The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-08-22 00:00:00

"OUR DEAR OLD CHURCH OF
ENGLAND."
(Genuine Version.)

Our dear old Church of England,
Let's rally round you now,
Though there's not the least occasion
For kicldng up a row.
You know you're safe as ever,
And watched with loving eye,
But Dizzy who's so clever,
Suggests a little Cry.
So dear old Church of England,
And none can call you cheap
We'll make your name a war-cry,
For those who'd office keep
Declare to win elections,
Old Mother Church so dear,
With these, our crack selections,
Yourself, and Gold, and Beer—Pouch.

'qiisrtnantons 11`,t1iigentz,
COLONIn

INTERESTING MONUMENTS AT LUCERNE.—
Among the many objects which attract visitors at
Lucerne is a monument erected in 1821 to the memory
of the Swiss Guards, who died in the defence of the
Tuileries against the mob of Paris, on August 10th,
1792. It represents a wounded or dying lion of colossal
size, in alto reliero, sculptured on the side of a rock in
a kind of niche. The artist was Thorwaldsen, who
sent the model of it from Rome. The names of the
officers-26 in number, who, with 760 soldiers, fell on
that occasion, as well as 16 officers and 350 soldiers
who survived it—are engraved underneath. The
monument is much admired as a work of art; the
curious old tombstones of the churchyard, with their
coats of arms (Wlll old devices and mottoes, mark the
last resting-places of the old Swiss soldiers of fortune,
who, after fighting the battles of all Southern or
Catholic Europe, had come home to spend their old
age and die in their native Lucerne.

THE PEDLAR'S ACRE.—The well-known tradi-
tion of the pedlar and his dog in Lambeth Church is,
that a tired pellar fell asleep near the "Farthing
Ferry," and that on awakening be saw that his dog
had scratched up the turf over a spot where some gold
had been concealed. With the wealth thus revealed
he bought the plot, verifying the words of the 44th
verse of the 13th chapter of Matthew. His dog not
long after died, and was buried in the churchyard—by
the inducement of a timely donation to the sexton—
whither his master shortly followed him, leaving the
Pedlar's Acre in trust for the poor of the parish. It is
now suggested that the window with the effigy is in-
tended as a punning memorial—a rebus indeed—on the
name of the benefactor. In Swaffham Church, Nor-
folk, is the portrait of John Chapman, a great bene-
factor to that parish. The device f a pedlar and his
pack occurs in several parts of that church, and there
exists there a tradition very nearly identical with that
extant at Lambeth.
A CURIOUS COINCIDENCE.—The MORiteur tiL
forms 11S that on the occasion of the funeral of the late
Queen of Madagascar orders were issued for a national
mourning, which was to last three months. During
that period ladies were to wear no garment that
covered the bosom or fell below the knee. The
"effect," says the Moniteur, was 'peculiar." We are
surprised at the remark, considering that in Paris,
and certainly in London, a similar costume is now
perfectly common. The only difference between
Madagascar and either metropolis that we can see, is
that in the former women go about half-dressed in
obedience to superior orders for a limited period and in
moments of grief; whereas amongst us they indulge
in the " peculiar effect" in hours of supposed gaiety,
and threaten to continue to do so for an indefinite
time. We suppose it is only another illustration of
extremes meeting. Perhaps when the fashionable
females of England are compelled by some calamity
or other to go into mourning, they will once more dress
themselves, at least for a time.—Tonzahatrk.

WAR RUMOURS.—The Temps (Paris paper)
regrets to say that its correspondence from Berlin,
Vienna, and Madrid is of a very warlike tone. The
interview between the Czar and the King of Prussia is
considered very significative. The Wanderer of Vienna
says that the recent attacks of the Russian press on
Prussia were but a mask to avert attention from the
close relations of the two Powers. Now that they are
ready they drop the mask, and the interview between
the two sovereigns reveals to the world the fact of
their close intimacy. The Arenir National hopes that
in the face of such grave facts France is not going to
engage in a mad enterprise against Germany." Such
an enterprise could only succeed "by having Austria
as an ally, and the late visit of Prince Napoleon has
proved that Austria cannot or will not aid us against
Prussia."

THE TABLES TURNED. The Orpheonists of
Grenoble, having refused to sing the cantata of M. Bel-
montel, expressly composed for the inauguration of the
statue about to be erected at Grenoble in honour of
Napoleon 1., were asked by the municipal authorities
to reconsider their decision. They did so, and again
refused by a majority of 48 to 21, on the ground "that
agricultural, mutual, academical, and musical societies
had been repeatedly told from the highest quarters
that they had no right to interfere in politics ; that
they felt bound to defer to such high authority, and
could, therefore, take no official part in the inaugura-
tion of the statue."

A PITIABLE CASE.—An Irishman named Wilson
was brought before the Birkenhead Police-court, on
Saturday, under the follouing circumstances. He had
been landed at Birkenhead on Saturdayby the Pennsyl-
vania steamship from New York, having been reshipped
to England by our 'cute transatlantic cousins in
consequence of it being discovered that he was a con-
firmed lunatic. In answer to the magistrate, he said
he was a son of the Queen of Prussia, and by trade a
coach painter. He asserted that he had acted as a
magistrate in Ireland ; that both at home and abroad
he had crushed out Fenianism. He was directed to be
placed in the care of the relieving officer.
AN ELEPHANT MAKING A NIGHT OF IT.—The
I elsphant of the American menagerie, Myers and Bell,
lately sold by auction at Havre, was placed pro
visionally in a stable in the Rue Sh.y. A few nights
back the huge animal was suddenly seized with a desire
to take a little exercise, so it broke its chain, forced
open the door of the place. and went to the Place
Louis-Philippe, where it walked about for a time. In
the course of its perambulation, meeting with a gas
pillar it broke it down like a rod. The keeper,
however, being warned of what was going on, hurried
to the spot, and had no difficulty in replacing his
charge in its former resting place.
CURIOUS EFFECT OF LIGHTNINS.—The following
singular fact has been eommo.oicated to the Academy
of Sciences by M. A. Boll:erre, well-known physicist.
About a fortnight ago city of Narita* was visited