lasted about ten minutes, and the other
about a iinerter of an hour. During this time they
moved rapidly along the sea, and would prohahly ban
proved fatal to any vessel they might have croestu.
br'ght blue sky below the cloud formed a backgroui
which threw up the long, dark, thin columns win.
startling clearness. Lightning and thunder follow,
the termination of this phenomeron, but r are •
drops of rain. As might be expected, swum,' llt crow,:
considered this a portent of the War.
A FeARFUL AFFAIR.—The is re-
corded by the Gazette or France :
M do Monier, a young num of about 30, •
Chateau de Bremoge, near Maraud, not man: .• "
Perigaud wens with a few friends to the fair at ihe t . •
village of Haute Faye. Some if the ruffians t'.. -
found, it seems, in French villager as well as in • • .
towns, began by tainittng them 'vita being "flu- .at ,
able to buy substitutes and fight by deputy. ,ti. Monier
foolishly stopped to argue, and disclaimed any intintion of
not joining the army, holding that those who oid rot d• • their
duty just now belonged to the clean who shoured Vitae Ls
Cruise " The words were hardly out of his mouth, when tbe
testier of the roughs exclaimed. " Hear him! lie is shouting
• Vise Is Prim. ;'" The unfortunate young man was imme-
diately set upon, kicked, cuffed, and beaten—dragged to a
dried-up pond ha the middle of the fivr—graw and brush-
wood a ere piled over htm, and he use burnt slice ! Five per-
sons are in custody, in addition to two others Who have
given themselves up.
, MRS. RitasbOthatn says
she hears that the Ruffianly Brigands of Greece "are
all bandied together. Horrible !" She writes to her
daughter, "think of Brigands with bow legs! I don't
wonder at their cominitting every specious of defer.
mite." She adds, with reslaset to her country cottage
which site has recently taken, that "all the vegetable
Mar;s have been 'snivelled up by the sun. We've no
peas, and the gardener has had to cut his sticks."—
Punch. _

. --
MAC DiSKASES ARK SPRILAII.—The Rev P. T.
Ouvry, V:ear GI Wing, near Leighton Buzzard,
writes : .

The destt notion of life by war excites great Went', n just
now I would nevertheless invite notice to the destructi n
of life in peace. lam the inconibent of a parish where
scarlet fever It now prevalent and very fatal Straw plaiting,
In socalled ''plaitlsg echools.'forms the chief tTcupatlon of
the children. The medical officer of the Union reports to
me this morning Aug 2o that he finds a child suffer.
lug from scarlet fever lying in the corner of a room lull '
of children eng.ged in straw platting. Already 20 chlidreu,
out lit • population of 1,540. have died, and several °tilt rs
are not likely to recover The law punishes people having
infectious diseases for exposing themselves in streets and
public places ; should it not also punish parents who seed
their children into infected house., and houseoWners who
I receive children when an Infectious disease Is in the louse
KILLED BT A RATTLISNAKE.—The Savannah
Adartiser says :
A fearful death from the effects of the poison of that
veimmous reptile, the rattlesnake, occurred recently near the
Middle Ground road, the victim being a young coloured girl
named Lucinda White, who was engaged at the time, la
company with another woman, in picking huckleberries.
'rho companion of Lucinda states that as they were about
rept:dug over • fallen tree that lay in the path,
the latter in advance, she almost stepped upon the
snake, wl.ich had collet up ready for a spring upon
hearing the approaching footstep* and rustling in the
hushes. A. quick as • flash the repulsive head of the
creature sprung forward, striking the startl,l victim on the
hand, surely and fatally, WI the sequel shews. The two
women at once started li.r some houses at a distance for the
purple of getting an antidote, hut after walking a few rods,
so virulent was the poison. Lucinda sank down utterly in-
capable of going any further. Her companion hastened on,
but her return with some coloured people sholly after
proved of no avail, for the poor girl had oreathed her last,
and was • swollen, hideous corpus.
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